Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[mississippifarmboy]

You have no idea how hungry I get get just reading your journal. All this talk of food... and I'm still waiting on my supper to get done!

Hope you enjoy the vacation, but I'm glad I ain't the one flying. I'm a real skeerdy cat about planes.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm sorry... MFB, it does seem like I'm a little food obsessed huh? I've always enjoyed cooking. It's hard to learn to cook for one or two when I used to cook for a crowd. I only had two children, but they always brought over their posse's. My son had a best friend who lost his mom at a young age and he practically lived here for a couple years. He was a real healthy boy who liked to eat and breakfast was his favorite meal. His favorite was biscuits with sausage gravy, grits, home fries and scrambled eggs. Can you say "carbs". Even if he was here for dinner, that's what he wanted. I could never resist cooking for him.

Hey, I don't like flying either. Awhile back DH worked away from home for almost a year. Still in Texas, but in El Paso which is a fur piece from the Houston area. We took turns flying back and forth to visit. I HATED IT, especially cuz I was flying alone. If I'm gonna fly, I need somebody next to me that I can squeeze on when I get skeered, lol. And for some reason, landings in hot weather areas - like El Paso and Houston are always ROUGH. If they'd let me drive I'd probably be ok - it's a control thing I guess, lol. On a flight like the one to Grand Cayman - to an island - over water - (where is the 'shakin in my boots' smiley?) I'll prolly need some liquid courage!

We got a lot accomplished today. I canned 5 qts of brisket that was cooked all night in the oven and 2 qts of steak chunks. I never thought I'd put steak in a can instead of on the grill, but this is a learning experience for me. For tomorrow, I've got ground meat cooked up with onions, garlic and bay leaves. I'll throw some veggies in it and can it up as soup. If I've got time, I'm gonna try to can some bacon.

DH finished the chicken run, I mowed, in between canning. Oh, they brought a load of sand to start the septic project on Monday. I also worked on cleaning/rearranging the pantry. Tomorrow I'll shore up a spot in the garden fence that I think the pigs might be able to squeeze through and then I'll give them access to the big garden area. (Can't have them going AWOL like WBF's evil sow.) I've gotta do some trimming around the house and re-arrange some chickens now that I've got a new run. A couple loads of laundry and trying to keep the kitchen clean 'bout finished me... whew.

DH is already showered and scarfing up what is probably the last of the chili. I intended to can it, but we couldn't stop eating it! Shower is sounding really good...

 

[Denim Deb]

I have trouble flying cuz of my Meniere's. I don't have many reasons for flying-so I don't.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I can only imagine how uncomfortable that must be....

 

[frustratedearthmother]

G'morning!

Got a lot of "to do's" for today. I've already milked, strained and refrigerated this morning haul. Next, I'm going to shore up a gate area in the garden, I think it might have gaps that are big enough for the pigs to get through. I'll put a hog panel in front of it and that ought to take care of the problem - then I'll give the little piggies to that area.

I need to move the gray water barrel to get it out of the way of the septic guys. We had to take down three 8 ft sections of the privacy fence to give them access to the back yard and I don't like that we just leaned them up against another section of fence. I think they might be in the way where they are so gotta move them too.

I AM going to move the Silver Grey Dorking pullets into another pen with my SG roo. They should start laying any day now. And, I need to finish culling through the Red Dorking roos...right now I've got 5 roos with 6 hens and the girls are being run ragged. They're all nice roos though, so it's hard to pick the keepers. The Barred Hollands are starting to lay pretty well now and I'm excited to see some really white eggs. The Barred Holland breed is really endangered and somewhere in the recovery process there were some crosses made that threw in a colored egg gene. They are supposed to lay white eggs, so I'm glad to see some pure white ones in the nest. There are definitely some beige ones too, but those will NOT be going into the incubator.

Let's see, next we need to finish the shade cover over the chicken run that DH did yesterday. His back is really sore though, so I'm not sure how much he can do today. He needs to get into the hot tub and let those jets work on his muscles. We got this particular hot tub because it has a 'lounger' and he can stretch out in it and the jets help his leg circulation that is impaired because of the diabetes. But, I enjoy it too! If I can get him out of bed I think he should go lounge for awhile.

I mowed the front, back and side yard yesterday but still need to do all the pens in the back - with the push mower... I need to probably do that first cuz we're sposed to get to the mid 90's today.....geeze.

Then when it's hot this afternoon, I'll come inside and can the hamburger/veggie soup that I started yesterday. Man, I'm tired already just reading my to-do list....

Better get to it.

 

[Wannabefree]

I think I should go lounge for a while....I SO need a jacuzzi

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Come on down - we'll share!

DH and I went to a B & B place a few years back - it was actually cabins in the woods - not inside someone's home. Out behind the cabin, in a clearing, there was a livestock tank that they'd rigged up as a hot-tub/jacuzzi. Sitting out under the stars, in the woods, soaking in that tub is what gave me the "wants" for one. When I found out it would be good for DH's circulation - we totally saved our pennies until we could afford a small one. It only seats three - but since there's oly two of us - it works just fine!

 

[moolie]

Mmm hot tub! We sometimes go camping near natural hot springs in the mountains, what a wonderful thing to do first thing in the morning after a night in the tent--the place we go often has mountain goats climbing around on the slopes nearby and it is so neat to watch and just relax in the hot water.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Wow, Moolie - that place sounds incredible!

Yesterday was very busy! Checklist:

Reinforced garden gate so pigs couldnt get through: DONE
Put panels around asparagus patch so piggies couldnt eat it: DONE
Moved piggies: DONE (they're running around like four year olds turned loose in an amusement park)
Moved gray water barrel: DONE
Caught SG Dorking pullets, clipped wings and moved to new pen: DONE
Canned 8 pints of veggie/beef soup: DONE
Poached chickenbreasts and made chicken salad for lunch: DONE
Helped DH move my sons abandoned motorcycle so we could mow around it: DONE
Trim Goats feet: DONE
Move roosters: ughnot done
Watched Houston Texas WIN!!!! DONE

Waiting on septic crew to show up this morning. I've already been out and brought in all the critters so the crew can have access to the pasture area. I'm going to stay home until they get here and get lined out then I have to go in to work for a couple hours. After that, I'll come back home and keep an eye on the process.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Geeze, I feel like I've totally wasted this day. I got up early and milked, even though I was planning to go in late to work today. Got DH off and waited, and waited, for the septic crew. I finally gave up and got ready for work. Just as I was walking out the door - at 9am - they drive up. I showed them around, answered their questions and got 'em all lined out by about 9:30. I get ready to jump in the car when I looked down at my feet - my sandaled feet - covered in grass from mowing....itty bitty pieces of grass everywhere. GRRRRRRRR,,, so I go back in the house - dragging grass everywhere and rinse my grungy feet off.

I planned on being at the office for a couple hours. We're just starting a report that takes a couple months to do and we have to gather about 100 pieces of information on about 130 kids...it really is crazy. We usually spend a couple hours a day on it - and it takes three of us huddled together in my office all with our bits of info - to accomplish this. I get in and one of my co-workers is off on a mission to help a student and my other co-worker has a family in her office for an advising session. We didn't even get a chance to get started on the report. I worked on my budget for this year and came headed home around noon.

Stopped by the feed store and the grocery store and got totally depressed at the price of everything! Things go up from day to day - what I bought last week has already increased in price. Where will it end?????? DH and I were talking yesterday about rising prices and also about our pantry. It's hard for just the two of us to make a dent and keep things rotated well. It was much easier when more people lived/ate here, lol. Soooooo, I made a motion that we try very, very hard to eat just from the pantry for at least a month. That would give us an idea of what it would be like, what we want more of - or less of, it would certainly help rotate stock, AND it would save money. I'm up for trying it, at least. October first is our start date. I'll have to be very creative cooking healthy meals for a diabetic strictly out of the pantry. Ok, it won't be strictly out of the pantry, cuz we'll have fresh eggs, milk, and kefir. The mainstay of his diet is fresh salads, fish and soups. The pantry has plenty of soups, tuna and sardines. I guess I need to check and see if there are any health risks, like mercury or something, associated with canned fish. Life is just not simple anymore is it?

Septic crew just left and there is a mountain of extra dirt in my back yard. I can use it but what I really can use is a piece of power equipment to move it with. They'll spread a bunch of it for me, but I really need some under my shed in the back yard and they can't get their equipment under there. My neighbor brought in about 10 loads of dirt a couple years ago and my shed has flooded ever since.... gotta love them neighbors, huh?

Gosh, just read back through this and I've done nothing but whine...sorry ya'll!