From The Patch

Autumn Splendor

The prospect of raking it isn't so bad when you see how pretty it all really is...

Loving the October days....

We're on Facebook!

Hello, everyone!  For those of our customers who follow Facebook, we'd love to have you become fans of The Weed Patch!  By far the easiest way to join us is to simply click on the Facebook badge in our left column here on our blog.  Be sure to check us out, for updates on life, on the store, on our website... for sales info, specials, and so much more!

Weekly Specials

Today is so blessedly so much cooler...well, I'm inside, so I guess I don't know that for sure.  But the last time I was here, I only had to be outside for about 2 seconds before I was gasping for breath!  Today is the weekly Friday Farmer's Market, which is always one of the most fun days to come to Country Village.  It is a nice change from home life right now, because we have been doing some project work on our house that has required all our furniture to be moved either outside or in our kitchen.  It's been one of those things where you say "well, as long as all this is moved already we might as well do (blank)."  Then fill in the blank.  Yesterday we painted our living room.  It is so nice!!!  For the first time ever, as an adult at least, I live in a home with walls that aren't painted just white.  Well, our house in Snohomish had painted walls, but we didn't paint them or choose the colors, so I think that doesn't count. 

We had spare paint from doing the basement (which also doesn't count, because we haven't been able to do any living in there yet, as it flooded almost immediately after finishing it).  It is called "Antique" by Waverly, from Lowe's.  In our big open livingroom, depending on the wall and the time of day, this color looks white, cream, pale mustard yellow, or a nice warm vanilla.  I have loved all colors so far.  This weekend I'm heading to Eastern Washington for a family reunion while Chris stays home and puts it all back together (three cheers for a wonderful husband!!).  I can't wait to see what it looks like.  Maybe our house will finally start getting decorated...?

Anyway, here are the new weekly specials!  Take 10% off any of these items between now and the next time I change them, typically on Thursday.  I have half of them below, check out our site here for the complete list for the week!  As always, feel free to email me with any questions (though you won't hear back from me until after I return on Sunday!).

Cinnabun Hand-poured Soy Votives

Gardener's Journal Platter, by Park Designs

Hand-thrown Black Star Pottery Plate, by Smokehouse

Wildflowers Quilted Throw, by Victorian Heart

Cottage Rose Tea-For-One Set, by Tag

4th of July

Happy Independence Day, you wonderful people you - have a grand Saturday!

A Day in the Life

Just another normal work day today.  Here was yesterday, up to now:

9:00 am Parents get up for the day, get dressed, have a nice quiet discussion regarding store stuff.

10:05am Parent goes upstairs to dress and ready child for the day, as child is heard running and playing, and therefore is indeed awake.  Parent finds child not in closed bedroom as usual, but instead in the closed bathroom.

10:10am Parent installs sock on child's bedroom door to help control child-door-opening activities.

10:13am Parent reinstalls sock on child's bedroom door, securing with rubber band.

2:05 pm Child plays quietly in room, and goes to sleep for a nap.  Parental bliss ensues.  Quiet working, uninterrupted lunch, etc.

6:15 pm Parent gets child up from nap, in closed bedroom.

7:45 pm Child goes into kitchen.  Child is quiet.

7:47 pm Parent enters kitchen to find child inside refrigerator, in the process of pulling the door closed.

7:48 pm Parent begin going-night-night actives with child.

8:35 pm Child bites nipple off before-bedtime-bottle of milk, and pours milk over couch, couch contents, and surrounding couch area.

8:45 pm Child is given crash course (long over due) in going to bed without bottle.

9:34 pm Parent repeats cuddling, talking, song singing, tucking in process.

10:18 pm See above.

10:35 pm Quiet upstairs.

4:00 am Parent spends 1 hour with perfectly dry, sound, healthy, whole, yet utterly inconsolably screaming child.

9:38 am Sleepy parent gets out of bed, thankful to have slept in a bit.  All is quiet from child's room.

11:00 am Evidence of quiet happy playing heard from upstairs.

11:48 am Parent greets child's for the morning to sweet happy "hi mama" and "up! up!"

11:49 am Parent notices child has a black eye.  Child does not notice or care.  Parent wonders what's she's doing wrong in her role as a parent.

3:15 pm Child goes down for nap.

3:19 pm Parent sits on couch and stares off into space for 14 minutes.  Wonders...what's next?!

Sigh....

Secret Gardens and Soap

Well, today I've finally done it.  Out with the herbs, oils, and molds again, I am back to making soap.  My soap is what led us to buying the store in September 05, did you know that?  We were wondering if the Weed Patch might like to buy some of our soap.  Turned out the store itself was for sale, and we bought it two months later.

It feels so great to be back soaping again.  I haven't seriously made soap since we bought the store, and I've been a bit sad about it.  I have no idea whatever sparked my interest in soap-making originally, it just came to me one day while I was working in the campus ministries office at SPU when I was a sophomore in college.  Steaming pots, golden oils, clean fragrances from herbs and plant extracts - I find it peaceful, I guess.  To be buried in such things, working such a simple, timeless, and industrious process, resulting in such sweet endings.  Not unlike baking, really.

Anyway, it is wonderful to be back in the game.  Hopefully everyone loves the soap and gobbles it up, so then I have to make more and more.  I don't mind at all being stuck in my kitchen if I get to be baking up such wonderful goodies.  I have a few more kinks to work out in my process, but if everything goes as planned, I should have soaps in the store by next weekend.

As I write this, I am watching The Secret Garden - Frances For Coppula's 1993 version with Maggie Smith.  Kate Maberly plays Mary Lennox, and although she doesn't have the appearance described in the book, she embodies the character perfectly.  Sour and dour and dark in the beginning, slowly blossoming into something pretty, due primarily to another simple and rewarding process, gardening, as well as the the good influence of having people in her life that care a whit about her.

If you haven't seen this version, I highly recommend it.  It strays from the book only a little, and is a very sweet way to spend a couple hours.  I still have my childhood version of this book, I can remember reading it several times.  I am the type of person to read a good book over and over, rather than just once.  When I was young, I didn't often have someone to play with, as we lived far out of town and had no neighbors, and my sisters are several years older than I.  So, I was often left to amuse myself, which really wasn't hard at all to do, especially when we lived in such a nature's fairy-land, and my sisters would give me fun plays.  One was to build a fairy garden.  You'd gather small sticks, flowers, rocks, pine cones, and other bits and bobs of nature, and build a little home in the middle of the forest - tables, chairs, beds, all out of sticks and leaves.  My sisters told me that when I left, a fairy would move into it.  Although I didn't REALLY believe in fairies, it didn't stop me from having great fun pretending, and after creating such sweet little spots, it was hard to believe a fairy WOULDN'T move in.

Ah yes, such fun games to play as kids.  I wouldn't mind playing them as an adult.  But then, sometimes it is nice to just go away by yourself, lay down on the stairs, and vacuum....

Cows, BBQ, and Gramma's House

We've been spending the week down at my mom's place in Hood Canal - it is meant to be a work weekend, but we are finding some play time as well.  The house my mom lives in now isn't where I grew up, but she's still in the same general area, so we often find ourselves in the same haunts from my childhood.  See, my grandparents were some of the first families to settle in Mason County, so there are a lot of us, and we've been here a long time.  In fact, the childhood home of my mother's is still in the family, out in the farmland of Skokomish Valley.

This is true small town life out here, right down to the cowpies.  Every Monday a small group of family and friends gather for games and dessert, but as summer is approaching, these times have become summer hot dog roasts out at the farm.  In the middle of one of the cow pastures is a big pile of tree debris and an old farm wagon, and there we've built ourselves a dandy campfire area.  With the curious cows milling about, we hang out roasting hot dogs and marshmallows.  I think this is the closest Ben has gotten to real live cows, and they seemed just as interested in him as he was of them.

A family friend is currently caretaker of the homestead, and he has named each of their cows.  I can't remember what he said they were now, but they all had something to do with the unique personality of the cow.  They are very sweet, and not too shy, perfect companions to a summer evening campfire event.

I would have to say that some of my best summer memories are always the spontaneous ones, never really planned at all, and therefore pretty much stress free.  Just people showing up with whatever they have - special people in a special place.  I of course love the camping, the trips to the lake or the beach, and all that, but these are just the best.  Pick up the phone, show up, come as you are.

My grandfather was a farmer and a logger, and my grandmother was the typical country housewife, busy raising 7 children, cooking, hand-washing cloth diapers, making you take vitamins and eat your veggies.  I never really new them - my grandfather passed shortly after I was born, and my grandmother was already 83 by then.  A lot of people knew them, though, and thus I've been able to learn about who they were through all the stories.  I love love love that the land is still in the family, and we can just show up to visit anytime.  The way I was raised, the door is always open.  So, my son can play around the very same places and things that my mom once did.

So, has it REALLY been a work week??  We are getting a lot done, so I guess so, but with moments like these it doesn't feel like work.  (Which is really the goal, right?)

I love it out here.  I do enjoy living in the city, but I am a small town country girl at heart, and my city-raised husband is right on board with me.  We try to bring that small town country feel into our store, the door always open and welcome mat always down.

Sigh...summer bliss....

Remembrance

"Although no sculptured marble should rise to their memory, nor engraved stone bear record of their deeds, yet will their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored."  ~Daniel Webster

Happy Memorial Day everyone - I hope yours is filled with good memories, good feelings, and good family and friends.  Enjoy a beautiful day out in the sun!  If you are so inclined, Country Village is open today, and a great place to take your family.

Take care,

--Janene and the rest of the Weed Patch family.

Two Today

(At about 2 weeks)

Two years ago today, I remember trying for twenty-six hours to bring my son into the world, only to have a stranger come in and do it in under 30 minutes.  I turned my head, and the first view I had of Ben was him lifting himself up on all fours on the table as the nurse did those things nurses do when babies are born.

(at about 3 months)

 I remember expecting him, as a newborn, to be tinier and more fragile than he actually was.  At almost 9 1/2 pounds, he was just barely under my approved weight limit for what I could safely lift and carry for the next 6 weeks. 

 
(presiding over The Weed Patch)

Driving down to Colorado with my new son, my husband, and my in-laws was one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but one that has given me some of the best memories.  In two years, I have learned about multi-tasking, sensory overload, self-sacrifice, what real messes are, how to clean in record time, and the importance of personal devotional time and coffee. 

And family.  I don't know how single moms do it.  I wouldn't have made it this far without our parents, sisters, brothers, aunties & uncles, best friends, new friends, grandparents, and of course, my husband.

(First pool experience)

Benjamin is two today.  He knows the entire alphabet by sight, and can name over half the letters.  He loves ducks and books, and of all his toys, he plays the most with his ball and Mr. Potato Head. 

(The discovery of Toilet Paper)

Music is by far his most favorite thing in the world, second only to going outside.  His favorites are Loreena McKennitt and the fiddler from the group Celtic Woman.  Shortly after walking (at about a year), he began running, then jumping, and spinning. 

(First Sprinkler)

He has danced to music ever since he was able to bounce on his tummy.  He is strong, stubborn, intelligent, and has his own mind about things. 

(With Daddy)

He gives me a bad headache just about every day, which I get over during his long stretches of (thank you Jesus) sleep.

(First Lawn Mowing)

And I love him more than anything else in the world.

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Thoughtful Friday 14

"Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway."  --Mary Kay Ash