Year In Review

Today marks the one year anniversary of Our Neck of the Woods! I'm really excited and thought it would be fun to look back over the past year and see what all we've accomplished. I was hesitant to start this blog, but my sweet friend Heather gave me the push I needed to put myself out there and I'm so glad she did. I've never been one for attention, so it was hard for me to express myself for the whole world to see. But now I can't imagine NOT doing it. Sharing bits and pieces of rural living through photos and words has become a passion for me and I am so glad I took the plunge one year ago. Here's what we've been up to this past year.

1) Discovered how much we enjoy exploring our woods and feeling like kids again when we discover amazing bugs and critters we've never seen before.

2) Learned more about foraging and went mushroom hunting in our woods for the first time. Figured out how to identify and cook puffballs!

3) Realized that it's important to take time every once in a while to treat yo self.

4) Made the discovery of a lifetime - banana ice cream!

5) Started a new tradition of Christmas tree shopping in our own back yard.

6) Waged a war on ticks with the help of a new flock of guineas.

7) Dealt with the worst heartbreak we'd ever experienced as homesteaders and learned to let our bad experiences strengthen us.

8) Eight new little pullets were added to our flock; one of which turned out to be a rooster!

9) Started a new series on the blog called Feathered Friend Friday.

10) Lots of progress was made with Duchess. She's so playful and happy now!

11) Started a facebook page for the blog and also registered a custom domain name for the blog.

12) For the first time ever, we witnessed eggs hatching and became proud grandparents!

13) Successfully completed the logging process on our 20 acres of woods. Still working on clean up, though!

14) Perhaps my favorite change over the past year - finally upgraded to a new camera!

15) Learned so much about gardening this past year and plan to use what we've learned to help us out with next year's garden.

This past year has been a wild ride. Can't wait to see what the next year brings!

~Tammy

The Color Run

Last Saturday I did something I never thought I'd do...

I ran a 5k! Well, walked and ran, but you get the gist. A couple months ago some of my friends stumbled upon this amazing 5k called The Color Run and we agreed to run it together. You may remember from this post that I took up running earlier this year, so I figured I could complete the 5k no problem.

Well, life happened and I got off track with my running. Instead I picked back up on rebounding to get in my exercise. I figured I'd be keeping my legs strong so I'd be good for the 5k. While running it I felt pretty great and finished at a time I was shooting for (about 40 minutes - it wasn't timed, so I don't know exactly), but the next morning the muscle aches set in! I am still pretty sore, especially first thing in the morning. I feel like an old lady! I guess I can't be a weekend warrior after all.

But even with the pain, it was so worth it.

We started off the race nice and clean with bright white shirts. Along the path of the 5k, there are different checkpoints where runners get pelted with powdered color (non-toxic corn starch based dyes).

And we're off! Thanks to my friend Heather for snapping photos :)

After crossing the finish line, you come out looking something like this.

I didn't get too covered in color while running the 5k, but the after party was another story. Everyone gathers past the finish line and on the count of ten throws a packet of color up in the air. It was complete and utter chaos!

And this time, I got COVERED in color.

It was such a cool experience and I'm so glad I did it. The Color Run is a great way to break into 5ks because it is such a laid back and fun event. It's not timed, so there's really no pressure. Many people walk the whole way and there's no urge to jockey for position and get ahead of the pack. It's more about enjoying the scenery and the morning with about 15,000 fellow runners. Oh, and coming out as colorful as possible of course!

~Tammy

David's Birthday Extravaganza

On Monday David turned 29! We both took off work so we could go to St. Louis for the day and spend some time together. You only turn 29 once, after all.

First up was his "surprise." I wanted to plan something that would be a surprise to him to create some birthday excitement, but he totally called it.

Yeah, we totally geeked out. David has been a life-long Star Trek fan so I knew this would be fun for him. I'm not as much of a fan as he is, but having been forced to sit through many episodes, I have developed an appreciation. :)

Of course no cameras are allowed inside the exhibit, so we had to pay out the wazoo for these shots taken while walking through. They are good souvenirs, though, so it was worth it.

Before entering the exhibit, we were offered a ride in the space shuttle simulation. David said sure, and the next thing I know I'm being strapped in and told that it goes upside down and there's a giant red button on the inside that I can push if it's too much. Oh boy. It was David's birthday, so if he wanted to go upside down we were going upside down. It didn't end up being quite as bad as I thought, but I still got a little queasy! Birthday spontaneity at its finest.

We also explored the rest of the Science Center and saw some really cool stuff in the gift shop. This section was calling my name.

This next one was the best by far. 

"Overflowing with information about pee, poo, and farts!" Amazingness.

After the science center we went to Chesterfield mall for some retail therapy. David had saved up his fun money for a while and wanted to buy some new clothes. He bought me some stuff too so I was happy. :) Then he dropped me off at the salon I used to go to in Chesterfield when we lived up here after college. It had been over a year and a half since my last hair cut and I was in dire need. My stylist up here was the only one who could ever cut my hair the way I liked it, so I wanted to go back to her. It turned out great!

If you know David, you know we had to hit up the casino on the way home. His new favorite is River City Casino. I lost $5 on the penny slots on a machine called "Milkin' It" with cows, chickens, and barns. It was perfect! David had a roller coaster of a ride with the Roulette wheel, but in the end came out $60 ahead!

Nicest bathroom ever.

Our good friends, Jamie and Holly, invited us to go to the Cards game with them on Wednesday night, so we said that was an extension of the birthday extravaganza. :)

We had great seats!

I am a huge fan of birthdays. My philosophy is that your birthday is your one day of the year that you can do whatever you want and everyone has to go along with it. It's the one day that can be shamelessly all about you. What could be better? :)

~Tammy

One Night in St. Louis

Ok, so last night was off the chain! We had such a good time in St. Louis. The wedding started at 5:00 and dinner wasn't until 8:30, so we were worried we'd get hungry before dinner was served. We got up to STL with about an hour to spare before the wedding, so we headed to a Panera close by.

I had a free pick two on my Panera card (love that thing - saved us $8!) so David and I split it. I took the bowl of garden vegetable soup with whole grain baguette and David took the Greek salad.

I was so cold that I was holding my soup bowl for warmth!

Waiting for me to finish my soup. I like to enjoy my food, not inhale it!

After the wedding we headed over to the Hilton at the Ballpark. The cocktails didn't start until 7:00, so we had a little time to kill. I saw online that this Hilton has a rooftop bar on the 26th floor, so I thought it would be fun to check it out.

I cannot describe how amazing this place was! Great views everywhere, amazing smells coming from the kitchen (they had a huge pizza oven), and such a warm, cozy environment. The menu sounded so delicious, but we were about to eat dinner at 8:30 and had just eaten at Panera not too long before. We sat right by the kitchen where we could see a couple of chefs putting the final touches on dishes before they went out, and I couldn't help myself. We had to try something! We ended up getting the house fries with meyer lemon aioli for dipping. Yum! (It was pretty dark in there so none of my pictures turned out. Bummer.)

After we enjoyed the fries, we went outside to check out the view. It was very cold and windy so we didn't stay out there long, but it was so cool. The arch was just to our left and we could see right down into the ballpark!

 

The reception was absolutely amazing. Before dinner, they had the foyer set up with all sorts of great cheeses and dried fruits and nuts. Dinner was great as well, even though by that point we weren't hungry at all (but we somehow made room). First, we had a spinach salad with pickled red onions, spiced walnuts, and goat cheese. Main course was surf & turf - sea bass in a white cream sauce, petite filet in a red wine demiglace, and roasted potatoes and vegetables. I took the vegetarian entree which was a couscous pilaf with grilled asparagus, mushrooms, and zucchini. Of course wedding cake was for dessert, but they also served us a cute little ice cream bon bon! 

It was freezing walking back to the car so I stole David's suit coat :)

All in all, a really great night. Got to experience something new and different. We drove home after dinner so we got home pretty late, but it was worth it. Can't wait to go back to that rooftop bar!

~Tammy

Night in the Big City

We're going to a wedding tonight in downtown St. Louis. The reception is at the Hilton at the Ballpark!

This is the rooftop bar. We may have to sneak up there!

How cool is it that their anniversary will be 11/11/11?! That's easy to remember!

As much as I love living in the woods, I'm pretty excited to have a night in the city. Things can get pretty routine out here (as I'm sure everyone can attest to) so it's nice to have a break from the ordinary. And I get to play dress up! It's fun to put on a fancy dress every now and then. :)

~Tammy

Treat Yo Self 2011

I've got three words for you...

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, watch this first (and if you still have no idea what I'm talking about, I have no idea why we are friends. Only kidding, of course...).

You know, we work hard out here at the farm (or pretend to anyway, most of it is just fun for us). But David does work hard at school, and I work semi-hard at work, so inspired by Parks and Rec we decided to take a day to treat ourselves. This year, we went up to STL for a day trip. Our hard-working friends, Jamie and Holly, joined us and a new tradition has begun.

First stop, Starbucks!!!

Pumpkin spice latte for David, soy latte for me

Jamie and Holly didn't have breakfast before we picked them up, so their first treat of the day was McDonald's breakfast!

Our first stop in STL was the West County mall (didn't get any pictures of that, we were too busy shopping at H&M and Francesca's!). After working up an appetite, we really treated ourselves...

SUSHI!!!

California roll in the middle, philly tempura roll on each side.

Jamie convinced David to drink some warm sake with him.

 

After we finished the sushi, they brought out this for us!

Of course no trip to STL is complete without our final stop. At least, that's the case if David and Jamie are in tow.

David's game is roulette (go 36!) and Jamie likes blackjack. Holly and I kill time with $20 on the penny slots :) Our favorite slot machine was called "Kitty Glitter." It was fabulous.

I think it's illegal to take pictures in the casino...don't turn me in!

We had a blast and are already throwing out ideas for Treat Yo Self 2012. Can't wait!!!

~Tammy