Mockingbirdanjo

As I was laying out in the shade of my pretty chinese tallow tree today, I realized that I play banjo like a mockingbird. Those suckers have some serious ADHD. I too start off playing one song and sometimes it just turns into another song.

Happiness

I am beyond happy today. Here's why:

1. The biggest and most crucial ingredient to this state of mind is that I'm not at work, and I keep remembering that I won't have to report back to that dark place until Monday. Since I suffer from a serious condition called pre-work depression, I can clearly foresee several days of impending happiness. That knowledge in itself just feeds the happiness. Yeah, I need a new job....

2. I have just completed a HUGE landmark in my sewing career which I am currently wearing as I write this. I have taken measurements, drafted a pattern on craft paper, cut out the pieces, and sewn a freakin' shirt! This shirt, the most beautifully simple shirt in existence, FITS. Since all commercial patterns are fitted for a B cup bust, I've never created a shirt that fits exactly right. For this peasant blouse, I sized the front piece about 6 inches wider than the back piece, and then I created a casing for for elastic to fit just underneath the bust and pull things in. I'm pretty sure I will use this pattern again for a sleeveless shirt, and possibly for a peasant dress.

3. I finished a quilt for Baby Reese...and if there are any mistakes to be seen on it, they were all intentional. Yeah, I'm sticking with that story. It's still really cute, despite some uneven stitching.

4. I saved Ginger and Meg, my Buff Orp and Ameraucana from the grip of feral cat fangs this morning. I had all the chicks grouped together in their little yard, and when the chicks saw a cat lurking around, Ginger and Meg panicked and flew outside the walls and went a walkin', hoping that fate would defeat their clawed foe like in Rosie's Walk. I looked outside and saw the danger just in time, chased off the cat and plonked those feather-brained chicks back in their own yard.

5. Chicken pot pie is on the menu tonight. Not Ginger and Meg, some poor cruelly treated factory chicken...but we'll try to forget that fact.

6. I keep reflecting on the fact that I am officially freakin' CATHOLIC as of last Saturday, and it's only a few days until I can receive the body and blood of Jesus again! It just speaks to the mercy of God that someone like me, who was so negative on Christianity for so long, would come to see that joyful day! I just wish I could smell like holy chrism all the time....

7. My sweet husband gave me half of his sheath-making money, so now I have $20 which will be spent on some jersey knit so I can make this comfy looking dress.

Chicky Progress

I picked me up a sweet box of chicky goodness a couple of weeks ago from a feed store. 

Pic taken on March 25

The breeds are: barred rock, buff orpington, gold sex-link (mix between a rhode island red and a rhode island white) and a blurry ameraucana. These little biddies are already a pleasure to watch, partly because the smallest runtiest one appears to be the most bold and bossy. Since I got the chicks from the feed store, I don't know exactly how old they are. I think a couple of them are now 3 weeks old, and the other two are 4 weeks old. The gals are now starting to look like real miniature chickens...

Pic taken today

Today - enjoying sunshine, grass and fresh breeze.

...which means they are quickly outgrowing their little brooder. It's already warm enough here that I have to turn their heat lamp completely off during the day and temps still reach 85 degrees in the barn shop. Luckily my chicky shack is pretty much complete! Soon I will move these girls in there and get them out of their little brooder. Oliver and I used the plans from Building a Chicken Coop for Dummies and made "The Minimal" due to our lack of carpentry skills. "The Minimal" uses only straight cuts. 

3/25/12

Man power!

And here's the finished product, only missing exterior paint.

Ollie's genius idea, used hinges from some old cabinet doors.

Roof is some plastic looking stuff from Lowes. You can actually cut this with scissors.

 

Besides paint, I also need to find a latch for the chicken door/ramp. I'm also not that confident about the security of the chain lock for the human door. The book recommended it, but I might try to find an alternative if I think of anything that will work. The tall side of the coop is really plain and faces the house, so I might paint some happy little poppies or sunflowers on it. Coop mural sounds promising!