Picture taken on Bubba Lou's first boat ride on Lake Sunapee. It was pretty chilly that day, windy and about to sprinkle on us. Fun nonetheless.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sad Day.
Bubba Lou had to say goodbye to her furry friend. Bun awoke on Sunday happy to see us, but unable to move his back end. A viral or bacterial infection was suspected. Monday saw Bun worsening and a call to the vet only told us the inevitable (hundreds of dollars in blood tests, to prove he had an infection that couldn' t be treated.) This infection is treatable if caught early enough, but when you can't see symptoms, paralysis sets in and then the antibiotics are too late. I've learned that fox, raccoon, and skunks carry this bacteria. They are common animals in my yard, and Bun has spent many a happy afternoon hopping around eatting yummy green things (that may have come in contact with animal droppings, saliva or urine.)Some will call me a horrible parent, or an uncaring one, but I did not lie to my little girl about her bunny. I told her that Bun-Bun-Hippity-Hop couldn't hop any more (this she clearly understood as he dragged himself around the yard) and that he was very sad. I told her that we couldn't fix him and we didn't want him to be sad or hurting. I also told her that even when Bun dies and isn't with us any more, we can look at his pictures and paint a special rock for him to put in the garden.
I could have told her that he was "going away" or had "run away." She's too smart for that, and I would hear endless days of "I wonder if Bun is back" or "When will Bun be back" only to have to tell her the truth at a later date, without a proper goodbye. I gently told my daughter the truth and that she could think of Bun everytime she saw fluffy clouds in the sky, because they look like bunny tails. And that's where Bun is, up in the sky playing with the other bunnies that needed to be in a happier place where they could hippity-hop all day.
She cried and held her bunny. I cried and held them both. She told Bun she loves him, gave him a hug and a kiss and told him to have fun with the other bunnies in the sky. At bedtime, BL made it clear that she understood (as best an almost 5 year old can) that we were doing the right thing for Bun "because we don't want him to be sad and hurt bad and have poop on him and not be able to clean his ears." (Bun's tummy had quite a bit of pellets on it Sunday morning since he couldn't stand to relieve himself.)
Today BubbaLou told me she will miss Bun, but maybe someday we could get another bunny. "But not right now, maybe in a few months."
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
August, Already?
Well, June and July came and went. Utah/Outdoor Retailer was a blast. The weather out there was hotter than hell and drier than dust. FABULOUS! My favorite kind of weather. I returned only to unpack, do laundry, repack and leave 2 days later for the ocean, a nice change after dry, land-locked UT. It's amazing what the ocean can do for you. Not to mention hot sand and salt-water taffy. I feel re-energized, even if I'm still recovering from all the travel.
August 22 I will have a booth at the local Apple Pie Crafts Fair in Newport, NH. I'm just hoping to sell enough to cover my costs. Any profits will be much appreciated and wonderful. I will have a selection of hand-knit, felted bowls, mini-Santa mitten/hat ornaments, hand-knit lace votive holders, and hand-beaded jewlery. I didn't have enough time to get a homesteader's license to sell baked goods, but I will be donating a pie (apple, duh) for their benefit bake-sale. I am sharing the space with a friend/co-worker who makes wooden home accessories like hand-painted signs, frames and boxes. If you're in town, please stop by to say hello.
Bubba Lou starts at the local Montessori School in September. She misses the cutoff for kindergarten, but is ready for it. Montessori puts Pre-K and K in the same classroom and kids learn at their own pace. I think BL will thrive in that sort of enriching environment where learning is encouraged, guided and applauded. I hope so, considering what it's costing us...I shouldn't complain, the increased cost is worth it when I consider how bored BL has been in daycare the last 6 months. She's only there 2 days a week this summer, and hates to go (especially since many of her friends aren't there in the summer.) It makes me sad sometimes to have to take her somewhere she clearly doesn't want to be, but then...I don't want to be at work, either. I truly miss the days when I worked because I wanted to, not because I had to and spent my days being creative with BL.
Sy starts teaching at Lebanon High School this fall, his dream job. He will also be starting his Master's program in October. It's gonna be another stressful, too busy, tighten-our-belts kinda year, but we've learned we can get through just about anything (without throwing things at each other.) The year Sy was in school and not working was the hardest, so I think this year will be manageable. As my hair stylist says, "We see."
And isn't that what life is? One big "We see" and what you make of it is your own.
August 22 I will have a booth at the local Apple Pie Crafts Fair in Newport, NH. I'm just hoping to sell enough to cover my costs. Any profits will be much appreciated and wonderful. I will have a selection of hand-knit, felted bowls, mini-Santa mitten/hat ornaments, hand-knit lace votive holders, and hand-beaded jewlery. I didn't have enough time to get a homesteader's license to sell baked goods, but I will be donating a pie (apple, duh) for their benefit bake-sale. I am sharing the space with a friend/co-worker who makes wooden home accessories like hand-painted signs, frames and boxes. If you're in town, please stop by to say hello.
Bubba Lou starts at the local Montessori School in September. She misses the cutoff for kindergarten, but is ready for it. Montessori puts Pre-K and K in the same classroom and kids learn at their own pace. I think BL will thrive in that sort of enriching environment where learning is encouraged, guided and applauded. I hope so, considering what it's costing us...I shouldn't complain, the increased cost is worth it when I consider how bored BL has been in daycare the last 6 months. She's only there 2 days a week this summer, and hates to go (especially since many of her friends aren't there in the summer.) It makes me sad sometimes to have to take her somewhere she clearly doesn't want to be, but then...I don't want to be at work, either. I truly miss the days when I worked because I wanted to, not because I had to and spent my days being creative with BL.
Sy starts teaching at Lebanon High School this fall, his dream job. He will also be starting his Master's program in October. It's gonna be another stressful, too busy, tighten-our-belts kinda year, but we've learned we can get through just about anything (without throwing things at each other.) The year Sy was in school and not working was the hardest, so I think this year will be manageable. As my hair stylist says, "We see."
And isn't that what life is? One big "We see" and what you make of it is your own.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Moldy
I couldn't bitch about the weather in the last post...it was simply too precious.
I'm covered in mold. The strawberries rot before we can harvest them. My house smells. My garden won't grow, although I have more radishes than I can eat and the lettuce is doing okay. We've had rain (literally) almost every day the month of June. July isn't looking like it will be any better. If it rains in UT at OR, I will probably just lay down in the street and cry. Wait, that's just more water...I'd drown.
Ugh. And they wonder why people from the northeast are cold, bitter, and pessimistic. You try living through 8 months of cold and snow, looking forward to sun and warmth, and then getting cold, rain, and dampness. You'd be pretty pissy, too. Especially if every summer since you moved to the lake was rainy and not too hot.
On another note, check out Sy's right foot. He discovered a nest of bumblebees while doing some cleaning in the barn. They had decided a roll of insulation was the perfect place. Fortunately, Bubba Lou picked this time to listen to Daddy and RAN!
I can't post the picture of the nest...it is too creepy, weird, gross, nasty and I don't want to look at it again.
Toothache Sweet
Bubba Lou and our newest addition, Bun. Bun is a character (rabbit, of course) in one of our favorite books. The next bunny will be Squeaky...same book.
Zeep tiptoe-ing through the flowers. Best he can at 130lbs +/-. A lot of people (that don't know what a wolfhound is) think he's an old dog because his face is so grey. They obviously haven't seen him in action....it's all puppy! And did I mention he loves the Bun and hasn't tried to eat him?
BL's new sweater. My own pattern, Manos Del Uruguay Cotton Stria, 1 skein turq. 4 lime green. Do not buy this yarn. It's stiff, but breaks and splits really easily. My last skein had 9, NINE, knots in it. I'd have knit stripes if I knew I'd be working in that many ends. Otherwise, the sweater is soft and perfect for warmer weather with 3/4 sleeves (ran out of yarn for whole sleeves) and perfectly loose fabric on size US5 needles. BL actually prefers the 3/4 sleeves because they "don't git in my way."
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Bees!
Sy is holding an empty box that a few minutes ago contained 3 pounds, or 25,000, honey bees. He put them into their new hive with no gloves and no stings. Today the bees have started exploring their new home and surroundings. Bubba Lou knows that you "leave the bees alone." Zeep has also learned that you don't eat the bees, the only way he could (fortunately he wasn't stung, just surprised.) We have a perimeter around the hive roped off so BL and Zeep can't accidentally bump into the hive or otherwise harrass the bees. I know my child and doggie too well.
In a few more weeks we'll be adding one or two of these to the homestead:
French/English mix angora rabbits. We're definitely getting one of the buff colored (Bubba Lou's pick), and if it's a girl, we're hoping to get a light gray girl, too. Their mama is about 8 pounds with wonderful fur, she was due to be plucked so I had the perfect opportunity to see the fiber. They're about 4 weeks old now, little bundles of fluff. The woman that has them is up the street from my Mom and has alpacas, cows, geese, sheep, goats, llamas, horse, mini donkey and a camel. Yes, a bonafide two-hump camel in NH. I truly had no idea they are so huge, she said she got about 80 pounds of fiber off the camel when he(?) shed this spring. Can you imagine shedding 80 pounds of hair?! Or picking it all up for that matter?!
In a few more weeks we'll be adding one or two of these to the homestead:
French/English mix angora rabbits. We're definitely getting one of the buff colored (Bubba Lou's pick), and if it's a girl, we're hoping to get a light gray girl, too. Their mama is about 8 pounds with wonderful fur, she was due to be plucked so I had the perfect opportunity to see the fiber. They're about 4 weeks old now, little bundles of fluff. The woman that has them is up the street from my Mom and has alpacas, cows, geese, sheep, goats, llamas, horse, mini donkey and a camel. Yes, a bonafide two-hump camel in NH. I truly had no idea they are so huge, she said she got about 80 pounds of fiber off the camel when he(?) shed this spring. Can you imagine shedding 80 pounds of hair?! Or picking it all up for that matter?!Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Boston
Sy was on school vacation last week, so we decided to take advantage of the favorable weather forecast and headed to Boston.
Day one was spent at the Aquarium. Bubba Lou especially loved the sharks. We ate lunch outside, even though it was a little windy and chilly. The sun would come out from behind the clouds every few minutes and give us a nice warm up. We spent the late afternoon in the hotel swimming pool and did dinner at the Hard Rock. I live less than 2 hours away, and I'd never been. I've been to Hard Rock's all over the country, but never close to home. It was fun...BL got a patch for her demin coat.
Day two, much nicer weather...the afternoon was about 70 degrees and sunny. We took BL to the Public Gardens to see the swan boats and island where "Make Way For Ducklings" takes place. She even met Mr. and Mrs. Mallard...several times. She loved seeing the staues of Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings and patiently waited her turn to sit on the next duck in line until she reached Mrs. Mallard.
B.L. and Mama outside Tadpole Playground visiting with the frogs. We played in the playground in the morning before it got super crowded. When we walked by it later, there couldn't have been room for one more child to play!
FYI, we booked our hotel through Hotwire and I am very satisfied. We ended up in a much nicer hotel than I expected (based on experiences with Priceline) and paid just over $100 including taxes. I checked, this same hotel was booking out our same type of room for over $200-before tax. I will definately use Hotwire again.
Day one was spent at the Aquarium. Bubba Lou especially loved the sharks. We ate lunch outside, even though it was a little windy and chilly. The sun would come out from behind the clouds every few minutes and give us a nice warm up. We spent the late afternoon in the hotel swimming pool and did dinner at the Hard Rock. I live less than 2 hours away, and I'd never been. I've been to Hard Rock's all over the country, but never close to home. It was fun...BL got a patch for her demin coat.
Day two, much nicer weather...the afternoon was about 70 degrees and sunny. We took BL to the Public Gardens to see the swan boats and island where "Make Way For Ducklings" takes place. She even met Mr. and Mrs. Mallard...several times. She loved seeing the staues of Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings and patiently waited her turn to sit on the next duck in line until she reached Mrs. Mallard.
B.L. and Mama outside Tadpole Playground visiting with the frogs. We played in the playground in the morning before it got super crowded. When we walked by it later, there couldn't have been room for one more child to play!FYI, we booked our hotel through Hotwire and I am very satisfied. We ended up in a much nicer hotel than I expected (based on experiences with Priceline) and paid just over $100 including taxes. I checked, this same hotel was booking out our same type of room for over $200-before tax. I will definately use Hotwire again.
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