How time flies. It is already almost the end of September and today is the first official day of Fall. Thoughts turn to cooler days and crisp nights, warmer clothing and fall foliage. We have already begun to experience some of these in our area. This last week has been wonderful as far as the temperatures are concerned. We turned off our air conditioner last week and opened windows. We still had the ceiling fans running and occasionally a window fan, but overall conditions have been much more comfortable of late. For the first time this season I wore pants to our Friday night football game instead of capris.
The turning of seasons is also evident in the activities around us. Hay is being cut and baled in many a field. Pumpkins have already begun to appear in stores. Daylight comes a little later in the morning and night falls just a little earlier in the evening. The oak trees in my yard are full of acorns waiting to drop.
We still have a ways to go this fall to prepare for the coming winter. There are several things that we needed to have finished before cold weather sets in. One of the things we need is more firewood, since we only have a small percentage of what we will use. We will probably have to buy some wood, which is not an economical way to do things. Fortunately we are not solely dependent upon wood for heat. We use the wood to supplement our gas heat. Two other things that we need to accomplish is that we need to finish a bathroom and get the kitchen to the point where it has sheetrock and the plumbing is complete. I can't wait to have a fully functional bathroom and kitchen in the house, so we no longer have to go into the trailer for all of our water needs. We had hoped to have these rooms finished before visiting Connecticut this summer, but it did not work out that way. We have to complete these rooms so that we can move the trailer from it's current position. I grow weary of the primitive situation and the inconvenience related to it.
To this end, the kids and I have been trying to hang the sheetrock ourselves. We tried to hire help to come in and do this, but that didn't pan out either. We have set a goal of hanging a sheet of sheetrock a night, as our schedule allows. We have the ceiling in the bathroom complete and now will begin on the floor. It would go faster if we were able to hire someone to come in and do this, but at least we are making progress.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Remind me why we do this
Last night was Friday night. In the south, at this time of the year, that means High School football. There are other parts of the country that put just as much importance on this sport as southerners do and I wonder if parents in those other locations feel the way I do. I can understand the importance of playing other teams that are of similar size and skill level. However, I do not understand the logic behind traveling 3 hours to play such a game. That was the situation last night. The game was a 3 hour drive. Consequently, we did not arrive back at the school after the game until 1:30 A.M. By the time we got home it was almost 2:00 A.M. I am ever so thankful that I had taken today off.
As to playing teams of similar skill levels, just because a team may be of comparable size, it does not mean that the skill levels of the teams will be equal. Last nights game was very one sided. Our boys ran over the other team. The final was 47-6. Of course it did allow our second string to get in a good amount of playing time.
On the bus ride home many of the band kids napped. I myself was so exhausted that I cat napped, with my head propped on my arms against the seat in front of me. It was not very restful, but I was so tired that I simply could not fight it. I don't think my bed ever felt better. It makes me wonder why we put ourselves (and our kids) thru this time and time again. I suppose in years to come I may look back on instances like this one as fond memories, but I somehow doubt it. I think it will more likely be placed in the category of doing what had to be done. Jacqueline is really pinning her hopes on some kind of musical scholarship in order to attend college, so if enduring 3 hour bus rides gets her a college scholarship then I'm sure it will be worth it.
As to playing teams of similar skill levels, just because a team may be of comparable size, it does not mean that the skill levels of the teams will be equal. Last nights game was very one sided. Our boys ran over the other team. The final was 47-6. Of course it did allow our second string to get in a good amount of playing time.
On the bus ride home many of the band kids napped. I myself was so exhausted that I cat napped, with my head propped on my arms against the seat in front of me. It was not very restful, but I was so tired that I simply could not fight it. I don't think my bed ever felt better. It makes me wonder why we put ourselves (and our kids) thru this time and time again. I suppose in years to come I may look back on instances like this one as fond memories, but I somehow doubt it. I think it will more likely be placed in the category of doing what had to be done. Jacqueline is really pinning her hopes on some kind of musical scholarship in order to attend college, so if enduring 3 hour bus rides gets her a college scholarship then I'm sure it will be worth it.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Hurricane Season
As everyone knows here in the continental United States, hurricane season runs from May1st to November 30th. We are about half way thru the current season. Three years ago Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, and did millions of dollars worth of damage in Mississippi and Alabama. Although we did not suffer much damage, we were without electricity for about 72 hours thanks to Katrina.
Now, as we approach the three year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, there is another hurricane headed in the same general direction that was taken by Katrina. The possibility that this storm may follow the same path as Katrina has many people very nervous. It doesn't help that the forecasters are predicting that Gustav may reach catagory 3 strength, which is what Katrina was. Even as far away from the coast as we live, a hurricane with that much force is still capable of quite a bit of damage.
The last couple of days we had rain from what had been Hurricane Fay. By the time it reached us it was just a tropical depression. We received some beneficial rain, which we are thankful for. We are also thankful that we did not have rain in the amount that was seen in parts of Florida. Although our rainfall total has been a defecit this year, no one wants to receive a years worth of rain in a matter of days, or hours as in some cases. Too much of a good thing soon becomes a bad thing. Hurricanes are another reason that I wouldn't want to live too close to the shore. I just can't imagine the feeling of dread that homeowners must feel each time they are in the predicted path of a hurricane. Let's not even think about the damage that these storms can cause. I don't care what kind of structure it is, if it's subjected to 120 mph winds it's going to sustain some kind of damage.
While we keep an eye on the weather we continue to go about our daily lives. Randy has been having some side effects from the latest round of medicine that he is taking. We are hoping that the doctor can either adjust the dosage or change the prescription so that the side effects are minimized. Jeremy started back to school last week and except for transportation challenges things are going ok. Hopefully his vehicle will be out of the shop by the end of the week. Jacqueline started back to school on the 11th of this month and things are going fine for her. This is her last year of High School and thus we are getting set up to apply for scholarships for college. She is hoping to be able to get a scholarship for music. We have a new Band Director and are hopeful that he will be a big help in this area. For myself, I am doing pretty good, except that I am sore from taking a fall yesterday. I fell down our back steps and have several very colorful bruises as a result. Although the largest and most painful bruise is not visible to most people due to it's location, I am very well aware of it! Lesson learned! I will be MUCH more careful the next time those steps are wet.
Now, as we approach the three year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, there is another hurricane headed in the same general direction that was taken by Katrina. The possibility that this storm may follow the same path as Katrina has many people very nervous. It doesn't help that the forecasters are predicting that Gustav may reach catagory 3 strength, which is what Katrina was. Even as far away from the coast as we live, a hurricane with that much force is still capable of quite a bit of damage.
The last couple of days we had rain from what had been Hurricane Fay. By the time it reached us it was just a tropical depression. We received some beneficial rain, which we are thankful for. We are also thankful that we did not have rain in the amount that was seen in parts of Florida. Although our rainfall total has been a defecit this year, no one wants to receive a years worth of rain in a matter of days, or hours as in some cases. Too much of a good thing soon becomes a bad thing. Hurricanes are another reason that I wouldn't want to live too close to the shore. I just can't imagine the feeling of dread that homeowners must feel each time they are in the predicted path of a hurricane. Let's not even think about the damage that these storms can cause. I don't care what kind of structure it is, if it's subjected to 120 mph winds it's going to sustain some kind of damage.
While we keep an eye on the weather we continue to go about our daily lives. Randy has been having some side effects from the latest round of medicine that he is taking. We are hoping that the doctor can either adjust the dosage or change the prescription so that the side effects are minimized. Jeremy started back to school last week and except for transportation challenges things are going ok. Hopefully his vehicle will be out of the shop by the end of the week. Jacqueline started back to school on the 11th of this month and things are going fine for her. This is her last year of High School and thus we are getting set up to apply for scholarships for college. She is hoping to be able to get a scholarship for music. We have a new Band Director and are hopeful that he will be a big help in this area. For myself, I am doing pretty good, except that I am sore from taking a fall yesterday. I fell down our back steps and have several very colorful bruises as a result. Although the largest and most painful bruise is not visible to most people due to it's location, I am very well aware of it! Lesson learned! I will be MUCH more careful the next time those steps are wet.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The march of time
It's been several weeks since my last post. There has been a lot going on in our life in that time. Jacqueline had 2 weeks of Band Camp in preparation for this years marching season. Band Camp began at 5:00pm and lasted until 10:00pm. This made things a little hectic for me since I work until 4:00pm and it's 30 minute drive from work to home. I would arrive home, change clothes and fly our the door again in order to get to Band Camp on time. Despite this hectic schedule, I am glad that the new Band Director kept camp at night instead of holding it during the day. With some of our daytime highs hitting triple digits, it just makes more sense to work in the cool of the evening.
Another event that has occurred during my last post is that we had to hospitalize Randy for a few days. He began having severe chest pain last Wednesday night around midnight. Since the pain was also radiating down his left arm, I thought it prudent to take him to the ER. I drove him myself rather than calling an ambulance, which allowed me to take him to the hospital that I felt could treat him the best. It is not actually the closest one to our house, but from previous experience we know it to be the better of the two choices. From the amount of pain that he was in and the description of the pain, he thought he might be having a heart attack. Thankfully that was not the case. Rather it was a case of a build up of fluid in his lungs which in turn put a lot of pressure on his heart. From the time he was admitted to the ER until 4:00pm that evening, he excreted 3 liters of fluid. He was kept in ICU from 2:00am Thursday morning until about 9:00am Friday morning. Then he was moved to a regular room. He was released from the hospital Friday evening. There have been changes made to his medicines and he is doing much better. One of the major changes in his medicine has been the increase of diuretics. This is to keep the fluid from building up. He is also supposed to weigh himself daily in order to make sure that there is no unexplained weight gain, which is a sign of fluid retention. Another change in his medicine is that he is now taking something to slow his heart beat. I am very happy about that, because his heart was beating so rapidly before. He had tachycardia, which is a heart rate of over 100 beats a minute. Now he is averaging about 89 beats a minute. Much better.
Jeremy starts back to college next week. I know he's looking forward to going back. I don't know if it's the college classes that he's looking forward to, or the chance to play pool and ping-pong during his breaks. His classes will end for the day around 2:00pm and since he will be riding home with me for a while, he will have about a 2 hour block of time that he can use to play pool and otherwise goof off.
We haven't made much progress on the house since returning from vacation. We had someone hired to come in and put up sheetrock, but that hasn't worked out, so we will try to hire someone different. We also need to get the plumber out to finish the plumbing that was started last summer. There is so much to do in the months remaining before winter, and time marches on, whether we accomplish our goals or not.
Another event that has occurred during my last post is that we had to hospitalize Randy for a few days. He began having severe chest pain last Wednesday night around midnight. Since the pain was also radiating down his left arm, I thought it prudent to take him to the ER. I drove him myself rather than calling an ambulance, which allowed me to take him to the hospital that I felt could treat him the best. It is not actually the closest one to our house, but from previous experience we know it to be the better of the two choices. From the amount of pain that he was in and the description of the pain, he thought he might be having a heart attack. Thankfully that was not the case. Rather it was a case of a build up of fluid in his lungs which in turn put a lot of pressure on his heart. From the time he was admitted to the ER until 4:00pm that evening, he excreted 3 liters of fluid. He was kept in ICU from 2:00am Thursday morning until about 9:00am Friday morning. Then he was moved to a regular room. He was released from the hospital Friday evening. There have been changes made to his medicines and he is doing much better. One of the major changes in his medicine has been the increase of diuretics. This is to keep the fluid from building up. He is also supposed to weigh himself daily in order to make sure that there is no unexplained weight gain, which is a sign of fluid retention. Another change in his medicine is that he is now taking something to slow his heart beat. I am very happy about that, because his heart was beating so rapidly before. He had tachycardia, which is a heart rate of over 100 beats a minute. Now he is averaging about 89 beats a minute. Much better.
Jeremy starts back to college next week. I know he's looking forward to going back. I don't know if it's the college classes that he's looking forward to, or the chance to play pool and ping-pong during his breaks. His classes will end for the day around 2:00pm and since he will be riding home with me for a while, he will have about a 2 hour block of time that he can use to play pool and otherwise goof off.
We haven't made much progress on the house since returning from vacation. We had someone hired to come in and put up sheetrock, but that hasn't worked out, so we will try to hire someone different. We also need to get the plumber out to finish the plumbing that was started last summer. There is so much to do in the months remaining before winter, and time marches on, whether we accomplish our goals or not.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Reflections on a road trip
One of the neat things about taking a long road trip is the many interesting sights to be seen. I remember making the trip between Connecticut and Alabama to visit my grandparents as a child. The trip didn't seem quite as long to a child as it does to an adult. One of my memories is the advertisements to "See Ruby Falls". These advertisements used to be painted on barns and signs standing in fields where cows grazed. Most of the signs of yesterday have been replaced by actual roadside billboards today, along with advertisements for motels, gas stations and restaurants. However, there are still many interesting and entertaining sights to be seen along the trip. Here's a list of some of the things we observed or learned on our summer vacation.
1. a Dodge Viper is OMG FAST (according to it's license plate)
2. a Corvette is SOKWIK (according to it's license plate)
3. don't plant trumpet vine someplace unless you REALLY want it to grow there permanently (from Sonya's personal experience)
4. there are camel races in Virginia, in September (from an advertisement on a U-Haul trailer). If you doubt this, put "camel races" into your search engine and see what comes up!
5. salt kills thistle (thanks again Sonya)
6. the short bus pulls dragons (a small bus pulling 4 large plastic dragons from a ride at a carnival)
7. you will find the cheapest gas prices at the exit following your last fill-up.
8. it is impossible to travel thru the state of Pennsylvania without encountering road construction.
9. when traveling to Pottstown on 61, it is best to take the 222/422 bypass and avoid Reading altogether.
10. rest stops in Virginia have a hand dryer that really works. (Only ones I've ever used that are actually able to completely dry the hands because they are very forceful).
11. HERBVR (from a license plate) seems to indicate that there is at least one vegetarian in Alabama.
12. food being placed in a zip type plastic bag must be no warmer than room temperature, otherwise the side seams can be unsealed. Thankfully there was not a lot of liquid in the food. We were able to salvage the situation without too much of a mess.
13. the waves at Misquamicut still fill your bathing suit with sand.
14. seagulls are still opportunistic scavengers and you need to be ever vigilant to prevent them from stealing your food.
1. a Dodge Viper is OMG FAST (according to it's license plate)
2. a Corvette is SOKWIK (according to it's license plate)
3. don't plant trumpet vine someplace unless you REALLY want it to grow there permanently (from Sonya's personal experience)
4. there are camel races in Virginia, in September (from an advertisement on a U-Haul trailer). If you doubt this, put "camel races" into your search engine and see what comes up!
5. salt kills thistle (thanks again Sonya)
6. the short bus pulls dragons (a small bus pulling 4 large plastic dragons from a ride at a carnival)
7. you will find the cheapest gas prices at the exit following your last fill-up.
8. it is impossible to travel thru the state of Pennsylvania without encountering road construction.
9. when traveling to Pottstown on 61, it is best to take the 222/422 bypass and avoid Reading altogether.
10. rest stops in Virginia have a hand dryer that really works. (Only ones I've ever used that are actually able to completely dry the hands because they are very forceful).
11. HERBVR (from a license plate) seems to indicate that there is at least one vegetarian in Alabama.
12. food being placed in a zip type plastic bag must be no warmer than room temperature, otherwise the side seams can be unsealed. Thankfully there was not a lot of liquid in the food. We were able to salvage the situation without too much of a mess.
13. the waves at Misquamicut still fill your bathing suit with sand.
14. seagulls are still opportunistic scavengers and you need to be ever vigilant to prevent them from stealing your food.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Home from Vacation
It's great to go away on vacation, but it's just as good to come home again. We had a wonderful time visiting with friends and family in Connecticut, but there is nothing quite like sleeping in your own bed.
A special thanks goes to Ray, Kathy, Natalie, Frank, Rebecca, George, Caroline, Colleen, Ronnie, Elliot, Garrett, Sheryl, Tommy, Jennifer and Joyce for making our visit special. We would have liked to have had the time and the ability to see more of our friends, but it just wasn't meant to be.
The only aspect of our trip that could have been better was Randy's health. He had some rough days and the return trip to Alabama was uncomfortable for him. It is sad that he wasn't able to participate in more of our activities during our stay. I'm very sorry that he missed out on our day at the lake. I know he would have had a wonderful time, as the rest of us certainly did. I had never toured the lake from the water even though I spent many, many days in my youth at the lake. I know the lakeside community has grown in the last 20 or so years, but seeing the growth from the water was very powerful. Almost every square inch of land surrounding the lake has a building on it. Gone are the areas of beach that allowed access to the water by anyone.
Now it's time to get back to the daily activities that make up our lives. I have to return to work today. Tomorrow Jeremy will need to register for the fall semester at the college and Jacqueline is set to have her Senior Pictures taken. Band camp will be starting any time now, probably next week and we will have to get used to a new Band Director. It's time to re-establish a routine that will help make the return to class as smooth as possible. Jacqueline will have to go back before Jeremy, but probably only a few days earlier. It's also time for routine to return to Randy's schedule. I'm hopeful that he will feel better once he returns to a more normal schedule.
A special thanks goes to Ray, Kathy, Natalie, Frank, Rebecca, George, Caroline, Colleen, Ronnie, Elliot, Garrett, Sheryl, Tommy, Jennifer and Joyce for making our visit special. We would have liked to have had the time and the ability to see more of our friends, but it just wasn't meant to be.
The only aspect of our trip that could have been better was Randy's health. He had some rough days and the return trip to Alabama was uncomfortable for him. It is sad that he wasn't able to participate in more of our activities during our stay. I'm very sorry that he missed out on our day at the lake. I know he would have had a wonderful time, as the rest of us certainly did. I had never toured the lake from the water even though I spent many, many days in my youth at the lake. I know the lakeside community has grown in the last 20 or so years, but seeing the growth from the water was very powerful. Almost every square inch of land surrounding the lake has a building on it. Gone are the areas of beach that allowed access to the water by anyone.
Now it's time to get back to the daily activities that make up our lives. I have to return to work today. Tomorrow Jeremy will need to register for the fall semester at the college and Jacqueline is set to have her Senior Pictures taken. Band camp will be starting any time now, probably next week and we will have to get used to a new Band Director. It's time to re-establish a routine that will help make the return to class as smooth as possible. Jacqueline will have to go back before Jeremy, but probably only a few days earlier. It's also time for routine to return to Randy's schedule. I'm hopeful that he will feel better once he returns to a more normal schedule.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Decoration
Today was Decoration Day at the cemetery where many of my relatives are buried. My father as well as his parents, grandparents and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins are buried in this particular cemetery. For anyone unfamiliar with this term Decoration is when surviving family members place new floral arrangements on the headstone and graves of their deceased loved ones so that the cemetery is "decorated" with riot of color. Decoration is held yearly, being held on a set Sunday rather than a set date. Our Decoration therefore is the second Sunday in May. In years past, this event was a great social gathering, almost in the same category as a family reunion. Far-flung relatives would come together and catch up on the latest family news and gossip. As the years have passed fewer and fewer from each newer generation are attending Decoration. We had only a few family members attend this year.
Part of the reason for this years poor attendance may have to do with the weather. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes moved through our area last night and I was up until after 2:00 A.M. keeping an eye and ear to the weather. The tornado sirens went off twice between midnight and 2:00 A.M. It is entirely possible that others experiencing a similar night did not have the energy or the desire to attend Decoration.
Despite report of several tornadoes in the area, our property did not sustain any damage, nor did I see any visible signs of damage in my travels this morning. The rain was very heavy last night, but I neither saw nor heard any evidence of hail and we had no wind to speak of. At least not in this immediate area. I did however overhear a discussion while at the cemetery about how the local electric company lineman had been working through the night. This information was volunteered by a woman who's brother works for the local electric company, so it is probably a very accurate statement.
Part of the reason for this years poor attendance may have to do with the weather. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes moved through our area last night and I was up until after 2:00 A.M. keeping an eye and ear to the weather. The tornado sirens went off twice between midnight and 2:00 A.M. It is entirely possible that others experiencing a similar night did not have the energy or the desire to attend Decoration.
Despite report of several tornadoes in the area, our property did not sustain any damage, nor did I see any visible signs of damage in my travels this morning. The rain was very heavy last night, but I neither saw nor heard any evidence of hail and we had no wind to speak of. At least not in this immediate area. I did however overhear a discussion while at the cemetery about how the local electric company lineman had been working through the night. This information was volunteered by a woman who's brother works for the local electric company, so it is probably a very accurate statement.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Prom
Jacqueline's Prom was Friday. We had begun planning for the Prom months in advance, having purchased a dress and building from there. One of our cousins who lives close by did her hair, nails and makeup. She looked great. She was very excited about the Prom, and I'm very glad she was able to attend this year. If she had skipped it this year I'm not sure she would go next year. Daniel, her boyfriend, is going into the Army and so who knows where he will be at Prom time next year. Although I took a few pictures before they left for the Prom, I am anxious to see the pictures that were taken by the professional photographer.
We had some concerns about the Prom being canceled or postponed. There was severe weather in the area during the day on Friday and in fact there were several tornado warnings issued for some of the surrounding areas. The bad weather moved out of our area in plenty of time to allow the Prom to proceed as scheduled, thankfully. We had some very warm weather all last week, but after the rain came through temperatures fell quite a bit. Several nights last week saw us sleeping with fans on and or windows open. Overnight lows since Saturday night have been in the 30's with frost or freeze warnings each night. It got down to 31 last night and tonight it's supposed to be almost as cold. Things are slowly beginning to moderate however, as tomorrow nights overnight low temperature is expected to be in the 40's.
I'm sure this cold snap has been a problem for crops again this year. Hopefully things won't be quite as bad this year as they were last year. Last year this area lost many crops due to a freeze. There were fruit trees that had already begun to set fruit. The fruits of peaches, pears and figs were about blueberry size when the freeze hit. Of course the freeze killed those fruits for the year. While we don't own any fruit trees I know a number of people who do. Where yields in previous years might be measured by the bushel, last year those yields were non-existent or measured by the handful. Orchard owners who had enough trees to take their crop to market still couldn't have made much of a profit, despite the high prices paid by the consumer for the few fruits that did manage to survive. Farming has always been a gamble, some years the odds are just higher.
We had some concerns about the Prom being canceled or postponed. There was severe weather in the area during the day on Friday and in fact there were several tornado warnings issued for some of the surrounding areas. The bad weather moved out of our area in plenty of time to allow the Prom to proceed as scheduled, thankfully. We had some very warm weather all last week, but after the rain came through temperatures fell quite a bit. Several nights last week saw us sleeping with fans on and or windows open. Overnight lows since Saturday night have been in the 30's with frost or freeze warnings each night. It got down to 31 last night and tonight it's supposed to be almost as cold. Things are slowly beginning to moderate however, as tomorrow nights overnight low temperature is expected to be in the 40's.
I'm sure this cold snap has been a problem for crops again this year. Hopefully things won't be quite as bad this year as they were last year. Last year this area lost many crops due to a freeze. There were fruit trees that had already begun to set fruit. The fruits of peaches, pears and figs were about blueberry size when the freeze hit. Of course the freeze killed those fruits for the year. While we don't own any fruit trees I know a number of people who do. Where yields in previous years might be measured by the bushel, last year those yields were non-existent or measured by the handful. Orchard owners who had enough trees to take their crop to market still couldn't have made much of a profit, despite the high prices paid by the consumer for the few fruits that did manage to survive. Farming has always been a gamble, some years the odds are just higher.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Dogwood blooms and baby chicks
The dogwood trees are in glorious full bloom. Other trees are beginning to put forth their leaves. Patches of white can be seen in many locations because the dogwoods bloom before the rest of the trees produce their full summer foliage. Redbud trees are still in bloom but some of them have begun to put on their leaves as well. I'd bet my bottom dollar that the person who first named the Redbud tree as such was a man. No woman would look at the color of those beautiful fragile flowers which this tree puts forth and call them "red". Of course, the name "lilac" was already taken and few men care for the subtle differences in shades of color. I'm not trying to sound sexist. It's been my experience that where a woman sees pale blue, aqua, royal blue and midnight blue, she is able to adequately describe the difference in shading where a man will simply call them all blue.
A couple of week ago, one of my hens hatched out a clutch of eggs. When she went broody I allowed her to sit on 10 eggs. Seven of those ten hatched. A few days after they had hatched one of the chicks died, cause unknown. Last night when I put the chickens up for the night, I could only find 5 of the remaining 6 chicks. I am unsure what happened to the sixth little chick. I looked for it's body to no avail. I hope the chick didn't discover a hole and manage to squeeze thru it. If this is the case it is possible that others may also find such a hole. Another possibility that worries me is that I was unable to find a body because of the body was eaten. A snake can get thru quite small openings. We have killed several snakes over the years in the chicken house. These are chicken snakes that have gotten into the chicken house to eat the eggs. I've never had a problem with them getting chicks because usually when I have chicks of this age, they are kept closed up in the house and not allowed into the pen. The hen is a good mother and is very protective of the chicks, but she wouldn't be able to do much against a snake.
Jacqueline had her spring concert yesterday. It was very good. Lasted for a little over an hour. I really like the band director and think she has done a great job with our band. She started a chorus last year and so now the concert also includes selections by the chorus as well as featuring the band. During the band performance Jacqueline had a solo on her piccolo. She alternated between flute and piccolo during the other pieces of music that the band performed. I'm not sure how it is decided which instrument will be used, unless some of the songs do not contain parts for the piccolo.
A couple of week ago, one of my hens hatched out a clutch of eggs. When she went broody I allowed her to sit on 10 eggs. Seven of those ten hatched. A few days after they had hatched one of the chicks died, cause unknown. Last night when I put the chickens up for the night, I could only find 5 of the remaining 6 chicks. I am unsure what happened to the sixth little chick. I looked for it's body to no avail. I hope the chick didn't discover a hole and manage to squeeze thru it. If this is the case it is possible that others may also find such a hole. Another possibility that worries me is that I was unable to find a body because of the body was eaten. A snake can get thru quite small openings. We have killed several snakes over the years in the chicken house. These are chicken snakes that have gotten into the chicken house to eat the eggs. I've never had a problem with them getting chicks because usually when I have chicks of this age, they are kept closed up in the house and not allowed into the pen. The hen is a good mother and is very protective of the chicks, but she wouldn't be able to do much against a snake.
Jacqueline had her spring concert yesterday. It was very good. Lasted for a little over an hour. I really like the band director and think she has done a great job with our band. She started a chorus last year and so now the concert also includes selections by the chorus as well as featuring the band. During the band performance Jacqueline had a solo on her piccolo. She alternated between flute and piccolo during the other pieces of music that the band performed. I'm not sure how it is decided which instrument will be used, unless some of the songs do not contain parts for the piccolo.
Monday, March 31, 2008
The concert
I attended a Ronnie McDowell concert this weekend. What a wonderful show. I went with a co-worker who had been to see him before. He comes to this area each spring and she has seen his show 4 or 5 times. This year she asked me if I would like to go with her and I am very glad that she invited me. The threatre where he performed is small when compared to many other modern day concert venues. It probably doesn't seat over 500. The show was sold out. From what I understand, Ronnie usually sings a mix of his material as well as Elvis songs. This show however was entitled "A Tribute to Elvis" and so most of the songs performed were Elvis songs. In addition to Ronnie's voice, which so closely resembles Elvis, the show was made even more powerful by the inclusion of the Jordanaires, Millie Kirkland and JD Fontana. While their names might not mean too much, their talents and contributions to Elvis' music is quite impressive. They helped to round out a song, to flesh the sound out, to make it even more powerful. The show lasted about 2 1/2 hours and was filled not only with music, but also with stories from these friends of Elvis. I do not know the ages of the members of the Jordanaires, but each of the told how long they had been a member of the quartet and those years of service ran from 50 to 58 years. These gentlemen must all be in their 70's and yet their harmony is still so wonderfully rich and beautiful. I think I will go to next years concert if I'm able, and I might bring my kids, because I think they would enjoy it as well.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Much Ado
It's been a while since my last post and it's been a busy time for us. These last few weeks have been about trying to keep our head above water. We have had vehicle challenges and are at present down to one working vehicle. The truck broke down two weeks ago and as yet we have been unsuccessful in getting it back up and running. We are considering our options but it looks like we will have to have it towed to a garage for repair. The GEO that we purchased for Jeremy is beset with it's own set of issues. We are still in the process of trying to determine if we can fix the problems or if we will need expert help for this particular repair.
Randy had a hard time during February. He required a round of antibiotics for pneumonia, but once past that he has been feeling better. Recovery of strength and stamina is his goal now, and he tries to do a little something constructive every day. He has to be very careful not to overdue it however. In his case much of how he feels is dependent upon attitude. I'm sure this is true for most of us, but for someone with a history of depression, attitude alone can have a huge impact on health. Of course it is all related and is a cycle. If you feel good you do things and once you put forth the effort and accomplish something then you feel even better. The exact opposite is also true.
We have been making plans for vacation this summer. We are planning a trip to Connecticut for July. I still have to work out the details with my employer. At this point we are hopeful that we will be able to visit friends and family the second week of July. There is much to do before we can be ready. There is work to do on the house as we really must get the next phase completed, and we will need new tires for the van, and of course there is the budget to consider. Gas is $3.25/gallon in this area at this time. We have heard projections that it will be around $4.00/gallon by the time we take make this trip. I have wondered if we might fly cheaper, but don't like the thought of the limitations that traveling by airplane would place on us.
Had an interesting event (at least for us) happen recently. I have had chickens since we moved here, but this is the first time that I have ever had a hen go broody and sit on a clutch of eggs. This particular hen is young, only having been hatched herself this summer. None the less, she went broody and began sitting on a days worth of eggs, which in this case was 3. I decided to leave her alone and see if she would stay on the eggs as sometimes the broodiness is only temporary. After 3 days of setting she had a total of 10 eggs under her. I marked these 10 so that I could remove new eggs from the nest on a daily basis. I was a little worried when we hit the 21 day mark and none of the eggs had hatched. However, by day 22 we had 2 chicks and by day 23, 7 of the 10 eggs had hatched. I am unsure whether or not an eighth egg hatched, because she left 2 eggs in the nest and instead settled herself on the floor with the new chicks. I have only been able to count 7 chicks but it is possible that number 8 is hiding under momma.
Randy had a hard time during February. He required a round of antibiotics for pneumonia, but once past that he has been feeling better. Recovery of strength and stamina is his goal now, and he tries to do a little something constructive every day. He has to be very careful not to overdue it however. In his case much of how he feels is dependent upon attitude. I'm sure this is true for most of us, but for someone with a history of depression, attitude alone can have a huge impact on health. Of course it is all related and is a cycle. If you feel good you do things and once you put forth the effort and accomplish something then you feel even better. The exact opposite is also true.
We have been making plans for vacation this summer. We are planning a trip to Connecticut for July. I still have to work out the details with my employer. At this point we are hopeful that we will be able to visit friends and family the second week of July. There is much to do before we can be ready. There is work to do on the house as we really must get the next phase completed, and we will need new tires for the van, and of course there is the budget to consider. Gas is $3.25/gallon in this area at this time. We have heard projections that it will be around $4.00/gallon by the time we take make this trip. I have wondered if we might fly cheaper, but don't like the thought of the limitations that traveling by airplane would place on us.
Had an interesting event (at least for us) happen recently. I have had chickens since we moved here, but this is the first time that I have ever had a hen go broody and sit on a clutch of eggs. This particular hen is young, only having been hatched herself this summer. None the less, she went broody and began sitting on a days worth of eggs, which in this case was 3. I decided to leave her alone and see if she would stay on the eggs as sometimes the broodiness is only temporary. After 3 days of setting she had a total of 10 eggs under her. I marked these 10 so that I could remove new eggs from the nest on a daily basis. I was a little worried when we hit the 21 day mark and none of the eggs had hatched. However, by day 22 we had 2 chicks and by day 23, 7 of the 10 eggs had hatched. I am unsure whether or not an eighth egg hatched, because she left 2 eggs in the nest and instead settled herself on the floor with the new chicks. I have only been able to count 7 chicks but it is possible that number 8 is hiding under momma.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Flu
The flu has been going around at work and I came down with it last week. I thought at first that it was just a sore throat due to sinus drainage, but I soon realized that I had a fever. Of course when I saw that I had a fever I knew that I had caught the flu. Working so closely with people who had it, it's no wonder that I caught it. I began taking a homeopathic treatment for it as soon as I realized I had it, and this allowed me to continue working and functioning. I began giving Randy a maintenance dose of the remedy at the same time, because in his weakened condition he certainly didn't need to contract it. I'm happy to say that although I had a temperature for 4 days I never really felt very bad and I'm sure that is due to the homeopathic remedy, as others who've come down with the flu this year have not faired so well. Thankfully the rest of the family was spared the flu this go round.
The only thing that worries me a little is that I still have a cough. There doesn't seem to be much congestion in my chest, but if the cough doesn't clear up in the next day or so I will start with the Vick's vapor rub to try to pull our anything that might be lingering.
We've had a couple of very cold nights. Last night's overnight low was 19. It isn't supposed to be that cold tonight, for which I'm glad. I will just be glad when the temperatures moderate a little. Of course a moderation in temperatures brings thoughts of planting to mind. It will soon be that time.
I don't yet know what this year will mean for us with regard to a garden. I didn't have a garden last year. I really missed it. I like raising a garden and all of the benefits that come from good home grown vegetables. There is nothing that can beat the taste of garden fresh vegetables and there is also a great deal of satisfaction in the sense of accomplishment that comes from growing and preserving your own food.
The only thing that worries me a little is that I still have a cough. There doesn't seem to be much congestion in my chest, but if the cough doesn't clear up in the next day or so I will start with the Vick's vapor rub to try to pull our anything that might be lingering.
We've had a couple of very cold nights. Last night's overnight low was 19. It isn't supposed to be that cold tonight, for which I'm glad. I will just be glad when the temperatures moderate a little. Of course a moderation in temperatures brings thoughts of planting to mind. It will soon be that time.
I don't yet know what this year will mean for us with regard to a garden. I didn't have a garden last year. I really missed it. I like raising a garden and all of the benefits that come from good home grown vegetables. There is nothing that can beat the taste of garden fresh vegetables and there is also a great deal of satisfaction in the sense of accomplishment that comes from growing and preserving your own food.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Curveballs and monkey wrenches
The mundane and predictable events of day to day living are often complicated by the unforeseen. When this happens it's like someone pitched you a curveball that you are unable to hit no matter how hard you swing. It doesn't matter how much we try to plan our lives, these things happen and when they do they are usually a source of great stress.
This past week has been very stressful for me. For the third time this winter our water lines froze and broke. When our overnight low temperature is forecast to fall at or below a certain level we take actions to prevent this kind of occurrence. On the night that the lines froze the local weathermen miss-calculated how cold it was going to get. Since the temperature that they were expecting was within our "safe" range we didn't take any actions to prevent freezing. To make a bad situation worse, there was extensive damage that required additional time to repair. Uncooperative weather conditions also added additional time to the repair process. Thankfully we were able to draw water from our outdoor source, because we were without water to the trailer for 4 days. This required filling buckets and hauling them into the trailer for bathing and toilet flushing, and filling other types of containers for cooking and drinking purposes. The whole situation was stressful and extremely inconvenient. It was good to get back to normal yesterday. I was even able to wash a load of clothes. I needed my work clothes washed and feared that I would have to go to town to the laundromat in order to accomplish that.
I will be so glad when we get the water lines run for the house. We are making plans for the water lines that will hopefully prevent a repeat of the scenario that we have experienced with the trailer. We have purchased several electric water line heaters that are wrapped around the water pipes and plugged into an electrical outlet. These give off just enough heat to keep the lines from freezing. The situation will also be improved because we plan to install windbreaks between the pillars of the house which will serve the same type of purpose as underpinning does for a mobile home.
One good thing that happened this past week is that Jeremy now has a running vehicle. The CRX is still not repaired, and Randy is doubtful that the repair is something that he and Jeremy can handle. Instead, Randy found a GEO Tracker for a reasonable price. I am not familiar with this type of GEO. It is a four door model, with seating for 4 plus a small storage area behind the second seat. It will not get the gas mileage that the CRX did I'm sure, but it will still be cheaper to operate than what we have been having to do for the last several months. A fellow student of Jeremy's at the college has expressed an interest in purchasing the CRX, even in it's current condition. If we are unable to repair it, might as well sell it to someone who thinks they can make the needed repairs.
This past week has been very stressful for me. For the third time this winter our water lines froze and broke. When our overnight low temperature is forecast to fall at or below a certain level we take actions to prevent this kind of occurrence. On the night that the lines froze the local weathermen miss-calculated how cold it was going to get. Since the temperature that they were expecting was within our "safe" range we didn't take any actions to prevent freezing. To make a bad situation worse, there was extensive damage that required additional time to repair. Uncooperative weather conditions also added additional time to the repair process. Thankfully we were able to draw water from our outdoor source, because we were without water to the trailer for 4 days. This required filling buckets and hauling them into the trailer for bathing and toilet flushing, and filling other types of containers for cooking and drinking purposes. The whole situation was stressful and extremely inconvenient. It was good to get back to normal yesterday. I was even able to wash a load of clothes. I needed my work clothes washed and feared that I would have to go to town to the laundromat in order to accomplish that.
I will be so glad when we get the water lines run for the house. We are making plans for the water lines that will hopefully prevent a repeat of the scenario that we have experienced with the trailer. We have purchased several electric water line heaters that are wrapped around the water pipes and plugged into an electrical outlet. These give off just enough heat to keep the lines from freezing. The situation will also be improved because we plan to install windbreaks between the pillars of the house which will serve the same type of purpose as underpinning does for a mobile home.
One good thing that happened this past week is that Jeremy now has a running vehicle. The CRX is still not repaired, and Randy is doubtful that the repair is something that he and Jeremy can handle. Instead, Randy found a GEO Tracker for a reasonable price. I am not familiar with this type of GEO. It is a four door model, with seating for 4 plus a small storage area behind the second seat. It will not get the gas mileage that the CRX did I'm sure, but it will still be cheaper to operate than what we have been having to do for the last several months. A fellow student of Jeremy's at the college has expressed an interest in purchasing the CRX, even in it's current condition. If we are unable to repair it, might as well sell it to someone who thinks they can make the needed repairs.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Tornadoes, Shakespeare and saying goodbye
The last couple of days have been quite eventful. We had unusually warm weather to start the week off. Monday and Tuesday we reached a high in the low 70's. While this may sound wonderful to my friends and relatives in the frigid Northeast, such warm temperatures bode ill for the Deep South, especially when there is a low pressure headed our way. Wednesday morning about 1:50 I was awakened by thunder. The sky was constantly being lit by the multiple flashes of lightning. The thunder was more akin to a drum roll than a clap, seeming to last for minutes at a time. Rain fell at a substantial rate, often whipped by the wind. Added to the crescendo of thunder and wind was the constant wail of the town's tornado siren. Since we have no storm shelter to take refuge in I lay in my bed and prayed for the safety of my family.
Eventually I fell into a fitful sleep. My alarm was set for 4:30 since Jacqueline and I needed to be at the school before 5:30. I finally gave up hope of any more real sleep and arose at about 4:15 to prepare for the day. On our way to the school we passed a storm chaser parked in the center of our small town. The sight didn't phase me much, since storm chasers are a common sight when severe weather has been forecast for our area. We arrived at the school, boarded our bus and began the days travel in the dark. We traveled about 3 1/2 hours before arriving at the Shakespeare Festival. We saw Romeo and Juliet, however the theater company performed the play with a twist. They were dressed in modern clothing rather than period costume. Despite this deviation, the play was pretty good. Had the company been dressed in period costume I feel that the play would have been excellent. The change in wardrobe made the experience surreal to me.
On our return trip to the school we passed the center of our little town. Being able to see the area in the light of day allowed me to see many many downed trees. Wednesday evening's news cast was full of stories about tornadoes striking the area. In our area alone there were 3 reported tornadoes. We were all fortunate however, as there was only some property damage and no loss of life. Other areas where not so lucky. The area of damage in our town is about 2 miles from our house, but it is a fairly small area and damage was not near as bad as it could have been.
After arriving home Wednesday evening I received a phone call reporting the passing of a cousin. Her death was not related to the weather. She had suffered from COPD for a number of years and had been battling lung cancer for the last year or so. I had visited with her last week after being informed that her death was imminent. I was grateful to be able to see her and speak to her one last time before she passed. We seldom know when someones death is close at hand and therefore may be left with a feeling of unease because we were unable to say goodbye. I am not able to attend her funeral, but was able to attend her wake last night. She has a very large family and between family and members of the community the funeral home was absolutely packed. It probably took us 15 minutes to go thru the line to the casket. Her family is of course saddened by her passing but also glad that she is no longer in so much pain. The act of breathing had been a great challenge for her for quite a few years. She will be greatly missed.
Eventually I fell into a fitful sleep. My alarm was set for 4:30 since Jacqueline and I needed to be at the school before 5:30. I finally gave up hope of any more real sleep and arose at about 4:15 to prepare for the day. On our way to the school we passed a storm chaser parked in the center of our small town. The sight didn't phase me much, since storm chasers are a common sight when severe weather has been forecast for our area. We arrived at the school, boarded our bus and began the days travel in the dark. We traveled about 3 1/2 hours before arriving at the Shakespeare Festival. We saw Romeo and Juliet, however the theater company performed the play with a twist. They were dressed in modern clothing rather than period costume. Despite this deviation, the play was pretty good. Had the company been dressed in period costume I feel that the play would have been excellent. The change in wardrobe made the experience surreal to me.
On our return trip to the school we passed the center of our little town. Being able to see the area in the light of day allowed me to see many many downed trees. Wednesday evening's news cast was full of stories about tornadoes striking the area. In our area alone there were 3 reported tornadoes. We were all fortunate however, as there was only some property damage and no loss of life. Other areas where not so lucky. The area of damage in our town is about 2 miles from our house, but it is a fairly small area and damage was not near as bad as it could have been.
After arriving home Wednesday evening I received a phone call reporting the passing of a cousin. Her death was not related to the weather. She had suffered from COPD for a number of years and had been battling lung cancer for the last year or so. I had visited with her last week after being informed that her death was imminent. I was grateful to be able to see her and speak to her one last time before she passed. We seldom know when someones death is close at hand and therefore may be left with a feeling of unease because we were unable to say goodbye. I am not able to attend her funeral, but was able to attend her wake last night. She has a very large family and between family and members of the community the funeral home was absolutely packed. It probably took us 15 minutes to go thru the line to the casket. Her family is of course saddened by her passing but also glad that she is no longer in so much pain. The act of breathing had been a great challenge for her for quite a few years. She will be greatly missed.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
An answered prayer
We got some good news yesterday. Randy made a phone call to check on the status of his disability claim and was told that he has been approved! We are now awaiting written confirmation. This will be such a relief financially. It has been impossible to keep all of the bills current. I have been paying partial balances on our utilities in an attempt to keep everything up and running. In addition we had fallen about a month behind with our mortgage payment, but now we will be able to get that caught up as well.
The next step is for us to continue to improve Randy's health. He had a very good day yesterday. He will still have days when he doesn't feel as good, but we aim for those to be fewer. Our goal now is for him to continue to slowly re-build his strength and stamina. That will come easier if he is feeling better. It is hard to exert yourself when you are unable to breath. He has complained that just standing for a few minutes can be a trail. Even walking a short distance can be exhausting and require frequent stops to rest. A major problem with all of these symptoms is that improvement takes time, and Randy is impatient. I constantly remind him of how far he has come, and try to temper his impatience with re-assurance that if he continues to follow his health plan he will continue to improve. Since attitude and determination play a huge roll in recovery from a serious health issue we also continue to discuss plans for the near future. There is still much work that we need to do to finish the house and having a plan for that work helps him to have a goal to shoot for. Having a reasonable goal and working towards it helps to give Randy purpose. We all need purpose in our lives.
The next step is for us to continue to improve Randy's health. He had a very good day yesterday. He will still have days when he doesn't feel as good, but we aim for those to be fewer. Our goal now is for him to continue to slowly re-build his strength and stamina. That will come easier if he is feeling better. It is hard to exert yourself when you are unable to breath. He has complained that just standing for a few minutes can be a trail. Even walking a short distance can be exhausting and require frequent stops to rest. A major problem with all of these symptoms is that improvement takes time, and Randy is impatient. I constantly remind him of how far he has come, and try to temper his impatience with re-assurance that if he continues to follow his health plan he will continue to improve. Since attitude and determination play a huge roll in recovery from a serious health issue we also continue to discuss plans for the near future. There is still much work that we need to do to finish the house and having a plan for that work helps him to have a goal to shoot for. Having a reasonable goal and working towards it helps to give Randy purpose. We all need purpose in our lives.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Candles, Lamps and TORCH
We had some rain and wind on Tuesday, and as nice as it was to get that rain, we sure didn't need the wind that accompanied it. Living in such a rural area means that a strong wind will often result in a power outage. This was the situation Tuesday night. The power flickered a half dozen times before finally going off. To compensate for the lack of electricity we lit candles and kerosene lamps. I always try to keep a good stock of candles in the house for this type of event. I have about half a dozen kerosene lamps, each about half full of kerosene. Of course if there was a possibility that the power would be out for more than just a few hours I would have made sure that I had a full 5 gallons of kerosene available to fill those lamps. That is what we did during the 3 days we were without power courtesy of Hurricane Katrina. I pulled out my wind up travel alarm clock and set it wake us up the following morning. Electric alarm clocks are great but obviously completely useless in this type of situation. Even though the power was restored in about 45 minutes I still left a candle burning in the living room to give us some light should the power go back off during the night.
It rained again yesterday, but without the wind. This batch of precipitation was slower moving and therefore was more beneficial than the storm that came through on Tuesday. Despite this we are still in a rain deficit. The current forecast calls for a chance of rain 4 of the 7 days in the next 7 day forecast. Slow and steady rain over the course of several days would really help conditions.
Randy has been feeling better this week. I am hopeful that it is a sign that his health is improving. Progress is slow, and this frustrates him. His frustration is understandable. It can be hard to see improvement when it takes so long between each stage. I have suggested that he keep a journal as a way to review and map his progress, but he hasn't done so. He has been more consistent in taking his medicines and vitamins. He has also tried to incorporate a small amount of physical exertion to his daily activities.
Jacqueline is going to a type of talent show today at the local community college. This event is called TORCH although I'm not sure why. Perhaps the letters stand for something, but what that might be no one has ever explained to me. She is going to play a piece on the piano. This is something she has basically taught herself, so it will be interesting to see what happens. Her Band Director suggested this and I'm sure the suggestion wouldn't have been made without full confidence in her abilities.
It rained again yesterday, but without the wind. This batch of precipitation was slower moving and therefore was more beneficial than the storm that came through on Tuesday. Despite this we are still in a rain deficit. The current forecast calls for a chance of rain 4 of the 7 days in the next 7 day forecast. Slow and steady rain over the course of several days would really help conditions.
Randy has been feeling better this week. I am hopeful that it is a sign that his health is improving. Progress is slow, and this frustrates him. His frustration is understandable. It can be hard to see improvement when it takes so long between each stage. I have suggested that he keep a journal as a way to review and map his progress, but he hasn't done so. He has been more consistent in taking his medicines and vitamins. He has also tried to incorporate a small amount of physical exertion to his daily activities.
Jacqueline is going to a type of talent show today at the local community college. This event is called TORCH although I'm not sure why. Perhaps the letters stand for something, but what that might be no one has ever explained to me. She is going to play a piece on the piano. This is something she has basically taught herself, so it will be interesting to see what happens. Her Band Director suggested this and I'm sure the suggestion wouldn't have been made without full confidence in her abilities.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Frosty Morn
Winter marches on in the deep south. It's hard to believe that January is almost over. We've had an interesting month, as far as the weather is concerned. We've had a low of 9 and a high of 75, a dusting of snow, a light coating of ice and tornadoes, all in the same month. Last nights low was 24 the high today is supposed to be 58 and then tomorrow we are expecting a high of 65 and thunderstorms.
Jacqueline's boyfriend, Daniel stopped by for a visit last night. He works third shift and passes within a few miles of the house on his way to and from work. They don't get to see each other very much due to conflicting schedules, but they talk on the phone a couple of times a week. He brought her a big stuffed Valentine Bear. She is thrilled with it of course. We are going to let her skip school on the 7th of February to go with him to see the Air Force Recruiter. He is interested in a military career and for several reasons we are hopeful that he will go into the Air Force. He has a dead end job right now, and I am impressed that he is thinking about the future and trying to improve his situation.
Randy seems to be doing good this morning. He didn't have a really good weekend, and seemed to be more tired than usual. He went to bed early both Saturday night and last night. He is trying yet again to quit smoking. It has been so hard for him to give it up. He has managed to cut down to 1 or 2 cigarettes a day, but even that is too much stress for his heart. I am so glad that I quit when I did. It will be 8 years in April. We both quit at that time, but Randy went back to smoking after being quit for 2 1/2 years. He has been unsuccessful in quiting since then. Only time will tell if he can do it this time.
Jacqueline's boyfriend, Daniel stopped by for a visit last night. He works third shift and passes within a few miles of the house on his way to and from work. They don't get to see each other very much due to conflicting schedules, but they talk on the phone a couple of times a week. He brought her a big stuffed Valentine Bear. She is thrilled with it of course. We are going to let her skip school on the 7th of February to go with him to see the Air Force Recruiter. He is interested in a military career and for several reasons we are hopeful that he will go into the Air Force. He has a dead end job right now, and I am impressed that he is thinking about the future and trying to improve his situation.
Randy seems to be doing good this morning. He didn't have a really good weekend, and seemed to be more tired than usual. He went to bed early both Saturday night and last night. He is trying yet again to quit smoking. It has been so hard for him to give it up. He has managed to cut down to 1 or 2 cigarettes a day, but even that is too much stress for his heart. I am so glad that I quit when I did. It will be 8 years in April. We both quit at that time, but Randy went back to smoking after being quit for 2 1/2 years. He has been unsuccessful in quiting since then. Only time will tell if he can do it this time.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Brown eggs
A little over a week ago I gave away the extra roosters that I had in my small flock. My flock's feed consumption has been cut in half because of this move. Since I had eleven chickens and seven of them were roosters this is not surprising. I kept two of the roosters, one because he is so cute and the other because I like his appearance and his temperament. The cute rooster is actually a Black Tailed Japanese Bantam and he was a bonus that I got in a trade. I had two drakes that I traded for some hens and the man threw in the Bantam rooster as a plus.
Jacqueline would like for us to get ducks again this spring, but I've told her no. If we had a pond I might consider it, especially if I had a separate enclosure to house the ducks. Having ducks in with my chickens was not an ideal situation. I am however looking to get some more chicks this spring. Currently I have four hens, although to date only three are laying. Two of the hens lay white eggs and my oldest hen, a Buff Orpington, lays brown eggs. The other pullet hasn't begun laying yet, so I'm not sure what her eggs will look like. I got an egg from the Buff yesterday, the first one in months. I am considering several options for acquiring my new chicks, but will probably purchase a few from the local Co-Op. If I order from the hatchery I have to order more than what I really need. I can purchase just a few at a time when I buy from the Co-Op. How I buy will depend upon several factors, including what type of chicks the Co-Op is going to have this spring. I would love to have 6 more Buff Orpington hens, but there are other breeds that would be acceptable.
I like being able to have fresh eggs. There are so many benefits that come from growing or raising your own food. It is a shame that we, as a whole, have gotten so far away from producing our own food. I know people who couldn't identify a tomato plant, or that don't know you can raise your own eggs or make your own jelly or sauerkraut. This generation coming up is so far removed from the land that they believe the only way to get food is to go to the grocery store and purchase something that has already been processed for them. Unfortunately they would starve to death if placed in a garden full of ripe vegetables or an orchard laden with fruits ready to be picked. If it didn't come out of a box or a package, often complete with cooking instructions they would be lost. I hope I have managed to teach my children differently. They at least know some rudiments of raising a garden.
Jacqueline would like for us to get ducks again this spring, but I've told her no. If we had a pond I might consider it, especially if I had a separate enclosure to house the ducks. Having ducks in with my chickens was not an ideal situation. I am however looking to get some more chicks this spring. Currently I have four hens, although to date only three are laying. Two of the hens lay white eggs and my oldest hen, a Buff Orpington, lays brown eggs. The other pullet hasn't begun laying yet, so I'm not sure what her eggs will look like. I got an egg from the Buff yesterday, the first one in months. I am considering several options for acquiring my new chicks, but will probably purchase a few from the local Co-Op. If I order from the hatchery I have to order more than what I really need. I can purchase just a few at a time when I buy from the Co-Op. How I buy will depend upon several factors, including what type of chicks the Co-Op is going to have this spring. I would love to have 6 more Buff Orpington hens, but there are other breeds that would be acceptable.
I like being able to have fresh eggs. There are so many benefits that come from growing or raising your own food. It is a shame that we, as a whole, have gotten so far away from producing our own food. I know people who couldn't identify a tomato plant, or that don't know you can raise your own eggs or make your own jelly or sauerkraut. This generation coming up is so far removed from the land that they believe the only way to get food is to go to the grocery store and purchase something that has already been processed for them. Unfortunately they would starve to death if placed in a garden full of ripe vegetables or an orchard laden with fruits ready to be picked. If it didn't come out of a box or a package, often complete with cooking instructions they would be lost. I hope I have managed to teach my children differently. They at least know some rudiments of raising a garden.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Brrrrrrrr
This weekend we are experiencing some very cold temperatures, courtesy of an arctic front that is troubling much of the eastern half of the country. This weekends focus has been all about the weather. Things started getting interesting when the local weathermen began preparing us for snow. While not unheard of in this area, it is highly unusual for snow to fall in measurable amounts. A prediction of as much as 6" of snow set everyone in a tizzy. Television stations carried banners listing numerous cancellations well before the expected event. Because of the lack of equipment to deal with snow the caution is understandable I suppose. While we did see some snow in the state, I don't believe there was any location that saw more than about 2 to 3 inches. I had to laugh watching the evening news Saturday night. There was a child making a snow angel and while she was enjoying herself, there was hardly any snow laying on the ground. At the first movement of her arms and legs she managed to move all of the snow to expose the green grass beneath her. I guess if I had lived in this area all of my life my reaction might have been similar. However the amount of snow that fell here Saturday wouldn't have warranted much more than a casual mention in the weatherman's forecast in Connecticut.
We've been fortunate that the steps we've managed to take this time has so far kept us from having frozen pipes. I hope this is the last time this winter that we have temperatures going down into the teens. As long as it doesn't go down below about 25 we do okay. Much lower than that and we have to take precautions or the water lines will freeze.
Randy has been enjoying the football playoffs today. The game in New England was cold, but the one being played in Green Bay is something else. They have shown the people in the stand at this game and I don't care how many clothes the fans have on, there is no way they can really be warm as cold as it is there. I don't think you could pay me to go to a game under those conditions. We'll just watch from our comfortable couches and chairs and throw another piece of wood on the wood burning stove.
We've been fortunate that the steps we've managed to take this time has so far kept us from having frozen pipes. I hope this is the last time this winter that we have temperatures going down into the teens. As long as it doesn't go down below about 25 we do okay. Much lower than that and we have to take precautions or the water lines will freeze.
Randy has been enjoying the football playoffs today. The game in New England was cold, but the one being played in Green Bay is something else. They have shown the people in the stand at this game and I don't care how many clothes the fans have on, there is no way they can really be warm as cold as it is there. I don't think you could pay me to go to a game under those conditions. We'll just watch from our comfortable couches and chairs and throw another piece of wood on the wood burning stove.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Charting progress
January is half over and time is slowly marching on. Each day is full of challenges. Some days there are accomplishments, other days failures. When just getting out of bed can be a hurdle to overcome the tasks that we gave no thought to yesterday may be one of life's biggest challenges today. This is how things have become with Randy. He has gone so far downhill that just standing for five minutes is exhausting to him. I have tried to remain positive and supportive of him. It is hard. He is depressed by his failing health and frustrated at the extremely slow process of recovery. Of course we do not know how far he can recover, but we intend to try to regain some of his health.
In order for him to develop and maintain habits that will assist him toward his goal of improved health, we are charting his progress. We are hopeful that the components of the program will become habits for him. Even little accomplishments are acknowledged and rewarded. We chart all of the steps that he needs to do, from the various exercises that he does to rebuild stamina, to A.M. and P.M. dosages of vitamins to whether or not he has been smoke free that day. Being smoke free is one of the most important steps in this process and so far he has not been able to do it. I am hopeful that his accomplishments in the other areas will give him the additional incentive to allow him to finally break his nicotine addiction.
Despite his current limitations he did manage to change the master brake cylinder in the truck over the course of the last couple of days. He took the old one off of the truck on Tuesday and went to the auto parts store when I got home from work. Yesterday he put the new one in. As minor as this job was, it was still an accomplishment for him because it required him to stand while he did it. Yet another small feat to be celebrated.
We didn't have a chance to bleed the brakes to finish the job because of the weather. It was miserably cold and raw here yesterday. At about 11:15 A.M. it began to sleet. It sleeted and snowed most of the day. However, because the temperature at ground level was above freezing there was no real accumulation. Raised areas such as our steps and porches were a little slippery from the slushy combination that collected on them, but the roads never got that way. The story might be different if this precipitation had held off and come this weekend. The temperatures this weekend are forecast to be bitterly cold, with daytime highs having trouble getting above freezing and night time temperatures in the teens. We will have to take steps to prevent frozen water lines. We've already had one episode of frozen pipes and don't want a repeat.
In order for him to develop and maintain habits that will assist him toward his goal of improved health, we are charting his progress. We are hopeful that the components of the program will become habits for him. Even little accomplishments are acknowledged and rewarded. We chart all of the steps that he needs to do, from the various exercises that he does to rebuild stamina, to A.M. and P.M. dosages of vitamins to whether or not he has been smoke free that day. Being smoke free is one of the most important steps in this process and so far he has not been able to do it. I am hopeful that his accomplishments in the other areas will give him the additional incentive to allow him to finally break his nicotine addiction.
Despite his current limitations he did manage to change the master brake cylinder in the truck over the course of the last couple of days. He took the old one off of the truck on Tuesday and went to the auto parts store when I got home from work. Yesterday he put the new one in. As minor as this job was, it was still an accomplishment for him because it required him to stand while he did it. Yet another small feat to be celebrated.
We didn't have a chance to bleed the brakes to finish the job because of the weather. It was miserably cold and raw here yesterday. At about 11:15 A.M. it began to sleet. It sleeted and snowed most of the day. However, because the temperature at ground level was above freezing there was no real accumulation. Raised areas such as our steps and porches were a little slippery from the slushy combination that collected on them, but the roads never got that way. The story might be different if this precipitation had held off and come this weekend. The temperatures this weekend are forecast to be bitterly cold, with daytime highs having trouble getting above freezing and night time temperatures in the teens. We will have to take steps to prevent frozen water lines. We've already had one episode of frozen pipes and don't want a repeat.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Safe and sound
Things have calmed down in the area since Thursdays' bad weather moved through. It is unusual to have tornadoes in the area in the winter, but we did have some. Thankfully, no one in the immediate area was killed or severely injured. Television broadcasts Thursday afternoon and evening were all about the weather, taking over the airwaves to the exclusion of everything else. The storm front entered the area very strong and weakened as it proceeded east. There have been reports that two houses were destroyed locally, but we haven't heard any details as to exactly where the houses were located.
Jacqueline's birthday was also on Thursday. She turned 17. We didn't have a party this year. I haven't even had a chance to make her a cake. I guess I'll do that this weekend. She received some phone calls from family members wishing her a Happy Birthday, and I know those calls thrilled her.
Randy is about the same, maybe a slight improvement. He says he still doesn't feel good, but has been a little more active the last couple of days. Whether it is due to actually feeling better or because he is following my suggestion of trying to have small amounts of limited activity in an attempt try and rebuild his strength and stamina. I know he is not going to regain any of his strength if he continues to do nothing. I don't know if he can regain any of his strength, but we won't know if he doesn't try.
Jacqueline's birthday was also on Thursday. She turned 17. We didn't have a party this year. I haven't even had a chance to make her a cake. I guess I'll do that this weekend. She received some phone calls from family members wishing her a Happy Birthday, and I know those calls thrilled her.
Randy is about the same, maybe a slight improvement. He says he still doesn't feel good, but has been a little more active the last couple of days. Whether it is due to actually feeling better or because he is following my suggestion of trying to have small amounts of limited activity in an attempt try and rebuild his strength and stamina. I know he is not going to regain any of his strength if he continues to do nothing. I don't know if he can regain any of his strength, but we won't know if he doesn't try.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
One step forward, two steps back
A line from a song goes "You take one step forward and two steps back". Sometimes that's how it feels around here. I get so frustrated. Randy will be doing well, taking everything he is supposed to be taking and doing everything that he needs to be doing, and then he will start feeling better so he slacks of, or worse backslides and has a cigarette. The addiction to nicotine is definitely our biggest stumbling block to improving his health. As a former smoker I understand the addiction and how powerful it can be. What I don't understand is choosing to do something that will prevent you from breathing, especially when that effect is almost immediate. If Randy has a cigarette at any point during the day, he then needs to be hooked up to the oxygen machine for hours, usually including the overnight hours.
I guess part of the source of my frustration is the difference in our personalities and attitudes. Randy is a grasshopper and I am an ant. Despite the fact that I was at one time a smoker, I have always been pro-active about my overall health. I have been taking vitamins and herbal supplements since I was a teenager. I have always had an interest in the effects that diet and nutrition has on ones health. I have also always been physically active, although not necessarily in a mainstream way. My attitude has been to stay healthy and independent. Randy on the other hand has always lived for today, for the now. Not thinking about the needs of tomorrow. As long as he enjoyed it, or it felt good today, let tomorrow take care of itself. This has been at times, a problem between us. Good thing he discovered early on that my planning and forethought could make things comfortable on a more consistent basis. However, there are still times that my guidance and advise has fallen on deaf ears.
Three years ago I told him all I wanted for our anniversary was for him to quit smoking. If he had been able to quit at that point he might not be in the situation that he is in now. He has done irreversible damage to himself, but his continued addiction to nicotine is making any recovery of health near impossible. He will never be able to do the things that he was capable of at 25, nor do we expect that. I would be happy if he was able to recover his health to about the point where he was 3 or 4 years ago. That may be a pipe dream. Any progress is going to depend on having a plan and following it consistently. Follow through is the hard part, but it is also vital to breaking a habit or starting a new one.
I guess part of the source of my frustration is the difference in our personalities and attitudes. Randy is a grasshopper and I am an ant. Despite the fact that I was at one time a smoker, I have always been pro-active about my overall health. I have been taking vitamins and herbal supplements since I was a teenager. I have always had an interest in the effects that diet and nutrition has on ones health. I have also always been physically active, although not necessarily in a mainstream way. My attitude has been to stay healthy and independent. Randy on the other hand has always lived for today, for the now. Not thinking about the needs of tomorrow. As long as he enjoyed it, or it felt good today, let tomorrow take care of itself. This has been at times, a problem between us. Good thing he discovered early on that my planning and forethought could make things comfortable on a more consistent basis. However, there are still times that my guidance and advise has fallen on deaf ears.
Three years ago I told him all I wanted for our anniversary was for him to quit smoking. If he had been able to quit at that point he might not be in the situation that he is in now. He has done irreversible damage to himself, but his continued addiction to nicotine is making any recovery of health near impossible. He will never be able to do the things that he was capable of at 25, nor do we expect that. I would be happy if he was able to recover his health to about the point where he was 3 or 4 years ago. That may be a pipe dream. Any progress is going to depend on having a plan and following it consistently. Follow through is the hard part, but it is also vital to breaking a habit or starting a new one.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Out of the deep freeze
Temperatures have returned to normal after a couple of days of unusually cold weather. Our overnight low on Wednesday nights was 11 degrees. Thursday was as cold and miserable as Wednesday had been and then Thursday night's low was 18 degrees. Any time we get overnight temperatures that dip below about 20 degrees we have problems with frozen pipes. This year was no different. Not only were the pipes frozen so we had no water, but any standing water, such as that in my tea kettle, was frozen. There was even ice in the water of the toilet bowl. It never got warm enough on Thursday for the pipe to be repaired so we were without access to running water for 2 days. Fortunately we could get water from our front yard, where we have a "hydrant" that drains so it doesn't freeze. This way we were able to have water for flushing the toilet. There is a spring a couple of miles from our house and Randy and Jacqueline took containers to there to get water for drinking and cooking with. Jeremy fixed the broken water line while I was at work. I'm very happy to have the water working again so that dishes and laundry can be done. We will have to take steps to prevent a repeat of this situation when we run the water lines to the house. Repairing frozen water lines is a yearly tradition that I'll be more than happy to put an end to.
This has been a rough week for me at work. I'll be glad for things to return to a more normal routine. I anticipate that happening next week when school starts back up. We have been very busy and I know that things will calm down when everybody gets back to their regular schedules of work and school.
Randy seems to be about the same. As long as he takes everything that he is supposed to take and does his deep breathing exercises and his breathing treatments he feels pretty good. Unfortunately, if I'm not here to prompt him he has a tendency to miss key components of the plan. I just don't think his thought process works they way mine does when it comes to schedules and routines. Once before when he was sick and was supposed to be taking an anti-biotic he was forever missing doses. I've given him a schedule of what to take and when to take it, but thats no help if he doesn't use it. I get very frustrated because he is an adult so all of this shouldn't be necessary. I guess he's just one of those people that takes a really long time to develop a habit. Most people will develop a habit after about 28 days. I think he needs twice that, maybe longer.
This has been a rough week for me at work. I'll be glad for things to return to a more normal routine. I anticipate that happening next week when school starts back up. We have been very busy and I know that things will calm down when everybody gets back to their regular schedules of work and school.
Randy seems to be about the same. As long as he takes everything that he is supposed to take and does his deep breathing exercises and his breathing treatments he feels pretty good. Unfortunately, if I'm not here to prompt him he has a tendency to miss key components of the plan. I just don't think his thought process works they way mine does when it comes to schedules and routines. Once before when he was sick and was supposed to be taking an anti-biotic he was forever missing doses. I've given him a schedule of what to take and when to take it, but thats no help if he doesn't use it. I get very frustrated because he is an adult so all of this shouldn't be necessary. I guess he's just one of those people that takes a really long time to develop a habit. Most people will develop a habit after about 28 days. I think he needs twice that, maybe longer.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Hopeful in 2008
The last couple of days have been pretty good for us. Randy has been feeling better and his breathing has eased. The challenge right now is to try to get him over this hump and onto the road to recovery, at least as far as he can recover. He is doing deep breathing exercises to try to rid his body of carbon dioxide and he has started to do a few arm curls with 2 lb weights in an effort to try to regain some of his strength. We would like for him to walk, but right now that is still too ambitious. The weather is also a factor at this point. Today's high is forecast to be 34, but we are very doubtful that it will break the freezing mark. Our overnight low last night was 20 and tonights low is forecast to be 13. It has also been very windy here and that makes it all the more miserable.
We are all having a hard time getting warm or staying warm. Each of us is dressed in layers, and we have a good fire going. It is just so cold that it's hard to get the house as warm as we would like it to be, and the heat isn't spread throughout the house the way it would be if we had a central heating system. For this reason it is very comfortable in the living room and kitchen, but the bedrooms are much cooler. To compensate for this we all have plenty of cover on our beds and each bed has some type of electric heating device. Each of the kids has an electric blanket and Randy and I have an electric mattress pad on our bed. Staying warm when in bed is not an issue, but it can be an issue during waking hours. Everyone seems to suffer from cold feet, despite wearing socks and either shoes or slippers. I'm sure this is in part due to cold floors. We intend to put up a skirting around the piers at the outside of our house's frame, similar to the underpinning on a mobile home. This should help a great deal, as it will stop all of that cold air from passing under the floors of the house.
We are all having a hard time getting warm or staying warm. Each of us is dressed in layers, and we have a good fire going. It is just so cold that it's hard to get the house as warm as we would like it to be, and the heat isn't spread throughout the house the way it would be if we had a central heating system. For this reason it is very comfortable in the living room and kitchen, but the bedrooms are much cooler. To compensate for this we all have plenty of cover on our beds and each bed has some type of electric heating device. Each of the kids has an electric blanket and Randy and I have an electric mattress pad on our bed. Staying warm when in bed is not an issue, but it can be an issue during waking hours. Everyone seems to suffer from cold feet, despite wearing socks and either shoes or slippers. I'm sure this is in part due to cold floors. We intend to put up a skirting around the piers at the outside of our house's frame, similar to the underpinning on a mobile home. This should help a great deal, as it will stop all of that cold air from passing under the floors of the house.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)