Egg and Rutabaga update

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It's been almost three weeks since we found our first egg. It was a few days before we found any more. When we did, we discovered that they had made a nest under the coop in the sheltered part of their yard and had been laying a couple of eggs each day!

Since then we've collected two eggs a day most days and have been enjoying our very own fresh eggs. It took a little convincing to get them to lay in the nesting boxes and not in nests of their own creation, but we're getting the hang of it.

It seems that only the Buff Orpintons are laying. We have two each of four breeds of chickens with four different (possibly five if the Easter Eggers vary) egg colors. Even if any of the other girls showed any interest in the nesting boxes, it is easy to tell whose eggs we find.

It is common for chickens to not lay, or not lay often during the shorter daylight months. It may well be that the other girls will wait until spring to bless us with their eggs. It's doing to be exciting to open up the nesting box to find a clutch of different colored eggs.

Another update: after cutting open the happiest rutabaga, I couldn't help but cut a slice and propped it up on my windowsill. After a couple weeks, he's still smiling! Although he's gained a few wrinkles with his advanced age.

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a topper for our tree

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I love traditions, and I love celebrating. A loved tradition that my husband and I have been able to bring along and make our own is our Christmas Tree. As we continue to purge and downsize our physical belongings and the entourage of stuff we possess, our tradition of a little tree has been able to stay with us. While it was originally a necessity because of the size of our apartment (and budget) it has become a matter of pride. 

 

Our little (rarely over 4ft tall) tree sites on a side table and fills the room with as much delight as a tree twice the size or twice the price.

Collecting ornamental treasures has been a delight of mine since I was very little but never quite had the "what to put on top" question quite worked out. Growing up we often put humorous or something that happened to be at hand - such as a hedgehog dog chew toy, or a duck puppet - but I wanted something that could be illuminated and celebrate the lighting of the darkness, just as the tree itself. 

I made a simple paper star and could not be more thrilled with the results! I can't find the tutorial I used but it's the same as this one. 

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Happiest Rutabaga

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Since the end of our farmshare we have been gathering vegetables from farmer's markets, my step-father, and our own stores and gardens.

From the Coventry winter Farmer's Market we got some rutabagas a couple of weeks ago as I'd wanted to make a better Upper Peninsula (of Michigan) pasty.  I made some improved ones a few weeks ago and while they were fantastically delicious, I knew I could do better. 

I cut into one of the rutabagas and found this:

The happiest rutabaga!

Happy rutabagas are tasty rutabagas.

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