Frankie and Slim

Frankie and Slim
Happy New Year

Friday, September 28, 2007

BLOG UNFOLDING

A special and beautiful blog is unfolding. Enjoy it here from the beginning.

HOW NICE

How nice of you Kay
To make my day!

HUMPTY DUMPTY SAT ON HIS BOAT

Our BIL is a very good egg (a bit skinny to be a Humpty Dumpty type, but the title was interesting). He is also an avid fisherman and boat lover. Yesterday he was working on his boat (one of those bottomless holes in the lake that you just keep filling with money) and he tumbled off. He has a broken rib. Dear David, bless your heart! Oh yes, dear sister, bless your heart as you attempt to keep him at rest until he heals!

My sister adds: ....Nora (age 3) said......."grandpa's rib fell off? Did he find it???? : )

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

MAYBE BLOGGERS CAN HELP

Perhaps you have heard this news story. If not, you need to read it. Also read this update and added information on America's Most Wanted website. Maybe someone will recognize this man or one of the girls and make a difference.

UPDATE 9/28/07

Monica best expressed how I feel: "WHOOOOO HOOO they found her, SEE you cant give up hope, dont listen to those people that are downers!!! YIPPIE and they are on the TRail of the guy also!!!! YIPPIE!!!!"

RIGHT IN THE CORNER WHERE YOU ARE

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WHERE DO YOU BLOG?

Potential curiosity caused One Day At A Time to post a photo of her blogging space. That inspired me to show you mine too so now you can show me yours:-) Ours is a mess and my spouse adds to the clutter but seems to hold me accountable for all of it.

EASY DECORATING

People work hard on their lawns to decorate with various ornaments. I can simply open the chicken pen in the morning and throughout the day my lawn is dotted with beautiful, bright, colorful moving feathered ornaments! How easy is that?

LOST AND FOUND

We left the local restaurant last night. Ron was paying the check and I was leaving the tip. We had a new waitress. As we exited the building the waitress rushed after us. A crinkled $20 had fallen out of my purse onto the floor. I thanked her profusely and when we got to the car I told Ron, "We should have given her something for her honesty. He immediately turned and went back in a gave her five dollars in addition to the tip. She tried to refuse but she did take it and seemed pleased. We probably should have just given her the whole twenty. I don't know why it shocked us so much. Basically we are told 90% of people are honest. We hear so much negative these days about the few and we forget that good people are in the majority.

VETERAN


"A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America " for an amount of "up to and including my life." That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it."



Forwarded to me from my sister posted for my husband and all other veterans.

FOUND MORE THAN A SHIPMATE

My husband located an old shipmate. They served together in the early 60's. It turns out the fellow lives in Oklahoma and is only about 2 hours drive from us. It also turns out he and his wife raise BIRDS! Is this a small world or what?

We drove to their bird farm Monday and spent the day. We took them to lunch in exchange for a lot of good bird information. They primarily raise quail and ship them to all parts of the world. They opened the incubators and showed us the hatching babies. They are so tiny. They gave us a jar of pickled quail eggs with jalepeno peppers. Yum!

They have swarms of guineas and I wanted to bring a cage full home. We will have to wait until we return from Charleston to increase our flock but I was sure trying to figure out how we could bring them now. They told a story about their guinea named Rusty who lived to be 14 years old. I guess guineas can live to around 30!

Their peacock is 24 years old. I did not get his photo, but I managed to get a picture of two of his sons. If you remember we had a stray peacock named Ivan who adopted us in Kansas.

They raise turkeys and game birds. It is not a huge operation but is certainly larger than what we have going. I never want to have that many birds but I do see the fun in increasing our guinea fowl flock and I would love to have some quail.

I also want a mule, some goats, maybe a llama or two........Okay, it's not gonna happen. We only have ten acres. But it is so nice to know we can expand some.


MONDAY AT THE BIRD FARM


Day-old quail.


Month-old guineas (or were these turkeys?)


Two peacock son's of their 24-year-old peacock.


A rooster my girls would love.
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THE TWO IN THE MIDDLE

I wish I had a better picture of the two in the middle. They are roosters Elvis and Elizabeth. Except for their size, they are almost identical. Elvis is Tiger Lily's surviving chick and Elizabeth is one of the Easter chicks. Elvis continues to roost near his mother at night. Elizabeth is going to be the head rooster soon. (Lucinda is toward the back and Percy is in the front. They are both Easter chicks.)
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Tuesday, September 25, 2007

YOU CAN HAVE CHICKENS TOO

If you like the idea of fresh eggs and beautiful chicken pets, you can find out how it goes a this great site!

See the chickens home here.

Omlet's Eglus here.

I have been interested in knowing how urban dwellers get along raising chickens in these eglus and I love knowing I can still have some chickens if we ever downsize.

AN OLD SOUL


This is our grand nephew Jared. He will be six next month. Jared is as ornery as the next kid, but there is something especially good about him. We heard a story about Jared last night that describes the kind of kid he is. Their teacher gave each child a package of cakes with two cakes inside. She reached the end of the line and was one package short. The teacher asked the little boy just ahead of the empty handed child if he would share his package. "No way!" the boy exclaimed as he held his package of two cakes tightly. You have probably guessed that Jared stepped forward, walked to the end of the line and shared his package with this last child. Jared's grandmother often refers to Jared as an old soul because he is unusually kind.
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Sunday, September 23, 2007

IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?

I remember 1964 when I first heard the word. I tried to go to a dictionary and look up the meaning but couldn't find it.

It was 1984 when I first heard a female use the "F" word. It took me a long time to get used to that but I had to because this woman had already fallen into the life-long-best-friend category.

I finally found a comfort level to use the "F" word occasionally in the year 2000. It seems I'm not such a goody-two-shoes after all. However, I never write it down and I only use it around chickens.

It is in rampant use on blogs and of course in scripts for movies it boosts the word count by at least half.

Is it still a shocking word? Are we even offended by the use of the "F" word anymore? How did this routine use ever happen and is it really necessary?

I used to say "crap" quite frequently until my granddaughter Jasmine told me it wasn't a very nice word. She suggested I say carp instead and now I do. Any suggestions for replacing the "F" word?


After I wrote this post I searched blogs for articles on the F-word. The articles were voluminous, i.e.

A Positive Personal Growth Application For The F-World

CSU Newspaper Prints The F-Word In A Headline

When To Use The F-word

Despite court ruling, the F-word is indecent

CALIFORNIA WE'RE WAITING

I have posted recent photos of our Missouri grandkids. My son has sent us some camera photos of our Oklahoma grandkids. Okay California, it's your turn again!

RYAN READY FOR THE PLAY


Remember my grandson with the hair always in his eyes. Enjoy that pretty face for now because I'm sure the long hair will return.
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D.J. AT THE BALLGAME


Where's Dillon? Look under the red initials.
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BETH IN CHURCH HALL


This is Beth awaiting her confirmation class.
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CHURCH CAMP CHANGES


Our family has attended this church camp for eons. My parents were counselors. My siblings and I attended the camp. Our children attended the camp. We stayed in rickety cabins with bunks and screen siding. My grandchildren attended camp with my son last week and this is the lodge they stayed in (oops, they call it a dormitory). The cabins are no more. Why do they still call it camp?
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Saturday, September 22, 2007

GROWING KIDDOS


Hope hugs her cat Pinky.


Michael busy at the computer. Point a camera at Michael and he quickly removes any semblance of a smile.
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SHE KNOWS THE ANSWER

Michael is thirteen. He stays busy these days with massive homework assignments, computer and computer games, running the neighborhood with buddies or calling them on his cell phone. He loves us and spends adequate time with us showing his exceptional artistic skills, but he is a typical thirteen-year-old with piles of important stuff.

Hope, age five, still needs to be kept occupied. As we left for their home this week, I grabbed a toy catalog. Hope and I spent a lot of time marking "yes" on the good things in the catalog and making an early list for Santa.

I managed to convince her the list needed to be narrowed to the best ten items and I explained that Santa would go down the list checking with his elves for "first available" since tons of children were putting things on their lists.

Hope still told her parents that Santa was going to bring her EVERYTHING. (I"m in big trouble.)

Now what to do with the list?

"Hope, do you know Santa's mailing address?"

"No" she responded but was unconcerned.

"Then, how do we get this list to him?" I inquired.

Hope did not miss a beat when she quickly, and knowingly, responded, "We take it outside and throw it up in the air!"

Of course. I should have known she would know.

Friday, September 21, 2007

HUMMINGBIRD LANE


The hummingbirds are so active at my daughter's home, they look like bees swarming around the feeders. You can sit in their kitchen and easily count over 20 at a time at the feeders.
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MYSTERY SOLVED

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Missouri with grandchildren. The kids were out of school Wednesday and we went to keep them company while their parents worked.

Hope was the first one up and she and I sat at the breakfast table having our cereal. She had fruit loops and I had raisin bran.

Their raisin bran was delicious and caused me to marvel. It was in an unmarked plastic container so I couldn't find the brand name. Hope did not know either.

You may remember that I eat cereal with ice water instead of milk. The mystery of the delicious raisin bran was solved when Hope informed me that I had poured the prepared humming bird feeder water on my cereal. (They keep it in the refrigerator in an unmarked plastic container and do not add coloring.)

Talk about a sugar rush. I was good to go all day.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

GREETINGS FROM HOPE

Our Granddaughter Hope is in Kindergarten. She sent us her hand print along with a letter and a poem for Grandparent's Day. The letter requested us to send back information about us. Hope said the letter was received and she got to stand in front of the class while the teacher read the letter. She was proud. We are proud of Hope and her beautiful Grandparent's Day gift!
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Monday, September 17, 2007

MANY TAGS ON ME

How did this happen? Wouldn’t genealogy even be easier if women’s names had not changed? What was the reasoning behind hanging women with so many names?

My birth name is: Jane Doe Smith
My first married name is: Jane Doe Smith Johnson
My second married name is: Jane Doe Smith Johnson Escondido

My first husband was born: John Doe Johnson
His first married names is: John Doe Johnson
His second married name is: John Doe Johnson
(And his third, fourth, fifth, etc. no kidding)

My second husband’s birth name is: Joe Doe Escondido
His first married name is: Joe Doe Escondido
His second married name is: Joe Doe Escondido

What is wrong with this picture? John and Joe never have to change their paperwork or their social security records or retirement benefits or business cards or anything. It takes a woman at least a year to get everything changed after marriage. Plus she can kiss off any credit history she may have “stupidly” had under Mrs. John Doe Johnson. (Yes, I’m afraid it used to actually be that way. After my divorce from John in 1975 all the good credit we had established automatically became the new Mrs. John Doe Johnson’s and I had absolutely no credit history).

My niece kept her maiden name. The only thing difficult about that is having to address envelopes to her and her husband with two full names i.e. Susie Qzie Bedoozie and Alex Hotter Trotter instead of an easy one line, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Hotter Trotter. But, that is difficult for us and not for her. Was she smart or what?

Oh, for the children you say? Well how many children do you know who have the same last names as their parents these days anyway?

Wait, I like writing Mrs. Joe Doe Escondido on my notebooks and scrawling Jane Doe Escondido over and over on the sidewalk and telling my name because I’m so proud to be married to him…………….……….

What’s a girl to do?

Sunday, September 16, 2007

PICK A TITLE, ANY TITLE

OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING
My 37 year old son and three of our grandchildren are at church camp.


GOAL WEIGHT
I need to get to work on my diet and get back on my bike. I ride a stationary bike and my husband says he’s glad at least that I’m not peddling my ass all over town.


WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME WHAT TO BELIEVE?


WHAT IS WRONG WITH MOMMYBLOGGERS?
Someone was complaining about mommy bloggers. How could that be? And what would be next? Daddy bloggers? Granny bloggers? Chicken farmer bloggers? There would be no end.


WINE AND THE SOPRANOS
3:00 pm


MY HUSBAND NEVER COMPLAINS
He does, however, make some alarming comments about my mental abilities.


WE ALWAYS KISS GOODNIGHT


STUFF HAPPENS IN BLOG WORLD


IF ONLY I COULD FORGET
The corporate world never leaves my memory. During the day, I am fine, but at night it haunts my dreams.


CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE…..MOLE?
It is certainly no good for the soul – unless you want your soul in bad shape when word gets out that you told.


I gave up on these blog entries, but you are welcome to pick a title and see what you are inspired to do with it.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

THROUGH THE EYES OF CHICKENS

As one who looks at the world through the eyes of my chickens, I have found another who does the same. This site is more fun that a barrel of chickens.

Savage Chickens

Friday, September 14, 2007


Owen -- The Good


STIX -- The Ugly


THE TEAM IS OFF FOR THE DAY -- TOGETHER AS ALWAYS.
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Thursday, September 13, 2007

The Good, The Ugly, THE BAD

I know that chicken world is boring to many of you, (I won't name names) but I learn so much watching my little chicken society. Their habits are very much like ours or maybe our habits are like theirs.

Owen is my crippled chick. We attempted to set his leg when he was a few days old and thought our duct tape splint would help. No, it did not. He drags the leg and possibly we should have put him (or her....still don't know) out of his misery, but could not do so. He manages to get around and can move fast when he needs to. He never complains. Owen is the sweetest of all our Easter chicks. He is The Good.

Stix is our ugly chick. (I don't think she is ugly but I guess the other chickens do.)A ugly chickling so to speak. She is a silkie mix and she looks furry rather than feathery. She is brownish black and I'll try to get a picture to post of her because I really can't describe her any better than to say she is The Ugly.

Owen and Stix are pals. They are outcasts from the rest of the flock because one is crippled and the other is ugly. They roam together. They roost together (Owen can't get on the roost so Stix roosts down low with Owen). They protect one another. They have formed their own click. Chick Click. LOL

Who is THE BAD. That can only be Beulah Dean. Remember Beulah Dean the killer hen? (I believed she had post partum depression) She is on a nest again. She is sitting on about 15 eggs. They should hatch September 30th. Maybe Beulah Dean has allowed enough time to pass that her hormones are back in order and she will be more nurturing this time. I know I will keep a closer eye on her than I did before and I will not trust her if I have to take the chicks away even if she cries.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

EXCEPTIONAL

He came into our lives over 14 years ago. My daughter dragged him home with her from college and he was a handsome, charming, outspoken feller. He never hid his feelings of utter dismay over our crazy family.

He has never hidden his love for my daughter Chelle and he celebrates her at every opportunity. He is an exceptional provider for his family. What more could any mother want for her child?

We knew he was a helper but never realized his OCD until the vows were said. Everything around Kit is immaculate. He would come for a brief visit and was willing – even insistent – about helping around my home doing yard work and clean up where he could. He is the one that does the most giving but never leaves here without saying “Thanks for everything”.

He is a loving son-in-law, a wonderful partner for my daughter, a terrific father to Michael and Hope.

Last night I realized we had not gotten a card in the mail for Kit. He will receive a belated card, but today is the day for wishes and we wish him the best because he is THE BEST!

Happy 36th Birthday! We love you Kit.

Monday, September 10, 2007

DON'T DISAPPEAR FOR LONG

She wrote this post, along with many others. She disappeared for over one year. Sprinkle finally returned in June, 2007 and then went on vacation in August 2007. She said she would see us again in a week or so. It's been three weeks. I think she lost her following when she disappeared the first time and can't get her enthusiasm back. Maybe we can encourage her to return:-) Blog world needs her entertaining words of wisdom. Or maybe school started and she's just busy with her little ones. Pondering, pondering.....

R.I.P.


Hercules did not make it. I shut the pen last night with high hopes. Hercules and Tiger Lily were working on the shell. You can see it was all removed. But, the energy it took this new chick was just too much. If only I had waited one more day to clear out the nest. The name Hercules was deserved simply by the fact the chick survived a few hours after I cracked it. Tiger Lily did not want me to take the chick. Oh how she cried.


Here is Tiger Lily with empty nest syndrom. At least she still has her spring chick Elvis. He continues to stay near his mom.
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Sunday, September 09, 2007

PRAY FOR HERCULES

Tiger Lily has been on her nest too long. I removed the eggs and began cracking them to see if any had been fertilized. All were unfertilized – except the last. When I tapped it, I heard a peep, peep and saw a little chick attempting to escape the shell. I placed the chick back in the next and Tiger Lily resumed her job. She was tapping the shell for her baby when I left. I have named this chick Hercules because if it survives, it will have earned the name. I am afraid to go look because I’m pretty sure it will not survive. Meanwhile, it has this story of its own for a little while.

COMPANY

Main Entry: 1com·pa·ny
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -nies
Usage: often attributiveEtymology: Middle English companie, from cumpaignie, from cumpaing companion
1 a : association with another : Fellowship b : companions, associates c : visitors, guests,

Do you ever have company? How would you define company? When I was growing up, we had company almost every Sunday.

We had a big dining room table. Everyone sat around the table and extra chairs were brought in from throughout the house. The children usually sat at a separate table called appropriately the children’s table.

Company these days consists of family visits from children, grandchildren, and siblings and we usually serve buffet style. People scatter from the kitchen to the den to the living room or we all go out to eat. Does family count as company? I am pondering the question about whether it is correct in this day and age to invite company. How well should you know people before inviting them to be dinner guests in your home?

Also, remember when company used to drop by unannounced? My grandmother got up every single day with meal preparations on her mind and she was always cooking just in case someone dropped by. Whew, that wouldn’t go well in this day and time. I do try to keep the living room tidy just in case.

Now, just what is this about? My sister emailed me that she is having company this weekend and needs a couple of recipes. She wondered if any bloggers have recommendations of tried and true meals they would be willing to share. Thanks in advance if you do.


(My sister made a simple inquiry and I, as usual, took the long way around.)

Saturday, September 08, 2007

BELIEVE IT

This Saturday morning it is pouring down rain. It is enjoyable to open the curtains and watch the rain fall. It is also a good time to catch the dog displaying bad behavior.

Slim had Hannah the kitten in her mouth and was shaking the fur ball like a rag doll. I hastened to the back door to yell at the dog and save the cat. The time it took to get to the door gave the cat time to escape and Slim was free to look for another adventure. She dashed past me into the house. She thundered by and headed through the den into the office and landed, rolling on the living room floor – all carpeted areas.

We are expecting company today. My daughter and her family should be here around noon. She told me not to worry about cleaning or preparation for their visit. I said, “No problem-- the cleaning lady was just here and everything is spiffy.”

I thought of that conversation as I followed Slim’s muddy foot prints into the living room and watched her remove the rest of the mud using my carpet for her towel. I swear Slim was laughing as she rolled.

Friday, September 07, 2007

I LOVE BEING MA KETTLE

It is difficult to explain why I like to be a country girl. A real country girl would not have to explain it, but since I have only been a country girl the last eight years of my life, I believe it is necessary to keep explaining how much I love --

Chickens galore
Gathering eggs
Roosters crowing
Gunieas sounding alarms

Deer outside the kitchen window
Coyotes howling from FAR away
Trains rumbling in the distance
Trees
Grass
Rocks if they don't damage the mower
Worms
Dogs especially Slim
Cats i.e. Soccerball, Dorothy, Simone and Hannah
Boats
Tractors
Hay
Flowers
Hummingbirds
Soaring birds
Fish
Sunrise
Sunsets
Harvest moons
Even well water – as long as the pump keeps working
The belief that someday DSL and/or wireless will come this far out

And sharing it day-to-day with Ron......oops, I mean Pa Kettle:-)

Thursday, September 06, 2007

THE ROOSTER WARS

We raise chickens for egg production. My wonderful hens supply enough eggs for us and enough eggs to share with friends and family. We only need hens but it's nice to have a rooster to fertilize the eggs in case we want to hatch a few. One rooster is all we really need. If you remember we lost three roosters and replaced them with Darrell and Darrell. I didn't give much thought to the Spring chicks we added to the flock.

It appears that at least half of the spring chicks are turning out to be roosters. They are young, but they are already holding jousting events and attempting to best one another. We will need to take a bunch of these young roosters to the next poultry swap meet and I'm already feeling separation anxiety. How will I decide who will go and who will stay? Well, Elizabeth will stay, of course.

Heeeeeeeere's ROCKY


This little rooster is Rocky, a Silkie mix. He is also an Easter chick and one of Boss Hog's sons. It is funny to watch this little rooster strut his stuff. He definitely has his father's moxy but it's hard to be afraid of Rocky because he is so small. He sure is a pretty guy.
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ELIZABETH -- WHAT A GUY!


Elizabeth is one of the Easter Chicks. He is huge for such a young bird. Elizabeth just might turn out to be our most beautiful rooster yet. Elizabeth was named for my mom and she loved it when she learned Elizabeth the chicken was a rooster.
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NOT TO BE BRAGGY


POST CARD PRIZE FROM JAMIE DAWN -- THANKS J.D.!!!


Addressed to OK's #1 Granny. I am honored. My grandson, Ian, says it is wrong to be "braggy".
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Tuesday, September 04, 2007

FORWARD THE PRIZE

I am thrilled to be a winner of Jamie Dawn's contest.

If possible I would pass my prize to Nora's chez pez blog. She has most definitely defined hitonious.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

PINS AND NEEDLES

My sister Elenore has company this weekend. She and Dave have been given the honor of entertaining their grandchildren, three-year-old Nora (the inquisitor) and one-year-old Grant (the climber), while the parents go elsewhere.

My sister and I are psychic mates. (Our spouses say psycho mates) I feel her pain and vice versa. Needless to say, this morning I am pooped after an exhausting Friday, Saturday and two very restless nights bonded to Elenore. I will be on pins and needles until the call comes that the children are gone and my sister has flopped on her couch with a Netflix movie and her thumb weakly on the remote play button. Actually a call won’t come because she’ll be too tired to dial. I’ll just sense the relief!

Grandkids,.......... great to have them visit, great to have them go home!