Mabon

Today marks the fall equinox. Also know as Mabon to us Pagans. The Pagan Thanksgiving, a celebration the second harvest and the return of balance. Equal night. Honoring the looming darkness and expressing gratitude for the waning light that sustained the growing season.

This year we are celebrating with a potluck dinner and a gathering of like minded folks around our fire. As the wheel of the year is winding down, my thoughts are spinning around what it really means to live a life in balance.

For the last couple of weeks I have been taking time to reflect, think and plan.

Reflections of where I am currently : mind, body and spirit.  Thoughts about where I want to be this time next year : mind, body and spirit.  Plans on how I am going to get there.  I am out of balance and working toward equilibrium.   As the wheel of the year is turning I am more committed to living sustainably and restoring balance in my life.  Eating seasonally and locally.  Charting the year by the seasons and celebrating the gift and miracle of the cycle of life.

State of Disrepair

Since our move, one of the bigger tasks at hand has been makeshift repairing and replacing the fencing around the house.  The boards are so rotted that the modest repairs we have made do not stand up to Fletcher.  80lbs of puppy can chew through or bust through the boards.  It has been a continual contest of wills between Fletcher and myself.  Everyday I walk the fence line looking for new spots that he has worked loose or busted.  Just this morning, I had to "fix" an area that Fletcher decided needed to be his own personal portal into the lower field.  Most days the gate is open and the dogs can come and go as they please.  The gate was closed the other morning because of the work that we were doing down there and Fletcher decided that his help was essential.  Every job site needs a SweetMess on the job.  Doesn't it?

Most of the repairs have been fairly inventive on our part.  I wish now that I had taken some photos of my moments of brilliance in only using what was on hand to make a repair.  Pier blocks, 5 gallon buckets, a bit of wood (that is not rotted), and some wire goes a long way.  The seasonal creek has proven to be the weakest link.  So far, he has not breached the newest repairs.  If the creek did not lead out to the road or up into the woods where the bear (yes, we have our very own male black bear) is living I would not be as concerned. 

We have devised a plan for new fencing and have purchased the materials.   The new fence had to use the existing posts and not be expensive.  It's only function is to keep the dogs in the yard.  In the next five years, we will have to replace many of the posts and will at that point look at doing something different.  

In addition to tearing down the old fencing there is a corner of the yard that has been taken over by a bunch of beastly blackberry brambles.  Once the fence is down in that corner we will be reclaiming the landscaping.  The poor rhododendrons are overgrown and in desperate need of some TLC.

For now, we are enjoying the blackberries to their fullest.  Each week I make muffins and we are eating the berries by the hand full.  I have a freezer full of berries and in the next week I really need to make a batch of jam.  There are brambles all over the property so there will have plenty of blackberries in the years to come.  The best ones (in my opinion) are over by the creek.

The first photo here is the old compost bin.  It was directly behind the house and the raccoons were showing entirely too much interest in it.  So, we tore it down and moved the compost over to the garden area.  Eventually, we will build a worm bin for composting and the chickens (I can't wait for spring!) will eat all of the other kitchen scraps.  Please don't mind the rubbish in the photos.  We have already filled two dumpsters since May and a third arrived this morning.  This spot behind the house is the future site of my herb garden.

We have pulled 150 yards of fencing so far.  We started with the worst areas and are working our way around the yard.  We have roughly 300 yards to go...

Saber Tooth Mountain Curs

 
Little did we know that when we rescued Scout and Fletcher that we were rescuing two designer dogs.  They are Saber Tooth Mountain Curs, a rare breed of dog.  Part wing nut and part sweet pea.  Scout is of the miniature variety and Fletcher is not.  In fact, I was not convinced that he would ever stop growing.  We liked to think of him as our own baby dinosaur.  Scout tends to display more features of the sweet pea, whereas, Fletcher is almost 100% wing nut.  He really only has two speeds.  Zero and eleven.

If you follow me on Instagram (smashingtheserene), you know that I like taking pictures of the hounds...a lot of pictures.  Here are some of my favorites.

Stuffed animals fear Scout.  She has many nicknames.  Princess Monkeybutt and Mistress Muffin are my personal favorites.  She is named after Jean Louise Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Fletcher also has many nicknames.  Mulch Mouth and SweetMess are my favorites.  He was named after Irwin Maurice Fletcher from a series of books by Gregory McDonald.  As you can see, Fletcher is a natural in front of the camera.  Scout is a bit more timid and often will not look directly at the camera (or iPad).

The two of them love the new place. They have almost two acres to explore and terrorize.  Our little terrorists keep some of the critters at bay.  Fletcher is quite the mouser and the lizards do not stand a chance with Scout around.  They have treed quite a few raccoons and the poor birds have learned not to land on the ground or fly in to low.  Knock on wood, we have not had any run-ins with the skunks.  It will happen, but hopefully, not for quite some time and we hope that it will not be a frequent occurrence.

Here the hounds are waiting patiently for some freshly baked dog cookies.  We have started making our own (super easy, healthy and cheap).  I was going to share photos and the recipe here but I forgot the cord to download the photos from my iPad, so that will be a separate post next week along with the new dog beds I made for them.  I do have a photo of my first attempt at making the cookies, they were not pretty but the dogs loved them.  In fact, it was as if they knew that the cookies were for them while I was making them.  Sitting patiently, watching and waiting.  Good dogs.

Patient Pam

 Meet Pam.  We have been friends for a long time.  Last April we went to Chicago for the weekend with another dear friend, Alissa.  The primary reason for our visit was to see a taping of NPR's news quiz Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me.  The three of us have crushes on Carl Kasell (but then who doesn't?!?!). We also went to the Shedd Aquarium and saw jelly fish among other things.  Prior to our aquarium visit I drug them to a local yarn shop, Loopy Yarns.  While walking through the shop, I picked up a hank of Cascade Ecological Wool and said to Pam, "I just bought this yarn to make myself a vest."  Pam said, "I like vests.  What does it look like?"  We walked over to the shops book selection and I found New England Knits and showed her the pattern.  She said, "If I buy the yarn, will you make me one?"  I said, "Sure!  I can have it made for you in about a months time", (or something to that effect).  Needless to say, fifteen months later it is finished and shortly it will be on its way to Pam.  Last week, Pam had surgery to repair her knee and I hope that as fall is arriving in Indiana that this vest will keep her warm and help her convalescence progress at a rapid rate!

Pattern:  Montague Bulky Lace Vest by Melissa LeBarre

Yarn:  Cascade Ecological Wool in Tarnish

I did run into a bit of a snag this weekend in finishing the vest.  Due to the fact that all three pieces of the vest measured 9" too long (at least they were all the same length!), I knew that I might run out of yarn as I finished the front edge.  As I was knitting away Sunday night, I thought I could make it.  Not quite the 4" edge that the pattern called for but close.  Almost 3 3/4".  I finished with the wrong side row and started to bind off.  Right up until I ran out of yarn I truly thought I would make it...I almost did.  Approximately thirty stitches left to bind off and no yarn.  I found just enough Cascade 220 in my stash that was a darker grey that I thought would work but in the end it was too dark and it stood out.  So, I tinked back two rows and then proceeded with the bind off.  I am really pleased with this vest.  I am particularly proud of my seams.  They are perfect.  Seams do fear me! 

Now, I can make myself one and it will be out of Eco+ in Rainier Heather...I will get right on that.

Labor of Love

Happily laboring away on my affliction. I mean affection. Now that I have picked it up again, I do not think I can stop! So, I won't. Happy Labor Day.