As the weekend draws to a close, I'm feeling a bit unsettled. A bit aimless. A bit scrambly, as in scrambling to stay on top of a stack of marbles that really don't want to stay in a nice little pile. Yup, I think I just made that there word up. Scrambly. But as I say it over in my mind, roll it over my tongue, I think it fits really well with how I feel.
This weekend we accepted a (counter) offer on our rental house. Still some contingencies to be met, same buyer as last fall, closing in late April - if the buyer's house sells this time. After the last minute falling through of that deal last fall, I'm not very eager to get all excited. To be honest, I just want to skip forward to the closing date and see how things are sitting.
But there are things we need to do to keep the deal going - I need to write up the actions we took as a result of the buyer's home inspection last fall and send the write-up in. We also need to figure out what we will do with the seller mortgage on our current home when the rental closes: attempt to get a 15 year mortgage or stay with the so-few-years-left-to-almost-be-scary seller agreement on our current home. And so many of these decisions could go either way dependent on this crazy situation that is going on with my husband's work. Which of course has been going on for months and I really can't say any more than that due to the situation.
But really, accepting this offer is a good thing. And so to is the brand new baby that my cousin back in Ottawa had last week. Little Z. And I'm going to have to figure out how to type those fancy little dots over letters, because cute Little Z (and I assure you, she is the cutest!) has two! Mother and baby, and father too I hear, are all doing well. Not getting much sleep, but I'm sure that doesn't come as a shock to any of you who have had newborns and young children! I can't wait to see her in person, but we won't be back there until the fall. I'm sure Little Z will enjoy Little M so much more at 6 months though compared to now!
On the bad side of things, my husband's cousin's wife found out recently that she'd had a miscarriage and they lost their to-be-second baby. And then her brother's wife gave birth and the little one had to be transported to a different hospital and although it seems she is stable now, she had some trouble breathing and things were close for a bit. Our thoughts are with them, to help them heal and strengthen the bonds that hold them together. Their side of the family has had a string of hard times lately, and I just hope that they move past these and maintain the positive & loving attitude that my limited interactions with them has shown me that they have, even throughout these times.
It's hard to hear about things like this and not want, heck need, to hold Little M close. To keep my fingers crossed that when things work out in our work-drama-filled lives right now and we can start trying for another baby, we will find that road easy and not have to go through the hardships that my husband's cousin's family is going through right now. I wouldn't wish their struggles on anyone, least of all them, but the little glimpses I get of them and their strength as they move through it makes me feel not so alone in dealing with our struggles, although ours are of an entirely different sort, and gives me the courage to keep being strong. After all, if they can be strong dealing with that, then we can be strong dealing with this. Strong and scrambly. All at the same time.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Planting seeds (with Little M)
Over the past week and a half I've planted peppers (March 1st), and onions (March 6th). The peppers I got started on a beautiful sunny Wednesday afternoon after work and right before picking M up from daycare. I started 3 varieties I grew last year - Golden Treasure, Chocolate Beauty, both from Seed Savers, and Marconi Rosso from a friend at work. Unable to resist the pull of new seed packets, I also started one new one, a combo packet - Hot Pepper Combo, from Irish Eyes.
Like last year, I have them sitting up on top of the fridge & freezer, centered over the warmest spot. I can see a couple that look like they have germinated, but nothing definitive popping up fresh green leaves.
The onions weren't so easily started. It was after supper on a night the mister worked, and Little M and I decided we needed something exciting to do. I'm not sure if she really realized what we were about to do, but to her, doing something on the sunporch sounded fun. Whew. Prepping seed starting mix, repotting a couple of houseplants that were rather potbound, and planting onion seeds was a challenge for her and I! Luckily we made it through, and got 4 containers of onions started - Cipollini and Walla Walla, both new packets from Irish Eyes.
I set them up on the new grow unit out of the reach of small fingers, and started getting some reused plastic containers set up over them to keep the moisture in. Then I noticed what I at first thought was a bat fly out over the eaves and towards the tree row between our property and the field next door. Mid-flight I realized that it was far too large to be a bat, it was an owl!
It was a great horned owl, sitting in one of our trees, listening for mice! I got a couple of tolerably clear shots, but it was basically dark, so it was hardly more than a silhouette. It didn't stay on the tree very long (can you see how it obviously grabbed onto a thin branch to sit on, and bent it over with its weight?) but it stayed there long enough for me to run and get my hoot flute, which of course Little M then wanted to play with.
That worked fine for me, she blew on the hoot flute and I finished setting up the light unit over the new seeds to get everything adjusted to the right level. I also put new batteries in the temperature sensor we have on the sunporch, since I hadn't bothered replacing them last time they ran out. This way we can monitor the temperature over night to make sure it isn't too cold for them out there. In fact, the next morning I wasn't very happy with a low of 48, so I might see about getting a heating pad. Or bring them inside for a little bit until they germinate. We'll see. What about you, getting any seeds started? Seen any owls lately? Have a little one running around underfoot who likes to 'help' sprinkle onion seeds & call in owls?
Like last year, I have them sitting up on top of the fridge & freezer, centered over the warmest spot. I can see a couple that look like they have germinated, but nothing definitive popping up fresh green leaves.
The onions weren't so easily started. It was after supper on a night the mister worked, and Little M and I decided we needed something exciting to do. I'm not sure if she really realized what we were about to do, but to her, doing something on the sunporch sounded fun. Whew. Prepping seed starting mix, repotting a couple of houseplants that were rather potbound, and planting onion seeds was a challenge for her and I! Luckily we made it through, and got 4 containers of onions started - Cipollini and Walla Walla, both new packets from Irish Eyes.
I set them up on the new grow unit out of the reach of small fingers, and started getting some reused plastic containers set up over them to keep the moisture in. Then I noticed what I at first thought was a bat fly out over the eaves and towards the tree row between our property and the field next door. Mid-flight I realized that it was far too large to be a bat, it was an owl!
It was a great horned owl, sitting in one of our trees, listening for mice! I got a couple of tolerably clear shots, but it was basically dark, so it was hardly more than a silhouette. It didn't stay on the tree very long (can you see how it obviously grabbed onto a thin branch to sit on, and bent it over with its weight?) but it stayed there long enough for me to run and get my hoot flute, which of course Little M then wanted to play with.
That worked fine for me, she blew on the hoot flute and I finished setting up the light unit over the new seeds to get everything adjusted to the right level. I also put new batteries in the temperature sensor we have on the sunporch, since I hadn't bothered replacing them last time they ran out. This way we can monitor the temperature over night to make sure it isn't too cold for them out there. In fact, the next morning I wasn't very happy with a low of 48, so I might see about getting a heating pad. Or bring them inside for a little bit until they germinate. We'll see. What about you, getting any seeds started? Seen any owls lately? Have a little one running around underfoot who likes to 'help' sprinkle onion seeds & call in owls?
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Americauna Eggs
On the weekend, our lone americauna lady laid her first egg! It was pale green, and on the small side. She laid it in one of the worst spots, in the corner by the way outside. The day after, she laid another, larger this time, again beside the coop exit! Likely she'll lay another one today, hopefully in one of the nest boxes this time!
Little M and I were out with the chickens yesterday afternoon, and Rooster Cogburn was getting rather friendly with several of the ladies, so hopefully in the future some of these pretty green eggs will get incubated and give us some new baby chicks! Although with 13 females right now, laying 5-6 eggs a day, I'm not sure that we need to be adding any more layers to our flock!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Our weekend
My husband normally works weekends, so from late morning until bedtime, Little M and I fend for ourselves. This means I get to be the one choosing to have the TV on or off, music playing or quiet, etc. Not to mention, I don't get time to really work on any current projects, mostly we just do the routine stuff - light cleaning, meal prep, feed/water the chickens & dogs, and some playtime.
My husband came home sick from work Saturday, and stayed home Sunday, so while he lounged around as he started to feel better Sunday afternoon, he kept an eye on Little M for a bit so I could get out of the house and work on some projects outside in the beautiful warm weather we were having. I was able to put a roosting bar up in the chicken coop, thin out some little trees in the front yard, and get the last couple door trim pieces cut. Pretty great progress I was thinking.
Then I realized that it was 4:30 on Sunday, and I hadn't started supper yet! And the house was a complete disaster, clean clothes waiting to be folded and put away, the floor needing swept, the table needing tidied up, the sunporch needing vacuumed, and Little M's toys strewn about the living room. Not to mention the kitchen wasn't quite as tidy as I would have liked either. Whoops!
I managed to get supper on the table by 6:30, and the house cleaned up while the enchilada casserole was in the oven. What a relief! I feel so much more calm and relaxed when the space around me is clutter and mess free! After supper Little M and I finished our cleaning spree, vacuuming the sunporch and getting it straightened up from my projects. No photos from the weekend, I guess we were just too busy! We did get our first blue/green americauna egg over the weekend though, which was pretty exciting! It looks so pretty next to the various shades of brown eggs! I'll try and put some pictures of the selection up later in the week :)
My husband came home sick from work Saturday, and stayed home Sunday, so while he lounged around as he started to feel better Sunday afternoon, he kept an eye on Little M for a bit so I could get out of the house and work on some projects outside in the beautiful warm weather we were having. I was able to put a roosting bar up in the chicken coop, thin out some little trees in the front yard, and get the last couple door trim pieces cut. Pretty great progress I was thinking.
Then I realized that it was 4:30 on Sunday, and I hadn't started supper yet! And the house was a complete disaster, clean clothes waiting to be folded and put away, the floor needing swept, the table needing tidied up, the sunporch needing vacuumed, and Little M's toys strewn about the living room. Not to mention the kitchen wasn't quite as tidy as I would have liked either. Whoops!
I managed to get supper on the table by 6:30, and the house cleaned up while the enchilada casserole was in the oven. What a relief! I feel so much more calm and relaxed when the space around me is clutter and mess free! After supper Little M and I finished our cleaning spree, vacuuming the sunporch and getting it straightened up from my projects. No photos from the weekend, I guess we were just too busy! We did get our first blue/green americauna egg over the weekend though, which was pretty exciting! It looks so pretty next to the various shades of brown eggs! I'll try and put some pictures of the selection up later in the week :)
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