Junkin’ in June: The Central Iowa Junk Jaunt

 

I know not all of my readers are local, but this weekend (June 27-29) is the perfect time to visit Central Iowa!

Junkin’ in June, the event that started it all, is always the last weekend in June, and my junky business, The HomeShed, will be a part of the action again this year!

I still have a ton of work to do to get ready for this sale – I’ve been pickin’ like a mad-woman and have a ton of new stuff to clean, mark and display – so no new pictures yet, but these pictures are from our last sale and give you an idea of the types of junk we sell!

Junk not your style? The HomeShed is located at Red Granite Farm, and in addition to fresh produce, Nicole just ordered hundreds of new perennials!  Of course, I’ve already nabbed a few for my yard, but there are some left for you, too. (This persicaria is going in front of my kitchen window! Can’t wait!)

So come on out and see us – we love to see our old friends and meet new ones on these big sale weekends!

Upper Elementary/Middle Grades Summer Reading List

 

Ah, summer. 

Chasing fireflies, afternoons by the pool, baseball games…and brains that slowly turn to mush.

Did you know that some kids regress as much as two months or more in reading achievement over the summer?  But there’s an easy way to keep kids caught up – a little summer reading.

As a 4th-6th grade Title I reading teacher, I was always looking for good books for my middle grade readers.  I know that fantasy is all the rage, but fantasy can be a tough read, too…long books, weird names, and make-believe worlds.

So here are a few alternatives – books that I recommend to middle grade/upper elementary readers – and as a bonus, the adults I know that have read these books loved them, too.

 

	The Westing Game (Puffin Modern Classics) by Ellen Raskin I don’t know why it took me so long to read this book, but it was amazing! So clever and great for boys or girls.  I read it with two 6th grade boys who struggled with reading, and with a little help, they loved it, too! (Official recommendation Age Level: 10 - 18 | Grade Level: 5 – 8)
	Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett  Another seriously clever book! Chasing Vermeer is a mystery with many levels of understanding for a variety of kids. The unlikely friendships and unlikely heroes were favorites when I read this aloud to my 4th grade students, too. (Official recommendation | Age Level: 8 - 12 | Grade Level: 3 – 7)
	Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine  Although most of the boys I taught wouldn’t have chosen this book on their own, that didn’t stop them from loving it!  Ella is a strong female lead – one who breaks free of the chains that bind her in the end. (Official recommendation | Age Level: 8 - 12 | Grade Level: 3 – 7)
	Almost Super by Marion Jensen This brand new book by a brand new author is amazing for super hero fans. I read it to my own son this winter, and we both adored it.  A superhero story, yes, but also a story of friendship and believing in yourself. (Official recommendation | Age Level: 8 - 12 | Grade Level: 3 – 7)
	A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck What can I say about this book? It makes me laugh, and I love it!  Alice’s grandma reminds me of my own grandma, and I’ll re-read this book over and over thinking of her.  Oh, and the 6th graders I read it with loved it, too.  (Official recommendation | Age Level: 10 - 14 | Grade Level: 5 – 8)
	Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan Another historical fiction, like A Year Down Yonder, but this one is the story of a young Mexican immigrant in the American Southwest. Esperanza is also a strong female lead, who becomes the leader her family needs in times of despair.  I read this to my 4th graders, as well, and just like Ella Enchanted, although the boys wouldn’t have chosen this themselves, I think it’s safe to say that they thoroughly enjoyed it. (Official recommendation | Age Level: 8 - 12 | Grade Level: 3 – 7)
	Holes by Louis Sachar Amazing. Smart. Clever.  A story of kids rising above the odds and their circumstances. I’ve read it several times and wouldn’t mind reading it several more. It’s that good. (Official recommendation | Age Level: 9 - 12 | Grade Level: 4 – 7)

What other favorites should I add to my list?

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Why Can’t We Be Friends?

I'm part of an amazing leadership class that combines agricultural leaders with urban leaders. As we introduced ourselves, I met several kindred spirits...and Sheree.

When I heard Sheree's introduction, I was certain we wouldn't be friends. In fact, I was pretty sure we were enemies.

Whenever  I meet someone new, I automatically start looking for what have in common. But I didn't have anything in common with her.

Sheree is a raw vegan chef. I'm a livestock farm wife at who eats a lot of turkey (and bacon.)

Strike 1.

She has no kids. My kids took up most of my introduction.

Strike 2.

Our backgrounds, childhood and education were completely different.

Strike 3.

But as our time together went on, I realized that I was *gulp* wrong. Sheree is not an enemy.

Turns out, she wasn't nearly as closed minded as I was. She was able to find something we had in common: passion and dedication to something that is special to us.  Yes, our "specialties" are sort of contradictory.  But Sheree's open-mindedness has led me to be more open-minded as well.

Sheree's okay with my food choices, and I'm learning to be okay with hers. I have tried a few of her recipes and watched her tv show (Fork in the Road.) And she's patiently listened to me talk about how much I love my farm and sharing my story of agriculture.

Somehow, despite our differences, we have become friends...friends who respect each other's views and even help support each other's goals.

So, the moral of the story is this: have an open mind. Don't judge a book by its cover. Look for the best in people and celebrate that.

And then, maybe, we can all be friends.

Baby Turkey Day By the Numbers

20,000 poults (baby turkeys)

2,000 crates of 100 birds

6500+ drinkers

414 feeders

256 supplemental feeders for the first two weeks

192 supplemental drinkers for the first two weeks

86 degrees farenheit inside the barn

32 heaters

32 cardboard rings to keep the turkeys close to the heaters for the first two weeks

4 inches wood shavings

4 adults on the crew (Bart, me, Josh the Farm Assistant and neighbor Wes)

2 pint sized helpers (Adam, 5)

(Isaac, 3)

 

One Family Farm

 

(Want more info on our family farm? Check out the farm related posts here or sign up to receive Squaw Creek posts by email.)

If you’re looking for perfection, you’ve come to the wrong place

When my friend Nicole showed up this afternoon to pick up the centerpieces I built for her wedding, I will still waxing crates for her to use in her cupcake display.

“I wasn’t going to wax them, but then I was waiting for you and decided to try it to see what it looked like, and I think I like it.  But I’m not sure what they’ll look like in a month…I’ve never waxed old crates before.  And I’m actually not waxing them, now.  I started out waxing them, but I couldn’t get the wax down into all the crevices, so I’m oiling them.  My homemade furniture wax was made with beeswax and oil and so I figure, if I can mix oil with beeswax, can’t I just pour it on to this super soft wood? So, that’s what I’m doing. Pouring vegetable oil onto the wood and spreading it around.  What do you think?”
“It looks good.  Are you going to do the other two?”
“Well, I don’t know.  I mean, this is all a big experiment.  I don’t know what the oil’s going to look like in a month, either. But hey, if you’re looking for perfection, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
“Let’s oil them.”

And so, 3 weeks before the wedding, on a Thursday afternoon, we sat down on my kitchen floor and poured vegetable oil on the other two crates.  I still don’t know what they’ll look like on the wedding day, but no matter what, I think it will be okay.
Because, like one of my favorite bloggers always says, “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.”
Same goes for these antique-trim-branch-holder-thingies that I built.

They are far from perfect.

But they are beautiful.

Like the lilac branches I filled them with, each one is different, but gorgeous.

Shared at Inspire me Monday

Winner of the Living History Farms Giveaway and Life in Iowa in 1900–The rest of the story

 

I LOVE the 1900 farm at Living History Farms.  In many ways, it doesn’t seem so different from our own farm or those around us.  The house is actually quite similar to mine, as mine was built in 1907, and the barn is like those that dot the countryside where I live.

 

But there’s no way I’d want to live (or farm) in 1900.  Besides the obvious amenities we enjoy now, like electricity, indoor plumbing and central heat, there are many other things that keep me from really wanting to turn back the clock.

For example, in 1900, 1 in 10 infants died before age 1. Epidemics threatened the lives of early Iowa settlers. Highly contagious diseases like cholera, smallpox, diphtheria and typhoid fever spread quickly from person to person. The average life expectancy of a pioneer man, woman or child ranged from 30 to 40 years, if they were fortunate enough to survive childhood.

Farming wasn’t much better.  Much of the work was done by hand, or with the help of horses.  Tractors had not yet been invented, although the iron plow was used.  (This plow, coincidentally, contributed to a loss of 50% of Iowa’s topsoil before the DustBowl in the 1930s.  Many farmers today use conservation tilling to reduce erosion of our fertile topsoil.)

However, things were improving.  Scientists were doing “extensive experimental work to breed disease-resistant varieties of plants, to improve plant yield and quality, and to increase the productivity of farm animal strains”. Hybridized corn was produced in 1881 and a hog cholera serum was developed in 1903.  Farmers were becoming business-men, and had begun making the improvements we benefit from today.

It’s romantic to imagine what 1900 was like in Iowa.  But we often look at the past through rose colored glasses.  The reality was much more bleak.  Life was hard without the many modern conveniences we enjoy.  And farming was even harder – harder on the farmers, and in some ways, harder on the land and the animals.

Farming and life have changed over the past 100 years, but one thing has remained the same – farmers are still trying to do things better than before.  New equipment, new discoveries in animal health, new conservation and animal care practices…farmers realize the global impact they have and are doing their best to make that impact a positive one.

 

Now, who’s ready for a rose-colored view of Iowa’s history? Wendy Tse is the lucky winner of 4 tickets to Living History Farms!  I’ll be emailing you, Wendy! Congrats!

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Dear Mommies,

 

I’m not an expert mommy, nor am I an incredible experienced mommy.  But this I know:

It’s okay to not love parenting.

It’s okay if your kids make you want to pull your hair out.  It’s okay if you’re exhausted and frustrated at the end of the day.  It’s okay if you hide in the bathroom to get a few minutes alone.

Because parenting is HARD WORK. 

 

My True Parenting Confessions

I tried being a stay at home mom and didn’t like it. I have trouble giving my kids my full attention. I carry guilt and anxiety over my kids’ picky eating habits.   I choose “mommy time” instead of playing a game, doing an art activity, or playing with my kids, a lot.  I cannot put the boys to bed by myself without losing it.  I only work part time, but my kids go to daycare full time.

I don’t LOVE parenting.

But that’s okay.

It’s okay to not love parenting.

It doesn’t mean you don’t love your kids.  It doesn’t mean you are a bad parent.

It doesn’t mean you are a bad parent.

 

Figuring out how to discipline a 5 year old, fighting a 2 year old to get his hair washed, trying to sleep with a baby laying cross-ways in your bed, settling sibling disputes, sitting through 2-hour-long school concerts, running your kids back and forth to a million activities after school, changing a blow-out diaper in the Target bathroom, helping a stubborn, unmotivated kid with homework…the list goes on and on.  Parenting is hard.  And often, unenjoyable.

There is no shame in not loving parenting. 

 

Happy Mother’s Day from Katie, an imperfect mom who doesn’t love parenting, and her two little boys who love her (and feel loved) anyway.