little things

tea, fire, and attempts at building a meditation practice.

last summer's wild Maine blueberries brightening up my winter toast..... it's possible I closed my eyes and ate a spoonful and pictured we three picking berries on that brushy hillside on a hot July day with the sunshine on our shoulders and the coast just barely in view.....

she got really, really excited several days ago when she spied the first daffodils pop up in our yard.  really excited.  there may have been full-on squealing.  so of course they came to live on our table.

Heidi Swanson's baked oatmeal is a favorite in our house. 

and so, it would seem, is Pete's Dragon (which I hadn't seen in decades, and now I understand there will be a new version out this summer.  I love this one, especially Elliot's ridiculously adorable sounds, but I am also looking forward to bringing her to see the new one on the big screen) and...... popcorn balls.  so, I never had a popcorn ball before.  my only real recollection of them was being a child in the 80s and hearing parents talk on Halloween about how none of the kids should eat candied apples or popcorn balls just in case someone put razor blades inside them (what?!), but then Claire was listening to the These Happy Golden Years audiobook and Laura and Ma were buttering their hands and making molasses popcorn balls and so of course we had to, too.  oh my gosh I'm so glad we did.  and now I want to eat all the popcorn balls.

our two beds and one small row of greens (mostly kale and arugula, with some cabbage, collards, and turnips thrown in as well) have hung tight all winter under simple little hoop houses and row cover.  none of them got very big, but they made a respectable showing and I'm able to pick a sizable amount on a regular basis.  and whatever has seemed too stunted or not great gets thrown to chickens for a welcome green treat.  we got our seed starting table and lights set up today and plan to get seeds started (a couple weeks later than usual, but since I'll work on the farm again this summer we're not going big with the tomatoes at home.  that, and our onions were backordered on our Fedco order) tomorrow.  oh, Spring..... you are so close.

and last but not least, I leave you with this wonky little sea star soft toy I made today out of a little striped t-shirt and some bamboo filling.  I don't know what happened with that one arm, but I suppose maybe that just ups it's character.  at least that's what I'm going with.