An Incredible Read

Child of Steens Mountain, by Eileen O'Keefe McVicker (found on Amazon for $13.22 here or search in the Amazon search box on this blog). What an INCREDIBLE book! A series of stories of a girl growing up in Eastern Oregon. A great book for anyone who loves "Little House on the Prairie" type days, or stories of hard working people and the matter of fact type up bringing. Remarkable stories, very well told.

It really strengthens my desires to chose to live a simpler, therefore often 'harder' way of life. I want my kids to have THESE kinds of memories. I want the "drama" in their life to be natural drama (like the chickens getting killed by a raccoon...) not the fabricated kind (like who Miley Cirus is dating...), when you have more of the natural, the other matters less and less until it is just ridiculous! I didn't mean this to be a "soap box" post, but I am just continually amazed at the things children are and aren't being exposed to these days and it makes it all the more clear how DELIBERATE I want to be with my parenting.

Yelm Farm and Pet Store

I met Dave from The Farm and Pet Store (click here for to view their site for location and contact info) here at my booth yesturday. What a nice guy, he asked to sell my shirts in his store! It is so nice to hear of a large farm store that is not corporately owned, but a locally owned family feel that still supports the small local businesses and meets all the needs of raising and caring for animals! I am excited to work with this store and encourage anyone in that area to support it.

Everyone LOVES the shirts!

Two days into the fair... an interesting experiance to be sure. I don't think I have sat as much as I have in the last two days in the last two years combined! It has been beautiful weather and the kids all seem to be having a good time. Everyone who comes by really likes and smiles at the shirts. The people who buy them are really in love with them and buy more than one as they are "perfect" for many people in their life. It is definately a niche group of people... I fear that my booth location (maybe due to my late entry) is not really ideal to reach the right people for my product, but many seem pleasently suprised to stumble accross my booth. I have had many take my information "to give to a friend in Missouri" or "my dad will LOVE these- he's in Alabama"... so that is of course exciting and encourageing. Those are good things to hear when I miss my kids so much and am putting in long days without them. I am hoping the foot traffic picks up tomorrow and through the weekend.

CinderELLE...

I just want to brag on my daughter for a minute... She is three and a half tomorrow.... She sweeps the floor, uses a small broom and dust pan to dump the dirt pile in the garbage, she peals hardboiled eggs, cuts up softer things for salads, caseroles, etc... she scrubs counters and tables, she mops the floor, gathers eggs, helps stack firewood, can make scrambled eggs nearly by herself (I turn the oven on since even on her stool, she can't reach the knob), she pours herself juice, milk or water when she's thirsty, makes her bed, cleans her room, puts her clothes away, scrubs her stained clothes with a Fel's Naptha bar (just taught her this one), washes dishes, dries them and puts them away, she pulls weeds, makes and butters her own toast and cleans up her toys always in time for the "vaccum monster".

All of this is to brag on my little one, but also to prove how capeable little ones are. Our dishes are not always spotless, the floor has many "missed" spots, our scrambled eggs sometimes have a shell peice in them, and sometimes a glass of juice ends up a table top of juice, but Elle enjoys doing all those things and will continue to be my "little helper" without a fight as long as it is fun for her and she knows she is needed. I love my little girl and am so happy to have her work beside me.

Christain can walk now... he'll be bringing in the firewood this winter...