It's early evening as I write this to you. I am exhausted, sunburnt, and there could possibly be blood dried somewhere under the caked on mud. I am sitting under a rapidly leafing maple, trying to cool off from this absurdly summer day visiting us so early in April. I hear it told that we will see 60's in a day. An actual spring would be most welcome as I am tired of living in a famine time.
The farmers around me say they too are done with this struggled survival we have had to live in for a year now. Many will lose everything if more rain doesn't arrive soon.
Winston ( bull ) put on a show for good neighbor, enough to scare the scream out of him. I see good neighbor running through the field, yelling and Winston trying to get him to play. I told good neighbor not to chase him like that, and I got a scowl in return. Winston is by no means out to get you. He wants to play, he gets all excited and kicks his heels up in the air. His head swing is because they have a blind spot directly in front of them, he has to, to be able to see where someone is. I had to save good neighbor. Winston, my spoiled baby, bellowed as good neighbor walked away, then licked my face and waited to be scratched. I think he really hoped that good neighbor would have been his new playmate, but it was not to be.
I spent several hours yesterday, hot fencing the field. A quarter of a mile worth of wire later, I have a very upset Urth (cow) and a sun burn. Urth walked right up to the wire. She has seen it before, but not this shinny, brand new wire, and zapped her. She has stopped talking to me, for now.
Before I forget, Yart, your namesake (calf) has warmed up well to us. And now follows us around, bellowing, wanting to fist bump. ( her nose to our fist. She bumps we wait) no scratching yet however.
I sit here and begin to drift off. I have to stay awake however as I have more work to do before darkness swallows the yard.
We planted several trees, and propagated several apricot trees. Strawberry beds are done, and the garden is ready to be sowed. The onions were replanted and fenced in to keep the free rangers from pulling them up yet again.
I have dug, and fenced, been stuck in the mud and lost a shoe, I have tended to delicate plants, and been bitten by a chicken. Been rabbit kicked, and bum rushed, sunburned and calloused. Bee buzzed, tangled, smoked out, and pooped on. And I couldn't be happier that it's spring.
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Showing posts with label misc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label misc. Show all posts
Sunday, April 01, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
When your home no longer feels safe
Around 1am last night, I had an overwhelming urge to post a late night ramble. Oh how I know how much you love to read my rambles. (don't lie, I have read the comments). However it would have been a rather pathetic woe is me type Self deriding. I was feeling rather useless, unable to accomplish a simple task, unloved and ignored. Unfortunately those are some of the pitfalls to living this life, it gets lonely. Few around you live this way, and all you tend to have is those that live in your house, and the Internet. However I was ticked at Husband, so solace was not to be found there.
I spent many hours last night, butchering pork. Tiresome to say the least. I have come to the conclusion that it would be best if I did not run the saws-all by myself. It merely makes a mess, and destroys the work table.
I feel much better today, about what was happening in my mind last night. Sleep, coffee and a cupcake always makes things seem brighter. However. . .
Why must there always be a however with me?
However, a few hours after a woke this morning, my dearest Hooter called. He was mounting up on his scoot and wanted to let me know something before he went into work.
For the past several days we have been dealing with man that Husband fired as a client. He is out right lying about the situation, and is making malicious slander per se and libel remarks about Husband on the local Craig's list. I politely asked him to remove the slander per se and write only the facts behind his complaint. He did not. Instead I got a very long, and in all caps, email about how he was suing the shop. He assumed I was the shop owner, and gave me all his private information. I felt that I should reply, and did so. Introducing myself and my relationship with the shop. And asked him again to rewrite the posting. He then proceeded to post twice more on Craig's list, and contacted me again via email, although I had requested that he not do so. This time he insulted me, as well as Husband. Then attempted to provoke Husband to call him. We ignored it.
Then again on Monday, another defamation posting appeared. I have been printing them out and flagging them. Hooter called this morning to tell me yet another defamation posting was up. As soon as I got off the phone with Hooter, I received a text.
The Text was from the other tech at the shop. He was now receiving death threats from this man. The police will now be involved. I was writing a cease and desist letter this morning, as well as contacting the Bar Association, as no local firms handle defamation, when the text arrived.
Now after the text, I have become a bit frightened. Why? Because yesterday a woman was parked behind the closed gates of my driveway. She did not come up to the house. However when Small and Medium got off the bus, she asked if I was home, using my name rather than, is your mother home? The boys told her yes, she said to tell me hi, then backed out of the drive. The boys however made it to the house to tell me this and I was able to see her car, and another car with a man in it, sitting in the road, talking. The boys don't know who she was, nor did she tell them. I have no idea. Never seen the car before.
I called good neighbor to tell him what is happening. And gave him this man's info. . . Just in case. And I will be waiting at the gate with my rifle in view to watch my children get off the bus.
It could have been nothing. Could have been a neighbor in a new car. However it is worrisome at this point because of this man.
I am wet curing ham, listening to Cannibal Corpse, and my dogs are patrolling the yard.
I spent many hours last night, butchering pork. Tiresome to say the least. I have come to the conclusion that it would be best if I did not run the saws-all by myself. It merely makes a mess, and destroys the work table.
I feel much better today, about what was happening in my mind last night. Sleep, coffee and a cupcake always makes things seem brighter. However. . .
Why must there always be a however with me?
However, a few hours after a woke this morning, my dearest Hooter called. He was mounting up on his scoot and wanted to let me know something before he went into work.
For the past several days we have been dealing with man that Husband fired as a client. He is out right lying about the situation, and is making malicious slander per se and libel remarks about Husband on the local Craig's list. I politely asked him to remove the slander per se and write only the facts behind his complaint. He did not. Instead I got a very long, and in all caps, email about how he was suing the shop. He assumed I was the shop owner, and gave me all his private information. I felt that I should reply, and did so. Introducing myself and my relationship with the shop. And asked him again to rewrite the posting. He then proceeded to post twice more on Craig's list, and contacted me again via email, although I had requested that he not do so. This time he insulted me, as well as Husband. Then attempted to provoke Husband to call him. We ignored it.
Then again on Monday, another defamation posting appeared. I have been printing them out and flagging them. Hooter called this morning to tell me yet another defamation posting was up. As soon as I got off the phone with Hooter, I received a text.
The Text was from the other tech at the shop. He was now receiving death threats from this man. The police will now be involved. I was writing a cease and desist letter this morning, as well as contacting the Bar Association, as no local firms handle defamation, when the text arrived.
Now after the text, I have become a bit frightened. Why? Because yesterday a woman was parked behind the closed gates of my driveway. She did not come up to the house. However when Small and Medium got off the bus, she asked if I was home, using my name rather than, is your mother home? The boys told her yes, she said to tell me hi, then backed out of the drive. The boys however made it to the house to tell me this and I was able to see her car, and another car with a man in it, sitting in the road, talking. The boys don't know who she was, nor did she tell them. I have no idea. Never seen the car before.
I called good neighbor to tell him what is happening. And gave him this man's info. . . Just in case. And I will be waiting at the gate with my rifle in view to watch my children get off the bus.
It could have been nothing. Could have been a neighbor in a new car. However it is worrisome at this point because of this man.
I am wet curing ham, listening to Cannibal Corpse, and my dogs are patrolling the yard.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
What are you doing with them?
Kids crack me up sometimes. Yesterday I took cupcakes to Small's classroom. The first question and the multiple follow up question, was did I make the cupcakes myself. When I answered yes to one, they smiled and excitedly told the child next to them that I had made them. I am assuming homemade is a treat to most of them, and they seem to prefer it as excited as they were getting. I know Small will come home with a cookie or cupcake with only a couple bits in them, telling me they were too sweet and didn't like it. You can tell by looking they were store bought. But my kids are so use to homemade, and not so sweet.
While I was there a phone call came in on my cell. I sent it to voicemail, because I have that option even though I do not have a voice mail set up. But I could see the caller ID. Once I left the school I called the guy back. He is bringing us 15-20 telephone poles over in the next few days
Husband was all giddy. "Wasn't expecting that many!" I informed Husband that the guy said that was the minimum he would be bringing over, as soon as he finds out how many have already been spoken for, we could get more,
Husband's eyes then lit up. "you know what we can do with those? I said I could have a zombie proof fence. Have you seen telephone pole fences? We have some people in town that have one, pretty freakin cool looking, and nothing is getting over them.
Of course Husband nodded. He was thinking about the walipini, and the "ditch". If we get the "ditch" 6 ft deep we can keep my preferred flavor of fish. Husband is all excited about the possibilities right now. I have to get him to narrow his focus and pick one project at a time. These poles are 30 -35 ft a piece!
So I am feeling a bit defeatist this morning. 2 reasons. First we have come to the conclusion we need a bit of help launching the shop and have decided to go ahead a try using the site peerbackers. And the second is that we went and looked at a place, that was close to perfect, except for the carpeting. It was an old post office, everything was concrete blocks, including the floor. We offered to buy the carpet, so we could rip it out and be replaced later, but I got a phone call later with a no. Maybe something else will open up in the next few months.
Do you guys want my noodle recipes? I know you can find them anywhere, but thought I would ask if you wanted mine. Many go through the recipe page at the top of this blog. Well, I should be making noodles tonight, always looks like colorful streamers hanging from my kitchen ceiling.
While I was there a phone call came in on my cell. I sent it to voicemail, because I have that option even though I do not have a voice mail set up. But I could see the caller ID. Once I left the school I called the guy back. He is bringing us 15-20 telephone poles over in the next few days
Husband was all giddy. "Wasn't expecting that many!" I informed Husband that the guy said that was the minimum he would be bringing over, as soon as he finds out how many have already been spoken for, we could get more,
Husband's eyes then lit up. "you know what we can do with those? I said I could have a zombie proof fence. Have you seen telephone pole fences? We have some people in town that have one, pretty freakin cool looking, and nothing is getting over them.
Of course Husband nodded. He was thinking about the walipini, and the "ditch". If we get the "ditch" 6 ft deep we can keep my preferred flavor of fish. Husband is all excited about the possibilities right now. I have to get him to narrow his focus and pick one project at a time. These poles are 30 -35 ft a piece!
So I am feeling a bit defeatist this morning. 2 reasons. First we have come to the conclusion we need a bit of help launching the shop and have decided to go ahead a try using the site peerbackers. And the second is that we went and looked at a place, that was close to perfect, except for the carpeting. It was an old post office, everything was concrete blocks, including the floor. We offered to buy the carpet, so we could rip it out and be replaced later, but I got a phone call later with a no. Maybe something else will open up in the next few months.
Do you guys want my noodle recipes? I know you can find them anywhere, but thought I would ask if you wanted mine. Many go through the recipe page at the top of this blog. Well, I should be making noodles tonight, always looks like colorful streamers hanging from my kitchen ceiling.
Sunday, January 08, 2012
Light a candle to stop violence
I am running a bit late, with only an hour left on the 8th.
I do not carry a hand gun on the homestead. And the blanket is my lame attempt at making it more girly. (If I had known about this early, I might have been able to do something a bit more pretty)
Read about what's going on on Light a Candle to stop Violence by Weer'd World
Some people cringe when it come to firearms. Once upon a time, I was raised to believe that guns were evil, that if guns were made illegal that crime would go down. However BTK came into our lives, ('85) and my mother started to secretly carry one in her purse. And then I grew up and did my research. Guns have freed societies, guns have protected us, guns have allowed us to eat in times we might have starved. Yes, some people have done great harm with firearms, but they have also done great deeds as well. Responsible gun owners should not have to suffer and give up their protection (or their livestock's protection) and their rights because of a few uneducated, desperate, or criminal inclined individuals.
I do not carry a hand gun on the homestead. And the blanket is my lame attempt at making it more girly. (If I had known about this early, I might have been able to do something a bit more pretty)
Read about what's going on on Light a Candle to stop Violence by Weer'd World
Some people cringe when it come to firearms. Once upon a time, I was raised to believe that guns were evil, that if guns were made illegal that crime would go down. However BTK came into our lives, ('85) and my mother started to secretly carry one in her purse. And then I grew up and did my research. Guns have freed societies, guns have protected us, guns have allowed us to eat in times we might have starved. Yes, some people have done great harm with firearms, but they have also done great deeds as well. Responsible gun owners should not have to suffer and give up their protection (or their livestock's protection) and their rights because of a few uneducated, desperate, or criminal inclined individuals.
Friday, January 06, 2012
Lots of posts end up in draft and then I ramble
The shear amount of posts that I have in draft would probably fill a book nicely. I put things in draft for lots of reasons, too whinny, too angry, too offensive to the norm, not applicable to this blog. But I can't just delete them. At this rate I will be blogging until I die, and at least my boys will have all this to read to see how messed up I was/am and can be used as a forewarning for their mental state as they age.
I adore my boys. Like any parent, I do get pushed and pulled and wish they would be quiet at times. Or at least go outside to scream at each other. 17 well behaved kids boggles my mind. Because I have 3 defiant ones. I have known several people that have lost their kids. I worry about that sometimes, because of society's hyper sensitivity to the abnormal, I worry that in this public blog my kids come across as being dirty all the time. Small being the most active outside does require a good scrubbing nightly, and just about all his pictures look like he is eating dirt. But that's him. Large no longer enjoys the constant dirt, and requires only a mud bath once maybe twice a month in the summer. Medium, well he is between the two. And to be completely honest, I know we smell of wood smoke and soil. No, not dirt, that is a different smell. But we don't perfume ourselves as so many other people do. And we have been stained over the years with soil.
I have had a lot on my mind lately, hence the quiet of this blog.
I have been busy too with other things. I have been keeping the mundane part of the homesteading life going at an easy clip. I have been selling my blood (now that my tats and piercings are old enough to allow me to do that), gathering cans and scrap metal, and attempting to find a buyer for my calves that are actually willing to pay what they are worth rather than what the market price wants of weight. And I did something I thought I would never do, sold ad space on 2 of my older posts (I feel dirty). I can see the quizzical look on your face. We are not in any financial distress. Husband and I are close to earning what we had been before the lay off, minus the insurance and other perks that come along with working for a major company. With the Milo find, the feed and money stress is gone, thank goodness. Come spring I hope to be able to start milking again.
No, I am doing all this to raise seed capitol for the business I will be opening. The timing I guess was wrong. I wanted to sell off some of the cattle for seed money, but could only get half what they were worth (except for X) and then had to turn around and buy hay for them at the insanely high price. I can't sell them all off, the cows are Husband's retirement. I have mentioned before that I worry about him. The truth is, he has needed knee surgery for 10 years now. The doc told him he was too young to have it done. But now that he is closer to the appropriate age, there is no way we can afford to do it. I know that he will not be able to work in the next few years. And this business venture is my plan B. Some day I would like to open a type of homestead dude ranch or vacation school, however the money required is triple what I am doing now. So that dream will wait for me.
What am I doing now? Well sending you off blog should have been a clue. No reason to hold it completely secret right now, as soon you will be seeing more about it. I am opening a motorcycle shop with a very good family friend. And before one of my sometimes readers completely freaks out, over reacts and takes this wrong, Husband is not leaving the shop he is at. He has worked way too long and hard to get that shop the reputation it now has. But I am keeping secret who I am opening the shop with. The main reason is that he is well known in the technical side of the industry. And he will have is coming out party, so to speak, later. Things look really good already. We have agreements with shops out of State that are wanting to ship bikes to us for his tech know-how, and many are wanting him to come to them to train their techs. So even if we don't get the local work, which I highly doubt that will happen, we have plenty of regional work to keep us busy. It is just that stupid seed capitol that has slowed everything down. Well, now you know. And you know that besides homesteading, motorcycles and cooking are major passions of mine.
Right now we are watching some cartoon, boys are eating their breakfast, well Small and Medium are, Large has already gone off to school. Netflix really needs a better family selection on their instant streaming.
Small is doing wonderfully at school. The extra help has really helped him blossom. Strangers can actually understand what he is saying now. And he is always so proud of himself, which in turn makes me giddy. Have I said I adore my boys? Of course I have. Medium is in an odd angst type place in his life. I actually found myself telling him if he didn't like it, then he needed to start a union. I guess I was a bit annoyed with him. It's frustrating that he refuses to do school work, but when he is tested he is in the top 2% in the nation. Large tests that high as well, and with the extra help, Small is rapidly gaining, he is now in the top 20% with all indications that he will not be plateauing there. ok enough bragging on my kids. I am just very proud of them, but sometimes, smart kids can be a pain. They assume they are smarter than you in everything. Sometimes mommy has to pull a trick out just to show them they still have a ways to go. But they do humble to Husband who sees the world in straight lines and circles.
One thing that gets to me is Large's accusations about if we were so smart, why are we poor? Then we have to get into the discussion of choices. I'm too insecure to chase down a book deal, and Husband made a choice to do something he loves rather than something he didn't. Sometimes things happen beyond your control, and you have to fight to get back where you were. I don't think Large has fully grasped that yet. He still thinks of the world in things.
I have a few things to do today.
The typical winter weather is fast approaching. January and February are our harshest times of year (also August, but that's a different harsh). I have to finish up our business proposal, that always seems to be changing, I need to stock up on noodles, meaning I have to make them. Oh and the boys made a New Years Resolution on my behalf. Desserts every night. So I have been playing with healthier treats, they can't have chocolate every night.
I adore my boys. Like any parent, I do get pushed and pulled and wish they would be quiet at times. Or at least go outside to scream at each other. 17 well behaved kids boggles my mind. Because I have 3 defiant ones. I have known several people that have lost their kids. I worry about that sometimes, because of society's hyper sensitivity to the abnormal, I worry that in this public blog my kids come across as being dirty all the time. Small being the most active outside does require a good scrubbing nightly, and just about all his pictures look like he is eating dirt. But that's him. Large no longer enjoys the constant dirt, and requires only a mud bath once maybe twice a month in the summer. Medium, well he is between the two. And to be completely honest, I know we smell of wood smoke and soil. No, not dirt, that is a different smell. But we don't perfume ourselves as so many other people do. And we have been stained over the years with soil.
I have had a lot on my mind lately, hence the quiet of this blog.
I have been busy too with other things. I have been keeping the mundane part of the homesteading life going at an easy clip. I have been selling my blood (now that my tats and piercings are old enough to allow me to do that), gathering cans and scrap metal, and attempting to find a buyer for my calves that are actually willing to pay what they are worth rather than what the market price wants of weight. And I did something I thought I would never do, sold ad space on 2 of my older posts (I feel dirty). I can see the quizzical look on your face. We are not in any financial distress. Husband and I are close to earning what we had been before the lay off, minus the insurance and other perks that come along with working for a major company. With the Milo find, the feed and money stress is gone, thank goodness. Come spring I hope to be able to start milking again.
No, I am doing all this to raise seed capitol for the business I will be opening. The timing I guess was wrong. I wanted to sell off some of the cattle for seed money, but could only get half what they were worth (except for X) and then had to turn around and buy hay for them at the insanely high price. I can't sell them all off, the cows are Husband's retirement. I have mentioned before that I worry about him. The truth is, he has needed knee surgery for 10 years now. The doc told him he was too young to have it done. But now that he is closer to the appropriate age, there is no way we can afford to do it. I know that he will not be able to work in the next few years. And this business venture is my plan B. Some day I would like to open a type of homestead dude ranch or vacation school, however the money required is triple what I am doing now. So that dream will wait for me.
What am I doing now? Well sending you off blog should have been a clue. No reason to hold it completely secret right now, as soon you will be seeing more about it. I am opening a motorcycle shop with a very good family friend. And before one of my sometimes readers completely freaks out, over reacts and takes this wrong, Husband is not leaving the shop he is at. He has worked way too long and hard to get that shop the reputation it now has. But I am keeping secret who I am opening the shop with. The main reason is that he is well known in the technical side of the industry. And he will have is coming out party, so to speak, later. Things look really good already. We have agreements with shops out of State that are wanting to ship bikes to us for his tech know-how, and many are wanting him to come to them to train their techs. So even if we don't get the local work, which I highly doubt that will happen, we have plenty of regional work to keep us busy. It is just that stupid seed capitol that has slowed everything down. Well, now you know. And you know that besides homesteading, motorcycles and cooking are major passions of mine.
Right now we are watching some cartoon, boys are eating their breakfast, well Small and Medium are, Large has already gone off to school. Netflix really needs a better family selection on their instant streaming.
Small is doing wonderfully at school. The extra help has really helped him blossom. Strangers can actually understand what he is saying now. And he is always so proud of himself, which in turn makes me giddy. Have I said I adore my boys? Of course I have. Medium is in an odd angst type place in his life. I actually found myself telling him if he didn't like it, then he needed to start a union. I guess I was a bit annoyed with him. It's frustrating that he refuses to do school work, but when he is tested he is in the top 2% in the nation. Large tests that high as well, and with the extra help, Small is rapidly gaining, he is now in the top 20% with all indications that he will not be plateauing there. ok enough bragging on my kids. I am just very proud of them, but sometimes, smart kids can be a pain. They assume they are smarter than you in everything. Sometimes mommy has to pull a trick out just to show them they still have a ways to go. But they do humble to Husband who sees the world in straight lines and circles.
One thing that gets to me is Large's accusations about if we were so smart, why are we poor? Then we have to get into the discussion of choices. I'm too insecure to chase down a book deal, and Husband made a choice to do something he loves rather than something he didn't. Sometimes things happen beyond your control, and you have to fight to get back where you were. I don't think Large has fully grasped that yet. He still thinks of the world in things.
I have a few things to do today.
The typical winter weather is fast approaching. January and February are our harshest times of year (also August, but that's a different harsh). I have to finish up our business proposal, that always seems to be changing, I need to stock up on noodles, meaning I have to make them. Oh and the boys made a New Years Resolution on my behalf. Desserts every night. So I have been playing with healthier treats, they can't have chocolate every night.
Thursday, January 05, 2012
A Malady of Melodrama
Husband got sick, I cared for him.
Small and Medium got sick, I cared for them.
I got sick, everyone left. Isn't that how it usually works?
If I wasn't such the white trash flatlander, the next accident wouldn't have happened, or is it if I wasn't such the white trash flatlander the accident could have been worse?
I run around barefoot all the time. Only putting boots on when I must. I have been this way since I was a child. The other day I was in the porch/bunker and felt a prick on the bottom of my foot. Felt like a sticker (long horn burr), but only just stuck. So I wiped the bottom of my foot off on the step, typically this will dislodge a precariously held sticker. But that didn't work, and the spot began to burn. Slowly, I could feel it burying itself into the bottom of my foot. Almost a perfect circle of physical pain. I sat down quickly and dug my fingernails into the spot, seeing nothing that would be doing this. I grabbed the Bactine spraying the spot and cooling it off. Turns out I had stepped on a hot ember that had jumped out of the fire as I had tossed on a log. First, good thing the floor is dirt, and second, my feet are so calloused that within a few hours no damage was detected. The callouses had saved me.
Yesterday I made an attempt to create a video post. Bob Dole was up to no good and ran the calves into me. Of course he stood a few feet from me looking all innocent. I tried again, and Urth decided to be all affectionate, and lick the skin off my arm. And once across my cheek for good measure.
Small and Medium got sick, I cared for them.
I got sick, everyone left. Isn't that how it usually works?
If I wasn't such the white trash flatlander, the next accident wouldn't have happened, or is it if I wasn't such the white trash flatlander the accident could have been worse?
I run around barefoot all the time. Only putting boots on when I must. I have been this way since I was a child. The other day I was in the porch/bunker and felt a prick on the bottom of my foot. Felt like a sticker (long horn burr), but only just stuck. So I wiped the bottom of my foot off on the step, typically this will dislodge a precariously held sticker. But that didn't work, and the spot began to burn. Slowly, I could feel it burying itself into the bottom of my foot. Almost a perfect circle of physical pain. I sat down quickly and dug my fingernails into the spot, seeing nothing that would be doing this. I grabbed the Bactine spraying the spot and cooling it off. Turns out I had stepped on a hot ember that had jumped out of the fire as I had tossed on a log. First, good thing the floor is dirt, and second, my feet are so calloused that within a few hours no damage was detected. The callouses had saved me.
Yesterday I made an attempt to create a video post. Bob Dole was up to no good and ran the calves into me. Of course he stood a few feet from me looking all innocent. I tried again, and Urth decided to be all affectionate, and lick the skin off my arm. And once across my cheek for good measure.
Sunday, January 01, 2012
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Things will be a bit different here on the blog. As I said in the beginning of 2011, I really don't have much else to teach you. I have run headlong into the end of what I can do on the Neophyte Homestead (except sewing), and now it has become mundane. I tried a few different things, some seemed to work for me, others didn't. So lets get to the traditional what you will be seeing here on the blog this year.
2. The green house and walipini will be going in. Because of the extreme heat last year, we had to put off working on it or die of heat stroke within mere minutes.
3. Homemade gifts will make an appearance once a month. Until Thanksgiving when it ramps up in preparation of the end days, I mean Christmas season.
4. We are going back to the beginning. I know you have no idea what I mean by this. But you will find out.
5. Starting a new business venture. I however will not be talking about it much here as it is not a homesteading related venture. You will have to head over to Following the Yellow Brick Road for those updates.
6. Getting Girls Gone Trashy going again. I am in love with the idea of it. Just need more articles.
7. I have no plans for new animals, but I leave this space blank just in case.
8. Junk Food the Homesteading way. Husband cheats on me with Mary Jane and Little Debbie (sometimes a Sarah lee, and a Guy is thrown in there) I have for years made my own version of Hostess items. So I will be sharing those recipes and some new ones I have been working on with you. Of course they are not going to be extremely healthy for you. It's junk food! It is suppose to be a treat, and as such it will be one, however you will recognize the ingredients and save money.
9. Fermented milk drinks. oh yes you read that right, we are going to get trashed on homemade alcohol and fermented milk.
10. More give-a-ways! Yes, I have plans on more things to give to you, my dear readers, as a thank you for the years and years of support. This is my 6th year blogging and my 11th year homesteading. I know some of you have been here since day 1, and I love ya for it.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Feel Free to ignore this, just some rambling going on here
You know that advice of set smaller goals that are easier to reach on the way to your ultimate goal?
I had to really think about it this year. Hay is good so that is no longer a worry or stress. But the business I wanted to open is. Actually the ultimate goal is, I should say. I did the research and looked into the viability of it. It all looks good, however the money involved is ridiculous. It would take me years to save up just the seed money to start. So over the summer, after the health scare subsided (which I found out that my mother's cousin had a migraine related stroke 30 years ago and never had another one), I talked some things through with Husband. And came to the conclusion that I should open a business, something I know, something I have been around for over half my life, something that is a passion, and that I have the awesomest person ever to partner with. (besides Husband)
I did the viability study, and it all looks good. Husband and I approached my new partner with the idea, and he agreed! So these past several months I have been doing research, writing proposals, and working with the local town to find a place. Things are looking good, except for one thing, but that is for a later post to talk about.
So the ultimate goal for my business is not yet here. It will take time. However this goal is reachable and is something else that I love. Sorry, this goal is not homesteading related. However the ultimate goal is. I might not get that ultimate goal until I am 80, but this small goal is something I am more than happy with.
All this secrecy, ha! There is reasons for it. I might tell you about it after it has opened, or sooner. We just have to see how things pan out for right now. I have a very hot item, and it needs to stay quiet for a bit. sshhh!
I need to work on the house a bit today. I am procrastinating that chore right now. I will get to it. . . maybe.
Husband is almost done with the bunker/porch thing. When it's done I will give you all the details. So far what it was suppose to do, it has been doing nicely.
Medium has been slacking off school lately. He has no motivation to do anything, neither here nor there. Small however is blossoming in school and is eager to help here. Large is now at the age that I hardly ever see him and the world is against him. Fun times.
I don't know. I have a lot on my mind today. Best get to work.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Well Thank you
I appreciate my readers not running away screaming from yesterday's post.
I have a post called Growing up atheist and celebrating Christmas, in draft. Not sure if you really want to read that. After all, this is a homesteading blog, haha!
We went and picked up some more Milo for the cows. Husband and I's stress levels are so much better now with this find. We talked to the guy and he is going to go ahead and bring us out 10 more bales and we can do a payment plan with him. He is leasing the land the Milo is on, so it would make things easier on him, just to bring out a large order. We would have to miss 2 mortgage payments to be able to pay for the entire order at once. Yep, expensive, however the cheapest I found (plus super good stuff!)
We haven't been actively searching for homes for the pups yet. As they are not yet fully weened. But since day one, people have been placing holds on these um, not very little, little guys. Turns out daddy is an Akita.
Husband and I went and did a bit of Christmas shopping. We do buy the boys a few items from the store. We were taken back a bit by the prices of some things. And could merely shake our heads at some of the toys. Apparently children no longer want to make the vroom vrooom noises when playing with their cars. Now I feel old.
I am working on making a wall mounted marble maze for the two youngest boys rooms. Medium and Small love marbles. I have some other simple things in the works. The boys will have lots of things to open this year. Mostly homemade.
I found 2 of my 3 roosters dead. At first I thought they might have torn each other up, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Yesterday I went out and found the 3rd rooster laying on the ground, barely moving. I scooped him up and put him in our porch/bunker and let him sit close to the fire. I couldn't get him to eat or drink, and he wouldn't stand. He had a bit of frostbite damage to his comb, but that isn't unusual. This morning his is moving around and being slightly disobedient. I think what is happening is that the hens are all crowding together for warmth, but the roosters sleep on the outside of the flock to keep watch. I have taken off the rabbit food diet that was suggested to bring about egg production again (still hasn' worked and it's been a month) and put them back on the high protein chicken mash.
Urth (cow) is in her back talking stage. How weird would it be if I spanked her for it?
I have a post called Growing up atheist and celebrating Christmas, in draft. Not sure if you really want to read that. After all, this is a homesteading blog, haha!
We went and picked up some more Milo for the cows. Husband and I's stress levels are so much better now with this find. We talked to the guy and he is going to go ahead and bring us out 10 more bales and we can do a payment plan with him. He is leasing the land the Milo is on, so it would make things easier on him, just to bring out a large order. We would have to miss 2 mortgage payments to be able to pay for the entire order at once. Yep, expensive, however the cheapest I found (plus super good stuff!)
These are the 3 remaining pups.
We haven't been actively searching for homes for the pups yet. As they are not yet fully weened. But since day one, people have been placing holds on these um, not very little, little guys. Turns out daddy is an Akita.
Husband and I went and did a bit of Christmas shopping. We do buy the boys a few items from the store. We were taken back a bit by the prices of some things. And could merely shake our heads at some of the toys. Apparently children no longer want to make the vroom vrooom noises when playing with their cars. Now I feel old.
I am working on making a wall mounted marble maze for the two youngest boys rooms. Medium and Small love marbles. I have some other simple things in the works. The boys will have lots of things to open this year. Mostly homemade.
I found 2 of my 3 roosters dead. At first I thought they might have torn each other up, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Yesterday I went out and found the 3rd rooster laying on the ground, barely moving. I scooped him up and put him in our porch/bunker and let him sit close to the fire. I couldn't get him to eat or drink, and he wouldn't stand. He had a bit of frostbite damage to his comb, but that isn't unusual. This morning his is moving around and being slightly disobedient. I think what is happening is that the hens are all crowding together for warmth, but the roosters sleep on the outside of the flock to keep watch. I have taken off the rabbit food diet that was suggested to bring about egg production again (still hasn' worked and it's been a month) and put them back on the high protein chicken mash.
Urth (cow) is in her back talking stage. How weird would it be if I spanked her for it?
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
As per blogging etiquette
Today is my birthday.
Not sure what else to tell you about that. My plan is to hang out in my pj's all day, wait for the prize patrol (since you know darn well I am going to win $10 mil, $3 mil after taxes), maybe take a nap after chores or watch a movie. Maybe I will live it up a bit and do both!
Oh, yes I am 34 year old today. decrepit I know.
I feel a bit silly announcing my birthday though.
In other news, this blog is now being fed through Beforeitsnews.com. They wanted to list me in the survivalist category, even though they have a self sufficiency category. However I am now listed in Alternative, along with the alien invasions. That seems fitting. I think the editor found this blog from the 100 top survival and prepper blogs (I use to be number 1 until I stopped blogging for the month, now I am 11)
It is also Mark Twain's Birthday!
I would like to get Girls Gone Trashy back going again. If you have a Homemade Christmas or yule or Hanuka present that you would like to share and get some hits on your blog, let me know.
I guess that's it.
Not sure what else to tell you about that. My plan is to hang out in my pj's all day, wait for the prize patrol (since you know darn well I am going to win $10 mil, $3 mil after taxes), maybe take a nap after chores or watch a movie. Maybe I will live it up a bit and do both!
Oh, yes I am 34 year old today. decrepit I know.
I feel a bit silly announcing my birthday though.
In other news, this blog is now being fed through Beforeitsnews.com. They wanted to list me in the survivalist category, even though they have a self sufficiency category. However I am now listed in Alternative, along with the alien invasions. That seems fitting. I think the editor found this blog from the 100 top survival and prepper blogs (I use to be number 1 until I stopped blogging for the month, now I am 11)
It is also Mark Twain's Birthday!
I would like to get Girls Gone Trashy back going again. If you have a Homemade Christmas or yule or Hanuka present that you would like to share and get some hits on your blog, let me know.
I guess that's it.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
The most googled questions for this blog, answered
Does Monsanto own Whole Foods?
No.
What is a chicken gullet?
I remember when I first started butchering, this was a panic item as the books told you to remove it, yet didn't say where or what it was. A chicken gullet is the esophagus, not the craw or bag filled with feed. Just pull it out.
How to bleed a pig.
You open up the major artery in the neck. Usually with a very sharp knife.
What part of a wild hog do I butcher?
All of it.
What is the best why to remove pig hair and the black pigment?
Scald and scrape is the best way to remove hair. The skin pigment will not come off, sorry about that. You will have to remove the skin to be rid of it.
Why slit a goat's throat?
You need to be rid of as much blood as possible from the carcass. Otherwise you will have pooling, discoloration and ruined meat. There are other places to bleed an animal out, but being able to hang it from the hind-legs, makes the neck the easiest and most efficient place to bleed out.
How to create GMO's?
You can't do it without a lab. You need to use gene slicing technologies to create them.
Sexy butcherer?
Apparently that would be me as seen on a flickr photo. Not sure why. . .
How to water bath can Green Beans?
I answer that question way back in the beginning of time. You really shouldn't because of potential illness. But if you must, a min of 90 minutes. And 10 minutes of hard boiling before you eat them.
And then we get into how to butcher (insert animal type here)? This time of year I am the butcher queen of the internet.
in order of hits
Hog
Goat
Turkey
Duck
Chicken
These post are actually about my first times.
No.
What is a chicken gullet?
I remember when I first started butchering, this was a panic item as the books told you to remove it, yet didn't say where or what it was. A chicken gullet is the esophagus, not the craw or bag filled with feed. Just pull it out.
How to bleed a pig.
You open up the major artery in the neck. Usually with a very sharp knife.
What part of a wild hog do I butcher?
All of it.
What is the best why to remove pig hair and the black pigment?
Scald and scrape is the best way to remove hair. The skin pigment will not come off, sorry about that. You will have to remove the skin to be rid of it.
Why slit a goat's throat?
You need to be rid of as much blood as possible from the carcass. Otherwise you will have pooling, discoloration and ruined meat. There are other places to bleed an animal out, but being able to hang it from the hind-legs, makes the neck the easiest and most efficient place to bleed out.
How to create GMO's?
You can't do it without a lab. You need to use gene slicing technologies to create them.
Sexy butcherer?
Apparently that would be me as seen on a flickr photo. Not sure why. . .
How to water bath can Green Beans?
I answer that question way back in the beginning of time. You really shouldn't because of potential illness. But if you must, a min of 90 minutes. And 10 minutes of hard boiling before you eat them.
And then we get into how to butcher (insert animal type here)? This time of year I am the butcher queen of the internet.
in order of hits
Hog
Goat
Turkey
Duck
Chicken
These post are actually about my first times.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
I'm waiting on pies (late night rambling) in segments (commercial free)
I finally got a pie in the oven. Cream pie in the fridge. Now I am just waiting on the one pie to bake so I can put another one in.
I am so behind on prep work now. ~sigh~ It's just one of those things I tend to wind up doing.
It took Husband and I, what seemed like hours, to feed the cattle. We took a bale out into the field. The younger ones found the stalks a bit odd, but the older gals new exactly what it was and went to town. Mamma is such the bully though, and only Bob Dole can push her around, as seen in the video. She spun the entire group around, chasing Murial off. I worry about Murial. She is so docile. I clapped my hands and lead all the Kerries back into the main pen. Locking them up. We left Murial, Courage, Yart, Yippee and Xuxi out to eat while we brought another bale out to the calf pen.
I really didn't want to yet. The pig is still in the calf pen. But what choice do I have. Murial has to put weight back on. So the pig is now in the barn. We brought the trailer in to unload another bale. But this one was so flat that we couldn't roll it off. We had to shove a metal rod through it and hook up chains and a come-along to the barn. Then drive out from under it.
We lead the ladies (not Yippee) to the calf pen. They will spend the winter there. Not only will this help Murial gain weight, but I will be able to work with Courage and Yart, and get them trained for the milk stanchion, and hopefully come spring, I will be milking again.
I so miss milking. There is something about it. Besides developing Popeye arms, it's soothing. The cows don't complain about my song choices, they are very content to let me tug on their teats, they will even lick me like I am their calf. Hurts a bit when they get a sensitive spot, still sweet none the less.
Someone said once that human's are the only species that drinks milk after they are weened. My farm has a bunch of freaks living on it. Not only do the adult cats and dogs go after it, but have you ever squirted a bull with milk? If their mom's didn't force them to leave them alone by kicking them in the face, they would continue to nurse. Undies was over a year old before he was weened. That's only because mamma started sticking her horns into his hip every-time he went for it.
Guess I am rambling, but it helps me kill time. And I am in for a long night. I don't really belong to anything anymore, so this is my only chatting ability.
Urth saw me on the milk stanchion side of the barn, and got all excited. PIE!!! Be back. . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where was I? Oh yes, Urth. She saw me working over on the calf/ milk stanchion side of the barn earlier, and got all excited. She paced at the door, just waiting for me to let her in and get into that stanchion. Guess she is missing it. She's the same one that as a calf would stand in the stanchion after her mother was milked, waiting for her turn. I gave her a good handful of cookies and a belly rub. She licked my forehead, think she took some skin with it.
Medium seems to have the chicken pox again. This would be the second time. He did get the vaccine years ago, and they said he could still get it, but it would be mild. This is the second time! I really don't see the point in the shot. You get the chicken pox once, full blown, and never get it again. I know, a few kids have died from the chicken pox. But what will this do to him as an adult? It can be dangerous for adults, and if he keeps getting it. . . will he be more likely to get shingles when he gets older?
Some guy actually left a comment on this blog to promote his blog about how much he hates American women. How we are lazy, and don't cook and so on. . . this blog! I thought it was a joke. Why on earth would you try to post something like that on a women's blog, a farming blog, about how much I freaking get hurt, and work and cook and kill things? I swear, people can be a bit silly. I didn't allow it to be published, nor did I click out on it.
I was talking about cows, wasn't I?
Every one seems very happy now, except Urth (the whole milk stanchion thing) . She keeps bellowing at me. Winston however is cracking me up. After the grand dance when the bale arrived. I went to hang out with them and see how they were doing. Winston blocked my way in the gate. Don't know if you have ever seen a bull get excited to see someone, then curious, then disappointed, before. But just picture a 1,000 lbs dog with horns and you will get the gist of what he looked like. Ears straight up, looked like he was standing on his tip toes, and head cocked to one side.
Pie time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1232 am central time.
Pumpkin pie is in the oven. Did you know that if you are not using fresh pumpkin, and use the can stuff, that you can get rid of that tin flavor that they sometimes have. Cook it in a heavy bottom sauce pan for about 5 mins (med-high heat, stir constantly), and taste the difference. A trick I learned eons ago. Makes it taste more like fresh.
Speaking of eons. My birthday is coming up. I keep getting asked what I want. My answer thus far has been hay. Now that the stress over that is gone, I do hope no one asks again. To be honest I don't know what I want. Actually I would like Husband to stop being angry at my step-father so he can come to my birthday family dinner at the farmstead. I understand why Husband is. It's been scary and frustrating, we have had to sell off and kill some of our breeding stock. My steep-father told Husband that he didn't think we could afford the lease, yet we have paid out 3x as much as a year's lease on feed this year. Husband doesn't like it when people go back on their word. And he feels that S-F has. I too feel that way. But they are my family and I will forgive it, forgetting and not getting upset when I am forced to butcher or starve my animals is another story. Something I need to work on.
I can smell the pumpkin pie, getting hungry. The dark coffee I am drinking isn't going to cut it.
I think what I really want for my birthday is someone to take my boys for the night, and I sleep as soon as it gets dark out.
I feel a bit bad about missing a 2 yr old's b-day party because of my own birthday plans. I wonder if that is a bit selfish on my part. She is family after all. But I don't have birthday parties. Haven't since I was 9. Still not having one. I get together with my mother and she makes me a dinner, but no party. I guess I make up for that by throwing Husband big to-do's.
Everybody is posting Happy Thanksgiving day posts, and here I am killing time by talking about all kinds of things. But I do hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, or Thursday for those of you not in the US.
And thank you for the generous tip! (I don't know your screen name and don't want to call you out) I appreciate it greatly. It was a surprise to say the least. Husband wanted to know what I was posting here to warrant it. giggle. He would ask that of a $2 tip as well. But he loves me, and I am grateful for that.
I don't do the friendship thing very well. And when someone wants to play, I do warn them. There is something about me that rubs people the wrong way. Usually it comes down to a misunderstanding. And I end up frustrating them to no end. I like stories, always have. I was told that I come across as trying to one-up people. That would be one reason I don't comment much on your blogs. I don't want to seem like I am being that way. I like to relate, I like it when you guys relate to my stories and tell me one of your own. But it doesn't work like that in the real world. So I am grateful that Husband, Shane, Hooter and Brain Wheel don't mind and put up with it. I just worry that the boys will get this flaw of mine, and end up just as lonely at times like me.
Pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1257am
At some point I will need to sleep. However unlike the majority of my US readers, I am not baking a huge turkey that takes 6 hours to bake. a 10 lbs breast, yes. It will slow cook half the morning. Holidays make it so I can be the night owl that I use to love so much.
So I have talked about cows, and birthdays, and loneliness. Not sure what this post is lacking besides the graphic grown up stuff, like money. Oh you thought I was going somewhere else with this, weren't you. Naughty!
I worry about Husband, he is falling apart, physically. I don't know how much longer he will be able. . . I have already covered that worry in another post. No point rehashing it. So now you are sitting outside with me while I smoke. It's a bit chilly, but a nice clear night
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
123am
I like baking at night. The house is asleep, and it is just me, thinking to myself, talking out loud, singing, and baking. I prefer to do most things under the cover of darkness while the rest of the world sleeps. Makes me sound like a super villain, don't it.
Right now I am watching a rabbit hump a shoe. He really needs to be put back in his cage. But I will let him hump shoes for the night, let him go a bit wild, maybe even hump a boot.
I just looked at my referrals. Some one googled "finger in butt" and got my goat butchering page. hahaha! oh wait, maybe they are into that. ewww. . .
Still sitting here waiting on pies. Think this will be the last one of the night. I can do the last two in the morning. I am not making anything too complicated for Thanksgiving dinner, so I will have the time for the two. I have 20 minutes left for this pumpkin pie. Allow me to amend that, butternut squash "pumpkin tasting" pie.
I make a custard "pumpkin" pie. I like them a lot better. Not so weighty.
A neighbor came over today. She lives about 10 miles out from me. She picked out a pup she wants when they are weened. They are adorable, so rolly polly.
I guess that's the end of my ramblings. It's very very late, or early, you choose. And my battery on my netbook is about gone. Husband is asleep in the room with the charger. Sometimes the boys get up in the middle of the night and entertain themselves on the pc, so I keep it in my room so they don't. Hope I entertained you a bit. Those of you up at this time. It's like 7am in Britain, so morning to you all!
Happy Thanksgiving all. I hope you not only survive it, but enjoy it. Time to get that pie out of the oven.
I am so behind on prep work now. ~sigh~ It's just one of those things I tend to wind up doing.
It took Husband and I, what seemed like hours, to feed the cattle. We took a bale out into the field. The younger ones found the stalks a bit odd, but the older gals new exactly what it was and went to town. Mamma is such the bully though, and only Bob Dole can push her around, as seen in the video. She spun the entire group around, chasing Murial off. I worry about Murial. She is so docile. I clapped my hands and lead all the Kerries back into the main pen. Locking them up. We left Murial, Courage, Yart, Yippee and Xuxi out to eat while we brought another bale out to the calf pen.
I really didn't want to yet. The pig is still in the calf pen. But what choice do I have. Murial has to put weight back on. So the pig is now in the barn. We brought the trailer in to unload another bale. But this one was so flat that we couldn't roll it off. We had to shove a metal rod through it and hook up chains and a come-along to the barn. Then drive out from under it.
We lead the ladies (not Yippee) to the calf pen. They will spend the winter there. Not only will this help Murial gain weight, but I will be able to work with Courage and Yart, and get them trained for the milk stanchion, and hopefully come spring, I will be milking again.
I so miss milking. There is something about it. Besides developing Popeye arms, it's soothing. The cows don't complain about my song choices, they are very content to let me tug on their teats, they will even lick me like I am their calf. Hurts a bit when they get a sensitive spot, still sweet none the less.
Someone said once that human's are the only species that drinks milk after they are weened. My farm has a bunch of freaks living on it. Not only do the adult cats and dogs go after it, but have you ever squirted a bull with milk? If their mom's didn't force them to leave them alone by kicking them in the face, they would continue to nurse. Undies was over a year old before he was weened. That's only because mamma started sticking her horns into his hip every-time he went for it.
Guess I am rambling, but it helps me kill time. And I am in for a long night. I don't really belong to anything anymore, so this is my only chatting ability.
Urth saw me on the milk stanchion side of the barn, and got all excited. PIE!!! Be back. . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where was I? Oh yes, Urth. She saw me working over on the calf/ milk stanchion side of the barn earlier, and got all excited. She paced at the door, just waiting for me to let her in and get into that stanchion. Guess she is missing it. She's the same one that as a calf would stand in the stanchion after her mother was milked, waiting for her turn. I gave her a good handful of cookies and a belly rub. She licked my forehead, think she took some skin with it.
Medium seems to have the chicken pox again. This would be the second time. He did get the vaccine years ago, and they said he could still get it, but it would be mild. This is the second time! I really don't see the point in the shot. You get the chicken pox once, full blown, and never get it again. I know, a few kids have died from the chicken pox. But what will this do to him as an adult? It can be dangerous for adults, and if he keeps getting it. . . will he be more likely to get shingles when he gets older?
Some guy actually left a comment on this blog to promote his blog about how much he hates American women. How we are lazy, and don't cook and so on. . . this blog! I thought it was a joke. Why on earth would you try to post something like that on a women's blog, a farming blog, about how much I freaking get hurt, and work and cook and kill things? I swear, people can be a bit silly. I didn't allow it to be published, nor did I click out on it.
I was talking about cows, wasn't I?
Every one seems very happy now, except Urth (the whole milk stanchion thing) . She keeps bellowing at me. Winston however is cracking me up. After the grand dance when the bale arrived. I went to hang out with them and see how they were doing. Winston blocked my way in the gate. Don't know if you have ever seen a bull get excited to see someone, then curious, then disappointed, before. But just picture a 1,000 lbs dog with horns and you will get the gist of what he looked like. Ears straight up, looked like he was standing on his tip toes, and head cocked to one side.
Pie time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1232 am central time.
Pumpkin pie is in the oven. Did you know that if you are not using fresh pumpkin, and use the can stuff, that you can get rid of that tin flavor that they sometimes have. Cook it in a heavy bottom sauce pan for about 5 mins (med-high heat, stir constantly), and taste the difference. A trick I learned eons ago. Makes it taste more like fresh.
Speaking of eons. My birthday is coming up. I keep getting asked what I want. My answer thus far has been hay. Now that the stress over that is gone, I do hope no one asks again. To be honest I don't know what I want. Actually I would like Husband to stop being angry at my step-father so he can come to my birthday family dinner at the farmstead. I understand why Husband is. It's been scary and frustrating, we have had to sell off and kill some of our breeding stock. My steep-father told Husband that he didn't think we could afford the lease, yet we have paid out 3x as much as a year's lease on feed this year. Husband doesn't like it when people go back on their word. And he feels that S-F has. I too feel that way. But they are my family and I will forgive it, forgetting and not getting upset when I am forced to butcher or starve my animals is another story. Something I need to work on.
I can smell the pumpkin pie, getting hungry. The dark coffee I am drinking isn't going to cut it.
I think what I really want for my birthday is someone to take my boys for the night, and I sleep as soon as it gets dark out.
I feel a bit bad about missing a 2 yr old's b-day party because of my own birthday plans. I wonder if that is a bit selfish on my part. She is family after all. But I don't have birthday parties. Haven't since I was 9. Still not having one. I get together with my mother and she makes me a dinner, but no party. I guess I make up for that by throwing Husband big to-do's.
Everybody is posting Happy Thanksgiving day posts, and here I am killing time by talking about all kinds of things. But I do hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, or Thursday for those of you not in the US.
And thank you for the generous tip! (I don't know your screen name and don't want to call you out) I appreciate it greatly. It was a surprise to say the least. Husband wanted to know what I was posting here to warrant it. giggle. He would ask that of a $2 tip as well. But he loves me, and I am grateful for that.
I don't do the friendship thing very well. And when someone wants to play, I do warn them. There is something about me that rubs people the wrong way. Usually it comes down to a misunderstanding. And I end up frustrating them to no end. I like stories, always have. I was told that I come across as trying to one-up people. That would be one reason I don't comment much on your blogs. I don't want to seem like I am being that way. I like to relate, I like it when you guys relate to my stories and tell me one of your own. But it doesn't work like that in the real world. So I am grateful that Husband, Shane, Hooter and Brain Wheel don't mind and put up with it. I just worry that the boys will get this flaw of mine, and end up just as lonely at times like me.
Pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1257am
At some point I will need to sleep. However unlike the majority of my US readers, I am not baking a huge turkey that takes 6 hours to bake. a 10 lbs breast, yes. It will slow cook half the morning. Holidays make it so I can be the night owl that I use to love so much.
So I have talked about cows, and birthdays, and loneliness. Not sure what this post is lacking besides the graphic grown up stuff, like money. Oh you thought I was going somewhere else with this, weren't you. Naughty!
I worry about Husband, he is falling apart, physically. I don't know how much longer he will be able. . . I have already covered that worry in another post. No point rehashing it. So now you are sitting outside with me while I smoke. It's a bit chilly, but a nice clear night
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
123am
I like baking at night. The house is asleep, and it is just me, thinking to myself, talking out loud, singing, and baking. I prefer to do most things under the cover of darkness while the rest of the world sleeps. Makes me sound like a super villain, don't it.
Right now I am watching a rabbit hump a shoe. He really needs to be put back in his cage. But I will let him hump shoes for the night, let him go a bit wild, maybe even hump a boot.
I just looked at my referrals. Some one googled "finger in butt" and got my goat butchering page. hahaha! oh wait, maybe they are into that. ewww. . .
Still sitting here waiting on pies. Think this will be the last one of the night. I can do the last two in the morning. I am not making anything too complicated for Thanksgiving dinner, so I will have the time for the two. I have 20 minutes left for this pumpkin pie. Allow me to amend that, butternut squash "pumpkin tasting" pie.
I make a custard "pumpkin" pie. I like them a lot better. Not so weighty.
A neighbor came over today. She lives about 10 miles out from me. She picked out a pup she wants when they are weened. They are adorable, so rolly polly.
I guess that's the end of my ramblings. It's very very late, or early, you choose. And my battery on my netbook is about gone. Husband is asleep in the room with the charger. Sometimes the boys get up in the middle of the night and entertain themselves on the pc, so I keep it in my room so they don't. Hope I entertained you a bit. Those of you up at this time. It's like 7am in Britain, so morning to you all!
Happy Thanksgiving all. I hope you not only survive it, but enjoy it. Time to get that pie out of the oven.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
A miscellaneous kind of morning
I have managed to finish canning my refried beans, and the boston baked beans. Working on frijoles today. Calm down I will post recipes later.
Had to get up around 3 am to feed the fire, the temperature dropped below 20F! Woke before 6 am to a very frost covered ground. I thought I was ready for the cold because the summer was so brutal. But now I just want a comfortable temp.
Looks like we are going to have to drive to NW Missouri for hay. Husband is going to ask after a hauler today. If the price is right, we will do it. We have to balance out the good and bad. We can pay the triple price here for under weight and poor hay, or we can pay a normal price with full weight and good quality plus hauler expenses. We will just have to see what the hauler says.
Stephen bought me a place on the Bathhouse. ok, I know I am a dork, but it is a grand idea. My name has been on bathroom walls before, at least this time I get a say in what it says. Thank you Stephen!
Oh and to my yarn friends, Rebecca (someone I have known for a century and a half) has opened up her own business. She even has a yarn club, kind of like a CSA. You can check it out here. She has some gorgeous colored yarn. Froebe Fibers.
Had to get up around 3 am to feed the fire, the temperature dropped below 20F! Woke before 6 am to a very frost covered ground. I thought I was ready for the cold because the summer was so brutal. But now I just want a comfortable temp.
Looks like we are going to have to drive to NW Missouri for hay. Husband is going to ask after a hauler today. If the price is right, we will do it. We have to balance out the good and bad. We can pay the triple price here for under weight and poor hay, or we can pay a normal price with full weight and good quality plus hauler expenses. We will just have to see what the hauler says.
Stephen bought me a place on the Bathhouse. ok, I know I am a dork, but it is a grand idea. My name has been on bathroom walls before, at least this time I get a say in what it says. Thank you Stephen!
Oh and to my yarn friends, Rebecca (someone I have known for a century and a half) has opened up her own business. She even has a yarn club, kind of like a CSA. You can check it out here. She has some gorgeous colored yarn. Froebe Fibers.
pretty
The bell pepper jelly turned out just delicious! It tastes like the candy lemon drops with a hint of pepper. Turns out I was not as traumatized as I thought after the sugaring experiment, and was able to eat it with out breaking out in opera. ~shudder~ just read part of the post. I never want to do that again.
Monday, November 14, 2011
What to do, what to do
If you say Bob Dole, you get all kinds of (no referring link) hits. Almost 200 more than normal. You have to blame Matt Groening for my boys naming our ram Bob Dole. And you have to say the name as one word to be accurate, bobdole. . . bobdole. . . bobdole. . . yep, Thank you Mr. Groening.
I have been thinking about posting yet another, day in the life. I normally do them once a year, however seasons change means different things. So I made a decisions that every 14th of the month will be "day in the life" and on the 15th I will post the pictures.
I can sit here and tell you about parts of my day. Pick which stories to tell. I feel a photo entry of one day can give you a broader sense of what my life on a struggling homestead is really like.
Let's see if it works.
Until tomorrow. . .
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Personal Stuff or updates or what not
Many of you are curious on where my health is (stroke).
I have been having some word issues over the past couple of weeks. Guess I have been coming off a bit mean. Sometimes I come off as rambling. Sorry if you ended up with either of those emails. The word thing isn't new. I have been dealing with it for many years. But lately it has been more intense about which words it is scrubbing from my memory. Of course this could be me just making up excuses for being a jerk. (I actually just shrugged after writing that line)
I spent 20 minutes trying to remember the name of a program that I was watching. I watch the series in re-run and have liked it for years. One of those 2am special police programs. But I couldn't get it. And it kept bugging me. And I kept naming off programs, some I don't even like. It wasn't until the channel finally said the name of the program will be right back that I got it. And that's when I realized that every time there was a commercial the name was plastered across the screen. And I still didn't know what it was. Only when someone said it did it sink in.
Things like that were happen frequently these past 2 weeks. Then suddenly it all came back. This is very frustrating. Hopefully soon my brain will decide which direction it wants to go and stay there. I will work around it, however I am sure to lose more friends if the bs sporadic memory stays.
Small is doing wonderfully at school. He is doing well above the expectations and has almost hit his year end goals. The teachers are all stoked about it.
Medium gives a fig less about school or anything else right now.
Large, I don't know. I guess he has discovered angst.
Husband hurts. He hurts a lot. I hope that my business venture turns out to be fruitful (and my brain doesn't get in the way) so that he can work less, maybe even retire in the near future. Before his body gives up on him and he can no longer do anything he enjoys.
Well I guess that's it on the personal yet public items.
Financially we are stable, though have but out twice the amount of money on hay. But nothing is outstanding. We are slowly thinning the herds. I joined the 21st century and got a used touch type phone. Though it is so 2 years ago (but it was free from a friend). We are gearing up for Halloween in full force. I put the roosters back in with the hens. It is below freezing this morning, and now I have to get Medium up for school.
Hope all is well with you.
I have been having some word issues over the past couple of weeks. Guess I have been coming off a bit mean. Sometimes I come off as rambling. Sorry if you ended up with either of those emails. The word thing isn't new. I have been dealing with it for many years. But lately it has been more intense about which words it is scrubbing from my memory. Of course this could be me just making up excuses for being a jerk. (I actually just shrugged after writing that line)
I spent 20 minutes trying to remember the name of a program that I was watching. I watch the series in re-run and have liked it for years. One of those 2am special police programs. But I couldn't get it. And it kept bugging me. And I kept naming off programs, some I don't even like. It wasn't until the channel finally said the name of the program will be right back that I got it. And that's when I realized that every time there was a commercial the name was plastered across the screen. And I still didn't know what it was. Only when someone said it did it sink in.
Things like that were happen frequently these past 2 weeks. Then suddenly it all came back. This is very frustrating. Hopefully soon my brain will decide which direction it wants to go and stay there. I will work around it, however I am sure to lose more friends if the bs sporadic memory stays.
Small is doing wonderfully at school. He is doing well above the expectations and has almost hit his year end goals. The teachers are all stoked about it.
Medium gives a fig less about school or anything else right now.
Large, I don't know. I guess he has discovered angst.
Husband hurts. He hurts a lot. I hope that my business venture turns out to be fruitful (and my brain doesn't get in the way) so that he can work less, maybe even retire in the near future. Before his body gives up on him and he can no longer do anything he enjoys.
Well I guess that's it on the personal yet public items.
Financially we are stable, though have but out twice the amount of money on hay. But nothing is outstanding. We are slowly thinning the herds. I joined the 21st century and got a used touch type phone. Though it is so 2 years ago (but it was free from a friend). We are gearing up for Halloween in full force. I put the roosters back in with the hens. It is below freezing this morning, and now I have to get Medium up for school.
Hope all is well with you.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The one thing I loathe about this life
Being violently ill.
Your kids can get sick, and you still function, your mate gets sick and you can still coddle them and work. You get sick you pass out throwing bales. You still have to work no matter how sick you get.
The past two days I caught something from Small. Of course when Small had it, he only had a small short fever, slept for half a day and was fine. I get it, and I get a fever high enough to hallucinate, muscles cramping due to dehydration because I had to find the bathroom every 10 minutes, and a migraine. Yet I still had to make sure every one was fed, animals and humans. Had to clean, water and read to children.
Sometimes I wish Husband had a little less work ethic so that I could laze about without guilt. Even though it hurt, I still had to have the basics of everything done. It took much longer then it should have, I was probably sicker then I should have been. But it has to be this way to work. I know others that let their animals go without feed because they were sick. I can't do that. food and clean water daily, no matter what. Sick, rain, blizzards. It has to be done.
I feel much better today, thank you. It only took 2 days out of me. And even with the work I did do, I didn't do it all and am now behind. Today is catch-up day.
We will be getting our first frost tomorrow morning and i have to try to save my tomato plants. It's only for 1 day, so hopefully I can still get a few tomatoes this year.
Xuxi got a stay in execution. I changed my mind. She is shaped just like the bull. A perfect specimen for a beef cow. Looking at the future, it would be best to save her, and butcher many of the calves in the spring. Yart and Yippee are not on the list. However they could be sold as dairy depending on what the spring looks like. (Yet another thing I loathe, these types of decisions.)
I have 4 confirmed to come out to learn to butcher. Anyone else, please let me know (I am in central Kansas)
Your kids can get sick, and you still function, your mate gets sick and you can still coddle them and work. You get sick you pass out throwing bales. You still have to work no matter how sick you get.
The past two days I caught something from Small. Of course when Small had it, he only had a small short fever, slept for half a day and was fine. I get it, and I get a fever high enough to hallucinate, muscles cramping due to dehydration because I had to find the bathroom every 10 minutes, and a migraine. Yet I still had to make sure every one was fed, animals and humans. Had to clean, water and read to children.
Sometimes I wish Husband had a little less work ethic so that I could laze about without guilt. Even though it hurt, I still had to have the basics of everything done. It took much longer then it should have, I was probably sicker then I should have been. But it has to be this way to work. I know others that let their animals go without feed because they were sick. I can't do that. food and clean water daily, no matter what. Sick, rain, blizzards. It has to be done.
I feel much better today, thank you. It only took 2 days out of me. And even with the work I did do, I didn't do it all and am now behind. Today is catch-up day.
We will be getting our first frost tomorrow morning and i have to try to save my tomato plants. It's only for 1 day, so hopefully I can still get a few tomatoes this year.
Xuxi got a stay in execution. I changed my mind. She is shaped just like the bull. A perfect specimen for a beef cow. Looking at the future, it would be best to save her, and butcher many of the calves in the spring. Yart and Yippee are not on the list. However they could be sold as dairy depending on what the spring looks like. (Yet another thing I loathe, these types of decisions.)
I have 4 confirmed to come out to learn to butcher. Anyone else, please let me know (I am in central Kansas)
Monday, October 03, 2011
The great pig escape
Missy is getting pleasantly plump. As soon as the temperatures drop and the weather is right, she will be butchered. We doubt we will wait until February to do it, only because we don't want a hog over 200 lbs to butcher at home.
Yesterday she got too big for her tractor. Or should that be too smart for her tractor? She figured out how to flip it up and make her escape. She was jubilant about having the run of the homestead. If it wasn't for the free range roasters and the weak garden fencing, and the neighbors bad dogs, I might have been inclined to allow her to roam.
But for her safety, she has to be locked away.
Husband danced her to the calf pen. Yes danced. She was just thrilled, dancing and kicking her heels up, kind of like when she could get a hold of a chicken skull. It was easy to get her into the pen.
The calf pen has been unused this year due to not milking, however the sheep have grazed it down. Missy doesn't have any grass in this pen, but she has started digging up the ground for root and grubs. The same dance happens when she finds those grubs. Wish I could be that happy when I get my dinner.
I went out this morning, well before daybreak to give her her breakfast. If she isn't fed by the time the sun cracks the horizon, she gets loud and demanding. She not only demands her food, but she demands you scratch her, she demands you merely talk to her. If not, she doesn't shut up. When we first got her, so many people kept telling me you couldn't raise a pig on it's own. That you had to get two. I didn't want to deal with two pigs. No one however could tell me why it was you couldn't raise one pig alone. Everyone assumed that the one would die of loneliness or something. I say the farmer just slaughters the single one early because they don't stop demanding attention! Two must be quieter. (the only info I could find is that they are happier in pairs and less likely to escape.)
This afternoon I need to go out and re-secure the calf pen to hold a curious pig.
Other things~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have set in the windows in our porch/bunker thing. And Husband has been sizing the door. pictures and explanation soon.
Small is thriving in his new school program. In just a week he has improved immensely!
I will be butchering the rest of the roasters today.
Theft in the neighborhood is up. Nothing stolen here. . . yet.
We found $5 prairie hay square bales, and jumped on it. We will be trading a calf off for some of it, but that's ok. We had two bulls born this year, so no worries on that. Looking for hay is a problem. Prairie hay round bales went from $40 to $110. That's a huge jump. Horse neighbor found some for $50. But the quality we are finding for the high prices is rather poor. And some people are paying $150 for round bales. And then come to find out other States are opting to ship bales overseas rather then truck them to drought States because it is cheaper to do so. This is bothersome.
Tomatoes are looking good, nothing yellow or red yet, but if the mild temps hold, things should be good.
It's odd that all I have canned this year is meat. Usually there is a solid month that I am doing nothing but canning veggies. Now I have to buy them. They boys are complaining that they taste funny. And I agree. The frozen ones are just plain nasty and the canned ones taste like tin. But there is nothing I can do about it. No one has anything. I just harvested 5 gallons of hot and mild peppers though, so I am about to get all kinds of creative with them.
Yesterday she got too big for her tractor. Or should that be too smart for her tractor? She figured out how to flip it up and make her escape. She was jubilant about having the run of the homestead. If it wasn't for the free range roasters and the weak garden fencing, and the neighbors bad dogs, I might have been inclined to allow her to roam.
But for her safety, she has to be locked away.
Husband danced her to the calf pen. Yes danced. She was just thrilled, dancing and kicking her heels up, kind of like when she could get a hold of a chicken skull. It was easy to get her into the pen.
The calf pen has been unused this year due to not milking, however the sheep have grazed it down. Missy doesn't have any grass in this pen, but she has started digging up the ground for root and grubs. The same dance happens when she finds those grubs. Wish I could be that happy when I get my dinner.
I went out this morning, well before daybreak to give her her breakfast. If she isn't fed by the time the sun cracks the horizon, she gets loud and demanding. She not only demands her food, but she demands you scratch her, she demands you merely talk to her. If not, she doesn't shut up. When we first got her, so many people kept telling me you couldn't raise a pig on it's own. That you had to get two. I didn't want to deal with two pigs. No one however could tell me why it was you couldn't raise one pig alone. Everyone assumed that the one would die of loneliness or something. I say the farmer just slaughters the single one early because they don't stop demanding attention! Two must be quieter. (the only info I could find is that they are happier in pairs and less likely to escape.)
This afternoon I need to go out and re-secure the calf pen to hold a curious pig.
Other things~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have set in the windows in our porch/bunker thing. And Husband has been sizing the door. pictures and explanation soon.
Small is thriving in his new school program. In just a week he has improved immensely!
I will be butchering the rest of the roasters today.
Theft in the neighborhood is up. Nothing stolen here. . . yet.
We found $5 prairie hay square bales, and jumped on it. We will be trading a calf off for some of it, but that's ok. We had two bulls born this year, so no worries on that. Looking for hay is a problem. Prairie hay round bales went from $40 to $110. That's a huge jump. Horse neighbor found some for $50. But the quality we are finding for the high prices is rather poor. And some people are paying $150 for round bales. And then come to find out other States are opting to ship bales overseas rather then truck them to drought States because it is cheaper to do so. This is bothersome.
Tomatoes are looking good, nothing yellow or red yet, but if the mild temps hold, things should be good.
It's odd that all I have canned this year is meat. Usually there is a solid month that I am doing nothing but canning veggies. Now I have to buy them. They boys are complaining that they taste funny. And I agree. The frozen ones are just plain nasty and the canned ones taste like tin. But there is nothing I can do about it. No one has anything. I just harvested 5 gallons of hot and mild peppers though, so I am about to get all kinds of creative with them.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
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