Virginia Tech slayings

I've been watching the news all day today with the tradedy that has unfolded at Virginia Tech. Below is directly from the VA Tech website.

Campus remains closed; convocation Tuesday at Cassell

04/16/2007, Updated 4:45 p.m.

Two shootings on campus today have left 33 dead. Thirty-one, including the gunman, died at Norris Hall; two died at West Ambler Johnston Hall. Fifteen other victims from Norris are being treated at area hospitals.

Counseling assistance for students is available at West Ambler Johnston and McComas halls until 9 p.m. tonight. Students are encouraged to utilize these services.

Counseling for faculty and staff is available in the Bowman Room on the fourth floor of Jamerson Athletic Center, accessible from Jamerson or the Merryman Athletic Facility.

The university will remain closed Tuesday. Essential personnel are to report for work. Classes are canceled.

A public gathering will be held Tuesday at Cassell Coliseum at 2 p.m.

All students are urged to contact their parents as soon as possible to let them know individuals are safe.

Students, faculty, and staff who have any information related to the incidents are encouraged to go to the Blacksburg Police Department to make statements, or call 540-231-TIPP (8477), or 231-6411.

Get more details and a statement by President Steger >

I can't begin to imagine the horror they faced with a madman aiming gun(s) at them. I pray that those that survived will be able to go on with their lives and live "normal" lives. I pray also for the families and friends of the deceased that they be able to find peace, that God help them through this most difficult time.

Here is coverage from our NBC affiliate in Richmond
Please pray for these students, faculty, friends and family.



here's what bloggers in the area have to say:
SWVAblogs

Hill Billy Savants

High Desert Wanerer

The worlds biggest egg!

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OK maybe it isn't the worlds biggest chicken egg but it is a huge egg. See for yourself!












Its 3 1/2" long. When we cracked that hummer it had 3 yolks... yes I said 3 yolks! Honestly when we found that egg I imagined I'd find a dead hen somewhere close by. I mean poor hen!

In other chicken news we added 6 hens and an older rooster to our coop. He's a beauty! We now have 4 Araucana hens and a rooster, they lay the blue/green eggs. I'm now getting 10-12 eggs a day and taking orders from friends and family in Richmond for our fresh eggs from our free range hens. There really is nothing like a fresh egg.

What's new with you?

We've been busy, busy, busy! What with finishing up our homeschool year, taking care of the ever growing farm family, the painting business, taxes and adding a new dog to the family it's been busy. I have made time to catch up on my newest obsession, Grey's Anatomy. OMG, why didn't someone tell me what a great show I was missing? I mean all the Hunky Doc's are a huge plus! Dr. McDreamy, Dr. McSteamy and such. Well I didn't take the time to start watching episodes till about Dec. Luckily for me my good friend Linda, Nickie's nurse, had both season 1 and 2 on DVD. I've spent several weeks watching those 2 season's and learning what all I missed. Seems I missed a whole lot. I'm in love with Denny, Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I know he's dead but damn that man makes dying look dreamy! I love his teeth and his smile and OMG his charisma is undeniable. So I've been going to the officail Grey's website and I just took a quiz to determine which character I'm most like and to my disbelief I'm most like Callie. I suppose I shouldn't be so shocked. I look most like her and I suppose I do act more like her too. I don't think I'd be initially attracted to George but as this season has moved along I do find him more and more attractive.
I suppose though I wish I were more like Izzy. She's beautiful and has a huge heart, a perfect body and all the things I'm not. I'm not complaining, mind you, I have a great life with a wonderful man that loves me the way I am. We have great kids and a life that is a near perfect as possible. The only thing we lack is money and as the song says, "can't buy me looooooooooove".

Here is a picture of Jackie's new dog, Adel.












Here's my boy on his favorite rock.

The momma in me.....

I know it's the Mom in me that has me worried about one of the chickens once again. Golden, as we call her has been listless and well to be graphic has the runs. Yellow runs at that. I'm patiently waiting for the results of a poop sample. If you had asked me 2 years ago if I'd ever be this concerned over a chicken I would have emphatically said, NO!

I've come to love my chickens. I mean who wouldn't? I raised them from day old chicks with lots of TLC. They feed us a beautiful array of colorful eggs. My extended family is loving it as well since I keep them in free eggs. I've lost more than a few now to snakes, weasels, dogs and illness. I'm praying Golden will be OK. The thought is that she has a simple case of parasites and if she doesn't die before the diagnosis I should be able to cure her easily. I just need to know what to do. I met the animal doctor at the Animal health facility in Lynchburg. Mostly they diagnose what animals died from. I'm hoping she will be able to help me before that happens here. The Dr. was a great resource for me. Though she readily admitted she didn't know much about chickens she was far more helpful than the local vets. Seems the local vets don't know crap about chickens. I thought living out in the country would mean the vets here would know about farm animals. As is usual with assumptions, well you know the saying.

Let me just say that I'm completely exhausted after deciding to clean the coop alone. After shoveling and lifting bails of straw and hay and 50lb bags of lime and pushing the wheel barrow from the van to the coop like a million times I practically had to crawl up the steps to the back door. Then to top it all off I couldn't get the zipper to unzip on my coat. So in my weakened state I tried to lift my coat over my head to remove it. Well, my arms were so sore that I think it took me 30 minutes to get out of that coat. How sad is that? So I'm taking a leave of absence for a while. As if I could.

There is a MOUNTAIN of laundry to do,3 toilets to clean, dishes to wash,sweeping to do, floors to mop, carpets to vacuum, cooking to be done and school work to be taught. I'm sure I'm leaving out lots but you get the idea. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do all those things when I can't lift my arms above waist level.

My journey to Alzheimer’s

After getting dressed this morning I headed down stairs with one thought, I need to make some coffee. On my way out of my bedroom I notice the glass of water I had taken up last night and I think to myself, I’ll save myself a trip if I get this now. I continue out my room and down the stairs having to pause for a moment to think, what did I want in the kitchen? Oh yes I wanted coffee. I look around for the coffee pot and realize it must be in the dishwasher… which of course it is but I must have forgotten to run it last night so I reach in for the coffee pot to hand wash it decide to take a quick peak around the downstairs for any cups that didn’t make it into the dishwasher last night.

In the living room I notice a glass and a coke can that were left on the end table. I pick them up go back to the kitchen drop the can in the recycle bin and notice the cats not so patiently waiting for some food. I place the cup on the counter and proceed to feed the persistent cats. I pause after doing so and think, what was it I was supposed to be doing before I got distracted? I see the cup I left on the counter and I put it in the dishwasher and start it up.

I realize that I’ve still forgotten something. Hmmmmm, I know I came down here to do something, what was it? Oh wait there in the sink is the coffee pot I still need to hand wash. Good now I can make that pot of coffee that I wanted. I set out to make the pot when I realize that my darling husband hadn’t said if he felt like decaf or leaded. So I yell upstairs to ask which he’d like. “Leaded,” he says. As I typed this the pot is finally done and it only took most of the morning to do it. My family may have to start looking at nursing homes form me real soon.

Homeschool 101

Today I was in the process of posting items for sale on a local area yard sale group and a free item on our local freecycle group. I got a couple of immediate responses to the free Power wheels jeep I offered on freecycle and ended up on the phone with someone that was very interested in coming to pick that up. We got to chatting and I told her how I was a stay at home mom and I also explained that I home school my son. She was very excited to hear about a home school mom. She has some interest in homeschooling her children but didn't know anyone that did that.

I was of course thrilled to give her any information that would help her to decide if it was the right thing for her. I promised to send her some helpful links to begin her research and I visited one of the home school groups I hadn't checked out in sometime and found this interesting article. I thought it was a great read and it enlightened me to think from the non homeschooling perspective. I'm not sure if I was guilty of thinking this way prior to my home school days but it sure was interesting.

Check it out for yourself.

A day of Firsts and forty-seconds...

Today Nickie started her job training program at STEPS. She was so proud to be starting a job. Though her paychecks will be minimal she will start to have a few dollars to spend each month. She already has plans for the first paycheck. She wants to buy a new blue shirt. When Nickie arrived home she was beaming telling me all about her co-workers and her day. I never thought she would be able to work so this is very special.
Today Jackie, Brandon, Bob and I were headed to La Parota to have lunch when we passed one of the cattle farms and noticed a woman pulled over and had a blanket over something inside the fence. We turned around to see if we could help and found 2 women now at the side of a new born calf. Now as you all know we are new to the country life and though we're learning daily about goats and chickens we know nothing of cattle. So this woman insisted the calf was freezing to death. So I got out my cell phone and called animal control to tell them what was going on. I had knowledge from a previous incedent that they had a contact number for the owner. I explained what was going on and that someone needed to call the owner to come tend to the calf.

While I'm on the phone with animal control one woman jumped the fence and tried to pic up the calf. She had her back to the momma cow and momma didn't look happy at all. Bob and I told the woman to get out but she wouldn't listen. Momma snorted and lunged forward a few times I was very nervous and worried that the wooden fence was as substantial as a toothpick fence to this momma cow. I began to worry that she would tear down the fence.

The first woman declared she wasn't able to lift the calf and two seconds later the other woman was over the fence and she hoisted the calf up and over the fence and expected Bob to take it from there. He grabbed the calf after her insisting if we didn't get it into a warm place soon that it would die. So for fear of the calfs life he took the calf, she jumped back over the fence and opened the back of her SUV for him to place it inside. All the while I'm on the phone with animal control telling them what is happening. I'm told that one of the officers is going to call me in 30 seconds or less so hang up wait for his call.

The officer calls me in 2.2 seconds and demands that the calf be put back. I place the woman on the phone with the officer who explains to her that there is still a cow rustling law on the books in VA and she could be charged with a felony offense. He explains she is to remain there untill they arrived. She assured us she would wait for them and we left to go to lunch.

We arrived at La Parota for my birthday lunch.
The food was great, the company even better and turning 42 was no more difficult than 24. At the end of the meal I was given a photo opportunity I couldn't miss. Here it is....

Just after that lovely polaroid was taken as we were walking up front to pay the bill I receive a phone call from the animal control officer...She explained that the woman that had the calf in her car didn't wait on them. Fortunately they were able to convince her to return the calf and avoid CATTLE RUSTLING charges. Yeah that law is still on the books here and Bob and I would have charged with the same. Fortunately I was able to remind them I was the one that called animal control in the first place and ummmm we didn't have the cow in our posession either... So thankfully I didn't add the first arrest to my list of firsts, today.

pretty Ice

I woke this morning to a beautiful icy morning. Its something I love to see but not something I like to have stick around.



I do love to see the beauty from inside the warmth of my home. Though I did venture out for a short just to get some pictures.



Tonight most of the ice is gone and I can't say I miss it. Especially since I have to make the long drive to Ashland tomorrow morning. I hope the roads won't be an icy mess.

Happy Anniversary!

Now I know you will all find this shocking information but it's true, today Bob and I celebrate our 23 anniversary. Yes that's right 23 YEARS! I can't believe it myself. Today as it turns out is very much like this day 23 years ago. We had a light rain which turned to sleet and back again to rain. I remember arriving at the church that damp cold day. I wasn't about to allow the weather to dampen my spirits. I was filled with the joys and expectations of a life together with the man I love. Having no idea what the future was to bring.

Today here we stand as happy as we were all those years ago. Ready to face the challenges that are still to come.


**not sure why this pic is on its side since its upright on photobucket ... as usual I am having technical difficulties.

problems with the school lunches....

I've been getting reports from Nickie's nurses about problems with the way Nickie's lunches have been prepared. You see for her to eat by mouth her meals have to be pureed. She doesn't chew her food so essentially they need to be pre-chewed. I've met with the cafeteria staff to explain this giving them an example of medium oatmeal consistency not too wet, not too dry. I thought that would be simple enough to understand.

I guess I expected too much of the cafeteria personnel. Her last meal at school last week looked like this.....



Do you see any resemblance to puree or medium consistency oatmeal?

I didn't think so either!