I was recently interviewed for someone else's blog [more to come on that!] and one of the question asked was "How do you balance everything?"
That is a good question. Here is how I answered. "What is balance?"
I have always been a fly by the seat of my pants kind of person and I am ok with that! I take things in stride and as they come at me and sometimes I make decisions off the spin of my heel ;) Sometimes though, life catches up, wears you down and gives you days like today *sigh*.
My husband is correct; we have a routine and there isn't much more room for anything else! That's just the way it is. But sometimes even our routine causes stress. I don't factor in 'laundry' as part of the routine. So now, case in point, I have overflowing piles of dirty laundry waiting to be done and my husband is out of boxers to wear - lol. Sorry, TMI maybe ;) I don't factor in floor mopping and dusting and organizing.....can you see where I am going with this. So one day, you turn around, and all of the sudden you cannot breath because your to-do list has just gotten 10x longer than usual.
So here is hoping for a better day tomorrow.......after a long night of folding laundry!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Pffffstt Says Our Water
Ok, I am really on the verge of a breakdown with our water.
For those that haven't been reading up, we have 2 cisterns in which we get our water from. A Cistern is a large, underground 'vat' that holds water. (Scary I say!) Our front one holds 8,000 gallons of water and is only filled with water by the 'water delivery man'. Our back cistern (as in, in the backyard!) holds 3,000 gallons and can take shipped in water, but it is also hooked up to underground pipes to allow intake of rain water. This is the 'green' version of the cistern ;) And yes, don't worry - we have filters and add all that good stuff to make it ok to shower in and cook with etc.
It is still hard water though which stinks because it takes me half and hour to brush my hair when I get out of the shower, it leaves nasty water stains the require me to constantly scrub the shower walls and if we don't flush one of the toilets on a regular basis, I am scrubbing that bowl out with bleach too.
Ok, anyways....I am getting off topic. We have been having problems with both the front and back cisterns. The front one, we believe, has some kind of crack near the intake line from the inside of the 'vat' and so once the water level hits that line, it doesn't want to pump correctly into the house. Allen cannot fix it until it warms up outside since it requires him going INTO the cistern, in the water!!!! (You couldn't PAY ME to do that; It totally freaks me out!) So for now, every month, we have to get it topped off. This kills me because there are still THOUSANDS of gallons of water in there!!
Our back one is on crack! It seems there is air in the line somewhere and we cannot figure it out. Right now that is the one we have hooked up because at least it gives us water....but not without a fight. When I turn on the faucet, it sounds like it is spitting the water at me - pffffsttttt ta ta ta -- then, once I am totally aggravated, it then makes a sound like a machine gun blowing out bullets. But wait, it is NOT a machine gun with bullets, it is a WATER TAP with WATER. By this point, I want to hit it because it sounds like it is trying to shoot and kill me!! Well, it probably will kill me after all the stress I endure from it!
The worst is trying to shower with a shower head 'spitting' at you! So why, do you ask, why do we not just hook up to the city water at the street and been done with this misery we call our water? Well I will tell you why.....
Because when it is working properly, we are lucky if we need to have the water guy come out 3 or 4x a year at $65 a trip. That is a total of about $260 a year for water.
Because if we get tapped into the city water, we have to pay roughly $5k for the tap-in FEE and then another $5k for the installation. And no, they wouldn't allow us to do it. It doesn't matter that my husband is completely capable of installing the lines and can get the machinery to do it - you have to use a contractor recommended by the county. (HA!)
Because after I pull $10k out of a hat to GET the city water, then I have to pay roughly $70 a month in a water bill! SERIOUSLY!? Yes, seriously!
So now you know why you will have to occasionally put up with my ranting blogs on my water spitting at me situation until the weather warms up and Allen can go swimming!
For those that haven't been reading up, we have 2 cisterns in which we get our water from. A Cistern is a large, underground 'vat' that holds water. (Scary I say!) Our front one holds 8,000 gallons of water and is only filled with water by the 'water delivery man'. Our back cistern (as in, in the backyard!) holds 3,000 gallons and can take shipped in water, but it is also hooked up to underground pipes to allow intake of rain water. This is the 'green' version of the cistern ;) And yes, don't worry - we have filters and add all that good stuff to make it ok to shower in and cook with etc.
It is still hard water though which stinks because it takes me half and hour to brush my hair when I get out of the shower, it leaves nasty water stains the require me to constantly scrub the shower walls and if we don't flush one of the toilets on a regular basis, I am scrubbing that bowl out with bleach too.
Ok, anyways....I am getting off topic. We have been having problems with both the front and back cisterns. The front one, we believe, has some kind of crack near the intake line from the inside of the 'vat' and so once the water level hits that line, it doesn't want to pump correctly into the house. Allen cannot fix it until it warms up outside since it requires him going INTO the cistern, in the water!!!! (You couldn't PAY ME to do that; It totally freaks me out!) So for now, every month, we have to get it topped off. This kills me because there are still THOUSANDS of gallons of water in there!!
Our back one is on crack! It seems there is air in the line somewhere and we cannot figure it out. Right now that is the one we have hooked up because at least it gives us water....but not without a fight. When I turn on the faucet, it sounds like it is spitting the water at me - pffffsttttt ta ta ta -- then, once I am totally aggravated, it then makes a sound like a machine gun blowing out bullets. But wait, it is NOT a machine gun with bullets, it is a WATER TAP with WATER. By this point, I want to hit it because it sounds like it is trying to shoot and kill me!! Well, it probably will kill me after all the stress I endure from it!
The worst is trying to shower with a shower head 'spitting' at you! So why, do you ask, why do we not just hook up to the city water at the street and been done with this misery we call our water? Well I will tell you why.....
Because when it is working properly, we are lucky if we need to have the water guy come out 3 or 4x a year at $65 a trip. That is a total of about $260 a year for water.
Because if we get tapped into the city water, we have to pay roughly $5k for the tap-in FEE and then another $5k for the installation. And no, they wouldn't allow us to do it. It doesn't matter that my husband is completely capable of installing the lines and can get the machinery to do it - you have to use a contractor recommended by the county. (HA!)
Because after I pull $10k out of a hat to GET the city water, then I have to pay roughly $70 a month in a water bill! SERIOUSLY!? Yes, seriously!
So now you know why you will have to occasionally put up with my ranting blogs on my water spitting at me situation until the weather warms up and Allen can go swimming!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Snowed In Etsy Finds!
We got pounded with snow last night. And the look on my husbands face this morning as he went out to help me feed was priceless! He is such a kid about the snow and he's dying to get out there in it....but not, I told him, before I get out there with the camera and get it all untouched!
So today, for my favorite Etsy finds, I am going to feature some things in my favorites that I have stumbled upon that would keep you warm! Some cool jewelry I found and some other just.cool.stuff! Have I mentioned I love this site; everyone is so nice and the shops are great!
My niece lost her first tooth so I had a card shop make a custom card with her name on it congratulating her :) I also have 2 other custom items being made (I told you it's addicting) but they are a surprise...I'll showcase them once they are done!
So today, for my favorite Etsy finds, I am going to feature some things in my favorites that I have stumbled upon that would keep you warm! Some cool jewelry I found and some other just.cool.stuff! Have I mentioned I love this site; everyone is so nice and the shops are great!
My niece lost her first tooth so I had a card shop make a custom card with her name on it congratulating her :) I also have 2 other custom items being made (I told you it's addicting) but they are a surprise...I'll showcase them once they are done!
*****
Now, let's dive right in. I am having a hard time narrowing it down to 5 or so to feature!
Over at Socks and Mittens, you can find all kinds of wonderful knitted things. They look great. Her patterns and designs are really wonderful. These mittens caught my eye. These socks look wonderful too!
Or what about this Pumpkin Afghan to keep you warm in front of the fireplace :) I LOVE handmade blankets and I heart this color! Northern Lodge has all kinds of fun stuff for the rustic, cabin-ish, lodge decorator :) She has a cool horse pillow too!
I love this stocking hat from jkalthof family knits! Isn't it so cute! They also have the cutest knit hats for babies and kids. Whatch out Benny Boo! Auntie Horsey is going to be getting you to look like a wizard soon!
Now, onto some jewelry!
I love turquoise stuff! How about this bracelet from Le Femme Jewelry! LOVE IT! I see some really cute things in this shop that I know would be my mom's taste too! *Mental Note, birthday gifts!!*
I usually don't wear earrings unless I am dressing up for something (and I don't mean work!), but these caught my eye and I love them! There is something about them, maybe the color combination. Whatever it is, they are great! Little Tesoro has some great hidden treasures in their shop!
This bracelet caught my eye awhile ago. Again, something about the colors drew me to it. And it's by Smashing, a fellow Cleveland Handmade Team Member! Smashing has all kinds of stuff in her shop - even cuff links! Ladies, here's a gift for your man! Check out her stuff, you'll be in love!
And then, there is Wearable Art by Jude! (She also has a WONDERFUL photography shop which I will save to showcase in a photography blog!) I just love Jude's photos and she takes them in this shop and turns them into wearable art! How about this bookmark! (ok, so you can't wear the bookmark, but...) I am sure you can guess why I love it!
Alright, well, I could go on for days on all my favorite finds on Etsy, but I'll reserve until next week! The sun's coming up and the snow is calling my name! I should have some pics later of the horses romping around. Until then....stay warm.....
Thursday, February 4, 2010
A Week in the Life of a Horse Rescuer
I had a crazy busy day again today and so that didn't leave much time for a new blog post. I thought I would share this write-up I did for the horse rescue's last membership newsletter that went out.
Ever wonder what it’s like to be one of those who field the majority of the calls that come in for H.O.P.E.?
Let me tell you, it can be DE-PRESS-ING! Especially this time of year. Pastures die down and *gasp* horses need hay and so the phone starts ringing off the hook.
I think it is fair to say that we usually maintain a pretty steady call (and email) volume for horses in need. But, when the temperature outside drops, that steady volume multiplies big time.
It becomes depressing because you want to be able to save each and every horse you receive a call on, but realistically, it just isn’t possible. With today’s economy the way it is, sometimes the calls make me more sad, rather than angry. Sometimes it isn’t some irresponsible person trying to pawn off a horse they starved but rather a loving family whose been dealt a few bad cards and they can’t bear to part with their four legged family member, but they have no choice if they are going to continue to feed themselves. These are the calls that make me feel so helpless.
The calls I get late at night telling me we NEED to pick up horses in the morning or they go to Sugarcreek; Those are the calls that make me infuriated.
Regardless, there are so many horses out there right now that need us… that need H.O.P.E. So that’s what I do. I do my best to give these horses hope when whomever it is that makes the call in regards to their future is told we have no immediate openings. I tell them we can get the horse on the wait list, but I cannot guarantee a time frame. I tell them to contact other rescues seeing if any of them have immediate openings, and I send them some names.
But with your help, we can give more H.O.P.E.! By you helping to spread the word about our organization, we can get more horses adopted and into foster homes, in turn allowing us to save more in need. So I challenge you, even in these hard economic times, don’t forget to "Give H.O.P.E." and pave the way for another horse in need!
Ever wonder what it’s like to be one of those who field the majority of the calls that come in for H.O.P.E.?Let me tell you, it can be DE-PRESS-ING! Especially this time of year. Pastures die down and *gasp* horses need hay and so the phone starts ringing off the hook.
I think it is fair to say that we usually maintain a pretty steady call (and email) volume for horses in need. But, when the temperature outside drops, that steady volume multiplies big time.
It becomes depressing because you want to be able to save each and every horse you receive a call on, but realistically, it just isn’t possible. With today’s economy the way it is, sometimes the calls make me more sad, rather than angry. Sometimes it isn’t some irresponsible person trying to pawn off a horse they starved but rather a loving family whose been dealt a few bad cards and they can’t bear to part with their four legged family member, but they have no choice if they are going to continue to feed themselves. These are the calls that make me feel so helpless.
The calls I get late at night telling me we NEED to pick up horses in the morning or they go to Sugarcreek; Those are the calls that make me infuriated.
Regardless, there are so many horses out there right now that need us… that need H.O.P.E. So that’s what I do. I do my best to give these horses hope when whomever it is that makes the call in regards to their future is told we have no immediate openings. I tell them we can get the horse on the wait list, but I cannot guarantee a time frame. I tell them to contact other rescues seeing if any of them have immediate openings, and I send them some names.
But with your help, we can give more H.O.P.E.! By you helping to spread the word about our organization, we can get more horses adopted and into foster homes, in turn allowing us to save more in need. So I challenge you, even in these hard economic times, don’t forget to "Give H.O.P.E." and pave the way for another horse in need!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Life Lessons on Patience's
I am not one to be known for my patience's :) However horses, especially Apollo, have taught me patience's. There is some 'ol wives tale saying somewhere about a horse teaching a human patience's. It is true - I can attest to that!
MY DOGS however, take those patience's I have worked so hard on....errr, that my horses have worked so hard on, and fray them right down to the end!
Last night I was crabby. I don't know why since the hubs had the dogs walked, stalls cleaned and horses getting fed by the time I came home! I was able to go into the barn and simply enjoy the smell of my horses, bury my face in their manes, give them all a little 'T-Touch' and a nice brushing!
Then....I went inside. *sigh* I swear I was considering moving myself into the barn. I know the dogs are cooped up with the weather and they don't get to be outside as much, but for crying out loud. They still get their daily morning and evening walks.
So, Whinny got her bath that she didn't get the other night when Mossy got his. Why do wet dogs straight out of the shower run around and act like insane aliens on 4 legs? I was packing up some Ebay sales and Allen was in the shower. I come out of the office to the smell of SH!T - yes, you heard me, CRAP-ola on the CARPET! UGHHHHHHHHH - We are all potty trained here; I guess the excitement of being clean got the best of one of them.
As I am walking to the kitchen to get the carpet cleaner, I see them fighting over something on the couch. I assume it is a bone someone stole out of one of their crates so I go to take it away before a fight breaks out. What to my surprise do I find down between the cushions? Not a bone but A FREAKING EGG* - they stole one of the eggs I had on the counter (was making hard boiled eggs) and one of them gently carried it to the couch where they then massacred it ON MY COUCH [*Please note they stole the egg BEFORE it was hardboiled!]
This is were I think my patience's blew. Then we have Allen, who comes out of the shower, and tries to discipline as if I haven't already been screaming! 'Okay Allen, shut-up, you are a tad late on this one ;) '
Not Us!
We Are Innocent - We Plead the 5th!
MY DOGS however, take those patience's I have worked so hard on....errr, that my horses have worked so hard on, and fray them right down to the end!
Last night I was crabby. I don't know why since the hubs had the dogs walked, stalls cleaned and horses getting fed by the time I came home! I was able to go into the barn and simply enjoy the smell of my horses, bury my face in their manes, give them all a little 'T-Touch' and a nice brushing!
Then....I went inside. *sigh* I swear I was considering moving myself into the barn. I know the dogs are cooped up with the weather and they don't get to be outside as much, but for crying out loud. They still get their daily morning and evening walks.
So, Whinny got her bath that she didn't get the other night when Mossy got his. Why do wet dogs straight out of the shower run around and act like insane aliens on 4 legs? I was packing up some Ebay sales and Allen was in the shower. I come out of the office to the smell of SH!T - yes, you heard me, CRAP-ola on the CARPET! UGHHHHHHHHH - We are all potty trained here; I guess the excitement of being clean got the best of one of them.
Who, Us?
As I am walking to the kitchen to get the carpet cleaner, I see them fighting over something on the couch. I assume it is a bone someone stole out of one of their crates so I go to take it away before a fight breaks out. What to my surprise do I find down between the cushions? Not a bone but A FREAKING EGG* - they stole one of the eggs I had on the counter (was making hard boiled eggs) and one of them gently carried it to the couch where they then massacred it ON MY COUCH [*Please note they stole the egg BEFORE it was hardboiled!]
This is were I think my patience's blew. Then we have Allen, who comes out of the shower, and tries to discipline as if I haven't already been screaming! 'Okay Allen, shut-up, you are a tad late on this one ;) '
Not Us!THEN....yes, there is more, I find BOTH OF THEM IN THE BATH TUB FIGHTING over a bar of SOAP! What the hell!? Whinny doesn't even like the shower/tub??!! We have to chase her to get her in there for her bath.
We Are Innocent - We Plead the 5th!One of these days....maybe just ONE day, My dogs will mellow out and be good....for my own sanity!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Yes, it is GROSS!
There are many things I want to blog about....because they are part of our daily life on the farm. But usually, I spare you all :) Sometimes it is because you might not want to know about all the dinners Savannah the barn cat leaves on the patio. Maybe it grosses you out or maybe you'd feel bad for 'the dinner'! And sometimes I just don't want you to think we are totally gross! LOL
Anyways, I have decided, at least in this case, that it's part of life and it's all I got for today so what the hell! You want to rescue? Well then, pull up a chair, listen to this and welcome to rescue!
We've discovered that Maggie, our current foster cat, has tapeworms. [Ewww, yuck, gag me, yes, totally GROSS]! On the flip side, she is probably not feeling so great so the sooner we get them to go away, the better she'll be.
I was cleaning stalls Sunday and I hear Allen yelling for me to "come here". *Sigh* What could be so flipping important that I need to remove myself from the barn to see what he wants! As I get to the door, he is holding Maggie. He turns her around, lifts up her tail and says "What are these?" [Ewww, yuck, gag me, yes, totally GROSS]! They were *gasp* what appeared to be tiny little maggots on her 'butocki' [boo-tock-e] (my slang for BUTT!)
Knowing my husbands flare for the dramatics, I instantly downplayed it. I said 'EW' and then scooped her up, took her to my office, wiped her 'butocki' off, gagged a tad, and then went to go get some wormer. (yes, I have this stuff on hand!) I gave her a dose of Strongid (for cats) but knowing that she already had this when she first came into the rescue, I was fearing the worst....da-da-dummmmm - Tapeworms!
As I understand, a cat gets a tape worm from ingesting a live flea. This is common in outdoor cats [or any cat exposed to fleas that is not flea treated] and it takes some time for the actual tapeworms to show themselves. Maggie has only been "rescued" for maybe about a month now so the timing is just about right. And of course, I was concerned about these nasties extracating themselves from Maggies butocki and being in my home, getting to my dogs etc etc. Wendy assured me that what I was seeing was just the tail and as long as the dogs couldn't get to the litter box, we were fine. And they can't, so we are good!
Of course she is in quarantine again so that even these tails don't spread [Ewww, yuck, gag me, yes, totally GROSS]! even though they look like a miniature piece of dried up rice. Yesterday I stopped by the rescue to pick up a tapeworm pill and when I got home in the evening, I gave it to her. Wait, let me rephrase that - by the time I got home around 11pm last night, I was shoving a pill down a cats throat and then trying to chase it down with a syringe of water. Ohh - she loved me ;) This morning, no change; no tails but no full on worms either. So, I cannot wait to get home and she what she's left for me :( But the sooner we get these out of her, the better off she will be.
Moral of the story - when you want to do good for animals, and your heart is almost as large as your gag reflex, you are going to have this stuff happen. At least YOU are taking care of this animal and ensuring it gets well. YOU care - and that is all that matters to that animal.
On a side note, I had to also tend to my sweet Gypsy on Sunday; she wasn't feeling well. I needed to take her temperature and of course I couldn't find any petroleum jelly. So, I did what anyone who lives on a farm would do....I spit on it ;) My MIL was there and the look on her face was priceless .... my husband wasn't too thrilled either when I told him that if he felt he was coming down with a temperature, he better go buy a thermometer ;)
Anyways, I have decided, at least in this case, that it's part of life and it's all I got for today so what the hell! You want to rescue? Well then, pull up a chair, listen to this and welcome to rescue!
We've discovered that Maggie, our current foster cat, has tapeworms. [Ewww, yuck, gag me, yes, totally GROSS]! On the flip side, she is probably not feeling so great so the sooner we get them to go away, the better she'll be.
I was cleaning stalls Sunday and I hear Allen yelling for me to "come here". *Sigh* What could be so flipping important that I need to remove myself from the barn to see what he wants! As I get to the door, he is holding Maggie. He turns her around, lifts up her tail and says "What are these?" [Ewww, yuck, gag me, yes, totally GROSS]! They were *gasp* what appeared to be tiny little maggots on her 'butocki' [boo-tock-e] (my slang for BUTT!)
Knowing my husbands flare for the dramatics, I instantly downplayed it. I said 'EW' and then scooped her up, took her to my office, wiped her 'butocki' off, gagged a tad, and then went to go get some wormer. (yes, I have this stuff on hand!) I gave her a dose of Strongid (for cats) but knowing that she already had this when she first came into the rescue, I was fearing the worst....da-da-dummmmm - Tapeworms!
As I understand, a cat gets a tape worm from ingesting a live flea. This is common in outdoor cats [or any cat exposed to fleas that is not flea treated] and it takes some time for the actual tapeworms to show themselves. Maggie has only been "rescued" for maybe about a month now so the timing is just about right. And of course, I was concerned about these nasties extracating themselves from Maggies butocki and being in my home, getting to my dogs etc etc. Wendy assured me that what I was seeing was just the tail and as long as the dogs couldn't get to the litter box, we were fine. And they can't, so we are good!
Of course she is in quarantine again so that even these tails don't spread [Ewww, yuck, gag me, yes, totally GROSS]! even though they look like a miniature piece of dried up rice. Yesterday I stopped by the rescue to pick up a tapeworm pill and when I got home in the evening, I gave it to her. Wait, let me rephrase that - by the time I got home around 11pm last night, I was shoving a pill down a cats throat and then trying to chase it down with a syringe of water. Ohh - she loved me ;) This morning, no change; no tails but no full on worms either. So, I cannot wait to get home and she what she's left for me :( But the sooner we get these out of her, the better off she will be.
Moral of the story - when you want to do good for animals, and your heart is almost as large as your gag reflex, you are going to have this stuff happen. At least YOU are taking care of this animal and ensuring it gets well. YOU care - and that is all that matters to that animal.
On a side note, I had to also tend to my sweet Gypsy on Sunday; she wasn't feeling well. I needed to take her temperature and of course I couldn't find any petroleum jelly. So, I did what anyone who lives on a farm would do....I spit on it ;) My MIL was there and the look on her face was priceless .... my husband wasn't too thrilled either when I told him that if he felt he was coming down with a temperature, he better go buy a thermometer ;)
Monday, February 1, 2010
Virtual Farm - Weekend Pics
Yesterday was busy. More busy than it should have been. We had to pick up a load of hay too; oddly enough, it was my 5th grade teacher we bought the hay from. It was so good to see him! How ironic and cool!
Tonight my mom and I are going to an event on 'Entrepreneurial Farming' - should be interesting!
Here are a few photos from the weekend I wanted to share! They are on my Etsy site as well. Have a Good Monday!
Tonight my mom and I are going to an event on 'Entrepreneurial Farming' - should be interesting!
Here are a few photos from the weekend I wanted to share! They are on my Etsy site as well. Have a Good Monday!
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