Time Passes

Time flies by when you're not looking.  When life gets busy and things get frantic, time passes even more quickly.  I want to apologize for leaving my readings hanging (I know you've been holding your breath waiting for my next crazy post - grin). 

Let's start by saying, I'm making progress!!!  Yes, I am.  It's slow and small, but it's progress.

For Thanksgiving, we took a trip to Texas to see our Daughter and NEW GRANDDAUGHTER!!!  Yep, we have a new Granddaughter.  Oh boy, oh boy is she adorable.  2 Beautiful Granddaughters now. 

Christmas came and went, quietly.  It was a time of remembering why we celebrate the season and remembering family.  Gifts were small (not only did we not have the extra funds, but we wanted them more special and considering my son cried when he opened his, I believe this was accomplished) and family time was huge! 

Immediately after the holidays were over, we had a huge chore ahead of us.  Fix up the other home on the property.  Our son, his wife and our granddaughter (#1) needed a place to live.  So, while I went to work and cared for the garden (sad state that it was) and critters, hubby spent his days doing some serious fix ups.  Towards the end of Feb, the kids moved in. 

OH THE FUN I HAD!!!!!  Lydia (my granddaughter) and I took care of the critters every evening.  She helped hand out food, close pens and give out tons of loving.  We cured her fear of frogs - she still didn't love them, but I'll bet had they stayed, she may have gotten there - and bugs.  Let's face it, on a frog you simply CANNOT be afraid of creepy crawlies.  :-)  We weeded the gardens, picked beans and did a couple of craft projects. Sadly, the kids moved out after 3 months.  Lydia's Mom was home sick and the kids went back where they came from.  I really, really miss my chore buddy.

Now, we're back to just the two of us.  I'd say empty nesters, but with all these critters, who could possibly say that? 

So, the spring garden is fighting for it's life with all the weeds (you get the theme here if you've been with me a bit).  I'm winning, slowly, but I am winning.  Once I get it weed free, I'll be planting my winter garden.  The lettuces, turnips, radishes, beans and Holstein CowPeas did awesome.  The squash, so, so.  Not sure what the peanuts are doing yet, but the potatoes had a very poor showing.  Did I mention this is a new garden?  The original one turned out to be on a natural drainage slope for the property and I was constantly rebuilding rows and putting plants back in the ground.  This one is in a great area - the old horse pasture - and very close to the house, so it's convenient and I can look out the window of the kitchen and see it. 

The goats are doing well.  We did lose one of our babies.  Worms - the nasty little things.  I was devastated.  A friend had given me 2 babies just before we lost Hope.  I was grateful.   They've helped fill a void.  I'm milking Mollie now and she's a great milker.  We're learning day by day, the best way to keep a healthy herd.  I'm really learning the animals and can spot problems almost immediately and I address them.

The chickens are, well, a mess.  I have some new ones coming up.  They will be replacing many of the current layers.  I'm very unhappy with the current layers' attitudes.  They aren't personable or even semi-friendly.  This is not the flock I want.  So, with that said, I've hatched out a few Australorps and a few Frizzled Americaunas and will switch out once they're big enough to go into the Big Kids' pen. 

Now that you've had the update, let me share with you what's coming.  I'll be posting informative posts, more recipes and hopefully, more items that I make and offer at the market.  I'll share more specifics on what I do and the results I net with that doing.  If you have ideas or thoughts, please, please share them. 
Have you seen my FaceBook page?  I post a lot there - it's convenient and portable.  Check us out and Like our Page.  Facebook.com/Heritagepreserved.