Monday, April 30, 2012

Back to normal...(whatever that is)....also Late WIPocalypse update.

Sorry, I didn't mean to stay away for so long from my last post. 
We are now getting over the coughing, croupyness (is this even a word?) of spring allergies.  R gets them much worse than B.  So bring on the Zyrtec and kleenex and wait for all of the pollen to subside.   I have had a touch of allergies but nothing like my boys.  It has gotten to me this year and I have not had the desire to stitch  or do anything but try to see through watery eyes and a runny nose. 

I  got new cabinets in my sewing room.  After not having any cabinets on a blank wall for 11 years I told my husband that I needed them.  So we found some for free that we painted white and they work perfectly.  This past weekend was the time to get organized and everything put in its place.  What a task and I am glad it is done. 

I am so late for my WIPocalypse post.  I think today is the last day that I can have my name included in the year end drawings.  So on to the good stuff.............
I finished DT Alpine Garden on March 21, 2012.  So glad to get this one off of my WIP list.  I think I started it about 4 years ago.....just happy that it is finally done.  Sorry pictures are so dark.  I am going to be working on picture taking in the future.  Love the Columbine section at the bottom.




I have also started a birthday present for my Aunt.  It is VS May Needleroll.  (Don't worry she doesn't read my blog so the secret is still safe.  Her birthday is this Saturday the 5th.  I am farther along then what the picture shows.  This is not on my WIP list but just something quick and easy that I had for a birthday present.  I have not ever made her anything so I think she will be tickled pink (or green) when she sees this.
After I get this project done I have one more birthday present that I want to do for my niece.  I got a little kit as a Christmas gift exchange.  It is not something that I would usually stitch for myself.  I kept it thinking of something I could do with it.  Then thinking of what to get my niece for her 12th birthday....I could easily stitch this little kit up and have it done in time for June 21st.    I will post pictures on my next update.

I need to look at my WIPocalypse list and see what else I need to stitch.  I might just focus on some finishing pieces.  I am way behind already this year.  Oh well.  My boys are only little once and then they will be gone living their own lives without their Momma around.  So I better cherish the time while I can. 

Thank you for visiting and just so you know I am all caught up with reading all the blogs on the right hand of the screen.  I just wish I had time to post to each and everyone of them.  You all inspire me so much.    Have a good week.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Where have I been?..................

I did not anticipate this much gaps between posts but I have been very busy since my last post.
Lets see.............
Springbreak was the 19-23 for our Kidos.  We did not go anywhere.  I only took off that Friday to spend at least one day with them. They went and played at Grandma's during the rest of the week.
  But on that first weekend of spring break we worked our cows.  What does working mean you say?  Well you herd them (prod, push, a few choice words and anything else you can think off) into the corall.  Then you get about 10 or so into a smaller working pen.  Which in turn you move them in the lane to get weighed (People don't usually weigh their cows, but my husband wants a weight) and then on into the head shoot which catches their head between a gate so you can work with them.   We give them 3 shots, Lepto, Black Leg, and Pink eye.  (Those pesky flies just love to lay eggs in cows eyes, which in turn gives them pink eye and if not treated will make them go blind.)  We also worm them and check for anything else.  If they have not been tattooed in the ear we do this and the little ones that were born this spring we put in an ear tag.  Then we let them loose.  I am very new to this farming thing.  My husband has been around cows all his life so he pretty much knows what needs to be done.  I am learning though.  We did our bulls the Saturday afternoon on the 17th and the cows on the morning of the 18th.  The reason we did this is we have them seperated into to two pens and needed to move 3 more bulls that were ready to be weaned off.  It was easier to ge the bulls rounded up, work them, get them back into their pen, then get the cows with their little bulls, work the 3 bulls and then haul them over with the other bulls.  That way we did not have to cull them out from the 5 bulls.  Got them all done until this fall when we go through the same ritual of gathering them up...but I don't know all about the vacinations they will need at this time. 
We had a rainy spring break Monday-Thursday.  Not much we did...just hang around the house.  Then on Friday we spent half of the day rounding up one cow and taking her to the vet.  She was not due to have a calf until the end of May beginning of June.  Well needless to say she aborted about when she was 3-4 months and the fetus was in the birth canal.  So the vet took care of her and now she will be able to breed back in June. 

We finally got our taxes all wrote down and taken care of.  Took them to our CPA to have her do the figuring.  Having a farm and itemizing everything is such a big pain....but I guess it has to be done.  I told my husband we need to set down every month with our receipts and put them in the appropriate categories on our spreadsheet.  That way it won't take so long to get them ready for the tax lady. 

Have had 3 baby calves so far in the last two weeks.  We have two more that are due any day.  You think they will be having their calf the next day and sometime it is a week before they come. 
All 3 are very healthy, and playful.  Momma's don't like for you to get close so this is as far a I could get with taking a couple of picture.

This second picture the little calf has a leaf stuck to his behind. People are asking me what is that.  I have to tell them a leaf. Don't know why but he is ok.  I did not get a picture of the 3rd little calf...have not had the camera with me.  Spring time is fun with all the new little babies running around.
We also got our boat and camper all ready for this summer of fun.  We are camping this weekend and it is opening day of the Youth Turkey hunt and my two boys are so excited.  I am also....I have no girls so while the "guys" are either hunting or fishing when we camp I can stay at the camp site and stitch, read or what ever my little heart desires.
I say we camp but a 5th wheel camper with all the amenties, microwave, tv, vcr, etc is not really roughing it.  I gave up roughing it a couple of years ago.  I like a bed and ac very much during the summer.  So between the farm, taxes, getting the camper and boat ready I sure have not had a lot of time stitching.  (Oh I snuck in some reading time.  I just had to read the Hunger Games before we go see the movie.)
Speaking of stitching....I did get DT's Alpine Garden finished.  I have not taken pictures yet and I thought I would save them for the WIPocalypse update which is coming up this Friday.  I am stitching on a birthday present for my aunt. She doesn't read my blog so I will post pics of this next time.  I am stitching VS May Needleroll for her.  Her birthday is May 5 so I should be able to finish this and get it sent in time.  Then it is on to another birthday present for my niece who will be twelve.  Will show pics of this project next time also.  I also have put in a few stitches on SB's Winter Moon.  Trying to get that pesky moon section done up.  Has a lot of fill in, so it is kinda at a boring point.

Take care and thank you for visiting.  I promise I won't have a long break in between posts like last time.

Happy Stitching.