No matter how much time I have set aside in a day to do different chores, it seems there is never enough!
Time management is one thing anyone that wants to be self-sufficient has to learn.
Using time wisely is as important as having the skills to garden or deal with livestock!
If you get bogged down trying to reach *perfection* standards doing one chore, more than likely you won't have enough time to even begin the next!
If you are a homemaker (wife, mother) on top of homesteading or run a business out of your home on top of homesteading, it complicates matters even more!
Sometimes, things just *crop up* when you least expect them (or when you downright didn't expect them) and throws your entire day off kilter!
I TRY to have a bit of a schedule to my day. It doesn't always work!
My day always starts with my getting up,getting the goats out of their pen and into the big side yard (the *outer pasture*), giving them a bit of grain and a flake of alfalfa hay.
Then I fix breakfast for the fella and get him off to work.
Then, I feed the chickens.
Then I get the kids up, fed and off to school.
After that, what I do is varied.
I have already cleaned the chicken coop and put down fresh straw for them while they scratch away in the goat pen. I intended to come in and vacuum, but got side tracked when I noticed that Someone (name with-held to protect the guilty!) had left tools out and about in the yard, so I stopped to pick them up, wipe the dust off of them and put them back where they belonged. While doing that, I noticed that the compost heap needed to be watered a bit, and while I was at it, watered the plum, fig and pecan trees as well.
I need to rake out the big goat pen later today, but that will wait. I intend to let the chickens scratch around in there for a bit while their roost and nest boxes dry thoroughly. I blast it clean with the hose about once every two weeks. Chickens can get mites and lice, so I keep the coop as clean as I can and dust the hens with DE and also let them out in the yard to take sand baths. A healthy hen is a happy hen and happy hens lay more eggs!
Back to time management....
With livestock, time management seems to be a laughable concept. That goat or cow may decide to give birth just as you are putting in new fencing. That sheep may get sick and require your undivided attention just when you have the time to weed the kitchen garden.
You cannot tell yourself to "have a schedule and stick to it!" It just doesn't work that way.
You have to be able to adapt to everything thrown at you while it's being thrown at you.
Kind of like juggling!
But still, you have to get certain things done at certain times.
The key is to schedule time sensitive chores and then work around them as best you can.
I tried milking the goats in the morning, but with the general daily chaos of feeding animals, the fella and the kids and getting everyone off to school and work, morning milking was an impossibility. The few times I accomplished it, I was exhausted by 8 am.!
We only milk once a day, so I milk in the afternoons now. The kids get off the bus, sling their school stuff in their rooms and then help. The goats get a much desired snack of sweet feed while they are being milked, the kids get good experience and I don't feel like I have been run over by a freight train!
I schedule certain chores for certain days of the week. I try to not pile too much up on any particular day. That way I can do a chore in *little bites* so I am not overwhelmed if something unexpected occurs.
If I get everything done for a day, then I can throw myself into a new project or the next days chores and get a bit ahead of the game.
My scheduling may not work for anyone else, but it does work for me!
(For the curious, I started this post at 8:53 am and am finishing it at 10:20 am. I had to start laundry, hang up laundry, break the dogs up from a fight they were having, start a load of dishes in the dishwasher, and clean the refrigerator.)
How do you manage YOUR time?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Planting By The *Signs*
My seeds are sprouting like crazy and as soon as the new moon hits, I'll be ready to plant.
A word about planting by the moon and all that..
Some folks laugh at me for planting by the moon. They can go ahead and laugh. It works!
Man has planted by the moon since agriculture reared it's head. Many (primitive) cultures still do it and smart gardeners do it.
When our ancestors used the moon as a guide for agriculture, they did so to ensure the highest yields and the healthiest plants. It wasn't some *new-agey* thing they were doing to be trendy!
You can check a Farmers Almanac :
http://www.farmersalmanac.com/calendar/gardening/
to find the best days for planting, cultivating, etc.
Some books that are good to keep in the Homestead Library on the same subject are:
Moon Times (I have this one...good stuff! It is a bit dated, however and the moon sign charts in the back are out of date)
Raising With the Moon (Next on my *to buy* list!)
You and the Man in the Moon (which explains how to use an almanac to your greatest advantage)
Guided By the Moon (their lunar calendar runs out in 2010, but this is still a good book!)
My Irish grandmother gardened, harvested, preserved food, butchered, etc by the *signs*. She did this to make sure her family would have a full pantry and larder. She also made her soap and did other things around the farm under the correct *signs*. This was not considered *trendy* or foolish, ALL the farm wives (and farmers) paid close attention to the timing of their work so as to achieve maximum benefits for their efforts.
If you know any older farmers, see when they plant and then check the almanac. Or try an experiment...plant seeds or transplant seedlings on various days. Note which plants were planted on the correct (optimum) days and which ones were planted on the worst days. Treat the plants the same.
Now see which plants produce the most!
If you do that little experiment, you will soon be convinced of the time-tested tradition of planting by the *signs*!
My Irish grandmother gardened, harvested, preserved food, butchered, etc by the *signs*. She did this to make sure her family would have a full pantry and larder. She also made her soap and did other things around the farm under the correct *signs*. This was not considered *trendy* or foolish, ALL the farm wives (and farmers) paid close attention to the timing of their work so as to achieve maximum benefits for their efforts.
If you know any older farmers, see when they plant and then check the almanac. Or try an experiment...plant seeds or transplant seedlings on various days. Note which plants were planted on the correct (optimum) days and which ones were planted on the worst days. Treat the plants the same.
Now see which plants produce the most!
If you do that little experiment, you will soon be convinced of the time-tested tradition of planting by the *signs*!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Good News...
I recently got the good news that one of my sons had proposed to a lovely young lady and they were planning a wedding.
A month later, the news changed to:
"You're gonna be a Grandma!"
The marriage will take place sooner than planned (in June instead of October), as the new little one is due in November. (Kinda hoping it will be a wee bit earlier and be born on my birthday, Oct. 28th!)
Names are already being debated, lol!
I am finishing up a baby quilt to send.
So congratulations to my son and his bride to be!
Now this Grandma is gonna go bake some bread while listening to some old Depeche Mode!
A month later, the news changed to:
"You're gonna be a Grandma!"
The marriage will take place sooner than planned (in June instead of October), as the new little one is due in November. (Kinda hoping it will be a wee bit earlier and be born on my birthday, Oct. 28th!)
Names are already being debated, lol!
I am finishing up a baby quilt to send.
So congratulations to my son and his bride to be!
Now this Grandma is gonna go bake some bread while listening to some old Depeche Mode!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Beans, Beans and More Beans!
I like beans.
I have a lot of beans in my food storage.
Right now, "a lot" equals about 150 pounds of pinto beans, 50 pounds of Navy beans and 20 pounds of Peruvian beans (they are these nice beige beans that cook up very creamy).
I had chickpeas (garbanzo) and black (turtle) beans, but we ate those all up!
I also want dried kidney beans for our LTS.
Ideally, I'd like to have stored 500 pounds of rice, 500 pounds of various beans and 500 pounds of wheat for our food storage.Almost there on the rice!
I am going to be growing beans this year, but I suspect we'll eat them as fast as we harvest them!
Still trying to find nooks and crannies in the yard to tuck in a few extra plants here and there.
While planning my planting, I have a few things I have to take into consideration, space-wise...
Part of the land was sold, so the fence will be moved, thus cutting my growing area.
We have goats that would adore gobbling up any tender seedlings or unharvested veggies. So, fencing to protect my garden areas will be a priority.
I think I have it pretty well planned out, schematic-wise, for the garden.
At least, it looks good on graph paper!
(It always does, doesn't it....until reality raises it's ugly head?!?)
So, trying to find space to grow various beans...hopefully, I will find enough!
*****************************************
Today is the Girls Birthday! Well, it is actually tomorrow, but we are celebrating it today.
She requested chocolate cake, chocolate icing and chocolate ice cream. A girl after my own heart!
For dinner she wanted me to make a stir-fry and I am thawing out the beef for that.
I got her a movie I know she likes and her dad got her the means to play it (dvd player). Pssst...it's a secret! Don't tell her!
I have a lot of beans in my food storage.
Right now, "a lot" equals about 150 pounds of pinto beans, 50 pounds of Navy beans and 20 pounds of Peruvian beans (they are these nice beige beans that cook up very creamy).
I had chickpeas (garbanzo) and black (turtle) beans, but we ate those all up!
I also want dried kidney beans for our LTS.
Ideally, I'd like to have stored 500 pounds of rice, 500 pounds of various beans and 500 pounds of wheat for our food storage.Almost there on the rice!
I am going to be growing beans this year, but I suspect we'll eat them as fast as we harvest them!
Still trying to find nooks and crannies in the yard to tuck in a few extra plants here and there.
While planning my planting, I have a few things I have to take into consideration, space-wise...
Part of the land was sold, so the fence will be moved, thus cutting my growing area.
We have goats that would adore gobbling up any tender seedlings or unharvested veggies. So, fencing to protect my garden areas will be a priority.
I think I have it pretty well planned out, schematic-wise, for the garden.
At least, it looks good on graph paper!
(It always does, doesn't it....until reality raises it's ugly head?!?)
So, trying to find space to grow various beans...hopefully, I will find enough!
*****************************************
Today is the Girls Birthday! Well, it is actually tomorrow, but we are celebrating it today.
She requested chocolate cake, chocolate icing and chocolate ice cream. A girl after my own heart!
For dinner she wanted me to make a stir-fry and I am thawing out the beef for that.
I got her a movie I know she likes and her dad got her the means to play it (dvd player). Pssst...it's a secret! Don't tell her!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Various Questions to Ponder
Okay, somebody answer this...
I got up the other day at 0530. Tended to the goats and chickens, made breakfast for the fella, got the kids up and off to school (fixed them breakfast, too) did 4 loads of laundry and hung them on the line , made the bed, started bread dough, swept and mopped the kitchen, swept and mopped the master bath, cleaned the master bath, punched down the bread dough, went out and gathered eggs, filled the water for the chickens, cleaned out the small goat pen and cleaned out and refilled their water, started some more seeds, thawed out meat for dinner, baked bread, brought in laundry off line, vacuumed living room and den, brought in goats to pen and fed them, fed chickens, folded laundry, greeted the kids when they got home from school, started dinner, greeted the fella when he got home from work and finished fixing dinner.(Average day here)
The fella goes to the bathroom for a bit after dinner, comes out, gives me a smile and says "I put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, didn't know if you would notice.You're welcome!"
My question....uhmmmm... yeah...why did I not go in a corner and bang my head against the wall?
*********************************
My unanswered Question of the Universe:
If you step on a dogs tail---even the tiniest bit, the dog freaks out and wails as if it were mortally wounded...you end up apologizing and comforting said canine with pet-pets and doggie treats. YET, the same dog will stand there and wag it's tail, slamming it against the door jamb or coffee table so hard the house shakes--- with apparently no distress whatsoever.
What is up with THAT!??!?
*********************************
I currently have "seedling envy" as I see other folks post pics of huge, hale and hearty seedlings ready to go in their gardens. My seedlings are respectable, but some of the pics I see look like the other folks seedlings are Godzillas and my seedlings look like anemic representations of a seedling in comparison! I coddle them. I give them manure tea (not too much). I KNOW my seedlings are fine....but it's like watching the other kids in school becoming Olympic athletes while your own child is the last kid picked for the kickball team.
Well, my seedlings may not look like superstars right now, but they will suit me just fine come harvest time!
How about you? You ever get *seedling envy*?
*********************************
I have three different varieties of Tomato Seedlings growing.
Ananas Noire Tomatoes (Look how girly-pretty they are! SQUEEEEEEEE!)
And Black Cherry Tomatoes
I am s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o tempted to start another 6 or 7 varieties...but I just don't think I have the room!
Going to maybe buy one or two seedlings of a different variety at the farm store (yes, they get heirloom type seedlings) and maybe grow it in a decorative container.
I love tomatoes so much. I tasted one a friend grew last year that had a definite pineapple flavor. Have tasted others that were lemon-y.
I do hope mine do well this year.
What varieties are you growing this year? How many varieties? Do you have a favorite?
***********************************
Someone recently asked me "If you could only have TWO kind of animals on a farm, which two would you have?
For me, it would be cows and chickens. More bang for your buck, so to speak.
Besides, I LIKE cows and chickens!
Then they asked...if you could only have ONE animal on a farm.
My weird answer---a good hunting dog!
If I can't raise livestock, I better have a good dog so I can hunt for meat on the table!
How about you?
I got up the other day at 0530. Tended to the goats and chickens, made breakfast for the fella, got the kids up and off to school (fixed them breakfast, too) did 4 loads of laundry and hung them on the line , made the bed, started bread dough, swept and mopped the kitchen, swept and mopped the master bath, cleaned the master bath, punched down the bread dough, went out and gathered eggs, filled the water for the chickens, cleaned out the small goat pen and cleaned out and refilled their water, started some more seeds, thawed out meat for dinner, baked bread, brought in laundry off line, vacuumed living room and den, brought in goats to pen and fed them, fed chickens, folded laundry, greeted the kids when they got home from school, started dinner, greeted the fella when he got home from work and finished fixing dinner.(Average day here)
The fella goes to the bathroom for a bit after dinner, comes out, gives me a smile and says "I put a new roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, didn't know if you would notice.You're welcome!"
My question....uhmmmm... yeah...why did I not go in a corner and bang my head against the wall?
*********************************
My unanswered Question of the Universe:
If you step on a dogs tail---even the tiniest bit, the dog freaks out and wails as if it were mortally wounded...you end up apologizing and comforting said canine with pet-pets and doggie treats. YET, the same dog will stand there and wag it's tail, slamming it against the door jamb or coffee table so hard the house shakes--- with apparently no distress whatsoever.
What is up with THAT!??!?
*********************************
I currently have "seedling envy" as I see other folks post pics of huge, hale and hearty seedlings ready to go in their gardens. My seedlings are respectable, but some of the pics I see look like the other folks seedlings are Godzillas and my seedlings look like anemic representations of a seedling in comparison! I coddle them. I give them manure tea (not too much). I KNOW my seedlings are fine....but it's like watching the other kids in school becoming Olympic athletes while your own child is the last kid picked for the kickball team.
Well, my seedlings may not look like superstars right now, but they will suit me just fine come harvest time!
How about you? You ever get *seedling envy*?
*********************************
I have three different varieties of Tomato Seedlings growing.
Ananas Noire Tomatoes (Look how girly-pretty they are! SQUEEEEEEEE!)
And Black Cherry Tomatoes
I am s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o tempted to start another 6 or 7 varieties...but I just don't think I have the room!
Going to maybe buy one or two seedlings of a different variety at the farm store (yes, they get heirloom type seedlings) and maybe grow it in a decorative container.
I love tomatoes so much. I tasted one a friend grew last year that had a definite pineapple flavor. Have tasted others that were lemon-y.
I do hope mine do well this year.
What varieties are you growing this year? How many varieties? Do you have a favorite?
***********************************
Someone recently asked me "If you could only have TWO kind of animals on a farm, which two would you have?
For me, it would be cows and chickens. More bang for your buck, so to speak.
Besides, I LIKE cows and chickens!
Then they asked...if you could only have ONE animal on a farm.
My weird answer---a good hunting dog!
If I can't raise livestock, I better have a good dog so I can hunt for meat on the table!
How about you?
Thursday, March 24, 2011
And This Morning, Peace and Quiet...WTH!??!?
So I woke up this morning at 6am with the alarm going off. I slap the snooze button and lay there listening.
No Gabby bellowing!
A faint clang noise, but no Gabby noise.
The fella said "What's that sound?"
"It's SILENCE" I replied, "Enjoy it!"
"No, that clanging sound, it's annoying"
...sigh...
I roll over and peer out the bedroom window. Wang the billy goat, is gently scratching his head on the fence.
Gabby and the other goats, their legs tucked under them, all seem to be still asleep.
They are ASLEEP! At 0600!!!
It is still pretty dark out.
And then my neighbor flips on his porch light.
Gabby jumps to her feet and begins her plaintive wailing.
I got the goats out to pasture and fed in record time and was outside feeding the chickens when my neighbor came out of his house to feed his dogs.
"Hey Frank, how's it going?"
"Pretty good...didn't hear your goats this morning. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, they are fine. Hey Frank, what time do you usually turn on your porch light?"
"Oh, around 5 am or so. Lupe' (his wife) leaves before I do, heck, she gets up before I do, so she turns it on as she leaves."
My AH-HA! moment arrived.
I went around to where the goats were contentedly munching away on their alfalfa and saw that I had neglected to turn on our front porch light.
Went in the house and flipped it on.
Gabby began her wailing.
Turned off the porch light.
Gabby soon quieted down.
Then my other neighbors towards the front of the property turned on their porch light.
Gabby started up again. And continued until the sun came up.She calmed a little then, though cars going past with their lights on would start her up again.
I remembered that Gabby was unusually quiet last night...then I remembered that one of my neighbors had been visiting friends overnight and she usually keeps her yard light on all night, but since she was not there to turn it on...
Yeah.
Gabby apparently doesn't like it when people turn on lights.
Now that I know the issue, I can come up with a solution.
I think we will move the goat pen to a different corner of the property. We have one section that really isn't within sight of the neighbors.
I don't know why the lights bother Gabby. It just seems that they do.
ALL the goats get noisy when the Army helicopters are flying over (we are kinda under their flight path), but then again, all the neighborhood animals go nuts during the flyovers.
Ditto when they are practicing with the *big guns* over at the range. I can be startled when they start up with those, but after the first 5 or 10 minutes, you tend to filter it out.
It just never occurred to me that flipping on the porch light would freak out the darn goat!
No Gabby bellowing!
A faint clang noise, but no Gabby noise.
The fella said "What's that sound?"
"It's SILENCE" I replied, "Enjoy it!"
"No, that clanging sound, it's annoying"
...sigh...
I roll over and peer out the bedroom window. Wang the billy goat, is gently scratching his head on the fence.
Gabby and the other goats, their legs tucked under them, all seem to be still asleep.
They are ASLEEP! At 0600!!!
It is still pretty dark out.
And then my neighbor flips on his porch light.
Gabby jumps to her feet and begins her plaintive wailing.
I got the goats out to pasture and fed in record time and was outside feeding the chickens when my neighbor came out of his house to feed his dogs.
"Hey Frank, how's it going?"
"Pretty good...didn't hear your goats this morning. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, they are fine. Hey Frank, what time do you usually turn on your porch light?"
"Oh, around 5 am or so. Lupe' (his wife) leaves before I do, heck, she gets up before I do, so she turns it on as she leaves."
My AH-HA! moment arrived.
I went around to where the goats were contentedly munching away on their alfalfa and saw that I had neglected to turn on our front porch light.
Went in the house and flipped it on.
Gabby began her wailing.
Gabby soon quieted down.
Then my other neighbors towards the front of the property turned on their porch light.
Gabby started up again. And continued until the sun came up.She calmed a little then, though cars going past with their lights on would start her up again.
I remembered that Gabby was unusually quiet last night...then I remembered that one of my neighbors had been visiting friends overnight and she usually keeps her yard light on all night, but since she was not there to turn it on...
Yeah.
Gabby apparently doesn't like it when people turn on lights.
Now that I know the issue, I can come up with a solution.
I think we will move the goat pen to a different corner of the property. We have one section that really isn't within sight of the neighbors.
I don't know why the lights bother Gabby. It just seems that they do.
ALL the goats get noisy when the Army helicopters are flying over (we are kinda under their flight path), but then again, all the neighborhood animals go nuts during the flyovers.
Ditto when they are practicing with the *big guns* over at the range. I can be startled when they start up with those, but after the first 5 or 10 minutes, you tend to filter it out.
It just never occurred to me that flipping on the porch light would freak out the darn goat!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Goat Problems...
If you have goats and can helpme with this issue, please reply in the comments!
We have goats.
The majority of them are fairly even tempered adorable animals.
And then there's Gabby...
Remember Gabby?
Gabrielle was the first goat to give birth here at Frippery Farm (our informal name for this little place).
Gabby never, but NEVER shuts up. And she is LOUD!!!
The rest of the goats will be peacefully sleeping at 5 am or 5:30 am and Gabby will decide it is time for them--and us---and the whole neighborhood--to wake up RIGHT FREAKIN' NOW!!!
I swear she talks in her sleep, even.
She wakes up the rooster and chickens. She wakes up the dogs next door. She wakes up the other goats.
She wakes up us and the neighbors, too. Most don't complain, although Frank (our neighbor with the dogs) has offered us several great goat BBQ recipes.(A hint maybe?)
There is absolutely nothing physically wrong with her. Had her checked by the vet. Perfectly healthy he said.
Gabby is just, well, GABBY!
Tried giving her a little extra grain and hay...nope...she bellowed with her mouth full...although that muffled it a touch. Tried separating her from the other goats, she bellowed louder (something I thought was not possible).
I brush her, I milk her, I talk to her in soothing tones.
Nothing has worked.
Is she simply a whiner and complainer of the goat world?
A diva that thinks she is not getting her due?
I don't know.
I like my goats...but Gabby is making it very hard to like her.
Any suggestions? Has anyone else out there had a goat that simply won't shut the heck up?
We have goats.
The majority of them are fairly even tempered adorable animals.
And then there's Gabby...
Remember Gabby?
Gabrielle was the first goat to give birth here at Frippery Farm (our informal name for this little place).
Gabby never, but NEVER shuts up. And she is LOUD!!!
The rest of the goats will be peacefully sleeping at 5 am or 5:30 am and Gabby will decide it is time for them--and us---and the whole neighborhood--to wake up RIGHT FREAKIN' NOW!!!
I swear she talks in her sleep, even.
She wakes up the rooster and chickens. She wakes up the dogs next door. She wakes up the other goats.
She wakes up us and the neighbors, too. Most don't complain, although Frank (our neighbor with the dogs) has offered us several great goat BBQ recipes.(A hint maybe?)
There is absolutely nothing physically wrong with her. Had her checked by the vet. Perfectly healthy he said.
Gabby is just, well, GABBY!
Tried giving her a little extra grain and hay...nope...she bellowed with her mouth full...although that muffled it a touch. Tried separating her from the other goats, she bellowed louder (something I thought was not possible).
I brush her, I milk her, I talk to her in soothing tones.
Nothing has worked.
Is she simply a whiner and complainer of the goat world?
A diva that thinks she is not getting her due?
I don't know.
I like my goats...but Gabby is making it very hard to like her.
Any suggestions? Has anyone else out there had a goat that simply won't shut the heck up?
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sometimes You Get More Than You Ask For...
So, I had explained my raised bed garden plans to the Darlin' Man and explained to him that we either needed more cinder-block/stone or lumber of some sort to construct them. I figured we would budget out the funds in April and see what we could find in the way of scrap lumber on Craigslist as well.
Well. Sometimes things happen...
My Darlin' Man is in the military.
His unit is getting ready to deploy again to Iraq, so they have been getting lots of equipment, etc. Lots of equipment, etc. means lots of pallets and shipping crates.
Friday afternoon his C.O. told him to "get rid of all that stuff now". The fella said "Sure, when the dump opens back up on Monday". C.O. said "I need it gone NOW". Fella: "I can get rid of it, sir, IF I can take it off base" C.O "Where are you taking it?" Fella, "I believe in recycling, I'll take it to MY house". C.O. "Grab some warm bodies , a few trucks, load it up and be gone. I don't want to see a scrap of this sh*t here on Monday."
Apparently his C.O. told another unit's C.O. about this clever plan to clean up all the scrap lumber in time for an inspection Monday morning...so they added a couple truckloads as well...
These were NOT pick up truck loads, mind you. These were trucks that were a little larger than the average dump truck but a little smaller than a semi with a trailer.
A platoon of guys came along to unload.
So...until around 10-11 pm Friday night I had a line of trucks showing up with nice men in uniform, unloading their contents onto a corner of the property. As we have walls around much of our property, our befuddled neighbors could see the trucks arriving, but could not see what was being unloaded.
Needless to say, a few neighbors asked questions on Saturday!
Many of the crates are already PERFECT for raised bed gardens!
All I need to do is drill some holes in the bottoms for drainage, fill with soil and plant!
I have WAY more than I need, so a couple of my neighbors are getting ready-made raised bed gardens as well!
The pallets will be put to good use as well. I am starting a new compost heap in the front yard and will use pallets for the sides along with a bit of left over fencing. A neighbor is getting a few to build a small chicken coop for the hens she is getting.
Just think...if we weren't recycling all this lumber, it would be taken to the military dump and burned! What a waste that would have been!
A nice thing about the lumber is everything is labeled...the labels not only tell us what the crates contained, but also what (potentially) hazardous chemicals/materials may have been in them, whether or not the lumber itself was treated and with what. Information you normally don't get with scrap lumber and is important to know if you are going to be using the lumber in a garden bed!
So, first seedlings are sprouting nicely...raised beds are darn near ready...the first of April we get our garden soil delivered...I am S-O-O-O-O-O ready to get this garden going!
This week I will start my *second wave* of seedlings. I stagger plantings all season long for maximum productivity. That way I don't end up with a gazillion heads of Bibb lettuce all ready at once, or a ton of tomatoes all ready for canning at once.
Since I live in the American Southwest, I have the luxury of having an extremely long growing season, so staggering my plantings just makes sense!
Well. Sometimes things happen...
My Darlin' Man is in the military.
His unit is getting ready to deploy again to Iraq, so they have been getting lots of equipment, etc. Lots of equipment, etc. means lots of pallets and shipping crates.
Friday afternoon his C.O. told him to "get rid of all that stuff now". The fella said "Sure, when the dump opens back up on Monday". C.O. said "I need it gone NOW". Fella: "I can get rid of it, sir, IF I can take it off base" C.O "Where are you taking it?" Fella, "I believe in recycling, I'll take it to MY house". C.O. "Grab some warm bodies , a few trucks, load it up and be gone. I don't want to see a scrap of this sh*t here on Monday."
Apparently his C.O. told another unit's C.O. about this clever plan to clean up all the scrap lumber in time for an inspection Monday morning...so they added a couple truckloads as well...
These were NOT pick up truck loads, mind you. These were trucks that were a little larger than the average dump truck but a little smaller than a semi with a trailer.
A platoon of guys came along to unload.
So...until around 10-11 pm Friday night I had a line of trucks showing up with nice men in uniform, unloading their contents onto a corner of the property. As we have walls around much of our property, our befuddled neighbors could see the trucks arriving, but could not see what was being unloaded.
Needless to say, a few neighbors asked questions on Saturday!
Many of the crates are already PERFECT for raised bed gardens!
All I need to do is drill some holes in the bottoms for drainage, fill with soil and plant!
I have WAY more than I need, so a couple of my neighbors are getting ready-made raised bed gardens as well!
The pallets will be put to good use as well. I am starting a new compost heap in the front yard and will use pallets for the sides along with a bit of left over fencing. A neighbor is getting a few to build a small chicken coop for the hens she is getting.
Just think...if we weren't recycling all this lumber, it would be taken to the military dump and burned! What a waste that would have been!
A nice thing about the lumber is everything is labeled...the labels not only tell us what the crates contained, but also what (potentially) hazardous chemicals/materials may have been in them, whether or not the lumber itself was treated and with what. Information you normally don't get with scrap lumber and is important to know if you are going to be using the lumber in a garden bed!
So, first seedlings are sprouting nicely...raised beds are darn near ready...the first of April we get our garden soil delivered...I am S-O-O-O-O-O ready to get this garden going!
This week I will start my *second wave* of seedlings. I stagger plantings all season long for maximum productivity. That way I don't end up with a gazillion heads of Bibb lettuce all ready at once, or a ton of tomatoes all ready for canning at once.
Since I live in the American Southwest, I have the luxury of having an extremely long growing season, so staggering my plantings just makes sense!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Japan's Earthquake and other things
I have been consumed with the news from Japan and trying to keep abreast of the news from there.
Here are a couple of blogs from folks in Japan:
An Austrailian living in Japan
An LDS (Mormon) lady living in Japan
The interesting thing about the LDS lady...she mentions in her blog that *locals* (i.e., Japanese citizens) are NOT allowed to have food storage as that is considered *hoarding* and is illegal. However, since her husband is in the military and she and the kids are dependents and not Japanese citizens, they ARE allowed to have food storage.
Imagine being told by your government that you could NOT have more than two weeks food storage in your home. A disaster strikes. How do you feed yourself and your family? How horrible a thought is that!?
*******************************************
Today our newest goat baby was a week old. To mark the occasion, we gave Mama Goat Patches a bath. She was a bit smelly. After she had her baby, she was so anxious about taking care of him that she didn't do much to clean herself up. So, we put her in the stock on the milking stand, got a bucket of warm soapy water and some wash cloths and washed her down thoroughly. She was rather annoyed and upset until I got the Girl to hold the goat baby directly in front of Patches. We rinsed her down with warm water and dried her off and after getting her baby back and a little bit of grain, she happily settled down in her pen for the night.
Tomorrow we start milking her. Not a lot at first. I plan on getting her used to it gradually so as not to *sour* her on the experience. Gabby is still milking well enough for our needs, but with extra milk, I could start some cheese-making and yogurt making...
*******************************************
My seeds have started coming up and I am so pleased with that! We are planning on getting some good garden dirt the first of April and I have figured out where our raised bed gardens will go. All I need is for my seedlings to grow, grow, GROW!
Here are a couple of blogs from folks in Japan:
An Austrailian living in Japan
An LDS (Mormon) lady living in Japan
The interesting thing about the LDS lady...she mentions in her blog that *locals* (i.e., Japanese citizens) are NOT allowed to have food storage as that is considered *hoarding* and is illegal. However, since her husband is in the military and she and the kids are dependents and not Japanese citizens, they ARE allowed to have food storage.
Imagine being told by your government that you could NOT have more than two weeks food storage in your home. A disaster strikes. How do you feed yourself and your family? How horrible a thought is that!?
*******************************************
Today our newest goat baby was a week old. To mark the occasion, we gave Mama Goat Patches a bath. She was a bit smelly. After she had her baby, she was so anxious about taking care of him that she didn't do much to clean herself up. So, we put her in the stock on the milking stand, got a bucket of warm soapy water and some wash cloths and washed her down thoroughly. She was rather annoyed and upset until I got the Girl to hold the goat baby directly in front of Patches. We rinsed her down with warm water and dried her off and after getting her baby back and a little bit of grain, she happily settled down in her pen for the night.
Tomorrow we start milking her. Not a lot at first. I plan on getting her used to it gradually so as not to *sour* her on the experience. Gabby is still milking well enough for our needs, but with extra milk, I could start some cheese-making and yogurt making...
*******************************************
My seeds have started coming up and I am so pleased with that! We are planning on getting some good garden dirt the first of April and I have figured out where our raised bed gardens will go. All I need is for my seedlings to grow, grow, GROW!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
No Pics Yet
I am fighting with the stupid phone...I took some pics with it of Patches and her new baby, but can't get them to load on my computer! I will keep trying!
Update on Patches...
She only had the one kid, but he is cute as the dickens! Mostly white with a bit of pale brown near his feet and on his head. VERY tiny! I think that is because Patches is rather a small goat and this was her first kid.
I transferred Patches and her new baby into the smaller goat pen and put the rest of them into the larger goat pen. Geordi (Gabrielle's kid) kept wanting to play with the new baby and he was rough, despite the splint on his leg! Besides, I think the new mama and baby need some *alone time* to bond and give the little guy a good start.
Patches is being a very good mama. She bathes the little guy constantly and hovers over him as he sleeps. I was putting feed in her pen and getting her fresh water today and my dog, Siona, decided to check out the new baby. Let me say first that Siona LOVES baby animals of any species. Even though she never had a litter of her own (had her spayed when she was around a year old), she seems to have this intense maternal instinct for all things *baby*.
Well, Siona came in the pen and made a bee-line for the new baby goat. Mama Patches attention was temporarily distracted by the sweet feed I was putting in her trough. Siona immediately started snuggling the new baby and giving it a bath. The little guy didn't seem to mind, but Patches turned around and WHOOOO-BOY! I swear, that goat got a look of horror and shock on her face! She bleated loudly and charged straight at Siona---who wisely made a hasty bee-line for the pen gate and the back porch!
Patches sniffed her baby to make sure all was well, smelled *dog* on him and immediately began giving the poor little fella a thorough bath as only a mama goat can give.
I finished up the feeding, came back to the house and was greeted by the sight of a very forlorn Siona on the back porch. I took her inside and gave her a treat and pulled out a toy for her. I keep some toys hidden away for occasions such as this for my dog---yeah, she's spoiled! It was a stuffed baby doll I got at a yard sale. Siona ate her snack and took the baby doll over to her dog bed, gave it a nice bath and snuggled down with it for a nap.Poor Siona. She would have been a good mama dog, but since she was not pure-bred and it is better for a dogs health to have them spayed, she never got the chance. One day we'll get a new puppy, though, and I expect she'll *mother* the dickens out of it!
Update on Patches...
She only had the one kid, but he is cute as the dickens! Mostly white with a bit of pale brown near his feet and on his head. VERY tiny! I think that is because Patches is rather a small goat and this was her first kid.
I transferred Patches and her new baby into the smaller goat pen and put the rest of them into the larger goat pen. Geordi (Gabrielle's kid) kept wanting to play with the new baby and he was rough, despite the splint on his leg! Besides, I think the new mama and baby need some *alone time* to bond and give the little guy a good start.
Patches is being a very good mama. She bathes the little guy constantly and hovers over him as he sleeps. I was putting feed in her pen and getting her fresh water today and my dog, Siona, decided to check out the new baby. Let me say first that Siona LOVES baby animals of any species. Even though she never had a litter of her own (had her spayed when she was around a year old), she seems to have this intense maternal instinct for all things *baby*.
Well, Siona came in the pen and made a bee-line for the new baby goat. Mama Patches attention was temporarily distracted by the sweet feed I was putting in her trough. Siona immediately started snuggling the new baby and giving it a bath. The little guy didn't seem to mind, but Patches turned around and WHOOOO-BOY! I swear, that goat got a look of horror and shock on her face! She bleated loudly and charged straight at Siona---who wisely made a hasty bee-line for the pen gate and the back porch!
Patches sniffed her baby to make sure all was well, smelled *dog* on him and immediately began giving the poor little fella a thorough bath as only a mama goat can give.
I finished up the feeding, came back to the house and was greeted by the sight of a very forlorn Siona on the back porch. I took her inside and gave her a treat and pulled out a toy for her. I keep some toys hidden away for occasions such as this for my dog---yeah, she's spoiled! It was a stuffed baby doll I got at a yard sale. Siona ate her snack and took the baby doll over to her dog bed, gave it a nice bath and snuggled down with it for a nap.Poor Siona. She would have been a good mama dog, but since she was not pure-bred and it is better for a dogs health to have them spayed, she never got the chance. One day we'll get a new puppy, though, and I expect she'll *mother* the dickens out of it!
Friday, March 11, 2011
UPDATE!!!
I had just finished the last post and was about to wander to the shower when I decided to check on the goats.
PATCHES THE GOAT HAD HER BABY!!!
It's a boy and Mother and Kid are doing fine...although I suspect she is going to pop out a twin as she is still pawing the ground and straining. Maybe that's just for the afterbirth, but I think she is straining a wee bit too hard for it just to be afterbirth!
Will let y'all know what happens...and have pics later today!
PATCHES THE GOAT HAD HER BABY!!!
It's a boy and Mother and Kid are doing fine...although I suspect she is going to pop out a twin as she is still pawing the ground and straining. Maybe that's just for the afterbirth, but I think she is straining a wee bit too hard for it just to be afterbirth!
Will let y'all know what happens...and have pics later today!
Beauty Friday!
Yes, today is *beauty* day.(Male readers, please sit over in the corner, I put the t.v. on ESPN so you won't perish from estrogen overload!)
Yes, I muck out goat pens and chicken coops. I can be found elbow deep in dirt during the garden season.
But, I am a girl, female, woman, gal, however you want to term it.
I like feeling pretty. I like being *girly* at times.
So, today, I do my *beauty* treatment. I can't afford to go to a spa, I can't afford to buy loads of cosmetics and treatments at the local drugstore.
So, I make my own.
First, my hair..
I have long, curly, easily tangled hair. I also live in a climate that will suck the moisture and life out of your hair fast. So, my first priority is my hair.
I give myself a hot oil treatment to get some life and moisture back into my hair. First, moisture. I get my hair soaking wet with warm water before I do anything else. Next I massage in warmed oil. My first choice is coconut oil, second choice is olive oil. Since my hair is long and very dry, I use about a half cup of warmed oil and work it in all the way to the ends. Then I wrap my hair up in plastic wrap or a towel. I am currently out of plastic wrap, so I opted for a towel today. I will let this set in my hair for about 2 hours and then I will mix an egg yolk with milk and massage that into my hair and leave the whole mess in for another hour until I wash it all out.
While my hair is getting it's treatment, I work on my skin. First I make sure my skin is clean, so I wash with Pear soap (it is gentle). Then I take an egg white (lightly beaten with a teaspoon of water) and spread that all over my face. I let that dry and then rinse it off with lukewarm water. Then I take a tablespoon of coconut or olive oil and massage that into my face and neck. I leave that in for about an hour or until I am ready for washing out my hair.
What's funny is while I am doing all of the above, I am going about my daily business here as well...hanging up laundry, feeding chickens, etc. The goats and chickens don't seem to mind, but my appearance freaks out the dogs a bit, lol!
OH! Almost forgot! My feet! I slather loads of coconut or olive oil on my feet, coat them with Vaseline and put on a pair of old socks.That stays on my feet until I take my shower to wash out my hair, etc.
I am fairly shiny and greasy by the time I hit the shower,lol!
A half hour before my shower, I strip down and apply coconut or olive oil all over.
When I take my shower, I use Pear soap and later, lather, lather! I lather up at least twice, rinsing well in-between lathering.
I use my favorite shampoo to wash my hair and then condition.
After I get out of the shower, I use a teeny bit of coconut oil on my elbows (why do elbows get dryer faster?) and use a nice body lotion all over.
Finally, I whirl some cucumber up in the blender and spread that on my face. Let it soak in for a half hour, then rinse off.
Yes, this all seems like a lot of trouble and time consuming, but I only do this once a month. It is a treat for ME.
When I am all done and dressed, I feel girly and pretty and ready to face anything.
I am not dousing myself with a lot of chemicals or artificial colors or fragrances. I use all natural and plant based materials.My expense is minimal. And I can continue on with my day here while I am doing most of it.
So, ladies...do you have a *beauty* day included in your schedules? What do you use?
(By the way, I have heard of the *no poo* method...using no shampoo on your hair...and no, I will not take that route. Tried it once and my hair looked gawdawful and tangled horrendously)
I know most of us are homesteaders and preppers, but we can still feel pretty and feminine without breaking the bank!
Yes, I muck out goat pens and chicken coops. I can be found elbow deep in dirt during the garden season.
But, I am a girl, female, woman, gal, however you want to term it.
I like feeling pretty. I like being *girly* at times.
So, today, I do my *beauty* treatment. I can't afford to go to a spa, I can't afford to buy loads of cosmetics and treatments at the local drugstore.
So, I make my own.
First, my hair..
I have long, curly, easily tangled hair. I also live in a climate that will suck the moisture and life out of your hair fast. So, my first priority is my hair.
I give myself a hot oil treatment to get some life and moisture back into my hair. First, moisture. I get my hair soaking wet with warm water before I do anything else. Next I massage in warmed oil. My first choice is coconut oil, second choice is olive oil. Since my hair is long and very dry, I use about a half cup of warmed oil and work it in all the way to the ends. Then I wrap my hair up in plastic wrap or a towel. I am currently out of plastic wrap, so I opted for a towel today. I will let this set in my hair for about 2 hours and then I will mix an egg yolk with milk and massage that into my hair and leave the whole mess in for another hour until I wash it all out.
While my hair is getting it's treatment, I work on my skin. First I make sure my skin is clean, so I wash with Pear soap (it is gentle). Then I take an egg white (lightly beaten with a teaspoon of water) and spread that all over my face. I let that dry and then rinse it off with lukewarm water. Then I take a tablespoon of coconut or olive oil and massage that into my face and neck. I leave that in for about an hour or until I am ready for washing out my hair.
What's funny is while I am doing all of the above, I am going about my daily business here as well...hanging up laundry, feeding chickens, etc. The goats and chickens don't seem to mind, but my appearance freaks out the dogs a bit, lol!
OH! Almost forgot! My feet! I slather loads of coconut or olive oil on my feet, coat them with Vaseline and put on a pair of old socks.That stays on my feet until I take my shower to wash out my hair, etc.
I am fairly shiny and greasy by the time I hit the shower,lol!
A half hour before my shower, I strip down and apply coconut or olive oil all over.
When I take my shower, I use Pear soap and later, lather, lather! I lather up at least twice, rinsing well in-between lathering.
I use my favorite shampoo to wash my hair and then condition.
After I get out of the shower, I use a teeny bit of coconut oil on my elbows (why do elbows get dryer faster?) and use a nice body lotion all over.
Finally, I whirl some cucumber up in the blender and spread that on my face. Let it soak in for a half hour, then rinse off.
Yes, this all seems like a lot of trouble and time consuming, but I only do this once a month. It is a treat for ME.
When I am all done and dressed, I feel girly and pretty and ready to face anything.
I am not dousing myself with a lot of chemicals or artificial colors or fragrances. I use all natural and plant based materials.My expense is minimal. And I can continue on with my day here while I am doing most of it.
So, ladies...do you have a *beauty* day included in your schedules? What do you use?
(By the way, I have heard of the *no poo* method...using no shampoo on your hair...and no, I will not take that route. Tried it once and my hair looked gawdawful and tangled horrendously)
I know most of us are homesteaders and preppers, but we can still feel pretty and feminine without breaking the bank!
Monday, March 7, 2011
My Plans and Other Impossible Dreams!
So, seeds are started. Getting ready to order good soil for the raised bed garden. Cinderblocks ready to set in place....
And then...
Our landlord comes over tonight to let us know he is moving the fence as he is selling one of the lots our house is on. It will reduce us from more or less an acre to more or less three quarters of an acre.
Le sigh...
So, I have spent the evening figuring out how to fit the garden beds into the front yard, how we can fence them off so the goats don't eat them, etc.
I can make it work...just appreciated that extra quarter acre!
I am so glad he told us before I started the actual construction of the beds or before I had pricey garden soil delivered and dumped there! Now, either of those would have been an absolute nightmare scenario!
So, I will have to scale back my garden a wee bit and refigure what goes where in the next few days.
******************************************
Geordi the goat still has the splint on his leg. I honestly do not think he will make it, due to the serious nature of the break. My only hope is that he is young enough that maybe his bones are still a wee bit *rubbery* and will heal well. I just don't see it happening, though. We can't butcher him out for meat as I would be too fearful of an infection in his system. He doesn't seem to be in pain and is hobbling about on three legs and nursing from his mama.
******************************************
The fella brought home two new chickens today. No names for them yet...I am thinking "Carmen" and "Miranda"...
I really think our chicken coop is at it's *carrying capacity* and told the fella so. He has promised not to bring home any more chickens. I am going to have to re-configure the roosting and nest box set up we currently have as it is.Another project that is necessary that I really don't have time for but I'll have to make the time for!
Thank goodness the Darlin' Man is now satisfied with the size of our little flock!
Whew!
Our hens have been laying plenty of eggs for us with some to spare!
******************************************
Another time consumer...I think since our backyard is getting *re-sized*, I will make it more *people friendly* rather than *critter friendly*.
Maybe put in a small fire-pit, fix up the patio a bit. Spring is looking us in the eye and summer will soon be here, so that means more time outdoors for all.We have a grill, but it is a small one and I like fire pits. Could also put in a water feature of some kind...? I know I want to get several humming bird feeders as we get those little airborne jewels flitting about in droves come summer! I love the humming birds!
******************************************
Well, that's the update from my little corner in the world!
Just goes to show, you never can tell what is being thrown your way when you make plans! They can change in an instant!
And then...
Our landlord comes over tonight to let us know he is moving the fence as he is selling one of the lots our house is on. It will reduce us from more or less an acre to more or less three quarters of an acre.
Le sigh...
So, I have spent the evening figuring out how to fit the garden beds into the front yard, how we can fence them off so the goats don't eat them, etc.
I can make it work...just appreciated that extra quarter acre!
I am so glad he told us before I started the actual construction of the beds or before I had pricey garden soil delivered and dumped there! Now, either of those would have been an absolute nightmare scenario!
So, I will have to scale back my garden a wee bit and refigure what goes where in the next few days.
******************************************
Geordi the goat still has the splint on his leg. I honestly do not think he will make it, due to the serious nature of the break. My only hope is that he is young enough that maybe his bones are still a wee bit *rubbery* and will heal well. I just don't see it happening, though. We can't butcher him out for meat as I would be too fearful of an infection in his system. He doesn't seem to be in pain and is hobbling about on three legs and nursing from his mama.
******************************************
The fella brought home two new chickens today. No names for them yet...I am thinking "Carmen" and "Miranda"...
I really think our chicken coop is at it's *carrying capacity* and told the fella so. He has promised not to bring home any more chickens. I am going to have to re-configure the roosting and nest box set up we currently have as it is.Another project that is necessary that I really don't have time for but I'll have to make the time for!
Thank goodness the Darlin' Man is now satisfied with the size of our little flock!
Whew!
Our hens have been laying plenty of eggs for us with some to spare!
******************************************
Another time consumer...I think since our backyard is getting *re-sized*, I will make it more *people friendly* rather than *critter friendly*.
Maybe put in a small fire-pit, fix up the patio a bit. Spring is looking us in the eye and summer will soon be here, so that means more time outdoors for all.We have a grill, but it is a small one and I like fire pits. Could also put in a water feature of some kind...? I know I want to get several humming bird feeders as we get those little airborne jewels flitting about in droves come summer! I love the humming birds!
******************************************
Well, that's the update from my little corner in the world!
Just goes to show, you never can tell what is being thrown your way when you make plans! They can change in an instant!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Goat Troubles...
So, Geordi, the goat kid born Dec. 12th is not doing very well this morning.
I separate him and Mama goat Gabrielle during the day so I can milk Gabby in the afternoon, then they can cuddles all night.
This morning I separated them as usual and Geordi decided to try to get to his mama by getting a running start and trying to fling himself over the goat pen fence. He had been escaping by scaling the gate, but we fixed that, so he chose the fence.
Unfortunately, he caught his rear leg in the fence and as I came around the side of the house to go feed the chickens he was dangling by that one leg. I ran over to get him dislodged, but it was obvious that his rear leg was badly broken. I got him down and put him back in the pen on a soft bed of hay.
Now, I have a decision to make.
I put a make shift splint on his little leg, but I doubt it will be effective due to the severity of the break. Calling a vet is really not justified. The expense would be well over what the little goat is worth. I could go ahead and slaughter him and butcher him out and have him neatly wrapped up in freezer packages by the time the fella gets home from work. However, a friend has said she wants to buy him and is constructing a goat pen on her property...but will she want a limping buck goat (best case scenario if the splint holds)? I could take a *wait and see* route and discuss it with the fella and the friend that wants to buy Geordi this evening. But, I am concerned that Geordi won't last until this evening if the shock and stress and pain are too much.
But if the kid is in shock and pain, what effect will that have on the meat, if I do butcher him out?
I am going to go check him again and see how he is doing...crossing my fingers and toes...
I separate him and Mama goat Gabrielle during the day so I can milk Gabby in the afternoon, then they can cuddles all night.
This morning I separated them as usual and Geordi decided to try to get to his mama by getting a running start and trying to fling himself over the goat pen fence. He had been escaping by scaling the gate, but we fixed that, so he chose the fence.
Unfortunately, he caught his rear leg in the fence and as I came around the side of the house to go feed the chickens he was dangling by that one leg. I ran over to get him dislodged, but it was obvious that his rear leg was badly broken. I got him down and put him back in the pen on a soft bed of hay.
Now, I have a decision to make.
I put a make shift splint on his little leg, but I doubt it will be effective due to the severity of the break. Calling a vet is really not justified. The expense would be well over what the little goat is worth. I could go ahead and slaughter him and butcher him out and have him neatly wrapped up in freezer packages by the time the fella gets home from work. However, a friend has said she wants to buy him and is constructing a goat pen on her property...but will she want a limping buck goat (best case scenario if the splint holds)? I could take a *wait and see* route and discuss it with the fella and the friend that wants to buy Geordi this evening. But, I am concerned that Geordi won't last until this evening if the shock and stress and pain are too much.
But if the kid is in shock and pain, what effect will that have on the meat, if I do butcher him out?
I am going to go check him again and see how he is doing...crossing my fingers and toes...
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
An Award!
She asked that I pass it on to 3 of my favorite blogs...
So *drum roll please*
here they are!
Ten Things Farm
My Journey To Self Sufficiency (the only place to go if you want to see a live streaming chick cam!)
The Never Done Farm
Now, I read a LOT of blogs, so don't be offended if I didn't pick yours! Those are the first three that came to mind...and I really do enjoy them each---for different reasons!
I love all the blogs I follow...I love the different view points, the different regions...the different family dynamics, etc.
I hope all of you have a great morning...and if I picked your blog...pick three you read and pass on the award!
Three Cheers for My Hyperactive Self!
I am a bit hyperactive. It doesn't affect me all the time, but occasionally it pokes it's little fuzzy head up out of my brain and wants to play.
Tonight is one of those nights.
I am not tired. Absolutely no desire to sleep.
So, besides this blog post, I am cleaning the kitchen, catching up on the ironing and will probably cut out 2 or 3 patterns so I can sew up a dress or two tomorrow.I am also watching/listening to a documentary at the same time.
I was hyperactive when I was small, but that was before Big Bad Pharma found out it could make money by convincing parents to drug their little darlings into a stupor. My parents solution was to give me a flashlight and a bunch of books to read.
The results were a life-long love of reading accompanied by a life-long fear of the dark!
I also tend to multi-task like crazy when going through a hyper phase.
While I am ironing and listening to a documentary, I have some sweet roll dough rising and also have started another load of laundry.
I go through these little bouts around once or twice a month. I normally sleep 6 to 7 hours a night, then I just have two or three nights in a row when 2 or 3 hours is sufficient.
I've adapted to it. I save up some particularly odious chore (like ironing) for a hyper stage, knowing it will all get done in one night.
It may seem weird to those 8 hour a night sleepers out there, or to those poor souls that suffer from insomnia and end up exhausted the next day, but this is my *normal*. I won't be exhausted tomorrow...I will be brimming with energy after a cat nap of an hour or two.
To all those other *hypers* out there, my best advice is:
Don't fight it, go with it. Your system (biological) doesn't have to work the way anyone elses does.
I have never considered my hyper-activity a handicap, I always considered it a bonus! Long after everyone else fades and crashes, I can keep going.
Sometimes I will go a week or two on 2 to 3 hours of sleep in each 24 hour period. Eventually, I have learned, my system says "Okay, that is enough of that!" and I head for bed and sleep soundly for 10 to 12 hours. Then I am back to *normal*. (Well, *normal* for me, anyway!)
Well, I have sat here long enough...after a bit more ironing, I think I will mop the kitchen floor....
Tonight is one of those nights.
I am not tired. Absolutely no desire to sleep.
So, besides this blog post, I am cleaning the kitchen, catching up on the ironing and will probably cut out 2 or 3 patterns so I can sew up a dress or two tomorrow.I am also watching/listening to a documentary at the same time.
I was hyperactive when I was small, but that was before Big Bad Pharma found out it could make money by convincing parents to drug their little darlings into a stupor. My parents solution was to give me a flashlight and a bunch of books to read.
The results were a life-long love of reading accompanied by a life-long fear of the dark!
I also tend to multi-task like crazy when going through a hyper phase.
While I am ironing and listening to a documentary, I have some sweet roll dough rising and also have started another load of laundry.
I go through these little bouts around once or twice a month. I normally sleep 6 to 7 hours a night, then I just have two or three nights in a row when 2 or 3 hours is sufficient.
I've adapted to it. I save up some particularly odious chore (like ironing) for a hyper stage, knowing it will all get done in one night.
It may seem weird to those 8 hour a night sleepers out there, or to those poor souls that suffer from insomnia and end up exhausted the next day, but this is my *normal*. I won't be exhausted tomorrow...I will be brimming with energy after a cat nap of an hour or two.
To all those other *hypers* out there, my best advice is:
Don't fight it, go with it. Your system (biological) doesn't have to work the way anyone elses does.
I have never considered my hyper-activity a handicap, I always considered it a bonus! Long after everyone else fades and crashes, I can keep going.
Sometimes I will go a week or two on 2 to 3 hours of sleep in each 24 hour period. Eventually, I have learned, my system says "Okay, that is enough of that!" and I head for bed and sleep soundly for 10 to 12 hours. Then I am back to *normal*. (Well, *normal* for me, anyway!)
Well, I have sat here long enough...after a bit more ironing, I think I will mop the kitchen floor....
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Blog Party!
There's a Blog Party going on!
Want to participate? Click on the Blog Party icon posted above!
Or, check over at Lynettes blog: Thoughts of Spring Blog Party post
And here's the questions everyone is answering to get the ball rolling (my answers in Blue!):
How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right?
Toss up between Intense and Creative. Yup, I can be both!
What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life?
What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life?
I have met a few celebrities and never felt "Star Struck". I guess maybe Hugh Jackman, 'cause he is such a hottie!
Who is your favorite blogger? Why?
Who is your favorite blogger? Why?
Patrice over at Rural Revolution. She is smart and funny and I admire what she is doing so much!
What is your comfort food/drink?
What is your comfort food/drink?
Dr. Pepper. It's a family addiction. My grandmother used to baste the Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas ham with it...so did my mom and so do I! My daughters will ONLY drink Dr Pepper when they pick soda. Strange, but it's only the females in the family that love Dr Pepper so much!
Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself.
Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself.
I met my Darlin' Man online and we talked...just talked (voice chat and web cam) for 2 and 1/2 years before we met in person!.Is that weird?
Do you have a strong desire to do something you’ve never done? What is it?
Do you have a strong desire to do something you’ve never done? What is it?
Gee, I have done almost everything I ever set out to do...I guess maybe write a novel, get it published and have it be successful!
Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres?
Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres?
Action, Documentaries and Horror movies! Oh, and Historical Dramas.
Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material?
Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? What are your favorite types of reading material?
Instructional Non-Fiction followed by True Stories and Fiction.
Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types?
Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types?
Heavy Metal, Classic Rock, Alternative, Classical, Jazz...anything BUT Country. I HATE Country Music!
If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money?
If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money?
Pay off all bills, then buy a dream homestead in Vt!
Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul).
Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul).
Other than Dr Pepper? Fabric. I never saw a bolt of fabric I didn't want. I go by the Quilter/Sew-ers motto :She who dies with the most fabric WINS!!!"
If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go?
If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go?
Vermont.
Strange Talent? Can you juggle basketballs, put your legs behind your head or perform some other strange feat?
Strange Talent? Can you juggle basketballs, put your legs behind your head or perform some other strange feat?
I can bend my ring fingers at the first knuckle.
What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift).
What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift).
Art and writing.
What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of?
What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of?
Toss up between Gardenia and Jasmine.
When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less?
When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less?
Talked less...I am a chatty soul!
If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in?
If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in?
The North Face, Lands End and the Health Food Store.
What is your greatest fear or strange phobia?
What is your greatest fear or strange phobia?
I am a bit claustrophobic and have always been afraid of the dark.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Having seven kids!
What are your favorite animals?
What are your favorite animals?
Cows and chickens!
Are you a hopeless romantic?
Are you a hopeless romantic?
Yes!
What movie or book character can you most relate to?
What movie or book character can you most relate to?
When I was young...Anne of Green Gables. When I got older, Jo March. Now...ehhh..can't figure out any!
There's my answers so those that read here can get to know me better!
Now, join in the Blog Party and link up!
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