We spend a good part of April and May this year in Minnesota at Grandma and Grandpa's farm. The kids helped to plant the garden, build a treehouse, saw logs, fence, gather chicken eggs, and mow lawn. We rode 4 wheelers and toy bikes all over the place, threw sticks into the lake at the cabin, played in sawdust from the mill, climbed rocks near Lake Superior, and ate peanuts on the deck. During cold or rainy days, the boys enjoyed my old Legos, discovered Dennis the Menace, played games like Cootie and Candyland, and completed crafts in the basement. We played hard. We slept hard. And we ate well. We drank a lot of hand-pressed apple juice and ate a lot of blueberries (and took 50lbs home with us too). We enjoyed a polka service at church, a dance caller at a community hall, and live music at a bar. The four year old really bonded with Grandma, and the two year old continued to potty train and favored Grandpa, who was in charge of the tractors. My husband, who had recently taken a new job, was able to join us during the last week of our trip to cut, split, and saw some wood. I learned how to crochet and completed 4 projects, borrowed 35mm film cameras and took my first roll of film manually, read a couple books on food quality and ethics, and tried to help out in the kitchen when I could. The kids once again were perfect travelers; with their matching backpacks, their good behaviors, and their BOB, they captured the attention of many other travelers.
There are many great photos to share, but I think if I have a few rainy days, I will focus on getting them onto a printing site so that I can order them for our hard books. Sometimes, and especially at this time of year, it's too much for me to get everything onto this blog. Here's one of the boys helping grandpa to plant potatoes:
Being in the place where I grew up, so open, lush, and fertile, I was reminded of the importance of eating as well and as sustainably as possible. The first thing we did when we arrived home in Alaska (after doing necessary summer prep like ordering more bedroom shades, getting wood from neighbors, and cleaning up the yard) was expand our gardens substantially and restart the red-wiggler vericompost. Our kind neighbor contributed some started plants and some sprouted potatoes to the new raised beds, my husband is growing hot peppers in his grandmother's greenhouse, and I planted a lot of seed as well. In addition to growing more of our own vegetables, thanks to the knowledge great friends from across the globe have shared with me, I have been inspired to do a lot of food chemistry research on the health benefits of bone broths, ferments, proper grain/bean/nut preparation, and cooking oils. I have been invited to join a local food coop. In my opinion, and the kids have also said their fare share of "yum," our food has neither tasted this good before nor has it been so affordable. I figure, we will soon be a family of five and in addition to moose, salmon and berries, we really need to make a greater daily effort to eat close to home, traditionally, and simply. Here are our new gardens and water supply:
