Do You See What I See?!?!

Put a Smile On My Face! :D

Our Mutual Friend

          I must admit, reading Dickens’s novels is always a challenge.  Not only are the majority of his works extremely long, but he tends to weave such an intricate web of characters and events you start to feel lightheaded after the first few dozen incidents -- and that is just in chapter one!  I am, however, a big fan of the BBC miniseries.  Today, we concluded their 1998 version of Our Mutual Friend.  It had everything that makes Dickens so Dickensian: mystery, misdirection, mistaken identity, secret love, unrequited love, forbidden love, hope, despair, disgust, and death, just to name a few.  Someday I WILL read all of Dickens’ works.  Until then, I would highly recommend this if you have six hours needing filling.  It pairs quite nicely with a stormy day and a warm blanket to curl up under.  :)

 

 

 

TGIF!!!

Egg Injustice

          About a year ago I went through the exciting processes of registering our little egg enterprise with the great state of California. I crossed all my T’s and dotted all my I’s so I could properly and legally sell eggs.  I knew from the beginning I would never make a fortune selling just a few dozen eggs a month; but, if I ever decided to expand my flock or sell in a store all the paperwork would be done.  I have not sold any eggs in months.  The joy of blessing our friends with eggs far outweighs making a few dollars.  So, when a letter from California’s Food and Agriculture arrived yesterday, I casually opened it assuming it was the reminder to send in my eggs-sold fee.  I do not have my paperwork in front of me but it is something like $0.15 per 30 dozen eggs.  Since I have not sold even close to that, I owe nothing.  But that was not what this letter contained. 

          Becoming an egg handler involves filling out the paperwork and sending in a $10.00 one-time registration fee.  Imagine my shock when I opened the letter and read that the (previously non-existent) renewal fee was $50.00 ANNUALLY!  The new egg-handler fee is $75.00!  I gasped!  Then I fumed!  My own answer was simple: No!  I thought of the countless small farmers in our area and around my state who will feel the bite of this fee, this taxation, every single year!  This is wrong!  This is one more way to bleed the small entrepreneur dry!  I will not re-register.  Fairytale Farm will become a shredded piece of paper in the government’s glut of garbage.  I will continue to raise high-quality eggs, I will continue to freely share those eggs with friends, and I will continue to pray that my nation remembers its purpose: to represent the people, not oppress them.

          As of April 1^st, my legal permit as an egg handler will be void.  I wonder how many others will share my fate?  I wonder if those men and women who sit in offices writing rules ever stop and consider the affect of each increased fee?  Do they even care?     
     

Our First Egg (September 2009)

        

The Book is Beautiful. The Movie is Stunning.

Grey Day

          Today has been a quiet and grey sort of day.  So far, only a smattering of rain has come down allowing for a brisk healthy walk in the cold air.  

           Rachel let the chickens out a little early today.  They were quite disappointed my camera was not something for them to eat, but they quickly moved on.

          Bingo and I also checked out the bird's nest from last year.  Yesterday, a pair of robins, likely the same ones from last year, was seen repeatedly flying around the hydrangea bush.  Today, I noticed their repair work on the nest.  The first nest picture I took yesterday, the next two are from today.  They have totally relined the inside and repaired the outside.  I look forward to hearing baby birds again!   

 

          Even grey days can be beautiful, and the yard is certainly arraying herself in some amazing colors.  I just heard thunder!  And now rain.  It looks like we will be settling in for quite a springtime storm.  I see a cozy fire in my future, and maybe a cup of cocoa.         

Pops of Pink

Monsters

          We watched Pixar’s Monster films in their chronological order the last two nights.  It is so fun to catch all the little ways they made Mike and Sully look younger, see Randal’s transformation from nice guy to chip-on-his-shoulder villain, and try and find all the little Pixar Easter eggs scattered throughout the two films.  Lydia and mom were all excited the other day when they learned (via one of the Disney blogs) that another Monster movie and a sequel to The Incredibles are in the works!  Keep them coming Pixar, we love your movies!

  

What's On Your Shelves?

Matthew's Choice

          While most of us were excited to watch Frozen again, it was Matthew’s first time seeing it.  He has been listening to the music for months now, and he sat with us the entire time watching the film.  Tonight I walked into the Tiki Room and discovered him watching it solo, grinning and laughing.  :)

Spring and the Unexpected

          Today took an unexpected turn when I noticed Bingo rubbing at his mouth and hanging it open after eating from his food dish.  Dad and I took him to the vet after discovering blood in his mouth -- which he appeared unable to close.  It turned out to be a tooth ready to fall out.  The loose tooth had shifted preventing him from fully closing his mouth.  Thankfully, it was a very simple procedure and we were able to pick him up two hours later, minus one tooth.  All his other teeth are perfectly fine, and he is very healthy.  Bingo was very happy to be home again, and we are all so glad he is back safe with us.  I did manage to capture some pictures today before our trip to the vet.  Spring is officially here!   

More Frozen Fun! (I Just Can't Get Enough Of This Film!)

It's Here! And It Was Amazing, Again!

Monday Musings

          Today I went out to the farm!  Due to being sick, rain, visitors, and other appointments it has been seven weeks since I had been out there.  It felt so good to visit and work in the garden.  All the recent rain has refilled their pond.  It was at an all-time low before I left for Disneyworld.  A pair of Canadian geese slipped along its surface while half-a-dozen turtles sunned themselves on a floating board.  All around, signs of spring keep popping up, and I realized with astonishment that the calendar is about to concur!  Is winter really over?  I know the rest of the nation is more than ready for spring to arrive, but this year has been one of the mildest winters I can recall.  Amidst all the chaos of the world, the injustice and frustrations, it is comforting to know that spring will come regardless of who rules the world.  Leaders and governments rise and fall, but God rules over all.     

Wishing I Were There

Blackberry Battle

          Today, Rachel and I tackled the blackberries.  Our arch enemy:  the Orcs of the weed world, the Daleks of the garden, and the destroyer of clear space.  The battle was tough and we have many more days of fighting ahead of us, but it felt so good to get outside in the sun and breathe the fresh air.  Spring is here!

Happy Hens and Bob

Bingo

Hacking Away

The Days' Spoils

Battle Scars

TGIF (Time Sure Goes By Fast!)

          Another Friday is here!  This week has felt sooooo looooong.  I hope by comparison the weekend goes really sloooooooowly.  Still, looking over the week, I am happy with all I have accomplished.  I even got my exercises in four days this week.  It has been challenging fitting it into my schedule, but my goal is to make time every single day this forthcoming week.  I have also been trying to eat really well and consume smaller portions at meals.  I was doing really well until tonight.  I prepared dinner:  mini pizzas, veggies, and Virgil’s root beer (the best!) -- a healthy meal overall with a treat, but I went back for seconds!!!  It sure tasted good, but now I feel extremely stuffed.  No popcorn for me tonight.  I hope by the time Easter comes I will have lost nine pounds.  So far, the scale hasn’t shown any difference, but I hope to see that number slipping down this week.  It feels so nice cleaning out and giving things away, I figured I should try and get rid of my excess self, as well.  The results are taking a little longer to see than in my closet, but I figure I need to just keep on plugging away, and avoid temptation!!!  Happy Friday! :)

 

Dragging

          What to write, where to begin… some days just drag, and even though I was able to accomplish quite a lot it still feels like a wasted day.  But, the evening is still young, plenty of time for my sagging spirit to turn around.  Tomorrow will be better.