veggies for life

I have decided:
I am becoming a vegetarian. It was likely to happen.
This nagging awareness that I was doing something silly.
How could I possibly eat those that are my friends?


When words unsaid are spoken
Nose to nose
When my curly hair is torn from my skull as they nibble
the practicing of their social rites of fitting me into
their group (because I smell funny goat Mia says).


How could I possibly eat my friends?


I have started to understand them 
that I know what they want
When they have pain and where
and what they want for dinner.
And how they want their beds made.
When they need clean water.
When they want cuddles and hoof holding.


How could I possibly eat my friends?


And even when Lisa the mini goat gets stuck in the fence again
as she's always curious
and always eager for the greener grass
I keep pulling her out and setting her free again.
As she dances off with a guilty face
I know she will do it again anyway but that's ok.
Looking after them is top priority.


How could I possibly eat my friends?


Why would it be hard to give up eating meat
when I can stop eating my friends.
And I can look them in the eye and say:
don't worry I'm one of you now:
I only eat greens.
I am part of your fuzzy tribe.


How could I possibly eat my friends?

(picture of Kuddles our 2 year old highland steer)

the calling of the goat

I've had questions in the past: "Are you really a goat herderess?"

Yes of course I am a goat herderess! And to show you what fuzzy bounty I am in charge of: viola the evidence my friends. See it and weep with delight. They exist. they are awesome. (Oh and they don't faint, these are mostly Saanen like, they're not the falling down kind. I mean come on!)

They LOVE silver-beet, it's goatie gold, green gold..... yummersssss

Did I mention they are accompanied by Bella, a highland calf who thinks she is a goat... and her brother Kuddles who knows for certain that he is not. But he thinks the white mob is friggin funny.

This outrageous fashionable wonder above is called Teresa (coincidently also the name of our fabulous Canadian cousin). She is half Angoran and proud of it. Fuzz rules amigos.

The plan is to start milking the girls next year and yours truly is still on the look out for a milking machine and storing tanks. It will happen! So there you are: they're real and they kick ass. Not literally though, they rather eat hay and snooze. Or play. And eat silver-beet.

crazy softies

Softies: cuddly warmth is what makes the world go round. And the Etsy company. I've done some scribbles on creating Woaties: my goat softies, to spread the goatie love. It's getting wintery down here. We store up all the cuddles we can get. I thought I could make it into a versatile goatie (why not while we're at it).

This fishy creature I spotted by Darcie Fish is for sale here


There some strange looking fellas hanging on the Etsy website, like this Johnny Depp character: he cracks me up:

Johnny Depp gone woodbunny details here


Then there's fun and frivolous eco beasties: including recycled bag inners. Ecohunter to be found here

And a snazzy foxy creature: details here

 

So as you can see, amidst the furry and soft critters there are true treasures to be found. Still, I'm sure there are those who can appreciate a genuine woatie too. Those crazy enough, that is. 

If you want to make some loonies of your own: a good ol' how to here. Yes they're bunnies. Or bears. Or a species-confused one. As long as they're fun!
For some entertaining inspiration I can highly recommend: Aunty Cookie. (She knows how to sew and be cool now that is impressive.)


I'm not a seamstressy type so this'll be interesting. Especially considering I've been trying to sit down to get started for 3 weekends now. Winter project?

I'm doing it

Vision. Mission. Ingrained belief. Results. Wrap it up in one word: Joy.


I have been fluffing around with a few topics in the last few weeks. I kept putting a few things off. Mulling options over. Then several things happened:

1. I made the decision I want to pursue working with my goats on a more full time basis in the near future. I already had made the decision I wanted to study for vet nursing part-time. Then I saw an episode by TVNZ's Country Calendar about the Aroha cheesemaking enterprise, set up -coincidentally- by 2 Dutch emigrants. I was smitten! It wasn't a surprise as Nic and I had pondered this but to see it in action was so wonderful. In that episode there was another Dutch lady that advises the couple on Homeopathy as they are an organic farm. For me this was another 'aha' as I have contemplated studying Naturopathy years ago but put it aside because I work in retail. Last week I received information from an organic certifying business so Nico and I can start application as we decided years ago this is what we would like to do. We had soil tests done by a friend last week who sells organic fertilizer and we are waiting for the results now to determine what is being put on. So in a nutshell: the goat gig is going ahead. I need to find a milking plant, a separator, a storage tank and start discussing w/ Nico on how to modify the woodshed.

2. My design work is getting support. More and more. Someone I met on twitter who lives in LA is now  happy for me to design for him and I receive commission on what is sold. Hemptech the textile company in Auckland is continuing to do very well, selling my Cows and Couches fabric along with the Pukekos and the cows are gaining momentum as an upholstery fabric. One store is getting a furniture piece in it again as it works tremendously well as a talking point. It looks like there will be further expansion for Hemptech in the near future too. One local gallery is waiting to receive a high end new settee by Simon James in Auckland which has large cows and couches back cushions. An online store has also expressed to be interested to sell my accessory products. I have done new designs for Hemptech and the plan is to do something with these later this year. I like the idea very much of doing more freelance design work. I'm working on a drape design with geometric qualities for them now, having already done a cushion design they liked very much involving horses and swanndri.

3. Inspiration and meeting people. Several people I have gotten to know well through social media, as I work in retail and can't dash off all the time. Personal stories are shared, moral support is given. It's lovely to have these online contacts develop in a real fun bond and something more sustainable. I feel my design work is global, and I focus on global contacts opposed to many local tweeters, whereas the future goat set up is local based. 
Having both the micro and the macro aspect in my life is majorly appealing, and also rewarding. I enjoy communicating with these inspiring and lovely people a lot.

4. Online store. At the moment I have an online presence that to me is more like an online portfolio and a modest one at best. I have decided that I'm going to turn it into an actual online store to sell my cushions, tea towels, jewelry in and the to be made Wooties. Not next year but, like SOON. The 'wooties' product will be both a cushion, carry bag and soft toy rolled into one. So, to that effect I need to get moving as there is plenty to be done! And I haven't even told you about a farming product I am still working on that will make life easier for break fencing and I have got the domain names already. Even Nico admits it's a great idea. Someone asked me today: and HOW on earth do you get all these things done?

5. Take responsibility: using the Law of Attraction. I find it has really helped me to focus on the direction I want to go, without focusing overly on the details. Things seems to be slotting into place more and more and I trust that process. Naturally I also have to be sensible in that I don't spread myself thin, prioritize and leave old distractions behind. It's an exciting time and I feel really happy about how things are going. I also know I had to get mature about all our financials as I had the habit of cramming incoming paperwork in a folder and pay the bills but not fully understand the actual process.
In realizing that I have taken responsibility for the way I feel and what happens every day I am actually being far more effective then ever before. It's sounds fuzzy, and it's a biggie, but I'm happy about it.


To summarize: if you want to go forward and expand, it is good to know what you want, and to then keep working towards that goal in an appreciative fashion of what already is. 
That sounds jeeps-deep but really: why wait? Why be so depressing 'realistic'? Groovy brands and happy entrepreneurs didn't get out of that garage by embracing the status quo: they went with their guts and worked hard and happily. That is what I am doing. And it's no longer 'work', it's fun.

the farm life

Today it's sunny picture time! We enjoy living on our farm-let, it's a wonderful private world and harbors lovely animals and tasty veggies. We love it. As I was finishing paintwork on the window sills this weekend I thought I'd sneak in some visuals at the same time...

pumpkin harvest....

our fuzzy friends...

Moooooooo. Bella loves hanging out in goatie ville. She is even sounding more like them (that's a worry).

so while I try to get some work done... #painting

we do get some visitors from time to time, like Sootie our adopted stray kitten and mr Hedgehog

so who says farm live isn't entertaining? Always plenty happening around here.