City to Farm: The Bucolic Plague Book

photo from beekman1802.com I just want to hug these cuties!

 The story starts off with a trip to NYC, a 2 plus hour drive, bringing baby goats to the Martha Stewart show.  Babies ate too much milk and end up having diarrhea.  If you have a baby or ever had a kitten or puppy and you were traveling and they have become sick you can understand the humor of this situation.  Just this past year I was on a train from Boston with Harper, now 10 months old, and she was sick.  There were lots of diaper changes and it was an unpleasant smell.  At one point the conductor just kept walking past us while we were mid diaper change.  I digress.  My point is you can appreciate the situation.  This is the opening of Bucolic Plague.  A book I finished recently and thoroughly enjoyed.  Maybe it is because I, like many New Yorkers dream about having a place outside of the city.


Josh Kilmer-Purcell is the author.  He and his boyfriend head to upstate New York for their seventh annual apple picking weekend when they put on "their best Ralph Lauren plaids".  Being a designer, a gardener and lover of outdoors I already am enjoying this story a few pages in.  On their way back to the city they loose their way and land in Sharon Springs.  A historic town west of Albany.  They see a beautiful, very old mansion and it is getting dark.  The rest as they say is history.  Briefly, these guys work in the city.  Josh as a writer and works in advertising; Brett, his boyfriend, is a physician and works at Martha Stewart Living.  They end up buying the Beekman Mansion right before the recession hit in 2008.  The book is about their first year at the mansion.  Trying to keep the mansion up and running, bringing in goats, building an heirloom garden all while maintaining their relationship and shuttling back and forth to the city for their regular paying jobs.

Bucolic Plague

  It was a great story to read as I wished for winter to be over and spring weather arrive.  It inspired me to get my heirloom tomato seeds planted.  It also gave me some insight to the reality of owning a farm.  However I think I would prefer something a tad smaller. 

Beekman1802.com now has a gorgeous variety of items to purchase from their mercantile.  Videos of the goats are ridiculously cute and there also are a few more books out about the Beekman Mansion, mainly cooking and dessert.  You can learn about farming, gardening, decor and animals.

Photo from Beekman1802 Facebook page

A good read! I loaned it to a friend so we shall see if she agrees!
Have you read this book or seen their show, the Beekman Boys?
What do you think?

In Like a Lion out like a Lamb

Harper bundled up in her neon pink stroller bag and her new flannel/fleece scarf.

Really? At the moment I am so bewildered by this phrase.  In like a lion out like a lamb.  What does that even mean?  I am starting to feel like this winter is more like an elephant; heavy and slow.  But if the true meaning of in like a lion and out like a lamb really does ring true then the end of this month should be lovely!  I woke up today to 13 degrees Fahrenheit.  The weather is on every one's mind.  I went to the wine shop last night, weather conversation.  Next was the grocery store, weather conversation.  This morning I dropped off the bundled up little Harper, weather conversation.  Coffee shop afterwards, yep you guessed it, we talked about the weather.  Oh how drab and boring but no the conversation doesn't get boring but yes it does grow tiresome.

One can't help but naturally be drawn to warmer weather things.  I ordered my seeds last week from a newly discovered website, Seeds Savers Exchange.  They seem to have a large variety of heirloom seeds and promote the history and heritage of native plants.  I have a very small area in my own yard for a garden but I just learned I am number 5 on the wait list for the local community garden.  I have been waiting two years.   I ordered the heritage farm favorites, I think I am most looking forward to growing and eating the dragon carrot!

This last month I was busy blogging about fabric definitions so I do have so much to tell you.  My other warm weather obsession has been a book I just finished last night.  And it was one of those books I really did not want to end; The Bucolic Plague.  A book about 2 men who buy a mansion and farm upstate while still living in the city and try to make a go of it.  I really enjoyed it and it only makes me want my only little farm a bit more.

Bucolic Plague

I also have been working on a Colette Pattern, the Negroni.  I am first making it in muslin since I have never worked on one of her patterns before.  I am almost done.  It is interesting to see how others create patterns since my training is in mens woven shirts.  I really like her company.  The company is based in Portland, her website is fun and user friendly and she sends out great newsletters.  I tell all of my students they should sign up for them.  

In the meantime I will just wait for my vegetable seeds to arrive and keep braving this weather. 

What are you doing to stay warm and keep your spirits up?