Sunday, December 25, 2016

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Always For Pleasure



I watched a documentary from 1978 called 'Always For Pleasure' by director Les Blank.  The film was about life in New Orleans leading up to Mardi Gras, and was primarily footage of street parades, funeral processions and people in amazing costumes.  It was beautiful and you should try to see it.


Tuesday, November 22, 2016

helping paws



I did a massive organizing project the other day - my stationary and paper goods - and Rudy did an excellent job overseeing the whole process

Thursday, November 17, 2016

boot & noodles



I took out a box of winter clothes and stuck my foot inside a boot, only to have my toes encounter a stash of egg noodles.  Sometime since last winter, mice had discovered a bag of egg noodles on my pantry shelves, squirreled them into the basement and into my boot.  I remember finding the nibbled bag of noodles last year and moving them into a storage container, and now see where the mouse was relocating them.  Ha!

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Sunday, November 13, 2016

The Rainbow Thrift Center



Vinyl record for teaching your parakeet to talk - note bird wearing graduation cap on the center label $0.25


I love vintage health food cook books, and I found this one from 1978 which not only provides macrobiotic recipes, but advice for how to dress, bathe, and lifestyle in general.  There is a chapter called, "Principles of the Order of the Universe" that offers nonsensical statements like "All phenomena are ephemeral, constantly changing their constitution of yin and yang forces; yin changes into yang, yang changes into yin." $0.50


an envelope of really beautiful vintage post cards - mostly unused - of Florida.  They had me with the ostriches $2


Monday, November 7, 2016

autumn decor



My Mom's bicycle from the 1950s - adorning the front of my farm with a mum in the basket


Sunday, November 6, 2016

caterpillar & sasquatch



with my good friend Jeanette at a Halloween party Saturday

Thursday, November 3, 2016

harvest bounty



Traded at the last Traverse farmers market last weekend: apples, parsnip, garlic, Fall cookies


Monday, October 31, 2016

Friday, October 21, 2016

black walnuts



A neighbor had a dozen large bags of raw black walnuts free for the taking, so I took one home.  They are a lot of work.  The fruit are like rotting tennis balls, a thick, fabric-like flesh surrounding the walnut.  Step one is peeling off that skin - rubber gloves are a must, as the walnuts contain a dye that will stain your hands for days afterwards


Once the nuts are cleaned (this only represents about 1/3 of them - all I had patience for tonight)
you rinse them and cure them for a few weeks.  I will post a follow-up when I get down to opening them up with a hammer and wire cutters!


Thursday, October 20, 2016

thrift haul: bedding



King sized bed sheets are expensive, but not these: perfectly white 100% cotton set for $8


Excellent vintage quilt print twin bed spread with matching pillow shams


cute cotton flannel PA Dutch print nightshirt $2

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

t-shirt-o-rama



We did a school farmer's market up in Sutton's Bay, MI this morning, and my favorite part was the kids t-shirts





she said she did know the original lyrics


Sunday, October 16, 2016

sky study #155



sunset over the West pasture, October 7, 2016

Saturday, October 15, 2016

the secret cave


Mom & I were driving south on Bayshore Drive last week and I caught a glimpse of this beautiful hillside stone cave behind a house.  We turned around and pulled into their driveway - it seemed nobody was home so Mom, with her 83 year old moxie, went inside and looked around. Inside was a sizable empty room, with a rotting door and lots of cobwebs.  I imagine someone built it as a wine or root cellar - it would make a great cheese cave!

Friday, October 14, 2016

Thursday, October 13, 2016

hello kitty



kid at farmers market last Saturday: matching pink sequin hat & mittens, great glasses, chocolate croissant


Wednesday, October 12, 2016

mud on your face



Mom in a chocolate face mask

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Friday, October 7, 2016

snugglers



Rudy loves Cozy loves Rudy

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Detroit, my beloved



Spent a few days in Detroit a few weeks ago - saw the amazing Chris Robinson Brotherhood - look how close we were! 


sugar skulls at La Gloria Bakery in Mexicantown


Megan and I in The Palm House, Belle Isle Conservatory



Indian sweets


clementine love!


Wednesday, October 5, 2016

shake a tail feather (singular)



My sweet old rooster Roosty is getting older and one by one is losing his beautiful tail feathers.  Since I took this picture last week, that last one has come out, so he looks more like a hen these days.  

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Chica got game



Raquel's new puppy brought her DTL game to the farm

Thursday, September 15, 2016

I love you, Dry Jack



A piece of one of my favorite cheeses in the whole world: Vella Dry Jack

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

the stray dogs



 A few weeks ago two stray dogs wandered onto the farm: an enormous white Great Pyrenees, and a skinny, skittish Doberman mix.  With leashes in hand, I tried to coax them to me.  The Doberman was very frightened and ran off, but the Great Pyranees came right over.  He wasn't wearing a collar, but I was able to get a leash around his neck and tied him to my deck while I went inside to make some calls.  The local vet, the Humane Society - my next thought was to get a photo of him.  I went out with my camera to get a picture, but in the 5 minutes I had tied him up,  he chewed himself free, and all that was left was the chewed end of the leash.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Monday, August 15, 2016

in a dirt hole



Max's summertime spot to beat the heat - in a shallow patch of cool dirt beside the cheese barn

Sunday, August 14, 2016

heterodon platirhinos and ophidiophobia



A puff-adder snake (http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12145_12201-61207--,00.html) was in pursuit of a large frog in the driveway the other day, which caught the attention of the dogs. Frogs emit a noxious tasting slime when threatened, so the dogs left him alone, and the snake played dead (as you can see by his curled tail) when the dogs investigated her.  I put the dogs in the house and everyone was left unharmed.  I am not afraid of snakes, and it was a sizable snake. 

Saturday, August 13, 2016

the bean fairy



I was down in the barn the other day, and when I came back in the house there was a large bag of green beans waiting for me, but I had no idea how they got there.  Turns out it was a neighbor - what a nice surprise!

Friday, August 12, 2016

morning greeting



Cozy double-turkey-leggin' in the sheets

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

sky study #153



another glorious sky at my favorite intersection

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

includes a free mustache




Boss Mouse wonder employee Teri sporting the cardboard mustache that comes on every box of Screamin' Sicilian pizza