The Front Porch Swing

[Triple Willow]

@Bruce... you sound like a great hubby and daddy. Thank God for men like you! Good luck on that rail. I'm sure you'll figure it out. You might want to bring in a second opinion. Sometimes I'll be scratching my head trying to figure out how to do something and my boyfriend comes along and just tells me the answer and I think to myself, "WHY didn't I think of that, duh!" Now of course that goes both ways but he might not be as quick to admit it. LOL

That's what I was thinking on the nipple waterers, thanks!

 

[LBejaran]

Sorry, dear, but I believe everybody was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.  At least I was.  Your sweet heart was drawn in to that job with no idea what you were getting into.  Who was your predecessor?  Why were you the ONLY one to solve their problems.  Beware of the easy road.  That boss and his family were obviously poison.   Be happy you weren't actually hurt.   In fact, just BE HAPPY.  

I think everyone knew. It was a big step (and I'm pretty sure everyone was thrown by the fact that I was moving in with my employer and his family) but I needed to experience something like that. I didn't know how fortunate I was to have a father to told me that I could do anything and would be willing to teach me how to weld/fish/build/create. Now I realize how lucky I am and how awesome it is to be a woman in my home. We're running sh*t there! A woman in my house wants something, we go out and do it. In that house, everything had to go through that man. It was such a backwards way of thinking.

Now, I know what I can handle. I know how much I can take and what I can challenge. As it turns out, my morals are not one of those things.

 

[Triple Willow]

I think everyone knew. It was a big step (and I'm pretty sure everyone was thrown by the fact that I was moving in with my employer and his family) but I needed to experience something like that. I didn't know how fortunate I was to have a father to told me that I could do anything and would be willing to teach me how to weld/fish/build/create. Now I realize how lucky I am and how awesome it is to be a woman in my home. We're running sh*t there! A woman in my house wants something, we go out and do it. In that house, everything had to go through that man. It was such a backwards way of thinking.

Now, I know what I can handle. I know how much I can take and what I can challenge. As it turns out, my morals are not one of those things.

Ibejaran, most young people would benefit from an experience such as your so they will realize that things aren't so bad with their mom and dad. In fact most of us could benefit from that kind of reality check from time to time. That may have been God's plan all along.

 

[LBejaran]

You did NOT fail.  Failure would have been if you had stayed.  Laura you have a good head on your shoulders and a good heart.  You will find a good job.  You learned a little about people.     I am glad you have your family around you.

It sure felt like a failure yesterday but I feel better now after 15 hours of undisturbed rest. That panic attack sure worked a number in me, though. I always feel like crying for a couple days afterwards. I'm able to talk about it now without bursting into tears, but it was touch and go for awhile.

Luckily, my aunt and uncle drove from San Antonio to pick me up. They are great and didn't force me to tell them what was wrong. It helps that Mom was in the phone with them to tell them that I just needed time to sort it all out. I'm one of those people who can have a crisis, panic, cry, sleep and then come up with several viable solutions before settling on the right one. Not going back just happens to be the right solution this time. I feel relief and absolutely no disappointment now that I know I won't be going back.

 

[LBejaran]

Ibejaran, most young people would benefit from an experience such as your so they will realize that things aren't so bad with their mom and dad. In fact most of us could benefit from that kind of reality check from time to time. That may have been God's plan all along.

Yeah, I just wish a religious zealot hadn't been used as a tool to prove to me that I was fortunate and morally strong. That kinda makes holy messages a little harder to read.

 

[Tomtommom]

Blooie and Linda and tomtommom. Prayers go out to all of you and your family members.
In church this morning the pastor asked everyone if you had to bring something to church that represented who you were what would it be. People answered ~ hammer~ piano~ books.... I just kept thinking it would have to be a picture of my family. How could no one else have thought of that?? Family is what it is all about. anyway with all my blah blah blah what I mean to say is my heart is with you all as you and your families go through these times of trial. God Bless you and your loved ones.
Blooies question about watering the chickens got me to thinking. I've heard that you should add apple cider vinegar to chickens water. would that help keep the water from getting yucky if you had to set out a large amount of water? Or would the amount of vinegar needed be so much that the chickens wouldn't drink it? I haven't set up our coop yet. the chickens are still in my basement. I'm trying to plan ahead for when we go on vacation.
rrrmama You sound like you are married to the same kind of guy I am. My husband does wonderful job building and fixing things but is so slow. I have had to walk away many times to cool off over the last 30 years. lol

My husband is the same way, research things to death, think, think, stare, think. But.. he gets it done, eventually. My poor bathroom has not had a sink in over a year.. or tile.. or a floor (other than the subfloor). The drywall is missing in my dining room.. the siding is missing off the back of the house etc.

But somehow he finds projects outside to do (I think he just likes small projects much better than these big ones), but, he'll get it done. I do think he gets overwhelmed with it at times and just doesn't know what to do next and just.. stares at it.

Geez, that is just stupid for people that live in tornado alley. It would make sense up here, tornados basically don't exist.

You smell that GOOD or that BAD!!

Congrats on the new baby, jaundice will pass (as you know) and before long she will be crawling then walking then talking then you will want to say "WILL YOU SHUT UP!!!" when she is 4 and no matter what you say she will respond "Why?". Of course you haven't seen that, your son isn't 4 yet. Then they will become teens and you will say "WILL YOU PLEASE TALK TO ME!"

Bruce

Good, I think/hope.

I have a 6 year old step-son, so I know what I have waiting for me. I am pretty patient, but I have told him to shut up every once in a while.... he has a habit of narrating EVERYTHING he does. "I am reading. I'm a good kid for reading, aren't I? I am so big. I like reading. Hey, I am reading. etc." He's just terrified to go unnoticed.

My own son actually doesn't speak at all. He's mildly deaf and likely autistic... He's just now learning how to communicate without words, which is a big deal.

I am expecting this baby to be a chatterbox!

@tomtommom... Don't let your hubby toss those buckets with the holes in the side just yet! They will work! I was thinking about the problem of the nipples on the bottom and these folks figured that problem out...
http://www.avianaquamiser.com/3homemadechickenwaterer/

You guys that use nipples, does this price seem really high? ^^^^^ They have several articles about heated water for cold weather. I will definitely be reading those!

@tomtommom... I know what you mean about tornados. We have them skip and hop around us pretty often. May God's hand of protection be on you and yours. I saw a thing on tv about a town that was wiped out by a tornado a few years ago. They set up a storm shelter using a "storage container" like goes on semis/cargo ships. It was set up and dirt mound up on both sides sloped all the way to the top. The door was out and possibly the other end of it. You can buy short ones all the way up to about 52 feet long. I guess they are all about 8 feet wide and made of steel. People are making underground bunkers and even nice houses out of them. I believe you can purchase most any size for less than $4,000. Not cheap but several people could go in on a big one. LOTS of people would fit in there!

I got mine here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00846NTRI/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We've got our eyes on a shelter: http://www.fainstormshelters.com/underground_shelters

We want the biggest one, I would not want to be the one to tell a neighbor there's no room for them.. and thinking long term too (kids get boyfriends/girlfriends and we're TALL people). The price difference between the smaller ones is just not that big, once you get to a point you can afford to get one. Under $4k for a good shelter is a bargain in my eyes.. just gotta save up the money

I think everyone knew. It was a big step (and I'm pretty sure everyone was thrown by the fact that I was moving in with my employer and his family) but I needed to experience something like that. I didn't know how fortunate I was to have a father to told me that I could do anything and would be willing to teach me how to weld/fish/build/create. Now I realize how lucky I am and how awesome it is to be a woman in my home. We're running sh*t there! A woman in my house wants something, we go out and do it. In that house, everything had to go through that man. It was such a backwards way of thinking.

Now, I know what I can handle. I know how much I can take and what I can challenge. As it turns out, my morals are not one of those things.

I was in a fairly similar situation. Or well... witnessed it.

I moved in with a family when I moved to the US (I was going to marry their son). Since I couldn't legally work, I cleaned the house/cooked/did laundry, to sort of pay for the roof over my head. I set those guys straight though.. there is NO reason a man can't make his own sandwich or get their butt up and get their own drink or pick up their own mess. They treated the mom like a maid.... she actually divorced the dad.. which I did feel responsible for. They eventually got back together, but she had more freedom, since she could get up and leave whenever she pleased.

 

[lovingmyhens]

House is finally clean, clothes are packed, and we're ready to go.  Is it just me?  Why I always feel this need to deep clean just before we leave town, when I'm already overloaded with stuff to do,  I'll never understand!   Guess it's because when we get back there's all the unpacking to do, and I hate to add coming in to a mess along with it.  We'll leave here about 4 or 5 tomorrow morning, which should put us there about the same time in the evening.  I just popped in for a few minutes before we load the car. News from home is a little better.  She's getting a little stronger, responding to the meds they have her on to help drain some of the fluids off, and they did a super intensive dialysis.  Since she's in a hospital setting they can monitor her for unwanted and rapid changes better.  Her lung function has improved significantly since she's no longer literally drowning in her own fluids.

It looks more and more like they'll be doing the bypass sometime this week.  Linda said she just wants to get that part out of the way, remain on the transplant list, and dream of a normal life.  The morning of Christmas day, 2012 was the last "normal" she's had. I actually got to talk to her, which helped us both tremendously. Her voice is super soft right now, and kinda raspy.  She'd have to stop and I could hear her trying to catch her breath, so we didn't talk very long.  I was telling her that Evan and Katie have learned to do chicken chores and they'll be taking care of the birds while we're back there.  She was talking about how many people have been so generous with their time, their love and prayers, and told me to hug the kids because they are helping in their way, too.  "Heck, people you don't even know are praying for you!"  I told her that my fellow council members added her to the prayer list for church this morning (I'm the only non-Mormon on the council)  Then I told her that I visit a place called "The Front Porch", and a little about this group.  She was trying to laugh, I could hear it, even if it came out a little weak.  She has this dry, really British-type sense of humor - you never know there's a punchline coming until she delivers it. 

So I asked her what was so funny.  She coughed for a second and then she whispered, "I think I'm gonna be just fine....I've got town full of Mormons and chicken farmers praying for me. How in the world can God ignore that combination?!"  Yep, Linda is still there!  

Ibe, I agree with the others - you didn't fail, you bailed.  There's a big difference!  I'm so glad that you saw the sense in getting out and doing it quickly, rather than waiting until you were pounded into the ground.  Bailing is smart - after all, if it can save a boat it can save a person!  Um, you want us to go beat him up?  Sounds like he could use a little sample of progesterone justice, and I know just the group to hand him a big helping, all the while wearing big smiles and holding our tea in our unoccupied hands.  Pinkies extended, of course - we are nothing if not ladies!

Tommie (easier to type than TomTom, which I just typed anyway!) you just let the rest of the world go to h*** and give that little one all the snuggles she wants!  Years from now she probably won't remember what's happening, but she will always remember your touch.

Hey, Loving?  May I add some more extra hot boiling water to your bathtub, er, I mean, tea?  Not nice, waving those 90's around when I'm trying to load the car in a cold, bitter rain.  

Bee, Ken got the 5 gallon bucket set up with those horizontal nipples I'd ordered (knew they'd come in handy eventually) and the chickens took to it right away.  Evan and Katie were vastly relieved this morning when they came over to do chicken chores and learned they didn't have to worry about watering.  Tam did say that if we end up being gone a little longer she'd be sure to check it and top it off if needed.  Thank you too, Bruce!

Hey silly girl! I got sunburnt today. It's a tepid shower for me tonight! Hang in there-chickens are tough, been making do for years and years.

 

[lovingmyhens]

As a male of the human race, I feel the need to come to the aid of your DH! He might be staring into his head visualizing how things need to be done. I spend a LOT of time "standing and staring" unless there is a "blueprint" to follow. At the moment I am figuring out how to get a hand rail from a 42" high (min, per code) balcony railing to turn 90 degrees and go down the stairs at a rail height of 38" (max, per code) WITHOUT using a gooseneck fitting because my wife and daughter don't like the goosenecks. It would be easy if it were post to post but they wanted to make sure they could put their hand on the rail at the top or bottom of the stairs and get to the other end without EVER having to take it off. My wife has RA and my daughter can be close to blind for a day or more if she gets whacked with a visual pattern migraine so this is not an unreasonable request. Once I get this figured out, I have to figure out how to make 2 more 90 degree turns in ~10" of linear space and that 10" includes a 15 1/2" drop (single stair step between 2 landings). There will be MUCH standing and staring. (that isn't a skylight in the ceiling, it is a light fixture)

I'm so totally going to allow you as much standing and staring time as you need. When you get tired I've put some brownies with pecans over on the table-the never ending treat table!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: I am a stander and stare 'r too. but while I am standing and staring I draw as well. I cant walk into the shop without a note pad.

Here is a sketch I made up without knowing your rise and turn.... It is to scale in that one square equals two inches.




Beef up the baulster at the landings because changes in the the rise and run always cause missteps and stumbles. As little as 1/4 inch difference between treads can cause trouble. From an ergonomic point of view. I designed steel stairs and work platforms for access for aircraft assembly ares.

I show a baulster at the top next to the Newel post.... That may help you in the transistion.

here is the landing


I do not envy you the whole process of calculating compound angles.... The odd step may make you joint for the corners "interesting".... I drew the landing straight not turning but The join position would be in the same spot.... 90 degree turn causes the compound joint.

deb

 

[rrrmamma]

Bruce, I normally let him do his thing but I have two cows being delivered tomorrow morning early and they have to have a place to go. This project has now been in the works for 2 weeks. We purchased the cows a month ago. I have been out every day helping pound stakes and string wire. He is out there now at 8 pm hooking up the electric wire. He still needs to use the tractor to level the mud and ruts caused when they delivered the run in shed for the Heifers last week.The stock trailer will get stuck trying to get into the pasture if we don't fill it in. Since I cannot drive either tractor yet It is a job he has to do. It is getting dark. In his defense, he has a form of ADD that runs in his family. His dad and his brother were the same way. I am just panicking tonight because there is no more time to tweak this project. I hope we can keep them in the run-in shed and the small paddock until they get used to being here. It will give us a little more time to correct any weaknesses in the perimeter electric fence.
We have been told they have a tendency to bolt when moved to an unfamiliar place.
Wish me luck everybody I have never had cattle before. These girls are supposed to be docile, like to be brushed and are not as large as some breeds. They both come from championship lines. I am going to try to learn how to show them. I would like to enter the older heifer in the National Western Stock Show in Denver next year. Her mother placed first there a few years ago. They are still a lot bigger than me and can be difficult until they get to know you. They are Scottish Highlanders. They are fairly small in stature, very shaggy and hardy, with long sweeping horns on the girls and more upright horns on the boys . It is a breed my husband has wanted for some time.