New Job!

Just a quick post.... I spent my last day selling furniture.... tomorrow I will be selling cell phones!!! Go figure.... The huge show room of furniture was killing my legs and feet... So I still get to sell.... just a smaller product.... smaller showroom! I start tomorrow! Christina

Happy Birthday to ME!

As some of you know.... or maybe not... I am kinda into coffee. I love coffee. I like it hot. I like it cold. I like it with milk. I like it black. I like it in cookies and brownies. I like it in BBQ sauce! I am just a little kookie about coffee! You nearly always see me with coffee of some kind in my hand. So.... I searched and searched and searched for a coffee I could call my own. I found a fantastic roaster in Georgia! They do wonderful coffee. I have never had a complaint about the coffee! But anyway, I found a roaster. They agreed to use my private label. Woo Hoo! I built a website. My company is almost one year old! I can't believe it. I would love my friends to check it out and give me some feed back. What can I do to make it better?
In addition to coffees, I have espresso makers, coffee grinders, coffee cups, recipes, links, info, quotes... just look me over. If you have a coffee quote that I have not found and would like to suggest it let me know! Have a coffee recipe not included in my recipe pages. Send it here, I would love to include it, give you credit and a link!
I have an add url page. Use the form. I will add any tasteful family links.

Help me celebrate my birthday by making my site more better!

If you are a coffee bean and want to order some ...

woo hoo... won't say NO!

Thank you to my friends!

The Original Coffee Company

http://www.theoriginalcoffeecompanyonline.com

Stop on by.... the Hummer Diner!

Wow! What a weekend! We had a huge sale at work and I pulled a 13 hour day yesterday! My poor feet are killing me! (I am commissioned sales person, selling furniture on a 10,000 square foot sales floor, yes, 10,000!) I do alot of walking everyday, but alot more yesterday! I missed my chicks. My strawberries are turning to mush. And Sugar thinks I am a stranger! But all that aside..... The chicks still love me! I would like you to meet Hilda (back center) and Stew (forward). They are 2 of my NH reds. Stew (short for chicken stew) is our only rooster of our 9 chicks--he hasn't figured out if living with 8 hens is good or bad. Hilda is my DIVA! She is soooo funny. When I go out to see them, Hilda will run up the ramp and down the perch and fly off the end. Of course, she is rewarded with much laughter and clapping, so she does it again. I really do enjoy the chickens. I can't believe they are only 2 months old!

The whole gang! The other NH red is Myrtle. We have a buff orpington named Curious George, she loves to freeze and stare at you, like she is trying to figure you out. The other 5 don't have names yet. The barred rocks are hard to tell apart. I haven't identified and distinct personality traits yet. But I am sure, before the summer is out they will all have names!
The Sunflowers
Corn, bush beans, tomatoes, gourds, spinach, broccoli, basil, asparagus all growing great! Aquaponics.... the basil is going gangbusters in this environment!
Strawberries coming on strong still! More jam on the way!

I hope everyone is doing well!

Blessings to all!

GARONTROMOM

What's for dinner?

Italian?

Add a little garontromon!

A magical spice-

The entree maker!

Asian?

Is that your desire?

Add a little garontromon!

The dream spice-

A culinary delight!

Plain Food

Bland Food

Add a little garontromon!

The entree maker-

A culinary delight!

A magical spice-

A gourmet dream-

Garontromon!

( I don't know if this fills the bill, but I was hungry when I was thinking of this prompt. I get tired of the same old, same old. I have always dreamed of a magical spice to change up the every day! So my readers.... GARONTROMON!)

Musings....

I sat down at the PC today, trying to catch up. Wanting to let all know I am well and alive. It has been a busy week. A sale going on at the current job. An interview for a new job. Preparations for transition. Anxiety over decisions. Strawberries to pick. A child buying a motorcycle. Gas prices at $4 a gallon. Presidential debates. Tornadoes and floods. Bills and groceries. Needless to say, this week has been a heavy mental week. Bits of trust corrupted here and there. But what are the sayings....

When the going gets tough, the tough get going...There's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow....The grass is always greener on the other side...There's a silver lining in every cloud...Tomorrow is another day....I do make a difference....

I don't know..... I wrote a poem....Sometimes I wish I could just curl up in my own paradise. I don't want to worry about the world. I want everyone to do their part. No pollution. No poisons. No wars. No politics. Just a safe, warm place--with family and friends. A place with trust.

My friends.... I hope you all are having a safe Memorial Day Weekend. Enjoy your families and friends.

To all of the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Policemen, Firefighters, and Servicemen everywhere who have gone on, I salute you. Thank you for all the valiant efforts you made to make and keep us safe throughout the centuries.

To all of the Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Policemen, Firefighters, and Servicemen everywhere today, I may not agree with the politics that put you in the situations that are happening today, but I salute you also and give you heartfelt thanks for your sacrifices.

Paradise

PARADISE

a space
my space
filled with family
filled with joy

a space
my space
filled with friends
filled with peace

a space
my space
filled with music
filled with sound

a space
my space
filled with clean air
filled with hope

a space
my space
filled with green luscious growing things
filled with beauty

a space
my space
filled with words
filled with knowledge

a space
my space
filled with creatures of the arc
filled with laughter

a space
my space
filled with light and warmth
filled with safety

a space
my space
filled with rain and waterfalls
filled with serenity

a space
my space
filled with

JOY
PEACE
SOUND
HOPE
BEAUTY
KNOWLEDGE
LAUGHTER
SAFETY
SERENITY

filled with life and love and trust

PARADISE

Indiana- A trip to nowhere

cornfields and soybeans

soybeans and cornfields

lined along the highways and byways

cardinals are fewer than crows

stealing the precious grains

before the harvest

"who's there?"

"who's there?"

"hooo saire?"

"hoosier?"

so they say

midwestern dreams of youth

how far can I run

no more cornfields

no more soybeans

no more crows

dedicated to artpredetor

To all of you hoosiers out there, the intent is not to offend, just to remember thoughts of my youth.

I Love Strawberries!

I love strawberries.

BUT

One can only eat sooooo many strawberries at a time!

I gave away strawberries.

I fed the chicks strawberries.

I threw away strawberries.

SO

I decided to make JAM!

Fresh Berries

Pectin, SureJell, or what I used,

Ball Freezer Jam Pectin!

Smash up the berries, mix up a packet of the fruit jell and 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Add the sugar mix to 4 cups of smashed berries and Voila! JAM! Pour the jam into 5-8 oz jars and freeze for up to a year!
Strawberries all year long!

Coffee a Poem

Trees like a green sea

White flowers like fields of clouds

Luscious red berries like red polka dots

Seeds dark and fragrant like an exotic trade wind

A brew, dark and steamy like a romantic evening

Coffee is like heaven

Sunday Morning in Four Oaks

Today was a day for mowing the law.

My poor sweetie.... he would really love a riding mower!

A straight on view of the garden.

The garlic is really looking fantastic this year.

Back half of the garden.

The yuckra did not germinate. (maybe I cursed it)

But the sweetie is gonna try again.

My faery forest!

It greats vistors when the come in the drive.

I think the dusty millers have turned into trees!

The basil in the aquaponics is doing well.

There is also a couple of brocoli and some spinich.

The tomato is kinda iffy.

The ferns are doing great. The weather has been perfect for them.

We have netted chains, ladies, cinnamons, christmas, red stem, and a few more.

They make a great shade ground cover!

If you are interested, we sell on ebay. homestead*creations.

The sunflowers are really growing.

I can't wait for the flowers to bloom!

The birds will love them too!

The chickens still fasinate me! They are so hillarious. It is better than tv! The 3 NH reds have names. The rooster is "Stew"! The darker hen is "Hilda". She is the show off and star of the coop. When she sees us coming, she runs up the steps, down the perch and flies off the end. The lighter red is so prim and proper, I named her "Myrtle" after my grandmother. The others will probably be named as their personalities show. But I do love my chicks!
And no post would be complete without mention of my constant companion, protector of chickens, Sugar. She is, as I post, laying on her favorite green cushion next to me!

To all my blog friends, I hope you had a fulfilling and restful weekend! Mine starts tomorrow!

Take care! Happy blogging! Reuse, Reduce, Recycle!

Coop Construction

Coop Construction

We had some previously used pvc frames (5'x10' about 4'high).

I covered the ends, one side and half of a side with 4' chicken wire.

On the other half side, I used 2' chicken wire.

Along the top, where the half side of 4' was, I ran a length of 2'.

That totally wired up the open space.

On the other end, I covered the frame with a heavy duty tarp.

I left one side loose. The other side was zip tied down.

On the loose side, where the 2' is, we use bungie cords.

This way we can open and close the coop to feed and water.

When they get old enough to lay eggs, we have a nest box that will fit on one side of the roosts.

We will be able to gather the eggs from the loose side.

We put scrap lumber around the base to staple the chicken wire down!

It is very easy to move. The ladder and roosts are screwed in so they lift with the unit.

Just lift a bit and scoot!

For my friends at Small Meadow Farm. I really appreciate all the great information you provide for us! Keep up the great work! Christina

DNA Piracy

Again.... More from Monica at Small Meadow Farms. Here's a link More about DNA theft!

If you missed the VIDEO.. here it is!

The Arte documentarty aired March 11th in France. Made it's way to YouTube and GoogleVideo. Then it suddenly disappeared.... well thanks to Monica at the Small Meadow Farm, via my friend Robbyn at the Back Forty.... here is the link The World According To Monsanto! Thank you my friends... I am burning a copy so I don't lose it again!

Bloggers Unite for Human Rights

Today there is a campaign for Human Rights at Bloggers Unite. I tend to get on soap boxes at times. I read their campaign. It is associated with Amnesty International. Don't get me wrong. There are injustices world wide. I just believe that we need to work on Human Rights HERE at home. ( Where ever your home is) If everyone takes care of home.... the world will be a better place. That being said my two latest soap boxes....DNA Piracy you can read what I wrote here. Don't get me started on Monsanto (who is stepping all over human rights world wide!)

Visit Amnesty International, there are some very real issues going on in the world. Violence Against women. Childrens Rights. Katrina Survivors. Many More.... Pick one and blog about it.

Tonight in the Coop!

G'night little chicks!

You have to read this! DNA Piracy!

Excerpt from an article By Bob Unruh© 2008 WorldNetDaily

According to congressional records, S.1858, sponsored by Sen. Chris Dodd,
D-Conn., was approved in the Senate Dec. 13, in the House April 8 and signed
by
Bush April 24."Soon, under this bill, the DNA of all citizens will be
housed in
government genomic biobanks and considered governmental property
for government
research," said Twila Brase, president of the Citizens'
Council on Health Care.
"The DNA taken at birth from every citizen is
essentially owned by the
government, and every citizen becomes a potential
subject of
government-sponsored genetic research."

Thanks to Robbyn from the Back Forty and Monica from Small Meadow Farms. For the rest click here! and here!

More here

Robbyn's blog is loaded with these "conversations" -- really check them out. Click here for today's.

Check out what is happening in Minnesota!

We all should be outraged that our freedoms are slipping away daily! We are the "people". Isn't our government for the "people"?! We need to stand up and speak out! We don't want "Big Brother " watching over our shoulders at every aspect of our life!

Lacy--This one is for you!

I can't believe how fast they grow!

They love to run up ramp and then jump off the end of the perch!

They are so hilarious that I spend half the time rolling on the ground laughing my a** off!

I caught one in mid flap!

This one is a buff orpington.

A barred rock and NH red.

The red is the only one I know for sure that is a rooster.

I call him "chicken soup"! "Here take my picture!"
The perch--the best entertainment in the world!
Sugar, on guard as always!

The coop is working out great!

We move it every couple of days.

Our lawn will be the best fertilized lawn in the neighborhood!

The nights are still cool enough and the chicks young enough, that we still use the heat lamp.

The love the half rotten strawberries and winter rye seed heads.

They are total hams for the camera.

Garden Update Four Oaks, North Carolina

Spring is truely here!

The plants are growing like weeds!

Basil in the aquaponics beds.

Garlic and collards
Cabernet grapes

(we lost one this winter)

Sunflowers in front of the porch
Bush beans

The first planting of corn is showing. The gourds are looking fantastic. We have sooooo many strawberries that it is difficult to try to eat them all! (Sooo many burdens--I don't know how I do it!) The tomatoes are looking great. I got an egg plant this year! Yeah! I hope all you gardeners out there are planting away! (We use a no till system. We grow cover crops in the winter (rye) and only make rows. We also mulch with leaves and hay. We try to disturb the ground as little as possible.)

Companion Planting

My Blog Friend, The Back Forty, always has great informtion to share. Yesterday her post was about companion gardening. Very interesting. I had thought about plants and what should go together or not together. Well, Robbyn put it together for me. This is the link for her post on companion gardening. You will find this link in her post, too, but I wanted to share it with you all here. Trucs d'artan I know all my homesteading friends will enjoy these. ( Y'all are probably smarter than me and figured this all out a long time ago!) Have a great day! Christina

Elements of Motherhood -- Happy Mother's Day

ELEMENTS of MOTHERHOOD

Being a mom is...

exasperating

exhilarating

exhausting

enlightening

excellent

electric

enjoyable

emotional

earthshaking

economically challenging

educating

entertaining

elating

elemental

elevating

embracing

enchanting

energizing

engaging

engrossing

enjoyment

enlivening

enormous

enrapturing

enriching

enthralling

enterprising

enthusing

enticing

entire

entrusting

entwining

entwisting

enveloping

enviable

episodic

equilibrating

essentializing

eternal

eventful

evocative
evolving

excellent

exceptional

existential

expanding

expensive

exploding

extreme

exultant

Happy Mother's Day to all!