I've lost my sail. I'm like a ship adrift at sea and I can't get out of the funk. Ever since I woke up with a migraine on Saturday...from only 1 1/2 glasses of wine. How unfair is that? If I had known that one little bit of wine was going to hit me like that, maybe I shoulda just went hog wild! But nope, I never do!
So I am floating aimlessly. Thoughts running thru my head that are just nagging me. And a stupid song! When I think about all the blocks I want to make for my Sampler Quilt, why do I keep singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall"? Beer will just give me another migraine!
I have two and a half blocks done. That's it! Here's the two...only 54 more to go...
The purse that eluded me for days did get done however. I wasn't overly thrilled with it. Then again, I never really am. Same color family with darks though. Hides the dirt!
Then I have been scouring books and the Internet picking Chickens. I think I have decided the breeds, now to decide when and how many, how many of each and so on.
For our layers (dual purpose actually), we are going to go with Barred Plymouth Rock and Australorps.
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| Barred Plymouth Rock |
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| Australorp |
Now for the meat birds, this is where I am really,
really struggling. I don't like white chickens! Call me crazy, but as some of you know...they are my "Chucky Chickens". Think back to "The Doll" or Chucky Doll and how that wigged you guys out!
They straight up freak-me-out.
I don't want birds in my yard that can't walk or look deformed especially! So my friend Phyllis recommended Plymouth White Rocks.
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| White Rock |
I was also considering Cornish but not the Cross variety. Any thoughts? Remember,
no Chucky Chickens.
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| Cornish |
And then, when to get them??? I will be gone most likely the entire month of May traveling for work...so I am very concerned about this. Will they try and peck my eyeballs out when I return for having abandoned them to Pig Pens care? Will he have time to tend to them? Will they feel orphaned?
So that is a glimpse in the Sail. Or lack thereof.
You need to float those sails over here and sew!!! I LOVE the purse AND your blocks! I'm on a sewing high right now because I cleaned my sewing room and found tons of UFOs that are on the list to be completed this year! And I signed up for a couple monthly block clubs at the quilt shop to keep me on my toes!!! So let's get you outta that funk now! We can do monthly blocks together!!!
ReplyDeleteJan, who are you and what did you do with my MIL? hehehee
ReplyDeleteUff. So sorry about the migraine. Who needs those!? Maybe it would have hit even without the wine. 'Twould be terrible to think it might bring on a migraine every time you wanted to sip some wine.
ReplyDeleteYour quilting is beautiful. You'll have a lot of work in all those blocks, but since the piecing is my favorite part of quilting, I'd be eager to go at it.
We were discussing chicken varieties with Chicken Mama last night . . . but have come to no decisions yet. We also like the Barred Plymouth Rocks and since hubby is partial to black birds, Australorps look good, too. Ameraucanas are one of Chicken Mama's favorites because they lay well all year for her. We've never had them.
Bummer that you have to be gone almost the entire month of May. How do you manage your garden then?
MamaPea, yeah the older I get the worse alcohol gets to me. And I mean ever so little of it!!! No justice.
ReplyDeleteI think I need to set up my little ironing station and iron and just get it going. It's the cutting that takes me forever! I measure and then recheck a thousand times before I cut.
I looked at the Ameraucanas (Easter Eggers?) too, they seem really cool! All those colorful eggs.
I have no clue how the garden will grow while I am gone...weeds??? Hopefully I can make it home at least two weekends in there. That should help. And since there wont be harvesting as yet, that's even better for the timing. Now if it were in the Fall, we would have some real serious problems.
Love the squares and love love the purse. The colors are great. I still don't understand your problem with white chickens? Did you have a Fog Horn Leg Horn incident as a child?
ReplyDeleteFor egg chickens, I can recommend Black Stars. They lay well and are a beautiful shiny black with red highlights. Their personality does leave something to be desired, but I get past that.
ReplyDeleteYour quilt squares are beautiful and I love the bag. Totally my colors. It's funny how we can be totally unhappy with some of our work that other people love!
Hope you feel better! Headaches are a pain in the butt!
Jane, I was not a fan of the cartoon actually...maybe that's it? Funny how Smurfs don't phase me though! Too bad they don't lay eggs.
ReplyDeleteHope, I will look into the Black Stars. Personality issues? As in aggressive? If so, that wont help my aversion or Chucky issues black chicken or not! HA! I will go investagate! Hope you are feeling better too!!
Good choices on your egg layers/dual purpose hens. Both breeds are wonderful. I would suggest Buff Orpingtons, too. I, personally, am not a fan of Ameracaunas - mine are stand-offish and unfriendly. There are some great meat chickens called Red Rangers - they are available here - http://www.sandgpoultry.com/redranger.html - and are really nice chickens. They grow fairly fast, too. Sorry about your migrane (ouch) and that you'll be away from home for most of May. I hope you're feeling better - your quilt is going to be fabulous!!!
ReplyDeleteHey, Hope, etc., can you tell us a little more about the Black Stars? Are they just stand-offish or do they attack? I know my hubby likes the looks of them but we've never known one.
ReplyDeleteSusan, we love the Buff Orpingtons, too. They've always been sweet, fluffy hens. Good setters for us also.
Ok, I have been looking into the Red Rangers on the link you sent as well as searching around other sites. I found them under Freedom Rangers too. Does that sound right? And I believe they are considered Red Broilers as well. Sounds like they name them according to the hatchery almost. The link for Sandgpoultry ordering would require me to get waaaay more birdies than we are ready for, but for you'ns it might work just fine.
ReplyDeleteI did find that the hatchery in my neck of the woods allows you to order as few as TWO in any given variety. I was pretty amazed by that.
Here's the link to their broilers which includes reds and black:
http://www.natureshatchery.com/Broiler.html
This may be a very good option for us as ya know...the cute factor goes up with a nice colorful flock. :o)
Maybe I will be able to try the buffs as well then! I did not see Black Stars on their sight however.
Susan, that said, thank you for brining those to our attention!!!
MamaPea, the trait that was used on MyPetChicken.com for the Black Star said "Rugged". Whatever that means!
Feel free to e-mail me directly if I can help with any of your chicken decisions . . . and onward, when it comes to care. :)
ReplyDeleteChickenMama, well thank you ma'am! Just remember...you asked for it! Messin' with ya! ;)
ReplyDeleteAlthough it would be so much easier just to have an expert do the pickin's and be done with it!!!
The colors that you're using are cool! I agree that having darker colors on a purse is a good idea. :)
ReplyDeleteCHUCKY CHICKENS! ROFL! That is one FREAKY doll! I too am partial to colors, but that White Rock is a pretty specimen. I have a friend who has Americaunas, the eggs are cute if not on the small side, but what's interesting is that they don't have kids, yet when mine come with to pick up eggs from her, they come running and aren't skittish around them, so that's fun! I've always liked that barred Plymouth Rock since they look like my dog Sprocket LOL! Love the colors of your fabric. I'm with Mama Pea, are you sure it was the wine? Now that I'm "aging" I get those darn migraines like clockwork every month, never had them before this year, just sayin'! Hope it wasn't the wine because that's no fun at all!
ReplyDeleteGosh you are funny! Chucky Chickens? Now I know why those cornish crosses freak me out so much!! (Even though I think we will get some this coming year.) We have a lot of Heinz 57 chickens here, a few reds and some buffs. When we get to the BIG farm we will have room to have a bit more variety. So be sure to post all about what you eventually get so I can take notes from you! (Like you *won't* blog about it??)
ReplyDelete1. LOVE the purse. I am putting in my Christmas/birthday request now :-)
ReplyDelete2. It doesn't matter what kind of chickens you get...I am still staying FAR away.
3. I think your chicken coop boots I got you coordinate best with the first chicken picture.
4. I haven't seen you in like a week. Let's hang out soon for coffee and craziness. Love ya!
Chels, around here, dirt is bound to happen ;)
ReplyDeleteErin, heehee, yeah I am actually a little afraid of chickens but especially the white ones. Hope that having peeps will quickly rid me of any worries. But I agree the White Rocks aren't as bad looking.
MamaTea, ok so you are freaked by them a bit too...right??? I was reading up on those Red and Black Broilers and supposedly they grow just a bit slower but with out the deformity of the standard white broiler. And they aren't as stupid. Supposedly... And yes, I will keep you a'chickenboobed about what we get :)
Jen...now WHY didn't I think of that? This whole time I could have simply matched them to my awesome chicken poop boots! HA!!! You got me good on that one sis! Leave it to you to coordinate where you know I certainly lack! xoxo Ok, after this next snow fly, we will do coffee but I will come in the morning to skip the crazy.
Mama Pea,
ReplyDeleteMy Black Stars are mainly stand-offish. So are my Americaunas. They aren't agressive, they just aren't friendly. I also don't recommend trying to reach under them when they are on the nest unless you have gloves on. Most of my hens will peck me once and give up, the Black Stars just keep pecking (and almost growling-LOL) so I just wait for them to get off the nest. In 3 years, I've never had one of my Black Stars go broody. They lay pretty consistently, even in winter (of course, we rarely go below 35 degrees farenheit here). I got them from McMurray.
Hope, etc. - Thanks so much for the Black Star info. Seems I'm always lifting a chicken to check for eggs so I'm thinking the Black Stars and I wouldn't get along very well on that count. Although with our molt STILL going on, I guess I'd be glad to have any eggs under any (even grouchy) bird right now!
ReplyDeleteI lose my sail too from time to time. But, I love your blocks and your purse! I can barely sew a hem, so I'm impressed. And chickens! I can't even imagine. I wouldn't know the first thing about a chicken. I thought they were all the same just different color feathers, like people. :o)
ReplyDelete