Finish Strong

Posted June 23rd, 2008 by Jen in features
6 Comments »

By My Husband

The walls are up and the paint is on - now it’s time to head for the finish line, so to speak. It feels really good to have the structure done, the wires in the wall, the pipes in and the shingles on the roof. If only this last stretch didn’t seem to go on forever. You’ll constantly hear the phrases “You’re really close” and “You’re almost there” but it doesn’t feel that way. The finish work takes a lot of detail and scheduling that can suck you dry. Now’s the time to buck up and stay strong.

TRIM

Trim really brings out your walls and makes things feel solid. I had initially wanted to do knotty pine trim but ended up going with a painted trim to save money. We wrapped our windows all the way which is becoming less common these days and man did it make our windows stand out. In our first home we replaced all of the doors, windows and trim, and so I know a good finish carpenter is everything. There are tricks to getting things fit and look good when they aren’t perfectly square. A good finish guy can hide a lot. My friend Matt took the honors and went to work, spending a lot of time with his tape, finish gun and chop saw and did a great job.

FLOORS

Carpet, wood and tile shopping is sooooo exhausting. There are a bazillion choices and trying to consider color combos and what should go where is tiring. After much driving and looking and internet browsing, I knew what I would have to pay per square foot of each. From there it was a matter of choosing within those ranges quantities of each that would total to my flooring budget.

By luck 18″ travertine went on sale at the local Home Depot just in time - $2.49 per square foot. The quality was about 80/20 that is about 80% of the tile was good to great and about 20% was bad to not usable. We strategically placed the good tiles in the most visible places and put the not so pretty ones in out of the way places like our utility closet, the corners of the pantry and under counters and appliances. Some of the tiles will be great except for maybe one edge or section, save those for places you need to trim a piece then just cut off the bad part.

We did about 500 sq ft of hardwoods. I tried as hard as I could to find a hardwood I really liked under $4 per square foot. We ended up closer $5. You can get a hardwood for $3 but it will be a narrower plank and typically available only in standard colors. As I mentioned in a previous post, we have a rustic country style and so I wanted something wide planked and a little distressed. The Manchurian Walnut we went with had all of that at the best price we could find.

Carpet is a science. From 50 cents per square foot to several dollars you have to consider what’s important. To be blunt we went cheap. The carpet looks nice but is not a heavy pile. With four kids under the age of 9, and our entries and main living areas all hardwood or tile, we decided the carpet just needs to make it 5 or 6 years at which point we can replace it with something better. The money saved went back into hardwoods and tile that are both something you only want to put down once.

FIREPLACE AND FAUX STONE

Our entrance and fireplace both have faux stone and man there’s a lot of it. As of this writing we have finished the fireplace and it looks great. It took a little bit to get the rhythm, but once we got going it wasn’t too bad. We went with a sorta country rubble stone with wide grout lines as it matched the natural stones around the property. I found two or three magazine pictures I liked and tried to emulate them, which really helped as I could show the two guys helping me exactly what I was going for.

For the fireplace mantle I bought a large timber from a small sawmill and then roughed it up to give a distressed look. It took a full Sunday to do this. Basically, I set it on a couple saw horses and used my grinder, belt sander, vibrating sander and hand planer to form it. After planing and sanding the initial shape, I used a chain and hammer to put some marks into it and the grinder to put some divots here and there. Then a propane torch and spray paint to accent the edges and mars. The vibrating sander then took off the excess paint and burn marks and we stained it. It did take two or three revisions to get each side just right but we are very pleased with the look, it has a very authentic appearance.

LANDSCAPING

As children, both my wife and I always dreamed of some day having a big green lawn. I grew up on the Oregon coast, a mile from the Pacific where sand, scotchbroom and sticker bushes dominated, and she in the middle of the southern Arizona desert where cactus and dust were the only options. As such, we have always enjoyed the luxury of a nice lawn.

This being our third home, I pretty much knew how I was going to attach the yard. This property was very challenging, however, as the amount of rock made trenching and tilling extremely difficult. I brought in a lot of loam and used a single spade plow on my tractor to turn the soil, pop rocks and then to trench. Trying to use a ditch witch would have been impossible. After turning the soil and getting it fluffed up a bit, I chained three logs to the back of the tractor and drug them around our yard for hours to level things out.

After getting things leveled out, I walked out my sprinkler heads, putting flags wherever a sprinkler was needed. You have to know how many gallons per minute your water system, public or private, can provide and then add up your sprinkler heads required gallons per minute, as stated by the manufacturer, usually betwen 1 and 3 GPM each. Our well is 60GPM but the water line from the house to the barn gets about 20 GPM in a 1″ pipe - I used that figure for the sprinklers as they have similar distances and pipe sizes. So I was safe at 20 GPM but kept each branch at 12 GPM or less to be safe.

The first lawn I put in was at our first house and I had sent in all of my dimensions to Rain Bird, as they would design your system for free and send you a plan and parts list. Off to Home Depot I went, and after having nearly filled two baskets with tons of small parts, a guy down the aisle walked up to me. He was wearing a jacket with the name of a local landscaping company on it, and the Rain Bird logo embroidered on the front pocket. He said, “Did you send in for one of those free system plans from one of the sprinkler companies?” I told him I had and he dryly responded that I should put it all back and just get a couple of larger heads to shoot across my yard and call it good. He said “Look, all ya wanna do is flick some water out there, try and hit your corners and get double coverage and you’ll be fine.”

I took his advice and saved a lot of time and money. Where they had specified 15 small heads for the front yard, with several in the middle of the yard, I put 5 large adjustable heads in each corner and it was fine. A lot less trenching, pipe and time. I did the same on this project and it still took me 2 full days just to put the pipe and sprinkler heads in the ground.

I always use 1/2″ funny pipe to connect each sprinkler. This makes it really easy to raise and lower a head or reposition it later if need be. It also will keep your PVC from busting if someone drives over a sprinkler head or drops a rock on it. Once the lines and sprinklers are in you’ll want to groom your topsoil one last time. Use a landscaping rake and make sure there is loose topsoil to accept the seed or sod. I prefer to seed over sod. It is easier and more gratifying, although you need to do it in spring or fall, plus you have to wait for your lawn to become established.

To seed, just spread it with a broadcast spreader and then rake it back and forth with a landscaping rake to work it into the topsoil. Ideally the grass seed will be 1/4″ under where it can stay moist and germinate. If you keep your soil moist and the weather stays in the 60 - 80 degree F range, you’ll see some grass shoots in 7 to 10 days and put your first cut in 4 to 6 weeks. When I seed, I over shoot and simply rake my edges after about 3 weeks. The grass has shallow roots and comes up easy and this is a fun way to shape your lawn.

FINAL WORD

It’s hard to believe we’re almost done. I still have fears of something going terribly wrong, and thus will not feel “done” until we sign the final mortgage documents. I’ve learned a lot, and while I have enjoyed the experience, will not be looking to do it again any day soon. My hat is off to those who make a living building, it takes someone special to do it day in and day out and to do it well. We hope to be moved in within the next 30 days and hopefully get back to normal schedules and routines soon after that.

Technorati Tags: Central Oregon, construction, window trim, baseboards, finish work, carpentry, landscaping, underground sprinkler system, hardwood flooring, travertine tile, fireplace mantle, faux stone, seeding lawn

Tags: appliances, carpet, floor covering, landscaping, new construction, tile

Drywall and Paint

Posted June 18th, 2008 by Jen in features
8 Comments »

by My Husband

Framing is done and the electrical wire is in the wall. Now it’s time to put some “rock” on the walls. Before you do, be sure to check your walls for warped studs and other defects. Most can be fixed with a handplaner or by shimming, and this will make your walls look nice and straight once the sheetrock goes on.

We received 3 drywall bids and they were all very close in cost. There is a typical industry standard of pricing drywall by the square foot. So assuming the drywall contractors measure your house the same, you should see comparable figures for the base bids. You’ll want to ask the drywallers to specify what thickness of drywall they are using, if they will be using nails or screws, and finally to make sure they will be sealing the drywall before texturing.

You’ll need to specify a texture as well. A nice light orange peel is fairly common and also the least expensive. We would have liked to have had some nice hand textures throughout, but it adds considerably to the cost. We reasoned that with a light texture we could always go back and retexture in later years as a remodeling project if we really felt like it. I know it sounds funny to talk about remodeling when building a brand new house, but it’s my way of letting things go at this stage, as I am a perfectionist and like everything done just so, even though my bank account often does not agree.

We saved a little money with the drywall company by doing all of the cleanup. This was a chore, especially after the hangers got done. The drywall hangers left screws and dust and chunks of cutoff drywall everywhere - and I mean everywhere.

It took myself and son L almost a full day to get them thrown into a pile outside the house. It also took me half a day, using my tractor, to load my neighbor’s large dump trailer and haul it to the dump. It was hard earned savings.

Once the drywall is hung, the mudders come in, before they do make sure to check the hangers work. I called them and made them come back off and screw off in several places where they had gotten too light with the screws. There are codes for how many screws or nails need to be applied per feet with a given drywall thickness. I walked through the house and found a few closet walls and corners where they were missed and I could hit the wall with my fist and hear the drywall slapping on the studs behind.

The mudders will plop mud everywhere and once it dries it is no fun trying to get off the floor and bath fixtures. Be sure they mask and cover all of your tubs and showers and put down paper or drop clothes over your entire floor. The mudders will need heat or at least a decent temperature to make sure the mud dries between coats. If it is the middle of winter and your furnace is not hooked up yet, then you’ll need to rent a heater to keep the house warm.

After the drywall mud is on, your texturer will come in. If, like most, you are having a sprayed-on texture, be sure to clean your floor first. The texture gun will blow up junk, dust and dirt from your floor and into the wall texture otherwise. We had a lot by our back staircase that got on the walls and made a mess. Luckily we used a wide base board/runner up the stairs that covers it - but be prepared.

When you’re ready to start painting buy a gallon or quart of every color you intend to use. It will look different once on the walls and, as in our case, it may look too different. Anyone need 20 gallons of off-white? If you are going to paint your ceilings a different color, typically a white, then paint your walls first and then mask - it is much faster than trying to cut in (paint) the transition line from wall to ceiling.

I like flat colors and think sheen is as much of the color as the color itself. I do not like shiny walls and so we went with flat paint everywhere but in bathrooms, where we used a satin finish because of moisture. We borrowed a friend’s sprayer - you’ll want a commercial grade sprayer not a little project one. You’ll also want to be sure to backroll all of your walls. That is, after spraying a section of wall you’ll want to roll it with a paint roller. This will take out any spray lines and help even out the color. Even though this seems like a lot of work, it is much faster than hand rolling, much faster. Make sure your roller stays wet and things will go fast.

I hope this was helpful. I’ll wrap this up next week, and we’ll be just about ready to move in!

Technorati Tags: construction, painting, drywall, wall texture, paint, mudding

Tags: choosing house paint, drywall, drywall texture, exterior paint, house paint, interior paint, mudding

Foundation to Roof

Posted June 11th, 2008 by Jen in features
3 Comments »

by My Husband
Breaking ground is exciting. After much planning and paperwork it’s finally time to actually start moving some dirt. For our home, I took on the task of doing the “site prep” and “push out” myself. With a flat building lot and blueprints in hand it didn’t seem too intimidating and proved to be very doable. Had the building site been on a slope and thus required more calculations, I may have thought twice about this. But, it wasn’t and so I rented a small bulldozer from the local heavy equipment company and started to work.

Before You Start
The very first thing to do once you have your plans done is to get a lumber takeoff. Looking back I wish I would have done just one of these. Instead I gave a set of plans to 3 different lumber retailers and they all did separate bids for all of my lumber, siding, posts, brackets, housewrap and sheeting. Problem is, the takeoffs (materials list) were all different. Also, these takeoffs had a lot of assumptions in them. There is, for example, more than one brand and style of lap siding - all with different prices, benefits and so forth. So, pay a couple hundred for a takeoff to be done.

Once you have your takeoff done you still have to go through it and make changes. A big one I missed is exposed beams. Our porch has big beams all the way around and the engineer had only specified the minimum size, which is what the lumber company ended up putting on my order. So, a few of the beams ended up being 7″ tall because they required less load than the 9″ tall beams they connected to. That just did not work when it came time to frame the porch and we had to end up building up the beams to make them meet up. Brackets are another example. My supplier sent ugly galvanized post to beam brackets out when I had visualized nice powder coated ones. I exchanged and all is happy but it could have been smoother.

When you have your takeoff, give it to 3 or 4 lumber stores. Tell them you want a contractor’s account with terms and make sure they specify how long prices are guaranteed and return policies. You’ll see lumber and material prices go up and down a lot in the course of a year. Try to buy when it’s low as much as is feasible - that will require a little research and planning but it can payoff a lot if you are savvy.

What To Do and What Not To Do

Knowing what to do and what not to do on a building project is key. There is so much to do it can seem overwhelming. My advice is to focus on efficiency. Looking back, I spun my wheels a bit worrying about details - things I should have just left to the sub-contractors to figure out. You’ll be able to get done faster and save more money by getting at least 3 bids (I recommend 4), making sure you have negotiated the best material prices and coordinating and scheduling. Stay on the job but focus on pushing things forward.

Do not think you are going to save a bunch of money by doing everything. If the task requires a lot of specialized tools and intricate know how, you’ll be better off hiring out most of the time. Try to get things setup for the subs so they can get in and get their job done, and sell them on this. Make sure they know you are here to make their job easy.

Dealing With “Subs”

Make sure to absolutely require the sub contractors put in writing a finish date and who pays for overages. I learned this when my foundation contractor kept pushing out an extra day and then went over on his bid for concrete by $900. We ended up working it out but it was a hassle and stressful. I would also be cautious of handing over control of framing material purchases to a framing crew. These guys may be good but their task consumes the most material by far. My framing sub wanted me to let him do the material ordering - I told him no. No offense, but I didn’t know him from Adam and an open ticket at the lumber store sorta scared me. Some subs will order material on one job and move it to another to cover shortages or they may markup your lumber to make a little more since they get a discount from the lumber store, but you can do the same if you take in a materials list. I made myself the point man for materials on framing. I was on the job every day and asked for any materials they needed daily, which I would order or pickup. The lead framer had my cell number and it worked out quite well.

When you request a contractor give a bid, give them an outline of what you expect in spoken word or a cover letter along with your plans. Request they include any parameters you specify in their formal bid. They are not doing you any favors, so don’t feel bad about letting them know how you want it done. You’ll get a gut feeling when you talk with them, go with it. I didn’t a few times and it bit me. If a sub is grumpy and rather rude when you offer him the chance at your business, don’t expect him to be cheery once he is on the job.

Do make sure you check the work of your hired help and tell them early if you want it done differently, better yet tell them before they start how to do it if you have a specific desire. Every single sub I worked with wants to get in and get out, and often they don’t mind cutting corners to get it done quicker. I made it clear that good enough was not good enough. We can have a good working relationship, but that doesn’t mean I am going to smile when you do something the wrong way. I also think the work is done better when there is knowledge that the owner will be checking it thoroughly on a regular basis. I am sure if you can pay for a true master carpenter, this isn’t necessary, but most likely you’ll be on the other end of the spectrum.

Foundation to Roof Quick Tips

When the foundation goes in make sure it is spot-on with the plans. Check the layout before pouring and make changes if necessary. I triple checked every wall length and angle one evening after the sub had left for the day. I found a few small errors and one big one. The foundation forms should also be plumb, level, greased and well braced. Check for all of this. A bad form setup will give you a foundation stem wall that is very difficult to build on, wastes concrete and looks rough when the form boards are pulled.

Framing crews are in a league of their own. I hadn’t listened to so much 80’s rock since high school. Stereo blasting, nail guns thumping and saws ripping, these guys want to turn it out fast. A good framer will check for plumb and level quite a bit. A not so good framer will use shortcuts used on track homes and say good enough when doing so. These types of small errors add up and magnify as you go up. A good framer will be conscious of the lumber warp and wane and then strategically utilize less acceptable lumber.

I did roofing for a summer and considered doing ours. I am glad I didn’t. I found a good deal and ran with it. It got done in a few days and I was able to work on other things in the meantime. For your roof, you can vent with standard roof vents or with ridge venting. Ridge venting allows for more airflow at the peak and thus is preferred - keeping your attic cooler in the summer and saving you money. The cost difference is a little more but it wasn’t too bad. Make sure your sub tells you what type of valley flashing he will do. There are a lot of methods, some cheaper and some better - take a pick. I would recommend not skimping on this as a leaky roof means a lot of trouble. Check with local roofing supply companies and ask them what they consider to be adequate and what is subpar. This will differ depending on where you live as climate is the determining factor. High winds and/or freezing temperatures for example, need to be addressed in roofing to ensure ice and snow doesn’t dam up and water doesn’t blow into the building structure.

That’s it. Hope this was insightful and useful to some of you out there.

Technorati Tags: Central Oregon, construction, subcontractors, roofing, framing, bids, foundation

Tags: building foundation, construction, contractors, framing, house building

Planning & Prep

Posted June 3rd, 2008 by Jen in features
6 Comments »

by My Husband

Strangely enough, when undertaking a building project you’ll receive a flood of marital counseling. For me, it came from a few friends, first the realtor and then the mortgage guy. They all say, with a certain seriousness, to be careful not to let the building experience ruin or even destroy your marriage. They profess to have actually seen it happen. It seems so odd when starting out, but the story goes that as the project progresses, the endless flood of decisions can lead to conflicts between you and your spouse. Fighting over such things as wall colors or door sizes, cabinet styles or floor coverings may seem trivial, however if we really look at the pettiness of most of our day to day arguments, they are usually of even less importance.

So, the first bit of advice is to pray. Pray for yourself and your significant other to have grace, patience and latitude towards one another when making these choices. Try to start by agreeing on broad rules and making your concessions here. Agree on an overall color and decor theme and in general an overall feel. Look at magazines; we went through a lot and clipped out everything we liked. We went on the Tour of Homes and just talked - “Oh I like that” or “Man, that bath tile looks too fancy for my taste.” We also liked to go through new developments and tour the model home. It’s a great way to find all kinds of ideas and to see what the current hot design ideas are. You’ll soon find common ground and have learned what you both like.

Once you have a good feel for what you’re shooting for, you need to make sure it fits with where you’re building. Our lot is very, how should we say, cowboy. It’s high desert, there is sage brush, craggly old junipers and coyotes and rattlesnakes to boot. I love rustic and wanted a house that complemented the sage greens and desert tans all around us. As simple as this seems, it really helped to define our style before we started looking at things like siding, paints and stains.

SITE PLANNING
Depending on your lot size and local building codes you’ll need to determine where your house will sit, where the driveway will go, how you’ll hook into utilities and a myriad of other topics. We were required to submit a site plan to the county that showed all of these things drawn to scale, along with easements and setbacks, as well as where our well would be drilled and where the septic system would be located.

These types of decisions can be hard to make, especially if you have a larger lot where you have more possibilities. I spent a lot of time driving to the property and walking it over and over. I brought ladders and climbed trees to try and get a feel for what second story views would look like at different locations. I was also very mindful of how much privacy the trees in different locations offered. I really didn’t like the idea of having to put blinds on our windows to obtain privacy when we lived on 20 heavily treed acres.

When considering locations, I also thought about how much it would cost to get utilities and a road to any particular building site. I had a 100′ tape measure and had already called the power company to see what they charged to put in power. If you’re too far way then they have to bring in more equipment, lines and transformers, which translated means more money. I also borrowed a friend’s laser level and checked elevation to see where I could put my septic system’s drain field without requiring a pump.

After collecting all of this information and weighing the options, we made the decision to build about 500 feet further up on the property than we had initially planned. What seemed like an obvious building location at first glance became less attractive as we really looked. The location where the house now sits is, without a doubt, the right spot. It has great views that weren’t initially apparent but came into their own with some selective thinning of trees. It also has a great amount of privacy. Finally, the location was the most economical spot for connecting to utilities, installing a septic system and building a driveway.

HOUSE PLANNING

We really were hoping to find a stock plan that we liked, but it was a useless venture. The fact that I work at home and thus need a separated space for an office, combined with the need for a full master suite for Jen’s mom, limited our options. Nothing seemed right for our needs. Having done design, 3D and a little CAD over the years, I thought I would take a crack at trying to design our home. After a few frustrating weekends, a bit of wisdom broke through as I figured out that I had no idea about how a house should flow and what standard dimensions were.

Instead I found a small design company with a nice portfolio who could listen to our wants and come up with a plan for us. House designers are less expensive than architects but can still do great work. If you want to save money with a stock plan, find house designers in your area and view their stock plans. These plans will already be engineered to your local building codes and you’ll find styles that match your locale.

We had an initial meeting with the designers, showed them some styles we liked and gave them some rough parameters – the rooms we needed, our overall square footage and budgeting goals. I made it clear that while I wanted an aesthetically pleasing house, I didn’t want a lot of complicated angles and open beams and so forth that would really add to the cost. It took a few meetings and revisions to get things tweaked just right, but it was, in all, a fairly painless experience.

One final item to note is energy savings. I am not a “green” advocate but I hate paying my electric bill. As a result, I investigated several energy saving building strategies. Solar passive design is fairly easy to incorporate into a home design and is an easy way to seriously cut your heating and cooling costs. I simply made sure the house’s southern exposure was maximized and that there were enough windows on that side to collect solar heat in the winter months and enough window overhang to shade against solar heat in the summer months. I’ll touch more on this in a future article, but for now just bear in mind that for decades homes were designed without any consideration of that huge ball of energy that our planet revolves around. Take advantage of free heating energy from the sun in the winter and block it in the summer and you’ll keep a lot of greenbacks in the bank.

CONCLUSIONS

For anyone who might be starting down the path of building your own home at anytime in the future, I would offer the following advice.

First, realize this is just a house, wood, paint and tile. It is not eternal and thus should be viewed as temporary. I heard a great sermon on the radio one day as were just breaking ground. The pastor talked about how we often talk about things in a possessive nature, like we somehow earned it or own it. He used the example of a piece of land (how fitting) and how he found himself referring to it as “his” property, and that the Lord corrected him and reminded him that it was someone else’s before him and will be someone else’s after him, and that in truth all things are from God and are God’s. This is instrumental. Treat your building project as a blessing for this season and you’ll find it easier to let go of the incidentals.

Second, spend time considering how to get the most out of your lot. The footprint and positioning of your house will affect many things, especially on smaller lots. Moving your home toward the street on a small lot will give you more of a back yard, but haphazardly plopping it right in the middle for no good reason may eat up valuable usable space. Think of windows and sunlight. Do you like sun on your toes in the morning on those cold winter months? If so, consider where the southern exposure is and how to situate your home to maximize this.

Third, choose a designer to work with, even if you go with a stock plan out of a magazine. You’ll most likely have to have it re-engineered to local code and that means things like walls and roofs might need to change and this is where a designer can make it look right and save you a ton of headaches down the road. You may be able to find an architect that fits your budget, otherwise the designer will make the changes and have an engineer calculate the loads and put his stamp on the plans.

Technorati Tags: building a house, Central Oregon, construction, country, house plans

Tags: blueprints, house building budget, house plans

The Farmer’s Wife

Posted May 26th, 2008 by Jen in features
16 Comments »

In the high desert of Central Oregon lies one small valley, so green and fertile that one forgets for a moment which side of the Cascades this is. The fields are grassy, the elk wander down from the hills to graze with the cattle, and the verdant hills rise up to meet the juniper and sage which overlay the bluffs, the only visible reminders that this is, indeed, the desert. It’s here in the heart of the Lone Pine Valley that I caught up with Connie Hegele, who, with her husband and sons, owns the Walking H Ranch.

Connie has three grown children and one daughter-in-law, and in a rare situation by today’s standards, has her entire family working, in some capacity, in the family business. Businesses, I should say. The Hegeles also own American Sprinklers, in operation since 1975, and Lone Pine Clydesdales, now the second largest breeder in Oregon. One of her sons, Travis, runs SAR, an environmental consulting corporation.The Hegeles also own commercial property in Portland as well as Central Oregon.

Connie and her husband, Chuck, are both native Oregonians, and I would be hard pressed to find another family that so well represents the pioneer spirit for which Oregon is famous. Had they lived in the 1840s, I’m sure they would have been blazing the Oregon Trail. Here in the Lone Pine Valley, the Walking H Ranch sits on 277 beautiful acres, and they farm 106 irrigated acres. Connie’s boys are in full charge of the farm, and I see this as the mark of a wise woman, that her children continue her work and are themselves productive citizens.

Growing up on a farm with milk cows, horses, and goats, Connie is no stranger to farm life. She spent her childhood summers at her granddad’s 100,000 acre ranch in Burns, rounding up cattle and cutting hay to load on the wagons still pulled by draft horses. Connie always loved those draft horses, and for her birthday about a dozen years ago, Chuck gave her a little black Clydesdale, and the rest is history. For their 36th anniversary four years ago, he gave her (they actually gave each other) a pair of buffalo, so we’ll see where that goes!

Connie is a woman who seems to be everywhere at once, and it was hard for me to pull this post together. Her work is often behind-the-scenes, and all the details that seem to magically come together are because of her untiring efforts. Let me just give you a snapshot of one of her days this weekend.

The Hegeles planned a Memorial Day party/cannon shoot/BBQ at the old Lone Pine Elementary School, which was sold by the county years ago, and purchased and renovated by the Hegele family, beginning in 1998. So, I found Connie up bright and early Saturday morning, setting the tables, arranging food and decorations, making last minute phone calls. In their usual generous way, they had invited us to join in the festivities.

If you had happened to be driving by, you would have been invited, too. Later that evening, at my table sat four strangers - a man who had been motoring by on his Harley the week before and noticed Chuck’s cannon (he builds cannons and I’ll need an entire post just to fill you in on Chuck). Chuck showed the man his shop and gave him the full tour, along with an invitation to the Memorial Day weekend party. Here he was, and he’d brought his wife and son and daughter-in-law. I heard him comment, “These are the friendliest bunch of people I’ve ever met.” At the next table over, I noticed one of the Hegeles’ farm workers and his family. Behind them sat an old couple that Connie’s son, Rocky, had sold cattle to years ago. And Connie feeds them all. “Growing up on Granddad’s ranch, they always did that,” she said.

There are the nuts and bolts of what Connie does for the family business: she does the books, the bulk of the paperwork, running supplies, bidding projects, handling phone calls, showing their real estate in Portland and here. Then there are the intangibles, the truly significant features that can’t be defined in a job description: she has raised children who love and respect her and stick around to work in the family businesses, she has taken in other kids who’ve temporarily lost their way or are in need, she labors side by side with her husband, supporting him in all things, she is back and forth to Portland caring for her ailing mother, she is generous and hospitable even to the undeserving.

I presented a few questions for Connie to answer for my readers, and her responses are short - because as you know, the farm wife barely has a moment to sit - but sensible.

Jen: The culture of the family farm is dying, and your family is one of the only ones I personally know that is making it work. In the truest sense of a “family farm,” the family and the farm are inseparable - what does this look like in your family?

Connie: The family farm, to be successful, needs to have some of the same goals and be open to new ideas.

And I should add here that I see this with the Hegele family - whether the project is renovating an old schoolhouse or raising horses, I see this unity - whether it’s Connie’s daughter, Candy, picking out the new paint for the school or her daughter-in-law Alisha helping a mare give birth, they are all working toward the same goals.

Jen: One of the unfortunate casualties of modern agriculture is that a family can hardly make a living on the farm anymore. How does your family overcome this economic reality?

Connie: Our family farm is considered extra income. The income is put toward an investment, usually a piece of equipment.

This would explain all those other businesses - it’s extremely difficult these days for individual families to make a living solely on a farm income.

Jen: We talked a bit about a husband and wife working together in the family business, as you and I both do. And we’ve both heard the comments about “I could never do that.” What makes this partnership work for you and Chuck?

Connie: Respect for each other and working together toward new goals. Life always needs to be open to new interests and ideas.

Jen: I’m impressed with the fact that your grown children are so involved in what you do, especially in a modern culture where families are, more often than not, scattered or estranged from one another. What advice would you give to a young family regarding ways to build community and a culture of “togetherness” within the family unit?

Connie: Take time to listen to each other about what you want out of life. Be able to look outside of the box.

Great advice, thanks Connie! I hope you’ve enjoyed this visit to the country; stop in and say hello.

Technorati Tags: Clydesdales, American Sprinklers, Central Oregon, country, Lone Pine Valley, farming in Oregon, family business, family life

The Artist

Posted May 21st, 2008 by Jen in features
7 Comments »

My kids were picking up old tin cans on the other side of her field. I watched with some admiration how the owner of the field, a strong, determined looking woman, was quickly moving pipes to irrigate the field for her cattle. I had seen her before on a tractor pulling a plow, and before that digging trenches. An Oregon farm woman, not an unusual sight around here. What I didn’t know was that she was just as accomplished with a paintbrush and oils as she was in handling the workings of an 80 acre ranch.

This was Pixie Gullickson, and she’s just as cute and sprightly as her name sounds. I think she’s such a fine artist at least in part because of her full engagement in life and her many interests. She must have a third lens through which she views the world, picking up on the intricacies of nature and the handiwork of the Creator, and before this ever hits the canvas, it comes forth from her heart, gathering expression and spirit as it goes.

I love how Pixie painted this Indian woman in a canoe, which painting hangs regally above her bed, as if on watch through the night. It’s an enormous painting with bold and confident color, and I didn’t even fit it all in here. Her father was half Choctaw, and Pixie’s Native American heritage is evident in much of her work. Scattered throughout her home are many Indian artifacts, arrowhead displays, beads, feathers, leather work. These two paintings I found in her studio, one of a warrior and one of her father:

Pixie’s artistry can be found throughout the Central Oregon community, from window paintings to large murals like the ones she painted on Redmond High School and inside the Tower Theater in Bend, and even on a miniscule canvas the size of say, a fingernail…actually, literally a fingernail, as Pixie did amazing nail art for years in a salon she owned in Redmond. And perchance, her artwork will be on my son’s bedroom walls, as he is dreaming of dinosaurs roaming his room. Pixie is available for commissioned work, and hopes to have a website up soon - leave me a comment here if you’d like to get in touch with her.

I was able to get Pixie to sit still long enough to answer a few questions for you (a difficult task, I can assure you, as this woman never seems to stop), and I’m sure you’ll enjoy this interview.

Jen: What are your earliest memories of art? Was this a childhood interest? Was it a hobby, an artistic outlet, a therapeutic thing?

Pixie: I have loved art and remember it from the very earliest age. I remember sitting alone for hours drawing picture after picture, it was so very satisfying to me. It was not a hobby for me, more a constant desire. It was fun and addicting to me because I knew I was good at it. Whatever it was.

Jen: Are you self-taught, or have you had any art training?

Pixie: I am self-taught. I have always been able to sell my work, and have never been out of work or money because of it. I have thought of an education in art, but was always too busy to pursue it.

Jen: What advice would you give to other budding artists regarding how to further their skills?

Pixie: Try everything! NEVER STOP!! You are bringing alive a beautiful relationship with trust, humility, and expression with your heart. If something isn’t quite the way you want it, put it away for a while, and when you find it later, you can tell another story about it. And start window painting, it’s good money and you will be learning as you go.

Jen: I know you work in several mediums, but what is your favorite artistic expression?

Pixie: Oils of course, although I use a lot of Acrylic, because it dries faster and cleaner.

Jen: You are very giving and generous; however, you have earned money from your art. How did you begin to establish art as a career, and what advice would you give to a starving artist trying to make his/her way?

Pixie: Find what your niche is. What I mean by that is find the thing that people love, and that you love to create, and find a way of marketing yourself. Be your own sales person. Nobody will know you do art if you don’t tell them, or show them. Believe in yourself, don’t try to sell something you wouldn’t buy. Get opinions. Never give up!

Jen: Art can be a powerful tool for ministry. Can you share a testimony about some way that your art has been used to touch someone’s place of need with the love of God?

Pixie: Many times. GOD is the original creator. So, to be inspired in the way of creating, I am walking in the image of my heavenly father. I don’t think I know one person who doesn’t admire, or wonder, or have thoughts about art work. It’s a mystery like music, because it is so full of God.

It’s a way of telling a story if you knew no language. But, back to your question, I have painted many things for people, and have had incredible opportunities to brighten many days with nail art. I had a salon and was very well known throughout our area for my nail art. It was so GOD inspired. When God is in it, it works. That is the most important thing about my art, it is a gift from GOD, and if you use it, He will continue to bless it.

Thank you, Pixie!

Technorati Tags: art ministry, art, nail art, murals, art education, murals, Central Oregon

Making Music

Posted May 11th, 2008 by Jen in features
12 Comments »

I met Julie at a church women’s retreat a few months after moving to Central Oregon. I’d seen her leading worship on several occasions, and thought somebody should turn up the mike. I was thrilled when we ended up rooming together at the retreat. That first night was the typical stay-up-half-the-night-talking-women’s-thing. It seems like I’ve known Julie forever, but I guess it’s only been about 3 1/2 years! This is a picture of us last summer at Drake Park in Bend, catching up while our kids played with the ducks.

Julie teaches private piano lessons, and she was kind enough to answer some questions for my blog readers. She is in high demand and has a waiting list for after-school hours, but for homeschooled students who can fill in earlier school hours, you’re in luck! Julie and her husband, Cory O’Neill, run Joyful Noise Music Studios in Redmond, Oregon, and between the two of them, offer a wide range of piano and guitar classes. A side note on Cory: coming up is his fabulous summer guitar camp for beginning and intermediate students, June 16-20. Classes are for 9 - 14 year old beginners, 15 year old - adult beginners, and then an intermediate class. Class includes 5 hours of instruction, CD with all the music and a binder with all the music. Held at Redmond Music Supply. For more information, contact the O’Neills at corynjulie[at]gmail[dot]com.

I asked Julie to include some details here on her little bro, David Klinkenberg, who, if you haven’t heard, is the most amazing fiddle player ever, and shares his sister’s really awesome, silly sense of humor. I can’t remember when I’ve been to a concert and seen such a dynamic connection between a performer and his audience.

Jen: How did you get started with teaching private piano lessons?

Julie: I perform a lot and have had many people over the years almost beg me to teach them too. I vowed I’d never do it, truly. I really didn’t think I’d want to do it, as practicing and lessons for me were always a hard thing to do as a kid. It takes a lot of discipline to stick with something like music long enough to be good enough that people enjoy listening. I remember as a kid, practicing the piano while my brother was down the hall practicing his violin, to the backdrop of kids outside playing. It was hard to understand why, as a kid, I had to practice instead of play. I did get to play, eventually, but there was always piano practice between me and my freedom to go play. But all along I was learning something vital - what perseverance, stick-to-it-iveness and commitment to something looked like, and now, who knows what those kids playing outside are doing, but David and I are getting to use our music professionally and are so blessed by it.

So, I ultimately was convinced to start teaching piano when I just couldn’t resist this sweet Hispanic middle school girl’s insistence that she wanted to learn from me. It took only one lesson, one-on-one with this great gal, to realize that this could be fun. One-on-one teaching with some of the best students around is any teacher’s dream and it’s what I get to do as a piano teacher. It’s also a lot of fun to have a business with my husband. We bounce ideas off of each other, manage the business together, and combine our talents to offer a studio that teaches piano and guitar. We have quite a few families where one of the children takes piano and the other child takes guitar. Families love it!

Jen: You and your husband are both involved in music ministry and music education; with your children, are you able to trade off the childcare and the teaching and cover for each other, or how does this work?

Julie: We remodeled our home so it has a studio in it. It makes it easy. When I am teaching, my husband is on kid patrol and vice-versa. Next school year, we are hoping to teach out of the music store downtown. It’s gotten more difficult to teach at home with elementary age children of our own now. To have 20 some families coming to our door each week has put some strain on the ease of family duties at home. So our goal is to have me teach one night and Cory to teach guitar the other night down at the store.

Besides teaching music, we also get to lead worship at our church together. There is hardly anything more fun than worshiping God together with music. It’s so powerful to be united in song in praise to God, building the intensity of a song together as we both feel moved to do, with one’s spouse.

Jen: I’d love for you to share a little bit of your latest adventure with touring with your brother, David Klinkenberg. I’m a big fan of his (and yours) and want to make sure my readers get a chance to hear about this piece of your life.

Julie: I mentioned a little about David, my brother. What an amazing opportunity I have recently been given to tour around the country performing with my little brother, David Klinkenberg. We have played together since we were 4 and 6 years old - countless church appearances, weddings, banquets, festivals, competitions, and other random events, but when David was approached some years ago by members of his church to go to Nashville on their dollar and record an album, my time with him was temporarily done.

Four albums later and tours with Jim Brickman, Big Daddy Weave, Mark Schultz, Richie McDonald, Lonestar and many others, David decided to give his long time favorite pianist another whirl - and it worked! We love to joke about our lives growing up together on stage, but we also bring to our shows many meaningful moments of challenge for the audience. Audiences seem to easily connect with us, as we are so real with them while on stage. Ultimately it moves many to tears to see a brother and a sister a) getting along and b)performing like we do together. I tease David that we are the next Donnie and Marie Osmond.

At a show near Nashville in February, David’s manager came to the Civic Theater where we were performing without us knowing. I caught them backstage talking with beaming smiles. Apparently, the whole show was a hit. Without even wanting to be, I was suddenly in on the national music scene. A couple days after that, I got a call from his management asking if I’d want to be his road manager - advance all the shows, do all the reports, take care of all the details for each event and much more. I recall laughing but I don’t recall screaming YES. Thoughts of my studio, my two children, my husband, my already FULL life, blocked any enthusiastic response from me. But despite that, an hour later, emails came streaming in with my job description, sample reports, sample contracts, etc. I was on.

I am glad that God sometimes works that way. He takes doubting Julie and doesn’t really give me a choice sometimes. He uses me despite me. I am teaching piano not because I purposed to do it, but obviously because God wanted to use me in the lives of students one-on-one. He wanted me to challenge and deeply love students through the medium of teaching them music and as a way to express themselves and believe in themselves.

He wanted me to tour with my brother. I would never have been able to see how this could logically work out with my already full life, but it’s been like the parting of the Red Sea. I am walking on dry land as God has parted my life and made a way. And because of that, I get to meet people all over this nation, encourage them, love them, listen to them, and pray with them. And, I get to be my brother’s sister again as we discover who each other has become. Check out David’s music at www.davidklinkenberg.com. The multi-media tab has some clips of him performing.

Jen: It’s neat how both you and your brother are such musical talents, and I know your brother started really young. What advice would you give to parents of young children who don’t have a lot of money to spend on private lessons but still want their kids to get a music education?

Julie: My parents didn’t have a lot of money either. My dad was a biologist with the Federal Government making a basic salary. It’s about priorities though. It was highly important to my mom that we take lessons. The truth is, that takes money. My parents spent a lot of money, gas, time, and tears to support us as we took lessons all the way through high school.

A music education has a lot of levels to it. Basics could simply include renting cool CDs from the library and listening to them together - check out Jazz, blues, African music, or classical CDs and listen, dance, discuss what you like and dislike. Without private lessons, most kids won’t master an instrument, but if that’s not the goal then parents could check out neat group classes like Kindermusik. I put my kids in Kindermusik and they loved it and truly learned an appreciation for different types of music, concepts like dynamics, rhythm, and acceleration and social skills as well.

Some kids, when raised in homes that support and love them and encourage them to be all that they want to be, do self-learn instruments. My husband did this with the guitar. He had a passion and made it happen.

Jen: You have many interests besides music. You’re an avid runner and you also like to write, educate people on health issues, do photography and quilting, and you’re a soccer mom, among other things. How do you find balance?

Julie: I find balance by not over-booking myself, by not letting guilt motivate me to volunteer too much. I find balance by making sure I have time to do what I need to to stay connected to who I am - that includes adequate time outside, running, alone time, reading the Bible, hanging out with girlfriends, quilting, dating my husband. I find balance by taking time to go to coffee with a friend. I also don’t try to accomplish everything you listed above in one day. I have a pretty good sense of what a day can handle and if too many things pile up for one day, I cut stuff out. Making sure that we eat a healthy meal is quite important to me so I can’t allow a day to crowd that task out, for instance.

If I ever do get overwhelmed, I stop and think: what one thing could I do on the list that would relieve that feeling of being overwhelmed and allow me to then be able to tackle the to-do list? Sometimes just getting the laundry done is all it takes for me to feel grounded again, not out of control, and able to calmly deal with the rest of the duties.

Another thing on balance for us is our choice of occupation itself (teaching). It lends itself to a work hard, play hard lifestyle, but it allows for much needed long breaks - like 10 weeks at summer of hiking, backpacking, camping, swimming, sun! We work hard to live by our wage and have been so amazed at the difference no debt makes on our life. We don’t have to work to pay off large mortgages or car payments or credit card payments. It means that we can set boundries on our time (for instance, how many students we can teach) and not be forced to have to take on more than a balanced lifestyle can handle.

Didn’t you just love this time with Julie? If you’re lucky enough to live in Central Oregon, and have kids, you may want to explore the possibility of music lessons with Joyful Noise Music Studios. If you’re a stay-at-home mom with musical talent, and have been wondering how to bring in additional income, I hope you’ve been inspired to take the leap and start teaching. And I’ll be sure to let you know if Julie and David are coming to a town near you.

Technorati Tags: Central Oregon, guitar camp, Kindermusik, David Klinkenberg, piano lessons, music education, music

The Baker

Posted May 4th, 2008 by Jen in features
5 Comments »

Welcome to Buffy’s kitchen, where she bakes about 3,000 cookies a week and makes a nice addition to her family’s income. As long as I’ve known Buffy, she’s always loved cookies and cookie dough, so when she told me she was thinking about starting a home cookie business, it seemed a perfect fit. Being a full-time mom with three little cookie monsters in tow, she still manages to keep things running smoothly, but with the irresistible aroma of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies constantly drifting from her home, I don’t know how she keeps the entire neighborhood from invading the kitchen.

My first thought, actually, was “it’s so simple!” What is any more basic and American than baking and selling cookies? My local grocery store has about 100 varieties of cookies to choose from, attesting to our national past-time of cookie snacking! But there is always room for a good homemade product, and Buffy has found a smart niche.

She has one corporate client, a large jewelry store chain with stores in Oregon, California, Idaho, and Washington, which give the cookies away as gifts to their customers. Again, this adds to the simplicity of Buffy’s business model, and streamlines the process into a successful enterprise.

I wanted to share a few words from Buffy, especially because the topic of women in business is near and dear to me. I run a business with my husband, and many of my friends and readers are women who are home taking care of their children - I so often hear these ladies commenting about their desire for a home-based business to add to the family earnings, so here is Buffy sharing a bit of her experience:

Jen: How did you decide to choose the cookie/baking business?

Buffy: One evening, as I was putting Ella to bed, I had an idea of baking specific sugar cookies for the family ski and snowboard business to put on the shelf for sale. The holidays were just around the corner and I was in the mood. I have always loved baking cookies and so I thought, why not try to make money doing what I already do and enjoy? I got excited and ran the idea by my husband. He had a better idea that included a bigger scope and possibility. His work was already giving away candy bars and were looking for a more homemade giveaway. It evolved from a special cut out cookie to miniature chocolate chip cookies.

Jen: What are the greatest benefits and greatest challenges of having your own small business, and how does this business fit into family life?

Buffy: The greatest benefit is being at home while making a little extra money. It’s satisfying knowing what I can accomplish alongside being a full time mother. The challenges include the stress of fitting the baking/packaging times into family life and timing the packaging correctly. I try to do most of the baking during school and nap times and then package at night. I love the one-on-one talk and music times I gain at night with my husband and friends.

Jen: Tell me about one particular hurdle you had to overcome.

Buffy: One hurdle I overcame was figuring out how to make the cookies last 2 weeks to a month. It took about 2 months of testing the cookie recipe and researching different techniques. It was really challenging and overwhelming. I felt strongly, in the moment, that the Lord really helped me figure everything out. The timing was perfectly in His hands. When I needed a specific answer at a specific time, He would give me just the information I was looking for…time and time again.

Jen: What do you see for the future?

Buffy: I see myself making this business work as long as there is a need. Maybe, someday, if there’s extra time and outside interest, it could become an online business or I could cater baked goods for local parties. As long as it’s fun and manageable, I’m up for the challenge.

Jen: I know the “family business” runs in your family (and your husband’s family). Do you think your background was helpful in giving you the courage/motivation to step out and do this?

Buffy: Because of the family business, I have a wonderful client. I couldn’t operate successfully without it. I don’t think our family businesses, per se, gave me the motivation to do this, but I do think that my parents’ role modeling a good work ethic did. My husband believing in me and sharing in the excitement really motivated me as well.

I’ve sat in Buffy’s kitchen many a time (and never want to leave), and truly, her cookie business is just another extension of her gift of hospitality. She loves baking and is an excellent hostess. This is important to mention, because my advice for those of you considering a business is to choose a venture that you have a passion for or a natural interest in. Be willing to make adjustments, as Buffy has done, but try to stick to your vision.

I also like Buffy’s attitude of “as long as it’s working.” I wouldn’t stick with an idea for the sake of principle if you’re hating it and it’s more trouble than it’s worth. That being said, there is work to be done and there will be difficult seasons in all things. A young mother has the extra burden of working her business in with the often overwhelming task of raising children. However, it’s good to look at the family business as a teaching tool, and it’s a marvelous way to train your young ones in so many life skills, financial skills, and relational skills.

Well, as the Cookie Monster says, “C is for cookie, it’s good enough for me; oh cookie cookie cookie starts with C.” And as for my dear friend’s cookies…these are such a delicious treat that you might have to go buy yourself a new piece of jewelry just to get your hands on one of Buffy’s cookies!

Technorati Tags: baking, cooking, cookies, home-based business, family business, women in business

A Strawberry Tea Party

Posted April 27th, 2008 by Jen in features
5 Comments »

Little girls love tea parties, but so do big girls like me, and even the little boys in my family want a part in the fun — my eight year old son would like to be the server, and my three year old son just wants to eat the goodies. We are planning a strawberry-themed tea party, at the request of the girls, and would like to share the menu and details with you.

The tradition of teatime is a long and cherished one, and our tea party, which will include the children, a few friends, and a few mommas, will open with a bit of the story of tea. The first known reference to the sale of tea in Britain comes from a 1658 London Gazette, with this historic news:

That excellent and by all Physicians approved drink called by the Chineans Tcha, by other nations Tay alias Tea is sold at the Sultaness Head a cophee house in Sweeting’s Rents by the Royal Exchange London.

It was from China that tea came, and the exact origin is lost in the haze of legend, but one story traces this charming drink to an Emperor who lived almost 5,000 years ago.

This Emperor set the good example to his subjects of always boiling his drinking water. One day a few leaves from the branches burning under the water pot fell into the water, giving it a delightful scent and flavour. The branches were those of the wild tea plant.

There is so much more to the fascinating history of tea, from China to Japan to Holland, to England and the rest of Europe, and to the United States. For you home educators and history buffs, you may want to incorporate more of these details into your party, and perhaps even have a “Tea Unit Study” beforehand. I have listed some resources for you at the end. But we must get on the party!

Come, little cottage girl, you seem
To want a cup of tea;
And will you take a little cream?
Now tell the truth to me.”

She had a rustic, woodland grin
Her cheek was soft as silk,
And she replied, “Sir, please, put in
A little drop of milk.”

Barry Pain
WORDSWORTH

Strawberries are soon in season, and if you grow them yourself, how easy and delicious this tea party will be! An elegant bowl filled with fresh strawberries will grace the table, along with the table settings of tea cups, saucers, tea pots, dessert sized plates and forks. Mugs will not do for tea, but your tea cups do not need to match. It’s funny how tea tastes best when sipped from thin bone china. A white linen or lace tablecloth is a lovely touch, I mustn’t forget the soft linen napkins.

An assortment of teas will include, of course, strawberry tea. Small pitchers of cream, sugar, and honey will be set out. For my little ones, I’ll brew a not-too-strong tea. Depending on the weather, we may indulge in the glory of tea al fresco, taking advantage of our large wrap-around porch and spacious yard.

In a few minutes tea was brought. Very delicate was the china, very old the plate, very thin the bread-and-butter, and very small the lumps of sugar. (Mrs. Gaskell, CRANFORD)

A tea party is not complete without the delicacies and pastries, and this is my simple menu:

Strawberry Gems
(from Tea Party Cookbook)

2 Cups Flour
2 Sticks Unsalted Butter (8 oz., room temperature)
2 Egg Yolks
1 Tsp. Vanilla
3/4 Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar
10 ounces Strawberry Preserves
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly combine flour, butter, egg yolks, vanilla and brown sugar. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Press the mixture into the prepared baking pan, trying to keep an even thickness. Spread the strawberry preserves on top. Sprinkle with chopped pecans, gently pressing them in.

Bake (at 350 degrees) for 30 to 35 minutes. Let it cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares.

Creamed Scones
(from Tea Party Cookbook)

2 1/2 Cups Flour
5 Tsp. Baking Powder
5 TBS. Sugar
3 TBS. Chilled Unsalted Butter (cut in small pieces)
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Whipping Cream
1 Egg Yolk
Cooking Spray
Flour (for the work surface)
1 Large Egg (beaten to blend, for the glaze)
Unsalted Butter
Strawberry Preserves

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray a heavy, large cookie sheet with cooking spray. Sift together flour and baking powder into a medium bowl. Mix in sugar. Add the butter and rub between your fingers until the mixture resembles fine meal. Pour the milk, whipping cream and egg yolk into a small bowl and blend with a whisk.

Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and press to a thickness of 1 inch. Cut out rounds using a 2-inch or 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter or biscuit cutter.

Gather together the scraps and press them together to a thickness of 1 inch and continue to cut out rounds. Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them apart evenly so none are touching. Brush the tops with the glaze (beaten egg).

Bake (at 450 degrees) until golden brown, around 15 minutes. Transfer scones to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve with butter and strawberry preserves.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Loaf of Country Style White Bread
3 Seedless Cucumbers, thinly sliced
Butter

Cut good quality white bread into thin slices. Butter one side of each slice and remove the crusts. Thinly slice seedless (hot house or European) cucumbers and place one layer of slices on 1 piece of buttered bread. Put another slice on top, butter facing the cucumbers. Cut on 2 diagonals in the shape of the letter X to produce 4 triangle-shaped finger sandwiches.

Fresh Strawberries

A large bowl of fresh strawberries, cleaned and cut. On the side, a bowl of whipped cream and melted chocolate for dipping.

Strawberry Tea
(from The Charms of Tea)

Strawberry tea, which contains no caffeine and is easy to locate in specialty shops, natural-food stores, and many supermarkets, is an especially appealing iced drink. You might serve it bejeweled with strawberries.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

2 Quarts Water
8 Tsp. Strawberry Tea
1/2 Cup Sugar
Juice of 1 Lemon
4 Large Strawberries, Sliced

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a full boil. Add the tea and sugar, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Strain the tea into a large pot or pan. Stir in the lemon juice, and let the tea cool to room temperature. Serve the tea over ice, garnished with the sliced strawberries.

Tea Concentrate for a Group
(from Friendship Teas to Go)

When you are preparing for a large group tea, you can brew this concentrate up to two hours ahead and still serve hot, perfect tea to your guests. This recipe makes about fifty cups of tea, but you can make more or less concentrate according to your needs. Just remember: To make tea in quantity, don’t brew longer — use more tea.

1 1/2 cups loose tea or 16 family-size teabags
2 1/2 quarts boiling water

Pour boiling water over tea in large non-metallic container such as an earthenware crock. Let steep for five minutes, then strain the tea leaves or remove the teabags. Store concentrate at room temperature until needed. To serve, use about two tablespoons of concentrate per five-ounce cup — or about three parts of water to every part concentrate. Simply place the desired amount of concentrate in a cup or pot and then add hot water.

Note: This concentrate also makes delicious iced tea. Put four tablespoons in an eight-ounce glass of water, then add water and ice.

Hospitality is at the heart of tea time, so the best part of your Strawberry Tea Party will be the care the hostess shows for her guests, the conversation that flows, the giggles among children feeling so grownup-ish, and the memory of tea.

Resources for this article:

Talking of Tea by Gervas Huxley
The Charms of Tea by the Editors of Victoria Magazine
Tea Party Cookbook by Debbie Mumm
Friendship Teas to Go by Emilie Barnes

Technorati Tags: children, tea time, tea party, children’s tea party, strawberry tea, creamed scones

Tags: spring tea, strawberry tea party, tea party, tea with children

Simple Spring Decorating

Posted April 20th, 2008 by Jen in features
16 Comments »

There is nothing like the changing of seasons to make me want to freshen up my home décor. And with spring now in full swing (despite the brief flurry of snow today), I went hunting for some simple home decorating ideas to fit my frugal budget.

My first suggestion is to get some living color. Fresh cut flowers are always nice, but I prefer a plant that will continue to give me enjoyment beyond a few weeks. Cost-wise, a large bouquet of flowers is about the same price as a large flowering plant. Here is what I chose, an easy care Bromeliad Guzmania “Rana.” You can find these plants for about $10, depending on where you shop. Better deals will be found at your local nursery versus the grocery store plant section.

Something to keep in mind about this particular plant, however: Bromeliads are “monocarpic,” meaning they die after flowering, but it’s a slow process, usually taking up to 3 years. During that time, however, 1 to 3 offsets are produced which can be re-potted to continue the species.

Second, some spring color can be splashed into your living room by way of throw pillows. This is an inexpensive way to give a new look. It’s time to store the winter throws and pillows and replace them with pastel colored or lively spring patterned pillows. Like I said, I’m on a budget, so here is what I found at Goodwill, for a mere $1.99 for the red flowered one and .99 for the purple beaded throw, and $2.99 for the new wooden chair cushion. I tossed these pillows in the wash, and they’re good as new to me.

Next, I turned my attention to the kitchen. Put away are the holiday and winter napkins and table decorations. These new table linens - a set of 4 cloth napkins - caught my eye. I adore hydrangeas, so I snapped this set up for only $1.99, also at the thrift store. I looked for some porcelain to be a permanent spring table decoration, and I almost passed this lovely salt & pepper set by, thinking it was made in China. But when I turned the set to check the bottom markings, I was ecstatic to see “Made in Italy.” This, my dears, is the thrill of thrifting! The salt and pepper set was just $2.99, and the small matching pitcher was $2.99.

I didn’t want to leave the bathroom out of all the fun, so I bought a new shower curtain with a wonderful spring look. It was $4.99, brand new at Goodwill, and truly needed because the upstairs bath currently has no shower curtain at all. The kids always take a bath in there, and the downstairs bathroom for the guests already has a shower curtain.

Not to leave the children’s bedroom out either, the kiddos were all with me while I did this shopping spree. JJ picked out this wooden-framed picture of the vase of red tulips (.99) and JoJo wanted this decidedly spring-y girl picture (the matted frame was $1.99 and the picture was $1.99, and I put them together - the girl came in a very ugly gold frame that had to go). One of the kids also grabbed this .99 orange button-framed picture for big brother’s dresser top.

I almost forgot the smell of spring! The fresh flowers may do the trick, and some people like the flower scented plug-ins. For myself, I’m allergy-prone and artificial scents give me terrible headaches. So, I opt for essential oils or natural candles. I love the scent of lavender, and with a drop of the essential oil on the lightbulb, I’m suddenly skipping through lavender fields in Provence. I already have several essential oils on hand, but they can be purchased for about $5/vial. Another natural scent tip is to place several cinnamon sticks and a few drops of vanilla in a small pot of water and simmer it on the stove.

So, there you have it - a simple spring home make-over on a budget for less than $40! Of course, if your finances allow, you certainly don’t have to be as frugal as I was, and I know that not everyone is willing to shop at thrift stores. But it can be done, and I would love to hear about your own spring decorating ideas, whether budget-minded or deluxe.

Technorati Tags: spring color, home decor, frugal decorating, spring decorating, spring

Tags: fresh flower bouquets, spring accessories, Spring decorating

The Child’s Spring Book

Posted April 13th, 2008 by Jen in features
16 Comments »

Spring is here! It came, then ducked under a series of freak hailstorms and a blanket of snow, only to emerge this weekend for good. The kids and I basked in a perfect April day on Friday, obeying the chipper call of the season to go for a hike.

I present to you today the fruit of our outdoor adventure. We made several ziplock-bag-books yesterday, full of specimens of Central Oregon, in particular, Smith Rock State Park, where we had our outing. For those of you who already have your children keep a nature journal, you’ll find this project to be a perfect companion. (I’m giving away two of our books - an Oregon one and a blank one; leave a comment below by next Sunday if you’d like to enter!)

The Zip-Lock Bag Book

Supplies:

• A large bag for collecting your specimens outdoors
• 6-10 quart size ziplock plastic bags per book
• Cardstock or thin cardboard - we cut up old cereal boxes
• Glue stick/glue
• Hole punch
• Twine, string, or metal rings
• Markers, pens, paints, whatever you need to decorate the cover
• Regional wildflower/plant book or Internet

How To:

The Pages:

• Child should separate all the items she collected into type
• Cut cardboard into various sizes, all small enough to fit inside the ziplock bag
• Child should glue one or two specimens onto the cardboard, leaving room for writing
• Using your sources (books, Internet), help child identify each specimen
• Write the location of the find, the date, and the names of the plant on each piece of cardboard/cardstock.
• Place one piece of cardstock with plants/specimens glued on, into each bag.

Assembling the Book:

• Cut out 2 Cardboard/cardstock covers for the front and back, about 1/4 inch larger on each side than your ziplock bags.
• Align the ziplock bags sideways, with the bottom of the bag at the left for binding, the zippered opening at the right for access.
• Hole punch 3 or 4 holes along the side for binding your book, being sure not to punch too close to the edge - I like a 1/2 inch margin.
• Make sure you align the holes so the book binds up neatly!
• Using twine, string it through and tie at each of the 3 or 4 holes; or if you’re using rings, snap them on.

Voila, you have a lovely child’s spring book! One neat thing about this style of book is that it allows such easy access to the items. Each piece of cardstock can be taken out and handled (as children can’t help but do), and easily returned to its proper place. And of course, the see-through ziplock bag is an essential as well, giving full visual stimulation.

JoJo is so proud of her book, and slept with it last night. She couldn’t wait to decorate the cover with the foamy letters she received for her birthday. The other kids chose to use markers and pens to create their cover art.

Some other ideas:

• Include several empty bags at the end of the book for future discoveries
• Add in several sheets of blank paper for any sketches the child creates
• Staple the book together instead of hole-punching
• Use this book for other themes, like leaf or feather collections

The hardest part about this project was the identification. Now, is that an arnica mollis or an arnica parryi? Sometimes, we just made our best guess. The rest of the project took no external motivation at all - this was such a delight for them. But certainly, the identification was one of the most valuable pieces of this book. The kids learned to look critically at a plant and really notice things they hadn’t before. The shape of a leaf, the texture, the number of petals. By the way, we are not done with the identifying - we need to check out a few books from the library.

Like I said above, I’m giving away two of our homemade books, one filled with Central Oregon specimens and the other one blank for your region. Keep in mind that when I do crafts, it’s a fairly practical endeavor - just whatever is on hand - so these books will not be perfect, beautiful things! My 8 year old son will probably be doing most of the work.

This is my plan: I’d like to give these two books to someone with a child who’s interesting in learning about Oregon plant life, and who will use the blank book to create his own regional book. I’m hoping that this child will then create an extra ziplock-bag-book from his region, and another blank one, and pass them on as well. And so on. Leave a comment below by next Sunday, April 20, if you’d like to win these books. My son will draw a random name and I’ll email the winner.

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about our spring ziplock-bag-book! I think this is an ideal science/nature/art project for students of all ages. If you have any ideas to add, let me know.

Resources:
How to Identify Plants by H.D. Harrington
A Field Guide to Pacific State Wildflowers by Peterson Field Guides

Technorati Tags: art activities, art for children, Central Oregon, giveaway, home education, homeschool, outdoor play, ziplock bag book, nature journal, Smith Rock, spring

Tags: lapbook, nature journal, spring project, ziplock bag book

Gardening With Children

Posted April 6th, 2008 by Jen in features
34 Comments »

We’ve been spending some time in the dirt getting the soil ready to start a garden. And no surprise, children are drawn to dirt like nothing else! You mean you want me to dig holes? I’m allowed to get filthy and mucky? To direct that childish energy and wonder into a productive endeavor like a garden is not only smart on the part of the parent, it’s a lifelong gift to both of you.

This picture here is my little JoJo who spent several hours last week with her pint-sized rake and shovel. I was working on the main garden area, while she staked out a small spot of her own. The other children were doing likewise. I hesitated a moment when suddenly all the children wanted their own garden space in addition to the main garden. Was this okay? Would I be teaching them to be selfish and looking out only for themselves? I ended up deciding that the sense of community and family in the main garden would not at all be diminished by each child’s ownership in their own scratch of earth. In fact, it would probably deepen their respect for the family garden, knowing the responsibility and effort their own gardens require.

I found a wonderful book to guide me through some activities to do in the garden with children. It’s called Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: gardening together with children, by Sharon Lovejoy. The book covers not only the basics of how to plan, plant, and care for your garden, but the top 20 plants for kids, theme garden ideas, and many little bits of garden wisdom. (I’m giving away a copy - leave me a comment on this post to enter.)

Here in Central Oregon, we’re still in the planning stages. We’re working with virgin land that’s never been planted and we have our own obstacles to maneuver. We have a lot of land to work with and can experiment with several ideas, but the ground itself has some limitations. Giant boulders being one. A very short growing season being another.

I would say that my first tip for gardening with children is to involve them in every decision. Where should we put the garden? Is this spot too shady or too sunny? This area is nice and level, but we’ll have to dig up some rocks, is that okay? What shape do we want the garden to be? What should we plant that will thrive in our region? Let’s test the soil and decide what supplements we may need. All of the issues that arise in the planning of the garden are incredible teaching tools, and there’s no better way for your kids to really understand the complexity - and joy - of it all than to walk through it with you step by step. And the sense of ownership will be there from the start - the greatest motivator I know. I never have to twist their arms to go work on the garden.

Let’s jump right in to the top 20 plants for children to grow. This list comes from Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots, based on the fact they are proven winners:

They have personality, fragrance, texture, and color — vibrant color. They grow quickly — something kids need in response to their work. And they’re versatile; they can be used as jewelry, toys, clothes, musical instruments, and household utensils.

1. Pumpkins
2. Sunflowers
3. Gourds
4. Corn
5. Berries
6. Hollyhocks
7. Carrots
8. Mimosa
9. Poppies
10. Tomatoes
11. Trees
12. Alliums
13. Potatoes
14. Woolly Lamb’s Ear
15. Four-O’Clocks
16. Evening Primroses
17. Radishes
18. Nasturtium
19. Moon Plant
20. Lemon Verbena

Do keep in mind your climate - some of these will fare better than others depending on where you live. In Central Oregon, for example, root crops like potatoes and carrots grow well with our short growing season and cool nights; but for some vegetables like corn or tomatoes, a short-season variety is a must for your plant to mature.

Theme gardens can be a joy for children, and I’ll highlight just one of the themes from Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: the pizza patch.

The Pizza Patch: gardening in the round is sure to delight children who are used to seeing a straight-row vegetable garden. This pizza patch garden is a giant sized six-foot-wide wheel shaped plot, divided into seven great wedges and edged with a thick rock crust. Ms. Lovejoy suggests the following ingredients for your pizza patch garden, but you can add other favorites as well:

3 seedlings plum tomatoes
6 seedlings cherry tomatoes
3 seedlings small eggplants
3 seedlings bell peppers
1 seedling zucchini
1 seedling rosemary
3 seedlings oregano
3 seedlings basil
3 seedlings onions
3 seedlings garlic
6 seedlings “Lemon Gem” marigolds
6 seedlings “Kablouna” Calendulas
Aged, bagged manure

To begin this project, select a flat 10×10 foot plot of ground that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day. Place a stake in the center of the area, and tie a 3-foot string to it. Your child can take hold of the very end of the string and walk in a circle, while another child walks behind with a hoe to mark what will be the outer boundary of the garden bed.

Divide the garden into slices: mark spots at 32 inch intervals along the outer edge. Draw a line with a stick from each of the seven marks to the center stake, to denote the seven slices. Then place rocks along those lines for a permanent boundary, and you can remove the center stake.

Place the five tall vegetables in each of the five slices on the northern side of the wheel - the plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, and zucchini. In a slice on the south side, plant the herbs, onions, and garlic. Set aside one slice to be the pathway for the little feet tending the garden. The bright gold marigolds and Calendulas can be filled in around the vegetables and herbs, the “cheese” of the pizza.

To plant each slice, start from the center and work your way out. Plant tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, and zucchini 12-18 inches apart. In the small herb slice, space them 6 inches apart from the onions and garlic. The flowers are scattered throughout each slice, but allow 3 inches between them and other plants.

When harvest time comes, you can throw a big pizza party with toppings straight from the garden!

You can find more fabulous garden ideas and activities to do with children, such as a sunflower house, container gardens, and a moon garden, in Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots. Would you like to win a free copy? Leave me a comment and let me know you’d like this book! I’ll draw a random winner next week.

Technorati Tags: Central Oregon, children, dirt, garden, gardening with children, giveaway, homesteading, outdoor play, Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots, pizza patch garden

Tags: children's garden tools, gardening, gardening with kids, plants

Altura Maxima: High Altitude Viticulture in Argentina

Posted March 30th, 2008 by Jen in features
3 Comments »

The multimillionaire Swiss-born entrepreneur and winery magnate Donald Hess is switching his attention from Napa to a remote region of the Andes foothills in Argentina, in the province called Salta. In 2001, Hess added the Argentina holdings to his existing vineyards in California, South Africa, and Australia.

After a visit to the southern part of Salta in 1996, with his wife Ursula, Don Hess was directed to Cafayate, the center of wine production in the region. It was there that he drank an intriguing Malbec-Cabernet blend from Colomé, and there that he began fermenting the idea that he could plant a world class vineyard at over 9000 feet. As Hess explained,

When I go into the wine business, it is always because of the microclimate, and secondly, to have a good story. When you do something no one has done, like climb a mountain, it is a risk. If it works, I’ll have a great story and hopefully very good wine.

Hess now owns a vineyard in Colomé, along with a stunning hotel and art gallery which he built, about a four hours’ drive from Salta, in northwest Argentina. Colomé’s vineyards include century old vines that pre-date the deadly vine disease phylloxera, being planted on original French rootstock. This land encompasses about 96,000 acres, and then, of course, there is the 60,000 acres at Altura Maxima (near Payogasta) and another 865 acres at nearby El Arenal. Currently, just under 300 acres are being cultivated.

It’s the Altura Maxima property that is gaining fame these days, as this vineyard currently holds the world record for vineyard at the highest altitude. In a country where bottles of wine are marked with the specific altitudes of their vineyards, there is a machismo contest going on amongst the landlords over who can go the highest. To give an idea of the heights, the California vineyards top out at 3,000 feet, and Europe at 4,300 feet. In Argentina, vineyards average 5,500 feet, and Altura Maxima boasts vineyards at close to 10,000 feet.

The high altitude, while still a very experimental thing, is thought to be viticulturally advantageous. The extreme elevations give the vines an abundance of solar radiation, and some researchers think this increases the level of healthy polyphenols in red wine. The thinner air and lower humidity seem to cause the grapes to develop thicker skins, resulting in a more flavorful, aromatic, and tannic grape.

Argentina is clearly a special place for Donald and Ursula Hess, who now spend half the year there. They love the people, and in fact, when they bought Colomé, they inherited not only the oldest winery in Argentina, dating back to 1831, but also its 400 inhabitants. Hess has been kind to these natives, who previously were forced into slave labor. Colomé employs at least one person from each extended family. Hess takes time to train them, provides them with health insurance and has built facilities to meet their needs: a clinic, community center, and church.

Hess also takes great care of the land itself. At Colomé, he installed an Italian-made hydro-electic turbine for energy, he grows everything from the vines to the food he cultivates for the hotel using traditional biodynamic principles, and the entire estate is self-sufficient. You’ll find sheep and cattle there producing organic meat and milk, and their manure fertilizing the vines and gardens.

If you think you might want to go start a vineyard, keep in mind the timetable. Hess realizes that Argentina will probably be the cap of his career, because these ventures take a great deal of not only money, but time. Here is h