Polar Vortex, damaging winds, and frozen combs

We are all so done with winter here! We survived the Polar Vortex! Temps fell to 46- here! I threw extra straw in the coops and Lt. Dan's house. I wrapped the Abbey (duck truck) with a bit of plastic and blue insulation sheet on the outside to help with the drafts. Believe it or not those chickens and ducks stayed out during that weather in the run! 

In the coop, I took more blue insulation sheets and positioned them along the windy side to help cut the wind. These birds stayed in! We didn't let them out at all. 

Dan happily shared his house with about 6 other chickens that made a break for his casa before the weather was too frigid the day before and so they were locked in with him, which worked out so well for us because we worried that he would be alone and cold. Those wee feathered friends kept him company and warmth! The only thing that I noticed two roosters have frostbite on their combs. I am so grateful that we didn't lose anyone!

Inside we were keeping warm the best we could. I hung up heavier curtains on the windows, blankets on our front door and everyone bundled up. Our furnace had a hard time keeping up and few weeks (thankfully) after that deadly weather snap it expired! 


We had a repairman come out to look at it and he didn't feel right to put it back together and to somehow rig it to work for legality reasons and of course, we didn't have the funds for a new one. Mr. Awessome dug out the kerosene heaters and we once again bundled up. It was a long nerve-racking week! We scrambled to find what funds we could and luckily an angel came through and lent us with what we were short. There's more to that story but that is it in a nutshell!

Next came warm weather then cold then warm and then windy! We had 40 - 50+ mph winds that knocked off siding, slate tiles from the roof, and blew outdoor stuff away. There was a plan to take the siding off anyway so we could scrape and paint the house so we kinda felt lucky to have the help with that! The roof is another sore spot that will need to be addressed soon. We do have our pans strategically placed in the attic to catch the drips but need a new roof. Sadly, most folks don't do payment plans unless it is through a finance company. With our credit, not the best, we are thinking of getting the Farmstay/Airbnb up sooner to help save up for the repairs. 

There is a possibility we may get that up and running this Summer instead of next. There is still a lot to do before we give the thumbs up for this plan. But it has been fun to find items for the bus and planning of some other sort of building. We have an idea of where the primitive spots are going. Those will be for campers that bring a tent and camp out in a designated spot.  I am gathering local spots for entertainment and sightseeing as well as local delicacies to share with guests. This part is exciting!

Soon more garden planning, seed starting, and writing book 4! This one will be about our homestead experience! I hope to have it ready to publish by the end of the year. I still have two other book ideas percolating in my mind but need to finish my other first.  I'm pretty excited to have a writing workshop next month, blessed to have several interviews sharing my story of my past, and working on more interviews and speaking events. Find out details on what is upcoming here- My Author page .

How has your winter be going? 

BIG HUGS!

What did the fox say?

Apparently... NOM! NOM!

We started the Spring with 24 chickens. Not including our incubated balls of fluff. That number has dwindled down to 10. Granted 1 was eaten by a revenge-filled cat, 1 natural causes, and a possible raccoon snagged 1 or 2. The rest have been taken by foxes.

As beautiful as these creatures and the others are it makes us pretty upset. Mr. Awesome has some plans to get the remaining flock enclosed. In the meantime, when we don't let the dog out to roam the property we put a radio on. I read somewhere that one trick is to leave it on because it sounds like humans are out and about.

This is our fault of course. If we had a run perhaps we could have saved them or at least some of them. :(

In other news, our garden is in full swing. I haven't used it to its maximum potential. This year I'm

blaming it on my healing knee. Remember "The great knee incident" last December? Oh don't get me wrong I'm healing awesome. I am just a bit impatient in the process.

Mr. Awesome built raised beds for me that are working out splendidly. It has helped out well since squatting is not really something I'm doing a lot of right now.

We hatched out another set of chicks and included ducks! Out of 6 chicks and 6 ducklings, we now have 5 chicks and 2 ducklings. :)

These cute balls of fluff are not going out to range for a while. There is a hawk that has been roaming from time to time. That hawk made a meal of a newer chick.


My bees are not thriving. I had my nose in the hive several times but I am not seeing progress. I haven't talked to the bee people down the road but hope to do so to find out the magic they are using to keep the hives alive. I have been doing research on this and it still sounds as though it is due to the spraying of pesticides on farms. Since we are surrounded by farmland then it is a BIG problem for us. I'm scratching my head as to how to keep bees and keep them alive.

In other news, I was honored to be invited to be interviewed on The Bill & Kail Show about my story of abuse. I have been doing a series of videos about abuse, writing, and find us here-  Our YouTube channel. There is more but I'll be sharing that on my other blog later today- Hope When There Was None.

I hope your week is going great!

God bless and much love to you!

BIG HUGS,
Mel

Fred's not dead! There's a fox in the hen house!

Oh my goodness! I thought the weeks before were busy with farm drama. I'm hoping it is coming to a close.

On the 21st, Fred was attacked by a fox in the hen house. There was quite a bit of blood and feathers in the coop with Fred stooped over. He appeared lifeless when I found him the next morning. We weren't sure he would make it through the night. He didn't eat or drink for 3 days. He couldn't lift his head or stand.

On the 4th day he began to eat, drink and kind of stand up. On day 7 he began to crow as well as make some moves on the hens. We are pretty sure he is going to make a full recovery!

Last week we brought home 14 adorable balls of fluff from Carlberg Farms/AR Farms. We also picked up 2 packages of  Bees. Sadly, 1 package died! I'm really upset about that. My plan is to call the place where we purchased them to advise and ask if anyone else had experienced anything similar.

The garden starts are happy. Mr. Awesome created a raised bed and plans on building a few more for me. A great help they will be since my knee is getting better a bit everyday.

This is enough excitement for me! How is it in your neck of the woods?

Call him Patchy the Pirate...

Sorry for the picture fuzz. Mini Man was kind enough to grab a picture of Mr. Duck looking all torn and bloody from a skirmish between himself and Fred the Rooster. Fred lost a Spur in the fiasco.

Here's the story. The small door on the coop for the hens is wood, it swelled and wouldn't open. Peanut has been doing a great job taking care of the crew since I have been healing from "The great bounce house injury" but the big door that she opened instead closed leaving the Fred and crew to head over the Abbey (Duck Truck).

Peanut wanders out after dark, saw that they were all huddled in the Abbey and closed them up for the night. The next morning Mr. Awesome saw the carnage. Mr. Duck had blood all along side his head, pictured here and it appears his eye is badly injured. I hobbled out today and saw that it looks like he was just pecked quite a bit and he will not lose his eye. Both Fred and Mr. Duck are not being housed together anymore. Peanut feels terrible about the situation. I do have to have some help rounding him up to treat it so it doesn't get infected. I'm hoping we don't have to throw him in the pot for dinner, but if it comes to that...

Sadly, we have lost 5 Hens due to the extreme cold weather and I found out I lost my beehive. I do have another package coming and hope to order a second as well. We will be able to glean left over honey and beeswax.

We are all pretty heartbroken over all of these losses. But, it is a fact of life here on a farm. You lose animals or they get sick or in the case between Fred and Mr. Duck it's pretty gruesome. Why I love to share pictures of the fuzzy cuteness I am showing the some of the dirty and grim times.

We also had some heavy rains a few weeks back. The light in the kitchen leaked! We have a roof leak and it came in so hard and for such a long time the leak traveled down from the attic and down. My strategic placement of pans and totes came in handy but it came with such fierceness Mr. Awesome had to empty them out several times. We have a 5 gallon container handy and that was filled and emptied 5 times over the course of 2 days. That is A LOT for us.

There is a blessing that we didn't have the damage that many of the surrounding towns did. We are on a bit of a hill so that helps immensely!

Mr. Awesome will be making some raised beds soon for me. I have order some seeds soon! I have more herbs and speciality plants for tackling my health issues. We can't wait for Spring. I'm sure your ready too! Last week I noticed the Redwing Blackbirds were back in the area, the next day Seagulls, those creepy Turkey Buzzards, and my favorite Robins!

In homeschooling news I scored a 6 activity Smithsonian Science set that was New in the box from Goodwill. It includes a Crystal growing kit, Weather Station, Earth model, Bug Eco house, Dinosaur dig (pictured) and a Volcano. WAHOO! Mini Man has been thrilled and my intention was to use the set over a 6 week period but he has been so gung ho to tackle the projects I didn't have the heart to say no. That smile says it all!





China Doll (in the red shirt) is having a birthday tomorrow, I can not believe this Lady is going to be 20 years old. Time is flying by so fast and I'm not sure where it went.

Having suffered from PTSD, Anxiety, Postpartum, chronic illness, cutting, and Depression she has blossomed and transformed in the past year. I am so proud of her and how far she has come. The road to healing is not over and she is beginning her own healing path.


In other news, I checked out a place for rent for a potential Antique shop. Now, I'm not saying we are opening one. It was a random idea from Mr. Awesome. There are so many projects needed in and around the house, my little shop on the farm may take awhile longer. While I like the idea I am not sure about shelling out a huge amount of money for rent. I plan on setting up at the upcoming Jasper County Flea Market in April! I'll also be toting copies of my book with me for purchase. Which brings me to my next thought I just dropped onto my better half's lap...

A book tour! I never really had a book launch. I stumbled on a inspiring page by author Kyna Bryn . She shares her raw story of survival. On her page I noticed she does a bunch of Book Tours. Please check out here story.

I have no idea why I didn't think of it before. She has been very kind and patient enough to answer questions for me about this. I will start calling, planning and scheduling for the Summer months to a circuit. My knee should be a bunch better by then and Peanut will be off school so this will work out well. I was asked to speak at a group in the Fall about Domestic Violence. God is good! If you have any suggestions or ideas for a place to do a book signing at please let me know. 

I try not to share too much about my past here. Abuse is not a pretty subject. Honestly, I would rather share pretty flowers, herbs, fuzzy chicks and feathered animals but the Lord has other plans for me. I'm not sure what He has in store for me but His plans are better than mine.

Last week I shared on social media that I was able to take 100% of the royalties from my book sales and I donated them to a local group that supports Survivors/Victims of abuse find them here- Heart to Heart Outreach! HAPPY DANCE! Thank you for purchasing my book! I greatly appreciate it.

I have also been able to share my book in PDF form to Survivors as well at no charge. My goal in writing my book was not to slam my ex or profit from my past. I wanted to share my story so others would know they are not alone. I am not sharing this to boost or for a big head. I am sharing how God's hand has worked in my life.

That is it in a nutshell! I hope your day is as wonderful as you are! Thanks for listening from our home to yours...

BIG HUGS,

Mel & Mr. Awesome

P.S.- If you are seeking information or immediate help for surviving abuse contact The Hotline or your local police department. 

I am always happy to talk to you! Whether you need to vent, cry or just bounce ideas off of. Email me at blessmeplz@gmail.com or visit- Hope when there was none or my FB page Hope where there was none FB .You can also purchase my book, "Call me Master" by Melinda Kunst, on Amazon, Kindle, and Nook!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Where did the time go?! Here I am on New Years Eve already!

Mr. Awesome and the kids have been tasked with my chores. Dishes, laundry, clean-up, meals and critter care. I can't begin to tell you how much I miss taking care of the Bunny, Ducks and Chickens. Even, mucking out the coops! I'm crazy, I know.

I was so touched when they put up the tree on Christmas Eve. YAY! I was kind of bummed about procrastinating decorating prior to my accident. They made it lovely. My other kiddos made it up from Lafayette to visit on Christmas Day too!  It was a blessing.

I am happy to report that I have a new knee brace and armed with physical therapy exercises to help me.

I still am unsure what is tore or ripped. But I am not due to see the DR. until February 2nd.

I KNOW RIGHT!?

This means I still have nothing but time to read, write, blog, binge on Netflix and YouTube. I have created some jewelry, writing my second book, just made a new page called, Hope when there was none- Hope when there was none

I share information about safety in leaving an abuser, Tips, also uplifting quotes and pictures. I am not sure why I didn't think of it before!

So as we ring in the New Year, I am grateful for the love and tribe I have around me. I hope the New Year brings you a safe, comfortable and healthy year.

I can't wait to see what happens next!

BIG HUGS!
Mel

Tales from the farm

Where has the time gone?! I can not believe it has gone by so fast! I remember not too long ago just moving into this dusty, airy, rambling home that I have come to love.

Home improvement projects have taken a bit of a slow down. Mr. Awesome found a job! That job was a second shift job of picking orders. He and I felt like "Strangers in the night" due to our hours.
I would go to my gig as a Breakfast Attendant at a local hotel from 5 am to 10 am or so. We would spend a few hours together and than he would be off until the wee hours of the morning. I felt blessed to have this time, some couples don't have that luxury.

In his 3rd week there, a posting for and IT position was available, so he applied. He interviewed and did get the position. I feel there was a higher purpose involved as no one else put in an application. Seriously! He is getting his bearings and enjoying the work.

Where did that put me in flinging coffee and eggs? I was able to quit that position to take care of Mini Man and get rest for myself. My Lyme cooties is still having a party in my body. I remain optimistic that I will be healed and this means I still need to make peace with my past. A major blessing has been to reunite with my eldest Son! This has been a big prayer since I left my ex- See my story here- Hope when there was none He has grown into a handsome man. We are catching up and trying to mend what was lost. His Fiance is beautiful Woman that is strong and he needs that.

Our baby Duck has kicked the awkward teen years to the curb and is female. So, Frank is now Frankie. She is adorable but still not allowed to mingle with the other 4 Ducks. I'm hoping they will give her an in. She looks at them longingly to belong to the group.

Yes, even in the barnyard there are cliques. It can be rather alarming when you first see this in action. Feathers flying everywhere, as a Chicken or Duck literally show who's the boss. This is where "The pecking order" comes from.

How long does this last? A few weeks to months. There are times of danger that brings the flock together.

That beautiful Hawk, adorable Raccoon, majestic Fox, Coyote, Skunk, Cat or Possum can spell trouble for our flock. It doesn't take long for one of these to whittle down our group in a matter or a day or days.

This year we kicked the flock out of the hen house into the Abbey and the Bat brooder. In doing so, many of our Hens went rogue, opting instead to find a spot randomly here and there. We found a bunch in the Yucca plants by our cars! But, once we found this spot, it was as though they banded together to find another hiding spot that we have yet to find.

The Ducks will just randomly squeeze out an egg and if we don't cut the grass for awhile you may hear or feel the crush of it under foot. Of course our Dog has found a majority of these eggs, though her coat now looks marvelous, this isn't what she was supposed to do.

There seems to be a romanticized view of a farm or having animals. Though, the charm has not been lost to me.

The Hen house is dusty, smelly and buggy. I don't care how many glamorous looking pictures you see on Pinterest or other social media. I does not stay pristine. I do look on these with great "Oh's and Ah's".

They do take some work.

Which brings me to the Bees! I enjoy looking at the beehive. I open the top and stare in awe at these
busy bees. They are so fascinating to watch. To see their back legs with multi-colored pants of pollen. Blue, Purple, Orange, Yellow and Red. It is amazing to see the change in the honey through the year. From light color, scent, and taste of Clovers to a richer color this Fall and a much hardier taste.

I admit I didn't check the whole hive as much as I should have. Perhaps it was nerves. Mind you, I wanted to get over my fear of Bees by raising Bees. My two lower Super boxes remained untouched this year. YIKES! I know! Bad Beekeeper! I also had a hard time lifting them. Oh, I recently attempted to wrangle and wiggle them apart to check to make sure all was well but, I couldn't get them apart. I did manage to lift bother of them simultaneously, with dismay to the Bees. A good group of them started to attack my suit. I felt horrible and tried to sing to them. As though this would calm them down. I tried to talk gently to them that I was doing these for their own good.

Nope didn't work. I didn't want my 7 year old to laugh at me if I ran away, flailing my body every which way to get the angry bees runaway screaming hysterically. I maintained my composure, rambling to try to calm the Bees down. I managed to check what I could and closed it back up. I called a few Beekeepers in the area that came highly recommended to mentor or help me out for tips but I didn't get calls back. YouTube has become a great friend to me but it would be nicer to have a buddy in person.

Our view from the top has improved! The barn that was next door was burnt down. It was sad and a big relief. Many of our troubles from varmints came from them shacking up there. We can see a lot further down the road.

The Butterflies were beautiful! I don't recall so many last year. Monarchs, Swallow tails and more, danced and fluttered all around us. It was so beautiful! I can not wait until next year.

We do have to hit the Thistles and Prickly lettuce around the house. The farmer that plants in the fields around us mentioned this is not good. He offered to give us something to help. I'm not sure abut that. I want to be as organic or natural as possible. Of course, after you get "bit" by one of these spiny green plants, your mind does have second thoughts.

There is so much more I need to catch up on but it is almost time for church. Later, Peanut and I will be heading to volunteer at a local farm for harvesting wild flower seeds. She has to volunteer for so many hours but I really am loving this so though she may decline on attending, I may continue to.

I have decided to take a break from my small business. I don't know exactly what direction to go. I posted on my page on FB Legacy Antiques & Estate Sales that I was unsure. I have so many ideas! My main thought is that I do need to just rest. Let my body heal and pray for wisdom. Now, if I wasn't so impatient this would be fine.

I hope your day and upcoming week are wonderful! Don't forget to check out our YouTube channel. I do need to throw on some newer videos. And learn how to edit them. Someday...


BIG HUGS!
Mel

Holy smokes Batman! There's a chicken in the house! Give-away time! Update!

Well, not really in our house! But it got you wondering didn't it? Mr. Awesome created a new box for our girls that are in the nesting sort of mood. This will help give our other hens a chance to actually lay in The Abbey for a change. We are pretty sure there is a cache of eggs in the meadow. I'm sure we will discover by smell or in the Fall.

It came out neato and in super condition! HEHE! The Batman cut out was from Mini Man's loft bed that he has since outgrew last year. It's a great repurpose and the girls love it, though they are snuggled up in the same box for some reason. Any insight on this appreciated!


These weeks have been busy! I have been harvesting yummy herbs for teas, smudge sticks, bug bite balms, aches and pain balms. I have a few tinctures planned and hope to broaden my herbs to better serve myself. Sorry sounds stingy doesn't it? It's not meant to. I do share! Honest!

I'm seeking out herbs and plants to help me in my Lyme journey. Buying the plants may seem weird but the cost of many of these are expensive!

We were blessed to have the local power company come and take down power from a barn that hasn't been used in at least a decade! There is a rumor the barn and silo are next! GASP! Now we have already looked at it and thought what can we ask to reuse? The answer is nothing. Most of the structure is in terrible shape. Not too much to be harvested or repurposed. Barn wood you say? A great deal is not the "Oh so gorgeous" barn wood you see on Pinterest. So, we aren't going to be crying to see it go.

The structure has been a hotbed of wild animal love. From Skunks, Raccoons to heaven knows what else!

We have had a busy few weeks, from our Annual Turkey Run Adventure, the micro-burst that hit the homestead a few weeks back to taking a self-defense course that still has me achy!

 Micro-burst mayhem in the next few pictures!

This grain dryer didn't have a dent in it prior to the storm! It was also lifted enough to take it off the concrete pad. The farmer took a peek inside to see if it was salvageable and discovered it would be too costly to repair.










This tank was about 10 feet away from this location as well as around the corner from where it landed. Alcatraz (What we call our quarantine area for animals in the background in front of the bus) was also next to the tank but was toppled to the area that you see here. Mr. Awesome did stand it up before I could take a picture. We were amazed! The barn roof also was lifted up on one side of it. Mr. Awesome has since used Hurricane straps to fasten the roof.

 Here is the agile and amazing aggressive (But not surprising) Ms. Peanut! We were gifted a 1 day session with Protective Tactics out of Chesterton, IN. We learned a great deal to help us in case of an attack and then some. While it was fun and informative, I am afraid it was too intense for me.

Part of the practice was to wait for your 'Attacker' to make his move on you so you can show what skills you have learned. I was a big ball of emotions and broke down. It made me irritated with myself. When will these feelings go away? If you don't know my story read a brief summary here- Hope when there was none- My story of surviving abuse . I was very proud of how well Peanut did during this class but it pains my heart to know how much my children experienced. Enough about that! All in all the class was full of good information.

My book is being edited by a dear Friend.  I pray it will be in Ebook form before the end of the year. No frills. Just information how we escaped our abuser and to let others know they are not alone.

I started implementing restorative yoga 2 to 3 times a week. I'm easing into it. I'm also trying to make sure I walk 4 to 6 miles 5 days a week in order to gain more energy and lose my fluff. I hope to stick to my low carb (Keto) and no sugar eating habit. It's all me and I admit I love my sugar and whites. I kicked them to the curb before but need to dig in with more restraint. None of these are good for Lyme Disease.

My garden isn't as flourishing as I hoped. I'm still losing plants to heat, rabbits and now Japanese Bettles! UGH! The dream of canning a bunch of items may not happen. I do have quite a bit of herbs to dry and have found several spots of Elderberry and Echinacea!

WHOOPIE!

I have also missed a few chances to set up to sell my vintage treasures. I have to admit it but I'm beat after working. The time I do have after is spent napping or just trying to catch up on domestic stuff. Then I'm too tired to think about selling. I've enlisted J.V. to help when she and Mike are available. We worked a bit today with inventory but it was a bit warm out despite Mr. Awesome reminding me to turn on the fan... Duh!

I really hope by next Spring to have some digs to call my own for Customers to browse and shop. I would like to host some foraging and herbal concoction classes too.

Oh did I mention I'll be hosting a Give-A-Way of a Pendulum?
What mystical witchcraft am I spewing? How am I a Christian talking about this?

No I'm not talking about conjuring spirits or anything like that. You can use this as a tool to help you with food and your body. Seriously! Feel free to message me for the how-to's of using this privately.

So how do you win? You have to enter of course! I'll be sharing a post about entering on my Instagram account and at Legacy Antiques and Estate Sales within the next few days. More Give-Aways for the next few months.

Also to come are more interviews, 'Someone I think you should know' as well as updates on a few past interviewees.

 How's your month been so far? I'd love to hear from you!

BIG HUGS!
Mel

****************************************************

Give-away time! Winner will win either 1 necklace or 1 pendulum of their choosing.  Available  Pendulums are #rosequartz , #rosewood , and #opalescence. Like this page or if you already have please Share page on your feed! Leave a comment about which item you would like to win. 1 lucky winner will be chosen on Saturday!

Pendulums can be used as a tool for your health! How?!

You can take it shopping and use it to help you choose what foods are good for your body. As an example:
Is this cheese fresh?
Is this a good buy?
Does this product have preservatives or chemicals in it?
Does this fruit have pesticides?
Is this meal fit to eat?

As you would for muscle testing place a common remedy in your left hand (Peppermint tea, ACV, Eldberry, etc...) and see what the pendulum does!
The fabrics that you wear daily have different vibrations as well and the pendulum can be used to figure out if a particular outfit has good vibrations for you.
Pendulums can be used to help realign the energy of someone that is suffering from Depression as well as Bi-Polar issues.

I was recommended The Pendulum Book by Hanna Kroeger to use. It is very informative and useful as are many of her books!

So! You ready to enter? Head over to Facebook and Like my page- Legacy Antiques & Estate Sales. Comment which item you would like to win. That's it!

Great Scott! There are a ton of weeds!

My poor garden! It looks like a jungle! With all the rain we had a few weeks back it is now pretty overgrown and we are just starting the season. My mulch pile has dwindled and I may call around to local tree trimming groups again to see if someone takes pity on me.

I'm happy to report I planted about 45ish Sunflowers, Jalapeno's, Green Pepper plants, more Garlic, Zucchini, Chamomile, and Marjoram.

Found my herbs in the weeds doing well except- Basil, Dill and Stevia. Dang Rabbit has been nibbling on that and at least 15 of the Sunflowers I just planted yesterday! WAH! It ate my poppies seedlings too!

We have tried a bit of natural deterrents but haven't had a lot of luck. I'll keep scouring the web. I did find some more not so organic determent's but really want keep our garden as spray free as possible.

Farm fail include that rabbit eating our plants, a new chick died, a bunch of baby bunnies we yanked out of the yard were eaten by a Raccoon which was caught and is not with us anymore. On the plus side we did gain a new Rooster! Despite my no naming the animals policy this guy seemed like a Fred.  Cocky Locky my Banty is not doing so good. Much to my dismay I'm quite sure he is on the verge of passing away. He really isn't eating and rarely comes out of "The Abbey". We do have a broody hen and she has taken to stuff duck eggs to sit on. I'm pretty stoked about it and we will see what happens!

My Mom blessed us with several bunches of perennials that will perk up next year. I was also given a bunch from Mom's neighbor that I have yet to plant.

Speaking of which we went over to help Mom and Dad open their pool and did some minor things around their house. We hope to get over there a lot more often to help. Dad is doing much better and is happy to drive again. He's getting a bit agitated that he isn't getting around like he used to. He does need to get some dental work and a knee replacement and hopes for find out when he can get the okay to do so.

A few weeks back we also took time to see some wonderful kite flying at Fair Oaks Farm called Fair in the Air. They were a wonderful sight to see and are HUGE! Some of them are 20 Ft+! Wish I had a better camera or phone these pictures do not give the event any justice. We just stayed to watch for a bit and had a good time.

Mr. Awesome has been keeping himself busy with minor roof repairs, building projects, organizing, learning how to fix Carburetors, and aspiring to make cool stuff with Blacksmith.

I have been doing what I feel is the bare minimum and not for the lack of trying. I'm just so stinking tired. I did make a Plantain/Comfrey Salve, drying Lavender, Cilantro, Peppermint, Sage (Making Smudge sticks), editing my book (Slowly, it's been a challenge to revisit the memories), sleeping a lot, planting, weeding, studying my edible weeds in our yard, trying to figure out what is medicinal and added a Super to the beehive. I didn't participate in the last Flea market because I felt the weather was too breezy and I wasn't feeling so good (Lyme).

Excited Peanut has her first job starting soon! I'm hoping this will help with her social anxieties and plan to discuss some supplements with the Amazing Jen that may help.

I picked up these pinwheels and a few pink flamingos that just tickled me! I know I'm a dork but I sometimes have things speak to me. Oh, not literally, it's one of those things that randomly calls out to you and just wants to go home with you. Not that you need them mind you. They make me smile!

 Here is the bee Super and hiding in the background is Is  won't be surprised if they don't become targets for my adventurous Dad and Son team of hunters. SIGH! It was much to Mr. Awesome's chagrin that I bid and won them.

I haven't been online a lot. Kind of taking a hiatus. This does mean I miss a bunch of events, family and friend updates. It's not that it is just social media but stepping away from the computer has been nice. I was feeling tied and riveted to reading statues, seeing bad news or celeb stuff. I'm being honest when I tell you I don't know many of the celebs now that includes musicians as well. I know I must be living under a rock. (And yes when 4/20 came around I didn't get the reference) I don't think I'm alone by doing this. I don't miss it either, though Pinterest and Instagram are still my favorites and if we do watch anything it's been on YouTube and Netflix (Anne with an E was wonderful!).

The upcoming week will be filled with more planting! Wish me luck! I hope your week is joyful and blessed.

Another chicken bites the dust and Bee update!

With heavy heart we had a chicken kick the bucket. No, not this bucket! Quite literally she is not playing in this picture! Mr. Awesome and I came out to gather eggs last week. She was just laying in the Abbey, still warm. The only thing I could think of is perhaps she was egg bound. I hadn't noticed her acting any different prior to this the days before.

There are many wee projects being done in and around the house which include fixing a leak on part of the roof on the back of the house. Electrically fixes as well as Mr. Awesome shaking his head alot as he explained to me the complexity of how confusing the repairs of wiring from the previous owner are. We will never know why things were done as they were.

What do I mean? Wires leading to nowhere. Boxes/Wires leading to spots that are supposed to be off but are still hot as well as boarded over as if they were finished?

It's a big puzzle! Much to the dismay of my partner.😨

The garden is still a work in progress. I am fighting a losing battle with the weeds again. I had hoped to have the garden mulched in but am unable to find a source that will happily deliver mulch without charging.  I did get a great tip on some but don't live close enough to get it.

We did put in 2 Pear trees! We hope to also purchase a few Peach trees in the near future as well.

The Cherry trees are full! I can't wait for harvest!

I scored some old windows for the future greenhouse. I was so excited to find them. And yes I found them in the garbage. I happily picked through a pile while my Husband advised he didn't know me and shrunk down in his seat. Sadly, there are 2 things that are problems with picking through trash... It's illegal in many locations and you may get caught! Luckily, the police officer let me off with a warning this time. Oh, I air walk on the wild side at times. I supposed if I'm going to get in trouble, why not doing something I love?

I made Dandelion Jelly, Wild Violet Jelly, Dandelion and Wild Violet Salves! I also starting drying leaves and flowers for later this year and for sale. I hadn't canned in a few years. I didn't have the strength quite literally from getting sick (Lyme Disease) this is the first time since 2014 I canned! I missed it!

The Amberlink chicks are outside now. Mr. Awesome moved them into Alcatraz today. They are of course nervous and exploring the new digs. We will move them again with the rest of the crew in about a month. With the weather getting warmer they were due.

On the 21st will be the next Fleamarket and I'll be hauling a Jewelry box that doubles as a small dresser or lingerie dresser. Also a top of a hutch, some garden things, possibly some concrete garden leaves (this one I haven't started on so they may not be ready in time) and more plants! I did really well selling my Spider plants and Peppermint that I will be bringing more. So if you have nothing to do stop by and say HI! I'll have my St. Paddy's Day flag out on top of the Jeep to mark my spot.

I will also have my Lyme Disease Awareness information available! If you have questions about Lyme I'll be happy to answer them to the best of my knowledge or perhaps you are interested in a local group? Let me know!

We did a quick bee check yesterday to view progress. We have had the bees for 3 weeks now. They are busy today! The weather is warmer then it has been. We noticed they are carrying pollen. YEA! I added the frame I took out during our initial install. I refilled their sugar water which is refilled every other day or so.

Most importantly! The kids have come by with the baby. It's

always such a joy to see Shortstack. She is getting so BIG! 9 months already! I have to pester my Step-Daughter to ask about her big boy! I wish we lived closer to visit. I mentioned to Mr. Awesome that perhaps he could visit once our super late getting back to us tax refund comes back. As much as he wants to, he doesn't feel right leaving the kids and me here while he has fun. We have the animals so just going would be hard. I also have no plans on ever flying due to my fear of it.

Our school bus project is shelved and it may just become a mobile fixture in our side yard for company. The Gypsy trailer is still in the planning stages. Many of our plans due rely on funds that we just don't have readily available. We have been blessed with donations of unwanted material and stuff from family and friends.

If you have been following my other blog Hope when there was none- A story of escaping abuse you'll be interested to know that my eldest Son has been in contact with me (see story there) and we printed off a copy of my book to edit! It's been intense as I muddle through the editing process. 😞I hope to get it published before the end of the year. I haven't decided if it is going to be in parts or just one big ebook yet.


All in all it's been a challenging busy few weeks with more to come!  Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to view our other social media pages!

Wherever your journey is taking you may it be as wonderful as you are ❤

BIG HUGS!
Mel