Hair Cuts

This morning I gave the boys haricuts with my new Wahl clippers. They don't look too bad. A little shorter than I was expecting, but I won't have to cut their hair again until the Spring at least, maybe longer. Viva la doing things yourself!

Jewels in a Basket

I was thinking about the eggs that our chickens lay each day, and then I pulled them out of the refrigerator to look at them. They are really beautiful. Each one is different, each hen does not lay the same egg twice. Sometimes they are slightly spotted or bumpy, sometimes they are perfectly smooth and uniform in color. They are also precious, life sustaining, nourishment for our bodies. Chickens and cows are probably the two most useful farm animals to keep, as they provide sustenance on a daily basis, and they also can be eaten themselves. But, unlike a cow, chickens are easy to keep. They don't require alot of special care, they do not need to be milked twice a day, and they don't need alot of room. They provide us with entertainment (have you ever seen a chicken run?). I am also waiting for their manure to fully compost so I can start using it in the garden. I hope to always be able to keep chickens. I hope to bring in a few jewels in a basket for the rest of my days.

An October Day at Our House

Today was a pretty productive Monday. I made blueberry pancakes for breakfast this morning, and after that I started the laundry. The dishes had gotten away from me last night, and I could not face them this morning either, so I got the kids dressed and we started school. Tristan did his reading lesson, with lots of moaning and groaning. This makes my heart sad because he loves to be read to and loves to sit down and look through books, and I am such a bookworm, I hope, hope, hope it is just a five year old phase that he will grow out of. Next was his math lesson, which he really likes. There are lots of manipulatives that came with the curriculum and he always wants to make up stories after the lesson using them. Finally he did his handwriting for the day, which he is always happy to do as well. Then it was Piper's turn to learn her letter of the day, which was "M". After our lessons I switched the laundry and we all headed to the backyard. The kids played and intermittenly helped me plant our winter crop of veggies. Broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts, arugala, cabbage, cilantro were all started today. I am grateful to the Southern California weather for this reason and this reason only: I can garden all year long and get lots and lots of practice. Otherwise I would be looking forward to the cold winter setting in right now. After lunch, which was peanut butter and honey sandwiches for the kids and leftover pasta for Sam and I, I headed to Trader Joe's for the weeks groceries. Then home for dinner which was my made up creation of some sort of cheesy chicken chili. I tend to make up a lot of stuff for dinner with whatever we had. Anyway, this one was really yummy, and for desert...apple pie. Now it is evening and I must head back and finish my laundry.

Sustainable Living in South San Clemente

Living in a environmentally responsible way is difficult; especially in Southern California. To the contrary of belief, most people here are too busy to take the time to eat well. Processed food fits so well into that busy Southern California lifestyle.

After much research in late 2007, our family has decided to become responsible in our eating habits. Responsible to our children, our neighbors and our environment. Our goals are simple:

1. Eat natural produce.
2. Eat local.

In our journey, we found it very difficult, as the industrial distribution system doesn't efficiently cater to these needs. Although there are niche grocers catering to this market, Wholefoods and Henry's still average 20 miles away from us. It doesn't compare to the mileage their food travelled: garlic from China, apples from Chile, Cheddar from New Zealand, etc...

The solutions:

Produce: San Clemente's Farmers Market, Tierra Miguel Farms, South Coast Farm and my garden.
Meats: Trader Joe's (for right now) Wholefoods/Henry's (if convenient).
Raw Milk: Organic Pasture's buying club.

....and the dream, the San Clemente Community Market, a Cooperative!