Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Homeward Bound

 

I'm showered up - full of pulled pork - sitting on my cousin's couch and blogging.
We are keeping an eye on the weather - chance of some severe storms coming through the area.
It's been a great two weeks - as many of you know - I get all wistful when I start to leave Missouri.
 
The BBQ we had tonight was at the BBQ Station, in Cassville, Missouri.
It was the best BBQ I've had in a very, very long time!
If you are ever in the area - go!
 
 
 
 
 
 
I didn't plan on staying this long - but man alive - my cousin is swamped, and I happen to be able to help (or at least I like to think I am) and I'm more than happy to do so. 
Y'all know how I need to be needed.
 
 I'm seriously in love with woodworking at the moment.
 
 
If you looked at pictures of me at the age of three or four, you'd be hard pressed to find one that doesn't have me holding a stick. I was a bit obsessed with sticks and bits of lumber at that age.  Most little girls liked dolls, I liked sticks.  My mom told me she'd give me a hammer and a nail and let me at chunks of two by fours.  True story.  I have to laugh now in this day and age of child proofing everything - to think of me let loose with nails and a hammer at age four.
 
 
Sure, I'm excited to get home and get some shenanigans started - but this is the closest thing I've got to 'going home'. 
 My parents and my favorite aunt are buried right around the corner from here. and there's something about it that just feels right. 
 My cousin is my best bud.
 
It's bittersweet fer sure.
 
 
 Your goat comments were both educational and entertaining! 
 This I know for sure:
 
My life will not be complete until I have a goat in a hat and a scarf, in my car at the DQ drive thru.
 
/
 
In fact, I may just have to delve deeper into my fantasy world and pretend to be this woman - Tasha Tudor.  I seriously want to roam around my yard, hanging laundry, tending the chickens and goats - dressed like this, barefoot of course.
 
With that being said, I don't think goats will happen this year.  I've been thinking that I need to concentrate on my birds and my bees.  As you may know, my bees are in low income housing and are in desperate need of an upgrade.  I really would love to build a shed and make a honey house out of it, a place to store all my beekeeping equipment, do the extracting, etc.
 
I also have some chicken arranging to do, as well as establish Ye Big Olde Vegetable Garden.
 
If I could get one goat, chain a bowling ball to it's leg and just keep it wherever I was at the moment, I could do it now - but alas, I'm not sure that would work or be very humane.  I could fashion up a goat diaper I bet and let it stay in the house.  You know - the sad thing is, I think I would!  Ha!  I can only imagine if I were single - I'd have a houseful of cats, chickens and a few goats!
 
 
So what now brown cow?
 
I drive 600 miles home tomorrow with all the sawdust and wood shavings that the Heep will hold, dreaming of my new no till veggie garden plot.
I hopefully cobble up some type of wood shop at home and start building beehives, hopefully something like these:
 
Backyard Beekeeping
 
My bees will be singing the theme song from 'The Jeffersons' if they move in these!
 
I'll be getting my baby birds from McMurray Hatchery and we'll be in full swing soon!
 
photo from backyardchickens.com
 
 
My cousin Jim whipped up some awesome clothesline poles for me from some lumber he was going to throw out!  They are so awesome.  Why does laundry excite me so!?
 
 
 I bought myself a pair of really sweet gloves at Lowes.
They would be perfect for goat wrangling.
 
 
 
 
 
I have loved every minute of helping my cousin Jim make cabinets!  It's so cool to see them go from planks of oak into these lovely cabinets.  I had no idea how much work was involved, and the sanding - dear God the sanding.
 
If you are in SW Missouri and need custom cabinets...give him a call, or email me.  : -)
 
Give me a couple of days to get home and get settled - I'll be mailing out the coffee to the winners, and announcing the winner of the gift basket, K?
 
.
 


28 comments:

  1. You are a "Jayme of all trades". How nice it was for you to get away for some family time. And how good is it to get back home. Happy Spring!

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  3. Love that Tasha Tudor!

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  4. You've got a good start on your carpentry skills from your cousin to help you out at home. When I was a kid, I remember trying to build a tree house with sticks. Didn't work.
    Brenda

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  5. From the photos it sure looks like your cousin does excellent work. No wonder he's so busy!

    Now, thanks to you, I will be singing the Jefferson's theme song all evening. sigh. Love the beehive though! Hope you'll be able to fashion one similar to it with all your woodworking knowledge you have now!

    I wanna be Tasha Tudor too!

    Safe travels home Jayme.

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  6. So love Tasha Tudor too. I have the Tasha Tudor's Garden book and it makes me drool. Well, no goat? Time will tell. You are just straight up awesome and I'm sure your cousin appreciated all your help. Be safe in your travels back home Jayme.

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  7. Well looks like you had a great time and some busy times to come. My hubs does some woodworking and I know how much time it takes. He built me a beautiful china hutch at our previous home which I had to leave behind when we bought this home. It was sad. Save trip home Jayme!

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  8. jayme ask your cousin jim if he knows steve jabben who lives in cassvile. I grew up with steve here in independence kansas small world hu?

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    1. Hey Dawn! I asked my cousin, and he said the name isn't familiar. My cousin lives in Monett - it's about 15 minutes or so from Cassville. It IS a small world!

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  9. awesome cabinets. wish i lived in Missouri. too cool!! have a safe trip home. you are always on the go. relax a bit will ya??! ha. ha!! just picking. ( :

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  10. You write a great blog . . .love reading you . . . listen to your life and reflecting . . . see glimpses in picture and I hope one day you get your goats . . .

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  11. What a great helper you are-I am so glad that the timing worked out for you to help him. I think you needed that time "down home" with Mom & Dad around the corner. Take good care on your drive home. xo Diana

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  12. Wow! I've been thinking of you...

    missing you, too.

    You be safe - headed home to where your "heartland" awaits.

    Bees.
    Flowers.
    Chickens ...
    the potential for Goats...

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  13. I love Missouri and I,too, have family there in southeast Mo. Hopefully, we will get there this year. Drive safely and have fun with the wood chips!

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  14. I just want to say your life is awesome! The bee hives are bee-utiful!

    On a side note ...I once wrote a letter to Tasha Tudor who was my all time favorite. It was for a school assignment. She even wrote back to me. Im sad to say she crushed me by writing a bitter nasty note that i couldnt believe actually came from her. I guess things arent as picture perfect as we want to believe!

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    1. Oh this just chaps my hide! I had a feeling there was something up with that lady - I've heard other things about her kids, and how things are since she died, like she didn't leave them anything? Something like that. Harumph!

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  15. LIFE IS GOOD :-)

    ...and it's even better with a goat or two... just sayin.

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  16. OMG the comment about Tasha Tudor made me laugh for some reason. I'm sure as a child Rebekah you were crushed. But the thought of her being bitter and nasty kinda tickles me. I don't know why??? Thanks for sharing.
    Karen

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  17. I hope you bought the chicken head hat, I can just see you and Janie out and about with it on!!

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  18. Those goat-wrangling gloves for sure! :D x

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  19. I started to write about the time Tasha Tudor wrote a response to my sister's letter, telling her she shouldn't intrude on the private lives of people ... but I see she already mentioned that bitter experience! lol I once had a goat. We loved Marigold. She loved my flowers. No fence could hold her. Just sayin'. Also, I love reading your adventures and I can't stand the awesomeness of that chicken hat.

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  21. I just want to know if you got home all in one piece. I know that Missouri had some bad weather and is now declared a state of emergency. I hope you and your cousin are both a o k.

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  22. This brings back memories! I took two vo-tech years of carpentry in high school (ahem, a few years ago), the only girl. Let's just say that shaped a lot about who I am...our beehive still sits unfinished with no bees...it isn't too late, but we have so much on our plates we hesitate. Our neighbor has goats, so we admire them from nearby, although our grass is getting a bit high...don't get me yearning for more stuff to care for! OH, and my mama is from Missouri-Lamar, where Harry Truman was born. Come back and see me sometime, ya hear?

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  23. OH, and get a goat...you can talk to it while it eats grass and you plant more plants so you can have more to take care of so you can feel needed and be happy and maybe get to where you got the goat know-how, and you can get a mama goat and have fresh goat milk! I have a recipe for some Chevre, and maybe you could make some cheese and sell it and help with the costs of living in your beautiful farmhouse? I can live vicariously through you...:)

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  24. Oh my. There's lots of great BBQ in Indiana! I know where you can look to find it, too. ;)

    I am lusting after those kitchen cabinets. My goodness my kitchen wants those. BAD.

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