Decisions

We all make decisions.  From the moment we wake up till the moment we close our eyes.  Should I have coffee ( I know some of you don't think of it as a decision, it is simply done!)  E-mail now or later?  Walk the dog or face the consequences? Jeans or Khakis? Cornflakes or Cheerios? Audi or BMW?

Quentin recently had a very difficult decision.  He helped us make some cream cheese frosting and after licking the bowl placed it on his head.  Sticky tasty white frosting all over his head - he needs lessons on bowl licking, because I'm pretty sure when I was 4 I wouldn't have left anything behind!
Sitting by the fire with Kit I talk to Tintin. 
So Tin - you need to wash that hair.
I don't want to.
You have frosting in your hair, we need to wash it.
No please....
You cannot go to bed with frosting in your hair, you have to wash it.
Or mom, you could cut it.
You could have heard a pin drop.  This is the hair strangers and friends have wanted to cut.  Chris has threatened to cut because Tintin keeps sucking on it and is going to get a hairball.  This is HUGE!
Chris take the baby.  Calli grab the scissors.
What scissors mom?
Any that cut.
Colin adds "Mom I have the clippers."
No good Colin, we would have to comb his hair first.  Don't want to get one pass, have a half bald kid and be done.

So I cut Tin's dry hair by the firelight with utility scissors and no comb.  And before you even ask, no I did not cut his "Ninja" tail.  I did clean it up a bit though.  He loves it when you don't know who he is.


Oh and he still got his hair washed.

I'm back.

Typing is pretty slow as Kit is trying to chew my fingers as I type.  Then she tries to help me type. Lil' cutie!  I haven't posted because I just did not have the time.  Then I ran out of  "DATA".  We get our internet through a Sprint DSL card.  We are only allowed 5GB a month.  How much is 5 GB?  That is a good question.  And I do not have an answer for you.  Around the 10th of every month I start checking our usage.  When I see we are almost out or even over our allotted DATA we are done with the internet until 12am on the 20th.  Makes it really tough when you are doing virtual school.  We ran out of DATA on Wednesday or Thursday.  Colin has spent a lot of time at the library this week so he could use their internet.  I love the speed of the card, and the cost is not bad, unless you go over.  That part is really bad, and you can't upgrade.  We have discussed buying a 2nd card, but its a 2 year commitment.  Its also really frustrating when you have posted something for sale and you can't check your e-mails anymore.  Oh well no one wanted to buy our sows anyway.

We have definitely decided to sell the sows.  IF we go into breeding again we want to do purebreds.  But right now we would rather just raise feeders.  The time and money needed to do breeders just isn't right for us right now. We have located someone close to us who is breeding pigs and could keep us in feeders.  We started raising breeders in the first place because we couldn't find any feeders.  Now with a breeder so close, we don't need to breed.  That should help us lower our feed costs some and even free us up in our daily life and hopefully allow us to leave the farm once in awhile.  The breeding pigs need to be fed 2x a day.  Even if the fencing was perfect, they should not have access to feed at all times.  Pigs do not stop growing.  If they are allowed to eat non-stop they will eventually get to big to breed or even move.  In the wild they spend a lot of time on the move searching for food, so on the farm breeder's feed needs to be limited.  Feeders on the other hand can be left with a self-feeder.  And eventually the go to butcher and we can say ok, we are leaving for a weekend, we'll get new feeders next week.  Gives us a little more freedom, which is something our family needs for awhile.  So if you are looking for a good deal on some pork let me know.  We want $250 per sow.  If you talk real nice to us we'll take $200 a pig. They are between 400-600lbs.  Depending on your processor you would get hams, bacon, sausage, ground pork, lard and maybe some roasts.  (Lard is the best for pie making by the way.) I would deliver free to any of the local processors.  Or I could deliver to you.

Speaking of processors, what is up with people?  Our usual processor was very rude last time we dealt with them, so we want to try someone else.  We have called this new processor 5 times in the past month to arrange a slaughter date.  NOTHING.  We want to give these people our business and they cannot get someone out here to slaughter a pig.  Time to try yet another processor.  We didn't think it would be so hard to get someone to take our money.

Calli had her final performance tonight.  She loved it.  And she did a great job. Here is a link promoting the play.  Calli is in the very first shot.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhyyeBBK12w

Colin rode our horse Shakespeare this afternoon.  He really enjoyed it, but wishes we had a saddle.

I worked on settling the calves in the barn today.  We moved them into the barn yesterday.  The door is open and they can go in or out.  Hopefully they will get the shelter and the ventilation they need.  Here is a picture of Nicely the cat and Bear and a calf all eating calf starter. Goofy animals!

Positivity

Yesterday I was feeling very negative. Not without reason.  Let me start at the beginning. Tuesday huge snowstorm hits followed by frigid temps.  On Tuesday the car Chris drove home got stuck in a snowbank on the side of our driveway. Everything was closed down on Wed, including mail service & state colleges etc.  18 inches of snow.  On Wednesday afternoon when the snow stopped and the roads had been cleared Chris took our truck to go get more gas for the snow blower so we can finish clearing the driveway.  In the meantime our dogs have found the drifts to be great fun in allowing them to jump the fence, and then go lie in the road so people have to drive around them, or a car gets stuck on the hill and then we have to push it up the hill.  When Chris returns with the truck he parks it at the end of the driveway, not where I told him to park it when he called and asked where he should park it.  We clear the driveway a bit more, work on the coop to try to keep the chicks alive, make sure all the critters are still good on food, hay, water & straw and call it a night.

On Thursday Chris is having a simple outpatient procedure done at 1pm.  We go about our morning work, checking animals, inside housecleaning chores, clearing the driveway a little more, gathering wood and so forth.  We both take showers and its time to go.  But the the truck parked at the end of the driveway has an occasional glitch in the engine that when something gets wet on it it won't start, at least that is the theory as this is only the second time it has happened.  The truck will not move and we cannot get past it.  And its blocking 2 of our cars from being usable. We have 2 driveways that form a V and the upper driveway only had a path cleared.  So we worked on getting the truck started and then we worked on pushing it.  Colin, Kelsy Chris & me.  It would not budge.  Chris had to take pain medication before he left and was starting to get a little goofy.  I won't share the suggestions he was making at this time, but looking back they were silly.  At the time I was not amused.  The kids and I decided the best route was clearing the upper driveway. Chris called to make sure they would still see him late, and they would.  We told dad to sit in the car and get out of our way and we went to work.  Spencer even came out and helped.  The 4 of us did pretty good.  We still had to push the Toyota up the driveway but we made it and got Chris to the clinic.  The kids never complained. The appt got changed to 3pm.  The surgery is only supposed to take 30 minutes.  Chris should have been able to go in at 3 or 3:15 at the latest.  It was 5:30 before he went in. Another hour before he was done and we could go home.  Lovely.

Chris is now out of commission for the next few days.  I wake on Friday knowing we have company coming and the driveway is blocked.  I do morning chores with Colin & Kelsy.  I try to get Calli to band and myself to town to buy Christmas present supplies. I can't get us out of the driveway, everything has turned to ice.  Band is not happening today.  She missed the whole week.  I accept it and move on.  I start in on the driveway.  Before the snow comes we go through the yard and driveway and try to pick up as much as we can, well we either missed a feed bag or the wind blew it in, but the snow blower found it.  I disconnect the spark plug on the snow blower and see that a wire bucket handle also is caught in the auger/blower.  And the chain for the auger has come off. Its time for lunch.  I go in and make it, come back out to the snow blower.  I am able to get most everything cleared and get the chain back on.  I do a a mental happy dance because I am that awesome and put the snow blower back upright.  But now its frozen.  The pull-rope to start the blasted thing is offering no resistance.  This has happened before.  Before I have put it into the house to warm up.  I don't want to do that now. Fine!  I will work on getting cars unstuck.  While I am here I will take this gate and put it where the dogs are jumping out, guess that is a good thing about the snow, I can see their tracks.   And I'll fix the gate the snotty Bear is pushing open. Ok that is done.

After working on the truck on Thursday the truck was left on so it drained the battery, I brought our 1 moving car to it and charged the battery in hopes it fixed itself.  No go.  I park the one car and unstuck our big van.  I get it up to our upper driveway and then its stuck! And then Bear jumps over the gate to be with me.  UGH!!!!  That was the breaking point for me.  I went a little crazy.  Really wished I lived somewhere else, really wished we a had a working 4x4 vehicle with heat, car payments be damned!  Enough of this crap!  Calli had rehearsal at 5:30 and I had a board meeting, that I was in no way ready for, and at this pace wasn't going to be.  I had to buy supplies & finish Christmas presents.  I had to accept that wasn't happening now either.

But as is me, I had my temper tantrum and went back to work.  I fixed the gate so Bear couldn't jump over it.  I got salt for the upper driveway.  I got the big van unstuck and on the road.  YAY! at least I knew we could get where we needed to go.  Kelsy & I used the van to push the truck straight down the driveway.  It took sometime, but we did it.  then we unstuck the van that got stuck on Tuesday night and parked that.  So dogs not getting out, driveway not blocked, and a running vehicle.  Satisfying.  But wait that's not all.  My night is just beginning.

I have to bring Calli to dress rehearsal.  Tin & Spencer come with me, as does Kit.  I drop Tin & Spence at a friend's and take a daughter who is also in the play.  I drop those 2 off and go to my meeting.  We are all a little late, but we are there.  I finish my meeting, I actually end up leaving early.  Its Calli's dress rehearsal and with the baby I don't know that I'll get to see the show.  We were invited to watch the dress rehearsal so I really wanted to be there.  I picked up the boys, bought them Mc Donalds, and went to the theatre.  The parking lot was packed.  I was lucky to find a spot at all.   We finally get into the auditorium. There are about 15 other people there.  I thought Kit would be my issue, but no.  It was crazy little Tin who was all wound up and should be getting ready for bed.  This seat, no this seat, where's Calli?  Why isn't Calli on stage?  Lets go find Calli.  Then Kit discovers she really doesn't like the dark.  We step out of the theatre she is fine, we step in she starts crying.  Tin continues to be a nut.  I even bribe him with ice cream. I did get to see her as "Want".  She was great.  Finally I get Kit to sleep.  Which in some ways isn't better because Tin decides he can take advantage of my less mobile state.  But he finally gets a clue and stays put.  The play ends and its Notes time from the director.  For a kid that has already been there too long, it was just too much more.  Finally we can leave. And much to Tintin's dismay no ice cream.

At this point I just want to crash.  I have had enough.  I am in bed by 10pm, its now 11.  As a friend would say, put a fork in me, I'm done.  But we have company, and while I am truly happy to see teh company I am not feeling so social.  I definitely let my antisocial feelings be known.  Not intentioanlly.  Colin came to me and told me I wasn't being very nice.  He said it respectfully but with earnest.  Honestly I wasn't feeling so nice but I didn't realize it was coming through so clearly.  I wasn't saying anything or even doing anything.  Mostly I was trying to hide.  But he was right sometimes even teh things we don't do or say can be not nice.  I need to work on being friendly and nice even when I don't feel so friendly or nice.  And it wasn't personal to anyone, I just  had nothing left.  I appreciate that Colin was able to communicate with me.  I'm sorry I had already been a downer to everyone else by the time I got the message.  But today is a new day.  And it will be a better day.

Snowmageddon December 2009

I stole the term  "Snowmageddon"  from a friend.  I like it.  We easily have a foot of snow.  This morning at 6:30 am it was beautiful out .

No wind, 30 degrees, silent and the wet heavy snow weighing everything down.  I heard some cracks from tree branches.  I just hoped branches wouldn't break over powerlines or fencing.  The beauty wouldn't last long.

The wind started picking up and the temp has been dropping.  The weather impacts everyone, but since we've moved to the farm its been a central part of my life.  No electricity doesn't mean no heat for us, we have a woodstove, but it does mean no water.  Fortunately with all this snow the animals would get by for a little while, and we could melt snow on the stove.  I simply cannot store enough gallons of water for all of us.  How much straw do the animals need to stay warm?  Is the coop warm enough for the chicks?  Do the calves have enough shelter?  Trying to get us through the storm is one thing, making sure we have provided the animals with everything they need is another.


Here are some pictures I took while checking on the critters.  All is well so far.

Snow storm on the way

First snowstorm for the season is on its way.  In my 6 years in the area the more a storm is pumped up the less it delivers.  So we'll get about an inch with all this drama.  The snow is supposed to start at noon and continue for 36 hours and bring with it a foot of snow.   Then lows of near 0.  That's the part that bugs me.  I hate it being that cold.  I bought some de-icers last night so we should be good on that for the animals.  I'll throw some extra straw in for all of them.  They'll be fine.  We'll load some wood in the house and we'll be fine.  Kids will love the snow day.  Watch movies and eat popcorn in front of the TV.  Unfortunately  we still have work to do around here, "AW MOM!"  but as long as I don't tell them to work until 30 minutes before dinner, it will get done quick. 

The biggest problem with the cold is my baby chicks.  They really need to move to the coop.  But I just don't know I can keep them warm enough in there with 0 degree weather coming.  So they will be staying in the house until this weekend.  They really need to move.

Well I need to do some around teh farm before Calli has band and then until teh snow flys.  Be safe & warm!

16 for a high!

The predicted high for Thursday is 16.  No that is not the low.  SIXTEEN!  UGH.  I do not mind working in the 30's.  My issue is the freezing water.  Hoses that freeze, even when you thought you have drained them. Water tanks that fill with ice.  And disorganized me  - I went around this Spring and collected our tank de-icers and now I cannot find where I put them. UGH.   I will be searching again today. 

We had a busy weekend.  Saturday Chris cleaned out the little kids hideout.  We have a space in our living room under our stairs that the kids love.  Over the year various things have been shoved in there.  Chris cleaned it out.  The young boys are sooo happy. They are in there all the time, even though its really cold.  I just worked outside on the coop and searching for the tank de-icers and giving the animals water. On Saturday night The 3 eldest and Chris went to a Winter Ren Faire where the kids performed excerpts from the Tempest.  then they went to see "Reduced Shakespeare".  They LOVED it.  Jealous I couldn't go.  Here is Calli with members from "Reduced Shakespeare".  She giggled so much (appropriately) they talked about her in the show.

But we had fun too.  I took Spencer & Tin for a ride on our new horse, Shakespeare.  Then we came inside, popped some popcorn and strung it.  Spencer has been asking for a week to string popcorn.  He enjoyed it, but I think his conclusion is it looked more fun than it was.  He hung the popcorn on the poinsettia.

On Sunday we picked up some more steers.  Chris, now bit with the cleaning bug, has started on our basement.  He is really good at throwing stuff out, sometimes too good.  For the most part I have to stay away.  And I did.  I finished up the coop.  I think we have one chicken pen that is cat proof.  At least I hope so.  We have chicks in the house in a "Snail" brand car topper.  Its a luggage rack, and it keeps the dust from the chicks pretty well contained, but it is time for them to move on to bigger digs.  But with it going down to 16 on Thursday it might have to wait until this weekend.  The chicks are not fully feathered until they are  6 weeks old, even with heat lamps I think it will be too cold.  Then I got to go to a sleepover.  Except I didn't spend the night.  Kierstyn is still all stuffed up and I wanted to be home to deal with it.  Still had a great time.  Spent some time with people I already knew were really cool, and got to meet some new cool women.  Thrilled that I am considered interesting enough to be included in this group.  I really had a lot of fun, but definitely stayed up too late.  A week of poor sleep is catching up with me.  I feel the cold coming on.  I do not have time for this.  Tell you what Cold- I'll pencil you in for late January, the week Chris comes back, not the 24th though, that is Kelsy's birthday.  I can give you a week then, but now just does not work.

There was a beautiful little 8 month old baby girl at the sleepover last night.  It was fun seeing her and thinking "oh yes this is what Kit will be doing in 3 months".  How fortunate heating season will be mostly done by the time she is really moving.  She'll be a little more mature next winter.  She'll at least understand "No" and "hot".

Today is my last day to work until Friday.  It snowed last night. And its supposed to be blizzard like Wednesday.   I need to do another search for the deicers, and then I suppose I'll have to buy some.  I need to make sure the yard is picked up so we don't trip on things buried in the snow.  Then I'll stock all the animals up on straw so they can keep warm this week.  The huge change in temp hurt them more than the cold temps.

I guess winter is here.  I'm not sure that I'm up for.  Definitely don't think I am ready for it, but here it comes anyway.  That is life.

Sleep always helps.

What a difference a good night's sleep makes.  Or even a crappy one.  Kit is getting a stuffy nose so I had to sleep with her sitting up again.  In any case I was very not happy with the justice system when I went to bed.  Now I'm just glad something important wasn't being decided.  In a nutshell, everyone agreed that I should not have been on the suit and that case was dismissed.  It was decided that the plaintiff had no responsibility to keep his belongings safe, it does not matter what he did or did not tell Chris or anyone else, it does not matter who the canopy belonged to, it does not matter that the plaintiff signed a waiver with Monroe Main Street, it does not matter who set up the canopy, it does not matter that we were put in that spot by fair organizers, it does not matter that Chris was only there 15 minutes prior to the accident, it does not matter that the plaintiff could have moved his car, it does not matter that no other canopies were tied down and they were not blowing away.  All that matters is the plaintiff's car was damaged and because the plaintiff started yelling at Chris (because he was the male present) , Chris offered up his insurance info and he was deemed the one in charge.  So if Chris, (read our insurance company), believes others are also liable it is our responsibility to recoup costs from them.  I'm so glad this wasn't important.  Our lawyer cannot even explain to us what happened.  The other lawyer thought they had lost it.  She summed up with (paraphrasing)  "how were we supposed to know who to sue and even if he (the plaintiff) didn't tell Chris to tie down the canopy he told someone."  I guess that is why there is a judge.  I have no idea what steps our insurance company is going to take.

The frustrating part is the people who won are not good people.  They were not decent people before the accident (so I am told) , they were not decent afterwards, and they have not been decent since.  I would expect better behavior from my children.  At the time of the accident I was not there.  When I showed up I asked what happened and they layed into me.  Yelling at me that they told me I needed to tie down the canopy and I should have known.  Even when I told him I wasn't there they told me I was lying. Its hard to want to work with people who are so rude.  In court they sat behind  Chris & I.  When he (the plaintiff) testified he lied on a few points. His wife even sat back there muttering "no, don't say that" whether he was telling the truth or lying.  Chris & I remained silent.  When Chris testified he told the truth as I know it, and they are sitting behind me saying "liar, liar".  Chris tells me when I testified they said the same thing.  There was very little that I testified to that could even be in dispute.  From the witness stand I could see they were quite animated and very distracting.  I do not know why the judge did not put a stop to it.  I wish I had said something to the judge to make them stop because it was so distracting.  I haven't been in court much at all,  actually not at all, but I just assumed there was certain behavior expected in court, and their behavior, in my opinion, was very poor.  Oh well.  We'll see what happens next.

Now that I have a day to work, I have to work!  And the weather has finally become normal for December - ACK.  Of course I should have seen this coming, but I was just enjoying our highs of 50 degrees.  I need to pull out the water heaters so all the animals can at least drink this winter.  Tomorrow the 3 oldest are participating at a indoor Ren Faire.  I'll probably stay home with the 3 youngest.  Which means I will not get much done.  Happy Friday!

Court Day

It was 32 degrees out when I got up.  I built our 4th fire of the season.  But who knows, I might keep this one going.  So far I've just built one fire in the morning, let it burn, and that was it.  It took the chill out of the air.  We are usually hovering around 62 in the house.  The mornings are cooler and the kitchen gets warmer with bread baking.  We are all pretty comfortable. Tintin will still wear shorts. Its harder for us when we go to a building that is at 70 or more.  Too much of a shock for us.

We get to see the new Green County court house today.  Oh boy!!  This should be great fun.  We were at a street fair in Monroe in June of 2008.  We were running a booth for Shakespeare on the Edge. We were in one location.  The director & I went to research some things and left.  When we came back our booth had been moved by the street fair organizers next to the car show and the canopy SOTE had been using blew into a car being shown.  No, I don't know what kind of car, other than it was a new car.  All of a sudden this guy starts yelling at me.   I wasn't even there.  People are crazy!  At this point his insurance has paid it, our insurance did an investigation and said that it was an act of God and no one is liable, and will not pay anything.  Both companies have put in more than the $900 we are being sued for.  Now it goes to the judge.  It will be nice to have this over with.  If we are found at fault our insurance will pay.  Its all pretty stupid.  And Chris needs to stop being a stand up guy!

Last night Chris got his Christmas present from work.  A Poinsettia that is as big as our kitchen table.  Ok, its beautiful, but what am I supposed to do with this thing.  Its a good thing we don't have a tree up.  Maybe it could be our tree.  Use mini ornaments on it.  Chris comes home and puts the plant on the table which obstructs Calli's view of Mythbusters on the TV.  So she goes and sits on Colin's lap. They watched most of the show that way.   These two are frequently at each others throats (figuratively).  It was nice to see them bonding - over TV. 

Nasty topic on that show last night.  One part was "Could you jump into a dumpster from a roof and live?" (yes if it was padded enough.)  The other topic was about the old time deep sea diving breathing suits.  The question was if the air stopped being pumped in, and the emergency valve was not functioning (which happened frequently)  would the pressure of the water around you cause you to implode?  The answer was yes, and it was GROSS.  Education at its best.

Nobody Strikes Again and a Correction

First a correction. The day I wrote about the calf castrating, Chris did not flop.  That was me being lazy in the retelling of the story.  And the calf did not take me down.  And as far as that goes, these animals are weaned, and at the time not castrated, so they were bulls.  What really happened is I wrestled this bull to the ground using all the strength and skill that God has blessed upon me to subdue this raging creature. Chris quickly assessed the situation, wanting to protect the love of his life but also not wanting to come to my aid too quickly, knowing that I am a strong and capable woman, realized he indeed needed to act in this situation.  So he gracefully and deftly leaped  on to the bull to subdue him while I released myself from the bull's clutches.  At least I think that is what happened, as I was under the bull, I couldn't really see what was happening.  It was more of a feeling experience.  So that is what happened.  To sum it up, Chris did not flop, he leaped and saved my life.  Are we clear - no flopping, only leaping and life saving.  Is that better honey? 

Now that that is clear....onward.  I've been surprised and thrilled by all the feedback I have gotten for my blog.  I don't have a counter and hardly anyone leaves comments, and I only have 1 follower, I had no idea so many people were reading it.  And the comments, verbal and written, have been so positive.  Thank you.  I always wanted to be a writer, even before I wanted to be a vet.  I've written through the years.  Not too much, and really no time now.  With Facebook I would periodically be told "you should blog".  So I finally decided to do it.  Its been over a week  and it feels really good.  But its sort of like a diary or a letter.  I imagine I am writing it to my grandmother or sometimes my dead grandfather who meant everything to me.  I actually plan to print these up and send them to my grandmother.  Anyway, when I realized how many people were reading I was first flattered and then I felt pressure. Oh no, I have an audience. I'll need to write something profound, or controversial, or at least interesting.  We haven't even had a major catastrophe to write about all week.  Then I realized  I have yet to write anything profound or controversial or more than mildly interesting, and I guess people are enjoying it.  So I decided to continue writing as I have been.  If it brings enjoyment and diversion to others, great.  If at some point a person asks themselves why am I wasting my time with this, that's ok too. I am enjoying this and its good for me.  Thanks again to everyone for their encouragement.

Nobody was at our house yesterday.  Apparently Nobody went upstairs and opened up Colin's bedroom window.  At bedtime it was quite cold upstairs.  We did ask everyone if they did it, but Nobody did.  So we issued the blanket reminder that we don't open windows in December.  So Colin, Kelsy, Calli & Spencer slept down in the living room last night.  It was a sea of blankets.


We are planning on picking up the horse today.  Here is Kit practicing holding onto the reins, courtesy of Calli.

The first day of the last month of 2009

Happy Dec 1 .  It is Miss Kierstyn's 5 month anniversary of her birth.  It wasn't much warmer 5 months ago.  She has matured so much in the past day.  Like a switch.  She is fighting sleep. She is sitting by herself. Not using her hands to prop herself up. I wouldn't leave her yet because she topples over pretty easily and frequently.  She reaches for her toys, puts them in her mouth and sits back up.  Last night she rolled from her back to her belly for the first time.  She only did it once, couldn't do it again.  That darn arm kept getting in the way.  Tintin was glad to help her though. For the first time when Kit woke up at night she looked around.  In the past its always been nurse and go back to sleep.  Last night she realized there is the "look around and stay awake" option. We've started signing with her.  She stares intently at our hand and you can see her little hand moving.  Its so fascinating to see these connections she is making.

Tintin loves his little sister.  Always kissing & hugging her.  Dancing with her.  Playing with her.  Helping her roll over.  Teaching her how to walk. Everyone loves Kit, but for Tin its extra special because she is the only one in the house that looks up to him.  Last week he was on a "I want to be the baby" kick.  He wasn't going to brush his teeth because he wanted them all to fall out, like a baby.  He wanted to wear diapers, like a baby.  He wanted to drink milk, like a baby ( but not nurse).  This week he's happier being the big brother. I like that better too.

Calli is in the Monroe Theatre Guild's production of The Christmas Carol. She plays a pickpocket and want.  She is having a lot of fun.  Yesterday we received an e-mail telling us t-shirt orders needed to be in.  I asked Calli if she wanted a t-shirt.  She told me it wasn't important and it cost money.  I told her I knew it cost, and asked her if she knew how much.  She said I don't know mom but it really isn't important to me and I don't want you to spend your money on it.  I'm proud of her for prioritizing.  It makes it easier for me to know what she is asking for is important to her.

Unlike Calli, Spencer & Tin want EVERYTHING.  When Colin & Kiki were younger I made the rule that I assumed they wanted everything, so what they needed to do was tell me when they saw something they did not want.  I had to implement that rule with Spencer and Tin.  To Tin's credit when I asked him what does he REALLY want for Christmas he said all of his "old grandmas and grandpas to come to our house."  (Grandmas & Grandpas, remember he's 4, Colin & Kiki are old to him.)  I'm glad he knows what is important too.

Christmas 2005

A day where I don't fall on my butt isn't a day worth remembering.

I am not yet functioning.  I drink half caffeinated coffee.  I wish we had the real stuff in the house right now.  Although it would make me sick, which is why we don't have the real stuff in the house.   Kit had a  hard night.  I spent most of the night sleeping with her on my chest. I think she had bad dreams. I love how cuddly she is.  How secure she feels when I hold her.  I'll miss that, so I'll try not to let one night of poor sleep affect me too much.  Its just hard in the present.  I'll try not to yell, more than normal.  Try to be patient.  Try to find the energy to get done what needs to get done.

Kelsy finished this year's Math.  Before you get too impressed she started in January.  But still she had a month left.  YAY KELSY!!!!

We castrated the calves yesterday.  That involves catching /tackling the calves, laying them on their side, putting a really small, really strong band around their testicles.  Like I said, these guys are big.  Another week or 2 and our castrator would've been too small.  We would have had to cut them out then.  Do you know some people eat calf testicles?  They are called Rocky Mountain Oysters.  I told Colin when we were done doing this I was taking the family to the Turkey Testicle Festival.  Actually we missed it by a few days.  Its held the day before Thanksgiving and its for real.  I love embarrassing that kid.  Anyway, taking the calves down was a job.  The best thing to do is get their head and gently but firmly turn it sideways or towards their back, then they are much more compliant.  Then we take a leg and put them on their side.  Well one of them came at me and I put my arm around his neck and he kept going. I held on, fell on my butt, and he came with me. Chris flops on top an Colin holds his legs and I put on the band.  We let the calf up, he looks around like "was that it?" gets up and goes and eats his hay.

I also got most of the tree limbs down around the electric fence yesterday. So that fence will be goat proof and horse ready.  Yes I said horse. We are going to be taking in a horse by the name of Shakespeare.  He is a 20 year-old former parade horse and a perfect gentleman.  He still has a lot of life in him, but like all of us he does not have the energy he did as a youngster.  He was first rehomed because he was low man with the other horses where he lived.  Always pushed out of the shelter, never got enough hay.  So a friend of ours took him.  She thought her kids would be excited for a horse, but she found after a month they weren't so excited anymore and now he's wanting for a little more attention so she offered him to us.  Colin & Spencer have wanted a horse forever.  The girls and Tin are very excited too.  We'll see if the novelty wears out or if we have horse people here.  Colin and Kiki will get bored with this horse.  But its a perfect first horse because he already knows everything.  Now the kids can learn with a knowledgeable horse.  And he's so mellow.  He'll help a person gain confidence.  We'll see what happens.

*****SOAP BOX WARNING******
Last night we watched a movie called Fred Claus.  Chris had wanted to see it, so that's fine.  I noticed something in the movie it had in common with The Santa Clause. An adult in the movie was not given a particular toy at Christmas and it altered the outcome of their life negatively.  Now as a 40 something adult Santa gives them the toy and they are reduced to tears, they see the error of their ways, and change their outlook on life.  What??  No wonder parents tackle each other over "Tickle Me Elmos" or simply spend too much money on Christmas. If we don't give our kid just the "right" gift our children will be ruined.  What pressure!  Our kids will not be ruined by their lack of material possessions.  It is not their toys that create who they are.  I was going to say unless you want a spoiled brat, but even that isn't created by the toys, that is created by everyday indulgences.  Now don't get me wrong.  Everyone loves a gift, especially my kids.  Its trite but true, its not the gift, but the thought behind the gift.  Ask any mother who is given a handful of  dead dandelions & thistles lovingly picked by their 4 & 6 year old.  Its the idea that someone cares enough about you to spend time and thought on you.  In this day of busy lives and packed schedules, I think the gift of time is even more precious than it once was.  The memories it makes. Even the memory for a child working on a masterpiece he is creating for his grandmother.  While he draws that picture he thinks of her and what she means to him.  I think that is a gift.  And in 10 years making that picture he gave to his grandma will mean more to him, and had more influence on who he is,  than that PS3 he got from her.  Or that Superman cape he didn't get.

Ramblings - Last Sunday of November 2009

Very pleased with all we got done yesterday.  Chris does not feel the effects of the new sleeping machine, he does not feel energized by it.  But I am seeing some changes.  He's got the energy to do more around here.  We both notice he's not using the bathroom at night and he's has actually had dreams.  So the machine is working.  According to the Dr. it will be another week or 2 before we will see the full effect of the machine.

We got the ram lambs & wether moved yesterday.  Once we figured out how we were doing this it was was pretty easy.  Essentially we had to move ALL the animals -  3 steers, 7 goats, 16 sheep & Festus the donkey - into the smaller new ram pen, and then grab the 3 boys staying behind while we pushed them back into the big pen.  Worked slick.  Festus stayed behind.  And Princess, a goat,  goes wherever she pleases.  Anyone want live sheep or a lamb for eating this spring/summer be sure to let me know.  We have some beautiful sheep.  But 16 is our max I believe.  We will simply be improving the flock from here on out.   I love looking at the sheep and all the colors.  Its a bad thing about them being in the woods.  Its good for the ease of hay and extra shelter from the elements, but I miss not being able to see them as easily.

Chris got more straw, helped with ram pen, cleaned out the trailer, finished tallying what pigs to sell, (Pigs anyone?), cut some more pallet wood, called the processor for a sow, helped Kiki chase Nike (the champion jumper pig) back in the pen, looked at the snowblower, helped Colin with some school work, got us caught up on laundry, and made breakfast & dinner.  That's my man!

Today we need to castrate the new bulls.  That is a 2 to 3 person job with calves as big as ours, so we need to do it while Chris is home.  Colin and I will finish the electric wire around the fence.  We ran out of insulators yesterday. I bought some more last night.  And Chris & I will finish cutting the pallet wood.  I'll need to gather up all the extra hoses for the year soon and have one dedicated hose that we drain after use.  Winter is definitely in the air, so its time to be ready.  I think that will fill a morning.  Calli has rehearsal, Spencer wants to see a friend, Colin & Kiki want to see another friend, & Chris & I want to do nothing this afternoon.

While Colin & I were working on the fence yesterday he wanted to know when we were going to see some friends of ours.  I said, "Monday we might go bowling."  "Ok, when will we see them again after that", he asked.  "Wednesday for 4H", I answered.  "Really", he says and thinks for a moment, "That is 2 days next week plus art on Tuesday, we better get done what we can while we can."  Just when I think he'll never get it.  Speaking of Colin, he has started his own blog.  http://the-random-colin.blogspot.com 

Indie got out for the first time in 2 weeks yesterday.  When I set up the new ram pen I had to open the driveway gates.  He went for a long walk.  About an hour later he came back and sat about 3 feet from where I was working on the fence. When Chris & Kiki came home with the straw he came back into the yard with them.  He is our dog and belongs to us and this property. He has stopped a coyote attack at least once. He responds to our praise and our scolding.  He greets me every morning with a tail wag and puppy postureing. But he cannot bring himself to allowing us to touch him.  What a day that will be.

We did pretty well on our list yesterday.  We got 4 calves, weaned and dehorned for $50 each.  A most excellent deal that saves us great amounts of $$$ in not buying milk replacer.  They are good sized and everyone is excited because they will be easier to take care of.



I did get the pigs measured and have a fairly good idea of their size.  We have pigs from 200lbs down to 35.  I repaired the sows pen I also built the feeders a new pen and moved them into it.  One weaner got left behind with the sows.  Oh well.  I'm not worrying about it right now.  Here they are this morning.  I guess they prefer sleeping under the sky instead of one of the 3 shelters we have for them.

 

We did go to USCellular as well to check out a new phone.  They have a free phone offer right now, but because I already I have an existing plan that does not expire until February I have to upgrade to a data plan to get the free phone.  While it would be fun to have internet on the phone, I can think of lots of other things to do with $20 a month.  I did worked about 10 minutes with Bear.

We planted a few seeds last night too.  Chris wants us to try an indoor tomato stand.  I already have lettuce growing in a tub over the refrigerator. Its doing pretty well but I need to get the light on a timer, I think its being left on too long.  I would like to get the cinder blocks laid out today in the garden so it will be ready in the spring.

Still need to separate the rams.  And we did buy saw blades so we can finish cutting up the pallets.  We should also start the snowblower and make sure its ready to perform. Oh and kids put ta bag of trash on the ground last night, instead of the trash can.  We'll need to pick that up.  Need to clean out the trailer too.

While our first freeze came very early this year, I am thrilled with the warmer than normal weather we've had this Fall. Its cold enough today I expect Tin won't wear shorts out today.

On Thanksgiving Day the kids got quite dirty in the our muddy yard.  So we were the mean parents and made them all take a bath.  The youngest boys were of course not pleased by this until we told them they could take a bath with Kierstyn.  Then it was a party!  A gentle, no splash, very well-supervised bath.  Here is a picture.  Don't report us to Child Protection Services.  No one was harmed in this bath.

My To-Do List

We had a very nice time yesterday at a friend's house for Thanksgiving.  Always a good time and good food.  Calli even managed a sleepover.  For us peons its time to work. I have a very long list of things to do today.It wasn't supposed to be much and all of a sudden its ballooned to a dozen HAVE to get done to day items.  I need to call the extension office to inquire about grants for a Mobile Processing Unit. I want to buy a setup for processing chickens, turkeys, ducks, quail, etc easily at home rather than carting them to Janesville to have them professionally done.  This setup includes a plucker - most important piece, a scalder with thermostat to get that perfect scald, a dunker and cones.  I was thrilled this Fall when we did 25 in 4 hours. Supposedly you can process 25 birds in an hour, and with the plucker I believe it. De-feathering is the most time-consuming part.   With the processor charging $3.50 a bird, the original cost of the bird at least $1 + shipping you have $5 into the bird before you feed, heat or anything else to them.  And of course we never include the cost of labor (eye roll).  It is very cost prohibitve to have someone else process.  We want to buy this equipment for ourselves and to rent out to other small time farmers like ourselves. I think a lot of people would benefit from it. In truth I do not have to call the extension office today, but I need to stop procrastinating on it.

I need to call a friend about calves.  Its time to get 4 of them.  If we are lucky we can go pick them up today too.  Which also means I have to make sure the calf pens are ready.  That includes creating 1 more pen so we have 4 pens right by the front of the house.  The more we walk past the calves the more attention they get, and the sooner it is we'll spot anything going wrong with them.  Catching things going wrong with calves early is the key to keeping them healthy. This call does need to happen today, and if she has calves ready we MUST pick them up today.  On that note, it also means we have to pick up some milk replacer from the feed store also.

I HAVE to measure pigs.  We have someone interested in buying some of the weaners so I need to know what weight we are at so I know what to charge.  This isn't as easy it might sound.  Pigs don't just stand for you to be measured.  It takes a little bit of finagling.  I must admit putting a tape measure around a pig's chest is easier than putting it on the scale.  Then we need to move the weaners.  Could be 5 minutes, could be an hour.  Then I can refasten the gates to the pigpen that the pigs thought were unecessary.  I happen to disagree, so back up they will go, and electrice fence will come down.  We also need to call the processor about butchering a sow.  We are trying someone different this time and we aren't exactly sure of their timeline so we really need to make the call.

I should seperate 2 of our ram lambs from the rest of the flock.  They were not doing their job, probably because they were too young, so we brought in a seasoned ram.  Well apparantly the young rams just didn't know what to to do because now we have the old ram, the 2 young rams, and a wether (castrated boy) chasing whatever poor ewe is chosen.  No one is actually breeding because they are too busy fighting and knocking each other down.

I need to work with our dog Bear.  I haven't worked with him all week.  Oh my, was it really last Friday the last time I did training with him.  Not good.  15 minutes is plenty for both of us.  But it HAS to be done.  Speaking of dogs, dog food is on sale at Farm & Fleet until 1pm.  It would be a very good thing to get there and take advantage of the sale.  While we are there we can buy a new blade for our circular saw.  We need to cut up some more pallets.

Finally we need to get some wood in the house.  It hasn't gotten too cold in here yet, but we know its coming.  Its good to have soome wood waiting in the house ready to burn instead of traipsing out in the rain or snow.

Did I forget anything?  Oh yeah we'll have to pick up Calli at some point, and what will we have for dinner?  As long as nothing else comes up we should be ok.

Thanksgiving 2009

Having children, 6 of them, I often heard "That's not fair!"  My standard reply is "you are right, life isn't fair, and you got the better end of the deal."  I don't hear the cry of "that's not fair" so much anymore.  I suppose when you get a predictable response its not worth saying.  Being Thanksgving I thought I'd give my thoughts on what I am thankful for, even if its been done a thousand times.  When a person is focusing on their blessings its harder to focus on the smaller harms of everyday life.

Of course I start with my family.  My caring, loving, supportive, husband that works hard at the office and at home.  Rarely drinks, doesn't gamble, never hits and may yell at the children more than he should but quickly follows it with a hug, a kind word or a tickle match.  I never wonder where he's at or who he is with.  Everything he does he does for us.  He would do anything for me.  He is my favorite person in all the world!  I could not have gotten luckier.  I am thankful for him.

My children - They are healthy, loving and hardworking.  They are curious, intelligent, and eager.  They are funny, persistent, and strongwilled. They are beautiful inside & out.  None of them have any health concerns we cannot treat or overcome.  None has a major learning disability that we cannot work with.  None of them has such a personality flaw that we have sent him or her to live in the woods... permanently.  We have amazing young people living in ths house and I am thankful I get to know them and be a part of their lives.

Our extended family and friends who care and supports us.  People who want to know what crazy thing have we done now.  I'm thankful we have people who love us and sometimes drives us crazy, as I'm sure we drive them crazy. People who knew us when we were young.  People who knew we were making a mistake and loved us anyway.  People who thought we made a mistake and later realized we didn't and love us still.  People we have shared laughter and tears with.  We have shared ideas, plans, ambitions and dreams.  I am thankful for you.  You are the people who have made my life worth living.

I am thankful to live in this country where I can still farm, and have 6 children, and speak up for or against the current President. I can homeschool or send my children to a decent public school.  I have roads to drive my car on.  I have police and fire department that helps to protect me and my possessions.  I have eyes to see the glorious sunrises, and ears to hear laughter or whines of my children.  We are deluged with hats and mittens and shoes.  We have plenty of good quality food to eat.  Our water is clean and good-tasting.  The roof over our head keeps us warm enough and certainly dry.  I am thankful that a child with $300 in his wallet really wants to spend it on a PS3 because all of his needs and many of his wants have already been met.

I hope on this day of Thanksgiving you too can agree that Life isn't fair and you got the better end of the deal.  I know I did.

Need to keep it short today, but I will post.  I am making this a habit!  In any case Kierstyn needs to nurse so I might as well do it while I post. Kiki thought it was cool that I have a blog.  Yes I can write and bore anyone who reads it - AMAZING!  Chris just went to pick up chicks, hopefully our last shipment for this year.  We get an assorted group, so its like chocolates, you don't know what they are.  Ok maybe not quite like chocolates because there aren't any chicks with holes in their middles, but in any case different colors, different feathers, its fun to see what they turn out to be.

We are thinking about stopping breeding pigs.  We'll just raise feeders.  We will do breeders again, but we'll do purebreds.  Then we can sell as show pigs too. I'm glad we started with these pigs as breeders.  They are easy keepers (other than fencing) and while they weren't free, the investment in them was considerably less than purebred or heritage breed pigs.  The kids are reluctant.  They like the pigs and see the pigs bring money back to the farm.  I was suprised anyway.  We are talking about less animals and they said, not the pigs.  It makes me happy to hear them have an opinion on the farm other than "I don't want to work."  

Chris has returned,time to take care of these chicks.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve.

Treya

We live in the country in a house that is over 150 years old in some places.  We have mice.  This past winter, early spring we were catching 2 - 3 mice in traps a day.  Then 1 a day, then 1 every few days, and then none.  All summer our mouse traps stayed empty.  Qwerty, our 18 year old cat caught his first mouse this summer shortly after Kit was born.

So we knew we were not mouse free, but certainly mouse-less.  This past month our traps stayed empty but I have seen increasing evidence of the vermin.  Then last week I saw a little demon poking its head out from behind the woodstove.  Outside I might consider it cute.  Inside its war. We cannot do poison, we do not want to harm our dogs and children. The traps are proving inefficient if not completely ineffective.  I put the call out on Freecycle for a mouser.  Almost instantly I have responses.  Within 4 hours we had in our possession Treya, a beautiful approximately 1 year old female cat that likes to catch flys.

If she can catch flys she can catch mice right?  Mice are bigger and don't fly.  She and Qwerty get along well.  She loves the kids.  She has even come and sat on Kit's lap (while I was holding Kit) and let Kit pet her which was something like swatting and pulling of the fur.  Kit clearly loved digging her hands into the kitty's fur and Treya did not seem to mind a bit. She even seemed to enjoy it.  So far this new addition seems like a good fit.  Now we'll see if she can earn her keep.

I'm still sore from yesterday. Gary, a friend and mentor died in a silo accident just over a year ago.  The last of his beef cattle sold last weekend and now his family is going to bulldoze all the former animal lots.  So they offered us most of the fencing at really good prices.  We have to take most of it down, load it and haul it.  Additionally they had a scrap pile that we could salvage through.  I found about 40 cinder blocks that I want to use for raised garden beds. I also pulled some good old wooden posts, either for the garden beds or as a border for a path that would hold pea gravel.  Maybe we'd end up with less mud on our feet.

Gary was a farmer from birth.  He never thought we were crazy for wanting to live this life.  His confusion was why everyone didn't.  He LOVED farming.  When we met him he did crops, including hay which is why we sought him out.  We then discovered he did pigs and steers as well.  We bought our first pigs from him.  When he got out of pigs a short time later he gave us quite a bit of his equipment.  He bought our first calves for us.  Helped us a bit, and then got mad at us for asking too many stupid questions when he was trying to get corn in.  Oops.  He planted our hayfield, and then baled it.  We paid him for his services, but his knowledge was invaluable.  We'd do our research and have our ideas and we'd tell him what we wanted to do, and talk it over with him.  He'd have his suggestions and I always felt we got what we wanted.  He never pretended to have all the answers, but he had a lifetime of experience.  We could not by that.  When we bought our breeding pigs he came and took a look at them, he thought they were nice looking pigs.  I'm sure he was thinking what in the world were we doing breeding pigs when there was no market for them.

Now we needed feed for those pigs.  Gary offered to deliver feed at cost.  He'd find out the current market prices, mix our feed, and deliver it for cost & fuel.  I really don't know what he got from it, other than knowing he was helping us out.  We'd chat a bit.  He'd commiserate with us on keeping the pigs in.  Told us he never heard of a pig that could climb, but we had one. He might feed our ducks.  He liked ducks, but too messy for his farm.  That was one of our last conversations.  He wanted some ducks when we butchered them.  He helped us fix our barn cleaner.  Invited us to come swim at their swimming pool. Talked about how I couldn't believe he was celebrating his 62nd birthday.  Farm living had been good to him.  We saw Gary frequently between feed deliveries and hay cutting.  A lot of small talk happened. While we only met his wife and son, who both got roped into helping Gary help us, we got to know all of his family through his stories, whom he loved dearly.

Gary was the janitor at the school for health insurance.  It had evening hours and was less work in the summer, so it worked nicely for a farmer. At one point he arranged a meeting with the band teacher at the local school so our kids could be in band. On a Friday we went to the school to meet the band teacher, and I mentioned Gary as being very helpful  in relation to setting up this meeting.  Mr T the band teacher agreed.  We talked some more about band.  We were interrupted by another teacher asking when Mr. T would be at a wake. We talked band some more and again Gary came up as being helpful.  Mr T agreed that Gary was a great guy and very helpful.  Then he paused... and asked me if I knew.  Knew what? I asked.  Already knowing this wasn't going to be good.  Gary had died on Wednesday.  There was a silo accident.  His leg was seriously injured.  He was picked up by helicopter and flown to Madison. He died of a heart attack in the air and was pronounced DOA. It may have been the leg injury and the blood loss.  It might have been silo gasses.  It might have been shock. In any case a healthy, vibrant man, who was healthier than a man half his age was gone. Just like that.  Most of his organs and bones were donated to others.  Seems he would have wanted to keep on giving, from what I knew of him, that was who he was.

Thanks to Mr. T we made it to the wake and funeral.  We waited in line to pay our respects to Gary and his family at the wake for over 3 hours.  There were hundreds of people there.  When we finally made it to the family they all knew us.  All this time he was talking about his family, he was telling his family about us.  And apparently it wasn't all bad because they didn't start laughing at us.  No, instead they embraced us and we embraced them and we shared our misery and memories for a short time. Being farmers to the core, Gary's son let us know that our hay had not been forgotten and he'd be by to cut it within the next week.  Even now it leads me speechless that our needs and his father's obligations were in his thoughts at that time.  But I guess it makes sense.  Our hay getting cut was definitely a concern for us, but that was our problem, not his.  A farmer's obligations don't stop for anyone dead or alive.  Animals, still need to be fed and crops still need to be harvested. It needs to be done, regardless of what you'd rather be doing.

We are reminded of Gary constantly.  The hayfield he planted, the barn cleaner he fixed, the pig feeder he gave us, the comments he made, and now his fencing.   We are thankful for having known him and all the guidance he gave us in our first 2 years on the farm.  And I give thanks to all of the farmers and friends and family who have helped us get to where we are.  Life is good, and for the most part people are good.  We just need to live it, because tomorrow it might be gone.  But the pigs will still need to be fed.

I love being up before anyone else. The house is quiet. No noise. No whining. No pressures of the day yet weighing on me. Well maybe, but I'm ignoring them. One by one young people wake up and give me a hug and a good morning and a smile. Even baby Kit will give me a smile. Usually Tin tells me he has a headache and needs to watch some Betty Boop so it will go away. Usually I say ok. I think that is about to change. Last night we ordered satellite TV. Its been nearly 1 year since we've had any tv reception, 3 years since we had more than 2 channels. Little in this world is all good or all bad, and Television is simply a tool. It has good programing and bad. Commercials are some of the worst programming as it gives a kid (or adult) with a bad case of the gimmes more fodder. Nothing we have is ever good enough, we have to have more. It has to be newer, bigger, smaller, smarter, faster. I worry about the ensuing battles, but maybe it will open their eyes. I remember when Colin had the great epiphany, "They just want you to buy their stuff." There is some great programming too. We learned much from the History and the Discovry channel. It was after watching a show on the Edmund Fitzgerald that we went to Duluth and Colin already knew most of what we saw, but it was so real for him. There is much good information on the airwaves, certainly more educational that "Betty Boop" or "Popeye". And entertainment has value too. We look forward to watching GLEE or even the new Scrubs. Chris likes to point out with the DVR we can watch shows later, we are not a slave to the tv. And that is where my worry is. TV is a time waster. In a family where we never have time, how can we give away more? And yet we watch movies. Too often in my opinion, so it should not detract too much on that front, unless we start watching during the day. Sometimes it could be helpful, and beneficial even. But then 1 show becomes 2 and "gee this looks interesting: and before you know it an afternoon or evening is gone. My biggest concern is me. I'm am not immune to the power of television. I find stuff interesting or amusing or apalling. I enjoy the escape television provides. Its easier to say yes than deal with the fights of saying "time to turn it off". I know what I need to do. And I know I can do it. For myself and the children. Having television in the house again will be a change. I must admit it will be nice over the winter months. I just hope we make this a change for the better.