slowly she turned

Living the Slow life in North Carolina

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  • Nailing jello to a wall

    I’m pretty sure that I have one of those endless sinus infections dragging me down, sapping a little more of my energy and patience every day. Everywhere I turn people are sick. It makes me want to wear a face mask to work. Every day this week I have announced out loud that I am not going to lose my temper that day. I am moody in the extreme.

    I’m dealing with a bit of disappointment and frustration. Not to sound negative, but…I should have known that things were a little too bright and shiny to last. Last night I went to a movie co-sponsored by four organizations that I am affiliated with in some way. Slow Food and Deep Roots had information tables there. I realized that I don’t attend meetings any more for the other two, and I’m debating whether I’m spreading myself too thin. I know that my Sierra Club chapter needs a webmaster, but I wonder if I should resign from that and the other committee that co-sponsored the movie and throw all my energy in with Slow Food. I don’t have as much energy as people seem to think that I do, and I have to be careful and selective with it.

    The thing is, when I come home from work, I don’t feel like doing more work on the computer. Especially this time of the year, when I always have several large responsibilities at work that are in a constant state of change. Just when I think that I’ve got things nailed down, splat.

    Tonight I’m going to try to get some extra sleep. I heard that there was a Stitch and Bitch group that meets downtown at a coffee shop on Saturday afternoons. I actually managed to thread a beading needle and finish up a bracelet that I began a year ago the other night. So I might check that group out and also check to see if the damn gallery that was supposed to call me almost three months ago about my leftover work from the now closed Two Art Chicks is actually open yet. I think that I’ll see if they really have my consignment pieces (it won’t be much) and get the hell out of that situation, if I am indeed IN that situation. If they don’t have them, I’ll just write it off as a lesson learned and be glad to be done with it.

    I could warp up another tapestry box loom and take it to Stitch and Bitch. I really could.

  • Seed starting day one

    Normally I am chomping at the bit to start my seeds, but this year I’ve got more of a “whatever” attitude. I’ll probably feel differently once they begin to come up. I’m not planning to start many indoors, since I’m going to devote more space to beans, peas, and okra this year. I do want a couple of good slicer tomatoes and Stew gave me some Green Zebra seed she saved. I just ordered Roma and Amish Paste canning tomatoes from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. Roma is a nice compact size, but Amish Paste is on the Slow Food Ark, so I decided to do a little of both in big pots again. I really dig the whole concept of the Slow Food Ark. For the slicers, I’m going to go with something new this year: Cherokee Purple. A couple of Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifters, both varieties for a Slow Food tasting challenge. Maybe a few surprise heirloom tomatoes for fun. I always end up with way too many tomato plants and I gave a lot away last year.

    But tonight, I’m starting some pepper plants, because I only have half a bag of seed starting mix. These will go into pots too. Peppers always take forever with me. Last year I bought an expensive heat mat, and it helped greatly, but it conked out within a couple of weeks. So this year I’m using an old heating pad. So there. I’ll do just a few of several different kinds including:

    Red Marconi – a long sweet pepper from the seed saving table at CFSA conference.
    Alma Paprika, from Pinetree – bugs ate them up last year. Will change location and be more diligent with the insecticidal soap if necessary.
    Pimiento, from Pinetree – same problem, but planted in two areas and the other area did okay. They were stolen a lot, probably the Critter. Chicken wire?
    Hungarian Wax, saved seeds from a Fedco mix last year – I am guessing at the variety name. It was my favorite by far.
    Some Like It Hot mix, from Fedco – above mentioned mix, mystery fun!

    Okay, I planted those, and had a few more spaces so I planted a few eggplant seeds. All from 2005 or 2004 packets, but last year they came up fine. We’ll call it an experiment in seed fertility. I plant them in pots and try to keep them 2-3 feet above the ground – seems to help with flea beetles.

    White Eggplant, from Monticello (the prettiest)
    Rosa Bianca (was a dud before, but what the heck)
    Early Black Egg (this is the one that produced an eggplant during the month of November, 2006, after a frost!)
    Black Beauty (the traditional)
    Ping Tung Long (my favorite)

    The last four varieties came from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

  • Tapestry bag finale

    Hot damn, I finally remembered to buy new rechargeable batteries yesterday after sucking the absolute last bit of use out of my old ones, and I finally remembered to recharge them tonight, so I could upload my photos from last week.

    Because, you see, I finished the tapestry bag on Sunday afternoon. The closure is a drilled pebble button, and there is a piece of cardboard in the bottom to hold its shape between the lining and the bag.

    Don’t…ask…how I did the lining. Dumb luck with much cursing and sticking pins in my fingers. It was a lesson in persistence and pain, and I finally resorted to an iron and Stitch Witchery.

    Next time, I will make the lining darker, although it does help me find things in my bag. Also will make the inner pockets bigger. The straps are perfect!

  • More snow pics

    My favorite tree, the willow oak on my walk to work.

    I think that this tree is a redbud. The snow was piled as high as the horizontal branches were thick.

  • Tapestry Box Project Day 21

    Dimensions: 6″ wide on short sides, 10″ wide on long sides, 6.25″ tall.
    Linen warp, wool weft.

    The weft is mostly discarded wool given to me by other weavers or weaving teachers. Much of it is the product of beginning dyers, as there are many spots where the wool was tied too tightly in the dyepot and it created a resist. I decided to use these random spots as abstract sparkles in the water or reflections.

    Here’s what the inside of the box looks like. I really love the backs of tapestries, so it’s a bit of a shame to line this, but I’ve decided to make it a functional handbag. The lining will be attached with velcro so that it can be removed and laundered.

    Left to do: Weave two straps from the brown wool on my inkle loom, and sew in. Figure out how to sew lining. Sew lining. Attach lining. Attach a stone button for the closure. Maybe embellish with a few more stone buttons. Wear with joy and attack every day with a lint roller to keep the cat hair from embedding in it.

  • Back Forty update

    Well, you know how it is. You get an unexpectedly gorgeous day in the dead of winter, with the forecast of rain the next day. You have a shoebox full of seed packets, more than you could ever hope to plant in your little space. Many of them are cool/cold weather plants. What are you gonna do?

    Here’s what I did this afternoon, after having a post-work Mardi Gras Smithwick’s on a bar patio with the boss.

    In the long raised bed on the left side:

    Little Marvel Peas, French Breakfast Radishes

    In the greenhouse, on the left, from back to front:

    Red Sails lettuce
    Buttercrunch lettuce
    Red Ace beets
    Oakleaf Italien*****(forgot spelling) lettuce
    Existing ruby and golden chard

    In the greenhouse, on the right, from back to front, wall to inside:

    Over the rainbow mix carrots
    Early Wonder Tall Top beets
    Danvers half-long carrots
    Atomic Red carrots

    I found some leek volunteers which I transplanted among the beds. Sigh. I just love volunteers.

    In the winter raised beds on the right side under the tree.

    left to right, nearest the deck:

    Existing leeks
    Morton Mild Mustard mix
    Tatsoi
    Existing Tuscan kale
    Early Bloomsdale spinach
    Arugula
    Existing sorrel and claytonia (volunteers)

    left to right, nearest the studio:

    Sugar Ann Snap Peas
    Turnips
    Creasy greens
    Existing brussels sprouts that need to be pulled up
    Existing chard that something is eating daily
    Existing Siberian kale
    Existing parsley
    Claytonia volunteers

    It was dark by the time I finished watering from my rain barrels and pulled the plastic sheets off the beds. When we have another cold snap, I have hoops in place to make floating row covers. This week is supposed to be fairly nice after a mild cold front moves in tomorrow.

  • 2007, don’t let the door hit ya on the way out

    The year certainly started out well – in January I put up a butt-ugly greenhouse and Sandy and I hauled almost 4 tons of composted leaves from the front driveway to the Back Forty. I built raised beds and covered them with Reemay/Agribon fabric and made plans to do some winter market gardening in the winter of 2008. The 2007 winter farm was a test. I also exposed a seed company whose name rhymes with Dark Greed for spamming gardening bloggers. I think that they have stopped, but I think that they are still checking on me. ::::paranoia::::ooh:::: Nah, it’s just that I don’t feel like getting them all stirred up again, but if you’re interested, you’ll find the posts in January 2007 archives.

    February was full of seed starting and I was still planning to go to Italy in the summer, at that point.

    In March, I took some great pics of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse reenactment. I enjoyed using my new camera, a LOT, and I spent most of my energy on planting the Back Forty.

    Early in April I spent a week at John C. Campbell Folk School, where I learned to weave hats. I gave away bags and bags of salad greens. I tried to kick out the narrator in my head and only blog when I was blogging, and have been mostly successful.

    On May 16, 2007, Sandino Galore and I celebrated our 20th anniversary, so I wrote about our wedding. On May 21, 2007, I had the most incredible dinner in my life with Carlo Petrini and leaders of Slow Food USA and Slow Food in North Carolina.

    June brought my usual trip to Lake Waccamaw. I put a window air conditioner in the studio and got serious about using it.

    In July, I did more Slow Food thingies and suddenly burned slam out. I spent a lot of time in my studio and began participating in “One Local Summer 2007.” My garden was at its peak for beauty and I did some before and after photos.

    In August, I started my last class, hoped that our air conditioner wouldn’t break down, said good-bye to rain for a long time, got this laptop for $60 (woo-hoo!) and wove kitchen towels. I cured garlic and onions for the first time.

    A Crafting 365 project became a Crafting 25 project in September, as part of an effort to jumpstart my new enthusiasm for weaving. However, my depression and anxiety and all the sadness I was repressing brought that to a screeching halt. I’m glad that I switched gears to concentrating on art and creativity though.

    My friend John died in October. We blocked, for a few months anyway, a ruling to put black dye in raw milk in N.C. I ate a lot of butterbeans, but didn’t have enough to freeze. My husband made a very bad decision and took a new job. I realized that the winter farm wasn’t going to happen this year because of the worsening drought.

    In November, Squirt was diagnosed with multiple health problems. Our focus was treating hypothyroidism and planning to do surgery on a thyroid tumor. At the time I was totally unaware that the “beginning of kidney failure” was incurable. I attended two major food events: the RAFT picnic at Celebrity Dairy, and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Conference. Sandy lost his new job.

    And in December I graduated with my M.A. in Liberal Studies. We installed a new Slow Food convivium chair and set up a board/committee structure that we hope will bring new energy and ideas to the convivium. And you know the rest. Oh God. Let’s move on to 2008, shall we?

  • Squirt goes home

    Squirtley Dirtley O’Neill
    July 1997 – December 27, 2007

    The Story of Squirt

  • Letters after my name

    Heh – forgot to mention that I graduated from graduate school yesterday. I now have a Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies. Yeeeee-haw!

    No, I won’t be going for a Piled Higher and Deeper degree!

  • CFSA conference and seed frenzy

    Last Saturday I went to the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association conference in Durham with Charlie and Walter. The workshops were interesting, for the most part, but I heard that I missed a couple of really great ones that had to do with edible schoolyards and youth projects. I enjoyed the one with Cricket Rakita about basic seed saving, and in the afternoon I participated in a very interesting discussion with CR Lawn of Fedco Seeds and others about seed patents. In a world without Monsanto, I would love to start a second life as a seed producer or breeder.

    The last thing in the world I need right now probably is more seeds, but there was a seed exchange table and a couple of seed vendors that were irresistable. Fedco was not there as a seller, but Southern Exposure Seed Exchange was and SC Foundation Seed Association presented heirloom seeds for sale from the collection of Dr. David Bradshaw of Clemson University. If I had an acre of land, I would have bought a lot more of the Bradshaw collection.

    I bought a packet of Willow Butterbeans, which had been in the Bradshaw family for 150 years and was selected for its slender leaf shape, resistance to Mexican bean beetles, beans per pod, and vigorous production. He said that they were his favorites. Another butterbean variety I chose for the color – Loudermilk butterbeans are about half white with the remainder a sharp contrast of spotted black. I only have 25 each of these beans but if I raise enough to share, next fall I’ll offer them up to others interested in growing and saving the seeds to pass on to others.

    At the seed saving table, I picked up Choppee okra, another 150-year old variety from the Georgetown, SC area that is long and slender. A red speckled butterbean from Cricket Rakita that looks like Red Calico but he says that it doesn’t turn gray when cooked. And “Italienischer” oakleaf lettuce and “Marconi” sweet pepper.

    SESE had a basket of 2007 seeds, mostly organic, for a dollar a packet. I bought:
    Cosmos, Bright Lights
    Zinnia, State Fair mixed colors (I missed my zinnias this year!)
    Basil, Dark Opal
    Cotton, Erlene’s Green (I’ve always wanted to try green cotton!)
    Lettuce, Red Sails
    Tatsoi
    Creasy Greens
    Tomato, Cherokee Purple (I swear, the only other tomato seeds I will buy will be Amish Paste or Roma.)

    It was encouraging to see so many young conference attendees and the dinner was all local and delicious. My friends Fleming and Brit Pfann of Celebrity Dairy won the Farmer of the Year award. Michael Ableman gave an entertaining keynote speech and slide show. Charlie seemed to be rejuvenated and uplifted by the whole thing and I loved getting to know Walter a little better, partly because he treated me like a queen, complete with a shoulder rub in the hallway!

    I had paid for and was supposed to go to the workshops on Sunday, which really seemed more interesting to me, but I didn’t go. I missed a workshop on raw milk legislation and Jim Riddle’s perspective on national organic standards, which if you have been with me for a long time, you know that I used to be fairly rabid on the subject. I did meet Jim at the dinner and shook his hand. I told him that he was my hero! (I didn’t mention along with Michael Pollan, Mark Kastel, Wendell Berry, and Charlie!)

    Anyway, the conference was terrific and well worth the money spent. I will probably get more involved in CFSA and we are talking about our Slow Food convivium doing more in collaboration with them. If I can swing it, I’ll try to go to the conference again next year.