A little of this and a little of that

I have a goal to have home grown carrots to eat during the winter months... I also have a goal of wasting as little as possible during the whole process.
During the week we (Brittany and I) scrubbed, cut the tops off, peeled, blanched, cooled and vacuum sealed. And we totally kicked butt in our "wasting as little as possible"! Our bunnies will have carrot greens to feast on for a few days... they were all washed and packaged and placed in the downstairs fridge to be distributed to our furry friends! All of the peelings and some of the carrot tops were put in the food processor and chopped up for our chickens and ducks to feast on! They LOVED it!!! Sooo... very little actually went to the compost! Which isnt a waste! That will all help next years garden grow!

Tomorrow I hope to be able to get to the 4 dozen ears of sweet corn that need husked, scrubbed, blanched and frozen.

I have also started my first batch of pickles of the season. It is a 7 day process...and I will be making a few batches of them this year. They seemed to be the ones everyone enjoyed the most.

For some reason I decided to rip out my herb garden. It was looking a little "sad". The soil wasnt the best and my herbs were just not thriving the way they did in previous years. I wish I would have done it at the beginning of the season... but, better late than never. I had Stacy shovel the dirt out.. after I pulled all of the existing herbs and weeds. Once we had the tub emptied some, we filled in with 2 5 gallon buckets of rabbit poop... then filled in with the dirt. I redid my herb arrangement and reseeded. Now... hoping for the best.

I managed to get Courtney to go to the Anime Class at the Art Assoc of Harrisburg!! I kind of tricked her... but she had a GREAT time and is currently on a mission to get this weeks assignment done! I am super proud of her... and I cant wait to see how she does in the weeks to come.
All three of the kids picked classes there for the fall session.

I am looking forward to week 3 of the parenting class I am taking! I like that the instructor has us really taking a look at ourselves. It has brought to light that I do too much for and with my kids. My life revolves around my family and home. I am constantly taking care of their needs and wants... that my own get forgotten about. Time to make some changes in that department.

My garden is still in full swing... and I am about sick of the daily battle with weeds! LOL They grow 100 times faster than anything else! I fertilized and reseeded the carrot bed with more red beets. The pumpkins are taking over and I broke down and cut some of it off... hoping for the best with that, not sure if I will kill the whole vines or not. I just didnt want it to strangle out my tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Time will tell.

Let's see...
I have another busy week ahead of me. Errands... appointments... meetings... and a list of things here at home that need done.
I started getting things ready for the up coming school year. I wanted to get a jump on our spelling flash card and all of our vocabulary lists. Those are the things I tend to let slide because I am either tired or I run out of time. NOT THIS YEAR!! Stacy and I also started our supply shopping! Let's hope I can stay ahead of things this year!

Stacy and I let Brittany go to an under 21 party last nite... we also did the dropping off and picking up... ALL THE WAY IN POTTSVILLE!! We took advantage of the visit and hit up some old cemeteries while we were there. We also tested out the new tripod I got for my camera! LOVE IT!!
After spending some time at the Art Assoc... I have decided to take a stab at some different types of art! Stay tuned for updates!! LOL

OK... I guess that wraps up my update for now. My allergies are killing me... and I just want to go to bed. I didnt eat anything remotely good for me today... and I am really feeling it. BLAH!

Over flowing...

I havent blogged lately. I have been so busy with so many things, and I always feel like I am playing "catch up" lately.

My garden is doing great... and I have been spending a bunch of time daily tending to it and watering it. I find that time... is MY time and I usually am able to clear my head while I am out there. And really, it is the only peace I have lately.
I have started my "canning season"! Blueberry jam and Raspberry jam are both DONE... and YUMMY!! I am pulling cucumbers off the vine now... so next will be pickles! I am going to invest in new crocks for the ones that need to age for days at a time. I wanted to make that investment last year... and it just never happened.

As I posted on FB... Izzy was snatched up by a cat. It utterly broke my heart. Since, I had another hatch... "Ozzy". And we are on our way to some good human/duck bonding! Ozzy def has a different personality... but still likes to follow me around, and I am hoping soon he will be helping with the bug population in my garden.
The ducks up in the coop are now enjoying a bigger pond... with filter!! Stacy put that in a few weeks ago... and they seem VERY pleased with it. They enjoy sticking their heads under the pipe where the water comes out of the filter and back into the pond... I guess that is their version of a shower...LOL!
They are also laying on another bunch of eggs. Two big black snakes scared them out of the first nest... so they just decided to start over. Cant say I blame them! I am pretty sure we did get both black snakes... and they wont be returning.

It is hard to believe that the summer is half over!! I am already starting to get my school plans together for next year. The kids curriculum has already been delivered!!
The kids and I have been faithful with our weekly library trips!! I am pounding out a novel every week! This is HUGE for me... I am making sure I at least take that little bit of time for myself... to escape into a book! (I guess my garden isnt my only "me" time)

Oh... Stacy and I also got into taking the kids "Ghost Hunting"... we LOVE these family adventures!!! We gear up with our video recorder... and head out to local cemeteries once the sun goes down! It is so great to see what the kid's imaginations can "hear" or "see" while we are out there... and just how creeped out we can get ourselves! Sometimes I really wonder!!

I dont think ANYONE realizes or understand what it is like to raise a special needs child.
It is FAR from easy!!!
I am really upset over today's Domestic Relations conference with Courtney's sperm donor!!! I think he is such a waste of oxygen.
It really hurts me to see just how much he does not care about his own child. Courtney (and my other kiddos) are my world. I go without so much... just so they can have extra things that will enrich their lives. And to see him try so hard to get out of the piddly amount he is ordered to pay... UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Right now... I am fighting tooth and nail to get Courtney added therapies. The mental health side of things views Courtney as an "adult"... but the Autism side of things dont recognize her as an adult until age 21. So we sit in limbo until her 21st BDay...??? Does the sperm donor, or his FB stalking family know, realize or care about any of that?!?!? HELL NO!!! They just want a way to not put $200 towards her care every month... all while I am trying so hard to come up with extra money to get her involved in different activities, that we just cant afford right now! And, in addition... I bet I put more than $200 in gas in my car a month to get Courtney to all of her therapy appointments and "group" meetings!!! I do not have any type of personal life outside of what I do for my kids... but of course, no one realizes that! Sperm donor wants to sit and try like hell to make me look like a bad mother... with LIES!!! Which just creates more work for me... and I seriously just dont have the time for it.
It is absolutely heart breaking!!

UGH. My plate is overflowing!! And I am just so sick and tired of ppl making life even harder for me!
It is so sad that we dont have a supportive family... But I am so very thankful for the supportive friends we are blessed with!