A Visit to Figment Farm

Here are photos from our visit with my creative and industrious friend, Leslie, at her gorgeous farm in the Willamette Valley. The kids had such fun romping around, collecting eggs and picking edibles from the garden. Vivienne was especially taken by the chickens, checking under the roosting hens every hour to see what she might find. She looked with such eagerness, one might think she was seeking a golden egg! They also followed the cats (especially Chive), sheep and the donkey (Abigail) around, trying to befriend them.

What a treat it was to make beautiful meals together. The kids harvested beets and onions for our salad, nettles for pesto and fresh salad greens and edible blossoms. Leslie helped the kids to make their own fresh pizza dough , and baked with their toppings of choice. Then we had stewed rhubarb with whipped cream for dessert. It is such an incredible connection to be able to experience a meal from the harvest to the table, and every step between.

I am going to share my rendition of Leslie's awesome strawberry smoothie: Take handfuls of freshly picked mint, several pints of fresh strawberries, add some lemonade(concentrate or freshly squeezed) and blend! It was so fresh and delicious, like a perfect summer's day.

The girls had a few new experiences as well. They got to take a quick ride on a motorcycle, thanks to Leslie's father, and were allowed to try playing on Leslie's cello.

~with much gratitude for a beautiful day on the farm

Corner View Wednesday: Out the back door

Here is the view from my parent's back door where we are staying this week. Despite being a dry year, it is green everywhere. I love the towering white valerian. Just around the corner are beautiful blooms. This is, after all , the City of Roses.

I am enjoying the sea of green that greets me from the bedroom window. It is very calming.

Enjoy your peek at other back door views from around the globe here:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana,denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa,britta, virgina, april, rebecca, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, angelina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama amanda, ali, jenell, guusje, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, jillian, doobleh-vay

In the Northwest

We have arrived in Oregon and are enjoying the spacious beauty of the pine forest and snow capped mountains. Our first view on the descent into Portland was Mount Hood was from the airplane window. The kids were amazed to see snow in the month of June.

My lovely sister took us for her daily hike with her puppy, Choco. The scenery is breathtaking. The kids loved the abundant wildflowers covering the trail's edge. Vivienne tucked a collection of flowers into her back pocket.

More adventures to come!

corner view : "the beach"

Santa Barbara, California 2004

Ah, how I would love to be at the beach right now! We lived at the beach in Santa Barbara for nine years, lived briefly in the high desert of Oregon, and then moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina. If only I could turn a corner and see the vast horizon on the ocean now! I often make this fantasy in my mind as I drive along the mountainside. What if the ocean were just on the other side? As a University student, I would take naps on the beach between classes. I could even walk to the beach from my house. Some mornings, my friend, Jessica and I would take a swim in the ocean at sunrise. It made my heart feel so alive! David surfed every day that had waves. My favorite time to walk on the pacific coast was at sunset, so beautiful!

Here is our "local" Atlanic beach, about an eight hour drive to coastal Virginia. These were taken four years ago this summer, when the girls were little. We can't wait to go back and play in the sand and waves. Tomorrow we head west for a visit to Oregon!

Check out the other corner view beaches from blogs around the globe. jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie,esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch,c.t.,jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise,cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari,jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin,otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, virgina,april, rebecca, b, sunnymama, kyndale, samantha, karen, kristina, angelina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, nicki, ruth, mcgillicutty,
desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee

Sweet day

Our school year is nearly complete. Above is a photo of the third grade garden that I planted with Mia and her classmates. Since we have had good rain this year, everything is coming along nicely. Their radishes are ready to harvest, they have carrot and peas coming up, as well as zucchini, tomato, basil and marigolds. Vivienne is wearing her crown from her Science Fair event. She worked really hard on a presentation about rocks and minerals. The whole school came through the Kindergarten class to see.



Her class also made a collaborative book based on E.B. White's The Trumpet of the Swan. It was a beautiful creation. Here is one of Vivi's pages...

Now for the sweet part. There are just a few days left of the school year. To celebrate the girls and all the effort and energy they put forth this year, we indulged with cake and frosting at Short Street Cakes. Check out Jodi's delicious blog here.

~cheers to the sweet things in life~

Fresh Produce: Part Two ( On the Farm)

Yesterday I got to deepen my appreciation for the hard work that goes into every bunch of greens and every pint of strawberries, each bundle of beets and bouquet of flowers. I spent my morning at Full Sun Farm, participating in the work share component of my CSA(community supported agriculture). It felt so good to get my hands in the dirt, and really know the magnitude of effort that goes behind the scenes of a farmer’s market stand!

I arrived at the farm at 8:30 a.m., (and with the guidance of a lovely farm intern, Melissa,) I started in the thick rows of kale, choosing, picking and bundling mature leaves into bunches. Then I moved to the broccoli, harvesting the full, open florets with a knife and trimming off the large leaves. Next came collecting the beets into similarly sized bunches, then weeding the carrot patch and finally, gathering strawberries. Each task required special attention to detail, only choosing the very best for market. With about eight people in the field, it took four hours to get most of the harvest for today's farmer's market stand. My feet and hands were caked in mud, my heart was happy for the good, honest work, and my body was downright tired out by mid afternoon and I fell asleep that night with a wonderful sense of satisfaction. It was a miracle that we did not have thunderstorms! The clouds drifted overhead and kept the fields cool, but luckily no downpours.I love that I will never look at another bunch of greens or pint of berries without recalling the effort that it takes to get produce from field to market.

Thank you, Alex and Vanessa, for giving me this opportunity!