Aspiring to Simplicity

Two Dinners

2012-01-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's amazing for me to realize I've been on this food "journey" for almost six years. I know this because Amazon.com tells me I ordered all of Joel Salatin's "how to" farming books on September 8, 2006. I built my first chicken house around that time, and our first 'animal' - turkeys - were raised and processed that year, from spring until fall. I also got some pigs (and transported them long-distance in my Camry's trunk. Good times) that November.

Sometimes I don't realize all the changes we've made until I think back to something, or run into the "Standard American" meal in some fashion. This actually greatly encourages me (and I hope, you!). What once was a conscious decision, sometimes a sacrifice, is now not even thought of.

Here is an example of a common meal, in two formats. It's the same meal, but it's completely different food. The menu? Tacos!

Rainbow Salsa?

Around here (and this isn't necessarily 'authentic' Mexican food, but what seems to be fairly normal) it will look like this:

Hamburger, seasoned with 'taco seasoning'
Refried beans
Corn tortillas, semi-fried (and/or flour tortillas)
Lettuce, shredded
Cheese, grated
Olives, sliced
Salsa
Sour Cream
Guacamole?

This meal can go two ways. The first is probably more convenient: You get standard ground beef from the store (a high-risk e.coli product from cattle in toxic environments eating corn, soy, chicken feathers/guts, and antibiotics, with a hormone implant) and brown it with a packet of taco seasoning (which includes "modified food starch" and MSG). You warm up canned refried beans (which include 'yeast extract' - which is another name for MSG). You fry your corn tortillas (made from genetically-modified corn, being linked to fertility problems, allergies, organ damage, plus environmental toxicity) in vegetable oil (made from canola, corn, soy, and/or cottonseed oil - every one of which are genetically modified and HIGHLY refined using chemical solvents/deodorizers/etc). Your iceberg head lettuce doesn't offer much in nutrition; whether or not any pesticide residue outweighs its nutrients is debatable. Does anyone wash iceberg lettuce? You sprinkle on the cheese (probably made from cows injected daily with a genetically-modified hormone, rBST to up milk production. It also ups mastitis infections and bacteria/pus in the milk, and shortens the cow's lifespan. If your cheese is pre-grated, it may have sand, starch, and/or mold inhibitors to keep it loose in the bag, and 'fresh.' (?) ) and sour cream (ditto on the rBST issue, and possibly 'thickened' with starch or carageenan). Your olives and salsa are probably canned, and your guacamole might be pre-made in a little plastic container (which I shockingly know very little about) or perhaps you bought avocados and stirred in a little packet of 'seasoning' (see the above commentary on taco seasoning).

This is normal food, believe it or not. Most people consider this 'healthy, homemade' food, not junk or fast food (I did, at one point). We do this day after day, punctuated by learning problems, behavioral challenges, visits to our doctor and routine pharmaceutical helps. [Note; of course not ALL problems can be laid at the feet of what we eat. However, after seeing astonishing changes in our own family based on a shift in diet, I believe it plays a part.]

The good news is that you don't have to pummel your body and your brain with this kind of stuff all day every day. And you can STILL have tacos! :) You just have to come at it a little differently.

You brown your grass-fed beef (which was probably produced not far from your home, includes only ONE set of bovine dna (hehe), has less bacteria, no hormone implants, no antibiotics, and has a lot higher ratio of Omega-3 fats to Omega-6. This is heart-healthy stuff!) with a powdered spice mix (we use Oregon Spice Taco Seasoning, but you can make your own or just check labels when you buy). You toss a ziploc of frozen pinto beans (which you prepared in bulk weeks or months before, soaking 24 hours before cooking to increase mineral availability and improve digestibility) into a pan and cook them down with some extra virgin olive oil and salt and seasoning to taste. You fry your organic corn tortillas (no GMOs allowed in organic products. Periodic testing helps ensure this, though cross-pollination is an issue) in virgin coconut oil (super high in medium-chain fatty acids which are anti-microbial, anti-viral, and increase metabolism in some people. Lauric acid is one of these, which human milk is high in). You use organic romaine lettuce or microgreens or young spinach to add a bit of crunch, and sprinkle on raw cheddar cheese (or perhaps a grass-fed cheese, or at the least a brand that informs "made with milk from cows not treated with rBST). Your sour cream IS cultured (soured) cream and therefore includes beneficial probiotics. Your olives and salsa are as close to 'real food' as you can get (nothing weird in the ingredients) and maybe you even make your own fresh salsa. You mash up a fresh avocado with actual spices, and maybe toss in a little lemon or lime juice to help keep it green.

Not exactly the spice mix for taco seasoning...

Do you see how same - and yet how different - this is? I don't even think about it until we're at a restaurant and I realize that seasoning tastes different, or the guacamole is weird. I didn't go into how it's prepared, but there can be differences there too. Teflon? Aluminum? I don't think teflon is very common in restaurants, but my local restaurant supply sells giant aluminum stock pots, pans, and baking sheets (I actually have baking sheets from them, but I line them with parchment paper or a SILPAT mat for cooking or baking on them). These things can be dangerous in the wrong conditions (teflon at high heat, for instance), and while not technically 'food' or 'additives,' certainly can have an effect on health.

What changes have you made to ensure you're eating what you think you're eating? If you take it one step at a time, what is your next step? Have you been able to keep the changes you've made so far?

Granny's Treasures I

2012-01-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

You may remember my Granny passed away last June, at 93. I was asked for a 'list' of anything (not already assigned/taken) that would be precious to me, and in October we were able to bring things home.

These were high on my list. I'm not even sure what I would call them. They're small bowl-things**. The small round ones are mostly in the pastel colors you see, and some are shorter and wider than others, which have a more tapered bottom. There are also a few oval-shaped bowls, including the green one you see here.

There is also a 'normal' green bowl Granny used to serve me her little homemade pot-pies in. Yum..

They all have a nicely embossed floral motif, and I use them for everything. Small servings of goodies for the kids, a place to put my tea bell, spoon rest, even as lunch or dinner servings (in the oval ones).

Granny used to put my little pot pie under the broiler to brown up the crust. They're oven-safe, but I haven't put them in my oven yet. Maybe I could make little cupcakes? :)

I believe there are 5 oval dishes (2 green, 2 pink, and a blue) and about half a dozen or so of the small ones (no green among them). There are also some small brown ones, in both the wide and tapered styles:

They have the most beautiful robin's-egg-blue on the inside. The photo doesn't look quite as brilliant as they seem in real life. :)

A friend of mine thinks these dishes and others like them (Granny also had some smallish bowls that had a handle, almost like a measuring cup, but in the same color/material as the pastel ones above) came in Quaker oatmeal. Much better than what they put in cereal boxes today, do you think? :)

This site says they were made from the early 1930s to the mid 1940s. If you click to the 'page 6' link on their page, their is a neat ad for some of the (purchased; not oatmeal-prize) products.

**A little research is calling these wider ones "custard" bowls, and the tapered ones "ramekins."

WHAT??

2012-01-20T10:57:00.000-07:00

Dealing in my RealFood Underground, as I call it, I often end up with boxes... Boxes with potatoes, or apples, beef, etc -- and most of the boxes are reused from the original manufacturer. I had this on the counter, full of apples, for a day, and then I noticed the label:

Aw, so wholesome.

"Wholesome Farms." Don't you love that? And look at that beautiful picture of a farmstead with the sun rising (setting?) in glory, it just screams "Nature!" Wholesome nature, at that. Ah, bliss...

But wait...

Oh my...!

What is this fresh crop from "Wholesome Farms?" Liquid Whole Eggs. That's enough right now to make my decision. Liquid whole eggs? Don't whole eggs include the shell? How do we liquify the shell? Hmm.. Oh, I know! Citric acid! Bingo. Yummier and yummier, yes?

But we aren't done with this "Wholesome" bounty yet - we're gonna pasteurize (cook? irradiate?) these dissolved-shell-liquified-eggs AND homogenize them - after all, we don't want dissolved shell sinking to the bottom, or yolk forming a top layer... ew, no, THAT would be gross... (?)

For a final dose of "wholesomeness," look at the packaging information... This.. crop.. comes in BAGS. I don't know about you, but nothing says "wholesome" and "farm" like something packaged in a plastic bag [and liquified, pasteurized, homogenized, dissolved]!

Would you eat this product? DO you eat this product? (I have no idea what is done with it. Scrambled eggs schools? Omelets at restaurants? Maybe used in baked goods?) Would you eat other 'wholesome' foodstuffs "dissolved, liquified, pasteurized, homogenized, packed-in-bags?" How about chicken? Thaaaat sounds tasty.

Know your food. Know your farmer. Don't trust a cutesy name and logo - obviously it doesn't mean much...

New Table

2012-01-18T10:56:00.001-07:00

Where has the time gone? I've ignored this blog terribly for far too long. I turned 34 over the weekend. My girls are getting so big! It is supposed to snow today, for the first time all winter, basically. The cattle are doing well, the chickens (I think) are doing well (it's hard to count them), and we're starting to get more eggs after their solstice sabbatical. :)

This is a project I've wanted to share. I got a table last summer at a garage sale for $25 from some Mennonites. It was about 3 feet wide, and 8 feet long, homemade, and with a surface layer of formica of some kind; that plastic-ey wood-looking stuff so many tables are covered with. It only had it on the top though, so I thought I might try to 'refinish' it.

The underside of the top is plywood, and the legs are just 2x4s with routered edges. It had been stained with something, as you can see in the photo where I haven't sanded below:

During the sanding stage

The top, of course, was the formica and I didn't know what was below it. The edges of the top were soft-grain wood (like the 2x4s), maybe 1x2s. There was a groove routered along the edge of the laminate surface, and the 'corner' of the 1x2 wood was slightly rounded.

As it happened, the good people I bought it from delivered the table to my front yard while I was at church one evening. It sat out that night, and the next day in the sunshine that dark faux-wood really heated up. Hubby and I were able to take flat tools (paint scrapers?) and begin to separate the laminate from the table. That was quite a job; contact cement works really well.

At that point we could see there was 'real wood' (not plywood) as a table surface, but it was covered in layers and bits of the rubbery contact cement. I made several phone calls to my friend (who did our countertop redo a few years back) to get expert advice, and on his recommendation I bought a cheap Random Orbit Sander.

[sidenote: Random Orbit Sander, where have you been all my life?? Over 33 years I limped along, wishing, wondering if there wasn't an easier way to sand the many things I've sanded, and NO ONE told me about you! I love you!]

Following his instructions as to technique, grit coarse/fineness, etc, I managed to clean up the top of the table. I completely sanded off the sharp edge/groove at the edge of the tabletop, making a softly rounded edge to the whole thing. I realized shortly that the wood was all quite soft. Probably pine, or whatever your local lumber store stocks for building projects. One board in particular is even softer - it's the darker-toned board in the photos below. The feet were quite banged up, so I sanded and rounded parts of them too. The top appeared to be 1- or 2x6 boards, laying lengthwise. There were a couple deep holes/gouges that had bored down through the laminate surface, but I just chalked these up to character. Once I had it sanded and cleaned of all sawdust, I used a satin finish polyurethane on the top and legs (I ignored the underside of the table). I believe the top has four coats, and the legs 2 or 3 coats.

When we returned from our October trip, and my final layer had cured for a week or two, we hauled it indoors. It's HEAVY. And we buggered up the top somewhere along the way. :] But it's situated in our dining room, and I LOVE it. For $25, plus about $20 in materials (not counting my New Tool which I should've had already) I have a table that REALLY works.

Even if I have to shout for Hubby to pass the salt...

Loooonngg table

The dark pinkish strip is the extra-soft wood. Due to the sanding, it wore down a little quicker than the rest, so it now serves as a 'trough' of sorts - anything spilled tends to go along it instead of off the edge of the table. Works for me!

I love the knots and color variations

It's already additionally dinged-up from pencils and forks and other childhood weaponry, but as a family table, I'm not worried about it. I can always refinish it, or add another layer of polyurethane if necessary, and it's not like I'm out $700 if it's utterly destroyed. :)

This Wasn't Me

2012-01-06T09:29:00.001-07:00

My aunt sent me this via email. I have no idea if it's true, but she decided it looked like something *I* might try, and she wanted to dissuade me from the idea, preventatively...

Why We Shoot Deer in the Wild

(A letter from someone who wants to remain anonymous, who farms,
writes well and actually tried this)

I had this idea that I could rope a deer, put it in a stall,
feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat
it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer.

I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do
not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one
will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while
I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), it should not be
difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head
(to calm it down) then hog tie it and transport it home.

I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the end with my
rope. The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed
well back. They were not having any of it.

After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up - 3 of them. I picked
out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the
feeder, and threw my rope. The deer just stood there and stared
at me. I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end
so I would have a good hold.

The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you could tell
it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation. I took
a step towards it; it took a step away. I put a little tension
on the rope ... then received an education.

The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just
stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are
spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.

That deer EXPLODED. The second thing I learned is that pound
for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt. A cow
or a colt in that weight range I could fight down with a rope
and with some dignity. A deer -- no chance.

That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled. There was no
controlling it and certainly no getting close to it.

As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the
ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not
nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined. The only
upside is that they do not have as much stamina as many other
animals.

A brief 10 minutes later, it was tired and not nearly as quick
to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up. It
took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was mostly
blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head. At
that point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison. I just
wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.

I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its
neck, it would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the
time, there was no love at all between me and that deer. At
that moment, I hated the thing, and I would venture a guess that
the feeling was mutual.

Despite the gash in my head and the several large knots where I
had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head
against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground,
I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a
small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility
for the situation we were in.

I didn't want the deer to have to suffer a slow death, so I
managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the
feeder - a little trap I had set before hand ... kind of like a
squeeze chute. I got it to back in there and I started moving
up so I could get my rope back.

Did you know that deer bite?

They do! I never in a million years would have thought that a
deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when ... I
reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of
my wrist.

Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse
where they just bite you and slide off to then let go. A deer
bites you and shakes its head -- almost like a pit bull. They
bite HARD and it hurts.

The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to
freeze and draw back slowly. I tried screaming and shaking
instead. My method was ineffective.

It seemed like the deer was biting and shaking for several
minutes, but it was likely only several seconds. I, being
smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by
now), tricked it. While I kept it busy tearing the tendons out
of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that
rope loose.

That was when I got my final lesson in deer behavior for the
day.

Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right
up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder
level, and their hooves are surprisingly sharp.

I learned a long time ago that when an animal - like a horse -
strikes at you with their hooves, and you can't get away easily,
the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an
aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause
them to back down a bit so you can escape.

This was not a horse. This was a deer. So, obviously, such
trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I
devised a different strategy. I screamed like a woman and tried
to turn and run.

The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run
from a horse that paws at you is that there is a good chance
that it will hit you in the back of the head. Deer may not be
so different from horses after all (besides being twice as
strong and 3 times as evil) because the second I turned to run,
it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down.

Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not
immediately leave. I suspect it does not recognize that the
danger has passed. What they do instead is paw your back and
jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a
little girl and covering your head.

I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went
away. So now I know why when people go deer hunting they bring
a rifle with a scope - to sort of even the odds!

All these events are true so help me God,

An Educated Farmer

After laughing and appreciating the well-written tale, I responded to my aunt: "Yet another reason why grass-fed is healthier!"

These Days...

2011-12-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

I'm knitting.. I said I wouldn't, and then I did. Mostly little stuff for little people. I got two knitting books - on my kindle! - on a cyber-monday deal. Last Minute Knitted Gifts and More Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Both of which might as well be titled "The Only Knitting EllaJac Will Try."[That's not entirely true. Three years ago I bought the yarn and began a poncho/capelet thing. I've had my needles pulled out, my needles scratched, bent, straightened, broken, and lost, and I'm still only on the edge trim]

I'm making Christmas gifts of the caloric version. Nothing too extravagant, but I'm laughing because I'm using organic popcorn... along with butter, marshmallows, and M&Ms... :P

I'm planning a brief trip out of town, and appropriate foodstuffs to feed us at various holiday events (pizza party? Not if you're gluten or dairy-free!).

I'm trying to send off my Christmas cards/newsletters. I posted jpgs of them on facebook, but the real-live ones which need to reach the mailbox... well, they're still somewhere in my van.

Considering how/where to give more. There are a few families I know who I'm looking forward to blessing, but also thinking about how to give more where it makes a bigger difference. Compassion has a gifting option, as does World Vision and Heifer Project. There are probably more, too.

I'm reading books. About compost, about farming, history and just for fun. One of my best friends (who I obviously don't spend enough time with) was recently a little surprised to hear me mention my weakness for Vince Flynn spy/assassin thrillers. :) Brad Thor is good too...

On the subject of reading, might I recommend Being George Washington? It's a history book, written like a novel, with commentary highlighting some of the qualities Washington had and who he was. And how we can aspire to be the same kind of good, have the same kind of integrity. BE what this nation needs. Each of us.

We replaced our dead tv (with another hand-me-down), and while not *huge*, it's still big enough (and not flat like the new ones) that we didn't want to try to get it upstairs into the tv room. So it's in our living room, and has been just the right kind of blessing, without being a curse (and I hope it stays that way)... We got a Roku thingy (I think that's the official term), which gives us a handful of internet channels (and complete control over *what* channels we have). Netflix works through it, and there are other premium/paid channels, plus some free ones (like pandora radio). And because we had to get the high-end Roku to work with our ethernet, we also got the Angry Birds game, which has offered some surprisingly fun family time... :)

Mostly I'm enjoying the season. Yes, it's getting busy, and I have moments where I'm overwhelmed with the balancing act of trying to keep everyone eating as they should, without offending guests or hosts, but most of the time I'm basking in Christmas music, loving my girls, and thanking God for this time.

2011-11-25T08:27:00.014-07:00

Now that you've finished off the turkey, dressing, pie and potatoes...

I've gotten through most of Wheat Belly. Have you read that yet? There are several interviews with the author online (here, here, here, and here, are some I read. Google "wheat belly interview" for more), if you don't know what I'm talking about.

I won't recap the book; you can find that in the interviews and reviews, I'm sure. But I am going to tell you to read it. :)

I'll tell you what surprised me.. I expected to read some non-politically-correct information about America's favorite grain (favorite food?). I expected to be fascinated by his (and he's an MD; a preventive cardiologist, I think) take on the effect of wheat on weight, health, etc. I love reading that kind of thing, and do so often. :)

I did not expect to be mad.

And I'm not mad because I dislike hearing negative things about wheat (despite the fact that my mom used to say I had a "love affair with flour" when I was a teen). I'm mad because if - if - the claims this doctor makes are even half true, then there are people I love whose lives could be so much better, but no one has told them. I'm mad because while I might be able to shift our household further away from wheat, the thought of all the cultural influences just turns my stomach. You can get away with bringing your own food to a potluck if you have a bona fide diagnosis, but if not.... oi. It's hard. And I don't necessarily mean that people are offended and despise you (although that does happen), it's just... cultural. You've stumbled upon what may be, for you, life-changing information, but the rest of the world doesn't even question the status quo. It makes me mad that what should be unifying, nourishing, and beneficial to individuals, family, and community, instead is often harmful, sterile, and (if you try to step out of that), divisive. Ugh.

I'm mad that agriculture has used science to develop food that is not more healthy or nourishing, but that produces more, faster, cheaper. Easier to harvest, store, process... and nary a question as to whether their tinkering might be responsible for the many-fold increase of celiac disease and gluten intolerance in modern times (quick; when you were growing up, did you know ANYONE with a wheat allergy? Did you EVER see a 'gluten-free' product advertised on store shelves?). And no, it's not just more-diagnosed now (read the book).

I haven't double-checked every journal article or study or research result that the author has cited (and there are a LOT), but he has implicated wheat in far more than just celiac and obesity. How about heart disease and arterial sclerosis? Diabetes (and Pre-diabetes)? Acne? IBS? Hair loss? ADHD? Arthritis? Dementia? Seizures? High blood pressure? Poor cholesterol/triglyceride profile... It just doesn't end. I don't know about you, but I have close friends and family members who suffer with some of these things. What if they could be helped by eliminating this one thing from their diet? Do their doctors know this? Would they recommend it? Would they just decide that a(nother) prescription is in order?

I don't think wheat should be outlawed, by the way. :) I don't even think everyone would be wise to eschew it in all its forms, forever. I DO think that this information should be available to each person, to weigh and decide, to double-check and pray and think through... There is no such thing as choice, or consent, if you lack the appropriate information. I encourage you, if you or your loved ones have any minor (or major) health issues, or can't lose that 'belly fat', or feel like you're lacking mental clarity at times (ahem)... Give this a read. It's an easy read, with some fun, unexpected pop-culture references, but includes enough science to satisfy my appetite for "But HOW does it do that..?" I paid about $10 for it on my Kindle, but I wish I'd gotten the hard copy, so I could loan it out. :) [this title currently doesn't have the loan feature enabled, by the way, so you can't even borrow it from me if you have a Kindle.]

So now that I've told YOU about it, I'll try to stop being mad. And start being thankful ('tis the season, always!) that this information IS out there now, and it might be just what someone has been needing. There is hope. :)

***

Here are a few more interviews/overviews which I hadn't seen before:
MacLeans
Wheat Belly Blog (what?? I might've saved $10? :) )
YouTube results for this book/author

Thankful

2011-11-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

It's a non-traditional meal for us this year, but still so much to be thankful for.

So much.

Around Here These Days

2011-11-10T16:26:00.000-07:00

Fall is certainly here. The nights are often in the 20s, my garden is full-on dead (but, for once, I've actually yanked a few plants and tossed them over the fence), and we use the pellet stove in the daytime (when we can get it started).

The girls are all healthy. I spent a week in October terribly sick - fever and aches were the only symptoms, but it kept me off my feet for a full week. THAT was not good for the housekeeping, let me tell you. And we ran out of bananas and eggs more than once (this whole-foods living doesn't leave much for kids to fend for themselves!). I did deign to take ibuprofen when my fever rose above 104˙, messing up lo, these many years. :)

We continue to homeschool with Ambleside Online, however, the week I was ill certainly revealed that apparently *I* am the only person who does anything around here and/or *I* am the only person who makes anyone do anything around here. These are not good dynamics. :( I do not know the answer yet, but I am praying about it, and debating on whether academics need to take a hiatus temporarily to give Real Life Skills some focus. For me, too.

The 20 pullets we raised this summer turned out to be 17 pullets and 3 roosters (I'm still wondering if I can get a refund on the pullet price I paid...), and one pullet succumbed to a Great Horned Owl. I'm sure it's no coincidence that the Devil has horns too... Anyway, the old hens are molting and taking their annual sabbatical from laying, and the new pullets have given us 2 or 3 eggs total, but production certainly isn't keeping up with our needs, so i've been having to buy eggs. Usually from an unmanned roadside cooler, sometimes from the grocer, and WOW am I reminded how blessed we are to have free-ranging hens. The product isn't even comparable to the store's.

We now officially have 3 jersey steers. We waited a long time to take care of Chuck (about a week and a half ago; nearly 6 months old) because of his Special Needs. I feed them every day now, and scratch my head and wonder if I'm feeding them enough/too much, too frequently/too rarely and the rest of it. I am fairly secure in my belief that Mae is pregnant; we boarded about a dozen ugly Angus-type cattle in September/October, and among them were 2 young bulls. There was no sign that Mae came into heat, so she probably settled after spending 6 weeks with a Highland bull before we got her. :) She is now quite tame, inasmuch as she comes near for her feed and will tolerate being touched through the fence or gate. The other day she was mooing at me near the garden, so I agreed to give her some hay (which is 100 yards or more from where I was. I walked along the fence and sang, "c'mon Mae!" and began running.. She tossed her big horns and galavanted alongside me up to the area where the hay is. I eased up before we got there, because I realized that she could toss herself right through the fence and never notice, were she inclined... :]

I 'wormed' the cattle using Shaklee's Basic H, of which I had to buy 5 gallons for over $200, because of course they've updated to Basic H2 and there hasn't been 50 years of experience to vouch for its safety or effectiveness at this application (of which Shaklee doesn't endorse). I expect I'll never have to buy from them again, considering the rates of application. :)

Hubby's work has eased up - still full time, but no on-call weekends and few after-hours projects (um, unless you count the projects *I* request...). We have been avoiding wheat for the most part, and are trying to limit the grains we eat as well. We eat potatoes, sweet potatoes and squash more often instead.

Lately I've been reading:
Rodale's Complete Book of Composting
You Can Farm
Salad Bar Beef
Wheat Belly
Folks, This Ain't Normal

Planning to Borrow (from the Library):
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
Fast Food Nation
Omnivore's Dilemma

And wishing for:
Growing a Farmer: How I Learned to Live off the Land
An Agricultural Testament
Holy Shit: Managing Manure to Save Mankind

Veganism is Ecological?

2011-11-09T08:54:00.002-07:00

I've run across (in surprising places, sometimes) the argument that a vegetarian or vegan diet is more 'environmentally friendly' than an omnivorous diet that includes animals and animal proteins. I felt, more than knew, that this thinking was faulty (the documentary "Forks Over Knives" notwithstanding). I did know that there has been no successful or healthy people group (the world over, historically) who did not include animal protein in their diets. There were no indigenous vegetarians. :) Whether the Maasai who harvest blood and milk from their cattle (as well as eating some meat) to shellfish-eating islanders, caribou-eating northerners, fish-eating Gaelics, etc, no one ever subsisted (as a people group or civilization) without animal protein in their diets.

I have been listening to an audiobook, "Folks, This Ain't Normal" by Joel Salatin, my favorite farmer, who first introduced me to the difference between factory foods and natural, and who has inspired me for years (even if I haven't implemented much) towards producing food on our land. While this book covers a wide swath of subjects, there is one fascinating element that I'd never heard before (and I love nothing if not learning some new, interesting thing).

In a word, it is this: We need animals, specifically herbivores (that would be cattle, deer, moose, goats, sheep, etc), to heal the earth - whether you mean air, water, or soil, doing without them would be terribly damaging to our environment. I'll try to give a brief reason as to why that is...

Herbivores graze green plants, which are solar-powered protein - protein you and I cannot access - turning it into meat and milk (proteins we CAN access). Properly managed, herbivores on pasture add to the soil. Their grazing naturally suits the strengthening of perennial grasses and legumes (plants that return every year) and weakens the annuals and weeds (things that put out seed, but whose roots do not tend to deepen and widen yearly). Their hoof-pressure also helps aerate and loosen soil, breaks down decaying matter, and allows water to soak down and microbial activity to increase. Their manure is truly an essential element for returning fertility to the soil. This is part of why a rotationally grazed pasture will strengthen over time, reducing weeds and increasing fertility, while a continuously grazed pasture will help the annual weeds and weaken forage. Grass also sequesters carbon dioxide as well or better than trees, for those who worry about carbon overload in our air.

So, to draw the line between these subjects, well-managed herbivores add greatly to soil health and atmospheric balance. Were we to all eschew beef, venison, milk, etc, what would these pastures be instead?

Well, barring the idea of just abandoning them to weeds (we have to eat SOMETHING, after all), let's assume we're vegans and plant something appropriate to our new diet. This is going to require tillage, which exposes (what was) soil rich in microbial activity to the elements. This immediately reduces that biological activity. [we could use a no-till method, but that requires copious herbicide, which also has it's downsides, obviously]. Next we will seed it with our crop of choice - usually soybeans (which have a host of reasons to NOT use as people food), perhaps a small grain like wheat or rye or barley or oats, or maybe even corn, amaranth, or teff? Kidney beans? Garbanzos? Pintos? The options are myriad, but one thing they all have in common... They are annuals. While a stand of grass puts a good portion of it's solar energy into root development (which adds to the soil, when these roots die), an annual lives to produce its seed. The bean, the grain head, whatever. So all the energy it could spare, all the minerals we expect to find in that food, are pulled from its resources and put into that seed. Plant energy (from solar), nutrients and minerals (from soil). The next step is harvesting that (each of these maneuvers probably requires petroleum-powered tractors and equipment, keep in mind), processing, storing, and finally, eating. But then what? What do we do with the field? There may be some plant detritus (straw, if it were wheat or barley, etc) but we need to eat next year too, so what will we do? One might assume that we would plant again... But remember, a huge amount of that soil fertility was taken up into our crop.. That crop was harvested off the field, so with what do we replace it? We could add (using big trucks and tractors, again) expensive, transported loads of compost, but... compost is hard to come by, since we're not raising animals for food anymore (and we can only support so many pets, right?). Barring that, we have to get some chemical (petroleum!) fertilizer to artificially prop up the plants. Keep in mind this field, were we to continue in this manner, would require more and more inputs (fertilizer, pesticides, etc) as the years go on, and our crop would be a little more deficient in trace minerals and nutrients, if it ever manages to produce as much as the first year.

Tell me which of these scenarios is better for the earth? Which adds to carbon sequestration, natural (not petroleum-based) management and fertility?

Joel goes into the historical practices, why pastures required five years of herbivores + grass to = one year of grain, why pork and chicken (omnivores, who often eat grains/seeds) are really less 'environmentally friendly' than grass fed beef (no one thinks grain-stuffed feedlot beef is good for any people or soil or air, right?), and how much we could restore to our earth (and ultimately our health), were we to shift away from grains and annuals (70% of grain produced is used for livestock food - much of it to herbivores which do not require it) and towards pasture-based animal production.

So the next time I run into the argument that veganism = environmentalism, I will want to find out if the person has considered this facet of it. I know I hadn't.

Farm Truck

2011-11-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Boy, I'm moving up in the world, lemme tell you...

I'll wait while you pick yourself up off the floor.

...

...

Ok, that's better.

We went and picked up a few items from my Granny's estate, and one of them was this beauty:

Suh-weet!

It's a 1963 International Scout - customized. My grandparents bought it from Granny's brother in the 1970's. Around the time I was born (1978), my mom nicknamed it "The Great Pumpkin" (she was forever naming vehicles). Grandpa chopped it somehow - turning it into a pickup, more or less. You can't tell from the outside, but inside the cab, just behind the front (and only) seat where the roof meets the rear window, there are welding marks. Maybe it used to have a backseat? I remember bouncing off the interior of this while Grandpa drove through the woods to cut firewood with my dad.

The above photo shows its extrication from the shed where it has been parked perhaps 20 years or so. You can barely see a boat suspended from the ceiling above the site where the Scout was parked; Hubby first had to disengage that boat from the upper portions of the scout; a rope had finally given way, and it's rear half had come crashing down. It has a hole, but it seems the scout isn't any worse for wear.

Hubby tried and tried to get it started, and had the engine actually running (!), but the clutch has had problems for years, and without it the PTO winch on the front wasn't going to operate anyway. We had to get it back to our area (12 hour drive minimum), so we had to trailer it, which took some doing (and 3 other pickups)...

I'm sure those old ramps will be fine...

One pickup to hold and stabilize the trailer, one to run a winch through a pulley attached to the front end of the trailer bed, and a third to eventually drive up and hold the back end of those ramp planks securely to the ground. It actually went smoothly and according to plan, about which I continue to be astonished.

Around the Scout we strapped the (somewhat rotted) side boards to the trailer (it's a hay trailer my grandpa made) and packed various boxes, bags, a bed frame, four dining room chairs... and to top it off, standing at attention in the back of the Scout was a push lawnmower - you know, the kind with whirling blades and no motor? I've always wanted one of those!

We may or may not have looked like the Clampetts on the road home...

Here's a view of the svelte interior of my new rig:

All original interior

We've made some upgrades. We've removed the dog food bag (and scrap of what looked like a sheep skin) from the seat (of course, now the hole with springs is exposed, but anyway..). We've washed the algae and moss from the windows.

And that's about it.

I need to reattach the nylon strap that keeps the driver's door from slamming into the front fender when it opens.

We're hoping to return it to its former glory, which included both first gear and reverse, and I will have a handy mobile toolbox (and kid hauler) to use to:

a) fix fences

b) transport cheap livestock from nearby neighbors

c) show off in local car shows.

Not really on that last one.

I bet I could brood chicks in the bed of it, though...

Relative Abnormality

2011-11-05T16:02:00.000-06:00

Now that things are slowing down (outdoors) and I have time to read and think more (oh, you thought I should have time to do laundry and mop more? Hm, maybe you have a point...), I get that double-dose of entertainment from my choices.

The first dose, I assume, is common to us all. We make a choice to read or research something because we are interested in it. And then, "yay, what a fun thing to read/learn/do!"

The second dose, for me, may be unique. I analyze just what it is that I am so thrilled to read, and I laugh out loud and shake my head at the subject matter.

Take this, for instance:

by J. I. Rodale

I borrowed this gem from a friend and market-gardener. But seriously??? Over a thousand (fairly antiquated) pages about compost? This is what thrills me???

And because yes, it does, I am entertained all over again.

But even I didn't expect there to be paragraphs to take my breath away. Man, they could write back in the day. Listen to this:

"One man will say, "From whence will come the raw materials with which to make compost?" and go straightaway to the chemist for a bag of something. He thus identifies himself as part of a system of soil banditry - taking, but hot giving.

Another man does not question. He knows that God gave an adequacy of everything and that if he seeks he shall find. He goes forth upon the highways and ventures into the byways. He comes home laden with the necessary stuffs, the wherewithal to mix a dish fit for the most savory carrots or the most exotic zinnias. He is weighted down with humus materials, both animal and vegetable, which the unknowing bystander considers trash or worse, but which, like the touch of Midas, will turn into gold under his competent hand."

Be still my heart.

I am finding compost poetic. We are talking here about scrounging manure (or maybe even roadkill??) and... it's beautiful.

Trust me, if this were anyone else, I'd be laughing at them. How can I do less to my own self?

Say What??

2011-10-20T13:03:00.000-06:00

I have a friend on facebook who calls himself conservative. He posts articles and comments about big government spending, hates the cronyism, is against bailouts and that kind of thing.

But...

His daughter's boyfriend explains that the people who are supporting them (?) apparently 'take' their foodstamps... and then my friend responds...

they take our foodstamps for them and expect a months worth of foodstamps to last 4 ppl and a [redacted expletive] black hole a month
23 hours ago ·
they're taking all the foodstamps and money? I am glad you'll be out of there soon! You don't deserve to be treated like a cash machine...

I wish I had that record-scratching sound effect to use here.

It's wrong to charge rent and groceries to a young (19-20ish) couple, in good health and stamina (who live in your home), but it's ok for that same couple to 'charge' taxpayers for foodstamps??? I expect this from OWS idiots; they're clueless. But this guy and I are often (supposedly) on the same page when it comes to government stupidity. Funny how the same problems we see in "the government" can be practiced by ourselves on a smaller scale.

We ALL have areas like this, I think. Yes, we're against handouts and bailouts... but are we really? When your state is offered 'grant money' for beginning some new educational program, do they take it? Do your conservative friends and neighbors think about how that will be a great opportunity for their kids, or do they think that taking it would be inconsistent with their conservative values? Usually it's the former.

I think about this sometimes when I see an article on some farm that got a nice little grant from the NRCS, or the USDA, or your other four-letter, government-funded acronym. Imagine what I could do with just a fraction of that... The back fence... A hay-feeding shed... A thermostatically-controlled chicken scalder... and a decent motor for the plucker... Oh the ideas!

But am I going to be part of the problem, or part of the solution?

If I don't stand up, how can I expect anyone else to?

180

2011-10-18T18:36:00.000-06:00

It's been crazy here. Out of town for a week, then furniture to re-arrange and re-assemble; an old vehicle to off-load, and hay to transport and stack. Before we got done I started feeling poorly... and have been in bed for ... well, this is day 4. I THINK I'm improving (but I've said that before). Two babies without so much as a tylenol, but I broke out the ibuprofen when my temp hit 104.2 the other day. Such a wimp, I know. :) No flu, no cold, just fever (heat, chills, sweat, fine, repeat) and bad pain in my back/hips. Which is probably why I awake at 2am and remain that way.

But in any case: This is something you don't want to miss. I remember watching the trailer to this a while back. This is the 'whole thing' and it's worth a watch. Random people on the street, coming to a sudden shift of opinion when reasonable, simple examples are given. Watch...

Hello, Mae!

2011-10-05T11:57:00.000-06:00

I'm doing what I always do when I'm a) not pregnant, b) not nursing, c) both.

But before I disclose what that is, what do other women do in these situations? Enroll their kids in soccer, or something?

Anyways, what I'm doing is feeling like a farmer. Or at least, aspiring towards such.

No, I don't go to the livestock auction (yet), but I lurk in the "farm and garden" section of craigslist.

And that's where I found this beauty:

Ok, so the condition of this "pasture" does NOT make me feel like a farmer. More like a failure.

She is a Scottish Highland Cow, about 5 years old, and her name is Mae. She, in fact, was the reason (which I had forgotten), I started researching some of my genealogy a while back. The cow is Scottish, as were a lot of my forebears, and her name is Mae, as was (is) a farm my great-great-greats owned.

"Um, what do you want?"

These pictures were taken a few days after we'd gotten her; she was still pretty unsure of me and the new place, so I could only get so close to her.

Pay no attention to those ugly black things in the background. They're not mine, and I'm glad for that.

Mae is (I'm told) about 800-1000lbs? She is hopefully bred; before we had her brought here, she spent about 6 weeks with another Highland bull. There are 2 bulls in that group of black cattle that are in our pasture too, and we have seen no 'activity' so are hoping she is expecting. Mae should calve in May, and if it's a heifer, perhaps we'll call her June. Or April. :)

Mae is much more tame, now. I have brought her a little bit of grain in a can (as she was accustomed to in her previous home), and now she will moo and gallop (do cows gallop? She hurries, anyway) towards me at the fence (I do not go in the pasture near those Ugly Black Things, nor Mae's horns, until we know each other better) to munch out of the bucket I hold. I love her. She is SO pretty, and such a striking contrast to those aforementioned Black Things. The black ones are far less tame, so they will not come as near me (though they will push Mae away if I leave hay on the ground) as Mae. They are always carrying a swarm of flies, and Mae has hardly any. I do not know if it's her long shaggy hair, or the fact that I'm out there at sunset and their black hides are warmer than Mae, but it's astonishing. Also, one or two of the bigger ones will suddenly throw their head around and spew a bunch of drool on their own backs. I haven't figured this one out; I don't see them do it at other times, and it almost seems threatening, but I don't really know. They stand there and glare at me, snot hanging in long strands from their noses, and some of them with dirty backsides. Mae looks like an angel compared to them. :) There are about a dozen of them, and they were continuously grazing the pasture to the east of us, before coming into our pasture. They're eating down a lot of the dead grass and weeds, but I won't mind seeing them go this month sometime.

Love those horns.. I think.

So our "herd" consists of one cow, Mae, and our three Jersey calves, Sir Loin, T-Bone, and Chuck (who is still a bull). I'm lovin' it. :)

September to Remember

2011-10-03T11:53:00.000-06:00

What a lovely, lovely, month. This was my kind of September, let me tell you.

Processing Corn

Every year I can remember, in our house (8 years, now), I have fought (and sometimes lost) the battle of "I refuse to fire up the pellet stove before October!" Instead (or in addition), I would break out the flannel sheets, the longjohn underwear, the sweaters.

Big Sister's Birthday Party

But not this year. It has been incredible. Only a handful of days that didn't hit 80 or even 90, beautiful sunshine, the garden continuing in bliss. Cool evenings perfect for outdoor birthday parties, kids playing with the calves through sunset, and eating at the picnic table.

The high today is supposed to be in the high 70s.

But...

Ready for the freezer

We have left the homestead for a week or so, and I think we have forfeited that last breath of summertime. *sniff sniff* We have gone to an area that never gets that much sunshine anyways, and it is damp and dreary (in comparison). I am missing my summertime, and lamenting that the day we return is only supposed to hit 58 degrees. Alas, why did we not plan this trip for next week? :)

Organique turns four!

If you are enjoying an Indian Summer where you are, do me a favor and really soak it up. Enjoy it and spend some time with it, and tell it how much I miss it.

"Baby" (?) turned 2 in August. And needed her face washed.

Whatever you do, don't waste it. :)

'Tis the Season

2011-09-21T08:33:00.000-06:00

...For Birthdays.

Today Organique turns four! She has moments of downright civility and joyful helpfulness. I LOVE those times. Last night, after a brief meltdown wherein she would not wash her hands, she helped to set the dinner table and felt so proud of herself. :) Also, I caught her seconds before she took the scissors (again) to Baby's hair (again) the other day. A few months back she snipped off the top of her little upwards-pointing pigtail! :( I have a locking file cabinet for the scissors, tape, glue, dry erase markers, etc. and now the sewing room has a hook-and-eye lock too. We'll raise her up right, yet! :)

Rub-a-dub-dub, um....?

Big Sister turned TEN two weeks ago. It still amazes me! When did that happen? Wasn't I a newlywed, expecting that first baby, just the other day? Am I approaching "old mom" status? I distinctly remember my aunt (age 26ish) exclaiming to my mother on her 34th birthday, "GEEZ, Lor, you're only SIX years away from FORTY!!!!" and they both freaked out at that thought. I was eight then, and I remember thinking, "um, YEAH, of course you are." :) Big Sister has as many moments of drama as Organique has of helpfulness, so it balances out. Overall she is a TREMENDOUS help with Baby, and *most* times will do as she's asked. She desperately wants a horse (though that's not an option just yet), and enjoyed a few days of "horse camp" that a homeschooled teen put on for kids. We celebrated her birthday outdoors with a lot of friends, her favored oatmeal cake, and the night's fun consisted mostly of petting the calves and chasing the chickens to no end. I usually don't allow that, but so many of the little kids aspired to actually *catching* and *petting* a chicken that I couldn't help it. The chickens survived, and the children went home happy, and covered in yuck. You know it's been a good party when that's the case. :)

Big Sister after horse camp, where the teacher let her 'canter' after the other kids left. She was thrilled. :)

Baby turned 2 five weeks ago. Such a big girl! She talks, though not nearly as well as her cousin Paisley (who is a day older), but certainly outweighs her petite counterpart! She "runs with the big girls" at every opportunity, and keeps up, too! She didn't figure out how to crawl out of her crib (and a vanity dresser sits right up against it!) until right around her birthday, and that has been a blessing. Oddly, she will lay down for a nap without complaint, and settle to sleep immediately, but many bedtimes are fraught with tears and crying and endless escapes and recaptures. Such a paradox. :) Also, she will clamp her mouth shut and fight like the dickens against a tiny taste of licorice fermented cod liver oil (and truthfully, so do I!), BUT when I fill a capsule full of the same thing, she will happily pop it in her mouth and chew it up. Silly girl. [I have to fill and swallow several capsules of that flavor. I much more recommend peppermint, but it's still not enjoyable. :) ]

Baby swinging all by herself, Independence Day weekend.

So tonight will end our 5 weeks of birthday parties. I also have a niece whose birthday was last Saturday, and a nephew whose day is next Saturday (though he's not local). My brother and his wife (also not local) welcomed a little boy a few weeks back also, so this is definitely our birthday season!! Perhaps soon I will be able to get back to blogging a little better. :)

Awarded

2011-09-14T21:00:00.000-06:00

I've been awarded the "One Lovely Blog" award!

NOT ONLY THAT... But let me just be all excited for a moment to tell you BY WHOM this was awarded me... Sheri Salatin! Does that name ring a bell for you?

Okay, in case you don't know her, let me offer up the little that I know... The reason her *name* stands out to me is because she is the daughter-in-law of my favorite farmer, Joel Salatin. I've mentioned him more than once on this blog. Half my kids ago I bought all of his 'how to' books on farming. Sheri's husband is featured in a lot of the photos... as not much more than a kid. :) More important than all that familial notoriety is Sheri herself (and I do wonder if she's sick with being "Joel's daughter-in-law!"I hope not, since I mentioned it!). I've corresponded with her a couple times on a couple issues, and she has been so sweet to take time from their busy farm season to point me in the right direction. She loves the Lord, loves her family, works on their farm, writes, and does this all while dealing with imperfect health (would you take a moment to pray for her in that? That God would continue to use her situation to His glory, and enable her to do all He has for her? Thank you!).

There are a couple rules, apparently.

1 - Reveal 7 random facts about myself

2 - Pass the award on to 5 other Lovelies

I'm really no good at random facts, but I'll do my best. :]

1 - My hair is to my waist or beyond, if it's not pinned up. I've had people assume this is due to a spiritual conviction, but it's not. I just *never* go to the salon. Partly because I have four children that wouldn't perform well in a room full of scissors and poisons, and partly because I'm afraid they'll kick me out for being so *not* in style.

2 - When I was little, I always wanted a haystack. And a sister (not necessarily in that order). God has given me four daughters (who are sisters!), and now I have a haystack. 139 bales so far. :D

3 - I step out the sliding glass door, and lean over the porch rail to shake out the tablecloth (and the highchair). That's chicken food.

4 - I need a new sliding glass door.

5 - I desperately don't *want* to be a redneck. You see how well that's working out. *sigh*

6 - Before I was born, my parents were poor, and my dad saw how tame the ducks at the local lake were. He walked home to his trailer, popped some popcorn in a paper grocery sack, and returned to the lake where he endeavored to simultaneously empty the paper bag, and stuff in two ducks whilst wringing their necks (without bringing undue attention from other families feeding the ducks). Apparently it was affordable protein, but really nasty when cooked and eaten.

7 - My redneck tendencies are honestly come by, and really, seems like in comparison with my forbears, I'm not doing all that bad...

Ok, now for the five bloggers to whom I must bestow this award. I'm even worse at this. Won't everyone I don't pick feel bad? What if they're my friends? What if I have more than 5 bloggy friends? What if I give it to strangers. Are they interested? Would this be a hassle? Will I feel rejected if they never 'accept' it? (speaking of which, I think I got this award or a similar one from Benny right around the time Baby was born. I intended to 'claim' it, and I never have. Now I can worry that SHE feels rejected...).

SO. I love you all, really I do. But I'm going to give this to five people whom I do NOT know outside of reading their blogs. And THEN I'm not even going to tell them about it. YOU can, if you like, but I'm chicken, ok?

How about A Baker's Dozen? She's a photographer, and mom to 14 kids. Nine or so biologically, a couple special needs infant adoptions, and she brought home 3 teenagers from Liberia a few years ago. Amazing.

Fur Lined Toilet Seats - Man, SHE does some serious birthday parties (I think i might've sent home squash as party favors at our last birthday). She also homeschools, has parents who are farmers (that's always a bonus, right?) to some degree, and has actual flowerbeds. *sigh*

Romantic History - She sews - OH she sews - and does history reenactments with her husband and young sons. She makes everything (mostly) historically accurate, and might be a homeschool graduate, if I recall.

Health, Home, Happiness - Healthy food, GAPS dietary protocols for Autism (and a million other ailments), pregnancy/nursing info, she has it all - and she uses it in 'real life' with her own family too.

Last but not least, Fisher Academy International. This family are missionaries in Peru (I think?), and they homeschool using Ambleside Online (me too, me too!). She has a lot of Charlotte-Mason-ey resources and information, and though I haven't read there long, I love it.

Ok, that does it! If you're brave, you can go tell these people (but I'm leaving. now.), or just go and find something enjoyable. No two are alike, but they are all Lovely Blogs. :)

Thank you, Sheri!

School Photos

2011-09-06T13:54:00.000-06:00

I've taken a few 'school pictures' for friends and family, but my own are much less formal...

For example, this brother and sister:

Isn't he cute??!?

And then, we have ours:

How does she manage to look so angelic and innocent?!? I'm glad she has curly hair; I've never had her hair cut, but SHE has cut it a dozen times or so. You mostly can't tell...

Nothing like starting school with a giant bandage on your hand. At least a) she doesn't write yet and b) she's not left-handed anyway.

"Oh, this is a good book!"

"See?"

By the way, that Baby turned 2 a couple weeks ago (the day Hubby was in the hospital). I forgot it was her birthday for most of the day! She also started summer with DARK BROWN hair. *sigh* She's getting so big... :)

2011 Schoolroom

2011-09-04T13:27:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures I took when I finally got our "Homeschool Room" ready this year.

First, some perspective (because my photos don't include every part!). The room is in the western portion of our house, and there are no windows on that side. It used to be a 'family room' with an entertainment center and all that. Not anymore. :)

The brown rectangles are 'built in' shelves. The long shelf along the eastern wall of the room isn't pictured. It's our "barnwood" shelf, truly made from parts of an old barn and fence posts. I don't mind that, but it's also fairly cluttered; books, jam, boxes, gallon jars, etc. The strip of floor from garage door to back door, along and under the shelf is vinyl; the rest of the room is carpet.

Above you can see (most of) the west wall of our homeschool room. We got this huge (heavy!) chalkboard when our church moved out of its former building last month. It was the grassy green of chalkboards, but I painted primer on it, then followed that with homemade 'chalkboard paint' to match what I did on both doors, and the side of my computer cabinet (you can see part of it at the far left of the photo). The short bookshelf on the left holds a stereo thing (on the right, high up is a speaker. I can plug this in to my computer and we have some nice sound in the room for listening to mozart, etc!). The picture on the chalk tray is "A Young Girl Reading" by Fragonard. I bought it for $2 at a garage sale in July, then found out Fragonard is Ambleside's term 1 artist this year (I didn't even know who painted it), and this painting was on the list. The white board holds vocabulary words out of one of Big Sister's reading selections this term. These are the words I thought she might not be familiar with. Along the ceiling is our timeline. I moved it, hence the broken parts. :)

This is a view towards the right of the chalkboard, and is the 'kid area'. Rocking horse (and rocking elephant, but Big Sister is sitting on it) The shelves hold games, lincoln logs, story and picture books, board books, dolls, stuffed animals, boxes of miscellaneous toys, play food, wooden puzzles/stackers. Lamb Chop (butchered when I was tiny) serves as the hearth rug. We do refer to him by name, and always have).

This is the view of the South wall, and a piece of the garage door on the left. We have a couch, the other speaker, and two bookshelves. The first was found in the basement of our first home (I only got around to painting it 2 years ago), and the short green one I got last year at a garage sale. It was hideously primary colors, and poorly done, but is well built. The color is what I used on my kitchen cupboards 8 years ago. I finally re-glued the southern hemisphere back onto the globe after Organique tore it off in pieces last year. The maps are National Geographic, EXCELLENT price (less than $20 for the pair) from Christian Book Distributors. They are laminated - and REALLY ARE laminated - and we love them. The white shelf holds, from top to bottom, Mama's political/parenting/homeschooling books, then Little House on the Prairie mixed with How to [farm, raise chickens, butcher turkeys, milk a cow, make cheese, build a root cellar, weave a basket], and Natural Remedy type books. Third shelf is classics like Austen, Anne of Green Gables, Story like the Wind, an old set of James Whitcomb Riley, and some spiritual books. Fourth shelf is mostly theology and bible study resources. Fifth is supplements to The Great Books, and an old Childcraft set, and the bottom holds tall things - Encyclopedia of Country Living, binders, baby and wedding books, and a basket of magazines. The green shelf is still a mess, but the top houses my paper trimmers, linking cubes, big wooden beads, then we have some MathUSee manipulatives , and current reads and resources (Handbook of Nature Study, Usborne Geography, field guides for bugs and birds. Next is some James Herriot (not sure where he needs to live, but for now he's there) and "non-twaddle" free reading books for Big Sister. Below that is some of Baby's toys, and other tall things. Lastly is Really Tall Things, some of which can't even stand upright. Castles of Scotland, Bible Atlas, Saxon teacher guides, etc. You can see the beginning of our timeline at the upper right of the photo.

Here's a corner perspective in which you can see my little corner spot. This was once a set of wide, big shelves, but two years ago in the Great Room Redo, I enclosed them, took out the 2 bottom shelves and installed a shelf at 'desk height.' I also put folding closet doors on it, but I don't usually close them very often. :\ The shelves hold various things; my printer copier, extra supplies (paint, pencils, pens, erasers, crayons), flash cards, Brain Quest things, the rest of the Math U See stuff (and we don't use their curric), page protectors, rubber bands, sandpaper (?)... Behind the upper part of the cabinet is a narrow 'half shelf' which holds some old treasures, the stamp collection my Granny helped me with, etc. The File cabinet LOCKS, and therefore holds scissors, glue, dry erase markers, and much more. :) Little Artist has her desk here, and her chair, and... a bar of soap? I guess that could be handy.. The rug here is an outdoor patio-style rug, which doesn't protect the carpet so much as it hides it.

Here's a little more of the kids' corner. You can see it's 'hemmed in' with a coffee table (basket of baby toys, basket of schoolbooks) and Big Sister's desk. On the right you can see the window fronted by a sturdy 6-drawer dresser (holds mostly old pictures, tissue paper/gift wrap, and other things that are no-nos) topped with a dollhouse. You can't see the round dining-style table in this corner (or the myriad bits of cut up paper that usually serve as floor beneath it) or the back door, but they're there. :)

So there we are! I do wish DOING school was as easy as the planning and preparation! :)

The Rest of the Story

2011-09-01T17:51:00.001-06:00

The first part here.

So there we were in the ER, Hubby hooked to every kind of intervention you can imagine. Sedated. Steroids. Antibiotics. It was as though one thing required the next.. and the next.. and the next.

When I arrived at the ER, I mentioned that all my inlaws were there. MIL and FIL and I went back to the room where they had him, and the aunts/uncles offered to watch the girls. We were for a while in the ER, where we were asked all about his medical history, the circumstances of the day, etc. The good news was that the preliminary bloodwork looked fine. Nothing amiss there. The CT scan they did while we waited also came out clear. No brain bleed, stroke, or tumors. The excellent nurse (Garth) explained what was planned and how it would work; Hubby would be moved to the Intensive Care Unit overnight, where they would keep him sedated (they didn't want to remove the ventilator until they knew he was not swelling in his throat at all, and didn't want him awake with a vent in). While they moved him, it would be 45 minutes and NO ONE is allowed in the ICU at that time. [I'm not sure why. Maybe medical experimentation, or probing. hehe.]

We followed a nurse or someone up to the ICU waiting area where we chose the "Family" waiting room, which was very family-friendly; a large L-shaped room, kitchenette, tv, lots of seating, and doors which close to keep the little ones safe. My MIL went back to the ER waiting room to bring everyone else to where we were. She returned with an uncle, 2 cousins, another cousin and his family (from out of town, but they were passing through when they got word of the situation), both sisters, a brotherinlaw... I got a phone call from another cousin who had left on vacation that morning, but heard about it and wanted to let me know they were praying, and prayed with me on the phone. It was like a family reunion, I tell ya.

Someone was missing though. A few someones. Hubby's brotherinlaw, the father of the little birthday girl, had offered to take the kids... all the kids. I will just describe him here, so you can see why I love this. Brutha Josh is kindof short, strong build, former policeman, current mine-worker (?), future diesel mechanic, LOTS of tattoos, no hair, and (recently) trending towards cowboy. He took his 2 year old, our special-needs niece (almost 7), and my four (almost 10, 7, almost 4, and one-day-away-from-2) in my other sisterinlaw's van, and took care of business. He drove them to Burger King and bought them a late dinner - making sure my Li'l Artist had food that was safe for her - then took them to Grandma's and tucked them all in with blankies and pillows in the living room, and put a movie on. He even diapered Baby. :)

Once they had Hubby all hooked up in ICU, 2 at a time could visit him. Mom and I went in and could tell they'd washed his face. He looked much more comfortable in the bed, and - again - was hooked up to myriad machinery. Now he also had an automated blood-pressure cuff. A giant touchscreen recorded and displayed his breathing and respirations, blood pressure, heartrate, and probably more. Some of that information was displayed in the hallways on even bigger monitors. From the nurses' station, they could see every patient's heartrate at a glance. If and when something odd happened (anything outside preset parameters), things would beep, and the appropriate patient's information would flash. Did I mention that this hospital just opened in May? I think I've figured out how they plan to pay for it, but I digress.

There was no change in Hubby. Still sedated, still medicated for everything, still operating on an anaphylaxis diagnosis. I left to go check on the girls (this is midnight or so) and take their pajamas and Baby's blankie to them. And maybe check on Uncle Josh...

First I stopped in the Family Waiting Room, gave what I could for an update and sent Hubby's dad to see him. At my inlaws', the kids were watching a movie and Josh explained that he'd fed them, but was careful for Li'l Artist's limitations, etc, and was doing well with such a job. I brought in pajamas, tucked everyone in and took my sisterinlaw's van back to the hospital (I wanted to leave my van and carseats with the kids, just in case). I got back to the hospital around 1 am or shortly thereafter, and my inlaws left. Mom did tell me, however, that the IV pump had beeped (they'd not plugged it in after the transfer to ICU, and its battery was complaining). Hubby had sat up and tried to get up, momentarily. She had gone over to say "Honey, you're in the hospital." I asked her if she'd been tempted to say, "Honey, you've been abducted by aliens!" or something, but apparently I am the only one with such a twisted sense of humor... I lied down about 1:30, but the incredible amount of grit that was on my pillowcase, no matter how often I brushed it or turned it over, prevented much rest.

I got up when they came to... swab... his mouth. It was like a dentist vacuum/spray and a spongey swab, which they inserted in the last little bit of open space left in his mouth. He opened his eyes at this point too, but slept again soon.

At 4:00 a.m. they came to turn off his sedation medicine, and then they said, "Can you open your eyes?" and he did. The nurse explained that they would bring a respiratory therapist so they would be able to remove the tube as soon as possible. He nodded. At one point she left, and with his wrist strapped to the bed, managed to lift his hand a little, and make a gesture. He pointed at his face, and then made a fist and forcefully jerked his fist away from himself. I knew he was saying, "this thing: OUT. NOW." I smiled and reassured him they were going to do so right away. I also told the nurse that he had made a very clear, somewhat insistent gesture on the subject. The respiratory therapist showed up, explained some things, did some things -- like taking a sample of respiratory fluid by effectively cutting off his air and prompting him to cough, a lot. He also did something to check Hubby's diaphragm control, and Hubby was sailing through the tests, such as they were. At some point in this, they changed the ventilator (via touchscreen!) from full respiration to cpap, which is an influx of air, but the work of breathing is effectively the patient's. Hubby did well at this, but before they could remove the equipment he had to take arterial blood from his wrist and have the lab test CO2 levels, or something. The therapist very wisely explained that he would be unfastening Hubby's wrist, but the effects of Hubby prematurely removing the ventilator on his own would result in some pretty serious vocal chord damage, among other things. Hubby refrained from any efforts on this front. :) We spent several minutes playing handicapped charades. He, with hands tied down and no way to speak, trying to tell me to turn off the lights... Or that the corner of his eye needed scratched... That one took a while...

About 5:30 they were able to remove the ventilator and OG tube. What a process! He did great though. And I don't think I will ever forget the way he turned to me, and in the raspiest of whispers said, "stroke?" That was about the hardest thing up to that point, believe it or not. HE, asking ME, and thinking that's what it might have been... I don't even know if that makes sense, or if I can describe it, but I still feel my stomach twist when I think of it.

"No honey, no. All the major tests have been fine. They suspect an allergic reaction. I think the heat had a lot to do with it too, and you didn't have any water up there..." I fed him ice, then water, they removed the catheter and maybe one of the IVs. Then he dozed. I tried to do the same, and peered at a blue-clad woman as she did an EKG on him. I don't think there's a single test they didn't do.

Later I got back to my inlaws and took the girls home to catch up on some things while they moved Hubby to a 'regular' hospital room. I showered - finally! - and we fed chickens, and calves, and brought the laundry that had been on the clothesline overnight (and put out another load, and put a load in the wash!).

Hubby continued in the hospital, got an EEG (to check for seizures), and I took the girls to see him for the first time. Hubby was tired, but 'mostly fine,' and we awaited a doctor to read the EEG. Which didn't come that day, of course! :) I took the kids home and we slept in our own beds that night (more laundry switching!), and tried to get to town early Tuesday morning. One of the 'first responders' stopped by (a dairyman from south of town) to see how things were and get any updates that might help hone their expertise.

Late afternoon a doctor finally read the EEG, and it was fine. This was a big relief. He'd been itching to come home, but the doctor who does that is as busy as the doctor who reads EEGs, I think. Finally he called (I was at my inlaws') and they were NOT going to discharge him because his white blood cell count was high. *sigh* While relating most of this information to the family, the overtired doctor (he was) realized they'd given him steroids, which would do that, so they WOULD let him go after all. And there was much rejoicing.

My sweet friend who teaches a mom's bible study made us dinner that night (we had also seen her in the day, and there were cookies involved), which she delivered to us at Hubby's folks' right after we finally 'got out.' We ate it then and there, as Mom certainly expected we would've been home by then and didn't plan on us for dinner. What a blessing.

Hubby had to continue several days on a couple antibiotics to deal with the aspiration pneumonia, and had to wear a little monitor/recorder for his heart for 48 hours. His discharge paperwork noted "Heat exhaustion/dehydration" as his problem, with some concern for a cardiac problem (varied bp readings during his stay, though after he shifted position in the ICU after being un-hooked, his auto-bp registered very differently).

Last week we confirmed that there was "nothing remarkable" about his heart monitor stuff, and he never even pushed The Button (which would flag the area) for shortness of breath, or anything else. [then again, he was home watching Star Trek from dawn to dusk, because resting is a big part of pneumonia recovery!]

I had the hospital forward all of his records to Hubby's naturopath, who looked them all over. I had never followed up with the EKG, and the cardiologist nurses/technicians/assistants weren't very consistent with their answers about the meaning of "Abn EKG" written somewhere, nor very efficient at trying to track down specific information on the subject. In any case, we were very happy to hear the naturopath say that everything was within normal range - including the EKG. This was a big blessing, to be sure!

He continues to do well, working long days (but staying hydrated!) without much problem. There don't seem to be any noticeable after-effects, for which we're grateful. Well, except we all have a little more gratitude for Life, and health!

Soon to come: Cost efficiency analysis of water, vs life-flight-plus-night-in-ICU. :)

Remembrance

2011-08-23T18:44:00.000-06:00

It has been a wild week. There's really not a way to make this into a funny, or moving story, but I want to write it down to remember anyways. So here goes...

Last Sunday (the 14th) the kids and I went to our niece's 2nd birthday. She was the one born a day before Baby. They are two now! Hubby stayed at home, still trying to get everything together to water our very dead, very dry pasture. We left the party around 4 pm, went shopping for a few groceries, then headed home. This must've been 5:00-5:30 or so. Hubby wasn't around the house, but I was busy getting napping kids out of carseats and groceries into the fridge, hanging out some laundry, etc, so I didn't have time to look for him at first. The kids asked about him, and I said I didn't know. Finally I stepped out onto the porch to have a look-see, and his truck was indeed gone from tits parking space. However, it was parked just across the fence in the pasture, and he was walking across the lawn.
There you are," I said.

Hubby, working on The Hole in Spring. This is near the site he was working.

"What?" he replied. He looked quite hot and tired and was kindof short with his answers, so I went back into the house. I expected him to come in for a drink or a rest, but the next thing I saw, he was zipping back up the pasture in his truck.

Some time later I wondered how things were going, so I decided to call him. This was perhaps just after 7:00. I couldn't find my cell phone, so calld him with the house phone, but he didn't answer. This is not terribly unusual; the phone could be in his stuck and he might bhave stepped away for a time, or have his hands busy. I located my ocell phone, and called him again, and yet again, without answer. The last call was at 7:16. I decided I might walk up andcheck on things, and wondered if he had any waterwith him. I stepped out and looked in his work truck, and saw his big insulated thing there, so knew THAT wasn't with him. Nor was the water jug from the fridge, so I took it in hand, and told the girls I was going up to take water to Daddy. They said they would stay t the house. I walked up there, scanning for his shape, but didn't see any movement. I could see the truck, even earlier from the porch, but no movement. I got close, and saw him.

Face down, in the dirt and weeds.

I ran to him, and crouched down in front of him. It was a hot, sunny day, and his (recently shaved) head and arms were sweaty. "Are you okay?!?" I asked, and he made some sound. He had thrown up on himself, and in several places between him and the truck, which was maybe 10 feet away from him. I kept asking if he was hurt, or if he had been drinking, or what he ate. I instructed him that I would pour some water past his mouth so he could sip some or swish out his mouth, which he kindof tried to do. I looked in the truck bed and saw a reciprocating saw, but it didn't seem to have been used yet. The door to the cab was open and there was an empty bag of Fritos on the seat, and some other things, but no water, no vodka bottles. :) I turned the key off to stop the loud Christian music that was blaring, and went back to him. By now the neighbor working just along the other side of our driveway could see there was a problem, so he appeared. By this time Hubby wasn't responding much, though we turned him to his side. He was not injured, and I had threatened to call 911 if he didn't tell me what was going on, or what had happened. He told me not to call. The neighbor told me to call. His wife brought a bowl of water and a cloth, and I washed the bits and dirt from his face and I called the 911 operator. Who I think was some dude just hanging out at home, and not at all like the "Rescue 911" show I remember watching.

Does Hubby look like a splat? I hope not; there were only so many shapes to choose from...

The First Responders (volunteers) showed up, with directing from the neighbor they found the gate, and drove into the pasture. After a time more people came, real live paramedics, the local firehouse's ambulance, I'm not sure what all. Among all the walking feet, I asked the neighbor if he could pick up Hubby's glasses which I'd seen on the ground between us and the pickup, but hadn't had a chance to get. Hubby wasn't responding to anyone, and they started an IV and took his blood pressure, which for him was quite low at 90/58. There was an oxygen mask on him at this point, and we'd strapped him to a stretcher. He started to heave again, and as I was sitting at his head, I moved the oxygen thing off his mouth and nose and grabbed the stretcher (as did everyone else) to turn him to his side so he wouldn't aspirate. After a few minutes of this, he was laid back flat and the mask replaced. Perhaps after this I moved out of the way, because I was more towards his legs/feet when they gave him epinephrin. Several people asked me if he was allergic to bees, and I was pretty certain he wasn't, but he seemed (to them) swollen about the face so they administered it through the IV. They cut his shirt off at some point too. I sent a text message to his mom (which she didn't see), and called the house to check on the girls (the calves were out, they couldn't get them back in, but a neighbor lady was around. I suggested getting a bit of grain to lure them, which she did, as well as drug them with the halter-rope).

A woman First Responder talked to me and answered my questions as things happened. I do not remember all of it, nor in the right order, but there was discussion among the people there, and the people on the radio about the dryness (fire hazard) of the field, and the bumpiness, and the inconvenient gate placement. When they decided they'd have to go through the fence at the nearest point, I asked if we couldn't just toss his carcass over or something..? We just *finally* finished that fence, after all! :] Someone on the radio asked if they "should send fire." The lady replied "yes." "Oh no, DON'T send fire," I joked (I suppose it could be weird to talk like that at such a time. I do the same thing in labor). She smiled and said, "oh, we have the local fire department prepare all our landing sites." I nodded, though I wasn't sure what this meant. They kept traffic away from the ambulance? 'Landing site' = 'staging area' perhaps?

Um, no.

'Landing site = landing site.' For the life flight helicopter. Discussion about the site, the field, the buildings, the small trees in the field... Mouth agape I asked, 'they're sending Life Flight???" Yes. "Because we have a fence??" Oh no. NOT because you have a fence...

Before or after this, a man addressed me and said "because he can't protect his own airway, we have to intubate him." Wow. I always thought that was for pretty severe cases, but I was in no position to argue it. I suppose they didn't want him puking into his lungs on the trip. :]

Life Flight landed alongside the driveway in the neighbor's clearing. The fire department had shown up and sprinkled a bit of water on the dry dustiness. It would not be enough. :)

They finally had him to the point they were ready to move him, and weren't sure how to get him to the helicopter. One of the first responders (the one who'd driven into the field - and left the gate open for the calves to escape. :) ) offered to load him into the back of his pickup, and they all agreed. He backed his pickup nearby and many of them climbed into the pickup with the stretcher. Thankfully they didn't *cut* our fence, but only un-clipped it from the t-posts and laid it on the ground. The truck drove over and they loaded him into the helicopter. At first I didn't want to walk by all the people standing where the ambulance and vehicles were, so I walked in the field for a short distance, watching to see when they would take off. Then I decided I had better go that way after all, for the fence would need put back up. The pilots gestured for me and another person or two to move back more, so I joined the people alongside the ambulance. But first I took a picture with my cell phone, because I knew he would never believe it...

The helicopter engine whined as it sped up. The dust from the area they were parked, and the driveway, was unbelievable. The setting sun was completely obscured. Before it was THAT bad though, I crouched down and put the hem of my dress over my nose and closed my eyes. I wish I had stayed that way, but there must have been a change in the dust, or the sound, or something, because I eased up on my improvised ventilator....

Oh. My. Gosh.

Next time I'm in the vicinity of a helicopter taking off from a gravel/dirt/dust pad, I'm running a whole lot farther a whole lot faster. After the dust came the rocks. It was like a sandstorm, a macro-dermabrasion, a sandblasting of amazing proportion. I dared not take a breath, but I was out of air. I shook my head and turned as much as I could away from the pelting, but was barely able to hold it long enough. Finally it stopped, and I pried my eyes open and carefully gasped for air. The neighbor next to me said, "I'd have offered you my straw hat, but I see you already have one." My hair was FULL of straw - dried bits of dead grass and weeds and seeds and DIRT and ROCKS. Wow. Truly this was almost more incredible than the whole experience with Hubby had been! A paramedic told me to go to the ER in Town to find my husband, but to do what I needed to beforehand, that there was no hurry. I (very ladylike) paused to spit out a mouthful of grit before responding. : \ This was about 8:00 or shortly after, I think.

By this time all four girls were under our nearest neighbor's willow trees, sitting as though it were all a grand show. A neighbor lady from further west was sitting with them (I believe she was the one to help with the calves), and the sweet lady who lives there was standing in her driveway wringing her hands and shaking her head (she is a wonderful neighbor, and loves us to pieces. She is not a believer though, and has a hard time with some things). I paused to talk to each neighbor in turn (as well as a girl with a baby on her hip.. I think she might be the daughter of the first neighbor who came to help me in the field), and gather up my girls. I told them Daddy was sick, but was being taken care of and we had to go to the hospital to see him and see how things were going.

We walked up the dusty drive, me spitting occasionally and trying to brush debris from my hair. Reaching down the back of my dress, I could pinch dirt and grit right off my skin. My underwear were gravelly. (!) At home I gave instructions and tried to think straight (get pajamas, change of clothes, Baby's quilt, Hubby's vitamins?). I brushed at my hair (which was pinned up kindof into a bun, mind you, but I carry a halo of fuzziness after working for any amount of time. Ugh), and changed my clothes - and the gritty panties.

We climbed into the van and I made a couple phone calls - I think I had called my folks from the house, asking them to pray, which they did immediately. I found Hubby's work phone in his work truck, and was able to access his contacts and call his boss and let him know Hubby would not be working in the morning. I called my mother in law, who answered without much excitement, and I knew she had not seen my text message. I told her I was headed to the ER, that they'd taken Hubby there because I found him face down in the field semi-responsive. It was slightly comedic, as she asked "his heart?!?" and I heard the echo from others in the room with her "heart? heart attack?" I told her they didn't know yet, but hoped to find out soon. I told her we might be imposing on her, or would need perhaps somewhere to keep the kids, and she assured me that they "would be there." This was 8:45.

She was at the ER by the time I arrived - also my fatherinlaw, both sistersinlaw, at least one of their husbands, plus the little birthday girl, and a 7yo niece. The other's husband might have been there too; I know he was there later, but I didn't see him at first, or I don't remember it. Hubby's folks and I went in while the aunts/uncles/cousins and my girls stayed outdoors. The sun had set by now (9pm or shortly after).

Sunset from my home, June 2010

Hubby was tied to a bed, had the endo-tracheal tube hooked to a ventilator, an OG tube pumping his stomach, a catheter, and IVs in both arms. They had him sedated, were doing more bloodwork, and took him for a while for a CT scan. They said he seemed to be less swollen than even he was at arrival, so was responding to the epinephrin. LOTS more questions and information, and a bag full of sliced-and-diced underwear and shorts. :] Plus his wallet and cell phone. They left his shirt in the back of his pickup.

I will end here for now, because I've been working on this nearly a week, and won't have it done EVER at this rate. I will add that Hubby is doing well, and though there are things we still have to follow up with, he's home and functioning fine at this point.

This Year's Purchases

2011-08-02T16:43:00.000-06:00

For the Homeschool. :)

This year has been fairly light on the "books" buying - partly because we still have lots of last year's stuff to use up, and partly because we use Ambleside Online, and so many of those books are available free on my Kindle.

I'm doing Year 3.5 for Big Sister, since I don't think she's ready for the independence and rigors of Year 4 just yet.

I've invented "Year 1.5" for Li'l Artist, pretty much starting at the halfway point of Year 1 where we kindof fell off the bandwagon. I hope to be able to give a little more attention to her now that Baby is weaned, but we'll see how that goes! The biggest hurdle with her is attitude. *sigh* Which is probably true for most of us. :]

This year I bought:

A set of maps - World and US - from Christian Book Distributors. WOW. I'm impressed. I've bought 'laminated' maps before, which were little more than paper posters with a sheen on the top surface - they still creased and tore terribly and didn't last long in the Land of Organique. :] These are different. They really ARE laminated! There is probably a 1/4" or more of clear plastic 'laminating' around the edges, both front and back are covered, and they're STURDY. They also look lovely, and were less than $20 for the set (Amazon sells the same things individually for $16 apiece).
Everyday Graces, a Child's Book of Good Manners - This is by Karen Santorum, wife of former senator (?) from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum. I've only read bits, but I love that she used REAL, GOOD LITERATURE excerpts to illustrate a point or value. For instance, in "Honor your Parents," one of the stories is from the end of Princess and the Goblin, where Curdie saves everyone and especially looks out for his parents in it all. We love that story. :)
Audubon Society Field Guide for Birds - to go with our Bug one. :)
Some Italic Handwriting Books by Getty-Dubay. Books B and E, I believe. I'm thinking about buying the font from educationalfontware... How handy would that be???
A Paper Trimmer from Costco, by Purple Cow. It's not the expensive self-sharpening carbon-bladed things like the school districts have, but cheap enough to make the quality worthwhile. :)
Also from Costco, and by Purple Cow, a laminator. What a steal. For less than $20 the chore sheets are now (nearly) indestructible. :) It came with a packet of 'sleeves' and I'm quite pleased with it so far.
Pattern Block and Tangram cards. These are a LOT bigger than I thought - full page size, instead of my imagined flash-card size. :) The kids love them already though, and I think it will be a helpful activity for Organique.
A NICE sketchbook to serve as a Nature Notebook. And $2 cheaper than the black version when I ordered. :)
An inexpensive (but glass!) magnifying glass. This is what the girls were most excited for out of our amazon order. :)
Drawing Textbook, by Bruce McIntyre. This looks PERFECT for what I want to do. Very basic, 'learn to draw' lessons. It's small, but worth the $13 (including shipping) I paid.
The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. I'm still waiting on this. :( It looks lovely, and I feel like the girls need an example of a Nature Notebook. And I'd like to read it too. :)
A(nother) timer. I like the ones with numbered keys, as opposed to 'start/stop/clear'. This was the cheapest, and works so far. The magnet is a little wimpy, so it can't hold itself up very well, but that's okay.
Several smoke detectors. Ahem.
Replacement label cartridges for my P-Touch. :) I bought that little thing for about $17. It's now about $80. Not sure what happened there, but I'm glad I bought it back when I did!

And I didn't buy it, but we've become the happy new owners of a GINORMOUS chalkboard. It's 4' x 8' and fills the majority of one wall in the schoolroom. I painted over the aluminum frame with white primer, and covered the green board itself with the same color of paint we used for our 'chalkboard' doors in the schoolroom a couple years ago. It looks fantastic, but... I'm not sure it will last. I wiped away a mistake with a damp cloth (probably long before I should've used it), and tried to write again... a bit of paint tore away, so I'm not sure if it's going to make it or not. There's no way we're removing it from the wall (it weighs a LOT), so I hope any other necessary treatments can be done indoors and with no-VOC paint! :]

I'd *like* to buy another Kindle... I know, I know, how many does one Mama need, anyway?!? The thing is, that Big Sister's reading is almost *all* on the Kindle, and a majority of Little Artist's is too. We'll see how the sharing of it goes, and if we spend too much time waiting for the other one to finish or whatever, we'll look into it more.

Oh, and our best little pencil sharpener is MIA (again. Seems like always). Baby was the last seen possessor of said sharpener, so who knows when it will show up? :]

When I get the room in perfect order *guffaws* I'll take photos and post them here. :)

New Idea

2011-07-25T15:08:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I have a new money-making scheme.

My husband used to watch a YouTube channel of this crazy guy that rednecked cars into trikes, and other wild antics. He also had some useful 'how to clean the carburetor' videos. Of course, when it was discovered he had been a voyeur/pedophile, they cancelled him, but not before he'd shown off his $15,000/mo checks from YouTube.

I think I could do that. Not so much the how-to carb thing, and not so much useful to anyone, but for antics? Oh yeah. I even have a good name for it. "How Not to Farm." Or maybe "Idiots with Animals."

If I only had a videographer for that last episode...

Since Sir Loin was a wee calf 2 months ago, I've been trying to get Hubby to use the dehorning paste on him. It hasn't gone well, so finally, at or just past the age at which the paste is an option, I decided I'd better do my best on my own. Ahem. I reviewed the video I'd bookmarked on YouTube, on how to use Dr. Naylor's Super Easy Dehorning Paste:

Okay, so they don't call it "Super Easy" but it sure came across that way to me. "Allow the calf to rest away from other animals."

What was that about optional anesthetic, or tranquilizer? Hm.

The other day I did the first step; shaving around their horn buds. I found an old rechargeable electric razor that had a little flip-up part for sideburns. Sideburns = calf horns, yes? Apparently no. Maybe the battery just didn't have enough juice, but the first attempt on Ground Chuck (he's handicapped, I'll have to write about that next) stopped the razor cold. And the fur was jammed in the trimmer, having bogged down like a jeep on safari (you need a land rover. Trust me.). I took it back into the house, along with several strands of Chuck's fur, and got out the big gun. Er, trimmer. It's an old Oster hair trimmer that my grandma used on my uncle and all the neighbor boys in the '50s. I don't even know where or how to oil the blades, but it cuts smoother than anything else, according to those on whom I've used it. Of course, it's not rechargeable, so I had to drag out the extension cord (you thought I'd bring the livestock indoors, didn't you?), and then turn it on. It starts up slightly reminiscent of a jet engine; it takes about a minute to get up to speed, and the whirring sound slowly rises in pitch.

I did manage to shave both Chuck and T-Bone, if barely. For some reason they don't like to hold still when there is a motorized blade buzzing in their ear. They retained their eyesight, too (also barely). :]

So a day or two later, I found my blue rubber gloves, my recently-purchased-just-for-this-purpose vaseline, and Dr. Naylor's Magic Goop. Oh, and a clothespin that had sprung, in place of a popsicle stick.

First I tried to rub a ring of vaseline around Chuck's horn buttons, as shown in the video. Hm. It was less a 'ring' and more a series of blobs, some in the right spots, some not. Good thing he has long, protective eyelashes. I did the same to T-Bone, having tied him to the plum tree.

Now for the goop... Because of their twitchiness (or mine?), I tied Chuck to the clothesline pole, with a very, very short lead. Like none. Then I got a little pan of molassified grain to occupy him (he NEVER gets that kind of thing) while I carefully, gloves on, opened the Goop and scooped a bit out on my clothespin. I gently applied the paste, mostly in just the right spot, with the girls looking on (having been warned to stay far back and not touch this stuff or Chuck all day unless they want holes eaten through their bodies).

A bit of perspective: My neighbor told me to be careful of rain when I did this. His friend had a hole in his barn roof, that leaked on a calf with dehorning paste. The water fell on its head, the paste ran down the side of its face, and truly dissolved that which it touched. Its jaw bone, everything. I'm sure it had to be put down, if it wasn't dead from that.

Back to How Not to Farm: Chuck wasn't quite as nonchalant as the calves in the video. He paused from his grain chewing to shake his head and look startled. I did get both horn buds coated, however, and stepped away to put the lid on, prepare the hazardous material for T-Bone, etc. Chuck snorted, and pulled at his rope and I turned back to look at him. He was rubbing his head on the pole. I hope my clothesline pole doesn't dissolve, I thought.

The next thing I know, Chuck had gotten enough room in his rope to reach the ground, where he was rubbing his head and face in the grass. It was at this point I knew this was not going to work out like I'd hoped.

Thankfully I'd briefed myself in the "in case of..." section of the instructions, and determined, quickly, to "rinse thoroughly in a lot of water." I hollered to Organique to "Turn on the hose, a lot!" Which she did. I picked up the business end of the hose, and apologetically began to "rinse" Chuck. Cattle don't naturally take to rinsing, apparently, because there was a lot of rope-tugging, sputtering, snorting. I would give him a second to catch his breath, and "rinse" again. I also hollered at Big Sister to bring me a gallon of white vinegar, which took her several tries to locate, but she finally brought it to me. I eased off the hose for a moment, and with another apology, doused Chuck fully with vinegar. Repeat tugging/sputtering/snorting. Poor critter! But it was better than letting his face dissolve, yes? I repeated the water and vinegar for some time before finally letting him to his destiny in the sunshine, away from the (probably dissolving) grass.

T-Bone was spared the treatment. I came indoors and updated my facebook status to "Well, I won't be trying THAT again..." (really, I could probably just copy/paste that status a few times a week, at least.)

The calves have recovered from all but the bad haircut and just a wee bit of greasy petroleum jelly in their hair. I'm not sure if *I* have recovered, but I think I would feel better about it if I were a YouTube sensation, pulling in $15K/mo, don't you?

Motivation?

2011-07-16T11:35:00.001-06:00

[emphases all mine]

When you read this:

“Official projections say the world’s population will peak at 9.3 billion [up from 6.6 billion today] but with charitable initiatives, such as better reproductive healthcare, we think we can cap that at 8.3 billion,” ~Bill Gates

"The world today has 6.8 billion people. That's heading up to about nine billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15 percent!" ~Bill Gates

And this, from Malawi Voice:

"About 131 children [from Malawi] who fled into neighboring Mozambique during the anti measles vaccine a few months ago were vaccinated this week at gunpoint."

And this, from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation:

‘So the country [Malawi], one of the commitments that they’ve made is to build out this cadre of front line workers they call them in their country health surveillance assistants. So every month these 11,000 health surveillance assistants spend 3 weeks out in the villages, talking with the villagers providing basic vaccinations … They make sure the vaccinations happen, not only at the village level but all the way back through the system.’ ~ Melinda Gates on Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health in Malawi

You really have to wonder if it's all "for the good of the poor" or just some diabolical effort to promote their population ideals. (Bill Gates does explain his concerns with overpopulation are served by his global vax efforts. That better health + vaccines = fewer children born, since you don't "need" to have 10 children to get 2 to adulthood. I find this somewhat faulty, because if the diseases are so bad that many don't live to adulthood, why bother attempting to change that via vaccination or anything else?)

Just a thought: WHO the heck do they think they are? Do they really think they should try to control the population of the ENTIRE world?!? Just because they're billionaires, suddenly the rest of us should listen to them (and be subject to their preferences, at gunpoint?) in regards to subjects like this...? If they'd like to lecture about business-building, or some other relevant issue (in regards to their success) I'm all ears. But about medicine? Reproduction? I daresay it's none of their business.

Roots 2

2011-07-13T05:05:00.000-06:00

I wrote before about the farm from which some of my great-great-greats hailed. That was the beginning of ~~some~~ way too much research into the subject. :) I called Gigi after that, to tell her how I could see it on the satellite map and everything. I wanted to confirm whether my great-grandma was born there or not (she and her parents came to America when she was about 10, in 1903 or so, and met with some other family and acquaintances who had already immigrated). Gigi said, no, not there, but they used to name the houses, and that Grandma Great used to talk about Plunton House as their home.

On a lark I typed in "Plunton House, Kirkcudbright, Scotland" into Google maps (pronounced "kur-KOO-bree"). Un. Be. Lievable. Yep; it's still there - or some house is, in the right area with the right name.

Think about that for a minute. How old is an OLD house in your area? My area was settled about 100 years ago or so, and there are still some houses standing from that time, because they're made from the rock pulled from the fields. :) How long has your family lived in the area where you are? Do they still live in the same house? Are your grandparents within a few miles from you?

View Larger Map

In looking up Grandma Great's parents' names, I found that her father was born in that same house. Do you know anyone who is raising their family in the very house in which they were born? HIS father was born at a house (of which google maps can nearly put me on the porch!) about 5 miles away from that (it also has a name. still.). These are all within 5-8 miles of the farm.

Something inside me is just amazed by all of that. How would it be to wake every morning to the walls that watched your mom or dad grow up? To walk the land walked by your grandparents when they were your age. I imagine a childhood instilled with belonging; with place, and purpose. Surely it might seem stifling at times, or constricting, but compared with today's typical lifestyle, it's incredible. Today we do what we want, we go here, go there, wrack up debt, change direction as often as the wind - that is not all bad, and certainly a cross-country separation still offers a lot more connection via technology than those ancestors even shared (possibly) from the next county over - but what an amazing difference. What would you do, how would you live, if you knew it was an important link in the generations of your family? I tend to take things one day at a time, working out what to have for dinner and sometimes what to aim for a few years down the road. But when I look back on these families that went before me, I see such a vista. Generations lined up like stair-steps, passing the baton until... me. What will my great-great-grandchildren see when they look back at me? Am I building a foundation they can build on? Will my decisions set them back? Am I taking this baton with the intent to pass it on, or will I drop it, trade it off, or use it up somehow? Talk about a perspective in Purpose.

It's popular these days to slap a sticker on your RV that says, "We're spending our children's inheritance," while you spend your golden years making up for the sacrifices your children cost you in earlier times. I submit that that's pretty near wicked. What a terminal view of things. Look back. Look at those who came before you, and realize you are where you are partly due to them. What do you hope for the generations after you? How can you add to that possibility?

It's also assumed in our culture that once you're 18, you're 'on your own.' Even if you can't afford to totally move out of your parents' home, it's generally accepted that you will have your own job, make your own schedule, run with your own friends, and do your own thing. You're solo - whatever you are and whatever you do is up to you, fall or fly. Sometimes there's no choice but that, but should that be our accepted ideal? Maybe we should link arms and see how far we can go together...

Now it's easy to think this is all about money and assets. But it's so much more than that. What if you knew your place and purpose and role in the Kingdom of God? What if your environment was a reminder of that place, of those who came before and those who will come after, and you knew you were an important link in it? What would your decisions look like then? What would you build? How would you live? It really makes ME realize that it's almost completely not about me. Even if dinner is still a question mark. :) I need to think about where to carry that baton, and how best to help the next generation prepare for their turn.

A part of me longs for that time and that kind of secure sense of belonging (or what I assume it to be; what it looks like from here), but I need to redirect that and realize I DO belong, I DO have an important purpose and role here and now. Whether I know it or not, I WILL be an influential part of the line (both spiritually and materially). It is a blessing to be aware of that. Now I pray to be equal to the task at hand...

Roots

2011-07-12T17:05:00.000-06:00

The other day, and I don't remember why, I googled the name of the farm in Scotland that my great-great-great grandparents had before they emigrated to America in the late 1800s. I didn't know where it would be, but I hoped I'd recognize a name or something, if I came close. I did. And then I entered the name of the farm (no address) into google maps.

Wow.

Would you believe it puts it right on the site?

View Larger Map

I'm pretty sure the confinement barns are new. :) I'm fascinated that a farm in production 200 years ago is STILL in production today, in the same industry (dairy). Obviously things have changed A LOT since then, but do you see the homesite to the left of the big barns? The little lane looks as though it runs through the old-style L-shaped barns that surround the barnyard (like in James Herriot's Treasury for Children). I can't be sure, but that's what it seems like to me.

It gets better though. Or worse, depending on your perspective. :] I'm glad it's not my farm, in this case:

View Larger Map

This street view just blows my mind AND scares the crud out of me, all at the same time. You can turn 360˙ and take in the whole view, and 'walk' along the road. When my forebears left this area, they really never expected to see the place, or the people, ever again. And here I can sit in my rocking chair with my computer on my lap and 'see' everything. Wow.

Have you traced your family line at all? I've absorbed many stories and a lot of information from Gigi, but I need to take the time to sit down and 'interview' her. And my husband's grandparents. I certainly don't have the time to sit down and really get into the genealogy thing, but you know what? By the time I have the time, the information could be long lost. Take the time today to write down what you know, or call your grandparents and at least get some names, dates, places. Then later, when you have the time, you can do the census research and all that. It can be a fascinating and meaningful exercise. You never know what you'll discover. :)

Confirmed Freakhood

2011-07-10T22:51:00.019-06:00

We were at Costco the other day, after a full day of errands that I did NOT feel ready for (that holiday week just messed me up), and keeping the kids from climbing into or on the huge displays of everything was wearing on me. I was not thinking of the special joys my children bring, or of their uniqueness and purpose. The hassle was all I could see.

We accepted a few samples along the way (fewer for Little Artist and her dietary limitations), and came upon the dinosaur-shaped chicken nugget stand. The lady smiled at the girls and said, "I have your favorite thing right here! Chicken nuggets!"

Organique grinned at her the same way she had before the grandiose announcement, and I asked her, "have you ever had a chicken nugget, honey?"

"No," shaking her head, still grinning. The lady looked from her to me, with some astonishment. Big Sister spoke up, "oh yeah, I think I had these once." Shock registered on the sample-giver's face. I smiled and mentioned that we DO eat chicken, it's just usually shaped more like a chicken, and less like a dinosaur, since we raise them ourselves.... and the work involved to get it to nugget-stage just wouldn't be worth it. :) Her eyebrows rose a bit and she said she wouldn't know how to do that (raise and process chickens) at all. I smiled again and pointed to Big Sister and Little Artist. "It's not too hard. They can do the whole thing, on their own." The shock returned to the lady's expression, but it included a bit less of "horrified" than the earlier nugget-less revelation. I think she was amazed.

And I got a little reminder, in the midst of a hard day, that my girls are not wholly trouble and trial. They are pretty amazing, too. :)

And the fact that I look with joy at my girls because they each can eviscerate an entire chicken on their own (several, actually), and identify all the pertinent parts... Well, that confirms that I'm a freak, I'm pretty sure. I look forward with both anticipation and trepidation to the day when our children look back on their childhood and realize just how bizarre we truly are... :)

School! Again!

2011-07-09T08:25:00.000-06:00

For the past couple weeks I have been planning next year's schedule for school. It's a job, but it helps me to feel organized and capable, if only on paper. :P

Last year we used Ambleside Online. How did it go? Like all things, it was rough in spots, wonderful in others. :) Li'l Artist still drags her feet when it comes to learning to read, and Big Sister still doesn't like narration, but overall, we LOVE Ambleside. We dropped the ball on the artist and composer studies after the first term or two, and never did implement a foreign language, but we're striving to do better this year.

If you've ever considered a Charlotte Mason - style education, if you love the idea of living books, lots of outdoor playtime and imagination, of putting your kids in touch with Great Ideas, Ambleside really, really helps you implement it.

There's the website, Ambleside Online, which is full of articles, booklists for each year, weekly schedules which divide up the reading for each term, even Miss Mason's writings transcribed for you to read (or a modern translation if you prefer). The composers, hymns, folksongs, and artists are all laid out for you by school year and term in case you have no idea where to start on your own. But beyond the site itself, there is now a facebook group where you can have questions answered and see ideas from other AO users. Before (and beyond) facebook though, there was and is AO yahoo groups. These are run by some fabulous moderators, and have been an endless source of resources and inspiration. This is NOT all the groups, just some I'm familiar with.
AmblesideOnline - for specific implementation of AO's curriculum, the 'main group' I think.
AmbleRamble - for less specific topics, chitchat, etc.
AO Member Schedules - a quiet group, but full of files! Schedules for specific years in table form, in both Word and Excel format. Checklist form is available, and members can upload the schedule format that they use for others to use as well.
AO Cheat Sheets - I'm not super familiar with this one, but I think it has outlines to help parents with the narrations, names/places, information with specific reading selections.
AO Copywork - copywork selections from each year/term's reading.
AO Art Prints and AO/HEO Picture Study - One of these might be 'older' than another, but if you have a color printer, you can print pdf files of the term's art prints.

There are also groups specific to each year, and even each year's printable/freebie books (probably less necessary since the advent of e-readers). There might be more... some groups have files with links for the other AO groups, in case you're looking for a specific year, or special needs, or, ???.

Just recently I've found Charlotte Mason Help. WHAT a beautiful resource. I've printed off information about memory work, the way she schedules (6 weeks standard, then one "grace week" for projects and catch up), the way they implement copywork, nature journaling, dictation. And there's much more there too. She offers a curriculum of her own, but I found the selections to be *very* similar to AO's, so her how-to's and tips are still very relevant for us.

If you homeschool, have you been able to find a method or curriculum that you just *love* and that fits your family? What are some of your favorite resources?

Neem Oil

2011-07-07T10:12:00.000-06:00

Something has been wiping out my beautiful sweet meat squash (as seedlings) and my beans (also seedlings). Other things are getting munched too, but the bigger plants tolerate it much better than the tiny ones.

This year I got neem oil so I could plant squash. This is my last-ditch organic effort before I throw up my hands and invite Monsanto (Satan of the agriculture industry) to build a chemical plant and/or genetic modification lab on my property.

Baby grasshoppers became apparent last week, which disappointed me greatly, as last year I used Nolo Bait to deal with a terrible infestation. It is supposed to have some residual effect but by the time I'd gotten mine from the lady who finally ordered it, it was a bit late in the year. I used neem oil on the ones in my garden area last week, and I believe it had an effect! There are still baby grasshoppers, but fewer.

But my bean sprouts kept getting eaten. My mad scientist friend advised it could be nocturnal bugs, like earwigs (and also told me how to use magnets to grow super-plants, and how to precipitate some toxic acid from crocus bulbs to [naturally] genetically-modify (?) things into super-duper-plants o.O ). I haven't had time to find a compass to determine + and - on my kitchen magnets, but I did don Hubby's LED headlamp and head out into the garden after dark the other night.

Yep.

Earwigs. Perched on (what is left of) my squash seedlings, hanging around the beans. Also roly-polies (sow bugs). The info I looked up on Neem oil didn't say anything about earwigs, but many sites recommended using soapy water on them. The Neem oil says NOT to add soap or other surfactants, but my sprayer was already half full of neem, which I wasn't going to waste, so I DID add some dawn dishsoap to the mix. I hunted through the garden, hunched over (I think the battery is getting low), hosing down the thieving earwig vandals. I am happy to say it worked! The sow bugs don't seem as affected (darn it), and I don't aim for spiders, but they do run away from it.

Oh, and I have a friend that's fairly new to the area, and she had never seen an earwig. They are pretty hideous, if you're not used to them, and in case you don't know what I'm talking about, here you go:

eww...

They're not that big; one inch is probably as big as they get (and right now many are much smaller), and solo they're probably not much problem. They're rarely solo however, and can really wipe out small, tender plants. You'll find them en masse in a compost heap, so they're not *all* bad, and chickens do a good job of keeping their populations down (I just don't have chickens in my garden! Such quandary!). However, they are nocturnal for the most part (and chickens are not), so you might not know how many you really have until you see their damage. Or, until you're standing under the light over the garage late at night, and you notice the gravel seems to be moving... *shudder*

So, in any case, neem oil works on earwigs. Or maybe Dawn dishsoap does. :)

*I've also set 'traps' of crumpled or rolled newspaper. They like to crawl into it. Some recommend dampening the paper, but in the morning you can gather up the papers in a bucket and set them afire, or dump them in the middle of some hot asphalt, and be done with them.

Making Up For It, Part 4 (Or How Not to Love Your Neighbor on Christmas Eve)

2011-06-30T10:55:00.003-06:00

Truly, you must read Parts one, two, and three, if you haven't yet.

Where were we? Ah yes:

"Mom!" Big Sister yelled. "You killed BUSTER!"

My heart sunk, and my eyes about popped out of my head. Buster?!? WHO the heck is BUSTER???

Little Artist answered that thought, "Yeah, that's LEXI'S dog!"

Lexi's dog? They only met that girl once! And they have two ankle-biters that chase our van, but neither looks like THAT thing! This can't be right! Oh my gosh, I've killed a LITTLE GIRL'S DOG on CHRISTMAS EVE?!??!?

I just wanted to faint away. The presumed owner is a family that lives up at the beginning of our driveway, and the granddaughter who lives there played with the girls when we had been working on the fence in fall. I'd had two interactions with them in the year or so they'd lived there - I took them homemade soup and bread when they moved in, and didn't even get their names in return, and once got a phone call from the grandma when our dog had escaped and gone up to their house to play - our lab picked up one of their dogs (looks like a chihuahua-sized doberman) in her mouth - and the daughter (lexi's mom?) about came unglued. While no one thought our dog was being aggressive, it still (understandably) unnerved the person who considered it 'her baby.'

And I have, lying dead in my backyard, another dog from that household?!?

Like a criminal wanting to turn back the clock, I told the kids (who were really not that upset - they knew the condition our hens were in, and understand that animals who prey on livestock are not to be tolerated) that they were NOT to tell anyone about this! NOT their grandma tonight at Christmas Eve, nor their cousins, nor their friends, nor ANYONE. EVER! I was still a little on edge, do you think? :) They looked at me with big eyes, and asked, "why?" but I don't know that I answered coherently. I was too busy imagining some sweet little girl knocking on my door on Christmas Eve, asking if I'd seen her favorite dog Buster, who had once saved twenty-six kittens from being run over on the freeway (or some other selfless, angelic act). Hurry up and come home, let's get out of here FAST! I still had sewing to finish up, and I managed to, and I even made it through the evening without anyone spilling the beans (I think the next day Hubby had to brag about it to someone, and the notoriety began...).

As it turned out, no one came knocking. If indeed it WAS 'Buster,' he was one kept in a kennel outdoors who "was mean" and from whom the girls hid from on the trampoline when they played with Lexi that one afternoon. [And I've had time to prepare my statement: "Have you seen our dog? Small, brown, long hair, red collar." and I will say, "I'm not sure. Does he kill chickens?" And they will back away, muttering about musthavethewronghouse, and I will close my door with a smile, because we will both consider ourselves blessed. :) ]

And while I certainly felt terrible about having killed someone's dog, I did NOT regret it, if that makes sense. In the country, NO ONE can have an animal that terrorizes, injures, or kills other people's animals. And hopefully (those people did move from town though) everyone understands their responsibility in that way. We certainly do; imagine your animal causing damage to a top milker in a dairy, or scaring a prize racehorse that gets hurt... Wow.

Truth be told, the owner of the dog is liable for the losses it caused. I have obviously not sought that, but I could've called the county animal control and filed a report and all that. I was well within my rights defending our animals on our property, and could've gotten compensation. I felt justice had been done, however, having laid to rest this problem. And besides, it seemed a little much to knock on their door on Christmas Eve, carcass in one hand, cookies in the other... "Is this your dog? Oh good. [dumps body on porch] You owe me $100. Oh, and Merry Christmas! I baked these for you!"

**Lest you be concerned for the alleged Buster, and any pain he experienced, Hubby says he was shot through his ignorant head and was dead immediately - he died much better than my chickens, and that is how you tell the good guys from the bad.

Making Up For It, Part 3 (Or How Not to Love Your Neighbor on Christmas Eve)

2011-06-29T10:33:00.003-06:00

Be sure to read the first and the second parts.

Where were we? Oh yes, the report of a shotgun...

...And the dog, feathers in his mouth, dropped.

(well, actually he flipped, then landed in a firm drop.)

Along with the immediate feeling of protecting and saving (what was left of) my hens, several thoughts collided in my head, before the echo of the shot had even returned. Wow, that was loud!... Oh NO, who's dog did I just *kill*?!?...Wow, that bump on my cheek; THIS is the gun I was to afraid to practice with when Hubby was teaching me to use his guns!

I was stunned, and shaking from the adrenaline, the cold, the fact I'd just used a firearm while in my slippers. (you might be a redneck if...) The dog didn't even twitch, and I began coughing and scrambling - I need to call Hubby. He needs to come home NOW, and bury this dog, before someone comes looking for their pet. Where is the phone? In the sewing room, that's right.

I took the 8 steps to the back door, beelined for the stairs, and called him. Between choking breaths, my raspy voice said, "You need to come home and bury someone's dog. Please, now!" He thought I'd said he needed to bury OUR dog, and that I'd finally come to the end of my rope with her. :) I explained, and he said he would pay for his purchases and head home directly. There was some discussion of how many shots it took (I only had one bullet. Shell. Whatever), what size the shot was (I don't know. It was on your dresser. It fit in the gun.), did I eject the shell (huh?), where I hit him (I'm not going back out there, YOU come check!). It took him a long time to get home, or so it seemed to me. I emerged from the sewing room, trying to steady my wimpy self, and found the kids by the front door putting on their coats and boots, ready to check things out. "You are NOT leaving this house! You just stay put until daddy gets home."

I sat down on the stairs, PRAYING he would get there before I had to face whomever might actually value the wicked beast, and tried to relax. To my chagrin, the kids all headed for the dining room window, which offers the best view of the backyard... and also a fairly close view of the evidence.

"Mom!" Big Sister yelled. "You killed BUSTER!"

To be continued..

To Make Up For It, Part 2 (Or How Not to Love Your Neighbor on Christmas Eve)

2011-06-28T09:39:00.004-06:00

Read part 1 first. :)

So I rounded the house on the east, where there was now NO dog and NO chickens. Our dog in her kennel continued to bark, facing toward the chicken coop, to the west. Here, like this:

I jogged toward the northwest corner of the backyard - to the coop. Most of the chickens were in front (eastward) of their coop, clucking nervously, but I didn't see any marauding canine. Our dog, in her kennel, continued to bark. I jogged back toward her, and considered letting her out, because she seemed more likely to find the intruder. I thought twice though; not wanting to shoot at anything (if I had to) with her in the mix. Where did that beast go??? Perhaps it had left, circling the west side of the house as I had come around the east? I jogged that direction, and stood at the east corner of the house, looking down the driveway for movement or any sign that the animal had left. I was momentarily glad we had no neighbors within viewing-distance - I was sure I made quite a sight; frilly half-apron flapping in the breeze, worn slippers, shotgun in hand, chest heaving from the freezing air... and bits of thread and sewing-fallout all over me I'm sure.

Maybe I heard something, or maybe I just turned around, but I saw The Critter running along the chicken house, towards me (though probably 100 feet away still) with one of my hens in its mouth!!! "Oh no you don't...!" It saw me as it came alongside the playhouse, turned in front of it, dropped the hen, and went racing across the backyard toward the swingset the way it had come. I thought very little, except that I didn't want to shoot my chickens or my dog, and that I had better do it before he was out of sight on the other side of the house. I raised the gun, aimed just in front of him, tracked him until our kennel wasn't behind him (from my perspective) and... <<<boom>>>...

To be continued...

To Make Up For It.

2011-06-26T21:39:00.001-06:00

I've been a terrible blogger lately. I'm so sorry. To make up for it, I'm gonna tell you a story. However, I do caution sensitive readers... (as if any sensitive readers could read here for any amount of time...).

I'm hoping the statute of limitations has run out by now... :)

Last Christmas Eve, I was chained to the sewing machine, where I usually am on Christmas Eve. Hubby had gone to the local toy/household/seasonal cheapy store (where HE usually is on Christmas Eve). It was early in the day, but we intended to be at the inlaws for the evening (and again the next morning), so it was my last chance to finish up gifts and projects. The days before were taken with cooking and baking, and prior to that we'd spent a few days with Gigi.

We were sad to note, upon our return from Gigi's Big City, that a predator had killed a couple chickens, and injured almost all the rest. They were bleeding/wounded mostly at their tail area; feathers missing, blood-stained, etc. We hadn't seen the coyotes since September, but figured that is what had happened. [The worst of it is, we had them cooped up - but the door is an old screen door, and the glass had cracked in a windstorm. Apparently the glass fell out, leaving just the screen for protection.]

In any case, I was in the sewing room, upstairs, with a view over the driveway (facing south). I was on the phone to my mom when out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of brown in the driveway. Being otherwise occupied in more ways than one, it didn't register as it normally would have. When I finished my conversation, I noticed I could hear the dog (in her kennel) barking, and the chickens clucking noticeably. I hollered to Big Sister to see what was making the dog bark, but I had the door locked (and the children banned from the room), so she didn't hear me. I yelled again once or twice before getting up and opening the door to the hallway to yell down the stairs. I turned into the girls' room (view to the east, side yard, swingset) and went to the window to see if I could see which way the dog was barking, and ascertain anything.

Just below me was a terrible sight. A fairly small brown dog was mauling one of my hens. My heart just seized up within me. I slammed my palms on the window and shrieked the most ear-piercing girly-girl scream ever (I'm so not proud of that). I tried to open the window, but we had wedged a broom handle to keep it from sliding open (when Organique spent a naptime shredding the screen and pitching anything within reach to the small porch below), and I could not get it out. I slammed my hands repeatedly on the glass, and screamed even more, without having any affect on the violence being done there below.

I turned and ran down the hallway - in my slippers and frilly apron - saying things like, "I need a gun. Where's the gun? You are NOT going to kill my chickens you filthy ba*****." Hubby keeps one by the bed, so I ran that way and grabbed it up. Hubby had taught me to shoot the .22, and I looked for the spot wherein you put the ammo. "Where's the little slidey-thing? I can't find the thingy. Oh Lord, what do I do?" I turned the gun over, back and forth in my hands. No slidey-thing. But on its underside, a springy area. I remember that. I lifted my eyes to the dresser top, covered in nuts and bolts and keys to things, and saw shotgun shells. I grabbed just one, and dashed back up the hallway, turning the shell this way and that, wanting to make sure I knew which end was which. Firing cap. That goes to the rear. Genius, I tell you. I flew down the stairs while tucking the shell into the little springy slot, and said to the girls in my most firm voice, "Stay IN this house!" and I was out the front door (towards the driveway). I crossed the front lawn towards the east side yard and swingset muttering, "I need to get it into the chamber. How do I do that? I don't know what to do." My left hand on the foremost grip responded to some kind of genetic instinct* and I heard the oh-so-Hollywood sound - "shuh-shuck!" of chambering the shell. My eyebrows lifted in wonderment, and a little bit of surprised pride, THAT should do it. I came around to the side with the swingsets and saw.... nothing.

To be continued...

*My mom (who died, see About Us) told me, when I was young, that the purpose of my conception was so my dad could have a hunting partner. As it turned out, I wasn't the boy they expected, and my dad met the Lord when I was a toddler, and thereafter laid down his idol - guns and hunting - so I think a little part of me must be wanting to fulfill my original - if misguided - purpose. :)

Incredible Narration

2011-06-18T23:38:00.000-06:00

We aspire to a Charlotte-Mason style education, using narration as a fantastic tool.... I can't say my kids are THIS excited about it, however. :D

Love it!!!

In the Garden...

2011-06-17T23:38:00.000-06:00

Carrots, 2010

Oh my days are so full! I like it; I really do, but I will also enjoy it when it is less so. I *have* written, but haven't posted. Sometimes the full days lead to full emotions and I think twice come morning and I don't post. :) You're welcome.

In the garden... I can't believe it's June 18th (almost). My garden is SO LATE this year. Most years it's just plain late. This year is worse. :) I am NEARLY done, though... Now I just hope to have a harvest!

Today I planted:
Sweet Meat Squash (seed)
Neon Pumpkins (seed)
Patty-Pan Squash (seed)
Raider Cucumbers (seed)
Strawflowers (seed)
Edible Flowers (seed)
Lavender (seed)

This week I planted:
Rattlesnake Pole Beans (from a neighbor's saved seed)
Nash Bush Beans

I have also planted:
Roma Tomatoes (10 plants)
Old German Tomatoes (5 or 6)
Some Beefy Tomato (5 or 6)
Sweet 100 Cherry Tomato (1)
Golden Girl Tomato (5 or 6)
Some Other Tomato (5 or 6)
Spaghetti Squash (2 or 4)
Some Other Squash (or is it cucumber? zucchini?) (2 or 4)

[The reason for the variable and questionable items above is this: Sometime between my return from the greenhouse and the planting, A Child removed all the cute little tags from the dirt these were planted in, and for their 'art project' proceeded to cut them all into tiny bits. I'm depending on my memory, which is hardly helpful, because I looked at and thought about so very many things, and I don't exactly know which I decided upon. I know I have 34 tomato plants total.]

Tomato Rainbow, 2010

Sage
Oregano
Thyme
Purplette Onions (seed)
Purple Haze Carrots (seed)

I have tilled a spot for Precocious Corn and Indian Popcorn, but haven't planted yet. One portion of my tilled spot gets regular watering, the rest is (currently) desert. I'm not sure what to do with that difference, prior to planting...

I have also set up quite the pole bean trellis, consisting of (what amounts to) a rebar-teepee, fronted by two arched-over cattle panels, hopefully creating a tunnel/cave of bean vines for the kids to play in.

This might not sound like much, but let me tell you... It has been quite the process. My garden varies year-to-year in size (usually depending on whether or not I'm about to give birth), and layout. The entire thing is fenced in, yes, but I try to rotate things. You know, if I planted tomatoes in one spot last year, I put them somewhere else this year, etc. And between years? Well, it's not exactly nicely manicured dirt. Before planting *anything* this year, I first had to mow (I didn't mow. It choked the mower. I used a push-trimmer-thing, like a weed-eater on wheels [and steroids]) the thigh-high grass and weeds. Er, hopefully first I found all the hidden hoses and debris hiding in said grass and weeds. Then I raked what was cut off, and tossed it rudely over the nearest fence. THEN I rototilled this direction, and that, and possibly cut a length and dug a trench around each side of black plastic mulch, depending on application (i.e. not for carrot seeds, but certainly for tomato plants). I am quite proud and astonished to see such a neat-looking area where for some years it's been very wild and weedy (since 5 years ago at least).

In our dry area irrigation is also an issue, so any time something goes into the ground, I need a reasonable way to water it (this obviously changes yearly with the layout). The garden has a water line running down the center length of it (as my rototiller can attest to. Ahem.), with risers every so often (5 or 6, I think) that once held tall sprinklers. Most of these have been retrofitted with faucets or little "Y" shaped things to which you can attach two hoses, etc. I use soaker hoses for some things, attach regular hoses (for hand watering) to others, etc.

I have gone all-out with the cucurbits, as you see. I hope I am prepared this year. I bought some Neem Oil which *should* kill squash bugs without also adding to our blood chemical levels. I hope it works! Visions of pumpkins dancing in our heads... :)

Bye Granny

2011-05-26T13:55:00.001-06:00

At 7 this morning (her time zone), my Granny passed away. She was 93 years, 6 days old.

Granny Crackers, waving at Baby late last summer.

She isn't in pain anymore, and I rejoice that she's gone to be with the Lord, but oh, I'm sad for me. :] A large portion of my happy childhood memories involve her, and the property she and my grandpa retired on, about the time I was born. My dad's property adjoins theirs, and summers with my dad were often summers-at-Grandma's, if he was working. And a better place for childhood summers I can't imagine. To get to her house from Dad's, we had to walk a path through the pasture, pass through the trees, cross the bridge over the creek, and trek up the hill to her house.

Once I fell in the creek. One minute I was standing in my little red orphan-annie style dress (that Grandma had made me) with my hand full of rocks, and my arm extended over the railing, ready to drop the rocks. The next moment I was in the water, howling for fear a crawdad would get me. Even that day I was astonished that I could not remember *how* I fell.

Her home has a daylight basement, and a 'deck' (long balcony, really) all along the main floor, overlooking the creek, Dad's place, and across the highway to the lake and mountain.

From my dad's, in the lower area

Once my cousin kicked my little brother off the deck. He touched her stomper, and she booted him. I saw him fall, ran to announce the event to the family indoors, and my dad raced home with him in his arms as blood trickled out of his ear. Her mother snatched her up right quick. His eardrum broke and he spent the night in the hospital, but he was okay. She had her britches lowered, her backside well-tanned, and went to bed without dinner. It is all quite burned in my memory. :)

Grandma's property had a chicken coop, a winding lane, an ancient orchard on a hillside, huge cedar trees, and other old buildings, including an outhouse. One less-enjoyable summer our other cousins were with us most days. My eldest cousin coerced us into the outhouse one day, and abandoned me there for some time, warning me that Bacchus (the ram who spent his time ramming his head into the wall of the old barn on the other side of a fence, not 8 feet from the outhouse) would get me if I came out before she returned. That was a long day. Everyone laughs at the way I demanded to serve my own applesauce at dinner (and not let that cousin perform the duty), but they don't know the back story. :)

Granny became "Granny Crackers" after sending us home with a box of graham crackers for the trip when Big Sister was just little. She confused the Gram with the graham with the crackers, and that became her name.

It works, because my Grandpa was a popcorn fiend.. I was about 2, and Grandma was babysitting me. She was trying to get me to nap with her on her bed, in the room at the far, far end of the house. Apparently I was just about settled finally, when in the very-distant kitchen my grandpa turned on the hot air popper.. I bounded from the bed and raced down the hall yelling "Papa Corn! Papa Corn!" He was always Papa Corn to us. :) (and yes, I do recall that memory, though not the part about Grandma trying so hard to get me to sleep. I am pretty sure she gave up after that though. :) ) He passed away in the fall of 1998, but now we talk of "Granny Crackers and Papa Corn."

Today I will make a rhubarb upside-down cake, from her recipe, for bible study tonight. And I will try not to cry in it, especially if someone brings ice cream...

Church World

2011-05-24T15:05:00.000-06:00

There have been so many jokes running around about the Rapture That Wasn't, and on Sunday at church the pastor (?) had an admonishment: He would NOT mock the return of Christ, even if he did think the whole 'calculated time' thing was ill-advised. He said the atheists and heathen do this, and he hates seeing Christians joining them in it.

I of course waved my arm (we have a fairly informal setting, do you think?) and pointed out that if it wasn't this, it would be something else; that the Church seems to go to a lot of effort (or perhaps the lack of effort produces it) to look and act like the world in a lot of ways. The way we mock the rapture-foretelling, how we dress, how we look, how we talk, what we find entertaining, where we spend our money, etc...

This grieves me. And no, I'm not trying to be on a high-horse, proclaiming "biblical" models for dress (shouldn't we wear camel-hair robes, maybe?), just sad at the heart of things. Where is the difference? WHY should the world want what we have? In the quest to be "culturally relevant," are we blurring the lines which might otherwise distinguish us? Or are we spending our lives splashing in the "freedom of Christ" without thinking of our testimony, or building anything that will last?

Don't get me wrong; I know we have freedom, I know we sin, I know God forgives. But part of that circle is repentance. And if it's there, it's hiding. Shouldn't Jesus be more than a Get-Out-Of-Hell-Free card? Shouldn't there be fruit? Why are Christians drinking to drunkenness, and celebrating it? Why are they wearing *skimpy* costumes to role-playing parties? Why would a single (Christian) woman publicly announce her pregnancy on facebook - to cheers and congratulations? I understand sinning, falling. I understand immaturity that doesn't lend itself to wisdom and discretion for a while. But I don't understand the collective celebratory attitudes. Where is the repentance? Where is the humility? And more, what is the Christian's responsibility in it? Do we have a responsibility? How do you respond to this? Is silence a worthy statement? Instead of congratulations, should we offer condolences? How do we show Christ's righteous love without either condoning or condemning? Is it just "none of our business" and we pretend we don't see?

I think maybe the cut-and-dried answers are few, and the Spirit must lead our response. Perhaps the woman announcing on facebook truly thinks sexual activity outside marriage for Christians isn't a big deal. Perhaps she feels entitled to the same expressed joy as any other expectant mother. But... perhaps her heart condemns her thoroughly. Perhaps she is grasping, begging, for anyone to affirm her, to find some good in her circumstances. I'd guess most of us are not privy to which of these she thinks or feels. What else is there but to be led by the Spirit? And pray, pray, pray...

Udderly Conflicted

2011-05-20T08:45:00.000-06:00

The Pros:

Unlimited fresh milk
Homemade cheeses of many kinds
Homemade yogurt
Grass fed, 'organic' butter, full of activator X and more
Cream, and it's variations (i.e. "ice")
Offspring to raise as beef, or to sell

The Cons:

No more overnight trips for at least 9 months
No late nights at BBQs, church, holidays
Not entirely ready; need to ~~evict~~ relocate chickens, clean out shed, finish fence, etc.
I've never delivered livestock, and might not know if help is needed when she calves
I'm anything but experienced with milking, and pretty much don't know what I'm doing with any of it
There's so much to know about nutritional needs at freshening, during lactation, etc. and I'm not sure I can figure it out
I'd like to go grass-only (or nearly so), but there's not a lot of 'how-to' literature about that; providing her with less feed can be problematic for milk production, and her body (bred for high production, her body will 'use up' for milk if the calories [grain] is lacking)
I'm kindof in this "on my own." I don't have a 'backup' person or friend (that I know of, anyway) who could take care of things if I were very sick, or had a funeral to go to, etc...
To get all 'the pros' I might spend every waking moment in the kitchen, letting the house, garden, and children fall away in the process!

She's for sale. Getting her is possible. Am I ready? Is this the right thing to do? Are we prepared for the work and lifestyle she will require? Are we equipped to take proper care of her?

So many questions, and no certain answers...

**She is jersey, or jersey-crossed-with-something, more likely.

Farmish Update

2011-05-16T13:12:00.000-06:00

My goodness, I forget how busy it gets in May.

Hubby has been working late nights - he got home at 11 pm one night!

Sir Loin is doing well. He began to munch grass during his daily exercise (MY daily exercise?) last week, though I didn't let him eat much. I need to refresh my reading on calf bloat and all that... We had a guy from church come help us with a little project... Sir Loin has lost his manhood, earlier than I'd originally planned. We decided it might be best to do that while he was still small enough to manage easily (?), considering we have no idea what we're doing. The procedure went well; it's amazing what you can learn on YouTube.

We've had remarkable success with our broilers this year - up until this weekend. I built a floorless pvc/chicken wire pen for the bigger broilers, and put them in the garden, with new grass each day. Found one dead on Saturday, and two dead this morning. I hate losing big fat (expensive) birds... We had some severe weather hit Saturday evening, and again Sunday afternoon. Perhaps they were smothered in the effort to be sheltered/warm or ??? Still ahead of where we were last year, and I even have enough to sell a few - and a very willing buyer, once I can figure out a proper price!

One hen (a black australorp, I think) is setting on a nest (tucked behind the former kitchen sink, up against the broken greenhouse, naturally). I saw it today when she came out to eat, and from my view it seems they might be mostly smaller eggs. We don't really have any pullets, but someone is laying small eggs.. I'm interested to see what hatches!

I have a lead on a milk cow... (!) My stomach turns a bit in thinking of it. Where would we put it? How would it live? Where would we milk it? HOW would we milk it? We have a few ideas and options, but nothing as straightforward and workable as "a barn." Then I thumb through my 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes Book and get excited again. :)

Hubby's work let us use the backhoe when it was in the neighborhood. We have a hole, and a pole stuck in it! Now to wire in the meter base, get it inspected, get power, power the pump, set up the pipe, attach the sprinklers, and irrigate the pasture! (then what...?!?)

I have done almost *nothing* in the garden, except break the push mower. It's been such a wet, cool spring, and the grass and weeds area already knee-high in there! We do have chives, and some self-sown lettuce, cilantro, and parsley showing up. We prepped the carrot box (raised bed) but haven't planted. Today and tomorrow are cool and windy; maybe we'll get it planted soon.

In addition to the push mower, the rest of the house is also falling apart.

The ignitor on the pellet stove is haywire (causing circuit overload if we try to use it). Hubby starts it with a propane torch or something, when we need it (how absurd is it to need a pellet stove in May?!).
The dishwasher broke on Mother's Day, and I've spent a week trying to hunt down parts, hoping we have figured out the problem (ribbons aren't dishwasher safe. Rocks, chicken bones, apricot pits, cherry seeds - those are all fine.). I ordered parts online today; MUCH cheaper than any local option (who also would have had to order them).
My favorite stove burner has been dead about 2 weeks now. Haven't even had time to *figure out* how to pull it apart, let alone fix it. We seem to be using some part of that appliance every time Hubby is present :)
Several plug-ins in the kitchen have stopped working. It's obviously an entire circuit, but the breaker isn't tripped.
The faucet at the rear of the house is wonky. If you turn it off too much, it turns back on. Getting it "off" just right is tricky. We have a new faucet, but... haven't installed it yet, of course. :]
The hydrant in the backyard isn't working right. Not sure if we have to dig up the whole thing or what, but getting water to the calf and other things is getting complicated back there!

These things aren't broken, really, but they need worked on:

Part of the garden fence still needs lined with chicken wire. I was working on this when wind, rain, and hail pelted me until I was wet to my underwear. No fun, but I stayed to keep the chickens from drowning. :P
The field fence hasn't been worked on in a couple weeks. Nice for backhoe access, but not very helpful in the long run. We've set the gate and gate support-stuff, but actually that's the only place that you *can't* enter from that side. :) I need to get the fencing pliers and go to work during naptime...
I need to build another pvc pen for the next batch of chickens. I'm cannibalizing the greenhouse structure for the pvc, and we bought corner-connector things and glue. This one will be 24" high, so turkeys might live in it eventually (first one is 18" high).

Whew! If I don't post here often, you'll know why! :)

Learning Curve

2011-05-07T23:03:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a week! Sir Loin is... 9 days old? He's had a hard time for a good portion of those.

Somewhere around day 4 I think, he changed. He had a smear of poo on his backside/tail, the barn smelled a little pungent, in a different way, and he stopped wagging his tail when he ate.

Then he refused his dinner, the next day he refused his midday feeding. I read and read and googled and read some more. Did he have scours? Something seemed off, but he wasn't *completely* lethargic. He was still eating at least sometimes, and wasn't "pooping water" as one message board read.

This is where book learnin' just can't hold a candle to experience. I just DIDN'T KNOW what should or shouldn't be for such a critter. He wasn't old enough to be dealing with parasites of any kind, he probably has the cleanest, driest, warmest little barn in the state, was enjoying THREE (smaller) meals each day instead of the standard two, had a heat lamp, etc. etc.

I added an egg to his bottle Thursday night, based on Big Sister's recommendation from a mennonite story book (later she told me that calf died), and after I'd seen a similar practice mentioned online (yes, I have high standards by which I base my decisions. ahem). Friday I had an epiphany: I called my neighbor (which I'd done a time or two, but he's a busy farmer) and asked if I could stop by and look at his calves... and their poop. :)

Yes, another rung on the ladder of success that Gi-Gi can mention in her holiday newsletters. *sigh* Sure, her great-niece is the head pharmacist at a local NICU, but *I* compare bovine manure.

My neighbor said that would be fine, so at the end of some brief errands, we stopped by his place. We went into the calf barn, and he pointed to the first, smallest calf, and told me "that one's sick." I peered into his pen and was surprised to see a rainbow of pretty colors - even MINTY-GREEN poop, which mine did not have (ours was more mustard-yellow, though we witnessed some lighter yellow mixed with much water later that day). Minty-green is only after they've been medicated with something however. The other poop in the sick one's pen was quite familiar. I talked for some time with my neighbor, inspected healthy calf-poop, talked about genetics, and stood surprised at the "embryo flushing" he employed to get 3 or 4 calves from the same cow this year (re-implanted in 'surrogate' cows! All on his little bachelor-run dairy!). He gave me a handful of big white pills, and dug around to unearth a tool for giving such pills (and I do mean dug around. His dairy farm is as cluttered with old farm-stuffs as any old bachelor's might be. :) ).

I returned home and tried to give a bottle of homemade electrolyte solution to the calf, but he wouldn't have it (Neighbor affirmed the idea of giving an egg too, so that was included). We witnessed some live-poo (as opposed to finding it in the straw) that was more watery than I'd thought, so without a better option, gave him one of the pills (sulfa, apparently). He took his bottle of electrolytes at evening.

Saturday morning was an early one for me, having Little Artist's 7th birthday party to prepare for, in addition to the other spring chores. :) I made another electrolyte bottle, dissolving another pill in it, and took it out to Sir Loin. I was surprised at how quickly he got to his feet, and how eager he was to eat again! His tail even wagged a bit, and his bunting (is that what you call it? The violent head-butt into the bottle/udder?) was much more forceful again. What a difference. He sucked down the bottle and commenced nosing under my apron in search of an udder I suppose. No luck. :) Midday he happily took a half-dose of milk replacer, and tonight (saturday night) he took a full bottle (and a pill). He even sucked on the corner of my rain jacket, and tried to escape. He's OBVIOUSLY feeling better, though I don't know if his manure has caught up (earlier I saw stuff that was still too loose. Nothing found this evening). I don't know if I need to give him the last of the pills (I have 3 more) or if he is fully better, or what caused it in the first place. There is definitely a learning curve, and I'm glad I have a 'practice' critter. :)

What Is It?

2011-04-29T21:54:00.000-06:00

An outhouse?

A little playhouse?

Hmmm...

Is it a jail? A cage? What do you suppose is so fascinating?

Can you see it?

"Mom, this is our playhouse... NOT a barn!!"

"Hey, do you like it when I feed you? I thought so. Shush."

He's a 1 day old bull calf. We call him Sir Loin of Jerseyshire. :)

You're calling me WHAT?

He's PRECIOUS. Seriously, he needs to spend the next 1-2 years getting REALLY ugly, because this just won't do for dinner:

I am so excited! Our first 'real live farm mammal'!

Broiler Feeders

2011-04-28T16:53:00.000-06:00

We've had trouble with getting enough feed into the broilers after a certain age. I saw a how-to post on some like these (I can't find the blog! She seemed lovely, like someone I'd like to be in another life, but she is lost to me..), so I decided to try my hand...

First I had Hubby detour into the field so we could load a busted piece of gated pvc-pipe into the truck. Then I asked him where he put my tools when he borrowed them (I'm a little bit kidding. Barely.). :) I cut the pipe at about 4-feet, did a very poor job of it too, and then found some scrap lumber to do the ends.

Hubby used some electrical conduit for the handles, and then I had him saw a rib out of the shredded greenhouse, hoping it would slide over the conduit with enough space to 'spin' so the birds can't roost on it. As it turned out, it was a bit too snug a fit, but the conduit seems to spin a bit in the wooden holes of the ends, so He screwed the pvc to the conduit, which keeps the conduit from sliding too far left or right and out of its spot entirely.

So far so good!

Once...

2011-04-22T22:57:00.000-06:00

... the earth was at a proper angle to provide this kind of sunset:

Once, it was warm enough to stand outdoors at sunset with a camera.

I begin to wonder if it might always be winter (and never Christmas).

Holy Cow

2011-04-19T21:54:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not converting to Hinduism. :)

But I'm getting a little overwhelmed with the ~~cow~~ bovine (cows are female bovines who have calved) questions rattling around in my mind. There are just so many options and variables! Maybe if I simplify it a bit, something will come...

The ultimate goal: To have our pasture of ~15 acres producing beef.

Some of the possibilities:

buy yearling steers in spring, finish them on grass to harvest in fall
buy yearling steers whenever, pasture them, mow and bale excess pasture for winter use
buy newborn bull calves in spring (these would be dairy breeds; holstein, jersey, etc), bottle feed into summer, pasture and feed until they are 1.5 years old
buy a dairy cow, buy newborn calves, enjoy milk, wean calves to pasture in summer
plant and harvest alfalfa for winter feed for some of the above options
buy a herd of beef cattle
build a herd of beef cattle, starting with young (newborn?) heifers
rezone and sell the pasture, use the money to buy sixteen truckloads of frozen beef

Just kidding on that last one.

Each of these has its own challenges. For instance;

I'm pretty sure I can't afford to buy a herd of beef cattle. I might not even be able to buy yearling steers or heifers. I saw one ad on craigslist for a handful of cattle (four, I think) and multiplying the estimated weight by their cost per pound... ouch.
Buying dairy bull calves is affordable, but labor-intensive and the final product might not be palatable to the discriminating connoisseur. Not that I fall into that category, but assuming I might be able to sell some.
My dairyman neighbor advises that bottle calves are NOT a way to make money. Fun family project yes, but not economically advisable. I've just priced milk replacer, and with an early weaning, we're still looking at $50 in replacer bare-minimum - assuming no one gets worms or scours or pinkeye or a hangnail. That would have to be followed by calf feed (certainly much cheaper than replacer, but not free like pasture grass). Since I'm only aspiring to hamburger, I'm not sure what quality milk replacer would be required. There is quite a variety and some of it is intended for replacement dairy heifers and the like, and I'm pretty sure they require more, nutritionally.
I'd love to have a milk cow, and that may happen, but the logistics of getting it here, where to keep it, how to milk it, required equipment and learning-curve would put me pretty far out of the calf season.
I don't have a way to mow or bale my pasture excess. I have someone who can mow it, but raking would still be an issue, as well as baling. I don't have a place to put hay bales yet either. Pallets and a tarp might serve. Would trying to buy that equipment be wise? Would it pay for itself or would it be another headache? Can you rent that kind of thing? I know you can hire it done, but you're at the mercy of the other guy's schedule, and your nutrient profile and palatability of forage might well suffer waiting for your turn.

I just had a thought, along different lines. We could theoretically put up pasture hay all summer, then buy livestock in fall (when the yearly price is lowest - no one wants to keep and feed them all winter), wintering them on what we baled. I have NO IDEA if this would be remotely economically feasible, wise, doable or not. I need to meet someone with experience in this sort of thing, who might be able to tell me what to expect by way of costs and time and other things about which I'm clueless.

I wonder if half my interest in farming is because it's such a wide plain of knowledge to acquire. :)

Broiler Setup

2011-04-18T22:46:00.001-06:00

I think we have the perfect broiler chicken brooder for our situation. We have brooded them in big circular rings (they say it's better to have no corners, so they can't pile up and suffocate), on the floor of our squarish hoophouse, and even in cardboard boxes or wire rabbit cages, when some have needed separation.

Two years ago I was pregnant with Baby, and *really* didn't want to deal with critters anywhere near the floor. I begged Hubby to let me cover the Green Monster with a tarp, or a roof, or something shelter-ish. He did not seem willing. :) I came up with several other ideas, and he finally acquiesced (loudly and violently, if I recall) and fashioned this setup for me:

April 2011 Broilers

This is the bedliner of his small Toyota pickup, propped up on some wooden frame things (oops, Big Sister sat on one corner and collapsed one. No chickens were harmed, but we've "upgraded" to buckets and cinder blocks on that end). The 'tailgate' area (foreground) is framed in with some scrap lumber, and the whole thing sits in our ~~chicken~~ multipurpose hoophouse. There is enough room to walk along the right side of the bedliner, and to stand between it and the door (as I was to take the photo). There is room underneath for extra woodshavings and feed, if you keep it off the ground. Heat lamps hang at appropriate height from the wire 'rafters' of the roof.

I really love this. It's a back-saver, and we've brooded up to 50 chicks at a time (I think it could handle more, but we can't. :) ). We have 35 in there now, and have switched to a larger feeder and waterer since they're 2 weeks old and considerably larger than they were in that photo! We use 125 watt bulbs instead of the 250. We don't do enough chicks at once to worry about a major heat source; with this setup everyone can cozy into the light and heat if they want to.

One downside to this setup is that at about 2 weeks of age, the chicks can and will hop up to higher vantages, and sometimes end up on the floor. It is helpful to have small, limber children upon whom you can call to rescue such vagabonds.

Extra shavings can be added as needed (you don't want to let a 'crust' of manure build up) and at the end of the season we take down the lights and quite literally roll the house away. We lift up one side and roll the hoophouse over on it's roof so we can dump the shavings into the garden. :) The kids think it's great fun.

This year we have one more week before our next batch of chicks arrives. I aim to have a nice floor pen ready for these by then, and I'm praying the weather will be appropriate to have them outdoors (it has not come even close so far, and the week's weather forecast is not encouraging). Based on reading I've done, I'm NOT going to clean and bleach this brooder, but rather put another layer of shavings in and put the new chicks on top of that. :) We'll see how it goes.

Broiler Feed

2011-04-16T16:46:00.001-06:00

On Thursday, I made an interesting observation. I checked the broiler chicks (still 35!) and fed them. We are feeding them with two quart jar feeder things (like these, but galvanized instead of plastic), and they were both all but empty.

Before my azure order arrived, and after the feed store ran out of non-medicated starter, I bought some organic starter. Organic though it may be, it was the standard corn/soy ration. Within a day or two I'd picked up my azure order, including 100 lbs of organic starter from Magill Ranch. I ordered a bit of this last year, and was impressed with the 'food-like' appearance of the feed (imagine that, food that looks like food...). Last year's had obvious bits of green split peas, the orange/white bits of crab meat, whole grains... Looked almost edible. This year I don't notice the crab (could be because it's too tiny in the starter. I might be remembering the bigger feed), and the peas are yellow. I filled the jars half/half each when I fed them Tuesday night, and on Thursday I filled one with the corn/soy starter (that looks like chicken feed - fairly grayish brown crumbles) and the other with the no corn/ no soy starter.

The chicks weren't ravenous, most were napping in a corner, but a few curious birds came around as I freshened their water. I took the opportunity to count and make sure all were there, and stood and watched them for about 15 minutes. I was very surprised at what I saw.

The chicks ate the Magill Ranch starter. There are about 8 little 'holes' around the base, from which they eat, but eventually twice that were gathered around, fighting for their place at the trough. Occasionally a back-row bird would turn and notice the other feeder, right under his beak, look askance at it, and go back to pecking the castoffs from the real-food starter. The entire time I watched, though it was crowded, not one chick ate from the corn/soy feed. They'd skirt the feeder, make their way to the water, then pass by it again before elbowing their way to the preferred stuff.

I was really amazed. I can't say why they did that; maybe it tastes better, or meets their nutritional needs better, or they, like me, really like MEAT and know that soy is bad for you. :) The feed store stuff might well have been on the shelf for ages (I asked, the lady said they don't sell much of it or the non-medicated starter), and perhaps that is a factor. In any case, I certainly know which I'll be feeding them! Maybe my hens will enjoy a sprinkling of hi-protein starter every now and then... :)

A Chainsaw, Part 2

2011-04-15T09:35:00.000-06:00

Read part 1 here.

I bet you're wondering what this has to do with a chainsaw about now. :)

Realizing we were completely overlooked by my grandpa and my cousin - in favor of good citizens and homeless pets - was hard to assimilate. It hurt. Really hurt. I began to second-guess all our interactions with Gramps' over recent years, his relationship with my husband (seemingly close, when we visited). I took inventory to see if I could pinpoint anything I did or was doing that would deserve (at least in his eyes) this. My brother owed him money (measured in the hundreds, NOT thousands), but I didn't. :) I began to see that even if I didn't feel legally entitled, there was obviously a reason that I felt so slighted.

So I began to blame myself in a more spiritual sense. :) There is a reason GOD chose not to provide this for us. We aren't trustworthy. "What would you do, hon, if we suddenly had $30,000 fall into our lap?" I asked. "Build my shop. Maybe get a bigger truck." Aha! Now I could blame my husband. :D "See honey, that's why God didn't give us an inheritance from Grandpa. We're selfish." (I did say this with a grin) "Could be.." he said.

I reminded myself that God is not bound by my grandpa's will. That HE is far more concerned, involved, and able than my grandpa was. My girls' future is not limited or hindered by the absence of Gramps' inheritance (even if he missed out on that blessing). And I was told something that made it obvious... something about a chainsaw. :)

Among the ~~crap~~ tools we brought back from Grandpa's overstuffed garage was a chainsaw. I don't know why Hubby grabbed that; we already had a big one and a little one (I think) here. Maybe he wanted a middle-sized one so he could make up his own bizarre Goldilocks tale. Also, there was something wrong with it, and it wouldn't stay on. He gave it to one of our cousins nearby. This cousin ended up giving it to his dad in another state, though he really wanted and needed one. His dad fixed it without any trouble, and Cousin's next-door-neighbor GAVE him one - nearly identical but smaller, which was better - that worked perfectly. Cousin's dad, after fixing the chainsaw, used it.

He used it to cut firewood. He was hired to help some millionaire clear some land, so he has done so. He has been able to sell the wood, gaining much-needed income for himself and his wife. More than that, he has cut firewood and GIVEN it to SIX families - most of them older widows I think - who were in dire straits for heating their homes this winter.

When our cousin told me this story, I was encouraged. Encouraged that God can take so little, and bless so many. Just because my grandpa and my cousin limited our portion does NOT mean that our portion is worthless. One faulty chainsaw barely registers in the Total Estate Value, but look! It provided heat for six families and income for another! Plus, someone is getting their land cleared. I believe, if we keep an open hand, that these blessings will multiply and GOD will be glorified. We won't be resting in the faith we have in Grandpa's money, but in the faith we have in God. And perhaps Jesus has a better plan. Just maybe. :)

A Chainsaw, Part 1

2011-04-14T09:35:00.000-06:00

My grandpa died a couple years back. You remember I got his dishes. :) It has been a journey for me in several ways, some parts are harder than others. It wasn't until last winter that we were able to lay some rumors to rest, find out truth, and live with it. :)

By nature I'm not someone who feels a lot of entitlement. I don't think I'm "owed" much by others. When hugely and obviously slighted by (someone I thought was) a friend, I grieved only before my husband, and the "friend" didn't know I'd even noticed (she admitted months later to doing it on purpose, to gauge my reaction and therefore measure my connection to her...!). I don't think the rich should be taxed so I can have the benefit of the money THEY earned. If you invite a roomful of people to something, I won't assume I'm part of that unless there is eye contact and clarification. :)

I found this challenged, however, when the details of my grandpa's estate became known. The man died with 1 living child (my uncle) and four grandchildren, as well as a son-in-law (oh, and five great-granddaughters either here or on-the-way). He also died with about a half-million dollars, plus his guns, vehicles, and 'stuff' that we helped clear out. We were tremendously blessed to be able to have the aforementioned dishes, various power tools and the like. The will (which we only saw by researching public records) gave his son anything he wanted from the 'stuff ' (the car, several guns), and the remainder to my 2nd-cousin-once-removed - Gramps' nephew. At the time of the memorial, my cousin made a show of taking my and my brother's addresses and contact information, so he could reach us "when everything gets sorted out." That contact never came, though we did pass a few emails back and forth. In one, I was very humble yet very frank in some questions. The biggest one of which was whether or not he knew why my grandpa made no provision for any of his own great-grandchildren. Whether I had done something offensive, or if this was one of his 'moods' where he just became angry at the world for no apparent reason (I was a little more tactful than this). I also asked details about the will and estate that I understood he might not answer. :) The response to this, after being more-than-forthcoming/accommodating in other emails, was a curt, "I'm sorry you weren't able to get your questions answered while your Grandpa was still here." Of course, it's hard to know the details of someone's private will when they're still alive, but anyway...

Eventually I found out that my uncle was given a portion of money - probably to keep him from asking for anything more. My cousin took a tour of Scotland and England with his wife (they have no children) and set up some charitable funds. One is for youth organizations and good citizens, the other is to help our state's homeless pets. I forget the terms (one is only to have the interest dispersed, maintaining the principle forever, the other can be distributed at my cousin's determination. I think you have to apply for these like grants, and my cousin, maybe a board of people at the overseeing firm, makes the decisions).

At the end of the two years or so of wondering, and finally figuring out the facts, I was left with some pretty hurtful realizations. My grandpa (and/or my cousin) thinks homeless pets are more deserving than his own progeny. OUCH. The will made no mention of my brother or I, mentioning our mother only as deceased. OUCH. A fraction of that money could have changed my girls' world - but a faceless 'good citizen' merits favor instead. OUCH.

I was also sad for Grandpa. "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children" Proverbs 13:22a. He missed out on this. He could've reached past himself and touched those in his own family, those who bear his image, in a fashion. He could've provided opportunity to his own great-grandchildren, who would bless his name their entire lives. His benevolence might've been passed down to future generations even. - I'm not even talking about what hundreds-of-thousands of dollars would do. More like a fund for education, or towards a home, or...? A way to start out more financially secure in life, or money to fund missions trips, or...? And he missed out on that. Homeless pets are important, but his efforts* on their behalf will not make a lasting impact on the world, or even on his family. If, as I would imagine would be likely had I heard this story from someone else, there was something completely objectionable in my life or my brother's that warranted the obvious and pointed disinheriting, I would have wished him to make an effort to counsel us. Even if we disagreed, I would at least have the knowledge that he had purpose and reason for his decision. He chose not to.

To be continued....

*I don't believe homeless pets were in his will. I think my cousin made the choice toward these charitable foundations, but in either case, Grandpa didn't leave any instruction otherwise.

More Facebook

2011-04-11T20:15:00.001-06:00

I know I made up some Facebook Etiquette a while back, but I continue to be perplexed at what this window into human behavior offers. Now, I am NO paragon of wisdom when it comes to discretion or good judgment, but even I can be surprised by others.

For instance:

I don't post angry hate-filled rants against people (called by name)... or end the rant condemning the hatred of the other person. Truly, I can't decide if I'm more annoyed at a public rant, OR the absurdity of raging against a 'hater.'

I don't post obvious information about my hormones (I'm sure they have authored a few status updates, but I try not to advertise them).

I don't post about my birth control choices or undergarments (unless laundry counts as this...?).

Now, these are mostly silly, personal preferences. I have good reasons (do all the men on my friends list want to know about some of that??), but none of these things qualify as dangerous.

But what about the smart phone updates? Now, my phone is not smart enough for this, but I'm still trying to wrap my brain around anyone posting exactly where they are right then. I know anyone seeing it is a "friend" (unless you don't have your privacy cinched up tight), but really? Do you want people knowing you're not at home? Or out of town even? Maybe I'm just being weird, because certainly we all may update that we're going on vacation, or something. I'm not sure why the instant updates seem more nefarious to me... If anyone does the little "...is at Olive Garden" updates, I want to know why. Does that sound snarky? I hope not; I really don't know why people would post the restaurant they're eating at, or the store they're shopping. Perhaps this is my fear-of-man showing up, feeling inferior that I don't get to eat out at that place, or that often, or have ever shopped there...{I wonder if there's a "...is killing chickens." app for the iPhone...} Or, MORE nefarious, maybe my friends AREN'T posting... Maybe the phone is doing it for them! Hmm... Should I warn them? "Jane, your ANDROID is advertising your location! They know where you are. Be careful!"

Then again, I'm sure there might be people who find my "barnyard updates" a little too informative for taste, too... :)

Moo

2011-04-10T09:21:00.000-06:00

We're still not ready with the pasture, but have been thinking about cows. Thinking a few bottle calves might be a good way to get started, even if it's not enough to really graze the whole field. We've never raised calves, and don't have any little calf hutches, but we're adding that to our higher-priority list. And reading. :)

Also, I've picked up Keeping a Family Cow again. Our fresh milk source was ready again mid-march, but after a few days of enjoying it, we were told it would be another week, since the Mama had mastitis. I was assured by my friend that she would call me when milk was available again. Days and days, then weeks passed, and I heard nothing. I was very concerned, so finally called to check on things. The dear cow had died! We are so heartbroken. On the up side, last year's calf was a heifer, and she is due in October, so there will be milk to be had by then. I did find another source of milk, in a direction I do not often travel, but am considering the logistics of keeping our own cow. I added up our typical monthly spending on dairy products - milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, butter - and came out with a pretty hefty number. There is a lot to consider (the advantages of knowing how your food was produced and what's in it, possible sales of some of it, possibly raising calves/pigs/chickens on the excess, education for the girls; but also disadvantages of having to be home at a certain time every day, the time involved with the harvest and production of these products, the infrastructure required, the knowledge base needed..), but we're at least doing some considering. And praying.

One step at a time, maybe we'll be a little closer to "farmers." :)

It Begins...

2011-04-08T04:51:00.000-06:00

Photo from 2007

On Tuesday this week we finally picked up our first batch of broiler chicks. They were ordered for the previous Tuesday, but the hatchery messed up and didn't send them.

We are doing things a little differently this year; instead of 50 at once, we're doing 35 twice - this way we will have two processing days, but they won't be as utterly time-consuming and exhausting. I think we put up 42 last year and that was a. lot. of. work. We're nowhere near Joel Salatin's 200 birds/hour obviously, and I don't know that we'll ever get anywhere near there, but this will be - hopefully - easier and more productive.

We had to push back the second batch by a week; I wanted them four weeks apart and the hatchery overruled my order and made them 3 weeks apart. That is bare minimum, and they'd have been 2 weeks apart with making our first order late. This way I can use the same brooder facilities, in succession.

We ordered about 20 pullets as well, to replace many hens we lost last fall, and five turkeys. I was hoping to brood them in succession too; pullets first, then turkeys later in the season, but they're coming together in May. :] I'm guessing this hatchery isn't terribly user-friendly. :)

In any case, we brought our 35 home in wild winds and cold weather. NOT my ideal, but with 2 heat lamps and only 35 chicks, they can all huddle right into the warmth and no one gets left to freeze. They've survived one night so far, and that's good since temps aren't even going to hit 60 within the next week, according to the weather folks.

I ordered some organic starter from Azure, which will hopefully come this time (I ordered it last month and it never arrived). In the meantime I'm giving them a non-medicated starter. I'll use regular grower (or gamebird feed, if I can't find a non-med, high-protein feed) for most of their growing days, and then try to finish them up with a final bag or two of organic feed. I don't know if this is ultimately a huge difference, using it only for a portion of their feed, but at $30/50lb, there's no way I'm using it as their main feed. :]

To keep track of costs, I'm going to keep a list in the sidebar.

Fear of Man

2011-04-06T16:49:00.001-06:00

I do pretty well in this regard. After all... well, my blog speaks to how I dare live. :)

But sometimes I *do* have those moments.. Moments where I'm not comparing myself with what God has called me to, but with others. I was clicking through facebook (first mistake, I know) to a family I lived by when I was very young. I was friends with the oldest girl, and we used to play together all the time. She had 2 younger brothers, which we were fond of 'tricking' into play. We would play monopoly with them, and laugh hysterically as we "made change" with the play money, as they mistakenly thought they were getting more money. On a few occasions we convinced them to let us dress them in dresses, complete with makeup and hair accessories. Their dad put a stop to that, however. Their baby sister was the first newborn I ever remember laying eyes on. We were next-door neighbors, and we seemed on even ground back then. :) Of course that wasn't completely true; her mom had a career on hold while she raised her kids, her dad was a lawyer that served in the state legislature. My mom was a handicapped divorcée who moved with her 2 kids into her grandma's home.

Her parents still live in the (nicely remodeled) home, and my great-aunt still gets rent payments from the next-door address. But that's about it, for similarities...

Today my friend is mom to two little boys, works full-time in the public education system after getting her post-graduate degree(s?) in California. The boys we used to dress up like girls? Working in DC and running a business in another major metropolitan area. The newborn is now a 6'3" college graduate who just moved to Australia...

...And me? Um, I kill chickens. Yes, that is the thought that comes to mind when I compare myself to everyone else's accomplishments. :)

I need to remember (and I do most times) that I don't live this life thoughtlessly. I am purposefully living as best I can, the life I'm convinced I will not regret 50 years from now. We all pour ourselves out for something, and if it's for self, well, that dies with us. God, home, family, children; these things will last beyond ourselves, and I pray my efforts in these areas will produce and re-produce after I'm gone. I do not mean to imply that the family I mentioned above is in any way inferior to this: Indeed, I have no idea of their lives beyond that shallow "facebook profile" and would not presume to know anything more.

My mom used to quote some scripture to me: "They who compare themselves with themselves are not wise." Huh? That never made any sense to me. Of COURSE if you compare yourself with yourself, you're a little weird. But I came to understand that we are talking of groups here. We are not wise to compare our fallen human self to another fallen human. Looking at that mom with a cleaner house, or more consistent discipline, or more time to minister, or salon-cut hair... that's just not wise. It doesn't add to us, it doesn't edify. We either come away from the comparison thinking, "Yep, *I*'ve got it together more than her! Good thing I'm so holy..." OR (which is probably much more common) "Why can't I do it the way she does? What did I do wrong to miss out on that kind of opportunity?" THAT doesn't do anything for us, either.

What then do we do?

We compare to God, and His plan. We never come away from that thinking "Good thing I'm so holy.." We align with what He's called us to, and realize that is the only opportunity that matters. We keep our eyes on God, and He can work out whether he wants us publishing research in a respectable scientific journal, or feeding a group of children decent meals every day. It's not the research, nor the feeding, that matter ultimately, but whether we are doing that which God has called us to.

I am going to try to remember this, to hide it in my heart for when I run into facebook profiles, for family reunions, and especially holiday newsletter time... :)

Dangerous Weekend 2

2011-03-30T10:12:00.001-06:00

A week after Hubby sliced his hand and had to be sewn back together, we were running late for church. That is not the dangerous part, for that happens all the time. We have been picking up a couple young teens in our town from a very un-churched family, so we rushed out the door.

I believe I had taken my shower that morning, instead of the night before, which put me even further behind. I discovered the kids had only eaten applesauce (from Gigi's house, and full of corn syrup. Yuck!), and knew that wouldn't hold them through church. I think I dished up some cottage cheese (protein!) for the milk-tolerant, and set some quinoa on the stove to simmer up quickly for Li'l Artist. In the hustle and bustle, I never served her the quinoa.

In fact, I didn't think about it until an hour later we were sitting waiting for church to get started, and the kids were a little wild. I considered what they had eaten, and the thought of applesauce led me to the other breakfasts... I hadn't served Little Artist. Apparently a horrified look fell upon my face, and I hurried to the back where Hubby was sipping coffee to ask if he had done anything with the quinoa. He had not. "I don't think I took it off the stove..." I said.

Breaking speed laws, we are at least 20 minutes away from church. Hubby said I should call our neighbor (who is retired, lives alone, and had been sick). I did so, but could only leave a message. I told him, "this is already an emergency." He suggested I call another neighbor who lives 3/4 of a mile away, an organic gardener who I'm friends with, and he took the van and hurried in the direction of home.

I must say, what follows is kindof humorous in hindsight. This dear woman has been *in* our house only once. It was December 26, 2009. The 10 days or so prior to that had me madly sewing/knitting/whatever for gifts, then a few days spent at Gigi's, then back home to cook/bake like crazy, both for our home, for the Christmas Eve goodies, and the holiday meal, both at my inlaws, and the house, post Christmas, literally looked like a bomb had gone off. There was NO WHERE to sit; not a single surface that wasn't a complete disaster, and you could barely walk between the boxes and bags of christmas gifts/things hauled to and from festivities/kid mess/coats/boots/laundry/etc. I was exhausted and in fact hadn't even gotten out of bed by the time she and her husband stopped at our house that morning. Mortification is too mild a word.

Last year of course, I was moderately ready for a visit (i.e. there was at least a place to sit), but not surprisingly, they did not come. :)

So, I considered calling this lady, knowing full well that Sundays were only slightly better, generally speaking, than the-day-after-Christmas in our house. Saturdays I often try to get 'projects' done - sewing, or organizing something, an outdoor job if it's pleasant, but the kids tend to slide on their chores, and I tend to slide on enforcement, so the house was - again - not guest ready, by any means.

So I considered... call Mrs. S. to save the house, knowing she'll walk through and SEE it, or just let the house burn down altogether...? Oh my. You know you need to step up the housekeeping if THAT'S how you weigh such a problem.

As Hubby hit the road to go home, I called Mrs. S. to ask if she could go see if my house was burning down. I did not advise her as to where to find the scrapbooks; if it was afire I would be spared the embarrassment of AGAIN having her in unexpectedly.

She called back before Hubby had made it home, saying things were 'fine' (i.e. the house was still standing), though the quinoa was quite burnt, and the house was filled with smoke (she opened a window). She placed the pan in the sink and turned off the burner, and left.

I haven't used the pan again, though it's my best little oatmeal pan. I fear ruining anything I try to cook in it, but I haven't relegated it to the feed sacks either.

I am grateful, for my scrapbooks' sake, that she did not just close the door after one glance, and let the place burn... :)

(Truly, I AM so thankful to God that He brought this to mind before we could do nothing about it! One minor careless act could've cost us so very much, and we are SO grateful for His grace..)

Oo, That's A Giveaway!

2011-03-25T17:42:00.002-06:00

You can win books (maybe all of them!) by my favorite author, Francine Rivers.

Go here for details. :) :) :)

Dangerous Weekend

2011-03-24T08:52:00.000-06:00

Weekends have been a little troublesome for us. We're not the only ones, and I'm sure for most people it's not limited to weekends (in our small church, we have a young mom completely laid up after back surgery to remove big bone fragments that came loose and attacked her spinal nerves after a bout of strenuous exercise [that's what you get for exercising, right?], a grandma [the one taking care of the mom] with a broken toe, a businesswoman with a broken foot.. Lest this seem minor, this probably constitutes 20% of our regular attendees).

A few weeks ago Hubby was changing out a doorknob, and instead of getting the proper hammer and chisel, he tried to carve out room for the new latchplate with his leatherman.

He slipped.

He sliced his palm about 3 1/2" long, up to a quarter inch deep (I thank God his skin is tough and leathery, else it might've been so much worse), right along one of the creases of his hand.

This photo was taken with my crummy camera, text-messaged to my sisterinlaw, who emailed it back to me. Forgive the travel-weary state:

It became our first-ever actual ER visit in the nearly-11 years we've been married. It was a busy Saturday night there, and I was surprised at the number of little babies in carriers that were waiting for treatment.

He cut himself sometime around 7, and I didn't know it until I came out from sewing to see what his earlier groaning and muttering was about. He had his grubby hand wrapped around a paper towel. He showed it to me, and I gasped, then followed up with, "really? Really? What are you thinkin' man? Maybe we should WASH that a little bit?" Said with a partial smile. We went downstairs and did a little first-aid and considered our options. We were on the fence regarding the necessity of further treatment, so called various people for second opinions. My dad encouraged us not to risk a workin'-man's hands, and to get it stitched up. With a sigh I took the pot of reheating soup from the stove, and made a call to my inlaws who agreed to watch the kids. The kids were told to each grab their pajamas and to get into the van. My motherinlaw offered to inspect the wound to give her opinion, but I was pretty sure if *I* was on the fence regarding an ER visit, she'd be completely convinced it was necessary. :) I was right, and after dropping the girls, we went to the hospital. We got out around 11pm, and used a drive-thru Walgreen's to pick up Vicodin at midnight. Weird.

Ten days later we had my motherinlaw (she's a nurse) begin to remove the sutures per the instructions of the PA that did the job. The wound was not healing right, in fact the more stitches she removed, the more it kindof gaped open, so she stopped halfway, and I spent the last little bit of savings on yet more bandages and wrap tape. :) The good news is that it HAS healed, if not the way it was first intended. His tough, calloused skin went together under the PA's needle, but shifted after that, and while the gash didn't close itself, it did heal inside the walls of itself.

What do you suppose a palm-reader would make of him now? "Things will be cut short." "You have a split personality." "I'm unable to read this language." :)

Truly, we thank God for healing, and for available medical care to tend to it.

Spring Signs

2011-03-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't leave that last depressing post at the top. I'm hoping it is/was hormones, winter blues, kids cooped up for months...

Today Little Artist headed out to the van to search for her $3 used roller blades, but burst right back into the house.

"[Big Sister]! I hear the tweeting of summer birds!"

Big Sister hurried out with her and confirmed the song of the meadowlark has returned to us. Truly, that song is such a welcome gift, whether March or August. And so too is the excitement with which my six-year-old announces such a thing. :)

At six, I certainly wasn't tuned into the signs of the seasons like that. I'm grateful that my girls *are*. :)

Drowning

2011-03-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to a monthly bible study for Moms. It's a varied group; many churches represented, several homeschoolers, and it's a lovely group. The venue changes, and last night we were able to switch last-minute: the neighbor of our intended hostess wasn't going to be able to make it since her husband was working late. She welcomed us to her home instead, so she could attend for the first time.

After the study, we enjoyed some pie and ice cream, and then took a tour of her older home. It's near where we first lived in town, but bigger (not BIG mind you, just bigger than our tiny 872 sf home), and beautifully remodeled/fixed up. Apparently there are still things they intend to do, but really it was breathtaking. Not because it was just *so fancy*, but because they have four children, the oldest of whom is 7. *I* have four children, and my oldest is nine.

I'm trying to be inspired. I really am. But it wars with discouragement, and I'm not sure which is winning today. Her carpet is soft, and new, and there are no apple cores to be found within its fibers. Her children's rooms are painted beautifully, and no one has taken a pen or marker or pencil or sharp utensil to them. Their beds have (coordinated!) blankets, and none of them were on the floor. Her converted attic loft/guest/storage area, for which she apologized, looks like any "after" photo I might take after a real effort at cleaning/organizing/decorating. How does she do it? How does anyone do it? Why can't I???

I sat with the kids today, and we held hands and prayed about this. I pointed out that I had vacuumed up all the cornmeal two days ago. Someone poured more on the floor of the schoolroom. I told them the miracle(s) that brought this house to us. I asked them if they gave someone a gift, if they would want that gift to be loved or not. I showed them the (pieces of) crayons I just picked up from all over the floor - for the second day in a row. The tape stuck to the floor in great, wasteful lengths. The bookshelf overturned in the bedroom. Who does this kind of thing?

I am not completely ignorant. I have not completely neglected the training of my children. But oh my gosh it sure looks that way. Where am I missing it here? Why the glaring, glaring difference between two otherwise similar households? I do not (seriously) require the jacuzzi tubs, or a fireplace in my bedroom suite, or glassed-in showers, or the stainless fridge-over-freezer. But oh, an apple-core-free carpet would be fantastic. A little order to rest in, without sacrificing three times over when the girls have five minutes to their own devices. Without abandoning sleep altogether, what can I do to close the gap??

Abortion History Myths

2011-02-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Like me, I'm sure you've heard all the horror stories of back-alley coat-hanger abortions. Apparently those are more scare-tactics than fact.

For instance:

3. Criminal abortions were not, by and large, the deplorable and filthy quacks so popularly presented in abortion advocacy lore. As Planned Parenthood's Mary Calderone pointed out in 1960, "Call them what you will, abortionists or anything else, they are still physicians, trained as such; and many of them are in good standing in their communities. They must do a pretty good job if the death rate is as low as it is." And just one year earlier, in 1959, Planned Parenthood's Alan Guttmacher said, "They have to be good to stay in business, since otherwise they would be extremely vulnerable to police action."

More here.

Field Progress

2011-02-24T15:47:00.002-07:00

We're still slowly working toward having an endless supply of free hamburger.

Okay, maybe that's not the right way to put it. We want to be able to answer "right here!" when someone asks, "Where's the beef?!?"

Before winter set in, we'd successfully ripped out an old fence along the road, and put in wooden H-frames and corner posts, plus a wood post ever 100 feet along the run, and most of the steel t-posts. We have a few more t-posts to plant, once the ground is softer, and then we need to stretch the fence and attach it to the posts. We won't even talk about the 1100-foot run of sagging fence that needs torn up and redone (with posts closer together and, um, maybe something sturdy like an H-frame somewhere along there.).

So far gravity irrigation has been the method of watering, beginning along the ditch and flowing north - which is a full quarter-mile to the property line - and it hasn't ever resulted in even coverage. We've tossed around the idea of putting in some other irrigation method - certainly not as cheap or easy as gravity - and things seem to be coming together.

We bought about 1000 feet of aluminum mainline pipe from a big farmer/rancher in the area. Hubby works on his pivots frequently, so was comfortable calling him up to ask about it. It's dented in spots, and parts need outright replaced, but at $1/foot, it was a good deal.

We plan to put this pipe down the centerline of the field - north/south, equidistant between the side fences. There are valves at the end of each segment of pipe (30' or 60'), and we can attach a hose (not a garden hose. More like a fire hose) from that to a Big Gun. These bear similarity to the little back-and-forth sprinklers you might use in your lawn, but are as long as your arm or more. And the price for just one? Easily four-digits.. Hubby can get a good deal on a used one from work, but he dug around and found four smaller-style units (still bigger than lawn sprinklers) that we hope might work instead. They were castoffs from people upgrading and instead of getting rid of them, he drug them home... :]

Hubby did some math (take THAT, teachers who thought he'd amount to nothing!) and figured out the size and strength of pump we'd need, and we got one from his work - for a good price. :) You may think that since he's worked there for ... 11 years, that we'd have gotten some of these deals before now, and made some other changes farm-wise... Well, it hasn't ever really worked out that way, so I'm grateful that the grace is there now. :)

We began to really think through how we might power that pump. You can see from the property sketch that the water for the field is nowhere near the power for the house. Years ago I'd called the power company to see what we'd have to do to get power up there in case we wanted to water more suitably, and I think the first thing the gal said was "a new pole to start, that'll be $700." We didn't have any real plans, and we certainly didn't have any real money either, so I choked and stopped her right there. Hubby used google earth, then a real-live measuring tool, and we measured from our electric meter base way out to where we'd want the pump. It was a good 1000+ feet, and he did more math (boo-yah) to figure out what kind of wire we'd need (going underground with wimpy wire will lose amperage* or voltage* or something like that). He got a soft quote from his boss (not sure if this was retail price or employee price) at somewhere around $2/foot. *choke* Suddenly the power company didn't sound too bad. I called them and met with a guy to look at where/what we needed, and we do NOT need a pole (well, we need our own meter-base pole, but that's not the power company's job). They will hang a transformer* and stuff for single-phase* electricity for probably under ~~$200!~~ [update: $348. Don't blog about your chickens before they hatch.] We have to put in a pole, wire up a meter and all that, have it inspected and they'll hook us up and we'll be good to go. Oh, and among the businesses listed on the little paper he gave me where we can get a utility pole? Hubby's work. :)

We need somewhere to pump out of; a pond or can (a big corrugated pipe segment with a bottom that can sit in the ground). Cans are hundreds of dollars sometimes, but Hubby found an old nasty one that had sat in the corner of the shop yard at work. It had been used for dirty oil or something (I better scrub that out if we want to be at all organic, eh? :) ), and he got it for $25.

The Eventual Plan

So. We're making progress, though I have no idea whether it's nearly enough or not. We have pipe, pump, sprinkler heads, can. We need hose(s), a power pole/meter base, to install the can, etc. This is in addition to finishing the fences, building and figuring out portable electric fencing, oh, and buying cows. THAT'S a whole other hurdle to jump. Where do we buy them? What kind? How will we get them here? How will we know if they're growing well? How will we know if there's anything wrong? What if the grass grows faster than the cows and we need to mow? Where do we get a mower? How do we mow? Will we bale it? Where will we store it? What if the cows don't like the forage? How will we know when they're 'ripe'? What if we want to go camping for a few days? I'm trying to take it one step at a time, but you can see I can get overwhelmed easily. :]

Will it happen this year? I don't know. Just this irrigation switch has me surprised, both that we're doing it, and that it's coming along. I'm trying to trust God that He knows what we need and when we need it, and will supply for those needs as he has all these others. :)

*Note, I have no real idea what I'm talking about here.

Ipod Cozy

2011-02-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

My birthday present needed some protection. A cozy place to spend its days and nights. I looked online for tutorials, and searched Etsy for ideas, but I was surprised at how few of them even came close to what I wanted. I finally just trekked out alone, into Trial-n-Error Land. :)

I wanted something I could keep the ipod in while I used it. I toyed with the idea of leaving a round cutout for the control-thingy, and a rectangle open (or covered with plastic) for the screen, but decided that was a lot of variables to mess with on short notice.

Yes, I used (some of) the same fabric as my wallet. :) When secured, the flap leaves open the plug area for the earbuds, and also the little lock-switch thingy.

I wanted a slot in the bottom so I could charge it - without removing it. The front sports a pocket for tucking in earbuds, though usually I just wrap the wires around the whole thing, then secure it with the velcro-flap.

And of course I left the selvage dots. :)

Sparky

2011-02-19T03:22:00.000-07:00

Gigi, I may have mentioned, is Catholic. She's her own brand, though, being pro-choice and (very) pro-birth control. Her early plan was to become a nun, which didn't work out, but sometimes I wonder if she'd have been this kind:

It's hard to see (and I had to take about 23 photos to get it this good), but this nun toy spits fire. Sparks, actually. It's a wind-up toy with those weird robotic-style feet that walk it along, and every few steps she stops and something inside made of steel grinds against something inside made of flint, and sparks fly out of her mouth.

Or did, before my kids wore her nearly out. Now you're lucky to witness a feeble flash as she marches along.

My mom went to Catholic school back when this kind of nun served as teacher. I'm sure you know someone with the same stories she told... :)

Dietary Update

2011-02-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

We finally decided to get a blood test done for Little Artist, after 4+ months of 'guessing.'

First, a recap:
Five weeks in saw incredible turnaround in her digestion, elimination, attitude, behavior, etc. Shortly thereafter I became less diligent at giving her digestive enzymes with each meal, and continued to have spurts of forgetfulness around the holidays and such. She lost some ground, however it was still vast improvement over her pre-diet conditions. The doctor advised me that he was using a different lab* for the same IgG antigen-whatever test, which was about half the price of the former lab (the former lab offers lots of 'support', the new lab just the results).

Early February we had an appointment and I requested the test. He also ordered a full gluten-panel to check for celiac disease. She didn't enjoy having her blood drawn, but recovered from it quickly. I'm not sure, however, if I've even yet recovered from taking four kids into a blood-draw lab and all that entails. :)

The good news:
She tested very low on the lab's gluten-test. She does NOT have celiac disease.
All of her food sensitivities are minor ones: +1s only. :)
Yeast and nuts are not reactive.

The bad news:
Gluten DID score as one of the sensitivities, as did rice (!), buckwheat, casein (a milk protein), coconut (ack!), tuna and other fish we never eat, green peppers, broccoli (she is even sad at that), cherries, and a few others.

I was wondering about the coconut; we give (gave) her coconut oil with nearly every meal in place of butter, and rice was obviously a common standby. I have made ghee for her today. I think. I'm SO GLAD that eggs are ok, and corn. I'm VERY SURPRISED that yeast is fine. She is thrilled with the prospect of pickles. :)

The doctor wants to see in in another month (sigh) after total and complete ~~annihilation~~ avoidance of the reactive foods, and I'm debating on canceling the appointment, what with the cost of everything going up, including his follow-up office visits. I've found a website that sells the same fancy brand** of enzymes and other supplements the doc does, at lower prices, so I plan to switch and purchase her enzymes that way. Hubby's too. It seems like enzymes are just a necessary part of her world, and I wonder at that. I sure wish decent ones weren't so expensive. :]

I'm glad to have concrete information, and I kindof wish we had gone this route from the beginning. Then again, she may have had more or more severe sensitivities before we eliminated so much from her diet, and maybe these reactive foods are the best-case scenario we can work with from here on out.

*The lab was Alletess in Massachusetts.
**Klaire products are super-mega-guaranteed to be free of common allergens and contaminants. Early efforts at purchasing them online were halted due to "must have a doctor's order" and I wasn't bold enough to ask for that order so I could undercut our doc. :)

I'm SO In.

2011-02-16T08:21:00.001-07:00

Did you hear that the IRS is now offering a tax deduction for nursing mothers? That is, that breast pumps and 'other breastfeeding supplies' will now be deductible?

Seriously?

What kind of "other breastfeeding supplies" do you suppose they're talking about?

Because I have some really effective supplies. A pair of them, actually. They've put in years of service, and continue to do so. [Is this a retroactive deduction, do you think?]

I have some questions though. How would I figure my deduction? Maybe it's like the 'home office deduction,' where you add up all the property taxes, heating, cooling, electricity, maintenance, etc that your home requires, then proportionally allot part of it as the 'office' expense based on square footage. Should I track the costs of running my body? Food, medicine, clothing and the like? But how would I determine the proportion of my 'equipment?' By weight? Volume? Surface area??? And is it to be measured at the start of lactation, or year's end? Maybe the 1040 instructions will just come with a chart: Find your height, cup size, and ta-da, the percent is done for you.

I've heard about the IRS hiring some 20,000 new agents. I think now I know why. All us nursing Mamas will need someone to double-check our figures. Where do you think they'll be getting the training for such audits? The TSA? I'd heard a lot of talk on the Right about Obama giving yet higher pay to federal union employees, but I had no idea these were the kind of 'benefits' being offered.

A New Wallet!

2011-02-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

I love a new wallet. Don't you? Clean, crisp, perfect spots to put certain things. I do love it when I know just the *right* place for something. Probably because until and unless there is a *right* place, it just sits out in the way and clutters my life. I don't know why...

But in any case.. I made myself this new wallet!

How long do you suppose it will remain white?

It's not terribly unlike the last wallet I made; the outside is one piece however, not 'quilted,' I used a magnetic clasp instead of resin snaps, it HAS A ZIPPER POCKET (a major reason for making this), and has an extra row of card-pockets. The flap with the clasp is also slightly rounded instead of square-cornered.

See my milkmaid milking my cow? Lovely!

I was given a few scraps of this upholstery fabric from one of Gigi's friends, and fell in love with it. Picturesque scenes of yesteryear farming; women carrying a yoke, milking a cow, gathering sheaves, men stacking a wagon, children with sheep and dogs and chickens. There wasn't much fabric, and only one piece with the milkmaid, which I determined would be made into something for myself. I had a little heart-attack when Little Artist presented me with a Christmas present - a portion of this fabric folded and sewn into a 'bag' of sorts.. But thankfully the milkmaid was on a different scrap! :)

Lining and clasp.

I love the lining fabric. I'm not so certain it really 'goes' with the rustic outer print, but it's a fun difference I suppose.

The little red clip holds my check register usually. Easy access to write transactions!

The lower fabric is a fun print that reminds me of the 50's fabrics. I made some beautiful makeup cases out of it at Christmas, though I didn't take a photo of them before giving them away! There are a total of 8 credit-card pockets, which hold my debit card, costco card, driver's license, business cards, appointment reminder cards, etc. My previous wallet lacked the little seams to the far left and right of these pockets, and as a result things were very loose in them. I remedied that by tucking a few real-life cards in as I made it, and sewed so they'd fit snugly. Behind these pockets is a deep, wide pocket that holds a book of checks.

Ooo, I still have a Barnes & Noble gift card!

The top (lower part of the above photo) has a wide pocket for receipts, a zippered pocket in front of that, and a pair of card-style pockets in front of that. These are deeper than the credit-card pockets, and hide the contents completely. The zippered pocket is for the money. I can't tell you HOW OFTEN my previous wallet would lose coins to the floor - the wide rear pocket was the best I could do for coins, and it didn't do well at all. :) I love the zipper. I also added a little loop of pretty elastic and it holds two pens superbly! Why two? Well, why not? :] Previously my pen(s) lived in the pocket with the checks.

The cream and brown print is probably not the wisest choice for something as hauled-around and oft-used as a wallet, but I can wash it. Or make a new one someday. :) I'm so pleased to be able to replace something without going out and spending money on something made in China (ok; I don't know really where the fabric, zipper, or clasp was made. I might've done this anyway.), and glad to be able to 'customize' it to work for me! Easier than shopping for just such! :)

I loosely followed this Quilted Wallet Tutorial. I have no advice for the zipper (not part of that tutorial) except this: Do NOT do it the way I did. Not that I could *explain* the way I did it, but...

Boo Hiss

2011-02-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back. Or, more precisely, my computer is back. I still love it, but I'm less in love with the People Behind It than I was before.

Last year I got a MacBook. And I can't tell you how excited I am to be using it now, 10.5 months later, and it still WORKS! That never happened with most computers I've owned.

However, there's a line on the screen that is lighter than the surrounding area, mostly noticeable when watching a movie or with other dark-screen things. I hauled it with me to an Apple Store when I visited Gigi a bit ago, to get their advice. I had to have an appointment with a Genius, and he ascertained that I needed a new screen, which he could fix. Because it was still within the first year of ownership, it would not cost me anything. However, to have him fix it, I would have to leave the computer with him for a few days, plus make a backup of all my data beforehand. Well, I was leaving town that evening, and couldn't just run to and fro for such a thing (besides not having an external hard drive, etc), so he advised me to call Apple Care, get a special box shipped to me, ship my computer to them after making my backup, and on and on. I jumped through these hoops, and send my laptop to them last Monday.

I received a call yesterday, "Leah" informing me that the screen replacement is NOT covered, that their technician decided the computer was mistreated somehow, therefore it would cost me.

Seven hundred, seventy-five dollars.

Are. You. Flippin'. Kidding. Me?!??!?

Um, thanks but no thanks. Send it back please.

Which they did.

I called the store to find out why the disparity between decisions, and apparently that's just how it works. If the store decides there is no additional damage between their last assessment and this one, they will still fix it.

If I get it to them.

If I reserve a big block of 'genius' appointments so they can do it on-site.

If they have the right part in stock.

If, if, if.

Quite frankly, I'm a little bothered. I lived five days without my computer, certainly subjecting it to temperature shifts and road vibration and who-knows-what. I shopped for an external hard drive (which I probably should have done anyway, but wouldn't have). I even re-visited Gigi in the interim, wherein I could have done the now- recommended option. Making another trip (or even two, if the repair is delayed) will not be exactly cheap, or easy. I don't think any of those Mac Geniuses have been in a room with four children, let alone spent 4 hours round-trip with them in an enclosed van. Do you think they can operate carseats with the same skill with which they operate Mac OSX?

IF I show up, and the've changed their minds, I might just make a scene. Or, alternatively, let my children loose in their store for 5 minutes... :]

Another Treasure

2011-01-26T00:19:00.000-07:00

Don't worry. I still LOVE my kindle. :) I use it every day pretty much, whether for school or my own self, and I'm not likely to slow down on that much.

But I got something for my birthday that is just about as nifty. I decided an ipod would be really fantastic. I coveted my friend's ipod Touch a while back (don't worry; I repented), amazed at the way the screen would turn with the ipod if you wanted to read tall or wide, impressed with the touchscreen and smoothly slowing scrolling down the page. It could access internet for heaven's sake. I barely knew what else it was for.

But nifty screens and internet wouldn't really enrich my life for the long run, so I did research. I'm still no expert, but it turns out that there are quite an assortment of ipods and generations of ipods out there. My niece got a tiny ipod nano for Christmas, which is about a 1.5-inch touchscreen, but holds a relatively small amount of memory. I saw photos online of the new ipod shuffle (also smaller memory, no screen and no programming - just shuffling). In real life the thing is TINY! Like postage-stamp tiny! The Touch started at 8 GB of memory, but also at $230. The classic sure offered a lot more memory (the new 7th generation ipods start at 160 GB! What are they putting on those, anyways? All 20th century film and music?), but the same out-of-range pricetag. I started watching ebay for auctions (and my, there are SO many!) and gathering info on the older ipods. Then I lost a whole lot of auctions. :) I got serious finally, and bought a just-right 30 GB ipod classic, Generation Five, in white (matches my computer even, but not my kindle). For a much more reasonable price.

It came from Maryland. A gangster in Maryland named Jeff, apparently, based on the contents of the ipod. I sew aprons and homeschool, and I didn't know who Li'l Wayne was. Jay Z? I recognized some of the names from when I was in school (Notorious B.I.G. R.E.M. Green Day Beastie Boys), but seriously? This is music?!? I scrolled through approximately 3 seconds each of 67 songs (thought that might've been the contents, but was only one playlist) and were I Catholic I'd have had to attend Confession straightaway. Yikes! I'm not Catholic though, so I prayed for Jeff's salvation instead. I admit, while cleaning the kitchen, I did rock out to Michael Jackson's Thriller (well, inasmuch as one can rock out in an apron and slippers).

Then the true Redemption occurred. I plugged in the ipod, renamed it "Mama's Ipod"** and trashed all 2400+ gangster rapper songs AND the Family Guy episode and whatever movie(s) Dave Chaparelle or Chapelle had. This was the "Dead to Sin" part. After that I uploaded some podcast preachin', some homeschool convention lectures, some worship music... A splash of holy water and a dab of anointing oil later, and we managed "Alive to Christ!" [I hope I'm not blasphemin' here. No disrespect intended.]

Seriously though, I am LOVING this. And the iTunes store? Wow. I don't know if they sell music (okay, I'm sure they do), but the podcast stuff is amazing.

I can attend Voddie Baucham's Family Conference (or whatever it was) while I scrub the toilets! I can listen to House of Bread, preaching my Dad is ALWAYS telling me to listen to (it's great, truly) in the van on the way to errands. If the kids aren't with me, I can listen to The Ramp sermons (are they sermons? They're pretty excited, and southern) my cousin told me about while I do my shopping! I can re-hear homeschool convention speakers, which is nice since I spent the live-version juggling a baby and a toddler and didn't exactly take notes. I. have. even. managed. to. put. my. workout. on. there. I know, anyone who has been part of this century lately knows all this already, but remember: I kill chickens every June. This is big. Truly, the workout plays right there on the little screen, though I can't flail my arms about when there are wires between my ears and an upright ipod, and I can't see the screen when the thing's tucked into the back of my britches, so... As far as I know, I can't get just the audio track without (horror of horrors) spending money on a program to do that, but I would if I could (do it for free).

It really has enriched my life. It's hard to yell very loudly at your naughty child when Julie True is crooning some beautiful Jesus-worship in your ear (sometimes I have to go mono, see, for the sake of parenting and all that). Hearing some church, when I'm not simultaneously counting and locating my children (or if I DO have to do that, I can use pause and rewind!) keeps me focused on God more than I was before. Prayer is up, too. Perspective freshened.

I have an anti-progress bias in some areas (organic farming, in some ways), but this kind of technology can help increase Kingdom in the world. In my house, at least. :) I am grateful for this blessing, and I'm so glad to have such a meaningful birthday gift!

**Truth be told I call it "Granny." If the 7th generation was just born, and this is the 5th generation, it is a grandparent, is it not? And I think it's a girl, so Granny it is..

Other Sewing

2011-01-24T00:05:00.001-07:00

I spent a few pre-Christmas days chained to the sewing machine, with the door locked and myriad threats against intruders. :)

Here are a couple gifts I made:

Quilted Potholders

I made the above potholders for my mother-in-law. They are quite large (9 1/2" square, I think) and have two quilted layers, one with a cutout, so to be used as a mitt. The outer layer is cotton, the linings are muslin, and in between there are a couple layers of ugly canvas (shhh.. don't tell Mom) and a piece of old, weird blanket (ditto on the shhh). The binding is terrible. Please don't look closely, but for the love of Pete, do tell me if there is a Binding Alternative out there somewhere.

Christmas Slippers

I made Baby a couple pairs (wish I knew where they were) of baby slippers, and went ahead and monkeyed with the pattern to make her sisters each a pair (yes, there is a match to each of those in the photo). I traced each girl's foot for sizing, and went from there. However, Big Sister has already worn entirely through her polyester sherpa sole, so the idea obviously works best for the "under 25-lb" crowd. Something non-slip might also be in order; thankfully everyone around here seems to have sturdy bones... I considered brushing a little rubber cement on the undersides, but we don't have any. Can you buy non-stick fabric like you find on pajama feet? That would be handy.

The girls were thrilled with their slippers. I'm so glad they still think Mama making everything homemade is cool. :)

A Little Late

2011-01-22T00:00:00.001-07:00

I didn't make quilts for my first two girls. There was a baby shower Big Sister, back when she was Only, and gifts were abundant. My mom made one for Little Artist. I've posted about Organique's, but Baby (who is hardly a Baby and really needs a bloggy-name!) didn't get one from Mama for a while.

If my sewing room was clean, I might've found a flat spot to take a picture.

I decided a quilt would be her Christmas gift, and I'd make it larger than some of our other baby quilts. I found some fabric on clearance (but of course) and "designed" (yes, consider that term very loosely used) her quilt.

Love my dots. :)

The top fabrics match, and are blue/cream/brown, with darling butterflies and coordinating spots. You don't know how rare it is that I end up with coordinating fabrics. This was very exciting to me. :) If you look at the picture above, you can see that I don't trim the selvedge from the fabric. I'm cheap that way. Worse, I actually work to incorporate the darling little dots that show the colors used in the design. Ah, it's getting out of control, really. Quilts, baby's birthday dress, aprons... I just can't bear to abandon them!

More dots. Ill-matched backing.

The back is a nice quilter's cotton I picked up out of town (this stuff never makes it to the clearance racks locally). It really doesn't match the top (it's pinkish instead of creamy), but the vintage look and feel of the roses makes up for it. Maybe. In any case, I used what I had, and it will work! :) I also don't know the proper crib-size quilt apparently (the batting fit, but it was wider than the fabric. Oh well, an opportunity to add in some dots...), as this is the second baby quilt on which I've had to widen the back.

I used 80/20 cotton/poly batting, and I the weight and loft is just right for machine quilting. I literally used every bit of the fabrics (I think I had 2 yards for the back, and 2 total for the front), and even "pieced" several pieces. One corner square in fact is an entirely different fabric, mostly brown (less warm) with some muted blue flowers printed thereon. I have decided that imperfections are character, and I embrace them now instead of letting them cause angst in my head, or stress in my pocketbook. I'm not in love with the pre-packaged binding 'look' and 'feel,' but I AM in love with the pre-packaged binding 'time' and 'effort of application,' so there we are. :) The center rectangle is quilted with 2"ish squares not-at-all-on-center, and you can see the meander quilting outside of that. As with Organique's quilt, Baby has her cursive name hidden among the machine stitches.

If there is opportunity for future Baby quilts, I will remember that it's best to get it done within a reasonable amount of time after their birth. Reasonable being defined as "before said baby can walk up and push all the fancy stitching buttons on the machine, or turn it off entirely, while you're carefully trying to stitch decently."

Another Habit

2011-01-17T08:59:00.001-07:00

This year may be a year of transition for me. Not only do I have the whole text-message protocol (or lack thereof) to process, NOW I find out that I shouldn't be typing two spaces between sentences! I really am astonished at this. I've never even HEARD such a thing. The reasons make sense, and I'll put some effort towards changing that habit, but it won't be easy! In fact, right now I'm putting two spaces and a delete between each sentence. :]

What irks me just as much as the relearning is the fact that I was taught wrongly. That really bothers me! It wasn't because the teacher was mean, or doing it on purpose (I learned in a class with both typewriter and computer). But it really gives substance to the scripture, "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher." (Luke 6:40)

I've spent half my life in what I now discover is a bad habit since that 'full training.' How careful we need to be in choosing teachers! Typing two spaces, as hard as it may be to change, is a mild thing compared to other habits we learn and practice.

Habit of overeating. Habit of laziness. Habit of self-serving. Habit of overspending. How about our thoughts? Habits of judgment, of assumption. Habits of seeing God inaccurately. Habit of believing our own strength is enough (or thinking that it SHOULD be).

So much to learn, to change. The good news is that for all the important ones, the answer boils down to One Thing.

Love.

Love Him. Be loved by Him.

33

2011-01-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

It was a good year for Jesus. He fulfilled his destiny, changed the world forever, conquered sin and death...

I'm not exactly aspiring to all that (maybe I should be...?), but trying to walk where my Father leads. Trying to let Him love me (which will fulfill an element of my destiny).

Today there is a mountain of laundry, and bay leaves (?) crumbled on a bathroom floor. Considering last year's gift was a little more dramatic, I'm counting this as serious progress. :)

I get to have lunch with a friend/cousin, and facebook is overflowing with birthday wishes. If I play my cards right, I might even manage a discount on some eggs... :)

Thank you Lord, for life.

Textus Impossibus

2011-01-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

Are you a text-er? Do you text message others? Do you know how hard it is for me to write those sentences, using nouns as verbs? How about, Are you a sender of texts? Do you send text messages to others? Ah, that's better. But it only gets worse from here.

I've recently started sending and receiving text messages. Like facebook and blogging, I like the ease with which it connects me to others. I like sending a text message to my farmer, asking him "where's the beef?" and hearing that he will call the butcher shortly. Or asking my motherinlaw exactly which April date is my niece's birthday, so I can mark it on the calendar.

I've sent and received text messages before, but only under duress. :) That is, if I was "roaming" and the text was cheaper than the call. My extended family of in-laws uses text messaging quite a bit, and I've been bummed to be the last person to find out that a close friend (who is also a relative) had her baby, or other "news" that I missed out on because I was "out of the loop." This is my own fault, mind you; I've grumbled before, receiving a "you are the best mother to your child/children" award, knowing it cost me 15¢. Really? If I'm so worthy, why don't you know whether I have one or more offspring? :D I still don't know who sent that to me, or how many of us mothers it was sent to, but it still cracks me up.

So, I've now added a whopping $5 to my cell phone bill, and for that I can send and/or receive 250 text messages per month. Which solves the problem of knowing when someone important is in labor, but has brought up a whole other issue.

can u guess what it is
i cant wait 2 tell u
ready? its sumthin that drives me crazy @ txting

Aaaaaaaauuughhhh!

I always thought I was a numbers girl, you know? Memorizing my bank account numbers, and even my Power Company account number. But I find that in my old age, I'm getting a little wordy, too (hmm, maybe that's why I have a blog?). I've been reading poorly-written Christian fiction on my kindle (they were free. Good thing.) and critiquing them to no end, astonished at the incorrect labeling for real-life things, or the unlikely conversations/plot twists/whatever. And clichés? Gag me with a spoon. Anyways. About words. Using text messages is supposed to (I hear) save time and effort, doing away with the pleasantries necessary in a voice conversation, and get your questions answered and details ironed out without interrupting anyone's day. Much.

But here's the thing. I happen to believe punctuation is handy, and purposeful! So I type my text message with appropriate apostrophes, commas, capitals, periods, etc. I write out "to" and "you" and other things, because I just cannot bring myself to write such purposeful mistakes. Errors, they would be. BUT - My text messages need to be 160 characters or less, else they become two text messages. And I'm nothing if not frugal. So I end up with a problem.. I type out my nice little text message, and realize it's going to be too long. So I have to back up and use smaller adjectives and fewer qualifiers, or whatever. If that's not enough, then I have to make errors, changing "to" to "2" and "you to "u" and worse. It's excruciating.

By the time I'm done writing, rewriting, and un-proofing, I've spent eight minutes on something that would've taken one, had I just dialed the daggum number in the first place!

So - do you send and receive text messages? Do you use the abbreviated misspellings? Does it bother you? Will I ever get comfortable using such things?

**I do not want to be understood as condemning the use of misspelled words in text messages. It just bothers me to do it. Like someone who just can't handle clutter on their countertop and constantly cleans it off (gee, now THAT would be a useful neurosis!). :)

Incongruity

2010-12-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

However, I think there are exceptions. Books covered in images of shirtless muscle-men with waist-length flowing hair and gripping a half-undressed woman are usually, well, trashy novels. Girl-p*rn, really.

A while back I was searching for a handful of classic kids books, and was hitting up the second-hand stores in Town to see if I could avoid the shipping costs of buying online. Hubby and the kids waited in the van while I perused the back wall of one such shop, passing over the obligatory Microwave Cooking cookbooks and MS-DOS how-to manuals. A demure, older Mennonite woman walked to the back of the store as well, and went directly to the far end of the wall. A-ha, I thought. That's where the good stuff is. I pretended to continue searching along as I slowly made my way in her direction, waiting until she had made her selections and left the area. I happily strode towards the Good Shelf.

To find books covered in images of shirtless muscle-men...

I laughed to myself, when standing in line to buy some 50¢ crayola paints, the woman was turning in a good-sized stack of similar novels to get 'credit' towards the purchase of the new stack. Classic literature indeed. Silly me. :)

Just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover...?

War of the Worlds

2010-12-27T21:17:00.000-07:00

This is one of those stories I need to write down for posterity. You might know of the War of the Worlds movie with Tom Cruise. I recall an earlier version, watching it on my mom's (well, my grandparents', but they moved out of their house so my mom, brother, and I could live there) old 8-foot-long tv. The TV was set in the middle, and cloth-and-wood covered speakers were built-in at either side. The green animated laser beams were just slightly less frightening than my mom's tale of people jumping to their deaths in fear that this story was real.

Gi-gi remembers this time. It was 1938, according to Wikipedia. The story was broadcast on radio, and there were those that didn't realize it was just a story. I asked Gi-gi how that could be, and she said that there was always a lot of static, things weren't near as clear as they are nowadays, and when you only caught the gist, well, I guess it sounded pretty real.

Gi-gi was 11. She had an older sister married, two older brothers at home, 2 younger brothers, the baby sister, plus mom and dad. They lived along the river where they farmed a little, and her dad might've been in the state legislature at this time, or had already served a term or two. I don't know if the family was gathered around the radio for the evening's entertainment, or if suddenly their ears were tuned to the broadcast, but at whatever point, Grandma Great came to believe that martians were truly invading the earth.

This is where my modern sense starts to balk (seriously, you didn't know it was just a story??), but there is something to be learned here.

My great grandma Betty, who was 41, did not jump out a window. Not that they had a window tall enough to jump to your death, but still. She quietly gathered her six children and walked them out to the riverbank to await The End. She was a Scotch Presbyterian and had great faith. If this was it, then she was ready; she encouraged her children to be brave, and to meet the Lord with gladness.

I pause here with tears in my eyes. My comfortable existence has a hard time imagining this. Would I be as calm, as prepared, as willing to gather my children and gracefully meet our expected demise? At the hands of invading aliens, no less?!?

I'm not sure how long they waited, or if it was daylight or nighttime, but at some point my great-grandfather said, "Betty, get back in this house! and bring the kids!" or something to that effect. :) I don't know if Grandma Great woke up the next day ashamed of her actions, or with a greater gratitude for her family and life, but the memory has stuck with her children at least.

What do you think YOU would do, at such a time?

How We Got Out

2010-12-20T11:19:00.001-07:00

This is the next Sunday. I was finally getting a little cabin fever. Ahem. Hubby got the tractor very stuck, and you can see all the little footprints where Hubby would "walk home" from his truck (parked up at the neighbor's) each night.

Sunken Tractor

The day before, I was beginning to get desperate. I called a neighbor about borrowing his tractor, but he said his bucket-contraption wasn't working right. I called my nearest neighbor (a wonderful older woman, who gives wayyy too much candy to my children) who'd had her driveway cleared (of WHAT, I might ask; hers wasn't like ours!) and she called the guy who did hers, and someone else who had offered. Neither answered their phone, but she got a hold of a family who does odd jobs for her sometimes, and they came to take a look. This was Sunday morning, and they thought that our portion of the driveway would take about 2 hours. They charge a fantastic hourly rate (considering there are six or eight of them, from 11 years old to 60+(?)). I gave the go-ahead, and they set to work with tractor and shovels.

Help is on the way!

The snow was much wetter and heavier by this time, and it was not near as easy to move as they'd thought. At 2.5 hours they were about halfway between my van and the neighbor's property line, and all the way through my driveway-clearing budget. :) The old boy on the tractor had driven around the side of the driveway to help free my tractor, and I asked if he thought my van could traverse the ground there without getting stuck. He thought so, so I asked him to clear that portion enough to get my van out instead of working further on the driveway. He hollered and the rest of the group and their shovels marched up to where I was and set to work clearing the big drifts in the front of the motor home (oh, and I had my shovel too! I could taste the freedom, and was happy to be doing something!).

It ain't pretty, but it works...

Before long the way was (kinda) clear, and I happily drove my van up to the neighbor's and parked it there (which is what I will be doing next time I lie in bed with the wind howling me awake after a snowfall). For a week or more we parked the van there, and I was so grateful to be able to leave, that I almost didn't mind trekking a quarter-mile through mud and slush. With children. I DID come to mind the quarter-mile trek back, after dark, in the wind, with a sleeping baby in my arms. We made a family trip to town for Hubby's music practice, and ferried the groceries and baby home in his pickup afterwards. :)

These are the good ol' days! When my kids are older and more experienced, they will look back on these things and realize how terribly weird we were. And hopefully it will bring smiles to their faces.

S'no Problem!

2010-12-19T07:37:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back, just before Thanksgiving, it snowed. It was a nice snow, a warm, snowball-making snow. Then it snowed some more, colder, powdery.

About 8 inches total on the ground.

And then it got windy, very early on a Sunday. It buffeted the outside of the wall where my head lies at night. It howled, and the house groaned. I did too, a bit. Later Hubby tried to go to church, but he only got about 200 feet from the house. Soon it looked like this:

From the living room window. The driveway goes between the motor home and the power meter.

Yes, this is what eight inches and a breeze does to us. Okay, a 45 mph breeze.

And Hubby put his little truck in four-wheel mode and went into the pasture, just to make me jealous. And bring back groceries. He did the same with his big work truck.

The backyard gets some interesting wind-effects in the drifts. As I write this, most of the backyard and all the neighboring fields are free of snow, but we are still able to walk across the top of the fence at this point.

The backyard, snow blowing across a peak.

This was taken another day, the wind was gone, the sky was clear and bright. And my driveway is somewhere down there! It starts at the lower right of the photo, then follows diagonally towards the upper left. At the telephone pole way out there (not the one with the transformer in the middle of the photo), the driveway veers left, then right, before going out to the road.

From upstairs

Ah, now where are my snowshoes??

Snowed in February 2008. <-- Back when I actually would step out of the house to take a photo...

Doings

2010-12-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

My goodness, 'tis the season, is it not? I have been busy with things I can't write about, because as soon as I do, some lurking relative will come back and read about something they shouldn't! :) Time has been spent in the kitchen and the sewing room, with a little knitting thrown in here and there. I can tell you:

I just tonight finished putting the binding (poorly) on a quilt for Baby. And I will tell you that I should have done it when she was born, as I promised her, because she was not able to come up and push all the buttons to change the stitches mid-seam, or turn the whole thing off in the middle of a decorative stitch, or cause other mayhem and chaos to the project. At least it's hers, and I can blame it all on her. Even my mistakes, perhaps. :)

I used some velvet-y, deep red 'crushed panné' fabric to make a twirly, long-sleeved dress for Organique. I think she'll love it.

I don't have any good ideas for a sewn project for Little Artist. This is bothering me.

I plan to make Big Sister an apron, but haven't yet. I also plan to make slippers for each girl, and have traced their feet. I'm not sure if it will work; the closest way I know to do such a thing is from the little baby slipper tutorials I've seen online. I'm hoping I can adjust those to work...?

Big Sister has a Christmas wishlist as long as my arm (things like a swan princess movie, a bb gun, and roller skates), but the only thing from it I've 'granted' so far is a mixing bowl. Little Artist wants a Polly Pocket thing like her sister's (Big Sister received a toy that came with four little dogs, leashes, bowls, and sixteen (!) little doggie shoes. And has managed to keep track of most of it.). I'm disinclined to buy junk from China, but there are not many other options. We got a family-style game, and some stocking stuffers. I'm hoping for time next week to make homemade peanut butter cups and mint patties. :) I've been making marshmallows this week, some Little Artist can eat, and currently have a marshmallow downstairs waiting to be used in a recipe. The marshmallow is about 2.25 lbs! And sits in the bottom of my soup pot. :)

I am thrilled to make a trip to Gi-gi's soon, where I will be able to see my brother and his wife and daughter. We haven't seen them since last year, I think, and that's terrible! At least to me! :) Also, a lifelong friend and her husband are visiting her parents in the area this month, and she hasn't been back for 2 years. She has lived on 3 continents and four countries (not counting this one) and it's fascinating to compare how divergent our lives have become. Yet how wonderful and easy to come back together and share such history. If her brother can be in attendance, it will truly be like old times (but with older versions of ourselves!).

I will post again soon, with pictures of the snow that kept me homebound for 9 days!