Help

I am trying to buy my seeds for this years veggie garden. Our Michigan economy is so awful, 10.6% unemployment, so I wanted to buy my seed from a local business instead of mail order. My problem is I don't want to buy from a Monsanto owned seed company. Most clerks give me the crazy lady look when I have inquired about what company their seed comes from.

Can any of you that are way smarter than me, point me in the right direction?

I thank you in advance for any help on the matter.

A whole lotta random stuff.

The lovely Angie from Children in the Corn gave me this award.

"This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his/her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary and personal values every day."

So kind of her but my question is... Are you reading the same blog as me? The blog that almost never sticks to just one topic, the blog that during the time my spell check was out for months only posted words as difficult as cat, hat, mat, sat?

Knowing I am my own worst critic, I will just say "Thank You" and trust her judgement.

So in my typical writing "style", I'll show you what has been going on around here.

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I have been in a bit of a slump in the art/craft department. This is the time of year when I should be cranking out the inventory for the summer and fall art/craft show craziness, but the winter grays have put my creativity into hibernation. Since i get the twitches if I go a week without touching my sewing machine, I did sew something.

See this chair?

No I didn't pick it out, it was a freebie. I pays to know a designer whose clients change their minds. Retail, a $900.00 chair, I got 2 of them!

I made a slipcover. Don't inspect it to close, I didn't have a pattern

(I wouldn't recommend doing it this way).

One down one to go.

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We've been doing some spring cleaning. I know it isn't spring but we are trying our best to hurry it along.

Yes, the man likes to work in his jammies too.

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T-bone barked furiously to let me know the car was parked in a different location. The funny thing is that we (T-bone and I) had just gotten home from grocery shopping, and he hopped out of the car from that spot. I wanted to park it in the sun to help melt the snow I couldn't reach under the wiper blades.

Speaking of grocery shopping, this weeks total was $33.25. I did spend $16.94 in scratch grain for the chickens ( I count it in the food budget). So my $50.19 total at least averages my $90 something from last week down to a more respectable number.

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I got some free movies. Not to keep but to borrow.

Nothing was on tv, and I hadn't checked out any movies at the library for our Friday night game/movie night, so I boxed up a pile of our movies, had my brother do the same, and we had a movie exchange. As my brother was looking through our box, he kept repeating what a great idea it was. We'll trade back in a few weeks, but it is nice to have some different movies to choose from and no cash is leaving our pockets.

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Uno and i have been practicing our falconry techniques.

What do you think?

Bunny meets Llama

I know I wasn't supposed to post anything until Wednesday when the kids are back in school but there have been good things happening and the kids are at my sisters playing with their cousins.

Great Grandpa is a Valentine baby so we celebrated his 89th Birthday on Saturday. He is currently at a facility recovering from surgery, we partied there, we hope he comes home soon.

He is the sweetest man ever, it's fitting he was born on Valentines Day.

I just got back from the grocery store and they finally brought back the discounted produce rack. I know it isn't local food, but that pile of bananas and pears was only .39 a pound. The girl loves grapefruit and that little kiwi was looking at me begging me to bring it home.

I also got discounted fresh mushrooms. Tonights meal, stuffed mushrooms and lasagna with a fruit salad on the side.

I had $100.00 to spend this week and my total came to $96.53. That was close, a little too close.

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My little business news:

I got word that the bag order is a go (from last weeks meeting). They loved the sample I gave and want to order even more than the original 10. Yay! I'll give more details later.

You may be wondering what the title of this post has to do with anything.

I got word I was put into another etsy treasury.

It is such a nice feeling when another artist admires your work.

Thanks Patty!

I've got spurs...

This post

from Danni, queen of all things funny and delightful,

inspired me to post about the spurs we have around here.

Meaty who isn't quite a year old, is still working on his, they are still more like nubs than spurs.

Do you like his friendship bracelet?

Then we have Breadstick, who like his brother Meaty, also has nubs.

Then there is Hammy, his nubs are getting pointy.

Don't you like those blue legs?

Work it Hammy, work it.

(Sorry for the low quality shot. I need at least one per post)

Dot my hen, yes I said hen, wanted to stand out and is sporting an impressive set of her own.

And while my Dad is in Florida squeezing fresh orange juice, (I love Michigan, I love Michigan)I am watching his roo.

My guest rooster, Mr. Big, is sporting these wicked things.They are as big as my thumb! Good thing he's nice,but I don't think he's game for a pedicure.


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In other news...








The girl snatched the camera again so you get a gratuitous Rascal shot.








Our balmy temps lasted a few days and encouraged this lovely snow fog,

the melting and rain caused flooding in the pond. We got the barrels in place just in time.

My kids have a 5 day weekend starting tomorrow, waahoo! Which means I will get little computer time, so do me a favor and don't post anything too exciting until I can read it on Wednesday. Thanks!

It's been a week?

I don't remember not blogging for a whole week before, unless I had a good excuse. This is supposed to be my slow time work wise. Maybe that is my problem, I start doing the mundane around here and worry about it boring everyone. I didn't used to worry about that, if you read back on some of my early posts, zzzzzzzzzzzz. Knowing I have at least a handful of you reading my posts, frequently about chicken poop puts a little pressure on this gal.

One of those readers is the lovely Joanna who gave me The tree of happiness award.

I love her, she has been one of my nicest blog friends, she is a relatively new goat mama, and is the caregiver of the famous Franklin, who has had his picture in Backyard Poultry Magazine.

Then there is Erica ,who was kind enough to give me this award. She is a homeschooling hands on mom with adorable kids. Talk about being creative. Thank you for putting me in the same Kreativ category as you.

So with the tree of happiness, I need to put 6 things that make me happy. So easy, I have tons of things that make me happy, the tricky part is narrowing them down.

1. My little family of four. My hubby who is my best friend and partner in taking on the world, and my two wonderful kids who own my heart.

2. My home and land. I love being home and cant imagine a better place to live than where I am right now, and having land to grow things is the icing on the cake.

3. My chickens and gathering their eggs. Makes me just enough of a farm gal to make me happy.

4. Sewing and fabric, does that count as 2 things? You all know that I'd sell myself for fabric and having the ability to make things from said fabric that people actually want to buy is really a dream come true.

5. Hot baths. What more needs to be said?

6. Bloggers and the friends I've made through them. Having you guys to share and laugh with has made me feel truly thankful and happy.

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On the creative front, i do need to show a couple things we have been working on around here.

The boy took apart his last pinball game, added more things and has a new and improved version. When he has it finished and filmed, I'll share it with you. It's really cool.

I have been working on sock pups for the shop, so my girl took a pair of her old holey socks and made a hippo and named it Shamrock. Once again no help from mom, and so clever.

We had warmer temps this weekend and got more finished on our floating dock. Now this is set on the ice in our pond and with the temps near 50*, we were walking in a couple inches of water. Tomorrow is supposed to get near 60*, I think we need to hurry.

Last but not least, here I am in real clothing (not jammies). I had a 8:30 meeting this morning for a potential sale of 10 bags. I don't want to talk too much and jinx it, but it will be a great opportunity and may lead to future sales.

It's late,

kids are tucked in, hubby is at school, the house it warm and quiet. I should do something, brain doesn't want to. Brain wins. I'm tired from the Superbowl and The Office last night, even after my hour and a half nap after dinner, maybe thats why I'm in a fog.

I'm looking at my yummy yarn I got from frolic 'n fibers.

This picture doesn't do it justice. You can go to her etsy shop and see her yarn under good lighting. Now I'm torn between making something from it or just letting it sit and be admired. I never had real homespun yarn from real animals before. It's so beautiful.

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We had a warm, upper 30's weekend, well just Sunday actually but it was a welcome change to the teens and the constant snow fall.

Dad called from Florida and after I told him about our day, he mentioned the fact that he is enjoying weather in the 70's. It didn't make me feel less about my day, I love winter days like these.

The Great Barrel Reef.

Hubby started a new project. I love the fact that he gets itchin for projects and wont let winter stop his plans. Floating dock for the pond, working on the ice means no need to move it when spring comes.

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Remember my little chick Uno?

She has this habit of flying onto me when I walk in the coop. I tuck my hair up under my hat. I call it my sh*ty hat. She isn't polite enough to always have clean feet. Makes me worried if I will have constant sh*t in my hair this summer.

Being loved makes sh*t in your hair worth while.

I should go clean lunchboxes so I wont have to do it in the morning.

Goodnight.