Part 2 ~ Cat & Mouse

Today the tale of the EcoNip Cat toy.  It started with a box of string as any good kitty story should.  Well, it is not exactly string but nylon cord.  Many years ago I was a member of a craft coop on the coast of Maine.  It is where I tried to sell handwoven items and when they won't sell I started making puppets! (selling handwoven is tough if you want to get USA wages with so many items being made where the labor cost are unfairly low... Anyways, I digress.)  One day it was my turn to be cashier at the coop and one of our older members pulled up in her car as I was about to go inside.  She had 2 big trash bags with her.  One bag was full of wool scraps, she was a rug braider.  The other was full of nylon cord, her husband made wooden lobster traps and the cord was used to "knit the trap door into the kitchen".  Well, this lady told me she thought I was a very handy girl and was sure I would find a use for these scraps.  As the old saying goes "Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or do without!"  

So up to that attic they went, out of sight but NOT out of mind.  The 2 big bags sort of haunted me.  I needed to come up with an idea.  One day while gardening my cat at the time...the amazing Wally...who lived to be 23 years old...was rolling all over a catnip plant.  Ah-ha! a light bulb moment!  This was before "upcycling" was a word but being eco has always been hip to me!  So the EcoNip was born!  I have made 100's since then and they have been enjoyed by cats from coast to coast!

I recently re-designed the EcoNip to rat size for longer cat huggable fun!  Here is my product description... EcoNips ---> HERE

Each Econip is handmade from upcycled wool. The nylon tails are scraps from the making of Maine lobster traps. The nylon would have just ended up in the waste stream if I hadn't nabbed them. This Rat size Econip is approximately 11 inches long with a 18+ inch tail. The long tail allows you to play with your cat at a safe distance from claws! Contrasting colored ears are fun for cats to chew.

Each toys contains 1 CUP of my own HOMEGROWN Catnip, carefully cultivated using organic practices in Freedom, Maine. I store the catnip in leaf form and only crush it a bit to stuff each Econip. This method seems to leave the catnip more potent. After the catnip is added I stuff the rest of the body with Maine Sheep's Wool. The wool is washed waste wool from my handspinning ... see my yarn works here:::https://www.etsy.com/shop/InJoyEmporium

Vern LOVES EcoNipS  I have to store my shop stock on a sealed box on the highest shelf I can find!  Some of my EcoNip customers store them in the freezer so their cats won't find them!

Puppets

~~~~~~~~~~~My Lively Life~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fiber Art, Weaving, Hand Spun

http://www.etsy.com/shop/injoyemporium

Hand Made Eco and Upcycled Cutie Buntings, Clothes, & Toys

http://www.etsy.com/shop/InJoyEcoCutie

Vintage Collectibles, Buttons, Clothing & MORE! 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/injoytreasures

Sea Glass & Copper Wire Ornaments with things I have gathered

http://www.etsy.com/shop/InJoyGatherings

My Blog~~Makings, Musings, &  Lifestyle on the Land:  

http://injoyemporium.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/injoyemporium

http://instagram.com/injoyemporium

http://www.pinterest.com/injoyemporium

"Be Joyful because it is humanly possible"~~~Wendell Berry

Today ~ Winter Marches On...

Another day in Winter wondering when it will end land...  This is today.  A little bit of thawing is happening.  A slow thaw is for the best but I do long for the snow to go at this point. 

The ducks are enjoying the first ground they have seen in 6 weeks!

 I snowshoe each day preferring the old gust shoes to the fancy metal ones.  They are quieter on this old spring snow.  I am leaving treats for the resident ravens each day.  Feels like plodding along through winter.  I often for get to look up and just watch the progress of one foot in front of the other.  But when I do look up it is beautiful....

 My favorite tree to hug ((()))

 Nice to see some blue sky today...

 The pond inlet flow is starting to work away at winter's grip.

First pussy willows are a welcomed bit of white! 

&

a perfect poem to describe the Now!

			WINTER'S END Dwayne Leon Rankin The snow still covers all the ground, A chilling wind still blows. Still no green or brown is seen, As winter snows still flows. But on the breeze a change is felt, Blowing now on past. Showing forth a hint of thaw, Upon this winter cast. Every day the sun does shine With just a bit more heat. The air seems just a bit more fresh, With every breath more sweet. And even though the snow still lies, Upon the ground to see. Still a trickl'ng can be heard, Of waters flowing free. Every day the level drops, Of all that snow still seen. Bringing hope the ground will soon Be showing us some green. A robin's song is heard nearby, So faint and sweet the sound. Showing now t'is winters end, To all the land around ~~~~~~~~~~~My Lively Life~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fiber Art, Weaving, Hand Spun http://www.etsy.com/shop/injoyemporium Hand Made Eco and Upcycled Cutie Buntings, Clothes, & Toys http://www.etsy.com/shop/InJoyEcoCutie Vintage Collectibles, Buttons, Clothing & MORE!  http://www.etsy.com/shop/injoytreasures Sea Glass & Copper Wire Ornaments with things I have gathered http://www.etsy.com/shop/InJoyGatherings My Blog~~Makings, Musings, &  Lifestyle on the Land:   http://injoyemporium.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/injoyemporium http://instagram.com/injoyemporium http://www.pinterest.com/injoyemporium "Be Joyful because it is humanly possible"~~~Wendell Berry

Which came first--- the Cat or the Mouse? (Part 1)

Cats & Mice

I have been hemming & hawing over how to tell this story.  Maybe it is a bit of cabin fever or just that the story is a rather long and drawn out tale.  We are still very much in the grips of winter.  There are signs of spring, though.  The sun is a little higher on the horizon, my onions have sprouted on the window sill, and our cat, Vern, is going a bit nuts!  (...notice the cat chew marks in the wood...those shims are there to prevent Vern from using my onions as a cat bed!)

I have made strides to alleviate his cabin fever.  I found this nice big piece of wool fabric at the thrift shop.  I took time away from Etsy sewing to hem it and create a cat tunnel behind the couch for Vernie.

I also sewed up a batch of catnip mice toys I call EcoNips for my Etsy shop. Not sure that helped with Vern's craziness?!?  The tale continues to wind...I thought my EcoNip photos needed a something to jazz them up a bit.  With cats on my mind I decide to revisit an old puppet pattern.  This puppet was inspired by our wonderful old cat, Zippy, and my son's love for the nursery rhyme The Owl & the Pussycat.

Zippy lived to the ripe old age of 16.  He was still with us when Vern came to us 3 years ago.  He was a wonderful mellow cat.  My DH & he had a very special bond the Vern has not quite fulfilled.  We still miss him!

This a photo of my son's fun with our mellow boys!

Here are the original Owl and PussyCat (Zippy) Puppets as they look today! They have held up pretty well considering they are around 16 years old.  They were my son's toys but, I, also, used them for 5 years of elementary school substitute teaching!  They got some real use then!

My son's 4th birthday party with me doing The Owl & the Pussycat Puppet show!

Red-Wing Blackbird & my Boyo!

So here are the new puppet that are now in my shop...Inspired by Zippy & Vern!

Ok...I am * NOW * a mom of a college man ...but once upon a time....

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat

BY EDWARD LEAR

I

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea

   In a beautiful pea-green boat,

They took some honey, and plenty of money,

   Wrapped up in a five-pound note.

The Owl looked up to the stars above,

   And sang to a small guitar,

"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,

    What a beautiful Pussy you are,

         You are,

         You are!

What a beautiful Pussy you are!"

II

Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!

   How charmingly sweet you sing!

O let us be married! too long we have tarried:

   But what shall we do for a ring?"

They sailed away, for a year and a day,

   To the land where the Bong-Tree grows

And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood

   With a ring at the end of his nose,

             His nose,

             His nose,

   With a ring at the end of his nose.

III

"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling

   Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."

So they took it away, and were married next day

   By the Turkey who lives on the hill.

They dined on mince, and slices of quince,

   Which they ate with a runcible spoon;   

And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,

   They danced by the light of the moon,

             The moon,

             The moon,

They danced by the light of the moon.

CHOOSE

This is right out my window just moments ago.  Yes, more snow.  I have noticed a lot of sighing on my part, lately.  Winter is a bit wearisome this year.  But it could be worse...like ICE.  With all the snow and wind we have been fortunate to never lose power.  Yes, my right elbow is a bit tender from all the shoveling...but this too shall pass.  Last night I decided to fall in love with winter again so I watched The Snowman by Raymond Briggs on YouTube. My VCR from my sons youth is long gone but with the magic of the internet & electricity I was able to revisit this joy!  It reminded me of the beauty and magic of snow and like everything it is only transitory.  So if you are in a part of the world where snow is getting you down I recommend your favorite beverage and this 26 minutes of charm & delight.  OR maybe you are in a place that longs for snow, then the same prescription!

Also...I want to make it perfectly clear that I love living here in Maine.  I, actually, cannot imagine living anywhere else.  This poem came to my inbox this morning.   I love the expression of choice.  I wholeheartedly chose to live here. And last night I chose to fall in love with winter again!

I

I didn't fall in love with you.
I walked into love with you, 
with my eyes wide open,
choosing to take
every step along the way.
I do believe in fate and destiny,
but I also believe
We are only fated
to do things 
that we'd choose anyway.
And I'd choose you;
in a hundred lifetimes,
in a hundred worlds,
in any version of reality,
I'd find you.
and I'd choose you.

Angela Gail

A bit more of snowy loveliness 

~~~~~~~~~~~My Lively Life~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fiber Art, Weaving, Hand Spun

http://www.etsy.com/shop/injoyemporium

Hand Made Eco and Upcycled Cutie Buntings, Clothes, & Toys

http://www.etsy.com/shop/InJoyEcoCutie

Vintage Collectibles, Buttons, Clothing & MORE! 

http://www.etsy.com/shop/injoytreasures

Sea Glass & Copper Wire Ornaments with things I have gathered

http://www.etsy.com/shop/InJoyGatherings

My Blog~~Makings, Musings, &  Lifestyle on the Land:  

http://injoyemporium.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/injoyemporium

http://instagram.com/injoyemporium

http://www.pinterest.com/injoyemporium

"Be Joyful because it is humanly possible"~~~Wendell Berry

~~~Gratitude~~~

Helloooo~~ I am still around...I haven't been lost in a snow bank..... 

I have been taking a bit of a computer break.  This winter is sort of dragging on.  Usually, by this time in February, I am getting nervous the winter will be over too soon.  Well, this winter has got me wondering if it will ever end!  Besides copious  amounts of snow it has been bone chilling cold!  For 3 days in a row I skipped my daily snowshoe and I admit to getting a bit cranky.  But, Sunday we finally had a respite with temps in the low 30's.  I got in a snowshoe, a walk on the road with a good friend, and best of all, my duckies got a bath!  I have much more to tell you about this long month...including BEing here for 20 days in a row!!  But for now I will be content with sharing (and revisiting) this balmy Sunday!  Yesterday and today are frigid again....but at least the sun is shining and no snow is falling!!

GRATEFUL for Duckie JOY!!!!

It is my intention, each week, to share something that fills me with Gratitude. 

I write ~~~Gratitude~~~ with the wavy lines to represent the gratitude ENERGY~~~~~! 

I hope you will join me and share your moments of Gratitude. 

~~~Amen, Blessed Be, Namaste'~~

Winter "Blues"

I woke up this morning dreaming about blueberries.  At first I wondered if it was due to the fact that there was an unusual sight out my bedroom window....blue sky!  Yes! folks, a day without snow falling and temps near the 20's!  I had planned to tackle our income taxes today but it felt too much like a holiday!  I decide to change plans, an extended snowshoe was in order.  First though I decided to celebrate the day by making a blueberry crisp. (recipe at the end) Taxes can wait for a grey cloudy day...there are plenty more on the way!

Here are my blueberry bushes nearly buried by snow!

My woodstove was cranking so I bake the crisp in the cookstove oven.

 Scenes from today's wanderings~~~

 Here is where I startled the Ruffed Grouse 2 days in a row...

I had my camera ready to day...but no Grouse!

 Left a little offering of oat seeds.

Made it to the field today.  

Finally, "warm" enough to trek across without getting an ice cream headache.

Back at the house I decide to sit outside and soak up some vitamin D.

Blueberry Ginger Crisp with a Dollop of Vanilla Yogurt.

Runa enjoys the nearly empty yogurt quart.

Blueberry Ginger Crisp

4 cups frozen Organic (homegrown) Blueberries
1/2 cup Grated Fresh Ginger
1 cup of Organic Coconut Oil
3 cups of Organic Oats
1 cup Organic Brown Sugar (granulated sugar works too...just add a bit of molasses)
Cinnamon

Pre-heat Oven (or Cookstove) to 350F

Oil the bottom of a 9 inch X 9 inch pan with a little coconut oil.  Pour the Blueberries into your pan mix in grated ginger.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  In a separate bowl cut together the Coconut Oil with the Oats and Sugar.  Cover the blueberries and ginger with the oat crumble.  Bake until the blueberries are bubbling, about 30 to 45 minutes.  Enjoy warm or cold!