Eggscelent Inspiration!

I'm still thinking about Sunday...  We had a special service at church.  Our first service feature the pastor's sermon on being thankful, and it was a good one!  But the second service was all about Target: Dayton!  The Target Dayton Choir came to sing and testify at our church.  I recently talked about the ministry they do for the homeless and the addicted in the city.  There are many that have hit rock-bottom and yet were saved because their paths crossed that of Target: Dayton Ministries.  I believe the church is still home to one of the largest AA groups in the area.  I'll have to check on that.

I remember when they came and told about being able to purchase the really large but empty church building.  They survive on donations.  Their members cannot support the ministry with tithes, as most of them haven't even a home. 

Apparently, Cindi's (Director of the choir, organizer of the meals, and wife to the pastor) dream for years has been to take the choir to New York to see the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir perform.  She would have never taken from operating expenses for the trip, but donations  came in that allowed her (with a bit of help from the Man upstairs) to not only take the choir to New York, but gave them the opportunity of a lifetime... They actually SANG with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir!

During their performance, they ran a slide show of the wonderful things they did and saw while in New York.  It was truly amazing.  In between soul-shaking solos from members of the choir, some of them stepped forward to speak of what the trip meant to them.  The first man made me reach for the tissues...

He spoke of how he had been down on his luck.  Addictions had gotten the best of him.  He was suicidal.  Then Target: Dayton! entered his life and told him about Jesus.  Now he's stayed in a hotel where President's have slept and sang with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir!  Ah, God is good...

Yummy Eggsplanation

Thanks to the digital camera era, I can take as many pictures as I want to make sure I get a good shot...

...that is, when I remember.

Do you remember my tiny egg?

I promised pictures when I cracked it open. 

I decided to have eggs for lunch today.

 

I didn't expect a yolk, but it had a teeny bit of yellow inside.

It actually looks bigger in the skillet than I thought it would; although it is just a 6" skillet.

The other egg was twins.  I love double-yolks!

Yeah, I know it's a lot of butter.  Doesn't the little one at the top look cute? 

Well, not as cute as a baby chick, perhaps... but still kinda cute.

OK, I promised you an eggsplanation.  To make a short story long...

We had four hens to start with.  Once they started laying we had four eggs everyday.  Then we got the babies.  (Check some of my April/May posts.)  This fall, they began laying.  But we only get around thirty eggs a day, with almost fifty hens.  I thought maybe lots weren't laying daily, but intermittently.

A friend was over last night and offered his theory.  Some of our hens probably hadn't started laying yet, and this was most likely a first egg for one of them.  He hadn't seen one quite that small, but said that a lot of times the first egg will be a lot smaller than the others.  That's a relief!  If they all started laying these Cadbury sized eggs, Mr J would starve!

1-2-3-First Down!

And today I didn't have my camera.  After a wonderful church service and getting our animals tended, Mr J and I headed to the Bengal Barn.  Mr J's been there many times, but it was a first for me...

DIL and her mom are die-hard Bengal fans.  DIL's mom and dad hang with friends to watch the Sunday Bengals game in a small barn.  It started long ago when a couple of friends grew too rowdy to remain indoors during the games.  The barn had a gravel floor and a tiny TV set.  They stood on a rubber mat, huddled together in the cold, to root for their beloved Bengals.  The barn's come a long way since then...

It's easy to spot as you drive down the country road.  It's the small barn with lots of cars parked outside, and in the doorway is a Bengals canopy marking the entrance into the world of Who Dey!   If you don't like orange and black tiger stripes, close your eyes before entering.  I don't know whether to liken it to a museum or a shrine.  Bengals paraphernalia lines the walls and hangs from the ceiling.  Everywhere you look.  There's even a Bengals onesie hanging on the wall, waiting for Brady to arrive.  Once he's outgrown it, I'm told it goes back on the wall.  A bright Bengals-orange tablecloth is piled with scrumptious dishes.  Behind the black curtain is a potty chair with Bengal striped handrails and, of course, a Bengal striped TP holder!

Mr J is a Brown's fan, as is his son.  It never bothered Mr J to be a Dawg surrounded by Bengals.  However, I was told today that his son stayed 'in the closet' for two years in this crowd!

Even though the majority of the decor was orange and black, the barn itself was mostly green.  Seems most of the items inside were donated or re-purposed.  The headboard of an old water-bed was painted black and now adorns the front of the bar.  The bar is trimmed in orange.  Shortly after I arrived, I was handed a Sharpie and told to sign.  Tradition has it that the first visit is marked by signing the orange trim on the bar.  Mr J had written "Go Browns" on his first visit.  It appears to have been accidentally washed off.

The cheering crowd brought back warm memories of my armchair quarterback days.  And every time the Bengals made a first down, the crowd erupted with, "One, two, three... FIRST DOWN!"

It's Beginning to Look at Lot Like...

Springtime!  No, it doesn't look like Christmas, nor does it feel like Christmas.  It's almost 79 degrees outside.  I'm wearing a T-shirt and getting ready to go bathe my horse.  Definitely not Christmasy!

This morning we went to a festival called Christmas Around Sabina.  It is a beautiful little farming community about a half-hour from here.  My DIL's family is from that area.  It is not your typical festival where several blocks are closed off with booths in the streets for vendors.  In fact, driving through town, it is hard to notice there is a festival except for the heavy traffic, many parked cars, and people carrying goodies everywhere.

Her family used to set up 'Grandma's Country Kitchen' in her aunt's house, but this year moved it into Kelly's Cafe.  A relative owns the cafe, and, since they didn't have enough employees to work the festival, they weren't going to be open through the festival.  So they decided to move the 'kitchen' to the cafe.

This old brain of mine forgot to pull the camera out of my purse... sorry, no pics!

Her family makes gift items and baked goods to sell, as well as a carry-out meal featuring (of course) Grandma's homemade noodles.  They had all kinds of canned goods, including watermelon rind pickles!  There were crocheted dishcloths and pivoting flag poles... but mostly sweets!  I bought a mini-loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and one of chocolate zucchini bread.  I also bought a cake made with fruit cocktail and coconut.  Yum!  Mr J thought some of the stuff looked too rich for him, so he settled for a pecan pie... Does that even make sense?  Maybe he doesn't remember how rich those are.

I sure hope I can get my laptop close enough for my arms to reach after eating all that!  If not, it was nice knowin' ya...

Another Day on the Farm

I've posted lots of egg pictures recently, but I couldn't resist posting a couple more...

Remember the really HUGE egg?  Well, here is its opposite:

I've seen eggs smaller than this in a robin's nest, but from a chicken?  I'll have to take a picture of it frying to show you later...

Maggie has been doing something strange lately, so I called the vet and arranged a farm call.  Yes, some doctors do still make house calls! 

This is Dr. Brett, Mr J and one very dirty Maggie Mae.  Luckily Dr. Brett had good news for me.  She has a skin fungus (a very simple remedy) and she has old-timer's...   Yes, she's just old and having a few problems that just come with the age.  (eightyish in people years)

Maggie has lost a few teeth, and it is more difficult for her to chew her food.  The strange habit she has developed is just a symptom of her food not being chewed well enough, and getting stuck in her throat.  It is time to make a major change to her diet.  She'll no longer be tossed flakes of hay while corralled with the other horses.  I'll chop grass hay for her.  She will also get soaked alfalfa cubes and more senior feed, perhaps in a mash.  Plus it's time to up the calories to add fat for winter.

Horses, just like people, have different nutritional needs as they age.  It's a bit more work, but it means better health, and perhaps a longer life.  Maggie is definitely worth it!

In Honor of Veterans

THE FINAL INSPECTION

 The Army Soldier stood and faced God,

Which must always come to pass.

He hoped his shoes were shining,

Just as brightly as his brass.

'Step forward now, Soldier,

How shall I deal with you?

Have you always turned the other cheek?

To My Church have you been true?'

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,

'No, Lord, I guess I ain't.

Because those of us who carry guns,

I can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,

And at times my talk was tough.

And sometimes I've been violent,

Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,

That wasn't mine to keep.....

Though I worked a lot of overtime,

When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,

Though at times I shook with fear.

And sometimes, God, forgive me,

I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,

Among the people here.

They never wanted me around,

Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,

It needn't be so grand.

I never expected or had too much,

But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was a silence all around the throne,

Where the saints had often trod.

As the Soldier waited quietly,

For the judgment of his God.

'Step forward now, you Soldier,

You've borne your burdens well.

Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,

You've done your time in Hell.'

~Author Unknown~