Splish Splash - It's raining awards!

I was just catching up on some blogs I haven't had a chance to visit in a few days. I popped in over at Al's Caramel Macchiato and was BLOWN AWAY by the awards she is racking up! Impressive Al! While reading her post, I found my farm blog among the list of recipients for the Splish Splash Award that she was passing along. Thank you Al. You are super sweet.

Let the Children Come

Anyone out there want to encourage my grandchildren? I welcome it. Want to tell them to get a good education; they'll need it for the future? Please do. Want to impress upon them that we can only do such much; and they need to do their part by listening and learning? Let me give you their phone number... Call them up. Want to share a success story with them? Go ahead.

No wait... That stuff's bad isn't it? Won't it warp their minds? Maybe make them too liberal?

Relax. Encouragement is good.


Here is a link so that you can read for yourself what our president's speech to school children is about.

Presidential Craziness

I was watching the network news and saw a tearful mother. She was trying to hold back the tears. Speaking of her children, she just couldn't contain her grief. No, they weren't abducted. No, not murdered, raped, abused, run over in traffic, given drugs at preschool...

I don't often let politics enter my home here in Blogville. I've just been so irritated by what I've seen on the news that I have to speak up. We have a black president. Deal with it. He is not foreign. He is not a Muslim. He is not burning Jews.

I hate pulling out the old race card, but unfortunately I don't have any other cards left in my hand. I can't help but think that if he was 100% white guy, some of this stuff would be non-existent. I am a Christian. Unfortunately, there are some Christians out there giving us a bad name. In the name of God, they claim that President Obama is another Hitler! Because he wants everyone to have affordable health care, should the nations of the world band together and rise up to defeat this monster?

I know a lot of it is about money. "I want to keep mine and don't want you to have any of it!" They liken the plan to communism. What about Medicare? I won't go there...

So now, our elected President wants to address school children.

I kept wondering what I was missing. I called my Obama expert... "Have I missed something? What's he going to talk about that's got everyone so upset?"

Here it is in a nutshell: Our elected official is asking children to convert. He is forcing his democratic beliefs on them. How, you ask? He wants them to write a letter. Are you ready for this? The letter is supposed to be about how they can help the President. OMG! No! We will not stand for this!

Next thing you know, he'll mention unity... You know - that garbage he spewed during his campaign about it not being red states and blue states but the United States. He'll probably have the audacity to mention patriotism! I think if the word 'care' is uttered, we should scream for impeachment!

Resume for Heaven

God has a job for me. I sometimes wonder about what God intends for my job here on this earth to be. I try to intently listen for His still, small voice. I desperately want to follow His lead, to be where He would place me. Am I succeeding?

What about heaven? Will we have a job to do there?

Whenever heaven has been described to me, it is a place of perfection... streets of gold, gates of pearl, angels singing, no tears, no pain... We will forever worship Him. Is that it? I mean, day in and day out, for eternity? Do we just hang out, singing and praising... feasting on the good stuff? Not that it sounds bad; but eternity is a pretty long time, and all that sounds pretty simple for a God that conceived of this intricate universe.

I have been fortunate in my life to have spent time in nature, surrounded by calm and beauty, feeling the presence of God. There is no greater feeling; but as great as it felt... how long could I honestly sit there? A day? Sure. A week? Mmm... relaxing. Years? Well...

Eternity is a long time. I have a few questions:

1. Will we sleep? If so...
2. Do we have to get up at a set time... or can we sleep in?
   
3. What will we do when we wake up?
4. Do we eat breakfast? Where does it come from? Is it cooked?
5. Who does the dishes?
6. Are we then, off to work?

Silly? Perhaps; but will we have a job to do in heaven? Is our time spent here in preparation for our career in the afterlife? That might explain a few things. Then again, maybe not...

I was reading something that got me pondering again the subject of pain and suffering in this world. You know... that old 'Why would God allow...' thing. I know that, just as the analogy speaks in the Bible, a grape vine thrives when pruned. It grows strong and bears much fruit. The rough times of my life have always turned out to be a blessing. Sometimes it takes longer to see it. I don't wish to go through the pain again; but it made me who I am. It prepared me for how I live my life right now. Did it also prepare me for something else ...something greater?

If heaven has all these souls filling its space, will not it be a society? In any society, there are roles to be filled. Even Jesus talked about a body needing hands and feet. Heaven is perfect, right? So what is a perfect society? Maybe one filled to the brim with compassion and understanding? Genuine caring for your fellow man? If there is no evil, no pain, no suffering, how much compassion will be required? After all, isn't compassion more of a react to a situation, rather than a tangible thing?

OK, now I'm rambling in circles... Does anyone have the answers?

Feeling my 'old' self...

Cabin fever attacked my sanity? Asthma deprived the brain cells of adequate oxygen, prevented me from having rational thoughts? What happened to my head?

OK, the truth: I'm old. My hair is turning gray. Might have been all gray, if it hadn't been for a little help from my BF. Thanks to her expertise, my reddish locks still looked fresh and young the last couple of years. I have spent most of the summer quarantined inside the air conditioning, and let my hair go. Roots were turning into shrubs. Hubby has been bugging me to let it go 'Au natural'. My BF said, "You're too young to look old!" I was ready. Why does a woman that spends most of her time with animals need to color her hair? The horses won't notice.

I've never really been one of those 'primpy' girls. My philosophy has always been, "It's hair. It will grow back." So, last night while Hubby was gone, I got out the clippers and scissors and went to work.


I looks like S**T! LOL Seriously, it does. There are parts that will have to grow out to look like Jamie Lee Curtis' do. I had a plan for using Hubby's clippers, but it didn't work out the way I thought it would. Luckily, I changed to Plan B quickly enough to save the remaining scalp.


Believe it or not, Hubby loves it! (His eyesight has been going downhill in recent years.)











So, it was time. Time for me to just be old. The age I am. Not ancient, but no spring chicken. I'm OK with that. I actually think it looks cute as a button! (Just one of my favorite sayings... thought it would fit well here.)

My old profile pic was just that... old. So I looked young. Now here's a new pic, so I look old. There's some kind of peaceful symmetry to that... yin and yang?

What does Hubby think of the self-portraits? He says they don't look like me! Uh... I took them today. Hello... it's me.

Invasion on the Farm

Did you ever get that feeling you were being watched? I was sitting here, minding my own business, working on my book. Uneasiness crept over me, as I became aware that someone was watching me through the balcony door. The heavy shadow loomed above my head at the glass. Dare I turn and face the intruder?

Hubby was working nearby. Would he come to my aid if needed? Would I be able to make my scream audible... or would I freeze?

When I turned to face the culprit, I was shocked by what I saw! A giant monster had invaded my balcony!Here he is, trying to tip-toe off behind the chair. Have you ever seen one this big? Sadie would be no match against this guy!

OK, here's one that gives a better perspective on his size...
Here's a couple of shots of him peeking at me through the window...

Just had to share.


Hubby and Sadie have been busy cleaning the barn. Together , they decided it was time to clear out some of those old scraps of wood we were saving 'just in case we need a piece this size'. It wasn't exactly a marshmallow fire, but still a nice view.