Never Summer Farm

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This

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Yoga on the Farm Thursdays at 9:45 AM at Never Summer Farm. www.sagebrushyoga.com

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Missing my flock today!

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Small farm management and records software

Check out this easy to use small farm management software!

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Happy Sunday

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Happy St Patricks Day!

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Hope you’re day is amazing.

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One of Ian’s photos. 

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Let it go

This winter, the season of recovery has not felt restful, not even a little. Our momentum is like an avalanche. I haven't stopped planning things since November for Day of the Dead. It's time to pause. That's what winter symbolizes, rest, sleep, stopping and bringing peace into our lives. Without the rest, which brings a time for thoughtfulness, I seem to accumulate stuff. I'm not just talking about the stuff that comes with the holidays - it's the THINGS I can't bring myself to let go of like the handmade (but broken) "snowglobe" that my daughter brought home from school. (This is really two clear plastic plates glued together, and flaking whatever white substance was between them, all over.) It's adorable and she's so proud of it. How could I possibly throw this away? These are stressful thoughts. It's broken, I need to let these things go. Maybe I'm not going to throw away this art until my daughter has gone to bed but these are the things that you let go. (I'm speaking to myself very loudly here.) There will be more art that she brings home. Better art that will be framed and will live in infamy on the wall, but not you, tired broken snow-globe, not you. You, I will let go. There are other things that accumulate during the year. These are the habits that we pick up that don't serve us. We serve them.

- Grabbing a high calorie coffee while running errands when  trying to cut calories and lose weight.

- Eating dinner out while trying to save money.

 For me the accumulated stuff is actually stuff (where does it all come from!?) but I'm guilty of some of those other things as well. This is the time to let these things go and do what is best for us.

- Those shoes that are sitting in the closet that give blisters, but are just so cute - let them go.

- The stack of magazines that are never going to be read - let them go.

- The stack of hats that don't fit-are an awful color-are hated and never worn but must be sorted through to find the one loved hat- you know what I'm going to say...

and I know you're signing the song..."Let it go..." If you've seen the movie, Frozen, you can't help but sing it. It's catchy. So use that. Whatever it is that is just sitting around your house that isn't being used, collecting dust and erst-while taking up space and does not hold value to you...get rid of it; Give it to charity, or a friend or relative if you think they would want it. When you clear space and simplify you'll feel so much more organized because you will actually BE more organized. If you need to start small, just take one room and organize it, getting rid of the things that "junk" up the space. It's so freeing to carry less things around with us whether that is physically or metaphorically. I wonder what would happen if we all gave simplicity a try? What if we only had the things we really needed? We would have less to clean up, less to dust, less to worry about, less to move. It sounds wonderful and daunting all at the same time. So this winter I will be purging and simplifying. Will there be things I can't part with, yes. Will the snowglobe be one of those things, we'll see. What I do know is that I will be making space in my life and uncluttering both my habits and my house.

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Rocking out with my socks out

  I have a new love. (Don't tell my husband. Actually, he knows.) It's knitting socks. There's just something exciting about starting to knit a toe or a heel and watching it take shape in your hands!

This is me at the heel stage...wheeeeee

It could just be me but socks are awesome fun. Right now I'm working on making up a pattern of my own which I'll post after I finish testing it. Socks are also a great project for something to bring with you as you wait. I drive the family around so I'm always waiting for somebody to finish up practice or an appointment. My thought is, why not do something productive while I'm sitting there doing nothing. Then it makes it fun! I've tried making socks before and ripped them out. I've bought books on how to make them and printed out tons of patterns. Usually the patterns were using dpn's (double pointed needles) and I got really frustrated because of slipped stitches. As I was working one side of the needle, the stitches would fall off the back. I have holders but it's kind of a pain to keep moving the holder around and around. I went to my local knitting shop and took a class on making socks. Since I'd had some failures in the past I was kind of determined to figure it out. In the class the teacher showed us how to use the magic loop method which looks strange but works really well. (knock on wood) I haven't had any slipped stitches yet. In this method you use one needle with a 40 inch cable while knitting in the round. We also used Judy's magic Cast on which is also pretty simple once you figure it out. The only downside that I found to this cast on is that you need to go back and tighten your stitches after you get into the increases. (If you have a suggestion on that, I'd love to hear it!) Are they the perfect socks you ask? Well, no, but I was determined to make a pair of socks and I did. Now I'm on to the next pair and I can get better with time. I'm totally addicted to sock knitting! It's a new year and I'm already addicted to something new. I'm okay with it. There's certainly worse things to be addicted to.

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The rabbits have all gone

We made the decision to sell the rabbits. This was a long thought-out and hard decision for me because, well, I love them. They were so fluffy and some of them loved to be groomed and cared for and they would look at me with their little noses doing the cute rabbit nose thing.

I flip-flopped on selling them for about a year. I would post an ad and hope that no one would call. Yes, they were lovable and part of my heart but they were more than I could keep up with. So much grooming; brushing their hair to keep them from matting, cutting it when it was time to harvest their wool, even when I was keeping up with their care there were places that would mat. Then there was the trimming of their nails, keeping their cages clean, and then there was the worry. I was constantly worrying that I wasn't giving them enough attention, not grooming them enough. I'd like to point out that I don't really groom myself . That came out wrong. I don't spend a lot of time grooming myself is what I wanted to say. So, I was always worrying about the rabbits. I was never doing enough for them and overall, failing. Recently a friend told me, sometimes in business you have to fail at something to learn and make better choices. The rabbits were a failure for us. We were certainly not making money. Losing money in fact and at the end of the day this is a business. Instead of the rabbits being employees they had become pets. Very high maintenance, expensive, pets. My grandpa Cooper would be proud of me for making a good business choice. Or maybe he would have thought I was crazy for getting the fluffy bunnies in the first place. Let's pretend it's the first choice. Let's just say I feel proud of myself for making a wise choice when the worry and care were taking away from other things I should have been doing. That's a long list but it starts with those kiddos of mine. I've found that hard choices are sometimes the best choices. We found them a nice home in Texas. They will live in an air conditioned barn and have playmates and be very well cared for. Yes, I will miss those fluffy tribles but when I weigh it out, there are more things that I won't miss about them.  

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3 small steps to a happy new year

I have a new years eve confession. I might be an overly-motivated person. If you've read any of my other posts you'll know, I like to get things done! I will say though, I have given up on many things in my life; like the playing the Cello and participating in roller skating competitions. We aren't going to be good at everything we try. But if we never try we'll never have that experience of knowing. Success is in the details. I've found that you have to dream big and then have a plan to get you there. Since we're headed into the new year, let's be motivated together! My new year's resolutions are usually a small theme or mantra. They tend to be less of a resolution and more of a thought: be more healthy, read more, buy a farm somewhere....you get the idea. This year I seem to be extraordinarily organized because I seem to have a whole plan, goals, workout plans, meal and spending plans as well as goals for the farm. 2015 is looking good! If you're feeling like you want to make something happen this year, I want to help you get there. Here are a few things to think about when setting those resolutions. 1.) Who has the map? Let's write some things down and make some goals. This is your road map to where you want to go. They don't have to be overly creative and they should definitely be positive (don't use the word "don't or won't) and they should also be  SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely). Take some time (by yourself) and write them down. Then (this is important),  put them in a place you can see every day (like your bathroom mirror or next to your toothbrush). Some areas that you could write goals in: Financial, Spiritual, Physical, Family, Personal, Business. Here's a site that has some information about writing goals. http://topachievement.com/smart.html 2.) How hard is this? Making new habits is a little hard. If you start small you can change your habits. Start with one thing and don't overwhelm yourself. Here is a site that talks about changing your habits. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/9-daily-habits-that-will-change-your-life.html Stretch yourself. 3.) You so crazy? Sometimes we are our own worst critic. Do you have negative self talk? I know I do sometimes. Who is that in that picture. Can we just delete that?! Your pictures aside, it's the way you think of yourself that should change. You need to be kind to yourself and when you start in with the, "I need to,or I shouldn't have" just stop and go back to your plan that you have written out. That is how you will get there, not beating up on yourself. Good in, good out. Fill yourself up with good thoughts and they will just become natural. Here's a little more on positive self talk. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950 A little trick I have when I'm feeling down. I read positive quotes until all that gloom goes away. I find I need to fill myself up with as much good as I can get once in a while. Are you filling yourself up with good? I told you I wanted to help you achieve your goals so here are some ideas for the top new years resolutions with some motivation thrown in to get you started! Go get em! -Getting fit- Print out workouts from Pinterest and schedule a time to do them. I also love the PiYo workouts! (Did I mention I love PiYo) They use body weight exercises and not high impact. There is always the gym option as well. Joining a gym can be a great way to motivate you to work out. You have the place to go and you're spending money on it which might motivate you for a while. I suggest though, if you do join a gym it really helps to have a workout buddy for accountability. Then you can complain together.

"Don't wait for the right moment, take the moment and make it perfect."

-Eating right- Make yourself a weekly meal plan. Then go to the grocery store and buy just what you need. Don't buy the bad stuff. If it's not in the house you won't be snacking on it. (Also, it helps to eat before you go to the grocery store.) You'll be surprised  at how much money you save this way!

"Winners are not people who never fail, they just never quit."

-Saving money-This is a big topic but it's one of the top new year resolutions that people have. If this is your goal, check out this great money saving site, http://lowspendlife.talithomason.com/ There are loads of great ideas there. Just ask The Google. Good luck!

"The struggle you're in today, becomes the strength you need tomorrow." 

-Volunteering- Yes! Do it. It feels so great to help others. And there are so many places that need your help. Here is a great site that matches you up with volunteer opportunities that are close to you . http://www.volunteermatch.org/

"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf."

-Quiting smoking-I'm not going to lie, this is hard. BUT you can do this. (I'm a reformed smoker so I know first hand). Talk to your doctor, get the patch, go cold turkey , whatever your method, just remember to keep at it. You may mess up, but just try again. It will get easier. Use diversion tactics-go for a run, do jumping jacks. Cravings pass, try to think of something else. (A tip from someone who knows; after a few days of not smoking, that cigarette you have to have and  you can't live without... just know that cigarette is going to be so gross. Your taste buds will want to die. Also, it's killing you and you want to see things in the future, like graduations, crazy family picnics, piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.)

-Getting an education-Sign up for a class, take baby steps toward your degree. Maybe it's only one class on a Wednesday night. If you're looking to just get out and learn something new, let me suggest a sock knitting class. I think everyone should knit and socks are so practical. Whatever you decide, take those small steps to get to your larger goal. You will learn so much about yourself along the way.

 "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great!" - Zig Ziglar

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Winterizing the bees

Winter is here! Like, today is officially the first day of winter. I guess that means I'm on vacation from farming. Let me just put my feet up...oh wait. We're still taking care of the animals but I can put my feet up from gardening, I'm not growing anything this winter. The one thing I really needed to get done was winterizing the bees. They are comfy and snug in their little box home under a large pine tree. I wrapped them up a few weeks ago but I'm just getting to posting this for your entertainment. December is a bit crazy in our house. Really, it's probably crazy for everyone but we have a birthday thrown in for good measure. So, it gives us even more to celebrate! When I was putting the insulation around the hive the temperature was at 60 but the wind was blowing me all over the place, as well as the dark clouds just north of here, signaling snow was coming. I had this huge piece of hard insulation that I was walking around with at the store. Some kind souls took pity on me as I carried that thing out of Home Depot. It was like carrying around a big sail and I was kind of flying around the parking lot. They helped me get it into the car instead of winding up in OZ. I did not have on my red sparkly shoes that day.  

Not the most glamorous insulation job, but, hey, it works.

After I sailed home with the insulation, I measured and cut pieces to go around the hive. Then I used duct tape to put them on and a little twine to keep it all in place. Cool fact about bees: one of the reasons they survive through the winter is because they don't go out when it's under a certain temperature. If they do, they are sluggish and they will die. I've heard that when Africanized bees or the killer bees come here, they die during the cold winter because they don't have the natural instinct to stay in when it's under 50. Bees are so cool. These bees had a little trouble getting established. I actually think the queen died because we couldn't find any brood. We eventually asked our neighbor if we could get a few frames of brood from him. It's awesome to have other beekeepers just over the fence. I still have so many questions. But the extra frames helped and it seems they turned one of those brood into a queen because they seem to be doing great and I wanted to keep it that way, so that's why I was rushing around trying to get them set up for the winter. Well, they almost got forgotten but just before the first snow I got them bundled up in insulation. We didn't take any honey from them this year. If they get stronger as a hive I may take some next year, we'll see how they do. I'll still feed them as we get further into the winter but since I didn't take any honey from them, I think they have enough for now. I'm hopeful there will be another warmish day so I can put some fondant or bee candy  in the hive for them. Until then at least I know they are healthy, they have food, and warmth and a safe place to stay for the winter.

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What's in a name?

I had someone recently ask me why we chose the name Never Summer Farm. I guess the name is easier to understand if you live in Colorado since there is a mountain called Never Summer Mountain. The Indians said that it was never not summer there. Instead of using a double negative, they just called it Never Summer Mountain. - Hey Janine, that's great, but you still didn't answer the question.- It also goes back to why I moved to Colorado. I was about 13 and my family came to Colorado for a short trip. I stepped off the plane and looked at the beautiful Rocky Mountains standing in the distance and was just amazed. I turned and said to my mom, "I'm going to live here." She didn't believe that I would actually move to Colorado after graduating from college, but here I am, a happy little homesteader who is able to look at those amazing views every day. Bliss! To me this place has all I could ever want, plus all the outdoor fun. (The only thing that's missing is my family and I'm still working on them.) I love the mountains and so it seemed fitting to name our small farm after them. Never Summer and wool, I don't know, it kind of just worked.      

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Thankfulness

  Okay, I give. I guess I have to get into the spirit of the season. I've been grumbling about the Christmas music in the stores and that we almost skipped over Halloween to get to Christmas. It's like the stores are like, why don't you just give me your wallet now. It drives me crazy. But...I'm trying not to dwell on that. I'm trying to be happy and thankful and stuff and things. In the light of the season-of thankfulness,  I just wanted to take a moment and think about what I'm thankful for. Life seems move at it's own speed and I'm just trying to keep up most days. Needless to say, being thankful sometimes gets shelved. What are you thankful for? Here's a list off the top of my head and all jumbled together. I am thankful for: My husband, my sweet girls, my crazy family, all my sisters and my wonderful in-law family, friends, neighbors, that I've known lots of love in my lifetime, the house I live in, for the fact that I've never really felt hunger and that my pantry is full to bursting, my husbands job, all the folks reading my blog, all cute animals but especially, sheep, rabbits, dogs and cats, wool, knowing how to knit/crochet/spin/weave/sew, being educated, good books, that I can walk/run/be physically active, living in America and the freedom that comes with that, that I'm a woman, and that I was able to have children and breast feed them and also to be able to keep them, for my health and the health of my kids and family, warm hugs, snuggles, karma gifts, and gifts in general both receiving and giving, hikes in the mountains, snowboarding, walking or just sitting on the beach, self expression-like tattoos and being able to cut/dye my hair how ever I want, for my garden and being able to grow my own food, flowers and herbs, to live in Colorado, for the stores that sell the things I make, season changes, nature, earth, coffee, friendly people when I'm embarrassed or I've messed up, waking up to snow on my birthday.... I know I'm forgetting things. Maybe I'll keep adding as I go. Happy Thanksgiving!  

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Cold weather energy saving tips

Holy winter Batman! I don't know where you live, but here in Colorado winter came in a smacked us in the face! My temperature reads 11 right now and yet it was 70 degrees just 2 days ago. Yes, Colorado has crazy weather, but as much as I seem to be complaining right now, I love it here! In tribute to this onset of the cold weather, I thought I'd post some tips on how to save energy.  (# 9 blows my mind.) Your winter energy consumption is about to get smacked back.

Turn those faucets off - A hot water faucet that leaks one drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month. That’s more water than the average person uses in two weeks!

Close the door - Every time you open the refrigerator door, up to 30%of the cold air can escape.

Lighting - U.S. energy consumption could be cut by 11% by 2020 through simple building efficiency measures such as more efficient lighting, water heating, and appliances.

Bulbs - If every U.S. home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR® efficient light bulb, the amount of energy saved could light more than 3 million homes for a year and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions of about 800,000 cars.

Electricity - 20% of your energy consumption is in lighting. Turn off the lights when you're not in the room.The average home in the U.S. uses about 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity per month – or the equivalent to: 79 gallons of gas, 18 trees or 29 barbecue grill propane cylinders.

Microwaves aren't all bad - The most efficient appliance in your kitchen in your microwave, which uses just 1/3 of the wattage of most ovens.

CFL -A compact fluorescent bulb (CFL) used 75% less energy than a traditional incandescent bulb.

Kill your television - The television sets in the U.S. collectively draw the power equivalent of a Chernobyl-sized nuclear plant when they are turned OFF! They use this power for their instant-on capacity, so we don’t have to wait a minute or two for our screens to warm up. Also called energy vampires. Any device that is on when you aren't using it is consuming energy. In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. The average desktop computer idles at 80 watts, while the average laptop idles at 20 watts. A Sony PlayStation 3 uses about 200 watts and nearly as much when idle. Idle power consumes more electricity than all the solar panels in America combined.

Just a few degrees - Set your thermostat to 68-70 degrees during the day in the winter, and 65-68 degrees at night. This will keep your home comfortable and save on heating costs.

Bad little heater -Limit your use of portable heaters. Running a 1,500-watt heater can get expensive.

Change the filters.

Vents  Don't block your vents with furniture or drapes.

Passive solar - Open your blinds during the day and close them a night to let the sun help heat your home.

Freezer - Keep your freezer full. It takes more energy to keep your freezer at the same temperature if it's not full.

Dryer - Dry several loads one after the other. Then the dryer doesn't completely cool down.

Set all your appliances on the energy saver mode.

Oven - Try to keep the door closed on the oven as much as possible. Each time you open the door the temperature can drop 25 degrees.

Copper pot - Use copper bottom pots and pans. They use heat more efficiently.

Match pot size to the burner. Heat is lost when a small pot is used on a large burner.

Use cold water to wash your clothes. You'll save 40 cents per load!

Insulate your water heater tank and the pipes leading up to it. It won't have to work as hard to heat up.

Install low-flow faucets

Limit your time in the shower. How fast can you take a shower? Go!

Reseal your door with weather striping.

Insulate your attic - Your home will stay cooler in the summer and keep in your warmth in the winter.

Electrical sockets - Shocking but the electric plugs in the wall is where you can lose a lot of warmth. Use baby-proof plugs or a little more invasive, install pre-cut gaskets that fit behind the socket.

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El dia de los muertos

This weekend is Halloween. These days I don't get as excited as I used to for this holiday. Mostly because I try not to eat the candy and trick-or-treating when you're 5'4 is awkward. It is fun to get the kids dressed up and watch them eat a pillowcase full of candy, though. They seem to enjoy it anyway. What I do celebrate around this time of year is el Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the dead. My dad's birthday would be on November 1 or All Saints Day which is the first day of the celebration. So, that's when I remember him and the other people that I've lost through the years. Sugar skulls, papel picado, pan de muerto, and celebrations are all part of this holiday. On the years that we haven't thrown a party we try to at least have an ofrenda. Here is a little background on what that means. http://www.inside-mexico.com/ofrenda.htm. I don't think I'm going to make sugar skulls for the kids to decorate. The little one ate the whole thing last year. A fist sized lump of pure sugar. Good times. It might be a little odd that girl with Irish/English ancestry celebrates this holiday but I don't care. I learned about this holiday in college when I took a Latin studies class. I've been celebrating ever since. I really like that it takes a culturally taboo subject like death and makes it more accessible. Instead of making it a sad day, it becomes a day to celebrate those people who've died; their lives, details about them, and how they lived. It gives us a moment to remember the good and the bad and talk about these things with our kids. Since death is so much a part of life - and an experience each of us will face - I like to keep it an open subject. Death sucks, but we shouldn't hide from it. This year the day of the dead is coming a little too fast and I feel unprepared. Just thinking about preparing for it is overwhelming me. The pan de muerto takes 2 days to make. On the upside, I did notice a Panaderia that just popped up in Longmont so I might head over there and see if they have any. I'm not sure I'll have time with all the other things going on. Well, unless the people we're celebrating can help me fold the laundry. That would be creepy - but I'd still do a little dance.