Mother Nature decorated

With the snow and cold and 30mph winds, Mother Nature went to work making masterpieces. So for my birthday I got sunshine and beautiful artwork, so much fun, but so cold. I took pictures until my fingers would not work they were so cold. With out the wind blowing the house is pretty comfortable, just wish the bathrooms would thaw,lol.

When the weather is acting up like this I wonder just how the pioneers survived. Trying to imagine dealing with all this and living in a log home or in this area a Soddy! No stores to run to for supplies, no calling the gas company for more fuel. I believe that in this area of the country it was prairie so there were no trees to cut down for building or fuel. I am pretty sure that quite a bit of their clothing would have been wool, and if they hunted they would have had skins. Trying to learn all those skills so you could survive, amazing. I can get on the computer and order pretty much anything I want or need and have it delivered. To have moved from a city and then to live in the middle of no where, no neighbors to turn to. Just boggles my little mind.

I know the weather is acting up pretty much all over, so I wish you calm winds, warm temperatures and the love of friends and family. Barbara

A Silly Quiz to pass the time!

My View from the side door! I am not looking forward to my trek to the barn,lol. If I don't blow away I will be happy.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Violet Lady had this one her blog so I copied it to give it a try and have something to do,lol.

I found this on Literary Feline's blog and I decided it would make a nice change of pace.

What kind of soap is in your shower right now? Oil of Olay, Zest mango twist and some Suave Berry smoothie wash.

Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? I wish.

What would you change about your living room? Everything!

Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? Clean.

What is in your fridge? Mostly condiments, some of Elvira's food, I made her a new batch yesterday. Milk, eggs, carrots and celery.

White or wheat bread? Wheat.

What is on top of your refrigerator? some coolers, since the store is far away I always have coolers with me when go to store

What color or design is on your shower curtain? Just plain white

How many plants are in your home? probably around 20

Is your bed made right now? Yes.

Comet or Soft Scrub? neither I use vinegar and baking soda

Is your closet organized? Pretty much

Can you describe your flashlight? The one that works is black.

Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Glass.

Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No.

If you have a garage, is it cluttered? Oh, yeah, big time,lol

Curtains or blinds? Depends on the room.

How many pillows do you sleep with? Two.

Do you sleep with any lights on at night? No.

How often do you vacuum? Whenever necessary. Don't want to overdo it.

Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard.
What color is your toothbrush? Purple.
Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? Yes.
What is in your oven right now? A thermometer.
Is there anything under your bed? Not in the master bedroom.
Chore you hate doing the most? Depends on my mood.
What retro items are in your home? Lots, I have my Grandfather's old cameras, old sewing machines, radios, I love it all.
Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? Yes.
How many mirrors are in your home? Two.
What color are your walls? lots of old wall paper, and an awful melon color in dining room.
What does your home smell like right now? Well, I hope that it is more candles then critters,lol.
Favorite candle scent? Tea rose, berry, lemon, apple pie.
What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? Bread and butter and Gherkin.
What color is your favorite Bible? Black.
Ever been on your roof? Yes, there is a trap door and you can see forever.
Do you own a stereo? Yes.
How many TVs do you have? Six I think.
How many house phones? Two cordless, one on the fax and a corded one.
Do you have a housekeeper? The way this place looks if I did I would have to fire her.
What style do you decorate in? Eclectic.
Do you like solid colors or prints in furniture? Both.
Is there a smoke detector in your home? Yes, there is.
In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? Any pictures that I could grab, cameras, old family stuff, this would all be after I got the critters out. I had already thought that I would bust a window and throw out clothes and stuff cause it could be washed and I would want something to wear,lol.

So copy away and have fun. We are in white out conditions today, 30 mph winds and the temp has dropped 40 degrees since yesterday so no outside play today,lol.

Best to all, Barbara

An "Old Picture"

Mom-Musings has a thing going on with the theme old pictures, so this one is very old. It is a picture of my Great Grandfather, William Wells Eldridge on his wedding day. Without looking it up I believe her last name was Bourne and I cannot remember her first name, I'm bad. He was from Falmouth, Ma and was a whaling captain. During one of his voyages he was badly injured. He went on to be a farmer and school superintendent. Of their 5 children the youngest was my
Grandfather, Arthur Grenville Eldredge.

This came from Lynne at Lynne's Little Corner of The World.

I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!) It’s real easy!
Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially.
The benefits of Viral Linking:- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!- Increase your Google PageRank fast- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site- Build your community- Make new friends!
Add your blog url here...The Strategist Notebook/Link Addiction/Ardour of the Heart/ When Life Becomes a Book/The Malaysian Life/ Yogatta.com/What goes under the sun/ Roshidan’s Cyber Station/Sasha says/Arts of Physics/And the legend lives/My View, My Life/ A Simple Life/What Women REALLY Think/Not Much More Than This/Jayedee/Jenn/Beth/ Christie/Marla/Cailin/Simone/FlipFlopMom/Katrina/Gill's Jottings/Work of the Poet/ Wakela/Modern Day Goddess/Livin With Me/Are We There Yet??/The Erstwhile Librarian /Lynne's Little Corner of the World/Violetlady At Home/The Clark Homestead/ You are next...

Over the Backyard Fence

South Breeze Farm

Nancy Jo

Renee Burghardt's World

2lmzfarms

Ok, I hope I have done this right, if not please let me know how I should have done it. My life is a constant learning process.

One more day of 30's and then it is supposed to nose dive again. I am getting so much done today, I think I went into hibernation mode last week. Hey, that could be a new diet,lol. I found some folders I was looking for. It's been warm enough today so I could go up in the attic, I finally found a way to put my desk that will work for me. It's not quite the way I wanted it but it works and I feel comfortable. So trying to get things where they belong. If this job works I will have lots of paper work to do so need to be prepared. I have also been making lots of notes on food, it's cool I have friends sending me ideas which is great. I need to know what people are enjoying when they go out to eat, nothing exotic so this is great to get feedback.

They keep sending me all these garden catalogs, I am going to short circuit, so much neat stuff.

I have already ordered a butterfly garden and think I have narrowed down most of the trees and hedge plants I want. At least for the time being. The little piggies found out how to get the

lid off the feed, had to take a picture they thought they had it made.

Have a super duper day, Barbara

I've Been Tagged with My First Meme

I've been Tagged, what fun. http:// NostalgicHomemaking.blogspot.com tagged me, she saw my name on a list
in the MaryJane Farmgirls site. If you have never been there give it a look, lots of information from lots of really nice people. I really need to learn how to do links from this page, I tend to be kinda impatient/lazy and want to know it all now. This meme says to link back to the person who tagged you and you are supposed to list 7 random or weird facts about yourself.
Hummm, only 7??

1. Growing up I always wanted to be an artist, never anything else. Of course life intruded and I have done everything but.

2. I have spent my life moving, I have never lived in one site more then 3 or 4 years. Hopefully that streak has been broken. I now live in a place where people have lived in the same house all their lives and they can not imagine I do not know who used to live in mine.
I can't imagine why they care!

3. One of my apartments in Boston had a ghost. If I was away for a few days and came home you could smell her perfume, an old fragrance like lilacs. There was a hall closet that used to be part of a hallway that would open on its own. In the hall between the front room and kitchen you could hear footsteps (I was on top floor) People would ask who it was and I would tell them it was my ghost. She was a comfortable presence.

4. The most likable celebrities I have met were Tom Jones and Joe Nameth, friendly and not stuck on themselves. The party I was at for Tom Jones, he went around pouring wine and asking if we needed anything. I was in awe!!

5. I was always a bit of a daredevil, tomboy type and it really annoys me that with age I find myself afraid of things. I used to go full speed down mountains, drive straight through to where ever I was headed, ski, climb trees. Now I need drugs to do those things and find mountains, big trucks and driving after dark bug me.

6. I love my little sports car, a 1985 BMW 320e and can't wait until she is once more on the road. I have not driven her for over a year and now that I may be gainfully employed again I can fix her up. By next winter I hope to have the engine overhauled as she has almost 300,000 miles on her. I also want to have some body work done and have her repainted and her leather restitched. I feel happy driving her, free.

7. I am loyal and feel that things told to me are private and do not understand how people can betray trust and friendships.

Wow, when I first read the comment about the meme I thought Oh, what fun, but you know it was kinda hard. I am usually focused out and not so much in, made me dig a little.

We have just had a couple of glorious days, after all the cold being in the 30's was amazing. I was actually going around the house in only a tee shirt, no sweaters! Jim got to come home Saturday afternoon which was great. He had people on vacation so did not think he was going to be able to get away. We were up early Sunday and he helped me strip down the roll of hay, you have to get it small enough to go through door. Lots of people leave them outside but I like mine to be inside and dry. I was also able to clean out the big stall the girls are in, cleared out all the old hay and swept and put down lime. So they had nice fresh hay all around. As Jim was tossing the hay inside ( we have a dutch door to the outside, so can just open top of it) the goats were helping him. They were so funny, playing tag and king of the hill on the piles of hay. They would go tearing around where I was working, out the door and around all inside the barn, like a bunch of little kids at recess. Barn is not quite the right word, it is actually called an animal shed, 4 large box stalls and one longer narrow one. Jim is slowly helping me to get it set up how I want it, cutting doorways and putting up gates.

Beautiful blue skies, no wind we just really enjoyed it and he had a nice drive back to his apartment. I really worry when he has to drive in the bad weather, not so much about his driving as about the people he has to share the road with.

Gosh, this is a long one, time to bring it to an end. Best to you all and thank you so much for your visit and your comments, they make my day!

More Cold Bbbbbrrrrrrrrr

Well, Wonder if I jinxed us?? I thought it was cold before, wrong! Woke this morning to -17 and wind chill of -36 much more information then I needed. Getting dressed becomes more time consuming, all the layers. Pantie hose (cause they are warm) full suit of long johns, nice silky ones from Lands' End, fleece pants ,then another insulated shirt, followed by a sweat shirt, two pairs of socks and then jacket, gloves, boots, hat, hood. I even have to wear layers in the house especially when the wind is blowing cause it can get pretty chilly. I have electric heater in birds room so they stay warm and Elvira has her bankie. Can you see the birds in the bush, they are snuggeling. You may need to click on the picture to really see them.

I found a recipe online for some mash which I am going to try on the goats, calls for oat bran but can use oatmeal, shredded carrots, molasses and chopped apples. I don't have the apples, but don't tell them. I am glad we got the heated bucket for them and then I take out other buckets of hot water for them as the bucket stays at 40 degrees. I think I am going to ask our little store what they do with the apples that get a little past being able to sell?

Got a call last night from the President of the board for the golf course and I'm in. Into what, time will tell, hopefully it will be a good thing. I have had menus flitting through my head as well as all the other things running a place entails. I am making lists which I find invaluable in these types of situations. I try to think of the basics that need to be done, and then what could go wrong and the fixes. In the next couple of weeks will be more meetings as I come up with a firmer ideas for food and operating procedure.

Finally got some more hay delivered yesterday, comes in the huge roll that weighs around 900 pounds. The guys got it really close to the barn so that is a good thing, make it easier to peel it down and move it inside. I have to take off chunks of it until it is small enough for me to fit through the door and light enough for me to push in. See, I don't need the gym,lol.

Warm wishes to you all and catch you later, Barbara

Subzero Saturday

Right now it is -3 and feels like -15 our high today was +3, wahooo! The goats made it through the night in good form, as I looked out the bathroom window I could see them out in their yard in the sun. I left big and small together with the theory that they could all snuggle in their little house and be warmer. I am pleased to say that when we went out this morning they were getting along fine, makes me feel good. We drove up to Albert Lea and bought more feed, I had given them the last on Friday. When we got back and took the bags of feed in, they were right there to help us open them,lol. What lil piggies. This evening Jim helped string a tarp about 8 feet of the ground over the corner where their little house is. My theory is that hopefully this will help to keep their body heat closer to the ground? He is so good, indulging my whims and worrying along with me about our critters. For a person who had been brought up to think cats were nasty, he has done a 360 and actually has mentioned getting another one. He was taken with one at the goat guys house, we have to wait until I can take it to the vet. I am sure it has not had any shots and I don't want our guys to get sick. Poor guy, thought having a dog was a big deal, I bet it never crossed his mind he would preside over a homestead with dog, cats, chinchilla, goats, birds,lol.

When he arrived home last night he discovered that all my snow blowing was in vain. The wind had shifted the snow and he drove right into it and was stuck tight. So there we were at 9:30 at night shoveling and snow blowing to free the car. What a welcome home! Eventually we got him free and he was able to come in and put his feet up. I bet ya next year we have fences along the drive way, huh.

Be safe, stay warm and come visit again, Barbara

Tempreture is going down, down, down

Right now it is 2 and with the windchill feels like -14, with the wind out of the NW it is a bit brisk!
The cold water pipes and toilet on first floor are frozen, I turned on the hot water a dribble in hopes it might help thaw the pipes out. Jim put heat strips on these pipes and up until now they were working fine. This room is what was the old back porch, at some point it was enclosed and if they used insulation it was R1. It is either roasting back there or icy cold, it's handy having a bathroom there so you don't have to go thundering upstairs. The down side is that it needs insulation on all sides , floor and ceiling. You would think that building something in an area that is as cold as this, they would add all kinds of insulation.

The sun is out but gives little heat at this time of year, but sure looks pretty. We think we are going to put our camping heaters out in animal shed and see if that helps some. With the wind blocked it does not feel to bad, but since we are going subzero for highs for the next several days We think every little bit helps. We lucked into some of that thick pink panels of insulation and are going to secure them to outsides of stalls. Jim is also going to bring some extra tarps that we will string around. You have to be careful because the little stinkers will chew on all kinds of stuff and I sure do not want any sick goats. I am also trying to think what I can set heaters in or on so they do not get knocked over. Humm, I wonder if we put a couple of our smokers out there we could set the heaters down inside them? Theoretically nothing should be around to knock them over, but I know raccoons get in there and there are a couple of cats that reside out there. I like to err on the side of caution, so think the smokers might just be the ticket. They are great because one small canister will run them for about 12 hours.

Sorry to obsess on the cold, but it is just about all that is on my mind right now. Jim will be home tonight so I will be able to relax. Best to all, have a wonderful, warm day, Barbara

Wheww, I'm Pooped out!

I just got in from clearing part of the driveway with my lil snow blower, glad I did not have to do it all. I was able to navigate with the truck but when Jim comes home the car would not have cleared. Glad to see that our friend Kevin's piling of snow in the corner worked, it was clear.

Next year I get my wattle fence plus I'm seeing some hedge plants that look like they would work great. Now my new dilemma is which ones to get, wondering how it would look to alternate kinds ?? There is the privet, and then several others with different leaves and colors, they are even advertising a Rose of Sharon hedge with 3 colors. Wouldn't that look great right in the middle ?? I am going to have to mess with the adobe paint and try putting hedges in different places and see how they will work. One of the types is recommended for open areas and is deer resistant, has thorns and also berries so I am thinking would be perfect for perimeter of property and for the birds. I get so excited in my mind I am busy planting them all over the place. Easy to amuse aren't I?? Oh, and the climbing roses and clementis and..............

Deep freeze is coming this weekend so am hoping that everything works well and I don't have to build a fire in middle of front room floor. Well, Tonka just stopped by for some loving he is such a big purr baby. Peaches is holding down the bed so it doesn't float off, ahh to be a cat.

I have had a couple of really nice days, yesterday talked for ages to my friend Connie. She was my backyard neighbor in Wisconsin, she has the most beautiful yard lots of beautiful flowers. When I hit the lottery big time I am buying her a nice house with acres around it so she can plant to her hearts content. I miss her bunches, but she has promised to come visit me in the Spring. Now today I had a long conversation with my Florida friend Rejeanna, I have know her for over 20 years. We have these long rambeling conversations that are cool, solve the problems of the world. She and her Mom are a couple of my favorite people, makes me feel good when I connect with my buddies.

Same kind of good feeling when those super people from blogger land come in and visit and leave a note. I really am glad I stepped into this world. Best to all Barbara

Man, I am more confused then usual !!

I am trying to work my way through the Adobe paint and another program I downloaded. These programs are used to twink my photographs, take out background garbage, enlarge etc.

Problem is my brain is having a hard time wrapping itself around the information, then I get frustrated and sit here hollering at it. I know, real productive. I think I am following the directions and get to the TA DA moment and it fizzles. There is this super nice fellow photographer on Etsy who is trying to help me, so one way or another I will muddle through this. It is a case of you get a great shot, except for one or two little things. Now with the wonders of modern technology you can move things around and cover things up, change colors, all kinds of things. I have been struggling with this for days, but the sun is out today and my brain functions better with sun.

It is cold today, I think the weather said -1 and that is not with the windchill. I had to bring the little guys water bucket in cause it is frozen solid and I could not get the ice out. It is now sitting in the sink thawing. I figured this would happen so took out two buckets of hot water this morning plus an empty bucket. I have to thank the kitty litter people for putting their product in such nifty buckets, they sure are coming in handy. We bought one of those heated buckets for the big guys and it is working fine, even the barn kitty likes it. So, I guess next payday we will get one for the little ones so they don't have to deal with frozen water. I do take hot water out twice a day and on these real cold day I take some extra out at noon. Jim will be home this weekend, HOORAY, so he will build an enclosure in the stall for the new kids. This will help them to be even warmer at night, they seem to be fine. Last night was the first really cold night since they have been here and I was worried.

Speaking of the kitchen sink, went to pour something down it yesterday. Sounded strange, open the doors and the pipes are apart, oh, cool. Thank goodness it is pvc pipe and had just kinda come loose. I think maybe putting those heavy buckets of water in the sink might have stressed it. Got out my little stool so I could sit down at their level and started fiddling, got things lined back up and after a few tries got it back together. So far so good. Dare I ask "What next?"

Probably should not tempt the fates. I am having a hard time getting everything into gear my to do list keeps enlarging. Nothing earth shaking, just things like take down the Christmas tree, yeah I know I'm late, but it's pretty and I like it, makes me happy. I am also trying to sort out all my plastics, I thought I had a good system but in practice it does not work, I thought Tupperware was bad! This stuff is so inexpensive I keep buying more and then Jim brings his all home and it is everywhere. I so want to tear this kitchen out, problem is I have not totally figured out how I want the new one. I keep collecting pictures and then I will see something else I like and try to figure out how to put that in also. What I need is to win the lottery,lol, saying that I should specify that by winning I mean multi millions.

Off to wrack my brain some more, wish me luck the resources are getting slim here , Have a wonderful day, Barbara

What Barbara Means

You are full of energy. You are spirited and boisterous.You are bold and daring. You are willing to do some pretty outrageous things.Your high energy sometimes gets you in trouble. You can have a pretty bad temper at times. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning? So, if you want to give it a try here is the link. Would be fun to know if anyone else finds the results close to home. Looked out the window and we have some snow, the nice fluffy kind that is fun to watch. Best to all, Barbara

Wow, This Month is Flying!!!

Have you ever tried taking a picture of a bunch of wiggly kids,lol? Well I tried, after I recharge the battery in the camera I will try again. I was only supposed to get two new ones and take care of two that belong to the dealer. Somehow I have now increased my herd by 5, oh well. They are so sweet, still in the process of getting them used to me. They do know what eat means, when I get out the scooper for the grain they are all ears.

I know I have been busy, I keep moving things from one place to another. I then spend the next couple of days looking for what I moved. Keeps me busy and out of trouble I guess. I still am having trouble setting my office up, it is weird but if I don't have it just right I am not comfortable. Wonder if I am watching too much Monk on TV, they have had telethons on the weekends. Of course when I start obsessing about trivial things I try to be thankful that that is the worst thing I have to worry about.

I have had two meetings with the board members for the golf course and still do not have an answer if the job is mine yet or not. I have to meet with them again on Wednesday night so we will see what happens. Jim is concerned that they are going to burn me out before I even start and keeps telling me I don't have to do this. It is nice to have someone who cares, but I figure that I have to at least try. Since it is seasonal I will have" me " time and fun time and if I can pull it all together I will have a feeling of accomplishment. I need that feedback that I am contributing and being useful and also keeping the grey cells active. Since I have not had any luck finding something to do online this could help keep me semi sane. There is also the chance it could drive me over the brink,lol.

We had our January thaw and had days with the temperatures in the 40's which was a good change. If the wind had been a little less it would have been perfect, I know quit complaining. I will save that until we are subzero, then I will really have something to complain about. It really has not been too bad lately, but overcast so I feel like I am living at the bottom of the ocean. There are lots of patches of grass showing and it makes you think of Spring, only an illusion I know winter will be back with a vengeance.

I hope the New Year is going well for everyone and you are enjoying yourselves. I wish you all the best. I also want to thank you for all the kind comments you have left, sure makes my day!! Best to all Barbara

Happy New Year

I know, I am late but it is heartfelt. I wish each of you to do better, love better, feel better. I wish we will each be more aware of how we treat each other, how we treat our earth and how we treat ourselves.

I am not making any earthshaking resolutions because I know I will only stress myself when I don't keep them. So I am doing baby steps and trying to kick myself up a notch, eat a little better by eating more fresh fruit. In that vein I am going to try planting a nice variety of vegetables in my garden and learn how to can so I can have them over the winter. I figure with so many people around me who know about this stuff I should be able to bribe someone,lol. I am planning on planting more herbs because I am having so much fun with the ones I did this past season. Being able to take out a jar and have these great dried herbs to add to my cooking, I love just the smell of them.

On the exercise front I am going to clear paths around the property so that I can take walks and hopefully I can get them smooth enough so I can ride my bike also. The dog will like this and hopefully by the time Spring rolls around I will have found another dog. I want to get a puppy while Elvira is still with us so she can help train it. Elvira is 11 which is starting to get old for a larger dog. If I manage to drag even half the junk out of the trees I should loose a few pounds. I know it is common practice but it still puzzles me why they would dump all that stuff all over the place. I am talking freezers, microwaves, farm machines, huge feeders, wire, you name it. Some of the items I am going to try and use in my flower gardens. Since this is farm country makes sense to have farm type stuff around. I want to make a walk through the trees be interesting and unusual and fun. I keep looking at that

big feeder and wondering how I can make it look like a big mushroom,lol. I may have to resurrect my welding skills, haven't done that for a zillion years.

Of course on the agenda also is being able to paint the house and buildings and put up fences so the goats can run around and eat all our yucky weeds. Probably more towards Fall we should be able to start making some progress on the interior of the house . Lots of tearing out walls and ceilings, much more insulation, then the fun stuff, paint and paper. Today the wind is 20-30 mph and you can tell the lack of insulation, doing the blown in insulation should make a world of difference. We have made quite a bit of progress from last winter, but definitely there is still a lack. At least when the wind is howling the drapes are not blowing out, as I said we have made progress.

I am also on the hunt for a parlor stove, you know those cool ones with the glass inserts and the fancy decorations on them?? We were thinking fireplace but have decided that a stove would be more in keeping with the style of the house and easier to install. We have enough wood to last for a while and the people I talk to say how much heat the wood stoves put out.

Sounds like a plan!

Another thing on my to do list is to be as "Green" as possible. I already recycle and put as little into land fills as possible. I heard on TV the other day that if you turn off the water while you brush your teeth you can save quite a bit . It said that leaving the water run for the two minuets it takes to brush your teeth uses 10 gallons of water? or was it five? and then you multiply that by how many in your house. We are lucky here because we have a well, but in the cities the water bill can be a pain. I already have my small appliances plugged into a strip so I can turn it off. I will admit that when I first heard someone mention electricity "leaking" due to things being plugged in I thought it was a joke. Now that I have heard more about it I am much more conscious of not leaving chargers plugged in and turning off the power strips .

Somewhere down the line we are going to invest in the solar and wind power, I want us to the point they buy power from us!!

I leave you with some pictures I took through the window of visitors, things like this help to gloss over the cold and wind.

All my best to you in this New Year, Barbara