State of the 'Stead

I've noticed a number of other sites are doing an update on life on their homesteads, so I thought I'd join the trend and let you know what's going on here on our little bit of Earth.

Here on the Knobs, we're finally starting to see some signs of springs. Wait...are you wondering why it's called the "Knobs"? Our area consists of hundreds of small, conical shaped hills with low valleys in-between, probably a result of the last ice age. When I go up to our back yard, to the highest point, I can see the tree range on the next Knob 1/2 mile away, but little else...the fields roll down into a valley that all but disappears from sight. The Knobs are generally associated with an area of Kentucky, but there is such a large native-Kentucky population here in Ohio, I think the name just immigrated with the immigrants. So there you go; your useless piece of information for today.

Anyway, yes, things are starting to green up here in Pleasant Township. The kids and I spent 98% of the day outside today, hanging out laundry, watering seedlings and picking rhubarb...yay! We had our first rhubarb of the year; a very small bunch, but enough to satisfy our cravings for a rhubarb tart. And it was so delicious! I've waited 2 years for a taste of the sour stuff...last year, our local grocery store wanted 3$/lb and I just couldn't bring myself to pay that price. So I planted rhubarb instead. And it was a good decision because this year, they're asking 4$/lb. Crazy! My red raspberry transplants, a gift from a freecycler, are starting to leaf out. It looks like about 6 or 7 of the 10 survived....not bad odds for a bunch of bare root canes. The blueberry bushes are full of buds, the fruit trees are starting to leaf out and already some of the perennial herbs are starting to grow. What a great time of year!

The chickens are really hard at work; we had 77 eggs in Feb. and 89 in March, and we're already up to a dozen this month. Although I'd like another chicken or two, we're getting just enough eggs for ourselves and to share with friends and family. The only problem we're experiencing with the chickens right now are a pair of fugitives. Mr. Roo and Miss Buff routinely fly the coop. They don't get into any meanness, they just wander around together, scratching and pecking. And a little coercion is all it takes to get them back into their pens, usually in the form of pasta. Show them some pasta and they'll come running. Now that spring is here, we moved our portable coop to the back of the yard, with a smallish enclosure, to keep the chickens out of the garden and the kids out of the coop. I don't think they like to be cooped up, but it's a necessary thing until fall/winter comes around. Then they'll have free range of the yard to eat and poop anywhere they want to.

The house is starting to come together as well. We replaced our laminate hardwood in the living room with a lovely thick carpet, about the color of peanut shells. It's so nice to have a comfy soft place to roll around and wrestle with the kids. The bathroom, hallelujah, is nearly finished. Jeff made huge progress today...the floor is down, the toilet and sink are installed and the mirror is hung. We had a little snare on the light fixture, but that's an easy enough fix. With any luck, we'll be able to finish it up in the next day or two. With 2 potty trained youngsters, it's wonderful to have a second bathroom up and running again. And the new house rule regarding toilet paper; no more full rolls in the kids' bathroom. Ever. Think of it as a preemptive strike.

We're still eating on last year's harvest...we just finished up our last bag of frozen mixed veggies today, and we have just a couple bags left of strawberries, corn and snap peas. By the time harvest 2009 rolls around, last year's goodies should be gone leaving more space for this year's goodness. I was afraid I had really overdone the canned beans, but surprisingly, we're down to less than a dozen jars. Ditto for pears, frozen apples, etc. Our only disappointment this year was the canned carrots. No one seems to like canned carrots. And I'll admit, they're not nearly as tasty as fresh or frozen. Well, if that's my only error in judgement for the year, I'll call it a good year. For 2009, our goal is to cellar as much fresh produce as possible. I have about 1500 carrot seeds to sow, so hopefully we'll have a successful crop that we can cold-store during the dark days of winter. Same with leeks, celeriac, onions and potatoes.

Both children are growing like weeds. Isaac will be 5 in August and will be starting Kindergarten (weep, sob). He's so smart, it's scary sometimes. I'm amazed at how computer/electronics-savvy he is. The things he can pick up after one try, it's incredible. If you discover that someone has sneaked onto your computer and changed all your logos, icons, screen savers, wallpaper, etc., it was probably Isaac. He's good at the stuff. Mara just turned 3 and is keeping up with Isaac in every way. In the past 3 months, she's turned into a real talker. She doesn't just ask for chocolate milk now, she discusses how it looks when the chocolate starts to swirl together with the milk so it looks like a whirlpool. And she's become a 'girly-girl'. She's suddenly ALL ABOUT pink, shoes, dress up and hair 'pretties'. The mimicry is what tickles me; you don't realize how you sound until you hear it coming out of a 3 year old's mouth. I hate to brag, but my kids are amazing. We managed to get through the entire fall/winter/holiday season and all without a single cold. I tell you, my kids have immune systems of steel! If there's 2 things I've done right in raising my kids, it was nursing them and letting them eat "just enough dirt", as my mother in law would say.

Again, on a personal note, I'm feeling much much better. Much more like my 'old self'. The weird withdrawal symptoms are nearly gone with the exception of the occasional electrical 'zap'. And what's more, a large number of people have sent me private emails telling me of their own experiences with Effexor and SSRI's...apparently this is a larger problem than I ever realized. Why is it that doctors aren't telling their patients about these side effects? The only answer I can come up with is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. One very helpful phrase that I learned from this whole experience...."full disclosure". I'll know every side effect, withdrawal symptom, long term effect, etc. before I ever take another drug. My doctor is going to hate me, but he's going to be much better acquainted with that big blue drug book he keeps on his desk.

Well, tomorrow is back to the work-week, so I need to start packing lunch and folding laundry. For the past 2 days to have been such long days, it sure made for a short weekend. Hope you enjoyed the update about life here at the Run.