Sunday, November 17, 2019

home sweet home

My days begin and end with caring for the chickens. Every morning our dog Talula and I take them breakfast and fresh water -- when temperatures are above freezing, it's regular dry feed but when the thermometer drops below freezing, I make them oatmeal. At night, we again make the rounds to make sure that all is well. I love these daily rituals, I would even venture to say they have changed my life.


5 chickens, 5 colors, 5 miracles.


A branch of clooties -- clooties are simple gratitudes/wishes/blessings written on strips of cloth and tied to tree branches. The photo was taken right after I began this practice in late summer/early fall, but I continue to make and attach more clooties motivated by the symbolism of seeing good things grow. 


I am finally attaching my tarot moon cloth to a basic black linen book cover I made a few years ago. It will cover the journal that I use to record my tarot and oracle draws. The reason I let it go for so long was nothing more than my own little dance with indecision on how to proceed.


One clump of healthy comfrey provided the chickens with greens all summer so I held off harvesting any for myself until the last minute. That one harvest turned out to be a considerable amount of leaves to dry so I stacked them 3-4 layers deep on a big window screen on the dining room table, changing the direction of the leaves with each layer. This method worked beautifully, it was a quick dry with no mold or browning. Imagine my surprise when all that plant material weighed out at just over 5 ounces which made only 5 quarts of medicinal infusion.


Comfrey is incredibly generous in providing food and medicine for all. Because I was regularly collecting leaves for the chickens, I was able to get acquainted with her like I never had before -- seeing new growth generating nearly overnight intrigued me to no end. And there is the medicine of the plant, which is to mend -- comfrey mends skin, bones, muscles and ligaments. Now that the heavy work of the yard and garden is mostly done for the year, my body is in need of mending. I crave this plant inside and outside...to drink as infusion and to smear as salve on my lips and hands and feet.  


I came across this little bag right after cutting my last bouquet of flowers for the season. And it matched.


One that I embroidered and made for my grandmother a long time ago, it somehow found its way back to me.


The last purple haze carrot, I grew them to use for dyeing cloth. But not a one was used to make dye because they were so good to eat.


I had the good fortune to harvest a friend's rosehips. I froze almost a half-gallon to make rosehip syrup and also made rosehip/elderberry oxymel. And still have some left to string onto thread, which  is a way to dry rosehips for making tea but I'm thinking about using them as necklaces or bracelets. We'll see.


Rose geranium/raspberry liqueur is nearly an annual tradition. Let me know if you'd like the recipe.
Update: I just put the recipe in the comments below!


5 chickens enjoying an oatmeal breakfast during one of our big snows (we've had several already here in Denver, CO).


Cozy and safe.


Home sweet home.

I hope you are well, I hope you are happy. And I hope to be back before another month goes by. xo

24 comments:

  1. Wonderful photographs, each one feels like a story in the making. The beautiful eggs--what is it about photographs of eggs that speak to us? And these have such lovely colors. They are as beautiful as the chickens!

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    1. Thank you and yes about the eggs! Sometimes they are still warm when I collect them -- it's truly an honor.

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  2. Thank you for sharing the beauty and bounty of your home. I needed it.

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  3. What a warm and wonderful post ... love your biddies and their beautiful eggs ... and having recently been bitten by the tarot bug, I'm off to see what else you may have posted in that vein

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    1. Thank you, Liz -- I love that you caught the tarot bug, you will learn so much about yourself that you'll wonder how you got this far without the cards!

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  4. Love to see your posts when they pop up....the snow looks amazing..so glad your chickens are keeping warm..they look very happy.

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    1. Hi Suzie, thanks so much. One thing I know for sure is that the chickens make me pretty darn happy!

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  5. Lovely and inspiring, as always! I have several prodigious comfrey and made some oils recently. I love your tarot folder. The Black makes the moon pop.

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    1. Hi Dee, thanks -- and I like knowing that you've connected with comfrey, too. I think I'm going to combine a root oil with a leaf oil and see how that feels!

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  6. So so happy you posted! The egg colors are so gorgeous... as is your book cover. I must ask, is the chicken house heated in the winter? I guess chickens have been fine without heat for years and years living in barns and chicken houses. You know, I've never used tarot cards, but I think I'm going to give it a try. How will you make your rosehips jewelry? Will you dry them first? You really inspire me, and I hope you post more. Your posts are not only lovely and inspiring, but very calming too.

    xo
    dulcy

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    1. Thanks, Dulcy! No heat in the coop but it's a sturdy structure with lots of deep straw to snuggle in plus feathers and all. Tarot and/or oracle cards are such wonderful tools to dig deep, I highly recommend! The rosehips are already partially dried but still soft, perfect for stringing. Lastly, thank you for your encouraging words, means a lot.

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  7. I like the rhythm of checking on the chickens too. No eggs anymore though, my chickens are too old. Still good for the garden (fertilizer!) and good company. I've got some comfrey soaking in oil for salve making...need to do that soon.

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    1. Seeing your chickens way-back-when inspired and motivated me more than you know, it only took me about 10 years to manifest the dream! We are some comfrey-loving women, I tell you. You, Dee, me -- who else?

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  8. Peggy!!!! I love when you post here. I agree with Axey, your blog home is a calm in the storm. The eggs are beautiful and I love the clooties! What great rituals and traditions you've got going here. I can imagine the rose hips as winter decorations, strung together like that! I've been thinking of you recently, even pulling out my moon phases card...I so grateful to see you here :)

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    1. Nancy!!!! Thanks so much -- yes, the rose hips strung on a strand would be beautiful. We'll see how long it gets with what I have left. I think about you, too, my friend.

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  9. What a beautiful post-your life and your art so intertwined! It just makes me feel happy and calm and peaceful to read it!

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    1. Thank you, Janet -- I so appreciate your very kind words!

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  10. How wonderful your post is, I would love the recipe using rose geraniums! I love scented geraniums and have been growing them for about 15 years

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    1. Thanks, Susan! I hope you like the recipe:

      Rose Geranium Raspberry Liqueur
      4 half pints raspberries (or blackberries)
      1 c. rose geranium leaves
      4 c. vodka
      1/2 c. white wine
      1 c. sugar
      1/2 c. water
      Combine the berries, geranium leaves, vodka and wine in a large jar w/tight-fitting cover. Place in a cool, dark place to steep for 1 month. Crush the berries slightly with a wooden spoon or potato masher and steep for another 4 days. Strain the liquid, pressing as much juice as possible from the berries, then filter. Boil the sugar and water together in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved, cool, then gradually stir into the liqueur, tasting as you go (I put it all in). When the liqueur has reached the desired level of sweetness, bottle and age for an additional 3 weeks in a cool, dark place.

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  11. your Beauty Full world is so Beauty FULL...i smile at your
    ChickenLove...they are great, aren't they.

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    1. Thank you so much, Grace -- yes, they are the best. I had no idea the love and affection they bring out in people!

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  12. I so enjoy your posts, always something new to learn and lovely photos too!

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    1. Thank you, ARTISUN -- I so enjoy doing this!

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