Sassy & Sweet Notes

Spoke Too Soon...

 
Seems like my little protest yesterday about it being 99 degrees this coming Saturday got me into a little trouble with the weather man. Now look what he's promising! The NERVE!

Belly up to the Bar

Hope you're all enjoying the holiday weekend. Yesterday, I managed to sleep in. After getting up with the dogs at 6am, I decided to crawl back into bed and snoooooooze away. Delightful! Alan and I spent the rest of the day doing farm chores, and trying to keep cool - at one point yesterday, the temp hit 96. That was not delightful. In fact, it was downright rude. I took a look at the 10 day forecast.

They're "suggesting" it will be 942 degrees for the next 10 days.

 
And take a look at this.... As if 96 isn't hot enough, I do believe Saturday, June 5th will be our hottest day of 2010 so far (it will get worse, I guarantee). And so it begins. *groan*

Today promises more of the same, followed by a nice BBQ dinner with Alan's parents. I'll be cooking up some BBQ'd ribs, homemade potato salad, baked beans, spinach salad, and roasted corn on the cob. I also made some fresh limeade last night that has been chilling all night long. I can't wait for that refreshing first sip!

 
The chicks are growing like crazy.

 
These photos are a week or two old, and the babies have already changed so much! I need to get out and take more photos, because I tell ya, they grow like weeds!

Oh! And for those of you who were concerned about the little grey colored chick in Edwina's Baker's Dozen, worry no more! That chick is doing just fine! Still a bit smaller than the others, but her papa is a little tiny pip squeak, so she won't get too big herself.

Be safe this holiday weekend!

Cheers to you!

Plans...

A holiday weekend is nearly upon us, and let me tell you, I am THRILLED!

#1 on the agenda: A nap.

I need one. I am, quite simply, tired.

I was soooo tired this evening after work - it's been a long week [month(s)] - but I decided I would make a run to the grocery store for the weekend meal items, and necessities we were out of. I knew that I wouldn't even want to think about making a trip to the store on Friday evening and have to muddle around in all of the other shoppers who saved their holiday weekend shopping for Friday.

I'm so happy to have all of that out of the way!

#2 on the agenda: Relaxation (which is different from napping). I need to recharge, and spending good quality time with Alan and the farm critters is just the ticket!

We're supposed to have 93 degree days all weekend. That's awfully HOT for some of the chickens, so maybe just maybe, a few of them will get to take a dip in the pool with me!

#3 on the agenda: BBQ! Sunday we'll have Alan's parents over for a wonderful BBQ dinner. I'm looking forward to it already!

 
What are YOUR plans for this Memorial Day weekend!?

Side Note: When I've mentioned my "real job" in the past, some of you have said that you're surprised to hear that I have a "real job" outside of life on the farm and the other things I do. Yes, it's true... I do have a "real job". I work full-time for a large computer software/security company as a project manager. I've been with the company for about 12 years now and really enjoy what I do, and the people I work with. Many, including me, are fortunate to be able to work from a home office, so I do not have any commute time to a corporate office which saves me 3 to 4 hours a day travel time. Time I can spend working, or feeding chickens. And don't tell anyone I work with, but I can even wear my overalls to work and no one giggles at me! *grin*

Random Thoughts

 
Here's what it's like to walk Daisy and Farley. Notice the out of focus appearance and stretched tight leashes ... probably because I'm being DRUG down the road and it's amazing I don't come home with a skinned chin.

 
Ever freeze-frame a quack?

 
Isn't it true that yellow striped cats are most often male? Why are the majority of ours female?

In other randomness, tonight Alan and I watched (rather quickly, thanks to the DVR) the American Idol finale. Talk about a random show! I'm still not sure how they pulled that lineup together... or why.

 
Did someone say QUACK?

Google's Pac-Man...

How many times did you play over the weekend? 1, 10, 100... more?

Missing the fun? Go here.

And, did you figure out how to play the two-player version?

Go on, insert two coins to play Mr and Mrs Pac-Man at the same time!

Control Mrs Pac-Man using the WASD keys on your keyboard, and control Mr Pac-Man using the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Too Close...

This afternoon, our area was put under Tornado Watch, Severe Thunderstorm Warning, and Tornado Warning. They weren't kidding... I took all of these storm photos between 5:15pm - 5:30pm this evening.  They are posted in order of how they were taken.

 
This is looking northwest from our farm. You can just barely see the neighbor's place on the right side of the photo. Their house is less than 3/4 mile from ours. This is the field that I photograph the longhorn cattle in.

 
Then I went to the other side of the house to our back pasture and took this photo looking southeast towards town. I'm not sure which sky is more menacing. You can barely see the water tower in our small town, about 2 miles from our farm.

 
After locking up the chicken coop, I went back to the front of the house to watch the clouds. We knew that rotation had been seen in our area, so we were on the lookout.

 
We could actually see the large sweeping circle of the storm, with the rain coming down right out of the center.

 
There was a slight breeze, but I certainly wouldn't say it was "windy".

 
We could see the rain coming closer.

 
Closer still... at this point I decided I'd better lock up the goats...they don't like to get wet.

 
I took this photo on my way back to the house from the barn...Whoa...

 
Thankfully, it dissipated... at 5:30 the rain started and I was under cover. It rained for about 45 minutes or so, and then I returned outside to see what I could see...

 
Amazingly enough, we were given a beautiful sunset while the storm moved southwest of us. The clouds from another storm move west of us.

Sunset.

 

We had a beautiful sunset this evening, and I happened to be outside to see it. Thought I'd share!

   

I think it looks like Africa (if you ignore the fence line). But, it's just central Texas.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

 
I hope you have a beautiful day!! Happy Birthday!!

Alan says "Happy Birthday, Mrs. Wight!"

The photo above is Mom (on the bike) looking so cute in her pedal pushers and striped t-shirt, and my lovely Aunt Judy.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all you Moms out there, have a wonderful day!

Enjoy these photos taken of mothers on the farm throughout the years. We've had a lot of mothers here, that's for sure!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Happy Mother's Day!

Do I Smell a Weekend?

 
The company I work for recently had a RIF (reduction in force), and my immediate team lost a lot of talented workers and friends. They are missed not simply because there was more of us to do the work, but missed because they were all great people. There is now, literally, a handful of us doing the work of what used to be done by many. Am I thankful I still have a job? YES! I love my job! But I'm also thankful for weekends! I need a few just to catch up!

Wild Texas Pigs

Alan and I had a really long work week, and it has been ages since we've done anything just for "fun" away from the farm. This morning we decided to take a road trip down to Waco to do a bit of poking around.

 
About two miles from home, we saw this family of wild pigs along the side of the road. We pulled over to take a photo and just as Alan took the first photo, the camera battery died. Then the family of 6 ran off into the woods and back to the safety of the trees. Such LUCK!

 
Here's a closer look at the family. The piglets are quite large already! I'm guessing that is the boar (dad) closest to the tree line. He was the gnarliest looking of the group. The sow (mama) is the second one from the tree line. See if you can see all four babies...

Someone, please stop time.

Things have been EXTRA busy around here lately ... not a lot of extra time for anything, it seems. I feel like life is racing circles around me, and all I can do is spin, and I'm not getting anywhere. I think it's time to stop.

And smell the flowers.

And take a nap. Or three.

Someone, please stop time. I need to catch up!

New Hats

 
I got a new hat! And I love it! It is a hemp braid women's hat from San Diego Hat Company.

 
Alan got a new hat! And I love it! *grin* It is a Tilley Airflo, and it's groovy!

Happy Birthday, Alan!

Whoop Whoop!! We've got a birthday boy in the house!! Happy Birthday, Alan!! *smooch*

I thought I would share one of my favorite (though not too recent) photos of Alan...

 
I snuck this shot a couple of Novembers ago with my telephoto lens while he was out in the pasture with Eddie and Hillary... Funny, he hasn't changed a bit! And that's still his favorite hat! *grin*

 
On a side note, we are in for quite a storm tonight. YAY! We'll take all the rain we can get! It already smells so good, and the cool air coming in the windows is a refreshing feeling after our 85+ degree day. Ugh. But with the thunder and lightening expected, Mister Farley gets to be medicated. He gets so anxious when it storms. Sweet dreams, 'red dog'.

Happy weekend!

a video worth sharing...

My friend Gabi sent me the link to this video ... I thought I would share it with you. It's very sweet...

How to Cuddle with an Elephant Seal

Enjoy! and Happy Earth Day 2010!

Thanks Gabi!

did you get your taxes done?

 
    I did.

I {heart} Spring

Where has time gone!? Where have I been!? .... Well, I've been here, and I guess I've been BUSY! Thanks to those of you who've sent emails asking if things are OK. I love that you check in with me if I've been quiet on the blog for a couple of days or more. 

The wildflowers have started blooming so I need to get out and start taking some photos. They're pretty patchy right now, but soon they'll be covering the fields with color. It looks like we'll have a bumper crop of Bluebonnets this year, which is fun!

I went shopping yesterday, so I was away from the house all day. Larger stores (like Costco, Sprouts, SuperTarget, Joann's, Hobby Lobby, etc) are about an hour from us, and I don't get up there very often. When I do go, it's a day-long event. I had to pick up some essentials at Costco, and was thrilled when I saw they had delicious packs of fresh strawberries again!

I also picked up some (non)essentials at a few other shops. Like some cute yardage that I whipped up into an apron for myself last night! I do have a couple other projects to share with you as well, but need to get photos taken first.

Hope you have an enjoyable day!

I'd Forgotten!

On one of my flights during the holidays, my luggage tag went missing from my suitcase. I like to make sure my bags are marked as MINE in several locations, and luggage tags are a simple way to get my contact info in at least one location on my bag. So, I was in need of a new luggage tag.

Several weeks ago ... like maybe as many as 10 ... I went to the KLM website to design my own luggage tag using their FREE "design your own luggage tag" program. You can choose one of their images, or you can upload your own! Of course, I chose to upload my own.

 
It's been so long, I forgot all about it! Until today! My free tags arrived in perfect condition!

 
If you want to make your own custom luggage tags, it's easy! Check it out!

More Tidying Up

I couldn't take the mess on my table any longer ... time to tidy up! Yay! I can actually SEE my table! Everything is in it's place. Now, how long can I keep it this way? Good question...

I made these photos a bit larger than my usual photo size, and you can see them large if you want to click on them.

99% of my work time in this space is at night, so I've got to have lots of task lights on my desk. I like little lamps that I can move around and position just right over whatever I'm working on. It's also good to have a spare lamp on hand in case we have a baby chick that is in need of some extra warmth. I've been known to share my table with a baby chick on occasion.

 
As you can see, I love little drawer storage bins. They work so perfectly for so many things...and I have a LOT of things! As an illustrator/stamper/painter, I have all KINDS of marking/drawing/coloring implements. They all fit nicely in small organized drawers.

Every time I post a "clean" photo of my desk, I get asked about the container I use to house my colored pencils on my desk. Sorry, this is not an item you will find in retail shops -- not for sale, anyway. It is a display rack I picked up many years ago, but I don't know what it was specifically designed for. Maybe as a point-of-purchase display case for pens? Anyway, I wish I had two! It's PERFECT.

Tidying up my space always makes me happy... See the brown basket on top of the wooden 6-drawer unit? Cards from fellow stampers. Treasures, each and every one!

Stacks.

 
I've been doing a little tidying up, going through things and setting aside things that would be best loved by someone new. Basically, I've been creating stacks. Stacks of stamps. Stacks of fabric. Stacks of things to sell. Stacks of things to use. Lots and lots of stacks.

Don't forget, there are 40+ Stampin' Up sets currently posted eBay auctions, and they end today! Get 'um while they're cheap!

 
In addition to making stacks, I refreshed my mental list of ideas and got things ready for projects. I was inspired to store my fabric like this on my shelves by my Aunt Patty. Her craft room is her bit of heaven, right here on earth...

 
My next organization project: MY DESK! Good grief, what a MESS!

 
I also went through my inspiration library and gathered up lots of magazines and books that I haven't looked at in about a year. They should go to new homes, so they are listed on eBay as well. 

After creating all of these new stacks, I am inspired to get to work on new projects! ...and that means new messes, and new stacks! *grin*

New Categories

I did a little spring cleaning on the blog tonight, and thought perhaps it might be nice to mention it since some of you read the blog through Facebook, others through a blog reader (like Google Reader), and others of you actually visit the blog to check in on what's new.

Most worth mentioning are new categories added to the category list. Categories make it easier to go back and read posts about particular things, or find things in the archives. You will find the category list on the right sidebar where it has always been ... but, now there are NEW categories to help you narrow down the topics.

Perhaps you want to read more about farm fresh eggs? Check out the All About Eggs category!

Or perhaps you want to read about and see waaaaaay cute photos of baby chickens... you'll want to check out the Baby Chickens category.

Or, maybe you missed the post about the GIANT egg that had a whole other egg (shell and all) inside! There's a special category for The GIANT Egg!

Here are a few other categories you might find of interest:
Chicken Fashion
I Hate Spiders!
Dexter Cattle
Card Designs
Tasty Treats
Whipper Snapper Fun!

There are several other new categories added as well. Take a look -- you might find something you missed!

I also spruced up the color scheme a bit, removed outdated links, and did some general maintenance "behind the scenes". Hope you like the changes!

Hey, let's hear it for the weekend!

Readers from Germany

Any readers currently living in Germany?
If so, please drop me a note... I think I need your help.

More Wacky Weather

 
More wacky weather here today ... about an inch of snow so far, and it's supposed to snow all day and evening...

Personally, I love it ... the goats aren't too thrilled about it, though!

You might remember that it was 76 here on Sunday... wacky!

Happy Heart (and chocolate) Day!

 
All of us here on the farm send hugs and smooches to you, and wish you a very happy Valentine's Day!

Stamp Image: Just a Flirt

Playin' in the Snow!

This evening I took Miss Daisy and Mister Farley outside to play in the snow. They had a BLAST! Here are some action shots from their romp! (Like all of the photos on my blog, you can click on them to view them a bit larger.)

 

 

 

 

 

  

Mister Farley LOVES to spin circles...

  

Miss Daisy just runs circles around him ... they're a perfect pair!

 

 

  

Miss Daisy, all tuckered out...

I'm Home!

Thank you, THANK YOU for all the wonderful notes you left for Alan while I was gone! I laughed and LAUGHED when I read his post! *snort* I can't BELIEVE he told you about me swimming with the chickens! Hahahaaa!! He's in so much trouble, now! Hahaaaa!!! Way too funny! And for all of you worried about Alan's beautiful quilt not being used, don't worry! It will be used by us, but critters are not allowed. No way, no how.

I had a wonderful time in California at the trade show. A BIG thank you to the Whipper Snapper family for bringing me along for the fun! The purpose of the trade show is for manufacturers to showcase their new products to retailers, and for retailers to place orders for their stores. Even though I wasn't the one doing the shopping, I had a GREAT time! I thought I would share a few of my favorite things with you...

 

  

My favorite new paper lines were from My Mind's Eye. Loved the colors, the textures, and the prints!

 

EK Success had OODLES of new punches -- I stopped to oooh and ahhhh over them several times, but only took this photo. Clearly I was distracted! The punch in this photo was actually a mini size! And worked like a CHARM! Punched through the heavy weight designer paper like a breeze!

 

More favorite papers from Core'dinations. They partnered with Cosmo Cricket and Jenny Bowlin to create embossed papers -- very cool!

 

I love BoBunny's double dot papers, and what's not to love about double dot ribbons, too!?

  

I also spent a great deal of time at the 7Gypsies booth. Yumm! I thought these little journals were particularly fun!

  

More great papers, this time from Basic Grey.

  

Basic Grey hit a home run with their Blush paper line ... and here's another home run with their Blush fabric line! *drool*

 

  

The Fruitcake line is another Basic Grey favorite... with yo-yo's even!

I picked up a lot of catalogs, and look forward to going through them one at a time to dream up all kinds of fun projects using this year's goods!

Quilt from Anna's Mother

Hi, Everyone. This is Alan. I am doing routine maintenance on Anna's PC while she is away and while I was here I thought I would respond to all of the nice inquiries from her blog fans.

Everything is going well here on the farm. Nice and peaceful.

I am not so sure about giving all of the animals hugs (Anna is the "hugger" on the farm), but I will give them a pat on the head from all of you. haha!

I don't know if all of you realize that Anna's inspiration for the chicken w/ the swimming suit came from this past HOT summer. While she was in the pool she would have me hand her one of her "favorite" chickens and she would let them swim with her! She said it was just to let them cool down, because 'poor Tiny Tim and Little Buddy, etc. etc. etc. were WAY too hot....'

I have a feeling that swimsuits will be sewn for the "favorite" chickens this summer! Anna really is crazy for chickens! haha!

Mrs. Wight, Anna's mother, sent me a very nice quilt for Christmas. Anna let me open it, she then told me the rules that she (Anna) had placed on the quilt: 1) no cat can lay on it, 2) no dog lay on it, 3)I can visit in her office when I want to see it, because I can't lay on it either! Let me tell you, those are some STRICT rules! haha! I did break it out of it's plastic prison and took a picture of it for everyone. Mrs. Wight makes the best looking quilts! Go Mrs. Wight!!

  

This picture doesn't do it justice. Sorry for that! Anna takes MUCH better pic's than I do. I will have her post a better one once she comes home. Aren't those stripes COOL! How does Mrs. Wight do that?!? I think Anna called this pattern "log cabin" and the red square in the middle represents the fire or fireplace (I can't remember! ha! I just know it looks cool!) 

Here is a close up of part of it...

  

Isn't that cool!?!

Ok, I gotta get back to work!

Have a great day!

-Alan

P.S. No, I have never made a card with Anna's stuff. Anna tried to get me to once, but...umm...it didn't go well and I got kicked out of her office! haha! No more stamping for Alan! hehehe! (That was a fun day for Alan! hahaha! Right, Anna? hahaha!)

CHA, Here I Come!

Happy FRIDAY!! Finally -- the WEEKEND! Now that I've got things wrapped up from the work week, it's time for some FUN!

I've got to pack my suitcase and get ready for a few days of fun in sunny (?) California! I'll be attending the CHA Convention and Trade Show, and can't wait to see what's NEW for the coming year!

CHA, for those of you who might not know, is the Craft and Hobby Association. They have two major convention trade shows each year, where companies release their new products and lines for the year. It's very exciting for retailers, manufacturers, and designers like me! Not only is it a great place to check out new, exciting products, but it's a great place for bumping into celebrity crafters, too! 

I won't have a computer with me so I won't be able to post photos during the show, but stay tuned for an update from me when I get home. I'll showcase some of my favorites, and who knows...maybe I'll bump into a celeb or two, as well!

Have a wonderful weekend! ...

Oh, and drop a note here on the blog to Alan every so often. He's staying home to tend to the farm while I'm out in California oogling new crafty goods. *grin* But even while I'm away, he keeps up on the blog comments and gives me updates when we have time to catch up throughout the weekend.

PS: Do I smell a Whipper Snapper release coming soon!? Yes, yes! I think I do! Stay tuned for more!

ewwwww.....

Mister Farley has spent a good part of the day tossing his cookies. Miss Daisy worries over him, undoubtedly thinking that she is a better mother to Mister Farley than I am. Except for when it comes to cleaning up tossed cookies. She leaves that chore to me. Gross.

Happy New Year!

I'm HOME and already enjoying the day off for new years. Plans for the day: catch up with life on the farm, and play in my supply "stash".

Alan and I want to wish all of you a VERY happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

My dear friends and family, I wish you the happiest of Christmas celebrations!

It's a chilly Christmas morning here in the Pacific Northwest. The sun is shining, and the wild turkeys are in the yard waiting for grain. Alan said it's chilly in Texas this morning as well! As central Texas recovers from record ice and snowfall, the farm critters look forward to Christmas morning treats.

Blessings to you, and yours!

Greetings from the chilly Northwest

Hello, hello! I'm in northeastern Washington visiting family for the Christmas holiday. The weather has been a bit different than the Christmas weather we had last year! There are a few inches of snow on the ground, but it has been warm enough to be raining rather than snowing. Last year, I remember seeing several feet of snow accumulate in just a few days -- that was really something!

The deer and the wild turkeys still visit the yard daily. I need to get out there and snap some photos.

Mom and I started crafting last night. Aunt Lorraine gave Mom a fun holiday tree napkin pattern so we were busily stitching up some of those, just for fun. No photos yet, but I'll see about posting some shortly.

I've been able to visit with a couple of friends from high school. It is amazing how quickly time passes. This upcoming summer we celebrate our 20 year reunion...it doesn't quite feel like so many years have passed.

The rest of the week promises fun and laughter with family, and I'm looking forward to it!

Alan is home on the farm taking care of the critters. He'll spend Christmas with his parents, and there's no doubt they'll have a wonderful Christmas dinner. I look forward to the same, when I get back to Texas. *grin*

Have a wonderful time with your holiday preparations!

Checking off my list!

Pardon me while I dust the flour off of my nose and sleeves...

Thank you for all the responses about your favorite Christmas cookies! They all sounded so delish! You were very inspiring, so I got to work in the kitchen. Every night this week I've been busy baking for our holiday treat platters. We'll be delivering our holiday treats a bit early this year as I'll be flying up to Washington a week before Christmas and I don't want to wait until the new year to deliver all of these goodies.

I've made a lot of progress on my list, and the freezer is getting full!

The LIST:
Anna Banana Bread: DONE (no photo)

 
Snickerdoodles: DONE!

 
Soft Molasses Cookies: Done - YUMM!

 
Peanut Butter (Balls) Cups: 1 batch done... several more yet to do

 
White Chocolate Pretzel Rods: DONE (I made a gajillion!)

Hershey Chocolate Kiss Cookies: Done! (no photo)
Hershey Brownie Bites: Done (no photo)

What's left...
More Peanut Butter (Balls) Cups
Possibly more Anna Banana Bread...
Toffee...
...and Peppermint Bark

Then, finally, I'll start with the assembly of the treat trays. Yay!

I've also been busy sewing, but I can't share details or photos of those projects -- nothing like ruining Christmas surprises! *grin*

Update on Little Miss Penny: A day of house-bound pampering did her well. She recovered fully, and after a quick pedicure was returned to the hen house. She chatted up a storm with all the ladies, no doubt telling them all about her day at the spa.

Favorite Christmas Cookies

Every year, I make homemade goodies to give to friends for the holiday. I thought I would make several things and create a little goody platter for some of the locals (the mailman, the gal at the post office, the neighbors, etc). Here's what's on the "list" so far -- things might change. *grin*

White Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods
Toffee
Anna Banana Bread
Peanut Butter Balls (if I can pry them out of Alan's fingers!)
Peppermint Bark
Kiss Cookies
...what else?

This got me wondering, what is your favorite holiday cookie? Tell me all about it, and if you're up to it, share the recipe too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Wishing you all the happy-est, and tasty-est of Thankgiving holidays!

After a morning of cooking and prepping, Alan and I will be having turkey dinner at his parent's house. I'm looking forward to baked turkey, delish veggies, and some ooooh so good homemade pumpkin pie!

Gobble till ya Wobble!

PS: I'll try to give an update on the farm in the next day or two... Lucy, our little red Dexter heifer is due to deliver her baby any day now. I've GOT to get an updated photo of her! The transformation has been incredible since you last saw her! Can you say MILKSHAKE, anyone?!

Cheers to you!

Nail Polish

Here's a random question for you ... do you have a favorite nail polish that does NOT chip or peel off within a day's wear? I prefer natural/neutral colors, or even a bit of sparkle. I'm currently using Sally Hansen's Diamond Strength "no chip" nail color. It's pretty good about not chipping, BUT, it peels off like you wouldn't believe!

Suggestions?

Good as New!

I went to bed Monday night, sore from that silly caterpillar sting. Yesterday morning, the redness was all gone, and finally the burning sensation was gone as well. I was still a bit tender, but tolerable. Today, I'm good as new! No pain, no redness. And Mom, I think my brain is OK, too! *grin*

Last night when I went out to the barn to lock up the goats for the night, I saw the BIGGEST skunk at the barn! Here's hoping it moves on and finds a new home, soon!

Weekend in Review...

...and in a flash, the weekend was over.

We did have a busy weekend, and that makes the time pass quickly.

On Saturday, I drove Alan's dad to the airport in Dallas, and then made a side trip on the way home by a new Sprouts market and Costco. We were dangerously low on TP and paper towels, neither of which you want to run out of when you live on a farm! I picked up lots of fresh produce at Sprouts (which is not always easy to get at the regular grocery store we go to), and was able to get yummy Greek yogurt, too!

On Sunday morning, Alan and I took a short road trip and stopped in at a farm supply store (chicken food was on the shopping list). Sunday afternoon, we loaded Truman (our youngest donkey) onto the stock trailer and moved him to his new home. A family not too far from us wanted him as a companion to their little jenny. The short drive, and the relocation process went perfectly! We know he'll be very happy with his new friends and family.

Last night I got a call from someone interested in Zip, my fancy frizzled rooster. So, we loaded him up and met the gal in town. It was, of course, love at first sight. So, Zip has a new home too! Good for Zip! (I can only have so many roosters on the farm...)

PS: Happy November! What's on your menu for Thanksgiving? And have you started your shopping lists for the Christmas holiday yet?  Time to get busy!

Happy Halloween!

 

Soup's On!

With temperatures cooling, leaves falling, and days getting shorter, it's high time for soup! Alan isn't home for dinner tonight, so I took the opportunity to make myself some homemade split pea soup (Alan doesn't like split pea soup, so more for me!) It turned out so GOOD! I thought I'd share my own personal recipe...

Dee-lish Split Pea Soup
   from the kitchen of Anna Wight

2 Cups Split Peas
5-6 Cups Water
½ tsp Onion Powder
½ tsp Garlic Powder
½ tsp Paprika
¼ tsp Dried Basil
¼-½ tsp Chipolte Chile Pepper
¼ tsp Celery Seed
¼ tsp Dried Rosemary

Bring to boil and let simmer 45-50 minutes
Blend ½, or all, of soup in blender (depending on how smooth you like your soup)

Deee-LISH!

Happy Saturday!

Sorry for my absence lately -- I've been BUSY, and haven't had any extra time for crafting. It also doesn't help that my craft table is in SERIOUS need of attention. It's piled HIGH with bits and pieces of projects, magazines, books, and a few things I've started collecting for the holidays. I'm sure my stamp table is under there somewhere, but it's going to be a chore finding it. It is, however, on my list of things to do this weekend! I've also been busy illustrating, and you know when I'm in illustration mode, there's little time for anything else. *grin*

I'm also up to my ears with farm chores. With all the rain we've had, things are needing a bit more attention. Today, Alan is picking up a few bales of hay for the little bull calves we've isolated from their mamas. The plan is for them to go to their new home next weekend. Truman (our little donkey) might get to go to his new home next weekend, too! Hopefully the weather cooperates (and the mud dries up) so we can actually move the critters! The boys are LOVING their off-mama feed and getting so big! I'll try and get some photos today...the sun is shining, so it will be a good day for some snapshots. The to-do list just keeps getting longer and longer, doesn't it?

Alan is picking up a few bales of wood chips for the chicken house as well! It's time to clean out the coop, switch out their chip litter, and spruce up the nest boxes with fresh chips. The rain creates so much sticky mud that gets tracked into the coop, and I like to keep things nice and tidy! The girls are also tipping over two of the nest boxes (I use apple picking baskets), so I've got to do a little rearranging to help keep things in place.

As if that isn't enough to do in a weekend, I'm also having a 25% off sale in the shop this weekend -- time to make room for new goodies!

Hope you're all having a fine and dandy day!

Toodles!

I'm BACK!

Last week was a long week away from home. I was in the San Jose, California area on business, so I got to experience the monster rain storm that hit northern California early last week. I also heard that there was a small earthquake near San Jose while I was there, too!

The weather was no better for Alan at home ... about 6 inches of rain fell, making conditions on the farm quite wet and muddy. Things on the farm are starting to dry out now, but we're expecting more rain later this week. Thank goodness for muck boots!

Halloween is just around the corner...are you planning on doing anything fun? I need to put out some jack-o-lanterns!

Happy Weekend, Busy Weekend...

Just a quick note tonight... I'm pretty beat! We've had a bit of extra work on the farm this week. The rain has really made a mess of the barn yard, and the mud just makes it extra difficult to get around. Hopefully, things will dry out a bit tomorrow. The soil here is a thick, black clay. And when it gets wet, it turns into a slimy, heavy, sticky, MESS! More than once I've been walking through the pasture and nearly walked out of my boots -- the mud has some serious suction skills!

In addition to extra farm chores this week, I've also been busy working on spring and summer illustrations for Whipper Snapper. What FUN! And, I've been busy getting ready for my business trip -- I fly out tomorrow afternoon, and will be gone until next Saturday. There's just so much left to do! Starting with finding clothes to wear all week! Ack!

Oh! Here's a tease for you ... Monday is release day for my October Whipper Snapper cling sets! I can't WAIT to see what the featured designers have been up to!

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Cluck, cluck!

I'm only 25(ish)... ...really!

Tonight, Alan, his parents, and I went out to dinner. Alan knows I like fish and seafood, so we opted for Red Lobster. I had salmon and it was de-LISH! There was plenty to bring home for lunch tomorrow, too! Gotta love that!

Alan's parents gave me some wonderful decorative plates for the kitchen, beautifully painted with roosters. I can't wait to get them on the wall! And Alan, such a good boy, gave me an iPod Touch! YAHOO! Now I can listen to tunes while I'm walking! Groovy! (Although, I will say that he made me wait until after midnight, so it was "officially" my birthday, before allowing me to open my gift! The stinker! *grin*

So anyway, October 7th is my birthday... I hope it is a beautiful day for you, too!

CHEERS!

New Boots!

Alan and I made a quick trip this evening down the the farm supply store to pick up assorted grub for the critters on the farm.

How cute are these?

Way cute, if you ask me!

Happy *early* Birthday, to me!

Alan and his parents are taking me out for an *early* birthday dinner tomorrow night -- I might just have to wear my new schnazzy boots! And Wednesday, I might just have to wear them all DAY! Except out to the barn... it's too muddy out there!

How fun to have new boots!

A Note from Dad!

My Dad had surgery last week ... his second knee replacement. Many of you left him well wishes here on my blog, and others sent him happy healing cards! Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated! This evening he left you a note. I was afraid his note would go unnoticed as he left it as a comment on an older post, so here it is, front and center!

Hi, out there Ladies! This is my first attempt at anything intellectual since last Thursday. I have been receiving many wonderful things in the mail! somebody blabbed? there are some very talented folks that are in this blog's family! The well wishes are just what I have been needing and arriving unexpected is humbling too. It has been a very tough week. Time to go lay down again, I'm getting dizzy............ Love, Dad

You guys are the BEST! Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

Happy Birthday, Miss Daisy!

Today is Miss Daisy's 9th birthday... she's taking advantage of her special day by napping on the floor. ...come to think of it, that's how she spends every day!

Big birthday wishes to you, my sweet Miss Daisy! You will always be my favorite chocolate chunk!

Here's a great recipe for homemade, healthy dog treats if you're interested!

Sweet Miss Daisy *Hearts* Cookies (for dogs)
2 cups Whole Wheat flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 TBS Honey
1 Egg
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Milk (soy, rice, goat, or fat free cow)

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder and garlic powder together in a mixing bowl. Stir in honey, egg, oil and milk. (I just use a fork for all the mixing and it works great!) The dough will be somewhat dry, but it will stick together.

On a wheat floured surface, knead the dough 10-15 times. Pat into nicely shaped ball and roll out onto cutting surface 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes (we recommend HEARTS), or cut into 1.5" squares. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes. Let cool on the sheet. Serve one cookie to all dogs, and store remaining cookies in an airtight container.

All the dogs on the farm give these cookies TWO PAWS UP! WOOF!

Crazy Cat!

Alan sent me this link today -- pretty funny!

If you're not able to view the video here on my blog, try it directly on the YouTube site, here.

Where Am I?

Hello, hello!

Just a quick post to let you know I'm OK! We had a big ol' storm come through last Thursday night and it blew out the tower in town that we receive our home internet connection from. Talk about disaster! We haven't had internet at the house since the storm! Hope they get it fixed soon... I'm starting to get the shakes!

Happy Monday!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

This is a photo of my dad I took last month while we were in Montana. And today he celebrates his birthday! So, all together now!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to YOU!
Happy Birthday dear Dad,
Happy Birthday, tooooooooo, YoOOOOoOOOooOoOOooOOooooOOOO!

Happy Birthday, Dad!