The Fat Bottom Farm

Your Daily Bread

2013-05-16T07:44:00.001-07:00

It seems as though I have reached a plateau on my weight loss.
I have been pretty successful up until now with getting through my other flat spots but this is a hard one.
At almost forty pounds I am stuck.
I have added in longer walks and the Wii fit, which I might add I am a hullahoop cham. p. on
So in searching for better ways to be a bigger loser I came across lots and lots and lots and lots of carb free testimonials and even though I have always been an avid anti anti carber I decided I would give it a go.
I ordered the book from Amazon because I don't want to free style my carb depletion in fear of gaining every ounce back the second I look at a potato chip.
From what I understand if you do it all "by the book" and slowly add in carbs after you drop your desired forty eleventeen pounds you have a better chance of maintaining your new physique.
What I really wish is that I had more money.
Like join a gym and get a trainer money.
With my rotten back and stupid shoulder I'm kind of limited to what I can do but I think with a super smart buff handsome trainer I would be able to do more.
You see, the reason for my sudden interest in weight loss and core strength is because my back doctor wants to do a fusion and I am totally not ok with that.
I really believe that with a sh!t ton of weight loss and strengthening I can beat this.
Or at least put it off a few years, and trust me, at almost forty down I can already feel a big difference, my top butt is gone and most of my favorite pants fall down.
Six says I look like Ma Kettle because I refuse to part with my favorite ragged ill-fitting attire which I prefer to refer to as practical house clothes.
I guess maybe I just need to remember the house part of the house clothes and be sure my elastic's tight when I leave the house.
Believe it or not what all this is leading up to is the worlds easiest best bread recipe ever!
I came across it on Allrecipes and it's by Marilyn VanDoren.
Knowing that I will be carb free for the next what could possibly be the rest of mynatural life I decided to go out with a bang and what bigger bang could there possibly be than three loaves of of fresh bread.

I really think that even if you've never made bread this is a great first time recipe.
Just make sure that your yeast is fresh (I keep mine in the freezer) and remember that if you use a jar of yeast like I do the conversion to a pack is 2 1/4 teaspoons but his recipe calls for measured yeast but I just thought I would tell you that and actually here's a link to Red Star that has all the answers you will ever "knead"

Best Bread Ever

3 cups warm water
3 tablespoons yeast
3 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 cups flour

In a big bowl combine water, yeast, salt, oil, sugar and 4 cups of flour. Mix well, cover with a light towel and let it rise until it's doubled. About an hour.

Gradually add in the remaining 4 cups of flour, kneading until smooth and turn into a well greased large bowl turning the dough a few times to make sure the dough itself is well coated. Cover and let it rise until doubled. About an hour.

Punch the dough down and turn on to a floured surface and divide into three equal loaves and place into well greased loaf pans. Cover and rise until doubled. About an hour.

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for between 35-45 minutes.

Turn loaves on to wire racks to cool

See how easy that is!
The recipe calls for bread flour but I always use regular flour because I don't think they had bread flour on the prairie where all the bread making was actually going on and I use active yeast and not quick yeast but I think that only makes a difference in a bread machine and I'm not even entirely sure about that.
I do know though that in this recipe or most other recipes quick and active are usually interchangeable.
At least the way I cook.

I have to go unload the dishwasher and feed the fish and have some bread now.

Happy bread making!

Peas.

Septic Tanked

2013-05-13T07:28:00.001-07:00

Last week the neighbors came to us with a concern about the septic.
The ground was a little squishy they said.
Don't worry I said.
I'll pick up some Rid-X in town tomorrow and it will be fine.
Then Six went out to take a look.
It's pretty squishy he said, it needs to be pumped.
Don't be such a nancy I said, they just need some Rid-X and quit flushing the toilet and showering so much.
Then I went to have a look...
Six was right, it needed to be pumped.
The next morning I called my brother in law who is wise in the ways of such things as septics and other big holes in the ground and he gave me some price ideas to go by and just enough information to be dangerous to a predatory pumper.
I called around and ended up going with Kyle and Clark who seriously seemed to appear straight out of a Saturday Night Live sketch.
Kyle asked how long it had been since the last clean out.
I didn't know.
Clark asked how old the system was.
I didn't know.
Kyle asked how big the tank was.
I didn't know.
Kyle said that this one time a long time ago at this really old house they saw a tank that was so old it was made out of wood.
I gasped and said "NO WAY!"
Kyle put his hand to God and said "I SWEAR!"
We all laughed and I went inside and it wasn't long before Kyle came to the door and said, "guess what..."
I could feel the color falling out of my face and the dollars draining out of the bank as he said, "Now I've seen two."
The neighbor house has a five hundred gallon wooden septic tank.
And it was full.
We decided just to pump it instead of replacing the entire system because the house is so old, you know the expression lipstick on a pig and all, and now we know we need to have it pumped every two to three years.
We have a tank at our house too, so next up in the already long list of things needed to be done is pumping ours and then locating the ones in the trailer park and installing risers so that future clean outs are easy and timely.

After narrowly averting what could have been a major disaster I decided I better brush up on all things septic and septic related and now I am going to share the information I have gleaned above and beyond the obvious non flushing of lady business and diapers.

If you live in a rural area where houses are spread to far apart to be on a sewer system you will have a septic system. A septic system acts as your own private sewage treatment plant right there in your yard.

Let's start with a diagram showing how all this works.

All the waste water in your house drains into the septic tank which ranges in size from 500 to 1500 gallons depending on the size of your home. This includes sink water, shower water and washing machine water. All water. Everything in that water is drained into your tank as well, so if you don't want it in the tank, don't put it down the drain.
The waste water drains into your tank and the solids, otherwise know as sludge, stay on the bottom where they are broken down by healthy bacteria. The water in the middle layer is the clear zone and contains some solids but it's not as dense as the sludge. The scum is made from oils and fat that rise and float to the top.
The middle layer is what drains out into the drain field which is comprised of soil and trenches filled with gravel that act as a filter and neutralize the liquid before it's dispersed into the ground.

Sometimes your system will start to emit some rather unsightly odors. If you know it hasn't been that long since your system was last cleaned out, but still the odor lurks there are some simple things to check.

Make sure all of the p-drains are filled with water. You will find the p-drains under sinks and of course the in the toilet. If you have a guest or basement bathroom that isn't used much that's the best place to start. A simple flush or running the tap for a minute could solve your stink.

It could also be caused by a clogged vent stack on your roof. Make sure the vents are always cleared of leaves, bird nests and whathaveyou.

And of course it could also mean that you may be experiencing problems in the drain filed itself or the distribution box.

The distribution box is what routes the water into the drain field from the tank so all the water isn't flowing like a raging river into one spot of the field.

Now that you understand how the system works, lets talk about some do's and dont's.

Don't

pour grease of any kind down the drain
use liquid fabric softener
flush old medications
dump coffee grounds down the drain
flush cigerette butts
overuse anti-bacterial soaps or cleaners

Do

limit your time in the shower
use liquid laundry and dishwasher detergent
install low flow taps in sinks and showers
spread your laundry out through the week into smaller loads instead of big loads all in one day
conserve water whenever possible

Some people believe in feeding your system and I found a simple and inexpensive recipe that would replace the need for a brand name product while being gentle on the system.

2 packages of yeast

2 cups of cornmeal

1 bucket of warm water

Pour down your bathtub drain every six months or so to keep good bacteria levels healthy.

Well, that's about all I know and of course this is all just my research and take on things.

Take some time and learn all you can about your system because trust me, you don't want to end up learning the hard way!

Just An Average Post

2013-05-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

I am such an unreliable blogger...
I'm here today though to tell you that I'm going to have an important post on Monday about the care and workings of the most important part of your rural home....
Big surprise, but you'll have to wait.

In the meantime, I'll share some pictures from the week.

These are two of the eggs I got today.
I wish I would have put something next to them for size comparison, but trust me, the one on the left looks like it was left by a Tyrannosaurus Rex and the one on the right looks like it fell out of a bubble gum machine.
I think my girls are nearing retirement, but I really don't want to do chicks again.
They're cute and all but kind of a pain in the a$$ if you ask me.

This is Astro and Olive.

They love each other.

Seriously love each other.

Astro, the white one bunched up that sheet and Olive came over and laid down on it and then Astro laid down beside her.

You can't tell in this picture, but Astro weighs eighteen pounds and Olive, much like myself, loves a man that makes her look thin ;)

This is my neighbor at the lake last weekend.

I stayed home and let him spend some time with his parents, but they sent me this photo.

It looks to me as though he's saying,

"I found the perfect spot ~~Grannyma~~ Mrs. Parks, come on down!"

This is Wyatt at the park last week.

He saw this little squirrel run past so he took off after it,

(a behavior learned from one of the black and white dogs I assume)

caught it, and it stayed and played with him and his friends!

They all took pictures with it and it ran all over them and then it probably tried to nest and nap in Wyatt's moppy hair.

How often does that happen?

And finally, I saw this somewhere on line this week.

If you ever listen to my opinion on anything, it's this...

Being ok is fine.

The world needs more people who are ok.

We don't all need to be the best and have the best house and the best car and the best closet full of Pinterest crafts and the best dressed kids with the best grades eating the best farm to table freshly grown worlds best organic beets.

It's ok to have an ok Christmas wreath that you bought at the dollar store still hanging on your door in May and it's ok to serve frozen broccoli for dinner and it's ok if your dog poops on the floor sometimes.

Do you know why?

Because really, that's all of us.

We are all ok and just doing our best every day.

Just try not to cross that thin line into worst ;)

Happy Mothers Day Everyone

❤

Peas

My Favorite Post

2013-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is an old post and one I like to re-post every year in honor of my very good friend Becky on her birthday.

This is Becky.

When Wyatt was five Becky decided a good pet would be a turtle.
A turtle I thought... Not much effort would go into the care and feeding of a turtle.
Turtles are quiet.
Turtles don't stink.
Becky said she knew someone who had a turtle that was like seventeen years old, so obviously they're a good return on your investment.
After very little thought, I agreed and Becky and I were off to the local Pet-Smart in anticipation of the best pet purchase ever!
We walked in, and there she was, quiet in her tank, looking at us with those big sad turtle eyes, begging us to choose her and take her home and love her forever.
At that moment, I felt like the best Mother and biggest humanitarian.
Giving this cold blooded little creature a home, and giving my son what would surely be a childhood filled with wonderful memories of he and his turtle.
We would call her "Sweetie."
As we walked to the car I reached out to hand Becky the box that held Sweetie, and as I recall, it was there in the parking lot that Becky gave her first initial cringe of fear and maybe even a wince of disgust.
Hmm... I was confused.
I asked Becky why she would encourage my to buy Wyatt a turtle if she was, might I say, a little repulsed by the animal,
Becky looked at me and shrugged and replied, "Your Kid."
We returned home with Sweetie to what I assumed would be squeals of joy and laughter.
Instead, I was met with stand offishness and a little reservation.
My son looked a me and said, "a turtle?"
Whatever.
I liked Sweetie.
It turned out, like things usually do with kids and pets, that I was the sole caregiver and companion to Sweetie.
Wyatt would take her out to "play" but it didn't take long (usually between 31-33 seconds) for him to become bored and walk away forgetting to put her back in her bowl.
The search for Sweetie would then ensue, with nobody wanting to be the one to find her as she would usually be a cold clammy bumpy surprise between the couch cushions hiding under the cover of darkness.
Even I was a little creeped out by that.
That Summer, Becky and her boyfriend Pumpkin Head were in the midst of buying and remodeling a new house and while they did they stayed in a camp trailer that lacked many of the normal comforts of home so Becky would often come to the house and use our washer and dryer.
One evening, while we waited for her wash to finish we decided to open a box of wine and do some online shopping and as I often did while relaxing around the house, I had tucked Sweetie safely in the front of my bra where she could be warm and comfortable instead of being alone in her bowl and that, I assure you, was more than Becky could stand.
A turtle in my bra.
It gave Becky a giant case of the heebes, so I did what any good friend would do and took it upon myself to help Becky get passed her fear and loathing of Sweetie.
After all, the turtle was her idea.
I took sweetie out of my bra and told Becky she had to hold her
I think I might have even called her names and tried to shame her into bonding with Sweetie.
She really didn't have a choice, it was either be a big baby or hold the turtle.
So she held Sweetie high and at arms length and started petting her shell.
Sweetie liked that and poked her head out and looked at Becky as if to say "thank you."
Becky was surprised to find she was not as repulsed as she had expected to be.
Sweetie wasn't so bad, in fact, I thought for a minute maybe Becky was beginning to like Sweetie as she started softly rubbing her her neck.
Before I knew it, Becky was holding Sweetie to her face, talking smoochy talk and caressing Sweetie's neck as Sweetie bobbed her head up and down, up and down, stretching her neck out as farrrr as she could.

And that's when it happened.

Before we even had time to prepare ourselves Sweetie ejaculated all over Becky!

Her neck and bare shoulder were instantly covered in a sticky, gross, white, slimy, ooze.

The situation quickly grew out of control.

Madness ensued.

Becky was screaming, tears falling down her cheeks.

I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.

Sweetie was on the kitchen table sound asleep.
I wanted to help Becky, I really did, but I couldn't.
I.
Could.
Not.
Stop.
Laughing.
I have tears in my eyes and I am laughing right now.
I don't remember what happened next, and really, who cares what happened next.
My friend Becky made Sweetie the happiest turtle in the trailer park that night, but sadly it was also the end of what may have otherwise been a beautiful relationship.

And that my friends, is my favorite post :)

If You Plant It...

2013-04-25T10:22:00.000-07:00

I want to dig up my back yard and plant all native drought resistant plants, some raised vegetable beds, a winding gravel path to the barnyard and an arbor with something tangley covering it.
Can you see it?
For some reason I can't explain it in a way that Six sees it and gets as excited about it as I am, but that could also be because he sees all the work that he's going to be doing to achieve our vision.
I just need to figure out where to start.
I also need to get the barn demo'd but that's another project, and it isn't a fun project, and every time I bring up my yard garden idea Six reminds my of the tearing down of the barn.
Ugh. I really wish I had more husbands.
Back to the backyard.
I want something like this.

Minus the cactus of course.
But you get the idea.
So how and where do you start something like this?
Obviously with a backhoe to dig up the lawn that taunts you, but after that, other than contacting a garden wizard what are the first steps.
And, Six just pulled out a bunch of rotten old fencing from the corner pasture by the road so now that's all open lawn but instead of lawn I want to plant a little orchard and some berry bushes, but do you know how expensive fruit trees and berry bushes are?
Holy cats man, I could buy cases of applesauce and bags of frozen berries for a ~~lifetime~~ longtime for what we'd pay for the real thing, let alone all the work ~~I would~~ Six would have to do planting, picking and trimming.
It doesn't matter, I'm still going to do it.
I wonder if there's a garden college that needs to take a "field" trip...

Monday Funday!

2013-04-23T07:58:00.003-07:00

I had the best day yesterday!
The sun was out, Six was at work, Wendy was at work, Wyatt was at school, it was just me and the neighbor kid soaking up the sun listening to the radio, playing outside, cleaning up inside and baking.
It isn't to often I have one of those days.
A day that isn't full of things to do or places to go or phone calls to make, just doing whatever we wanted.
It was a great day.

I made this cake...

That turned out sooo good and looked like this...

I know the angle of that photo isn't the best, but you get the "picture" .

It was amazing and just in case you haven't heard of it yet or made it yourself I'm going to tell you how it goes.

Pineapple Angle Food Cake

1 box of Angle Food cake mix

1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple

Mix the two ingredients together and bake as directed on box.

Got it?

Good!

Island Video Denise in Arizona said she made it with a can of blueberry pie filling and LOVED it and next time I'm going to use a can of cherry pie filling.

Can't wait.

Then for dinner we had homemade pizza which is without a doubt one of our favorite things.

I usually make it with pesto, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes, but last night I made Wyatt's favorite, pepperoni.

You could throw anything you have in your fridge on it though and you don't have to use fancy pizza sauce, we just use tomato sauce, tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, alfredo sauce, whatever you have in the cupboard, use it.

But as I said, last night was pepperoni...

I should have taken another picture after it was baked, but I was to busy burning my mouth eating pizza straight from the oven.

I know you're thinking to yourself well we do Pappa Murphys and that's just like homemade pizza.

No it's not.

Anything like homemade pizza.

At all.

And this is seriously SO easy and I don't even use a rolling pin to flatten it out I just use my hands and it isn't even round, it's whatever shape it is when I feel the dough is right.

Not to thick, not to thin, even though some pizzas I like thicker crust, red sauce pizzas and some I like thinner crusts, any other sauce.

So here's the recipe for the crust.

Easy Peasy Pizza Crust

2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast (or one package)

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 cup of hot tap water (not boiling)

2 1/2 cups of flour

2 Tablespoons of oil

1 teaspoon of salt

Mix the yeast, sugar and water and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Mix in the other ingredients and let it rest another 5 or 10 minutes.

Flour your hands and counter and roll out or shape your crust and then lay it on a lightly sprayed baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated 450 oven for about 20 minutes, but start watching it after 18 until it's done.

See how easy that is!

Ok, I have to go to town, I slacked off yesterday so today I have places to go and things to do.

Here's a picture of the neighbor.

Don't blame me for the camo tank top and brown socks, he came that way.

Peas.

Catching Up Again...

2013-04-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Something has been wrong with the blog for a month or two.
I'm not sure why, but it kept showing a 404 error and you couldn't access it from Facebook.
I was in contact with my domain people and Blogger with no success, but it seems to have somehow fixed itself.
For some reason though it's still showing on other blog links as The Trailerparks which is my email instead of The Fat Bottom Farm.
Oh well.
A little bit of a lot has been going on around here and if you follow on Facebook you haven't missed anything and if you don't follow on Facebook you haven't missed much just enough to keep me busy and I won't go on about everything today because I don't want you to fall asleep during the boring parts and then miss out on a good part so I'll spread out the old news with the new news over the next few days.

Lambs

Our final count this year was four lambs.
One set of twins and two little ewes.
Belle had the twins and Dingle, the littlest twin was a house sheep and her brother Dangle who is a wether now because we don't need any more rams.
Polly Pancakes had a snow white ewe lamb, Clementine, who is made out of rubber bands and fireworks and tears up the pasture like her feet are on fire!
Judy had a ewe lamb, Jesse, who is the size of of a 1997 Geo Metro.
I'm not even kidding.
Her neck is the size of a tree stump.
She's huge.
Then, our biggest surprise this lambing season was when the neighbor across the road gave us his two Jacob rams, even though at the time we didn't know they were rams, we were just so happy to have them.
They haven't been shorn since before we moved here in 2006, and believe me, they needed it!

Jacobs are a heirloom breed of horned sheep that produce a beautiful spotted fleece.

Even the ewes have horns and either sex can have between two and four horns and I think even up to six!
I need to brush up on my Jacob smarts and get my hands on a ewe or two and get busy growing this flock.
You can imagine how thrilled Six is for me to have another new endeavour ;)

Arts & Crafts

Wyatt has been really busy making his jewelry and is having quite a bit of success selling his stuff which works out great for me because he can finally support his own habit!
For the longeat time I have been trying to convince him to make earrings but he would have no part of it...
Until it was his idea.
Then it suddenly became a good idea.
Whatever.
Here's a pair he made yesterday.

Check out his Etsy shop, he's pretty amazing, or maybe I just think that because I'm his mom :)

Winded Wire

I've been making soap again, mostly because my friend Shelly has opened a great new store and had space for a bar or two and some candles too.

And I kind of missed the process.

There really is nothing like the look and feel of handmade soap and knowing that you're not lathering yourself up in groddy chemicals is an added bonus too.

This is the last batch I made.

It's for problem skin made from local honey, finely ground oats and aloe.

Non scented, it should be great for anyone who has issues with acne and eczema.

And this is what I have listed on Etsy and what Shelley has in her store

(Shelley's Shack 100 W State Street Sedro Woolley Wa)

Garden Scrub.

Orange oil and blackberry with dried orange rind for scrubbing and dried blackberry leaves for exfoliation.

And...

Kitchen Counter

Made with vanilla espresso to get the garlic and onion stink off your hands!

And, last but not least for today...

The Neighbor

I could go on all day about him, but I won't :)

Peas.

Complaint Department

2013-02-14T07:32:00.000-08:00

You might want to pull up a set of earplugs with this mornings coffee, because it's gonna be a whiny one...

My clothes don't fit.
I don't have great clothes anyway and I'm ok with that, fashion is not my driving force, but I'm talking about the big picture.
From my foundations to my sparkly outer layer.
Nothing.
Fits.
All I have in my closet is the three bears, way to big, still to small and really ugly.
I think even the sheep are starting to talk.
I have one outfit that fits just right and it's a pair of yoga pants with a fleece warm up jacket and it makes me look very athletic but I think the people at the feed store have decided it can't be coincidence that I have just come from a Birkman class every time I need hay.
My underpants fall down and my bras are to big.
My shoes are to loose and my shirts are to long.
I look like a refugee from the Biggest Loser.
Oh well.
I ordered the first pair of tennis shoes since middle school p.e.

Back then we had to order everything from the Sears Catalog so I have a thing about things coming in the mail.

I count days and can't wait.

I'm going to walk the track at the school so I don't have to start out going up and down hills, but I think the hardest part of my walk is going to be the walk to my car to drive to the school!
Don't worry, I can do it.

Six had surgery on his hand yesterday and was a real trooper.
The entire procedure took less than ten minutes and we were seriously HOME before 9:AM.
He's on the pills, but I thought I was going to have to give him my own fist full of relief last night because the narcotics turn MIKE into a LOUD talker and a repeaterepeaterepeater.
Whats that?
You say your having bologna on a bagel?
For the fifth time?
Oh yes, I heard you.
From the BARN the third time.
I have to be kind though because I am usually the one with the medical maladies and he takes care of me.

He also has to get new glasses and a sleep apnea test.
All the better to see me sleep better with I guess, but out of all the times I've been married I've never been married to someone who's aging.
Carpel tunnel, bad eyes, sleep apnea, forgets to flush...
The list goes on.
I guess it's ok though, he's turning into a great gramps, we'll just have to work on getting him some false teeth he can take out and scare the neighbor with.

I'm going to make this quick.
I'm having another back surgery.
They're fusing.
It makes me cry and sick to my stomach and that's all I'm going to say about that.

Baby Dingle is out with the lambs every day now!
They all come in at night, but during the day there's lot's of grass for them to eat and rocks for them to spring off of.
Everyone is healthy and happy and I look forward to Dingle getting off the juice soon.
I'm tired of making bottles.
For sheep.
I'll still make them for the neighbor :)

This is Dingle and Pearl grazing the old garden spot

Judy and Belle and the babies...

This is Judy and Baby Jesse, I love Jesses white face!

Have a great day!

Peas

Game Day Friday!

2013-02-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

Let's play get to know!

What's your favorite toothpaste?
What's your favorite laundry soap?
What's your favorite dish soap?
Do your cookies go flat in the oven and look like cat puke?
Do you eat the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms?
How many pets do you have?
We have a sheep that lives in the house and eats dog food and a peacock that sleeps on the roof and eats cat food.
Do you live in the country or in town, a house, apartment or tin palace?
Are you afraid of the snow storm this weekend?
I am.
And I live in Oregon.
Maybe if you live on the East Coast you should come stay at our house for a few days.
Are you scared of heights?
Are you on a diet?
Do you have kids?
Coffee or tea?
Soda or water?
Cake or pie?
Married or single?
Isn't this fun!
Do you have kids?
Do you know how to roller skate?
What's your favorite show?
Do you know how to swim?
Have you ever painted a popcorn ceiling?
Have you ever run a marathon?
Can you talk without moving your lips?
Have you ever paid it forward?
Do you paint your toenails?
Have you ever held a chicken?
Ridden a camel?
Do you know how to sew?

Peas!

Memory Lane

2013-02-06T06:18:00.001-08:00

Wyatt's Birthday is on the 16th and my nephew Drew's is today.
I think Drew is turning thirtytwosventeen and Wyatt is turning rollyeyedsnarkyfourteen.
They're such sweet boys...

So every year around this time I get to feeling a little soft around the edges and no, I'm not talking about my arm flab or my muffin top.
I'm talking about the real thing.
I've been looking back through old posts and getting all leaky eyed.
~~Yesterday~~ Monday was my 800th post.
Can you believe that?
Back then I was just writing for family so everything was addressed much more personally and to a WAY smaller audience but the heart is still there and it's so amazing how fast reading these posts can take me back.
It's almost like I'm back in the same room carrying on with the people I loved so much.

In case you're a new reader, we moved to Oregon to care for my grandparents in 2006.
My Grammy had the Alzheimer's and my Grampy was soon diagnosed with late stage prostate cancer.
We had our hands full to say the least, and most every day was the longest day of my life, but I would never, ever, change one thing about it.
It's an amazing sense of peace to know that you did everything you could possibly do, and that no words were left unspoken.
I know what an incredibly rare thing it is to have that opportunity, and I have been so blessed to have been there for my Father, my Grampy and my Grammy.
I think I really am a crazy lucky girl living a crazy lucky life.

Back to the old posts.
Packed in the stories of my Gammy and Grampy (GK) are some fun stories about Wyatt and it knocks my socks how fast he has grown up.

This is one of many but for sure my very favorite video of Wyatt when he was eight years old and a burgeoning scientist.

The audio is crap, but the kid is cute.

I have to move along now, laundry to fold and sheep to feed.

Have a great day!

Peas.

Blogger Blues & Coyote News

2013-02-04T07:19:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure what the problem is, but I'm having issues with my blog.
Again.
I decided to make up and add this super cute new polka dotted page background and went to double check before I walked away and called it good and realized something was amiss.
From other blogs linking back to mine the blog displays as
"The Trailer Parks"
which as everyone knows is our nickname given the fact that my favorite thing in the world is a trailer park and our last name is Parks.
But why is my blog displaying as The Trailer Parks?
The other problem is that the link between Facebook and the blog is broken and when you click the link from Facebook you get a 404 error message.
WTH?
So.
I called eNom my DNS and asked them if they had any idea what the problem could be and the lady said everything looked good.
I went to my Google dashboard and ran all the checks and everything checked out.
So why is my link broken, my title wrong AND my feed wrong?
Anyone who subscribes to the blog may have noticed that when you get a post update it says The Trailer Parks/Fat Bottom farm.
I don't understand.
If anyone tech savvy has any ideas please let me know, I could really use someone with more brains than me to crack the code.

Did you watch the game?!
I didn't.
I don't know rats about football and I hate commercials so it's kind of a lose lose for me and since Six doesn't like sports I never have to sit through a game or miss a good movie.
Lucky huh :)

I started a diet in October and I have been very successful.
So successful that now I don't have any clothes to wear and I need suspenders for my underpants.
I think this calls for an emergency trip to Baskin Robin for a double scoop pralines and cream.
Just kidding.
Kind of.
Not really.
Just kidding yes I am!

Yesterday morning about 7:00 I was in the kitchen looking out the window and I saw all the grown up sheep and the donkeys looking down the pasture like they were waiting for a bus.
All of them just standing there staring.
Then our black and white border collie Buddy went to the sliding glass door and started his super low tough guy growl.
I went to the door and grabbed the binoculars just in time to see a coyote lolly gagging through the field.
I couldn't believe it, within seconds he was just feet behind my flock and they were all just standing there.
I started hollering for Six who had just settled snugly into dreamland after working all night and just about the time he came skidding out of the bedroom half dressed, with one eye open, dog barking shotgun in hand, the coyote had run behind a mountain of blackberry bushes.
But let me tell you something.
For all of the loss we have endured due to those coyotes over the years and for all the shots fired and missed Six was not letting this one get away.
He got it.
And my sheep and donkeys and a few late coming llamas just stood there watching.
And then without missing a beat, they went back to eating.
I was so thankful that Dingle the little lamb was in the coop with the chickens, and that I hadn't already gone down to let everyone out and that Buddy started barking and that Six can fire off a shot half asleep.
So why do I feel so bad about the coyote?
I spent a better part of the day worried that his coyote family would be wondering where he was and why he didn't come home.
Seriously.
I think I need therapy.
Maybe I'll just leave out some pork chops and a letter of appology instead.

Ok, on that note, Happy Monday!

Peas.

Short & Sweet!

2013-01-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

I don't have time for a post today because I need to get the floors done before the neighbor gets here, so I thought I would just share a few of my favorite recipes instead.

Be sure to click on the recipe tittles for the recipe links.

As everyone knows, I love, love, love lemon bars, and here's my favorite recipe.

Betty Crocker Lemon Bars

How about Pioneer Womans Pan Fried Pork Chops...
I. Love. Them

PW's Pork Chops

Hmmmm... Notice I put dessert first?

And the last recipe is one of my favorites for sure, but it's for your favorite four legged friend.

You can find a ton of recipes for these, but this one's my favorite and sometimes I even add a little molasses.

Peanut Butter Pooch Treats

That's all I have time for today!

Peas

Pig In A Haystack

2013-01-28T08:21:00.001-08:00

Seems like it was a really long weekend and I didn't even really do anything...
Well, I guess I did A LOT but it really doesn't amount to anything.
I made chocolate chip cookies and loaded tacos on Friday night
AND
the Neighbor slept over.
He decided not to have tacos and instead went with pickles, bananas, pineapple, yogurt and hot dogs.
I guess that's what a super hero eats.

Notice Rockets water bottle thawing in the background

I don't remember what I did Saturday so that must mean that I did laundry, ate Fridays cookies and watched Lifetime.

I'm not 100% sure.

Sunday I cleaned out the chicken coop and pen and put new straw in the pig house that Pearl moved out of.

I think she got tired of all the goose racket so she moved up to the barn and turned into a loose hay hoarder.

Seriously, she has hay piled a mile high and still goes in search of more.

She also has stashed apples, rotten eggs and any other delicacy she can get her little pig feet on.

Hoarder Hog

So Pearls old pig house is now Dingles new lamb house.

She doesn't sleep outside yet because of the coyotes, but she is getting used to being in the barnyard during the day.

She's gone from thinking she's a dog to thinking she's a chicken.

If she was an Indian like Kevin Costner her name would be Dances with Chickens.

Oh well, whatever gets her out of the house and off the deck.

Speaking of chickens, I'm getting eggs again.

I'm not sure if it's a nature thing or what, but even with a light on a timer we haven't been getting eggs.

I changed their feed to wild game bird crumbles because I read somewhere that will kick start egg production and guess what...

It did!

Maybe.

I'm not sure if it was the new feed or Mother Nature because I know other people (Margie Aaron Patrick) who also started getting eggs almost the same DAY as we did.

Oh well, I'm going back to layer feed when the game bird is gone.

I also mix in some scratch for heat during the cold months.

I need to keep my girls warm.

I don't always keep them wrapped in blankets...

So that's about it.

I need to go vacuum before the neighbor gets here, and I have a BUNCH of hooking to do today on some dishcloths I promised Karen last week :)

Peas

Rings & Things

2013-01-21T09:41:00.001-08:00

I think I've turned the corner out of Sicktown.
This has been such a drag, horrible chest pain, headache, earache, so congested it feels like my teeth are out of alignment and a cough that will. Not. Quit.
But enough about that.

During the last four days I've become obsessed with the Monarchy.
It started with The Other Boleyn Sister and took off from there, and stupid Netflix has done nothing but feed the craziness and now I'm going to have to go "paid" to see Elizabeth and all the other good stuff that they hold out on you.
Maybe it's because I haven't been able to watch season Two of Downton Abbey so of course I can't watch season three and I'm feeling a bit deprived and left behind.
I don't know.
My biggest fear is that I'm going to start speaking like I'm part of the Royal family and wheel into the ~~devils playground~~ Winco for some groceries and then wait around for a footman to help me out to the parking lot with my "buggy".

It's time to wean Dingle.
She's outside all day now but all she does is cry wanting in.

Excuse the dirty window and Wendy's "butt" bucket.

It's been a week.
Shouldn't she be over it by now?
I guess the fact that she still sleeps on a blanket in front of the dryer at night doesn't help matters, but it's just to cold to leave her out at night.
This same thing happened with her mother, Belle.
Belle thought she was a house sheep until she was about six months old and given the opportunity would still come in the house and take a nap.

Belle and boots

Every time you would open the door she would muscle by you trying to get in the kitchen for a snack and finally she got so big it took two of us to wrangle her out.
The day we put her in the pasture for good was so sad because the rest of the sheep thought she was a weirdo and and wouldn't have anything to do with her. To this day she prefers the company of lamas over sheep because she thinks she's better than them and just looks down her nose as she passes by.

I'm taking Wyatt to the rock store today to restock.
Sounds funny... Restock the rocks.
He's doing really well with his new jewelry business and can't even keep his coolest rings in supply, which of course is very good news.
I think I told you that a local school asked if he would donate a ring (he sent them three) for an auction and did a feature on him as a young local artist.
Pretty exciting stuff.
Mike's log truck bosses wife Coco is a jeweler. She asked to see some of Wyatt's work and really liked it and has offered to teach him how to solder and a few other tricks of the trade.
I know I show you his stuff all the time, but what can I say, I'm partial to his work :)

Peas.

Quarantine

2013-01-17T06:47:00.002-08:00

Well I think it's safe to say cold and flu season has made it to our house.
Mike got it first and I have to confess I am the MOST unsympathetic wife when it comes to sick husbands.
Seriously. Ask any of them.
So while he was sick I convinced myself he was really just faking and wanting to sleep in.
I was wrong, really wrong. He. Was. Sick
How do I know this you may ask?
Because now I'm sick.
I've been fighting it for the last two days, but I give up, sick wins, I'll take my place on the couch with my box of kleenex and with my sickest scratchiest voice I will apologize to my husband for not acknowledging his sick and ask him for a cup of tea not to hot and not to sweet in my special cup.
Then I'll ask him if he could please feed the ewes and lambs in the maternity ward, check the chickens, collect the eggs, make sure the herd (geese, llamas, sheep and donkeys) have water and don't forget to feed them this afternoon, check the dogs and cat food and don't forget the fish, OH and don't forget the little birds inside, they need their water bottle checked, food cup filled and the ~~bottom feeders~~ quail need to have their food checked too.
I think that's all.
I think I'll do it myself and just stick with asking for the tea.
I wonder when he'll be home.... I guess I'll get my own tea.

~~Yesterday~~ Today I was going to show you the bib I made for the neighbor, but he wore it home and threw up on it because he's sick too.
We'll talk about bibs on Monday

Peas

Caramel Corn Recipe

2013-01-15T07:58:00.000-08:00

Not much time this morning so here's the recipe for our all time favorite any occasion snack!
Caramel Popcorn

INGREDIENTS

Cooking spray

4 quarts popped popcorn(2 scoops if you use an air popper. I use about 1 1/2 though)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Spray a large roasting pan with the cooking spray and place the popped corn in the oven at 250 to stay warm until the caramel is ready.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt and bring to a slow boil on medium heat.

Boil unstirred for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla and stir until completely combined.

Pour the caramel over the popcorn, stirring as you go to make sure the popcorn is evenly coated.

Bake for 45 minutes stirring well every 15 minutes
.
When it's done, dump it out on some tin foil, let it cool and enjoy!

I have to get going, The Neighbor is coming this morning so I have to get the dishwasher unloaded and the laundry folded so we can make some bibs today.
I'm seriously thinking I need to find some new assistants.
The sheep and the neighbor baby cause more chaos than completion.

Peas.

Kitchen Crayons

2013-01-14T06:58:00.000-08:00

The other day I asked if I had told you about the crayons I made for the neighbor, and looking back I don't think that I did.

Today I'll give a little tutorial about how I made them and by little I mean short and sweet because there isn't much to it!

I could probably look up something on Google and get the exact how to's but I usually just wing stuff like this.

First and most importantly make sure you have a good assistant.

If you can't find a good assistant a sheep will do.

Heat up the oven to 200.

Don't you wish that self cleaning really meant self cleaning and that every time you opened your oven it was clean because it had just self cleaned itself?

Me too.

Then decide on a mold.

I have quite a few silicone molds that I use for soap and smellies, but I think I'm gong to go with the bumpy one that's fun for little fingers to hold.

I get my crayons at the Dollar Store or Walmart, but if you have kids you already have a gamillion broken crayons around the house so just use them.

Remove the paper from the crayons while wishing your assistant had opposable thumbs so she could actually be of some help.

Like this....

Now break them all up.

I like to leave them in medium size pieces so you get more color bang for your buck.

Ok so now you have this

Now load up your cups.

And put the mold on a baking sheet.

And place the baking sheet in the oven and make yourself a cup of tea while you wait for the magic to happen.

In about 20 minutes they will have melted and look like this...

Now turn the oven off, crack the door and let them sit until they cool.

I know, I know, they're already "cool" but let them sit until they're set.

And that's it!

You're done, now all you have to do is find ~~a nice white wall~~ some paper and start coloring!

Have fun :D

Peas.

The Kitchen Sink

2013-01-11T06:18:00.001-08:00

A little boy that stinks and smells
Put him in the sink and he laughs and yells

Bubbles on the counter
Water on the floor

Splishing and splashing and squeeling for more

Soaking wet we laugh and play
It's amazing how love
Grows
Bigger
Each
Day

Peas.

Got Milk?

2013-01-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

I've been derailed on my diet the last few days because I have this horrible no good very bad HUNGER pain that will never go away so I feel like unless I eat I'll die.
It seems like drinking milk is the only thing that tricks my belly into feeling better and I hate milk and when I even think about milk it makes me gag, but much like one of those toilet paper eating weirdos on t.v, I'm compelled into drinking it.
But it doesn't ever feel better.
Last night Six reminded me of my ulcer and asked if I was still taking my ulcer medicine and I told him,
"No, duh, it quit hurting."
So today I will be calling in a refill on my ulcer medicine.

I just Googled stomach ulcer images, and I highly recommend no one ever doing that.

I tried to make a diaper for Ding last night and it actually turned out pretty good and looked pretty sharp.
Until she peed.
And it didn't work.
At all.
Back to the drawing board.
Why can't Huggies just make disposables for lambs.
They could call them Good Niiiiiiiiiiiiights.
Or Even Tena, they could call them "Just for Sheep".
Maybe I could Pattern my own and call them "Fat Pads for Ewe" and make a line of slim fit for Junior ewes too.
Goats could wear them too I guess, but goats get everything, everybody loves goats, it's the forgotten sheep having to wear a dish towel and saran wrap that I'm worried about.

Everything else is pretty uneventful.

Wendy is loving her job.

The Neighbor is onto and now even off of the one year old charts.
No more acting like a preemie for him, he has begun plotting his take over of the universe one giggle at a time!

At least he'll have his trusty side-kick Dinggle

Wyatt is back to school today.
I'll miss him.

Six is working.
Every day.
As usual.

And all the babies are up in the barn doing what baby sheep do.
We keep checking to see if Danggle's still Dangling and so far he is.
Should be any day now that his boy bits fall and he just becomes the barn wether.
Rex is counting the days until he can be with his best sheep again, but I don't think Belle, misses him to much.
I think she's happy in her bed and breakfast setting with daily catering service.

Peas.

The Presence of Peakes!

2013-01-09T06:59:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up with the presence of Peakes.
Bonnie Peakes that is.
My middle school homec teacher who I about wore slick with unexcused absences and spilled sauce.

I have had a denim sling bag in my brain for more years than I care to admit, and last year Six bought me a sewing machine for my birthday so I could have an outlet for my endless stress to stitch.

I have tried to make a bag. Eh. So so.
I tried to make an apron. Fail

But I come from a long seam of stitchers.

My Grammy was a pattern designer for Jantzen back in the day of designer swimsuits and sweaters.
My mother can nip and tuck an army tent into a prom dress and my sister...
Well lets just say she was blessed with the ability to quilt.

A very very special ability.

And my other sister can mend an ax handle to your bottom seams and turn your britches into snow shoes.
So there you have it.
My dilemma.
I can't sew.
Until I "Peaked".

At 3:00 AM this morning as I was laying in bed listening to the dogs snuffle and my husband snore, I saw Mrs Peakes.
I saw her face just as clear as day with that one eyebrow raised and her voice patient yet a little pissed off.

"Think about it Marilyn, what did we talk about...."
Oh yeah... End to end. Inside out. Sew the corners. Trim the thread.

I did it.
Kind of.
Well, sort of, it's a start.

Ok, so I started out with an old pair of Wyatts jeans, and I saw in my brain that if I left them attached at the crotch, the crotch could be my handle.

So I got out a Sharpie and cut them like this...

Then I found my left over apron fabric and used the jeans as a pattern and cut out a lining...

And cut off and sewed on some pockets.

And WaLa!

There you have it!

Kind of.

I also made a proto bib for the neighbor last night out of an old towel and a broken sheet!

I cut a pattern out of a dog food bag and just started pinning and sewing and it's not perfect, but I at least have an idea how I can improve it!

I think it would be SUPER cute with real baby fabric and soft terry.

Wyatt is home sick again.
The wind is blowing so hard outside today that my fish tanks inside have whitecaps.
Always wear slippers when you're in the kitchen with sheep, hardwood and hooves don't mix.

I've hit a wall on my weight loss so I think I'll just do liquid today. Homemade juice and protein shakes.

Did I tell you about the crayons I made for the neighbor?
I'll check and if I didn't I'll tell you tomorrow.

Peas.

Santa Swims With The Fishes

2013-01-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

I think this kind of thing only happens to me.
Remember this...

Well I got that almost all taken care of, so now I have this...

And...

This.

That's not snow in the fish tank it's food.

Food that I was feeding them when I realized Santa was still in Tank Town.

Won't the neighbor be surprised to find out that Santa lives in grannies fish tank during the off season,

Oh well, I guess if there's a sheep in the living room what's the big stretch about Santa swimming with the goldfishes during the warmer months.

Wyatt is home sick today with a gross disgusting intestinal disorder.

I wonder if he suffers from some kind of lettered dysfunction.

You know like

AWCS (Artists Who Can't Study)

IRMJ (I'd Rather Make Jewelery)

Or maybe just this,

CIPSHIRS (Can't I Pleeeeeease Staaaay Hoooome I'm REALLY Sick).

He does have the stink and fever thing going on today, so things are

"working out"

in his favor, but jeeez, that's all I need, is for everyone in the neighborhood to get sick.

You know the most dreaded sentence a girl can hear is

"Here Grannyma, he's poopy"!

So back to Wyatt.

He has finally decided to sell some of his jewelery, privately and on Etsy.

You need to go to his Etsy store and check this kid out.

Not only does he make the jewelery, but then he photographs it, lists it and then writes the descriptions for it.

Honestly, where did we get this kid!

He's pretty amazing, and keep in mind, he refuses to part with his best pieces.

One of those crazy eccentric types you hear about.

Click here for his store Winded Wire

And here's a ring that LJP from Fat Cat's Corner just bought from him!

Vitamin D3.

Anyone doing it?

I read a TON about it yesterday.

It is being touted as an amazing ostio pain reliever for unspecified joint and bone pain and a real swift kick for people with Fibromyalgia , AND a super duper kicker upper of weight loss.

This is what I read... If you cut down your average calories by 750 (Not down TO 750) by 750, and take 4000 units of D3 a day it turns into this crazy fat blaster.

I read that we are so deficient in D3 that it can also lead to mood disorders, calcium deficiencies, blah. blah, blah.

So for .07-10 cents a day, count me in, I'm doing it!

It won't help with my rotten no good verry bad broken down back, but it may very well help my rotten hip, sore knees and arthritic feet and hands :)

Oh, and by the way boys tend to suffer from D3 deficiencies more than girls.

Go get some.

Have you ever roasted broccoli in the oven at 400 degrees tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt?

Good huh.

Don't ever do it with lemon pepper, my house still stinks this morning.

And I love lemon pepper, just not roasting at 400 degrees on broccoli.

In case you're counting, this is three in a row.

Peas.

Another Post?

2013-01-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

I keep going up to the barn to check little Dangles to see if he is still "dangling" and he is. It usually takes about ten days for them to make the big switcheroo from a ram lamb to a wether (castrated lamb).
We have two other rams, Butch and Buck from last year to do the heavy lifting for another season and then it will be time to get the vet out to do a little snip on Butch. He's a big baby that was raised in the house and would still prefer to sleep in front of the fire, hence the hay manger sleeping still today. I would hate for him to leave the farm so I'll just find a vet with some whiskey (for me) and some tools for Butch.
But Buck is a real sheep, a big strong handsome black ram who might bring in a good price on Craigslist this summer.
Judy and Belle are doing so well with their new offspring. Who would have ever thought that Belle could be a nurturing selfless mother. It's just never been in the stars for her, but this year she's really surprising us with her one twin.

Sorry for the crappy picture, but look at that smile!

Judy of course, as always could be giving parenting courses in the back of the barn.
She's just that good.

Now all eyes are on Polly our youngest ewe who we're not quite sure if she took this season or not. If she did it would be an accident on our part because we would have liked to see her a little older before lambing. So, I just keep my eye on her all day so if she does go and needs some help we can be there for her.

Ok, now I'm going to give you my new favorite homemade cleaner recipe.
I found it on Pinterest and it works for EVERYTHING.
Windows, wood floors, regular floors, bathrooms, greasy kitchen messes, neighbor messes and even sheep "accidents"

Ready?

One cup of isoproplyl alcohol

One cup of vinegar

One cup water

Two Tbsp dish soap (I use Melaleuca Green Apple)

Shake it all up in a sprayer
Easily doubles

I love it.

P.s, I came through the holidays with my weight loss still almost in tact. Not as good as I thought, but better than I hoped. Twenty-eight pounds!

No Neighbor today so it looks like all I get to do is put up Christmas and vacuum.

Oh, I'm working on a giant new crochet afghan.
Classic simple stripe with fringe.

Tons more to say, but no time to say it!

Peas.

Did You See This?

2013-01-06T13:26:00.000-08:00

Rex the llama was upset that his friend Belle the sheep was locked in a stall with babies last week.
So he did what any llama would do and climbed on to the barn roof to try and see her.
It didn't work.
He ended up having to lean in over the gate like everybody else.

Under Construction

2012-12-23T10:13:00.002-08:00

Will be back new and improved in January.
Happy Hollidays Everyone!

Lasagna Love!

2012-08-27T07:21:00.001-07:00

Jill posted a recipe for crock pot lasagna on facebook a week or so ago and I thought...
Crock pot lasagna?
Really?
But I love lasagna and I have never ever made a good lasagna.
I made Pioneer Woman's lasagna once and it was so spicy it burned my tongue off, but usually it just turns out like lasagna soup or lasagna brick or just lasagna yuck which really makes me mad because everyone I know says oh I make the best lasagna ever and usually they're right they do.
I, on the other hand, do not.
So, Jill posts this recipe and I think to myself... Maybe?
It. Was. Amazing.
So easy, ready in four hours, and I think it's pretty much no fail.

Ingredients

1 pound (16 ounces) ground beef
1/2 cup diced white onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup water
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 whole egg
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
6 uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions

1In a large skillet brown beef and onion. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Drain.
2Add spaghetti sauce and water and simmer for about 5 minutes.
3Mix ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tablespoons Parmesan, egg and parsley.
4Pour 1 cup of spaghetti meat sauce into a 4 to 6 quart sized slow cooker. Place half of the noodles and half of the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles (If the noodles don't fit exactly break them to fit) and cheese mixture and meat sauce.
5Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until noodles are soft. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella and remaining parmesan. Cover with the lid to melt the cheese and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
6Do not overcook and don't try to speed up the process by cooking it on high.
7*Works best with a 4 to 6 quart size slow cooker.

And here's the link with all the credit where credit is due
TABLESPOON

Here's a story that will amaze you.
My washing machine has been dying a long slow drawn out painful suffering death.
We have been supporting and encouraging it with kind words and swift kicks to try and just get that one last load out of it and mind you it has been a hard blow for us because the stupid thing is only five years old and I think it cost more than my first car.
Six has had it apart six ways to Sunday cleaning filters, counting bearings and checking hoses and he could usually get it to run for a day or two, but it would always end up sputtering and stopping with a barrel full of water and a tank full of suds, so finally, it was time.
I told him I couldn't take the madness any more, he knew what we had to do.

It was time to take the long walk to the shop and uncover the boss.
The thirty year old stand by.
The heavy.
The top loading faux wood grain shiny white Whirlpool.
We really had no other choice, we had to have a machine we could count on and albeit ugly and old, it was tried and true.

But... To my surprise, Six had one more trick up his sleeve.

With the boss on the patio and the broken bohemia looming large in the garage Six went for his tools one last time...
What he would emerge with would shock us all.
It was the water pump.
Packed with sand.
Like a sand castle bucket at the beach.
Gross.
Five years of door mats and towels, logging pants and dog beds, all there, packed in the water pump.
Six had won.
He cleaned the packed up pump and conquered the bohemia, and as he wheeled it back into it's place in the utility room I thought I saw him walk a little taller and he may have even slept a little sounder that night.
A wise man (Red Green) once said,
"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy"
I'm pretty lucky to have both.
❤
Peas