2.25.2011

Maybe Boring is the Wrong Word

Maybe we've just hit a wall, and that wall is February. Another blogger (sorry, I can't remember who) described it as the longest little month of the year. Ain't it the truth. Like Reno, the biggest little city in the world.

Basketball camp has ended for Aidan. Avery's homeschool nature classes are over. Knitting in front of the fireplace no longer holds my attention. I couldn't even finish a row yesterday. We're all in between rows right now.

Avery texted me in the middle of the night, "I'm bored and tired." I think she was just stuck in between days. I know the feeling. I'm tempted to crawl back into bed and wait until Spring. I'm stuck between seasons.

We just need something new. Maybe I'll rearrange the furniture.

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Inspired by The Diary of Deliverance Trembley, Avery and I made our own ink out of walnut shells. We crushed the shells with a small mallet, put them in a saucepan with just enough water to cover them, simmered the solution for about half an hour, then strained the ink into a bowl. We made a quill using one of Smally's recently shed feathers. I love Social Studies, homeschool style.

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Have you heard about Camp Shutter Sisters? Asilomar, Pacific Grove, October 16-19. I think I know what to do with my Etsy money now. Any of my California girls want to carpool?

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Speaking of my California Girls, Patricia of Wonderfarm has some thought-provoking posts about learning and gaming. Join the conversation on her blog.

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I'm making breakfast pizza for dinner tonight. I made Chipotle Beans - 101 Cookbooks style last night. The chipotle tomato sauce was so good, I think I'll make another batch to go on the pizza. Mmmmm. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. See? I told you I'd spice things up a little for your next visit. Nothing says spicy like chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

Wishing you all a spicy, non-boring weekend! I'll be celebrating the end of February. Come on March, I'm ready for you.

16 comments:

  1. Wow, ink! Very impressive. Did it work? Can you show us something written with it?

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  2. You need maple syrup season--it's the thing that makes February the most exciting month of the winter! Have you got any maples? Seriously, I look forward to it all winter.

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  3. i rearranged the furniture. sadly it didn't help...*sigh* we all just have to hold on 'til march...

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  4. I frequently call this type of feeling ennui. It sounds better and describes it more fully for me than bored/boring. Just a feeling of listlessness. Hopefully moving things around a bit will help you and your family!

    Love the ink. Homeschooling opens up so many opportunities.

    Can I have dinner at your house. I love Heidi's recipes too.

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  5. Thank you for the Shutter Sisters link - their camp sounds FANTASTIC!! It's new (to me) and exciting and I have already told a bunch of friends.

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  6. Maybe you need a vacation to Reno? *hint hint* :D

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  7. Well, I am seriously impressed with your walnut ink! That is amazing! I understand what you mean about being in between two seasons. I've tried to go outside to take photographs, but I cannot take snowy photos anymore...it's been done. Time to photograph new life and green buds and shoots coming up out of the ground!

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  8. Stuck-itis? Maybe, just maybe, February at the very end holds the key to the door that we have all been waiting to open. Spring is knocking on that door and we all want to open up to her wonder and gifts.
    I should mention that we had snow and it was 20 degrees this morning, and I live in Western Or.
    Oh, well. She will come. The days are growing longer. Hang in there.

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  9. Thanks for the link to breakfast pizza--that looks terrific! I know that stuck February feeling, but thankfully I'm not there this year.

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  10. That ink looks cool!
    I too am welcoming march... although no one up here plants anything in the garden until first of JUNE! Feb is still the hardest month!
    All that spice sounds yum!

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  11. Rearranging the furniture helps but only for so long, I'm already sick of the new living room arrangement. It's just all getting old. The good news is we got a few more inches of snow, to cover all the gray dirty snow piles and make the world pretty again. I'll look forward to reaping the visual benefits of you photography class.
    My mouth waters at the thought of anything chipotle. Thanks for the links.

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  12. We are ending Feb in style. Snow and more snow. Thanks for planting the seed with regards to the Shutter Sisters' Camp.

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  13. Love your Rhythm of the Home article - will be posting the connections that we are making through blogs at Dreaming Aloud tonight as part of my Circles of Stones series! Syncroncity! I LOVE my female friendships so much and you described the real nourishment of ourselves and our families so well. I am often a little sad that our men folk don't seem to enjoy these so much, as I know how precious they are.

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  14. Thanks for the link, Molly! I checked on my blog while we were in NYC and wondered, at first, why I was getting so many hits!

    On Saturday afternoon we bought $2.50 tacos from a truck on Broadway in Soho. It was freezing out, and the tacos were so hot and delish! I ordered a chipotle tofu taco, which probably sounds a little ridiculous, but which was utterly fabulous to a veg head like me. I was telling L that I wanted to try making them at home, but I'd need to make up a sauce. And, voila!, you have one for me! It will be just the thing to braise some sauteed tofu in, and then throw into a tortilla with lots of cilantro. I can taste it right now!

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  15. I soooo want to go to camp Shutter. I just have to figure out the money and time off.
    I think I can swing it though.
    Just waiting for more details on it all...

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  16. I love the furniture re-arranging idea...might add some much needed energy to this last long month until Spring. Also, did you know that you can use the leftover walnut ink as a hair rinse to darken your hair? I've heard it can help with hiding gray hair. Just shampoo/condition as normal and then douse your hair with the walnut ink. Shave your legs, rub your shoulders under the hot water...then rinse the walnut ink out with cool water. Voila!
    -alicia

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