Tuesday To Do 1-5

Eek!  Has it been two weeks since my list? 

Last week's inside chores:  Cookies for gifts. Sweep drywall dust. Seeds ordered. 
All the holiday décor is put away.

Last week's outside chores:  Goat shelter issues...to be continued. Bruce did make a chicken/duck brooder to put in the coop so I can start using my incubator! 


This week's inside chores: Seeds are going to wait.  We are needing to get Max's shelter and fencing done since our makeshift shelter did not hold him for more than week. 
I am doing the declutter and home organization calendars by a home management site.  I have listed the links below.  So this week is organizing the kitchen.  Check it out.  I will go more into detail next week.
 http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/declutter-your-home.
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 http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/organized-home.html

It's also time to refill some of the working folks pantry items.  Hot cocoa mix, trail mix, homemade instant oats.  That sort of thing. 

I also need to reassess the freezers (inside and out) and the pantry and begin to use anything that is getting old. 

I would like to get my sewing machine back out and see what else I can start and not finish!  Ha!  I still have to get my apron done.  Would have been half price and a fraction of time just to grab one at the dollar store...but one can't whine about what she has not done if she cheats,


This week's outside chores:  First and foremost is to contain Max.  Brie is getting pretty far along and we cannot have him in with the girls.  Brie is grouchy enough!  Hubby has a plan and I am going to spend the day implementing that.  Fingers crossed.  The rest of the week is going to be cleaning up after the month of rain we have had.  We are in the valley and we get all the debris and trash from every neighbor around, including broken glass, cans, bottles, bags, twine, even a tire (wheel included) washed up from the creek.  That costs money to dispose of.  Errr!

Goat stalls need restrawed.  Chicken coop needs restrawed, including the duck/chicken garden coop.  Our temperature dropped about 30 degrees and so I am only doing the necessities outside for now. 

I do need to refill he birdfeeders and move it to the kitchen window to aid in doing dishes.  :)

The rest is to be determined.

Fear Not and Farm

As the unknown time of Brie's birthing approaches, the excitement and joy is overshadowed by fear and anxiety.  Why are we drawn to the negative so much more quickly than the positive.  All the "what-ifs" run to the forefront of my thoughts versus the possibility of having little bundles of cuteness jumping to and fro in the barn yard.  The apprehension of milking two does twice a day in the spring eclipses the prospect of having abundant unadulterated milk and milk products for our family and others.

Fear. The sinful emotion of distrust that causes us to change our perceptions, our reactions, and even our heart rate. I can cause myself headaches and even gastrointestinal issues just by being afraid of the possibility of certain social interactions or responsibilities.  Occasionally, I push through, but probably more times than not, I retreat.

There are so many things to fear: terrorism, black widow bites, the dark, flying, the future of our children, our health, baby goats.  Everyone's fear list is different.  From the list above, I am not afraid of terrorism-my soul is well.  Black widows cause goosebumps, walking away and a bit more vigilance when approaching the same area again.  The dark does not affect me.  I love flying!  I put trust in God, my parenting approach, and my children's judgment for their own future.  I am afraid for everyone's health because of what our government has done to our food sources, and also for the majority, although I feel lessening majority, of our people's concern regarding what we ingest, whether that be food, drink or "medicine."  My first baby goats cause that headache I was talking about. 

Fear has caused me to not accomplish all that I could.  My main mission in life is to have this farm.  Many years ago while working in a neurosurgical office, I remember a conversation about what we wanted.  It could have been a lottery question or a more philosophical question, I am not sure, but I do remember my answer.  I wanted to have a small farm. A homestead. This was before all the blogs and YouTubers out there. And now, here I am many years behind.  Why?  Fear.  That is the only explanation.  Even now with so many things in place and the potential for so much more, I still fear succeeding at the farm and fall into "gotta get a job" mode, "need money" mode.  Do I need a job?  This last year has proven that I don't.  Financially, albeit not above the poverty line, we have lacked nothing that was necessary for survival.  Socially, there are perks to a job in this regard.  There are friends to be made, parties to attend. These friends fade as you become out of sight and you can't afford to attend some of the parties. But there are other ways to find that community that we need. Anything from church to the feed store.  Friendly is as friendly does. Sorry, that was lame, wasn't it?

The fear of failing... Aren't we all afraid of that? I guess one has to put on their Mr. Spock cap and consider things logically.  That's probably the other reason I keep my name in the hat for a job, the reason I don't excel at anything.  'Maybe I am not right for the farm'. ' My skill sets are heavy on the business end, light on the ingenuitive.'  Hmmm, logically, both are needed to some degree, right? 

So, suck it up buttercup!

Fear not and farm! Yep, my new motto.

Mad Max's Shelter

I had one picture of Max's shanty on a previous post, but thought I would go a bit more in depth about the frugality of our farm.

We have moved this dog kennel all around the place for different reasons.  Yes, it started out as a dog kennel for Hercules.  He tore up the door and easily climbed out of it.  We used it for a bunny play pen.   We used it when Mad Max was but a wee lad.  We used it to put hens in for a short time.  Once again, it is Max's shelter.  With Brie and Mollie both being bred (I am 95% sure of this), Max had to be separated because of his butting them in the stomach and his chasing them and his stench. 

I am hoping that he will be okay in his new quarters until we get him a wether to be his friend.  I will still let him out and about, just not with the girls, and not unsupervised.  But, this will be after he becomes familiar with this new living arrangement. 

So we set up the kennel behind the garden in a pine grove and hubby and son took some leftover fence we had and wrapped it around trees, only needing 3 or 4 fence posts.  It is not a huge area, but he has plenty of room to romp around if he wants. Hubby removed the inner chain link fence of the kennel, leaving it open. The door of the kennel is open so that he can come and go from the outside when I let him.  The fence is attached to either side of the kennel. We used PVC pipe we had lying around and made the top arch for protection and hopefully to not hold water.  This next week will be the test.  We zip/cable tied the black plastic I had left over to the shelter. Hubby also duct taped some of the lose edges that he thought needed it.  He has some fresh straw to bed in and a pretty purple water bucket that I haul water to every day and a food bowl that I will be moving inside the shelter when the rains begin.  I may have to add a pallet to keep him off the ground depending on how the rain flows.  Well, it ain't pretty, but you can't beat the price!

I know he is not a happy camper.  I know they are herd animals, but he will just have to hold out for a little while.  I don't know, I may let them all graze together if they behave, that is asking a lot, but my guilt may get the best of me.   I will make sure he has his share of attention and treats. 

Christmas Ham Leftovers

As you know, I didn't have the  leftover Thanksgiving turkey torture that most people did this year, since I stayed on the farm while the family traveled to the Midwest.  I had no turkey to cook, eat or save.  (It was fabulous!)

The son receives a ham for Christmas from his work, and that is what we had for Christmas Dinner.  Although, admittedly, this year was not the feast that I normally do; not even a dessert.  We did have plenty of stocking candy for any sweet tooth that arose, however. 

One of the uses for our leftover ham was good old fashioned ham salad.  I really like Paula Deen's recipe and use that to go by.

Used my new meat grinder (yay!) and finished up the rest of the ham to make just over 3 cups.

 I diced up 4 celery stalks.  I could have gone smaller, but I like the crunch.

 Then comes the tears.  I used half of a large onion for about a 1/2 cup.

 I added 1/2 cup of chow chow that my neighbor gave us for Christmas-sooo good!

 Two hard boiled duck eggs chopped.

 Not my homemade mayonnaise...but 3/4 cup of mayo and about 2 teaspoons of mustard.

 

 

Mixed and ready for consumption.  It makes enough for everyone to have ham salad sandwiches until New Year's!  And since the ham, eggs, and chow chow were free it makes it a great frugal start to the new year.

 

 

Share with me your favorite ham salad recipe! (Ham is still on sale, so for the next go round.) 

Just Animal Pictures

To Do Tuesday 12/22

Last week's inside chores: Christmas tree up-small but its ours. Mailed cards.  Sweep drywall dust.  Zone clean.  Seed orders ready.  Closet reorganized.  Restock kitchen.

Last week's outside chores:  Max's shelter. Burn limbs. Buy soil. Sow seeds. Bring wood from holler. Barn yard cleaning. Oil in truck changed.
We moved the older hens to the garden coop with the ducks.

Max's redneck but free shelter

This week's inside chores: Cookies for gifts.  Sweep drywall dust. I have perused the seed catalogs and have put together a seed order for winter/early spring.  Just waiting on payday to send it.  Still need to get the closet organized.

Lettuce growing

This week's outside chores:  Well, its going to rain so I am not sure about burning the limbs or bringing up the wet wood from the holler.  We still need to change the oil in the truck and rake the goat yard where the sticks and bricks have been kicked around.  Figure out how to move the ducks closer to the pond (build makeshift duck house and start fencing area).  

Since this week is Christmas, I am not going to push what has to be done.  We did get 98% of our shopping and wrapping done.  I am sure there is something that I forgot, so I am giving myself a 2% cushion. 

Have a Merry Christmas everyone! 



Tuesday To-Do 12-15

It is that time where I need to evaluate priorities for the week.  At least for this minute; it can change in a blink of the eye.  As usual, I have been slacking in my lists, and just trying to do what I felt needed to be done.  But then things sneak up on you, things that should have been taken care of earlier.

Last week's inside chores: Not listed-did what I had to do.
Last week's outside chores: Not listed-did what I had to do.

This week's inside chores:
Christmas tree up.  I have some decorations here and there, but no tree.  Daughter has her shopping almost done and I am so jealous.  I have a few more things to get done. I would like to have all gifts done and under the tree by next Tuesday.

Mail cards.  I have birthday and Christmas cards to get in the mail.  This means a trip to the post office for stamps.  Just used my last one on the roll.  I hope they get their on time! Eek!
 
Sweep up the drywalling dust in the dining room.  Put the plastic back up to prevent it from going throughout the house.  And, maybe encourage hubby to finish up so that I can start to Kilz2.

Start back up with zone cleaning-find the right notebook or reprint daily schedule.  Why, oh why do I veer? Basically, I just need to catch up. 

Go through seeds and see what to replace, reorder and peruse seed catalogs.  

I need to reorganize the closet a bit.  I opened up the space bags of sweaters and sweatshirts and I need to clear out summery items and get them stored away.

Time to restock the kitchen.  You know how my life seems to revolve around food.  Right now there are many baking ingredients for sale at the grocery stores.  Sugars, flour, spices, and that sort of thing.  I need to make taco seasoning, taco sauce, trail mix, pimento cheese, PB&J to freeze.  Luckily, hubby has had several work parties to help supplement his lunch since I have not kept up very well.

This week's outside chores:  Here we go...
Work on Max's shelter.  Bend some PVC pipe in the old dog kennel and put plastic, tarp, whatever we have to provide wind and rain protection.

I need to burn tree limbs that fell, and throw on some decaying lumber that won't be useful.


Coldframe lettuce

I need to get some soil mix to fill about 8 trays in the greenhouse with some cold crops.  My lettuce is germinating and I need to sow a few more seeds in the coldframe.

We need to continue to bring up some split wood from the holler and finish getting that stacked. 

We need to continue to clean out the barn yard for construction for the goats.  I think that Brie is even further along than Mollie (who I am guestimating to be due at the end of March), so we need to get that going-QUICKLY!

And we need to change the oil in the truck-hubby's job, or son...

That should keep us busy for a while, especially when there always be something to throw a kink in our schedule.