Inquiring Minds - Part III

Good Morning!

Are you ready for installment three of 'everything you always wanted to know about the Coop Keeper and now wish you hadn't asked!?'

I'm runnin' around like a fool chicken with it's head cut off today.  A very busy weekend is coming up - company coming and going, us coming and going and a possible frost.  Amen.

Let me just add here how I would love to have all of your links on your names, and I would love to have photos for each answer, but absolutely no time for that.  I'm sorry.

Last night with the boy was wonderful and I only mentioned his homework four times last night and three times this morning.  Good gosh - it's so hard.  He's doing well, but seems to think that he can just get 'caught up' on his homework.  I have to let him face the consequences of his decisions I suppose.

I caught a glimpse-a premonition - if you will of the child yesterday.

As he was disembarking my 1995 Jeep, with his camera bag, overnight bag, and book bag - talking up a storm, talking about art school and photography courses - darn it if the boy didn't look like a man.  For a moment it felt as if he were a man, coming home from New York for a weekend visit - telling me all that was going on his life - and for just a flash, I had this warm blankety kind of feel going over me like - 'He's gonna be fine Jayme, relax'

I'm trying to hold that with me.

Amen.

OK!  Here we go.  I have to tell ya'll (yes Lindy, I so know that I spell it wrong, and it's hard for me, and spellchecker catches it every time, but you see - I MUST spell it that way.  It's in support of a dear rebellious friend  - I'll say no more)

I want to tell you that your comments yesterday inspired a spontaneous song burst.  I hope that later today I can capture it on video for you.  Aaron left his camera bag here!  I still have to get mine from the Flower Patch Farm Girl.  It be up on her counter, and me here hankerin' for a picture taker.

Ya'll make me so happy.

OK - really - here we go.

Question #21

Mandy asks:

I'll ditto a previous question: Fav book and movie? Says a lot about a person!

I didn't answer this yesterday, since it was a repeat question  - but I'll address it here again - about my favorite books - Law - it's a mess.  It seems to be what ever I'm reading at the time.  I go to the library every week and bring home more than I can carry.  Mainly - like 99% of books on gardening, cooking, homesteading, magazines about the same - and as you know, I've just begun to delve into the world of fiction.  Now, you do know that I read The Help this past summer, and Lord have mercy on my soul if it didn't turn into one of my favorite books of all time.  I read it up in one day.  Honest truth - I feel nervous when someone asks me 'What is your favorite book?' - makes me feel a little stupid - cause I don't know that I have one.  Intelligent, normal people can spout off a big list, and even say whom their favorite author is. 

I can't.

Amen.

Question #22

Poppies asked:

Do you have siblings? What has been your favorite vacation?

Why, yes, I do have siblings.  I'm the youngest of four girls.  My sister Vivian lives in a group home in Missouri, she's mentally handicapped.  My sister Glenda lives in Chicago, she is 52, my sister Cindy (Aaron's mom) 50, lives here in town, and then there is me!  48.  I was supposed to be a boy - in fact my mom was so sure that she'd have a boy the fourth time around that she's picked out the name James.  Ergo - my name is Jayme.

My favorite vacation?  It would have to be the time we camped and scuba dove our way through the Florida Keys with two other couples.  We flew into Miami with all of our camping and diving gear, sans the tanks, and rented a car.  Ten days of camping and diving - one Key at a time.  Other than the whole sand issue, and sand flea issue that caused me to lose a day of the vacation due to a Benadryl coma - it was a blast.  I love to scuba dive - it's like being an astronaut under water.

Question #23

jamieb asks:

What's in your attic and what does it look like? can you take a picture out of the window we see in the picture?

Well, I have two attics I suppose.  I have this little door that leads to the area over the kitchen, the one story part of the house.  In that attic, that I have to crawl in, I have my holiday decorations.  One winter, when Aaron was about 4 we got locked in up there, and luckily I had a box of old magazines from the 1930's and we sat and read those until Glen got home and let us out.  It was a might chilly.

The attic that has that little window you see at the peak of the roof, why, it's a magical place.  I keep wishing I could do something with it.  You have to use a ladder to get up there through the upstairs bedroom.  That window is colored glass.  When I get my camera back from Shannan I'll try to remember to take a photo of the area.  Just cool to see the old timber, and the way the house was built.

Question #24

Anonymous asks:

When is your first book coming out? Seriously, you write so wonderfully you should really consider it.

On a more mundane note: How many laying chickens do you have? On average, how many eggs do you get a day?  Please keep blogging, you really have a gift for it.

I'm in negotiations with my publisher now -

 The title of the book 'The Drivel Heard 'Round the World'

I'm joking.

Thank you, seriously, it humbles me that you would say that.  Every time I log on, I'm shocked to see that someone is actually reading my blog - and I bet seven times a day I think to myself  'what in the world am I doing?' and think I should quit blogging.  This is like the Seinfeld of blogs - it's a blog - about nothing!  Thank you, really - thank you.

You know - I don't know how many hens I have - not many - let me think - 8. I have 8.  And one large rooster - and then there is the Banty Gang.  I can't keep track of how many I have - six or eight...I get anywhere from 3 to 7 eggs a day - it really varies on weather and other variables.  When I let them free range, I have to go on an Easter egg hunt.

Question # 25

Maddie Lumpkin (I adore that name!) asks:

Can I come and stay with you for a week? Will work for my keep.Just kidding.(not really !)

I'm preparing The Squirrel for your arrival.  You have no idea what you are getting yourself into.  Due to my severe ADD there are many started, and yet unfinished projects about the house and yard.  I hope you are good with a wheelbarra and fork.  I have gloves.  Lots of gloves - you'll need them.  Are you a good painter?  Do have an aversion to mustard and lifeless forms?  Fretteth notteth thyself - you shan't find any here - just lots of chicken poo, weeds, and half finished shenanigans.

Welcome.

Amen.

Question #26

A blog by the "Farmer" asks:

Will you come visit me? My gardens are weeping for you. I promise not to let my horse bite you, my goats eat you, my farm cats climb up you, or my roof cave in on you. Oh never mind - you better not come visit me... it's a dangerous place here. So, then... let me ask another question.How are you doing, Jayme? Are you doing okay? Really, I've been worried.

Oh dear Farmer, now ya'll gone and have me in a position to divulge yet another phobia.  Horses.  Law, they scare the dickens out of me.  I like them from afar - I was thrown off one as a teenager, and almost bit in the face by a pony at the Fair.  I wouldn't mind a goat chewing on me, or cats climbing on me - I've even fallen through the roof of our garage whilst re-roofing it, so that wouldn't make me no never mind - but the horses - law, the horses - do I have to get up close?  I've got an Italian mob of chickens and an alcoholic duck - but a horse - well, a horse is just up to all sorts of devilment.

You ask how I'm doing - and aren't you a dear for doing so - I am 'ok'.  I'm just saying 'ok' cause I'm still mending from a broken heart over so much change, so soon in my life.  I know the Good Lord done just ripped the Band Aid off in an attempt to make it hurt more now and less later - but law, I am afraid He done pulled a little of the scab off.  My eyes well up often, and I'm in a very pensive mood more than not.  I'm seeing my own mortality a little too close up and personal.  It's like the world is in high definition right now - the beauty of it, and the ugliness of it.  The pendulum is swinging a little hard now - but I do know - soon, I'll be right as rain, and all the better for it.

I really appreciate you asking - and don't you worry chile - I'm gone be just fine.  Just fine.

Amen.

Question #27

Jen asks:

How/when did you decide to start raising the "funny looking" chickens rather than just normal egg chickens? I love them, their quirky looks, and your posts about them! Oh, and your duck....she quacks me up!! Love your blog, it's great!!!!

Jen - thanks for the blog love!  I have funny looking chickens?  I shan't let them read this, it would hurt their feelings.  Oh, I'm just a sucker for the underdog I reckon.  I don't think I could own a turken - I don't know - it's just a bird only it's mother could love....I find all the silly chickens so entertaining, and comical.  I'm rather in love with the duck Maude - she's just so plump and cute and I even put up with her poo on the back porch.  I love imagining that they have these little lives out in my yard - whether it be drug trafficking, ordering hits on other chickens, drinking too much, gossipping, knitting, and my personal favorite - rolling out pie crusts with aprons on, I just get a big kick out of them. 

Yes.  I know.  I'm seeing a Dr. every Wednesday at 10am.  I'm on meds.

Amen.

Question #28

Happy @ Home asks:

Oh, how fun. First let me say that you look just adorable in the photo and your home and garden are gorgeous. I read about your garden tour and would have loved to have been in attendance. I am always amazed by the amount of things you accomplish in a day. Are you just naturally energetic or do you have some secrets that you could pass along?

Please re-read the last line of my last answer. 

Meds baby.

No - I'm totally joking!  Seriously - I'm on no meds.  Really - I'm not. Seriously.

I think that if you spent a day with me, you'd see that I'm rather normal, and have a rather normal energy level.  I get really excited about things.  Like life, and love, and beauty, and chickens and pie crusts.  This excitement seems to fuel a drive in me - to accomplish, to do, to create.  Then I crash and burn, and I crash and burn hard.  Dare I say, I'm a little all or nothing?  Some call it Bi-Polar.  Some call it 'mad' - I call it genius.

Amen.

Question #29

Anke asks:

First of all I LOVE your house! Every time I see a picture of it I just want to move right in. Your house and garden are just so beautiful! The question I have is: If you had the choice to do one thing over in your life, what would it be?



First, I just want to thank you Anke.  You were one of my very first commenters on the blog other than real life family and friends - and you are here!  Still reading.  Thank you.  I so appreciate it.

I'm going with my gut here.  My first knee jerk reaction to your question was that I would have seriously addressed my weight problem much earlier in my life - I would have hoped to have kept the weight off permanently.  I would not have dieted.  I would have done what I'm doing now.  It still saddens me that at times my life seems stunted by my memories of my weight issues.  Sad.  I'm slowly realizing that the truth of the matter is, that I would have still been the same person, inside, and would have still had the same life - even if I were a smaller size.  I would have just been more scantily clad.

Amen.

Question #30

Aimee asks:

When are you going to invite "fake accent lady" for lunch at the Tastee Top, take gangsta photos with her, and blog the love!?! LOL!!! :)

Oh my, the prospect of this has me so tickled!  Truth be told - I do believe that the real Fake Accent Lady be a bit scary crazy.  Not fun crazy like me.  But the kind of 'boil your bunny' scary.  Law.  I shan't be asking her up to the TT anytime soon!  They done be changin' up their burger meat too - so I'm a bit anti - TT now.  I just go for the ice cream!

Question #31

Anonymous asks:

When you were in middle school (or high school) What did you want to be when you grew up? Do you can/freeze the veggies from your garden?  Do you make your own jams/jellies to go with your homemade breads?

Oh dear anonymous - you see, I never really knew for sure what I wanted to be when I grew up - hence - I am nothing - nothing 'official' or definable.  No one can say, 'You know - Jayme, Jayme the Dr. or Jayme the Pharmacist'  etc....they can say - 'you know - Jayme, that lady that just does whatever shenanigans she wants to..'.

I remember going through a phase where I longed to be an actress.  I used to practice my autograph.  My first job interview, at Continental Bank in Chicago - when I was a mere 16 years old, in my last year of high school, I told the HR person interviewing me that I wanted to be an actress, and pursue a career on the big screen.  I did not get that job.  My Office Education teacher, a well-dressed, soft spoken, very tall black woman, told me 'Honey, you need to go in there and tell them you want a career in banking if you want the job.'  My next interview there, I did, and I got the job - as a Foreign Exchange Trader Clerk.  It was my first 'real' job, data entry, on the 8th floor of the Continental Bank building in downtown Chicago.  16 years old.  Still in high school.  Law, I wouldn't let Aaron do something like that now.  Lord, how times have changed.  For a while I wanted to be a pharmacist, cause I loved the idea of counting pills, and wearing a lab coat -but then I found out you actually had to be smart, and good at chemistry and math.  Now I have aspirations to be a Barista.  Starbucks in Schererville is hiring.

Amen.

Oh - you asked about veggies and jelly!  Yes, and yes.  I make a lot of jams, jellies and butters on a yearly basis.  I can and freeze some from the garden, nothing like I used to, and nothing like I plan on doing next year.

I'm sure you are exhausted by now - and so am I.  I think we are half way through.  Are you sure you want to go through with this!!?

Hope ya'll have a fabulous day!