well the studio is partly cleaned

bernie and i tore another part of the studio apart and cleaned it
i got tons of boxes of paper work to go through

sort
shred
burn
compost

( btw, my old beloved ergonomic keyboard is alive again for the most part.... but i need back legs on it)

i have to go through my yarn stash
i am going to be knitting a lot of socks and hats

i wish i had lopi and lamb's pride bulky stashed,
i love lopi for sturdy outdoor mittens
and i want to make more felted clogs so the lamb's pride would be the thing for that
with the mohair

right now i am doing some really simple sideways knit fingerless gloves
out of leftover patons decor
i made a hat for a friend out of it
a pair of footie socks
and now these gloves
i am expecting to run out of the decor about 2 inches prior to finishing so in that case
i have another bit of yarn left over from another friends hat to finish up with

all of a sudden i am able to do a lot of knitting

i think that the docxyciline helped
my wrists and hands aren't hurting


in duckie doings
i taught ( or am still teaching but he's doing it)
falstaff to walk in and out of the crate from the house to his pen, instead of my carrying him in his crate to the pen

it doesn't sound like much
but for falstaff and me that's huge

the girls of course follow me out ( or lead ..... depending on if someone needs to lay an egg or not in a hurry)

but falstaff is sort of semi feral
although he is so much better then he was
the guy i got him from would glove up with hockey gloves and a mask etc to handle his
ha
falstaff is a pushover
he is a good duck
smart
just doesn't want to be petted or touched by humans
he is not aggressive at all

now the chickens
i am thinking that the last 'hen' is indeed a hen
i am also wondering about keeping a rooster
i really do need to have some fertile eggs hatch
i am also thinking seriously about the goat and sheep coming home
if i could figure fencing and a pen i would go an get them tomorrow!
i think i need to sell badger and edmund
and just bring the girls home
bonnie and arabella make no noise
violet...............well she is a nubian
maybe i should sell her as well
(that is going to kill me)

with the economy so bad at least if we have a milker and the ewes
i know we will have milk and eventually lamb

now
a totally seasonal question

have YOU started YOUR seeds yet?

for your victory garden
we all need to do our part


no?

gee mom there are POLAR bears out there

or so the duckies tell me
they are not eager to get out of the house in the morning

our duckie/momma conversations go this way

'mom?'

yes duckies

'there are polar bears out there'

no there aren't duckies

'yes mom there ARE'

no duckies, we are too far south or north or something

'mom, we're telling you.....................'
( said while hopping on one foot and trying hard NOT to step on the snow covered ground outside the door frame)

duckies, you have to go out to the day pen
your FOOD is in there, so come on...let's go

'but MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM'
(nothing like adolescent duckies huh?)

come on girls

'oh, ok, but there ARE polar bears'

it doesn't matter duckies, you guys are white
the polar bears won't see you anyway


so goes conversations with ducks

what?
you expected shakespear?

they are DUCKS

so that was short

i have to reformate my new computer
oye

i screwed it up
i threw the software into a glitch when i sort of accidently pushed the display for the monitor over all the way to the right
which put the monitor out ofrange
i would love to fix it without a reformat
but see this is vista
and that doesn't work

oye

again

how many ways can you say cold?

cause i am running out of ideas

got up late today
cause i was up stoking the stove and knitting footie socks
next up
thrummed boot socks
yup that cold

all i keep looking at are mittens, hats, neckwarmers and socks

and i could use a few skeins of lopi for mittens
and a few skeins of lamb pride bulky for felted boots

this weekend we are to move the computer desk and computers around
about time
i am sitting here with a ton of wires and two keyboards......................
one on top of the other
looks like a mad scientist gone way wrong
and of course
wool

piled on top of the keyboards

along with knitting needles just recieved from ebay

( i won two auctions, one for 14 circular needles and one for 14 sets of 6 inch double points)
bamboo of course

now
i better get a move on
duckies to go out
dishes to do
bread to bake
stove to stoke
and more computer stuff

btw
my ipod is giving me fits
it is charged but if i take it's umbilical cord off the computer
it goes dead
what's that all about
i got it xmas 06
and NEVER used it!

in other transitions...

i am working on moving files from the old computer to the new one
it's slow going right now as they aren't networked
and win98se and vista may as well be on different planets

i did have to stop and do that ipod thing
as mary had given me an ipod a few christmases ago, that i have never been able to use
i can now
i want to load podcasts and such into it
oh my
for someone who aspires to be amish
i am certainly getting into the 21 century

kicking and screaming maybe
but there never the less

now speaking of other new beginnings
does this mean kitchen countertops and new kitchen knives????


i read a peice about banks foreclosing on small builder, even if they are up to date on loan payments and haven't ever missed a payment

does that mean that the development behind me may turn out to be abandoned?
maybe i could get a few acres out back cheap yet?................... to bring the sheepies and goat home ????

will miracles happen?

in fiber news here.........i am looking for lamb's pride polar weight 3 skeins worth
to make felted shoes
AND
i am about to start, i think, thrummed slippers or thrummed boot socks

yup it was THAT cold lately

please, it was so cold that i was remembering that lady with the full mohair knitted long johns and tops
and thinking to myself

i don't care if i look like a neanderthal
i want a set of thems..... for the cold
and a set for each duckies.......................

when we get the farm
i get mohair goats

today is the day

history is being made

ok so well history is being made daily.......................
i mean...... isn't yesterday history

isn't 5 minutes ago history.........????


but i am talking about 'notable' history
you know..........the kind that makes text books in school
and have LONG term ramifications

not like that questionable burrito you ate yesterday, that only SEEMS like it is going to be with you long term.......

i plan on watching it on line on the new puter with the dsl

if i am not at the bank straightening out a mess that only a large corporation could do

the bank changed routing codes

huh?

i found out when a check was returned to a person i wrote it to as 'invalid'

huh?

so i get to argue with the bank

now
they don't buy me new checks do they

just so happened i had just bought new ones
but i intend on getting them to make this right

there is enough going on with banking to scare anyone

but i think with this current bank

it's three stikes your out
and it's had it's third strike

dsl is not too shabby

and neither is the new computer!
but

i don't like vista
and I hate the keyboard


i need my old one back

oye

soooooooooooo

someone clue me in on the ins and outs of vista.............
until i partition the drive and install linux
and win98se and maybe xp


meanwhile
i gotta go get the duckies


til next time

vi

BLUEBIRDS!!!!!!! at the bottom of the garden!

it is warming up here
20 degrees and a few inches of snow
warm enough.....relatively speaking to let the ducks out into the day pens

now on my way back to the girls pen out past the end of the garden,
i saw a flash of blue!
then another and another
looking closely from under the multiple layers AND my hood
i realized i was looking at a flock of bluebirds!!!!

bluebirds?
this time of year?

in the snow?

they were stripping berries off of the wild rose bushes out back

i was totally amazed and went to get bernie to look
but by the time i got up to the top of the driveway and got his attention
the flock was gone

i was so lucky to have that special moment

i wished bernie could have seen them as he adores wild birds

so does this mean............
spring is around the corner?

meanwhile
i am still having lack of sleep for the stoking of the stove
but
while i wait for the stove to heat and the room to heat enough to damp it down to go back to bed
i am getting a LOT of knitting done

in my half dazed state.........

now the dsl arrives the 20th
i am hoping in time to see obama's inaugural speech
as it is another historical first in my lifetime
filed right up there with
walking on the moon
civil rights
microwave ovens
computers
and what looks like a cure for breast cancer

wow

vi

i think the chill has broken it's extreme hold

i got the studio up to 78 with the woodstove tonight
which is the highest in days
it's a combination of bad insulation, an 'airy' room, and not the largest and/or densest of wood
i will tell you....i am tired
and i am also glad that this weekend is to be warmer
the ducks will be happier too

tomorrow bernie is to go to the feed store and then find some BIG unsplit logs for me to burn during overnights

this weekend also marks the end of 30 days of doxycycline for lyme....
i feel a lot better

i am cleaning off my computer table
dsl is to arrive tuesday
i am hooking up the new computer slowly
the new power cord came to replace the defective one so that is a good thing too
i have to move this old hard drive over as well

right now....it's a bit too much for me to think about
but i am pretty tired

tomorrow is another day

btw
the duckies were out in the day pen today
falstaff however hung out in the basement for the day
he was out of his crate and running around
he seemed confused

i did get to pet him for a bit
he's still semi feral
i am amazed at just how strong and BIG he really is
after handling the girls.....he's HUGE

i would like to trim his talons if i could but i don't think anyone could hold his wings down
that bird is STRONG

btw
everyone of the birdie family members here got hot oatmeal this morning

the cats get hot fancy feast on cold mornings

i got hot coffee

we were all happy

this is getting old

ok so it's 1:30...... here we meet again

it's 0 out
with wind chilly today i believe -10 or something

i am actually surprised at how warm ( all things considered)
the house has stayed so far

this year is 100% wood heat
no furnace at all
even last year we had the furnace kick on here and there
but we are still on the last tank of oil that was delivered july 2005

we have about half a tank left

and i am here stoking
i told bernie.....look for a big solid unsplit log
maybe i can get a bit more sleep

i have visions of a nap today

but i have to say
this stove is a miracle......it truly is

cause if the studio was just a bit more 'air tight'
just a bit
i wouldn't have to get up at all at night
but 16 windows and a door that all needed to be replace in 1962 does not make for the most air tight and energy efficient of homes

and i will confess that this cold snap
which i KNOW comes every year about this time
caught me unprepared for the most part!

although not entirely
as i put plastic on the cracked door
two weeks ago
i didn't know why but i did it
turns out..........it was time!

now in other news
i am very pleased to annouce that my fasting blood sugar is down to 87
from last months 91
the endo is beyond please

so am i

my goal is 80

i am having a problem with vitamin d
it's pretty low
but all in all she figures i am doing extremely well .....especially without taking meds for any of this


now......... the question before me is

is the stove ready for me to leave
cause seriously
right now
i can NOT see straight i am so tired

oye

this too like corn and diarrhea shall pass

What do YOU wanna be when you grow up?

Apparently, people are going to have more then one career for the most part over the course of their lives
I have been at various times

Art student
Bank teller
Head hunter
Graphic designer
Art director
Illustrator
Doll artist
Miniature maker
Doll house builder
Ornament designer
Soap maker
Livestock broker
Web site designer
Knitting teacher
Writer

All these things brought me money at various times

And again, I am at a crossroads
I need to do something again……. I can’t quite figure out WHAT though

As a kid all I wanted to do was to be a working artist on a farm,………
( considering how I live…… I am not quite on the farm, and currently not working as an artist)

I keep asking the universe for unmistakable signs……..

Which direction do I go
What is my next move…..

I have criteria
1) must be engrossing, something I totally enjoy, with a passion
2) must bring in money, and not pissass money….some ‘contribute to the household’ money
3) flexible as to time….no 15 hour days anymore....btdt
4) can not be too physically hard, all that close work with miniatures blew my shoulders and hands out
5) must have a high enough return for the time/materials/energy invested
6) involve being home

I am open for suggestions…. See the ‘email me’ thingie at the top there (i’m pretty sure it’s there)
EMAIL me…ok?
Now part of me would like to write again, it was intense, and paid very well…… not too hard really……although THEN I wrote on a manual typewriter!
Yup I did
Now I have the computer
THEN I wrote articles….how to articles and I was paid VERY well …. 10 cents a word.
And let me tell you
I can TALK so that added up FAST

Part of me would love to be making dolls again…..almost full time
Only larger then I used to do….

And part of me wants to just garden and can

And part of me wants to raise sheepies and goaties and chickies and duckies……

And part of me just wants it ALL………..

But this is me asking………. what’s my sign????

and what are you all thinking of?

falling in duck poop

is not quite the fun it sounds.......
but
between the duck poop and bedding and snow
i did not get hurt

oye

tomorrow i will do the small crate
i think i had enough poop for today

all the poop and nothing BUT the poop

and any other bad puns as well.........

Duck poop, -What's not to love?

Today is one of the colder days of the year
Not the coldest mind
That will probably be Thursday when I go to jersey to the doctor

But one of the colder days
Like it’s 15 out

And what pray tell is on the agenda for today you ask?

( ok pretend you asked………. Ok? Work with me here)

DUCK poop!!!!!!!!!!

‘But vi you say, ( comeon……. Humor me)
Duck poop is ALWAYS on the agenda around your place’ ***along with chicken poop***

Yeah but today I gotta clean the night crates
It’s getting deep in there
Even with the additional bedding

So duck poop it is

now as UN-exciting as you all preseve this to be
let me assure you
that even as i attempt to type ( i hate this straight keyboard)
WORMS are getting excited about the impending feast coming their way

the siren song of poop for worms has gone out into the universe...and WORMS are tuned in and LISTENING..................(news at 11)

worms LOVE poop
they LOVE it so much they run to have SEX in poop
talk about rolling around nekid in something......

yup
due to the abundance of poop in my garden..... ( if you go year by year, it would be: goat, sheep, chicken, duck, sheep.......duck, chicken)
i can assure you that worms love poop
and that apparently poop is good for them as they grow HUGE in my garden
and they constantly are conjoined in the mating ritual
now that is some hellavah endorsement for poop i would say......in some circles at least

gardener circles

if you don't garden....WHY NOT?

people spread enough UNUSEFUL poop around...... mostly of the bull kind
at least the poop we spread here is very useful
ask any worm

now the duck mud i fell into last summer......well that was useful to some worms too....if not to my butt nor the underwear i had to toss as i could NOT get it white again........

anyway back to the poop of the day

so as soon as i eat something...( can't deal with poop on an empty stomach....trust me on this)
and put the duckies out.....
i will deal with poop

and in the spring when my garden is the size of goliath......
we'll talk about worms.....and poop and tomatoes....

i gotta go
i hear a chook who thinks he is a rooster starting to attempt to crow
oye
4 roos 3 hens.........
i think i would get better odds in late spring or early summer then i get with fall hatches...no?

oye

til next time

up to my assets in poop..................


vi

it was a cold and sunny day

well i got to town for bloodwork finally

STARVING i might add
only to be told.....'no, you din't have to come fasting'

HUH?

NOW i am told?

i was starving, and i didn't take my lyme meds

oye

i have to go back again too cause i got feed store AGAIN, postoffice AGAIN, mortgage and bank.....

meanwhile
i am trying to think up a brilliant idea to keep the duckies warm in this below freezing weather out in their pens
my idea?
rice bags?
draft proof little rigged houses build out of saw horses?
HAY?

wool sweaters and winter boots?

don't think i wasn't considering sweaters and boots for them
i just may be able to get the girls into them
but not falstaff

now i got a new goosedown jacket.....it comes to about my knee
it is a bit ............ahem............. large for me
ha
ok so it is about 4 sizes too big for me
hey it's MAGENTA
i love magenta

that's the price you sometimes gotta pay no?
it was only $50.00 reduced from 135. so WHAT they only had two sizes left
hey it's WARM
seriously it is really warm

besides i got room under there for extra clothing...to conceal duckies or doggies or whatever else

doesn't matter to me that i look like 'violet' from willy wonka's chocolate factory.....when she blowes up into a blueberry
only in my case..... a magenta berry

who cares
i'm WARM
hahahahaha
bernie is mortified
he doesn't want me wearing that to town
ha
guess what i did today?

yup wore it to town

like i said...i was WARM

and i think that it being that big also helped trap warm air and kept me warmer.....
no?

that is my story

vi

ps i blew up my ergonomic keyboard.......this straight standard one iskilling me

full moon in january

on the new fallen snow
it's so bright out!
1:30 am up with the stove and it is so very wonderful out
so bright
i wonder what the long ago people did this time of year when the snows lay deep on the land

where the men of the tribes grateful to the woman for the gathering and drying they did all summer?

and in the teepees and long houses, did they stay warm?
i know that stories were told
what other entertainment would there have been?
( ok well there was THAT.........but seriously.....all them PEOPLE....?)

it got down to 67 in the studio, which is a bit low for me letting the stove burn down
i don't usually like it below 74 in here so that the rest of the house stays above freezing......
the fire looks brisk however
so i shouldn't be up too long i hope
it's chilly


in other news
i spilt water on my ergonomic keyboard
i am trying to type on a regular straight keyboard
and it's not working well
plus it is really hurting my hands
the typos are atrocious which you all can't see.....i keep running spell check

i priced new ones......60.00
that isn't going to happen any time soon

oh man......

my friend carol is going to try her freecycle..... ours never has anything good on it so we'll hope

yesterday...... my best friend thea came to see me.....
she showed me that pumpernickel bagel.......
hahahahaa
and song sung blue....which she sang to me over and over until i 'got it'

i am still singing it
and with a smile as i do realize that she is still being my friend

i was a bit depressed
and while stuff is still getting to me
i also realize that she is still around
trying to make me smile

Me and you are subject to the blues now and then

we used to talk about that
i always said to her
'our generation came between the 60's idealism, and the 80's hedenism....we are sort of a lost generation....with no clearly defined anything'

and we used to then laugh....cause it was true
reflected in the music of the times.....
*** remember the beegees? lonely days?
see what i mean?
stuff like that

i realized something else
laughter has always been a big part of my friendships
i just love hearing people's deep from the gut laughter
and boy can my friends laugh......

vi

BF4E***

***best friends forever

my best friend died april 15, 1996

she was one of the most alive people i have ever met, i still mourn, and i still miss her laughter.

this past year was a year of losses
i lost many many friends to death, to life changes and to their season in my life, and mine in theirs was over.

Last night i was blessed to have a visit from my best friend

she came in response to me being a bit depressed

her message "song sung blue'
hahaha
she sang the entire song to me
until i laughed!
then showed me a pumpernickle bagel, which is a private joke between us......

she used to tell me ' i have to come to your house to eat jewish'

hahahahaha
since she was jewish and i am italian...........

even now while i type this i have a smile on my face thinking of her coming to cheer me up.
even death couldn't stop her

i love you thea........
and i miss you so much


vi

again a whole nights sleep!

bernie stoked the stove and banked it for the night last night
he's getting better at it
i got up at 4:30 and i am watching it get hot now
i think it will be ok for a while

sleeping all through the night is great
but i understand that this week we will be going down to single digits
so sleeping all night won't happen during the extreme cold

i am waiting for a power cord to come from systemax, so i can put this new tower on
and the dsl from verizon is the 20th
i don't know why so long
i got an evasive answer from them
they also seem to think i already have dsl
hahahahahah
i have super slow and totally inefficent dialup
26,4 bps
oh yeah
so who's been paying for this 'dsl' for me?

in duckie news
we went to the day pen finally yesterday
for a while
i let them out a few times to graze or whatever their little feathered hearts could desire
phoebe grazed and dug at the roots of the apple tree.....she's finding something to munch on there
the others ate snow and talked to falstaff
and then stood there on one foot and LOOKED at me

i suppose i did look a sight.......
magenta goosedown coat that is at least 3 sizes too big
red varigated wool balaclava
magenta, orange and yellow color knit wool hat
yup a sight

it was either that.......or they were wondering WHY i froze their little world out like this.....
they WERE perfectly happy with the little blue wading pool
and the green grass and dappled sunlight under the apple trees
and now i have apparently taken that away from them

oh my
to ducks........i am a GOD............

vi
ps: they all desperately need a bath but not until either the weather warms up
or
we can keep them inside for two days
it's COLD out there

operating systems

my new little powerhouse tower is not even a week old and i am thinking
linux

there are a few questions i have

could linux run this 64 bit system?
would i be able to interface my older apps?

are there enough apps for linux that i can go forward

i am pretty annoyed with microsoft

i mean......i realize they answer to shareholders
BUT
stability and capability are pretty important to most people
the less techie you are
the MORE important stability and capability become.....no?

and i am so pissed off that yesterday, in my little computers trial run
i couldn't shut it down
THEN i could NOT wake it up

you have no idea how annoyed that got me

the cat's learned an entirely new vocabulary...................
good thing they can't repeat it

meanwhile
i can recommend systemax
i like this machine
i like the customer service even better
i had a problem with the shipped power cord not fully going into the socket
it was half way out and jiggly

i called systemax tech support and after a VERY helpful person who spoke ENGLISH ( and is in ohio!) helped me determine that indeed it WAS a problem
( we used my old power cord off my old dell tower) he assured me that they would ship me a new one, due to arrive tuesday

no fuss
no hassel
and took about 7 minutes

all in all our polite chatting about the new computer and the cold weather took longer then the troubleshooting of the power cord

HUH?

an AMERICAN company with.......................... OH MY.............

actual customer SERVICE???????????????????????????

yup
just like DELL used to be

all american
all the time
and polite

i love systemax
and if you folks are looking for a new computer
check them out

vi
who has to go to town no matter what today
the postmaster called me....i got packages!!!!!!!!!
it'll be my own personal christmas!

i am not impressed with vista

first let me tell you
i had a rough night
and an even rougher morning
sooooooo
i didn't get in gear until this afternoon
i also didn't get to town

but this afternoon
i got a little energy and cleared off part of my computer table.......
i evicted a few spiders
a ton of dust mites
and i am resonably sure i did find amelia earharts goggles at least
and i suspect that the LARGE pile could be hiding a hippo.....or two

i got the tower up next to my monitor

first issue
the power cord didn't fit in the outlet on the back of the computer
i called systemax and they told me to use the old dell cord to test it

the dell cord worked so they are ups'ing me a new power cord....i will get it tuesday!

i got it powered up
i poked around a bit
couldn't find a shut down
found the 'power down/sleep' button
it powered down
great
i want to shut it off so i can use my power cord and go online
nope
it wouldn't shut down

ok
let me wake it up and ASK IT
it wouldn't wake up

i hate vista

i used it for 1/2 hour and i hate it

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

oye

meanwhile
i am knitting another hat
as that was all i had the energy for today

mostly

oye

vi

i slept ALL night

*** I have moderated comments due to spamming, i am so sorry, but it will just take me a bit to allow comment posts

i can't believe it
no stoking the stove!
it was pretty warm out though all things concidered
so bernie did it this morning

meanwhile, the new computer is here
it's warming up to the house temps

we went to get it out at ups
and we unpacked it last night

bernie was upset because at first he said to me.......'where are all the cables?'

when this dell came 9 years ago........there were a ton of cables
monitor, speaker, tower, modum,
plus the surge protector, printer, scanner, usb hub, firewire...........

i reminded him that all those cables were STILL HERE

so this tower came with a power cable and that's it

i am going to start to work on this move shortly

i don't want to take this computer off line until i am reasonably sure that one is ok and up as if i need anything, i will need to use this one to access the net


today is busy busy, in town as well as here
i am hoping that the ice out back is mostly gone
as yesterday i actually couldn't bring those poor duckies out
they slipped and slide on the ice
watching them fall all over was actually painful
and i couldn't pick them up as they were afraid that i would fall on them
( they remember that whole duck mud incident..........well hell.......... so do I!)

i finally got them into falstaff's day pen
well...........
two of them
phoebe and cleo went into the day pen and helped themselves to falstaff's food
lilliana went sliding around on the ice
she would not come near me for fear of being a duckie pancake
( and rightly so......it was SLICK out there)
finally she came in.......so i put her in the pen with the other
poor falstaff
he had to wait another hour for them to come in so he could go out

then i left him out a bit later
he was more then ready to come in at 5

i need more temporary pens i think

in other bird news
we definately gots 4 roosters

sooooooo they have to go
now would be a good time
they aren't big at all though

i have three hens which is just want i wanted

i have space for three hens
i think

again......... another pen would be a good idea

oye

so wish me luck today between going to town fasting for blood work then running around with errands and duckies

oh and the pork fillets with peach sauce......... very nice with rice and veggie pilaf on the side
tonight
i think is breaded chicken in the oven

and broccoli......no?
maybe baked yukon gold potatoes?

see how much energy i have left later

we are pleased to announce the arrival

of my brandy new computer

it is resting (and warming up) in it's box in the living room

bernie got home and we ran out to ups to pick it up

according to jim, i am not to touch it until it is warmed up due to condensation

sniff

sooooooooooooo

tomorrow
tomorrow
it's only a DAY AWAY.........................

oh and i got the new pink and grays hat done ......it's blocking

vi
who may not SLEEP tonight

NEWS FLASH: ups holds computer hostage.....

yup
apparently ups can't find us
never mind that LAST week they found us...................
they could NOT find us today
must have been the rain and ice

must have obscured the entire MOUNTAIN

but i'm not bitter..............

ok so first thing in the morning i gotta go to town
i should go to the lab fasting first
then to ups
then the doctor and then the bookstore
as i need my blood work report from the lyme tests
and a book that i got waiting on me at the bookstore ( hats on! is waiting waiting waiting)

i finished the gray and pink hat
i got it blocking but i am not sure i like it
we'll see
i can't seem to replicate my favorite black and gray hat
as much as i try
damn

now this computer thing has me in a funk.........

oh and the icy thing
forget it
even the ducks hung it up
they slide all over the place......poor babies
so i put them in falstaff's pen and they all took turns

i hope tomorroe will be more normal

ok that is my news

i wish i could go and get my computer
sniff
but i can't
so tomorrow

oh and for supper tonight is pork fillets with peach sauce
mmmmm

to town to town......

for inspection on my van
to the post office
( i got goodies waiting there)
and maybe to the craft store
depends on how i feel
i could use red wool
and some navy and light blue
for the next hat set i have to make

we are to get snow this afternoon
i informed the duckies
who decided................. since the ground will be covered for a while
they would take full grazing advantage
needless to say it took an hour to walk to the duck pen

oye

duckies!

in computer news (from UPS website!~)

woohoo it's getting closer!

Your package is on time with a scheduled delivery date of 01/09/2009.


Tracking Number: 1Z 6F8 871 03 XXXX XXX X
Type: Package
Status: In Transit - On Time
Your shipment is moving within the UPS network and should be delivered on the Scheduled Delivery Date. A shipment can remain in this status until it is delivered. Other than time-definite air deliveries, shipments are generally delivered anytime between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. to residences*, and by close of business for commercial addresses. UPS cannot schedule a specific delivery time within that window.
* Due to heavy holiday volume, deliveries to residential addresses may be made after 7p.m. Thank you for your patience.


In Transit - On Time
Scheduled Delivery: 01/09/2009
Shipped To: vi's house, PA, US
Shipped/Billed On: 01/06/2009
Service: GROUND
Weight: 24.90 Lbs


HODGKINS,IN, US 01/06/2009 1:19 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN
01/06/2009 12:48 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN HODGKINS,IL, US
01/06/2009 12:01 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN HODGKINS,IL, US
01/05/2009 8:06 P.M. ORIGIN SCAN US

i am starting to get used to this

it is 2:39 am according to the clock on the computer
i am of course up with the woodstove
i got a decent fire going..........sorta
i am just waiting until the stove has a big enough blaze and starts to heat the top so i can go back to bed
i still can't believe i got a new computer

a friend of mine this time LAST year said.......wait until after febuary
( that would have been feb 08)
and he was right
new chips came out and the (former) chip of my dreams came down to an almost throw away (for technology) price

i think next up we will ask ourselves
how fast is too fast
but not to worry
MICROSOFT will step in to suck up resources and fill that gap

i don't know if that is a good thing......or a bad thing
windows based systems hog resources ..........so hardware people have to come up with faster and larger capacities
and they have to make them SMALLER as well
so maybe windows.......... isn't all bad?

that said i am still thinking about linux

i am also getting ready for the new computer
as this was an 'unplanned baby'


*** ok so it was sorta planned for 4-5 years but i never thought i could afford it***

i have a lot to do
clean and excavate the computer desk...........
that isn't going to be easy
although i may just find amelia earhart on here, under the wool, books, knitting needles,
fiber, etc.........

i need to rearrange the shelf that i sit next to which has all the surge protectors, and peripherals

i need to figure all the software for the 'move'

and i also need to take my van for inspection
oye

all this on about 5 hours sleep a night


i am very conflicted about this new computer.....on one hand i am so looking forward to faster
and hopefully a bit more stable operation......this system i got now is very unstable

on the other hand.......... who wants to relearn an operating system?

but i guess that's what will keep all of us young
i think of it like a giant ongoing mish mash of jigsaw puzzle, crossword puzzle, and miniature golf......(cause sometimes it is just a lucky shot)


in duckie news.....it would appear that the girls are stopping laying for the winter
which is good as i worry about egg binding

in chicken news.....the baby chooks are jumping out of the brooder
one pullet stuck her head into marguerite's pen
oh man
i thought marguerite was going to take her head off
gees
and talk about SMALL
compared to my big girls
these chickens are SO SMALL

but they will grow
they are after all........buff ORPINGTONS......so big chicken is in their future

and after a good long discussion with the babies last night
we have decided
out of 7
we got three hens

that's ok
that gives us space for speckled sussex

now i need a good outdoor pen for them
cause i want them all OUT this spring
i need the space down there for storage

i will miss a friendly chicken in the basement though as i walk through to go to feed the animals and get out to the garden
maybe i should keep a house rooster?

til next time
when i will hopefully be more awake

cause right now
i am the typing dead...................

vi

WOW the biggest news i gots!!!!!!!!!!!!

i bought a new computer.......!
finally!!!!

ok
i got a systemax
it has a core 2 quad Q6600 cpu
4 G ram
500G hardrive

finally

and i purposely went with an american company with american tech support

i figured i needed to put money into america if i was going to spend it

i didn't spend a lot either on this
so i hope i did good

i know the cpu is outstanding...... not cutting edge but overclockable
and upgradeable

it will be here friday i understand

oh man
now i have to start moving stuff over and partitioning the harddrive

maybe i will just move the harddrive over?
and put a new hard drive in this before i turn it over to bernie
i am going to pull my cd/rw from here and put it in the new machine
i don't know about the floppy drive yet
if i need it i still have access to it through this computer

soooooooooooooo

everyone go and put this on the calender................
as i finally after 9 years..... upgraded!

it's 4am..... do you know where my pillow is?

i am thinking longingly of my beloved pillow
but i am with the woodstove
duty calls
i'm about to go up however as it's gotten nicely warm
i swear with the antibiotics for the lyme......... my life is upside down

and between that and the woodstove
i catch sleep in one to three hour blocks

i have to wait 1/2 after meds to lay down......and two hour after eatting to take meds

so that left me with an hour last night waiting......so i went to bed!
put the timer on.......
and got back UP to take my meds and wait the 1/2 hour

oye

but i did discover one thing.......if while stoking the stove i take meds....
i get a bit more sleep!

now
it's been cold again, but not too windy thank goodness
and the ducks are all in day pens packed with hay
at night they still are in the unheated basement crates
they seem to be doing ok
even cleo who has the worst adjustment to the cold
she isn't bathing quite as much either

later today.....( i can NOT believe i am saying this at 4am........isn't it like still NIGHT?)
we will finally get to the postoffice
and get the inspection done on my van
since i got new tires and all
and a HORN even
and HEAT
oh my......he spoils me

i know i got a LOT of packages coming
books all on sale......(B&N ......1.99 a book and free shipping )

and clothes on an even bigger sale
LONG johns!!!!!!!!........( 11 each)
microfleece tunics..............(8.97 each!)
and a way too big for me goosedown coat that i will add 4 sweatshirts under
and three ducks
it will seem like christmas

ok
the stove is warm
i rambled on unintelligently
(is that a word?)
now i am off to my pillow and 2 feet of blankets.........and bernie

night all

vi

in fiber doings

i am knitting a new 'town' hat
i can't find my favorite gray and black one
so i am making a new one
it's light gray, charcoal gray and rose pink
i am going to do mittens and i think a cowl to match

i am also going to do a set ( totally different though) in blues and red

then i have to do barn boot liners and a balaclava with a dickey and hat attached
maybe i should do the balaclava thing fast?

i swear i wish i knit faster
i used to but not anymore

anyway the new hat is three color knitting
which i thought would be a nightmare but now i realize it isn't too bad

maybe i will try four color knitting next?


it continues cold here, but not as windy thank goodness
all but one duck stopped laying which is fine with me
as i worry about egg binding in the cold

i keep adding hay to the pens

i got enough hay in there for a barn now

i also got a lot of the major open run areas covered with plastic of one sort of another
but it's funny looking
some is black plastic that i use for mulch
some clear
some translucent
some blue tarps some brown and some green

well the pen is colorful i suppose

i can't wait until the other pen is done

apparently the lyme meds are working
i can move my neck again and my back doesn't hurt as bad
!
i was having real trouble turning my head to the right
so much so that it was affecting my driving
i can tell you now that i can turn my head
i realized it at 4am this morning, while getting back into bed for the third time after stoking the stove
( and yes the BOY did his thing to get me up again.........me and him gotta stop meeting like that)

but i didn't waste any of the time i was up and waiting for the woodstove to take
i folded laundry that had been drying on the line in the studio
so at least that was done

see that is the way to do any house work..................in your SLEEP

almost works for me

til next time

vi

good morning 2009

you came in very windy and extremely cold

naturally at the ACTUAL stroke of midnight
i was asleep under about 2 feet of blankets and cats
but i did get up at 1am, 2:30 am, 4:30 am and 8:30am to stoke the wood stove
all because the BOY ( thaddeaus peabody) tapped me on the head

i would say the cats have me well trained........

first fawn come up to my face
stuffing her nose into my nose......right AFTER she's washed her ass.......
cause you know.....she LOVES ME

( gee thanks fawnie)
'mom, the fire is low'


i pet her and mumble incoherently
and pull the covers over my head

(notice how they never bother bernie.................. why is that?)

then when the slight suggestion didn't work
they send in the next line of defence

CALPURRINA

she climbs over me like she's just conquered everest
purring extremely LOUDLY

'MOM, hey the fire's out...........so since it's getting cold there ......i will sleep on your chest and you won't be able to breath........or sleep over my loud purring........, but i love you mom'


i will stick an arm out and pat her head then try to move her so my lungs can expand again

a few minutes later it must be dire down in the studio
as the BOY goes into action


"MOM GET YOUR FAT ASS UP AND DOWNSTAIRS TO MAKE THE FIRE GO.....I AM GETTING COLD HERE'

if i ignore him.....he'll hook my nose.....or pat my eye.....
his toes are non too clean either
and he isn't exactly gentle about it..........

the king will not be denied his fire

at this point i am up and staggering to the studio
bumbling around in the dark
dropping logs on my shins
and praying that whatever makes it into the wood stove will fire up IMMEDIATELY
so i can stagger back to bed
hopefully without burning the house down

and people wonder why i can't remember shit........
or

why i can't seem to get going during the winter

i am the walking dead is why


happy new year to you all

and i hope you get to stay under the 2 feet of covers ALL NIGHT without one disturbance

if you do get to stay where it is snug and warm

give a thought to me
staggering around in the dark and the cold
all for the love of a few curly headed cats

vi

and the snow keeps coming down down down

and as i watch it

i wonder if bernie will be getting home tonight
or will he be staying with the fleet

it's sticking

and it is steady and heavy
and i can't see the woods out back


the duckies were slightly apprehensive about crossing the expanse of the frozen snow covered driveway......

after all there could be killer WHALES under that thar snow
just waiting for little tender duckies to walk across it

there weren't............ what a relief

and the duckies are safely in their day pen
which is almost draft proof
but well ventilated........go figure

meanwhile in baby chicken news........
chooks run wild......

actually they are outgrowing this brooder pretty fast now
and they are trying to get out
i keep finding one or another of them perched on the edge...............

they are still not sure but they are getting closer!!!!

chooks are getting BIG now
hahahaha
3 roos definately
3 hens definately

and one that hasn't declared itself yet
could go either way

i suspect it is a roo though

so that is my little snowy world today

happy new year everyone

vi

And while we’re at it…………..

(this was typed last night in 'word' which accounts for the capitalization.....no i still can't reach the shift key well......word does the capitals automatically)

How about life paths?

I kinda figure folks are where they are supposed to be at any given moment…….
This isn’t a predestined thing by any means
I do feel there is a plan to it all, in spite of the evidence that the universe is being run by chickens……….MY chickens apparently, Larry, Moe and Curly the roosters

( watch now…we got a NEW generation of roosters coming up …..but they are going in the freezer)

I also figure that if you follow along with that sort of reasoning……
There is no reason to envy anyone anything
And also there is no reason for jealousy

( although I will occasionally confess to produce envy……when I can’t get sweet peppers cheap and the garden ones are a bust)

I suppose this all goes along with reflecting and assessing where you are in your life RIGHT NOW.
And trying to pick up the threads and follow them to see if there is an overall theme

It does seem like the time of year for it doesn’t it
And in light of a poor economy, more then just me will be thinking this deeply

I still desperately want my farm and my animals home
I am so worried about them, I wake up at night thinking of them

I am, - I would imagine a hair closer,
as we are paying down the mortgage here…….and finally fixing the house up

I realized that I could use this property as a microcosm of a farm
Work out some of the details here on a small scale
Which is what I have been doing
It’s fun most of the time…..except the ticks and the mosquitoes
(which brought me to lyme disease…..or would that be brought TO me?)

I know so much better when we do move what I need to do to get the results I want

( see this sort of all goes along with the other philosophical writings I been doing lately)

however I don’t believe that staying in this house is good for us as we age
I don’t think it is a good house to grow old in
Nor do I think that this area is safe anymore
But back to life paths
I think that your life path is just that …….YOUR life path
And that sometimes if there are constraints, well maybe that helps narrow the choices down to a amount that isn’t overwhelming?

I know in art school we were taught to give the client THREE choices
Because if we gave them to many……they couldn’t make up their minds
It was too much
Too overwhelming
I think that is the same with life

I also think that it takes a very lot of personal knowledge to survive a place of unlimited and overwhelming choice

Sort of like a kid in the candy shop………..too much candy will get them sick

Or
I could be wrong


vi

Now as of this morning ( I wrote the above last night)
I dreamt of a person that I used to know…….. a LONG time ago
Three times this morning I woke up from a dream only to fall back asleep into that same dream
I dreamt of Lucy Depadova, she is the mother of a boy I went out with in high school.
I loved her dearly
I hope nothing happened to her as the world would surely be a much poorer place withOUT her light in it

(*** thank you so much sjanova for finding that typo, i was still asleep)

traditional times of reflection

there are certain times in our lives
and points during the year
where it is traditional to look back and reflect on what has passed
to assess the validity of actions and choices
on one level, life does simply seem to be a series of choices
with some random events thrown in for variety

i do believe there is a point to it all though

and part of the point i am beginning to suspect, is in the choices we make
ultimately most of these choices won't matter,
such as .............. 'do i have water with this supper, or tea'

'do i have time for a nap'

'should i send for this magazine'

some of course are totally life altering........

'do i move to brazil?'

'do i have a child'


i can't help but think that all our choices are strung together and that after our earthly life is over,
we get to assess them on another level

i also wonder why so many 'change your life' and self help books abound
aren't we making changes daily?
with every single choice we make?

now in my life
i have lost numerous friends this year
some to death
some to 'their season or reason' was over in our lives

i have had new friends come into my life

i have raised yet MORE baby animals
(seems to be a yearly thing now)
and indeed currently have baby chickens that i am raising........at arms length
( 4 roosters in this batch it looks like)

the ducks were a LOT of work
and absorbed me totally but i am very pleased with how that worked out
for the most part

i adore the girls i kept
they are a source of wonder to me daily
and i love watching them waddle in and out from the house to their little day pen, they have such purpose in their walk

i am also learning that i can and DO make excellent decisions for us
carefully weighed
so far the majority have worked out to our benefit
the thing that is continuously amazing to me is that i can actually think something up
and have it happen

as an aside, that would be represented by the tarot card 'the magician'
***making physical that which was only thought- or taking from above to bring to below***

this time of reflection also traditionally involves resolutions
which i don't really think work for most people

i think a resolution should be more like an evolution
but what do i know

i don't do resolutions
however i do have lists of things i think may be important to accomplish this coming year

but the list is not set in stone
some things drop off and some things make it on there
and some things vary in importance

a rough list for me now is

get a new mattress for us ( 28 years is way too long even for a sterns and foster)
put in fruit bushes, elderberry, blueberry, cranberry, blackberry
get the duck pen finished
and add a chicken coop
finally get the kitchen done
now......if the economy turns around......MOVE
if not
replace the studio windows and reside afterwards
make a nice cold frame......maybe not a hoop house as i have been hearing of collapses
but a nice LONG ( possibly down the north line of the property) cold frame

reorganize not only the studio
but the basement
get more bookcases

get my flour mill and more grain storage

on my list is also a trip to lancaster for bulk canning jars again
this time i want jellies, 10 oz, 12 oz and gallons......
( the gallons are for juice and grain storage)

now i also have some 'i would really like to..................if i get the time'
i would really like to sew more
i would really like to go back to making dolls
i would really like to get back to illustration
i would really like to read more
( ok so that last one is sorta not a point.....as i do read a LOT..... but suddenly after 20 years of almost total non fiction, i find myself wanting to read some fiction and reread literature.... i do love my dickens)

i think at this point in my life
my overal goal is
a quiet peaceful life
with home grown food
and home made entertainments

a hands on, handcrafted life
where i am involved in all aspects

there is nothing wrong with a consumer driven life
but it isn't the life for me

happy new year everyone

vi

on being well read and a bibliophiliac

i was given a wonderful christmas present by a friend of mine,
a gift certificate to a bookstore!

she said when she gave it to me, 'you are a voracious reader, and extremely well read, what else would be perfect for you?'

that got me thinking.....
what DOES it mean to be well read?

does it mean a LOT of books
a lot of diversity in your reading?
or a reading list of books from all the ages of man and writing?

from the greeks down to present?

and the books themselves, there is NOTHING like the feel of a finely bound book
the sound of the paper and the smell of it all
the weight in your hand
how the pages turn, if they are easy to read
it begs you to sit in a comfortable chair with a good light, a purring cat, and a beverage........
alone but filled with the heady excitement of an unread book
you have no idea yet what delights will unfold between the covers
what worlds you will travel to
what inroads this book will make on your mind, or soul
an insight into another's mind and world
a way to touch someone else intimately without even knowing them on a level that is at it's purest



some collectors only collect finely bound hardcover editions
i can see why, as the CRAFT of a finely bound book is extraordinary
the perfect weight of paper, so that the text is easily read and no bleed through of text from the backing of that page
the type face, a serif face, that is easily and rapidly read
the open air at the margins, for a breather
hand marbled endpapers, hand sewn signatures
all things about a finely bound book is a feast for the soul as well as the mind

some rare books
and i will soooooooooooooooooo admit for a lust for rare knitting books
that any edition of some of the ones on my list would be more then welcome.....

some, like me are much more interested in contents for the most part, i need to READ THEM
and WILL buy used reading copies just because of the need to read
i am not a snob when it comes to my books
hardcovers sit next to soft covers next to 'reading copies'
***a 'reading copy' is a batter old book but you can read it and after all isn't that the REAL point of being well read?***

i know some of you will suggest using the public library
and i have at times
but
if it is 3am
and you simply MUST reread a certain passage from a CERTAIN BOOK or be denied sleep for the night............
libraries don't quite do it then

i have often however done inter-library loans when i am trying to track down some obscure stuff that i can't find anywhere
hints and references to other books

the references of books to other books always intrigued me and i realize that before there was 'the WEB' there were the books

so now
on my shelves you will find some of the greeks, more then a smattering of history, classic literature, science, the natural world
modern fiction and science fiction, horror, philosophy, as well as cookbooks, craft books, (and various how to books) gardening, animals, new age, ghosts, holidays, books on collecting books even!
and in defiance to purists, you will find plato happily co-exhisting in the same bookcases as harry potter, and charles addams

I wonder if the authors are somehow aware that they live together on my shelves in a relationship that makes sense to me, if not others?

i do tend to feel a bit guilty about the amount of books i have, and the amount of MONEY invested in what for the most part, will never return the investment in funds
but i can't help myself
it is an addiction
an obsession
the need to read
to devour a book
some people need other things
i need books

and i have learned
if you TRULY wish to know a person's soul
browse their library, the breadth of their titles i think
shows the secrets that they don't even realize themselves

vi
who has now got some new books to read!!

did you all have a merry?

i hope so
we went to see a friend of mine a bit south/west of us
we had a blast
i hope they had as good a time

we did get home late
i took yet another fall out back on the way to the duck pen
the alien ice patch from hell is back

today i am going to clean the kitchen
and maybe go to the feed an grain
and possibly borders since they are having a huge sale

happy holidays everyone

i wish you all the merriest of holidays

i am in the kitchen, ( so what else is new)
baking cookies
and such
we are going to a friend's house and i am so looking forward to it

bernie put a small tree up in the living room
very simple....NO ORNAMENTS for thaddeaus to get into

and the halloween tree up in the studio
for me

we got through the ice storm and it's warm out
so i imagine that tomorrow the ducks will enjoy their day as well

(although cleo is a bit broody and stole everyone else's eggs.........-ever hear a duck say MINE MINE MINE................. let me tell you)


i hope santa brings you all that you deserve
i wish you happiness and health for now and the future
take good care everyone


vi

it's that special time of year

seed catalogs ARRIVAL!!!!!!!!!!
the new one from baker creek rare seeds is full color and HUGE
i kinda miss their old one but this one is really nice, more like a magazine then a catalog

as always seeds from italy leaves with a VERY LONG list and wishing for a LOT more garden

fedco is on the must order list as well, after all they have my long pie pumpkin seeds

my tenative plans for this year
expand the 'greens' deck garden
put more of the eggplant, peppers and tomatoes in containers i can move around, and possibly in a hoop house

grow the butternuts on trellis, that sorta worked well last year

MORE green beans (merchant of venice, white seeded is my very favorite, and it is a yellow bean...sorta tastes like vanilla to me)

more cucumbers for pickling ( national pickling and boston pickling.....although i did enjoy the booth bay blonds i got last year.....i don't remember planting them though

sand bed for carrots and other root veggies
i want to put it in a very raised bed...... like 18 inches if i can, i may have to container this

move the pumpkins to the front lawn, after i start them inside
i think i am going to start several pumpkins and just plant them around all over
when the mice plant them they do very well!
the deer don't bother them either so that is part of my plan

so far i have been glancing through the catalogs
sort of making notes in them

i want to start the leeks in the basement window soon and get as much growth on them as i can before they go out in very early spring

due to not feeling as up to par as i should......the fall garden never got properly cleaned up this year
so early early spring it is

however as i clean the duck night crates i think i am going to just put that directly on the beds
and add the leaf mold in the spring when i cultivate them

as for now
my little garden is neatly tucked in under a blanket of snow
and seem that spring is a LONG way off

vi

ah.....2am, we meet again

tonights middle of the night visit is brought to you by

heartburn


in a moment of insanity ( that has to be it)
i gave into bernie's plea for junk food
(commerical odds and ends...... shrimp and some other stuff)
they were on sale at sam's club
FIRST mistake

he wanted to have some tonight ( lastnight?)

SECOND mistake

i said yes and i had a few tastes

THIRD mistake
i started my doxycycline tonight

soooooooooo
here i am with heartburn

i can't take anything even if i had it in the house
as i am on the lyme meds
so i am sitting up
laying down makes it much worse

i already stoked the stove
i am pretty tired

but here i am

oh well

bernie got home from work around noon
he made sure the lot was cleared and the fleet rolled

i asked him why not let his crew do it
he said he didn't want to replace a clutch in the plow truck

when he got home he used the snowblower and cleared the driveway
i had shoveled out to the day pen
he made it wider

i tried to shovel the driveway but it's pretty big and i didn't get too far

a shear pin went on the snowblower
we need to get it NOW
cause this winter is going to be bad
and if we don't have one we will be screwed with all this snow

cleo put herself in the night crate
why?
she dropped TWO EGGS
i was wondering where yesterday's egg was
well that answered me
i know there was NO eggs in that crate
i picked that duck up and she was NOT hiding an egg under her wing
when she came out of that crate i nabbed two duck eggs

that duck worries me

as does the weather
and the day pens

i had gone looking for the clear plastic to act as a wind screen in the day pens
couldn't find it
i need three rolls of it
i also need about a dozen hay bales at this moment
hay is now over 7.00 a bale
i am hoping to find it cheaper but i don't think so
maybe out at the farms if i can get out there
i wished

if i could find it for around 3.00 a bale i would take the dozen or so i need

cleo would like her day pen again


later

vi

white stuff all around EVERYWHERE

and deer tracks in the yard

i called bernie and woke him up
poor guy is exhausted
he just crashed
well sure he's exhausted he was on the go so early yesterday
i feel so bad i woke him
he was totally out of it
and i could tell he was sound asleep
i spoke to him a few minutes and he's awake now

meanwhile
my eyes are swollen!
trying to keep them open and keep glasses on them is very 'interesting'

and i have to go out and shovel this way?

ok
i am trying to figure out a way to shovel a duck path
and get everyone out
i have to put the girls in the back pen
that's the only way they can lay their eggs
and i can GET THE eggs
i have that temporary day pen for falstaff.....i kept it mostly clear of snow on the lattice/tarp roof
and now with the snow it's totally draft proof!
i'll be trying to get them out in a few minutes
i should make coffee huh?

i should do that
i came down
stoked the stove and called bernie

i forgot me!
i got to get a pot of coffee on
if we lose electric
i won't be able to have coffee
so maybe i need to get a perculator or something......

the woodstove is such a blessing
i love it so much
it not only keeps us warm
but it's got a cheerful fire
it's winter security
even though the wood brings in ticks
one of which GAVE me this nasty illness
but it's still a wonderful thing to have a woodstove

ok
i got to get coffee now and get out in the snow

til later

vi

and the storm begins

i came down at 3 again
cold and pain got me up
so i am stoking the stove
bernie came down after me
sure enough
light freezing rain
he's leaving now for work
and will probably not be back until saturday
( i know....i wish he'd stay home too but he is very aware of his fleet must roll, since it is the only neonatal as well as the 911 fleet, i guess if you were waiting for 911 or if it was your premie.....you'd want the fleet to roll too)

i of course will worry until he's back home again
which probably will be tomorrow
although i hope it would be tonight but i would rather he stay there and be safe


i had a few days reprieve from pain..... but it's started up again
so i start the antibotics today
everyone told me that they are going to get me really sick
that's ok......there is an end to that

ok i want to talk to bernie

and then she hit a wall

well i been waiting for the western blot lyme test to come back

the doc called
the lab screwed up
did the wrong test
they will now do the western blot
sooooooo
while we are waiting she is going to treat me
i pick up the meds tomorrow
meanwhile she is leaving for vacation
so i won't have the results back until after the holidays

i had a good two days
yesterday was really good
today not so much
i woke up tired with muscle pain again

and right now i could sooooooooooo just go to sleep
i have to wait for bernie though

in duckie doings

one duckie is either holding out on me
or really really good at hide and seek

she is hiding eggies
i found one in each of the preferred nests
but i have THREE DUCKS
so someone ain't giving it up for momma

bad duckies

cleo is still telling me off every morning
today was of course from her nest while waiting for her egg
i swear that duck cracks me up
everyone needs chickens and ducks
they are such funny little birds
i got cleo tonight as we were going to 'bed'
and put her on her back laying in my arms like a baby.......
AND she just laid there like a baby
for all her complaining........she is still a sweetie
all of them are

in chicken news
marguerite crouched today so i am hoping for the start of chicken eggs
i miss my brown eggies
poached on sunday morning
my baby chooks are doing well
i am going to start tapering off the brooder light
they are looking like real live chickens now
hahahahaha

and since they are buff orpingtons
they are golden!
who wouldn't love golden chickens?

vi

storm coming

or so i hear from bernie
as i am practically amish i don't know!
( no tv, no radio, no kidding)
so i am going to pack his emergency bag today for him to take down tomorrow
he said he is going to come home early....( yeah right)
and bring in wood and get milk
meanwhile i will trim my lamps
add more oil
get some bricks to warm for the chooks brooder just in case.......

here's my list for his emergency bag:
underwear, 2prs
socks 2prs
teeshirt 2
sweatshirt 1
long john pants
long john shirt
snow boots
soap ( our soap, since he can't use commercial and we don't use shampoo just our soap)
razors
shave cream
tooth brush and paste
cookies
hotties ( disposable hand/foot warmers)
jar of chicken ( home canned just in case)
blanket
book ( he's reading a ww2 book at the moment)

i really hope that it isn't necessary but he spent two overnights last year due to weather
one he didn't listen to me
so he spent it very uncomfortably
no clean clothing, no toothbrush etc
and NO FOOD........
although they put him up in a hotel for the night

poor guy was miserable when he finally got home

now i insist he take his bag, and he listens now

he is getting smarter as he ages

ok now the house preps
well we will just make sure we have enough wood inside and the deck stack is full
actually it warms UP when it snows so that is enough
i am more worried about getting the ducks to the day pen and back
last winter it wasn't an issue because serafina and falstaff actually lived in that pen
but now since a predator got serafina i won't leave anyone in there overnight
and the temporary pen here next to the house is not big enough for 4 ducks nor is it tall enough for me to get in there and gather eggs
i will find out if it is sturdy enough to survive the snow

if not then i don't know what i am going to do
probably move falstaff in and out of the day pen
and put the girls in something in the house
taking them out for grazing daily
i don't think the winter pen is going to be finished in time
and even if i put up a dog kennel out side
i still have the snow load/roof problem

the thing that really sucks is, the day pen is now very well insulated,
it's got enough extra bedding that rain water won't flood it
it's supported and tarped enough that the run is also dry
but it isn't secure enough against predation

and even if we put in a secure coop
i would still have to get out there to let the ducks in and out of the coop
and change the water daily
add food and treats and take them for walks

i am hoping that at our next house
we have a bigger deck.......cause then i can put temporary pens under that without worry
here our cess pool is under our deck so no day pens there

later...........


vi

I had to edit this to add
we got more then enough food etc in the house
so shopping for a 'storm' isn't something we do
about the only extra i would need is milk and or icecream
bernie will pick up the milk

as to the snowblower
well............................

he's got that in the basement so i can't get it out
it's a troybilt from when you could only get them from the company......all metal
and i can't move it out to start it
once started it's self propelled so i can use it
i think we need a tool shed huh?

Things I have learned to be true

• You never have the yarn you need for a project, no matter how big your stash is, there is always one that you NEED for the next project and don’t have. ( and right now that is fluffy white angora for a brim and lining on a winter hat)
  
• Ducks can and do tell you off, and it is as funny as hell when they do it
  
• So do chickens and it is equally funny
  
• Any sentence that includes a chicken is just inherently funny, but the really FUNNY thing about chickens is their LEGS-cracks me up every time
  
• No matter how many cookies you bake…… you always find out that you should have baked just one more batch/kind
  
• It takes me about 10 days to properly appreciate an event
  
• Hanging laundry on the line is a very satisfying thing to do….just not my underwear
  
• The night you have the WONDERFUL amazing dinner ready by 7pm, the husband will arrive at 8, tired and hungry but just wanting to eat and go to sleep
  
• Dishes will multiply if you leave even ONE in the sink at night……don’t do that, trust me they will breed, and in the morning you can’t even FIND the sink…let alone the faucet to draw water to make the coffee
  
• If the phlebotomist tells you ‘you are going to get a hemotoma’ believe her, and don’t USE THE ARM.
  
• Remember, this too like corn and diarrhea shall pass, some things don’t pass soon enough, and some too quickly but all things do change
  
• Laughing really IS all it’s cracked up to be…… do it often and with your whole heart
  
• The only difference between and experienced knitter and a newbie is, the experienced knitter knows how to fix their mistakes, they still make them
  
• The knitter thing can go for a metaphor for life as well
  
• Squirrels may be pests at the bird feeder but they sure are funny to watch

this mornings post is sponsered by ICE

we had ice
snow
sleet
rain
more snow
and then more rain

bernie told me this morning

'don't bring the ducks out'

huh?
what am i supposed to DO with the ducks?
they don't have inside pens
just night crates

he went on to say

'it is a sheet of ice out there and you will fall'

yup sounds about right to me

so
i have decided that i am going to walk WAY AROUND and open the pen doors

then let the girls out

falstaff is easy.....he's right here by the door

the girls nope

cause the winter pen is laying under a tarp all walls and joists very neatly stacked in a pile

a few things are holding it up
flooring
metal mesh for under the floor
and a means to level it

so now i am going out
i do NOT plan on falling
but i AM going to be wearing a LOT of wool just in case
so even if i do fall
i don't stick to metal
sticking to the ground.........well probably
i tend not to be able to get up

wish me luck

ps: good thing i finished that knitted balaclava last night.....even wove in the ends
the ducks are going to be terrified
but i will be warm

pss: it's bad out, but not as bad as it could be..............
i didn't fall for which i am greatful
cleo of course told me off the whole time
including from sitting on her nest waiting for her egg

the list for today

bernie took the cookies off to work today
naturally it was pouring rain like crazy

i haven't spoken to him yet about how'd it go

i am sure he is thrilled with his shop tray as he loves chocolate and i put extra on his tray

on my list today is ducks, dishes, laundry and knitting!!!!!!!!

i am going to sit a lot of the day and knit

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am knitting a balaclava sort of after the one at knitting in color
it gets COLD out there so a balaclava is it

i have to get a ball of mohair , maybe a few
i may get a fuzzy mohair just to line the inside of the hats i do for going outside
and i may knit a hat with ducks on it
cause you know......i wear it out to take care of the ducks!
( actually i love color knitting and it's warm so for fun......DUCKS!)
i probably need a new 'in town' hat as well

knitting is pretty slow these days
but that's ok

i am thinking of needle felting one as well

3am and stoking the stove

it was really warm here last night
almost 60!
so warm that i could NOT get the woodstove to draft enough
so i got as good a fire going as i could
and went to bed
3am it's getting cold in the house

yup time to stoke the stove
and as it was a 'cold' fire
i am sitting here waiting for the new fire to take off well
it looks like it is trying to so maybe i won't be up too long

i am waiting the results of a lyme panel
although the pa lyme association said that the doctor should be treating me
i had called and asked for the antibotics
and she told me until the test comes back no
our old doctor treated me as soon as i walked in with the ticks
( that was like 9 years ago......too bad he doesn't take this insurance)

we had another doctor in nj that wouldn't even order the lyme test, he told me that pa didn't have deer tick!

so far me and all the uphill neighbors have had lyme at least once
and a few had undiagnosed lyme that cause a lot of problems a few months after the initial infection
needless to say
i am very concerned about no antibotics yet
it's i think 5 weeks out from that last bite
i have i believe a total of 10 known tick bites
never mind how many of the little nymph bites.......only ONE of them did i actually find
they are about as small as the period on this sentance

i have woken up sometimes in the morning to a tiny bite with blood streaks all crusted up from it

so i imagine that would be the smaller ones

oh and i did get a very large hemotoma from the lab work
well that tech did warn me i would

she was right

til a more reasonable hour

vi

cookies are done

finally
bernie takes the trays to work tomorrow
they look so pretty with their cellophane and curly ribbons
i made cute little hang tags for them with the name of the department they go to

it's warmed up here today
i expect we'll pay for that one way or another
with cold weather and or snow

i am so hoping that now that the cookies are done
things wind down around here

i am looking forward to a nice winter knitting
by the woodstove


dreaming of turkey poults and ducklings and chooks dancing in my head


vi

they took it all

my blood that is

i was to the lab
9 viles of blood

huh?
this is the pcp doctor not the vampire doctor

all this cause i got a bulls eye rash on a tick bite??????????????????

gimme the damn drugs and let me keep SOME blood please

and i thought the tick was blood thirsty..........


i do not do well without coffee in the morning
i do worse without coffee and with a duck telling me off yet again
cleo marching purposely back to the day pen
throwing insults back over her shoulder

i better bribe them all with raisins or something equally good

in duck pen news
bernie got yet another wall done
(not up mind.....but framed on the ground)
i think we are ending up with this being like a diy kit
he framed in his first window
my duck pen will have a better window then any of my HOUSE windows are (it is energy star efficent!!!!!! we paid 15 for it brandy new from the lumber yard..... it was a special order someone didn't pick up)

maybe i should just move in with the ducks?
they would be delighted
as long as i brought some nice cabbage for them


ok todays agenda
if i have enough blood left to send to my brain and convince it to operate my body.......is


1) them damn cookies......finish them or toss them to the wolves....i HATE COOKIES NOW

2) laundry, finish that

3) dishes...... bernie was home for the weekend.......enough said......

4) clean the duck crates, before they weigh more then the ducks do ( great for the garden though)

5) try NOT to get a hemotoma in my arm where they took all my blood....... should i just laugh now? ( she told me i would cause she felt it.....and i am, and it hurts)

6) wake up..........i can't wake UP....... it would be advisable to awaken prior to driving but i had no choice this morning

7) roast a pork loin......with peach sauce...... THAT is actually going to get done

8) finish knitting my balaclava cause.......well baby it gets cold outside

ok that is more then enough right?

i tried to get up at my normal time this morning..... 4:30
i managed to go pee
even with cats hanging over my head..... tapping my nose
meowing LOUDLY in my ear
flipping fluffy tails into my mouth
i could NOT get up
this as most people who know me......................know

it not normal

and much as there are times i would love to take it easy
i got too much going on.....and i get too bored

ha

i am thinking of laying down as i type this!

well actually i better get another cup of coffee and start my day
after all it's only the crack of NOON

oye

vi

cleo is not a happy duckie

yesterday and today
i was sorta late getting the ducks out
i slept in
i was tired
can't a body get tired
i was REALLY REALLY TIRED

try telling THAT to a duck
yesterday all three cussed me out and complained all the way back to the day pen
they were pretty good about coming in..........

but again today i got cussed out going out
and coming in........
well
cleo waddled in front of me......crest up
turning her head to throw 'weepweeps' over her shoulder at me

i am lucking i didn't end up on my assets again
i was laughing so hard

it was extremely clear that ms cleo was NOT happy with the laxity of the duck attention over the weekend

and she was going to tell me

the other ducks have also told me
but not with the extreme feistiness of ms cleo

yet when i picked her up to give her a cuddle
she laid her little head down on my cheek

hahaha
she melted!


now in chicken news........
i am thinking i may have 5 roos
oh man i hope not
i was hoping for three hens at least

the babies are growing nicely
i am trying hard not to get too attached as the roos will be in the freezer
i don't like it
but we can't keep the roos
bernie wants to 'sell' them
ha
you can't GIVE them away

so they will make a trip to the nice chicken processor and end up back home with us
in a ahem........seperate and slightly colder location in the cellar......
next to the icecream


ahem.......


til next time
vi

talking turkey.....ahem.....i mean chicken

http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

i love that chicken chart

also
here are a few other good links
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/
http://www.feathersite.com/
http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/index.html

chickens are great
i love mine
i have buff orpingtons
the reason i haven't talked about them too much lately is cause raising baby anythings take up a LOT of time if you do it right
and i been raising duckies

right now i got 7 new chooks in the brooder downstairs
i know at least 3 are for certain boys
i am iffy on the 4th one
i think i got 3 hens out of this batch of chickies

and this spring they all go out
into outside poultry housing
plus i want three speckled sussex just to see how they are

for pure all around everything.......me i love my buff orpingtons
but it's only fair to see if there really are any other breeds that may be comparable

ok now as to raising them
i do start the chicks on starter and i do use the medicated starter
so far ***knock on wood*** i haven't lost a chick yet
so i think that's good

when they are bigger i will switch them over to maintaince or layer depending on how old we run out of the chick food

i also give them scrambled eggies...... and tell them

'don't worry chickies......that's aunt martha, we don't LIKE aunt martha.......'



i feed the adult birds either layer or maintaince depending on if they are laying or not
and give them oyster shell, granite coarse sand,
table scraps
and i will flip them a burger during molt as extra protein


i hang cabbage leaves for them to play and peck at too
they like tomatoes....... raisins
popcorn
all special treats for good chickens
they adore bugs and wormies and grubbs

and will eat mice if they can get them

their manure adds to the compost in the garden as does the ducks....( ducks are for slug control)

and of course we eat the eggs
my orps lay brown eggs
i love that

chickens need a draft free, dry, and secure coop
and a secure run
they also need a break from laying occationally

i recommend them to folks
as they really are wonderful pets
they know their names
they come running when i call them
some like to sit in my lap
some are a bit more standoffish

but all are just amazing to be around

they all have their little personalities.......each one different


i have had chickens for about 3 or 4 years now ( i had them as a kid too)

and now i hear........chickens are the new knitting!
hahahaha
well i have often sat and knitted while watching my chickens
and my ducks

i am thinking.....................
next it just has to be a few turkey.........

no?

and so it starts

maybe i should start a 'buy vi a farm fund'

back from easton

we got shrimpies for christmas eve
( i make a sorta shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta.......instead of the traditonal 7 fish)
i saw shrimpies bigger then my FISTS there
4 to a pound!
them's some big ass shrimp

we got shrimpies that are 25 to the pound though
we got all sorts of goodies
raisins
pork loin
chicken breast
locatelli cheese

we got bernie new muck boots.....(which really are snow boots )
and new work boots
and new sneakers
he also got two new sweatshirts

oh and if my typing is screwy.....it's because FAWN is sitting on my chest

could you all say hihi to fawnie?


it's cold again
i want to find some more warm stuff for me to go out with
i freeze my buns off out there
NOTHING is warm enough
i layer and layer and nothing is warm enough

i am almost to th e point of a mohair suit i swear
oye

bernie is watching his christmas present
the last movie from the pirate series

i am typing and fawn is moving up and down on my chest while i do this

i got to hug one of my CLEAN duckies today
i swear those little things just wormed their way into my heart
i love them so much
if it wasn't bad for their health i would put diapers on them and bring them upstairs

oye

vi

todays agenda

apparently everyone does have an agenda

here is mine for today

feed store: wild bird seed and a bale of hay
post office: pick up....( i have stuff to go out but lazy ass me didn't wrap it yet)
lowes: builders sand for the chickens and the path to the duck pen, salt for the conditioner, more wood for duck pen
bank: pay the mortgage, deposit check
store: ICECREAM AND EGGNOG

i need to make more cookies.......
bernie ( and me too) have been eatting my sugar cookie angels faster i swear then i can bake them
man they ARE good
but i got to get his trays done and out to his job
enough already with all these cookies around here
somehow it's been harder and longer this year

i got up this morning to thaddeaus sitting on my head
and fawn staring down at me
apparently the woodstove was out ( coals only)
they were not happy

they mounted a protest...........ON MY HEAD

then thaddeaus decided to keep slamming the bedroom door shut
and then racing around the room to finish by jumping OVER us in the bed
so he sorta stomped on us a little bit too

we got the hint

we got up

i got the woodstove going.....and i am waiting for the chimney to heat while i am typing this

meanwhile the cats are staring at the store

listen, i know that cats sleep 27 out of every 24 hours a day
and i know the way to a cat's heart is through the heat of the woodstove
but occationally........ rarely........
i do like to sleep in

would someone inform the chickens and ducks?

duckie disney land

it's been raining
buckets
and buckets for DAYS AND DAYS
the basement is flooded
part of the duck pen is flooded
the yard is flooded.......well you get the picture

i put up the duck pond
it's the smaller kiddie wading pool from kmart
i think it holds like 30-35 gallons total ( on flat ground.....not sloping driveways)

well it is full of rain water.......enough so three little duckies jumped in and took a bath

did i mention that they did this while the temps decided to plummet
and while it was starting to snow
and hail a bit

and that since i had to be there to watch them
i got a bath too????????


and three little duckies did NOT want to get out of the frigid water
soooooooooooooooooooooooooo

i put my poor long suffering bare hands in the water to retrieve the duckies

not once

but THREE FREEKEN TIMES

can you say ' not of sound mind?"
yes i knew you could


i am STILL waiting for my hands to turn back into a more reasonable color


i am expecting that by morning we will have a skating rink out there
and the bucket i left in the duck pen will have frozen to the ground
oye

in 'are you ready for the holiday' news
i am not
it is going to be a halloween christmas this year
long story but
we are going to be hanging pumpkins and spider webs on the christmas tree

doesn't EVERYONE?

til next time


vi