A lack of charm(s), among other things.

Yes, Virginia, it's been a while since I've blogged.

I won't say I've been busy, but it's been sort of chaotic.  First, a charm bracelet that I borrowed from Mom is missing.  I have been going through all the places I had it, (I was buying a charm for the bracelet at Christmastime, and needed one charm to show the jeweler...), cleaning out all the places I store important items, went through all my coats and winter clothing... Even went through a lot of my Christmas 'stuff' ornaments and decorations.

No dice, so far.

Husband had to put up with my nearly total mental meltdown, as it caught me so off guard.  I'd thought I'd returned it to my mom just after Christmas.  So, we continue to look, and call different places I thought it could have fallen out/been left/whatever.

So, how I figure it, I will go look for something unrelated in a few months, and there it will be, like a little silver lump.

At least that's my hope...

I have set up my Face Book account, and to quote Mr. Chatterbox, "Just remember that having a lot of friends on Facebook is like sitting at the popular table...in an insane asylum."

My word, are you right, sir!

I have ultra far right wing folk, ultra far left wing folk, very Christian types, very Pagan ones, and some that I am not sure WHAT they are (nor do I care, actually.).  I actually had to "block" one person's account, I really didn't care for the language and photos...  Sadly, it's a family member, so I will have to check it from time to time. But, other than a few people asking my comments on a topic I will NOT discuss, I have sidestepped any huge land mines, political or otherwise.  I have about 17 or so folks that I am FBing.  I am using it for folks I wouldn't be able to chat with normally, that live out of the area.

Oddly enough, I was going to sign up with a local book writer's group, and my auntie.  Guess which two are not on FB anymore?  Hmph.

I wanted to post some pictures here.  I will try and see if I can, in the early morning.  Husband and I have found that is the time when the slug slow internet sort of runs steady, if not quickly.  (That's when I have been checking the FB thing, several of my friends send videos.  Oh, great...)

I found that a few of my friends with Green Asterisk internet have been having the same problems that I have.  One even went so far as to call the company.  They told her that it was just a common problem, and they couldn't do anything about it.  She said, well, then, can I pay half the amount on my bill, since you are giving me HALF the amount of internet?

Uh, no...  (Like we expected anything different?  *Sigh*...)

So, I muddle along, trying to find times when the blasted thing doesn't time out on me...  Meh...

The animals are doing pretty well, we ended up with only 3 roosters on the last big clutch of eggs.  There are only two chicks left of the latest batch, the one chick wouldn't stay around Mom.  Or any of the other chickens.  And would walk out by its self in the main yard.  Well, even with me trying to shoo it back, it didn't work.  We had a Red Tail hawk, and I suspect it had a meal...

The last two, however, are doing quite well, if a bit ratty looking at the moment.  They are at that "ugly" stage, where they don't have baby fuzz, quite, and they aren't feathered out, quite.  They sort of look like feather dusters that someone dropped in dryer lint.

I picked up a few books.  I wanted to read some of these for a long time, some I'd read before... But.
I'd read them in college for English Lit, those, read fast, take notes, take test, boom, done.  Retention, what retention? You mean, I'm supposed to REMEMBER it???

So, I am starting with Jack Kerouac's On The Road.  I have several, and I will try to mention what I am perusing, as I peruse.  But now I can read them to enjoy them.  I think that will make them a lot better.  However, I will not be reading A Tale Of Two Cities any time soon.  Or ever.  Yeah, never's good...

I tried to read that book.  I like some of Dicken's work.  That, my dear blog friends, ain't going to be one of them.

And I have a class coming up soon, I will have a very busy week, as I drive about an hour to get to the class, then about 8 hours, then home, for about 3 days.  I feel really, really fortunate to get the chance, so I don't begrudge the drive, especially since the last one was held about 2 1/2 hours away.  The classes are for all over Oregon, so they even have low cost housing, if needed.  I just have to remember to bring a lunch...  Yep, fortunate.

So, I will try and let all of you know about the rest of the animals, the mouse, Ding, and just how much cleaning it takes to get a place presentable when a former boss comes to visit... Soon.

An update! No, really!!

Good Heavens, it has been a bit since I last blogged.  Some because the (censored) internet won’t let me on… (I time out, before I can log on to Blogger. Sooo much fun. Ahem. Patience is a virtue.  I am not a virtuous woman, in that case…) Also, because I have actually been doing a bit, and haven’t been on the computer as much.  Meh.

I’ll get there eventually, right?

So, in farm-ity type news, I have four new chicks.  I really wasn’t wanting them, but it’s my red Mama Bird that will stick with it, and so I let her.  Photos at some point, when I can.  The animals seem to be liking the cooler weather, most especially Rudee.  The exception is, everyone is shedding summer ‘fluff’ for winter ‘fluff’, and so it looks like my animals blew up!  I call my place Fur ‘n Feathers Farm, well, at the moment, I have it graphically displayed, there is loose feathers all over the place, some rather bedraggled looking chickens, Rudee looks… ratty, and just drops fur all over the place when he moves.  I ‘rake’ him regularly, to not much effect, his new fur will come in eventually, but right now… Ugh.  I will not mention what Husband and my bathroom floor looks like, as I hate to admit that it’s more OUR “fur” than a certain cat.  Ding, last I checked, doesn’t have 6-8 inch long locks…  The llamas didn’t get shorn this year, we were going to, but decided it was getting late in the season, and we’d shear early in the spring instead.  (When we find a new shearer, the one I used tore up his back and retired, his replacement, not such good reviews… Sigh.)

I went to Shrewsbury Faire.  It was the 20th anniversary.  I have been there 19 years.  Well, I went to the first one, but as a through the gate, paying customer, almost all the rest have been as faire folke.  I didn’t have the best time, there were some definite problems for me one day, but the next day I was able to rest, and my Dad helped out a lot… Like when I managed to lock my trailer with the screen door locked.  You cannot get in, because even if you unlock the main door, it’s attached to the screen.  So, after some creative digging and screwdriver work, we undid everything, and I was again able to enter my portable abode.  I think that was only the third or fourth meltdown that day… Eeeep.  But, I was able to visit with several friends I only see once or twice a year, and tell some stories and jokes to kids, some receptive, some not, so it worked out.

I signed up for a class to be trained a little more on my Neighborhood Watch work, and I even managed a scholarship, which is nice!  It was also cool to find out I know at least two of the teachers, so, I am looking forward to that.  The bit of a drive, not so much, but I guess it might be too much to ask for them to have the class in my hometown, since it’s a statewide thing, and folks are coming from ALL over… It’s at the facilities where they train the police forces, (Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, DPSST), so I am looking forward to some people watching, too.  Especially if there is exercise involved… :)

And, lastly, for now, I have drunk the Kool-Aid.  I, heavily begrudgingly, and with MUCH annoyance, joined Facebook.  I have so many people that I don’t seem to be able to reach any other way, I decided to try the nonsense again.  Facebook doesn’t exactly like how I didn’t answer all the questions, tho, basically, it has my name, and location, and age.  I wouldn’t have put that much down, if I could have figured out how to circumvent it… The ones who need to know, already know, and most of the rest couldn’t care less, if they made an effort.  We shall see what happens.  I found some relatives, and a few ‘real life’ friends that I don’t see much.  I will see about blogging, and Facebooking in the very early AM, perhaps I will be able to get through. (Facebook doesn’t like slow internet, either…)

So, all is relatively well here, and I am going to try getting on other folk’s blogs on Tuesdays when I have a fighting chance of reading them without the whole thing going futzy…