Quitting my TV news career has come with many benefits but perhaps none as important as how it has affected my ability to parent. My relationship with the Producer would have consisted of about an hour in the morning (stressed about what I’d cover that day) and an hour at night (still stressed about what went wrong with my report that day). I’ve started “Hold On to Your Kids” by Gordon Neufeld and Gabor Maté and I highly recommend it. They describe the era since World War II as one where peers have taken over the role of parenting, calling it “peer orientation”. They write, “Orientation, the drive to get one’s bearings and become acquainted with one’s surroundings, is a fundamental human instinct and need. Disorientation is one of the least bearable of all psychological experiences. Attachment and orientation are inextricably intertwined. Humans and other creatures automatically orient themselves by seeking cues from those to whom they are attached.” This has also got me thinking about my pressing question about why so many journalists prefer group think over curiosity. Are we adults also suffering from “peer orientation”?
You think you have drastic hormonal swings? Meet Heidi, our first goat and Peter’s #1 lady. She is a total maniac every 3 weeks when she is ready to breed. Heidi is definitely the alpha female in the herd so she makes sure everyone knows she is in charge. This time she tried to show me that she is my boss and I’m hoping my NO was loud and clear.
Before I got dairy goats I assumed you could milk any female animal that had a baby. Which is sort of true - except I didn’t know that some animals only produce a little milk while others produce a lot, and some have major attitudes and don’t want to be milked at all! Our first goat, Heidi, was on our property when we bought it so she became our goat. I figured, let’s breed her and get milk! That’s how we got Peter. Heidi is not a dairy goat, and so I quickly learned that it was not worth the time and energy to milk her and get 3 ounces. Sundae, the goat in this video, is a mini Nubian, which is a dairy breed. At her peak she gives about 40 ounces of milk per day. However she likes to take PTO days unannounced and runs from the milking stand, forcing me to chase her down, put on the halter, and walk her back to work. I have learned my lesson about dairy animals. If you’re new to this, get one who has done the milking routine MANY times. Think “Ole Bessie.” She doesn’t ...
Hei Hei sneak attacked me today. Dude is living on borrowed time. He is one of 2 roosters we got assuming they were female chicks but turned out the feed store messed up. Our other rooster, Barred Rock, is such a gentleman but he runs Hei Hei around to make sure we all know he’s in charge. I think Hei Hei wants to dominate somebody so he takes it out on us. I tried taming him by pushing his face in the ground but I have only done it a couple times and I guess “training” a rooster takes consistency. Croc pot training is probably best.
We might get snow tonight! Sassy is wearing her blanket for the first time since being on the west side of the Cascade mountains in Washington state. I never blanketed her when we lived in eastern Washington. I have pictures of her with icicles on her mane there, with snow up to her belly, and wind howling. But it’s been a couple years, she is acclimated to Florida, and frankly, she’s an old lady. Since I am also an old lady, I know what it’s like to want your warm jammies on a cold night. I’ll have an update tomorrow! (Also I have no idea what the sign on the wall means, the old farm owners had it up. Maybe someone can interpret for me.)
Privacy Isn't Supporting Criminals: Addressing the Backlash on My Protester Video - YouTube
Protecting Yourself in Protest Areas - Understanding the Government Surveillance Threats - YouTube
