We made it through the bath and the Expo. Not as bad as I had feared. I think S. had decided to do the freestyle and the agility for 4-H. I hope she is planning to work, because she has a lot to do to get ready for either of them.
Calvin and I had a "discussion" regarding the size of the garden this year. I always want a big one and he always wants a small one. His main complaint is that I usually can't keep up with it in the late summer and then it becomes an overgrown, tangled mess. My thinking is usually that I have to grow a lot because it is not worth trying to can only a little. I suppose there is truth on both sides.
I am undecided though. With the economy the way it is currently and gas prices now predicted to go to $10 per gallon, we might need to have a backup food supply. Currently and in the recent past, to be honest, it was much cheaper and certainly easier to just go buy canned vegetables at Aldi's. But since the gas prices will translate into increased prices at the stores, it may become more cost effective to start canning again. And if that's the case, then I need lots more jars and the flats and lids to seal them.
Plus, I need to place a hefty seed order. I prefer to use only the open pollinated varieties so that after buying once, I can then save my own seeds for future use. I'd better go through my seed stock and determine what I need more of or don't have any of at all. Or I could just hope for the best and buy as much as I can store from Aldi's. Who knows which course of action would be best.
S. has had a couple of low level medical problems recently--both of which I noticed she tried to solve with veterinary products. First, she skinned her knee riding her bike too fast (which C. had warned her against). I caught her sneaking into the house planning to put some QuickStop powder on it to stop the bleeding, just like we do with the rams' horns. Over the weekend she poked a sharp stick into her foot just above the top of her shoe. I cleaned it out and put a neat and orderly bandage on it. She asked me if I could make it look fancy for when she went to church. How to do that? She begged for a swath of VetWrap to go over it. So with a bright blue foot and ankle, she hobbled off to church, with stories to tell...
So...we are about done with school. We are planting and trimming trees. We are cutting firewood for next winter and the one after that. We are in the throes of dog training. I am hopefully within 48 hours of being out of the sheep business. S. is preparing her 4-H demonstration speech about archery and planning to make some primitive bows. I am just trying to keep up with the house work and keep the peace.
Things are never dull in spring.
Lori
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Dog Wash Day
OK, it is DW Day. Em and T need washed for the Expo tomorrow. T is easy, we can wait until this evening to wash her. We just pop her into the kitchen sink and commence to scrubbing! We dry her in a towel and then put one of the grain filled microwave hot packs next to her and she snuggles down to sleep while she finishes drying.
Em on the other hand, has me scared. S. says Em doesn't like water. I have not been part of any of her other bath episodes, only C. and S. It is a balmy day here and I will use warm water. However, I am prepared for a wrestling match of epic proportion. It makes me tired just thinking about it. We also have to give her some worm medicine. I'm sure that will be a real treat too.
Yesterday I must have been prophetic. When we went to the dog training facility, gas at the station we pass was $3.45/gal and I though that high. On the way back, about an hour and a half later, it was $3.65! Twenty cents a gallon in that short time. Like the gas they have in the tank in the ground cost them any bit more. I am sick and tired of being gouged on all sides by those involved in the petroleum industry.
I saw a cute thing on the net about how to spend our incentive money. I will try to post it here, but am not sure who originally wrote it. My appologies to the author. I would be happy to add the correct attribution when it is available.
"As you may have heard, the Bush Administration said each of us would get a
Rebate check to stimulate the economy.
If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China. If we
spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs, if we purchase a computer it
will go to India, if we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to
Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala, if we purchase a good car it will go to
Japan, if we purchase useless junk it will go to Taiwan and none of it
will help the American economy.
We need to keep that money here in America. The only way to keep that
money here at home is to spend it at yard sales, since those are the only
businesses still in the US." I would add "or buying other second-hand,
used stuff, where the money stays home!
So, for the rest of my day, I am going to suck it up and wash Em. I am going to bathe me and change clothes and take S. to town to see the agility show going on. We will do our grocery shopping for the week and then meet C. We will transfer into the old truck and go to the local tree trimming service and cut a load of firewood for this winter. Then home to unload the wood, he and I will remove the middle seat of the minivan and put Em's crate in and load as much as we can. If there is still daylight left, I will stack split firewood until it gets dark. Then I will come in and get dinner on the table and gather up things for the Expo tomorrow. Everyone in bed early.
Tomorrow we will get up and on the road by 6:30, travel a couple of hours and then try to figure out what's going on at the Expo. I will run around trying to make sure all of mine (C., S., T., and Em) are safe and having a good time. Then in my free moments I will try to get to the special meetings for 4-H advisors to gather as much information as I can to help the dog project kids in our club. We will travel back home after the event, feed the chickens, and have a quick dinner and plop into bed.
I am hoping that next week will be calm. I have decided to start a program of basic obedience training for the dogs, a refresher of the basics will be good for them. I will also pursue my house cleaning rampage, and my yard raking extravaganza.
I think John Denver was nuts when he sang, "Weeeell, life on the farm is kind of laid back...." What fantasy was he living? Not my life, for sure!
Gotta go and face my doggie challenge,
Lori
Em on the other hand, has me scared. S. says Em doesn't like water. I have not been part of any of her other bath episodes, only C. and S. It is a balmy day here and I will use warm water. However, I am prepared for a wrestling match of epic proportion. It makes me tired just thinking about it. We also have to give her some worm medicine. I'm sure that will be a real treat too.
Yesterday I must have been prophetic. When we went to the dog training facility, gas at the station we pass was $3.45/gal and I though that high. On the way back, about an hour and a half later, it was $3.65! Twenty cents a gallon in that short time. Like the gas they have in the tank in the ground cost them any bit more. I am sick and tired of being gouged on all sides by those involved in the petroleum industry.
I saw a cute thing on the net about how to spend our incentive money. I will try to post it here, but am not sure who originally wrote it. My appologies to the author. I would be happy to add the correct attribution when it is available.
"As you may have heard, the Bush Administration said each of us would get a
Rebate check to stimulate the economy.
If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China. If we
spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs, if we purchase a computer it
will go to India, if we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to
Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala, if we purchase a good car it will go to
Japan, if we purchase useless junk it will go to Taiwan and none of it
will help the American economy.
We need to keep that money here in America. The only way to keep that
money here at home is to spend it at yard sales, since those are the only
businesses still in the US." I would add "or buying other second-hand,
used stuff, where the money stays home!
So, for the rest of my day, I am going to suck it up and wash Em. I am going to bathe me and change clothes and take S. to town to see the agility show going on. We will do our grocery shopping for the week and then meet C. We will transfer into the old truck and go to the local tree trimming service and cut a load of firewood for this winter. Then home to unload the wood, he and I will remove the middle seat of the minivan and put Em's crate in and load as much as we can. If there is still daylight left, I will stack split firewood until it gets dark. Then I will come in and get dinner on the table and gather up things for the Expo tomorrow. Everyone in bed early.
Tomorrow we will get up and on the road by 6:30, travel a couple of hours and then try to figure out what's going on at the Expo. I will run around trying to make sure all of mine (C., S., T., and Em) are safe and having a good time. Then in my free moments I will try to get to the special meetings for 4-H advisors to gather as much information as I can to help the dog project kids in our club. We will travel back home after the event, feed the chickens, and have a quick dinner and plop into bed.
I am hoping that next week will be calm. I have decided to start a program of basic obedience training for the dogs, a refresher of the basics will be good for them. I will also pursue my house cleaning rampage, and my yard raking extravaganza.
I think John Denver was nuts when he sang, "Weeeell, life on the farm is kind of laid back...." What fantasy was he living? Not my life, for sure!
Gotta go and face my doggie challenge,
Lori
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Enjoying Spring!
Hi,
Today I am watching S. as I type. She is swinging in the side yard, reading a book, and keeping an eye on the dog and puppy. I can't imagine swinging and reading at the same time--I get a little carsick just thinking about it!
Spring is really here. C. got out the riding mower yesterday, gassed it up, and took a few experimental swipes down the lower yard. I'm a little concerned. He mentioned that he is planning to mow in stripe-like sections, alternating which ones he mows each time. Honestly, I think it looks horrid! I know he is doing it to save on gas and we do live out in the country at the end of a dead-end road, so who will see, but still.....
Are concerns about the economy, etc. bothering any one else? I have to confess, I am a bit of a survivalist at heart, and some of my minor alarm bells are starting to ring. Are we like the proverbial frog--at what point will we realize that our pot of water is about to boil? Are the current troubles a forewarning of things to come or are troubled times already here and this is just the first few waves before the oncoming tsunami? Or is all of this just a temporary glitch and all will be well again soon?
I always keep a fairly presentable pantry. We live far enough out that it is inconvenient to go to town more than once every one or two weeks. Also, with the dirt roads around here, too much rain or snow can make it dangerous to travel sometimes. So I keep about 3 or 4 months of most non-perishables on hand. It saves a lot of money because I can shop sales and buy in bulk, not to mention saving the $10 per trip it now costs in gas to get to the nearest store. It is also nice to be able to satisfy the odd craving without going to any trouble. (C. will say, "Remember that black bean chili dip you made that one time, I'd like to try some of that again," and I can just go to my shelves and find all the ingredients I need.)
But now I am trying to slowly up my supply from 3-4 months to 6-8 or even a year. I do have at least a year's supply of staples like flour, rice, sugar, etc. We wouldn't starve, but it would probably get a little monotonous after 6 months or so. I am deliberating on whether to plant a big garden this year or whether to do more of a seed saver ark type of patch, just to continue the viability of my seed stock.
I am also starting to work on an inventory of my medical supplies. S. goes through bandaids by the pound! Again, I tend to have a fairly decent supply because it would take the squad a good while to respond to a problem here and so I have tried to be somewhat prepared. The problem with the medical stuff is that most pharmaceutical preparations have a limited shelf life. You can only stock so much and then have to faithfully rotate it to keep it fresh. I can't afford to keep buying expensive antibiotics and then throwing them away when expired. We practically never use them, but I like to keep them on hand for that once in a blue moon emergency. I have been dabbling in herbal medicine and will try to give that more of my attention this summer. If things get really bad, we will have to rely on renewable resources anyway.
As I hinted at with the mower, gas prices are getting to us. It costs C. $50 per week just to drive to and from work. I have tried to cut out unnecessary driving. I doubt Mom's pasture will get brush hogged as many times this summer as she would like. As a result of high transportation costs, everything else we buy has gone up. Chicken feed costs a whole lot more now. I expect hay to be outrageous this year. If I can find any really cheap, I am going to buy it up. If we don't get any llamas, we can sell it for our cost and be a real blessing to someone else next spring. Food prices have gone up. We can plant a garden, but as anyone who cans can tell you, home grown is not cheaper. Tastier, healthier, fresher, but not cheaper. We will also try to fill the freezer with meat as soon as I can save up enough cash from my weekly grocery allottment. We may be eating more venison this winter, which by the way, cans great.
I'm thinking about going to some of the urban thrift stores before long and buying up some clothing essentials, especially for S. During the Great Depression, farmers didn't go hungry but they didn't have money to buy anything. I feel that if I can cover some of those other needs by being proactive, then we will be OK.
So, dusting off my tinfoil hat,
Lori
Today I am watching S. as I type. She is swinging in the side yard, reading a book, and keeping an eye on the dog and puppy. I can't imagine swinging and reading at the same time--I get a little carsick just thinking about it!
Spring is really here. C. got out the riding mower yesterday, gassed it up, and took a few experimental swipes down the lower yard. I'm a little concerned. He mentioned that he is planning to mow in stripe-like sections, alternating which ones he mows each time. Honestly, I think it looks horrid! I know he is doing it to save on gas and we do live out in the country at the end of a dead-end road, so who will see, but still.....
Are concerns about the economy, etc. bothering any one else? I have to confess, I am a bit of a survivalist at heart, and some of my minor alarm bells are starting to ring. Are we like the proverbial frog--at what point will we realize that our pot of water is about to boil? Are the current troubles a forewarning of things to come or are troubled times already here and this is just the first few waves before the oncoming tsunami? Or is all of this just a temporary glitch and all will be well again soon?
I always keep a fairly presentable pantry. We live far enough out that it is inconvenient to go to town more than once every one or two weeks. Also, with the dirt roads around here, too much rain or snow can make it dangerous to travel sometimes. So I keep about 3 or 4 months of most non-perishables on hand. It saves a lot of money because I can shop sales and buy in bulk, not to mention saving the $10 per trip it now costs in gas to get to the nearest store. It is also nice to be able to satisfy the odd craving without going to any trouble. (C. will say, "Remember that black bean chili dip you made that one time, I'd like to try some of that again," and I can just go to my shelves and find all the ingredients I need.)
But now I am trying to slowly up my supply from 3-4 months to 6-8 or even a year. I do have at least a year's supply of staples like flour, rice, sugar, etc. We wouldn't starve, but it would probably get a little monotonous after 6 months or so. I am deliberating on whether to plant a big garden this year or whether to do more of a seed saver ark type of patch, just to continue the viability of my seed stock.
I am also starting to work on an inventory of my medical supplies. S. goes through bandaids by the pound! Again, I tend to have a fairly decent supply because it would take the squad a good while to respond to a problem here and so I have tried to be somewhat prepared. The problem with the medical stuff is that most pharmaceutical preparations have a limited shelf life. You can only stock so much and then have to faithfully rotate it to keep it fresh. I can't afford to keep buying expensive antibiotics and then throwing them away when expired. We practically never use them, but I like to keep them on hand for that once in a blue moon emergency. I have been dabbling in herbal medicine and will try to give that more of my attention this summer. If things get really bad, we will have to rely on renewable resources anyway.
As I hinted at with the mower, gas prices are getting to us. It costs C. $50 per week just to drive to and from work. I have tried to cut out unnecessary driving. I doubt Mom's pasture will get brush hogged as many times this summer as she would like. As a result of high transportation costs, everything else we buy has gone up. Chicken feed costs a whole lot more now. I expect hay to be outrageous this year. If I can find any really cheap, I am going to buy it up. If we don't get any llamas, we can sell it for our cost and be a real blessing to someone else next spring. Food prices have gone up. We can plant a garden, but as anyone who cans can tell you, home grown is not cheaper. Tastier, healthier, fresher, but not cheaper. We will also try to fill the freezer with meat as soon as I can save up enough cash from my weekly grocery allottment. We may be eating more venison this winter, which by the way, cans great.
I'm thinking about going to some of the urban thrift stores before long and buying up some clothing essentials, especially for S. During the Great Depression, farmers didn't go hungry but they didn't have money to buy anything. I feel that if I can cover some of those other needs by being proactive, then we will be OK.
So, dusting off my tinfoil hat,
Lori
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Back in the Saddle
Hi,
Me again! The old pattern of dealing with a different subject each day isn't working so well for me anymore. My life isn't all that regimented. So, for the next experiment, I'll just try talking about what's going on or whatever is on my mind.
The pup did great at the freestyle workshop last weekend. I was so pleased at how much "try" that little dog has. She gave it her best the whole time. S. did pretty well, but she is now 9 and we are having some relationship struggles for control. So we got along mostly, but did have a few squabbles.
Next weekend we will go to the Dog Expo with both dogs. And C. That will be the major challenge--to see if he can find something fun and relaxing to do with himself while S. and I do dog stuff. I would like this to be a family activity for us, but I'm not sure it will go that way, since C. hasn't been all that enthusiastic.
I've got the laundry out on the line today. Both because I like how it makes the clothes smell and also to save on money. Our electric bills were nice and low last summer when the dryer was out of commission. So I am trying to hang as much as possible and consolidate all the dryer stuff into only one load on laundry day. It is so pretty to see all those bright colors fluttering in the wind on the line.
And I think the rams are finally sold! The new owner is trying to arrange for a vet health certificate now since she is taking them over state lines. Then it will just be us, the cats, the dogs, and the chickens. Not counting all the extraneous wildlife so abundant around here. I wouldn't be surprised though, if C. wants to get a couple of llamas this fall.
So that's it for my corner of the world.
Lori
Me again! The old pattern of dealing with a different subject each day isn't working so well for me anymore. My life isn't all that regimented. So, for the next experiment, I'll just try talking about what's going on or whatever is on my mind.
The pup did great at the freestyle workshop last weekend. I was so pleased at how much "try" that little dog has. She gave it her best the whole time. S. did pretty well, but she is now 9 and we are having some relationship struggles for control. So we got along mostly, but did have a few squabbles.
Next weekend we will go to the Dog Expo with both dogs. And C. That will be the major challenge--to see if he can find something fun and relaxing to do with himself while S. and I do dog stuff. I would like this to be a family activity for us, but I'm not sure it will go that way, since C. hasn't been all that enthusiastic.
I've got the laundry out on the line today. Both because I like how it makes the clothes smell and also to save on money. Our electric bills were nice and low last summer when the dryer was out of commission. So I am trying to hang as much as possible and consolidate all the dryer stuff into only one load on laundry day. It is so pretty to see all those bright colors fluttering in the wind on the line.
And I think the rams are finally sold! The new owner is trying to arrange for a vet health certificate now since she is taking them over state lines. Then it will just be us, the cats, the dogs, and the chickens. Not counting all the extraneous wildlife so abundant around here. I wouldn't be surprised though, if C. wants to get a couple of llamas this fall.
So that's it for my corner of the world.
Lori
Friday, March 28, 2008
The Rest of the Week
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
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
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
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