Happy Dance with me

I am getting Dexters, a week from tomorrow!

Anyone out there some where along I-35 N between Emporia and Lees Summit want to meet for lunch or dinner?

I Would Love to Be Able to Attend

From Cattle Network,

R-CALF: Star Experts Stack Convention’s Animal ID Panel

Omaha, Neb. – R-CALF USA does not support the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) efforts to register premises under the agency’s National Animal Identification System (NAIS), and the subject will be a hot topic at the group’s upcoming annual convention here, Feb. 20-23, at the Holiday Inn Omaha Convention Center, located at 72^nd Street and Interstate 80.

“I’m very excited that our Animal ID panelists will have the opportunity to educate cattle producers on all the problems with NAIS,” said R-CALF USA Animal ID Committee Chair Kenny Fox. “Education is the key to fighting this battle, and each one of the speakers on our panel has helped us greatly in our fight. We hope everyone who’s worried about USDA’s efforts on this front will join us for the discussion at 1 p.m. CST on Thursday, Feb. 21.”

The article continues with the top 10 list in opposition to premises registration, compiled by R-CALF USA’s Animal ID Committee:

Welcome Crunchy Chicken Fans!

Sorry to disappoint, but other then my roosters, there are no nympho's here.

But what you will find, is a way of life that my family of 5 has decided to tackle. Homesteading. In this blog you will find many DIY projects, repurposing, lots and lots of gardening, both indoors and out, many recipes from homemade breads to how to can your own food. Plus many, many mistakes and what not to do's (because you don't want to be like me).

Hopefully some of you will find some helpful information.

My regular readers, Howling Hills victory garden exchange arrived yesterday. I swear, maybe CC's pilot is correct (read this post on Winter Madness). I will post what I am taking out later. If anyone else wishes to be in this exchange, drop me an email, and you will be added to the list.

I have my own Pilot Series!

It's a reality program. You can read about it here.

I'll Earn That Merit Badge Yet.

I have done it! I can finally cross one more thing off my list.

Yes you see it correctly, and now you know that I am half way to earning that Smell Goodem Merit Badge and cross over to the Apprentice level of Homesteader. Ah, but some of you ask, what is it? While other's ask the important question of Why? And I can hear some of you fellow homesteaders whooping it up, all geared up to celebrate my achievement.

What is it? It is a orange with a string through it, stuffed with whole cloves.

Why? Because it smells good, and it is in almost all the old school books. (Plus my 4 year old stabbed it, hid it, and I didn't feel like wasting it) We will check back with it later, as it ages.

Celebration? I am good this weekend.

With this down time, we are going to bring back the ever popular Choose Your Homesteaders Adventure. My older readers should remember this from last winter, it is where I offer up a poll of things I should try, and I allow you, the reader to pick which one I will do.

We will do something a little different this year though.

Leave a comment on something you would like to see me do. It needs to be homesteading related or DIY and something you think I haven't done yet. Tomorrow I will post them in a poll, and the most voted on activity will be done by me within the week.

Winter Madness

3+ inches of snow, howling winds, and a wind chill below 0F, causes one to stay deep inside of their home. Venturing out for frostbite only when the animals must be fed. Winter has now lasted too long. The restlessness of the homesteader throws its hissy fit, and you don't know what to do. I have already fantasized about my garden, and that gets boring if you can no longer put a little kink, I mean element into the mix. I have tried to sew, my braided rug looks like a bowl, and I have baked every single bread and dessert I know, twice.

Now is the time you start making other plans. Plans to take over the world Pinky! Did I say that out loud? Luckily for me, my husband is home so that my talking to myself doesn’t seem all that strange as anything that I might mutter will be greeted with a nod or an uhhuh.

What plans can my strange little mind form? What devious plot will birth in my brain? It doesn’t help that my good neighbor’s mother brought over some heritage seeds. She gave me some Cherry tomatoes, Marglobe, yellow, beefsteak, Rutgers, and oxheart. Oh my garden seduced mind quivers in joy! And to send me over the edge, to help complete my garden fetish, she gives us Back to Basics, by Readers Digest. I am not sure I can contain the excitement. A new book in the house is like another hit of Primo. Though I must say that I caught my husband in bed last night, the blankets pulled up, the door shut, giggling in glee as he palmed the RD book. As I burst through the door, he hid the book as though it contain naughty photos. What are you doing? He wouldn’t tell me, but I caught a glimpse of the book. That’s mine! I screamed and dove for him. I am not strong enough, he easily pinned me and the torture of tickling began. Not Fair! The book is mine! I squealed. “You can look at it after me.” ah, but that wouldn’t work. How about we look at it together? I asked sweetly, innocently. "No." Ack, I have to wait. Huff...I laid down in bed next to him, trying to peek at the pages in a way that he wouldn’t notice.

I didn’t get to concoct any plans last night. But this morning, this morning the book is all mine! MINE I say!

I lost track of time

I am behind on a few articles, and was a little absorbed by it. If you like my recipes, you can find oh so many over on All Foods Natural.

See you in the early morn.

5 Weeks Later in Ancient Egypt

Thursday I caught my 10 year old doing something so shocking that I had to take a picture of it.

He cleaned the side walk without being told! Of course he was getting on our good side because Friday night his boyscout troop got to spend the night in The Museum of World Treasures.

There was contests and scavenger hunts, and of course pizza.

The boys slept in Ancient Egypt, King Ramsey's Murderess wife as a bunk mate.

And here is your weekly udate on the garden, week 5.