Oct. 13-19, 2019 Chicken Coop Work, Garden Pix, Seed Harvesting, First Frost

Oct. 13-19, 2019

Chicken Coop Work, Seed Harvesting, First Frost, Sick Chesapeake, healed Brenda, Bible Study

Hello Friends,
I was feeling a little sickish this week.  The weather is changing so quickly now and our sunshine levels have dive-bombed.  I've been doing my Bible study with not one, but TWO sunlamps!  They are especially for seasonal affect disorder and are extra bright and encouraging.  I had two days of headache/migraine this week, better than the four days of trouble I had the week before!  I always struggle a little at the seasonal transitions, especially when I lose sunshine.

Chicken Coop:

As I had to turn on the heat inside our home on Monday, I realized I better get on winterizing the chicken coop asap!  We have the first section outside that the chickens go through, a living room sized room, on their way outside to sit under their umbrella.  I call that 'room' the "inner sanctum" as it was built with security in mind.  It has a heavy gaged wire roof, sides, and the ground is up and over the wire base.  The only way a raccoon or fox could get in that space is if I left the door open!  Last year I encased the room in plastic and the chickens really appreciated having a second room to hang out in during the long winter season.  This year I worked for two days and got the whole area closed-in again!  The only downside is I used a black tarp for the roof and that has made the room a little too dark.  I'm so glad to get this major fall chore done before the snow arrives.  The chickens can go 'outside' and not have any snow to deal with; this way they will out of the wind and snow.

Dirt:

I've been filling up buckets of new dirt, gravel, and sand and re-filling up the inner sanctum with it.  The chickens live on a hill and they manage to scratch and dig enough to make holes often.  I also wanted to make sure I had an air-tight connection between the new plastic and the ground by sealing that line with new dirt.  I have been trying to pace myself with this as after 16 buckets I can't walk the next day!  Toting heavy buckets really is hard; especially when you have to lug them far.  I will keep adding a few buckets every few days.

Seed Gathering:

Normally I am all about collecting seeds, but I just didn't get around to it yet this year.  I don't have a lot of green beans sorted away for next year but I hope the ones I have still on the vines will dry out soon.  This week I took down my morning glories, marigold, cone-flower, orange cosmos, and other various blooms/seeds.  

Hydrangeas:

When we moved here, I was so excited to find two medium-sized hydrangeas planted by the pool.  I quickly realized this area, being surrounded by lots of concrete, is a very hot and dry location that doesn't cater to the needs of our water-loving hydrangea's.  I'd been wanting to move them for years and finally did so this year!  I looked online and it said to wait until November, but since it can get so snowy so fast I decided to go ahead and do it a few weeks early and hope for the best.  I've been watering them often to help.

Winter Clothes:

I'm still going through my winter clothes boxes.  I only managed a few summer clothes boxes though.  I guess I just have a lot more 'winter' clothes than summer.  I have been feeling very overwhelmed with having too many clothes so I just picked out my favorite sweaters and put 90% of my winter clothes back up in the attic.  My closet is about one-tenth the size of the one I had in Indiana and I just don't have the room to have anything but my favorite things out.  I guess that isn't a bad thing, just different for me.

Chickens:

Chesapeake still sick.  She has diarrhea and low energy.  I kept her in the chicken tractor in the garage for some quite time to heal for a few days and then let her go back with the flock.  Luckily, Brenda the Buff Orpington that had a fly-strike was accepted right back into the flock. It was very interesting to see how she stood up for herself when a few hens tried to dominate her and she wasn't having it!!!  I was impressed!  I was so busy this week I didn't get the chickens out as often as I had been, but they did get out to free-range a few times.

Garden:

I picked green beans twice again this week; possibly for the last time!  I've been mowing lots and trying to fill our compost with as many leaves and grass as possible.  I got quite a lot done, on this front, this week.  It was nice to have no rain for two days in a row so I could mow.  I also dumped a lot of the mix on our flower gardens and especially the newly moved hydrangeas that might appreciate some insulation in their new home.

Dh:

Dh working extra at work.  He has numerous procedures due and not enough time during the day to get them done so the problem compounds.  It was a really difficult week for him.  He came home late a few times this week.  He did seem excited to work on his tree stand ideas and bought new wood and oil paint.  He made two new ladders and painted them in the various dark paint in a camo- style.  

Home Improvements:

I managed to spend all day and night on Friday peeling wallpaper from the basement stairwell.  This wallpaper is really odd; almost a plastic coated one that you might find in a kitchen and has been the most challenging wall paper removal project I've ever encountered.  It is just incredibly slow-going!!!

Bible Study:

This fall I signed up for TWO different Bible study groups.  One is with the church I've been attending since June (Ada Bible) and the second is with Bible Study Fellowship (BSF).  I am really digging in and learning a LOT!  Besides learning more about the book of Acts (both studies are on Acts), I was hoping for fellowship.  So far the BSF is quite focused on the study and not much sharing, but the Thrive/Ada one has been very personable and friendly.  I really feel my cup being filled after each class with these kind ladies.  The book we are using at Ada is:

An Unexplainable Life: Recovering the Wonder and Devotion of the Early Church ( Acts 1-12) by Erica Wiggenhorn

Dd's Week:

Dd had her second date with Seth this week.  She continues to grow more and more independent.  I appreciated her going to church with me again on Sunday.  Between working on her homework, her job at the pizza shop, and texting Seth and her friends I don't see her much...sad to say!  As each week goes by I see her less and less.  Last week she was sick and she seems to be doing a little better this week.  

Dd's Academic's This Week:

Grace Co-op School Schedule:

Science: Anatomy/Physiology (Apologia)

Art: Painting Studio

History: The American Civil War

Writing/English: Analytical Writing for Essays and Research Paper

Math Tutor:

Algebra 2

Pizza Shop:

Dd is really enjoying working at the pizza shop!

Next Week:

More fall chores and Bible Study

.......

Oct. 6-12, 2019 Dh and Dd in Indiana, Canning, Trip to Gene Porter-Stratton Home with Heather

Oct. 6-12, 2019 

Dh and Dd in Indiana, Canning, Trip to Gene Porter-Stratton Home with Heather

Dd hugging Dickens

Hello Friends,

That Emgality shot, to prevent migraines, sure did give me fits this week.  I took the shot on Friday and had a headache Saturday and Sunday, migraine on Monday and Tuesday, and then back to a headache on Wednesday...yikes.  It didn't help that it rained and rained all week long.  I had to turn on the heat lamp for the chickens starting on Friday night.

Farm:

Dh and Dd spent the weekend at the family farm in southern Indiana having a wonderful time. 

Dh built these walls and painted them, camo-style, to add on to one his hunting stand.

Dh bought the wood and built two ladders to get up to his improved tree stand.

 I honestly have way too much canning and chores to do before winter to go.  Dh wanted to paint our walls this fall and I am still not nearly done.  There is so much to do when you paint--move all the furniture, take off all the fixtures and outlet covers.  I've slowly been moving the furniture back into the living room, bedroom, etc. while all the tools and wood flooring is still stacked up in the corners!  Dh want to figure out how to do the hardwood flooring in the hallway that wouldn't interfere with him redoing the treads on the stairs going into the basement.  He hasn't been able to figure it out and so our flooring project has been on hold for weeks and has no signs of being resolved any time soon.  I am getting the walls all painted and done while he keeps figuring.

Garden: Canning

Sunday I picked green beans while the chickens free-ranged.  I also dug up all the volunteer potatoes and the beets I'd planted.

Monday: 8 quarts of green beans.

Wednesday: 8 quarts of green beans and I let the chickens free-range while I picked more green beans.

10 pints of mix of green beans and potatoes
Saturday: I picked green beans while the chickens free-ranged again.

Cut Sage and hung upside down around our house to dry.

Chickens:

On Sunday Brenda was healthy enough to return to the flock!!!   Then on Monday, Chesapeake was sick and had to go into my little infirmary.  Chickens are so difficult to keep healthy! 

I'm still picking green beans and while I'm out there I let the chickens free-range, to their pleasure! 

After spending the summer painting all the wood around the house I can finally see it as a job accomplished.  I've just had little areas to touch up this fall.  It looks really good.

Home Improvements:

I've been working on painting and re-painting the hallway downstairs in the basement.  Dd had put a coat of paint on top of spackle she had put down to cover flaws and didn't sand down the spackle before painting, so it looks pretty bad.  With each coat, I put down the flaws was less and less obvious.  I was surprised she did that chore without discussing it first.  I painted that hallway over a few days to get the layers built up.

I cleaned garage---trying to think about getting it opened up for getting our cars back in. 

Carpal Tunnel:

I've been really struggling with carpal tunnel problems in both my hands this summer.  Besides bothering me off and on during the day; it is even worse at night!  It wakes me up repeatedly throughout the night.  My hands are all tingly and numb and having little fits of aggravation all night long!  I'd complained to my doctor twice and finally asked her to refer me on.  This week I went and had EMG tests done on both hands.  I have mild to moderate nerve damage in my hands and they recommend I have surgery.  I am scheduled to have my right hand done on Nov. 6th and my left hand on Dec. 4th.  

Gene Stratton-Porter's House:

I met my dear friend, Heather, at the home of GSP.  She is the author of many fine books.  Heather had told me to read:

A Girl of the Limberlost

for years.  I finally read it a year or two ago and fell in love with the book; especially the first half of the book before she fell in love with a fella and jumped the shark a little bit.  Since Heather and I both were such fans of GSP and one of her homes (national park) is almost exactly between our homes we decided to meet there.  We both drove a little over two hours and met up for a few hours together.  We took a wonderful tour of her home and had a lovely picnic on the grounds before heading back home.

Hike with Lori:

I was blessed by having two different women take me hiking this week.  



Lori took me to the Wittenbach AgriScience Center for a hike in the woods that lasted a bit over an hour. 



I was a bit nervous when I saw the high schoolers and school buses in the parking lot, but they were leaving as we arrived.  We didn't really see anyone on the trail and had a nice tranquil hike; enjoying the birds.

Bible Study:

My first impressions of really liking my Thrive Bible study group were spot-on!  I am *really* glad to have this opportunity of getting to know these really nice ladies.  They are so open, kind, loving, and inclusive.  I am still really struggling to find a connection with my BSF group.  Both studies are academically and intellectually challenging and rewarding, but it is an added bonus to have fellowship with the Thrive ladies.  I would be so glad to find a friend in Michigan!  So many acquaintances and so little 'friends.'



Our book from Ada is:
An Unexplainable Life: Recovering the Wonder and Devotion of the Early Church ( Acts 1-12) by Erica Wiggenhorn

Dd's Academic Week:

Dd arrived home with Dh Sunday night at 10:45!  She had a great time seeing some family and spending time with Dh.

Date:

On Thursday she went on her first date with Seth.  

Grace Co-Op:

Science: Anatomy/Physiology (Apologia)

Art: Painting Studio

History: The American Civil War

Writing/English: Analytical Writing for Essays and Research Papers (IEW)

Math: 

Algebra II with a math tutor

Physical Therapy: 

Last session this week

Next Week:

Winter clothes down from the attic, and we turn on the heat!  Winter is getting ever so much closer!  Lots of peeling wallpaper from the basement stairwell.

.........

Sept. 29- Oct.5, 2019 Seth, Canning, Emgality, Dh & Dd to Indiana, Grape Jam

Sept. 29- Oct.5, 2019 

Seth, Trip to Indiana (Dh and Dd), Canning, Emgality, Meditation Class, Grape Jam

Grape Skins

Hello Friends!

It is hard to believe it is already October!  I am still working like crazy trying to get my garden harvest in.  To my surprise, this week Dd asked to talk to me about how she has taken a liking to a young man named Seth.  That sort of explains why she spends so many hours in her bedroom; she has been texting and getting to know him these months.  I was completely taken off guard, as many mothers before have probably experienced.  She wants us to think about her going on some dates with him....

Garden:

Potatoes: This year we planted four different kinds of potatoes.  Thursday:  20 pints and 7 quarts of potatoes.

Friday: 10 pints of a mixture of green beans & potatoes combined, 

6 quarts and 2 pints of just potatoes

Saturday: 10 pints of potatoes

I picked and brought in all the Butternut squash and other various squash varieties.  I tried canning those last year but the cans spoiled, so this year I am going to keep them in the basement's utility room.

The PULP of the grapes...yes, I squeezed every.single.one!

GRAPES:

Last year Dh made grape jam from my grapes, but this year he has been too busy.  I couldn't wait any longer as I could see I was already losing more and more grapes each day as they fell to the ground in the wind so I decided to try and do it myself.  All the video's I saw on youtube said to just cook down and puree the grapes, but Dd had his own way.  He had me pick the grapes, then squeeze the pulp out of each grape putting the skins in one bowl and the middle pulps in another one.  This took me hours and hours over 2-3 days...what a chore!  It was like milking grapes!!!  

I think I spent three days this week on getting the grapes done.  After I got the grapes separated, pulp from skin, then I had to puree the skins.  I had to cook down the pulp and that helped the pulp to get watery and helped me to get the seeds away from the pulp...but that was still difficult.  Then I put the pulp (without seeds) into my crock pot.  After I got everything separated and sorted I put all the ingredients together in big pot on the stove.  I just had to add sugar and cook it at a low boil for a while and then I could can the jam.  I think I made about 9 pints of jam---three days work for 9 jars!  It is amazing how much time it takes for our homemade food.  We only had 3 1/2 pints last year, so our grape vine was way more productive this year; imagine if I had picked the grapes when I should have (two weeks earlier).

Vergennes:

We switched from AT&T to a local company last week.  We are still trying to sort it all out.  It took me three tries to get AT&T's router mailed back to them and numerous phone calls; only to receive a letter that said I didn't have to return it after all...oi.  Dh spent three evenings this week trying to get the internet hooked up to my computer.  I was without my computer for almost two weeks.  It really turned out to be a LOT of work and effort for Dh to get us up and running again.

Migraines:

September was a great month for me as I only had 2 headaches and 4 migraines, but I am beginning to feel the side effects of the new medication I've been trying the past 2+ months; Emgality.  I've had extremely intense and painful chest pain, lots and lots of heartburn, constipation beyond discussion, joint pain, and hair loss.  I took my shot on Friday but immediately began to regret it as it sparked a long cluster of headaches and migraines.  I've decided that was my last injection of this medicine as the side effects outweigh the benefits.

Herbs/Flowers:

I have started the transplanting of my herbs to pots so I can bring them inside for the winter.  Last year I didn't started later and didn't manage to get them all in before the frost and lost my favorite basil herbs.  I worked on this for a few weeks and in the end, I brought in fifty pots!  Seriously, 50!  I had to rearrange the sunroom and move furniture out of it to prepare for all the plants coming in soon.  This took me most of Saturday.

Brenda: Buff Orpington:

I'm stillwashing her wound and it is healing well.  She isn't eating very well, but has begun to fuss a tiny bit when I am washing her; which is a great sign.  I have been afraid to hope she could survive this 'fly-strike' attack, but now I am beginning to see there is a chance she just might make it through this possibly.

Chickens:

I've been free-ranging the chickens as much as I can.  I often pick green beans, most days, and while I pick I let the chickens out.  I let Brenda out of the tractor to free range with the other chickens so they keep her as part of the flock and not reject her when she eventually gets reintroduced back into the flo

Bible Studies:

Both my Bible study groups/studies are coming along fine.  The Thrive group on Thursday nights is really great.  I'm so glad to meet some very welcoming women!  The Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) isn't nearly as much work as the Thrive assignments; which I thought it would be the other way around!  I thought BSF would be the more academic of the two, but the book we are using at Thrive is very detailed.  It is called:

An Unexplainable Life: Recovering the Wonder and Devotion of the Early Church ( Acts 1-12) by Erica Wiggenhorn

The Art of Letting Go:

Can you believe it?  I signed up for a meditation class!  It was a really nice class and I learned a few breathing practices.

Trip to Indiana:

Dd and Dh drove to Indiana on Friday and returned back home on Sunday night at 10 pm.  They worked on building, moving, repairing the deer hunting stands in our woods at the family farm.  Dh's best friend, Mark, also joined them to work on their stands.  They had a great time!!!  For the first time, Dd got to drive the old tractor!  I don't know if she or Dh was more excited!  They also had a weeny roast (hot dogs) with Giz and Grampy.  It is now that time of year that Dh can only think about preparations for deer hunting time!  I am quite used to it; especially since last year Dh had to miss deer hunting for this first time in over 30 years because of his detached retina emergency.  He is chomping at the bit.

Dd's Week:

Dd is still keeping to herself like she has most of the summer.  It makes it very difficult to document her academic progress!!  She has become a very independent person and I don't see her much at all,  This is a hard and difficult season for me.  Glad she went to church with me this week.

Grace Co-Op classes:

Science: Anatomy/Physiology

Art: Painting Studio

History: The American Civil War

Writing/English: Analytical Writing for Essays and Research Papers (IEW)

Math: Algebra II (Saxon)

with tutor.

Reader:

Diary of Anne Frank

I've assigned a chapter each day...hoping she can get through it.

Read Aloud:

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Dd seems to be VERY un-interested in me reading to her - even if it is Dickens, but I am trying to bring back out RA's...not very promising though with her new schedule.

Bible Study:

Dd says she has restarted her Bible study again.  I don't have any details, but am glad to hear it.  She went to church with me on Sunday.

Physical Therapy:

This week at Dd's PT, her therapist said he thinks next week will be her last week!  She had PT twice this week.

........

Sept. 22-28, 2019 Canning Green Beans All Week! Thrive Women's Bible Study Starts

Sept. 22-28, 2019 

Canning Green Beans All Week!  Thrive Women's Bible Study Starts.

Pictures Coming Soon!

Hello Friends!

I'm actually typing this up late.  I don't think I have ever been more busy than I have been this year and confess to being unable to keep up my blog as well as I'd like.  I'm also trying to fit in my fall to-do's before the snow arrives--- this week I had my annual eye exam and got a new prescription.  I was thankful Dd went with me to order my new glasses.  I also had my annual visit to the dermatologist and had no new cancer spots!  It was nice to have a good visit, most years my doctor finds something to freeze off.  It's nice getting some of my fall things behind me.

Garden:

Monday I picked green beans

Canned 10 pints on Tuesday

Wednesday picked green beans

Friday picked green beans

and canned 10 pints and 7 quarts

I try to make some progress each day.

Chickens:

Free Ranging---While I am outside picking green beans I've begun to let the chickens out with me as their shepherd.  They love eating all the bugs and grass and I love them getting to!  I know how important it is for them to have a healthy diet and am glad to incorporate more free-ranging into our fall schedule.  I made them cooked rice 3x this week, just for fun for them.

Brenda: Buff Orpington

I am continuing to keep Brenda in my infirmary, in my garage, in a chicken tractor while her bum heals from the 'fly-strike' last week.  She still isn't eating very well, but I can see healing happening.  

Podcasts:

I know I'm late to the party, but I've also begun listening to podcast while picking

Thrive Women's Bible Study:

This week my second Bible study started!  The Bible Study Fellowship group on Monday mornings is on week three and now I have a Thursday night study as well.  I am hoping I can do two groups since they are both focusing on Acts.  The "Thrive" group is through the church I have been going to all summer.  My first impression of this group is extremely positive.  The women are very honest and didn't put any effort into putting up a facade that their life isn't difficult.  I could immediately relate to this group and hope they are as down-to-earth as they seem.

The Thrive Study is using this workbook first:
An Unexplainable Life: Recovering the Wonder and Devotion of the Early Church ( Acts 1-12) by Erica Wiggenhorn

Church:

I have to lament that I am still very distraught over having to walk away from our last church after years of attending and serving there.  I'm also saddened that no one has asked WHY we left!  It's all a bit unfortunate and I have to admit to having a heavy heart about it all.  

Home Improvements:

Paint hallway on main floor.  Peel wallpaper in basement stairwell.  Clean garage.  

I spent hours working on the main floor hallway.  I took down all the paintings before painting--a light blue color.  I also worked on peeling the wallpaper in the stairwell going to the basement.  This is a different kind of wallpaper than what we had everywhere else in the house, not paper but more a very thin plastic that doesn't peel off except in tiny pieces after great effort.  I worked for hours just to get a small area cleared off.  This is going to be a very difficult project!  I want to paint the stairwell going downstairs as well as the hallway on the main floor, but I have to pick all the wallpaper off first.

Dd's Week:

With Dd busy going to work a few days each week and spending more time in her room working on her studies, I just don't get much feedback on how she is doing.  This summer has been gradual separation.  She really is consciously, or unconsciously moving away from me.  It is normal rite of adolescence, but I do miss her.  The silver lining is all the chores I now have time to do...that's good, right?!!!

Dd sick:

Dd's stomach was off all week and so was her appetite.  She even napped a few times this week; which she never does.  She looked tired and bleak this week.

Grace Co-Op:

Science: Anatomy/Physiology (Apologia)

Dd is actually LOVING this class!!!  So glad.

Art: Painting Studio (2 hour block)

History: The American Civil War (going super well!)

Writing/English: Analytical Writing for essays and Research Papers (IEW)

Math:

Dd drives to her tutor (45 min drive each way) each week.  Algebra II is going well.

Work:

Dd loves working at the pizza shop and feels like they are all one big happy family.  She works up to 30 hours each week; which is way more than I want her to do!  I hope she can find a better balance.

Physical Therapy:

Dd's PT is going fine.  I take her in twice a week for her "Chronic Compression Fracture."

Next Week:

October!  Oh my!  Plus, more canning.

...........

Sept. 15-21, 2019 Anniversary, Park x 2, Brenda: Buff Orpington: Fly Strike

Sept. 15-21, 2019 

Wedding Anniversary, Park (twice this week), Canning, Brenda: Buff Orpington: Fly Strike

Hello Friends!

Happy Anniversary to us!  21 years already!!!  Dh is in the middle of a very busy time at work so he didn't get the opportunity to take any time off, but he did get home early enough for us to go out to eat at a new place in town and go on that bridge walk at Grand River Riverfront Park.  It was great having another Date Night with Dh!!!  

Chicken Trouble:

I had such a horrible surprise on Monday morning when I went in the chicken coop I immediately saw Brenda, my Buff Orpington, with blood beneath her on the roost.  When I picked her up and looked at her bottom I saw maggots swarming around.  I am generally a strong person, but, man, that just about kills me.  I brought her inside the house and washed and washed her to get off all those nasty bugs.  



Then I left her alone for about thirty minutes while I got my breakfast.  When I came back out to check on her I saw that there were maggots above her tail; some had rushed out of the wound and hid from me!  



So I took her and washed her, from head to toe, repeatedly with dish soap in a full sink of warm soapy water.  I spent almost an hour washing her over and over again until I was positive I got every.single.bug.  

Fly-Strike:

After hours of research online I found out that flies can just attack any animal; especially if that animal has any diarrhea stuck on their body.  Brenda must have had some poop on her bottom and a fly must have laid eggs in that poop.  Then the eggs hatched and maggots attacked her skin.  Luckily, I caught it quickly and they had only damaged the top layer of skin.  The online reading said I was supposed to wash and clean her wound 3-4 times each day.   The hard part is after the baths I had to blow-dry her dry and that took forever!!!! 



 Chickens feathers are so dense!  Brenda was so unwell she never resisted but was such a champ. I spent so much time helping Brenda this week, hours each day, and am so glad she seems like she is going to recover.  The first few days I was really worried she might have some kind of infection internally that might be unrelated to her fly strike and I was so concerned she would die.  So far she is improving more and more each day, she has really come far this week.

Family Meeting/Fun Time:

On Sunday we had a family meeting to sort out how things are going with our 17-year-old daughter.  She suggested that she and I find more time to do 'fun' things together to get our relationship back on a more positive note.  Lately, when I see her I am reminding her to do her chores and complaining that she has to be reminded too.  So, this week Dd and I went on a hike together at the new bridge park (Grand River Riverfront Park) on Monday.  We are going to try and find time each week to fit in something fun.

Swiss Chard and Greens from garden

Bible Study Fellowship:

Last week was a bit hard.  There were not any helpers showing new people where to go or what to do.  I was a little disappointed at how hard it was being new as if being new and not knowing anyone wasn't hard enough!!!  But, I enjoyed having a new Bible study to work on each morning.  I am enjoying our research study on the book of Acts.  I really dug in deep with my Bible Study this week.  After our class and lecture, I went to a little seminar afterward on Bible Navigation.  I couldn't believe there were only two other women that attended it!  We have around two hundred women that attend our group and they kept selling the seminar as offering lots of chocolate!  And they did have lots of chocolate! Yum!  It was nice being in a small group and getting to meet some nice ladies.

Garden/Canning:

Another great garden week!  I've been enjoying having kale and swiss chard smoothies each day.  I'm still picking green beans and canning them.  Everything is growing really well, but I've had to water a few times this week.  



Dh dug up ALL the potatoes... now I have to can all those!  Oh boy!  I've had to water a few times this week.  I can tell the bean bushes are getting thinner, so the end is in sight.

Herbs:

I've begun digging up some of our herbs and have planted them in new potting soil.  After I get the roots happy in the new dirt I will bring them inside.  I plan on watering them heavily for the next two weeks to help encourage root growth.  So far, I've potted some Basil, Thyme, Parsley, and two different Rosemary plants.  Last year I didn't get the Basil in before the first frost and regretted it all winter.



Painting the Deck:
Can you believe I am still painting the fence and decking?!!!  I spent time two days this week on painting and I've pretty much got 95% of it done. 



 There are a few places I couldn't get to because I didn't want to damage incoming poppy, iris, or other flowers that I can safely bend now so I can reach the wood behind the plants. 



 You would be surprised how much wood didn't get painted because a hydrangea was in the way!! 

We had high temperatures this week and I wanted to take advantage of that heat so my paint would cure best.  



Power Outage:
Can you believe we lost our power again this week?!  Two weeks in a row!  We had to drive into town to refill all our red jugs with gasoline as we had used all our gas up.  What you might not realize is that running your house on gas is way more expensive than propane or electricity.  It cost almost $100 to refill all our cans/jugs.  Luckily, we were only without electricity for around 18 hours this time.

Flooring:

Dh finished the last doorway to our bedroom.  We have been talking and figuring out what our next steps are going to be.  Our plans are to finish the hallway after we buy a stair tread kit.  We had to figure out how we were going to handle the stairs going downstairs before we could figure out the hallway.  After we get the hallway flooring down then we can start on the stairwell landings - they are going to be covered with our hardwood oak flooring too.  But, we will have to buy special kits to redo the stairs. 

Dd's Academic Progress This Week:

Grace Co-op Classes:  

Dd is back to having full-time lessons each day. 

Science: Anatomy/Physiology

Art: Painting Studio

History: The American Civil War

Writing/English: Analytical Writing for Essays and Research Paper

Math Tutor:

Algebra 2

Physical Exercise:

Physical Therapy: two visits at office

Daily exercises: 2-4 x per day.

Next Week:

I signed up for another Bible study through the church I've been going to and it begins next week.  I wouldn't sign up for two different bible study groups except it is also on the book of Acts.  I am hoping that the two separate studies will help me to get a more thorough understanding of this book and get deeper than I might if it were just one study.

Hoping Brenda continues to improve, although I might still have to keep her separated from the other chickens due to the wound on her bottom.  I know she desperately wants to be back with her family.

I am hoping we can also get back to doing the flooring.  I'm really tired of all the tools and equipment all over our main floor!!!!  I'd love to have a semi-tidy home again; not that I'm ever 'tidy' but I do try!!

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