So Little Time

When I started this blog, I had visions of being able to share my life with the rest of the world. I guess that was a delusion of grandeur that I had when the snow was flying...

The past few months have literally been a blur. I've had so much I wanted to share, but so little time to do it. I've been going nonstop since the middle of May. I've really tried to focus on my garden this year so I can savor the good feeling of knowing the entire process from seed to table, freezer or jar. Of course, all that takes time--lots of time. Throw in flower beds, yard mowing, garage sales, helping friends and family--you need the 14 or 15 hours of daylight we become accustomed to just to get our work done. However, with the recent cool weather we've been having, I am feeling a sense of anticipation.

Remember when you were a senior in high school or college and it was the last few weeks of school and graduation was near? We seniors were giddy with the excitement of finishing school. "Senioritis" the teachers called it. I'm feeling that sense of "senioritis" right now. The cool days and cooler night are teasing me. Our county fair starts Saturday--the last real event before Fall is upon us.

The thought of this new season excites me. I like each season as it comes. But, I look forward to Fall more than any other season because it means a well-deserved break is coming. Lots of people around here hate the thought of cold weather and despise the thought of snow. Not I. It's a time to relax and take a breath of brisk air smelling the smell of dry leaves, and wood smoke. It's a time to slow down and read a book, knit and bake cookies. A time to relax and rejuvenate. Just like the plants take the last bits energy down to their roots and bulbs as they settle in for Fall and Winter, we farmers, ranchers and gardeners take this time to regain strength and re energize for Spring.

"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose..." as it says in Ecclesiastes. What are you looking forward to in this new season upon us?

Time With A Little Guy

I had the opportunity to spend a few days with my oldest nephew, Ethan. He'll be nine years old in July and this was his first time away from home for more than a one-night sleep over. His younger brother, Jared gets really homesick, so he didn't get to come since it was going to be more than one night away from home. But, I have little broiler chicks coming in July and they will both be coming to stay overnight when I pick up the chicks from the hatchery.

The first day we went swimming, including Uncle Matt. A fun time was had by all, even me--a total land dweller. I swim like a rock...if you get my drift.

Tuesday, we started our day with breakfast, a rarity for me and then it was off to do morning chores. Ethan is in Cub Scouts and as part of a project requirement, he could help feed and care for the chickens. I showed him how many scoops of food the chickens got and helped him fill waterers and sweep the floor. I then created a monster! He became completely intrigued by handling the chickens and made it his duty to catch all the ones he could. After some time in the coop we went in and chilled out. He played "animal catcher" with my many cats and dogs and put them in the cages I used to use when I had my boarding kennel. Thank goodness they are so good-natured! Periodically, Ethan took it upon himself to go out to the coop and check for eggs.

Later in the day, we went to the farm where I help milk cows. It was fun for me. I hadn't milked in a while. It was so hot in the parlor! Ethan looked the part with his rag, work boots and rubber gloves. I explained what it took to prep the cows and the importance of knowing what red leg bands meant. (Leg bands indicate a "dry cow"/ pregnant and due to calf, a cow that may have mastitis, a cow that just had a calf/ "freshened" or a cow that is on medication.) He checked the legs as the cows came in and would say "that one has a band", or "no red-bander's here!" He helped count cows to let me know how many needed to fill the parlor for that round of milking. He even got to help pre-dip, strip and post dip teats. A big help for never doing it before. He hung in there pretty well till he got sweaty and itchy and wanted to leave. But, Al was milking by himself since Stan was busy baling hay and I wasn't going to leave Al to do it all himself. I sent Ethan to the milk house to wait by the bulk tank. We only had a few cows left anyway. He just couldn't take the "itching" anymore. I think he was just hot and sweaty, but he chalked it up to no fun and deemed cows made him itch and they smelled funny.

He got to help weigh eggs and I even taught him how to make scrambled eggs! He soaked up all that I taught him.

He didn't want to leave, and I admit I was enjoying the company. As for the chickens, I'm not so sure... But, he went home convinced that he wants to be a chicken farmer.

Cleaning Out the Chicken Coop & Recipe of the Week: Not Your Mom's Meatloaf

Some of my followers have been giving me heck wondering, "What gives? Why haven't you posted?" Like many other bloggers out there, I've been busy with the new responsibilities of Spring and early Summer. Right now northeast Ohio is caught in this crazy weather pattern where it rains practically every other day. It's making it impossible to get my garden out! When I do, I'm planning on documenting it as well as including some helpful hints.

One of the myriad of things I've accomplished so far is cleaning out the chicken coop. By no means a glamorous job, but still a necessary task. I picked a non-raining day and went to work.

This is before I went to work. Things were just kind of here and there. When it's the middle of Winter and 18 degrees outside, you just want to hurry back to the house. Eventually after a few months of that, things start looking pretty messy.

My coop is divided into three pens: a Hospital, or sick pen, the "Bantie Pen" and the General Population pen. The General Population pen is twice as big as the hospital or Bantie pens. I started with the General Pop pen first, since it was the biggest. I shoveled out all of the old bedding until everything was cleaned out.

I then sprinkled a Poultry Dust on the floor of the coop. This dust helps deter lice and other creepy crawlies from living on the birds.

See the dust on the floor? Also, take note of the two new nest boxes I hung. Matt's Uncle Stan and I designed them and then he built them. There is a perch on the front for the birds to hop up on and a lid on the top for me to open and collect eggs. I never have to set foot in the pen.

Next, I put down a thick layer of fresh wheat straw. Almost ready for the girls to see their new pen and boxes...

Ahh, a happy tenant in her new home getting ready to lay an egg!

Looks like somebody has been hard at work!

A place for everything and everything in its place!

Not only did I clean out the pens, but I also mixed my new hens in with the older ones. Sometimes adding new chickens to the "pecking order" can be pretty dicey. I can't say it didn't go without some squabbling, but overall, it was the most uneventful mix I've done. The girls are in full swing and giving me eight to sometimes 13 or 14 eggs a day. I have eggs coming out my ears!

Recipe of the Week: Not Your Mom's Meatloaf

courtesy Renee Schaaf, CT Farm

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2/3 c. dry bread crumbs

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 Tblsp. parsley

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 c. dried minced onion

1/4 c. ketchup

Topping:

3 Tbsp. BBQ sauce (I used Bob Evan's Wildfire sauce)

3 Tbsp. ketchup

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Mix topping ingredients and spread on top of loaf. Bake until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Let rest five minutes before slicing.

This makes great meatloaf sandwiches the next day...

What I've Been Up To...

With the weather being as gorgeous as it's been, it has been hard for me to stay in the house. I've been digging around in my flowers and thinning perennials, making up hanging baskets and trying to get my garden in shape. One day last week, I think I only went in the house to eat lunch and use the potty. Otherwise, I was out ALL DAY! Gardening is like therapy for me. It's my time to reflect on things and file and sort what's going on. It's also the time when I feel really close to the Lord. Maybe because Spring is like a miracle time of year. Things wake up out of Winter's slumber just at the right time. Only God could create things as intricate as that. I will be sharing pics of my flowers and whatnot as soon as I get things wrapped up out there. But today, I'm focusing on the inside.

As part of my coping with what happened, I decided to revamp the house. I had to tunnel my feelings into something. It was a huge undertaking, so my mom came up and helped me. It took us a week and a half to get things completed. The only room we didn't touch was the downstairs bath/ laundry. Every other room we did something to. I feel like things are more organized now. Was it "Good Housekeeping" whose motto was "A place for everything and everything in its place."? Well, that's how I feel about the house now. I will try and get pics of all the rooms eventually. But today, I'll share the upstairs.


This is our room now. I wish I had pics of this room BEFORE we redid it. But, I neglected to take any. The walls used to be a peachy, pink yucky color and it had this awful border! There was carpet too. My mom and I tackled the job of redoing it. Matt and I yanked the carpet out last Summer. I patched drywall. Later in the Fall of last year, Mom and I painted and sanded the hardwood floor. Apparently when whoever had the house before us decided to redo this room, they were anything but particular. Instead of putting drop cloths down when they redid drywall, they let the hardwood floor catch it all. When they painted, they let the floor catch it all. Beautiful honey-oak hardwood splattered with drywall and white paint! It was awful!!! Mom and I sanded it with palm sanders. It went a lot quicker than you might think. I put on a few coats of finish and it looks pretty awesome. I went with a beige for the walls. You can't see it in the picture, but I added some stick on "stained glass" to a small window in the room for a little extra "bling". My brother helped put up new baseboard. I really like how the room turned out.

This used to be the "kid" room. But, we decided to turn it into the guest room. That is a faux fireplace. I have some of those electric logs. It gives off a nice atmosphere. This room has had nothing done to it. It was this color when we bought the house. The floors are hardwood. Mom and I scrubbed this room. We did a lot of "re-purposing" in here. The pillows, fireplace, a chair, pillows and lamp all used to be in my dining room. Now that I don't have a dining room (more on that later), I wasn't sure what to do with the stuff. Then, I had this idea and it worked out.

Okay, nothing too impressive about this shot. The upstairs bath will be my bath and the kid's bath. I got these frog accessories when Matt and I got married. I would like the bath to eventually be frog themed.

Ahh, the crowning jewel! This is the new "kid" room. The theme is Noah's Ark. Not in the shot is a Pack-n-Play. As you can see, there is a crib and a twin bed. This room is technically the master bedroom. Matt and I figured that we have the whole house and the kids only get their room for all of their stuff--so why not give them the biggest room? Mom and I scrubbed this room too and arranged it and re-purposed some stuff in here too. I had been collecting the Noah's Ark decor from garage sales and Goodwill. I was finally able to put it all together. If this room would have been done when we got our placements, that would have made a huge difference. This room is ready to go. The only thing I need to do is organize the closet-full of hand-me down clothes.

Hope you enjoyed the pics. I'll try to get pics of the downstairs soon.

I'm Back!

Just a quick post to let you know that I'm back and better. I've spent the last month revamping a lot of things in my home and life.

Over the next few days and weeks I'll be sharing what I've been up to and what has been going on with me and the critters. We did a total overhaul on the house and I want to share pics. Spring has sprung...Chickens are laying again...Time to plant the garden...Ahh! Lots of "life" happening on CT Farm!

Stay tuned!

Sad

I'm not usually one to wear my emotions on my sleeve, but I am very sad. Instead of keeping it in, I figure the best place for things to be are out in the open.

As you know, I've been fighting, what has turned out to be, a massive sinus infection. I think this was the catalyst for the unfortunate chain of events that has recently occurred in my life.

Monday was my birthday and was turning out to be a good day. In the afternoon, we got our first call from Job and Family Services for foster placements! I was so excited! We were hoping to get one child, but they asked us if we would be willing to take three. The kids were three, one and a half and two months. The youngest, a boy, was in the hospital and would remain there until he could have heart surgery. So for the meantime, we would have two little girls. I talked with Matt and he was willing. I was so excited. I think my excitement clouded my judgement. Looking back now, I should have declined and given myself time to get over being ill before taking on such a big responsibility.

We had nothing ready for the girls. We scrambled to round up car seats and Matt and I headed to the agency to get them. It was cold an windy. We met in the parking lot and I was handed a cold, scared and crying little three-year-old girl. At first, she didn't want me to hold her, but she was shivering. I asked, "Are you cold?"
"Uh Huh..." she nodded.
"Do you want me told hold you to keep you warm?"
She nodded in agreement.
With papers flying around and signatures being put here and there, bags getting exchanged and two kids crying, we manged to get the girls in the car. Matt was taking care of the one-year-old.

The workers who gave us the girls I think thought we were taking on alot for our first placements. I knew it would be hard. But, how hard could it be?

We stopped at Wal-Mart to get supplies. Matt stayed with the girls while I shopped. When I got back in the car, the older one was jabbering away and both seemed quite happy despite what had just happened. We got an earful on the way home. In the simple language of a three-year-old I was given small glimpses of what she experienced when they came to take her and her sister. It was so sad. I hope she doesn't remember it.

When we got home, my parents were at the house because they had brought up a crib that a lady in our church found for us. Mom had it washed up and ready to go. I had told Sally, the three-year-old, that my mommy and daddy were going to be at my house when we got there. I told her their names and she could call them Bob or Sharon, Grandpa or Grandma, Pa or Ma--that they would be her foster grandparents like I would be their foster mom. My mom was looking out the front door as Sally, her sister Jill and I went up the sidewalk. Sally saw my mom and exclaimed, "Grandma's here!" When we got inside, I introduced her to my dad.
"This is my daddy, Bob," I said.
"Hi Grandpa," she said.
I got teary eyed on that one.
The girls went about the house taking in their new surroundings. They were dirty and completely soaked through from their wet diapers. I opted to put them in the tub. This is where things started getting a little hairy.

Jill didn't want anything to do with my mom, being in the bathroom or getting a bath. She screamed almost the whole time! Sally was wonderful. Jill settled down a little once she discovered the bath toys. But, when I washed her hair, that sent her over the edge. She cried so hard she shook. Then, she pooped in the tub. I got the girls out quickly and dried them and got fresh diapers on. Did I mention Jill threw up after I got her out of the tub? Jill was still crying and continued to cry until we were back downstairs. We had to find the bag with their new jammies in them so they played while I cleaned up the tub. This is when I started not feeling well. I started crying and getting sick in my stomach and shaking. My mom came up to help me and I told her, "I can't do this..." She reassured me that I could. I was having doubts.

We finally found the jammies and mom and dad got the girls dressed while I fixed them some supper. They didn't hardly eat anything. Jill threw the Graham crackers I gave her at me and picked the applesauce off the plate that she clearly didn't want on there. Mom and Matt were getting the crib set up. Once the girls declared they were "done", I went upstairs to help finish making the beds. I felt so hot and light headed. I was sweating to beat the band. I sat on the bed and cried. I started feeling sick again and went to the bathroom to throw up. Matt tried to console me, but it wasn't working. I felt so tired. I just wanted everything to go away.

We tried to put the girls to bed. That ended up turning into another fiasco. We had two sobbing little girls. I tried to comfort them, but they just wanted to be up. I just wanted to lay down. At this point, I was running on sheer willpower. I got the girls up and we walked downstairs. I remember having to stop and rest on the way down the steps. Sally informed me that her diaper was coming off and I asked Mom to go upstairs and get the diapers. I remember sitting down in the chair. Mom came with the diapers and I started walking over to the couch and I just collapsed. I remember being in this limp heap leaning against the couch and my mom and Matt shaking me and talking to me, but I couldn't respond. My arms and legs and hands felt cold and tingly and I couldn't talk. I couldn't do anything. My mom was crying. My dad called the squad. They got there quickly. I remember them saying my name and asking me questions, but I couldn't do anything. The squad guys carried me to the stretcher and I remember it hurt but I couldn't even say it hurt. I was so limp. The one squad guy said, "the lights are on, but nobody's home." I was completely aware of what was going on, but couldn't do anything about it.

In the ambulance they put oxygen on me and that seemed to help. I was scared. Was what I was perceiving really what was happening? I remember the EMT said, "I think somebody took too much Trazedone..." I knew that wasn't right, but couldn't tell him. I just remember furrowing my brows and trying to say "no", but I couldn't make my mouth work.

We got to the hospital and, of course, they just start working on you. My mom rode in the ambulance and was by my side once we got to the hospital. They kept asking me questions and I couldn't talk or hardly move. I couldn't figure out why or what was going on. I could give a "thumbs up" and "thumbs down". The doctor asked me lots of questions and I answered either with a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". They started running an EKG and CT scan and scads of bloodwork. I kind of lost my concept of time. The last I knew it was 9:48 PM. When Mom told me it was 12:30 AM, I didn't believe her. As the night wore on, I started getting feeling and movement back in my hands, arms, legs and feet. But, I still couldn't talk. My mouth was making all these uncontrolled movement and sounds. I would try to talk, but I couldn't make my mouth and tongue do what I needed it to. I tried and tried. I wondered "Am I going to be like this from now on?" I finally asked for paper and pencil. My writing looked like a little kid's writing. But, at least I could communicate. I was feeling like such a failure. I remember writing "Failed" on the paper. My mom got upset and tried to reassure me. The more upset I got the worse my uncontrolled movements got. I knew I had to try and calm down. The doctor came in and said that my lab work was coming back normal except the CT scan showed that all my sinuses were infected. At some point my dad had arrived and was asking questions. Matt was home with the girls. The consensus was to get an MRI, but I would have to stay the night and get it in the morning. I was in the ER for a while yet. Slowly, I regained more and more coordination. I was finally able to whisper and then talk, but it was hard to do. I was afraid to go to sleep.

I was taken to my room around 4:00 AM. Of course, there were lots of questions the nurses needed to ask. I just remember feeling so tired. I was finally done with all the admittance questions and they brought me a pill to make me fall asleep because I was fighting sleep from fear.

I woke up after 8:00 AM. I remember waking up and crying. I still felt like an absolute failure. I think the doctor came in and talked to me. Everyone kept asking me how I felt. It was the same answer every time, "Tired". I was crying when my nurse came in. She sat on my bed and just talked to me. She tried to reassure me that I wasn't a failure. Deep down I still did--and still do.

I got two courses of IV antibiotic and slept alot. Matt and Mom and Dad came to see me. I just felt so tired. Matt talked with the agency and they were able to find another foster family to take the girls. I knew I would barely be able to take care of myself, let alone two busy girls.

I was released in the evening on the 16th. I came home and saw all my critters. Matt and I did a lot of crying together. I just wanted some sense of normalcy back. Anything. I took my meds and went to bed.

I woke up yesterday and wondered if it had all been a dream. But, I saw the diapers and sippy cups and knew it wasn't. My mom and dad came up to help me and make sure I was okay. Matt did my chores for me and went to work. I really didn't want to be alone. Mom helped me get the house straightened up and we agreed to put the toys and anything else kid-related away in the kid room and shut the door. I really don't want to revisit the incident. When I look at the empty Pack-n-Play, it just reminds me that I feel inadequate somehow. It torments me in a way, knowing it's empty.

I know I was a mom for only afew hours, but today, being alone I am feeling a sense of loss. I feel almost like I'm grieving in a way. I wonder how the girls are doing in their new home.

The agency put Matt and I on "Need A Break" status until I get a physical from the doctor stating that I am healthy enough to be a foster parent. It makes me angry in a way. I feel like everyone is treating me like I'm fragile and I'll break or like I'm a fruit or something. I'm not. I feel sane and rational. Looking back, if I wouldn't have been so worn down, I'm sure I would have pulled through. Yeah, the first few days would have been rough, but we would have managed. But, my body said, "You're done". They diagnosed me with a conversion disorder. I looked it up in my college Psych book. It is a somatoform disorder. Meaning, it is a disorder where "distressing symptoms take a somatic (bodily) form, without apparent physical causes..." In conversion disorder, anxiety is "presumed to be converted into a physical symptom...A patient with conversion disorder might lose sensation in a way that makes no neurological sense. Yet the physical symptoms would be real; one could stick pins in the affected area and get no response. Others experience unexplained paralysis, blindness, or an inability to swallow, and are strangely indifferent to their problems." (Myers, David G. Physchology. New York: Worth Publishers, 1995.)

I'm not sure I agree with the diagnosis 100%. It explains the temporary paralysis, but I never really felt "anxious". Maybe a little, but I've felt WAY more anxious just shopping in Wal-Mart than I EVER did that night. I still think I was just too run down. I may never truly know why the incident happened, but I don't want it to happen again.

I probably won't post for awhile. Keep me in your prayers.

Okay, So I Wasn't On the Mend

This time I was MIA in the Trenches of Illness. Ugh! I've felt so terrible. I thought I was getting better and then the sinus pressure and plugging settled in and didn't want to leave. You know that Mucinex commercial where the mucous moved in? Well, that was me Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Finally on Friday, I had to go to the doctor. The nurse practitioner put me on some antibiotics and over-the-counter decongestants. She diagnosed me with a sinus infection and upper respiratory infection. When I got home from the doctor, I took a shower, ate a little something, took my drugs and rested. I hadn't slept well in three days, so I went to bed at 11:00 PM Friday night and got up at 12:00 PM Saturday! I slept for 13 hours! Yesterday, I think I turned the corner and am on my way to recovery. All that sleep must have helped. My chest is still rattly and wheezy. I have a stethoscope I keep on hand to use on the critters if I need to. I got it out and listened to my chest. It was very instrumental.

Needless to say, I didn't go to church today. I've spent the afternoon catching up on paperwork. I hate to balance the checkbooks with the statements (I use online banking, mostly). With nothing better to do, I got out the statements and got to it. I filed and tied up the loose ends for 2009. Now, all the 2009 paperwork can go to the basement for storage. Ahh! What a relief to know it's done.

The weather here has been wonderful. The robins are back and I even heard a Red-Winged Blackbird. The daffodils are up and I've even seen my daylillies and hyacinths peeking out. Spring is springing!

My brother and my sister-in-law will be welcoming baby number four on Tuesday. My birthday is tomorrow, so that will be a nice present. It's supposed to be another boy. Four boys!!! They are 8, 7 and 1.

Spring Is Springing!

You all may be wondering what happened to me. I've been MIA in the Trenches of Life!

Last week was just crazy, with somewhere to be most everyday and getting home late on top of that. The weekend wasn't much better. And now, I've been sick with my usual Spring cold and sinus infection. Cough Cough. Hack Hack. Monday and Tuesday I just felt drained. I only did what needed done and the rest of the time I was in bed or in my chair. The coughing has subsided some and is starting to loosen up, but now I'm congested and still feel a little achy. But, I'm drinking and resting and seem to be on the mend.

Today we are forecasted to get a high of 62!!! Yee haw!!! Even though I've felt crummy, I still had to get out and take advantage of the weather. I wore a dark jacket doing chores this morning and the sun just seeped into it! It felt so nice and warm! Even after chores were done, I found myself loitering around outside just to be outside. I saw some opportunities to snap some pictures.

Daffodils peeking through! It still amazes me each Spring when the bulbs start to awaken underground at just the right time. I guess God tells them it's time to wake up.

Tuffy enjoying the warm weather. And look, grass!

I couldn't believe it when I saw this Yellow Jacket climbing up the garage! He was moving slow, but enjoying the weather like the rest of us.

Ahh, Spring is springing. With Spring comes full manure pits. My honey just got a call today from a farmer whose manure pit is just about ready to overflow. I had to take a short break from writing this to help him load some of his equipment. That means driving the loader tractor, hitching and unhitching things, loading equipment on the trailer, etc. I'm always nervous when I have to run the tractor because Matt is a heavy equipment operator too. He can do this kind of stuff in his sleep--and he does (he talks sometimes and it's always about work). After many arguments, I think I've gotten him to realize not to assume I know what he's thinking and to be clear and concise--whether it is in explaining or using hand signals. I thought I did well considering I'm not all with it with this cold and sinus thing. No major catastrophes and no one got hurt.

So, Matt'll be off soon to get set-up to pump. Yeah! Not that he's leaving, but that he has work. Work is good.

Recipe of the Week: Baked Beans
courtesy Renee Schaaf, CT Farm

I made these beans last night for supper. I just threw them together and they turned out well. Next time I might add bacon. Instead of one of the cans of Pork-n-Beans, I might add a can of kidney beans or chili beans.

2 14.5 oz. cans Pork-n-Beans
1/4 c. applesauce
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1/2 tsp. mustard
1/2 Tbsp. Liquid Smoke
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/16 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Combine all ingredients and place in a baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Isn't Technology Wonderful?

I appologize for not posting! I have been busy, but what has been driving me crazy was a virus that somehow attached itself to my blog! I noticed it a few days ago when I tried to pull up my blog. My internet security (Great job Kapersky!) was blocking something called:

www.mktseek.com/myport.php?ref=postmaster HEUR:Trojan.Script.Iframer.

I was able to go to blogspot.com and sign in to my account and use the help forum. I posted what problems I was having and quickly got some responses. Both replies recommended deleteing some of the gadgets I had added. So, no more interactive "Joe Kitty", seasonal foods and sadly no more playlist. I really liked the playlist too. I'm not sure which one could have been the culprit, but the problem is resolved--at least for now.

Again, sorry for not posting. I'll have plenty to talk about in the next few days!

Work Day, Adventures in Babysitting, Day of Rest, Around the World & Recipe of the Week: Mexican Casserole

I've been a busy bee lately. Friday was a work day. Nothing too exciting there.

Saturday, I cleaned house in the morning and then Matt and I did a little shopping. First we grabbed a bite, then went to Other Mothers and New Destinations Thrift store in Wooster. I found some Easter baskets for nephew number four that will be arriving March 16th. My mom fixes Easter baskets and so do I for the boys (my nephews). Then, we headed to Lodi Station Outlets. It is an outlet mall. I was looking for chrome or stainless steel cooling racks and was having no luck anywhere else. There is a store there called Kitchen Collection. I figured if anyone would have them, Kitchen Collection would, and they did. I'm a sucker for kitchen gadgets and this store has tons. I told Matt, "I could drop a lot of money in this store..." He agreed that I probably could. We checked out a couple of baby stores and some shoe stores, but didn't find anything. Then, we were off to my friend Peggy's house. It was Peggy's birthday and she and her hubby (Scott Rixson of Scott Rixson Custom Guitars--check out the link) were going out with friends for dinner. Matt and I were going to watch their two kids. No major catastrophies. Matt and I had fun. I think their girls did too. So did Peggy and Scott.

Sunday was another day of rest. Church in the morning, afternoon with my parents. We cut the afternoon short to get back to Wooster and meet up with Stan, the guy I milk cows for. Matt and he had some business to attend to. I was able to catch the tail-end of milking and feed the calves. There were three calves to feed and they were hungry! I was practically mauled! They were trying to nurse off of my pants or anywhere they could! Al, Stan's hired man, came to my rescue and helped with crowd control. After milking, we went to visit Matt's dad and watched the closing ceremonies of the olympics.

Yesterday was very busy. I had a chiropractor appointment in the morning and errands to run after that. I had Tuffy scheduled for an ultrasound, of the bulgy muscle Dr. Amity found, at one o'clock in Berlin. On my way to the vet, I stopped at the Country Pantry and got Matt some lunch meat and cheese. I was a little ahead of schedule, so I took some back roads into Berlin and snapped some photos of Amish farms. I love the peacefulness of the farms and fields in Winter. Soon, God will paint these sleeping fields and pastures in the lush greens of Spring--views I never tire of!




I got to the clinic at about 10 minutes to one. I got in right away and Dr. Amity let me watch the ultrasound. I Rubbed Tuff's chest to keep him calm through the ordeal. He has a fatty tumor (lypoma) that is running between the muscles on the inside of his right rear leg. Dr. Amity said the location is more rare for this type of tumor to occur, but nothing needs to be done at this time. I just have to keep an eye on it and see if it changes. If it gets too big, or get's in his way, then it may have to be removed. But, no action needed now. She took a fine needle aspiration (FNA) to be sure it was what she thought it was. The cytology showed fat. I was relieved. Tuff wanted to be done and back in the car. I picked up some meds for the yeast infection Dr. Amity suspected and confirmed that Tuff had in his ears and we were off. I stopped at Nature's Food Market and picked up a few things. Then, we headed to my parent's.

Our church was having a Women's Fellowship meeting at 6:30 PM and mom and I were going to go. So, I hung out at Mom and Dad's till then and then Mom and I went to the meeting. We had the business meeting first and then we made a no-sew fleece blanket to have on hand for any new babies in the church. Mom and I got back to her house around 8:45 PM. I chatted a bit and then headed back to Wooster. I got home a little after 10:00 PM.

Recipe of the Week: Mexican Casserole
courtesy Peggy Rixson and Renee Schaaf

My friend Peggy gave me the original recipe and I put my spin on it.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. Bob Evan's Zesty Hot Sausage
1 medium onion, diced
1 14.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, divided
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/16 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. dried cilantro
1-2 Tbsp. honey
2 cups salsa
8 oz. block sharp cheddar cheese, cut into thirds
6 8-inch flour tortillas

In a large saucepan, brown ground beef and sausage until cooked. Drain any grease. Add onion, black beans, half the can of tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, red pepper, cilantro and honey. Stir and let simmer until onions are tender. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl add salsa and remaining tomatoes, stir and set aside.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Take two tortillas and tear them each in half. Place tortilla pieces in the pan with strait sides on the sides of the pan. Layer 1/3 of the meat mixture, 1/2 the salsa mixture and shred 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat. For the final layer, spread the remaining meat mixture and shred the remaining 1/3 of cheese. Bake uncovered in 450 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove and let sit five minutes before cutting. Serve with sour cream.

"Herd Health Check"

When I worked at East Holmes Vet Clinic, there were several farms with good-sized dairy cow herds. Remember me saying that dairy cows are some of the most cared-for animals? Most dairy farmers rely on their vet to make sure their cows stay healthy--Because a healthy cow is a productive cow. At East Holmes, our bigger dairy clients had regular "herd health checks" just for that reason. CT Farm doesn't have cows (maybe someday) but, we have a lot of critters.

Meet Dr. Amity Wise (three weeks from having her baby!). She is a graduate of the Ohio State University (Go Bucks!!!) and a veterinarian at East Holmes Veterinary Clinic in Berlin, and is one of the four very talented vets at the clinic. She has been coming to my farm to do "herd health checks" on my brood for almost two years, I think. She's a great vet and am happy to have her.

As I mentioned last week, today was going to be "herd health check" day at CT Farm. The agenda: Four of the five dogs, all eight of the cats, the guinea pig and the horse were getting vaccines and a looking-over. This is why the vet comes to me and I don't go to them.

We started with the downstairs kitties. Milk, Jo ( He's really an upstairs kitty. He likes to hide, so he got put in a crate till we were ready for him.), Abby, Eddie, Lou and Mo. You are probably wondering "downstairs kitties"? Yes, some of the kitties live in the basement. I call it their "lair" or I also refer to it as "the kennel". I used to board dogs and cats, hence "the kennel". And yes, I boarded dogs and cats in my house in the basement. No, it really wasn't noisy. Many of my clients liked the set-up because I was so close to their pets and the dogs and cats got a lot of extra care that they might not have gotten somewhere else. But, that's another story for another day. The cats did pretty well. Roscoe and Toby were in a run waiting for their turn. Toby, however, was not due for any shots. Roscoe was a good boy for Dr. Amity.

Then, we moved upstairs. Alex gave us a little trouble, but nothing major. Justin never likes to give up his blood for his heartworm check, so Dr. Amity brought a tourniquet. That was the ticket. No problems getting blood today. Sadie was next. She is getting a little wear on her and Dr. Amity recommended she be on glucosamine tablets to help her joints. Old Tuffy was last. It makes me sad to know that he is starting to show the signs of being almost 11. She found changes in in eyes, but not bad. Possibly a yeast infection in his ear, a little more arthritis in his hips and a bulgy muscle on the inside of his right hip. The bulge has us stumped for now, but she is recommending an ultrasound and some other tests to get a better idea of what it might be. Poor Tuffy...He's my baby.

That was it for the dogs and inside cats. Dr. Amity took a quick look at Timmy, the guinea pig. He's a little overweight. I was so impressed how well he let her look at him. She looked at his mouth and teeth, looked at his feet and felt his belly. He never freaked out! I thought he would, but he didn't. He was a very well-behaved pig. She recommended I give him some harder foods like carrots to help him wear his teeth down. A guinea pig's teeth can become overgrown, a condition know as maloclusion. We don't want that to happen.

After "the pig", we headed out to the barn to vaccinate Connie, the barn cat. Then, it was on to Duncan, the horse. She vaccinated him and checked his teeth too. Duncan didn't need floated like we thought he might. Teeth what? Floated. Horse's teeth continually grow. Some horses wear their teeth in a manner that starts forming small points, hooks and waves to the teeth. This can lead to mouth ulcers, grain dribbling, etc. The teeth then need to be "floated". The instruments the vets use to file the teeth back down level are called "floats". Floats are long tools with files on the ends. The floats are different shapes and sizes to perform specific tasks of filing. The horse is usually sedated enough they don't care this is going on, but awake enough to stand. Some vets use a "mouth speculum" to keep the horse's mouth open during the procedure.

All-in-all, things went well. I gave Dr. Amity a small baby gift--some onesies with a cow on one and a horse on the other. She really likes working on horses and her husband, Dr. Aaron Wise (also at East Holmes) is more into cattle. So, I thought that would be an appropriate gift.

We chatted a bit and she climbed into the vet unit and was off. If some of you have never seen a vet unit before, it's really cool! The "unit" is usually a truck with a fiberglass insert that slides into the bed of the truck. It has several compartments. This is a picture of the back. These things hold A LOT of stuff! You can see the bottles of drugs, vitamins, etc. in the pull-out drawers. The sides, which I didn't get a picture of, also lift up. Usually there is a small refrigerator too. Some even have a way to dispense hot water! It's not as good as the clinic itself, but comes pretty close. I used to be a veterinary assistant to an equine vet, so I've been around a vet unit or two. Oh, the memories!

New Calves and Hoof Trimming

Like I mentioned in yesterday's post, today I was going to experience hoof trimming cows. I've seen horses trimmed and shod several times. But cows...that's a whole other ball game. With horses, the farrier or blacksmith comes and trims the hooves and will put on horseshoes, usually while the horse is tied or someone is holding it. Cows go into a trimming chute. There are levers and pulleys and all sorts of things to keep the cow comfortable while the person trimming moves, bends and supports the feet and legs, securing them only long enough to trim the hoof. I was amazed at how calm the cows remained while they got their feet trimmed! The first cow we trimmed, Faith, was so docile I couldn't believe it. She never mooed or anything--just stood there and looked around.

"Faith", waiting patiently to get her bovine "pedicure".

You may be wandering, why we had to trim hooves. Depending how cows are managed, they can be kept in free-stall barns, out on pasture or a little of both. Around here, many cows are kept in free-stall barns, especially on the big dairies. What's a free-stall barn? A free-stall barn is a big open barn with a line of "stalls" for the cows to lounge in. There is usually a large aisle way for them to walk and a long area where they can eat. The cows can roam about freely through the day between milkings. Some barns have water-cushioned mats for the cows to lay on in their "stall". Typically there is some sort of mat with bedding on top. The bedding is usually a sandy type of material or sawdust. The farm I was at uses sawdust. The downside to sawdust, as far as feet are concerned, is that it doesn't wear on the cow's hooves like sand to keep them nice and trim. There are pros and cons to using sawdust or sand, but that is determined by the farmer's preference, cost, etc.

We trimmed two cows. I guess I should say Stan did...I mostly watched. However, on the second cow, Stan let me have a go at it. It was definitely harder than Stan made it look! Their hooves are hard. It took about two hours to trim two cows. It was all manual labor, no grinders for shaping, just strength and finesse to shape the hooves with the trimmer.

Now with nice trim feet, the cows move better, stand better and are all-around more comfortable. Cow comfort equals more milk production. A friend of ours is a dairy nutritionist. His mantra is, "cow comfort, cow comfort, cow comfort!" I think dairy cows have to be one of the most cared-for creatures in the agriculture industry. A good milking cow is worth her weight in gold. Just today I heard on the radio about a cow that now holds the record for milk produced. She gave a record 8,400 gallons in a year! To dairymen, milk is measured in pounds. Why? Not sure. But, convert that out...If a gallon weighs 8 pounds, that's 67,200 pounds of milk a year. Divide that by 365 days, that's 184.11 pounds of milk a day!!! The average amount produced by a cow is probably 60-80 pounds a day. Some cows will give more. In February, Stan said he had four cows that were hitting 100 pounds a day. But 184...? That's phenomenal!!!

On another note, I took some video of some of Stan's new calves. They were born a couple of days ago. The one with the green ear tag is a heifer and the one with the pink nose is a bull. I think the bull is cuter...If you turn up your volume and pause the playlist, you can hear me talking to the calves.

Work Day, Date, Day of Rest, Cows & Recipe of the Week: Brats with Mustard Slaw

Okay, I admit I'm a little behind. So, I'm lumping a bunch of things together.

Friday was a work day. Nothing real exciting. My boss had an appointment to get his taxes done Saturday, so it was a last minute scramble to get all the information finalized for his appointment. I left work at 7:45 PM, grabbed some take-out and went home.

Remember in last Thursday's post I had mentioned that I had to drop something off for a friend of ours and that you would get to meet Stan...? Well, I never got to do what I was planning on doing Saturday for you to meet Stan, but I'll get to that in a moment. Instead, my hubby wanted to go out. He took me shopping! I couldn't believe it! He's been so busy pushing snow, catching up on sleep and working his real job, I haven't really seen much of him. So, I jumped at the chance to spend some time with him. I do kind of like him.

Before you get too excited, our shopping isn't usually anything too elaborate. My list included:
cooling racks
serving spoons
3-Ring binder

See, nothing extravagant. Matt was in the mood for a good burger. Our usual haunt wasn't really on the way to anywhere we wanted to go. We decided to head to Mansfield and eat at Logan's Roadhouse. Before we stopped at Logan's, I wanted to stop at Once Upon A Child and see if they had anything we could use to set up our nursery to prepare for foster kids. I did find a Noah's Ark quilt for $4.50. For those of you who aren't familiar with Once Upon A Child, it is a children's resale store for gently used items. Logan's had an hour wait, so we decided to eat elsewhere. We made a few quick stops at Goodwill and Gabriel Brothers before stopping at a new restaurant, Johnny Biggs. Check out the links under "Where I've Been".

We weren't very impressed with Johnny Biggs. They were a new restaurant and definitely needed to work some bugs out. The food was overcooked and under-seasoned. I hope they will do some tweaking. It has a lot of potential.

After supper and still unable to find cooling racks, we tried Meijer. They didn't have any like I wanted either. They have 15 kinds of bake pans and sheets and two kinds of cooling racks! I was looking for chrome or stainless steel ones, not ones with non-stick coating or that stacked. The last ones I had, had the non-stick coating and it eventually chipped off and would stick to my cookies, yuck! No luck at Meijer, so we tried Kohl's. They only had one kind of cooling rack! I gave up and will try another store. Overall, it was a nice evening with my fella.

Sunday was another day of rest spent going to church in the morning and the rest of the day with my parents in leisurely fellowship. I helped mom plan menus most of the afternoon and then we sat around and talked awhile.

Today, I started with chores, like always, and began cleaning up the house. I worked until 4:30 PM and then I got ready to go milk...yes milk. Milk cows. Here enters our friend Stan. Matt pumps manure for Stan and was his very first customer. Let me give you a little history how I got to know Stan...

Back in the fall, Matt was at Stan's pumping his manure pit. Matt was there several days before he finally got finished. For some reason, I had to go to the farm a few times in the evening--usually during milk time. One time my parents even stopped to see Matt's operation up and running. Anyway, I had always wanted to learn how to milk cows--I know, it seems odd, but I did. However, I could never find anywhere to learn and couldn't get hired anywhere because I wasn't experienced. I really liked heading to the farm those few nights and was noticeably disappointed when I didn't have a reason to go anymore. Matt was on the phone with Stan a few days later and relayed my disappointment. Matt handed his phone to me and Stan told me that they were going to test milk in the morning and I was welcome to come watch!!! I was a step closer to realizing my dream! WOO HOO!

For someone who never sees 4:45 AM, Matt was impressed I rolled out of my rack to go watch milk be tested--what that entailed, I still had no idea. For almost two hours I stood in the milk parlor and watched the milking and the testing. The medicinal smell of the teat dip and the pulsing vacuum of the milkers was mesmerizing and calming to me. I was captivated--I know...I'm odd.

To give you an idea, testing measures the amount of milk each cow produces over two milkings. Milk is measured in pounds, not gallons. Also, a small sample of milk is taken and then sent to a lab and analyzed.

I went home elated and told Matt everything that happened. I was disappointed that I didn't get to milk. However, testing time wasn't the best time to learn anyway. But, Stan said that I was welcome to come and milk anytime! WOO HOO! Finally!!! The next Monday I was at the farm at 5:00 PM for evening milking. I milked a couple of times a week from the beginning of October to a few days before Thanksgiving. Everyone wanted to know why on earth I wanted to learn to milk and astonished that I did it for free. True, I wasn't paid with money, but I was being paid in knowledge--that's priceless.

With Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then I had the flu and Matt had knee surgery--I hadn't had any time to call my own, let alone go see the cows--until today. I was a little slow, but quickly fell back into the routine. After milking, we fed the new calves. I got to bucket-feed a new heifer and Stan bucket-fed a new bull. New calves are so cute! I'll try and get some picks to post for you. I hope I can keep going to milk on a regular basis. I do enjoy it very much.

Tomorrow I'm going to get to experience hoof trimming the cows...That should be interesting.

Recipe of the Week: Brats with Mustard Slaw
courtesy Renee Schaaf, CT Farm

5 (or one pack) Brats
4-5 c. water
4 c. cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 c. honey mustard
1 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1/2 T. vinegar
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 t. celery seed
1 large onion, sliced
1 T. olive oil

Cook brats thoroughly.

Bring water to boil in large saucepan. Add cabbage to the water and blanch until tender, but not soft. Remove cabbage and shock it by running it under cold water. Drain and set aside.

Combine, mustards, salt, pepper, vinegar, sugar and celery seed. Whisk together. Set aside.

Cook onion in olive oil until tender. Add cabbage and toss with onion. Add mustard mixture and toss together. Add cooked brats, sliced or whole, to cabbage and onions and let cook together for 10 minutes.

Grocery Day

I've been around the world today!

My parents came up today and we all went grocery shopping together. I had to run some errands the Millersburg way, so we headed to the Millersburg Wal-Mart (my favorite). But first, I had to stop and drop off something for a friend of ours. You'll get to meet Stan soon. Hopefully Saturday you'll get to hear about him...

We ate lunch at East of Chicago and took advantage of their "Any Pizza, $9.99" deal. For $9.99 plus drinks and tax came out to less than $5.00 per person--and we were stuffed. Then, off to Wally World. It took awhile, but we finally got through. Then we were off to Berlin, about 15 minutes East of Millersburg. Remember, heart of the worlds largest Amish community... My veterinarian (the one I used to work for) is there. I needed to stop and get a printout of which of my animals are due for what shots. Dr. Wise (I call her Dr. Amity) is coming next Thursday to vaccinate the dogs and cats and to look at our horse to see if he needs his teeth floated. In case you just asked, "Teeth...what?" I'll save that for next week. "Herd Health Check" day, as I call it, is always fun. This time there will be an extra degree of difficulty because I found out that Dr. Amity is pregnant and her due date is getting close!

After the vet's, we went to Nature's Food Market in Berlin. They are a natural health store. I'm really trying to embrace healthy living--not necessarily go all natural or all organic, but at least make an effort to be that way when I can and when I can afford to. I picked up some shampoo ("Whenever" shampoo by Kiss My Face), lotion ("Radiance Body Lotion with Royal Jelly" by Burt's Bees) and nasal spray by NutriBiotic. I wanted to be able to pronounce and know what the ingredients were in these products--or at least know most of them. I'm just shocked at some of the ingredients in things. What are some of those things anyway? I did pay more for the products, but if I'm using something that is better for me and better for the world, can you put a value on piece of mind?

After Berlin, we headed back to Wooster. Mom and I needed to go to Aldi. Then, Mom needed to go to JoAnn Fabrics. After there, we split up--Mom and Dad dropped me off at Buehler's, our local supermarket, and they went to Lowe's. We met up again and headed to the equity making a detour at my bank to make a deposit. We got to the equity at five minutes till close, got dog food and kitty litter and finally headed back to my house. Whew!!!

I'll list the websites for the products I purchased today at the health store under "Interesting Links". Check out the new entries under "Where I've Been" and "People to Know".

Having Fun

As you can see, I've been having fun customizing my blog. Maybe it's over-the-top, but I like it.

Day with Friends, Family Valentine Dinner & Recipe of the Week: Rice Krispie Treats with a Twist

I've been a busy bee lately. Saturday was chock-full. Me and a couple of friends got together and checked out a home and garden show in Ashland at the old K-Mart. It was nice, but I don't think worth the $5.00 admission. Then, we stopped at Drug Mart, Goodwill and Hawkin's Market. Later, we dropped off Angie, who had some prior commitments to attend, and then my friend Peggy and I went to Home Depot. I bought a humidifier. My allergy doctor recommended I get one and put it in our room and run it at night while I sleep. I also bought some microfiber cleaning pads. After Home Depot, we went to Applebee's for dinner. We maybe didn't plan that so well, considering it was Valentine's weekend. Our food took forever to come and our waiter was so apologetic. He had only been working there for two weeks and seemed a bit frazzled.

Sunday was our family Valentine Dinner at my parent's house. Matt and I left early to take care of the kitties one more time before heading to church. I totally underestimated how long it would take. On the last day I cat sit, I want to make sure the dishes are cleaned up, kitty pans cleaned, floors are swept, etc. By the time I got everything done, we were running so late, we just headed to Mom and Dad's and missed church. I felt bad because this was the second week we've missed.

We had a lite lunch and then Mom and I started getting things prepped for supper. I was handling the vegetables and Mom had already made the dessert. All she had to do was mix up the meat for the Salisbury steak. While I was in the kitchen, Mom and Matt filled the porch up with wood. Mom and Dad have a wood burner too. I made Green Bean Casserole and Candied Carrots. The casserole was good. I didn't use mushroom soup, but instead made a cheese sauce and sauteed onions and mushrooms to add with the beans. The carrots were cooked in a heavy syrup of brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. My brother, his wife and my three nephews arrived around 5:30 PM. We had a nice meal and fellowship. At the end of the evening, Mom got out her "Valentine's" for us. She made big heart-shaped sugar cookies with pink frosting. In the middle, she put the first letter of our first name in white icing. Yum! She's such a good mom!!!

Tuffy, my big, lovable Valentine!

Decorations

Mom's Valentine Tree

Place settings for dinner.

Today hasn't been real exciting. Matt informed me that we were to get another four to eight inches of snow by tomorrow evening! Ugh! So, he's sleeping in anticipation for being "Plow Guy" again. I reorganized my spice cupboard today and threw out all of my really old spices. I just gave everything a good going over. I am starting to bake a lot of my own bread now and needed to make room for the 20 pounds of flour I bought at the bulk food store last week!

It just bothers me to read the labels on the foods I eat and not be able to pronounce most of the ingredients. I was reading the list of ingredients on the bread bag in Wal-Mart and it was an inch-long paragraph. That's just crazy. So, I've started making or baking a lot of my own food. I'm a big believer in using minimally processed, natural or organic foods if I can. And, I'm staring to do a lot of "from scratch" cooking, like my bread. It is different, but I feel better doing it--Like raising my own vegetables. I know what went into that green bean from seed to my dinner plate. If you have the time, it's worth doing.

Along with this new way of eating, I'm also looking at how I can be more frugal and earth-friendly. I am a neat freak, especially in my kitchen. I hate a dirty floor. So, I use the wet Swiffer pads a lot. The wet Swiffer pads cost like $8.00 (I think) for the big pack. I use them once and have to throw them away. How wasteful. But, I don't want to break out my mop and bucket all the time either. So, what to do? Then, the other day I had an idea. While I was at Home Depot Saturday, I bought a pack of those microfiber cleaning cloths. I put about seven of the cleaning cloths in my Swiffer container, added some all-purpose cleaner and enough water for the cloths to get saturated. Now, when I want to "Swiffer" I pull out one of my cloths, attach it to my Swiffer mop and clean away. When I'm done, I pull off the cloth and throw it in the laundry. Now, no waste and I save money!

The Recipe of the Week is nostalgic for me. I made these treats for Matt last week and it's the same recipe my Grandma Hay used to make. They are so good!

Rice Krispie Treats with a Twist
courtesy Valerie Buehler

1 c. white Karo
1 c. sugar
1 c. peanut butter
6 c. Rice Krispies
6. oz. butterscotch chips
6 oz. milk chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

Bring Karo and sugar to boil. Take pan off the heat and add peanut butter. Stir until mixed together. Pour over Rice Krispies and mix thoroughly. Pat ingredients into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Melt the butterscotch chips and milk chocolate chips together. Pour over top of Krispie Treats. Refrigerate until topping hardens.

Plowed Out, An Amish Gem & Work Day

Things have been pretty boring lately, I have to admit. I didn't want to bore you with a post yesterday because there wasn't anything really exciting. However, in the evening, Matt finally got us plowed out from the second snow we had. Check out Mount Schaaf...



Matt wanted me to snap a photo of our snow pile that he made from plowing our driveway with our loader tractor. I had Tuffy sit on the ground to give you an idea of how big the pile is.



Anyway...we were out of a few things, so we decided to go shopping...

We have the privilege of living on the fringe of the worlds largest Amish community. If you go about 40 minutes southeast of here, there is a small town called Berlin. Berlin is in the heart of the world's largest Amish community. This is reaffirmed on a sign outside of town that reads,



So, now you know I'm not lying. I had the luxury of working in Berlin for a while at a veterinary clinic for about six months. Berlin is small, but when it's tourist season, look out. There are people everywhere taking in the quaint shops and daily life of the local Amish. While working down there, not only did I learn about Amish culture, but I also learned where some really neat places were, off the beaten path. I found this absolute gem of a little country market, literally out in the country and called "The Country Pantry", run by a Mennonite (I'm guessing) family. (It's hard to tell who is actually Amish or Mennonite. There are so many different groups. Each group has their own bishop and some bishops are more modern than others.) The Country Pantry sells bulk foods, deli meats, cheeses, etc. The meats and cheeses are half the price I would pay at our local supermarket or even Wal-Mart. It really is a gem. So, I make the trek once or twice a month to restock Matt on his sandwich making supplies.

After The Country Pantry, we headed to the Millersburg Wal-Mart. Yes, we have a Wal-Mart in Wooster, but I hate it. It's always busy and out of everything. Since we were in the Millersburg direction, we just stopped there. It's less crowded, better stocked and just nicer. It even has a covered hitching area for the Amish buggies--not just a bar like most places around here. On our way to Wal-Mart, Matt noticed a sign outside of the East of Chicago Pizza, that said, "Any Pizza, $9.99". He was hungry so we decided to check it out after Wal-Mart. I thought there would be some sort of catch or something, but any pizza really was $9.99!!! Any size, even specialty pizzas!!! We took advantage of that and got the biggest one with lots of toppings so we could take some home. Yum!

On our way back home, we had to make a pit stop in Wooster. I'm cat sitting for a couple right now. They are super nice and have nice cats.

So, maybe I could have posted yesterday. I guess it wasn't sooo boring after all.

Today was a work day for me. Fridays are always work days. It's the "most important day," says my boss. The trading for commodities ends around 2:30 EST and I have to enter the opening, high, low and closing values for the days (Monday through Friday) and then on Fridays I am able to enter the opening, high, low and close for the week. My boss studies this information and uses it to determine when to buy and sell commodity futures. I also keep track of the hog records too. The hog farm where I work is part of a larger group of growers and finishers of hogs. The group is monitored by a veterinarian in Western Ohio. Quarterly, we have to send records to the vet for her to review to make sure everyone is doing well in production, health, etc. Well, a few weeks ago our program we use to keep records decided to go haywire. It was almost two weeks before we got things on track. But, to make matters worse, I had been sick with the flu previously. I was getting way behind on the hog records. Of course, it was time now to send our records to the vet and they were no where near caught up. The boss's wife stepped in and helped me get the records caught up because we could send them today. The vet could wait no longer. Now we're all caught up.

Remember, Sunday is Valentine's Day. Don't forget your special someone...

Same Old Same Old

I feel like my days are starting to be duplicates of each other. It snows. We dig out. It snows. We dig out, and so on. I don't go anywhere, except where I have to. I do chores, putter away at odds and ends, maybe go to work if the weather is fit, come home, putter, chores and bedtime. Maybe cabin fever is setting in...

"Plow Guy" got home this morning around 4:30 AM. I feel bad that he's out there in the thick of it while I'm at home in our warm cozy house. I slept in the chair waiting for him. More like, dozed in the chair--so I didn't get much rest. We both slept in today.

I've been busying myself doing those tasks that you hate to do until you finally have no choice. Since I'm pretty much stuck at home, I forced myself to do paperwork. I hate taking the time to do paperwork, filing, etc. You just about have to hog-tie me to get it done. Well, the snow has "hog-tied" me. I went through the file cabinet and pulled out all the 2009 paperwork and sorted it. I did this for our personal info and then Matt's business. I do have to say it feels good to have it done. Now I have more room in the file cabinet again!

I'm not sure what I'll get into later. I might make another loaf of bread, or maybe a batch of cookies. Matt just left to go plow again. Maybe I will make some cookies for the guy.

I've been busy adding some gadgets to the sidebar. I've also added another one of our "kids" to the sidebar. And if you are wondering why you are hearing Christmas music, the songs I've been choosing seem to fit right now.

Busy, Snowy & Recipe of the Week: Renee's Sweet and Spicy Chilli

Yesterday and today have been busy for me. Yesterday, I started my day with chores and then I had to pay some bills and run some errands. However, a voicemail upset my whole apple cart. Matt and I just became licensed foster parents for Stark County. As foster parents, especially new ones, we have to have 40 hours of continuing education training. Yesterday, we were scheduled to meet with our case worker and establish our training plan. Due to the weird weather we've been having, our worker called to postpone our meeting. Matt, having such crazy work hours, was frantic because this was the only time he and I could meet with her. After playing phone tag and sending emails, we finally got it all worked out to still meet. However, I had eaten up a lot of time in limbo waiting. But, I tried to busy myself as best I could not really knowing how my day would end up going. Finally at 2:55 PM, Matt called and said, "She can be there in 45 minutes." Ahhhhh!!! Now it was 52-pick-up time for the house, re-prioritize errands and 100 other things before she got here. It all worked out in the end and we had a nice visit and got our training plan established. I had nothing quick to fix for supper except a big roast in the fridge that would take hours to cook. So, Matt and I cleaned out our spare change jar and went to Tumbleweed for supper. Yum!

Today hasn't been any too calm either. I started the day with chores and then had a doctor's appointment for my allergies at 10:30 AM. The winter weather storm we were supposed to get was already starting. Matt came home early to sleep because he was going to be "Plow Guy" again. So, I took "The Shoe" and went to my appointment and then to work for a little bit. I figured I should go to work today since I didn't know how tomorrow would be. (My job is has a flexible schedule. I know what I need to get done, and as long as I do, my boss is cool with that.) I left work at 4:15 and was home around 5:00. It's normally a 25 minute commute... Matt was getting ready to go plow when I got home. He left and I put my roast in the crock pot, made some bread, tidied the house, did some chores and am now writing this post. All-in-all, a full last two days. Not crazy, but full.

I apologize for not getting my Recipe of the Week out yesterday, but better late than never. This week's recipe was recommended by Matt, I hope you enjoy.

Renee's Sweet and Spicy Chili
courtesy Renee Schaaf, CT Farm

1 pound Bob Evan's regular bulk sausage
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 14.5oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 14.5oz. can kidney beans (do not drain)
1 14.5oz. can black beans (do not drain)
1/4-1/3 c. Bob Evan's BBQ sauce ( I use 1/3 cup)
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. chili powder
3 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

In a Dutch Oven, slightly brown sausage and ground beef over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender and meats are cooked through. Drain any excess grease. Lower heat to medium-low. Add salt, garlic powder, chili powder, red pepper, paprika and cinnamon. Stir. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, black beans, BBQ sauce and sugar. Stir. Let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add liquid smoke and vinegar. Stir. Let simmer 10 minutes. Serve over corn chips (Fritos) and top with sour cream.

This makes a thick chili. If you like a thinner chili, add water until desired consistency.

Day of Rest

I can hardly say it's a day of rest when it's so much work to do anything outside. I woke up this morning to find my bum and legs were sore from all the trudging I did yesterday. Not that my bum couldn't use a little more toning... Anyway, I'm kind of stranded at home right now. Friday evening I drove to my hubby's work and we left my car there and we rode in his Bronco II, lovingly dubbed "The Shoe" by my friend Peggy, to the Valentine dinner. The weather was so bad, we just left my car at his work and used "The Shoe" to get home, it has better tread (ha ha ). So, now I am without wheels. Needless to say, we did not make it to church today.

Hubby has been out plowing since yesterday morning. He rolled in at around 4:30 AM this morning, slept a few hours and was out again. Do any of you remember that show called "Men In Trees"? There was a character that Maren Frist's best friend called "Plow Guy". Yesterday and today, hubby is "Plow Guy". See his picture under my new Friends & Family section.

I checked on Sam, the rooster, and his feet look beautiful, as far as feet go. My little pullets have already given me two eggs today! Pullets are young hens that are just starting to lay eggs. They are around 20 weeks old now.

My parents thought they might come up to see me and bring my car, since it would be on the way. That would be great. Mom wants me to take her to Kohl's and JoAnn Fabrics. Won't see my "Plow Guy" till tomorrow probably.

Snow, Sam the Bantie, Valentine Dinner and, Oh Yeah--More Snow!

Like most of the Midwest, we have been hit hard by snow. I'm guessing we have around a foot. It's hard to tell because of all the drifting in places. Check out he slide show I posted. There are some drifts that are up to my waist! It sure made doing chores rough. I was worn out by the time I got them done and took pics to share. However, the dogs seem unaffected. Tuffy and Toby have been having a blast! I left Toby off leash and let he and Tuff bound. Sadie and Justin were kind of wussy about it and wanted in right away. I took Roscoe down the road, so he didn't have any trouble.

When I fed my chickens this morning, I noticed that one of my banties, Sam the rooster, had this little ball-like think stuck to his foot. He is a Silkie Bantam and has feathers on his feet. The Silkies also have five toes instead of four like regular chickens. Of course, he being the rooster that he is, did not want me to inspect any closer. However, I won. He threw his tantrum and then resigned to let me inspect. There was a ball of poo and sawdust stuck to two of his little toes. It was very hard and stuck on that I had to get a pair of needle-nosed pliers to crumble the ball apart little by little! He was good the whole time. While I was at it, I trimmed the feathers around his feet to help keep them from getting stuff caked to them. Invariably this kind of thing happens. Chickens, or birds for that matter, don't care where they poop or if they step in it--no matter how clean their pen is. After I was done, I held him for a while to baby him and back in his pen he went.

Of course, last night was the Valentine dinner at church. A few brave souls ventured out in the snow for a nice time of food and fellowship. We had a guest speaker, Elsa Kok-Colopy. She spoke on families and relationships. One thing she said was "(a) relationship is rich and good and worth the effort." This is so true. For some reason, that really hit me. I think too often we take some of our relationships for granted. They become too comfortable. Sometimes we don't want to put forth the effort to cultivate our relationships into something great. She also talked about words--the words we say to each other and how they can be taken in good or bad and the lasting effect they can have. She shared a story about her father. It was her anniversary and her father had called to give his love, best wishes and how proud he was of her and her marriage. The next day, her father was sailing and never returned home. The coast guard found him at sea where he had drown. Sad. But, she now has her father's voice mail message saved in her ITunes library, cherishing the words her father left. It was a very touching and eye-opening talk she gave. If you would like more information on Elsa and what she's about visit her link under, People to Know.

Valentine Dinner Pictures (Check out the arrangements...they were a hit!)

Cleaning & Crafting

I spent the better part of my day cleaning the house. With five dogs, if you don't keep up with cleaning, the hair can start to overwhelm you. I probably vacuum every other day and sweep the kitchen every day, sometimes twice! Oh well, I guess that's the trade-off for loving my animals.

After my work was done, (In times like this, I remember hearing my mother say, "Work before play...")I started making the table arrangements for our church's Valentine dinner. They turned out great and can't wait to see how they look on the tables. I'll take pictures and post them. If you would like instructions on how to make your own Valentine arrangement, I've listed step-by-step instructions at the end of this post.

I will not have any posts tomorrow because I won't have time. But, I'll catch you up on Saturday.

Valentine Flower Arrangement
courtesy Renee Schaaf, CT Farm

Materials:
1 4" clay flower pot
1 4" foam ball, green (like oasis) (One ball can make two arrangements)
15-25 silk flowers of your choice (number will vary depending on the size of the flowers)
1 glass votive
1 tealight candle
Hot glue gun
Wire cutters
Paint
Spoon
Bread knife

1) Spray paint or brush paint your clay pot and let dry. (Figure 1)
2) Cut your foam ball in half. A bread knife works well for this. (Figure 2)
3) Take one half of the foam ball and lay it on the table. Using your glass votive as a guide, try to center the votive on the top center of the foam ball. Once you've found center, push the votive down in the foam to give you a guide for a circle. (Figure 3 & 4)
4) Take a spoon and dig out a hole on your foam using the guide from the votive. Dig down about 1/2 an inch, making sure the bottom of the hole is flat. Your glass votive will sit in this hole when done. (Figure 5)
5) Once your clay pots are dry, take your foam piece and sit it in the pot and then put a little bit of hot glue on the foam and pot, enough to hold the foam in the pot. Two globs opposite each other should be enough. (Figure 6)
6) Place a small bit of glue on the bottom of the glass votive and place the votive in the hole in the foam. (Figure 7)
7) Begin placing flowers in the foam. Use your wire cutters to cut off the flower leaving 3/4 to 1 inch of stem. Make sure you add plenty of flowers and pack them in well. You don't want any foam showing. (Figure 8 & 9)
8) Place a tealight candle in the votive. (Figure 10)
9) Now you have a festive Valentine Flower Arrangement! (Figure 11)

Figure 1

Figure 2


Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11