A Warm Fire and Another Giveaway!

It was so chilly out this afternoon! I wore a light jacket in to the hospital, because it wasn't that cold this morning. By this afternoon, though, the temperature had dropped at least 15 degrees and the sky was gray... it was cold! I got home and Ron had a hot bowl of chili waiting, and he built a fire, and I had a glass of wine, and Melissa and her crew joined us. Nearly a perfect evening.

The princess is taking her social studies project to the next level, so we had that to talk about, and Melissa has an upcoming craft fair, so we had that to talk about, and I had a very good day at school today, so I had to share. Plus, we had some great jokes: "What's invisible and smells like worms? Bird farts, of course!" If you are eight, that joke is hilarious!

And then I log on to find that one of my favorite bloggers hit 100 posts and is hosting her own giveaway - of course, it's Kim at Simple Needs! Stop on over and sign up, and send me the teapot when you win... and the snowman... oh, and the melters... oh, and I think I know just the place for the stitchery, too. Really, you know you have no place to put it, so I'll just do you a favor and take it off your hands. Okay?? No? Well, alright then, but it won't matter because I'm going to win!!

Terri

Recruiting dinner

We had a recruiting dinner Friday night. A recruiting dinner is where an anesthesia group that is looking for new blood comes in, caters a meal, and invites you to get to know them.

So, I went. I wasn't going to go - I'm already pretty sure of where I want to work, and I don't want to move. But when I talked to my classmates, it seemed that most of them weren't going, and I felt like the group was good enough to come down and invite us out, some of us should actually go and make nice. Because if we don't, they may choose not to come out again, and that limits the options for those coming up behind us. Plus, I can't afford a nice night out on the town right now, so this was our chance to go out and have fun without wrecking the budget. Win-win, right?

They chose an Asian-fusion place in Knoxville, and catered a meal and offered an open bar. So, I had some merlot, and ate sushi and then had a nice sea bass meal. Some of the service was a bit odd - there was a maraschino cherry inexplicably on the plates, for instance. Not sure why, but there it was. Still, the food was good.

It was good to talk to other people who've recently finished school, and they were all very encouraging. Most of all, to a person, they said it was ABSOLUTELY worth all the stuff we're going through right now. And that's good to hear, because I'll admit that sometimes I wonder!

The problem? The package this group offers is VERY attractive. As in, ~20% more base pay, more vacation and the opportunity make significantly more in overtime than I could make here. Now I'm really torn. We'd never get rid of this place, certainly, but I could afford to support two places on that income, particularly if we just did a little house in town up there.

There's a lot to think about. The group invited us up for a weekend to see the town and the hospital and get a feel for the place. I think we're going to take them up on it, just so we're exploring all our options. Then, too, it's a weekend away and our budget absolutely won't support any kind of getaway this year. I'll post again after I go see what the place is like in person.

Meanwhile, don't forget our giveaway! Name your candle fragrance and we just might send it to you!

Terri

Meyer Lemon Glaze

Earlier this summer, I was at our favorite store (Lowe's), browsing through the garden department (which is one of my favorite things to do on a spring day), when I spotted some dwarf Meyer lemon trees for sale. Our budget wasn't quite as tight then as it is now, so I bought one, and brought it home, and traded out the ugly plastic pot for a much prettier one.

So, all summer long, the lemon tree sat on the front steps. It flowered, and the flowers smelled heavenly. It fruited, and about six of the fruits matured - not bad for a tree that's barely three feet tall! So, what do you do with a few tiny lemons? Make lemon glaze, of course!

Meyer Lemon Glaze

1 Meyer Lemon

2/3 c powdered sugar

Select a clean, ripe lemon. Grate the zest off of the outside of the lemon into a small bowl. Slice the lemon, and squeeze the juice into the bowl. Remove any seed escapees that have made their way into your lemon juice.

Stir powdered sugar into lemon juice by tablespoonsful until completely blended. Use more or less powdered sugar, depending on desired consistency.

That's it - it's that easy. This glaze has a bright, lemony flavor that combines well with almost anything. This morning we served it on hot blueberry muffins and it was to die for. The little lemon tree has one lemon remaining on it, growing and ripening. I see more lemon glaze in my future!

Terri

Craigslist Ad of the Week

I know, I know - I wasn't going to blog today. But last night I came across this ad:

Black Lab Sculpture
Sculpture of two black lab pups. 15" high. $7

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Is it just me, or does this look like some sort of dog serial-killer trophy? Because I love dogs, but I am not loving the whole beheaded dog thing. At all.

It looks like their heads have been ripped off - check out the tattered bits of flesh below the collar. I don't know what these dogs did to tick this guy off, but if somebody finds out, let me know, okay? Because I do NOT want to end up like that!

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By the way, Melissa gave me an award - check it out! :)

Terri

School & the Farm

I'm on call tonight, and there's nothing going at the moment, so I thought it would be a good time to update. I probably won't get a chance tomorrow. And, I was thinking about what to write, when it came to me: Anesthesia school and farming don't mix. The farm has certain chores and tasks that need to be done, and school requires a great deal of time, and I am always torn between the two. This is what a typical day looks like:

4:30 a.m. - up and in the shower.

5:15 a.m. - leave for the hospital.

6:00 a.m. - arrive at the hospital, change.

6:10 a.m. - get anesthesia drugs and supplies; set up OR. This would take less time if we had enough supplies for every room, but that would be too easy. So, every morning is a scavenger hunt. Sigh.

7:00 a.m. - meet the first patient, do a pre-op assessment and start an IV.

7:30 a.m. - First case starts. From here it's a whirlwind - finish the first case, do a quick clean & restock on the room, get the next patient in, and so on... I cannot leave the patient once they're asleep under ANY circumstances unless another anesthesia provider replaces me, so I am stuck in the room unless somebody stops by to give me a few minutes out.

11:30 a.m. - if I'm lucky, I get 30 minutes for lunch by now. If not, well...

1:00 p.m. - by now, if I haven't had lunch, I fuss gently to the anesthesiologist (a physician who specializes in anesthesia) who is working with me so that he or she will find somebody to let me eat.

4:00 p.m. - on a good day, I get replaced by about 4, but those days are rare. I usually have to finish whatever is assigned to my operating room. Then it's either off to class (1-2 days a week, most weeks) or I get to clean up my room, change and go home.

5:30 - 6:00 p.m. - Home! I generally feed the chickens immediately (because they cluster at the end of the pen when I drive up, wanting a treat), collect eggs and check water. I also water some of the outdoor plants, pick any ripe veggies that happen to be hanging around and sometimes do a little weeding. Occasionally I'll walk down and look in on the horses. Then I take my bags, go inside, get some water, hug Ron (my husband) and snuggle the dogs.

6:00 p.m. - clean up any messes, throw clothes in the wash, pull clothes and a lunch together for the next day, and eat dinner. I usually take a few minutes to check e-mail and update the blog sometime between 5:30 & 6:30 p.m., as well.

7:00 p.m. - Read and study. There are generally 3-4 chapters of reading that I need to do each night. I also have to track each case I've done (with all the attendant details) on a special case-tracking program. Additionally, I am working on a thesis, so I try to fit some of that in. If I watch TV, I do it with the textbook and computer out, so I can try to stay caught up.

8:30 p.m. - Usually by this time, I'm ready for bed. I try to push it 'til 9 p.m., but sometimes that takes more intestinal fortitude than I've got. So, I pull together the books I need for the next day, hit the hay and prepare to do it all again the next day.

This schedule isn't taking into account days when I am on a specialty rotation and have to be at the hospital as early as 4:45 a.m. (which means up at 3:30 a.m.) or days when I'm stuck in a room 'til 5 p.m..

My weekends are spent trying to catch up on some housework (which Ron and the boys do most of, so I'm lucky), doing some baking, trying to catch up on the thesis, trying to catch up on the reading and studying and trying to do a little farm work, such as clean the chicken coop or do some weeding. Oh, and I try to hang out with Melissa a bit here and there and help her with whatever project she's got going, but there's not a lot of time for that.

So, when I show you this forlorn little spinach and broccoli bed, you'll completely understand when I confess that I've only watered it twice since I planted it. :) Mine is the bed in the front. I am afraid we're not going to have too much spinach or broccoli around here this winter unless it comes from the grocery store... or the farmer's market!

My fall is full of specialty rotations, and if you slogged through the above account, you know what that means. Yup - an even more crabby, even more exhausted me. The garden beds are neglected (and likely to remain so for some time) and the animals are neglected, Ron and the kids are neglected... and Melissa and the princess are neglected... what do you do?

If any of you know how to make that cloning thing work, though, give me a ring, will ya? Because I could sure use some help! :)

Terri

Rice Cozies

Well, fall is certainly here, and there's a chill to the air. In my house, that means it's time to make rice cozies. Rice cozies are a great way to keep warm, especially when you don't want to turn up the heat, and they're super easy to make. Hey, I can make them - that should tell you something!

I made eight of them Sunday, and sent three over to Thistledew. The remaining five were claimed immediately, and the boys were clamoring for more. I guess I'll make several more this weekend, and maybe put together a few more for Christmas gifts. Hey, if you can only make one thing, it's nice if it's something everybody loves!

So, do you want to make your own? Start with a two pieces of all-cotton fabric (the all-cotton part is important - cotton won't catch fire in the microwave) cut to the approximate size you'd like for your finished cozy. Four by eight inches is a good size to start.

Put printed sides together, sew around three sides. This makes a cloth "bag" which you are going to fill with rice. I fill it about 2/3 full, because you want to be able to shift the rice about and mold the bag a bit. Then stitch the bag closed.

Heat the finished cozy in the microwave and the rice inside will hold heat for a long time. Start with 45 seconds of heating time, and go from there. Microwaves vary, and the size of the cozy and the amount of rice in the bag also affect heating time. I've had cozies that took one minute to get warm, and cozies that took three. It just depends.

You can also used dried corn, dried wheat or dried barley in the cozies. I've tried corn, and it has a pleasant "popcorn" odor. If you want a scented cozy, dried herbs can be added to the cozy before it is stitched up. Lavendar gives a nice, relaxing scent.

*******As with ANY heating device, use with caution. Anyone with potentially reduced sensation (babies, diabetics, the elderly) should only use the cozy if someone with good temperature sensation has ensured that it is warm only, and not hot to avoid severe burns. Test it on your inner elbow - if it is at ALL questionable, err on the side of caution and don't put it on your loved one!!!! *********

Diamond Threadworks has a good visual tutorial and patterns if you need further instruction. She also shows you how to make a nice cover to keep your cozy clean - we tend to use them for one season only because the kids are so rough on them - after that, they can be cut open and placed, cloth and all, into the compost pile. In one season, they don't get terribly soiled, so I usually don't worry about a cover. However, most of you are probably quite a bit calmer than my boys, so it might be worthwhile to make one.

Don't forget our giveaway - go to Brandyanne's Candles and Prims, find the "Clay Hill Scents" under the "products" list and come back here or to Thistledew and tell us what scents you'd like. If you win, we'll send you a 12 oz soy candle AND three Prairie Prim Pantry Melters! We're drawing the winner November 1st, so tell your friends to come on over and enter!

Terri

Pledge to Buy Handmade!

In keeping with our theme this week, Melissa found a great site: http://www.buyhandmade.org/. More than 28000 people have pledged to buy handmade this holiday season. The site gives some compelling reasons, but my favorite is this one: "We are encouraged to be consumers, not producers, of our own culture." And it is OUR culture - it does NOT belong to Wal-Mart or Target or Macy's. Let's take it back!

The truth is, my talents lie in providing services (anesthesia care) and not producing goods. My handmade items are really only suitable to given to those who know and love me. But I don't want to be just another cog in the wheel of the commercio-industrial complex. I want to break free of that prison, and the farm, this site and my pledge are part of that break.

If you feel the same way, visit Buy Handmade and take the pledge. Join the Revolution!

Oh, and don't forget our giveaway! Help us support small-scale artists and crafters!

Terri

Giveaway!

Okay, Melissa and I are hosting a giveaway in honor of our resolve to support the entrepreneurs among us. We've talked about it for a couple of weeks now, and, we decided that if I made something to give away whoever got it (and all of their friends) would immediately boycott these blogs, and Melissa is busy crafting for TWO upcoming craft fairs and can't really spare a minute. I'll tell ya, we were stumped.

Then, along came Brandyanne's Candles & Prims! Brandyanne's candles are well-known for their fabulous fragrance and they are made of clean-burning soy, to boot! Brandyanne agreed to partner with Thistledew and Clay Hill and make a 12 oz candle and three Prairie Prim Melters for our giveaway!

So, the winner could potentially try FOUR different scents for free! How cool is that? And, with Christmas coming up, the candle would make a great gift!

So, here's how to enter: visit Brandyanne's store. On the left-hand side you'll see a column labeled, "Products." Scroll down and see "Scents for Clay Hill Farm" and click there. Then come back here or to Thistledew Farm and post a comment between now and 7 p.m. Eastern time on Nov 1st telling us what scents you want if (WHEN!!) you win - it's that easy. Note: it has to be one of our special Clay Hill scents for the purposes of the contest. Any entries that contain incorrect scent names will be disqualified, and we'll draw again.

Additionally, if you'll mention the giveaway on your blog, we'll give you an extra entry. Link to all three websites (Thistledew, Brandyanne's and Clay Hill) and we'll give you a total of five entries.

We'll select the winner Nov 1st with a random drawing, courtesy of the Princess (who will NOT peek because she has a very strong sense of fair play at the moment!) and Brandyanne will make your custom candle and melters and ship them right to you. And, if this contest goes well, we'll follow it up with another, because I'm having as much fun right now as a kid at Christmas!

We'd love it if the winner would report back to all of us on the scents and which is her favorite, but that's optional - not a requirement! So, get on over to Brandyanne's and check out those scents!

Terri

Support our Entrepreneurs!

Okay, the Christmas shopping season is approaching, as you can tell if you visit ANY of the big box stores... they have Christmas displays going up left and right! Much of our Christmas here at Thistledew is going to be handmade, because budgets are tight.

Unfortunately, for me, time is also tight, so I am pledging to support our friends and fellow bloggers who make and sell their handmade creations. I will replace any Christmas gift I would ordinarily purchase at a box mart or department store with the equivalent from one of our blogger buddies. Now, that doesn't mean much this year, I know, because I wouldn't be buying much anyway. But, next year - look out! :)

I am challenging all of you out there in the blogoshpere to make the same pledge - if you aren't going to make it yourself, and if an equivalent product is available from a 'net entrepreneur, avoid the big box marts and support the little guy (or gal, as the case may be!).

In order to get the ball rolling, Melissa and I are hosting a giveaway - I'll post the details soon! Stay tuned!

Terri

Craigslist Ad of the Week

I love Craigslist. I've found some wonderful bargains on there and even made friends with some of the sellers I've bought from. I found a home for two of our roosters using Craigslist, which meant two less that I had to put in the pot - hooray!


But, sometimes, the ads are amusing - intentionally or otherwise. The following ad, I think, falls into the "otherwise" category. See for yourself:


*****HOLSTEIN HEIFER***** (HEISKELLL)
I HAVE ONE HOLSTEIN HEIFER FOR SALE SHE WILL BE WEANED IN TWO WEEKS SHE HAS GREAT CONFIRMATION THE ONLY THING IS I DON'T KNOW IF SHE IS FERTILE OR NOT BUT THE VET SAID IT WAS A FIFTY-FIFTY CHANCE.***IF INTERESTED CALL BEFORE SHES GONE***


And now, the photo:



Cute calf, isn't it? But, do you see its underbelly? Either this "heifer" has one heck of an umbilical hernia OR there is actually ZERO chance it will ever carry a calf. Because it's a boy.

I think its probably the case that the advertiser just doesn't know that "heifer" refers to a young female cow... simply a misuse of the terminology. Or, that they don't know the difference between male and female cattle, which is kind of scary. Still, it gave me a chuckle, so I thought I'd share!


Terri

Cool Quilt Giveaway

Hey, I just saw this giveaway and had to post it here. It's an awesomely awesome quilt done in beautiful fall colors, and she's also giving away patterns! How cool is that? It's up at Pigtails and Snails but you have to hurry - she's ending the giveaway tonight!

Quilts are wonderful for snuggling under, or resting on top of, or just for looking decorative and pretty on a quilt rack. And we have an empty quilt rack here at Clay Hill Farm, a quilt rack that is just crying out for a quilt like this. So, on second thought, DON'T go enter the giveaway. In fact, forget I said anything at all. Okay? Okay? Hey, where are you going????

Terri

My favorite magazine

Melissa will read the title to this post and won't have to read any further. She'll groan in mock dismay, like she always does when she sees that I have a new issue, and then she'll ask what sort of mess we're going to get into this time. And I will reply (innocently, of course!) that I have no idea what she's talking about, as I have certainly never been responsible for any messes around here!

The magazine in question is Mother Earth News and I love it. I have been reading this magazine since I was a little girl - seriously. My parents had a bit of a hippie, new-age bent (read: they were green BEFORE it was cool to be green!) and were regular subscribers. There were often ideas for homemade games and toys in the magazine, and I was the oldest of five children. I loved to make things to entertain my younger siblings. (Before you grant me sainthood, though, I should tell you that I also tormented them - once we convinced my younger sister to roast some ants and eat them - by eating some ourselves! Yes, even at that age, I was a brilliant strategist...)

So, when I discovered that there is a CD version of the archives of Mother Earth News from 1970 to today, I was beside myself. This is definitely on my Christmas list - or maybe I'll tell Ron I want it as a graduation gift. Can you imagine? Thirty+ years of green living, self-sufficiency and renewable energy in one easy-to access source. I think I might be in love!

Terri

Late nights at the hospital

I'm writing this post on a break - we have a room with a computer at the hospital that is assigned to our class. When we aren't busy, we can come in here and nap (there's a bed) or get some work done on the computer. Which is good, because we don't actually earn any money, so they might as well let us use our downtime for something productive, right?

So far tonight we've had the usual assortment of broken bones, trauma and hot appendixes that just have to come out. People come in hurting and scared, and I give them medicine to ease their pain and anxiety, and then I get them off to sleep so the surgeon can work. Pretty cool, when you think about it.

But one patient tonight really got to me - she was a teenager, here for school, and her mother lives in another state. Mom and daughter had to talk on the phone before the girl's operation - there was no time to wait. Can you imagine how hard that would be? And this girl is in a safe place - imagine those mothers with children overseas.

I know, I'm maudlin tonight, but I have spent the last several hours face to face with raw human suffering, and it gets to a person, now and again. So, even if you don't agree with all that's going on in the world right now, please take a minute to think of or pray for all the men and women serving our country, and all the families who wait and pray for them. It'll make me feel better, if nothing else!

Terri

Blog Action Day 2008 - Poverty

The topic for Blog Action Day this year is poverty. I think it is an extremely important topic for discussion, particularly this year. Here in the United States we're facing a critical presidential election, and an economic crisis of near-epic proportions. I am not convinced either presidential candidate has a viable plan for dealing with the crisis, either, but this is not a political blog, so I won't dwell any more on that topic.

Like most people, I don't have large amounts of money to donate to my pet causes. We grow some of our own food because we like the idea of self-sufficiency, certainly, but also out of necessity. Food prices are rising and if we want fresh foods, we have to find a way to produce them. So, perhaps I am not the best person to talk about poverty... but perhaps I (and others like me) are. After all, we're much closer to it than the Washington, D.C. policy wonks or the Hollywood crowd, aren't we?

So, what can we do to help? First, we can educate ourselves on the scope and extent of the problem. One of my favorite sites for obtaining background information on a topic is Wikipedia, and here's what they have to say on the subject: Wikipedia: Poverty. Wikipedia isn't the most reliable source for a topic, and certainly you need to independently verify what you find there, but for basic information, it's a good start.

Next, we can get involved in the public debate and policy formation by entering into conversations with our legislators. You can find your local legislators at Project Vote Smart Vote Smart. E-mail them and find out what their stance is on poverty; share your views while you're at it.

Finally, we can take action. I like the idea of sustainable agriculture and microfinance, so I keep tabs on Heifer, on The Microfinance Gateway and on Kiva.

If (like us) you don't have any money to donate, you can grow a few extra vegetables to donate to your local food bank. At Thistledew, the only thing we have in abundance this year is eggs, but eggs are a good source of protein, and they're versatile. So, I'll be donating some eggs to the local food bank - it's a small thing, to be sure, but small things add up to big ones, don't they?

Terri