The Old Folks Home

[Arielle]

Quote: YUP.

I let my mother go long ago. I keep up a wall now. Oh, we talk and we visit and we chat, BUT I don't let her IN.

MIL-- love her. BUt manipulation doesn't go over well with me. NOT one bit.

Family is complicated.

 

[Cynthia12]

Who's got their Christmas decorations up? DiDi, have to wonder what you will be doing in this area..a few out? Or wait? Bless your heart..no word yet?

I can't believe my DH this year! He started getting the lights up outside last week. He finished up yesterday with the house lights. Then, next thing I know, he's bringing up the Christmas tree. We have two small ones, I asked him to bring up the smaller one..I want to see how that looks, I am fine with a small tree now that it's just the two of us. Oh man, I had to chuckle when I asked him to bring up the smaller tree, he had such a sad look! I said, let's check them both out, I couldn't remember how small the other one was. It's a foot and a half smaller is all. But, it only has white lights on it he says.

Well, I can make a tree with white lights only on it..pretty cute. We have all these colored lights going on outside, I think it would be nice to have the white in the window. He'll see, it will be nice. These small trees are table top, but pretty good size table top trees. I have the perfect sized table in front of the window. It's a high glass table top. He should be happy when it's all decorated. Eeny, meenie, miney, moe...lol.....

 

[dsqard]

Cynthia, I finally got word today after pestering them. It looks like we will not be moving. I am kind of sad because I really wanted the opportunity to advance in my career and Virginia was really pretty, although it doesn't have any mountains (well not the kind we are used to here). Lots of plusses and minuses to not getting the job. I am a huge believer in the fact that things happen for a reason and this was just not meant to be, at least at this time. I get to keep all my birds now and plan on breeding the turkeys. Have to see if SCG still wants to make the vacation plans for this spring to Bryce, Zion and Coyote Buttes. We put our plans on hold after I applied for the job.
ETA - We will probably put up the tree in the next couple of weeks and maybe I can get DS in on finally hanging outside lights. DH is a humbug when it comes to the outside decorations.

 

[Arielle]

A little saddness is understandable as you put a great effort into planning for this possible change. At least you are not on hold any more. YOu still have the hay piled high,too!! ANd those turkeys to hatch!! ANd decorations to get up!!

I was looking at the 3 month old turkeys and boy are they pretty. ANd pesty. THey can fly OVER the fencing and travel in a little herd causeing trouble in the yard. Or just take over and sleep on the extra horse blankets. Push the layers out of their own feed . . . trouble. LOL TIme to keep them penned me thinks.

 

[dsqard]

Arielle, yes it is so nice not to be in limbo any more. BTW, the best way to keep turkeys in their pens is to clip their wings. I have been thinking of doing that to mine since they have been getting out of my pen as well. Tom (the 1 1/2 year old BR I have) actually got over the fence the other day. I really thought he had given up the whole idea of flying over the fence. I think he did it because the BR hen I have is still light enough to easily get out and she had. He was out there wooing her. Silly tom

 

[KnobbyOaks]

This is my first year in my new house and I'm so excited to get to decide where a lifetime of decorations are going to go. Did I say I am excited?

Got the outside hooks put under the eaves and the icicles hung. It's so pretty and a sea of white lights off in the distance from the road in a desolate area. Yesterday bought some phony green garlands to wrap over the porch railings with some more icicles. Will also wrap colored lights around the porch posts. Found the tree buried up in the garage, in that horrendous mound of unpacked boxes so today I will at least get it set up.

But first I must pack away the Thanksgiving decorations.

Okay, for a third time, excited.

P.S. DiDi, I really don't know you but I've been following your proposed move and I'm sorry you didn't get it. But Ii'm glad you have that healthy outlook that it wasn't meant to be for a good reason and life goes on.

 

[Arielle]

Arielle, yes it is so nice not to be in limbo any more. BTW, the best way to keep turkeys in their pens is to clip their wings. I have been thinking of doing that to mine since they have been getting out of my pen as well. Tom (the 1 1/2 year old BR I have) actually got over the fence the other day. I really thought he had given up the whole idea of flying over the fence. I think he did it because the BR hen I have is still light enough to easily get out and she had. He was out there wooing her. Silly tom

Great idea!! I clipped the wings on the muscovy last summer and they apparently don't rmember that they can fly--waddling at slow speed or at high speed is comical, especially when the drake is chasing a turkey tom AND can catch his tail feathers--yank!

Clipping is much cheaper than netting.

FOund a couple old bulk feeders at the NE Bantam show--needing a little fix up to make useful. THe largest I place in the layer house holds 50# if feed !! That will save time. I put a smaller one in the pullet house under the overhang for the run; and the third one in the turkey coop. DOn't think the turkey poults have figured it out yet.

Another good reason to clip their wings.

Christmas-- I do enjoy a few ornamental decorations on the mantel, and those stay all year round. THey remind me of the Christmas's when I was a kid. My boys often get their own tree in their room. ONe year my oldest sawed down their tree, think he was about 8 at the time. A little white pine about 5 feet tall. Great for hanging LOTS of ornaments, a Charlie Brown kind of tree. Remininsent of the old country "trees". THey put on all "their" ornanaments and make paper chains using wrapping paper. Love it.

 

[Cynthia12]

DiDi, you are a positive person for sure! I am also glad that you can just get on with things now, and like you said, no more limbo! Get excited for that snow that you love so much..ahem..and, from the sounds of it, getting busy with ideas for turkeys, which I know you really enjoy more than snow. ) What type of turkeys are you planning on breeding? Will you sell them, or keep them for your own freezer? Or both? Wish I could have turkeys here. I know I would have a couple in my freezer right now.

Ariele..chains, made of wrapping paper? I am soo doing that, I never have done that. Always used the other stuff..so, does it hold together pretty good? That has to be a pretty chain. My grandkids are going to get a kick out of this..no, I haven't even seen them do that with the wrapping paper. I will be looking for the thicker wrapping paper.
Sounds like you have some fun memories, and fun things going on with the kids.

Knobby..have fun finding places for all of your decorations. Do you have a few trees in the yard? My DH loves putting lights on one of our little trees out front. This year, it has those really dark blue lights on it. He also put lights all the way down our porch rails. And then, there are the lights on the roof.
Still haven't got our tree up, and haven't decided, larger small tree, or smaller, small tree. lol...

 

[dsqard]

Cynthia, it isn't hard to have a positive outlook on this. I might not know the reason why I didn't get the job now but I figure I will understand later. I don't take this as a negative. Maybe I needed more experience working big projects and now I have the time to get some done. I don't know, but I do know that I was seriously considered so that gives me hope that in the future if another opportunity like this comes up I will be picked for it. As far as the turkeys go, I am planning on keeping the two hens I hatched this year (one BR and one Blue Slate mix) and probably the BS tom for breeding. The BS grow faster and bigger than the BR's but not as fast or big as the production birds. We will probably have Tom for Christmas dinner. I will hatch some in the spring and keep them for eating next holiday season. I do really enjoy having them around even if they do drive me nuts sometimes with the gobbling.

 

[Arielle]

Didi, you have such a good outlook!

Ariele..chains, made of wrapping paper? I am soo doing that, I never have done that. Always used the other stuff..so, does it hold together pretty good? That has to be a pretty chain. My grandkids are going to get a kick out of this..no, I haven't even seen them do that with the wrapping paper. I will be looking for the thicker wrapping paper.
Sounds like you have some fun memories, and fun things going on with the kids.

I try to pretend to be a grandma to get into the mess, fun and creativity. I started the boys baking when they could stand on a kitchen chair with a mixingbowl on the table. SUre wish I had photos of the mess making two bowls of brownies!! Flour everywhere . . .. .