One thing after another.

Common Ground Country Fair

2011-09-27T10:10:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's been a while! To see what my latest venture was, see Queen Bee Knits! I still have to upload all of my pictures of beautiful Maine.

We visited the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, Maine. I was so impressed with the size of this fair that showcases local businesses. There was much more than just food. There was fiber, bees, rabbits, turkeys, oxen, horses, sheep and goats! There are some seriously talented people in this world. It was very inspiring to see that there is hope in this country... I didn't want to leave!

Of course I couldn't walk away from all of the yarn! I didn't go totally crazy, but I did buy 2 skeins of lovely yarn that I will show you later in the week.

Happy Knitting!

I love this!

2011-06-15T14:20:00.001-04:00

DOWN TO EARTH: Small changes, big savings
Can you imagine if you saved this much money? Just by growing veggies?

The cost of farming

2011-06-07T09:36:00.001-04:00

Price Taker or Price Maker?
This link takes you to one of my favorite blogs. He is a beginning farmer and is blogging his experiences. This post I find extremely interesting. It's regarding an idea from 1946.

Chickens and 4-H

2011-06-05T17:26:00.001-04:00

Here are the chickens! We have two Buff Orpingtons, two Black Sex Links, two Rhode Island Reds and two Red Leghorns. We got them for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost - eggs. Second, I have introduced the girls (ages 8 and 10) to 4-H. I was in 4-H for many years and I have nothing but fond memories of it. They will each be bringing 2 birds to the fair this year in November! Third, they are extremely entertaining! It's really funny to watch the sheep stand around their small coop and stare at them. I think they are more interested in their food than the birds, but still, their interaction is quite entertaining.

I can't believe that they used to be this small!

The girls have to write reports and make posters on how to care for the birds and how much it costs to raise them. I'm very exited to have introduced 4-H to them!

Have you ever been in 4-H? Scouts? FFA? Brownies?

Moebius Shawl

2011-06-02T21:17:00.002-04:00

I'm trying this. ~~I hope to post pictures soon~~. I've posted pictures! The cast on is really interesting. You basically cast on in a figure 8 shape. I had never done this before, but the gal at The Knitting Patch inspired me to try something different! Check out the video on YouTube showing the cast on.

Tomorrow we will be getting 3 more sheep. That will bring the total to 13 sheep here at Shaolin Gardens! These sheep are not mine however. We have grass that needs to be eaten and their home has none! We also don't plan on buying a new lawnmower anytime soon, so this is good solution all the way around. I definitely need to post more pictures of them. Either they run away from me when I try to snap a good picture or they try to eat the camera.

From left to right: Hong Kong Phooey, Penelope, Bertha (coming to eat the camera) and Einstein.

One sheep in particular, "Thing One" (no, I didn't name them - they came with names) is really warming up to me. She is due to lamb any day now. She is a Katahdin sheep. So, even though I would love to learn how to process a fleece, this breed does not produce a workable wool. They are considered "haired". She does have a thin coat of wool now and has a more thick layer in the winter, but they are really made for Florida summers. Other breeds can over heat if they are not sheared properly and I've even heard of Animal Services being called to save sheep that haven't been shorn. (Sheared or shorn?)

What kinds of animals do you have at your house?

Daily Reflection

2011-05-10T10:58:00.001-04:00

It's so easy to focus on the past and the future. I do this every day. I forget to focus on what is going on RIGHT NOW. I have big dreams for the future (living in an RV) and regrets from the past (not traveling abroad). Sometimes these things consume me to the point that I lose what I've got right now. For example - You're in the middle of eating breakfast and you're thinking about the plans for the day, but you bring your mind to the present and simply spend a few moments tasting your food.

Try focusing on the current moment just a few times a day. You might be surprised at what you're missing! If you need help doing this, try focusing on these things:

Body: Notice how it is positioned, if there's any tension anywhere.

Emotions: Are you angry, frustrated, calm, happy, sad, stressed?

Thoughts: Are you worrying, stewing or rehashing? Are you stuck in the past or future?

Location: Where are you?

Just take these four steps and then breathe. You've done it.

I've taken the above lines from the article below.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elisha-goldstein-phd/are-you-up-for-the-24-hou_b_849774.html

Let's try this again

2011-04-07T16:02:00.001-04:00

This one is bigger...

Sheep!

2011-04-07T15:47:00.000-04:00

Chickens and Lettuce

2011-03-18T12:55:00.001-04:00

As much as I hoped that a new mobile app would help me blog more, it hasn't. It's ok to post a picture or two, but it's not for writing lengthy pieces of text. So, instead of slowly writing a post on my phone, I'll just send my self an email from my desktop and then copy/paste the text in the mobile app. Why don't I just post from my PC you ask? Well, Blogger is blocked at work. These past few weeks at home have been too busy for me to log on as well. I'm still trying to get into a routine, but it's really not working!

I would like to get some chickens sooner rather than later. I have recently received the Meyer Hatchery and the Murray McMurray catalouges and have been narrowing them down to a few friendly breeds that would be good egg layers but also good pets! I really hope the kids (two girls, 7&9) will be involved with them. They are not with us all of the time and are generally not used to country living, and a bit skiddish around anything that is unknown to them. I know it just takes time, but it can be quite frustrating. At the same time, I am sure that they get frustrated with me too when I try to force new things on them.

This weekend the Gardener Guy and I are going to have our first delivery of the new CSA season. It won't be much this time. A bag of arugula and another loose leaf lettuce as well as some mustard greens. I want to give these people EVERYTHING we've got because I just want happy customers. I feel really bad even when things are out of my control. We've had a couple of freezes/frosts knock out some of our veggies which forces us to reset the clock. Generally speaking, people don't like to wait. It's also hard for people to learn about what it takes to grow veggies and don't understand what it means to loose something you've already paid for to the cold. The stuff that we lost was even covered! But again, not everyone is so understanding and will be disappointed with the system.

So, lettuce. I'm having difficulty trying to figure out how to package loose leaf lettuces. I don't really want to be using zip-top bags all the time, but lettuce is sorta finicky regarding heat and humidity. It likes to wilt rapidly, so unless it's going right from the garden to my kitchen, I need to put it in a container to deliver it to my customers because we typically harvest the night before the delivery. Any suggestions?

Florida Gardening

2011-02-08T14:26:00.001-05:00

We have started planting! We have most of our stuff under plastic to keep the moisture in and the bugs out. It also protects the new plants from the cold temps expected tonight.

New app

2011-02-04T13:18:00.001-05:00

I just added a new app to my phone that allows me to post to my blog. Hopefully this will encourage more frequent updates!

As some of you may have heard, I'm a farm owner! I purchased a house and land a month ago. I'm still working on unpacking, but I'm going to have some pictures up soon. I just don't want to show all of the mess!

Testing

2011-02-04T13:12:00.001-05:00

One... Two...

Maybe, Just Maybe

2010-12-05T14:25:00.000-05:00

It's looking promising that I will be a homeowner yet this month! I just got positive confirmation that the home, septic system, and well head are above the base flood elevation. This is the last of the requirements of the USDA. You'd think that the USDA would be very willing to lend money for a rural property, but it's not that easy. This last part of the requirements came to me and my loan officer as quite a surprise. Especially since we are again running out of time. The most difficult part about this last requirement was that there was no base flood elevation determined by the county or by FEMA. How can one measure if the house is above the base flood elevation if no one knows where it is? Good thing I hired a great surveyor and he found that information somewhere in the county's files for that area. This special survey will also be submitted to FEMA to show that the house is outside of the flood zone, so that will lower my insurance rate!

Sweetwater Organic CSA

2010-08-08T16:30:00.000-04:00

Some day I would like our CSA to be like the Sweetwater Organic CSA located in Tampa.

Chaz and I met Executive Director Rick Martinez at the Small Farm Conference we just attended. He was very inspiring and extremely helpful to us and to other people that are interested in starting a CSA. If you are ever in the Tampa area, I suggest you stop by and check them out. I know it's on our list.

23 Days!

2010-08-07T20:24:00.000-04:00

I'm VERY close to moving back out to the country... It's very scary and also very exciting!

Here are some details:
There are A LOT of spiders
There is a lot of grass to mow
It has a real kitchen (as opposed to the "one-butt kitchen" we have now)
There is a pond with fish
There will NEVER be houses across the street from us (there is a nature reserve)
There is a barn with a loft (the loft will be used as a sneakrit fort for the girls)

I haven't taken many pictures yet. I will post some before and after shots once we get in and do some of the things we want to do to make it ours.

My CSA

2010-07-01T20:09:00.001-04:00

It's official, we are on our way to moving to the country! We can now do the CSA thing the right way. I suppose I should explain...

My gardener guy and I run a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Basically we grow veggies for people that either don't have the means or the know-how to do it themselves. Please take a look at our website. There is a much better and thorough description there than what I can give. I suppose I can just cut and paste, but I'd rather that you at least check out the awesome website that the gardener guy is currently building!

Soon we will be moving to the country (as I said earlier) so we can have one of these. I would like to have a goat tower. I mean, who wouldn't?

Waiting game

2010-06-24T14:10:00.001-04:00

Today is day one of the waiting game. I placed a bid for a house last night. I imagine it will be a while before I hear anything. Bank owned properties are tricky. I've done so much research on this place. I'm confident there are no liens on the property, but I will only be sure after the title search is completed.

It's hard not to be excited and worried at the same time. This is my first house that is all my own. I feel very fortunate that I am in the position to purchase a home in this economy.

I really need to get a property so Shaolin gardens can be all it is capable of being.

No new house

2010-06-22T08:17:00.001-04:00

I have decided to pull the contract that I had on a property in the country. Too many things were going wrong and the seller wasn't cooperating. I don't think it was meant to be. But... I may have already found the perfect property! It's in the same area, but it's much larger (the house and property). The tricky part is that it's up for auction. It's not being sold conventionally. Does anyone out there have experience with this or know someone who does?

My new favorite blog

2010-06-14T15:55:00.002-04:00

Attic 24

I love granny squares especially when they are so neat looking like the ones that this amazing crocheter made!

One down!

2010-06-01T09:40:00.001-04:00

And I even did the Kitchener stitch on the toe!

Another pic...

2010-05-24T21:06:00.001-04:00

It's really weird that my first post about this sock didn't show up... It does on this iPhone app.

Well, if it happens again it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Do you see this pic?

2010-05-24T17:55:00.001-04:00

Jaywalker

2010-05-24T10:01:00.001-04:00

This is my latest project on the needles. It's Grumperina's Jaywalker sock pattern. I'm using Knit Pick's yarn. I'll have to look up the blend and color... I think it's turning out fantastically! I'm actually further along now than what this pic shows, so I'll have post more pics tonight.

I recently took a couple of canning classes through my local cooperative extension office. I'm very excited to put my new knowledge to use! I don't think I'll be able to actually can anything until we move to the new place because the stove that we currently have in our apartment is not cut out for this process. I don't want to risk damaging the rental stove! Glass tops just aren't the best for this. I really wish I could have natural gas, but I don't think that will happen. I guess I'll have to stick with the old coil top.

My family

2010-05-16T10:08:00.001-04:00

We are walking to the dollar store to get supplies to celebrate the little one's seventh birthday.

Hahahaha!

2010-05-11T10:26:00.002-04:00

Ok, the attach picture button is dangerously close to the post button. So, here's the picture! 

New Way to Blog

2010-05-11T10:23:00.001-04:00

I just downloaded a new app to help me stay up on blogging. I'm very inspired by some if the people that I follow and I hope to share some if that inspiration with you.

With that I've finally snapped a pic of our nursery with my phone. Enjoy!

Strep. Again.

2010-05-04T14:30:00.002-04:00

It's been about two months since I had strep. I never imagined that I'd get it so soon after!

Well, I guess that gives me time to lay in bed and do some blogging! I've been picking up other blogs recently and I've been cleaning up my feed subscriptions. I've been very interested in homesteading lately. It's all I can think about! I'm in the process of buying a home in the country and I really want to get as much out of the land as I can. I want to have chickens for eggs, goats for milk and sheep for wool. C and I will continue our CSA (which you can find here) and get more people involved. We have had an OVERWHELMING response to it and we could easily double or triple the people that are signed up. We decided to cut it off where we did because it's our first year and we didn't know what to expect. Check out some of the blogs that I follow to get an idea of what other people are doing to homestead!

Babies!

2010-02-22T21:55:00.002-05:00

I'm an aunt! Two new babies have come to the Deutsch family! My brother Mat and his wife Apryl have a new little girl, Addison, that was born on December 31 and my sister Hannah and her husband Ted also had a little girl, Lacey. I've been knitting away and have recently finished a little sweater for Addison's baptism. I'll be sure to post some pics! I also crocheted a little hat. I think I could really get into crocheting. It goes so fast!

Catching up...

2010-02-05T22:22:00.002-05:00

Yikes it's been a long time. Sorry. I really do have the best intentions...

So, most of you know that I have a new job! It's been two whole weeks since I started at Seminole County as the Program Director for the mosquito control program. I really was expecting something much different than what I got... It's WAY better! These two weeks have flown by. It's been nothing but training, meeting people (and then promptly forgetting their names/positions) and figuring out my main job functions and priorities. I'm very excited to get this program up to snuff! I have the advantage of coming from the largest mosquito control agency in the country. The difficult part is paring it down to fit this county.

Chaz and I are very busy getting Shaolin Gardens up and running. I hope all of you get a chance to come out and see what we are setting up! We have a lot of lettuces that will soon be ready for harvesting. They were planted before the severe freeze we had a couple of weeks ago and they made it through just fine. Some of our other stuff wasn't that lucky...

That's all for now... I can't tell you everything all in one post! I need to save some for tomorrow!

Peace!

The Anxiety Grows

2009-08-29T10:38:00.002-04:00

It seems to be growing at a pace similar to the tomato seedlings out back. I start a new job on Monday (yay), but it's no guarantee... Send good vibes my way! And come and buy an appliance from me too!

But most of all, the custody battle is really heating up. I knew it would get bad. I never sugar coated it to myself. Ever. He's the one that though that the PEW would be reasonable. Please. A favorite line of mine (yes it's from Dr. Phil), "Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior." The END. We haven't seen the girls in over a month because she is keeping them from us. I hope that works in our favor, but the court system is not always in the father's court.

Veggies, veggies, veggies

2009-08-21T11:02:00.003-04:00

So, I start a new job on September 1st. It's not exactly what I had in mind... Commissioned retail sales. Yikes. I think it could go either way. Either I'm going to be really good at it, or I'm going to really suck at it. I don't think there is a lot of gray area when it comes to being a successful sales person. Funny thing is that I got an email today from a fellow master gardener about a potential job out at Green Sky Growers in Winter Garden. They have a rooftop hydroponic business and it looks right up my alley.

The gardener and I are also trying to make progress in our own business venture. We've got a lot of plants started and we hope to start selling soon! We are going to try a few different things. Farmer's Markets, direct sales and delivery to people who want fresh veggies every week and potentially some local restaurants. Would any of you be interested in having a "Veggie Subscription"? We are still looking for ideas...

Alpaca giveaway!!!

2009-08-08T10:46:00.002-04:00

Ok, she's not giving away an alpaca, but she is giving away some yarn! Check out one of my favorite blogs.... It's all about Alpacas!!! "Made from the fiber of our alpacas, Earth Angel, who won a Blue Ribbon in the National Spin-off Competition, and her son, Bishop, who was a Champion herdsire. The skein is a natural white in color, 16 WPI. The skein is approximately 200 yds and weighs 4.0 oz."

Movies

2009-06-16T17:50:00.002-04:00

Have any of you seen "Death at a Funeral"? It's a dark comedy that stars "Mr. Darcy"... It made me a bit uncomfortable, so I guess it's pretty good! Let me know what you think. Also, check out "Eulogy". That one is GREAT! Also a dark comedy but an interesting take on family dynamics.

The Knitmore Girls Podcast: Reflections and recessions - Episode 53 - The Knitmore Girls

2009-05-25T19:36:00.000-04:00

The Knitmore Girls Podcast: Reflections and recessions - Episode 53 - The Knitmore Girls

For those of you who like to listen to podcasts about knitting, here is a whole list...

Rules to Live by...

2009-04-29T09:28:00.001-04:00

I'm a fan of Bob Parson's, the CEO of Godaddy. You've seen the racy Godaddy commercials during the Superbowl....including the ones with Danica Patrick.
Bob is a pretty controversial fellow. He's not politically correct and doesn't really care much what others think. I was reading in his blog about his "16 Rules To Live By". I thought they were great and wanted to share...
"1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone.I believe that not much happens of any significance when we're in our comfort zone. I hear people say, "But I'm concerned about security." My response to that is simple: "Security is for cadavers."
2. Never give up.Almost nothing works the first time it's attempted. Just because what you're doing does not seem to be working, doesn't mean it won't work. It just means that it might not work the way you're doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn't have an opportunity.
3. When you're ready to quit, you're closer than you think.There's an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."
4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be.Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of "undefined consequences." My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, "Well, Robert, if it doesn't work, they can't eat you."
5. Focus on what you want to have happen.Remember that old saying, "As you think, so shall you be."
6. Take things a day at a time.No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through itif you don't look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.
7. Always be moving forward.Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day,in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kai zen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.
8. Be quick to decide.Remember what General George S. Patton said: "A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow."
9. Measure everything of significance.I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched,improves.
10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate.If you want to uncover problems you don't know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven't examined for awhile. I guarantee you problems will be there.
11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you're doing.When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.
12. Never let anybody push you around.In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you're doing as anyone else, provided that what you're doing is legal.
13. Never expect life to be fair.Life isn't fair. You make your own breaks. You'll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).
14. Solve your own problems.You'll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you'll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY,said it best: "You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others." There's also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: "A wise man keeps his own counsel."
15. Don't take yourself too seriously.Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.
16. There's always a reason to smile.Find it. After all, you're really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: "We're not here for a long time, we're here for a good time!"

Music? Books?

2009-04-06T19:52:00.003-04:00

What's everyone listening to these days? I'm totally in love with Lily Allen and Adele right now. They are both from across the pond and have v. agreeable voices...

And in literature... I've been pretty interested in the idea of sustainability as of late. I'm in the middle of Ed Begley, Jr.'s book, "Living Like Ed". It's a book that he released after his TV reality series called, "Living with Ed". It's on Planet Green. I highly recommend watching this channel! It's highly entertaining.

What's going on...

2009-04-01T13:42:00.003-04:00

Knitting
Well, I'm actually looking at different project right now. I'd like to make SD1 a shrug or a little sweater. She likes to wear tank tops, but school dress code doesn't allow for them unless they are partially covered with another shirt or something.

Reading
I've been wanting to start a book called, "Living Like Ed" by Ed Begley, Jr. It's all about green living.

Cooking
I'm anxious to get a crock pot. I hate turning on the oven and the stove in the summertime. I've got quite a collection of excellent crockery recipes that I'd like to try!

Watching
Well, the gardener and I are addicted to Alton Brown, Bill Nye the Science Guy and Ed Begley, Jr. They all have good shows on the Food Network and the PlanetGreen Channel.

I've moved in with the gardener.

2009-03-11T11:59:00.002-04:00

And it's awesome. Unfortunately, I'm sick today. I was sick yesterday too. I've got a lot of unpacking to do but I don't really have the energy to do it!

Music

2009-02-04T22:12:00.002-05:00

So, what's everyone listening to these days?

Here's my list today:
Jem
Josh Kelley
Joie Calio
Butterfly Jones

I'm sure my music horizon will grow now that I am a subscriber of Sirius. I also utilize Pandora on my iPhone. What a great tool! I also have Stitcher Radio. No, it's not a station all about knitting... It's sort of like Pandora, but with news stations and podcasts. I also am addicted to the Phillips File on 104.1. I'm so thankful for I Heart Radio on my iPhone as well. I'm able to listen to some of my MN radio stations on that application! Yay Cities 97!

What's your fav?

Been Awhile...

2009-02-01T21:04:00.002-05:00

Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I've been busy!

I've been uh, preoccupied? Hopefully my daily life will start to even out in the next month or two. I've decided to move in with the gardener! He's been wanting me to move in with him for a while now, and I finally decided to do it. So, I may be enlisting some of you for help... Mostly with just keeping boxes and such, not the actual moving. I've got two months to do it, so I'm not too worried about getting it done.

I'm so excited to have a yard and garden!!! And above that, I'm so excited to have someone to share it with. He's into alternative gardening, so I'm excited to try some new thing. I think we are going to try to grow potatoes in tires. Now, I'm excited about the potatoes and the process, but not so much about the tire thing. Cuz afterall, they are tires. In my yard. So if anyone has ideas on how to make a stack of tires look decent, please, let me know. They won't be in my front yard or anything, but still.

;)

My First New Post!

2008-10-31T17:41:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I'm cheating on my first post, but check this out!

Check this out!!!

This is one of my very favorite sites and I send some of you links to this blog occasionally. I really love this Crafty Panda!