7.26.2007
New Life
I’ve been meaning to post other things for a while too, and today, a little surprise gave me the motivation.
One of our hens has been camping out under the hen house for several weeks. We were about to give up on her, when she emerged today with two baby chicks! John is trying to catch them so we can feed them and keep them under a heat lamp for a few weeks.
Also, John noticed this lily in the woods by the house. Whenever I have a bouquet of flowers, I usually throw them in the woods when they die. It seems this one seeded and grew back!
6.04.2007
Baby
I know Laura will post more pictures later, but let me be the first. This is our little girl!
John
5.09.2007
Painting
I'm trying to stay productive so I don't got crazy while I sit around and wait for the baby to come. So the last few days I've been painting a bit. I put the watercolors away awhile ago and I can't quite remember why. But I've been really enjoying them lately - they are easy to do in the living room floor, and they help me be patient because of all the layering. Anyway, here's what I've been doing:
I wanted to do a painting for the baby, something we could point at and say, "duck. Duck." So that's where the first no good still life came from.
After the first one, I remembered how much I like painting objects on our coffee table (it has a nice glass top, so you get great shadows and reflections), so I set this one up next. I love this little fitonia plant we got earlier this year because it droops so noticeably when it needs water, and then perks right up after you water it. The little bird in the plant is a hollow ceramic thing with a porous cone on the bottom that slowly waters the plant for you (do these things have a name?). John got it for my birthday because I just love old ceramic things.
I wanted to do a painting for the baby, something we could point at and say, "duck. Duck." So that's where the first no good still life came from.
After the first one, I remembered how much I like painting objects on our coffee table (it has a nice glass top, so you get great shadows and reflections), so I set this one up next. I love this little fitonia plant we got earlier this year because it droops so noticeably when it needs water, and then perks right up after you water it. The little bird in the plant is a hollow ceramic thing with a porous cone on the bottom that slowly waters the plant for you (do these things have a name?). John got it for my birthday because I just love old ceramic things.
Hummingbirds
This is another post my family should appreciate. I have two hummingbird feeders at my house. The hummingbirds are coming to our house in droves. I brought one in to refill the other day, and the one remaining one was bombarded with birds. I think the most we saw at one time was seven. I tried so hard to catch a bunch of them at the feeder at once, and this is my best shot. There are five (four sitting on the feeder and one hovering a little to the right). I was thinking I should set up my tripod and try to get a nice shot like Uncle Richard did at Granny's house. The other thing about the hummingbirds that seems strange to me is that they don't seem to be afraid of us. They buzz right past us when we're outside and they aren't scared off easily. Is that normal?
4.16.2007
Cloth Diapering
Tara and I were talking about cloth diapering this weekend, and she had heard that cloth and disposables end up evening out in terms of both cost and environmental affects. This is also what I found in an unbiased article called The Diaper Decision from Ohio State University (worth the read). Most of the cloth diapering websites have articles that debate the issue; however, they are usually fairly one-sided and don't used the same quality of resources that the OSU article did. (See for example, The Diaper Drama by Heather Sanders.) I really appreciated the OSU article, but it did not address all the various aspects of the issue as thoroughly as I would have liked.
Having to choose between the lesser of two evils has never set well with me. So, I thought I would briefly share why I think cloth diapering is best for my circumstances, in other words:
What I'm Doing in Addition to Cloth Diapering to Tip the Scales
The Environment
Disposables cause pollution in manufacturing and are adding to the problem of overfilled landfills. There is also the possibility of the human waste leaking into the ground and polluting the water supply (humorously, it is actually illegal to dispose of human waste in the trash, but I don't know anyone who has ever done anything else with the poop in the baby's diaper). Cloth diapers use more energy to wash and put more phosphates in our water supply by the use of detergents.
This feels like an easy one for me because I have been using phosphate free laundry soap for the last year. I am not using the soap I make at home because I think I read somewhere that the washing soda can irritate baby's skin (I forget where), but Dreft is also phosphate free. In addition, I try to hang out my clothes to dry (at least in the summer), and this is helpful for cloth diapers anyway because the sun bleaches out stains.
Money
This is a big one for me. I won't attempt to tell you how much money both options cost, but I will point out that the two articles came up with very different costs for both, and they are both outdated. Since diapers and wipes are the only expense for disposables, that seems pretty important, but I really don't know.
When factoring cost for the cloth diapers, on the other hand, you have to consider the water and electric bill, the cost of laundry soap, the wear and tear on your washer and drying, and the initial investment of the diapers.
I feel like I have an advantage here. First, we live on a well so we have no water bill. We hang clothes out to dry at least 50% of the time, and that helps with the electric bill. Dreft is more expensive soap, but I save money on our regular soap, so that kind of evens out. We rent, so we never paid for our appliances in the first place. And finally, I have saved money on the cloth diapers by making them myself, using "repurposed" flannel, and getting hand-me-downs from a friend. Right now I have about all the diapers, covers, and cloth wipes I need in the newborn and small sizes for no more than $100. And of course, the savings increase if I reuse these with subsequent children.
Other
You can find lots of other benefits on the cloth diapering websites. Most of which I just don't know enough about now.
The Diaper Drama claims health risks with disposables due to chemicals in the diapers that are linked to toxic shock syndrome in tampons, carcinogens, and sterility in boys. This was not addressed at all in the OSU article, and I haven't investigated the validity of these claims.
Other sites argue that cloth diapering makes potty training easier later on because babies are allowed to experience the wetness whereas disposably-diapered babies never experience the cause and effct. Again, I don't know if this is true.
Most people immediately think that the inconvenience would be too much, though most websites say you are supposed to change disposables every time a child wets, just like cloth, it's just that most people don't. Also, my friend Julie says the laundering really isn't a big deal once you develop a system. I'll have to weigh in on this later.
Having to choose between the lesser of two evils has never set well with me. So, I thought I would briefly share why I think cloth diapering is best for my circumstances, in other words:
What I'm Doing in Addition to Cloth Diapering to Tip the Scales
The Environment
Disposables cause pollution in manufacturing and are adding to the problem of overfilled landfills. There is also the possibility of the human waste leaking into the ground and polluting the water supply (humorously, it is actually illegal to dispose of human waste in the trash, but I don't know anyone who has ever done anything else with the poop in the baby's diaper). Cloth diapers use more energy to wash and put more phosphates in our water supply by the use of detergents.
This feels like an easy one for me because I have been using phosphate free laundry soap for the last year. I am not using the soap I make at home because I think I read somewhere that the washing soda can irritate baby's skin (I forget where), but Dreft is also phosphate free. In addition, I try to hang out my clothes to dry (at least in the summer), and this is helpful for cloth diapers anyway because the sun bleaches out stains.
Money
This is a big one for me. I won't attempt to tell you how much money both options cost, but I will point out that the two articles came up with very different costs for both, and they are both outdated. Since diapers and wipes are the only expense for disposables, that seems pretty important, but I really don't know.
When factoring cost for the cloth diapers, on the other hand, you have to consider the water and electric bill, the cost of laundry soap, the wear and tear on your washer and drying, and the initial investment of the diapers.
I feel like I have an advantage here. First, we live on a well so we have no water bill. We hang clothes out to dry at least 50% of the time, and that helps with the electric bill. Dreft is more expensive soap, but I save money on our regular soap, so that kind of evens out. We rent, so we never paid for our appliances in the first place. And finally, I have saved money on the cloth diapers by making them myself, using "repurposed" flannel, and getting hand-me-downs from a friend. Right now I have about all the diapers, covers, and cloth wipes I need in the newborn and small sizes for no more than $100. And of course, the savings increase if I reuse these with subsequent children.
Other
You can find lots of other benefits on the cloth diapering websites. Most of which I just don't know enough about now.
The Diaper Drama claims health risks with disposables due to chemicals in the diapers that are linked to toxic shock syndrome in tampons, carcinogens, and sterility in boys. This was not addressed at all in the OSU article, and I haven't investigated the validity of these claims.
Other sites argue that cloth diapering makes potty training easier later on because babies are allowed to experience the wetness whereas disposably-diapered babies never experience the cause and effct. Again, I don't know if this is true.
Most people immediately think that the inconvenience would be too much, though most websites say you are supposed to change disposables every time a child wets, just like cloth, it's just that most people don't. Also, my friend Julie says the laundering really isn't a big deal once you develop a system. I'll have to weigh in on this later.
4.06.2007
I'm still here
I've been meaning to post some pictures, I just haven't gotten around to it. But I expect I will have many pictures to post in the future, since I got Kate's old camera when she got a cool new one for her birthday. Happy Kate's Birthday to me!
I'll try to post soon.
I'll try to post soon.
3.26.2007
Chicks...
Well, the great chick adventure has taken a disappointing turn. On Friday, we were ready to move the chicks outside, and boy was I glad. John set up a temporary coop for them to stay in for a little while - they need to be bigger before they can move in with the older chickens. The weather outside was gorgeous and they now had room to move about and fly a little. We were all very excited.
But, unfortunately, tragedy struck on their first night out. I guess the temporary coop was a little too temporary, and we were perhaps too optimistic about their survival. Some animal was able to break into the coop and caused a little bit of a ruckus. When John went to check on them in the morning, four of the five chicks were just gone. The remaining chick, who we call Top Hat (she's of the "top hat" variety - weren't we clever with the name?) was outside the coop, hunkered down nearby. She's the one you see in the last picture with the funny feathers on her head. We couldn't find the others, but we didn't find any remains either - so maybe another one or two will come wandering back. I'm sure they'll come along any minute, along with Franny... we're holding our breath.
But, unfortunately, tragedy struck on their first night out. I guess the temporary coop was a little too temporary, and we were perhaps too optimistic about their survival. Some animal was able to break into the coop and caused a little bit of a ruckus. When John went to check on them in the morning, four of the five chicks were just gone. The remaining chick, who we call Top Hat (she's of the "top hat" variety - weren't we clever with the name?) was outside the coop, hunkered down nearby. She's the one you see in the last picture with the funny feathers on her head. We couldn't find the others, but we didn't find any remains either - so maybe another one or two will come wandering back. I'm sure they'll come along any minute, along with Franny... we're holding our breath.
2.23.2007
Painting!
I meant to post last week that I had been painting. I did some still lifes and was feeling good about the act of painting, but the paintings themselves weren't anything special. Then this week, I started painting some more still lifes and I feel like I've finally done something I'm happy with:
Last fall, you may remember, I did a painting of our living room, and then began one of the kitchen. But then I got sick and quit painting and by the time I felt like painting again the plants and pots in the kitchen had all been rearranged and the leaves had fallen off the trees... so it seemed like a hassle to go back to it. This week, when I was getting ready to do a new still life, I noticed most of what was unfinished in the kitchen (or at least unbegun) was the bottom, and it made the perfect backdrop for a still life - and voila! The still life with interior you see here was born. It is kind of neat because when I started it, it was so nice outside and the daffodils were blooming out the window (though they weren't in the painting), and now the trees are still bare, but we just brought in a few early daffodils to save from the frost - so it kind of came full circle. Now I'm really excited about it so don't say anything mean.
I was so excited about this improvement of my boring still lifes, that I decided to go back and put an interior behind one of the still lifes I did last week. That's how this second one came about in the reverse this time (sorry about the glare). The first one definitely has more light and interest than this one, but I think it's a definite improvement from where it was (it just had a yellow wall with shadows behind it before). I also like some of the elements in the interior like the paintings within the painting. The one you only see part of through the doorway is one of Polly Jone's paintings - which I like because she's been a big influence on me since I graduated - and you can probably see that in these paintings.
And also, for any of you who haven't been to our home, in these two paintings you pretty much see it all. Kitchen, living room, bedroom. Maybe you should watch for a painting of the bathroom soon.
I've started a couple more, maybe I'll post them in coming weeks.
Last fall, you may remember, I did a painting of our living room, and then began one of the kitchen. But then I got sick and quit painting and by the time I felt like painting again the plants and pots in the kitchen had all been rearranged and the leaves had fallen off the trees... so it seemed like a hassle to go back to it. This week, when I was getting ready to do a new still life, I noticed most of what was unfinished in the kitchen (or at least unbegun) was the bottom, and it made the perfect backdrop for a still life - and voila! The still life with interior you see here was born. It is kind of neat because when I started it, it was so nice outside and the daffodils were blooming out the window (though they weren't in the painting), and now the trees are still bare, but we just brought in a few early daffodils to save from the frost - so it kind of came full circle. Now I'm really excited about it so don't say anything mean.
I was so excited about this improvement of my boring still lifes, that I decided to go back and put an interior behind one of the still lifes I did last week. That's how this second one came about in the reverse this time (sorry about the glare). The first one definitely has more light and interest than this one, but I think it's a definite improvement from where it was (it just had a yellow wall with shadows behind it before). I also like some of the elements in the interior like the paintings within the painting. The one you only see part of through the doorway is one of Polly Jone's paintings - which I like because she's been a big influence on me since I graduated - and you can probably see that in these paintings.
And also, for any of you who haven't been to our home, in these two paintings you pretty much see it all. Kitchen, living room, bedroom. Maybe you should watch for a painting of the bathroom soon.
I've started a couple more, maybe I'll post them in coming weeks.
12.13.2006
Icon Workshop
I attended an icon workshop this weekend and had the best time. I have always been interested in early christian art, and recently I started to learn about icons. We covered Byzantine icons in my Medieval Art class this semester, and I found both the imagery and the theology surround the Christian icons very interesting.
The Eastern churches today follow the same traditions and rules for icon writing as they did during the early Christian and Byzantine periods. So the class was very traditional, and as you can see, all the students icons look very much the same (we all copied the same 13th century icon of the Mother of God).
In addition, I got to learn about egg tempera, which is surprisingly a lot like watercolor, and I had my first successful attempt at gilding. It was very neat.
The Eastern churches today follow the same traditions and rules for icon writing as they did during the early Christian and Byzantine periods. So the class was very traditional, and as you can see, all the students icons look very much the same (we all copied the same 13th century icon of the Mother of God).
In addition, I got to learn about egg tempera, which is surprisingly a lot like watercolor, and I had my first successful attempt at gilding. It was very neat.
12.06.2006
pictureless
John was supposed to post a cool picture of our christmas tree, which we put up last sunday. And i was going to talk about the new ornament i made, by jamming pieces of our 3 year old popcorn strand into an empty glass ball. I thought it would make a nice sentimental ornament when the popcorn strand has fallen apart.
But alas, I have no pictures. John is hanging on to them. Taunting me.
But alas, I have no pictures. John is hanging on to them. Taunting me.
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