bean curl

While removing molded bean plants from my garden, I found this:





Pearl said it was delicious.

Ground Beans

Spent about an hour outside today gathering pods from mature Ground Beans, (wiki image) which grow in profusion around the back edge of the woods right by the house. The more common name for this plant is "Hog Peanut", but is considered pejorative so I don't like to use it. Who knows if it really is pejorative; I'll just err on the side of sensitivity.


Yes, the photo is blurry but it kind of shows the color and shape of the pods.

I intend to cook these (after gathering more this week) with wild rice and mushrooms in a soup. I'll let you know how it goes.

Children who survived the Holocaust

One of the things I love about homeschooling/unschooling is following ideas as they come up in conversation. The latest has been the Holocaust, and Indian boarding schools in the U.S. What makes it challenging is choosing the things to discuss with a 7.5 yo, who happens to have a natural interest in why people do horrible things to each other.

So we read and watched the Diary of Anne Frank, and checked out a book about children taken to Indian boarding schools. Right now we're talking about stories I've pre-read about Jewish children who survived the Holocaust; Lola really wants to konw as much as possible about these children and what they endured. It's difficult because I feel a strong need to censor her consumption of these stories; many are terrible, just terrible, and I don't know what she would end up doing with the information. Her perspective is that if the child in the story lived, it should be OK, right? And I tell her no, there are so many other things that happen to the children and that they witness that are too awful to describe, that I don't know what she would do with that information. I tell her that I think she'll be emotionally ready for these stories in a few years. She is disappointed in my opinion. And honestly I'm feeling torn - that she thinks she's ready and I'm pretty sure she's not. I mean, how do you tell your 7yo daughter that the stories of German Nazi cruelty are not OK for her to read? It is truly a dilemma. Because the more she learns, the more she wants to know. I may cave, and read her all of the stories in the book Survivors that I checked out from the library. But not in front of Pearl, my 4yo.

Wish us luck, talking about (and thankfully not directly experiencing) the Holocaust.

The Blood Show

It was like a horror movie at the bottom of the stairs today.

Our cat, Rose, managed to catch and kill a mouse while we slept peacefully in the bedroom. Amidst our slumbering snores, Rose was expertly throwing about, pouncing on, chasing, and ultimately, ripping apart and beheading said small rodent, splattering blood all over the wall in her intent torture.

I was not really happy to clean this up first thing in the morning. At least I know about the super blood-cleaning powers of peroxide. Don't ask me how I know; some things are better left a mystery.

Neighbors, Part 2

Found this useful, if not entirely updated, site for local farms: local harvest. After searching my area, was surprised to notice way more organic CSA farms in a relative cluster of rural goodness right around here. In fact, one is within walking distance, and another two are within an easy bike ride. And more within 20 minutes in a car. Amazing! And those are the active links...
I really love where we live.

But I don't love our next-door neighbors.

Past-due hugely pregnant neighbor R. was outside yesterday yelling, very upset, screaming at the top of her lungs to be let in, then screams "Help! Help! [desperately] Somebody Please Help Me!" Bloodcurdling screams that echo all around our hills. So loud I could hear them while cooking lunch, making my adrenaline spike. Tata is in the woods marking property lines and hears most of this, gets there soon as he can and I go inside to call 911. I am thinking maybe it's another rabid raccoon, maybe her baby is hurt, who knows?? She is still outside when he gets there (he doesn't go on to the property, creepy silent neighbor dude P. owns a gun and knows how to shoot, and who knows what the fuck kind of argument or whatever is going on), crying, head down in the garage, tells him she is OK and the baby is OK. Turns out she was locked out of her house by boyfriend P., with her sick toddler inside. Something about she wanted to leave with her toddler and P. wouldn't let her take her. When Tata arrives she is still locked out. What a scene. He tells her that if she needs a safe place to go or make a phone call she should come over any time.

Sheriff arrives 20 minutes later, it's all calm and quiet. We don't hear anything or see anything for the rest of the day, and decide to go to the park and out to dinner for a positive change of scenery anyway. Both kids ask, many times, "Why did P. lock R. out of the house?" I wish I knew something to say except "he's a controlling asshole, honey." Now I have no reason at all to like P.

Tata calls their landlord, who is also R's relative, and with whom we are friendly, gives him the synopsis, and tells him we are worried about R. and her daughter's safety. Landlord is awesomely responsive and a nice guy, this is good. We find out from him that R's mom doesn't want to intervene between the two of them (R and P). That's motherly love for you.

Today still-pregnant R. won't look at me when I drive by, but the dude does, gives me a little wave.

I totally hate having neighbors.

Some new links, over there on the right

I will be adding a few new links in the days ahead. Feel free to browse...

Pints o' Beans

We recently got a little upright freezer for the basement and loaded it with all the green bean pint bags I had in our upstairs freezer. To my utter amazement, we had 43 bags in the freezer! So, including the 3 we've already eaten, I froze 46 bags in all. But the plants produced so much more than that... we ate beans for weeks and weeks, gave a big paper grocery bag to our neighbor, a small plastic grocery bag to another neighbor, and served a ton at our party. I am in awe of how easy it was to grow beans and have enough this year. Simply in awe!

Llama llama tastes of llama

We are all listening madly to the Llama Song.

Now you can, too.