Chappy Channukah!

This is Alexa and Lizzy writing from Williamsburg, KY (but really a swanky coffee shop in Knoxville, TN where we're stealing internet). We just left the Knoxville Farmers Market where we helped Janice, the owner/sole farmer at Musick Mountain Farm sell the veggies that we picked together yesterday. Even in December, we spent Friday picking arugula, dill, parsley, lettuce, beets, kholrabi, bok choy, turnips, three kinds of kale and mustard greens. Wow!! She has most of her garden beds under floating row cover (a big sheet of gauze-ish fabric that lets in light and water and keeps out the cold) so things are still growing, just a little slower than in warmer weather.

Janice has a pretty small farm with two big gardens, chickens, two dogs and three cats! We are staying in a room above her workshop that's full of drying herbs and jars for canning. The farm is nestled in the Appalachian Mountains--there's a nice view and pretty sunsets from the front porch. We haven't had that much time to explore, but hopefully we will soon. Walmart and Goodwill are about the only businesses in town, aside from a Pilot with gas for $2.39!!! It's been pretty cold since we arrived--it was even snowing at last weeks farmers market!!

We pretty much love Janice, shes a hard core pioneer lady, knowing so many things she can do with her hands! we just love learning from her, like how to dry herbs, and can food. she's also really fascinated by us, and we talk for hours everyday just asking each other so many questions about our lives.

Also we've fallen in love with the chickens! Dolores is the chicken that gets literally pecked on by the other ones! and shes so sweet and blind in one eye! and then there's Tigger the cat who only has a little part of her tail and half closed eyes! (alexa does a really good impression of what her voice would sound like). and Cupcake the cat follows us everyday to the chickens and back. and of course Bo-Bo the dog rocks.

If any of you were worried that we wouldn't be celebrating Hannukah, you sure are wrong! Lizzy made a playdough menorah for the house and yesterday we grated some of Janice's homegrown potatoes and onions to make....LATKES! And it is a very Chappy Channukah indeed. Literally, our hands are very chapped from working outside in the cold and wind.

It is a little isolated out there though, with no internet or cell service, so we want to tell you that we miss you all so much and are loving you. And of course we are SORELY missing our 3rd tricycle wheel.

If you want to write letters, we're staying at 1782 Jellico Creek Road / Williamsburg, KY 40769. We leave around Dec 19, so write soon!