2012 Spring Writers Conference!

Hey all you Writers or Want To Be Writers out there this is right up your alley! What better investment for you and what you love to do....writing? This sounds like it is going to be a wonderful Conference for all the seasoned writers as well as those just trying to get some pointers.
I know some of the folks that will be attending/ hosting this Conference and they are fabulous people! If you know a young writer this would be a great event to plug them into! What an investment into their future! I will always be grateful that Mikhaila has been able to really find some great support for her writing through the writers groups in the area. We both were blessed by getting to know Bernice Abrahamzon through the writer's group, her column in the Leader as well as her books. I am forever grateful to have met such a beautiful person!
If you have questions please contact my friend Denis- his info is at the bottom of the page.
If you can't go please check out www.wiwrite.org and join so that you can stay plugged in. We have a ton of very gifted writers in the great state of Wisconsin!

2012 SPRING WRITERS CONFERENCE

Friday May 4th 1:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Saturday May 5th 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

LODGE AT CROOKED LAKE
CONFERENCE CENTER
Siren, Wisconsin
Featuring: Presentations and conversations with
Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate - Bruce Dethlefsen
Authors – Anthony Bukowski, Carolyn Wedin and Carrie Classon.

Awards Ceremony for Annual Writing Contests

Book Fair

Displays by Writers from Northwest Region
Silent Auction

Sponsored by: Wisconsin Writers Association in partnership with Writers from The Northwest Region of Wisconsin.
For more information, please visit the website or contact:
L.J. Kottke  Website:
PO Box 05270 
Racine, WI 53408-52702
mbr@wiwrite.org

Denis Simonsen Website:
8851Waldora Rd
Siren, WI 54872
simonden@sirentel.net

http://www.wiwrite.org/

Spooner Advocate Column- April 19,2012

So for those who do not know I write a Community column for the Advocate. It has been a lot of fun and I am starting to get to know some people in the area through them telling me what is going on in the community! I thought why not post the column on my blog and get double exposure! So here is the one from last week- they will always be posted on the blog AFTER they come out in print.

Hope you have a fantastic week!

 

Hello there neighbors.
Can you believe this weather? I sure hope that the majority of you have not put the garden in!! Snow on April 16th? Well I can't really say I am surprised, however I do like  warmer weather and would like to get more things growing and out of the house. Guess this is where patience comes in.

Our prayers are with Susan Kuha and her family with the passing of her beloved sister. Prayers for strength and safe travel as you go though this sad time.

 

Sustainable Living Fair will be held at LCO Community College on April 25 from 9-4. This sounds like it will be a great event!

Here is some of what is on the Agenda.
15+ Vendors!, Free Electronics Collection-Site (4/25 only + Fees for large TV’s)

Break-out Sessions, "Green Business for the Ojibwe Entrepreneur” – LaPointe Financial (Part of money smart week)
1.Composting 101
2.Green Cleaning Products
3.“Eat your Weedies”
4.Sustainable Business: Getting Started
5.Wild Rice Pilot Project – LCO Cranberry Marsh

 

Hands-On Workshops at the Farm (Registration Required)
1.Beginner’s Gardening 101 (2-3p, 3-4p, 5:30-7p)
2.Attracting Pollinators: Make and Take (2-3p, 3-4p)
3.Build Cold Frames to Extend Growing Season: Make and Take (2-3p, 3-4p, 5:30-7p)  ,

Keynote Speaker, Cooking Demonstrations, Potluck Luncheon Contest- with Seed packets for Entries and Prize for category winners!!

If you would like to register for one of the hand-on workshops get ahold of Amber Marlow at 715-634-4790 x156 or arlowa@lco.edu

 

One oops on my part for the Earth Keepers Clubb coming up on April 28th from 12:30- 4:30 out at th Jacoby place. I said they would be making bricks and I was wrong! What they are really doing is having a presentation on how to make birdhouses out of straw and clay. This is something I want to learn! We have a ton of brds out here and I am short on my birdhouses. If you are planning on going make sure that you call Shari 715-635-7811 or shooter an e-mail sharijacoby@yahoo.com  . Sorry about the mix up.     

 

That is what I have for you this week. Remember if you have some news that you would like to share please try to let me know by Sunday evening.You can call me 715-766-2221 or e-mail me twogirlsandagarden@hotmail.com

Have a great week!

Cute Baby Goats!

Good Morning! I hope that it is sunny in your neck of the woods! How come a person just gets so much done when the sun is out? I do like days that are sort of rainy however yesterday we had snow!! This whole week is suppose to be cooler than it has been- not hard as we have had temps in the 70's already in March!
So I thought I would show you some more cute photos of the new residents at the farm. They are quite funny and each has its own personality! We are new to bottle feeding baby goats as the goats we have had in the past took care of their own babies. We got these dairy goats from a friend who dos not need all these boys as she runs a dairy and milks for making cheese and bath products. So this a fun new way to have animals that will be welll taken care of and then move on before winter. So on to the photos!

The cream colored one is Bert ( he already cam named) he is super soft!



Here is Mikhaila showing the goat how to get the nipple in and keep it in the mouth. Some of them licked the nipple- very funny!



Spock and Flopsy playing on the cement blocks. These two are way cute! And actually are quite calm



Flopsy likes the kitties. He is checking them out because they are always around when the boys get fed. Wonder why??



I the beginning Mikhaila liked to hold the babies on the barrel. Here she is checking to see if the baby got any milk at all! He kept licking the nipple!




Getting goats to stand still for a photo is a joke! LOL We call the second one there that you can see ears.



Now they know the chair that they get fed in so here is begger boy looking for another bottle! LOL



Does he remind anyone else of Spock? I think it just is the coloring on his face - makes it look lik Spock's eyebrows and then of course the ears. LO 

Trying to keep a goat still and reach for a bottle! LOL This picture wastaken on Sun when we were still trying to train them.



Here is Blackie Chan and of course one of the kitties!



Ahhhh finally getting how to make the bottle work! Yum! Some of the babies do better on the barrel, some being held on the lap, some in the arms. Now that they know we are the milk source they also like to stand, but we still have those that need to be cuddled and fed!

  


This is the little guy who is quiet- he will just look at you and then when he finally feels ignord and still wants your attention he will head butt you! LOL He reminds me of Spock on Star Trek!

Alright I have got to get something else done around here! Have a great day and enjoy the sun!



The Kids are here!!! All 15 of them!

Hello there! I was going to try and get on here and post cute kid pictures yesterday but well with getting the kids- that was an adventure. Thank goodness my neighbor took us over to Rebecca's farm, otherwise we would not have gotten the kids until Monday! Rebecca is the lady who owns Raising Kids Farm, she is the maker of the wonderful Serendipity Springs Bath and Body Products. You can go check her products out at Serendipity Springs. Here are some of the goats at Rebecca's farm.


The baby girls pen.




Aren't they the cutest? Love the loppy ears one! LOL





This black and white one will be a beauty when she grows up! She is already sooo cute! Future milkers for Rebecca!



Here is a little girl laying in the best bed in the house! LOL She was in the in hay holder. She was passed out cold!



One of the bucks that helped father the cuties!



Rebecca's hoop house- all that green is spinach! Mikhaila was so excited to eat some. It was nice and tiasty in there!




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Here are the boys all loaded up in the truck. Aren't they cute?? I really like the face on the brown boy 2nd from the left! Too cute!

  Ok well so far that  is what is going on here at BarnyardChicks. I would have added some captions under some of the pictures but hey the computer says no! The goats are getting settled in and some have names- not too many! Mikhaila calls the black on Blackie Chan and the little brown  one reminds me of someone on Star Trek- maybe Spock. LOL Have a good night.

Goodies bought at the quilt show.

So I have not posted the pictures from the quilt show yet- I know I am so behind! But I thought I would go ahead and post the goodies we bought from one of the ladies that had a table of quiltiing items that she was selling. Little did we know that we hit the table at the right time- everything was 1/2 off!

Mikhila the cat lover got ahold of ths before I could! LOL It has a mix of fabric and wool. Very cute. It has some of the pieces that still need to go on there. Then the embroidering has to be done.

This piece was in the box in the picture below. Not sure how they got such a big piece of fabric in there!



All this fabric was inside that little box! I was happy to get this as I have very little  Christmas fabric in my stash!



These pieces are Mikhaila's and they are already sewn together and have batting on them! She likes the blue fabrics.



Just some panels but they would be good for making pillows or they can always be cut up at this great price!

Anothe panel- this one has the back and the batting as well as being all pinned together!

A close-up of the fabric.

Ths panel we grabbed for Mikhaila - she has the bunny bug. Which of course she got from he mom! LOL They are cute.

This one has the backing and the batting too and is all pinned and ready to sew.



Some more patterns. I just really like all three of these! The cow needs to get done for the fair I think!



Just a close-up so you can see the fabric.



So the computer is acting up and doesn't want to rotate the picture! Love technology sometimes! LOL Oh well you got the idea, more fabric bundles, 4 magazines and I got two rolled - up poly  batts



Mikhaila got two bags of various scraps and she grabbed this santa fabric!  Also here is the baga of odds and ends of batting- these have 100% cotton ones in there. I see more mug rugs in my future!

 

Computer won't let me delete or rotate! Nice. I am not going to restart ths all over so I do apologize but you will have to just look at it this way. LOL I was thinkingof cutting these apart, I am not a panel fan, but they would be cute on cards, or mug rugs- or a scrap quilt.


 

I got this pattern for like 50 cents! It has alot of pattens that I like and can use. I been looking for a house pattern and I think the welcome banner is very cute!

So that is the goodies we got! Hope you have enjoyed checking things out. What projects are you working on? Have you added  to your stash? I wish I had the money to add something to my stash! LOL Scraps is where I am right now- I like working with those they give you alot of possibilites. Have a good day- we are off to pick up baby goats. Yes more blogging opportunities!



From the Book Shelf...

Good morning - the sun is shining brightly out there this moning. Alittle nippy and there is frost on the grass- but I sure do enjoy the sunrise of a new day. They are beautful and can inspire a person to think what is possible for that day. What is a possibility for you on your horizon? Whatever it is I hope that you achieve that goal but I pray that you enjoy the hills and valleys on the way to the top of your mountain! My mountain today is to get the sewing done that I have to do so that I can work on some fun projects and finish the trivet I have that is 3/4 done, get an ironing board cover done, and work on my crumb quilt. That is the goal for today and tomorrow.
So the question today is what is on your nightstand? What are you currently reading or what have you just finished reading? Any recommendations? I have been bad lately and when I have seen a good kindle book that is free I have downloaded them to my kndle on my PC. So having done that I have not been on the computer to read them, but hey they are there for a time that I have more time to read. Does that mean I have not been reading? Well of course not! Reading to me is like breathing and well we HAVE to do that, don't we? Plus I have to say although I really would like a Nook or some device like that- and at some point will get one. I really love books! I love to see them , touch them, smell the new pages! Yum! I like to be able to look at the pages and reread them or see them sitting on the shelf waiting to be enjoyed. There is nothing like a really good book to curl up with and to go somewhere or do somethng that you may never really be able to do in real life! Books are an adventure! So this is what is currently being read by me.









Most of these are at least half done. I just have not had time to read lately. Too busy, too tired, also there was the time I was sick and all I wanted to do was sleep! LOL
These are some books that  are waiting to be read- I can't start any until I get the ones I have started done!







Of course there are some Amish books in the line-up. Although I can not start this series as I have book 2 and 3 and not 1!!! Man that means I have to look through the books I have and see if I do have the 1st one- my good friend Sandra sent me a bunch of Amish books about a year ago and I have not read through all of the yet so maybe???? If not I have to get it before I can start the series. I have always been interested in the Amish and I really enjoy reading the authors that write about them.
So that is alittle of what is here on the book shelf. What is going on in your library?  Do You have any book that you think people HAVE to read to live a complete life? Did you read an awful book that you warn people about? Do you keep track of what you are reading? I have to say I am so happy to be on Goodreads. It keeps track of the books I have read, want to read, what I thought of them. I can write a review and hook it to the blog. Very cool. The also have a ton of info on there with new books coming out and book clubs, etc. If you are not on Goodreads go check it out and of course become my friend- I am listed Raine Lampert.
Enjoy your day... and remember share a book with a child. A book is the door to an adventure waiting to happen.