tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4869564307996984372024-03-13T09:03:52.054-07:00Life at Pooh AcresJoann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.comBlogger135125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-80260367961399159912022-06-13T18:40:00.016-07:002022-06-13T20:03:32.151-07:00One more T post<p>I like to do things for myself whenever possible. Phil likes to have Cooper do as many chores as possible. I stood my ground recently and was able to pound one last T post into the ground. </p><p>My bird feeder was really wobbly and blowing in the wind. I was afraid it was going to fall over every time I hung up a bird feeder. It needed to be stabilized with a Post and tied to it. It felt so good to pound that T post and see my bird feeder nice and stable. </p><p>I am getting older and less able to do the things I used to do with no problems. I keep trying, I don't want to give up and loose the last years of my life. I want to keep moving and keep trying to do things on my own. </p>Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-11310014088785062322022-05-30T19:04:00.000-07:002022-05-30T19:04:17.930-07:00Memorial Day<p> We live a very quiet life. We don't go out much, we don't see many friends. </p><p>Today we had a wonderful surprise. Phil was napping and I was watching a movie when out friends Marsha and Randy came to visit. I didn't know what to do, invite them in, stand outside and talk? Offer then water? We just don't have friends who stop by. </p><p>It was a wonderful visit. We sat out on the back deck and talked for an hour or so. I miss having friends. I miss talking to people. I love living in the middle of nowhere, but I do wish we had more interaction with people. </p>Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-36804582180252238032022-05-29T09:20:00.001-07:002022-05-29T09:20:44.145-07:00Feeling Sorry for myself.<p> I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and hashimoto's thyroiditis about 6 or so years ago. At the time I thought it was really no big deal. I had a lot more pain but nothing I could not live with. I refused the pain medication, I don't want to live like that. I just went on with my life.</p><p>Fast forward to today. I wake up every morning wishing I didn't have to get out of bed. It hurts to walk. It hurts to move my fingers. Somedays it hurts if I am touched on the arm or shoulder. This is not a disease that plays fair. There is no cure. There is no way to know if you are going to wake up feeling OK or more often to wake up wishing you could just sleep the day away. </p><p>I used to love spring. It was a time for the world to wake up and start to live again after the long winter. This year spring means only work to me. I don't enjoy working in the garden anymore. If I had things my way there would be no garden. I still enjoy the flowers and planting some things close to the house in pots, they are pretty easy to care for. I love my chickens and I look forward to seeing them every day, but I don't want to raise meat birds anymore, I just don't want to butcher. It is hard work and I am not sure I could do it again this year. I am not sure how I am going to butcher the "old girls" this fall to make room for the young ones. I feel very inadequate. I feel used up!</p><p>I try not to complain. It honestly does no good to burden anyone else with what I am feeling. Phil will ask me how I feel, I normally say I am OK, what else can I do? </p>Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-32978049436521118842022-05-28T20:16:00.003-07:002022-05-29T06:38:39.071-07:00I fought the Jenny Wren<p> Every spring a Jenny Wren tries to built a nest in my clothes pin bag. She sneaks in between laundry days with her twigs and string waiting to build a new nest and lay her eggs. Every year I have to kick her out so I can hang out my laundry. </p><p>This week I sewed up a new clothes pin bag because the old one is rotting away. I moved my clothes pens into the new bag and gave her my old one. I will be excited to see if she continues to build her nest and lay some eggs. I wonder if she will divebomb me every time I hang out laundry. </p><p><br /></p>Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-56639147245459237362019-08-08T19:17:00.000-07:002019-08-08T19:17:16.989-07:00It's been a long time I have been absent for a very long time. I'm not sure why I quit blogging, but I think it is time to start up again. The last few months have been very eventful. In May we had to put Molly to sleep. She was no longer able to get up and walk any more. It was a horrible day but I believe we did the right thing. She looked up at me with her sad eyes and I believe she thanked me. She had always had terrible smelly gas. Her last "gift" to me was a smelly toot just before she died. It made me laugh and cry at the same time. <br />
<br />
We made a huge decision around that time as well. We kicked around all the numbers and decided that I would be able to quit working. The difference on Social Security benefits now as opposed to 7 years from now is not that much different. My last day at work was August 1. I have been home a week so this is not really "real" to me yet. So far it just feels like a vacation. <br />
<br />
Phil had another heart attack in July. He had not been feeling well for a week or so prior, so this episode may have been happening for a while before he was hospitalized. The doctors did another angioplasty and found the stints that were put in in December were starting to clog again. They cleaned him out and put him on new medications. He is still very tired and doesn't feel well. We are praying he will start to feel better soon.<br />
<br />
We are looking forward to our retired life. We have never had the opportunity to travel or play very much. It will be an adjustment learning to be together so much of the time, but I think it is a good thing. The O'Learys are going to start having fun!!<br />
<br />Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-18397526716473536472016-11-01T13:12:00.000-07:002016-11-01T13:12:11.670-07:00 A few thoughts on the first day of November
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Living in the middle of nowhere I see some strange things on
my commute to and from the city evey day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This summer I caught something out of the corner of my eye and slowed
down to see a huge moose in someones field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It turned out to be a 7 or 8 foot life sized target with quite a few arrows
sticking out of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first it looked
like an elephant to me … but it was in the first rays of sunlight that I saw
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last night driving home I saw a guy throwing old wood into
what was obviously going to be a bonfire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The only surprising thing was there were two recliners sitting in front
of the fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought it would have
been fun to come back last night and join the party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Driving home is always fun in the fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am always anxious to see how many crops the
farmers have harvested, or where a farmer has moved his cows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am even happy to see chickens from the
house up the road running around on the road looking for food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our chickens must be so well fed they never
venture down as far as the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I know that many of my co-workers and other casual acquaintances
think I am a bit strange … OK maybe more than a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I can’t blame them when they look in
my SUV and see the back stuffed with straw bales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that my local HY-Vee store clearances
their straw on Halloween day, I so plan to go there over lunch every day for
the week and pick up a load.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my
co-workers pass my car …they just can’t help but look and wonder …….<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have spent most of 2016 with our house in total disarray
remodeling the common rooms. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been
a long and difficult process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I haven’t
been able to make soap or do any of the project I enjoy until a few weeks
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I am scrambling to catch up and
get soaps made for Christmas baskets etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a few people who have
inquired about purchasing for gift giving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unless I can get some things on the drying rack I will never be able to
supply these people with goodies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
goal has always been to build a cottage industry to help make money if/when I
am able to retire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-2008569310976645802016-09-28T20:02:00.001-07:002016-09-28T20:02:59.732-07:00 <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I miss writing
and sharing my life. Why don't I do more of it? I'm not totally
sure except I waste to much time </span>on facebook and watching TV. I think it would be good for me to unplug for
a while. No TV and no Facebook.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I started my 8
day vacation today. We had planned to go
to South Dakota to visit Mount Rushmore but decided not to at the last
minute. We are staying home to get ready
for winter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Today I was able
to sleep in until 7 AM. That is 2 hours
later than I normally sleep. We had a
good morning returning things from our remodel project to Home Depot and Menards,
then lunch out (Yummm.. whitefish for me).
Phil naps every afternoon, so while he was sleeping today I did laundry
then went out to the garden to start to put it to bed. I have so much to do, but I got a good bit of
it done. I am pulling out plants and
getting it ready to plant a cover crop to protect the soil over winter. Tomorrow I will be butchering all of the “baby”
roosters that we hatched out this spring.
I am always amazed that we normally have well over 50% of the chickens
we hatch are roosters!!!! We normally
butcher them earlier but Phil didn’t want to hatch as early as we normally do
so we are butchering really late this year.
I prefer to hatch our new chickens in March or April so they have lots
of time to “grow out” during the warm months.
Butchering when it is cold is no fun (not that butchering is fun in any
weather). I hope them temps warm up to
at least 50 degrees while I am butchering. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-58748218729141365592016-02-21T14:40:00.000-08:002016-02-21T14:40:23.136-08:00God's timeAfter we bought Pooh Acres I spent a week cleaning and painting. I took a weeks vacation and would come over here before sunrise and start to work. One day I was standing on the kitchen counter cleaning an upper cabinet, singing at the top of my lungs. I was sure I was all alone so it didn't matter how loud I was singing. Then I heard a knock at the door and startled to realize I was not alone. <div>
The people at the door were our neighbors who embraced us with open arms and over the years became very good friends. We have not been terribly social, meaning we don't go to each others house to play cards or anything. We do meet outside and chat. We share garden produce, we look out for each other when we are away from home. I love coming home and hearing "Hi Neighbor" as I pull in the driveway. </div>
<div>
Ralph retired shortly after we moved here. Colleen hasn't worked in years. They have been amazing with their grand kids, The kids lived with them for several years. </div>
<div>
Last fall Ralph told us he had cancer and has about 6 months to live. Yesterday he last his battle and passed on to the next life. We have been feeling so empty and sad. Today we happened to run into Colleen and were able to talk with her for a while. As empty and sad as we feel, I can't imagine being her. </div>
Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-14246919903392109312015-06-22T13:00:00.002-07:002015-06-22T13:00:25.088-07:00Feeling Very Sad
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Time marches on, and live evolves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been over 2 years since I have spoken
with Delana.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My phone number has been
blocked on hers and Caelum’s phones (or so I assume since I go directly to
voice mail).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My emails are not answered,
and I am still blocked on Facebook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
know her address only because I work for a company that knows where everyone
lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The pain is no better than it was 2 years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can hold back the tears more than 2 years
ago unless I am alone in my lonely bedroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I look at photos of the kids and wonder what they look like now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Caelum is almost 16.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His voice has likely changed and he is
probably shaving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder how he is
doing in school?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder why he quit
band ROTC and Speech.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ruby is almost 12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am sure she is a beauty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has always been
so smart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Olivia will soon be 11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am having a problem with both of them being
that old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We missed the years they were
in England, now we are missing these years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I sent flowers to Delana on Mothers Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought it might melt her heart just a bit,
but it didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may go to my grave
never seeing my daughter and her beautiful children again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-68748082192714151532014-06-13T19:48:00.002-07:002014-06-13T19:48:41.200-07:00almost catching beesI came home from work the other day and found a swarm of bees in a tree. It was already past 7 PM but I knew I could not wait to capture them. <br />
I didn't build the trap that I intended to build last summer. It was put on the back burner and then forgotten. I had purchased the parts and in my mind I had figured out how to build it. But ... as with so many things over this past year it just didn't get done. <br />
We put together a collection tool and (thankfully) I suited up to collect these bees. I forgot one important step, to spray the bees with sugar water. They were MAD and went after me. I wore dark pants so they went after my legs. I don't know how may times I was stung ... but quite a few. I got as much of the swarm as I could but I didn't get it all. (I am SO thankful for the homeopathic remedies that took the pain and swelling away as soon as I took it)<br />
I went back to the tree an hour or so later and found that all the bees had returned to the initial swarm in the tree. I didn't get the queen!!!! It was to late (dark) to attempt another capture. <br />
I was hoping that the swarm would stay in the tree the next day while I was at work. Unfortunately they didn't stay. When I got home from work they swarm was gone. That swarm was worth $150 ... and it just flew away. I was pretty darn sad!!!!<br />
I lost 3 hives of bees this winter ... this is the biggest lost I have ever sustained and it appears I will not be able to recover it. <br />
<br />Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-82380459824492638752014-06-13T19:17:00.001-07:002014-06-13T19:17:42.310-07:00Catching up.I haven't felt much like writing over the last year ... this has been a really rough year. Loosing children to anger is beyond comprehension. <br />
Our neighbor has been hatching our baby chickens the last couple of years. They have this wonderful professional incubator that does all the work for them. I brought her 42 eggs, We got 70+ chicks back from her. She decided to add some of her eggs to the mix. YIKES They were so cute when they were small ... but now that they are getting bigger we just don't have the room for them. They are stinky and nasty and need a LOT more room. We are going to start butchering them off or selling them or something!!!! We need the room.<br />
Several years ago we "rescued" three chickens from some kids who got them at a festival and didn't realize chickens require work. One of them died but we still have Pee Wee and our Rooster Bubba. A few weeks ago I was putting the chickens to "bed" but could not find Bubba. I could hear him. He was under the shed and crowing ... but his voice sounded small and meek. We could not get him to come out. All of our sheds are on skids so there is a space for chickens to get under them. Phil decided to dig him out but we were able to coax him out after a bit and didn't have to big him out. <br />
When we got him out from under the building we realized how awful he looked. His tail feathers were gone and he looked like a broken man. He was hardly able to walk. <br />
We realized that he must have been in a fight with our other younger rooster "Rooster Cogburn". We carried him into the chicken yard and knew that we were correct. The two instantly went at one another again. We separated them for safety and kept them apart for the next week. Bubby would cower when he walked close to the fence where Rooster was caged. In fact he would not even walk close to the fence for days. <br />
We tried to sell Rooster and tried to give him away. No takers. In the end we decided to butcher Rooster and keep Bubba. I never really realized the drama in the chicken yard until this experience.Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-42231778344861380822013-10-20T06:24:00.002-07:002013-10-20T06:24:53.158-07:00The story of our pigsGosh I started writing this and didn't get very far. Phil and I discussed raising pigs for several years ... I wanted to and he didn't. <br />
He and Mike built a place for pigs to live in 2012, but we didn't get a pig. This spring I pushed so much that we got 2 pigs. We didn't know what we were doing. We didn't really know how to take care of them. To be totally honest we were both a little afraid of them. <br />
In April we took delivery of two little pigs. In April we lost our hearts to two little boys who became so much a part of our lives. <br />
I have always read that pigs are as smart as a 2 year old .... but I honestly had no idea. These two boys stole our hearts. They learned to love us, and wait for us to come visit and feed them. <br />
We decided not to name them, instead called them big pig and little pig. <br />
Big pig was much more accepting and loving. He accepted petting and in fact would fall asleep when we petted him ... he would fall over like a dog. Little pig was a bit more standoffish. He didn't want to be petted. <br />
As time went on, they were both accepting of pats and loving. PLUS they learned that when we came to visit they would get treats. We would bring them "slop" from our house, or from some of our friends house. I must insert here that I have a wonderful friend who saves all of her "slop" year round for me. She has a bucket at her house and saves all of her organic waste for our critters. <br />
Our "boys" were always excited to see us. They got so happy when they would hear either of our voices. It didn't matter what we brought them ... as long as we would pay attention to them and play with them. <br />
The time came to butcher them .... neither of us wanted to follow through with it. We planned for it .... we practiced what we would do. NOPE. We didn't want to do it. <br />
Time caught up with us. We had to take them to the butcher Phil and I both knew it would be best if I would butcher them ..... but I couldn't do it. I don't have the ability to butcher a 300# hog. I think it would be better if I could. I would be happy to know they went peacefully .... <br />
so we took them to the butcher ..... We got 20 minutes away and I said NO!!! I wanted to take the boys back home and forget butchering. Phil being the more "grown up" of the two of us at that moment said no. <br />
We were both sad and upset when the butcher came out with a cattle prod to get them out of the trailer. I told him my boys were well mannered and he didn't need to use that on them. They were troopers when they walked out of the trailer into the holding chamber. I thought I was being quite grown up until I started sobbing like a baby in the butchers office. Driving away and leaving them there was so hard. <br />
It took a couple of weeks to get used to the idea of eating little pig (we sold big pig) but he is delicious. We are enjoying pork chops and home made sausage. Last night we had a ham steak. Yummmm.Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-52265811909711663642013-06-22T13:30:00.000-07:002013-06-22T13:30:03.775-07:00Honey Harvest Part 2
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I thought we were going to wait until today to extract the
honey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got everything all set up
(that takes a while) and Phil said “lets get started”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m glad we did because we had some problems
to work out like the motor on the extractor not working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything went very smooth after Phil got
the motor working.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We worked until about 11 (I think) last night and decided to finish it this morning. Extracting didn't take to long this morning, the cleanup seemed to take forever!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>We extracted about 34
frames of honey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I left a lot of the
frames to do later in the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was a lot of uncapped<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(not quite ready)
honey that will be ready to harvest in the fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7h15_lRTwvk/UcYFl9O-BGI/AAAAAAAAA2k/SXdo5jQfNHA/s1600/P1020189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7h15_lRTwvk/UcYFl9O-BGI/AAAAAAAAA2k/SXdo5jQfNHA/s320/P1020189.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When I pull the frames of honey from the hive I put them in a hive box and bring them to the garage. Everything is cleaned and covered with these blue hospital tarps. This keeps the garage clean as well as keeping the honey clean.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2g1XUH_myA0/UcYF0G_-QrI/AAAAAAAAA20/A2k-KRHPHYY/s1600/P1020190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2g1XUH_myA0/UcYF0G_-QrI/AAAAAAAAA20/A2k-KRHPHYY/s320/P1020190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the inside of the extractor. We put 4 frames of honey in and turn it on. It spins fast and the honey is thrown out into the stainless steel drum</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eF1W-HtgylQ/UcYFxh4DWyI/AAAAAAAAA2s/vQMsCAL-scA/s1600/P1020191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eF1W-HtgylQ/UcYFxh4DWyI/AAAAAAAAA2s/vQMsCAL-scA/s320/P1020191.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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and out of the drum into a bucket with a filter on top.</div>
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There are dead bees, pieces of comb etc in the extracted honey. The three filters on top of the bucket filter all of that debris out.</div>
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Phil is holding down the extractor.</div>
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This is a full frame of capped honey</div>
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I am using the scraper to pull the wax back and expose the honey</div>
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I found this extractor at an auction several years ago. The only person bidding against me was a drunk guy. He was telling me how much money he has and he was going to get it no matter what the cost (they are expensive brand new). He was so drunk he didn't realize we were bidding on the extractor and I got it for $65. I felt like buying that guy a beer. LOL</div>
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Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-83776566447762142462013-06-21T16:24:00.002-07:002013-06-21T16:26:37.939-07:00Honey Harvest<br />
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I harvested honey this afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t harvest last fall because I had a
huge hole in my leg and I was ordered (by the doctor) to stay off of it and
keep it clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should have harvested
early this spring, but for so many reasons didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to harvest about 6 weeks ago but
could not because the queens had started laying eggs in the supers that normally
contain only honey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I chose the first day of summer and the hottest day of the
year so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is over 90 degrees and
over 90 percent humidity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was covered
from head to foot in protective gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully
there was a nice breeze that saved me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t realize how hot I was until I finished and was walking to the house and
got “shaky” and felt like I was going to pass out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I finished just in time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I give the bees as much space as I can, so they are not
completely crowded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a spacer that
gives them about 4 inches at the top for air movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the hives was completely full of
honey, every frame was being used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
decided to use that little space to build come comb.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I honestly don’t know how much honey was
built there, but it was heavy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phil took
it to the house and scraped it onto some platters, cake pans etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it is time to start selling comb
honey!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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We are going to put the frames through the extractor
tomorrow morning when it is still relatively cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pulled over 30 frames of honey and there is
still a lot left that is not capped, not ready to be harvested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will harvest again in the fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will be our best year for honey
production.</div>
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Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-85495265968604635982013-06-19T10:23:00.001-07:002013-06-22T19:49:18.438-07:00Dad is still teaching usI am finding that even 20 years after my father passed away his lessons live on. I was talking with my boss about fishing a few weeks ago and told him that my dad would nail a catfish to a tree to "skin" it. I never thought another thing about it until he came in to work and told him he had been fishing with his boys. They were struggling to skin out a big fish and remembered what I had told him. He nailed it to a tree and had it cleaned in no time at all. He even took a picture of it for me. <br />
Phil is always calling on my dad's wisdom. He will ask me questions about "how did Dad do it". Sometimes I don't remember. Sometimes I have to call one of my big sisters. Sometimes I will remember part or all of what he did. Usually we are able to figure out how to handle things from there. <br />
I remember Dad was normally able to fix anything, given some time. He saved EVERYTHING because you never know when you are going to need it. His shop was neatly arranged with nails, screws, bolts, nuts, washers etc each in their own can, drawer, container etc. If you would ask him for a screw he would be able to go to his bench and know exactly where to find it. He made lots of drawers to fit under his bench. Each drawer had a particular tool, plyers, hammers, vice grips etc in it. When he finished with that tool it would be put away so it could be found next time. That is one of the things I miss so much about him when I go into our garage. Nothing is ever put away or organized.<br />
Some cool things I remember; When we lived on the farm there was water trough in the barnyard that had holes in it so didn't hold water. Dad used it for bailing wire. Every time he opened a bail of hay he would bind up the wire and throw it in there. Years after we moved off the farm I remember him going back to get some of that wire and using it on the acreage. Dad saved plastic. I don't know where it all came from, but I remember him always having plastic to cover things in the rain. It was a very thick heavy plastic and for some reason I believe he brought it home from the quarry but I am not sure. After he died we pulled enough plastic down from the garage attic to fill an entire dumpster! Dad saved nails. Every time he pulled a nail if it was usable he would pound it out on the anvil and make it straight then straight into the correct coffee can so he could find it when he needed it. Dad saved old inner tubes from bikes as well as cars (Yep I am showing my age here). He would use a piece of that rubber to make a washer, or wrap something so it didn't scratch someone. He even made me a few slingshots out of them. (People are so afraid of everything these days kids aren't allowed to have a sling shot). <br />
When we went fishing we usually didn't have weights for our fishing poles. Dad would ties a spark plug or a washer on the line. It worked great. The swing set in our yard didn't have a regular swing, it had a swing made from a very thick piece of rubber like material scavenged from the quarry when one of the lines that carried rock broke. We had a tire swing as well, made from an old tire!!!! Mom and Dad didn't worry about us swinging on it .... if we hit the tree we would figure out how not to do that again. <br />
I had a BB gun. I was never told that I could not shoot it without an adult around. I knew what I could and could not shoot. If I was stupid enough to shoot something I wasn't supposed to shoot I knew that I would get my backside tanned. Dad wasn't the person to punish. He would leave that to Mom. It took me years to realize that is because he was a total softy. I don't think he was able to spank. He yelled a LOT, but the corporal punishment was left to Mom, and she was quite good at it!!!!!Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-56265175362049935402013-05-10T19:07:00.000-07:002013-05-10T19:07:09.415-07:00I was driving to work yesterday and realized how beautiful Iowa is. The rolling hills are green and lush. The trees and bushes are just starting to bloom. The farmers have not yet started to plant but I have seen a bit of plowing. Spring is very late this year. We have been so cold and wet unlike last year when we had temperatures in the 80's in March. <br />
The peas I planted a month ago are just peeking up out of the ground. The onions are up but the potatoes have not yet poked out of the soil. Even the trees are late budding out. <br />
I need to work very hard tomorrow to get seeds in the ground, wire and posts up for verticle planting, a place to grow greens for the rabbits, and swapping out bee boxes and frames. Spring is very busy. I can't keep up, or get everything done. I am not sure I could keep up even if I didn't work outside the home!<br />
This has been a very stressful week. My BFF's father has been very ill. He has been a second father to me. When Cindy and I went out (years ago of course....) he would take care of us and remind us to be "good girls". He has had a bad week and died last night. I am thankful he is at peace, but I am sad he is gone. <br />
<br />Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-22828103546781500832013-02-09T05:26:00.002-08:002013-02-09T05:26:44.174-08:00February ramblings
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Today is butchering day for the rabbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have learned to deal with butchering
chickens, but the rabbits are rally difficult for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to “get over” their cuteness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is even more difficult for Phil because he
is much more tender hearted than I am, and he is with them daily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully I have done most of the butchering
so he doesn’t have to deal with it as much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is hard to take the life of such a sweet innocent animal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I am still dealing with my foot problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wound from the cellulites has for the
most part healed but the foot pain is still there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is difficult to walk at times, making me
feel quite old and helpless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
concerned about this years gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope
that I will be able to keep up with my work this coming season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I am getting a bit of spring fever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have already planted peppers and today I
plan to plant broccoli, Brussels sprouts etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s fun to watch the plants pop up and grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started sweet potatoes a while back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started saving seeds last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My hope is that next year I will no longer
have to buy any seeds at all!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-73828981535806957492012-12-30T12:32:00.002-08:002012-12-30T12:32:30.901-08:00good by 2012
<br />
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Thank goodness 2012 is almost gone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year has been hard on us physically,
mentally, and financially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have never
been this excited for a new year to begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<br />
Since May, I haven’t been able to walk very well and it
seems to be getting worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think a lot
of that has to do with all the weight I have gained since I am so sedentary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am going to a new doctor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a holistic healer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is something I can believe in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is treating me with supplements and homeopathic
medications, plus he will use chiropractic and acupuncture as needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need something to believe in, and modern
medicine has not done it for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phil
seems to have gone downhill this year as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He has been wonderful taking care of the critters and filling in for me
when I can’t do something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see his
aches and pains ….. and as much as I want to do more, I just can’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Mentally, a lot of things have gone on that make us
sad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing we can do about
it, but both of us are sad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully in
2013 the things we can’t control will take care of themselves.</div>
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Financially, the commission plan at work changed and I have
not been able to meet my goals many times this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I make a good base salary, but our mortgage
payment is so high, that I have to dip into savings most months to make the
payment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I try to figure out how to make
more money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sell the soap I make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sell eggs to offset the cost of the
chickens and honey to recover the cost of the hives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have even sold a few butchered
rabbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2013 I will explore more
things to make and sell such as lip balm, body lotions.</div>
<br />
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2012 has not been a complete bust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have started to raise rabbits for
meat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That has been a good and horrible
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is good because those
bunnies are so darn cute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love the
babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love cuddling them and
watching them grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The horrible part is
butchering them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first time our
friend Doug came to help me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a
really hard time with the actual killing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is so hard to take the life of cute little animal, one you have seen
every day of its life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The chickens are
difficult, the rabbits are down right HARD!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I am hoping I will find an easier way to do it …. I don’t want them to
be in pain.</div>
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In October we got the news that Shelby is officially in
remission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has been a poster child since
her radiation therapy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are so blessed
by her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope I will live long enough
to see what profession she decides to go into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is such a sweet a loving little girl.</div>
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My ramblings are over for today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow is the last day of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pray for a much better 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-46380971985096927292012-12-25T19:30:00.003-08:002012-12-25T19:30:23.554-08:00Christmas 2012
<br />
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Merry Christmas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
didn’t realize how lonely Mom and Dad must have felt after we all grew up and
had our own families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We always went
there for Christmas Eve but Christmas day was for our own families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Christmas Eve at Mom and Dads was always exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dad always insisted on lots and lots of candy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would go into Omaha to buy candy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was a kid I remember going to P street
market for Christmas supplies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would
always get apples and oranges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we
would fill up bags of nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, almonds, peanuts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get the picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were bins full of candy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dad would scoop out chocolate stars, peanut
clusters, caramels, on and on into brown bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
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Christmas Eve would start with a candle light dinner of fish
and lentils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mom would always tell the
story of Jesus birth and growing up a poor son of a carpenter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our dinner was to symbolize a poor mans
dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As kids we all hated lentils but
we ate them because we were told the more lentils you ate on Christmas Eve
directly correlated to the wealth you would have the following year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(When I was a kid Grandma would be with us
for Christmas Eve.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After dinner dad
would always say something like …. Did you hear that?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did you hear those bells?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids would throw on coats and run outside
to look for Santa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would always run
all the way back to the apple orchard (I can’t remember why we went that far
back) then walk around looking into the sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a bit (it always seemed like an hour but was likely 5 or 10
minutes) we would hear jingle bells and Dad would yell “Did you see him?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or something like that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would run back to the house but Santa was
always gone before we got there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
would go into the house and the dining room table was COVERED with the nuts and
chocolates we got in Omaha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Christmas tree was piled with presents of every shape and size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the family grew and I added two girls then
Barb added two kids (Betty and Marg never got home for Christmas) the piles of
gifts got larger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(After Dad died Mom
went even crazier with gifts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
single parent I always felt inadequate because I was not able to provide for
the kids as much as Mom and Dad did.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The floor was covered with paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were encouraged to rip into gifts with
gusto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I can only imagine the let down Mom and Dad felt on
Christmas day when they were all alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I never thought about what they were feeling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Phil and I have had a trying year … it has been physically,
financially and mentally challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was no surprise that Christmas seemed to loose its normal excitement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Marci, Matt and Mike are all far away so
there was no way they would be here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Delana lives 15 minutes away but her schedule is full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They came out Christmas Eve morning for 3
hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids had to go so they could
spend the rest of their day with their dad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Phil and I had agreed not to stress about buying each other gifts. We
didn’t even get a tree this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was NO Christmas spirit at Pooh Acres this year.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We decided to do nothing today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had planned to go to a movie, but that
seemed to be too much trouble so we decided to stay home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phil did the morning chores, and I did the
afternoon chores so almost all day was spend doing nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think I could do that every day, but
it was fun for one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
2012 has only a few days left.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For that I am grateful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am hopeful that 2013 will be much kinder to
the O’Leary’s and Pooh Acres. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-58265656625335215092012-11-17T07:45:00.002-08:002012-11-17T07:45:49.977-08:00My feelings .....
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
This has been a difficult year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sprained my ankle in May, and never really
seemed to recover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had trouble
balancing on the rough gardens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
seemed I could no longer do the work I knew I needed to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The gardens suffered through the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were full of weeds .. plus I could not
keep up with harvesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Through all of this I felt like such a failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was happening to me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why could I not keep up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why was there such a huge change in me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I did a bunch of research and realized I have plantar fasciations
and I felt a bit vindicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also knew
I needed to get it taken care of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
decided to go to a podiatrists and get it taken care of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He agreed that I had diagnosed it correctly
and told me I needed a shot of cortisone to make it feel better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said NO, I don’t need that … and I really meant
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a sweet talker, and made me
think I DID need it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt GREAT the
next day and told everyone what a wonder it was!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The following day my foot felt bad again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It hurt SO bad it was again difficult to walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had an appointment for a massage. She took one
look at my foot and refused to touch me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said it looked like cellulites
and she didn’t want to make it worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I went back to the podiatrists the next day and he confirmed
it was cellulites and put me on antibiotics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It got much worse from there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
got a “bump” on my ankle that got redder and bigger and hurt so much I could
not walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was put on another antibiotic
and sent home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “bump” on my ankle
grew huge … it was about 2 - <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3” around
and 2” tall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a week in bed it festered
enough that it was a giant pus pocket. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
went back to the doctor and was told I needed to go to the emergency room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the time it took us to go from the doctor
to the emergency room the “abscess” had broken and was leaking into my
shoe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spend 4 or 5 hours in the
emergency room … just getting it cleaned up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got some good drugs … but it hurt so bad the drugs didn’t begin to
touch it. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I was put on another antibiotic and sent home to “rest”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I followed up with my family doctor 3 days later;
she did nothing for me, bandaged it back up and sent me to a surgeon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He cleaned it up and sent me to a wound
clinic a few days later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time I
was taking 3 antibiotics and feeling awful from the effect of all of them, but I
had to go back to work … I had never been gone from work for this long. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been back to the wound clinic at first every
week, then every other week, and now finally I am at 3 weeks. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been under a doctor’s care for 3 months
and the bills are piling up like crazy. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am feeling much better …. But at times it still hurts to walk, mostly on bumpy ground.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Phil has been wonderful taking care of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is the kind of person who can’t stand
blood or oozing wounds …. (He had to leave the emergency room).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has really stood beside me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the beginning he had to bandage the wound
twice a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it is only once a
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He makes sure I don’t to “to much”
and makes me sit down when he thinks I am getting tired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did all of the end of season gardening
because I have been banned from the gardens for the rest of the year
(apparently that makes staff infections worse).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I know I am getting better, but the depression from this
experience is awful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel bad that I
am not able to do my normal “jobs”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
feel bad that Phil has had to take over so much of what I normally do and it is
so difficult for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel inadequate …
as if I am no longer capable of taking care of myself and my family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I am hopeful that in time everything will be back to
normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-29212079088349354392012-06-30T19:03:00.000-07:002012-06-30T19:03:01.285-07:00Butchering<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Today was very tramatic for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to raise rabbits for food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Up until now it has been all fun and games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We feed the bunnies, breed them and play with
the babies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today was the first
butchering day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am so thankful for our
friend Doug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He walked us through
getting up and running with the rabbits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He even gave me a doe (she died last Sunday along with 8 of her babies)
that we totally fell in love with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her
first litter was ready to be harvested today so Doug came to walk me through
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been dreading this since the
day they were born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As hard as I tried,
I fell in love with the big brown eyes and the soft fur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I know these animals were raised for food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that this is the way of life we have
chosen and there is a circle of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That doesn’t make a lot of difference when you are wacking this cute
little animal over the head and taking it’s life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I held each of the 6 bunnies we harvested
today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I gave each of them a hug and
said thank you for the life you have given.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Doug and I said a prayer giving thanks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I am sure it will get easier (as it did with the chickens)
but today was difficult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phil normally
takes a nap in the afternoon, so I decided to do the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t take a nap as he did, I slept the
entire afternoon away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t wake
until 7 PM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I needed the healing
time …..</div>Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-13422319680371992632012-06-27T03:49:00.000-07:002012-06-27T03:55:53.554-07:00Summer Stress<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
This growing season is so strange for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t seem to get myself motivated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know that I have taken on more this year
than ever before, but I just don’t seem to have the ‘spirit” to do what I
normally do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My gardens are full of
weeds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main garden has been
overtaken with weeds ….. I have very little mulch down. The “fruit” garden is
unbelievably overgrown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The garlic and
wheat should have been harvested weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The peas strawberries and raspberries didn’t get harvested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even my house is overwhelming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The floors are sticky, dust is deep, the
dining room table is stacked high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
not sure how to get myself organized enough to get my work done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only garden that is under control is by
the chickens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even that is not mulched!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I still have a lot of summer to get through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saturday will tramatic, as I butcher the first
of our rabbits. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am thankful our friend
Doug is going to hold my hand and walk me through it all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really love these little bunnies so this is going
to be hard for me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Butchering the chickens
is hard for me, but the rabbits are so cute and cuddly this is going to be HARD!
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I have at least two more big butchering days coming up soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have 25 broilers that are within a few
weeks of butchering … and we are getting 25 more on Thursday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will need to take out most of our old hens
in the fall after the new chickens start laying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phil doesn’t want to go into winter with this
many chickens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cycle of life is not
easy on the farm!</div>Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-76693135631369852002012-04-20T13:19:00.002-07:002012-04-20T13:19:53.030-07:00New babies at Pooh AcresCinnamon started acting really strange about a week ago. She was agitated in fact throwing her dishes around the cage and really looked distressed. Phil and I built a nesting box for her that night, because non experienced me decided she HAD to be in labor. I filled the box up with straw and put her to bed for the evening. The next morning Phil went to check on her, the stinker took all of the straw out of her box and shoved every piece of it out of the cage. OK, we needed to try hay. She has left the hay in her box and displayed absolutely NO signs of wanting to be a mom. Until yesterday!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Yesterday she pulled lots of her fur out and made a nest in her box. No babies last night. No babies at 6 AM when I went out to check her. Finally late morning I asked Phil to look (I am at work ), he said there was some blood on the box but could not see anything. Then he saw a baby. I don’t know how many she has had, I am very excited to go home and look for myself. This is such an exciting time at Pooh Acres. I love babies, and spring time. I am super excited to get a pig. I hope it actually happens! <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
How could anyone ask for anything better than living on a little piece of heaven? We have been given the responsibility of caring for these animals. They in turn will feed and care for us. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4ioYq9dnYhE/T5HEvxflloI/AAAAAAAAAyE/He4JC14vpEo/s1600/Cinnamon+3-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" qda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4ioYq9dnYhE/T5HEvxflloI/AAAAAAAAAyE/He4JC14vpEo/s400/Cinnamon+3-12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-63608462360281110512012-04-20T12:59:00.003-07:002012-04-20T13:20:06.799-07:00Roasted Vegetables<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have found a great way to cook vegetables and they are so delicious you might not want to eat the entrée. I am probably the only person in the world who has not had roasted vegetables before. I made them for a first time a few months ago, and we honestly ate nothing else, because the vegetables were so good. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love bristle sprouts cut in half, asparagus, rutabaga, carrots, onion, cabbage, sweet potatoes, green beans. The list could go on and on. After you have a cookie sheet filled with assorted (or just one if you want) vegetables drizzle olive oil over the veggies (don’t go crazy with it) then add seasonings. Every time I make it I put different seasonings on, switch it up. Pop it into the over at 425 or so for about 20 minutes then turn the veggies over and pop it back in for another 10 minutes or so. You can stop here, but I like them crispier so I turn the oven on broil. You have to keep a close eye on them because it will burn easily. I remove it from the oven when it is brown/blackish. I always make more than we can (hopefully) eat because I like to take it to work with me. I don’t even warm it before I eat it at lunch time. The taste of it cold is different, and quite good! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I think I could live on roasted vegetables. </span><br />
<br />Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-486956430799698437.post-90734657452698807542012-04-13T12:22:00.001-07:002012-04-13T12:22:58.663-07:00Thoughts about my husband<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>When I was a child I
spoke as a child, I thought as a child.
It took me a long time to grow up, in fact I am probably not totally
grown up. One thing I have done is
mature in my feelings. When Phil and I
got married, I loved him. But now as we
have lived together, and worked toward building our dream my feelings have
changed. I am no longer looking at him with
little girl eyes (not that I was a little girl when we got married!!) but with
eyes that hold the appreciation of someone who always has my back. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>We have worked together to build gardens to feed us, and rejoiced
the bounty of the harvest. He has
carried and hauled tons of straw and hay for mulch in the garden. He has pounded countless posts into the
ground to build fences to keep the deer our.
He has carried an amazing amount of jars up the basement steps and then
after I have filled them, back down the steps.
He has carried my canners for miles up and down those steps. He has helped me lug our harvest from the
garden into the kitchen to prepare it for storage. Along the way he has enjoyed some amazing
food as well!</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>He was not excited about following my hearts desire to raise
animals. That didn’t matter he brought
in a shed to make into a chicken coop.
He built a fortress for the chickens to sleep in and a huge yard for
them to run in. We raised 150 birds for
meat last year (we sold 75% of them), this year we will do that many but not
all at the same time. He has complained
about them, but also loves them. He knows
each of the laying hens by name, and sometimes can tell me what chicken laid
which egg. He didn’t complain to much
about getting rabbits, and now that we are about to have our first litter, he
is as excited as a child. Pigs, well we
will talk about that next year.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>My point to all of this, I have the great fortune to be
married to my best friend. He has
rescued me when I got a flat tire on a very cold and snowy day. He rescued me when the tire fell off my car
on the interstate. He has bandaged my
cuts and blisters. He has dried my tears
and let me cry when I was sad. He has encouraged me to do what I needed to, cheered me when I failed. Loved me when I felt unlovable, walked beside
when I am strong, and behind to push me when I am weak. </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>The road will never be smooth, but without the bumps how can
we appreciate the downhill side? </b></span></div>Joann O'Learyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836681349536667379noreply@blogger.com0