The Front Porch Swing

[Blooie]

Linda, I'm afraid I'm not as nice as you are. I'd have lost my temper sure as I'm sitting here and reminded her that when she was acting "selfish" - most of her childhood and into early adulthood if she's like most kids - you were the one taking care of her, her siblings, the house, and trying to sneak in a little time for your own interests. I'd probably have said, "I'm not being selfish - I'm just making up for lost time." But I do admire the way you gritted your teeth and handled it.

 

[bruceha2000]

Thanks all! I am beyond excited!! Now to find somewhere to put them! They are both 5+ feet long! Everyone says we need a table to go with them!

I'm thinking your chickens will REALLY enjoy them out in the run!

They are beautiful and if you COULD pull some more cedar, a table with a bookmatched top would be amazing.

 

[Tomtommom]

Thanks all! I am beyond excited!! Now to find somewhere to put them! They are both 5+ feet long! Everyone says we need a table to go with them! I have plans to use some cedar stumps as end tables and make a quilt ladder out of some long narrow trunks.

TTM, we had to nearly beg the hospital 7 years ago to take some home with us. In fact, it was the lactation consultant who finally came through for us. We had gotten a lot of gifts and tons of receiving blankets, but they were too small. I used them as burp cloths. You could barely swaddle one leg with them!! I like the size of the hospital blankets. If we decide to have another, I will definitely be asking for more!
I will second you on the no time do paint or draw… too many interruptions here as well. I am creative all day long for job, I am all out of it by the end of the day. I managed to find two hours before anyone else woke up to work on this. You're an artist, they say, study that in college. What they did not say is that when you do art for someone else for a living, you will rarely have the time or energy to do it for yourself. Some day, I will find the time again!

I always resented the whole "make your hobby your job" because honestly, you will lose your hobby. It's better to make a decent living to be able to afford time to do your hobby

Once I started drawing for money 13 years ago, it was hard to draw for myself anymore.. everything became "can I sell this at some point?". That's really the drawback of being a self-employed artist who works freelance and sells whatever can be sold. It doesnt affect all artists, but for me it was a big issue. Now I just dabble a little when I find quiet time.

Next year I actually hope to get back to art for a living... I've been playing with the idea of self-publishing children's books. Apparently Amazon makes that really easy. You just get paid a percentage of what sells. I can do that.

Funny, as a young teen that was my "This is what I want to be when I grow up" and life was trying to tell me that children's book illustrator is not a very feasible living. And look now, I could actually do it!

 

[lazy gardener]

Actually, to write some inspirational children's books, and some just for fun is on my bucket list. I have a couple of ideas for single books, as well as a series rolling around in my head. There's enough artistic talent rolling around in my family that the illustration could be taken care of.

 

[Tomtommom]

Actually, to write some inspirational children's books, and some just for fun is on my bucket list. I have a couple of ideas for single books, as well as a series rolling around in my head. There's enough artistic talent rolling around in my family that the illustration could be taken care of.

 

[Alice28]

I hope you all have a happy New Years! Talk to you all next year!

If your having trouble getting in the mood, just go hug a duck

Happy New Year!

 

[LindaB220]

Actually, to write some inspirational children's books, and some just for fun is on my bucket list. I have a couple of ideas for single books, as well as a series rolling around in my head. There's enough artistic talent rolling around in my family that the illustration could be taken care of.

Haven't you written a gardening book? If not, someone is using your Lazy Gardener name.

It is a very good book, by the way, if you did write it. I have it saved on my Kindle.

 

[LindaB220]

Linda, I'm afraid I'm not as nice as you are. I'd have lost my temper sure as I'm sitting here and reminded her that when she was acting "selfish" - most of her childhood and into early adulthood if she's like most kids - you were the one taking care of her, her siblings, the house, and trying to sneak in a little time for your own interests. I'd probably have said, "I'm not being selfish - I'm just making up for lost time." But I do admire the way you gritted your teeth and handled it.

I do have to admit that life is much easier when I do this. I've been doing the chores and then going out. The complaints are way down, two a day instead of 20, and the compliments are way up. I'm gearing up to getting my egg and garden business going. This month is buying supplies, waterers and feed containers. Having bags of dirt put around the two coops to keep draining rain water from running right through the coops. Having the handyman install the 1/2 hard wire cloth and put tin on the roof of the new coop. Buying the 40 ISA Brown pullets next month. Sears has a fabulous sale on poultry waterers and feeders.

http://www.sears.com/miller-mfg-co-...M10942639216?adCell=REC_1_0&redirectType=SRDT

Normally the cheapest I've found is around $38 each shipped. This is two for the $28.98 price and is shipped free. I bought 4 of them.

http://www.sears.com/zhengzhou-mach...M7673742505?prdNo=26&blockNo=26&blockType=G26

I bought the 10 pack for $44.99. Total with sales tax is $111.

I'm really pumped up about this because I've been spending a lot of time going back and forth refilling the small waterers that get poop in them daily.
This means that I can put a couple of each of these in each coop and go to Vancouver for 10 days. Family will look after and get eggs but this will be a lot easier on them and ME. Woohoo. I don't know how long this sale lasts but CHECK IT OUT.

I got my first pullet egg a couple of days ago. Super blue egg layer. The White Rocks and my one Coronation Sussex is still waiting me out. The 8 Cobb 500 hens have shut down laying altogether and probably will have a date with the soup pot. I ordered a medium size killing cone. Gonna hammer it to a tree and get busy.

One other thing, I can buy this cheaper on Amazon but 1 teaspoon in Dr Pepper in a tuna can in a trap will attract and kill varmints. You didn't hear this from me. I would NEVER do this to a poor helpless raccoon.

http://www.sears.com/farnam-home-garden-3006196-1-lb-gold-malrin/p-SPM6168863305?redirectType=SRDT

 

[MistyMountain]

I do have to admit that life is much easier when I do this. I've been doing the chores and then going out. The complaints are way down, two a day instead of 20, and the compliments are way up. I'm gearing up to getting my egg and garden business going. This month is buying supplies, waterers and feed containers. Having bags of dirt put around the two coops to keep draining rain water from running right through the coops. Having the handyman install the 1/2 hard wire cloth and put tin on the roof of the new coop. Buying the 40 ISA Brown pullets next month. Sears has a fabulous sale on poultry waterers and feeders.

http://www.sears.com/miller-mfg-co-...M10942639216?adCell=REC_1_0&redirectType=SRDT

Normally the cheapest I've found is around $38 each shipped. This is two for the $28.98 price and is shipped free. I bought 4 of them.

http://www.sears.com/zhengzhou-mach...M7673742505?prdNo=26&blockNo=26&blockType=G26

I bought the 10 pack for $44.99. Total with sales tax is $111.

I'm really pumped up about this because I've been spending a lot of time going back and forth refilling the small waterers that get poop in them daily.
This means that I can put a couple of each of these in each coop and go to Vancouver for 10 days. Family will look after and get eggs but this will be a lot easier on them and ME. Woohoo. I don't know how long this sale lasts but CHECK IT OUT.

I got my first pullet egg a couple of days ago. Super blue egg layer. The White Rocks and my one Coronation Sussex is still waiting me out. The 8 Cobb 500 hens have shut down laying altogether and probably will have a date with the soup pot. I ordered a medium size killing cone. Gonna hammer it to a tree and get busy.

One other thing, I can buy this cheaper on Amazon but 1 teaspoon in Dr Pepper in a tuna can in a trap will attract and kill varmints. You didn't hear this from me. I would NEVER do this to a poor helpless raccoon.

http://www.sears.com/farnam-home-garden-3006196-1-lb-gold-malrin/p-SPM6168863305?redirectType=SRDT

Linda,
That does seem like a good deal!
Speaking of your egg business and all of these new pullets, are you still thinking about those german new hampshires? I'm still on the fence but have found two NPIP breeders who ship eggs. Waiting on a spring broody. Maybe I will just get some and see what I get out of it and how well I like them. DH has already informed me that if I hen goes broody, I am to give her some eggs. I can't complain about that! My last hatch under a broody was just barnyard mixes from my own flock. One in particular, out of a white leghorn hen and my SLW roo has captured my interest. She has a funky walnut like comb and is white with a few blackish splotches. She is bigger than the leghorns, but lays a tinted egg almost daily and as big or bigger than everyone else in the flock minus her mom. I might want to add some more of these to my flock as production birds.

Anyhow, hope all goes well!!

 

[Amberjem]