Gonna give blogging a try to see if I like it. If you know me at all, I usually have lots to say!
So, since the house is such a disaster and Rob is busy repairing the root cellar ( w/ the help of 2 friends), I can't accomplish a whole lot since most of his stuff is in my way. Go figure. I did uncover the breakfast bar area and stole the runner rug for our bedroom as we have pulled the carpet from there and are currently living on the concrete for now. The kids's room is next and then the rest of the house. When? Whenever we get around t it! Some future plans are for Mallory to get her wn spac where we used to have the "office" which has mainly become storage area for when we try to purge the rest of the house. We will then put the computer desk in Robi's room. Each child has a desk for school since we are homeschooling this year, so that was a priority.
We have replaced the back door and will need to do the front door before it gets too cold. As usual, we need to get the yard and driveway/shop area ready for winter so we have places to push snow. We have about 3 cords of wood that still needs to be stacked. We will still get a few more truckloads before winter. Rob just finished splitting what we have now yesterday.
Future plans include renovating the house exterior w/ a farm/industrial look I can expound upon later. Am still in the planning stages. We are putting a little milking room on the cement pad out the back door by the kitchen so we do not have to continue to use the mud rom or the milking parlor we have now...outside under the spruce tree. We have devised a way to rearrange our cabinets to open up the kitchen area and use some of them in the bathroom for linen storage. I always wanted to add on to the house but I would rather not have more debt. So, we continue to make do. I do have a craft room behind the shop so I can escape if I want!!!!
As for the farm, we will be expecting goat kids early this year, probably when I am on vacation, so Rob will be the goat OB/GYN by proxy! The kids will have a few more god science lessons when that time comes! Deep down inside, I am hoping one of them will want to become a vet someday! We are awaiting a chance to get our Scorrish Highland cows hoe from their pasture in the Yaak and I am just crazy enough to try to train one to milk when the heifer calves...whenever that will be, we have no idea! They will join Queenie and CC here and Otis, the Highland bull will have a little harem. We are commited to grass fed beef here and Highlanders have less fat/cholesterol naturally. Don't quote me on it, but perhaps 20% less.
http://www.scotlandfarms.com/comparebeef.html
Here is a photo from the net...
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/84621/84621,1192589325,2/stock-photo-scottish-highlands-cattle-6161380.jpg
We are down to 17 goats and am continually trying to downize the herd as not many folks are really interested in goats and I don't have the time to market them as I should...so we will continue w/ a mixed breed situation and keep the best milkers so I can continue to have my home dairy for milk, yogurt, and cheese. Still fixated on chevre as my mainstay cheese, but have had tried feta and bleu cheese this summer mostly by accident!
As far as other homestead activities, I am still making the majority of our bread at home, gardening needs much more effort and our fruit orchard needs to be replanted for the most part. Still want to get better berry patches in. Maybe if the bottle babies are weaned by gardening time, we will have more success. Maybe this January oops for kidding season will pay off!
We decided to try homeschooling this year and I am liking it so far. The kids have mixed feelings about Mom's ideas, but that is standard about all things! Mallory will continue to be in the Libby Children's Select Choir and basketball will be Robi's first sport this winter in addition to Cub Scouts. Mal has decided she is taking a break from VFW Junior Girls this year. She says this every year, so time will tell.
As for Rob and I, we will celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary in a few days...I continue to work at Libby Care Center as a physical therapist and Rob continues his farm/odd job work for the family off and on where our Highland cows are hanging out. He hobbies at gunsmithing and I at beading, occasionally scrapbooking and sewing.
My dad is still in dialysis 3x/wk and manages independently most f the time at home in between mini crises. We continue to do Farmer's Market on thursdays as we have dome for 3 yrs now.
Well, that seems like I have hit an update on most topics. Hope you have enjoyed by blithering!!! Cheers~ and enjoy September! I am!
