Big Table Farm and Simpatica !!

Simpatica and Big Table Farm are teaming up for a special evening 

'winemaker dinner and spring release celebration'

This will be a multi-course dinner with big table farm wines paired with each course - we will be featuring our spring release wines as well as some extra special bottles -- Brian and I will be bringing some old vintages and big bottles... sold out things things not in bottles yet - you name it ... it will be a super fun evening with good friends and wines... we are still making fine adjustments to the menu but it will be local, seasonal and fabulous - I know for sure one of the courses will feature my farm eggs : ) 

When - Saturday March 16th 2013 @ 7pm

Where - 828 SE ASH ST. PORTLAND, OR 97214 

 $65 per person

call simpatica to reserve your seat (don't delay they will go quickly!)- 503.235.1600

 

(as of 2/24 18 seats left - don't miss out I want everyone that wants a seat to get one!!)

it's very cold outside

'karl' has been having some fire time in the house and although clementine has written him off - levi seems to be succumbing to karls powers of purrsuasion --

 

Karl - "I'd sure like to be a bit closer to that fire"

 

Karl -"you just sleeeep little doggie"

 

 

Karl - "that's it don't mind little old me"

  

Levi - "I'm not sure about this"

Karl - "you don't see me levi - I'm not even here"

 

Levi - "He 'thinks' he's so damn clever... "

 

Levi - "mom how long do I have to put up with him"

 

Levi - "....sigh.... oh well I guess he's ok..."

my back is tired but I am VERY happy!

not all the photos on the blog can be of cute farm animals --

We completed a HUGE clean up project this weekend!! That 20 cubic yard dumpster I talked about -- it is FULL - and not a single stick of what's in there could have been used, reused, recycled, or salvaged any further than it was... we combed over every stitch of what we put in there any salvageable lumber bits of anything metal, aluminum you name it... it all got sorted, saved, piled, and gone over ...... whew!!

The biggest part of the project was getting rid of the last of the dairy panels. If you've ever visited our farm you have seen them - either in a pile or in the form of a make shift shed - they are there  6" - 7" deep and on average 3 x 8 foot -  they are filled with foam insulation and wood and covered with sheets of galvanized steel that is formed and stapled all along each edge -- they are heavy (about 120lbs each) cumbersom and all needed to be torn apart and the steel salvaged with each and every staple removed... it was not a small task... these panels were 'kindly' left here by the previous owners and we've been slowly but surely getting rid of them and salvaging the steel over the last 6 years ... (the galvanized has proven useful as all of our animals houses are made of the up-cycled dairy panel 'skins')

 

So we have put them to good use -- but I'm so excited to report that now 6 years later every last one is gone!!  yippie!

In addition to that - we got all the scrap metal we salvaged along with the stuff that's been piling up loaded and ready to go to the recycle place in the morning.  Then we moved all brian's 'bits' --the things he will most likely use at some point - treasures, tools, raw materials, useful bits of steel, the galvanized panel skins - etc etc. He's amazing at re-using and up-cycling and for all the rough time I give him he is pretty darn resourceful and never wastes a thing. - my compulsive side actually enjoyed organizing them into little groups of pretty rusty things...  (as I have no clue what 90% of them are for)

 

 

Brian, recognizing that his wife also has need for order came up with the idea to use some of the lumber we salvaged to make into a 'screen'... what a gem he is...  ; ) I'd say every one is happy!!

I even got up to the barn and garden did some major clean up there too - put away things sorted hoses... hell I even oiled the handels of our tools... I dont' think we've been this productive in a weekend in quite a while.. must be the new year!! here's to 2013 and all the promise she holds.. my she pay back hard work with reward!!

Did a painting right before christmas that I couldn't share as it was a gift  -- the person who bought it gave to his lovely wife but now that she has seen it I can post : ) - I have been getting back in the studio -- spent the new year break cleaning and purging ... I have started a silver point project I will be sharing soon!!  it's new work you haven't seen before - I'm excited to share but want to get a few more done first as it's a series...

 

My hens have started laying a bit more now that we are on the other side of to winter solstice.. it's a hopeful feeling to see more eggs coming on... : ) 

And for the fist time this year the elk heard paid us a visit... it's VERY unusual to have not seen them till now - there has been a lot of timber cutting in the canyon and surrounding ares and I think it really effected the patterns... but it was magical to see them a few days ago...

resolutions? hell YES

sure don't we all have them ??

Fear of falure ... well YES ...fear off looking stupid ...duhh ... fear of pain and things being too hard... yup that too.. but what the hell...

soooo Brian and I have been doing a lot of dreaming and scheeming over the holiday -- there are lots of dreams and things in the works on the wine side as well as ideas for the farm and hopefully making our lives easier on that front... but brian asked me to not go to public with those here on the blog till we are a little further along.. (fear ?? a little for sure but I promise more on that in the coming weeks)  -- I will say we have a 20 yard dumpster coming this weekend and we are starting with some clean up -- gotta clean up old projects before you start new ones!!

 ... so in the mean time ..

Some personal resolutions these are self centered but you have to start inside and work out I think.....

Get down to 'fighting weight' and make my final rank - black belt - I've been at this since the fall of 2007 and it's been an awesome journey!!.... the once a year black belt test is in june and I want IN.. my sensi has not invited me yet that's a few months out... I just need to do the work...

GET INTO THE STUDIO.. it's that simple once I'm in there it will flow.. I spent Christmas break cleaning and purging in there and I'm almost done...  : )

and the last thing work on my book.. yup it's an ilustrated book... It's in the works but kind of treading water at the moment...

so there it is...


loose 25 lbs
get my black belt
do my art
finish my book

: ) nothing like big dreams... ha... bring it 2013 I say... if I'm gonna fail I may as well fail big (and sure publicly while I'm at it) and if I'm gonna live this life I may as well live it ... : )

cheers to you all and happy new year!!