Starting Seeds...

Today I slept in really late!  Missed church, but maybe that is for the best today.  Puttered around the house and then got a burr in my saddle that said "You're LATE!"  So I started working on my seedlings.

I have started 4 trays of 72 plugs.  Tomorrow I'll do the two trays that do not have plugs but are just straight planted.

Here's what we have so far:

Tomatoes:  168 Plugs:

• 12 Black Krim
• 12 Mortgage Lifters
• 12 Roma
• 12 Yellow Jubilee
• 12 Gurney Orange
• 12 San Marzano
• 12 Pink Brandywine
• 12 Red Brandywine
• 12 Tigerella
• 12 Burpee's Big Boy
• 12 Yellow Pear (Cherry size)
• 12 Oregon Spring
• 12 Delicious Hybrid
• 12 Crimson Cushion

Peppers:  48 Plugs:

• 12 Poblanos
• 12 Sante Fe Grande
• 12 California Wonder
• 12 Yellow Monster

Tomatillos: 36 Plugs:

• 12 Purple Tomatillos
• 12 Green Mexican Tomatillos
• 12 Pineapple Tomatatillos (Also known as Ground Cherries-taste like Pineapple used for jams and fruit salsas.)

Brassica: 36 Plugs:

• 12 Brussel Sprouts
• 12 Cauliflower
• 6 Kohlrabi
• 6 Cabbage

OH, and I almost forgot...I started 56 "chicken seeds" in the incubator!!

Cellar Greenhouse

I haven't been posting much (which is bad for my 365 project) but the pictures and days seem so alike.  How many pictures of icicles can I post, really??  I know, right?

But today is a bit different...despite a horrible head cold, I started putting together the indoor "greenhouse" I've been imagining for the last two months.  I'll post all the steps..

First few shelves up, working on attaching lights.  Notice the old washer hook up is right there so I can easily water, plus the sump pump hole is on the other side for drainage.

 

All the shelves are up and two of the lights.  I only had two, but Man saved the day!  He had another brand new one in the shop that he gave me.

My helpers: Danny and Black Cat.

Black Cat (AKA Tom) is definitely a Tom-Cat.  Look at those raggedy ears!

 

All the lights attached and on.

Plastic attached and open.

All closed up.

 

The view with my buckets of grain and canning in front.

 

Tomorrow....starting the seeds.

Farm Stand

This is the farm stand I am wanting for at the end of my driveway....

 

It's the exact one, as it is the lot model and discontinued.  Man says we need to paint the doors brown though...I agree!

 

Now I have to get the taxes done...QUICK so I can see if we can afford it.

The Ball Brothers

 

In December, when things were kinda scary, we "discovered" the Ball Brothers music and absolutely love it.  It was truly a comfort.

 

On Friday, I found out that they were going to be nearby giving a concert!  WOOHOO.  So for one of Boy's "extra special fun" outings on my 101 list, we went to the concert.  They were amazing and sounded awesome and were so sweet and personable.  Anytime they come to town, we are going to make an effort to go see them.  After the concert, Boy got to meet and talk to all of the guys.  This is the oldest brother, Andrew Ball.  Two handsome guys with great smiles!! Love it!!

 

My boy has decided that he wants to be a Gospel singer as well as his Dad's business. 

I've posted their song "It's about the Cross" which is one of our favorites, but here is another for you to enjoy.

So behind....laundry!

What a crazy month!!

Sorry for getting behind again. 

Our washer has been revolting since about August.  It was just leaking a little bit and I'd just leave a towel in front of the washer...but there was ALWAYS a dirty wet towel when laundry was done. Sigh. 
For our anniversary / my birthday (past Christmas, pick a holiday) we saved up and I got a BRAND NEW washer and dryer.  OMGoodness...now I LOVE doing laundry!  (I know I'm a sick individual) These even 'sing' at the end of the cycles.  The dryer actually DRIES!!  Wow.  My Man said if he had known I would have been so excited to have a great working washer/dryer, he would have insisted sooner that we get them.  (He has been trying to get me to get them since August).  They were delivered on Monday, I had all the laundry done by Tuesday...and had washed all the bedspreads, etc by Wednesday.  Thursday I was depressed as there was nothing left to wash.  Sigh.  But I have a load in right now.  Weee....Now if there was just a machine to fold it.

Old Tired Washer and Dryer

Aren't they be-yoo-ti-ful??

Now I have a bee in my bonnet to repaint and redecorate the laundry room.  Put I've been advised to "shelf" that until later.  But winter is the time for projects on a farm...spring, summer and fall are TOO busy!!

Random Downspout Pictures..

My Landlady's insurance company needed pictures to prove the downspouts were installed properly (?), so I had to take these pictures....well it's a 365 thing I suppose.

 

LOVE the massively BLUE Sky!

 

Icicles...again! 

Doing School

 

Boy and I working on school.

Anniversary Cookies...

20 years ago....

20 years is a lifetime!  And to be with one person for all those days...amazing.   Now I'm not saying there hasn't been not so great times, that'd be a big-ole-lie, but the good has far outweighed it.

In case you haven't figured it out...Today is Man and I's 20th Wedding Anniversary!

7,305 days.

1043 weeks and 4 days.

175,320 Hours

10, 519,200 Minutes.

Roughly 631,153,000 Seconds.

 

20 Years, People!!

 

  

And I am still in love.



Ode to the Printer....

We've had this printer for at least 6 years.  It's a great all-in-one that faxes, copies, prints, and copies.  It's served our business, our homeschool and everything else well...until last year.  It wasn't that the printer went bad. 

 

Microsoft is mad at Canon.  So when my computer died and I got a new one for my birthday (last February) and it came with Windows 7, there was no driver for our printer.  I even went to a site that GUARANTEED that it had a driver for every printer and OS.  After paying my $29.99 and going though a bazillion screeen, it calmly said, "We're sorry.  There is no known driver for this printer on Windows 7"  No work around....nada.  So for a year, I haven't printed unless I emailed to my man's computer and printed from there.

 

 

Right before Thanksgiving, Man's laptop died.  Oh, the tragedy.  The Horror!  (All our business spreadsheets are on there because....I couldn't print).  So after a week of trying and retrying and only getting the "Blue Screen of Death", I managed to get a screaming deal on Black Friday on the Amazon Lightning Deals.  50% Off!!

 

It came with Windows 8.   And still there is no driver for anything past Windows XP for this printer.  SIGH!  So here it is a year since I could print (and two weeks since Man could print) so we had to find a new printer.  We found one that does all the same stuff, and is half the size!  YAY!  I came today:

Ribbons..

Well, I'm systematically going through the homeschool / scrapbook room with the 2013 Challenge.  I am actually getting stuff done this time!  YAY!  Go Me!

Here are my ribbons (that are on rolls) on the handy dandy stand that I just opened and received for Christmas 2010.

Need a chalkboard?

 

In the purging and cleaning, I have a 3X4 chalkboard that I bought for the homeschool room.  Those of you that know me, know I have an odd tactile thing with paper, chalk, etc.  So I have never hung it or used it.  Come to find out, chalk creeps my kid out too.

 

It's a great chalkboard with a wood frame and chalk rail.  Nice big hangers on the corners.  I bought it for $40 at a curriculum fair.  I'm asking $25.  I plan on taking it to the "Three Bags" sale, then if I still have it, then our curriculum fair.  Just ready for it to get out of here!

 

Bumblefoot?--Graphic Pictures below.

So, Bumblefoot is a disorder that chickens will occasionally get on the pad of their foot.  But of course, my chickens don't read blogs....so I have a hen with bumblefoot on the top of her foot.  (I think that's what it is)  I've read the procedure and even watched the surgery on YouTube (Yick!).  I am almost ready to try it.  She isn't limping or anything.  I'm only somewhat (ok a bit more than somewhat) alarmed that it could be a staph infection that CAN be spread to people once it is opened up.   Deciding if that is a risk I am willing to take on an older hen.....

The patient ("Could I please see your medical license please??)

Graphic picture below:

Her foot.

I'll update if I get brave enough to do it!