The Beauty of Blustery Days

There is nothing more beautiful to me than a gray day.  I guess that's because it's all I've ever known.  I'm a Third Generation Washingtonian, so I guess it's in my genes.  So I love the transitional seasons like Fall and Spring....the world and weather are all in a tizzy.  I love the excitement of a storm brewing and how it makes my heart excited.  I'm also at my very core a Winnie the Pooh fan, and so I imagine Piglet talking to Eeyore and telling him "Happy Windsday".
Last night when I came home I was exhausted...my body ached and my heart was weary.
Immediately as I drove up I could see the bouncy ears of my girls, eagerly awaiting my arrival and a little dinner.  I walked towards the house and could see Charley watching me....we were greeting each other non-verbally....knowing what each of us were thinking.  Mommy was home....there was going to be some playing....there was going to be some eating....we would huddle together til Daddy got home later.
First thing I came outside to feed the girls, Charley and Corky walking with....Charley carrying his trusty frisbee in his mouth, dropping it every few steps.  The wind was blowing and at first I said "wait" but then I couldn't help myself....so we played catch, the frisbee getting a lot of "english" from the wind....Charley watching and chasing it....9 times out of 10 catching it.
I brought my girls their dinner and proceeded to "muck" their "house"....there was an excitement in the air, the wind was blowing...it felt like any minute the rain would pour down....it felt like a fun race to see if I could get done before the "storm" set in.
When I was done tossing the old hay out, I looked to see Corky barking at a golf ball, throwing it in the air, chasing it, his hair blowing in the wind.  Charley sat close by, watching me, frisbee in his mouth.  I had to smile....I feel so lucky to have such great dogs.
I threw the frisbee a few more times, and then we went inside.  I fed the dogs, and sat on the couch, enjoying a hard apple cider....glad to be sitting down.  I opened the laptop and just started surfing around.
Charley sat at my feet....Corky sat on the computer....and I decided that we should have some smoochy time.  So I wrestled with Corky, and yelled for Charley to join us on the couch for some smoochy time.  I rubbed bellies, we kissed, I laughed and didn't give a thought to the hair flying all over my couch.
I am blessed by the sweet creatures in my life....and for the husband who shares it with me.  I'm thankful for the little dog who reminded me of what is important....and I cherished the moment we had together....the moment that everything was right in our little world.  These are the moments I live for....these are the moments that get me through my day....this is everything good in my little world.  Blessed

Charley's 12th Birthday

11 years ago today I went to the Everett Animal Shelter because I felt drawn to go there....when I got there I saw the sweetest, coolest looking dog I've ever seen.

He sat at my feet, looking up at me, and I knew he would be mine.  I wanted a calm submissive dog, and he layed on his back....we played ball and connected immediately.

Since that time he's been my constant companion.  He's been with me in dumpy houses, and cute.  He's loved me through back surgery, lost jobs, and broken hearts.  He was the ring-bearer in my wedding....even though he was miserable.

I remember the first time he met my now husband, he ran next to him and looked back at me as if to say, "we've been waiting for him."

He is a frisbee and ball addict....he adores chicken and bacon.  His flaws are he doesn't like strangers and sneaks food out of the garbage can when he thinks we don't know.

He is my life, he is my friend....next to my husband, he is my greatest love....and in a fire, I might alert Gordon and make sure grab Charley.

He's now 12 years old and is slowing down.....what I know about dogs is that they don't live forever....it's something in the back of my mind.  It makes me appreciate every moment I have with him.

Today for his birhtday we made roasted chicken.  He played frisbee and ball with some young friends of mine....not a bad way to spend your special day.

I am blessed because I have one of the greatest dogs ever.  He understand English for crying out loud.

Today is devoted to my friend and companion Sweet Charley.  I love you puppy.

On a Blustery Weekend

Spring has Sprung here on "Wabi Sabi Farm"  The Pears and Apples are begining to blossom.....

 Sweet Lilacs are showing the beginning of their buds....I smelled them but there's no smell....yet

The "Herd" is enjoying the wind and intermittent sun....Charley always looks for a frisbee opportunity.....

  Corky....likes the wind in his hair....

The girls.....

This weekend was not garden friendly....I got some flowers in and spent some time with "The Herd".  

Sunday....was rainy....Gordon got called into work....and so....I made some lemonade.....

And....being a good wife....I made some yummy Peanut Stew for my sweet husband.....

And....the final result....one of the Stewart's favorite dishes......

Another "Red Letter Day" for the Stewarts

I Get To Be Me Til Monday

I took the easy road this morning and drove....It was great this morning because I left my house at 6:30 anwd got to work by 7:30ish...I got to leave during lunch and by the end of the day, when all the numbers on the spread sheet I've been working on for a grant matched up, I left, excited, ready to catch a boat and head home.

Well....it's Friday in the Ferry Line....and I was in the line for an hour (2 boats)....I spent the time reading my book thinking about how tomatoes smell in the garden....and what I want to do tomorrow in the garden.  

I kept thinking this song "I Don't Have to be Me Til Monday"....and I thought, no....the girl who loves to see her goats, play frisbee with her big dog, play squeaky toy with her little dog....who likes to welcome her husband home from a long day with a kiss and tell him stories about her day....that's me.  So....I went to Diamond Knot Brewery and bought a growler of Brown Ale and read until my boat came.  I thought of how much my life had changed since the first time I went to that place, back when it was "Cheers Too" with a date, who became my best friend, and how I was living in a dingy apartment on Rucker with a nasty roommate and a wacked out dog....and how now, I am a goat lady, who is adored by her husband and has 2 dogs who are pretty calm submissive.  Things change a lot in 13 years.  
So....I came home....did my "chores" and poured myself a glass of the brown ale and decided to bring a taste to my husband who is preparing food for a wedding tomorrow.....came back and played frisbee with Sweet Charley.
I'm blessed to have a good job....I'm blessed to have this dream here....and I look forward to what this weekend brings....and so....for 2 days I get to be me....the wife of Gordon....the mami of Charley, Corky, Layla, Cali and Daisy.

A Day Off of Work

Yesterday I decided to take the day off work to spend some time in my dirt.  My husband asked a guy to come and rototill for us.  He didn't make it, but I got a Mantis on Saturday so I thought I could do some small jobs.

But....alas....I couldn't get the Mantis started....on to plan C.  I planted some beautiful edible Geraniums which smell like Lemon, Lime and Coconut.  Makes me hungry for tequila

Spent some time with my beautiful husband and our sweet lovely girls....I think a love affair is beginning between Cali and Gordon....but alas....I'm not jealous.

And so....after that I hand-hoed my little patch from last year and planted some Sweet Onions, Red Onions, Cilantro, Epizote, Oregano, German Thyme, Spearmint, and my favorite....the thing I've been waiting to get in the ground....Asparagus.....so 2 years from now we'll be able to have fresh, right out of the ground asparagus.  I will watch my little patch closely.

Today was not the day I envisioned....but it was a day....a beautiful day....where I spent some time with my husband, my goats, and my sweet dogs.  I've gotten some things in the ground....I got some good exercise....and got dirty....which is what I said I wanted to do.

This is my story.  I'm living the "Life I imagined" as a child.  I'm the wife of a very talented chef who has a restaurant on beautiful Whidbey Island.  We live in a sweet little house next to that restaurant.  In that house I have 2 sweet dogs.  Charley, a Heeler-Sheltie mix who is about 12 years old.  And a sweet Havanese-Yorkie mix who is 4.  We were married in May 2012 and had a dream wedding.  

My husband is a dreamer.  His dream from the time he was young was to have a restaurant.....he said he would and he did.  He runs a successful, popular, amazing restaurant.  My dream was to have goats.  I had them as a child and I always thought having a goat farm and making cheese would be amazing.  

When I moved to Whidbey Island I became friends with a goat farmer.  She taught me so much about goats, and goat farming.  One thing I learned from her was that becoming a real Dairy Goat Farmer was a big undertaking, something we could never afford to do.  And so, Vicky taught me about goats.  

One of my favorite books is Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  It talks about eating locally, knowing who's growing your food, and what not eating seasonally does to our Earth and our bodies. In that book I learned about how to make cheese.  

Anyway....back to my husband the dreamer.  He is passionate about cooking and doing it right.  He is also passionate about me.  And so, he believed in me living my dream....and for Christmas he gave me 3 goats.  1 retired milker, Layla, from my friend Vicky, the "real goat farmer" and her 2 daughters, whom we named Calendula, Cali for short and Daisy.  3 lovely Nubians who already have enriched our lives.

In the month they've been with us, I've learned how to install electric fencing, how to watch their poo for signs of illness, and that my husband loves these girls as much as I.

So....this is what this blog will be about.  Our "farm"....our life....and Gordon's restaurant adventures.  

Our place is Wabi Sabi Farm, which means "Perfectly Imperfect".  The restaurant is Gordon's on Blueberry Hill, and this is the life we share.