Still Playing

I'm still playing with the color scheme.  I'm not sure if I like it yet or not.  It looks like a bubble gum factory exploded along side a cotton candy factory.

Tomorrow is supposed to be President's Day.  I find it to be a joke.  The federal government takes a day off to commemorate Presidents Washington and Lincoln.  Oh, how far we've fallen.  There was a time when the seat of the President of the United States was a seat that was to be respected.  I still respect the seat, but the person that currently sits in it hasn't done a thing to impress me.  I take that back.  He has impressed me.  He has impressed me with his ability to side-step valid questions, lie, break promises, and get himself elected based on looks and charisma.  That is impressive.  Enough of that.  Let's talk about things that are more important.

The pigs.  They are doing very well.  I have a feeling when they are full grown they are going to be quite huge.  And tithing them is going to be no small feat.  (We make an attempt to tithe what we raise and grow.  Either by giving directly to the pastor or bringing to conference or giving to other pastors.)  Since it is the dead of winter, I am still visualizing the garden plots.  I have a firm idea on what I want in the medicinal garden, but I am still deciding what to grow for the food bank.  I would like lasting produce.  Maybe corn and potatoes.  I don't want to grow something that will wilt in a couple of days like lettuces, but I don't want to not give much needed greens.  I'm still working this out in my head.

For our own garden, I have my wish list made out and am anxious to place the order.  I need to get together with A to find out what she is ordering.  We combine our order and split our seeds.  I also need dirt.  I have tons of cells.  I need more dirt.  I have a few sprouts from what I have planted so far, but they are still too young to transfer.  I would also like to build a cold frame so I can plant outside sooner and have it go longer.

I'm still deciding on a CSA this year.  I would like to have one because I know I will get some produce that I won't be growing.  But, I don't know if I will actually need one.  I am going to be growing quite a bit.  What I need to grow are fruit trees.  And grape vines.  And get the lumber moved.  Spring is coming.  It is a lot of work, but it is well worth it.  I come in covered in dirt and sweat and know that I am doing something good for my family.  The children help.  They are learning.

Having them grow up knowing where their food comes from places them head and shoulders above most people.  I know people that eat meat, but refuse to have anything with a bone in it because they don't want to acknowledge the fact that their food was once a living, breathing animal.  And those that do know that their food was once an animal don't really care how the animal was treated, raised, fed, or even realize that their meat that they ate three months ago was recalled last week.  (Kroger recall again.  And this is not a repeat of six months ago.  Or last year.  Or the year before.)

Having bought a beef package from Spendal's the other day, I realized that I have become a bit of a food snob.  (Ok, so I had that realization since long before now, but it was another reminder.)  This beef was the first meat we had bought in over a year.  (Outside of hot dogs or lunch meat which I will not even bother to call food.  Frankenfood maybe, but not real food and a rare buy.)  This meat was bought with the intent to feed us with planned meals and will last us six months.  (50# of beef.)  This will last us until it is time to take the hogs in.  And Peanut.  (That reminds me.  He needs to be castrated before he impregnates his sister.)  The meat from Peanut and the hogs will also last a good long time.  And a few months after that, it will be time to butcher turkeys and guineas.  (Which we still need to order in a couple of weeks.)

Yes, this is a lot of meat.  But we are talking food for my family for a year.  What we take to Spendal's or butcher ourselves in the fall has to last us until next fall.  Last fall, that did not happen.  We lost too many rooster chicks, turkey chicks, and guinea chicks.  When all those chicks died, we lost half of our meat food.  (It was also a lesson that free chicks does not equate to good or healthy chicks.  Hence ordering them ourselves rather than participating in Chick Day.)

The hog piglets are definitely a blessing.  While I feel horrible for what S is going through, it is a blessing for us.  And we will be bringing meat to them as payment for the hogs and to give them a chance to enjoy the final results of the time that they put into them these past few months.

Bethany and Hannah are still talking about "Grandmom's dead."  It will be a while still before this fades.  While I am saddened by opportunities lost, I am thankful that she did not have a long, drawn out, suffering illness.  She had taken care of many people who had long illnesses and trachs and feeding tubes and monitors and all this other stuff.  And she took care of them in her home.  She never wanted to put anyone else into that position.  She never wanted to be the person who was hooked up to machines and feeding tubes and having her life extended like that.  She had a DNR order and "no-code" on her charts.  She died the way she wanted and the way we prayed.  We prayed for her passing to be peaceful and her greatest fear was dying alone.  Her passing was peaceful and she was not alone.

While it will be a few years yet before the girls understand about death, hopefully they understand at the very least that Grandmom was loved.