Message from another (new) life ...

OMG guys! You have no idea what has been going on with my life ... since last summer.

I know, I know I've been very not nice and I never wrote. But I had a marvelous reason...

I gave birth !!!

(counting the number of cardiac arrests)

It's twins !!!!

(checking the number of seizures)

One lil non profit organisation and a small lil business. :)

OMG, I would love to see your face!

Where should I start? Well ... what about by the beginning.

It all started in the same week or so. First event, the crafter's guild expo. The women from the guild were so nice to me and asked me to bring all the things I make (laundry soap, household products bathsalts etc) I was like "well who will buy that really?"

Well I got my answer pretty fast ---- ALMOST EVERYBODY !

I sold tons during the fair, my kiosk was looking like a beehive. People were buying buying buying, I didn't even have the chance to put the stuff on the table and zoom, it was sold.

I was amazed, and pretty encouraged.

The same week, my cousin phoned me. "I had a revelation she said, I've realized  that if the supermarket goes bankrupt I can't even feed myself and my kids. You can. Teach me!"

I was like ohh well ehh ok ... So we build a class ... 9 people came! 9! (that's a lot according to how it started at the beginning.)

Since then we are blooming, expending, like crazy. I work, give classes, sell my products in 4 cities and in around 6 locations. I go and I am invited to fairs and the all. I am so happy.

But that's not all. In August, a man heard about us and said that what we were doing could be amazing for the poor people in our area, so he exposed me the troubles we have in my area and ... 3 days later I served him a plan for a non profit on a plate.

Now we have a workshop in the middle of the town ... have tons of support ...

I am the director, it's just crazy....

I have to go now 'cause I have to prepare for a fair tomorrow.

But if you want to see what's going on:

www.facebook.ca/domainecoquelicots.ca

www.facebook.ca/ecoloviedrummond

Cheers!

"Free" Range Turkeys and Chickens - Engraissement de poulets et de dindons en "liberté"

We finished building a large pen for the Turkeys and the chickens that we are fattening.

I am pretty glad about it because all of it was built out of recycled stuff. The only new material used was the chickenwire. Even the feeders were donated by a friend.

I will post pictures soon as it's been raining for the last two days, but tonight as I'll be a bit free, I'll take some pictures that I'll add here.

It's sad though 'cause if that wasn't just for me, my chickens will be totally free range, but it's illegal in Quebec. Even what I am doing right now (letting them outside without a complete roof in the grass part is illegal. But you know, even breathing is illegal here! hahaha!


Nous avons terminé la construction d'un grand enclos pour les dindes et les poulets qui nous engraissons.

Je suis assez contente de ça parce que tout a été construit avec ​​des trucs recyclés. Le seul nouveau matériau utilisé a été la broche à poule. Même les mangeoires ont été données par un ami.

Je vais poster des photos dès que possible, quand j'avais le temps, soit il pleuvait soit j'étais pas chez moi ... depuis les deux derniers jours, mais ce soir quand je serai un peu libre, je vais prendre quelques photos que je vais ajouter ici.

C'est triste parce que si ce n'était que de moi, mes poulets seraient totalement libres, mais c'est illégal au Québec. Même ce que je fais en ce moment (les laisser dehors sans un toit complet dans la partie volière, est illégal. Mais vous savez, même la respiration est illégal ici! Hahaha!

Visit our sister page - Visitez notre nouvelle page

Go to : http://ooohmycat.blogspot.ca/

It's in construction, but it will be fun! :)
C'est en construction, mais ça va être bien, on vous le jure.

The last straw

I was on my porch, still wondering how I was going to put the sign "fresh eggs for sale." up. Chuck joined us. I wondered how many days remained before he could enter for good in the house. After some mental arithmetic ... 10 days. 10 short days. I looked at Martin and I told him we could let him enter right away. Martin being who he is, said no. Our vet advised us not to do so. Indeed, the vet advised us not to do it ... And Martin always "follow the rules".

I took Chuck back on the terrace, I wanted him far from the street. Normally when I do that, he just go back to the garage or the barn.

Back to front. All cats were in the backyard except Paloma who was lying on a chair on the balcony. She normally does that.

As I was cleaning up my room that is with a view on the street I felt it. Yeah I always feel death, this bitch, when she is there. I felt it. Then I heard the famous knock ...
Then I hear meowed ... Then I saw something "hopping" on the street ...

I told Martin to come quick, that I think Paloma got hit and it was not finished.

It was not Paloma. It was Chuck. And it's over.
My little baby Chuck got hit.

I have boundless respect for my vet. But now that all this happened I say fuck off. Since the death of Paul, I still have the reflex to look up at the street every time a car passes. My heart is jumping each time. I can't sleep, I am always afraid.

Cats, all of them but Eole, who is somewhat aggressive, are now all in the house.

I can already hear the comments. "Are you kidding?" ... You can not have so many cats in the house? This is disgusting and bla bla bla...

I'm tired of crying. I'm tired of bad sleep, I'm tired of being afraid.
At least I know they are all safe.

And people who aren't pleased ...

Moi je le sais ...

J'étais entrain de me demander comment j'allais mettre la pancarte "oeuf frais à vendre" sur mon balcon. Chuck est venu nous rejoindre. Je me demandais combien de jours il restait avant que celui-ci n'entre pour de bon dans la maison. Calcul mental ... 10 jours. 10 petits jours. J'ai regardé Martin et je lui ai dit qu'on pourrait l'entrer tout suite. Martin étant ce qu'il est m'a répondu non. Notre vétérinaire nous a conseillé de ne pas le faire. Effectivement, le véto nous avait conseillé de ne pas le faire ...

J'ai déposé le chat plus loin sur le perron, nous avons une galerie qui fait le tour de la maison, si bien qu'une fois sur la terrasse en arrière.

Retour en avant. Tous les chats sont derrière sauf Paloma qui est assise sur une chaise au coin de la maison.

Je suis entrain de faire mon ménage dans la pièce de devant quand je le sens. Ouais je le sens toujours, la mort, cette conne, quand elle est là. je la sens. Puis j'entend le fameux toc ...
Puis j'entend miaulé ... Puis je vois de quoi qui sautillent dans la rue...

Je dis à Martin de venir vite que je pense que Paloma s'est fait frappée et que ce n'est pas fini.

Ce n'était pas Paloma. C'était Chuck. Et c'est fini.
Mon petit bébé Chuck s'est fait frappé.

J'ai un respect sans bornes pour mon vétérinaire. Mais là, fuck off. Depuis la mort de Paul, j'ai encore le reflexe de lever le regard vers la rue chaque fois qu'une voiture passe. Je ne veux plus vivre ça.
Les chats sont présentement tous dans la maison.

J'entends déjà les commentaires. "Bien là" ... Tu peux pas avoir tant de chats dans la maison "bien là"

Bien oui, bien là, bien là ...

J'en ai marre de pleurer. J'en ai marre de mal dormir, j'en ai marre d'avoir peur.
Au moins, je sais qu'ils sont tous en sécurité.

Si ça ne vous plait pas ...

Next!/Suivant!

I am trying to write bilingual posts now. Each paragraphs will be translated instantly from English to French. I find it easier that way.

Mes posts seront bilingues maintenant, ce sera plus simple comme cela.

So, as you guys know, we have troubles with the zoning of the MRC. We tried everything: talking to people, trying to argue, talk to the politicians, the news, even puppies eyes --- nothing worked. And well, even if in some areas we have made contacts and we raised a warning signal, we can't pretend to stay here, work on that place, invest tons of money if it's to leave. MRC opinion is stuck in a piece of concrete. "urban" zones (I still can believe they call us urban, I am looking at the window right now and the first thing I see is a pick up truck in a cornfield near a John Deere tractor ...) are meant to be urban and odor/noise/animals free.

Donc, comme vous le savez déjà. nous avons de la difficulté avec le zonage absolument ridicule de la MRC. Nous avons tout essayé, on a parlé aux médias, aux politiciens, on a essayé de faire valoir notre point, on a même fait les yeux doux! Rien n'a vraiment fonctionné. Et bon, même si au niveau de la politique on a fait quelques pas en avant, il nous est pratiquement impossible de rester ici. Si on se met à tout rénover à coup de dizaine de milliers de dollars et qu'après coup on se fait dire de partir, c'est pas super. L'opinion de la MRC est coulée dans le béton, les zones urbaines (j'en reviens toujours pas qu'on parle d'urbanisme alors que nous sommes entourés de mais!) doivent être exemptes d'odeurs, de bruits et d'animaux ...

So, we've decided to check for other places. We found one. Here it is : 
http://www.remax-quebec.com/fr/inscription/C/10702516.rmx?source=centris

Alors nous avons décidé de regarder ailleurs et nous avons trouvé, la voici:
http://www.remax-quebec.com/fr/inscription/C/10702516.rmx?source=centris

We are going to move as soon as the house in Drummondville will be sold as our offer has been accepted last Sunday.

Nous allons déménager dès que nous aurons vendu notre maison de Drummondville, notre offre à été accepté dimanche passé.

Twist of fate

I believe at lot that everything happens for a reason.
Today I've got a big big day, tons to do, busy like a bee.
As I was passing by the Ressourcerie (the place where I buy my stuff to rebuild the house) I had a urge to go there. What for? I thought, I mean, the work is in hiatus, we don't even know what would become of the Coquelicots ...

Don't bother my inner voice said, just go there.

So I did, I went there, checked things around and then I heard a man and a woman talking vividly, the man was talking homecanning.
I smiled, someone like us, it exists!!!

Without thinking of it, I said that I too was canning.

We start to talked and suddenly I recognize him. It's  Michel Beauchamp, you know, I talked to you guys about him and his wife who had to fight to keep their front yard garden up and working.
We talked together and with the woman from the Ressourcerie who is a lovely lady. We talked, we shared, I had the rare impression that my word weren't vain.

When I went back to my car, I told myself :

I have the right.

I have the right to fight for what's mine and for what I believe in.

I have the right to be different

I have to stop thinking that we are wrong and that no one will help us in that.

In short, we will fight!

Raise your pitchforks my friends!

Le destin ...

(don't panic dear English friends, the same version of that text will be posted too)

Je crois beaucoup au destin. Comme si parfois un petit ange interne nous guidait.
J'avais une journée de fou aujourd'hui mais vraiment. Je devais faire un tas de choses et j'avais la tête pleine. Par contre, en passant devant la rue Toupin, je me suis dit que je devais aller à la Ressourcerie Transition ... pour y faire quoi pensais-je? Les travaux sont en suspend, on ne sait plus quoi faire de nos vies ou du moins, on ne sait plus ce qui va arriver ...

Pas grave vas-y pareil que ma petite régie interne m'a dit.

J'entre, je farfouine comme je fais tout le temps et soudain j'entends une conversation.
Un homme, discute avec une passion hors du commun de conserves.
Je souris, mon dieu, ça existe.

Spontanément je lui dis que je partage sa bonne humeur vu que moi aussi je canne! :)

Puis soudain je le reconnais, telle une groupie, c'est Michel Beauchamp, vous savez, j'en ai déjà parlé, ces braves gens de St-Charles de Drummond qui ont dû se battre pour leur potager de façade.

On se met à parler, j'entends un écho, un voix commune, ça résonne, c'est beau. Je n'ai pas l'impression de parler dans le vide. Ce que je lui dit, il le sait, il le comprend, il le vit.

Je vous passe détails de la rencontre, qui m'a aussi permis de rencontrer la directrice de la Ressourcerie qui est une femme charmante mais en tous les cas, quand je suis entrée dans mon véhicule je me suis dit:

J'ai le droit.

J'ai le droit de me battre.

J'ai le droit d'être marginale.

Je dois arrêter de penser que j'ai tort de vivre la vie que je mène, si ça se trouve j'ai raison.

En fait, le plus important, je ne suis pas marginale, je vis.

Bref, je vais me battre! Les animaux, la terre, c'est la vie.

D'ici là je vous invite à venir voir la conférence à la ressoucerie transition le 2 juin à 10h00.
Et de lire ceci: http://www.journalexpress.ca/Actualites/2013-05-23/article-3257822/Les-jardiniers-urbains-Josee-Landry-et-Michel-Beauchamp-tres-en-demande/1

À vos fourches! Prêts? Cultivez!

The whole story

We wanted this farm so bad.
It was the perfect place. Close to Martin's work, close to mine. Great neighbours. Of course the place needed major renovations but we bought it for 100K so that was easy to rebuild.
There was 4 acres, great place to farm.
When we bought or some days before we signed, we phoned the town hall to gather info:

"Can we have animals?"
"Of course, you are in an agricultural zoning, you do what you want on that matter"

This weekend I've been offered a Jersey.

As a good citizen, we called the town hall asking them about the legal dimension for our potential new barn.

"why do you want a barn?" they asked
"to put our Jersey in" we said
"but you have no right to have animals" they said.

WHAT ?!!!

We've been to the town hall 4 times since. There is nothing we can do.
In Quebec, there are the town hall laws, and then the MRC laws (MRC stands for Regional county municipality) in the town hall books we are legal, but not in the MRC's ones and of course, the MRC is stronger than the town hall. The MRC says that no one can have new animal raising units in the U zone. The U zone ends on the right side of my property.

So now we are in a dead end.

Our house in town isn't sold yet.
We have a house on the countryside that needs major renovation and can't be sell that way.
But we have to move and have a place for the chickens, rabbits, cats and quails we have asap.

But there is no way the bank will authorize a mortgage with those things in our pockets.

Of course, the girl at the town hall always said she never said that.

I also bought that house though an attorney, never did she mentionned that.

"she must haven't known that law" said the girl at the town hall.






Why us?

We have been refused all ...

Even chickens.
Our dream just gone to dust.

I don't know how I will survive that news.

Track and Field

I feel like we are running on a field of track and field.
Running for our life, trying to make ourselves a life here but with tons of obstacles on the way.

This is what I was trying to explain to my cousin Gabriel this weekend.

Having a project like ours is very very hard where we live.

Turns out that this weekend we have been offered a Jersey calf by my uncle.
I was delighted. Cautious, Martin phoned the village administration to make sure everything was in order and to talk about another project.

We are in a place where it's zoned "business and farm" Farm on one side, business on the other. To our surprise even if our place is zoned farm, we can't have a cow or a pig, as it is "too close" to the other houses ... or we can but the girl from the town hall talked about calculation and stuff ...

---- Sigh ----

I mean geez why keeping it that way if it's impossible to do? We need that zoning if we want to go on with our project.

So many rules, so many burdens, so many restrictions.

I am not dead!

I am not dead, things are going "better" ...




... and tomorrow I get a year older!



Sweet, "sweet" 34!

Stay tuned!

Sicker than sick

I am going down ...

This is sooooo not fun.

My system is to the deepest low at the moment.

I just hope I'll come back to a "normal"

Chuck vs The Chicken

Meet Chuck. No kitten got a name before the age of 1 month normally here. It's the tradition. I wait 'til I know them, 'til I see them in action and 'til they have an history. (exception from Dijon who got a name from the fact he is yellow and was born shortly after Moutarde's passing).

Since our lil buddy is now a month, he has been named : Chuck. Why Chuck? 'Cause he is the sole surviving member of his litter and he also survived his two uncles; Baptiste and Paul ... hence, the cat is Chuck Norris!

This morning, Chuck made an improbable meeting with a fleeing Silver Ameraucana hen ... that was funny :)

A very big bird he must have thought. Though, no harm to any of them.

In loving memory

We buried Paul (and small baby Dijon - his nephew) in the backyard yesterday.
Mat and Bruno, my two best friends, came to help us as the soil was still a bit frozen.
It was super hard to go through.
I found him a nice spot though, near the biggest tree we have near the barn. Close to the place where one day before we died we went together to play.

Last night, as Martin was going to the barn, he saw Mirchat and Mirshook playing in the tree ... never did they went there.

They were playing with Paul, I am sure.

The odds

Mae West - August 13th, 2006

Ikori - September 13th, 2006

Pretzel - November 9th, 2006

Reglisse - December 1st,2006

Ti-noir - July 2012

Leon - September 22nd, 2012

Pirouline - January 25th, 2013

Strudel - February 2nd, 2013

Moutarde - February 4th, 2013

Glouton - February 5th, 2013

Baptiste - February 14th, 2013

Vanille - February 14th, 2013

Small gray kitten - March 8th 2013

Small black kitten - March 28th 2013

Paul - March 31st 2013

Dijon - March 31st 2013

And then, people wonders why I am emotionally unbalanced.

They say it's because I have plenty ... that the odds are higher. False. I know tons of people who have cats, barn and indoor one, never ever do I hear about such bad luck.

Paul is dead. Can you believe that? My Paul is dead. The cat that I fell in love with. The cat I was having like the deepest, nicest connection with died yesterday hit by a car, that didn't even stop just in front of my house. What was he doing there? No idea. I mean he normally goes to play in the barn in the morning with his brother and the other barn cat. Never did I see him coming near the road. I check my cats normally when they are outside. I am sat in front of the only window of the house where I can see what's going on in that area.

When they go near the road I normally go outside and tell them not to go there.

And normally they come back. I never saw Paul going there.

But, that's not the point of my message today. The point of my message today is to ask "what the fuck life?". Yeah seriously what the fuck?

'Cause if that was for the cats "only". I say only but geez we all know that losing so much in a so short period of time is like taking your heart out, dragging into the mud, putting it in a shredders, batter it in rocks and try trying to putting back into place.

But no, it's not just the cats. I have the cats and then I have the other "normal twists" of life.

Just a list, no details, but a frightening one. From 2000 to now I had to go through the following events:

-Death of 16 cats (starting in 2006, ... count it .. it's like around 2-3 cats per year!)

- Cancer of my mom

- Diseases on both my parents

- My own disease

- 4 miscarriages

- 3 failed adoption proposals (among them one after we were preparing the room (like they were telling us it was 100% sure))

- 1 death of a friend

- 1 sue (for a thing I wasn't even responsible of - I've been absolved but still ... )

- 1 death of my best friend

- 1 Depression

- 1 major misdiagnosed who brought me ton of problem and made me lose my insurance

- 1 closing of a business

- Multiple rejections from friends due to various circumstances (among them ... the fact that I was having a strange life)

- Fraud

- Rejection from my entire in law family

- Major feud with my in-laws

And I am not talking about all the little things that bug us.

I used to have a co-worker who would say "A quiet day in your life is like an awake nightmare in mine".

She was so right.

I feel like I am in constant fight. I dream of a day I would wake up and feel secure. 'cause I am not feeling 

safe anymore. I mean some people would say "I ask for it" but geez, all these things have brought me to a state where I just can't handle more.

I am done.

Liebster Award

Thanks to Lisa from A Witch in the City, I've been nominated for a Liebster award. That really made my day 'cause I was having a bad one... (explanation will follow)

As requested I'll tell you 11 random facts about myself and answer 11 questions given by Lisa. In the end I have to nominate 3-5 blogs with less then 200 readers.
1. Describe your favorite day.

Ummmm, that will be a sunny summer or spring day. It will be a Saturday, Martin will not be working and Mat will be with us and we will be working on the farm together.

2. Who or what is your inspiration?

Nature inspires me the most. My friends do too.

3. What is your favorite food and drink?

Everything with cheese in it or on it.

4. The book you recommend everybody to read?

I am not a fan of books. Strange heh? I mean when I read it's mostly reference books. I could be a bit chauvinist and tell you guys to read mine... but it's in French.

5. Who would you like to have a conversation with (dead or alive)?

My grandmother Pauline. There are still a lot of things I would like to know about her.

6. What is your favorite outfit?

Jeans, tshirt, doc martens (praying to have a pair soon) or boots.

7. Have you done any of these: skydiving, paragliding or bungee jumping?

No, and I will never do that

8. What's in your purse right now?

Well... If I had one, I could tell you. I have several bags though who are containing so random stuff. Keys, make-up (remains of my girly days), tickets from places, receipts ...tissues (not used ones of course)

9. Any bad habits you want to break?

Biting my nails. Drinking cola.

10. Do you have pets? Would you want to have a pet?

I have 4 indoor cats. ... Well you guys read that place you know about all of them! :)

11. What is your favorite flower?
I love all flowers growing on trees, lilacs, magnolias, all things that are very odorant.

11 random facts now ... 

1. I sang a lot. I've been in bands, I did some "major" amateur shows. I've even taken classical training classes for like a year and a half. I once sang for the prime minister.
2. I am an amateur writer, I recently published a book with a friend on kindle (well it's not the end of the world but still)
3. I don't have brothers and sisters
4. I can't have children
5. I studied languages in university and human sciences in College
6. My grandfather was a native amerindian
7. I can touch my nose with my tongue (super handy! hahaha)
8. I am super flexible (a bit more handy)
9. I never took drugs.
10. I have a very short attention spam especially when it comes to science and stuff like that
11. I speak 4 languages, English, French, Spanish and Italian


And the nominees are:

The are tons of people I would have love to nominate but I have to obey the 200 readers and less rule.


1. Sunnybrook Farm
2. Simple Life  
3. Calamity Acres

And my question to you guys (since it's all about simple life and stuff I will oriented that way)

1. What drags you to live a more down-to-earth countrystyle life?
2. What is your biggest challenge as a farmer?
3. Do people accept your lifestyle well?
4. What is the animal all small farm should have?
5. What is the best reference book about farming you have read?
6. What is the skill you have never been able to get as a farmer?
7. What is the most useful skill you have as a farmer?
8. Do you think more people should have access to a garden?
9. Do you think hens should be allowed in city?
10. Do you have difficulty to have access to heirloom seeds?
11. What is your favorite farm animal?

What if Birdie lay you an egg?

During one of my recent introspection, everyone knows that I can not stop thinking, I started to think about the possibility for "urban farmers" to avoid ... or by pass the anti-hen laws.

Ok, What I'm going to say may sound ridiculous, but think about it. It is allowed to have all parrots, doves and a multitude of fairly large bird in a house or an apartment, that being said, a fancy bantam hen is often the same size or smaller than some of those birds.

Contrary to what you read on the internet, bantam hens produce eggs depending on the size, the age and the race of the bird. There's a time when my Sultan, known not to produce eggs in quantity, was laying  a beautiful egg size medium a day or every other days. It is almost the performance of a Leghorn !

So, think about it, a hen without a rooster, is no more noisy than a parrot and some breeds of bantams are even cuter. If the cage is well maintained, odor level is neither worse nor better than a cat litter. Some bantams live well in cages no bigger than a rabbit cage.

The food is about the same price as a parrot... and the purchase price ... less. One Mille Fleur can be bought somewhere in between 20 and  35$ adults. For young ones think in the $ 5-6. Of course it is a dozen eggs at the grocery store, but your eggs will be fresh!

Just a thought ...

Coco veut un biscuit?

Note: Sorry my English followers, that post will be in French as it is attended to my followers near me. I will probably translate it asap.

Et si Coco vous donnait un oeuf? Durant l'une de mes dernières introspections, tout le monde sait que je ne peux pas m'arrêter de penser, je me suis mise à réfléchir à la possibilité pour les "fermiers urbains" à la possibilité de contourner la loi anti-poule.

Bon ok, ce que je vais dire va peut-être sembler ridicule, mais pensez-y. Il est permit partout d'avoir des perroquets, des colombes et une multitude d'oiseau passablement volumineux dnas une maison ou un appartement, cela étant dit, une poule de fantaisie bantam est souvent de la même grosseur, voire plus petite que certains de ses oiseaux.

Contrairement à ce qu'on lit sur internet, les poules bantams produisent quand même passablement d'oeufs selon la race et l'âge. Y'a des temps où ma poule sultan, bien connu pour ne pas produire d'oeufs en quantité, me pondait un belle oeuf, grosseur moyen par jour ou par deux jours. C'est pratiquement le rendement d'une Leghorn ça!

Donc, pensez-y, une poule, sans le coq, ne fait pas plus de bruit qu'un perroquet et certaines races bantams sont tout ce qui a de plus mignon. Si la cage est bien entretenue, niveau odeur c'est ni pire ni mieux qu'une litière à chat. Certaines bantams vive bien dans des cages pas plus grandes qu'un cage pour lapin.

La nourriture c'est environ le même prix que Coco ... et le prix d'achat ... moindre. Une mille fleur peut se défrayer entre 20 et 35$ adulte. Jeune, pensez dans les 5-6$. Bien sûr c'est plus qu'une douzaine d'oeufs à l'épicerie, mais les vôtres seraient frais.

Vous voulez tenter l'expérience? Nous avons des mille-fleurs à vendre toute l'année.

Nous aurons aussi bientôt d'autres variétés.

Dites adieu à coco et dites bonjour aux cocos!

Une mille fleur femelle.

Sultan

Values

The deeper I go in this adventure, the less I understand people.
I don't understand the economy, the society, the way people are spending money or doing things.

I was having a conversation yesterday with someone about clothes.
(and I've realized in the meantime that my clothes addiction isn't as bad as I thought finally)

"I bought this pair of jeans for 35$ on sale" That person said.

"35$, you call that a sale?" I've said

"Yeah, those things worth more than 95!"

Still ... it's a pair of jeans. In no world a pair of extra jeans will worth 95$. In Quebec, the average hourly rate is 21.50$. So that jeans will be like around 3 hours of work, to that you have to add the taxes too that is a generous 15% here.

That made me realized that ... never ever do I spend more than 20$ on a piece of clothing (and 20$ is like the amazing maximum ... most of the time I go for 10$ or 15$.) except for my prom dress, my wedding dress and something that would be very specific occasions (deaths, weddings (and even that, last wedding I went too, I was dressed from head to toe for 85$)).

Of course, I would like to be able to afford best quality and more durable and ecofriendly clothes that are way more expensive, and by way more ... I mean wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more. And I also find that most of the clothes aren't fitting my style or my lifestyle. Magnificient dress to clean the coop ... not sure.

Most of the time I will shop in clearance centers or thrift stores for that and a piece of clothing will have to be pretty damaged before going to the bin (and it's never really going 'cause I am keeping all the "fibers" for further uses).

And my clothes are as durable than most more expensive brands. So I just don't get it. I just don't get why would one spend so much on a piece of clothing.

It made me realized how brandwashed we are. Yeah I've said brandwashed, not brainwashed. I mean people see a brand and instantly think that will bring them nirvana.

This is so sad.

Oh Flower!

Martin and I should have had that conversation 3000 times.

Gardening is the only way out.

People should be allowed to garden everywhere. Grass shouldn't exist anymore.

Why on earth can we keep all this place full of ... nothing. 'cause hey, grass is nothing!

When I arrived on the farm, a huge part of the land was covered with trees and grass and flowers. You know typical landscaping.

What a waste of space. Of course it's beautiful, but ... it's useless.

I plan this year to get rid of what can't be eaten and keep just what can be eaten (a lot you'll be surprised) or that can be used as medicine or doesn't have the sole purpose.

How is your landscaping? Edible?

Pictures ...

I thought it could be great if I posted some pics ...

I can't believe I forget to tell you guys about this ...

I started weaving !!!

It's like the biggest high I've got in my creative life so far after singing. It's amazing how relaxing and fun it is.

Here is a pic of me caught "in the act"

Can you see the happiness in my smile?

This is like a dream come true to me.
So far I've been there 3 times and I love it.

News from the barn ...

Ok, so what's new in the barn these days.

Plenty of things.

First, we started to sell hens and roosters (well babies) we sold 5 in the last weekend.

We painted one of the coops because it's empty now (tons of deaths due to the chicken cold).

Next weekend we are transferring the first batch of babies we had in the painted coop.

Another batch is due soon.

The cats are all well but the babies. Camille is not a super good mother ... :-(

With spring coming, the lil cats are running everywhere, driving Cayenne crazy.

We started planting seeds for the upcoming season. We hope it will go fine.

The renovation are going well.

We put our city house on sale. We plan on getting some money from it that will be use to get rid of some debts and rebuilding the farm.

I am all excited.

Impossible!

I've had many reactions about our plans to homestead in Quebec. Among those: total disinterestedness, mild snobbism, amazing encouragements ...

But since a month or two I have a new kind of reactions.

I don't even know how to call them. Well let's call them "the saviors"

The saviors, like most saviors, are the bearer of the truth. Besides being super smart and being the answer to all questions, the saviors feel they are on a mission: They have to save me from that silly idea that is mine of being off the grid. They have to save me. They have to save me before I forget to buy myself a spa and third car, a bigger house ...

I find that very funny.

I mean what does it change if I want to get out of this society?
What does it change to them?

"yeah but if we all start to do what you are doing, supermarkets will be empty!"

Yeah ... and then???

"and how would one build a house?"

"And what about the other jobs?"

You mean the "artificial ones we created out of artificial needs"?

It's funny to see how people seem to have forget about the previous years of humanity.

Way back then, people were able to be autonomous for most of their needs. It was possible. Why on earth now it wouldn't be?

So they keep on ... trying to convince me I am a delusional fool.

And I laugh.

My two cents on Women's day

It was everywhere on the street, on facebook ... everywhere....

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY!

Happy? What's happy in this?

I mean, why do we need a Women's day? To remember that the fight is not over.

To remember that still nowadays women's are treated as second class, just after men ... in some place just after everything ...

So is that happy? No.

It's not.

Ever heard of an international men's day? I think not.

When Women's day will be over.

That's be an happy day.

We would have won the fight (well there is no winner here ... just equality)

Minestrone of news

Hey lovely people!

I am sorry if I am not writing often, let say that I am running like crazy these days.

First news on the list. Camille got her babies. 4 males. Super cute. Last Sunday as Martin was going to give food she was there taking care of them.

The picture isn't too good but I took it with my cellphone ...

She got 2 grays, 1 yellow and one black all of them are tabbies and got thumbs which brings us to the easy conclusion that the father is Tom.

She is a super good momma, and it's nice to see how caring she and some of the other cats (Auguste and Patou for ones) are too. 

It will probably the last litter to be born on Domaine Coquelicots as all the cats have been sterilized on World Spay day. I will try to find some funds to make Camille and her 4 boys too asap.

As for the renovation of the second floor, we had to raise back the house from 3 inches in order to put back the beams that were there 140 years ago into place. Well the beams aren't set there but they will be next Saturday.

I was offered a job at the village that I've turned down. I am pretty glad about it. That would have brought me back to the time I was not independent. It seems strange but even if I am pretty convinced on this self-sufficent/homesteading wannabe life, I have to put myself back on tracks many times a week. Being the outcast making it hard to focus on the real deal. I am pretty proud of myself though, normally I would have taken that job even if I wasn't sure of the fact I'd like it and even if the salary was a pity one. I was raised to never refuse work even if that would be "the end of me". So I am starting to learn, I am quite proud of myself.

We planned our garden for the season. So far, around 30 people will be fed by us, which makes it encouraging.

All of this makes a ton of work, but I love it.

My Auguste came back after his surgery, he has an eye less now ... he looks like Frankenstein. Never ran away from the barn when it's -30 Celsius outside and you have troubles with your eyes already...

Soleil and Paul are in the house right now. Muscade isn't really happy about it. But ... it's life. I am glad I can offer more heat and comfort to two more cats now.

Paul ordering pizza ...

The chicks are now older. We transferred them in a big cage in the barn. They are around 5 weeks old now.
We are selling a bunch. All our hens are reserved. It's going fast.

And some other pictures of the gang ...

Eole

Proud papa Tom

Miss Mousse

One of our guinea fowls

Chausson

Myrshouk

Azul, still wearing the scar of the Coyote attack on her nose (we knew she was probably with Baptiste that day as she had that wound since)

Biscuit, who we recently discovered was a female ... lol

News from the barn

On Tuesday Feb 26th, all of our cats (except Camille that is still really really pregnant) were sterilized. Our vet took part of the World Spay day and therefore we had been able to make the cats sterilized. That was a great help for us.

So 13 cats have been spay out of 14. As soon as I will have money and that the kittens of Camille will be born, I'll make the other ones spay too.

Auguste have had to have a surgery too. Now he has one eye less ... He went away in the cold during january and he frozen his eyes ... so sad.

But he will get better.

Another good news ... Soleil and Paul are now house cats. They are now living with us inside along with Muscade and Cassis. The transition is going super well for Soleil, Paul is a bit having more troubles as Muscade is constantly hissing him. But I know the lil fella will make it.

Soleil looks super happy to be here. Paul seems confused, a mix of I am happy and I am not. We will see. I want what's best for him and if I feel he would be better outside, he will go.

There are a lot of contest related to the spay day, we registered to some of those... I hope we will one of them.

Speaking of which ... Can you guys vote for Mousse by clicking here?

Try then judge ...

I am fed up, mad, angry, furious ... name it.

I am fed up of people who know better. Of people they think that the fact that once said Hello to them give them an instant card to judge every of my single moves, every of single words.

It's getting very hard to endure the contempt, every single day.

Today, my switch went off. That was too painful, too hard to read ...

I was on a chat I go often to practice my languages (I speak 4 - remains of my former life) and a friend was asking me about the cats.

A random guy passing by asked:

"Why was the cat attacked by a coyote at the first place? Why wasn't it inside?"

Judgements, easy.

Normally I would have defend myself, as if I would have been guilty of a humongous crime.

Today I haven't. Those words went straight to my heart like blades. The pain of losing Baptiste, or any of the cats who died recently is so there, all the time, screaming in my chest. I just couldn't.

I went berserk. I said tons to the guys. I don't even remember all.

But all I know is this.
Try it.
Before judging try it.

Try seeing a cat on your porch screaming of pain 'cause it hasn't eaten for days, 'cause it's alone, 'cause it's cold.

Try seeing them everyday with their cute face, try to say no to one that is a newcomer and begs with its eyes.

Try to endure the constant pressure of people wanting you to explain them why don't you take that one they are offering you.

Try to find them a safe place when all is deconstructed here, when it's -20 outside.

Try to sleep at night when you hear the coyotes through the woods

Try to invest your personal money to have them cured or every possible diseases they might have when arriving 'cause the person who just left it there was not as responsible as you are, to have them vaccinated, the cure the wounds where there are battles with other animals ... 'cause yeah of course you try to protect them, but good lord you are not God.

Try not to cry, when after all the efforts you've put, they finally die.

Try to be there 3 times a day to feed them well.

Try to search for them by - 25 on a windy night

Try to get out of your bed at 2:00 am in the morning when you hear one screaming (and then figure out it's not yours)

Just try.

Then you'll be able to judge.

Baptiste was not in the barn that day.
No Baptiste was not inside.
No I can't bring Baptiste inside.
Yes I could if I would. But would you live with 20 cats in your home?
No, then why should I?

Baptiste would have died at the tender age of 3 months old if that wasn't for me. Were you the person who stopped the guy holding the gun that wanted to kill him and his 3 brothers?
No? I was.

Then why don't you just shut up?

Glimpse of hope

We will survive ...

Smashing walls ... Regaining sanity

This is the second floor as it was on February 17th at 9:00 am.

Featuring Muscade!

The second floor was having 4 disgusting rooms, the previous owner never really finished them. We want to convert it in one large room and one bathroom.

This is how the place would look at 5:00 pm the same day:

Funny to see that Muscade took her spot back right away!

I destroyed part of the walls myself (sooooooooooo amazing therapy). And we got some wood that we can keep to build other stuff in the barn. So that was step one. Next week we will get rid of the other one and replace the support beams that were there 150 years ago.

Music can save your soul

Says it all...

Baptiste is dead

It was a coyote, we don't even know how he survived it. The wounds were too deep and too important. We had to let him go.

In Memoriam

Vanille- July 14th 2003 - Feb.14th 2013

Pirouline - May 2012 - Jan 25th 2013

Glouton - August 2013 - Feb 5th 2013

Baptiste - March 15th 2012 - February 14th 2013

Strudel - July 31st 2012 -  February 2nd 2013

Moutarde - April 2012 - Feb5th 2013

Enough is enough ...

The Beast

The day after Strudel's passing Baptiste came to me in the parking lot walking very slow. As I was already dealing with another situation (a newcomer that was really hitting on my Soleil that was amazingly receptive ...) I just check him a bit ... he seemed ok and went back to the barn.

Baptiste is what I call a potato-cat ... not moving a lot, sleeping most of the time ... you know a couchpotato ...
Day went by and Baptiste was off ... I talked to my beloved vet who told me that there was possibility he would have ingested some antifreeze too ...

Last Sunday Martin found him with a lot of pus on his fur. He tried to help him, but was not able to.
He phoned the vet but ours was not on duty. We have been told to clean up the wounds, what Martin did ... With all of the fur, and the fact that Baptiste wasn't that happy we didn't manage to find ... all the wounds until yesterday.

We brought it to the vet as an emergency as he was not going well ... He was probably beaten up by a coyote or fox, or something way bigger than him. I am freaking out.

When the vet showed us the wound that was hidden, I started to freak out in the cabinet, almost fainted.

He is stable now, tonight we meet with our vet to check what we can do.

Though, this, plus the antifreeze episode, brings the bill to a chunky 750$ and more.

And people who are like "well, why don't you kill them..."

Sigh

On your Mark, Get Set ... GO !

Omg! It's going so fast I feel like I am in a roller coaster!

Last Monday, Martin and I decided that it was time for us to put some challenge and more marketing in our farm project. We always wanted to be vegetable producers so we decided to offer friends and relatives weekly baskets of fresh products for the upcoming season.

We spent two nights planning seeds, and we sent the order yesterday ... I am so happy of that. But I can't help to worry, would that be ok, will we be good? Of course we warn our people that was the first and a test year. We are hoping for them to be understanding. We have around 10 years of gardening experience behind of us, but growing for us and a bunch of people is very different from growing for people.

Well, let's be positive, it will work fine!

On another aspect, the second floor is now empty and on Friday we start the demolition (3 months late ... better late then never) I am very excited about it. The second floor is the key move to get done with all the other renovation of the house. We build a second bathroom on the second floor, so once that bathroom will be done, we will be able to destroy (yeah you've read well, that's how fed up I am) the other one we have on the first floor and rebuilt it in a laundry room/smaller bathroom for the guests. Then it will be like a domino effect. The bathroom, then the kitchen, then the rest ...

The second floor will be like a master bedroom suite, with a bathroom and our bedroom.

I can't wait!

This is ... more for me than anything else... This is a video from a children program that was uber popular in Quebec when I was a kid ...

Sometimes I'd rather be deaf ...

"I don't understand why you are so sad about those cats passing ... with the number of cat you have some of them must go at some point!"


Heard today from my neighbour (another one - not the land one)

Can't help but start to be very concerned.

Welcome to all new readers

Thanks to my amazing blog friend 1stman we have tons of new visitors each day. I am super glad of that. One part of doing what we are doing is being "alone". I mean in most part of the United States and in some part of Canada, homesteading people or wannabe ones (like us) are a few but a strong community. Here in Quebec ... we are laughing stocks, strange, marginal people. I blame culture difference and the fact that this "movement" is not well-known nor well understood.

Anyways, this being said : Welcome newcomers! I am glad to read your blogs, to talk with you and share with you guys.

Here a lil welcome "gift", a song I totally love and that inspires me nowadays.

The Possibilities ...

We just talked to our lawyer. There is a possibility we would have to be obliged to sell the land to the neighbour. I am pissed. Please people, pray this don't happen.

Coming out of the Closet

Today, I make my coming out. Well, if you already have read the description of my humble lil self in the right part of this blog, you might know that already. I am ... clothes addict. But when I say addict, I really mean it.

In my former house, I used to have a 11 feet by 13 feet walk-in closet. Yup, you've read right, that's the size of a room. And even with that side, I would have trouble to fit all my shoes, purses, accessories, tshirt etc.

Back here in that in constant demolition house, most of the clothes are now in a box in a warehouse waiting for me to pick them back up.

Though, I don't miss them that much. Yeah sometimes I miss the days when I would dress up and get out for dinner or things like that ... but those days are mostly gone. I mean in 1 year and a half ... we've been to the movie theater once (to see Warm Bodies - don't even think about it, it's bad), we've been to a fancy restaurant maybe 10 times (this is nothing compared to the fact we would go 3-4 times a week before) so occasion to be all dolled up are very very few.

As I was taking a bath this morning (Fibro needs it) I was looking at the pile of laundry and I was thinking that ... there was already no room in the closet (and this even with the fact that most of my clothes are in a warehouse).

Something must be done. I mean, I want to be greener, I want to live as a self reliant person ... No self reliant person have ... ok don't hate me please ... have ... well ... please ... ok fine... No self reliant person would even dare tell on her blog that she has 93 pairs of shoes.

*closes eyes*
*waits for thunderbolt to fall on her*







*unsure*



I am still alive?

Well, so people. I am taking things seriously.

I am cleaning up this closet for good and I am doing it progressively (remember my clothes addiction being as hard as a cocaine one)

I will keep:

10 tshirts
8 pairs of jeans
2 pairs of pants
4 dressed tops
5 hoodies
10 pyjamas (I know that's a bit extreme but I am progressing, believe me)
2 pairs of dirty pants (I call those that way 'cause they are the one I use for dirty barn business)
4 dirty shirts
10 lingerie kits (yeah I know I know ... getting there)
12 pairs of socks


If I am not shaking I'll get rid of some purses and shoes too ...

Potato, potato

Hey Poppies! (for those who don't know Coquelicots is French for Poppies)

It's Friday, it's snowing (blah) and I am trying to be in a good mood! haha

I am thinking about my upcoming garden ... sigh ... and I just found this on Facebook. I thought I would share.

I think it's a very bright idea especially when one doesn't have much room in his garden. I will definitely try that ... If I can find a gro-sack ... Probably another thing we don't have in Quebec ... Do you guys think anything will work or it will not work well because of humidity?

I also found this? Does any of you tried it ?

http://tipnut.com/grow-potatoes/

This is our land

Well, things are going from worse to worst at Domaine Coquelicots nowadays.

Yesterday, one lady from the village to whom I already taught Spanish phoned me to take some news. I was really surprised, people rarely call "just to take news" around here. Anyways I was super pleased by her call.

We talked a bit, about my health, about the farm ... At some point I told her:

"We still don't know if we will have the full land this year or just part of it?"
"How come?" she asked, surprised.

I explained her that since we are there, a neighbour was cultivating our land and that when we first arrived here we didn't really know who it was since he never came to introduce himself ... for days I kept watching the land in order to see who he was. One day, I saw him and came to him to tell him we bought the place and were planning to take it back. The guy obviously felt "attacked". After some talk, he convinced us to keep just a part and leaving him the rest. "you had a lot of work to do" he said "I can take care of the land as you are working on other things". The guy was wrong. At that time there was no way we could take care of all that land ... It will still be hard in the next year if all to us ... but with the coming pigs and ducks we would need more room.

We let him part of the land like 3/4 of it and we take one fourth to grow some tomatoes and potatoes last year. During the fall we put some fruit trees on the part that were us. We even buried some animals on the side of the place he was cultivating.

In exchange of that, he would plow our entrance ... Let say that this part of the exchange was a bit "puzzling" He would come to our place, just push the snow near the barn and go. Total worked time : 2 minutes max. Most of the winter our place wasn't that well done.

When the time to consider if he would keep the land for this season (2013) we went to see him and decided to let him the same amount of land for the next season ...

But this was before what happened in December.

In December, Cayenne, our dog, fled. Martin was walking her while he was fighting a strong cold. Since Cayenne is quite strong (the lil miss is around 80 pounds now and is 4 feet on her paws) he lost hold on her. Of course, she started to run and went directly to the neighbour land (our lands being connected).

Martin politely went to the neighbour house and asked if he can go and pick his dog. The neighbours are a family of 4. The parents, around 80 live together with their son (the guy who cultivates) and their daughter that are around 50. For some reasons, they never let people on their land. They seem super cautious and it's fishy ...
But heh? Who am I to judge?

Anyways, so instead of being nice, and say "yeah of course"

The old man started to yell at Martin, telling him that his dog shouldn't be here and that the next time he sees the dog walking by the place he shot him with his gun (note to the audience, in Quebec we are super anti-gun like very very against that, it's a super sensitive subject and people see that with a very cautious eye ... plus, that was 3-4 days after the Sandy Hook shootings) Martin was shocked. Took the dog and came back home.

Martin is a  very more calm person that I am ... When he told me this, I went into a rage. Ok, fine, my dog should not go on your land I get it... but never will I accept someone threats on my dog or on anybody!

I was about to go there and make my point when Martin stopped me.

"We won't make enemies" he said

"It's already been done!" I replied

There was no way I would accept that and I wanted this people out of my land now. I don't ask for them to praise me, but a lil kindness would be great.

They heat their house from our land, they sell products from our land! A lil kindness is just normal.

I put all the things together, the fact the guy wasn't plowing properly. the fact that when I go to his kiosk to buy veggies that grow on my own land, not only they ask me to pay, but they don't even wear a smile...

But I calmed down. Martin phoned the guy explaining him the situation and that since we have received threats we couldn't let them cultivate our land any longer. Plus, (which is true) we told him that we will need the land in the season.

Of course, the guy went berserk. Call us unreliable, that our word would mean nothing etc etc.

Martin got in the trap, told him he will think about it.

Days went by, I tried to convince him to let it go and just never talk to the guy again ... Martin called a number of time (5) and never did he had an answer.

That brings us back to yesterday night. As my former student was talking to me, she made me realize there is a law in Quebec where someone doing something on a piece of land for more than 30 years becomes the owner of the place. She also tells us that this guy was not trustworthy ... he went for years from place to place taking lands or simply not paying rents.

The shock!

Martin called right away, and we are talking to our lawyers this evening.

We think the guy has been there since 20 years or so.
Of course we have notary document proving we are the owner of the place ...

But still, that brings stress.