Are we living our dream?

[flowerbug]

I now have 5 does loaded up, all written in a journal with dates on when to put in nests. DH told me that he put in nests for Mini Rex’s 2 days before because sometimes the kittens come earlier, just like for bantam chickens.
DH has been collecting ragweed and drying it on top of the cages, which I think serves two purposes. The first is maybe it helps decrease the temperature in the cages and the second is he feeds it to the rabbits the following day so it’s less rations necessary to feed the herd.
In just 4 days I will need to begin to put nesting boxes and hay for the does. I don’t feel little marbles in the abdomen but I never really did in the past anyway.

kneading does

 

[Medicine Woman]

Life goes on. I now have been started on a new blood pressure medication and I have been found with increased uric acid levels in my blood after my knee wouldn’t allow me to walk and in desperation I saw DH’s doctor as mine might as well retire (no more than he is present).
So recently we have obtained lots of rabbit cages and rabbits from a local who is done and we are trying to get future generations out of them. I suggested we put them along the west border, near the fence because no point planting vegetables or fruits if they will be sprayed with Roundup. We got 10 unwanted roosters from another local who just was overrun. The two biggest are in the coop with the girls. We need a slaughter day but the rest are in a tractor on weed control.
My house guest delivered a baby girl on October 30th. Very good baby. She asks for too much takeout but last night I looked at the Taco Bell deal she showed me for $21 and I said I was going to get a few pieces of non frozen meat and vegetables and cook. Done!! It did cost me over $57 but I got enough of future meals. Even she was impressed. Just cooked sausage and frozen peas with some of those baby carrots she has been stockpiling in the fridge.
Speaking of fridge, the fridge recently died. I was told by DH to get a big side by side. What I actually got was a big fridge with no freezer on it at all standing 6 feet tall and another one exactly the same to use as a freezer cuz the freezer does work but the top is in pieces and I want it gone yesterday. So both are in the kitchen now and it costed barely more than the side by side would have cost. I can’t believe how much food I can pick up now.
I have been interviewed for a part time bridge tender position and I’m hoping to get it as it was always my plan to return there anyway (after I was 60 years old and done with nursing) plus I already know how to work two of our bridges. Really it’s hard to survive on my pension.
Am old friend contacted me about my chickens and was basically picking my brain regarding how to have a successful project. I was telling him all about how I sex link my project to sell the pullets and eat the cockerels with the money I made from the girls and how I ferment the feed for 4 days or how I buy milo to increase the amount of pullets I hatch out and such…he complained about the toughness of the meat so I told him to let them relax in the fridge 3 days before cooking and how to cook an old bird as opposed to a young fryer. So all that sparked my interest to refresh my memory of what breeds constitute a silver hen. . I accidentally stumbled upon auto sexing of certain pure breed chickens. Talk about humility!! Here people consider me to be quite the expert and really I thought I was somewhat of an authority on anything chicken related and I learn about various breeds that you don’t even have to mix but show you upon hatching exactly what they are. I sent him a link and I then called his wife to confess that I messed up and to hold onto those RIRs because they already have everything they need. Just look for the white spots on the wings, indicating cockerels and such. But otherwise everything I said was En Pointe. Now I just need my incubators to be repaired so I can get my game going. Oh well….the Lord loves humility and I guess I learned it. I sure don’t recall reading anything about that in my little book but I bet it’s there

 

[Medicine Woman]

I guess I got my monies worth out of the food I selected. I baked the thighs yesterday and put the drumsticks to soak in a paste of buttermilk, eggs, flour and mustard overnight and today I fried them. Such big drumsticks!! Honestly I had enough with just one. I’m staying on a roll with the crockpot being used cuz it doesn’t heat up the house. No sooner I cleaned it from the green beans, I started cooking red beans cuz one of my GDDs totally loves them and her baby sister follows suit with whatever she does. I still sit most Saturdays so I’m going prepared!! Obviously everyone here will eat but I’m definitely bringing some Saturday. Trying to figure what I’m gonna cook next cuz I have all my remaining meats mixed and ready for a barbecue or whatever tomorrow. Can’t be caught with my pants down for a while.
So I am so scatterbrained cuz of my issues with my health I failed to mention DH stuck a nail in his foot 5 Fridays ago. I’m glad he told me cuz I fill DD’s Bactrim DS and I obtained a lot of bandages while I was running around. I knew I had the weekend upon us and zero chance to go in the office but I gave it my best shot. In spite of all my efforts he still developed cellulitis in his left leg and foot. By now he has been constantly on antibiotics ever since it happened, has had 4 X-rays and one ultrasound and has been referred to orthopedic surgery. He has an MRI November 22th and the orthopedist is talking about possibly removing his small toe and the side of his foot . I really hope some sort of miracle happens before then. I don’t know how I can keep up with everything and if I actually have to care for that big man!!!! I don’t have the physical strength to help him with much but I pray he can help me enough with the good foot. I’m just gonna pray for the best and trust that whatever happens we will figure it out together.
But Friday him and a close friend are going to the river and buy a ton of grain and DH is trying to work with the rabbits and chickens. I just try to look out for how long he wears his shoes and such.

 

[Medicine Woman]

Bonjour. I’m up first!! Nature called, then the dish fairy passed cuz apparently someone had the munchies through the night. Just a few. Coffee brewing, Trouble taken to the front door to do her business. Ham and onions added to the red beans in the crockpot. All the ice trays are filled and in the freezer and the lone two trays of ice have been emptied in a plastic container and refilled. Maybe someone will notice something . But I will notice!! Had to start picking up my mountain of clean dishes to locate a kitchen spoon to stir up the beans which needed more water. Drank it all up!! I estimated wrong . I’m really hoping today is a decent day for laundry cuz it’s been raining a long time and it’s time. I have to bring House Guest (HG ) to her 2 week appointment at 11. Makes me nervous taking the truck long distance. No break tag. I need to remind DH every 6 months to make it ready for inspection one of these days. The last time it expired in 2019 and the tag has since rolled off the window and is missing. So it’s 5 years expired . I ordered him the mirror, lights and the tailpipe he said he needed. The tailpipe is still on the porch. The left, back lights work but are cracked and I need to cover it with something maybe red, like some red packing tape. My last attempt with red paper dividers didn’t work. I’m seriously considering finding a location that does normal maintenance and light mechanic work and also gives inspection tags and just go there with everything I have and be done with it.
DH got paid yesterday and I still haven’t looked at the bills. I should probably do that. I somehow missed my vehicle insurance payment. DS was in a wreck and he had been rear ended by an older lady in a small economy car. I was nervous for a while but we were still in our grace period and it wasn’t his fault. The insurance company texted Adam the proof of insurance and I paid the premium with my credit card. I hate that. DS and DD will pay me back. So DD also had a wreck and I now have a $3100 check to cover it. We need to go to the body shop and see what can be done to fix the bobo. If he can just pop it out, I suggested we put the bulk against principle. But I understand the trunk is pushed in. My brain says push it back . He might give me 5 excuses for replacing the part but I would love putting an extra payment exceeding $2K against principal, and pay her share of the insurance to my credit card.
Today’s chore: empty that piece of trash freezer into the new one in the house!! Unplug it and get it out!! I need the space for my grow tent and the incubator anyway.
I will find about 3 or 4 bags of breast milk that are questionable for feeding cuz were previously in the fridge but I suggest to mom we attempt making a soap for the baby because she had been thinking of giving milk baths. I figured a soap would last longer. I only ever attempted to make goats milk soap once and it was a disaster. I hope this attempt is better. I should probably get dressed and make a round. I did that maybe 4 days ago because I needed to locate the basin I had been using for DH’s foot soaks. He told me it was on the picnic table (why? I have no idea) so I threw out the last of the food from the fridge disaster to all the chickens, gave water to them and the rabbits fed the rabbits, picked up all the loose plastic containers I found along the way for washing and sat down until the chickens 30 gallon tank flowed over. I was out of breath. Came in and washed the basin and soaked his foot. Now I have been made to understand not to soak a diabetic ulcer. Dr Google might not know. . I’m really just trying to save his foot or most of it anyway. I have put my foot down and taken charge of the grocery shopping and I refused him the corn flakes he asked for. I’m sick of diabetes!! I think I need to buy HG some containers to keep her WIC cereals out of the kitchen so he doesn’t see them at all.
I don’t think I mentioned it but I didn’t have a satsuma crop to harvest this year. Maybe it was Hurricane Francine or maybe the wildlife. I don’t know but I’m told a lot of the woods further south has been cleared so all the critters have been coming to me.
We’ve been washing the dogs regularly but fleas keep showing up anyway so I’m fixing to put garlic in their food everyday. DH had previously said it was dangerous but I looked it up and they would have to eat a ridiculous amount to make it toxic so we should be safe (I think). Anyway I can’t keep up although I did come up with a way to restrain them in the shower using DD’s extra, white taekwondo belt from her new uniform. They have learned to hate seeing me with that belt.
I thought it was a coincidence that DH found some paint that looked just like the interior of my house. No!! Apparently we must have put the extra paint downstairs and that’s what he found in the shed. No wonder it feels more like home in here!! And I’m still the only one awoke. Have a great day!!

 

[Medicine Woman]

Watched a video about Polk berries being good for arthritis but not to chew them because the seeds can’t be chewed. Must be swallowed. Man swears he has 34 broken bones from various rodeo’s and he loves to live pain free. I read the responses and a bunch of people were claiming it works great but again….don’t chew the seeds. They all claim the seeds will pass through our systems whole and not harm us a bit. Wow!!
I know one thing for sure. I hurt!!
But I could take a ride to the orchard and see what stage the Polk weed is in.
Last night I decided to begin taking boron again (borax packed in size 4 capsules) because it worked for me in the past and the pain was just too great. I had just finished pouring a weeks worth of medicine so I just added that to my morning meds. My niece swears it only takes 4 days for her to be pain free but it took me more like 10 days when I did it, but I saw it through for 6 weeks as recommended.
I didn’t put any meat to thaw last night. My bad but I picked up the rest of the red beans and I got a few portions of various leftovers.
Someone wanted to get rid of some chickens yesterday and DH’s cousin brought them over. Hens and roosters. I haven’t gone outside to look at them yet. I can hear them though. DH needs some crimps and he is headed to the hardware store. He said he will look for a bar for me to install in the bathroom. I can’t believe this is my life now . I have a group text with my 6 children and I shared with them about the boron plan because of the pain and I went out for a gallon of chocolate daiquiri with Trouble and I came home and poured one glass, left the rest on the porch until I returned and took Trouble to the cane field in the back to numb the pain as I listened to Carly Simon, I Haven’t Got Time For The Pain and I texted that song to my kids. Trouble wouldn’t even look outside the window, like she usually does so basically I just made her come with me for nothing.
Paid all the bills when I got back….Ouch!! Tomorrow is a corn run to the river. Found out that went up but it’s still cheaper than the Ag stores in the long run. No more animals than we have, it should last us months. I guess we will crack most of it, but we will definitely be fermenting it regardless.

 

[Mini Horses]

Depending on type of corn you can make corn meal & flour for the house. Extra chickens could be butchered if you don't need eggs, or if old hens. We know those make the best broth, chicken & dumplings, etc. Yeah, I know you know.

I hope you get the pain managed.

 

[Medicine Woman]

I used to have a small mill I used to grind things how ever fine I wanted. I imagine it’s trash now but maybe I still have it under my old house. I will ask DH to ask about the kind if possible. I can at least try to grind some and see what I can do in the kitchen. Maybe the grinder can be put on extra fine. I only need to fill a cracker can with flour. It probably only holds one and a half bags of flour. DH will brag to everyone if it actually works. Thanks . Maybe I’ll make some cornbread today just to get the can empty.
I’m all dressed now and ready to go get DD’s car for an estimate for repairs and deposit the check and the body shop man is on vacation.
So I’m keeping the crockpot running. I ordinarily never use pinto beans but for whatever reason DH’s uncle had several bags donated to him and he gave them to us. I just dropped 2 pounds in the crockpot. My plan…baked beans recipe with brown sugar and a little tomato sauce. I know I have to wait until the beans are totally cooked before adding the other ingredients. I learned that the hard way years ago.
It’s finally sunny out so maybe I can bring in some clean, dry clothes and get some of my mess taken care of.
Yesterday I took HG to her 2 week appointment with the baby and on the rebound I got her to run in the Dollar General for feminine pads for the both of us and gas drops for the baby. I then told her that it’s okay for the baby to cry a few minutes so normal life happens. I told her if she was a pioneer Cajun woman 150 years ago, she would have left her sleeping baby alone in the house for a few minutes to line dry her diapers and she would have grabbed whatever vegetables she could find in her garden to put in the same basket and then passed the coop looking for eggs and possibly wrung an extra roosters neck before coming back in the house and discovered the baby crying and the world wouldn’t have come to an end. That night she handed me the baby as I was sitting at the table chopping onion tops to mix hamburger patties, so she could take a shower. I took the baby and said nothing. I held her and kept right on chopping onions until I laid her down on the table and chopped and mixed. HG came out and took a picture of baby near my mess. Thought it was the cutest thing ever. Wait until she runs out of disposable diapers!! I don’t mind spoiling babies. I love doing it but the house needs to be cleaned and managed. Food needs to be cooked and clothes needs to be washed and the floor still needs to be clean, etc… DH and I are both disabled and hurt and we pull our weight. She is a new mom and afraid to make any mistakes.