Thursday, January 31, 2013

This & That On Thursday

Hi everyone.  Here we are, another week drawing to a close.  I have no idea where time goes.  Remember the song from Fiddler On The Roof, I think it is called, Sunrise Sunset?  It was one of the songs what we had sung at our wedding.  Sunrise Sunset.....Sunrise Sunset.....swiftly fly the years.........
That is how I feel right now.  Time is just zipping by at lightening speed.  I wish I could find a way to make it slow down, but try as I might, those sunrises and sunsets keep coming like one crashing wave after another.
My week has been busy.   Some good, some not.  Last week one day, about noon or so, I heard a loud bit of chicken chatter.  At first I thought that it was just one of them laying.  But then, it sounded like more than one, and more panicked.  I ran out back, and by then it was over.  Aunt Beatrice was gone.  Vanished.  All that was left of her was a pile of her beautiful feathers.  I was too late, and my Aunt Bea was taken by either a hawk or coyote.  We have both, and often.  Yesterday, I left the house to go to my Mom's and wound up staying out to have dinner with my Mom and brother and sister in law and nephew.  I texted Greg to close the coop door.  He didn't get it until about 7:30, and when he did, thought that there was one less chicken.  I got home and searched the orange grove with a flashlight, and nothing.  Then a few minutes later, my son and husband heard a coyote and went out to check, and though the coyote was not in the grove, he was close, and they found evidence of my second hen, having been taken by a coyote.  Again I was sick.  My chickens aren't just for eggs.  They are my pets.  I got up early this morning and let the girls out with me, and then put them back safely inside the coop when I went in.  Later I let them out when I worked in the  yard, but until I can get their enclosure covered to keep them in, and coyotes out, I will be extra cautious.
Their molts are finished, and they are laying again like crazy!
One of my all time favorite breakfasts is Toad In The Hole.  I  usually use a thick rustic bread for this, but only had sourdough.  It was too skinny to use a round cut out, so I just cut a rectangle for the egg.  Tasted just as good, but not as pretty.
Butter both sides of your bread.  Allow to toast on medium/high heat for a minute or so, then crack your egg open into the hole.  First place a pat of butter into hole.  Season.  Let cook until firm enough to flip.  Also toast your cut outs of bread alongside.  Toast other side to desired doneness.  I like my eggs over medium.  Enjoy!!!
Remember my 2 dollar wreath from Michael's?  I hung it in my entry way over the mirror.  I was going to Valentine it up a bit with some hearts, but then my friend Pammy Sue suggested using one of the crochet puffed hearts I had been making.  Brilliant!!!
Thanks Pammy, it looks perfect now!!
I will hate to take it down after Valentine's Day, I am enjoying it so much!
I kept my cute little Christmas felted mice out that my brother gave me.  They were too cute to put away!  And after all, the one is holding a felted heart!
I have this little Valentine vignette sitting on my ottoman in the living room.  Rusted iron bookends, rusted iron mouse, (also from my brother Mark), rusted iron vase with some of Dad's roses.  A rusted iron heart, and a much loved photo we had done while doing family pictures a couple years ago at the beach.  We drew a heart in the sand, and my father's name, and the photographer went to the pier to take the photo as we were all blowing a kiss heavenward to my Dad.
I am working on a yummy scarf for a good friend, in deep magenta.
I just finished this earwarmer for a blogging friend, and will be getting it off into the mail tomorrow.
And I am madly in love with my new dog, Dusty!  He is a gigantic teddy bear!  A Marley of sorts, but not quite as bad.  But because he is so lovable, his faults are easily overlooked!!
I have two  blankets that I lay across our bed at night, to keep the bed clean, and I can easily wash these every couple of days.   Ducey sleeps at the foot of the bed, and Dusty sleeps between us like our kids did when were little!  He is 100 pounds of dead weight when he meanders over to either of our sides, and is nearly impossible to move.  We have woken up several times to this, and we just laugh!
Saturday is our son Drew's 24th birthday.  We are having everyone here for dinner.  Then on Sunday again for Super Bowl.  I am making the peppered beef for Super Bowl.  What are you doing this weekend?
XO  Kris

32 comments:

Taci simmons said...

Hi Kris,
Love the heart...so cute! And the magenta scarf looks so beautiful...I hope you show it before you give it away. I'm sure yr blog friend will love the headband. So very cute.
Happy birthday to yr son and enjoy the Super Bowl.
We are just staying home and watching the game with the kids and maybe some of their friends. Too lazy to go anywhere this weekend.
Have fun and enjoy yr weekend :)

Maryjane-The Beehive Cottage said...

Hello Kris!

Oh my heavens...I got a sneek peek at the ear warmer!!! I am so very excited and it is so me! LOL! Really it is! Thank you so much, it is darling!

I am so very sorry about your hens! So very sad and I know how much you love them. Just an awful thing. We kept ours covered because of hawks & owls. So many times I would find a big hawk on the fence wishing he could get in the coop. Glad to hear they are laying agin.

Hope your grandmother is on the mend. I will pray for her.

Love your new fur baby...haha, 100 lbs and all!

Hugs,
Maryjane
xox

Taci simmons said...

Sorry I forgot to say ...I'm so very sorry about your chickens....it's so hard bcz one gets attached to hire animals...I'm truly sorry. Hopefully she left an egg for you . Your dog is just adorable. :)

Maryjane-The Beehive Cottage said...

PS...can't wait to see your Etsy shop open again soon! xoxoxox

Petunia Pill said...

Oh Kris! I, too, would be devastated to lose hens! Your babies! I'm so sorry! Waaaaaaah! Poor girls. Nature can be so brutal.

Love the heart addition to your wreath. That Pammy Sue...she's a wise one!

And the bread made me drool. I haven't had bread since last August and I miss it every now and then! Yours looked yummmmmmmy!

Hugs to you and I so agree with the fleeting passage of time! Where DID January go?

From the Kitchen said...

Oh dear--so sorry to hear about your hens. We are having coyote trouble in the urban areas as well. Last year, one strode into a corner deli in downtown Chicago and plopped down in the open cooler. It was a hot day!! We are watching the game but don't have a favorite team.

Best,
Bonnie

Holly said...

Oh Honey, I'm so sorry to hear about your babies. That must be terrible. Poor girls, they must be scared. I love that wreath and your mice, I don't really decorate for Valentines day but probably should.

Debbie said...

Good morning Kris! I am soo sorry to hear about your hens...how sad! We have lost a couple of cats over the years to those pesky coyotes. I LOVE the wreath! I don't see why you can't leave it up all the time! The color on the scarf is GORGEOUS! We have a birthday and the super bowl this week-end too! : ) Enjoy!

Cathy said...

I'm so sorry to read about your disappearing chickens, Kris. I would be so upset too. Having fresh eggs every day would be such a treat. The days keep going by faster every year sorry to say. I hope you enjoy your busy weekend ahead. Love the color of the scarf you are working on.

Nicky said...

So much going on Kris!! I am sorry about your poor wee chickens. What a shame. Your scarf and valentines wreath are lovely and the story behind your photograph is so touching. It is my son's 13th birthday on Sunday so we are also having a celebratory weekend. Enjoy your weekend. Much love, Nicky. xx

Carol said...

I just love your wreath and those cute little mice.

Peppered beef, that sounds good. Is that a pinterest recipe?

45th Parallel Quilter said...

I agree with Carol ... peppered beef sounds intriguing...do you have a recipe or website to share with us? Need something new for the Super Bowl party at our house! Can definitely relate to being "owned" by a dog ... LOL

Linda

Bethany said...

That has to be the worst feeling. I remember my sisters and I trying very hard to save a bird once--we were 'this close' to success when the neighbors cat snatched him. We were 3 sobby girls for a little while...
This weekend I'm sewing and doing the whole superbowl/birthday thing with my nephew--11 years old already!!

Unknown said...

Here I grew up with those eggs being called One Eye Connellys. Who knows why,just what my grammy called them. Always a favorite. This weekend is the big celebration in the city of one year. Excited, but it's going to be a cold one. Always good to check in with a few of you......

Pammy Sue said...

Hello, Dahling. Your valentines wreath looks so good! My dad's name is Don too, and his birthday is Saturday just like your son's! My dad will be 80, and my sister from San Diego will be here for it. Her, me, and my other sister are meeting for dinner tonight and have things planned all weekend. So it will be a family weekend for us. We're supposed to have smashing weather for it too.

Mereknits said...

Kris, what a post! So sorry about your girls, gosh nature just sucks sometimes. Glad your big teddy bear is a joy, a big dog can be so much fun. They are like large people. Love all of your crocheting. Happy Birthday to Drew, I know he will love celebrating with all of you.
Hugs,
Meredith

Unknown said...

So sorry to hear about your girls, I know how devastating this can be. We love our pets... There are coyotes her and so I covered my run and so far no problems. I do have to keep an eye out during the day when they are free ranging because there are lot s of hawks here.

I love how productive you are...good job. I want to make one of those ear warmers but haven't found a good pattern yet. Off to do some crochet with a friend, she has a pattern but I wanted one with the flower.....

Pam said...

Oh Kris, my heart is sick for you & the loss of your hens. I am sorry!

I absolutely LOVE the photo of your family blowing kisses to your dad. It gave me goosebumps.

I am so glad you are loving Dusty. He's adorable.

We are all finally feeling better and my back is feeling good too! Thank goodness!

Betsy said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your poor hen's. I know some will say it's all part of the cycle of life, but our animals often become our babies, (at least for me and I suspect you too!)

I love your heart in the wreath, what a great idea!

And your dogs on the bed are just where mine is right now. I wouldn't want her anywhere else.

Thanks for sharing your life with us. Such a full post.

Blessings,
Betsy

Patty said...

I enjoyed reading your post, Kris. So sorry about Aunt Bea. I remember when we lived in Southern California we heard about coyotes. Your crocheted Valentine is so neat. I love all of your work - it's so pretty.

priscilla said...

Sorry about your chickens Kris ! Its horrible !
Your wreath looks great with your cute heart !Love the earwarmer , so pretty !
Hope you have a great weekend !

annielizabeth said...

Hi Kris, Yes, time is passing soooo fast! So sad losing your babies/pets. Once those darned scavengers know you have chickens they WILL keep coming back. That is what happened when we lived in Glendora up against the hillside. Beautiful new family member you have there. Lucky Ducey has a new friend. Love your hearts, very festive. Have a great time at your parties this wknd! ox

Gracie Saylor said...

Even with all our modern gadgets, we do live in the wild west. Several times in the last month we saw a coyote run across our front yard, up our driveway and back up the hill by the back pond. I am sorry that one down in your neck of the woods attacked your chickens, Kris.

I really like your Valentine wreath! I have been having fun making hearts, including a cotton dishcloth one.

It's great that your newest family member is making himself at home, even if he is a bit of a
bed-hog-dog :-)

We are celebrating my new SIL's B'day, his mom's B'day and the Super Bowl after church this Sunday !!!

xx,
Gracie

Katie Mansfield said...

I am so sorry about your hens.
I think we lost a cat that way.
Have a wonderful weekend. I have enjoyed catching up over here.
Katie
Let's Add Sprinkles

Deb~in~Denver said...

Kris, I'm sorry to read about your chickens, dang coyotes! I'll bet you really do become attached to them, sounds like they each have unique personalities.
Love the scarf and ear warmer, I'm thinking I need to learn how to knit or crochet. My Grandma tried to teach me when I was about 8, she gave up because I did everything "backwards". Wonder if I'm too old to learn. ;)
Your Valentine's vignette looks so cute. I love that picture, what a wonderful memory for all of you.
We will have a very quiet Super Bowl celebration, just the two of us for a change! Still planning on making lots of goodies, that's part of the fun! I think we're still in mourning that our beloved Broncos aren't playing.
We had "Sunrise, Sunset" at our wedding, too. Isn't it crazy how quickly the time passes. We were just talking about something that happened and I said, "it was just 2-3 years ago" and in fact it was 9 years ago! Whew...
Have fun celebrating Drew's birthday and enjoy the big game.

Teresa Kasner said...

Hi Kris.. oh dear.. I have wondered how your hens have escaped being gotten by coyotes. After losing ALL our 3 hens last year, Dayle built a new run that is as secure as can be. It's nice not to have to worry about them. We've been invited to our son's home on Sunday, so that will be fun. I'm taking my crocheting over. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Valerie Cottage Making Mommy said...

Kris,

I'm so sorry about your hens. Bless your heart and theirs. I too know the loss of a pet we lost our dear Kadoodles in our house fire on Black Friday then lost my mom on Dec. 15th.
The loss part of life just plain sucks.
We are starting our move to the country and I've learned alot from reading your blog!!!
It's entertaining and helpful.

I would love chickens but am too scared.

Thinking of you,

Valerie
Cottage Making Mommy
www.lovingmyheartandhome.blogspot.com

Between Me and You said...

What a lovely post - apart from your poor chickadees coming to an untimely end - foxes do the same thing over here, I can never understand why people find them so endearing. Love all your woolly makes - seem to have lost my woolly mojo lately. The photo tribute to your Dad is my favourite. Have a great weekend, my friend and Happiest of Birthdays to your boy.x

Jill said...

Your wreath is beautiful! I am so very sorry to hear about your chickens, how tragic :-(
Dogs sure do have a way of getting into our hearts don't they? What a blessing for him to have found you and your family!
Happy birthday to your son and Go Ravens! ;-)
Enjoy your weekend!

Blessings,
Jill

Robyn said...

Im so sorry about your chickens. We had chickens too and my husband loved every one of them but we had to give them to a neighbor when he had his back surgery in Nov. I cried when they left because like you, I loved their eggs but they were also pets..Dusty is beautiful! He's 100 pounds of baby and pure love. We have 7 dogs and 2 of them are lab mixes who each go 120 pds a piece and both of them think they are lap dogs so I understand about trying to sleep at night!.. LOL I hope you have a blessed weekend and happy birthday to Drew!
Robyn :)

Lynne said...

I'm sorry about your chickens Kris. The coyotes have been pretty active around here too.
After seeing your "toad in the hole" made with your fresh eggs, I went and made it for dinner. We weren't in the mood for a big meal and that hit the spot!
Lovely valentines decorations and scarf!!!!!

Sunny Simple Life said...

I know how sad you are about the chickens. A part of raising them I guess. But a stinky part. I am so sorry my friend. Enjoy the weekend.