In this life, we get as we give.

I have recently discovered our purpose here! Are you ready for this mind-blowing tidbit?! We are all here to GIVE! We are here to share our hearts with strangers and with good friends, to reach out to people who need, and to forgive and show mercy over and over again. We are here to love.

With that in mind, it is easy to see how busy one small life can be! I used to be bored, trying to think of something I could do that would bring me satisfaction. I was dying to know happiness by trying to GET for myself when all I needed to do was GIVE to other people. This new discovery has opened me up to a place of peace. I'm not bored anymore! I am always looking for opportunities to help, to share and to forgive! Phew! How busy I am! In case you haven't noticed, the opportunities to show love are endless!

Even more amazing is the faith that comes with giving. According to Peace Pilgrim, "All good efforts bear good fruit". Sometimes we don't see the fruit of our labor but we must know that the fruit is there! It may be hiding in a place we're not looking or even in a place we are incapable of seeing.

We each have much potential every second of every day to make peace, give hope, and to show kindness! Love to you all!

My Piece of Peace

Yesterday, I went for an hour break away from the demands of being a mom. Within the hour, I rode my bike to a nearby park with lots of space and found a spot of my own where I could be left alone. It seems like it has been years since I last felt peaceful. But I finally found my piece of peace.

Here's a poem or blurb or whatever I wrote about my moment: 

My Piece of Peace

I lay my back upon the earth and feel the damp of the ground beneath me.

When my eyes are open, the leaves of a maple tree are dancing in the breeze.

The air's movement through the leaves reminds me of my inner calm.

I let my eyelids gently shut to focus in on the sound.

It is then I also hear a bird chirping playfully in a nearby tree.

In that moment my muscles loosen in my face, at my arms, and along my neck.

I had since forgotten to enjoy my moments awake.

This minute is slow, uncalculated, gentle.

I can sense my heart easing up, putting to rest its most recent pains.

There is only me, a soul, listening in on nature's shameless story.

Thanks for reading! 

Arlo Mack Slakey

So, here's the little man we met on his first day in the world we know. Arlo Mack Slakey was born June 16, 2014 at 9:32am. He was 7 lbs. 15 oz. and 21 inches long. I am writing this post now when he is two weeks and two days old!!!

 This picture is of Arlo when he was about 5 or 6 months along in the womb.

A lot has happened since Arlo joined the "outside" world. Within just a few days of being here, he went to the doctor to get his bilirubin levels checked, since we were concerned he was jaundiced. The good news was his bilirubin levels were quite fine, but the bad news was the doc wanted to draw some blood from Arlo to see that his red blood cell count was at a safe level since his color could be pretty red at times. It turns out, his RBC count was pretty high meaning his blood was pretty sludgly and thick, and they wanted Arlo back in the next day for another blood draw to keep a close eye on him. When we returned the next day, his RBC count was even higher and the doctor was talking about doing a partial exchange transfusion on Arlo if his RBC count was still higher the next day when he was scheduled to have another blood draw. His blood draw the next day showed the RBC count had dropped significantly - PHEW! 

Soon after Arlo's check-ups were over, I (Kareena) started feeling under the weather. I was running a fever and had excessive tenderness in my breast and had only thought it was due to engorgement. I woke up one night with the chills and thought "this can't be good" but figured I would be better by morning. I was wrong. My fever climbed and climbed and I ended up going to the ER to be diagnosed with what I suspected to be mastitis. I was right. I was prescribed antibiotics, a nausea medication since I was feeling quite nauseated and told to take Tylenol to regulate the fever. The worst temperature I had was the next day when I went to my primary care physician for a follow-up on the mastitis. My fever was 103.3 degrees fahrenheit and I was dragging some serious booty. The nurses were alarmed that my fever had hit 103 since I had taken it that morning and it was only 102. My heart rate was 146 bpm and my blood pressure was 142/80. The nurse who took my vitals was telling me "It's no wonder you feel like poop".

Next, the primary care physician recommended I have a blood culture done and that I go immediately to the Salem Hospital imaging department to have an ultrasound done on my breast to make sure there wasn't an abscess. She suspected a possible abscess since I hadn't started feeling better yet on the antibiotics and symptoms still seemed to be worsening. It was at this point that I called my mom and Matt to come and help me. I had Arlo and Kaya all on my own all this time and had absolutely no energy to care for either of them. Matt took the rest of the day off, and my mom dropped everything she had planned to meet me at the hospital and help take care of Kaya. She brought dinner, too, thank goodness. It had turned out to be a very long day and Matt and I needed all the help we could get.  The ultrasound provided much relief - no abscess. I was expected to start feeling better very soon, too, since the antibiotics kick in somewhere within 48 hours after beginning the round.

After that long couple of days, things got better in terms of everybody's health. I finally felt like I was getting better the next morning after the ultrasound. I could move around without feeling like I was going to faint and I could see the light at the end of the tunnel!!! 

Now, the hardship is dealing with the emotions that Kaya has since Arlo was born. We were definitely prepared for a transitional period for all of us, but I think Kaya has been the most in shock. She really misses having her way and getting all the attention she asks for. She shows extreme frustration when she needs something at the same time Arlo does and sees that Arlo wins out (because he's eating or sleeping or crying). It has been extremely difficult to meet everyone's needs, especially my own, since Arlo was born. At the very least I can say we're all alive! At least the mastitis has cleared up and we know Arlo doesn't need a blood transfusion! At least, with time, we will get past whatever current hardships we're in and be greeted with fresh ones that challenge us in a different way. 

Love to all! I'm sorry to those of you I have not been in touch with frequently. Soon we'll start to normalize and get back in touch with the rest of the world. Peace!

My, how times have changed!

It looks like the last post we made was when we were still on the road. Too much has happened since then. We aren't on the road anymore, although we all know we're already itching to get back on it. We had moved across the US back to Sacramento in hopes of buying a home there and settling down but home prices in California proved to be out of our range. Hence, we moved to Salem, Oregon and bought a house. Hah! I guess you can say the wind blew us in this direction. Here's a pic of Silver Falls State Park. Been there - love it! We'll be back there again soon.

We've been in Salem now since July 2013 and the big news is we're having a second kid! We won't know the sex of the baby until he or she is born so we use the term "Baby X" to refer to him or her. Baby X is due June 10, 2014! Kaya is now potty training and saying words like "Whoa," "Ow," "Wow," "Girl," "Ball," and "Milk". She also blows kisses, gives hugs, draws, dances, and spends time reading with us.

We acquired a cat who is eight years old and goes by the name of Ollie. I like having him around so I can cuddle with him while Kaya naps in the middle of the day, but he's an all-day long cuddler. Sometimes I find myself wishing he weren't so cuddly so that I could read to Kaya without having a cat and a human on my lap as well as a baby growing in my belly all at the same time. Days can be daunting, to say the least.

Matt works as a locksmith full time and he's a real trooper. He comes home to a stressed out wife occasionally and still manages to be supportive and helpful even though his day may have been just as stressful. The man is a blessing.

We don't have any "exciting" plans to travel as of now, but we intend to vacation soon at least. Our latest dreams involve setting ourselves up financially to be able to go on the road again, which means generating enough cash flow (without jobs) to cover our desired and necessary expenses. Here's to looking to the future and living in the present! Cheers! 

  

Big Springs,TX to Red Hill NM

On Sunday the 26th of May we left Dallas for Big Springs, TX. We stayed the night in a free camping spot a short bit off of  the freeway. A woman named June and her friend, Bud, greeted us in the morning with coffee and pancakes. The two  of them were super friendly. Bud, however, mentioned several times that he hated the places we were going to or coming from. He especially dislikes Tucson... And California... Hehehe.

Well we're now "stationed", if I may, in Red Hill, NM on 40 acres with a family of five. They hunt elk, antelope, and deer as well as go fishing. They also raise chickens and rabbits which they slaughter themselves. We eat very well here. Our first night we had bbq pork ribs, homemade baked beans, and mashed potatoes. Another night we had cornbread, more bbq pork (not ribs), asparagus, and fish that had been caught that day. Pretty awesome. I am glad to say that I haven't seen a slaughtering yet but I imagine I ought to see it at some point if I'm supposed to know how to do it...

The living quarters are completely off-the-grid. The family made up a trailer for us which is quite comfortable but Matt and I have already lived off-the-grid before and already know we'd rather be in a more established home of our own; we'd like to have power and running water. We're learning lots by being here: things we want to do when we have our own land and things we don't want to do. Taking care of the animals is entertaining and it's fun to do first thing before eating breakfast or even having tea. Things that we find not fun - living without wind break in a dusty environment, living where the sun burns you in a second, living where there's a bunch of items all over the place. It looks trashy, but it doesn't seem to bother the farmers. They hold on to everything and try to reuse it all which I commend, but I think the items are a major eye sore. A huge reason I'd like to live on land is to SEE the land and enjoy the beauty of it all.

Excited to get home to Sacramento. We're here in NM until June 18th, and then we head over to Tucson. Nothing farm-related happening there, just a fun family gathering. Lastly, (cue the snare drum roll, please!) we go home. Home, sweet home!!! I miss the weather, the friends and the family that await me. Kaya misses home too, I think. She could use to stay in one place again, although I don't think she's been harmed throughout the adventure. She's having a bit of a hard time now because she caught a cold in Dallas and at the same time has three, yes, THREE teeth about to come out all in a row. OY!!! Needless to say, this all could have happened back home. It would have been easier to handle in the comfort of our home in downtown Sacramento. We'll see what the next few weeks bring!

Camping is AWESOME!

Well, howdy! Yesterday morning I woke up to the sound of a mocking bird and a babbling creek! The three of us spent the night at a campground in Hot Springs, AR. We got in around 4:30pm and set up the tent just in time before it started to pour on us. The evening was spent in the tent eating salad and cheese and crackers. When we had finished eating our salads, there was some left over oil and vinegar dressing in the bowls, which Kaya felt was necessary to stick her hand in, swipe up some with her fingers, and then stuff her whole hand in her mouth. I guess she wanted to taste the flavor of the dressing some more. She did this over and over again. Hah! I got a kick out of it.

The night was gorgeous with the rain pounding on the tent. However, sleep was a bit rough. Matt and I meant to find some foam padding and a few blankets and sheets at a thrift store before we camped but haven't been able to find any. At the moment, we have a single sleeping pad that we have for underneath Kaya at night and two sleeping bags. Without foam padding for all of us, Matt and I slept on clothes and sleeping bags. It was nearly comfortable enough but we could still feel the occasional rock or root. However, Kaya slept really well with the exception of being jolted awake a bit in the beginning of the night by loud rolling thunder and flashes of lightning.

Last night we got to Dallas to visit my brother, Johnny. After a few days with him, we'll be leaving to volunteer on another farm except this one is in New Mexico. We have a relatively short commitment with the farm because we have a family reunion to go to in Tucson, AZ June 20th. The farm is called Nyn Acres. It should be a very different experience than the last farm because they raise chickens and rabbits for meat, have on-going building/fencing projects, keep horses, and raise pigs. From what we've gathered the family that runs the farm seems friendly.

One more quick note: Two days ago we went "walking in Memphis".... Hehehe.

Just another post. Just another day.

We've been visiting with family for the last few days and have enjoyed our time. Saturday, we headed for Sikeston, MO to fix up a house that my dad and cousin own. It is a property that they went in on together as an investment and they could use the help getting it in condition to either sell or rent out. We'll only be here tidying up for a few days and then we plan on hitting the road again towards the west. Matt mentioned recently that he's itching to get back to California so we can get started experimenting with our own farm plans.

We've had a hard time finding farms on the way back home that have room for extra WWOOFers in the middle of the season. This whole trip has turned out to be very different from what we had originally planned but I dare say we're going with  the flow. ;) We're at least doing things that we value a lot; spending time with family we rarely see; volunteering our time and energy to those who need it; and taking a lot of time to plan for what to do next. One of the hardest parts of it all has been making sure we spend the money we have slowly enough. We're living off of about $500/month at the moment so gas for driving back home and food are all we care to spend our money on. Another hard part is actually having a little too much down time. Funny, right? It's all the more a reminder to search for a nice balance between working too much or hardly working at all.

I think with having a one year-old, we have a lot of down time during all of her naps. We don't have a home or even own very much so there isn't much that needs doing while Kaya sleeps. However, we can read, talk or do other low-key activities in the meantime. I'd really like to be more active which is why working on this house at the moment is pretty nice. Then again, like Matt,  I am itching to head west. I can't really  put my finger on it but I feel like there's still an adventure in the very near future just waiting to pop out at us. We had a lot invested in this trip emotionally. We left the security of both job and home and a multitude of friends and family behind to do this and it doesn't feel quite right yet. I have missed family and friends most (although, I do get to see some family on this trip), yet I could still do without the job and home part of it all. Ok, that's it. Bye for now. =)

We can change the world...

...by living simply; by sharing what we have with those who have not. I am encouraged to write this post to share with you about a book I've checked out from the library. It's called "Living Simply With Children". I came across it while walking Kaya around the first time we visited the library in Eureka Springs, AR. I recommend it to anybody who wants to learn how to downshift as the author, Marie Sherlock, would say and simplify their lives. The title makes you think it's all about raising your kids with a simplistic lifestyle, but it really applies to anyone. The reason I'm recommending the book is because it awakened in me a compassion for the rest of the world that I haven't felt since I was maybe nine or ten years old. Do you remember when you wanted to save the world and make it a better place? I do but I have long since become more focused on myself and my wants and needs. Anyway, I'll leave it to you to decide whether you're interested in reading it because I have other news which requires mention.

We're going to leave Arkansas for various reasons in search of new farms to volunteer on or even just tour. This farm is successful and has lots to teach us but we were expecting a certain philosophy that is not here. We were under the impression this farm was following Masanobu Fukuoka's methods of spreading seed pellets and not tilling the soil like what we read about in "One Straw Revolution". Fukuoka's methods are as nature-aligned as we've heard about, but the farm we're at now only uses parts of Fukuoka's practices. However, this doesn't mean we're done with our adventure. We may not be able to find a farm that is 100% Fukuoka-style so we might just have to start that up on our own and learn as we go. We also realized that we might not want to sell vegetables at farmers' markets after all because the amount of labor and resources that are used to produce them doesn't seem worth the return we would get. Instead, we're thinking of having a homestead where we have chickens, goats and bees. We would raise the chickens, sell their eggs, breed them for selling meat, and harvest honey from the bees. We're really interested in bees to begin with and we have some experience with chickens and goats already. The goats would mostly be for our own benefit to have access to dairy. Also, for our own benefit we would like to keep a garden with fruits and veggies farmed Fukuoka-style.

We're headed out of Arkansas and into Missouri to visit relatives starting next Saturday (the 18th). Shortly after that, Kaya turns one!!! We plan to head in the direction of Tucson by car for a family get-together in late June. There's a farm nearby Tucson that we're considering touring in the meantime. Well that's all for now, folks!

Ps - "Living Simply With Children" has its flaws - the author, who is American, judges Americans quite harshly. However, I do believe every country should seriously take a hard look at what it stands for once in a while. ;)

Week 1

We've been in Arkansas for less than a week but it feels like longer. The first night we arrived, it rained and the "summer cabin" that the farmer saved for us proved to be more of a shack than a cabin. It consists of a frame covered with wood boards halfway up from the ground and the rest is covered with tarp or clear plastic. There is, however, a roof made of tin that is water-tight. It was a very cold night and I was very thankful for having packed my zero degree sleeping bag. Kaya had to sleep in the bag with me (Kareena). By the way, I am currently unable to sign into my gmail because my dinky phone is on the fritz and would not receive the text message that I needed to sign in verifying it is actually me logging in). The cabin has two twin size beds in it raised on platforms made of crates.  The beds are nailed to the walls/frames so we can't push them together.  I am more concerned with the fact that Kaya could roll off the bed if she weren't in the sleeping bag, so at the moment, Matt and I are considering opting for our tent instead of the cabin.  Also, the cabin smells of a porta-potty. To paint a prettier picture for everyone, our dear friend the tick, is prominent where we are as well. It may be important to say at this time that we are not miserable. We hardly spend time in the cabin and enjoy the freedom of our schedule.  We work (or Matt works and I take care of Kaya when she needs a nap) Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8a-12p.  We have Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for doing whatever we want, although we can go to the farmer's markets on three of those days. We have access to all the farm vegetables and some staples so we've been eating LOTS of swiss chard, spinach, onion, rice, beans, tomato and pasta. There is a store about 4 miles away that we can get a lift to for other food we're interested in.  Needless to say, we've already been to the store for a little more variety.  We purchased some fruit for Kaya as well as oatmeal.  Funny side note - Matt and I woke up one morning (before we bought oatmeal) and cooked up what we thought was steel-cut oats. It turned out to be raw buckwheat and left me wanting for a warm bowl of oatmeal instead.

I have much more to say but my ride back to town has joined us at the library.  We're thinking of getting a cheap car to get to the city from the farm and for our upcoming trips across the states again for visits with family and friends. We'll keep you posted, but know that we're having quite a good time learning about no-till farming and meeting new people. We'll just have to keep peeling the ticks off for now. ARGH! Love to all.  Pics next time!

Off we go!

Left Sacramento yesterday morning at around 8:30am.  Had a snafu renting the vehicle so we got a bit later of a start than we would have liked.  However, we managed to get into Salem, OR by 6:30pm. We were instantly greeted with homemade spaghetti, which my mom had prepared with love. ;) It was a nice comfort food after a long day on the road with an 11 month old kid. Kaya was quite happy most of the way to Salem, but the last three or so hours of our trip dragged on and on and on and on and.... well you get the point.

Since we arrived here, we've been eating well, chillin' with good company, jammin' on guitar, and resting up for tomorrow's plane trip to Fayetteville, AR. Can't wait to see what we're in for once we get there!

Until the next post.... (when things should be a li'l more interesting). Thanks for reading!  

Off to Arkansas April 27th!

Alright, so here's the deal.  If you've followed our blog, you know by now how much Matt and I crave to live a "down-to-earth" lifestyle.  For the last year or so, we've been trying to get into WWOOFing. WWOOF stands for Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms and it is an organization that connects farmers who need/want help to people who are interested in learning about farming.  All the while, the majority of host farms provide food and shelter to the volunteer interns.

So Matt and I have been looking and looking within the USA on the WWOOF website, and finally got in touch with a farmer in Arkansas who puts to practice Masanobu Fukuoka's philosophy of farming.  Fukuoka does not believe in tilling the soil at any point in the farming process.  He also avoids use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.  Needless to say, Foundation Farm in Arkansas is the perfect match for us in that it follows all of these principles.  In addition the farmer, Patrice, is connected with two farmer's markets nearby and has a farm school with the intention of training people like Matt and myself who want to own a small-scale farm of their own in the near future. Patrice runs an organic vegetable farm which consists of approximately 60 rows.

You might be curious as to why we want this so much.  Matt has already given notice with his job at Aerojet as manufacturing engineer and everybody in his workplace has been surprised to say the least at our decision to up and leave.  At the same time, many people seem inspired.  We hear a lot of comments like "It takes a lot of guts to do what you're doing. So you're selling all your stuff?!  Why do you want to leave a stable job and be a farmer?"  It's not easy to put into words why we like the idea of farming.  I know that there is a lot to learn about the outdoors and I've always been one to explore.  Matt is, indeed, an explorer as well and we all know at Kaya's age she is quite interested in finding out what's around the corner. I don't mean to offend when I say I find the white-collar lifestyle we live now to be stagnant and dull. I feel privileged but not in a good way. I feel spoiled. I look at other countries and see the differences in their lifestyles and ours and become - to put it bluntly - disgusted with myself.  I instantly think "how is it that I have so much excess when there are people everywhere around me who actually need?"

In leaving for Arkansas, we are cleansing ourselves of all our needless belongings.  I must say, however, that we are storing a few items at my mom's house because they are items we find extremely hard to part with.  For example, we're not keeping our Wii or most of our clothes, but we're keeping pictures we have yet to digitize of our childhood and our parents' childhood. There are items we are emotionally tied to and it actually brings us to tears to think of not having them anymore.  Anyway, we're not taking much to Arkansas with us because we want to be free of things.  We want to travel light and only seek comfort in the companionship of each other and those around us.  We want to comfort ourselves by witnessing firsthand what it means to give without wanting in return.

Well that's all I'm up for writing right now.  Please comment on our post if you have questions or concerns.  We look forward to sharing adventurous stories with you VERY soon!

Things I hope I never forget

Kaya:

your baby laugh
your toothless and your two-toothed grin
your warm tiny hands

how my thumb fits into the palm of your hand
how you hold my thumb with your hand
how you cuddle into my side to fall asleep at night and sometimes for naps

how you reach over to me when you aren't asleep at my side to get closer
how you cry in protest when you see me leaving after you've just about drifted off to sleep
how you fall asleep while I'm holding you

how you brush the inside of my arm gently with the back and front of your hand as you nurse
the way you put your hands together when I clap and say "yay!" to you
how you try to put leaves in your mouth
how you "fake" laugh before a bit of root vegetables is spooned into your mouth

how you smile at Winnie the Pooh when I sing the "Winnie the Pooh" song
how you laugh when daddy holds you and lightly bounces with you in his arms
how you stare at me as you try to fall asleep

how sometimes when you're staring at me and you notice me smiling, you slowly crack a smile
how when you saw Misha you would kick your legs and breathe fast in excitement
how you kiss me with your mouth open wide
how when I'm holding you, your head sometimes clunks into my chest tiredly

These are the things I hope I never forget because they are things that bring me peace and happiness!
Love you, Kaya!

the life of a mom

I am thinking these days of what it means to be a mom.  A bit of reflection has brought me to the conclusion that I have a hard time being anything BUT a mom.  I no longer sing in the choir that I enjoy so much, I no longer run with my hands free (literally and I guess I could say metaphorically as well), and every "break" I take from watching my girl I think about how she's doing and wonder if she's okay.  I have, however, recently agreed to join a soccer team which is a huge step towards finding a long lost part of me.  Before having a child, soccer and music were what defined me.  Now, with little interaction in either hobby, I am left with living for somebody else and finding ways to define myself through other actions.

I don't mean for this post to sound as if I don't appreciate my life as a mom, but I believe all moms realize sooner or later they have a hard time being anything outside of a mom. I love Kaya more than words can say and at the same time I love the freedom I felt without the responsibility of watching out for my baby.  My point is, I've cast aside all other things that defined me since becoming a mom and I am scared to know that I will probably have to find more to be than a mom when Kaya is all grown up.  How will I do that?  After many years of having dedicated my heart and soul to her, how will I be able to be anything other than a mom?

Another thing, I do not discredit what it means to be a mom.  I don't mean to say "other than a mom" as an insult or to sound as if I mean "just a mom".  Being a mom means the world to me and I have never felt more like a woman than I do now, protecting my young and showing her how to live freely and peacefully.  I'm undoubtedly honored.  Even so, there is still a lingering anguish, knowing I have been other things in the past and that I loved being those things.  And I lament over having lost those parts of me, at least for the time being.  I want so badly to balance my past self with my current self and feel it is impossible.

One of the most intriguing parts of being a mom I have discovered is that sometimes I feel more alone than I have ever felt before.  Odd, because we have new life around!  But, friends I think or thought I had lose touch, people who I used to understand, I don't understand anymore and similarly, people I didn't understand before, I understand better now.  But in all the day-to-day of raising Kaya, I somehow never see anybody, let alone talk to anybody.  There are days I feel like I might as well have not even said a word.  The world we live in can be so strange.  We spend all of our time getting through the day so we can hurry up and get to the next.  I am upset that I don't get to be a family with Matt.  He works more than 40 hours a week and misses a lot of the things that Kaya and I do together.  I'm afraid he may miss hearing her first word, or seeing her really crawl for the first time, or walk even. I don't understand how we (as a people) have allowed ourselves to let life pass us by.  Why do we live in a system where we are stuck doing the same thing every day? Aren't we meant to be travelers? If we were travelers, we would find a way to eat and make shelter because our lives depended on it yet we do the same thing now as stationary workers.  Our lives depend on how much work we put out, but we're bored and we never spend time with the people we care about.  Since becoming a mom, I don't want to settle for less.  I want to be a family who travels and works together to make ends meet.  Anyway, I have much more on my mind and plenty more to say, but I don't know how to say it anymore and it feels all jumbly.  If you've made it this far in my post, thanks for reading and I hope I haven't disturbed your peace.  Every once in a while, I need to write my frustrations down so I can figure out what to do next.  So, that is all.

Until next time, everybody!

Seed choice

The garden is doing pretty well this year. I have about 200 lbs. of veggies. I spent about $40 for supplies this year. That puts the cost per pound at $0.20. Not too bad. I still have a  lot to pick. I have a volunteer pumpkin that is slowly taking over the yard! With the addition of Kaya, I've been too busy to be putzing outside much.

Also some good news: the chickens are laying eggs. Well, one chicken lays eggs, one has yet to produce. But 9 chickens, 4 years, and 2 states later we had an egg! Per cost on that first egg would be astronomical, maybe around $150. But each eggs brings that number down. We are up to 12 eggs. We also found out we had a rooster and two hens.

We released the rooster in a rooster-friendly part of town. It was pretty entertaining to watch all the roosters intimidate the new guy.

What do I want to eat next year? I plan on using all seeds for cost reasons. I also want to use natural, organic, and non-genetically modified seed. Based on this year's crop and what time of year we will move into the new house, I want to grow the following:

• Tomatoes - no cherry tomatoes, I've saved some seed from two big mutants this year. One was doing something like a Fibonacci helix.
• bell peppers - not much came from these this year so I'll try to have more next year.
• hot peppers - jalapeno, serrano, poblano
• summer squash - zuch, crookneck maybe - I lost track of these this year and too many got BIG
• cucumber - pickling kind - I made 1 jar of good pickles this year
• beans - string,  black, or pinto beans 
• melon - water, and maybe a John Bidwell Casaba that my great great grandfather developed!
• basil - hard to have too much basil
• rosemary
• oregano
• mint
• corn - I saved the only three ears I got and plan on replanting those
• rice - my family has a rice farm outside of town. I'd like to try doing the Fukuoka method where you don't have standing water.
• strawberries

And depending on space:

• apple
• blueberry
• peach
• apricot
• plum
• onion
• potato

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed has a seed variety pack with many of these seeds in there.

That should cover summer pretty well.

Things I've learned from gardening this year:

• Move the garden and chickens as close to the kitchen as possible
• Soaker hoses are not perfect.
• Chickens need a better watering system that the trough-resevoir bucket
• Chickens need a more reliable feeder than me
• Check to see where the sewer access is before planting
• Use more mulch
• Roosters are ornery 
• Chicken poop is great
• Chickens are great fun to watch and be around but they are (comically) stupid and messy

Kaya Juniper Slakey

Alright, so here's the news!  Kaya was born May 25, 2012 at 1:12am.  She surprised the heck out of us when she was born because we were both so sure she was going to be a boy!  So much for gut feeling, eh?  She was 8.5 pounds, 20 inches long.  Eight weeks have already gone by, yet I feel like it's been so much longer.

It can be so emotional being a parent.  I cry all the time just from knowing she's my kid.  I can't believe she's my daughter!  She's amazing and beautiful!  I cry when she's hurting or when I feel I can't help her, or when I'm happy just to see her and study her.  I cry when she calms in my arms, or when I'm overwhelmed by the loads of work to do around the house in addition to tending to her needs.

In all these moments, no matter how hard or easy, I have no regrets.  Sometimes I wish I could go back to where it was just Matt and me, because I miss what it feels like to do whatever we want, whenever we want, but then I think about Kaya and how much she means to me and I don't really want to go back.  I enjoy having her in our lives so much and I think, soon, Matt and I will be able to be just the two of us again, here and there.  Date night!  Yet, I also look forward to nights where the three of us go out together and play; kick the soccer ball around at a park, fly a kite, walk to the dog park, bike around to feel the delta breeze.  It's all so exciting!!!

Anyway, I'm cutting this blog short.  I am prepping to go to New York tomorrow with Matt and Kaya for Virginia and David's wedding! We will share the same anniversary date as them, which I think is awesome and unique.  We will never forget to say happy anniversary to them, since it will be the same date as ours.  ;)  Ta for now, Followers!

PS -  apologize for the sappiness.  I have always felt free to express myself sappily since I don't mind the potential embarrassment...  

Mr. Stork?

I don't think we've blogged about this in the past so allow me to share the news.  We're having a kid!!! We've known for more than enough time.  I'm (Kareena) almost 39 weeks along (not Matt - that'd be weird) so the kid will arrive very soon.  Well, in case you're wondering, this is a planned joy that has already changed our lives forever.

We're currently awaiting Mr. Stork with great anticipation. I look forward to meeting our child at the perfect moment whenever that moment be.  I am writing to share the emotions that I feel should be expressed during a parent's "waiting period."  For me, the waiting period began as soon as we knew we were going to have a kid.  This is the time that is exciting and unknown and filled with memories that last a lifetime.

I remember the adrenaline rush I had telling Matt we were expecting and his reaction to the news.  It's somewhat comical that even though couples plan to have children, the minute they find out it's real, it still seems unbelievable and surprising.  It took a long time to adjust to the knowledge of our inevitable change even though we certainly knew well in advance that this would be life-changing.

I vividly remember the first time Matt was able to feel the baby move.  I had been able to feel the baby for weeks but had not been able to get Matt to feel the "bumps" at the right moment.  When he was finally able to feel the baby move, I laughed excitedly and nervously.  I was so happy that he got to feel the "proof" of what I had been feeling.  Now, the baby moves all the time and Matt is sure to experience our kid's movements at any given day.  Another memorable moment was when Matt had his hand resting on the baby and it rolled a knee or foot so strongly against his hand that he exclaimed "Jesus! Was that the baby?"  I laughed loudly as I responded "Well, that certainly wasn't me."

The general feeling over these last nine months has been that of pure elation.  We hear a lot of warnings and advice from friends about the trials of parenthood, which is expected, but we like to keep in mind that our upcoming challenges will be viewed as a long string of adventures, guaranteed to push us to the limit as well as create the greatest sense of accomplishment.  We trust that we will be loving, patient, and empathetic parents, learning many lessons along the way.  So bring it on, Mr. Stork!  We're willing and ready!

farm plans

I have com up with a plan for the garden for next year. My goal is to have a no-till, no chemicals, low water use, and economical garden.

No-till can be difficult with lot of Bermuda Grass and other inedible weedy plants. I am going to lay down carpet and burlap for 6-8 weeks as a weed killer. I chose carpet and burlap after talking with a farmer, Les, of Offerings From the Land Farm. He has found it to be a barrier that kills the weeds and weed seeds but not the beneficial organisms in the soil unlike plastic sheeting which kills everything. After those 6-8 weeks I plan on checking the progress. If the weeds seem to be gone, I'll spread the accumulated kitchen compost and lay down a bunch of mulch ( I figure I'll need about 20 yards) and cover it up again for another few weeks. I plan to get the mulch from SMUD's free mulch program as well as neighbors' yard waste piles. I'll start the cover-up after I harvest the winter squash, if there are any!

No chemicals is kind of a grey area. No miracle-grow or "enhanced" potting soil is pretty easy. But there are undoubtedly chemicals in the carpet I plan to use from cleaning or just the material itself. Burlap, a carpet alternative, seems a better option and I've been saving the burlap scraps from work. (ACE sells burlap bags that get wrapped in....burlap!) But the wrappers and scraps are few. Carpet seems way easier to get and comes in big sizes. Another possible chemical source is the yard waste of neighbors and SMUD's mulch (which comes from the whole city). Since the mulch is free and I don't have the money to spend on 20 yards of untreated mulch, SMUD's mulch will have to do.

Low water use will mostly be solved by ollas. I plan to experiment and have them spaced every 3-6 feet about 100 total. Acquiring the ollas seems to be the biggest issue. I can either make or buy them. The cheapest I've found is $20, not good. The team at Global Buckets has come up with an automatic watering olla which involves terra cotta pots and silicon caulking. The caulking doesn't seem great (not chemical free), but I need to research the caulking or find a safer alternative. Making the ollas would be more time consuming but I might be able to recruit some help from my mom, an artist of all types. The other olla-like option I've contemplated is a clay pipe. This would be nice because it would reduce cost and increase plants. There would be less plumbing to maintain the water level and to pipe water out to the plants. The only problem is finding the right type of pipe (unglazed and porous). To get the ollas/pipe in the ground they say to dig to bury it. In order not to dig, I will probably just lay out the watering system between the first and second cover-ups, burring it in mulch, and let the organic matter break down around it.

As far as economics go, I plan to minimize the spending by starting with seeds and getting as much stuff for free as possible, like the mulch and the carpet, and keeping the water bill low. The main expenses will be the clay pots or pipe, the plumbing for the watering system, the seeds, and improving the fence to make human entry easier and dog entry harder.

What to plant is the next challenge.

The Latest

Howdy folks! I haven't posted a blog in a few days so I thought I would keep you updated on the stance of the living situation.

We still don't have electricity or running water. We could use the propane to have a working fridge, but we have an ice chest that has been serving purposefully just fine. The reason we still don't have electricity is because we're waiting for ONE stinkin' piece to set up the solar panels. Once we get the pole mount we can set it all up and watch our online shows, blog without paying for coffees/teas every time, and be more consistent with checking our email. We currently check email at coffee shops or in the car either using the car battery or while the engine is running (on the move, of course). We never drained the battery fully, thank goodness. That would be horrible - another stranded situation just like when the truck got stuck in the mud, really.

Running water continuously proves to be a challenge off-the-grid. We've gone through so many different ideas as to what our options are and I'm still unclear as to which option sounds best. We haven't acted on any of these plans. At this point, we might not even need to set up running water. We've made it almost a solid month without a hook-up and it doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore to try and get it. (The real life saver here is the fact that we have gym memberships and can shower regularly there). Dishes aren't too challenging without running water, especially when one limits themselves to only one bowl, plate, fork, knife and spoon to use. Dishes don't pile up here at The Lair. (Yay)! As for laundry - we can plug the tub, put the clothes in, add some water from our five gallon jugs we have, pour in a little borax and step all over the clothes to slosh it around and work it. =) Basically the same method for rinsing, minus the borax. Drying the clothes happens by hanging the clothes out on the line between the rent-a-fence panels. No electricity needed! We have yet to try this method.... I trust it should work mostly fine, though! I aim to try the method very soon as our laundry basket is near full.

The situation with the toilet is a little bit disheartening. We have to drain the tank which is approximately 25 gallons into a portable sewer tank and then haul it over to a KOA campground to rid of it. It's just not something we consider fun. This is my least favorite part about not having running water AND being off-grid.

The dogs love the property. They don't care about the ticks crawling on them, but we do. The last thing I did this morning before I left to walk to the truck was pull a female tick off of Axel's cheek. I screamed with disgust as I pulled it off and threw it on the ground. It's abdomen was so huge. We had tried to pull it off with tweezers last night but Axel wasn't having it. The tweezers kept slipping off the tick and we would only end up pulling Axel's skin really hard on accident. Poor guy. Thus, I used my bare hands this morning. Yuck!!!!

Just Another Day

As Uncle Rick would say, "Never a dull moment" out at the ranch. Just finished a post yesterday, but I have to write again today. My pick-up got stuck in the mud. I had been on my way out to pick up Matt from work in Davis when it happened. In the first place, on my way in to the ranch earlier in the day I came in on a road that has several dips and it was scary. The dips are such that you have to really slow down the vehicle when you go over them so you don't bottom out. In the rainy condition, however, it's very hard to maneuver them because you also have to give a little gas to get through them once you're in them. I made it through that part. The doom settled over me when I was on my way out to pick up Matt. I was taking a different route since I was afraid of the dips in the other route when my tires started to spin and I was getting nowhere. When I first realized I had been slowing down even though I hadn't released any pressure on the gas pedal, I kept repeating to myself in my head "Just keep going. Steady pedal. Don't stop. Come on! Come on! Come on!" I'm sure my face was wincing with my last threads of hope when the truck continuously slowed to a dreadful stop. Dead end.

My most immediate thought was to get out of the truck and see how stuck I was. I hopped out of the truck into the slop (in my new rain boots) to survey the situation. Not bad. Maybe if I give it a right good shove or two.... or five... I put the truck in neutral and solely tried to heave it forward but to no avail. The truck had rocked three inches forward as I pushed, yet rolled back those three inches when I stopped. I tried to use the rocking to my advantage and gave up after realizing all I was doing was possibly denting the tailgate.

My next stop - call Mom for moral support. She answered and I asked trying to keep a steady voice, "So, what do you do to get your car out of stuck mud?" She had plenty of experience getting stuck in the mud in her time and instructed me to find some wood and try to get some traction on the tires. She said to call Bob and Robyn for help, firstly. Her biggest concern was my safety and she requested that I stay in the truck (after attempting to get it unstuck) with the doors locked while I wait for help. After hanging up with my mom, embarrassed, I called Bob and Robyn. Robyn answered and told me she was having Sarah, Tim and Will over for dinner. I almost didn't tell her my situation because I didn't want to ruin her nice evening. Knowing I needed help, I proceeded by mumbling, "So, would now be an inconvenient time to tell you that I'm stuck in the mud?" Her answer was quick and calm. "No." Within a short minute, we had hung up and she was on her way to meet me and AAA over at the ranch while Bob would pick up Matt from work.

After several attempts to run the tires over some wood that I had retrieved from The Lair, I realized I wasn't going to get out of this mess alone. The tires were only making an awful sound rubbing the edge of the wood pieces because I couldn't get them under the tires enough. I tried rocking back and forth with wood in front of and behind the affected tire. I could rock, but that was it. I wasn't getting anywhere but deeper into the muck. Defeated, I ceased my fruitless attempts and sat in the safely-locked truck in self pity. The night before had been a rough one. We hadn't slept well because of the gusts of wind rocking the trailer. The weather had been so bad that we would be woken up from being rocked in our sleep. The Lair was being hit by the wind on the broadside and I had difficulty returning to a sound slumber after thinking we may well tip over. The following morning, we found that our truck bed liner which we had removed for camper shell purposes had been blown 44 paces into a rice check. A rent-a-fence had been shoved from a square shape into an inward-collapsed shape. Two of the panels had shifted maybe ten feet from where they were originally. Lastly, our worm bin lid had flown off into the rice checks as well even after we had placed our tire snow chains on top to weigh it down. Needless to say, my last 24 hours had been a bit rough and I was indeed feeling very sorry for myself as I sat in the truck flustered.

Robyn and my Mom were frequently in touch with me as I waited for help. AAA and Robyn soon arrived and my hopes rose. Robyn informed me that we were welcome to stay the night over at her's and Bob's place to decompress from the day and the weather should we want to. As she was on the phone with me, the AAA guy was letting Robyn know that he didn't have the right truck to get me out of the mud. He didn't have mud tires and he was certain his truck would get stuck in the mud as well. I chatted with the gentleman a few minutes and let him know I would be willing to leave the truck in the mud until the weather let up or until they had a better-equipped vehicle to help me.

As of now, the vehicle is still in the mud over at The Lair. We stayed the night at Bob and Robyn's. I slept very well being that I had a cozy, warm bed to stay in and a hard day behind me. Bob has offered to help me attach the vent cover to the trailer today as well as see me through with AAA. Amazing people, these Slakeys! We're even being chauffered around to get things taken care of. I was so glad to have had a phone to talk with people as I was feeling so down. I am so grateful for everyone who helped me out on every level. Off to The Lair!

Crazy For Feeling So Lonely!

So, sorry in advance for the tone of this blog. I can tell you right now this is getting old, yet I'm getting used to it... It's been quite an emotional ride since we've moved out to The Lair. All the little things are starting to wear on us. Ticks, dripping roof, dripping windows, lack of running water, lack of electricity, missing windows, POS parts to replace broken POS trailer parts. The only reason we keep going is because we know what this holds for us in the long term.

Maybe we haven't told you our goals yet. It's not easy to put into words why we're on this path, but when we bought the trailer I had never felt better about our decision to take the path less traveled (Thanks R. Frost). Since buying the trailer, my hopes have withered and I've doubted myself seriously. It's gotten to the point where the only thing I'm sure of in my life is my love for my family and friends and the choice I made as to who I would spend the rest of my life with. Everything else seems so uncertain.

Back on topic - why did we start this? We want freedom. We want a challenge - an adventure. In the long term, we want to be self-sustainable. We'd liked to have a home on our own decent-sized piece of land with a few dairy cows, goats, chickens, bees, and who knows what else. I often yearn for a simple life where I don't have "things" (AKA "stuff", "baggage") and remember that I have amazing love and companionship in my life. I've been so wrapped up in anger in my past that I have forgotten what it feels like to be innocent. It seems sometimes we get so tied up in the little things (i.e. details such as who ate the last cookie and who can we blame next for our pain and discomfort) that we forget to love ourselves and our friends. I am searching for the answer to true happiness. How better to find happiness than to strip yourself of all your possessions and fight for your life?

Crazy. Honestly, who WANTS to suffer? This, to me, is the ultimate test to find yourself and dig deep. We have to really push ourselves to be happy. We need to give ourselves reason to be proud and confident. I want to look back on this decision years down the road and say, "Wow - what a difference that made." Or maybe I'll say, "What a moron! That was intense and ridiculous and unnecessary!" Anyway - all joking aside - why this route? I don't know right now. It sure is something else. Hey, well at least we have something to write about, eh? Until the next CRAZY post, thanks for reading!