Back to Basics

Martin has this book called "Back to Basics." It was put out by Readers Digest in the 70's and it's become kind of our bible. It's not that we neccessarily DO everything that's in the book--just as we don't stone people we don't like, even though it's in the Bible--but it's just so interesting to read and learn about doing those sorts of things. For example, there is a whole section on home-ish kind of stuff... spinning and dyeing and stuff like that. From it I learned that Queen Anne's Lace makes a beautiful green dye for wool. Coincidentally, I have a ton of the stuff growing wild in my backyard AND I have about half a paper bag full of wool that I don't know what to do with! Of course, the wool was given to me as-is, so it'd be a big project to card it and spin it and dye it and eventually knit something out of it. But STILL... the important part is that should the spirit move me to do all that, I will know how.

Currently, I'm looking up how to dry my herbs. I love my thyme and oregano but I just don't use all of it. I mean, gosh, we don't EAT that much. I pretty well keep my basil at a steady use, but I would really like to start drying my thyme and oregano so I'll still have my own herbs to use this winter. Wouldn't that be fun?

In other news, Greta is the most awesome baby ever. Have I mentioned she puts herself to sleep? Granted, it's only happened a couple of times, but that's a couple of times more than Anja has ever been able to do that! Greta is becoming such a good and happy baby. Everyone is right--after that miraculous 2-month mark, everything gets SO much easier! She doesn't even hate being in the wrap as much as she used to (as long as she is moving) so I'm more easily able to go for walks by myself with both girls. It's great!

And Anja is Anja and what could be better than a funny little duck like her?

Martin just grilled us up some brats... the girls are asleep so it's time for our Saturday lunch marathon of The Unit!

Oh, and the car ended up not being totalled but it was a lot of money to fix it. Not money that we had to pay--our insurance paid it. However, the car isn't worth much anymore so we're not trading it in afterall. The work they did is under warranty for a year, so we'll just keep driving the same car. Fine by me, I like our car.

And speaking of the car, I have another good story about our almost humorous line of misfortune, but that is for another post. The brats are ready!