This month my Farmgirrrl Divas group made house-cleaning products that are simple and cheap to make and easy on the environment, in our reusable containers. No need for chemicals or to buy quantities of throw away bottles, we can use baking soda, vinegar, castile soap, essential oils, and borax to do minor and major housecleaning with no worry about harming our earth or our noses and skin.
We made Green Cleaning Products:
powdered laundry soap
dusting spray
all purpose cleaner
window cleaner
toilet bowl cleaner
lemon dish soap
tub scrub

we used:
2 1/2 cups baking soda
¼ cup salt
20 drops citrus essential oil
10 tea tree essential oil
2 cups liquid castile soap, plus1 tsp plus 1 Tbsp
1 cup ammonia
½ cup white vinegar, plus 4 Tbsp
4 cups distilled water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups, plus1 Tbsp Borax
3 drops essential oil of your choosing, like tea tree, lavendar
1 bar Castille soap, grated
2 cups washing soda
and we needed an airtight container, squeeze bottle, 4 spray bottles, and a covered jar.

The recipes were taken from the Aug/Sept 2009 issue of MaryJanes Farm magazine. Plus we had a ball, ate (OMG) fabulous foods, swapped stories, tromped out in the mud to see my animals, drank some wine, and in so doing, we are building a stronger community in my little town.
Come on gals, try it!
We all make a difference….

A winter full of knitting crazy stuff, mostly because I really don’t know much about knitting, except your knit and purl and then winding the yarn a few times to leave some holes in the piece. I add different yarns when I feel like it, combining fuzzy with glitter with hemp with wool. How fun is that? These above where these soft coccons of yummy colors that I made several very long boa type scarves from.

scrunchy boa

Of course my cat, Sage, wanted a scarf too.Carol and Gina got those yummy boas, along with me. Dulci got a crazy glittery pink girly fringy scarf or hip sash because she is so feminine.

Then Lynea, who has beautiful blue eyes and blondish hair got this fuzzy one in watery greens and blues for her birthday. It’s so fun to make things for someone special because you create it just for them only, and are inspired by them as you make it.

Fusing ideas and colors and thoughts of someone, reminds me of how I dance too, fusing ideas, cultures, songs, moves, depending on mood, song, someone, even what I’m wearing at the time.

I just finished reading Kate Jacob’s  third book, Knit Two, A Friday Night Knitting Club Novel. A delightful read, and I can’t wiat to read her new one. Another aspect of community building. a knitting group of women who, although very different in age, culture, upbringing, work, join together and build solid relationships of support, love, inspiration. Just like our dance community, just a different art form that brings people together. Pretty cool, eh?

I have enjoyed her other books so much. Anyone read the new one?

Do you like our work-in-progress logo? Pretty fab, thanks to Farmgirl Devona, for this!

Ah, yes, the Farmgirrrls met again, finally! We got together to make cards, as in Christmas cards. Farmgirl Karen brought her fabulous mom to show us how to stamp, glue, cut out, layer, etc, to make holiday cards. Mama Maryann brought lots of samples and paper goods for us to work with, while we ate mushroom lentil soup, cheeses, humus, wine, apple cranberry sauce, wine, lemon bars and more! A brief visit to see my farm animals and everyone set to work with such determination to get our cards made. What fun…

Paulette enjoying lunch

Kate and Linda

Heidi and Karen

a table of goodies

Maryann showing us how

one of the finished cards

the girls are ready

and now for something a bit different.my lovely dancing friend Lydia, was my first egg customer! When my beautiful young hens started laying their eggs, she was first in line to buy a dozen, and now she gets them almost every week from me. I love that… that’s as local as it gets, and fresh and organic eggs from well loved chooks!

but what was even more special was what she wrote to me, after cooking the eggs the following morning for her two little girls.

“The Best Ever” out of the mouths of my babes. Tucker is quite the  foody and really appreciated the finer qualities of farm fresh. Today is a late school opening all over Portland Public Schools so we  had the chance to make a lovely slow scumptuous breakfast. I fixed 2  smaller eggs each for the girls. I crack them into a small fry pan  with a little spray canolla oil and bit of butter. Then as the white begins to firm and turn color I add about a tablespoon of water to the pan and put the lid on it for another minute or so. This poaches them to doneness. And you have a “pink egg” (the yellow looks pink
with the lightly poached film over it) Then I cracked Dolly’s egg for myself and guest what – she gave us twins!!! That is so fun to see twins come glopping out.
So anyway – thanks for the yummy breakfast -

That makes is all worthwhile…

lovely fresh eggs from my girls!

FarmAid is today people!

Oh how I wish I could be in St. Louis right now!
But you can all help…http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723605/k.C7B8/Concert.htm?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=46021&utm_campaign=0
Watch the concert, donate, spread the word! wow, Willie, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, John Mellenkamp, what a show… and what a cause…
“Farmers are the backbone of America” say Willie Nelson. amen….

nothing like  a community of like-minded folks to support a cause…

help the local farmers, who fight against the big corporations who want to take over our foods…..

be a part of the solution! we can all do a little to help. let me know what you can do…

“What is Farm Aid? Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to keep family farmers on their land. Over the past 24 years, Farm Aid has raised nearly $36 million dollars to support programs that help farmers thrive, create and strengthen connections between farmers and eaters, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture, and promote food from family farms.”

Farmgirl Fare

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/

How do you get inspired? the ongoing topic…

A way for me to get inspired is by reading what other people do, what they think and write, it’s as if they were a mirror, or not, and gives me a time to reflect on myself and what I am doing and what I’ve set out to do… Derek Silvers, an ex-circus man turned musician then ingenious entrepeneur, the former owner of the amazingly successful CD Baby, keeps things moving for me…

HIs blog topic yesterday was…”What do you hate not doing?”

http://sivers.org/hatenot

Derek writes: We’ve all asked ourselves, “What do I really love?” or “What makes me happy?” I’ve wrestled when the emotion-based answers conflict with expectations. (I’m a musician, but I love working alone. Does that mean I should be a producer instead of performer? I’m an entrepreneur but I hate doing business deals. Does that mean I’m more of a CTO than CEO?) Last week I thought of it a different way, that I like better:

What do you hate NOT doing? (What makes you feel icky, irritated, annoyed or off-track if you don’t do it enough?) .

..and I thought this was just a super positive way to look at what I am, am not doing. So…

*I don’t like not moving my body every day, wether it be dancing, doing my personal workout, throwing hay to the goats, gardening…I am a pysical person, I need to move my body or I get super restless.

*I don’t like not reading every day. I must read, it does something to my psyche, me brain, my thought processes.

*I don’t like not writing every day. It helps to clear my mind, gets my ideas down on paper, gets my work done so that I can move forward on to the next project or idea or chapter.

*I don’t like not feeling connected, to myself, my family, my animals—every day. When I get too busy, it takes its  toll on my personal well-being, and my connection to my immediate community. Although good family and friends understand and accept those times of extreme busy-ness, no apologies necessary, it does not make me feel good. So there….do check out Derek’s blog…

How about you?

Can you approach your intentions and inspirations from that angle? Or think about what you want to do in terms of what you hate not doing? Bring it on!

~~~~~~~And down to my reading…

~~the $64.00 Tomato, by William Alexander Hilarious, made my howl out loud, which I love to do when I ‘m reading…

~~Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us, by Seth Goldin Here is something to get your brain cranked up!

~~Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything. by  Elizabeth Gilbert the ever popular book and author these days, and I still love it, and her! The writing is so authentic and soul-searching.

Here is a lovely clip from the TED conference with Elizabeth speaking about creative genius, what do you think?

Elizabeth Gilbert

on the road with Jeff, my two corgis, and the camper…what fine country side it was, from eastern oregon through eastern washington into idaho around Coeur D’alene… it was magnificent…and yep, that’s me with MaryJane Butters and her fab gal, Renee…

from my first eggs from Ruby and Diamond!

to pickling day at the fiber shop

to Gracie with a broken toe and a full leg (expensive!) splint…just a few more photos…

and the barns from my farmgirl tour to follow…

Now it is time for the Farmgirl to speak! Even thought she hasn’t been writing much, she sure has been living the farm life!

Here are just a few things about country living: Noisy goats,  a crowing rooster, newly laying pullets (Ruby and Diamond!) and fresh eggs daily, cuddly dogs, emergency vet runs, barking dogs, tons of gorgeous kale, colorful stalks of swiss chard, thistles, tree chopping, baby chicks getting picked on and bloody, land clearing to raise a barn, deep purple blueberries, beautiful red and golden beets, deer eating my flowers and making my dogs bark even more, glorious green broccoli, crinkly dutch cabbage, fields of thistle overtaking my garden, five am feedings in the barn, a dog with a broken toe, watching gorgeous sunsets outside with a glass of wine, cute-as-can-be goats, my father’s memorial service, visiting with old friends from 35 years ago (oh my…), hens growing amazing plumes of colorful feathers and following me around the garden, making pickles for the first time. Maybe the best thing is picking a hot ripe tomato off the vine and slicing it to layer on fresh sourdough bread slathered in mayonaisse with a little sea salt, as it dribbles down your chin—that is true eating summer!

So many new experiences on this land, some hard, some easy, some of them trying my patience to no end, some back breaking with additional trips to the chiropractor, all rewarding on some level, and I love them all. All that and dancing too, traveling and teaching at home, dancing with my beautiful caravan dancers who are rocking my world! So much about living my dreams, and making my dreams not a dream.

This tribal  farmgirl has had a full summer, and it is not over yet. Earlier, I traveled with Jeff in our TAB camper to the Farmgirl Fourth of July campout in Idaho. Met MaryJane Butters and farmgirls from all over the states. Just how many apron vendors did we see?! We drove through beautiful country full of rolling fields of wheat, old broken barns (of which I photographed like crazy), tasted local cheeses, tofus, coffees, beers, listened to great fiddle music, took the corgis swimming in icy creeks and lakes in the 100 degree heat, and met other like minded folk, who love the ideals of country living, interested in  global sustainablility, whether they lived in the country or city, no matter…

My own group, the Farmgirrrl Divas, have had a few gatherings, making cheeses, sewing, making pickles, mostly just chatting it up and hanging out. Very delightful. I am thrilled that I reached my goal of learning how to can, making a couple different recipes of pickles, but the special one is from my grandmother’s recipe. I honored her this morning, pulling that age old recipe out, but I know, no one makes pickles like my granny did…Now I just need to wait a few weeks for that tasting.

More on the farmgirl side of the tracks!

My strawberries are glorious, a bit later up here than in town, but so big and ripe and red and yummy!

I sold my first pints to some dancers, thanks gals for supporting mama paulette’s crazy notion of trying to be an organic farmer! yea…. and my kale is taking over the garden, beautiful red russian kale. just stir fry it up with some garlic, and oh yea….

the Farmgirrrl Divas had two fun gatherings! We all wore aprons, and wait until you see the “man” apron that Darby’s daughter made! we discussed farmgirrrl logos, and upcoming gathering ideas, we were successful at making our 30 minute mozzarella! Yea. Thanks to all who stirred and dunked and read the recipe, (how many farmgirrrls does it take…?)

We sipped wine, ate tons of food, visited my animals, and swirled my poi fans in the setting sun.

at the last gathering, a smaller one, us four farmgirrrls nibbled on veggie rolls,hummus, chilled asparagus, sipped on Kim’s homemade blackberry vodka, while I made strawberry rhubarb crumble, Karen made two wheat-free pies—chocolate cream with strawberries, and cheesecake with strawberries—and Kim made chocolate fondue for dipping fruit! It was a berry theme obviously, and quite tasty!

My new goaties, Gimli, and Sully, and chicks, eight of them, are doing great, the big chooks are running around in the garden, the coop—Coop DeVilla— is done and fabulous, and my man Jeff is starting work on the new pole barn with a loft for my writing and fiber art making…We’ve got some new farmgirrrl interest. We’ll see what’s next!