Spring chores are stacking up

I got a wake up call last week, my order of onion sets and plants came in, now I need to figure out what I am going to do with them. I like to plant my onions in tubs, it is much easier on my back. But I am not sure I have enough tubs. So I have some planning to do. For right now, I am going to put everything in plant trays in soil so they can get started and be ready when I have the places ready. 

Part of that planning and fixing it is to make my yard safe from the chickens. As I am writing this I can see out my window and there are chickens in every one of the planting tubs. Digging and dusting. So there has to be some fencing done before anything can get planted. I have the chicken wire; I just need to get it up on the fence. I also have to make a plan as to where everything will get planted. So pen to paper and wire to fence. 

Along with all of that, I have a little pen of 10 chicks in my living room that will need to go outside very soon. And I need to get a coop set up for them. So some planning has to go into that too. I have to be ready before I line up the neighbor with a skid steer to move the coop. Then I have a dog kennel that has been used to keep the hay and grain storage safe from the cows and goats. We don’t have livestock anymore so it will be perfect to repurpose it as a chicken run. And that project will need to be done in the next couple of weeks or these little cheepers will be half-grown chickens. 

So my busy spring and summer is coming. I am still facing my house without being spring cleaned, I still have some winter canning to do and it seems I never have time for any sewing except for urgent mending, but I love my life. I drive myself crazy with my procrastination, but I love my slower life. 

Next in the urgent file is to wash the windows. I hate dirty windows. 

Cabbage and carrot salad in a jar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives

1 tablespoon honey

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

5 cups loosely packed shredded green cabbage

1 large carrot grated or shaved into ribbons

Combine all ingredients except cabbage and carrot in a wide mouth quart jar. Shake until the dressing is smooth and emulsified. Add four cups of cabbage to the jar. Cover and shake until cabbage has wilted to about 2/3 of its original volume, add grated carrot and the remaining cabbage. Shake until well combined. Refrigerate what isn’t eaten right away.