(removed, am working on starting a non-homesteading blog)

On Rushing

It's what I do.

I remember writing a newspaper column about how I make a habit of jumping head first into things without checking the depth of the water--I trust that I can make it, and I normally do. All of my life decisions have been made like that, and most of the time it has worked out.
(Note: there's something so humbling and humiliating re-reading columns you published in an actual, circulating newspaper when you were a wee babe of 23/24. So young and green!)

Granted, this method has its drawbacks. These are drawbacks I can justify, though--had I not rushed through college, I wouldn't have taken that summer job and re-sparked my friendship with Andy. If I had stayed in the corporate world and not abandoned it for a soul-crushing newspaper job, I wouldn't have had the experience necessary to get my job. If I hadn't rushed through my MFA, I wouldn't have had the credentials to be hired at my dream job when I did. If we hadn't gone and seen that scam of a house on a hill, we wouldn't have ended up here in our perfect corner of the world.

The only clear and present sour stain in life that has been borne from my penchant for rushing is called consumer debt, and, well, it sucks.

In addition, I rushed some home projects last fall. Andy feels great pleasure at me finally having not gotten my ill-conceived way, I think, as it's been a lesson I've needed for a long time (while I can see the positives in many negatives, like I listed above, it's time to slow down and tread water for a while, I think). Because of this, we have some paint chipping off the house and porches, as a visual reminder to me that this is what happens when you paint or force others to powerwash and paint in November. It just. doesn't. stick.

So now the trick is getting things in life to stick. I have achieved so much of what I want in life by utilizing the run-and-dive method, and now the time has come to maintain. Since I've been moving forward breathlessly for 28.5 years, I'm not quite sure how to maintain. It's something I need to work on. Steadily, and slowly.

Hibernation

Thanksgiving was wonderful. Aside from needing some reinforcements for the gravy and turkey-carving, I pulled it off. It seems so long ago (which I suppose it was)...

Winter around here means heavy duty hibernation. Between me being off work and the cold thwarting our otherwise-overwhelming outdoor work schedule, the couch sees a lot of action. Last winter we simply re-watched Arrested Development, and I had a day or two that I had rental movie marathons.

I did some reading and writing this break, but we dedicated ourselves to loftier goals--watching every season of Dexter and Breaking Bad. We were victorious.

Dexter isn't the best show I've ever seen, but it is the most addictive. We would watch hours on end, and still not be satisfied. We went through withdrawals. Seriously.

Breaking Bad, on the other hand, is just excellent storytelling and artfully done. It's no surprise after watching it that Bryan Cranston has won numerous Emmy awards. I miss the suspense of Dexter, but I miss all of the characters in Breaking Bad.

We've started Mad Men now. At first, I kept waiting for meth deals and horrific murder scenes, but I'm really getting swept into the intricate story lines and the obviously feminist writing and storytelling. Good stuff.

(The last few paragraphs were brought to you by "Welcome to 2007, Leigh. Way to catch up with the rest of us.")

I also read Giants in the Earth for book club and loved it, and did some much-needed writing (including a scathing commentary on reviewers'/audiences' misguided reactions to Black Swan that will never get published because I was too late because St. Louis never gets movies soon enough and and and I'm really whiny about all of this).

And now I'm back in school. I love my schedule this semester so much I want to make out with it (not so much overload and well-placed office hours), and I'm trying to reclaim myself in general. In clearing out our office (see, we're trying to do something productive this winter), I found some old pictures. Between our wedding day and our one-year anniversary (2006 and 2007, respectively), I look like a totally different person. I have lots to say about this mess of things, but I know this: I've not had myself and my needs as a priority in the last five years. That's not to say I'm not proud and excited about everything I've done (professionally, nonprofit work, homesteading stuff), but I need to find a better balance. I'm striving to do that right now.

I'll work on that between what's coming up in 2011: college journalism convention in Minneapolis in February, directing The Vagina Monologues in March, Habitat Music Fest in June, and our 10-year class reunion in September (not to mention a sizable home to-do list, garden, and goats--or just fantasizing about the goats in our future). And if things go as planned, the possibility of a livestock addition of the human variety.

Thanksgiving at the Kolb Homestead

In a few days, I will be a real grown-up.

I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner, and doing almost all of the cooking. The menu...

Starters: cranberry goat cheese, cheddar, brie, chianti sausage, crackers, and olives

The dinner:
Brined fresh Kosher turkey, roasted on root vegetables, basted with white wine/butter
Cornbread chesnut stuffing (in bird)
Riesling gravy
Oyster dressing
Mashed potatoes
Roasted brussel sprouts with bacon
From-scratch green bean cassserole
Cranberry relishes--regular and weird pink
Sweet potato casserole (Andy's mom)
Homemade crescent rolls (my mom)
Apple, pumpkin, and pecan pies (Andy's grandma, sister, and my aunt)

I think that's it. I'll link to recipes once I've determined their worth. Here's hoping...

Leigh's Favorite Things Episode

As I was eating my after-school snack of canned Mediterranean sardines, I realized that I would put them on a "Favorite Things" list, which then made me think about Oprah giving out sardines to a terribly disappointed audience.

And then I decided to make my own Favorite Things list. As I'm writing these entries, I will imagine this:
We've got John Travoooltaaah!


Sardines
Sardines are good for you--packed full of Omega 3's (which we don't get enough of in our American diets), and are a low risk for high mercury. They are also surprisingly delicious. Be wary of bone-in sardines, though. They are easy to de-bone, but the first time I accidentally chomped into a vertebrae--yikes. King Oscar's Mediterranean sardines are my favorite so far, because there are bits of herbs and olives in the marinade. A+.

hulu
There's no way to talk about our lack of cable/network TV without sounding like a pretentious a-hole, so I'll avoid that. hulu is wonderful, though, for those of us who still need a little TV fix now and then. Thanks to hulu, I finally got to watch the entirety of My So-Called Life (which was exactly as perfect I knew it would be when I was an adolescent with dance lessons during its air time), and get to keep up with 30 Rock, The Office, Community, Parks and Recreation, SNL, and Days of Our Lives (that's right, I said it). Even with those few shows, I don't understand how we had time to watch so much TV before--we have to squeeze "our shows" in. (Days of Our Lives is my one fall-asleep-on-the-couch guilty pleasure, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.)

Green Smoothies
Yeah, yeah, I know it's better to make your own in the morning--but that's not going to happen right now. I like Odwalla, Naked, and Bolthouse Farms equally well, but the latter seems to nutritionally pack the most punch for your dollar. Other honorable mentions that make me feel good in the morning: Trader Joe's Prenatal Vitamins (evidently Rainbow Lite brand) and DHA/EPA fish oil tablets, and Gala apples.


Trader Joe's Nourish Spa Shampoo
This is a staple in our house. It's sulfate-free, which is good for dry hair (me) and oily hair (Andy). It doesn't strip oils (sulfates act as detergents), so oily hair doesn't then overproduce oil, and my curls are happier. It does have parabens, which I otherwise avoid. Otherwise it's an absolute steal at ~$2.99 per bottle. The conditioner isn't thick enough for me, but some might be OK with it.

Sherwin-Williams Paint
When we were re-painting almost every room in our house when we moved in, we used Sherwin-Williams paint (Superpaint, and some Duration we got on sale). Its one-coat promise held true, and it was so easy to paint with. I linked to the historical pallets, which we borrowed heavily from. We just got finished doing some exterior painting, and used Lowe's Valspar brand for it (siding and porches). We decided to go cheap because A. we needed to, and B. much of our exterior work (especially the termite-nibbled porch) was akin to polishing a turd (or painting a turd). What a difference... Pay a bit more if you can, especially on interior painting, as it will take less and be better all around.

Le Creuset
Ha! I just visited this site to link it, and the front page boasts Le Creuset as one of Oprah's Favorite Things.
(It's also the most spendy thing on my list, so go figure.)
Le Creuset is like Mac products to me, or small hatchback foreign cars. I do have a few solid reasons to want certain products (my MacBook, my great cast iron pot, my little Scion)... but then I just get caught up in a strange world of wanting ALL of the products, even if I don't really need or want them (for example, I want an iPad even though the iPod is just too much technology for me). I realized this after going into a Le Creuset outlet over the summer--I wanted everything, even the things I thought were kind of ugly. It's a disease. But the products are still awesome.

Gap Outlet
Thankfully, I have a Gap card (fake money!), which works at Gap, Gap Outlet, Old Navy, and Banana Republic. Without it, I'd be naked.
The Gap Outlet is my favorite place to spend fake money, though--great size options, cheap jeans, bargain basement stuff for men and women. Love love love.
Dammit when I linked to the title it's pushing a storewide 60% off sale starting now. And it just so happens we'll be passing through Warrenton this weekend...

Caulk
I caulked a piece of baseboard trim to a troublesome, gross spot of drywall. It worked.
I love caulk.

Sckoon Organics
You will cringe, you will scoff, you will roll your eyes. You just don't understand.

For the creatures: Nutro Tartar Control biscuits, Solid Gold dog and cat food (shiny bags!), Manna Pro Oyster Shells and Poultry Conditioner, earthdog collars

For the garden: Seeds of Change veggie seeds, Bio Dome Seed Starter, livestock paneling for trellises

To watch: Killing Us Softly 4, Food, Inc., 30 Rock, Huge

To read: Twain's "The War Prayer," MLK Jr.'s "The World House," Newsweek's Reimagining Masculinity


I also love listening to rain on a metal roof, like I hear right now... but I can't box that up and give it to you, now can I?

The Day the Chickens Died

I drove home two weeks ago, excited to see Andy as he'd just started his new job. I drove past our house (as one must do before turning into the drive), and I see Andy standing in the yard near the chicken coop, looking at me with hands held as a warning, as if perhaps I should just stop there and stay there. I drove slowly past where he stood, near the chicken coop, and although I couldn't see much, I could clearly see that the bodies in the chicken yard aren't moving.
My heart stopped.
I parked, got out of the car, and walked into the chicken yard with him. It was one of the most horrifying things I'd ever seen--chickens all dead, two roosters barely breathing, and a stunned, paralyzed turkey. (The ducks were fine, though, just waddling around happily. We will never understand this.)
We had no idea what had happened--Mason was tied up (no, this is not our first choice of dog treatment but he cannot be contained as he hurts himself trying to escape and the invisible fence--which worked beautifully for a while--was shorting out and he was constantly loose). We were just stunned.
At one point in our silence among the carnage, Andy choked out, "Maybe the ducks did it."
It was welcome laughter.
It didn't take long before we heard the story--our wonderful neighbor (an older man whose family lives near us and he takes care of cattle next door) had driven by and seen Mason in the coop, so he intervened and tied him back up. So by the time we got home, Mason was contained and snuggling with a dead chicken. (He'd managed to burrow under a tiny spot under the fence after he slipped off his collar. We never said we were good at this stuff.)

Before we found out about Mason, I was stunned and sad, but when we found out it was him I just broke down. He's been such a difficult dog since we adopted him last winter, and now this? I called our rescue, I called other rescues, I called the vet, and I called a trainer. We got conflicting advice, but have decided to Fort Knox the invisible fence, electrify the chicken pen, and hire a trainer for an afternoon for the outside dogs. None of this is ideal, since we know his prey drive is set, it's instinct, but we think it's the best solution. If we didn't keep him, he didn't have much of a future. (And unfortunately, we learned of the old wives' tales about "fixing" the problem with a dead chicken after the fact.)

As for our poultry... we had raised them from chicks, so it was hard to see so much work and time be erased in a few minutes' of "Look at me play, mom and dad!" Our Ameraucanas had just started laying (we had 13 eggs--we still do, I'm planning something special for them), and the Barred Rocks hadn't even started. Turkey's fate was not to be a long-time pet, but he was getting so big and, dare I say meaty? I had to finish off one rooster, but our survivors were the ducks, Buster and Lucille, and Gob the rooster (he's still healing).
We drove to Silex the weekend after it happened, as they were hosting a twice-yearly poultry festival. We came home with three sex-link (Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red cross) hens, three white Cochins (one rooster, he came with the set), and two Buff Orphingtons who are already laying (the others are about five months old). They're living happily in the coop now, as we fix the fencing systems so this doesn't happen again.

We bought most of the new birds from an Amish man. We told him the story, and he said he'd had to shoot a dog who took out about 40 of his birds. He said that these things happen to people who are trying to keep livestock, and they will either quit, or persevere. "If you're going to share something," he said, "you have to be willing to lose it."

We're not going to stop. Even when we should stop, many times we don't. We might be trying to do the impossible again by wanting everyone to live together outside, but we can't not try again.

For now, those 13 little blue eggs will go untouched in the refrigerator, until we can share them and appreciate them fully. Because that's what this is all about.

Louie, Louie

We have a cat.

When I tell people about our pets, most often I start the introduction with "then we accidentally got___"

Avy and Rio were planned (as much as one plans these things--"Look at that precious dog! Let's adopt him/her!"). Then Zippo just showed up and wouldn't leave, then Avy needed Mason, and then... and then, the cat.

My aunt convinced us to adopt two of her neighbor's barn kittens, as we've had mice and we have a barn. Perfect equation. I'd taken Avy and Mason to the vet earlier that week (only Mason had an appointment, but Avy got in the car and wouldn't leave), and they reacted with pure apathy when the vet's cat wandered near. I thought, hey, let's get a couple of kittens. I grew up with barn cats, and if they're anything, they're low-maintenance.

Three days later, I was driving home from St. Louis (where we did the cat pick-up, like a furry stinky drug deal) with two kittens.

One day later, we managed to find one of the kittens in a tree and brought him in (what happens between A and B involved some ugliness on Mason's part, which we just don't need to re-hash. I'll save the gore for the next post). We kept the little guy in the bathroom/laundry room, and decided we'd transition him slowly to be an outside cat, and everything would be fine.

Two months later, he's curled up on the couch with me.

And that's how we accidentally got a cat.

By the way, my cat allergies (which have been significant since a young age) disappeared after a few days of having him inside. Cats are pretty awesome, which I never knew, although litter is one of the worst things ever. I still haven't figured out how to make that not awful (except for the covered box and flushable Swheat).

No more animals now. We're done.