We have a radio which will provide a bit of entertainment and will allow me to pass the time better.  After working in a noisy open office with phones ringing and conversations everywhere it can be hard to work in the quiet of a small farm.   But I promise not to blare it so loud as to annoy a neighbor.  It would have to be really loud to do that!

Anyway, here are pictures for your enjoyment.  You’ll note that we have a nice platform rocker for you to enjoy while you visit and chat as I sew.  I’ll have to add a few magazines and books for perusing.  The pot belly stove is not a working stove but will be a nice place for my hot iron to rest as it cools after use (before it is carefully put away, of course).

I am still working on how to use the shelves so please ignore my disorder.   I’m not a very organized person to begin with so this is going to be a challenge.  Perhaps I can find cloth baskets to put current projects in on the shelves.  I think they can live on the bottom two shelves and books etc on the top one.  The books will have to share the space with the iron since it is too big to store in the ironing board cabinet.  Oh my I didn’t get a picture of that. . . . oh well another day perhaps.

Well I hope you like our improvement.  It took quite a while but I think it’s finally done.  With one or two little additions. . . maybe a very small refrigerator and a small cozy cushion for Thomas.  I saw a really cute idea for one I can make out of towels and batting!

I also believe that this poor door needs some attention.  Perhaps I can paint it and use it as a bulletin board!  It’s not big enough to be a design board but it would do in a pinch for ideas and color auditions. . . don’t you think? 

Stop by and see  us as we sew off into the sunset!

Anyway It needed to be finished inside.  So after he put the walls up I painted them.  He also wanted to put up trim around the windows and put up crown molding.  He wanted this room to looked welcoming and finished.  I couldn’t feel more special!   Anyway, I painted molding and he cut and installed it. It’s his first time at tackling this kind of room and I think he’s done a great job!

Actually I painted the whole room twice since I hated the first color.  The “pretty” blue/gray color ended up looking baby blue on the wall. . . It made the small room look smaller and dark.  But look at it now!   Isn’t this daisy yellow cheery?

Once the walls were done, we had to tackle the sewing table and the Quilt frame. .. “Santa” was too good to me this year!    We took our time and neither of us used a bad word during the entire process.  I am proud of that fact…. Funny   how reading the directions (even as poorly as they are usually written) will help when one is engaged in “some assembly required”!

Why is it that the manufacturers assume you understand what they mean when they say left and right. . . Is that when you are looking at or behind the item?  Is that when it’s still upside down?  Anyway, we only had to take the sewing table apart twice to get all the parts in the right place!

The quilt frame was not as difficult to put together.  The instructions were easy to read. . . . I’m hoping that putting the fabric on and actually quilting will be easy too!

Thomas even got involved in our project!  I’ll have to make a soft spot for him and a place for a water bowl. .. . just in case he’d like to spend time with his Mommy in her new “woman-cave”! ! ! ! 

It will be a great place to do some quilting.  I can’t wait to use it.  Stop by some time and let me show you around the farm.    We can give the cows the “cookies” they like and say hello to the horses next door.  We can take our time and finally wander into the cabin.  And you can sit in the cozy chair and listen to the radio with me and chat while I sew. .. you might even be able to show me a few quilting secrets of yours!

But he is a fun dog who loves life with us. .. . English Springer Spaniels think that life is one big party and it’s all there just for them!   I have worked with the English Springer rescue America for a number of years and think its a good cause to donate to.  One of our Facebook friends was selling these “Span-dannys” online and I just couldn’t resist getting one for Thomas.  Isn’t it handsome?

If you want one let me know and I’ll get you in touch with the lady who makes them.   It provides love, shelter and hugs to all Springer Spaniels who are rescued!

Here it is all but 10 days before Christmas. . . and I have no ideas for the Holiday. . . Except for going to Mass of course! I’m so disorganized. . . . I’d love to hire one of those organization goddesses to help me get my act together. . . even if it were only for a month of two. . . .
I know that it may seem strange to some folks, but I”m a bit of a mess.  I don’t pick up everything . . . . ..A long time friend told me once. . . “when you are done with something put it away and then most of your cleaning is done”. . . . Okay but what about all this dang junk mail that keeps showing up?  No one else will deal with it but me . . . and the laundry? Why am I the only one who will wash towels and sheets?  Wash the dog?  The heck you say. . . . .

And who’s going to post on FB? oops. .. did I say that? So maybe I need to get off this thing and get something done you say?  How would you read about my dramatically exciting life?  How would you know that we recently de-horned the babies in the pasture and gave them shots? How would you know that we got our first fake Christmas tree in nearly 20 years?
On that last point . . . It was so easy to put up and decorate.  I don’t have to worry about water!!! It’s hard enough to remember to water house plants. . . .And I have one which desperately needs repotting. . . It keeps drooping in the little pot isn’t jammed in to. .. .poor thing is just crying for a larger pot. . . .guess I ought to get one, huh? and then more soil and then find the time during daylight hours to do the deed. . . .  Do I sound like I have ADHD?  Or is it ODC. .. or CDO  which of course is in the proper alphabetic order…  Oh Lord, please don’t let me be one of those little old ladies who has to make paths in her house to get to the door!!!!!      Amen. . . . .

I’ll see you after Christmas!!!!  May the Blessings of this Season be with you and your Loved Ones. . . . Merry and Holy Christmas to all my readers. . . all 10 of you!!! God Bless you all……

Momma Tina and Baby Reba!

Then later in the month (I think the 8th)  Brown Sugar gave birth to a dun-colored baby. I awoke to hear her in labor . . . This baby is the spitting image of her so we were hoping it was a girl.  I called it Cinnamon because of its coloring and resemblance to Sugar.  But as it turns out Cinnamon is a boy.  I just hope he doesn’t have a complex about the name.   All we need is a bull/steer who needs therapy!

He is a healthy boy and loves to run with Reba.  He’ll let her start, but he gets up and runs with her just the same.  Babies are so fun to watch.  Even when they are sleeping with momma.

Brown Sugar and Cinnamon and "Auntie" Gretchen

Cinnamon and Sugar!

The next morning was a Saturday and we were concerned about In the Pink our first-time mother.   There are twins in her heritage so we were concerned about what to do if she got into trouble.  We have not had that happen yet and made sure to watch her.  It was after dawn when she showed us signs she was in labor.  She must have been for a while because it was before 10:00 that her baby was born.   The weather had turned chilly so I was worried when they took their time getting up and about.   Pink has a little black heifer and I have named her Licorice.

In The Pink and Licorice

So there we have them.  Three babies all born within 10 days of each other.  I am glad they should be immunized before the weather gets too cold.  And they should be pretty well-developed before they are weaned in the early spring.   Seeing the world a-new as they do makes living on the farm fun.  Ooooh, baby!           Cinnamon and Sugar!

But I do think that with a few coats of paint, new carpet, flooring, new appliance and cleaning it will be ready for real caring tenants to rent.   I will engage a rental agent to check on it on occasion.  The difficulty was the distance.  It will be worth having a local company who will manage it for us.  We have a good amount of equity in it and we’d like to keep it for a while longer.

Other than that.  I visited with a lady who has lived on the second floor since we first bought.  She is a delight and has her son living with her now.  He’s probably my age and had been through a bad divorce and was unemployed for a while.  He is as nice as she is and was very helpful in obtaining access to an inner storage area.  The train ride both ways was, as always, interesting and fun.   I made a new friend who I hope will call me and come see the farm.  If not I can visit her at the local thrift shop in Southern Pines.  I can imagine the nice things at a place like that!  The people who donate to that thrift shop probably have the best things!

It is always great to be back home, isnt’ it?  This is the fall season and I should be planting the winter garden next week.  I hope to be back to blogging about real farm things. . . . thank you for bearing with me as I had this change of pace!  See at the fence for our next  “issue”!

It is hard to believe that it has been 10 years since America was attacked by madmen. . .  My sisters and I had celebrated our oldest sisters birthday in NYC on the 1st of Sep nearly two weeks prior. . . . I was concerned when she sent an e-mail telling me to get to a phone as quickly as possible. . . . she mentioned a plane and the Twin Towers. . . I figured it was a small one which had mistakenly flown off course.

I was able to get to a television just a minute before the second plane hit the other Tower.   Some of you know who I work for and I was working there that day. . . . The military post was in shock and some folks scrabbled to secure the base.  We tried to work, but were glued to events as much as we could afford to be.   Once the day ended we knew that our world had changed and not for the better. . . . It was nearly impossible to get to work the next day.

But we have adjusted to the new “normal” until things change again. . . . We have since purchased this farm and moved from a gated retirement community to a rural patch of land.  We can grow a bit of our own food and be a little less dependant on others for our sustenance.

We were not touched directly by the attacks on 9-11, but we will always remember what those jihadists started. . . They should be aware that although we don’t have the strongest leaders now, America is still the same country. . . . we will stand together against criminals such as those.  We will always remember those we lost and the bravery of those who survived.

Things on the farm don’t change as quickly as in the “big” city. . . and of all things which are, our God is always the same. . . .  Our relationship with Him is the most important thing which can be. . . . It should be our focus and all will be well. . . .

I know this is short, but beleive me I have plenty of things to write about.  .  .  I’ll just have to sit down and gather thoughts.  Please be patient  I’ll be back!

I discovered that I really did miss at least having a radio in the house.  I may have to invest in one of those wind up ones.  Maybe I’ll order one on-line (because I can now!). . . .    

We slept with the windows opened over night.   I can’t remember the last time I did that.  Troy doesn’t like to sleep in cooler temperatures so I was concerned.  But he did alright.  I love the fresh air that flows into the house when windows are open.  You can hear the sounds of the cattle as they low or crickets and peepers in the distance.   I enjoy falling asleep to those sounds much better than a blaring television.  It’s more natural.  Also you can wake up to birds cheerfully searching for their breakfast and the cattle talking to each other. . . actually its’ mostly the bulls; they just have to tell each other how great they are!

In the morning I awoke to a less than pleasant sounds however.   Troy brought the generator up to the house on the Gator and proceeded to start it up for coffee.  He needed power!  Nothing says “get out of bed, woman!” than a generator in your ear!   That is okay it was almost 6 am!  That is “sleeping in” for me on weekends.   So we began the day plugging in the refrigerator and coffee pot to the generator and also charging our cell phones.  We had temporary power. 

Since I’m not a coffee drinker, I heated water for tea.   Since we have a gas range, it wasn’t going to be a problem. . . . however, isn’t it funny how your mind has a reflex . . . I forgot about power when I tried to start the stove.    Electricity (power) normally lights the individual burners.  So I had to find the “clicker” to light it.  But it was much easier than starting a wood fire with a match!  

The day before I purchased the first strawberries of the season.  Yummmmm.  I had not done anything with them since we didn’t have power.   I wanted to make jam but I wanted to sanitize the jars better than I could hand washing them.   I “needed” that power again.  It was beginning to bother me.  Did I really need it?  So I put water on the stove in the biggest pot I had.  And yes I used the “clicker” or lighter to light the stove; this time it didn’t bother me.   I washed dishes in shifts since I didn’t have enough hot water to do them all at once.  You see I had left some in that dang old dishwasher and they were waiting for power!   Power we didn’t have.  So I washed and dried and then did it again.  It was a good reminder that I can do things without that danged old power I kept reaching for. 

Oh, no!  I realized I had not gone to the local college to water the garden.  The local community college had begun a sustainable agriculture program.  The hoop house does not have an automatic watering system.   So someone must go there to water the potted plants and trays of seedlings every day.  I have been doing this for several months now. . . .on a volunteer basis.  Anyway, while I was up that way I wanted to see if I could what happened in Sanford.  I tried but the police had most of the critical parts blocked off.  No power!   Stores were closed and there wasn’t much traffic.  And lots of clean up that they didn’t want people gawking and causing more traffic problems. . .  Okay I wanted to be a gawker but they wouldn’t let me. .. . .I drove home.

So  I came back home where I knew there were things which needed done.  If you are like me you can allow things to distract. . . I walked by the garden (which desperately needs planted) and started pulling weeds and grass.  No need for anything but people power!  

We drove south into town to see if we could get propane for the grill since we ran out during dinner the night before.  The closest grocery store was out so we drove further on.  We needed gasoline too for that generator. . . . At least we could have power to keep the beef in the freezers frozen.    While we were out we stopped at the Sonic and got a couple of BLTS.   By the time we got home. . . guess what? 

                WE HAD POWER!   Yay!  it was amazing!  Lights, Television. . . . oh the race is on!  No more starting the stove with a lighter,  we can use the grill when we want not because we have to!  And oh, the Internet is back!    I did learn that there are things I can still do and survive without. . . . . But I missed having Power!

Saturday we spent about an hour moving all the animals from the pastures they were in to other places and then some back to where they first were. . . . Troy had a plan written up for me so I wouldn’t get confused.  I didn’t really need it, but I think he was making sure he had the easiest way figured out.  And he did!  

A bit of background:  We have three pastures; one in front of the house and two in back.  The two in back are about the same size as the front but they are split.  We have one 70 X 70 weaning pen with a shelter.  The swing gate and head gate are attached to the weaning pen. 

 1.     Boys all move from the right back pasture to the left back pasture.                          

 2.     Move remaining animals into the weaning pen.                                                               

 3.     Move Lowline females to the right back pasture.                                                

 4.     Move the Lowline females to the front pasture.                                                   

5.     Move Buzz the Lowline bull into the front pasture with the ladies!  

6.     Separate the Dexter females and move them to the right back pasture.     

7.     Leave the babies in the weaning pen! 

      In case you think it was a struggle. . . .believe me, it wasn’t so bad for the two of us to accomplish.  These animals are food motivated and love the feed that they are given.  It took 2 bages of feed and about an hour to accomplish.   Okay, okay . . . .he already had steps 1 and 2 completed before I got out there. . . but I had to put the dishwasher on and get a load of laundry into the dryer before I left the house. ..   (He does worry about that because it’s done for him! We won’t go there today)

So the most difficult part of that was getting Buzz to the front pasture.  He didn’t know he was going to get a harum out of the deal!  I think he was not happy about initially being separated from his “boys” even though he and Mack agree that Mack is The Man!   It took waht seemed like a half hour to get him to willingly walk to the front pasture.  We didn’t put anyone on a halter to do this. . .

And I did not get pictures. . . .bummer huh?  It’s hard enough to manage gates and the Gator and feed without dealing with an extra item. . . .  Another time perhaps!