Whaddup Doe

Happy Birthday Bryan

2011-03-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

This is the poem I wrote for Bryan for his 30th Birthday.

Your 30 today which could cause you to whine
But look at your mother she's 50 and quite fine

I know this day is not about me
But if I never had dirty sex you wouldn't be

You shush me all the time and think you are right
But I know that your bark is worse than your bite

You're a pain in my ass and sometimes I want to make you black and blue
But you are the best sone ever that much is sure true

I love you to pieces and am so proud of you
You're a great Dad and husband and so much fun too

I would like to take credit for all that you are
And I do take a little for getting you this far

But now that you're 30 you are all on your own
I wish you the best but just so you know I disconnected my phone

Task #1 Almost Complete

2011-01-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Almost 2 weeks since I've been here! I have been busy fulfilling my New Year's tasks. The first two rooms are well underway. I've painted my library and I just need to clean up and get ready for new carpet on Friday. Then, I have to move everything back in out of the dining room and then paint it and I will be done with my January task. I do, however; have over 100 books that I need to get rid of. I'm Not sure where they will be going. Back to work.....

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T00:55:00.000-05:00

I'm sooo excited I've had my first hot flash of the New Year. WooooHoooo!

New Year's Task

2010-12-31T18:31:00.000-05:00

New Years Eve....my big plans consist of a few glasses of wine, some leftovers and a little crochet while watching a movie. That is how I hope 2011 will be; nice and relaxed, and easy. I have no resolutions per se. Just like most people they are usually never fulfilled.

I have proposed a New Year Task. My task is to de-clutter my house and my life. Each month will be designated to a different room in the house. I will have the entire month to declutter-/organize/redecorate. I figure if I spread it out over the year, the task won't seem so daunting. If I get an area done before the end of the month, I might move on to the next or take a break.

My first room(s) will be the dining room and formal living room/library. This may be my most complicated area. I need to paint and buff out the wood floor. It's the only room I haven't repainted since Joe and I got married. Not to mention moving (4) 7' bookcases full of books. I'm already exhausted and I haven't even started. I just have to keep repeating: one day at a time.

Only a few more hours until the task begins. I'll let you know how I do next New Year's Eve.

Please Make It Stop

2010-12-31T07:37:00.000-05:00

There is a show called "Teen Mom". Apparently showcasing teen Mom's and their trial and tribulations. If the series successfully showed how hard it is to be a Mother let alone a teenage Mother there may be some redeeming value to it. As it is, all it does is launch these girls to celebrity status, sending the message; if you get pregnant as a teen you too can be on TV. I have to admit I have never seen the show and never will. I have however seen excerpts from it. In addition, one of the more infamous Moms is from Indiana. What a great claim to fame for our state. I heard on the news tonight the Mom from Indiana is paid $280,000.00 a year to be on this show. ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!!!!!! What is wrong with people. There are hard working people trudging to dead end jobs everyday so they can pay their bills, yet a socially unfit immature dumb ass teenager makes hundreds of thousands of dollars for being a socially unfit immature dumb ass teenager. All I can do is shake my head and cry.

Some Times It Works Out

2010-12-30T22:24:00.000-05:00

I am very excited my home phone broke. It is still usable but the caller ID button/phone book and scroll button doesn't work on one of the handsets. The best part???? I purchased the extended warranty and the phone is still covered. I bought the phone at Radio Shack. I spent $80.00 on the phone and $20.00 on the extended warranty. The warranty also included new batteries every six months for the two years. The batteries alone cost more than $20.00. I am one month away from the warranty expiring. I called Radio Shack, they took my info and told me to send the phone back. Once I take the phone to Fed Ex and they scan it in, Radio Shack is notified I dropped it off and I get a refund gift card via email within 24 hours for the price of the phone plus tax. SCORE!!!!! This is one time I am glad I purchased the extended warranty.

It's A Belated Christmas Miracle

2010-12-30T11:23:00.000-05:00

OM frickin G! (I heard that on Cake Boss and I thought it was hilarious) Anyway, I have been struggling with Medicaid and Medicare ever since my Mother and Mother-In-Law have been in a Nursing Home. If you have ever tried to get information or get anything resolved with either agency, you know what I mean. It's a nightmare. After my most recent circle jerk with Medicaid I was so frustrated, I filed a complaint with the Attorney General under Insurance Fraud. I knew that wasn't really the right place to complain to, but I didn't know where else to start. I figured at the very least it would get their attention. I didn't hear anything for over a month; then I received a letter. It stated their agency was not the correct agency to handle my claim but it had been forwarded to the agency that would be able to take care of it.

When my husband saw the letter with the return address of Attorney General he thought for sure we were both going to jail (for what, I don't know).

About a week after I received the letter I received a phone call and an email from someone in the office overseeing Medicaid Administration. I was shocked!!!!! I have never had a more pleasant and productive conversation with someone in a government office in my life. She was not only going to take care of my Mother-In-Laws issues (for which the complaint was filed) but my Mother's as well. She has also reassured me she would be keeping in contact with me on a weekly basis until the issues are resolved. Maybe I'm being gullible, but I believed her. A little bit of faith has been restored in my otherwise negative opinion of the government. While it's far from perfect it is nice to know there are avenues of resolution that do work.

Hopefully I am not getting too excited too soon. I will hold off on the fireworks until everything is resolved, but at least there is a spark waiting to ignite!!!!

Please At Least Say Hello

2010-12-29T19:00:00.000-05:00

Isn't the point of a Walmart greeter to greet you when you walk in the door?? Otherwise they would call them Walmart person standing at the doorway not wanting to make eye contact or not having the social skills to interact with people.

Honestly I could care less if a person is at the door to greet me when I walk in to shop. However, if Walmart is going to pay someone to stand at the door to "greet" people, then they should at least train them to say hello.

I have been to Walmarts where there have been cute little 'ol men so happy to see me and make sure I have a shopping cart. That's fun, it makes me smile.

Today I was greeted by a sad little woman, not looking at me or even responding when I said hello. Maybe it was just a fluke and I caught her on a bad day.

I had to go out of the store and then return because I forgot something only to find a new greeter at the door. I was full of anticipation hoping this new greeter would give me a smile and a hardy HELLO! No such luck, she was as sullen as the last person.

You know times are tough when Walmart can't even hire a greeter that actually fulfills their job description.

A Time To Cull

2010-12-26T23:22:00.001-05:00

Culling: The process of removing animals from a group based on specific criteria..... I'd never heard of that word until I started raising chickens, and in the 4 years I have had chickens it has never been an issue until now.

My first flock consisted of 10 hens. 5 were killed by predators, 2 died for unknown reasons, 2 are still healthy but not laying eggs, and 1 is on it's way out as we speak. My second flock of 27 which are less than a year old are all healthy, happy and laying eggs.

So here's the problem...I never had to worry about weeding out the inferior hens because it was pretty much taken care of nature's way. Now that I have 30 chickens it's not productive to have hens that don't lay. If I was a true farmer, I would have no problem culling the 2 old hens and the 1 sick hen. (Culling is just a softer way to say kill.) I can't bring myself to do it. I also have 2 roosters that are of no use except they are pretty and fun to watch. Most roosters are killed soon after they are hatched because they have no production value.

At first, my excuse for not getting rid of them was I couldn't find someone to do it for me. There are no commercial butchering companies locally that would butcher and dress the chickens. Now however; I have at least 2 people willing to do it for me but I can't bring myself to turn them over to them. My issue with this is seeing them as pets, not livestock. I wouldn't kill my dog just because he stopped fetching, so how can I kill my chickens for not laying eggs.

I can see it now.....3 years down the road I will have 100 chickens of which only 30 lay eggs; which means I have 70 pet chickens. I'm so pathetic. I'm really hoping nature will continue taking care of things for me. Like maybe lightening striking only the non laying chickens. That would be perfect.

You Mess With My Mom, You Get Me!

2010-12-25T18:21:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I wrote about the issue at the Nursing Home with the TV in my Mom's room which belongs to her roommate. I had a suspicion the problem was being generated by the daughter of the roommate. Today my suspicion was confirmed. Apparently the daughter had to buy a new TV because the screen of the first TV went out. She attributed it to the fact the TV was used too much. Funny thing .....She did this before my Mom was even there! Today when I walked in to Mom's room, the TV was moved at an angle away from Mom's side of the room. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Words cannot convey how pissed I was. What a pompous little bitch (the daughter, not the roommate). I can say that with certainty because I have met her. I couldn't decide what kind of person she was in the brief three times that I had talked to her before all this hoopla, but there always seemed to be incongruity between her words and her actions. I guess my instincts were correct.

This whole issue is so ridiculous my brain can't process it. All I know is she is messing with my Mom. Nobody messes with my Mother and gets away with it. How can someone be so cruel to a 90 year old woman. I never said anything when the roommates belongings encroached on my Mom's side of the room or when she got in to Mom's candy. It really didn't matter. Today it mattered and I turned into a stubborn 10 year old. I measured the floor space and found the middle of the room. Everything of hers that was on Mom's side was pushed over. I'm going to rearrange the room (I have to get permission from Social Service first) so Mom won't even have to look in the direction of her roommates TV. It's gonna be awesome when both TV's are on different channels with the volume up.

I know I should let it go and be adult about it; and I will in time. But this is my Mother we are talking about. My sweet never hurt a fly, give you the shirt off her back, Mother. Every time I think about it I want to put my boot in daughter's ass.

Which Came First, The Chicken Or The Egg?

2010-12-25T01:40:00.001-05:00

I have learned a lot about chickens over the course of the last few years and it is very interesting to me how their little society parallels human society. The term "pecking order" which is often used in human society obviously came from watching chickens. They really do have a structure to their little flock. My flock is no exception. There is the leader (Rocky) who is a huge rooster. The downtrodden of the bunch are the Buff Orphingtons; they are the only ones that get their tail feathers picked off by the others. Then you have the outcast which is also a rooster (Sheldon). He is smaller and a big bully so he is often by himself. All of the rest are the followers; only causing a stir every once in awhile. For the most part, however; the followers mind their own business.

Last evening when I went to lock up the girls for the night, all of the young chickens were still out in the barn running around. My two old girls were already up on their roost and ready for bed. Even old chickens turn in early.

The old adages that come from chicken behavior now make sense to me. For instance: "don't count your chickens before they hatch." Mainly because not all chicken eggs are viable. "Don't get your tail feathers ruffled." If you try to take an egg out from under a hen, they will fluff up their tail feathers as a sign of agitation and warning. "Cocky", or "cock of the walk." Roosters strut around like they own the place. "Hen pecked" is a good one. The hens will seek out a weaker hen and pick at the feathers on their rump. Once they start picking they don't usually stop. If pecked at long enough, they sometimes die. I could go on and on but you get the idea.

I have, however; solved the age old question of: "which came first the chicken or the egg?" It was the chicken of course. Without the chicken to sit on the egg to incubate it, it wouldn't survive. I'm glad that is finally settled.

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Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T01:09:00.002-05:00

The Moments That Take Your Breath Away

2010-12-24T17:03:00.001-05:00

I never thought I would be reduced to tears in a Best Buy store. But it happened. I was standing in the customer service line along with 4 or 5 other people and one man in military fatigues. There was a little boy probably 2 years old in a camo jacket looking intently at the soldier. Another man walked over to the soldier and shook his hand and thanked him for his service. After seeing a lot of people behaving badly recently, this was a welcome change. The little boy kept looking at the soldier and his Father noticed. The Father says: "that's pretty cool huh? The little boy shakes his head yes. The Father then says "maybe we should shake his hand and thank him." The boy seemed a little timid so the Father shook the soldiers hand. Then this little 2 year old walks up to the soldier and puts out his hand, never taking his eyes off of the soldier. It was the most moving moment I have witnessed in a long time. That was my Merry Christmas moment.

2010-12-24T15:10:00.001-05:00

Most people reading this are aware that my Mother is in a Nursing Home (which I hate). She's seems to be doing well with their care. I have my doubts at times, but I have to admit I try not to see the bad things. They are short staffed just like everywhere which really sucks since their business is to "take care of" the infirmed. Isn't that what you call an oxymoron? I will say they do call anytime there is an issue; which I know is a requirement by law, but it makes them accountable.

I got a call yesterday. (My heart sinks a little every time they call because I never know if it's going to be bad news.) The nurse proceeds to tell me that she thinks I should get a TV for Mom. She was apparently watching her roommates and the aides went to turn it off and she yelled at them not to. To back track a little, I didn't get Mom a TV when she first moved in because her TV was an old model and very large (space is limited). Plus the roommate has at least a 32" flat screen placed right in the middle of the room. There isn't really an issue of fighting about what to watch, because I don't think either of them care. It's just company. I figured if I brought in a TV for Mom it would be crazy loud and she wouldn't be able to work it anyway. Since the large TV was there I didn't see the harm in her watching it. I am assuming Mom's roommates daughter is behind this. She actually put a note on the TV that states: "Turn off the TV if Irene is not in the room". Underlying meaning: don't let the roommate watch her TV. Doesn't this seem a little petty? Or am I being too sensitive? Uuuuuuugh, drama at the Nursing Home.

I will get Mom a TV....anything to make her happy. All I can say is her roommate better keep her damn hands out of my Mother's candy. How's that for petty!

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

2010-12-23T12:06:00.002-05:00

I never really understood why there had to be a policy made like the military; "don't ask, don't tell". What difference does it make??? If a person decides to join the military to help protect our country why should we care about their sexual orientation . The only people that would care are the homophobes out there. That is one phobia I have zero tolerance for. If a gay person dies in the line of duty it is no less tragic or heroic than when a straight person dies. Besides; "gay" and "straight" doesn't define a person. It's who they are and what they offer to the world around them that matters. Soooo GET OVER IT PEOPLE! Thank goodness the government finally did.

To Quote Ross Matthews on Chelsea Lately: "We're here, we're queer, and we do your hair!" That guy is HILARIOUS!

Addendum To December 4th Post

2010-12-22T12:06:00.000-05:00

No wonder the Salvation Army bell ringers are happy. They are getting paid. I'm pretty sure it's only minimum wage, however; some things I have read infer they get a percentage of the take. It's not that I don't think they should get paid. Standing out in the frigid cold deserves compensation, however; it takes away from the "Good Will To All" mystique of Christmas. Seeing those people out there ringing their bell and singing and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas just makes you want to give because they are giving. Well the old adage: "nothing is free" certainly rings true. "Rings" true....hahahaha..get it? Maybe I'm just trying to make myself feel less guilty for not giving every time I pass a red can. There is that guilt thingy again. We do an awful lot in the name of guilt.

In all fairness though, I guess some of the ringers are volunteers. I'll keep that in mind next time I pass a red can.

Shopping Cart Rage

2010-12-08T17:35:00.000-05:00

I seriously wanted to knock over an old lady pushing a shopping cart in Toys R Us. First of all I should have never been in that store. It is not good for my mental status. I thought I would brave it since it was the middle of the week and it's not time for last minute shopping yet. Who knew that many people would be shopping on a Wednesday. Who knew so many stupid people would be shopping on a Wednesday. Toy R Us shopping carts are quite large so they take up most of the aisle. No way are two cart going to fit in one aisle at the same time. So, of course every aisle I wanted to go down was blocked by someone. All of the sudden I see an open lane. A straight shot to the front of the store. I position myself for a speedy exit when all of the sudden an old lady comes out of a side aisle and cuts me off. She then proceeds to leisurely walk and stop to browse while taking up the entire aisle. I had Nicholas with me so I had to be nice, but I so wanted to ram her cart and push her out of the way. I finally made my way past her when she made a right turn. She was oblivious to the fact there was a line of 4 people behind her; or maybe she just didn't care. If I am going to continue to try and shop in public then I guess I'm going to have to adopt that "I don't care" attitude. I wanted to get out of the store as soon as possible so her and I wouldn't be on the road together. If she drives her cart that way I'm sure her car is not much different. I thought I was home free until I was exiting the parking lot. Here comes this 20 something girl, talking on her cell phone, smoking a cigarette and driving on the wrong side of the lane attempting to cut me off so she could get a close parking spot so her fat ass didn't have to waste any steps. I was poised to floor it and run her car back to where she came from, until I noticed she had a small child in the backseat. Poor innocent child she is unaware that her Mother is an inconsiderate ass; or maybe she knows and secretly wishes I would have run her over.

I wouldn't really do most of the stuff I have mentioned, they are just fleeting thoughts to make me feel better. However; if I continue to shop from now until Christmas those fleeting thoughts are more likely to become an impulsive act. So I'm staying home so I can stay out of jail. I have no patience for rude people especially this time of year.

Christmas shopping.....bah humbug!

Change Is Good; But It's Also Annoying

2010-12-07T12:41:00.001-05:00

Thanks Google, Microsoft and Face Book etc... for updating your hardware; but do you really have to change the format of the page every time???? I get used to where everything is on a page and then it gets updated to improved my Internet experience, and I have to learn it all over again. Maybe that is a good thing because it keeps my brain cells activated. It is still none the less annoying.

That Ship Has Sailed

2010-12-06T11:20:00.001-05:00

It finally happened at 51 years old, (1,617,255,554 seconds old). I was not the one that everyone thought didn't look their age. That torch has been passed on to my daughter. Amanda and I were getting a mani/pedi. The technician asked Amanda if she is a runner (she has strong calves). Amanda said yes and proceeded to talk about her running and running while pregnant. When the tech learned that Amanda had a child she acted shocked and told Amanda: "You have a baby, I thought you were one of the high school students getting ready for semi-formal. You look so young." There is no disputing the fact that Amanda does look young. It's just that used to be me! I was the one people would say looked young. I used to be able to use my physical attributes to get the advantage. Not anymore. As they say, "that ship has sailed". Son of a...
Now I have to rely on my smarts and wits to get the advantage. Oh shit, I'm in trouble. Showing a little cleavage was so much easier than having to think. Now if I do that I run the risk of being arrested for disgusting exposure (not to be confused with indecent exposure which is much more provocative).

I know what I need to do now.....quit hanging out with anyone younger than me. If I start hanging out at the Senior Citizens center I would no doubt be one of the younger ones. I could rise back up in the ranks.

Carry on Amanda use it to your advantage and enjoy it while it lasts. As they say...If you got it, flaunt it before it fall to low that no amount of push up will help. Maybe "they" don't say that, but "they" should.

Shopping Sucks

2010-12-05T20:56:00.000-05:00

Today was case in point why I hate hate hate Christmas shopping. Joe and I went to Sears because there were a few things specific to Sears we needed and we figured we could get some other presents since we'd be there. So, we have over $500.00 worth of items we were going to purchase. We found out if we waited until 6:00pm we could get an additional 10% off of everything. A $50.00 savings appealed to me so we decided to get some coffee and look around the mall until it was time. It was a little after 4:00pm so we had quite a bit of time to kill.

10 minutes till 6 we decided to head into the store and gather our purchases to receive our $50.00 discount. As you can guess all didn't go well. First we had a sales person that was seasonal and temporary so he didn't really know a table saw from a band saw. Maybe there are a lot of people that don't know the difference, but if you work in the tool section you really should know. Secondly, our purchases were not ringing up correctly on the register. Discounts that were supposed to happen weren't, items advertised were not the same as what they had to offer. Needless to say I was about ready to go postal. I remained calm and just said "forget it, I will spend my money elsewhere!" If I have learned anything about shopping in this current climate, it's you need to be educated about what you are buying ahead of time because the salespeople usually don't know shit (especially this time of year) about what they are selling. If I hadn't know that the new Wii systems came with 2 games, I would have overpaid for the system they had to offer by $50.00 (it was an old version that came with only one game).

Sears, you suck! All was not lost however, Joe and I had fun just walking around and spending time together. Plus we ended up buying a new set of sheets that we are both pretty excited about (not at Sears) .....Satin sheets with leopard print (get your mind out of the gutter). The Satin part was Joe's idea because he doesn't like getting caught up in cotton sheets. The leopard print was my idea. I figured if we were going to buy cheesy satin sheets then they needed to be even more cheesy and be an animal print. I can't wait to try them out and see who slides out and falls on the floor first.

Tis The Season To Feel Guilty

2010-12-04T14:01:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's that time of year again. The smell of cinnamon and pine and cookies baking is in the air.....AND the time to bring on the guilt. Don't deny it! You have felt guilty one time or another during the Holidays. Guilt that you can't visit every family member, guilt about not being able to afford gifts; but buying them anyway because it's what's everyone else does. Guilt because you can't buy your child every toy he/she wants. Guilt because you have to work that day to put food on the table. Guilt for not putting change in every time you pass a Salvation Army bell ringer. (BTW some of those bell ringers are the happiest people I've ever seen standing in sub zero temperatures.) Then there is the stress of all of the planning and shopping.

What a bunch of crap we have gotten ourselves into over one day a year. Not to mention the guilt and the stress have nothing to do with the reason for the season. I hate hate hate the guilt.

That is how I feel about a month before Christmas. Then as it approaches I find myself getting caught up in all of the festivities. I actually get a little excited about the planning. Not the shopping though; I'm never excited about the shopping. Online shopping is the best thing that has ever happened to the commercial side of Christmas.

I will do my Christmas shopping under the guise of helping to stimulate the economy. That makes me feel a little better. I will try to do what I can and not feel guilty about what I can't get done in time. I will keep in mind the reason for the season and maybe I will get through this Christmas season fairly sane.

Photo Collage Decoupage

2010-12-03T13:02:00.000-05:00

Creating a Photo Collage on Paper Mache Letters

1. Select the photos you want to use and either scan them or upload them to your computer. I use Picasa 3 to lay the pictures out in a collage form so that when I print them I can get different sized photos plus I can print more pictures on less paper. You can download Picasa 3 for free. It's a really nice photo organizer and editor.

2. Once the photos are selected and ready to print, have them printed on a laser printer (a toner printer). If you don't have one, places like Office Depot and Kinkos have them. If you use an ink jet printer, the colors will bleed and fade. I just download my photos to a flash drive and take it to Office Depot and they will print them out for you. It cost me $1.81 to print these photos. ( I had them laid out in collage format on three 8.5 x 11 sheets.)

3. Purchase a pre-made paper mache letter or design object. I got mine at JoAnn Fabrics.

4. Begin to tear or cut apart your photos. You can be more contemporary and straight cut all of your pictures or do like I did and tear them out for a more vintage look. If you tear them, tear the paper toward you. This will create a subtle white frayed edge. One of the photos I tore out, then crumpled the paper into a ball and then straightened it back out. That creates a vintage look to the photo like it was a treasured photo that had been carried around and looked at a lot.

5. You can dry arrange your photos on your letter to make sure everything will fit. I don't usually do that because I am impatient and what to start gluing. I am kind of a random and impulsive crafter, but if you want to do it right and don't want to have to run out and print more photos you probably should do this. Or....print extra photos and just wing it like I did!

6. You may want to paint the letter with acrylic paint first in a color of your choice. That way if you want to leave spaces between the photos, the color will show through. Again I was impatient and I painted in a few places after I glued the photos. It worked, but not the best way to do it.

7. I use Mod Podge as the glue and sealer. You can use white glue I guess, but I have never tried it. I like the Mod Podge because it dries fast and it comes in matte and gloss finishes. There are a bunch of different formulas of Mod Podge but I just use the basic cheapest one.

8. Brush the glue onto the letter where you want to put the picture and then place the photo and rub out the air bubbles. You have limited time to reposition the photo because the Mod Podge dries pretty fast. I use a bone folder to smooth out the air bubbles, but you can use your finger or even the side of a smooth pen. If you need to you can add a little Mod Podge here and there to get it to stick.

9. When all of your photos are on, let it dry completely (about 15 mins.). If you want an antique look, you can brush on an antiquing medium and wipe it off, or even use a little brown acrylic paint diluted with water and brush that on an wipe it off. First test you antiquing technique on a place that may not show to make sure you will like the results.

10. After all of your photos are on and it is how you want it to be when it's finished, it's time to layer on the Mod Podge. 3 layers would be the minimum. I usually use 5 or more. The picture of the "V" that I did doesn't have any layers added to it yet. You could just do 1 layer if you like that look. Just make sure it dries completely before adding the next layer. The Mod Podge goes on white and then turns clear when dry. If you don't let it dry between layers it may have a milky appearance.

The instructions sound like a lot of work, but it really isn't. I just tried to be detailed so you wouldn't make the mistakes that I already have.

Have fun! This would make a great last minute Christmas gift.

Eggs, Is There A Difference? You Bet Your Sweet Ass There Is!

2010-12-03T11:24:00.001-05:00

Haven't been here lately. Not that I don't have plenty to say, I just don't have the time. I have been spending a lot of time tending to my chickens. Now that I have 30, there is a little more to do (a lot more poop). They obviously drink more water and eat more grain. Plus my chickens are pretty spoiled. I make sure they have lots to do so they don't get bored and start attacking each other. I really like taking care of the chickens and all that it entails. I don't even mind shoveling the shit! I can see however, why mass production and factory farms came about. The more chickens you have, the more time consuming and expensive they become. If I was raising my chickens just for income from the eggs I would be broke by now. $2.00 a dozen does not even begin to pay for the feed and supplies I need to properly take care of them. If I wanted to make money, I would make my operation more efficient; leave out a lot of the amenities that my chickens enjoy and charge more for my eggs. If I do that, I decrease the quality and value of the egg. Factory farms are around for the simple fact of supply and demand. A low income family is not going to pay $2.00 a dozen for eggs from me. They will buy them at the grocery store for $.85 a dozen on sale. This is one time however that you get what you pay for. You can buy "organic" "cage free" "free range" eggs in the grocery store and pay over $3.00 a dozen. Most of the times in that case you are not getting what you paid for. All of those terms are very ambiguous. There are definitions of all of those by the USDA. The producers can get around those definitions by interpreting there own version. For instance, "free range" requires the chickens to have access to the outdoors. My chickens definitely do. They run all over my yard. Mass producers can get away with calling their eggs free range if they have an open door that in theory the chickens can get outside. That door may be on one end of a chicken house that houses 1000 chickens. Yeah, the door is there and they have access to it, but the chickens at the other end of the chicken house are never going to make there way to the door to get out. Even if they do get out, there isn't room for them to do anything and there is no vegetation for them to forage in. It's kind of like interpreting the Bible. People will skew the facts to how it will best serve them (that is whole other story I won't get into). Product labeling is really a joke. It's all about marketing and making money. The only way to decipher the labeling is to read the ingredients list and know what you are looking for. In the case of eggs you have no real way of knowing if the labeling is correct short of visiting the facility that produced them.

Am I promoting my eggs? Not really, I can only serve a dozen or so people because my farm is very small. What I am promoting is education regarding the food we buy. Everyone (including me) runs to the grocery to get a few things with little regard to how it was made or produced. We are letting these big corporations take over our lives and control our basic needs of nourishment. We don't concern ourselves with how the cow was raised and processed for the hamburger we are buying. We just know we need hamburger to make our chili. I don't propose becoming fanatic and boycotting everything. I just think people should be making more conscious choices about the food they eat. If you have a choice to buy your food from local farmers do that instead of getting it from Walmart. Changes don't have to be big to make a difference. I probably won't become a vegetarian anytime soon. I love meat too much. I have however started to buy from a local farm that has grass fed beef. It makes me feel better when I can say I made my own decision about what is good for me to eat, not what big factory says is good for me.

2010-10-30T23:42:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday Roger

2010-08-08T00:00:00.001-04:00