Lambing, Shearing, Skirting, Knitting, Sleeping

Well, friends and readers, where have I been and what have I been doing?  The title of this blog post should give you a clue and the thing I have been doing the most is sleeping.  Sleeping because I've been sick.  Sick for over two weeks now.  The worst of the strep throat is behind me, but it was followed closely by either bronchitis or just a cold that settled in my lungs.  I don't know for sure, but I do know that I couldn't take a deep breath and I swear there was an elephant sitting on my chest ;(  Wasn't I sick at this same time last year?!?  Now I just have no strength and the lingering cough.  Its 75 degrees outside, lambs are popping out left and right (seventeen so far, or is it nineteen?) and I have twenty-some fleeces to skirt and a house that needs some serious catch up cleaning.  And I can't seem to stay alert and awake for more than an hour at a time.

Ugh....

Dear Lord, I'm thankful for an easy lambing seasons - the ewes have all done great.  And most of all I'm thankful for a wonderful daughter and son-in-law because honestly, the sheep might not have gotten cared for and we might not have eaten if Mark and Nakia wouldn't have been there for me like they always are.  Whether it was doctoring sheep, moving hay, bringing food or Mark taking Bill to appointments - they keep us going, bless them!  This truly is why farm families live close together ;)  Thanks, Kids!

I'll try to get some cute lamb pictures over the next few days, but in the meantime I'll leave you with a "what is it" picture ~

Any ideas?  How about from this angle?

LOL, I'll tell you what it is in my next post ;)

You know how when you're sick with a cold, nothing really tastes good?  I did manage to make a wonderful homemade chicken noodle soup during the worst of this that helped nourish us, but I could only do that because the last time we roasted one of our farm raised chickens I roasted two and spent some time picking apart the meat and putting some good portions in the freezer, ready to made into a meal.  Anyway, throughout this all I have been craving my Mom's pickled beets and sweet and sour cabbage.  The store bought won't work because they're to syrupy sweet.   Its one of the first things I'm going to make when I feel up to it.

What's everyone else been doing while I've been missing?