Wow, my scarves are getting around

One of my fancy scarves made it out on a date!!! I am hoping to start selling these. They are quite fancy and come in several colours and can be made to order (within reason). I'll have better pictures once Miss Emme Rogers sends some to me.

I am asking $75.00 to start and they are on average three to four feet long and quite fluffy and glamorous. Think feather boa. You pay shipping costs. If I have the colour in stock they leave here on Monday's, other wise there is a two week turnaround time. Fell free to write and ask me questions.

The picture at left shows some of them before they were all sold. Sorry the picture isn't more detailed. I didn't think to make a close up of each scarf, but I will when some more are done.

Maybe you can be the second person in VanCity to own one of these gorgeous scarves???!!!!

Writing Void

Its going to be difficult, I think, coming up with things to write about now that one of my stars has left. I may change the flow of this a little by maybe adding some more of my life outside the store. Haven't decided yet. Let me know what you think.

I love hearing from followers of the blog and wouldn't mind too much if you wanted to sign up as a follower. There is a spot to the right of the postings.


Couldn't bring myself to go into the store last week on my day off, as I'm there so much anyway. So I went to the 'enemy over the highway' and checked out cereal. Now, I don't like this store at he best of times because they are too friggin big and don't really have that great of a selection. Oh, it looks impressive and all, but for example you go in there looking for peanut butter and they have lots of their own and maybe two small sizes in a name brand. Well, I want the big size as its more reasonable. I have found this in the case of most of the items I have looked for when I go there.

And speaking of reasonable, their cereal was 50 cents more and the whipping cream 30 cents more. Now they are a bigger set of stores than we are, but their prices are higher. I bought the stuff, (Stupid) because, as I said, I just didn't feel like going to my store. I wish I had.

By the way, neither our cheaper store chain nor theirs, carried the cereal that I wanted. Aggravating, really.

More farm stories

I've said previously how I had a small hobby farm and would love to do that again. I loved having chickens and this is the time of the year when it is the hardest for me. The new catalogue comes out and there are the old stand by breeds but sometimes some new ones are available.

This is when the new chicks would be ordered and the plans would start to be made for where they would go and how many of what kind. Also had to decide whether to get turkeys.

Anyway, what started this for me was having a shed type building and figuring out that I could make it into a chicken coop. We did the required fencing etc and bought a few chickens from someone that bred several varieties for show. My favourite was a beautiful Buff Orpington (pictured above) hen that was the colour of gold and oh so full feathered. She had a different personality than the other hens. She was like a puppy in that she followed me around, came when I called, and would let me pick her up any time I wanted. She didn't have a mean bone in her body.

She wanted to go broody (meaning she wanted to hatch some eggs) but didn’t have any available at the time. I had just bought 27 day-old meat chicks and brought then home and stepped out of the car with this box of little peeping fluff balls.


When hens go broody they make these particular noises that you have to hear to understand. They also sit in the nest box in a sort of daze waiting for the eggs to hatch. They shuffle around sometimes to turn the eggs and leave the box once or twice a day to relieve themselves and to grab something to eat.

I wondered what my Buff would think. I waited until evening-ish and tucked a couple under her. She made all the right noises so I gave her all of them. She fluffed out and had every single one under her. If she could have purred she would have. I remember lifting her chest off the ground slightly the first morning and seeing all those little feet. She raised them all up and it was so funny, because within three days they all didn’t fit.

Meat chicks grow very fast. It takes only 8 weeks before you can have a three pound dressed weight bird. So these didn't fit under her long. The chicks learned to follow her around. They thought she was Mom. I had done enough reading to know some of how this all works. I knew that the chicks would bond with whatever looked after them. I also knew that a hen will consider them hers if they first start out under her. She recognizes their voices as they do hers. (Chickens are neat in that if they have a mom to get attached to they will, but if they have to manage on their own they can as well.)

A few years later I had several hens with babies and they would be wandering around the yard with the chicks co-mingling. As the hen moved off though, the appropriate babies all went off with the correct hens. If a 'stranger' wandered too close the offending chick would get a subtle ding on top of his head saying "you're not mine, go home to your own mom."


Sometimes a hawk would fly over and the hen would sound the alarm. The chicks would scatter to the four corners so fast and then freeze. I think the idea was that one may be lost but a predator can't grab them all if they are spread apart.


But there is nothing so much fun for me as watching a hen with her chicks when she finds them a treat. They all come running and grab whatever she found for them. And then look at her like isn't she wonderful?!

A Lovely Evening

There are some people I have met through a complicated process (see the end of this posting if interested) that wanted to have us over for dinner. Well, it would take less to get half the United Nations together. They both work, we both work, my hubby plays different instruments with different bands so he is always rehearsing or playing or traveling to or from one thing or another.

It was finally decided that the only day we all had free was the Sunday night before Christmas. Great!! The husband of said inviting household is a guitar player and had been wanting to meet my husband. Except that at the last minute my husband's project members decided that they did indeed want to get another practice in before a recording session next month.

Supper had to be moved up by a few hours, but my hubby missed out anyway. He had to leave before supper was ready but he did get to play for and with them for a while. He now has a couple of 'man-fans'. The other husband and a friend of his have a man crush on my hubby. They are amazed at the way he plays, they are enthralled with his guitar collection, they want to know all they can about him. "Man-Crush" ! ! ! !


A nice surprise about the evening was that my best friend and her husband, who live across the street, were invited for dinner as well. It was a wonderful evening. Their daughter, who I adore, although to her face I make like I can barely tolerate her, is amazing. We were talking computery/internet/blog stuff. Such a knowledgeable and astonishing young woman. She has her own blog (A Gossip of Sexy 30-Somethings) happening that I am still trying to figure out. It is like a novel and has been going on for a while so I am just beginning to get the gist of it.

Apparently she had a 'wardrobe malfunction' that she was completely taking into stride until yours truly found a little snide comment to make. I almost had her blushing and she got in a shot at me too so we are still even. I really like the way we kibbutz back and forth. She does the same sort of thing to me in the grocery store when she comes in. I love having people that I can trade barbs with. It is really nice to meet someone that is quick with come backs. I find it challenging and amusing.

Our hosts are such nice people. They want to have us over again when my husband can stay longer. I am very happy to have found this group of people to add to my life.



The Complicated Story:

My best friend lives in a neighbourhood not far from where I work. Across the street from her are two people with two teenage daughters. One of the daughters applied to work at the store and was told by my friend that I would look out for their daughter at the store ( I was asked first whether I would). The daughter and I hit it off and sometimes one or the other of the parents would come in to pick her up or buy groceries and say hi to me.

Then one night in the summer, I made an extra rice pudding for my best friend and took it to her house. She wasn't home so I asked the neighbour whether she could give it to them when they came back. Gladly, she said, and then noticed that it was rice pudding. She wanted to make some for her hubby (who LOVES rice pudding) so I gave her my Mum's recipe that I have had for like a hundred years. Its not TOO detailed so there was a bit of a mess with the first rice pudding she made. I offered to help her sometime and one thing led to another and we are great friends now.

I told you it was complicated.

Christmas Morning

When I lived in the country I loved doing my chores. Christmas morning was my favourite. As we all know anticipation helps a lot with the enjoyment of Christmas. It allows our curiosity to build and if you have your work done ahead of time it leaves you moments that you can use for opening and enjoying presents. Or for just enjoying, period.

On Christmas morning I would always get up and make sure all the animals were well fed. They each got a special treat even if it was just some extra attention. I would clean out the waters and make sure it was all fresh and not frozen. I loved to do the bird feeders and especially putting peanut butter on the trees for the nuthatches and chickadees. One time I even had a little chickadee land on my knife while I was getting peanut butter out of the jar. WoWWW.


The bunnies would get carrots and the horse got an apple. The animals seemed to sense the difference in my mood too. They respond to the vibes you give off and therefore it seems like they know its Christmas too.

We had these Muscovy ducks and they are quite gregarious little creatures. They wag their tail at you, and it would be so nice to carry them some cracked corn and watch all the tails going and have the males chuckle at you. They sort of hiss a 'hee hee hee' at you and bob their heads.

My dogs (I used to breed and show Rough Collies) would always respond to the different mood that day and I loved to have them all out running around and playing and chasing each other. And ME!!! We used to roll in the snow and wrestle.

The one thing you could count on happening every single day,(even Christmas) was Harry the goose hissing at you and trying to smack you with a wing. The other geese were quite nice and seemed to know who fed them, but Harry was evil on two webbed feet. One time as i was exiting the barn, he surprised me and got me in the ankle. I went down because my whole leg went numb it hurt so much. I saw him coming and the only thing I could think to do was to grab him by the neck and lift him off the ground. He didn't know what to do then because he was totally helpless. I could almost see fear in his eyes when he realized I could shorten his life. I didn't because I actually have admiration for something that weighs 8 pounds and thinks it can take on a full grown, very hurt and angry woman.

Harry, I actually miss you.

Merry Christmas everyone ! ! ! ! ! !

Past Experiences

I often talk to the different people that I meet at work, plus various co-workers and tell them about my experiences owning a small hobby farm.

Apparently the stories are funny, amusing, entertaining or all three. Its been mentioned that I should write a book. Until that time comes I thought I'd start putting some remembrances down here. I have always regretted not getting every story I could from my parents before I lost them both.

So here goes:

My best friends lived in the house next door, same side of the road about 1/8 of a mile away. We both bred and showed rough collies which is actually how we met in the first place. (another story)

Anyway, one day they called me up to show me their new 'puppy'. I go running over to find its a baby pig. I WAS IN LOVE. I helped them raise theirs up to butchering weight and we all enjoyed the experience.

Nothing would do that I didn't get my own piglet a few years later. Well live and learn. Pigs are very smart. Plus they are social. So here we are with one little pig in his own little stall in the chicken house. All nice and secure. A few days later my parents came over to see the little guy and after looking they came into the house. I went downstairs to get some laundry out of the machine and look up at the basement window in time to see this little animal go running by.

I realized it was the pig and called to my parents as I run up two stairs at a time. We end up chasing this little thing all over the country side. Up the road, around the yard, through the trees, down the road until I am actually starting to gain on him. Suddenly out the corner of my eye this shape flies by me and throws a rolling body check at the little pig. It was my Dad!!! He was 50 years old at the time but he caught the lovely little pork chop.

We put him back in and closed the door. Five minutes later the pig is standing in the yard. This time it didn't take as long to catch him. He was still quite frisky, like the previous experience was just a warm up, but we managed to corner him in the other barn. As we put him back in the pen, my Dad made every thing so secure Houdini wouldn't have gotten out. We stood and watched this little pig and my Dad said you could actually see him figuring out how he was going to get out this time. He said it was a good thing the pig didn't have a slide rule.

He never escaped again and turned into some lovely meat. I learned several things by owning that pig. I had always been interested in animals and such but this little pig sparked such an interest in farming etc, that I read everything I could find. Turned out my pig was lonely and missing his litter mates. All the fun could have been avoided by getting him a friend. I only ever owned a single pig once after that.

Haven't been HERE in a while

I was listening to the radio in the car today and they were talking about how the government may decide to ban GPS in cars along with cell phones and whatever else.

The announcer thought it was a stupid idea and was wanting people to call in and agree. Most did because if you let them do that then it won't be long before you can't "drive with your dog in your lap" or while drinking a coffee.

Do people not realize that if you have to stop suddenly or, even worse, are in an accident you are likely going to kill your dog. Great the dog can act like an extra air bag for you.

Then someone called in to say he has seen people putting on make-up or shaving while driving. Are people just plain stupid or what? I've been fortunate enough to be stuck behind some young kid that was driving like a nob and at lights fixing his hair. Well he'd be busy primping and the light would change. Still primping then he realizes it and speeds away to the next light, crossing back and forth across the four lanes of a one way street. Another time behind some stupid woman yapping on the phone and not paying attention. She starts to use my lane as well as her own. So seeing as I know the size of my car I give her a little bit of a fright by coming REAL close to her. That backed her off a little.


And what is with these schmucks driving in on York Blvd. that do not pay attention to the 50 kph limit? I am tired of having them crawl up my a** then speed on by me like I'm so old lady on my way to church. I don't like the limit. Its too slow for that long stretch of road but too bad for me. I got a ticket for making a right on a red when we had lived in Hamilton for maybe a month. I learned my lesson. Since then I STOP at stop signs, wait for lights, don't run reds, and obey the speed limit, stupid as it is at times. And yes, I guess because I am getting OLD, I am getting freakin' cranky with idiot drivers.

i have started writing down license plates numbers and turning them in to the police as they have a stupid driver hot line. They will send a letter to people telling them that they were seen doing something wrong and that they have been warned.

I am loose now......

Dip sh*t.