Busy, Busy, Busy

I made a few goals earlier this year.  Once the legislative session was over, I had a bunch of projects I was going to tackle.  Well, session isn't totally over, but my main busy part is and there are things that just need to get done regardless.  The three goals I made earlier:  (1) have a good garden this year; (2) revamp our chicken housing, and (3) get rid of some of our unneeded/unwanted stuff.

I drug a bunch of stuff home from my mom's over the past several years and I want to get rid of an equal amount of stuff plus more.  I figured I needed to get rid of about 30 boxes of stuff.  Last year I think I sent about 10-12 boxes to the thrift store or the garbage.  So far this year I think I've managed to weed out about 10 boxes of stuff.  Some of this belongs to my daughter (who has been married over 7 years) and I've been sending it home with her to sort out what she wants to keep or get rid of.  This goal seems to be progressing well.

I really want to have a garden this year and do some canning.  I also have my mom's greenhouse.  I can't do anything with the greenhouse until we get weed barrier down on the floor and pine chips on top of it.  We haven't been doing anything gardenwise yet, bcause it is still freezing at night and the priority is the chicken house.

We built our chicken house in 1985 as my husband reminded me this week.  It is a simple structure, built kind of pole-barn style.  Why we made it as small as we did, I am not sure.  We were pretty broke back then and were probably trying to save some money.  My husband keeps it well painted on the outside, but for some reason we have never painted it inside.  I've done a lot of reading this spring on keeping chickens, trying to get some new tips, and decided painting it a light color inside would not only seal the wood and make it easier to clean, but would brighten it up and discourage any bugs.  So the past two nights I've painted it inside.  I found a gallon of white semi-gloss in Lowe's mismixed paint.  It was less than half price.   With the wood as old as it is, it sucked up the paint like crazy.  I had to get it done so it could air out before Friday, when my husband wants to move our eight chicks out of the utility room and into the chicken house.  They will have a heat lamp and fresh bedding and should be fine out there.  I am  happy I got it painted.  I am hoping to get enough eggs for Elsie's family and my husband and I. 

I have also been working on a lot of knitting projects.  I have three people at work expecting babies and a couple friends.  This is one hat I knitted for a friend expecting a girl.  This is actually a photo of the hat in the book since I finished the real one minutes before leaving for the shower and forgot to take a picture.

 

 

This little strawberry set is for a guy I work with.  He and his wife have waited a long time for their little girl and I thought she deserved something really special.  I just need to get buttons for the booties.

 

 

One of the guys I work with is pretty fond of  Malachi and ordered a box of 150 Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars for him off Ebay.  I had them here this weekend and Malachi played with them the entire time.  He was so cute.  He had them all spread out on my coffee table and arranged and rearranged them.

 



 

Baby Zach also got to spend the weekend with Grandma.  Here he is checking out Grandma's refurbished high chair (I put a fresh coat of stain on it and gave it a good waxing.).

  



Next up is working on the greenhouse, planting some things in the garden and a couple sewing projects that need to get finished up, along with the sweaters I've been knitting for the boys.

 

~Jane