Ragdollcatlady's Just a Little Patch of Weeds Farm journal

[Four Winds Ranch]

Lol, I have to say, my house is" beautifully lived in" aswell!!!!
How is Georgia? Do you have a due date for her?

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Four Winds,
I had one mom confess to me one time that she was a very casual housekeeper....Boy was she! That sure made me feel better knowing that I wasn't the only one that had some trouble keeping up with cleaning. And I had 4 little ones, she only had one! My mom has a very tidy house and so does my grandma. But early on, I realized that I would have to sacrifice something to keep it even close to that clean. It was taking the kids to the park and outside to play, or clean up the kitchen. It was reading to the kids, practicing manners with the kiddy tea set or vacuuming. It was decisions like that, that helped me realize that for now, the mess is fine. It isn't going anywhere. I wanted to be a better parent more than I want to be a good housekeeper. I guess I agree that when I go to someone else's house, the less tidy houses are easier to get comfy in. Not being afraid to set something down or spill makes for a better visit. So we are doing a good thing! Permission to be a little lazy accepted.

As for Georgia, she is fine. She is going to deliver a mansion any day now I do believe! I thought it was a house, but she is too big for that so I will have to settle for something a little larger. Her last breeding date is January 20....:/ Me thinks that sounds like too much more time, 2 more whole months? She would have to deliver a whole country by then! I think the date before that was Jan 3 or 4 That would still put her a month out. I can't find last years calendar. I was originally trying to breed her for the first sets of kids, but she didn't take, clearly, since everyone else is long since done. I would guess the early January days might be it or the last attempt in december just before christmas???? That could still leave us another month though. I had recorded all the dates, but was sure she hadn't settled because she kept cycling every 2 and 1/2 weeks it seemed. I never throw things away......So I prolly did throw that away only because now I need it and it would have been useful to not throw it away!!!!

 

[Canadiannee]

LOL... Ode to the "lived in" home!!

My Mother and Grandmother were what I call extremests when it came to cleaning their homes (I mean white glove treatment!) My Mother had what she called her "good livingroom", and I don't ever remember being allowed to step within an inch of the threshold except when receiving guests for Christmas dinner. Although I loved them both, I can't say either of them were "kid friendly" and I vowed when it came to raising mine, I was going to break that mold!

We often think when we have children, that 18, 19, 20 years is a LONG time... and it's not. The years fly by as you venture through each stage of their lives, from the first step, to the marvels of developing personalities and their likes and dislikes, to grade school, to junior high, high school, college and then career and marriage... I would not have traded sharing every minute of my children's lives for less dog hair, extra dishes in the sink, books and homework stacked on the kitchen table, or even the wet towels littering the bathroom floor....

Yep... a lived in "house" signifies a "home" to me - lol, mis-matched, well loved and with heaps and heaps of chatter!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I figure if one hour can make any room presentable, then we are good! Better if we can do it in half, but I'll take what I can get.

I think most visitors are familiar with us and aren't offended by the critters and "stuff". The friendship and company hopefully make up for it! I always used to tell my girlfriend that any excuse to not do housework is a good excuse! I could do with less dog and cat hair though ... :/ I was actually contemplating shaving the dogs and half the cats, to cut down on the fuzz for a day or 2 til it grows back!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Update on the lazy appliances....most are back from their self declared vacation and fully functional. Poor dryer is still claiming insanity and refusing to start sometimes, but I am looking for a replacement and tell her frequently, to try coerce cooperation....we'll see how long that lasts right???

I called my Mama Mia to see what her plans are for mothers day. I won't be able to make it up to see her and grandma that weekend as the kids have the 4H fair and my DS is going to EQLA down south and the DH is going to see his mother that weekend.

I thought maybe I could convince mom to go with me up to high north country to fetch me a beautiful baby goat I saw one of my BYH friends has on here that I MUST have....and then I could just blame it all on my mom.....after all mom and dad are the ones that gave me the money for Andy and now he needs a girlfriend or two.....

So I casually mention all that to mom and I confess my plan to 'throw her under the bus' as they say...even though she really had no part in the goat acquisition at this point in time....I also mentioned that I had called grandma and found out that my other grandma lives up north in the more or less general area and I would also like to swing by to see her as well. Mom mentioned that auntie is supposed to be here to visit right around that time and would probably like to go too......So at this point the plan is to take Nessie the loch ness monster goose and her Teddy bear silkie, head north, pick up mom, grandma, auntie, drive north more, drop off goose and silkie, pick up goat, visit grandma, head south, drop off auntie, grandma, mom and head home. Blame it all on mom and look sad and dejected and insist that I had nothing to do with bringing home this adorable baby goat and how could you not love this fat little face! And the ears!!!! .....It was aaaaalllllllllll mom and grandmas fault! They made me do it! See I told you I shouldn't be allowed to hang out with them. They are bad influences on me ...... ....and they spoil me...but aren't they supposed to?

So DH walked into the room just as mom called me back and said that grandma is excited and would love to do a trip like that!

So now I just gotta try and iron out all the rest of the details...... wish me luck....I think my cover story is SOLID!

 

[Pearce Pastures]

Hope you get your baby! And that DH doesn't up and decide to read your BYH journal .

 

[ragdollcatlady]

Well its a good thing he's a caveman then and since they only read in pictures I am safe cause my journal wouldn't be anywhere near as interesting if I had to write in pictures! (Just kidding! I love you honey! )

This is the goat I already mentioned a month ago...really, I just mentioned that she would be perfect for us.....and she is a great price and all.....at the end of that conversation, he had asked when I was picking her up. (Knows me well that man does ! ). So when I mentioned all the plans that mom and I were working on, I just mentioned at the very end in a tiny little voice that "oh and ya know, since that little goat is kinda up near there and well we would be in the area anyways and ya know,...I could sorta bring her home....." But I still need a cover story! Right?

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I finally washed my truck. I know, I know, I don't wash it because it is a part of my water conservation effort....but it is nice to have it clean every now and again. I have a dirt driveway so I don't even bother to try that here or I would end up sorrier than when I started. I took her to the carwash. My DH had given me a coupon for the wash. I spent an hour and a half vacuuming the inside and the attendants kept stopping by to make sure everything was OK since I was taking so long. Vacuuming is free so I am OK there! I had used the back for hay for my goats when the trailer lights were broken.......Dirty! but it smelled like alfalfa..... I don't mind that at all.

I did smash my finger in the car door when I was there though Thought I almost broke it....:/ but I am OK now.

I guess my aunt is going to be busy and won't be able to join us on my Northern Adventure. Grandma called asking if I wanted to change days, but I can't. The girl at work won't trade nights with me and mom only has Thursdays off.

I finally got the oil changed in my truck. I was seriously overdue. I also had them check my brakes, they said they were OK for now. Tire pressure was too high but it has been 95 or something like that out here.....

Washer isn't working again....same thing.

Georgias udder is fuller and squishier.... As long as she doesn't decide to kid on the 2nd....

DD has been milking for me, to learn how. She offered to do it so I could stay a little longer up north if I can get the night off of work. I do pay babysitters (animal sitters are babysitters to me) so that may have been a little motivation too. She does a good job and she shows up at the milk stand with more stubborn than they have.... though sometimes it's a close call....

Nellie and Stinkerbelle were tap dancing on the roof of the tall goat house. They are trying out for Santa's sled team next year.

Nessie and Teddy Bear ate all 15 lettuce plants in my little garden patch. I caught them in the patch 2x in the morning just cruising around eating stuff under the compost beneath the leaves. I shooed them both out. I was gone for a few hours and when I came back the whole plot was was clean and sparkly! And they were ready for a midday siesta after the all you could eat salad bar! Then I had DS plant some little corn shoots just outside the fence. When I got home from work, some of them were missing and a few were torn out but left on the ground???....It took me a minute....Nessie lays down and sticks her head through the fence for the green stuff on the other side! OOPSIE! MY BAD! They are so cute I can't get mad at them! I like how the head on this little goose is turning out. I wouldn't have minded at all if she didn't sell.

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

It is sooooo nice to get the inside of your vehicle clean! And everytime ya vow that "this time you are going to keep it that way!!" In a month, it is right back to how it was before the cleaning!!! Between my toddlers, and critters, the hay/straw and grain hauling, I don't seem to have a hope! Lol, oh well! At least it runs tickity-boo!!!
I love geese,( and ducks)!!! But, I don't have the faucilitys yet, and at the speed anything extra gets done around our farm, I may be waiting for some of my own for a bit yet!!! One day! Untill then I will just have to enjoy everyone elses pics!!!

 

[ragdollcatlady]

I'll have to drag you over to the Sebastopol side! Nessie looks all scrungy (my BFFs word...it is a cross between scruffy and grungy) because she was showering in the water as I was watering the left over plants from their weeding effort! That and she is a sebbie so they have the morning bedhead look all the time. She looks like she has a little helmet right now. Her feathers are coming in and the fuzz is moving back. Interesting look.

I agree on the vehicle thing. I try not to let too much junk collect inside, but I have almost given up on the dust out here. I don't mind hauling anything inside....well maybe I wouldn't want to haul a pig, even in a crate, but everything we need is either for us or the critters. And I need the critters so they get to ride too! ..... One year my minivan was out of commission during the county fair. We hauled everyone...all the animals even, in my DH's little Altima. I felt bad though. He doesn't even like the animals much and we had to put Bambi, our nubian in the backseat! She was fine of course. And she was my sons showmanship goat so we couldn't just leave her out. I really try to not wash the outside very much as I grew up with the chronic drought here in California, but I do like it when she is clean. Now that she is clean I am going to put the crates in to haul some animals around! Nessie and Teddy are going on the Northern Adventure so they get to be the first critters inside.

I would love to have a truck full of babies and toddlers again...all the carseats and stale snacks stuck in the seats....and lost toys......and the hilarious things they say!