Life at Puddle Creek: What We're Doing

Every day I think of about 3 things I would like to write a post about, but I only sit down to actually write about once a week. The past week has been filled with all sorts of things I would like to write about, more than usual really, but since life goes on and new things happen every day I thought I would just hit the highlights in one long and rambling post.

We went to Watertown on Saturday for the Mile Long Yard Sale and to deliver our old chicken tractor and some chicks to my friend Addie. I had high hopes for finding some treasures at the yard sales, but we ended up spending most of our time at my stepdad's house where my brother and sister-in-law were selling. Lincoln had t-ball practice in the morning, so we didn't make it to Kenneth's house (on the outskirts of town) until nearly noon. When we finally headed to town the train was still there and it was pretty crazy, so we just did a slow lap around the square and called it quits. We did manage to eat some delicious homemade ice cream and some sort of barbecue-nacho concoction, and I found a few clothes in a free box outside a consignment store. Everything else we saw was the typical flea market fare of overpriced "antiques" and knock-offs. It was fun nevertheless, but the real finds of the Mile Long are at the individual yard sales. Next time, maybe.

We did score a few gems from my brother and his family, including a stack of workbooks for preschoolers. Lincoln really loves this kind of thing right now, and these books have been occupying him for literally hours everyday since we brought them home. He is cutting and gluing (his two favorite activities), learning to write numbers, and learning to read a few short words. These books alone were worth the trip (thanks, Veronica!!!). We also brought home a small jungle of house plants from my stepdad, breaking my rule of "if we can't eat it we don't want it." Really, though, I am happy to have them and I think they make the place a little more homey.

After we left the square we went to Addie's to deliver her new pets. She lives in downtown Alexandria and has started a small scale chicken operation with a neighbor friend. They now have a combined 5 chicks that will soon be living in our old chicken tractor. Her two kids are now the proud caretakers of a New Hampshire Red, a Leghorn, and a Plymouth Barred Rock. All hens. Hopefully.

The rest of the past week's excitement has been close to home. Practically everything is in bloom or budding, our hen is broody again (not the last you will hear about this), and Audrey has figured out scissors (read: tiny bits of paper EVERYWHERE). I also made some amazingly good bread a few days ago. I think my next post will be that recipe. Oh, and my Vitamix broke. Seriously. It is boxed up for Wes to give to UPS tomorrow. As far as appliances go, I love that thing more than even my Kitchen Aid (if you have a Kitchen Aid you know how serious that statement is). Hopefully it will be fixed and back in my kitchen soon.

Broody Hen sitting on 12 eggs!

Wild onions, weeds, and black plastic aside, I think it looks pretty nice.

We are reading some great books around here, too. The kids and I are reading Wizard of Oz, thanks to a recommendation by my sister-in-law, and I must say it has exceeded all of my expectations. Did you know that there is a whole series of those books?! Fourteen, I think. Truly, I like the book more than the movie. Lincoln and even Audrey are both really enjoying it, too. I am reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and it too is amazing. A while ago I read In Defense of Food and thought it was great, but The Omnivore's Dilemma is even more in depth and thought provoking. I appreciate that he seems to write with no particular bias, just from the position of a person who likes food and has an interest in where his food comes from. Of all the food books I have read, and the list is extensive, this is the one that I think everyone who eats should read.

The garden is a mess, but the berries are doing great and I expect to be harvesting our first blueberries in a few weeks, followed shortly by raspberries and blackberries. Plums should be here before we know it, too. The seeds we started in egg cartons and paper rolls are sprouting, so hopefully they will be the saving grace of the vegetable garden. If not, there is always the farmer's market.