A closeup of the end of December into January

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Originally uploaded by Mr&MrsLewis.

This calendar goes by the Equinoxes and Solstices...so it started on December 22.

Winter Calendar and Nature Table

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Originally uploaded by Mr&MrsLewis.

I have desired to set up a nature table for some time. It's on my long list of things I would like to do and that list is sitting right at the back of my brain just waiting to pop up at a moments notice.

Today it popped up when I remembered we got The Ecological Calendar for Christmas from my SIL and BIL.

I'm a creationist, so I'm not too happy about the Big Bang mentioned at the very top of the middle of the Calendar. I think it could be easily covered up or filled in with a dark blue pen. I just tend to live that stuff out in the open, so we have an opportunity to talk about everyone's theories.

Library Thing

I just found Library thing and it's sweet. I love, love, love, it. I'm sure like Flickr I will get so into it that I will have to pay the extra to upgrade my account. I just added the link to the right column of the page.

Enjoy

Winter books

Well, we are back. I've been on Wordpress, but they don't allow you to put Amazon links in there. I really like the Amazon links...not because I want you to purchase books at Amazon...but I like the pictures and reviews about the books. I love books so much and it's nice to see all their pictures. Some books are so good that I can spot them anywhere.

Here are three sweet little books that go along perfectly with Winter! I really like finding good Winter books. We celebrate Christmas, but I often find a lot of Christmas books are just the same ole thing and some are just downright cheezy. I've been really working on trying to enjoy each season more since we move up here. We got snow twice this year...amazing. But, I don't want to develop SAD and I found this year by enjoying the season it really did help me a lot. I wasn't afraid to get wet or in the snow this Fall and Winter. I pretended I was a little kid who isn't bothered by anything when they want to play. I splashed in puddles in the parking lot with my toddler and I wasn't one bit embarassed with wet pants when I walked through the grocery store. I do think next year I'm going to get some golasshes though. I have some cool slip on shoes, but they aren't the same.



I love the illustrations in this book. Perfect for all you nature lovers.





Well, there is no picture for this one. But, it is beautiful black, white and red illustrations! Just lovely. There is another book with the same title, but I'm not sure if it's good. I know the other one has lots of colored illustrations. I love books with black and white illustrations.

Gardens can change the World (clickable link)

Once you get to the permaculture site you can scroll down on the right hand side. Click on the picture that says Greening the Desert.

I've been working on a research paper that was fueled by the book...The Last Child in the Woods. It's amazing how once you start something you love then all the things you have never noticed before start moving into place.

Since, it's winter I'm working on getting my garden going for next year. I really want a living garden that goes all year long. A yard the just keeps on giving. I know I live in Washington State, but it would be nice if eventually I could be growing more cold weather crops. I do have my grandmother's greenhouse and we have yet to set it up because we could never decide on a good place for it in the yard. I think I'm going to let my dh win. I think he picked out a nice spot. I plan to put it up in January or maybe February this year. I'll have to talk to my Dad about what I need to do for electricity and such. I would love to start my plants out there. I remember going in that greenhouse when I was young with my grandma. It's such a special memory I would love to be able to walk out there and play in it and think of her. We even saved the block that my mom and her brother's and sister's made when they bought it for my grandma. They have their handprints and names on them. So, I'm going to make some of my kids to put in there, too. (I'm all teary eyed now....)

Here's some links I added to my sidebar...

GardenWeb...great regional boards

Vegan Organic Network

Scut's Gardening Page

Plant a row for the Hungry

Stupid things the Potato Board says...

Oh yes...they really said this about the wonderful potato. You can read it for yourself. The list all the wonderful valuable things about eating a potato and then they dive into this beautiful and very likely highly paid for bit of information.

So think of a potato as a big vitamin pill you can top with butter, cheddar, chives, sour cream, bacon, black beans, cheesy chicken...

You can add those tasty toppings to your potato because it contains no fat or cholesterol and minimal sodium.

If you are reading this than you know I am a big supporter of a Plant Based Diet. Evan (the husband) and I were just talking about potassium. So, we thought we would google for foods that have more potassium than a banana because everyone moms says to eat bananas right.

Uhmmmmm.....if cholesterol is bad for you and the potato has none than does that really give you permission to add some to the top?

Preschool stuff

Escher is three years old now and won't be going to preschool yet. But, I thought I would start a post to share some of the stuff he will be doing or enjoys reading. He really, really loves board books. He goes straight for them at the library! So, a lot of the books he gets are board books. He loves to carry them around and I guess they are just easier for him to handle. The older two didn't care for them much, but Escher seems to have problems with keeping a hold on things.