Daffy, Daisy, and Patty: Welcome to my Duck Dynasty

Do you watch Duck Dynasty?  Did you know last year that I met a lot of the cast members and that you can see  My brush with Uncle Si here?  We are totally going back this year, BTW and I have a goal to meet Phil and Miss Kay.  Anyway, that isn't what this blog is about.   It's about Ducks! 

Most people on St. Patrick's day drink green beer.  Me?  I buy ducks.  Okay, I may have had some green beer too but the ducks came first. Seriously, how cute are my little wobbly web footed friends?   So, here is what I know about ducks, pretty much nothing except they will eventually swim and they like cracked corn.  

So last Thursday we brought home the little ducklings and promptly installed them in our chicken brooder.  They have no feathers so just like chicks, they must be warm (hence the light in the photo) and they must be inside until they are fully feathered.  (Unless it were like 100 degrees in Texas already, it's close but not yet.)   The argument discussion then began over what to name them.  Finally my husband told me they are Daffy, Daisy, and Patty.  I was fine with the first two but I was really pushing for Paddy and for her to be a boy but I lost.   Why, you ask, not Donald?   Well, we have only one boy and we decided that right now Donald is associated with a more negative person than the little duckling deserved.  That and my neighbor's white duck who met a sad demise a few weeks ago, I called Donald.   

Alright, you ask, "What am I going to do with ducks?"   Well, we are going to keep them as pets, first and foremost.   I miss the quacking my neighbor's ducks provided and having lost both in a matter of a few weeks made me sad.  We got 2 girls and a boy because we wanted to take a try at duck eggs.  I hear they are amazing.   Plus, maybe we can breed a few ourselves.   

You may also be asking, "Okay so you have more fowl friends, but what kind are they"?   These ducks are Rouen Ducks and they are French.  I don't know if that means my ducks will require special sauces on their food or an Eiffel tower painted home but I do know that when they grow up they will look very much (almost exactly) like Mallards but they will be a little bigger, produce a little less on the egg side, and apparently, they don't really fly.   

You are probably asking "Where are you going to keep them and do ducks and chickens get along?"  Well, the plan is for the hubs to build a little home near the chicken coop for the baby ducks and yes, the ducks and the chickens do get along.  In fact, before my neighbor's ducks passed away/disappeared, we often let them in our backyard to eat with our chickens and waddle around for a bit.   The only thing, so far, that I have managed to figure out that is different about the ducks and the chicks is that you do  not give ducks medicated crumble food because it will kill them but with chicks you need to keep them on that for the first several months of their life to fight disease.  

The dogs, by the way, are really annoyed that they don't get equal time in the blog.  They look all tore up, don't they?

Ries can hardly sleep!

Sadie is packing her bags!

So I promised them that I would give them some blog space soon.  Sadie hasn't posted a blog in 2 years and Ries hasn't posted one ever so maybe it's Doxie time.

Final question: "What does this mean to you, my dear readers?"  Well, obviously you can expect more duck and chicken posts in the near future.   I have even made a section in my toolbar especially for my feathered friends.   I can't promise you that you will become an eggspert (get it?  Oh I am so funny!) on either but if you have any questions at all about ducks, chickens or dachshunds for that matter, I will be happy to try and answer.  

If you love this blog please share it, pin it, stumble it, or tweet.  Just go crazy!

Thank you for reading and as always,
Enjoy the ride!

Laura

This can't be headed anywhere good: TWD

Jesus and Rick Source

If you have been keeping up with The Walking Dead, congratulations.  It has been a wild ride and I am really afraid it is only going to get nastier as the last 3 shows of the season wind down and the horrible Negan finally shows up with his bat.  Batman anyone?

Alexandria

So far this season we have watched as the Alexandriaites freed a pit full of walkers.  Really, who didn't see that being a huge mistake?  I still have to ask myself, why didn't they just find some way of burning those damn walkers in the beginning?  Oh, wait, because if they did that, we would have missed about 6 episodes of the walkers trying to eat everyone in Alexandria and almost managing it.  No, we have to wait until Daryl sets a pond on fire before we can all breath again, seriously?   When the commotion was over and the bodies were counted, the walls had to be rebuilt. 

Morgan

 Morgan showed back up and became the moral conscious of a show sadly lacking that role since Herschel passed.  (Can we please have a moment for Herschel who is still missed?)  Let's be honest, when Teddy Roosevelt said "Speak softly and carry a big stick" he was talking about Zen Master Morgan.  We even got an entire episode of how Morgan became sane again complete with an adorable Tabitha the goat who was mourned by legions of fans.  

Tabitha Source

The Wolves, Glenn, and Maggie:
The Wolves came, got their bottoms kicked and died.  We almost lost Glenn, who was under a trash dumpster for weeks.  We cried, we protested, we mourned, we tweeted about saving Glenn and Glenn lived, but for how long?  Poor Glenn has nearly died so many times this season that it is almost a forgone conclusion he isn't long for this world which is extra sad because Maggie is preggo and has finally decided (as of last week) that she just can't take chances anymore.   A big "Duh! Maggie"! I may or may not have said those words when she told Glenn she was done last week.  I really don't know what she was actually thinking.  Let's imagine a 9 month pregnant Maggie slashing walkers and shooting rouge humans.   I really never thought this was a good idea Maggie.   Think of baby Glenn Junior.

The Dearly Departed:
We lost Owen, Jessie, Ron, and Sam, and seriously Sam, you couldn't shut the heck up for like 20 minutes and be a man-baby?   Judith is better at staying quiet and that kid is still not walking.  (WHY TWD?  Why isn't Judith walking yet?)  Rick killed some dude named Ethan who probably deserved it but we only knew him about 17 seconds before his demise,  and poor Deanna died and  her Walker self later met a merciful end by her own son.  Shades of Lori and Carl come to mind, anyone? 

Carl:

Carl was shot in the head and survived.  I mean this kid took a gun to  the face and he walked away.  Judith obviously is Shane's kid because that little bundle of cute hasn't aged in 3 season and have I mentioned nobody ever puts her down to WALK!  But Carl? He is no doubt Rick's boy. He can survive a point blank shot to the eye with just a really adorable, sure to make all the teen human girls swoon, patch that makes him a total bad ass now.  Anyone seeing his attitude starting to show?  I predict he is about to hit the terrible teens with full force. 

Carol

Carol, who let's face it, went a little cray-cray two seasons back when she started killing humans off, channeled her inner Betty Crocker when she moved to Alexandria and has managed to impress everyone with her beet cookie making ability...or something.  She is now starting to question herself and what she does.   Chips in the armor are starting to show.  Is this just further character development or is Morgan starting to reach her?  

Sex and tobacco: 

People started getting a little lot frisky.   Rick didn't waste any time hitting the sheets with Michonne after watching Jessie get ravaged by hungry walkers.  Let's face it though, that moment where Jesus comes out and runs into one-eyed Carl (how is he already walking...and Judith isn't?) and tells Carl he was waiting on his "Mom and Dad" to get dressed followed by the very awkward interaction between Rick and Carl over the whole, you are sleeping with Michonne moment....this is not a conversation teens really need to have with their father.  Carol is kissing someone who isn't Daryl.  I mean the entire time Carol is bringing Tobin pink beet and acorn cookies and calling him a jerk, you could just feel the tension.  I like Tobin.  He is sweet but he isn't Daryl.  Le Sigh.  And, exactly when did every character on this show start smoking?  Did they forget to show us the Marlborough truck rescue scene?  

Abraham:
Abraham became a total ass in about 35 seconds flat.  I swear to you if hubby turns to me and says one day that the reason he is with me is because he thought I was the last woman on earth and since he knows now, I am not, he is moving out.  Well, he will be moving out on a stretcher folks.   

Jesus and Hilltop:

And now the group has been to the Hilltop, met Jesus; who appears to be an American but is yet another Brit playing an American, because American actors are apparently really hard to find,  and declared war on the Survivors who they have little knowledge of, but based on the few we have come into contact with, are pretty much leeches and bullies.  In other words, the teens of our own world grown up and living in the world of TWD.

Daryl, sweet, sexy Daryl:
Daryl lost his bike and his crossbow.   There was a touching reunion with his bike 2 weeks ago but the crossbow is nowhere to be seen.   He and Carol are shared a tender moment at the end of last weeks episode, but Tobin is in his way. well Tobin and the fact that Daryl just does NOTHING to encourage Carol. 

Negan, the batman:

Negan is going to show up in the last episode and what we know is there is going to be some major blood shed.   I swear, I am going to cry for anyone killed except Abraham.  Abraham did the ginger race wrong and mister 'why are dingle berries brown' can bite his own dingle berry and nobody is going to care.   

QUESTIONS 

Burning question remains:
*Will Daryl ever be reunited with his crossbow?
*Will Rick ever find out that Morgan is building a jail?
*Will Glenn survive?
*Will Maggie, in a fit of raging pregnancy hormones, tell Abraham he is an ass, because Maggie would.
*Will anyone ever teach Judith to walk?  Please someone put that baby down.
*Will Rick remember more than once every 6 episodes he even has a daughter?
*Will Jesus figure out that Rick and Michonne aren't husband and wife and start preaching the gospel to them?
*Will Carl....oh heck, with him, anything is possible, he is super Carl.
*Will Carol ever share these beet and acorn cookie recipes and are they gluten free?
*Will all these budding romances make our heroes weak?

Number one burning questions:

*Will this show ever make sense?  Like, I know logic and zombie TV shows may be asking for a lot but come on, every little group calls the walkers something else and NOBODY has thought to call them Zombies?  WHY?
*Why doesn't it bother anyone, but me, that Carl has almost graduated high school but Judith is still a baby?
*Has anyone on TWD ever actually shot a crossbow?  I have.  Let's just say there is no way Daryl, just no way.
and finally,
*Where are all the American actors anyway?  Did they, in fact, become walkers?  Did they just not want to eat Carol's cookies?   Are they secretly protesting the show because Tabitha was eaten?  Do we really just like the British more than ourselves?
(Disclaimer:  I adore every actor from GB on the show and bully to them for pulling off the accent!)

Alright people, what do you think of this season?  I will try to wrap up the last bit of season six when I am over the horror of whatever is about to happen.  I have seen so many interviews with cast members talking about how terrible it is that I am afraid to watch it.

If you love this blog please share it, pin it, stumble it, or tweet.  Just go crazy!

Thank you for reading and as always,
Enjoy the ride!

Laura

Stepmom diaries: What nobody tells you about being a Stepmom

Being a step mother is (hold on here for the shocker) not the same as being a 'real' mom.  I know, I know, this is newsworthy, for sure.  

When people think of motherhood they think of something like, well, above.  You go to the doctor and find out you are pregnant.  You have nearly 10 months to plan for your baby.  You get to do fun stuff like get the room ready, pick out adorable cloths, find the perfect teddy bear.   The baby comes and you don't sleep again for what?  5 years or so, I guess.  Most importantly, you bond with your child and learn all their little noises, faces, and manners. You get a chance to shape who they become when they are impressionable.  That's what motherhood seems like to me, a woman who has never given birth but who was and is the world's greatest aunt. 

No, when you are a step mom, you get to enjoy a different life and role.   You see, by the time I came into O's life, she was 10.   Now, I know what you are saying, 10 isn't old.  You still have a shot.  Well, this is actually true but there are some things you don't realize that makes being a step mother very different. 

Bonding:

I have said this before and I will say it until I am 94 but I missed all the cute, funny, years when she took her first steps, said her first words, and road her bike the first time.   Shoot, I even missed the first time she threw up or peed on her dad.  (I would have loved to see that!)  I missed a lot of bonding times.  

Respect:

Now let me start out by stating the obvious, just because you are around for the formative years does not mean your teenage hellion is going to respect you, but you have a way better shot.  What I have is an almost 13 year old who I have to frequently remind to watch her tone, language, and attitude.  This is almost always followed by the required eye roll, from her not me.  (And OMG do you know how annoying that eye roll is?  I may have had to stop myself from throwing something at her once or ten times.)

Boundaries:

I will never forget the first time O reminded me I wasn't her mother.  She basically told me that she was not going to eat dinner at the table like a family and I couldn't make her because....I am not her mother.  10 deep breaths, my red hair flaring, and smoke coming from my ears later and I politely but assertively reminded her of a few things.  Things like who makes breakfast twice a week and dinner for her every night when she is at our house.  Things like who it was that drove 45 minutes to another city to get her rabbits tagged for her F.F.A. class.  Things like who it is that bakes brownies or cookies when she needs stuff for her school fundraisers.   Things like who it is that normally takes her shopping for all those new cloths she needs remarkably every 7-10 days.  I then very, very calmly told her that I don't know what her definition of a parent is, but if those things didn't give me some rights to make her eat dinner with us and not in her room, where the plates end up in a trash bin and the dogs end up in the trash, then I seriously do not know what would.  (For the record, after about 5 minutes she was a totally different child.)

Caught in the middle:

Oddly, while O has reminded me a couple time that I am not her mom and that she feels like I am sort of her crazy aunt who just never leaves, when she has a problem (that isn't me) or just needs some girl talk, she opens up to me.   That's awesome but....sometimes she says things like "Don't tell dad."  Or "Please don't talk to my mom."  Okay, so some things I can handle, like dealing with her fluctuating "I hate all boys" vs "I like boys" moments.  Some, I feel compelled to talk to her parents about, like when she confided in me that at a local High School football game a girl was pushed down the bleachers and may have a broken neck and oh, by the way, she saw kids shooting up on drugs there too.   Well, I don't know about you but I felt it was absolutely her parents right and more important their need to know these things were happening to their still 12 year old daughter.  

But....I also realize that when I throw her under the bus about those things, I am going to cause her not to trust me.  Then comes the talk which goes something like this "I will not tell your parents things they do not need to  know but if your safety or life could be an issue, you better believe I am telling them."   This did not make her happy but she still tells me things so I suppose it worked

Love:

You can love a kid that isn't yours.  I mean people do it all the time.  You love your nieces and nephews.  You love your kids friends.  I am so overly protective of O at times that I want to march to the school and have a talk with her principal about why they need to do a better job.  I want to talk to the parents of the bullies and put them in their place.  Tell them to do a better job with their kids.   Mostly, I want what is best for O and I want her to rise above the garbage.  

Nothing prepares you for:

*The teen years!  Seriously, even if I had a chance to bond with this child at birth and love her from her first breath, I don't know that I would be prepared for the never ending drama that is an almost 13 year old girl.   The things that go on in school.  The way girls talk to one another.   The way she and her friends treat each other.  The number of times something was made out of nothing.  The number of times since September alone that the entire world was ending.  I swear to you, nobody can prepare for it.   The drama becomes exhausting.   The stupidity of the situation becomes exhausting.  The fact that no matter how much you try to reason with or punish the kid (Oh, my GAWD, the hate I received for taking away her phone for 3 days!) becomes the most exhausting of all.  Combine all of this with the knowledge that it will reappear no less than twice a month and you may want to run for the hills.

Or, do a lot of this:

Bullying an American Epidemic

It seems like every time I turn on the TV lately there is someone bullying someone else or being bullied by someone else.   It may be because we are in the middle of an election year like no other and tempers are flaring faster than politicians and fake politicians can pounce on the latest one liner for the headline.  Sadly, I look around and see a nation of bullies from the potential top down.

I realize, hope, pray there are more good, honest, loving Americans in this country than what we see on television but as time marches on, my faith in the people of this country is waning.  Somewhere in the advent of the social media age, it became okay to think whatever you want and say it to people you don't  know.   It became okay to advocate violence and punching people who don't agree with you.   Somehow, in the last decade or two, we have become so desensitized to other people's suffering that we flock to watch videos of people dying online or people being hurt or destroyed by catastrophes and war.  We just don't care.

It is interesting because I have tried to pinpoint when we became a country that was both overly sensitive to silliness and under sensitive to our fellow human beings and I can't come up with the exact cause. When exactly did we become a nation of pissed off asshats?  When did being the biggest jerk on 3 continents make someone the potential leader of the free world?

 America during 9-11 wasn't like this.  Oh, we were already on the ridiculous PC-bandwagon,  but we were not hateful toward our fellow Americans.  We knew that our neighbors, friends, co-workers, and the people we worshiped with, believe in and bought into the American dream.   Even when those towers came down and people were hurt, shocked, and angry, most of us didn't blamed the random Muslim in the streets.   That isn't to say there weren't violent outbreaks because there were.   A crazy person here or there did something horrible.   I like to believe the rest of America was like me and tried to reassure the people who were from the Middle East originally, as best we could that we didn't blame them. A friendly smile and a 'How is your day?' and a 'Thank You' went a long way to bringing us back from the brink of despair and relating to each other as humans.

But the bullying goes beyond a Middle East hate.  Suddenly, our TV is inundated with certain candidates who seem to dislike every culture imaginable including our own.   When did it become okay to bash China, Mexico, Canada, people of other faiths, people of another sex, and/or people of another sexual orientation in public, on TV, and all the while encouraging your supporters to punch people?  When did that become funny?  When did that become acceptable?  When did that become a symbol of leadership in this country?   When did we become so damn angry?   When did we start to hate everyone who wasn't exactly like us?

Worse than that, people from other countries are watching US and believe their opinions of American's as brash, superficial, boasting, arrogant, ignorant, and vulgar are being proven in this election year.   Thanks in large part to a certain candidate who preaches hate in every form and every chance he gets, we are becoming a nation known for lacking culture, civility, and sense.   Sadly, I just look around and feel blessed that I don't have more children to worry about learning the wrong moral compass from the people who should know better, our leaders.

Oh, and don't get me wrong, there aren't any leaders on the other side who are any better.   Our choice is rapidly becoming a choice between two people who lie and take advantage of other human beings for fun.   Believing that any politician and that is what they are, outsiders or not, actually cares about us....well, that is a false hope that died with me when the current president took office.  It just doesn't happen.  Every person in office has their own agenda and at the top of that agenda, is their own personal interests and gain.  

So, what can we do?  What can I do?   Well, the first thing I intend to do is teach every child I come in contact with that this behavior of bullying is unacceptable.   I intend to stress to those kids in my life that getting to know people is the only solution to the problems.  Really getting to know them.   I will do what I have tried to do since I was a teenager (way, way, way back in the horse and buggy days) and that is keep an open mind and heart and be willing to talk reasonably with people from all sides about how we fix things.   Until a time comes when we can all stop being so angry and start communicating, we are going to continue repeating the mistakes of the past and continue bullying one another.

Let me be clear on this, I have lost friends because I refused to listen to them hate on another race, gender, culture, or religion.   I have walked away from people spewing garbage in my presence.  I have been on the receiving end of the hate and I have never turned it back on people.   I have tried to treat everyone exactly the same irregardless of how they treated me.   Don't retaliate, rise above.  That is what I have tried to do my entire life.   Apparently, I am a blast from the past, a person that is becoming extinct, an anomaly.