Sunday, November 22, 2009

Chickens=Eggs



I raise Rhode Island Red chickens. I have for the past 12 years. We also raise meat birds but that is another post. Right now they are in the freezer.
My girls (thats what I call them) are now laying. We are getting 6 or 7 eggs a day. The eggs are so much better than in the grocery store. They are better than the ones that are free range, organic in the grocery store. In fact I think a fresh egg is no older than a week. The yolk is more orange, the white more intact. The taste is so much different. I made my husband eggs for breakfast this past week and he said, "Mmmm it is so nice to have fresh eggs again". A couple of the boys had a big plate of scrambled eggs the other night. Eggs for snack!! Can't beat that.
The girls, my daughters, love to go out and check for eggs. One time we waited ten minutes for one that looked like she was going to lay and then she just came out and started eating. I guess she was modest. I would like my daughters to see an egg being layed. It would be even better if I got it on video.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Passions


We all need passions. I first learned this from one of my sons. Two of them were into reading books and blogs on personal development. I have many passions. One of them is my family. I live for my family. Some may say that is not healthy. At this point in my life, this is what keeps me going.

My husband works at a 40+ a week job. He sells for the building industry. It pays just enough. We are far from rich in the money way, but we have all the necessities in life. He works hard at his job and again when he gets home. As soon as he changes his clothes he is in the kitchen helping me or he is checking on the kids and playing and talking with them. On the weekends he is hard at work also. There is wood to cut, outside as well as inside projects to do and he does a fair amount of playing with the kids. Not to mention the driving to the many activities our kids have. I know I am very lucky.
We met while I was in college. I ended up not finishing. Not because of him, I wouldn't have anyway. I really wasn't into it. I still can not imagine myself in college. I am not that kind of smart. Anyway, we met when I was working in a convenience store. We lived together for a while, started a family and then married. Not the conventional way but it worked for us. My husband makes me laugh, loves me, and puts up with my moods. There is more to us but that is another post. He is one of my passions. I try and make him happy because I love him.

Our first son was born 19 years ago. He attends Swarthmore College in PA. We miss him a lot. It was hard having him leave. We are used to his absence but he is missed. He loves to read, and learn new things. He would love to travel. He spent his past summer in Alaska working. He and a friend went together. They kept a blog. http://whileinalaska.com/

Our second son is 18. (They were born 18 months apart.) He is a senior in High school and is applying to colleges right now. He is a great writer even though he says he doesn't like it. He loves the outdoors and is a health and fitness guru. He would love to spend his summer in the western US working.

Our third son is 14. He does not attend school. He is not sure he will go to high school. Right now he wants to concentrate on music. Nervous me wants him to also do math and biology and language arts in case he wants to go to school. It is one of my inner battles right now. He is very good at music. Plays several instruments and is in pep, jazz bands, and takes lessons in flute. I love having him at home since he is a big help. If I could change one thing about our home school experience it would be to have more kids around for him to meet up with. Living a rural part of this state makes it hard to make friends. I am pretty sure that was the reason the other two boys went to high school.

Our first daughter is 6 now. She is a ball of energy. She is a born artist and will draw for hours. She also loves dinousaurs, playmobile, and polly pockets. She makes the most intricate set ups with all her people. She loves to go outside and ride her bike or play in the playhouse. She is starting to learn how to sew with the machine. I want her to learn to hand sew or embroider, but she is set on the machine for now. She is very smart and is already reading. She is a great big sister.

Our second daughter, and last child is 2 1/2. She is very strong willed. I guess she has to be in a big family. I was the oldest child in my family, so I can't really understand what it is like to be the youngest but I see how she is always being told what to do and how to do it. She loves to read stories with dad and me. She loves princesses and fairies and ballet right now. Her most favorite thing to do is nurse. She also loves going for walks down the road to see the horses and cows.

So there are the seven cheeses for now. I am hoping to enter a new post at least once a week. For me that is a big goal.