On the fiber, and literary, front...

Good morning everyone!  It is Wednesday, and we are Yarning Along with Ginny and joining in with Tami's Amis' Work in Progress  and Ambassador Crochet today!

Once I finished my son's blanket last week, I was a bit at odds.  But, that didn't last long.  I am now working on a sweater - for myself!  I am using Lion Brand Yarn Fisherman's Wool which has been lovely to work with.

Now, this is my first time working on a sweater, and I am taking a bottoms up approach, so we will have to see how it goes.  But, I am hoping to finish it before the end of winter.

Wearing wool in summer isn't so much fun.

On the literary side, I have a few books going.  I read and finished Barnheart by Jenna Woginrich (check out her blog Cold Antler Farm - love it) and it inspired me to move on to Joel Salatin's Folks, This Ain't Normal.  It is wonderfully thought provoking, making me reconsider quite a few things in my day to day practices.  I appreciate his absolute blunt honesty about how he sees the world. 

I would easily put both of these books up with Barbara Kingssolver's Animal Vegetable Miracle, a book that I found to be completely life changing.

Well, that is all that I have for now.  The morning hours are coming upon me, and I have chickens to let out of their coop :)

  Head on over to Ginny's, Tami's, and Ambassador's Crochet other interesting ventures into literary and fiber fun.

6am...

It is 6am.

The calm before the storm.

Does everyone else have this period of time?  You know, that small matter of minutes between when you finish your morning chores and the kids wake up?  That tiny period of time when you can sneak just one more cup of coffee before it all takes off at a flying leap?

I love this moment.  It never lasts long, and frankly, some mornings, it doesn't exist at all, but it is beautiful when it is here.  The time is yours, and is only halted by the sound of feet hitting floor up above you.  That's when the mad dash to be the first to get down stairs, the first for the biggest blanket, the ONE who gets the blue cup...when it all begins.

I know that I should fill this time for productive events.  Or at least eat breakfast.  But the cup of coffee and banana from 4:30 will have to do for now.  'Cause I am not getting off this couch until the house wakes up.  The kids are sleeping and the animals are cared for.  And for now, that is enough.

All is quiet.

I'm Blessed.

Joining in for the first time with He Sows and She Sews today, for "I'm Blessed"

Such a wonderful way to remember our blessings today, on a weekday that can get oh-so-crazy.

And I have so many blessings to be thank for for.

I am blessed by the extraodinary people in my life. 

My husband who understands that it is tax season, and that the brunt of the home and family responsibilities fall to him - and he jumps in without complaint. 

My children that are constantly questioning all facts of life and making me look deeper into my own assumptions and actions.

My co-workers who truly *get* the need for a work-home balance, in even the craziness of times, and are so very understanding of the many directions we are all pulled in everyday.  Such an positive environment makes your office space like a second home and your co-workers like family.

Oh yes, I am very blessed.

Multitasking...

Today is a day for puttering and getting stuff done.

The morning started a bit later than normal, with everyone arising at 6am instead of 4 or 5am.  I rather quite enjoyed it.  4am always comes way to early and is often unavoidable.  The husband is off for his 'one weekend a month' commitment, so it is just me and the kids at home.  An oddly quiet setting, with short loud bursts of kid noises...I am sure it will get much louder later, when the husband returns....

First up was the letting the chicken out in their yard.  The warmish temps have been to melting some of the snow fall, so we can begin to see some dirt again.  That may not sound too exciting, but to a chicken?  Oh yeah - its the good stuff.  You should see the crazy rolling, squacking, jostling as they all try for a turn at the best dirt patch.  I know, I don't really get it either, but I have had many a garden bed fall at the feet of a rolling chicken.

I know that this sounds a bit odd for a Vermonter, but, frankly, I am OK with the lack of snow.

However, it is with the aid of the snow that is still on the ground that I am able to see the stalking of *something* around the yard again last night.  I don't know what's been hanging around, but I feel confident in saying that it is up to no good.  The husband plans to set up his trail camera in the back yard, so I hope we will find out soon.  Based on the paw print, it looks to be a very large feral dog or a coyote.  Not so good.

After the chickens were freed and running around, I took some time to indulge.  The kids were catching up on their TV programing from last night (mommy yawn....), so I had a few moments to myself to gather the computer and log into High Mowing seed catalog online.  I am slowly building my wish list for the next growing season.  There are so many choices, and for once, I am excited to let loose a bit.  Imagine, green and PURPLE bush beans.  Oh yeah.  It's gonna be good....

Once I had to withdrawn from the computer, it was time to wash up, and clean up the abode, and then head to the dreaded grocery store.  It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great.  I can't help it - I just don't like to grocery shop.  And no matter how great my list is, I alway forget something important.  Like dinner.  You know how it goes....

And now we are home.  The house is chill and not being able to decide what to do next, I am multitasking.  Many birds, one 30 minute time period...Riding the exercise bike (the knee is thankfully much, much better!), while taking turns writing and crocheting a a sweater that I really want to wear this winter.  I only hope that I can finish it this winter....

That, only time will tell.

Bedtime in the hen house...

Chickens in the winter? Not so much fun.... ;)

Let me first say, I love my chickens.

I know that they are technically livestock, but they have become pets in a sense.  My kids talk with them, we pet them, in the summer months, we can be found gardening with them.  They are curious creatures and surprisingly funny in their antics.

But, serious, in the dead of winter, it can be hard to remember this.

Yesterday, the temps fell below zero, but I still needed to go out, open coop doors, give them food and water, and plug in their heat lamp.  And it was quite the process.

Food and water - no problem, easy-peasy.  We can handle that.

Opening up the coop and turning on the light?

Well, that is another story.

The coop is basically a big cube on stilts that my husband built.  The body of the creation itself is about 3 or 4 ft cubed.  A great amount of space - more than enough room for our feathered ladies.

But it is a difficult space to crack into.  It goes like this.

- Get bundled up, and trudge out into the early morning, very dark back yard. 

- Hope quickly not to surprise any coyotes in the yard.

- Find coop surrounded by snow.

- Shovel said snow.

- Try to open large access door to coop.

- Fail as hinges are frozen.

- Trudge back to the garage, get trusty screwdriver.

- Trudge back outside, use trusty screwdriver to open door.

- Loosen door, but notice that door is swollen and jammed shut.

- Grab edges of door and yank fiercely.

- On sixth yank, door finally opens to a dark coop.

- Chickens squack in annoyance at self and cold air.  Tell chickens to knock it off.

- Fumble in darkness to try and plug in coop light.

- Fail as the coop is dark and I am not tall enough to reach, well, anything of use.

- Trudge back to garage for flashlight.

- Realize that kids took flashlight into the house for use as a night light.

- Trudge back outside and go to hay shed.

- Find step ladder in darkness and set by coop.

- Climb said step ladder and climb into coop.

- Pray that a)Muck Boots do not crush chickens under foot and b) coop does not collapse under the weight of self.

- Realize that I don't normally pray, and that I may be wasting time.

- Reach past chickens and plug in coop light.

- Am blinded, as intense light turns on directly in eyes.

- Stumble back and try not to fall out of coop.

- Shut large coop access door, open small chicken door, and go back inside.

- Look down, realize I did all of this in my pajamas, and feel thankful that a) it was dark out and the neighbors *hopefully* didn't see me and b) I did not ruin my work clothes.

- Get dressed, wake up kids, and start the day.

Fun, right? ;)

'Course...I could circumvent most of the above by being more organized...but we won't go there right yet...;)

Orange blanket is done!

Good morning everyone!  It is Wednesday, and we are Yarning Along with Ginny and joining in with Tami's Amis' Work in Progress  and Ambassador Crochet today!

And I finished my son's blanket!!

As you can see, as per his choosing, it was made from a Red Heart fiber called "Pumpkin".  Frankly, to me, it looks at whole lot closer to "Vermont Deer Season Hunter Orange".

My son loves it ;)

I wish I had more "irons in the fire", but with the ending of the holiday season and that start of tax season, I just don't have it in me right now.  So....I am off to do some blog hopping for some inspiration!

Want to join me?  Head on over to Ginny's, Tami's, and Ambassador's Crochet other interesting ventures into fiber fun.

This just in....

Well, it is official.

I have gone to the doctors (just happened to have a routine visit scheduled for this morning, as luck may have it), and I now know that I have sprained my knee.

SPRAINED!!

Seriously.

After all of TWO days of my run to no where.

A six week recovery time.

Crap.

AND...

Wait for it...wait for it....drum roll please.....

I may have even TORN some ligaments!!

We will have to wait for the swelling to come down before that can be determined.

Great.

Just fantastic.

Seriously.

The run to no where...day 2

Yesterday was the first official day of tax season, and so the system has begun.

And within that system is my daily run to no where.  And yesterday was a great improvement over Sunday (I ran the whole 30 minutes!!)...until, that is, the last few moments.

In the last few moments, I did something to my knee that is now causing sickening shocks of pain to reverberate all over, and the surprising strength of such pain has already send me to the floor a few times.  Needless to say, it was not a restful night of sleep.

So, I ask, what the heck did I do?  And how am I supposed to start the morning - the first kids' back-to-school morning - like this?

Crap!!

2012....

2012.

I like the sound of that...2012.  Maybe it is the evenness of it, or the perceived safety of pairs and numbers.  I don't know....but it makes me smile a bit.

I have big plans for this year.  The most important of these began today.  2012 will be the year that I finally get in shape, and stay in shape.  I mean, I know that I am not horridly out of shape, and I can wield a pitchfork for a time with the best of them, but this year, I want something better.  Sometime more.  We have a huge garden out back to manifest into huge degrees of edible, and I don't want to be the one coming up short.

Pair this goal up with the start of tax season (oh yes, starting tomorrow!), and we have quite the scene.  But, it is going to work.  'Cause, I have a plan.  Starting tomorrow, I will be working longer days, and be arriving home just in time to join my husband in tucking the kids into bed.  And, once their heads hit their pillows, I will be heading down for a daily meet and greet with my new BFF, the treadmill.  30 minutes of running to nowhere, 10 minutes in a hot, hot, shower, and the day will be done.  Each day.

And having started this running journey today, I am well on my way. 

All this talk leads to my next goal of our expanding our homestead this year.  Luckily, the seasonality of the bulk of our homesteading tail feathers well with my day job as a tax accountant.  So, just as tax season is ending, the real work on the homestead will be just beginning.

New Hampshire Red

So, start with the most fun, we will be increasing our flock this spring.  We only have 12 chickens for the winter months (and yes, I could name them all for you...but will spare you for now) and plan to add another 4 by summer. 

I am in the process of picking a breed (really liking the New Hampshire Reds), and then will be deciding when to place an order.  I have heard very good things about the Murray McMurray Hatchery, and am considering ordering from them.  Not positive, but am considering...and if we do so, we will be placing an order for 25 (the minimum order allowed, since, as in many other things, there is safety in numbers) of the tiny feathered ladies, and then finding adoptive homes for many of them. 

 

Next, as you know, the garden is already on its way to a 400% expansion.  Rows have been raised and a seed wish-list has begun.  I have canning jars waiting in the wings and a freezer chest sitting on the sidelines. 

This year, we are prepared, and will be growing vegetables (and some fruit of the berry variety) to last our family for the the following year, and some for our friends and family as well.  To say I am excited would be an understatement.

I plan to utilize some of the acreage on our property across town as well.  While the land is mostly being fostered as a wildlife preserve and my husband's *great escape*, I am also planning to harvest plenty of the blackberries and elderberries that are growing with great abandon, and to raise some bees.  I know nothing about bees, but I am planning to start my education very soon...

I am sure that there are many more items that I could be adding to this list, but these are my top personal goals.  To be fit, healthy, and continue on our path to a more self sustaining future with healthy home grown vegetables, fruit, honey, and, of course, eggs. 

For 2012, this sounds just right.