January 2010
Time for new resolutions and might I say, we did pretty good following
the ones for last year. We DID get moved into the house, at last! That was the biggie, the rest were important
but not as crucial as getting moved up the hill 75 feet. Ha!
The new house is lovely, warm snug and a dream. The kitchen appliances! An
oven that does not burn food! More than one working eye on the cooktop! A dishwasher (not Glenn)!
The house
is warm, heated mainly by the woodstove with a propane heater for back up. The insulation in the house keeps it a toasty
70-75º regardless of the temps outside. Plumbing works. The hardwood floor is beautiful and the kitchen counter
tops of butcher block are so nice. the drawer units for the cupboards will be made as we have time. For now, shelves
are fine.
For Christmas this year we tried out the old European 12-Days of Christmas and might I say, it worked out grand!
Savannah had anAdvent calendar to count down the days, then on Christmas Eve we put up the tree. Had 12 Days of Fun
(moving, mostly), and the tree came down on Epiphany. We will celebrate the "12-days of Phifermas" again next
year, with bigger plans and more family fun.
Savannah starts off 2010 with a week off from school due to the inclimate
weather. Subzero windchills, snow and frozen roads have kept the kids home their first week of school. She participates
in the American Legion districts oratory competition this Sunday (maybe- if they don't postpone it). She made it
passed the high school and county competition and is in the third round. She also made district honor band, district
honor choir and is working on her horn and band pieces for the March competitions. Speech Club and Art Club keeps her
busy- she has found that high school is flying by.
Have goats ready to kid, thanks to Pedro jumping the fence back in
early July. I am fearful we will not be able to save the kids unless we are there, witnessing the kidding. Temps
in single digits with 10+ mph winds are not a good combination for something weighing 7-some pounds and being soaking wet.
We have the old barn open for the nannies, hay on the floor. They have gotten good, as have the cows, of digging out
their strip grazing areas from under the snow. That's a serious goat who will paw in the snow for her forage!
The cows
are plumping up. Beggin is due to calve Valentine's Day, the "medium" cows and older cows will begin kidding
in March. Our heifers are to calve in May. We traded grown Frieda for a nice, short, black heifer named Gertrude
who has bloodlines similar to my favorite cows. She is in with Beggin and is such a chunk! Will breed her to Valinor
for a "throwback calf" of Green Valley and O'Briar Hill lines, I hope.
We will
get the house trim done as we can. Fence in the north field for goats in February and March. That is pretty much
it for what we want to accomplish this coming year. We all are healthy, what more could we ask for?
I hope to
keep the poundage I lost last year off- first time I have weighed this since before Savannah was born. Got a part-time
job doing women's health, glad to be able to exercise my advanced nurse practitioner training. Part of my job is
treating STDs so men are now in the exam rooms as patients, not support people, so that is "a bit" different.
Teachable moments, that is what I live for... Teachable moments...
Have a great New Year and come back sopon!
~Mary Jane
