Everyday Ruralty

NuNaturals Giveaway

2012-05-25T16:57:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to try NuNaturals Lemon and Orange Flavored Stevia Liquids. I have been a longtime user of their Stevia. My favorite is Vanilla Stevia. The two new flavors are wonderful. I've used them in yogurt and iced tea. I highly recommend them to you. They're so good. Our family has a Soda Stream and I can't wait to get my refill container since I'm sure they'll be excellent to make my own sugar free sodas.

Here are the two new products:

The Orange is my new favorite! Try it drizzled on fresh strawberries and yogurt. I even used it today, with oil and a touch of vinegar, for a sweet salad dressing.

The Giveaway

NuNaturals is willing to give a bottle of the lemon flavored stevia and an orange flavored stevia to four of my readers in a giveaway. I'm happy to be able to offer this to you. I know you'll enjoy their products.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Follow Everyday Ruralty and leave the name used in comments.Tell me if you already follow.(2 entries)

2. Visit NuNaturals Recipes and tell me something that sounds good to you in comments. (1 entry)

3. Like NuNaturals on Facebook. Tell me in comments.(1 entry)

4. Link up to "Chats on a Farmhouse Porch" on Tuesdays. (3 entries for each week until giveaway drawing)

-#4 is just for new "Chats" not ones that have already occurred

5. Vote for Everyday Ruralty on Picket Fences and leave comment. -See sidebar to vote-(1 entry each day)

Drawing will be by Random.org on June 11th.

Readers of Everyday Ruralty can received discounts at NuNaturals. For a 15% discount on your entire order, please enter the code BLG0612. (Effective through June 30, 2012) There's free shipping in the continental US for orders over $35.00 after discounts. That's a good deal!

*** Now for the disclaimer part:

I was sent some samples by the NuNaturals company. I tried them. I liked them! I would not write a review of a product that wasn't honest. I'm sassy, open, and "my good opinion once lost, is lost forever". Who said that quote? Hint: A Jane Austen book.

Thank you, NuNaturals!

You rock!

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch 43

2012-05-22T07:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the porch! I apologize to anyone who dropped by Everyday Ruralty for a chat and didn't find me here. The week was so busy and I barely had two minutes to myself all week. I didn't even have a chance to tell Wendell what I was doing. He found me anyway.

Our farm is very busy right now. The crops are growing well, the animals are enjoying the warmer weather, and we have a new worker. I hope everyone is enjoying this time of year.

Questions

What are you doing for Memorial Weekend?
What's the last old movie you saw?
What color are the walls in your living room?
What's your favorite food to cook on the grill?
What's your favorite animal?

My Answers:

I thought I had a catering job, but it looks like I will be having a quiet weekend.
Gone with the Wind
White paint on textured wallpaper.
A steak on the grill is my favorite.
Just ask Wendell. (neigh-neigh)

Have a great week!

I Drove the Horse Trailer!

2012-05-21T06:30:00.000-04:00

It was time to "put on my big girl pants" this past weekend. D3 had a horse show an hour away and I was the only available person to drive. The show was Saturday morning and I had to drive down one of the busiest roads in this area. I was a bit intimidate by the size of the truck and trailer, but I knew I had to do it.

Friday night gave me an hour lesson with my farmer. He got in the passenger seat and said, "Okay. Back it all the way to the barn." I hadn't gone forward yet! I tried and tried, but after about thirty attempts I got a break. C.S.Farmer said it was time to go out in traffic. Did I tell you it was rush hour? I did okay until we got to a nearby town and I had to get gas. I pulled over for him to get the rig into a gas station. We took all four pumps at the station. They were so crowded and we were so in the way. People don't understand, so I was glad the farmer was in charge. I was also glad he paid for the gas. His truck is really expensive to fill. The twenty I usually carry wouldn't have gone very far. When we finally got home, I took the truck to our barn road and turned around. I had to back to do it, but it only took two tries. Then I was on the straight road, once again trying to back the rig to the big barn at the end of our barn road. The trailer has a mind of its own and I wasn't very successful. I was able to back up for about ten feet, but I managed to have the trailer jack knife. (That means the trailer made an "L" to the truck.) I had to quit for the evening.

Our truck and stock trailer is on the right. The pretty mare is Molly.

When it was show time, we were able to load Molly into the trailer with no problem. She was wonderful loading, but once in, she thought she was leaving for good! She rocked and stomped (repeat 20 times). I left for the show, but warned D3 that I would have to turn around and go back home if she kept it up on the highway. D3 kept calling for Molly to settle down. "Whoa!" Eventually, the mare calmed down and we arrived at the show. I was able to pull into a place in the field where I didn't have to back up when it was time to leave. YAY!

Molly's break

Molly won 2-thirds,1- fourth, and 1- sixth. Not bad for a horse who had never been to a horse show! She wasn't phased by the loud speaker or kids in strollers. She LOVED meeting the other horses and answered all of their neighs. It was a great day!

a "green horse" class (new horse)

Waiting for the judges

Kilts and K-9s

2012-05-18T07:00:00.000-04:00

I had the opportunity to attend a Celtic Festival recently. I've never been to one before, but D2 was competing in a harp competition. I enjoyed all the sights and sounds. In this area, people take dogs to all sorts of events. I'm rather fond of leaving my pooches at home, but others didn't share my ideas on this.

I'm proud to announce that my precious D2 took 1st place and was given the title of "Harpist of the Day". Yay!

Let me share my day with you.

There was a parade of clans. Folks were either wearing their tartan colors

or costumes of the time.

There was an enormous marching band with bagpipes and drums.

I believe there were close to 200 people in this band. The sound

was so powerful that it gave me goose bumps. Do geese get "people

bumps"?

The band marched away, but the sound went on.

This lovely sheltie showed her tartan.

Help, help! Someone took my kilt! A corgi without his kilt.

Some crazy lady, with a point and shoot camera, was

taking pictures of a funny bumper sticker!

This greyhound proudly displayed her kilt.

Somebody else wasn't as happy with the event.

This band marched this way and that. Whoa! There they are again!

Notice the sign that says Harp and Fiddle? The driver, who was

supposed to deliver us to the correct building for the competition,

didn't notice the sign. I was sitting on the back of a truck holding on to my

daughter's harp for dear life while I slid around on the surface of the truck bed.

We drove in circles for a VERY long time. Hey, if you noticed the sign,

maybe you should drive next time. I'll keep you in mind. Thanks!:)

This lovely didn't need a kilt. Isn't she beautiful?

Love at first sight for me! This is Shamus and Braun. They're Irish Wolfhounds.

They were some of the biggest dogs I've ever seen. I wanted to take them home.

Hmm. Husband or Wolfhounds? That's a tough one.

There were Celtic games. This fellow was throwing a tree trunk.

Hmm. Explain that one to your chiropractor!

I had a great time with my sister and my daughter.

Thoughts from Patrice Regarding "Chats"

2012-05-16T11:48:00.000-04:00

Hello, friends-
I enjoy "Chats" each week. I'm not changing it or quitting, but this week got away from me and it just didn't happen. I have managed to "burn the candle at both ends" and I'm exhausted. I'm trying to keep from getting sicker than a small sinus issue. I hope you will come back next week and we can have a great chat. I have some giveaways coming up and some good news about a new venture for me. I won't spill the beans now, so I can share this with you next week.

What I have done since Monday morning (Mon. to Wed.):

I processed 80 meat chickens with C.S.Farmer and the crew.
cleaned processing area
I made a big mid-day dinner for guests (roast beef, cooked carrots, beet greens w/mini beets and balsamic vinegar, homemade biscuits, a salad, and cookies).
8 loads of laundry
6 dishwasher loads
began to rearrange my closet
consoled three daughters who were in melt down (two at the same time- fun!)
drove D2 to city for voice rep class and lessons (4 hours)
made four breakfasts (not servings- different groups)
took D4 to piano lessons
baked a loaf of bread
trash to the dump
a visit to my favorite thrift shop
a trip to the bank for farmers' market change
a big lunch for family and employees
a trip to the city for music lessons
a voice recital for D2 (she was incredible!!!)
3 grocery store visits in the city
ran errands for the voice teacher while she was teaching my child
tolerated half a night of snorring!!!

...and a partridge in a pear tree!

I miss our chat. See you next week. I hope you understand.

Wendell Looks for Patrice

2012-05-16T11:30:00.001-04:00

It was a rotten "Chat" day for me. I went to the house to find Patrice and all of our blog friends, but she wasn't there. I checked my deodorant. Yup- smelled like horse. Everything's okay in that department! I couldn't stand the thought of missing a Chat this week, so I went out to the pasture with Rocky and Ricky.

They hadn't seen Patrice either, so I ran through the chicken fence. I was mad. C.S.Farmer wasn't exactly,what one would describe as happy. So... I checked my deodorant. Yup, horse. Just as it should be. It was fun to watch the chickens run. They wouldn't share their grain. If only I'd been born a giraffe. Then I could reach it. I wonder what a giraffe is. Hmm...

Today is Wednesday, so I went up to the farmhouse to find Patrice. This is what I found.

These guys were so rude! When I asked them about Patrice, they said I was baaaaaad. I guess they heard about the chicken fence.Still, they shouldn't judge me. They're just jealous that they can't trample down their fence. But I still haven't found Patrice.

I finally got to the house. I looked inside. Do you know what I found? Patrice was asleep. She was hugging a box of Kleenex saying that her sinuses were driving her crazy. Whew! At least it wasn't me. I guess the farmer didn't tell her about the fence yet. Whew! I asked if we were going to chat. She said she didn't feel like it. I said, "Hey, what about a carrot?" She said she didn't feel like it. I meant for me, not her. She must be in a bad way if she didn't want a carrot. Maybe she was afraid I'd hide little white pills in it. I told her she could have a week off from Chats. Would you back me on this please, Chat Friends?

Patrice- You have the week off from Chats. You are required to be here next week, or I'll take over your blog. Cocoa Pony's a Hackney, that sounds like hacker. I'll have to have him help me.

Friends- Please come back to Chats next week. As a handsome horse, I don't have a big social life, so I hope you will come back. I will even check my deodorant. :)

I love you all, WENDELL J. HORSE

I'm a Little Teapot

2012-05-10T22:33:00.000-04:00

...short and stout? Hardly! I'm almost six feet tall. Actually, I was referring to a cute little teapot that came to me from my mother. This wasn't a family piece that was handed down, but something she'd found, probably in a cozy shop while spending some time with a friend. My mother loved to browse through antique stores. Let me show you the teapot I was singing about. Come to think of it, it's neither short, nor stout. It is very pretty.

Do you have a favorite teapot? I'm convinced that tea tastes better when it's poured from a teapot. I tend to just boil water in the kettle and pour it over a tea bag in a mug. I still like pretty teapots though.

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch 42

2012-05-08T11:44:00.000-04:00

Hello, friends! I hope this week is starting out to be a good one for you. I want to do something a little different for today's chat. I will post the usual five questions, but I will be answering my questions with photos. You can join along, or you can just write your answers. They are just basic, friendly questions and I thought this would be a bit of fun.

Bring a sweater for your visit today. It's sunny, but a bit cool. Wendell won't be joining us. He's still recovering in his stall. He must be somewhat better, because he broke out of the stall area that we had separated with a pasture gate. He mangled it! He went into the other side and proceeded to eat all of the hay that is intended for him and Cocoa. Pig! We removed the hay and left him in the, now, gigantic stall. I am still medicating him for his legs. He had some tummy troubles(before breaking out and going on a hay binge), but they have passed. I can't wait until the time when his legs are better and the green grass is down. Then I will be able to let him out to chase his chickens and be a horse again.

Here are the questions:

What do your everyday dishes look like?
What shoes are you likely to throw on in a pinch right now? "Go to" shoes.
What's the last gift you were given?
The first face you saw this morning was-------------------.
What cup or mug are you most likely to grab for your tea or coffee? What's your "cuppa"cup?

My answers:

I actually have two sets of everyday dishes. Does that make them every-other-day dishes?

2. Comfy!!!

3. My lovely friend just returned from Holland, Luxemburg, and Brussels. She brought me this unusual vase that's called a tulip molen. Who knew?

4. Lady-

5. An old favorite. It holds a lot.

Smile!

Our New Lambs

2012-05-03T16:10:00.000-04:00

We have added two flocks of sheep to our farm this Spring. Here are some photos of the first group to arrive. I really like sheep. They're gentle souls. The timing of their arrival coincided with the demise of our lawnmower. Needless to say, they had immediate employment!

Guess which one is the troublemaker who leads the escapes. See answer at the bottom of this post.

The brown faced ewe lamb in the background is "Camel". Her nose and her general profile made me name her that. The black ram Lamb is Shane. D3 was reading a Western when it was time to name him.

This picture looks like Camel and Jenny were trying to figure out what to name us. Their suggestions were:

Scary I

Monsters

Ones Who Can't Be Trusted

Ferocious Monsters

Nightmares on Two Legs

Did I tell you that sheep are timid? These guys haven't been handled much, so they are rather skiddish. I'm hoping they get more used to us.

Answer: The troublemaker was the black sheep of the family! I found some interesting information on the term "black sheep". You can read it here.

UPDATE ON WENDELL: He's in good spirits. He's in his stall and resting a lot. You might ask why he's having problems again. It has to do with the emergence of green grass and the high carb count it has in the spring. Some horses just can't handle that. Once they have this problem, it becomes chronic- but usually seasonal. If you are interested, you can read about green grass laminitis here.

Wet Sheep, Crying Patrice, and a New Friend

2012-05-02T09:45:00.001-04:00

Hello, friends. We woke up to rain this morning. It's much needed so that we don't go into our growing season with a deficit. We've had far more drought years than I wish to remember. For those of you who don't farm, you might know that it's dry some years and see that your grass is brown, not green, during the summer months. When you farm, a drought can be quite costly. If your grass is brown, so are our hay fields. That means that hay must be purchased for the animals. The folks that grow it know that they can get a premium price. Ouch! As vegetable growers, it affects that as well. Rain is welcome here.

When C.S.Farmer woke me up this morning, he wanted to show me what our sheep were doing. They were hiding from the rain under our fig tree. This picture makes me think of the ostrich who only sticks his head in the sand to hide. If I can't see you, you can't see me!

After laughing at the sheep I headed upstairs, passing a window. As I looked out, my heart sank. I immediately called to hubby. "The rabbit cage is opened!" He ran out and found D3's small Lion Head bunny, Smokey, gone. I went out to help him search and cried the entire time. D3 is my animal whisperer. She's kind and loving to animals. Smokey is her baby. I knew she'd be broken hearted. So I searched and prayed. After a while we couldn't find her. C.S. Farmer needed to tell me that he'd seen a fox about two hours earlier when he'd heard the chicken alarms go off. Bock-bock-bock! My heart sank. I went in the house and woke up the three bigger girls. They immediately helped me search. As shrubs, overgrown grass (our lawn mower has been broken), and spaces under the house and buildings were being searched, D1 shouted that she'd found Smokey. I was happy, yet hesitant. Found her in what condition? D3 recovered the scared, wet rabbit. Thankfully, she was unharmed. She enjoyed the warm towel and the extra attention.

I want to introduce you to a new doggie friend. This American Eskimo pup belongs to D4's music teacher. I couldn't resist taking pictures of her sweet face.

Amiko

So Cute!

Happy Birthday to my precious friend, Kim, at My Field of Dreams! I count you as one of my blessings in life. Have a

wonderful year. God Bless you and your family!

HUGE HUG!!!

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch 41

2012-05-01T22:45:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the porch. We may be able to sit outside to chat, but weather has been quite a roller coaster lately. Wendell will not be joining us today. He has started feeling poorly again. I believe his condition is chronic. In the morning, he will be put back into his stall and I will give him loaded carrots again (filled with his medicine).

I would like to thank, long time porch visitor, McGuffy Ann for a blog award. Thank you! Isn't it lovely?

Wendell is sure that it's exclusively for him. He likes the "carrot flower." I won't be joining in on all the questions, but I do appreciate the award for Wendell. Who asked you, Wen? Nobody. I'm an award winning horse. I can do what I want. Not quite! We need to talk, big guy. I can't talk. I have my mouth full.

What else is new!!

Here are our questions for today:

Who do you go to when you really need someone to talk to about something important?
How often do you grill food outdoors?
What's the interior color of your car/truck/van?
What's the last great buy you got?
What's new?

My answers:

Depending on the topic, it could be hubby or one of my sisters. My sister is the world's greatest person to talk to.
Not often enough. We enjoy it when we do, but it takes a bit longer. And then there's clean up...
Silver. The first time my little girl saw it she said, "It looks like duct tape, Mom!"
I went to a thrift shop with one of the girls today and she scored 4 gorgeous dresses for less than $30. One of them was five times that originally. Yay!
D2 won 1st place in a harp competition recently. Wendell is showing symptoms of his illness again. We got a second flock of sheep and there is a runt who is now D3's pet. My dishwasher died. Arrrrrrrrr!!!!! I'm sure there are other things, but my pillow is calling me. I'll be right there!

Have a great week!

Wendell Wants to Send Flowers to Leontien

2012-04-28T18:22:00.000-04:00

Dear Ms. Leontien,

I'm Wendell Horse, the star from Everyday Ruralty. Patrice Sent you flowers in a post and left me out. I want to send you something too. The problem is buying flowers. She won't let me have her wallet.

I would like to send you

these,

or these,

or even these.

Oh, yes. These would be nice.

Definitely. These would do.

I just can't get those for you. Patrice said it should be

a bouquet. I don't know what that is. Hmm??

This won't do. I ate them!

I just don't know what to do. Horses like me don't get paid much. I will get Leontien a bouquet. I can do this!

Perfect! Green flowers. Now I can participate too.

I hope you like the green flowers, Leontien.

Love and Horse Kisses,

Wendell

Flowers for Leontien

2012-04-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today, I'm joining in with some great bloggers to show love to our friend Leontien. I featured Leontien on one of my Barn Chicks Who Blog interviews. You can read that here.

Leontien,
You are a beautiful lady! I wish you didn't have to go through this battle with cancer. I admire you for being so strong. I know in my heart that you can KICK CANCER"S BUTT!
With Love and prayers,
Patrice

I wish I could shower you with a thousand of these pretty tulips!

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch 40

2012-04-24T23:05:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I wasn't on the porch bright and early Tuesday. We had a family emergency. We are all okay. I originally intended to have this be a Wednesday porch chat, but I got used to putting posts up on Tuesday and it just stuck.

I won't put an update of Wendell's condition at the bottom of this post. I will tell you a story about the old boy, right her and now.

Wendell's Escape

<ahem> Once upon a time there was a cute horse named Wendell. He had gotten very sick and was placed in a stall, in a barn, to recover. He happily consumed carrots that were laced with his medicine. A few days proved that he would be okay. He was kept in the barn until the farmer could fence another section of pasture for Wen and his barn roommate, Cocoa Pony.

Wendell went from barely moving to slowly walking around the LARGE stall. He progressed from taking small portions of hay to grabbing all he could get, all the while, forgetting his manners. He eventually moved well and ate well, if you can overlook breeches of etiquette! The new pasture was not fenced as quickly as I'd hoped. Perhaps the handsome horse became impatient. One morning, D3 went to feed him breakfast and found that he had jumped out of his stall. Now for any of you who know farm equipment, he cleared a cattle panel! It was over waist height for me. The horse, who could barely walk, had become a jumper. At least he feels better now.

Instead of keeping him inside the barn, we opened the main gate and let him go back into the pasture with Rocky and Ricky (the Percheron Draft Horses). Please note the expression on the following picture. Do you think he's happy with himself?

I'm so glad this guy is alive and HAPPY!

Thanks to D3 for this incredible shot- no photo editing, just a laughing horse:)

Questions:

Do you prefer wallpaper or paint?
What qualities make a good friend?
Are you planning a summer vacation?
Do you have a garage, carport, park on the street or park in your driveway?
Tell me something interesting about your week. (oops- please)

My answers:

I like both. We have some walls in our home that were less than perfect. I found a wonderful wallpaper from the UK that is textured and hides flaws. It is made to be painted. It has saved a lot of work in two rooms.
A good friend should be someone who you can tell anything to without being judged or criticized.A good friend should be kind and willing to put time and energy into a friendship. A good friend sticks with you through thick and thin. You should be able to trust and rely on this friend.
We'll pack up all the horses, cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, cats, dogs, and kids and go... CRAZY! I guess the answer is, in short, a resounding, echoing NO. There just aren't folks who can babysit a working farm with all we have going on.
We park in the driveway or up on the grass in front of the house- barn-greenhouse- farm store etc.
I have to drive to an airport to pick up my dear friend. It's in the city and the airport is miserable to get to. My friend is a "shrink". I'll need her by the time I actually get to her airline terminal! :)

Have a great week!

Amish Auction

2012-04-23T06:30:00.000-04:00

C.S.Farmer took me to an auction this week. Nobody bid on me, so he had to bring me home! ;)

After getting our bidder numbers, he went to the fields and I went to the tent with the "women folk". There were so many small children of the Amish there. Many women had babes in arms. I would have loved to photograph some of the sweet toddlers in their Amish dress, but I know that is considered very disrespectful to photograph Amish. Besides, I'd freak if someone took pictures of my kids. My inner guard dog would come out. Not a pretty visual!

There was plenty of machinery for sale. The horse was not for sale.

There were buggies for sale, and tons of building supplies, hardware items, and farm supplies.

Shiny tack

An antique butter churn that got a $95 bid.

Blue Willow

I wish I'd seen what it went for.

The guy on the right with the straw hat was one of the auctioneers.

There were some under the tent and some in the distant field too.

There was another tent behind where I was taking this photo. It had

seating for the ladies. Plants, furniture, antiques, kitchen items, and lots

of miscellaneous things were auctioned there.

I really like this shot of the "parking lot". There were two boats for auction. I was dearly hoping to see one

being towed by a buggy. Doesn't the visual picture of that make you laugh?

All of this and do you know what the best thing was for the day? Rain! Everyone was so happy to see some moisture that they just got wet and carried on as usual. Most of the people there were farmers and they know how dry it's been and how bad that can be this early in the growing season.

I'm thankful for rain!
GET WET,
AND CARRY ON.

Petunia Starts a Trend

2012-04-21T06:30:00.000-04:00

Things are buzzing in pig world. The post about Petunia made all of our other pigs crave attention.

They're digging their own swimming pool, so they can have water marks like Petunia.

How about digging a pool for Patrice?

Shirt to Apron #2

2012-04-19T07:01:00.002-04:00

Here's the second apron I made. I used a L/XL ladies shirt for this one. It's for my youngest daughter. I'm extremely happy with the way it turned out. Blue and yellow are my two favorite colors anyway.

Here is the shirt from the thrift store. I paid $1.50 for it.

The first cuts

The finished apron

The binding around the edges

A close-up of my ruffles

WENDELL UPDATE: He's doing great. He wants an apron too. Any guesses what he wants on the fabric?

An Apron from a Man's Shirt

2012-04-18T06:42:00.001-04:00

I saw a cute idea on a friend's Pinterest page. I haven't joined yet, because I'm afraid of the time I will want to spend there. I was peeking, not joining, and I found a cute apron. I went to a thrift shop with my sister and bought a shirt that C.S.Farmer could fit in with a few friends.I only saw a picture of the finished apron, so I had to guess how to make it. I was over halfway finished with it when one of the girls went crazy over it. I decided it was hers and put a horse on he pocket. She loves it.

This shirt was BIG! It was only $1.50 and looked brand new.

Chop-chop-chop! I cut a nice line from the sides of the collar towards the underarms.

Voila!

This is what was left on the back. I cut it in half and used it as sides and back for the apron.

All finished, and it dawned on me that bistro waiters' aprons and chef server aprons are

usually the only ones with backs. Hmm?

I put the sleeves together, sewed one side and trimmed into a neat rectangle for a pocket.

(Wow! The light changed for this photo. Someone turned on an overhead light!)

I sewed binding tape on the raw edges and gave it ties that were long enough to

go all of the way around and tie in the front.

I kept this small because it is a bit blurry, but I wanted you to see how big the utility

pocket is. I later sewed it so that it was divided into four pockets.

I ripped out enough of the stitches holding the existing pocket in place to put this edging on the pocket.

I ironed a heat bond - iron on fabric -to this cute horse picture and trimmed it.

I applied it to the pocket and top stitched it to stay in place and withstand multiple washings.

Done!

Like anything new, the next one was easier. Actually- I finished the next one and I will show it to you soon. They are so easy to make and they really come out nice. I found myself in a thrift shop, while waiting for a daughter's music lesson to end, and I made a bee-line to the mens' shirts. I didn't leave with anything, because it was one of those thrift stores that prices too high. I'll need to go back to my favorite secret shop. What are you working on lately?

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch 39

2012-04-16T21:45:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone is enjoying the spring weather. It was just like summer today, but it's supposed to cool down and act like spring again. I won't know whether to serve you iced tea or hot chocolate with our unpredictable season.

I've been busy with some projects lately and I will be showing them to you this week. I realized that I haven't shown you the new look of my dining room. I was waiting until it was finished, but that might be a while now that it's planting time. I'll blog that soon.

Wendell is much better. Yay! He's bored, but we're keeping him in his stall until we can fence a new pasture for him (and Cocoa). When he was very sick, one of the big draft horses bullied him. It's time to rearrange horses in horse pastures. That always seems to upset the balance, but they adjust after a while.

This week's questions:

What's the last big gathering you attended? (wedding, funeral, graduation, party, riot,etc)
Do you switch over your seasonal wardrobe, wear the same things year round, have a huge closet to put it all in, or throw everything out and buy new each season(I threw the last one in there to see if you're paying attention;)?
What sweetener do you use most often?
Slippers, socks, or barefoot?
What questions would you like me to ask the group over the next few weeks?

My answers:

D2 just played the harp at a funeral last week.
I don't have much closet space, so I have to store the out of season things.
I normally use organic evaporated cane sugar, but I have started using more raw honey. I also like stevia.
Slippers. I used to go barefoot all the time, but too many farm boots track across my floor. Since I can't seem to retrain the guilty parties, I put on slippers or sandals/flip-flops instead.
What everyone would like to see more of on this blog. Oops- you guys are supposed to answer this one. While we're talking about it, what would you like to see more of???

I hope good things happen to you this week!

Beautiful Isabel

2012-04-12T06:44:00.002-04:00

I introduced you to a precious puppy named Isabel in this post. She is such a lovely dog now. She is a great example of a Bernese Mountain Dog. She has grown out of many of her puppy stages and she's much calmer. I'm not sure that she's finished growing yet, but she's quite big already. Here's the beauty now.

I look forward to the next time I can see her.

Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes!

WENDELL UPDATE: Mr.Affectionate is slowly and steadily improving. Thanks for all of the prayers and wishes. He really had me scared. Now he is not only improving, but he's friendly again. Welcome back, Wen!

Thanks, Patrice.

Chats on the Farmhouse Porch 38

2012-04-10T10:01:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my porch!The weather is a bit windy, but it's definitely spring. Everything is dusted with yellow pollen. (Oh, joy! -<sarcasm>) After a visit, we should walk down and visit Wendell. He's bright eyed and bushy tailed. He seems to be on the mend. He is no longer groaning with a tummy ache. His gait isn't as stiff, but he is very limited in a stall. It's the funniest thing how last year, when he was sick, he lost his award winning personality. He has been anti-social for the last year. No matter what we did, he seemed to always be indifferent. He's a love bug again. He'd always been a very affectionate horse, until last year. He's so friendly. It must have been the friendly medicine I gave him! I honestly don't know what got his personality back, but I'm very happy to have him greet me when I go to the barn.

Here are our questions for the week:

Would you prefer to watch a movie in a theater or at home?
Do you have a specific way for managing change(coins)? This could be a bank, a large piece of pottery, or an old bottle. Perhaps you roll it right away for the bank, give it to your kids, or spend it instead of letting it accumulate.
How often do you have to vacuum?
Do you prefer flooring, carpet, or rugs?
This week is my birthday! Yay! If I could visit you for 1-2 hours, where would you take me. Patrice, Aren't you being a bit presumptuous? Do you think I'd actually want to take you anywhere? Don't you know I only read your blog to see Wendell? Seriously, well not exactly, but humor me anyway- would we go for a walk in your garden, to a nearby antique store, to a tea room or coffee shop? A Happy Meal? Hello- are you still there? I just thought this question would be fun.

My answers:

Home! I really don't like crowds. Since having Lyme Disease, my brain and eyes cannot take all of the bright lights and fast paced ads like a movie theater has.
I put all my change in a pottery bowl. I take the wheat pennies and any different or collectible coins and put them in a bank that my dear friend, Elaine,gave me. It looks like a guard from the Tower of London. It's a cute bank. I roll large quantities of coins for deposit and have to always come up with quarters for the change bags we use at the farmers' market.
With two dogs and four cats- DAILY!
I love hardwood flooring. Rugs are good and can help with warmth. I have had lots of carpets over the years, but when they get really dirty, it isn't as easy to manage them as flooring or rugs that can be removed easily.
I'd visit each one of you and bring you a bouquet of spring flowers. I just want you to know how much I care about my porch visitors! Thank you to everyone who reads or follows this blog. This June will be two years of blogging. I'm so glad that I started Everyday Ruralty!

"I'd take you to the carrot store! Of course. Bring that plastic thing or lots of cash.

I'd buy you lots of nice bright colored carrots. They even have purple ones now.

They must be from the Easter Bunny. I will watch them in the horse trailer

while you drive home. Okay? It will be a wonderful celebration of carrots- oops,

I mean, your birthday."

Have a great week!

Update on Wendell -Saturday

2012-04-07T10:10:00.000-04:00

Spiked Carrot

"I'm not too sure about that carrot. However, it is a lovely shade of

orange and it would be a shame to waste it!"

He's eating well.

And eating, and eating, and...

Last year, he had totally crashed by this time. I'm hoping we caught this early. I'm treating him for a few different things. It's beginning to remind me of that game at Chuck E.Cheese, where the gopher pops up and you hit it with the mallet. It seems when I hit one thing, another pops up. It's all related. I just wish he would tell me exactly what he feels, but he only likes to talk to YOU on my blog.

Thanks for caring!

I promise I will post something

other than just horse updates soon.

Riding presents one problem for Molly.

2012-04-06T10:04:00.000-04:00

Molly is a lovely horse.

She has a heart for running.

She gallops with the wind rushing through her hair, and her rider's hair too.

There's one little problem for Molly.

All those rides ruins her nail polish.

WENDELL UPDATE (4-6-12): He is about the same as the day before, but he walked to the side of his stall to greet D3's friend, who had stayed with us yesterday. He is obviously still uncomfortable, but it may take a while for the medication to work. He would never have bothered to greet anyone if he was in more pain. He is eating well and drinks more water than he did when he was in the pasture.

Please pray for Wendell

2012-04-05T17:05:00.000-04:00

Wendell asked me not to tell anyone, but I know that you have all been such good friends to the crazy horse and me, that I need to fill you in. A few days ago Wendell started showing signs of being sick (again). This isn't exactly like last year, but it matches the timing for the emergence of green grass and the explosive amounts of carbohydrates that seem to send some horses off the deep end. I'm not entirely sure this is green grass sickness, and it isn't the right fit for laminitis (not exactly). It's entirely possible that he still has Lyme and the spring grass just threw his system out of kilter. I have every reason to believe that we have gotten him up far earlier than last year. My loving, D3, and I got him into the barn three days ago. He's right next door to D2's aging pony. They gossip through the stall boards.

We had to bring him from the pasture to the barn so we could

monitor his food/ water intake, and his bathroom habits. He

is much easier to medicate when he's in a stall.

You can see that D3 is pulling on his leg in this photo. She had to get a stone

out of his hoof so he could make it up to the barn.

This picture deeply touches every inch of my being.

Animals and people share such a special bond.

I love both of these critters in the photo(and the drafty in the background too).

This is Wendell in the horspital.

I ask you all to please keep Wendell in your thoughts and prayers. We had to clean out his college fund for the vet visits last spring. I'm using everything I know to do right now. I love this boy and I want to see him well again. He wasn't eating in the pasture, but he is showing a good appetite since we have him up. I'll keep you posted.

Hamlet and Bertha

2012-04-04T06:56:00.004-04:00

I introduced you to our breeding pair of pigs a while back. The sow is Bertha and the boar is Hamlet. We recently moved them to one of our barnyards. It's a comfortable place for them and they seem happy. They're really happy when they get room service. I often think that it must be like room service for them, because I deliver a bucket of veggie scraps and they always have the same conversation. I ALWAYS find them sleeping side by side at the back of the fenced in area nearest to the barn.
Hamlet: Bertha! Did you order room service?
Bertha: (Rolling over a bit, but working very hard at it) No, Hammy. I ordered a pizza.
Hamlet: That woman's here again. (He begins to get up.)
Bertha: Let me know if she has something good.
Hamlet: I'll try it out and I'll let you know how it was. (He runs to the edge of the fence.)
Bertha: (Fighting the urge to go back to sleep) Hammy! You'd eat it all without me? How dare you! (Bertha gets up and runs towards the food) I still want my pizza!

Bertha: Don't look now, Hamlet, but you're standing in the food. You better not do that when my pizza is delivered!

Hamlet sneaks away to visit friends while Bertha is snoozing away near the barn.

Hamlet sampled all of the food before Bertha could get her extra-large caboose to the fence. She was able to get some, but quickly made her way back for more beauty sleep, while Hamlet visited friends.

Moral of the story:

You snooze, you lose!

Oink :o)