admin – Page 138 – This Old House 2

Now that we’ve been here a while….

Instead of all the unpacking, I can now pay more attention to the details inside the house. The dogs run from the mudroom through the kitchen many times a day, and the wear and tear on the wood floors is enough to send Mike into cardiac. So.. I’ve been looking for a runner that would protect that particular area, and until now I found the size only in magazines special order for about $400. Two days ago I found this runner for $70. in Ocean State Job Lot. I don’t know that I’m crazy about it, but it will protect the floors for now.

Remember those 100 year old Cast Iron plants on the front porch?

They’ve come inside for the winterand are holding their own…

We finally found antique fire irons for the three main fireplaces …

I love them – it’s cool to think of how many hands used these tools

to stoke fires during these cold New England months…

Up on the wall in the family room Mike and Jeff installed a large wheat cradle
(thank you Blacksmith of Ossage Bluff for the correction)

And on the opposite wall an old saw…

These are in the mancave on the mantle… does anyone know exactly what they are?

They were being disgarded as junk.

The Roaming Gnome

http://theroaminggnome2011.blogspot.com/

The Coop Scoop…

Well, I’ll tell ya – there are so many options out there…. and so many people who have put a lot of thought and design and aesthetics into their chicken coops. After much research and listening to other peoples’ trial and error… I have decided on a coop design. It’s more utilitarian than I had first envisioned, but I’ll jazz it up with vintage fresh eggs signs, etc.

These are some examples of other fine coop craftsmanship ….

This one below was designed and built by Heather Bullard and her husband

– just beautiful!..her blog is too…

This is the one I went with …

I think it will suit our hens purposes well

and appears easy to clean.

I found it on the same site I ordered the chicks from…

http://www.chickensforbackyards.com/

We will build a large rectangular yard around it… frame and wire mesh with roof.

Chicks ordered!

Ok, peeps – I ordered the PEEPS!! None of you came forward to say NO NO NO, Karen.. DON’T DO IT!!!… so I’m blaming YOU if this is a bad idea. You were all so enthusiastic, you chicken people, and even you wanna-be chicken people ….. that I decided perhaps it’s not a crazy idea after all.

I did some thorough research, found three styles of coop I like and the husband is going to make one that is a combination. I’ve ordered eight chicks and there will be atleast six nesting boxes in the coop, with perches that are comfortably wide and set alittle higher than the nesting boxes. We’re going to make a BIG chicken run, with fence buried beneath the ground (predators) and netting over head (predators or fly aways). Because of our large dog(s) and abundance of coyotes and foxes, we can’t let ours free roam always, just when we’re working around the yard and garden.

I ordered my chicks from chickensforbackyards.com because they seem very knowledgeable and are pleasant to speak with, important to this chicken coop novice. I ordered Green GEL to come with the chicks and I’ll buy other necessary supplies at our local feed store. I also asked that the chicks be vaccinated – I’m assuming that’s a smart thing. They give you the option.

http://www.chickensforbackyards.com/

And these are the flock I’ve put together…

2 Silver LaceWyandotte

2 Buff Orpington

2 Ameraucana (blue green eggs!)

1 black Jersey Giant

1 barred rock

So, chicken people – how did I do so far? And.. any hints or suggestions are welcome! I cannot believe these little peeps will be MAILED to me.. but that seems to be the method of most. I hope they arrive safely and healthy and ..alive.

They’ve been ordered for early April delivery – “we” still have to build that coop. Lord knows when the snow will melt.

Valentines

In the mail today there was a small, brightly colored envelope among the ugly bills. In that cheery envelope I found a handmade Valentine. I marveled at the thought that someone stills makes Valentines by hand, and even more so that someone feels I’m worthy of it. And then I thought of all the years of handmade Valentines with my two kiddos.. a table full of doillies, glitter, stamps, glue, stickers and candy hearts. I don’t know who had more fun making the mess, them or me.

When did I stop making them….. and more importantly, why?

How do you measure a life?

Regardless of your station in life, experiences good and bad, bank account balance, job description or living quarters… if you’ve got good friends who you can count on, who you can trust with your most neurotic thoughts and dumbest mistakes, who think of you often and make you laugh even on your crappiest day – your life is rich.

I’ve been blessed with a handful of truly terrific friends over the years and I’m finding that even the blog world is an extension. We may not see each other often, but the message between us is always clear. No matter what’s going on in the daily grind, there is always this…

I’m here for you

We’ll always be “us”

Oh Shut up, you’re being ridiculous

Not all of my friends would appreciate a photo here,
but I’m sneaking in the few that I think will tolerate it …

What? You don’t believe me?

So..Why am I sappy today?

This little guy was delivered to my door this morning.

Thank you, Raven – He’s perfect.

The song on my playlist is Seasons of Love by Rent.

My daughter introduced me to the song recently and I love it.

Lyrics below…

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights
In cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.

In five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure
A year in the life?

How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love
Seasons of love.
Seasons of love

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes!
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Journeys to plan.

Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred minutes
How do you measure the life
Of a woman or a man?

In truths that she learned,
Or in times that he cried.
In bridges he burned,
Or the way that she died.

It’s time now to sing out,
Tho’ the story never ends
Let’s celebrate

Remember a year in the life of friends
Remember the love!
Remember the love!
Seasons of love!

Oh you got to got to
Remember the love!
You know that love is a gift from up above
Share love, give love spread love
Measure measure your life in love

Green

Words fail me in trying to describe how much joy this little fairy garden

in the center of my kitchen island gives me…

Oh sure…. NOW he shows up.

5¢ Everywhere

Finding Joy on a rainy day

You read it right, folks… RAIN. And it’s actually melting away some of the 30 inches of snow and ice accumulation. The problem lies in the weight of the stuff on rooftops, causing collapses and wreaking havoc all over the state.

But this post is about JOY on such a day… and we found it on a trip to our favorite CT antiques haven, the town of Putnam in the “Quiet Corner” of the state, as they like to say. I blabbed about it last year HERE…