Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Had hoped we could get a pigster butchered today, but nope, no pig butchering today. I moved the little guys yesterday into a new area that is overgrown. I'm holding off on butchering so they can clean up that pen a bit...even though two could probably clean it up almost as quickly as 3. So, if we do get around to butchering one it won't be a great loss to pen clean up duty.

DH woke up to a problem...grrrrrr. Wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't been warning him about it. His skin is terribly dry. I noticed his feet and ankles the other day were cracked and looking quite horrible. I told him he needs to start moisturizing in a big way. Did he - no. Does he now have 3 cracks on his left heel and can barely walk - yes. Grrrrr!

Today I'm working in the pen that I moved the little pigs into. I'm taking down some of the fencing that was in there so that I can use it around my raised beds in the back yard. Gracie likes to get in the raised beds and dig, dig, dig and Maddie likes to poop in there. Neither one of those actions are any help to growing a fall/winter garden. It'll look tacky since it's used 2 x 4 welded wire...kinda bent up and a little rusty...but I've already got it, it's already been paid for and it doesn't have a real job right now. By tonight it will have a real job for sure.

At least six hours later:

Since I started this post hours ago and never hit "post" I'm proud to say that the fence around the raised beds is semi-sorta complete. It doesn't have a real gate, but it does have a piece of fencing that I can open and close so I'm calling it done enough.

As usual, one job can't be finished without doing three more jobs to make it possible. There were already two sides of a fence where the raised beds are so I only had to build two sides. But, I had to repair one of the sides because a couple of the fence posts had rotted off at ground level. Did I have any real posts to replace them with - heck no. But, I did have some t-posts so I "patched" it with those. Then I had to dismantle another pen to have the fencing and more posts to use. That took a while. Why is it always harder to de-construct than to construct? I dunno…. I'm just glad it's done so Gracie can't dig and Maddie can't poop in there. Hallelujah!

 

[baymule]

Vaseline is very healing for heel cracks. A generous rub of Vaseline and a pair of socks on the feet for several nights ought to do the trick. Since I have chemical issues to practically everything, I cannot use face creams, but I can use Vaseline. I rub it on, then use a HOT washcloth to wipe off the excess.

 

[Britesea]

It sounds weird, but you could try rubbing lard or tallow on the feet too... they are absorbed easily by the skin since they resemble our own body oils more closely than plant oils and petroleum products

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I just butchered a pig and can attest that pig fat is a nice moisturizer, lol. My hands are nice and soft. I use coconut oil as a moisturizer and make up remover - and love it. DH generally grabs the Vaseline. Whatever he uses - he needs to be consistent! Those cracks hurt!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I have 11 days off! Using comp time, vacation time and holiday time so I don't go back until Dec 2. Technically, my last day of work is 12-31. However, between Thanksgiving holidays and Christmas holidays I will likely not work more than 3 or 4 more days! Even that won't use up all my time...I'll donate the leftover time to the pool. I tried and tried to keep my co-workers from planning any kind of party - but one of the students let it slip yesterday, lol. So, I guess I have a retirement party coming whether I want it or not. It's great to have good friends that I've had the pleasure of working with for so many years.

Ok - so I need to figure out what to do first! Want to still work in my itty bitty raised bed garden. I haven't looked at it since last weekend, so I need to give it some attention.

"Supposed" to have someone coming to look at goats tonight so I think I'll put those goats in the trailer so I don't have to take people tromping through my pasture. I generally do that so that there's no chance of people bringing any 'badness' in on their shoes. Doing that also keeps folks away form the dogs. I don't want my dogs to feel the need to protect me. Just makes me feel better.

Also need to go to TSC for some cattle and hog panels. I'm out of extras and I always need some for something or other. Lots of things on my list - just need to get them sorted out and get busy.

 

[flowerbug]

Vaseline is very healing for heel cracks. A generous rub of Vaseline and a pair of socks on the feet for several nights ought to do the trick. Since I have chemical issues to practically everything, I cannot use face creams, but I can use Vaseline. I rub it on, then use a HOT washcloth to wipe off the excess.

do you react to aloe vera gel too? i react to a lot of things too so for me my homemade vaseline and vanilla lip stuff is all i can use on them. almost all of the waxed lip/chap sticks have stuff in them i'll react to (which makes the chapped lips even worse). now that it is getting on towards winter i have to use it more than i do in the summer when i'm drinking tons of water all day. mostly i need it when the wind kicks up and i'm outside.

we also don't walk down the laundry detergent aisles. it's just too much. people with heavy perfumes can also make me start wheezing. a lot of cleaning fumes/supplies i can't be around. it's not easy to go out for me in public if people are smoking or wearing a lot of scent. lilacs and lavender are very common perfumes. both of them will do me in if i can't get away.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

YAY! I sold three goats today. Two wethers and a young buck. Three less mouths to feed and more moolah in the goat account. I need to take some of those dollahs and go to TSC to pick up some more cattle/hog panels. I'm out - and I use them all the time all over the place. Gotta re-stock....might pick up a few gates while I'm there - need more of those too! Retirement is going to allow me the time to catch up with all those great ideas I have, lol!

 

[flowerbug]

have you ever seen/tried those twisty pieces of metal that can work as a hinge on panels to make a gate hinge?

congrats on the sales!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

congrats on the sales!

Thanks - it's nice to get a few mouths off the feed bill. I have seen the twisty things - but have never used them. They're cheap enough that I might give them a try.

 

[baymule]

do you react to aloe vera gel too? i react to a lot of things too so for me my homemade vaseline and vanilla lip stuff is all i can use on them. almost all of the waxed lip/chap sticks have stuff in them i'll react to (which makes the chapped lips even worse). now that it is getting on towards winter i have to use it more than i do in the summer when i'm drinking tons of water all day. mostly i need it when the wind kicks up and i'm outside.

we also don't walk down the laundry detergent aisles. it's just too much. people with heavy perfumes can also make me start wheezing. a lot of cleaning fumes/supplies i can't be around. it's not easy to go out for me in public if people are smoking or wearing a lot of scent. lilacs and lavender are very common perfumes. both of them will do me in if i can't get away.

Soap aisle is nasty! Hold breath, RUN get what I want and RUN back out. I can use original Dove soap and Ivory soap, original Palmolive green dishwashing soap and Tide unscented laundry soap. That’s all. Everything else is pure poison. I use Clorox when dealing with raw meat, processing animals and such. I react to it but use it anyway.
I grow aloe Vera and can use it right off the plant.