Lamb Transition

Today we took Dolly back to her original home and she is back with Hank and 2 other ewes. I would have loved to have kept her, but she is too skiddish and runs away from us. Unfortunately, she is teaching her lambs to be afraid of us and that cannot continue to happen. Maggie and I took 2 bottles of lamb replacer down to the barn and introduced Holly and Ruby to the bottles. Both lambs took to the bottle quickly so we are very fortunate. Maggie and I held them for a while and are slowly getting them used to us. I am confident that once they realize we are "food", they will be meeting us at the gate with wagging tails! Speaking of tails, Holly lost her docked piece today. We put iodine on the tip of her tail and hopefully it will continue to heal nicely.

I Am Becoming My Mother!!!

I will start this post by saying that my mother is an amazing wife, mother and friend. She is a godly woman who has always instilled in me the values of family, hardwork, education, and independence. I was raised in a Christain home and provided a Christain education. My mother is my role-model and I fall short everyday!
This afternoon Miles rode his bike up to Safeway to meet with some of his friends. When I called to check on him, he told me that he was going to go to the pizza place with his friends to eat and watch the football game. (Ok...this is the part where I am becoming my mother......) I told Miles he could stay if there was an adult supervising them and he assurred me that there were two adults. I asked to speak to them and Miles told me I was embarassing him. My response to him was he could either let me talk to an adult or I would come down there in my sweats and slippers and REALLY embarass him. Needless to say, he handed the phone to his friend's dad.
Thanks, Mom, for being always being "mean" and threatening to embarrass me!!!

Emergency Tub

The struggling economy and the earthquake in Haiti have me thinking about emergency preparedness. We aren't stockpiling food (yet), but we decided to make some plans to be prepared in case of an emergency. I have found a few sites that have lists of things to have available, and we used those ideas to create our list. Some of the simple things that I havehad to buy are: a hand-crank radio and flashlight, lots of bottled water, extra batteries, bandaids, neosporin, Motrin, matches, canned soup, and an extra can opener. I put them in the tub so they won't be used for day-to-day living. I also filled up the spare gas cans for the generator and have bought extra propane and mantles for the lanterns. We have a pile of wood for the wood-burning stove, and we plan to keep it stocked with the wood from the cabin. I also have a supply of vegetable seeds...just in case.

Canning

OK, I know I have so much on my plate, but I really want to learn how to can my own fruits and vegetables. I bought a great book and it seems a little overwhelming, but my goal is to keep reading and watching videos so that by this summer I will be ready. Fortunately, I am off during the growing season so that will give me time to experiment. Last spring I planted fruit trees so I am looking forward to a harvest this summer. I suppose I should add "canning" to my summer to-do list!

New Project...uggggg!

I bought Maggie a silverplate tea/coffee, sugar and creamer set on Ebay. My idea is to have something to give her when she gets married that she can use and pass on to her own children. My mom has a tray to give her to complete the set. The seller said it was tarnished, but I thought it would be no problem to shine it up. It arrived today and Maggie and I began the very hard task of polishing. Note to self....polishing is not fun! We have finished the surfaces, but we still need to get all of the crevices and flowers cleaned up with an old toothbrush. Once we are done we will put it up and use it on special occations.

Reusable Bags

I am attempting to create a new good habit. I have purchased several reuasable bags from various stores and now I need to remember to use them! My plan is to keep them in the front seat so I don't forget to take them inside the store with me. Up until today the bags have been kept in the trunk, and I have never remembered to bring them in the store so I have had to buy use plasic bags (bad,bad,bad). Lee doesn't mind having his groceries bagged in plastic so I plan to save them for lining the bottom of my garden walkway (under straw to keep weeds from growing).
1/15 Update...this is harder than I thought! I keep forgetting the bags!

Harness Training

We have started a new adventure with our animals...harness training. Today we bought cute little harnesses for the rabbits, and I just finished ordering some for our lambs and doelings. We will begin with the rabbits and lambs next week. Our 2 goats may or not have kids, but the doelings we have reserved will be born sometime next month. As soon as we get them we will begin so Maggie (and hopefully Miles) can get them ready to show at the county and state fairs. I hope it goes well and we have the patience we need to train all these animals! Wish us luck!

Busy Day

This morning I took Maggie to her first 4H meeting. They were performing ultrasounds on the members' goats to verify whether or not the does were bred, and also to see how many babies each doe was carrying. I wish we could have taken our 2 girls, but they are too skittish and I can only imagine what a nightmare it would have been. Considering it was our first meeting, I didn't want to show up with two wild goats and cause a scene trying to carry, drag, and chase them around the leader's yard.
After the meeting, Maggie and I went to a spinning/knitting open house. It was awesome to watch Maggie use a drop spindle and start a knitting project. She has her first spinning class next weekend and she just can't wait!
Later in the day we went to the feed store to buy rabbit feed, a rabbit brush, and harness/leash sets for our new bunnies. It will be so fun to let them hop around the yard on their leashes. Maggie wants to put the harnesses on them today, but I feel like they need some more time to become comfortable in their new surroundings before we try something new. We are all still getting to know eachother so I think waiting another week is a good idea.
On the way home we stopped by an estate sale and bought 3 large pots for the rest of my bulbs. I planted several of last year's bulbs in each pot, but they are unlabeled, so it will be fun to see what pops up. After that, I spread fresh straw in the barn and chicken coop.
Tonight Maggie and I are going to watch her friend's performance at the local high school. It is a musical so I know Maggie will truly enjoy it.
If you are wondering what Lee and Miles have been doing all day....football is on. Need I say more?

Bunnies for Sale

Considering we have a male and a female, I thought I would get a head start. I will be giving their babies away to good homes which should not be too hard to find....despite the fact that Lee keeps saying I won't be able to PAY people to take them! I know he will come around soon -just like he has learned to love the goats, the sheep, the chickens, the puppies, the cat........hahaha!!!

Bunnies

Things are going well with our 2 new additions. Claire is about 3 months old and is full grown..but she is so small and looks like a baby! Little Bear is brown/black and about 6 weeks old. He is smaller than Claire, but will probably grow to be a little larger than her. I ordered 2 books on raising rabbits on Amazon.com that just arrived today, so I have some reading to do about breeding and other general rabbit raising issues. Both of the bunnies were afraid of us at first because they had not been handled by the breeder, but we were not discouraged because bunnies are tamed reasonably easy. I have been holding them 2-3 times a day for about 5 minutes each and I am excited to report that they are already becoming more comfortable around us. Tonight when I put them back in the cage they did not try to run to the back like they have always done. They actually stayed by my hand and let me continue to pet them! I look forward to continued progress...the next step is leash training. Maggie and Miles are very gentle with them and soon they will be able to take them out of the cage by themselves. I am currently the one catching them, but I predict that they will be tame enough for the kids within the next 3-4 days.

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could do. Tomorrow is a new day, begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit to be encumbered.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color.
-Anonymous

Keep it Positive

Simplify your life and your thinking by reducing the amount of negative information and images you let penetrate your mind...news, advertising, newspapers, depressing books, and violent television programs.

Boundaries

I have spent a major part of my life believing that saying "No" is not being friendly or cooperative, however, I have learned that having boundaries is essential to keeping myself in balance and in control of my time. How many times have I agreed to do something with someone or for someone just because I was trying to be accomodating? And how many of those times did I end up backing out in the end? If only I had the strength to have said "NO" in the first place, I would have saved myself anxiety, and probably given the person an opportunity to ask someone else.
By setting boundaries, we are setting aside the time and energy that we require to stick to our prorities. Not everyone has the same needs, but knowing what they are is essential. As a working mother with 2 children, I need to be sure that I set aside time each evening for laundry, helping with homework, caring for my animals, and a few minutes alone with each of my children, with Lee, and by myself. That doesn't leave time during the week for much else. When I commit myself to other people during that time, it takes away from my priorities at home.

Clutter is Overwhelming

Clutter causes me to feel overwhelmed and depressed. It robs me of my energy and makes life harder because when I am not organized I have to look longer and dig deeper to find what I am looking for. Clutter makes it hard for me to think straight.
I have found that when I write "organize laundry room" or "organize kitchen" on my To Do list, it is something that I dread doing, and I often feel overwhelmed and that I cannot possibly complete that task. These thoughts make me feel like procrastinating or not doing the task at all.
How do I overcome feeling overwhelmed? One way is to get plenty of rest. When I am tired, I am less productive and easily frustrated. Another way is to make sure that I am finding "me time" and not spending all of my time focused on my list of things to do. Sometimes I just have to put my list out of sight and walk out of the room. Giving myself the freedom to do "nothing" is empowering and allows me to focus on relaxing or doing something fun. Having fun is a crutial part of living a balanced life and has been proven to improve a person's health and well-being.
However, I have to be mindful of not doing "nothing" too often!!!

Gardening Tips

This will be an ongoing list of tips I have learned along the way...(often the HARD way!)

-use soapy water to kill squash bugs
-plant marigolds around the perimeter of the garden bed to help repel bugs
-tomatoes and basil love eachother
-pick pieces of lettuce instead of the entire head...this makes for great variety in the salad
-plant shorter plants in the east and taller plants in the west to prevent the taller plants from blocking the sun
-do not plant tomatoes in my zone before May
-be sure to space out squash..they need lots of room
-put cherry tomatoes in a TALL tomato cage or next to a tall climbing structure
-deadhead flowers for optimal growth
-be sure to plant flowers and vegetables that need a lot of water next to eachother, and those that need less water together
-put vaseline under your nails when you are working in the soil if you do not want to wear gardening gloves

Organic Gardening

What is organic gardening? It is simply garden care without the use of toxic chemicals, pesticides, or herbicides. Why organic gardening? I want my family to eat chemical free vegetables. Also, I don't want to contribute to the chemicals that are already polluting our water systems by draining waste water filled with harmful products.
I have been tempted on several occations to use pesticides, but I decided to research ways to kill unwanted pests using natural methods. I was surprised and excited when I learned that by planting certain flowers in your garden you will reduce (or eliminate) a variety of yucky pests. One of favorite sections in gardening books is companion gardening. Not only have I learned which plants grow well together, but it is an excellent resource for choosing the best "bug reducing" flowers.

Note to self....get it together!!!

Today was my first day back to work after a 2 week Christmas vaction. Looking back at my hectic morning, it definitely could have gone better with planning and organization. I realize NOW that I needed to have done the following: Maggie in bed by 8:00 and only let her read until 8:30, set Maggie's alarm clock, picked out my clothes, made sure I either packed a lunch or had a frozen lunch ready, and gone to bed by 10:00. Tonight I will be better prepared so that tomorrow morning runs smoothly!
1/15 Update...I am getting better, but it is really hard to get to bed by 10:00.

Go outside and play!!!!

I decided many years ago that I was not going to allow Miles and Maggie to spend much time watching TV and playing video games. I am constantly telling them to go outside and play. They have the creek, the field, the animals, bikes, rollerblades, a trampoline, a pool, etc. to entertain them, yet they often complain that there is nothing to do. Really? I just don't understand it. I have threatened chores, telling them that if they can't find something to do that I will find something to keep them busy. It would be so easy to let them turn on the TV, computer, or video games and become mindless zombies, but I won't allow that. They tell me I am "mean", but they don't realize how fast childhood will go by, and they need to fill their youth being creative, exploring, and using their imagination.

Words of Wisdom

During a discussion with my son, I told him that he does not understand certain things that he "thinks" he does, and if he just trusted me and listened to my advice, he would be better off. That conversation made me think about God"s ultimate wisdom and if I trusted in Him and listened to His advice, how much better off I would be. It seems so simple, but why do so many of us forge through life trusting in our own judgement and ability to solve life's dilemmas? God is there for us and wants to help carry our burdens...all we need to do is petition our needs and wait patiently for His intervention. God wants to be in control...to guide, to comfort, and to provide for His children. What a precious gift that I often miss because I think I can do things on my own.

Today was a productive day!

This morning I bought the plastic tubs for my vermicomposter and picked up some strawberry roots. On the way home I decided to stop by Starbuck's to see if they had any coffee grinds available. Jackpot! There were 2 huge bags full of grounds sitting in the basket!!! When I got home I put together the vermicomposter. It only took about 30 minutes to put the whole thing together...but it would have been faster if the drill had been working and I didn't have to hammer nails through the plastic to make holes.
Next, I planted the strawberry roots in tin containers in a fabulous mix of soil and coffee grounds. (Rumor has it that strawberries love, love, love coffee grinds.) I love using old metal/tin containers for planting. Some of my favorite containers are items I have scrounged from the cabin, the desert house, or yard sales. I just planted daffodil bulbs 2 in brass spitoons that I bought on E-bay. Lee recently found an old metal fishing creel (basket) that had washed up at the cabin that he knew knew I would find something to plant in it.
Finally, I dumped the remaining coffee grounds in the compost piles.

Daily "To Do" List

I have these daily goals posted to keep me focused:

Check animals' water
Water flowers/garden
Do 1-2 loads of laundry
Spend at least 10 minutes of "alone" time with Miles and Maggie (talk, play, pray)
Find at least 3 things to be grateful for (different from yesterday!)
Walk for 30 minutes
Drink lots of water
Go to bed by 10:00
PRAY...PRAY...PRAY

1/15 Update...I am struggling with laundry, walking, drinking water and going to bed by 10:00. There are not enough hours in the day!

Herb Garden

Last year I grew several different herbs in my garden because they were the perfect size for small containers and tubs. Unfortunately, I never used them for anything other than a decoration around the garden. This spring I will be planting a larger variety of herbs and using them for cooking or in saches.
The first thing I will need to do is research different herbs and their many uses. This will help me decide what to plant. then I need to learn how to dry them, how to make saches, and how to use the herbs in the kitchen. The last step will be my challenge because I have very little experience cooking.
I have taken the first step and bought a good book on herbs so I am prepared for spring planting.
1/15 Update...I love the book and have found many medicinal uses for herbs. I have also learned the different water/sun requirements so I can plant them accordingly.

Vermicomposting

Of all the garden-related topics I have been researching, this is probably the most interesting for my kids. Vermicomposting, composting with worms, is so cool! I ordered 300 worms on-line and when they arrive we will put them in a bin where they can be used to create nutrient rich compost for our garden. I have a small metal garbage can in my kitchen that we have been using to collect materials for the compost bin, but now we can dump the can into the worm bin for them to work through. We can also give them pieces of old newspapers, dryer lint, and junk mail.

1/15 Update...the worms have arrived and are in their new homes! I put 100 worms in each of our compost bins, and 100 worms in the cool vermicomposting bin we made.

Organic Gardening- lasagne style

I have been researching the "lasagne" method of gardening. It is basically layering different organic materials in the garden beds that work together to create the optimal growing environment for vegetables and flowers. Some ideas are newspapers, coffee grounds (free from Starbuck's), composted material from the compost bin, leaves, grass clippings and straw.
I am going to try it for myself in a few months and I hope that what I have put in my compost bins is ready to use. I don't get down there and turn the bins enough, so we will see!

Animal Count

3 dogs
1 cat
5 hens
5 goats (3 wethers and 2 does)
3 sheep (1 ewe and 2 lambs)
2 rabbits
lots of fish

It should be interesting to see how this lists changes over time!

4H

I have signed Maggie up for 4H. We decided her projects will be fabric arts (knitting and crochet) and Nigerian Dwarf goats. We are not going to do sheep because our lambs are not registered so they could only show as "market", and after showing them they would have to be sold for meat. We met with the group leader who breeds ND goats, so we chose a doe and put down a deposit for her doeling who we have already named "Twinkle". Unfortunately, we can't show any of the kids we are expecting next month because they are not registered, not to mention we are not even sure yet whether or not we will be getting any kids from our 2 does. Hopefully we will get a kid or two because Twinkle will need a friend and I really don't want to pay for one.

Next weekend Maggie and I go to an open house for spinners. She wants to learn how to spin the wool from our lambs. They won't be sheared for a while, but she wants to be ready. We both love the idea of spinning the wool and then using the yarn for knitting.

I really wish Miles would get into 4H, but he is eagerly awaiting frosh football next year. It is too bad because he is so gentle with the animals and I know he would love showing one. I am going to try to get him to go to the meetings with us, and he will get to go with us to watch Maggie and the other participants show their animals at the fair(s).

Welcome 2010

The new year is here, and I am going to do my best to keep to my monthly list. I just planted my fall bulbs (really late) from last year. I had them stored in paper bags in the garage. I should have done this a few months ago....This year I will remember to write the name of the flowers on the bags. I thought I would remember which ones were which, but they all look similar now. I signed Maggie up for Wolf Mountain summer camp, so that is one less thing to do next month. Miles is not sure whether or not he wants to go yet, but he has another month to decide. The roses are pruned and it was so much easier using the awesome rose pruning gloves Lee's mom bought me. I am seriously dragging my feet with the Christmas decorations. They are all out in the garage, but far from organized and still need to be hauled up to the attic. All that is left on my list this month is to make reservations for our summer vacation. Lee thinks I am too early, but he has obviously forgotten how difficult it is to find a good room during the 4th of July week in Bridgeport!