e-scrapbooking

I feel compelled to respond to the KLM comment from the cemetery post.

e-scrap booking, digital scrap booking, whatever you want to call it... I prefer it.

I'm not a traditionally crafty person. I've tried to paint, write, play, create, glue, mold, blah blah blah.
People, it's not my gig.
All I do is find half-finished projects all over the house. In fact, I am sitting here in my digital hole with one of those darn crochet bags behind me just mocking me. (I had high hopes of making those cute little beaded baby socks... yeah, right.)

But this; this I can handle. Give me some digital files to whiz over the big I as my set of cropped pictures. Give me some HTML tags instead of those awful acid free everythings - glue, paper, stickers... I'm back in my element.
Thank goodness. I thought I was going to be forced to continue to hurl myself at one more failed craft project after another. You know, because I'm a chic and that's what we do... we craft. Isn't that right? Well, at least I think it's assumed that we're supposed to be crafty... and more so, we're supposed to just LOVE doing it.
No, everyone. This is my world. So, I'll be putting down my acid-free glues, my crochet hook, my paintbrush and water colors to return to a normal life again.

Now, let's see, where'd my desktop link for MS Paint go...

Read more...

Quiet Neighbors

In reference to the previous post today... Yes, we really do live next to a cemetary. It's a hot spot around Halloween. Not to mention the psychics that were up there the other day wanting to have some kind of séance. Personally, I think it's quite a lovely place. It's very peaceful. The cemetary is very old. There are headstones with birthdates dating back to 1820 or earlier.

And Kathy, there are some Maberry's up there. Not a common spelling of the last name...

Read more...

As if Building a Chicken House Wasn't Enough...

It's time to DIG... not a grave... although all of us may need one by the time all the labor is done! (How handy, a cemetary next door...) No, it's time to put in the garden. Even Grace tried to help with her little shovel and rake. But, I should note that this isn't just any garden. This is a very special garden - designed to produce more in less space - designed to reduce weeding and the amount of water necessary for the plants - designed to be MY KIND OF GARDEN! Terry put his in last year under this same concept - Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. Here's a link to his site. He has books you can purchase as well. http://www.squarefootgardening.com/
The whole concept is actually quite genius. Build (or dig) "squares" of about 4'x4'. The squares don't have to be fancy or decorative like the website shows... unless you're just wanting them to look that way. Once your squares are filled w/ good soil & fertilizer, it's rock free, virtually weed free, easy to work in, easy to water, I could go on & on. So, you just need sets of 4'x4' squares in numbers that would accomadate your harvest.
OK, commercial over. It really is a neat idea. Terry loves his garden and says it is so easy to work in... year after year. The initial setup is the labor intensive part... but not after that. One time-hard work. Then, for years on it's just a matter of turning the loose easy-to-churn soil and planting. Ta da!

Enough about the garden though. Next up this week is, well, fixing the drive-way... excessive rain does wonders to a gravel driveway running up the side of a hill. But what I'm excited about is the upcoming painting that I'll get to start doing to the chicken house wall panels & trim pieces. Courtney assures me they'll be ready soon... i.e. this weekend. I went to Lowe's and bought my paints and am chomping at the bit to paint the "ladies'" house. It will be so darn cute!

Read more...

The Chicks are Here!

There's nothing like the sound of cheep, cheep, cheep coming from 30 chicks. Happiness abounds!
They're so cute, and Grace just thinks they're the best thing ever!
Of course, all the animals are very interested. Zelda thinks they're loud... but the cats think they look like fun... a little too much fun I'm afraid. So we've got them in the garage with bails around them. On top is a heavy wire cage to keep out the other critters. The heat lamp seems to be set to temperature JUST RIGHT.

So, for all you technical chicken connoisseurs, here's the scoop on what we've got now. All the chicks were purchased from Estes Hatchery in Springfield, MO. Courtney just happens to have an aunt working there.

10 each of:
Barred Plymouth Rocks - Pullets only (females), Brown eggs, mature around 6 lbs, EXCELLENT egg-layers
https://www.esteshatchery.com/product_info.php?products_id=29

California White Leghorns - Straight run (i.e. male/female mix), White eggs, mature around 4.5 lbs, VERY EXCELLENT egg-layers
https://www.esteshatchery.com/product_info.php?products_id=59

Rhode Island Reds - Pullets only, Brown eggs, mature around 5.5 lbs, VERY GOOD egg-layer
https://www.esteshatchery.com/product_info.php?products_id=57



Video of everyone meeting everyone! And no, we didn't let Grace hold the chicks... I was afraid she'd crush one in all of her excitement!!!!!

Read more...

The sky is falling!

"The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"

No, wait, it's "The chicks are coming! The chicks are coming!"

Courtney ordered 30 chicks from Estes in Springfield. I can't remember exactly which ones... I know they were all good egg-laying breeds. They'll hatch Wednesday, so he'll pick them up that afternoon. 30 little chicks running around saying, "Cheep, cheep, cheep!" How sweet will that be? I think Grace is going to flip her lid when she sees their little fluffy heads. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun. I'll take pictures of them when they get here and post again this Thursday.

Read more...

Feeling a Little Waterlogged

We're quite lucky to have our house embedded in the side of a hill. Even when the rain comes down from the heavens in buckets, it still manages to just roll off the side of the hill to the valley below. Not too many spots in the basement seem to be affected by this last dousing of rain. We're very lucky. I've been watching reports this morning of people in Arkansas on the Red River begin evacuated. It's not been that long since our last round of flooding, and they're already predicting the James River up by Springfield to come out of its banks... again.

I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of our little "creek" that runs by the property. It's normally a narrow trickle through the fields. Today it's up out of its banks and flooding the pasture. This is the first time I've witnessed it at this level. Very impressive. It just makes me wonder what the larger rivers are in for today and over the next few days as runoff heads their way.

We were supposed to have a large yard sale at my father's place in Springfield this weekend BUT since it is Missouri and they're predicting snow and a HIGH of 40's, we'll be rescheduling for a later weekend. How crazy is that?
But hey, if you don't like the weather, just wait an hour or so...

Read more...

Nice Weather = Almost a Chicken House

A nice weekend made for some great construction days. Courtney managed to get the framing completed, the roof decking on, the new brick-red roof on top of that, and part of the wire mesh floor for the chicken house in. I think we'll be getting the chicks soon and let them get started on growing up to be big girls.
Momma wants some eggs ladies...

Wow, was it a pretty weekend here in the Ozarks or what?!?!

Other good news: We finally gave away the last of Zelda's puppies... Ling (left). She went to a nice family with two children in Republic. I'm pretty sure she'll have a very good home there. Zelda (right) will be a little lonely for awhile but I plan to get Grace out there with her to torture her a bit and keep her mind off the puppies.



Well, it's said to rain a lot the rest of this week, so that's all the chicken construction for now I guess. Hope everyone is doing fine! I'd love to hear from you!!

Read more...