i was digging through my old pictures trying to find a picture of an herb when i came across this old picture of jaden...it's about a year or so old. this captures her perfectly...the sparkle in her eyes, the smile on her face. she is (usually) such a beautifully sweet little girl so full of love and joy. since sage has been around, i feel like i've lost her. i am so caught up in trying to keep him safe (and the house from being destroyed) that i never seem to have a moment to cherish her like i did the first two years of her life. it breaks my heart to feel this way and i'm working hard to try to get some of those moments with her again.
it has been cold here with no snow. :( we haven't had one single snow this year other than 1 dusting that was gone before it even touched the ground. if it's going to be this cold, it should at least be pretty. we've been sleeping downstairs because the upstairs is in the low 40's at night. brrr! but, downstairs, it's in the 60's right now. we have a futon and 2 papasans that we scatter between the living room and playroom and camp out on. very cozy! the wood stove is in it's 2nd winter here and is heating better and better. next year should be even better as it takes a few years to break them in.
the does are looking pregnant, some of the sheep are (some it's hard to tell through all their wool). i'm hoping the sheep are pregnant, i've never actually seen woody acting anything more than a little brother to them. i'm looking forward to some mutton this year! it's been a few years since i've had it, we just can't justify the cost but now that we raise our own, yum!
i'm about fed up with our great pyrs. they keep attacking our turkeys, we've caught them playing football with a few chickens and they even harass the sheep and goats. the goat retaliate and butt them but it doesn't seem to phase them. i'm about ready to give them the boot. i'd rather have a donkey that we could ride or an alpaca that i could use the fiber from to protect the sheep anyway.
i'm very excited about the monthly herbal packet that i have been working on. i had to completely re-write february's packet (the herb i had chosen wouldn't work for some geographical locations and i'd prefer not to alienate people so i am using that for march). i'm still in the process of writing the issue but it's coming along, sage allowing. i'll post some teasers pictures once i get some uploaded into the computer.
Awww...she is a cutie! I have three kids, ages 5, 11, & 15. It has definitely been a juggling act at times. We may only have 24 hours in a day, but we have endless love. And they know it. :)
ReplyDeleteI feel the same sort of sadness when I see photos of my daugter before my son arrived. She was definitely happier before. I just don't seem to have the energy to give her the life she had then.
ReplyDeleteI just recently discovered your blog.
Sorry Tansy, my phone has issues with just hanging up and not coming back on! I think it needs a new battary.
ReplyDeleteJaden looks beautiful in the picture! It is hard to give yourself in so many places, especially with a young one in the house.
I'm expecting our sheep to lamb soon (they'll pick the coldest day probably). The goats don't seem to be pregnant (time has come and gone to when they should have kidded).
One of my dogs is a chicken killer and recently killed another set (a hen and rooster). I've been thinking about an alpaca too.
Stay warm!
I'm a new reader, and was wondering what kind of sheep you have? Do you spin? Just curious. :)
ReplyDeletejennifer - thanks! yeah, my 11 and 15 year old don't crave the attention as much or at all (14 yo). it's a huge juggling act!
ReplyDeletenina - welcome! and yes, lack of energy doesn't help the situation. :)
gina - no problem...you were trying to hang up and i kept rambling on...i figured you just got sick of talking to me and hung up on me! haha just kidding. ;)
do you think the alpaca would be ok in with the cows?
moiraeknits - welcome to you too! our sheep are navajo-churros so i will be using their wool as well as eating them. i used to spin before jaden was born, or i should say until she was old enough to start dismantling the wheel. i put it up to keep it from being completely destroyed. now i'm waiting for sage to get out of the destructive phase (i may be waiting a few years) or until our guest cottage is finished so i can hide it out there. i really miss it a lot, it was very soothing and meditative for me.
You amaze me!
ReplyDeleteI've given you an award. You can find it over at my blog.
LOL, I hope you don't think that was the reason!! I thought you needed to go and was afraid I had called at a bad time!
ReplyDeleteFunny!
(Call anytime!)
We have a llama that guards our sheep. He's pretty wild but doesn't bother the sheep. Considered a dog but they take too long to mature and often don't work out.
ReplyDeletePS its faze not phase...
ej - while we are correcting grammar, you should have written "it's" not "its".
ReplyDeleteyou really should cool it being so nitpicky about everyone's misspelling and grammar, especially on their own blog. we are all human and make mistakes so back off. i have seen you make mistakes several times when you comment and no one has ever called you on it.
oh tansy, you make such beautiful , fairy children. the life that you have created for your children on your farmstead is probably more wonderful and fantastical than can be realized sometimes- being in the thick of it all the time. that smile really says it all. don't be too hard on yourself! and stay warm.
ReplyDeleteHey, ej, do you have a blog? Just curious...
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read more about the llama and sheep (as I too have been leaning towards this set-up).
Thanks!
Hi Tansy
ReplyDeleteWe have a TV programme on at the moment called Victorian Farm - three archeologists living a year as Victorian farmers. On last night's episode they were trying to decide whether their sheep were in lamb and they were told to find the udder and see if wax came out of the teat - if it did, they were pregnant. My father never did anything like that with his flock, but I wondered, if you had a small number of ewes, you might want to try it.
We had our boys first, so by the time our daughter came along, she was so much calmer under she hit teenage years - but they're all fine now in their early 20s. Hang in there, it does get.....different!