happy valentine's day

morning all

it is almost 4am

i am up

stoking the stove but also i just can't sleep

i been reading this wonderful book about a member of my family

and between that and worry about my sheep and goat

i just can't sleep



the cats are keeping me company



we went to nazareth yesterday

our favorite used book store has changed owners

i don't really like the change



then we went to the yarn store



i ironically heard about my sheep ....or one of my sheep at the yarn store

from someone i have never met!



i got some of that 'knitted in panels and dyed to be unwound and knitted into socks' sock yarn



we are to go to the new yarn store up in mount pocono this weekend ...... but really more and more i found that i am shopping on the net

when i am shopping at all



the red boots are felted and need moderate cuff surgery......that will be done as soon as they dry

and i cast on for the blue boots

(just a test of another pattern)

plus received the gray yarn in the mail.....thank you karen



bernie's sister, my very favorite sister in law called last night

that is the one from galveston

they finally got a FEMA trailer set up so they are now out of the hotel

they have one of their houses almost livable ( they couldn't find contractors, so they are doing all the work themselves)



they had several houses, one they lived in, and the others that they had bought, lived in while fixing up, and then had rented while they moved onto the next fixer-upper, she did all this while working full time and raising 4 kids, plus taking care of her husband's parents

all of which were total loses during this hurricane, and the insurance company devalued EVERYTHING before they would give them a check......what they thought was full coverage, turned out to be about 40% of what the value was.

then, my brother in law got laid off one month after IKE

they are struggling to fix the houses to have somewhere to live and to get their renters back

as galveston has a shortage now of liveable homes



she is another person that started from nothing and worked hard

and then lost it all through an 'act of god'

she is working again so hard.......

she supports them all now by herself as her husband is laid off and in any spare time is working like a man to fix these houses up



i swear i love this sister in law so much

i was so worried about her when IKE happened

she is an inspiration to everyone who knows her, she has come back from the brink so many times



i heard from my friend jeanie in the fire area of oz

she is ok for the moment.......

she lost some neighbors and some friends to these fires

and they are watching the winds

if they shift

she is got to evacuate



i was so worried about her and another friend over there



they are both ok

for the moment



now my friend carol from the canning list

please everyone give up a good thought for her

in her fight against this breast cancer

the new chemo is a nightmare

she was in the hospital emergency ward again

i ordered pink mohair to knit her an 'ice queen' with pale celery green beads

i don't know what to do to perk her up

she said i make her laugh though ( hey i can always make her laugh.......thank goodness)

i wish i could do more

i can't wait for her cancer free three month and so on check up

another person who is just so inspirering



i swear ....if that were me i would be in bed with the covers over my head

but not carol

she taught herself to knit

to can

and to do embroidery

she is learning to cook

to garden

all this and she is a gramma.............

but you wouldn't ever know it to talk to her

or to meet her

she has sort of taken the cancer and most of the chemo in stride

even the coming mastectomy hasn't fazed her

she keeps going going going...



this new chemo however, is a nightmare

i don't know what is worse..........this chemo or the cancer

this chemo alone has damn near almost killed her a few times now

i am hoping she survives the treatment....but her tumors at the start of this new round were at 50% what they started out with



now on a final note



happy birthday kacey



consider me singing to you

watch the doggies cover their ears and yowl............



we love you kacey

and the world is a better place for you being in it

and even though people don't understand

you are you BECAUSE you care so very much....... that's why you work in hospice dear
and THANK GOODNESS you do......... while you don't realize it, you truly are an unsung hero.

well this blog post it would seem is dedicated to amazing and wonderful people that i have been so lucky to have met in my life
i thank you all
my life is so much richer because of you all
and watching you all go through so much adversity and still not losing your compassion nor your drive is such an a life lesson




have a wonderful day of romance and love everyone

hugs and kisses i hope are in your day today and everyday

















hearing her voice made me so happy yesterday

she is like having a cool drink of water on a hot day

a treasure beyond price

i received a book written by one of my relatives today
in it is a picture of my great grand parents
i am named after my great grand mother on my mother's side
so is my mother

i can't begin to explain how i feel right now

from feeling a bit like an alien .......suddenly i feel like i belong
i come by a lot of what makes me me..................... from MY FAMILY!

as folks who know me.....know
i have a 'big personality'
i also have stories......( yup i suppose so............just look through this blog)
i laugh easily and make others laugh as well

i am also good at what every i turn my attention to

suddenly it all makes sense to me
where i wondered before.

i grew up not really knowing too much about my mom's side of the family
i had met one of my uncles and one aunt
(mom's brother jack and her sister fortuna. her other brother lived in california)
i also knew two cousins, both of whom were my aunt fortuna's kids...........she also had a third one marie, but she was in a hospital or something.
i had met my mom's uncle isaac, and her cousin albina

but that is about it for what i remember

a friend of mine who knew i was researching my family, decided to help as well.
she found a relative that unfortunately had crossed over.
she suggested i contact the funeral home and see if i could get in touch with the rest of the family
she dangled an irresistible carrot under my nose.........

'they could have pictures'

well she was right and my cousin candi DID and sent them to me


today i looked at the face of my great grand mother albina

i am still getting chills

words can't explain this feeling

just let me tell you

it's wonderful

bernie has off

to celebrate our anniversary and valentines day
he decided to take (tomorrow actually cause i am writing this thursday night) today off

mean while

i felted the red boots
the pattern is from fiber trends, the alpine boot pattern.
i modified the cuff a bit.......apparently a bit too much!
however it did give me an idea of how they work

i am knitting the mohair ballet slippers from the book 'felted knits' by the same person who owns and writes the fiber trend patterns

(btw, i had emailed her back and forth a few times a couple years ago..she is very nice)

i HIGHLY recommend fiber trend patterns
they are wonderful

anyway
i am sort of doing a test of felted boot patterns now
i intend on also trying the 'snuglets' pattern as well

i am figuring that eventually i will figure a pattern and modifications to fit my rather unique little feet and stubby legs
i also am going to play with soling when i get through with both
i have custom made winter boots
made for me by me

ok
i am not sure what we are going to do on bernie's day off
i guess i will find out
i am glad he took friday off however, as he's been very tired from the weather and work lately
i want him to sleep in
i do know i have to get to the feed store
and the post office
but that is the extent i think of what i have to do

so anyway
i'll let you all know

vi

hmmmm it was pretty good

ok the menu for our anniversary dinner

stuffed chicken breasts with mushroom gravy
over white and wild rice
roasted brussels sprouts on the side

i made a cake
with pinapple and coconut
and a boiled frosting
with toasted coconut on top


that is our anniversary dinner


now
i am typing this ON our anniversary........while waiting for bernie to get home
i didn't sneak his card to his desk last night
while he put mine on my desk this morning
i got him a puzzle as well

he is taking off friday to celebrate our anniversary and valentines all together

and i am feeling better
my cold is started to break i think

tomorrow if all goes well
i will be felting my boots
and mailing a friends birthday card that SHOULD have gone out monday
i had it ready but didn't make it to the PO

i haven't picked a new project yet
waiting on the lamb's pride for the gray boots
but it is a toss up between a new 'ice queen' scarf
or another pair of house slippers

either one is a very quick knit

i really should start making the scarfs and the slippers for gifts i think
they make fabulous and impressive but fast and useful items
i love the ice queens scarves as they are light and warm and i can't lose them!

and the felted wool house slippers
well
what can i say
they are the BEST

anyway
this will post first thing in the am
i may not be down at that time

i can get used to this typing the blog at night thing

oh and it was WAY warm here
61~!!!!
a lot of the ice melted

alien ice patch didn't..........
but hey that won't recede until may

the ice that did melt left me with sucking mud

cleo isn't too happy
she is having trouble walking in it all
but the good news is........ she is having so much trouble (poor little thing)
she can't yell at me
she has to concentrate on just getting up and down the hill...........and not on her beak

oye

ttyl

this cold is just dragging on

and on and on

drips and drags

i took the duckies out
cleo is the smallest and she is having a hard time walking around out there on the ice
the other girls seem to manage it better then she does

i keep wanting to pick her up and carry her
but i am so afraid i will fall and squish her

she is a tiny tiny duckie with a very big personality


now this post will post in the morning
but really it's tonight feb, 10, 2009............
tomorrw is our 32nd wedding anniversary

i can't believe it

sometimes i can't believe i didn't kill him already
but the truth is
i love him dearly
he drives me nuts sometimes
but i love him dearly

32 years seems so long
i have lived with my husband longer then i lived with my family!
i was with them only 19 years

i once said to him
'are we going to grow old together?'

he said.........'i thought that is what we were doing....................aren't we?'
that i think was around our 20th anniversary

somehow we have made it through

i was so upset with him last week over something quite small
then i got so very sick saturday and have been really in bad shape with this cold

he did the housework
took the duckies out
cooked ( with some slight supervision from my woozy head)
and took care of me
and the chickens
and the duckies
and did the laundry
AND hung it on the line

i sorta wandered to bed and back to the computer

i suppose i am going to keep him
hahahaha

someone after all
has to no?

happy anniversary noogums..........

we ARE growing old together it would seem

(but he sure looks a hell of a lot better then i do)

vi

ok WARNING picture heavy

ok the start of the book list

first off

some odds and ends cook books

everyone knows or should know

the joy of cooking, ( haven't seen the newer additions, i have one from the 60-70's and a second edition from a million years ago)

if this isn't on your shelf...... go to ebay or the used book store and find one


Good Cheap Food by Miriam Ungerer
this is a great read to begin with, but practical and useable
also i would get it used

Better Than Store-Bought: A Cookbook by Helen Witty
also
Fancy Pantry
and
The Good Stuff Cookbook: Over 300 Delicacies to Make at Home
these are all 'yes you can' type books

and have stuff you never thought of

if you are serious about food and serious about good food......... these are the cookbooks to start off with


now onto some sort of related areas

Pantry, The: Its History and Modern Uses by Catherine Seiberling Pond

i adored this book, and believe that it should have gotten a MUCH wider audience
the photo's will just blow you away, and it will definately leave you wanting more.

i almost stalked the author i loved this book so much, i begged her to do one on root cellars/cold cellars and canning

this book just made me feel like home

Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables by Mike Bubel and Nancy Bubel
once you get past 'how do i grow this'
and you are to the point of ........ 'oh my GOODNESS what do i do with 400 pounds of potatoes'
THIS is the bible in this field

ANY of the elliot coleman books

Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long by Eliot Coleman, Barbara Damrosch, and Kathy Bray
or
The winter-harvest manual: Farming the back side of the calendar : commercial greenhouse production of fresh vegetables in cold-winter climates without supplementary heat by Eliot Coleman

a good start for gardening is i believe
'square foot gardening' Mel Bartholomew

or if you can find it
'crocket's victory garden' jim crocket

this guy STARTED the victory garden on pbs a million years ago

now ironically i would say....for livestock etc
go to the various forums
backyard chicken is wonderful for poultry

just like a real time canning list is going to be excellant for canning
be careful with the lists however, i found a few of them to be 'not as advertized'
so if you join........ poke around a bit
check the files etc
you don't want to have to deal with a 'it's my way or the highway' mentality

ok that's it for today, i have to finish up some stuff i am in the middle of and the duckies are wanting out
i think the chickens do as well but they can't go out yet

oye
til next time

vi

finding ancestors can be interesting

and i found a second cousin!
what a nice lady

i don't know why, but lately in the winter, after the holidays but before gardening starts,

i turn to the ancestors

those who've gone before

i don't know why it started, but i know that the interest has grown for me
maybe it is the ancestors themselves
i think they may want to be found
that their accomplishments are not forgotten
their lives are remembered
it is also i think the thread that flows through families

this second cousin i found, she told me about the artistic side
which i knew part of

her grandfather was my mom's uncle
he's part of the reason i went to art school!

when i was little, i would sit on my uncle isaac's lap and show him my drawings.
he would tell me that i had what it took to be an artist and if i worked very hard i could be one

he was right
but what i never realized was..............

as hard as i worked in art school and in the 'field'

it wasn't anything compared to being a doll artist
to developing all those ideas
to learning all the ins and outs and such

that was amazing
it was also (thinking back on it now)
THE learning of a lifetime

i found out that on my mom's side of the family... artists, sculptors, writers, they are all represented

i don't feels as much an odd duck as i did before

i come by all this naturally..............
and was all there waiting

in the history of my ancestors


vi
ps: candi, if you are reading this
thank you so very much, you will never know how much your call meant to me

the plague is upon me

and taken up residence in my head, eyes, throat and nose
with occational forays into my chest, and legs

i am all woozy!

i am trying to knit a boot
i am praying that the boot will actually resemble a boot...............
not like the unfortunate 'bra' toed boot.....( very rare and endangered you know)

as i am anxious to get these red ones done and go on to the gray ones

i ordered lamb's pride bulky in dark heathered gray ( 06 color number)
and made a new friend!
Karen is the owner and a really wonderful person
she is in the process of trying wheels to see which one fits her

i wish her the best of luck ( and a lendrum double treadle upright...........but i am bias)

i researched bottoms for the boots
and i may end up following the russian model and useing galoshes
for a bit
but i am looking for rugged outdoor snow soles as well
which i am thinking i have found at a shoemakers supply

this boot project is a really exciting one for me
it's got me risking ripping out acres of knitting with the plague because i am so excited

now...........

someone please remind me

i have to post pictures and also i am thinking of posting a list of books that i think folks need to know about
stuff that's useful and books that are extremely satisfiying to read
they could be cookbooks
or how to
or dickens ( cause i do love my dickens)

but there are a few i know for a fact that should have seen a MUCH wider audience then they did

vi

so where is the thaw?

everyone is telling me

it's going to be really warm this weekend
everything is going to melt

hmmmm

there is two inches of snow covered ice outside the basement door
you actually have to step UP to step OUT

i think even if it goes to 80
it ain't going to thaw out this weekend
not when it's still 17 degrees out right now on the deck

i can't get the stove warm enough either
(wet wood, the dry stuff is warming up now)

i am supposed to be at the computer show

as you can see

i am not

don't ask


oye

vi

felted boots are a very good thing

i got the alpine boots pattern from fiber trends

wow

i loved her clog pattern BUT
my ankles get way cold

so now i am about done with the first boot of a pair of red ones

this opens a LOT of interesting experiments up

i did research
came across russian felted boots,
and just totally had an epiphany

i can do this

i can get galoshes, like the russians do
or
i can take the bottoms of snowmobile boots ( cheapo boys ones at kmart)
and use them
OR

i can have them soled at the shoemaker

OR

i can experiment with 'tire sandels' soles

i can have a LOT of fun with this

just think
warm winter boots, that i can wear outside...............
and that fit my fat calves.......
wow

and i can make them myself
what colors do you think i need???

this pair is screaming gnome red

i want charcoal heather too

and some purple or magenta no?

i see a LOT of boots in my future.....
i predict that this will be a bit addicting........................


vi

yes it WAS good

it made 7 jars
and two didn't seal
one i brushed over a pork loin last night

wow was that good

remember if you make it
take out the rosemary after it gives its all

don't can it with the little leaves and stalks in there


i slept in
boy did i sleep in
thaddeaus got under the covers with me and fawn and calpurrnia sat on top of me

'mom..........you ok mom?............... you slept in two nights in a row!'

i did do that
actually it stays abover 65 in the studio now from about 10 pm to about 7am or so

i got a bright fire going now

i have to go to town, as our anniversary is coming, and i need more seed starter, plus i have the post office to get to

and if i am lucky, i can stop at ac moore
.............ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh nutting.........

just looking.........

this weekend is the computer show in allentown
i want to get there
i don't know what day we'll go

hmm and bernie got home so late last night (he walked in at 9:30..........i didn't realize it was that time)
we never brought wood in

so what i gots............. gots to last

as i can't reach the top of the woodpile now
the shorter piles are all done
the big one is over my head
WAY over my head ( that's what i get for marrying a tall husband)

i don't think the woodpile would be too happy if i started taking from the middle
it would most likely fall on my head

well.................i wouldn't have to haul wood then huh?


next to can..........

orange pineapple grilling sauce
here is what i am thinking

garlic
onion
mustard
honey
dash of hot sauce ( like two drops)
coursely chopped sweet red pepper
orange zest and pulp chopped
crushed pineapple and juice

what else?

maybe a bit of shredded coconut and some lime?

i also have some lemon grass in the house.......... the cats keep triming the plant

i wish i thought to bring in some mint cuttings
cause that would be nice with mint

gee and carol has that mint concentrate she made
hmmmmmmmmmmm

she is far away though

btw
carol from the canning list is in the hosptial with some side effects from the chemo
give her a good thought if you all would ok???

thanks

vi

kitchen experiments

i feel pretty good
in spite of thaddeaus having aged me 20 years yesterday

a full night's sleep will do that for a person

i was in the kitchen
cleaned the STOVE
(i really do feel a LOT better)

canned up some stuff

todays efforts

cranberry/orange/ rosemary relish/grilling sauce

roughly as follows

a pound of raw cranberries
the zest and flesh of two oranges
and the zest of a third

the zest and flesh of one lemon
a goodly hunk of rosemary off the bush

about 22 oz of water
and about 3 cups of sugar

three minced cloves of garlic
and a 1/4 of a small onion minced

throw it all in a pot and simmer it

i canned it in 8 oz jellies in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes

a jar didn't seal
sooooooooooooo

tonight i roast a pork loin peice
and about 15 minutes before it's really done
the sauce goes on

WARNING
this is NOT for folks who like smooth seedless sauces
this is hearty, rustic and robust

you have been warned

go forth my child and grill


vi

i think my heart is back in my chest

today so far hasn't gone well

in addition to the woodstove

thaddeaus decided to age me 20 years

he decided to fall and get stuck behind the solid oak library bookcase in the other room
in about 3" worth of space

i just thought he was getting into his normal trouble

but when i found out
i was frantic
that library stack without books weighs 200 pounds
and it was loaded loaded

and he is a bit cat but even a big HUMAN is powerless against that kind of weight

i started to throw books across the room
i ended up after a while being able to tilt the case forward

he climbed out
but then I WAS STUCK
i forgotten i was actually in there
and in my haste i had piled books around me as well

all i cared about was getting thaddeaus out

fawn and calpurrnia tried to help

they got on top of what i was trying to throw and cried for thaddeaus

then cried at me

i was crying too

oh man

now my boy is right here

naturally he threw up right after he got out

i ran to the bathroom and almost soiled my undies

it was not a good time had by all

but the boy is safe

i hope he is also a bit wiser................but somehow i doubt it


i can breath again

maybe


oye

i don't like forced hot air furnaces

we had to put the furnace on

why?

we have to clean the wood stove chimney

we had a problem with a smoke leak and after bernie banged on the chimney we got draft back
for about 12 hours
and then had draft issues again

soooooooooooooooooooo

we let the fire go out
and emptied the ash bucket which i will use to clean the hot coal out
and later bernie will have to brush out the chimney

it's snowing
did i mention that?

naturally
as he has to go on the roof

did i mention i don't like forced hot air furnaces?

did i mention i love and miss my woodstove?

sniff

but not warm enough

we need to clean the woodstove chimney again i think
it's been warmish
but not warm enough to dismantle the stove after a day of it not burning

i think this means.......................

(insert ominous music here)

using the furnace

oh no..........
that is not a good thing

bernie isn't too happy

well neither am i

but that is what has to be done

so far this week is not started well

i had to tink back the new clog i started
got the yarn all tangled
missed getting a fibertrend family slipper pattern for 2.50
now this with the stove

oh and........... THE BOY is losing his fur AGAIN

oye

so what did i do today?
write checks
and checks and more checks
but not for the furnace
or the chimeny or the pattern

for the attorney from suing that jackass next door
and for board for my sheepies and goatie

oye


gees

oye again

now as to duckies
i got them a surprise
i even braved the iced and hilly driveway to get it out of the van for them

a tiny new bathtub!!!!!!!!
it holds 7 gallons and three tiny duckies comfortable.........
it isn't the spaciousness of their summer pond

but it IS liquid water
and it WAS warmer

did they RUSH to the little bathtub with a song in their heart and graditude on their lips

ok so they don't have lips actually
but work with me here

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo

cleo finally consented to take a sip of water out of it
i put phoebe in it

oh man she acted like i threw her to the alligators............(no that would be NEXT WEEK....after the ungrateful duckies STILL haven't used thier little pond)

then without a backward glance....................

the little duckies from hell
walked
single file down the hill

and stood at the door of their day pen

doing the peepee dance waiting to be let in

sometimes it just doesn't pay to be the momma duck


again
oye

vi

opinions PLEASE???? favorite felted footwear

hihi everyone, i am going to sort of repost this as i would like a few more folks to answer

btw
our 32 wedding anniversary is week from wen............. feb 11
AMAZING ain't it
especially since i am still only 19 years old!

shhhhhh that's my story

also i am pleased to announce that i got sleep
yup
well it's big news in my world
(what you thought i was going to get another animal???,.............. hmmmm could be)

ok
i just knitted and felted another pair of the fiber trend clogs
(these are plum with black soles..........i am going to paint the soles with that tool dip stuff)

i would like to make some other felted boots, shoe, slipper thingies

i would like some with ankle cuffs

i would like opinons if you all don't mind

which patterns do you all like
what yarns have you all used that lasted LONG???????????

i have made two pairs of clogs in lion brand fishman ( one i dyed)

i have now made two pairs in classic wool

i would gladly save for the lamb's pride bulky IF it would actually hold up longer then a year...
i wear the soles out so fast

but i have got to made a few more pairs of something
it gets COLD here you know

vi

expansion and contraction

it seems to me all of life is a series of expansions and contractions
even watching the fire in the wood stove
it expands to encompass the entire fire chamber........then as it goes on it contracts to just a bed of coals and ash

families are like that too

a couple sets up a home, and soon children and/or pets arrive
for years if you are lucky
that home is the center of a world of love and activity

eventually the offspring move on to their own homes
and the cycle begins again

it's all over the place when you think about it

companies grow..........expand and then contract
it may just be the natural order of things

following that thought

you can see religions, civilizations, societies doing the exact same thing
as does populations


there is no point to this post

just observations

that's what happens when you watch a fire in a woodstove

again Lucy

i woke up with dreams of Lucy De Padova again
this time in the dreams sinks were laying about
(her husband is a plumber as is i believe one of her sons)
although the dream was centered around lucy
i did see one of her sons sorta of in a meditative state
which bernie ( who was also in the dream) helped me wake up
i found a phone number
maybe i should call?


it's cold here
high winds as well
not as cold as a few weeks ago

i slept a bit last night thankfully
i don't sleep at all when bernie has to stay down at work

thaddeaus who was concerned about the state of the woodstove this morning..............
came up on my pillow doing that kneading thing that cats do
then of course he stretches out his paw and pushes my cheek

'mom...................... oh MOM............?'

yes thaddeaus

'mom you up?'

no thaddeaus...........not really............why?

"MOM GET UP...........the woodstove needs wood"

thaddeaus come under the covers........... i can't quite get up yet
i haven't slept in days

"MOM, that is NOT my problem......................''

oye

what is WITH all these guys ?

i get tons of attitude from all of them

and this without the benefits of coffee.......................

starting seeds

it really isn't too hard

you need a clean container that is well drained

i use Styrofoam cups with holes poked in the bottom ( writing the variety and date on the sides with a marker)

viable seeds *** remind me to post a list of the seed places i deal with

a STERILE starting mix either homemade or boughten

some plastic

a marker

a notebook as you do need to keep records of a sort

a warm place and some lights

now

1. fill your container with potting mix....leave a bit of room for later watering
2. WATER thoroughly and let drain................make sure mix is evenly moist
3. read the planting depth and light for that variety (some need light to germinate.........don't cover them with soil)
4. plastic for over the top
5. set in a warm place such as on top of a water heater, plant heating mat...........or over a heat duct, me i just leave them in the studio with the woodstove

some seeds are very tiny, such a carrot.......( those you mix with sand and direct seed anyway)depending on size now
you can poke tiny holes with bamboo skewers or the point of a pencil into the potting soil
check the recommended depth

now i don't cover with soil actually

i sorta water the seed in with tepid water and it fills in the hole a bit

small seeds just sit on the surface

i put a smallish tent of plastic wrap over the little cups which are in waterproof flats to protect the furniture

and i put them under lights............watching excitedly for tiny green things to pop out of the ground

as SOON as they do uncover that cup and put it under lights

i use regular fluorescent tubes one warm white, one cool white........no fancy plant tubes needed....some seeds will gradually need you to cool them off and grow them cool

also do NOT let the babies dry out

cooler growers

cabbage, broccoli, greens, leeks, onions, for example

warmer growers

PEPPERS ( in fact they can take forever to sprout........bottom heat helps)

now that concludes beginners seed starting 101
just remember a lot of things such as beans ( USE the INOCULANT)..... cucumbers, corn, most squashes, root crops:ie: carrots, beets, turnips etc are DIRECT seeded into garden beds

i do sometimes cheat with the pumpkins as well as other squash due to us having a short growing season and start them in gallon milk containers a few weeks before they are due to transplant out.... and i put plastic mulch under them PLUS inject them with BT

oh and DATE to maturity....... for the most part that is roughly an idea how long from TRANSPLANTING in the garden to first harvest

ok?

weather and felted clogs AND have you started YOUR seeds yet?

a few years ago i made several pair of felted clogs ( fiber trends pattern)

i dug out my pumpkin pair last night
and now i am going to knit a few more pairs i have decided
these however will have cuffs to cover my ankles

it's cold you know

ask the duckies if you don't believe me

'mom.............................'
yes duckies

'it's cold out'

yes duckies, but you do have those nice down coats under your feathers

'mom, we don't like getting up though........it's ok after a few minutes but boy mom it's cold at first'

yes duckies i know

i AM out here with you

'mom, can we have hot cocoa?'

no duckies but you CAN have hot oatmeal

and so we go down the slope to the duck pen

we didn't get the winter pen done
so
now the winter pen is going to be the permanent pen but will be done i hope in spring

along with a chicken coop
and

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

a sheep and goat barn
i am going to bring them home
the economy is too bad
and i can't keep up the board
besides i am going to rent them out for poison ivy control


i will tell you folks.......i am starting to get seriously worried about this world

however
that isn't like me.......... while i worry, it's normally about friends and my immediate world...
so it may be that i am a bit sleep deprived
i been knitting and stoking the stove twice a night
(simple knitting....... since it has to be done in a relative coma)


now if you all don't mind
can we talk chickens
( normally the expression is turkey............i wonder where that came from???)

this batch is 5 roos and apparently 3 hens............unless one 'hen' is going to have a sex change
which did happen to henrietta
i need more hens i think
and i would like some speckled sussex
only three
i want to sell eggs this summer
and i want my old hens to go out
but
i may keep a rooster
we'll see
i may also look for a fresh drake.....but falstaff lives out his life here
i just trained him to walk out to his day pen without being carried in the crate
smart duck

but back to chickens
i am thinking of a mostly orpington flock with a few speckled sussex
they are nice quiet birds
they look so cozy and domestic they hug my heart just watching them

if i could find a processor closer i would also get a few turkeys


now
to you all

have you started your seeds yet?
if so
whatcha planting????


i will start this week
i am running a bit behind
leeks
cabbage,
onions are first up

so now
YOUR turn
tell me what you are planting

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)