And so it goes.
It's been a month since I've last sent out our "weekly" newsletter. I've thought about y'all more than once but this is the first time I've felt like I had the mental energy to sit down and right. It's been a full month full of change, emotions, paperwork - just plain full.
We are settled in a rental house in town. It doesn't have quite as much space as we are used to but given the real estate situation in Protection, we feel very, very fortunate to be here. We are unpacked and not living like vagabonds - both good things. We have been overwhelmed by the love and support we have received from neighbors, community memebers, customers, dentist, and this list could go on and on. People have show up time and again to meet needs we didn't even know we had.
From my Good Friday facebook post - I don't share this with you thumping on my chest saying "look how great people think we are to do this." I share to show you how amazing people are:
Then I reflected a little more on how well people have taken care of us these past 5 weeks - anticipating needs even before we knew them. The men that brought work clothes, coveralls and all, for Kurt because they knew what he would need. The women who dropped off items at Peoples Bank - the spices, the hangers, the kitchen towels. The friend who ordered beautiful clothes and had them shipped to me. The friends and family who were there in the first few hours because they knew we couldn't do this on our own. The friend who sent a special ring, not to replace the one I lost but to remind me that others cared. The checks and gift cards that poured in to take care of basic needs and comforts we were missing. The Pampered Chef party that blessed us with nicer kitchenwares than I've ever used. This is just the tip of the iceberg of how you have reached out to care for us. I've been keeping a list - some 15 pages in my spiral notebook and I know I missed several of you. Several have said "you don't need to send a thank you." Oh but I do - I need to remember to be grateful for every act of kindness. It helps me remember that even though the house and the contents are gone - we are blessed in so many other ways.
We're still recovering from the fire - emotionally and physically - and I expect we will for awhile but Kurt and I talked last night - we don't feel devastated or tragic. Probably because of how well loved we've been.
Beef
Beeves will go to the processor the last two weeks of May. If you reserved yours, I'll be contacting you in a week or two to get you up-to-speed. If you're still interested in reserving a quarter or half for this spring, we still have just a few left. Email me and reserves yours. Click here for our beef FAQ's.
Hogs
Hogs will also be going to the processor at the end of May and we have several of those left. Email me if you'd like to reserve a half or a whole. Click here for our hog FAQ's
New life!
Spring has sprung - well, that is, if you can ignore the late freezes and snow. BUT, there is new life on the farm! Kurt's cows and heifers started calving last week and right now, there are about a dozen new calves frolicking in the pasture. We thought we were also going to have new bunnies - when Kurt rescued them the morning of the fire, he threw Natalie's female rabbit in the same cage with Allison's male rabbit. . . . Natalie's rabbit has acted like she was pregnant and built a nest and everything. The rabbits have been fostering at the girls' 4-H rabbit leader's house. Friday was the big day. . . . and no babies. I'm not sure if I'm disappointed or relieved!
We've also got baby chicks running around our garage. We hated to have the less than sturdy chicks clear out at the farm. They need to be checked on every few hours. So, Kurt built a few box brooders and they're hanging out in our tiny garage - things seems to be working out perfectly . . . .
Amazon.com
is my new on-line best friend. I've also made good friends with Target, Penny's and several others. I hate to shop - ok, hate is a strong word but it's not on my favorites list at all. Especially when shopping requires a minimum of an hour drive. We have made many orders every week and the UPS man keeps bringing them to us. We also have an added bonus of being able to search past orders and reordering. Having some familiar, albeit shinier, items around has helped ease our transition a bit.
Moving forward
Since we talked last time, the basement has been removed, the farm store slab has been framed and will be poured this next week (fingers crossed) and the house plans are being pondered. I had a student ask me if we were going to build our dream house. I had to tell him I already had. That said, there were a few things that Kurt and I have talked about changing and improving this time around. Nothing major, just little things. Floor plan will basically be the same except the laundry room will be bigger and there will be a garage.
Soap making
Soap inventory and soap making supplies were all lost in the fire but I reordered supplies yesterday. My hope is to get in the shop as soon as it's done and get a few batches made. Any favorite scents I need to make sure to make?
School
Only 20 school days (5 weeks) until we're out for the summer - not that I'm counting or anything! I LOVE the kids at school but I'm ready to focus my energy on 1-2 things right now. The girls are also looking forward to days with a little more relaxed schedule.
Delivery Dates
Our plans for a delivery trailer have been derailed a bit but Kurt's on the search once more.
We'll be through the following in the next few weeks.
*Dodge City - April 25th
*Olathe - My brother-in-law, Dan will be out on the 26th and is willing to haul meat back for us.
*Wichita - working on finding a date that first week of May.
Are you ready for this? We might be
Last week, Kurt and I sat down and visited with a representative from Whole Foods. (insert girlie scream here). They are opening a store in Wichita this fall. We were very impressed with what he had to say and what a relationship with them might look like. Just a little excited!
Many blessings this Easter Sunday!
Andi
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