Jeans vs Pajamas

I've started writing down what I eat again because my jeans are getting tight.

You know... like when I have to suck in my tummy and hold my breath to hook the button. Yeah...

And I'm laying the blame on my pajamas!

When it was cold and wet out and not that warm inside, I took to wearing my pajamas all day. Lovely warm pajamas!

Well, they didn't tell me a thing about my waistline getting larger, so I kept eating with abandon. sigh... Until my jeans spoke to me.

I still eat pretty much what I have been eating except I find that since I have to go to the computer, open the file and type up the munchies I am much more apt to pass on the delectable tidbit and have a cup of tea (without honey.)

I have cut way back on bread and crackers... starchy stuff, but mostly it comes down to eating less.

And for munchies... I make sure I have my bowl of dried fruits and nuts handy for when I get hungry between meals.

I don't eat all that in one day, but I have it handy. And I have my candied ginger piece in there for a treat.

Having to write down what I eat comes down to having to pay attention to what I eat and make decisions instead of just eating for enjoyment, boredom or something to do.

Today I worked on getting the leaves off the garage roof and did some raking behind the house.

Barbecued hot dogs for dinner. Ice cream for desert? Oh dear... I'd have to write it down. Well, at least I'm thinking before eating.

Patches, Chickens, Shelves And Lots Of Thens

This morning started out with me getting things ready to paint some of the walls in the house. I got the drop cloth (plastic) folded and laid out in the hall, got the step ladder and even found the right paint and brush.

Then I got sidetracked into doing laundry and ironing patches on my jeans.

Then I gave the chickens some cabbage treats.

Then I cleaned up my work area that was full of my tools and stuff and put it away in the plastic roll around cabinet. I talked Kristine out of the cabinet.

Then I rummaged around in the storage place and found two shelves that my Dad built for Dolores. One was coming apart and I had to spend some time putting it back together and attaching two backing boards to stabilize it and straighten the frame.


Then I gave the fixed up shelf a coat of the paint I used for the kitchen cabinets. The plan is to put one of the shelves in the kitchen to hold cups and glasses. The other shelf will go in the green bedroom. Works out great since it is already green.

I never did get back to painting the wall. First thing tomorrow after breakfast I will start painting the wall. No more diversions. I hope.

I am so very far behind reading blogs and making comments. I'm just too tired after I post and just want to go to bed. Sleep, I need sleep. I want to get all this painting finished before the weather turns.

Peek at the Past

click here

 (August 9, 2009)

[3 eggs today]

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Mites And Free Range Chickens

John, Going Gently, here, asked me if chickens have red mite over here in the states. I assume that we do because I have seen advertisements for products to kill the little beastie. I'm very glad we do not have a humid climate where we are located. 


Now if the question was specifically do our chickens have red mite then I would have to say that I don't know if they have red mite, but I suspect they have mites of some kind. Since our 16 chickens free range over three acres I would assume that they do have mites that they would have picked up from wild animals that pass through the property.


The hens like to dust bathe in this spot so I added some wood ash to aid in their natural solution to controlling mites and others pests. Since my chickens are exposed to all kinds of pests everyday there is no way I'm going to be able to keep a mite and lice free environment. (I would have to keep them in cages) I figure that the chickens are going to have some pests and as long as they are healthy they will be able to maintain a balance and tolerance and stay healthy. 
I have put food grade (DE) Diatomaceous Earth - here in dusting areas, the coop, roosts, and nest boxes a few times and should probably do it more often. (And be sure to wear a mask!)




Old jeans are the best. The material is so soft and comfortable. Trouble is that by the time the jeans are that great to wear the fabric is wearing thin. I love these jeans and kept them for outside work and painting, but they are wearing very thin, falling apart and won't last much longer.


I did sew up a side seam and tried sewing the large rips , but my sewing machine decided it didn't want to sew through the patches and the thread kept breaking. So, my solution was to haul out the duct tape. At least I will still be able to wear the jeans when I paint.


I love duct tape... it makes the best chicken saddles and comes to the rescue many times.

Peek at the Past

click here

(July 26, 2009)

[5 eggs today]

Duct tape worked great on my hens.

Article here.

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Smiles

Jeans and Clothespins

Isn't it thoughtful of Morgan and the hens to come and admire the clothespin bag I just hung out on the line. I really don't know why they are there. I didn't notice Morgan when I took the photo. I was just trying to get the chickens in the picture. The hens didn't stay there very long. I think they were scratching around in the dirt looking for something or were going to dust or they were watching me hoping for a treat?

While going though my stuff I found some jeans and then decided they would make a great bag for the clothespin bag that Tom found somewhere. It was very old and in dire need of a new bag. That whitish thing is the old bag. The poor thing was falling apart.

I went the easy route of just cutting off the legs and sewing two seams. I cut a few holes in the waistband to allow the metal ring to slide through. There was a wing nut faster thingy that came apart easy enough and I finally got the wires back in the right slots.

Since I found a good use for the old jeans I decided to make a quilt out of the rest of them and some old corduroy pants I found. This will save on me buying fabric and should be fun. I was reading this blog today that referred to a post here about using old clothes for quilts. So, I thought I would give it a try. I will have to go through the box of clothes again with the idea of using some of them for quilting. But I don't want a bunch of old clothes stuck in a box in a closet, so the clothes I decide to keep I will cut up into strips. My plan is to wash them, iron them and have them ready to sew. That's the plan. I have no idea why the text changed color. Must be something I did when I added color to the "here."

[11 eggs today]

Smiles

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