farm days

I miss those good old days of sheep in the backyard in ways. Especially when we first got them and they were so small and cute and the excitement about growing our own fleece was high. Now I have a closet full of about 100 pounds of fleece and I'm not quite sure what to do with it all.

I gained such knowledge and experience on the farm. Helping to birth sheep and milking a goat helped me to be deeply in touch with the circle of life and how delicate it is. I wouldn't trade up those dirty days of farming for anything.

raw fleece available for purchase

The community Baa has a variety of fine to medium grade raw fleeces available including: llama, alpaca, romney, romney/merino.

Fleece prices range from $25-$400 each. Amount available per fleece is 1/4 pound to 10 pounds.

Raw fleece can be processed into roving or yarn and make excellent gifts for the fiber enthusiast.

Please contact us at:

the community baa
518.638.8428
jtrombley@live.com

remember

When I woke up this morning to the smell of dog in my kitchen, I immediately bristled at the thought. The horrific thought that they messed the floor at such an early time, and that I was going to have to clean it up. Burning eyes and aching body reminded me that 6 hours of sleep was not enough. I pulled back the covers and walked out to find that I was right. Indeed, at 4:30am, the kitchen floor was covered in stench. Sabra & Kayleigh looked at me with guilt in their eyes. They knew Momma' was not happy.

I put the dogs out, thinking of how they would head straight for my perennial beds and dig more holes. Scowling, I grabbed the mop bucket and proceeded to fill with Mr. Clean, lavender scent (which smells horrible alone, but a million times worse when you blend it with dog poop) and water. Who comes up with these concoctions and then thinks they smell like lavender in the end? The bubbles rose to about halfway in the bucket, and my mind rose to anger and frustration. Mental chatter ensued quickly: "I'm sick of these dogs, why must they sh*%^ on my floor...not only this but they ruined my perrenial garden already and the flowers haven't even sprung up out of the ground yet! Maybe I should just get rid of the stupid dogs and then things would be a lot better around here" Then the angel on my right shoulder stepped up to the plate and chimed in "no, that would devastate the children. They would wonder where the dogs went and then I would have to disappoint them. That's not right." Images of Turner and Jacob standing in the livingroom looking at me with sad eyes and slumped shoulders immediately settled that selfish impulse. I settled on the fact that getting rid of animals gestures a certain lack of inner strength and character, and is also a failure to my children, and continued on in the throes of early morning work.

Why do people want dogs anyway? Better yet, why did I want dogs? What is the purpose of a dog that doesn't contribute to the work/economy of the home? Why do they dig holes in my flower beds? Isn't there enough yard for them to dig in that they shouldn't have to choose the beautiful greenery which has just popped up in front of my house for the 5th season in a row?? They don't even herd my sheep, but they do a good job of herding our barn boots and tearing them apart...leaving traces of foot protection all over the property! WHY ME??? WAAAAHHHHH!!!

I tend to feel sorry for myself.

My mind wanders to the fact that I am lonely.

Noone calls me, and I don't call them.

I especially dislike when someone tells me they are going to do something, but then they don't follow through. It says to me that their word is wimpy. They lack inner drive and focus. They think I'm a sucker, and blew me off because I'm not that important. Pride has a tendency to grow, the more a person thinks about how they are the sad one. I think on a recent blowoff, and decide that I will not worry about that person anymore. I'll return the rejection pound for pound. Does that make me crazy? No, it makes me human. The water in the mop bucket fills with poop...and pee...and the lavender scent smells absolutely terrible! Why did I not use vinegar? Something environmentally friendly and organic? Ahhh! The frustration of life?

But life is not just for moaning and complaining. It's for learning and loving. If I continue in this trench of sadness, loneliness, despair...what kind of person am I? It was nailed on the head when thinking of others' lack of maturity! I lack inner drive, focus...I AM a sucker, and I'm PROUD!!! Yikes, how in the world could it be? I reject too. Don't want to look at that fact...I bend down to test the spot where I just mopped with some clean tissue. It's black, or brown rather. The water that is being used to mop is stagnant and filthy. So, I dump it into the toilet and refill with water and Mr. "clean". The same spot is remopped. Tested. Still brown. Why should I keep dumping all of these chemicals into the septic if it doesn't even clean my floor? I settle on washing the floor 10 times with clean, pure water, and then mopping it all at the end with the Mr."clean" solution. Fill, mop, dump, refill, fill, mop, dump, realize toilet is clogged from the recent deposit (thanks to the dogs) refill, and on & on it goes. It's moments like these that truely shape discipline and character. They also make one think about life.

I think of how relationships are a lot like this situation. It's a good metaphor, so I run with it. Sometimes we push the mop bucket around, dragging the mop around on the floor thinking we are cleaning up. Really, we are just dragging around the same old poop. If you do the white glove test on the relationship, you'll find that underneath the clean lavender scent, it's really not that clean after all. Sometimes we spend a few months, a year, a decade, a generation just dragging around the poopy mop, when we really need to refresh, renew, restore with clean water. The question is where does that clean water come from? Where do you safely dump the waste water? People are not toilets. Hobbies are not toilets. Children, animals, material posessions are not toilets! Food is not fresh water, nor is a new house, a new car, a used car, a new outfit, a new boyfriend.

My mind sinks into a deeper mode of thinking. I think upon Christ and His ultimate sacrifice. How he was rudely captured during quiet prayer in the garden. He was tired. He was scared. The men came upon Him, and took Him. Did Jesus put up a fuss? He wouldn't even allow that his best friend protect him. He healed the man whose ear was hacked while Peter tried to defend Jesus. He freely gave away his pride and comfort, while those that despised him (His People..the Jews) rejected him. Not one of His people, but MANY. He was only accepted for a short period of time. Otherwise, his life was very much alone. He spent most of his time preaching the gospel, which most rejected and hated, and saw as rebellion and heresy! Can you imagine going through most of your life feeling like noone liked you, or believed anything you said? (I can.) But seriously though. After realizing noone liked you or believed anything you said, do you think you would freely allow those same people that caused you so much pain to whip, pierce, and murder you on a cross? A cross that you had to carry? To your own death? A cross that you had to hang from your limbs by nails from? I think being perfectly human, I would have to say that I would not allow that to happen. My pride would force me to fight for dear life to save something in which I never had anyway.

One morning of mopping put me into a total tailspin. How dare something as low as a dog (that I chose to own, by the way) awaken me with this mess?!?! It's not like I was previously meditating in my room, crying and sweating beads of blood at the thought of the fact that I was about to die for what I believed in. Nope. Big difference.

I know, maybe I have lost my listening audience. I am a Christian, so this happens to be what occasionally deeply influences my ponderings. Here we are, coming upon Easter Sunday, and I have not been to church in forever! Not consistantly anyway. Not been in the word, or in prayer, or really in a lot of conversation about my faith. Just trying to lay it low. Keep it real. Focus on my current dilemmas...i.e. taxes, cleaning up the farm. Taking care of my responsibility. The gospel applies to the rejection that I feel.

Maybe all of my relationships are just dragging around the dirty water and lack the fresh water of life. Christ referred to himself as the wellspring of life. He told the weak to come to Him when they were thirsty, tired, and he would give them rest. We can pray and he will take away our burdens. So, if we have no way of disposing of the bad stuff (not when you think about it. Where does it all go, really?) and we have no real way of bringing fresh life into our spirit, it seems that Jesus was really onto something. I lack fresh water. I am thirsty. I am tired. I am hungry. Should I go sit down at McDonald's and have a king sized burger meal and wash it down with a big milkshake, and then go home and go to bed? When I wake up in the morning, I'll feel all better. My relationships will be fresh...the dogs will be trained, because I'll train them with all of the extra energy I have from the huge meal I ate the day before. I'll be back to a size 8 and comfortable in my own skin.

The Breath of Life will give me what I need to have true relationship. It starts with him. Noone else can give that. A phonecall will not save me. I need something rich and pure, but not dark chocolate processed from organic dark cacao beans found deep in the amazon.

maybe this rude awakening wasn't so rude after all.

remember Christ.

remember His ultimate

sacrifice during this Easter Season.

Country Charm

I just love how this heart-shaped pocket looks on Trinni's new skirt! When she wears her new skirt that I invented for her, she looks like she came straight out of Laura Ingall's "Little House on The Prairie." It wasn't a major feat to make this skirt, but it brought Trinni a little bit of joy and a feeling that she is Mommy's 'special girl,' and that is what is most important.

The pattern came straight from a wonderful book called "Sew What Skirts." This book is such a confidence booster for the beginning seamstress. It helps you to discover your own flare for sewing through the making of skirts. It doesn't matter what your shape or size, you can design your own fine frock using the basic formulas contained therein. It is a must read for anyone wishing to add a little bit of flare to their wardrobe, which according to my mother-in-law, is what I posess :)

The Reading Train

I really was engrossed in my book when the girls came over and piled on the reading train. Very cute. It had to be Trinity's idea, don't you think? Look at that laughter...you can almost see it coming out of her mouth!

I finally have all of my photo archives on my computer, so I was able to share this one with...my blog and whomever it may come accross....

This is a pic of Trinity & I at Hicks Orchard in Granville, New York. As a child this is the orchard that my parents would bring my brother & I. We loved it so much that the tradition lives on. Although I have to say, we are beginning to equally enjoy McWhorter's Orchards which are about 3 minutes down the road from our house. They offer a wagon ride into the orchards back and forth every 30 minutes on weekends, throughout the whole season, and they charge only $11/half bushel, which is a steal! We ended up picking a whole bushel basket in about 10 minutes flat. The trees are loaded with juicy red MacIntosh apples. Tis the season!

Melissa, Trinity & Jessica at The Clark Art Institute.

This was quite the day for our family...we spent some time at the Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute. We haven't been there for quite some time now, but it is always an adventure to travel to another state and find yourself reveling in the beauty of paintings by the great masters of art.

They even have an original J.M.W. Turner painting there, which is where we got the name for our son, Turner. It is well worth the drive out and the time spent by yourself or with your loved ones. In fact, I think I'm currently talking myself into a visit back to the Clark.

www.clarkart.edu

My Little Girl

This is an oldie, but goody. Trinity & I on the porch at 139 Spring St. The house has since been purchased, painted, the fences came down, and the accoutrements are completely different, but the soul of the house lives on.

Trinity & I lived here for a couple of years, walked the sidewalks of Saratoga, perused the shops, worked for people in town teaching private piano lessons & attended the Beagle School. There are so many memories...too many to remember, I guess.

The other day, I sat on our old street and cried a few tears as I sat outside of the deli, and across the street from our old house thinking of the "old days." I guess you could say we sometimes get wrapped up in nostalgia, and forget to appreciate what IS, in the moment of now. I need to appreciate the now more...

and I have to say it....

'live in the NOW,'

(as I now sit here with a smile on my face. Apparantly I am just too funny for my own good...)

This photo was taken on Trinni's first day of Beagle School. We were so proud of her. Isn't she just the cutest doll you have ever seen? I guess I am bias, as her mother.

September 16, 2009

General Ulysses S. Grant speaking with Elizabeth Grant, Julia Grant,Ulysses S. Grant III & Ida Grant/widow of deceased U.S. Civil War Soldier.

This is one of the most beautiful moments ever captured of our family. It was such a privilage to be able to participate in the wake & funeral of a young civil war soldier.

I was proud to be able to represent his widow and recieve the sword in his family's stead.

My children, Trinity & Turner, will remember this week forever as well. It is not very often that one gets to participate in a living, breathing lesson of history and how it applies to our day to day lives. As a homeschool family, I think we have truely been able to drive home what history is all about...honour, courage, love, sacrifice, bravery, chivalry, respect, and all of the good qualities that are the threads in a beautiful tapestry of life.

This moment went beyond moaning and groaning about schedules, how tight my corset was squeezing, and whose call was missed on a cell phone or an iPhone, or whatever your codependent contact machine of choice is...the daily grind is mundane...that's why I gave up my cell phone. No offense to anyone who relies on their cell phone for important communication...very sorry.....

Depending on whether or not you can talk on the phone at any given moment is not what life pivots around. It is a composition of sorts...with harmonious memories interweaving to ring out something quite beautiful and memorable. Sometimes these compositions are virtuous and inspiring, and really remind us of how people can pull together for a cause that is above and beyond what they normally choose to care about during the day. This is what this ceremony was to me. Not the buttons or the bones, but the person who fought a war that changed history. A history that I do not understand too well...thanks to boring textbooks and uninteresting highschool presentations of its makeup, but I did understand what happened on this day.

Strangers pulled together to honor the fallen man who chose to fight for what he believed in. We need more of that in our society of the laissez-faire. People have to stand up for something and stand tall. This event made me stand a little taller.

Thank you to everyone who participated.

Thank you also to the Saratogian for taking this photo. Because I was not offered a model release form, I have taken it upon myself to borrow the photo for family, friends and other bloggers to see, but the photo does belong to the Saratogian of Saratoga Springs, NY.

Trinity & My Three Sons...sounds Italian doesn't it?

Trinity, Turner, Jacob hangin' out with baby-Caden

Caden crawling at 7 months in his fat cloth diaper :)

Jacob checking out the homeschool shelf

Turner and Caden having an affectionate moment for the camera.

Jacob admiring our new circus animals.

Our Berners

We had a new addition to our family this summer.

Meet Kayleigh & Sabra, our Bernese Mt. Dogs.

They are sisters, and the only way that we can tell them apart

is by putting different color collars on them.

They are the sweetest dog you could ever

know. We picked them up after a 3 1/2 hour journey to

Montgomery Center, Vermont. It was a good 2 weeks by the time we

had made the decision to get them, and we are so glad that we did.

We wrestled with the idea of Border Collies, because we like their (adult)

disposition. After researching them online and finding a very

informative border collie rescue's site, we decided that their high

energy would not be suitable in a home with 4 children and a lot of other

things going on...we looked at other breeds too, but decided that the

Berners calm, lazy, and large disposition was perfect for our family.

Who doesn't need a calming, lazy presence in their fast-paced lives, these days?

I am now totally obsessed with my dogs, and even find myself juicing my

watermelon rinds for them and mixing it into their gucci kibble chow.

My next goal is to be making organic/raw doggy treats for them for training treats.

I hope it leads to a long and healthy life for my girls.

so...if ever there was a great family dog to have, this is the one.

Male or Female they live up to their name....the gentle giants.

For more information on the Bernese Mt. Dog visit:
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bernesemountain.htm

http://www.bmdca.org/

Summer Shine Beauty

I found a purpose for our grape vine wreath. It looks so quaint

and simply beautiful on our new gate! I'm especially enjoying

the fruits of our labor this year every time I look upon our perennial

gardens in the front yard. It took three years to make such a lovely garden.

I can only imagine what it would look like in another three years with

time & attention.

Jammin' Out at The Community Baa

This year we spent a lot of time in our local berry patches.

Not only did we support local farmers & local produce, but

we really enjoyed the intense flavor of honest to goodness

berries & cherries, and the jam that came from them!

It is our first year making jam, and man it was good.

We bought our own waterbath canner and went straight

to work, and it was well worth the time and energy.

You cannot buy that taste from the store shelves!

http://www.themermaidsbraid.etsy.com/

Check out our jam for sale at our etsy shop!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30001678

The Community Baa's Bath Baambs

Intricately Made

I found these vintage animals at www.recycledwares.etsy.com.

I just love the way that they look on my sideboard!

Up In Smoke

This project was such a pleasure to prepare, and such a disaster in the end!

My children & I peeled our crayons and divided them into aluminum trays

so that we could melt the wax and then pour the melted crayon wax into molds to

form into fresh new crayons...well....it started out with good intentions, but ended

up in flames in my oven!

A word to the wise (that learn from others mistakes)...never,

I repeat

NEVER

set your oven to the broil setting to speed up crayon melting...

it will ignite the wax and blast it all over the inside of your oven.

I had to use the fire extinguisher to put that blaze out.

Luckily it worked, because our cable phone was not working at the time.

I had to evacuate the kids to the porch until the black smoke floated out the

windows, and the fire alarms were singing while I took my waxy mess out of my

blue oven.

What a lesson in safety that was....

maybe next time....

Art Recycled

Today my children practiced our family ritual of recycling through art!

We used egg cartons, the backside of used paper, glitter glue, and markers.

The boys were quite proud of their creation!

Fun Food at Snacktime

My children & I loved creating this fun finger food!

~1/2 loaf specialty bread sliced into pieces for (turtles legs)

~1/2 avacado (turtle shell)

~1 beautiful berry (turtle head)

This snack idea came from our little acorn learning program. If you are looking for a great homeschool/unschooly type preschool/K program, you may love Little Acorn Learning. http://www.littleacornlearning.com/ You can purchase their lesson plans/activites by the month. They also have "seasonal childcare menus" available with meal plans that include the grain color of the day and healthy ingredient choices for each meal & snack.

Enjoy!

Celebrate a Handmade Revolution

There is nothing more beautiful than a handmade toy, piece of clothing, homemade cupcake, or piece of furniture. The creator puts their own special twist into what they are doing, and makes it uniquely their own.

I just finished designing a pattern for a skirt that my daughter Trinity will wear. I can't wait to show you a picture, because I am so proud of the way it turned out.

Making something yourself to give to another is the ideal expression of love. You are putting yourself 100% into a project, and then just simply giving it away. That is selflesness, isn't it. I have been very inspired by the last issue of Mothering magazine. Contained in its pages are 5 daring women, that choose a lifestyle of making everything (or close to everything) for their home/family, by hand. I highly recommend reading that issue, and also checking out some of these women on their blogs or websites.

For my sons birthday, I have already purchased his gifts from http://www.etsy.com/. He will be getting some hand-dyed waldorf silks http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=26486669, a naturally dyed silk ribbons streamer stick (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vt_related_1&listing_id=29669028) ...both from http://www.syrendell.etsy.com/. The family that offers these gems is the sweetest family, and recieve my top notch rating for customer service. I would gladly purchase from them any day of the week, over going to Target or some other box store.

Turner will also recieve 2 nirdles from http://www.animalquackers.etsy.com/. This is the description of the nirdle: "The Nirdle is an adorable little creature. He is a strict vegetarian, and is very social! This medium sized red Nirdle is made with much care from wool blend felt and embroidery floss, then he is stuffed DENSELY with polyfiberfill. He would love to come see your house, he loves children of all ages, and is a wonderful decoration or toy! " See a picture of him @ http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=18712991. This shop is selling out all inventory at a great price with free shipping. Get gifts while the getting is good!!

Another wonderful handmade inspiration is http://www.smallmagazine.net/issue.asp. Small magazine features original artwork, clothing & toy designs for children. Many of the featured artists also have etsy shops.

If you would like to check out my shop, where everything is handmade by my husband or I, go to: http://www.themermaidsbraid.etsy.com/.

Now go make something!!

God's Blessings

My camera is down, so I wasn't able to capture the sunny-ness of todays splendor...it was so inspiring to be outside hanging clothes on the line, sprinkling chicken scratch out to the girls, and spreading rotten hay on my perennial flower beds.

I think of the many things that God has given us to sustain this silly little farm, and it inspires me. There is no way that we could do this all by ourselves, without the help of the Creator. We have set a plan before ourselves, and He picked us up and carried us down the path.