Monday, February 21, 2011

Well, I am trying to wrap my head around delivering goat "kids" this spring.  I have found the information at Fias Co. Farm extremly helpful.  I have been going over their "Birthing Kit" list and ordering all the things I need to have on hand.  Betadine, Iodine, Paper Towels, Garbage Bags, Bottles and Nipples just in case, Scissors etc.  And then there are the things we will need to do after like castration and horn debudding. Yikes!  I am trying to remember that I really wanted to be a farmer...  It will be an exciting time though! 

http://www.fiascofarm.com/

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

My sickness concoction...

I "think" I made it through without getting the sickness (real bad anyway)!  I felt sick a few times during the week, but it was minimal.  Every time I felt even the slight bit of nausea, I would take my "concoction" and pray it would work.  I definitely think I had the bug, but I was still functional and not as sick as the rest.  My concoction?? 
Echinacea, Odorless Garlic, Liquid Zeolite

No one else would take it.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Homekeeper's Journal 2/15/2011

This week’s Homekeeper’s Journal is about Spring Time Plans.



In my kitchen, I plan to ….. Get my recipes in order so I can start my low-carb diet again.  No sugar or simple carbs.  I feel so much better when I stick to eating this way. 

Plans with the children ….. Lots to do this spring with the kiddos.  We are planning on planting a gigantic garden this year and starting some seeds indoors.  I am going to include the kids in this project.  The goats will be having kids in May which will be a neat lesson for the kiddos (and me too!) 

Plans with the husband ….. I want to get a few babysitters lined up so that we can have some time out together at least once a month in the next few months.  Shh.  Its a secret. :)

Plans for my house ….. We are working on building a hearth in the living room and my husband is putting up sheet rock in there.  So, my plans are to paint the walls, get new curtains made, and paint the hardwood floor. (we were hoping to be able to restain it, but it just isn't nice enough wood.)

Garden Plans ….. Ooh, garden plans. I stand at the kitchen window just dreaming of the day I will be able to dig in the dirt and start planting!  As I said before, we are going to plant a huge (to me anyway) garden with 9 raised beds (5x10 each) and some standard rows.  I want to start some things from seed from heirloom seeds, so that will be a project for me and the kids.  I can't wait. 

Other Plans ….. We are starting a bookstore at our church and I am the person that was chosen to run it.  So, there will be lots of things going on with getting that started as well.  Exciting times!

http://christianhomekeeper.org/

Sunday, February 13, 2011

It's Maple Syrup Time!

The headline at HamWeather is "Winter's Thaw." It is supposed to be above freezing during the day and below freezing at night for the next week or so. Time to tap the trees for maple syrup! Buckets are all washed out and ready to go outside...

Last year we only tapped 3 trees. We got a bit of maple syrup and it was delicious! This year we wanted to tap many more, but the snow is putting a damper on our efforts. The snow is too deep and we just do not have the equipment we need to get to the trees this year (like a snowmobile!). So, we have tapped 6 trees today and hopefully we will tap a few more in the next few days.


Saturday, February 12, 2011

Sickness in the house.

The kids have been down this week with what I have been told is Rotavirus. Well, it stinks! My children aren't usually sick, so when they are it throws us all for a loop. I normally have a bottle or 2 of Children's ACF in the house and that has saved us numerous times from getting the "bug" going around at the time. This time I had nothing in the house except garlic capsules that the kids refuse to take. Whatever is going around has been going around for weeks and I really kinda thought we were out of the woods. Not so. Laura got it first, then Isaiah, then James. What are the chances I am not going to get it, probably slim to none, but there is always hope! Makes me more certain that I need to start making Elderberry syrup to have in the house and my own tincture that would be similar to the ACF (which is $18.99 a bottle!)for such a time as this! I purchased this book yesterday and it has a lot of great recipes I am going to make really soon!
Herbal Nurturing from Frugal Granola