bellevett

firsts and lasts.

 

 

so this week, we had a first sickness in our house.  i am sure it is the first of many to come.

but a baby who cant breathe scares me. and one that has a cough that sounds like a barking seal scares me even worse.

we spent a lot of time outside in the night air this week. and a lot of time in a bathroom with the hot shower on full blast, sucking up all of the steam.

we doused our life in eucalyptus. 

dare i say, we are feeling remarkably better today?

dare i say that i soaked in every sick memory that i could this week? trying to store it in my brain permanently so that i could remember the three of us laying in bed breathing in eucalyptus-  the three of us standing in the bathroom and after i simultaneously realized that not only were we wasting hot water but i was also in dire need of a shower (i will spare you how long it had been)- jumping in the shower, talking through the curtain, and discussing how the steam was most definitely ruining the millionth repair job we had done on the 70 year old walls, but totally worth it- listening to the sound of two plastic bath cups banging together for the first time since he started coughing- standing outside in the middle of the black night, confronting my fears of a definite boogie man who lives outside of my house when it is dark, and looking down at a runny eyed runny nose little babe while trying to wrangle all of the sick poop diapers for an extra soak and wash.

i am looking forward to remembering these events. 

i want to remember every first.....

 

and every last.

 

these guys above are some friends of the little guy.

i sewed them into the 2 pairs of shortalls that i made for crosby at the beginning of summer. 

i actually made the above plaid one twice, because the first time it *might* have fit a newborn or a premature baby.

he wore these to my best friends wedding.

i spent the two days prior to leaving for the wedding sewing these two.  in true fashion for a person that could win an award for successful procrastination.

they are super wrinkled.  they were washed and thrown in the drawer, and warn, and washed, and hung up, repeat.

i enjoyed putting these little outfits on him.  they were lightweight, and sturdy, and adorable.

 

and they no longer fit.

i remember the last time he wore these.

it was a mass for cody's grandmother- before the burial of the ashes.

words cannot describe to wonder and greatness of such a woman.

and just like that, a season is over. 

i hope that i can remember the sweet firsts and lasts of that season as clearly as i remember them right now.

 

pebbles

a large majority of our recent camping trips have been spent by crosby's side assisting him in his rock explorations. 

read: clearing his mouth of any and all pebbles and leaves.

(he does enjoy a good mouth full of tiny pebbles and sand, that is for sure. he is that age.)

knowing that it was going to be fairly chilly on our nc trip, i cast on henry's pebble vest.  It seemed a quick knit and i knew i was going to be able to finish it on the drive there or at least the first day.  i had also planned on crosby wearing his 6 hour cardigan and his little cotton cardigan that i had knit for him before he was born.  that however turned incredibly laughable when i tried them on him and the looked like 3 quarter length sleeve bolero's.  luckily i had a few fleece jackets in his closet and the almost finished pebble.

 

 

as i neared the end of this little pebble on our first day, and after a long day of cody and i taking turns making sure he didn't ingest an entire tree, we resigned to playing an incredibly intense card game of phase 10 in the tent.

 

the buttons ended up getting sewed on, and he has been wearing it every time i feel a chill in the air, or even just a small breeze, cause i love it that much.  

i might make a few more of these.  so adorable.

ravelry link.

 

the trip formerly known as beeryarnhikingfoodpalooza-part 2

the handknits.

i lived in handknits.  what is nicer than going on a camping trip and staying warm as a result of your own two hands.  really.

winner of most worn handknit:

the february lady sweater. 

any sweater that looks and fits equally well when pregnant, 5 days postpartum, and a back to normal body deserves an award.  this sweater is a true fav. 

 

2nd place:

 the rhubarb and custard sweater/vest. 

this is by far one of my favorite projects.  it was quick and easy.  super cute on.  snuggly warm. etc. etc.

i sewed up the sides a bit, making it a bit more fitted.  true love.

 

third place:

the unfinished levenwick.

i hastily sewed some buttons on this and threw it in my bag unblocked.  it is so warm and comfy that i knew i needed to bring it.  i just ordered some vintage glass buttons to go on this baby, and i will be extra extra pleased.  i am going to move the buttons over a bit to make it a bit more fitted and help the collar stand up a bit better. 

ravelry links:

february lady

first february lady

rhubarb and custard

levenwick

i obviously trust my handknits.  did you know that i most definitely did not bring a single jacket to wear?  i was supremely warm by way of my merino wool long sleeve undershirts, worn over my dress, and under a wool handknit.

 

 

the trip formerly known as beeryarnhikingfoodpalooza-part 1

this is the trip that is formerly referred to as beeryarnhikingfoodpalooza.

 

actually, all of those activities were achieved on our recent trip to our old digs:

went to favorite local sustainable brewery

went to favorite local yarn shop

went on several hikes

ate some delish food

but there was no palooza.  meaning, a little less of each of the above activities than the former.

we enjoyed a long weekend trip to our former homeland in north carolina.  as usual, we pondered and discussed why we had left there and when we could move back.  we camped in our favorite spot, we hiked along a familiar lake that we hope to spend many a summer on, we bought food at our most favorite local food store, we had familiar conversations- the kind you only have when you are road tripping and away from the constant stimulation that is homelife, and ate our most favorite foods.  we vowed, as always, to spend at least one more day in these spots than we did this year.  a goal that we have achieved each year.

last year, on this same trip, crosby was still in utero- enjoying the splishy splashy life of amniotic fluid and constant bouncing.  this year, he was enjoying the fine life of what can be known as the terrible pain of getting a new tooth.  but this boy stands unshaken if he is outdoors.  he is at his happiest when in nature, and that worked for our benefit during a weekend of teething pain. 

 

 

after a delish brunch on sunday morning, we headed home.  armed with a little r and r, some local organic brews, a few new skeins of yarn, and a few new handknits.

there is something about have a "spot". the place that you go from year to year, month to month, or season to season.  there is something magical about sitting in the same spot, discussing the past and the future of this exact spot.  memories that come back from being in an exact location that you were one year or season ago- memories that do not need a picture or written down words even to jar those memories back to life.

last taste of summer- or the little melons that could.

note to next years gardening self: grow more baby watermelons.

 

 

 

 

while we were out watering our little fall garden and taking note of  the million and a half things that need to be done in the garden before the first frost (and i was simultaneously having a semi panic attack internally)- i went with crosby in arms to check out our delinquent and sad watermelons. 

these watermelons had a sordid past.  i planted a whole bunch of these watermelon seeds with big hopes.  they didnt take off quite as quickly as the squash, and were getting slightly shaded by some peas that were somehow still going strong at the end of may.  when i realized they werent going to make it, i promptly dug up a few of the plants and moved them over to another bed where they would be free to grow at their own speed.  a montessori bed, if you will. even as i moved them as gently as possible, they just didnt really want to be uprooted from their un montessori bed, and never really thrived.

i nurtured them with water and compost, and even a trellis, which they seemed to enjoy greatly.  only two small plants survived, and by the end of august we had 3 baby watermelons.  i really didnt have any hope for these watermelons, and had prepared my speech for those plants along the lines of ," you had a good run, babies, next year, next year will be your year to shine."

so you can imagine my surprise when i walked up to the watermelon area and pushed gently on the biggest watermelon to check out if it would ever be edible and it cracked open, revealing a bright yellow center.  loving all things melon, crosby immediately stuck his tongue on the watermelon, which i had predicted to be tasteless, as it was smaller than even a baby watermelon should be.  when he started furiously sucking the juice out, cody and each tasted it.  cody deemed it a watermelon that tasted like straight sugar, and the rest was history. (see above.) 

the little watermelon that was so small that i almost threw it into the compost bin was just the perfect size for two small little chubby hands. 

the melons that could.  i still have one more on the vine. 

if you love your freezer.

if you love your freezer.

if you have anywhere from 8- 25 (or more) stray tomatoes.

if you arent into canning.

THIS is a good post for you to read.

here is how i make my basic roasted tomato sauce.

sometimes it's more like a paste, but ok. here we go.

 

you need:

a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil with about a tablespoon of olive oil spread around on it.

tomatoes

a knife.

a preheated oven to 325.

around 4 hours of time for cooking. (unless you leave your house when your oven is on, and in that case you may only need around 30 minutes or so.)

step 1: wash your tomatoes.

i use a produce wash with mine. 

step 2: core tomatoes 

 

step 3: cut tomato in half and use your finger to get out all of the seeds and juice from those tiny pockets.

step 4: lay your seedless, juice-less tomato down onto your oiled sheet with the skin side up.

step 5: put into oven and roast at 325 for around 3-4 hours.  turning your sheet every hour or so.

step 6: when your tomatoes are looking less juicy (see below.), and it's been about 3 or 4 hours, take them out of the oven.

step 7: after letting them cool, gently peel off the skins.  they should slip right off. or squeeze the tomato out of the skins if they are giving you any trouble.

step 8: optional! put into bowl, drain off any excess juice, and mash up with a fork. you have to do this in small batches.

now you are pretty much done.  you can put these into the freezer just the way they are and use them to make an amazing salsa, or pasta, or whatever.  you could put them into a pot on the stove and use an immersion blender to really puree them.  and then cook them longer on low reducing them to a delicious paste to use for a pizza sauce (try it with roasted garlic.  o my.)  skip the freezer and eat it that night! the world is your oyster at this point. 

for those of you who are interested, i filled up 2 baking sheets with tomatoes.  i ended up with a little over 3 cups of tomato puree.  i used a better boy tomato.  if you use a roma, polish linguisa, or other heirloom tomato with a saucy less juicy quality you will get quite a bit more.

go and make your freezer happy.

weekending with tomatoes.

this weekend was my last and final fling with the giant boxes of bright red tomatoes. 

around 3 o clock on friday afternoon, we were home, armed with around 75 pounds of bright red spotless tomatoes.

i started roasting, canning, freezing, and repeating.

by 7 o clock, the idea of eating tomato sauce from a bpa containing can that i could buy from the grocery store in the middle of december was looking pretty enticing and i was a little more than over these tomatoes. 

i was cheering to the fact that i would not be elbow deep in tomato juice again for at least another 10 months.

i started to get in that deep dark place.  why were we dealing with these blasted tomatoes when we should be out enjoying a beautiful brisk friday night?

i began lamenting in my head how its friggin september.  and you know what you do in friggin september?  you make apple butter.  applesauce.  start building fires.  making chili.  repeat.  and i was dealing with tomatoes.

so, i took a break.  and made a pizza. 

while the tomatoes were simmering on the stove and in the oven, we went outside and sat with the pizza.

i am pretty sure it was only 68 degrees out or something amazing like that.

it made me think about eliot coleman's mantra in this land is in your hands, during times of car trouble, compost issues, weather problems, etc.

as told by his daughter:

"how many son of gun's are this lucky."

(there are actually i think some choice words in that statement)

 

here i was, eating a delicious pizza. on a blanket. in 70 degree weather. and i am lucky enough to have 75 pounds of tomatoes in the kitchen to can, freeze, roast, and dry for the winter. 

 

so while i chugged on with an often hungry and eventually tired and fussy baby, 2 hungry dogs, 2 cats that want to go outside and come back in two seconds later- i could only think of the future when all of our kids will be grown and away, these animals will be long since gone, and it's just Cody and I in the kitchen. while i know that we will be old and happy and in love, i can only imagine that i will wish that i could see and feel this very moment for just a few minutes longer before it vanishes back into the memories of the past.  the moment of your tiny first born desperately trying to crawl on the kitchen floor just to reach the very end of a dog tail.  the two sweet cats that have various personalized theme songs and lounge about in front of any door you are trying to walk through. the two dogs that have seen it all so far:  love, marriage, tears, happiness, heartbreak, apartments, houses, and many mountain trails.

 

so with a giant to do list that has to be completed pronto, knitting that needs to be finished before the weekend, and a laundry pile that might actually over take me at some point, i am currently feeling like a lucky son of a gun.

 

linking with amanda.

hope the legends arent true....

i remember avoiding watermelon seeds as a small child for fear that a watermelon would grow in my stomach.

then i got a little older and a lot more rebellious, and started swallowing the seeds.

apparently the rebellion has already begun, and this one is going straight to the source, a seed packet:

 

 

 

 

things have changed since this picture.  it is 30 degrees cooler, and our sprouts are 3-4 inches higher. no more diaper only clothing optional days in the garden for us.

but our future is looking up:

warm spinach salads!

kale soups!

roasted carrots!

beet salad!

 

 

 

weekending.

is it really called weekending if the weekend is already over and it is actually tuesday?

i spent the weekend here:

 

walking and eating and hiking and talking and laughing and sleeping under these:

3 couples, 2 babies, and one dog. 

it only feels natural to be out in the woods this time of year. 

crosby is at his happiest when we are in the mountains, camping or hiking.

i knew this about him when i was pregnant with him. he was so still and peaceful inside when we were rhythmically walking trails at 9 months and a week to try and coax him out into the world.

when he was one week old and i put him in a wrap carrier and we slowly walked the trails along the streams.

it is so perfectly attune to everything that i have ever felt during my adult years pre-child. 

even in the days that child bearing/ raising was not really on my radar, when we went to the mountains, my thoughts naturally went to a place of wanting/longing for a child to bring into the world to raise, nurture, and show the beauty of the world. In my mind i saw children running around me on the mountain trails, their eyes wide with the excitement and exhilaration of fresh air, and the freedom that being away from the developed world brings.

 

taking crosby to the mountains is everything i always thought it would be.  his eyes wide.  his breaths deep.  his sleep peaceful.

time passed by while i watched him play in the stream, picking up and examining/licking every rock he could find.  but it really felt like time was standing still, and i was watching a child i created fulfill the daydreams i was having last year on this very weekend when i stood on top of a bald and looked out onto what seemed to be a million miles of mountains.

grow.

above: baby kales.

after writing this post, i promptly went out into my smallest raised bed and did a little makeover. 

non producing tomato plants that had run their course were ripped out as well as some straggling cucumber plants.

we filled the bed to the very brim with brand new compost. 

i promptly planted the seeds of kale, spinach, carrots, and beets.

we have daily watered and watered and our water barrel is now completely drained.

above: baby spinach.

above: baby beets.

 

all of our seeds have now sprouted.  it is such a breath of fresh air when those tiny little sprouts come up.  now that crosby is sitting up and able to feed himself, we are introducing more and more solid foods into his diet.  happily, most everything is from our garden.  somehow, i can grow a dang good carrot, and luckily, he has an extreme affection for carrots.  and squash.  and sweet potatoes.

as well as an extreme affection for water.