Farm Friday

Why hello little one!

We've had a good two weeks since the last "Farm Friday." The gardens are asleep now but we're already prepping for the spring. Bill has several shelves of seedlings coming up under grow lights (this time of year my office doubles as a greenhouse.) We're eating a lot out of the freezer since not much is growing. Bill did bring in some Brussels sprouts today that I'll probably roast for dinner tomorrow night. 

Last weekend was our 28th anniversary - and we celebrated by attending an RV show in Raleigh! One day we plan to just pack it all in and take a nice long road trip. We're looking for a small, lightweight but comfortable travel trailer. (I grew up RVing so I know exactly what I'm looking for.) The RV show was geared to those who apparently really don't want to leave home so they put it on wheels. I can't imagine really seeing the country in some of the vehicles at the show:  entertaining yes, sightseeing no. We saw mega buses with outdoor flat screen TVs and outdoor kitchens that run around $400,000! Can't take those babies on the back roads. Nor can your typical American afford them. When we asked one dealer about smaller travel trailers she said they didn't have the smaller models with them and asked if wanted a small one because we were limited by our towing vehicle. It didn't occur to her that some people don't want a McMansion on wheels.

Not the model I have my heart set on but closer than most

We hosted another successful homesteading/sustainable living group last Saturday. I think there were 21 adults in attendance. Several of our regular attendees were unable to make it this time around. As usual, the food, company, and discussion were awesome:

Our spread of delicious food

I did a bit more thrifting last week. It's amazing the nice wardrobe I've put together from thrift and consignment shops. For example: a J Crew blazer for $9, Ann Taylor silk blouse for $6, a classic dress for $8, a tunic-style sweater for $2. After this year's challenge, I don't know if I'll ever buy new clothes again. If you don't need to have the latest fashions, it's the perfect way to create a nice wardrobe that's easy on the pocketbook and good for the earth. Plus if you buy from an organization like Goodwill, you're supporting a good cause.

Morning on the farm

This past week we had a tornado warning alert. We were fortunate that we didn't get one but we did have high winds. The business that owns the tower that provides our internet through lost power which meant we lost our internet for a while.

I've taken a break from my usual mystery/thriller reading and have been reading this:

One reason I no longer participate in the church culture is the way women have been marginalized. While I don't agree with all of author Sarah Bessey's theology, she acknowledges and accepts the fact that there's a wide range of beliefs within the church - so I know I would like her if I met her. (Many Christians believe that being a Christian means you adhere to their particular denomination's beliefs and have no idea that there are conflicting views within the wider church.) Bessey is very gracious about denominational differences yet stands firm in her belief that the church in general needs to allow women to spread their wings and use their gifts and that Jesus was radical in that he treated women as equal to men. In one chapter, when she describes the typical "women's ministry" that most churches support, I found myself nodding and saying yes, yes, yes!

Since I use so many apps on my phone for work, I've been slowly making the transition from paper planner and to do lists to apps. While I miss paper and pencil, I do find I save lots of time by not having to rewrite the various lists that I tend to keep. I'm still not set when it comes to meal planning so that will be my next project. I read one blogger who created a Google calendar just for that purpose. Something to look into.

It's getting late here so I'll end with this:

My little buddy - and master

Have a great week!

Quote for the Day

“No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.” 

~Alice Walker

Quote for the Day

"Listen with the intent to understand, not the intent to reply."

~Stephen Covey

Farm Friday

Things have gotten busy around the farm over the last few weeks - busy for the goats, at least. We now have 22 healthy kids running around the farm!

After a day spent at my desk, I thought it would be nice to walk the farm. Here's one of the sites we saw:

Part of our "lower 40"

While we were out, we thought it would also be a good time to stop by and visit some of the babies and their mothers:

Selfie with a goat

Bill getting some goat love

It's supposed to be super cold this weekend with the possibility of some snow on Monday. Bill has been busy cutting up fallen trees for firewood. We have a wood heater/boiler that we use to heat the house and it's wonderful that we have a large enough farm that we've always been able to scavenge fallen trees rather than cut down living ones.

And my apologies to those who have made comments on my blog and I haven't responded. I'm still working to simplify my life so I have time for things that matter - which includes responding to reader comments. It's a journey...

Have a great week!

Monday Morning Amusement

Quote for the Day

I remembered this poem this evening while looking out our family room at the trees silhouetted against the sunset:

Trees

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

~Joyce Kilmer

Sadly, Kilmer died at 31, killed by a sniper's bullet in France during a battle in World War I. One wonders how his poetry would have developed had he survived.

Farm Friday

Has it been almost a week? My intention was to get a couple of other posts in this week but I ended up working out of town two days and didn't get a chance to sit down at the computer. I'm still in the process of trying to simplify my life. I've been unsubscribing to most of the emails I receive. And I'm trying to get a good personal time management system set up. For the past few years, I've mainly used a 8 1/2 x 11 spiral-bound notebook for to do lists, shopping lists, menu plans, and an overview for the week, plus a paper calendar. My new job has me using so many electronic tools that I'm trying to find a way to use some for my personal tasks in order reduce the amount of writing I do. In addition to the notebook and paper calendar, I try to do a daily journal entry. Even if it's just a summary of the previous day, plans for the current day, or a random list of thoughts, journaling helps keep me centered. That said, all that writing is time consuming so I need to be more purposeful with my time.

It has been a full week on and off the farm. We're having a few deliveries each week and will be at the farmers' market tomorrow. We've had a run on kids lately and now have 19 on the farm! I haven't had a chance to spend time with them but Bill has been posting pictures of them on Facebook for everyone to oooh and aaaah over.

I tried a new recipe: Blue Cheese and Brussels Sprouts Souffle. I found it in a freebie magazine when I was at a natural food coop in North Carolina. I had everything except the milk and blue cheese so I was able to buy some nice organic dairy products while I was there. Here' a photo after it deflated a bit (it was very pretty straight out of the oven):

I'm working through a huge learning curve with my job - new people, new technology, a new industry, etc. - but I feel that in the long run, it's a great fit for my skills and passions. 

I don't know if he's fascinated or bored by me, but Mr. Fabs decided to spend an entire day sleeping next to my computer while I worked:

Have a great week!