Tuesday, July 16, 2013
More posts coming soon!
No I haven't disappeared. No I haven't stopped watching the Farm Kings *gasp*. Yes Princess Bear (PB) and I are fine. It's summer which seems to be the busiest time of the year. Between PB's tutor twice a week, art 3 times a week, speech therapy, horseback riding and piano it feels a bit crazy. My parents have been having some health issues so we've been trying to pick up slack to help them out. I'll try to write a post on the return of the Farm Kings tonight or tomorrow. Until then why don't you discuss amongst yourselves what you think the color scheme for Tim & Maggies November 2nd wedding will be. Browns, oranges and yellows? Pink & brown? What do you think?
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Happy Birthday Baby Girl!
Today is Princess Bear's 10th birthday! Honestly I don't know where the last 10 years have gone. I miss holding a newborn in my arms! I think back on the past decade and realize how much my daughter has taught me. She is so incredibly loving and giving. She has such incredible strength. It boggles the mind. When I think of what she has overcome and become I honestly couldn't be more proud of her.
I remember parts of the night she was born but not much afterwards. The night before I had PB I talked to my "brother" Kyle for the first time in a few years. He'd always been an huge factor in my life and I really wanted him to be in PB's life as well. He'd recently moved back to this area and I was thrilled. Actually when I was first pregnant I was trying to decide between Kylie Rose, after Kyle, and Jordana Shai (what my name was supposed to be). I remember talking to Kyle for awhile and filling him in on all the things that had been going on. Then I went about cleaning the house and getting things ready. I don't remember what time I was supposed to be at the hospital for my induction. Not surprisingly I was late! I'll figure out how to be late for my own funeral! That morning I left the house, stopped by McDonald's and then drove to my parents house to pick up my mom. My mom drove to the hospital and from there on out it was a waiting game. I had a doula and we were all ready to go. Unfortunately there weren't any labor rooms available. Sue, the nurse that delivered me, came out to start as much paperwork as we could do before I was actually checked in and then it was a just sitting around waiting for a room to open up. A couple of hours later the show was on the road. My cousin Jen was my contact person to email Wayne (then fiancee who was deployed with the Navy at the time). They started the IV drugs to get the ball rolling and I remember Sue telling me that they start with the lowest dose possible and then increase over a couple of hours until labor is progressing the way the Dr. wants. She warned me that I might not even notice much difference the first hour or so. Seriously???? They started the Pitocin and I was having regular and oh so noticeable contractions within 20 minutes! Sue thought that was a good sign. Just before noon a Dr. came in to break my water. They then started using an internal monitor on the baby. That was the first bit of my birthing plan out the window. The next several hours were a lot of visitors including then BFF Jessi. and a whole lot of not a lot. They did decide that I would not be allowed out of bed because there was some risk of the cord prolapsing. I had planned on no epidural and walking and showering throughout labor. Well last time I checked you couldn't walk or shower in bed. I was not a happy camper. I watched TopGun and then napped for awhile. I've got to say that the first couple rounds of IV meds were really great! At that point I was still ok with the no epidural stance. There were a few things that I was really against before going into the hospital to have PB. They were:
I remember parts of the night she was born but not much afterwards. The night before I had PB I talked to my "brother" Kyle for the first time in a few years. He'd always been an huge factor in my life and I really wanted him to be in PB's life as well. He'd recently moved back to this area and I was thrilled. Actually when I was first pregnant I was trying to decide between Kylie Rose, after Kyle, and Jordana Shai (what my name was supposed to be). I remember talking to Kyle for awhile and filling him in on all the things that had been going on. Then I went about cleaning the house and getting things ready. I don't remember what time I was supposed to be at the hospital for my induction. Not surprisingly I was late! I'll figure out how to be late for my own funeral! That morning I left the house, stopped by McDonald's and then drove to my parents house to pick up my mom. My mom drove to the hospital and from there on out it was a waiting game. I had a doula and we were all ready to go. Unfortunately there weren't any labor rooms available. Sue, the nurse that delivered me, came out to start as much paperwork as we could do before I was actually checked in and then it was a just sitting around waiting for a room to open up. A couple of hours later the show was on the road. My cousin Jen was my contact person to email Wayne (then fiancee who was deployed with the Navy at the time). They started the IV drugs to get the ball rolling and I remember Sue telling me that they start with the lowest dose possible and then increase over a couple of hours until labor is progressing the way the Dr. wants. She warned me that I might not even notice much difference the first hour or so. Seriously???? They started the Pitocin and I was having regular and oh so noticeable contractions within 20 minutes! Sue thought that was a good sign. Just before noon a Dr. came in to break my water. They then started using an internal monitor on the baby. That was the first bit of my birthing plan out the window. The next several hours were a lot of visitors including then BFF Jessi. and a whole lot of not a lot. They did decide that I would not be allowed out of bed because there was some risk of the cord prolapsing. I had planned on no epidural and walking and showering throughout labor. Well last time I checked you couldn't walk or shower in bed. I was not a happy camper. I watched TopGun and then napped for awhile. I've got to say that the first couple rounds of IV meds were really great! At that point I was still ok with the no epidural stance. There were a few things that I was really against before going into the hospital to have PB. They were:
1) using an internal monitor
2) epidurals
3) C- sections
At this point 1 has flown out the window. Around 3:30pm I was in a fair amount of pain with the contractions coming fairly regularly. At this point I have to say that having a doula was the best decision I made about the labor and delivery process. She was so incredibly soothing and helpful. She was great about telling me what options I had and what was going on. It was around that time that I decided that I would go for the epidural. The IV drugs weren't really touching the pain anymore and it didn't matter if I could feel my legs because I still wasn't allowed out of bed. Exit #2 if you're keeping track. Now if you want to ever hear an epidural from hell story let me know. It sucked and I was kicking myself....until that thing kicked in. Wow was that beautiful! I then proceeded to take a nap for about an hour and a half. Shortly after I woke up I looked at my mom and the doula and told them that something was wrong. They told me that I was being silly and that a nurse was monitoring everything up at the desk. For the next hour and a half I keep on telling them something was wrong. My OB-Gyn came in that evening and looked at the printout from the internal monitor. She then left the room and came back with the nurse that was supposed to be monitoring me. She grabbed the printout and asked how long it had been like that. PB was going into distress with each contraction. My OB then kicked the nurse out. She explained what was going on with PB and said that they were going to put me on oxygen to see if that would help the baby. The Dr. said that if it seemed to work that they would give it a few hours before making any other decisions. She also said that if it didn't work in that amount of time it would be time to consider a C-section. So they started oxygen and it didn't help PB at all. My Dr. came in 25 minutes later and said that PB was in too much distress and she couldn't wait any longer. It was time to prep for a C-section immediately. There goes #3 flying right out the window. I did manage to call my cousin Jen and fill her in on what was going on so she could tell Wayne. He knew how scared I was of a C-section so he knew that things weren't going well if I had agreed to one. I was so glad that I had decided to go for an epidural earlier because at this point I would have been screwed 30 ways to Sunday if I hadn't. The last thing I told my mom before being wheeled into surgery was to stay with the baby if there was anything wrong.
Once I was in surgery I remember very little. They crank up the meds going into the epidural and make sure you can't feel anything and then get started. Things were moving pretty quickly and I just felt like I was freezing. I do remember at one point someone pointing out to the Dr. how much blood I had lost. Then I remember nothing until the Dr. handed my mom PB so my mom could bring her to me. Her eyes were wide open and she was so red. Since she'd been in distress red was a good thing. Then they whisked her off and did all the Apgar tests and other things they do with newborns. That includes special eye drops which makes no sense since she was a C-section baby. PB didn't like those eye drops and didn't open her eyes for almost a month after that. I don't remember at what point my mom realized something was off with PB but she did. She kept on asking and being given different reasons but basically everyone brushed off her concerns. My mom stuck to PB like glue and finally said that if someone didn't call in the Pediatrician she was calling him and home and having him come down ASAP. I guess they realized she was serious because the finally called him. From there things got dicey but honestly I was in recovery shivering and shaking by myself. My mom came in for a minute to tell me what she was concerned about and asked if I wanted a priest called in. So enter Monsignor. A bit later Jessi came and was keeping me company in recovery. She was awesome and keep on top of stuff. Had them get more blankets. She kept on telling them that I wouldn't complain about pain unless I couldn't handle it anymore. A nurse looked at her and told her when I was supposed to get the next dose of pain meds. She informed them that they needed to call the OB because there was no way I was going to make it that long. The next couple of hours were a huge blur. Monsignor came in and blessed PB. I was taken to a room and was still pretty out of it. Occasionally I would look up and see my mom, Jessi and Nika taking turns holding PB and my mom constantly crying. At some point Nika asked if I'd held the baby and they said no since I was so out of it. She then said that I had to hold the baby and she'd help. What a friend. I honestly am not sure if I tried nursing that night or not. I was all for breastfeeding and no pacifiers.
The next couple of days were a game of hurry up and wait while they were planning tests for PB. They sent in a lactation specialist right away figuring that I would have to pump to build up a decent milk supply since it was a sure bet that she was going to be having surgery in the near future. I was released after 6 days but PB was having issues with billirubin and was in for a few more.
PB was a pretty chill baby from the start. She was a night owl like her mama and didn't like anything on her head or being wrapped up too tight. No swaddling for that baby! I'm not sure when I fully grasped the extent of challenges that PB would face. I think for awhile I was on autopilot. I'm not sure when I realized that things weren't as they were "supposed" to be. I can say that living with PB has taught me that living life with a sense of how things are supposed to be is not a good way to live. She has taught me to roll with a whole lot. I was pretty chill before I had her but had to become even more so after. She taught me how to celebrate things even little things. She also taught me how to not worry too much. Things change and often times they change rapidly. She taught me about love. She taught me about hope. She taught me about how to persevere. I always thought I'd be the one teaching my child things. I'm so grateful for the things that she's taught me.
Happy Birthday Baby Girl! Mama loves you soooooooo much!
Friday, May 3, 2013
Farm Kings Season 2 Episode 4
Winter is slowly turning into spring and Lisa needs to do spring cleaning and prep in her gardens. This is a pretty big task and she needs help. She says something to the effect of “didn’t have these kids for nothing”. Ok so you were trying to birth your own field crew? I thought you had a big family because you loved kids and being a mom. It just rubbed me the wrong way. She then tricks Pete, Dan and Bitty into coming over to help her clean up and plant some trees.
Joe is still on his kick on wanting to add cattle to Freedom Farms inventory. Pete isn’t completely sure that Joe has all the details of slaughter worked out and is understandably a bit nervous. Joe thinks he’s got it figured out but Pete hopes that he just takes it slow. Joe goes to check out some Scottish Highland cows and bulls. They are a heritage breed and Joe is looking for a niche market. In the end they decide not to go with the Scottish Highland but rather they go with Angus. The visit a farm that has some Angus available. The silver lining is that there are several already pregnant cows eliminating the need for a bull right away.
Dan received a call from Joel Salatin offering him an internship at Polyface Farms. Joel is Dan’s hero and who the King brothers have decided to model Freedom farms after. This is an incredible opportunity to learn from the best. The down side is that it lasts through the entire summer.
Sam is finishing High School and taking on fruit production. Tim is teaching Sam the ropes and sharing his vast knowledge. Tim discusses the fact that he wants to share his knowledge with his brothers. He also acknowledges that he doesn’t know everything yet. Sam isn’t sure what exactly he wants to do with his life but thinks farming is the best option for the time being.
There is some discussion among Tim, Pete and Joe about whether Dan will stick with taking care of the cows. Once again they are slamming Dan saying he’s capable but will he stay with it. Isn’t he the guy that became the face of the Farm store? He built up a great relationship with the clients. He stuck with that even though it drastically cut the time he was able to spend in the fields. It seems to me that Dan is always taking it on the chin and doing what the family needs regardless of his own happiness.
Dan and Bitty discuss the offer that Joel Salatin has extended to Dan. One of the things is that Dan has always been on the farm. He had the short lived construction gig that he loved and had to leave to help with the needs of the family. Dan went to college and was a civil engineer, Tim worked in the mining industry, Pete worked construction and Bitty went to culinary arts school and took a year away from working for the family. Dan hasn’t had the chance to do anything like that. Now he has been offered something that can really teach him a lot and in the long term will benefit Freedom Farms. He has the opportunity to work with the best and who the King family is modeling their operation on. I can understand that losing Dan for the summer would be a major loss. I can also see that Dan has repeatedly stepped up and done what the family has asked of him. I also haven’t seen him messing up often. Other than not covering plants from frost one time and showing up to the farm store 2 hours late what has he done that was bad? He has given up things he really likes in order to help though. So now he has the opportunity to really broaden his horizons. In turn it can really help Freedom Farms. While I can admit that Dan leaving for the summer leaves a major void and he perhaps could have talked to Joe about it better it really is his decision. Joe’s reaction was pretty harsh. Joe points out that he has more pigs coming and this is a family operation. Says that they’ve been training Dan since birth. Talks about it killing him and Dan can’t do it. Tries for guilt and talks about making a sign for a replacement brother for the season. He then recoups some and tells Dan “whatever you do do a damn good job. I’ll figure it out”. It was the one time I think Joe has been a truly stand up guy. It changed quickly though. Dan hugs Lisa and drives off. Joe goes back to ranting and tells Lisa that she had three good ones and then popped out Dan. Then he starts talking about the fact that Dan is committed to Joe.
This kind of goes back to remark that Lisa made earlier too. These kids were not born to be farm hands. Also what right does Joe have to depend on his siblings without question? If the partnership is between Tim, Pete and Joe they are the only ones they can completely rely on. I understand that they think of this as a family operation. So anytime someone in the family decides to spread their wings (other than Luke and its ok for him) and pursue their own dreams it’s going to be taken as a personal affront to the family? What if Sam decides that he doesn’t want to spend his life farming? Or any of the other younger boys? I think there are a couple of things in play here. It will give the family a chance to see that Dan is more reliable than they give him credit for. He’ll also bring back really useful information that will ultimately help Freedom Farms prosper. Also Joe, Tim and Pete need to put some time into what happens if the younger boys don’t all want to follow in their footsteps. It’s not really fair for them to assume that all the Kings will stay and work Freedom Farms.
Joe is still on his kick on wanting to add cattle to Freedom Farms inventory. Pete isn’t completely sure that Joe has all the details of slaughter worked out and is understandably a bit nervous. Joe thinks he’s got it figured out but Pete hopes that he just takes it slow. Joe goes to check out some Scottish Highland cows and bulls. They are a heritage breed and Joe is looking for a niche market. In the end they decide not to go with the Scottish Highland but rather they go with Angus. The visit a farm that has some Angus available. The silver lining is that there are several already pregnant cows eliminating the need for a bull right away.
Dan received a call from Joel Salatin offering him an internship at Polyface Farms. Joel is Dan’s hero and who the King brothers have decided to model Freedom farms after. This is an incredible opportunity to learn from the best. The down side is that it lasts through the entire summer.
Sam is finishing High School and taking on fruit production. Tim is teaching Sam the ropes and sharing his vast knowledge. Tim discusses the fact that he wants to share his knowledge with his brothers. He also acknowledges that he doesn’t know everything yet. Sam isn’t sure what exactly he wants to do with his life but thinks farming is the best option for the time being.
There is some discussion among Tim, Pete and Joe about whether Dan will stick with taking care of the cows. Once again they are slamming Dan saying he’s capable but will he stay with it. Isn’t he the guy that became the face of the Farm store? He built up a great relationship with the clients. He stuck with that even though it drastically cut the time he was able to spend in the fields. It seems to me that Dan is always taking it on the chin and doing what the family needs regardless of his own happiness.
Dan and Bitty discuss the offer that Joel Salatin has extended to Dan. One of the things is that Dan has always been on the farm. He had the short lived construction gig that he loved and had to leave to help with the needs of the family. Dan went to college and was a civil engineer, Tim worked in the mining industry, Pete worked construction and Bitty went to culinary arts school and took a year away from working for the family. Dan hasn’t had the chance to do anything like that. Now he has been offered something that can really teach him a lot and in the long term will benefit Freedom Farms. He has the opportunity to work with the best and who the King family is modeling their operation on. I can understand that losing Dan for the summer would be a major loss. I can also see that Dan has repeatedly stepped up and done what the family has asked of him. I also haven’t seen him messing up often. Other than not covering plants from frost one time and showing up to the farm store 2 hours late what has he done that was bad? He has given up things he really likes in order to help though. So now he has the opportunity to really broaden his horizons. In turn it can really help Freedom Farms. While I can admit that Dan leaving for the summer leaves a major void and he perhaps could have talked to Joe about it better it really is his decision. Joe’s reaction was pretty harsh. Joe points out that he has more pigs coming and this is a family operation. Says that they’ve been training Dan since birth. Talks about it killing him and Dan can’t do it. Tries for guilt and talks about making a sign for a replacement brother for the season. He then recoups some and tells Dan “whatever you do do a damn good job. I’ll figure it out”. It was the one time I think Joe has been a truly stand up guy. It changed quickly though. Dan hugs Lisa and drives off. Joe goes back to ranting and tells Lisa that she had three good ones and then popped out Dan. Then he starts talking about the fact that Dan is committed to Joe.
This kind of goes back to remark that Lisa made earlier too. These kids were not born to be farm hands. Also what right does Joe have to depend on his siblings without question? If the partnership is between Tim, Pete and Joe they are the only ones they can completely rely on. I understand that they think of this as a family operation. So anytime someone in the family decides to spread their wings (other than Luke and its ok for him) and pursue their own dreams it’s going to be taken as a personal affront to the family? What if Sam decides that he doesn’t want to spend his life farming? Or any of the other younger boys? I think there are a couple of things in play here. It will give the family a chance to see that Dan is more reliable than they give him credit for. He’ll also bring back really useful information that will ultimately help Freedom Farms prosper. Also Joe, Tim and Pete need to put some time into what happens if the younger boys don’t all want to follow in their footsteps. It’s not really fair for them to assume that all the Kings will stay and work Freedom Farms.
Farm Kings Season 2 episode 3
OK, things have been a bit crazy here. Kiddo running temps in the 103* range and frankly I wasn’t thrilled when I saw the previews for episode 4. I’ll do the recap on both episodes and list them as individual posts. Maybe it’s just because I’m tired but I’m getting to the point of wanting to ask some members of the King family what the bloody hell their problem is. I digress.
This episode started with the younger boys having some major cabin fever and acting out because of it. They do not like being cooped up inside. Lisa calls Joe and tells him he has to do something about it. Huh???? Why is she relying on her oldest son to take care of the issue for her? I get that this is a close knit family but why is she placing this on Joe to take care of? That said Joe comes through and sets up a ski trip vacation for the family. A great way for everyone to burn off some energy. Tim decides that he isn’t going since someone has to stay and take care of everything. Joe asks Tim to take over the donut delivery run for him and Pete asks him to take care of the chickens for him. I think Tim was looking forward to having some time alone to just be.
A slight side note. When the heck did they get goats? Too dang cute! Are they raising the goats for milk or meat? Freedom Farm spa products anyone? Goat milk soap rocks!
So the family packs up and hits the road to go on their skiing vacation. Luke was supposed to meet them at the final destination but his car broke down. They stopped to pick him up on the way. Joe tried to fix the car and that was a no go. Watching the actual road trip was hilarious. Lisa has to take very frequent pit stops. I liked it when Joe just pulled over and she went in trees. I’m thinking that someone might want to take away her fluids on trips. Just an idea of course. Oh I forgot the beginning of the trip and the intro with who was going. Bitty’s boyfriend Cam was going. Pete brought his girlfriend Jessie and their daughter Jilly. I guess that answers the question of who is Jilly. If Pete is 24/25 and they’ve been together since high school it looks like this child is his. There’s also the fact that she calls him Dad. Joe joined for the trip although he’s always very busy. Then again he probably needed the break more than anyone. What I wondered about was his family. Where were his girlfriend and kids? More things that make you go “hmmmm”.
The family arrives at the rental home and it is gorgeous. It looked absolutely huge. It showed the boys going snowboarding. It was Dan’s first time to try snowboarding. He didn’t score 10’s but he had an ok first run. Pete seems to be the family snowboarding pro.
Joe true to form was attached to his computer and cell phone constantly working. At one point Lisa hid his laptop. It was too funny. Joe comes back and everyone plays dumb about the laptops whereabouts until he offers Ben $5 for info. Ben decides money is worth mom’s wrath. It is scenes like this that make the show worth it. The family dynamics are great. Another side note since it was around the table. Sam was wearing glasses one morning and looked completely handsome as all get out.
Pete discussed how much he likes winter so he can enjoy more time with Jessie and Jilly. He doesn’t come out and say that Jilly is his but the timeline looks like she is. He is very cute when he’s talking about how she is cute and makes him smile. He discusses his relationship with Jessie and how he is committed to her. He also discusses marriage a bit. He says that he’s married to the farm for the time being. He also talks about his parents’ marriage and watching it ravel and unravel. He doesn’t swear off marriage but doesn’t seem like it’s happening anytime too soon. He discusses the fact that he and Jessie are committed to each other. Again it really does make you wonder what the heck really happened with Lisa and her ex husband. Whatever it is had to be pretty damn big since it has turned some of the kids off to marriage and there is no apparent relationship with the father.
There was a great segment about Ben skiing for the first time. Lisa expresses her wish for Ben to do the same things that his siblings do. The ski resort they are at has a program for special needs kids. How freaking cool is that??!!!?? Ben was pretty resistant to skiing at first. Not only is it something new which is always tough but there is a degree of fear. Lisa and Luke try telling Ben that he just has to try it and that it’s easy. Dan sees what is going on and comes over to assist. The Jessie and Jilly come down the hill and try to help. Lisa explains that Jessie has always had a close connection to Ben. She did a great job getting down on his level and talking with him trying to address his fears. Lisa talks about how much of Ben’s life has been about hurdles and crossing them. She discusses how hard it is when he is scared and does the “No mom” routine. Hats off to her for sticking to her guns and getting Ben on skies. In the end he decides that in fact he does like skiing.
Just a note about something from the beginning of the episode before departing for the trip. It shows Dan working at the bakery again. Something that we know he detests. I thought Dan stopped working construction because Bitty needed help at the Café location. It wasn’t an easy decision for him but he did it because he felt the need to help family. It was sad because he was really enjoying doing the construction work. So how is it that he went from helping at the Café to working the night shift at the bakery that he hates? It just feels like Dan gets whatever s&*t jobs they want to lay on him and then he gets ragged on for not staying with something or being irresponsible. Um, did he not quit something that he really enjoyed to help the family? Why do they keep on giving him the short straw and expect him to smile, grab his ankles and sing along? I just don’t get it.
This episode started with the younger boys having some major cabin fever and acting out because of it. They do not like being cooped up inside. Lisa calls Joe and tells him he has to do something about it. Huh???? Why is she relying on her oldest son to take care of the issue for her? I get that this is a close knit family but why is she placing this on Joe to take care of? That said Joe comes through and sets up a ski trip vacation for the family. A great way for everyone to burn off some energy. Tim decides that he isn’t going since someone has to stay and take care of everything. Joe asks Tim to take over the donut delivery run for him and Pete asks him to take care of the chickens for him. I think Tim was looking forward to having some time alone to just be.
A slight side note. When the heck did they get goats? Too dang cute! Are they raising the goats for milk or meat? Freedom Farm spa products anyone? Goat milk soap rocks!
So the family packs up and hits the road to go on their skiing vacation. Luke was supposed to meet them at the final destination but his car broke down. They stopped to pick him up on the way. Joe tried to fix the car and that was a no go. Watching the actual road trip was hilarious. Lisa has to take very frequent pit stops. I liked it when Joe just pulled over and she went in trees. I’m thinking that someone might want to take away her fluids on trips. Just an idea of course. Oh I forgot the beginning of the trip and the intro with who was going. Bitty’s boyfriend Cam was going. Pete brought his girlfriend Jessie and their daughter Jilly. I guess that answers the question of who is Jilly. If Pete is 24/25 and they’ve been together since high school it looks like this child is his. There’s also the fact that she calls him Dad. Joe joined for the trip although he’s always very busy. Then again he probably needed the break more than anyone. What I wondered about was his family. Where were his girlfriend and kids? More things that make you go “hmmmm”.
The family arrives at the rental home and it is gorgeous. It looked absolutely huge. It showed the boys going snowboarding. It was Dan’s first time to try snowboarding. He didn’t score 10’s but he had an ok first run. Pete seems to be the family snowboarding pro.
Joe true to form was attached to his computer and cell phone constantly working. At one point Lisa hid his laptop. It was too funny. Joe comes back and everyone plays dumb about the laptops whereabouts until he offers Ben $5 for info. Ben decides money is worth mom’s wrath. It is scenes like this that make the show worth it. The family dynamics are great. Another side note since it was around the table. Sam was wearing glasses one morning and looked completely handsome as all get out.
Pete discussed how much he likes winter so he can enjoy more time with Jessie and Jilly. He doesn’t come out and say that Jilly is his but the timeline looks like she is. He is very cute when he’s talking about how she is cute and makes him smile. He discusses his relationship with Jessie and how he is committed to her. He also discusses marriage a bit. He says that he’s married to the farm for the time being. He also talks about his parents’ marriage and watching it ravel and unravel. He doesn’t swear off marriage but doesn’t seem like it’s happening anytime too soon. He discusses the fact that he and Jessie are committed to each other. Again it really does make you wonder what the heck really happened with Lisa and her ex husband. Whatever it is had to be pretty damn big since it has turned some of the kids off to marriage and there is no apparent relationship with the father.
There was a great segment about Ben skiing for the first time. Lisa expresses her wish for Ben to do the same things that his siblings do. The ski resort they are at has a program for special needs kids. How freaking cool is that??!!!?? Ben was pretty resistant to skiing at first. Not only is it something new which is always tough but there is a degree of fear. Lisa and Luke try telling Ben that he just has to try it and that it’s easy. Dan sees what is going on and comes over to assist. The Jessie and Jilly come down the hill and try to help. Lisa explains that Jessie has always had a close connection to Ben. She did a great job getting down on his level and talking with him trying to address his fears. Lisa talks about how much of Ben’s life has been about hurdles and crossing them. She discusses how hard it is when he is scared and does the “No mom” routine. Hats off to her for sticking to her guns and getting Ben on skies. In the end he decides that in fact he does like skiing.
Just a note about something from the beginning of the episode before departing for the trip. It shows Dan working at the bakery again. Something that we know he detests. I thought Dan stopped working construction because Bitty needed help at the Café location. It wasn’t an easy decision for him but he did it because he felt the need to help family. It was sad because he was really enjoying doing the construction work. So how is it that he went from helping at the Café to working the night shift at the bakery that he hates? It just feels like Dan gets whatever s&*t jobs they want to lay on him and then he gets ragged on for not staying with something or being irresponsible. Um, did he not quit something that he really enjoyed to help the family? Why do they keep on giving him the short straw and expect him to smile, grab his ankles and sing along? I just don’t get it.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
There are hearts breaking wide open all over the world tonight!!!
OK, I did mention in my post last week that Tim's girlfriend was rocking an engagement ring but I guess some people didn't pick up on that. This week I got emails from a few people asking why I hadn't addressed Tim's upcoming doom. I mean nuptials. So I guess I'll dedicate todays post to it completely so there is no missing it. Yes ladies, Tim is officially off the market. Well at least engaged and from what we've seen of Tim on the show he seems like a pretty stand up guy and like one who takes commitment seriously. If you go to the Freedom Farms website you can even find this article in which Tim discusses being engaged. Find it HERE. Someone also sent me this picture of Tim and his fiancee Maggie asking me what I knew about it. Um....nothing more than you apparently. I live in Illinois and no longer no anyone living in the state of PA so no connections whatsoever. It is kind of funny that I get mail about this stuff though. So indeed the article is true and Tim is engaged.
Now before Maggie's sister, friends and family start leaving less than nice comments don't even bother. This was sent to me & I'm just passing it along. No idea where it originally came from nor do I really care. I think it's great that Tim is happy so let's raise a glass and wish Tim and Maggie a long, loving life together filled with nothing but joy!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Come Hell or High Water.....water wins!
There is widespread and horrible flooding happening throughout the Midwest right now. Here is a blurb from the front page of AOL news today. And HERE are some pictures downtown in my hometown.
We went from the awful drought last summer to this. Farmers have standing water in the fields. It's a crazy mess around here and it's not over yet. There is more rain called for the next few days. Peoria's dubbed the River City but at this point it might take over the city!!! There is a little place about a half hour upriver that my parents like taking Princess Bear (PB) to go bird watching right along the river. Normally there's enough of an embankment that PB can't actually get the sticks she throws into the river. Friday it was easy peasy and yesterday the ducks were swimming near the picnic table we often sit at. Here are some before and after pics. The before pics were taken Friday afternoon around 4pm and the after pics were taken Sunday afternoon around 3pm. It's gone up more since then and as I said it's not stopping anytime soon.
Friday afternoon
Sunday afternoon 
The staircase is covered and water was reaching the top of the wall and splashing over.
Friday afternoon
Sunday afternoon (this is a head on shot instead of coming from the side. Where I had been standing Friday was under water). It's the same tree though. 
Here is a shot of the picnic table PB likes to sit at. The ducks liked swimming near it!
Now one of the things that truly is great about living in the Midwest is that we aren't quite as jaded as other parts of the country and still take care of our own here. Yesterday I was looking at things on Craig's list and people had already started listing free items for the flood victims. I know that local churches and radio stations are also taking donations in. Sometimes home is an ok place and the grass isn't always greener.
We went from the awful drought last summer to this. Farmers have standing water in the fields. It's a crazy mess around here and it's not over yet. There is more rain called for the next few days. Peoria's dubbed the River City but at this point it might take over the city!!! There is a little place about a half hour upriver that my parents like taking Princess Bear (PB) to go bird watching right along the river. Normally there's enough of an embankment that PB can't actually get the sticks she throws into the river. Friday it was easy peasy and yesterday the ducks were swimming near the picnic table we often sit at. Here are some before and after pics. The before pics were taken Friday afternoon around 4pm and the after pics were taken Sunday afternoon around 3pm. It's gone up more since then and as I said it's not stopping anytime soon.
Friday afternoon
Sunday afternoon 
The staircase is covered and water was reaching the top of the wall and splashing over. Friday afternoon
Sunday afternoon (this is a head on shot instead of coming from the side. Where I had been standing Friday was under water). It's the same tree though. 
Here is a shot of the picnic table PB likes to sit at. The ducks liked swimming near it!
Now one of the things that truly is great about living in the Midwest is that we aren't quite as jaded as other parts of the country and still take care of our own here. Yesterday I was looking at things on Craig's list and people had already started listing free items for the flood victims. I know that local churches and radio stations are also taking donations in. Sometimes home is an ok place and the grass isn't always greener.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Farm Kings Season 2 Episode 2
Again the Farm Kings delivered. The episodes main focus was Lisa helping out at the bakery and needing help filling a big order. She tried calling most of the kids and no one could help. Although being at the bakery is so not Tim's cup of tea he agreed to help when Lisa called him. He really does the role of doting son very well. The banter between him and Lisa was a blast to watch. I love when he mentioned her lack of measuring cups. If we're keeping track so far Bitty & Tim have pointed this out. Lisa left Tim in charge of taking out the pies. Ooops. One had a close encounter with the floor. Tim whipped up a new pie and again saved the day. Lisa had a sparing match with Dan. It's very apparent how much Dan likes spending time with his mom and really does turn to her for guidance.
Dan was having trouble with the pigs in his brothers opinion at least. They thought he wasn't paying proper attention to the pigs. Then one of the pigs escaped from its enclosure. Pete yelled for Dan who then started chasing the pig. I loved it when they did the cut away with Pete and he said you could chase a pig all day. It really did look like it might come to that. Pete then renovated some of the gates for the pig enclosure to help with the breeding program. I really hope that the brothers were being a bit harsh because I think Dan really does like the opportunity to shine. He did an awesome job with the Farm Store last season.
Joe and Bitty went on a road trip to the mushroom capital. Bitty has an adoration with mushrooms and Joe wanted to look into the business side of it. It was nice seeing Joe so relaxed and laid back. I wonder if they'll add that to the line up in the future.
Lisa while looking for things to help out became very frustrated with Joe's tendency to hoard things. I will admit that it looked like a big cluster f*&k. So Lisa decided to take matters into her own hands. She had an auction selling the stuff. That is so something my grandmother would have done. Joe and Bitty pulled in after their trip and the auction was in full swing. It was king of interesting to watch Joe's reaction. The best part of the song was before the auction though when the younger boys came in to help. Lisa had previously tried calling them and they didn't answer. So when they came strolling in she let them know in no uncertain terms she wasn't happy. She let them know that when momma calls they better pick up or it was the end of their cell phones. I loved it. I hope I'm a strong mom like that.
Now for my only bummer of the show. I noticed it in this pic of Tim and then was reminded in this episode. Take a peek at this pic and tell me what seems off.
Dude!!! What is up with the can in the back pocket??!!!?? C'mon Tim you're a smart guy so why are you trying to kill yourself? Have you checked out any of the stats on chew/ snuff lately? I know that you and your brothers are trying to farm in a healthier way that benefits the earth and consequently you so what are you doing? Here are a few things for you to check out in case you have looked into this information lately.
Dan was having trouble with the pigs in his brothers opinion at least. They thought he wasn't paying proper attention to the pigs. Then one of the pigs escaped from its enclosure. Pete yelled for Dan who then started chasing the pig. I loved it when they did the cut away with Pete and he said you could chase a pig all day. It really did look like it might come to that. Pete then renovated some of the gates for the pig enclosure to help with the breeding program. I really hope that the brothers were being a bit harsh because I think Dan really does like the opportunity to shine. He did an awesome job with the Farm Store last season.
Joe and Bitty went on a road trip to the mushroom capital. Bitty has an adoration with mushrooms and Joe wanted to look into the business side of it. It was nice seeing Joe so relaxed and laid back. I wonder if they'll add that to the line up in the future.
Lisa while looking for things to help out became very frustrated with Joe's tendency to hoard things. I will admit that it looked like a big cluster f*&k. So Lisa decided to take matters into her own hands. She had an auction selling the stuff. That is so something my grandmother would have done. Joe and Bitty pulled in after their trip and the auction was in full swing. It was king of interesting to watch Joe's reaction. The best part of the song was before the auction though when the younger boys came in to help. Lisa had previously tried calling them and they didn't answer. So when they came strolling in she let them know in no uncertain terms she wasn't happy. She let them know that when momma calls they better pick up or it was the end of their cell phones. I loved it. I hope I'm a strong mom like that.
Now for my only bummer of the show. I noticed it in this pic of Tim and then was reminded in this episode. Take a peek at this pic and tell me what seems off.
Dude!!! What is up with the can in the back pocket??!!!?? C'mon Tim you're a smart guy so why are you trying to kill yourself? Have you checked out any of the stats on chew/ snuff lately? I know that you and your brothers are trying to farm in a healthier way that benefits the earth and consequently you so what are you doing? Here are a few things for you to check out in case you have looked into this information lately.
Some basic stats can be found HERE. A truly heartbreaking story of a young man that died from oral cancer at the age of 19 can be found HERE. OK, I know I'm on the soap box with this one but cancer is really scary shit. It takes one, just one, cell going rogue and the rest of your life changes. This is something you can actually have some control over. I won't deny that any addictive substance is tough to get over but you have a long life in front of you so don't play Russian roulette with it. There is truly nothing worse than watching someone you love deal with cancer. Waiting for lab tests to come back. Are you in celebration mode or warrior mode. What's next? It sucks and it's scary. So if you have a hard time then look to your family and fiancee for help. I'm sure you want kids and you want to see them grow up so please try to kick this bad habit. OK, I promise I'm done.
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