Not much going on here. Rick is farming with his friend, Jim, so Telly is pouting. It’s not fun having to stay home with Mom after you’ve gotten used to Dad being home. I signed Telly up for basic dog obedience class on Monday nights this fall. She is still depressed and missing Faye and since Rick has been home, I miss having Telly for company so I thought this class would be something fun we could do together. Until last night we were both bored because all we got to do was sit and listen to a lecture. But last night we got to practice doing exercises with our dogs and Telly loved it.
Here’s our teacher, Cindy, with her very smart and obedient dog, Magnum.
I thought I’d update you on the chickens. From 25 layers I get 12-18 eggs per day because chickens lay an egg about once every 30 hours. That’s a lot of eggs. Here are the 4 “dysfunctional” girls – I call them something a lot less flattering but wouldn’t want to print it here. They get lost so easy, can’t find the water or the feed, roost on the edge of a water bucket! and other nonsense. I’m always checking on them to see where they are or if they’re in trouble.
And I have two big goldies that I just love but they are real sissies and want to hide all the time so I put this shovel in the corner for one of them and this is where she lays all the time, behind it. I suppose she gets up to eat and drink but not when I’m around.
And Emma always wants to eat out of my feed bucket the minute I set it down even though I have just fed her in her own pan. JB has taken up residence in the barn this summer and only comes to the house when it storms. I wonder if he’ll stay in the barn this winter? Colton lives in the barn, too, and they don’t like each other much.
Yesterday I put this church quilt on the longarm machine. This is a true patchwork quilt, isn’t it?
It’s very windy today and the rain is coming tonight so I want to finish up the houseplants this afternoon if I can. Someone said the other day that I’m a plant “hoarder” and I think that is an accurate description. I can’t throw them away so that, I guess, makes me a hoarder.
I am reading Etta and Otto and Russell and James and enjoying it very much!
Hope you’re all having a great week!
Morning from sunny cool CA Mary,
Thanks for all the news…..Obedience classes are so good for dogs. I think getting out and about with other dogs is a good social activity. Then you can practice at home, too. This little ‘granddog’ has started mystery growling and barking in the house when we see nothing then last night I saw a new white fluffy cat in the driveway and wonder if she can smell the cat? I say new as it isn’t a usual stray fed by our neighbor.
I don’t feel you are a plant hoarder…just a green thumb person helping Mother Nature with ecology.
I’ll check out the book you mentioned. Thanks…….have a good week, too.
Maybe your dysfunctional girls need glasses??? 🙂
Love that patchwork quilt! And I love all of your critters. I’d have chickens if my husband would let me, but I’m afraid the coyotes would get them. I already have coons and possums eating my cat food. Love reading your blog.
You know when you referred to the chickens as “layers” I was sort of confused and saw rows of chickens but the math didn’t add up and now realized what you meant. Also saw visions of layer cakes, the fabric. You could print blonde chicken jokes if you don’t want to put your language to good use. BTW, Colton, the #1 sale cat for fabric, lives in the barn?
Whoops, meant to say “if you want to put your language to good use”
Rose – for some reason, Colton has chosen the barn on his own.
Rose – your remark about layers reminds me of the confusion another friend had when I mentioned “dressing” chickens which means to butcher but she wondered why I’d want to put clothes on a chicken! Ha! Remember, Steph?
I really like patchwork quilts and I like the one that is on your frame. I’ve had a collection of left-over fabric, some of it from 30 years ago I’m sure. At one point I’d cut it all into 4 inch squares. I didn’t like any of it very much anymore. Cant’ even remember what I made out of most of it. But I’m from the ‘waste not want not’ mentality so about a week ago I sewed 300 of the squares together, using nearly all of them up. I absolutely LOVE the result. Will get a bit more fabric for borders. It will either be a bed quilt or a tablecloth for autumn. My daughter favors a tablecloth. Colors are all rusts, salmons, tans etc. Who knew??
Bonnie – amazing, isn’t it, the power of sewing squares together?
I have a question for your readers. I am interested in finding a new sewing machine that is QUIET. For some reason, in my old age, I cannot stand a loud machine. I only use my machine for quilt piecing, so nothing fancy needed.
Maybe those four chickens have so much on TOP of their heads, there is nothing inside??? Love the quilt top. I have tons of those squares in flannel and sew them together periodically. They do end up nice, soft quilts. The dogs are cute. Is Telly doing ok with obedience? Our neighbor found a small dog running around our neighborhood. When she opened her car door, it jumped right in!! She took it to the Humane Society and they discovered an unactivated chip!! Not good. Luckily, our other neighbor posted it on a Facebook lost dog page and the owner got it. We have Squeak so I’m not familiar with chips etc., but a good idea to activate, I’d think!!
Diane – uh, why have a chip if you’re not going to activate it?
Boy, would I love some of those farm eggs. Nothing better.
Thank you!
Mary, I get such a kick out of your emails when you tell us about all the animals on the farm. Those animals are sure lucky to have you and you them. What a wonderful life you have – I’m jealous. Love to see what your up to with the quilting too!
It is so difficult for those of us raised in a rural area that there are so many people who have absolutely NO idea of what farm or ranch life is like. Several years ago I was telling a friend about how our dogs, Snippy a terrier and Brownie a kind of collie/police dog, were out in the pasture with my Dad when he was mowing. They were running along in front of Dad when Snippy stepped into a hole and Dad couldn’t stop in time. He was so crushed. Mom told me the dog got hit by a car so I wouldn’t say anything that would have killed my Dad. I didn’t know the truth until I was about 16. My friend had a horrible look on her face “he could have stopped the lawn mower.” Well you don’t stop the tractor and sickle mower on a dime.
She also was amazed when one of the other ladies told her about drawing lines going up the back of their legs so they looked like they were wearing nylons. Oh, what things the younger generations don’t know!
Betty – you are so right, Betty, and I think nothing of it.
Oh ladies, I remember those seamed stockings! My Mom wore them and when those things came out, I knew it was a night out. Even as a kid I thought they were sexy – although obviously I didn’t know or use that word but I REALLY liked how they looked. Ha! What we notice as kids!?!
You had a nice shout out from Martingale press blog yesterday….use candles and coffee to age your quilts (or something close to that) , and your book on Civil War quilts, and a photo of you and Connie!
A little push to buy your book, in a series of four suggestions about making Civil War quilts.
Your dysfunctional gals…maybe their top knots are too heavy and are adding their brains!
When I was younger, all I wanted was to be a farmer’s wife, have a dozen kids and raise lots of farm animals. I managed to buy a house on the edge of a small town and had cornfields in my backyard. So, every time you talk about the chickens, goats, and barn cats…it makes this city girl’s heart sing.
Love the patchwork quilt…Will still wrap someone with love and warmth..
I loved that book and glad you are enjoying it too! A real inspirational fantasy!
I had to laugh out loud about the chickens. My daughter has chickens, or perhaps I should say HAD chickens since she moved in the spring & left the chickens behind “until she had a place for them”. She lived next door to us so we got the honor of taking care of them. I fed & watered them for awhile until the rooster came at me & gave me a couple of nasty cuts through my jeans with his spurs. Now my husband takes care of them!
Time for rooster dinner?
Betty! Never!!!
No, much as I dislike him, I still couldn’t do anything to him.
Happy October ! Fall is fast approaching here in North Dakota……. Great sewing time and great time to read blogs……. LOVE yours !
I love the “true patchwork” quilts that remind me of the utility quilts – made of scraps of whatever is available – old clothes, drapes, sheets . . .
It’s beautiful!
Mary, look forward to reading your adventures.
I was a long time subscriber to The Goat Gazzette.
Years ago you sent me pieces of your Hoya plants .
They haven’t bloomed yet but I am hopeful they will.
You take care of your plants because they give you joy.
I think we have dodged the hurricane here in North Carolina.
Have a blessed day. Lee