I gave myself a new haircut, and I LOVE it! Lots of layers. It dries quicker after my early morning swims. Highly classified technique...

Instead of sneaking into the boys’ room and waking them up this morning, which seems to take forever, I decided to crow in the kitchen while I sliced their bagel and got it toasting. This made me laugh – so they heard crowing and laughing in the kitchen as they roused themselves from sleep. When I got into their room, Ben was sitting up and rubbing his eyes and Sam was lounging, I think with a smile on based on his tone when he did finally speak. I think that’s a good alarm clock – mom crowing! I lit their candles at their places and served up some blueberry kefir along with bagels and strawberries. Not a bad way to start a Friday. I even managed to send Dave away with a lunch bag, and Sam has a delicious lunch of huge Oli-Ednamode hard boiled egg, carrots and hummus, Greek honey yogurt and …something else…in that fourth Bento box. Not sure… Anyway – it was a lunch to be proud of. I always feel better when I feed my family well. Dave will be laughing as he reads this. Sometimes I do actually get the day off to a good start! That kefir was pretty good. It is made from fermented live microbes…Ben was burping a lot later. Hmmm…cold here – hoping for snow!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooops! I was allowed to kick Sam's football using his new football tee and had a really horrible first kick. I begged for a second one and Richard teased "Is this going to be the mother of all kicks?" in response to my blustering about how big this one would be. Sure enough. It did turn out to be a good kick, solid contact, soaring right over the fence around the chicken run, then RIGHT THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THEIR COOP!

Thankfully the repair was fairly easily accomplished with a run to ACE (thanks Mom and Richard!), a piece of glass cut, glazing tacks and glaze. I learned how to do it. The glazing job is not pretty – kind-of “rough hewn” you could say. But it works. They chickens were very interested in all my tools. I had to rush in there quickly to ensure they would not eat the shiny glass. They love shiny objects. One of them grabbed a piece of glazing, though – the Rhode Island Reds (RIRs) are VERY piggy hens. They are not very sharp but very attuned to finding food. All four of our brown-egg layers laid eggs today – Jersey included! All in the same nesting box. There is a lot of clucking and talking down there when they are all feeling like laying. They all like the same box. Funny to watch them wait for another hen to be done. Like the line in a women’s bathroom – very tightly packed, poking beak into nesting box, clucking a “hurry up” every now and then.

We are planning a snowshoeing outing in the next couple weeks with another family, and Sam is back in school and doing well. He works on extra math or reading at home most days of the week, is attending PREP class at church (to prepare for first communion) and is taking guitar lessons with his dad on Thursday evenings. Over break he passed two swimming levels and is ready to pick up again when we enroll in class. He’ll be a sting ray in case anyone cares or knows the Red Cross swim levels! Cousin Leslie knows 🙂

I am really missing family – cousins, brother, sister-in-law, brothers-in-law, Dave’s parents. Now that my space-a days are over and Sam is in school it is a bit of a rough adjustment. I think over the summer I will pack the truck and go on “deployments” with the boys to see who we can visit. Family – please know we love you and think of you all the time, trying to figure out how to dig up enough money to build a bunkhouse or something so you can come and stay as long as you please and be comfortable. In the meantime, we have plenty of Hawaiian-style futons we can throw down in front of the fire in the large living room, and we have a guest room/office. Please make plans to come visit. I am also thinking about a kayak/camping trip in the San Juan Islands in the summer. That would be so much fun!

I am mystified by how heat pumps work. I figured out the septic system to my satisfaction, but heat pumps have defied my understanding for some months now. A cursory review only confused me more – “the heat pump extracts heat from air – even cold air – and pumps it throughout the house; the process is reversed when it is warm outside and you want the house cool” – or something to that effect. Ok – I get that but how exactly, at a molecular level, does that happen? I understand ion channels and NaK pumps, or at least I did and still basically get it (concentration gradients) so can I apply that knowledge to heat pumps? Is there a wizard in the pump with a wand? Dave tried to explain the thermoelectric principles behind it – that you can create an artificial thermal gradient – and the Peltier-Seebeck effect which has something to do with different metals in proximity creating a thermal gradient (and even a magnetic gradient). Anyway – can someone explain it in plain English to me? Oh – the touch lamp is another mystery. Thermostatic effect there Dave says…

The inaugural hubby with boys picture at the Seattle Aquarium. If we take one every January we'll see how much the boys have grown each year!

Happy 10th Anniversary to us - celebrating with our friends at a local microbrewery! Click on this picture to go to the Dec album. It's a new format - be sure to scroll down as there are new pictures under the folder thumbnails, plus photos in the folders.

From L to R: John Groves, me, Dave, John’s wife Christine (we’ve known them since NR-1 days in CT 10 years ago – they were at our wedding!), then in front, Melodie, Mom, Richard, Matt, and in back new friends and neighbors Jeremie and Beth. We were at Sound Brewery in Poulsbo enjoying a beer sampler then dinner at Campana’s across the street. I think that is a wonderful new tradition! We had so much fun catching up with friends and having a celebration before the night gets crazy with all the impaired drivers. We were home by 7pm! As I was doing year-end reporting for my business and posting pictures to the web, I was enjoying the happy sounds of Sam and Ben building Legos in their room, playing the electric guitar, and now reciting Twas the Night Before Christmas from memory! They are taking turns switching back and forth filling in the lines! How amazing they are together. A beautiful start to the New Year – reminders that a star was the sign long ago of good things to come and a promise fulfilled. May your New Year be full of promise as well. We remember those in prayer who could use a big bolus of good in 2012. God Bless!

The first look at all the Christmas presents - new electric guitar and Marble Run Maxi - both big items on his list for Santa arrived!

Thank you, Uncle Doug, for my new axe! (Uncle Doug crafted it from a mallet and even used a woodburner to carve an enscription on the handle for him). Mommy loves her book, too 🙂

Merry Christmas, family and friends! We hope you had a joyous holiday, and time spent relaxing with your family and friends. We were certainly blessed by family (Mom and Richard staying with us, and phone calls with our East Coast family), Dave’s amazing cooking (standing rib roast, spinach, mashed potatoes and Yorkshire pudding), and lots of laughs. The boys were so grateful for their presents – they didn’t “Hoover” them in a manic feast but rather enjoyed them one by one and only turned to the next when prodded. They are very appreciative of their blessings. We’ve spent the last two days just relaxing and splitting wood, eating leftovers, chopping more wood, more eating, stacking wood in the rain, chicken coop remodeling (moving a roosting bar to a cozier place), etc. It is raining here and we’re listening to Beethoven now as I write. Tonight I asked Ben something and he said he couldn’t tell me. I asked again and he replied, smiling “I can’t tell you because my back hurts.” Wonder where he picked that up? 🙂

We lost our first hen yesterday to a marauder who took one wing. My farmer friends have voted they think it is a raccoon based on the details I sent them, broad daylight attack, and other forensics which I won’t share. The boys and I came running outside to hear Merlin clucking his alarm call and the hens were all huddled in a corner with him. Sam was the first to notice a hen was missing. I kept hoping we’d miscounted, but sure enough a Rhode Island Red (RIR) was missing. The one with the little pea comb (small comb) – the sweetest of the three. We looked all over for feathers, or for her. We looked in the woods and on the trails. We couldn’t find anything so we thought it was a hawk. Merlin was looking to the sky as some kind of confirmation. Then just as we got everyone settled in and having a scratch snack, some salmon leftovers and soup (chickens have a good life!), we went to the truck to run our errands. That’s when I found her – on her side. Poor thing. So we went in to tell Daddy and this morning before church I dug a little grave and put her in her final dust bath. Yesterday the boys and I nailed a little kindling wood cross together and put it by the corner where we found all the hens huddled together – a way to celebrate lives saved vs a life lost. It was just too morbid to mark the hen’s grave. However, we did name her – Polly – so that she would be remembered. Sam took it really hard – he really understood and said it was so sad that Pecky Becky wasn’t the one lost. It was little pea-comb Polly, the sweetest of the three. After lots of talking and empathy, I gently reminded him that she was really one of the “production” birds, not the pet three, but it doesn’t really matter to a kid who had become attached. And I took it hard, too, feeling responsible for allowing the girls to have unsupervised recess. We had gotten a bit lax, I guess, having not seen any evidence of critters in a long time, not even the resident raccoon we knew lived in a tree right nearby. The hens remained under the coop today, growling in a low cluck. They wouldn’t come out to scratch unless one of us came to protect them. We counted hens many times, still unsure of exactly which predator it had been – coyote, raccoon, possum, hawk, eagle, rat – there are so many of them. We did get to church, and a visit with Santa today. We’re recovering. But I tell you what – the three of us (boys and me) are eager to avenge Polly’s death. We want at that critter. Sam decided yesterday, though, that God gives us predators to teach us about challenge. And Ben has decided the hen is up in Heaven with new feathers on. Wouldn’t you know, their advent calender treats yesterday were two little rubber chickens – one hen and one rooster – with candied almond eggs. Dave and I thought about swapping out that treat for something else but ultimately decided it was meant to be. Tears were shed aplenty yesterday, but we are strong and will persist. This happens in farm life, however micro the farm is.

The most compelling memory I have, though, is one of life: Merlin in front of his hen house, guarding his ladies with all his might, chest broad, feathers puffed way out, and head and neck pulled way in and down like a football player ready to charge. I could not believe it. He was truly guarding. Here is a picture of him:

Merlin guarding his hens. He wouldn't crow for 24 hours. SO unlike him. And so very interesting to watch all this unfold. Bless you, Merlin, for your example of manhood!

The boys meeting Santa. Ben finally decided he was ok to talk to. Sam had his list all written out for him, one side for Sam, and one for Ben. Sam has been jotting things down for Ben on the back side for a month now.

Lest you think I have processed the loss of a hen without too much upset...I avenged her today on the rest of the wood that needed splitting. Thanks to Polly, I found enough vengeance to wield the "daddy" axe - the real axe, not the maul - on the wood. I split many of them in one blow, and they sprang about 6ft to each side. Boom! Some of them I had to use a sledgehammer on the back side of the axe, but many I got on first or second swing. So satisfying to finally have that confidence. Thank you, Polly. Know that we are sorry you were lost to that raccoon, and that we are being extra vigilant with your buddies.

We missed doing the studio tour today because Dave went in to work, but we kept pretty busy here at the homestead trying to string lights up on a couple 15-20 ft blue spruce trees. Sam was a huge help. My stringing leaves much to be desired at the top of the tree, but I couldn’t reach even with a ladder and an 11 ft pole. After that fun, Ben insisted on chopping some wood. I actually tried the axe today, not just the mawl, and did pretty well. Then inside for lunch and a little of our own studio time – Sam drew a HUGE Merlin, and I did a few paintings. I made one of a hen that my friend loves very much for her Christmas present. A few samples below…I was wondering when my 2011 painting would emerge. I was a little cranky until I exorcised them!

View from our old house on Kihapai St. Always meant to finish this one...

My friend's dear hen, Margo. When she was sick one time she came in to sleep with my friend in the house.

The various moods of Merlin, our rooster. I stood watching him as I painted and several Merlins appeared. This one is frisky. Early-morning 'tude he has here!

This is how he looks strutting around the garden, enjoying an afternoon in the sun.

And this is how he looks sitting up on the gate, peering down at all of us before crowing out his greetings.

Nothing gets me more excited than that! An impromptu lesson as I carried cookies to the table!

"Boys! This is like your SKIN!" Skin cells have a signaling mechanism whereby bumping into each other signals full growth, and no further replication by mitosis necessary. So cool!

"And this is CANCER." Cell signaling goes awry and they keep replicating, creating a tumor.

"Mom, what happens when you get a bump on the head?" Well let's just pretend my arm is a blood vessel - more fluid comes into the area and causes the swelling you see with a bruise. We also talked about a cut - separation between the cookies, then filling back in with new growth.

Having a great dinner with Melodie and Matt, Tres and Jenni (from L to R). Thanks to Dave for making a really awesome sausage and red pepper pasta! Jenni brought incredible peppermint fluffy cookies and wine from Italy that they shipped back with them. I think Matt and Melodie brought the awesome cheese, salami and crackers - I lost track of all the goodness coming in the house! The best part was an evening of conversation and laughs - great memories. Clicking on picture will take you to recent pictures.

It’s been brought to my attention that I have not been posting as much to KampKrug as I did in Hawaii, so indeed I had to check! I had been feeling like it’s been scant lately. In Hawaii I posted about twice a week, sometimes more. Here it’s more like once a week. So – am I busier? I think so – a bit. There is just a lot more land to take care of, trails to cut and tend, chickens to care for and play with, wood to cut and haul in, fires to tend. A lot of nurturing is going on here that we weren’t blessed to have room for in Hawaii. I’m also cooking more! Four out of five meals are basically edible and sometimes good! Dave used to get home most nights in Hawaii to throw together dinner – I’d have a plan and items out and prepped and he would make it. Here, his commute is a bit longer and his hours are consistently longer. So I am happy to finally assume the role of cooking and am enjoying figuring out what to do with all the farm-fresh stuff. Makes it pretty interesting around here! Thank you for telling me you appreciate staying in touch – thank you for all the notes you leave – I really enjoy hearing from you. The treasures I value most in life are memories of time with friends and family. So thank you for keeping those fresh and dusted off!

Dinner-time exercise! Doing box jumps, cartwheels, jumping jacks, pretending to be a Nutcracker dancer...the boys had a great time, as did I! Daddy is working late as he often does on Tuesdays. Note Sam's long socks and pants pulled up like knickers 🙂

We had a very happy Thanksgiving adventure in a cabin with 14 grownups and 20 kids!

We are thankful for the blessing of new friends who welcomed us so quickly into their circle when we moved here. We compared notes on the likelihood of family coming to visit the Pacific NW in Nov and quickly realized we are not alone – it seems many of us don’t get visitors over Thanksgiving! Ha ha – no wondering why as the cold rain thunked the cabin roof while we set up tables and got the fire going. It quickly warmed up inside as food arrived, kids munched down on appetizers and played games (including flying about 20 airplanes all over thanks to me bringing crafting supplies!). Later the clouds cleared and stars twinkled above as the kids threw pinecones at each other after dinner (in lieu of snowballs). We enjoyed homemade pumpkin pies – made from scratch! – and a fabulous array of meats. These families are so warm and fun – we are thankful to have spent the time with them, yet we miss being with our family very much, too. As I type, I can see through our skylights that the sun is sparkling on the tips of the tall Douglas Firs, so we are mounting up an expedition to another Island trail, then more relaxing time with family. The boys are building a Lincoln Log cabin like the one we were in last night, and Ben is playing “box drums” which means he is marching around the house with a box on his head and playing the inside like a drum, laughing and marching. It’s the Macy’s Day parade here 🙂

All our best to each of you for a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! You are named on our little hand turkey decorations hanging from our kitchen lamp 🙂

Ben is a funny guy. Tonight we were just chatting while Dave and Sam were at Sam’s guitar lesson. Here is how it went:

“You are so cute, Benji. What does mommy call you when you are so cute and good?”

“Benji.”

“Right! What does mommy call you when you are naughty?”

(quiet for a second) “Ben-ja-min”

“Yes! You are funny. That is right. What does mommy call you when you are REALLY naughty?”

(no answer)

“Benjamin William?” I say.

“What do you call mommy when she is really sweet and fun?”

“Mommy?” with a little smile.

“What do you call mommy when she is naughty?”

“Mom William!”

“Mommy, why is that guy on the news called Brian Williams?” He must think “William” is synonymous with naughty!!!