Gotta love a new handbag! I bought this fantastic, destined to be mine from conception chicken purse from my friend Gillian. She runs a sustainable sewing company and makes some really neat little things. It arrived in the mail yesterday and I can’t wait to get some use out of it in the spring. (Wearing it around the house is only satisfying to a point).
The kids are sickER today. Poor miserable dabs. Still running high fevers, still oozing green snot, still coughing and hacking like 8o year old smokers. To add insult to injury for poor Meeps, her top two teeth have decided this would be the prime time to cut their way through her gums! (Scott says “oh, that must be like having cigar cutters on your nipples”. Yeah something like that. Or nursing a beaver, take your pick).
In better news, Dishwasher Repairman came this morning and fixed the pump on our (brand new) dishwasher. They sure don’t make things like they used to, oy. Thankfully it’s fixed and I no longer have to have wash dishes take up four slots on my daily To-Do list. Speaking of To-Do lists, I have to admit, these Hatley magnetic lists appeal to me greatly:
Turns out Dishwasher Repairman raises and slaughters his own pigs every year. And he raises them on pasture! We were talking about how much better meat tastes when the animal isn’t terrified when it dies (not to mention tortured in an industrial setting while alive) and he was saying that a friend of his (who raises a couple thousand pigs in one of those types of barns) tries to buy HIS pastured happy pork, because the guy won’t even eat his own product. Nice.
So I got an education about pigs morning. Here are some highlights: when raising give them each a name and teach them to come when called with marshmellows (that way if/when they escape you just call their name and they come running back to you); pig slaughter (don’t use a 22 – it just makes them mad); and processing (using a blowtorch instead of a scald tank; Sawzall for the spine only; leave the ‘bacon’ on when you do cut your ribs for sheer culinary ecstacy).
I’m leaving you today with a blast from the past. This picture is from my early university days. Women’s Study minor, arguing that women are more than their biology, convinced I would never have the desire for children. (And then my biological clock went off like a bomb. Oh, how I could eat every single one of those essays!) Bleaching my hair, piercing my nipples and wrapping myself in PVC for parties. And definitely, definitely not pining for magnetic ToDo Lists with roosters on them…
(I’m the one on the left).
We just finished processing some pigs a couple of weeks ago. The thing I really like about doing it ourselves is that I know what we are putting into all the sausage. And I know what’s in each cure we use. We have a group of friends who all go in together on 5 to 6 pigs and then we all process together as well. Sort of like a sewing circle only with meat. Lol
That’s awesome!
Do you remember how long it would take you to do say, one pig when you were less experienced?
I’ve been eating some delicious sausages from the farm directly behind me, less than two fields away. They breed Cornish Blacks who have these ridiculous huge floppy ears, appropriately as we live in Cornwall. Whenever I walk near the farm I can see them through the hedge enthusiastically ‘making bacon’ happy meat sure does taste better.
19 year old me would find 28 year old me horrifyingly uncool, I love that about getting older
It looks so wicked on you! I’d be thrilled if you could add that picture as an appreciation photo to your Etsy feedback. It looks SO awesome!!
Charley — OH yeah. The 19 year old me would not have known what to do with the 28 year old me. Not one little bit!
Gillian — I will check that out right now. Love the bag!
It’s so amazing how much things change in life, and how relatively quickly too.
I saw a few posts back that you were watching the show Dexter. If you enjoy season 1, you might consider reading the book “Darkly Dreaming Dexter,” which season 1 is based on. I have all three books if you would be interested in reading them, I’d have no problem lending them to you.
I can’t wait to check out the local farms meat offerings this year; last year the farmers’ markets were pretty small in this area, but I think that the demand for local food will show an increase this year.
Depending on what you do with it, about a day or two. We do ours when it’s colder out so we can keep unprocessed meat in coolers outside.
Otherwise it really depends on what kind of equipment you have. We now own a grinder with a 1hp motor we hooked up to it. Let me make one suggestion, NEVER GET A HAND CRANK ANYTHING when it comes to meat processing. It takes FOREVER to do and ends up being more of a pain to clean. When you cure hams, or ham steaks they sit in the brine for at least 5 days, and then if you have a smoker you just have to get them up to temperature.
The hardest part is in the butchering, if you know someone who knows how I STRONGLY suggest getting them to help you with the first one. The deboning process takes the most time. We also have a bandsaw we use for chops and such, so I suppose we’re borderline pro
?? So you believe now that women are no more than their biology? I don’t understand.
I think she was referring more to the not wanting to have children herself. I’m pretty certain Ashley is MUCH more than her biology.
Thanks, Jamie! Yeah that’s all there is to it.
Just a personal revelation; whatta surprise it was for me to discover the thudding tock of my own procreative urges.
I am definitely talked outta the handcrank — dishwasher repairman says they use one, but his arms are like tree trunks, whereas mine are like noodles. We will DEFINITELY be trying to find someone with experience to help us. We’re still not 100% that we’ll do the stuff that comes after killing ourselves. We’ll see as the time comes.
But you will have to let me know if your borderline pro self is planning a Canadian vacation this fall.
I love the rooster bag! I am really enjoying your blog too. My friend Vered told me about it.
Keep up all the good work.
Cheers.
I have nipple rings…but I also hope to have children someday. People (without pierced nipples) always tell me “How on earth are you going to breatfeed?”. I always assumed you just take them out and let them heal well before you get pregnant, and there should be no trouble. I’m guessing this is what you did?
I had nipple piercings too, and yeah, you just take out the jewlery. Some women keep it in during their pregnancy, it’s totally up to you.
Sometimes the milk can come out faster through the leftover piercing holes!
that purse does totally look like you!
but so does the old pic! i see no contradiction– just growth. 
I have been reading your blogs for quite a while. I don’t remember how I came upon them! I enjoy reading about your adventures in parenting. I agree with so many of the beliefs you have in parenting and pregnancy.
I am 8 weeks pregnant with my first baby. While I still have a ways to go I am a planner. There are so many options for cloth diapers out there that is just overwhelms me! I was wondering if you could share your experience with the different types and brands, which are your favorites?
I thank you so much for sharing your life and insight in your blogs and for your time!
~Stephanie
a friend of mine just sent me a picture from my Freshmen year in college. The difference a couple of decades make!
i love old pictures.
what kind of soap do you use in the dishwasher ashley, i have tried just about every “green” one out there, most are sub-par at best, turning out only some-what clean dishes. ( so far the PC brand works the best, but at 8.99 for like 20 tabs, i was hoping to find something else )
Stephanie: Fuzzi Bunz & BumGenius are our faves! I wrote a little bit about it under the “CLOTH DIAPER” link up top.
Emma — Nipple rings — yeah, I just took ‘em out. Some women don’t, but I can’t imagine breastfeeding with them in personally.
Corrie — NatureClean!! I buy it through the ONFC food coop — 18kg for $60. I think it works great. I also really love their dishwashing liquid soap. It’s SLS and phosphate free, cleans great and bubbles nicely (which Bob loves).
“nursing a beaver” … that just made me spit out my tea laughing.
Sorry to hear the bubba’s are still sick. Mine is feeling much better, however the germs have now been passed over to me! If Adelaide felt as horrid as I do right now, I wish I had been extra nice and comforting to her that is for sure.
The old biological clock is a funny thing. I was pretty sure that I always wanted children, although when I got pregnant I did consider ‘other’ options for a nanosecond, but my friends were the same as you at university. I’m not sure what exactly triggered their baby lust, but it was literally an overnight change. It was be really interesting for you I bet to read back over your Women’s Study papers to see when, if and how much your opinions have changed. Heck, that sounds like a great idea for a Masters thesis right there!
I wasn’t affected by “baby lust” and fell pregnant by accident. It’s the personality changes that happen AFTER the kid is born that freak me out. You know, now you see a sick kid on TV and spend 2 hours in the bathroom balling your eyes out!
I also didn’t plan my first child – now 9
– I do credit her with saving my life though. I was pretty lost at 29 and when I found out I was pregnant it was the “slap to the head” I needed to get my poop in a group. Before her, I’d never stayed in a relationship for more than 2 years. The husband and I will be celebrating our 9th anniversary this year.
Lil finally made me see myself as someone important and that I needed to take care of myself too.
Once I had one, I knew I’d have more
The comment made by “Ro” cracks me up because that is so me!! I was able to separate myself from the “sick kids” before I had my daughter Hannah. Now I can’t be more than a few feet away from a box of tissues when one of those commercials come on.
I too have a hankering for anything “Rooster” or “Chicken” covered! I don’t know how that came about, but I find myself drawn to them!! II really like the cute purse too!
Great blast from the past photo! Love it!
~Monica~
Whew, I had the same question as Ms Tek at first.
I like to think that the 19 year old me would recognize and approve of the 32 year old me. I’m older and smarter, more thoughtful, happier, and have my life more together. I think the 19 year old would be surprised, though, that I don’t have children. My progression was the opposite of yours- I wanted children very much until I was about 22, at which point I started questioning that and within a few years I knew I didn’t want any after all. I love having my nieces and nephews and friends’ kids to play with and love, but no desire to have kids of my own.