Do you ever feel like you don't quite belong? Like you can't just be who you really are with people? Like people aren't showing their true selves to you either? Like life is just a big show you put on for the people around you?
Sometimes that is how I felt in my previous neighborhood. Like I couldn't go out in my yard without doing my hair or wearing matching clothes because the neighbors would see me. Like I had to dress and act a certain way to fit in. Maybe it was just my not quite upper-middle class neighborhood with jewelry parties and fake designer purses, perfect lawns and perfect families. Even though I looked the part (except for the fake designer purses), I always felt uncomfortable. We were friendly with the neighbors and were invited to the parties, but our family chooses not to drink alcohol and sometimes that made us feel awkward when everyone else was drinking. (I know, who needs peer pressure in their thirties?)
Moving to the country has changed some of that. First of all, there is only one house we can see from our yard and it is distant enough that we certainly cannot tell what the neighbor is wearing if we see them. So this means I do go out in the yard in my pajamas. Whenever I want. Without combing my hair sometimes. And I do not have to worry about what anyone else thinks about it. Second, the people in the country are different from the people in the almost-upper middle class neighborhoods. They aren't living their lives to meet someone else's standards. They are just living their lives. There are no jewelry parties, purse parties, or over-priced kitchen tool parties for me to spend money on things I don't really want because that is what good neighbors do. In fact, other than a graduation party for the boy "next door," there have been no parties at all except the ones hosted by my teenagers in the backyard for their friends.
No neighbors to impress also means just that. There are no neighbors. When I am bored or lonely, I can't just go outside and talk to the mom next door watching her kids play. I can talk to the chickens, but that is about it. It can get kind of lonely. I do have a job. In town. With people. So that is good, but after five years, I am missing the parties and the casual friendships that develop between neighbors. Am I comfortable in my home and yard? Yes. However, I want something more. I want to belong somewhere. I want people to be a part of my life and to be a part of their lives. More than just the people at work. I want to belong to my community. Now, I just have to figure out what that community is . .
Monday, August 10, 2015
Hornets: More than just a sting . . . an Emergency!
We had friends from out of state visiting on the Fourth of July this year and we had had a nice day. It was about 8:00 in the evening and my friend, her baby and I went outside to lock up the chickens for the night. After locking them up, I realized their water pan was still in the yard, so I walked back over to get it and something buzzed and then stung me on the head. It seemed to be in my hair and I yelled ouch, because it was really painful and then I moved away. I waited a few seconds and then went back to put the water pan away and was attacked again. This time I ran away and screamed. I yelled for Josh, but he couldn't hear me in the house. My friend came over and checked my hair and said there was nothing there. We went into the house and I got some ice for my head and whined about it.
Josh and the other two guys who were visiting us got a can of wasp spray and went out to spray the hornets. As Josh started to spray the chicken coop where he saw them buzzing around, one of them came and stung him on the arm. Since they were so aggressive, he went and put on his fire fighter gear to protect himself from future stings. They got a ladder and he found a pretty large bald-faced hornet's nest up in the roof of the chicken coop out of sight without a ladder. He sprayed it pretty good and wasn't stung anymore. As he walked back to the garage to put his fire gear away, he started feeling really hot and his heart started to beat fast. He took off the gear and said, "I think I am having a reaction to that sting," which was odd since he had never had a reaction before. He lay down in the grass and said his nose had swollen shut and it was getting difficult to breath. My friend sad to get him Benedryl which I did and when there was no effect in a few seconds I decided to call 9-1-1.
It seemed like it took forever, but soon his friends from the fire department started to arrive. None of them had an Epi pen, so they started trying to take his blood pressure and pulse. Both were too low to get a reading . . . fortunately for me, my brain totally blocked those words from reaching my consciousness. I just sat there on the ground by his head waiting and waiting for the ambulance. They finally arrived and loaded him up and gave him the Epi injection and other medicines through IV that would eventually raise his heart rate back up to a normal level. I rode in the ambulance and my friends followed us. It was a terrifying experience.
Even now, a week later, my heart is beating fast as I write about it. Both Josh and I are still trying to get back to a normal state of living. It is not easy after nearly losing a life. There is a sense of anxiety that hangs around most of the day. You just feel nervous all the time. For the first few days, I was really uncomfortable anytime I couldn't see him. When we went to the gym I was in a class in one room and he was in another part of the building, I couldn't wait for class to end so I could see that he was ok. Five days after the incident, I had a really rough night of dreams and laying awake feeling very anxious much of the night. The anxious feeling lasted well into the next day and I worried I might have a panic attack in the grocery store. I have never had a panic attack before, but I was just a wreck. Later in the afternoon, I relaxed with a cup of chamomile tea and some fresh cut lavender on the table next to me and was much better for the rest of the day and that night.
Josh is trying to get back to normal activities. Today is one week from the event. He is out working in the pole barn, but I see him watching for wasps. I keep going out there to check on him or watching him out the window of the house.
As I researched online about wasp allergies and anaphlyactic reactions, I couldn't find anything about coping with daily life after a serious sting reaction. I want to know how people cope with going outside again. How people stop panicking everything they hear a buzz. How people resist the urge to rip out every flowering plant from their landscaping. How people mow their lawns without constant fear. How people stop checking on their loved ones every 2 minutes. I don't know the answer to these questions. I am not there yet. I am still living in fear and a state of anxiety.
Josh and the other two guys who were visiting us got a can of wasp spray and went out to spray the hornets. As Josh started to spray the chicken coop where he saw them buzzing around, one of them came and stung him on the arm. Since they were so aggressive, he went and put on his fire fighter gear to protect himself from future stings. They got a ladder and he found a pretty large bald-faced hornet's nest up in the roof of the chicken coop out of sight without a ladder. He sprayed it pretty good and wasn't stung anymore. As he walked back to the garage to put his fire gear away, he started feeling really hot and his heart started to beat fast. He took off the gear and said, "I think I am having a reaction to that sting," which was odd since he had never had a reaction before. He lay down in the grass and said his nose had swollen shut and it was getting difficult to breath. My friend sad to get him Benedryl which I did and when there was no effect in a few seconds I decided to call 9-1-1.
It seemed like it took forever, but soon his friends from the fire department started to arrive. None of them had an Epi pen, so they started trying to take his blood pressure and pulse. Both were too low to get a reading . . . fortunately for me, my brain totally blocked those words from reaching my consciousness. I just sat there on the ground by his head waiting and waiting for the ambulance. They finally arrived and loaded him up and gave him the Epi injection and other medicines through IV that would eventually raise his heart rate back up to a normal level. I rode in the ambulance and my friends followed us. It was a terrifying experience.
Even now, a week later, my heart is beating fast as I write about it. Both Josh and I are still trying to get back to a normal state of living. It is not easy after nearly losing a life. There is a sense of anxiety that hangs around most of the day. You just feel nervous all the time. For the first few days, I was really uncomfortable anytime I couldn't see him. When we went to the gym I was in a class in one room and he was in another part of the building, I couldn't wait for class to end so I could see that he was ok. Five days after the incident, I had a really rough night of dreams and laying awake feeling very anxious much of the night. The anxious feeling lasted well into the next day and I worried I might have a panic attack in the grocery store. I have never had a panic attack before, but I was just a wreck. Later in the afternoon, I relaxed with a cup of chamomile tea and some fresh cut lavender on the table next to me and was much better for the rest of the day and that night.
Josh is trying to get back to normal activities. Today is one week from the event. He is out working in the pole barn, but I see him watching for wasps. I keep going out there to check on him or watching him out the window of the house.
As I researched online about wasp allergies and anaphlyactic reactions, I couldn't find anything about coping with daily life after a serious sting reaction. I want to know how people cope with going outside again. How people stop panicking everything they hear a buzz. How people resist the urge to rip out every flowering plant from their landscaping. How people mow their lawns without constant fear. How people stop checking on their loved ones every 2 minutes. I don't know the answer to these questions. I am not there yet. I am still living in fear and a state of anxiety.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
I am ba-ack!
Life gets so busy and before I knew it, I had nearly forgotten about this little blog! I just spent the morning re-reading all my posts. How nice to have documentation of our journey! I should really keep it up!
We worked so hard those first few years getting our home settled in. Now, we pretty much just live our daily lives without so much excitement most of the time. I have continued to garden each year and doubled it in size two years ago. I still have 5 chickens and plan to get chicks for the first time this spring, so that will be a new adventure! Last summer, we added a storage room on to the chicken coop. This has been wonderful to have this winter. Last winter was very harsh and getting feed from the pole barn to the coop across the yard was a major feat. This year, I stocked the storage room with all the supplies I would need, so now I just go to the coop and have a dry clean place to stand while I care for the chickens. It also has an actual exterior door, so no more trying to open a door out into deep snow all winter. So much nicer!
This winter has been terribly cold. Yesterday it was 1 degree on my way to work. Today we are supposed to see a high of 40! Everyone is really anticipating warmer temperatures. We had 7-8 days off from school this year due to the snow and cold temperatures. That is a lot!
Two months ago, we joined the YMCA and have a pretty consistent routine of exercising nearly daily. So that is keeping us occupied during this cold winter.
Josh joined the local volunteer fire department last spring and is busy with lots of classes, meetings and emergency calls.
The boys have grown up so much! Big Dog will be 17 next month and Sweet Pea is already 13!
I hope to remember to update here on a more regular basis again!
We worked so hard those first few years getting our home settled in. Now, we pretty much just live our daily lives without so much excitement most of the time. I have continued to garden each year and doubled it in size two years ago. I still have 5 chickens and plan to get chicks for the first time this spring, so that will be a new adventure! Last summer, we added a storage room on to the chicken coop. This has been wonderful to have this winter. Last winter was very harsh and getting feed from the pole barn to the coop across the yard was a major feat. This year, I stocked the storage room with all the supplies I would need, so now I just go to the coop and have a dry clean place to stand while I care for the chickens. It also has an actual exterior door, so no more trying to open a door out into deep snow all winter. So much nicer!
This winter has been terribly cold. Yesterday it was 1 degree on my way to work. Today we are supposed to see a high of 40! Everyone is really anticipating warmer temperatures. We had 7-8 days off from school this year due to the snow and cold temperatures. That is a lot!
Two months ago, we joined the YMCA and have a pretty consistent routine of exercising nearly daily. So that is keeping us occupied during this cold winter.
Josh joined the local volunteer fire department last spring and is busy with lots of classes, meetings and emergency calls.
The boys have grown up so much! Big Dog will be 17 next month and Sweet Pea is already 13!
I hope to remember to update here on a more regular basis again!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
End of summer . . .
It has been such a busy summer! In terms of the chickens, right after school ended a fox found his way into my chicken run by prying the fence away from the gate post. My 5 chickens became 3. That was quite disappointing. I had to decide what to do. Three chickens didn't seem to be worth the effort. So, did I want to get more chickens or sell/give them away? I am the kind of person who thinks about things for a long time before acting so I decided to see if I was going to keep having problems with Mr Fox.
A few short weeks after the fox episode I found myself having emergency gall bladder removal. This put me out for most of July. However, during my recovery I saw an ad on Craiglist for some laying hens nearby and decided to get 3 more. It took some time for the flock to adjust to each other but they seem to have their pecking order all worked out now.
We had another chicken emergency when someone in the family didn't remember the chickens were free-ranging in the yard and decided to let our 2 Golden Retrievers loose. Well, they did what retrievers do--caught chickens! By the time I realized what what going on, most of the chickens had run off to hide. DH said one of them was definately injured, she had been in both dogs's mouths and lost a ton of feathers. We looked for a long time and located all but 2--the injured one and the youngest one. Fortunately they both returned as the sun set. Our injured Black Star looked pretty good from a distance and was acting fine, but we didn't trust the other chickens not to peck at her so we caught her and separated her for a bit while she healed. We did find a pretty good size bite under her wing, so I sprayed it with Blue Coat and hoped for the best. She healed well and has returned to the flock with no problems. That was a relief. I didn't want to have to kill her if she got sicker.
I recently discovered that some of the eggs are getting eaten by the chickens. I had noticed some weak shelled eggs and gave them calcium supplements to alleviate the problem. I think that's how the egg eating began-a weak shelled egg probably cracked and they began eating them. I read a tip about putting golf balls in the nests. The idea being the hens would peck them with no luck and eventually give up on pecking at eggs. We shall see what happens.
It wasn't the best year for the garden between the drought and my surgery. Oh well, we got a little food and fortunately we are not dependent upon it.
Tomorrow is my return to work day. Next week school starts. Another season passed.
A few short weeks after the fox episode I found myself having emergency gall bladder removal. This put me out for most of July. However, during my recovery I saw an ad on Craiglist for some laying hens nearby and decided to get 3 more. It took some time for the flock to adjust to each other but they seem to have their pecking order all worked out now.
We had another chicken emergency when someone in the family didn't remember the chickens were free-ranging in the yard and decided to let our 2 Golden Retrievers loose. Well, they did what retrievers do--caught chickens! By the time I realized what what going on, most of the chickens had run off to hide. DH said one of them was definately injured, she had been in both dogs's mouths and lost a ton of feathers. We looked for a long time and located all but 2--the injured one and the youngest one. Fortunately they both returned as the sun set. Our injured Black Star looked pretty good from a distance and was acting fine, but we didn't trust the other chickens not to peck at her so we caught her and separated her for a bit while she healed. We did find a pretty good size bite under her wing, so I sprayed it with Blue Coat and hoped for the best. She healed well and has returned to the flock with no problems. That was a relief. I didn't want to have to kill her if she got sicker.
I recently discovered that some of the eggs are getting eaten by the chickens. I had noticed some weak shelled eggs and gave them calcium supplements to alleviate the problem. I think that's how the egg eating began-a weak shelled egg probably cracked and they began eating them. I read a tip about putting golf balls in the nests. The idea being the hens would peck them with no luck and eventually give up on pecking at eggs. We shall see what happens.
It wasn't the best year for the garden between the drought and my surgery. Oh well, we got a little food and fortunately we are not dependent upon it.
Tomorrow is my return to work day. Next week school starts. Another season passed.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Busy as a chicken . . .
Well actually chickens aren't really all that busy, but since I don't have any other animals besides dogs I went with it. I am now the proud owner of 5 laying hens. I get between 2-5 eggs each day, which is just enough for our family plus 1 dozen to sell to co-workers each week. So far the chickens are working out really well. We still need to work out an arrangement for when we go out of town as we sometimes do, but so far so good.
Both Josh and I have heard an unusual, loud, large-sounding animal noise coming from our woods in the last few weeks. Not sure what it is. It sure doesn't sound like coyote-we hear those frequently, but we can't even guess what this mystery animal might be. In the meantime, we need to keep our chickens locked up as dusk falls. I set the rooster alarm on my cell phone to make sure I don't forget.
This weekend we worked on our berry patches. We added 4 more blueberry bushes and 3 more raspberries. Then we mowed the grass really low and covered the whole area (70x8 feet) with plastic to keep the weeds at bay, edged it with landscape timbers and filled it with mulch. It was a big job and I am feeling it now!
Both Josh and I have heard an unusual, loud, large-sounding animal noise coming from our woods in the last few weeks. Not sure what it is. It sure doesn't sound like coyote-we hear those frequently, but we can't even guess what this mystery animal might be. In the meantime, we need to keep our chickens locked up as dusk falls. I set the rooster alarm on my cell phone to make sure I don't forget.
This weekend we worked on our berry patches. We added 4 more blueberry bushes and 3 more raspberries. Then we mowed the grass really low and covered the whole area (70x8 feet) with plastic to keep the weeds at bay, edged it with landscape timbers and filled it with mulch. It was a big job and I am feeling it now!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
More homesteading ventures! Bawk Bawk!
I haven't written in such a long time because I felt like I really wasn't doing anything new in the homesteading arena, just busy with daily living until now!
I am getting chickens! I am really excited! My first flock is about 1 year old and I will be picking them up over the weekend. In the meantime, I have been reading all about chickens and fencing and coops. I have lots more to tell, but it's time to head off to Big Dog's band concert!
I am getting chickens! I am really excited! My first flock is about 1 year old and I will be picking them up over the weekend. In the meantime, I have been reading all about chickens and fencing and coops. I have lots more to tell, but it's time to head off to Big Dog's band concert!
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Weeds, weeds, and more weeds!
I have a long, narrow flower bed for annuals between the front porch and a sidewalk that leads to the driveway. I planted it with purple petunias back in May and now I just can't keep the weeds out. It is completely crazy. The weeds pop up like someone sprinkled the whole area with weed seeds. I scrape them off and the next day they are back again. After a few weeks of that I decided I needed to take stronger action. I didn't really want to put landscape fabric down, since that area is for annuals, but I knew if I just put cypress mulch, the weeds would just grow through. I ended up doing the same thing I did in part of the garden last week--cover the short weeds with newspaper or paperbags and then put the mulch over top of that. I sure hope it works!
After lunch I did a bunch of hoeing in the garden. The weeds were taking over again. I didn't get a chance to more straw down, but I got a lot of the weeds out and re-planted some places where the seeds hadn't come up (or possible got chopped off by the hoe). It was cool today, but really humid, so I was really sweaty. I ended the task with a washdown and soak in the cool tub. Now I need to get the lower level ready for our guest from Chile who is coming on Wednesday for a week.
After lunch I did a bunch of hoeing in the garden. The weeds were taking over again. I didn't get a chance to more straw down, but I got a lot of the weeds out and re-planted some places where the seeds hadn't come up (or possible got chopped off by the hoe). It was cool today, but really humid, so I was really sweaty. I ended the task with a washdown and soak in the cool tub. Now I need to get the lower level ready for our guest from Chile who is coming on Wednesday for a week.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Diggin' in the Dirt
We got started on the garden this weekend. I am sorry to say that last fall I did not leave the garden in very good shape. At all. It was filled with weeds. I know I should have covered it with newspaper and manure and mulch for the winter. However I did not and now I have to pay the price. First we mowed all the weekds short. Then we rotatilled. We made the mistake of renting the front tiller because it was cheaper than the back tiller and we figured since we tilled it last year it wouldn't be too hard. We figured wrong. The tiller was very hard to operate even for Josh, so we just tilled it twice and called it good enough. I have to be honest. It's NOT really good enough. I wish I had started a compost pile last year. I could really use some good soil. I am thinking I might try to get some and then just put it on top like a raised bed without sides, especially before I plant the seeds.
I did get some plants in the ground--strawberries, tomatoes, and a pepper plant. I also got 2 more blueberry bushes!
I am planning on starting my compost pile soon. A neighbor has promised to bring me some wooden pallets (skids) from work. Hopefully that will be soon. I can use those to build my compost bin. I have 2 buckets of grass/soil I pulled from a flower bed last week and a can of kitchen scraps ready and waiting. I am also hoping to get some manure-partially decomposed from the neighbor on Friday.
Last week I also learned more about raising chickens. Sweet Pea's friend's family raises chickens and goats. His father happily showed me the chicken coop and told me all about raising chickens--he said they are almost as easy as goldfish once you have the coop all set up. I am still very interested, but I know it's not time yet. Give me another year to get the gardening and composting worked out. For now I am going to buy my eggs from them.
That family also has fruit trees and was planting their raised bed vegetable garden. The "kids" also raise goats and they have goat's milk for the first time this spring. They said they get about a gallon a day from 1 goat. That's a lot of milk! Josh's dad once rasied goats when he was young and they drank goat's milk. Josh did not like it at all, so I know he's really not likely to go for that idea!
I did get some plants in the ground--strawberries, tomatoes, and a pepper plant. I also got 2 more blueberry bushes!
I am planning on starting my compost pile soon. A neighbor has promised to bring me some wooden pallets (skids) from work. Hopefully that will be soon. I can use those to build my compost bin. I have 2 buckets of grass/soil I pulled from a flower bed last week and a can of kitchen scraps ready and waiting. I am also hoping to get some manure-partially decomposed from the neighbor on Friday.
The deer ate my peach tree down to nothing this winter, so I need to replace that when I find a good sale. The apple trees are damaged, but I think they will make it.
Last week I also learned more about raising chickens. Sweet Pea's friend's family raises chickens and goats. His father happily showed me the chicken coop and told me all about raising chickens--he said they are almost as easy as goldfish once you have the coop all set up. I am still very interested, but I know it's not time yet. Give me another year to get the gardening and composting worked out. For now I am going to buy my eggs from them.
That family also has fruit trees and was planting their raised bed vegetable garden. The "kids" also raise goats and they have goat's milk for the first time this spring. They said they get about a gallon a day from 1 goat. That's a lot of milk! Josh's dad once rasied goats when he was young and they drank goat's milk. Josh did not like it at all, so I know he's really not likely to go for that idea!
Monday, April 25, 2011
"Doggy" Fence
When my oldest son was a toddler, he was obsessed with farm animals. Everytime we drove past a farm or yard with a fence, he would exclaim, "Horsey fence, Mommy! Horsey fence! Can we go to a farm?" Well, now that he's thirteen, he has his own "horsey fence"--it just hold in dogs instead of horseys! We decided to fence in a portion of the back yard around the deck to allow the dogs room to run freely without taking off into the woods. They really like it out there. We made it pretty large--45'x80' so they can get enough exercise. It does seem to be making a difference. They are much more calm in the house now.
I haven't planted the garden yet. It's been too cold! I cleared out some corn stalks and rocks, but that's been the extent of it. I will wait until May and warmer weather to get going out there. You may remember what happened last year.
Actually I am glad I blogged about the garden last year, so now I can go back and see in advance what problems I had and try to do some avoidance this year. I can try to put something on the fruit trees to keep the tent worms off this spring for example.
Hope everyone's spring is off to a good start. Right now out my window I see Honey dog staring down 4 large deer. I think the deer know the dog is behind the new fence and they like it!
I haven't planted the garden yet. It's been too cold! I cleared out some corn stalks and rocks, but that's been the extent of it. I will wait until May and warmer weather to get going out there. You may remember what happened last year.
Actually I am glad I blogged about the garden last year, so now I can go back and see in advance what problems I had and try to do some avoidance this year. I can try to put something on the fruit trees to keep the tent worms off this spring for example.
Hope everyone's spring is off to a good start. Right now out my window I see Honey dog staring down 4 large deer. I think the deer know the dog is behind the new fence and they like it!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Spring is on the way!
I can tell spring is on the way because the driveway is muddy and the road is slippery mud and BIG potholes. Actually the road in front of our house is still thick with ice, due to the shade of the trees that line that stretch of road.
I can tell spring is on the way because this week's weather forecast doesn't call for a "Winter Weather Advisory" and has 2 digit numbers that start with a 5.
I can tell spring is on the way because the boys' extra curricular activities are starting to come to a busy end. One more week until the Odyssesy of the Mind competition!
I can tell spring is on the way because we are approaching the 1 year anniversary of our move to the country.
Speaking of the anniversary, I decided to think back on all that we've done over the past year in preparing our country home. Other that the obvious house-building:
I can tell spring is on the way because this week's weather forecast doesn't call for a "Winter Weather Advisory" and has 2 digit numbers that start with a 5.
I can tell spring is on the way because the boys' extra curricular activities are starting to come to a busy end. One more week until the Odyssesy of the Mind competition!
I can tell spring is on the way because we are approaching the 1 year anniversary of our move to the country.
Speaking of the anniversary, I decided to think back on all that we've done over the past year in preparing our country home. Other that the obvious house-building:
- Created a vegetable garden
- Planted blueberry bushes
- Planted red raspberry bushes
- Planted apple and peach trees
- Located a major source of blackberries out back
- Located a source of black raspberries
- Build shelves and organized a storage room
- Finished an unfinished basement
- Prepared for minor emergencies such as power outages
Soon I will have time to plan the next steps. Here are a few things I would like to do this spring and summer:
- Tile my kitchen backsplash (already started!)
- Plant the garden again with a few modifications (Can you say fewer cucumbers?)
- Plant more blueberry bushes
- Do some landscaping around the house
- Train the dogs to listen better when off leash in the yard
- Get some more gravel for the drive way and in the pole barn
- Quilt a placemat type quilt to put on the top of the washer and dryer in the laundry room
- Dehydrate fruits and veggies with my new dehydrator
- Maybe get a pressure canner for my birthday to preserve my harvest!
I think I can do all this--we'll see what else comes up! It sure is fun living in the country!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Ice storm and updates.
School was closed today due to an ice storm. Usually teachers love snow days, but honestly, I really need my students in class right now. So many were out sick last week, we are behind schedule. Honestly I won't be surprised if we are off again tomorrow--there are still thousands without power in our county and it's still snowing and very windy. Many of the roads still have a thick layer of ice.
We lost power for a few hours in the middle of the night. It came back on about 5:30 this morning. We didn't have to do anything special to deal with our loss of power other than use my husband's Blackberry to check for school closings. My back-up plan would have been to use the Red Cross emergency weather radio. My mother in law got it for me for Christmas. It is crank-powered and has am/fm and weather bands as well as flashlight and cell phone charger.
I have really worked on emergency preparedness over the last year. We were prepared for a longer power outage, fortunately we were one of those whose power was restored early. We have firewood for the fireplace and 2 back-up generators as well as a supply of gasoline. We have a well stocked pantry and plenty of blankets, warm clothes, candles, flashlights and an oil lamp. It's good to know we'll be ok if the power were to be out for a long time.
I have been making a lot more foods from scratch and eating less processed foods. I am not totally organic and homemade because I work full-time and it's just not reasonable for us. I have packed my lunch every day this school year and all with real food, no Lean Cuisines! The kids have taken lunch from home much more frequently this year than ever before also. We haven't made it everyday, but we've definitely improved! I am really proud of that! It takes organization and planning and if I don't plan ahead, the kids end up with school lunch.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, even though I've been terrible about updating!
We lost power for a few hours in the middle of the night. It came back on about 5:30 this morning. We didn't have to do anything special to deal with our loss of power other than use my husband's Blackberry to check for school closings. My back-up plan would have been to use the Red Cross emergency weather radio. My mother in law got it for me for Christmas. It is crank-powered and has am/fm and weather bands as well as flashlight and cell phone charger.
I have really worked on emergency preparedness over the last year. We were prepared for a longer power outage, fortunately we were one of those whose power was restored early. We have firewood for the fireplace and 2 back-up generators as well as a supply of gasoline. We have a well stocked pantry and plenty of blankets, warm clothes, candles, flashlights and an oil lamp. It's good to know we'll be ok if the power were to be out for a long time.
I have been making a lot more foods from scratch and eating less processed foods. I am not totally organic and homemade because I work full-time and it's just not reasonable for us. I have packed my lunch every day this school year and all with real food, no Lean Cuisines! The kids have taken lunch from home much more frequently this year than ever before also. We haven't made it everyday, but we've definitely improved! I am really proud of that! It takes organization and planning and if I don't plan ahead, the kids end up with school lunch.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, even though I've been terrible about updating!
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Holiday preparations
Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful! We had friends and family coming and going from Wednesday through Sunday. What a nice time! We were glad to be able to carpet the basement so it was totally finished for our guests.
We've had our share of illness this fall. First Sweet Pea (age 9) got the flu, followed by pneumonia. He missed a whole week of school. That was before Thanksgiving. Now Big Dog (age 12) has the flu. I stayed home with him today and got a lot of things done. I made homemade pizza calzones which I will slice into portions and then freeze. They will be for school lunches. I also made Christmas cookie dough and am preparing to make lasagna right now. I love to bake! I got in a little cleaning and attempted to put the lights on the tree. I need to buy some more lights. It's very pathetic looking right now!
Hope everyone has a happy holiday season!
We've had our share of illness this fall. First Sweet Pea (age 9) got the flu, followed by pneumonia. He missed a whole week of school. That was before Thanksgiving. Now Big Dog (age 12) has the flu. I stayed home with him today and got a lot of things done. I made homemade pizza calzones which I will slice into portions and then freeze. They will be for school lunches. I also made Christmas cookie dough and am preparing to make lasagna right now. I love to bake! I got in a little cleaning and attempted to put the lights on the tree. I need to buy some more lights. It's very pathetic looking right now!
Hope everyone has a happy holiday season!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Autumn Updates
As with most people, things continue to be busy. Except for carpet, our basement is done and decorated. The garden is done and cleaned up until spring. The puppy is housebroken (except for some remaining submissive peeing, which is frustrating). I ended up replacing the foam in the ottoman and putting the fabric upolstry cover right in the washing machine. It was the best solution and is nice and clean!
Our little dead-end road has a lot more traffic than usual these days due to deer hunters. There is quite a bit of public hunting land accessed from our road, so we have trucks driving by much more frequently than normal.
Even with all the "traffic," I've learned that if you live rural and want to meet people other than your 2 neighbors, you have to DO something about it. People don't just walk up the sidewalk and say, "Hi! I'm ___ and live a few blocks down the road" like they do in suburbia. I've been attending church and a few people are remembering my name (if only I could remember theirs). I joined the school improvement team at my son's school to meet the teachers. I am also co-coaching 2 activities this fall--an academic reading team that will compete in a literacy "game show," and a a team for Odyssey of the Mind in which students use creative thinking, team-work and problem solving to complete in a problem-solving competition. Already I'm getting to know a few more people. Even though our "town" is small, the school district includes children from 5 different towns and lots of rural space in between, so the school district actually has a lot of students. Many more than I anticipated when we first moved here.
My meal planning is going pretty well thus far. I put all my meals in my Windows calendar on a rotating basis, so I have 5 meals planned automatically for each week. I just match up my grocery list with my menu for the week and I'm good to go! I do mix things up a bit. I might have Wed's dinner on Monday or something like that, but it sure helps to know I have all the ingredients on hand for 5 different meals. It's not too convenient to run to the store if I run out of something!
I would like to be making more things from scratch to avoid preservatives and eat healthier, but I have some roadblocks. 1st of all, it takes TIME to make everything from scratch and in case you didn't notice, I'm a little busy right now! 2nd, SOMEONE in my family prefers processed foods over homemade!!! This person would rather eat blueberry muffins from a mix or pizza from the chain, rather than completely homemade. How sad! : (
We will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year for 22 of our relatives. This is my first major Thanksgiving dinner, so I'm looking forward to it. It takes a lot of planning and organization. I have purchased everything except for the potatoes and we've borrowed tables and chairs, so we're on our way!
Our little dead-end road has a lot more traffic than usual these days due to deer hunters. There is quite a bit of public hunting land accessed from our road, so we have trucks driving by much more frequently than normal.
Even with all the "traffic," I've learned that if you live rural and want to meet people other than your 2 neighbors, you have to DO something about it. People don't just walk up the sidewalk and say, "Hi! I'm ___ and live a few blocks down the road" like they do in suburbia. I've been attending church and a few people are remembering my name (if only I could remember theirs). I joined the school improvement team at my son's school to meet the teachers. I am also co-coaching 2 activities this fall--an academic reading team that will compete in a literacy "game show," and a a team for Odyssey of the Mind in which students use creative thinking, team-work and problem solving to complete in a problem-solving competition. Already I'm getting to know a few more people. Even though our "town" is small, the school district includes children from 5 different towns and lots of rural space in between, so the school district actually has a lot of students. Many more than I anticipated when we first moved here.
My meal planning is going pretty well thus far. I put all my meals in my Windows calendar on a rotating basis, so I have 5 meals planned automatically for each week. I just match up my grocery list with my menu for the week and I'm good to go! I do mix things up a bit. I might have Wed's dinner on Monday or something like that, but it sure helps to know I have all the ingredients on hand for 5 different meals. It's not too convenient to run to the store if I run out of something!
I would like to be making more things from scratch to avoid preservatives and eat healthier, but I have some roadblocks. 1st of all, it takes TIME to make everything from scratch and in case you didn't notice, I'm a little busy right now! 2nd, SOMEONE in my family prefers processed foods over homemade!!! This person would rather eat blueberry muffins from a mix or pizza from the chain, rather than completely homemade. How sad! : (
We will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year for 22 of our relatives. This is my first major Thanksgiving dinner, so I'm looking forward to it. It takes a lot of planning and organization. I have purchased everything except for the potatoes and we've borrowed tables and chairs, so we're on our way!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Homemade chicken noodle soup
This one's for you Nikki!
Broth:
You can buy chicken broth in a carton or cans at the store or you can make your own. I usually use a combination of the two and add a spoonful of chicken base as well for extra flavor. You can find both the broth and the base near the soup section of the store.
To make your own broth:
After we have a roasted chicken for dinner, I put all the leftovers (meat, bones, skin everything) in a big pot on the stove and sometimes add onion, carrots, and celery for extra flavor if I had them on hand. Cover and let it simmer for a few hours. Then I put a colander over a large bowl and put everything through. The veggies, meat and bones stay in the colander and the broth goes in the bowl. I then take whatever chicken meat is left off the bones and cut it up for the soup. Sometimes there's a lot of fat in the broth. If you put it in the fridge over night the fat will harden on top and you can spoon it off. The broth usually get gelled, so just heat it back up a bit.
Homemade noodles:
I got this recipe from HeavenlyHomemakers.com.
2 1/3 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
1/3 C water
1 tsp oil
Mix flour and salt together. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the water and oil. Pour over flour and stir and knead until combined. (I put all my ingredients in the bread maker and le tit do the kneading and mixing for me while I do something else. I just turn it off after about 10 minutes.)
Wash, dry and flour your countertop. Roll out the dough and then cut with your pizza cutter into this strips. While I'm doing that I have pot of water on to boil. Place the strips into boiling water and cook until nearly done.
Heat up your broth. Add any chicken, chicken base or other seasonings (I like pepper or garlic) or cooked veggies you want and then add your noodles. Heat and simmer until dinner time.
We had this last night and it was yummy!
Broth:
You can buy chicken broth in a carton or cans at the store or you can make your own. I usually use a combination of the two and add a spoonful of chicken base as well for extra flavor. You can find both the broth and the base near the soup section of the store.
To make your own broth:
After we have a roasted chicken for dinner, I put all the leftovers (meat, bones, skin everything) in a big pot on the stove and sometimes add onion, carrots, and celery for extra flavor if I had them on hand. Cover and let it simmer for a few hours. Then I put a colander over a large bowl and put everything through. The veggies, meat and bones stay in the colander and the broth goes in the bowl. I then take whatever chicken meat is left off the bones and cut it up for the soup. Sometimes there's a lot of fat in the broth. If you put it in the fridge over night the fat will harden on top and you can spoon it off. The broth usually get gelled, so just heat it back up a bit.
Homemade noodles:
I got this recipe from HeavenlyHomemakers.com.
2 1/3 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
1/3 C water
1 tsp oil
Mix flour and salt together. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and add the water and oil. Pour over flour and stir and knead until combined. (I put all my ingredients in the bread maker and le tit do the kneading and mixing for me while I do something else. I just turn it off after about 10 minutes.)
Wash, dry and flour your countertop. Roll out the dough and then cut with your pizza cutter into this strips. While I'm doing that I have pot of water on to boil. Place the strips into boiling water and cook until nearly done.
Heat up your broth. Add any chicken, chicken base or other seasonings (I like pepper or garlic) or cooked veggies you want and then add your noodles. Heat and simmer until dinner time.
We had this last night and it was yummy!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Nature's Miracle
Well, last time I posted I mentioned locating the puppy pee. If anyone has a puppy who pees on the carpet once in awhile, you really need to get a flourescent black light. I got mine for $10 at Meijer in the lighting section. When it's dark out, you turn off the regular lights and go around with the black light shining it on the carpet. Everywhere there is organic matter will glow! That includes dust mites, so don't think little puppy peed along all your walls-you need to vacuum along them better! I poured Nature's Miracle on all the glowing spots. For almost a week I could still smell the urine every once in awhile. Now, the smell appears to be gone for the most part. Apparently the product stays in the carpet and over time, neutralizes the urine or something like that. I am going to purchase another bottle, because I used the whole first bottle and our covered ottoman still smells if you get your nose down there. That and I'm sure we'll have more accidents.
Actually he's quite housetrained, but pees when he gets excited or nervous still.
I was going to post about the homemake noodles I made for soup, but I'm really too tired!
Actually he's quite housetrained, but pees when he gets excited or nervous still.
I was going to post about the homemake noodles I made for soup, but I'm really too tired!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Back to school
Well, we all survived the first week of school! The boys did great. My classes were really good, too!
I am really going to try to pack lunches for all 3 of us most every day this school year. Last year things were hectic with building and our kids ended up eating school lunch almost every day. The oldest chose pizza every single day of the year! It also was pretty expensive for 2 kids--we were paying a little over $20/week for unhealthy lunches! When they did pack a lunch it wasn't very healthy--usually a Lunchable. So far we've had 4 days of school and I managed to have lunches for all 3 of us every day. One day the boys took leftover cheeseburgers from the previous evening's dinner. I've been buying a lot of non-fat yogurt for them and grapes and pretzels. I've got a list of ideas to draw from.
I also have planned all my dinners in advance and have them saved on a calendar so I'll also know what's for dinner and can buy my groceries accordingly! :) Yay for me!
Now that's is dark outside, I must get my blacklight and locate the source of the puppy pee smell in my living room. I bought some Nature's Miracle and hope that it works!
I am really going to try to pack lunches for all 3 of us most every day this school year. Last year things were hectic with building and our kids ended up eating school lunch almost every day. The oldest chose pizza every single day of the year! It also was pretty expensive for 2 kids--we were paying a little over $20/week for unhealthy lunches! When they did pack a lunch it wasn't very healthy--usually a Lunchable. So far we've had 4 days of school and I managed to have lunches for all 3 of us every day. One day the boys took leftover cheeseburgers from the previous evening's dinner. I've been buying a lot of non-fat yogurt for them and grapes and pretzels. I've got a list of ideas to draw from.
I also have planned all my dinners in advance and have them saved on a calendar so I'll also know what's for dinner and can buy my groceries accordingly! :) Yay for me!
Now that's is dark outside, I must get my blacklight and locate the source of the puppy pee smell in my living room. I bought some Nature's Miracle and hope that it works!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Feeling like fall
Two days ago the season appeared to change overnight. It had been in the 90's for days, a storm blew in and now it's in the 50's and 60's and windy. This is my kind of weather. The mosquitos are even gone!
Josh bought a pick-up a few weeks back to use to snowplow the drive this winter (300 feet--that push snowblower just isn't going to do it). He knew a guy who knows a guy who's a mechanic on the side and gave him a good deal on a bunch of repairs, but it took 2 weeks. He picked it up this morning and then went to look at a snowplow he found for sale on Craigslist. Turned out the plow-selling guy works for a guy whose wife Josh works with. He decided to leave his truck with that guy who is going to weld on a frame for him. So, I had to go pick him up. We live out in the country, but the plow-selling guy was 45 more minutes in the country. It was a beautiful drive. We passed a sign for an apple orchard and on the way back, Josh stopped for me! Turns out it was on the property of an Amish family. When we pulled in the drive, there was one little girl out tending the goats. As I approached the house, another adorable girl came bouncing out the door, eager to sell me her apples. I got a half-bushel of Courtlands for only $5!
Later this afternoon, Josh, Big Dog and I went into the woods to start getting some firewood. Josh cut up a downed tree and we helped carry it out of the woods to the trailer (well, he did most of it, it was heavy and a long way to carry). Then while Josh split the wood, the boys and I finished clearing the area around the rope swing. Now they can swing high without hitting the bushes!
Now I have an apple crisp in the oven for dessert! I will make applesauce later this weekend and maybe try my hand at a pie--we'll see!
Josh bought a pick-up a few weeks back to use to snowplow the drive this winter (300 feet--that push snowblower just isn't going to do it). He knew a guy who knows a guy who's a mechanic on the side and gave him a good deal on a bunch of repairs, but it took 2 weeks. He picked it up this morning and then went to look at a snowplow he found for sale on Craigslist. Turned out the plow-selling guy works for a guy whose wife Josh works with. He decided to leave his truck with that guy who is going to weld on a frame for him. So, I had to go pick him up. We live out in the country, but the plow-selling guy was 45 more minutes in the country. It was a beautiful drive. We passed a sign for an apple orchard and on the way back, Josh stopped for me! Turns out it was on the property of an Amish family. When we pulled in the drive, there was one little girl out tending the goats. As I approached the house, another adorable girl came bouncing out the door, eager to sell me her apples. I got a half-bushel of Courtlands for only $5!
Later this afternoon, Josh, Big Dog and I went into the woods to start getting some firewood. Josh cut up a downed tree and we helped carry it out of the woods to the trailer (well, he did most of it, it was heavy and a long way to carry). Then while Josh split the wood, the boys and I finished clearing the area around the rope swing. Now they can swing high without hitting the bushes!
Now I have an apple crisp in the oven for dessert! I will make applesauce later this weekend and maybe try my hand at a pie--we'll see!
Monday, August 16, 2010
More harvest!
Today I harvested 24 ears of corn from the garden, blanched, cut and froze them. That seemed like a lot of corn for the freezer when I picked it, but once it was processed, it's not that much. I suppose it's about 8-10 meals' worth for our family of 4. I still feel like I've accomplished something though! I am also harvesting tomatoes and await the day I have enough to start making and canning salsa-it shouldn't be too much longer! I have 4 orange pumpkins in the garden and a lot of watermelon and acorn squash that aren't ripe yet.
This weekend I made some yeast dinner rolls and pancakes for the freezer. I am planning on making another roll recipe this afternoon. I also need to paint some baseboard trim and I want to clear the area under the boys' rope swing they haven't used all summer.
This weekend I made some yeast dinner rolls and pancakes for the freezer. I am planning on making another roll recipe this afternoon. I also need to paint some baseboard trim and I want to clear the area under the boys' rope swing they haven't used all summer.
Friday, August 6, 2010
End of summer activities
With only 2 weeks left of my summer vacation, I have a lot to cram in! Tonight we're hosting a card party, tomorrow family visitors, Monday friends visiting, Tues. dr appointment and a session on raising chickens, Wednesday to my parents' house to drop off my boys for the week and a visit to an old friend I haven't seen in 21 years!
Once I get back home on Thursday (sans boys) I hope to make some meals ahead for the freezer: lasagna, enchiladas, cookie dough, garlic bread, taco meat, cooked ground beef, chicken noodle soup . . . I also hope to have ripe tomatoes some day so I can make and can some salsa. I need to get my menus planned. Josh and I used to get paid on opposite Fridays, now it will be the same Friday, so we'll only be paid every other week. This is going to take some adjustment in the way I shop and plan.
I have some more rooms that need to be painted in the basement and more organizing to do down there as well. I was planning to tile the kitchen backsplash this summer, but honestly, "it ain't gonna happen!"
I also have a few books I'd like to read and relax for a little bit!
Once I get back home on Thursday (sans boys) I hope to make some meals ahead for the freezer: lasagna, enchiladas, cookie dough, garlic bread, taco meat, cooked ground beef, chicken noodle soup . . . I also hope to have ripe tomatoes some day so I can make and can some salsa. I need to get my menus planned. Josh and I used to get paid on opposite Fridays, now it will be the same Friday, so we'll only be paid every other week. This is going to take some adjustment in the way I shop and plan.
I have some more rooms that need to be painted in the basement and more organizing to do down there as well. I was planning to tile the kitchen backsplash this summer, but honestly, "it ain't gonna happen!"
I also have a few books I'd like to read and relax for a little bit!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Laundry soap
I finally decided to make some laundry soap. I've had the recipe for a couple of years now, Josh was always the one who did the laundry and I didn't know if he'd use it or not. Since I'm not working outside the home during the summer and Josh has been busy finishing the basement, I said I'd take over laundry duties for the summer. This is a good time for me to test the laundry soap. My mom said she used it for about 4 months last year and eventually clothes started to look dingy. I'll test for myself I guess.
I know everyone and their neighbor has blogged about their use of homemade laundry soap, so I won't bore you with all the details. However, here is the recipe I used:
1/3 bar FelsNaptha soap
1/2 C washing soda
1/2 C borax
Grate the soap and put in a saucepan with 6 cups of hot water. Heat and stir until soap melts. Add borax and washing soda and stir until dissolved. Pour mixture into a bucket and add 4 cups of water and stir well. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and keep stirring. Let soap sit for 24 hours to thicken a little. Use 1/2 C per load. There are little to no suds in the washing machine.
I know everyone and their neighbor has blogged about their use of homemade laundry soap, so I won't bore you with all the details. However, here is the recipe I used:
1/3 bar FelsNaptha soap
1/2 C washing soda
1/2 C borax
Grate the soap and put in a saucepan with 6 cups of hot water. Heat and stir until soap melts. Add borax and washing soda and stir until dissolved. Pour mixture into a bucket and add 4 cups of water and stir well. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and keep stirring. Let soap sit for 24 hours to thicken a little. Use 1/2 C per load. There are little to no suds in the washing machine.
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