Life on the farm's new address is:
http://www.tracyjean1016.blogspot.com/
Adieu, livejournal.
That's it, livejournal has got to go. I just deleted yet another post. I do not think it is operator error, either. Stay tuned for info on my new blog.
Until then, some photos for your viewing pleasure.
Some photos of Andreas' visit. We went hiking at Silver Falls. Trouble is, you can't go on the trails that actually go past all the waterfalls with a dog. Oh well, it was pretty anyway.
Hmph.
- Mood:
irritated - Music:NPR
I wanted to make bread this morning, but I don't have enough flour and I don't feel like going to the store. I am thinking about ordering a 25 pound bag of ww flour from Bob's Red Mill and then I don't have to ever worry about running out! Maybe I could even order it through Provvista and get a wholesale price. That would be sweet, but not sure if it is appropriate. I already feel sort of awkward "shopping" there, but Joe and Karen don't seem to mind, in fact they seem to encourage it. I was there on Thursday and picked up some salt, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, muscovado sugar, and sardines. Yes I know, things that you can buy at any average grocery store, but I simply cannot bear to use regular salt, and the Cannoneau red wine vinegar from Sicily is soooo good and cheaper than an average bottle of red wine vinegar that I could find at Freddie's, and don't even get me started on muscovado sugar! I could eat buckets of it, and I really don't have a sweet tooth. It makes the best cookies, and just a spoonful with a ripe banana, some yogurt, vanilla extract, and milk makes a fabulous smoothie. Oh yeah, I also got an 8 oz. bottle of Nielsen Massey vanilla extract. So's I don't run out. I love food.
As you can see I haven't yet moved my blog, but I think I will. My mom commented that the pictures on this one are better, which I think is true, but perhaps blogspot has improved its photo tools since 2004. I also will probably change the font color so it's not white on black, which is annoying. The only thing I really like about this livejournal template is the header picture, with the people harvesting grapes. I thought it was quite a propos to my current situation. If I were computerly inclined, I would probably just design my own, but I am not so inclined, so I won't. Or can't. Er, am currently unable to perform that task (I had a dance teacher who never let us say "can't", we always had to rephrase it. Dumb. Or maybe smart, but I just didn't really like that teacher. Anyway).
The 4th of July was fun. We are cheap, so instead of paying $ and canned food to go to the blues festival, we parked our butts in Waterfront park for like 5 hours and just hung out until the fireworks started. People watching is just as interesting, in my opinion. (Yes, I know that the canned food donation goes to the food bank, as well as the admission price, but I have already donated like a million hours to fight hunger in Oregon, so please don't judge me too harshly). Mateo had a good time overall, I think. There were tons of babies and kids around, we were sitting right in back of a family with an 8 month old girl who was super cute and crawling everywhere! Only a few more months of immobile Mateo, then I'd better watch out, because I have a feeling that he is not going to want to sit still. Ever. Anyway, Mateo started getting a little fussy right before the fireworks started, but then as soon as they did he was just FASCINATED! He watched the whole thing and smiled and laughed...I held him through the first half of the show, then passed him to Mike for the second half...well that was just too bad, because as soon as the grand finale started, he was not. happy. at. all. I think he didn't like the rapid succession of loud booms, plus the poor guy was just tired as all hell and probably wanted to sleep at that point. But what can you do, we didn't know how he would react. Boy did he sleep well last night. I think Andreas enjoyed himself too, although he told me he thought there would be more people dressed up...dressed up like what I don't know, but I think maybe he envisioned more red white and blue, and people waving flags. Of course, this is Portland, and we don't have a reputation for being the most patriotic city in the US...or at least, not the most overtly so.
Wow I feel better! Amazing how therapeutic writing can be.
Over and out
- Location:ireland
- Mood:
bored - Music:clang clang
How's this for a trip down memory lane.
http://www.tracyinfrance.blogspot.com/
I am disappointed in livejournal and am thinking about moving back to blogspot. I can't get rid of the livejournal ads without paying for an account. Plus I don't like the format of my blog, and looking back at my old one, I think I prefer blogspot. Would it confuse people if I switched back to blogspot? I think that was my original reason for creating a livejournal anyway, because I thought that it would confuse those of you who remember my old blog from France. I don't know.
Andreas is here visiting from Sweden. It's very surreal to see people from different times in your life out of context. Funny that I just found my old blog - he's actually in one of the pictures! He is the guy with the spiky hair in the kitchen in the Thanksgiving photo.
I'd wax nostalgic here, but I don't have a lot of time. Gotta get ready for the 4th! I think we're going to go to Portland for the Blues Festival. It should be fun, just hanging out on a picninc blanket all day long. I hope Mateo likes the music, I think he will.
Oh, and how's this for an even crazier trip down memory lane.
http://www.stinkyfrenchcheese.blogspot.c
Funny to read, especially now that I am a cheese professional. For real.
- Location:same old, same old
- Mood:awake
- Music:slacker radio - wilco
Many of you have expressed an interest in seeing just what this "life on the farm" is all about.
Before I go any further, however, I feel like I must confess something.
I don't really live on a farm. "Life on the farm" is somewhat tongue in cheek. However, having grown up in the burbs (of Chicago, New York City, and LA, respectively), and then lived for a good dozen years or so in very urban areas (Berkeley, Bordeaux, Oakland, San Francisco, Montpellier, Portland), it's pretty much a farm to me. Plus, we have tractors on our property, and a barn. To me, that's a farm. However, we aren't "farming" the land so to speak, unless you count my poor excuse for a garden...and, well, there IS a small vineyard on the property, plus a young orchard, and did I mention we also have an Andy Gump? OK, maybe I do live on a farm. I'm just not a farmer. Someday, when I am rich from winning a million dollars on Don't Forget the Lyrics, I will buy a property similar to this one, and make cheese. Or raise alpacas for wool, which would be less stinky, but they spit.
So, BECAUSE YOU ASKED, dear reader, and I do love thee, dear reader, here are some photos of the farm that I took yesterday morning while on a walk with Mateo and Maisie.
The cherries are ripe and ready for the picking. The apples still have awhile yet.
Blackberry bush, complete with quail family (not pictured).
Fermenters. These are used during harvest to...well, ferment the grapes. Mike even turned one into a swimming pool! I haven't used it yet. Can you imagine.
Tractor! John Deere, even. Although Mike tells me Kubotas are better. Who knew that I would know more than one brand of tractor!
Some pics of our little vineyard.
Scrap metal for the meth heads.
Looking west. There is a path mowed in this field where we walk Maisie, I think it's probably 1/4 mile around. Our property ends at the border of the hazelnut orchard in the distance.
The pond. So Giverny like.
Evil hayfield. Die, hayfield! Die!
The back of our house. We live in the top half, Swig's office occupies the bottom half.
The shop. This is where they fart around fixing tractors and stuff.
WC.
This is a tanker truck that is often parked outside our house. The crews fill it with water to mix with whatever spray preparations are needed at the vineyard site. It's called a top kick! Like drop kick, with a t.
The front of our house.
Thanks for taking the farm tour!
- Location:why isn't my banana bread ready yet?
- Mood:
tired - Music:ho-hum
Even though I am a stay at home mom without a traditional "work" schedule to rule my life, I still find Mondays difficult. I am not sure why that is. I just can't seem to get moving in the morning! Maybe it's because Mike has been home for the past 2 (well, 1 during this season) days, and I have gotten used to him being around to help. Maybe there really is a disease called the Mondays, and I have a case of it. Speaking of, I should really finish those TPS reports.
My goals for this week:
1. Organize my life.
2. Get Maisie licensed (cheaper to do when she is spayed, so we waited).
3. Consolidate my retirement funds into one account. Bye bye 401K, for now.
4. Put up a clothesline.
5. Take the recylcing in to the recycling center, or at least redeem the beer bottles for $.
I think every Monday I will post my 5 goals for the week and see how I do! With the entire online community making sure I stay on track, I'll be sure to succeed.
Mateo is napping right now, so maybe I should try and get one of these goals accomplished, rather than blogging.
But blogging is more fun.
OK bye.
Kidding, sort of. See, my friend Betina started a blog too, because she liked mine. Or at least, the idea of my blog, since I really haven't written much in the past week or so. I guess I was too busy reading hers. Anyway, it makes me realize that I need to write more often, since people actually read this thing (who knew). Especially after habitually checking hers every morning, getting disappointed when it's the same entry as the day before (no pressure B!), it makes me more determined to bring you all the most complete, latest breaking news about the Smith family.
So...um...yeah. Right now Mateo is chewing on a rag, Mike is weed-eating, Carl is hiding from Maisie, and Maisie is sitting next to me. And I'm, well, updating the blog, duh.
Mike's parents came for a visit last week. They live in Nebraska and don't get out here too often, so it was great to see them. They are wonderful with Mateo and I know he enjoyed their visit! The last time they were here, he was about 6 weeks old and still in the “blob” stage, so it was fun to have them experience fun, interactive Mateo. I'll post some pictures later.
Today my parents are coming for a visit – they'll be here this afternoon on their way down from the airport. They went to a wedding in Santa Barbara this weekend – sounds like fun. I love Santa Barbara! If I were independently wealthy I think I might like to live there. I would just hang out on the beach all day, and then dine in fine restaurants every night. And live in a villa right on the beach. I don't think I'd want to live in Santa Barbara and work. What fun is that? I think that is why UCSB is reputed to have a high drop-out rate. Can you blame them?
Maisie got spayed Friday. No puppies! I think she would have been a good mama. She seems to be doing OK – we picked her up yesterday. For the next 2 weeks we have to be careful she doesn't rip out her stitches, either by too much activity or by chewing them, but so far so good – she doesn't even have to wear a lampshade! I'm sure she's happy about that, even if she doesn't know it. So, even though the females outnumber the males in this household 3:2, I am the only...um...fertile lady here.
On that note, how about some photos!
- Location:mi cama es su cama
- Mood:awake
These pretzels are making me thirsty!
I don't like to take conventional medicine as a general rule, but when it comes to allergies, I make an exception. However, I have to be especially careful about medication while breastfeeding, so Claritin is about the only option (according to my doctor). And it doesn't really work. I've tried everything else - wild nettle, local honey, Neti pot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrig
Thanks for listening to my sob story. I know that there are many people out there with allergies way worse than mine, like Sarah, who will die if she comes within 5 feet of a peanut. But I felt like complaining today.
Speaking of grass, Mike is out mowing the lawn right now. Good thing he enjoys it (we have a riding lawn mower which I hear is fun, although if I tried mowing the lawn I think I truly might die). That is what he wanted to do on Father's Day, so he's happy. I think he also wanted to go canoeing, but it's already 11:30 and I don't think that's going to happen today.
OK on to bigger and better things...no pics today, sorry.
- Location:next to a hayfield
- Mood: cranky
Someone stole our mail.
Yes, friends, it will never happen to you, until it does.
The other day I put a bunch of bills in our mailbox and lifted the red flag - which normally I don't do here, I usually drop them in the drive up mailbox at the post office, but I happened to have the bills with me when I checked the mail and figured I'd save a step. A little of background for those of you who haven't been to our house: since we are a bit out in the country, our mailbox is across the street with about 5 other of the neighbors' boxes. Our street is rather busy, the speed limit is 45 mph but people routinely drive 60 mph plus past our house. There are no sidewalks. In order to get to our mailbox, you really have to make an effort.
Cheri Bakhub made the effort.
I know this because yesterday when I checked my bank account online, a check I had written for $97 to T-Mobile had mysteriously turned into a $600 debit from our account. Wamu has a feature where you can look at a copy of the canceled check online, so I did, and lo and behold, same check I had written to T-Mobile was totally altered (except for my signature), made out to Cheri Bakhub for $600 for "childcare". I must say it was pretty impressive - you couldn't tell at all. Had I been the teller cashing the check I wouldn't have bat an eyelash. I of course immediately called Wamu, they credited us the $600 and immediately froze our account. Today I went into the bank and re-opened an account, so we're all well and good, but that doesn't change the fact that a) Cheri Bakhub (although I doubt that's her real name) has committed a federal offense; b) violated our privacy, and c) is a trashy bitch.
So what do we do now? Press charges? I don't think this deed should go unpunished. I'm just not sure that I really want to get involved. Any lawyers reading this blog have any advice?
The moral of this story is, get a PO Box.
Oh, and I'm looking for a good whole wheat bread recipe. I have a pretty good one, but it uses nonfat dry milk, which I'd like to avoid, since the demand for dried milk in the past few years has set the dairy industry spinning and has been responsible for spiking up the price of fluid milk for cheesemakers (not to mention folks like you and me) like nothing we've ever seen before. If you have a good recipe, send it my way!
Goodnight!
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