The Saga of Black Cat

Let me tell you the recent goings on of our cats....

Tommy (Otherwise known as Black Cat) got into a bit of a scrape about a week ago.  He came to the backdoor first thing in the morning as he usually does, but one eye was almost swollen shut with tears coming down.  So I wiped his eye and noticed that he had bad scratches near that ear and it was swollen.  So we got out the trusty Hydrogen Peroxide....and started to doctor the cat.  And THEN put Peroxide on the scratches in my side, arm and shoulder (grin-have you read the email about giving a cat a pill??) Anyway...so he seemed to be alright.  The next day, we couldn't find him.  After two days and 1 night missing he showed up at dinnertime.  I fed him (and Yellow Cat) some of the biscuits I had made (and don't ask for the recipe...they were not good, that's why they went to the cats and other animals) soaked in tuna fish juice.  I put a pet antibiotic in Black Cat's and kept shooing Yellow Cat off. 

Next morning, another antibiotic in tuna.  Then, he disappeared again.  This time for 4 days/3 nights.  I worried and fretted that I had killed him with the antibiotics.  That he had gone out into the field and was attacked again and since he was sick, couldn't run away.  Had been eaten by the coyotes we keep hearing.  Last night, I had finally given up seeing him again.  So much so, that my Boy who is highly allergic and not really a cat fan, actually suggested that I look on Craigslist to find another cat to keep Yellow Cat (and me) company.  Black Cat has always come when Man calls as he feeds the cats the mice we catch in our traps.  This morning, Boy and I prayed earnestly that the cat would have either found a new home and they took him to the vet or that at least he didn't suffer.

So I started typing this earlier today with a "RIP Black Cat"....then Man went out to the shop calling the cat, but didn't look for him or even stop.  10 minutes later, my Boy looked out the back door and who was there???

A bit more beaten up as now his other ear has a bit of scratches on it.  He is now locked in a cage in the barn until he is healed up and I think he can hold his own against other foes.  And yellow cat is laying right outside of the cage waiting on him!!

OH, and this is a picture from 1/31 when I planted some experimental plants.  Black Cat tends to keep me company around the farm....I also updated the 1/31 post with the other pictures from that day... http://wallacehomestead.blogspot.com/2012/01/warm-day-lots-done.html

In Just 3 Days....

The baby bunnies are almost a half an inch longer and now have a soft down all over.  Looks like one will be red like Mama, Mopsy and the other will have spots like Daddy, Spot.

We don't know yet if either will get the floppy ears or if they will have straight ears.  Time will tell.

Homemade Laundry Soap!

Well, I've been wanting to do this for some time.  I've had the supplies for months.  If you do a search on Google or Pinterest there are hundreds of recipes......cheap, effective laundry soap.

So...it has happened....I ran out of soap last week.  I ran out of clean socks over the weekend.  So, today is the day.  I made laundry soap.  The first load is in the washer.

I was going to do the liquid soap, but ended up doing a batch of dry soap because it was quicker and I could use it today rather than waiting for it to "gel".  (I really need socks!!)

I am going to try some of the other recipes I found but for now here it is:

1 bar fels-nap soap
1 cup 20-mule Borax soap
1 cup WASHING soda, (not baking soda)

(Of course, it would be easy to double, triple.....this recipe)

I used my salad shooter to grate the fels-nap soap, but it was very crumbly so I think it'd be pretty easy to do by hand.

Mix the three soaps all together, take a really BAD picture.

Put it in a container.  I used one that has been put in the recycling bin so many times, but keeps getting pulled back out because I think of somthing I can use it for....now laundry soap.

You only use 2 TEASPOONS of soap per load of laundry. Yes, you read that right!!  I have a 1/8 measuring cup that I have never used for...anything.  Now it's in the laundry soap.  I takes 1/16 of a cup per load. 

That is cheap! 

And that is something marked off my 101 in 1001 list!!

(I will post the other recipes as I try them.)

I think I will post this to the Blog Hop as well!  I'm number #121 in the Barnyard Hop:

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Worked outside quite a bit today.

Sadly, Shamrock, the baby turkey, did make it out of the shell last night, but did not make it through the day today. :(

Spring has S P R U N G

At this point, it would have to take a 10 day blizzard to convince me otherwise.....

Spring is here:

Last months chicks:


 Popples born this morning:








Turkey hatching in the laundry room:



Boys digging big holes:



The extra boy is my Boy's very good buddy who slept over last night (although I am hearing that much sleep was NOT involved. )

Other fun stuff not pictured: Tomato sprouts on the counter, 3 chicks born earlier this week, SIDING FINISHED!!!

A great book to read....

I don't have a lot of time to just sit and read....but on my 101 in 1001 list, I committed to reading at least 1 book a month.  A fun book.  I read / look at tons of nonfiction "how do I do that" books.  Most have been pretty good so far.  I have two on reserve at the library that I am almost afraid to admit the titles, but I've read reviews that the one is a fun book (a romp through the 80s!) and the other is a tear jerker.  (Not really what I need considering my mood lately...)

But yesterday I finished, not one, but TWO books! The first was set in the first Acts church from the time of Annais' lie to Stephen's stoning.  It was very well written.  Most books that I pick take about a week to read...this one took about 5 weeks.  It was very involved.

While working through that one, I picked up another at the library that I liked the cover picture.  Silly I know.  But it was nothing like I have ever read before.  I am stunned with how good it was.  Gritty, emotional, sweet.  It deals with Guardian Angels (all of the different types of angels--did you know there are different types?).  I don't want to give too much away because you should read it --REALLY!  It is good!!!!

"The Guardian Angel's Journal" by Carolyn Jess-Cooke.

Forever ago (2nd grade -- when I was selected to attend the Young Author's Conference for our school) I decided I wanted to write novels, books, short stories, anything but poetry. When that well-known author (I have no idea who now) mentioned MY story in front of the whole conference, I knew what I was to become.  Throughout my life, it's tickled the back of my mind.  I am a part of groups on facebook and yahoo for struggling writers.  I can write, but I don't think I do it very well.  I may well be too "folksy" and really not willing to put on a different "persona" to write.  Sometimes, I feel like the imagination that I once had has vanished.  And I am reminded, when I was a child, I did as a child, now that I am an adult, it is time to put away childish things....

Anyway....read this book!!

Third time's a "charm"?

Well, maybe not in my Boy's eyes.

We went to the dentist 3 weeks ago for an orthodontist appointment.  They just needed to take more pictures...nothing done.

Last week, went to have 2 teeth filled and 2 pulled (baby).  The dentist said that he didn't see the cavities anymore.  (Who has their cavities "heal"?  Apparently my son!)  And they decided not to pull the teeth.  Lucked out again.

Today we had another ortho consultation.  He wasn't worried.  I told him it was another "figuring out what to do" appointment.  (which is what I thought it was.)  After it was all said and done....

He looks SOOOO grown up!  (I don't like that at all!)  but he still looks so handsome to me!