A Hemp Victory Garden?

Maybe it would save our economy. Just keep the banks away from it.

Green Porno!

The Sound of Onions

Some of the best things about having a garden are the way your senses are awakened. The blue of the broccoli leaves in contrast to the greens of the rest of the garden and the way the water beads on those leaves like they are something made of rubber. The instant garlicly smell when the bulbs are out of the ground, and the papery, hollow sound of onion leaves when they are disturbed by a breeze.

It's a phenomonal feat to grow the tallest sunflower when you're the smallest gardener, and

imagine your surprise when the potates are pulled up and they are the color of cherries! And we haven't even described the taste of plump sugar snap peas from the vine, a handfull of homegrown blueberries, roasted chioga beets, or homegrown potato salad with your own onions, herbs, and dill...

What will we remember of this summer? A successful garden? The great music we heard? The long car trips? Camping in the rain? Dancing in the twilight to Seth and May? Peddling clothes?

Probably that, but mostly the time we spent together...

in the UP on Lake Superior, running and laughing on the beach!

God is Nature, Heaven is Earth.

New Computer, New Apartment, and Tomatoes!

Well, lots has changed since the computer burglar struck. Thank you to everyone who "Burgled Me Back" by buying something from my silly little sale on Etsy! I was able to buy a new
used computer and actually managed to make an upgrade to a MacBook Pro, which, as you know, they only let Pros use.


I also decided to move out of my apartment (new place pictured above) because the slumlord that I paid rent to never fixed the lock on the door that lead to the break-in. I'll keep this rant simple: he hired some idiots to "fix" the lock TWO WEEKS after the break-in and because they were hacks (i.e. happened to own a screwdriver, a step ladder and had two hours to spare) they adjusted, but didn't fix, the lock. As far as Slumlord was concerned, the lock was "fixed" because he made a call to those jokers and therefore he was off the hook. What a jack ass. Don't worry, I told him so.

So I moved all the way up to Queens where I'll have a better commute to Hunter College in the fall. I have to say it. Queens is pretty great. Quiet at night and nary a hipster in sight. Cheaper than Brooklyn, too!

NOW, as some of you may know I threatened to grow tomato plants some months ago. I am a former plant murderer and decided I would like to reform my murderous ways by keeping some plants alive for a change. (Note: It's not that I enjoy murdering plants or ever intend to, I just can't help my lazy ways.) I thought tomato plants would be a good place to start the reform process because if I keep them alive, I get to eat tomatoes. Simple and delicious plan.

For the first few months they lived on a roof top in Brooklyn. Now they are cozy along the front of my Queens apartment and kept company by a bunch of other leafy friends. ("other plants" if that insinuation wasn't clear) The tomatoes were ready to eat this week and I have to say it: I do not like the "Better Bush" variety. Not good. The Romas weren't really that good either. Too mushy. The Grape Tomatoes are the clear winners for me. Tiny and firm, that's how I like 'em.

Summertime and the Living is Easy

Swiss Chard

Onions and volunteer pumpkin

Second Romaine type lettuces under the pea trellis

Salad Bar- wear your furry bunny suit

Strawberries soon to be jam

My hot spot

Pinks

Summertime

Two Robberies Don't Make a Right....

...but it may help me buy another computer.

Did I think I could live in an affordable neighborhood in New York without getting robbed from time to time? Of course not. So, really, it wasn't such a shock to come home to an openly pillaged apartment this week. Not that I expect this to happen, I just wasn't shocked is all I'm saying.

What I WAS shocked about was the flood of NYPD that followed. Six total, two of whom dusted for fingerprints all over our kitchen (see photos of a lovely black powder)

They, or He, or She took my laptop and my roommate's lap top and left a knife in my bed. A little eepy-cray, no? So, I'm running a sale on WOOLANDBRICK.ETSY.COM called BURGLE ME BACK. I was robbed, so I'm putting a ton of stuff on sale in order to raise money to buy a new computer. I know it's corny, but the prices are so low, it's like you're robbing me! I know, I know....I'll be lucky to sell anything with a gimmick that low brow. But that's how I roll.

So check out some crazy-low prices at WOOL + BRICK, they'll be up for the next month and I'll keep you posted on what my replacement computer is.

Reptiles and Dandelions

Oh May! The earth is thawed and ready to plant. I know this because all of a sudden there are turtles cruising through from pond to pond and most of all, there are large snakes everywhere!! They spy on me and follow me through the garden. They stick their little pink tongues out at me and the tall grass moves in such a way that you know something is steadily sliding through. I see them curled on my straw piles in the sun, and they love to startle me- they think it's funny.

Maybe we should mow the "lawn" to get rid of all the snakes, but it is so lovely covered in dandelion blooms. Joe wants to know if I'm trying to make a statement.

Statement: "We don't apply toxic herbicides to our lawn/eco-system/watershed."

And besides, dandelions have a lot of health benefits. If I could just get the kids to eat my dandelion stew, steamed dandelion salad, or lion's casserole...

Everyday this week I was given a warm, mushy handful of the familiar yellow flower and told "Happy Mudders Day! Keep them forever."

There is finally food out there- asparagus, chives, lettuce, and kale. Rumors of morels in the orchard have gotten us out hunting, but to no avail....

Greetings to those urban tomatoes with the view of the New York City skyline!!

Conscious Clothing Earth Day Sale

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist or to accept responsibility for changing them" Denis Waitley

Eggs and All Things Living

An Easter Basket full of wrap dresses! You can look forward to these and lots of other new listings in the coming days on my etsy shop. Also, I'm having my annual Earth Day Sale the week of April 19-25!

Hooray-It's Spring!!! People everywhere are celebrating fertility and the miracle of new life!!! Here in rural Michigan, it is a beautiful Easter Day, and while my family are all in a jelly bean coma, I can take the time to post the wonders of the last few days.So "The Bunny" aka the Easter Bunny, visited my garden and left us a nest of furry babies. These baby rabbits are very popular with the children for countless reasons... Such an incredible affirmation of Spring.

The whole family have gotten their hands dirty this past week in the garden. The girls decided to have their own beds and have discussed the pros and cons of growing "yucky" versus "yummy foods in their alloted spaces. I savored every moment of Lily pulling weeds, getting her small hands dirty, exclaiming at every worm, and Luna agreeing with her when she repeatedly sighed, "This is hard work!" It is so much fun to be growing along side such lovely people! Luna has a bin of seed potatoes which we've just begun planting, and the indoor seedlings are ready to be transplanted this week into larger pots. We have kale coming back from last year and have planted lettuces, radishes, spinach, mesclun, and more kale in our newly renovated boxes. Joe has been awesome in manpower- he finished the bean and pea trellises, spread the compost, emptied every wheelbarrow I've managed to fill, and blindly trusts my cardboard mulch methods (almost).

Soon I'll have photos of asparagas pushing their delicious spears up through the soil, big bulbs of fennel, and hopefully some delicately climbing pea vines!

Spring is in the Air & the RED BANDIT is on the Loose!

Whew! That was a grueling winter. I'm so happy to be riding my bike without a minimum of four layers of warmth (not including the extra layer of "natural" warmth i gained this year). Seriously, my recipe for resisting the elements was this: tank undershirt, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, hooded sweatshirt, wool sweater, and, finally, a wind breaker. But that's not all. I can't forget the scarf wrapped firmly around my face, ear flap cap tied firmly under chin, and a pair each of cotton and wool socks, to boot. Hmm, oh yeah, plus gloves and neoprene pants beneath my jeans.

Okay, so now that I can shed a significant portion of bike riding garb, I decided to toss my hat in favor of a lighter solution: THE RED BANDIT. Now, be assured, THE BANDIT also comes in blue and green, but MY BANDIT happens to be RED. Argh!

The great thing about ear flap caps is that they block wind from your ears, which, aside from it generally being a nuisance, can actually lead to ear infections. Now that it's warmer, THE RED BANDIT blocks your ears and ties behind your head, but leaves the rest of your head free for fun things like ponytails or just air. Yes, yes, I know that I'm forgetting about the bike helmet that goes on top. (I'm going to get one, I swear.) The RED BANDIT will also fit easily under a helmet. No prob'.

100% cotton, beautiful stockinette stitch. I face this beautiful spring with this favorite accessory!