MADDIE'S RANT

Yes, i am a proud mom and will put on here that my little baby is now a published author!  How could i not be proud!  And thanks for our friend  Ryan for helping her get there.  But please don't tell her i put this up, she'll be mad, she doesn't like to draw attention to herself, really, she doesn't.  Has always been that way - just not an attention getter and gets shy when complimented. : ) gotta love it!

Maybe they will have this up soon, but last month's is still on the website here. I will change the link when i find out that it is on the March issue.

Ok, how many times do we have to be in the paper before we are famous? LOL!

PERCY IS NO SPRING CHICKEN!

No, she's not.  i look at her face now and notice all the gray, the forlorned look and lack of spunk. I've noticed things about her that are not the same. For example, I miss her in the kitchen, begging.  The other dogs and the pig are in there but i notice Percy no longer gets up to run into the kitchen to beg when someone is preparing food.  She also has been slow at walks this year.  She lags behind and looks exhausted. 

I guess in the human equivalent of dog years she's 70, that's kinda old. It saddens me to know she's getting older, because it means her time here is getting shorter and the thought of her being gone - well, i can't go there.  Although her spunk is around today because as I am writing this i keep hearing noises in the kitchen and when i get up to look and say, "What are you doing?"  She hangs her head in shame. (we had sausage for lunch and counter cruising is her specialty)

Percy was our first dog after Bob and i got married, a suggestion from Maddie (or was it a demand?).  We had to find a new home for our old dog, Nigel at the time because Nigel was never gonna be a house pet. Not around Everett and Bob.  He was too obnoxious and untrustworthy.  So Maddie didn't care for not having a dog and would calmly suggest this nearly every day, "A dog would just really bring such joy into our lives."  So we thought about what kinda dog would be good for our family and came up with a beagle.  I contacted all the local shelters and let them know we were looking for a beagle if one should come in - to call us.
The next week, we got a call.  They got in a beagle/basset mix puppy and we were over there the next day.  We went into the back where they have rooms families can sit down in and meet an adoptable puppy.  They brought in this dog, "That's a puppy?" I ask, because when that's what they told me she was, i was expecting a little puppy!  But no, this was a 25 lb dog!  (turns out she was 9 moths old which is still pretty much a puppy) This puppy sees us, begins to pee on the floor in excitement and then ... rolls over in it!  Bob says, "That's the dog for us!"  The kids loved her and so i paid the $15 and we took her home.  On the way out of the shelter, Maddie asks, "What should we name her?"  Sam says, "How 'bout Percy?"  and it stuck.  Percy came home, her forever home.

a very young Percy and Maddie! 2003



Little baby Louie and a Percy with no gray!



WHAT THE HELL IS THAT AND WHY IS IT IN MY BACK YARD?

So you tell me:

Omen? Allegory? Sign? Prophesy? Divination? Foretelling? Stalker?

Not sure what to do when (i assume it is) a deer heart is placed in one's yard.

Now i couldn't find anything about deer hearts in particular but the deer has some good symbolism about her:

A quick-list of animal symbolism of the deer include:

Love




Grace




Peace




Beauty




Fertility




Humility




Swiftness




Regrowth




Creativity




Spirituality




Abundance




Benevolence




Watchful

The deer (particularly the doe, females) has the capacity for infinite generosity. Their heart rhythms pulse in soft waves of kindness. Match that graciousness by offering your trust to her. She will reward you by leading you to the most powerful spiritual medicine you can fathom.

In China the deer is a symbol of happiness and good fortune. Indeed, its name in Chinese is a homonym for the word abundance.

So that's good, but what about the heart???? Anybody? anybody?

Or perhaps it was just those darn animals bringing me home a thank you treat again.

WHY THE HECK CAN'T I ENTER PICS ON MY BLOG?

And why in the Help section don't they have any answers?

Anybody, anybody?????

Frustration is mounting.

THEY SAY IT HAPPENS IN 3'S - I AM AT 5 RIGHT NOW

Yes, the last couple of weeks have been crazy with all the things going down around here: 

first it was the computer - it needed a new CD drive so i took it in, had it installed and with the guy's recommendation had it 'cleaned.'  i got it back a week and a half later ("oh it should be done in a few days") only to find that everything was missing!  I mean everything - every photo, every document - everything!  and that meant about 10,000 images, and probably 5000 documents!  The last backup i did at home was in August because that's when the CD drive busted. Well, i was calm and called them back, "There is nothing on my computer."  "Oh well, you'll have to  talk to Tim, he'll be in tomorrow."  Of course, Tim will be in tomorrow. 
So i call the next day, "I'm not sure when Tim will be in, maybe after 12?"  Of course Tim will be in after 12.  So after finally reaching Tim, "Oh yeah, we have it all here on the backup, just bring in your computer and we'll make sure it gets back on."  Really?  i mean that's what you were supposed to do in the first place.  So of course, i have to wait til Monday.  I bring it back, and am told again, "It shouldn't take long at all."  Well 8 days later, i get the call that its ready.  I pick up the computer, and after a few days go to look for a document i needed. No documents!  So i call the computer place, "Ummmm.... no documents now."  "Oh, well just bring ti back in and we'll make sure they get on there." Really?  Because that's what i thought you were supposed to do in the first place. 

Next came the insurance situation from hell.  Noticing that our mortgage payment had gone up this month by $350, i decided to look into why.  Well, seems my insurance company charged my mortgage company $2000 more last year in July then what my insurance actually cost.  Call the insurance guy - get the run-around about the company thinking i needed to use the Pine Island fire dept. which is 15 miles away. When in actuality we are just 3.8 miles from the nearest Rochester Fire Dept.  I am told by said insurance agent, "Since it was the companies fault they will send you a check for the difference."  Great!  i wait patiently for my $2000.  A week later i receive a check but no, its not for $2000, its for $900.  Call said insurance guy, "Hey, there seems to be some confusion here.  There still is $1100 not accounted for. " "Well, let me look into that Dawn and i will get back to you."  Another week goes by, i call said insurance agent, again. "So it seems the insurance company believes that you have the Pine Island Fire Dept instead of Rochester."  NO DUDE!  "we already went over that!  May i please get an answer, today?"  "i will call back by the end of the morning."  No call, so i call the next day, "Hey, have you figured this out?"  "Well, Dawn, so the insurance company thinks that you're using the Pine Island Fire Dept......"  NO DUDE!!!!  I repeated the scenario again, (and corrected me if i am wrong, but this does make sense to you does it not?) " Last year on July 1st, 2010, your insurance company billed my mortgage company $2000 more then the previous year. Obviously there was a mistake, because for the last 7 years, it was only $xxxx. Now, we corrected the supposed mistake of the wrong Fire Dept being listed, and a check was sent to me for $900, but where is the other $1100????" Said insurance guy, "Well why is your mortgage company charging you more?"  OMG!  "That's what happens when a mortgage company pays your insurance, they collect money into escrow.  Last year we only paid the expected amount because its always been that, and now the mortgage company is expecting another $2000 more of an insurance bill and they need to cover that!"  (am i wrong here but shouldn't an insurance agent know such things?)   "Well, Dawn, i will be getting back to my office soon and i will check into that."  That was Tuesday, its now Thursday and i have yet to hear back from said insurance agent.

Next came the awful experience of loosing my right arm - i mean my camera.  It was on the couch, all curled up next to me, while i was loading images onto the laptop, when Percy came by wanting to sit next to me too.  I moved my camera over a little, Percy jumped, and off went the camera - kerplunk, on the floor knocking the flash off and taking the little plastic pieces of the hot shoe with it.  Darnit! Call to the company, still under warranty!  Yay!  After trying to make out what the person was saying I needed to do, i sent it to Laredo, TX for the repairs (insured, signature confirmation of course).  Now i have to use my old camera for awhile.  Won't be back before we leave for vacation in a few weeks.....I feel lost.....

After i pick up the computer on Monday, i get it home only to find that my email has been hacked!  People received a nice link to a Viagra site.  Great!  and i thought my computer had been 'cleaned.'

Then - note: number 5 here - the tax guy came by to tell us what we owed this year. Enough said.


  I don't want to talk any more about this.  I'm done.

Why 5?  Could there be an ending soon?  I'm tired. then i get an email from Thoughts from the Universe:

Hey, Dawn, don't you see? The "right" circumstances, people, and opportunities are just like "good" ideas - they come to you fastest, once you relax.






Zip, Zap, Zop,


The Universe

So relax, huh?  I guess i can do that. Peace.

THE CONE OF SHAME IS REMOVED!

And boy was that Edy happy!  and itchy!  I kept thinking the whole time how that must feel knowing that you have an itch your can't scratch; her stitches get itchy as they heal. It would drive me insane!  but i never thought that with that cone on her head - she couldn't scratch her head either!  Poor Edy!

Itchy!

itchy, ITCHY!

ITCHY! ITCHY! ITCHY!

ALL BETTER!

THE MELTDOWN IS TRAGIC!

Yes, this week we had a nice meltdown.  All week the temps were in the 40's:

 and the snow began to melt:

It was great!  i saw green things!:























I also saw the driveway, which wasn't around for gosh, what?  two months or has it been two years?
Hello driveway!

i saw the paths emerging from the white;

I also found the greatest sign of spring; the flowers peeking up through the leaves, emerging from their dormant winter nap.

Even the chickens and ducks were enjoying the meltdown, ducks after all are waterfowl - meaning they like water, not snow.  Even if it was a little muddy, they certainly seemed happier.

my tracks in the mud

but then it happened, again! A drop in temp and low and behold~

SNOW!

I could no longer see the driveway:

or the paths:

or the green grass.

The horses were a pretty mess of snowy mares and geldings.

But i have hope, because this happens every year.  We have a nice meltdown, then it will snow again, then maybe another meltdown, but another snow after that may not happen. At least i always have the greatest sunsets to watch around here!

Good news is the seeds arrived this week too!

Means the green house will be opening soon, a chance for us to watch produce start its life with the help of my two little hands, some great manure enhanced dirt, some artificial light and a warming coil.  Ahhhhh!  warm - i like that word.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF.....ME!

Lotsa milk means lots of cheese and other dairy products.  So here we go - this is my morning:

decided to make more butter

also decided to make mozzarella!








So i heated the milk up, added the starter and rennet, let it set and then cut the curds into 1" cubes.

decided it was taking too long to set the butter, so i thought i would try a different method: the blender!

But i didn't like the way it was coming along, didn't look right.

so i put it back into the jar and started shakin' again.

back to the mozzarella:

heated the curds back up slowly to 108 degrees by putting it in a pan of hot water.

while that is heating, back to the butter:
That looks better!

 

Rinse the butter,












then add sea salt and blend:

Then i got hungry:

Avocado - my fav lately!










then its back to the butter:

YAY!








then its back to the motz!

Heat the curds in the microwave, stretch them with a spoon;











form into a ball:

place in a bowl of cold water,

Notice that you have this really cute dog and you must take an image of her again:

Then take advantage of the whey and make ricotta cheese.  Heating up the whey until its 185 degrees then pour a quart of milk in.  When it heats up this high, the pan makes these large , bubbles that explode and sound like a "kerplunk!"  Scares Louie:

Poor Louie.






When the whey and milk start to farm little specks: its ready!

Pour into cheesecloth lines strainer, tie it up and hang for a couple hours to drain.  Instant ricotta!

now with all this mozzarella and ricotta - what should i make??????