Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Where to sell, Where to sell?

I have a project planned for this summer.
I think I'm finally going to get around to it.
It is to clean and organize my storage unit.
When the hubby and I were married, one of our first purchases was a big long old reffer trailer.
It became our storage unit.
And what a lifesaver it's been.
We started out our life together in this lovely camper.
And two years ago we upgraded to this trailer house.
So that storage unit has been wonderful, I've actually had a place for a deep freeze, food storage, basic storage, ect.
But it also has a bunch of unneeded stuff in it.
So my mission is to go through it and organize it.
So my question for you is...
What's the best way to try and sell the stuff before I just donate it?
Craigslist?
Garage Sale?
KSL?
Facebook?
Any other suggestions?

Thanks for your help!
Me

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Truth of the Matter Is...

My house is only clean looking from 11:00pm to 7:00am anymore.
If your stopping by, the kids will most likely just have diapers on.
Potty training...don't get me started.
One, two, or three kids are always crying.
They take turns.
The two oldest purposely pick on each other and on their sister.
My husband, eats, sleeps, and works.
We never see him it seems like.
I'm ready for days off.
He's ready for days off.
Not happening anytime soon.
So here's to another day in paradise.
I'm surviving, day by day.
Ending each night in total defeat.
And starting each day with new zest.
At least all of the kids sleep through the night.
Knock on wood.
Gotta go.
I hear the cereal bags opening up.

Me, A haggard mom.

Friday, June 24, 2011

On My Mind

The last few weeks I've had my children's education on my mind. Daisy doesn't officially start preschool till next year but she has such a thirst for knowledge that I thought I would start teaching her stuff in a more structured setting then we do things now. Which means I've been researching and documenting different homeschooling ideas for preschoolers. All this reasearch though as me wondering when it is time for the girls to go to school what's the best way? Homeschool, private, or public? I once was a strong advocate for public but now I don't know. What ate your thoughts on the topic?

Water Boots...A Must Have

 Water Boots are definitely a must have on any farm.
These lovely boots are waterproof.
Therefore they protect your lovely pink toe socks, when changing water.
I call them gum boots.
Others call them muck boots.
Or just water boots.
Whatever you call them you must have them or else you have soggy feet.

These are the boots that reside in my home, two pair are mine, the other pairs are the girls, and Koda's reside in his truck, go figure.
We use them all year long.
They are an all season kinda boot.
I'm always in season with these mud kickers.
:)
Although I'll warn you...they don't prevent children from getting muddy.
Well I think my girl thinks she just has to have a mud bath or two or three every day.
See this is mud bath #2 for today, its only 3:30pm too...

Stay tuned next week we'll talk about different watering systems used by farmers and ranchers.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

A Long Dirt Road

 As you probably know or guessed I live at the end of a dirt road. This is a picture of where my property actually begins, there is another half mile behind me of dugway. I love living in this kind of solitude, the only thing I don't care for is all the fools who drive down this road at a 100 mph thinking they own the place and then when they get to the end...oh guess what...they are in my barnyard. Hmmm....I bet they feel dumb. Well I've found the perfect sign to put up right here at my property line, (I have a different one that I want to put up at the top of the hill, but that's another post).
Here's my lucky find.
The cool thing is.
We really do have a blind dog...

We also have unruly children

Ok so this sweetie is unruly...yet...
 Now I just need some old horses.
Especially since I really do.
Daisy starts riding by herself next year.
I'm so excited!
So now I'm on the outlook for old slow horses.
Even though the young fast horses are funner.
I need slow and old right now.

Hope your Wednesday was good!
Me

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Quilting and Facebook

 Last Thursday and Friday my mom and I went out to the big city of our state to help quilt the yearly Farm Bureau quilt of the counties. Each year there is a quilt block given to each county womens chair to be emborderd within that years theme. The blocks are then all collected and sewn into a quilt. The state womens committee then gets together to hand quilt it.
 This was my first try at hand quilting and it was fun. The one thing I really enjoyed about it was all the conversation that went on. Now I totally understand why past generations of women all got together to quilt. It makes a tedious chore go by quickly. The only difference between what we did and the women of the past, (well besides the air conditioned building, and a bunch of other stuff...) Is how one lady had to keep checking her facebook page and telling us all about what was going on there... Wouldn't those pioneers be SHOCKED?
Now here comes the kicker I was the youngest lady there, then my mom who is fifty...all the other women were older then mom by at least ten years is not twenty to thirty...now that's funny, they having to check their FB page! Or I think so. Makes me wonder what does the future hold facebook wise and quilting wise?
I wonder which will phase out first.
I put my money on facebook.
What do you think?
Me, a facebooking quilting kinda girl...or at least when I'm on break from being mom...is that possible?

Monday, June 20, 2011

Thoughts for a Tuesday

I'm sitting here.
Just got done changing diaper 56,893 of the day.
Don't believe me?
You go have three unpottied children.
It's the truth.
Another truth...
I hate mice.
They LOVE my house though.
Guess that comes with the territory of a 1980's trailer.
My future dream home has no mice residing in it.
I like my future house.
It has no suprise remodel's like this one does.
Yep, we had water leaking in our floor.
Two big squisy bubbles in th floor tipped us off.
HuBby has tore the floor apart.
The fridge is in our living room.
But at least it wasn't a broken pipe or water leaking in from the roof.
No, my new dish washer machine has been slowly leaking where a fitting was wrong.
I guess it's one way to get new flooring.
Maybe I'll go for new cabinets too.
Anyways I just seen another mouse.
I'm going to intensify my trap line.
Wish me luck and I hope you tuesday is better.
Me, the mighty mouse trapper

Friday, June 17, 2011

Animal Terminology

Hey everyone, today we'll learn farmer terminology when it comes to animals, for even though I grew up knowing this lingo (I thought it was common knowledge) it wasn't until I was in college in my animal science class that I learned that in fact we as farmers do have a unique terminology. So without further ado...Farmer Animal Lingo.


Sheep
Ram or Buck: a male sheep
Wether: a neutered male sheep
Ewe: a female sheep
Lamb: a baby sheep
Flock or herd: a group of sheep






Chicken
Rooster: a male chicken
Hen: a female chicken
Chick: a baby chicken
Flock: a group of chicken

Rabbit
Buck: a male rabbit
Doe: a female rabbit
Bunnies or kits: baby rabbits
Nest: a family of rabbits


Cows
Bull: a male calf
Steer: a neutered male calf
Heifer: a female calf
Cow: a heifer who has had a calf/calves
Calf: a baby cow
Herd or drove: a group of cows
Cattle: another term for cows




Pig
Boar: a male pig
Sow: a female pig
Git: a female pig who hasn't furrowed yet
Furrowed: had babies
Barrow: a neutered male
Piglets: baby pigs
Herd or drove: a group of pigs

Goat
Buck or billy: a male goat
Wether: a neutered male goat
Doe or nanny: a female goat
Kids: baby goats
Herd: a group of goats

Cats
Tom: male cat
Queen: female cat
Kitten: baby cat
Kindle: a group of kittens
Clowder: a group of cats

Llama
Males and females don't have special names
Babies are called crias



Horses
Stud or stallion: male horse
Mare: female horse
Foals: baby horses
Colt: what a male colt is called for the first two years of life
Filly: what a female foal is called first two years
Gelding: a neutered male









Ducks
Drake: a male duck
Duck: a female duck
Ducklings: baby ducks
Flock: a family of ducks


Dogs
Dog: a male dog
Bitch: a female dog
Puppy: a baby dog
Litter: a group of puppies
Pack: a group of dogs






Donkey
Jack: a male donkey
Jenny: a female donkey
Foal: a baby donkey
Herd: a group of donkeies

Did you learn something new? Now you'll understand what that old farmer down the road means when he says " my jenny is in trouble she's supposed to be with my ewe flock but some how she's gotten in with the rams and my bitch doesn't care for it." Yep he is not talking about his wife or mistress.

Have a fun filled day!
Me

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Okay, because I love you

This is what I said four years ago to my husband of almost eleven months.
I'd finally given in and said okay you can hang that elk head in my house...whenever that is.
Almost two years ago it was the first thing in my house.
One sure thing about marriage, you both give a little and you both take a little, to find a balance.
Growing up I was dead determined I would never ever have an animal head or stuffed animal in my house ever.
Well....I married a hunter....end of story.
His argument against mine of "It's my house...NO WAY!" was
"It's my house to and I have to live here too."
Needless to say he won.
So this lovely guy.

Gets a  dusting every week and a good vacuuming once a month
So he looks ok and not all dusty and grody, like many do.
Another compromise I've made.
If and when he gets a "nice" deer head he can mount it in the house.
That's it though.
Anything else, he can build his own room and put them in there.
End of story.
Thank heavens right now the size of my house prohibits anything else.
PHEW!!
OH and side note...yes I've changed things in the house and the couch now sits where the TV use too.

Have you had to let a dead animal in your house, because I love you too? Maybe something else?
The Elk Duster

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Lesson of the Day

I've had some material floating around in my house for the past, year or so.
The purpose of it to be made into a quilt.
Looked for forever for the perfect pattern.
The mailman had my answer when he delivered...
June 2011 American Patchwork & Quilting magazine.
As I was disecting it, I came upon this beauty.
It was the ONE.
I've been search for 12 months for it.
Glad  I waited.
What do you think of it?
Me too...Lots of work.
In order to make this quilt you need anywhere from 63-116 fabrics.
I went through my stash.
16 Fabrics I wanted to use.
Only 47-100 fabrics left to find to use.
3 fabric stores + a bit of $$$ = 54 fabrics
54 fabric + 16 fabric = 70 fabrics to play with.
So I take my fabric and one night I cut them all into 2 1/2inch strips.
Isn't it pretty?
Next part, laying the pattern out.
Like how I do it?
I then take and seperate the pattern into two strip sets.
AHH...nice and pretty.
This is what my three year old does, while I'm sorting and testing patterns.
Isn't she pretty?
She got a shower with the hose, so did I.
We came in and got ready for church, while I was doing her hair.
Look at what the middle child did.
She was so proud of herself.
Lesson of the day: Put your pretty little cut strip piles up at of reach of the 18mnth old.
She has fun with them too.I'm going keep you updated on the progress of this quilt, hopefully I'll actually get it done quickly.
I'm now home from church, the girls are asleep finally, maybe I'll undo the mess she did.
How's your Sunday been?
Mother of professional mess makers 






Thursday, June 9, 2011

From the Farm to your Table

One of the most discouraging misconceptions about agriculture that I come across is the lack of knowledge people have about the food on their table and where it comes from. Here's some facts you can bank on.

Milk comes from cows, which live on farms.
In fact all food stuffs have their beginning on somebody's farm.
As do most non-food items... Go figure.

97% of farms are all family owned and operated. Some are large scale and some are small scale.
US farmers produce the safest food worldwide.
The USA is a major global food resource.

As the future of the world-growing- and farming-shrinking- stand...do you really think Americans want to get rid of the farmers?
Food is one of the components of basic survival and farmers provide it for us.

NPR (National Public Radio) summed it up great "To many (Americans) this is what the future should be-fruits and veggies grown on small farms, nearby the city. But, get over it. This isn't the future-not if we want to feed everyone." (Quote found in Utah Farm Bureau News, article; When did food become so complicated?)

So please support the farmers and agriculture, they provide us with the safest food in the world.
Me, a farming advocate.

Sorry no pictures...I'm committing to doing better.

It's Official

I'm a Blackberry user.
I know kinda crazy.
I switched phone companies.
I feel like I've betrayed my old company.
I mean, they did give my big break when I finally got a cell phone.
I didn't know I was so loyal to certain places.
But I am.
OH well.
When it comes to saving money, plus better service I shouldn't feel guilty about switching.
Right?
Guess what else.
I have a new fridge.
I'm happy.
It's like five times the size of my old one.
Oh ya, I'm doing the happy dance.
My girls are still driving me bonkers some days.
Its like they have to test EVERY single limit.
Melody is a sweetheart though.
Minus the keeping mom up till midnight thing.
Oh well.
I'm a mom, I'll adjust.

Hope you have some fun suprises in your life coming up!
Me

Friday, June 3, 2011

Bummer Lambs

Bummer Lambs.
Poor little lambs that can't be raised by their mother for one reason or another.
Example: Mom is dead by birth complications or predator attack.
Example: Mom doesn't have enough milk to raise them.
Crazy to think that sheep usually have twins or triplets, and not uncommon quads, therefore, sometimes not enough milk to go around.
Therefore it falls upon us caretakers of the animals to make sure these little lambs get their food and nourishment.
Best solution is to find a surrogate mother for the little lamb.
Another ewe who has lost a lamb is the very best substitute.
New lambs can be easily grafted onto the new mother ewe and within a few days, the lamb will officially be claimed by her.

Another good surrogate mother is a nanny goat.
They easily accept lambs and let them nurse.
Many farmers/ranchers have a few nanny goats for this very purpose.
They kid out their goats about two months before the ewes lamb out.
This means that when there are bum lambs, the kids are big enough to wean from their mothers and the lambs placed on the goat in place of the kid.
Can you see in this herd of goats there are two lambs, I've written lamb on them in red.
Okay so you probably can't see it...but can you pick out the lambs?
Anyways, the lambs are just a part of the herd.


Another greatly used option of feeding and raising bum lambs.
Bottle feeding them.
This is probably the funnest and best chore for little kids.
But really if there is nothing like having a pen of bum lambs right outside your house waiting to be fed or played with.
Truly its the best summertime activity out there for children.
OH and guess what.
There's bum calves too.
They can be bottle fed too.
They are a lot more sloppy eaters though and can kind of take over young children.

Older children though can handle them.
My favorite solution for bum calves.
The milk cow.
Seriously, makes milking her so much easier for then you don't!
Hope you've enjoyed learning about bum lambs and calves and how they are raised.
Can't wait till next week for another Fun Farm Fact Friday!
Well maybe I should call it Farm Tour Friday oh well!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Sewing Days

Lately I've not done much sewing.
I think I've burned myself out.
Don't worry it won't last long.
I've found the quilt I want to do for my bed.
Now to find 116 different fabrics.
Other then that.
I have so many projects that need done.
Page's quilt quilted, Grandma's quilt quilted to name some.
A whole bunch more needing quilted.
But I did get this top sewn together.
I like it.
Trying to decide weather to add more stars or what.
I'm calling it Milky Way of Colors.

I've also done these wonky hearts for the Sew Bee Wonky Bee.
They were fun and I really liked how they turned out.

Oh and here's my little Melody.
This is the picture that I used for her newborn announcement.
She is such a sweetheart.
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