Mind Over Matter

 Gertie was enjoying her sun bathing until Marlena flopped down on her head.

 Just a few random photos for ya'll to let you know I'm still here.  Most of this past week we had the most gorgeous spring weather and it was very much enjoyed by everyone.  We've been very busy with the garden and such and I've been busy trying to get set up to do sculpture now instead of pottery.

 It is just a complete struggle for me to come up with anything to post about though.  I fear that I have totally lost my mojo in that department along with several others.  I was doing pretty good but have slowed back down to a crawl lately. Not sure why.  I just don't seem to have much enthusiasm for anything anymore.

 I still see the beauty in things around me though.  I exercise every day that I can.  I'm trying to find new outlets for my art.

I love to sit out with the girls on sunny days.  They make me happy with their chatter and one or two always want a hug and petting for a while.  I guess their attention to me makes me happy.  Funny how even a little critter can make you feel loved.

Hangin' On

 You still here??

 Hey folks!  Those few of you still dropping by.  I'm still hangin' in and working on stuff.  Thought I'd at least put up a few photos of things around here.  We've been pretty busy with lots of stuff and making progress on many things.  As soon as the weather gets better and I can get some decent photos I'll show ya'll some of that.

 We've ha a lot of rain since Christmas.  In fact, we had one of the worst rain storms I've seen here on Christmas Day.  Finally got over all that and had another bad storm come through last night.  Nothing was messed up thankfully.  Just soppy wet everywhere.

I've been making some progress on my allergies also and I'll describe that in detail later, in case anyone is interested.  Unfortunately, even though I've made some progress on that, the pain in my hips and butt has not gotten better and, in fact, has spread to my right hip!  That has been truly aggravating and it's made driving or riding in a vehicle a real test of nerves and endurance.  Anything over about 30 minutes and I'm about at my limit.

I finally finished a pottery order that I've been working on for a couple of months now.  Well, I still have to glaze fire it but that should go okay.  I may do a little pottery now and again but for the most part I think I'm done with that.  I think getting away from all that is one of the reasons I've been feeling better.  I told ya'll I was thinking about doing some slip cast stuff but I think I'm just burnt out on all pottery and want to get away from it.  It does not excite me anymore and that's a bad thing in art.
I recently did a little metal sculpture for an auction though and the piece was a big hit AND I really enjoyed doing it.  I think that'll be my next direction as for as art.  I'll show ya'll some photos of that too.

I've been trying hard to keep up my exercising and have added some strength training for my legs and hips in an effort to try to stabilize my hips and SI joint.  I've read that weakness in those areas can lead to your SI joint being too loose and moving too much, which can cause the pain of the bones grinding on each other.  I'm about ready to try anything at this point but it kinda makes sense to me.  And, when I did a few of the exercises designed to strengthen those areas...I'm embarrassed to say, I could barely do 5 or 6 reps because those muscles were so weak.  So, there may be something to that.

We are really trying to get a jump on spring this year and have started lots of seedlings.   I'm really, really anxious for warm weather, I'll tell you.  I've been so thankful that this winter has been very mild for us but would not be surprised if we still get a snow storm next month.  That is not unheard of in the south.

On a sad note, a hawk got little WingNut a few weeks ago.  Well, she wasn't so little anymore but she was a sweet little hen, unlike her sister who is a bit of a turd.  It was a rainy day and we were not outside much when it happened, so no free-ranging anymore on rainy days.  I've always been fearful of letting them out on rainy days for that very reason but they squawk so to go out.  Well, no more.  I just hate that it took loosing one to convince me not to do that.  They have a big run, two actually, that they can go between on days they need to stay in.  The hawks have been really bad this year too.  I think all the young 'uns that the older, resident hawk couple has raised over the years have come into their own and are still in the area.  The other day we had about 5 or 6 circling the girls at one time!  Even with us out there yelling at them.  They are brazen.  The girls finally got so nervous they voluntarily ran back into their covered runs.  One hawk got so low over the yard that Chigger took off after it after it, jumping up and snapping at it!  I think that convinced it to go elsewhere.  Chigger is a good girl and fierce protector of Callie Cat too.

So, I'll try to be back soon.  We are supposed to get some real pretty weather in the next few days so I should be able to get some decent photos.

Not Much To Say

I'm still working on getting the garden situated and now some stuff is starting to come in and I have to do something with it!  Blueberry jam is on the agenda this week, for example.  And I still have my pottery to work on also.

 I pulled up those weirdo squash things and got a couple of actual yellow squash to go in their place.  Of course, some of the girls had to check out the carnage.  They did eat one of the fruits that I busted open for them but they didn't seem real enthused about it.

Just more gratuitous flower stuff for lack of anything of more substance to publish.  I'll try to get some more thoughtful posts out soon but my brain has just been kinda blah lately.  Sometimes I actually have so much that I'm thinking about, or might want to post about, that I have trouble sorting it all into one reasonable subject or topic.  Or maybe I just don't think it would be that interesting to anyone.  Ha!

So, I'll try to dig up something interesting soon.  Hope everyone is staying cool out there...or warm as the situation may be!

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Tonight's post is basically more rambling, and it's hard to pick a photo to go along with that topic, but I thought this one was as good as any.  It was taken not too long ago along one section of my driveway.

So as I mentioned, I am coming up on 8 years of blogging.  That's a helluva long time to write about day to day life.  It's kinda funny because I always liked the idea of keeping a diary....but I could never actually do it.  I guess this is the only method I've ever stuck to and a blog is a really good way to record life's events and your thoughts at the time.  It's sad to me that blogging is not the community that it once was.  I guess I was fortunate that it was more popular, (or at least I had more entertaining things to write about), when I was single.  It was sort of like having a friend to dish to at all hours and you might even get replies at all hours.  Sad though that people seem to have let Facebook and other outlets steal their already short attention spans.  Of course, I've also seen a lot of the older bloggers pass away during the last 8 years.  I think many of them added to the community feel of blogging and with many of them gone (at least in the circle of bloggers I know) things seem kinda sparse and forgotten.  I have never really fit in, in any group or stage of my life, but at one point I was sort of a part of a friendly circle of like-minded people and it's always sad to see that go.  But that's life, you know.  People change, or think that you change, or just get swept away in some other tide.  It's also very interesting to see who sticks with you.  As in "real" life, it's often not who you thought it would be! But sometimes it is and that's nice.  But for those of you who enjoy reading here, don't worry, I'm not leaving.  I've just been in a reflective mood the past month or so I guess and thought I'd ramble a bit. 

But speaking of such things, there were a couple of questions for you guys out there.  You may not be able to answer any of them but I thought I'd try.  First, are any of you familiar with the blog Tossing Pebbles By The Stream? and it's author, Philip?  He used to stop by here regularly but disappeared about the time I got married, as did a number of people (haha!), and a couple of us have heard that Philip has cancer.  We were just trying to see if any communicates with Philip or knows anything about his situation?  I personally would love to be able to send him a card or such.  I always appreciated his comments here.
Another person who has dropped off that I am concerned about is Caroline over at Gingersnaps or And A Hive Of Silvery Bees.  She used to comment fairly regularly but has just seemingly dropped off the face of the blogging world anyway.  I have left comments on her blog but they go unanswered.  Does anyone talk to her?

So, I'll be back with some new stuff soon.  As I said, no year in review but I do have a number of goals for this new year and maybe if I write them down it will help motivate me! 

Out With The Old And In With The New

 As you may have guessed, I just have not had a huge amount of things to write about lately.  The holidays were nice but nothing spectacular happened.  Mainly we were just relaxing after my last minute push to get some pottery done.  I said I wouldn't throw again until after the new year and that looks to be true.  The post tonight is mainly just a bunch of random photos and random ramblings.  If the color looks wonky in the one above I'm not really sure what is going on there.

It seems the winter rains have started early this year because we have gotten several inches over the past couple of weeks.  One of the reasons that there has been a lack of photos on here lately.  Today was a beautiful, sunny day though and everyone was out enjoying it.  It was just a touch cool but the girls didn't mind.  I went on several walks and cleaned up one of my flower beds a little.  It was nice to have some sun finally because it seems the winter blahs have come early also.  I don't know if it's still my system trying to right itself after those steroids or just a larger symptom of something else but the last 2 years have sucked, to put it mildly.  Some days I feel pretty good but most days I have just had the life beaten out of me.

I am honestly trying to improve things for myself.  Trying to get working again and I'm going to the gym pretty regularly too.

 So, the trick is to find beauty anywhere you can.  In the ordinary and the unusual.  Try to minimize the pain.

The creek has finally cleared and dropped back to a more normal level.  It's very soothing to sit here and just ponder things.  I need to build a more comfortable sitting area though.  A bench or something.  Tomorrow should be nice but the rains come back over the weekend so I better enjoy this while I can!

 A few of the girls have started laying again and Pumpkin finally started.  Her eggs are a little small of course, but they are gaining size quickly.

I think the girls were so happy to have a nice day.  They stayed out grazing for quite a while.  There is still a little greenery to be found but it probably won't last much longer.  Unless we have a mild winter, which could happen.

Big T (or Tillis) has become a fine rooster.  The girls are not scared of him and I think he's doing a good job.  He tries to keep an eye out for trouble and stays right with the girls all the time.  They sort of ignore him a little but he doesn't seem to mind.  It's sure a long way from the scrawny little, half-naked chick I used to let sleep on my shoulder to keep warm.  Maybe he remembers my comforting him and tries to be a more gentle roo.

So, as we look towards the new year I sincerely hope things improve over the last couple.  Not just for me but for all of you as well.  I think probably it will.  So, here's to the warm, sunny days.  A warm bed on the rainy ones.  Loving arms to hold you on either day and a fire in your heart.

.....And The World Laughs With You

... Or something along those lines.  Actually, with me I think it's more like, when I laugh everybody starts backing away slowly and easing on down the walk.  So, in case anybody was wondering, yes, that last post was meant to be funny.  I'm to the point now where you just have to laugh and make fun of things to keep from crying...or pulling your hair out.
But in good news, I did manage to complete that firing and it all came out fairly well.  I was also pleased with a couple of new glazes that I had tested before but until now had not used on a whole piece.

So, we delivered a fair size load to Alabama Goods (one of my retail stores) and they were excited to get the stuff.  I could see why too because I really had very little inventory left there.  I didn't realize I had gotten that low.  I'm really going to try to get out another good size firing before Christmas for them.

I thought this goldish glaze went right nicely with the red and black.

Lots and lots of new mugs.  They are very popular for Christmas gifts.

This is a honey pot in case you were wondering why it has that notch in the lid.  That's where the honey dipper rests and the handle can stick out.

So, due to circumstances there is not a lot for me to write about, as far as things going on around here.  I had a number of things planned to start on but until my lower back improves I will not be starting any new projects.  Right now I think I flop back and forth between defiance and joking to almost despair and depression.  But I know it's just the pain talking.  It does wear on you.  Makes you silly sometimes and pissy as hell the next.  But whatdya do??  You have to just keep going and trying.  Something has to give eventually.

Time Of The Season

For as long as I can remember that song has always been a particular favorite of mine and forever conjures up some kind of connection to this time of year that I can't quite put my finger on but is definitely there. And, since it was done by The Zombies, I figured it was more than appropriate enough for a post-Halloween/ Dia de Muertos post.  The album upon which it appeared was released in 1968 also, the year I was born, so that is just further proof I am actually an old hippie, born about a decade too late.  Lol!  Well, my oldest brother was 8 years my senior so my childhood years were spent listening to Steppenwolf, 3 Dog Night, The Doors and so on.  Not exactly the target audience of such music but it left a lasting impression on me for sure.
It wasn't until my 20s and maybe early 30s that I really indulged myself in the spirit of that time and music and I have to say, it was enjoyable.

We've had some cooler weather the past few weeks but today turned decidedly cold.  The wind picked up too and so it made for a day best spent by a warm fire with a hot, filling meal.  The girls seemed about as happy with the change as I was and stayed under the deck most of the time until the late afternoon brought a calm to the wind.  They ventured out at that point but it didn't take them long to end up in the garden.  They fuss and fuss to get out of there in the morning but then voluntarily go back in the afternoon.  But, hell, they're chickens.  Whadya do?

The day was so bright and clear it was hard to stay inside the whole time though and I took Chigger for a walk up the ridge.  There she managed to run a raccoon up a large oak tree and that pleased her to no end.
The coon did not seem particularly impressed.

 I managed to plant some broccoli and brussel sprouts but don't have very high hopes of them doing much at this point.  Even in the south if you want such crops to actually produce they must be planted when the ground is still warm and can foster actual growth.  They can survive winter temps here fine but don't do much growing during that time.  It was a last ditch effort on my part to be honest.  We may have a warm spell that would spur them on to produce but if our last few winters are any indication, that's not likely.  The lettuce mix I planted has sprouted though and will likely come up enough for me to get a decent harvest through the last of the fall.  My cold frame is pretty decrepit at this point and I need to go ahead and rebuild it in a new location, or I would sow some stuff there.

A few of the girls have not totally finished their change into winter clothes and biting cold days like today are fairly uncomfortable.  Greta just tried to hunker down between the tomato plants but the best bet was to just go inside.  That's been my strategy lately too.  Inside that is, not the tomato plants.  I got the results of my MRI and the official word from that was that I have "subchondral edema at the iliac margin of the SP joint."  In other words, my butt joint is swollen at the bone or, as we used to say in construction, I've got a sore ass.  Well seriously, it may be some type of odd arthritis, I don't know and neither do they exactly, at this point.  The BFD put me on a steroid pack to see if it would help the swelling and pain but so far, no such luck.  Now, you long time readers know I must really be in pain to take steroids and it is sort of a last resort for me.  And admittedly, if the BFD told me to I am more likely to follow his directions but, unfortunately, it has not helped.  I don't know what the next step is.

So, I do little bits here and there.  Lots of stuff to keep me standing up and not tempted to sit but eventually you kinda have to.  Since we are expecting lows int he 20s tonight I harvested all the herbs that I had been meaning to that would be affected, like the parsley and some sage, etc.  I picked all the cayenne peppers and have dehydrated a large batch to grind and I cut the few marigolds that the chickens had not absolutely trampled on for an inside bouquet.  They are one of my favorite summer flowers and I wanted to cling to their sunny beauty for as long as possible before the cold winter claims everything.

When You're Alone

                                                                    

 I've spent a great deal of my life living alone, so really, it's a comfortable feeling to me.  Like that favorite old sweater that's worn enough that you don't mind spilling something on it. I guess a lot of it is just what you get used to though.

I've also found that this time has something of a meditative quality to it.  Maybe it's because my body is forcing me to move at a slower pace, I don't know, but it's not a bad feeling.  Or maybe I'm just trying to come to grips with the constant pain.  Either way I've been enjoying myself to a great extent.  

It's a new thing to me to have to get out there and let the girls out, get everybody their breakfasts and tend things during the day.  I like being able to just take my time doing chores and in the order I feel like.

Because of the rural area where we live I can go days without speaking to another human, if I try and I think that lends to the Zen quality of things.  Of course, I talk to the girls.  I mean, who wouldn't?  And they are very chatty themselves.  Sometimes I know what they are telling me and sometimes I just go along pretending.  Chigger and I go for several walks each day now that it has gotten so much cooler.  To be a short-haired dog the hot weather really seems to bother her.  But let it turn cool and she is a puppy again.

I had hoped to do some work in the kitchen but not sure that I'm going to get to that.  I am doing some fall cleaning before the house is snugged up for winter.

I finally got a few things planted in the garden yesterday and am using a new system this year, which I'll show ya'll soon.

Well, my brain is sluggish today so that's all I can come up with right now.  I hope you all are enjoying some of this fabulous autumn weather like we are having.  Anybody else do a fall cleaning as opposed to or in addition to spring cleaning??

Walking On Sunshine

The weather has just been SO gorgeous here the past week.  If I were not so drugged on pain medication I would really be tearing my hair out about now to hit the road to somewhere, anywhere.  Even in my fog it pulls at me terribly.  I settled by taking Chigger for a short hike around the place.

Well, not exactly around the place.  That would take a while.  We just hiked up the ridge about halfway and took a deer trail over to where several large trees were downed by a storm.

Anyway, it was something to keep me from sitting down for a while.  The Birmingham Botanical Gardens is having their biannual plant sale this weekend and I really wanted to go to that but just did not feel like driving that far.  Don't really have extra cash for plants anyway.

I thought it was amazing that this tree got this big all the while being that hollow!  All things endure.

Why is it we get the wanderlust when we are least able to indulge it?  Or, at least I do.  Maybe it's a good lesson for me for when I am able-bodied again....lol!

Easy For You To Say

This post is a milestone of sorts, well, maybe that's not the right word, haha!.  The completion of a goal maybe.  This post contains the last word in the "word" post series and I saved the hardest for last!  Leave it to Woody to give me such a difficult word but I think he was trying to make a not-so-subtle point with the word, floccinaucinihilipilification: the act or habit of estimating something as worthless.  Yes, I had to look it up.
At the time I asked for the word contributions I had been kinda down on my blog, or my writing, for some time.  Making excuses and just generally whining about how the blog wasn't any good anymore.  Not that it was ever great but you know...When I got sick last year (or whatever it was that happened), I'll admit that I fell into quite a funk.  As if ya'll couldn't tell.  I wallowed in the uncertainty of what was happening to me and, at times, I just flat out hurt so bad I couldn't think straight, much less write something decent.  I let it get to me.
 My whole purpose with this blog had been to try to encourage a few people to try a few things that maybe they thought they couldn't do or were not sure about.  A few DIY projects, a garden, or heck, maybe even a house and have some fun in the process.  To share a bit of my crazy life so that other people might feel they were not such an oddball after all for not wanting the 'normal', 2-car garage life.  Oh, I've never been under the delusion that it was ever any more than a little meeting place for a few folks that sometimes feel like square pegs in a round hole or others that just like chickens and gardening.  There are no publishers beating a path to my door.  But we had some fun and laughs and maybe we learned some new things along the way or shared some inspiration.  It didn't help that my downtime just happened to correspond with what seemed to be a widespread loss of interest in blogs in the realm of social media.  I watched a lot of my long time readers fade away.  But of all the years my blog has been up and running I have felt like some people really got something out of it.  Sometimes it was technical information, sometimes just a friendship.  But it was all good. 
And then I lost it.  Or felt like I did.  See, I've never really gone the traditional route in life.  Got an art degree instead of something "useful".  Worked in construction for 20 years in a time where only 2% of tradespeople are female.  Never had kids, or wanted to.  I've basically been a free spirit my whole life and only recently settled down to some extent.  That kind of life leads to a lot of scrutinizing by outsiders.  Lot of them waiting for you to mess up so they can say 'I told you so'.  If you are the only woman on a job of 100 men you better as hell know how to work and make a showing, as they say and this blog was no different to me.  I needed to produce a good product.  I needed to offer my readers some meat, a full meal, and last year and even some of this year I felt like I was just throwing some lukewarm leftovers your way and I felt bad about it.  I know a lot of people really enjoyed the building posts and such, and considering how many horribly misleading construction blogs that are out there, I enjoyed doing those posts too.  Not that I consider myself any great expert!!  But I do know building codes at least and have many years of actual commercial experience.  I mean, my whole blog was built around the premise of me building a house and then wham!  I'm not building it anymore.  That sucks! 
Some of you may have noticed that I have been writing just a tad more lately.  It's not that I'm feeling particularly better...its more that maybe things have just rotated.  Not as much brain fog as before but a whole lot more physical pain.  I have however, found that you either adjust to such things that life throws at you or you just give up.  I don't like to give up.  I am a stubborn ass if nothing else.  So, I am trying to adjust the blog and my attitude.  And really, no one ever knows what is going to happen when they start some project like a house or homestead or even a new job.  There is never any guarantee on anything so I think my blog is still true to it's original intent.  I'm still a life in progress.  I will finish my house despite what some folks like to tell me.  I have always found a way.  I will find out what is causing me so much physical misery and I will get over it.  Or I will adapt to that too.  I hope that you will continue on the journey with me.

Autumn Changes

Happy Autumnal Equinox everybody!!  A little late maybe, depending on when you read this, but you get the idea.  Today was one of the very few first days of fall that actually felt like fall, in my recent memories.  In fact, the weather here the past few days has been gorgeous.  We've been enjoying not running the air and cooling the house by just opening the windows.
The weather has the animals feeling full of piss and vinegar too.  Mr. George has turned into a fine looking rooster and has been trying to put some moves on the ladies lately.  Mostly he has only succeeded in getting the crap bitten out of him.  The girls have been a long time without a male bossing them around and haven't cottoned to the idea of him doggin' them around, so to speak.  Can't say as I blame them.

Little T and Pumpkin are loving the free ranging too and are fitting in better with the main flock.  Not sure what is going to happen when Little T becomes Big T but I hope he and George can get along.  Little T is quite a character.  When he is out in the yard he is still sweet little T, loves to snuggle in your lap and get a good rubbing.  Come time to go to bed though he's like most youngsters....he does not like to go in.  In fact, when I go to pick him up and put him and Pumpkin in their little apartment, he will bite the living crap out of me!  He is serious!  He does not want to go to bed!  Fortunately, since he is still young, it doesn't really hurt.  Not yet anyway.  It's really kinda funny in a way.  I can just hear him saying, 'No Mama, I wanna stay out a little longer!  Imma big boy now!'

Several of the older girls are going through their fall molt so we are not getting a huge amount of eggs right now but that's okay.  A couple of our regular egg customers were so taken with the fresh eggs they ended up getting their own hens!  So, mainly we just give the extras to family and some friends.  I still sell a few dozen here and there.

And Pumpkin is getting to be a big girl too.  She is very sweet and the prettiest little thing.  I'm really not sure when she will start laying because I wasn't sure how old she was when we got her, but I suspect she will be another month or so off.

I finally managed to get a few photos of Susie sitting in my lap.  The young Buffs get very jealous when they see Susie or PeePee in my lap and usually rush over in mass to fuss and push them out.  In return, Susie and PeePee take any chance to bite the young 'uns when they are out in the yard.

Chigger gets a little jealous too sometimes but not often.  She is so good with the chickens.  I wouldn't say she is fond of them (Ramona was the only one that was kind of a buddy) but she knows it's her job to protect them.

So, that's the news with the critters.  The garden and flowers are not doing a whole lot right now, as with myself.  We are working on changing that however.  I'm going to take the opportunity during my next firing, when the studio is really too hot to work in there, to do a good clean up in the main garden and possibly get in a few greens for the winter.  Or at least get things cleaned up and put away.

I'm working on a few changes for myself also, at least for as much as the pain in my body will allow.  I've got to get back to working on the house and may relegate the weekends for that or maybe Friday through Sunday.  Secondly, I've got to start producing more work and income.  I feel my pottery has become rather stagnant in design, so I am working on finding some new glazes that I will be excited to work with and new designs.  I was always able to make a good living in construction and take care of myself but now, since that is not an options anymore, I've got to get my art work up to an acceptable level of income.  If I can come up with some designs I really like, and that show promise in sales, I may consider methods of producing on a larger scale.  Not to say the work would be mass produced but maybe not completely hand thrown.  It would still be all completely hand made though.  I have to consider the fact that I may not be able to always build every single part of the rest of the house and so to be able to hire out a few things would be nice.  Like maybe the roof on the other half.  I would like to finish this house before I turn 80 also.  So, I've got to get serious about this and quit screwing around.  I need a cohesive set of styles and colors that reflect my work as a whole.  As I've said before too, I'd like to expand a bit more into the restoration work also.  I don't really expect that to ever be a big deal but you never know.  One may work out better than the other and I enjoy both lines of work.  Or one may be my main job and then just do a little of the other on the side.  I guess I'm open to either as long as I can make a decent living with it and enjoy what I'm doing.

Any changes out your way?  Has Fall made an appearance yet?