I take no credit for being a great provider for my chickens. I take care of them but nothing like some I have read about on here. This is my setup. My two chicken pens are 10' wide x 30' long each. The end 10' has a metal roof cover for the nest boxes, roost, automatic feed and water. No more than ten chickens per pen. The pens are made with 6" aluminum post and 6' high chain link fencing. 3 strands of electric fence wire around the outside. The front 20' has 3 different varieties of scuppernong vines growing across the tops at 2' intervals that provides shade in the summer. The leaves fall, giving good sunlight in the yard for the winter. Scuppernongs love growing next to a chicken pen and the chickens love the grapes that drop and any I consider excess. I feed my chickens homegrown field corn, summer garden culls/excess. During the winter they get turnip greens, spinach, kale, mustard, peas and loose leaf lettuce. On occasion I will cook the turnip roots till tender and feed them too. Very little commercial feed. They are free ranged most evenings. I use no preventive medications. I contribute the long life to the breed, free space and diet. It is not uncommon for Orpingtons to live 7 to 10 years but I have never had one laying regular this late in life. I really think being around the young hens triggered something in her. I know when I am around my nephews I forget how old I am until the next day. By the way, as of yesterday she is still laying. I may let her raise one last clutch if she goes broody. I will take fancifowls advice and use a younger hens eggs.

Hello All from San Antonio, TX. I just got a bid for the Carrier Infinity 17, 4 Ton Unit, Carrier coil and the Infinity Control Panel,no duct work required, installed from a national store chain. After the Carrier $1000 cash back and a $500 credit from CPS our local Utility Co., the bid came to $9600.00 Wow, I had no idea Ac would cost so much, but I'm told this unit is one of the best. I had another guy tell me he could get me a tax credit on the same system, but according to the last guy I spoke with, you can't get a Tax Crdit on a 4 Ton system, It just won't qualify, he said I need to get a certificate to be sure if I'm told they will qualify. Question; Is this a resonable bid? It's hot here in Texas, maybe I should down grade, but I'm thinking the more efficient Infinity 17 would make up for it in the long run? Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. I'll keep reading the other posts to see what I can learn. Thanks!

You are doing the hardest work possible in parenting someone else's child and there really is very little reward except the fact that you know you are doing the right thing. You really are an amazing woman. I would suggest the you restrain yourself from sinking to level of the bio-mom. Nothing you say will ever make a difference in what that woman does. It is only fruitful ground for further power struggles. Standing firm by your convictions and being the best role model possible for your step-son is what WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE in his life. May not matter in the short-run but IT WILL in the long run. It seems you and your husband have very different parenting styles. Not that yours is wrong or his is wrong but they are simply different. Both styles are noble. But when there isn't support for both style, it is very difficult to manage. There are other ways to discipline a child who is acting out -- and your stepson is beginning to act out. He will continue and it very well could get worse until he gets someone's attention. I imagine that child has probably seen many forms of abuse and when children see adults being abusive what else could you expect but for them to mirror the behavior. It is a very unhealthy cycle. He needs LOVING discipline in the worst way. He needs to learn in a CARING WAY that there are consequences for his behavior. It sounds like you really care deeply about your husband AND his son and because of that I would definitely suggest counseling. Couples counseling for you and your husband and therapy for the son as well. Your stepson probably has tons of anger and hurt due to the neglect of the bio-Mom and he needs to learn how to cope with it and heal from it. If the two of you cannot find SOME middle ground on the parenting issues, then you may need consider making a healthier change. I might also suggest a series of short holidays every-so-often (somehow, someway) with JUST you and your husband so that you can have some alone time and spend time reconnecting and loving. This will ADD value to you as a couple and to you as a parent. It will benefit the child to see caring relationships and how they take care of one another's needs. Take special care.

I'm in Switzerland this week for Xmas. I arrived too late in the month to see the Xmas market in the small town I'm visiting, I was in Lucerne yesterday and they had a market but I didn't spend much time there, we spent more time walking along the lake. Today we drove a little over an hour to Colmar, France to see their Xmas market. it was crowded, very, very crowded, but it was a beautiful, mild day so we expected that. It was quaint little wooden huts selling all the usual stuff you can buy in the shops, very few unique or handcrafted items. There was a majority of food stalls - chocolate, wine, bakery items. It was a wonderful day even if I'm not a shopper. eta: Obviously, I don't have any problem not being home for Xmas. I am spending time with family on this trip but not my everyday family. I don't stick to many traditions, I like to mix things up and have new experiences.