Monthly Archives: January 2014

31 01, 2014

Fence Update – Miller Farm Friday

By |2014-01-31T06:00:51-06:00January 31st, 2014|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Guest Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

For those who may have missed the “Under Construction” blog, our neighbors have put up a privacy fence.

I don’t believe it was their idea as they are moving. I imagine the real estate agent suggested it to make the house easier to sell.

After all, no one wants to live next door to chickens.

Anyway, the morning after the fence was complete I walked out back to let the chickens out and found Gus, the neighbor’s dog looking through a hole in the fence.

fence hole-cropped

I guess he didn’t like not being able to see his friend Tucker any more than Tucker liked not being able to see him.

It turns out that the contractor used the wrong sized nails and had to return and fix the mistake.

We found out this weekend that the house has sold. The new owners are friends of ours – who have chickens. We’re so excited! 

29 01, 2014

Shiver – One Word Wednesday

By |2023-01-15T10:42:07-06:00January 29th, 2014|one word Wednesday|2 Comments

We spent last week in Houston, Texas where an uncharacteristic winter ice storm came through.

The whole city shut down. Southerners know how to sweat. Not slip, skate, and slide.

My experience is that’s true of ice and rain! Rain leads to flooding in Houston. Ice and snow cause frozen freeway ramps. Houston drivers handle neither very well.

Winter storm weather is our norm in Colorado, but Texans just aren’t trained for it. Actually, they are disastrous at it, if the broadcasts from traffic cams testified.

It was COLD. I have to give them that. I’d forgotten how the humidity makes thirty degrees feel like -30. I spent the entire time shivering.

Friends and family questioned how I managed the cold in our Colorado mountains.

Simple: Dry cold. Road equipment to clear the ice and snow. And a roaring fire!

Lots of people in the southern states and east coast have been shivering for weeks now while we watch our November snowstorm that dropped 20″ of snow evaporate. Go figure!

So if you’re shivering today, stay warm.

If you’re a writer, don’t let the shivers keep you from the keyboard. Bundle up, grab a mug of hot chocolate and let the words blaze.

icy typewriter

27 01, 2014

A Lesson in Fad Collectibles for Investment – Part 1

By |2014-01-27T06:00:08-06:00January 27th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

I’m an avid antiques collector/buyer/seller. Though I’m not so active in the business part of antiques anymore, I am still out there buying for my personal collections, evaluating estates, and doing appraisals.

Too often, when I do an estate evaluation or appraisal, I have to explain to heirs how little a loved one’s collection is truly worth. That’s why I wanted to talk about fad collectibles.

A fad collectible is an item or group of items that rise in popularity, flourish, then fade until the value of the item often drops below the original purchase price.

If you’re an antiques dealer in the business of buying and selling, that’s not so bad. Sometimes you have to take a loss and sell for what you can get.

If you’re the consumer who bought a certain collectible(s) as an investment, fading fads can sting.

Here are three examples of fad collectibles that rose and faded so that the value is currently quite low.

Hummel figurines (also known as M.I. Hummel figurines or simply Hummels) are a series of porcelain figurines based on the drawings of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, O.S.F. hummel one

W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik in Germany first made the porcelain figurines of children with sweet faces in 1935. They became popular in the U.S. after soldiers returning from World War II brought them home as gifts for wives, mothers and grandmothers. Original quantities sold quickly and soon old figurines, identified by the mark, rose in price.

Collectors snatched up available figurines, forcing an increase in producing more figurines. Plates with Hummel figures were also made. Soon the market was flooded with Hummels. Interest dropped.

The secondary market for the figurines and plates virtually disappeared.

A vibrant speculator market in the figurines emerged again in the 1970s. Prices skyrocketed then floundered. Today most Hummels sell for less than $50.

beaniesBeanie Babies are the line of popular stuffed animals, made by Ty Inc. in late 1993. The inner “posable lining” and plastic pellets (or “beans”) rather than conventional stuffing give Beanie Babies a flexible feel.

Hundreds of different animals were made, some in limited or special editions, some were “retired” and became hard to find.

By 1995, Beanie Babies were a hot collectibles fad. I was selling them in my shop as fast as I could buy them, especially the McDonalds’ kids’ meal beanie sets.  The collectible craze ended in 1999, when Ty Inc. stopped production.

Production restarted in 2000 and in early 2008, Ty released a new version of Beanie Babies called Beanie Babies 2.0, which provide its owner with a code to access a Beanie Babies interactive website.imagesPIBWS14Y

Renewed interest in these new Beanies did nothing for those of us who have a stash of the early Beanies in a box in the attic or closet.

imagesA4X6CILULimited Edition Items This can include collector plates, Christmas plates and ornaments, anything Franklin Mint—dolls, coins, figurines and die-cast cars—Norman Rockwell merchandise, paperweights, figurines, bells, enamel boxes, spoons, mugs and steins have all been offered in limited editions. Any item promoted as limited editions, limited by quantity or period of production is considered a collectible fad.

Limited editions were a new idea during the 1970s and quickly became a fad. Clubs were formed and conventions were held so collectors could buy and sell older editions of items. Collectors saw prices rise, ads promoted “investment” possibilities, and many people bought large collections.

Those same collectors were shocked in the 1990s when prices plummeted and their “investment” turned out to be a loss. Today’s younger buyer often considers such items kitsch.

imagesICP4MTYXHaving the original box and paperwork increases value, but most items languish in closets, yard sales or resale shops.

That said every Christmas since the 1980s I order the collectible White House ornament and a Texas capitol ornament. Someday my heirs will hear the same thing I tell others.

I’m not saying don’t invest in collectibles.

Truth is there’s no way to predict what collectible or antique will remain a profitable purchase and what won’t.

Based on my years of experience, my best advice is to buy what you like and enjoy the piece(s).

Next week we’ll talk about Precious Moments, Cabbage Patch kids, and Longaberger baskets.

24 01, 2014

Tales from the Dark Side (of the chicken coop) -Miller Farm Friday

By |2014-01-24T06:00:07-06:00January 24th, 2014|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A guest blog by Beekeeper Brian

Warning: The following story is a true account; only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

It also contains tales of death. If death of vermin upsets you, STOP reading now!

On Monday nights, Chicken Wrangler Sara teaches ladies about God’s Word. Therefore, I pull double farm duty.

Since my bees are snug in their hives, they are not a duty problem.

As you might remember, the chickens go into the coop when the sun goes down every night. However, a chicken wrangler or beekeeper has to go close the door to the coop. We haven’t been able to teach the girls to take care of that.

I went out to keep them safe and close the coop.

You would not believe that living in the city, we would have all kinds of uninvited dinner guest. Word should be out that there are no more dinner parties on the Miller Farm.

Yet, as I drew close to the coop door, I spotted the glowing eyes of an uninvited dinner guest—the chicken eating opossum! possumSnarling Virginia OpossumThis was the fourth opossum this winter that planned to have chicken as his main course!

In case you have never tangled with an opossum, once they find fresh food, they keep coming back for seconds.

Since Chicken Wrangler Sara was not at home to bring me a lead slinger (air-powered since we are in the city), I had to grab what was at hand – my flashlight.

Unfortunately, I only had the small one.

Fortunately, there is a nice rock right outside the coop, which would do the trick. Several hits later, the chicken thief was unaffected!

I needed to find something else. (Don’t be fooled. Opossums play dead, but they do have a very strong tail, which can be used to carry them some place to secure a bigger club.)

I grabbed his tail and hauled him out of the coop, heading for the woodpile. I grabbed half of a wooden bee pallet to use as a club. That was a little more effective at subduing him, but the rascal was still sniffing for chicken dinner.

I spotted a shovel blade by the shed and carried him to the other side of the yard to finish the deed with the shovel blade. It was crude but effective.

The hens were safe for another night, none the wiser that there’d been an intruder intend on eating them.

I posted on FB: opossums 0, Beekeeper Brian 4.

When Chicken Wrangler Sara arrived home, I told her of the evening adventure. All in a day’s work on an urban farm.

22 01, 2014

Resolutions Checkup – One Word Wednesday

By |2018-01-17T08:43:16-06:00January 22nd, 2014|one word Wednesday|0 Comments

We’re three weeks into the New Year. How are your resolutions working out?

Goal setting reminds me of eating at a cafeteria. All those choices and, as my grandmother would always say when I could barely lift my food tray–my eyes become bigger than my stomach.

That happens with setting goals. We’re so energetic and eager to start over after the hustle and bustle of the holiday season that we overextend. We set our expectations too high.

If you’re like most of us, those good intentions for a new start to the year are slowing falling away. Why? I think it’s because we set vague or unattainable goals like these.

medium_New_Year_Comic_for_WritersSo if you’re feeling down because your resolutions aren’t happening, look at your goal. Have you set the standard too high?

Adjust and move on.

If you’re a writer, take to heart the advice in the poster. I bet you’ll discover your eyes aren’t bigger than goals.

20 01, 2014

Ideas for Change on MLKJ Day

By |2014-01-20T06:00:07-06:00January 20th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday, Monday Motivations, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Martin Luther King, Jr. preached about justice, empowerment, love and peace. MLK

Dr. King believed life’s most persistent and urgent question was

‘What are you doing for others?’

Through his nonviolent activism during the civil rights movement, he changed things for others.

Today offers an opportunity to reflect on the past, think about the present, plan for the future, and reminds us of what is truly important.

 Here are some ways to honor Dr. King and impact change in your community.

Find other ideas here

Check here for  MLKJ Day projects in your specific area.

You can also check out Todd Goldfarb  50 Ways You Can Be The Change here.

Whatever you choose to do today, I leave you with one of my favorite King quotes:

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve.

You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve.

You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

17 01, 2014

Under Construction – Miller Farm Friday

By |2014-01-17T06:00:29-06:00January 17th, 2014|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Our neighbors are moving.  It is a good thing for them, but sad for us.  It means their house is for sale and real estate agents get grumpy when they have to sell a house next door to chickens.

We’ve been through this with the neighbors on the other side. We prayed and prayed and God sent a single woman who loves the chickens.  She even comes outside to watch them.

The new neighbors on the other side will not have that pleasure.  A privacy fence is going up.

fence1I don’t take it personally.  Not everyone loves chickens the way we do.

The process is actually very stressful for the entire Miller farm.  Strange people are walking around next door, which requires a certain amount of barking on the part of the dachshunds. Of course, some of the dachshunds (Bella) believe that life requires a certain amount of barking all the time.

Then there is the dreaded air compressor.

Fortunately, I have experience with air compressors. Experience being that there is one in the garage, which moves on the front porch when Bee Keeper Brian is building something.

I know that it randomly comes on and makes noise so I’m not startled. The chickens, on the other hand, have never seen the air compressor in our garage and so when the one next door started making noise, they all rushed to the opposite side of the yard.

The fence is finished now. fence2

No more strange people or noises next door. We actually can’t tell what is next door.  All we see is this beautiful fence.

bella and fence2

Tucker is confused. He can’t see his friend Gus, the miniature schnauzer who lives next door, anymore.

Bella keeps barking at the fence hoping to scare it away.

The good news is the chickens won’t be flying into the neighbor’s yard on that side. They can’t see that the grass is greener.

As I stood in our back yard I couldn’t help but think of the show “Home Improvement” and wonder if our new neighbors will be named “Wilson.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 01, 2014

Express Yourself for National Hat Day

By |2014-01-15T06:00:28-06:00January 15th, 2014|one word Wednesday|2 Comments

Today is the day set aside to wear and enjoy a hat of your choice and style.

It’s not really a “National” day. There’s been no act of Congress declaring it so. Some hatter wanting to sell his product probably originated the celebration.

Hats do come in all sizes, shapes, colors and styles. There’s a hat to fit every head size and personality.

hats2

Hats can …

  • make a statement.
  • identify your occupation or promote a cause or product.
  • keep your head warm or the sun from your eyes.

In the early 19th century, a woman didn’t go out without her hat.hat1

Today women can choose whether they wish to wear a hat or not unless they are attending the Kentucky Derby then a hat is necessity. After all, The Derby is a chance for a woman to express her inner Southern Belle.

National Hat Day is a fun day to express yourself. Wearing a hat is much like getting into costume, you might be pleasantly surprised to see what type of character you become.

Grab YOUR chance to display your favorite headgear. From the fantastic to the sublime, no rules or no limits.

Why not wear several different hats throughout the day?

13 01, 2014

A Week Gone Awry and the Magic Fix

By |2014-01-13T06:00:12-06:00January 13th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

It’s been an upsetting week around the porch. You know one of those weeks where if it could go wrong, it did.

The black screen of death appeared on my husband’s laptop.

We received bad and sad news from friends and extended family.

Satellite cable went out, which meant none of our favorite programs would be recorded until Direct TV can find our little mountain hideaway sometime next week. No Downton Abbey, no Castle, no Good Wife, no NCIS. Now that’s too much!

Unsettled and struggling for a blog topic, I surfed the web mindlessly for inspiration.

I ran across this wonderful video Scott McKinley Productions created for a Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation ad campaign.

The soundtrack is licensed by Kenny G. who just happens to be my most favorite jazz saxophonist. The music alone is awesome.

The short video, shot on location in Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park and the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, won Best of Category at the International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula Montana.

It’s a gentle and soothing reminder of the wondrous world around us. A dose of peaceful nature. Watch and see if you don’t agree.


An extra special thank you to Patti Shene for sharing on her blog.

10 01, 2014

A Dog and His Ball – Miller Farm Friday

By |2014-01-10T12:31:08-06:00January 10th, 2014|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Guest Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Linus has a blanket.

Christopher Robin has a bear.

Tucker has a ball – an orange jingle ball to be exact.  He actually has several balls – a blue one, a green one – but the orange one is his favorite.  Perhaps it’s the jingle noise it makes that is so attractive. tucker and ball

Whatever it is, Tucker has been known to fall asleep with this ball between his paws.  Whenever he is feeling stressed, he finds his jingle ball.

If you throw the ball, he will bring it back – again and again.

Rachel trained him to drop it right at her feet.

For a while, our morning routine consisted of whoever sat in a particular chair threw Tucker’s ball for him. If I happened to be in the kitchen fixing breakfast, the thrower would yell “incoming” as a warning.

On several occasions they forgot and I got pegged by the infamous orange jingle ball.

If he is feeling ignored, Tucker will throw his ball under a piece of furniture or the stove.  Then he will bark until someone retrieves it.  I would say he has us well trained.

One time a visiting young boy accidentally threw the orange jingle ball on the roof.  Tucker was inconsolable.  We lasted about two days before someone had to climb up and get it.

After that we insisted that the orange ball be his inside ball.

Unfortunately the green ball was too difficult to see outside in the yard, so I allowed Tucker to bring his orange ball outside for me to throw as I took care of the chickens. I did accidentally throw the ball into the chicken yard a couple of times.  The chickens thought it was food.

This fall the leaves in our Texas town were particularly pretty.  Not quite as stunning as when we lived in Connecticut but beautiful for here.  It did present a problem – though.  The orange jingle ball was difficult to spot.

orange ball in leaves

We have begun the search for a replacement ball in case this one really disappears.

So far we have had no success.  So we will continue to guard Tucker’s security ball for everyone’s sake.

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