libraries and linocuts (and the plague)

We have all been dreadfully ill the past couple weeks and are just now returning to the land of the living. We all ended up on antibiotics for one reason or another. It stunk. It was like groundhog day. Each morning we would wake up expecting to feel better and then--NOT. But, thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, we seem to have survived.

To pass the time, Aurora and I did some linocuts together. She is a gifted abstract artist. I think she just loves the feeling of the lino-rubber as it cuts. It is quite satisfying. We tried layering some images too, batik style, and that was kinda fun.

We also went to the Bee Cave library and Aurora got her own library card. What a milestone. We checked out "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" and some other winners. They also had, on DVD, The Gnome Mobile!!!!! I was so excited.

building blocks

Grandma Sue gave Aurora some of those awesome cardboard building blocks (remember those from your childhood??) that will allow her to build life-size castles and such. Demolition is as much fun as construction. Now I just have to find a place to store them . . . (The pictured castle was actually lovingly constructed by Uncle Andy.)

zeppo and trend forecasts

So . . . all chickens are still alive and clucking. Zeppo did have a go at Penelope once, though, but was loudly and emotionally dissuaded. It has yet to recur.

We have had many wonderful guests over the past week or so, both from my family and my hubby's. It is a pleasure to share our home with people we love. Everybody has a perspective on our upcoming renovation and on what our priorities should be with regard to the land, the children, and the chickens. We are learning to filter.

My cousin also played in his first semi-pro soccer game last weekend with the Austin Aztex. I am so incredibly thrilled for him!

So, some of you may know that I am a bit of an amateur trend forecaster (I was dead on with butterflies, toadstools, jelly shoes, and owls, was I not??) So here are my predictions for 2008-09:
1 Missoni print stuff
2 Witchy, gothic cottage motifs (hansel and gretel style)
3 Hobnail glasses
4 Yurts
5 Hippie hair
6 station wagons, retro style, but without the gas-guzzling feature
7 Fringe (predicted this one a couple months ago and am already seeing it in the marketplace)
8 Skirts with huge pockets
9 Wrap skirts
10 Wellies/rain boots worn with everything
11 pigtails
12 travel to Germany and Belgium
13 Rainbow Brite, Smurfs, Snorks, Sea Wees (if you don't remember these, click http://members.tripod.com/%7Eseawee/seawees.html and you will be reminded)
14 lobster and greyhound motifs
15 going braless
16 steely purplish-blue (the color of cerinthe) in paint, clothes, fabric, cars
17 oilcloth (ok-this one is already starting the climb to stardom)
18 black velvet worn any time of year
19 headbands
20 silver and gold worn together
21 peace
22 Holly Hobbie

You may notice that many of these trends are drawn from the endless font of style that is my 3 year old.

adventures in chickens

We have our little flock! We have acquired three hens--Dekalb Amber year-old laying hens. Their hen house is painted barn red with a sweet door and shutters of "Woodlawn Promised Land" green. Tim cut a heart out of the new door that he made for them--a true sign that he still loves me, even if he might be feeling a little "henpecked"!

I think the girls' names are Francesca--who rules the roost with her floppy pink comb, Gwenevere--second in command, with dark plumage on her back, and Penelope--who seems a bit broody. They are a riot, pecking and scratching all about. They were raised organically in Wisconsin, but have not spent time on grass before. They seem to be enjoying it. We have yet to introduce them to Zeppo. I will post as to how that goes.

We even got our first egg from them yesterday. Aurora loves them and has been traumatizing them with her affections at every opportunity.

I got an automatic waterer for them outside, so they will never run out of water, and they have a double wall fountain drinker inside. I am currently giving them pelletized layer feed from Tractor Supply, but they do not seem as interested in it as in the small amount of organic feed I acquired from the folks we bought them from. The guy we purchased the chickens from is starting up an USDA certified organic eggery in south austin. It is a pretty cool setup. They have some acreage off of Slaughter Lane and rotate the chickens throughout the pasture. There is a little chicken trailer on wheels that moves with them for the girls to roost in at night. I'll include a shot of their arrangement. It remains to be seen whether or not I will raise these girls organically from here on out. There is some added expense. But I have learned that a lot of the commercial feed contains chicken bi-products. That's just gross.