Savingdogs-Saving the chickens

[Denim Deb]

Does he realize that in much of Europe horse is a normal food? (I know many Americans who are turned off by the idea of eating horse.)

And, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. Many people don't recognize the signs that someone is drowning. It's not at all like it's pictured on TV. I'll have to see if I can find the article on it and post it.

 

[Henrietta23]

Oh, we have friends going through that with an adult-ish son. He has Aspergers and they were shocked when he took a job teaching in Korea after college. It was a one year position and he's now done and wanting to travel and visit friends. They're having a tough time seeing him do this. I guess time will tell. They're away right now so I don't know what the status of his plans is.
I've been thinking of you a lot today. There were several drownings in the state over the holiday weekend and another today. In almost every case someone has said they wouldn't have expected it to happen to their friend. At least two were people in places where they shouldn't have been. So heartbreaking.

 

[Farmfresh]

Does he realize that in much of Europe horse is a normal food? (I know many Americans who are turned off by the idea of eating horse.)

I've always said it is because they have not known enough horses! Spend a little time as a trainer and meet a good amount of horses and you will find a few that are only fit for the table. It is a crying shame in my opinion that we don't eat horse in America. It would eliminate all of the truly crazy and dangerous ones ... without being wasteful.

 

[Denim Deb]

I know of 2 people that have been injured seriously by horses. For both of them, the horse suddenly acted up about 30 days after they got the horse. So, we're pretty sure the horses were drugged first. I hate it when people do that.

 

[sunsaver]

Sorry for your loss, SD. hope you get lots of dogs to help take your mind off it!

 

[savingdogs]

I am sure Computer Nerd would never eat horse, he won't eat duck or rabbit or drink raw milk. He is genetically picky, meaning he was picky as a baby, then as a child, has never tried new foods. He won't even try Thai food even though both his parents adore it.

We have had real hot weather finally. I'm up in the middle of the night because it is too hot to sleep. It has been so cold for so long, this heat wave is such a change. We only had 85 yesterday, but after not hitting 60 degrees until last month, we haven't had much time to acclimate.

Today is Trouble's birthday, he turns 15. We couldn't afford to do anything except I'm making his favorite dinner and his brother is baking a cake for him right now while the house is cooler. I will sure like it better next year when we can hopefully afford to buy presents again. My kids try to be understanding but being so broke does get real old. Trouble needs school clothes and stuff.

I must say, however, that this interval of poverty has made my boys much less wasteful. Makes me realize where my mom got so frugal, going through the Great Depression. Personally, I think they will eventually call this time a "depression" as well. These are the hardest times we have known since we were married. I think I've been somewhat learning that my former livestyle was full of extravagances despite me THINKING at the time that I was being frugal. Now I've learned how to be TRULY frugal. Before it was kinda just play-acting. I spent a whole lot of money making my former house look nice and thinking I HAD to buy things like annuals to put out front and new curtains and stuff to wash the siding and such. Hah! Now I nail a sheet over a window and marvel at how the sheet color matches the wall so nicely. And planting annuals out front? Hah! Now we are not even mowing the lawn, it is goat food.

Actually we scored big time last night, our new neighbors whom we adore are letting us buy some of their horse hay off of them at a bulk price. So we will have 30 bales!!!!!!!! We are rearranging our shed down at our camp spot tomorrow in order to make room to store it. But they were only three dollars each!!!!!! We have had this hay before and the goats liked it. I'm really pleased, that is a huge savings for us because buying those bales one by one, the price had shot up to 15 dollars a bale last spring. And I think these folks want to make splitting the hay they buy into a regular thing. They have horses, not goats, but they have been working out to be great new neighbors. I've been giving them eggs because they have no chickens and they have done such a good job fixing up the house across from us, it was a former crack house before it was empty a long time and we have always worried about who would buy it and it has been a huge eyesore. I think what all they did over there probably raised our property values, they are making it into a beautiful property. So we could not be happier with them!

 

[Farmfresh]

Great score on the hay! Horse people and goat people are looking for the same things in hay so that should be a wonderful deal in the future.

How many bales of hay do you feed in a year? When we had all of the horses we had it figured to within a few bales and usually erred on the extra hay side (you can always sell extra hay or use it for mulch). We always tried to have all of our hay bought and barned by the end of July when prices were cheap.

Happy Birthday to Trouble! Knowing lean times is good for kids, it makes them learn to appreciate things more.

 

[framing fowl]

Hurray for good neighbors!

 

[Henrietta23]

Wow that is a great deal!! And what a nice thing to have good neighbors, especially after what you've had!
Happy birthday to your son!

 

[abifae]

I think I've been somewhat learning that my former livestyle was full of extravagances despite me THINKING at the time that I was being frugal. Now I've learned how to be TRULY frugal. Before it was kinda just play-acting. I spent a whole lot of money making my former house look nice and thinking I HAD to buy things like annuals to put out front and new curtains and stuff to wash the siding and such. Hah! Now I nail a sheet over a window and marvel at how the sheet color matches the wall so nicely. And planting annuals out front? Hah! Now we are not even mowing the lawn, it is goat food.

Exactly!!!!

I'm poor right now, but I know I still have all my needs met without serious cut backs. I have a nice savings account. I just don't buy too many extras. But since there ARE extras, I know I'm doing fine.

But I'm better prepared than most folk to hit that next level without too much flinching should I need to!