Remedies

When I was a little girl I always spent part of the summer with my grandparents--Grandpa Henry and Grandma Lizzy. It was the highlight of my life. Kittens. Cousins. Featherbed. Outhouse. Adventures untold. It's where I fell in love with farm life.

This is Grandma Lizzy. Isn't she beautiful?

And chickens. I loved Grandma's chickens. Grandma let us girls gather the eggs and by some magic known only to seven year olds some of the eggs landed in our "kitchen" instead of Grandma's.

Eggs are good for a lot of things such as stuffing tiny halter tops just to see what being grown up feels like. (Wonder of all wonders, not one egg ever broke in our clothes.)

Dorothy and her infectious smile.

My cousin Dorothy and I through much trial and error created the best recipe for using eggs:

2 parts fine dirt like the kind chickens love to dust bathe in

1 part well water, hand pumped and ice cold.

1 small handful leaves torn into bits--these always work better if they are gathered in a fit of giggles.

Mix thoroughly and vigorously with Grandma's borrowed spoon. Or, if caught before we got out the door, two sticks work almost as well.

Blend well--a few lumps are acceptable--then add the crowning touch. That magical part that transforms a muddy concoction into the perfect culinary masterpiece: one egg. Or, if we were feeling particularly adventurous and brave, two eggs. Bake in sun for 15 minutes. Five minutes will work if you are really busy or if you see Grandma filling the old galvanized tub with water and you know "swim" time is imminent.

Garnish with an acorn. Wah-la: the perfect Kansas Pie.

I've often thought that maybe this is why I love to mix up herbal concoctions. I dig in the dirt. I mix and measure by parts. I get that same feeling of satisfaction. Healing comes in the making as well as the remedy itself. Thank you, Grandma, for those experiences. And, thank you, Dorothy, for all our adventures.

If you like to stir things up once in a while and like the idea of healing naturally then you'll love my herb classes. Next Tuesday in the herb cottage here at the farm we will be learning to make creamy herbal salves for all those little owies and herbal extracts that nudge the body into wellness. No eggs involved. So, come on out-- we'll sip herb tea, talk and make magical mixtures of wellness. There may even be a giggle or two.

Tuesday October 9

10 AM to noon

Rocky Creek Valley Farm 37009 W. 156th St Rayville, MO 60484

$20

Call or email to register. 816-853-0440 or lizzy@rcvfarm.com View the entire herb class schedule on our web: HERE.

Time Is A Slippery Slope

I've had my "Brain Box" for years,
















I keep a Planner,

(Yes, it's so full of IDEAS it won't zip.)



















and I keep a tiny white board in the kitchen with my weekly schedule in plain view.

To some this may appear annal. OCD. Controlling. To me it's sanity. I don't have to even try to remember what I want to do, what I need to do, what I have to do. This releases me from appointment anxiety. Sets me free from the trials of the dreaded What Did I Forget To Do. What time am I supposed to be in Braymer? I don't know but my planner does. When was the last time I checked for cobwebs in the corner? I don't know but my Brain Box does. Do I have time to play on Facebook? Check the whiteboard to see where I am on my list. I LOVE BEING SCHEDULED. Once a week or so I SYNC UP with those folks I interact with the most.

STUFF HAPPENS. Even in the best of circumstances stuff happens to derail the Plan. Take this morning. My Plan was to write articles as soon as the chores were done. But, Rocky had his own Plan.

Rocky in one of his most endearing moments.










He decided that being "outside" the barn-pasture was more fun than being inside. Never mind the electric fence. I saw him make the decision to get shocked. Three times. Afterall, chasing chickens is SO worth a second's worth of JOLT. By his third time out he had wised up and was no longer a breeze to catch. So, there went a good portion of my "planned time". Since I started this blog he got out twice more; FarmBoy is out there dealing with him. I'd better go.

No worries. I just PLAN IT FORWARD.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

So, what have I been doing for two months?

The gardens are my new BFF. They talk nonstop (I can relate). Sometimes they whisper......"psst...it's time to get up...yes I know it's only 5 a.m.". Other times they yell.."Are you gonna WEED today?" They tell me what to eat..(kale)and when.."stop looking at the tomatoes..they are not ready." Time to water? Without a doubt. Need to replant... now. The squash bugs are coming...The Squash Bugs are coming...THE SQUASH BUGS ARE HERE.

I have learned a bucket-ful of vegetable trivia this summer. Cucumbers don't like climbing on wire. The tomatoes want more elbow room. Pumpkins don't take well to transplanting after they are so big. Deer love beet tops. The lettuce just isn't going to germinate regardless of how many times I replant. Zucchini appear ready-to-eat overnight.

I have learned garden do's and DON'T UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES DO. Like mulch. I thought (and this was confirmed by others) that year-old hay would have composted the life out of hay seeds. Wrong. So, in addition to the weeds that naturally grow in gardens (I understand it's their mission), I PLANTED weeds under the guise of mulch. Woe.

But, I have had my triumphs. The satisfaction that wells up inside when I look down a row freshly freed of weeds. It's like looking at a clean kitchen or an empty laundry basket. That little beam of bliss that comes when my harvest buckets are full of produce. The secret smile of gratitude when my plate is full of home-grown greens. The thank-you on my lips when a farmers market customer loves my veggies as much as I do.

Yes, I get muddy from head to toe every day. Yes, my muscles ache, under my hat, my hair is plastered to my head and I scrub my nails with hydrogen peroxide to get them clean (correction..TRY to get them clean). But, I am having the time of my life. I love my gardens and am so glad I am at home on the farm. Life is good.

Dream

A friend of mine sent me this video and it spoke to me with a powerful simple message. There have been many things in my life that I've wanted to do, places I wanted to go. Some of them have been accomplished, some have not. But, all of my life there was one overriding thing, one desire that stayed with me through all my addresses, all my jobs, all my life choices. I always dreamed of having a farm. Always. Then when the opportunity came, despite health and age, despite nay-sayers, despite my own misgivings, I acquired my farm. I have never been healthier. I have never been happier. I am living my dream with a husband who shares it. Life is good.

That's what this blog is about. Won't you join me on this adventure?

Home On The Range

WHAT A SUMMER and fall!!! Making gardens out of hayfields, planting, weeding, harvesting and making herbal product for four farmers markets, walking and re-walking the forty acres, practicing beekeeping, planning future gardens, moving into the Herb Cottage temporarily (more on that later), welcoming one of my children and his family back to his home state, setting up the mobile home, selling at Holiday Craft shows, reveling in the arrival of a new grandchild (#9)...Beautiful little Elli, watching all my grandchildren climb our "mountain" (sorry Dorothy, I just gotta call it a mountain!)tending my new flock of hens (two eggs so far), deciding to get a milk cow, preparing for the goats, tweaking barn plans, loving the barn kittens who somehow never made it out to the barn, disconnecting the automatic electric light pole so we can better view the stars and generally living the country life. We were without TV and internet for MONTHS, but are now re-connected to the world. Even though it was a major inconvenience not to have web access, I have enjoyed my summer being so CONNECTED to the Earth and have reached the conclusion that most folks are DISCONNECTED. Regardless of where you live take a moment to go outside if possible, close your eyes and travel into the earth. Feel the solidness, the security, the safety of the earth. Ground yourself and you will feel more happiness, more joy, more peace. I love my farm. I can't believe it has taken me all these years to finally get here. Life is good.