Saturday, May 30, 2009

Like Ducks and Watermelon


Did you know that ducks and chickens go nuts for watermelon? Me neither! Linnie, Tuck and Ming Ming dove into the watermelon like they had been starved for such deliciousness their entire short lives.

I ended up tossing the entire melon to them. Imagine my surprise later that night when I found Ming Ming covered in dark red. It looked like duck carnage. After a quick dip into the pool the watermelon guts washed off leaving my pretty girl all yellow/white again. Can I tell you how much I've grown to love these little ducks. They turn their little duck heads to listen to my every word. Think they're just waiting for watermelon?

Wow. What a hole.

Last weekend the Yang to my Yin announced that he planned to rent the digger so we could start our water garden/pond. Exciting news! Well, today we got it at the crack of dawn and proceeded to pull out the stump from an old flowering crab to try the thing out. After more than an hour of digging and cursing the stump finally gave way and let itself be extracted.


That's Gracie the Wonder Lab next to it. She's about 80 lbs, so it's a good size stump.

Now for the fun stuff. Let's dig a really big hole. We did out duty and phoned JULIE and were reasonably sure that the area we chose was free and clear to dig. Famous last words. Let's just say that the first 15 minutes are critical to a project. The first 15 minutes unearthed a high voltage power line that JULIE did not mark. Oookkkaaayyy. Now what. ComEd said it wasn't their problem. JULIE said they weren't responsible since it was not installed by ComED. Mr. Electrician man showed up a few hours later and after a quote of about $2000 +/- we knew we were in trouble.

I guess God was looking out for us in a strange way. The line was no more than 1 foot in thr ground. It was plenty easy for me to have hit with a plain old shovel let along a piece of equipment. The former owner of this house worked for ComEd and apparently installed a hot line to our barn himself - off the grid. it is plenty legal in that it runs through the meter, but it's just not to spec how it was installed or buried. Live and learn. Nobody was hurt, but it was damned close.

Our pond looks like this right now. With a few slight modifications to route around the soon-to-be-spliced hot wires, it will look marvelous. I can already imagine sipping frozen marg's watching Tuck and Ming Ming swimming with the little shubunkins in their new pond. I have a vivid imagination...

A few days of hand digging will make this pit look like what's in my head - at least I hope so.

On a more happy note, my Irises are blooming for the first time since I moved here.
I'll have to research what variety they are. They're really pretty I think. Won't they look nice by the new pond?

Hey Noah! I too can build an ark!

As you knew would happen, we decided to keep Linnie, Tuck and Ming Ming. They worked their way into our hearts and earned a home here. Turn out they LOVE dandelions. Finally a use for those weeds. These guys will have a job for life picking them from the lawn. Now the problem... How to protect them...

Yesterday I was determined to give my 'free' ducks and chicken a safe place to roam. After researching site after endless site of chicken housing, the site named the City Chicken had the inspiration I needed to build a Chicken Tractor, often called a Chicken Ark. Basically it's a small containment area for the bird to enjoy 'grazing' without the worry of some predator picking them off. I have a food chain here that begins with cats and ends with wolves, so I needed something strong.

Here's the result of my day's work:

It's 4 feet by 8 feet of lawn space and about 40 or so inches tall. Once I figured out the angles it came together pretty quickly. Pythagorus, you rock. Your theorum worked like a charm to help me figure out that I needed 30 degree bottom angles to make the most of my 2x4x8 studs. It all cost in the ballpark of $60 plus the screws and hardware that I stole from my horse stalls. Don't worry, the horses won't be escaping any time soon. I had replaced the latches with safer ones years ago. I just never took the original ones off.

All that's left is to attach 2 wheels and 2 handles so I can drive this thing around like a wierd looking wheel barrow and give fresh grazing areas to my birds. The thing inside is a perch of sorts for Linnie the Chicken. It's left over from when I broke my leg last year. I figured I'd try it out for her before I dismantle it.

Note, this one does not have a shade area. This is just the first one. I plan to use this model to build a few with covered roosting areas at the top. My ultimate plan is to make these in slightly shorter versions so that I can attach several together to make a long run to fit wherever I need it to - like between the garden rows. I can post the methods I used to build this if you promise not to attack my novice builder mistakes...

I tried it out today. My birds were really happy. The dogs circled it like a buffet line, but could not break in. The cats didn't even bother. Sweet success. Teagan fits into it, but quickly left after the first poop episode. I need to work on that with her.

Now for a more permanent coop... I have something in mind. I'll keep you posted.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Reason #412 Why I Love Living in the Country

The other day I ventured out to the 'burbs to meet up with a couple of old friends for lunch. The company was nice. Lunch was a tasty Maggiano's salad. The conversation gravitated toward what was not happening in my old department, rather than anything new and exciting. It seemed like things took forever to go nowhere. I left lunch feeling a little sad and empty. How would things have been if I had stayed?

As I drove home, I felt lucky to have discovered how much more to life there is than the drama of who's doing (or not doing) what. I realized how my life had changed during the past 4 months since I chose to leave the corporate world and experience life with my family. I am able to DO things rather than have a meeting to plan the next meeting. Yet I still wondered what I was here for...

I rounded the last corner home instinctively looking at my elderly neighbor's gate on the drive past it. It looked like something was blocking it from the inside. I executed a perfect 3-point turn returning to see a large tree that fell completely blocking the way. The driveway is 1/4 mile long through the woods, so they may not have discovered it for days. Had there been an emergency they were truly stranded.

It took me 3 phone calls and 15 minutes to rally a team to clear the tree and related debris. My neighbors on either side quickly gathered tools and drove over. We completely cleared the mess in the next 20 minutes. Talk about TEAMWORK! No meetings. No posturing for leadership. Simple ACTION.

This got me to thinking... Had I not gone to a last minute lunch with my old team and taken that route home, how would Carlos and Maria have gotten out? I guess I was in the right place at the right time. All is right in the world. I again found confirmation that I made the right decision to live this life.

Now someone is likely to ask what the previous 411 reasons for loving the country life. Before you do, remember that I WILL list them. Are you sure you're ready for that?

Enjoy the life you chose. Make every moment count.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Where does the time go?

It seems like last month since we last saw our Aunt Kathy, Uncle Steve, cousins Erin, John and their adorable girls, Natalie and Abbie. Well, if it was a month it was the longest month in the history of months. It's been nearly 2 YEARS!

We finally got together today for a bridal shower for cousin Kristi and Soon to bee Cousin-in-Law Eric. This is the first wedding for us in at least 3 years. Would some of you friends PLEASE get to your second or third spouse so I can get my wedding cake fix?

Anywhoo... Here's a picture of the card I made for Kristi and Eric:
It was inspired from a similar card in the book The Ultimate Paper Crafts Collection book.


The gift bag contained several soaps (what a surprise, right?) and other stuff. I love making little tissue paper flowers, so of course one of those was on the bag too.

What a great day!




Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Time for a face lift

Well, when I was in the 'corporate world', I would make it a point to give my major applications an annual facelift. It kept things fresh and gave me and my team a chance to re-evaluate the application. Old habits die hard. It's time for me to take a serious look at giving this blog a face lift. I need to design new graphics.

Here's the goal: develop a new look that reflects not only my personality (the one that writes this :0) but also to coordinate with my upcoming business venture. More on that to come...

It seems that every business has a blog. Why be the exception? The name our 'samples' have been given under is Sweet Teagan's. Though I like the personal note of this name, I wonder if having my daughter so prominently named in my business is the best idea. When she's older will she resent it? At 4 1/2 she thinks it's kind of cool to have her name as the store name.

Bryan owns a domain name like Country Cupboard (or something like that). Is this too 'rustic'? I envision gingham... ick. Not really me.

The business venture is actually multi-faceted. On the obvious hand is the soap and related earth and skin friendly body products. Too easy. Another facet is the application documentation and education curriculum development. See, makes it harder, right? Don't forget about the application development itself. Something techy is in order. In essence I guess my business venture is a holding company with several subs. Tipping my hand too soon? Won't future posts be something to read...

So... here's what it comes down to... What is my business persona? (Don't start with cold, dark, tough or I'll have to hit you... :)) My task now is to put mouse to mouse pad and start designing something. Anything. The wheels always turn best when greased by composition at the keyboard.

Make it a great day!

Here a duck, there a duck, everywhere a chicken...?


Hi y'all. It seems we have a few more links in the food chain we call home. During a volunteer event this past weekend I managed to take on 2 ducklings and a chick. My intentions were, and still are pure. I have a friend we like to call the Chicken Lady. She's about the sweetest person in the world that I actually know. She has a duck and chicken paradise. So... after stalking her down she accepted the guilty " PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON TOP" and agreed to try to work these little guys into her flock.

As I understand it you can't just thrown the new birds into the flock without a lot of carnage. Who knew. So... once she gets back from vacation next week she'll be the proud new parent. In the meantime I get to watch these little comedians with delight every day. Ducklings are sooooo awkward. The chicken is the leader of the pack. It's kind of cool that they know me already. The chicken, Linnie as we named her, roosts on our arm and lets us carry her around a little. Tuck and Ming Ming the ducks are a little more shy. Once we catch them though they're pretty fun. Their yellow pinfeathers are still a little soft. I wish I could keep them, but the dogs and cats stalk them constantly. It's only a matter of time before one of them goes the way of the two missing turtles. (I still have not completely forgiven Gracie the Wonderlab for that...)

I'll try to get a little video posted of them tonight. Until then, just imagine little waddling poop factories cheeping all over the place.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Wildlife Beware! Today is not my day!

If you know me, you know I am the biggest critter lover of all time. A few posts ago I wrote about the trio of turtles we saved from traffic. Well, now there's one. Not sure how that happened actually. They were basking in their turtle pond when one by one they were no longer there. Not sure if Gracie the Wonder Lab got to them or something else. In any case, I'm contemplating where to bring the last little turtle. He's so cute, but I feel obligated to do right by him. Nature is cruel, but I guess so am I for keeping them.

Here's the worst part about my day today. While mowing my paths in the raised garden I hit a little bunny nest. I saw something twitching and promptly shut down the mower. The bunny was pretty big, but still in the nest. Further looking revealed 3 more. Crap! The first one was too far gone, so my neighbor put him out of his misery. We learned from animal control that the last 3 should be put back in their nest with an "X" of string or twigs on top. Yeah right. These little panic stricken things are heading for the deep grass. Poor things. It's not like I want bunnies in my garden, I just hate having to evict them as babies.

Hug your pets. Watch out for wildlife...

Monday, May 11, 2009

Bummer of an Essential Oil Lesson

If you know me, you know I hate waste. I'm a good old Yankee that lives by her daddy's advice, "Waste not, want not." Imagine my surprise when I learned that Essential Oils and little plastic Dixie cups don't mix.

I was innocently enough mixing up some oils to test out a new combination while waiting for my lye water to cool. I turn around and nice expensive oils were making their way across my counter top while the Dixie cup played the Wicked Witch of the West after being hit with water. The counters smell nice, but the fragrance would have been better spent in an actual SOAP! Chalking it up to a life lesson. Glass container only from now on. Check.

::Smiles::

Sunday, May 10, 2009

He's Using My Words Against Me!

If you know me, you know I am a hopeless optimist. Everyone gets a clean slate when I wake up so I'm not burdened with bad feelings. Simple, right?

Well, my other half, the yang to my yin, managed to strain his ankle somehow a few days ago. As he hobbled around cursing his bad luck, I casually dropped lines like, "Think Positive honey." This met with, "I'm positive I won't get to play golf at all this year."

Ooookaaayyy.

Big guns time. "Try the power of positive thinking... Believe you'll be happy and healthy and you will."

Grunt.

Here's where those words bit me. Yesterday, as I yanked weeds from around the patio flower bed cursing that I should give in to Monsanto's big business and use their evil Roundup and start over, he saunters over and says, "Think positive honey. It'll be wonderful when you're done. You just have to think positive." Jerk. :-)

Happy thoughts.

Garden Happiness


If you know me, you know I love flowers of all sorts. One of the nicest things about surviving the cold winter in Northern Illinois is spring color. Here's a little bit of sunshine from my house to yours that Teagan picked for me today.

Make it a happy day my friend.

A craft that's not soap... Capri Sun Tote Bag


If you know me, you know I hate waste. Teagan has developed quite a taste for Capri Sun juice pouches, which leads to a LOT of tossed out pouches. Those little buggers aren't recyclable in the traditional sense. So what is an earth loving mother to do? The obvious answer is Google for a solution. Since Teags won't give up the juice, I had to find a use for the pouches. Tote bags. Yes tote bags.

This one took me about half of an hour to clean and dry, and an hour to sew. It was my second. The first one we made is one pouch wider than this. A total of 48 pouches. This one is 42 pouches.

Would you believe there's a whole cottage industry for these things? I found them for over $30 on eBay. Drink up my dear.

I got skills...
TTFN friends.

New soapies!


I finally had a chance to soap this weekend. Come heck or high water I was going to make SOMETHING. Here you go:

Soap #1: Honey Cake. It has honey and beeswax along with some citrusy essential oils and calendula petals for happy skin. It smells heavenly. If you can imagine what warm smells like, then you have an idea of what this is like. How do you like the honeycomb relief on the edges? I'm thinking of making it with the design on the larger sides next time. Most of these bars are a little on the 'generous' side too. I need to figure out my cutter so more people can enjoy these little bits of happiness.

Soap #2: Swirly Shaving Soap. I found this recipe on a fellow soaper's blog from Spain. Hers was plain grey, so I tarted it up a little with swirls. A cute little 2x2x2 cube should make a nice 3 ounce or so soap I thought. Just in time for Father's day! Little did I know that my 2x2x2 is more like a 5 oz soap. It ought to last a good long while! It has loads of nice oils and Bentonite clay for a little extra slip for a nice close shave. I call the scent Pacific Mist. It's a little peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, rosemary and lavender. I was looking for something that would remind me of the beach and complement the blue swirls. Winner winner chicken dinner. It should be out of cure in about 4 or 5 weeks. I can't wait to share it.

TTFN,
A happy soaper!

A Trio Of Turtles

If you know me, you know I like to walk. A lot. While walking our favorite country road recently my human walking partner, Patsy, and I noticed little turtlings flattened in the road. How sad. Those little guys never stood a chance. Like the creature loving people we are, we focused on the road looking for any signs of a living turtle. Voila! I found a live one! It's as small as a quarter but cute as a bug. We named her Turquoise. I carried her home in the front of my shirt. No cars crashed at the sight of my white abs.

Low and behold a few hundred yards down the road we came upon turtle # 2. This one went home with Patsy. He was a little bigger than Turquoise, maybe the size of a half dollar. A few days later Patsy's husband found teeny turtle number 3 on a walk to a different area. Some how they all ended up at my house today. We officially have a plethora of little turtles. Once I can get my camera to them I'll post a few nature shots for you. Any time we're around they play turtle and hide. I hope they make it long enough to live in our future pond!

Happy hunting!

Happy Mother's Day!

Well, I have survived my 4th official Mother's Day as Teagan's mom. All in all it was a terrific day. I awoke to wet noses from the furry kids and coffee from my sweetie. Y'all wanna know my best present? DRYWALL. No, I couldn't believe it either.

If you know me you know I can never be satisfied with my abode. We bought it as a potential knock down, but have come to like it some. We chose to start sugar coating the current playroom. it will soon be Teagan's new room. We hate the plywood walls with the little wood strips that cover the seams. It feels like we are living in a barn. I have a barn. It's nicer than my house... So, we tore out the strips, molding and various other stuff on the walls and hung drywall. Well 2 walls worth any way. What a difference already. I imagine we'll finish hanging it this week and the new hardwood floor will be in next week. I'd post a picture but then I'd have to shoot myself over how ugly the room is. How about a compromise? I'll post after shots.

Happy Mother's Day!