Now that I am finished with the monster project of the baby sleeper, my knitting needles are free to make a few new projects. I was wanting to experiment with a specialty yarn, and so I ordered this off the internet. Each strand of yarn opens up into a delicate lacy pattern. I’m really excited to see how it knits up.
After a few days of being extremely suspicious of the snow, the chickens have finally adjusted to it’s presence. Now they walk right through it, taking an inquisitive nibble from time to time. 
They leave the cutest tracks!
The chicken coop is finally built and operational, and the chickens moved in a couple weeks ago. Thanks to the warm weather, we were able to put a coat of paint on it. I think it looks adorable now!
The chickens are only in the coop at night, and during the day they roam around the yard, staying pretty close to the coop
This is Beatrix. when I step outside, she is the first of all the chickens to run to me, looking for a treat. She must have decided it would be easier if she just came right to the door to wait for me:
Pomegranates are my favorite fruit, and I eagerly await the two month window when they are in season. Each little aril explodes with sweet, tangy juice, and a nutty, crunchy center. Also, they not only taste good, but they look beautiful too!
“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God…
…”They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens..
…”In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
“Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.”
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
No, not one of the boys. Me. Yes, that’s right-me. Monday I had driven to ballet and was going inside the studio, but I forgot to mention something to Maria. So, I went to climb back into the car where she was still sitting. Carrying my ballet bag in one arm, I used the other to heave open the car door, but I was parked on a slope and door swung back.
I hit my eyebrow right into the edge.
I saw the reflection of the cut in the window and thought, “Whoa, that could be serious!” I grabbed a napkin that was conveniently nearby and applied pressure, then made my way to the dance studio, knowing that I could check the cut out in the mirrors in the rooms. I still am laughing at myself because instead of immediately getting a teacher to help me, I first put on my ballet shoes. I was still planning on dancing! I was a little surprised then when my teacher insisted on calling Mom, who decided we should go to the doctor. Sure enough, I needed four stitches. After I came home, bandaid over my brow, I had to promptly brew my favorite herbal tea (honey vanilla chamomile) to unwind from the trauma.
One thing I’ve learned is that hard winters are easier with lots of accessories. Always having a scarf ready to wear and gloves waiting in my coat pockets really makes winter a lot less bitter-and more colorful. I’m knitting a scarf with this beautiful yarn that will surely brighten up the drab months of January and February! Like a squirrel storing nuts for winter, I’m trying to gather enough color to last all the way till spring.
The chickens now get to go on outings to the backyard with the boys. They seem to really like being outside, and they took to scratching and foraging through the grass like naturals. They even dug up ants and an earthworm out of my garden.
We are watching the black one with that suspicious tail. It looks a little rooster-ish.
Joseph is still the chicken’s most devoted friend. He will sit outside, letting the chickens run around him and hop over his legs, long after the other boys have gone inside.
Dominic thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of Halloween. Even though he didn’t get to go outside, he was kept busy watching out the window for the trick or treaters. When the approached the door, he would run to greet them as fast as he could. 
Maria in costume:
Alexander, Legolas from Lord of the Rings. (complete with pointy ears)
Johnathan, a righwraith from Lord of the Rings:
“Arrrrggh!”
Daniel as Gimli the dwarf from Lord of the Rings. Somewhere he misplaced his beard.
Before we went from house to house, I reminded the boys to say ‘thank you’ after they received some candy. from that point on, every time someone put candy in Daniel’s bucket, he said, “Thank you!” then immediately called to where I was standing on the sidewalk, ” “Pumpkin, (his nickname for me) I said thank you!” That made a lot of people laugh.
The boys’ pumpkins:
These hardy chrysanthemums, the only burst of color left in the garden, were especially lovely with a light coating of snow.
This picture is from our first snow on October 25. We had a computer part break that had all my pictures on it, and Dad had to restore the backup before I could get to them. (Thus the lack of blogging)
Excess foliage has been cut back. Seeds from the ever-faithful marigolds have been strewn evenly across the ground. Clumps of lilies that were reaching for sunlight have been divided and relocated. Daffodil and crocus bulbs have been planted – a promise to cling to through dreary winter months. The garden has finally wound down to a close, yet it’s on my mind as much as ever. Since the ground is not yet covered in snow, I have been frequently walking the now empty plot of soil, imagining next year’s planting arrangements. Inspired by a stop on our city’s garden tour, I’m going to plant a lot of things in pots above the ground, for better soil and protection from those terrible gophers. I’m also going to try to plant members of the bean family, as I grew lots of nitrogen depleting vegetables this year. I am continuously changing and adding to my list of must-attempt produce, but here is what I have right now:
peas
green beans
spicy jalapeño peppers(pot)
bell peppers (pot)
zuchinni (visions of zucchini bread are dancing in my head)
tomatoes (pots)
northern breed of cantaloupe (much shorter growing season than watermelon)
Though some of the things I grew this year were technically failures, I did learn a lot from tending to them. I saw that there must be very uneven pockets of nutrients in the soil, as certain corn plants shot up to become twice as tall as one close by.
Also, my seedlings stayed about the same size from a week after sprouting to a month and a half after planting. Then they all of a sudden started to grow really, really fast, even though there was no change in temperature or watering. I’m guessing that the surface of the soil is depleted, and it takes a long time for the plants to get roots down to nutrients.
One more interesting thing: as a test, I grew one extra row of corn without adding manure to the soil when I planted the seeds. At the end of the year, this row was literally half the size of all the others. I will definitely be using a LOT of manure next year.
Requiam aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let your perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.
Wow, they have grown a lot in three weeks! They are very funny to watch, especially if you throw a couple chunks of tomato in the cage. One chicken will pick up a piece of tomato, and then all the rest will chase it in circles around the pen, ignoring the five other tomato pieces on the ground. When the boys take them outside, the chickens follow the boys around, staying very close to them. They are friendly!
It has become a nightly ritual now to hold the chickens for a few last minutes before bed:
Daniel and Marigold:
Joseph and Nutmeg (Joseph is particularly fond of holding the chickens):
Alex and Beatrix:
