One of these days if I don't light this blog on fire first, I will get around to telling my whole story, but it is much easier to lay it out in segments. So yada yada yada and I had my first baby. I had ALWAYS ALWAYS wanted to be home with my kids. I had every intention of running my own business from home, but not at the expense of caring for my children.
Unfortunately, circumstances that I won't go into prevented it. I had bills to pay. During that period of dropping my precious beautiful baby off every morning and picking him up much later than I wanted, after a long commute to a job I didn't love, while running a household and sort of running my husband's business partially in the evenings..... I had some women in my life that irked me. Most of them actually. They did not really do it on purpose, it's just they really did not understand my personal desperate plight.
Let me character sketch them for you into composites:
First there was perfect lady whose house was always clean and did everything domestic under the sun with perfection. She truly didn't understand why I didn't have it together like her despite the 55 hour differences in our week.
And of course there was my-daddy (or husband)-has- endless-money girl whose life ambition was to talk about the designer sippy cup that matched her baby's bib.
Then there was multi-level marketing lady. These ladies looked at me like a hungry tick looks at a dog walking by because I had a j.o.b. Their pitch was always something like, "buy my overpriced crap you're not going to use so I can stay home with my munchkins." As if that was a worthy enough cause to give them my money that I earned away from my kids so that they could be home with theirs causing it to take even longer for me to stay home with mine.
As I said, they really didn't understand the stress I was under, or even how I had to spend my whole Saturday doing everything they had all week to do. I was being pressed from all sides on a daily basis and every day that slipped by was a day Quinn got a day older without me seeing it.
One day while I was rushing the kids to one of their doctor check-ups-
-which involved leaving work knowing I would have extra to do in the morning, getting caught at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel, picking my child up from daycare then running back into traffic to get to the appointment-
I got behind some mini-van driving lady taking her sweet time down a road in Newport News and I yelled something like, "Get your cookie baking in the middle of the afternoon, mini-van driving, got-all-day self out of the way!"
Ahem. Was that me snapping with the road rage at that lady I have never met? Yes, yes it was.
Now that I am finally home with my kids and doing some of the things I actually wanted to do and am actually enjoying life.... and writing about it.....
I woke up today and asked myself, "Have I become that lady?" I mean I know I sometimes bake cookies in the middle of the afternoon.....but have I become that insensitive, oblivious lady? Someone who doesn't think of the shoes other people are walking in?
I am sorry. It snuck up on me. I don't want to be that and I am sorry. If there is one thing I understand it is being in a set of difficult circumstances. It took a long time for God to unwrap us from the briars we had gotten ourselves into- He could have ripped us out, but I believe He knew that the most tender way was to carefully untangle them one at a time. It took awhile. There were consequences for us, and forgiveness, and grace. It is all such an amazingly personal and tenderly meticulous process. So no matter how 'clear' I am in certain areas of life, biblically grace ALWAYS supersedes law and judgement. ALWAYS.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
(The Gifts of) Gavel and Gab
So I am reading this book my sister Dolly sent to me. It is called, “The Gift in You.” It is interesting because it combines something I read about previously, neuroscience (the study of the brain), and a profile test I actually took on the Tony Robbins website regarding personal strengths… primarily as they relate to work, business, and general life goals. This book is written by a Christian woman who studied neuroscience and how it reflects the descriptions of our design and gifts in God's word.
Some of you who read this may notice that I often come across as a BIG judgemental jerk.
There are 7 areas of the brain, according to this book (and actually they pretty much match the other profile test, though it is from a secular source) and it says we will all have a unique combination and sequence in the way we process thoughts and the way we are gifted. Our unique design affects how we view things and also how we contribute to this little ole' world. Guess what my top one was on both? INTRA personal areas..... related to deep introspection. The description says things like, "prefers solitude" and "thinks about the meanings behind things and examines her own thoughts and emotions."
My LOWEST score was INTERpersonal areas.... all things related to social stuff. It doesn't mean I am inept at or incapable of functioning in that area, it is just not what I prefer or what comes comfortably in many cases. It can tire me or stress me in the same way that too much noise does. I like some music some time, and during those times I love it, really; but I like quiet the majority of the time. That's how I am with people too.
The other seven areas were scaled, providing an accurate assessment of me within the framework's limitations. The book is going through much more than the quiz, but this isn't a synopsis, so if you are interested check it out.
I am writing about it because THIS BLOG STRESSES ME OUT. I have very strong opinions about things and everytime I write what I think, I realize that 90% of the people who read it will be offended. As soon as I publish something I think of this person or that person and what they will think or how they will feel....because I often come across as SOOOO judgemental. Someone very close to me has called me that my whole life as I have tried to help her see that some of her choices are wrong and harmful. The thing is, they ARE wrong and harmful and I love her so I want her to stop. Trying to sugarcoat something so that everyone feels warm and fuzzy and yet is still motivated to change would fall, I believe, into the interpersonally gifted person's area. At least I hope. That's right, right? Please tell me that's right. When I try to do it my whole self sort of cramps.
Some of the other related important points in the book mention focusing on your strengths and not your weaknesses.
God's word says in Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
I believe that we are to use the wisdom given to us in God's word to make clearcut decisions and daily, as we grow in our knowledge of it, to make changes accordingly. That is my area of strength. Please understand that if you are to read this blog.
So this was interesting... the first occupation listed on the profile that is common to people who score highest in the intrapersonal area? JUDGE.
HA! I will ever be daily seeking to understand how and when God wants me to use the gifts he has given me- to be a discerning tool and helpful counselor in His hand, not bringing condemnation. It is not my desire to bring condemnation. I do believe in bringing awareness and sometimes I do that a bit brutally. Sorry.
The author went on to state that the area of the brain that activates first for someone who scored as I did is responsible for free will. Free will is such an amazing concept born in the heart of God that I marvel about it often and refer to it in the introduction to this blog. It deserves its own post another time.
The final important thing I am gleaning from this book is that I am to spend my time focused on living and functioning within my strengths instead of spending inordinate amounts of time trying to get my weaknesses up to par. Great, relieving, and freeing advice.
This naturally also means I should learn to value other people in their uniqueness too instead of evaluating them against the areas I am strong in. That had been a hard lesson that I learned in my marriage, when early on I felt I needed to help Cory become more like me; in reality his uniqueness is a perfect complement to mine. Had I married someone like me I would have been a very unhappy person.
Anyway.......Consider this blog a blanket apology to everyone who gets offended because of some of the things I say. We are all different. I am still in the process of learning to offer grace as readily as I am to eat it up everyday....yes,even to people who pop pills like candy and wash them down with fried sugar. Pray for me, people.
Some of you who read this may notice that I often come across as a BIG judgemental jerk.
There are 7 areas of the brain, according to this book (and actually they pretty much match the other profile test, though it is from a secular source) and it says we will all have a unique combination and sequence in the way we process thoughts and the way we are gifted. Our unique design affects how we view things and also how we contribute to this little ole' world. Guess what my top one was on both? INTRA personal areas..... related to deep introspection. The description says things like, "prefers solitude" and "thinks about the meanings behind things and examines her own thoughts and emotions."
My LOWEST score was INTERpersonal areas.... all things related to social stuff. It doesn't mean I am inept at or incapable of functioning in that area, it is just not what I prefer or what comes comfortably in many cases. It can tire me or stress me in the same way that too much noise does. I like some music some time, and during those times I love it, really; but I like quiet the majority of the time. That's how I am with people too.
The other seven areas were scaled, providing an accurate assessment of me within the framework's limitations. The book is going through much more than the quiz, but this isn't a synopsis, so if you are interested check it out.
I am writing about it because THIS BLOG STRESSES ME OUT. I have very strong opinions about things and everytime I write what I think, I realize that 90% of the people who read it will be offended. As soon as I publish something I think of this person or that person and what they will think or how they will feel....because I often come across as SOOOO judgemental. Someone very close to me has called me that my whole life as I have tried to help her see that some of her choices are wrong and harmful. The thing is, they ARE wrong and harmful and I love her so I want her to stop. Trying to sugarcoat something so that everyone feels warm and fuzzy and yet is still motivated to change would fall, I believe, into the interpersonally gifted person's area. At least I hope. That's right, right? Please tell me that's right. When I try to do it my whole self sort of cramps.
Some of the other related important points in the book mention focusing on your strengths and not your weaknesses.
God's word says in Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
I believe that we are to use the wisdom given to us in God's word to make clearcut decisions and daily, as we grow in our knowledge of it, to make changes accordingly. That is my area of strength. Please understand that if you are to read this blog.
So this was interesting... the first occupation listed on the profile that is common to people who score highest in the intrapersonal area? JUDGE.
HA! I will ever be daily seeking to understand how and when God wants me to use the gifts he has given me- to be a discerning tool and helpful counselor in His hand, not bringing condemnation. It is not my desire to bring condemnation. I do believe in bringing awareness and sometimes I do that a bit brutally. Sorry.
The author went on to state that the area of the brain that activates first for someone who scored as I did is responsible for free will. Free will is such an amazing concept born in the heart of God that I marvel about it often and refer to it in the introduction to this blog. It deserves its own post another time.
The final important thing I am gleaning from this book is that I am to spend my time focused on living and functioning within my strengths instead of spending inordinate amounts of time trying to get my weaknesses up to par. Great, relieving, and freeing advice.
This naturally also means I should learn to value other people in their uniqueness too instead of evaluating them against the areas I am strong in. That had been a hard lesson that I learned in my marriage, when early on I felt I needed to help Cory become more like me; in reality his uniqueness is a perfect complement to mine. Had I married someone like me I would have been a very unhappy person.
Anyway.......Consider this blog a blanket apology to everyone who gets offended because of some of the things I say. We are all different. I am still in the process of learning to offer grace as readily as I am to eat it up everyday....yes,even to people who pop pills like candy and wash them down with fried sugar. Pray for me, people.
Working Vacation- Part 2
Well, a glorious two weeks is officially over. This has been the best vacation we have had in ages. Maybe ever, with the exception of our honeymoon in Maine.
The problem with this blogging thing is too much happens and then I don't know where to start. So prepare for rambling.
First, the new ducklings have decided I am their mother.
We had to keep them inside until it was warm enough to let the barn duck try to safely raise them......but by then she had become oblivious and did not claim them as her own. At first I thought it was strange how they have gotten attached to me since that didn't happen with the initial ones we got last year...then I remembered they that that batch had decided the cow was their mother. If these ducklings lose sight of me, they peep. When they here my voice they come running. I have been gardening all around the yard and they just stay close by.
Sometime they nestle under my garden stool and go to sleep. It's like I am sitting on a nest.
Second, Cory and I have put forth a Hercules-type effort on the house and farm these two weeks. The reason he decided to move up his vacation in the first place is because so much needed to be done now. So here goes...
We redisked, reseeded, and rerolled the east field because we felt we needed to add more than what I had spread initially. Then he single-handedly dropped and removed five huge pines that were scattered through the upper field. We then prepped, seeded, and rolled that field. Both are planted now and we have gotten good rains. The first one had a hairy fuzz of green on it. Hopefully the seed stayed in the upper even though there was a torrential downpour yesterday.
We built a new arbor to frame the front walkway with wisteria. The arbor that was there was leaning, rotting, and too small for the scale of the house.
Cory cut four poles to length. I stripped the bark off the bottoms and treated them so they wouldn't rot. I then dug the post holes 15 inches deep. We installed them
and then Cory constructed the cross-pieces.
As of Sunday he was almost finished, so I began the demo of the old structure.
With a little help (you can never have too many pictures of your man with a chainsaw, I say).
I also began untangling the wisteria- the plan is to retrain it over the new structure. We had to do this now because very shortly it will bloom and then become very thick with green.
Cory spent days under the house on the plumbing- very nasty work.
Because the half bath and laundry room we are putting in is in a different location from the one we are tearing out,
he had to run all of the supplies and drains, then cut them into the main lines. He also had to relocate the hot water heater. It was hours and hours of work with no visible progress above to show for it; but once it was all in we could shift focus to what was up top. He would have gotten it finished, but there was framing work that we decided needed to be done instead... you can't do this for a week with a Homeowner's Association, by the way:
The old bathroom was in the center of the house. I redesigned the downstairs and now it will be a pass through from the front of the house to the rear; and will also be the access door to the west side. That bathroom also had mold in it...
What that all means is 3 headers, a new subfloor, and a LOT of demo.
He got the subfloor and two of the three headers in.
t
[Special note: To mothers of sons, please consider carefully the sport participation you help select for your children. Had my husband blown out his knees or ruined his back while playing football in high school, he would be nowhere near capable of the things he is taking on and accomplishing as a husband and father for our family... just something to think about).
More on the overall design that this is accomplishing in another blog to come...
Before I continue on with what we did over the two week vacation, I'd like to add some more thoughts on 'staycations' as they call them. They are more than settling, they are a frame of mind- to be able to enjoy your time right where you are...
Life is very short. Every day you live you realize that more and more. Enjoy your life now. Not everything can change at once but if you have some dreams, make some plans and MORE importantly, do some praying. I could write forever about the things I thought I wanted and the roads I have been on before we got here. God is patient and He knows the plans He has for us; and they are good. I know there are many things that are so ingrained in us that we can't think outside of it, but start asking yourself questions like, "Was this what God intended?" One thing Cory and I know is that when we got married, we had every intention of seeing each other more than weekends and two weeks a year. His workdays are ridiculously long, but even if they weren't, he is very, very missed when he isn't home.
When you ask certain questions you often find that you aren't the only ones who have asked those questions. We have met or read about men whose desire is to find work that will allow them to be a strong daily presence in their families lives. They are being creative. They are being resourceful. That has become more and more a goal of ours. These last two weeks we did plenty of work, but we were all together and it was a beautifully, naturally flowing thing.
More on that to come too.
The problem with this blogging thing is too much happens and then I don't know where to start. So prepare for rambling.
First, the new ducklings have decided I am their mother.
We had to keep them inside until it was warm enough to let the barn duck try to safely raise them......but by then she had become oblivious and did not claim them as her own. At first I thought it was strange how they have gotten attached to me since that didn't happen with the initial ones we got last year...then I remembered they that that batch had decided the cow was their mother. If these ducklings lose sight of me, they peep. When they here my voice they come running. I have been gardening all around the yard and they just stay close by.
Sometime they nestle under my garden stool and go to sleep. It's like I am sitting on a nest.
Second, Cory and I have put forth a Hercules-type effort on the house and farm these two weeks. The reason he decided to move up his vacation in the first place is because so much needed to be done now. So here goes...
We redisked, reseeded, and rerolled the east field because we felt we needed to add more than what I had spread initially. Then he single-handedly dropped and removed five huge pines that were scattered through the upper field. We then prepped, seeded, and rolled that field. Both are planted now and we have gotten good rains. The first one had a hairy fuzz of green on it. Hopefully the seed stayed in the upper even though there was a torrential downpour yesterday.
We built a new arbor to frame the front walkway with wisteria. The arbor that was there was leaning, rotting, and too small for the scale of the house.
Cory cut four poles to length. I stripped the bark off the bottoms and treated them so they wouldn't rot. I then dug the post holes 15 inches deep. We installed them
and then Cory constructed the cross-pieces.
As of Sunday he was almost finished, so I began the demo of the old structure.
With a little help (you can never have too many pictures of your man with a chainsaw, I say).
I also began untangling the wisteria- the plan is to retrain it over the new structure. We had to do this now because very shortly it will bloom and then become very thick with green.
Cory spent days under the house on the plumbing- very nasty work.
Because the half bath and laundry room we are putting in is in a different location from the one we are tearing out,
he had to run all of the supplies and drains, then cut them into the main lines. He also had to relocate the hot water heater. It was hours and hours of work with no visible progress above to show for it; but once it was all in we could shift focus to what was up top. He would have gotten it finished, but there was framing work that we decided needed to be done instead... you can't do this for a week with a Homeowner's Association, by the way:
The old bathroom was in the center of the house. I redesigned the downstairs and now it will be a pass through from the front of the house to the rear; and will also be the access door to the west side. That bathroom also had mold in it...
What that all means is 3 headers, a new subfloor, and a LOT of demo.
He got the subfloor and two of the three headers in.
[Special note: To mothers of sons, please consider carefully the sport participation you help select for your children. Had my husband blown out his knees or ruined his back while playing football in high school, he would be nowhere near capable of the things he is taking on and accomplishing as a husband and father for our family... just something to think about).
More on the overall design that this is accomplishing in another blog to come...
Before I continue on with what we did over the two week vacation, I'd like to add some more thoughts on 'staycations' as they call them. They are more than settling, they are a frame of mind- to be able to enjoy your time right where you are...
Life is very short. Every day you live you realize that more and more. Enjoy your life now. Not everything can change at once but if you have some dreams, make some plans and MORE importantly, do some praying. I could write forever about the things I thought I wanted and the roads I have been on before we got here. God is patient and He knows the plans He has for us; and they are good. I know there are many things that are so ingrained in us that we can't think outside of it, but start asking yourself questions like, "Was this what God intended?" One thing Cory and I know is that when we got married, we had every intention of seeing each other more than weekends and two weeks a year. His workdays are ridiculously long, but even if they weren't, he is very, very missed when he isn't home.
When you ask certain questions you often find that you aren't the only ones who have asked those questions. We have met or read about men whose desire is to find work that will allow them to be a strong daily presence in their families lives. They are being creative. They are being resourceful. That has become more and more a goal of ours. These last two weeks we did plenty of work, but we were all together and it was a beautifully, naturally flowing thing.
More on that to come too.
The Farmer, the Pharmacist, and your Fancies
It was this time last year that I started writing this blog. At that time I told you a little about the reasons I began to investigate health and food. I had no idea a few years back what I was eating and what I was feeding my kids. When I began reading and researching, I could no longer continue to do what I had done all my life- which was eat like the mainstream eats. It became an ethical issue for me. Just like becoming aware of our sin makes us accountable for it, becoming aware that I was literally (this is not an exaggeration for emphasis, but an actual fair term) poisoning our family made me accountable for it. I could no longer continue no matter what. Finances were tighter back then and as I began to cross our food over, I prayed LITERALLY for grace over the food that was not the good stuff as I fed it to my family since I couldn't switch over everything at once. So since finances are such a big part of eating, I'd like to talk numbers because that seems to communicate some things in ways nothing else can.
First things first. I have one pair of tennis shoes, some flipflops, some slogger boots and a handful of heels from years past. I have my wedding rings, one necklace and one pair of earrings of value. We have no second car. Well, actually, we have a workvan that I bought from my brother, but it hasn't been running in months. Our truck is an '03 and is need of regular repairs. One season of my wardrobe fits in two drawers- most of it is comprised of clothes given to me from my sister. I sound really frugal, don't I?
Now brace yourself because you are about to puff up your chest with indignation. I spend about $250 a week on groceries. It is our second largest household bill. Don't choke on your Cocoa Puffs. There's more. I buy nutritional supplements (herbs and vitamins) monthly for me and the kids. I bought organic seeds for my garden and pasture. I buy organic compost and animal feed. If you add that all up you just probably came up with a second car payment, a decent wardrobe, and some shoes and accessories to boot.... and probably some recreational money.
In the scripture when Jesus is talking about the religious leaders of the day, he called them whitewashed tombs- all nice and pretty on the outside- in appearance- and dead and rotting on the inside. This was a spiritual lesson and his point was that they were concerned about how they APPEARED more than what was IN THEM. However, is it a stretch, since the bible says our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, to consider in the same way what we put into them physically? PAUSE the thought... could it be that we have outsourced the responsibility of this consideration (so as to not bother our tender conscience) to the food companies who have whitewashed their food with packaging and promises and put death on the inside?
If you have yet to learn about the stuff in most of your food, you would be shocked, ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED, to know what it does to your body, and especially the growing bodies of your little ones.
My brother left a jar of pickles here and as I was cleaning out the refrigerator, I read the label... CARCINOGENIC FOOD DYES- YELLOW AND BLUE- (make green pickles, right?) in pickles.
I know we are all at different places with the laying down of idols in our lives- the pursuit of so many things that we believe will make us happy. I wouldn't condemn you for owning decent clothes or having two cars. But, please, consider first the value of the actual things you put in your actual bodies and invest in nourishing them. The design of how our bodies work make them warriors against sickness if it is properly nourished, but you cannot put sugar in a gas tank and expect your car to run strong, let alone for a lifetime. If you buy cheap food, you will be paying the pharmacist for prescriptions to relieve all your ailments...not cure, mind you, just relieve them. The medical industry is a multi-BILLION dollar industry and GUESS WHAT??!!! The same core companies that are manufacturing the food additives and the food, in many cases, are manufacturing the drugs you will need once their food wreaks havoc on your bodies.
I say opt out. Don't give them your money on the front end or the back end. Learn. Cook. Nourish. Grow some food.
I know my grocery bill is staggering...but it is about to drop significantly when we process our beef cow, pig, and start getting all of our milk products from Buttercup. The fields we had to buy grass seed for will feed her in the coming years and she will produce so much milk that she will help feed the other animals.
It is a process, but you can do it. And if you live in an urban area- do a container garden. Cook a lot. Buy frugally in other areas so you can afford the good groceries. Reduce your fancies and pay the farmer so you can skip the pharmacy and live a longer, healthier and happier life.
[postscript: There are many people who are struggling financially and just cannot make it work no matter how much they cut back. We have been there too. Just do what you can and be covered by grace.]
First things first. I have one pair of tennis shoes, some flipflops, some slogger boots and a handful of heels from years past. I have my wedding rings, one necklace and one pair of earrings of value. We have no second car. Well, actually, we have a workvan that I bought from my brother, but it hasn't been running in months. Our truck is an '03 and is need of regular repairs. One season of my wardrobe fits in two drawers- most of it is comprised of clothes given to me from my sister. I sound really frugal, don't I?
Now brace yourself because you are about to puff up your chest with indignation. I spend about $250 a week on groceries. It is our second largest household bill. Don't choke on your Cocoa Puffs. There's more. I buy nutritional supplements (herbs and vitamins) monthly for me and the kids. I bought organic seeds for my garden and pasture. I buy organic compost and animal feed. If you add that all up you just probably came up with a second car payment, a decent wardrobe, and some shoes and accessories to boot.... and probably some recreational money.
In the scripture when Jesus is talking about the religious leaders of the day, he called them whitewashed tombs- all nice and pretty on the outside- in appearance- and dead and rotting on the inside. This was a spiritual lesson and his point was that they were concerned about how they APPEARED more than what was IN THEM. However, is it a stretch, since the bible says our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit, to consider in the same way what we put into them physically? PAUSE the thought... could it be that we have outsourced the responsibility of this consideration (so as to not bother our tender conscience) to the food companies who have whitewashed their food with packaging and promises and put death on the inside?
If you have yet to learn about the stuff in most of your food, you would be shocked, ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED, to know what it does to your body, and especially the growing bodies of your little ones.
My brother left a jar of pickles here and as I was cleaning out the refrigerator, I read the label... CARCINOGENIC FOOD DYES- YELLOW AND BLUE- (make green pickles, right?) in pickles.
I know we are all at different places with the laying down of idols in our lives- the pursuit of so many things that we believe will make us happy. I wouldn't condemn you for owning decent clothes or having two cars. But, please, consider first the value of the actual things you put in your actual bodies and invest in nourishing them. The design of how our bodies work make them warriors against sickness if it is properly nourished, but you cannot put sugar in a gas tank and expect your car to run strong, let alone for a lifetime. If you buy cheap food, you will be paying the pharmacist for prescriptions to relieve all your ailments...not cure, mind you, just relieve them. The medical industry is a multi-BILLION dollar industry and GUESS WHAT??!!! The same core companies that are manufacturing the food additives and the food, in many cases, are manufacturing the drugs you will need once their food wreaks havoc on your bodies.
I say opt out. Don't give them your money on the front end or the back end. Learn. Cook. Nourish. Grow some food.
I know my grocery bill is staggering...but it is about to drop significantly when we process our beef cow, pig, and start getting all of our milk products from Buttercup. The fields we had to buy grass seed for will feed her in the coming years and she will produce so much milk that she will help feed the other animals.
It is a process, but you can do it. And if you live in an urban area- do a container garden. Cook a lot. Buy frugally in other areas so you can afford the good groceries. Reduce your fancies and pay the farmer so you can skip the pharmacy and live a longer, healthier and happier life.
[postscript: There are many people who are struggling financially and just cannot make it work no matter how much they cut back. We have been there too. Just do what you can and be covered by grace.]
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Working Vacation Part 1 (April 11th-ish)
I remember lying in bed with Cory one night in Hampton several years back and asking him, "Do you want to be farmers?" Cory replied in his usually laconic way, "no." He wasn't anywhere near as sold as I was on even moving to a rural location...doesn't like a lot of change, that one.
It's funny how he is now. He loves it here and loves all of the work. This quote is true:
His vacation began this past Saturday. So far we have both gotten quite a bit done. He has put in the drainpipe under the house and I demolished part of four doorways on Saturday. Sunday he built a pigpen and I began work on the new arbor posts. Yesterday he worked on the fields and I dug holes for the posts and cleaned some of the garden beds. Sunday night we squeezed in dinner out and yesterday Sam prepared a picnic for our lunch.
This is vacation to us. I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on vacations American style so you maybe understand a little of why we aren't taking one.
First of all, vacation for most of the population includes a combination of eating out garbage food, observing (look at this, look at that), and traveling. Usually it also involves one of my least favorite things- the "public." A small percentage of people engage in a recreational physical activity that they enjoy along the way.
Here is what I think:
First, there is not a hotel bed on the planet that has not had goodness knows what kind of infectious fluid on it from goodness knows who and the bathrooms and MY GOSH the carpet can't be much better.
Second, Did I mention the public? Yes it comes only second to infectious fluids in my list of things to avoid.
Third, travel. Why? What exactly are we looking for? I'll tell you what I am looking for- a peaceful beautiful setting. One of the reasons we decided we wanted to live in a peaceful beautiful setting is so that we wouldn't have to take a vacation, travel, and interact with the public just to see a peaceful beautiful setting only two weeks out of the year....not to mention packing, car time, motions sickness, wasted time, fatigue- bleck.
Fourth, money. We never seem to have extra. In our almost fifteen years of marriage we have taken very few vacations. I often have conversations in my head that go something like this, "For that price we could BUY (insert the list of things we need and want) and have something that lasts longer than a one week experience.
Fifth, food. We eat nutritious healthy food 7 days of the week. If we eat out it is usually only once a week. My belief is that if you are building and nourishing your body with 20 of your 21 meals and 14 of your snacks, one mystery meal of restaurant food is something your strong body can handle and recover from. A week of restaurant food is not only expensive, but kind of a gut punch (literally) to a healthy body.
Sixth, observing. Sightseeing is nice but kind of exhausting when the only other thing you have done is eat toxic food all day and walk around. I would be one to opt for a vacation that included something active but I also like for my activities to produce something (which is also why I thinks sports are so useless- but that is another topic).
Seventh, and worth mentioning again, the public. Have you ever been somewhere and an obnoxious loud teenager ruin your tranquil time or a hoochie mama dressed like a hooker decide to park herself next to your family's outing? Did you pay for that outing? Not fun.
I will admit I have always wanted to do some type of dream tropical vacation- one where there was no public, just us with a hut on the beach. I checked on the price of private islands but they are just a wee bit much. I was lamenting over our upcoming anniversary earlier in the year and then I remembered something (how easily we forget God's blessings): three summers ago God gave us a gift.
When we first left Hampton the house we rented for 6 months was right on the river and had its own beach.
I told Mom we were living at the Kennedy Compound. It was a glorious 6 months.
While floating on our floaties one lazy afternoon I told Quinn, "Well, son, this is the life- this is what people seek to attain through wealth: living on the beach with a free schedule to do whatever you want." Quinn wisely replied that it was great and everything but there are a lot of hurting kids in the world that need our help... so very true. My heart smiled. That boy is growing in wisdom.
Anyway, the point is I actually did have my dream beach vacation after all.
And-
We have things we are trying to do here- physical and spiritual things. The work, the setting, the experiences and the purposes make it an extremely gratifying combination. There are no extra costs and the food is superb if I do say so myself. More on what we are doing coming soon...
It's funny how he is now. He loves it here and loves all of the work. This quote is true:
There is work that is work and there is play that is play; there is play that is work and work that is play. And in only one of these lies happiness. Gelett Burgess
His vacation began this past Saturday. So far we have both gotten quite a bit done. He has put in the drainpipe under the house and I demolished part of four doorways on Saturday. Sunday he built a pigpen and I began work on the new arbor posts. Yesterday he worked on the fields and I dug holes for the posts and cleaned some of the garden beds. Sunday night we squeezed in dinner out and yesterday Sam prepared a picnic for our lunch.
This is vacation to us. I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on vacations American style so you maybe understand a little of why we aren't taking one.
First of all, vacation for most of the population includes a combination of eating out garbage food, observing (look at this, look at that), and traveling. Usually it also involves one of my least favorite things- the "public." A small percentage of people engage in a recreational physical activity that they enjoy along the way.
Here is what I think:
First, there is not a hotel bed on the planet that has not had goodness knows what kind of infectious fluid on it from goodness knows who and the bathrooms and MY GOSH the carpet can't be much better.
Second, Did I mention the public? Yes it comes only second to infectious fluids in my list of things to avoid.
Third, travel. Why? What exactly are we looking for? I'll tell you what I am looking for- a peaceful beautiful setting. One of the reasons we decided we wanted to live in a peaceful beautiful setting is so that we wouldn't have to take a vacation, travel, and interact with the public just to see a peaceful beautiful setting only two weeks out of the year....not to mention packing, car time, motions sickness, wasted time, fatigue- bleck.
Fourth, money. We never seem to have extra. In our almost fifteen years of marriage we have taken very few vacations. I often have conversations in my head that go something like this, "For that price we could BUY (insert the list of things we need and want) and have something that lasts longer than a one week experience.
Fifth, food. We eat nutritious healthy food 7 days of the week. If we eat out it is usually only once a week. My belief is that if you are building and nourishing your body with 20 of your 21 meals and 14 of your snacks, one mystery meal of restaurant food is something your strong body can handle and recover from. A week of restaurant food is not only expensive, but kind of a gut punch (literally) to a healthy body.
Sixth, observing. Sightseeing is nice but kind of exhausting when the only other thing you have done is eat toxic food all day and walk around. I would be one to opt for a vacation that included something active but I also like for my activities to produce something (which is also why I thinks sports are so useless- but that is another topic).
Seventh, and worth mentioning again, the public. Have you ever been somewhere and an obnoxious loud teenager ruin your tranquil time or a hoochie mama dressed like a hooker decide to park herself next to your family's outing? Did you pay for that outing? Not fun.
I will admit I have always wanted to do some type of dream tropical vacation- one where there was no public, just us with a hut on the beach. I checked on the price of private islands but they are just a wee bit much. I was lamenting over our upcoming anniversary earlier in the year and then I remembered something (how easily we forget God's blessings): three summers ago God gave us a gift.
When we first left Hampton the house we rented for 6 months was right on the river and had its own beach.
Cory is not much of a beach person, but the kids and I could wake up, throw on our swimsuits and mozey down to swim. He did like the campfires.
and the bonfires.
and the bonfires.
I told Mom we were living at the Kennedy Compound. It was a glorious 6 months.
While floating on our floaties one lazy afternoon I told Quinn, "Well, son, this is the life- this is what people seek to attain through wealth: living on the beach with a free schedule to do whatever you want." Quinn wisely replied that it was great and everything but there are a lot of hurting kids in the world that need our help... so very true. My heart smiled. That boy is growing in wisdom.
Anyway, the point is I actually did have my dream beach vacation after all.
And-
We have things we are trying to do here- physical and spiritual things. The work, the setting, the experiences and the purposes make it an extremely gratifying combination. There are no extra costs and the food is superb if I do say so myself. More on what we are doing coming soon...
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Ducks are Like Old Men
We had an early spring and I am glad I made the decision to enjoy it and get some things done outside (read throttle down on homeschooling) because the cold came back.
Piggy relations (PR) have been coming along. We did the piggy run, but all he did was stay over by the cow pen... he wanted some friends. So, we put him back in the pen. Buttercup still beats up on him a bit
but a pig is very tough skinned and he just rolls with it. We put him back in his own little pen at night so that he can eat well at least in the morning and the evening. While he is in with the cows he has to settle for whatever he digs up and some of their hay.
Caramel has taken a liking to the little fella (yes, that is Caramel's ball so he can make it through the rest of winter without getting bored; but now the pig entertains him):
and I have actually seen them play the head to head game (which is properly played between two cows like this):
but gets even more fun with a pig (though this picture doesn't do it justice because Kosher can hold his own):
It's pretty funny.
Buttercup just tolerates him. Yesterday I tried to give him some food and water while he was in the cow pen, but as always Caramel intruded and was trying to eat it. I chastised Caramel and pulled him away several times; so he turned around and took out his frustrations on the pig- slamming it a few good times....
so then Kosher runs over to snuggle Buttercup for comfort. I think he maybe believes Buttercup is 'base' so he's safe. OR maybe I just have too much time on my hands.
I like this one when he switched to the otherside because you can see him standing on his tippy toes, well tippy hooves. Caramel is doing an aside to the audience, "Does he really think I can't get him from here?"
I know cows can't roll their eyes, but in her mind I am sure Buttercup was- though she just kept chewing her cud.
The third duck started hatching ducklings. She left her nest after four hatched so Cory put the rest in the incubator. It's a good thing too- six more hatched out of that group and all four ducklings she was caring for died. She turned out to be a bad mother- left them all too far behind when it was way too cold for them to handle it. Sad. The six we have in the box are now doing well. We helped the first one hatch, which was a bad idea. He was sickly for awhile but seems to be doing better. The last one that hatched has a crippled foot. We are going to have to do something if it doesn't improve soon. We tried to splint it last night but that didn't go so well. We're going to have to try again.
The best things about chicks and ducklings is how they nod off CONSTANTLY. They could be eating or walking or playing and then it is like someone just hit them with a tranquilizer dart...ZZZZZZZ.
They could be eating, like this one:
Climbing a hill, like this one (you're lucky you're head isn't a bit heavier, ducky):
Preening their stomach, like this one:
Or sometimes it hits them all at once, when they are playing together:
When we had chicks last year, there was a little piece of cardboard they used as a perch and the chicks would nod off til they slowly tilted forward and banged their beak against the wall of the box- startling themselves awake again. HOURS of entertainment.
Sunday Cory pulled out a bit more of the mess in the field and then disked it. He then left to meet a friend and I spread the seed (yes I am wearing Cory's clothes-just ignore that):
and pressed it in.
We found this roller on Craig's list for $50- a great price for what it is. It worked nicely. I had a lot (probably too much) seed left over compared to what I expected so I think I will need to seed some more. I forgot to do what the one guy at the seed company told me- go east and west after you go north and south so you are less likely to have "holes." The sun was going down and I felt a little rushed...going to maybe add some. We are going to have to cut down all 5 of the big pines in the upper field to open up the grass area for pasture. We really only bought enough seed for one pasture but we are going to try to make it work for two- the one in the pictures above I did wasn't as big as what we thought or else I didn't lay the seed thick enough. We need as much pasture as we can get because paying for hay through summer is not what we wanted to do. We will have to be really careful on anything we seed- making sure it is rooted well before we graze it (and that it is not wet so the cows don't compact it). It is likely though we will have to suck it up and feed hay through the warm season this year while this seed gets established. Better some than none.
Piggy relations (PR) have been coming along. We did the piggy run, but all he did was stay over by the cow pen... he wanted some friends. So, we put him back in the pen. Buttercup still beats up on him a bit
Caramel has taken a liking to the little fella (yes, that is Caramel's ball so he can make it through the rest of winter without getting bored; but now the pig entertains him):
and I have actually seen them play the head to head game (which is properly played between two cows like this):
but gets even more fun with a pig (though this picture doesn't do it justice because Kosher can hold his own):
It's pretty funny.
Buttercup just tolerates him. Yesterday I tried to give him some food and water while he was in the cow pen, but as always Caramel intruded and was trying to eat it. I chastised Caramel and pulled him away several times; so he turned around and took out his frustrations on the pig- slamming it a few good times....
so then Kosher runs over to snuggle Buttercup for comfort. I think he maybe believes Buttercup is 'base' so he's safe. OR maybe I just have too much time on my hands.
I like this one when he switched to the otherside because you can see him standing on his tippy toes, well tippy hooves. Caramel is doing an aside to the audience, "Does he really think I can't get him from here?"
I know cows can't roll their eyes, but in her mind I am sure Buttercup was- though she just kept chewing her cud.
The third duck started hatching ducklings. She left her nest after four hatched so Cory put the rest in the incubator. It's a good thing too- six more hatched out of that group and all four ducklings she was caring for died. She turned out to be a bad mother- left them all too far behind when it was way too cold for them to handle it. Sad. The six we have in the box are now doing well. We helped the first one hatch, which was a bad idea. He was sickly for awhile but seems to be doing better. The last one that hatched has a crippled foot. We are going to have to do something if it doesn't improve soon. We tried to splint it last night but that didn't go so well. We're going to have to try again.
The best things about chicks and ducklings is how they nod off CONSTANTLY. They could be eating or walking or playing and then it is like someone just hit them with a tranquilizer dart...ZZZZZZZ.
They could be eating, like this one:
Climbing a hill, like this one (you're lucky you're head isn't a bit heavier, ducky):
Preening their stomach, like this one:
Or sometimes it hits them all at once, when they are playing together:
When we had chicks last year, there was a little piece of cardboard they used as a perch and the chicks would nod off til they slowly tilted forward and banged their beak against the wall of the box- startling themselves awake again. HOURS of entertainment.
Sunday Cory pulled out a bit more of the mess in the field and then disked it. He then left to meet a friend and I spread the seed (yes I am wearing Cory's clothes-just ignore that):
and pressed it in.
We found this roller on Craig's list for $50- a great price for what it is. It worked nicely. I had a lot (probably too much) seed left over compared to what I expected so I think I will need to seed some more. I forgot to do what the one guy at the seed company told me- go east and west after you go north and south so you are less likely to have "holes." The sun was going down and I felt a little rushed...going to maybe add some. We are going to have to cut down all 5 of the big pines in the upper field to open up the grass area for pasture. We really only bought enough seed for one pasture but we are going to try to make it work for two- the one in the pictures above I did wasn't as big as what we thought or else I didn't lay the seed thick enough. We need as much pasture as we can get because paying for hay through summer is not what we wanted to do. We will have to be really careful on anything we seed- making sure it is rooted well before we graze it (and that it is not wet so the cows don't compact it). It is likely though we will have to suck it up and feed hay through the warm season this year while this seed gets established. Better some than none.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Plantings and Piglets
Well my seedlings died. Apparently there is a lot more to gardening than sticking things in the dirt and watering well. Have you ever heard the phrase "that's a whole nother animal?" It is referring to how each type of animal requires different care. Cows are different than chickens, etc. Well, it seems that each type of thing you want to grow is a "whole nother animal." Oh boy. Is this why most people don't garden until they are retired? These are things I wonder.
My approach to all of these things, because I have no experience and no wise granny-lady hanging around (though I wish for you every day, wise granny-lady) is to get the basic information and go from there. A brain can only handle so much without just doing what you are reading about anyway; and I am slowly reclaiming all of the storage area in mine that was used up with technical information from my former career. So what I am saying is that I can describe the infrastructure of the entire American voice and data network; but I don't know how to start tomatoes. Fortunately, a lady on the cow forums just explained how, so I am going to try again. I am debating asking her about how to do every other thing I am trying to grow. Each plant has it's own peculiar thing about it! You could truly do only gardening and be busy most of the time. I unfortunately do not have the ability to have such a singular focus so I shall continue in trial, error, read-when-you-can mode.
Sometimes that doesn't work if you haven't planned WAY ahead. We contacted our local cooperative extension and did four soil tests. Apparently soil tests tell you what you should have done last year. Very helpful, but not very timely.
So after holding them in pots for a year, I finally chose locations for my two fruit trees and got them planted: an apple and a cherry.
[I need to get a matching tree for each so they can be pollinated- who knew there were male and female fruit trees?]. You have to consider drainage, light, space, soil, etc. I don't know that we have the ideal conditions anywhere, but I chose what I thought were the best spots based on the information I had. It's odd that you have to cut the tree down to 2 feet when you plant, but that's what you do. It helps stimulate root growth. I still need to mulch them...
You want to talk about a whole science- the orchard book I had (The Backyard Orchardist by Stella Otto) blew my mind the first time I read it. The second time I skimmed it and it only made me dizzy. The third time I located just the part I needed and was able to do what I needed to do- hopefully effectively. I actually liked the book, but...
It reminded me of that RIDICULOUS book that, for some reason, every woman reads when she is pregnant: What to Expect When You are Expecting. That is the worst pregnancy book on the planet. Hey, now that you are pregnant let me describe every possible disease or affliction you or your baby could possibly develop! Tell me again why that book is popular? My point is that I don't need to read about every possible parasite that the trees can get right now. You have to filter things like that out or you will never try anything.
Landscaping comes a lot easier- maybe because so much was already here and because I have a knack for balance and spacing. The hollyhock bushes had about 40 saplings growing around them so I moved them yesterday. The kids helped. We now have a hollyhock sapling placed in every possible place you could want a bush. The internet site I looked at says they don't transplant well, but it never hurts to try- they weren't gonna grow where they were! If they make it I just added beautiful color all around the house for free!
See, this is what happened to me last year. When it was finally warm enough to do the inside construction projects, we spent all of our time outside.
So I picked Mom up from South Carolina on a quick overnight trip and we spent the week just chatting and piddling with cleaning and dishes. The weather was mostly bad but that was okay. When we picked up the rental car for me to drive down the guy asked if I had a vehicle preference. Cory says out loud, "Get one with a trunk or hatchback because your mom is gonna have a suitcase and several garbage bags with her." If you've ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I think that is how Cory felt when he met my family. He has settled in and gotten used to us and all of our quirky ways and was truly just stating a fact.....but since the two rental car guys were standing right there, I felt the need to explain my dear mother:
"My Mom HAS suitcases- plenty of them. As a matter of fact I think someone gives her a new set every Christmas. She just CHOOSES to put most of her things in garbage bags when she travels. It's easier that way."
I think Mom's favorite part of her visit here was when I told her about Cory and the rental car man, and my emphatic defense of her luggage choices. She laughed so hard she cried. Especially because I was telling her about it while we were loading her garbage bags of stuff into our truck. She even brought an extra one for just in case. These are the reasons I love my mom. Not for the normal reasons most people do... but for garbage bags and sentences like, "I slapped my hair up."
So then pig day arrived.
[If you saw my pictures on facebook, you already know a little about how that went. I assumed only a handful of people read this blog, but then I found the little tool that shows you how many do- WHO ARE ALL OF YOU PEOPLE??? Leave me a comment or something].
Here is a recap and an update:
We meet the sellers for "the drop." That's when two trucks with pens in the back
pull up at a meet point and exchange farm animals:
Anyway, we end up out til late and leave him in his pen until the next day when we introduce the cows to him. First they were curious.
Then scared.
They would run away whenever he came near.
He trotted around with no inhibitions. By the next day Buttercup was butting him with her horned head. I thought maybe they were just establishing who is who and what is what; but when she practically smashed him into the hayfeeder and gored him, I got him out of there and set up a makeshift pen. I used to roll my eyes at people who explained to me what their pet was feeling, but humor me for a second: I imagine Buttercup was thinking, "There is no way I am sharing this pen with a steer that climbs on my back every 5 minutes AND a spastic pig! That's IT! I am drawing the line!!" That was yesterday- Monday. Today Cory bought a harness, the kind used for dogs, and a cable. He set up the cable after dark. Tomorrow's plan is to clip the rope to the harness and the other end to the cable so piggy has a "run."
His name is Kosher. I just naturally call him piggy, though. Tomorrow he should be one happy pig with plenty of things to root for... he makes the best sounds ever. He makes mmm mmm mmm eating sounds 24/7 except when he is sleeping. He is a cute little thing. I am concerned he might be the hardest critter not to get attached to because he is so fun to watch. You know that wonderful feeling you get when you cook for your man and he really likes what you made? Well a pig acts like that if you give him scraps from the table. It's like one continuous bout of bacon making appreciation.
Cory's parents blessed us with some help for our complex plumbing problems and not a moment too soon. The other night I was brushing my teeth in the downstairs bathroom and the ceiling started dripping ON MY HEAD. Apparently, the guy who built this place used electrical tape for the drainpipe in the upstairs bathroom and APPARENTLY YOU DON"T USE ELECTRICAL TAPE FOR PLUMBING !*&(%^$#@. That's okay. The trees and land are really pretty here. We can fix the pipes. Cory is working on it and we have the material now.
In other news, the two ducks have not hatched any additional ducklings and are off their nests- the rest of the eggs were bad. The last mama duck is still sitting on hers- we'll see. The others are having a grand old time as it has been raining a good bit lately.
I have sweet potatoes sitting in water in jars hoping they sprout. After consulting with one of my sisters, tomorrow I am going to get the regular potatoes ready. I have a feeling they will do better than my seedling efforts.
This blog is somewhat of a journal really- as a record for my family and as encouragement for anyone who wants to try things like this but has no experience (like me). As a record of and for our family, it is also inherently an ongoing story of how God reaches out specifically to us, though we are but four people in this vast, vast world......
I had been making a list of all the things I want to do around here, and of course, aesthetics come way lower on the list than things like grass seed, etc. What I really wanted was some type of simple fence to give some structure to the roses and berry areas that are in the front yard. I wanted something that they could grow through and around but that gave them somewhat of a framework to do so. If I haven't told you yet- we have already figured out that fencing can be the financial chokehold of a start up homestead or farm. Cosmetic fencing is, right now, out of the question.
But God knows all these things. On Friday night I was looking at the Keeping a Family Cow website again for ideas on pig fencing. Someone mentioned pallets. I looked on Craig's List and saw there was a place offering free pallets near where we had to go and get tires on Saturday. When we got there, we found the stack out back, behind an ATV store. Not only were there pallets back there, but the crates they ship ATVs in have walls that are perfect for what I wanted, and there was a whole slew of them too.
My husband loaded up the back all around the pig crate and I was so SO happy. They are going to be perfect.
My approach to all of these things, because I have no experience and no wise granny-lady hanging around (though I wish for you every day, wise granny-lady) is to get the basic information and go from there. A brain can only handle so much without just doing what you are reading about anyway; and I am slowly reclaiming all of the storage area in mine that was used up with technical information from my former career. So what I am saying is that I can describe the infrastructure of the entire American voice and data network; but I don't know how to start tomatoes. Fortunately, a lady on the cow forums just explained how, so I am going to try again. I am debating asking her about how to do every other thing I am trying to grow. Each plant has it's own peculiar thing about it! You could truly do only gardening and be busy most of the time. I unfortunately do not have the ability to have such a singular focus so I shall continue in trial, error, read-when-you-can mode.
Sometimes that doesn't work if you haven't planned WAY ahead. We contacted our local cooperative extension and did four soil tests. Apparently soil tests tell you what you should have done last year. Very helpful, but not very timely.
So after holding them in pots for a year, I finally chose locations for my two fruit trees and got them planted: an apple and a cherry.
[I need to get a matching tree for each so they can be pollinated- who knew there were male and female fruit trees?]. You have to consider drainage, light, space, soil, etc. I don't know that we have the ideal conditions anywhere, but I chose what I thought were the best spots based on the information I had. It's odd that you have to cut the tree down to 2 feet when you plant, but that's what you do. It helps stimulate root growth. I still need to mulch them...
You want to talk about a whole science- the orchard book I had (The Backyard Orchardist by Stella Otto) blew my mind the first time I read it. The second time I skimmed it and it only made me dizzy. The third time I located just the part I needed and was able to do what I needed to do- hopefully effectively. I actually liked the book, but...
It reminded me of that RIDICULOUS book that, for some reason, every woman reads when she is pregnant: What to Expect When You are Expecting. That is the worst pregnancy book on the planet. Hey, now that you are pregnant let me describe every possible disease or affliction you or your baby could possibly develop! Tell me again why that book is popular? My point is that I don't need to read about every possible parasite that the trees can get right now. You have to filter things like that out or you will never try anything.
Landscaping comes a lot easier- maybe because so much was already here and because I have a knack for balance and spacing. The hollyhock bushes had about 40 saplings growing around them so I moved them yesterday. The kids helped. We now have a hollyhock sapling placed in every possible place you could want a bush. The internet site I looked at says they don't transplant well, but it never hurts to try- they weren't gonna grow where they were! If they make it I just added beautiful color all around the house for free!
See, this is what happened to me last year. When it was finally warm enough to do the inside construction projects, we spent all of our time outside.
So I picked Mom up from South Carolina on a quick overnight trip and we spent the week just chatting and piddling with cleaning and dishes. The weather was mostly bad but that was okay. When we picked up the rental car for me to drive down the guy asked if I had a vehicle preference. Cory says out loud, "Get one with a trunk or hatchback because your mom is gonna have a suitcase and several garbage bags with her." If you've ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I think that is how Cory felt when he met my family. He has settled in and gotten used to us and all of our quirky ways and was truly just stating a fact.....but since the two rental car guys were standing right there, I felt the need to explain my dear mother:
"My Mom HAS suitcases- plenty of them. As a matter of fact I think someone gives her a new set every Christmas. She just CHOOSES to put most of her things in garbage bags when she travels. It's easier that way."
I think Mom's favorite part of her visit here was when I told her about Cory and the rental car man, and my emphatic defense of her luggage choices. She laughed so hard she cried. Especially because I was telling her about it while we were loading her garbage bags of stuff into our truck. She even brought an extra one for just in case. These are the reasons I love my mom. Not for the normal reasons most people do... but for garbage bags and sentences like, "I slapped my hair up."
So then pig day arrived.
[If you saw my pictures on facebook, you already know a little about how that went. I assumed only a handful of people read this blog, but then I found the little tool that shows you how many do- WHO ARE ALL OF YOU PEOPLE??? Leave me a comment or something].
Here is a recap and an update:
We meet the sellers for "the drop." That's when two trucks with pens in the back
pull up at a meet point and exchange farm animals:
Anyway, we end up out til late and leave him in his pen until the next day when we introduce the cows to him. First they were curious.
Then scared.
They would run away whenever he came near.
He trotted around with no inhibitions. By the next day Buttercup was butting him with her horned head. I thought maybe they were just establishing who is who and what is what; but when she practically smashed him into the hayfeeder and gored him, I got him out of there and set up a makeshift pen. I used to roll my eyes at people who explained to me what their pet was feeling, but humor me for a second: I imagine Buttercup was thinking, "There is no way I am sharing this pen with a steer that climbs on my back every 5 minutes AND a spastic pig! That's IT! I am drawing the line!!" That was yesterday- Monday. Today Cory bought a harness, the kind used for dogs, and a cable. He set up the cable after dark. Tomorrow's plan is to clip the rope to the harness and the other end to the cable so piggy has a "run."
His name is Kosher. I just naturally call him piggy, though. Tomorrow he should be one happy pig with plenty of things to root for... he makes the best sounds ever. He makes mmm mmm mmm eating sounds 24/7 except when he is sleeping. He is a cute little thing. I am concerned he might be the hardest critter not to get attached to because he is so fun to watch. You know that wonderful feeling you get when you cook for your man and he really likes what you made? Well a pig acts like that if you give him scraps from the table. It's like one continuous bout of bacon making appreciation.
Cory's parents blessed us with some help for our complex plumbing problems and not a moment too soon. The other night I was brushing my teeth in the downstairs bathroom and the ceiling started dripping ON MY HEAD. Apparently, the guy who built this place used electrical tape for the drainpipe in the upstairs bathroom and APPARENTLY YOU DON"T USE ELECTRICAL TAPE FOR PLUMBING !*&(%^$#@. That's okay. The trees and land are really pretty here. We can fix the pipes. Cory is working on it and we have the material now.
In other news, the two ducks have not hatched any additional ducklings and are off their nests- the rest of the eggs were bad. The last mama duck is still sitting on hers- we'll see. The others are having a grand old time as it has been raining a good bit lately.
I have sweet potatoes sitting in water in jars hoping they sprout. After consulting with one of my sisters, tomorrow I am going to get the regular potatoes ready. I have a feeling they will do better than my seedling efforts.
This blog is somewhat of a journal really- as a record for my family and as encouragement for anyone who wants to try things like this but has no experience (like me). As a record of and for our family, it is also inherently an ongoing story of how God reaches out specifically to us, though we are but four people in this vast, vast world......
I had been making a list of all the things I want to do around here, and of course, aesthetics come way lower on the list than things like grass seed, etc. What I really wanted was some type of simple fence to give some structure to the roses and berry areas that are in the front yard. I wanted something that they could grow through and around but that gave them somewhat of a framework to do so. If I haven't told you yet- we have already figured out that fencing can be the financial chokehold of a start up homestead or farm. Cosmetic fencing is, right now, out of the question.
But God knows all these things. On Friday night I was looking at the Keeping a Family Cow website again for ideas on pig fencing. Someone mentioned pallets. I looked on Craig's List and saw there was a place offering free pallets near where we had to go and get tires on Saturday. When we got there, we found the stack out back, behind an ATV store. Not only were there pallets back there, but the crates they ship ATVs in have walls that are perfect for what I wanted, and there was a whole slew of them too.
My husband loaded up the back all around the pig crate and I was so SO happy. They are going to be perfect.
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