Monthly Archives Nov 2008
Advent, it's a conspiracy
November 30, 2008
I have a few advent thoughts to share. Instead of trying to cleverly weave them together here they are as a list: Inspiration Our family is a part of a local Advent Conspiracy to worship fully, spend less, give more, love all, this holiday season. I am super excited and ...
Sharing the Season
November 28, 2008
Remember last Friday's post when I asked: What are you doing to prepare for the holiday season? What activities do you find meaningful, that add richness to your life, not stress and debt? Now's the time to share those on your blog, if you haven't already, and then come back ...
Un-Thanksgiving
November 28, 2008
We've celebrated a lot in the past month. Canadian Thanksgiving with Damien's family in October, a visit with my parents the beginning of November, a festive harvest meal with turkey and all the trimmings at the college last week, the Lots to Gardens supper last Friday and Brienne's princess fairy ...
Beeswax Candles
November 27, 2008
This post was originally published many years ago, and as you will read below I really enjoyed making them with my then little kids. However, they didn't burn well and I never attempted to make taper candles again. A few years after this first foray into candle dipping I bought ...
Heartaching gratitude
November 27, 2008
Everyone's writing about gratitude these days and I have a few thoughts (I wish it was only a few) to share on the matter. I don't need any reminders to be thankful, I am filled with gratitude every single day. In this world we live in I'm stinking rich with ...
Happy Birthday Brienne
November 25, 2008
Today is my youngest child's 6th birthday. Dear Brienne, Don't ever lose the fire in your belly and the mischief in your eye. You are one tenacious girl and when someone, usually me, is on the receiving end of that determination you can be somewhat... challenging. But boy oh boy, ...
FIMBY finds
November 25, 2008
my favorite finds I spend a fair amount of time perusing the web each week reading other blogs about all kinds of topics. I find myself coming back to and subscribing to blogs that touch on areas I like to write about and photograph - homeschooling, family life, photography in ...
Harvest Moon Soap Recipe
November 25, 2008
A tingling woodsy scent and a subtle green color inspired the naming of this soap.
celebrate, watch movies and party
November 23, 2008
It's a blustery, bitter November weekend but we're taking care of that with some good old fashioned fun. Friday night our family attended and volunteered at a fundraising celebration of local food, art and music. This harvest supper of seaonsal, locally grown food (you'd be amazed at how many ways ...
Sharing the Season
November 21, 2008
Creating the perfect Christmas and holiday season used to be a fall obsession of mine. I would print schedules (bake this weekend, shop these weekends, etc...), collect recipes, scour the local paper for activities & craft fairs, budget and plan gifts for months. Whatever happened? First we moved far away ...
Light...in the afternoon
November 21, 2008
It comes to me first thing in the morning through the kitchen window. Bright and energizing. "I can do this" love, discipline, teach, train keep, cook, find, solve hope, build, grow, create Inspired. The day is busy. the light shifts and I lose track. It finds me again late in ...
Playing with motion
November 20, 2008
I like aperture priority. I kind of, sort of know what I'm doing in that mode. I choose the aperture (how large or small the lens opening is) and the camera does the rest. I love shooting shallow depth of field shots (wide open aperture) and I'm comfortable here but ...
Fused Glass Field Trip
November 19, 2008
Technically not a "field" trip, more like an art trip. We've done quite a few "learning" excursions with the kids but this by far was my favorite. It was so creative and yielded such great results. A friend of ours and fellow homeschooler organized a trip recently to the Maine ...
Nature Study, FIMBY Style
November 18, 2008
Picture this: a child in the woods, with a drawing pad and pencil. Diligently sketching a leaf, stone, tree, flower or butterfly. Our reality: three kiddos running through the woods, building forts and fairy houses, pretending to be drunken pirates. Welcome to my world of Nature Study.
November Garden Beauties
November 15, 2008
My garden is still delighting me. I took these photos this week. I'm posting them and participating in SOOC Saturday at Slurping Life. Lamb's Ear Foxglove: why on earth is this blooming right now?? SOOC is short speak for Straight Out Of the Camera. Since getting my new camera almost ...
Seasonal soapmaking
November 15, 2008
It's been a grey, rainy, November day. Although the sun was shining earlier this week I feel tired and worn down. Tonight I miss August's sun, wait a minute, it rained all August. I miss July's sun. The perfect time then to post this photo. Orange Clove Pomander Doesn't this ...
Orange Clove Pomander Soap
November 15, 2008
I love the history of the pomanders (I'm fascinated with the middle ages right now) and love the scent of the modern-day clove studded oranges that decorate homes during the holidays. The traditional Christmas Pomander was my inspiration for this bar. Orange Clove Pomander Soap Recipe Read 4 Steps to ...
Green Giveaway
November 13, 2008
OK, Wayfaring Wanderer, I'll bite. November Green Lamb's Ear 5 green things I currently do: - make mostly all our own soap, except for liquid dishwashing soap - grow a small garden - buy local produce - keep our trash to a minimum through composting, recycling and (you guessed it) ...
Time to Vote
November 13, 2008
And you thought the elections were over?! You may have noticed that I was rather silent on the whole subject of elections. As a disenfranchised legal alien (fancy speak for Canadian living in the US) with good friends on all sides of the political spectrum it's best to keep my ...
Artist-In-Residence Tutorial
November 12, 2008
Two of our resident artists have posted tutorials to their blogs. Both are step by step drawings of "how to draw a motorcycle". Of course you should check it out because these instructions are simply amazing *smile*. My five year old's instructions are more suited to the ability level of ...
Why I Blog
November 12, 2008
Through my years of blogging I occasionally have the need to process why I blog. Follow up posts: Why Blogging Works For Me Blogging is My Part-Time (unpaid) Job A Blogging Manifesto Evolution of a Writer Why FIMBY is not a Hair, Make-Up, Fashion, or Home Decor Blog A Blogging ...
Soapnuts and Soapmaking
November 11, 2008
Soapnuts The first time I'd heard about soap nuts was on my friend Cori's blog (which she no longer publishes). I make most of our household soaps, including laundry soap so I didn't pay it too much attention. I like practicing the centuries old craft of soap making. I felt ...
Confessions of an errant vegetable gardener
November 9, 2008
I had plans. Big plans. I had diagrams, spreadsheets and labeled photos. Sigh.... Some things just aren't meant to be. Like me harvesting broccoli from my raised bed in November. I took this photo the end of October. There will be no fresh homegrown broccoli for Thanksgiving. I love the ...
Fall happened instead
November 8, 2008
This week I had planned to wash the porch windows. They've been dirty for a year but the gray sky and brown naked trees just seem to accentuate the smears, dust and finger prints. I was also supposed to do on-line banking, pay utility bills and such. And I hoped ...
Camera and lenses I use
November 6, 2008
(Because you asked... not because I think I'm some sought after hot shot photographer) A couple people have asked me recently what kind of camera I use. I'm a little embarrassed to answer that because from what I understand my camera is an entry level professional camera. And I am ...
On the edge
November 6, 2008
I am not on the edge of my seat awaiting the election results. I'm on the edge of my chair about to go to bed. But... my husband, he really is on the cutting edge, making real "changes". I just love this man.
Family, Nature and Poetry
November 4, 2008
My parents left this morning after a 3 day visit at our house. They came mostly so that my dad could help us install new vinyl replacement windows in our living room and learning room (used to be a formal dining room). The possibility now exists that I won't totally ...
Late Saturday Night thoughts
November 2, 2008
Sea Thrift in the City Feeling a bit mellow tonight. Not exactly sure why. My parents are visiting for the weekend and my dad and Damien installed new replacement windows in our learning and living room. I'm so happy with how they look. And I'm even happier knowing I'll be ...
