Good Morning, Dear Readers, and a very happy Sunday to you all!

Have you noticed that during this time of the year, the days just seem to get away from you even when you don’t feel like you’re doing much at all?  That’s what happened with me and the post today, normally I would have it written and scheduled but oops…  Ah well, I’m sure I’ll be forgiven.

There isn’t too much to report.  Don’t I always say that?  I accomplished Italian practice one whole time in the last week – at least I remembered a lot of what I’d gone back over.  I baked a lot, attended the Misfit Thanksgiving with friends where I drank too much due to what seemed to be a never-emptying glass of wine (I’ll have to have a better handle on that next time… my European friends are sneaky with the refills), and I’m not proud of that… but, it happened.  Moving on.

The young chickens are being trained to get their fannies in the barn and stay in the barn so I can close up all the doors at night.  During nice weather, I leave their “chicken door” (think doggie door) open so they can go outside at night and roost under the stars in their chicken run should they so choose.  The nights as of late have dropped down into the teens and it is with regret that I must close them in completely for the nights now.  I say “with regret” because it means they’re in the barn more and that leads to their pen becoming dirty, and dirtier, more quickly.  I’ve moved their food, water, grit and oyster shells indoors too, as their water heater was having a hard time keeping up with the temperature dips into the 20’s.  The youngest ladies will soon catch on and I won’t need to get on my hands and knees and poke my head out of the chicken door to see where stragglers are hiding.

Speaking of chickens, I believe my order for next spring will include for DH and I:  Sumatra hens for Sumo; Rhode Island Reds, Rose Comb Brown Leghorns and/or Pearl White Leghorns as egg producers and the Red Ranger Broiler for the freezer (they are touted as excellent free ranging birds… I like that).  Now, that’s for DH and myself; we’ve discussed opening up a cooperative effort with friends who also want fresh, free-range birds for their freezers.  No details have been completely hammered out yet, but I suspect that things will work out well and all those who want birds will join in on the fun.

As for other things, Black Friday has come and gone and thank goodness it did.  I’ve seen the videos from Michigan and Georgia – all y’all who shop Black Friday are NUTS!  If people act like that for a “sale” on an item – I hate to imagine what they’d act like if a disaster actually was going to hit instead of Christmas shopping season.  Shame on those people; I couldn’t even watch the whole video for the Georgia Walmart, shutting it off in disgust.  People ought to be ashamed of themselves, animals don’t even act like that.

I didn’t shop on Small Business Saturday either, but I AM shopping on Small Business SUNDAY.  You heard it correctly.  After I fuel up on some breakfast, I will be heading over to the next town and shopping the small, local shops for Christmas.  DH has laughed at me for years for getting the small, local paper with the stories about who was born, who got married and who died along with all the little police calls, but many of the local businesses advertise in it and often that’s the only way I know they exist.  I just found an independent bookstore via that paper, too!  SWEET!!

And, now, I know you’re all wondering about the search terms.  Fear not!  I’ve got them! The Top Search Term this week is:  boxelder bugs!  I can only surmise that it’s due to them moving into homes en mass.  Don’t worry folks, they aren’t biters and they won’t harm your houseplants.  They just trundle along doing their thing.  Look at it this way – they aren’t roaches.

The Honorable Mention of the week is:   show how pepto bismol works.  I know I didn’t show how it works in my post, but I’m glad your search brought you to my blog!  Sorry about not providing what you’re looking for… I’ll do better next time.  Maybe.

Now let’s get to those facts!

Random Facts 324 – 330

Random Fact #324 – I dislike photos where people are attempting to look all dark and brooding in a cemetery; “goth”.

Look back at last week’s #323 – cemeteries are happy places.

Random Fact #325 – There are at least two people on the planet who have tattoos I’ve drawn.

I probably have the sketch I did of the one floating around here somewhere.  Grim Reaper wrapped in a tattered Confederate flag.  *shrug*  Wasn’t my thing, wasn’t going on me, but it’s what the person wanted and they were happy.

Random Fact #326 – I love zip-up hoodies.

I’m wearing one right now!  I have three: one for work, one from an old job (wearing right now and usually wear it around the house) and one sporting the Halestorm logo.  Sadly, the Halestorm hoodie is my least favorite because the hood is too “short” – only coming to my ears when it’s pulled up and the metal zipper is broken (breaking after about two or three washes).  It’s on the “Repair” pile.

DH also tells me often that I look like Emperor Palpatine because I frequently have the hood up and over my head, even the house.

I have a much better complexion.

Random Fact #327 – I will (and have) FIGHT over the turkey neck at Thanksgiving (or Christmas) dinner.

The lowly, unwanted, unloved turkey neck.  Shunned at dinner tables across the United States, even the ones at which I dined at growing up.  The coveted breast, the legs, all were fought over like savages, forks were stabbed into the backs of hands (maybe I’m embellishing… a lot), mashed potato volcanoes were ruined in an effort to distract and deter others from those prized pieces.  The turkey neck was safe… usually hidden somewhere near the fore of the bird, unwatched.  I’d carefully reach into the fray and extract this wonderfully roasted morsel.  No one fought me though many commented that it was disgusting.  More for me.

Until that is… my eldest niece came along.  She was about four years old when she asked for the neck of the turkey and out of my mouth came, “But it’s MINE!”  The accompanying look of utter shock and horror sent the others into fits of laughter, but they didn’t understand, I’d laid claim to the turkey neck decades before my niece came along.  Oh, I shared with her… until she was old enough to fight over it at age six.

Hmm… I feel a story coming on – I shouldn’t expend all my best stuff here for a good story.

To be continued!

Random Fact #328 – I love pumpkin pie.

I’d ask “Who doesn’t”, but DH doesn’t.  More for me!

How is this attractive?

Random Fact #329 – I have always thought the “cornucopia” of Thanksgiving was ugly.

Truth!  The cornucopia, the horn of plenty…. that’s just ugly.  Who came up with that thing?  It’s impractical.  Oh, I know that it’s symbolism and all that jazz but really… who wants that on their table?  *pause*  Okay, I looked it up, it goes back to Roman times… damn ancient Romans…

Random Fact #330 – Depressing people just annoy and then piss me off.

I had a rantling about this the other week.  Depressing people, emotionally needy people, yeah… they all just piss me right off.  Suck it up, Buttercup!  They just need to put on their big kid undies and get on with life because life isn’t stopping for them (or anyone).  Learn how to suppress those feelings like a normal person.

Thanks for stopping in for another fun-filled Sunday Search Terms and Project 365!

Images Courtesy of:

http://www.theforce.net/kids/coruscant/probe_droid/interview_palpatine.htm

http://emilyinthekithen.blogspot.com/2010/11/edible-cornucopia-who-would-have.html