Friday
I am not quite as optimistic about good old (or young)Tweetie as I once was. I hope this is just a phase, but she has completely forgotten how to heel and side. She tugs at the leash in a way that would be horrible if she was 20 pounds heavier. Now it is merely a disgrace.
She has also started this barking thing. She will bark at strange dogs instead of being friendly to them, and also at new people (mostly adults, not children), or if children are yelling or running. What is up with this? What happened to our sweet little pup who was going to set the freestyle world on fire with her astoundingly youthful intelligence and obedience? I think this might be a manifestation of her "fearful phase". And buddy, it had better be quickly outgrown! Cause Momma is NOT happy.
A couple of new behaviors that we are working with include a mini-weave type of thing where she does a little figure 8 around the handler's legs. She will go anywhere for a treat. The second behavior is a home obedience type of thing. I have noticed that now that S is taking her out for more walks, she is brave about the outside and will dash out the front door and onto the porch. Once she even chased the cat out into the tractor shed where the cat easily evaded her and sat on top of the tractor tire grunting kitty obscenities down upon poor Tweetie's little round head. So now I am working to establish a Place command. She is supposed to go to a certain section of the front room rug and sit there quietly while the door is open. That way she will not be able to earn that treat and dash out the door. I think she likes treats even better than cat chases.
Still though, I am now dealing with the fear that she will disgrace us at our workshop and that she will be the worst dog there. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained!
Y'all sit and be good,
Lori
Thursday
Today my car was in the shop. Sue and I have to drive to a city about 3 hours away from home in a couple of weeks and I wanted to have the old car checked over to be sure it was road worthy. I hate spending money on car repairs, but I hate sitting stranded beside the road even more.
So I borrowed Mom's car to take S to her 4-H dog meeting tonight. S decided that she wanted to do the dog meeting more than she wanted to go to her dance class.They were scheduled so that we couldn't do both. I don't like going so much, but she is an only child, we live at the end of a dead-end road in a rural area with no other children near her age, and we homeschool. Therefore, I am acutely aware of the need for socialization. She has 4-H activities, church activities, and various friends we occasionally visit.
This is the time of year I get serious about curriculum for the coming school year. I always say that January is the most dangerous time for our homeschool. I am bored with what we are already using, and all things are possible! Anyway, we have our plan and now I just need to track down the materials to make it happen. I already have most of what we need. I like to buy used materials whenever possible. With only one child, I don't get that multi-user benefit that larger families do, so have trouble justifying paying a high price for something that we will only use one year.
I still need to find Math U See Epsilon and the Rod and Staff English 5 student textbook. I have everything else or have already made arrangements with a person to buy theirs when they are done using it this spring.
In previous years, we started school early and therefore were done early. This year we tried time shifting and started late so we could enjoy our fall vacation to Florida. And now we will not finish until much later than I am used to. I hate it! I am ready to start in July this coming year so we will get out early! I don't mind starting early. Summers here are uncomfortably hot and humid, so the thrill is gone by July. I get all excited about starting another school year, so I am always chomping at the bit to get going. But I sure am ready to be done with it when that old spring fever starts kicking in!
Counting the pages,
Lori
Wednesday
This was a yucky day. Sue had an orthodontist appointment in the morning and an optometrist appointment at noon. We were on the road all day and I was exhausted.
One hilarious thing that happened was at one stop where we decided to let the pug out of the car to stretch her little legs in the mulched parking island in the middle of a parking lot. The pup lowered her head and then came up with a cigarette butt daingling from her lips! Looked like a 3 pack a day smoker! S and I laughed so hard we nearly fell over. Needless to say, I grabbed the butt and tossed it in the trash can immediately.
Fiber-wise, I am behind again. Our 4-H club made one of the tacked comforters for the last fund raiser. I bought the fabric to make another one for the next event. Which is nearly upon us! I need to find the border fabric asap and seam the top together just as soon as I can. Then I will see if some of the kids are willing to meet me at our meeting place and tie it on Tuesday or Wednesday. Then I will have two whole days to get the edges bound and ready to go. They need it for Saturday night.
Very little progress to report on organizing my felting projects. This week found me on the road every day. I just hate weeks like that. I love staying home and working on my stuff, but there are some seasons where I just seem to run all the time.
Gasping for breath,
Lori
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, Farming; Tuesday, Family
OK, I'm trying to catch up!
Monday
Our place is a wreck. After the winter and then several periods of hard rain and ice, the yard is covered with downed sticks and debris. At least one tree is down on the fence and several run-off ruts have been created that will have to be filled in. But it is still too wet to do any of that right now. We have a big pine tree down near the driveway that has been there since Christmas, but it has been too wet or slippery to get the tractor in there to pull it out.
I'm thinking about gardening. I like the theory of gardening, but the actual effort of it leaves me a little less excited. I have been thinking about whether to expand the size due to rising food prices. I am a bit of a survivalist at heart, but I have trouble predicting whether to prepare for something that will not happen and that will affect my quality of life in the meantime, or to go all out.
After selling off all our stock, I am considering brokering a little hay for next year. Because we know a lot of people and because I have the time to follow up on leads, we usually can find hay at a good price. I could store a barn full and then double or triple my money in the spring and still be offering buyers a substantial savings over what others are charging. Hmmm, something new to ponder. At the very least, I could rent out our space to store hay for someone else who doesn't have enough space to store enough at their location....hmmmm....
Tuesday
Ah, family day. Speaking of the survival thing, a frequent question on some sites I read is whether you, who prepare for coming hard times, would let your relatives come and live with you if times really did get bad. That is a tough question. I firmly believe in the Bible verse that says If a man will not work, neither shall he eat. On the other hand, I know I couldn't turn down family--people I grew up with, the cousins I played with. Could you really let them perish when you had food? On the other, other hand, I can't afford or store enough to feed everyone.
I guess my final response would have to be Bring all the food you can and be prepared to forage in the woods to help supplement our supply enough to feed everyone. And bring work clothes because you will have to work in the garden and field to grow enough to eat next year. I couldn't turn away loved ones, but I wouldn't maintain freeloaders. Does such hard line thinking make me a bad person? I mean, Granny wouldn't be expected to pull a plow, but she would be expected to look after the little ones while their parents were out working and to snap beans or prepare fruit for canning. Everyone would have to do what they could.
I expect this will make me very unpopular with my relatives who always joke about, If the economy collapses, I'm coming to Lori's! Ha. Ha. I'm sure they will take the news that they better be prepared to work as a reason to seek out a more soft-hearted relative.
Oh well, gotta go, S. has an orthodontist appt and we need to leave.
Lori
Monday
Our place is a wreck. After the winter and then several periods of hard rain and ice, the yard is covered with downed sticks and debris. At least one tree is down on the fence and several run-off ruts have been created that will have to be filled in. But it is still too wet to do any of that right now. We have a big pine tree down near the driveway that has been there since Christmas, but it has been too wet or slippery to get the tractor in there to pull it out.
I'm thinking about gardening. I like the theory of gardening, but the actual effort of it leaves me a little less excited. I have been thinking about whether to expand the size due to rising food prices. I am a bit of a survivalist at heart, but I have trouble predicting whether to prepare for something that will not happen and that will affect my quality of life in the meantime, or to go all out.
After selling off all our stock, I am considering brokering a little hay for next year. Because we know a lot of people and because I have the time to follow up on leads, we usually can find hay at a good price. I could store a barn full and then double or triple my money in the spring and still be offering buyers a substantial savings over what others are charging. Hmmm, something new to ponder. At the very least, I could rent out our space to store hay for someone else who doesn't have enough space to store enough at their location....hmmmm....
Tuesday
Ah, family day. Speaking of the survival thing, a frequent question on some sites I read is whether you, who prepare for coming hard times, would let your relatives come and live with you if times really did get bad. That is a tough question. I firmly believe in the Bible verse that says If a man will not work, neither shall he eat. On the other hand, I know I couldn't turn down family--people I grew up with, the cousins I played with. Could you really let them perish when you had food? On the other, other hand, I can't afford or store enough to feed everyone.
I guess my final response would have to be Bring all the food you can and be prepared to forage in the woods to help supplement our supply enough to feed everyone. And bring work clothes because you will have to work in the garden and field to grow enough to eat next year. I couldn't turn away loved ones, but I wouldn't maintain freeloaders. Does such hard line thinking make me a bad person? I mean, Granny wouldn't be expected to pull a plow, but she would be expected to look after the little ones while their parents were out working and to snap beans or prepare fruit for canning. Everyone would have to do what they could.
I expect this will make me very unpopular with my relatives who always joke about, If the economy collapses, I'm coming to Lori's! Ha. Ha. I'm sure they will take the news that they better be prepared to work as a reason to seek out a more soft-hearted relative.
Oh well, gotta go, S. has an orthodontist appt and we need to leave.
Lori
Monday, March 24, 2008
Sunday Supplement Number 3
Easter! Christ is risen, He is risen,indeed!
I had a bit of a tough time keeping the religious focus this Easter since we invited the extended family to have the holiday meal here at our house, but I really enjoyed the church service before the meal. The rest of my time was consumed by house cleaning and cooking.
Due to a number of circumstances, we have offered to take in our 15yo nephew to live with us. While I am usually the type of person who would freak out about something of this magnitude, I am unusually calm about it. I really think I have been able to leave it in God's hands. If He wants it to happen, it will and it will be a wonderful blessing for all concerned. If He doesn't want it to happen, then it won't and no amount of my planning and scheming will change things. I haven't planned out every contingency nor have I already decorated his bedroom.
I dont' know if this will ever happen or when. It could unfold in a calm, peaceable manner and he could come at the end of the public school year. Or it could explode and we could get a call in the middle of the night tonight. There are just too many variables for me to get all worked up about it now. I did discuss it with S., so that she would not be taken totally by surprise if it did come to pass. We will start deep cleaning in the extra bedroom, so that if it does come to a crisis in the night, we can have a fresh, clean bed ready for him. But anyway, I got a real sense of peace at church on Sunday.
We had 10 for Easter dinner and served ham and all the trimmings. After the meal, we played bluegrass and old time music and rode around in Mom's Kawasaki Mule. The kids went out and fed a bunch of old, stale cereal to the chickens. Which made for a memorably festive day for both folks and fowl. All in all it was a very nice celebration.
He is risen!
Lori
I had a bit of a tough time keeping the religious focus this Easter since we invited the extended family to have the holiday meal here at our house, but I really enjoyed the church service before the meal. The rest of my time was consumed by house cleaning and cooking.
Due to a number of circumstances, we have offered to take in our 15yo nephew to live with us. While I am usually the type of person who would freak out about something of this magnitude, I am unusually calm about it. I really think I have been able to leave it in God's hands. If He wants it to happen, it will and it will be a wonderful blessing for all concerned. If He doesn't want it to happen, then it won't and no amount of my planning and scheming will change things. I haven't planned out every contingency nor have I already decorated his bedroom.
I dont' know if this will ever happen or when. It could unfold in a calm, peaceable manner and he could come at the end of the public school year. Or it could explode and we could get a call in the middle of the night tonight. There are just too many variables for me to get all worked up about it now. I did discuss it with S., so that she would not be taken totally by surprise if it did come to pass. We will start deep cleaning in the extra bedroom, so that if it does come to a crisis in the night, we can have a fresh, clean bed ready for him. But anyway, I got a real sense of peace at church on Sunday.
We had 10 for Easter dinner and served ham and all the trimmings. After the meal, we played bluegrass and old time music and rode around in Mom's Kawasaki Mule. The kids went out and fed a bunch of old, stale cereal to the chickens. Which made for a memorably festive day for both folks and fowl. All in all it was a very nice celebration.
He is risen!
Lori
This is really for Friday, March 21
Hi!
Me again. Remember, the woman who vowed to faithfully keep up her blog? Yeah, right!
OK, so it's dog training day and I am now convinced that I am the world's worst person to be writing about this topic. I am not too pleased at how things are progressing. Although the pug pup does fairly well here in the comfort of our own home, she can't heel worth a fig anywhere else. She barks at other dogs and people and if she weren't so small, she would be unpleasant to be around.
Oh, how I hope this is just a puppy phase. She did fine with the 4-H dogs at the meeting, it was just a dog in a yard while we were walking on the sidewalk that got her so rattled recently. A part of the problem is that I don't know quite how to take her most of the time. She is such a silly puppy. I really think she loves us, but when she is playing at attacking our shoes, she can growl and bark like a hound from Hell. I know she doesn't mean it in a vicious way, but it sure sounds bad. I hope that I am misinterpreting her barking at other dogs and people when I see it as a warning and she perhaps intends it as play acting.
Anyway, I am a bit stymied with the training. I tried starting to teach a Back command but she wasn't going back straight so I didn't want to teach her incorrectly and then have to unteach and reteach later. She has started weaving around my legs for a treat and her large circle is getting better. Her crawl is getting worse, with that little back end popping up all the time now. Perhaps I am just in a down mood, but I am a little concerned that I will be ashamed of her at the workshop in April.
I also fear we have lost ground in the housebreaking department. Things were so busy last week that we failed to monitor her as closely as we should have and there were several accidents. So right now I am feeling like a failure as a trainer and that all is hopeless.
Wiping my tears with a clean, extra puppy pad,
Lori
Me again. Remember, the woman who vowed to faithfully keep up her blog? Yeah, right!
OK, so it's dog training day and I am now convinced that I am the world's worst person to be writing about this topic. I am not too pleased at how things are progressing. Although the pug pup does fairly well here in the comfort of our own home, she can't heel worth a fig anywhere else. She barks at other dogs and people and if she weren't so small, she would be unpleasant to be around.
Oh, how I hope this is just a puppy phase. She did fine with the 4-H dogs at the meeting, it was just a dog in a yard while we were walking on the sidewalk that got her so rattled recently. A part of the problem is that I don't know quite how to take her most of the time. She is such a silly puppy. I really think she loves us, but when she is playing at attacking our shoes, she can growl and bark like a hound from Hell. I know she doesn't mean it in a vicious way, but it sure sounds bad. I hope that I am misinterpreting her barking at other dogs and people when I see it as a warning and she perhaps intends it as play acting.
Anyway, I am a bit stymied with the training. I tried starting to teach a Back command but she wasn't going back straight so I didn't want to teach her incorrectly and then have to unteach and reteach later. She has started weaving around my legs for a treat and her large circle is getting better. Her crawl is getting worse, with that little back end popping up all the time now. Perhaps I am just in a down mood, but I am a little concerned that I will be ashamed of her at the workshop in April.
I also fear we have lost ground in the housebreaking department. Things were so busy last week that we failed to monitor her as closely as we should have and there were several accidents. So right now I am feeling like a failure as a trainer and that all is hopeless.
Wiping my tears with a clean, extra puppy pad,
Lori
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Time For School
Homeschool's the topic for today. Sue has come up with a scheme to make money, improve her composition skills, and document her dog-related activities. She is planning to write a book. And I am not about to discourage her. That is one of the things I love about homeschool, the student can come up with innovative ideas and really run with them. We will have to see how fully this plan comes to fruition.
Another school related thing that is happening around here these days is that Daddy is participating whether he likes it or not. He told us that he had to take a training seminar at work this week and on Tuesday evening he came home and had to study for a test. That set S's imagination aflame! So she started making her "curriculum tests" for her father to take. She is just now realizing that she may be learning some things that adults may not know or recall. Good old Dad did OK on his math test, but bombed the history test S made up for him. He did so so on spelling. The next day she made the art, geography, science, and health portions of her test for Dad. Poor C. I really appreciate him coming home from a seminar all day and then taking S's tricky tests. At this point, I think she has had enough compassion to give him a low B grade for his troubles. (I had to talk her up from a C).
The longer we do school at home, the less it resembles conventional public schooling. There are so many things they do that would be absolutely required if you were teaching a group that I can dispense with since I have only one student. It is such a luxury to be able to move ahead at our own pace, and not have to move to the next lesson before S masters the current one. I initially worried that this would make us lazy and keep her behind others of her age. Actual experience turned out the opposite. We had to do one and a half years of second grade to slow things down a bit. She had worked through all the second grade material and was starting on the third grade stuff and was only 6yo. So I made the decision to fill her time with a more second grade work and to stay closer to grade/age level.
I don't want a Doogie Howser type daughter. If we raced through school and she graduated two or three years early, how would that be a benefit? I certainly wouldn't let a 14yo go away to college. It will be easy to find lots of neat enrichment stuff to fill the extra time. She likes to earn her own money, so I expect lots of financial schemes to surface in the next 10 years. I am in no hurry to push her into adulthood. Right now she wants to grow up to be a dog/pet products designer. It used to be a toy designer before she got so into the dogs.
On a technical note, we can see the end of the math book from where we are now. Only about 5 lessons left. Other things will take a little longer to wind their way to an end. We will be done with our academic year probably by the end of April. I usually try to continue with weekly fun reading and a once-a-week math review throughout the summer. We work too hard all year learning things just to forget them over the summer!
So...gathering up that final head of steam to take us to the fininsh,
Lori
Another school related thing that is happening around here these days is that Daddy is participating whether he likes it or not. He told us that he had to take a training seminar at work this week and on Tuesday evening he came home and had to study for a test. That set S's imagination aflame! So she started making her "curriculum tests" for her father to take. She is just now realizing that she may be learning some things that adults may not know or recall. Good old Dad did OK on his math test, but bombed the history test S made up for him. He did so so on spelling. The next day she made the art, geography, science, and health portions of her test for Dad. Poor C. I really appreciate him coming home from a seminar all day and then taking S's tricky tests. At this point, I think she has had enough compassion to give him a low B grade for his troubles. (I had to talk her up from a C).
The longer we do school at home, the less it resembles conventional public schooling. There are so many things they do that would be absolutely required if you were teaching a group that I can dispense with since I have only one student. It is such a luxury to be able to move ahead at our own pace, and not have to move to the next lesson before S masters the current one. I initially worried that this would make us lazy and keep her behind others of her age. Actual experience turned out the opposite. We had to do one and a half years of second grade to slow things down a bit. She had worked through all the second grade material and was starting on the third grade stuff and was only 6yo. So I made the decision to fill her time with a more second grade work and to stay closer to grade/age level.
I don't want a Doogie Howser type daughter. If we raced through school and she graduated two or three years early, how would that be a benefit? I certainly wouldn't let a 14yo go away to college. It will be easy to find lots of neat enrichment stuff to fill the extra time. She likes to earn her own money, so I expect lots of financial schemes to surface in the next 10 years. I am in no hurry to push her into adulthood. Right now she wants to grow up to be a dog/pet products designer. It used to be a toy designer before she got so into the dogs.
On a technical note, we can see the end of the math book from where we are now. Only about 5 lessons left. Other things will take a little longer to wind their way to an end. We will be done with our academic year probably by the end of April. I usually try to continue with weekly fun reading and a once-a-week math review throughout the summer. We work too hard all year learning things just to forget them over the summer!
So...gathering up that final head of steam to take us to the fininsh,
Lori
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Rain, Rain, Go Away!
I'll call you back when I need you! Ha! The ground around here has been soaked since the snow thawed. We have had two flooding situations this month already. Yesterday and today it has rained non-stop. I now have a little water in my utility room that doesn't belong there. That seems to happen every 4 or 5 years or so.
I could A) do something expensive or that involves a lot of hard work to fix the problem (or both), or I could B) just keep important things up off the floor and let the water flow through whenever it gets in, mop up the residue and move on with my life. How many of you guessed I picked option B? I moved the few non-waterproof items to the top of the freezer and we will just have to let the water flow. It usually only gets a couple of inches deep anyway.
Re Farming:
This was supposed to be Monday's topic, but this past Monday was St. Patrick's Day and we were zooming around town so S. could perform at all her various Irish Dance venues. One of them was an Irish pub. S. is so funny right now about drinking. She definitely sees things in black and white. She told me she was standing next to a drunk guy at one point. I asked how she knew he was drunk. She told me it was obvious--he was holding his glass at a dangerous angle and had beer dribbling out of his mouth and onto his chin. Sounds drunk to me! It is such a fine line to walk, letting our kids experience the world in which they will have to live but not over exposing them or sheltering them too much.
Back to farming. I recently read an article in a farm magazine that indicated that they are expecting a period of increased income, with recession on the horizon and rising food prices. Does that ring true with you? Most of the farmers I know are having a tough time of it these days. The meager (if any) income increases they are seeing are not keeping pace with their expenditures. Many have sold down to only the essential breeding stock. I wonder where this La La land is and if there is any more good crop land for sale!
Tuesday the buyer came and picked up the Soay ewes I had for sale. It was a little bittersweet to see the girls go. One of them was my main ewe from the very beginning. I enjoyed sheep farming. For a good while that was a big part of my identity. I did well with them--I more than doubled my investment money. But the time had come to get rid of our livestock until our fences and barn can be reinforced to a useable status or replaced. We were looking at about $30,000 to build a nice, new barn and fence enough of this place to hold more sheep and horses. We just couldn't justify that much expense for animals that produced so little (or no) income. Sometimes we just have to make hard choices.
Re Family
So on Tuesday, when I should have been blogging about family, I was out sheep wrangling. One word about family, even though S. is only 9 she can be a big help around here. She is very reliable about working a gate or helping handle animals. I trust her more than I do some adults. She is at an odd, very uneven stage. One day she will act so mature, cooking, cleaning, and being a real joy. Other days she will be a real pill, lazing around leaving messes everywhere, arguing, and disobeying and driving me crazy. I hope this is an age thing and will eventually pass.
Wednesday--fiber day!
I have to confess the only fiber related things I did today were administrative. When I was out cleaning the barn last Saturday, I brought an old pair of the hand held, non-mechanical sheep shears in to put into my fiber education box. I think people might like to see them. I think the design has been unchanged for hundreds of years. But they still work quite well. I also read a flyer about a series of upcoming pioneer presentations and our spinning guild is listed to demonstrate at one of them. That would be good, as I haven't made time to spin for a while. The schedule also has vague mention of 4-H activities that will be offered, so I may end up taking my whole fiber education display on the road or some part of it.
On the down side, I realized this morning that my needle felting projects are in a terrible state of disarray. I have multiple bags and boxes of partially finished work. I need to get it all together in one place, sort it all out, and then systematically finish it one by one. I may try to get that to happen this spring. If I could get it organized, I think there would be lots of down time to fill at the various dog events and I could use it wisely.
So, that's about it for me. Utility room awash. Ewe pen empty. Fiber fuzz everywhere. And my beloved daughter hanging around with drunks. Is spring here yet?
Lori
I could A) do something expensive or that involves a lot of hard work to fix the problem (or both), or I could B) just keep important things up off the floor and let the water flow through whenever it gets in, mop up the residue and move on with my life. How many of you guessed I picked option B? I moved the few non-waterproof items to the top of the freezer and we will just have to let the water flow. It usually only gets a couple of inches deep anyway.
Re Farming:
This was supposed to be Monday's topic, but this past Monday was St. Patrick's Day and we were zooming around town so S. could perform at all her various Irish Dance venues. One of them was an Irish pub. S. is so funny right now about drinking. She definitely sees things in black and white. She told me she was standing next to a drunk guy at one point. I asked how she knew he was drunk. She told me it was obvious--he was holding his glass at a dangerous angle and had beer dribbling out of his mouth and onto his chin. Sounds drunk to me! It is such a fine line to walk, letting our kids experience the world in which they will have to live but not over exposing them or sheltering them too much.
Back to farming. I recently read an article in a farm magazine that indicated that they are expecting a period of increased income, with recession on the horizon and rising food prices. Does that ring true with you? Most of the farmers I know are having a tough time of it these days. The meager (if any) income increases they are seeing are not keeping pace with their expenditures. Many have sold down to only the essential breeding stock. I wonder where this La La land is and if there is any more good crop land for sale!
Tuesday the buyer came and picked up the Soay ewes I had for sale. It was a little bittersweet to see the girls go. One of them was my main ewe from the very beginning. I enjoyed sheep farming. For a good while that was a big part of my identity. I did well with them--I more than doubled my investment money. But the time had come to get rid of our livestock until our fences and barn can be reinforced to a useable status or replaced. We were looking at about $30,000 to build a nice, new barn and fence enough of this place to hold more sheep and horses. We just couldn't justify that much expense for animals that produced so little (or no) income. Sometimes we just have to make hard choices.
Re Family
So on Tuesday, when I should have been blogging about family, I was out sheep wrangling. One word about family, even though S. is only 9 she can be a big help around here. She is very reliable about working a gate or helping handle animals. I trust her more than I do some adults. She is at an odd, very uneven stage. One day she will act so mature, cooking, cleaning, and being a real joy. Other days she will be a real pill, lazing around leaving messes everywhere, arguing, and disobeying and driving me crazy. I hope this is an age thing and will eventually pass.
Wednesday--fiber day!
I have to confess the only fiber related things I did today were administrative. When I was out cleaning the barn last Saturday, I brought an old pair of the hand held, non-mechanical sheep shears in to put into my fiber education box. I think people might like to see them. I think the design has been unchanged for hundreds of years. But they still work quite well. I also read a flyer about a series of upcoming pioneer presentations and our spinning guild is listed to demonstrate at one of them. That would be good, as I haven't made time to spin for a while. The schedule also has vague mention of 4-H activities that will be offered, so I may end up taking my whole fiber education display on the road or some part of it.
On the down side, I realized this morning that my needle felting projects are in a terrible state of disarray. I have multiple bags and boxes of partially finished work. I need to get it all together in one place, sort it all out, and then systematically finish it one by one. I may try to get that to happen this spring. If I could get it organized, I think there would be lots of down time to fill at the various dog events and I could use it wisely.
So, that's about it for me. Utility room awash. Ewe pen empty. Fiber fuzz everywhere. And my beloved daughter hanging around with drunks. Is spring here yet?
Lori
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Sunday Supplement #3
I'm going to call this SS No. 3 because I want to do something special when we have had a "month of Sundays".
Today was very pretty but a little cool. S. had archery practice today after church. I was surprised to find out how cool it was when we got out of the car, so I raided my winter supply bag. Among other things I put on a pair of sweat pants under my church dress, a baggy sweater-coat, and my shawl on top of that. Later C. told me I looked like a bag lady in her pajamas. I think he was implying that I was not exactly a fashion plate. But I was toasty warm, so there!
I came home and watched an interesting vidoe clip on a show called Canine Confidential. It talked about how people were making their dogs "full fledged members of their families" now and that they were treating them more like people than animals, and spending big bucks.
I am pondering this information along with the activities we are currently on the tip of joining--the canine freestyle, or dog dance competitions. Is is silly to teach a dog a routine of behaviors to do to music and then to gather with other like minded folks to perform and compete? The benefits include learning about animal behavior, animal training, choreography, performing, and the fact that is is a fun activity for my 9yo daughter the involves her getting up and running and dancing. Even though it may be a bit silly, it sure beats time at the computer playing games, letting muscle tissue waste away, and working on a case of her own childhood obesity.
We have recycled many of our horse grooming tools for the dogs, along with a crate we used for holding sheep which was originally a jumbo dog crate anyway. I can see how things could get out of hand though. Thank heavens freestyle does not require the purchase of a lot of expensive equipment. My big expense will be going to the occasional show or workshop. However, I justify that as the cost to participate in a wholesome, fun, family-friendly activity that has educational benefits on the side. What hobbies do urban girls get involved with around the age of 9-12 or so?
I will continue to report on how this is working out.
Hope everyone is having a nice, peaceful Sunday afternoon.
Lori
Today was very pretty but a little cool. S. had archery practice today after church. I was surprised to find out how cool it was when we got out of the car, so I raided my winter supply bag. Among other things I put on a pair of sweat pants under my church dress, a baggy sweater-coat, and my shawl on top of that. Later C. told me I looked like a bag lady in her pajamas. I think he was implying that I was not exactly a fashion plate. But I was toasty warm, so there!
I came home and watched an interesting vidoe clip on a show called Canine Confidential. It talked about how people were making their dogs "full fledged members of their families" now and that they were treating them more like people than animals, and spending big bucks.
I am pondering this information along with the activities we are currently on the tip of joining--the canine freestyle, or dog dance competitions. Is is silly to teach a dog a routine of behaviors to do to music and then to gather with other like minded folks to perform and compete? The benefits include learning about animal behavior, animal training, choreography, performing, and the fact that is is a fun activity for my 9yo daughter the involves her getting up and running and dancing. Even though it may be a bit silly, it sure beats time at the computer playing games, letting muscle tissue waste away, and working on a case of her own childhood obesity.
We have recycled many of our horse grooming tools for the dogs, along with a crate we used for holding sheep which was originally a jumbo dog crate anyway. I can see how things could get out of hand though. Thank heavens freestyle does not require the purchase of a lot of expensive equipment. My big expense will be going to the occasional show or workshop. However, I justify that as the cost to participate in a wholesome, fun, family-friendly activity that has educational benefits on the side. What hobbies do urban girls get involved with around the age of 9-12 or so?
I will continue to report on how this is working out.
Hope everyone is having a nice, peaceful Sunday afternoon.
Lori
Friday, March 14, 2008
Where Did the Time Go?
Whoops! I managed to miss a whole week of blogging. Needless to say, it's been busy around here!
Saturday, March 8
Everything cancelled due to bad weather. A winter storm for all of Ohio. Blah day at home. Lots of ice, really hard to go out and feed.
Sunday, March 9
Sue had an Irish Dance performance. That is such a neat dance form, but I'm not sure she has the interest level to justify doing what it takes to become really good at it. Most of the competitive level dancers in her group travel a couple of hours distance one way, once or twice a week for extra lessons. I don't see us doing that time wise, nor money wise.
Monday, March 10
I think I found a buyer for all 4 ewes. That's right, the oldest lamb we have, lambed today. Since she has that hurt leg, C. wasn't even sure she could be bred or carry a lamb. And she didn't have that usual, trash-can-on-legs look that most of the ewes get when they get close. She never looked all that big.
So now I need to figure out what to do with the rams. They are nice boys, from two distinctly different Soay bloodlines. I hate to make them into freezer meat if someone could use their genetics.
Starting to get lots of eggs now.
Tuesday, March 11
Family. I though mine was bad, but I continue to see worse, so I should thank God that this bunch is all I have to contend with!
Sue occasionally amazes me here lately. She has these little bursts of maturity that are absolutely dazzling. Today she decided to clean the kitchen. She washed and organized, even scrubbed the cannister set. Wow. And just the other day she decided to get out some recipes and cook dinner. She made cheeseburger pie, salad, and a wonderful chocolate tart for dessert. But in between all that she acts like a a 6yo and drives me crazy. Was I like this when I was 9?
Wednesday, March 12
I was going to go to a town about an hour and a half away to take Mom to a fabric store for quilt supplies, but with gas now hitting $3.50 here, we decided to save our gas money for tractor and mower gas. To keep her spirits up, S. and I went up to her house to lay out a tied(or knotted)comforter that our 4-H club will knot at the meeting Friday and donate to a fundraiser. She gave me some fabric, but we didn't get very much work done.
Fiber-wise, I have been very remiss lately. Perhaps after Easter I can get going again. I did break some of it out for 4-H and we did a little mini-sampler on lucet braiding, drop spindle spinning, weaving, and of course, learning how to knot that quilt! I would like to teach the older ones how to spin on one of my wheels, but...how to say this politely...I don't want the little ones involved. They just don't have the focus to listen to and follow instruction and if they don't, the wheel could easily be broken. Maybe I will work on their obedience skills and then bring the wheel in later.
Thursday, March 13
We did school, as we do every morning. But as the weather improves, it is getting harder. Now S. wants to take T. the dog for "just a little potty walk", and 30 minutes later they come back in. But I can't blame them. It has been such a long winter. I just adjust our schedule and we do lunch at 12:30 instead of at 12:00.
I got a little burnt out there for a while, but now I am back in the saddle, hoping to finish strong. I am still concerned that S.'s composition skills are not very good, but we will continue to chip away at that.
Friday, March 14, (today--finally caught up!)
School this am and then 4-H in the afternoon. A fun time was had by all at the meeting. Our club is slowly growing in size. I do enjoy being the advisor but sometimes don't feel equal to the task.
Regarding the dog training, S. has been taking Em. off lead when she takes T for a walk in the morning. Both are doing well. T did so well at the dog club meeting on Monday. She did her little sits, downs,heeling, sides, touch all with a room full on new people and several dogs. I was so proud of her. Now we are working on her paw/handshake behaviors, large circles around the handler, and reinforcing the other stuff she has. I really hope to have half of the freestyle routine worked out by April 12-13 for the workshop. And maybe a little more by the following weekend Expo.
So, that is my life on fast-forward. Tomorrow is the day I designated as our home workday. I want to spend a couple of hours in the barn, one shoveling horse manure out and one cleaning in the feed room. Then I would like to come in, catch up on all the laundry, and perhaps do some serious mending. I think C. may work on sorting some of the tons of tools and hardware in the utility room, and I will assign S. to deep clean her room and to find a good location for all the various puppy paraphernalia she has already acquired. At this rate, she will need a trailer to hold all her show equipment!
That's all for now. Goodnight.
Lori
Saturday, March 8
Everything cancelled due to bad weather. A winter storm for all of Ohio. Blah day at home. Lots of ice, really hard to go out and feed.
Sunday, March 9
Sue had an Irish Dance performance. That is such a neat dance form, but I'm not sure she has the interest level to justify doing what it takes to become really good at it. Most of the competitive level dancers in her group travel a couple of hours distance one way, once or twice a week for extra lessons. I don't see us doing that time wise, nor money wise.
Monday, March 10
I think I found a buyer for all 4 ewes. That's right, the oldest lamb we have, lambed today. Since she has that hurt leg, C. wasn't even sure she could be bred or carry a lamb. And she didn't have that usual, trash-can-on-legs look that most of the ewes get when they get close. She never looked all that big.
So now I need to figure out what to do with the rams. They are nice boys, from two distinctly different Soay bloodlines. I hate to make them into freezer meat if someone could use their genetics.
Starting to get lots of eggs now.
Tuesday, March 11
Family. I though mine was bad, but I continue to see worse, so I should thank God that this bunch is all I have to contend with!
Sue occasionally amazes me here lately. She has these little bursts of maturity that are absolutely dazzling. Today she decided to clean the kitchen. She washed and organized, even scrubbed the cannister set. Wow. And just the other day she decided to get out some recipes and cook dinner. She made cheeseburger pie, salad, and a wonderful chocolate tart for dessert. But in between all that she acts like a a 6yo and drives me crazy. Was I like this when I was 9?
Wednesday, March 12
I was going to go to a town about an hour and a half away to take Mom to a fabric store for quilt supplies, but with gas now hitting $3.50 here, we decided to save our gas money for tractor and mower gas. To keep her spirits up, S. and I went up to her house to lay out a tied(or knotted)comforter that our 4-H club will knot at the meeting Friday and donate to a fundraiser. She gave me some fabric, but we didn't get very much work done.
Fiber-wise, I have been very remiss lately. Perhaps after Easter I can get going again. I did break some of it out for 4-H and we did a little mini-sampler on lucet braiding, drop spindle spinning, weaving, and of course, learning how to knot that quilt! I would like to teach the older ones how to spin on one of my wheels, but...how to say this politely...I don't want the little ones involved. They just don't have the focus to listen to and follow instruction and if they don't, the wheel could easily be broken. Maybe I will work on their obedience skills and then bring the wheel in later.
Thursday, March 13
We did school, as we do every morning. But as the weather improves, it is getting harder. Now S. wants to take T. the dog for "just a little potty walk", and 30 minutes later they come back in. But I can't blame them. It has been such a long winter. I just adjust our schedule and we do lunch at 12:30 instead of at 12:00.
I got a little burnt out there for a while, but now I am back in the saddle, hoping to finish strong. I am still concerned that S.'s composition skills are not very good, but we will continue to chip away at that.
Friday, March 14, (today--finally caught up!)
School this am and then 4-H in the afternoon. A fun time was had by all at the meeting. Our club is slowly growing in size. I do enjoy being the advisor but sometimes don't feel equal to the task.
Regarding the dog training, S. has been taking Em. off lead when she takes T for a walk in the morning. Both are doing well. T did so well at the dog club meeting on Monday. She did her little sits, downs,heeling, sides, touch all with a room full on new people and several dogs. I was so proud of her. Now we are working on her paw/handshake behaviors, large circles around the handler, and reinforcing the other stuff she has. I really hope to have half of the freestyle routine worked out by April 12-13 for the workshop. And maybe a little more by the following weekend Expo.
So, that is my life on fast-forward. Tomorrow is the day I designated as our home workday. I want to spend a couple of hours in the barn, one shoveling horse manure out and one cleaning in the feed room. Then I would like to come in, catch up on all the laundry, and perhaps do some serious mending. I think C. may work on sorting some of the tons of tools and hardware in the utility room, and I will assign S. to deep clean her room and to find a good location for all the various puppy paraphernalia she has already acquired. At this rate, she will need a trailer to hold all her show equipment!
That's all for now. Goodnight.
Lori
Friday, March 7, 2008
Gone to the Dogs
This is one of my newer schemes.
Our old dog, Em, was one of those Free To Good Home dogs. I definitely got the feeling that if we didn't take her, her next stop was the Humane Society. She was a young black lab mix with a very sweet nature. Forward three years, Em is still very sweet natured--which does not a good farm dog make. We have seen the chickens chase her into her dog house and if a sheep stamps its foot at her in the pasture, she hides behind our legs. So we had rather given up hope for good old Em ever making much of herself.
However, 9yo Sue decided she wanted to take the 4-H dog project this year, and Em was to be her accomplice. The local 4-H dog club hosted a sampler workshop in December and wonder of wonders, we discovered that Em had some talent in the area of agilty. (jumps, tunnels, teeter-totters, etc.) So for Christmas we bought S. and Em a 6 week class of agility training. That went well.
In the meantime, S. had been working on C. for over a year to soften him up to the idea of an indoor dog. Eventually she wore him down. So on Feb. 1, we did what you are not supposed to do and bought a pug puppy from a backyard breeder. Little Tweetie. When I asked S. if she planned to show T. in agility also, she told me that she really didn't think that a dog that would grow up to be shaped like a sausage would do too well in a timed event. But, she began to cast her eye toward a new type of dog competition--freestyle.
After considerable time online, I learned that freestyle is a combination of many basic obedience moves, plus a few tricks, set to music, so that the dog and handler appear to dance together. OK....to be honest, T. doesn't seem to be very...how do I put this...graceful at this stage of her life. (She's a sweet little bug-eyed fuzz ball that zooms and rolls and wrestles her way through life.) I found that they could also go for the comic routine instead of Princess Grace and her Escort. So Laurel and Hardy II may be in the making.
So far T. has learned to heel some on the left and right, to sit, to lay down, to touch her chin to the palm of our hand, to come when called, and to spin to the left and right. But of course, as an 11 week old puppy, she does all these things when it pleases her or when she remembers what it was we asked her to do before that piece of lint so enticingly caught her eye. She seems smart, but retention does not seem to be her strong point.
And there you have it. Em is learning to climb to great heights and to weave through upright poles like quicksilver. T. is ready to start working on a sideways move called a sidepass and to shake her head No. As the Mommy-In-Charge, I am expected to guide and assist but not to do the training for S., since this is a 4-H project. It is tough to determine where to draw the line at doing it for her and teaching her to do it. I do fine with agility, since they are in a class and I trust the teacher to teach S. how to teach Em to do the work. But for freestyle we are on our own. So I am trying to explain, demonstrate once or twice, and then have S. work the pup through the behavior several times. Then I have S. do the initial review at the next session and I explain and demo training the next thing.
This is a very complex issue. I absolutely want S. to learn and also for T. to learn too. It is frustrating to see kids at the fair whose parents are washing, grooming, and prepping a kid's livestock entry while Junior hangs out like a ring vulture on the top fence rail gossiping with his buddies. Then Junior takes the lead (his dad has to show him how to hold it properly) and goes in and wins big. I want the best of both worlds, I guess. For S. to have a realistic chance of winning and also for her to learn how to train and handle her own animal.
Such profound concepts being played out with a pup who's best skills currently are sock biting and pottying behind the furniture.
I was supposed to go to an introductory 4-H seminar tomorrow to learn more about the options for showing dogs, but a winter storm warning and blizzard advisory for most of our state have cancelled my plans. Now I am praying for the weather to be bad enough to also cancel our 4-H club's ice skating trip. I had so brazenly lamented that I was so sad that I had to go to the training seminar and couldn't come skate--I was planning to get out on the ice and go for it before I found out I had to (heavy, dramatic sigh here)put fun aside and further my education as an advisor. Good heavens--my bluff may have been called!
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Lori
Our old dog, Em, was one of those Free To Good Home dogs. I definitely got the feeling that if we didn't take her, her next stop was the Humane Society. She was a young black lab mix with a very sweet nature. Forward three years, Em is still very sweet natured--which does not a good farm dog make. We have seen the chickens chase her into her dog house and if a sheep stamps its foot at her in the pasture, she hides behind our legs. So we had rather given up hope for good old Em ever making much of herself.
However, 9yo Sue decided she wanted to take the 4-H dog project this year, and Em was to be her accomplice. The local 4-H dog club hosted a sampler workshop in December and wonder of wonders, we discovered that Em had some talent in the area of agilty. (jumps, tunnels, teeter-totters, etc.) So for Christmas we bought S. and Em a 6 week class of agility training. That went well.
In the meantime, S. had been working on C. for over a year to soften him up to the idea of an indoor dog. Eventually she wore him down. So on Feb. 1, we did what you are not supposed to do and bought a pug puppy from a backyard breeder. Little Tweetie. When I asked S. if she planned to show T. in agility also, she told me that she really didn't think that a dog that would grow up to be shaped like a sausage would do too well in a timed event. But, she began to cast her eye toward a new type of dog competition--freestyle.
After considerable time online, I learned that freestyle is a combination of many basic obedience moves, plus a few tricks, set to music, so that the dog and handler appear to dance together. OK....to be honest, T. doesn't seem to be very...how do I put this...graceful at this stage of her life. (She's a sweet little bug-eyed fuzz ball that zooms and rolls and wrestles her way through life.) I found that they could also go for the comic routine instead of Princess Grace and her Escort. So Laurel and Hardy II may be in the making.
So far T. has learned to heel some on the left and right, to sit, to lay down, to touch her chin to the palm of our hand, to come when called, and to spin to the left and right. But of course, as an 11 week old puppy, she does all these things when it pleases her or when she remembers what it was we asked her to do before that piece of lint so enticingly caught her eye. She seems smart, but retention does not seem to be her strong point.
And there you have it. Em is learning to climb to great heights and to weave through upright poles like quicksilver. T. is ready to start working on a sideways move called a sidepass and to shake her head No. As the Mommy-In-Charge, I am expected to guide and assist but not to do the training for S., since this is a 4-H project. It is tough to determine where to draw the line at doing it for her and teaching her to do it. I do fine with agility, since they are in a class and I trust the teacher to teach S. how to teach Em to do the work. But for freestyle we are on our own. So I am trying to explain, demonstrate once or twice, and then have S. work the pup through the behavior several times. Then I have S. do the initial review at the next session and I explain and demo training the next thing.
This is a very complex issue. I absolutely want S. to learn and also for T. to learn too. It is frustrating to see kids at the fair whose parents are washing, grooming, and prepping a kid's livestock entry while Junior hangs out like a ring vulture on the top fence rail gossiping with his buddies. Then Junior takes the lead (his dad has to show him how to hold it properly) and goes in and wins big. I want the best of both worlds, I guess. For S. to have a realistic chance of winning and also for her to learn how to train and handle her own animal.
Such profound concepts being played out with a pup who's best skills currently are sock biting and pottying behind the furniture.
I was supposed to go to an introductory 4-H seminar tomorrow to learn more about the options for showing dogs, but a winter storm warning and blizzard advisory for most of our state have cancelled my plans. Now I am praying for the weather to be bad enough to also cancel our 4-H club's ice skating trip. I had so brazenly lamented that I was so sad that I had to go to the training seminar and couldn't come skate--I was planning to get out on the ice and go for it before I found out I had to (heavy, dramatic sigh here)put fun aside and further my education as an advisor. Good heavens--my bluff may have been called!
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Lori
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Home, Sweet Homeschool
Hi,
Today the topic is homeschooling. I knew that I wanted to homeschool my future children even before I was married due to both my experiences at public school and also based on several homeschooled children I had met.
It has worked out quite well for us. We live in a state that does require some, but not too much documentation. Up until just this year we always gave the standard Iowa test at the end of each year. S. scored so well on it that we found it not to be very helpful in identifying her strengths and weaknesses. Also, now that we are doing 4th grade, our curriculum order has shifted sufficiently enough from that of public school that we decided not to give the test. For example, we are studying the Middle Ages and Renaissance. S's ps counterparts are studying American history. It wouldn't be fair to not test her on the material she has covered and then test her on things she has not yet seen. Our science is also diverging to a different schedule. So for this year, we will take the option to have a certified teacher do a review of a portfolio of S's work and sign off on it.
Our curriculum is fairly varied. We fall generally into the category of eclectic homeschoolers. We pick and choose things that fit into our plan instead of going with someone else's preset plan. We are loosely following the type of education outlined in the Well Trained Mind book by Susan Wise Bauer.
I have to admit, there are days when I wish we were not homeschooling. The idea of having a whole day to myself is mindboggling. But then I spend some time with the mothers of S's ps friends and hear their lamenting and complaining about the school system, and I know I have made the best choice for us.
Sue is thriving. She has plenty of socialization opportunities. This afternoon, for example, we are off to her Irish dance class. She also has friends at 4-H and church. But her main social unit is her family. Not other children who demonstrate questionable social graces and worse manners.
I have lots more to say about this, but it is time to head out. We have to take the long way to town (about 50 miles) as localized flooding has closed a number of smaller, lower-lying roads.
From the head teacher, principal, janitor, school nurse, and lunch lady of Cave Creek Elementary School,
Lori
Today the topic is homeschooling. I knew that I wanted to homeschool my future children even before I was married due to both my experiences at public school and also based on several homeschooled children I had met.
It has worked out quite well for us. We live in a state that does require some, but not too much documentation. Up until just this year we always gave the standard Iowa test at the end of each year. S. scored so well on it that we found it not to be very helpful in identifying her strengths and weaknesses. Also, now that we are doing 4th grade, our curriculum order has shifted sufficiently enough from that of public school that we decided not to give the test. For example, we are studying the Middle Ages and Renaissance. S's ps counterparts are studying American history. It wouldn't be fair to not test her on the material she has covered and then test her on things she has not yet seen. Our science is also diverging to a different schedule. So for this year, we will take the option to have a certified teacher do a review of a portfolio of S's work and sign off on it.
Our curriculum is fairly varied. We fall generally into the category of eclectic homeschoolers. We pick and choose things that fit into our plan instead of going with someone else's preset plan. We are loosely following the type of education outlined in the Well Trained Mind book by Susan Wise Bauer.
I have to admit, there are days when I wish we were not homeschooling. The idea of having a whole day to myself is mindboggling. But then I spend some time with the mothers of S's ps friends and hear their lamenting and complaining about the school system, and I know I have made the best choice for us.
Sue is thriving. She has plenty of socialization opportunities. This afternoon, for example, we are off to her Irish dance class. She also has friends at 4-H and church. But her main social unit is her family. Not other children who demonstrate questionable social graces and worse manners.
I have lots more to say about this, but it is time to head out. We have to take the long way to town (about 50 miles) as localized flooding has closed a number of smaller, lower-lying roads.
From the head teacher, principal, janitor, school nurse, and lunch lady of Cave Creek Elementary School,
Lori
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Where There's A Wool, There's A Way!
Today I get to talk about fiber. Whoopee! But first a bit of background. We backed into the whole fiber thing. First we got sheep, so within a year, I had wool. But I didn't know how to spin or knit, so time passed. And I ended up with a second harvest. Then friends heard that I was keeping my wool, so they gave me some of theirs. Soon I was drowning in fiber!
The US wool market is pitiful. Almost all of our wool products come from sheep from New Zealand or Australia. Here, if a farmer sells their wool to the local wool pool, they usually don't get enough money per pound of wool to cover the cost of having the sheep sheared.
My sheep are a little different. They are Soay sheep, which are a breed closer to primitive, wild sheep than domestic sheep. They are chocolate brown on the top and have a creamy underbelly. They are small and very hardy. They don't get many of the health problems modern breeds are prone to, they are naturally short-tailed and don't need tail docking, and they don't need my assistance with lambing. And best of all, they shed their wool and don't have to be sheared. We also had llamas and a couple of Cormo sheep wethers.
So anyway, here I was, every time I opened any closet or drawer, wool popped out. I knew I had to do something. I had seen reference to needle felting on the internet but didn't think it could possibly work. But eventually I got so desperate, I tried it and it does work! I am able to make both cute 3-dimensional figurines like lambs, bears, and bunnies and also do flat, picture-type work of primitive scenes.
Then God let the other shoe drop. I had always liked the theory of spinning, but couldn't justify the money for a wheel or the space to keep one. However, through the rumor mill I heard that a friend the next county over was moving and had some wheels and looms to sell. I mentioned this to another friend who wanted a loom and we went to look. Suffice it to say that she made me such a good deal on an Ashford Traveler wheel that I couldn't say no. Then as we were loading it into the truck, she brought out another antique wheel, 2 table-top looms, and a huge trash bag full of fleece and said to take the whole rest of it for free. Within a week of that, another acquaintance made me a deal on a Great Wheel (one of those really big ones, sometimes called a walking wheel) that was historic for our area, made in 1856. My mother bought it for me and is keeping it for me at her house. And within another week, yet another acquaintance called me and said that she was moving from her apartment and had to find a good home for her big floor loom. I'm not really interested in weaving, but she was going to set it out for the trash if I didn't get it. So being the nice friend I am, I went and got it and talked another friend into borrowing it for her children to try! So I went in about one month's time from having nothing but fiber and a few felting needles to having 3 spinning wheels and 3 looms.
I have since learned to spin--it is really fun. And although I have intentions toward one of the table looms, I haven't had time to do much with it yet. I do occasionally make things from needle felt or from wet felt, I sell felting kits to people getting started, and teach some needle felting classes here and there. I sometimes take my felting and the Ashford wheel to festivals and do demos.
I started this year with great intentions regarding fiber. The trend these days is to do these challenge things, where everyone on a certain internet forum or in a certain group will work on projects with a similar theme for a month or whatever. So far, I have missed both the January and February challenges. One January challenge was to create something dealing with someone you admire. I was going to felt a character doll of my grandmother. I have part of her head done so far! I also wanted to do some cute dangling heart lapel pins for Valentine's Day. But that urge remains unfulfilled also. But I still plan to do those things! I will soon learn how to post photos to liven things up here a bit and then will have to generate pictorial evidence of my works in progress.
Now, however, I am trying to sell the last of my Soay sheep. Our fencing is just too bad to hold them anymore. But I STILL have bags and bags full of wool to process and use. I joked with a friend that I think I will just invest in a bunch of those 18 gal plastic storage bins, fill them full of fleeces, and build shelves for them out in the unused areas of the barn. I will become a fleece farmer instead of a sheep farmer!
Although C. has frequently mentioned that he would like to get a couple more llamas eventually. I don't think I will ever run out of fleece!
Thinking fuzzy thoughts,
Lori
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Family Day
As I sit down to type today's installment, I'm thinking, family? What do I have to say about family?
There are so many different people trying to tell us what consititues a family now. With the Dem. election today, I think about their PC version. I think about all the kind and loving children's books that nowadays tell our kids that families can be made of hippos and bunnies and birdies and turtles, as long as everyone loves each other. I think about the old-fashioned version of family that I grew up with, where there were both biological parents and usually two point something of their very own children.
I have come to the conclusion that the word, like so many others these days, has been sorely compromised. I have a college degree and a decent command of the English language (if I do say so myself!), and I can't give you a good definition anymore. I know that MY family consists of a mother, father, and our biological daughter. Our extended family includes grandmothers, uncles and aunts, cousins, great aunts and great uncles, and a variety of some kind of distant cousins that we either claim as relatives or ignore as strangers depending on how they act.
We live in a wonderful rural area where family probably has a different significance than it does in most other places. When we meet someone from around here that we don't already know (which happens less and less frequently after 8 years here), they ask after our people. "Are your people from out there where you live?". "No," I respond, "My people are from the other side of the state but my husband's people are from out around Stanleytown." Then they knowingly nod their heads. Everyone around here knows what kind of people come from Stanleytown. Mostly farmers, not too flashy or innovative, lots of German heritage... Now they know who I am.
And then we talk about where our house is located. You know, the old Goodlett place. Ah, yes, everyone knows the old Goodlett place. Thing is, the Goodletts haven't lived here for 50 years. But their family name still does. And even their reputation. Just about every old timer in these parts took music lessons from old man Goodlett during a WPA school program in the 1930's. They've all been to my house for music recitals and lessons. No one is surprised that I play fiddle and C. plays guitar. We live in the old Goodlett house. It just stands to reason.
So what is a family? I still don't know. But I do know that around here it is like a club that once you're in, you're always in. And that what one of us does affects the reputation of us all. For a long, long time. I can't bring myself to define it as a fuzzy, amorphous thing that can include unrelated people who each live their individual, separate lives. Label family however you want, but we are still part of those folks who came to Stanleytown back in 1812 and we live comfortably in the presence of their legacy. Just as we hope our descendants will live in ours.
Who are your people?
Lori
There are so many different people trying to tell us what consititues a family now. With the Dem. election today, I think about their PC version. I think about all the kind and loving children's books that nowadays tell our kids that families can be made of hippos and bunnies and birdies and turtles, as long as everyone loves each other. I think about the old-fashioned version of family that I grew up with, where there were both biological parents and usually two point something of their very own children.
I have come to the conclusion that the word, like so many others these days, has been sorely compromised. I have a college degree and a decent command of the English language (if I do say so myself!), and I can't give you a good definition anymore. I know that MY family consists of a mother, father, and our biological daughter. Our extended family includes grandmothers, uncles and aunts, cousins, great aunts and great uncles, and a variety of some kind of distant cousins that we either claim as relatives or ignore as strangers depending on how they act.
We live in a wonderful rural area where family probably has a different significance than it does in most other places. When we meet someone from around here that we don't already know (which happens less and less frequently after 8 years here), they ask after our people. "Are your people from out there where you live?". "No," I respond, "My people are from the other side of the state but my husband's people are from out around Stanleytown." Then they knowingly nod their heads. Everyone around here knows what kind of people come from Stanleytown. Mostly farmers, not too flashy or innovative, lots of German heritage... Now they know who I am.
And then we talk about where our house is located. You know, the old Goodlett place. Ah, yes, everyone knows the old Goodlett place. Thing is, the Goodletts haven't lived here for 50 years. But their family name still does. And even their reputation. Just about every old timer in these parts took music lessons from old man Goodlett during a WPA school program in the 1930's. They've all been to my house for music recitals and lessons. No one is surprised that I play fiddle and C. plays guitar. We live in the old Goodlett house. It just stands to reason.
So what is a family? I still don't know. But I do know that around here it is like a club that once you're in, you're always in. And that what one of us does affects the reputation of us all. For a long, long time. I can't bring myself to define it as a fuzzy, amorphous thing that can include unrelated people who each live their individual, separate lives. Label family however you want, but we are still part of those folks who came to Stanleytown back in 1812 and we live comfortably in the presence of their legacy. Just as we hope our descendants will live in ours.
Who are your people?
Lori
Monday, March 3, 2008
Welcome, Spring!!!!!
Wow! Spring has sprung around here! The sun is shining, temps are in the 60's and it is wonderful. (The weather is always a key factor on a farm, so you will see I usually open by mentioning it.)
So, my theme for today is farm issues. Well, this post will be considerably different today than it would have been a week ago when we were still in the iron grip of winter. Sunshine and knee deep mud is so much more encouraging than thick cloud cover, snow flurries, and knee deep mud.
Actually, we have been doing some serious soul searching this winter and have decided to make some substantial changes around here. The llamas are gone, and we just found a new home for the horses. I am now trying to find a buyer for the sheep (anyone here interested in some Soays?). I think we just gave up for a while. I know I for one was tired of fighting.
Our farm is an old Appalachian hillfarm that never was a showplace. When we bought it the barns and fences were in horrible condition. We had worked hard for 7 years to get them all the way up to merely bad condition. But horses are hard on a barn--they had rubbed against a couple of the support posts and had them off their bases, so the stability of the barn was compromised. Sheep are hard on fences. No, that's not true. Sheep ignore most fences. They are blowing through ours like they are invisible. And we can't afford to pay $25,000 to fence in a flock worth a fraction of that with fence that will really hold them. Not to mention that our old rocky soil and steep slopes mean that most of the hundreds of new fence posts would have to be set by hand, if they could even be put in at all.
So for safety's sake the horses had to go, and for the sake of not making the neighbors go blind by having to see me running around in my pajamas one more time, screeching at the escapee sheep, we decided they had to go. The sheep, not the neighbors. On fiber day (I'll have to check and see when I promised to write about that!), I'll reveal my plans to become a fleece farmer, instead of a sheep farmer. Also, I finally realized that I want more of an emotional return on my investment of energy than I was getting from the horses and sheep. I'm tired of rescheduling my life to care for animals that don't want to give me the time of day if I'm not carrying a full feed bucket.
In the future, we may get a couple more llamas since C. really likes them, but I'm in no hurry. Right now the cats, dogs, and chickens are plenty of "livestock" for me.
My new scheme, you ask? Well...I am seriously considering going into the business of growing and harvesting cultivated, wild simulated, and wild medicinal herbs. Not ginseng, mind you. I do not plan to cultivate a crop for 5 to 10 years only to have to put it under constand guard with a shotgun for the last couple of years.
I would be looking at possibly goldenseal, wild yam, black cohosh, etc. It would involve a lot of research and even more planting on blind faith that there will be a market and buyers if I can get a crop up to marketable size. Some actual field sowing, but more of what they now call silvaculture--planting the seed in the woods where the plants grow naturally.
We've got the land and the woods. We've got buyers and some market support here in the area. I think I will certainly investigate this more fully.
So, that is it for today. The house is as clean as it is going to get, school is over for the day, and now I am going to settle down and work on...quilting? No. Knitting? No. Baking goodies? No. Taxes! Yay! I get to sort out all of last year's various receipts and various other numbers we need for a farm return. I expect I'll be just a ray of sunshine by the end of the day.
Here's hoping your day will be bright too!
Lori
So, my theme for today is farm issues. Well, this post will be considerably different today than it would have been a week ago when we were still in the iron grip of winter. Sunshine and knee deep mud is so much more encouraging than thick cloud cover, snow flurries, and knee deep mud.
Actually, we have been doing some serious soul searching this winter and have decided to make some substantial changes around here. The llamas are gone, and we just found a new home for the horses. I am now trying to find a buyer for the sheep (anyone here interested in some Soays?). I think we just gave up for a while. I know I for one was tired of fighting.
Our farm is an old Appalachian hillfarm that never was a showplace. When we bought it the barns and fences were in horrible condition. We had worked hard for 7 years to get them all the way up to merely bad condition. But horses are hard on a barn--they had rubbed against a couple of the support posts and had them off their bases, so the stability of the barn was compromised. Sheep are hard on fences. No, that's not true. Sheep ignore most fences. They are blowing through ours like they are invisible. And we can't afford to pay $25,000 to fence in a flock worth a fraction of that with fence that will really hold them. Not to mention that our old rocky soil and steep slopes mean that most of the hundreds of new fence posts would have to be set by hand, if they could even be put in at all.
So for safety's sake the horses had to go, and for the sake of not making the neighbors go blind by having to see me running around in my pajamas one more time, screeching at the escapee sheep, we decided they had to go. The sheep, not the neighbors. On fiber day (I'll have to check and see when I promised to write about that!), I'll reveal my plans to become a fleece farmer, instead of a sheep farmer. Also, I finally realized that I want more of an emotional return on my investment of energy than I was getting from the horses and sheep. I'm tired of rescheduling my life to care for animals that don't want to give me the time of day if I'm not carrying a full feed bucket.
In the future, we may get a couple more llamas since C. really likes them, but I'm in no hurry. Right now the cats, dogs, and chickens are plenty of "livestock" for me.
My new scheme, you ask? Well...I am seriously considering going into the business of growing and harvesting cultivated, wild simulated, and wild medicinal herbs. Not ginseng, mind you. I do not plan to cultivate a crop for 5 to 10 years only to have to put it under constand guard with a shotgun for the last couple of years.
I would be looking at possibly goldenseal, wild yam, black cohosh, etc. It would involve a lot of research and even more planting on blind faith that there will be a market and buyers if I can get a crop up to marketable size. Some actual field sowing, but more of what they now call silvaculture--planting the seed in the woods where the plants grow naturally.
We've got the land and the woods. We've got buyers and some market support here in the area. I think I will certainly investigate this more fully.
So, that is it for today. The house is as clean as it is going to get, school is over for the day, and now I am going to settle down and work on...quilting? No. Knitting? No. Baking goodies? No. Taxes! Yay! I get to sort out all of last year's various receipts and various other numbers we need for a farm return. I expect I'll be just a ray of sunshine by the end of the day.
Here's hoping your day will be bright too!
Lori
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Sunday Supplement Number 1
Hello!
Church was good this morning. The preacher visited our Sunday School class. I think he was surprised at how vocal our group is. We tried to tell him that the other night!
After church we dashed on toward town. Sue is involved in a 4H archery class every other Sunday afternoon from 12:30 to 1:30. I was pleased to see that they put her on the 7 yard range again, and then moved her up to the 12 yard after she got back some of her confidence. She hadn't been hitting too well at the 12 yard. She did much better this time. I also think part of the problem is that the bow she has is about all she can handle so far as pounds of pull, but at 12 yards, the blunted target arrows have trouble sticking in the canvas bag target. I guess we will just have to tough it out until she can build up some more upper body strength and move up in pull.
Then a visit to my mother-in-law's. She is a nice person and it is hard to see the slight signs of her aging. Sue and the pup and I took a walk in the lovely warm spring sunshine. This is really about the first good day we have had since winter came. Ah, those nice town sidewalks...! And then on home for the rest of our day of rest. Calvin took a nap and I just read and played on the computer.
Calvin and his mom were talking politics today. I hate to hear about that stuff. I am so disillusioned with the political situation in America today. I don't consider 3 or 4 bad choices to be much of a choice. So there! I've covered religion and politics in the same post.
I did a chicken head count this evening when I went out to feed. Due to what must be some Divine intervention, we still have all our chickens accounted for. Last summer we lost all our laying hens to racoons, so in a knee jerk reaction, I bought about 100% more chicks than I really needed to replace them. Now we have 20 hens and the neighbor's 4 Guineas. We have already started getting those little pullet eggs. By May we should be flooded with eggs and C. can start selling them to coworkers to offset the cost of the price of a gallon of gas!
Have a peaceful evening. I'm going to make a snacky dinner of nachos since C. and S. love them so, we will watch a family DVD, and then an early night.
Lori
Church was good this morning. The preacher visited our Sunday School class. I think he was surprised at how vocal our group is. We tried to tell him that the other night!
After church we dashed on toward town. Sue is involved in a 4H archery class every other Sunday afternoon from 12:30 to 1:30. I was pleased to see that they put her on the 7 yard range again, and then moved her up to the 12 yard after she got back some of her confidence. She hadn't been hitting too well at the 12 yard. She did much better this time. I also think part of the problem is that the bow she has is about all she can handle so far as pounds of pull, but at 12 yards, the blunted target arrows have trouble sticking in the canvas bag target. I guess we will just have to tough it out until she can build up some more upper body strength and move up in pull.
Then a visit to my mother-in-law's. She is a nice person and it is hard to see the slight signs of her aging. Sue and the pup and I took a walk in the lovely warm spring sunshine. This is really about the first good day we have had since winter came. Ah, those nice town sidewalks...! And then on home for the rest of our day of rest. Calvin took a nap and I just read and played on the computer.
Calvin and his mom were talking politics today. I hate to hear about that stuff. I am so disillusioned with the political situation in America today. I don't consider 3 or 4 bad choices to be much of a choice. So there! I've covered religion and politics in the same post.
I did a chicken head count this evening when I went out to feed. Due to what must be some Divine intervention, we still have all our chickens accounted for. Last summer we lost all our laying hens to racoons, so in a knee jerk reaction, I bought about 100% more chicks than I really needed to replace them. Now we have 20 hens and the neighbor's 4 Guineas. We have already started getting those little pullet eggs. By May we should be flooded with eggs and C. can start selling them to coworkers to offset the cost of the price of a gallon of gas!
Have a peaceful evening. I'm going to make a snacky dinner of nachos since C. and S. love them so, we will watch a family DVD, and then an early night.
Lori
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