Evidence of Our Survivalist Predecessors

When we moved into our house 6 years ago, I discovered several old jugs stored in the garage. A few of them, mostly bleach jugs, had been filled with water and sealed with wax. Out of curiosity I had opened one to find out what it contained even though I had a pretty good idea. I guess I was hoping for moonshine.

I remember the water being very clear - no funk at all. I think they were filled with distilled water since one of the empty jugs had a painted distilled water label from a local company called Deep Rock.

I cleaned up the empty ones but I haven't quite brought myself to emptying or even cleaning the two remaining full jugs. There is a certain intimacy in possessing an object that the previous residents had taken such care to prepare. I mean the water in those jugs was put there decades ago by someone who I have a lot in common with. It is peculiarly meaningful.

On the other hand, I'll probably dust them off and dump 'em out in a few more days.

Acorns are Dropping

Last year I made acorn flour for the first time. We didn't get much flour from the two Coastal Live Oaks in our yard but it was fun to make and now that I think I have the process down it should be easier.

Last year it was the smaller of the two trees which was the big producer. This year it appears to be the larger one. Most of the acorns I am finding on the ground have been cast there by our pesky, dog-tormenting squirrels. They take a nibble and drop the rest, but some acorns fall intact.

I'll post more about what I learned as soon as I can scrounge up the pictures and write a few coherent paragraphs about it.

Tree Blocks

Tree Blocks are a cool toy and great company. My kids have not put these down since they were generously gifted to them.


My oldest son built this structure this morning. I don't know what I like best, the structure itself or the detailed stories of my son's imaginary dog Wincy climbing all over it.

I love toys that allow space for the power of imagination. And so do my sons. Thank you, Maryellen and family!

Refinishing Danish Modern Chairs

Eric and I picked up the Danish modern chair and loveseat at a thrift store in 2002. Together they cost $10. A good deal to be sure, but they needed a bit of work.


After letting the chairs...mature...outside for two years, I decided to start with the chair. Thanks to the weathering process, the existing varnish that had decayed to an unhealthy green-yellow hue and came off with easy sanding. I used my favorite, Watco Teak Oil, to seal the wood. Diamond Foam and Fabric cut to size new foam cushions.


The cost of reupholstering the cushions proved a bit steep for the bargain chair and loveseat. My sewing abilities were not at a level to take on the task. Eric came up with the splendid suggestion to clean the fabric. Surprisingly, a simple clean went along way. Buoyed by the success and relative ease of the chair refurbishment, I took on the loveseat. It required a bit more work. The straps needed to be replaced under the cushions. But the rest of the project moved fairly quickly.


Everyone but the dogs is thrilled with the results. Since the chairs came inside, the dogs no longer can sleep on them...when humans are around.

Plants in the Ground

My oldest son and I planted this cilantro, mint and black kale while the youngest slept.


I've been obsessed with kale salad as of late and figured growing it myself was the best solution. I confess, I've already eaten leaves off of this small plant. It's growing well despite my raging appetite.

Cook Book Shelf

In a small house, every space is valuable. These cook books claimed important counter space before they found a home on this crafted shelf. The two inch thick wood was a long plank generously gifted to us from Mister Jalopy. One side of the plank was perfectly square, the other side had begun to split. The straight side of the plank was quickly used for a project.


I had been brainstorming about what to do with the cook books and came up with the idea of adding a shelf above the pantry.

I remembered the beautiful thick split wood. I checked the measurements and it seemed like it would suit the project. Instead of fighting the split, I worked with it. Eric added a beveled edge with his Japanese handsaws on the left side. The wood was oiled with Watco Teak Oil. The bracket came from Anthropologie. Eric put it up as a Mother's Day gift.


This shelf is a favorite.

Supremely Ramshackle Shack

I really love this shack that I found on Tiny Candy . I love how cobbled together it is and how random the design appears. I aspire to build something this spontaneous looking and with such dedication to reuse.

[Note: I edited this post because I thought what I wrote would come off the wrong way - blogging is hard and should not be done late at night when you are tired.]

Link to the Supremely Ramshackle Shack

Ramshackle Shackitecture

We have been working on a secret project over the past several weekends here at Camp Ramshackle - it's the Ramshackle Shack. I have been wanting a painting studio for years but with the arrival of the kids, work, etc. it just didn’t seem like a justified expense until now. At first we thought about renting a studio but at a cost of at least $500/mo. here in L.A., that didn’t make sense. We were able to build this shack style studio for about half the annual cost of renting (+ about 10 full days of labor spread over 2 months for me and Phoenix).

The design is loosely based on the West Virginia shack that Mark posted about on D&R a while back (although admittedly not as cool). I am really pleased with the outcome, none the less. There are a few details to complete still, and I need to get good and moved in. A huge thanks to our good friend Phoenix, without whom the shack could not have been built.


The shot above is the front taken from 6 feet up in the Toyon in front of it.

The ladder hangs on the side when not in use. Eventually we will add a more permanent entry but for now this keeps those not tall enough to reach the ladder (our 4 and 1 year old) from gaining unsupervised entry.

The inside is still coming together. The floor is birch plywood with walnut stain. That's the roof of our house in the background, out the window.

This is the view from inside looking out the front doors. The slope puts the height of the front porch at over 5 feet so it feels kind of like a tree house.

You can see more pictures at our Flickr account.

School Resumes

As much as I enjoy the summer, I love the rhythm of fall. The gradual end of the searing hot days, the leaves changing on the trees and the start of fall planting--a great time for gardening in southern California.

My son returns to preschool. These photos are his, documenting the first day of his second year in preschool.

Mon Dieu! Souffle at Camp Ramshackle

Friend Phoenix worked his magic in the kitchen again with this gluten free rosemary, green onion and parmesan souffle. Incredibly delicious. I hope he posts the recipe on his site soon.


Add friends and conversation.


A tribute to the retreating days of summer.

4th Birthday

The best way to start a fourth birthday is to turn a bowl into a hat with some help with dad. Then enjoy some birthday greetings from a great aunt and great grandma.


The inspiration for the bowl hat came when my son stumbled upon my bowl filled with paints that I was using to make these nesting dolls for him. "Mom, I want to paint a bowl too."

The nesting doll blanks were purchased from Golden Cockerel. The idea came from Mr. Monkeysuit who made these wonderful dolls for her son.


Ultimately, cake proved the most rewarding. Four years ago, this handsome sweet guy introduced himself with wide eyes. Our family was begun. Before I became a parent, I always heard other parents say the journey just gets better. Nothing is more true. First steps become a run. Scribbles become more developed drawings. First words become sentences. Then they evolve into stories. Some of the best stories I've ever heard.

Happy birthday big guy!

Weed Eating Goats in Downtown L.A.

The L.A. Times reported that goats are being used to trim the weeds on Angels Knoll downtown.

Link

First Birthday

A year ago in early September, our youngest was born in the wee hours of the morning. The year has raced by with first steps quickly turning into a steady plod. To commemorate his first birthday, I made birthday blocks. The idea has been in my head a long time.


The fabric is from my stash with some beautiful quilted squares gifted to me from my friend Maryellen Hooper. The foam came from Diamond Foam and Fabric and was cut on a band saw by my father.


And look, baby likes it! Happy birthday little man.


I asked my oldest son, "What do you want to make your brother for his birthday?" Without missing a beat he said, "An apron with an angel and a frog on it." Thinking that this was just an off the cuff remark, I asked him again an hour or so later.

"I already told you," he said, "an apron with a frog and an angel on it." Alright then.


His sweet idea, fabric selection and design...with a bit of help from mom.


The apron is quite loved. Such a wonderful gift from a thoughtful big brother.

Folk Music Center in Claremont

The Folk Music Center in Claremont, California, is worth a visit. Visitors are welcome to play the many instruments on hand. Kids are welcomed and encouraged to respectfully participate.


My kids examine the didgeridoo playing of friend Phoenix.


My oldest snapped this photo. He's becoming quite the photographer. I love watching him walk around with a big camera around his neck thoughtfully contemplating the composition of his photos.

Rainwater Catchment in New Mexico

Tarik from the blog Moscaline posted about a rain catchment barrel (Bukkit) he recently installed. We'd like to do something similar here at Camp Ramshackle. Nearly all of our rain (between 10 to 20 inches annually on average) comes between October and April. We would like to catch and store as much as possible.

I think we'll probably need something more like what Tara Hui has installed in under her home in San Francisco.

More on Tarik's water barrels here, including a kind mention of this blog and our friends at Homegrown Evolution.

Snail Almost Becomes Escargot

After the chard was cleaned and cooked, I was in the kitchen cleaning up. I reached to wash the salad spinner and found this snail cruising around the ledge. I jumped about three feet. I suspect the snail was on the chard. I inspected the cooked chard and didn't notice any brothers or sisters.

If this snail's relatives happened to be lost in the chard, I thank them for their sacrifice.

Fruits of My Labor Day Home Improvement Project

In a 980 square foot home, space is at a premium. Too much to let a narrow storage space look like above and below.


I bought a cheap shelving system from our local hardware store for the brackets and used some wood we had around the house for the shelves. I oiled them with Watco Teak Oil. I love the way oiled wood looks.


Then reload the shelves, scratch my head why I didn't do this sooner, and continue the work on the birthday projects. More to come.

Labor Day Home Improvement Project

Working on a Labor Day easy home improvement project. With help, of course.

Bird's Egg

Found in the garden this weekend. I keep looking for a new little bird in the trees. There are so many this time of year.

California Cherry

A few native California Cherry trees that were growing here when we bought our house. This year two of them produced an abundance of fruit - beautiful black cherries.

The only problem with them is that they are mostly pit and what there is of the flesh is a combination of sweet and bitter that isn't really worth the effort .

On the positive side, they are beautiful and some birds seem to like them.