Ugh. I hate that stuff! Several people around here have huge "F@ck B____" banners hanging on their porches. So gross. We live in a very selfish society where many people do not consider anyone.

I am still finishing the hand stitching on the Halloween quilt. It has been very time intensive. As soon as that is done, hopefully Thursday or Friday, I am making a blitz of simple baby quilts 30"x36" (76 cm x 91 cm) for the NICU. They have asked for 100% cotton quilts with low loft batting and no flannel. Apparently anything fluffy/fuzzy is easy for babies to catch their stitches on. They also asked for pastels/low stimulus colors and patterns. A bunch of quilt stores have a contest going to see how many they can collect. So I am in the contest for the store I frequent the most. I have a layer cake in tiny, pastel florals that I think I can get 3, maybe 4 quilts out of since I have pastel solids to put with it for washing and boarders. I have a set of fat quarters with farm animals all in very pale blue, cream, peach, yellow, and pale pale green. I can get two quilts out of that if I supplement with solids. Then I am going to go through my stash and see if I have some woodland animals in mostly neutral and pastel colors that I can use. I have a massive piece of quilt backing that is just tone on tone cream, and I will use that for backs for all of them. My hope is to make 8 quilts. I figure between that and all the gardening, I am going to be very busy. The parents really appreciate special things for their little ones when they can't come home for a long time. Our grandson had some very cute things given to him when he was in the NICU for a month, so I want to give back and make sure the nurses have a nice stash. The goal between the quilt stores is to donate 500 quilts.

Me too. It seems to never end. I don't know why extremists even want to live like this.

I am reading the Mychorizal Planet and The Holistic Orchard. I don't know how far I will get this month. I have a lot to do to be ready for transplants and seeds in the raised beds, apple tree that need some baying, and some beautiful spring weather that beckons me away from curling up on the couch and reading.

Yes, this can all be very regional. Unfortunately, my area does not really give much of a leg up in this regard at all. Costs are high. Licensing exams and annual fees are very high. DTE does do tuition free electrical journeyman program, and their journeymen make a lot of money. But, what kids don't understand is that the competition is insanely fierce, and most of the recent high school graduates that apply for the program fail the entrance exam. They also fail to understand that DTE does not need to hire a 1000 a year either. They don't seem to understand that not applying oneself in school will come back to haunt them if they want a job besides part time fast food or gas station attendant. My area is so anti-education, for the most part, that the parents spend a lot more time telling their kid to be belligerent and not do homework, not do the projects, not earn the all while maligning the teachers, that it isn't making the job of repairing a broken education system any easier. And many of them do not understand how easy it is to be badly hurt on the job in some trades, and how little SS disability pays nor that apart from a few corporate trades jobs that everyone is vying for, they will need to purchase their own medical insurance. I just wish there was a way to get the messaging out there. We need trades, and in some areas, very very badly. But we need universal healthcare and better safety net too so that it is a fair risk for students to take. Currently our biggest glut is cosmetology. There just aren't very many jobs in it, and by the time rent and supplies are paid, the net is low. I think there was a pretty big shift in my state, and many customers did not come back after the shut down lifted either because they got used to doing their own or adopted a simpler look, or the economics took over, and they could no longer afford it. Probably a combo of factors.

My condolences to our Aussie friends. It is so hard to comprehend all the violence in our world. Hugs

Oh boy! He just never learns. Yikes.

Gonna guess this is your brother, and boy, he just really needs to get off the internet.

I think this is the heart of the issue. High school is failing proposition these day, and it comes on the heels of an elementary education that is an utter failure in imparting a firm foundation to students so they can handle higher expectations which is followed by a spin-the-wheels middle school. Only about 20% of our local high school students are realistically college material in terms of truly being capable of doing the work that should be considered college level, but 50-60% or more apply to and attend college because there is so little work available without a degree. A job that comes with actual health insurance and some sort of account for saving retirement is not taking high school diploma kids. Almost no employers within the trades offers benefits. Everyone in the trades here are 1099 contractors who have to figure it out themselves and operation costs are very high. Everyone says "look at what the trades bill for their work, go into the trades" and then encounter several things: 1. Trades are nearly always, apart from say house painting, landscaping, that type of thing, related to public safety. So there are strict rules, difficult programs to complete. To wink at kids who are struggling academically and tell them that they can go into trades is just such a lie. The 2 year program for automotive requires algebra, mechanical engineering topics, high reading comprehension skills (ever read an actual automotive mechanic manual? Uhm....very tehcnical). The electrical journeyman program requires solid algebra 1 and 2, basic geometry, physics and some chemistry, VERY high reading comprehension skills, etc. Only 12 people out of every 200 who begin the program in my state actually pass the licensing exam. The year our daughter entered EMT training, of the 37 people in the room who took the entrance exam and had to write the two required essays, only 3 were admitted to the program. Med math and the demonstrated communications skills to fill out medical field reports were sorely lacking. The contractor's exam is NOT for the feint of heart and those who struggle to test well. Solar technician, same thing. Dental hygienist has a high failure rate. Same for many other programs like lab tech, paramedic school, radiologist assistant. So it is a total lie and disservice to kids to say, "If you struggle in academics, the trades are for you." 2. Nearly all the start up costs of being involved in the trades are on the student to come up with. The required tools for entrance to the CC/tech school for the diesel mechanic program is $3500 not paid for by any financial aid or scholarship. This is not the only program with high costs of attendance. While some states do offer financial.aid for paramedic school, ours does not, and the current cost of the program is $8000 plus uniforms, not eligible for the student loan program. 3. Most trades programs are over hyped, over admitted so they tend to flood areas with a whole bunch of mechanics, a whole bunch of mechatronics techs, a whole bunch of cosmetologists, a whole bunch of vet techs, a ton of dental hygienists, a bunch of plumbers, and there is no work for them, no employers to hire them. The cost of operating a business of this nature is so high, employers run on skeleton crews because it is more profitable even if the wait times are a huge frustration to customers. Commercial construction companies pay a lot better and come with benefits. But, where climates/weather do not allow for working on structures like roofs, painting and exterior finish work, paving and sealing driveways, etc. 12 months per year, these jobs come with a lay off every Nov. - March, and so the worker has to budget for being on unemployment 4 months every year. This is RARELY disclosed to students at the beginning of the program. And every one of these programs require reading comprehension at a college level, memorization skills, board exams, significant numeracy skills. The answer to our broke education system and high number of kids for whom a four year degree is not a good fit or unattainable is not "trades". The answer is to fix the dang education system so that students have the choice of a plethora of programs to choose from for an employment future with high success rates, and universal healthcare to take that expense off of employers while legislating some other changes that are pro-small business, and not pro-wealth hoarding corporations. The large percentage of our local students who do not apply to and attend college but also flunk out of trades and professional licensing programs are pretty much doomed to being the low paid, low appreciated, no benefits workers that corporate overlords like Walmart, McDonalds, and others, especially retail, just love. Under-pay because " reasons", perpetually part-time so no health insurance and no retirement plans, and all that goes with it. Yes, the local Taco Bell advertises every day that they have openings, tuition reimbursement, health insurance for full time workers, etc. But that is just false advertising like all the others. They claim to the government that they can't find full time workers and this generation will not commit so they are not deserving anyway. The reality is their workers beg to be put on full time so they can get the benefits. The only full time workers the regional managers are willing to approve, the franchise owners are willing to actually pay, are the manager on each shift. Even the assistant managers are part time. Sam's Club only gives full time hours for 3 months prior to Christmas, and then cuts everyone but management back to 30 or less per week so that no worker ever gets past their 90 day probationary period as a full time worker to become eligible for those benefits. It is a racket, and corporate America is very invested in having a broken educational system as an excuse to treat workers this way, and we need to ask ourselves if we should be a nation so invested in the worship of capitalism and the promotion of wealth hoarding that this is the economic engine we prefer for our children, grand children, and great grand children. Part and parcel of what is happening, what colleges and CC's, and tech schools. and professional licensing programs are seeing is the political influence of corporate America on the education system of the country. I can't say more about that due to board rules, but as always in the USA, follow the money trail to find out WHO is making the asshat decisions that continues to make K-12 education ever more broken and why they are doing it. Of course, as usual, I am preaching to the choir because this is the choir that chose to remove their children from the broken system to homeschool or took upon themselves after schooling or private schooling in order to give their children a leg up, a better foundation, a path with many, many options. You get it. But we represent just a small number of parents capable of and willing to buck the system. I don't have a clue anymore how to create meaningful change on behalf of the rest of America's kids. I am even less clueless of what would need to be done for our hivers in other nations who face similar issues. As always, some of this is very state and region oriented. There are always places doing better, and ones even worse. So that is a big part of the equation in a nation with 50 states and a bunch of territories where when something is done well, it isn't capable of spreading that success though seems quite good at spreading chaos and brokenness.

Yikes! That does not bode well. She does home births with a "midwife", but I don't know if the midwife is an actual trained one. Michigan requires a master's in nursing to be a CNM plus a minimum number of years experience as an obstetrics/LDRP nurse. So I don't know if this gal is getting good information. Sadly though, we do not have the kind of relationship in which I can bring it up in any kind of gentle, in passing way. Sigh.

I have have never heard of it. I do have spinach seeds which I have yet to try. No idea what species they are. I am just Wild Wild Westing my way to gardening at this point! Calamity Jane really.

He is trying. Today he made a cheesecake (one of my favorite things" with a gluten free oreo crust, and that may have greased the skids a little because if he makes puppy dog eyes to go with tomorrow's slice, I might look at some 1 year old asparagus crowns at the nursery. 😇

I think that breeding for different skin is an excellent idea. Flystrike is just darn horrible!

Thanks for the info on Alaska.

We are considering this Alaska 2033. Not sure if we would drive all the way there and back. We need to do a lot of research on that one. It isn't in the lower part where it will be easier to determine routes, find places to stay, etc. We would also consider Egypt 2027. We have friends in the path of totality, and might be able to stay with them.

Love it. We are used to doing bizarre things at farm and home improvement stores. One time Mark wanted to build a big lunar lander exhibit for a 4H themed science event at the fairgrounds. Several leaders each took a theme and went with it. We did the moon. I borrowed a bunch of those hard sided kiddie pools in various sizes from friends, and bought a bolt of grey gossamer. We arranged them to create the surface by covering the floor and wading pools with the grey fabric, and then dumped a bag of play sand in each wading pool so weigh it down. Mark put on his work boots and we made sand castings so there would be foot prints. We wired an American flag into one of the craters, and then he wanted this lunar lander. So off to home depot where he laid out the most amazing array of pvc pipe, elbows, tees, etc. on the floor. Pretty soon we had a little crowd staring at it and wondering what the heck he was doing. Finally, an associate came up and said, "Sir this is the craziest plumbing project I have ever seen." Mark replied, "It isn't plumbing. It's going to be a lunar lander when I get it all assembled. We'll cover it with aluminum foil and reflective tape." That guy's eyes went wide. He stammered and left. It was completely awesome when it was done. The next year he was in the same HD for pvc to make a portable 3-tier puppet stage. Same reaction. We have had other equally nutty things we have done with common supplies. The local Self-Serve Lumber manager always greets Mark and asks, "So what wild thing can we help you create today?" 😂😂😂 I have a reputation at the local hardware as the "Adhesives Woman". This is what years of rocketry does. I mean, I should have bought stock in every kind of epoxy. All the kinds.

Thanks for that tip about the angle grinder!!

TSC people!!! I have a tip. I just looked online and the panels were also 28.99 at two locations in the city, but not out here in our 3 rural locations within a 25 mile drive. It seems to be location dependent. Maybe you could do a search on their website for each TSC within a range you are willing to drive to see if they have them at the lower price. Meanwhile, Mark is eyeing me with deep suspicion. I think he believes I am pricing out supplies for either a bunny run (I have been missing having a lap bunny recently) or a chicken coop. 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Is it wrong to manipulate your better half by saying something like, "I won't get a bunny if I can have that $100 mosaic planter at the nursery?" That's just the art of negotiation, right? 😁

5x???? Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch! That would probably make a 100 ft roll of wire fence cheaper than just a couple panels. Our local TSC was $35.99 for the panels. I wonder if they have a price match? Then again, if you don't have a Family, Farm, and Home store in your state, the price match probably wouldn't work. I kind of wonder if we shouldn't have purchased more than 2. Hmmmmm. I could still get more and then put them away for future projects.

I am just waiting for this to hit egg prices in Michigan. I know a pregnant woman who is still drinking raw milk while waiting on a test for her cows. Her backyard hens have it. I have no idea if there could be any transmission through raw milk, but yikes, given the exposure to her hens and the possibility the cow is sick, I wouldn't want to be risking that. Does anyone know if H5N1 has any adverse effects on fetuses if mom gets it? Not that it matters. This woman is merely an acquaintance. It wouldn't be my place to say anything.

We have the trailer, but we don't have a pick up truck. Mark has bent them before, but since he wants 8 ft sections anyway, and it was just a better price to get them in 16s, I think he will cut them. But who knows. The best part of gardening is I leave him with the heavy lifting and engineering end of it! 😁😁😁

Mark is taking his tools and cutting them into 8ft sections in the parking lot since they won't fit in the Sienna, and we don't have a rack on top. We are towing an 8 ft utility trailer because we are picking up 25 bags of top soil and 4 bags of completed cow manure. So he will strap the panels down on top of the soil. We have a lot of those wratchet strap things. The raised bed has wood posts so we will use long zip ties to secure the panels to the wood posts. We had scrap lumber when it was built so Mark made posts for securing trellis when he finished it. The posts are built into the sides and corners of the bed with screws. We got lucky. They go back up to $32.99 tomorrow. This is the last day of the sale, and they still had a bunch in stock so Mark made a curbside pick up order, and we are just waiting for the text that says it is ready.

Ugh! That is awful. My fiber farmer friend never did anything like that to her lambs. We also bottle fed her bum lambs when a ewe rejected them or died and she couldn't get another ewe to adopt those lambs. Those little babies were spoiled rotten by us. So precious. Why do people think it is okay to torture animals? We have developed veterinary anesthesias and lidocaine type products plus pain killers for animals. If the little things need treatment to prevent future disease and disability, there are acceptable methods that reduce suffering. Of course it is always about money. Cheaper to torture an animal than be kind to it. Sickening.

You talked me into it. Our local Family Farm and Home store has the16ft panels for $28 right now. This is about the same cost as the $50 in wood and $15 in rope for the do it your self big project I was going to try. Thanks for the tip! Mark is afraid to take me with him to go get them because I want to go into the store to look around, and I was already at TSC today and bought two more blueberry bushes when I was just supposed to be going in for raids seeds. 😂😂😂😂😂 Poor man. Oh well. He has model trains. I have gardening.

Cool. I will see what cattle panels would cost us. I am going to have 20 Amish paste tomatoes planted 24" apart with basil and marigolds scattered between. The raised bed will be 16 ft long with a 3 ft x 3ft square bed on the corner to form an L. So I need a lot of running feet of trellis. I saw a picture of a drying rack used as a trellis for cucumbers. Looked cool a efficient. But then I priced out good, sturdy ones and thought, "Nope, I need to make my own." My 4 cucumber plants were rather feral last year and tried taking over the chili peppers next to them while also crawling down the sides of their raised bed and trying to spread into the yard. They were like the aliens from a Sigourney Weaver movie.