Let me preface everything with this statement: I live in Houston, Texas. The heat, humidity and monster mosquito capital of the world. Our ‘cold’ is defined by air conditioning, side by side freezers and beer from ice chests in the summer.

It SNOWED on Friday. Not just a flurry of random frozen moisture, but snowed real, huge fluffy flakes that stuck in my hair and embellished my red wool coat! It collected on cars, branches and fences. It had really picked up momentum by lunch time, when Munchkin and I were leaving the day care where I work every other Friday. She was thrilled. Munchkin ran down the sidewalks and twirled in circles as if she could make it swirl faster in the air.

The ride home was quiet in our car, while other drivers seemed frantic to reach their destinations before they were snowed in. I wondered for a second if there were any mooks trying desperately to find tire chains… Nothing like the rare treat of snow in Htown to send people into a stupefying panic.

It was fun and exciting- it really is a rare treat to see snow here. And, by midafternoon, it had all melted into a wet sloppy mess that prevented our Farmer’s and Crafts Market from going on as usual. Not that I really minded- I had no desire to stand in the wet grass while it was 38 degrees outside. But dammit, I worked really hard to produce some new items for this week. Ah, well, guess it’s next week then.

It helped to get our homestead into the holiday mood. Our tree is up and lit, wreath on the door and bells jingle on the knob. The  gas fireplace is lit early each morning and again after dinner time in the evening. Gift giving is simple this year. It’s mostly about the little one, and husband and I agreed to gift each other with new business cards for our promotional products business, ProSource. We are happy to receive the things we need this year. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that a white 10 X 10 portable canopy will be under the tree for Rainy Day Designs. More visibility means more traffic, which means more sales.

The Green Anthropology Homestead must admit a defeat: we returned the LED tree lights we purchased. They worked fine, we just did not like the way they looked. We wanted desperately to take a step in the right direction to green our holidays, but not at the price of being disgusted by our Christmas tree every time we look at it. So we are looking at it this way: we saved $20, and are repurposing something that was otherwise unwanted.

Some things like ripping out the old squash vines, making butter and extra sewing have gone by the wayside the last two weeks. Why, you ask? Because this manager of the Green Anthropology Homestead had her wisdom teeth pulled. While it has always seemed to me a sort of rite-of-passage that so many people go through, I would NOT recommend it. Oh no. And the older you are when you have it done makes it worse, so I hear. So hooray for me- pulled teeth at 30 years. I’ll take 15 hours of child-birth again before having teeth pulled, thank-you-very-much!

So with this notch in my belt and being fairly healed, I’ve gotten back into my groove this weekend. The dried squash vines have been crammed into my tiny compost bin, and the remaining bits donated to the neighbor’s compost pile. All the work done just in time for a lovely rain that heralds a cool front to bring more autumn-like weather.  I will be thankful for a Turkey Day on which I am not inclined to wear shorts!

I missed one night at the farmer’s and crafters’ market night, but was there again this Friday, and doing fairly respectably. I love sewing, and being able to provide unique items in such a way to the locals feels great. I just wish there was more time to get things done! All of us regular vendors are hoping the economy will not let us down on Black Friday- we all need the extra income this year. And here at the GAH it’s not for buying presents to place under a tree- it’s to pay the mortgage on this expanding homestead! So if you would like to support the GAH, you can get your beautiful baby and toddler accessories here, at my quaint little shop: www.RainyDaySmocks1.etsy.com. For all you health nuts like me here is a tidbit of information on the laminated bibs: the laminate I use is a reformulated plastic that is PVC-free. Done promoting myself, thank you for your attention to this advertisement.

My sweet husband found this article published in MIT News and sent it to me this week: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2009/foodshed.html

It discusses the childhood obesity epidemic among the children and teens in the US, and how suggested foodsheds (like watersheds) can help to make healthier, more affordable foods more readily available and decrease the obesity epidemic. The study was done as a collaborative work between MIT and Columbia scholars. ( Columbia is the primary source of historically influential Anthropologists- the guys that came up with the theories we as Anthropology students study today! Just a note, as I still hope to finish that Masters in Anthro…)

It is quite interesting, so please take the time to click on the link and read the article. But what makes me chuckle a bit is that if you are a regular reader of GA, the topic of the article is probably common sense to you! And to think they had to have our gurus at MIT and Columbia come up with what we homesteaders already knew.

We have a new market in town! Every Friday night, there is now Market Nights- and it was fantastic this Friday- my little sewing business had record sales!

We had beautiful Texas October weather, perfect for outdoor market meandering. There was great music, great food and great crafts.

I’m excited to go back next Friday, and have quite a bit of work to tackle to replenish my inventory. BUT, the fun part of fabric shopping has been tackled and the scissors have been busy cutting around the templates. Smocks, bibs and aprons are cut and begging for seams and trimmings.

MM Birds of Norway

I can’t wait to put them together, they are going to be great for this fall and the Holidays. I know it’s all girlie stuff, but us girls like all the accoutrements at any age. ( I do have some great stuff for boy in case you are interested.)

PP Madison

If you would like to see more of what I’m doing, please visit my Etsy shop! It is sparse right now, but as I finish things, I’ll update everything. www.rainydaysmocks1.etsy.com

If you are local (and even if you’re not!) I hope to see you at Market Nights this Friday! Seriously, if you want more information, let me know and I can send you a map, directions and times.

PP Wild

Happy Fall!

The notorious mutant squash

Mutant squash has given me a rash on my arms and legs. It has also given me what I think is about ten pounds of squash, so does that equate to a fair trade?

The one thing that I’ve requested for my birthday is enough timber and bed mix to finish our shared garden. Does anyone besides me ask for dirt for her 30th birthday? Don’t give me gold jewelry, give me garden gold! The more useful it is, the more I love it.

Green Anthropology will eventually have its own address! I’m going to still maintain my blog here on WordPress, but great things are underway for GA. More on that later!

On more long term notes- I have a notion that has been in my mind for a very long time, and something I’ve never discussed here on GA Homestead. I have this wild-ass dream of owning my own B&B in the Texas Hill Country. Not just any B&B, but a self-sufficient one. Complete with cow, chickens and ample fruit and veggies. This is one of those dreams that comes with the life lesson in delayed gratification. I imagine it will be fifteen years in the making from this point. All I can do is practice self sufficiency, save money and learn, learn, learn.

Gorgeous sunset at GA Homestead

Does it get any better than this?

I feel very lucky to be able to see this kind of sunset most evenings at the GAH.

Things are moving right along here at the GA Homestead. Fall and winter plantings are just about ready to happen, as soon as the new lattice is up and the bed frames are built- should be in the next two weeks or so.

The Kombucha mother is ready to go- I think there is going to be some brewing going on this weekend!

The zucchini/summer squash is prolific, and it is a mutant of its own making. It has a lovely variegated green skin, and yellow inside! I suppose this is what happens when the seeds get all jumbled up in the compost and cross pollinate. It tastes just fine, and I have several bags sliced and blanched, in the freezer, as well as handing out armloads!

More to come soon!

Mystery Veggie Bed

I finally figured out( I think)  what has been mysteriously running wild in the new corner garden- it’s zucchini, or at least some sort of green summer squash. Makes sense- there were plenty of zucchini tidbits ( and a few whole) thrown into the compost bin over the last two years. I am very excited about it- there is going to be a ton of zucchini/summer squash- for salad, spaghetti sauces, bread and maybe a casserole. And enough for the neighbors. And probably enough for offering to the owner of the farmer’s market. Seriously, this is a lot of zucchini, people.

Multiply this by about 40

The Farmer’s Market was a success again this weekend. So much so that I have now decided to work every weekend, as opposed to every other weekend. So busy busy sewing and knitting! It is good to be participating in the local economy. What I make at the market is enough to provide my family with produce purchased at the market for a week, and enough left over to provide a bit of extra entertainment – such as this weekend.

A feathered resident of BSP

For Labor Day (really just for any weekend) we drove out to Bastrop State Park. So beautiful there! The weather was cool enough to make it pleasant, and there were no mosquitoes- amazing. We spent the afternoon meandering through trails, listening to the sounds of nature,  and catching glimpses of feathered residents. We packed a backpack with necessities, water and food on me, and husband carried the Munchkin in the Deuter pack. She loves riding in the pack. There must be something about riding way up high, in the branches of trees sometimes, and being able to look down and all around from a new perspective.

It was a good weekend. And in the land of kombucha scoby, things are progressing nicely. The scoby is covering the entire surface now, and just shy of 1/8 ” thick. It needs another week or two before brew time. Good things are worth waiting for!

Kombucha Mother

I had my first venture in urban foraging today. It was successful, but it still felt a bit weird. I knew there was about a mile and a half section of a mildly busy street that had great hibiscus plants down both sides. A drug store provided close parking, and a side walk made it accessible. But I never see any one walking there! I wanted some hibiscus flowers, which are edible, for making tea and herbal infusions, so I figured this spot is primo pickin’s.

I guess I felt so self conscious about it because 1: I never see anyone walk there even though there are sidewalks and 2: you aren’t ’supposed’ to pick the flowers. Oh, and it is a busy street and I was there during rush hour. But what will happen to those flowers if no one picks them? Nothing- they wither and fall off. Better to put a few of them to use!

Now that I have finished justifying my foraging, the giant blossoms are cleaned and out to dry for tea. And I am satisfied- I will do it again!

On top of today being a great day- temperature was less than 100 degrees, spent QT with some family, made butter, yogurt and went to the grocery- I started my first kombucha scoby!

I am so excited to start my own home brew of this wonderful, mellow- tangy beverage. I’ve read quite a bit about it’s supposed health benefits, but I just LIKE the stuff. To be able to continue to brew my own drink from here on out for only $3.50 start up is great.I finally have the courage to do this on my own.

The scoby should be ready to use in brewing in a couple of weeks. I’ll be sure to photodocument the growth of my scoby. Very exciting stuff- like watching grass grow. Or snails crawling. Hold your breath, folks… 1…2…3…

Tomorrow will be just as productive- blueberry jam, harvesting more basil and rosemary. I have everything I need for my farmer’s market Saturday, so Friday will be slated for bread baking and getting all my gear ready to go. And tomorrow is Library Day for the Munchkin and me. She loves having several new books every week. Take your kids to the library, folks- you will never regret it!

I think I have watermelons and squash growing in the new veggie bed- prolifically and accidentally. My question now is: Do I leave them? Will watermelons and squash have enough time to produce anything in Texas this time of year? Common sense says ‘no’, but it always seems like we can bend the rules in this climate. I mean, c’mon- I remember Christmases that we wore shorts. And it snowed for one day last December, so that means our odds of getting a few flakes again won’t increase for oh, I don’t know- another ten years.

I think I finally found a niche for my sewing and crafting. Etsy is great, but I really enjoyed working our local farmers market- getting to know the other vendors, meeting the people who frequent the market and anyone else who stopped by out of curiosity.

Most of what I have made to this point has been baby items- bibs, burp clothes and play smocks. But I have expanded to a few decorative items as well. Now I think I’m going to simplify the baby stuff, and make my stand all about simple, home made things. Sewn goods: a few bibs and aprons; Crafted goods: pin cushions, baskets and serviceable things; Baked goods: bread. I want to provide nice, homey things. Stuff that gives people the ‘warm fuzzies’.

It went really well the last weekend I was there, in spite of it being tax-free weekend. It’s a good gig- free booth space, electricity and a box fan. And plenty of shade. I’m excited about it- going to be there again this coming weekend, so the sewin’ machine is workin’ overtime, the glue gun is out (finger tips are bunt) and the trusty cash box (older than me!) is ready and waitin’.

I think what I liked most was feeling like I was actively doing something within the community- to provide an option for local goods, rather than going to large shopping malls. It was good getting to meet new faces, and hoping to see them again.

I’ve been reading Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating by Jane Goodall. I’ve learned more about genetically modified (GM) foods and seeds, as well as the effects of rBGH (synthetic bovine growth hormone) on dairy cows and humans than I thought possible.

I’ve learned about Monsanto, and that it is a pimple on the butt of humanity. I’ve always know that buying organic meant farmers used natural fertilizers and no chemical pesticides. But I had no idea about the frankenfoods that Monsanto creates…I mean, can you imagine eating corn with Bt in every single cell of the kernels you chew? Not just that, but every single cell of the plant?

I knew about the terrible conditions that cows and chickens live in, but really, has our sense of compassion and humanity degraded so far as to treat these animals like machines?

I’m only a third of the way through the book. Ugh.

So yesterday afternoon consisted of a trip to the grocery store interrupted by the need to run to the minor care center around the corner.

It’s an adventure. The little one and I enjoyed a peach we purchased from the produce  department while we shopped for other things. It only took about ten or fifteen minutes for me to realize I was itching uncontrollably. I began to feel self conscious, so I discreetly pulled a tiny mirror out of my purse to discover giant red splotches all over my neck. Five minutes more, and my lips were tingling and my throat was tightening up. The splotches were spreading up my face, down my arms and onto my trunk.

I didn’t ditch the groceries: no way when shopping with toddler. I just stopped, checked out, and hauled ass to the minor care center.

After some benadryl and prednisone, I was on my way back to normal. It was minor in the end, I guess. But I wasn’t going to mess around with a tight throat. No way.

So the point of this,  as much of a coincidence as it is, I’m not allergic to peaches. It was something ON the peach. Pesticides? Possibly. It could have been any number of things the fruit was exposed to during shipping.

No, they weren’t local. I was going for cheap, since this month’s budget is tight.

Lesson learned: Make room in the budget for local/ organic. Or get hives.