Snow storms, snowblowers and soap

The view of our lake and ruined fence.

Snow! Snow! Snow!

We wanted it and we got it. Last week we got 40 cm of snow in a day. Ack! Now tomorrow we are getting 10 mm of rain. Isn't that gonna be nice. NOT!

Day after the storm, nice and sunny.

Getting rid of your snow in the driveway with a snowblower is great, if you only expect snow. Now.... if your also expecting rain, it's not the best. Because it turns that nice, clean, white driveway into a nice, smooth ice skating rink. Whip out the skates! It's 'Hockey night in Nova Scotia!"

Dandruff or snow? Hmmm you decide.

Thank goodness for studded winter tires. Phew.

Well our night at Rudders worked out well. It didn't have many ladies, but we did sell over 100$ worth of soap. New customers. I can't remember if I mentioned it but we came out with a new scent. Lavender. Some with the petals, some without. It went over well. I'm not much of a lavender fan, but now I'm not making soap just for myself. Kinda like the Patchouli. Yuck!

The lavender we called it Lavender Dreams and the Patchouli is Holy Patchouli! I'm having Deja Vu. I think I did mention this in a previous post. You know what they say. The mind is the second thing to go....and I can't remember what the first thing is.

This feeder is about 5 feet off the ground and Shadow regularly jumps in it. Doesn't grab anywhere, just jumps.

I've begun feeding the wild birds regularly now. Some appreciate it more than others. Shadow was waiting for his next meal of "Bluejay a l'orange".

J. also seems fascinated by the woodpecker.

Barn fever cured after the storm.

Oh! I just about forgot! I've started belly dancing lessons. Very good exercise since I'm trying to lose about 40 lbs. It's not going well. I've been at it for over a month now. I'm walking everyday and bellydancing once a week, eating healthy and I've lost a total of 2 lbs!! Then I gained it all back. Very, very discouraged.

Have a Blessed Day!
Lisa

p.s. why is it that hurricanes and tropical storms have names and winter storms don't. Is the north not important enough?

I sometimes wonder where my brain is.

Most of you probably don't know this and probably don't care, but we are Wesleyans. You're probably thinking HUH? What's that. That's the church we go to.

Wesleyan church

One of our beliefs is to abstain from alcohol. So why or why would I want to go to a bar?

Welllllll.....it came to my attention in the local paper that this bar was having a Ladies Nite! Good place to sell SOAP! Wouldn't you say? Well really it was a good place. Dave and I went and even though it wasn't busy we sold over 100$ worth of soap!

We have two new scents, Lavender (with or without lavender petals), and Patchouli. I named the Lavender one "Lavender Dreams" and the patchouli one "Holy Patchouli!" Because Holy Patchouli! that scent is strong! They're not very original, but oh well.

Our business cards came in the day before Ladies Nite. They came in handy.

I've ordered a whole bunch of different scents online and they should be coming in tomorrow. I'm all excited!

Well that's it for today.
Have a Blessed Day.

Lisa

It's that time of the year again!!!

Strange how humans are never happy with what they have. Is it ingrained in our DNA to always want what we don't have? Or is it just our lot in life to always want what is on the other side of the fence?

It's raining, we want sunshine. It's sunny, we want rain cause we think it's too dry. It's winter and it's too warm, we want snow. It's now very, very, very cold with lots and lots and lots of snow and I've had ENOUGH!!!. Hmmmm.....maybe it's just me. Nah! I don't think so.

Where is this post going? Well last fall I decided I was not going to plant a garden this coming spring. Don't have the time. It doesn't grow well, or it grows too well and we have produce coming out of the ying yang.....etc...etc....

Wellllllll....guess what. Yeah.

The seed catalogue came in the mail in early December. I did really well. I just chucked it aside and didn't even look at it.

Hmmph! That was December. It's now the end of January and I found the seed catalogue. Not good. I'm already planning what I'm going to plant this spring.

CRIMINY!!!! I didn't even have a chance to plant my garlic this fall! Where am I going to find the time to do a garden this spring.

I think that God gives us amnesia. Kinda like when we are in labour for 23 hours, swear we will never, ever have another kid. Then give us a few months, maybe a year and WHAMOO! We've forgotten all about the pain. We want more kids. This is how the earth gets populated. The technical term is called Labour amnesia. Ok, no I made that up.

So it's the same for gardening...we tell ourselves at the end of fall that we are NOT going to plant again next spring. Then ole man winter has his grimy cold claws in you and all you just want to do it go out and stick your hands in some nice warm dirt. Once again garden amnesia strikes again!

So coming back the the topic at hand.

Where there's a seed catalogue, there's a way!

I will not go overboard...I will not go overboard....I will not go overboard!!! This is my mantra.

I plan on just sunflowers, carrots, pumpkins and beets. I mean come on...you gotta have beets!

I will control myself, I will control myself...I will...I will....I will.....not......heh heh heh heh.

Have a Blessed day!

Lisa

Winter Musings!!

Today is a beautiful day. It snowed again through the night and we awoke to a winter wonderland. We stayed home from church since Dave had to fix the snowblower before we could get out of the driveway. Yup, Red Green fixed the blower. He actually found one for 100 bucks! A new one. How lucky was that! Because everyone else wanted 350+ !!

Hmmm...I don't think that this whole is supposed to be there. Do you?

So now we have a happy Red Green snowblowing his driveway. So that means I can go to work tomorrow. crap.

A happy Red Green!

J. and I also went outside. Him to sled, me to take photos. I figured that it was time to take more barnyard photos.

I love going out in the snow when it's not windy and the sun is shining.

Cindi Lou and Tomi

Yeehawwww!!!

WIPE OUT!!

J. loves it to! I took several photos of him and then decided that the animals needed attention. I got a few out of the pen, then I decided I'd get a few in the pen. They were all ready for me.

Out they all flew!! So I yelled to J. to corral them in the barn. Since the snowblower was going I didn't want them to go everywhere willy-nilly. I closed the gate before Tomi got out. So after everyone was safe in the barn I went back for Tomi. By now he was scared of the snowblower. I finally coaxed him out. I took some doing.

You want me to go where?

Ummmm...I don't think so! Maybe I can make a run for it!!!

That's the scary monster!

Then I noticed that Red Green had stopped. He was in a life and death situation with a large 50 ft green snake! (garden hose, that was never put away) Opps! After a struggle with just a small box knife, he came out safe and won!! He lived to snow blow another day.

Green snake carcass in the blades

Part of Dave's trophy! I wonder if we should mount it in the living room?

All the excitement over I went to visit the chickens. This years hens are wimps. I've never had hens that didn't like the snow. These ones will NOT go outside in the snow. Weird. I guess it's too much for their delicate toes.

Speckles. Hen or Rooster?

I do have one hen...Speckles. We have no clue if it's a hen or a rooster. She's not plump like a hen, and she struts her stuff like a rooster does, but she doesn't crow. I've never seen her lay an egg. Well as if I've seen any of the other ones lay. phffft! But she's never gone on the nest. Strange.

I'm soooo excited!!!We are getting business cards! People ask for one everywhere we go. So I guess we should get some. Vistaprint makes them 250 for just the shipping. That's not bad.

Well that's it for today. I have company coming over for supper. We're going to have rappie pie.

Have a Blessed Day.

Lisa

Winter Fun!

The following picture should be called "Crazy things kids will do when they are happy to see snow."

Here it is!

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Silly Child!

Nuts huh. Yeah, I thought so to.

When you leave for work when it's dark and get home when it's dark, you have to take pictures when you can. First snowman of the year.

We haven't had all that much snow this year. It's really sad. Yes, I am one of those crazy people that love snow. Just call me the crazy cat/snow lady. That's me!

A few hours after that photo was taken the snow was gone. Bummer. But! Alas! Yesterday we had our first snow day. The day started blah enough. It was giving snow, but it's given snow storms many times this year and we've gotten squat! Well God didn't forget us this time. No sireee!! Our cups runneth over! and over and over. The snow started around noon and by suppertime we had lots!

But this story doesn't end happily for the snow people. Today it started to drizzle and the temps went above freezing. Crud. Oh well, this evening there still was lots of snow in our area. Five minutes from here, on the shore, there was almost nothing. I guess that's the good thing about living inland.

Tundra loved the snow. We let her loose last night for awhile and her and J. had a ball. She is bigger than J. at the moment. So you see more of her than of him.

Wanna play leapfrog? Or leapdog?

Last night when I was outside I had to go and take some goat photos. I've been neglecting them recently with the photography. So I treated them to photos and dulse.

Where's the dulse?huh?huh?

I smell the dulse, where is it?????

Stop teasing us and give us the goods!

Phew! A nice mouthful of dulse. YUM!!!

I took a photo for all you dulse virgins. This is dulse. Nothing wow! Nothing spectacular. Just plain ole' dried seaweed. Good for you and for goats.

This is dulse. Very appetizing, isn't it?

Dave was all happy to use his snowblower for the first time this year. Until the last 10 feet when the motor went KERBLEWY! Big hole in the side. Not fixable. Even Red Green can't fix this one. We are trying to find another second hand motor somewheres. Anyone have one?

Before the kerblewy!

Oh, Oh! I almost forgot. I found a wonderful new Canadian Goat Website. Canada Goats

You've got to check it out. It's really new, so not too many people yet. But worth joining.

Have a Blessed Day!

Lisa

I should be in bed....

Family Photo

Well here I sit. It's 10pm. I should be in bed, I'm so pooped I cannot think straight. I worked all day. The last month or so I've been working 5-6 days a week. I'm not used to this. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep it up. Oh well...You do what you gotta do.

First of all a very belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! The weeks leading to Christmas were go, go, go...parties, concerts, contatas, work, work and more work!! Then it all comes to a screeching halt on December 25th. It's almost a downer. I actually get depressed at Christmas time. I almost feel ashamed of the feeling. Everyone is so happy and giddy and I could sit there and cry. Next year I jokingly told a co-worker I'm going to take anti-depression pills from the week before Christmas to the week after New Years.

Sounds like a plan.

Out of everything that came out of the holidays one great thing happened. We have wanted J. to sing with us in church since we started. He didn't want to. He said he never would. NEVER!!!! Were his exact words. Never say never.

Contata Night. Me and two other ladies singing "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem" (I'm in the middle)

We were singing the special in church that morning,"Glory to God in the Highest" by Ernie Hauss and Signature Sound. He actually sang with us!!! I could barely sing. I was on cloud nine! It was also the Christmas contata that night. The organizers loved the song so much that they wanted us to open the contata with it. That meant that J. had to sing it again! And he did! So now he has no excuse. He can do it.

J. singing his little heart out with the other kids.

Christmas eve Dave's dad came and had lobster with us. We open our gifts on Christmas Eve. Most people around here do. I'm not sure if it's just an Acadian tradition or if other people do it.

I was going to go to Midnight Mass with my mother at the Catholic church and I completely forgot. We were in bed by 10am. I woke up the next morning with my eyes stuck shut, swollen and extremely red! I was hoping I wasn't going to be allergic to lobster. I've never been before, but it can happen.

Getting a lobster to fall asleep.

Christmas Day, no snow. Sugar Boogers! Oh well. We opened Santa's gifts, ate a late breakfast and did the daily chores that go with being on a farm. The goats got corn on the cob from Santa, Tundra got treats and a toy. The cats got a scratch post/bed and the barn cats got treats and canned cat food. J. got a Lego Christmas once again. He got a Lego crane from us, but Dave had to put it together. It took him 4 hours! The 2 other items were from Santa and he did them himself. One was actually for kids 14 and up. I was really impressed. Lego teaches kids to read instructions and follow them. Other than that it's not the thing that it was supposed to be.

Binoo loved her scratch post

After a quick lunch of left over lobster we went to the senior's home to visit Dave's mom. Stayed a while then when to my parents for supper. We had rappie pie.

New Years Eve we has a pizza party with our Bible study group. It was fun. Everyone brought a pizza. There was pizza everywhere!!!

After battling with swollen, red eyes for a few weeks, I went to the eye doctor. I've got Blefaritous. I think that's how you spell it. It's an irritation of the eye lids. So I have to take eye drops for 7 days. It's getting better, but baby they burn.....ouch!!! But on the positive side, that means I'm not allergic to lobster!!!

I also had to visit the dentist, since Christmas day I ate a Terry's Chocolate orange (the mint variety) and I love frozen chocolate. Not a good idea. I broke off a large piece of tooth. The last piece of real tooth off of my root canal. Double sugar boogers! I called the dentist and he was off till Jan 4th. I left a message and waited. It didn't hurt, just bugged the heck out of me. So now my entire back tooth is not a tooth. It's all filling. Not very appealing. Oh well, better than a 1000$ crown.

Tonight The Havelock Trio, Dave and I went to the Home to entertain them. We sang three songs and again J. surprised us and sang one also. One we sang is called the French Song. It was made popular by Lucille Starr many, many,many moons ago. I sing the French part and then we sing the English part together. It was a mainly english audience so I figured they wouldn't like it to much. But after, a lady told me that she was taught that song as a child. She hadn't heard it in decades. It brought back many memories for her. They all loved the little concert we all put together for them.

So your lesson for this week....Please volunteer at a seniors home. They will really appreciate it.

I'm thinking of drying up Febe. I'm barely getting 3/4 of a liter. It's time to let her bulk up for her babies.

Tundra thinks she's a goat. She's eating hay, fir trees and tonight it was dulse. Strange dog.

I got lots of fir trees from work this year. It's like a drug to the goats. Weird.

Well I think it's all for tonight. I have got to write more often and not as much. Did that make any sense? Probably not, but it's late and I'm tired.

Have a Blessed Day (or evening)

Lisa

I should have stayed in bed....

Well winter has come to this part of Nova Scotia. It's cold and it's snowy. That means lugging water. The ground is semi frozen and I didn't get to plant my garlic or pick the rest of the carrots in the garden. Hmmm.. I wonder if they'll overwinter? Will I have carrots next spring? or will they be all mushy? That's something that will have to wait till next spring.

The cats are happy that the Christmas decorations are up. Binoo was in her usual spot the minute the tree was done. They are pretty good with the decorations. They only bother the bottom ones on the tree, and most of the time they don't even bother.

Yesterday morning we awoke to squeaking in the kitchen. Binoo and Daisy had a mouse cornered under the radiators. Heaven forbid that they catch it and eat it. No, no, no!! Too much work and it might dirty their paws. So J. and I went to the rescue. We saved the mouse from the jaws of death..well, kind of. We petted it and talked to it, then I let it loose outside, hoping it would be smart enough to find a nice warm hole to hibernate in.

Well let me tell you, no wonder mice are at the bottom of the food chain. They aren't the brightest bulbs in the bunch. Within 10 minutes Shadow tracked down the mouse and had a nice breakfast.

J. was all disappointed, but then Dave in all his wisdom told J., "How would you like to be stuck in a cold barn all night? This way Shadow had a nice warm meal first thing this morning. Kinda like oatmeal to you."

Tis' the season for Christmas concerts. So far we've had the Sunday school concert and J. was a nice wiseman. Then we had the school concert. Tomorrow night we're having the church Christmas contata.

Well onto the reason behind the title of this post.

It started out innocently enough that Sunday morning a few weeks ago....

We got up, ate breakfast, showered and then off to church.

The weather was still mild so I wore my leather jacket. I wasn't leading worship so I decided to wear jeans.

That morning we sat in the balcony...thank goodness...

It was a bit chilly in the church so I kept my jacket on.....thank goodness....

So we stood up and prayed and sang....then sat down...then stood up again... you get the picture.

Then it was the greeting chorus, so we went down to shake hands with the other people and I still had on my jacket...thank goodness.....

I started to climb up the stairs to the balcony when I felt something weird on my butt. I tried to inconspicuously feel what the problem was, nothing seemed amiss. I figured my underwear were in a spot that they weren't supposed to be in. So I didn't think any more about it.

I got to my seat and by this time it was warm in the church so I took my jacket off! Sat down and proceeded to listen to the sermon.

After it was done I donned on my jacket...thank goodness... and still my pants felt weird. I just said my good byes and left the building. Nothing unusual. Until the cold air hit me and my bottom! I got to the car and really felt for the problem. To my mortification my pants had ripped, from stem to stern!

Why am I posting this? I'm not really sure. Maybe to teach everyone else a lesson...don't wear jeans to church!

Or maybe I'm past being mortified and now I see the humour in it. Because honestly, it is just so darn funny. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for punishment. Dunno.

One thing I do know...I've probably made your day now.

Oh and Dave and I are singing a special tomorrow in church and I will not be wearing pants! A nice long skirt will do nicely!

Have a Blessed Day and Merry Christmas!

Lisa

p.s. the truck is gone.