Fall 2010

It's October 25, 2010 and the heat is on, as it has been since mid-October. The bread machine is making bread and we're listening to David Crowder Band. It's 50 degrees and foggy here in Salem. We're also in the midst of Halloween. Traffic hasn't been all that bad, which is nice. We actually went into downtown a few Sundays ago before church to enjoy a chai lattle and pumkin chai latte at our favorite place called Jaho...and then walked down to the Friendship Boat (Jon's boat).

Ivy is teaching math & science at the Charter School, and is preparing a Nature's Classroom presentation now. She's enjoying teaching for the most part. Jon is still doing environmental consulting. Both of us are starting to realize that our jobs are turning into jobs and we are loosing our passion for them, which is unfortunate. However we both are enjoying life at Grace Fellowship. Ivy is leading the Discovery Club on Friday nights and is really good at it and enjoying it! Jon is the Missions Coordinator and is enjoying the position. It's nice to keep in contact with people around the world. It's amazing. Jon is also leading a monthly prayer spot on Sundays, which is okay because he doesn't like praying in front of the church.

We ARE enjoying fall up here. The leaves are bright reds, oranges, and yellows! We went to Russell's Orchards this weekend with Jon's mom (visiting from Charleston, SC) to get some cider donuts and see some 'wildlife' that isn't so wild. Ivy styled a pony's dew; a 1,000 pound pig, and Ivy found a pumpkin. Here are some photos:

We also went to the Topsfield Fair earlier this month. We went on a Saturday and it was packed with people. We bumped into another teacher that Ivy works with, and the Newbys. We enjoyed eating funnel cake and a thanksgiving-style-turkey-sandwich, and enjoyed seeing farm animals. We played two games and the second game we played Ivy won a fish! (Which on the back of the card said it cost $0.25! So we aptly named the fish '525.' Five dollars to play the game and twenty-five cents to get our prize). And we are proud to say that fishy is still alive and well! We didn't have a fish bowl, so its home is a large measuring cup that we never use (fits two quarts of water).

Fun times in NE.

First Week of CSA

Yummy!

I just picked up our second week of fresh veggies from Crunchy Granola Baby, where Heaven's Harvest farm delivers their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares. This is our third year participating and we love it. Last week I thought I would document some of the delicious meals we made; take a look.Pizza with greens and broccoli, and I made pizza dough in the bread machine for the 1st time. It was an exciting night.

Farm fresh eggs and homemade zucchini herb bread; a wonderful breakfast with our friend Will.

Bruschetta with almond/garlic paste, goat feta and greens. This was Jon's favorite.

Bulgar salad with cucumber, radish, and scallion, served in pitas. Cucumber and radish are not my favorite veggies, but this was delicious.

Stir-fry bok-choi with a little egg over rice.

Umm, as I sit here and snack on the strawberries and sugar peas from this week, I am starting to plan dishes for next week.

Spring Blossoms

I noticed this weekend that things in the garden are staring to blossom. Peas, zucchini, tomatoes all have flowers. Beans, lettuce, pepper, broccoli and herbs are also sprouting up quite nicely. All this rain is good for something!

Jon's Columbine is blooming like crazy.

And after a long delay, I finally finished my self-watering planter project. I am hoping it will grow some extra-special, delicious broccoli.

Food Inc.

We watched Food Inc. this afternoon. It is kind of like King Corn but more detailed about where meat/poultry/dairy comes from, how they are raised, what the animals eat, and how it's produced. It was disgusting. The problem, though, with these films is that watching them is entertaining and disgusting but will it move me to change? I want to think - sure it will - but in reality I think that it won't. I have frozen meats in the freezer that I bought from BJs and I'm going to eat them all. Throwing them away is wastful but keeping them means that I am ignoring the film? You could say that I won't buy meats in BJs or other big-box stores but that's kind of ridiculous. Have you looked into purchasing locally grown/fed cattle? It's expensive. Here in New England there are 'meat farms' in Vermont and to buy meat would cost about $250 and up. We participate in a Summer CSA that costs $375 for 15 weeks - the most veggies I eat in a year! I did do some research on WHERE to participate in buying local, here's the website: http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/ (sorry Sally/Ian, nothing in Cananda). However, our food cost would go up immediately! The problem is cost. It seems that it's always the first issue. So after watching this film, like other films I've seen, I'm going to TRY to reduce the amount of GMOs I consume, the amount of corn, and eat more locally...which means we probably won't eat out as much since that food is mass produced, the same as Stop & Shop, etc. I think is ridiculous - from the film - that even the veggies in the grocery stores are modified! It seems that there's nothing 'safe' to eat unless it's organic and locally grown. Maybe we should move to a place next to a farm and 'live off the land' like the Amish do! I wonder how their health is since they don't buy food from the stores....hmmmm, another documentary film idea??
THOUGHTS????

Washington 2010

During Ivy's April Break we took a trip to Washington State to explore Olympic National Park and the Pacific Northwest. It was an AWESOME trip! We flew into Sea-Tac and drove northwest-ward towards Port Townsend - this is Ivy walking on the driftwood.

Then Dungess Spit,

Then Port Angeles - where we stayed for a couple of days. While we were there we went to Hurricane Ridge (5-10 feet of snow at top); Crescent Lake; Sol Duc Hot Springs (for dinner) no hot springs for us, too expensive!; a tiny aquarium; and out to dinner! Also went to DQ for dessert one night. This is Ivy on Hurricane Ridge with a friend she made (LITERALLY!).

Then we went to the most northwestern point in the lower 48-states and along the way counted 50 bald eagles!! That's the most I've EVER counted in one day!! Then we drove down to La Push to stay for a couple of days - which was a glimpse of heaven! Watched bald eagles from our room sitting on the couch!!! We stayed in a hotel right on the beach, crashing waves on beach, bald eagles, awesome sunset. Also went hiking along the beach - Rialto Beach - which was a 3-mile hike on the beach round-trip...which felt longer since we sunk into the sand AND it was raining! Had a snack beneath an old tree stump, the only dry spot on the beach. Then we drove south to the HOH Rain Forest - which it wasn't raining! But it was great. Huge cedar trees, moss, ferns, a tree-huggers dream! ;) Then we went to Lake Quinnault - a glacial lake. At this lake, the largest Sitka Spruce IN THE WORLD resides in the area!! I think the expression on my face sums up the excitment!

We spent day here - had the best breakfast EVER at the lodge overlooking the Lake with hummingbirds! There were like 10 hummingbirds in front of me - no camera though. Ivy told me 'no camera' at food time. OK. Then we decided to go to Mount Rainer. Stayed at a B&B just outside the park. Had a great breakfast (not as good as Lake Quinnault) and drove up Mount Rainer and snowshoed a little ways up - awesome!

Then we left to go to Seattle, stayed in a B&B in Seattle that overlooked Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains in the distant distance! It was cool.

Awesome vacation! Sadly, we had to come home. More photos on Facebook.

February 2010

Well it's still winter here. There's an impending snowstorm knocking on the door. We will see if it amounts to any of the hype! We are well. Had a nice long President's Day weekend. Saturday we got a new couch...fit through the window by the help of our Growth Group & Jon N. coming over at 930am!! They are awesome! Sunday we took a nap on the couch...always a good sign. And on Monday we got up, drove up Rt. 127 to Gloucester, and went walking and birding. Saw some eiders, mergansars. buffleheads, scaups, and gulls...and one red-tailed hawk hanging in the wind! It was great!! Then we played games (dominos) with Jen & Ehren and while we were there I saw two red-tailed hawks out their window! Fun times!!