Old Macdonald had a farm ! E I E I O

Well i have decided if we are going to live in the country, we need to start acting like country folk. So we are going to get some egg laying Hens this spring. Sounds easy enough. We need a coup, some Hens, some feed and what else? I think that will just about do it.

Hubby says i am nuts. I told him we need to start living off this wonderful piece of land we bought  and besides we will save a tonne of money on eggs. When men need to be convinced of something go for the money saving tactic! always works! So i worked out the cost of the coup and feed and hens  vs how much we spend on eggs plus taxes at the grocery store. BAM i win !

I am so excited about free range chickens popping out healthy, clean, antibiotic, drug free eggs!

So now i need to do some Hen homework. So while surfing on the TSC website, i came across these pretty hen houses ! Big decisions to make ! Bungalow or the raised ranch?  Oh i can hear my hubby grumbling already! Can you? ha ha !

#countrylifeforever

Happy BIG 4-0 Birthday to me !

Today is my 40th birthday ! yup i said it 40! wow ! i am almost half way through my life and boy is a that a weird concept to wrap your mind around.

My day started out with early morning phone calls from my family and texts from my friends. Then i got to work and my co-workers remembered. I was sitting in my office working and i heard some rumbling in my doorway, when i turned to see, it was the most wonderful surprise! Three of my amazing cousins came to visit and brought me the most stunning orchid! What a wonderful treat!

I was treated to lunch out by an amazing man in my life and then the surpises kept coming. I had a friend stop by with a fruit basket and a Happy Birthday balloon. You are never too old for a balloon! I was spoiled rotten and am incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family in my life!

When hubby asked me what i wanted to do for my 40th, i suggested a weekend away. So we headed to my favorite spot to shop ...........Grove city ! the american deals rock ! and i got some pretty things this weekend ! but most imporantly we got our Krispy Kreme donut that is a must have when in the marvelous country of USA. Gotta love that they hand out these hats to all the kids !  what? i am 40 but still not OLD! ha ha !

 

I have had my eye on a Michael Kors purse and while we were in the USA i hunted them down like animals. We hit up Macys, TJ Max and Marshalls. I saw white ones. I saw blue ones. I saw beige ones. I saw black ones with gold chains. But i didnt see anything that caught my eye! So i will keep looking and see if i cant find one that i really love ! if I am  going to spend that much money , i want it to sing to me from the shelf when i see it ! 

Best 40th birthday i have ever had so far ! ha ha ! and the only !  ha ha ! I feel loved and blessed beyone words !

Mooooooooooo

We have this lovely neighbour who is living off his land. True farmer style. He has cows for milk and beef . Chickens for eggs and meat. Goats. Rabbits . Pigs. A pretty white horse named Molly. And of course a couple dogs to guard the barn. We befriended him and his family last year when we moved into our country property. He gave us a tour of his 200 year old barn, the wood inside is amazing. Huge hand crafted beams. Quite the amazing workmanship. The outside of the barn need a serious overhaul, but one day at a time seems to be his way of life.

One night after dinner hubby and i get dressed up and head out to a funeral home for a friend. As we come around the corner and pass farmer friends property we notice the Milke cow and Molly are making a racket in their fenced area. Then we notice the baby cow, who by the way is almost the same size as the full grown cow , is out of the pen and running free. She was running, galloping actually which is a rare site to see. Think about it? when is the last time you saw a cow running? Never ! they always saunter around the fields or are seen standing still. So we slowed our car and watched to see where baby cow was heading. Well she saw our car and ran up to us, just like a dog. Hubby was trying to shoo her away, and being in dressy clothes we werent really prepared to wrangle a cow! Farmer friend wasnt home, so we felt helpless.

So we slowly drive up slowly, by this time Milker cow and Molly the horse are having a fit. They are making so much noise, trying to call this baby cow back into their fenced off area. Animals are so smart! Eventually baby cow got tired of us and took off across the street to the neighbours front lawn, did a big circle and then came back across the street to the beautiful bungalow next to his penned off area. Baby cow proceeded to walk across their front porch and up to their front door. Baby cow peeked into the front window and thankfully??  nobody was home to answer the door ! ha ha!  milker cow and Molly were now on this side of their pen, still calling the baby cow in , but do you think the baby cow cared? no way ! if i could imagine what she was thinking it would go something like this " i am free! this is awesome guys ! come on , come out that hole i snuck out of and see what the neighbourhood is like. wow these people have a 50' tv in their living room! Guyyyysss commme onnnnn !!!!!! "

Well we finally had to leave, we had somewhere to be. As we drove away we passed another neighbour walking her dog. So i rolled down the window and did my good dead of the day and warned her of the "cow on the loose." Only in the county!

I am so excited for the day that baby cow gets loose again. Maybe she will make it up to our front porch and peek into my windows. Now that would be a picture worth a million words !

#countrylifeforever

There are some nice people left in the world ........

Well that storm yesterday was scary as all hell! I was so nervous driving home! Thankfully my husband rocks and came to my work , so that i could follow him home. I wont lie, i had a minor meltdown about 15 minutes into our ride! to which hubby had to get out of the car and calm my ass down. Then i followed him and his 4-way flashers all the way to our house.

This morning on my way to work, a girl from work asked me to stop and get some teas for us all. So i pulled up to the Timmies near my work, which has 2 lanes to order from. Why is there 2 lanes? i think just to confuse drivers who arent paying attention and dont remember how to line up in order like we used to in kindergarten. I ordered first and then a truck beside me ordered after me. Guess who lined up before me? YUP that man in the big truck! As he passed me, he looked out his window and i had a half scowl half smile on my face. He smiled and shrugged at me. ya shrug away.

Well guess what? when it was my turn to pay i only owed $2 , when my bill was $6.65. Trucker dude paid a part of my bill, nice of him, but why not pay the extra $2? am i ungrateful? ha ha ! Anyhow thanks trucker guy! My camomille was wonderful!

So now do i pay it forward, or did he owe me that freebie for being a big budder?

Green Acres is the place to be
Farm livin' is the life for me
Land spreadin' out so far and wide
Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside

 

New York is where I'd rather stay
I get allergic smelling hay
I just adore a penthouse view
Darling I love you but give me Park Avenue

 

The chores, the stores
Fresh air, Times Square

 

You are my wife
Good bye city life
Green Acres we are there

Happy Christmas Eve !

Its here, its finally here! December 24th!

I drove to work white knuckled because we are having a SNOW STORM! whyyyyyyy? so pretty but so unpractical for driving all around to different dinners, parties and festivities! My drive to work took me twice as long today! but on the plus side the gas grinches havent raised the price yet, so i filled up for a good buck!

I always feel like Christmas is much like a wedding, there is so much build up, and then in one day its all over. nothing left to wrap. Nothing left to hustle and bustle for. Nothing left to cook. Nothing left to bake. Donerooski!

Wherever you go today or tomorrow, may your trip be safe, may your belly be full, may your heart be full of love and may your holiday be amazing! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Tips on making it through the holidays

How goes the eating right and working out? are you on a good path heading into this holiday season? Do you have a game plan for sweets & drinks and preventing any over indulging or are you just going for it? Go big or go home seems to be the theme at hoildays and somehow it makes everyone feel so awful afterwards. How about your mental state? Are you dreading dinner with certain family members? Are you anxious about too many stops to make and not enough time? I think eveything is good in moderation but i have some tricks to eating out and surviving family holiday parties.

1. Eat a light, healthy meal before you go out, that way you dont hover over the buffet table grazing like a cow all night long. Take a few samples on your plate, eat them, and then put your plate in the sink or garbage.

2. Drink clear liquor. And drink lots of it! If there is no clear liquor at the party, well than drink a glass of water between your drinks or every 2nd drink. I like a vodka and club soda with lime or lemon. Its fresh. My sister is a gin and tonic with lime girl. Whatever you are drinking Cheers! and be safe!

3. Make sure you have a ride home if you are drinking! Taxi's love to make some money taking your drunken arse home.

4. If you over indulge in the alcohol department have a huge glass of water before you go to bed, and put a bottle of gatorade and advil on your nightstand. That way when you wake up in the morning hung over, you can just drink and medicate without having to get out of bed! smart eh?

5. Walk in the door and see that one family member you like to avoid most? Say hi, kiss them hello and then make your way to the other end of the room, the far end of the table and just enjoy the company of the people you can stand at the party!!

6. Wear layers! I always go to a dinner party and as the people start to load into the house, and as the turkey gets closer to being done the temperature in the house seems to double. Take off your tacky christmas sweater and show off alittle skin in a sparkly tank top!

7. Drink and be merry!

8. When its time for grace before dinner, make sure you say "Grace, she died 30 years ago." Seriously who doesnt do this?

9. Try to fill your plate with 3/4 vegtables and only 1/4 meat. Golden food rule.

10. Have some bubbly water after dinner.Go ahead buy the good stuff! Perrier all the way! Its Christmas for crying out loud! You would be surprised how much it helps digestion. Throw in a lemon to add some flavour!

11. Open your ears on both sides. Let whatever anyone you dont enjoy is saying go in one ear and right out the other.

12. Get up off your arse and help clean up! First its good to stand up and move around after you eat and second if you didnt cook then you need to clean! Sorry but its true!

13. Cheers!

14. Search out the desserts before dinner, so that you know how much room to save. There is nothing worse than feeling like a blow fish ready to pop for 2 hours after dinner.

15. If you go to mass this year, and they sing carols like we do, well belt them out. Who cares if you are off key, just sing, its good for the soul!

And the most important tip............Have fun, be safe! and hug and kiss everyone you know and smother them with love!

2 more sleeps until the Big Guy in Red comes !

It's the eve before Christmas eve and I am stuck at work today, and half day tomorrow. I love how employers thinking coming in for 3 hours tomorrow will be even slightly productive? ha little do they know! I honestly had such a productive weekend that there is nothing left to do other than making a few things for our dinner tomorrow. I got my last gifts done! I got my wrapping done! I got my chocolates made! I got the house cleaned! I got all of my gifts organized in piles to make sure they go to the right houses! I got it under control! or so i think! haha!

This weekend we had dinner out on saturday with special people and that is always fun. I have removed gluten from my life once again. This time due to my thyroid. No dairy. No gluten. My diet is really exciting! ha ha ! anyhow you gotta do what you gotta do. So we ate out at a pizzeria which is one of our favorite restaurants in the small town near our home. Well when you dont eat gluten that means you dont eat pizza but wrong! They had a gluten free pizza crust here and i ordered it. Ok the one thing about gluten free is bread is never replicated 100%. NEVER! so i knew not to expect it to taste like regular pizza but honestly once you add the fixings on top, it was pretty good. I enjoyed it and really enjoyed knowing it was good for me.

We had a big ice storm this past weekend. It came in over night on Saturday and we woke up sunday to the most beautiful sight! The trees were all iced. The grass was icey. Soooo pretty. By the time we got all of our inside stuff done, it was well after lunch, so when we hit the road around 2pm the roads were just wet and there was nothing slippy to worry about. But because of the storm the stores were not nearly as busy as i thought they would be. I thought going to Costco would be like risking our lives, nope! we even parked near the door. This year Costco got smart and had officers directing traffic in and out of their lots. I love when stores are considerate to their paying customers and help them get in and out of their crazy lots!

MERRY CHRISTMAS !