Love Story, Part 1

School started, you know, sometime in the middle of January. I hadn't wanted to go back to school this semester. I was tired of it, felt it was useless, was ready to do more exciting and productive things than stress out about assignments I wasn't even interested in. As a result, I registered for classes just a couple of days before classes started, and discovered that my schedule didn't quite fit. Everything I needed was on Tuesday night, it seemed, and Tuesday was choir, and I knew I'd go crazy with another musicless semester. I juggled and schemed, and signed up for Curriculum Development, Educational Research, and Learning Styles (Part Two).

Enter the Learning Styles class Wednesday night. (I promise, it becomes a love story soon.) Jackie B walks into the classroom with her box of learning games (what would be the point of a learning styles class if we had to sit still all class and listen to a lecture, as if we were all low-mobility and auditory?) looks at me, and says, "but you passed this class last semester!"

Right. Learning Styles Part Two? Happening in Broken Arrow, on a totally different night. I signed up for the same class I'd already taken. And, as she pointed out, passed. With flying colors, I might add.

So, five minutes later I was in Dr. C's office saying "What do I do? I have to be full-time to get health insurance, and this was all that fit in my schedule!" And she said, "Do you have to be in choir?" And I said "YES." And she said, "ok, here's what we can do. I'll put you in this super-useful undergrad class which will actually teach you HOW to teach, and not just tell you about theorists, and you will contract with the professor for extra work for grad credit." And I said, "super."

Enter said undergrad classroom the next Monday. Actually, we're going to skip till the next Wednesday, since the prof was gone on Monday. There's a very opinionated auburn-haired boy in a baseball cap across the table from me. He has a charming smile. His nametag says "Ryan." End of story.

Several weeks later, he still had a charming smile, but this time he was smoking outside the Education building as I walked in. I waved and kept walking. He finished his cigarette and started walking behind me. I really wanted to turn around and say something, but I couldn't think of anything, so I continued awkwardly walking in front of him and pretended I wasn't acutely aware of his presence behind me.

February 16, I was wearing Leokadia's beautiful blue dress, a lacy white shirt, and black leggings.

Ryan: You look nice!
Mc: (didn't even hear him. Was staring vacantly at the wall, or something.)
Beth: I don't think she heard you.
Ryan: Well, fine then. Nevermind.
Me: Huh???
Dr. G: Just to remind you, we're not having class on Wednesday the 25th. Don't show up.
Ryan: That's Ash Wednesday.
Me: Catholic Identification Day!
Ryan: (huffy) Well, then I guess I'm gonna have to be identified, because I'm a Catholic.
Me: You are?? That's awesome! Me too!
Ryan: ...oh. (feels silly for being huffy)

And that, my chickpeas, is how we met. Later that day he asked me if I knew about Clear Creek Monastery, and I said, "oh my gawsh." You know, that's only why I MOVED here. He "knows the B----- family really well." Begin flashback to one of the B---- girls telling me, months ago, that "we have this friend who goes to (decently large school where hopefully I'm anonymous enough not to be stalkable, but I'm still not gonna say the name) named Ryan, and we really want you to meet him! He's funny, and you're going to like him a lot." So I decided to give him a chance, or at least to let him keep following me around like a puppy dog.

And the rest, as they say, is history. We started dating two days later, and two weeks later we'd decided to get married. Six weeks after we met, I have a ring on my finger, but that story is for a later installment.

The Passion of Christ in Lego!

Please watch this. You will not be disappointed. Bonus trivia: the gigantically talented kids who put this together probably aren't even eligible for a high school diploma yet (though you never know, maybe they're homeschooled). Yet another reason why our present school system is S-I-L-L-Y.

http://www.faithandfamilylive.com/blog/the_passion_of_christ_in_lego#When:18:00:00Z

Ice storm photos!

As promised, pictures from the ice storm a few weeks ago. On Monday, Jan. 26, to be exact, it rained, and that rain froze. Then it sleeted. Then it snowed. Then it sleeted again. And then we couldn't get out the driveway. Stranded! So... I played photographer! (Northerners, especially some I know on facebook, shut up about how much worse your winters are. There's a reason I live in Oklahoma.)


It looks very sweet and pastoral, but Lulu (the puppy) is really about to bite Esmerelda's (the cat's) head. Esmerelda doesn't fancy this fascination with the flavor of her head very much, but what can she do? Lulu is rather bigger than she is.


Some of the chickens huddled under the house. They don't have names, my dear readers, so you can't anthropomorphize them. More importantly, we can't anthromorphize them, which makes them easier to eat later on.

Bread crusts soaked in warm water is comfort food for chickens. Here Ridiculously Obese Rooster #1 (sometimes called Turkey, sometimes called Food) shares a moment with his favorite hen...

...and the guineas don't seem to know when they're not invited. They lack social graces.

Ever heard the phrase "Cocky as a bantam rooster?" It's true.

They don't have mirrors, and therefore happily live the fantasy that they are the biggest men around.

This (really) big man (Chanticleer) wants you to know that he is most emphatically NOT a bantam rooster. Excuse the dirty window - I wasn't about to clean it in this weather, and he would have stopped crowing as soon as I went outside. I've tried to catch him crowing many times, and he always stops as soon as he sees the camera. Standing on the porch railing , surveying his territory and crowing is one of his favorite pastimes.


You live in the country when you have t-posts keeping your mailbox from getting knocked down.

The porch at night. I was mostly playing with camera settings and getting the icicles at the same time, but check out the super-classy shoe organizer on the bench with the bowl of cat food on top of it where the dogs can't reach it. The chickens can, though, so we just chase them off the porch.

The end! More pictures are here if anybody wants to see them.

Lookee mee, I'm posting!

oOmigosh I'm so accomplished. Today I have:
*put new bedding in chicken coop
*spread mulch over garden
*hoed rows in garden
*planted carrots, broccoli, mustard greens and cabbage in rows
*planted swiss chard, kohlrabi, spinach and a whole bunch of lettuce mixes in planter boxes on porch
*cleaned up kitchen
*baked bread

And it's only 3 pm!

I'm currently trying to edit pictures from the ice storm a few weeks ago and post them, so if anybody within several counties of me hears an unfamiliar soprano voice wailing "WHY THE HECK IS MY IPHOTO SO SLOW????" it's me.

Another chicken post

All right, I get the point, I haven't posted in a while. And since the person who poked me and told me to post again is the same person who asked me forever ago for my advice about chickens, I'll just take care of both responsibilities at the same time (kill two birds with one stone? Only if they're guinea fowl).

Ok, so, you asked about breeds. I have Rhode Island Reds, and I love them. They're friendly and gentle, they're good egg layers, and they're a heavy breed so they do well in the winter. Perhaps you would want a light breed like a leghorn, since where you live it's significantly warmer, and since (I'm guessing) you won't be slaughtering these birds? Heavy breeds are good if you plan to use them for meat birds as well as layers, but I somehow doubt that you're planning to have them as meat birds. McMurray Hatchery has lots of info on the different breeds, and the reviews are helpful for finding out what breeds really are the gentlest, and won't attack your kid when he toddles out into the yard.

In the spring, I'm planning to get some Buff Orpingtons, Silver Laced Wyandottes, and Brahmas. I also really really want some crested birds, because OH MY GOSH they're so funny, but I'm afraid for their chances of survival, given that the poofs on top of their heads obscure so much of their vision.

I had a couple of bantams this spring (who died, and broke my heart), and I loved loved loved loved loved them. Since you're in the city and don't have a whole lot of chicken predators around, I'd really recommend them. You might be able to have more per your square footage since they're smaller - you should find out if your county has separate rules for bantam birds.

About the coop. Mine is a big elaborate contraption that came with the house. It can probably house about a hundred birds. I'm only using it to house about 35 birds right now, and most of my guineas sleep outside anyway. (Side note: guineas are LOUD and OBNOXIOUS and STUPID, and not an acceptable substitute for chickens. Not that you were planning on getting any anyway.) You said you were thinking of getting what, two hens? I'd say, just build a little shed, basically like a little doghouse on stilts, with nesting boxes and roosting bars. Or, if you're following the Garden Girl's plan for movable chickens, her design seems pretty good. Keep in mind that chickens (like most livestock) can handle cold, but not drafts or dampness. Make sure you have a way to keep the winter wind from getting them, and that their bedding is dry. And most importantly, make sure your coop will keep predators out! Racoons and possums will still get to your chickens in the city, even if bigger animals like coyotes won't.

About feeders: I have a lot of birds, so I have big hanging feeders and waterers, and my birds probably go through a bag of layer feed and a bag of scratch feed in a week and a half. My neighbor recently upgrated from two birds to all of five, and she has a little bowl with a jug of water sitting next to it which she refills whenever it's dry, and she keeps grain in a bucket (with a lid, of course) in the coop and drops it on the ground to feed them, about a handful per bird. I think your setup will probably be closer to hers than mine. Don't believe the feed store or the websites when they tell you you need expensive feeding and watering equipment - you don't. Chickens are smart enough to drink out of a bowl. Baby chicks are not smart enough not to fall into the bowl and drown, so you'll need a quart-sized chick waterer, which should cost you all of two dollars at the feed store. If you do want to use a regular waterer, the gallon sizes are still really not all that expensive. I've seen wall-mounted rabbit waterers for chickens advertised, but I still don't understand the point. Sure, they keep the water clean, but you have to go out there every day to fill up their water, so why not just rinse out the bowl then and keep it clean for much cheaper? And as far as feeders go, chickens prefer to scratch on the ground anyway, so if you have few enough to make it practical to just put the feed on the ground, why buy a feeder? Just make sure to feed them on bare dirt (which they will create in abundance around their coop - chicken manure is so nitrogenous that nothing grows immediately around a chicken coop) and not in their hay or pine shavings or whatever you're using for bedding, or else you'll just end up with bedding lined on the bottom with chicken grain, and hungry chickens.

One last point: Rhode Island Reds are super super active. You may or may not want active birds - I love them, but this year they did eat everything my garden produced except the corn (which they couldn't reach) and the cucumber (which they just didn't like). They ate an entire PUMPKIN, and picked at the other one so that I had to harvest it when it was still green, just to save some of it. And they didn't wait for my tomatoes to ripen - they liked the green ones just fine. My friend David babysat them when I went down to Dallas for graduation - they were still chicks - and kept them in his brooder, where he was putting his meat birds that had leg problems: he said they scratched in the bedding and buried the feeder, the waterer, the thermometer, and several of his lame Cornish Cross birds. Apparently, his poor sad birds' heads were sticking out of the bedding, and he had to dig them out and rescue them. The positive side to having active birds is that they're always doing something funny. My roosters like to stand on the porch rail and survey all their territory, and flap their wings and crow. They're such big strong men.



In other news, I danced on my birthday till my feet bled (I turned 21 again).

Goodbye to Ladies Against Feminism

Ladies Against Feminism, I'm disappointed in you. So disappointed. Among all the Sarah-Palin-should-stay-at-home-and-raise-her-kids posts you've posted, has anybody thought to talk about how a Palin-McCain administration would, you know, be GOOD for the unborn babies, and maybe GOOD for other moms who want to stay at home by making that decision more financially viable, and maybe GOOD for families who want to decide where to send their own kids to school?

That is, McCain is pro-life and pro-cutting taxes and pro-school vouchers, but Sarah Palin is what he needs to get elected. You'd think you'd be happy that she's there getting everybody energized.

And much more importantly, what about that Christian idea of throwing the first stone? What, the idea is that we're NOT supposed to throw the first stone? You ladies could have fooled me. As far as I can tell, Sarah Palin is not beating her kids or turning them into slaves or selling her daughters off as young brides to 40 year old polygamist fellows. These are the sorts of things a Christian expects to see condemned, but a loving mom who tries to raise her family well and balances a job too, and maybe feels called by God to serve her country? Condemn the trend of mothers who abandon their families to their careers, sure, and there definitely are mothers who abandon their children to their career, but please don't presume that you can judge the individual circumstances of someone if they're not being immoral but just doing something you wouldn't do yourself. My cousin, for instance, delivered both her babies in the hospital (by her own choice, not necessity), bottle feeds, plastic diapers, feeds Gerber baby food, and works while her aunt watches the kids, which are all things I would not do with my children, but her children are so well behaved and obviously so well loved, groomed and polite and smiling all the time, that I have to say that even though she makes all the decisions I wouldn't, she is an EXCELLENT mother. Just, you know, to drive the point home that you might know everything about raising families, but you still probably don't.

I'm sad, I really am, to stop reading LAF. I've enjoyed the articles on homemaking and the attitude that one finds contentment and joy in living with love the life one is given, and not in trampling everything underfoot to make one's dreams come true. And a whacked-out article once in a while, I could handle that. Even when the first anti-Palin articles started coming out, I thought, "well, I don't agree, but it's a decent discussion, and whatever." But as more articles come out, they become more and more strident, and there have been no articles even suggesting that she could be doing God's will, or that God's will could possibly ever be different from what these writers expect. I don't know if she IS doing God's will, but the refusal to believe that she could be is worrisome to me. As more articles come out on the subject, I see gigantic pride. I see commentators saying "I'm doing it right, and I know she's doing it wrong," because she's not doing exactly what they want every woman to do. And that is why I will not read the site anymore - because instead of love, they're spreading condemnation and judgment.

My dear friend Sarah made an excellent point in the comments on the post below, which merits repeating: "I don't believe that women belong on the battlefield, and yet I'm sure that God knew exactly what He was about with St. Joan of Arc."

So here's to our own Joan of Arc. (I hope I'm not being sacrilegious by suggesting that.)

And finally, an opinion on Sarah Palin's motherhood from Faith and Family, which will replace Ladies Against Feminism in my sidebar.

I guess I don't really hate political posts as much as I thought.

So who else is excited about Sarah Palin? I AM! My inbox today contained a gem, a whole list of Sarah Palin jokes, Chuck Norris style. Already, guys? I'm impressed.

And because they made me laugh, I'm sharing them here.

Did you know that…

Sarah Palin does not have 5 kids, she actually has 7. Their names are Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, Trig, Chuck Norris, and Jack Bauer.

The Northern Lights are really just the reflection from Sarah Palin's eyes.

The Russians sold Alaska to America because Sarah Palin would not submit to autocracy.

The Arctic Circle runs through Alaska so the Sun can have some relief from Sarah Palin's bright glare.

Sarah Palin is allowed first dibs on Alaskan wolfpack kills.

Sarah Palin is so pro-life that she personally hog-tied two reps from Planned Parenthood who came knocking at her door.

It's not raining in DC. Those are God's tears of joy that McCain picked Sarah Palin.

Sarah Palin's hotness is the largest single contributor to melting polar ice caps.

Sarah Palin is the "other" whom Yoda spoke about.

Sarah Palin's presence in the lower 48 means the Arctic ice cap can finally return.

Sarah Palin fired Jack Bauer because he was too soft in dealing with terrorists.

Sarah Palin's pageant career ended early so other women could have a chance.

Sarah Palin's son Track is going to Iraq after the Surge, because a Palin during the Surge would have been unfair.

Sarah Palin wears glasses lest her uncontrollable optic blasts slaughter everyone. (X-Men reference)

Sarah Palin actually has Big Foot in her freezer.

Sarah Palin gave a speech in Texas after her water broke before flying home to Alaska to give birth. (Actually true)

Sarah Palin doesn't need a gun to hunt. She has been known to throw a bullet through an adult bull elk.

Sarah Palin once spilled coffee on Joe Biden & one of his $400 ties from Pink.

Sarah Palin keeps her hair in a beehive to hide her ninja weaponry.

Sarah Palin will personally open a homemade can of whoopa** on Ahmadinejad, Putin, and Chavez as soon as she's done making mooseburgers for her kids.

A grizzly bear once tried to stare down Sarah Palin. Once.

Sarah Palin will send Joe Biden a pre-debate cheat sheet. The sheet will have tips on defending against Kung Fu Death Grip.

Sarah Palin became governor because five children left her with too much spare energy.

Sarah Palin will give birth to the man who will lead humanity's war against the machines. (Terminator reference)

Three of Sarah Palin's 5 kids came out sideways and she never flinched.

Global Warming doesn't kill polar bears. Sarah Palin does. Generally with her bare hands.

Sarah Palin was the original "Deadliest Catch."

Sarah Palin paid her way through school by hunting for Kodiak pelts with a slingshot.

Alaska is the 49th state solely because they knew even in 1959 that Sarah Palin never finishes last.

Chuck Norris wishes he was Sarah Palin trapped in a man's body.

Sarah Palin once won the Iditarod without any dogs. She simply willed the sled to victory.

Sarah Palin wears half the makeup that John Edwards wears and still looks like twice the woman he does.

Sarah Palin once guided Santa's sleigh through an Alaskan blizzard with the light from her smile.

Sarah Palin fishes salmon by convincing them it's in their interest to jump into the boat.


end email.
But really, that's not the point of my post. The point of my post is that, guess who's not excited about Sarah Palin. The left, predictably, but also, surprisingly, the super-right! Over at Ladies Against Feminism (which I usually like quite a lot, but they've lost mega points in my book over this issue), apparently, Sarah Palin is not the pro-family choice (trust me, it's a story on their page even though this link goes elsewhere) because she ought to be at home raising her kids. Also, really, click the "not the pro-family choice" link, because there's some fantastic stuff about how McCain isn't pro-family, he's just pro-victory. Because not being pro-victory is going to do much for us? Well, ok, I guess I could have guessed that that would be their line. But oh? guess who else thinks that? the feminists! (not counting the Feminists for Life, because presumably they would approve of one of their own) Wow, so, the feminists and the anti-feminists agree on this, and they're using the exact same talking points! (p.s., I love the Anchoress. And I'm going to let you read what links of hers you want to, but I'm tired of linking) (not to mention that the feminists are suddenly gigantically concerned about the welfare of five children of a working mom, because they've been telling moms to get back in the kitchen this whole time, right? right?? huh?) Weird, no?

So, to chronicle my list of surprises re: the appointment of Sarah Palin:
1) The left doesn't like her. Whatever, not a surprise. Actually, I get the impression that she scares the pants off of them, and rightly so. She's probably shot more large game than the whole Democratic National Convention put together.
2) The Ladies Against Feminism don't like her. What? Oh, right, she should be at home raising those kids. But what if she's what it takes to get McCain (and her too, natch) in office so's we can keep our ammo and bibles and continue being bitter people clinging to God and guns? Well, she can't because she's a woman. Fine.
3) But what now? The feminists also say that she can't because she's a woman? You've got me there, guys.

for good measure,

4) Her DS kid isn't hers, it's her daughter's. He was begotten in incest, and thus is severely disabled. Or, you know, just slow enough at learning maybe not to know how hateful people can be. Lord knows, we need to rid the world of these people. (didja know 90% of Downs Syndrome babies are aborted? I didn't until this news came out)
5) OH. But that daughter's pregnant. Five months pregnant. And Trig is four months old. Oops, guess we counted wrong, folks. But it's ok, we can still have SCANDAL! because there's a TEENAGE! GIRL! PREGNANT! And we know that the pro-abortion crowd doesn't know that teenage girls ever get pregnant. (Shall we also mention that she's keeping the baby and marrying the dad? That's ok, we'll just shun her for ruining her life and having a kid. Whatever.)
6) So maybe we have to accept that Trig is Sarah's son. We can still shun her for ruining her life with a Downs Syndrome baby.

As the Anchoress says, let's sew a red A for her. But wait, I thought this was what the feminists fought against, the sewing of scarlet letters?

WHO. KNOWS. You've got me, with your supperyur logik. Me, I'm just a country girl who's excited to have a potential VP who wants to save the babies and let me keep my gun, and who, sexy-wise, just might be able to kick Obama to the moon. And by sexy, I mean intellectually, of course.