My band played today for the Buffalo Round-up festival in Custer State Park. I was nervous as all get-out as we were having a fiddle player with us that is a legend — he is simply amazing! He used to play on Hee Haw and also toured with Roy Clark. We did have an opportunity to practice with him earlier in the week, but still — I’m not the best musician and something like this really intimidates me. It was a packed, and I mean jam-packed crowd. Just getting into the Park was an ordeal. We set up and by the end of the third song I knew it was going to be a day of magic as far as music goes. The band was spot-on and we were all geared up and feeling the groove. I did hit a few wrong notes here and there, but I attribute that to nerves and nothing more. I didn’t let it get me down.

The best magic happened in our second set. The guy running sound is another fiddle player and a legend in his own right. His wife asked me during the break if she ran home and got his fiddle , could he sit-in with us — that it would really make his day. Of course! I said –  but it isn’t really my band or place to say so.  I did a sneaky thing. I didn’t tell the other guys — just the first fiddle player so he could call him up. He did and it was pure absolute magic what happened. Someone yelled out “Orange Blossom Special” and the two fiddles took the beat and ran with it. We jammed that song and at the end the applause was a like a roar — I was laughing and sweating –relieved I had made it through (I had to sight read the song) but also wanting to do it again and again! I have never had that much applause thrown at any band I have ever been in!

If you were there –thank you! Thank you for making my day!

Those of you who know my girls may laugh at this. However, I am getting irritated. I am getting really tired of the “S” word that is constantly brought up whenever we mention that we are homeschooling this year.

Just Sunday, we had a visting pastor from across the state give a talk about our synod’s high school, which is a boarding school 6 hours away in Watertown, SD. Okay—no way, no how will I ever send my kids to a boarding school. However, this pastor zeroed in on me and my kids as they are 5th graders and prime candidates for this school. I tried to put the nix on it by mentioning that they are homeschooled right off the bat — to which I got the whole “socialization” spiel right away. As in — “we have noticed homeschooled kids seem to have a problem with socialization.”

I was rather offended. He implied, actually more than implied — came right out and said that of course my children would be suffering from under-socialization because they are homeschooled.

Short of laughing in his face, I just let him talk and then excused myself and seethed the whole way home. I mean, COME ON! If he knew my kids even one tiny iota — he would know that socialization is the least of my worries! If anything, the twins are still over-socialized, even being homeschooled.

We have dance classes four days a week. Not just one class, but several back to back. Dance is their thing and this is where they find their closest friends, at the dance studio. It was the same when they went to regular school.

They have catechism classes at our church, music classes at the church and piano with a group of other kids. Remember, this church is where they went to school last year so their friends are all still there. They play with other local kids several days a week. Most likely we will also be involved in 4H this year and other group activities with local kids. They dance with a performing competition dance team with their friends.

They also spend 3 weeks away from home every summer at a performing arts workshop.

My kids went to school through 4th grade — both public school and lastly parochial school. They were cranky, over-worked, stressed and tired all the time! There was always some kind of “girl drama” going on at school that would sap their energy.

Now I see them enjoying their work, interested in what they are learning, and HAPPY to see their friends at the other activities instead of engaging in drama with them. Isn’t this the way socialization should be? Or does it take the other, unhappy stuff I mentioned above to be truly socialized?

I realize this guy was pretty ignorant. But it makes me mad. I know that homeschoolers do have a degree of stereotype to overcome. Just like anything else. There are standard “lines” that come out whenever someone finds out you are homeschooling. “I could never do that”, “I don’t have the time”, “Aren’t you worried about socialization” It seems there is a standard set of remarks that go with anything unusual. You have twins: “double trouble”, “are they identical”, yada yada yada. Try being a marathon runner or triathlete! There is a standard set of comments for that too, I’ve heard them all.

I guess homeschooling is like any other thing that falls outside the “norm”.

Eggplants in the garden, eggplants on your head. What more could you ask for?! At least my knitting mojo finally came back!

This was way fun to knit and super easy. I finished it in an evening. Now she wants a pumpkin one. Sure, why not? Lula will wear my funky knitted things — Bean? — no way! Not cool! That’s okay.

Free pattern for this is here:

http://randomstitches.wordpress.com/2008/01/11/hello-world/

I increased the cast-on by 8 stitches to make it fit Lula’s head. Used a worsted weight nylon/acrylic yarn I found at my new LYS — it is the softest yarn. There was enough left over to probably make another hat. Definitely enough of the green to make several hats, so it is rather economical. The yarn was about $5 per skein.

This was the perfect project to pick up knitting again. Simple, fun and quick. Now I need to finish all those Selbuvotter mittens I started last fall and put away when dad died. Onward and upward!

A holler and a scream and then . . .  I caught a FROG — I CAUGHT A FROG!!!!

It was Lula, not Bean who finally accomplished the impossible. This little girlie-girl who spends 20 minutes getting her hair “just so” every morning, has no qualms about picking up the slimiest creatures.

Yep, that’s excitement around here. Finally catching the FROG.

There is a frog in the pond with several froggy friends. Bean is on a mission. She wants to catch the BIG SPOTTED frog. She sat nose to nose with the guy for about 30 minutes today. Until she reached out and caught him! Then ran away screaming — EWWWWW!!! I touched a FROG!!!!!!!

See him there on the lilly pad? No?

How’s about now?

We do a lot of “backyard vacationing” around here. It is so beautiful in the Black Hills that I am often hard-pressed to think of anyplace I would rather be — unless it is the ocean — either coast, I’m not picky. But for a limited budget and for ease of not having to find someone to take care of the livestock while we are away, nothing beats having a little mini-vacation right in our own backyard. Sometimes Mark and the twins will set up a tent literally in the back yard, and it gives the girls a thrill to be “camping out” over night. They pile up with blankets and books and snacks and squish together with the three dogs inside the tent. Mark is usually snoring away by 10pm, but the twins keep giggling and shushing each other until well after midnight. They’ve never chickened out and come inside yet.

Last night, we spent a mini-vacation about 20 miles away at Palmer Gulch Lodge and had a fabulous time. The annual Oktoberfest was going on in a big circus-striped tent on the picnic grounds. We were greeted by  the requisite men in Lederhosen (Anna- your favorite!) and after a few belts of the rich German beer we joined in to stand on our chairs and swing our mugs and do the chicken dance. Eins, Zwei, Drei!

We rented a cabin which was one of the original Lodge cabins from the 40s. It reminded me of the old lake camp we used to visit as kids. The smells were the same — that woodsy, musty smell — the floor tilted and the screen door went twaaaaaannnng when it was swung open. Mark and I had a hilarious time trying to start a fire in the woodstove and then gave up to freeze together with our jackets on under the covers while the twins hopped into bed with us to get warm.

Early in the morning we woke up to scurrying squirrel feet overhead on the roof and the rolling of acorns. I teased the twins — “Check your ears and make sure the squirrels didn’t hide acorns in there overnight!” They would scoff at me, but then I caught them both digging their fingers in their ears when they thought my back was turned.

We slept in until 10am, while the girls came and went — getting their own breakfast at the little camp store and then playing putt putt golf. They would check in on us periodically and then head back out for some new adventure. The campground was virtually deserted as the season is all but over, and that made it perfect for us — quiet and easy. We finally rolled out of bed and then headed home, a short hop through Keystone where we stopped for coffee and browsed a couple of antique stores. We came down the driveway to a happy greeting from the dogs and horses, chickens and the cat who had to act like she was upset we had dared leave her, but was soon contentedly purring under my feet.

I feel refreshed and better than when I left, with lots of good memories tucked away. I guess that’s what makes a real vacation. At least to me.

My garden was a relative dud this year: cold wet spring + early frost + squash bugs + allergies that made it impossible for me to keep up with weeding = rather poor crop. However we do get enough to make quite a few meals. I would say that having even a poor garden makes for some very frugal and not to mention healthful meals.

I would break down my garden costs as follows:

Manure from the Fjord horses for fertilizer = FREE (I am not even going to go there on how much the horses actually cost to keep)

Black plastic for mulch and weed control: $60

Rotten hay for mulch – FREE

Gas for tiller & diesel for tractor & gas for truck to haul mulch: $40

Total garden prep costs: $100

It will most likely be less next year as I can reuse much of the black plastic. I may have to buy mulch, not sure yet.

Of course there is water cost, but we are on a well so what I pay is electricity to run the well pump. Not even going to try and figure that out!

Costs of vegetables: seed packets  – squash, zucchini, basil, cilantro, dill, cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, turnips, radishes, beets, carrots, pumpkin, corn, peas, beans. Potato sets & onion sets. Tomato plants & pepper plants.

Total: $51

We have eaten garden produce with just about every dinner meal starting with lettuce & radishes in May and now we are still harvesting corn and waiting for pumpkins to ripen. I’ve dried 2 oatmeal containers of turnips & zucchini, and frozen a gallon container of basil. Not to mention the never-ending day of freezer pickles. I put up 6 pints of beets, but those are gone! The kids love ‘em. I planted more beets, I hope they make it enough to harvest.

For the sake of math, I am figuring we get probably 100 meal additions from the garden (I am sure it is quite a bit more, but I am erring on the conservative side). May – September = So I am dividing the garden costs by 100 so the garden contribution per meal is approx. $1.50 a meal.

So, back to my original post. I figured out the cost of a few of our favorite meals here. This is one that I call “garden scramble.” The kids love it!

We eat this meal 2 -3 times a week because it is really really good and it is something everybody loves to eat.

Garden Scramble

From the garden: 2 large potatoes, 4 carrots, 2 peppers, 2 onions, 1 medium zucchini– all diced, fresh basil to taste.

2 lbs. ground buffalo

In a large cast iron skillet, brown the buffalo, add onions and then peppers, cook until onions are translucent. Add potatoes and carrots. Add a cup or two of water and 4 tsp of bullion (I like the Better than Bullion organic vegetable base) add garlic salt to taste. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add zucchini and simmer until cooked through. Serve over rice if desired (we usually just eat it as it is because it makes a LOT and the potatoes are very filling).

better than bullion = 1 jar = $3.99 – 38 servings per jar = about 10¢ a serving

garlic salt – 1 jar = $2.99 = 48 teaspoons in a jar = about 6¢ a serving

Cost:

garden produce $1.50
2 lbs. buffalo @ $1.60 lb. = $3.20
bullion & garlic salt — 4 servings each = 32¢

Total meal for four people: $5.02*

Not to mention:

•Exercise and meditation practice while hoeing, tilling & weeding: priceless
•An actual use for the Fjordhorses besides pasture ornaments! priceless
•Organic, pesticide-free, local produce: priceless
•Spending time with the twins teaching them to love gardening: priceless
•Finding your kids hiding out under the weeping willow (which you planted as a stick and is now 20′ tall), eating green bell peppers like apples and telling you they are “oh so good, Mommy!” absolutely, unequivocally, irretrievably, absolutely PRICELESS!

*correct me if I am wrong – my math skills are horrible. Luckily Mark, who can do square root formulas in his head, is in charge of homeschool math.

Mornings have a chill now. The wood floors require slippers to those who venture downstairs. Mark’s been starting a fire in the woodstove before he leaves for work. I’ve been starting a batch of slow-cooker oatmeal before I go to bed — one cup steel-cut oats to four cups water, a pat of butter, a pinch of brown sugar. Cinnamon & nutmeg to taste and a handful of dried fruits. Leave on low in the crockpot overnight. The house smells heavenly in the morning. The oatmeal is the perfect consistency of nuttiness and creamy goodness. Breakfast is hot and ready for the twins and I don’t even have to get out of bed.

Bean sometimes forgoes the oatmeal for a scrambled egg. She makes it herself in the microwave. She’ll do this if she catches an egg that is still warm. Something about this really excites her. I think she enjoys sneaking out to the coop in the half-light of morning and waking up her birds.

Lately my schedule is out of whack with the late-night gigs with the band. I don’t mind. I happily get my computer work done at night, sometimes til 2am and then sleep in until 9 or 10. The twins know what to do, I’ve emailed them their lessons for the day. For the most part they’ve gotten two or three lessons done before I get up, and they wait eagerly to tell me — I got a 90, 80 or 100% on my quiz! Once I’ve pried my eyes open.

I went out to laze by the koi pond and counted four little frogs sitting on the lily pads. Just like in a picture book. Bean came out to sit next to me, taking great delight in the tiny frogs.

“I want to catch one, Mommy.”

“why?” I ask.

“Just so I can let it go”

Later, in the afternoon, I took a nap in Lula’s bed. I drifted off listening to her humming to herself while she did her work. I woke up — she had covered me with a blanket. I felt  little guilty for sleeping in and a nap until I reminded myself that I had zero sleep this past weekend and needed to play catch-up.

Tomorrow we start one of our “To Town” days. The girls have catechism and dance and I’ll take advantage to go to the gym, maybe swim some laps and lift some weights. I’ll cook a nice batch of Swedish Kaldomar with a cabbage from our garden and buffalo meat and have it waiting in the ever-present crock-pot for Mark when he gets home early, and for us when we get home late.

No more scurrying, no more hurrying to get dressed for school, get out the door, lunches packed, rushed mornings, exhausted kids falling into bed at 11 at night to start all over again the next morning. No more breakdowns into tears over homework, stressed out days too much of everything. No, this is what it is supposed to be like. Enjoying your days, the weather, the peacefulness of home. The just being.

One of the guys in my band brought his little girl out to ride horses a few weeks ago before we sold Tomte (who by the way is in horsie nirvana — carrots all day long and lots of belly scratching. Finally someone pays attention to him!)

Anyway, the twins took great delight in taking my band mate’s wife and son through our garden while the little girl was riding. They toured the chicken coop, and before they left, the twins loaded them up with cucumbers, carrots, basil and jam.

Usually among band mates, because you spend a lot of time together practicing and setting up equipment and tearing down equipment and most likely there is beer involved, there is a lot of good-natured teasing and ribbing and inside jokes. The new joke is that I have been dubbed “The Hutterite” because of the way we live way “out here” in the “boonies”. The homeschooling thing just added fuel to that fire.

Secretly, I was actually kind of proud to have acquired that label, although I had to act properly miffed because that was what was expected of me. I also had to laugh because while I do garden and raise some livestock and homeschool the kids, I am probably the first Hutterite-like person to wear a mini-skirt, strap on a pink Fender Jazz bass guitar, and play cover tunes by Jimmy Buffet in a band in a club in Deadwood, South Dakota.

Frost on the ground this morning. For all my tomato plants I got about 4 ripe tomatoes and now frost. FROST!