Barn Dance

I had never attended a Barn Dance (or contra dance) until I went to Northland College.  Even in the absence of a barn, there were plenty of opportunities to do some serious dose' doin'.  It was easy to find a group of great musicians and as long as you find a good caller, you’ve got yourself a dance!!

It might seem a little intimidating because you might not understand the lingo.  But as soon as you understand a few moves, promenade, dose' doe, left hand star, pretty soon, you’re dancing with the best of them.  It’s a great way to meet new people (especially the dances where you switch partners) it’s great exercise, and it’s a heartwarming and wholesome way to spend an evening.

It’s also a matter of community.  Whenever I’ve been to a barn dance (using the word barn loosely) I am always amazed at the number and age range of children and adults.  Sometimes there is a corner of people tending to babies and young children, older children are brought into the squares and taught the dance, adults chat with each other, and the older adults are able to get in on the dancing action too.

Barn dances are good for the soul, the body, and the community.  So I say if you can get yourself to one, I say do it!!! You won’t regret it.   

Fall Apples

Cold mornings (even enough to turn on the furnace) and cool days means it’s officially fall and I couldn’t be happier about it.  This is my favorite time of year.  The trees are turning, the animals are getting fluffy, the sweaters come out of the closet, and apples are in season. 

There are a few orchards close to us so we’ve got plenty of options for getting apples in mass quantities.  A couple years ago my mother-in-law got me an apple peeler, corer, and slicer combination from Pampered Chef.  Ever since I’ve had it I’ve told myself, ‘This fall I’m going to really use that peeler!’ and since then I’ve used it about once for about 3 apples.  But this year I’ve got a plan.

I wanted to try to find a way to preserve the apples so we could have them through the winter and maybe into the summer.  It’s hard to eat in season but I’m trying little by little to make some choices and traditions that help us get things like fall apples or cucumbers, berries, onions preserved for as long as we can.  I don’t have any delusions that I can preserve all we need for the year, especially with two boys coming; but, I’ve been able to take on new little tasks to get us a little closer to a seasonable and sustainable lifestyle we can on our little farm.

Today we set up the dehydrator and also made a small batch of Apple Betty (in honor of my mother-in-law who gave me that peeler).  Enjoy the photos we took this morning.

 

 

Barn Jams

This is not what I expected to be doing when I first learned to play the guitar.  I thought I was going to write deep lyrics and play moody songs by myself at open mic nights.  I had a hollow body electric Ibanez that I wasn’t sure how to play and definitely didn’t know how to play it as it should have been.  I don’t even think I had an amp.  But, I was a teenager then and everything was moody. 

 

After learning the basics from my Dad and going off to college I started to learn that I really liked the ‘old timey’ sounding stuff.  So I traded in the electric hollow body for a D15 Mahogany body Martin acoustic.  After my first few months at Northland College I found the kind of music I liked to make, Jams.  We would sit around and take turns playing stuff we knew and could easily teach to the group.  It was loose and free and anything went. Even if you didn’t play the guitar, the fiddle, or mandolin, you could bring spoons, a jug, or a jar of buttons to use to make some noise. 

Now that I’m back in Iowa I’ve been really lucky to find a group of people that gather in much the same way.  At the Simpson Barn, in Johnston Iowa, once a month (excluding summer) a large group of us collectively play anything from bluegrass, danceable fiddle numbers, to just old country tunes.  All you need to do is call out the key and the rest of the group just jumps in.  Sometimes they flop but sometimes they explode with energy when we all realize we are making something very special.

I’ve started to play the mandolin and am pretty much lost unless the song is in the key of C, but I can still enjoy the atmosphere and chime in with some exciting harmonies when the mood strikes.  I rarely lead a song considering the only time I make time to play my instruments is at the Jams, but I still attend and contribute what I can.  Because I learned how to play the guitar first I still have to find a seat where I can see a guitarist to know what to play on my mandolin, but I’m learning.  That’s what makes it fun.  Practicing at home was never fun for me, but at these Jams I get two hours of practicing in, I see some really amazing people, eat some snacks, and get that lovely little endorphin buzz from playing music with friends.    

Cutting Soap

One my favorite things about making soap is cutting it into bars.  I don’t know why that is, but it’s really enjoyable.  We make about 2-5 batches every time we ‘cook’ so the next day is always fun because we get to cut all the bars apart or pop them from the plastic molds.

 

Something about piles of homemade soap on a cookie sheet is really pleasing, and it’s hard to explain.  The little shavings that litter the floor and table usually get smashed into the wood before they can be whipped up leaving a lovely smell.  Also, dealing with un-cured soap means your hands end up very soft and smooth.

It is possible to feel nostalgia for something you never really experienced, and making something like soap makes you feel like you are connecting to a not so far way past.  Making these large batches to be stored for later use makes you feel like you are preparing for something important.  Putting the necessities up for later use makes you feel self sufficient, at least it does for me.

There are a lot of things I rely on other people to do for me.  I can’t fix my car, I can’t make the fabric of my clothing, and as much as I try I can’t really grow vegetables, but I can make soap, and I love that.    

Frumpy Shoes

If you have ever been pregnant I’m sure you know all about the swollen feet.  Well, I’ve had my share in the heat, but now that it’s cold I was kind of hoping they would go back to normal, but no such luck.  I’ve tried it all, keeping them elevated on the coffee table, soaking them in warm water and Epsom salts, pretty much anything but staying off them which I think works the best. 

The other night it was very obvious, my niece, who is 3 years old was visiting, and I noticed our feet were shaped the very same way.  Yup, I’ve got chubby little toddler feet that don’t fit into any of my shoes.  Flip flops were fine up until now, but after some 60° days, I realized I need some different shoes, something to keep my little sausage toes warm!  I also knew that my days of bending over to tie a pair of shoes were over.  I haven’t been able to paint my toe nails for weeks so I knew laces were out of the question.  But I didn’t want to spend a lot considering I’d only wear them for a few more months before my feet go back to normal and they wouldn’t fit anymore.

So with this criterion I went shopping and this is what I found.

So here I am.  No more sexy heels, cowboy boots, or knee highs for me.  They are slip on and the fact that depending on how swollen my feet are they are adjustable with handy dandy Velcro strap makes them a sensible choice.  But I still can’t say I love them. A co-worker said they were very “Mary Jane” which if you know my obsession with the magazine you would know I took this as a compliment, but I still can’t help thinking how frumpy they look. Let me know what you think.  Frumpy or cute…..