Wonderful Wednesday

[Harriet]

Twins' Mom, congratulations on ten years. HRH really misses the parties when he was a plant manager and responsible for big Christmas event and getting all the year-pins and certificates ready. One day of the year not stressful, lol. I hope you have a big round of applause.

My hens are barely laying right now either, and I doubt if helia's are. When the days shorten, egg production slows, unless they are first-year hens. But they will surprise and start back and we'll have too many. I think it's all right to give them a rest, really. Our Fay just went through a molt and is growing her feathers back in, which takes a lot of energy. They don't lay during that time, because all the energy goes into producing a new feathering all over. What I need to discipline myself to do is open up the henhouse early every morning so they don't miss any of the sun's rays.

Norma, I hope Mr. Guy starts feeling better!

Harmony, yeah, they include those because the mental disorder is similar to hoarding, but most hoarders wouldn't even recognize her. She had given up all possessions in order to make room for more and more cats. There were rooms that had almost nothing in them, to make space for cats (and what cats leave behind). At first, her home was probably a blessing to orphaned cats and she spayed as she could, but at some point the numbers and the waste got away from her and conditions went from good for cats to toxic to cats so they died. So tragic.

I avoided the bologna sandwiches but then he made spaghetti for supper. Unless I was going to move out, I was going to be eating that spaghetti, it smelled so good. So the day wasn't ideal, but pretty good.

[blessedw2]

thanks d twins for understanding. love the man deeply but with the new quirks and his worry I have to admit my patience is a little on edge. He said he was enjoying every minute and laughed when i mentioned that he needed a break from me too. He is getting old before his time again so I have to admit I am a little worried about why it's happening.

hi dharriet too. and deveryone.

dogs are in heaven now that we are home from the vet.

[blessedw2]

I mean "they" are home from the vet... lol
good night and sweet dreams to all.

[helia]

Hen comment: Yes, our hens are not laying right now either b/c dh has not gotten the lights in their coop hooked up yet. They laid all winter last year with the lights on. He'll get around to the lights eventually, but he has a lot on his plate in other arenas of life. In the meantime, I agree with Harriet - it is nice for them to have a break from laying.

[BookSaver]

Hello, villagers ~
Today's activities were very different than what I'd planned to do, but it turned out ok.

When I got to the library I learned that staff had already carried the donations downstairs -- which will mean next week they'll need to be carried back up, but oh well. Library director showed me an empty space we can borrow for a week, and gave me a bunch of boxes to sort the donations into. That took 2 hours when I thought I'd only be there 5 minutes to assess/pick up. In the long run, though, the stuff needed to be sorted sooner or later anyway so it's just as well to have it done, and I labeled all the boxes.

The sale we're preparing for now is part 2 of the quilting books and fabrics. This time we'll have different quilt stuff and also craft supplies. Today's donations were lots of yarn, needlework kits (partially completed as well as unopened new ones), and a little fabric.

After a late lunch, I opened all the boxes of donations in my car from last night's sewing group meeting. I needed to do a rough inventory before delivering the boxes to the women's shelter.

Had a nice chat with shelter staff while making that delivery, then went to the Big City post office to check the sewing group's mailbox. (Normally the job of the group's treasurer, but she is out of town for a few months so I'll be filling in for her as well as my other duties.)

I had a coupon for a consignment store I like, not too far from the shelter, so stopped in there. Tried on several tops and came away with a pretty blouse and nice sweater for the holidays. I'm truly hoping that will take care of all clothing needs for several months, as I dislike trying on clothes.

Then it was time to fill a cart at the grocery store. Stopped at the ATM on the way home to make a personal deposit and one for the sewing group.

Frozen lasagna for supper because I could throw it in the microwave and while it cooked, finish getting the trash and recycling ready to take to the curb.

I need to rest the remainder of this evening, and try to go to bed early. If I am not allowed to spend significant time on the household chores tomorrow, things will be getting desperate around here!

[Ivy]

Good Evening, Villagers!

My TA DA:
- Logged my deposit from my employer for financial records.
- Hung up my night gown and robe and a top.
- Crocheted 2 preemie pastel pink tube socks and am making a hat to match.
- Had lunch, supps.
- Put out hot spots.
- Put totes of yarn/patterns on clipboard away.
- Rested for a few minutes.
- Put groceries away when DH got home.
- Fed Bert & now Ernie's eating.
- Planned dinner, got out silverware and napkins.
- Worked on my calendar for tomorrow.
- Filled a low wide round basket with baby yarn, which is on the sofa near the recliner where I'm crocheting.
- Had a cup of coffee to wake up. Was drowsy.


Helia, I know some hens won't lay eggs in the winter. Is it all to do with light? Does light make them "feel" like it's summer?

Blessed, I understand the "need" to have a break from the DH. I need this at our house, too.

Twins' Mom, Congrats on 10 years!

Harriet, Will you try the light trick to get your hens to lay in the winter? Just curious if everybody does it. My Dsis has hens who lay year-round. I should ask her if she has lights in the coup, too. Light Therapy! It works for humans and their "mood"!

Booksaver, You sound like you had an awesome day!

Time for dinner! TTFN! Just wanted to "pop" in to say hello and tell everyone to have a good night! This week's speeding by so quickly! Is it this way for ALL of you, too? I just can barely wrap my head around that tomorrow's Thursday already!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Talked to my friend. She needs to go to Toronto tomorrow for a doctor's appointment and then next week for a CT scan (she's having total jaw replacement surgery.) Her ride tomorrow canceled so she's doing it herself. It is a 5 hour drive each way and she insists on doing it all in one day, something I simply won't do for her.

I can't walk without support the following day after a 4 hour drive in the car so there's no way I'll go for 10 unless it was an emergency involving one of my kids. It is a moot point, I can't do it now because I'd need some place to nap while she's at her appointment.

She can either break things up, take a train or plane but she won't do those so she's driving herself. And yes, she's on pain meds that warn about driving and she has a terrible sense of direction and is terrified of driving anywhere on her own, even in the city she grew up in. This is a disaster waiting to happen but I'm not going to bail her out. I did suggest she phone the doctor and see if her appointment could be moved to next Tuesday with her CT scan on Wednesday so she could drive down Tuesday and home Wednesday instead of having to do the drive twice.

In the meantime, back at my own drama, there are two updates:

1. Someone asked about dfs. He's actually fine now. He really did have the flu and has mostly recovered from that. His knee is in bad shape (tore it up playing Ultimate on top of the half-marathon damage this summer) so he's walking all the time with a cane which eliminates the pain on walks of up to 10 minutes (no car so he has to walk everywhere.) He's in physiotherapy and expect to recover in 8 - 10 weeks.

He's off to Montreal this weekend. I'm worried about the walking and keep reminding him that the important thing is to be able to walk down the aisle without a cane this spring.

2. Ds has been communicating with the ski patrol people who still want to have him volunteer this year. So they've come up with an alternate one-on-one training program for him to finish the first aid training and he'll be able to start working the hill in January. The doctor said he could continue with the reading portion of the work, even when he felt really sick.

Anyway, orientation on the hill is on Saturday, 8 - 12. That means leaving here at 7, home around 1:30 (because I'll need lunch on the way home.) It is only walking around the hill and finding out where everything is. At the end, they go up the hill, check out the storage area up there and then ski down but ds can be exempted from that part. And then they get lift passes for the rest of the day but, of course, ds won't be skiing.

I've given my tentative, conditional, OK. I'll drive him. I have more than enough stuff to do while waiting the 4 hours (reading for the sermon prep, sermon writing, devotions and Christmas card writing.)

I made him go outside and walk around the block (which is 1/3 mile.) He actually walked to the school and back which is a mile. And says he feels fine. I'll get him to do that each day between now and Saturday.

It is the prednizone that makes him think he can do this but at least he'll still be on a half dose that day so will still be under the effects of it just not full strength.

The advantage to do the ski patrol is two fold: 1) he'll have a chance to earn back the $250 he spent on the training and 2) the advanced first aid and CPR will give him extra skills for his resume when he's looking for work in Australia. And apparently, volunteering with the Red Cross there will count as 'work' for the minimum 88 days he needs to work in order to get his visa extended.

I've baked 3 doz cookies and a pan of MamaPs squares for tomorrow (Christmas Tea at the non-profit building I'm on the board of) and have run a load of laundry and the dishwasher. Still have a lot of dishes to wash up by hand and to hang the clothes to dry.

Then it will be to bed.

[lucylee]

If anyone is interested, I posted a bit of a "slice of life" in members only. Too much griping about work to put out here on the wide-open worldwide web, I think.

Long long LONG day...

OH -- and I forgot to even put on that post that dmil had ME looking online for sportcoat for dbil. DMIL is giving ds & dh $$ and they are expected to select their own gifts. But I was given the task of selecting sportcoat for dbil??? I finally told her this was just too overwhelming -- dbil is notoriously hard to please, anyway -- and that if ds & dh could select their own gifts, then dsisil could/should select the sportcoat for dbil.
* sheesh *

Thinking... praying... (((OKay)))...

Blessed... I've been cuop in a sorta harum-scarum manner, but I think I can empathize a bit, at least in some ways, w/your situation. DH here gets more set in his ways every day! (((HUGS)))

Twins -- congratulations on your 10-year anniversary! WTG!

Also sending "get well soon" wishes to Mr. Guy, Norma!

(((Harriet))) -- for aggravating episode w/bank!

Kathryn, I think you are smart to "just say no" to dfriend. I know how my dmom's back bothers her after an hour or so in the car. I cannot imagine what a 10-hour round-trip would do to her!
Also -- I'm so glad to hear that ds is feeling stronger.

Waving to EVERYONE!!! I hope y'all understand how frantic everything is right now for me. I feel terrible about neglecting everybody in my responses, but I have just got to spend a little more time on the HAVE TO DO's instead the computer which is a WANT TO DO.

[Harriet]

(lucylee)) we know this is a tough calendar time. Thanks for checking in.

Kathryn, yes that is a LOT to think about. I hope ds' strength builds and know you are all relieved dfs had something that passed more quickly.

Ivy, it's an interesting question. I never have before. But we do have an "electrified" henhouse in that we warm the hen's water through the really cold weather. We have a recycled set-up with a lightbulb fixed UNDER a large terra cotta upside down plant pot, with an old handle-less frying pan upside down on top of that. The waterer will sit on that quite level, and stay warm enough to keep the water from freezing. Dstepson and HRH rigged it up. We haven't needed it yet this year.

I don't know if the guys could also string another light bulb (or string of lights like Nancy has discussed) to the ceiling or not with this set-up. Even if they could I'd still need a timer, probably, since I couldn't be sure I could turn the "sun" on every morning at the same time through really bad weather. (It needs to be morning - hens that fly onto a roost every evening like ours get disoriented unless the evening comes on naturally.) Then we'd get into the problem of wanting the water warm all the time but the light on only part of the time, so I can see it getting complicated.

This site will give times of sunrise and sunset for US locations, btw, which is helpful information for lots of folks, not just hens. Right now my hens have a 10-hour day of sunshine and in theory they lay their best with 12 to 14, which won't happen until spring.

[lucylee]

Just wandering through our archived PWYC threads...
I enjoy looking back @ where I was a year ago... or two... or more...
but then it makes me sad because --
I miss Indiana sooo much.
I really am almost in tears right now.
I think I need to go to bed.