Catch Up

I’ve been kind of out-of-sorts for a couple of weeks now.  Full-on sick (kidney infection first, then the flu), as have Tool Lady and Fish Girl (just the flu for them…horrible, no good, very bad, long lasting flu).

It’s hard to focus on anything when your body hurts and you can’t breathe.  We’re doing better now, though still on the mend, and I’ve been struck with Spring Fever in the worst way…and there’s still a lot of time to pass before much can be done.

So, in an effort to catch up, here’s a little of what’s been happening in our neck of the woods…

1. In addition to receiving the NM Lottery Scholarship to attend college here in NM, Caitlyn has also received a large scholarship through Girls Incorporated and the Lucile Miller Wright Foundation.  Such an incredible gift…and such a wonderful weight that has been lifted from our shoulders.  My smart, beautiful girl will get to attend college without being faced with tons of debt!  
2. We were nominated by an old friend of ours for our local 2013 Kitchen Garden & Coop tour through Homegrown New Mexico!  We had our preview yesterday (where they came and checked us and our space out) and have our fingers crossed!  Send good thoughts our way, we should know sometime next month if we will be on the tour or not.
3. The chickens are happily keeping us in more eggs than we can eat again!  Time to give some away and start selling a few again 😉
4. The weather is gorgeous.  So gorgeous, it’s tricking the fruit trees into thinking it’s time to bud out.  Ugh…this will either make for a great fruit year (if the warmth maintains) or an awful one (if the trees remain on the their current course). Time will tell.  It’s been so warm, though, that the frozen water in our rain barrels is finally thawing, allowing us to use it to water our thirsty trees and a few over-wintering beds (yes, that was ice in that bed, not glass).
5. The doggies are enjoying the warm weather, too!
6. Our compost pile is officially out of control.  I’m hoping there’s some magic soil in there!
7. Our first batch of soap is all cured and we have begun to use it…and to give it away!  We figured that, with so many bars and it being our first batch, we should take a poll.  So, we’re giving bars away to our friends and family and asking for feedback in order to better our next batch!  We’re thinking we should “ask the customer” before we start selling it, instead of after 😉
8. I’m teaching myself a few new crochet stitches.  So far I’ve learned how to make little hearts and I’m working on figuring out the Granny Square.  Definitely in my “learning zone” on that one.
9. I have some new items up in my Etsy Shop!  I’m now selling custom baby blankets and some cute little snail cozies.  Check ’em out!
10. I am also now on Vine.  Vine is a new app for iPhones that is kind of like Instagram, but in video form.  Yep, more social media tools!  You can post and watch very short videos, like them and comment on them.  I’m still on the fence about whether I really like it or not, but it’s been fun to play around with it!  If you want to join in, you can find me by searching *people* for Melissa Willis.