One goal reached. It's amazing really

One goal of ours was to be self-sufficient food wise.  It's amazing how much humans have lost in ability.  So we can type, fix a machine, and wire a radio-yippideedoo, but can we feed ourselves for a whole year?  Spring is coming, and I can't WAIT for the lettuce to be edible. (Marcus practically goes out to the greenhouse everyday with dressing in hand)

  But I am eating a glorious supper made from homegrown beef, the last of the home grown carrots from last year-

 and more homegrown potatoes from last year-

tender ribeye, honey sweetened carrots, and potato soup.

 Oh, and baked mincemeat cookies, with added chocolate chips-everything tastes better with chocolate. (all ingredients for these were bought in the store.)

Such an amazing feeling of accomplishment.  Wonderful to do!  We used the last of the peaches months ago.  We have plenty of tomatoes left over, but we'll still grow some this year.  And we will NOT be growing green beans this year.  We have waaaaay too many beans from last year canned still.  This is just so cool to me.

What I've learned-the Red Pontiac potatoes have proven better in quality, quantity in harvesting, growth rate, and storage life compared to the Kennebec potatoes that are supposed to be long lived in storage but aren't.  We will use the new storm cellar that should be here in another month as a root cellar next year.  I can then tell you if it works better than this year's...experiment.  So far, storing roots in the fridge outside turned to it's lowest setting has proven effective.  Be sure to keep the dirt on, and keep the carrots in a closed container.  The potatoes were kept open in cardboard boxes.  The smallest ones went bad first, and the reds have lasted far longer than the yellows.  The white onions actually outlived the red onions, even though we researched it to be the opposite, and did fairly well too.  We also had heard that you can keep roots in the ground until the first freeze or all winter even.  This did not work for us.  The onions rotted, and the potatoes almost did.  I'll be sure to update what happens using a root cellar next year.

One tornado, two tornado, three tornado FOUR!

This may be a serious entry, but please laugh when you can.  It makes it bearable.

Last night we got hit...again. 

I grew up in Knoxville.  Now, that means that we had a basement.  Just about everyone did I suppose.  So when it got bad, we just went downstairs.  And it never got bad.  I never took tornadoes seriously, for whatever reason, until I moved here.  When we first moved here, we had no idea what we were doing.  We didn't realize that moving west, actually meant moving 1/2 mile up in elevation, and therefore meant real winters and real storms.  The first thing I wanted was a root cellar.  This could also be used as a storm refuge.  Nope.  Bedrock is two feet below the surface.  No one has basements here.

So...we make do with other root cellar options and try to find places to hide when storms are coming.  But after a while, I've had enough.

Yesterday morning we were given a tornado watch that would end at noon.  I have yet to figure that one out.  Then they extend it to 2pm, then 4, them 8, then 2:15AM.  It's really ridiculous to where you don't take them seriously anymore.  But yesterday's storm became a problem.  It changed as time went on.  A twister landed south of Cookeville.  (Now-go mapquest this to truly understand) and north of Sparta where I believed it killed at least one.  It stayed on the ground through Monterrey.  Monterrey is the town we drive through in order to get to Cookeville.  It was like it was making a straight line for us.

We had already been in the bathroom earlier from a storm that hit just a few miles north of us.  We were fine, but we did hear a loud noise that we never figured out what was.  So, with Kindle in hand, we go in the bathroom under a foam mattress and watch the radar.  I had already been messaging others to get the scoop and let people know what we did.  Just as it got near, the power went out, and our kindle was useless.  We crawled in the tub where prayers and tears flowed freely.  It never came.  We waited, and waited.  Finally, I tried calling to ask where the storm was on radar. 

I had to put the phone on speakerphone and raise it up from under the mattress and call about 10 times to get through.  The lines were jammed, or we lost a tower.  Not a good sign.  I finally get through to my aunt and father where I spend 15 minutes trying to get 2 seniors to figure out a radar so I know whether it's safe to come out and get blood in my legs again.  Not to mention that three people and a dog cramped in a tub is not a pleasant smelling experience either...especially when the dog starts to pant....

We get an all clear and call people we know to live where it hit.  When we felt safe, we started lighting candles and got a tractor battery from the shed.  Arlis hooked up a converter and we had emergency lighting if necessary.  (If I'm not mistaken, my dad taught him this trick-so kudos to him!)  We tried using an old oil lamp.  My dad kept telling me how dangerous they were, and since everything was always dangerous, I didn't worry too much about it.  I should have.  As much as I romanticize about the past, the lamp is going away.  Turn the wick up to where you can see it, and it sputters, flames large, and smokes strongly.  Turn it down to a safe flame level, and the sparks fall into the oil.  We blew it out, there was a spark in the oil.  We put it on the soaking wet front porch a while.  Another experiment that almost went terribly, terribly, wrong.

We got out in the truck and went for a drive.  Everyone was without power, no damage that we could tell.  So, we went to bed before 8PM.  Around 10 or 11, a friend calls to tell us another is coming.  I can't express the pleasure I felt.  We still have no power, so I can't look at the radar.  We listen to the radio and it turned out to be nothing.  By now, we had already learned of deaths VERY close by, and felt the impact of it.  Another prayer was said.  We always pray His will to be done, that if it's time it's time.  But we do pray for it to be swift.  No lingering deaths please, by all means.  About to go back to sleep, Arlis jumps out to answer the phone close to midnight "The national weather service has issued a tornado warning for your area..."  Completely useless...again.

This morning, we do our usual checking to see if any of our bulbous cows have exploded with a calf yet...nope

 Somehow the greenhouse made it in one piece and lots of lettuce has arrived!

 My fig tree is very happy with over a foot of growth so far this year!

 One pea pops up

 And the beets have become a little more daring.

 My flower garden is unappreciated at the moment.

 And the ones earlier mutilated by chickens (it's chicken run season already) has grown healthily.

Another wave to hit tomorrow.  We have tentative plans to be in the Walmart at Crossville, or to have my family with me at the Playhouse since it's in the ground somewhat.  We are also currently making plans to place a shelter in the ground.  This will be costly and difficult, but I'll post shelter updates when the time comes.

It's my party, and I'll cry if I durn well please!

I turn 35 tomorrow-I'm not pleased about that.  That is truly middle age.  That is halfway to 70, and 70 isn't too bad for an ending age.  But I feel great, and had a blast at my tea party today:)

I woke up to a sleepy husband, and very energetic boy...so far so normal

 Where my child had me blow up three balloons and started bringing all this stuff in for my birthday.  I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with an empty pizza box, but I think he was going to plan a scavenger hunt-very sweet.

 All excited, I checked the oil and water, and left only to drive into....well, this isn't going to be nice at all.

 The weather turned out OK, but I did have to pull over a few times to let the engine cool off.  (We've replaced hoses, thermostats, headgaskets...sigh)

 I did finally make it to Lulu's Tea Room.  Where everybody had the tiered tray with tea.  Those flowers are real btw.

 Here are Nelia, me, and Eve.  We had a blast, but all good things...

 And I have quite the mountain to climb, with a car that over heats...so I took the back roads instead of the interstate home.

 Over the hill...

 

And through the woods...

 To home I go!!  Where there are sprouts in my greenhouse!!!!   YAY!!!  Buttercrunch lettuce:  (there's one, look for it)

 And beets! (there's several there)  I didn't check the freezer, I wonder if my seeds sprouted there too.

 And then...I came in...to where the dog got sick...all over my black carpeted bedroom floor. (that's soda)

Sigh!  She's still not feeling well, I wonder what's wrong?  Hope it's nothing serious.

Thank you girls for a wonderful time!

When a Child is Given a Camera

It's time to start springing things.  I know, early, but it's been a very warm and wet winter.  So, it's time to get ready for spring.  I let Marcus out with the camera. 

We had to buy a greenhouse due to erosion trouble.  We had a horrible time last year, and this year has already proven wetter than last.  So, we're starting all we can inside the greenhouse so our seeds don't get washed away, crows don't eat the corn, and weeding is reduced for a while in the beginning.

We planted peas, lettuce, and beets in the greenhouse.

I also filled a freezer with dirt, and planted carrots, onion, lettuce, and beets in it. (it's there on the left)

 We prop it open with wooden wedges...

And hold the covering down with a big rock.  Now, we use a broken screen door for the top most of the time, and...a broken glass door for when it rains and we don't need the water, etc. (George inspects it daily)

We also had the lovely job of cleaning the coop.

Normally, it gets so cold, that the floor is frozen, so we just clean it out in the spring.  When it's frozen, there's very little if any smell.  However, this year, it never got cold enough, and it was so wet, that it was very smelly and messy.  Especially with ducks-ducks are NASTY.

And we spread the manure on the garden:

 It'll have time to settle in before the dirt's used.  This will be the last poop installment until fall/winter.

 Thanks babe, that's real flattering.  (btw, why would I wear a letterman's jacket?  It's wool and expendable.  I wear it to work in all the time.  Very warm!)

Meanwhile, back at HQ...
Arlis removes the bad hay off the latest roll:

   The cats stand guard.

We also insure all boys are in one pasture, and all girls in another for calving.  We bought a new heifer.  She's registered.  We can begin weeding out the grade (non-registrable) cattle.  Here is Arlis's little heifer, Hope.  She's six months old, and in a much better place than where she was (all they fed was grain.  Their cows looked very sick).

Hope is MAD!  We took her from her mother, put a halter on her, tagged her ear, and gave her a tattoo.  I'd be mad too.  Arlis continues to work with her, and now she is able to be led with the rope halter and trusts us more.

Dress

Last night was the first full dress rehearsal.  We also had a little get together.  (I have found that going back on stage is like going on a bike, at least for me.  I fall off a bike a lot.  I call snacks provided "craft services", and get confused when they say "hold" instead of cut or freeze.  Lots of little things here and there that I'm having to transition.  Allow me to also say that theatre is far, far, FAR more disciplined.)  Warning-lots of really bad puns ahead.


Before we got into the "habit" of being a nun... (Christina and Sarah)  Sarah draws all the time.  She's in AP art and does really amazing work!

 Regina is a nun with us, and these are her kids.  They are by far the best little actors on stage.  Little Sasha is the cutest, and I get to escort her in the beginning.  She is so sweet!  I love your kids Regina! (and considering how well I do NOT get on with kids-that's saying a great deal)

 Eunice and Bob-they are a real blast!  She's nuns with me and he monks around.

 Obi Wan Kenobi

 Why yes, this is a brownie.  It was made from the chocolate of Chili and the spices of Sicily with a slight dusting of powdered sugar from the sugar cane of....  (this is Steve-he plays the Captain and is really a lot of fun)

 One of the children's costumes

 Weslie-directing...while 20 nuns change clothes all at the same time in the same room with lots and lots of mirrors.  We must be Roman nuns.

 My Novices.

 Mature nuns. 

 This is under/behind the stage and what must be maneuvered through.  With over 100 cast members in this production, it can get busy.

 One thing I've noticed about this theatre is that everyone knits.  And I mean EVERYONE!!  This includes small children and...this random guy I've never seen before sitting in the green room.  Perhaps I have found a new outlet for my wool??

 Let's be serious now.

 Or not...

Allow me to inform you that panty hose, black shorts, black shirt, and the nun outfit does not allow for quick trips to the bathroom.  The nuns never have time to sin, they're always adjusting their clothing.  It was truly ridiculous.  Nuns were constantly pinning habits back on and tying dresses back up.  I might could handle the lifestyle, but I will never be a nun on the account of clothing alone!

 Hear no evil, see not evil...

 

Now, I had never seen the monks in costume before.  So when they walked across the stage during the intro, all I could think of was....

 One of the back drops.

 We had to put the chickens up early last night, but the guineas would NOT go up.  So, we tied Mya to a rope so she could wee and left her out till we got back.  This morning, I just went to open the door in my grog only to hear the guineas on the back porch...oops.  I had to tie poor little Mya up again this morning.  She's not a happy dog.

For those interested in the play, here is a little snipet for Knox's WATE 6  (the hyperlink isn't working, you'll have to cut/paste the link, sorry)


http://www.wate.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=6684436&h1=6+Around+Town%3A+January+28%2C+2012+-+5&vt1=v&at1=Station+49&d1=449867&LaunchPageAdTag=Search+Results&activePane=info&rnd=85224710

If there is a picture I took of you and it's not here and you want it, let me know. I couldn't include all of them, sorry.

The Drama behind the Drama

Remember that earlier sentence?  Here's where it comes in.  In all that time, I have never ONCE had someone on stage grab me and move me to where they wanted me, or push me aside and go around me....until now.  At this point it's laughable, so here are some examples:

We (a small click of girls that have at least minimal stage experience) are constantly avoiding arms pointed under our noses, other nuns informing us where we need to be instead of where we are, and flat out being told what to do by other cast members.  You can't talk sense into them either.

For example, scarf-headed woman yells at a little girl for cutting line at the sign in sheet.  Then she cuts line herself (she also only sings one note...in bass).  Coffee woman talks the whole time the director is giving direction while holding a huge Java-ON STAGE, and then tells others where to go and what to do by pressing said java into your back.  These instructions are more often wrong than not.  She also refuses to listen to anyone else's info, even when it's exactly what the director already said.  Viking chick randomly picks people out and tells them what she thinks they need to do, but she is easily ignored.

So far, it's been horrible, but appears to be calming down some to almost tolerable.  Coffee lady is the worst (for me) as she is one of those soccer moms that gets all up involved with things and buddies up to the coach (director).  I can only hope she's not around for future auditions/plays and that I am.  She seems to be there for her kids. However, last night, an occurrence did take place that I hope helps.  There was a very light couch on set.  Katy (the stage manager) had her hands full and needed help to carry it off stage.  So, with candle in hand, I use my other hand to pick up my end and carry it backstage.  As I walked back I heard from many nuns "Did she just carry that couch with one hand?!"

Maybe they'll leave me alone now.