Wednesday, May 22, 2013

5 Favorites

(1)

Y'all seriously- having chickens is the best.  Yes, last spring we had a raccoon issue and someone (read: children) has to take care of them a.m. and p.m.  But it is SO easy and the results are tangible and plentiful and ohmygoodness I love having chickens.  Of course, as with any hobby, you can go berzerk and spend a bunch of money on a fancy coop and get stressed out about....I don't even know.  I'm sure you can find a ton of things to get stressed out about on chicken forums (yes, there is such a thing), but dude- it's a chicken.  It's just a chicken!   No worries.  
If something awful happens, it's still just  chicken.  Chicks are like $2 at Tractor Supply.  I mean, not that I'm advocating letting something terrible happen or anything!  It's just...Okay.  I need to shut up.  Having chickens and fresh eggs is fab.  The end.

Unrelated: is it weird how huge my thumb is?

(2)

First of all, don't buy from the link up there.  That price is whack.  Go to your local asian food market and get a 20 lb. bag for $17 or whatever.  If you've committed to eating lots of rice because you are a cheapskate a responsible steward of funds, throw your fam a bone and make this kind.  Generic grocery store rice gets fancied up with chicken stock and butter and junk and people nibble grudgingly.  Calrose rice gets made with water and nothing and err'one's like "why is there no more?  are you going to finish that?  is she done?  can I eat her rice?"

(3)

shamelessly stolen from her post. because look at him!
Now look, I don't have any babies with spina bifida, nor does it run in my family, nor am I doing any research for a friend.  This post might pretend to be about spina bifida but it is for ALL THE PEOPLE.  It is sweet and funny and moving and great and you will not be sorry you read it.  

(4)

I'm not really talking about that book right there (it's just the best image I could gank from her site) but rather her super helpful website itself.  If you are newish to homeschooling like I am and have not fallen down the rabbit hole of Cathy Duffy land, well, you're welcome.  Duffy, who started homeschooling in 1982 (for you youngins, that's when children had to use chisels to carve runes into stones in order to do their school work) reviews, like, every book and curriculum you've never even heard of.  She talks about what learning style would appreciate the books the most AND how much mom prep and participation is required.  So good.  SO GOOD.

(5)

So yesterday Tommy got home from work at 4:47 p.m.  The kids were bouncing around begging to go to the lake.  So we did.  Just like that!  It's just five miles way, and fresh and sparkly and you can swim or boat or just lay on a blanket in the grass and look up at the trees while your kids play in the SAND on the shore.  No one even wears water shoes.  If you're from, say, Texas, this will come as a surprise, because lakes there are....not good.  But lakes here are good.  So good!  And so on a Tuesday evening in May, we ate dinner at the lake and the kids swam, and we were home by 7:30.  Amazing?  Amazing.

Five Favorites, hosted at MoxieWife.com

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23 comments :

  1. Wow, great post. Seriously. Chickens. Lakes. And that rice -- it's like the caviar of rice! It's what you actually like about sushi if you like sushi! Rice with an awesome texture. I love it. I haven't checked out the links but I will.

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  2. Actually I do know about Cathy Duffy, since I too started homeschooling in the 80s ;)

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  3. I definitely need to try that rice. I always buy Jassmine rice and everyone likes that, but I do put chicken stock and butter and stuff in it, so I'd love something that is good just on your own.

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  4. The lake. Oh how I miss the lake. I'd chose swimming in a lake over swimming in the ocean any day of the week.

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  5. It is just a chicken. We had to repeat that over and over as ours were slowly but surely being eaten by predators. We'll be fixing the run to make it impossible for animals to get in, or chickens to get out. (
    they aren't the brightest animals, are they? Going right up to dogs and practically asking to be eaten.)
    Your lake story is making me very anxious for our trip to Lake Michigan this summer!

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  6. Oh, husband coming home early on a Tuesday and going to a lake to have dinner, sounds like heaven. Beautiful picture too.

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  7. Seriously, I always thought people were joking about the lakes in Michigan being awesome, but they really are! We go out to Grand Haven every time we're in Michigan and it's WAY better than the ocean, in my opinion!

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  8. I grew up in MI and I always try to explain to Southernerz that Lake swimming can be fresh and awesome.. Not murky. Love this post especially the chickens..

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  9. I don't know how my cousins and I survived the rock climb down to the water at our lake house in Texas all summer, every summer growing up... Some how we managed. ;) These days I consider carting my kiddos up and down the new and improved ladder steps a pre and post swim workout!

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  10. I love nights like that! We are both so lucky to live near the water. Was it cold?

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  11. I miss lakes! I was born and spent 7 years of my life in Kalamazoo. We used to go to Gull Lake all the time! Takes me back. I love love love where I live now, but definitely miss the lakes.

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  12. We buy a HUGE bag of Basmati rice and my kids beg for it even when it is just plain, but if I've roasted a chicken and I pour the drippings into the rice - well, it's an all out war over the rice.
    We love going to the lake and I cannot wait to get there this year, the algae has been too high for safe swimming far too long - I hope this year it is different!

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  13. I'm not kidding you when I say I'm always looking for the perfect rice. Heading to the Asian food store...

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  14. Must get some of that rice stat. I grew up with Uncle Ben's (eww.) and thought I really grew up when we switched to Riceland (slightly better). Learned sumpin new today.

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  15. Weird. What's up with the lakes in Texas? Are they like water in MS (not many lakes), in that they're infested with alligator snapping turtles and water moccasins and alligators and such?

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  16. Best of both worlds - a fried egg with a little butter and soy sauce over jasmine rice.

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  17. Would it be weird to just have one chicken roaming around in my tiny back yard?

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  18. 1. We are getting chicken at some point this year and I am looking forward to the fresh eggs. Our 4 year old already has grand plans to sell eggs on the side of the road to make money.
    2. I grew up on this rice as my grandparents and parents claim it is the only rice to use when making "Mexican" rice. Now it is the only rice I buy.
    4. I need this book.
    5. Awesome!

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  19. That's so cool you can just hop off to a lake on a random Tuesday afternoon! My husband's family has a lakehouse up around Coldwater, and I, too, thought it was odd you could actually go in the lakes and not be eaten by something scary or contract strange diseases.

    I also loved Wifeytini's post as well :)

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  20. Having great rice does make a huge difference. A friend of mine introduced me to Jasmine rice (purchased in huge bags from the Asian mart near our workplace) years ago and I have not looked back since. Everytime I cook it my youngest comes downstairs thinking I have made popcorn. The smell is just divine! I will have to give yours a try. I'd love to have the kids fighting over something that is healthy and cheap. :-)

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  21. Chickens and Lakes??? You livin da dream!

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  22. I came across your blog a while back and have been catching up on old posts every now and then. I just had to comment this time even though its an old post. My husband's family has a house on the island in Gull Lake! Isn't it the greatest bestest lake ever!!!! It is so beautiful and lovely. We now live in SC, so it's rare for us to go up there. But I miss it so!

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