Maybe trainable is a better description. . . .

Pigs are reputed to be very smart animals. I believe I've even mentioned here how intelligent and wonderful they are, but after this week, I am wondering if trainable is a better description of a pig than intelligent.

Our pigs are pastured. We aren't there yet, but the idea is to have several pastures to rotate them through. Three pastures would be ideal for the feeder pigs. We can let them eat and dig up one pasture, and when it is cleared, rotate them to the next, and plant the first with goodies for later.

Since weaning, the feeder pigs have been in one pasture. They have done a wonderful job clearing it and digging it up. We finally got the second pasture fenced in about a week ago, but we can't get the pigs to go in it.

We gated off the first pasture with an electric fence gate, and made an opening next to that gate to go into the second pasture. Please note that electric fence was there before the opening to the second pasture was made. Kellen and I tried to herd the pigs into the new pasture. They wanted nothing to do with it.

They would go as far as the line where the electric fence was, and then they would budge no further. They jostled and pushed each other and us, but no pig would cross that line into the new pasture. A couple of them went through the electric gate into the old pasture, and several of them got by us before Kellen and I gave up in frustration.

It was time for plan B; lure them with food. We let the self feeder run out. This morning I called them out of the building with a bucket of feed. I put a small pile of feed right at the line where the fence used to be. Very gingerly a couple of them started to eat. Soon all ten of them were pushing and shoving for position on that pile of feed, but none of them would go around to the other side of the pile which would cause them to cross that imaginary line.

I took a little more feed and drew a line with it from the first pile to a second small pile beyond the imaginary line. I sat and watched for about 15 minutes. Still no pig would cross that line. I got tired of watching and went about some other chores.

An hour later, I went to look again. This is the picture I saw. Most of the pigs were still outside sniffing around for feed. Look closely. The black pig on the left has its nose right about where the fence was. Just past his nose is the pole that marks the corner of the two pastures. Keep looking left and you can see two untouched piles of feed on the ground. Apparently, they aren't hungry enough yet to cross that line. I wonder how long it will take?

Pigs, smart enough to train to electric fence, but not smart enough to know when the fence is no longer there. Trainable? They certainly are. Smart? I'm not inclined to think so at this moment.

Mint

Our extremely wet spring has certainly caused some problems here on the farm. Our spring garden has been one casualty, and now it looks like we can add our first cutting of hay to the list. Even so, there are a few things around here that are simply flourishing with all the extra moisture. Mint is one of them.

Mint is extremely easy to grow, and will spread and take over in just about any space. Give it a little sun and a wet area, and you can almost see it grow.  Our mint is planted near a ditch where it is welcome to cover the bank it is planted on.

I use a lot of mint fresh during the warm months, and I dry it for use over the winter. Mint is a delicious and different taste to use with roasted meats. It especially pairs well with lamb, but my favorite way to use mint is for tea.

There is not much that is more refreshing to me than sun brewed mint tea over a tall glass of ice. You can find a gallon of it in my refrigerator all summer long. It is so simple to make.

Peppermint Sun Tea

8 tea bags

a handful of peppermint

gallon of water

Put everything in a glass jar, and allow to sit in the sun. The time it takes to brew depends on your taste and the temperature outside, but it should take a least a few hours. I bring it in when it looks right. I remove the tea bags, but often just leave the peppermint in. We drink it unsweetened, but if you are a sweet tea fan dissolve some sugar in hot water to add to the tea. Serve in a nice tall glass over ice. 

Of course, if the sun is hiding, (as it has been most of this spring,) simply put a pot of water on the stove with the tea bags and mint. Bring it to a boil. Remove from heat. Strain into a gallon container and fill the container with cold water.

What is your favorite way to use mint?

Keeping Cool

It felt like summer last week. Though you wouldn't know it by the 50 degree temperature I woke up to this morning, last week was hot and humid. We were able to keep cool enough by cooling off the house at night, and closing it up tight in the morning. Our animals however do not have such an opportunity. They have to find other ways to stay cool.

I walked over to check on the meat birds. You may remember that they are now completely free ranging, and that I'm betting their proximity to the house (and our dogs) will keep them safe from predators. As I walked toward them, I couldn't see a single chicken. I couldn't even hear any of them. My heart began to race a little.

As I got to their pen, there was still no sign of the birds. I could feel the dread creeping in while I kept walking past their pens. I was well past their normal hangout when I finally heard the faint sound of them. Moving toward the sound I caught a glimpse of white among the green. They were all deep in the brush at the edge of the woods just keeping cool in the shade.

Directly across from where I found the chickens are the fat hogs. Do you know how hogs keep cool? They don't sweat. Though I didn't catch them in the act, it is pretty obvious. Pigs lay in the mud to keep cool.

Of course when they saw me standing there, they thought I was bringing something yummy for them. In a matter of minutes I had drawn a crowd. Pigs just flock to me what can I say?






Finally, I'll share one cool momma. She apparently, thinks the way to keep her and her chicks comfortable is to hang out in my strawberry patch. I probably should have shooed her out, but I was too busy snapping pictures of all that cuteness!

According to the forecast, I don't think we are going to have any trouble staying cool this week. Staying dry however may be a challenge. Hope the spring weather is better in your neck of the woods.

Where to start???

Tomorrow is Nolan's 7th birthday. It is also May 12, as in the almost the middle of May, for anyone else who has lost track of time like I have. Seriously? The middle of May? Where did April go?

There is always a lot going on here, and I don't know how many times I've seen something, or thought of something, and said to myself, "I really need to write about that." Occasionally, I even snapped a picture. 

I knew it had been awhile since I'd written, but I was surprised to see it had been two weeks! Goodness. So where to start?

I guess with the important stuff. Tim's surgery was April 29th. The surgery went well. He will have a large depression where they took out the lymph nodes and other soft tissue. It is under his arm, and thus isn't really noticeable, but really who would care anyway when given the alternatives? He is pretty tender in that area yet, and his energy is not quite up to normal, but everything is healing up nicely. And the best news, they didn't find any more cancer cells in the tissue that was removed. What a huge relief and answer to prayer! He will still have interferon treatments, but those won't start until June.


As for other things happening around here, one night we found the siding by the back door of the house covered with moths. Among them were several of these pink and yellow ones. I have no idea what they are, and I have never seen them before. They certainly are unusual.  I probably should consider them a garden pest; moths lay eggs that hatch caterpillars that eat my plants, but seeing as I have nothing planted (and it is almost the middle of May,) thanks to all this rain, I decided to enjoy looking at them.

Our end of the year picnic for our homeschool co-op was yesterday. This year we had a drama and music class. They were able to perform for us at the picnic. They did a wonderful job! The weather was great for the picnic. The food was abundant and delicious. We had a great time.

  

The kids are always up to something. Their imaginations and ability to entertain themselves astounds me sometimes. They had my camera the other day. I've come to expect some surprises when I upload from the camera. Among them this time were the one at the top of this post, and the one below.

Quite honestly, I have no idea what they are doing in either picture, but I thought they both were pretty cute!

Slip Sliding Away

Our driveway has always been an interesting topic of discussion for visitors. It is 3/4 of a mile of gravel road. Comparatively, by West Virginia standards, it is not overly narrow or curvy. Of course, not all of our visitors are from West Virginia, or regular drivers of West Virginia country roads.

Our driveway does boast a few interesting features. The first of which, you encounter almost immediately. This little knoll looks innocent enough, but driving up it puts your car at angle which prevents you from seeing where the road goes after you pass the crest.

When you finally can see the road,  your eyes are confronted with the following:

A steep downhill immediately followed by an even steeper and longer uphill which shows up better in this picture that was taken earlier in the season.

After those initial hurdles, the road settles into another couple small hills and a bit of flat driving before ending at our houses. First time visitors would relay their experience of thrill or anxiety in navigating Blackberry Lane. Those of us more seasoned to the road would merely roll our eyes, or perhaps snicker a bit. The road didn't phase us one bit unless of course, there was snow on the ground.

Then last spring the hollow between the second set (smaller set) of hills betrayed us. It began to sink. It was just a bit, but enough to make the drive just a bit more interesting.

This winter brought extra snow, freezing, and more cracks in this spot on the driveway. The first rains of spring came, and the drive slipped even more. It slipped to the point that even we stopped using it with our two wheel vehicles. Even with our all wheel drive vehicles, we had to be careful where we drove to avoid dragging the bottom. We warned visitors with low cars to not use our road.

Then it happened. Our continual and heavy rains this spring caused the driveway to slip and slide to the point that it was no longer usable.

We weren't sure what we were going to do. We do have an alternative driveway available to us, but it is not our legal right away. Our neighbor is very gracious to allow us to use it when we need to, but using it permanently is not an option. We do have equipment that could do this job, but not the knowledge as to the best way to fix the problem, or the time to do the job. Nor do we have the cash to pay someone to do the job.

At about the same time the drive had its big slip, the man we sold our bulldozer to came to pick it up. He brought a contractor with him to help with the job. The contractor was interested in some equipment my mom had and no longer needed. He asked how much she'd want for it. We asked how much he'd want to fix our driveway; both the slip and a few other places that needed attention. In the end he got the equipment he wanted and mom got a half price deal on the driveway.

He started working on it this week.

I wouldn't recommend using our drive right now.

After the Pilgrims Came

Easter weekend was jammed packed with family, food, and rain. Several of my aunts and uncles came for a visit as did my brother with his kids. The aunts and uncles mostly sat around and talked (and ate.)  The kids played and played and played, rain or shine. Overall it was a good weekend.

I have to share a little story about my nephew Jude. He and Nolan are basically attached at the hip whenever they are together. Those two are all over the place. They love to play their DSs together. They love to run around outside together. They laugh and giggle and run, and act like little boys do.

One of the adventures they had this weekend, courtesy of all the rain, was playing in the mud puddles. One of these puddles was particularly deep, and the boys had a grand time in it. They were up to their knees in mud and water. We all shook our heads, and let them play.

When Jude returned home his mom was talking to him about the weekend, and asked when he and Nolan played in the puddle. His response, "Sometime after the Pilgrims came." Really, he wasn't smarting off to his mom. To his mind, we had Pilgrims at our house. Did I neglect to mention that the aunts and uncles who came to visit were Amish?

Vivian trying on a "Pilgrim" hat. 

Free Range Broilers - Finally

When we got our first batch of Cornish Cross chicks to raise for meat, we figured we would raise them like all our other birds. We would brood them in the brooder pen until they were big enough to be turned out into the chicken house. Then, like the other chickens, they would eventually venture out into the wide world beyond the chicken house to feast on bugs and plants.

The brooder pen worked fine. Putting them out into the chicken house worked fine, but the Cornish Cross never would venture down the ladder to the great outdoors. They preferred to stay nice and close to the feed all day long. In fact, if they could lay down and eat, all the better.

In hind sight, it was probably best they never tried to go out from the chicken house. Our chicken house sits up high, and the ladder is long and fairly steep. This breed has a  propensity to break legs. Our ladder probably isn't a wise choice for them. So, we thought, if they won't go down the ladder, we'll just put them outside.

We have another shelter within our chicken run. It is not nearly as nice as the chicken house, but it serves the purpose. It is great to brood in when the weather is warm, or to use as an overflow pen if we have too many birds. We thought it would be perfect to use for the broilers to make free ranging work for them. They weren't impressed.

They would go out the pen door; a foot or two, but they still would not venture beyond the run into the pasture behind them where all the free range goodies are to be found. They wouldn't even venture over to the rabbit hutches, contained with in the run, to forage under the pens. All the other chickens seemed to think that spot was akin to a daily Thanksgiving feast. I gave up on getting them to go out, and brought greens and weeds to them instead.

With this batch of broilers we wanted to try something new. We talked on again, off again about building a chicken tractor for them. We weren't sure exactly what we wanted, or what would work for the number of birds we have, and the mostly sloped land we want to use.

There also was that ever pesky issue of time. Building something new takes time for planning, material gathering, and of course construction. Like most homesteads with farmers who also work away from home, time is a very precious commodity. Then it dawned on us. Why not use something we already have?

Last winter we got rid of all the rabbits in an effort to save time, and focus more on the meat animals that sell better. This left us five empty hutches just sitting there. Our first  thought was to use the hutches Tim and my Dad built. They are large. They are sturdy. They also are very heavy. That is a problem if we want to be able to move the birds into fresh grass every now and then.

The other problem is that Kellen is considering raising rabbits again. So, we may need those hutches. Our other two hutches were ones we acquired elsewhere. We really didn't like the design of either of them for rabbits, but for chickens we thought they'd work well.
 

They did need some slight modification. We cut the legs off them, and made some steps with scrap wood. We stapled some feed bags on the sides to cut the wind until the weather is warmer. One pen is light enough to move by myself. The other Kellen and I can move together. They are the perfect little shelters for the birds.

We set the pens up close to the house. I set up a heat lamp, just in case it gets really cold at night. At night the broilers are closed in the pens. In the morning the feed and water is moved out into the grass, and believe me, these birds follow the feed.

They are not fenced in at all currently. I think as long as we stay close to the house fencing won't be an issue. They do not roam far, and predators won't come this close during the day. If we decide to take the birds farther out, we'll need to set up fencing of some sort to keep them safe.

They seem so happy out there. They are eating clover, chasing bugs, digging through leaves, and acting more like I expect a chicken to act than any other batch of broilers we have ever had. It is good to see! 

Building Bat Houses

Our county 4-H camp had a dilemma. There were bats living at the camp. On the one hand that can be a very good thing. The bats will eat thousands of bugs every night, making the camp a much more comfortable place for everyone. The problem is the bats were taking up residence in the eaves of the main building. The health department was none too pleased with the droppings said bats were leaving near areas where food is stored, prepared, and consumed. What to do?

The camp couldn't kill the bats even if they wanted to. Bat proofing the building wasn't working either. Yet, the bats had to go. Our club leader decided the solution was to give the bats a better place to live, and the building of two bat houses began.

There were hand and power tools involved,

and some caulk.

When the houses were built, it was time to stain them and make them more attractive to the bats. 

I think this was Vivian's favorite part. 

The camp caretaker will soon be mounting these houses away from the building. We are all hoping the bats find these new homes comfy and cozy.

Moments to Cherish

Wednesday night the three oldest kids stayed sitting on the back deck long after the rest of us have came in to get out of the chill. They were cracking jokes, giggling, and just generally enjoying one another's company. There were dishes to do, and laundry to put away. Bed time was close at hand, but who wants to break this magic moment?

I will be looking to this post again in the future for proof that they really do love each other and can get along.  

Not the News We Were Hoping For

We got the result from Tim's biopsies this week. They weren't exactly what we had hoped for. There were a small amount of cancer cells in the lymph node that was removed under his arm. The good news, according to the surgeon, is that the cancer was microscopic and that Tim is young and healthy. The bad news is obvious....

This makes his melanoma a stage three. There will be another surgery at the end of the month. This time they will remove all the lymph nodes in the area under his arm. For that we will be going back to North Carolina.

There will be treatment after the surgery. Interferon treatment is the normal treatment course at stage three. Basically Tim will receive large doses of a synthetic copy of a natural protein. It boosts the immune system while making the cancer cells weak. It is not without side effects though. These treatments will be done here in Huntington. We meet with the oncologist next week, but treatment likely will be weekly.

I'm really not sure what else to say. I think I'm still in a little shock that this is really happening. I feel numb. Tim, in typical man style, is mostly worried about the things he isn't going to get done around the farm. It is likely that we will have to slow the farm down again, and put some plans for the farm on hold. The truth is we really don't know what is going to happen after this month.

Home-Ec 101 Skills for Everyday Living

I've been a long time follower of the blog, Home Ec 101, and online acquaintances of its founder Heather Solos.    Heather is knowledgeable, witty, and has great practical advice for homemakers regardless of their skill level. I was happy to hear that she was putting that advice all together in book form, and even more excited when I was asked to review the new book, Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living - Cook it, Clean it, Fix it, Wash it.

There are four sections to the book; Clean It, Wash It, Fix It, and Cook It, with added appendixes. Each chapter contains a wealth of information written in Heather's trademark witty style. In this book you can learn to make keeping a clean house a manageable task, get stains out, fix a hole in the wall, and set up your pantry.  

This book would be an excellent resource for the new bride or young adult living on their own for the first time, but there is plenty in there for those of us who have been cooking and cleaning our own homes for some time now.

F+W Media provided a copy of this book to use for this review. All the opinions are mine.

Gotta Enjoy It While You Can

There was sun today, at least until about 1:00 when it started raining. So, after having all four kids into the Dr. at once for checkups (imagine four kids and one adult in an exam room) we picked up some lunch and headed to the park. 

It was a great way for them to burn off some energy before it rained (again) and we ran a gazillion errands. Sometimes you just have to catch the sunshine when you can. 

Challenges and Bumps

Last night after dinner, Tim and Kellen loaded up the cattle rack to the farm truck, and I loaded the kids into the family van. We were off to look at some pigs, and hoping to bring home one to be our new poppa pig, and possibly more if we liked what we saw. We headed down the highway toward our destination. About half way there the farm truck starting spewing white smoke out the exhaust; transmission fluid.

Apparently, we have some sort of transmission curse on us. It is unbelievable how many transmission problems we've had with different vehicles since we moved here. Luckily, the whole thing didn't go out, and we were near the exit for the repair shop. We got the truck to the shop, and left it with the cattle rack parked on the street in downtown Huntington.

We decided to head onto our destination to check out the pigs. We hoped we would be able to pay for them, and the farm would hold them until we were able to pick them up.

When we got there we discovered that they only had one pig left! But it was a boar. He looked good, and the price was right. So, we paid for him. Then the guy asks, "Why don't you just back your van down? I bet he'd fit right in the hatch." And he did.

We laid some old feed bags down in the back, and the farmer hoisted up the pig in his arms, carried him out to our van. Did I mention that this is a very tame pig? And back toward home we went with six people, and a pig in the family van.

And because that just isn't enough excitement for one night. . .

We wrecked our van on the way home. More precisely, a deer wrecked our van on the way home.

We were driving up Big Seven Mile. Tim slowed down at a spot where the deer normally hang out to eat in the evening. The deer were there. There was one in the road, and Tim honked the horn while driving slowly. The one in the road jumped out of the way, but it wasn't the only one to move. The stupid deer on the side of the road started running into the road. One of them ran right into the van.

It wasn't hurt. It bounced off my van, and went running back into the woods. Quite honestly, I wish it had been hurt, and was now sitting in my freezer. If you're going to bang up my car, I'd like a little something in return. Banging out a dent, just add it to the to do list.

These are the times that are frustrating to me, and overwhelming to Tim. We are learning though that these are just part of the journey of this life. The to do lists are never ending. The likely hood of a plan going off with out a hitch is small. This is part of life. It just seems amplified when you're farming, especially when you're tired from working your paying job, and making trips out of state for medical treatments.

So, we take a deep breath. We adjust. We do what we can while addressing the most pressing items on the to do list. We realize that in the big picture very little on that list is all that important. We enjoy the process, and our family while while dealing with life's challenges and bumps. We rest in the knowledge that our life really is found in Christ, and that the challenges and bumps of life in this world don't change who we are or what we have in Him.

Our Mini Vacation to Durham & Again With the Waiting

We headed to Durham, NC last Tuesday. The main purpose of the trip was for Tim's surgery, but we took a couple of extra days for some fun family time. (A huge thank you to the Kines for farm sitting for us while we were gone.) The weather was cold and wet. The kids were all fighting colds, but we refused to be deterred. There was fun to be had.

Everything started on the right foot when we checked into our hotel. I know the hotel itself really isn't usually one of the highlights of a trip, but we loved this place. The deal I got it on it was fabulous too, and if you know me, you know how much I love a great deal. I took a chance and booked two nights of our stay using Expedia's unpublished deals. The rates here are fantastic, but the catch is you only get limited information about the hotel. You don't even know which hotel it is until you pay for the room.

It ended up that I booked Homewood Suites. The suite was bigger (and nicer) than my first apartment. A full breakfast was included, and what we didn't know until we got there was a dinner was also included. Everything was nice and clean. The staff was friendly. The only thing that would have made the stay better was an indoor pool or weather that was nice enough for us to use the outside pool. We loved staying there, and we got it for a steal. After I get the rebate back from Ebates,  I will have paid just less than $50/night for our stay there!

Photo from Kidzu. Photo credit: Jim Sink.

I hoped to visit some historical (and free) places while we were there, but the nasty weather forced us into indoor activities. The savings from dinner being provided at the hotel enabled us to spend a little more than we planned on activities. We went to the Kidzu Children's Museum. This was a little smaller than I expected, and was definitely geared toward the younger kids. For those of you who are local, it reminded me a lot of the basement of Highlands Museum. There were lots of educational play stations. Even the oldest boys, Tim and Kellen, had fun with the over sized building blocks and other construction type areas.

Photo from Museum of Life and Science

The next day was spent at the Museum of Life and Science. This was an incredible museum. There was so much to do there. We spent the entire day, and still didn't see everything. Our favorite spots there were the Butterfly House, the Dinosaur Trail,  soundSpace, and Amazing Structures. The kids were less than thrilled with the Farmyard. Gee, I wonder why? They were probably afraid someone was going to tell them to grab a feed bucket.

The next day was Tim's surgery. I can't thank Bev enough. She is a friend of a friend who gave up her day to take three of my kids and  three of her grandkids around for the day. The weather was finally nice, and the kids had a great time. This made the day so much easier for me.  Tim spent the entire day at the hospital. Kellen and I were there for the afternoon.

The surgery went well. Tim is going to have a nasty scar on his shoulder, but that really is not a big deal. The surgery really doesn't tell us anything until the lab results come back. They will be checking the removed lymph nodes and tissue surrounding the original melanoma to see if the cancer had spread. The odds are in our favor, but we'll be waiting about a week before we know what happens next.

Again, I want to thank all of you have helped us in so many ways! We have a wonderful community of support!

Hurry Up and Wait

Last week we made a quick trip to Durham, NC to see a surgeon at Duke. We knew going into the trip that our appointment was a consultation only, but we were really hoping that they would be able to do the surgery while we were there. No such luck.

The surgeon was very nice. He examined Tim, and explained what needed to happen next, a larger removal of tissue around the melanoma, and a sentinel lymph node biopsy. We knew this going in, but he did explain it in a little more detail. They couldn't schedule surgery until April first though. So, back we go next week.

We were supposed to go to The Midwest Homeschool convention to see Tim Hawkins April first, but that isn't going to happen now. Since we are missing that, this time we are going to go a few days early, and take the kids with us to North Carolina. They still want to see Tim Hawkins, but are happy to be able to go with us this time. Nolan, who has been asking to stay in a hotel for about a year now, is particularly happy.

The odds are greatly in our favor that no more melanoma will be found, and the only treatment that will be needed after the surgery is regular and close follow up with our local dermatologist. Of course, that is what we are hoping and praying for. If that is the case, perhaps we could have done all this local, but we are making the trips to Duke in case there is more to it than that. Duke has the experts in melanoma. It is worth the extra effort for that peace of mind.

Thank you again for all your well wished, prayers, and support. It means so much us.

The Bare Facts

As many of you  know our family is facing yet another major bump in this road we call life. In my head, while driving, washing dishes, or folding laundry, I've half written a dozen different ways of writing about this challenge here on the blog. The reality is I don't have the time (things are happening so fast,) or the mental capacity at this point to put a well thought out post together. Also bits of information have been shared here and there, but we haven't been able to contact everyone we should or would like to. So here is what is going on in the bare facts.

Tim had what looked like a mole start to change and to look strange. He called and made a Dr. appointment, and ended up at the dermatologist. She removed the spot on Monday March 14th. We didn't think anything of it. Tim has had several moles removed before.

Thursday the 17th, Tim was at work, and I was out running errands when he called and said that the Dr. called and wanted to see both of us in her office that day. You know that can't be good news, and this was no exception to the rule. It wasn't a mole. It was skin cancer; melanoma.

She said that the next step was a PET scan, and then a surgical procedure to check the skin round the area and remove the next set lymph nodes to check them. The results of those two procedures will "stage" the cancer, and determine what comes next as far as treatment. She scheduled the PET scan here, but recommended that we go to Duke for the rest.

An appointment was set for next Wednesday, the 30th, at Duke, and plans were being made. Today Duke called me to say they could get Tim in this Wednesday, and we decided we should take it. Today Tim had his PET scan, and we both spent the day rearranging everything for us to be gone a week earlier than planned. Tonight the Dr. called to let us know that the PET scan came back clear. It is fantastic news, but it does not mean he is in the clear. The surgical procedure and pathology report will determine if the cancer was just in the skin that was removed or if it had spread.

We are off to NC early Wednesday morning. Tim's parents have been able to get vacation time to come here to stay with the kids. Between them and my mom, who happened to be on vacation this week while my brother's kids are visiting, the kids will still be able to go to testing and the other things we already had scheduled this week.

Our appointment Wednesday is only a consultation. It is not the surgical procedure. Our dermatologist, Dr. Touma, who by the way has been fantastic through this, says the procedure needs to happen even with the clear PET scan. Basic explanation, the PET scan would catch big things. The pathology report will catch things the PET can't.  Best case scenario for our trip to Duke is to meet with the Dr. on Wednesday, and for them to schedule the procedure for this week while we are already there. And of course then for all the results to come back negative.

We greatly appreciate all the wonderful friends and family who are praying for us, and bending over backwards to make this trip doable for us on such a short notice. We are greatly blessed!

I Can Only Blame Myself

 I like to cook, and I like to bake. I enjoy the process almost as much as I enjoy the finished product. I've been cooking for a long time, and I learned to cook mostly from scratch. There was a period in our marriage where money was very tight. During this time, I learned to cook just about everything from scratch. It was a habit that stuck with me.

Just about all of our meat, and many of the vegetables we eat are raised here. Almost everything is made from scratch. I don't make my own bread, pasta, or cheese. I'm sure if you went through my cupboards you might find a few things that technically I could make myself, but in general meals are created from scratch here, not from a box. Our meals are more economical, healthy, and tasty I think. Apparently, the family agrees on the tasty part.

Even so, we all enjoy convenience every now and then. When I can match up the right sale with the right coupons, I do not hesitate to buy a few meals in a box to use in a pinch. I mean kids love that stuff right? Not these kids.

The last week or so I've needed some convenience at meal time. One day for lunch I pulled out some frozen pizzas. I told the kids we were having pizza for lunch, and they were very excited, until they walked into the kitchen. When they saw the pizzas, their faces dropped, and they said, "Oh, that kind of pizza."  They ate them, but about half way through the meal Lydia looks at me and says, "Mom, I really wish you would have made homemade pizza."

A few days later I made pancakes for lunch from a high end organic mix a friend had given me when her family went gluten free. The first question I got as the kids came in the kitchen was, "You made them from a mix?!" Again, they ate them, but made it very clear they prefer pancakes from scratch.

And on this very same day, about the same time, Tim tells the world that microwave meals I bought were "utter crap." Then he asks me to make larger meals so he has leftovers to take to work.

Perhaps I should take it as a compliment that the family prefers my cooking to convenience food, and I do. But I think I've created my own monsters.

This Little Piggy Went to School

We love to share the farm with others. We've given tours to families. We've hosted workshops on processing chickens, and we've invited our homeschool group to come and visit the farm. It is as much fun for us, as it for those who are visiting.

Long range, we'd love to open up the farm to the public more. I wish we could host field trips, but there are a few things that need work and a few thing that need cleaned up before we'd feel comfortable allowing a bus load of children (whose families are not there and whom we don't know) to come roam the farm. Maybe someday, but we're not quite ready now. But we can bring a little of the farm to the kids.

I received a phone call from the basketball coach at a local private school. She was planning a promotion for the basketball program. Part of what she wanted to do was encourage students to attend the basketball games. If they could fill up the gym, then the headmaster would kiss a pig. She wanted to know if we had a pig available for a smooch. It just so happened that we had a litter of pigs just about the right size. They were big enough to take from momma pig for awhile, but small enough they could still be held and handled. Later a fund raising aspect was added that got two teachers kissing pigs, and finally the kindergarten teacher asked if we could come a little early to show the pig to her class. That was the best part!

Our pigs are not tame. Catching one to take was a challenge in itself, but we did it. Since it was a particularly muddy week, I brought the pig in and gave it a shower. After sufficiently drying the pig off, we let it roam around the house a little while I wondered what I had actually gotten myself into.

The kids in the class were so excited for the pig. The pig did not feel the same. She was happiest wandering around the room, and that is what she did. She mostly kept to hiding under the tables sniffing at the crumbs left from snack time. The students behaved excellently, and sat patiently in a circle on the floor while I told them a few things about pigs, and the pig explored the room. Eventually the pig felt more comfortable and came into the group of kids for a few minutes at a time. They loved it, and we all laughed when the pig started rooting at Vivian's shoes. Apparently, the shoes smelled like home to the pig.

The big event was loud. It was fun, and a little crazy, but the pig did well with it. The teachers and headmaster  graciously accepted their pig kissing status, and the kids absolutely loved it. Check out the pictures from the local newspaper article, Covenant School headmaster, teachers kiss pig for fundraiser, to see what I mean.

We may not be ready to bring schools to the farm, but taking a little of the farm to a school was a fun and rewarding experience. I'm so glad that we did!

Princess Vivi

Vivian is the self proclaimed princess of this house and the 100 Acre Wood. This self proclamation does not sit well with her siblings who are constantly reminding her that she is not really a princess. Personally, I think the description fits, and enjoy seeing the look on Vivian's face, not to mention the looks on the other kids' faces, when I call her My Princess Vivi.

The other day Viv and Nolan were playing together in the living room. I was in the laundry room and was unable to hear all of the conversation over the noise of the washer and dryer, but it was obvious the topic of conversation was Vivian's royal status.

Soon I hear the pitter patter of little feet behind me. As I turn and look there is Vivian spurting out, "Mom, are princesses real?" And of course they are, so I answered her in the affirmative. I barely got the word "yes" out of my mouth and she was sprinting back to the living room.

A few minutes later, I hear the sound of two determined foot steps stomping toward me. As I turn to look at Nolan and Vivian, I am again asked by Vivian, "Mom are princesses real?" My answer hasn't changed, "Yes, Vivian princesses are real." How I wish I would have had a camera to capture her smug look toward her brother coupled simultaneously with his look of utter disbelief.

Always a quick thinker, Nolan asks, "Does West Virginia have a princess?" My response, "No." was quickly followed by a complete reversal of their looks to one another. Making sure he covers all the bases he continues, "Does America have a princess?" And of course I must answer, "No," but I couldn't let him get off that easy. I added, "But other countries do have real princesses." Not to be outdone he says, "Well only really small unimportant countries." I responded, "No, not really, England has princesses."

At this Vivian finally gets a word in to say, "See princesses are real, and I am one of them!" With this statement she turned on her heal and walked regally out of the room. The discussion was over.

Spring?????

The daffodils are budding. I heard frogs and birds singing this morning. There is mud everywhere. We've had thunderstorms, and this morning it was almost 70 degrees out. I know the warm temperatures aren't going to last, but all signs point to spring! I am so excited!