I didn't realize how long it was since I last blogged on here but today I had 2 notes asking what happened to me....Thanks for caring!

We have been busy around here. I am involved as a co-leader in starting a new 4H group. It seems most or all of the other groups in the county all meet on Sundays and for those of us who go to church or have kids in youth group, that wasn't working. So, we have started a new one with 25 families! I'd say that pretty much shows there was a need.

DH hurt his neck--he had a vertabre rotated sideways--from sleeping funny. so, he has been moving slow the last 2 weeks. We had to hire a couple of brothers to come help us with a fencing project, as he could barely move. Our pigs have all learned how to root under or climb over the hog panels (fence) and were loose. So we reworked the fencing and added electric fencing and caught the pigs and put them back in. They have not gotten loose since. The two boys we hired are brothers from our local homeschool coop and were very eager to learn. One knew a few things about electricity and was very good about explaining it to his younger brother who couldn't understand at first why he wasn't getting shocked while wearing rubber mud boots, and why it didn't bother a bird that landed on the line.

We got our hay cut and baled for a second cutting last week. It should have been done 3 weeks ago but the rains kept putting it off.

We have 10 new additions to the farm--10 new chicks that are now 3 weeks old. They are dual purpose, so will start their life as egg layers.

Last weekend we filled our time with 2 days of training at the fire department. I was proud of my 13 year old-she is a cadet and was the only female to complete the course in bunker gear. It got pretty hot and humid in the afternoon and several were having trouble keeping up, but she stuck it out. She learned how to run several different rescue saws and ran them for several minutes. Her proudest moment though was when she got to kick out the front windshield of the bus. The training was over school bus accident rescues. The bus was cut up and then rolled over. Then air bags were placed under it and it was raised back up again. It was rather interesting and I learned a lot from watching (I was helping cook the meals and working the rehab bus). This week we have training on breaking and entering.

Today I made up a big batch of laundry soap. It should last me about 12 months, but I usually give a few gallons away so it never lasts that long. My ingredents to make a 12 month supply cost me around $4. It last me longer than many people because I have a front loader machine and only use 2 tablespoons per load.

Right now I have the last of this weeks bread in the oven. Acutally I thought I was done baking, then found a loaf that got moved out of the way when I was making the soap and never made it to the oven. So, I punched it back down and remade the loaf adding some sugar and cinnamon.

Last week I had 3 stay at home no spend no gas days. Today I also stayed home.

I have decided want to put some rain barrels next to the guttering. I have a source for the plastic barrels for $7 each, so it is much cheaper to make my own. But, I am having a hard time finding the spouts that you connect into your guttering. Lehmans used to carry them but I didn't see them the last time I checked. To buy a rain barrell already set up is around $100 and I am wanting to set 4 of them. If I could find the guttering connection things I could do all 4 barrels for around $40.