Home Sweet Yukon

Today's Harvest

Here is just a picture of todays harvest.  The Rhubarb got turned into 10 jars of rhubarb/strawberry jam.  The Swiss chard and  Kale got blanched and frozen for the winter.  The Zuccini will be eaten for supper and the Lettuce got washed and put in the crisper for sandwhiches or salad later. 

Boats

My kids have been really into trying to build miniture boats lately that will actually float.  They do many versions of lego boats but they all sink in the end.  They've tried all kind of femo-clay boats and have learned what shapes displace water best.  They have learned that the light density of wood or styrofoam makes good for floating but I don't like the styrofoam messes and bits of wood everywhere.  So this is what I discovered they had discovered.  Avocado peels make wonderful canoes.  They can hold several little men each and they seem rather leak proof.  Still looks like one man when for a swim.  (discovered and taken after they were in bed so I didn't get the whole story on these).

Supper's On

StarBucks Appointment

Today I am going to town to deliver a hand bag that I made day before yesterday to an old lady.  She has been by my market booth every week and has loved the Loon hand bag that I made.  She wanted to pay $75 dollars for it but when she came by yesterday, she saw a new bag that I had made and wanted that one instead.  It was a lot less detailed so I named the price at $60 and she was happy with that.  She wants to meet me for hot chocolate at Starbucks today and purchase her new bag after she gets her pension check. 

When I first met her she told me she was Norma McBean (McBane is how it is pronounced).  She gave me a little poem she had made up about saying her name properly.  So, naturally the next time I saw her, I called out, "Hello, Mrs. McBean" properly.  Well, so I thought!

"I'm not Mrs!"  she responded and I humbly apologized.  "Sorry!  Is it Ms. McBean?"

The next time I saw her I accidently called her Mrs. McBean again but was quickly corrected that she was not Mrs.   So I Quickly mended my evil habbit and politely said "Hello, Ms. McBean!"

A few days later in the 5o's Dinner where my friend took me and the boys out for french fries, in walked guess who?  "Hello, Ms. McBean!"

"I'm not Ms. McBean!  I'm Norma!"  Was her response. 

(Sigh!)  "Hello, Norma!  I've still got your handbag for you!  

"Do I know you?" 

I guess I was in the wrong context.  I was not amongst a bunch of fabrics and quilts at the farmers market.

"Yes, you know me!  You ordered a bag from me at the farmer's market! 

"Oh yes, I know!  I'm not senile you know!!!  Not yet!"

"OH yes,  I can see!"  I smiled.   "You still have all your wits about you!!" 

And I think she does!  I think maybe It's just me who can't get it straight! 

So today, I should have an interesting day meeting somebody at starbucks for hot chocolate.  I hope she shows up!  Or I hope I do!  LOL

Airplane stuff

These are just pictures of the covers and plugs that I sewed up for the airplane company where my husband works.  They are for keeping birds from making nests in the exhaust stacks and  for keeping the propeler from spinning in the wind.

The were a bit of a chore to make as they are make from very heavy duty canvas and nylon webbing.  They also needed to be a bright colour but I could only find white canvas so I had to dye it all myself before I sewed them.  They turned out not bad in the end and the company saved a lot of money and got them faster by ordering from me.   Still I got paid well and enjoyed making them.

Garden 3 Weeks into the Garden Season

Here is the garden and it is doing very well.  We are eating kale now and enjoying having fresh greens.  Zuccinis are coming on thick and furious too and we will soon be eating our fill of those (Although, I find it hard to get enough of them no matter how many we grow!)  Enjoy the pictures!

Here is my new composter which I am about to start using!  My husband built the stand and hinged the door and I cut out the door and drilled holes all over the barrel.  I hope it works well.  It rotates on the little coaster wheels that my husband attached to the stand.  Cool eh!?

Teddy bear, Teddy bear

This is a Yukon baby black bear that I finished making the other night.  He is very cute and I hope he finds a good home.  He has a little diaper  that has snaps so it can be changed whenever it is necessary!  You know!!   and he has a little pacifier to keep him happy and his own little quilt for when he is sleepy!  He just needs a mommy to adopt him.  Adoptions fees are only $60 dollars. 

I've also made a black heavy duty shopping bag at the request of some man who never came back to get it and probably won't.  Anyway,  I tried to make sure that it did not look ladyish at all.  How did I do? 

So now I'm going to go and take some pictures of my garden so you can look at that too.

Sorry for the Lack of Posting

When life becomes a rat race and so busy doing the same things week after week, you are not sure whether to post about it anymore or not.  I've been sewing, gardening and cooking meals for the family.  I've also been cooking meals for the family and gardening and sewing!!  I haven't taken pictures of everything and today my husband must have taken the camera with him because he is working on his mother's airplane.  So sorry no pictures of anything today!

This week I have another teddy bear to make, two sets of prop covers, a handbag for a friend (finished), six post cards (mostly finished), another quilt if possible, and a hand bag for an old lady that told me she didn't what to pay the price I gave her which was $50.  I asked what kind of price did she think was fair and she quickly replied,  I want to pay you $75.   LOL!  That's not what I expected but I graciously accepted the altered price.  Oh, and I also have an order for some soft baby toys.   I just have to figure out how I'm going to design these.

Well, I'm very excited to announce that my husband and I have come to an agreement that the money that I make will all go towards saving for a down payment to a home while the money he makes will all go to our living expenses.  So,  I've managed to save our first almost one thousand dollars in the first four weeks.  And things should only pick up from here, I'm hoping.  I've never worked so hard  before.  I'm just happy, orders are picking up. Now let's see if I can sew fast enough. 

My son "J" has also been sewing and he has gotten really good at it.  He has a real eye for color coordination and when he peices together a fabric post card, they have a tendency to sell first, even over mine!  I've also put him in charge of making little  tiny quilts for the teddy bears I make.  He loves doing that and I'm thinking he will be my right hand man pretty soon in the sewing business. 

"C" has shown a lot of interest in helping his dad with rebuilding his mom's airplane.  I hope that he learns a lot!   I think that will be good for him. 

Ziggy,  well I must say, he has discovered the joy of best friends.  He is completely enamored with the neighbors little girl and the play nicely together.  But he hates to see her go home in the evening and sometimes cries because we don't let him spend his entire waking hours playing with her.  (I'm sure her parents would like to see her sometimes too!)  Still, it is cute and reminds me of when I was a child and my very best friend in the whole world was my cousin, Champy!  I remember to how I would cry when he would have to leave for home and I also remember my mom telling me that his parents would probably love a chance to see him too and that truely they loved him too.  (I could not imagine that he could possibly be more loved then by me but alas, I guess he was!  Mom said so!)    

Well, that is the summary of my life as it is in the fast lane!  (That's a foriegn concept!  A fast lane in the Yukon?)

Sabbath Evening

We went for a canoe ride on a lake not far from our place.  It was absolutely beautiful and I really enjoyed it.  The only agitation is that my 3 sons don't know how to be still and quite for any length of time.  Still we did get to enjoy watching the arctic terns diving up and down from the water to the sky and back again as well as a bald eagle (I didn't get a picture of it).  There were two beautiful swans and a curious little beaver.  The scenery was gorgeous and we discovered a little log cabin on the other side of the lake which someone has obviously taken great care to build.  I wish it were mine.  And we even got to enjoy a beautiful rainbow above the mountains.  What a lovely way to end the Sabbath!

Two lovely but shy swans

awwwh!  I love, love, love the mountains!

My men!

Don't you love his black mask and orange tights.  That's our arctic tern!

Fuzzy picture of the beaver swimming

1 week into the outdoor growing season

My garden is not much to look at yet considering it has only been one week into the season for outdoor gardening but I thought I would post what the beginnings look like. 

This is one of my flower boxes put together a couple of weeks ago from bedding plants that I bought from a local greenhouse. 

This is lettuce inside my small greenhouse type shelter.  I have red luttuce and green lettuce and in the left hand bottom corner are beets just popping up.

This is my bed of purple kale, green kale, broccoli and cabbage

a greenhouse that I kind of sort of put together but it still needs some work.

Inside that greenhouse I have greenbeans yet to pop up where a dog didn't dig them out already.  Swiss chard is in the last row and doing great!  Little green oinions in the front row and some spinich which is doing nicely too.  Oh, I've also got carrots in here even though they don't need to be.

this is the greenhouse just given to me and hauled to my place on a big trailer.

It looks a little funny because of the way I've patched the door but I will fix that when I have a chance.

This is the inside and here I have transplanted my tomatoe plants that were languishing in the house and beginning to look aweful.  My cucumbers are starting to perk up and my cantalope has two babies on them as well as the zuccini and the squash is all coming back to life after beginning to suffer in the the small pots.  I'm glad to see everything is flowering.  Onions are growing between everything and I have a few pepper plants as well.

So that is the beginning of my garden story for this year.  I didn't take pictures of the beds where the potatoes are planted.  It wasn't worth it yet.  They have not popped out of the ground yet.  Soon I' hope.

On another Note:  Did well at the farmers market yesterday in selling some sewing stuff.  I'm greatful for the busy summer and the extra little bit of funds. 

This Little Piggy went to the Market

Yesterday was our second market day.  It was a bit windy and cold and the tourist crowds are not yet here in full force so business should pick up as soon as school is officially out.    The first day we brough home $169. and yesterday $140 with some orders for aprons on top of that.  Here are some pictures of  some of my new items and some pictures of my boothe. 

Exploring The World close to Home

We had a wonderful Sabbath day today.  It was so relaxing and different from the usual.  We spent the entire day out in Nature and had a nice picnic, a nice drive, a nice canoe ride and some nice sitting in the sun time (I'm burnt!)!  Anyway,  I thought I would share today mostly through pictures.

Enjoy

The Frozen Lake Koosawa we had originally intended to canoe on but didn't realize that the lakes are all still iced over.

the Takhini river which became our next option for canoing.

Pretty flowers all over the place

Our landing spot after canoing up-river for a while

Huge moose tracks

A lesson in how to a prepare your fishing rod.  (We are vegetarian and don't eat fish but it was fun for the boys to learn anyway.  Good survival skill, I guess!)

C. learning to cast

Ziggy, loving the beach

J. fishing

momentary cuddle time

Discovered some tunnels made by beavers 

Going for a drive

Lake Kathleen also still frozen over for the most part.

skipping rocks

Having a last go at the rock skipping business before we head home for the night.