Little Lost Lamb

"Yes, I know we're the same color but that doesn't mean I'm your Mommy."

Extreme Makeover

There comes a point in every chicks life where she has to reinvent herself. Where she needs to shed her old self and start all over again. It's not a pretty process. Things have to get a lot worse before they'll get better.


But with a little determination and a lot of hard work she may come out in the end even better than before.


I start taking classes in January as a full time college student. What? You thought I was talking about the chicken didn't you? Nope. I was talking about me. My son, the youngest, will graduate in couple of years and I'll need to go out and get a real job again. You know, one that pays actual money instead of eggs. I gave up my career as a telecommunications manager at one of the top three auto makers six years ago. Needless to say, I won't be going back to work there.

I've kept an eye on the job market over the past year or so. I've not spotted a single position that I am qualified for. Not one. And even if I had, I'd rather stick a fork in my eye on a daily basis than go back into telecommunications. (Think about all the joyful experiences you've had with the phone company over the years. Dealing with that was my job every day.)

So it's time for this chick to start reinventing herself. I've signed up for classes at the local community college with option to transfer to Purdue or IU after two years. I'm planning to major in Visual Communications with a concentration in either web design, graphic design or photography. I'll decide that as I go along. It's going to be a long journey, but I have faith that I'll come out better than before in the end.

So, if you were going to reinvent yourself, what would you do? Astronaut? Milk Maid? Hula Dancer?

To Serve and Protect

Hi, my name is Willamina. That means the diligent guardian in German. I'm here to defend all the poor, defenseless sheep. I take my job very seriously. Each morning before the sheep are let out into the pasture I scan it for potential predators and other dangerous objects.

Then, if I spot something, I grab it by the tail and wrestle it like this.

And drag it around like this. Yeah, yeah.

And bite it and wrestle it some more like this.

And, and sometimes I even shake it like this.

And then once I know it's dead I tell the poor, defenseless sheep it's safe to come out.

Dorothy: "Oh yeah right, we're safe now. We won't trip over your chew toy. Puleeease! "

Good Morning, Rose

"Feed me."


It's such a complicated relationship we have.

Oh Give Me a Home

This little guy needs a new place to live. Old Jack and JB have voted him off the island. Surely, somebody out there wants a bantam rooster, yes?

The Old Barn is Coming Along

There has been a major transformation going on in the barn the past two weeks. I now have place to store all the garden stuff. Complete with new (recycled) shelves and new (recycled) windows.

The garden area is inside the central part of the barn inside of two stalls. Flooring was installed above for more storage on both sides of the barn and ladders were built for easy access.

The center isle remains clear. This will be the main staging and shearing area when needed. It will also house the lawn tractor for the winter. The stalls on the left for now hold building materials we want to keep for future projects. Eventually it will serve as more or less a tack room.


Closer to the front entrance in the first stall on the left we still need to do some work. We will be adding insulation and creating an area to use as a chicken brooding area/intensive care unit. (I'm looking forward to getting them off my back porch.)
Directly across the isle is the sheep ICU/maternity ward that will have access to an outdoor pen.

At the very rear of the building are the large doors. I was impressed with the fancy latch the guys built for it.

On the opposite side of the doors some of the old barn siding was in good condition since it's been protected by the metal part of the barn. Where they could, they just added batons to keep the bats from getting back inside and taking up residence again.
Just to the right of that the guys built a half wall. Next Spring when we get the rest of the pastures fenced the sheep will come to live here. (Their current abode will be converted into the love shack for any potential boyfriends.)

So the guys built a hay feeder that I can access easily from the other side. The area behind that will stay as it is and be used for storage as well as the blacksmith shop.

Now all we need is to get the new roof on. But that will wait until Spring. Because it's time to pack everything away, clean everything up and take a long winter's nap.

Things Worth Collecting

I come from a long line of pack rats and collectors. My grandmother's home literally had paths through stacks and stacks of boxes. She was an artist and had lived through the Great Depression. I'm sure in her mind all those things might come in handy some day. In my quest for simplicity I try not to succumb to the temptation to collect everything on earth and stash it in my basement. But it's in my blood. I can't help it. I get it honest. Sometimes there are things worth collecting.

I've recently, through the power of Facebook, reunited with a friend from junior high. No need to mention how long ago that's been. But without a doubt, old friends rank right up there at the top of things worth collecting. We spent Saturday afternoon catching up, hitting a few antique malls and, of course, sharing a few laughs.

One of my favorite malls is, sadly, going out of business. That is a bad thing. I'll miss it terribly. But I have to admit I was pleased as punch to see the 20 - 50 percent off signs. That is always a good thing. I might live without things at regular price, but at 50 percent off it's more like "Come to Momma!". Here are a few of my favorite things.

Plaid Flannels and Homespuns

They will never, ever go to waste in my household.


Buffalo China, Ironstone or Resturantware

Doesn't matter what you call it, I love it. Always have and always will. I'll never have enough of it.

Vintage Kitchen Appliances

I have had the worst luck with modern kitchen appliances. I can't tell you how many coffee makers I've been though. Enough is enough! I'm pretty sure my parents had this exact model of percolator when I was a kid.

I love my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but sometimes it would be sooo much easier just to whip something up in a hurry so the hand mixer had to come home with me, too. Don't you love it's ergonomic handle?

Cast Iron

What can I say? Everyone should have a complete set of cast iron cookware. If I can find it at a reasonable price, I buy it. I have all the basics but I'm still looking for a griddle, and other oddball pieces.


and finally,

Things That Make Me Laugh

One of my rules for buying or collecting things is that it must serve a purpose. It needs to perform some kind of function. I try very, very hard not to drag home the frivolous. But there is one exception. If something makes me laugh out loud, it's got a half decent chance of following me home.

I've named him Roscoe. Roscoe the Rooster. The best porch rooster ever. He doesn't crow. He doesn't poop. He's not mean. And most importantly, he makes me laugh. He shall live on my porch and greet my guests forever.