how doth your garden grow?

my potatoes are up
last week frosts this week harvest
(of lettuce and spinach)
we are almost into the real gardening season here
I know other folks have thiers already going gangbusters
but we had to break new space and since I need actually help this year....I had to wait on bernie

ok what's new here is I learned to can
I never did that before
so I am canning everything in sight

I also went back to drying food again...now we will have a lot of dried veggies put by

the cats and the 'ladies' are all fine
bernie's fine
I pitched manure all day memorial day..... ( the things i do for the garden)
now
I need to decide
I am going to make at least one major appliance purchase this summer

should it be
a larger dehydrator? ( about 200. 00)
a vaccuum sealer? ( about 150 or so)
or a grain mill? (about 275)

what do you folks think?
any opinions?

in fiber news.......I just taught a class in beginning lace to some very nice ladies......
I hope they are knitting lace and enjoying it

I am also going to do a dyeing demo for my spin group


and we are to go strawberry picking........... I need at least 8 quarts


oh and I need canning jars folks.........USED are fine........ pints and quarts and half pints ...
( I figured out what I am going to need and it is more then impressive.......about 1500 assorted )

ohohoh

til next time

vi

the dead can WRITE too!

My sister in law came out on May 4......
we went to the sheep and wool down in maryland.......
I owe you all pictures I know I know

bernie and colleen ( his sister and my sister in law) put up the chicken pen but didn't finish the varmint proofing so the ladies are STILL in the house with us.

my sister in law left on may 13 from philly airport
we broke down on the way home three times
limping in.............the van died in the driveway........... and refused to be revived without very EXPENSIVE parts

then that monday I fell down the front stairs........

I am ok
but still in pain here and there
( aspirin and tylanol are my best friends)

Margeruite went all broody on me........
so here I am........ truck on blocks in the driveway and a chicken in the living room..........
can you say red neck????

yesterday I canned my first chicken.......... NO not my girls......... 1.30 a pound chicken on sale.

the garden still isn't in..
( anyone feel like coming to help.........we got CHICKEN for dinner)

we are having a few other 'interesting' things going on.

so all in all not much funny stuff to write about.

now bernie finally did get the van running again
ouch on the parts prices......but if I had to pay labor above that.........well let's just say little violet the goat would be pulling a cart..........

today I am to clean the canner and do it all again
( chicken now on sale 1.47 a pound for boneless skinless.................. are we going to stock up? can you spell HELL YEAH????? so we cluck and feather out.......... at least the girls will know they belong here..............vi-the woman with 100+ pounds of chicken in the freezer......and still is buying more)

I can also tell you
falling down the stairs at this age...............
well I don't bounce anymore
I sort of go splat and then......................... try to wait til my breath comes back
and that hitting your back on a stair is NOT something I recommend.
nor is hitting your ass on a stair

make a note
stairs are hard
don't try this at home


and mengele will cry if she saw my shoulders now.........
that bone she replaced sort of got knocked out again......
( and don't think THAT didn't hurt like hell)
imagine my surprise!

and actually I was so surprised, I didn't actually know what had happened to me
it was a bit surreal like a dream.......
then it hurt
like hell
oye
scared the shit out of bernie
who was trying to then pick me up
yeah right.. that worked REAL WELL

anyway that explains the garden STILL not being done

oye


til next time
vi

ps: the canning thing is way cool
and I did NOT blow up the house
but bernie had to open the canner and lift it
I can't

Thank you to everyone who commented and wrote

as everyone is now pointing out....my little amber is gone over a week now.
I miss her so fundamentally I can't even tell you all
it's almost like half the foundation of the house is gone
it hasn't been a good week sorry folks.

I keep trying to find something to say...but there isn't anything
which I suppose is a first.

maybe in a few days


vi

in loving memory of amber

we lost our amber today
at 10:45 am
I had petted her little head, and told her I was going up to the bathroom and I would be right back.
when I got back she'd gone
amber was born sometime in 87 or 88 I do remember it was spring however
and today.... april 23, 2006 she left us in the spring.

she was every inch herself and every inch a diva

when we had her home...... a tiny ball of fluff with merry her little fluffy sister.......
I was musing out loud 'what should YOUR name be??? autumn?..........september?

she sat at my feet, barely 6inches high, and meowed up at me......I know she understand me
and I SWEAR that I heard her say........'my name is AMBER.....A M B E R'

I was startled and look at her.......
'your name is amber?'
she meowed again
I said..........ok amber it is.....

damn I am going to miss her............

when thaddeaus was still a baby....only 5 months old, he was sleeping at the top of the stairs.
in front of the bathroom doorway, I was sad to say on the 'goddess'
amber had been down in the studio and killed a white footed deer mouse.
BIGGER then her head

she had a funny kind of rabbit hop to climb the stairs but she did....with that mouse in her mouth....
she slamed it down next to the sleeping thaddeaus....
let out a CAUTERWAWL to wake the dead........and swatted him across his sleeping face....
then I SWEAR she curled her lips in discust turn her BACK on him and rabbit hopped back down the stairs
I swear she was letting him have and telling him.....'hey KID, THIS is what you are supposed to be doing.........i'm old you know....it's YOUR turn'

that cat had real attitude

I am going to miss her terribly......

vi

Long ago and far away

When I was growing up........
I remember that the people in my family and neighborhood were very interconnected.
Uncle John Langfinger used to come over for coffee in the morning....
at night during warm weather the neighbors would take turns gathering on someone's porch talking and laughing from after supper until after dark.......
My relatives visited every weekend and sometimes during the week as well.

If someone needed help........they ALL rushed to help, family and friends.
I called neighbors Aunt and Uncle and there was very little difference between the two.

Everyone talked at least daily, over the fence........ on the stoop....... while drinking coffee at the kitchen table.

I remember when our well ran dry......... Weezie and Uncle John dropped a hose to our house.....then Uncle John helped dad sink a new well.

EVERYONE was like this..

so my sense of family, friends and community means a LOT of contact.
Now I am sort of far geographically from whomever is left so instead of setting on the stoop
I call.

recently I was criticized for this by one person I know.
As I will call her the same time every day and have coffee with her on the phone.

She implied that this is a fault somehow on my part......
I disagree.

I am more and more seeing people disconnected, families not close...people not knowing their neighbors.
I see society tumbling apart
Folks don't care about other folks............ giving the excuse that 'is none of my business'

I also think we as humans are much poorer for this mind set.

Even when we lived in the apartment before moving up here to pa, neighbors regularly gathered on someones stoop.........
we had communal picnics in the center green of the apartment complex.

folks helped each other.

I am being told I am 'co-dependant'

no
I am old fashioned and human.

I believe that people need the daily connection to build a sense of communitee.......
I believe that only by helping each other, and sharing day to day life will people keep their humaness.

I don't believe that it always has to be in person............
I do however think it is very important to spend the time with the people you care about.
even if it is just over the phone........


let me ask you all...........
you know what I think.........
what do you think?


til next time

vi

birthday pictures

The penny thief

a story about a tiny little person.


When I was young, my neices lived with us.
I had the bedroom upstairs....... ( mine all mine..............)
I always had a habit of leaving my loose change around...... I would empty my pockets and toss it.
I trusted EVERYONE in those days

my baby neice who couldn't have been more then 3 at the time had a real thing for pennies......
she would grab them in her chubby little hand and scream 'my money' in delight.

we would tease her by offering her a quarter and three pennies........ she would ALWAYS take the pennies.

this particular day..
I was upstairs in late afternoon/early evening.
I was taking a nap as I had just gotten my period
I remember being so tired
my Bed was also right by the door.........

this little baby neice thought she was sneaking up on her aunt..............
but stumbled over a pile of change!
she couldn't resist it
( if you all could see me giggling while I type this)

she GRABBED the change.............. oh my
she got SO excited
she forgot she was to be sneaking up on me and screamed 'MY MONEY!!!!!!'
and started running out of the room
she was so excited that she never noticed that I reached out and grabbed her by the collar and took the money out of her hand.............
it was like a cartoon

she got downstairs and ran to grampa........my dad

she went to show him 'her' money
and looked down in her hand to find it empty!
the poor kid started to cry!

my dad was trying not to laugh, cause he realized by then what had happened..
plus I was standing at the foot of the stairs now with the handful of change

we let her pick all the pennies out of the change and I tried hard to remember not to leave it laying around

but I still laugh when I think of her doing that.

hahahahaha
til next time
vi
who has some good news to tell you all
and is going to the tunis farm tomorrow for a lamb cause it is my birthday!

ok fast updates!!!

MARGUERITE laid her very first EGG!!!!
yeah

I am so proud of her
she is a sweetie now that she can't fly onto my head


the doctor
I have a slight reprieve
I have to use a nitroglycerine cream 4X a day
and we are putting off the surgery for a while
meanwhile I am going to look for a second opinion
as I don't like this doctor
I was in a lot of pain
he kept telling me that I was NOT in pain

I am thinking I need a new doctor no?

oye

meanwhile I am home
and so happy to BE home
but I got to make up my mind what I am going to do within four weeks

oye

vi

MARCH 24 update

I have an appointment with a colo-rectal surgeon down here in easton tuesday
then thursday if I feel well enough................
Kris and Carole are going to take me to see about my tunis!!!

( now I am worried I can't afford my tunis....... )

meanwhile
today is not a good day.........
I don't feel great but I am hoping that this second opinion will figure something out for me

oye

vi
it isn't my head I am concerned about exploding...............................

ok so how does a person prepare for surgery?

1. last Harry potter book
   
2. all the Harry potter movies on dvd
3. sock yarn
4. more sock yarn
5. some comfy sort of non binding clothes?
6. icecream
7. yogurt
8. cashews
9. did I mention sock yarn?

I am going to the surgeon tomorrow the meds didn't work so it is time for this.

oye talk about an ass in a sling

I am hoping to have a bit of time and some less painful days to get the freezer stocked with meals for at least a month.

this is the time of the year we defrost the freezer and restock for spring, so I better get that done before anything happens

now about my chickens........ I really wish I had gotten the chicken diapers for them

so I could have them come up and visit me while I am convalescing......

well anyway bernie is taking off to take me to the surgeon tomorrow to start this whole thing.....

oye

and I am teaching saturday , I hope I can anyway.

soooooooo I will keep you all posted

vi

Thaddeaus Peabody goes to town

Mommy and Daddy were going to town, for the mail and chicken bedding.
Thaddeaus Peabody who'd been a very good boy, wanted to go with them.
Thaddeaus stretched up to the doorknob and tried to open the door himself...... Always being a gentlecat, who knew his manners.......

but mommy and daddy told him NONO Thaddeaus you can't go
Thaddeaus stepped away from the door
but refused to leave the hallway
he was so disappointed
But mommy was watching Thaddeaus and asked him if he'd like to go to town with them......
Thaddeaus looked up in confusion, mommy NEVER asked if he's like to go with them, she always told him he had to stay home.

"Thaddeaus dear, you have been such a good boy lately....... you haven't beaten up your sister or great grammie too awfully bad...... and you did get your full curly coat in, plus you did so well with your bath....you can come with us.....Daddy please get his harness and leash"


So Daddy got Thaddeaus' leash and harness and held him while Mommy put it on him.

He loved riding in the front seat looking out the window
he saw a red truck and a horse, he saw the feed store.
A nice young man asked what Thaddeaus was......... as he'd never seen a cat on a leash.......
Thaddeaus let the young man pet him and purred for him to show how much he was enjoying himself.

When everyone got home, Thaddeaus retreated to his cat tree to rest after his big adventure.

And Mommy and Daddy decided that Thaddeaus can go to town regularly.

pix and fawn news!

Fawn is finally come around....
she likes to be held all of a sudden..........!!!
she sits on my chest and purrs for hours now!
we are sooooooooooo thrilled
it is almost a year that it took








I have tons of goatie and sheepie pictures to upload for you all but haven't had a chance.

I had a dream of my father........ which I have to post later

we did taxes today, our accountant came here..... he found out that he is allergic to chickens!
the girls meanwhile buried their eggs yet again......


ok I have to run but will post more later.......


ok back
Trish

said I gotta tell you the five things I keep in the fridge......
ok we got eggs.........
oh and we got eggs

and we got eggs
and did I mention we got EGGS

get the feeling we are overrun with eggies huh?

what else

milk....... 100% whole milk
we alway got sour cream too
and bernie and his 50 mustards
( I got to dump them damn............ no one needs 50 different mustards)

orzo
there is also always a red cabbage in there
and celery
and whole garlic
oh and real butter......none of that crap margerine stuff

( we don't have high cholesteral......his is like 172 and mine is 153..... and the ratios are perfect)

everything else changes in the fridge
but we always have that stuff
( hey I LIKE red cabbage.....)

what else now??

Oh that dream

I dreamt that I was home in my childhood house............. something was wrong in the basement and it scared me so I went to the kitchen...............
on the table was a phone book with my dad's phone number on it
I called dad and told him to come home
he told me no
I told him 'but dad, I am really scared'

and Dad got all upset with me and again told me 'no I am NOT coming home anymore........I live here now.'

needless to say I had a fight with my father ........

( see I keep telling you all........ just cause they are dead......that means NOTHING in my family..........)

naturally I got a bit pissy about it all

ok

in other news
we washed Thaddeaus today
he is soooooooooooooooooo cute, cream colored and curly now
he really was getting a bit dingy looking
my boy is so curly now I have got to get a good picture of him for you all


til next time

vi

Little violet today!

oh my goodness she is sooooooooooooooo cute
hahahaha
I love my little goatie

Goatie updates, and general goings on

Violet the goat is doing very well, she is strong and sturdy.
she is eating well and growing steadily.
I am going to try and get out to the farm this week to see her adorable little goatie face.




All three of the big hens, Dulcette, Henrietta and Sharon are all laying.
Henrietta not as often as Dulcette and Sharon
Sharon averages every other day
Dulcette 7 out of 8 days
and Henietta has laid two so far....
Dulcette is laying jumbo eggs now
a warm brown color
Henrietta is laying the Lilac colored eggs
and Sharon goes back and forth in color

they tell me when they've laid, as they get cherrios for a treat!
Margerite should start laying in may or june.....

Dulcette has taken to hopping out of the pen when I go down
she is very funny running around in the basement.
I call her and she runs right back over to me........
Even her little chickeny brain understand that she needs to be IN the PEN to get the cherrios for her treat!
she just doesn't know how to get back in the pen.......
so I pick her up
she waits for me to pick her up, which makes me laugh.
All the chickens take turns coming out for a petting and cuddling session they love it
they fluff up their feathers and settle down and sort of talk under their beaks so to speak.......very softly....
I tell them how beautiful they are and how much I love them
they LOOK at me...hahahahaha



In Curly Cat news
THADDEAUS is no longer bald!!!
while we weren't paying attention he grew in a wonderful curly/wavey long hair la perm coat.
Since he is so light colored it is hard to see in photos but he has TIGHT little ringlets at the surface of his skin and then the fur sort of softly waves out from that
He needs a Bath....

Fawn is doing exceptionally well........she will be here 1 year on March 31.........
she is a little tank I swear......she charges around the house getting into everything
if she were human, she would be the little girl with the baseball cap, freckles and slingshot....she is a tom boy!

Calpurrnia is my sweet little blue eyed feminine baby girl.......SHE would be dressed in pink with ruffles and bows......if she were human.......
SHE would insist!
She sits patiently when I am dishing out the can food......... Thaddeaus gets his first......then Fawn who is telling me all about it ..........
and my sweet little lady calpurrnia is just waiting........
she knows hers is coming.......

Amber the 4009 year old cat is STILL with us
STILL a bit felted....
I work on her matts as often as she lets me
she never cleans herself anymore, letting me do it
it's been I think three years since she groomed herself.....
but she is still healthy, eating and happy as a senile cat should be

Ivan the fish..........remember him?
he is still with us!
I do partial water changes twice a week and total water changes every two weeks
today was his total water change........
the plants and IVAN are very happy.
I use Ivan's old water to water all the house plants.

on the 19th, I get the results of the spin contest put on by my spin group
I understand that the judges didn't believe I was a novice after looking on my hand spindle spun singles ( say that three times fast)
but I spun them on a toy wheel spindle that I made, when I was spinning only about 3 months
they also liked my novelty yarn........remember the peacock roving?
well I added some icycle dyed blue and some beads..............
I want to knit that into a scarf.
I am thinking of spinning some solid blue to go with it........... maybe solid blue and a bit more of the icycle
and knitting up the main part of the scarf using the novelty for the ends........

I am not actually a blue person, but that mix of blues in that roving was not too bad.

I am still waiting to hear from the shepherd about the tunis lamb
oh and lambing starts this week out at lilac corners

I have kid pictures to load for you all which I will do later this week

til then

vi

here is her close UP!!!

my very OWN baby goatie has arrived!!!

at 6am this morning.
Rosie had a girl and boy.....
the girl carole named violet
soooooooooooooooooo I am waiting for pictures
and I am a MOMMY of a goatie

hahahaha
vi







ok.............
now this one will actually be in MY name on her registration papers
!!!!

oh man
I can't wait to see her

everyone loves a baby..................... GOATIE!!!!

ok this is all 7 that were born yesterday


this is casey's quads.....aren't they just too cute? the one with the white butt is a boy and will be wethered and become a pampered pet.



and here are patty's three

wow
aren't they WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!

vi
til next time

everyone hug a chicken, hug a goat
hug a curly headed cat

BABIES BABIES!!!!! spring is here!

this is sweetheart
and her two 'grade' baby saanen girls



btw, I had a wonderful dream last night
I dreamt that I was touring a doll sculpting studio/factory
and I got a job there as a doll artist
I dreamt that I was left to create the most wonderful fantasical scultures of various folk tales
(you shoulda seen my pinnocio- nothing like disney)
and they even let me sculpt standing up

yes I sculpt standing up
I just can't sculpt sitting down, and I don't know why!
it was a wonderful amazing dream

I even made quite a few friends in my dream......( I wonder if they dreamt of me?)

then I dreamt that when I got home................ I found a duckling in our living room (which for some odd reason was the living room in the apartment we used to live in)
someone said..'sadly that duckling will wander off and die............. and you will find it dead.'

yeah right like I would let THAT happen
I found the duckling and put it in a brooder and raised it up to a pretty black and white duck.
she eventually got a friend in her own pen in the yard


isn't it truly scary what goes on in my mind

and this
is fritters......remember last year she had apple dumpling.....( remember that one in the cast)

she had triplets
two boys and a girl

hahahah
spring is here

I am waiting to hear today

vi

sharon started laying

last night!
finally dulcette gets it......she laid in the morning and told me to come get the egg
and SHARON decided to unload before bed........
now both dulcette and sharon do that crouch thing with their wings out if you pet their backs
sniff
only henrietta and marguerite are still babies........and henrietta is going to start any day now.....
no more babies......
sniff
my boys have wives........my girls are laying eggs...........
my goat is due febuary 28

oh my........
ovulation and lactation will abound.....

meanwhile, if you all will notice under the cats names.........are links to the chicken pictures

as requested

vi

a good day for dyeing

I have a couple of skeins of knit picks shimmer........ in the happy days colorway
I didn't like the way it pooled when knitting up when I used the first one

so I figured I had nothing to lose and threw the second skein into the dye vat
it is a nice mixed red and burgandy now........ wines...... a few sort of orangey red areas
it is hanging by the wood stove to dry.

Calpurrnia thinks this is the BEST CAT TV.....
so she is sitting there watching the drips...........

she loves watching the tub drip so we leave it slightly on........
she is mesmerized by it
I tease her and tell her to change the channel as she has seen that show before.......
I got strange cats

hahahaha

anyway, I like the way the skein came out so far
we'll see how it knits up
if it knits up nicely......... the scarf I did in the other skein is going to take a trip through the dye vat as well

meanwhile I am waiting for bernie to get home

the thyroid meds have started to work and I am feeling a bit better

not out of the woods yet......but much better then before

meanwhile, I am still swatching for the chicken hats.......
which actually I am going to put on chicken dolls not my real girls..( although they would be cute)

my girls are telling me now when to come and get their eggs........
so they are growing up
marguerite is still a ways off ... about two months off of laying.

I am resisting putting in an order for more yarn................
I will be strong.......I will not buy more yarn
not until the 10 skeins of laceweight are knitted up
even though I want a skein or two of that shadow merino from knitpicks in grapejelly.............
I will be strong

I am just doing some fast cowl type things, playing around with laceweight

although you know................ the 100% merino in white ...for dyeing..........
hmmmmmmmmmmm

ok ok
well that's it right now
I am waiting for bernie
so we can start our weekend.

til next time

vi

the chickens think they're turtles

they keep BURYING the eggs
now
I know that they are all new at this
and I also know that I am robbing THEIR eggs
but they are my girls
you know...........
MY girls
I love their little beady eyes and little kissable beaks
I feed them layette and snacks
they get tomato's and cherrios
bread and spinach
and I sneak them pizza crusts once in a while......
not to mention the occational scrambled aunt orphelia
( we don't like aunt orphelia remember........)
bernie and I clean their bedding regularly
they get fresh water twice a day..........
and sometimes yohurt and cottage cheese.......

I love them
so why oh why would they bury their eggs?

they are NOT turtles
if they are then damn they are the FASTEST turtles I ever did see...........
I ask you

vi~who got today's egg while part of it was still unburied
what do they think they are? PIRATES?

il nostro mengele caro bello***

our beautiful beloved mengele

I went to nj today
to the doctor
maybe maybe I can avoid surgery......
I think so as I have been avoiding surgery for a while now.....
shoulder surgery....... back surgery......
so we'll see
and no don't ask.......

it was right up the street from our Mengele
so naturally I had called them and told them I was coming to see them

I ended up teaching Kathy the secretary how to knit
and visiting with mengele as much as she was able which was not a lot
she was very busy with patients
she looked tired and I am a bit worried about her

you all know how I love our mengele

Kathy looked great.......she'd lost some weight and it agreed with her.
she is learning to knit very very fast
I was very proud of her........

meanwhile the thyroid meds are helping immensely
although I probably should have actually EATEN something today
huh?
I didn't.......
I had coffee and ran
so at 5pm when I got home I had a cheese wrap........
maybe that was NOT the best thing to have done?

so I am now really really tired did I mention I am tired

well yup yup I am
tomorrow is spin..............
I am not ready and probably won't be able to go........ ask me now I am way too tired

let's see
I am swatching for the chicken hat............. which is actually going to be a sort of gauge swatch for the latvian mittens
which i will probably get to by JUNE......
meanwhile as mindless waiting room knitting I am doing a shaped sort of hybrid dicky/scarf thingy
I am sort of designing it as I go
this one has long scarf like fronts that I will be able to tie or wrap.
I am going to make another one that is more like a normal dicky
and I am also going to make a mobius sort of cowl neck

all these in laceweight, all in garter stitch and all mindless waiting room knitting

the chicken laid another egg either today or yesterday............bernie found it buried in the bedding
hmmmmmmmmmmmm
guess they really didn't want me to get their eggies

in curly headed cat news

thaddeaus has decided sleeping on our heads is a very good thing for a cat to do..........
mostly my head

with his tail wrapped around my face...............

this isn't working out so well for me
but he is thrilled with it all
until I have to go to the batheroom..

oye
til
next time

vi

And on tuesday....... hearts abound

well I have hearts all over the place.....
or should i say heart SHAPES
all them little chicken breeches are heart shaped...........
we got another egg last night around 4pm
i have confused chickens
this one was a darker purpley color and you can see it trying to be brown
Amie wants to see the two together with something for size referance

so if you celebrate happy valentines day to you........ and I wish you all the sight of heart shaped breeches on chickens!

( it's the back part when they bend over to peck the ground it is lighter in color and heart shaped on my chickens)

ok in other news
I am going to see Mengele tomorrow........... I have a doctor's appointment right down the road from where she works so I am dropping in.
I imagine I am going back to her regularly in about a month or so

the thyroid meds seem to have started to work, I got up before noon!
although I am still not sleeping at night
The wood stove likes that as I load it again at 1am
after bernie loads it at 9pm..............
so this morning at 8am when I got down, it was still burning a tiny bit!!!!!
just a tiny flame in the back of the firechamber in the corner, but a fire no less.


I have a question to ask of you all

I have three files I need to open
one is a .efx which I know is an e-fax
one is a .wps
which I don't have a program for

and one has no file extention

I have a windows based system and I am still running 98SE as I like that OS
can someone point me to a translate program
as I think these are mac based files


Spin group is thursday night
I am still not sure if we are going cause bernie isn't sleeping since I am not sleeping

even though I come down here to see if he can get some sleep

so we'll see

if I can't go I have to drop off the skeins for the skein contest by either kris or carole next week
and a huge soap order is due next week too.

that is about it for now
I have to take those pictures for Amie, which I will do when the sun is up over the mountain


til next time vi



ok Amie
here you go sweetie

OUR First EGG

the chickens laid their very first egg today

I don't know which hen did ( we think it is dulcette however)
but one of the big girls did
I will take pictures later
I am so proud!!!

you can't see the very soft lilac color of this egg..

but there is a few tiny brown spots on this......

this is the color they will be eventually

it is a tiny egg.........

eventually the girls will be laying jumbo brown eggs

Snow beautiful snow.........

Vi’s mixed bean soup

THE BEANS

Small whites

Lentils
Black eyed peas
Black beans
Small reds
Dark red kidneys
Baby limas
Large limas
Green split peas
Great northerns
Pink beans
Yellow split peas
Garbanzos
Pearl barely
Pinto beans
Lt red kidney beans
Navy beans
Cranberry beans

Meaty ham bone

Two stalks of celery chopped fine
Small onion chopped fine
Garlic either minced or powder
Parsley either fresh…..flat Italian parsley or dried
Kosher salt

Water

This mix is best made over time…… make a pot of each beans maybe once a week…..
Hold out ¼ cup or so to add to a gallon pickle jar to make this mix



Rinse and pick over the beans

Add to your kettle, cover the beans with water about two inches above to start.
Bring to a boil…..
Simmer for about ½ hour, adding water if needed
Add the ham and the rest of the ingredients

Simmer until the beans are slightly mushy…..

Serve with a mixed green salad…… really really good with mesculn salads.

And a HUGE glass of ice cold from the well water



Vi
Who loves ya???






Pinetree Garden Seeds www.superseeds.com
Park Seed www.parkseed.com
Vermont Bean Seed Company www.vermontbean.com
Shepherd’s Garden Seeds www.shepherdseeds.com
Vesey’s Seeds www.veseys.com
Johnny’s Selected Seeds www.johnnyseeds.com
Territorial Seed Company www.territorial-seeds.com
Seeds of Change www.seedsofchange.com

tomorrow is our anniversary

we were to go out to eat and then possibly some special shopping but since we are expecting a storm.....
we figured we would stay home warm and cozy with our little furry and feathered family.
I kid around a lot about my bernie....
I tease him an awful lot
but really he is a wonderful person
he is interested in almost everything
loves animals
is mostly really responsible.......
has a great sense of humor
and
loves me totally and unconditionally
( I do know that although I always ask him)
we were so young when we got married
no one thought we would make it
we weren't sure
and there were times where it really didn't look like we would
but
after all these years
we are still together and totally in love.
and we are each others 'center of the universe'

I wish that feeling for all of you..

til next time

vi

Truly I come by it honestly……

I was recently contacted by a family member I have not seen in about 20 years, this is for her really, if she comes by again....... as she was too young when it happened to laugh about it or even know about it. Anyway, maybe you all will enjoy reading about my family's crazys


My whole family is nuts…..I swear the lot of them are certifiable.
I don’t know if it is because we are Italian, and rather…….ah…… unique
Or we are truly just all insane. But if you folks wonder why I see things a bit left from center, well............... this is one of the reasons

I remember one time, when my dad was 70………. he ran away from home!

The first clue I had that something was wrong was there was a bag of grapes on my windowsill……… of course being this is my life….. it was infested with yellow jackets….( you know the wasp)

I knew something was up cause in my family a bag of fruit meant something was up, and it wasn't good news….
( what like the mafia has the kiss of death, & we have fruit? WHAT sort of demented reasoning is that? aunt martha died........quick get the pineapple? gee and some families just call or send a card huh?)

I shoo-ed away the wasps and grabbed the fruit, as I opened my front door the phone was ringing….

Naturally it was mom……( why yes………we are all psychic how did you guess?)
Mom: ‘your father has run away from home’
Me: ‘yes mom I know…..i found the bag of fruit on the window sill’

(this may be Italian for…….’I’ve left your mother in a fit of stupidity, and now I am here to make YOU crazy’- or I could be wrong)

Mom: ‘ so he’s been there already then?’

Meanwhile

DING DONG……….. and it ain’t the avon lady…….


Mom: ‘ don’t tell him it’s me on the phone’ naturally mom knows it’s dad…..I mean heaven forbid one of my friends would decide to intrude on this family melodrama.
Me: ‘no mom, lemme get the door’

I get the door
Yup
Dad………………..

Dad: ‘I’ve left your mother’
Me: ‘oh?’
( meanwhile I am thinking to myself…….. and when did this become MY problem?, ok so I also thought a bunch more to myself but those things are not repeatable in mixed company)
Dad: ‘yes I have left your mother……..’
Me: ‘ok , why?’
Dad: ‘she won’t give me any closet space’

Ok now let’s back this up a bit……. Dad is notorious in the family for not only being hard to buy for…..but for NOT wanting clothes…. He has a suit that is got to be 95 years old, one dress shirt, one tie……….three pairs of work pants with shirts to match….most of which aren’t too holey……
Everything you buy him, he just gives away……
And HE is complaining about closet space……..

THE MAN HAS NOTHING TO HANG UP!

Me: ‘ok, I will make the coffee’

I mean what else you going to do………
Dad stayed a while and ranted and raved……. Bernie got home, we had dinner………

I figured we would put dad up in our room and we would take the floor…. ( one bedroom apartment at the time)

Dad: ‘I’m not staying………….. I will find a hotel’
Me: ‘dad it is 9pm you can’t find one now’
Dad: (forever stubborn) “ I don’t want to put you folks out’
Dad to BERNIE: ‘make sure you mow the lawn for mom, and take out the garbage on Thursdays’ ( remember dad doesn’t want to put us out……. I’m thinking that is code for “I am really pissy, and everyone is going to suffer, while I decide to have my hissy fit’)


Me: ‘ok’ (see I learned early on..........when dealing with irrational people...... simple one word answers are probably best.......and the least likely you get you grounded for the rest of your natural life)
Bernie looks stunned………….

RINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Dad: ‘I’m not here’
Me: ‘hello’
MOM: ‘is your father still there?’
Me : ‘why yes we have some bananas, how many would you like?” ( I mean this IS the monkey house at the zoo right? You ain’t gonna find Ozzy and Harriet here bucko)

Dad leaves
Mom rails on and on about how terrible dad is……and that I am to feed him and make sure he is ok

Mom hangs up
And I fill poor Bernie in on everything that is going on…..

We go to sleep……
Saturday morning 8 am………..

DING DONG………

Dad walks in looking TERRIBLE like death and taxes

Me: ‘DAD, you look TERRIBLE’
Dad: ‘ I slept in the truck’
Me AND BERNIE: ‘ oh my GOD, why?’
Dad: ‘ I didn’t know that the hotels charged by the hour……….$35.00 an hour’

By this time Bernie and I are trying hard to stifle our laughter……
Because really this is Dad you know……and he is 70……. And it is November…..
But damn he did do this to himself……
So to cover the mirth……
We make the coffee then Bernie gets the bagels…..
We feed Dad and the phone rings……
Of course it’s mom……
She knows dad is there…..but has to go on and on and on and ON….( told you all I come by it honestly)
Meanwhile DAD is going on and on and on and on to Bernie, who is trying hard to look sympathetic……but is still secretly laughing his ass off about dad finding out about the ‘no tell motels’

Ok lets fast forward now a bit…..
Dad has been out of the house and I think by my Uncle Joey for about 2 weeks
It’s Saturday, I am home cleaning…… Bernie is working

Mom pops in…….
We are talking
And DAD pops in

They rush to the door……….and get STUCK in the door way…..
YELLING at each other the entire time….
I swear on my curly cats heads……I could NOT stop laughing…..
So naturally they started to yell at ME……..
Still stuck in the doorway….
It’s enough to have a person be looking around for the hidden camera….

THIS HAS to be some kind of a cosmic joke no? ( and you all wonder why I keep telling you......Larry moe and curly run the universe and they as you all know ARE CHICKENS)

Oh man did I get yelled at
‘don’t talk that way to your mother’ ‘don’t’ talk that way to your father’

I grabbed a set of keys and proceeded to tell them…..

THIS IS MY HOUSE
YOU do not pay the rent here, nor the bills, I DO………
YOU won’t talk to me like that in my own house
And I am NOT giving you back these keys
You all have one set of keys
LEAVE TOGETHER
Either make up or kill each other……
But
NO ONE IS GOING TO DO THIS TO ME IN MY OWN HOUSE ANYMORE

Now if looks could kill, you all would be reading this on a Ouija board……
But they did leave……

( I still can't believe I told them off like that but I do occationally have finer moments........)

The next day my Aunt rose called….. wondering if I knew where my folks were….
I told her what went on
We were both sure that they’d killed each other and we had only to await the state police showing up for us to have to go and identify the bodies
I even CALLED my cousins that are cops to see if they’d gotten a couple of ‘does’ reported

Turns out my folks decided on a second honeymoon….and went upstate….
Scared the living shit outta me, I tell you
Gees raising parents ain’t easy………
But I think it did work out better that way.. I really did not feel like identifying the bodies, or facing the reporters you know.

So I come by it honestly…..
But now that I have told you all…… I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to be awaken in the middle of the night by both my deceased parents……who will again go on and on and on and ON…….. about telling the family secrets…..

In MY family, just cause you’re dead doesn’t mean you still don’t have an opinion, it just means you eat less……


but they better watch their ghostly ass' cause I got a LOT more stories........................

ha
so there
vi

ps: bernie has a crazy sister in jersey..........after we met her I turned around and said 'i am sure glad that the nuts and squirrels are falling out of YOUR family tree for a change'

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

http://www.albc-usa.org/wtchlist.htm
http://www.albc-usa.org/wtchlist.htm#poultry
someone asked me about the rare breeds recently
my orpingtons are designated as 'recovering'
which is a good thing.
I love the orps, i highly recommend them.
when we move, i plan on getting more orps and
chantecler as well as maybe delaware

we still haven't heard back on the lamb, I imagine that the shepherd is busy lambing.
the goat is due in two weeks.........

I am looking at shetlands as well as ouessants lately.......
( the sound you just heard was Carole from lilac corners fainting)
but I may just start to go with rare breeds

I swear I can't wait to move............... our time in this little stone house in the woods is over now, i can feel that......it is time to move on.
All the signs lately point in that direction.......... while sometimes it makes me sad.......mostly I am looking forward to what's next

I will however miss my big ( allthough cluttered) studio and my 250 year old sugar maples......
time for someone else to be stewards of these ancient trees

til next time

vi

vi here again
the doc called............ thyroid meds to be started tomorrow
well that explains the slug like lifestyle of the past couple months...........

bernie will pick them up on his way home tonight
meanwhile
I got a massive headache which started from sinus but is now something more
so I am going to just go and hang with the cats and chickens

ttyl

vi

mark the calendar with a star.....VI has nothing to say

nope absolutely nothing....
as I still feel like a horse kicked me
I actually DREAMT of horses
so it is pretty bad
I am going to attempt to venture out into the day light

( quick grab the garlic.........cause you know....it's been a while, I could have turned into a vampire you know)

as soon as my legs can hold me...........
ah........
mm.......
that may BE a while

wake me up when it is really spring........oh in about 6 hours

vi

food poisioning is a terrible thing to waste

ok so in addition to the insult that is already my body.....( and I use that term loosely)
I had a goodly case of food poisioning last night

I do not recommend you try this at home

and if you are foolish enough to do that even though YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.......
do
not
be
stupid
enough
to
drink
coffee
the
next
day

and don't ask me how I know

let me tell you
chinese food left over for two weeks is not a good thing to eat
but I thought it was only in there about 3 days.......
damn this menopause
ok so I forgot
it smelled fine
tasted ok
I was sick as a freeken dog
so sick
that thaddeaus sucked his tail in worry all night
FAWN even sat on the bed this morning in sympathy
oye

I decided on chicken broth with rice and mushy broccoili for dinner
I called the doctor
bernie called me and insisted I call the doctor
he sounds like death and taxes.............
well damn
the poor guy did NOT sleep all night
when I started to have extreme chest pains........cause you know I can't get sick like normal people
he was all for rushing me to the hosptial.
I was shivering and cold so I veto'd that idea
telling him
'i would prefer to die at home thank you, surrounded by the feathered and furred family we have assembled'

I finally fell asleep about 4am......... the alarm goes off at 4:30 am
bernie told me to go back to sleep
yeah like I could EVEN STAND UP
hahahaha
sure
I managed to slither down the stairs around 10:30am
more or less I think.......................
I got the fire going about noon
and it got warmish in here at about 3pm
I repeat
do not try this at home

vi

I swear I have the sickest friends

you people all voting for chicken hats.....
and whats more
I got a couple designs in mind
who's the sick one now?

I have a bit of good news
we only used 13 gallons of heating oil in the last 6 weeks.....
yeah!!!!!
of course it was hotter then arizona in the 'snowbelt' of pa
but hey

doctor news ............ tests and I am waiting on results yet again

chickens are fine
the roo's have girlfriends
and moe moe is growing a real comb in
they are getting bigger monica tells me

the girls are doing well
they got all moved all over while their pens were getting cleaned
and I did get down to see them today with some bacon grease
they love their suet
when it gets below 35 degrees I give them bacon grease
not a lot
just a little nibble
they love it
you should see them
I even got sharon out to hold her and give her a tiny bit more..
(one ounce of bacon grease lasts 4 chickens over a week here......)
I love my girls so much

one of my clients called me sunday.................
the first thing she wanted to know was how are the chickens........she also has orpingtons

my laperms are sacked out all over soaking up the heat from the wood stove

I didn't feel well again and laid down upstairs................
little calpurrnia took that watch and came up to 'watch' mommy
fawn took yesterday
thaddeaus, fawn and calpurrnia took saturday..............
after I got home from teaching
but most of the time they are here soaking up the heat from the woodstove
however they will rouse themselves if there is the merest hint of canned food in the air.................

thems my babies................


til next time
love from vi

am I dead yet? ARE you sure?

ok I heard from the doctor..
she said
'stay off your meds until tuesday then call me'

ok cause I really had no intention of going back on them until I got a period
which arrived this morning.........

I am ever so thankful.......
who'd thought that I would be grateful for cramps, bloat, pms, tiredness etc........

well I am
cause it was causeing a TON O PAIN

I haven't slept in days...... with sever joint pain, mental confusion ( no comments do you hear me trish?)

etc etc

I was whining so pitiously I pissed off myself.

meanwhile a friend who just had her husband retire..
called me this morning to complain about him being underfoot
damn

I knew that was going to happen

she didn't like my suggestion........

( humor me here I really am the walking dead)

I told her either shoot him or become a hermit

apparently neither appealed to her.....

I DON"T know why

well she could have neutered him but I think he would object to that.

so that is only an option while he sleeps.

today

I am not alive

this post is being channeled from the other side

I can tell you that it is pretty warm here.....

but not warm enough to be that 'hot place'

and there is a draft

so apparently being on the other side is not permanent............

maybe I should learn to drink?

vi

edited to add.......
for those folks who are wondering about the antics of the cats...... remember that picture of calpurrnia?
well they all look basically exactly like that
they are laying around like slugs soaking up the warmth of the woodstove......
seriously....we poke them to make sure they are breathing at times.........

oh and the poll is still here I think

I just have to say,

there surely are a bunch of smart ass folks that visit here..

everyone voting for 'chicken hats'

so is that a hat with a chicken on it

or a hat FOR the chickens???

what should I knit next
	more socks
	Latvian mitten
	scarf for me out of sisik
	a sweater for me
	something for bernie
	chicken hats
Free polls from Pollhost.com

you've been 'tagged'

Four jobs you have had in your life:
pooper scooper for the "parrot place" in paramus nj
art director
graphic artist
typesetter


Four Movies you could watch over and over: any harry potter
what dreams may come
hocus pocus
the addams family

Four Places You Have Lived:
Texas: Baytown and Texas city
NJ: Fairlawn, Bogota, Fairview, North Bergen, Paterson
PA: the poconos
germany

Four TV Shows You Love To Watch:
I don't watch tv.................sorry dear the chickens enjoy watching out the windows however....


Four Places You Have Been On Vacation:
oregon
virginia
conneticut
canada


Four Websites You Visit Daily:
Knittersreview.com
gmail
google news
yahoo weather

Four Of My Favorite Foods:
cheesecake
icecream
turkey
coffee

Four Places You'd Rather Be Right Now:
at the farm in the barn
upstairs with bernie
at a book store
upstairs with bernie ( that one is pretty good you know)

Four Bloggers I am tagging: ok you know the drill......now..........
let's see who do I have to get back at?????

Minnie naturally

hmmmmmmmmmmmm what other smart ass folks need this???

ah......... yes Trish
kelly........for the smurf hands remark lets see who else do I need to get........I mean tag............ hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
and I will reserve the last for a bit

what should I knit next
	more socks
	Latvian mitten
	scarf for me out of sisik
	a sweater for me
	something for bernie
	chicken hats
Free polls from Pollhost.com

no still no word from the doctor

so I stopped taking my meds
I am feeling a bit better.....not myself yet
but better then the other day
I can't concentrate on much
(thank you minh dear......but I can't concentrate on much..... I am sort of trying to read the spinning book and it isn't sticking)
and I do feel better then the other day
I can get up and walk....
I just don't have any ompfh..........
I don't feel like working on my scarf in sisik which as you folks know....I love
or even picking up the sock I started in the opal petticoat
the border leichester is sitting there unplied.....
as is the ingeo
and the peacock single
which is also un-photographed to show you folks.......

we did put marguerite downstairs in the boys pen.........
she is right next to the girls
but by herself
she isn't too happy but she will get over it
she comes to her brooder for bed now

monica emailed me that the boys are doing well
moe moe is again trying to crow
and curly and moe both whisper to her
she sings them songs about me
I miss the boys so much

now I have that neme or whatever to do
and I did start it
I will post it soon

I will I promise


vi

I gave up and called the doctor

Ok I am on these meds to treat this insulin resistance.....
they had some nasty ass side effects
I suffered through the 'gastric' upsets that had me in the bathroom 5 out of every 24 hours
through the nausea that sets in all the time
through the light headedness.........
( some folks would say I was light in the head prior to this all.......but hey)

however the malise and the lethargy have got to go
I can't even freeken knit
I can manage going down to see my chickens twice a day
and putting a log on the fire every two hours
that's about it
oh
yeah
and laying down
I can manage that
I have trouble with remember to eat
and to take the meds
poor bernie is beside himself

so I called the doctor

naturally I haven't heard back from her
but I didn't expect to for a while........
probably by friday
I hope I am awake for the phone call

oh and I haven't had a period since november either
I had better not be knocked up
or bernie will get a do it yourself Vasectomy

with an exacto and a rubber band

( cause he was supposed to get a real one after the ruptured ectopic.......hmmmmmmmmm wonder who didn't get the big v????)

meanwhile my boobs hurt
like they have been repeatedly mashed in that poundy thing at the fairs......
you know the one that uses the slegde hammer and you try to hit the top
they feel like the sledge crashed THROUGH the top

air hurts
my bra hurts
my SKIN hurts
oh man

isn't it wonderful being a GIRL
gees
can I be a goldfish please now..
I don't see sore boobs on a goldfish........................

ok the roosters
monica informs me that moe moe is starting to crow again
so he is getting adjusted
curly is repeatedly asking for hens to be brought out
( that's my boy)

so the boys are doing well
as soon as I feel better I am going out there with shrimp to see my boys

I wonder if they will remember me???????

til next time

vi

OHHHHHHHHHHH how do you solve a problem like

MARGUERITE????


fa la la

damn
I wish it was that easy

first off marguerite if anyone cares to remember is our youngest little chicky
she is still upstairs in a brooder in the studio

she was spoiled over the fence rotten when she got here

she does NOT know she is a chicken

she thinks she is entitled to my complete and total attention 24/7

( gees every OTHER living entity in this entire HOUSE thinks that as well.........)

if she doesn't GET my attention
she flys to my head

I never get any notice that she is going to land on my poor beleagured head

she is not surprised by this

it startles the crap out of me every single time


it also hurts
she's got tallons

short of wearing a Cambells chicken soup can hat..........

I don't know WHAT to do about this problem



now my boys

Monica informs me that they are settling in
that curly loves her to pick him up
(moe moe does too but he needs to be sweet talked......he likes that first)
and that moe has my sense of humor

WHAT you have never experienced CHICKEN humor??
WHAT sort of deprived life do you have anyway???


shame shame

moe has a sense of humor

he is also adorable

can you tell I miss my boys so bad

I am hoping to get to see them this week and bring them shrimp


oh the curly headed monsters
fawn is mad at me
I won't let her eat marguerite's chicken food

thaddeaus is mad at me........I won't let HIM eat ambers wet food

calpurrnia is in the corner playing with a leaf.........
'oh LOOK a LEAF!!!'

she just likes to sit on my chest all night and purr
LOUDLY
think JET ENGINE size noise
where that is coming from in her little tiny body
I have no freeken idea

she must be pipeing it in


soooooooooooo
that is my current family news
oh
and that this freekishly Warm JANUARY
which I predicted
as we bought the wood stove

is driving me nuts


I so wanted to sit on my fat assets and feel all warm and smug all winter
i mean compaired to the posts from last winter...............
but no
as we went into debt to buy this stove..
naturally we changed the entire global climate both weatherwise and economically


my what power I have.!!!!!!!!!!

gees


vi
~til next time

peacock roving and one ( or so) of calpurrnia

ok first let me tell you
the colors are actually wonderful
I can't get a decent picture of them in the light outside
and the flashe washed them all out......it really does have a lot of that particular peacock blue/green that the word conjures up

I got it hanging by the wood stove

and I am fixing to dye some nylon

to sparkle through it.....( I got icycle for that I think.....)

now my little calpurrnia
this is how the cats all tend to sleep around the wood stove
little brazen hussy that she is.....

oh a chickens life

my boy are at the farm
we of course are heartbroken
they were bullied by a mean roo and monica found them huddled outside the barn in the freezing cold.
so she put them in their dog crate and stuffed straw in
I wanted to go and get them
she said they will be ok
that she is going to put them in with a very elderly roo named chippy.....
and that if they all get on the boys will spend the winter in there
they caught a mouse
curly let monica cuddle him
moe moe follows her around

I miss my boys so much

today I gave the girls popcorn and bacon grease as a snack...
it was cold down there and when I picked them up their little toes were so cold
so I warmed up their toes
I am going to give them a nest box saturday I think


bernie has to go to NYC tomorrow and friday.....
I am a nervous wreck.....
I just sent the check for the life insurance payment and it may be late.....
I hope not

if he dies I would really miss him bad.......
and I would have to bring ALL the animals to the farm
then hire myself out as a donkey

ok I am spinning that INGEO
( that must be indian for............ demon fiber that is going to make me nuts)
I am feeling a bit better too
I have to eat a bowl of cherrios every day I noticed to help some of the 'gastric sideeffects' of the meds
oatmeal didn't do it!
go figure

lets see
I got spin on thursday and a class I am teaching on thursday
I am also teaching on saturday...........

that is if my classes are full.

I have to spin up some alpaca
and either cat or cashmere I think if the ingeo doesn't work for the 100% natural other then wool skein contest..........
so I better call jo and get some alpaca.. what about ? 8 oz?

Linda sent me merino............ I have to make her something for it..cause she wouldn't let me pay her
Monica gave me 12 oz of kid mohair locks. I have to make something for HER
she also wouldn't let me pay her.
I did give her some soap and lotions to thank her for takeing my boys

OH MY BOYS.......................... I miss them so very much
I can't tell you all how dead it is around here without them

oye

til next time

vi

Big Beautiful roo's

my boys went to the farm yesterday
meanwhile I am so worried about them as it is so cold
Monica said that she is keeping them in the crate as it is so cold and she found them outside cause one of the other resident roo's was mean to them
I don't know if I should go and get them or what....

but here are my boy's pictures
( and the girls too)


that is a picture of both of them
curly is in the front
moe moe is in the back


moe moe


curly in the front again



the girls

and a kinda dark one of moe moe

high winds and chicken goodbyes

we had terrific high winds last night
so high that they downdrafted the wood stove and we could NOT keep it going.
I understand that the winds knocked power lines out all over...downed trees and all

now we have them big pines that moron neighbor the 'landscaper' told us would fall on his house.....
not a branch is off those trees at all!
so much for landscaping huh?
anyway...... arborists are tree specialists.....you need a degree.

on to other news

my boys are going today

I am so upset
this is the last morning my boys will crow to ME
they will crow tomorrow but not to wake ME up
I wonder if monica will hear them

I am so heartbroken
I have to take pictures of my big beautiful boys
now I wish I'd taken larry's picture too but I didn't

the chickens don't really like the camera

I wish we had moved already so my boys wouldn't be leaving but instead just going into
the palace of the happy chicken out back

meanwhile

in fiber news
I am still spinning
when I get enough done and plyed...I am going to dye it up and start a latvian mitten
so all the folks that would care to join in.....
It is going to be a bit but I am planning on doing a latvian mitten.....
just let me get the spinning done.....
so you all may want to decide on which one YOU are doing...
I haven't completely decided yet
I know I want to change the colors to something a bit less traditional......
probably purples and such to match my winter coats
with navy, I suppose some cream.. reds?

I will see when I got to do the dye work


til next time

vi~who is going to take the camera to take pictures of my boys

ok ok I am making soap

5 freeken batches of honey oatmeal

you would think I never made soap in my life...
( for the record I been soaping since 1994....but the first batches were so damn bad that even the mice won't eat them)
I have gotten better since then

ok
so I need to make soap
I need to make multiple batches every day for like 2 weeks
yes I got that busy with soap again.
folks are discovering me!
again!

( I was lost but nooooooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwww i'm found.............fa la la la la)

anyway, I have a ton to make so hopefully I can get it done
I can't do the 50 pound batches anymore by myself..
so even if I do 20 pounders and split them that is something
I just have to do at least one or two a day


I am still at a loss as to what to knit next
I have to make a cd player cover which I am going to sew
I need to make linda a needle case and fix kris' that I made her for her birthday
I should probably also make one for me
I never did!
I have that snowflake doll to make
there should be a package waiting for me at the post office with stuffs to finish her with

I keep dreaming of farms
of sheep pens and goat pens
gardens full of veggie and herbs
wonderful full orchards and chicken coops
areas to make soap and to make dolls
and to sit and knit and think

I am thinking of starting an active goal for this....... complete with little goal notebook

I want my animals near me so bad I swear I can hear them baaaaaaaaaaa

ok

again with the what shall I knit next........

a smoke ring scarf?

a regular scarf?

lavtian mittens?

a mitten adapted from tudor roses by starmore?

more socks are a given

gloves out of self patterning or striping sock yarn?

or should I just set and spin a while?????


help me out guys

I wish I knew where Amie gets them cool poll thingies..........

cause I would put one up for this


vi

I am so sick of being sick

I probably haven't said much but I haven't been doing real well health wise
the endo put me on meds, and the adjustment has caused a bunch of other problems

gastric upsets my ass

which is in a sling big time

anyway if I seem behind things

it is because I am

I am also very tired most of the time
I end up sitting in my computer chair alot

so folks I am so sorry if I forgot someone or something

there truly are days I am lucky to make it downstairs



vi

larry the chicken

as some of you know I raised some chicks this fall
three turned out to be roo's and three hens
( then there is marguerite but that is another story)

we lost one of the roo's saturday.
everyone told me heart failure
he was young healthy robust.....
glossy feathers
bright eyes
and I went down to find him dead

Carole lost a chicken too this weekend....
dead for no reason

I felt terrible
like I did something wrong and that I would lose my other chickens

today is monday and so far my other chickens are fine

so maybe everyone was right...... poor larry had a birth defect?

I will miss him



now I finished a pair of socks last night and told amie........
she added them to the 200sock total

I don't know what to knit next
now I probably will start another pair of socks..cause don't I always
but I want to do something else too....

I want something quick I think...
I would like to knit some latvian mittens but I have to get the skeins done for my spin group skein contest.....
which I was told about AFTER I was signed up...... carole and kris did it when I wasn't there.....
what are friends for?
and the nerve of them
making us all spin for spin group........
who ever heard of such a thing??????


so I ordered ingeo and soy for the 100% natural ................ other then wool

I have access to alpaca, and mohair, and cashmere.......but I figured let me do something that we didn't have buckets of laying around ..makes sense huh?

my new lendrum is a dream
but the footman/dt sqeaks like crazy.

the advise is mixed................don't oil
oil everything but the sealed bearings

I can't take the squeak so I am going to risk oiling the squeak with a silicone lubricant.

the weather

it is hot as hell here
51 degrees F or about 11 C
if it is so hot here, I wo'nt be able to save a ton of money on heating oil, there by I won't be able to justify the woodstove

see we bought a wood stove and it is going to be the hottest january on record
palm trees will be coming HERE........

oye

any ideas on what I should knit next?????

mittens?
gloves?
hat?
lace scarf?
felted clogs?
gee what else is there?


vi

snowflake doll or....how to go nuts without even trying

ok I missed the deadline for farm show
so the keeper of the snowflakes is still here
lanquishing on my workbench reprouching me
but
in my defence

I got a large soap order for a wedding......
honey oatmeal..
and the way I make it.....it isn't the easiest soap to make
I have made 3 batches so far and will make one or two more as insurance.
I have to do a lot more soap making after that is all done
I have to replenish stock

I am still not able to lift my 50 pound batches.... or this would have all been done
but I keep pushing

now in fiber news....
Amie has a two thousand sock count going on...she also has some pretty cute goldfish there..... so check that out
I will send her the picture of the pair I am about done with as soon as I do the toe decreases on the last one
I have to do either that opal petticoat sock.....( thank you again Lanea) or some light trekking xxl
very simiilar to the petticoat sorta in color but a bit lighter

I also have a few skeins to do as I apparently was volunteered while I was NOT at spin group to enter a 'creative skein' contest as well as a 'how good is your basic spinning skein contest'
I was told YESTERDAY......
gees

so I think I got one figured out but I need a really wild over the top one as well..

ok
in woodstove news

we sorta have it figured out
we still need more stack and we are saving to get a fireproof wall behind it
the installer I think put the chimney and stove to close to the wall
we have a sort of sheild for the chimney rigged right now
and we have a sheild for the stove back
but we need a more permanent solution.

oh and I need a woodstove rake and some stove gasket..
other then that we are saving some serious money on oil with the stove
and the temps outside can go down......
the studio is about 88 all day
the main house is in the upper 60's and 70's
and NOW when I get up at about 7 a fire takes me about 10-20 minutes to have fully on

I think I lost some weight too.

ok
chicken news
Monika asked for us to bring the boys on January 14 instead of this sunday which is ok
then marguerite is going down to the pen to be a REAL chicken
and maybe I will bring up dulcette......................
mmmmmmmmmm

take that marguerite
she flew onto my head today while I was trying to spin a bit, as I was waiting for the lye to cool down to make my soap batch.
damn
that hurt

we are getting a pizza tonight as I have the kitchen in an uproar with no counters and soap all over

now over the next three weeks I need to make a LOT of soap..
I have my list...
gee I should post it here huh? to remember it ( or at least a partial list)

ok
Patchouli
coffee kitchen
lavender (plain)
raspberry violet
peach goatsmilk
milk and mallow root
grapefruit lily goats milk
almond goats milk
blackberry goatsmilk
freesia
rose garden
carrot honey
colonial bayberry ( I love this scent)
forest sage
orange ginger
spearmint grapefruit ( I love this one too. sooooooooooo refreshing)
bayrum
coconut lime
cucumber melon
plain cucumber
sandalwood comfrey
Lilac
mixed mint
patchouli spice
zen garden

woooooooooooo
we are so low on stock
I was so much busier then I expected this past holiday season.

folks please remind me to make the soapies
oye

what other news

oh the lendrum is great
it squeaks a bit but we are going to oil everything but the plastic or nylon bearings.
other then that I am really enjoying this wheel
I never actually believed I would get it

but there it is
!!!!!

I can't wait to blend my own sock yarn..........
I wonder how tunis and nylon will wear???????


hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

ok til next time
vi
ps: I moderated comments on the blog as I am tired of ditching foul ones......
so I am sorry guys
but for a while
ok?

ok here is marguarite***

***I never can spell her name right..

I had to disable anonymous comments folks sorry...
you have to sign in to post.
vi

good morning and happy new year

hihi everyone,
I am back ( ok so sorta)
and I am busy.....
(state farm competetion doll, soap orders, stoking this wood stove)
I am getting a lot more excersize....
between the whole wood heat thing
the spinning wheel......
my chickens in the basement....
I lost a few pounds!

ok first off let me tell you
wood heat rocks

and also let me tell you
I do love the soapstone stove
just hate the incompetant dealer that sold it to us

I know a LOT more now

we have to put more stack on the chimney
and install a wall protector.......

we have burned only 50+or - gallons of oil per month so far....
so we've saved about 800. so far....
we paid 450 for the wood......
we are already into savings against the wood stove.......
I expect that in January and Febuary......
we should save about 2000........ which means the wood stove paid for itself in one heating season.....

I am planning to start cooking on it too.....

even the electric is down about 10.00

and
AND

AND

some one told us where to get FREE wood.... hardwoods
already cut into logs
we would just have to split them

a splitter is about 300.....for a small one

hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I think one winter heating season would pay for the log splitter too

ok
I have pictures
I have to upload them
but I got pictures

some of that little shit marguarite the chicken......sitting on the cat tree with the cats.
( she shits all over, not like my beloved dulcette)

I will have some doll pictures as well

I have to make soap today so after that maybe pictures


ok til next time

vi

of trolls and hollow trees

I don't understand lately why so many troll like people have surfaced in my life.
I keep asking myself.....
what am I DOING wrong that I am having this many fractured people?

A person on a list I am on, recently decided to troll the list....
they were banned by the list owner but then decided that they are going to harass by email,
the owners as well as other members
they decided that I was 'obviously unintelligent'
I guess in their mind I am a threat.

I had yet another troll decide that I am responsible for all the misery in their life.
HUH?
gees If I had that kind of power do you THINK I would waste time dicking around in your life?

hell no..I would get the winning lotto numbers and retire to my farm......

and what causes trolls?

I went to a couple of websites and read what they said....
but the fact is that the internet is full of them
and there isn't all that much you can do about it

except ignore them

which I am good at doing........


now the hollow tree


a couple weeks ago..........thaddeaus hurt his little toe in the heater vent
to make up to him we got him a tiny hollow tree padded cat house.

he used it once

meanwhile

little calpurrnia, our very own kebler elf..has taken it over!

so my little blue eyed one......sleeps in a hallow tree every night!
hahahah
I got it next to my side of the bed and I pet her when ever I wake up....
she lickes my fingers.......
hahahaha


any indeas on getting these particular trolls off the internet or at least to get them to stop bothering me??????


vi

I will be back probably in the new year

today is the 3rd anniversary of 'not the momma's' death
the 22 is the 20th anniversary of my mom's death
december is not a great month for moms.....
anyway...
between that...
the never ending construction....... ( I STILL Have a kitchen in my LIVING ROOM.....and no counters yet)
I haven't felt well despite the good news from my doctor's visit....
I haven't felt all that much like posting

I also heard today that a person from a forum I go to alot..... and whom I liked has crossed over...
she was young, smart and wonderful.
meanwhile there is a person at that same forum....... that would make scrooge look wonderful....

that person is still hale and hearty....
makes you wonder huh?

I do have some news......
I finally bought a spinning wheel, a Lendrum dt
and it should be here TOMORROW

I have waited 18 months for it.....

I think I am finally realizing that YES things do actually happen.......

til next time
vi
who will try and remember to post a picture tomorrow

I have been informed

that I have been remiss in posting here.
yes that is true
in my defence, I can say that I have been crazy busy...
or
just crazy?
ok I won't promise to try and do better.

first a fast chicken and cat update......
everyone is fine
the roo's are in the basement. Curly is crowing A LOT in the morning
my moe is still my guy, and i miss him down there
larry is a little shit who pecked me..... but he may think twice about doing that again
if a chicken actually thinks

my woodstove is driving me nuts....
the stack is too short...
the draft is not good
and we have a terrible time keeping it going for longer then 2-4 hours

I do have good news however,
my new meds are working....... the doctor is happy
I lost a bit of weight, my insulin levels are coming down.....
she added some other med to help bring the levels down faster
I will start that today
so if I am sleeping for the next few weeks....
it is from the new med

lets see......... Thaddeaus now is sleeping on the bed with us.
He cried at midnight last night so bernie let him out of the crate.....

men stick together......

see!

and speaking of men sticking together, bernie is loving them roo's
he goes and talks to them and makes sure they have water.....and gives them extra food at night
that's fine with me
they need the extra food.

I been giving the chickens fish for the extra calories and the protein.

also yogurt, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, cottage cheese.. left over bread......
well they seem happy
now marguarite isn't old enough yet
but she will get that stuff too as soon as she is old enough for it.

ok
I got a cranky fire to deal with

til next time
vi
ps:
any soap stone stove users out there...........
I need to know how to keep a good overnight burn going so that the furnace doesn't come on at 2am.......

let me know ok?
thanks

due to request.......

ok so it's been a while...
frankly I haven't had anything that I thought was funny enough to write about lately.
my little chickie boom booms are getting big...huge actually...
the palace of the happy chicken is still stacked in the yard.....
so my darlink little chickie booms are going to be penned in the basement...and slowly moved out back (it's a daylight basement so it isn't as bad as it sounds.....)

the woodstove is a project...... the chimney is way too short and we are having a bit of trouble keeping it going if the outside temps are over 39.....

Moe the baby rooster is starting to crow now....hahahaha he sounds so funny... Larry and Curly are starting to also.

now I have to tell you all..
I am getting more annoying menopausal symptoms....

I go to the endocronologist monday so I think I will ask about all these annoying symptoms...

we are adding another baby chick.....who needs a home.....
her name will be margarite
we pick her up tomorrow

the boys are going to the farm soon.....Monica said she is looking forward to getting them
I am going to miss them so terribly......
moe's my guy....
he always wants to come out and sit on my arm........ he is WAY too big now to be finger tame......so it is got to be on my arm.

the girls are never happier then when they are settled in my arms.....they love it....and they all still will put their heads down on my and fall asleep!
I talk to them and they close their eyes.............
hahahaha

but boy are they BIG...hahaha and they are soooooooooooooo beautiful.

Thaddeaus plays hide and seek with moe......

Calpurrnia is getting really bad lately but being she has them innocent blue eyes...... she's been getting away with a lot..

she has a thing for playing with the mini blinds..

at 3am

when we are sleeping......

oye

FAWN...............ah.........she is a sweetie....... she had a tick and we did get it out of her..

Amber is still with us....... being amber......... being 4009 years old and all........

the kitchen is still gutted........
we won't go there......
oh man......

however it will be great when it is finally done........


oye
til next time
vi