Tis the season for all the "if you're cold, they're cold" posts in regards to animals, particularly dogs and cats. I don't agree. All pets/livestock should have some sort shelter/wind break without a doubt but animals are much better equipped to deal with weather than we are. Obviously some breeds deal with it better than others and that should be taken into great consideration.
I would love to see these people try to bring in livestock guardian dogs. They will literally eat through doors trying to get to their animals they protect.
Also this... And this happened during our last snowstorm...
Basically I'm a huge hypocrite.
ETA our dogs stay with us. If we are in, they are in. If we are out they are out with us. Our rooster, Sweetpea, on the other hand only comes in to visit occasionally. 😉
Wife. Boy mom x6. Expecting #7. Wannabe homesteader. , 💙💙💙💙💙💙
@nopegoat, I am so jealous of all your animals. How much land do you have? Is it hard to make time for all the chores with 4 kids? When we move back east in a few years I want chickens and goats and cows:)
That leads me to my FFC, I hate the west coast! We moved here from VA about 6 months ago and it's been a really tough adjustment. People rave about it all the time, especially the PNW where we are, but I can't wait to get back to the good ole' southeast:) The weather, the itty bitty postage stamp yards, the cost of living...give me a farm in VA or NC any day!
Momma to Amelia Marie (7/14) and Austin Samuel (11/17). Adding baby (girl) #3 on 7/21
@nopegoat I'm with you on those people not understanding LGDs or Livestock at all... And we occassionally had our animals in the house too. The only way to separate my mama goat and her kid for milking was to bring the kid inside to snuggle with the meat rabbits. Otherwise mama broke her out of the dog kennel we had for her.
My FFFC I am being such a bitch to my students. And I don't care. I am ready for break, done with so much of their tween bullshit... oh my GAWD whiny 11 and 12 year olds make me want to scream. And I love teaching Middle School. 11 and 12 year olds are my PEOPLE, I'm just done with them right now
@ameliabedelia-2 Switch you. I kinda hate the east coast. Granted, I live in the DMV Northern VA area and so the COL is just the same as the west coast. But I hate the weird weather, the fact that no one knows how to drive, the neverending politics, how long it takes to get ANYWHERE. Not that I want to move back home (Indiana born). But we're stuck here. DH's career is DC based forevermore. Womp womp.
FFFC: Being a good friend is HARD for me. I've had to train myself since college to listen and pay attention and do things my friends want to do, and not just what I want to do. It's easy for me to let my personality bowl over other folks. I love being the center of attention, and I can talk about myself forever. I love it. But I love my friends more. I hate knowing I'm selfish in this way, and I freak out that my friends don't really like me whenever I feel like I slip up.
@foodislove I always feel like I have to try super hard to be a good friend because I never really learned how. For a long time growing up, I wasn't allowed to give out my phone number, go to people's houses, or have people over. Then I'd wonder why I'd come back to school after the summer and none of my friends seemed to care about me anymore. The first time my mom let me have a school friend over was the summer before ninth grade, and I purposely invited the "loser" I was friends with because I knew she wouldn't say no. I've asked DH after several parties, "How'd I do?" just to make sure I wasn't too boring, too grouchy, too loud, whatever. He's said time and again that I always act fine and all our friends like me, but in my eyes, I can never be too sure.
@ameliabedelia-2 we only have 2 acres so not a lot at all. animals "free range" together during the day and get locked up separately at night. This is what allows us to keep the variety of animals we do on our property. Separate fencing for animals takes up too much room. We do have to provide feed and hay. We have chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, a guinea, goats, and then Beefy.
We want to add rabbits and bees, and also pigs seasonally. We could probably also add another cow if we wanted but that's a lot of hay to provide. I'm hoping to add another 1.5acres eventually just waiting on the neighbors to settle their disputes and have the land become available again.
Here's our layout. Green is where our animals roam. Dark blue is our pond. The pond area can be closed off to keep our does and bucks separate as needed. Yellow is our garden area, grey is our house and yard where the boys play. Other colors are our pens.
ETA as far as chores go it really isn't that bad. We've streamlined everything a ton and keep our animals on a pretty good routine so it takes about 30-45mins in the morning and at night. Sometimes less. We use a deep litter.method so instead of cleaning out every week we add to every few days then clean out 2 to 4 times a year. This accelerates the decomposition which is nice too. When our goats are in milk it does take way longer but the boys are pretty good about playing outside nearby and letting me get it done.
Wife. Boy mom x6. Expecting #7. Wannabe homesteader. , 💙💙💙💙💙💙
@nopegoat, are these strictly pets, or are they occasionally butchered? I think I want a cow, chickens, and a goat, but just for milk and eggs. I have friends who occasionally "harvest" their hogs and cows, but I don't think I could do that with a pet!
Momma to Amelia Marie (7/14) and Austin Samuel (11/17). Adding baby (girl) #3 on 7/21
@ameliabedelia-2 we have our favorites that will stay as pets, but we do butcher our own. Goats, chickens, ducks, and have done a pig in the past as well. It's definitely not our favorite part of homesteading but as meat eaters we take comfort in knowing that our animals were very well taken care of loved up till the very end.
Wife. Boy mom x6. Expecting #7. Wannabe homesteader. , 💙💙💙💙💙💙
@mamanbebe, we are just outside Seattle. Hope you all have been enjoying the amazing weather week we've had, I needed this bad! I was started to go batty! Are you from the PNW? Maybe it just takes getting used to. I am even having a hard time with the people/culture. The Seattle freeze is very real!
Momma to Amelia Marie (7/14) and Austin Samuel (11/17). Adding baby (girl) #3 on 7/21
@foodislove my DH is from the DMV area and I hate that area too... it is way way way too crowded for me! I was relieved he decided he didn't want to live there.
My FFFC is that I'm on my third bag of miniature Reece's in two weeks unfortunately it's one of the few things that doesn't make me want to throw up.
ameliabedelia-2 I grew up in Northern Idaho but I haven't been to Seattle in 30 years-- I can imagine how that would be a big transition! My husband and I moved here 2 years ago, after a few years in Atlanta, and I agree it's a bit of an adjustment. I enjoy the slower pace here in Portland and the access to good food, shops and things to do without spending much time in the car but it seems like it's hard to become a local. I love the beautiful outdoors though! Have you been able to travel around the region much?
@mamanbebe, I agree the pace is nice. Even the more urban areas seem to be more relaxed. And the scenery is hard to beat. I can walk out of my house and be on hundreds of acres of protected trails and forest in less than a minute. We have done a tiny bit of exploring. We have been all over the Seattle area and DH drove down to Portland when he was living here before we came. I think when we have some nice days in the spring we will do the San Juan Islands as our first big getaway.
Momma to Amelia Marie (7/14) and Austin Samuel (11/17). Adding baby (girl) #3 on 7/21
I'm uncomfortable with the VERY CHRISTIAN and EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE leanings of my school. I am not Christian, so I'm uncomfortable in a group that is largely Christian (bad experiences in the past). Added to that is how conservative the people at the school are. I'm am getting more fucking sweary on here because I feel like I go all day watching my words even with other adults. I'm used to not swearing in front of my students, but DAMN I feel like I can't even say damn in front of a lot of the staff here.
I don't have anything against Christians (I was raised Catholic) or practitioners of any faith or spiritual path, I just feel constantly judged and like I cannot be myself with the people I spend most of my waking hours with every day.
I wish I could wear some of my Pagan/Witch shit to school without it being an "issue"... I miss having having a bumper sticker on my car that says "Sorry I missed Church on Sunday I was busy practicing witchcraft and becoming a lesbian".
Needed to get that off my chest. Nearly desperate to be myself somewhere!
ameliabedelia-2 That is so wonderful that you have a nature preserve near your house! I've heard really great things about the San Juans and the Orcas. I really enjoyed visiting the Olympic Penninsula and can only imagine how lovely the islands are.
I'm about to start claiming this bloat as baby because it's getting so freaking ridiculous! Had to put the animals up early because it started raining and our pooter princess goats started freaking out. Got soaked except under my bloat roll.
Wife. Boy mom x6. Expecting #7. Wannabe homesteader. , 💙💙💙💙💙💙
Love to see all of the PNW Mamas here! I'm in Portland as well and I've lived here for about 6 years. (I just keep it on the dl that I moved up here from California )
FFFC: It's cold and blustery here in Portland, and all I want to do is take a nice long hot bath with a book. I also want runny eggs, soft serve ice cream, rare steaks and just about everything else that has been forbidden to me as a pregnant person.
@ordinaryunicorn I was told baths were fine as long as your skin didn't turn red. The cold tub actually cools the water so it isn't as bad as a hot tub. My OB actually b recommended baths when I was suffering from RLP and sciatica so bad.
As far food goes, I follow the common sense and moderation are key rules. Eat from reputable places and don't gorge on something that's "forbidden".
Wife. Boy mom x6. Expecting #7. Wannabe homesteader. , 💙💙💙💙💙💙
Love to see all of the PNW Mamas here! I'm in Portland as well and I've lived here for about 6 years. (I just keep it on the dl that I moved up here from California )
FFFC: It's cold and blustery here in Portland, and all I want to do is take a nice long hot bath with a book. I also want runny eggs, soft serve ice cream, rare steaks and just about everything else that has been forbidden to me as a pregnant person.
Hello neighbor! It is sooo cold! I’m welcoming the return of rain with open arms in hopes of a little thaw. We got a hot tub last December and I am so disappointed I cannot use it during perfect tub weather, but at least with good reason I just stare pathetically at DH through the window or go to bed.
I eat all those things...oops! I feel like I'm more likely to get sick from a salad than food from a reputable place. The only thing on my "forbidden" list is mercury in large fish and unpasteurized cheese
I would be much more concerned about salads these days that eggs or rare steak. I will be having sushi tonight and I am so excited that something other than Ramen sounds good.
@mamanbebe, we have a hot tub too, which is partly at fault for why I now can't get into said hot tub
Momma to Amelia Marie (7/14) and Austin Samuel (11/17). Adding baby (girl) #3 on 7/21
I am teaching my boys to stand up for themselves and others even if that means they have to get physical back.
They have to follow certain steps to try and de-escalate the situation through other means first but I refuse to let my kids be bullied or watch others be bullied.
Wife. Boy mom x6. Expecting #7. Wannabe homesteader. , 💙💙💙💙💙💙
Even after 14yrs together my H still opens and holds doors, including car doors, for me. I love it and am also teaching my boys to do it as well. I don't see it as I am too weak to do it, just a thoughtful, respectful gesture.
Wife. Boy mom x6. Expecting #7. Wannabe homesteader. , 💙💙💙💙💙💙
My H also baby wears, cooks/bakes, and isn't afraid to stay in and clean the house while I mow the yard so I figure it's a good healthy balance of a bit more traditional and more modern views.
Wife. Boy mom x6. Expecting #7. Wannabe homesteader. , 💙💙💙💙💙💙
@nopegoat I also mow the lawn here. It’s my me time lol. An hour and a half or more on the mower, listening to music without the kids climbing all over me, yes please! Haha
My husband promised me he’d do the dishes for my birthday. He hasn’t so I’m just letting them pile up until he doesn’t have any more dishes to eat on and is forced to do them. Don’t make promises you can’t make.
Its killing me. I cannot STAND having dishes in the sink. I’ve been so sick that I haven’t been able to do them. But I tell him to do his dishes as he goes! I always do but he never does. So frustrating! His fault for giving me false hope. 😂
@ameliabedelia-2 we are in PA, which is where I grew up. We live in an area that is mostly rural, with a smaller city nearby and we are close enough to Philly that we could go for a day if we wanted to.
Re: FFFC
I would love to see these people try to bring in livestock guardian dogs. They will literally eat through doors trying to get to their animals they protect.
Also this...
And this happened during our last snowstorm...
Basically I'm a huge hypocrite.
ETA our dogs stay with us. If we are in, they are in. If we are out they are out with us. Our rooster, Sweetpea, on the other hand only comes in to visit occasionally. 😉
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
That leads me to my FFC, I hate the west coast! We moved here from VA about 6 months ago and it's been a really tough adjustment. People rave about it all the time, especially the PNW where we are, but I can't wait to get back to the good ole' southeast:) The weather, the itty bitty postage stamp yards, the cost of living...give me a farm in VA or NC any day!
My FFFC I am being such a bitch to my students. And I don't care. I am ready for break, done with so much of their tween bullshit... oh my GAWD whiny 11 and 12 year olds make me want to scream. And I love teaching Middle School. 11 and 12 year olds are my PEOPLE, I'm just done with them right now
FFFC: Being a good friend is HARD for me. I've had to train myself since college to listen and pay attention and do things my friends want to do, and not just what I want to do. It's easy for me to let my personality bowl over other folks. I love being the center of attention, and I can talk about myself forever. I love it. But I love my friends more. I hate knowing I'm selfish in this way, and I freak out that my friends don't really like me whenever I feel like I slip up.
We want to add rabbits and bees, and also pigs seasonally. We could probably also add another cow if we wanted but that's a lot of hay to provide. I'm hoping to add another 1.5acres eventually just waiting on the neighbors to settle their disputes and have the land become available again.
Here's our layout. Green is where our animals roam. Dark blue is our pond. The pond area can be closed off to keep our does and bucks separate as needed. Yellow is our garden area, grey is our house and yard where the boys play. Other colors are our pens.
ETA as far as chores go it really isn't that bad. We've streamlined everything a ton and keep our animals on a pretty good routine so it takes about 30-45mins in the morning and at night. Sometimes less. We use a deep litter.method so instead of cleaning out every week we add to every few days then clean out 2 to 4 times a year. This accelerates the decomposition which is nice too. When our goats are in milk it does take way longer but the boys are pretty good about playing outside nearby and letting me get it done.
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
My FFFC is that I'm on my third bag of miniature Reece's in two weeks
I'm uncomfortable with the VERY CHRISTIAN and EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE leanings of my school. I am not Christian, so I'm uncomfortable in a group that is largely Christian (bad experiences in the past). Added to that is how conservative the people at the school are. I'm am getting more fucking sweary on here because I feel like I go all day watching my words even with other adults. I'm used to not swearing in front of my students, but DAMN I feel like I can't even say damn in front of a lot of the staff here.
I don't have anything against Christians (I was raised Catholic) or practitioners of any faith or spiritual path, I just feel constantly judged and like I cannot be myself with the people I spend most of my waking hours with every day.
I wish I could wear some of my Pagan/Witch shit to school without it being an "issue"... I miss having having a bumper sticker on my car that says "Sorry I missed Church on Sunday I was busy practicing witchcraft and becoming a lesbian".
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
FFFC: It's cold and blustery here in Portland, and all I want to do is take a nice long hot bath with a book. I also want runny eggs, soft serve ice cream, rare steaks and just about everything else that has been forbidden to me as a pregnant person.
recommended baths when I was suffering from RLP and sciatica so bad.
As far food goes, I follow the common sense and moderation are key rules. Eat from reputable places and don't gorge on something that's "forbidden".
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
@mamanbebe, we have a hot tub too, which is partly at fault for why I now can't get into said hot tub
They have to follow certain steps to try and de-escalate the situation through other means first but I refuse to let my kids be bullied or watch others be bullied.
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
, 💙💙💙💙💙💙
Its killing me. I cannot STAND having dishes in the sink. I’ve been so sick that I haven’t been able to do them. But I tell him to do his dishes as he goes! I always do but he never does. So frustrating! His fault for giving me false hope. 😂