June 11th, 2014

Farm happenings

I'm thinking of moving these posts to my blog so I can make them jazzier with pictures. But I feel that blogs sometimes have that dreaded curse attached to them- you start one, then revisit it every 6 months to a year. We'll see, either way the links will be on fb still.

Yesterday was a rainy, cold day. The animals hunkered down in their straw and we got to work in the house. Well, I did, the kids were on standby to do what I asked when I needed something.

The cost of getting the house cleaned up and done is going to be astronomical- to our budget, so I've been figuring out ways to get it looking decent for next to nothing. All of the paint from the house is in the basement, 10 years old, and it's still here. Luckily I LOVE the previous owners color choices. So I started in the living room. The walls were filthy. The walls are filthy everywhere though. So I did one wall the old fashioned way with a soapy bucket of water and a rinse bucket. It sucked. Then I remembered that glorious norwex mop that was not useful to me at the old house. Onto the walls it went and I seriously cleaned the walls in less than 3 minutes!!!! I used the paint from the basement to touch up the spots I spackled or the ones that were smudged and the room was done!!

The house has something like 26 windows. I have chosen to hang onto the mantra of "one window at a time".
The wood is OLLLLDDD on these windows and needs to be replaced but for now, I am just scraping each one, sanding and priming it. Then painting them to give them a fresh look. Someday when we win the lottery well just get them all updated.

Ronald the rooster is still here. He's getting to know the chicks a couple times a day when I let them out. If the rain holds off today I'm going to have the kids construct an outdoor playpen for them because they love being outside so much

Bruce is still here and enjoys eating. I fear he is lonely and depressed and am pondering bringing him to settlers pond to make friends and play in the mud. Pondering it.....not sure. But more on that later.

So many gifts every day but this was my favorite from yesterday- I was in the kitchen making dinner and sent the children out to take care of the animals. Trey and Evan on Bruce duty, tori on poultry. And as I stood in the kitchen and watched their enthusiasm and excitement and laughter, my heart was full. All of them running from animal to animal, visiting them, caring for them. What a gift for my children to be allowed this experience. 

That was long, maybe the blog will be in order

Temporary chick play pen