small wonders

Things I am loving right now:


:: this incredible weather we are having. The garden is so happy and so are we. 


:: my little farm boys who love to help and really can be of help now. They are so thrilled when the work that they do is helpful to the family (so long as it is fun too of course!)


:: morning chores. I love going out on these warm, lush mornings and making the rounds around the farm- the pigs, and chickens, the greenhouses to open, the plants to check on, the watering to be done. I love it so.


:: the hammock we finally got to setting up under the willow tree. The kids have been having such fun in there- and with some friends over discovered that 4 kids can swing at the same time! They have been taking turns having their quiet time in the hammock (with the other in a little tent close enough to both hear their stories on the ipod,) and I spent a couple hours yesterday doing some home school planning in there. Bliss!


:: all these new plants we are growing this year- the comfrey which has gone crazy and which the pigs adore, the field peas which are growing well and seem to make the other plants happy, the flowering broccoli that the kids love to munch on and the bees love, the lemon verbana which smells amazing, and all the happy beans that we finally got a cover up to grow them under. The garden makes me happy.


:: the big cooler full of fish from a friend with a boat and the evening with my mom chatting and processing it all. The total satisfaction as the freezer and pantry starts to fill for the winter.


:: having a quiet day to nurse the last of this summer cold that we've all had, while the boys went fishing with Perry and family. And hearing all their excited stories when they returned back home- they didn't catch anything, but they had a lot of fun! (photo credits to Perry for the shots of the little fisherfolk.)


:: eating from the garden. In this heat we all eat lots of salad and greens and I love going out with the basket before every meal to gather what we need.


:: This new cookbook that I have been cracking often to help me figure out all sorts of kitchen questions- like how to cook radish tops and pea vines, forage various wild plants, cut up a chicken, and preserve all sorts of things. I don't look at the dessert section (definitely not GAPS!) but the rest is pure gold.

I hope you are all soaking up the summer, friends.