posted Feb 5, 2010 10:44 AM by Tori Douglas
Well, kiddos, it is snowing to beat the band here in central Indiana, and most other places from the weather reports. I, as usual for February, am in full spring garden obsession mode. I have a few new ideas I am trying this year, starting with seed starting. Last year was my 1st attempt at it, and I had mixed results, mostly because I failed hard at hardening them off. This go round, I am starting seeds in 'hot boxes' made of Pyrex pie plates clamshelled over the peat pots. Once they are seedlings, I will put them into newspaper pots and keep them on the dryer under a florescent light until time to go outside. Last year I pretty much went from the hot box stage to outside and few plants made it. I started daylillies from gathered seeds last week so they will be big, sturdy plants when I move them outside, and today I started peppers, basil, and dill. The basil and dill I am going to plant in 'topsy-turvy' style planters with other herbs I will start when the seeds come in. I will be making the planters from plastic bottles, and will post that project when I do. They will hang in my kitchen and possibly move into the gazebo this summer. I need to get or order the rest of my seeds/plants, and finalize the chicken coop plan with the Hubs. I cannot wait till we get our chicks! We ordered 5 from a local farm, since we want to babystep into the whole chicken thing. We might have even fewer, since the chicks are 'straight pull' and we might get some males that we cannot keep in city limits. I already have a dog crate pulled out of the shop area to keep the chicks in until they move to the coop. It is going to be an exciting and busy spring...it just needs to get here! H.W. |
posted Feb 1, 2010 9:28 AM by Tori Douglas
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updated Feb 1, 2010 9:40 AM
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My daughter Jillian has a VERY great imaginary life. Unfortunately with imaginary friends comes 'monsters'. We have been using 'Monster Spray' for a few years now, and when I made a new batch today I thought it would be good to share it here with you. The great thing about it is that it works on all the things that go bump in the night, imagined or otherwise, and the lavender helps calm the child and help him or her get to sleep. Click the link for the file. Anyone with kids, this stuff goes a long way for a better bedtime!
H.W. |
posted Jan 28, 2010 12:37 PM by Tori Douglas
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updated Jan 28, 2010 12:52 PM
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Robin in Kentucky in hospital for congenital heart failure
Brandi in Indianapolis
Sally in Indiana
Paula in Indiana
the Riley family in Indiana
the Reiki Path healing list
and please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers as they rebuild that devastated country
Please link up to the MckLinky if you would like to participate in Reiki Thursday. There is a lot of love and healing we can spread around!
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posted Jan 26, 2010 12:39 PM by Tori Douglas
I am getting lonely here without the comments, so I started a Google group for Forums to the site. Please stop in and join, I want to hear from you! |
posted Jan 26, 2010 6:01 AM by Tori Douglas
I got this video from a home school Yahoo group I am in! I was laughing and nodding the whole time!
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posted Jan 25, 2010 6:02 AM by Tori Douglas
When we moved back to rural Indiana from Las Vegas three years ago, I took the sequence of events that brought us back here as a kind of cosmic hint. Our lives needed to get back to the beginning, back to basics. Once we got settled in to our house, the house I grew up in, I began to refocus our goals and lifestyle. When I was a kid, my Mom didn't sew, or garden, or bake, or craft, so I never learned those things. I always wanted to, and all my life it seems I have had a project going. I always wanted to be that granola chick who made or grew or cooked everything herself. I knew I had a chance to really do all the things I told people I wanted to do, and begin to fashion the life I wanted for my self and my family. A simple, solw-lane, frugal life centered around family. Step by step in the last three years I have taught myself the lessons I needed to build that life. I am slowly learning skills that people in past generations knew like breathing. Our garden gets a little bigger each year. When the seed catalouge came, I snuggled in to read it like it was a novel! This summer I can't wait to learn to can what we grow. I have, with patient help from friends, taught myself to sew and proudly presented a good friends son with a hand sewn puppy on his birthday just this weekend, and have several 're-fashion' projects in the works. I made diaper covers for Mojo, who is a cloth-diapered, breast-fed little hippie baby who only eats home made babyfood. I have always been a good cook, but have now learned to bake and have made some breads I have been really proud to share.
Anything I can make instead of buy, I make it. Anything I can fix instead of replace, I fix it. Anything that can be repurposed into something new gets a new life in some project or another. Jiji is homeschooling for Kindergarten, and is beginning to read. She cannot get enough of learning, and I hope to Divine that is not just a phase.
I am sharing all of this with you because I was reminded of it when I decided to finish a scarf I started a year ago. The intent to knit the scarf goes back even further. In 2006 I bought a cute little kit to knit a scarf. It came with yarn, knitting needles, and instructions packed up in a plastic to-go Latte cup with a domed lid to keep the yarn in. I bought it with the intention to learn to knit, then put it in a drawer to be forgotten. In 2007 we packed up our lives into a storage unit and moved home to Indiana. Everything that did not fit into out little hatchback car stayed in that storage unit for over a year. When we got everything out and moved into the house, I found that little scarf kit in the drawer, and it stayed there until I was put on bed rest during my pregnancy. Desperate for a project, I started the scarf, and got about ¼ done, then it got put away somewhere to be forgotten for another few months. Then, last week, I watched a craft show on knitting and got inspired to finish my scarf. I got it out, to find a knitting needle MIA, so I went to the craft store and bought a new set, and even got more yarn to make Mo a blanket. I am glad to report I finished the scarf today! A three year scarf. I could not be more proud to hand that scarf over to my daughter, because it means a lot more than the fact I finally learned to knit. It shows me where I have come in the last three years. I know some people might consider it moving backwards, but either way, it is getting me closer to where I want to be. H.W. |
posted Jan 24, 2010 6:56 AM by Tori Douglas
Lazy Sunday: Freebie Edition!
I got an email with a list of all the free admission days to Chicago Museums, and thought I would expand on the theme for you all today!
Indianapolis not as good a list, but good info about area museums and costs
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posted Jan 21, 2010 10:59 AM by Tori Douglas
Time again for Reiki Thursday! Of course, continue to send healing and prayers to the people of Haiti, and here is the Reiki list for this week. To be added to the list please contact me at Hippie-Witch@Hippie-Witch.com
Sally in Indiana Jerri-Lynn and family Kelly and family "Grandma" Robin in Kentucky |
posted Jan 20, 2010 5:41 AM by Tori Douglas
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updated Jan 20, 2010 5:52 AM
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Lucky Dogs!
Just a few reasons I have the best job ever.
Let's Blog Hop! Hook up to the MckLinky and let's take a spin around the interwebs!
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posted Jan 18, 2010 7:43 PM by Tori Douglas
If I had found this site yesterday, it would have gone up for Lazy Sunday! Very cool little site called Diversity Calender put up by the University of Kansas Medical Center. It has every possible holiday/important day. For example, February has Imbolc, Black History month, Mardi Gras, Presidents Day, Ash Wednesday...etc. with a link to a basic information or background. Very nice little tool to have in the Favorites bar! Check it out and bookmark it! H.W. |
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