A Little Laura

I was chosen to test this sweet Little House on the Prairie doll pattern. We are big fans of Laura Ingalls and we've read all the My First Little House books. So I just couldn't pass up the chance to make one of these sweet dolls.

I chose super soft alpaca for the doll herself and a tweed for the dress. My magic loop skills could use some work and this was the first time I had done doll hair and I'm not happy with it but A seems thrilled with her and that is what matters.

I might have to make a little Mary to keep little Laura company. If you want to make a Laura and Mary for yourself the pattern should be released by the end of the month. Keep an eye on the link for the pattern. My rav notes can be found here.

Something New

It was time for a change. My blog address of westcoastaddict was so often misunderstood (I chose it as I feel like I'm addicted to the lifestyle of west coast living) that I decided to change it. It was hard to find something that fit but wasn't already in use. For now I've gone with westcoastlovinmama.blogspot.com. Because really, I am a west coast lovin' mama!

Oh and here is a super cute picture of my boy with some apples.

Garden Blessings

It's been a difficult year in the garden. It's been hot and dry. The heat has benefited the pears and the tomatoes but other things are struggling. My zucchini has been rotting on the stem and my swiss chard is barely 4 inches tall. If that weren't enough the blight of urban deer has spread to my garden. More than one morning I've gone into the yard to find a handful of deer happily munching away. They ate all my beautiful cabbage.

The long hot summer seems to be making the grapes very happy. Almost every morning I collect handfuls of grapes for my children's snack. I've also been harvesting cherry tomatoes daily. It's been such a joy to eat from our garden. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than picking vegetables and then heading straight to my kitchen to make my family dinner. Just the other night we had herb mashed potatoes with roasted carrots, beets and squash all from our garden.

Catching Crayfish

A few weekends ago we attempted to go on an impromptu camping trip. We drove for several hours and only found packed campgrounds. It had been a long day filled with disappointments so before we made the long drive home we stopped by Cowichan River for a dip and to search for crayfish. One of A's favorite Sparkle Stories is titled Catching Crayfish. We certainly don't have big crayfish here but they are fun to search for.

We stripped the kids down and headed into the river. Though A wanted to be the one to catch the crayfish, she just didn't have the grab down pat. So once spotted, Daddy grabbed the crayfish. A held one but I'm pretty sure F was determined to crush. Poor little guy was pretty scared. We found a nice little spot for him to hide and set him free. We searched and searched but didn't find more crayfish. We saw a few salmon fry but that was it. It's been a very dry summer so the river is low. It's not good news for the fish.

Dinner and a dip in the river seemed to help recharge us for the drive home. It was a bit disappointing to arrive home without having had a night in the woods but to quell A's disappointment I set up an indoor campsite for her. A little campfire made of a lantern and playsilks, her sleepbag on her bed, a couple stuffed birds and a stuffed raccoon and the window wide open. It's not the same but it was a little something fun.

Market and Art

This weekend, despite our busy work schedules, Jon and I found time to take the kids to the Moss Street Market and the Moss Street Paint In. The market is a weekly farmers market but the Paint-in is an annual event hosted by the local art gallery. Artists from all over the island come to display the paintings and other works. It's so amazing to see the talent here in the city.

It was a sweltering hot day so we didn't make it the entire way down the street. We started at the market. One of my favorite local bands, The O'Brien Family, was playing. There were tomatoes, berries, amazing breads, cheese, garlic, ice cream and so so many more goodies. We stopped by the children's art tent with A where she decorated some fairy rocks for her fairy home.

Then it was on to the Paint In. I was really surprised to see some very young artists at the paint in this year. Most artists that attend have been working at their craft for many years. It was nice to see new faces. The kids loved the opportunity to do their own crafts. There was another craft station where A made a wind sock and F did some coloring.

Such a lovely way to spend a morning with my little family before heading to work. These local gatherings throughout the summer months help me to feel that sense of connection to my community and this town.

July Garden

July has already been so dry and hot I wasn't sure my garden would survive. We are facing drought conditions and are on water restrictions. Still, in many ways the garden seems to be benefiting from the heat. The raspberries have ripened and been eaten, the blueberries as well and we are already seeing blackberries on the bushes. Blackberries!! We don't see those until August. We've been steadily harvesting kale and zucchini. Then all of a sudden all the english peas were ready. I can hardly stand to be out in the heat picking them all. Good thing A is such a pea fan because I can always count on her for help.

The chickens and cat however, are not doing well in the heat. Zooey is desperate to find a cool place to rest. It seems almost impossible to find for cat or human. The chickens too. It's been so long since we've had rain. The earth is so dry and where the chickens once rolled in the cool earth, they now huddle in any small patch of shade they can find. Their water needs to be filled over and over every day. The long days mean lots of eggs though.

These drought conditions have led to many forest fires throughout the province. Fire crews are stretched as it is. It's to the point now that they can only tackle the most severe fires, not all the fires. Since Sunday the city has been blanketed in smoke. It's eerie, the colors are off. There is a film of ash on my car and I haven't seen the moon in several nights. It's been making my eyes burn and making me cough at night. So, the garden has been left behind. We have been spending our days indoors until the wind carries the smoke offshore. My thoughts are with all the firefighters and those whose homes lie in fires path. Mother Earth, we could use some (or a lot) of rain right now.

Sun Sweet Sun

 

Sunshine, family, flower crowns, fairy houses, berries from the garden, dinner outside and a sun cake. What beautiful solstice it was. I hope you all enjoyed the longest day of the year.