Thursday, December 27, 2012

The gift givers - A complete analysis of people behavior towards gift giving

Now that I am out of the business when it comes to Xmas, I have plenty of time to analyse people's behavior towards gifts giving.

There are like 8 types of gift givers.

1. The over generous giver - Those are the people that would give no matter what and to everyone. Normally they are the kind of people who will load their credit cards to give gifts to anyone no matter what. Like to each flashing of the credit card, love was spread... They would also start to buy gifts like in August or in September, just to make sure they have enough money to buy everything and/or to make sure they have enough time to collect all the information needed to give the gift. Because a gift can't just be a gift, it has to be perfect. This is normally the person who receives less too ... Normally those people are surrounded by all the other types of givers.

2. The unconscious giver - Those are the people who has one mission and one mission only. Give a gift. They don't care the price, the person's taste or habits. They have to find a gift. The first thing they find that would fit becomes the gift. They are the kind of person that would give a sushi plate set to a person that is seafood and fish allergic or some gas certificate to a person without a car (real examples). Not to be mistaken with the egocentric giver, the careless giver, the bitchy giver or the panicky giver.

3. The panicky giver - Those are the people who would buy their gift on December 24th at 2pm when they are attending a dinner at 5. They walk fast, talk fast and look like they are having an attack. They would normally buy their gifts to Body and Bath works, Crabtree and Evelyn or the Body Shop and would tap their feet during all the wrapping process. They normally forgets to buy gift for one person in their entourage.

4. The egocentric giver - Those are the people who buys something for someone they would like to receive ... not because they want to make sure it's ok. No, they just break the frustration of buying something they can't have for themselves by buying something they would like for them, sometimes it can be more like they think the stuff they have is so great that everyone should have some.

5. The receiver - The receiver never buy gifts for anyone but for some reasons are covered of presents in each occasion. They are well known for their marvelous sentence that goes like this "ahhhhhhhh you shouldn't have!" but takes it anyways. When they rarely give gifts, if they have no other choice, the receiver would become a panicky giver in most cases. But, some receivers are cases of generous givers who were fed up of being surrounded by all the other types of givers and just gave up giving.

6. The bitchy giver - Those are the people who are making a gift as a statement. Perfume to someone who smells, cookbook to someone who cooks badly etc. They don't really care about the gift they just want to make a statement.

7. The careless giver - That person is a kind of panicky-unconscious giver but with the understanding that he or she doing it wrong. That's the kind of person who just don't give a crap about the person she/he is giving a gift to, she/he is just doing it 'cause she/he has to. Those people would give a Christmas sock full of thing for a dog, to a person who has three cats.

8.  The show-off giver - These are the people who are doing it for the show. Easy to recognize, those people usually buy their gift in bulk in Costco. They want big, flashy expensive gifts that would expresses all the "love" they have for the person receiving but also how much they earn annually. Another good trick to recognize them. They would fill their facebook pages with tons and tons of pictures of their Xmas trees full of gifts, and they will take pictures of the receiver not opening the gift, but after the gift has been opened so that everyone could see what has been bought and not the expression of contentment of the receiver.

For all those reasons, I banished Xmas. It was all about that after all.... spending spending and no real feelings ... or so little. That's the funniest part now. I can analyse!



So funny it hurts - take 2

Remember the ... ahhahaha ... the heater ... hahahah


Well ... hahahaah.... now it's hahhhhahaha now it's the .... whahahahhahah

now it's the water heater!!!!!!!!

hahahahahaha

















I am fed up!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

So funny it hurts!

Hahahaha ... hahahahahaa ...
Omg it hurts ...

Well ... to all who always laugh about the fact we normally buy used stuff please note that we yesterday installed one of the first and only piece of material that was brand new in the house (heating unit) ... it's broken today.

That never happened with recycled stuff.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Day 4-5

Geez! Already day 5! Time flies!

Well yesterday it was Xmas so we didn't do much ... But today, Martin installed the new heating system in the kitchen with the help of my father.
I am in heaven really! Now the place is heaten! No more days spent in a house that is at 10 degrees!

Besides that nothing much, we plan on making some homemade sweets tomorrow for our vet and his team 'cause they are super nice and helping with the cats.

That's for the news.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Day 2-3 ...

Yesterday with had some "party" with the bears pack (aka my best friends) in Magog. We came back at like 2am home and I was totally but totally drained (can someone please tell me how 1 (yeah just one) bailey can do that much destruction?)

When we arrived the rabbits were short of water as well as the hens ... so we had to water (can I say that?) all the animals ... (probably not, but I am sick ... sooooo I won't check for a more appropriate verb)

Today, after we have been waken up by a choir of snowblower ... we got up and tried (key word here) to do something.

I was not well at all. Anyways, husband ... ohhh the hell with it ... Martin, ok my name is Julie, his name is Martin. No need to hide anymore everyone I know is like reading that thing. So Martin build some ... ok I have to find a name for that... he built well ... Some shit blocker (ew!) for the coops. Let say that the Ameraucanas for some reason are pretty good in that area of production.

Then. my friend Evelyne came by and gave me the nicest thing ever. She bought me a painting with poppies on it (Coquelicots being poppies for those of you who aren't fluent in French). I was pretty happy about it.

We also had a pleasant surprise. I was like checking my fridge telling myself that eggs is nice ... but not like 15 dozens of them when the phone rang. Madame Charron our neighbour asked us for some eggs. I was very pleased. Like 5 minutes after, someone knocked at the door. "You have eggs right" ... I was like good lord, I am very powerful when it is time to decide that I have to sell things! haha ... Well, our other neighbor recently sold us 12 hens, well now he is sending us all his clients!!!! I was super happy!!!

Right now, I am trying to clean up the living room (as you can see I am working really hard ... *rolling eyes*). We have to work on the heating soon, 'cause it's like 15 degrees right now. I am freezing!!! Some people I know would be totally nice about it. I am not. I am totally not!

Tomorrow, it's Xmas, so "day off" nothing but normal hen care.


Friday, December 21, 2012

The 15 days of Christmas - Day 1

We have 15 days of vacation starting today until Jan 7th. We plan to make the most of it. In order to feel better afterwards, I plan on writing all we did during those 15 days.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 1.

Well, this morning husband went to pick up our brand new heating system. Can you guys believe that even if we are in Quebec, we have been heating the house with nothing more than 1 heater in the crawlspace and like 2 space heaters ... well let say that we had a rough time lately (strangely it was ok last year) so we went to buy some.

Since I've got a relapse of my disease two weeks ago (damn Pistacchios - but at least we got the culprit!) and that husband got sick ... Let say that the coop was not sparkling clean like it is normally. So we spent most of the day scrapping chicken shit, cleaning up everything and disinfecting the feeders.

We've also moved Coton (our rabbit) to a new space, leaving us more space to put some other small coops.

I did some laundry and some clean up in the house (that is also badly needed).

It's almost 4 o'clock now and I am exhausted. I am learning to check the signs that brings me to being too tired. When I exhaust myself, it's bad for my disease.

I've also have some pain in the back because of the fall I've made in the stairs yesterday and the stiff muscles from my lane departure on the highway 20 while going to my father's factory on Tuesday ... there was a snow storm and I missed the exit and I ended up in the field. I've got the scare of my life.

Tonight we are going to see my students making a lip-sync show in the village's school.


Monday, December 17, 2012

Note to self ...

Dear me,

You've put your vintage curtains in a white ikea box ... it's in the living room closet right now



Monday, December 10, 2012

Joy and sore muscles ...


I am read!! J
I am always a bit afraid about that. Not in a bad way nor in a …  how to say that? It’s not that I am afraid, but I've been judged so much in my life that when someone says he or she reads the blog, I have mixed feelings. Joy that I am being read and knowing that I might be interesting enough to be read and the fact that I might say something that will make people think less of me or of us.
Well, people that are reading me and that are meeting me in real life. I am glad you read and are still happy with the fact you know us! J

Anyways, I am read!

Wow, what a weekend! All the stuff we have done  this weekend is amazing!

First on Friday night, we got prepared for the weekend, we took care of the animals and all.

Then on Saturday, we build a new cage for our Phoenixes and then we moved Oreo and Neige in a new cage (they seemed pretty happy of that... Neige was hopping around in her cage).

On Sunday, we went to meet a couple who did homesteading for 30 years. They are now selling their farm because they are "too old" (remark the brackets - I don't think they are) and now they move back to my former town ... poor them ...

Well anyways, so I went to see those people and we really connected with the couple. They gave us two Guinea Fowls and tons of stuff ... plus they sold us around $3000 worth of farming stuff ... for like $300. I was in heaven!!! That place of theirs was amazingly well done. Like my dream place really.

We will surely inspire ourselves from that place to build the houses here.

We also got two new cats, Strudel and Chausson. They are both pretty cute. Though they don't seem to keen of the barn so we rapidly build them a shelter on the porch last night as snow was coming.

With the new equipment we got from the couple, we will soon produce chicks!


Wednesday, December 5, 2012

At last!

I forgot to mention ...

Look what was in the coop last night!




We got it! Our first blue egg!

Feathers, tons of feathers!

Wow, the last weeks have been pretty busy feathery wise. Even if I told myself I wouldn't buy any other chicken for the season, some bargains arrived (and some crookery too) that I couldn't resist.

First, our neighbour was getting rid of his 12 leghorns before the winter for the ridiculous price of 3$ each. Those hens were from last spring so that was according to me a bargain. So 12 more ...


Then, we spotted a girl who was supposedly selling orpingtons. Orpingtons are like my dream brand since I've started raising pure breed chickens. We went there and ... I got distracted, turns out I bought hens that probably aren't orpingtons... but then they are still cute. That makes it 16 ...


Then, my favorite breeder called me to invite me over for dinner, turns out he had 3 hybrid hens he wanted to get rid of ... Oops 19 now.

Then, the day we went to pick up the 3 hens he told my husband about a couple of Light Brown Leghorns to sell ... We couldn't resist ... that's now 21!

But as we were picking up the Leghorns ... we saw that Phoenix for sale ...

Ok fine, let's make it 23!




And all this ... in a week ...

I know ... some say passionate, some say nutcase! hahaha!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Hey there

There is nothing more fun and rewarding than hearing "hey I've read your blog" it's cool.

Big hi, to my uncle Jocelyn, my cousin Nathalie and my friend Agnie in Poland ;)

Don't forget to comments! I love those.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Upcycling construction material - part 2

There is something I forgot to mention and that is really getting on my nerves about the fact we try to recycle and upcycle material ...

Most people who are letting us recycle or upcycle their stuff think we are very very poor and that they are giving us a unstanding gift.

*rolleyes*

1. We aren't poor, far from that (not that I would be ashamed of being poor that's not the point).
2. They aren't giving us a gift ... they are most of the time in a win-win situation. They get rid of the stuff that most of the time they would have had to pay to get rid off and we are reusing it.

It bugs me 'cause it seems to a lot of people that being rich is a free pass not to recycle and care for the environment. Why buying new stuff when we can reuse?

Another thing is that they seem not to realize that yeah they are giving us the stuff they don't want but that it represents a whole lot of time to pick up the stuff (that is most of the time among the trash, full of rusty nails and other Tetanus givers), classify it, and use it properly and to the maximum of its potential.

I got the comment once again today ... well not a comment but a "I am very helping the poor people" attitude today and I can't help but telling them that I have two houses and that my husband is a senior system analyst ...
Not my style to do that, but geez, stop being so condescendant! I am not poor I am just smart and I care for my planet!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Jenga?

I am trying to clean up the place. Well, clean up is not totally exact ... I try to make some room.
It's hard. I really want to get rid of some stuff before we start the renovation on the second floor ... I can't wait!!!!

Today I was looking at the place and was telling myself that I was living in a huge jenga game ...

If I am brave enough, I'll post pics.

P.S. We have a newcomer, her name is Paloma


And did I tell you about Myrchat? He arrived some time ago.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Upcycling construction material

Since a week we are collecting materials from a house that is in major remodeling. It's amazing to see than more than 90% of the things in a deconstruction has a possibility of being upcycled.

We really plan on trying to upcycle more material from sites we know of.

Just in isolation material, we saved around 300$. We probably saved another 200$ as we took the floating floors too. We would probably put that in several little houses we will build.

We also got wood, studs, tiles ...

It takes a lot of muscles and a lot of time but it worths it.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Little Boxes



I talked to my uncle yesterday, he told me that what I was living was close to the definition he has of happiness.
I've met my psychologist some weeks ago and she told me that she was really proud of the path I took and that I was looking so happy.
Both aren't wrong.

I am super happy.

Today on chat, I've met two guys from Algeria. Both were telling me that people in Canada have it better.

That got me thinking.

People just check the shell of things. If it's cute and all dressed up, they find it pretty ... it must be perfect. They never check what's behind.

It's bit like the song ... you know Little Boxes?

People want that. But do they know what's at stake?

Work, slavery.
Slavery to a system that would take all you have until nothing's left, or until you crack, like I did.

You want things, you want more. You want things that will fill the hole there's in your soul. The thing must be bigger and bigger. Will that fill the hole? No, it won't.

"but you guys have progress" I've heard from the guy from Algeria.

Which progress?

If progressing is becoming part of a corporate world when all that matters is what you have but not what you are is progress, please bring us to the Bronze age.

I don't call it progress. I would call it regression.

People are not able to make anymore. They just consume. We are losing precious knowledge. We have to go back to a time where people were more independant.

Yeah but what about leisure? Plenty. When I go outside take care of my animals it's a time of fun, not a duty. I do that with my husband and that way we spend time together. We are top shape 'cause we work outside and we work a lot. It's not even tiring. It's rewarding.

So people of Algeria, and other country where the monster of capitalism hasn't ruined it all yet ... you guys are lucky, it's still time to turn back time.







Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Fleas happen!

sob...

sob...

sobbing ...

Can you hear me crying in my little corner?

Fleas attacked and massively!

I went for my weekly visit to the vet (yeah with the menagerie it's just normal) and Muscade (one of the indoor cats) has fleas.

Revolution treatment is in order.

I can't help but feeling that I might be responsible for those ...

But my vet told me that even people without animals can have fleas. Just a single contact with an infected animals would be giving them.

Wish us luck.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

One down .... 300 to go ;)

One of the barn coop is almost done.
All made of recycled material but the wire
I am proud.



I made most of things myself ... and I am the proud owner of my own Dewalt drill now.

Ya!

Bonus: The lovely Patou wanted to say hi, she is 4 months now.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Want to come and work with us?

http://www.workaway.info/763187264765-en.html

Want to live a great experience in the nature?
Want to live the simple life?

We are taking working vacationers starting may 2013.

Keep you posted.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Feeling of Doing for Real

I don't know how to explain it but since I've been living here (It's been a year since last October 15th btw) I have that feeling of accomplishment that I've never felt before.
Days fly, literally!
We are always doing stuff that are feeling real. That have concrete impact. Building a pen for the hens. Taking out the leaves of the garden, putting them in compost, a compost that will then serve during the years after ... Our activities are intimately connected to the results, to our life. I have less and less the feeling that I am selling my time for a virtual pay landing in my bank account each two weeks that would suddenly disappeared in some endless hole.
I am trying to convince my husband that this life is the life we have to do for the rest of our lives. He is still afraid. I am sure this place has enough potential to become a bursting farm that would make us live and make us a living ...

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Hecatomb

Sharon died this afternoon bringing the death toll to 5.
I am starting to feel bad.
Really bad.

I talked to my farmer friend, "it's not your fault" he said.
I used to have 14000 chicken with bird flu.

Well ... it puts things in perspective.

He is supposed to call a friend and call us back.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

more deaths

I guess my bad feeling of yesterday wasn't in vain.
Two hens died of sudden deaths last night.

- sigh -

I have to become stronger

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Nothing ventured ...

Saturday - 6:32 pm ...

I am in my kitchen eating raw macaronis. Yup, some do cokaine, some do alcohol, some spend money ... I do macaronis.

I am in TOTAL despair. You know we have a bad moment.

First, Thursday night, I went to see the cats and Cayenne before leaving home (I always do that) and Azul arrived with a bump the size of a bubble gum on her face.

Called the vet, probably an abscess, an appointment was given for the day after.

Went to the vet, heard Azul screaming in pain while they were emptying the abscess ... started to cry, looked like a fool, well I think husband was the only one seeing me.

Saturday morning, went in town to pick some things that was given to us (cement) it was outside and, of course, it was raining like hell.

Started to sneeze.

Went back home at around 12:30, had lunch ...

Decided to make apple/maple jam out of the apple that were left from a previous canning experience.

1. The recipe didn't worked well, when the jam reached 104 Celsius, a huge mushroom of foam formed almost instantly, went all on the oven.
2. When canning, water bath tub was too full, went all on the oven.
3. When putting the last jar in the hot bath tub, it broke and the bottom fell, as a result the whole jar emptied itself in an horrible mess.

Husband started to put back the electricity in the barn (it's super needed as the cold is arriving super fast).

1. Was still raining like crazy making the work harder.
2. Didn't advance that much.

Went to feed the hens, most of them are sick now. Even if we are giving them treatment it doesn't seem to work.

Cayenne destroyed part of the hens' pen.

I am cold
I am tired
I am in despair

I am eating macaronis.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Inflation ...

One of the good thing about being here is that I can grow stuff.
But when I go to the supermarket I can't help but noticing the size of the packaged food going down each weeks for the same price.

I don't know if I am the only one noticing.

It's so sad.

I hope people won't end up suffering of hunger.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The Farm first visitors!

Last weekend we had the farm first visitors. One of my husband co-worker brought his delightful family to the farm to visit the hens that were providing eggs for the summer.

I was pretty proud to show them what we are doing here even though it's not going fast enough and there are still plenty of things I would  love to do better or to make better.

They made amazing photos. I share you some.

(all pictures are copyrighted to the Cormier's family, I do not hold the rights of these pictures)

Biscuit, Soleil's Kitten - 3 months old

Coton - our Rex rabbit

Carla

Baptiste

Our Plymouth Rock - Rooster


Plymouth rock hen

Miss DeLorimier

Mousse- Soleil's Kitten

Azul - Mousse's sister

Auguste --- sleepy as usual :)

I was really happy to have visitors. I wish we can do that more often!

Ode to Canning

I've probably already said but geez I L.O.V.E canning.
Canning is like the perfect food preservation process to me, really.
It's ecological as you normally do it in big batches and that way it takes less energy to can it.
All the jars, mason ones, are fully reusable. You normally can things from your garden or from the local producers.
It's economical - you normally can things from your garden, hence free or very cheap.
(Apple filling for 0,44$ a jar - checked!)
It's better for your health. You know what you eat 'cause you grew it yourself.
I can everything : plain veggies, stews, salsa, fillings, jams, soups, sauce, the list can go on and on. No need to worry as it won't spoil - no no no ... no electricity needed, no freezer, no what ever. Just a cool dark place.

So two weekends ago, despite of the cruel reality of us not having a kitchen, we canned 20 pounds of apples, 10 pounds of carrots, 25 pounds of beets, 50 pounds of tomatoes, 20 pounds of bell peppers ...

My ex canning pantry when I was living in town.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Dealing with Death

Left : Moutarde, Right: Leon, used as a bed : Tom
Leon died tonight.
I don't really know how.
I found him.

It was my first encounter with death. Face to face.

I am scared to life. I still can see his face, eyes open, open mouth in a very strange position.

I am a very sensitive person and I think this incident have scarred me for life.

Now I have tons of questions.

What did I do wrong?
Will my other cats be infected by the thing he had.

Of course, Leon was a dropped off cat. I arrived one day (two weeks) ago and that poor kitten was waiting so dirty and skinny in front of the barn.

I tried to fed him the best that I could. Nothing really worked it seems.

After my friends left tonight, I went in the barn and Leon was not there in his normal spot.
I felt in me that I had to find him, I search everywhere and when I arrive close to the barn, I saw some vomit spot. Plenty.
I saw him then, laying there between the wall and the hay. Dead.

It was a shock, it's still is.
I am sick to my stomach.
I try to forget the image, I just can't.

That's an image I wished never see in my life. Of course being there on a farm put the probabilities to a new high.

I just can't deal with death. As I can deal with mine, I just can't deal with others.

I was telling a lot of people that I was unhappy of never have found Isis's body... well I change my mind. I am very glad to be in ignorance. That's a kind of image I don't want to deal with.

He was 4 months old.
------------------------------------------------

Edit: I talked to one friend who made me realized that the position he was in was probably 'cause he was playing and fell, since he was weak he probably broke his neck. Fast death.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Winter ... you bastard!

Winter has and will always have the nerve to come in our lives when we expect it the less.
I mean, come on, one week ago I was still in flipflops and shorts outside ... Today it was 6 outside. Yup, you've read right! 6 degrees!

When you are not a farm owner, 6 degrees in the early Fall is nothing to worry about, yeah, you take out your coat earlier but heh, it was a nice summer after all.

When you are a farm owner, 6 degrees means a possible freezing point in the night ...

So that means... PANIC!

That's what we did. Today after work husband and I ran like crazy to put the rabbits to "safety" or should I say to "warmer" place. 3 hours later, by the light of a flashlight we managed to bring the 4 fellas in a warmer part of the barn.

I can't help but worry. I put some blankets all around hayballs, the cats are sleeping all pilled together ...

And Soleil, keeps looking at me with sad eyes ... seeming to tell me "why the hell don't you let me enter in the big house?"

'Cause I simply can't.

If I could ... I would totally be the crazy cat lady.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Let those birds roam free!

We finally had time to build that pen we badly needed for the hens.
It's 10X10 feet and it has been made (personal pride here) with reclaimed wood. The only new material part was the chicken wire.

We took pallet wood that are super easy to assemble (like it's already made for you) and it took us like around 5-6 hours to set perfectly. All you have to do is to join the pallets together, then attach the corner to the structure and voila. Also, taking used chicken wire is not an option in our case. We could have also completed the pallets with some boards we have from other pallets. We made the door from boards taken from extra pallets we have (to give you an idea, each time we go to the city, we go in some places where we know they are throwing it away and we fill the car)

The finish pen with our Cayenne
I wasn't able to help husband in every steps of the process. But I am glad we made it. We tried the pen with our Ameraucanas and they were pretty happy about it.




Thursday, September 6, 2012

Best Feeling on Earth

This post will be rather personal ...

Yesterday I was in a chat I am going often.

All of a sudden, a follow chatter that I know well came to me and said:
"Fleur ! (well that's my name here) yesterday Greenpeace came to my office and I was inspired by you and decided to join"

I am telling you this story this morning in all modesty. But to me it's a small victory. I am proud that my words are heard. Each person being touched by what we are saying being a small victory.

Most people tell me that being not able to have a child, I wouldn't leave much on this earth. Well, knowing that someone has been inspired by the way we are trying to live, my husband and I, in my humble opinion, is as relevant than the impact a parent can have on a child.

I am very proud and happy today.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

A New Group

I've recently organize a group on Facebook for gardening/farming/cooking/homemade/DIY/green living enthousiast, it's call : Do It Yourself.

If you guys would like to join us ... we are a pretty lovely bunch and we don't bite. You can join us there
http://www.facebook.com/groups/267869459992169/

The more the merrier and ... the wiser.
Sharing is knowledge!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Don't trash the dress ...

This morning I was reading the news when this caught my attention.
What a tragedy! I mean, before saying all I think about this trend, I will have to tell that the death of an individual, no matter the circumstances is a tragedy and a terrible lost of a community.

This being said, I can't stop to think of reasons why this is so wrong.

I did a couple of research on the "trash the dress" thingy and I came across some very "spectacular" picture not to say surprisingly dangerous.

A dress, dry, weighs a lot, been there, done that. I came across and incredible number of picture of people trashing dress in situation where water is involved. I mean even if the girl who drowned wasn't expecting that for sure. I mean who does, but still, this can easily become dangerous.

There are million of things to be done with the dress when the party is over.

1. Sell it - I mean of course you won't get back the amount you initially paid but someone else might want to use it. You'll help someone to feel pretty that day.
2. Keep it - I remember playing in my mother's wedding dress when I was 6, I was then a princess. I kept mine thinking that one day the princess will be my daughter. Of course, in my case the daughter will never arrive. But each time I see it in my closet, I can't help but smile.
3. Upcycle it! - There are plenty of ways to upcycle a dress, especially one that has that amount of fabric. I know a girl who kept a dress and made it remodel for her 10th anniversary when throwing a party with friends and relative.

Ideas are plenty and I just don't get why we would trash something that costs that much. What happened is sad, just way too sad.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Giveaway !!!

Dear readers,

As I am about to renew my subscription to the amazing Country Living Magazine, and that I have a free subscription to give to "a friend" (Lord knows that none of my friend would like a magazine even less a country magazine ...) So I thought about giving it away here.

Of course, for that I will need your address if you win (and no it's not to stalk you!)

If you are interested just leave a comment in saying you are. I'll do a draw on August 28, 2012.

This applies only to people from Canada and USA.
(sorry international people)


Monday, August 20, 2012

Ever wonder how they make chocolate milk?

http://www.abc57.com/video/Kentucky-rancher-feeds-candy-to-cows-during-drought--166399206.html


Now you know ...


Well I don't know what to think about this.

New pics of the cat colony


Pol
Mousse - 1 month old now

Sleeping Auguste

That's L.O.V.E (Pol and Moutarde)

New hens ... and no I am not feeling blue!

Last Saturday we went  to our favorite breeder and got ourselves 15 baby Ameraucana. We are going to be breeders! Yeah that was a little shock for us too. It will be so funny to pick blue eggs!

So yeah, I am going to be a breeder of some variety of Standard chickens.

I plan in breeding Ameraucanas, Anconas, and if all goes to plan, Warrens, Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks, Leghorns and of course some hybrid chickens. I am looking to breed breeds that have good dual purposes.

I want to offer people in my region who aren't massive breeders or hatcheries an alternative to hybrids brown and white chickens that are sold each year like just one day at the farmer's market. To me it's important to have more choice and better ones.

I am passionate by Standard Large Fowls Chickens.

So, that's for the news.

More pic soon! :)

In Memoriam



Dear Isis,

thanks for the purrs, thanks for the hugs, thanks for the laughs.

We don't know if you are still alive, if you are ok, but we surely pray you are.

If you are in kitty heaven, we hope you are happy and met new friends.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Goodbye Little Hen

Well, when I said in a previous post that "the death of the jackrabbit was preparing me for many more to come" I couldn't be more right.
This morning, in like 10 minutes we lose a Warren.
I started to cry when I heard the news, good for me, I didn't see her, husband did.

I am very worried, how will I manage the first death I will have to manage myself?

I just can't deal right with death.

We put the hen in a bag and buried her in the cemetery along the rabbit.

I am very sad.

Goodbye little hen, thanks for the eggs and the laugh.
(Warrens are really funny).

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Kittens-update

Ooopsie ...

My kittens are all ... female!

I've been confused by the color of fur, normally yellowish kittens are male so I've been told.

But nah, those are all lil girls.

They are well, two of them have some troubles with Feline viral rhinotracheitis but of course with the fact those are barn cats and the fact that they were given to us (I mean the others, not the newborns that are the first born here kittens) let say that they were not brought to the vet on a daily basis (I am not doing it on a daily basis either but I am at the vet like every 3 weeks or so since the beginning of the summer).

But we have meds for them and everything is going to be alright.

Victory!

I told you about this couple a few weeks back.

They win!!!!!
They can keep their garden and the town decided to let other people doing it under supervision (which is normal)

This victory isn't just theirs, it's for all of us.

It's the beginning of a return to true things.

It's the acknowledgement that things have to changed and to evolve!

I am super happy about that.


The Sad Learning Curve

Last Monday our neighbour came to my door with a box.

"I have a new lodger for you" he said.

I look at a box to find a tiny lil creature who looked like that:


"What the hell is that!" I've said.

At first I thought it was a baby Chinchilla rabbit.

"It's a jackrabbit!" he said. "I went that far to smash it with my ATV, it was all alone in the middle of the ATV road"

I accepted, though I was worried a bit about how I would take care of the thing.

I put it in a big cage and as I was working rapidly gave water and food then told myself I would take care of it asap.

After work, I started to check the net to discover the heartbreaking truth:
Baby hares have no scent so the mother hides them away from the den while she hunts. She does it usually right in the open covered with grass or leaves ... They stay there waiting for her returns.

Basically ... it was a very bad news.

1. The baby didn't really need help.
2. There was now no way I could find back the mother. (as my neighbour didn't really remember where he exactly took the baby)

I started freaking out.
We tried our best but this morning, husband found the dead baby in the cage.
It let itself die obviously.

It's hard to know everything as it's hard to not feel guilty.
Though, I kept telling myself that I am not the one bringing him back here plus where it was he would have had probably be smashed by an ATV before his mother would be gone.

The lil one has been buried in a quiet and charming place on our land. That first death is preparing me for the many others to come. I have to stop pretending it won't happen. It will. It's part of the circle. I have to learn to deal with it. Husband and I have decided that this part of our land would be the cemetery.

That's the hard and sad learning curve we have to go through.

And I can already hear the "judgements" of people who would so have done better ... sigh.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Kitten's names - official

I forgot to mention that the kitten has been officially named.

The first born, the girl, will be named : Mousse. She is all fluffy and it fits her well.
The second born is all quiet and has the nicest eyes in the world all blue, for that, he will be named : Azul
The third born, a very big fella with not 1, not two but 3 extra fingers on each front paw, will be called Patou.
The forth one, a brown tabby, will be called Biscuit (don't forget that in French Biscuit means cookie, so to us he is more of a cookie than a salty biscuit)

The first visit out of the barn in video. (don't mind the blabla, it's me and my young neighbours talking) and I am sorry if it's not on the right side ...

Decisions

This post will be semi-personal. I always taught that one of the thing that I have to learn on this earth is to let go.

I don't let go easily. It is particularly true for people and living things. For instance, I would stick to a situation or to people that I know are not good for me just because I don't have the strength to let go. I just can't separate myself from people I know and love, even if their love is toxic.

Just imagine then. if I have an total hard time to get away from a toxic situation, how letting go would be when it comes to an animal.

When it's time to make decisions ... when it's time to me THE decision.

Eole arrived with 3 walking paws yesterday morning. He was not even able to stand on one paw.

Emergency call to the vet.

"It looks like a broken paw"
"what then?"
"Radiographies (125$) and then possible surgery (around 300$) a night or two at the ward (150$), reeducation (almost impossible for a farm cat)"

My heart twisted.
First, I don't have that kind of money, second, there is 16 of them. If I start with one, it will never stop.

I looked at my husband...

"well let's make a radio" he said, then we will take a decision.

My head started spinning. Ok, if it's a broken paw, is it like the end? Would we drop the E word?

"We could let nature decide" said my husband.

In a way he was right. But on the other hand, will I be able to see him suffer. What's better life suffering or no life at all.

Eole is a lucky fella. As the vet was to put him on the radiography board, she felt a tiny hole in the paw. She took the razor, took some fur off and to her surprise discovered an infected wound that she was not able to feel during the exam. She came back and an injection of antibiotics later, Eole was in a cage in our yard, alive and "well".

I would have to learn to let go. I am sure that farm will teach me that.
When I love, I love deeply.

Eole at the vet:



Monday, July 30, 2012

That's a start ...

Our Melba apple tree has 4 apples growing.

I just took 2 cassis fruit in our cassis bush.

And I got all this in the black raspberry bush (this one was there when we arrived, so it might be around 10 years old). I will probably make berry mustard with it.

That's a start!

In the name of ...

There is one thing that I find harder and harder ... naming things, well not things but animals.

With the quantity of cats we have let say that's a bit hard to name them all.

I've just found one for the two newborns, the little girl will be named : Mousse and the third born, a boy born with 8 fingers on each paw will be named Patou (a bit like "paw-y") but in French.

I really want them to have a name that fits their personality and how they look. Maybe it's a bit too much, but I like it that way.

I never thought that one day I'll be having enough animals to have "nameless ones"! Maybe this is what happened to Rihanna (hahahahaaha!)

*rolleyes*


Thursday, July 26, 2012

Surprise!

Husband was grilling on the barbecue this weekend when some round red thingy attracted him in a bush nearby.

Surprise! We have black raspberries on the front yard!

Yum!

Also, let me introduce you to a cat I've never been able to take in picture. Ladies and Gents, here's Auguste

He is the father of Isis and Moutarde. Unfortunately Isis and Moutarde's mother is ... gone :-( Though, strangely when he is there he takes care of the girls, he spent like 30 minutes grooming them yesterday. What a nice poppa!

We Might Have a Room Soon

Last Tuesday, I accompanied my parents to Ikea.
I was not aware, not ever looking for anything when I saw this:
My jaw dropped, especially when I saw the price: 30$
It was exactly what I was looking for.
Since I moved here, I know exactly how I want the room upstairs to look like. I found an armchair in a thrift store that I really wanted in my room, it is blue, green and yellow in tartan. So I knew I wanted my room white and blue at least. I also plan to weave a matching blanket with the craft group.
When the rabbits will be all set outside (we are like 50% there) and when the new hens will be there too (75% there) we will start destructing the walls upstairs (as we turn the entire 4 tiny little rooms into a big one of 18X19). I can't wait really! :)


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Community

I think one of the major reason why nothing is going well these days is simply because people don't believe in community anymore.

Individualism has rotten everything.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

A Shame!

I am ashamed right now! So ashamed.
One of the main reason why we left our hometown is because we won't feel at ease and accepted in our life project. We used to have a 3000 square feet garden in town and everybody would check us like freaks. We also wanted to have animals, so we moved.

I am not very following news in general, when I decided to move here, I turned out the switch, I wanted to think about other things.

Some days ago though, probably knowing that I would feel totally connected to the topic, someone talked to me about these people: http://www.lepotagerurbain.com/

Those are people from the town I used to live in, living a fight that I would probably have to fight if I would have stayed there.

In a nutshell and for those who can't speak French. Those two people have planted a garden in their frontyard. They asked the permission to the city through a telephone conversation and, as it happens a lot in the "marvelous city of Drummondville". They have been told something that would after that be different. (happened to me plenty of time). So they have been told that it was ok for them to plant a garden (or something else than turf) in their front yard even in the part that "belongs" to the city. After some times, of course, the city wanted them to "correct the situation" and to put grass instead of the luxurious food they are growing.

Ridiculous?

Ohhhh yeah it is.

I mean come on, this is vegetable we are talking about, not weeds, not pot, Veggies!

And I've seen it through my own eyes, those people are taking good care of the place and it's simply beautiful.

Not only do they want to get rid of the veggies, but they also fining them 300$ a day for that "crime".

So today I am ashamed of the place I am coming from. Ashamed to see they are treating good people who want to follow the new food revolution!

Some people are complaining, of course, to them a small front porch with begonias and hostas is the way to go ... but ... when this happens and price will start to skyrock, I would love to see them try to eat an hosta!

Friday, July 20, 2012

The Dumping Complex

That post will probably seem weird to most of you, or maybe I'll be lucky and I'll be read by people who like me, share the same feeling.

In the city near my village we have an "Ecocentre" I don't know what the English term for that, but all I know is that this is a place where people would dump stuff that can't be used anymore.
The stuff would then been classified in 8 categories; wood, green remains, waste, metal, plastic etc. You get the idea.

Each time I go to a dump I feel guilty. When I go to this one, it's even worst.
I feel guilty because I haven't been able to find a use to what I am bringing (this morning: three rusted metal barrels and a bunch of contaminated soil that has been kindly left by the former owner).

I also feel angry, angry to see what the others are bringing, I was watching them this morning and I would find used to most of what people would bring.

My heart also stopped when I saw this:

How can someone throw this away???? It was in the bin and sadly it would have been too dangerous for me to pick it up. It was probably too damaged now. But this is an antique, a piece of art.

I just don't get how people can put to waste tons of pretty stuff.

We found a place where we could have pallet wood for free for a long time. That's a great news. That would make us a lot of nice park for the animals to come.
Still, this was meant for the trash ...
Just imagine the amount of money and forests that would be safe if people would reuse or know how to reuse wood!!!

So sad.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Here are the kittens!

Second born - 2 hours after birth

First born - a girl obviously - 2 hours after birth

The mom and her lovely 4 kittens.

I love my Soleil and I am soooooooo proud of her.

I am a grandmother!!!

Soleil got her babies!
Quadruplets!
3 boys and 1 girl (easy to see by the fur color)

More details and pics soon !

9 months

It's been 9 months.
9 months that we've been cleaning the dishes in a bathroom sink.

At 00:01 today, the lovely sound of water was heard in the corridor ... our dishwasher is fully functional!

It's when you don't have it for so long that you really appreciate those type of things.


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Could This Be Possible?

Ok, I don't have much to say lately (we are mostly doing the usual - lawn mowing, garden etc) but ... I am super excited about something.

We have a waiting list for our eggs. Yup! A waiting list?!

Could this be the beginning of success?

Monday, July 9, 2012

Two Productive days

We haven't relaxed that much this weekend. On Friday, since I was having my phone appointment with my Seattle's specialist at 6 pm we went to the restaurant. So that was a quiet friday.


Then on Saturday, my parents came for dinner, we had the usual semi-joke semi-negative observation on about everything in the house. But we are getting used to this. Husband moved the dishwasher in the house so we might have one before the construction of the kitchen that is due ... in a while :-(


He also installed a clothline. It wasn't of course the one on that link, but I found that image the other day and I started to laugh so much! I put some clothes on it yesterday and I was sooooooooooooooooooo happy.


He also cleaned up part of the land and the soon to be cut "forest".


I took the time to check that forest on Saturday. Let say that there was nothing really interesting that we could keep besides 3 Acer saccharinum, 3 acer rubrum, 1 Populus Deltoides and a bunch (maybe 6-8) acer negundo. The rest was either dead or too close to the trees that had survived naturally. So with the help of the neighbours (and especially because their mother wants to see on the side of the "forest") that forest will be cut down soon.


We did an interesting discovery though. At the end of the forest, we have raspberries bushes on around 20-30 feet. Which will be interesting to work on and make produce.


I draw a bunch of plans for the future land management. Right now, my biggest question is : Should we have a cow or not. I don't want to have a tons, I just want one, maybe two (her baby) for milk. I am not super fond of goat milk for cheese and I would really love to do my own cheese one day.


If any of you know a lil on cow requirements, especially the feeding needs and pasture please let me know.


On Sunday, Husband and I (but mainly husband as I am not super good in this) started to construct what would be Cayenne's future crash place. Right now she is sharing the cabin that has the hens but we want to fill this with hens so we could sell more eggs to more people (eggs being like our main way to bring people to know us.)


I also started to rearrange part of the living room that is in the former sewing boutique. In the 50's that house was the boutique of the village seamstress. So the place is already arrange (wall wise) so it is separated from the rest of the house. As it has been known that I was a tutor/teacher when I was living in the city and that I was the owner of a business a bit like Kumon, let say that I rapidly got 6 students. So I rearranged that place so I can receive them without their parents having an heart attack while seeing the rest of the house.


So, I am off now, I will put some clothes to put on my clothline.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

The Irony

That will be a personal message today.
I didn't really know if I talked about this here. Probably not.
Since I was born, I was suffering for plenty of little disease.  I got everything from all the diseases ending in -itis (sinusitis, bronchitis) to more severe one. I had a hard case of mononucleosis, epilepsy ... I fainted sometimes. Anyways, it would be easier to say what I didn't have than saying what I had.

My parents tried everything during the first years of my life. We went to every doctors, no one could tell what was the problem with me.

As an adult, I also tried to get better 'cause my symptoms would go heavier each years. By the time I was 25 I was told my bones have aged to the point they were 45 years old ... That I was having more and more arthritis and that constant pain that would later be named Fibromyalgia.

In 2009, my system crashed down. I was in a deep depression, the pain was constant and I couldn't take it anymore.

We decided to try another lifestyle (homesteading, or wannabe homesteading) I started to feel better everyday.

Though, even if my situation was improving, I was still having major episodes of my disease. I would sometimes not be able to do things for days.

I tried again to find something to help me out, I found nothing.

One day, I found that clinic with the help of a friend, and ... I've decided to go. The approach is trying to find food allergies who could bring all my symptoms.

I received my results last Thursday.

I am allergic to eggs.


...... The irony.


(I am also having a yeast infection in the digestive system, some pseudomonas, and I am allergic to a bunch of other things. But, I'll get better! At LAST !!!! after 33 years !)

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

The System

I knew it before, but I am sure of it.
Being a farmer, the way that I am, is fighting against a system, a system that even if it's fighting us and won't let go before major problems occur, is followed and even loved by most of the people.

We chose to produce things the way our ancestors did for tons of reasons.

Life as itself doesn't need human intervention to produce. Of course, you can prune, you can water, you can trim, but it doesn't need to be boosted by some kind of chemicals to produce. A tomato is a tomato and even if you let the plant grow by itself, you'll have a tomato at the end, maybe not as much as if you took good care of it, but still you'll have one.

Though, people nowadays are used to have a Pantone 186C tomatoes, same color, same form as the tomato they ate 2 days before. Grocers choose tomatoes for the clients like they would choose the logo for their next ad campaign. I remember a conversation I had with my neighbour about the day a grocer pointed him a tomato on a billboard saying "bringing me that and nothing else". My neighbour was producing 20000 tomatoes a year. He gave up.

Reason? Simple.
You can't produce a tomato like that without using chemicals and genetically modified stuff.

When I bought my apple trees in April, to the question asked by my provider, when not knowing much about apples, I answered Cortland, all she could tell me was:

"Are you sure?"

Cortland apples are popular. The market loves them. But to be able to have a nice and beautiful Cortland apple like the one you are eating everyday, your trees as to be chemically treated ... 15 times a year.

15 times!

Still want that piece of apple pie?

We don't know that. Well, or we know, or we pretend not to.

Recently when I discovered all the shit that was in my hens feeder I stopped feeding them with hormones. Of course, hormone fed hens produce more eggs and produced a lot of bigger eggs.

Do I want steroids in my eggs?
No

Today when someone told me with a point of disappointment :

"Well, can I take 2 dozen of your eggs 'cause they are really small!"

I understood that I too was now fighting the system.

Full Moon of Hell

Yesterday night, the moon was full.
To most it's just a regular event. To the common farmer it's like hell.
I once heard a police officer saying that this day would make people crazy.
It does exactly the same with animals.
Last night, around 9, I was not feeling so well (disease - will probably talk about it one day) and I decided to go outside to breath some fresh air.
As I was walking down our land I could see a big orange spot moving on the third section of the land (our land is divided in 8 sections, I'll be back to it soon too). That was a fox, in his mouth, what would look like an innocent rabbit going to its death.
My heart made 3 jumps, could that be Coton or Neige my white rabbits? From where it was, probably not. But it could really be one of my fellow farmer neighbour. I ran to the garage and took a shovel. I am against arms so ... that's all I got.
I tried to advance on the land to see where it's den. Don't get me wrong there, my plan never was to kill, the showel was more like ... a safety thing in case the thing would attack me (not very probable I know!) but still ... better safe than sorry.
I never found it.

I went back home and tell husband to take a big glass of water ... pee was needed. Yeah that's the disgusting part but one of the thing that turn foxes off is ... human pee.
Husband and I went out again and took Cayenne with us. We were trying to check for clues on the land where the fox appeared again with another rabbit! I went mad! I started to scream with my shovel waving in the air. It ran.

We went to see our another neighbour, good for him it was not his rabbits. Still, someone has rabbits stolen.
I was coming back from the neighbour when I saw Soleil, the walker, waiting for me lying on the sidewalk. At first I had a lil moment of freaking ... what if she got hit by a car. No she was just there waiting.

"Soleil, don't do that, you might get hurt!" I said.

The moment I said that, Soleil looked at me and crossed the street!
My heart almost stopped again.
I achieved to go an pick her up on my neighbour yard.
I was bringing her to safety when a cat that I've never seen popped out of no where in the drive way, behind him, Paul (one of the gray cat) was gladly telling it to ran away from the top of its 5 months and 2 pounds! Like take someone your size for Pete's sake.
The intruder and Paul crossed the street in a hurry, of course a car was coming but was nice enough to slow down. I would have too considering that I was waving my flashlight like crazy in their direction (the cats one of course).

I managed to bring Paul back but as I was crossing the street, I could see Baptiste and Tom (Paul's brothers) in the middle of the street but like 50 feet farther.

Paul jumped out of my arm to go and see his brother.

Camille, (another cat, spiritual daughter of Soleil) saw the lil fellas there and since she is about their ages and so willing to be part of the game, she told herself "hey, let's go party!"

I was having 4  cats in the street now running like crazy.

Soleil who was still not far, decided to come and see what the fuss was all about. Little did I know I now had 4 cats in the street and Soleil near the sidewalk.

I was desperated to bring them back, when I realize that the fuss was about a dead bird that was "smashed" on the concrete. Husband that was now trying to help, took my shovel and came to pick up the bird, as I was trying to take the "kids" back to safety.

That's when she acted.
I couldn't believe my eyes, Soleil brought Camille to the sidewalk and was on the process to bring back the others to safety. I was like that cat is just too good to be true.

Any ways, I was able to take Paul and Tom and put them in a cage for a moment so they calm down...

Baptiste took the bird --- EW!

It was a crazy night, but this morning, we still have 9 cats, 5 rabbits, 1 dog, 11 hens and 3 roosters ...