tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66142574752033677852024-03-13T08:31:29.367-04:00The Rantings of a "Trucker turned Momma"browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-5528921508252993942013-09-04T10:30:00.000-04:002013-09-04T10:30:14.298-04:00Dear Metro Atlanta Drivers:The past two mornings, I have been in complete shock and awe with the piss poor driving and lack of patience by my fellow motorists! I am not a perfect driver but I have been professionally trained by 2 commercial companies. I went through Smith System Training at UPS and FedEx (well it was RPS an FDX Company when I went through the class, but still). I know how to operate tractor trailers, box trucks, step vans, and apply those skills when driving my little VW Passat. For anyone that cares, here is a little insight:<br />
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1. If I see a light change from yellow to red ahead of me, I am going to shift my car into neutral and let that slow me down instead of continuing at the same rate of speed and then slamming on my brakes. Riding my bumper to a red light is not going to make a bit of difference, so ride away. Now, maybe a little education about why this is effective and cost saving will help. By shifting to neutral in a manual (or just taking your foot OFF the gas in an automatic) you will save on gas and the pads on your brakes! Good driving PAYS off people!<br />
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2. If I am sitting at a light, I leave my car in neutral with my foot off the clutch. It will take me several seconds to shift into 1st, but I usually watch the light in the other direction and am all over it. If your impatient ass cannot manage to wait the less than 5 seconds it takes me to shift into first and start to move and you feel the need to honk.....HONK away and see how long it will take me to get out of 1st gear and into 2nd! I have all the time in the world! Now, maybe a little education about why this is effective and cost saving will help. A manual transmission in itself is cost saving, but making it last is even more so! By doing what I mentioned in #1 and then not engaging the clutch again until I am ready to roll will save the throw out bearings in my clutch thus saving me repair bills in the long run.<br />
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3. Turn signals are not an option on a car or truck, so use them! One of the 5 keys to safe driving from the Smith System is Make Yourself Known. This can be applied to many different aspects of driving, but using your turn signal is a huge one! Now, if I see someone in front of me actually use one of these thought to be car options, I will react accordingly. If they signal in front of me, I will slow down to allow for more of a space cushion in case I need to stop in order for them to complete their turn. You riding my ass will not make me get closer to them. Now, maybe a little education about why this is effective and cost saving will help. Letting off the gas and not slamming on my brakes will have the same result as #1: money savings!!!<br />
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Now, I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. People: SLOW DOWN, BE AWARE, BACK OFF, and DRIVE SAFELY!! If you have to drive like a bat out of hell to get where you have to go, maybe you need to leave a little sooner so we can all arrive at our destination safely!<br />
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<br />browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-54370901935162357172013-08-21T10:56:00.000-04:002013-08-21T10:56:23.000-04:00The Lack of ParentingThere have been so many horrible things reported in the news lately. A lot of them seem to be linked to teens. My question is.....Where are the parents? I think the law should hold them accountable as well!!<br />
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One recent incident:<br />
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<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/20/justice/australia-student-killed-oklahoma/">http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/20/justice/australia-student-killed-oklahoma/</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-- A random act of violence has left a promising 23-year-old college baseball player dead, a family devastated and two countries half a world apart rattled.<br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christopher Lane, who was from Australia, was gunned down in Duncan, Oklahoma, while he was out jogging last week. The motive? Three teens who had nothing better to do, according to police.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"They witnessed a young man run by on the street. Chose him as the target," Police Chief Danny Ford <a href="http://www.kswo.com/category/168869/7-news-video-on-demand?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=9210651">told CNN affiliate KSWO</a>.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span><div>
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So, where were the parents of these teens, ages 15, 16, and 17 that were charged with the crime? Did their parents give them access to the car used in this horrible act? Did they pay for the gas that allowed the kids to cruise around looking for a random target? Did they know that their children had a gun? I see all too many people trying to be friends with their kids and give them the world. This is what happens when you do not parent! And as the mug shots of these kids show, it is a mixed race lot, so it is piss poor parenting on equal levels!<div>
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Another act:</div>
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<a href="http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/18/20077208-georgia-man-faces-trial-in-killing-of-baby-in-stroller?lite">http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/18/20077208-georgia-man-faces-trial-in-killing-of-baby-in-stroller?lite</a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It was a tiny bullet that took the short life of Antonio Santiago.<br /><br />He had learned to walk, but not yet talk, when he was killed March 21, six weeks after his first birthday. He was strapped in his stroller, out for a walk with his mother a few blocks from their apartment near the Georgia coast, when someone shot the boy between the eyes with a .22-caliber bullet the size of a garden pea.<br /><br />The teenager charged as the shooter is scheduled to stand trial next week in a courthouse far from the scene of the crime. Because of public outrage and news coverage, a judge has moved 18-year-old De'Marquise Elkins' trial 325 miles away, to the suburbs outside Atlanta. Jury selection starts Monday at the Cobb County courthouse in Marietta. Superior Court Judge Stephen Kelley has set aside two weeks for the trial.<br /><br />Elkins faces life in prison if convicted of murder. His youth spared him a possible death sentence. At the time of the shooting he was 17, too young to face capital charges in Georgia.<br /><br />Police say the motive was as banal as the slaying of a toddler was shocking. Investigators concluded that Antonio was killed during an attempted street robbery as his mother, Sherry West, was strolling home with the child from the post office. West said a gunman demanding cash shot her baby in the face after she told him she had no money.</span></span></i><div>
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So, where were the 17 year old shooter and 15 year old accomplice's parents? Did they know their kids were out roaming the streets with a .22? Did the parents buy that gun and not manage it? </div>
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People can judge. My kids can hate me. Others can question, BUT I WILL BE UP MY KID'S ASSES UNTIL THEY MOVE OUT OF THIS HOUSE!! My kids are not given anything!! They earn it through respect and working as a member of our family. Cartoons: earned. Game time on my phone: earned! Special toys outside of Christmas or a birthday: earned! If I give them everything and do not hold them accountable at 5 & 4, they too could end up on the wrong side! </div>
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Did the parents of these bad kids even know the kids their own children are hanging out with? I have witnessed parents drop their middle school kids off across the street and not even get out of the car. I have often wondered if they knew the kid their child was visiting was kicked out of school for an entire year and had to go to alternative school and then was not allowed back to his "home school" for the rest of the year. I wondered if they knew that the adult in the house was often not even around. </div>
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Did these teens gone astray ever hold a job or have household jobs that they were required to do? My 5 year old has to collect the chicken eggs daily, set the table, clear her plate, keep her room clean, put away her clean clothes, and help when asked. My 4 year old feeds the dog every evening, gets out cups and plates for dinner, clears his plate, puts the dirty clothes in the laundry, put away his clean clothes, and helps when asked. Responsibility is huge to me! I have a friend that owns a farm and has her 2 young kids helping with daily farm chores at 5 & 3. I have seen the 3 year old peel leeks to get them ready for market. I bet these kids have a complete understanding that they need to work to help keep their life going and I have the utmost respect for it! What about sports? Did these killing teenage thugs ever participate in organized sports which require commitment and focus? </div>
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PARENTS....wake up! PARENT your own kids and be accountable to yourself and them! Your children are a direct reflection of you! Show the world that you are a good person by being a good parent! I have other neighbors that I see in the street walking with their high schoolers. I see them playing ball with their middle schoolers. I see them support their kids education. I would put money on the fact that these kids end up being something! I would put money on the fact that these kids will end up being productive members of society! Why??? Because they have parents that are PARENTS! I am not saying every parent is perfect (I am far from it), but being an involved and accountable parent is better than being your kids' friend, showing by poor example, and leaving a kid to raise themselves!</div>
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browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-15323147404539110592013-08-12T17:42:00.004-04:002013-08-12T17:42:58.058-04:00Reality vs. Pinterest LaLa LandI love Pinterest for creative ideas, but some of the things I see and the things that people find important mystify me! I also enjoy the blogs that are so often linked to these wondrous ideas, but I am here to call bullshit and show the reality of every day life! <br />
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Here is a picture of a little girls room found on Pinterest:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rDmTjrnvjT0/UglJ-3ABKCI/AAAAAAAABMY/2lbZl_NzjWU/s1600/Fake+perfection+girls+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rDmTjrnvjT0/UglJ-3ABKCI/AAAAAAAABMY/2lbZl_NzjWU/s400/Fake+perfection+girls+room.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
Does a little girl even sleep here or is it just for show??<br />
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Here is the reality of it and I can personally attest to the the fact that I might have spent a total of $115 to create this look!!<br />
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My little girl sleeps in the same bed that my Grandfather made for me when I was a kid. She has an old dresser from my Grandma. Bought her a comforter set used, a new light from Ikea and pink Target curtains.<br />
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Her doll cradle was also made by my Grandfather and was also mine when I was a girl. It is her room, so if she want it to look like a bomb went off....so be it. She can't find something, she knows she gets ZERO sympathy!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--mU45VuNXfw/UglKMNV0v-I/AAAAAAAABMs/zVrdpz1uq2w/s1600/IMG_1359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--mU45VuNXfw/UglKMNV0v-I/AAAAAAAABMs/zVrdpz1uq2w/s320/IMG_1359.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The blanket chest is very old and was my grandparents. For now, it is a collection spot for this and that. The access door to the attic is on my list of things to complete with some chalk board paint, but there is always tomorrow. The old school desk in the very corner used to have all her stuffed animals sitting on it, but now it is folded up and was a fort for a week or so.<br />
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Now, what about little boy rooms? Here is Pinterest perfection:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rtDTF4-m06Q/UglOPjSD1EI/AAAAAAAABNA/ZT0OGz2IlD0/s1600/Fake+perfection+boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rtDTF4-m06Q/UglOPjSD1EI/AAAAAAAABNA/ZT0OGz2IlD0/s400/Fake+perfection+boy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo from: <a href="http://retrointeriordesign.com/little-boys-bedroom-decorating-plan/">http://retrointeriordesign.com/little-boys-bedroom-decorating-plan/</a></span></td></tr>
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I don't know a little boy that would not have that room in a heap in under 10 minutes!! </div>
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Here is why I call bullshit:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RwTG38odeX8/UglPCr4w7_I/AAAAAAAABNM/n8ea_gTmGPY/s1600/IMG_1361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RwTG38odeX8/UglPCr4w7_I/AAAAAAAABNM/n8ea_gTmGPY/s320/IMG_1361.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
No matter how many times I have dumped, sorted, and tossed, the toys will always end up in a heap. If a kid wants a heap....he can have it, because I have plenty of other ways to spend my time! His dressers were the first new adult pieces of furniture I purchased when I got my own place. They are from Ikea and are great, but I only had a double bed and it was cool for the first 6 mo. after I got married, but then I wanted to sleep on a little bit of bed instead of clinging for life. The table was an old end table that I spray painted. 2 of the chairs were mine as a kid. The white one came from a furniture store on clearance.<br />
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We did buy his bunk bed new from Ikea, because it<br />
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allows his sister to sleep in his room when we have company. Yes, he needs new blinds, but he will just destroy them trying to look at the neighbors dog!<br />
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I had to sand the top of the dresser to get it to fit in the dormer, but what else would go there. His room might not be pin worthy, but he sure likes it and has no trouble sleeping here!</div>
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Am I done.....NO! One last one. Kids bathrooms.....</div>
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While I love this look, is it really achievable? </div>
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Here is my kids bathroom. Yep....still picture worthy, TP on the toilet and all!! The waves? I painted them myself! The fish? $7 Target clearance decals. Light from Ikea. It is all fine and functional!!</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">So, am I right in calling bullshit? </span></b></i></div>
browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-78026967342292447722013-06-03T20:48:00.000-04:002013-06-03T20:48:37.486-04:00I'm not Mary, but my garden sure is growing....<div style="text-align: center;">
I am giddy like a school girl! FINALLY, I have a garden flourishing! After years of backyard fails, our front yard raised beds are showing great hope. There are zucchini zipping along, beans budding, tomatoes turning from blossom to (well what else...) TOMATOES, cucumbers creating, and peppers popping!</div>
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And, all five hens are laying and we are rolling in the eggs!! They are loving their new home and I am happy to have poop free eggs! Here is a picture of the egg skelter:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwO3HnAJhdI/Ua03PvHBRtI/AAAAAAAABLU/Nz_WUZmSUxg/s1600/2013-06-03_20-08-35_364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwO3HnAJhdI/Ua03PvHBRtI/AAAAAAAABLU/Nz_WUZmSUxg/s320/2013-06-03_20-08-35_364.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I am betting the HUGE on in the middle is a double yolker from one of our Java girls. </div>
browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-27768149150073645772013-05-31T22:13:00.000-04:002013-05-31T22:13:25.090-04:00The Woes of The Husband....So, Patrick returned from Arkansas with the kids, a kayak, and a staph infection. Oh yeah! <br />
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This warranted a trip to the Emergency Room on Sunday, which probably saved his leg or his life. His temperature spiked to 104.7 and he was seeing blurry. They sent him home with 2 prescriptions. 1 for pain to which is debated about filling and 1 for Doxycycline for attacking the infection. It took until Wednesday to be fever free. It also took us to the doctor for a follow-up and full diagnosis. Strep A cellulitis that got in through a small cut or bug bite. The doctor changed his meds and gave him more pills for pain. (Yes, he was very glad that he had filled the first one by Monday afternoon!!)<br />
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So, with all this going on, my one week of covering at work for his vacation looks like it will be going into week 3 on Monday. His infection has stopped spreading, but he is nowhere close to being healed. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_U9Q5pqVI2w/UalV4eSiKLI/AAAAAAAABKU/UATZC8oEHcQ/s1600/2013-05-27_09-44-03_131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_U9Q5pqVI2w/UalV4eSiKLI/AAAAAAAABKU/UATZC8oEHcQ/s320/2013-05-27_09-44-03_131.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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This is his leg outlined with the hospital marking the original infection. We had to track it from there, thus the #2.<br />
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Not too bad looking, but not pretty.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4My8IA6yXOw/UalV4wpT4DI/AAAAAAAABKc/BhWt2RTy_-A/s1600/2013-05-28_11-23-28_518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4My8IA6yXOw/UalV4wpT4DI/AAAAAAAABKc/BhWt2RTy_-A/s320/2013-05-28_11-23-28_518.jpg" width="180" /></a>This is day 3, the day we went for the follow-up.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48XM2ElDFjY/UalV4mp7m7I/AAAAAAAABKY/V1oDuQvD4dU/s1600/ResizedImage_1370051390309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-48XM2ElDFjY/UalV4mp7m7I/AAAAAAAABKY/V1oDuQvD4dU/s320/ResizedImage_1370051390309.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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Today (Friday) is not pretty! The doctor did say it would take several days to several weeks for all of it to come to the surface, blister, and scab. It is blistering alright. He is still in great pain and can not stand still because it hurts so much. Walking is good but after 30 minutes, he needs to sit and put his leg up.</div>
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So, I am going to work tomorrow and probably all of next week. Turning back into a trucker and he is not real content in the stay at home role. Told him, he better get used to it, because he is not going back until he is healed!</div>
browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-30704682783589657152013-05-26T22:48:00.000-04:002013-05-26T22:48:15.624-04:00Chicken House Progress....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With the husband and kids gone on a visit to the farm in Arkansas, I have been working at FedEx for the usual hours to get the drivers out the door and then coming home to work on the chicken condo. It has come along quite well and the girls moved in today!!<br />
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Again, I credit<i> <b>henning house</b></i> (<a href="http://henninghouse.com/2011/05/building-the-chicken-coop-henhouse-part-1/">http://henninghouse.com/2011/05/building-the-chicken-coop-henhouse-part-1/</a>) for their inspiration!<br />
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Here is a breakdown of the condo in stages:<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PN0c1YvKehI/UaK_Rd5N9RI/AAAAAAAABGk/MuuhImX2Vew/s1600/2013-04-25_14-28-07_255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PN0c1YvKehI/UaK_Rd5N9RI/AAAAAAAABGk/MuuhImX2Vew/s320/2013-04-25_14-28-07_255.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Base constructed and checked for level.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-glzGDP979b0/UaK_RamSNrI/AAAAAAAABGo/ZAD6WPyLQYk/s1600/2013-05-08_10-54-59_888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-glzGDP979b0/UaK_RamSNrI/AAAAAAAABGo/ZAD6WPyLQYk/s320/2013-05-08_10-54-59_888.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Built the walls in the driveway and carried them down to the base.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wtt9HpsSdM0/UaK_SxyjdpI/AAAAAAAABHA/8tFwuvnFDwI/s1600/2013-05-14_16-37-09_379.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wtt9HpsSdM0/UaK_SxyjdpI/AAAAAAAABHA/8tFwuvnFDwI/s320/2013-05-14_16-37-09_379.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All walls up and roof on! Had the<br />husband help with this part, because it<br />was a tough go alone!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aaA2q_fwD0w/UaLEi4Aa1_I/AAAAAAAABJs/12U2WTtQPzc/s1600/2013-05-08_20-02-16_339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aaA2q_fwD0w/UaLEi4Aa1_I/AAAAAAAABJs/12U2WTtQPzc/s320/2013-05-08_20-02-16_339.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 walls up</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znC0M_22Fm0/UaK_S7ZBcII/AAAAAAAABG8/tmY_LaGXaH0/s1600/2013-05-20_13-36-51_207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-znC0M_22Fm0/UaK_S7ZBcII/AAAAAAAABG8/tmY_LaGXaH0/s320/2013-05-20_13-36-51_207.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Used the FedEx van for a lumber (and tomato cage)<br />run! Works better than the pick-up truck!<br />I opted to use 8 ft fence pickets instead of ply wood, because of the cuts for the <br />door, nesting boxes, and windows. I put them on vertically to give it a log look. </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bbr1Y5ZNpFM/UaK_TFBRnEI/AAAAAAAABHE/uQjcY2mvW4E/s1600/2013-05-20_17-41-38_553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bbr1Y5ZNpFM/UaK_TFBRnEI/AAAAAAAABHE/uQjcY2mvW4E/s320/2013-05-20_17-41-38_553.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Window in and nesting boxes started.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q47bgHN1kIM/UaK_UDvVBdI/AAAAAAAABHU/Y5wWQswX0Ro/s1600/2013-05-20_17-42-09_874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q47bgHN1kIM/UaK_UDvVBdI/AAAAAAAABHU/Y5wWQswX0Ro/s320/2013-05-20_17-42-09_874.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left side complete!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JlDQWFjRvj4/UaK_VC2CGzI/AAAAAAAABHc/jSGclvRk3x0/s1600/2013-05-21_15-50-28_959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JlDQWFjRvj4/UaK_VC2CGzI/AAAAAAAABHc/jSGclvRk3x0/s320/2013-05-21_15-50-28_959.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nesting box complete (at least on the outside)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NUUEZO8dVog/UaK_VVnYrgI/AAAAAAAABHg/oYJ_FBOFYNM/s1600/2013-05-22_18-55-25_569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NUUEZO8dVog/UaK_VVnYrgI/AAAAAAAABHg/oYJ_FBOFYNM/s320/2013-05-22_18-55-25_569.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back wall windows cut in as is the exit for the girls!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtY9l4Pdq-8/UaK_Wk9-14I/AAAAAAAABH0/6eQx_bmOGFQ/s1600/2013-05-23_16-32-48_261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WtY9l4Pdq-8/UaK_Wk9-14I/AAAAAAAABH0/6eQx_bmOGFQ/s320/2013-05-23_16-32-48_261.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back wall done including shutters<br />and screening on windows.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zWisRWEO5AI/UaK_XJxQBCI/AAAAAAAABH8/uB5loSbOMc4/s1600/2013-05-23_16-34-21_858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zWisRWEO5AI/UaK_XJxQBCI/AAAAAAAABH8/uB5loSbOMc4/s320/2013-05-23_16-34-21_858.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Window screen on the inside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEMrAmx4m1w/UaK_bw9eeNI/AAAAAAAABIc/kIqdkN_DL7Q/s1600/2013-05-25_16-01-33_340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEMrAmx4m1w/UaK_bw9eeNI/AAAAAAAABIc/kIqdkN_DL7Q/s320/2013-05-25_16-01-33_340.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shutters can close to keep the<br />draft down in the winter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuPs-6hLBIk/UaK_aUuTp5I/AAAAAAAABIE/ar2kp-QLtgE/s1600/2013-05-24_13-24-46_992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuPs-6hLBIk/UaK_aUuTp5I/AAAAAAAABIE/ar2kp-QLtgE/s320/2013-05-24_13-24-46_992.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Door added. Needs a latch since the one I bought <br />was missing parts. But who makes a<br />Home Depot run on Memorial Day weekend?!?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CtderS_jLZk/UaK_aedqaJI/AAAAAAAABII/cvSoAodc1zc/s1600/2013-05-25_16-00-56_116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CtderS_jLZk/UaK_aedqaJI/AAAAAAAABII/cvSoAodc1zc/s320/2013-05-25_16-00-56_116.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ramp and screening for the open area at the bottom. Have to keep the<br />predators out of the chicken house!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sEn8XFXE3Aw/UaK_a2SnI6I/AAAAAAAABIU/YY5DeDiXhl8/s1600/2013-05-25_16-01-06_751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sEn8XFXE3Aw/UaK_a2SnI6I/AAAAAAAABIU/YY5DeDiXhl8/s320/2013-05-25_16-01-06_751.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Added an awning above the windows.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WvizZbZ8IAU/UaK_cYCNN-I/AAAAAAAABIk/BMkEpMlrXdw/s1600/2013-05-25_16-04-11_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WvizZbZ8IAU/UaK_cYCNN-I/AAAAAAAABIk/BMkEpMlrXdw/s320/2013-05-25_16-04-11_640.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roost bars </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFMtRfgJL8I/UaK_dbV9oQI/AAAAAAAABIs/wfORh0Jz6Jw/s1600/2013-05-25_16-04-22_836.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dFMtRfgJL8I/UaK_dbV9oQI/AAAAAAAABIs/wfORh0Jz6Jw/s320/2013-05-25_16-04-22_836.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nesting boxes on the<br />inside. (And no build could be<br />complete without a cold one!)</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cJdxG5gd2xw/UaK_e3TWoXI/AAAAAAAABI8/FVMoSYQ1ghY/s1600/2013-05-25_16-04-55_460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cJdxG5gd2xw/UaK_e3TWoXI/AAAAAAAABI8/FVMoSYQ1ghY/s320/2013-05-25_16-04-55_460.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nesting box egg access.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqhIBSPN10Y/UaK_fmYoW4I/AAAAAAAABJE/OOONbyV7EiQ/s1600/2013-05-25_16-05-08_970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CqhIBSPN10Y/UaK_fmYoW4I/AAAAAAAABJE/OOONbyV7EiQ/s320/2013-05-25_16-05-08_970.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nesting box door open</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MS-nYuCuShA/UaK_gcmPLFI/AAAAAAAABJM/-iB-kGFU5ZQ/s1600/2013-05-26_11-16-39_446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MS-nYuCuShA/UaK_gcmPLFI/AAAAAAAABJM/-iB-kGFU5ZQ/s320/2013-05-26_11-16-39_446.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While I was moving the fence<br />around and the girls were free ranging,<br />Floppsie made her own way in to lay!</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XqOyV8vzJgg/UaK_hHffClI/AAAAAAAABJU/dInay-g-cOw/s1600/2013-05-26_16-06-38_921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XqOyV8vzJgg/UaK_hHffClI/AAAAAAAABJU/dInay-g-cOw/s320/2013-05-26_16-06-38_921.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the girls are in and liking it!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I went down to check on them after it was dark and a<br />couple of the girls have made the transition quite well.<br />2 were not into the new roost.</td></tr>
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I have several things left to finish, but all in all, I am super excited about the house that I built for the girls! I think my shop classes in 6, 7, and 8th grades served me well! It is not perfect and I used a TON of screws, but I still have all my fingers and I did it all with the Ryobi tool set my husband said could not be used to build a thing. I didn't need that $200 compound miter saw he was trying to get me to buy! <br />
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For the project to be 100% done, I need to get a hanger for their food so it is right at the gate or inside the condo itself. I also need to add a roost bar, because I realized tonight they are a little high. A way to close the hen exit is in the works (but again would have required going to Home Depot). browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-81379674252068276242013-05-23T21:04:00.000-04:002013-05-23T21:04:11.520-04:00Kids Summer: Trip #1As kids, both my husband and I lived away from our families and Summer meant going to visit family. Well, the same holds true for our kids. The first trip of Summer Break took them to Arkansas with their Dad to visit their Papa John. I stayed home to keep the business running and work on a couple of projects around the house. <br />
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The first day, the girl is already at peace walking the fields in her new Bog Boots and dress.<br />
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Day two....It was time to get to work! John picked the wagon over driving, so he could watch the dog run with them as they rode the fence lines.</div>
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The big pool was apparently still a little cold and not ready for swimming, but these 2 were set on swimming while at Papa John's. Thanks to the Pocahontas, AR Wal-Mart for making it happen!</div>
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Some of the best things are cuddles with grandparents. I remember mine fondly. Hope they will remember theirs as well!</div>
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There is a large Mennonite population near Papa John and the kids were given hats to fit in! They have been worn ever since.</div>
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And yet another fond memory I have of visits with my Grandparents: Fishing! I am so glad they are having fun!</div>
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browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-1973738680781277562013-05-16T22:31:00.002-04:002013-05-16T22:31:23.209-04:00Garden UpdateSo, I started my Pinterest inspired raised beds in my front yard in March. We have been making great progress and I cannot wait for fresh veggies!<br />
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Here are a couple pictures taken today:<br />
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A couple of the pole beans did not take, so I replanted and they are the little ones playing catch up. 3 of them are already really climbing and it makes me smile!!<br />
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The carrots and garlic and progressing, but it is a slow go, as they will be in place until Fall. Notice the row markers the kids made when we first planted. Sticks with foam sticker paper cut to show the veggies (here you can see 2 carrots, a green bean, and a garlic).<br />
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Yep, even my zucchini likes wine!! You can see some of my mulching: newspaper with cut leaves on top as well. <br />
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Potatoes are in the Smart Pot on the right. I think I have one more mounding to add to them before the pot is full. The Red Tomato Mulch is on and seems to be working. The tomatoes are drinking rum instead of wine (only the blue tops are showing for buried root watering). Need to get my tomato cages in soon. The back wall of peppers and cukes is coming along. <br />
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I have to say, I think this garden thing has a calming effect on me. I have not been doing nearly as much ranting as I used to! browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-71037723744684226582013-05-12T21:27:00.000-04:002013-05-12T21:27:09.800-04:00Chicken ProgressI am not a professional builder! I am 100% winging it! I made the mistake of buying stud boards, but made them work. But....here is one wall of the new chicken coop:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q2eSqYeNfG4/UZA8uguG0iI/AAAAAAAABEE/kVtT0osGlHE/s1600/2013-05-08_10-54-59_888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q2eSqYeNfG4/UZA8uguG0iI/AAAAAAAABEE/kVtT0osGlHE/s320/2013-05-08_10-54-59_888.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q2eSqYeNfG4/UZA8uguG0iI/AAAAAAAABEE/kVtT0osGlHE/s1600/2013-05-08_10-54-59_888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">I have progressed from there to this:</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcMz3-_YPuE/UZA8v9sFOJI/AAAAAAAABEY/f3Af8-7qSz4/s1600/2013-05-12_13-24-11_721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcMz3-_YPuE/UZA8v9sFOJI/AAAAAAAABEY/f3Af8-7qSz4/s320/2013-05-12_13-24-11_721.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Side walls and front wall are up. The window is framed and the door is ready to be added. Need to get roof on and the nesting boxes built on the one side. I am still debating about internal or external nesting boxes. </div>
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In the meantime, the new chicks, who have been named Flopsie, Mopsie, Topsie, Peter, Cottontail, and Bob are growing and being loved on! Today, they went to the front yard for some grass time and sunshine! They loved it, as did the kids!</div>
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Hopefully by September, this new group of girls will be laying! I am excited to see what color the Easter Egger will produce. The other chicks are: 2 Leghorns, 1 White Plymouth Rock, 2 Golden Bluff Red Stars. </div>
browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-74105976065530998822013-05-02T19:21:00.000-04:002013-05-02T19:21:01.859-04:00Chicken woes....So, this past fall something was getting into our coop and making off with chickens. We shored the coop up, filled in all the uneven ground around the run, and put an electric fence up on the outside to keep the perpetrator at bay. We did loose 3 of our best layers and the others were so scared! The whole thing made our remaining girls go into a stress molt. <br />
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Winter came and I do not believe in a light to get them back on a laying schedule. I figure, let nature be nature. I sucked it up and bought eggs from the farm where we buy milk. Time change came and our 2 replacements (beautiful Java hens) started laying. The old 3.....nothing. So, I placed an order for 6 chicks to arrive in April. Guess who got wind of their approach to the soup bowl? Suddenly, the girls kicked back into production.<br />
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It was too late to cancel our chick order, so I have started construction of a new coop to hold all 11 girls. I looked at pinterest and got many ideas from others and their creations. The most helpful blog was, The Henning House:<br />
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<a href="http://henninghouse.com/2011/05/building-the-chicken-coop-henhouse-part-1/">http://henninghouse.com/2011/05/building-the-chicken-coop-henhouse-part-1/</a><br />
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I changed a thing or two that he has done so far and have included a peel and stick laminate floor. Here are some progress picture before the floor:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QOMwCLYcP64/UYLy59YfOeI/AAAAAAAABDA/xGJGZu8sT4Y/s1600/2013-04-23_12-25-45_926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QOMwCLYcP64/UYLy59YfOeI/AAAAAAAABDA/xGJGZu8sT4Y/s320/2013-04-23_12-25-45_926.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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My ground area where I decided to build was pretty uneven. I decided to use the poured blocks made to accommodate 2x4's. <br />
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I framed under the floor with 16 inch spacing between my boards and then put the floor down. <br />
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The girls watched closely to make sure it was all up to spec!<br />
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And then look who showed up just 2 days ago! I guess I better get back to building so they can have a home!!browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-67427428621713435642013-03-04T22:14:00.000-05:002013-03-04T22:14:38.583-05:00Pinterest FAILSo, maybe I am the only person that uses Pinterest to mark things I actually want to try. I do not usually just repin. I open the actual pin. I read. I examine. If it is a keeper, I pin the original site. Well, this pin was read and tried (more than once) and FAILED!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.dailylivingbrief.com/diy-clementine-candle/">http://www.dailylivingbrief.com/diy-clementine-candle/</a><br />
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It sounds easy enough. Cut clementine. Peel clementine. Cut vent. Add oil. Add fire.<br />
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Here is my clementine:<br />
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Note.....NO FLAME. I tried at least 4 different clementines and all failed. Sorry, I unpinned that shit!<br />
browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-88154738614861112472013-02-24T21:32:00.000-05:002013-02-24T21:37:32.556-05:00Pinterest in RealityIn an attempt to actually grow our own vegetables this year, we decided we would utilize some raised beds in the front yard this year. After many years and failed attempts in the back yard, we decided to take down our Bradford Pear trees and go for it. I have seen so many wonderful ideas on Pinterest and decided to put one into action. I wanted it to look decent, since it is going to be in the front yard. So, here is our finished product 1 of 2....<br />
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I picked up all the materials for this and a twin at home depot for about $225. I used 8 ft. galvanized sheet metal for the inside. I got a bargain on Treks Decking boards for the top, bottom, and sides. They were on closeout for $15 for 16 ft boards! I used cedar fence panel pieces for the end covers and middle support. I am pretty pleased with the result, so far. Here was my inspiration from Pinterest:<br />
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Yes, they mitered their corners and have lovely corner caps, but for this rookie and no instructions, I think I did a pretty good job!browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-8784783948654955312013-01-17T19:44:00.002-05:002013-01-17T19:44:19.117-05:00Finally....<br />
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So, I am attempting to make my blog more about family, but at the same time, it is still called, "The Rantings of a Trucker Turned Momma". So, it still need to allow for some rantings!!<br />
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I am so excited!! I finally found an actual sweatshirt that has sleeves long enough! It has always been a complaint of mine. XXL to many clothing makers just means bigger around. I have compared them at places like Kohl's and JCP. Yes, I am big there, but I would also like my shirts to come down to meet my pants pockets. I also like it if a long sleeved shirt actually reaches my wrists! I have many shirts that this is not the case for!! Well, finally, I bought a sweatshirt at Target made by Champion and it not only has LONG long sleeves, but they can be extra long and act and hand covers!
Here they are:
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So, as I am finding this so exciting, the girl has to deflate my mood by saying that the sleeves look funny in thumb mode. Her Aunt Jody was here and had several Under Armor shirts that did the same thing and the girl thought they were cool. I guess being Mom and having hand covers is not cool. Oh well. Guess it is the first of many embarrassments I will cause for my children!browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-29799091623311733992013-01-16T14:39:00.003-05:002013-01-16T14:39:36.997-05:00Day 16.....It has been 16 days since I gave up Facebook. I realize how much time I mindlessly wasted seeing what everyone else was doing, measuring myself against others, and telling the world my every move. So, what have I done with my time saved in the last 16 days? I have thought of my witty comments that I would have posted in the past, and just kept them to myself. I knitted a baby sweater and ballet booties for a friend's niece. I started a chemo hat for a neighbor's daughter. I also came to a conclusion that I need to communicate with my family, since they grew to know our lives through Facebook. I am going to use my blog to help keep them in the loop, if they choose to read my rantings!?!<br />
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So, to catch up on the events of late, we had a house-full for the holidays and it was a bunch of FUN!! Here are a couple pictures to recap the events:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burke got her American Girl Doll! <br />She cried for a good hour the night before worried that she had<br />not been a good girl and Santa wasn't going to leave her anything.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papa John got new Muck Boots!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "new" kitchen was a hit!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa's Birthday Gift: A Mad Bomber Hat for the VT cold!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Story time with the cat included!</td></tr>
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Then, in January, we celebrated a boy turning 4 with make our own pizzas, eating Spider Man cake, opening gifts, and talking on the phone to family. He said it was the best birthday ever!<br />
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<br />browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-91095304000215796872013-01-01T22:49:00.000-05:002013-01-01T22:49:21.074-05:00Making A ChangeWelcome 2013! <br />
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I have decided to not make resolutions, because they are easily broken. Instead, I am going to make a change. At 1 am this morning, I deleted my facebook account! My father-in-law was here for Christmas, and said that he always knows what is going on in our life, because it is on facebook. My Mom said that she hears about my life through her work friends via facebook. My brother-in-law and his wife were here for New Years and she keeps tabs on us via facebook. All that is great, but NONE of it is personal. Yes, I have enjoyed catching up with and reconnecting with old friends, but do they need to hear about my every move and do I need to know about theirs? I have decided that neither is actually gaining a thing for me or my family. <br />
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Instead of waking up to see what everyone is doing via my phone facebook app, I can call them if I want to see what is going on. If they want to find out what is happening in our life, they can call or text. ~OR, I can focus more on my kids and less on what others are doing. I can give the time I was giving to facebook to my family. I can focus on crafting, knitting, teaching my kids to cook, CLEANING, and maybe not have to charge my phone 1/2 way through the day! I feel liberated! I hope I can stick to my change and do the right things!browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-54927339465114301122012-11-12T21:10:00.002-05:002012-11-12T21:15:37.239-05:00Rolling with it ~or~ Do we go too farI often wonder if my kids get it. We often have to change directions without warning and while I know they do not like it, they roll with it! But, do they get that their ability to roll with it will benefit them in the long run? Think about it, if life only goes perfectly, would it really be life or would it be a dream. Life is full of ups and downs. If you are unable to deal with the roller coaster, even at 5 and almost 4, how are you going to make it in the long run. While my kids have yet to participate in team sports, they might eventually and there will be losses! Every game, even the game of life, has winners and losers. If a kid does not understand this early, how devastating will it be when they first fail at 15? <br />
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I am not saying that I am a perfect parent. In fact, I am far from it. BUT, my kids are understanding that life does not revolve around them. They revolve around the life of our family as a whole and that family is more than just the 4 people under our roof. We have friends that are family. We have employees that are family. We have neighbors that are family. <br />
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Last week, our work family needed us. We had an accident and coordinating the logistics of it all requires all hands on deck and then some. The call came while I was at gymnastics with the girl. I managed to make it through her time there by just making phone calls. After it was over, we ran to get her brother from school early. He was not happy, but that is life. We rolled to the poor truck and the husband who was stranded with it and packages still to deliver. No, the accident was not his fault, but he puts all else before himself. After running him around, we waited on the tow truck and finally made it home. We rolled with it.<br />
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Today, a friend needed some help. I picked the kids up from lunch bunch early, because we needed to roll to get my friend's little girl. The kids were not happy, but they got over it. There was more that was important than them at that point. It was little Gracie and her Mom and Dad and future sister. My kids tried to make Gracie feel better when we took her away from her Mom at the hospital. We rolled with it. <br />
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I sometimes struggle with whether or not we go too far with being nice to our employees. Just today, we helped 3 of our drivers in a huge way. We do it for 2 reasons, but they aren't just self serving. We do it because of all they do to keep our business successful. Yes, Brown Dog Trucking, Inc. had a tough week last week with a complaint and an accident. But, we truly know that we have a good group of employees. So, rides to work, helping with a driver's toddler, or loaning one of them our vehicle so they can get to and from work just seems right. We also do it, because we hope our understanding makes up for the fact that we can't pay them a million $$$$. I think we pay them an honest wage, but I wish we could do more. <br />
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And that is the Trucker Turned Momma's thoughts for the day!browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-41694267633003456082012-11-06T20:41:00.002-05:002012-11-06T20:41:37.973-05:00What the Hell RantsWhat the hell is wrong with people today? We are having a hard time filling a seasonal position. Candidate #3 that is unable to pass a background check! WTF! Shoplifting, weed charge, and an unknown background check failure. Really?!?! How are these kids going to make it in life? Where are their parental influences at age 18 and 19? <br />
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What the hell is wrong with the makers of jeans for little kids these days, especially little girls? My kid does not need jeans to hug her ass! My kids does not need low rise jeans! No one needs to see the underwear of a 5 yr old! She has outgrown all of her size 5 jeans, so I bought 3 pairs of jeans for her to try on. They will all 3 be going back!! The 6 slims fit the best, but they make her look like a teenager with a cupped ass! The regular size 6 sits so low even with the waist adjusted! The size 6x are extra snug! REALLY! <br />
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What the hell is wrong with Wal-Mart?!? If you have a fabric department, at least staff it with someone that knows how to measure and cut the fabric!! The ability to use the scanner to get your cut pieces priced is also a good quality to make sure that employee has! I cannot make that up!! Yes, Ruth at my local Wal-Mart, you need to find a new line of work!<br />
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I could go on for longer, but I need to refill my wine and try to calm down!!browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-86560089368926283152012-10-30T22:11:00.001-04:002012-10-30T22:11:42.946-04:00Give Thanks for Christmas Decorations??I had to run to Target today for some last minute things for Halloween. I needed candles but thought I might try to go eco-friendly and buy one of the LED lights. Well, the 6 aisles of Halloween were crammed into 2 and Christmas has taken over. Do we, as a society, just turn every holiday into a commercialized mecca for which to waste the hard earned $$$$ on? What happened to that BIG holiday between Halloween and Christmas? That holiday: THANKSGIVING!?!? A time when we GIVE thanks for all that we are so lucky to have and not GIVE plastic shit made in China to our kids to show them love. A time to to GIVE thanks for health and freedom and eat wonderful traditional food and not GIVE gifts that we have put little thought into. A time to GIVE a meal to others that are not as fortunate as we are and not GIVE more than can ever be enjoyed by our own family, let alone fit in our own house. <br />
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I am here to make a pact with myself and my family to ENJOY Thanksgiving and focus less on the commercialism of that other holiday that has taken over. browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-55081765512375412862012-10-10T11:06:00.000-04:002012-10-10T21:06:51.637-04:00The Bad Side of being So ConnectedThe husband and I cashed in on our annual Christmas gift from my parents and hit the campground while they stayed home and watched our 2 kids! It was wonderful, but we came to a 21st Century realization: We are overly in touch because of being so connected. Cell phones, smart phones, Skype, remote video surveillance and on and on have taken the human presence part out of interacting. <br />
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The husband takes the golf cart for a quick run to the real bath house to take care of business. It is a very short ride, but while on his ride, he sees something funny, takes a picture and sends it to me back at the camper. I comment back and we talk via text while he is in the crapper. He gets back and we have nothing to talk about. Hum.....this seems to happen a lot anymore. The kids do something funny while he is at work and I send him a picture or call him. When he gets home, he already knows about our day and we do not have a lot of new stuff to share at dinner. He does the same during his day. <br />
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While we were gone, we punched up on the smart phone our outdoor cameras and watched the kids riding bikes and playing in the driveway. WHY?!?!? We knew they were in good hands! When I was little, my parents left me at a neighbor's and went to Hawaii while I had strep throat and NEVER EVEN called!! I still love them and do not feel too scarred by the whole issue!<br />
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Kids today are so connected with each other and society. My kids will never understand the embarrassment of having to talk on the land line phone in the upstairs hall or having me answer the phone when a friend of theirs calls. They will never remember a day of not having a cell phone in the car. They will never experience having to walk home from school because they missed their bus and their Mom cannot be reached because she is outside weeding the garden. (Trust me, it was not a short walk from school to our house. It wasn't up hill in both directions, but it was long enough to teach me a lesson.)<br />
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So, what is the solution? I do not have a fool proof one, but we are going to try to reduce the number of times we talk a day and try to save the good and funny stuff for family time at the dinner table. We are not going to provide a cell phone with a data plan to our kids (or at least hold out as long as possible). browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-41854379695447811422012-09-15T22:48:00.001-04:002012-09-15T22:48:20.947-04:00Natural vs. Store Bought<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have been going along with the husband and his challenge. We cheated 2 times last week and twice in one day, today. Work life made cheating on Monday a given with providing dinner from Chick-fil-A for our drivers. Friday was the girl's birthday and lunch with friends was fitting. Today, we lunched with friends again and went out for a nice dinner as a family. On the way home, we stopped at Trader Joe's for some groceries. While I was putting them away, I had a moment of "AWE"! Since starting his challenge, I have been baking our own bread. I saved a couple of buns that were left in the bread drawer when we returned home from vacation. Today, the tiny end of a loaf of homemade French bread was green! It was about a week old.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEW42-mIqtM/UFU1xWIm_4I/AAAAAAAAA9w/0PQmYM2DXq0/s1600/2012-09-15_21-28-51_273+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEW42-mIqtM/UFU1xWIm_4I/AAAAAAAAA9w/0PQmYM2DXq0/s320/2012-09-15_21-28-51_273+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the left are the almost 2 mo. old rolls. On the right, my homemade bread.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A close up:</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWsTKjpGGFw/UFU2FLsuVPI/AAAAAAAAA94/vVvni5uGLP8/s1600/2012-09-15_21-28-57_549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWsTKjpGGFw/UFU2FLsuVPI/AAAAAAAAA94/vVvni5uGLP8/s400/2012-09-15_21-28-57_549.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, what is in my bread? Organic flour (a mix of white whole wheat and whole wheat), yeast, salt, water, olive oil and semolina flour (a dusting on the bottom to keep it from sticking while baking). </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is the ingredient list on the store bread:</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BG1YugIo5IU/UFU3wTj_caI/AAAAAAAAA-I/lO2u-e7TdyU/s1600/2012-09-15_21-29-26_239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #b6d7a8; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BG1YugIo5IU/UFU3wTj_caI/AAAAAAAAA-I/lO2u-e7TdyU/s640/2012-09-15_21-29-26_239.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Enriched, dough conditioners that are a lot of glycerides, monocalcium phosphate, datem......What the hell is all that stuff?!? My husband is convinced it is what gives little girls boobs at 10 yrs old and is one of the reasons he wanted to change some things in our life. Well, here is where I call in Google and Wikipedia!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"> <b _idv_element_hash="35515936" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">DATEM</b><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> (diacetyl tartaric acid ester of mono- and diglycerides) is an </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulsifier" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="Emulsifier">emulsifier</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> primarily used in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="Baking">baking</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">. It is used to strengthen the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dough" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="Dough">dough</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> by building a strong </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="Gluten">gluten</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> network.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;"><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Calcium dihydrogen phosphate is also used in the food industry as a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leavening_agent" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="Leavening agent">leavening agent</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> to cause baked goods to rise. Because it is acidic, when combined with an alkali ingredient, commonly </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bicarbonate" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="Sodium bicarbonate">sodium bicarbonate</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> (baking soda) or </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_bicarbonate" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="Potassium bicarbonate">potassium bicarbonate</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">, it reacts to produce </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="Carbon dioxide">carbon dioxide</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> and a</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_(chemistry)" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="Salt (chemistry)">salt</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">. Outward pressure of the carbon dioxide gas causes the rising effect. When combined in a ready-made </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baking_powder" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="Baking powder">baking powder</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">, the acid and alkali ingredients are included in the right proportions such that they will exactly neutralize each other and not significantly affect the overall </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: none;" title="PH">pH</a><span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> of the product. **Note, if you look this up, it is also used as a fertilizer. Great!</span></span><br />
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<div _idv_element_hash="35584560" style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-top: 0.4em;">
<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">A <b>monoglyceride</b>, more correctly known as a <b>monoacylglycerol</b>, is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glyceride" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Glyceride">glyceride</a> consisting of one <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Fatty acid">fatty acid</a> chain <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covalent" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Covalent">covalently</a> bonded to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycerol" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Glycerol">glycerol</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecule" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Molecule">molecule</a>through an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ester" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ester">ester</a> linkage.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-0" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoglyceride#cite_note-0" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a></sup></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Monoacylglycerol can be broadly divided into two groups; 1-monoacylglycerols and 2-monoacylglycerols, depending on the position of the ester bond on the glycerol moiety.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Monoacylglycerols can be formed by both industrial chemical and biological processes. They are formed biochemically via release of a fatty acid from<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diglyceride" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Diglyceride">diacylglycerol</a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diacylglycerol_lipase" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Diacylglycerol lipase">diacylglycerol lipase</a>. Monoacylglycerols are broken down by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoacylglycerol_lipase" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Monoacylglycerol lipase">monoacylglycerol lipase</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">Mono- and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diglycerides" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Diglycerides">diglycerides</a> are commonly added to commercial food products in small quantities. They act as <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emulsifiers" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Emulsifiers">emulsifiers</a>, helping to mix ingredients such as <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable_fats_and_oils" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Vegetable fats and oils">oil and water</a> that would not otherwise blend well.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1" style="line-height: 1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoglyceride#cite_note-1" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[2]</a></sup></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8;">The commercial source may be either <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Animal">animal</a> (<a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cow" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Cow">cow</a>- or <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hog_(swine)" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Hog (swine)">hog</a>-derived) or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Vegetable">vegetable</a>, and they may be synthetically made as well. They are often found in bakery products, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverage" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Beverage">beverages</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_cream" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Ice cream">ice cream</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewing_gum" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Chewing gum">chewing gum</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortening" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Shortening">shortening</a>, <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whipped_topping" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Whipped topping">whipped toppings</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margarine" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Margarine">margarine</a>, and <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confection" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Confection">confections</a>.<sup class="Template-Fact" style="line-height: 1em; white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from September 2011">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> When used in bakery products, monoglycerides improve loaf volume, and create a smooth, soft crumb.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess my moment of awe and realization that my time invested in the kitchen might be worth something will make me continue on the path of better eating. We will still enjoy special treats from time to time, but try to stick with good old homemade as much as possible!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><br /></span>browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-16844900399028170372012-09-12T21:20:00.000-04:002012-09-12T21:20:18.116-04:00Some words of advice for job seekers....It is a tough market out there! If you are looking for a job and are going to apply or send resumes through ads placed on a site such as craigslist, do yourself a favor and read the following:<br />
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-Make sure your name on your email account or even the email address itself has a little class!! I automatically hit the trash button when I read things like:<br />
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Looneyhustla<br />
G<br />
captainjacker<br />
Kaveman Love<br />
ILL SON<br />
The Vic Man<br />
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-Sending one piss poor email is enough, but to send that thing 5 times is just going to make me need more wine!<br />
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-If you stay someplace, I could care less!! If you live somewhere, I see a little more stability in your life.<br />
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-Grammar is a pet peeve of mine and a lot of other employers. Proof read your shit before you send it! No, you are not coming to work for a publishing house as an editor, but at least act like you care!!!<br />
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-If you include a phone number, make sure it is correct, that maybe your voicemail is actually activated, and that your mailbox is not full. I won't call back!<br />
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-If it is obvious you are replying for EVERY ad placed, I hit delete! Read the ad before you reply!<br />
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-If the ad says, "Available to start immediately." and you are called and cannot interview until next month and cannot start until the end of the semester, you have just wasted my time and I HATE having my time wasted!<br />
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-If your resume includes a category of Braggin Rights.....DELETE that section, because I just deleted your reply!<br />
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-If a job lists an area of a metropolitan city and you live no where within a 40 mile radius, why apply? Are you really going to make it to work on time daily?<br />
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OK....I am going to go back to reviewing my emails and hitting the trash button!<br />
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<br />browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-14804451452999196972012-09-05T21:48:00.002-04:002012-09-05T21:48:22.557-04:00The Challenge and the Journey<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, on our return from vacation, my husband challenged me to cook with just straight natural in the rawest form ingredients. </span>(OK....he really said he didn't think I could)<span style="font-family: inherit;"> . I love to cook and think I am pretty good at it, but to say I couldn't do something in the kitchen....GASP!! Well, if you know me, I do not take challenges lightly! Told him I would give it a go and we would take it further than that and give up all the yuckies (i.e. fast food, Mama Rita night at the Amigos, and processed foods). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, that was several weeks ago and we are adjusting. I am so glad I have my new kitchen, because there is a lot involved in not buying from the middle of the store! It has been great, though, because the kids are really into helping with the cooking now. As for other parts of the challenge, we have not stopped at our favorite chicken place for breakfast or lunch since well before the last week in July. We have only cheated once and bought lunchables for the kids. (They love those things and it is so easy to rip that bad boy open and there is lunch without any Mommy work.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is a dinner these days around here with no yuckies? It really isn't bad!! Here is a sample:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tonight's dinner was homem<span style="font-family: inherit;">ade pierogi, piroghi or pierogie (depending on where you are from and how Polish your heritage is). <span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Some people have probably never heard of or enjoyed a pierogi before, but being a Pittsburgh, PA native.....I LOVE them! There was a restaurant down the road from my old work facility in McKees Rocks that only served pierogies!!! Yep, we ordered from Pierogies Plus weekly back in the day!! <a href="http://pierogiesplus.com/">http://pierogiesplus.com/</a></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I didn't just make regular pierogies tonight though! Instead, I included my obsession in there and made Potato, Cabot cheddar, bacon and onion pierogies!! They were awesome (if I can say that about my own cooking)!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"> Here is everything prepped (minus the dough which was chilling the the fridge). Red potatoes on to boil, onion cooking with a tiny bit of olive oil, bacon cooked and crumbled, and cheese grated. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Everything was mashed by hand to make this:</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-joMTc3BAy30/UEf9Tp7EY1I/AAAAAAAAA9I/T0dPC4zmfOc/s1600/2012-09-05_17-21-15_309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-joMTc3BAy30/UEf9Tp7EY1I/AAAAAAAAA9I/T0dPC4zmfOc/s320/2012-09-05_17-21-15_309.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
This is where I get the kids involved! They both took turns rolling out the dough, which was made from whole wheat flour, an egg from our own chickens, organic butter and organic sour cream. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-amJo2I5vK6w/UEf9VTB7yyI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/bGZcc36b7d0/s1600/2012-09-05_17-25-10_568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-amJo2I5vK6w/UEf9VTB7yyI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/bGZcc36b7d0/s320/2012-09-05_17-25-10_568.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Then, their job was to cut out the circles. I used the sandwich sealer I got from Pampered Chef several years ago. It worked perfectly!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmlYUI4qZN4/UEf9W3j8XZI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/XV8DiXxbYR4/s1600/2012-09-05_17-50-07_539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmlYUI4qZN4/UEf9W3j8XZI/AAAAAAAAA9Y/XV8DiXxbYR4/s320/2012-09-05_17-50-07_539.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I stuffed them and then they sealed them with the sandwich sealer. Here they are ready to be cooked!<br />
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The final product with a little sour cream and a nice tomato salad!</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></span>browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-5408179733283492862012-06-08T16:35:00.000-04:002012-06-08T16:35:38.830-04:00Random Friday ThoughtsSo, I am sitting here on hold with an insurance company over a stupid Mexican that cannot drive and hit one of our work trucks. While sitting here, I thought I would make use of my time and browse the web. Here are some random thoughts that came to me while browsing:<br />
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~ If you list shit on a facebook garage sale page, make it nice and worth the effort it took me to scroll past your garbage. 12 shirts at $3 each and each individually pictured is a waste of effort! Also, if your shit is going to cost someone more in gas than it would for them just to pick it up at Wal-Mart when they are there, it probably is not going to sell, so quit bumping that crap to the top! <br />
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~If I advertise something as free on a facebook garage sale page, meet me when and where it is convenient for ME. You are getting the shit for FREE!! If I give you something for free, don't think I am an idiot and turn around and try to SELL it without asking! Oh yeah....you think I didn't see all those dresses I gave you listed? If you are poor, ask for money, but don't yank my chain to steal it from me. Someone who actually wanted and would have used the dresses could have had them instead of your greedy trying to make a $ ass!<br />
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~If you are going to try to sell your nasty lingerie on an on-line garage sale, why would you do it with your name attached? Use craigslist or ebay and try to remain in the shadows! I know there are people out there with weird and crazy fetishes, but you are going to have to meet them to deliver the goods. I am half tempted to say I will buy and arrange to meet just so I can tell you in person that it is fucked up to sell that stuff so openly!<br />
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~If your mattress is ripped, make them take it when you buy a new one. I doubt you are going to sell it!<br />
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~If your GA Dawgs flip-flops are so used that the G is missing from one of them, THROW THEM AWAY! I gave shit away with lots of life left in it....those do not have any life left!<br />
<br />browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-65551992567939407872012-06-01T10:50:00.000-04:002012-06-01T10:50:16.786-04:00Lessons from My 2 Weeks of CampingFor two weeks, the kids and I checked out and headed with the camper to Horseshoe Trails in Mountain Lakes Resort outside of Cleveland, GA. The kitchen in our house was being redone and the husband and I decided it would be easier if we were not there for the process. <br />
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I am not used to the single parent aspect and trust me when I say, 3 & 4 are not the easiest ages, but we had so much fun! The husband came up for 2 weekends, but other than that, it was just the 3 of us. Of course, there is lots to do here and that helped, but we didn't always need to do to enjoy! That is one of the realizations I re-realize every time we leave home. We hardly watched TV. The kids only brought one bag of toys each, that they picked out on their own before we left. We had our bikes as well. So what do you do for 2 weeks if you have cramped living quarters, minimal toys, and no planned activities? <br />
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You bond! You enjoy! You play! <br />
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We hiked. We biked. We walked. We ate outside. We caught bugs. We played with sticks. We did art outside. We found treasures. We used our imagination. We did lots of swimming. We fished. We visited the horses. We played in the creek. We stomped in mud puddles. We sang songs. We played games. <br />
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We are heading home tomorrow and even as I sit outside under the awning in the rain writing about our time away, the kids are out playing and having a grand time with a stick and jump rope. I do want to return to a normal house, a real shower, a toilet that is real, and doors on my bedroom. BUT, I also want to try to keep the focus I so easily loose when we return from our trips. Camping and VT are a simple life with no need to get caught up in anything besides what matters most.....Growing my family through love and fun. <br />
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<br />browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6614257475203367785.post-61722908767020701162012-05-10T07:24:00.001-04:002012-05-10T07:24:39.196-04:00Sick of it!I am tired of picking-up! I have been picking-up behind kids, husband, and animals for years now. My kids are now 4 & 3 and I am DONE! <br />
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We are enacting a new House Rule! If it is not cleaned up before bed, it is MINE! I will take the toy (no matter what it is) and give it to a kid that will take care of it while my kids watch! Toys are not appreciated around here and if they think that they are a given, they are 100% WRONG! My kids act very ungrateful and I am going to fix this! <br />
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I know that some parents would view this as harsh, but I am here to parent my kids and this is one step towards Trucker Turned Momma's sanity. Last night, the kids were instructed to clean up. Things were thrown in a corner and left. Items taken outside the family room were left. I went in to get ready for bed and there were 4 trucks on the floor of the bathroom. Guess someone had to take them in when he went potty. Take them in, take them out.....Just like at the campground!! We might not have any toys left by the end of summer, but I bet they will appreciate the ones they get at Christmas that much more!<br />
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<br />browndoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17337118144405293480noreply@blogger.com0