Friday, July 4, 2008
By the way, I love my job.
At my job I get the honor of caring not only for dogs & cats like my previous job, but also for birds, rabbits, rodents, reptiles/amphibians, farm animals (except horses, full grown cows & llamas) and wildlife. Here's a little guy whose parents were killed by some dogs. I never did hear if he made it as he did have some wounds and a pneumothorax, I hope so. He's a River Otter pup....and yea, that's my ugly mug holding him.  |
Friday, July 4, 2008
Smear Campaign
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Poop smears that is. You've read my rants before on the state of food supplies in the United States and unless you live in a cave somewhere in Siberia you know that there has been plenty of fodder in the news regarding my favorite hated subject. What thrills me though, are the blogs posts that my Bloglines pick up ranting about the same and various websites. Here's a sampling. The Complete Patient: The Tomato Illnesses May Be Teaching Some Important New Lessons About the Best Food "The media also report that consumers are acting much more rationally than the regulators. Consumers are heading to farmers markets to buy tomatoes because they know locally grown foods are much likelier to be safe." The PetConnection Poop in food: What’s up with that? by Christie Keith "Now, my little weekend adventure has served to confirm for me that food safety in this country is a huge issue. I already knew that, of course, given the pet food recall and the stellar work being done by the FDA and USDA on the recent salmonella outbreak. But given my track record feeding dozens of dogs and cats of all ages and states of health (carefully chosen and handled) raw diets, I have to guess that the risks of doing so are grossly exaggerated. Not only have they not become sick from eating these foods, neither have I become sick from preparing them (which is more than I can say about eating in restaurants)." OrganicAuthority.com Organic Food and Safety Written by Laura Klein, Publisher "Looking at the number of people who have fallen ill and wound up in the hospital from this salmonella outbreak, I would rather spend a little extra on certified organic produce and know my food is safe rather then risk my life and an expensive hospital bill." Listen folks, it's pretty simple, the food that you buy in the grocery store simply isn't safe. It's produced on such a huge scale that it's nearly impossible to regulate no matter what the USDA or FDA tells us. We've given the responsibility of feeding ourselves and our families over to corporate America, it's a business, period. Their bottom line will *always* be more important to them than our safety. But we deserve that attitude, it's the world we have built around ourselves, over the last 75 years we've given away our power of self to the government that is supposed to PROTECT and SERVE us. Aren't WE supposed to be the government, NOT corporations? Haven't we had our hands held long enough? Are we going to allow the Agribusiness to lead us over the 1000ft cliff blindly? Or are we going to take the responsibility upon ourselves and STOP relying so much on faceless strangers with dollar signs in their eyes to keep us safe? If you can't raise your own food, then shop locally, find those roadside stands, the farmers markets. They ARE out there and I'm here to help you find something close to you. Try these links:    That'll help you get started. But hey, if you still don't think there's anything out there or you're having trouble finding local foods, drop me a line, I'll see what I can dig up for you. |
Monday, May 26, 2008
Late Start, but a start.
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Wandered down to the local hardware & gardening store "McLendon's" , they actually have a pretty nice greenhouse/nursery and selection of gardening supplies. I picked up some Oregon Star slicing tomatoes, a Brandywine tomato and some Navidad grape tomotoes. I'm a little bummed that I didn't get started on some Stupice that Kim gave me, but I have a plan for next year! I also picked up a fennel plant and 4 banana pepper plants. I got all of them planted yesterday! YAY!!!!! I just hope they do better than last year. I think I got things in earlier this year. Tim cleared my little raised bed where the garlic & asparagus were going to go but I'm seriously rethinking it. Not sure about the asparagus, the seeds I planted & grew last year in the pot are actually growing again this year, so they'll be 2 years old. I just can't decide if I want to grow it. I get mixed messages the pros say you can't grow asparagus here and yet I know a few gardeners that have no problem. Anyway, I think I'll plant the garlic as planned (I know, I'm late or early, what can I say.) and a few rows each of carrots and radishes. Oh yea, I also got a cilantro plant to put in with the rest of the herbs. It looks real nice now. Hmm..except I don't the basil is going to do very well. The sage, thyme, and parsley I put in the cedar box are doing great at least. I have a few other things planned for planting. I'll post when I get them done. :-) I'm going to get what I need to make a huge 18x25 garden space for next year. So I need to buy 12 inch wide board and as long as I can get. Then I'll start filling it up with dirt and maybe plant some winter grains, fava or something. It'll be great! |
Saturday, April 26, 2008
I wonder if I'll finish...
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this post. I've started several posts over the last month and none ever saw the "add new entry" button. I've had a lot on my mind, but it all seemed so trivial. I know that I post more for myself and anyone else, just to get out my own flusters and blusters...and yet...I know that a few people read my ramblings. So in that light...I'm giving it another go. I haven't planted a darned thing. Yep, that's right. We're in the middle of an economical meltdown and food shortages are on the horizon...yet I've planted... NOTHING. I'm using the bizarre weather we've had as an excuse. We hardly ever see snow past January and even less past February. It snowed just a few days shy of April and again on April 19th. Freezing nights. Uhm...someone obviously forgot that our last frost date has long since passed. So knock it off already! ok? I know I have to get off my duff and get some thing done soon, before it's too late. I will. *cough*cough*. I think I'm coming down with something. Yea. That's it. Okay, so my husband did find a job finally. A good one at that. He's working through a contractor with the possibility of permanent status with the company he's working with now. *fingers crossed*. That was a big relief. We would have never made it through this month. No way, no how. It would have been the beginning of the end for sure. But we made it. We're getting caught up, slow but sure, with the credit card companies and we'll have them paid off as soon as we can. Never to play with that deck of cards again. Sure, we'll keep a few *FOR EMERGENCIES* but we're canceling the ones that caused us the most pain and financial damage during our crisis. Word to the wise my friends...never do business with Capitol One. In other news, after two years of asking, I was finally offered full time at my job. Which I snapped up without hesitation. I think they were surprised, too. My fibromyalgia can be quite devastating at times and they know it, but I love my job and my career, so I deal with it. I suspect they thought I would decline. I know they wish I worked evening hours and was more available for extra days, but the truth is, if I don't get to bed by a certain time and I don't have at the very least two days off in a row, I'm not going to be able to work at all. Plain and simple. Fibro sucks. I lost my last pet rat. No more rat boys. No more rats for me. I'm done with them and ferrets. These two ferrets are my last. Their lives are simply too short. They break my heart. I'm sticking with the birds and the dogs. Yea, I know dogs don't live long enough either, but that's ok. I have so much I need to get done before winter and I don't just mean the gardening. I need to work on the rest of the hides I have in my freezer so that I can get it cleared out for my next project, which is going to be filling it with various poultry/fowl that I raise. I want the freezer full of birds. At least 2 dozen quail, 3 turkeys, a couple of pheasants, guinea hens and if I'm lucky some grouse. I'm probably going to pick up a dozen cornish crosses (meat chickens) to fatten up for the freezer as well. That should get us through the winter ok. I'd also like to get started on some knitting projects for holiday gifting, but we'll see. Oh yea, the fiber thing is real. True love. I enjoy knitting socks. I love spinning. I still suck at the spinning, but I think I'm getting pretty good at the knitting part. My next project is going to be the Ice Queen, I have to have the perfect skien of handspun though and I know the perfect person to do the spinning...cuz it sure ain't gonna be me! LOL I've already talked to her about it, I just need to make a decision on the color I think is where we left off. There's still one artsy crafty thing I've been longing to try...and I just have a gut feeling about it being something I'll actually excel at with practice. I so want to throw pottery. It's been in my bones...kind of an aching in my soul. I loved working with clay when I was a child and even as a teen. My parents often bought me clay for during the holidays to work with, up until I was an adult. They have pictures of my projects even 40 years later. I love clay and this coming from someone who hates getting her hands dirty. Yes..it's a bizarre thing I have, I don't like dirt on my hands. I wear gloves when I garden. If I get goo or anything on my hands I have to G-E-T I-T O-F-F. I'm not a compulsive hand washer, I just don't do well with yuck on my hands. Anyway...sometimes I dream about pottery throwing. I'm hoping it will be like when I finally started painting with oils...it was like a releasing something inside, it was wonderful...and I was good at it. Someday...but pottery classes right now are too expensive. There's even a place local to me that teaches it. See what happens, I start typing like a monkey chattering in a tree. I need to stop now. Thank you to each and every individual that was so supportive of my husband and I during our financial crisis. I wouldn't have made it to today without your support. |
Saturday, March 22, 2008
The Wedding
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Well, the internet access to the wedding didn't work for me but my new sister-in-law Kristie sent me some wonderful pictures from their Vegas wedding. I'm so proud of my brother and I adore his new wife, so I want to share a few pics.  JAMES & KRISTIE  |
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Making Bagels
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A co-worker came in one day, sat down, pulled out a bagel, toasted it, slathered it with some cream cheese and proceeded to make some almost obscene sounds with each bite. I noticed that the bagels looked a little "different" than what I was accustom to seeing. I asked her where she got her bagels. "My husband makes them for me sometimes," she said. Makes them for her? Makes them? But I thought bagels were one of those secret, secret recipes and the method was only known to those special folks in New York that had been inducted into the secret society of bagel bakers?? The last really good bagel I had was in 1979 when I was still in high school and slept over at a friends house one weekend. I had forgotten until recently that she had said that having bagels for breakfast was a rare treat because her father would bring them back from a business trip in New York. These bagels were dangerous! Getting a knife through them to start cutting was taking life and limb into your own hands. The knife would invariably slip at each attempt to start a cut. I remember those toasted bagels being absolutely delicious!! I had never considered even looking for a recipe, much less believed that I could find one that was genuine. Boy, did I learn how wrong I was! Ever reliable Google provided me with a plethora of links in response to my query of "how to make bagels". My first link clicked was my last. I just liked the authors writing and I felt immediately confident that the method was genuine. However, I recently clicked on another link and will be trying a slightly different recipe and one that claims to be "Real Honest Jewish Purist Bagels" I'll provide both links at the bottom of this post. :-) Today I want to share my morning of making bagels. Last night I mixed the dough, let it rise for the 2 hours, shaped the bagels and put them in the fridge. All according to the recipe I was using. When I got up this morning I turned the oven on to 450F to preheat. Took out my water bath canner and filled it with water and the baking soda. The longest part seems to be waiting for the water to boil!! Once it finally started boiling. I took out my tray of bagels.  I put 5 of them into my pot of boiling water.  Boiled them for 2 minutes on one side and then turned them over to boil for 1 1/2 minutes more. Watching them boil you see them turn with just a bare blush of golden color and puff up a bit. Not a lot, just enough to give you a glimpse of what is to come. After they're done boiling I put them on a rack to drain for one minute.  They're lumpy and bumpy and full of personality. After their minute of draining, they're ready to go into the oven. You want that boil and blast of heat to create the crunchy & chewy outside and soft delectable inside. The baking sheet is dusted with a corn meal and flour mixture. Let me tell ya, if you don't have a good layer of it the little buggers stick like glue to the sheet!  Into the oven they go! I have a terrible oven so I had to make time adjustments so that I didn't end up with over baked bagels. After a while I have a nice pile of bagels with a husband circling like a shark waiting for the half hour to pass before he can pile on his cream cheese and take a bite...making almost obscene sounds with every bite. Ahhhh....success. :-)  How to Make Bagels: By: Jim Berman Real Honest Jewish Purist's Bagels: by Johanne Blank Eat up!! No reason to toast these either!! |
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
First Socks!
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Okay, I already posted these on my Ravelry but thought I'd toss them up here as well. I knitted my first pair of socks! They're for my darling husband, whose fave color is orange, and he loves them! They match, too! hehe I used Lamb's Pride Worsted and size 5 bamboo needles.  I've already started my second pair of socks. These are for me, using ShoeFly Sock yarn in Ruby Redmond. It's 80% merino and 20% nylon. I'm not sure how I feel about the nylon but the lady at Allyn Knit Shop recommended that I use it when knitting socks. We'll see! |
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Crashing
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Things have gotten ugly here. A week ago Friday Tim went to the PSNS job fair in hopes of getting on with the shipyard and a new career choice. He's leaving his bachelor's degree in media arts behind since it's been almost 8 months since he was laid off of his job and the unemployment benefits have officially run out. We've had to borrow money from my parents and the credit card companies are calling regularly since we're only able to pay the mortgage, car payments and utilities. Even money for food (critters and us) is tight her than a frogs butt. *sigh* For now he's looking at just about anything except fast food, LOL. If he gets on with the shipyard it can take time, time we don't have, so maybe Lowe's Home Depot, Staples, Office Depot or Costco are hiring locally...anything will do for now. He's not happy about it (except the prospect of the shipyard), but things are critical, so he has to buck up and do the right thing. Get a job, any job. 3-4 panic attacks are my daily grind. I'm better on the days I work so I don't have to think about things. Sanity saver: Knitting. Can you believe it? I watch the tube and knit, keeps my mind going in two directions, leaving no room to stress out. But I love the knitting. I just finished the first sock of my first pair of socks. I'm doing it!! I am LOVIN' making socks. I so want the book "Sensational Knitted Socks" by Charlene Schurch, but it will have have to wait until I can spare the money. Dreaming is free though, right? My dad lost all but one of the chickens I hatched out for him last year so he gave me some $$ to buy more eggs. At least that will feed the hatchaholic in me. I'm hoping I can get a good deal on some Rhode Island Reds for him. He gave me enough that if I DO get a good deal I may have some left over to get some Delaware eggs for me. *crossing fingers* If not, I'll just get his eggs, no big deal. My turkeys are amazing. They're so beautiful!! The toms display all the time. I'm watching for eggs from the ducks and turkeys so that I may be able to hatch some of them, too. Garden time is around the corner. I'm off tomorrow so I'm going to go out and evaluate my garden beds to see how they survived the weather. It's been a little over a week since our last snow so I'm hoping that's it until next winter. I think I might try using milk jugs as miniature greenhouses to start some seed if everything looks okay. I have to figure out how to squeeze some $$ out to get some seeds. I have quite a few on hand but I still need: Artichokes Green Beans (bush) Carrots Cucumbers Corn (popcorn) Parsnips Dill Basil Cilantro Sunflowers Adzuki beans I want to go through Heirloom Acres, their seeds look like I can afford them. I'll figure it out one way or another. I'm excited about the coming season...scared too since we're not doing well financially. Things will change....for the better...they just have to, right? |
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Fiber-holic
Knitting and spinning has taken a serious foot hold!  |
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Of Illusions and the Phoenix
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It's not always a happy moment when what you thought was true turns out to be not. I've always thought of people who consider themselves "homesteaders" as being honest, ethical and full of integrity. That illusion has been torn asunder. Maybe I expect too much? Maybe I was delusional from the start? I'm honestly not sure. You see, over the last oooh...4 or 5 years off and on I've been a member of a certain homesteading type yahoo group. I left it about a year ago after one of the members/moderators was unceremoniously slighted, demoted and what wholly amounts to as "shamed" with nary an explanation. To this day she is clueless as to their reasons and understandably, she quietly exited the group. A true loss to the members of the group and a blow to her. This particular individual is a fine human being, intelligent, industrious and above all generous with her knowledge. What disturbed me then and what disturbs me now is that her name is treated with more disrespect and revulsion than the Harry Potter character, "he that shall not be named". Any reference to her in a group posting is deleted from the archives without a word. When the event took place any questions regarding "what happened???" were ignored or met with disapproval and snotty remarks. All posts regarding "the event" were summarily deleted swiftly. It was all very "hush-hush" and the victim was not even allowed to face her accusers. No trial by jury, no explanation or chance for redemption allowed. No, I am NOT suggesting redemption was needed...what I am saying is that someone who as far as they know did NOTHING wrong was hung in the town square without an explanation or the opportunity to defend herself IF NEEDED. So I left the group as well. I figured anyone that would do that to someone they claimed to respect, admire and even love then they were a dangerous crowd to be sure. I was sickened, truly sickened. If I felt that miserable can you imagine how SHE felt? She is someone that deserves accolades and admiration for how she's handled the whole situation, with far more grace and strength than I could ever muster. She rose from the ashes of her own destruction and has proven without question that she is cut from a far finer cloth than those who tear her down. She's proven that again and again. Recently I rejoined the group under the illusion that a) they have changed b) they had files and urls that I needed. I was wrong on both accounts. There's a funny thing about people who are morally and ethically bankrupt....they get worse. Unlike the Phoenix they do not rise from the ashes of their destruction, instead their ashes scatter to the four winds losing more of themselves with the slightest breeze. They are worse. The owner spends most of his time reposting files and information that he's already posted before, there is no "homey" feel to the group, it's very structured and sterile with a gestapo flavor. If anyone dares to post something the moderators deem inappropriate (even if it isn't) the offender is slapped down quickly. I looked over the files and was disheartened to find either files that were empty or articles stripped of credit because they were written by "she who shall not be named". Some of her files are in there, but very few in comparison. I also watched the group posts that came through, one particular post was an article that was copy/pasted from their files...and the authors name stripped. I checked the files, yes the article was still there...with the authors name stripped. I wrote the author to verify she penned the article. Indeed she did. I wrote the owner of the group asking the simple, non-combative question, "Is there any reason that the author of the article is not credited." I received back a nasty response, one that was not deserved and my ability to read the post and find files for the group was insulted. You bet I unsubscribed! They have no morals, no ethics and no respect. I say this with sadness of one group of several thousand homesteaders. Thank the internet gods for the alternatives, but I will tread carefully from here on out. |
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Snow .... again!
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Snow isn't one of those weather phenomenons that happens a lot in this area...usually. But here we are with our 5th snow in the last 6 weeks (maybe less). I'm home from work since I can't get up the road that leads out of our driveway. I thought I was gonna make it this time, since I got up the worst part of it then slid into the bushes when cresting the smallest hill. That was it, if I can't get up without sliding I sure am not going to try the 60 degree angle going DOWN for half a mile. I hate calling in to work that I can't make it. It makes me feel guilty and evil. The person I would be relieving has been there since 10 o'clock last night and I hope they were able find someone that lived on flatter terrain that could make it in to relieve her. *Sigh* I can't do what I can't do. As soon as Tim is working again I'm going to trade my Neon in for something less...skateboard-ish. On a positive note, the snow is beautiful. I hear it started around midnight 1am and it stopped around 7am. Then it picked up again and is coming down! It's supposed to turn to rain but I sorta hope it doesn't, it will though. It's so pretty, it's a wet snow so weighs down the tree branches somethin' fierce. I was outside when I hear the ominous ccccrrrrrrraaack of a branch as it busted and fell behind our shed. It was dark and couldn't see where the noise was coming from so didn't know which way to run, that was a little scary. We were still standing when it was quiet again and found out where it fell once it was light. Now I'm back to daydreaming about spring. I was so sure it was on it's way...guess it took a detour. |
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
New Hope, New Beginnings, New Year.
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Whew! We made it through the holidays! It was a rough one with Tim out of work, but I have learned SO MUCH through this season. Dec. '06 we had a terrible windstorm that knocked down trees and put a hole in my koi pond. I thought then that next December couldn't possibly be as bad. I was WRONG! Dec. 2nd '07 brought us a few inches of snow followed by Dec. 3rd that hit us with a deluge of rain that caused some very serious flooding in several counties. My own county lost a few bridges and mudslides that took out a few houses. We were lucky, although the odd fall of rain and wind resulted in a few leaks in the roof and around some windows. We've not had any leakage since then. You can see a slide show of the flooding HERE The pics of Gorst are about 500 yards from where I work. I live in Belfair and I have dear friends in Tahuya and Seabeck. We spent Christmas Eve with my brother and his new fiancee'. They had a small dinner (11 people total). My parents, my husband and I, my brother, his fiancee', his fiancee's sister & her husband and I think the other two people were the fiancee's sister's husband's parents or at least mother and stepdad (I really don't know for sure about the fella). Oh yea, and the two sisters mom from Philly. I really like brother's fiancee'. I was very worried about him when he and his first wife split., my brother loves deeply and I could see his heart was broken. I could be wrong of course, but that is the way it all seemed to me. Somewhere in all that he met his new girl....he's so happy and I'm so happy for him! She's so sweet and I can see clearly that she understands the importance of family. She's a good woman for my little bro. It was a nice dinner and though the two are vegetarians they served a nice roast (from my parents cow), delicious roasted vegetables (my husband and I discovered we LOVE parsnips) and a killer sweet potato casserole w/pecans. One of the appetizers she made was a positively DIVINE plate of 3 different cheeseballs. So good I had to have the recipe. It's a Martha Stewart recipe!!! (I'm not a MS fan). We didn't care for one of the flavors so when I made it for our New Year's Eve munchies I just split it in two instead of three, making Tim's favorite and mine. So we each got our own cheeseball..hehehe If you have been reading my blog, you'll be able to guess which one I was head over heels! I had to work Christmas day so we left the "party" early. As hard as I tried, I wasn't in a party mood anyway. Christmas day brought us SNOW!!! Yes, we had a white Christmas. I don't remember having a white Christmas since 1971 and it felt special and magical! The roads were mostly clear and I didn't have any problem getting up the hill toward home...a very steep hill for about a 1/2 mile. After work we went to my parents. Much to my surprise it wasn't just going to be are usual gathering. My cousin Tom and his lady (Tom is living in the basement apartment that Tim and I spent our first 4 years of marriage in), my brother and his fiancee', her sister & husband, and her mother. It was strange, but wonderful at the same time. I am not the most social person in the world, add to that my stress and worry about Tim's unemployment and new people...I was not exactly at my best. I felt terrible that I suck at social situations. I just get so nervous and self-conscious about my faults and failings. I usually feel like the big dork of the day. Haha. My co-workers have been amazing during this financial crisis and every time I think about what they did I get teary eyed. One of my friends got up a collection and gifted me with a very generous gift card to Walmart. My husband and I were able to fill our kitchen with food, it was getting to be pretty darned slim pickins. We did get a few fun things, like the Simpson movie and a game that would make it so Tim could play online with me. Other than that it was pretty much all necessities. We spent A LOT. But now I don't fret about what's going to be for dinner. There is no way I can thank them enough and when I do say thank you I feel like it's so little. They all mean the world to me, their thoughtfulness and caring is simply over the top! My parents gave us a waffle iron (which I wanted badly) a pie crust shield (no more burnt pie edges!) a Henkel's offset bread knife (I've wanted one for a few years, not many more Henkel's I need!) and a gift card to World Market where I picked up a micro...uhhh...zester thingie? Anyway, the blade thingie like a cheese grater that I can use for nutmeg and such and a French Coffee Press. We spent the rest of the wally world card on some food for new years including a nice fat turkey that is currently in a brine that I picked up at World Market. I know I could have put a brine mix together myself, but I figured what the heck...ever try to locate juniper berries anyway??? When I made a saurbraten I couldn't find any to save my life except online. My little bro gave us check and I was thoroughly touched, "use it how ever you need it" he wrote in the card. Which, we did. :-) I also ordered Deborah Madison's book "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" (link in right sidebar), what a wonderful book. One of the vets I work with loaned me hers last summer when she was determined to get me to eat more vegetables. She turned me on to a way to cook asparagus where not only could I stomach them I *ENJOYED* them. But then I had to give the book back and I've wanted to try some squash and other vegetables but have no idea how to make them palatable. So now it is January 1, 2008 EIGHT! Can you believe it? Although '07 was a truly rotten year it's one that has taught me a lot. It taught me how wonderful most people really are, it also taught me to not be attached to *things*. Sure, I enjoy my "stuff", but the most important things are not *stuff* they're our friends and family. The teachings of the Asatruar is really starting to take hold in me as well. *gracious smile* I do feel more prepared for my homesteading goals this year due to the lessons of '07. How about you? |
Friday, December 14, 2007
Some weeks deserve reflection.
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I've never been a great blogger, only when the mood strikes me. I have friends who blog everyday, reminding of how my sister kept her "dairies" when we were younger. I'd always try to write, but it never took hold of me like it did her. She had the "need" to write about her days, her dreams, and her pains. Cathartic, I think is the word, and it's never been that way for me. I just do it....to do it...when the mood strikes me. Today is no different, but my inspiration is a 180 degrees different than normal. You see...I'm not someone who has a lot of friends. I don't like to go shopping with gal pals, chit chat over tea and crumpets, share recipes, go to the movies, or anything like that. Venturing outside of my home space is very trying on me, going to work is just something I have to do in order to pay the mortgage....ok, yes, the bonus is that I love my chosen career, so that does make it easier. But I prefer my cocoon, my safety margins. I've always described myself as a misanthrope (A misanthrope is a person who hates or distrusts humanity as a general rule. ...) I don't hate people as much as I find them untrustworthy. I've never felt better or superior to people either. I've always simply felt...different. Today set me reflecting on that and my opinion about humanity in general. Having friends is a lot of work. You have to cultivate it. Which to me means that you have to plant the seed of friendship (your trust), feed and water it to help it grow, and deal with a whole lot of fertilizer (don't want the HSB crew to come after me if I use the word I mean, LOL) that's supposed to make it stronger. I'm not saying any of that is a bad thing, but it IS a lot of work. I never had to do that when I was younger. My father was in the military and, of course, we moved around a lot. I would start in a new school, make a few friends and then I'd be moving on to the next station. I was GOOD at making friends. I never knew I was missing out on the art of KEEPING friends. So for most of my adult life a friend would come into my life and it would last about as long as my father's duty stations...2 years. It was as if friendship had an expiration date on it for me. In 1993 I became friend with someone and it lasted, ohhh...about 5 years. I moved 30 miles away and she was sinking into her old addictions and suicidal tendancies. Too much work for me, I can't deal with alcoholics, drug addicts or psychosis at all. My ex-boyfriend of 14 years (a story unto itself) was a gravelly disabled manic depressive; I have family members who were/are alcoholics or drug addicts. I just don't have it in me to deal with their problems...I can hardly handle my own! The sad part of this story is that she is gone now, she died in May of '02. She was found in her bed and had died in her sleep, after her body gave out from the prescription pills and the alcohol she washed them down with had taken their toll. I didn't find this out until January of '06 when her husband responded to a Dec. '06 holiday card and letter that I had sent her. I was devastated to say the least and I'm still in a lot of pain about that..."what if" seems to be a big part of my life. Anyway, this is a whole lot of typing for what is probably a boring piece of doggie-doo but I'm writing this for me more than anyone else. Today was .... interesting. Chatting with the vet, while she performed surgery, about friendship, misanthropy and communication. That was the start of it. Then a co-worker, that I call friend, gave me a box of food to take home...something we truly needed at this point of his unemployment. I was embarrassed and a humbled at the same time. "Go home and make some cookies," she said. I'm amazed at how people have been through this financial crisis. My friend Kim brought food for us and our critters. My parents opened their freezer to us on a few occasions as well. But it's not just the food. It's the emotional support, the kind gestures, the encouragement to hang on. It seems to come from all avenues in my life. Online, offline, my parents, my husband, people who don't even know me. People who may not even know that they've made my day a little brighter. The person on Freecycle who gave me the pressure canner, the driver who let me in the lane of the traffic jam, the co-worker that smiled or laughed at one of my lame jokes. These things lift a person up. My husband received a letter from the employer that laid him off letting him know that he had finally obtained his "secret security clearance" for his job. That's not something they would spend time and money on if they didn't intend on bringing him back when the work picked back up. Sure it doesn't help us NOW and he can only hope that someone responds to the many resumes he sends out weekly or that the one place calls him back for a second interview, but that letter gives us hope. Hope that this lay off isn't for much longer. He wouldn't even mind if he got called back the week he started a new job! But it's those things that make me feel better about humanity. Okay, wait...it's all of these things that make me take a closer look at cultivating those friendships, keeping them healthy and strong. It's all of these things that takes away that doubt and hesitation ...and attitude...that friendships are just too hard to maintain. |
Monday, December 10, 2007
Canning Excitement
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I'm SO EXCITED!!!!! Tomorrow after work I get to pick up a canner/pressure cooker that I saw on Freecycle. YAY!!!! I wasn't able to do some of the canning I had planned due to Tim being laid off of work and I couldn't afford the pressure canner. But now I CAN can!!!!!! Hehehe. |
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Been awhile, eh?
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Yea, I know I'm slippin'. I don't have a grand excuse for not posting, plain and simple, I just didn't feel like it. Tim is still looking for work. The credit card companies are starting to call and we're making payment arrangements with them to get us through. I've been learning to be a bit more creative preparing meals to help the money stretch and still have something palatable. The bank we have our cars financed through did a wonderful holiday thing where we were able to send $40 each car enabling us to skip December payments. Hopefully we can catch up on the CCs this month although the electricity bill is double the normal amount since it's been really really cold here. I am sure everyone has heard about the flooding here in WA and we happen to live on the Kitsap Peninsula in Mason County, in one of the areas hardest hit with the rain we had Dec. 3rd. We're fine, we live top of a hill and our only real danger is that we're about 10 feet from the edge of a pretty steep drop. If anything we would have mudslides to worry about taking our house. But I felt secure the entire time...even when the roof leaked and two of the three front room windows leaked. Not long, I think it was just the way the rain was being blown. It's rained and not leaked since. The flocks are doing just fine. I have some pictures and video of the snow that preceded the rainstorm so I'll get those uploaded eventually. The inside flock is just dandy also, running a bit low on food but thankfully I have a friend that will help us out if we need it in that department. This has been a rough year, what with husband getting laid off, one of my ferrets died, one of my rats died, one of my birds died, my wolfie had to be put down due to cancer, my flock of chickens is down to almost nothing...I've lost every single new chicken hatched or purchased this year, my health is taking a turn that is concerning me (with no medical insurance!)...next year just has to be better. One good thing...very good thing...important thing...that has happened this year is that I was finally able to meet a dear internet friend that I've known only online for 7 years. It was THE BEST DAY OF THIS YEAR. I was totally comfortable with her, I didn't withdraw into myself and not talk...she's like a long lost sister to me and I love her dearly. I'm so glad to have finally gotten to give her a big squishy hug and talk to her for a few hours. :-) I have to tell you that I'm EXTREMELY excited about Winter Solstice I will start the 12 days of Yule late Friday Dec. 21st. I'm currently working on my "plan of ritual" for the days/nights, but I know so far that I will have an outside fire burning all through the day of the 22nd and if it isn't raining I hope to keep it going until day break of the 23rd, but we'll see. The breaking of winter is coming!!! Plus I hope to have a conversation with my grandmother, whom I miss deeply. |
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Flock update
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The ducks are officially in their own pen. YAY! It wasn't so much a difficult task as it was getting my lazy buns out there to do it. I think they're going to like having their own place. I prefer my chickens to not have to share with messy muddy ducks, it's just not good for them. So now we have a turkey pen, duck pen and chicken pen. After we got the ducks moved in I had to do some serious evaluation on everyone's health and well being. The ducks all seem to be doing well. I need to either find a home for the two grey call drakes or get 2 more grey females. The white and snowy pairs are doing great and I would like to see the two greys have their own ladies if I can't find a good home for them. The 3 mutt ducks are just for fun and if I do get any more large ducks I think I'll find some pekin ladies for the drakes. That'll give me some eggs for meat ducks to raise. Hmmm...not a bad idea. The chickens: well, my flock just isn't what I want them to be. I really don't want these cochins anymore. I haven't had an egg in at least a month, maybe longer. I may just let them go to a new home before I have the chickens I want so that I'm no longer having to feed them. Sad to say, they're simply useless to me. The sultan rooster never ceases to amuse me. When the duck pool and food dishes were moved to the duck pen he was all a flutter, "where's my water? where's my food? Everything has changed! I'm so confused! Help me! Help me!" I watched him fuss and pout for a bit before he pulled his little self together, found the regular chicken food dish and resigned himself to drinking out of the chicken waterer. Poor guy, he doesn't like change at all. I'll be left with the java & sultan roos and my RIR hen once the cochins have departed. Not at all a good thing to be left with so I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. I don't want my hen to be harassed by two roos. I'll figure something out. The turkeys: They seem to like having all the space they have now. Doing great. |
Saturday, November 3, 2007
A photo story
I love goat cheese. My favorite is a simple recipe that was posted on "Down To The Roots " and I've used it several times. A dear friend of mine graciously provides me with goat milk on occasion (THANK YOU REBECCA!) and I almost always make this cheese, it's a bit more firm than ricotta but not as dry as feta.
First I measure out how much I have and then start it on medium heat.  I ready my vinegar & salt. I usually use 2 different thermometers, a candy thermometer and a digital one.  When it hits about 165F I add the vinegar and let it sit for about 30 minutes. I use a colander lined with cheese cloth (of course!) and let it drain most of the liquid out. Today I saved a little for some artisan bread starter.
 Afterwards I put the cheese, that's still a bit liquidy, into a bowl; add the salt, just a little and it seems to bring out the flavor of the cheese. Then I rewrap it in the cheese cloth and hang it for about 20 minutes.  Unwrap, plop it in a bowl & refrigerate.  Viola' Cheeeeese. Spreadable, delectable and oh so smooth. I use it to make my favorite breakfast (goat cheese & chicken omelet), spread on crackers or even on celery. Ooh, but this summer I discovered the best sandwich ever (I love sandwiches) artisan bread (lightly toasted), nitrite/preservative free bacon, garden fresh tomatoes and of course my goat cheese *swoon*. The recipe can be adjusted to make a ricotta style or crumbly feta cheese. |
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
They're heeeeere
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Saturday morning we drove to my parents and picked up their SUV to make the trip to Bellevue where we would be meeting our latest addition to the flock. Let me introduce my first breeding pair of Blue Front Amazons, Phil and Jean  Proven by two previous breeders and now they can look forward to living the rest of their lives with us. They need a new cage and I emailed the one BFA breeder I trust asking what kind of cages he use. His birds are in wonderful condition, happy, well taken care of and breed well. So I'll follow his lead and acquiring their new cage is a priority. I want them to be happy and spoiled rotten. They need toys, too. I picked up one for them, but they definitely need more. The little buggers are perch potatoes. Well...most of the time. I haven't decided if I'm going to make their nest box or purchase one, but the cage come first. Breeding isn't a priority right now, getting them happy and comfortable is. All in all I hope they'll be as happy as they were with their previous owners. Amazons are wonderful birds and my favorite parrot breed. I was sure I'd start with a pair of double yellow heads or green cheeks, but when the opportunity presented itself to acquire the lovely pair I couldn't pass it up. You'll be hearing more about them in the future! On a mostly unrelated note, I finally was able to gather my wits and move the turkeys into Mystics pen. Tears fell as I did it, because even though the turkeys will be safer I miss my precious girl. Next the ducks will be moved to the former turkey pen and I have a pair of muscovies coming! I love muscovies! |
Monday, October 22, 2007
Shattered
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Thursday I said good-bye to one of my beloved furry friends. It was, by far, the most gut-wrenching and soul shattering of good-byes I've ever had and trust me, I've grieved deeply for others. 4 years ago my husband and I struggled with cancer in our shep/rottie, CC. We drove her to a vet that was more than 2 hours away after having a cancerous toe amputated for treatments. She lived for 3 short months after the amputation she was 11 years old. 5 months after that I lost my "heart-dog" Jesi (border collie) she was two days away from her 15th birthday. About 10 days ago our 11 year old wolf/dog, Mystic, started limping. She was an avid digger (4 foot deep holes in record time) that it wasn't unusual for her, at her age, to limp a bit afterwards. But she didn't stop limping, old dog+limping=arthritis maybe? Her joints seemed a bit swollen and hot to me so I picked a day to take her into the vet where I work and figured she'd need some xrays and bloodwork to rule out any other problems and make sure her organs were functioning well so we could look at options for treatment to help her with the pain. She was eating very well and it was raining A LOT so she was in her shelter instead of bouncing around, something else not unusual for her with our weather. The day before she was to go in for xrays my husband told me on the phone as I was driving home, "when you get home, you better check Mystic again, she's limping REALLY bad and her left front leg is really, really swollen." I told him ah well, she's coming to work with me tomorrow we'll get her all squared away. About 5 minutes after the call I got the sickest feeling in the pit of my stomach, no no no. Like a big blinking neon sign in my head I saw the words again...CANCER. No, I refuse to think that way, she's old, old for her size but she's mostly wolf!! Do wolves get cancer? Probably, but let's not think about that. When I got home I immediately checked her out. HOLY SMOKES! Her front left "wrist" was swollen beyond belief and it was as hard as a rock. My heart sunk. I immediately called work to see if I could get her in asap. No problem. During the drive there I tried to convince myself that I was over-reacting. Maybe during her last exuberant excavation she caught a thorn? I voiced my thoughts to my husband, but I the sickness in my stomach would not be convinced. When we got there and after her general examination by the vet, I shaved her leg, exposing the joint. It was hot to the touch, her temp was about 103.8...new hope soared that it was just a bad infection. The vet poked it to get a quick cytology. Imagine my crestfallen face when not puss, but blood flowed into the syringe. Not a good sign. While the vet stained and looked at the slide my boss helped me get xrays. She stood in front of the monitor (we have digital imagery) so I couldn't see as the first xray "downloaded". After it was done she called the vet over. I stood with my head on Mystic turned away. I lifted my head as my boss was walking to face me. She shook her head and patted my arm, "it's not good, I'm sorry." My entire world shattered in that second. Clutching Mystic I cried. I looked at my husband and the tears were flowing down his face as well. He held both of us. Mystic had her wolf pride going on. She wasn't happy, she wasn't a dog...she didn't wag her tail or lick our faces with reassurance. She was stoic and strong. After a bit I looked at the xrays myself. I was amazed at the how badly the devil ravaged her bones....and so darned fast. Cancer is without mercy and makes no discrimination. It takes the young, the old, the smart, the stupid, humans, birds, dogs and ferrets...it doesn't care who it hurts. I looked at my beloved canine and my heart broke all over again. She didn't even seem like herself. I looked into her eyes and she averted them. They talked to me about the future, the possibilities, medication for the pain. My mind swirled with colors only the mind can see. This was my darling Mystic we were talking about. I've known her since she was 5 weeks old even though I didn't meet her until she was almost a year, a friend of mine brought her home at such a terribly young age, because that was what was once believed the best for a dog of such high wolf content. Foolish, yes, but there were a lot of stupid things that were done regarding wolfdogs. From the moment I met Mystic she was mine. I had seen pictures of her that her owner shared on a regular basis. She was a cute little bundle of fluff. Then one day I was graced with actually meeting her. Her owner explained that she was exceptionally shy of strangers no matter how much she tried to socialize her (common in the breed). She said she'll probably hide from me and maybe tentatively approach, but not likely. I was at work at the time a retail job that I had free range in so a visiting friend with her 75# yearling wolfdog was not an issue. I sat down in the large show room, about 30 feet from the front door. Mystic was on one of those retractable leashes and stepped carefully into the showroom. She looked at what was in front of her and then to her right...where I sat. Her ears perked up, he eyes brightened and bounding as only a wolf can bound she was in my lap. My friend remarked how odd it was. From that point on Mystic was my protector, my friend and my responsibility. It was still almost a year before she came to live with exclusively, but I visited her regularly, threatened the life my friend's roommate after he had hit her (Mystic) in the face with a closed fist, I took her to the park for long walks, and one time we both slept under a futon (yes, under) waiting for another friend to visit while I was taking care of my friend's pets while she was away on a trip. Even today when my friend sent me a note regarding Mystic's passing she said, "I was only keeping her until she was able to be with you." I continued holding Mystic while I thought about my options. I remembered CC's pain. I remember watching her wither away and eventually struggle for a single breath. I thought about propping her up with pain medication, but she loved the outdoors and that's where she lived. She couldn't be out there doped up and being inside would only stress her out (she once dug a hole through the floor boards of a house trying to get out, she's also torn down venetian blinds and broke windows trying to escape the confines of a house). She already had an exceptionally heavy coat (probably more from the malamute than the wolf in her). No, she would suffer inside AND outside. There was only one thing to do. Ask her. "Mystic?" I held her head in my hands, "what do you want me to do? Do you want me to do whatever I can to make you comfortable or do you want me let you go?" She averted her eyes immediately and laid her head down on the table, heaved a great sigh and closed her eyes. I waited. Mystic and I have always had a deep spiritual connection, one like I have never experienced before and I suspect never will again, I waited. Then I heard it, a cry, not unlike a howl, deep in my soul. I knew the meaning as sure as I know my own name. "Let me go." She wanted her wolf pride intact, she didn't want to suffer any more than I wanted her to suffer. She tried to tell me with the averted eyes and deep sigh perhaps. I clung to her. I cried harder. I asked my husband, "what do you say?" He sobbed, "I can't say, you have known her longer than you have known me, she's your love, your spirit friend, it is up to you." "No, no it's not, it's up to her and she wants me to let her go." My husband had a small smiled, "I suspected as much." I didn't ask him how. He loved CC with all his heart and he loved Mystic, but Mystic was my wolf spirit, my guide, she embodied my own spirituality. She taught me what it means to be a wolf, even though she wasn't a pure wolf. She taught me to be brave, to do what I had to do in the face of adversity. She taught me a lot and I loved her for everything she was. I told the vet I was going to let her go. She didn't question me or try to talk me out of it, she simply said, "ok". I turned back to Mystic and I put my arms around her with my face against hers and began to speak: I hope you know how much I love you and that I would never ever want you suffer for my own desires. I have loved you from the moment I saw your picture and I knew you were for me from the moment you jumped into my arms. You have been the very best of friends, you got me through a horrible rough patch of my life and you sang your beautiful song during my wedding. You accepted Tim, you loved him, you loved me. I will never, ever forget you and please, please know that I will love you forever. When the vet stepped into the light with the syringe of solution I gripped her tighter. No one questioned me when I held off Mystics vein. No one else was going to touch my Mystic as I am touching her now. I could not abandon her now, I will hold her body until the very end. I watched the solution enter her vein. I felt her body relax against me. I whispered, "I love you my precious, good-night my sweet wolf, wait for me, I will be there one day." The vet stepped away while Tim and I cried our hearts out. I straightened her body on the table, brushed her long white fur with my fingers and kissed her face a million times. "Good-night my love, I will see you again one day." Everyday I heal a little, everyday I miss her more. I called my friend a few days later and told her of Mystic's passing. It was the first time I could speak of her without sobbing. I was finally able to look out the window at her empty run. I miss singing with my girl. |
Saturday, October 13, 2007
King Corn
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As those who have read my blog (and reported me for improper usage of slang for fecal material...thanks, love you, too) I am an extremely dramatic and passionate person. I take the tainting of our food sources seriously and yes, I may get carried away, but there's a message in there. Even though it got someone's knickers in a knot, at least it tells me someone is out there reading and maybe the message is getting out there. The message is simple, our government that claims to protect us and all those in bed with the politicians (medical service providers, industrial conglomerates, pharmaceutical industry, etc) don't care about us and only care about their bottom line. They're more than happy to stomp on the little guys and step on the backs of our American farmers with spiked shoes. It angers me, it completely and utterly infuriates me. Who suffers? We do. Terribly. One of my pet peeves is abuse of CORN! After reading The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, I had a clearer understand of just how sick our food supply really is, I knew it was bad, but I couldn't wrap my head completely around just how saturated we were in corn. Don't get me wrong, I adore a lovely ear of fresh corn on the cob with melting butter, salt and pepper where the juices run down my arm. But I really don't want it in my beef or sprayed on my fruit. I hate the fact that it's so difficult to go to the grocery store and buy something without HFCS. It drives me nuts that people are so far removed from their food. They can barely remember that carrots don't come in 2 inch perfect little finger stubs or that potatoes don't grow in a cardboard box. It's saddens me to know that many children have never seen a fresh tomato on the vine and had the heavenly opportunity to snap it off the vine and take a nice, big, juicy bite out of the sweet red globe. Wouldn't they be surprised!? Makes my tummy rumble and my mouth water just thinking about it. hehe I'm very excited about a documentary that is out and will only be shown in very very few theaters. Eventually it will be released on DVD which I will most certainly purchase...perhaps many copies to give as gifts, depending on whether or not it has a strong enough impact to cut through the common passivity of so many. KING CORN check out the website. There's a trailer for the documentary, a blog you can watch, a newsletter you can subscribe to and a lot of information that can help give us the tools to stop this outrage. This is from their press kit..just one paragraph of the "film summary": "Almost everything Americans eat contains corn: high fructose corn syrup, corn-fed meat, and corn-based processed foods are the staples of the modern diet. Ready for an adventure and alarmed by signs of their generation’s bulging waistlines, college friends Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis know where to go to investigate. Eighty years ago, Ian and Curt’s great-grandfathers lived just a few miles apart, in the same rural county in northern Oh...and if anyone has a issue with the content of my posts....do the decent thing and contact ME, I'm a reasonable person who would never intentionally or flagrantly disregard this community's standards of conduct, I can and will make the necessary adjustments if it's clear that I made an error (which it was and I corrected it). I'm human and can make mistakes when I get caught up in a tirade...but it really chaps my hide when someone doesn't have the backbone to contact me directly, expecting someone else to do it for them. Thank you. :-) |