On Summer Hiatus.
Peas Everyone!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Spring Cleaning
What a beautiful morning!
I went on a walk around the pond with the dogs, the cats and a few sheep this morning and it was so pretty down there with the water rushing from the creek into pond and everything is SO green.
Maybe spring is finally here.
The new farrier came yesterday and he did a GREAT job.
I guess everything happens for a reason and losing our flakey farrier may not have been the worst thing that ever happened to us.
The new kid definitely knows what he's doing.
His brother owns the horseshoer school in this part of Oregon so his techniques are the newest and the best and he is VERY patient and steady AND he has a black and white dog AND he resembles my nephew who I believe is one of the greatest men alive under the age of thirty so as far as I'm concerned the kid has a lot going for him.
So that's why when he told us he was going back to college in the fall and looking for a place to rent we didn't hesitate in offering him the little house.
It's ten minutes from the college for him and twelve hoofs for us.
Plus, the rent money will come in handy towards farm maintenance and if we don't do something with that little house it's going to fall apart.
I believe if a house isn't someones home it won't last so I'm excited to have someone over there again.
And...
If someone who knows something about animals lives there we can leave town for a few days.
The down side of all this is that now we have to do a major cleanup over there.
That little house has turned into a general storage area for the last year or so and will require a little elbow grease (Angie Hillier) to get it back in shape.
Speaking of elbow grease...
I spent the entire day yesterday working on our white stone wall.
You can't even tell I touched it today.
WTH.
Someone HAS to have a stone cleaning secret other than muriatic acid.
Brenda said to try scrubbing bubbles, so that's on today's list.
I've tried, steam, bleach, vinegar, lemon and TSP.
Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
I think after the fire in the early eighties they must have either sand blasted or pressure washed the stone and then neglected to seal it because it is SO porous and completely unfinished.
I would hate to paint the stone (although I have seen stone like this painted white) but it's not only dirty, it creates so much dust.
Maybe I'll just take the lightbulbs out of that part of the house and call it good.
I took this a few nights ago after our crazy storm moved through.
I went on a walk around the pond with the dogs, the cats and a few sheep this morning and it was so pretty down there with the water rushing from the creek into pond and everything is SO green.
Maybe spring is finally here.
The new farrier came yesterday and he did a GREAT job.
I guess everything happens for a reason and losing our flakey farrier may not have been the worst thing that ever happened to us.
The new kid definitely knows what he's doing.
His brother owns the horseshoer school in this part of Oregon so his techniques are the newest and the best and he is VERY patient and steady AND he has a black and white dog AND he resembles my nephew who I believe is one of the greatest men alive under the age of thirty so as far as I'm concerned the kid has a lot going for him.
So that's why when he told us he was going back to college in the fall and looking for a place to rent we didn't hesitate in offering him the little house.
It's ten minutes from the college for him and twelve hoofs for us.
Plus, the rent money will come in handy towards farm maintenance and if we don't do something with that little house it's going to fall apart.
I believe if a house isn't someones home it won't last so I'm excited to have someone over there again.
And...
If someone who knows something about animals lives there we can leave town for a few days.
The down side of all this is that now we have to do a major cleanup over there.
That little house has turned into a general storage area for the last year or so and will require a little elbow grease (Angie Hillier) to get it back in shape.
Speaking of elbow grease...
I spent the entire day yesterday working on our white stone wall.
You can't even tell I touched it today.
WTH.
Someone HAS to have a stone cleaning secret other than muriatic acid.
Brenda said to try scrubbing bubbles, so that's on today's list.
I've tried, steam, bleach, vinegar, lemon and TSP.
Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
I think after the fire in the early eighties they must have either sand blasted or pressure washed the stone and then neglected to seal it because it is SO porous and completely unfinished.
I would hate to paint the stone (although I have seen stone like this painted white) but it's not only dirty, it creates so much dust.
Maybe I'll just take the lightbulbs out of that part of the house and call it good.
I took this a few nights ago after our crazy storm moved through.
Have a great weekend.
Peas.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Craigslist Constitution
We got Wyatt a "new" bed yesterday.
We were going to move him back into the big room upstairs but after assessing all the work it entailed we decided against it and decided to just give his regular room a little freshening up.
Six years ago he went from bunk beds to a waterbed that we bought on Craigslist for 75.00 but now because of his hipandkneeandlegandfoot pain it's hard for him to get in and out of, so we're putting it back on Craigslist for the next kid who needs a super single carolina oak waterbed with a lighted headboard and handy shelves.
After going back and forth on how to redo his room we decided on a loft bed and thought it would be cool for 6 to build it.
We found free plans on the internet for the exact bed we wanted, but after doing the math realized that even a DIY bed was going to cost some cabbage, so once again, I'm happy to report, Craigslist pulled through.
Last night 6 went on an interstate bed run (across the bridge) and returned with a sparkly new full size Ikea tromso loft bed for less than the the cost of lumber!
(Not our room or bed)
Cool huh!
Two weeks ago our dishwasher finally bit the big one and we found a brand new fourteen year old dishwasher for 40.00 on Craigslist.
The lady that had it didn't like dishwashers so it was only used on holidays when her kids came to visit and then she died and the kids are upgrading the kitchen before they sell her house and we got the deal of the (last) century.
As a matter of fact when we did our kitchen facelift three years ago we did it all from Craigslist for under 250.00 and that included a stove, dishwasher, cast iron sink, pull out faucet and lights and the lights were free from one of the oldest churches in Portland!
We got our new mission style flowered furniture on Craigslist, two cats, a dog and a desk on Craigslist, two donkeys, a mule and rubberneck chickens on Craigslist, a 1996 Taurus wagon on Craigslist and a blackberry on Craigslist.
I wonder if there's a twelve step on Craigslist.
I may need it.
Peas.
We were going to move him back into the big room upstairs but after assessing all the work it entailed we decided against it and decided to just give his regular room a little freshening up.
Six years ago he went from bunk beds to a waterbed that we bought on Craigslist for 75.00 but now because of his hipandkneeandlegandfoot pain it's hard for him to get in and out of, so we're putting it back on Craigslist for the next kid who needs a super single carolina oak waterbed with a lighted headboard and handy shelves.
After going back and forth on how to redo his room we decided on a loft bed and thought it would be cool for 6 to build it.
We found free plans on the internet for the exact bed we wanted, but after doing the math realized that even a DIY bed was going to cost some cabbage, so once again, I'm happy to report, Craigslist pulled through.
Last night 6 went on an interstate bed run (across the bridge) and returned with a sparkly new full size Ikea tromso loft bed for less than the the cost of lumber!
Cool huh!
Two weeks ago our dishwasher finally bit the big one and we found a brand new fourteen year old dishwasher for 40.00 on Craigslist.
The lady that had it didn't like dishwashers so it was only used on holidays when her kids came to visit and then she died and the kids are upgrading the kitchen before they sell her house and we got the deal of the (last) century.
As a matter of fact when we did our kitchen facelift three years ago we did it all from Craigslist for under 250.00 and that included a stove, dishwasher, cast iron sink, pull out faucet and lights and the lights were free from one of the oldest churches in Portland!
We got our new mission style flowered furniture on Craigslist, two cats, a dog and a desk on Craigslist, two donkeys, a mule and rubberneck chickens on Craigslist, a 1996 Taurus wagon on Craigslist and a blackberry on Craigslist.
I wonder if there's a twelve step on Craigslist.
I may need it.
Peas.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Weekend Update
I think we may have had the perfect long weekend.
Not to much lounging and not to much working.
No flooded tents or crowded campgrounds.
(because we didn't go camping)
No waiting in traffic and looking for parking to see the parade.
(because we didn't go to the parade)
We just stayed home.
Well, except for the mini road trip with my mother on Saturday...
Saturday morning Wyatt and I went with my Mom to see her friend Irene about a bird.
You see Irene had recently purchased four birds from a breeder and was willing to cut us a sweet deal because for a very long time I have been wanting a canary and in honor of a certain day that my Mother and I spent together forty three years ago she gifted me with what was in the beginning going to be one but ended up being a pair of red factor canaries.
Have you ever heard a canary sing?
(This is not my bird)
I love them.
Lyndon and Lady Bird.
The Johnsons.
Thank you Mom and thank you too Irene.
These are my birds.
Ummm, I don't remember what we did Sunday.
Yesterday was sheep redistribution day.
All the rams went to new digs, including Big Dan.
It is so hard to say goodbye, but we had to or we would have ended up with a bunch of inbred cross eyed five legged lambs and I since I don't fancy myself a castrater and didn't want to do in Dan at this stage in his life we decided to sell them all at full strength.
I'm pretty sure we will have another round of lambs this summer, but I can't be certain.
I hope so though.
In the meantime, hearts are still mending from the sudden loss of testosterone and the weight is heavy on Jack the little Ass's withers as he looks after his newly acquired harem of shedding ewes, a short legged gypsy goat, an obese food focused pig, a temperamental senior white donkey and one cranky old spotted mule mare.
I tell you, PMS in this barnyard must really be a bitch.
I have a new farrier coming on Thursday.
I gave up on our regular one who has COMPLETELY flaked out on us for the last month.
As I said on facebook last week, I have ex-husbands more reliable than that guy.
Speaking of facebook, if your not on the farm facebook and don't already know, there are new soaps and some great soy tarts just listed on Etsy so you need to go take a look!
You can either follow the farm store link at the top of this page or just click HERE.
That's all.
Peas.
Not to much lounging and not to much working.
No flooded tents or crowded campgrounds.
(because we didn't go camping)
No waiting in traffic and looking for parking to see the parade.
(because we didn't go to the parade)
We just stayed home.
Well, except for the mini road trip with my mother on Saturday...
Saturday morning Wyatt and I went with my Mom to see her friend Irene about a bird.
You see Irene had recently purchased four birds from a breeder and was willing to cut us a sweet deal because for a very long time I have been wanting a canary and in honor of a certain day that my Mother and I spent together forty three years ago she gifted me with what was in the beginning going to be one but ended up being a pair of red factor canaries.
Have you ever heard a canary sing?
(This is not my bird)
I love them.
Lyndon and Lady Bird.
The Johnsons.
Thank you Mom and thank you too Irene.
These are my birds.
Ummm, I don't remember what we did Sunday.
Yesterday was sheep redistribution day.
All the rams went to new digs, including Big Dan.
It is so hard to say goodbye, but we had to or we would have ended up with a bunch of inbred cross eyed five legged lambs and I since I don't fancy myself a castrater and didn't want to do in Dan at this stage in his life we decided to sell them all at full strength.
I'm pretty sure we will have another round of lambs this summer, but I can't be certain.
I hope so though.
In the meantime, hearts are still mending from the sudden loss of testosterone and the weight is heavy on Jack the little Ass's withers as he looks after his newly acquired harem of shedding ewes, a short legged gypsy goat, an obese food focused pig, a temperamental senior white donkey and one cranky old spotted mule mare.
I tell you, PMS in this barnyard must really be a bitch.
I have a new farrier coming on Thursday.
I gave up on our regular one who has COMPLETELY flaked out on us for the last month.
As I said on facebook last week, I have ex-husbands more reliable than that guy.
Speaking of facebook, if your not on the farm facebook and don't already know, there are new soaps and some great soy tarts just listed on Etsy so you need to go take a look!
You can either follow the farm store link at the top of this page or just click HERE.
That's all.
Peas.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Bad Bra Blues
I hate buying new bras.
I just spentall of Wyatts lunch money a fortune on two.
One fits, one is pure mayhem.
So throw those new two in the drawer alongside all the other bad bras I own and I could open a roadside tourist attraction.
You know, like the biggest rubber band ball, I could have the biggest
(in more ways than one)
bad bra ball and I could display it in the front yard by the gate and sell tickets and refreshments and have Pearl the Pig and Belle the Sheep out there proclaiming their independence from the underwire.
They could be standing in a pen with signs on their back saying they'd rather wear a hot wire than an underwire.
All I ask is this, why can't someone make a comfortable king size bra?
It doesn't have to be pretty, an equivalent to the tighty whitey would be sufficient for me.
Something without stainless steel or too much spandex, just nice cotton containment.
Seriously, is that asking too much?
I just spent
One fits, one is pure mayhem.
And why is that... Why can't they all fit the SAME!
My armpits are bleeding as I write this, I'm going to need sutures to heal, but if I even try going "comando" I end up with sweat rings on my thighs.
So throw those new two in the drawer alongside all the other bad bras I own and I could open a roadside tourist attraction.
You know, like the biggest rubber band ball, I could have the biggest
(in more ways than one)
bad bra ball and I could display it in the front yard by the gate and sell tickets and refreshments and have Pearl the Pig and Belle the Sheep out there proclaiming their independence from the underwire.
They could be standing in a pen with signs on their back saying they'd rather wear a hot wire than an underwire.
All I ask is this, why can't someone make a comfortable king size bra?
It doesn't have to be pretty, an equivalent to the tighty whitey would be sufficient for me.
Something without stainless steel or too much spandex, just nice cotton containment.
Seriously, is that asking too much?
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Stinging Nettle Soap
I know I've been talking about getting this soap made for weeks, but I finally got it done yesterday.
Here it is, stinging nettle soap.
You can read about the healing properties of stinging nettles here, and here but the quick word is that nettle is very beneficial when it comes to matters of the skin.
It also has amazing effects on your insides, but don't eat the soap.
I took a few pictures of my lavender and simple soap too.
The simple soap is just that.
Simple.
No dye, no fragrence, no nothing, just plain old simple soap perfect for babies and sensitive skin.
If you suffer with allergies, psoriasis or eczema the simple soap also makes the perfect base for laundry soap.
The lavender soap is a very lightly scented lavender.
You know how they say "if a little is good, more is better"?
Well, that's not the case with lavender.
With lavender, if a little is good, less is better and this soap has just enough to let you know that it's there without screaming lavender out loud.
Most soapers sprinkle their lavender buds on top of the soap for a pretty finishing touch.
Not me, I toss the buds right in so they can work as an exfoliator too.
Pretty with a purpose.
Here it is, stinging nettle soap.
You can read about the healing properties of stinging nettles here, and here but the quick word is that nettle is very beneficial when it comes to matters of the skin.
It also has amazing effects on your insides, but don't eat the soap.
I took a few pictures of my lavender and simple soap too.
The simple soap is just that.
Simple.
No dye, no fragrence, no nothing, just plain old simple soap perfect for babies and sensitive skin.
If you suffer with allergies, psoriasis or eczema the simple soap also makes the perfect base for laundry soap.
The lavender soap is a very lightly scented lavender.
You know how they say "if a little is good, more is better"?
Well, that's not the case with lavender.
With lavender, if a little is good, less is better and this soap has just enough to let you know that it's there without screaming lavender out loud.
Most soapers sprinkle their lavender buds on top of the soap for a pretty finishing touch.
Not me, I toss the buds right in so they can work as an exfoliator too.
Pretty with a purpose.
Ok, that's all I have for today.
Wendy is coming over to do laundry later so I'll make some cookies and we'll watch some reality T.V.
I am SO glad Kirstie stayed another week on DWTS, but I'm pretty sure next week will be her last.
I have January the little girl with schizophrenia DVR'd and the One Ton Mom too so it should be a good line up of warm cookie T.V.
Last week I posted a picture of Wyatt walking to the bus with his entourage of sheep so today I'll leave you with this.
A boy and his mule.
Peas.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
They Did It!
What a weekend we had!
Our adventure began with a trip to Anacortes to catch the ferry and believe me when I tell you we got there just in time.
Even though we were two hours early we were one of the last cars on.
My sister from Montana showed up less than thirty minutes later and was on overload for the next boat that left about three hours later. She and her son jumped in with us and her husband stayed behind with their car so they could make it to the family dinner on time.
The dinner was fabulous, but it was crazy to look around the room at all of the grooms family and think that they were all my families family now.
My sisters family has a whole new family!
You would think that after doing this wedding thing as many times as I have it would all be routine for me, but this wedding was very different than any of my weddings
(no tattoo artists, biker gangs or smoking during the ceremony).
This wedding was perfect.
The bride was perfect, the groom was perfect, the church was perfect, and the reception was beautiful.
Instead of cake, my niece requested that everyone bring their favorite homemade pie, so there was an entire table full of fresh from the oven pies, cobblers and crisps.
They barbecued salmon and served lamb with fresh roasted vegetables and of course enough appetizers, fresh fruit and cheese to stuff me right out of my spanx!
I swear, if every reception were like this one, I'd crash a different wedding every weekend!
Heart felt speeches were made and love and luck were toasted again and again with raised glasses filled with champagne, sparkling cider and water from fancy green bottles.
Everything was absolutely... Perfect.
But, as the evening went on I started to fade, so Wyatt and I headed out but left Wendy behind to carry on and represent the rest of the night.
The next morning I got a full report of dancing late into the evening and spending time with friends and family old and new.
So here's to the bride and groom, my sister and her husband and all of their new family, I wish you a lifetime of happiness and thank you for sharing your wonderful day!
Our adventure began with a trip to Anacortes to catch the ferry and believe me when I tell you we got there just in time.
Even though we were two hours early we were one of the last cars on.
My sister from Montana showed up less than thirty minutes later and was on overload for the next boat that left about three hours later. She and her son jumped in with us and her husband stayed behind with their car so they could make it to the family dinner on time.
The dinner was fabulous, but it was crazy to look around the room at all of the grooms family and think that they were all my families family now.
My sisters family has a whole new family!
You would think that after doing this wedding thing as many times as I have it would all be routine for me, but this wedding was very different than any of my weddings
(no tattoo artists, biker gangs or smoking during the ceremony).
This wedding was perfect.
The bride was perfect, the groom was perfect, the church was perfect, and the reception was beautiful.
Instead of cake, my niece requested that everyone bring their favorite homemade pie, so there was an entire table full of fresh from the oven pies, cobblers and crisps.
They barbecued salmon and served lamb with fresh roasted vegetables and of course enough appetizers, fresh fruit and cheese to stuff me right out of my spanx!
I swear, if every reception were like this one, I'd crash a different wedding every weekend!
Heart felt speeches were made and love and luck were toasted again and again with raised glasses filled with champagne, sparkling cider and water from fancy green bottles.
Everything was absolutely... Perfect.
But, as the evening went on I started to fade, so Wyatt and I headed out but left Wendy behind to carry on and represent the rest of the night.
The next morning I got a full report of dancing late into the evening and spending time with friends and family old and new.
So here's to the bride and groom, my sister and her husband and all of their new family, I wish you a lifetime of happiness and thank you for sharing your wonderful day!
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