Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Exhausted

Exhausted. These days, it seems that we are in a constant state of exhaustion. Mark and the kids have been home for the summer, but I'm still working. The benefit to my job is that, for the most part, I can work from home. My job is flexible and I do a lot of computer work (unfortunately, my computer was out of commission for a few days) - so I've been playing catch up with all of my work stuff. I had an event this past weekend at the Dayton Dragon's Stadium - we handed out CFL bulbs (also part of my job) to all the fans as they left the stadium. We have another event that will take most of the day and night on Friday. Did I mention that we are expecting 90-100 degree heat over the next couple days?! Better be prepared with lots of water.
Around the farm...it's been about settling in and doctoring. Steve and Jester, our new CVM sheep are adjusting well. They made the trip from Pennsylvania to Ohio (nearly Indiana) - with flying colors. They get along with all the other animals (Mabel, of course, is letting them know who is boss). But we've had some health issues - just trying to figure out the best way to help these animals along. I'll admit that we are so new with all of this that there has been a lot of Googling, YouTubing and good old fashion call the vet. Our little Flora, the smaller dairy goat, has been suffering from a nasty cough - we had her on meds and it just wasn't doing the trick for her. We've wormed everyone (with injections and on a maintenance plan with herbal wormers) and nothing seemed to be working for her. When our vet came to check on Itty's broken leg, she had us order an antibiotic online. We got it and gave her a couple of shots of it. It seems that was working, but not quite enough. So we gave her another dose last night and tonight. I'm hoping that she'll finally kick this thing. Itty is doing well with her broken leg. Seems that the fear of bloat has completely subsided. She was pathetic at first...but in much better spirits and getting around really well. Her follow up appointment is next week and I'm hoping that she'll get her cast off and is back romping around the field with her friends. Steve, our black and white CVM, developed a limp on his left front leg, a day or so before we picked him up. There doesn't appear to anything wrong with his hoof...but I decided to give him a dose of antibiotic (Mark is the better shot giver here...I have a hard time, but he is amazing at it), I cleaned out his hoof with a bucket of soapy water and a soft toothbrush and after it was cleaned out, I gave it a good spray of hoof and heel. It seems that today his limp is a little better, I'll just keep an eye on it and mention it to the vet if he's still having issues next week. I feel more and more confident about our actions here. We are making decisions and standing by them in regards to our animals, our land, our family etc. It feels good to know that we have faced some issues with them and helped them get through. Although, at times, I feel like we are the farm of the misfit animals.
Tonight, we made chicken pot pie, from our potatoes, onions, and peas from our garden - we used my Nana's pie crust recipe and played with a pot pie recipe and it was delicious. It goes on the list of "we'll have to make this again".
Mark and I are doing better...and then we aren't. I guess that is just how life goes, ups and downs, goods and bads, better or worse. In seventeen years, this is our lowest of the low moments and I'm hoping that we will continue to find the strength to make it through.
Now I'm off to finish watching a movie with Mark and the kids and then to crash and burn in bed.

5 comments:

  1. You are an amazing farmer - in the thick of it all and doing it well :) More milk than we know what to do with and a decent garden when we thought we'd be without one. I'm proud of you and so impressed! And I love you :)

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  2. I'm proud of you too...and I love you so much too. Thank you for all that you do around here. I really appreciate you.

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  3. Its nice that you two blog each other and that you apreciate each others efforts and that you are willing to put it out there. What you are building together is amazing. Goodness, what a task. Im just starting my vegie garden and Im almost afraid to get in there. So silly. I can run several companies but Im afraid of putting spuds in the ground. Ive invested so much time, researching, googling, books, YouTubing etc (as Accountants tend to do)that im afraid to fail. I grew up in a large family of not so much high achievers but competency plus. It all seems so effortless for them. Eg. My family breed like rabbits and breast feed like cows - it took me two lactation classes to get it right. Having got it right I didnt stop till he was almost two. I watch my sister and her husband holding hands watching TV and go cry somewhere. I have tried so hard to be a good wife and mother and knocked myself silly being everything to everyone only to find out at 15 years later that both my son and husband have Aspergers. What?? I thought I was just a bad mother and an unloved wife of an angry man. Ive spent the last six months learning how to live with my own family. Its a challenge everday to understand them but Im getting there. So this weekend, Im going to put that spud in the ground. I got a tower and im going to do exactly what Ive learnt and get started with this dream. Want to here something amazing - there's cow poo in the boot of my big beautiful V8 car (dont laugh - I love my car) Cheers from Down Under - Lynda

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  4. Lynda - thank you so much for sharing what you are going through. I wish I could help your situation, but always know that I'm willing to listen if you ever need to chat or just download onto someone :-/ One of the kids in my husband's preschool has Autism...the mind is a fascinating thing...and can be difficult to understand and deal with. Just know that, just the fact that you haven't given up and you continue to work through the challenges of Aspergers makes you a great wife and a wonderful mother.
    Our marriage used to be so easy - we knew, the first time we went to get coffee together, that we were in love and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. That was just about 17 years ago. The past eight years, we've gone through a whole slew of issues. Unfortunately, since I can't explain why and don't understand why things have gone so bad, I don't know how to fix them and I'm afraid that they will only happen again. So now, my husband needs to do a lot of soul searching and figure out what he needs and wants out of life. He says it's me...but we'll see.
    I completely understand what you are saying with the gardening. Although my parents farmed when they were younger - they moved into the corporate world by the time me and my brothers came along. Mark and I have both lived in the suburbs much of our lives. The idea of converting this old farm house back into a working farm is both exciting and daunting. I work a corporate job (Program Manager for an Energy Efficiency Program for a utility company), along with trying to do all this. Sometimes it's hard to juggle everything.
    Here's some advice...JUMP! I mean, if a garden is what you want...just do it. The first year, will it be perfect? No! It won't be perfect on the fifth year :-) We've put in a small vegetable garden at our apartment - but when it came to this HUGE garden, it seemed unimaginable. I planned - I googled...how much do I need? how much is too much? I have a folder that has a gardening calendar in it and my goal was to stick to the timelines suggested and track progress and make notes etc. but in reality - with everything else we have going on, the calendar and folder went out the window and we are going by the seat of our pants (which is uncomfortable for me - since I'm such a planner). Hopefully next year, we'll revisit the calendar idea and be able to make improvements - but for now, we'll just see how things go :-) We've been able to harvest some things already (I'm getting ready to make another post - with an update)...but I know we won't be canning maniacs this fall, as I had originally expected...and you know what...that's ok. I'm going to be here the rest of my life and have many more years to get it right. By the way - the amazing thing about a potato...if your potato has an eye on it and you put it in the ground...let it grow...once the plant above the ground starts to die...you pull it out of the ground and you'll have more potatoes :-) Even if you only get one spud...it will be the most amazing tasting and beautiful spud you've ever seen.

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  5. Thanks for your comments. I never know where to draw the line between making superficial comments on a blog to actually saying what I want. I dont have alot of friends (they usually get warn out by my family) and so I sometimes just blurt! My employers sent me on a weekend away to stay with a ghost - no truly (though I dont believe). I guess they too could see that I needed time out and that makes me more efficient at work too. (Note to self - stop bawling at work when I call and harrass). It was a lovely quiet weekend at a lovely 1895 homestead by the bay here in Melbourne. Did I pay for it when I got home - yes, but Im better able to cope with the fallout. There world is not right unless Im there so there was resentment and anger but that's to be expected. I bought my husband a mushroom farm from the local hardware store - to get him interested in something he loves to eat. When I finally get my beds I'll give my son one with his favorites vegies. Unfortunately the Engineers at work saw my plans for a garden and are now "designing" and manufacturing the raised beds. Great, except now I have to wait and I want them NOW!! LOL I still have the cow poo in my car - lucky its sealed. Thanks for your support - I know I set myself up with grand expectations and I will try and relax about things.

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