Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Booboo gets to go to school, a day to plant and plan out my new ideas...

Booboo, will get to go to school today, she has 4 to go and the summer will be upon us. The fun days are all that is left but she earned getting to enjoy them. She is so much better this morning, I am so glad and Poppie is beside himself with relief. We hope to plant in the garden. We have dirt to haul into the greenhouse. I was sad that we didn't get in planted earlier but with the rain I am sure some or alot of it wouldn't have come up anyway. God does know how to guide us even if it is by just delaying our planting to a more appropriate time.

We ended up doing ok at the Flea Market, I made a little more than Mokie, but in the end I paid for her part of the space, I don't want to dissuade her from proticipating before she finds her niche. We actually sold mostly soap, which because we do the goats together we shared. To this point I have paid for all the supplies and eventually she will have to start kicking in but again, I am trying to build her confidence in crafting and selling. I also sold upcycled toddler items, and got wonderful feedback, so that was great. The feedback was one of the reasons I wanted to do the show, as I have not gotten feedback on them other than from my dear friends and family. I got alot of feedback that they were unique, you know me, anything I do is from trial and err so unique does describe me and my different arts, so maybe a good thing, at least this time around, we will see.

Poppie is glad I am home he tries to keep up with the house, and the kids, but it is a task for him to mutil task for so long. He made me dinner each night and as Son didn't make Mokie dinner by him self, I am truly blessed. Yogie ended up getting the new dog, she was really without her own special friend. They are a perfect match, the dog is a one year old spade Chichuaua, however thought I would not tell the lady that gave her to us, she is about half pug. She is a beautiful mix of pug and chichuaua, overlapped ears, pug color and hair texture, more apple face than a normal chichuaua, nose to short and little bit buggy eyes. Definitely a delicate little pug chichuaua look. She is totally in love with Yogie, it will be a long day for her, Tilly, while Yogie is at school.

The lady that bought milk for her puppies will be back for a couple more gallons today, she said her puppies ate it all in two days. We blocked the babies away from the moms yesterday to get all the milk we needed, they were not happy, and will be even less happy to know they will shortly not have mom at all. Life is good, today I will slack a little, plan out more toddler items,  and just be happy to be home....... tomorrow.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial day a speical time to thank the ones gone before us, a heroes day of honor.

I was not taught to spend time at cemeteries, I think for the most part my grandparents death so decimated my mother she couldn't bare the remembrance of the loss it would have brought. For whatever reason I have no childhood memory of visiting graves. I remember going to my grandma Gladys's grave with my grandpa Jim when I lived with him for a short time after graduating. I some how got why my mother did not visit graves. It was very beautiful had a wonderfully loving headstone, and a quiet lovely lawn for her to enjoy in her rest. She was not there, I felt no need to speak to her there, I do speak to her when I cross a bridge we walked across together. Sometimes I give her a little whisper for help when I am tryng to teach, my child, a lesson she taught me but I did not speak to her at her grave. I don't visit graves myself not because my parents didn't but because the person I want to talk with is not at the graveyard, they are in heaven with the Lord or in the essence of the places we shared together.

Today we pay homage to the heroes that have passed for our freedom. I always find it funny when people complain about why someone else doesn't vote, "if they don't vote they shouldn't have a say", well the heroes that have died gave us the right to vote, and yes the right not to vote. How many dictatorial countries, where the dictator wants to justify his "leadership" says, and can prove, that the people "voted" for him, we have the right not to vote, a hard won freedom. I myself vote but that too is my right. We have so many rights won on the backs and deaths of our heroes of all ages. Countless of our fellow Americans gave all so we can enjoy all we have, no we do not live in a perfect country, we struggle and have problems but on the whole we are a very privileged and special country. Take time to day to say a prayer for the ones that gave all for it, some may visit graveyards, a special place for them to share their respect. Today I plan to remember them in a place where I feel their presence, over a barbecue, in a field, the woods or on a drive where they learned to see there world, wherever you think of the lost heroes remember why you are free to do so, and their gift to you...... tomorrow.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Flea market and confirmation of our worst fears, Kelly is gone.

I got up early and went to the flea market today. I had seen some talk on facebook that advised that they  had found Kelly. I spoke with a friend of her family and, yes, they had found her body, such a sad turn of events. She was found in the woods a victim of foul play. The news was devastating for her family. She was a wonderful person and nothing in her life prepared the community for her violent passing. She will be sadly missed and we will be the lesser for not having her in our lives. She is in heaven with God and has passed on to her reward. The ones left behind will have many more struggles to overcome as her death has and will cause a lot of pain, for more than one family, as the one who is responsible will have to answer for her death and pay for the actions that caused her death. Many members of the victims family, and the perpetrator's family, will have many heartbreaks yet unseen. How sad this will be for the community as a whole and especially the ones intimately involved. My deepest condolences for them and my prayers that they have the strength to endure what is to come.

My Boo is still mending. Poppie smoked the brisket for his special niece but didn't get to go to the graduation as Booboo's outing yesterday had so scared him he wouldn't let her leave the house and almost didn't let her get out of bed. Her illness was very hard on Poppie. We did a little better than yesterday at the flea market and made some very good contacts. I have hope for getting into the Made Fair in Zootown, as I have heard there is an opening, but I won't get too excited I don't want to be disappointed, if I think I may get in and then don't. We will probably end up with enough money to buy a ton of hay each and have a little extra. Both Mokie and I have verbally sold a wither apiece, we hadn't counted on selling, so extra money, yay. I have also decided to help the girls teach, Rootbeer, the little wither that is full Boer, how to be a pack goat. If that goes well we may be able to sell trained pack goats, which would be great. I was asked on Friday to take in a little female Chichuaua. We do have a soft spot for them and we are sort of becoming a rescue for them, we always have love for one more. I just needed to talk out the sad turn of events of this week, thank you for letting me talk twice in one day..... tomorrow for real this time.

Booboo is on the mend, Remeber to say I love you today, you may never get to again.

I got to cuddle with my Booboo, Poppie had dinner all ready when I got home from the flea market, he is such a dear heart. I got to spend the evening babying my baby. She still has a slight fever but she definitely is on the mend. She crawled in bed with me during the night for her normal cuddles but jumped up to go get me coffee when Poppie made it. I am so glad she is feeling a bit more like herself. She will be home today and up to doing homework, for school on Tuesday. She is a little planner. I was most amazed at her total absorption in the nurse as she put in the iv's. Boo watched ever little thing and later told her sister the play by play details of the whole thing. She is so verbatim and detail orientated. I am always so amazed at the wisdom in her questions on any subject she takes interest in. I have no idea what she will do with her life but I am sure she will do it just right, she always does.

It rained all night and looks like it may again today.  I hope it breaks some so the flea market isn't a complete wash literally and physically. If it is really still bad this after noon I may pack it up this evening and not got tomorrow at all, that is one of the real nice things about this show, can come and go at will with out ruining the show. There are around 200 vendors so one person's comings and goings affects no one.

Poppie will have the little ladies, he will have to take them to pick up slop down town.   He will be smoking three briskets for Sister this morning, for my niece's graduation. He will have fun doing that he does so enjoy smoking, I am just not sure he likes smoking in the rain, a catchy new song?  I digress.  Mokie and I will be off to the flea market real soon it would be nice to have better sales today but with the rain probably not going to happen. Have a nice Sunday where ever you are, hold you family dear and say I love you to the ones you love. I know of a lovely family in my little town that no longer will have the ability to do that, again, in this life to their dearly loved girl, so never take it for granted. I know they would give almost anything to have their dear one back don't find yourself in their place, just say it.....tomorrow.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Booboo went to the hospital and I went to the flea market

Sorry for not getting up early and blogging this morning. I had to be at the flea market around 7:30ish and had spent all day at the hospital in our town and in Zootown so was tired the night before. Booboo had to have two iv's and an ultra sound. She was supposed to get a cat scan but she is allergic to shrimp so she was probably allergic to the fluid that they would have needed to do the cat scan, so instead of the cat scan we had to take an unexpected trip to Zootown. She does not have appendicitis but had enlarged lymph nods in the lining of her intestines. She was severely dehydrated and the symptoms of the dehydration was complicating the viral symptoms. She is a little better today but still running a fever and has to stay on the Tylenol. six days is way to long for a 7 year old to have a virus and way way to long for this old mom to worry about her, not to mention Poppie, he hasn't been his good old self all week.

I went to the flea market today. I share a spot with Twin and Mokie, we had fun catching up. Twin's older brother was there so it was nice to get to see him again. She has a wedding to go to  tomorrow so will only be there part of the day. I sold quite a few soaps, soap holder, a dress, and Mokie sold a hot and cold pad and a bird feeder, sort of a slow day but it was pretty rainy. I hope tomorrow is better. Twin sold quite a few bedding plants I think, I hope they do well at the show. Poppie brought the kids down, it was hard on Booboo, she got cold and over did it walking, so she spent the rest of the day in bed and will not be going down again.

I think one of my favorite parts of doing a show is watching the people. Twin and I used to watch to people at shows it was a lot of fun in days gone by. It was funniest when we watched to see if there were any cute guys, the ones I picked looked like Poppie and hers always looked like her husband. It made the shows go faster, now we do lots of catching up, and alot less people watch and no men watching, no not even one. We truly have matured and grown into the middle aged wise woman we were always meant to be. Lady and her husband stopped by it was nice to see them, Lady's birthday had been the day before and she had got to have a nice time enjoying her day. She had good news to share, she is to be a grandmother again, so we will have new grand babies about a month apart so that will be cool. We can make babies items together. I am tired and tomorrow will be another long flea market day so signing off....... tomorrow.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Back to the clinic Booboo must go, Kelly's ex arrested, and more rain.

I have never been a hysterical parent, or even a parent that takes my child to the hospital, ER or clinic for the littlest things. So when I took Booboo on Tuesday it meant I was truly worried, a second visit on Thursday makes me an anxious parent and so today I am very frustrated. She is no better, she is now dehydrated, still as sick as she was on Tuesday and still such a lovely pleasant little sick person. I am at this point getting both worried and a little scared at her condition. Mokie has chrons so that concerns me, my nephew and Sister have ulcerated colitis, Goofy has something but she isn't that honest about just what she really has, so there is a family heredity worry and my mind has started to travel down the what if path, I do so hope this is just a virus but am so concerned that it is something more. I pray that it is not, she is a dolly and doesn't need, or deserve, any of the complications that those would imply. I just want to cry at this stage and hope that there is some news that is good today. So off to the clinic we will go this morning for more tests.

I saw on the news last night where the lady, Kelly, that is missing, ex husband has been arrested in Nevada on a fugitive warrant. I hope and pray that they find out where she is, I hope safe and sound somewhere. She is a wonderful, kind person that deserves the best. I do hope that the authorities can get some information for him what will lead to them finding her. Her family needs to have her back. God gives us miracles everyday and there is no reason to believe that he can't give us one this time as well, in the end God's will will be done and all we can do is believe in his wisdom in all things.

More rain coming down, Poppie, is a mad scrubber but is frustrated at not being outside, but that scrubber is a close second to his tiller on keeping him entertained. It is Memorial Day weekend so rain is inevitable, I just hope there at periods of sunshine, I truly don't want to sit at the flea market in a down pour. I have eco friendly items, soaps, art, plants, and some antiques.  What I don't sell I am going to actively put on the Internet next week, I do hope to have selling pages added to my blog and put the eco friendly items on etsy and the other items on ebay. I hope my spirit of selling can get back into my mind, I do much better when my soul is in it and I work hard at it, but this spring has zapped that out of me. It is time to get on track!

 My cheesecakes turned out well, I think, I ended up making a savory blue cheese one, and a sweet one. The blue cheese was my own, that I made several weeks back, it turned out to be the best blue I have made to date. I used, ricotta in both sweet and the savory, again cheese that I made. The ricotta, was a little more grainy than I like in the creamy sweet cake, so will make up some chevre for the next sweet cheesecake I make, but they were both goat cheese cheesecakes and truly a good effort.

Well I am off to see what the day brings, so many thing to pray for today and some much to do to get to the flea market tomorrow, I am lazy and going to set up in the morning. I could set up tonight and get free dinner but it is just an extra trip to St. Regis, about 13 miles away, that I don't actually need to make, will setting up around 8 in the morning. Have a great day, keep Kelly in your prayers...... tomorrow.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Beloved Local woman missing in our community, Helicopters and search and rescue looking for her.

Yesterday I heard that a lady I know, Kelly, the daughter of one of the lovely ladies that  I volunteer with at the Woman In Timber. The Women In Timber is a volunteer organization that runs a thrift store, and does great charitable events for our little community. I have volunteered with the missing woman several times. She is a fun, lively, loving soul and a loved member of our community. She is vibrant and caring to all the people she meets, I heard that she went to meet her ex-husband at a local campground about seven miles outside of town. She was to meet him in the evening. No one has seen her since, her car was at the campground, it was not locked, her cell phone is missing from the car. She does not answer her cell. Her parents are very distraught, as is her large extended family. Her family last fall endured the long illness and hospitalization of her father so it has been a long hard year for her parents and now is getting longer. My prayers and thoughts are with them all. I hope I can be of assistance to them in anyway but I am sure right now so many of are community are trying to assist them in what has to be a time of shear agony. Things like this are not supposed to happen to us in our lives, we live in a little tiny community where safety is an assumed part of our lives. I hope all ends well and she is found safe, very soon.

The valley was aloud with the helicopter going up and down the river, it flew right over our house several times, that is actually how I found out Kelly was missing. I checked on facebook later to get updates on what was known. Most of my friends were talking about her disappearance. Most of the people in our little valley are related one way or another. When I moved here 31 years ago I wasn't related to anyone but my hubbie, shortly thereafter my parents and sibling moved here. Now due to their and my children's marriages I am related to about half of the county, well maybe not quite, but a good portion anyway. They called off the search and rescue people before dark but the helicopters and boats continued a little later, don't know what is planned for today but I hope they find her well and soon. I hope nothing sinister is her fate but I think I have heard that that might be a thought in peoples minds. I prayer to the Lord that that is not the case and she has just lost her way and waiting to be found.

I had a couple of ladies come by last night to buy a gallon of goat's milk for one's litter of puppies. The one had 12 lab puppies to wean off of their momma. I think they are 4 to 6 weeks old, so should be ready to go soon I think she wants another gallon for next week. One of the ladies had said she was taking her friend to my house to get the milk, and her kids were totally excited and had to come, they had been here on the day the lady had brought her daycare kids to see the goats. All the kids had fun, chased the baby goats, the geese, they were advised that the geese might chase them and bite them, but in the end they all had a lot of fun. Poppie got all the rafters on the greenhouse, it looks so nice, much more like the lovely little building it will be. It still looks like a building from a fairytale and adds such charm to our lives.

It is raining this morning, the rivers are so high right now that the rain will just add to the possibilities of flooding. There is already to much flooding in this country this year.  I wish it would stop that will add so many more complications to the day to come...... tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Booboo went to clinic, Poppie does love the scrubber, Turkeys in the house.

My sister advised me that the walk in clinic was open from 7:30 to 9:00, I did not know that. I took Booboo into the clinic, the Doctor said she has a funny virus that is going around. It is not the flu, no snotty nose, no sore throat, to coughing, and seems to be hitting the kids that don't usually get sick the hardest. Booboo is to do what we had been doing, drink lots, eat when she can and if she can. Her tummy is very sore, her spirits seem to be waining, Booboo told the doctor she knew why she was sick. She advised her that it was all due to the pop she had at the farmers market. Grandpa had only brought pop so she and Yogie had only had pop to drink and that later Kathy and Mat brought them more pop to drink so she had had way to much pop and that that was why she got sick. The doctor told her that pop wasn't all the good for her and maybe she had figured out the cause. The doctor was proud of her observation. Booboo has decided she is not longer going to drink pop even as a sometimes food.

Poppie decided to use the new scrubber, he had tried it out a little before but due to the rain yesterday he had more time to spend with it. He loves it, it works like a charm, and cleans down deep. He has decided he will get all of the house done this weekend while I am at the Flea Market, the girls will be there then have a birthday party. We have the graduation on Sunday but he plans to have it all done. It also scrubs floors so we will have to see how that works. Some investments are worth every penny of their expense. This one worth every one. If the sun shines this afternoon, he wants to get his rafters up.

I spent most of the day keeping Cubbie from hurting the puppy, crawling on Booboo and fighting with Boy. Once during the afternoon, both came out telling on the other for biting. I told them that biting was naughty and that it hurts people, I bite both of them to show them how much it hurts people. I told them that they were not to bite or I would bite them as punishment. They both don't want to be bit, by Nannie again, so assured me they would be good. We will see, I don't think there will be anymore biting though. They were shocked that Nannie would bite them. Shock factor is sometimes the winning solution. They tried to be good the rest of the day. Boy got my puppy Saddie going once and then Cubbie wanted to cuddle her, the puppy bit her. Puppy got in trouble, and Cubbie was told not to try to play with the puppy when it was riled up. Curious was here for a short  time before her grandparents picked her up. She had fun with the kids while she was here.

The turkeys, in the studio, are getting big, we have determined that there are two toms and three hens, in the batch. They are getting very big now and soon will be going outside, which will be a really good thing. They eat everything they can get, they chirp all the time and you can smell them as that odd thing in my house, so they are in need of going to their new home outside. We will keep a pair for breeding, one is spoken for and will be sold for thanksgiving. We plan to eat one, for thanksgiving as well, we may keep the other hen as a second breeder. I am bidding one more hatching eggs, Booboo may have more to sell if we hatch any more out. I do hope her eggs hatch she has been so good in talking care of them. Being sick has dampened her spirits but she will work threw it.

I made up several little upcycled outfits yesterday, I think they are cute, I embellished them with applique. I have a few cut out to finish up today. Today is I will make up some bread, will try a recipe I came across so I won't be making the usual sourdough. I may make Cinnamon rolls as Booboo kind of wants some, I have a special cheese cake to make, not sure if it should be savory or sweet. May just end up with doing sweet as that is always the safe bet. Lots to do and many miles, mentally,to go before I sleep...... tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Booboo is running a fever, so to the clinic we will go. Raining outside.

Booboo was one of my sickies on Sunday, she stayed home yesterday and continued to get sicker. Her tummy is very sore and she started running a fever last evening. I will call the clinic this morning and get her in to the doctor. She is drinking water, which seems to soother her some, she is eating a little, and really doesn't have a problem keeping what she does eat down. I am worried as the way she describes her tummy pain it isn't like cramps but a continuous soreness. It is not located in her left side so isn't presenting like her appendicitis.  I truly don't like when my little ones are really sick, her fever is worse this morning. I will call as soon as they open.

Poppie is mad at me, he wanted to cut the grass last night, but I wanted him to leave it for the goats to eat. It is now raining pretty good and he won't be able to cut it, and he says he is not herding goats in the rain. So the grass will not get cut, no one will eat it and the rain will make it grown. He has his rafters sitting on the front edge of the green house all ready to go up. The green house looks like a real building now, it sort of has a fairy tale appearance, like the little man that lived in a glass house or a building that the old woman that lived in a shoe would enjoy. I don't mind being compared to the old woman in the house. I think it is charming. It is actually quite large, as small green houses go. It will have lots of over head area for hanging plants. Poppie is going to put pex pipe in the rafters so that he will be able to mist it from above. I can't wait to see it up and running. We have to haul dirt into the planting beds. Poppie has a topsoil pile in the back of the goat area and composting manure for some of it. We may get some dirt from Shinny. It will be such a blessing to have it done. Poppie will have to start a new project soon and I think he will miss this one.

 Poppie is a workaholic and needs to have something to do. He has several friends that are on pain management, like he is, and they seem to increase their meds and nap alot. Poppie is adamant that  he is not increasing meds and he is never going to waste his day napping. He really does manage the meds  he has and has actually decreased his usage when it seems the goal of his friend are to increase theirs. I am proud of his minimal approach to his meds. He once tried to go with out his morphine and was sure that he could wean down, he had such pain and learned that he does in deed need his base meds, and now knows they are not a game but his way to have quality of life, even if their being in his life does bother him. He no longer has to take depression meds, and is to a minimal amount of meds, so his life is in a good place. He credits our two little daughters with giving him the will to get threw the worst of his depression, God does know what we need in this life and I am thankful for his gifts daily.  The two little girls were truly a timely gift from God in our lives.

I have some items to get ready for the flea market this weekend. We have a graduation to attend this weekend for our lovely niece. She is a dear and we are so happy to share in her special day. Poppie and Mokie will for sure get to attend I may not get to go, as I am supposed to be at the flea market, I may get to sneak away for a little while to go though, we'll see. I am off to check on my little "duckling" to see if the Tylenol I gave her is working at all..... tomorrow.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Sick kids, new roosters, clean floors, Cheese, Good friends, Life is good.

I woke up and made sourdough pancakes and fresh chicken eggs for the grand kids. Eldest got to help Yogie collect eggs bright and early, so the eggs I cracked into my skillet were still warm from the hens. Doesn't get more organic than that. I served the 5 of them. Three eat like it was the best breakfast every, Eldest, who always says so, assured me that I made the best breakfast every. Grandson are such confidence builders, even we old people need that sometimes. Two of my little ones weren't eating well, one never does so I wasn't concerned the other is my best eater so I ask Booboo what was wrong, her tummy hurt. M had said hers had but as that is pretty typical with her I didn't really listen, well it ended up be a child calling wolf moment. Buga who had eaten almost all of her breakfast and wanted to be done, as well, said hers hurt too. I said they could be done when they were full and scrape their plates into the slop bucket. Buga took a nap, M and Booboo both threw up and took naps. So a slow quiet morning for them. The other two played their electronics and watched a movie.

I made a new batch of mozzarella, I just love when it stretches like at a good ole taffy pull. It was perfect, Sister had happened by and got to see me stretch it for the first time, she was amazed at how it went from curds to stretchy stringy cheese. I made it into balls and put it into brine. I cut her a piece and she just couldn't get over how nice and stringy the texture was, I told her that is why it is sold as string cheese. She and I  had a good talk about family issues that we are confounded by. We try to live our lives as simple and peaceful as possible, kind of reclusive even, and the gossip mongers in our family just can't stop trying to get us into altercations with others. We are strong and refuse to get caught up in the war. I am truly amazed how you can be totally uninvolved in something and because of someones malicious  intent you are the victim of hate. I tell you sometimes small families are a blessing, there are days I wish I had one, then I remember that there is love in a large family that out ways the strive, sometimes.

The grandkids went home, their mom and dad are hopefully on a new path, I just pray so. Poppie used the carpet cleaner and was totally happy with the results. We are so glad we invested in it. We hope it helps us maintain the carpets, but truly carpets don't go well with hobby farms. We had just turned the lights out and were ready to go to our rooms, to calm down before we went to sleep, when we got a phone call. Herbalist and her husband wanted to bring us two roosters that were causing problems at their place. We said they were welcome, we got dressed to go outside. They came and brought the roosters. Yogie was excited to have them, she didn't have a rooster. Booboo is excited to try hatching eggs from them in the future. Herbalists husband, Professor, wanted to see the green house, as a young man fresh out of college, he had managed a 20 acre green house that grew carnations so was excite to see what we had done. He gave us good advice on venting, as had the girls grandfather, he runs a green house at his house and sell potting plants and veggies. Both gave us good ideas which we will implement. While we were in the garden Professor saw our cherry trees and we told them that they were the old style that you could plant the starts from and get wonderful producing trees, he ended up digging up several. We also gave them some raspberry starts. He asked about them, they are thorn less and have large berries. He said that large berries indicated that they were virus free. I told him they were pretty isolated here, and had been here about 30 years.  It got dark and they had to go, but will be back for more plants, I think. All in all a good day and a good visit with relatively new friends....... tomorrow.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Grandkids sleeping on the floor, limited mp3 playing allowed, bikes on the hill.

Poppie and I got the last little window done, and we screwed metal roofing studs together. They are great building material but are a little thin, the way we are using them, they were designed to be in a grid but we are using them like regular studs so we screwed two together for each one we will use. Shinny gave them to us about a year ago or so, they had been in a pile at his house so a couple of days ago Teenager brought them over. They are a little longer than the plastic we will get so they will allow for some hanging of planters off the front end of the green house. That would put the pots over the front raise bed so that will be good. We were building along when Bug and the kids came along. Bug has been working out of town and his job was a little sporadic over the winter so they struggled a bit, don't we all, but it was hard on him and Daughter so we offered to take the kids for the day and night. He said he would think about it and talk to Daughter. I advised him to take some time alone; talk to each other and listen, the listening was always the part the really helped.

Bug left and the Crazy Goat lady coming to pick up Shamrock, she had named him, she called and advised that she was one her way and would call when she got to town so we could show her how to get here. We worked on the greenhouse a little while longer, had a cup of coffee and she called. Poppie went to town and showed her how to get here. She was not at all what I expected, she was a Crazy Goat lady, but maybe the oddist of the ladies I have meant. I have large goats, mostly Boer or Nubian cross dairy so all large, she assured me hers were much larger. She was tall, about Mokie's height of 5' 10", she showed me how tall her goats were, I am thinking at the height she showed me maybe they are part horse. It is funny how when you don't have something right there to compare your sense of reality can go out the window. She put her hand out at almost shoulder high, truly horses are that tall, and that's not ponies. She seemed to really like him, her van looked like she drove goats around regularly and advised me that her goat that usually rode with her didn't feel like coming today. All in all an enlightening meeting, she paid for the buckling and off they went, she was as happy as a clam to have him. I am thinking I can buy some hay with the money.

The girls came home, Grandpa dropped them off on his way home from the Farmers Market, Yogie was excited that her eggs sold out right away, She made good money. She and Booboo both got a tip from a client of Grandpas. Grandpa paid for them and Only to have a ride in the Gondola (actually a rickshaw) they loved that ride, and thanked Grandpa for it. Matt had bought them each a soda, I asked why they chose Pop for a drink and Booboo said "Mom its not Pop, Mat said it was soda" I said, "honey, Soda is pop." She said, "Oh, I didn't know, it is orange." I said, "that's ok for a once in a while treat, but just remember soda is pop."

Bug called and asked to bring the kids up, they were welcome. Eldest brought his mp3 player and sat down to play it the minute he arrived. I said, "no way, you and the others go out and play." We have bikes of all sizes so there was plenty for all. The grand kids live on a busy street in town so don't get to ride really at home. I told them they could ride on the lane, the three older ones went to the top of the hill. Yogie came down full bore, always scares Poppie, Eldest came down, for his first time which scared Poppie more and he told Eldest to use the brake and slow down. Eldest finally got more control after a couple of trips down the hill, and I told Poppie not to look just trust that he is a little boy and will get it, or he will have to learn from the falls. M tried to go up the hill and Poppie said, "no you have to learn to ride the bike better" Poppie got his way on this one, she can't go up the hill yet. Son is going to raise Boys training wheels so they don't really touch to let Boy learn to ride better.

We came in then had dinner, and I let them play the Kinnect's, electronics's in moderation is my rule. Playing outside is always the most important, but the indoor games do have a place. Cubbie got into my bath once I was done, Buga came along and crawled in as well. They were having a blast, nearly high diving off of my garden tub, which I told them not to do, and no big splashes.  They don't get to play together enough and it is good for both of them to learn to play together. They did well. Boy came over to spend the night on the front room floor with all of the others, he made it until they all settled down to lay in the blankets. Yogie had to walk him home, he atleast tried, next time he will last longer. It got quiet after a short while, the first peaceful moment of the day.

 I know that we get more time with our grand kids than alot of grandparents, even though I complain about their antics I never forget that they are all gifts from God. We get to have time with them that others would love to have; because we do we get more input into their lives and the shaping of those lives, we never take that lightly and are happy that our kids allow us that closeness. I believe that a child shows you more love and respect if you are part of their discipline, but to earn that right you have to love them and share a closeness with them, The rule of thumb is what happens at Nannies and Poppies stays at Nannies and Poppies, good or bad a truly good thing....... tomorrow.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Yogie was a good mentor, Shamrock goes home, Zootown Farmers Market.

The trip to the dentist was a success. Yogie was a great mentor for Boy, she took his little hand and lead him back into "her" realm. She has spent so much time at the dentist with her braces in the last six months that she is totally at home there. Our Pediatric Dentist is the best there is, her office is so child friendly that all the children there love being there. All the dentist and staff are so kind and fun for the kids, I applaud our dentist for all her hard work to change children's feelings about being there. They start on the little ones to build a confidence in the children that the dentist doesn't hurt them but helps them build good dental habits. Boy went with Yogie back to the chair. They asked him what flavor of toothpaste, chocolate or rootbeer, he went with the rootbeer (all details are play by play from Yogie) He let them brush his teeth, Yogie got to set in the chair beside him. They found that he had hit one of his front teeth and killed it, it will have to come out next month, but other than that a wonderful visit for him. He got his bag of goodies and a shirt for being good during ex rays.  Booboo had a stellar visit, no cavities, she got her bag of goodies and a t-shirt for her ex rays. Yogie got a token for being a good mentor. Cubbie had not cavities, but screamed up a storm, her mom was with her. We then took the kids for lunch, picked up a few items and came home, great trip to Zootown.

Poppie used his day to get some much needed down time, he just vegged. Shinny came over and visited with him for awhile and they had a good visit. Grandpa called him in the afternoon and told him that Yogie could take her eggs to the big Farmers Market so she got them all ready to take, she had 6 1/2 dozen. Grandpa told her that she could get 4.50 a dozen which is great, she gets 2.00 here, which is good here.
The girls packed their little backpacks, Mokie, Son and the kids took them to Grandpa and Grandma's for the night so they could get up early for their trip to the Farmers Market. I hope they have a great day, sell Yogie's eggs and just have a fun time.

Today is the day that Shamrock, the little buckling I am selling, goes to his new home. I weaned him and his twin from their mother earlier in the week. They were two months this week, Shamrock didn't really cry much, Rootbeer, the twin and wither, has cried all week. Makes me tempted to put him back with his mother but I want her to dry up, she jumped the fence right after she had her babies last summer and got pregnant again so she is in need of a good long rest before breeding season. Rootbeer will just have to go it on his own, so more crying in our future. I am excited to meet the new owner, she is definitely a crazy goat lady. She has called me several times with tales of her own farm. I am curious to meet her, crazy goat ladies are always such fun. I know several all unique and fun in there own right, and all goat crazy.

So today, Poppie and I will work on rafters, I am always glad when Poppie doesn't do potentially dangerous things when I am not here. Poppie can be a dare devil and does need a voice of reason on some things. So glad he vegged yesterday. It is a bit rainy today, so we will see what we accomplish, maybe it will be indoor things which is just as well. The rafters will still be there when it is no longer raining..... tomorrow.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Trip to the dentist today, Poppie tills one last time and rafters go up.

Mokie, all four kids and I are off to the dentists first thing this morning. Yogie is not actually going for her cleaning as at the last ortho appointment they had changed their policy about the ortho patients having to have their cleaning in the ortho department of the office. They changed her appointment to her next ortho appointment in a few weeks. We decide she should come because the girls always go for each others appointments. We have to travel over 50 miles and it gives them a day of fun so they don't associate the dentist with negative. They are both very good students so that isn't a problem. Since Mokie can't be in both rooms at once with her two kids Yogie has decided to hold Boy's hand and help him be a big boy at the dentist. I will be her back up, Booboo doesn't usually need a hand held anyway. Mokie will have the pleasure of holding Cubbie's hand, lucky her.

We do want to get home early in the afternoon so we hope all goes smooth and we can get right back, probably lunch and pick up some minerals for the goats. The girls are going to go with Grandpa to the big farmers market in Zootown tomorrow, so they will spend the night, so they can drive in, he usually has to drive 60 plus miles and be there and set up by 9. The market runs from 9 to 12 or maybe 1. He wants them to experience the bigger market which will be nice. The local market starts here the 18 of June. He usually goes to the bigger one then does the local one after the major planting sales at the big one tapper off. He can sell the produce almost as well here, and grandma keeps their greenhouse open for sales so that balances them not going into Zootown for the later part of the summer, plus he gets to spend it with the girls.

Poppie plans to till one last time before we plant the garden. He has been tilling every couple of day, makes the soil nice and soft but also helps to kill weeds so they don't get a start. We grow an organic garden, not certified, but we have never used anything on our weeds but good old elbow grease and we don't use commercial products on it just compost and manure, we have lots. He will start putting up the rafters the windows are all done and some of them look a little funny or let's say the greenhouse is unique but it is all from upcycled windows, that don't always match and will heat up the beds very nicely. We will be getting the roofing just after the first of the month and it will be all done and ready to plant.

Poppie will have time for Poppie this morning, no kids, as they will be all with us. He has learned over the years that we all love him and don't like when he is not here with us so he isn't really gone a lot and is a bit of a recluse. He likes visiting with the mothers when he picks up the kids, visits with the local business people when he picks up oil and slop. He has a couple of friends that he visits, spends time with Bug when Bug is not working, Son and he have a nice relationship but generally Poppie is a home body. He does like when he gets to be at home all by himself, he says it is nice. I don't like to be alone so don't ever feel the need to be alone so I just have to understand that he has the need. Today Poppie gets alone time..... tomorrow.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Cream Puff Shells a great treat and memory, greenhouse is nearing completion.

I worked on upcycled toddler outfits yesterday, the local thrift store, Woman In Timber, where I volunteer when I can, so nicely saves wool items that they can't sell for me. I am blessed for their kindness. I made a cute little boys outfit from one of the men's sweaters, little pants, sweater and hat. I cut out a little red girls outfit, I am going to applique on it, I think that that will add a wonderful special touch to the little out fits. I have several more to cut out and some of the ones I have already finished I think I will add applique to. I am not sure it will be the right time of the year to sell them, at the Flea Market, next week. I think they will be nice for my Internet stores or maybe I will add them to the pages I am adding to this blog and hope to get up and running real soon. I am also working on little jean skirts and maybe some silk tie items that may be more season appropriate for this show.

I helped Poppie with windows in the greenhouse, we are working on the ones that are about 10 feet up so I can only really hand things up or sometime help on the ladder. We have one more high window to put in and three short window to have all the glass in.  The rafters next, roofing, planting boxes and beds. The completion of the green house is something we look forward to with great anticipation. I hope to have really nice early crops from having it. The greenhouse will truly be a blessing in the years to come.

During the hot of the day, when Poppie and I were taking a coffee break, I made up some Cream Puff Shells. It helps me use up some of our extra eggs and the girls like them with cream. I made enough to have extras to share. Poppie actually ended up helping me stir in the last 4 eggs, as my arm was getting tired from the stirring.

Cream Puff Shells

1 cup water
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 eggs

Combine water, butter, salt and sugar bring to a boil. Once the water boils dump the flour in, literally all at once, stir in , it will thicken into a dense ball rather quickly. Remove from heat, one at a time add the eggs, and thoroughly stir each one in, make sure that all the egg is stirred in before adding the next egg, if you don't it will become a big gooey mess. Once all four eggs are stirred in completely, drop on to a greased cookie sheet. You can drop teaspoons full to make little crab puffs or hourderves or drop 1/4 cup ice cream scoop size for big puffs. If you add it as long strips you can make eclairs. The possibilities for this dough is endless once you master it. Crullers?  Once the pan is full bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. They will be golden brown and nicely puffed, let them cool completely before handling them, don't remove from the pan until they are cool. You can store them for several days or freeze them for future use.

I fondly remember making these from a small child with my momma. She made them alot, they don't take much ingredients, but do take correct mixing skill which she taught me early on. I over the years have tried to cheat and use the mixer but ended up with a mess, tried to add all the eggs at once, mess, so don't be tempted to do it. Or do try it and you will never try it again.  My little girls, like I had in day gone by, love them, they area  relatively good treat as far as sweet treats go, you can leave out the sugar in the puffs and especially when you are making them as a savory dish. We dip them in whip cream or fill them up with whip cream, real cream is the best. Tonight we are going to put pudding in the ones left over from last night. We made a double batch that is why Poppie had to help, eight eggs is more than I can stir alone.... tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Buckling quietly slipped away, Boaz will come to NannyLand, Death and births renewal.

Poppie and I both checked on the little buckling first thing in the morning. He was laying peacefully in the kennel but unaware of his surrounding, blind and in no pain. He later peacefully slipped away. We figured in the end that he had either gotten brain damage and or broke his neck but was not killed immediately. We think the trauma caused brain swelling that slowly took him. He was never in pain he just slowly faded away. We were saddened by his death but had not created bonds with him, which was good for the girls. He was a long awaited replacement for his brother that we sold earlier this year. Herbalist offered us his half brother in his place, he is one of her set of quad and has good breeding so we will soon be getting him. His name will be Boaz. Sadly part of farming is death, but renewal also comes, it is played out on a much quicker scale than life in general and a very good learning experience of all of the children. Farm kids never asked the questions that city kids do, they see it on a more personal level and ask different questions that are relevant to their lives. Death, sex,  and where to babies come from are all a part of their lives in a different manner and much more natural.  They know where babies come from, they help deliver them, at very young ages. Death comes with the birthing part of the time, and sex happens in the barnyard.

Gracie and I had a talk first thing when she came. We talked about how to treat the other children and the fact that school would be coming for her in the fall. I told her that at school she would not be allowed to bully the other children and that she should try to treat the other children the way she wanted to be treated. I asked her if she wanted the kids to like her and play with her at school. She assured me that she did. I explained to her that she should practice being nice to other children because if she didn't start doing that that the kids at school would not like her and not play with her. I told her that I knew she wanted to play with the other kids and that being mean to them was not the way to get the others to want to play with her. I also told her that you could not force them to like you, you had to be likable and they would play with her as she would be fun to like and share their time with. She did try to be better after that, she only had to sit in time out once, and I did spank her for spitting in the other kids food, but all in all she was trying to be a better friend to the kids. I guess we will have to work on her behavior until school starts.

I had an appointment to show my soaps at a local store, it showed well and they will let me know if they can use my soaps. If so, the owner has two stores, one here and one where she lives so could be a great opportunity. I also got a request for a sample for a lady on etsy that might make a large order of special size bars. Son had some one ask for milk for making some mozzarella of their own so possibilities are opening up.

I delivered laundry soap at CAKLS, but Lady was not there for hers and her eggs. She was not at the library at all she was at the hospital with her family welcoming her new little grandson into the world. I got to see pictures of him later, he is a lovely baby. One of the photos was particularly adorable, it was of her little granddaughter holding her new little brother, she was intently looking at his little fingers. It so looked like a new mother counting her babies fingers and toes, just the cutest thing ever. I am so happy for the whole family they deserve their happiness and joy at the expansion of their family. ................. tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Baby goats many tales, cheeses made, Tuesday I prayer for calm.

I checked on my blue cheese in my little "cave", actually in my wood stove oven in the studio, it is close to the humidity and temp I need until we get a real one made. I had not gotten enough whey out of it so softer than I would like, good blue growing so I quartered it, left two quarter to continue to blue and made blue feta out of the other two quarters. I hope they come out well. I made the mozzarella in to curd but had to put in the frig to finish today as Mokie brought our new baby buckling.

She picked up the buckling on her return from Zootown. She said when she got there he was caught in the fence between two pens. Herbalist hadn't seen him prior to Mokie getting there. They putting him in the car and Mokie brought him home. She took him out of the car and he was acting oddly he couldn't stand right and had his little head down. I tried walking him around, and he could walk but was weak on his left front leg. I worked with him for about three hours, I got him to drink and gave him some drench, per the directions.  He seemed to get a little strength but kept walking into the wall. I got down with him and noticed I could stick my finger up and touch his lashes before he blinked his eyes. (When we had gotten out of the car I had noticed his eyes were rolled back in his head). I became aware that he could not see. I called Herbalist and Belle, who works for her answered. I advised both of them of the situation. Herbalist was shocked at what I was telling her, she was going to come over to see him. I stayed outside until it was to cold to stay out anymore, I put the little guy in a kennel so he couldn't hurt himself. He didn't seem to get any better last night. Poppie checked on him this morning but he seems the same. I hope Herbalist comes by early this morning. I don't think the little guy is going to make it. I think he may have had the circulation cut off to part of his body while he was caught in the fence. I don't think, and hope he hasn't got anything wrong with him, he came from a closed herd and they don't have any other problems. I am so disappointed he is a cutie, but the reality is baby animals die on farms. We moved one of my doelings into Mokie's pen with the other little doeling that Mokie picked up at Herbalists, I also weaned two of my twin bucklings to a new pen, they have Dessert and Lamb Chops for company. The new weanling cried all night for their momma's.

I have mozzarella to stretch this morning and the four kids will be here today. I will get ahead of Miss Gracie's antics today and nip the naughtiness in bud. No frustrations today, I am the adult and she is going to mind and be appropriate to the other children. I am hoping to go to CAKLS, deliver eggs, a pattern and laundry soap. I will see how long I will get to stay depending upon how the day develops. The sun is starting to clear off the fog, and the left over rain a wonderful day to come....... tomorrow.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Floors to scrub, cheese to make and sweaters to put on soap this morning.

I hope to get to use my new carpet scrubber today, we got it for mothers day. I will totally enjoy it. I am not a woman that is offended by home appliances. I am a woman who will enjoy that I don't have to rent the spendy machine, that I can't afford, and I will now have the ability to maybe keep my carpets up and won't want to tear them out and replace them with hardwood. I may still long for the hardwood and may someday get it but for now I am happy, on some level, to be spoiled. I do admit I am hard to buy something for, I don't usually like frivolity and frivolous gifts bug me. My husband knows me well.

I didn't get into the Made Fair coming up in June in Zootown. I was hesitant to apply, one it was 10 dollars just to apply and I had a feeling I would not get in. I prayed to the Lord to do his will on the outcome as it would show me the way I was to proceed with craft shows. I like to go to them and 20 years ago they were the only way for me to sell my art items that made sense. I however in the last few years have learned that, for me atleast, they are a waste of time and money. I make more profit selling my items on the Internet, no over head fees, well there are selling fees but nothing like, travel and lodging. I do like networking at craft shows but I  have now learned how to network on the Internet and I come out ahead there too. I had been hesitant at this show, imparticularly, because I either had items that the established vendor in the show had, which meant they would get first spots or I had items that Zootown would find politically incorrect, namely my antler and tusk items. I admit I did have a defeatist attitude going in, but I did promise God I would take a chance this once. I only regret, at this point, that I didn't follow the little voice in my gut and save my 10 bucks for something I needed. I really don't mind the fees for the shows but the idea that you have to pay to apply does bug me a little. I was asked if I wanted to be on the overflow list and I said yes, but have no real hope that that is in my future either. I am actually developing pages to add to this blog that would allow me to sell on my first non-affiliated web page. I just have to figure it all out and get it going, I have done the mission page and am working on the soap page, upcycled page and more to follow. I have always aspired to the verse, "when God closes a window he opens a door" I hope this will be a door for me. I try to be a half full person whenever I can.

I have to make cheese this morning. Son will be glad that I am making mozzarella. I have aged feta, medium feta and new feta all brining so will have plenty to make foccacia with the girls for the farmers market. I have a blue aging, I hope it works out well. Today it will be mozzarella, I watched a show where the Syrians stretched it in a fun way so will try that for fun.

I have been crocheting little sweaters for my body soaps, so that is fun. I made ones that make them look like little flowers, I may have Mokie makes some roses for some of them. Booboo wants to practice her crocheting so she can make soap sweaters. I told her she can practice up and I will show her how, never damping enthusiasm I say, she will make lovely soap sweaters by summers end I bet.

Yogie is stopping on the way to school to buy her first bag of chicken food, we had paid until today and today she has her first debit in her accounting columns. I won some peafowl eggs, on ebay, for Booboo, she is faithfully marking off her calendar for the guinea eggs and making sure the incubator is running right. I do pray she gets chicks. I haven't won any turkeys eggs yet but working on it.

Off to sterilize my cheese roaster and get my day going....... tomorrow.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Raspberries to move to a new home, maybe a lasagna garden, Blackberries of days gone by.

We rough tilled the garden last week and dug shoots of raspberries out of the path of the tiller as we went along. I set them aside still in their dirt and I offered to them to Lady who had wanted some for her own garden space. This week her husband stopped by and he took them home, they had done real well as they were still in the dirt. I hope she has a wonderful new patch. We have been allowing the goats into the lawn, daily to eat what they will, the grass needs mowing and as we have a great big lawn this kills to birds with one stone, lawn care and browsing for the does and the babies. I love when you get a win win. Well I am not sure that Poppie would say it is always a win win, as the lawn wraps around the house, and leads to the garden at the top of a little hill. The goaties sometime get bored and wonder right up that little hill. We have been clapping our hands loud or tapping two sticks together and the sharp noise turns them right around but if we are not there they take liberties, and as there is nothing yet planted, and growing, they attack my fruit trees and raspberries, very bad. We are talking about putting a little fence at the end of the lawn, to basically fence them away from the garden and have also contemplated putting a raise bed on the garden side of the little fence. We would establishing a lasagna garden along the long fence and replant the raspberries to the little fence line. That would get the raspberries completely out of the main garden and give the raspberries a new home, and give me a place to use the manure and wastes from the goat pens, so big win win. I think I will lay cardboard in the next few days and the kid will enjoy helping, what kid doesn't like to throw "papers" down and splash water on them. I will then put some of the vast amount of pine needles and cones down as part of my first brown layer. It will give me a great start to the new raspberry bed with no topsoil needed right away, alas, win win.

This berry talk has made me fondly remember getting to drive down from Grangeville in the summers, of my childhood, to go swimming in the Salmon river. We always went down to a little area known as Graves Creek, we drove out across the prairie in the early part of the day, along the Graves creek  road on Graves Creek there were wonderful wild black berries. We took our buckets and the lot of us, kids and parents, dove in to those berries, buckets in hand, and went to picking. We thought of the cobblers and jellies that would come from our labors, not realizing that the little purple faces that came out of the patch told the tale of how much more could have been made. We call that canning them in the patch, preserved but no middle man involved. We always picked for several hours and when we were hot, and tired of picking, we put the berries in the cooler and continued down to the Salmon river and went to swimming. We actually didn't know how to swimming at the time but we went to the little sand beach, at the end of the road, and inter tubed and tried to swim while our parents swam. Sometime friends would come and all of us kids enjoyed our time together. I once almost drowned, the dads had floated the river earlier that day and the moms and kids meant them there to pick them up. Us kids were playing with the tubes, they had floated with, because the river can get pretty rough, it is called the river of no return after all, they had tied ropes to their tube. I was floating on the tube with my body wrapped around the rope, I unlike the dads, could not really swim with out my life jacket. I flipped over and I could not get the tube to flip back over the rope prevented me from doing so. I was under what seemed like forever before one of the other kids tried to take the tube away and inadvertently saved me from drowning. There were so many kids playing no one had seen my close call.

We always had a picnic after the swimming and then drove up Graves creek to our home. Sometimes we had fished during the day as well, but not always. One night as we were driving along looking for rattle snakes and dad saw a great big one, he got out deciding he wanted to kill it and take its skin and rattle, he actually had done it before but this night he didn't have anything with him to kill it. He went to the back of the station wagon and got out one of his big poles, he screwed off the big handle about 18 inches long. He took the handle and scrunched the large rattlesnakes head into the screw end of the pole. The head was in the pole for a long time, in my memory, he actually only let it dry out before he removed it. The snakes were always on the road, right about were the black berry brambles were along the road.  It took years after we moved from Grangeville for my mom to say to my dad, out of nowhere, one day. "years ago when we were picking blackberries down on Graves Creek where were the rattle snakes during the day? I know they were on the road at night getting warm on the road, but where were they during the day?"  My dad, with a sheepish look on his face, looked at my mom, who is terrified of rattle snakes, and said, "Mom, they were in the black berries by the creek so they wouldn't overheat." I saw the color drain from her face as the reality of how many times she and her babies had dove into the black berry bramble with the snakes.  I won't repeat what she had to say to him...... tomorrow.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Prayer in my life is probably not traditional but it has always been a comfort to my soul.

I can remember the prayer my dad said at every meal from as small as I can remember. My dad always said it and then we ate, it was almost always the same, some would say it was by rout but I believe that my dad said with God in his heart every time he just didn't feel the need to change it up. I have heard all sorts of prayers of grace and they are almost always the same, praying for what we eat may not be a very creative endeavor. I believe that just the doing of it says something about who you are as a family. I tried to make sure that grace was said at the table when our older kids were little but I didn't always stay consistent. My little girls share the duty of grace and we try to always include prayers for those in need, and to pray for those less fortunate than ourselves, I try to give them a form of self expression in their praying so they have a true comfort with speaking to the Lord. I hope that doesn't offend but I want them to be able to conversate with the Lord.

Praying has always been in my life but I am not sure I do it like you are supposed to do it. Yes, some times I pray to God through Jesus in a very formal way in Church and on many occasions but that is not the way I usually pray. Praying for me is more like an on going conversation with the Lord. I find my self talking to God a great deal but it is almost always out loud when I am doing something. I may be doing the dishes, carving, walking or pulling weeds. My husband and kids think I am talking to myself. Yogie ask me once,"why do you talk to yourself" I told her sometimes I talk to the Lord, and sometimes I talk to myself, I told her it was ok to talk to yourself, sometime you need to know what you think and talk it over with yourself to get thinks all straight between you and your self.  She talks to herself and she is comforted by the conversations. When she was little she of all my children had what I would call an imaginary friend she spoke with.   I think that maybe it was that she needed to talk to herself and I gave her permission to do so and it helps her along the way.

Back to praying. I know the Lord speaks to me, no, I have never had the pleasure of hearing his voice, I know others do, but the Lord doesn't speak to me in a voice that I can hear. The Lord speaks to me in many ways though. Sometimes when I am low and don't know what I should do to get our family afloat, as we live on a fixed income through Poppie and anything extra comes from my carvings, or any of the many ways I find to make money. I sometimes find that money is short and I don't know where we will find it to keep going and pray to the Lord, I am not the kind of person that only prays at the last moment but I am guilty of not always praying as the first course either. I pray mostly in the middle of a situation and am trying to work on having the conversation with God first. I most often get the answer almost immediately from God, I will be distressed that maybe Ebay or Etsy is not where I should be working and maybe I should find another way to work, and from out of know where my sales will jump up the next morning or I will get a special order that surprises me, or antlers that I needed come my way, either as a gift, someone has ones they don't need or an order I had given up on, thinking the seller had stolen my money months ago, arrives on my door step. All assurances from God that I am where I need to be, at home with my kids, Poppie and the goats.

My dad always taught us that the Lord will provide, when you truly need something from God, it always comes to you, he is our father and he provides us with what we need, not always what we want but what we need, a great difference. I know that I may fall short on many levels by people that judge me but I do know that I am where I should be in this life, at this time, the Lord God tells me so in so many ways...... tomorrow.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Green house windows almost done, and hatching eggs arrived.

Blogger was offline from yesterday afternoon until now, I think I had withdrawals, but I can now write my daily blog, I guess that isn't a bad addiction as far as addictions go. We spent a good deal of the day getting all of the big windows in, the last one is left but will finish that this morning and the green house will have its main structural elements. We will be getting the rafters on and adding the little fill in windows, I can't wait to see what we produce. It will allow for us to to have a longer and more abundant season, I hope. Here in western Montana we can have a limited growing season so this will give us many more options.

Poppie set up the incubator and tested it for Booboo, it is working well so we ordered eggs which arrived this morning. Poppie was so funny he handled them with such care when he put them in the incubator, he can't wait for Booboo to come home from school so they can mark the calendar and await the arrival of their keets. I am ordering peafowl eggs and turkey eggs too.  Yogies is doing well with her accounting on her eggs and has gotten a couple new clients, she is doing simple accounting but it is a learning tool. They now both have a project that builds their skills in farm management, all be it on a tiny scale.

My pop up canopy arrived it will provide shaded cover for the upcoming flea market we will be going to, it is 10x10 so should provide a nice little selling area too. Poppie is going to set it up later today and see how it goes. We also got a new carpet cleaner, the carpets are the hardest thing for me to keep up with. I by my artistic nature am a cluttery house keep, projects here and there, but the carpets and floor are my main problem. I have so many kids and animals coming and going I get behind, hopefully the new carpet/floor cleaner will help me stay afloat.

I think one of my favorite wall plaque,s my mom had on the wall when I was a child, influenced my house cleaning philosophy, it said, "my house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy." I think our lives as children got harder when my mom lost the plaque and became obsessive about her house, she gets more so every year. I can be an obsessive person myself so always tried to remember that the house will still be there to clean tomorrow, my kids only have one childhood and it is more important for me to spend quality time with them than worrying about if the house is perfect, after all one of our quality times together is cooking and cleaning, but not to perfection, which seems to be a never ending pursuit for some people. My house is clean enough to be healthy and definitely dirty enough for us to be a happy family.... tomorrow.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Camping has always been a source of family fun and memories in my family.

The year I finished the second grade I had barely gotten out of school when we were off on the first camping trip I can ever remember going on. It was late May, and I took the end of the school papers with me on the trip, or I may not have remembered when we went. My mother could not have been pleased with the mess but let me take them, maybe to keep the kids entertained as much as anything. We merrily scribbled on them as we traveled. We had new sleeping bags, a new tent, new fishing poles, new tackle, new coolers....  We had them because my dad had sold his prized vintage 45 Colt, he sorrowed at its loss but my dad has always given up his things for mom and us kids, when it was needed, he loves us. When our family had started to grow, after their marriage, he had had to sell his 1957 Thunderbird, also his prized possession, to buy a bigger car. The family needed a backseat to fill up.

We went to Brownley Dam Reservoir on the Idaho Oregon board, a hundred or more miles away, I am not really sure how far it was, but it was a long ways to the 5 of us children, all stacked like cord wood in the back seat of the car. Grandma, Gladys, Grandpa, Jim, Lynne and Zonna went with us for the trip. I remember songs around the campfire, sleeping in the big old tent, fighting with the Aunts and siblings, sometimes a tent for a week is a small place. One of the days we were there we had been fishing on the shores of the reservoir when we had decided to go back to the campground for lunch, we had got all the way back to the camp when mom and dad discovered that my youngest brother, about two at the time, was not in the car. We rushed back to the shores to find him on a rock, where a man and lady had found him sleeping. The incident had scared my parents so bad, I remember them counting us before the car moved for months. My dad and granddad would go to the base of the dam at night to catch catfish, to fill our coolers, to take home. My dad to this day recounts an odd air craft hovering over him and his father, it made no noise and flew in a manner not possible for our technology, at the time or this time for that matter, yes, my very religious, never lies, dad and granddad both believed, to the bottom of their souls, that they saw a alien craft. Do I belief they did, yes. The camping trip was one of the highlights of my childhood, the only real week long vacation we ever took in my childhood, it was priceless.

Poppie and I love to camp. We have always tried to take our kids, older and younger camping. When the older ones were small, we went huckleberry picking for a long weekend with my parents, the younger girls, my sister and her family had another wonderful time of memories. When Goofy was 11 we took the kids camping near our home, in the woods, we had just gotten there when we found beer and pop bottles shattered in the creek, I dislike partiers that have no care for the woods. We spent an hour cleaning them up, we had check and rechecked the swimming area for glass before the kids were allowed to play in the water. Goofy climbed up on a boulder and slide down between it and a rock, yes, she found the only piece of glass left, slicing her foot open. We wrapped a towel around the foot to try to stop the bleeding but it wasn't wanting to stop. I didn't have time to hook the camper back up so Goofy, Joe, our foster kid, and I took the truck to go to the hospital, we left Poppie, Bug and Mokie at the campsite. It took 45 minutes to drive to the hospital. Once at the hospital the Dr couldn't stitch the foot without putting her under, she had just eaten lunch so we had to wait hours before the surgery could begin. They had to repair a severed ligament in the arch of her foot, that finished that camping trip, Joe had returned to the campsite with the truck to get Poppie and the kids while I waited with Goofy for the surgery.

 Since our little girls, blessed our lives, we have always gone camping the first week in August, the week of Yogies birthday, sometimes we go again the first week of September for Booboo's birthday, but that is harder with them being school age now. We have such good memories of watching them cast their poles, skip rocks, kiss fish, swim, wade and fall into the water depending upon their age. We have never taken the little girls a long way away camping, we have learned that driving a hundred miles away, doesn't make the woods any nicer than the woods right up the valley.  We have the ability to go to the woods and be far away from our busy lives, but the safety of checking on our little farm, if needs be, costs less and we get to go more often so more memories can be made. The fun of the trip is about our time together not the distance we travel, maybe as they get older we will venture farther but for now we have never felt the need..... tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Thank goodness yesterday is over and tuesday are only once a week..

We started the day with gladness in our hearts that God had sent us such a lovely sunny day. Poppie tilled and I picked up the big rocks that came to the surface. All in all a very pleasant morning. Mokie had to be at work at 10:30 so the Cubbie Bear and Boy came then. Poppie let the tilled ground set to dry and we had coffee. I made the kids come eggs and ketchup, why anyone would eat ketchup on eggs I do not know, salsa yes, ketchup no. Son does so there is no help for them.  The morning was pleasant, I salted feta and started it on its process.  I knew I could not go to my CAKLS group, I do so love to go as it is some of the only adult conversation I get in a week. Not that Poppie and Mokie aren't adult but they are family and we talk, family, farming and kids... not politics, world events and just anything like we ladies of CAKLS do. So much fun to be a part of and there is the fiber art to enjoy as well.

Sister came to share especially nice news, can't share at this point but will when she says I can. I pray all goes well for her. She stayed about an hour, such a nice visit. Poppie had gone to town and talked to the owner of the Kubota for the use for one more day. We tilled a second time and the ground was getting nicer and nicer, we did get three full tills during the day. Just before two the pseudo grand kids came. Their mom dropped them off and they began to play. I opened the doe pen gates so the does and baby's could come our and free range on my lawn, no mowing yay, we are training them, as good as you can train a goat to stay on the yard and not come into the garden, some success, some not so much.

Gracie, Alex, Cubbie and Boy were playing on the swing playhouse combination jungle gym. Grace was swinging way to high and I ask her to stop or she was going to hurt some one. She and Boy are 4, Alex and Cubbie are both 2. She didn't stop and hit Alex knocking him off his feet and hurting him. I sent her to have a seat. I made sure Alex was ok, and let Gracie set and think, well she didn't do any thinking she didn't shut up long enough to do so, the rules is no talking in time out. I went to talk to her but she started telling me that I had gotten my puppy from the neighbor, I said "no, the puppy is not from the neighbor" She yelled at me in her bossy manner and said "yes! he is" I said "no she isn't and you are not to back sass and you need to got to the porch to take a seat where you can be alone and think of your naughtiness."  She sat on the porch awhile and I called her over to talk to her. She said she would do better.  She had been off the porch about 15 minutes when Cubbie started crying and Boy came to tell, I allow tells but no tattling. A tell is if some one is hurt or in danger, tattle is whining telling of nonsense. Boy said "Gracie, bit Cubbie"  I went over to check Cubbie, sure enough a bite mark, I ask Gracie if she bit Cubbie she lied to me "no," I told her if she was lying to me she would be in alot more trouble. I asked again, She said she did. I was frustrated. She didn't have her shoes on which, as she loses them all the time, is a rule to keep them on, I rarely spank other peoples kids or my grand kids but do on occasion but didn't want to spank her at this point. I ask her if she liked to bite, she said she did, I said ok you can bit on soap and will see if you like that, I goat a plain bar of oatmeal soap and had her bite it, She did said she like it and chewed it and swallowed it. I was not happy, she has no discipline at home, rules the roost and calls her dad a dickhead, so I was at a loss for how to get through to her. I told her go to the porch, take a seat and if she took off her shoes again I would throw them away. She said you can't they are new.  I told her if you take them off again I will throw them in the big trash can at the end of the driveway.  She sat for awhile on the porch, I called her over and spoke with her about being kind to the other kids, no biting and to say sorry to Cubbie.  She was playing with the other kids and about half hour later she was swinging and threw her shoes off. I stopped picking rocks out of the garden, walked over to pick up the shoes, told her to set on the porch in the time out seat, which has good view of the trash can at the end of the driveway. I walked to the end of the drive opened the trash can and threw the shoes into it, it had been dump earlier in the day so the shoe were all that was in it. She started screaming and crying. She said "I don't have any more new shoes, just old ones, " I told her good she would have something to wear next time she came she was a lucky little girl"  She sat on the porch awhile, seemed to be nicer so I let her play with the kids. I went to make dinner, she spent more time in the corner, and on the porch, before I served them all spaghetti and corn for dinner. Amazingly all the children eat the food right up, Gracie and Alex usually don't as their mother doesn't cook and serves them alot of junk food. But all 6 kids, my girls were home by now, ate everything and went to play.

Gracie is always a handful on the first day back from being at home for the weekend with her parents. Mokie's new work hours might just kill me before I get a handle on Gracie. Mokie's dog also tore up one of Poppes' seats, so he was not happy, all and all a long day.  I gave Gracie back her shoes and told her that was her one chance next time, the garbage man would take them away, I hope she remembers she is as smart as a whip, and her parents aren't she runs circles around them. No kids today, well maybe Cubbie and Boy but no big problems, I hope..... tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

A whole week of sunshine promised, we intend to take advantage of it.

The sun has not yet peaked threw the fog that steams in our little valley. The sunshine rays are shinning off of the mist like a shinny package waiting to be opened  a warm day ahead. I hope it fulfills it's destiny today. The warmth will be such a boon for the garden to come and the gloom of this spring will not overshadow this nice promised week. We are going to till the garden one last time, with the Kubota, before Poppie has to take it back to his friend. Any future tilling will have to be done with Poppie's tractor, after he removes the gift of sand from Cubbie and Boy. He is just glad he discovered it before it ruined the motor on the tractor or the pull tiller. More windows to install in the greenhouse, but each is so exciting to see go up, the greenhouse changes so much with each addition. The little shed will be such a welcomed addition to our gardening. We have just about 3 eights of an acre that is garden, fruit , sand cherries and raspberries. Sometimes the weeds get ahead of us, but as with any on going chore is never ending. We don't use weed killers on our garden so we battle on as best we can. We will be planting sometime this week the crops that we can. I hope to move my strawberries into a new raised bed. We had had them in a raised wall the we used to make the garden but the wall has hardened, which it needed to do, so they need a kinder environment so to new beds they will go. I may move some raspberries as well, as they keep sending their protegee into the gardening area where they are not welcome, so a new home for them would help with that.

I do have to make more soap and cheese in the next couple days. I made blue cheese yesterday, now I just have to wait to see how it comes out. I have a small feta to slice and finish today. I really do have to make soap, I had re batched the soap the girls and I made Friday but forgot about it and Poppie found it bubbling over my rebatcher on to the cupboard, I saved it just as I was to walk out the door to a baby shower. I wasn't sure how it would turn out after that, I didn't get to scent it so it is plain. The next morning when Yogie and I cut it it had such wonderful coloration through it so a success of sorts in the end. It does have a nice oatmeal smell.

I hope I can get back on track and get the energy to get back into my routines, I  have just been off this spring, I don't do winters well, and neither does Poppie, so we  hope to see the spring soon, We are really getting to the age when people become or plan to become snow birds. We are not the kind of people who would do well as snowbirds so have to figure out how to be better winter people. I plan to enjoy the lovely warm day the Lord has provided..... tomorrow.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Today the court will finish events set in motion years ago, Bug legally has children.

Today is going to be a special day for our family, the girls won't go to school but to court. They don't remember the court side of their adoption as they weren't there, Lady took care of them for us. They remember their adoption party, a little, as they were little at the time. They are excited to get to be present when Eldest, M and Buga are adopted by Bug and Buga is adopted my Daughter.  Today the court will recognise, to the world, what we, as a family, have known to be true in our hearts for most of the kids lives. They will be able to proudly claim their last names and no one will be able to say to them that's not really true. The school will have to recognise them as such for all functions. The dad and mom that have always been there for them, in thick and thin, will be their parents as it should be. I don't feel any sadness for the parents that walked away from the children, those tears were shed along time ago by more than one mother. God sends us our children, they come to us in many ways, that only God can fathom, or understand why, but all are our gifts from God. Do remember to treasure your gifts, you get none more precious on this earth.

If the rain lets up after the court we hope to get the rest of the garden tilled, Poppie will then go to the neighbors and till their garden and help them with some yard work.. Poppie's gas can got sand in it, compliments of Boy and Cubbie, so he has to clean his carburetor on his tractor so he ended up borrowing a kabota from his friend. The rest of the week will be nice, so the weather lady says, this coming weekend I think Bug and Daughter will be having a barbecue for the kids adoption that will be nice. Bug had to take off work for court and will be out of town on a job the rest of the week. We really hope to get the rest of the windows in the greenhouse and the rafters done. I am hoping to get the roofing on the 18th. We will see if I can swing it.

Shinny brought Booboo an incubator to use for hatching eggs, that he had, Belle is going to lend her one as well so we will see how the egg hatching will work out. I have ordered some Guinea fowl eggs on line, they are relatively inexpensive for a first try. If they work out well we are going to order peafowl eggs. Our males really do need a female or two to fan for. The goats are tired of their courting advances. I think we will try hatching some heritage turkeys as well, that should be a full schedule for this year but if she does well she will hatch out chicks to sell.

Well off to enjoy the day and my "new grand children's" special day... tomorrow.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

The 5 woman in Jesus geneology and Mothers day when my little ones cook me breakfast in bed.

I watched a preacher this morning that spoke of the only 5 woman included in the genealogy of Jesus, his mothers I would say. I found it very interesting that they were all such human woman, they were none of them perfect and all had sinned. The list is Tamar, Rehab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary. They weren't all of Jewish decent, some whores or pretended to be, their transgression varied but in the end they all contributed to their decedents being here on earth. I think that on Mothers Day it was nice to listen to the plights or victories of these special biblical women. I know that they uplifted me and gave me pause to see in others, of all grades of sin, that there is always victory in the Lord Jesus and that eternal life it free to all for the asking. I often question the sincerity in Christians that separate themselves from sinners and only associate with Christian friends. The Lord Jesus associated with sinners, as they are the most in need, the Christians already love and understand God's message, it is the sinners who truly need our associations and our sharing of the Lords word. I think that Mothers teach us our first thoughts of the Lord, our first bible versus  that we learn, our first songs and our first prayers. I thank my parents for my firm belief in the Lord Jesus and my compassion for all the sinners on this earth, which includes me, for all have sinned and need the Lord's forgiveness.

My Mother's day always begins with Poppie helping the girls make me breakfast in bed, as Poppie is not always big on breakfast and is not a multi-tasker sometimes I have to patiently weight for him to get it organized, but always worth the weight. Sometime the eggs have shells in them, little hands after all are just leaning how to perfect their egg cracking skills. The pride in their little faces at their accomplishments are priceless and make the meal the best ever. It is amazing how each year it just gets better. Their litany of Happy Mothers day makes my heart swell with pride that I am their mother, I couldn't be more proud of them. I have pride in all of my children, I know they are not perfect and good honest people in the making, doesn't it take us all a life time to get there, and some of us never do. So I am going to tuck in listen to the Gospel singers praise the Lord, wait for my breakfast and listen to my heart sing at the wonderful thing that being a mother is..... tomorrow.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

I love my momma after all she is my momma, Sugar cookies probably says it loudest.

My little girls are gone to their grandparents, to spend time with them Only and Matt. I am glad they get to spend time with them that wasn't always easy for me or easy for me to say. It is funny after all the trauma and pain of the past relationship that my two girls get to spend the most time with them of any of their grand kids, as at one time they thought they would lose them. I am glad that we worked so hard to not break the relationship and they have their grandparent, and a relationship with Only, Matt and Kathy.

I set here drinking coffee with my sweetie and think of my mother on this mothers day weekend. I think that when I think of my mothers love, it is always about food, in the end my mother loves you with food. Some people love with money, some with food and some with hugs, kisses and their time. I am sure that there are many other ways that people show love but those are the ones I am most familiar with. I hope that I am the last, sometime maybe I love with food, and sometime I love by giving but I hope I am not the first, I think loving with money is the saddest way to love.

I believe that my mother came into her own as a cook when we lived in Grangeville, she always said she could only cook spaghetti and salad when she married. I am not sure that is exactly true but it may be quite accurate. I don't have many recipes from my grandma Thelma, she was a working mother so she wasn't at home alot when she would have naturally cooked with my mom so I don't really know what kind of a cook she was. My mom loves cookbooks with pictures, and if it has a picture she will try to make the recipes that catch her eye. Me, I just love cookbooks, pictures not a big thing for me, its the recipe itself that draws me in.

My mother made Christmas cookies for the first time, that I can remember, when I was in first grade. I got to take them as treats. My mom likes to share her cooking talents, loves with food, but the joy of the praise she gets from others for her wonderful creations is in their too.  She may have found the recipe about this time, again I can't remember them before this but they have been in our lives ever since and our childhoods would not be the same or as magical without them.

They are actually a very simple treat, the best sugar cookies, ever, cooked in an exact manner with icing and m and m's on them. They are always green iced at Christmas, pink on valentines, and we almost never got them any other times of the year.

Sugar Cookies                                             350 degrees oven, cook exactly 8 minutes in hot oven

2 cups of butter (room temperature is best)
1/3 cup of shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. freshly grated orange peel
4 cups of flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBsp. milk

Cream the butter, shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, add eggs, orange peel, cream a little longer. Mix is a separate bowl, the flour, baking powder, salt. Starting with the flour mixture add about 1/3 to the creamed mix, alternate the milk and flour by thirds ending with the flour. The dough will be a soft dough. Chill at least one hour before you try to roll. You can roll it up in plastic wrap and freeze for slicing cookies for up to 3 months. Once the dough is chilled roll out on a floured surface, don't over flour them as the more flour you use on this step the tougher they will get, and cut with cookie cutters, the most fun is when you do it with your kids. Dip the cut cookie in sugar and put them on a cookie baking sheet, they raise a bit so leave about 2 inches between them. Bake in a 350 degree oven, cookie exactly 8 minute, if the edge is light brown when you take them out of the oven they are burnt and will be hard and not soft and yummy.

Simple Butter Cream icing

I cup of butter (room temperature is better)   
1/4 cup milk
1 lb of powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla
food color, you choice, several drops

Cream butter, alternate milk and powder sugar to a nice consistency should take all of the powder sugar but may not, add food color and vanilla

Cool the cookies on a cookie wrack completely, ice with simple butter cream icing, or the stuff from the store, both are fine, sprinkle with cookie sprinkles, and place 5 m and m's on each one (little ones will put one on ever spot on the cookie and the fun is to let them, 30 m and m's on any cookie is a good thing, isn't it). You will be the mom or dad of the year with your child as there is truly no more special cookie, maybe it is the memories you make that are really the special part, but your mommie will have been the best for all times when she makes these with you.....  tomorrow.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Soap making this morning, baking with the ladies later and working on the green house.

Our school used to have early out each Wednesday of the week, which was nice for Wednesday Church each week, but alas the teachers didn't get all they need to do done, so our school changed the time to the first Friday of the month, the kids get out for the whole day. I love having my little ladies home, sometimes they go to their grand parents house and spend time with them but other times we get a three day weekend which is super. Today we plan to do some baking, bedroom cleaning, vacuuming, soap making and work on Poppie's green house. The ladies will also spend time with their cousins and play with Excited so a full day of fun planned.

DC had the girls over for pizza last night with Excited. I am glad to have a fun new neighbor. She really tries hard and is trying hard to make friends in the community. She lived in a town near us for a short while before she moved here so is really new to our community. She is very lively and full of joy, a nice addition to our lives. Now Excited is a ball of energy and we are all just trying to figure out how to spend time with a whirlwind or tornado.

Yogie and I are going to make soap first thing this morning to get it right to setting. This afternoon once we are tired from carrying windows and installing them, the girls and I will make rice crispy treats or maybe more cream puffs to share, haven't quite decided but I am sure the ladies will have an opinion. I do love to watch them make their choices especially if they are different because they discuss and come up with a consensus between them. I have always made them work out their problems themselves with out my interference. I learned the first time that working it out as small children helps them build the skills, in a safe environment, to work our problems as teenagers or adult. It helps them be empowered enough to stand up for themselves and not become victims. A win win in my book.

I  read alot of blogs and enjoy the things I read in them; but have decided that I will no longer leave comments on the blogs that screen the comments. I don't screen (approve or disapprove) comments on my blog, I encourage comments and try to grow from the comments I receive. I wonder at the screening of comments, to me if I wanted to ready only the comments I screened and, I suppose, reject the comments I didn't like, I should just write them myself, isn't that the same thing, only allowing the comments I handpick? how odd..... tomorrow.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Caesar goes walkabout, garden tilling and green house building continues.

Caesar has gone walkabout this morning Poppie is mad at him and since Caesar can feel his anger won't let Poppie catch him. Poppie was so mad at him that he threatened to shot him. I tried to calm him down but he is plain mad. I got him to come in and let Caesar and Rommy play a little in the yard and garden then I would help him catch them after he got home from taking the girls to school. He agreed. The two goats romped around and chased one another, then quietly walked up the driveway where Son snapped a rope on Caesar and he and Poppie toke him back to his pen. He has to go in the pen with the electric wire and the post to tie him until Poppie fixes his regular pen. Poppie thank goodness has calmed down. Caesar might be in time out for awhile Poppie wants him to learn manners. I think they are in an alpha-male fight of some sort, Poppie will win, he must or Caesar will have to go so he doesn't hurt Poppie.

Yogie goes on a field trip today. They will be going about 40 miles on the bus to Mizmo Gym, they will then put on their puppet play for their hosts. They made the puppets themselves with their moms help over spring break. All the children are excited and they get to have sack lunches, one of the highlights of the day I think.

Poppie and Boy got the tiller motor changed over so will get the garden tilled up and ready to plant. I picked up seeds for the plants we will plant straight into the ground. We will get bedding plants from Grandpa. The girls had gone down a month or so ago to help him plant them. They got to have a great day with Grandpa. We hope to make progress on the green house today, the weather man say we get three days of nice weather so hope to take advantage of it. Mothers day it is to be rainy, so sad. I did get a chance to price plastic roofing in Zootown and it will only be around 190 so maybe we can swing that easier than the 300. Lets hope so.

Yesterday morning the girls and I had one of many discussions we have had on adoption. Yogie has always understood better the part about biologic parents than Booboo. We call it being born in your heart and not in your tummy. I explained again to Booboo that yes, Yogie was born in Goofy's tummy but so was she and she always say "no, I was born in your tummy" but I think maybe she finally gets it after our conversation. They both ask about Buga, as the kids adoptions is coming soon, so that probably prompted the conversation. They both understand that Buga and Song came from Goofy's tummy but they really don't put together the concept of them being sisters yet. We have the conversations regularly so that they can absorb what they can as they age. One of their questions was if Song was adopted and I said no she lives with her dad. Yogie said "ya, Matt is our dad but not Matthew (last name)" I said, "honey, yes, that is the same Matt" They both were surprised, anew, even though they have been told before. It always amazes me, just like when a child discovers that Santa isn't but still believes in the Easter Bunny. The innocence of childhood..... Tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Zootown trip again today, cubbie will go, Poppie will have the day off with Boy.

Mokie, Cubbie and I are going to the Zoo today. I hope it doesn't take all day. I would really like to shop and get home. I have to pick up some things to make more soap and some cheese. We are no longer bottle feeding the two bum, they are both 2 months old this week, so will  have lots more milk to use. They are not happy about the change but then again no baby likes it when you take his bottle or teat away, human or animal. Poppie is going to change the tiller motor to the big tiller for the little tractor, he and Boy are going to get the garden ready of planting soon. The green house is coming along and will be ready, we hope, to plant. Still the problem of the roof to solve but it will be solved one way or the other soon.

I will be making cheese regularly real soon so have to get the kinds and what I want to do with them set in my mind. Yogie loves to make soap and Booboo bread and they both help with cheese. They have 5 more weeks of school, when they participate in the libraries reading program, they were first and second in their category last year so that was great and they had lots of fun. We will be weaning baby goats starting in the next few week from their mommas so that will be something the girls will get to help with and enjoy, the babies will be moved to a weaning pen until the are a little older then returned to the doe pen once they are not wanting to nurse. The kids will all get to play with the babies more and it helps the babies be much more friendly, they are actually very friendly this year already. We spend alot of time with them so they are used to coming up for attention. Two will go to Morgans, one to the Herbalists, and one is sold so I will be down to four baby does, and two withers, one lamb and one new buckling, that I am trading for. The bucking won't go into the weaning pen as they are viable bucks as young as 6 weeks and don't want any babies having babies a bad thing.

Well I will be off soon so have to get the girls ready for school will drop them off on the way to Zootown, Poppie will enjoy his time with Boy. We may have Bug and Daughters kids alot of the summer and Curious on Tuesday's so we will see how it goes. It is nice to have the little ones around but sometimes it makes wood getting hard to schedule. Looking forward to the warm days of summer since the lovely mild days of spring have yet to appear. Have a nice day, I know mine will be busy if Cubbie has her say.. tomorrow.