Thursday, October 16, 2014

October 16, 2014

     Good morning. First I want to thank my sister M and her husband for keeping Mom last weekend. My husband and I was able to get away. We wanted to go somewhere and look at fall leaves. We waited to long to look for a hotel and couldn't find any where we wanted to go. The hotel where we usually stay in Wheeling had one room available so we got that one. So we went back to Wheeling but we did more that we usually do when we go up there. We went to a farmers market, zoo, the Oglebay mansion and gift shop, watched Left Behind at the theater, Cabel's, casino, pet store, book store, pawn shops, thrift stores, and ate at Quaker Steak and Lube twice.  
     The farmers market was small, we didn't buy anything. The zoo was The Good Zoo at Oglebay, it was kind of small but nice. It was my husband and my first time going to a zoo. After walking the zoo we rode the train which takes you all over the zoo. We had a great time there. The Oglebay Mansion was interesting.... First you have to pay to get in, you walk all over this mansion museum. You get to see old things in old rooms all set up and decorated. You get to learn about the Oglebay family. I like to see and learn about old ways, it is always interesting to me. At first I was happy and excited to be there then after the first few rooms I got angry. Their lavish lives are such a great contrast to my great grandparents who were around at that time. I may have been a bit jealous. Discussing these feelings with my husband and some other ladies who were touring at the same time proved that I was not alone in these feelings. How did these people gain so much money? From the backs of my, and your, ancestors. Also we noted from all the pictures and paintings from back in that time never, not one black person. Humm, you know that there had to have been many, many people slaving to keep those over privileged people nice and comfy and warm.
     The Left Behind movie was good. It was based on the first book in the series. I have been reading that series for years and just recently got the last few books that I was unable to find. I hope to finish reading the series soon. I also hope they keep making those movies.
     I know I am probably the only one who has ever said this but I did not like Quaker Steak and Lube. My poor husband got umm an upset tummy after eating there the second time. I said you can't  eat at a place with lube in its name and expect to not get sick. He was so sick that night and the next day I ended up driving most of the way home, he got us out of Wheeling then had me drive the rest of the way.
     Over all the trip was good and we were just so very happy that my sister M and her husband kept Mom for an extra night so we could have an even longer break. That extra night we went to King's at Rosebud Plaza. We had ordered pizza from there in the past and it was always great. They have pizza, Italian and Mexican food. We got Mexican food and it was awesome! We had a new young waitress, she had no idea what she was doing. After we ordered our food the entire Eagle's football team and their parents and coaches and cheerleaders showed up. Every table was full and some were left standing. They ordered ten or twenty(I can't remember) pizzas for the boys and cheerleaders. The adults ordered various other things off the menu. There was only two waitress, one of which was our new young waitress. They were overwhelmed to say the least. I felt so bad for them. We got some of the wrong food but it was corrected. We ate and left as quickly as possible. I left a very nice tip. I hope she made it through the night ok. We will surely got back when it is hopefully less busy.
     Today we have a very busy day planned. I am going to clean out the chicken coop then we are going to rearrange it and put in new nesting boxes. Three of the girls are laying eggs, we think. But they like to lay on the floor of the coop and some days they don't lay at all or are laying them outside some where. We are hoping that if we spruce the place up a bit they might lay in there more. They might not be laying as much due to the decreased light and season change. I also have to put mulch around our new fruit trees and fence them. And we need to finish cutting down the old trees. Plus the usual caring for Mom. And planting the flower bulbs that the place where we ordered trees sent us for free. And mulch around the blueberry bushes and the flower bed. Take down the ac's and find a place to store them. We also need to get the garden weeded and put plastic down to get it ready for winter, but I don't think we will get to that today.
     Well I need to get this day started. Have a good day.
          
                                                                    April Whitehair

Thursday, October 9, 2014

October 9, 2014

     Good morning. The last week or so has been busy. First we butchered our first rooster! He was getting aggressive. He was an all around pain. My husband and my first time butchering anything. We watched a lot of you tube videos to learn what to do. It wasn't a hard process. I didn't even cry. I baked it that night and it was nasty! I mean really bad tasting. We couldn't eat it. I have done some research on why it tasted so bad and it is either because stress on the animal before death, piece of organ left inside, gall bladder breakage, or scent gland not fully removed. We are not sure. We thought we did a good job gutting and cutting the tail/scent gland off but we are newbies so we are not sure. I hope that if we do decide to butcher again it works out better.
     The day after butchering the rooster we got out first egg. Our Easter Egger hen, Carmel, layed her first egg while sitting on the roost and it broke when it hit the ground. Her eggs are the color of cement, a greenish colored tiny egg. She is the third smallest hen that we have. I have no idea why she was the one to start laying first. The next day Emma, our big Rhode Island Red hen from the original group, layed her first egg. A medium sized brown egg. The are kind of on a schedule, Carmel lays every day and Emma lays every other day. We have two more hens yet to lay eggs, Cloe is the sister to Emma but she was the one to be attacked by the coon so I figured she would be slightly delayed and then there is the baby, Jelly Knife, she is so small though she is the same age as Carmel. I can't imagine her laying an egg anytime soon if she does it would have to be the size of a robin egg.
     I ordered four trees last month and they finally arrived. Two Granny Smith apple trees(good for making pie) and two Elberta peach trees. We got them planted and had to remove a couple trees from the back yard, good thing I bought that chainsaw last year. They are so small, they look like sticks sticking out of the ground, so it will be several years before we get any fruit. But I am glad we got them.
     The Salem Apple Butter Festival was last week. I entered the apple pie contest, I hadn't entered in a couple years. I got honorable mention. I use the jarred apple pie filling that I had canned recently. It wasn't the best pie I had ever made but my husband enjoyed it. My sister H got first place on both of her pies! Next year I won't use canned apple pie filling.
     Saturday was the festival parade. We go every year. I took Mom. It was rainy and very cold. Thankfully my sister A went and got my car and backed it in where we usually stand so Mom and I could sit inside while the parade went by. It was a nice time and Mom seemed to enjoy the high school marching bands.
     Mom has been doing fair. Her hip bothers her. I think the change in the weather is not helping any. She had a moment of sort of clarity the other day and asked where her daughter A, my sissy, was. I told my sister about it and told her that it was nice that Mom thought of her while having a moment of clarity. Mom never remembers that she even has daughters so for her to remember her by name was awesome. It made my sister sad. I told her that even if Mom doesn't seem remember us she still does love us. The disease is keeping her memory locked away. Honestly I was a little jealous that it wasn't me she thought of.
     Well I need to go. Have a good day.

                                                         April Whitehair