Decorating

The cats felt decorating for Christmas was one big adventure. The job took my darling husband and I about four and a half hours. They pounced and prowled though all the stuff, finally settling in to what seemed like a good place to them. I just had to share:

Ornery especially liked her vantage point so that she could attack each ornament as it was placed. My darling husband is about to hang an authentic "safety pin" that was made for me (from a wire clothes hanger) by one of my great uncles about ten years ago. He said they used them frequently around the farm when he was a kid. Using a heavier gauge of wire would enable them to substitute these "safety pins" for the expensive Cotter pins available at the farm implement store.

The Bachelor Pad

Necessity is the mother of invention, right? One of my favorite things on our property is this outhouse. I think it's the coolest thing ever! It's the nicest outhouse I've ever seen. The base of the seat is formed concrete, there is a coat hook and a dowel to hang the toilet paper roll on! There is a vent pipe as well as vents on the east and west sides of the outhouse that have latches so you can open them in warm weather and close them during the cold times. I was remiss to deface this wonderful, but almost useless, structure. However, need won over sentiment. This spring we purchased Buff Orpington cockerels from a local hatchery. We raised these chickens for meat. They needed a place to live! We didn't want to invest in building a chicken house large enough to host so many chickens because we don't intend to deal with mass quantities of chickens again. The logical conclusion was to (temporarily) renovate the outhouse into a chicken house. It's only a roost and shelter, but it meets the need. The boys are thrilled with it, as you can see:

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx
I am CRAZY over this recipe. It starts out like any homemade bread, and over the course of two weeks it develops into this wonderful sourdough richness that rivals Schlotzsky's! It makes consistently yummy bread with virtually NO effort! You mix up the dough in a loosely covered container, let it rise for three hours, stash it in the 'fridge, and any time you want bread, you pull out a hunk of dough, let it rise, and bake it. It's really that easy!

These cinnamon rolls were made with the same dough. They were SO scrumptious!!! Just press the dough out on the counter in a rectangular shape, sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar, and roll. After the dough is formed into a roll, cut into slices. I used my kitchen scissors to help keep the pinwheels in their proper shape as best I could. Place them in a well greased cast iron skillet, let rise for about an hour, and bake. That's it. So simple, and SO delicious!!!

Ornery's Cantankerous

Ornery has been living up to her name lately. Enough to drive me to something I never dreamed I would do: sending her outside to play. Normally, I don't approve of allowing pets to roam freely outside off leash. They could get hit by a car and be maimed or killed. Not an acceptable option. Unless you've lived with Ornery Matisse. She's a mover and a shaker, let me tell ya! Just look at what happened when I let her outside:



Of course, all that time outside led to some serious separation anxiety on Twinkie's part. She whined and paced from the door to me the ENTIRE time Ornery was outside. Once Ornery came in, it was time for cuddles!

And finally, a nap in my crochet basket, which, by the way, isn't allowed!

Patience

Patience has been feeling a bit neglected lately, so I decided it was time to dedicate a post to her. She just doesn't get into the mischief the others do, and so she gets overlooked. Good thing she doesn't have an eternal soul, huh?


Then again, maybe she's not quite so angelic after all. I brought in the final harvest of zucchini and summer squash, put them on the counter, and went to the bathroom to wash up. When I returned, this is the sight that greeted me. If you look closely, you can see Patience in front of the microwave on the far right. Note that cats are never, ever, EVER allowed on kitchen counters or the table!!! (I snapped the shot, and then went in swinging with newspaper!)


While I'm at it, I might as well add a few of her "baby pictures." These were taken with my cell phone, and so the quality is questionable, but they are the only pics I have, and since I hand raised her from three days old, she's pretty special!


You'd think she was in danger of suffocation, but she would root herself into position after LeeRoy was already settled in for a good nap. He was NOT thrilled about it, but he tolerated her.




Wayne worked nights when she was a kitten, and it wasn't uncommon for me to come home and find them like this:

Trust Needs

Last night I had a dream. In it, my husband informed me that he was taking his things and moving out. I understood it meant he was leaving me and divorcing me. In the dream I cried and begged him to stay. I begged him to go to counseling with me. I told him I would do anything to make him stay. That I would change in whatever way I had to to please him. I woke myself up crying. The dream was so real and so vivid. I was very disturbed this morning when I awakened. I told my husband about the dream. I wanted and expected him to gather me into his arms and tell me that he would never do that and it was just a dream. He did nothing. I had tears in my eyes. The dream still felt real to me. I don't remember what I said, but it was something along the lines of "Would you do that?" and he squeezed my big toe and said, "I'm not leaving you." with a chuckle. Kind of blew it off. (He deflects serious situations with humor a lot.) I was really upset. I got out of bed and hugged and kissed him and told him I loved him. Then I went about my morning duties of getting ready for work. While we were in our 45 minute commute, I told him that when I told him about the dream, I had needed him to gather me into his arms and tell me that he would never leave me. He didn't get it. I let it go.

Hours later, I still feel disturbed by this dream. I was pondering it, and it occurred to me that perhaps God was trying to teach me a lesson. I know there are things I need to change. There is a lot of baggage from the past that I harbor bitterness and anger over. My husband is a changed man! I need to embrace that with passion and not let go!!! I need to work on myself. I am not nearly the helpmeet I want to be. I will be praying, meditating, and working toward this. I will be dusting off my copy of Created to Be His Help Meet to study it again. This book sends me to the Word more than anything I've ever read! It's been a few years, and I was at a very different place back then. I know there is a lot of new material I can glean from it now, that I couldn't begin to grasp at that time.

But there is a deeper lesson. I still feel disturbed about this dream. Part of me wants to go to Wayne (again) and make my needs known. I need to be reassured. I believe God spoke to me when I was having these thoughts. I should not be looking to any human being to have my emotional needs met. No man, no matter how wonderful he may be, can do that. God is my provider. Period. He is Who I am supposed to look for fulfillment of my heart's every longing. I was working on my lesson plans for next week. Our Bible lessons for next week are centered around this verse: "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." ~Deuteronomy 31:6 That sealed it! I KNEW He was speaking to me.

Bessie

This is my favorite hen. Her name is Bessie, named in honor of a special friend, both of them are sweet, crazy, little redheads!

Catastrophe

Each morning when I get up I go into the bathroom and raise the blinds and look out on the new day. This morning, my view was horribly marred, for what I beheld was Wayne's coondog, Lucy, chasing a chicken across the garden! I ran to the back door and acted overjoyed to see her and she (thankfully) came running to me. I brought her inside our enclosed back porch. Sadie, our other dog, was also loose, but her chain had caught on one of the stakes that anchors the flower bed that surrounds the back patio. I went inside and told Wayne the dogs were loose, and they had been killing chickens. (I saw two bodies when I checked to see where Sadie was.) Lucy had broken the snap on her collar, and Sadie's "s" hook that held her chain to the post had separated. (We just replaced Sadie's snap about two weeks ago when she got loose and killed one of my hens.) I dressed and began walking the yard. It was a gruesome task. They killed four of my laying hens, including my two best Silver Laced Wyandottes, and two roosters. There are also two roosters that are wounded, but I think will live. This leaves me with just three hens: two Americaunas and a Brahma. From now on we will be replacing the hardware on the outside dogs every ten months!
Their method of attack: rip the bottom out of the chicken coop. We have now replaced the wire bottom with plywood. We are planning to enclose the sides with plywood as well and just leave small holes for ventilation around the top.

Crazy Veggies

Can you believe that my okra is blooming in November? I just had to share.

Peach Roses

My Darling Husband ordered peach colored roses and had the delivered to me at school for our anniversary. It was so sweet. Peach is my favorite color for roses. Aren't they just gorgeous?

Happy Tenth Anniversary!

To commemorate this momentous occasion, we attended Apple Butter Makin' Days in Mt. Vernon, MO. This is a country festival in which local craftspeople gather to display and sell their wares, as well as obviously tout the marvelous apple! For our gifts to one another, we purchased hand thrown pottery mugs. Wayne selected a mug that is so dark blue, it's almost black. Very handsome. My mug is quite unique. Some might even call it imperfect. All the more to cuddle up with!We also purchased some handcrafted soaps and a wooden soap dish, and what I've been informed was a rubber band sub-machine gun.

Osha

I've been battling a virus for over a week. I tried to let my body wage this battle on it's own, but a couple days ago it became apparent that my body was not getting the job done on it's own. I pulled out the Osha, and began taking it, two dropper fulls three times a day. It has worked wonders! This morning I could tell my energy level was better, and my throat wasn't nearly as sore. However, my chest still felt tight, my sinuses were clogged, and I had a slight earache. Around lunchtime I really started to improve. Now, at 5:30 P.M. I am much, much better. My chest barely hurts, my ears aren't hurting, and my sinus congestion is diminished. OSHA ROCKS! If you haven't tried it, you really should. Warning, though, it'll put hair on your chest!

A Meal Fit for a Queen

Last week I had a stomach virus. After a couple days it developed into a cold, which has progressed to the point that for the last two days all I have wanted to do was melt into a bed. Last night, when I arrived home from work, my wonderful husband had prepared this scrumptious meal for me. The chicken was the best I've had in a really long time. It was so tender and flavorful. I felt that it's memory should be preserved for all posterity! :D

A whole summer's work!

This year I planted Black Aztec corn. It is an heirloom variety that is certified non GMO. You can eat it in the milk stage like corn on the cob, can it, or freeze it. You can also let it dry and grind it for cornmeal. I planted five rows of about 20 stalks per row. This is my entire harvest. It's been a learning year, to say the least! First of all, I planted WAY too late. I didn't plant my corn until the first week of June. On top of that, the weather has been unusually cool, rainy, and therefore cloudy. Nobody's crops did particularly well, and everyone I have talked to mentions how late their plants were in being ready to harvest. To make things even worse, the chickens discovered the delightful contents of those ears, and ate more than their fair share. I am going to save all this for seed, and next year I'll be planting much earlier, and I will also fertilize a WHOLE lot more! (Not to mention the fence that will appear around the perimeter of the garden!)

Chicken Update

I know y'all are *so* excited to hear more about my chickens, but, believe it or not, a friend asked! These are the adorable little black and yellow fluff balls that were in the blue cage with the dogs gawking at them. They're all grown up and looking pretty fine. My Brahma hen is in the center. She is named Buttercup. I don't think she is laying yet. The white rooster is named Bud. He's one ornery old cuss. He keeps ALL the birds (and Wayne) in line!

This is my Black Australorp hen. I don't believe she is laying yet based on appearance. I have not yet checked her bones to see, though. We are getting around five eggs a day. I have another B.A. hen, named Sissy, who keeps to herself. She roosts in some secret hideaway, and we only see her early in the morning, before the other chickens are released.

These are some of the "gang." They are old enough for the freezer, but we haven't gotten around to that yet. They keep things in a tizzy around the yard, always fighting and chasing the girls.

I have two Silver Laced Wyandotte hens. (I call them both Sylvia - can't tell them apart!) I do think they may be my best layers. I think they started laying first, and I also think they are more consistent layers.

This is a side view of a Silver Laced Wyandotte hen with Bud at her side.

A Tour of My Classroom

This summer our director repainted my classroom and the hallway of our school. I am so excited about how nice my room looks. It used to be a periwinkle blue, which I loved, but it was sorely in need of a fresh coat, and she wanted something different, so I asked for sage green. It's so nice and fresh and clean feeling. I have ten students this year, ranging from first grade through third grade. It's a challenge teaching a multi-age classroom, but I enjoy it tremendously!

Sugarpie Honeybun

This is our first professional portrait. We will celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary in a little over a month. When we were married, our pictures were taken by the pastor's wife with a 35 mm camera with intentions that we would have a few blown up. We have still never progressed from the proof book sized album we started with.

When we'd been married about three or four years, Wayne told me to get dressed up for a surprise date. His surprise was to take me to this photographer's studio that was upstairs from the most expensive salon in town, and her packages started at around $300. I about came unglued! You must understand. My parents bought some Olan Mills portrait a year package when I was a baby, and my momma dressed me up and made me up and marched me in annually for the portrait that had to be SO perfect, and I have issues with having my picture made. When you add in that this surprise is going to cost me at least $300, it ceases to be a pleasant surprise. Needless to say, poor Wayne never tried to get me to have pictures made again.

Our church is putting together a directory, and that entails portraits, so we dutifully had our pictures made. It turned out to be quite therapeutic for both of us in different ways. I think our marriage is better for the experience. I am happy that we have a nice picture of us that we can hang on the wall and give our parents.

These are the first eggs from our little hens we raised from chicks. It's so gratifying to see the fruition of our labors!

Another Hole In My Head

I needed a new pet like another hole in my head! Last night while I was walking the dogs, I heard a kitten crying. It sounded like it was coming from the pasture to the east of our house. Glutton for punishment that I am, I went looking. I found her in the sumacs near the cemetery that is across the road and down a bit. She's a calico. I am calling her Ornery Matisse. If I can find her a GOOD home I will probably give her away, since we already have too many critters, but I can't bear the thought of her being mistreated. She is a very sweet and snugly kitten, though quite vocal!

I've never been much of a cat person, and never thought I'd have one, but I always said if I did have one, it'd be a calico. She's just about perfect...

LeeRoy's Debut

This is the longest LeeRoy's hair has ever been. I think it's positively gorgeous, but also messy because he sheds a lot and has to be brushed frequently. The shedding is the worst. His hair is all over everything in the house. I can't stand it. Also, he is miserable in this warm weather, even though we have air conditioning. He will lay on his side with his legs spread out, and just pant. He's not his usual energetic self, either. It got this way because my old clippers were worn out, and I couldn't replace them. Then we got Twinkie, and she plays so rough that I didn't want his skin to be easily accessible. Now he's got his bluff in on her pretty good, and I am not worried about that, so it's time to get rid of the hippy dog look.

He was actually shaking and rolling in this next shot. My camera caught it so perfectly it looks like he's being still!

Being groomed is SUCH hard work! My new clippers kept getting hot, and I would have to stop and let them cool down every ten minutes or so. Once, I found him like this. I thought he looked too sweet.
When I stopped for the last time, cleaned everything up, and went and turned on the faucet to get a bath, he ran and jumped in the tub! This is a dog who usually HATES to be bathed and protests with grunts and whines the entire time. Not today! He's ready to be fresh and clean!!! I just laughed and laughed at him.

My Aquarium

After keeping goldfish for about six years, I have decided to convert my tank back to a tropical aquarium. I missed keeping kissing gouramis the most. Therefore, my tank is centered around what fish are compatible with them. I traded in my two large fancy goldfish and received store credit in the amount of $18 for them. I was thrilled! I was expecting just a few bucks. I purchased a pair of kissing gouramis, three skunk botias, and I already had a kuhli loach and a plecostimous.

As you can see, the kissing gouramis have settled in and are smooching away!

This is a rock I found in a local creek several years ago. I think it's soooo cool. When I saw it, I shouted, "It's the Venus of Willendorf!" My husband looked at me like I had grown another head. I pulled it up out of the water and showed it to him. Then I explained what the Venus of Willendorf looked like, and he laughed and said he didn't see how I got that out of that rock, but, whatever. I like it and it makes me smile.