Sunday Evening and All Is Well

The gentle rush of the heater blower and the hum from the refrigerator are the only sounds I hear. The dog is sound asleep on a plush blanket arranged for her on the couch. The cat is asleep in the bathroom on the hamper. All the farm animals were put up long ago. I should be getting ready for bed as well, but decided to write before I get my pajamas on.

It was a good day today. I knocked off lots from my "to do" list and had a peaceful day. I have tomorrow's agenda written up and plan to work on that list when the morning chores are done. My house is ready for a good vacuuming in the morning as well. I swept the floors and washed the smaller area rugs. The bathroom is clean and I really don't have anything else I need to do tonight. I will do my daily bible reading before I doze off, but for now my day is done.

I love a simple life. Complications and complexity are not friends of mine. I don't need a lot to be content and I don't have overly high expectations of life. I'm not out to be famous or rich. I just want to live by faith in God and hear His voice.

I love my husband and he loves me. We rarely have harsh words, and normally fly through life with very few cares. We do have difficulties, but they are usually caused by other people's chaos and wrong choices. Even those things are met with patience and a lot of silence. There are times when we both lose our composure, but those times are fewer and farther between.

There is an old gospel song, "It is well with my soul". Tonight I could sing it with calm familiarity. It is truly well with my soul. I have only one unresolved issue in my life at present and that issue has been left at the feet of the Lord for him to resolve. I occasionally pick it up, but not for long. I'm getting better and better at leaving it at the throne and going on with life.

God is good and greatly to be praised. I am so glad He is God and He chose His Son to be our Lord and Messiah. He is patient and long suffering with me and I so appreciate it. A master who uses grace and patience is a wonderful blessing.

It's night time and I'm ready for rest. Yeshua my Messiah has been made unto me shalom shalom, (perfect peace). Though the storms rage I am like the dove in the cleft of the rock; at peace in my soul.

Selah

Rooster Rally

Tonight was the fourth night I had to chase our youngest Cornish rooster around the yard in order to put him inside the chicken house. I'm sure he is simply terrified of his dad; a "meaner than a junkyard dog", full grown black Cornish cock. I had NO idea when I ordered him he was a fighting cock! I merely thought he was a good meat producer. My husband's scarred workboots can attest to his fiesty nature. I personally won't attempt to enter his turf without a broom or some other long stick to beat him off; should he decide to make his sneaky move when my back is turned. It's no wonder his son should be more than hesitant to dive into his dad's secure domain. Frankly, after tonight I may just let him suffer the winter elements rather than play another round of "chase that chicken".

Tonight was a tad different than past rallies. Tonight the little booger found an opening in the netting that covers their yard and litterally "flew the coop"! He took the race to the big Rhode Island Red yard. We went from one end of the yard to the other for a good half an hour. It was almost dark before he finally got too tired to resist and I was able to trap him in the corner where two fences met. I grabbed him and tried to calm him, but the closer we got to the little yard, the more he struggled to free himself. Halfway across the yard I had to grab him by the drumsticks and carry him upside down. He proceeded to writhe and scream like a little girl the rest of the way. I dumped him in the chicken house through the hatch in the roof. There were a few muffled cackles from the hens and then silence. I didn't hear any fighting between him and his dad. I guess his panic was for nothing as his dad didn't make a sound. If I know his dad, and I think I do, he will wait till sunlight and make his move.

We now have five roosters. That means we have three too many. Problem is that I have a favorite rooster, Rosie, and I have two pick two others to cull. Not my favorite thing.

I'm glad the rally is over for twenty four hours. If I had to do that too very often I think I would fry up a basket of chicken and have a party. Original or extra crispy?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Great Aunt

I like the ring of that; GREAT Aunt. I may not be a great mom or a great grandmother, but I am a GREAT Aunt. You can ask my niece Kristi!

How does one become a great aunt? Does she do stupendous things? Is she a supernatural phenomena? No, she is merely the aunt of a person that has a child. I like it when one can be great at something without having to prove a thing. Not that I want to sit on the sidelines and do nothing, but it's nice to be loved and appreciated by those you love and pray for.

Forgive my rabbit trail; this post wasn't supposed to be about me but about the newest addition to my natural family. My lovely niece Kristi had another absolutely adorable little boy. His name? Riley. I'm not sure how his big brother Tristan feels about his tiny brother's arrival, but the rest of us are pretty excited. I'm a Great Aunt several times over. My brother's two daughters have also had sons and one daughter! I think this is my sixth time at being GREAT!

I love my grandchildren so I know just how my sister feels. Hearing my grandson's voice on the phone is one of the best sounds I've ever heard. His first attempt at saying, "Grandma" was a total delight. He has nicknames for us; Gpa and Gma. I guess being "Grand" is good too. I like hearing "Grandma" from both of my grandchildren. It's a total delight.

My sister is blessed to live close and be close to her daughters. I know though she will be exhausted in the next few weeks she wouldn't miss a minute with her first grandson or her newest grand baby! Congratulations to all the folks in Riley's life! I'm one happy GREAT Auntie. I must simply find the perfect gifts to send my joy to the new parents and family.

Anticipation

I'm normally patient but there are certain things that are harder to wait for than others. When I'm fighting some sickness I hate waiting to feel better. When I've seen something I like and then have the money to order, the peace to order and then I order it; waiting is really hard for it to arrive.

Right now I'm waiting for my bread to rise so I can pop it in the oven. I don't want flat bread, so I wait but I'd rather it rise fast and go in the oven without the wait. I have to wait about 30 minutes for whole wheat bread to rise to an acceptable size so staying occupied when I have plans pushing me can be a little challenging.

My husband is good at being patient in all but one place, in the car. I never seem him get impatient unless he has to wait for less then proficient drivers. He really gets pushed when people are on their cell phones or texting on their cell phones.

I get previews in my email from favorite craft designers showing things that will eventually be on the market. That can be a test to my patience, but I normally just push the items from my mind because I KNOW it will take an undetermined period of time for the goods to get out to the general masses. I keep the notices in my email boxes so I can refer to them when hubby is at our favorite scrapbook store. He always looks for new products by favorite designers.

Oh yes, when my husband is on mission trips I have difficulty waiting for him to return. So it is with life. We all have to wait for certain things. We have our own plans that don't fall in line with everyone else's plans and so we wait.

I think patience is a vital "fruit of the spirit". It has to be allowed to come forth from our spirits for others. It builds character to wait. It also assures us that we aren't lacking in any way; God said so in the Bible!

"Let patience have her perfecting work, that you may be entire lacking nothing."

When I get impatient I have to remind myself that the wait will always be worth it. If God said it by His Spirit to His family it HAS to be so.

Selah (stop and meditate) Cerise

My list: What is great about real girlfriends!

What's great about real girlfriends?

1. They like to talk about what you like to talk about
2. They really listen to what you're saying and hear what you're saying
3. They don't moan at your creative or feminine side
4. They notice when you fix your hair or wear something new
5. They are generous and help you out of scrapes
6. They forgive you when you are a moron
7. They don't say, "You look like you're putting on weight".
8. They don't ask, "How old are you?"
9. They tell you when you're undone or something is hanging out
10. They are willing to come play with you when you're bored or lonely
11. They aren't expecting you to be perfect in everything you do
12. They don't want to watch TV when you want to talk
13. They think like you
14. They don't think it's weird when you cry
15. They have purses with stuff you might need in them
16. When you're with them it's like being with a living human
17. They need you
18. They lose their tempers and blow up at you (because they are just like you)
19. They have children who drive them up the wall (just like you)
    
20. They have husbands who drive them up a wall (just like you)
21. They share their love of God with you (even when their faith is different)
22. They will let you pray for them
23. They will pray for you
24. They will give their honest opinion if you ask for it
25. They may give you more than you want when you ask for it
26. They will tell you "no" when you ask and they can't do whatever you've asked
27. They have time for you or will set aside time for you if you really need them
28. They like to go to lunch and sit longer than just the time it takes to consume food
29. They don't rush you when you're shopping
30. They don't steal your husband (I speak from experience)
31. They may or may not talk about you behind your back (hey I'm being real here)
32. They love color, style, fragrance, bling, ruffles, frills, beauty, music, comfort
33. They comfort you when you're aching
34. They let you vent (but not too long)
35. They don't smell like a mechanic
    
36. They don't smell like an athlete (at least not when they are with you)
37. The ones who exercise don't stick it in your face
38. The ones who never gain weight don't rub it in your face either
39. They giggle
40. They tell you about sales
41. They give you cards that say nice things about you
    
42. They give you things you like because they know you well enough to do so
43. They will travel long distances to be with you
44. They will bring you soup when you're sick
45. They will stand up for you when someone is ugly about you
46. They don't hold grudges or unforgiveness for things you did years or even months ago
47. They aren't afraid to hug you
48. They aren't afraid of being hugged
49. They don't want to watch manly, kind of manly things
    
50. They will sit and drink a cup of hot tea with you

This is my list. I'm feeling extra blessed today after spending a couple hours with some real girlfriends last night. Real girlfriends are so wonderful and just because someone says they are a friend doesn't mean they are. They have to have some important things to be real friends. For me honesty and integrity are paramount, but perfection is not. I've suffered through horrific friendships and I've learned that not everyone is really a friend. The biggest clue to me that someone is NOT a friend is blatant flattery. Kind words are different than flattery.

Early Riser

It's dark thirty here on the farm and I just heard one of our roosters calling. The temp outside is below freezing, but we are toasty and warm here inside. We winteized the animal's quarters, so hopefully they are all safe and warm in their respective homes!

Today should be a busy but fun day for me in spite of my waking at 4:30AM! Tonight is my monthly paper crafting club meeting and we are making Valentines, or as I like calling them "love cards" for a local nursing home.

I really love doing things with girl friends, it's rather a new thing for me to have actual friends who are girls. I have avoided women as a whole for the past twenty or so years. I won't go into details about why, but am glad to have put that all in my past where it can stay.

I also enjoy the quiet of early morning. I can think without much to interrupt, except my little dog who tends to be an early riser as well. I can quietly read my bible and pray, prepare for the upcoming day and get alone with God before the day overtakes my plans.

I know others are early risers as well and are doing similar things. One doesn't have to live on a farm to desire the solitude of the wee hours of the morning. Living on a small farm is fairly new to us. We have only lived here about three years. I've lived in suburbia most of my life and always beat the sun up as far as early rising goes.

The rest of the world may be night owls, but we early birds like getting the worm (metaphorically speaking).

Sunny Sunday

I'm in our cozy little farm house surrounded by way too much stuff. Why? I've been making cards for two days. I've finished 56 cards and 48 homemade envelopes thus far and on my way to make more. I love making cards, it's such a delight. The hardest thing is giving them away. Each one has my heart and soul in it, but God doesn't give us the ability to create just to consume our gifts on ourselves. So...I will be selling some and giving the rest away. I do love giving cards. I love surprising someone in the middle of the week or the middle of a nothing day with a card. Giving a homemade card is all the better.

I woke up way too early again this morning, but I guess that's just life on the farm. I knew the ducks were trapped in the greenhouse with our young Rhode Island Red rooster and his sister. I kept envisioning a fight where the rooster attacks the ducks. Wow did I have it wrong. I got up while it was still dark thirty and went out and attempted to let the ducks out. They were having none of it. I eventually convinced them to come out. Later in the morning I went out to do my morning feeding rounds and the ducks were waiting outside the greenhouse. I had no idea to expect the fight that would ensue, but as soon as the door was open to the greenhouse my Swedish blue duck "Squeaker" headed for "Rosie" our young rooster. He cornered him and bit the dickens out of him. Poor guy was scared like a bunny rabbit. He eventually made his way out of the greenhouse and flew into the compost bin to safety. Squeaker has always been so docile it's wild to see him get "postal" on my poor juvenile rooster. Life on this farm sure has it's wilder moments.

As soon as the chaos died down between the "Mighty Ducks" and the RIR Rooster boy I noticed one our goats (Pal) was in the big chicken yard. He was bawling like a baby and trying to get back with the other goats. When I put hay in the feeder and alfalfa pellets in the trough on the opposite side of the fence he went wild trying to jump the fence. He got up on a bunch of wooden pallets. I could just envision him getting high centered on the fence so I rushed to get a bucket of pellets. I lured him gingerly through the gate and dumped the pellets out, much to his glee and delight. Freddie and Billie (two of our pygmy goats) ran to help him eat them. The only bawling after that was from the corral on the other side of the yard. The "babies" were making all sorts of noise in their attempt to lure me to their side of the world. They are normally last because they are so far from the house, but they get the best feed so I never feel guilty. I used to freak in the mornings because they all sounded so pathetic, but I've learned they ALWAYS sound pathetic when they are trying to manipulate you.

Everyone was fed and I was cold and ready to get my granny fanny in the house. I miss my daughter and grandkids so it's an especially hard time for me. My husband is on his way back to Texas from New Mexico so I really have to sit on the lonely feelings that haunt me twice a month. I guess it's back to the creative drawing board till then.

I'm glad it's sunny this morning. God is good to give me a sunny day outside when I'm feeling blue and dreary on the inside.

Cerise

Home Home on the Chaparral

I used to live on the range in Wyoming, but now I'm in West Texas so technically speaking I live in the chaparral amongst the oil derricks and pump jacks. I can just hear it now.

"Oh give me a home where the oil derricks bloom and the pump jacks and coyotes play. Where seldom is heard "unemployment absurd", and the skies are not cloudy most days."

I woke way too early this morning, before 5:00AM. Rather than fight it I got up, read my daily bible reading and wrote in my journal. I then dressed quickly and made myself go out into the cold. There I encountered gluttonous goats, hungry hens, ravenous roosters, and a couple noisy ducks. This is normal in our part of the world. We have 12 goats, 23 hens, 5 roosters, two ducks, a cat and a dog. We used to have mice, but hubby has been working to rid the hen house of the little pests so for now we are mice free.

Our goat "Pal" has discovered how to break fences. He keeps getting in the chicken yard. I suppose he felt it was fair as the chickens are constantly over in the goat's field and eat the bits and pieces of goat feed that the goats miss. He decided that I wasn't fast enough with the goat goodies so he did his little escape routine and went after the chicken feed. I got him back where he belonged by pouring sweet feed in the goat trough. He showed me he latest escape route, which I temporarily fixed. Hubby will have to do the expert job of repairing the fence.

I discovered late yesterday that our latest Cornish chick is a rooster. That means butcher time at the OK Corral. We already have four roosters. I'm ready for two to go "bye bye" so hubby has more to do than he bargained for when he gets home. "Smiles everyone".

Today is my day off so I dragged a bunch of my craft supplies to the little house and have been making cards since last evening. I finished 32 cards and 16 envelopes. I now have to make envelopes for 16 of the cards left over. Should be a quick work.

I'm feeling a little tired and it's not even 9AM so that means a nap. Naps are good. I've always liked naps.

Well, this was fun but it's time to step away from the computer and create. I've already had the accordion out and practiced it this morning. Note to self: Play your accordion more often, you really enjoy it.

Time to play and maybe make some oatmeal for breakfast.

Cerise

Winter Work

I've been busy cleaning out the baskets in my kitchen. (Most of my cupboards are open shelves with cute wicker baskets). I love order and dislike chaos and disorganization. I also cleaned out our financial records and need to go uptown to purchase a plastic bin and manila folders for 2010 in preparation for 2011. It's nice to start with a clean slate. I have lots of things to enter into the computer, but I'm simply prepping for now.

My husband has been cleaning the goat barn for a couple of days. It took way longer than he anticipated as it was deep in "goaty raisins". When he's through he's going to lay down lots of fresh straw for the nannies and "babies" (now quite large) to sleep in. He already made a wonderful feeder for the goat boyz. They waste so much less because they can't trample the bails or go potty on them. Once a goat smells "wee wee" on their hay they won't touch it. That can be very wasteful.

The duck pool was an inch deep in ice this morning, so once the hose thawed hubby filled the pool with fresh water. We're trusting that the kiddie pool will last through the winter and spring as we haven't seen many swimming pools at the stores this time of year.

I'm thinking about making some more fresh bread. The first loaf is almost gone and I plan to make potato soup for dinner. Hubby loves fresh bread and we're back to whole wheat and sugar free living. I'm learning how to use molasses, agave syrup and Stevia instead of sugars. It's a challenge, but our health is worth it. Making cookies for hubby is so vital. He loves sweets and I can't keep him away from them all.

Our chickens are happy, but would love some fresh green grass. I save every little bit of our veggie trash for them as they need produce like we need it. We also chop up corn tortillas for them and they really appreciate them. They aren't really laying eggs right now as they are at the end of their annual molt. It's nice to see them all feathered out again. They really need feathers as it got down to 18 the other day. That's cold in terms of Texas weather.

I'm purging closets, drawers and cupboards and again loving the "clean slate" feel of it all.

The attic is calling me and I'm anticipating getting it done VERY soon. That will be a real undertaking.

I think I'll get out my embroidery for my night projects. I may also pick up my accordion and do some practicing on it as well. I love winter for the very reason that it's cool enough to work hard and not be uncomfortable.