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One of my earliest memories is of molding mud pies in whatever castoff containers my mother would let me take outside (this predates plastic throwaway containers). I can still see myself mixing and stirring that dirt, adding water and more dirt, and can feel the satisfaction of unmolding perfect pretend cakes. I wonder if that playtime was the precursor to the lifelong passions of cooking, gardening and this later one of making soap?
 Oatmeal Geranium Goatmilk Soap  Jar of Lavender Heart Guest Soaps Valentine’s Day is nearly here, which got me thinking about hearts as I jumped into the new year’s production schedule, so I’ve been entertaining myself with hearts in the one woman soap factory, a step up from the little mud stove outside my childhood back door. Since the soap kitchen boasts several versions of heart molds, from candy-sized to fit-in-your-palm size, a bit of the first few batches of 2012 soap have gone into heart shaped molds. Really though, you never need an excuse to say “I love you” with soa (http://www NULL.sweetlifefarm NULL.com/skincare NULL.html?page=shop NULL.product_details&flypage=flypage NULL.tpl&product_id=305&category_id=5)p.
 Swirled Hearts on Oatmeal Geranium Goatmilk Soap Some went into a plain slab mold, and I had light-hearted fun swirling entwining hearts/leaves over the top. You can find them individually wrapped here (http://www NULL.sweetlifefarm NULL.com/index NULL.php?page=shop NULL.product_details&flypage=flypage NULL.tpl&product_id=302&category_id=23&vmcchk=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=210) and beautifully boxed here (http://www NULL.sweetlifefarm NULL.com/skincare NULL.html?page=shop NULL.product_details&flypage=flypage NULL.tpl&product_id=301&category_id=24).
 Heart-felted Washcloth Soaps I even felted heart soaps, in bold color combos. Find out about felted washcloth soaps here (http://www NULL.sweetlifefarm NULL.com/skincare NULL.html?page=shop NULL.browse&category_id=25). The wool surrounding these has a bit of an exfoliating quality; perhaps one would be a tender gift for someone washing away the remnants of a broken heart…
Chocolate may a traditional way to share loving sentiments; sharing heart soaps is a calorie-free alternative that could have some romantic side effects, should your inclinations and imagination be so inclined. If you know what I mean.
 Candy-size soap hearts
Whoa. Interesting internal conflict happening, as a mixture of thoughts mingle inside my head. On one hand I am repulsed by holiday shopping ads coming from every possible communication avenue, mixed between news of wars, poverty and doomsday economic projections. On the other, we have worked for months creating our own products (https://www NULL.sweetlifefarm NULL.com/) to sell to people like me during the holidays.
 Smokehouse  Smoked Gift Set Bob and I make things-handmade, functional products using ingredients we grow or source using careful social and environmental criteria. Things we use (and eat) daily, give away to loved ones and sell to others at local and online venues. The labor involved is mostly unpaid: us. Since since moving here a year ago, my mom has made a huge contribution wrapping and labeling much of what we make for sale at Sweetlife Farm. Our friend Saul works with/for us a half day a week during the busy garden months, and our teenage neighbor Rachael and almost-teenage friend Aiden earned summer spending money by pitching in a few hours here and there. Occasionally other friends come over to help get through some of the repetitive tasks while we catch up on each others’ news. We are gearing up for holiday shoppers. My guess is that we are a pretty typical snapshot of the average cottage business endeavor.
Seven Bainbridge friends will volunteer several hours of their time to help us during Christmas in the Country this coming weekend. We actually clear away furniture from the living room and dining room of our house to make room for additional artisan vendors. Three extra family members and two friends will also come from out of town to literally camp out with us and pull off the logistics of welcoming about a thousand people to our place over a three day weekend. It’s kind of like a grown up dorm party. People sleep in all available beds and couches, and cram into the library/office along with piled up furniture to eat meals and relax between event days. We work hard, and laugh and play after hours.
As we prepare for Christmas in the Country (http://www NULL.christmasinthecountry NULL.info/thetour NULL.html), the annual event where people tour multiple island venues to shop for holiday gifts made by others like us, I wonder how in the world we are noticed or ever sell a thing. Our potential customer is bombarded by Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in addition to the mind numbing number of holiday shopping ads, all competing for the almighty buck. Businesses now send tempting texts and tweets to lure customers out of midnight lines waiting for doors to open on the deals of the season. This coming weekend on Bainbridge Island alone, there will be a whopping 19 potential stops on the combined Christmas in the Country (http://www NULL.christmasinthecountry NULL.info/thetour NULL.html) and Studio Tours (http://www NULL.bistudiotour NULL.com/), plus downtown merchants vying for local business.
Internal conflict diminishes when I think about the process used to get to the goal. Gratification is satisfaction felt following hard work and joy felt from connections forged with family, friends and neighbors along the way. On one hand, with lots of loving help and support, Sweetlife Farm provides “alternative” gift options that make a statement much different from big-box-off-the-shelf options. On the other, the process provides us the best gift of all: the opportunity to experience fulfillment and give thanks for non-material “things,” like family, community, place. Thanks, Bob, Mom, Kathy, Mark, Mary Ellen, John, Kelly, Rachael, Aiden, Shelby, Deirdre, Zoe, Patty, Martha, Alison, Nick, Andrew and Saul. Thank you, our many wonderful customers, for sharing it with us. We know you have more choices than you can count, and we value you all the more for your patronage.
 Our boy Spanky Raising six Jack Russell puppies in the house as if each is the most special dog on the planet has proven to be an enormous commitment that paid huge dividends in laughter, fun, tenderness, love and pure joy. Jacks have a reputation for being maniac, hard-to-handle, out-of-control dogs; I was determined to make sure each one of OUR puppies lived up to the reputations set by first our beloved Otis and now their mother Poppy, believing that a dog’s successful adaptation to his environment has as much to do with how he is socialized as his genetic makeup.
Otis came to us at age two with no social skills whatever, and transformed himself into the “downtown” dog who came to work at our bookstore and had the run of the block so long as he never set foot in the street. Everyone knew him, brought him cookies, and tattled on him when he tested the limits and crossed the street. They missed him as much as our bookstore when we moved the business home. He lived to be 17, and people still ask after him, two years after his death. Though Poppy is bossy, territorial and intolerant of strange dogs, she makes up for her “bitchiness” with intellect, love of play, intuitive sensibility, devoted companionship and amazing ability to mother and mentor her offspring. Did I mention she catches mice and other pesky rodents, kills bugs, and keeps deer and feral cats off our property? Her innate sensibility leads her to chase raccoons off carefully, so as to avoid actually tangling with them, and after being jumped by three coyotes in broad daylight, she knows the enemy but has the good sense to keep away from them.
Last year’s litter of puppies was so rewarding that we decided to let Poppy have one more litter before having her spayed. Bob and I throw ourselves into things we like with little regard for their potential demand on our time or energy; we have overlapping passions, but support each other when one is passionate about something the other is not. In this case, Bob is perfectly happy with one perfect dog and no puppies, but has offered unwavering support and tolerated the complete disruption of our household by an unusually large litter of six Jack Russell puppies. We babied their mother through her pregnancy, dried off her babies as each was born, helped make sure each had a place at the table, nurtured her and them though the first three and a half months of their lives, and helped Poppy teach them their first manners and ways of the world.
Assisting them in finding perfect permanent homes has been no less of a commitment than giving them a good start these first few weeks of life. Amazingly, each one has found a wonderful family. Buzz is a companion to a single man and another JR, Bella (now Molly) and Dotster are in families with young boys, Zeta (now Zelda) is the most laid back and the first puppy for an empty nest couple, and little Maggie went to a couple who just lost a Jack to liver failure. Rather than waste time mourning, they found her perfect replacement. I’ve said all along that I love each puppy so much I could keep any one of them, and have never been able to settle on which one I think is the most beautiful or my favorite. Tears were shed with each departure….we are enormously pleased about their new homes, and their new families have been terrific about checking in with progress reports. Zelda has visited me twice at the farmers market.
We agreed before each litter that we would not keep any puppies; we both like the ease of having only one dog, and dote on Poppy as an “only child.” However, it has been increasingly difficult to say goodbye as each one leaves home, even as the workload of grandparenting puppies has lessened as their numbers diminish and the rest advance through the various stages of being a puppy. When we were down to just three, the number we started with last year, life seemed positively easy compared to ushering six of them through the first stages of eating solid food, housebreaking, sibling rivalries and teething. I realized that while I pride myself on multitasking skills, I need order in my life, and have difficulty coping with chaos. There were about three weeks in there when I began to fear that none would leave home, and I couldn’t visualize how we would manage. As some left, the remaining puppies became easier, older and wiser, and the additional bonding time made it more difficult to see them go.
Spanky ended up being the last remaining puppy. Mr Tough Guy, he was both easy going and mediator to his sisters, who squabbled over who would be top girl puppy, and formed themselves into rival sibling “clicks” that seemed like the female equivalent to gangs. I could always count on Spanky to get along with anybody, and to keep the dominant girls from being too pushy. Despite his macho exterior and homecoming king handsome good looks, his I-own-this-place swagger collapses into this-is-scary-I’m-just-a-puppy at the drop of a hat. As soon as he became the only puppy, he settled into the routine of our household and into our hearts as if he were already a year old. Everyone began asking if we were planning to keep him, and wanted to know why not when we said no. Things came to a head when two people in two days were interested in him as a replacement for the Jack Russells they each lost a year ago. The lady on Saturday was traveling from California and said if we still have him at Thanksgiving she wanted him. I replied that if I still have him then, he’s mine. When the second family called Sunday, I told them they’d better hurry up because we are very attached to him and it’s getting harder to think about him leaving. A half hour after making an appointment for them to come over later in the day, Bob and I had a heart to heart talk and decided we both want him to stay with us.
As I write this with laptop on my lap, mother and son are asleep, having migrated from Bob’s lap to mine when he got up from his chair….and we are all living happily ever after.
JRT training 101: mother dog follows field mower and dispatches rodents as they bail from the path of the mower.
Puppy #1 steals a carcass and claims it for her own.
Extras are taken to the other two puppies to parade around with, entrails dragging. Learning to sit is so yesterday.
Visiting adult daughter is totally grossed out, but her mother is proud as punch of her grandpuppies…..
Do you really want me to post a picture?
Weather seesaws between gorgeous and rainy-cool. Plants seem to be hanging in there, and the combination seems to be perfect for slugs, which are making it to enormous size this year. If I could figure out something clever to do with them, I’d be rich.
Then again, I’m already rich. I live in a gardener’s paradise with the perfect mate, about as perfect a life as is attainable, the perfect dog and (down to) five of her perfect puppies who make us laugh and fill us with constant joy. Life is sweet. Promise (or depending on your perspective, maybe it’s a threat) to post new pictures of my beautiful puppies and beautiful vegetables (try to ignore the slug bites out of the leaves, which I swore to prevent but only made a dent in the damage) this week. First I have to harvest lavender, now that it’s dry….
It’s hard to believe two months have gone by! They take walks down the road with me to care for vacationing neighbors’ chickens, have met the BIG friendly dog who lives with Mom and Dad next door, and go outside in the DARK to do their business, while I stand guard (at 2AM) watching for owls. Mainly I try to make enough noise to let potential lurking predators know these pups come with a body guard… having grandpuppies reminds me there was a time 30+ years ago of getting up with a newborn that made me think I would always be able to operate without a full night’s sleep. It might have been true then, but certainly doesn’t feel true now!
They received their first shots this week along with a good going over by our vet (who thankfully has a mobile practice), and are now sleeping two to a crate to prepare for the transition to new households without litter mates. Potty training is coming along nicely, and they are learning that really good treats appear when they sit. New people come over all the time to meet and play with them, and they love all people, large and small.
The most exiting challenge of the week turned out to be a steep flight of stairs….
 Zeta, Dotster: you go first!  Zeta, Dotster: "OMG!"  Zeta, Dotster, not sure about this at all….
 It's a l...o...n....g way down there L-R: Zeta, Bella, Buzz, Dotster
 Zeta, Dotster, Buzz discussing the risks  Buzz says "Com'on guys, it's easy!"  Bella, normally in charge, thinks this might not be a good idea  Mom coaxing Spanky and Maggie Now is the perfect developmental window for them to transition to their forever homes, and we are excited for them to launch, but I actually tear up when I think of them leaving. Six smart, energetic ready to learn puppies create an awesome energy field, and their learning curve is an amazing thing to witness.
Here are selected quotes lifted from correspondence over the past months with the three families who adopted last year’s litter:
 Blackjack at 8 weeks
Black Jack: “Happy Birthday to Black Jack and a BIG thank you to Nancy for all the hard work that we have benefitted from!” and “I have one of Poppy’s first pups and he is the best companion ever. Just sayin’ ” and “Every day I am reminded what a great gift I have been given. Black Jack (Poppy’s first litter) makes me laugh each day. What a great little dog. If you have ever wanted a dog that is truly devoted and smart and full of personality then a JRT is for you. So much fun!”
 Alice at 8 weeks
Alice: “Before we get busy with the holidays, I want to drop you a note and say: How Thankful we are to have met you and for Alice. She has brought so much joy to our life. When she discovered the snow for the first time, she decided it all needed to be licked up. After a pie pan spaced she decided that wasn’t going to work. She does like it (which I’m surprised about) and zooms a lot.” and “Our little girl is sitting here humming at me. Does her mother hum, when she wants you to look at her?” and “Every where we go Alice gets lots of attention and love. She is a good ambassador for Jack Russel’s and I will keep you in mind and recommend the puppies. She hiked approximately 5 miles recently without a whimper.”
 Axel (now Gimble) at 8 weeks Axel (now Gimble): “Just wanted to drop you a note about Gimbal. He is the most awesome little dog! He’s sharp as a tack when it comes to training and a great play companion for my boys, but he’s also laid back enough for serious snuggling. My 9 year old is our earliest riser. He let’s Gimbal out every morning and then gets in at least a half hour of snuggle/reading time before breakfast. I’ve been very surprised at how fast Gimbal has gotten over housetraining. He now rings a bell to go out. He’s totally on top of down, sit, and come. He’s pretty good on the leash, and we’re working on stay. The best part is that he is consistently friendly with all of my boys’ friends (and he meets a lot because he goes to school with me every day to pick my guys up). He’s been shy with other puppies in the puppy class, but over the past couple of weeks he’s stopped growling and is showing more positive interest. We plan to move on to basic obedience at the end of the month.” and “We are doing super well with Gimbal! Agility has been fun, and he will get up on to, go under, circle, or get off anything we ask of him. He jogs with me daily now, and he’s a dream at staying on the offroad side of me and keeps himself out of leash tangles while we’re on the go. I don’t have the energy to stop and deal with that sort of thing as I’m puffing along, so I’m particularly grateful. He’s still a terrier, of course, so he can’t totally ignore the rabbit crashing off into the brush or the dog barking at him. But he’s quick to leave it, and he doesn’t bark back. I can’t believe all JRTs are so easy.”
 Maggie, Zeta Life is lively at Sweetlife Farm! Puppies are rapidly expanding their horizons and into full explore mode. Throw rugs have been picked up to save their fringe and the house looks like a nursery littered with toys. Teeth are sharp and siblings complain loudly when teething gets personal….
Personalities and coats are emerging as fast as teeth, and it’s really fun to have a ringside seat to every detail.
Lots of people continue to visit them, and they’re loving all the attention.
 Buzz, Dotster, Spanky  Spanky  Spanky, Dotster, Buzz  Buzz, Bella  Bella, Dotster  Spanky  Zeta  Bella  Dotster  Bella, Dotster, Maggie, Mom
 Yarous (the dog whisperer) Guterson and Spanky, chillin' in the morning sun....  Azul Zuniga and Maggie  Yarous Guterson, Elliott Hasselink, Bella, Spanky, Maggie, Dotster Kids and puppies. Such a treat to watch them connect with one another. Our gang of six has been lucky enough to be visited regularly by friends and neighbors, and I suspect the trend will continue. Now four weeks old, they are exploring ever larger circles outside their bed and pen.
Like the visiting kids, some are predictably the first out the door, while others hang back to get the lay of the land before risking new territory. It’s so amazing to watch the pace of their development, and letting them go in a few short weeks will be bittersweet; fingers crossed that their forever homes will be close by…..
 Isobel Hasselink, Maggie, Zeta  Georgia Hansen and Bella  Gisele and Spanky
Okay, someone finally said it. In a request for an interview about our participation in the Frog Rock Forum (http://www NULL.sustainablebainbridge NULL.org/frog-rock-forum NULL.aspx), an upcoming community event about resiliency, one of Connie’s stated goals was to hear our thoughts as “elders” in the community. Maybe she didn’t mean ME; maybe she was only referring to my (older) husband in that context.
For awhile now, I’ve been mentally transitioning out of visualizing myself as middle aged, thinking about how it feels and what it means to move into the category of “older,” if not elder. Long ago, I worked through the fact that heads don’t turn at the sight of me walking by (not sure they ever did, much), and my beautiful baby created so much of a stir that I could have worn a gorilla suit and no one would have noticed. Reflections on those kind of realities prepared me to relish age appropriate roles of parent; of auxiliary mom to my daughter’s friends and the kids I coached for the first eight years of the local rope-skipping team; of life-long partnership alongside my wonderful husband; of member of a small town community where we have been visible to many as friends, fellow parents, booksellers, and farmers market vendor.
Letting go of the cultural superficial stereotype that defines-and measures-a woman by her “hotness” (and how long she is able-naturally or otherwise-to maintain some illusion of it) turns out to be both easy and liberating. Embracing the cultural stereotype that defines and measures its elders turns out to be more complex. The most interesting part is to imagine being seen through others’ lens. To consider whether as an older person I have an impact. Whether in my old age I am invisible or my value as a contributor lessens in my circle of friends and larger community.
Without kids around to define us, and no brick-and-mortar business, together as a couple we find that values continue to define our direction, and liberation comes from freely following that path. Resiliency may result from adapting to political, economic and environmental evolutions at local and more global levels, to realities of family and community within our own and both generations bracketing ours. Paying attention to what really matters to us has illuminated what it means to feel happy, content, fulfilled, secure.
Deciding among life choices is sometimes difficult: which are important enough to bump off others. Worrying about roads not taken and missed opportunities takes its toll. The good thing about getting to this place defined as “older-or elder” is that I realize that I no longer have the agony of worrying about some of those what-ifs, and many choices are no longer available to me, due to my advanced age and all its accompanying circumstances… In contrast, there is more elbow room to explore and engage with remaining options.
 Cold frame bounty Challenging ourselves to live in the moment and to maximize every possible potential of the home we made for ourselves on the incredible piece of land in the middle of an amazing community we find ourselves lucky enough to live in has created a lifestyle that suits us perfectly. We embrace life, the moment, the place and the challenge. As we continually climb the learning curve of growing food for our table year round, we relish all aspects of experimenting with new varieties, figuring out how grow within the parameters of the PNW climate, learning new ways to preserve the harvest, playing with food as both art and nurture. We collaborate with friends, share the lessons, the gardens and the table, and seek more insight and kindred spirits.
 Heaven is holding them all at once....Jack Russell puppies, 3 weeks old Years ago when we moved onto the land that would become Sweetlife Farm, we adopted a two year old Jack Russell terrier named Otis, who became the youngest child, much to the dismay of the teenager in the house; eventually he became the bookstore dog and the downtown dog. He died at 17 and Poppy soon replaced him as the canine apple of our eye. She brings us pure joy with her love of life and us, unwavering companionship, quick mind and superior athleticism; watching her mother her second litter of pups, now three weeks old, reminds us of the purity and simplicity of youth and the delight and responsibilities of parenthood. It reminds me also of the unique beauty and importance of the seasons, literally and metaphorically.
The seasons are for us to embrace. Never mind long ago youth, not so long ago ambitious mid-life. Growing and being old has a full set of inherent benefits, that become apparent with age. It remains for others to see what fits for them and take what they will of us elders in their midst.
See the results of Connie’s interview here (http://www NULL.pnwlocalnews NULL.com/kitsap/bir/news/124105704 NULL.html).
 Shane, the sweet handsome daddy of this beautiful brood No doubt about it, watching new lives unfold and bloom enchants me to the core. Doubling their size in less than a week, these tykes are scooting all over their bed, and slowly transforming from looking like guinea pigs to puppies. Noses are changing from bright pink to black, ears are getting long enough to fold forward, and soon their eyes and ears will open, providing them a new world of sensory details.
object>Poppy\\\’s Puppies 9 days old (http://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/watch?v=SMHleeSsWv0objectwidth=425height=344paramname=movievalue=http://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/v/SMHleeSsWv0?hl=en&fs=1/paramparamname=allowFullScreenvalue=true/paramparamname=allowscriptaccessvalue=always/paramembedsrc=http://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/v/SMHleeSsWv0?hl=en&fs=1type=application/x-shockwave-flashallowscriptaccess=alwaysallowfullscreen=truewidth=425height=344/embed/objectPoppy%27sPuppies9daysold)
At this point, I have no responsibilities other than being the chief cook and cheerleader to Poppy the mother dog, making sure she gets enough to eat and takes occasional breaks to get her own snuggles and chase a stick or ball. She has mothering tasks dialed in and organized, and is alert to every little squeak. Pretty quick I’m going to have to clip six sets of tiny little toenails, a task I don’t relish, because they squirm like mad when you hold their little feet still; seeing where to clip practically requires a magnifying glass.
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