Barefootin' It! ~ An Army of Peepers

Spring Peeper by Kerry Wixted

 Check out American Expedition's

first blogging community members!

 

 

Hop on over to read all about it!

I'm Barefootin' It! ...with

 

"An Army of Peepers!"

The Spring Peeper

Spring Peepers sing!

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet
and the winds long to play with your hair."  -Kahlil Gibran

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*Life is in the journey!* ~ Barefoot Farming

 ♥

Life's Inspirational Valiant Endeavors

~ The Joy of Organic Gardening ~

***

We don't call it Barefoot Acres around here for nothing. Spring hasn't quite sprung round these parts, though this weekend past I certainly found ample motivation in our seventy degree weather to take care of a few farm chores. Mud and manure threatened to pay the inside of my boots a visit with all of the rain that's passing through, but I'm not complaining. I'm ready for Spring! I've already ventured outdoors in my bare feet on frosty mornings to sweep the porch and shake out the rugs in the sun. By mid-May I'll be cussin' those weeds and ankle deep in the cool, moist earth of the vegetable garden. I'm a feet-in-the-dirt kinda girl. Barefootin' it is how I roll.

It was my grandfather that first introduced me to dirt. Not the, "Sittin' in the honeysuckle makin' mud pies," kind of dirt. I'm talking about the, "Grab that hoe and that floppy hat and let's get to work in the garden," kind of dirt. As a kid, I helped pick beans off the bush, plucked tomatoes from the vine, and searched for potatoes alongside my grandpa digging for gold in rich, organic dirt. That good, clean, earthy-smellin' kind of dirt. Dirt that was made nutrient rich with chicken and cow manure and compost; not with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Work never tasted so good, as it did when my grandmother placed supper on the table at their house. 

As the saying goes, 

"We call it organic. They called it food." 

I call it...
 Barefoot Farming!

My garden

Spring is most definitely flirting on our doorstep here in Missouri. Just a few more weeks and I'll be outside more than in every day of the week...

Hauling Horse...

and Pony...

 Chicken...

...and Bunny Poo

...from one place to another; turning over the dirt in the garden, weeding, planting, mulching, and praying for sun and rain... not too much or little of either. Admittedly, I'm not always the most successful farmer, but I've seen more good seasons than bad. It's kind of like having babies... by the time the next one (season) comes along you kind of forget all the crap you had to go through to bring in that good crop of strawberries and beans. You do it 'cause it tastes good, and it's so good for ya.

Well, and 'cause the jars sure look pretty sitting on the counter tops.

Organic Gardens

The joy of organic gardening comes from the knowledge that you're feeding yourself and your family Nutritious and Healthy Food...not serving up residuals from synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
I don't know about you, but
 I prefer what's on our family's table to not be doused in poison. 

If you're looking for what constitutes Organic, 

check out Alan Henry's article, from lifehacker (dot) com,

 "What Does Organic Really Mean, and Is It Really Worth My Money". 

And here's another great article by Darya Pino, of Summer Tomato

 "Is Organic Food Really The Same As Conventional."

"How do I get started," is generally the first question that comes to mind when considering a garden. Composting is the answer, even if you're not going to keep a vegetable garden, and is a great way to start living a greener, more self-sustained lifestyle. We (our family of five) live on five acres here in rural Missouri composting everything from manure, to grass clippings, to fall leaves and kitchen scraps. I first tried my hand at it when we lived in a small one and a half story in town, on no more than a half acre lot, collecting egg shells and coffee grinds, and even hair clippings from my attempts at pet and kid grooming at home. Just about all of your kitchen scraps, except raw meat scraps, should go into your compost. If you've got something to grow and a small piece of ground to work it into the soil, then you have ample room to start composting.

~ The Joy of New Beginnings ~

 How to grow an organic vegetable garden

 ~ The Joy of Composting ~

 Setting up a "Backyard Compost"

~ The Joy of Composting, Part II ~

"The Turn"

~ The Joy of Worms ~

 Vermicomposting: You've got worms!

 ~ The Joy of Barefoot Farming ~

 Gotta Love Jeff Poppen, The Barefoot Farmer!

 ~ The Joy of Another Season Ending ~

 How to prepare for the coming winter

For all kinds of information regarding 'the best time to plant', or if you're 'searching for a new recipe', or you'd like to 'consult this year's weather report', by all means, check out this website at the  

Old Farmer's Almanac. 

I look forward to my hard copy every year in the store!

You can also visit Gardenerd

"The ultimate organic gardening resource for garden nerds"

for all kinds of cool ideas.

***

GRANDMOTHER POEM

Sometimes in my dreams
I still see
my Kentucky grandmother
thin, strong, and hungry
holding her egg money
out to me
saying:
buy land, Mary
buy land
buy land while it lasts
they stopped making it

© Mary Mackey, both poems from "Split Ends" by Mama's Press, Oakland CA, 1974

***

  Joy My Friends

... and happy Organic gardening!

“The best way out is always through.”

~ Robert Frost

 

*Life is in the journey!* ~ Three Pines in a Sunbeam

 ♥

Life's Inspirational Valiant Endeavors

~ Three Pines in a Sunbeam ~

 Dad’s Colorado
1946 ~ 2012

For several months now I've been pretty quiet here in this space; not knowing how to speak of Life's Inspirational Valiant Endeavors. Not a clue where to begin. And so I've done simply what my spirit and my body have encouraged me to do... Just be. We go about the business of living caring for our children, our homes, our careers, ourselves. And when change happens, we adjust. Well, hopefully we adjust. Our only other option is to wither away... and that is not living.

This past October my childhood fantasies brutally clashed with reality. In one surreal moment, I learned that my dad had taken his own life. There would be no last great rumble with a man-eating bear in the wilds of Alaska, nor would the ocean swallow him up and spit him out onto a tropical island somewhere to live out his days as a castaway, an adventurer, a man among men.That was my dad, after all... Robinson Crusoe. Bigger than life! As a kid, the myth was just easier to live with. Reality was too... well, too real. 

The reality was my father suffered his entire life with, what I believe was, undiagnosed Bipolar Disorder. As anyone who's lived with a family member who has this disease knows ~ If one suffers, all suffer. I don't know firsthand how medication or therapy might have worked for my dad. Though he absolutely knew he was suffering from severe depression throughout his life, he refused to acknowledge that he had a problem he couldn't fix on his own. His life choice tore apart, piece by piece, what he might have held onto with those he loved; and ultimately even the relationship with his children. I loved my dad dearly, but if I've learned anything from my experience it is that misery loves company, and to save a drowning victim you lend a hand, most certainly your pride... but not your life by jumping into deep water after them, no matter how desperately one wishes to do so. My own happiness rode on my discovery that I am worth more than that. 

My dad was life in fast forward; always searching for that one thing that would make him feel more alive and less alone with his own thoughts. His journey was ripe with enthusiasm, adventure, a passion for spirituality, and... an overwhelming fear of loneliness and boredom. Though painful at times, I am incredibly thankful for the love he was willing to share with me. There are some lessons in this life, whether we think we needed them or not, that are simply too precious to ignore. 

I joined my brother on a mountaintop in Colorado just before Christmas to spread our dad's ashes among three pines in a sunbeam. Saying good-bye wasn't the hardest part for me. It was heading back down that mountain. That last step in the grieving process doesn't come easy. I guess that's where I am now... trying to find acceptance. Let me just say, it sucks. Everything is not alright. Opportunity is missing. But I know from experience that that too will change. I no longer have the luxury of debating whether or not I should try again with my dad. What's done is done. The question I ask myself now is, Was I true to myself, as only I can be?  And that my friends is a path we must all eventually take. 

*Don't give up on yourself*

"In the path of our happiness 
shall we find the learning for which we have chosen this lifetime." 
~ Richard Bach, Illusions

Love My Friends

... and happy learning!

“The best way out is always through.”

~ Robert Frost

*i love you* Fudge

Barefoot Love!

*I Cook Barefooted!*

I'm not much of a chocolate fiend.

I wouldn't make a very convincing cookie monster. 
(Though I do like his style!)

And you pro-bab-ly won't see me high-tailin' it 
to catch up with the ice cream man on a hot day.

But wrap some homemade fudge up in a little blanket,

tie a love note to it,

and

address it to me...

and I will follow you around like a fat, sick puppy

because that is what I will be once I'm finished gorging on compliments and candy!

  

Collect.

Compose.

Seal and Deliver.

"I LOVE... 

That you can turn an off handed comment about broccoli 

into a three hour discussion about politics in organized sports."

A dear friend gave *i love you* jars as gifts to all us girls a few years ago for Christmas.

I fell in love with her idea and did the same for my Kentucky family.

After collecting mason jars of all sizes, shapes, and colors,

scouting out the best (and idiot proof) 
homemade fudge recipes I could find,

and hunkering down with pen and paper,

I continued the gift that kept on giving... 

I spread around the LOVE!

*I wonder if she knows just what she's started.*

"I LOVE...

That you get so excited about everything you do.

Nothing half ass for Scarlett."

       ~ A few of my favorites ~

S'more Fudge

 2 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1 (7 oz. jar) marshmallow creme

2 cups chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla

Butter a small square pan.

In a large pot, combine sugar, butter and evaporated milk.

Bring to a boil over medium heat;

stirring constantly.

Boil 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Add marshmallow creme and chocolate chips.

Blend till smooth.

Stir in vanilla.

Pour into pan and cool to room temperature. 

Score the fudge into small square pieces.

Refrigerate till firm.

Remove fudge from pan and cut rest of way through.

Refrigerate.

"A piece for You. A piece for Me."

Chocolate Mint Fudge

1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

6 oz. white chocolate

2 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. peppermint extract

Add 1 cup milk to chocolate chips. Melt.

Add vanilla.

Pour half of the mixture into an 8x8 in. wax paper-lined pan.

Let cool for 10 minutes. 

Melt white chocolate with remaining milk.

Add peppermint and green food coloring.

(Mixture will be very thick.)

Spread on first layer.

Cool another 10 minutes.

Top with other half of chocolate mixture.

Cool.

Remove from pan, remove paper. Cut into squares.

Refrigerate.

"A piece for You. A piece for Me."

Maple Nut Fudge

1 cup maple syrup

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup cream

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Boil sugar, cream, and butter until soft ball stage is reached.

Add nuts and vanilla.

Beat until ready to pour into wax paper-lined pan.

Cool.

Refrigerate.

"A piece for You. A piece for Me." 

***

You want reviews?
How 'bout,
"I Love... This!" ヅ





 How 'bout You?
Have a recipe you want to share on 
*I Cook Barefooted!*?
Show some Barefoot Love and...

Send it here:  scarlettcolleen@yahoo.com 
Want to include a photo? Fun!

What's on your table?

“Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions.

All life is an experiment.”

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 *Barefoot Love* Airbrush By, Colleen 
2012

Summer's End

♥

Life's Inspirational Valiant Endeavors

~ Summer's End ~

"We carry within us all the wonders we seek without."  ~ Sir Thomas Browne

  

Summer's end always sets me on a familiar path; tender shoots of late summer grass beneath my feet, sunlight that plays on my face and warms my toes, cool breezes dancing through the trees, fire smoke on the air, and the promise of time to come shared with friends and family. Already well acquainted with autumn's glory, though having grown unaccustomed these last miserably hot months spent indoors; still the question is raised in my mind... am I living a meaningful life? If I am to believe 'to everything there is a season' then why do I always find myself contemplating my failures, rather than applauding my successes?

I, in fact, did plant my garden this summer... only to stand by, feeling incredibly lazy in my helplessness, as the fruits of my labor shriveled in the harshest drought these parts have seen in a long time. (Fail.) 

I did weep over my losses, and mourned as long as mourning was acceptable in the normal order of things. (Success?)

 I did refrain from smothering embracing my children when my needs exceeded their own. (No wait. I got this one. Suc-cess!... *High fives everyone.* I think.)

I do did, I occasionally, inflict self-loathing onto my sometimes delicate voracious psyche. 

(I suck.)

And I did, in fact, not speak when I should have cried out from the top of a mountain. I may have taken some liberties with this one a bit. Though still true. (Complete and utter failure.) 

I suppose one could argue (me) that I did, in theory, succeed at something. I did contemplate my failures, while at the same time basking in my success(es)... that I had, at the very least, truly contemplated my failures. So there's that.

"A time for every purpose under the sun" right? Perhaps the answer, interwoven deep within these failures of mine, is where I will triumph at last. At the moment, I think I may have forgotten what I have failed and or succeeded in to begin with. So the point is moot.

***

To everything there is a season,

a time for every purpose under the sun.

A time to be born and a time to die;

a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

a time to kill and a time to heal...

a time to weep and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn and a time to dance...

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to lose and a time to seek;

a time to rend and a time to sew;

a time to keep silent and a time to speak;

a time to love and a time to hate;

a time for war and a time for peace.

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ~

 ***

A meaningful life? 

Ahhh, September! 

How do I love thee? 

Let me count the ways.

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time. ~John Lubbock

  ***

On a good day, a day like any other, a day when searching for and accepting balance into my life is my heart and mind's sole purpose; I suppose that is a day lived in the pursuit of meaning. That is a day when love and wisdom take charge, watching over my successes and correcting my failures. And that is more than 'good enough'. That is a force for good. Though it always helps to be reminded, every once in a while. We learn through repetition, after all. And it all started...

Well, very close to kindergarten.

"All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten"

~ Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things ~ 

By Robert Fulghum

"All I Really Need To Know about how to live and what to do and how to be 

I learned in kindergarten. 

Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, 

but there in the sandpile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life ~

...learn some and think some

and draw and paint and sing and dance and play

and work every day some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world,

watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.

Be aware of wonder.

Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup:

The roots go down and the plant goes up

and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice

and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup ~ they all die.

So do we.

And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books

and the first word you learned ~

the biggest word of all...

LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. 

The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. 

Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

And it is still true,

no matter how old you are ~

when you go out into the world,

it is best to hold hands and stick together."

Love My Friends

... and happy learning!

“The best way out is always through.”

~ Robert Frost