Today is a better day, not a lot but manageable. We are experiencing bad weather so that is making my fibro act up. We are currently under flash flood watch. I have been using my oils today with success. Still aching but not near as painful as yesterday.
I know while we are under a flash flood watch others are in a drought. Isn't that crazy! Too bad we can't just share with them. I believe this time of year everyone is ready for warm weather. Everyone is in the process of planting seeds in order to be able to transport them into the ground when the weather is right. I have decided to put in an herb garden this year so I'm excited to see what it brings.
We are still anxiously awaiting lambs to be on the ground yet thankful they are not coming in the muddy mess we are dealing with. I think the geese and ducks are even tired of this nasty wet weather. Speaking of geese, our Sebastopol geese have started laying and we have several of their eggs in the incubator. We will also continue to have eggs available through the rest of the laying year. The eggs are $10 each plus shipping and we are NPIP. Don't miss out on your chance at some of these very comical geese.
Also available are several rabbits including meat, tan, dutch and english lops. We showed in Louisiana on Sat and done a good job. Currently waiting on show report because I was running from one table to the other to show the breeds we had taken. Another reason my fibro flared up, as usual I over did it. I think that is the hardest thing for me to learn not to do. I always end up doing too much because I feel guilty not pulling my weight.
I am doing my best to learn to take better care of myself, It is hard with being a mother, wife, 4H leader, working full time plus running farm and helping with several organizations. I have slowly been saying NO.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Coping
This is from yesterday's post..
I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia back in 2010 at the age of 30. I have had my ups and downs every since. It has been extremely difficult for me since I was so used to being active and doing most things on my own. Fibro has slowed me down and even stopped me at times. I fight it constantly and even been put on medicine for it. The problem with the medicine is that the side effects caused me more problems, so I got off of everything. I use a Doterra oil mix to help with some of the pain.
I hate that I can’t plan days of activities as I never know when I will be down because of a flare up. I feel like I am letting my husband down because when we got married I was healthy as a horse and no issues. We can’t do the things we used to do and it depresses me. He is amazing and support of it all but it doesn’t stop me from feeling so useless at times. He also has to be super careful with me at times because when I am in a flare up, my body aches so bad that I can’t handle a simple touch.
I hate that I can’t go play with my kids the way I should. I am always too tired and it kills me knowing they just want some of my time also. I am forcing myself to work a full time job and by the time I get home there is just nothing left of me. I absolutely hate it, but there seems to be nothing I can do at this time.
If I am active one day then I end up paying for it the next time and then of course this time of year the weather makes it worse. Yesterday, I spent the day on the couch in my pajamas because on Saturday I chose to take my youngest daughter to a rabbit show. So on Sunday, I couldn’t hardly stand because my legs hurt so bad and were weak. I also had chest pains and stomach cramped. Of course being a female I have to also deal with monthly cycles which fibro makes 100% worse. Fibro has a way of making normal aches and pains double and sometimes even triple at times.
Today my body is screaming at me and my legs are hot and painful. My joints are swelled up and aching. My stomach is bloated and cramping every time I so much as move, but I am at work. Why??? Trust me it’s not because I want to be. I have no choice but to force my body to continue to push through. We can’t afford for me to stay home where when I have days like this, then I can rest like my body needs. I can’t find a remote online job so I am forced to drive over an hour one way just to get to a job.
I ask myself all the time – WHAT CAN I DO??. I hate being stuck, I hate being forced, I hate to hurt so bad I want to bawl, I hate being so young and disabled. I just want to scream and shout how it is so unfair!! I look normal yet I am in so much pain I can barely paste a smile on my face. I have worked so hard to get where I am now but I am stuck! I can’t afford to quit but then again I don’t know how long my body will hold up to being forced to fight. It’s an emotional roller coaster that is very depressing. I don’t think I can get on disability and I don’t mind working but I am becoming limited.
I know others have it worse and I know I am blessed with what I do have but I have no clue how much more I can handle pushing myself. I have always considered myself to be a strong individual but sure not feeling it lately. I just wish I knew what it is I am supposed to be doing.
What do you do when you get to this point? I hate being a downer and do my best to be positive but I am wore out!
I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia back in 2010 at the age of 30. I have had my ups and downs every since. It has been extremely difficult for me since I was so used to being active and doing most things on my own. Fibro has slowed me down and even stopped me at times. I fight it constantly and even been put on medicine for it. The problem with the medicine is that the side effects caused me more problems, so I got off of everything. I use a Doterra oil mix to help with some of the pain.
I hate that I can’t plan days of activities as I never know when I will be down because of a flare up. I feel like I am letting my husband down because when we got married I was healthy as a horse and no issues. We can’t do the things we used to do and it depresses me. He is amazing and support of it all but it doesn’t stop me from feeling so useless at times. He also has to be super careful with me at times because when I am in a flare up, my body aches so bad that I can’t handle a simple touch.
I hate that I can’t go play with my kids the way I should. I am always too tired and it kills me knowing they just want some of my time also. I am forcing myself to work a full time job and by the time I get home there is just nothing left of me. I absolutely hate it, but there seems to be nothing I can do at this time.
If I am active one day then I end up paying for it the next time and then of course this time of year the weather makes it worse. Yesterday, I spent the day on the couch in my pajamas because on Saturday I chose to take my youngest daughter to a rabbit show. So on Sunday, I couldn’t hardly stand because my legs hurt so bad and were weak. I also had chest pains and stomach cramped. Of course being a female I have to also deal with monthly cycles which fibro makes 100% worse. Fibro has a way of making normal aches and pains double and sometimes even triple at times.
Today my body is screaming at me and my legs are hot and painful. My joints are swelled up and aching. My stomach is bloated and cramping every time I so much as move, but I am at work. Why??? Trust me it’s not because I want to be. I have no choice but to force my body to continue to push through. We can’t afford for me to stay home where when I have days like this, then I can rest like my body needs. I can’t find a remote online job so I am forced to drive over an hour one way just to get to a job.
I ask myself all the time – WHAT CAN I DO??. I hate being stuck, I hate being forced, I hate to hurt so bad I want to bawl, I hate being so young and disabled. I just want to scream and shout how it is so unfair!! I look normal yet I am in so much pain I can barely paste a smile on my face. I have worked so hard to get where I am now but I am stuck! I can’t afford to quit but then again I don’t know how long my body will hold up to being forced to fight. It’s an emotional roller coaster that is very depressing. I don’t think I can get on disability and I don’t mind working but I am becoming limited.
I know others have it worse and I know I am blessed with what I do have but I have no clue how much more I can handle pushing myself. I have always considered myself to be a strong individual but sure not feeling it lately. I just wish I knew what it is I am supposed to be doing.
What do you do when you get to this point? I hate being a downer and do my best to be positive but I am wore out!
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Farm Happenings
It feels like winter outside and frozen water tubs prove it. This is the time of year that farming and keeping livestock sucks. You have to make sure everyone handles the freezing temps and that they have access to fresh water all day. Not a lot of fun trying to handle cold water with numb fingers. This is when we fantasize about Spring and pray that it shows up quickly. I know that since we are in Arkansas we don't have to deal with extreme snow falls and blizzards. I thank God for that and pray for those that do, I honestly can't imagine raising livestock and dealing with that type of harsh environment.
Out of the animals here on the farm, most handle it without any issues, in fact our Chows and LGDs love the cooler temps. Our youngest daughter has a small three pound chihuahua and when I set her outside the other morning she immediately turned around and said to heck with this. I think that is the fastest she has ever done her business. She doesn't even mind the sweaters our youngest places on her so I guess she knows they help.
We having been working on our bull pasture and extending a couple of pig pens, got a lot done yesterday and a lot closer to finishing. Now we are prepping for the arrival of lambs over the next couple of months. Praying for a great lamb crop as last year's wasn't so great. That is the part of raising livestock that no one likes. Losses..... Last year we had issues with aborting and even lost a couple of older ewes to unknown reasons. We have done our best this year getting our ewes prepped for lambing including vaccination to help prevent abortions.
Time will tell.
Hope everyone is surviving the winter and looking forward to Spring and the babies it brings.
Out of the animals here on the farm, most handle it without any issues, in fact our Chows and LGDs love the cooler temps. Our youngest daughter has a small three pound chihuahua and when I set her outside the other morning she immediately turned around and said to heck with this. I think that is the fastest she has ever done her business. She doesn't even mind the sweaters our youngest places on her so I guess she knows they help.
We having been working on our bull pasture and extending a couple of pig pens, got a lot done yesterday and a lot closer to finishing. Now we are prepping for the arrival of lambs over the next couple of months. Praying for a great lamb crop as last year's wasn't so great. That is the part of raising livestock that no one likes. Losses..... Last year we had issues with aborting and even lost a couple of older ewes to unknown reasons. We have done our best this year getting our ewes prepped for lambing including vaccination to help prevent abortions.
Time will tell.
Hope everyone is surviving the winter and looking forward to Spring and the babies it brings.
Friday, January 5, 2018
The Odd Sock
Growing up in the country and always being drawn to critters has left me with some very amusing stories.
I plan to share a few on here...
The Odd Sock
My mother wasn't one that cared for odd critters like snakes, mice, spiders, opossum, raccoons etc and would get hysterical over them. My stepdad had an older cousin that was always visiting and staying over a lot. He knew I was animal crazy, so when he found a baby opossum he placed it in a box and brought to me. This opossum was however old enough to survive on it's own. Let me tell you, when they snarl and hiss at you with all those teeth showing then they are intimidating. Anyway, he had it in the box and my mother told him he was not to leave it there. He just laughed and ended up staying the night.
The next morning when we awoke, he was gone and so was the opossum. We questioned why he had left the box behind but then figured he turned it loose in the yard. It was about a week later before he showed back up and something was said about the opossum. He swore he left it in the box, so my mother wasn't sure if he was joking with her since he knew her fear or if he was serious.
Fast forward about a month...
I was laying in bed one morning when mom screamed my name. I was known for having to be dragged out of bed in the mornings. I hated getting up early for school. Mom was standing in my room at my dresser where she was getting clothes out of it and screaming at me. It took me a little bit because I was disoriented and in my sleep haze still. Finally it dawned on me that mom was almost hysterical and it had nothing to do with me not wanting to get out of bed.
Apparently, when she reached in drawer to grab a sock, she noticed an odd colored sock. This odd sock turned and snarled and showed its mouth full of sharp tiny teeth. By now you know it wasn't an odd sock but that opossum. To this day, I am shocked that mom didn't have heart failure. I had to come to the rescue and do a catch and release on the little guy.
To this day, we are not sure how he managed to survive in our house that long, with five people and no one ever saw him.
Moral of story ... Watch out for those odd socks!!
I plan to share a few on here...
The Odd Sock
My mother wasn't one that cared for odd critters like snakes, mice, spiders, opossum, raccoons etc and would get hysterical over them. My stepdad had an older cousin that was always visiting and staying over a lot. He knew I was animal crazy, so when he found a baby opossum he placed it in a box and brought to me. This opossum was however old enough to survive on it's own. Let me tell you, when they snarl and hiss at you with all those teeth showing then they are intimidating. Anyway, he had it in the box and my mother told him he was not to leave it there. He just laughed and ended up staying the night.
The next morning when we awoke, he was gone and so was the opossum. We questioned why he had left the box behind but then figured he turned it loose in the yard. It was about a week later before he showed back up and something was said about the opossum. He swore he left it in the box, so my mother wasn't sure if he was joking with her since he knew her fear or if he was serious.
Fast forward about a month...
I was laying in bed one morning when mom screamed my name. I was known for having to be dragged out of bed in the mornings. I hated getting up early for school. Mom was standing in my room at my dresser where she was getting clothes out of it and screaming at me. It took me a little bit because I was disoriented and in my sleep haze still. Finally it dawned on me that mom was almost hysterical and it had nothing to do with me not wanting to get out of bed.
Apparently, when she reached in drawer to grab a sock, she noticed an odd colored sock. This odd sock turned and snarled and showed its mouth full of sharp tiny teeth. By now you know it wasn't an odd sock but that opossum. To this day, I am shocked that mom didn't have heart failure. I had to come to the rescue and do a catch and release on the little guy.
To this day, we are not sure how he managed to survive in our house that long, with five people and no one ever saw him.
Moral of story ... Watch out for those odd socks!!
Picture credit goes to http://wildlifeanimalz.blogspot.com/2013/04/Opossum-Fact-New-Photos.html.
Winter Blues
Most places this time of year are cold and nasty. Not a good time of year to be taking care of livestock. Busting water, worrying about newborns in the cold, and just plain freezing!
It's this time of year that we get the winter blues. What do you do about it? I like to pour over websites and catalogs and plan for the upcoming months. For example, what type of chickens I want to add and then of course all the different possibilities of vegetable I can plant.
That's when I get excited about the upcoming months and look forward to them. I hope you and yours are staying warm where ever you may be during the winter months.
What are some of your favorite places to find poultry and seeds?
It's this time of year that we get the winter blues. What do you do about it? I like to pour over websites and catalogs and plan for the upcoming months. For example, what type of chickens I want to add and then of course all the different possibilities of vegetable I can plant.
That's when I get excited about the upcoming months and look forward to them. I hope you and yours are staying warm where ever you may be during the winter months.
What are some of your favorite places to find poultry and seeds?
Bloglovin
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Sunday, August 24, 2014
Testing Poultry in Arkansas
Testing Poultry in Arkansas
I have been receiving a lot of questions about private testers and NPIP, so I decided to do a quick rundown on the difference. ( I am a licensed tester for Arkansas).
Private Tester …..The NPIP Division licenses individuals to blood test birds for Salmonella pullorum, which also allows them to fill out 90 Day certificates for tested birds. Two schools are held per year for private individuals wanting to do this testing for county fairs, shows, flea markets, sales, etc. The schools are held in Fayetteville and in Little Rock. This licensing enables persons to blood test their own birds, as well as other individuals’ birds.
Flock Certification Program: NPIP
Flock Certification is available for waterfowl, exhibition poultry, and game bird flocks. This involves an annual inspection by a Livestock & Poultry official and farm testing of eligible poultry. If the farm is approved by NPIP, a certification is granted. The Flock Certificate is valid for one year and enables free movement regarding Salmonella pullorum requirements within the United States, as well as other countries.For more information http://alpc.arkansas.gov/programs/Pages/NPIP.aspx or just ask me.
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