hump day nuggets: catch you later crocigator

hump day nuggets: little bits of the season in photos and words about the last week

June and July are months of coming and going for the Holt Cline family. So we’re saying hello a lot and we’re saying goodbye a lot. Except bug says, catch you later crocigator. And in between those hellos and goodbyes there’s the Missoula love fest that includes bar-b-ques with friends, spontaneous urges for a shared beer, toes dipping in rivers and hands pawing at dirt.

nuggets.

:: Goodbye messy house, hello beautiful yard.

Above is bug’s new favorite activity. Mama, I gotta get all my toys in here right now.

I added them to the Flickr Curated Mess Pool.

Remember how we had no lawn because of our chickens and then all that dandelion pulling I did? Check it bitches:

:: Goodbye rhubarb, hello radish.

These seeds were a gift from a dig reader in honor of Ruby. And, they are the perfect radish: tender and crunchy with a spicy kick. Thanks, Tammi!

Sliced up, sprinkled with salt. Oh heaven.

:: Goodbye rain rain rain, hello peas.

I harvested four pounds of peas last year. This year, I am estimating we’ll get six.

:: Goodbye infant, hello about-to-crawl Ruby.

Who loves loves loves prunes, avocado, nectarine, whole milk yogurt, apple pear sauce, yams, oatmeal…my little foodie peanut punkin sweet potato pie.

ps One of the top ten baby items we can’t live without: our itty food mill. We haul it all around with us and make our baby food wherever we are.

:: Goodbye trucked-in California produce, hello freshly-harvested Montana produce.

KILLER recipe that I made up all by myself: Quinoa with Tarragon, Corn and Arugula

1 cup quinoa

1 cup frozen corn

Juice from 1 lime

2 tablespoons olive oil

two fist-fulls arugula

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

1/4 cup chopped chives

salt and pepp

Prepare the quinoa, thaw the corn. Let quinoa cool to room temp. Mix olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add tarragon, chives and arugula and mix well. Toss with quinoa and serve immediately. Serves two as a main course or four as a side.

This was so fabulous we ate it one night and then I made it again for a friend the next night and doubled the batch so we could eat it for lunch the next day. SO GOOD.

:: Goodbye hen who laid eggs, hello wanna be rooster.

Since the chicken massacre, Paige hasn’t laid an egg. And then, we started hearing crowing after we got our new chicks. We waited and watched to see which of our new hens was a he but, lo, it was Paige. Paige our full grown hen. I googled it and, yes, this happens. Nature is amazing. However, we are now ready to have our girl back…crowing roosters aren’t allowed in city limits…although, as Andy said, Who’s going to turn us in? The neighbor who shoots squirrels? See for yourself:

:: Goodbye hilarious two year-old, hello even more hilarious two and a half year-old.

We talk a lot about feelings with Margot. We talk about how situations make her feel, make us feel, make our animals feel, make her friends feel. We validate feelings and move through them. Our goal is to raise compassionate children who are kind and emotionally articulate. (there is a fabulous game, Feeleez, that facilitates this kind of interaction.)

ANYWAY, the other morning over granola and coffee, Margot spontaneously started making different faces associated with different feelings and announcing each one. Now I’m sad! Now I’m mad! and so on. Oh, I was crying I was laughing so hard. And, very grateful I had my camera handy. I literately took over 50 photos and these are a few of my favorites.