Sugar Bend Farm

Time gets by

I haven't blogged in a long time, just haven't been in the mood and have been tied up with other things.  Nothing much going on here.  Summer is winding down and I am glad to see some cooling of the temps each day. Right now it is 84 degrees at 2:50pm.  It is cloudy and feels nice compared to the above 100 degree days that we have experienced.  I don't however, look forward to winter.  I suffer from S.A.D.(seasonal affective disorder) depending on where I am living, if I don't get enough sunlight, I get depressed.  When I lived in Kentucky, it was really bad.  But maybe it won't be as bad in Arkansas. 

Well, is it just me, or is anyone else feeling the pain at the pump, and the cash register, or anywhere else that you have to spend money lately?  Ouch!  These prices are killing us.  Our gas alone each month is rediculous!  Then the price of everything I buy at the grocery store has increased some.  All of this added together has just killed a budget. 

The garden this year was, well, I wouldn't say a sucess, but not a failure either.  It was a starting point for future gardens.  It had been so many years since I had been able to have a garden, that I was somewhat rusty with the whole process.  Also with Noah being so small and demanding so much of my time, it didn't get the attention it needed.  But we did get plenty of tomatoes and plenty of peppers.  I didn't get as many squash as I wanted nor did I get enough beans.  But overall I guess it was a start.  Next year I will know more about what the ground here will grow well, and what I need to add to the soil to help other things grow.  I do have lots and lots of gourds.  They are growing on the back and over the top of the chicken house.  I can't wait until time to harvest them.  I plan to do crafts with them and possibly sell some.  I planted two kinds, birdhouse and bottle gourds.  I counted at least 35 mature ones and several little ones that have been coming on. 

The chickens are starting to lay regular.  Yesterday I had 3 eggs.  We usually get only two, so one of the other ladies has decided to join the party and start laying.  I am going to put a sign out "fresh eggs for sale", and see if I can sell some.  The pigs are getting close to being ready to butcher.  The goats, well, we are talking about getting rid of some of them.  The cost of everything going up is cutting into our feed budget, so for now, we may have to downsize.  I hate to see them go.  I have enjoyed the process.  I still plan to get a couple of Nubians for milking.  I want to make cheese and soap and use the milk for drinking also. 

Noah turns 1 year old this month.  The 13th.  I can't believe it!  The year has flown by.  But in some ways it has been a hard year.  We plan to take him to get his first "real" haircut after his birthday and I am going to have his pictures done.  He is such a little doll!  He is walking and talking up a storm.  I can hardly keep up with him.  He is so smart also.  He amazes me each day with the things he does and figures out for himself.  He has also started yelling.  If he is unhappy with something, he will just yell out and keep doing it until someone does something.  I am going to have to break that habit!

Megan will start back to school next week.  She is going into 6th grade.  Wow!  Time does fly.  When we moved to Kentucky, Lauren was starting 6th grade.  Now she is a senior working toward graduation.  She is still working and thinking about changing jobs.  She went for an interview today before she went to work.  So we will see.  She is still trying to decide what to major in in college. 

Andrew and I just celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary last Sunday. 

Well, time to get up and do something that needs to get done.  Noah is napping, Megan is on the computer, and Lauren and Andrew are both at work.  I look out the window and see that the front yard needs mowing.  I did the back yard yesterday.  The porch needs to be washed down and I have laundry, I always have laundry, I need to start supper and any number of other chores that I have neglected to sit here and type this blog.  But I suppose life needs balance.