viragolog

Uterine Fibroid embolization Day 1

2011-03-18T05:22:00.000-07:00

I've been home now for about 18 hours. The procedure was a breeze. I went in on Wednesday at 7:30 am and was back in my hospital bed by noon. This was the first time I've had concsious sedaation surgery. I was very nervous at first because I thought I would feel the cut inot my frmeoral atery but I did not. In fact they had started before I even realized it. It was totally painless. I was instructed to hold my breath at times during the procedure which I could do with no problem. The only problem that happened was my heart rate and blood pressure dropped after they gave me the Versed and I felt l like I was going ot puke but they got it back ip quickly and I felt better. It never happened again even though I got a second dose of Versed during the procedure.
Now about the procedure, They went in through my femoral artery( right at the pubis/leg juncture) and snaked a catheter past my uterine arteries and then blocked the arteries that fed the fibroid with a plastic material so that the blood flow to them would stop and they would die. I prefered this to a hysterectomy since I'm only a few years out from menopause and bleeding won't be an issue then. After they were finished I was wheeled back to the recovery room where Kevin was to greet me and we waited for a room to open up.. I got a morphine pump and tried to dose off but I was not very comfortable at first. It took a good 12 hours to get to the point I was pain free. I kinda expected to be in some discomport so i didn't use the morphine enough. My blood sugar went up in response to the pain. But we finally got things calmed down and I felt fine, just drug stupid. They let me go home Thursday at about noon. I've had no pain since then, just an ache at the incision site and the occasional cramp in my uterus that aches but nothing severe. I'm not going to stop the pain meds until tomorrow though just to be safe.
I hope this works to deal with my fibroids. The anemia and heavy bleeding has been ruling my life for too long and I really want my life back.

curried kale chips

2010-07-28T14:10:00.001-07:00

So here are today's finished kale chip.These are very different than the other chips. The other chips were delicate and fragile, translucent and emerald green(I used curly regular old kale). They tasted of kale only sweet and vinegary and salty. These are more akin to hippie food. The kale seems to be serving as a vehicle for the sauce dried on them.( I used dinosaur kale for this batch) The dino kale is much sturdier and does not fall apart as easily when fully dried. They have a very satisfying crunch to them and the curry flavor goes nicely with the greens flavor which is kinda masked. I question the full digestability of this batch, the chips take a lot of chewing which tells me that the cell walls are pretty intact. I'm not a raw foodist so I want my veggies to have lost some of their cell structure when I eat them. I'm not a cow. But as an alternative to high carb chips or other junk snack food these are very nice. They won't stand up to dippping, but they both provide a satisfying crunch so lacking in my low carb diet.

2010-07-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've updated my blog. The summer is whizzin' by at amazin' speed. Spencer has returned from her trip to Canada more determined to become a Canadian than ever. It has been a summer of frugal living this year so no huge projects. From the garden I have gotten a watermelon, some basil and I see that I'll have jalapenos and eggplants in a few days. The water melon is JINORMOUS, it takes up about 3/4 of the garden. I have 4 melons that I see. My tomatoes are not looking so good so I don't know if I'll get a crop out of them.
A friend moved away and bequeathed me her dehydrator. I am having a blast with it. So far I've dehydrated that watermelon I picked too early, it was flavorful but pale and not very sweet. It turned into the most delicious watermelon candy. Dehydrating watermelon seems wrong on so many levels but it really does work. I've also made kale chips. Glorious, delicious kale chips. The first batch was with curly kale and olive oil, sherry vinegar and sea salt. NOM. I pretty much ate the entire batch. Today I am making a more ambitious recipe, curried kale chips made with much less oil and tossed with a curry flavored sauce based on sunflower seeds and tomato. A very hippie, raw food inspired thing. It smells wonderful but I am skeptical about the raw food aspect. So often Raw foodists dont' seem to see food as a pleasure and a sensual endeavor. But I can't knock them until I've tried them. So here goes. I found the recipe here:http://poxacuatl.wordpress.com/2008/12/21/kale-chips/ a beautifully photographed expose on her process.
The alcohol project is moving along although it has hit a few bumps in the road due to the economy. Had a great time working with my collaborator in June. Slow and steady.
So I leave you for now, dear reader. I smell some kale drying.

Earth Day 2010

2010-04-23T05:29:00.000-07:00

Well it seemed like a good day to bushwack the back yard, what with it being Earth Day and all. Kevin did a great job clearing the forest although as you can see from the pix he seemed intent on protecting his frontal lobe rather than his eyes. The garden plot had been rounded up and the grass was actively dying so I moved compost onto the bed. 4 years of guinea pig poop does not decompose very well if you don't do anything to the pile. Down toward the bottom there was soil but it is mostly still wood chips. After I get this pile moved, I need to rethink how I compost and how I attend to it. My next project is to relocate the compost pile and get a rabbit hutch. The soil here is so poor that it needs all the amendments I can get. In that pile of compost I didn't see any worms at all.

Jalapenos & habeneros

2010-04-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

I planted my peppers in my home made self watering planters today. And I have a batch of soap in the oven. One step at a time.

life goes on.

2010-04-12T19:01:00.001-07:00

I found out a dear friend died yesterday. I knew he ahd been ill with cancer for several months. So it was for the best for him to go now. And I also found out that some friends 25 year relationship has just ended. With so much saddness, I was heartened to see my plants sprouting today. I came home to find the carrots tomato, chives and nasturtiums had all sprouted. I put then out on the back patio so they can get sun for thenext few days since I don't have any lights to rig up. I'm really pleased with the soda bottle planters . They have worked much better than I had imagined. To every thing there is a season turn turn turn.
Rest in peace my dear Jack. Spring is hear.

homemade barometer

2010-04-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

Now I can tell when a High or a Low is coming in and what that means! When the level in the tube is lower than in the bottle there is a high pressure system and nice weather is headed in. If the level in the tube is higher than the bottle then a Low is coming and a storm is headed our way. AH Science!

Self Watering bucket planters

2010-04-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

It is taking quite a while to get rid of the Dreaded Bermuda Grass of Death in my garden plot and it's time to get tomatoes and peppers in the ground. So I needed some kind of container. But things just fry here in the blazing Texas heat during the summer and I just can't keep up with the water so I decided that SIP, Sub-irrigated planters are the way to go. I found a web site( that had directions I thought I could follow and this is the result.
2 5 gal buckets ( I had some left over Tractor Supply buckets from the chickens, I could use some leftover oil buckets as well)
1 18oz Solo plastic cup
1 4'X 1" PVC drinking water grade pipe
a jigsaw
a drill
First, drill a bunch of 1/4' holes in the bottom of hte bucket

measure the circumference of the solo cup about 3-4 inches up( I used a string to do this)
Then use the jigsaw to cut out the center hole big enough for the cup to slide into. In my case it was just slightly bigger than that round ridge in the center of the bucket.

Then cut a hole for the PVC pipe about 1/2" from the edge of the bucket. I had to make a bunch of holes with the drill and then ues the jigsaw to break the hole open and I still didn't get the end nearest the edge to come off so I just bent the plastic down. look at the above pix and you can see the circle holes I used .
Then cut 4 slits in the solo cup from about 1/2 an inch from the top to about 1/2 an inch from the bottom. Put cup in hole, put pipe in hole

Next, stick this bucket inside the other uncut bucket.

measure how far apart the bottom of each buckets are from each other. In this case they are 3.5 inches apart when inside each other. Drill a hole just below this line in the outer bucket for an overflow hole and there you have a planter ready for potting mix. The mix goes down into the cup and it acts as a wick to pull water up from the bottom bucket. Total cost 5.00/planter ( I had a bunch of Solo cups in the pantry.

house plants in soda bottles

2010-04-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

Here are 2 new house plants I planted in soda bottle planters. A pepperomia and a Maiden hair fern. Both need high light and like to be evenly moist so I think they will be well suited to self watering planters.

soda bottle gardens

2010-04-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

I've been really wanting to plant some food but my garden plot is a daunting weed filled mess right now and it is time to get planting. I found plans for 2 liter soda bottle planters on the web and I decided to give it a go. I don't drink much soda but I found soda on sale at the store for 1.00 a bottle so I bought some and just poured it out. Next time I think I'll just see if some of my friends have any leftover bottles. I hated the waste but still, a buck per bottle seemed cheap enough. I bought some polyester batting from Jo-Ann's fabrics, Pellon Thermolam Plus for 3 bucks a yard. I use a 1X5 inch strip so this will last for ever. I put the cut line on the bottle using a sharpie sitting on top of a cocontu milk can. I'd guess standard soup cans would work as well. I poked holes in the shoulder of the bottle by heating up a nail held with a pair of plyers over the stove. Then I just cut the bottle, put the strip in and pushed it down so it poked out of the neck a little bit using a chopstick. Then I added some potting mix, poked that done into the neck and put the whole thing together. The pictures above show the steps I took and the results, a strawberry plant and seeds for nasturtiums and arugula.

Milk Crate Farms

2010-03-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

It's been too many years since I've grown a garden. My penchant for urban self sufficiency has slipped in the past few years as I try to get a teaching job. But I've been bitten this season. Out of necessity for food security or out of the desire to get my hands dirty and have green things growing that I like, I have decided that I'll have a garden this year. After the demise of the chickens, I got into a funk and really let the yard go. Those birds were amazing at keeping the plot clean and loose. And their poop made it super fertile. Just the thing for the invading masses of Bermuda grass, the demon plant form Hell. It overran everything in just a few weeks,leaving me with a garden that looked more like some derelect kudzu covered southern plantation than anything else. After going back and forth on the problem, I've decided that the Dreaded ROund-Up is the only way to tackle this malevolent presence. The roots go down about 12"and are held fast by the hard clay soil here in Dallas. I can't pull it out. I tried cutting the sod with a square shovel but that was pointless. Bermuda does not solarize well and besides that will take an entire year to attempt, with most folks saying my folly will end in failure. So as much as I don't want to use chemicals, Round-Up it is. I have to wait until the grass is more actively growing to use RU, so in the mean time I'm re=opening Milk Crate Farms. It's a good thing I don't throw anything away. These crates are from my college days and the landscape cloth is recycled from a previous gardening project. 1/4 bag of pea gravel and 1 50# bag of potting mix later and I have 3 lovely planters just waiting for some vegetive goodness.

Infused alcohol projects

2010-01-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

These are my latest experiments. In the jar is coconut vodka, the bottle next to it is coconut rum. Then there are drinks I have made from the vodkas I have made. Dill, Strawberry Basil, Honeycrisp Apple and a Pina Colada, each of which clocks in at 2g carb or lower. They are all delicious.

Dill infused "vodka"

2010-01-24T11:59:00.001-08:00

This infused for just 2 days. It is luscious. Sharp and dilly, green and spicy with a vegetal finish. It tastes crunchy and cool. I really like this one.

the Experiment Table

2010-01-23T10:50:00.001-08:00

this is all my infusion project so far. And with all of this, my favorite is still a Jalapeno margarita.

Infused vodka tasting results

2010-01-17T13:28:00.001-08:00

Well last night I had a friend over for a tasting of my hooch. SHe & her DH came over and we tasted almost all of the things I've created so far. I have:
limoncello
orangecello
grapefruitcello
coffee liqueur
almond liqueur
cocoa liqueur
pineapple vodka
vanilla vodka
jalapeno lime tequila
cranberry vodka
pomegranite vodka
black pepper vodka
ti kwan yin tea vodka
basil vodka
cucumber vodka
fennel vodka
ginger root vodka

The most popular one was the cocoa one. it did not even need any sweetener, it is chocolaty and bitter and rich tasting. I've never tasted creme de cacao but my friend said it was better

The surprise of the evening was the grapefruitcello. It was made with Texas red grapefruit peels and has the most complex, intense flavor and I didn't sweeten this one either. The flavors keep changing as you swallow, going from bitter to fruity to sweet and back to bitter. It makes you think as you drink and was totally fun to ride the wave of flavor.

The pineapple was strange, it smelled totally of ripe pineapple but it had little flavor. a tich of sweetener brought up the flavor a bit but still this vodka was a bit lackluster
As was the pomegranite. I think that this one needs to infuse with more fruit than I used. I'm going to try it again by adding more pomegranite to the batch I have now and see what happens. The color is beautiful, however.

The Ti Kwan Yin was the most intreuging of the evening. It was spicy and peppery while tasting of flowers at the same time. it was not sweet at all and for those who like dry martini's , this would be an interesting variation.

It was a very fun evening, I perfected my sip, swish and spit technique so I was not flattened by the end of the evening and I feel pretty good this morning.

coffee!

2010-01-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

a coffee made from cold brewed coffee, 1oz vanilla infused "vodka"(sweetened) and 1oz "Kahlua" makes for a smooth, luscious afternoon coffee.

Basil and Fennel

2010-01-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

These are my latest decantations, not to be confused with incantations (tho I did mutter a few as I made them). So far I have only tasted them by drops on the tongue as they are 95% alc and really just a poison at this point. Let me say that they are GREAT and if I have to be poisoned, this is the way I want to go.
The Fennel is very fennely, with a licorice kind of flavor but also there is a vegetal taste to it that lingers after the initial hit of licorice disipates. For those who like ouzo or anisette this would be a very nice choice.
The basil is really intreguing. There are layers of flavor there that come out as it rolls on the tongue. There is a spicy flavor, a slightly minty taste, a anise type flavor and a big BASIL whallop at the end. This would take a Bloody Mary in a totally different direction of delish.
Note the difference in the green of each infusion. I hope that the color remains after I dilute them down.

chocolate, pomagranite & Black pepper

2010-01-09T08:16:00.001-08:00

yummy.

infused alcohol/coffee experiment

2010-01-08T07:59:00.001-08:00

The coffee experiment continues. I've made 2 coffee liqueurs made by 2 different methods. The first method uses liquid coffee added to everclear to dilute to 80 proof then sweetened. The second steeped cracked, whole beans in everclear then diluted with water to 80 proof and sweetened. There is a profound difference in appearance and flavor between the 2 batches.
The first batch has a very rich flavor with little or no bitterness. The color is a deep brown and although it has a bite from it's high proof, it is smooth and flavorful. I can taste all the flavors in the coffee I intitally used.
The second batch is less successful. There is a coffee aroma, but the flavor is much more bitter than the first batch. The color is a pale straw brown that I can see through. When I diluted the infusion with water it became cloudy like cafe au lait, not a color that says rich coffee flavor to me. I sweetened both batches with Sweetzfree, a sucrolose sweetener and in the second batch the bitter flavor of the sucralose is highlighted my the bitterness of the coffee infusion. Lost in the second batch is all the smoky coffee aromas and the depth of flavor that coffee has. I have yet to try this batch in a drink, it's too early in the day for experimentation, but just from the smell I can tell that a White Russian made from it will be somewhat acrid in flavor. I'm going to let this batch age and retest but I really prefer the first technique's results.

Al-kee-am-haul!

2010-01-05T09:34:00.000-08:00

The stash and cucumber vodka up close and personal.

2010-01-05T07:24:00.000-08:00

more infusions, brandy and vanilla( these are 5-7 yr old dry crunchy vanilla beans I forgot I even had. Lucky me!) cucumber, fennel, grapefruit and today I put up a coffee. I want to see the difference between using liquid coffee & everclear and beans in everclear.

infused alcohol

2010-01-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

Well here are more of my efforts. My coffee liquor is fantastic, the time it sat while I was on vacation really helped the flavors blend nicely. The White Russian I made with it was killer and it had no effect on my blood sugar! I'm guessing it clocks in at 2g carbs and that is very generous. My Limoncello is very nice too. At first I thought it was horrible but I had not diluted it enough. Once I got it down to about 80 proof it was smooth and lemony. I put in about half the sweetener called for as I can add more sweetener later if needed.
I found diet cranberry juice at the store so I made a LC Cosmo which I found to be meh, I don't like cosmos much with full sugar but it did taste just like a cosmo should. I think that the addition of cranberry infused vodka might give it more depth.
I am now infusing navel orange peels in Everclear, Seville orange peels in Brandy( E&J's VS), Cranberries in Everclear, and lime peels and jalapeno in tequila. I'll sweeten these when they are finished and all of them will have a carb content of about 0. Then the fun begins, mixing them!

other concoctions

2009-12-17T11:36:00.001-08:00

Here is the Limoncello and the Tequila lime infusion I'm starting. The tequila smells fantastic already. I think for the next batch I'm going to add some jalapeno or habenreo peppers to it.

2009-12-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

I have been dying for a White Russian, but the carb content of Kahlua is more than I can handle so I thought I'd try to make my own sugar-free coffee liquor. I think it is pretty good. There is a bit of fake sugar aftertaste to it but it is not pronounced and besides that I'm used to that flavor by now. I hope you enjoy this.
First make cold brewed coffee. I used 12 oz coffee( starbucks italian roast) to 8 cups cold water. Mix let steep over night strain well. this is coffee concentrate.

THEN:
10oz Everclear or 190 proof grain/clear aclohol
12oz cold brewed coffee concentrate
1/2 T no sugar vanilla extract
10 Drop scuralose= approx 1/2 cup Splenda. I use Sweetzfree liquid sucralose.
Mix together.
This makes a 80 proof beverage or 40% alcohol
Regular Kahlua is 40 proof so BE CAREFUL!!!!
you can dilute it down to 40 % by adding water

If you use liquid sucralose the carb count will be almost nothing. If you use splenda I would count it at .5 per 2 oz serving just to be safe, though I think it is lower than that. Most recipes use 1 oz of 40 proof Kahlua.

I made it at 80 proof to keep the preservation issue intact. I was afraid that at 20% alcohol the toddy would go off intime.

I think next time I would try 6 drops sweetener and then let a person sweeten their drink as they wish. You can substitute other sweeteners if you wish, just adjust the amount carefully.

More Soap

2009-08-20T13:00:00.001-07:00

Well it's time to start ramping up production for the holiday season. From the left top we have Orange Patchouli, Spearmint Patchouli, Saving Face (lemon tea tree) 4 Virgins & a Hussy, Dead Sea Mud. Below we find Stout Man (bay rum) Rose Sandalwood and some overflow and sample sizes of the above soaps. I have had a blast this past week making these soaps. Now I just have to find a place to store them!

Day 7

2009-08-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

Well I think the tatt is all healed up. no more peeling and the itching has calmed down quite a bit. I'm not altogether pleased with the uneven coloring of the fill, but whatchagonna do? I think it is only visible up close anyway. FaerieMade's balm is da bomb. I think it has really helped with the quick healing of the tatt.

Day 6

2009-08-13T09:39:00.001-07:00

the secondary peeling has begun and the itching is maddening. The ink on the fill looks a tad uneven to me but I need to give it another week before I judge.

Day 5 redux

2009-08-12T10:10:00.001-07:00

day 5's healing. all the first layer has peeled off. Now it just itches like mad and is dry.

Day 5

2009-08-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

It itches!

2009-08-11T05:28:00.000-07:00

Here is today's tattoo pix. Most of the surface skin has fallen off and it has begun to itch. It is hard not to scratch it. I've been using calendula oil on it but now I have a great balm by my friend who owns FaerieMade Soaps. It is in a lip balm tube so it is very easy to apply and carry around. So far the healing is looking pretty good.

New Tattoo

2009-08-10T08:27:00.001-07:00

This is the evolution of my latest tattoo. For some reason the first pix is on the bottom and the 3rd day pix is on top. I've been very good about not picking at it and have been slathering it very lightly with calendula oil for the past 2.5 days. I just received my tattoo balm from FaerieMade and will use it from now on. My oil would have probably worked just fine but the balm is in a lip balm tube and is much easier to carry around. I'll post pix over the next few days to show how it heals up.

My chickens are dead.

2009-06-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

I lost 2 birds about a month ago to natural causes, one died right in front of my eyes then the next day we found the other dead in the coop. The remaining 3 seemed happy enough and I was enjoying them tremendously. They were the 3 friendliest, most social of my birds. Well, we had a horriffic storm on Thurday and the backyard fence door must have blown in. Things were fine when I got up at 6 but later in the morning some feral dogs got into the yard then got into the coop and killed my 3 remaining birds. I am devastated.

How I make hot process soap, take 2

2009-01-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

Finally, I got it to work!

how I make Hot process soap

2009-01-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

This is a chocolate Stout soap I made and scented with Lime & Black Peppercorn EO's. I made a light box to photograph my soaps in a more pleasing manner, ie. no crap on my desk with the soaps.
I'm also trying to post a video of how I make soap using the hot process method. It seems that video posting is a FAIL.

2008-12-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

Ya know, when I started this blog I was thinking alot about depression and I have noticed that I have not written about it in ages. Why? Because I finally found a med combo that really works for me. My bestest friends Abilify, Zoloft and Armour Thyroid. I've been on this combo since 2006 and I must say I have not been this content and motivated in decades. Honestly. I've set some goals and have stuck with them even when I've been knocked off course. I went back to school. I got chickens. I got 100's on math tests! 100's! None of this had been possible prior to the med combo. I feel happiness, I can feel pleasure and hope. The dispair and foreboding is gone. The down side to these drugs is now I am pre-diabetic and look like I've been inflated with a bike pump. I've balooned up and just can't lose it no matter what I try. I'm trying to look at it as the price I have to pay to have my brain working again. But I really don't like it.
I feel so happy to be back to my "normal" self again.

soaping up a storm

2008-12-12T05:26:00.001-08:00

Well I've been bitten by the soaping bug again. Stress relief from studying for exams is more like it. But it has been a ton of fun and now I have a bunch of soap sitting around so I opened my Etsy shop again. I hope to bring in a little money so I can keep soaping. So if ya want some great smelling and feeling soap, give me a shout and take a gander at my Etsy here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5953&page=1&section_id=&order=
The chickens are hating the cold weather. when I let then out the huddle up by the house and peck on the door. Silly birds. Now I know that it has been chilly here and a few nights have been below freezing but it is Texas after all. It just ain't that cold!

2008-11-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

Made some soap this week. The large bar is my usual blend scented with Lilac FO. The 2 smaller ones are shelter soaps, the blue one is Blackberry Sage and the white one is Dragon's Blood. It was very satisfying to make soap again. Too bad studying has not been as satisfying. I'm doing well in both classes but it is a struggle to keep track of my study time. I also knit a sock for my iPhone. I LOVE the yarn, a silk/wool blend that is so nice and soft. And for such a simple stitch, I think it looks pretty good. I'd practically forgotten how to knit. I'll get to the studying on thursday, I promise!

latest yarn

2008-09-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

this is my latest yarn craft. I really like it a lot. This pattern is Queen Anne's Lace.

Spencer's shelter soap

2008-08-23T13:52:00.001-07:00

My daughter decided she wanted to make a soap for the homeless shelter she works at once a month. I let her do it, I measured and poured the lye but she did all the rest. She scented it with a very sweet scent, Hoiday Candy. I am very proud of her.

soaps amore.

2008-08-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

Well I made more soap this week. First up is a Juniper Sage bar, just the thing for after the gym . And the white bars are a shaving bar made with kaolin sugar, silk and shea. It is delightful. It is scented with the Lavendar Cedar as requested by a friend. Spencer made a bar tonight for the homeless shelter that should be able to be cut in the morning. It is a very very nice bar with better lather than my bars but a bit more drying than my bar but that's ok. The shelter folks will love it. Heck , I love it. I am so proud of her for thinking of this all on her own.

2008-07-28T16:44:00.000-07:00

So I finally did it. Made soap. This is my Dead Sea Mud, silk & Shea bar scented with Lavender Cedar. Man oh man the house smells divine!. Every thing went smoothly and no real hitches. I showered with the scraps last night and it is a great soap. Boo-ya!

Stylin' diabetes

2008-07-20T18:05:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot my shout out to Rickina of Stick Me Designs for the fantastic diabetic kit/purse.
This is the first real purse I've had and I love how roomy it is without being so big it throws my back out. My glucometer fits in nicely and stays nice & organized inside.. No more forgetting my kit when I go out. Check it out!http://stickmedesigns.com/shop/index.php?cPath=1_12

2008-07-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

No pix to post today I just wanted to pop in and say I miss my family. They are in London until the 3rd of August. I have lots of time to study but I miss them more than I want to study. Nothing new going on, the chickens are good, the cat is good , the guinea pigs are good, I'm good. Hope all is good on you end.

2008-06-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

Well my latest obsession is Shrinky Dink art. Spencer & I spent all day on Sunday playing with Shrinky Dinks and I made a bunch of jewelry. She made magnets for her teachers. This is a fun medium to work with and it is easy too.

Easy water

2008-05-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

Summer is almost here and it is already hot. The chickens need a source of water that will withstand the heat here so I got this dog waterer that stays filled up. It saves my back cause I don't have to bend over 2 or 3 times a day to give them water. This waterer is nice but I think I am going to get an auto waterer from Tractor Supply Store and make it deeper for more sediment to fall down.

2008-03-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some pix of my trip to Antarctica in Jan 1997. The first pix is a glacier and the second one is me at Deception Island. This trip was an amazing experience that I must thank my Mother for. It was her generosity that allowed me to go to this incredible part of our planet. My belief in the sacredness of the Earth was confirmed on this trip. It was my glimpse of the Divine in all her forms. I have no idea why the pix are flipped in this post, they look fine on my computer. But I'll post them anyway.

So Happy it's Spring

2008-03-23T20:02:00.000-07:00

The chickens have claimed my herb box for their dust bath box. No herbs for me.

Cedar Hill State Park

2008-03-16T11:57:00.000-07:00

We went camping this week for Spring Break. Just 20 miles out of Dallas at Cedar Hill State park. It was Very nice. The first night we froze but the second night was balmy. Spencer had a fantastic time playing in the woods and making a tribe with the other kids. Kevin enjoyed doing nothing. I spent my time cooking & doing nothing. We are so lucky. We have great friends. We live in a warm climate and our kid is healthy and happy and a joy to be around( most of the time). Life, she is good.

2008-03-04T05:13:00.001-08:00

Beelezebub. I eated him.

oooh, so radical

2008-03-02T15:23:00.001-08:00

So Spencer has been Jonesing to get her ears pierced and she cant until she gets her Bloods. But the questions wont stop. I had to get a new stud for the hole I had(I had to remove the ring prior to the surgery) so I took her with me. She was disappointed that I didn't get pierced so I said , "Why not" and got the second cartilage piercing. It burned for a second but I acted like it was killing me. Spencer has stopped asking about getting her ears done. Mission Accomplished!

the Girls in the coop

2008-01-20T14:25:00.001-08:00

Here is the hoop chicken tractor with much less crap on the patio. Perhaps by spring I can have the whole yard cleaned! The girls approve. I need a new Delaware flag too. This one is faded pretty badly.

Now we have an egg door

2008-01-19T13:20:00.001-08:00

Well It finally got cold here, well cold for Texas. I went out to water the birds today and the hose was frozen. A little running water got it moving but the water bucket was full of chunky ice. You would think that I had dumped in a motherlode of worms in there. The chickens went crazy picking out the ice and fighting eachother for the pieces.
I put the wood back on the coop at last. Kevin gave me a hand even though he feels like crap today. It is not a thing of beauty but it works. I have to wait until I move the coop to do a clean out to see if I can secure the wood to the bottom better but now I have an egg door so I don't have to walk through a poopy coop to get eggs and on days I don't want to let the girls out I can get eggs.

"winter "is a-comin

2007-11-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

Winter, such that it is, is headin to Texas and I thought it was a good idea to get toe coop winter ready. The big blue tarp Had disintegrated from the sun and began to shred so I got a silver & brown tarp to put over the coop . as you can see it's a bit too big but I got it to work. I probably was not supposed to do that much work but it had to be done. The silver tarp will hold in more heat than the blue would have done. It is darker in the back now as well so perhaps the girls will be happier to lay back there. I'd like to think that they will roost in the tarped part but so far the silly things huddle up at the front door at night to sleep.

2007-11-01T14:07:00.001-07:00

I have been crocheting up a storm since I can't do much else. These fingerless mitts are fun and fast to make.

and they are outta here!

2007-10-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

So I finally got my fibroids removed on the 16th. 15 'broids removed! No wonder we never had that second child. Well now I hope things get much better period wise. All that anemia was for the birds. I'm going to scan in the pix when I get the scanner fixed. The recovery is about 6 weeks and I am bored already. I've made a purse, read 3 books, watched very little TV, learned about Australian colonists and done a million crossword puzzles. So I thought I'd update the old blog.
I've managed to lose about 20#in the past 3 months. I've been diligent about watching my carb intake and I've been walking 45min a day and Bam 15# went whoosh. Then I lost 5 # from the surgery. I've been trying to walk to the end of the block every day in the past week. I get real tired but it does not hurt too much. The lower carb intake seems to have a good effect on my blood sugar as well. I miss eating carbs, it's so much easier to cook with carbs but my diabetes seems to really prefer 30g carb a day.
Kevin has been wonderful helping me as I heal. He really has stepped up to the plate.

The chickens are doing great giving 3-5 eggs a day. So many that I have given some to the neighbors and some of my coworkers.

Oh Happy Day!

2007-07-26T05:47:00.000-07:00

The girls are 20 weeks old and this morning I got up to have my coffee with them and this was right by the water bucket! I'm so excited! I had noticed most of their combs getting red and when I try to pet them I get the power squat but I really am suprised to find an egg already.

latest obsession- Ferments!!

2007-06-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Well as you can see we ate 'Roo, He was very tasty. Thank you Roo!
My latest obsession is fermented foods. I'm trying a sauerkraut today and I also have kefir going in the milk and a kombucha going in the spigot jug. I've been reading Nourishing Tradition s by Sally Fallon and have gone back to my grain eating ways. the low carb diet was not working for me and I feel more creative using grains as a small part of my diet. And since money is tight right now being able to eat rice & Beans flavored with a tiny bit of meat has been a life/wallet saver. The LC was hurting our bottom line. Now I want to eat more locally so I'm going to spend that savings on locally raised grass fed beef and pastured chicken.

Cock-a-doodle-dinner

2007-05-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

I think I'll go to Mansfield on Friday and have Cock-a-doodle-roo done in. I sold 4 of the pullets yesterday so I am down to 6. When Roo goes I'll have the final 5. I'll be sad to see him go. He isn't noisy but he does crow. At least he has the decency to wait until about 7am to do it. He is also the least skittish of the birds. He will let me pick him up with minimal thrashing and complaining.
Also I think I'll go back to the gallon waterer rather than the 3 gal behemouth I have now. The 10 birds got even the big waterer dirty very quickly. I was hoping that since it was larger and they couldn't roost on top on it or get on the cinderblock it rests on the water would stay cleaner longer. But no such luck. I think it will be better for the girls to fill the waterer more frequently anyway. I didn't go on the weekend trip any way so I think I can probably sell the big mamma jamma waterer.

hearding chickens

2007-05-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe haw fast these things grow. they are 11 weeks old this week. After having the coop in one place for a month I decided it was time to clean it. I put an ad on Craigslist and this man came and scooped all the poop for me! I got a clean coop and he got free poop! I love that. So all it really took was Kevin & me moving the coop then moving it back and adding more shavings. Easy peasy. The pix above are of my chicken herding exploits. I let all 10 roam the back yard for a bit then had toget them back in the coop. The biggest monster in the yard is the garden rake, well the lawn mower is the biggest and meanest, really. So I used the rake to scare them back into the coop. It took about 3 min. I was shocked. I thought it would take half an hour to get them all back in but they were very compliant.
I've been feeding them Dumor's chick starter but I think when this bag is gone I'm going to try to find them an organic feed. I may have to drive up to Greenville, more than an hour north east, to find some, but if we are going to eat the eggs these gals lay I want them to be as clean as possible. After the tainted chicken feed ( melamine tainted feed) noise I'm really apprehensive about the commercial foodstock.

cock-a-doodle-roo!

2007-05-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

Can you find the male? Spencer has named him Cock-a-doodle-roo. He sure is handsome but he is destined for the fridge. The other 4 I can't keep are going to buyers from Craig's list.

2007-04-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

So yesterday tornados whipped through the Metroplex. An apartment building near us lost it's roof. We had winds of 75 miles an hour and a downpour that rivaled anything in the tropics. And the coop withstood it all. The interior was still dry as well. I'm so glad it could withstand such extreme weather. I have hardwire cloth in the bottom as a precaution against the opossums that visit the back yard. So this baby is rather safe. The chicks are doing just fine in it. They go into the windblock at night and all rest, some even roost on the top edge. Miss Bracocin is doing just fine with the other birds. She is somewhat smaller that the others but sure can hold her own in the brawls. Cock-a-doodle-roo is as he is named, a Roo. His comb is bigger and much pinker than anyone elses and he spars with anything that moves. I'm not sure if any other chick is male tho. I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer before I can make the decision on who stays & who goes.

chickens outta da house!

2007-04-09T18:26:00.000-07:00

I moved the chickens out to the coop today. I'm so worried about the overnight, but that seems normal. The chicks seem to like their new home and some of them are even roosting on the roost bar I provided tho most choose to roost ontop of the brooder. Tmw I'm going to buy some hardware cloth to put on the bottom as I am very concerned about coons & possums getting to the chicks. I hope they have enough sense to go into the brooder for the night as I tried to put them in and they kept flocking to my feet outside the brooder. Silly chickens.

coherent Econo-Chicken Tractor plans

2007-04-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

Materials:
3 2"X4"X10' Pressure treated boards
4 L shaped galvanized metal plates for making a square butt joint
deck screws
8 10' schedule 40 1/2" diameter PVC pipe
1 4' Schedule 10 1/2" diameter PVC pipe
3 1/2" 90 degree elbow joints
12 1/2" conduit clamps
3 2' X 25' green PVC coated chix wire
300 8" outdoor rated zip ties
2 very large blue camping tarps( scavanged from my camping set up)
bungee cords to hold on tarp
1/2" 90degree elbow joint for door latch

make rectangular frame with 2X4's, Deck screws and L shaped plates
mark 2' intervals on outside of frame for PVC ribbing.
screw on conduit clamps at marked intervals.
insert PVC into conduit clamps, bend to make hoop shape , tighten conduit after pipe is inserted.
After all 6 ribs are formed zip tie top spine down the lenght of the ribs at top.
Attach chix wire to frame. I attached it at each rib point rather than going the lenght of the frame. Make Sense? I used zip ties. A lot of zipties.
make door. Attach elbow joints to 4' section of pipe. Bent 10' section into Elbow joints. Cover with chix wire. I attached this horizontally so there was a very small gap at the top for the latch. attach door to frame on one size using zip ties. Place an elbow joint on the end of the top spine, close door and turn joint up to form a latch. secure door at bottom with a bungee.
Wrap rectangle of tarp around back of tractor, bungee on. Drape rectangle of tarp over top of tractor bungee on.
hang heat lamp inside with chain over top spine. tie excess cord up, feed outdoor rated extension cord thru chix wire at gap in the 2 tarps. Place tractor in desired spot.
This is light enough that Kevin & I could pick it up from the bottom and carry it over to the garden and I could drag it back & forth by myself. We shall see how it stands up to the wind. I have 4 screw in dog stale out posts and some chain if I need to anchor the bugger down in high wind.
I have already posted the pix in previous entries so I wont repeat myself here.

finished coop sans chicks

2007-04-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

Just as I get the coop finished I look at the forcast and it will be getting down to the low 50's this week. Too chilly for the chicks so they will have to wait. But here it is in all it's glory just waiting for it's guests. I'm sure those chicks would like to get out of that bin. there has been alot of butt pecking in the last few days. I have not seen any in the last 2 days though. I hope it stops and they can hold out till they are 5 weeks to go outside.

2007-04-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

here is my chicken tractor. the bottom is 10X4 Pressure treated 2X4's held together with a L shaped metal brace. the ribs are 10' PVC schedule 40 pipes held on the outside of the frame with condiut clamps. the top mid rib is put on with outdoor rated zip ties. the chicken wire is green PVC coated wire held on with zip ties and stapled at the bottom. the tarps are camping tarps held on with bungee cords. This has taken me 2 days to do with no helpers. I probably could have gotten it finished in one day with help. I still have to fashion a door somehow. I think I'll use the PVC pipes bent into a U with elbow joints and a bottom piece. I can probably get the door to swing using zip ties but I'm not sure what kind of latch I can use. I have tomorrow off so I can probably get that finished then.

chicken tractor

2007-03-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

The framework for the tractor is done. I've done it all myself, which is amazing. I do need to brace the 4 corners of the frame so it is more stable and won't torque apart when I move it. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get the nest box in there and cover it with chicken wire. I spent 160 on materials but I didn tuse al of them. doubling the PVC pipes made the ribs about 9 ft tall, way too tall for the yard and the galvanized nails I just didn't need and I think I bought way too much chicken wire, but that will always come in handy.

2007-03-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

The chickens are getting bigger so quickly I can't believe my eyes! I really have to get a coop ready this weekend. I've had to get a bigger rubbermaid bin to put them in and I still think it is too small. I've come home from work for 2 days now and found a chick with a bloody butt. I made an isolation pen out of the green bin for the 2 injured birds and bought some blue lotion and this hot pick spray that tastes like cayenne to try to keep the picking at bay. I think that they are too crowed. But they are still too young to go outside full time. What to do?
The sick chick is still hanging on, in fact she looks pretty good. SHe is substantially smaller that the other chicks and still had the lump in/on her neck. I'm thinking it is a deformity rahter than an illness. She is still in the house in a box right next to the computer. The others are out in the garage. I wish they were still in the house so I could keep an eye on them but they were kicking up so much dust that they had to go out of the house.

Impacted crop

2007-03-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

I think we are going to lose Spencer's favorite chick, Miss Bracocin. I think she has an impacted crop. She can't stand, has a hard lump in her throat and just lays on her side panting. Spencer is so sad. But this is a life lesson, everything that lives must die. It's just so hard to watch this chick suffer. I can't euthanize her. I'm a bit surprised at myself. I guess I want to give her every chance to make it.

chicken antics

2007-03-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

I got the chicks a perch and put a kitty ball on a string and hung it for them to peck at. They LOVE the ball, pecking and pulling at the string. It's pretty funny. A few of them are using the perch as well although they fall off a lot.
I put them on pine bedding yesterday and they love to scratch at it and kick it everywhere. This is so fun. I just hope I can get a coop made in the next few weeks.

day 6 Chicken update

2007-03-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

I moved the chicks to a larger rubbermaid bin and put them on pine shavings instead of the shop towels. They are picking at the shavings and scratching them everywhere. I guess that is to be expected since this is new for them. I hope they eat their food and don't get plugged up from the bark.

Feathers

2007-03-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

The chicks are getting feathers already! It's only been 5 days! I think I am going to need a bigger brooder and soon. I hate to put them out in the garage as I want them to bond with us but I think they are going to be too big to keep in here in about 3 weeks. I really like holding them and so does Spencer. She is really good with the babies. I've got about 4 weeks to get a coop design down and built so I really better shake a leg. It is so hard to decide. With my very limited carpentry skills I don't have many options. I'd like a nice looking coop that doesn't scream hillbilly since this is Dallas, but I only have hillbilly skills and pathetic ones at that. Frankly, I'm an insult to hillbillies. It is going to be hard to choose which ones to keep and which ones to cull. Spencer has already named one Madison, one Spencer, one Meg and one Miss Bercoccin. I may have bitten off more than I can chew here.

"Can't take my Eyes off of you"

2007-03-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

I just can't stop looking at the little fuzzballs. They are getting real feathers on their wings and are pooping up a storm. I have to change their paper 2X a day. I am so in love. I just have to figure out how to get a coop made in the next 8 weeks.

Chicken Mama

2007-03-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm a chicken mama. I drove the 156 miles to Ideal Poultry in Cameron Tx and picked up 10 adorable Delaware chicks. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. The peeps are so cute and tiny. Picking one up is incredible, so tiny yet strong. Gaze upon them and awwwww. Now I am forced to get the coop built in the next 8 weeks. I can't keep all 10 so I think 6 are destined for the freezer if I can find some one to butcher them as it is illegal to do so in the city. I'd do it if I could but I don't want to antagonize the neighbors.
My brooder is a storage box with newspaper and shop towels on the bottom, a reflector clamp lamp with a 100 watt lizard warming light and the waterer & feeder. I have a larger storage box to move them to as they get bigger. I just have to make a lid for it.
I made soap last week as well. I really am feeling better these days.

back to soaping

2007-02-27T06:29:00.000-08:00

I finally got over my slobby self and made soap. What fun it was and the house smells great! Here is a picture of my efforts. The orange soap and the big soap are made by the Hot Process method. The one in the middle is sone by Cold Process. The HP soaps are useable now. The CP soap will be ready in a month or so. It also will turn very dark due to the fragrance I used (Lavender, vanilla, patchouli). It was very fun to get back to soaping, I've really missed it. It is a bit like riding a bike, you don't forget how but you do get a bit rusty. I also made a green batch that is not ready to cut. All the soaps have silk and sugar in them and the tan & green ones have clays in them. I think that I put too much clay in the big HP bar.

what I've been up to

2006-12-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

2006-09-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted anything so I thought I'd pop in with an update.
I'm a substitute teacher in the DISD now. SInce the beginning of school in fact. I've been busy almost evry day so far. I thought i'd like the K-3 age best but so far I've enjoyed 4th grade the best. they are much more independant and are studying much more intresting things. I also now know that my Spanish is too rusty to be a bilingual teacher without some serious study. All this is for me to get an idea if I like teaching and to help me decide if I want to get my certification. SO far I have enjoyed the work.
The other news is I have started a new med called Byetta for my Insuline resistance and pre diabetes. I ahve to inject 2 times a day. It is rocking my world. I have normal BG numbers now! My fasting numbers are still in the high normal range but they have dome down to the normal range rather than the pre-diabetic numbers I was showing. My numbers had been creeping up despite the metformin & actos I was on. The Byetta is working judt perfectly. I've had no side effects, which sound awful BTW, and I've dropped 5# in a week! Most of that is water I think , water that the actos caused me to retain. I've noticed that I'm now finally passing ketones. Ever since I started low carbing i have never been able to get into ketosis, the state where your body is burning fat for fuel rather than glucose. Aftermuch scrutiny I have figured out that my liver is constantly dumping glucose even when I cut my dietairy intake to 0 carbs, thus defeating my attempts to burn fat for energy. I may now have a bit of an easier time dropping some of my excess weight normally. The liver dump also explains why my fasting numbers were higher than my bedtime ones. Well at any rate the Byetta is taking care of things nicely. I am very excited about this medication and I think that it will be able to help alot of people unless they find out in a few years that it causes you to grow a second head or something. Now that I've added another drug to my regimine I expect to recieve my AARP card any day as I need a pill organizer to keep track of what I take.
I've changed ny depression meds again too, the Lexapro pooped out so I switched it to Zoloft, which too is working nicely. I wish I could stop the Abilify as it is expensive as shit. So is the BYetta and I don't knoe yet what the insurance will pay on the Byetta as my first pen was a free sample from My NP.
So mainly I'm having to embrace my emerging geezerhood. It ain't pretty.

2 words

2006-03-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

Armour Thyroid.
My new best friend. I feel really good although I'm a bit worried it's just a bump like the Abilify. But it has been 2 weeks since I began taking the tiny CHEAP pill and I feel so much better. No hopelessness, no loathing and I have energy for the first time in 3 years! Which is a good thing because I just started a job at a local organic nursery and my butt is whipped every night afer work. I'm hopeing the medication along with the increased activiy will have a positive effect on my weight. My feet are really feeling the pain of gravity.
here is a pix of my latest obsession, Loretta & Fay named by my daughter. I made the cage out of coroplast and shelving grids and it is pretty great if I do say so myself. I need to take Fay to the vet TOMORROW becaue I think she may be a boy.Crap.

what I do when I'm down

2005-12-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

I make something. in the last few days it has been soap. I love the process of making soap the danger with the lye, the hot oil, but the miracle is the transformation of the whole thing. From 2 diparate entities to something altogether different.
from the top. oatmeal honey and heavy cream unscented but it smells like oats.
Osmanthus Fragrance w/ blue swirls
Blackberry sage fragraence with purp;le& blue color
Spearmint patchouli Essential oils w green mica swirl
yellow orange grapefruit
pink rose sandalwood
green juniper sage.
I like to soap.

a better day

2005-12-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

I feel alot better today. I still have that lost feeling but just not as sad. It iced last night so I have DD & friend over so I suspect that I will get nothing done at all so feeling lost id not a problem today. I'm going to try to make a batch of soap to make me feel better.

the blue one is scented with Osmanthus Fragrance and the tan one is a plain oatmeal, honey and cream bar.
Also I sold 3 items from my Etsy Store! WooHoo

days of Blank

2005-12-06T09:04:00.000-08:00

I spent yesterday walking around my house doing nothing. I felt lost. pointless. See this is what happens when I miss my meds. I had a lasp in my scripts and it seems to have messed me up more than I thought. That and the fact that I cant seem to find a job. I applied to be a frickin cashier at a grocery store and I didn't get it, I tried to get a job at SMU that only required a highschool diploma and I didnt get that. I have not heard back from temp agencies and our money situation is now dire. That in and of itsself is depressing. So i have had day sof blank. Feeling empty & lost, pointless & absurd. Worthless. But not dispairing. I think htat is a result of the Abilify. I dont feel desperate. But it is weird to feeldown without that black cloud.
I've been trying to crochet to feel better. Intresting attempt but not totally successful. I keep wanting to make soap but just can't get started. I hate depression.

I still want to make a chicken tractor and get chickens. It is frustrating not to be able to do something I want to do so badly.

Why Viragolog?

2005-10-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

virago |vəˈrägō; -ˈrā-| noun ( pl. -gos or -goes) a domineering, violent, or bad-tempered woman. • archaic a woman of masculine strength or spirit; a female warrior.
That's why. Altho I aspire to the latter more oftem I manifest the former. Why? Depression, that's why. It sucks to be an African -American woman struggling with Depression in these here U-nited States. We are supposed to be the strong women, the leadin our people to freedom by the stringht of our bones women, We are supposed to be the feed everyone, hoe the fields, tend the house women. We are supposed to be Strong in our Afrikan Heritage, using Sistah strenght to keep our backs above water. Not weak like those Fey White women, needing to be cared for by their Mammies, fainting at every little vapor that blows their way.
But I'm weak. I dont want to get out of bed. I dont want to cary anything or anybody on my back anymore. I can barely lift my obese carcass out of bed & out the door( ok, that is a touch hyperbolic, but not much). I'm cranky & Bitchy & in pain. Soul pain. Brain pain. Ah when I was Anorexic I was told that Black girls didnt get that. Ha. Now I'm not really depressed 'cause Black women dont get depressed, we are way too strong...........
WHAT A STEAMING LOAD OF SHIT!
It's a brain disorder and we get it just like other people. And we suffer just like other people. But we tend not to get treated like other people. Well I'm getting treatment. I want to see my strenght, my virago nature. I don't want to be down so low anymore.

starting a blog

2005-03-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

I just had sinus surgery and this has given me the time to think about writing things up. Blogging.Like I need more things to take up my time. teehee