my entire body EXCEPT for my face hurts tonight and who wants to WIN SOMETHING?

   I'm BEAT! I mucked out the henhutch and chickenyard, spread crushed oyster shell in the mucky spots of the chickenyard, scattered fresh straw and re-bedded the henhutch, added fresh cedar trimmings and mint sprigs to the bedding in the henhutch to discourage pests, layered in a new compost heap with the happy straw from the henhutch and chickenyard, mowed the sideyard and far back with the mulching bag on and added fresh greens to the compost, then went inside and canned for a while.

   I put up a crockpot full of local MFApplesauce, several jars of organic refrigerator dills (spears and chips), a jar of spicy pickled carrots just for the heck of it, and made a local, organic apple pie from scratch with a woven crust.

   I would've made bread today but the danged hens only gave us three eggs today (they've spoiled us for a while with four and I expected at least one more) and Hotter used two in meatloaf and I've got some organic bananas and lemons so I'm doing banana nut bread with the third. Tomorrow we'll pick up that stupid light setup and hopefully they'll start producing more, and after we get home with that there'll be at least enough eggs for baking.

   George and the Araucanas are starting to acclimate, although they still hide a lot and get dominated. I go out a couple of times a day and feed them by hand to ensure that they're getting enough. They've finally realized that walnuts and flaxseed-oil hen mash are good eating, and scratch in the straw for apple and carrot peelings like the Barred Rocks. The chickens have eaten the tops of my winter spuds twice now despite my mulching them thickly with straw and are grounded unless I have an eye on them, the mothercluckers. All of them will cut you for a strawberry.

   I obviously didn't go vegan just yet. I'm still working on figuring out carbs and protein and have an e-mail in to my endocrinologist, because I don't want to do anything that'll upset my blood sugar levels but also don't want to go "Atkins"/South Beach-esque because that actually sets you up to be MORE insulin resistant (after your body comes out of ketosis, which is what damages the organs most in diabetes, and how Hotter ended up with aftermarket parts).

   The dog is doing well. Today I gave her a thorough scrubbing with homemade sea-salt, coconut oil, organic lemon juice, mashed mint from the garden, minced garlic, and lavendar oil (just a tad). I really worked it into her skin and she sat down and thumped her foot in the water a little. After a thorough rinse and towel-drying, I got a LOT of dead fur out with the Furminator and she looks much better. Her coat is coming back nicely and I'll try to get pictures tomorrow if the sun cooperates.

   My face is on the mend! I remembered what our favorite pediatrician once told me about Mupirocin (that it penetrates 1/4-inch below the skin if you LEAVE IT ON and keep it covered, and kills most MRSA) and this morning scrubbed my face with Dead Sea salt-scrub, dried it with a rough towel, and really debrided the wound. All of the top layer of skin was dead and sloughed off, leaving an area the size of a dime that is raw and bloody, but clean. I applied pressure with a sterile bar towel, then slathered it with Mupirocin again and left it alone all day. Now it's healthy and pink, and if I let it dry it would crack and bleed, but as long as I keep it slathered with Mupirocin it doesn't even sting. I think I've avoided the need for medical attention, which is good, because we're still broke.

   How are all of YOU? Would you like a chance to win a care package full of organic goodies from Casa MFA including my better-than-most-sex-you've-had peanut-butter cookies, a jar of MFApplesauce, a bath bomb containing soothing, organic herbs from the MFA Garden in an attractive knitted sachet, artwork by the MFA Children, a handmade "I <3 MFA Puppy" dog kerchief in the size and fabric of your choice, and assorted other goodies from my BlogHer swag including things like a brand new aluminum water bottle with carabiner, Scotchbrite Greener Cleaning supplies, CheeseBurgHer temporary tattoos, and possibly even unopened door prizes from the SexIs party (batteries not included)? YOU KNOW YOU WOULD.

   If you'd just like to donate without entering to win the care package because it sounds lame to you or you don't want to give me your address or you're just so awesome that you want to chip in without any kind of incentive, then bless your awesome little heart that's SWELL of you and the Donate button at the bottom right of my sidebar will work for that. If you want to enter to win the goodies, then I don't blame you and here's how:

   You MUST donate at least $10 via the button at the bottom of this post (which has a tracking doohickey that's different from the one in the sidebar button). $10 is one entry, $20 is three, $30 is five, and $50 is ten.

   You have the OPTION to earn additional FREE entries by doing one or more of the following:

*   Tweet about the contest by copying and pasting the following into Twitter (or you can go to my timeline and RT it), then leaving a comment on this post containing the URL to your tweet (one additional entry):

   I just helped save a life and entered to win a prize package of organic goodies and BlogHer '10 swag from @MFA_Mama! http://bit.ly/d1vYtV

*   "Like" and/or "share" this on the facespace, and leave me a comment on this post letting me know you liked it (and your facespace name so that I may verify--if you don't want that published, just say so in the comment and I won't publish that part when I find your comment awaiting moderation) (one additional entry for "liking" and THREE if you "like" AND "share").

*   Write a blog post about Isis linking back to this post and stealing any pictures of Isis from my blog that catch your fancy, then leave me a comment with the URL to your post. (FIVE additional entries)

*   Digg, Stumble, Tumbler, Reddit, or "share" a link to this post with Google Friend Feed, then leave a comment on this post with URL(s) (one additional entry per method of sharing).

 

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I will tally up the entries and Random.org will choose a winner at noon on Tuesday, November 2nd. If I cannot get in touch with the winner within 72 hours, Random.org will choose again. Full allergy information included with all prize package goods, and I will make substitutions to avoid allergens at your request if you are the lucky winner.

Comments

[Eva]

I'm just so awesome that I chipped in without any kind of incentive even tho I'm now a poor pensioner.

So those Aracaunas have feather tufts near their ears, and no tail and or ass?

You should make lime pickles, my fave:

LIME SWEET PICKLES

7-8 lbs. cucumbers
2 c. pickling lime
2 gals. water
3 tbsp. salt

2 qts. white vinegar
10 c. sugar
1 tbsp. pickling spice
1 tbsp. celery seed

Soak cucumbers in lime water for 24 hours. Rinse well. Cover with fresh water and soak for 3h ours. Drain and add vinegar solution. Set overnight. Boil pickles in syrup for 35minutes. Add green cake coloring. Seal in jars. Big yellow cucumbers work best.

[~a]

I tweeted.

And I just shared on facebook. My facebook name is the same as my email address.

[Bitchin Amy]

I just donated and stumbled. http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/mfamama.typepad.com/my-blog/2010/10/my-entire-body-except-for-my-face-hurts-tonight-and-who-wants-to-win-something.html

Good luck, Isis!

[Linda]

Just shared it on my Facebook! Will get around to Twitter some day; freaky busy week this week. Hang in there!

xoxo, Zen Otter

[May]

Good luck, all of you!

[Jo-Ann]

I tweeted for ya and I also donated $5 bux twice which equals $10 over time. If I win you keep the delicious disks of death aka peanut cookies!

I hope she gets what she needs.

[AlexMac]

Herrmmm.... I can't get a link to just that tweet. I'm lokidae and I tweeted last night. This contest is an awesome idea!

[winecat]

Where in the hell do you get all this energy??????

Good luck everyone. I'd love to donate more but...

[Katherine Mancuso]

I donated earlier. And I've been tweeting

[Katherine Mancuso]

also, posted on facebook. This name is the one I use there.

[Biz]

Sorry it took me so long, got busy with all The Sickness over here and forgot.... donated!

[AlexMac]

I finally managed to get my act together long enough to write a post about Isis. Here's the link!

[Gina V]

Yeah, so I'm a day late & but had funds to spare anyway. :) Besides who's kid actually NEEDS Mc Donalds for dinner?

Plus I am WAY BEHIND in Google Reader.