Boxes, fuzzy chicks, singing and a full moon
Boxes, fuzzy chicks, singing and a full moooon!
If I were to be concise, which just ain’t who I am, that’s all I’d say for this week: Boxes, fuzzy chicks, singing and a full moooon! So, I’ll go on….After four full months without our “stuff,” knowing that it was somewhere traveling across the ocean or waiting at a port between the USA and Australia, it has arrived! I’d have to say what I was most excited to receive was art, all of the things that hung on our walls in Michigan. I’m wondering why I saved so many boxes of baby/my clothes, the dumbest thing yet that I have found was 2 strings of Christmas lights with US voltage. We were smart enough to give away/sell everything else electric. On the other hand, finding the small box of our Christmas ornaments just before we decorate the lillypilly tree, that was lovely. We now have our drums, guitars and all of our music, and real CDs! All of the great toys that you all gave to Jacinta, they have arrived too! So she can now play with her blocks, puzzle, and her new recent favorite…the teddy bear sitting on a wagon that plays “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” when she tows him along. And our wind chimes…now they hang from the back veranda here, chiming that same beautiful chime that made me smile so often in the day time in Ferndale and woke Matt up so often on windy nights. He too is overjoyed at their arrival (:
Jacinta and I have been enjoying the morning chicken feed, especially now that it includes changing the little chicks’ water, giving them their oatmeal, and seed mix. The four little fuzzy black chicks, born to “Major” a small chicken to begin with are progressing well, now 6 days old. We call them Otto, Iris, Ben Jr, and Divozzo. They “cheep” very sweetly and follow their mum around on her heels, looking for constant guidance. This being my first time experiencing chicks, I am amazed that the hen continues sitting on the chicks once they have hatched. You’d think they’d smother themselves under all of those feathers, but no, they are safe, happy and warm. Keith took in an extra baby chick from a friend this week, a month old though, in hopes that Major could mother this one too, in the same pen. This poor little chick saw its one sibling get eaten by a carpet snake on Wednesday, it then joined Major and her chicks that evening. Unfortunately Major is taking her time in accepting little “Rory” into the nest and chases him away from the food and water. We’ve chased Rory around the chook pen a few times, she is an amazing escape artist. Jacinta is actually helpful in this endeavor! The one time I had to chase him without Keith, Jacinta closely observed my actions and tried to imitate me by holding her hands out to block Rory from escaping through yet another hole in the brambles of the “chicken jungle.” Each time after catching the poor scared little chick, Jess and I sat and stroked the little guy for a while, letting him calm down with the beat of my heart.
The gardens are looking spectacular, especially the sunflowers. They have reached their full height and are about to bloom. There are two small zucchinis on the vines, I’ve cooked with my basil, and ate one strawberry. The teepee garden doesn’t seem to have any pests, the beans are climbing so well, some having reached the tip of the teepee, entwining the corn, the sunflowers, and the barna grass. In the house garden though, the caterpillars must know that sunflowers mean birds, and thus, their destruction. Therefore, the caterpillars are doing their best to destroy the sunflowers before they bloom, they also enjoy the broccoli foliage. I have been out there each night collecting the fat things in a jar, and then feeding them to the chickens each morning. Jess enjoys this… is this bad? I just can’t squash them myself, and the chickens love them. I’ve concocted some chili spray which I will try tomorrow, and created some little box traps to put at the base of the plants. We shall see…I planted a strip of lucerne as green mulch last week, and it is about an inch high. I was anxious to put it in the ground though, and did not properly remove the grass. I feel silly each time I walk by looking at all of the grass growing in the middle of this garden. I’ll get it out some day I suppose.
Jacinta and I planted a bunch of flower seeds, borage, feverfew, chamomile, calendula, pyrethrum, and a few more corn seeds. This is the first time that she actually put the seed in the ground and covered up the seed herself, I was so proud! It rained all day today so the seeds are probably very happy, this type of watering is so much nicer than hose watering. Picture this: every morning we put on gritty clothes, head down to the garden, turn on the hose with 4 holes in it and go for it! I start out with the hose, but it just looks like too much fun, swinging it around, covering up the hole with my finger and spraying it everywhere. So Jacinta throws down her small watering can and NEEDS to use the hose herself. I always remind her, “Spray the dirt Jacinta, not the grass.” She can be gentle and aim well sometimes, but other times she gets focused on one spot and puts the hose straight down into the dirt and holds it hard and fast creating a big hole and a bit of soil erosion until I take it away or pick her up so she’ll water elsewhere. While she’s on a roll, I’ll take the time to weed next to her, but then, never fail, she’ll hose herself down, or me, or accidentally turn it on her face and throw it down in shock. It’s quite a trip, and always includes a complete strip down and new outfit for the day.
Matt worked at the bank three days this week, but of even more importance, he won an auction on a new dishwasher for a great price. This is not just your average dishwasher, it’s a half-size one which uses very little water, less than a sinkful. Each day after work, Jacinta’s face lights up to see her daddy, who she, for some reason, is sometimes calling “mommy,” again. After getting rid of his stuffy bank attire, he’ll sit down for a cup of coffee, hear the day’s events, and look for new job postings on the internet. After this, he’ll usually gather the energy to do something manual, this week: lugging boxes, fiddling with the new dishwasher, tearing apart pallets to re-use their lumber, constructing shelves, and more work on disassembling and reassembling the mulcher. This amazes me, to be so motivated to understand a machine, trying so hard to make sure that not just one hatch works, but that both are up to scratch. I think he has now taken it apart and put it back together over five separate times, it is in better condition now, I hear. Pretty good, aye?
Jacinta has turned over a new leaf, she sleeps through the night now and is fully weaned. We lie on her wool rug on the couch in our room and after a few songs, and sometimes nothing, she’ll find a comfortable spot and fall asleep, no rocking, nothing. That’s the best, she’s so heavy now that standing and rocking is just painful. I no longer need naps, sleeping through the night is truly a pleasure. New words..let’s see…spoon, fish, Matt and Shana. She yells our names, repeating only when one of us yells to other for assistance in the bathtub, it’s hilarious. She still loves to show you her belly button, but can now point out even her elbows, shoulders, and bum when you ask, these are Matt’s teachings (: Keith has taught her how to drink water from a leaf, dew or rain, it’s quite clever. He said that people actually have to do that out in the bush, especially in the desert.
Last week while listening to a CD of Tradition French songs sung by the Parisian children’s choir, I told Matt that the harmony of this particular song just hurt me because it was so beautiful, and that I’d love to someday find another choir to join.
Promptly he replied, “I saw an ad for an acapella group in the paper.” So I inquired and drove out to join them for their last rehearsal for the school year. (The school year ends now, and starts up again in February.) It was in the library of the public elementary school a small beachside town called Scott’s Head. About 11 people, including 2 men forced to sing bass and 2 women singing tenor. No music was passed out, no folders came out, but AMAZING harmonies and rhythm and spirit came out of this humble group. We practiced from 6-8 and sang about 6 songs, 2 South African, 1 Aboriginal lullabye, 1 French/Spanish/Italian creole love song, 1 soulful blues song by Sweet Honey & the Rock, and 1 prayer song in English. They all moved naturally as they sang, clapped crazy beats on the off and on-beats, felt what they were singing and repeated verses and choruses as the conductor led, it was almost like chanting. Somehow I was able to pick up my part and sing along (one big reason was that a guy had held onto his music and passed it over), and it felt good. This was just one of those experiences of harmony, especially found in African music or singing 6 part harmony in a cathedral in Italy that takes you to a higher realm. To top it all off, I drove home humming with the windows down, looking out the window at the sea, the sun setting behind me and the full moon rising in front of me. I sure can’t ask for any more right now, I’m just feeling blessed.
If I were to be concise, which just ain’t who I am, that’s all I’d say for this week: Boxes, fuzzy chicks, singing and a full moooon! So, I’ll go on….After four full months without our “stuff,” knowing that it was somewhere traveling across the ocean or waiting at a port between the USA and Australia, it has arrived! I’d have to say what I was most excited to receive was art, all of the things that hung on our walls in Michigan. I’m wondering why I saved so many boxes of baby/my clothes, the dumbest thing yet that I have found was 2 strings of Christmas lights with US voltage. We were smart enough to give away/sell everything else electric. On the other hand, finding the small box of our Christmas ornaments just before we decorate the lillypilly tree, that was lovely. We now have our drums, guitars and all of our music, and real CDs! All of the great toys that you all gave to Jacinta, they have arrived too! So she can now play with her blocks, puzzle, and her new recent favorite…the teddy bear sitting on a wagon that plays “Teddy Bear’s Picnic” when she tows him along. And our wind chimes…now they hang from the back veranda here, chiming that same beautiful chime that made me smile so often in the day time in Ferndale and woke Matt up so often on windy nights. He too is overjoyed at their arrival (:
Jacinta and I have been enjoying the morning chicken feed, especially now that it includes changing the little chicks’ water, giving them their oatmeal, and seed mix. The four little fuzzy black chicks, born to “Major” a small chicken to begin with are progressing well, now 6 days old. We call them Otto, Iris, Ben Jr, and Divozzo. They “cheep” very sweetly and follow their mum around on her heels, looking for constant guidance. This being my first time experiencing chicks, I am amazed that the hen continues sitting on the chicks once they have hatched. You’d think they’d smother themselves under all of those feathers, but no, they are safe, happy and warm. Keith took in an extra baby chick from a friend this week, a month old though, in hopes that Major could mother this one too, in the same pen. This poor little chick saw its one sibling get eaten by a carpet snake on Wednesday, it then joined Major and her chicks that evening. Unfortunately Major is taking her time in accepting little “Rory” into the nest and chases him away from the food and water. We’ve chased Rory around the chook pen a few times, she is an amazing escape artist. Jacinta is actually helpful in this endeavor! The one time I had to chase him without Keith, Jacinta closely observed my actions and tried to imitate me by holding her hands out to block Rory from escaping through yet another hole in the brambles of the “chicken jungle.” Each time after catching the poor scared little chick, Jess and I sat and stroked the little guy for a while, letting him calm down with the beat of my heart.
The gardens are looking spectacular, especially the sunflowers. They have reached their full height and are about to bloom. There are two small zucchinis on the vines, I’ve cooked with my basil, and ate one strawberry. The teepee garden doesn’t seem to have any pests, the beans are climbing so well, some having reached the tip of the teepee, entwining the corn, the sunflowers, and the barna grass. In the house garden though, the caterpillars must know that sunflowers mean birds, and thus, their destruction. Therefore, the caterpillars are doing their best to destroy the sunflowers before they bloom, they also enjoy the broccoli foliage. I have been out there each night collecting the fat things in a jar, and then feeding them to the chickens each morning. Jess enjoys this… is this bad? I just can’t squash them myself, and the chickens love them. I’ve concocted some chili spray which I will try tomorrow, and created some little box traps to put at the base of the plants. We shall see…I planted a strip of lucerne as green mulch last week, and it is about an inch high. I was anxious to put it in the ground though, and did not properly remove the grass. I feel silly each time I walk by looking at all of the grass growing in the middle of this garden. I’ll get it out some day I suppose.
Jacinta and I planted a bunch of flower seeds, borage, feverfew, chamomile, calendula, pyrethrum, and a few more corn seeds. This is the first time that she actually put the seed in the ground and covered up the seed herself, I was so proud! It rained all day today so the seeds are probably very happy, this type of watering is so much nicer than hose watering. Picture this: every morning we put on gritty clothes, head down to the garden, turn on the hose with 4 holes in it and go for it! I start out with the hose, but it just looks like too much fun, swinging it around, covering up the hole with my finger and spraying it everywhere. So Jacinta throws down her small watering can and NEEDS to use the hose herself. I always remind her, “Spray the dirt Jacinta, not the grass.” She can be gentle and aim well sometimes, but other times she gets focused on one spot and puts the hose straight down into the dirt and holds it hard and fast creating a big hole and a bit of soil erosion until I take it away or pick her up so she’ll water elsewhere. While she’s on a roll, I’ll take the time to weed next to her, but then, never fail, she’ll hose herself down, or me, or accidentally turn it on her face and throw it down in shock. It’s quite a trip, and always includes a complete strip down and new outfit for the day.
Matt worked at the bank three days this week, but of even more importance, he won an auction on a new dishwasher for a great price. This is not just your average dishwasher, it’s a half-size one which uses very little water, less than a sinkful. Each day after work, Jacinta’s face lights up to see her daddy, who she, for some reason, is sometimes calling “mommy,” again. After getting rid of his stuffy bank attire, he’ll sit down for a cup of coffee, hear the day’s events, and look for new job postings on the internet. After this, he’ll usually gather the energy to do something manual, this week: lugging boxes, fiddling with the new dishwasher, tearing apart pallets to re-use their lumber, constructing shelves, and more work on disassembling and reassembling the mulcher. This amazes me, to be so motivated to understand a machine, trying so hard to make sure that not just one hatch works, but that both are up to scratch. I think he has now taken it apart and put it back together over five separate times, it is in better condition now, I hear. Pretty good, aye?
Jacinta has turned over a new leaf, she sleeps through the night now and is fully weaned. We lie on her wool rug on the couch in our room and after a few songs, and sometimes nothing, she’ll find a comfortable spot and fall asleep, no rocking, nothing. That’s the best, she’s so heavy now that standing and rocking is just painful. I no longer need naps, sleeping through the night is truly a pleasure. New words..let’s see…spoon, fish, Matt and Shana. She yells our names, repeating only when one of us yells to other for assistance in the bathtub, it’s hilarious. She still loves to show you her belly button, but can now point out even her elbows, shoulders, and bum when you ask, these are Matt’s teachings (: Keith has taught her how to drink water from a leaf, dew or rain, it’s quite clever. He said that people actually have to do that out in the bush, especially in the desert.
Last week while listening to a CD of Tradition French songs sung by the Parisian children’s choir, I told Matt that the harmony of this particular song just hurt me because it was so beautiful, and that I’d love to someday find another choir to join.
Promptly he replied, “I saw an ad for an acapella group in the paper.” So I inquired and drove out to join them for their last rehearsal for the school year. (The school year ends now, and starts up again in February.) It was in the library of the public elementary school a small beachside town called Scott’s Head. About 11 people, including 2 men forced to sing bass and 2 women singing tenor. No music was passed out, no folders came out, but AMAZING harmonies and rhythm and spirit came out of this humble group. We practiced from 6-8 and sang about 6 songs, 2 South African, 1 Aboriginal lullabye, 1 French/Spanish/Italian creole love song, 1 soulful blues song by Sweet Honey & the Rock, and 1 prayer song in English. They all moved naturally as they sang, clapped crazy beats on the off and on-beats, felt what they were singing and repeated verses and choruses as the conductor led, it was almost like chanting. Somehow I was able to pick up my part and sing along (one big reason was that a guy had held onto his music and passed it over), and it felt good. This was just one of those experiences of harmony, especially found in African music or singing 6 part harmony in a cathedral in Italy that takes you to a higher realm. To top it all off, I drove home humming with the windows down, looking out the window at the sea, the sun setting behind me and the full moon rising in front of me. I sure can’t ask for any more right now, I’m just feeling blessed.
posted by Matt & Shana & Jacinta & Genevieve Henry at
10:57 PM
3 Comments:
Wow... tag team of coolness!
Glad everything is going well for you :)
I'm thinking about you guys!
-Trent
This is my first time visiting your website since you left and I loved looking at the pictures. Gives me a visual although I love daydreaming with your descriptions Shana. Jess looks lovely and getting so big. Can't wait to read how your holidays were.
Love you all,
Maggie
Earlier comment about reading your entries like they were a book is sooooo true! Thanks for sharing your lives with us in word and photo. Looks like tough duty, with the green, the cows, the water, and hearing about how closely you are living with Earth. Its inappropriate for me to be jealous, I guess, so I will simply say "thanks" for sharing!
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