Currently coveting: Cuckoo clock

I have no idea why, but for about a year I have REALLY wanted a cuckoo clock. It's part whimsy and part function that really makes me happy. Here's a few that I'd love to get my hands on. And of course I have somewhere special picked out for each one.

This happy little fellow would fit perfectly in my living room.

Any of these three for the playroom

I love this one, I think it's so stinkin' cute!

This one in the dinning room

and of these would do just fine too.

this little fun guy

I like this little horn blower

Those little goats! 

Oh man those little guys at the top and that roof line. 

Most of these I found on Easy, there is a ton more and they are fantastic! If you're feeling generous, feel free to send me one!

And we're flooded.

So far we aren't flooded too badly, barely at the house, not quite an island. I'll post photos in the morning.

Another flood

I was working on a post about planning the garden and how flood season is over, and of course, up pops a flood watch, then a warning. Great. Don't worry, that garden post is still coming, just not today. Today has been spent doing flood preparations.

My morning consisted of taking Mr. Man to school, then taking Nature Baby outside to help me clean up for our impending doom the potential flood. Scribs has the truck pulled apart again and there was dirty, greasy parts and tools all over the barn floor. I had left a few shovels and rakes in the garden, along with the wheel barrow. I pulled up the tarps that was covering sections of the garden. Everything in the barn is off the floor. The chickens are fed and watered and we are as ready as we are going to be.

The orange is minor flood, red is moderate and purple is sever.

The projected level is only a few inches higher than the first flood in November. That gives me an idea what to expect. It stopped raining this morning, also a good thing. started raining again. The ground wasn't over saturated when we went out there.

Here it comes

We have another hour or so until the river crests and about 9 or 10 hours until it drops below flood stage. It's light out, I'm not overly worried. Once it gets dark it might be another story.

Nature Baby's room redo part two colors!

If I were to leave the decision making to Nature Baby her room would be bright pink and she'd love it, at least for now. That's not going to happen. I've been looking around online at some colors, I'm looking for something light, purpley-grey and no pink. No dark colors! The ceiling needs to be bright white.

Here's the samples.

The samples on the wall look a bit different, 1 is Galaxy Purple, 2 is Wisteria Tree, and 3 is Purple Potential. As per usual, I painted each sample under the white in different spots to see them with different light, and left them up for a week or so. Nature Baby loved number 2, but that's too dark!

So there's the samples on the wall. What do you think? 

I gave up on 3, it's too pink!

The paint samples covered really well with just 2 coats, I don't think I'll bother with a primer. I've patched the 95 million holes in the walls already and started painting the ceiling, having the paint and a bit of time, such a huge difference already!

What do you think? Which would you choose?

Nature baby's room redo

Nature baby's room is ugly. U-g-l-y. I ain't got no alibi it's ugly. So ugly and dark! See!

I've been wanting and trying to paint her room for a while.  I was hoping to get it done while MIL was here but that was a cluster, to say the least. It's tough to paint a kid's room if you have to do it while they're awake and someone else is here.

Much like the room re-dos from last year, I'm not going to spend a ton of money. The dresser I bought on Craigslist last year for $80 (including the huge mirror that is in my living room) and painted. I would like to change the hardware. I'm waiting to find a bookcase and side table on Craigslist, because I'm cheap and with some patience Craigslist is AWESOME! I spent $30 or so on the thermal curtains in the fall and I'm going to replace the light fixtures and smoke detectors in both kid's rooms. The lights only have 1 bulb and are not bright, even with LEDs. Ideally, I'd like an enclosed ceiling fan with a light, but they're expensive! $500 and up! I can buy a portable air conditioner for $500, so that just seems silly. We'll see. Everything else we already have. I'd like to add a few shelves for breakables, frames and a lamp that need re-wiring from my Nana.

The ceiling has to be white. Every room in the house has the ceiling and walls painted the same color. I'm not sure what the thought process was behind that one, but it's not good. I could (very easily) go on a giant rant about it, but I will not. Remember my living room? Geez Louise! Here's the Before and After in case you're curious.

Good bye phone jack and messy lines.

Why, why why? Why do people paint hinges and hardware?

I see you paint blob, and I will sand you! Up next, paint samples and choosing the colors!

When Breath Becomes Air review

I discovered When Breath Becomes Air through Cup of Jo. It is a memoir written by Dr. Paul Kalanithi  (Joanna's brother-in-law). He was a gifted doctor diagnosed with cancer. His writing is beautiful! It flows like poetry. When breath becomes air isn't a depressing, dying of cancer memoir, it's the story of a man's search for a meaningful life and death. Paul's writing flows so beautifully. I expected to be a lot sadder whilst reading but it isn't a woe-is-me tale. The first half is about his life, education and goals. He was a gifted Doctor that clearly would have made a huge impact in his field.

Around page 180 it sets in, he's really sick, and then a few short pages later his daughter is born and I cried and there's hope, joy and all the overwhelming feelings that come with a new baby. Then I remember this isn't fiction and I already know the ending.

This book is so eloquent, profoundly honest and thought provoking. It reads like a wonderful piece of fiction without exaggeration. I read it quickly, under 24 hours and I'm a slow reader. The pages flew by and without realizing, I was nearly finished.

He may not have lived long enough to have made a huge impact on the scientific world, but his book certainly will help many beyond those that may have needed his help as a doctor. Throughout the book he is so relatable even if you aren't a doctor. He is brave and matter of fact as perhaps only a doctor faced with a terminal illness can be.

Not once during when breath becomes air was I bored, no yawning here. I couldn't get enough. In the moments I wasn't reading, I wanted to be. Had this been fiction, I would have said "No way, it can't end like this!" So it goes.

The foreword and epilogue are equally beautiful. The epilogue Lucy Kalanithi, Paul's wife, also a Doctor, is just a beautiful as the rest of the book. You wouldn't know that both the Kalanithi's weren't writers by trade. Her words are heartbreaking, thought evoking and evidently loving. The epilogue was the hardest part to read, she bore witness, and writes about bringing the book to life. I can't imagine how hard that would be, how strong she is.

Here's the New York Times review, this book hasn't even been out for a week and already has nearly 100 glowing reviews. If you read only one book this year, make it When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.

WIP Wednesday Denali Sweater

We're in the home stretch! I waited until after Christmas to block the front of the Denali, I messed up one of the sleeves and ripped it back, popped it on the needles then started both shoulder shaping decreases at the same time. Is there anything worse the making one sleeve just a touch longer than the other.

I was extra careful this time with the sleeves, measuring and re-measuring every few rows as tedious as it was. Both sleeves are off the needles and blocked, of course I had to rip back one of them, again! Way to not pay attention!
I was so hoping to be done by this month's WIP but that's ok (I don't have anything else lined up... yet)

Up next is grafting the sleeves to the front and back, picking up the collar and doing all the seams and weaving. I still haven't finished any of the ends, in the back of my mind I'm still going to mess it up some how! The closer I get to being finished the more nervous I get that in the last steps I'm going to somehow make on monstrous mistake and have to start all over agin. I think I'm starting to loose it.

Here it is!

I can't believe that this is going to be my last WIP for the Denali Sweater!  (If you want to take a look back, here's part 1, 2, and 3) Coming up, Finished Object status!

Cost for Eggs October through December

The girls were having a rough molt this fall. There were many days when the chickens did lay at all. Good thing the Ducks were pulling their own weight. I'm going to guess that they we got 3 eggs every other day for November. I really didn't keep track, I picked it up again for December. On a good day we'd get 3 eggs. The girls are still a bunch of messes. Half feathers everywhere! I spent the usual feed and shavings.

During November I'm guessing had 4 dozen eggs, I'm guessing we spend about $5 per dozen.
December we got 56 (4.7 dozen) eggs, I didn't go to the usual feed store instead I picked up some shavings and feed at my local tractor supply for $20. We added some vents to the coop and spent $52 for vents and hole saws.

I'm guessing we got the same amount in November, the cost being about $5 per dozen.
Cost per dozen for December $15.42

This year, not including the costs before the girls started laying, we ended up paying about $5.70 Per dozen, not great but not terrible either. I'm hoping the girls will start laying again since more of them have feathers again. Once I have more than a few eggs kicking around I can sell some more, I've had some people asking!

Come on January!

2016 goals

Can you believe it's 2016, I certainly can't! 2015 was a big year for us with really great highs and really low lows.

This year I've got goals!

• Paint every ceiling and the 3 bedrooms
• Build a fence, even if it's just cattle panels.
• Improve the garden (more on that coming up later)
• New play set for the kids, the death trap has got to go!
• Upgrade a few things in the house the dishwasher, get a few bookcases, figure out a better toy stage system, some new light fixtures for above the table and the bed rooms. 
• Stop looking like a hobo all the time. I should to start getting my hair done regularly (once a year doesn't cut it and that'll give me some knitting time), get some new jeans. Mine are bad! And just take a little bit of time for myself, I'd like to not be so tired all the time
• I'd like to knit something nice for myself, it'd been a long time since I made anything for me. I have a ton of this I'd like to make but always end up starting a project for someone else. 

I think my goals are reasonable and all very do-able. I'm keeping it simple for 2016.
What are you working towards this year?