Home for the Holidays – Celebrating Who We Are

by | Dec 16, 2018 | Dungeness Barn House at Two Crows Farm, Holidays, Lifestyle

Who does have that perfect “nuclear family?”
The holidays can present some tricky social situations to navigate through… Who does have that perfect “nuclear family?” Even though it may look that way from the outside – but who really IS that? Every family has their quirks behind the picture perfect Christmas card photos.

There is no “normal”

Blended families have always been a part of our culture and recognized in pop culture for almost 50 years with the Brady Bunch show being a significant watershed. The classic nuclear family is becoming the exception rather than the norm – with so many people choosing alternative lifestyles, same sex partners and even the lines of gender have become blurred with the transsexual movement. Perhaps the “new normal” is that there is no “normal” – and that’s a good thing. That never existed anyway, even in the most “normal” looking nuclear family.

family of choice

There is the family that you are born into, and the people that you choose to be in you life; your “family of choice.” Sometimes these are blood relatives and sometimes not, sometimes they include both.

The Grandma’s

We believe that the best way to move through life is to show up as our most authentic selves – without explanation or apology. Clare and Su are excited to be grandma’s in the year 2019. They are “The Grandma’s” to their families – they show up as the married couple that they are – and it’s that simple.

The one gift we all want

The holidays are a time in which loss and celebration are entwined… “the first year without a loved one…” when the one gift we all want is the one thing that you can’t have which is to have that loved one back…

Daughter

Clare’s father recently passed away. He was 88. He enlisted when he was 17, served in the Korean War and was one of only a few people from his platoon who made it home. He survived alcoholism. And she was his adored daughter. From when she was first held in his arms as a newborn, she was his girl. He lit up when she entered the room – and in his eyes, she could do no wrong. He would do anything for her. At the age of 8, she brought him to his first AA meeting – and he became sober for the rest of his life.

Hoodie People

They shared so many of the same quirks – one of them both being “hoodie people” in that they both wore hoodies even in the house to fend off the cold – and friends commented upon seeing them both in their hoodies “My God, you look just like him!” 

I don’t understand all these strange terms

He was always willing to try and understand, even when it was hard. Clare’s niece Mee-ya became  angry with him at a family dinner when he made a comment about not understanding what all this new terminology was and not knowing what to say when addressing  people.   “Male or female how are you suppose to know? Are Clare and Su both wives?  I don’t understand all these strange terms, why is it now necessary!?”   Mee-ya was  so frustrated with her grandpa she left the table and went outside . He followed her and said: “Mee-ya I am sorry I upset you. I’m just a  old man. I’m confused and need help with the new ways.”

Loved Ones

He died surrounded by loved ones, his extended family. Including his adopted daughter which he adopted when he was 80 and she was a few months old.

Love is a bridge

It’s a bittersweet holiday remembering a lost father. The gift of life that a parent brings and the closure of their life ending. Love is a bridge to span the gaps between our differences. Love motivates us to reach out and understand more about the people who we love. Love can heal wounds.

May your holidays be a celebration of love with your loved ones.

Cultivating Land, Body & Soul

by | Sep 21, 2018 | Dungeness Barn House at Two Crows Farm, Farming Gardening, Lifestyle, Sustainable Organic

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” -Alfred Austin
“Sustainability” is a buzz-word these days usually applied to either environmental issues or to managing one’s time and work/life balance so that “it’s sustainable” (when it usually isn’t).
What creates true sustainability?
Supportive communities and individuals who contribute to those communities. As much as it is appealing to follow the “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” model, and “do everything yourself,” that’s the path to burnout – and is a fallacy. To realize the dream of being independent entrepreneurs with our own bed and breakfast, took the cooperation and support of many people who have become a part of our tribe.

Gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh, how beautiful,’ and sitting in the shade. -Rudyard Kipling

One member of our tribe is Israel – who maintains the gardens and helps with all aspects of the grounds. He brings a wealth of information about the plantings of the property from having worked for the previous owners for the past 20 years. Israel is a legal immigrant who started at 16 years old, knocking on doors in the area and offering to work on people’s yards. From that humble beginning, he now runs a successful business and employs three people. His former instructor for English classes is also a long-term client.
Our gardens are a major feature of Dungeness Barn House – in addition to vegetable plantings, we maintain an ornamental garden with roses inherited from the former owners who transplanted the roses from their parent’s garden. Israel’s favorite feature of the garden is those roses – whose fragrance permeates the air. These traditional plantings are integrated with more modern gardening concepts – including vegetable plantings as ornamental beds.

“Garden as though you will live forever.”-William Kent

Being a part of a community is a long-term commitment – and requires an investment of time and energy over a span of years. Gardening is an art form that evolves over time – and encompasses a wide range of variables from seasonal changes to the maturity of individual plants. The metaphors between communities and gardens are interconnected.

There is a bond that happens between the property and the people who put their love, blood, sweat and tears into it. The land binds us together across generations of owners and caretakers who collaborate to create a beautiful and functional garden. We are joined by a common love of the land. A thriving garden is a reflection of the community and our mutual understanding and respect. In caring for our garden, we also care for ourselves.

“Won’t you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you.” -Richard Brinsley Sheridan

Can Do with Su – Raised Garden Bed Instructions

by | Apr 1, 2018 | Dungeness Barn House at Two Crows Farm, Farming Gardening, Lifestyle, Sustainable Organic

Dungeness Barn House – raised bed with purple cabbage

Su is the mastermind behind all of the building projects at Dungeness Barn House. She applies her talents and skills from working at Habitat for Humanity and her own construction business to create original designs.
When asked “What do you like about building?” Su’s philosophy of designing and building is to create something out of someone’s idea but that they didn’t know how to make – and “…make it happen. It makes me happy to see them happy with the final result.”

Which is a good thing because Clare is always thinking up new challenges for Su!

Clare wanted raised beds to be designed so that she could “… still garden at 80.” Waist high, and made of materials that will weather well over time, with a deep base to allow for the roots to grow. Bales of straw at the bottom provide organic matter that decomposes into a rich mulch and holds moisture. The beds are drip irrigated because as Su puts it: “I didn’t want want to spend all day watering the garden.” Whatever your age – making gardening easier and being able to easily access the plants (and weeds!) can make the difference between a garden that is maintained over time, versus one that gets neglected because it’s not “user friendly.”

 

Dungeness Barn House – raised bed with nasturtium

The raised beds are planted with a wide variety of vegetables – from potatoes to lettuces, spinach and heirloom-variety tomatoes. Guests are fed from the garden and from local farms from whatever is in season. The Dungeness Barn House chickens supply the eggs!

From the gardens of Dungeness Barn House

Late summer and early fall is the height of the growing season in the Dungeness. Hardy crops: potatoes, garlic, spinach and kales can be harvested even into the early winter months.

Peas and cucumbers are trellised from four corners of two of the larger beds.

Dungeness Barn House raised beds in early spring

Sequim is a cool-weather growing climate – and because the Dungeness Barn House is located on a high bluff waterfront, there are additional challenges of wind and salt air. The gardens are sheltered behind the buildings, where it’s warm enough for roses to bloom in a mild winter.

Dungeness Barn House – raised beds, sheltered

This design is flexible; make one, see how it goes and add on.

Happy gardening!

Dungeness Barn House Raised Bed

Dungeness Barn House Bed and Breakfast at Two Crows Farm
Raised Garden Beds

So my beautiful and wonderful partner/wife, Clare, decided she wants to be able to garden when she’s 80…and figures since she won’t be able to get on her hands and knees any longer, (or most likely won’t be able to get up if she did get down there), she asked me to make these raised beds for her. Now, she can garden (and possibly with her walker later in life) standing upright and the boxes make it easy. So I’ve tried to put together what I did and some of the tips I found while making them for her. I love her creative energy. She’s always got something new for me to try and make.

Materials needed for one 3 x 5 box:

8 – pressure treated 2 x 4 x 8 (base structure)
2 – doug fir 1 x 2 x 8 (trim boards)
2 – corrugated metal (patina or rusty if you like) approx. 27” x 16’ long
2 – bales + 2 flakes (straw per box)
3” screws (make sure for use in pressure treated material or they will rust)
1” screws for metal corrugated roofing (small rubber washer attached)
6 p nails 1 1/2” long
Landscape fabric (under the boxes and over the straw)
1 yard (approx.) (Organic) Soil

Cuts:

4 – 2 x 4 x 57” pressure treated lumber
4 – 2 x 4 x 36” pressure treated lumber
8 – 2 x 4 x 21” pressure treated lumber
2 – 1 x 2 x 32 3/4” doug fir
2 – 1 x 2 x 55 1/4” doug fir
2 – 27” x 56 3/4” corrugated metal
2 – 27” x 31 1/4” corrugated metal

Installation:

Take 1 – 2 x 4 x 57” pressure treated lumber and attach to the inside end of 1 – 2 x 4 x 36” pressure treated lumber with the screws. This forms and “L” shape. You will repeat this step 3 more times. Once you have 4 “L” shapes you will connect 2 of them together to form a box ( [] ). Repeat with the remaining 2 “L” shapes. Now you have 2 boxes.

Take 2 – 2 x 4 x 21” pressure treated lumber and screw them together for the side corners (long side to long side of the lumber). Repeat 3 more times. You now have all the side corner pieces ready to install on the boxes.

Toe nail the side corners to the boxes with the 3” screws. (I placed the side corner cuts opposite of the way the cuts were for the boxes so it would be stronger and it helped for screwing on the metal later.) (I also found it was easiest to screw on one side at a time to the bottom all four corners and then flip the entire unit onto the top (which is now laying on the bottom) and then screw it into place.) (It forms a 3 D box). After all the corner sides are screwed on the box, it should be pretty sound and you are ready for the metal.

Install the long metal on the long sides first with the metal screws. Then attach the smaller sides with the metal screws. (again, I found it easiest to place the boxes on their sides so I wasn’t crawling inside to try and attach the metal to the lumber) (learned that the hard way, ha!) Once all sides are attached place the box upright and you are ready to install the trim.

Since the metal sticks out a bit and can be very sharp, I used the 1 x 2 to hold it in place and protect the edge. Using clamps to hold the 1 x 2 and the metal close to the 2 x 4, nail the 1 x 2 to the 2 x 4 holding the metal in-between. (I used my pneumatic nailer for this, you could also use screws if you don’t have a nailer, although you might need to pre-drill so the wood doesn’t split) Either way, once this step is completed all the way around the top of the box you are ready to install the straw.

Take landscape fabric and place where you are going to be putting your boxes. I use 20 p nails 4” long and fender washers to hold down my fabric as we have a lot of rocks and harder soils. Once that is down and you’ve placed your box where you want it take 2 bales of straw and place side by side inside the box. You will find that there is a gap at the end or they look short and they are, that’s where the 2 flakes of another bale will fill in. Then cut some of the landscape fabric to cover the top of the straw to prevent it from sprouting up into your box. You’re now ready for soil.

It will take not quite a yard of soil per box giving you about 8” – 10” of planting depth. As the straw decomposes, you can fill the space with more soil, compost, manure etc. Thus, reviving the soil each year. You are now ready to plant.

Have fun and enjoy!

-Su

On a separate note, I installed a drip watering system on a timer so I’m not spending hours (although I’d like to sometimes) watering the garden. So far, it’s worked out great.

Any questions you can reach me on my cell at 360-821-9294 or leave a message. I’ll get back to you.

Happy Gardening!

F*** it paint it white…with a kiss of pink!

by | Mar 25, 2018 | Decorating, Dungeness Barn House at Two Crows Farm, Lifestyle, Repurposing

Clare had decided that she wanted to paint her office a perfect barely there, seashell pink.
“Growing up, I have always been against pink and I hated wearing it as a little girl. But I wanted to do something different and fresh. So I decided to take a chance on pink, and this would be a very subtle version of it. Not the bubble gum color of my childhood.”
She showed me a beautiful picture from a paint catalogue of that featured the perfect barely there, seashell pink.
Then we went into her office, and she pointed at wall covered with sploches of colors that varied from a pinkish mud to pink puce. Pink puce is a color that I never want to see again.
“There! THERE!!! Look at it! That’s the exact color from the picture in the paint catalogue!”
It was the pink puce patch. And it looked horrible. It was surrounded by it’s variations like an evil mold that had spawned and mutated on Clare’s wall.
Trying to be optimistic, there was a slight silver lining in that we both agreed that the charcoal color on the trim was perfect. At least that was nailed down.
Clare: “It’s ridiculous! I’m so mad! You think it’s going to take 4 hours and then 4 days later, you are still working on it. I decided to try and experiment and make my own shade that the paint store could then color match, but it’s not working at all!”
We compared the catalogue picture to the puce patch – and no… not a match at all.
Clare: “I WANT ANSWERS!!!”
So… trying to be helpful – I showed her the Shinola watches that had this beautiful shade of champagne pink that I had been admiring earlier that day. Like Clare, I had also fought against wearing or being associated with this color in any way as a child, yet now was strangely attracted to it. Maybe it was some sort of odd virus going around that we had both caught: “The Pink Virus.”
I wished her luck and went on my way for that day. Clare has excellent taste, she’ll figure it out.
The next day I returned and asked her how it was going… She sighed and said: “I decided, fuck it, paint it white.”
She had returned to paint store and had looked at colors that were more in champagne zone, and started to fall down the rabbit hole of multiple paint swatches, but then decided to “Stop the insanity. Fuck it, paint it white.”
The paint consultant had shared with her that the problem with pink is that if you want it to be a more muted pink, like a “dusty rose” then they add black to tone it down. Then if you add more white to the color, it becomes gray looking because of all of the black in it.
Clare: “Pink is now a “four letter word” in my vocabulary. I hate pink. Enough insanity!”
So Clare painted the walls with primer… and I didn’t want to tell her this but the primer had a slight PINK TONE!!!! Unfortunately, she noticed it and asked me if I could see it to and because I can’t lie about art-related things, I had to agree. She decided to carry on. Maybe the pinkish primer is the answer… and maybe we just both have “Pink Eye” from the virus.
To cheer her up, I decided to read her an article from “The Bloggess” called “That’s how you pick your battles.” Ironically the website of The Bloggess featured prominently Clare’s perfect shade of pink… http://thebloggess.com/2011/06/21/and-thats-why-you-should-learn-to-pick-your-battles/
This seemed like an especially cruel twist of fate for Clare and pushed her over the edge: “Now where ever I look, I see pink… I’ll show you about pink, you know nothing about Pink – John Snow!!!! I want answers!”
The next day, she texted me to say that she had found the perfect way to get that kiss of pink… She had made her own white glaze with a kiss of pink and applied it with a rag roller over the white wall.
I told her that the blog would now have to be a novel.
Clare: “I’m very pleased NOW. I am inspired to get it done and all together. The dark gray trim will be stunning. Furniture will be functional, rustic, charming and with the yin and yang that I am always talking about. Contrast, layers, texture and light.”
Clare just rocks home decorating.
Fuck it, paint it white…. with a kiss of pink.

Dungeness Barn House Hash

by | Mar 21, 2018 | Dungeness Barn House at Two Crows Farm, Food Recipes, Lifestyle, Olympic Peninsula Sequim, Sustainable Organic

01_Dungeness Barn House Hash

DUNGENESS BARN HOUSE “HASH” RECIPE
The signature breakfast dish served at the Dungeness Barnhouse – use this recipe as a guideline and have fun with varying the ingredients depending upon what’s fresh and seasonal. Serves 4.

Seasonal Starch base:
Fall and winter about 4 cups chopped 
• butternut squash
• yams
• purple potatoes

Summer and spring about 4 cups chopped
• heirloom potatoes grown at the Barnhouse
• yukon gold
• red potatoes

Veggie Layer: 
4 cups chopped
• sprouted broccoli
• zucchini
• red bell pepper
• onion
• 1-2 cloves fresh garlic
• One 15.25oz./432g. can of black beans

Seasoning: 
• Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Ground fennel seed

Flavored Olive oil: 
• mushroom & sage (starch layer)
• lemon or lime (veggie layer & greens)

Greens: 
• spinach 6 cups or 2 bunches
• 1-2 cloves garlic using garlic press

Protein: 
• 4 Eggs

Topping: 
• 1 cup sprouts

Carb & fat: 
• 4 slices Bavarian rye bread, cut in half on a diagonal (triangle shaped)
• earth balance butter – spread onto slices

 

There are no rules:

The Barnhouse Hash recipe varies depending upon the seasons and whatever is “fresh and pretty that day.” The recipe always feels fresh because of the rotation of ingredients, and it’s also simple and easy to make. Play with it and have fun!

Don’t be a slave to the ingredients list and swap out elements based on what’s handy for you.

This recipe can be adjusted for more or less depending on the number of people who are being served.

02 Dungeness Barn House Hash

Starch Base:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and if possible, use the convection setting

Dice up all of the “seasonal starch base” elements into bite size pieces – (or better yet, get Su to do it! Your evermost fabulous “Su Chef” to do the prep!).

Spread on cookie sheet with silpat.

Tip: these can be bought from Costco inexpensively – and also used for crafts (keep food spillpaths separate from craft ones).

 

 


03 Dungeness Barn House Hash Silpat

Drizzle flavored olive oil – Clare’s  “go to” is Wild Mushroom and Sage. Clare strongly believes in the benefit of using flavored olive oil to add depth and give food the “X” factor – its better but you don’t know why… this is why… muhahahahahahahah!

Note – there’s no seasoning aside from the olive oil in this layer. It provides a background note to the layered flavors, and to add seasoning, would make it overpower the other elements.

Roast until some edges are a little browned/blackened – but not all, because it means that it’s over cooked. Depending upon the quantity – about 30 minutes.


04 Dungeness Barn House Hash Flavored Oils

Veggie Layer:

Starch layer should go in the oven first, veggies about 10 minutes later

Chop up all of the veggies into bit-sized pieces, using a silpat, spread on a cookie sheet, drizzle with lemon or lime flavored olive oil. There’s no need to cook the onions and/or garlic separately… just mix everything together, raw.

We roast the starch and the veggie layers “separately but equally” because you don’t want the moisture in the veggies to sog up the starch layer which should be a little crispy.

Cook about 20 minutes – until the veggies are softened.

Keep an eye on things, don’t over cook veggies!

 


05 Dungeness Barn House Hash Montreal Steak Seasoning

Sprinkle generously with Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning and ground fennel. Clare loves this seasoning because it contains what she calls the “Super Special Secret Ingredient” – fennel. Fennel by itself tastes like licorice, but used with other ingredients, helps to brighten and intensify the flavor, especially for ingredients that have a heavy or earthy tone to them – like broccoli. She uses the metaphor of how two restaurants can both serve spaghetti sauce, but one tastes so much better, yet it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why.

Clare also buys fennel seed, grinds it in a coffee grinder (which she then keeps on hand in a small jar) and adds on top of the seasoning.

 


06 Dungeness Barn House Hash Clare Fennel

Turn off oven and open door slightly

Sprinkle canned black beans (drain can) over the veggies to let them warm up

Leave both the starch and veggie layers in the over to stay warm while working on the next steps…

Spinach Layer:

Lightly sauté a bed of spinach, using flavored lemon or lime olive oil

Keep the stems on – so that the spinach can be a “nest” for a poached egg

While it’s sautéing – use a garlic press to add one clove of garlic

Egg Layer:

Poached or fried eggs.

 


07 Dungeness Barn House Hash Egg

 

Video Play

Assemble:

• Starch base
• Veggies
• Spinach (making a “nest” for the egg”)
• Top with sprouts – (on this I used Sunflower and arugula mix from Itsy Bitsy Greens.

On the side:
Bavarian rye bread made with sunflowers (Toasted)
Earth balance – “butter” made with an olive oil, organic

09 Dungeness Barn House Hash Rye Bread

Bask in the glory of beautiful breakfast that is the start of a beautiful day.

Receive many compliments on your excellent cooking skills. : )

Manifestation: Part I — The Past

by | Aug 7, 2017 | Lifestyle

Art work by Brooke Kettel Griffin

Some of you have heard either Clare or Su tell the story of how they ended up as owners/stewards of the Dungeness Barn House B&B, or perhaps you’ve read it on their website.

See below for what I consider to be the main stay of their 20-year-long B&B story. Please allow me, their friend, to tell you through the spirit of a B&B recipe.

 

Recipe for Manifestation

Mix equal parts of:

high octane desire

deepest imagination

clarity of vision

creativity up the wazzu

willingness to work hard

eagerness balanced with patience

fullest faith and total belief in the desired outcome

absolute knowing it will happen

 

Once well mixed:

visualize only THIS new reality

speak of this as if it IS happening already

allow for the right time to FIND YOU and invite you to your REALITY MANIFESTED

let go of what doesn’t feel quite right since it is probably a distraction or a way to bide time UNTIL …

grab what seems like that glimmer of hope and hanging on for the ride of your life, no matter what

 

What Money is to Go Fund Me, 

Belief is to Manifestation

 

 

 

 

What to do with a now real manifestation = present = part 2

Grow the vision = future = part 3