Obama, and How He Thinks He Was Actually Elected To Be A Dictator

The man we all know resents us, and to whom a few of us – the stubborn ones yet to admit their buyer’s remorse from 2008 – have remained sickeningly devoted: this man has gone far, far too far.

With the unconstitutional executive order (“stroke of the pen, law of the land”), he has essentially given himself (and his unelected minions within the various cabinets and departments) the authority to appropriate anything he sees fit to appropriate, any time he sees fit to appropriate it.

Here’s a sample, and the most onerous part of the order:

PART II  -  PRIORITIES AND ALLOCATIONS

Sec. 201.  Priorities and Allocations Authorities.  (a)  The authority of the President conferred by section 101 of the Act, 50 U.S.C. App. 2071, to require acceptance and priority performance of contracts or orders (other than contracts of employment) to promote the national defense over performance of any other contracts or orders, and to allocate materials, services, and facilities as deemed necessary or appropriate to promote the national defense, is delegated to the following agency heads:

(1)  the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to food resources, food resource facilities, livestock resources, veterinary resources, plant health resources, and the domestic distribution of farm equipment and commercial fertilizer;

(2)  the Secretary of Energy with respect to all forms of energy;

(3)  the Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to health resources;

(4)  the Secretary of Transportation with respect to all forms of civil transportation;

(5)  the Secretary of Defense with respect to water resources; and

(6)  the Secretary of Commerce with respect to all other materials, services, and facilities, including construction materials.

He simply must be stopped. I only know of one man who can beat him in the general elections. He’s the only man I want to beat Obama; I’m convinced, along with Judge Napolitano, and many, many others, that there is no longer a difference between most politicians, whether Republican or Democrat.

Ron Paul is different; he’s committed to liberty and the Constitution.

Our forefathers took up arms against tyranny; let us act with their courage, integrity, and conviction as we remove the tyrants from office and refuse to replace them with other tyrants who happen to follow their name with an (R).

I’ll leave you with The Judge…

Missouri Mayhem

The media is reporting the St. Charles, Missouri caucus fiasco as a meeting that was hijacked by Ron Paul supporters.

Video evidence shows this is far from the truth.

The disorder began when the introductory chairman informed everyone that there were to be no recording devices that had not been pre-approved. When the crowd asked “Why” and made motions to have this changed, he simply said, “That’s the way it’s going to be.”

Caucuses are about rules. But they’re also about people. And one of the great things about county caucuses is that the people can change the rules. But the establishment would have none of this.

Things really devolved when, instead of accepting nominations for caucus chair and voting on them, the introductory chairman simply appointed a caucus chairman. This violates the standard procedure for caucuses – and he would not hear any other motions.

The Ron Paul people loudly protested, several were asked to leave and were arrested on trespassing charges. The caucus ended without any of the delegates being appointed.

Ron Paul supporters are not “rabble rousers” and they’re not “just foolish youth.” They are passionate voters – young and old – who are watching the dwindling of our democratic republic, who are experiencing the evaporation of our wealth, and who are committed to restoring our Constitution, and who are determined to do something about those things.

The moral of the story is that the Republican caucuses should have been more organized and less corrupted. Instead of using their pre-obtained positions to force their will, those running the caucus should have given ALL those present a “fair shake,” as Ron Paul would say.

Democracy must prevail; the people must prevail; liberty must prevail!

Santorum’s Sway, or What Is Conservatism?, or “Constitution? What Constitution?”

Who really likes Romney? I mean, besides soulless automatons (birds of a feather…). Okay, that’s cruel. But in all seriousness, I hear about the “not-Romney” vote about as often as I hear about Romney winning another state primary. For some reason, those who vote in primaries think Romney’s worth it. I wish they could have him without me having him – I’d let them.

But the “not-Romney” candidate seems to be clear now: Rick Santorum. Lots of people – calling themselves “conservatives” or “tea partiers” – like Santorum. But I don’t really understand why.

I don’t hate Santorum. I just think he’s, at best, disingenuous. The problem is that his disingenuousness (spell-check didn’t like that one) has led lots of people to circle his name on the primary ballot.

Don’t listen to Limbaugh. Or listen to him, but don’t believe everything he says. His primary interest is not truth but profits – one must remember that his radio show is not a charity operation. Limbaugh’s most glaring and most powerful lie of late is the unbelievable assertion that Rick Santorum is the only candidate who hasn’t transgressed against conservatism.

Another talk radio pundit – Mark Levin – recently rebuked a caller (a Ron Paul fan) who was complaining that Santorum is not a real conservative. “You Ron Paul people don’t get to define conservatism!” he cried. “I think Santorum is a conservative,” he then asserted.

Fine. Ron Paul people don’t get to define conservatism. But does Mark Levin? Does Rush Limbaugh? Who has defined it thus that Rick Santorum soundly fits the bill?

I’ll ask, then – since those men won’t.

What is conservatism? I would like to try to answer it by way of etymology. The simpler form is the word “conserve.” What, then, are we “conservatives” conserving?

The answer to that question must be, categorically, “The Constitution.” Alternate answers include “liberty,” “life,” and “justice,” but those three are all addressed in The Constitution.

The Constitution is not God-breathed. It is not infallible. It even has its own built-in mechanisms for change. We conserve it, not because it’s perfect (“complete”), but because it represents the will of the people, beginning with the Founders. As a democratic republic, the will of the people, expressed through their representatives, is the law. And without the law, tyrannies and injustices run rampant.

Tyrannies and injustices run rampant. [The end of habeus corpus; The Patriot Act; Endless invasions of privacy; Bailouts; Dirty money in Washington; The Federal Reserve; Heavy regulation and taxation; Taxpayer-funded abortion; Mandated violations of religious liberty - this is America today]

The Constitution must be not only conserved. It must be restored, so that tyrannies and injustices may cease.

So that answers our question: “What is conservatism?”

Now we must ask, “Is Rick Santorum a conservative?” or, in other words, “Does Rick Santorum uphold and defend the Constitution?”

The question is not, “Does Rick Santorum say he is a conservative?” The question is, “IS Rick Santorum a conservative – a friend of liberty – a man who will restore justice and constitutionality?”

I don’t know Rick Santorum today. Few do. But based on who Rick Santorum has been for years as a politician, the only answer I can see to the question, “Is Rick Santorum a conservative” is a resounding, “NO!”

Many of Rick Santorum’s actions in Washington have transgressed against conservatism – against both my above definition [which, for the sake of this essay, I'll call "Constitutional conservatism"] and against the perhaps looser, broader definition many Republicans would give: pro- small government, pro-life, pro- free markets, anti- labor union, anti- government regulation [which I'll call "mainstream conservatism"].

Here are some samples from his voting record:

1) Rick Santorum endorsed Arlen Specter in Specter’s 1996 presidential campaign. Arlen Specter was notorious for being a Republican who was pro-abortion. In this video (around the 4:00 mark), you can see Specter proclaim his pro-abortion views in his speech announcing his candidacy for the presidency. Note Santorum sitting on stage, tacitly endorsing Specter and his views. Is this not a transgression against mainstream conservatism?

2) Rick Santorum voted to raise the federal debt ceiling five times [H.R. 2015 (1997), S. 2578 (2002), H.J. Res. 51 (2003), S. 2986 (2004), H.J. Res. 47 (2006)]. Lately, of course, since Americans are awakening to the financial crisis, politicians like Santorum wouldn’t dare mention these votes. Small government talk is what the people want, so Santorum gives them small government talk – even though he voted for bigger government many times. Is this not a transgression against conservatism – both Constitutional conservatism and mainstream conservatism? While there exists no balanced-budget amendment, in reality the debt-ceiling hike was to pay for continued unconstitutional government expansion. And mainstream conservatives these days fight debt-ceiling hikes tooth and nail.

3) Rick Santorum voted to give Planned Parenthood millions of dollars. He voted “Yea” on a federal spending bill named “Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.” This bill – other than generally wasting taxpayer dollars – funded the Title X Family Planning Program, from which Planned Parenthood draws. Is this not a transgression against conservatism? All three of those government departments are massive, wasteful regulatory agencies whose existence is provided for nowhere in the Constitution – therefore, under the Tenth Amendment, the tasks they perform are left to the states and the people.

4) Rick Santorum voted against Right to Work. He voted against cloture on H.R. 1279 (1995) – the National Right-to-Work Act. The summary of this act, as written by the Congressional Research Service, is as follows: “Amends the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to repeal those provisions that require employees to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment.” In other words, Santorum voted to keep the requirement (made by the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act) that employees pay union dues. Is this not a transgression against conservatism? If states want to require this kind of thing, then the Constitution has nothing against it – but where in that document is the authority to regulate the labor force given to our government? And what mainstream conservative would approve of this? Now, Santorum has twisted this to make it sound as though he was just trying to represent his state, which was not a “Right to Work” state. But this was a bill that dealt with federal requirements on workers. Voting for this bill would have meant less federal involvement at the local level.

The list goes on. Of particular interest is this radio interview (and impassioned commentary by Judge Napolitano of Fox News) in which Santorum seems to discount the need for protecting individual liberties. It is clear that Santorum – while perhaps a nice guy – is not a friend to liberty as the Constitution would define it (“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” – The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States)

Again, I don’t hate Santorum. I just love my liberty too much to vote for him. I want a President who will do everything in his power to protect individual liberties, which means the restoration of a stable currency (and ending the destructive actions of the Federal Reserve) and a devotion to the Constitution as the law of the land.

Only one candidate fits this bill. That’s why I will vote for Ron Paul.

If the preceding hasn’t convinced you, I would refer you to two things:

1) Ron Paul’s voting record and budget proposal. He’s never voted to raise the debt ceiling, and he’s voted against every unbalanced budget. He’s introduced (more than once) a bill to audit the Federal Reserve – an organization that is single-handedly devaluing Americans’ wealth by creating money and handing it to Washington. The destruction of wealth is equivalent to thievery. But government thievery is nothing new…

2) The Dos Equis guy.

Ticks

And now for something a little different…

Ticks are a problem. I hate them, you hate them, we all hate them. They’re gross, painful, and annoying. But they’re also dangerous. In the country, and even in some suburban areas, ticks are a costly nuisance, spreading Lyme disease and causing pet owners to rush to the stores to apply pesticides to their lawns and their animals.

Pesticides are a problem. They’re toxic to the soil and they’re toxic to animals – many animals have allergic reactions to the chemicals in such products as Frontline, and even if they don’t, the presence of those chemicals on the body of the animal a person pets and hugs is not really a desirable thing.

SOLUTIONS

We’ve talked about natural solutions before, particularly keeping chickens and/or guinea hens. But two others have surfaced recently in our research and, since we have a dog now, they have become even more interesting to us than they previously would have.

1) Cedar Oil

Cedar oil is toxic to ticks, and there are natural tick prevention products (Wondercide is an example of one) that basically just use cedar oil. I’ve not tried them, but they seem to be effective from what I’ve read. I found a way to extract cedar oil from cedar bark, so I think we’re going to try to make our own homemade wondercide. We’ll blog about the results…

2) A Fungus

When all else fails, ask the microscopic world for help. This article reveals that scientists have found a fungus that kills ticks! A manufacturing plant has already been built to crank out this new, natural tick-icide called Tick-Ex. It should be available in 2014…patience…

Liberty: Just A National Fluke?

In a culture obsessed with drama and celebrity, the recent debate about contraception has produced a new set of heroes and villains.
The question is: Who are the heroes (or are there any?) and who are the villians?
I’ll venture a few suggestions as to the identity of the culprits and the victims, and then offer up a solution.

VILLAIN
Barack Hussein Obama
History
Mr. Obama, continuing his diabolical plan of national socialistic ruin, successfully pushed through the passage of his so-called Obamacare bill. Thus began the unbelievable meddling of government in every intricacy of the American health care system.
Present
Mr. Obama mandated – in a clear violation of religious liberty (not to mention economic liberty) – that all health insurance companies provide coverage for contraceptives. Catholics (among others) don’t condone the use of contraceptives, and so Catholic organizations were about to be forced, by Obama, to violate their own religious beliefs. He claims he put the issue to rest by allowing people’s premiums to be the money that covers the contraceptives (as opposed to capital from the insurance company…is there any difference?). This, of course, violates individual Catholics’ religious liberties, as many of them are aligned with the Church’s position in this matter. Mr. Obama seems not to care.

VILLAIN
Nancy Patricia D’Alesandro Pelosi
History
Mrs. Pelosi has shown herself to be a friend of radical liberalism and an enemy of the Constitution and liberty throughout her tenure in Congress. She has spoken directly against the Church’s position on contraception and even abortion, referring to the problematic “conscience thing” that keeps Catholic charities/hospitals from being forced to perform abortions.
Present
The Republican-controlled Congress blocked the testimony of a woman who had been brought by Democrats (led by Pelosi) to testify about the need for free (insurer-provided) contraceptives. In her now-typical “screw them” fashion, Mrs. Pelosi held her own hearing, allowing this woman – a 30-year-old law student from Georgetown University named Sandra Fluke – to speak. And speak she did.

VILLAIN
Sandra Kay Fluke
History
Sandra Fluke is a 30-year-old law student at Georgetown University. She received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. At Georgetown, she is the former president of an organization named Law Students for Reproductive Justice.
Present
Ms. Fluke testified to Congress that, for poor college students, paying for contraception (birth control pills) is a heavy financial burden amounting to around $1,000 per year. She argued that insurers should, indeed, be forced to cover this cost.

VILLAIN
Rush Hudson Limbaugh
History
Mr. Limbaugh hosts a widely-listened-to radio show where he generally talks politics, playing the roles of entertainer, sophist, and self-appointed articulator of conservatism. He regularly draws the ire of Democrats for his political positions and for his caustic language about their positions. In the words of Mr. Limbaugh, he “[illustrates] the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week.”
Present
Mr. Limbaugh, in commenting on the Sandra Fluke testimony (and the broader issue of government-mandated contraception coverage), called the woman a “slut.” Contextually, he was pointing out that she was essentially asking the government and insurance companies for money to have sex. He said, “What does it say about the college co-ed Susan Fluke who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex—what does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute.”
In the wake of his comments, in spite of an apology by Mr. Limbaugh, seven of his advertisers have disassociated themselves from his show, and Republican presidential candidates have opined about his language.

VICTIM
Liberty
History
Iconized in a statue of a robed woman holding a torch, liberty is one of the main ideas that governed the authors of America’s Constitution. It is what animated those who left oppressive European nations for America. It is what the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution attempt to guarantee for all its citizens.
Present
All of the aforementioned are at enmity with liberty. The first three represent the frontal assault on liberty and the American way that has occurred – well, really since the founding of the U.S., but especially in the last 100 years with the likes of Theodore Roosevelt, FDR, JFK, LBJ, and BHO. Mr. Limbaugh, however, represents the faction of liberty’s army that dreams of defection. They are like those Afghanis of whom we recently hear that have been trained by U.S. soldiers to defend their land, but who turn on the very men who trained them and shoot them in the back. Mr. Limbaugh, in his implicit (not explicit – but these are the ones of whom he clearly speaks well) endorsement of candidates such as Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich, has turned the hearts of many of his listeners (and there are many) to these pseudo-conservatives. He has even gone so far as to say, “Everybody is guilty of some transgression somewhere against conservatism…except Santorum.” This is clearly false. Mr. Santorum himself has apologized for at least one specific transgression against conservatism – the No Child Left Behind Act. He has also squirmed under questioning concerning his support of labor unions and voting against “Right to Work.” He has voted myriad times to raise the federal debt ceiling, and has voted to give taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood. Neither Rush Limbaugh nor Rick Santorum are friends of liberty.

Photo from: http://travel.ezinemark.com/secrets-beyond-statue-of-liberty-77364ef03b4d.html

VICTIM
Logic/Reason
History
Articulated by philosophers throughout the ages, logic is the formal language of argumentation that, when adhered to, is effective in unveiling formerly-veiled issues and giving glimpses of truth.
Present
Mr. Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Sandra Fluke have violated logic in employing myriad fallacies as they argue for “free” contraception. First is equivocation. Nothing is free, but the usage of the word “free” (meaning “free for the user of contraceptives…in that they didn’t directly pay”) has the intended effect on those weak-minded, lascivious individuals who would complain about the cost of birth control while they sip their Starbucks coffee. Second is hasty generalization. Ms. Fluke cited the story (the validity of which has been challenged by at least one doctor) of a woman who needed birth control pills to control her poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, but couldn’t afford them. This, according to Ms. Fluke, resulted in an expensive operation to remove at least one of the woman’s ovaries. Ms. Fluke uses this one story to argue that contraception should be free for everyone (most people don’t have ovarian cyst disorders) Third is straw man. The issue is really about contraception for birth control, but Ms. Fluke pretended – in telling the aforementioned story – that it was about “human health.” No one would vote against human health, but people might very well vote against mandated contraception coverage.
Rush Limbaugh has violated logic in using a classic ad hominem attack on Ms. Fluke. Ad hominem means “to the man,” and it refers to the logical fallacy in which the speaker attacks not the argument but the person making the argument. This is generally name-calling. Whether or not Mr. Limbaugh is right that Ms. Fluke is a “prostitute” or “slut” makes no difference to the issue at hand. A prostitute could potentially make a logical argument (just like anyone else), so the idea: “She’s a slut – she can’t be right!” is fallacious. Second, Mr. Limbaugh employed the fallacy of tu quoque (“you too”) in defending his comments. He revealed that famous liberal television personality Bill Maher has donated a million dollars to President Obama’s re-election super-PAC. Since Bill Maher has repeatedly referred to Sarah Palin as a “c-word,” Limbaugh argued that Obama should give back the money. Actually, this is a red herring combined with a tu quoque. Mr. Limbaugh’s argument is, “Well, you did it too!” – which is no argument. And, he diverted the attention from his comments to someone/something else (red herring).

THE SOLUTION
The Constitution and Restoration of Liberty
It falls on the American people to make these solutions reality. We do it with our language and interactions, and with our ballots. The only presidential candidate I’ve seen who defends liberty at every turn and who has refused for three decades in Congress to violate the Constitution is Ron Paul. It’s not about the man – it’s about the principles. Anyone else could say what he is saying, and live how he is living, and vote how he has voted, and I’d vote for them, too. But no one else is doing those things – at least, no one who’s running for President.
I encourage you – support Ron Paul and support the Constitution. Go to your state caucuses and primaries, and urge others to do the same – and urge them to vote for Ron Paul!
Only courage, and the refusal to accept tyranny, and the refusal to capitulate to the weak-hearted leaders who would trade our freedom for their wealth – only those things will restore America.

The Pasture

When we first arrived at this farm, we began dreaming of restoring the pasture to its former glory. Since it had not been used in many years, it had become completely overgrown with trees, and the fencing was in shambles.

So, we cut down tree after tree, clearing the land for the cow we had not yet even bought.

We collected used fencing (free) from friends or even random folks on craigslist. For a while, our resolve weakened, but we would occasionally go do a little work on the fence.

In the meantime we bought a cow…and two goats. They needed a place to roam…

Finally, recently, I decided to work as hard as I could as often as I could and get the thing done. So I’ve been spending many long days out there – cutting posts, setting posts, clearing brush, stretching sections of fence, hanging gates, and running electric line.

But its completion has now come to pass. I have finished the fence! Let the animals be free(ish) to graze as they please!

Thanks to those who helped in this seemingly-eternal endeavor! So many people worked – from our neighbor Dale, who let us put Gerty in his pasture for something like 8 months, to cousin-in-law Jon who let us borrow his chainsaw, to siblings Adam and Daniel, and Dad, and Taylor who all helped cut trees, set posts, haul fencing rolls, and on, and on, and on.

Now I don’t know what to do with my free time…

Happy Bubby Day

One year ago today, Kate and I became brand new parents as our little Saylor Jack was born! Bringing him into the world was a miraculous experience, but watching him grow during this last year – it’s indescribable. So we assembled a video of some of the great moments (and facial expressions) of our life with our little rascal thus far. Enjoy!

(To read about the birth, click here and here. To watch the birth video, click here.)

Missouri Caucuses

As you might or might not know, the Missouri presidential primaries were fairly irrelevant, practically speaking.

The caucuses, however, are significant. And they’re in one month and two days.

Here’s how they work. (This is taken directly from the Missouri Republican Party website).

• County Caucuses, March 17, 2012: Attendees will select delegates and alternates to the Congressional District Conventions and State Convention.  Delegates selected at the county level will not be bound to a specific candidate unless a rule is passed by participants of the caucus. (See below for a list of county caucus locations.)

• Congressional District Conventions, April 21, 2012: Delegates chosen at the county level will select 3 delegates and alternates to the National Convention and 1 presidential elector.  These delegates and alternates will identify their candidate before being chosen.  They will be bound to that candidate on the first ballot at the national convention.

• State Convention, June 2, 2012: Delegates chosen at the county level will vote on a slate of 25 at-large delegates and alternates to the National Convention and 2 at-large presidential electors. These delegates and alternates will identify their candidate before being chosen.  They will be bound to that candidate on the first ballot at the national convention.

I Love Spam

In grade school, Mom would sometimes send in my lunch bag a SPAM and mustard sandwich. Nostalgia.

WordPress is a boon in that it automatically filters out spam comments. The reason people post spam comments is to gain a free place to give a link to their website. You know, Spam: pretending to be one thing, when it’s really something else.

However.

In reviewing some of the recent spams, I came across some true gems. So I have devoted this post to them. Here they are, along with my responses to these grammatically impoverished, cooped-up-indoors souls. If you’re a spammer and you’re reading this: Go get some fresh air! And pick up an English textbook while you’re out…

SPAM

Just want to say your article is as surprising. The clarity in your post is simply spectacular and i can assume you are an expert on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to grab your RSS feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please carry on the gratifying work.

N: I do like to think of myself as an expert on this, and many other subjects. Keep reading, friend!

Amazing post! I was actually searching for facts about proper dog training but stumbled on this post and found it really interesting and beneficial. Keep up the superb work you are doing here.

N: I’ve been thinking about tapping into the “proper dog training blog” market for a while now. I think it’s time to make a move.

The next time I look over a blog, I really hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I am talking about, I’m sure it was eventually my choice to read, but I definitely assumed you’d have something interesting to say. Many I hear is usually a bunch of whining about something you could resolve if you werent as well busy looking for attention.

N: If I could only count the times someone has scolded me for being “as well busy looking for attention.” Sorry to let you and the rest of civilized humanity (except Greece) down.

Nice read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he just bought me lunch as I found it for him smile Thus let me rephrase that: Thanks for lunch!

N: I hope you choke on it. Just kidding! Come on by The Ozark House anytime, and we’ll give you a steaming hot bowl of squirrel stew!

Im going nuts this evening.

N: Glad I could help.

I would like to thank you for the endeavors you have made in writing this article. I am trusting the same best work from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has inspired me to start my own blog now. Actually the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly. Your write up is a fine representative of it.

N: I’m going to use my irresistible sway over you to strongly suggest you reconsider the whole blog thing. I know the blog world is spreading its wings – many are soaring with the eagles. You, however, are a penguin. So mate for life, keep eating fish, and stay classy!

Twitter brought me here.

N: So true.

The investigation that has gone into this write-up is immense, have to have taken you a lifetime to write this!

N: You know, in a sense, it has. I like to think of each blog post as a culmination of every prior moment in my life. Thanks for picking up on that.

—-

Thanks for reading…

Lately Life

“Life’s a fragile thing, Har’. One minute you’re chewin’ on a burger. Next minute you’re dead meat.” – Lloyd Christmas

Truer words were never spoken.

As for our lives, lately, here are a few snippets.

- I never really mentioned it much, but brother Adam got married a few weeks ago, and so we had the wonderful privilege of meeting many of his and Juliette’s friends (and her family) during our time in Bryan, TX. The wedding was beautiful, and so far I gather that Adam and Juliette are happily married. I’m quite sure they will stay that way.

Getting ready for the grand event

- I (Nathan) have been working quite a bit (a nice change of pace…). I currently have three jobs. I work on the weekends at a local winery. I teach two English Composition courses at a local community college. And I just began working for a nationwide tutoring company called Club Z. This has left my schedule pretty full, which is okay, but it makes farm work move more slowly.

-As for farm work, I’m reaching the final stages of fencing off the pasture for Gertie and the goats. I anticipate within two weeks they’ll be roaming about, nibbling on the clovers and grasses and wild onions that have already begun to defy winter’s chill. This project has been going for a long time, and I’m glad that the end is near.

-Kate stays quite busy around the house, tending two babies: Saylor and Ozark. She is a beautiful portrait of Christlike servanthood. She bakes all our bread, prepares most of the meals, keeps the house clean, and tends the fire during the day while I’m gone. She is also in charge of the garden planning this year, so she’s been spending a good bit of time lately poring over seed catalogs, deciding what will work best for us, hoping for a better crop than last year! We saved some seed from last season, and a few days ago placed a seed order for those we didn’t have. We’re eager to get our little plants started!

If you’re looking into seed, we HIGHLY recommend two seed companies. The first is Baker Creek Seed Company. They’re based out of Missouri, and have an incredible selection of heirloom seeds (some beautifully colored fruits/veggies). The other is Bountiful Gardens. They’re on the west coast (California, I think), and they also have lots of unique and wonderful heirloom seeds (including Luffa – you can grow your own bath sponges! kinda cool…). Both companies use open pollination, and guarantee most of their stuff to be GMO/pesticide-free.

- One of our Easter Egger chickens has FINALLY begun laying. They’re 7-1/2 months old, which seems a little late for them to just be starting, but we’ll take what we can get. Now, the other one needs to catch up with her sister. Below, see why they’re called “Easter Eggers.”

One of these eggs is not like the others...

(that’s a blue egg…I think the camera flash washed out the colors a little bit)

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. Especially with home-raised, fresh eggs.

We eat lots of eggs!

I’ll end with a video of the Bubby. His 1st birthday is coming up soon – February 19th. We’ll have a special blog post for that day…