tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8539586902359194242024-02-07T13:00:40.289-08:00:: cat crossing farm ::Living, gardening and writing in the countrykaren weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-4329299062236001582013-04-18T09:40:00.001-07:002013-04-18T09:45:54.018-07:00Our Donkeys Get Their 15 Minutes of Fame<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPUOy9cYwiwXRRKMyFkQUzdWbd5TQYRGVmcXmgLVYAk32p9GmkEwt64ougWpTWPJaEroLANliSCNjYySUmzmW8eAkNJAGRGVygFRvKV2JCcJowdOyL56fCMBr5eeZVsiVoXN-WWJDafcb/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQPUOy9cYwiwXRRKMyFkQUzdWbd5TQYRGVmcXmgLVYAk32p9GmkEwt64ougWpTWPJaEroLANliSCNjYySUmzmW8eAkNJAGRGVygFRvKV2JCcJowdOyL56fCMBr5eeZVsiVoXN-WWJDafcb/s320/photo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Our miniature donkeys, Riley, Peso, and Cisco, are enjoying a rush of publicity this month. They were the subject of my Slow Lane essay in the Spring 2013 issue of <i>Country Gardens</i> magazine. Then the <i>New York Post</i> did a story about gardening magazines and the donkeys were mentioned there too. Here's what the article said:<br />
<br />
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"City slickers looking to populate their new rural
spreads may want to know: What exactly are donkeys for? “They pay
attention,” Country Gardens explains. These big-eared sentinels are
eternally suspicious of everything from stray coyotes to cars rolling into the
driveway. Nor do they enjoy the company of cats and dogs. “They stand in the
barnyard with their ears facing forward and their eyes sharpened into little
judgmental slits,” the mag says, somehow managing to make donkeys sound like a
must-have accessory in the process."<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18.578125px;"><br /></span>
Well, donkeys are a must-have accessory! At least on our farm.<br />
<br />
Riley, Peso, and Cisco are probably contacting a agent right now. And they will, no doubt, insist on playing themselves in the movie. <br />
<br />
Here's the <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/earthly_delights_V8DhWFgAUXcrzc5pAkjy0N">whole article</a> in the New York Post. My column is in <i>Country Gardens</i>, on the newsstand now.<br />
<br />
<br />karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-36813313481221501332013-01-18T11:27:00.000-08:002013-01-18T11:33:51.696-08:00Our Secret Pet<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMvZzD31FDGnxYS6_7RgR5SV6xvGr3iXVDV7ZrkDTweb9U-edOOX7kkenOvRqMYswxVbQB-mrvEPxd0H5LgA3K1culs1ZCxyhOguecwafpohl2It6Q5u5P1lnUely2viQoJrEYiXLAqv_/s1600/IMG_8083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCMvZzD31FDGnxYS6_7RgR5SV6xvGr3iXVDV7ZrkDTweb9U-edOOX7kkenOvRqMYswxVbQB-mrvEPxd0H5LgA3K1culs1ZCxyhOguecwafpohl2It6Q5u5P1lnUely2viQoJrEYiXLAqv_/s320/IMG_8083.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Today we put our 15-year-old cat Boots to sleep. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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If you ever spent time at our house, you’d be surprised to
know that we had Boots. Because Boots was not a mingler. She didn’t like
strangers. In fact, she didn’t even like us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But she loved our son Graham. We got Boots when Graham was
in grade school. She was slotted to be a farm cat, but Graham saw her, picked
her up, and carried her into the house. And that was that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our other cats Carter and Millie didn’t give her a sniff. And
because we have a large house, Boots took a floor (the basement) and lived
there in her own company. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That’s where she and Graham bonded. The TV and video games
were in the basement. And Graham spent long hours playing war and world-domination
games with this little tortoise-shell kitten in his lap. We used to call him
Dr. Evil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Boots loved Graham. He could call her name and she’d come
running like a dog and jump up onto his knee. If we called Boots she never
came. Graham could hold Boots cradled like a baby. No one else could even pick
her up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Boots slept on Graham’s bed sitting on a pillow next to his
head, staring at him all night. It was creepy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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After Graham left for college, Boots moved into our room,
slept on our bed, but she never let us pick her up. She was a one-man cat and
her man was gone. We were just pale placeholders until Graham came home. And
when he did, he’d call her name and she’d come bounding out from under some
bed, joyously meowing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Boots was like a ghost. Sometimes guests would see her
scuttle by. It’s weird sharing a house with an animal that is wholly
uninterested in you. She just wandered where she wanted, away from public or
private view, for 15 years. And now she’s gone. And it’s hard to say how she’ll
be missed. But she will. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-70952772373552583432013-01-16T06:37:00.001-08:002013-01-16T06:38:52.151-08:00My Slow Lane column: The Cave TreeI got to spent a couple weeks with Tristan and Graham, ages 6 and 4 respectively, recently.<br />
<br />
I did this by writing a column about them at those ages. I love to write for lots of reasons (for one, it pays the mortgage). But the larger, more enduring reason, is to capture and crystalize in words a small event or moment of my life, and the lives of my family and pets, that has resonance.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiCMX_bNKD8onQD6ldQ9GaBHgYYFudBGsUjI6o1vWpDm9fW9AJqBEs7jtuQP1-LzunoKeuD16NX1Zf9CPUIfJT_xacebsHFdB8GRoqkFQTv5E5_917wzxiAQJKyOxTlOe65rquw41JVVt/s1600/SG+Country+Gardens+magazine.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiCMX_bNKD8onQD6ldQ9GaBHgYYFudBGsUjI6o1vWpDm9fW9AJqBEs7jtuQP1-LzunoKeuD16NX1Zf9CPUIfJT_xacebsHFdB8GRoqkFQTv5E5_917wzxiAQJKyOxTlOe65rquw41JVVt/s320/SG+Country+Gardens+magazine.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
Finding my two young boys standing up <i>inside</i> a rotted tree was one such moment. It was funny. And scary. And funny again, once they crawled out. Thus is the topic of my Slow Lane column. The Early Spring issue of <i>Country Gardens</i> magazine is on the newsstand now. Check it out.karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-23994861353840538752012-10-10T18:14:00.000-07:002012-10-10T18:23:43.794-07:00Save a Living Piece of Art<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOOX1y1dN00Bm9lnj-1PN4wBLaZrw1jBa0IPWUFczT0jYIyybFrACc-JQA46jwjT9y4BhvaZuuAtwOs0I9VzvMn0fwNAlXh332f2bR3JIHorexHUXhfuH7Eof333TEw8JUiUZoPZljRyd/s1600/15-bild15.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiOOX1y1dN00Bm9lnj-1PN4wBLaZrw1jBa0IPWUFczT0jYIyybFrACc-JQA46jwjT9y4BhvaZuuAtwOs0I9VzvMn0fwNAlXh332f2bR3JIHorexHUXhfuH7Eof333TEw8JUiUZoPZljRyd/s1600/15-bild15.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjqprRzLEYiLEHo52kdztgoz9HzJJKC3eI-EkRRnIhKJFAfSlPe78a2VGeoyDUoV-XojXjp-GpX72bKNq1-HzYqb5gcZizR0xPqgPAksljsF-_IwAK9r-PbC0LrMFI2qny4hknN-oXTEU/s1600/8-bild08.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjqprRzLEYiLEHo52kdztgoz9HzJJKC3eI-EkRRnIhKJFAfSlPe78a2VGeoyDUoV-XojXjp-GpX72bKNq1-HzYqb5gcZizR0xPqgPAksljsF-_IwAK9r-PbC0LrMFI2qny4hknN-oXTEU/s1600/8-bild08.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBUAF345GgR2alIwoQqGiyPyz5RIKhdy7j8_9LM3xg3lrfr1LLfOGteSt_SnobVVoMApAME4RcBdgf9b1zD_Vj687FMNC4WvaeTUZczToJIX5F546aLkZqlB_8lYREdl4X93hiO3FQFeE/s1600/2-bild02.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirBUAF345GgR2alIwoQqGiyPyz5RIKhdy7j8_9LM3xg3lrfr1LLfOGteSt_SnobVVoMApAME4RcBdgf9b1zD_Vj687FMNC4WvaeTUZczToJIX5F546aLkZqlB_8lYREdl4X93hiO3FQFeE/s1600/2-bild02.jpeg" /></a><br />
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If you’re a gardener, you know the work what goes into
creating a garden: Planning, planting, pruning, replanting, and weeding. It’s a true labor
of love. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But even if you’ve never picked up a trowel or planted a
seed, you can see that a beautiful garden is a work of art. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So it’s hard to understand why anyone would choose to
destroy a great work of art. Would anyone destroy Monet’s paintings? Or allow the Louvre be demolished? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Of course, not. But a beautiful public garden in Bastad,
Sweden, called the Norrviken Garden, is under threat of total destruction. I
visited this garden several years ago and found it to be one of the most
beautiful gardens in Europe (I also saw my first banana slug there!). Built in the early 1900s, this public garden was
chosen as the most beautiful park in Sweden in 2006 and the second most
beautiful park in Europe. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But now this elegant, fully-grown, century-old garden is going to be
destroyed to make way for a large hotel, roads, parking areas, and a number of residential buildings.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnJJWTtPENxj-nbqVpVQHPrg0tzE7VHeHRw3e3-0fD9NHk5Uokz6ydPSDLL6roRBdnCWdomzyXgIryFtjSOQ3TvIqhF12EWIOOAzExxbL-4rZFKcnjlxCgmvmPez9oFfipHrwb7CgtSW7/s1600/24-bild24.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnJJWTtPENxj-nbqVpVQHPrg0tzE7VHeHRw3e3-0fD9NHk5Uokz6ydPSDLL6roRBdnCWdomzyXgIryFtjSOQ3TvIqhF12EWIOOAzExxbL-4rZFKcnjlxCgmvmPez9oFfipHrwb7CgtSW7/s1600/24-bild24.jpeg" /></a><b>BUT THERE IS A CHANCE TO SAVE THIS GARDEN. </b>The Norrviken Garden Society, a non-profit association, is
working to save the garden. You can help too, by <a href="http://www.norrvikenstradgardssallskap.se/index.php?option=com_petitions&view=petition&id=14">signing a petition</a> to stop the
destruction of this garden. I just signed it and it was really easy--you don't even have to know Swedish ;-)<o:p></o:p></div>
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To read more about the petition, <a href="http://www.norrvikenstradgardssallskap.se/nyheter/5-nyheter/211-protest-against-the-plans-to-exploit-norrvikens-traedgardar.html">click here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is what social media is all about: You can live on a farm in Iowa and help save a garden in Sweden. Let's do it! </div>
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<!--EndFragment-->karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-85482156197647707132012-09-11T07:55:00.001-07:002012-09-11T08:02:28.184-07:00Sky-High Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQPaaLwn8fse04pWw0ytqHVSJ_Oud31mKa2W_MTgc5QF59YKmkqL2uHRmZfBjepNptXzp1dRgywpMzpbEa__kEJ8_gkHDdFqJ1YcOSjEtxEx204dykPqo2cEz5z9IMHZw-CBKIHuaSBQs/s1600/56787645272249319_62csAItw.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQPaaLwn8fse04pWw0ytqHVSJ_Oud31mKa2W_MTgc5QF59YKmkqL2uHRmZfBjepNptXzp1dRgywpMzpbEa__kEJ8_gkHDdFqJ1YcOSjEtxEx204dykPqo2cEz5z9IMHZw-CBKIHuaSBQs/s200/56787645272249319_62csAItw.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
The High Line garden on Manhattan's West Side is an amazing example of the transformative power of gardening. An abandoned railway track, suspending above gritty city streets, was planned and planted to become a heavenly haven for flowers, grasses, birds, butterflies, and wandering admirers. I wrote an article about this sky-high garden in the September 2012 issue of <i>Better Homes and Gardens</i> magazine, called "Garden in the Sky." Check it out on page 92!karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-1977457172406632022012-07-31T12:03:00.000-07:002012-08-05T14:28:59.272-07:00Roving Donkeys and Book Reviews<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqE-d9Bq-WrTSFAxDxrQqft57nSTV9JhBt_fpVLSAL_385YyTxfaS4UHA79EPS3LXagpEBGTMwmiQsGEtG7y0T3CeP2SvR0kb0Y_ET2ph1-Jao5TK435vq5RbLxMd3rTNtT6aPtG7V9mf/s1600/IMG_4773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqE-d9Bq-WrTSFAxDxrQqft57nSTV9JhBt_fpVLSAL_385YyTxfaS4UHA79EPS3LXagpEBGTMwmiQsGEtG7y0T3CeP2SvR0kb0Y_ET2ph1-Jao5TK435vq5RbLxMd3rTNtT6aPtG7V9mf/s320/IMG_4773.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peso and Riley back at home</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />We were out of town last weekend when we got a text from our animal sitter Nancy. She was on her way to do chores at our place when she met our trio of donkeys on the road. Apparently Riley, Cisco, and Peso decided to explore the world when they observed a dip in the barbed wire over the stream (which has totally dried up). This offered them an escape route up a steep hill and onto the gravel road. <br /><br />Donkeys aren't usually so spontaneous. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />But having successfully ditched the horses (who are too tall to limbo under the barbed wire), the three headed north. I'm not sure what the travel plans were, but luckily Nancy intercepted the donkeys and walked them home. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Doug fixed the fence this morning. We think. But if you see a trio of miniature donkeys wandering by, send me a note. <br /><br />Also, <i>So Much Sky</i> was reviewed in a couple of nice places in July. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-weir-jimerson/so-much-sky/">Kirkus Reviews</a></b> said the book was "well written" and that "there’s a lot to be enjoyed and a lot to be learned from Weir-Jimerson, a Master Gardener and apt tamer of land, child and beast." </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm sure my kids will love that assessment of my talents, although I did sort of feel like a lion tamer when the boys were toddlers... On the Kirkus site, you can now also purchase the book through independent book stores.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The <b>Midwest Book Review's Small Press Book Watch</b> said this: "Far from modern civilization, one can gain a different grasp on the world. "So Much Sky" is a collection of essays and memoir from Karen Weir-Jimerson as she reflects on her life on three acres in Iowa, living with her husband their wide array of animals and livestock. Writing on gardening, rural life, and perhaps just life in general, "So Much Sky" is a fine and much recommended pick for essay collections, highly recommended."</span></blockquote>
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</div>karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-1258093006065865482012-07-23T10:59:00.000-07:002012-07-23T11:09:29.634-07:00Fresh Snips of Flavor<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick-snip of lemon thyme</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white;">Sizzling summer heat poses no problem for my herbs. They love it. I have a bevy of tangled containers on my back patio filled with my favorites. I mad-dash from the back door, snip up a fistful of flavor, then whisk back into the cool kitchen to make dinner. What's my hasty harvest? Lemon thyme (lemony and thyme-y). Basil (of course!). And flat-leafed parsley. I learned about this underused herb from my friend Renee Shepherd (owner of </span><a href="http://www.reneesgarden.com/"><span style="color: red;">Renee's Garden</span></a><span style="color: white;">) when I interviewed her for a story for </span><i style="color: white;">Better Homes and Gardens</i><span style="color: white;"> magazine. She uses the flavor-filled 'Gigante' Italian parsley leaves in salads. Just snips them in. I've been trying this too--just adding fresh herb leaves mixed up with my spinach and arugula. Just do a quick toss of olive oil, sweet balsamic vinegar, and grated fresh garlic to whip up an herby summer salad. Renee has been in the gardening biz for a long time (selling heirloom and gourmet seed varieties). And she's on top of all the cool new cooking trends. Check out the article in </span><i style="color: white;">Better Homes and Gardens, </i><span style="color: white;">the August 2011 issue, page 90. You'll find tips for freezing your herb harvest. Do it now. You'll thank yourself for your brilliant insight in January. </span></span></div>karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-63450223802349931012012-06-12T07:02:00.000-07:002012-06-12T07:06:46.933-07:00So Much Sky: In the News!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1PNmkUjqbuZYPqJE4fcYc0hewrIxoL4ebbzbXrTKexPBStuq_uVB22VrHvYZ2lbeDFNwM7eP3mD8Opw5Yy5gGFLF_5mR7uInh3nii19hBsF8aNHO0yE6WXe_u23RVMgu1Cd7UFgjn9op/s1600/s_BetterHomesGardensJun2012.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1PNmkUjqbuZYPqJE4fcYc0hewrIxoL4ebbzbXrTKexPBStuq_uVB22VrHvYZ2lbeDFNwM7eP3mD8Opw5Yy5gGFLF_5mR7uInh3nii19hBsF8aNHO0yE6WXe_u23RVMgu1Cd7UFgjn9op/s1600/s_BetterHomesGardensJun2012.jpeg" /></a></div>
Check out the June 2012 issue of <i>Better Homes and Gardens</i> magazine which features a little news nugget about <i>So Much Sky. </i><br />
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You can also <span style="color: red;">WIN A FREE</span> copy of the book at the blog <a href="http://rurallivingtoday.com/rural-living/book-review-so-sky/">Rural Living Today</a>. Leave a post at the end of the blog by June 14th to enter the giveway.karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-54429755433374296742012-06-05T07:49:00.000-07:002012-06-05T08:04:37.069-07:00A Riot of Roses<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0nzuvQfZZVT0NKJlIihfaJYzwdytLtBbA2CjFsf5rPxpME8wq33rpGnw2eBQiO9SuQD8rPBudTo2M0Xn97JQCoTnKOSO0p5o9nwcPatq8hroqcpeXX8XJfH0D8Y5lOEfj_waxYFFKLmZ/s1600/IMG_2233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs0nzuvQfZZVT0NKJlIihfaJYzwdytLtBbA2CjFsf5rPxpME8wq33rpGnw2eBQiO9SuQD8rPBudTo2M0Xn97JQCoTnKOSO0p5o9nwcPatq8hroqcpeXX8XJfH0D8Y5lOEfj_waxYFFKLmZ/s320/IMG_2233.jpg" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaVKtIECSKU11sZgno6-DzDVhAId-w5XEE4wjyYt4nboeUvXjYhVva3fzWMzGYaBVRZfU0zv2dmvV3emENbMozC5JBv2kcl8sFa7i_vpq4fVTaH2Kf2oy-ljdx_ipTkshPFGj2MJBx4ef/s1600/IMG_2234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaVKtIECSKU11sZgno6-DzDVhAId-w5XEE4wjyYt4nboeUvXjYhVva3fzWMzGYaBVRZfU0zv2dmvV3emENbMozC5JBv2kcl8sFa7i_vpq4fVTaH2Kf2oy-ljdx_ipTkshPFGj2MJBx4ef/s320/IMG_2234.jpg" width="239" /></a>
'Seven Sisters' rose. She's been living at this farm longer than I have. And she is, undoubtedly, older than I am (but looking fresher than ever). This grande dame rose is the grandstand garden event in our garden in early June.<br />
She used to scramble over the top of the LP tank, but we moved the tank and gave her something more elegant upon which to ramble.<br />
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An old garden fence (salvaged from a Midwestern cemetary) now gives her ample traveling space. And travel she did. She root-tipped herself from one end of the fence to the other. Sort of like a monorail of roses.<br />
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Ambitious and beautiful. Old farm roses. Gotta love them.karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-55250461452400895892012-02-21T12:17:00.002-08:002012-02-28T04:58:40.489-08:00Nosing through Lotus<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTiyd2LHwMbsGlcp5Ilc5aGepPYiRKZAKRycr7_D1gKGGp2b-h4mOm0b0x_EajbbSKiryByUKcnp_JyVUG-rd6fvrUMv5t9ihPyG5c46zHSL1l33vgIJIMJW1DdSDnuIwZod_LAF7UzMo/s1600/IMG_2197.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTiyd2LHwMbsGlcp5Ilc5aGepPYiRKZAKRycr7_D1gKGGp2b-h4mOm0b0x_EajbbSKiryByUKcnp_JyVUG-rd6fvrUMv5t9ihPyG5c46zHSL1l33vgIJIMJW1DdSDnuIwZod_LAF7UzMo/s320/IMG_2197.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711698203924678754" /></a><br />I love to kayak. And while that may make me sound sort of sporty, I'll be the first to admit that I prefer calm leisurely water to running rapids: Lakes, slow-moving creeks, glassy bays are my speed. In a kayak you can be a nature voyeur. And sitting in a 12-foot kayak just inches above the water's surface there's lots to see from up close. <br /><br />A couple months ago I visited Mobile, AL and had the opportunity to kayak in some amazing water. From <a href="http://www.dcnr.state.al.us/outdoor-adventures/5rivers/">5 Rivers' Bartram Canoe and Kayak Landing</a> we set out on an easy paddle. Still waters were dotted with the eyes and snouts of alligators (that took a little of the serenity out of the trip!) We paddled through a gnarled mass of lotus. It was simply surreal to nose the kayak through dinnerplate-size leaves and giant yellow flowers. <br /><br />Bartrum Landing is named after the plant explorer and naturalist William Bartrum. I like to think that the flora I saw on my kayak voyage was what Bartrum found when he explored this area in the 18th century. <br /><br />There's nothing like doing a little time travel in a kayak. <br /><br />To read more about my kayak trip in Mobile Bay, pick up a copy of <span style="font-style:italic;">Country Gardens</span>, Spring 2012. My "Slow Lane" column shares more highlights.karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-45618919255619885872012-02-15T07:03:00.009-08:002012-02-28T05:37:14.548-08:00I'm going to Round Top, Texas!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoDEQc5And5JgWPqlSrXDqnYuicbBhIMtJJLe8f6oa2zZqGQKCjGYzJB3tXfr9E1vM-8i_8LqC-dRJTXzvAmL3GBN1TGSlLv1pMLUeIHibpdiIA6xpCktIGUEcWLns2ESSEJSE-nFHIWU/s1600/round+top.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 165px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoDEQc5And5JgWPqlSrXDqnYuicbBhIMtJJLe8f6oa2zZqGQKCjGYzJB3tXfr9E1vM-8i_8LqC-dRJTXzvAmL3GBN1TGSlLv1pMLUeIHibpdiIA6xpCktIGUEcWLns2ESSEJSE-nFHIWU/s320/round+top.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5714174114482092386" /></a><br />I guess I should accentuate that statement with a "Yee Haw". <br /><br />Through some sort of cruel trick of fate, I've never been to the giant extravaganza antiques sale in Round Top, Texas. But I'm fixing that life omission this spring. <br /><br />The <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/So-Much-Sky-Essays-country/dp/1463502435/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">So Much Sky</a> </span>book tour is headed down I-35 from Iowa to <a href="http://www.roundtop-marburger.com/">Marburger Farm</a> in Round Top. I'll be there from Thursday April, 3 through Saturday, April 5. Yep, and I'm driving down in a BIG vehicle so I can cart home something that I've fallen in love with. Hopefully it's furniture ;-)<br /><br />I'm going with friends Sundie and Brad Ruppert who are regulars there. They are the masterminds behind the cool characters of <a href="http://vintagesculpture.com/">Vintage Sculpture.</a> I have a number of their pieces; my prize is the horse they made using real horsehair clipped from my ever-patient quarter horse Yukon. <br /><br />Please join me at Marburger Farm near Tent G for my book signing times: <br /><br />Thursday, April 3, 2012<br />10 to noon, 2-4 pm<br /><br />Friday, April 4, 2012<br />10 to noon, 2-4 pm<br /><br />Saturday, April 5, 2012<br />10 to noon<br /><br />The rest of the time, I'll be shopping (and, no doubt, buying stuff too big to fit into my car...)karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-72998017956870593692012-01-31T05:14:00.000-08:002012-01-31T05:29:07.551-08:00Chickens in the Mail<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaU1_slaf5wzznXtu5Sf_MHpnnJCqy5PdetsD-01wnmCliV_sY9HmDcJYFJCe_IJ3xif0EfDaIPuxq8WqZBM5fgaHKnay5dmRsvvbJ7WMY_2a4YdM7TgiWq4wcDk2slvqrxGUeb-MYfYO/s1600/CGES12.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 180px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaU1_slaf5wzznXtu5Sf_MHpnnJCqy5PdetsD-01wnmCliV_sY9HmDcJYFJCe_IJ3xif0EfDaIPuxq8WqZBM5fgaHKnay5dmRsvvbJ7WMY_2a4YdM7TgiWq4wcDk2slvqrxGUeb-MYfYO/s320/CGES12.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703784326064650914" /></a><br />Although it's still the end of January, I'm thinking forward to spring: seed starting and chicks! I'm eager to start lettuce greens. And we’ll be making our spring chick order from Murray McMurray Hatchery soon too. Then, we'll get the early morning phone call from our local Post Office that our box of chicks have arrived. <br /><br />Chicks travel through the mail? Read more about that in my “Slow Lane” column in <span style="font-style:italic;">Country Gardens</span> magazine; the Early Spring 2012 issue is on the newsstands now. Here’s an excerpt:<br /><br />“A small box of live chicks is a funny sight. So we stare down at them for a long moment—taking in the strangeness of a world where chicks can be sent through the mail like birthday cards or electric bills—then close the box and drive home."karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-78309652783812394402012-01-25T10:13:00.000-08:002012-01-25T10:24:46.794-08:00Book Signing At Beaverdale Books, Des Moines, IA<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfw0TKlok9dxzcaFgeBGoyLHQyAyyf0p9WN0lNgg-xoPjoY8q92nK5GUt7i47PlH6gZhBP0vYunOTKDIslr68pelxVxJwdIdkk5Fe480jD3qFtCoa0ydkjBV3ytFbzjDlJe5LX93ydHbHs/s1600/Kflyer3.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfw0TKlok9dxzcaFgeBGoyLHQyAyyf0p9WN0lNgg-xoPjoY8q92nK5GUt7i47PlH6gZhBP0vYunOTKDIslr68pelxVxJwdIdkk5Fe480jD3qFtCoa0ydkjBV3ytFbzjDlJe5LX93ydHbHs/s320/Kflyer3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701636312715411234" /></a><br />My next book signing of <span style="font-style:italic;">So Much Sky</span> on February 4 from 2 to 3 at Beaverdale Books, a great little independent book store in Des Moines, IA. <br /><br />It's being sponsored by <span style="font-style:italic;">Country Garden</span>s magazine (thanks James, Heather, and Nick!!). <br /><br />My last book signing was at Picket Fence Creamery where I was upstaged by a basket of Jack Russell puppies for sale. It's hard to compete with puppies. Darn hard. <br /><br />So come to Beaverdale Books. But leave those puppies at home.karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-29920687148339846832012-01-13T13:01:00.000-08:002012-01-13T13:14:56.932-08:00Iowa Public Radio: Talk of Iowa<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfq86vZVxTkdY4VF5cYMF1OGW3bNvYk7MdSOnkO3GRessQeQU7lQVXlicb3BKTRB9HCsdeEuyJGUgSI7oGVXPbT1BBmALxI8kwxB6Yjzmn0a3u6baxx_cWFzGG4auCsj88ZYM6Pi1oinM_/s1600/logo45.gif"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 220px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfq86vZVxTkdY4VF5cYMF1OGW3bNvYk7MdSOnkO3GRessQeQU7lQVXlicb3BKTRB9HCsdeEuyJGUgSI7oGVXPbT1BBmALxI8kwxB6Yjzmn0a3u6baxx_cWFzGG4auCsj88ZYM6Pi1oinM_/s320/logo45.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5697225663129231314" /></a><br />Check it out! I'm going to be interviewed about my new book <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/So-Much-Sky-Essays-country/dp/1463502435/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">So Much Sky</a></span> by Charity Nebbe on her cool talk show <a href="http://iowapublicradio.org/news/talk-of-iowa/">"Talk of Iowa" </a>on Iowa Public Radio. I'm on Tuesday, January 17th from 10 to 11 am; a recorded version will be available for streaming or downloading if you miss it. ;-)karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-31959310596686699192012-01-04T04:50:00.000-08:002012-01-04T05:05:28.706-08:00"Old Dog, New Tricks" Excerpt and Podcast<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6CrP4pji1gdLu8bwIBaAhbvUoYj__oAjzbDy4NOcN2WUuMPST69ybDIrZsowZWnRn5KAuIkR0i-xOol45BK7rL_MB0jI1ow_ImVywv-sPhSRjxLfHd0N2FEa-EWfVu4BKg-cv6FnW9zJ/s1600/Rose+2.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6CrP4pji1gdLu8bwIBaAhbvUoYj__oAjzbDy4NOcN2WUuMPST69ybDIrZsowZWnRn5KAuIkR0i-xOol45BK7rL_MB0jI1ow_ImVywv-sPhSRjxLfHd0N2FEa-EWfVu4BKg-cv6FnW9zJ/s320/Rose+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693759061804591586" /></a><br />Our Border collie Rose was once the fastest thing on our farm. She herded sheep, cats, and anything else she could round up. Rose was all about control, speed, and eye. <br /><br />And eye she had: One brown eye and one blue. This combo made her seem very intense. At least our sheep thought so.<br /><br />Rose was simply a brilliant sheepherder. As her breed was created to do in the hilly Borders region of Scotland, Rose was eager and undaunted. She would run out to round up the ewes, her black and white body flashing a semaphore warning message. The sheep would catch one glimpse of her and panic, clump up, and run like one giant organism back into the barnyard. Rose followed close on their tails, urging them forward, steering them with precision in the direction she wanted.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.somuchsky.com/?page_id=391">Read the essay</a> about Rose from <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/So-Much-Sky-Essays-country/dp/1463502435/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322519418&sr=8-1">So Much Sky</a></span> or listen to the essay in a <a href="http://somuchsky.podomatic.com/">podcast</a>. It's available to download for free from iTunes too.karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-6922811527015857532011-12-14T04:00:00.000-08:002011-12-14T07:46:04.209-08:00Obsessed with Deer<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_r4kcjXLd5EI4-A1hj9St4WrpuxY5_KBZeJVm9O1OlwmA1tSRecAnYOI9Kn9dxegr7MjMY1Kb4OqbP9oqaiC8D_7iUbc5uo7ONvIRJ9IwVaw3hjwUuOTUTFLGCjYtvDoRRbzA2xoRqxQ/s1600/IMG_1193.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_r4kcjXLd5EI4-A1hj9St4WrpuxY5_KBZeJVm9O1OlwmA1tSRecAnYOI9Kn9dxegr7MjMY1Kb4OqbP9oqaiC8D_7iUbc5uo7ONvIRJ9IwVaw3hjwUuOTUTFLGCjYtvDoRRbzA2xoRqxQ/s320/IMG_1193.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5685961227788393602" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" >Oh deer, I almost hit another one the other day. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >He was loitering on the highway in front of my car. I honked, swerved (which I know you aren't supposed to do). </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >He made eye contact with me, then leapt off the road and bounded across the field, clearing fences like they weren't even there. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >I've hit two deer so far (that's the total since I've been driving, not this year). It's heartbreaking. Deer are so beautiful, so elegant, so, well, doe-eyed. Oh, and they also make quite the dent. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Why are deer unable to muster a collective unconscious that teaches them to be afraid of cars?</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Deterrents don't seem to work. Our neighbors used to attach deer whistles to their car. The screaming noise they made as they passed our house seemed to alarm every animal in the surrounding county. But not deer. </span></div><div> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Deer are on my mind because </span>I just returned from a trip to the twinkle-lit, pastry-laden town of Fredericksburg, Texas, where deer are everywhere--both inside and out. Deer heads, antler candleholders... If you can stuff it, mount it, or skin it, you can decorate with it. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >In Stonewall, Texas, I visited the beautiful LBJ ranch, which is now the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, and saw this curious trio.</span></div> <div><br /></div></div></div></div>karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-1948865217081732882011-11-30T05:04:00.000-08:002011-11-30T05:23:03.736-08:00Life is like a...box of books<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIv3vYmT9OlsW0ETYF2e0yWH5B4zbBH5z1rPuEvfnfnb6Dq_MaQhzvKlnOog1RPFwDomRdVMX8CVedAD49YMSpU7Yao_ZKdMM6GN_eenwrEAsNjp5CstU96UtaU0TRrhxp-O8d7eLne5b/s1600/IMG_1142.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRIv3vYmT9OlsW0ETYF2e0yWH5B4zbBH5z1rPuEvfnfnb6Dq_MaQhzvKlnOog1RPFwDomRdVMX8CVedAD49YMSpU7Yao_ZKdMM6GN_eenwrEAsNjp5CstU96UtaU0TRrhxp-O8d7eLne5b/s320/IMG_1142.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680777689193721650" /></a>It was a grand sight. <div><br /></div><div>Two big boxes were sitting on the back porch (surrounded by our cats who were waiting for dinner). This is it. My first official copies of <i>So Much Sky</i>. <div><br /></div><div>I popped open one box and it was like looking into a new box of chocolates: so uniform, so perfect, so fresh.<div><br /></div><div>A couple days earlier, my book popped onto the cybershelves at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1463502435/9781463502430">amazon.com</a>. </div></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div>And, poof, just like that (after 6 years), the book is done. ;-)</div><div><br /></div><div>So is my <a href="http://www.somuchsky.com/">website for <i>So Much Sky</i></a>. And <a href="http://www.karenweirjimerson.com">my author site</a> too. Thanks to Bob and Carina at <a href="http://www.catchupcomm.com/">Catchup Communications</a>. </div></div>karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-73333647639008123642011-11-21T04:44:00.000-08:002011-11-21T05:00:26.500-08:00So Much Sky on sale now!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYTwjky5_uCR9wdR3WlGwNKrUWyMAk5WiWFBOExrfw077i6hW7TgtL3bNOObRqibst6lUO_oG9XNtJIDxsd_1lTqWNM94ELalmqDY5h7xUoGt-8zUnNtiUXO4BGmYaT5E29Wp7SthnSI0/s1600/Cover.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYTwjky5_uCR9wdR3WlGwNKrUWyMAk5WiWFBOExrfw077i6hW7TgtL3bNOObRqibst6lUO_oG9XNtJIDxsd_1lTqWNM94ELalmqDY5h7xUoGt-8zUnNtiUXO4BGmYaT5E29Wp7SthnSI0/s320/Cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677430379634425858" /></a><br /><i>So Much Sky </i>is on sale now through Create Space, the printer and distributor of the book. <div><br /></div><div>Although my book will be distributed in a number of places, this is the first. It's so exciting! </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>So Much Sky</i> also goes on sale this week on amazon.com. More on that later.<div><br /></div><div>Check it out on Create Space now!<div><a href="https://www.createspace.com/3615731">https://www.createspace.com/3615731</a></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div></div>karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-12852447737581744812011-11-17T07:53:00.000-08:002011-11-17T09:29:22.265-08:00So Much Sky<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgVdR6yZ4lPqOoF3cSjl8P6DpUgmCPBp9RTC3CURIY73wF-KSOoT6HbnZfv8YKtrxwLPKJHnGlA1wwieEDm2Ww12u7GV0FRwgTooJsuPQJFREi8bBl-Coti4hRvzTOQGj8fJSV4V5R3Hs/s1600/IMG_1135.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgVdR6yZ4lPqOoF3cSjl8P6DpUgmCPBp9RTC3CURIY73wF-KSOoT6HbnZfv8YKtrxwLPKJHnGlA1wwieEDm2Ww12u7GV0FRwgTooJsuPQJFREi8bBl-Coti4hRvzTOQGj8fJSV4V5R3Hs/s320/IMG_1135.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675998715997139922" /></a><br />Okay, so I'm a slothful blogger. That's pretty obvious. But I'm back in the saddle again. Because I have some cool news. My new book, <i>So Much Sky</i>, is on the way. It features an awesome cover photo by Graham Jimerson of our Haflinger horse Sam standing with his friend a Katahdin sheep in our pasture. <i>So Much Sky</i> will be for sale on amazon.com soon. <div><br /></div><div><i>So Much Sky</i> is a compilation of 55 essays that were published in <i>Country Home, Country Almanac</i>, and <i>Horticulture</i> magazines. The book is organized into four chapters that reflect the seasons and the goings-on at our farm in rural Iowa. </div><div><br /></div><div>I'll post more about the book soon. Thanks to everyone who has sent me emails asking about it. </div>karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-87094266473676559132010-10-21T07:00:00.001-07:002011-11-18T04:14:48.234-08:00Book Cover Photo?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zrU7w304034bodi-Om7v2l3V6DHW29o55-XvXllUbs2FmTDkYQMFuBvq2GWhKw7RTg8ZQlRxv5vKzYr8b9SrHPytHTZK-sffpQ1EMIZfNwpcZ1A7cB5oAwpwh0yqqvJ0Yo9i1-HA72gk/s1600/Iphone+HDR+horse.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zrU7w304034bodi-Om7v2l3V6DHW29o55-XvXllUbs2FmTDkYQMFuBvq2GWhKw7RTg8ZQlRxv5vKzYr8b9SrHPytHTZK-sffpQ1EMIZfNwpcZ1A7cB5oAwpwh0yqqvJ0Yo9i1-HA72gk/s320/Iphone+HDR+horse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530500699174545474" border="0" /></a>Amid my other writing projects (oh yeah, and I'm trying to paint all our fences before the weather turns cold), I'm making the final edits of my book of essays about living in the country. The working title is <span style="font-style: italic;">So Much Sky</span>.<br /><br />My son Graham took the photo <span style="font-style: italic;">above</span> of our Katahdin ewe and Haflinger Sam standing together in our barnyard one evening. It's a really awesome (and oddly bizarre) composition. As it's fairly difficult (okay, impossible!) to pose livestock (especially multiple species), getting a shot like this is pure luck. The sun rays shooting out of the clouds are a bonus. We have amazing sunsets at the farm, but this one is especially celestial.<br /><br />My friend Sundie is designing the book cover using this photo. It's a horizontal photo that needs to go on a vertical book cover. I hope it works out.karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-28110336142730439002010-10-10T08:31:00.000-07:002010-10-10T08:45:25.244-07:00Maximus Grazing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SdpmShXZyHapxihrigk2Eu66vqhtmvquxbsMHKZZGly_1RtuCv1kuiIeIZFG89-iU5Q_1LXIGs86MRiMJ9gpDxpg-HyZtoGXwlEJaCp8p1DGn1SeL854eWyiQzeBBDrg_fzrxXMrXzNA/s1600/IMG_1887.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6SdpmShXZyHapxihrigk2Eu66vqhtmvquxbsMHKZZGly_1RtuCv1kuiIeIZFG89-iU5Q_1LXIGs86MRiMJ9gpDxpg-HyZtoGXwlEJaCp8p1DGn1SeL854eWyiQzeBBDrg_fzrxXMrXzNA/s320/IMG_1887.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526443419014059490" border="0" /></a>Maximus, my son Graham's African spurred tortoise, is changing his address for the winter. During the summer he hangs out in our greenhouse, eating tomatoes and greens from the the garden. During the winter, he has less glamorous digs indoors in a large aluminum stock tank with a heat lamp that provides sunshine. Today, October 10, it's bizarrely warm outside (84 degrees F.), so Doug set Maximus out on the lawn so he could stretch his legs, graze on a little grass and enjoy the big, wide-open world. Our Jack Russell terrier Archer couldn't take his eyes off Maximus on the lawn, but was too intimidated to venture closer than a sniff.karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-9056532579710943262010-07-09T05:55:00.000-07:002010-07-09T06:27:11.057-07:00Sputnik The Corgi<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnuj43M-1JTjtJ1e0GzHGKo3qQSMA3pqL46T7iJMsWJou1A1dbA5cqiErNSueuJmW216d11YVFc0pSop4rKzphQ8GeduFwdxoSAaIT6-zKXRdwfbN6YlxyH_ThIxhz20lYxwQ7p2Rjyr2/s1600/IMG_6092.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYnuj43M-1JTjtJ1e0GzHGKo3qQSMA3pqL46T7iJMsWJou1A1dbA5cqiErNSueuJmW216d11YVFc0pSop4rKzphQ8GeduFwdxoSAaIT6-zKXRdwfbN6YlxyH_ThIxhz20lYxwQ7p2Rjyr2/s320/IMG_6092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491894599610769154" border="0" /></a><br />I know that hearing about how adorable other people's puppies are is really boring. Because, really, you might say, all puppies are cute. And that there can be no "cutest puppy." But you are wrong. I have just spent the weekend with the most adorable puppy ever. My son Tristan's new puppy, Sputnik.<br /><br />Sputnik is a tricolored Corgi puppy and looks like he was assembled with spare dog parts: His big-dog head is fitted on a small-dog body. His batlike ears face forward when he's thinking and twitch sideways when he's eavesdropping. His cinder-block body rides on four stubby legs that end in big clubby feet. (In fact, his ears are longer than his legs.) He wobble-walks across the ground like a wind-up toy.<br /><br />Smitten? Yes!karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-39526050983009189512010-06-13T08:15:00.000-07:002010-06-14T11:10:26.004-07:00Sheep and Wool Festival: Adel, IA<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTr8DCE0ME76P2-JELL-iHfBBJCB-qDL-LttmW3P8n6KjLWakX5pLCCxAnoJHUFvV5iYf5UxVPsxtSLP3TEFNYjBeotJMqa8Y8pItyoKEU1aVv0A7vVeVoeJ5-U-qey4WLpZFZcGBLK9it/s1600/IMG_6066.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTr8DCE0ME76P2-JELL-iHfBBJCB-qDL-LttmW3P8n6KjLWakX5pLCCxAnoJHUFvV5iYf5UxVPsxtSLP3TEFNYjBeotJMqa8Y8pItyoKEU1aVv0A7vVeVoeJ5-U-qey4WLpZFZcGBLK9it/s320/IMG_6066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482685566883992130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hnWRVO8NDenZNFuxkwZi-e7pEL9WeOlwcD4RsVyk_zJl2VyKo1esIVYckF0hTbwwJyWFsJsNP6QxNiojZDQNvyuVEikape9gH-4_VmLZn_jf71qfS78KFoH5BpoWis4Ixs3jydXjLm_f/s1600/IMG_6071.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hnWRVO8NDenZNFuxkwZi-e7pEL9WeOlwcD4RsVyk_zJl2VyKo1esIVYckF0hTbwwJyWFsJsNP6QxNiojZDQNvyuVEikape9gH-4_VmLZn_jf71qfS78KFoH5BpoWis4Ixs3jydXjLm_f/s320/IMG_6071.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482685549519079170" border="0" /></a><br />The rain clouds parted for a few hours last weekend so the Adel Sheep and Wool Festival could proceed amid raindrops in steamy sunshine. The festival is a unlikely mix of livestock and fiber people. The common denominator, of course, is sheep.<br /><br />You can distinguish the sheep/goat/alpaca raisers by their outfits: muck boots and jeans. The fiber fans are decidedly more colorful, some wearing hand-loomed garments.<br /><br />As always, the dog trials were a hoot to watch. The "field" was a puddle-filled, mud-fest with a Border Collie expertly moving three sodden Dorset ewes around in a figure-8, a gate run, then into a corral. The test of wills between dog and ewes is filled with tension and comedy. The ewes create a united front of wet wool and angry attitudes, stomping a front leg in indignation. The dog takes a step closer and the sheep run like ninnies. So much for the show of toughness.<br /><br />Some dogs exhibit amazing control, dropping on command, and lunging fast in large outruns at a "Way to Me" command. Others are tongue-hanging, crazy-eyed, trigger-happy zealots that shoot the sheep all over the field like pool balls on a billiard table.<br /><br />I bought a really cool, hand-loomed scarf from an alpaca raiser from Maxwell, IA (<a href="http://www.alpacanation.com/c&macres.asp">C&M Acres</a>). The scarf is made from the fiber from Black Label Johnnie and Alydar (a black- and a white-fleeced alpaca, respectively). Both are pictured on the scarf label. What a cool way to market fiber products--by the alpaca the fiber was shorn from.karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-23097987502096881262010-03-21T07:33:00.000-07:002010-03-21T07:41:12.220-07:00Country Woman Essay<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZ-RqnkfwI_zwJk9Rg8JZqoJNZcADPCca1-iimBuJSOclZ5HdFBdx1x6aWZcAgGvH8hbEmgW_pwhUTzkuV0No31jERvcWiC1cFKrbgBnkt9uuU6XWe18R4ipfnJU8hImSxsSifHzdR1w2/s1600-h/cwcoverx.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 108px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZ-RqnkfwI_zwJk9Rg8JZqoJNZcADPCca1-iimBuJSOclZ5HdFBdx1x6aWZcAgGvH8hbEmgW_pwhUTzkuV0No31jERvcWiC1cFKrbgBnkt9uuU6XWe18R4ipfnJU8hImSxsSifHzdR1w2/s320/cwcoverx.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451096217223740962" /></a><br />Raising kids in the country. This was my topic in a recent essay published in <span style="font-style:italic;">Country Woman</span> magazine. Here's an excerpt:<br /><br />"Our sons are in college now, living in small rooms in big cities. But I like to think the lessons they learned growing up in the country resonate with them every day. That they learned patience by calming an anxious horse; gentleness by bottle-feeding a motherless lamb; and the importance of speed and precision by cadging an egg out from under a broody hen."<br /><br />To read the whole thing, <a href="http://www.countrywomanmagazine.com/2010/AM10/Anniversary.asp?RefURL=&KeyCode=&tdate=&PMCode=&OrgURL=">click here</a>.karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-853958690235919424.post-79604373386057942552010-03-15T14:32:00.000-07:002010-03-15T14:46:40.168-07:00Spring is Back!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Bp1bFg9WSRMtcIYCrBIvS4T0qB9c9X1qAJy1rzsIzxulqTaAin5RVohrMma8O8Hirp7-HTaXsMP_5OlO7mMn_v4lK4EKA9u2PZnzERrGiKFzbyvThpilKlwPz4FjdxjDVeJcdtglwqsS/s1600-h/daffodils.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Bp1bFg9WSRMtcIYCrBIvS4T0qB9c9X1qAJy1rzsIzxulqTaAin5RVohrMma8O8Hirp7-HTaXsMP_5OlO7mMn_v4lK4EKA9u2PZnzERrGiKFzbyvThpilKlwPz4FjdxjDVeJcdtglwqsS/s320/daffodils.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448979116533441858" /></a><br />After one monster of a winter, spring has finally returned. The 4-foot snow drifts are melting, melting. And in their absence are bulbs already pushing up out of the ground. Snowdrops are blooming right now in our shade garden. And the daffodils are 5 inches tall, budded and ready to pop. A couple warm days of sun and our yard is going to be ablaze in sunny blooms. A big sigh of relief!<br /><br />I've been thinking about daffodils a lot. Wishing for them. And writing about them too. Read about the <a href="http://www.midwestliving.com/garden/flowers/midwests-top-daffodils/?catref=bcat588&page=11">10 Top Daffodils for the Midwest</a> in <span style="font-style:italic;">Midwest Living</span> magazine. And although you can't plant bulbs right now, you can buy little pots of 'Tete-a-Tete' and other small narcissus in garden centers. There's nothing more cheering!karen weir-jimersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17082198687020621036noreply@blogger.com1