I apparently forgot to mention that I actually finished Infinite Summer, on schedule and everything. I was way ahead until about two weeks out and then I realized how close to the end I was, and I panicked, and I couldn’t read anymore because 1) I wasn’t ready to be done, and 2) I was carrying around a FREAKING HUGE BOOK and I was so close to the end that I might finish on the bus, so I wanted to bring a second book, but I already had a HUGE book, and I didn’t want two books … so ultimately I just left Infinite Jest lying around at home with like 60 pages left to go, for like two weeks.
Then I finished it, but I didn’t get closure of course … I think I will read it again soon.

Then both G. and I decided to read Dracula with the Inf Sum folks. We did not keep up, though I thought I might power through tonight and finish it by the deadline. But, we found MST3K streaming on Netflix so we’re zoning out and doing that instead, as we had a busy busy day preparing for the slaughter of 150 chickens, which we hope will happen next weekend.

And then the chickens. OMG. So — one hundred fifty chickens is too many to do all at once. We will never do that many all at once ever again. Ugh. Many folks are coming over to help us process, so I am preparing the house and the slaughter site etc for everyone to come. I have a bit of a thing about a clean house — I never have one, but I feel like to have one makes one a worthy person, so when folks are coming over I have big freakouts — so in addition to the stress of OH HEY WE ARE KILLING 150 CHICKENS, there is OH HEY MY SELF-WORTH IS RIDING ON A CLEAN HOUSE. Fun times.

And then the turkeys, who have been a pleasure to raise until they started flying, even after we clipped their wings quite close. Even that was just kind of funny, until one of them went over the fence to the neighbor yard, where the neighbor dogs promptly got hold of her — no fault of theirs; they are dogs after all, and she was a big ol’ prey — and wounded her pretty bad. They didn’t kill her, but we had to. The rest of the turkeys are slightly confused, but are more affected by the fact that they now have an 8-foot fence around their area, to keep them in, finally.

And then there is the Dark Days Challenge which we as a farm have just signed up for. The challenge is, between Nov 15 and March 31, make one meal per week be as sustainable/organic/local/ethical as possible, and blog it. Please join us! Most of the fun is seeing what everyone else is eating, and getting ideas.

And last but not least, on the eve of Na*Mo, my sister and I are going to share a project for the month. Last November she posted one happy thing each day, and I took and posted a photo each day (and omg I just noticed the photos are all messed up — will go fix). This November we will each listen to one song per day that has an iTunes play count of 3 or fewer. We will listen to it at least as many times as it takes to get it off the smart playlist, so it doesn’t come up again. Then we will post about the song, including where we got it, why we didn’t listen to it before, and what we think of it now that we have listened to it.

Fun? We’ll see. She is calling it “Month of Undiscovered Music” so I guess that makes it NaMoUnMu*? Or “MUM” is easier to type I guess.

* YES it is national because I am in Washington state and she is in DC. Those are two places across the country from each other and therefore the project has a national scope. Yes.

This weekend we:

• made some fertilizer
• built a trellis
• planted peas on said trellis
• bought lots of things at the farm store
• made bread (me) — very successful, thanks to Mark Bittman and the rediscovery of my spray bottle, which makes a good crust
• made butter (Garth)
• made 102 newspaper pots with my newspaper pot maker from Path to Freedom’s online store
• filled 102 newspaper pots with dirt
• filled 102 endirtened newspaper pots with seeds, including:
  • tomatoes (8 kinds)
  • leeks
  • artichokes
  • lettuce (several varieties, including arugula, which is not a lettuce)
  • kale (2 kinds)
  • broccoli (3 kinds)
  • brussels sprouts
  • cabbage
  • peppers (2 kinds — pepperoncini and anchos)
  • eggplant
  • watermelon
  • chamomile
  • spearmint
  • sweet basil

If you have any interest in starts of any of these plants, and it’s a reasonable idea for me to get them to you, shoot me an email at firstname dot lastname at gmail, and I’ll put on some starts for you.

There is more to come, of course; corn, beans, peas, chard, carrots, beets are to be started outdoors, and asparagus comes in live plants. We will also be doing succession planting — that is, planting every few to several weeks, as we eat the existing plants — with the crops that can overwinter here, like kale, broccoli, lettuces, brussels sprouts, leeks, the root veggies, maybe cabbage.

I still owe a post about what I read in February (not much), and what I am up to lately in terms of media
consumption. But don’t sit here and wait for it; go make butter! It is easy and awesome and delicious!

(Song: “Sons and Daughters,” The Decemberists. I love this song.)

Forgot what I have been planning to say for weeks, so here’s a general update.

Garden is awesome. Have been eating happily growing lettuce. Today someone commented that I have been eating a lot of salad for lunch, and I said “I picked it! This morning! From my garden!” and I was proud.
Ruby June has been good; lately when she gets out of yards, she comes when we call, instead of running the other direction. So that’s an improvement.
Spent the weekend of the Fourth pleasantly with my sister: Neko Case show (amazing set; also hotttt); bought her dress for the bridesmaiding; sat around; cooked some food. Spent the three days of the following work week MISERABLE. I somehow managed to get ~33 hours in those three days. I don’t remember why anymore. I think things needed done, and I needed to do them. But I’m not sure.
Subsequent weeks have been similar. Overtime is lame.
I also ordered my dress, but it was online rather than in a shop and so was less fun but also significantly less annoying, which is worth a lot to me. Bridal shops? They suck.
I am studying things! I am studying graphic design, and programming (C#), and sewing, and also dog training.

Tomorrow we go suit shopping and also shoe & skirt shopping at Gap Inc. for me, just for fun.

Now I must go to bed, because … it’s bedtime.

(Song: “I Love the Unknown,” Clem Snide)

1. Wasabi & soy sauce almonds
2. “Jackson,” sung by June Carter & Johnny Cash
3. Making things. No, seriously, more than before. I’m inventing things now instead of just creating them. I sit at work all day and eat almonds and listen to “Jackson” on repeat and invent things to sew and knit.
   Is this what not being in school is like?? You mean I’ll have time to … like … think?

(song: “Jackson,” June & Johnny)