Packin' It Up

October has been a crazy month around here.  Fermentation Fest is over and the artists are gone.  The sweet Mama cows have left as well.  The barn is cleaned out and I have moved the majority of my belongings back to Chicago.  I have even started working again at my job in Chicago on the weekends.  My 6 months at the Wormfarm is coming to a close.  I am really gonna miss it here but I also look forward to what is coming next.  

I gave Crook and Jem my 15 year old cloud blanky that Ziggy (my adored and deceased cockatiel) had chewed to pieces.  I realized it was time to let it go but at least the cats can now find comfort in it throughout the winter.

The frost killed the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.  That may seem sad, but by this time of the year a farmer is ready to say goodbye to them.  Now the garden is full with root vegetables.  Carrots, rutabagas, parsnips, turnips and leeks.

Trouser keeps me company in the garden on these cold, windy days.

I am enjoying my last Wormfarm eggs along with some Bubble n' Squeak and sauerkraut. 

It's funny how time seems like it goes so fast but then again it seems like it goes so slow.

Vegetables, Honey Chicken, Cat

Potluck Sunday!  Donna made an amazing Moroccan stew with cinnamon and allspice.  I made little blueberry hand pies that I forgot to photograph.  

Red cabbage is here!  I cooked some red cabbage, kale, mushroom and tofu and served it over Israeli cous cous.  Cooking is exciting with all these vegetables growing around me.  There are so many options and I am getting better and better at throwing things together on a whim!

Conquering the 4th page of my chicken book.  This is the page were I introduce Honey.  It was very difficult to figure out how to cut out the arms wrapped around Honey so I have been putting it off by reading instead.  But today I decided I'd had enough and needed to get the 4th page going.

For this one I drew the image out then cut out the separate pieces of paper for different fabrics.  Very much like a puzzle.

Sexy Crook.  He knows I am infatuated with him.  But he pretends he does not care. (He loves me)

Blueberry Picking!

Naomi and I went blueberry picking at Blueberry Hills in Reedsburg yesterday.

I had never seen a blueberry bush. The combination of greens, pinks, blues and purples was such a beautiful thing to see on that breezy sunny day!

I picked almost 5 pounds.

Getting the blueberry jam started.

And I made a blueberry and blackberry tart with coconut whipped cream.  Yum!

My plate from last weeks potluck. Another incredible meal. I brought some beets I pickled with cinnamon and ginger and some garlic Sriracha green beans.

I love this little Crook.