Wednesday, February 12, 2014

February 12

Today is my mother's birthday.  She died 15 years ago at Christmas.  I can't talk about it - yet.  Maybe someday, but it's still too tender, even after 15 years.  I appreciate her more as I grow older.  We had our differences, mostly having to do with my brothers and her male bias.  I can't go there - yet.  She was incredibly capable and talented, with a big personality and much stamina.  She's gone but, for me, she's everywhere.  She would never understand the farm thing, even though she came from farmers.  It's not what she wanted for me.

My heart feels better today.  Pulse up to 68 and steady tonight.  I'm taking it easy, eating healthy food, taking vitamins and getting some rest after work and chores.  

Big bake sale tomorrow to raise money for Studio Art.  We've been working hard all week, baking Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, White Chocolate Dream Drops (with lovely meringue from my duck eggs), Cheesecake Brownies, Linzer Torte Cookies, Peanut Butter Kisses, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls.  We wanted to do more but with four classes of watercolor hearts painting and two classes of Global History - did you know St. Valentine was a Byzantine monk who liked to give anonymous gifts to people? - we could only do so much.  A snowstorm is threatening us tomorrow morning.  Let's hope we get to have our bake sale.  We are still trying to raise money for a pottery wheel.

I knew it was cold this morning but I didn't realize how cold until I got in the truck on the sunny side of the barn and it said minus 12.  Oy.  The bucket of bolts is running fine and is great on snowy roads.  It's a real gas hog but I feel safe in it.  Just turned 170 thousand miles.

The sheep are fine and happy.  They don't seem to be stressed living in the barn.  The east end door is always open and they can wander out to play in the snow, or stay inside and lie in the hay.  The ducks are not enjoying the winter as much.  They are a little dirty due to not enough water to wash themselves.  I put down buckets of warm water every night but it's not enough to really get clean.  They'll be thrilled when the snow melts and they can swim in their favorite puddles and eat worms and grass.  Warm mash and hay does not do it for them.

The baby bunnies are so cute.  The three does will be ready to go soon.  I'll keep one of them for breeding. I think I'll bring them to school for a visit soon.   The six little ones are getting ready to jump out of the box.  One has been out a few times already but hides under her mother.  My moms are so steady and unflappable.  I can use the hose to clean under their cages and they don't flinch.  Good girls.

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