Leaving behind the homestead...

Dear herbs, veggies, chickens, creek, treehouse, snakes, possum, and raccoons,

We are giving our notice that we will be leaving you all for just a while.  This will be temporary, but long enough that a "farewell" is warranted.  We are heading to the beautiful, sleepy town of Savannah, to be closer to family and to find more work for the man of the house. 

While we are down there, we plan to work hard, save lots, and eventually find a spacious plot of land for all of us to happily live out our days.  Until that time, please don't scare the future inhabitants with your midnight snack runs (you, possum and raccoons) and peek-a-boo surprises (you, snakes).  While the chickens are already long gone, we have already said our good-byes with them.

We hope that the veggies left behind will offer nourishment for those who find them and know what to do with them.  Cilantro, thyme, basil, marjoram, sage, parsley, rosemary, and mint, you have provided wonderful, colorful flavors to our plates for the past four years.  May you continue to do so for those who find you thriving. 

We are walking away, not defeated, but anxious to start anew.  To take what we have learned on this journey, and to apply that to what we shall encounter on our new one.  We know where we want to be.  We know what it will take to get there.  And we, as a family, will be there, one day.  And we will then invite all our friends to join us in reunion: the snakes and possum, raccoons and chickens, creeks, turtles, treehouses, herbs and veggies.

And until that time, farewell...


With love and respect,

The Murphys

Letter from Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory

Letter from Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory

To Be Read at all Masses in Parishes in the Archdiocese of Atlanta

During the Weekend of January 28 – 29, 2012

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am writing to you on a matter of grave moral concern -- freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that almost all employers, including Catholic employers, will be forced to offer their employees health coverage that includes sterilization, abortion-inducing drugs, and contraception.  Almost all health insurers will be forced to include those “services” in the health policies they write.  And almost all individuals will be forced to buy that coverage as a part of their policies.

In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty.  And as a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled either to violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so).  The Administration’s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

I stand in unity with Catholic bishops throughout the United States and other religious leaders vowing to fight this mandate.

Along with my brother bishops and other religious leaders, I insist that this is a direct attack on our religious freedom and our First Amendment rights.  I will work with the bishops, other religious leaders and our fellow Americans to remove this unjust regulation.

If the administration will not rescind this violation of our First Amendment rights, we must call on our elected leaders to do so.  I ask you to pray that wisdom and justice may prevail, and work together to restore our religious liberty.

Please join me in continuing to follow the development of this important issue and contacting our elected representatives to seek a just resolution.

Through our Georgia Bulletin, archdiocesan and Georgia Catholic Conference websites and other media, I will keep you up to date on the progress of this important issue.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
╬ Wilton D. Gregory
Archbishop of Atlanta

Being Humbled

So, yes, I don't have the chance to be humbled very often.  "How in the world?", you say?  Well, I do get humbled by my dear children.  The things they often do or say that can make a mama proud that they just may be listening and paying attention.  Yes, those are humbling moments.  Even when they come up with something anecdotal for me to listen to.  ;-))

This humbling that I am having is that of complete care provider for this household.  I have taken on so much and not given enough responsibility to the other inhabitants, that now that I am down with some serious illness, I am completely at a loss.  I'm one of those that prefers to just do everything so I don't have to go behind someone else and re-do what they have done half-way.  If the silverware is not placed in the correct slots, I will take the time to re-place every piece into its rightful home.  Anal?  Yes, but it is my space.  This is my work area, and I prefer that it stay as I want it.

I have a friend who has learned to let go when others help out.  For me, that would take some serious work.  To have the floor vacuumed correctly, mopped thoroughly, counters wiped off without utilizing a spray cleaner (imagining spray cleaner all over the butter, wooden spoons, anything exposed, eww...), I can't sit by and watch.

So here I am, down with some sinus infection, migraine or cluster headache, completely disabled.  I honestly can't stand the thought of the sun shining.  I pray for cloudy days, power outages, and darkness.  Rest for thine weary eyes!  I did go to a doc in the box -best visit ever to a doc, period- and got on a game plan.  The nurse practitioner came up with a wonderful treatment plan that should knock out everything I have going on, and I am so grateful for her sincere concern and time that she spent with me...even after giving me a shot in each backside.

I shall get better soon.  I will have my house in order.

My children went to a friend's house for the day yesterday, giving me much needed rest (hence the time to post a blog entry yesterday AND today!).  My head is feeling so much better.  And my face is no longer feeling like it's in a vice (ouch!).  I will get homeschooling back on track, laundry finished up, floors all shiny.  And it's not all in vain.  I opened my silverware drawer this morning in search of a spoon to stir my coffee, and lo' and behold, ALL of the silverware was in order, neatly put away in his own rightful place.  My dear, dear boy of 6 years, so thoughtfully took the time to do it right!  Yes, he will get an extra brownie with caramel and nuts for thinking of me in such a way. ;-)

So humbling it is to let go and let someone do something for me.  This is my workplace, my office, however, it is also my family's home.  We can all work together.  We all know where the silverware drawer is, no matter what order it is in.  We know where the bath towels are, no matter which shelf the kids' towels and grown-ups' towels are.  My children smile so brightly when I see they have helped.  They delight in making me more comfortable, especially when I so graciously let them have an extra brownie, go outside for a good portion of the day, or just simply cuddle instead of run around chasing dust devils.

How is it that the most can be learned from the smallest?

~~Blessings~~
MatronMurphy

Widgets

Okay, so I can choose all of these widgets to promote Web sites and products, in hopes, that maybe I can make a few bucks off the clicks I send to them.  Of course, with that is the responsibility to post interesting, intelligent articles, and to post often.  Ugh.  I honestly don't have the time to report every loony event that takes place under our blessed roof.  However, I can explain, to the few that bother to visit, what I have going on here.

First of all, I have the privilege to choose from a plethora of widgets through the blog site.  Most of these have the opportunity to make money, some are simply for kicks and giggles.  Enjoy, click away, or don't.

I have signed on with Amazon Associates with the hopes that I may end up with a huge following , and tons of folks click on the Amazon link to shop.  I am a dedicated Amazon shopper.  Simply because I don't have to breathe other people's germie air, I don't get knocked over or trapped in an aisle by crazies and their carts, and I don't have to tail my children along, since they seem to have a lot of "needs".  Shop away!

Another awesome widget I have just added today, is the LibraryThing site.  A wonderful, distant friend of mine has turned me onto this site.  You can scan/log all of the books you own, have borrowed from the library or a friend, and you can keep track of what you've been, or already have, read.  Whew, that was a mouthful!  It's another social media site, of course, so you can link up and become "friends" with all sorts of other book-lovers in the world.  I like to keep up, as I can "like" certain authors, and when I am in the mood, I can go to their page and try a new book by them.  I really love this new site.  It's takes a little time to get it all going, initially, with entering in all the books you want to showcase (only the ones that make you look good ;-)). However, once you're up and running, it's all fun and games and checking out what others are reading, as well...not just hitting the "best sellers" list.

One more widget is the awesome Swag bucks link.  Oh, take a look at that if you tend to do a lot of searches.  This service has tons of ways you earn "Swag bucks" that you can trade in on all sorts of stuff.  My personal favorite?  Amazon Gift cards, baby!!!  Oh, yeah, I tend to do a lot of searching online near Christmas time.  I have used so many cards, and just the other day, earn $10 in gift cards.  They have other things you can do- view commercials, take mini-polls, promote the site, etc. -where you can earn more bucks.  Again, I don't have time to really work it, so the searching has kept me good so far.  Check it out...through my referral link. 

Surely, I have other widgets on there.  Links to other blogs, lists, or product sites.  Hit them up, too.  I link to them for one reason or another.  I will only link to sites that I would pretty much approve my little ones to visit (hmm, time to re-visit everyone just to be sure???).  Click away!

~~Blessings~~
MatronMurphy

One thing at a time

So, what does one do when they find themself running around like a chicken with their head cut off because they have too much on their plate?   They take one thing off at a time!  I have started the process of relieving my daily plate of things to do, and I am already feeling 100 pounds lighter. 

After giving it a go for 9 months with absolutely no profit, no parties, and pretty much no reaction whatsoever, I have decided to close up shop with my Tupperware business.  All I can say is, "AHHHHHH!!!!!".   Really.  I have tons of beautiful pieces just sitting in my basement due to no room to store it all in my own kitchen.  From the few orders that I received during this whole time, mainly from friends and family who felt bad and wanted to support me any way they could, I never have recooped anywhere near the amount of money I invested into the business.  The time I invested, I think, will be forgotten, and I can look forward to spending more valuable time with my children. 

I think I had forgotten for a moment exactly why I got into it in the first place.  To begin, the lady who was my doula for one of my children's birth, emailed me that she was selling Tupperware.  For years, literally, I had been waiting for someone to hold a party.  I have very fond memories of eating and drinking off of Tupperware as a child.  My mom still has tons of perfectly good Tupperware from 20+ years ago.  She has FOUR children!  And all of her Tupperware is in good condition.  That should tell anyone about the durability of Tupperware.  Anyhow, I had been wanting a party, so I told her that I was interested in a party. While telling me about her business, she shared with me her success. Well, she just happened to hit the jack pot of Tupperware lovers.  She was dating parties that were producing $100s and $1000s in retail sales.  She was able to make enough in a few short months over the summer to fund her college tuition and fees for this past school year.  Who the heck wouldn't go for it?!  I figured that if I could do this for a period of time, maybe I could afford more or better homeschooling supplies, get some of the old, bad debt off of our credit, or maybe get the hardwood floors I've been wanting.  Not much to dream for, huh?

Well, apparently, I am not a saleswoman, and I don't have many friends.  Well, at least I don't have the friends who'd be able and willing to make the investment in Tupperware, or even host a party.  I figured the product would sell itself, but I suppose it also takes a bit of salesmenship, as well.  After several booth events (school festivals, job fair, home show at the mall, etc.) and quite a bit of contact leads, not one followed through or panned out.  Obviously, this is not the field for me! 

I am not one to "quit" or "give up", and I have been reminded by a dear friend (who did buy a few pieces of Tupperware out of the kindness of her heart) that I am simply walking away and turning the page.  I am not giving up.  I have given the opportunity more than what should be required, both monetarily and time-wise, for a Tupperware business.  I am disappointed, to say the least.  But you know what?  I now have time for ME!   I can now read all the books I've been piling up and accruing.  I can finish my degree in natural health (don't ask me what I'll do with it).  I can skip checking my email, in the hopes that I will have a contact from my business website. Ahhhhhh...

So, what's next?  Scouts will be coming to a close in the next month.  My homeschool group will be slowing down on events and activities for the summer.  I will be freer to travel with the kiddos to see family, go on field trips further away, go camping with hubby and kiddos and so much more.  Maybe my house will get a little more attention with all of this free time!  Maybe I'll get that big fat veggie garden started and maintain it right.  Maybe I can start finishing the basement so we can have an actual school room.  Maybe...

Bridge Day 2009

After showing off my blog site, my dear husband asked why I hadn't reported our last vacation to WV.  Although I didn't point out the infrequency in my posts, I told him I would do it.  So, here it goes...

For years, my husband has been chomping at the bit to get a chance to participate in the rappelling activities at Bridge Day in West Virginia.  Unfortunately, things always happen.  Even in the face of a possible layoff, he was determined that this is the year, so he and a group of caving buddies decided to apply.  The way the whole thing works is that groups of experienced rappellers form teams and send in applications to participate in the Bridge Day events.  Some sort of official group puts all the names of the teams in a hat, and they are drawn on a lottery basis.  This year seems to have been Donald's year, as his team was one of the lucky draws!

On Tuesday, October 13th, we headed out to make a visit to Donald's parents' for a couple of days.  The visit was a lot of fun.  They always welcome us with open arms, and the air is never lacking in chatter.  Our children love visiting, as well, because they have a whole different house to run around in, and their grandparents will get down and play with them.

By Thursday, we were back on the road, headed out for West Virginia!  I know I've been on that route before, but man, the mountains of WV are so much more grand that those in TN.  Talk about steep, tall and majestic!  Yeah, sure, I haven't seen the west coast, but I'll take this for now.  Anyhow, it was a beautiful ride the entire way up.

Once we arrived and set up camp, we realized that we were going to need a few more items than we normally use.  Apparently, our tent had lost its waterproof powers, so we were going to need a BIG tarp for the wet weekend.  We also realized that, since it was going to be such a rainy weekend, and we were planning on being there for several days, it would be wise to purchase some sort of canopy structure that we could assemble under to cook and hang out. Oh, yeah, and in the midst of packing for everyone else in the family, I forgot to pack a coat or jacket for myself! 

The set up was quite nice.  We had a tarp that completely covered our tent, and tarps that connected off of our newly bought canopy.  Other than the children playing in the puddles collecting on the tarps behind the structures, as any normal children would do in the freezing-cold rain, we were pretty dry.  Ahh!

The Bridge Day events were scheduled for Saturday, the 17th.  That's when they open the bridge for pedestrian traffic on one complete side of the bridge.  It is the only day out the year that pedestrians are allowed on the bridge.  Neat, huh?  The day before, on Friday, was a leisure, meet and greet day.  Donald had an orientation to attend in the evening, but during the day, we were able to travel around the area and get a feel for the monstrosity of the bridge we were getting ready to celebrate.  Since this was our first year, we did not attend any of the parties or main attraction events the townsfolk were holding.  Instead, we went for the "drive and get lost" tourism (my favorite kind!).  Considering there are few roads weaving through the valleys in that area, getting lost was really not an option, but it was still fun!

Bridge Day arrived.  It was c-o-l-d!  This will be my only complaint of the entire weekend: if it had only been a couple of degrees colder so the kiddos could have seen snow...  The town had all sorts of transportation options for attendees.  However, the fare was way more than my cheap self was willing to pay, sooooo, we were going to walk!  Donald's fees he paid for getting to rappel included transportation, so he was good.  Our camp was only a matter of a few miles to get to the bridge, and my children always seem to have endless amounts of energy, so it seemed a fine idea for a stroll in the mountains.  Of course, I also knew that chivalry still exists, and most of the fine men attending the event would pick up a woman and her little children walking on the side of a road in the cold rain.  I was banking on that, and I was right!  A nice man, carrying an almost full load of another family stopped and picked us up.  Woo Hoo!

Did I mention that the bridge was a monster?  Oh yeah, I did.  Well, the nice driver dropped us off about a 1/2 mile from the start of the bridge.  What the town does, is have all the vendors line up on the road for a mile or so before the bridge (on both ends), and then the bridge is open on one side for foot traffic and BASE jumpers.  The kiddos and I had a nice, cold, windy stroll along the vendors' row.  We even bought a greasy funnel cake to start off. [NOTE: Do not accept a funnel cake already made and ready to go. Have them make it fresh, or you'll pay dearly. Keep reading, and you'll see what I mean.]  After my dear daughter ate half of the funnel cake, I decided to throw it out for a couple of reasons: my hand was freezing from having to stick out while holding the plate, and it was nasty, greasy. 

We eventually made our way to the start of the bridge and noticed guys in rappelling gear going under the bridge.  This got me sort of excited thinking of the possibility of seeing Donald, especially for the kiddos.  It then dawned on me the possibility that he could be going to the opposite end of the bridge to get underneath. Hmm... We hung out for a while, watching the guys climb down under the bridge.  For this is where they rappel from, along a catwalk, w-a-y out in the center.  After we didn't see Donald for quite some time, we decided that we would walk on the bridge and watch the BASE jumpers. That was pretty fun, but we realized that the further out we got on the bridge, the windier it got as well.  We lasted about 15 minutes and proceeded to head off the bridge to go back to the camp.  Fun.

Wouldn't you know, as we approached the end of the bridge, there was my dear husband, climbing over the fence to go under the bridge!  Beautiful timing.  Of course, I started to run to him so he wouldn't miss us, and proceeded  to lose little man in the process. Go figure.  Eamon was so busy eating Nerds that the Red Bull man gave to him, he didn't notice us walk over to Donald.  Poor little guy looked so lost, and was only 10 feet away when he realized we were separated.  With that drama over, we got to visit with Donald for a minute before he ran off to do his thing.

On the way back to camp, I decided that we'd try one more funnel cake (I do love them so.), and the new one was a hit.  Of course, the rain that picked up as we were drudging along the road to our camp was not a hit!  With a mere 1/4 mile to go, a nice ranger guy picked us up and gave us a short ride to camp.  I really did not mind as the rain was starting to picking up and the children were getting fussy with all the walking, cold and rain. 

Once back at camp, Sarah was starting to feel queezy and decided to lie down for a bit.  More and more, her tummy was hurting, and I suddenly had that feeling that maybe a bag would be good to place by her, just in case.  Well, it could not have  been placed at any better moment, as she needed it immediately.  Poor thing, emptied her tummy of that nasty old greasy funnel cake from earlier. Oh, we did lose some blankets from that, too.  After that, she felt much better.  She washed her hair from debris and then ate lunch!

The rest is not very noteworthy.  On the way back home, we did get to enjoy the sight of snow on the higher mountain tops.  I did not stop to let the kiddos out.   I was done with the cold and precip, and I think my family members agreed; no one argued with me.

I am really hoping that the weather conditions are a bit drier or warmer next year.  It would make all the walking much easier.  Although, to think about it, it did make for a small crowd of people to navigate through.  In the end, Donald got to rappel a total of 6 times.  He had a blast and looks forward to next year to break his personal record.

My first recruit!

I am proud to announce that I have finally signed on my first Tupperware recruit! YAY! After all of these months, paying for booths, sending out emails, maintaining my website, and plugging my business where ever I could, I am now locked into staying with this. How could I back out now?

I still battle with the whole praying and timing of prayers heard issue. I am not sure why I have to fight the results and the obvious that prayers are always answered, and it's not just coincidence. For years, I felt that things would always just fall into place, and they never quite did as easily as they have since I have come back to the Church. All I can think is that this is God, the Holy Spirit, reaching out to prove His point. It's that "duh!" sort of point being made. I don't just pray when I need something. I have been very grateful for what I have and what I have to look forward to, given the opportunities that open up constantly before me. So, why can't I just accept that which is spelled out plainly?

I ask this because, over the past several months that I have been "working" at this business thing, I have prayed that something happen if this is what I am supposed to be doing. Is this what I should be doing instead of going out for a part-time job at the pharmacy, hospital, or wherever? Am I directing my attention, time and money toward a venture that will never pay out? The only money I have made so far has been from very supportive friends and family. However, I can't expect them all to support a pet project that will never grow! So, while the waters and wind have been near-dead, I have asked that I be pointed in the direction that I should be heading. That is one thing that hasn't been as obvious (maybe too much clutter and noise in my busy brain?).

Here I am: prayer answered. I have a recruit! Now, here's my reasoning regarding this milestone: In order for me to earn anything from my downline, I must have at least 3 active recruits. Although I have just one, this is the beginning! I only have to have 2 more! Is this not one step WAY closer to having a business that can support me? This may be an over-reaction to such a simple event, however, I can't look at it that way. I have to let this take me to the next level of an avalanche of growth. I have to believe that this is the first trickle of what is going to become an overwhelming change in my life and that of my family's, right? Otherwise, why pray? Why ask for that sign if I'm going to run from it? He knows what I can handle, and if this is what He's going to give to me, I accept with open, gracious arms!

Oh, and Merry Christmas to me!

I have my first party date!

I am so utterly excited that I now have my first party dating. Yes, I am selling Tupperware, and I am pretty proud of it. The products are good. They last forever, practically. The warranties on the products are excellent. And, the parties can be so fun!

If you or anyone you know is interested in hosting a Tupperware party, here are some ideas of what we can do:

- bachelorette party (cash in on healthy, economical kitchen products to start your family)
- baby shower (all children's products are BPA-free, I plan on working on the rest)
- house warming party (excellent for first time homeowners)
- divorce party (get a clean fresh start with new kitchen gadgets)
- anniversary party (a good time to update your kitchen wares)
- Girls Night Out party
- Moms Night Out party
- fundraisers (40% of sales go towards your organization)
- online party (for those who have friends and relatives all over the place)
- catalog party (simply hand out catalogs, collect orders and money, and reap the host benefits)

There are so many ideas, reasons and options to have Tupperware parties. Heck, why not have a before the holidays party to stock up on good gifts to give family and friends. Secret Santa programs would go well with Tupperware. Who doesn't love kitchen gadgets?

Anyhow, I just had to share my excitement. This party should be a good, healthy kick-off to more parties and leads, and I am so grateful to my dear friend for being so kind to host it. Hopefully, I'll post in a couple of weeks, with exasperation that I am soooo busy with my Tupperware business. Ha! We'll see.

Here's a new ad-venture for ya!

Okay, so I'm looking at all these bills that repeatedly make a grand entrance every month. I'm also looking at my wish list of things I'd like to complete around the house (wood floors, finish the basement, build bookshelves, etc.). And then there's the big, fat wish list of books I'd like to acquire for our home school library. Who couldn't use more books?! For some reason, all of this seems to out-weigh the amount that is being brought in by the lonesome breadwinner of our family. So, I have possibly found an opportunity where I can make that little extra dough to make my projected ends meet: Tupperware.

Yes, I said Tupperware. This is such a nice idea for me on so many levels. I will just have to list those many points, just so I can come back at a later date and refresh my craziness.

1. I love kitchen gadgets. I can use more *FREE* kitchen gadgets any day.
2. I need to get used to public speaking, especially since I am now a La Leche League Leader.
3. I need to meet more people in my community. I had a nice big family when I was employed, before children, but that is 28 miles away. Being a SAHM puts you into a whole different category of friends.
4. Tupperware sells itself.
5. Did I mention that I love kitchen gadgets?
6. I need more money, and the compensation program this company offers is more than ideal. Not to mention the ongoing bonuses and benefits.
7. This gives me something to do, alone, outside of the home, at least once a week.
   
8. It's money that I am earning, and I feel better about spending it.

Okay, so that's a start of why this is such an appropriate thing for me to do. I've been forwarded job listings for blogging, of which I am most inconsistent. I've been forwarded all sorts of WAHM opportunities, and by far, this is the best one that fits me. Really, I have been waiting for a Tupperware party to hit around here for such a long time. I've had stuff I wanted to buy, and now I can make money, get free stuff, and then some. I just hope it all works.

So, how am I to find the time to do this? I figure that if I can devote just an hour online, or on the phone, a day, and try to shoot for one party a week, I should do pretty well. That's just the beginning. Surely, I would hope that things would pick up from there. I will definitely not be one of those high pressure sales people, talking some poor saps into buying junk they don't need. There are some gadgets that I would not recommend unless someone were going to be making money using the product. However, there are more products put out by this company that would and can make people's lives so much easier, more efficient, and save money. Yay!

Okay, so I am now off to find places to put my name and website. If you, dear reader, find that you are in need of some Tupperware products, may be slightly interested in selling some yourself, or would possibly like to host a Tupperware party (assuming you live within a reasonable distance from me), PLEASE take a look at my website and contact me. Please have patience, as I am learning all about the different products and offers through the company. Like, I didn't know this one: they have a lifetime warranty on just about every product. Lifetime! That's awesome. So, yes, take a look around, and give me a nudge if you see something you like.

www.my2.tupperware.com/captola

Coco, our kitten

I don't really like posting twice in a day, but it make things so much easier, when I have my blog sent to family and friends in one fell swoop. I figure that this is the best place to post what is going on with our dear little kitten that we've only have for a few weeks.

On Good Friday, we were packing to spend the weekend in TN with my husband's awesome parents. As I was doing some last minute checking on our chicks in the garage, I noticed a little black kitten running in and out of the door. Well, at that moment, we didn't have any cats or kittens, and it was completely unexpected. The children immediately fell in love with her and asked if they could keep her. Well, we were about to take off for the whole weekend, and I didn't think it would be safe to lock her in the garage, especially with those little chicks! So, I told the kiddos that if the kitten were still around when we got home after the weekend, they could keep her.

Promises are promises!

On the following Monday, after coming home from our Girl Scout meeting, who should come up the driveway, but that little black kitten! Okay, so now we have a kitten. The neighbors are absolutely tickled, and they are now teasing that maybe a pot-bellied pig or goat should be next in line for our farm. Right. After tossing names around for a day or so, we all settled on the name of Coco, as she is not just black, but has somewhat of brown highlights in her long hair. She is really adorable, and has been a blessing in teaching the children the responsibility of feeding and caring for an animal. The only thing they are not responsible for is the litter box.

This past weekend, on Sunday, our dear little one was attacked by a 3-legged dog. To us, it looked like a pitbull-mix, but the shelter said they entered it in as a boxer-mix. It doesn't really matter, a Coco was really torn up from the encounter. Her left front arm was fractured at all of her major joints: shoulder, elbow (the worst), and wrist. Since she's so tiny at about 8 weeks old, the doctor had to do a closed manipulation of the bones to get them all back in place. Her bones are too small to try to screw back together. The doctor was most concerned about her elbow, as it took the worst of the injuries. If the elbow can't heal in a decent manner, the arm will have to be taken off. Even if it stays on, she won't get too much use out of it, poor thing.

Right now, my wonderful sister-in-law is caring for the kitten, since she works at the animal hospital. The kitten will be in a splint for at least 4-6 weeks, if all goes as planned. I fear when she will be released to come home as these children are soooo rough! We'll figure it out, eventually.

I called the shelter, as the dog was not recognized by any of the neighbors that were present when the incident happened. The shelter said that I have to call everyday to see if the dog has been claimed. If he is claimed, the shelter will give me the owner's information so I can get them to pay the doctor bills. I feel sorry for the dog, as he was pretty nice and social with the humans around. My major concern was that he did start for the kitten while it was still in my son's arms. See, he took her outside to show the neighborhood children up the street his new kitten, against mother's orders. Whew, if ever there were a lesson to be learned!

My babies are growing!

Okay, so who did I get those little chickens for, anyhow? I have been the most reluctant one about getting pets. Why? Because I know that I will be the only one to take care of the critters, and I simply don't have the time. At least that's not on top of my list of things I want to do with my spare time. Now, we have 7 prepubescent chickens, 1 silkie ring-neck dove, and 1 severely injured kitten (story to come). Out of all of these wonderful beings, the chickens are way up there when it comes to getting pleasure in caring for them. Little did I know!

The chickens take the most time throughout the day to care for. We have to go out twice a day to check on food and water, and to check to make sure they are going up and down the ladder okay. For the past couple of days, they all seem to want to stay in the top part of the coop. I don't know if that's because it's been warmer lately, or what. We tried to put them in the bottom, but they all ended up back in the top. I am done trying to figure out the psychology of our chickens, so if they want to stay in the top, go for it. I do know that I prefer for them all to be in the top, as that area provides the best protection from predators. Seems I've been hearing way more owls hooting since we brought the birds home. Hmm...

It is amazing to watch them grow. It was so funny when they started losing their baby feathers. At first, I started to panic that they were infested with mites or something. And then I figured out that they were just going through puberty. How cute! I just wish we could be more sure of their genders. A couple are growing their combs before the others. Although, both male and female can have them, I wonder if the ones growing them now, are male. One of them I am pretty sure is a cock, as he is very vocal, already has been growing his comb on top for a while now, and is the most aggressive. This, to me, is hilarious because he is also the 2nd smallest of the whole bunch. It's like that little man syndrome! Ha!!!

So, we're going out of town for the weekend, the children and I. I have some close friends with children that will stop by everyday to count the chickens and monitor their waterers. I figure that's all they really need at this point. They can go up and down as they please, the feeder holds enough food to keep them for 3-4 days, and there is still some greenery and bugs on the bottom, if they want more than chick feed. I still can't help but think that I'll be thinking about them the whole weekend. I really hope those darn owls don't try to get into the coop. Of course, there are other marsupials and rodents out there that I should be concerned about. Oh, and when we were having our Girl Scout backyard camp out last weekend, just 5 minutes down the road, I could hear all sorts of coyote cries. I better come back to 7 chickens or I'll be pissed!

Enjoy the pictures of our prepubescent babes. I'll try to take more photos along the way, as they get older. I can't figure out how to caption the photos, so here's a rundown of what you're looking at: At the top, are my two little reds, holding one of their little reds. Next, is one of our RI Reds, next to a qt-size Mason jar, for size reference. Third, is our cockiest little one. He is also the 2nd smallest, but very fiesty. The fourth is my son's, and we call her Mohawk Girl. The name was Mohawk Man, but we've since realized that it's most likely a she, not a he. Good thing, since we only want girls. Last one, on the right, is our little Road Runner. She is soooo fast! She is a blast to chase, or at least a blast to watch the kiddos chase. Poor thing.

Have a Blessed weekend!

Food for the foodies!

Anyone else have the problem of going to the spice cabinet in the middle of cooking, just to find out that you don't have what you need? Well, shoot, I do that with major ingredients, too, but that's not the point. The point of this little gem of an entry is to show and tell about my new herb garden. Yay!!! Everyone should have an herb garden, I think.

First of all, we just happen to have this bare circle in the middle of the front yard. There is an electrical outlet on a post and a cord coming out of the ground, plugged into the outlet. Interestingly, I could never get an answer as to just what, exactly, this little mess was when we bought the house. So, I leave it plugged in. Anyhow, the ground around this outlet is nicely prepped for a lovely little circular garden, about 6 feet in diameter. What would be cuter than a beautiful, fragrant herb garden? Never again will I be distraught over the lack of herbage in my house!

So, how did I start, you ask? Simple, I figured out what we use the most in the kitchen, and then I thought of some medicinal herbs that may be needed by my extremely active family. After some research, I came up with the kitchen herbs that can also serve as medicinals: basil (common and lime), cilantro, parsley, dill, chives, marjoram, sage and thyme. There's nothing like having dual-purpose plants at my disposal! Oh, like those dual-purpose chickens out back.

Second, I had the children help me mark off the garden into pie-shaped sections, using yarn and rocks to weigh down the yarn. This made it colorful and fun for the children to participate. I certainly want them to be comfortable with eating the herbs, so by letting them help grow and cultivate the garden, they'll be more open to eating the "fruits" of their labor.

Third, I figured out that I should have had the children till and loosen the soil BEFORE we marked off the sections. So, we unmarked the garden and tilled it up, adding in some nice dark stuff to make it yummier for the new plants. After that, we remarked the garden.

Fourth, we made our trip to the home improvement store for our seeds and plants. I found all I could in seed form, since that seems to be the most cost effective. Then we meandered over to the plant section and picked out the rest of what was on my shopping list.

Once back home, the gardening was old news for the young ones, so Mommy had the digging and planting all to herself. No complaints here! Getting your hands in the dirt has got to be therapeutic, in some form or fashion, no doubt about it. It's also a very empowering feeling to place seeds in the dirt, thinking that I have just started to grow something that can serve and supply my family with goodness for years to come. Oh, and the yard will look pretty, too.

So, there it is. Herb gardening made easy. All I have to do now is to water, wait, watch, and weed. So far, it's been a little over a week. No seeds have sprouted, yet, but I'll give them a little more time. One of the dill plants has completely bent over and killed off. No worries, that wonderful home improvement store has some sort of a warranty. Now, if I can only find that darn receipt!

I suppose that I will be expected to share recipes in which I use these wonderful herbs. You've got it! We've already used the common basil on a homemade pizza last week. We simply pinched off a couple of leaves from each plant and placed them, whole, on the pizza with all the other toppings. It was soooo delicious! I promise, there will be a plethora of recipes to come, with herbs included. Hmm, pesto is sounding pretty good to me, right now. Okay, stay tuned...

What is my job title again?

Stay-at-home mom.

Sounds pretty simple, right? One would assume, as I did when I was still working but pregnant, that a SAHM is simply one of those frilly homemakers with some silly apron, who tends to their family with a smile. I'm not even sure how I came up with that picture, as my own mom, once a SAHM, was not that way at all.

I am currently looking at a possible internet job that focuses on the scope of being a SAHM. Since looking at that job posting, I've been scrambling my brain about what in the world would be my focus.

Just for kicks, I'll give a run-down of my "job description", and this is not to be compared to working mothers, housewives with no children, working women with no children, etc. I'm just exploring my world.

Matron Murphy's job description:

• wife - caretaker of Mr. Murphy,


• mother - caretaker of 2 children,


• cook - prepare meals for anyone present in the house to eat, keep up grocery stock


• maid - clean entire house, top to bottom, take out trash, make sure cans go out on trash night,


• launderer - keep all clothing clean and presentable, mend as needed,


• CFO - maintain all finances, pay bills, balance checkbook, budget expenses,


• landscaper - maintain lawn, maintain gardens, keep driveway clean


• house doctor - try to keep all family healthy, and treat as necessary when sick, keep up stock of medicine cabinet,


• appliance repair tech. - maintain all appliances in household and repair as necessary,


• teacher - educate my children to the best of my ability, give them as many experiences as possible, keep up-to-date with the world so to make learning current.


• La Leche League Leader - lead and support our local group and mothers in breastfeeding and parenthood,


• Girl Scout Leader - plan and lead my daughter's Daisy troop

Okay, I think I've said enough. Not trying to toot my own horn that I have some big job, or that I'm trying to justify that I really do stay busy. I do have days when I sit down and wonder what the heck I actually did all day. What did I complete or accomplish? Should I, could I, have done more in one area? Did I even give the children enough attention? Scales, scales, scales!!! It's difficult not to weigh accomplishments, needs, wants and priorities. Now, where is an application for that? I would be afraid to see a pie chart designed to show how much time is placed in certain areas and where it may be needed in others. That's not in my area of expertise, for sure!

It's times like this when I start to get all stressed out. You know, dear husband comes home, worn out and tired, and reminds me that, one day, I will have to be the bread-maker of the family, and HE will get to retire. Have I really retired? Am I on some big vacation? I thought a vacation was when you stay somewhere that you don't have to clean your own sheets, or even change them. Well, in retirement you still have to do those things. But retirement is getting R&R, going outside to tend the garden because there is nothing else to do. Retirement is also when there are no children to take care of because they've all flown the coop! Ha, I'm not retired. But then again, it scares the daylights out of me to think of any other way. I certainly don't want to give this up to go work somewhere out of the home. I really miss the adult interaction, conversation, and even eye-level, but not enough to get back out there. Whew!

So, here I sit, hoping that I have what it takes to be considered an authority on being a SAHM. I fret over having sufficient experience and stories to share. Then again, I simply look at my two little angels and fret no more. They've plenty of stories to create for me, every single moment of the day. I can just sit back, spectate, and report. Thank God I love words! Maybe some day soon, I will add "Published Writer" to my list of titles above. But for now, I'll hop, skip and jump from title to title, as necessary, and love the life I'm living and the family I'm living it with.
My little SAHM-in-training

Something to crow about

I knew when we bought our house last year, that there was a reason we picked a subdivision without any covenants or a Homeowners' Association. We had that primitive, basic instinct that told us the economy was about to go crazy, and we were going to have to take some measures in self-sufficiency to make things comfortable. Well, our instincts were heeded, and here we are, entering the realm of self-sufficiency!

Step One: Raising Chickens

Okay, that is not really the first step we've taken in becoming more fiscally responsible, or tight-wads as some might call it. Sure, we've been clipping coupons, doing sales comparisons, eating lighter (with some added benefits), and reducing our dining-out excursions. However, what's the fun in it for the children? Where is the lesson for them to "live and learn"? What is going to last in their memories when they look back at this historic piece of time? Well, my children will look back fondly, thinking back on their first pets, our chickens, who've added so much more to our household than we could have imagined.

Why chickens? Here are some convincing benefits to raising chickens that may, or may not, seem obvious:

• you get 2-3 fresh eggs everyday, provided you keep 2-3 laying hens;



• you can have fresh meat, and know what it's been fed and how it was raised;



• chickens eat bugs, and help to greatly reduce unwanted pests (ie. ticks, mosquitoes, ants, etc.);



• you have living tillers to work your garden soil and keep the weeds out;



• your children have a blast running around, trying to catch those fast little buggers, which in turn, provides adults plenty of entertainment and conversation.

Okay, was any of the above convincing? It certainly convinced us! So, how does one start to acquire and assess their needs? I can't give enough praise for the first book I checked out of the library, and subsequently bought, entitled, Your Chickens: A Kid's Guide to Raising and Showing by Gail Damerow. I have found that when you want to learn about something completely new, try to get a children's guide, the wording is so much easier to follow! In this book, I was able to learn about what to expect out of having chickens, how many I should consider for my family, what those crazy little birds need as far as housing, feed, and protection, and the many other money-making opportunities that involve poultry.

After reading up on raising chickens, I was then confident enough to share my interest with my family. My husband, who also shares that "back to the land" calling, heartily agreed to the idea, and next thing you know, we've got baby chicks in a cardboard box in the kitchen. Whew! Of course, they lasted there for only few days before I sent them to the garage for making such a mess of the cardboard with their waterer.

Go ahead, you experienced chicken raisers, laugh all you want. We all have to learn, somehow.

So, according to my wonderful chicken book, those little guys (more hoping for girls) are ready to go out in a coop by 4-6 weeks. Time to build a hen house! Now, you may have to meet my husband in order to understand his passion for carpentry. He loves it. He loves to work with his hands. When he was self-employed doing residential remodeling, he would spend hours talking to the homeowners about what he was doing, adding in little extras to make things look really neat. He even came home one day, beaming, because some old man called him a "real artisan". So, I already knew that the chicken coop project was going to be an interesting one.

We searched all over the internet for chicken tractors, chicken coop designs, hen houses, you name it. The best site we found was a site of 140+ various pictures of chicken tractors. That was all my husband needed to see to become inspired to create his own. What I expected to be a $200 project, ended up being a $400+ project. Hmm, I should've known!

I am posting pictures taken at various steps of the project, in hopes to inspire other chicken coop builders. The coop, by no means, has to be so luxurious, but leave it to my husband, he had to put the nice metal roofing and cedar siding on for a nice, decorative effect. I'm proud of him, and can say that I had the honor in toting his lumber for him, digging the trench to bury the chicken wiring, and holding the ends of the boards he was cutting, getting all covered in saw dust. You want to talk about a marriage revival retreat? Build a chicken coop! Just don't look at the receipts.