Wednesday, November 28, 2012

This and that

 Looks like it's been awhile since I posted anything here. I have been getting ready for the Holiday Market in Chattanooga. I was thinking I had the 1st 2 weekends of Dec. I'm glad I checked the emails again because I found out, after calling to confirm, that I have the 2nd and 3rd weekends. I am relieved because I was really stressing about not having enough to take. I have been working like crazy on the jars and vases and candle holders. Even went to a few thrift stores again yesterday to get more vases to do.

I had already made a whole lot of soap. And I have been crocheting wash clothes and dish clothes like a mad woman. I thought I could just whip up a few hundred jars in a few weeks. I am such a "wait til the last minute" type person but this is something I have learned a lesson from. I should have been doing this all summer. I have 4 big totes already full and have another 2 to fill up. And I can make more after the first market. I hope to have special orders to fill during the week after.


So this is one of the hanging candle holders I have made. I have all colors and different beads. They are so pretty at night with the light shining through. I have an old window frame I'm going to use to hang them all at the market.

I am also making lots of Christmas jars. I loved that book and have been thinking about making a jar for us to put spare change in throughout the year to give to a needy family. But the jar we do use for that  seems to be helping this needy family. One year I am going to do this. Really. So I have several of these jars in different sizes and colors.

Anyway, been really busy trying to get these things done so I can breath and relax a little. That will not happen. But the sound of that sounds good. And I still don' have a camera yet. When I do, I will take lots of pictures of all the jars.

And we had a problem with the wood stove last week. Way too much smoke when we'd open the door to put wood in. Plus smoke puffing out of the pipe and the doors every few seconds. It was awful. So had to let the fire go out and check it out. The pipes were full of creosote build up. Really bad. So then had to get more pipe and chisel out a lot of the bricks in the  back of the chimney to get the pipe to go farther up. Then broke the elbow. Then we gave up. By then we were all tired of fooling with it. Then hubby had to leave. He'll be back this weekend and we will get it fixed then. Thank goodness the days are warm right now.


I am down to milking just Sandy right now. Abby decided she didn't want to be milked any more so dried herself up last month. Sandy had gone down to between 2-3 cups a day fora awhile. Then the last 2 nights has given a full half gallon! Good girl. I have one more Friday for a half gallon milk customer, then all the milk will be for us again, til Spring. I sure do love my goat milk and miss it so much when they are dry. I am just hoping all 4 does are pregnant now. This is my Sandy. I love this goat to pieces, but she sure is a Nubian. Man, she is the most neurotic goat ever!


4 comments:

Kristin said...

I've heard that about Nubians. A friend of mine was planning to get a pair of goats and asked my advice then proceeded to ignore it and bought 2 Nubians. I guess it's the ears that make them so popular? Anyway, glad to hear she's milking lots.

We went away for Thanksgiving. I had someone come in and milk once a day. Production is down from 3/4 gal a day to less than half a gallon. It's so depressing!

I hope you get everything worked out with your woodstove. It's COLD in here this morning but supposed to be near 70 this afternoon so I don't want to light a fire.

SweetLand Farm said...

I like the looks of the blog! I change mine all the time. (Usually with the changing seasons, or whatever suites my mood when I'm looking at it!)
Have fun at your craft fair. Hope you do well!
Cute goat. I miss milking when the cow is dry, but it's nice to have a break from it too and all the other chores that it incompasses! Washing the jars! Gah!

Kris said...

I love my Sandy and could never get rid of her. Ever. I got her at just a few days old with her mother and brother 6 years ago. I had to send the mother back because she only had one teat and it was dragging the ground. I got to keep Sandy and the buck. He went to another farm later and was killed by a pack of dogs. I kept Sandy's doe kid from this year. I will probably not get any more Nubians though. And it's warm here today!!

Kris said...

Teri, this is just the blogspot background. I wish I could figure out how to make it Christmas-y. I love yours. It looks like Sandy was not bred in Sept. She was in standing heat a few days ago, unless she was just having a fake heat. Do they do that? I hope so. Because now she won't be due til the end of April. But I will be able to keep milking her til the end of Feb. And her milk is SO good right now.