Happy Memorial Weekend!

Dear Friends,

A merry Friday to you, and a happy Memorial Day weekend! We hope that you will be able to spend some time in reverent meditation, remembering those dear to you who have passed away, as well as those who gave their lives for the cause of freedom.

We are so excited to see a bit of sunshine right now! We have had rain and clouds so much that we wonder if we were not transported unawares to Mordor ;) . But we know that the moisture is desperately needed in this desert land, so we are grateful for all that we can get.

We are preparing as much as possible for the birth of our new little one (Who, Lord willing, will be born peacefully at home.), with one of the sweetest chores being hanging out the little blankets and tiny clothes that will soon be required (When they finally dry, they should be REALLY fresh :) ). Having a baby is one of those things that never quite seems real, until it really, truly happens, but hanging out the baby things and readying the bureau help make it more tangible.

Mr. Graham has been helping us make our own plant presses and herbariums, using the instructions on this video


and this blog. We finally will not have to hunt through all our heavy books in search of a snippet of greenery that we stuck in!

~Plant press a la "Shabby Chic"

We also have been studying flower parts and types of flowers, which I think has been more educational for me as the teacher. Do any of you know of a children's book that you would recommend to help make learning the plant parts more easy?

~AnnaMarie's "flower cluster types"

We have been trying to learn each new flower that we see on our visits to nature, as well as the mushrooms that will be sprouting up everywhere after all this rain.

~Mystery mushrooms

And, in wild eating news :) , We were tickled to be able to buy these two books to give us new information and ideas for thriving off the land, no matter what situation arrives. I would highly recommend both of these books, "The Forager's Harvest" by Samuel Thayer, and "The Essential Wild Food Survival Guide" by Linda Runyon. So far, we were surprised to learn that Siberian Elm seeds, both immature and mature, make tasty food, and that you can grind up dried lamb's quarters, clover leaves, and even grass to use mixed with flour for baked goods. There's no reason why anyone should starve when things are rough! But the time to learn and become accustomed to these foods, even just a little, is now when we have the luxury of exploring and experimenting, NOT in an emergency situation.

Oh yes, and the robins are finally FLEDGLINGS! Can you believe how fast they've grown? Here they are at eight days old~

And here is a little English sparrow we named "Jack", who really isn't dead, just hypnotized. We rescued him from going into the highway a few days ago, and (AnnaMarie) fed him on watermelon and sunflower seeds until he was big enough to fly back into his tree. Springtime is full and overflowing of new life of all kinds! Even though it may be cloudy and rainy (and snowy and windy), we count our blessings to be alive this time of year, and to explore the beauties and wonders all around us.

Blessings and love to you,

Marqueta

******************

"The naked earth is warm with Spring,
And with green grass and bursting trees
Leans to the sun's kiss glorying,
And quivers in the sunny breeze."

~Julian Grenfell

p.s. We've just posted an article by my father about, of all things, eating weeds! My mother was always embarrassed by his "weed patch" :) .