A New Tradition...

Today I'm starting a new Tradition for this blog: I've decided that every New Year I'm going to post "My Mantra". I hope you enjoy it....

GONNA BE A BEAR...
 In this life, I am a woman.
In my next life I'd like to come back as a bear.

When you're a bear you get to hibernate...

nothing but sleep for six months.
I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid.
I could deal with that.

When you're a girl bear, you birth your children, who are the size of walnuts, while you are sleeping...

and wake up to practically grown-up, cute cuddly cubs.
 I could deal with that.

If you're a momma bear, everyone knows you mean business.
You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too...

I could definitely deal with that.

If you're a bear, your mate expects you to wake up growling.
 He expects you to have hairy legs and excess body fat.
I could deal with that.
Yup..

.

gonna be a bear.

DREAM says....

"Me Too!"

No Chores for ME today.....

I have a HELPER!


That's my Beautiful Baby Girl, heading out to feed the sheep while I sit in the house and take pictures! Actually, I was GOING to go feed the sheep, but Katie had my boots on (she'd gone for a hike) so she said she'd do it...


The girls were obviously not concerned about that tall, young woman coming into their paddock...

...They recognized the sled!

Now it's the boys turn...


Bella's going to "help" with them!


DREAM says....


..."Good Job, Katie!"

Oblivious to the Holidays....

To the sheep, in the Bluff Country, Christmas morning is just like any other morning. They always have their friends and family gathered around.
Every day is one of peace and good will (well, almost every day).

They greet me like old friends and warm my heart on the frosty days of winter.

I still don't know how I came to be so lucky as to be living this wonderful life!

Even the boys have their safe, little niche in the world. I can't wait to see the beautiful lambs that they've sired, come April!


On the day after Christmas, my Beautiful Baby Girl (who's home for TEN DAYS!!! ) even managed to lure the goofy Goats out of their barn, for a photo shoot for her page in Face Book...

She's titling it: "Christmas on the Farm"
(her friends don't have to know that I really don't live on a farm ~ just a house in the country!) ;-) To Katie, it's a farm.

DREAM says....
"TOO MANY GOAT PICTURES! I counted!!"

We all wish you a Happy, Healthy New Year filled with Peace and Serenity and LOVE...

The STAR on Top of my Tree....

;-)

Please visit Tammy's blog to read her heartwarming story about the dog that she saved. The world is a better place because of people like her.

On Growing Older.....

A dear friend sent me this in an e-mail, weeks ago. I kept it because I really like what it says. Not that I think of myself as "old" ~ but old enough to joke about getting old. ;-) I truly like where I am at in my life and find these sentiments describe my feelings quite accurately...

The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old. Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question, and I would ponder it, and let her know.

Old Age, I decided, is a gift.

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror (who looks like my mother!), but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so av ante guard on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.
I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60&70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved on e, or when a child suffers, or even when some body's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day. (If I feel like it)

DREAM says....

...."Baaaa!"

MUCH Better.....

What a relief!
I put my gender groups back together yesterday and I now only have to feed and water TWO GROUPS!!! Well, that counts the rams and the goats as one group ~ they're not actually together but do share a common barn. Regardless, it was a LOT LESS WORK!

All the ewes and ewe lambs have the "big" barn now and I love sitting in there with them and getting reacquainted! I have the day off tomorrow, so will get some new sheepy pictures for you.....

In the meantime, Meredith sends KISSES:

Christmas Concert....

I viewed this on another blog and just had to share it. These guys are INCREDIBLE! I have dial up so it took a while to download onto my computer but it was SO worth the wait...

A DAY OFF...

Mom had the day off work today!!!


She spent the morning decorating Christmas trees and then we went outside...


First we fed the goats. We always feed the goats first but Mom didn't take any pictures because they won't come out of the barn! What babies!!

Then we fed "Moon" and his group of ewes. They sure do like that hay!


Next, we fed "Hunter's" group.
They're all brown ~ what boring lambs they'll probably have! At least Moon's girls come in lots of different colors.

Next we fed the ewe lambs.


They have the calf hut for shelter and always run when I come into their paddock. I don't know why ~ I never chase them. Mom says they're afraid of the sled she's pulling.

Last of all, Mom feeds the two ram lambs. She doesn't take pictures of them because she feels sad that they have to go see "Mike the Meat Man".

After everyone is fed, Mom hauls water to each of the groups and then feeds the chickens. Today she put fresh straw in each of the shelters too and gave all the sheep and goats fresh minerals and Sea Kelp. I think she spoils those guys!

DREAM says...

..."Mom hasn't spent a whole lot of time with me lately, but that's OK...Moon's been keeping me company!"

There WILL be Christmas in the Bluff Country!

It may not be as Grand as in years past but it will be Christmas. I'm also liking the idea of a Solstice commemoration...

Thus far, I've managed this little, bitty Christmas tree. It's three feet tall and sits on the end table in my living room. I may have a delightful addition tomorrow...

BELLA says... "I'm fine ~ a little tired as Mom sure does toss and turn alot in her sleep!"

P.S. Michelle, you cracked me up with your comment for Dream!!!

Overwhelmed and Under Energized (?)

No pictures. It's dark when I leave for work and dark when I get home and done feeding all my critters. I bought a 'head lamp' so that I can see what I'm doing when I'm feeding in the dark and still have my hands free. I'm thinking I may have too many critters. This is exhausting! By the time I get home from work and get all the animals fed, it's only an hour or two before my bedtime ~ so that I can get up early and do it all again. I haven't even put up any Christmas decorations!! Christmas is my favorite holiday and I usually have my house decked out like a 'Country Home' magazine spread! I have an extensive collection of hand selected, old fashioned, ornaments and a gorgeous, huge, artificial tree that I usually have up by Thanksgiving ~ not to mention a vast array of treasured figurines and assorted other special decorations that I've gathered over the years. This year, nothing. I'm too tired.

I'm Not depressed. I'm just wore out from trying to do everything by myself. (Don't anyone ever tell my ex-husband that I said that!!!!)

If I can just get through the next few weeks, things will lighten up. I'll take my breeding groups apart, which will put me back down to two groups to feed and water ~ right now I'm doing FIVE. WAY too many when I have to haul hay and chop ice for each group! I'm thinking a rather significant flock reduction may be in order in 2008...

Unfortunately, breeding season coincides with my company's busiest time at work so there's no time off and no 'leaving early'. I was lucky that they let me leave for Katie's graduation but now I haven't had (and won't have) a day off until the week of Christmas. I don't even LIKE working ~ let alone working 7 days a week!! What I'm finding is ~ I have no time to ENJOY the Christmas SEASON. THAT is sad.

Bella had her surgery (spayed) on Friday. I took her in before ~ and picked her up after work. The Elizabethan collar that they sent her home with was too small and the second night (at 3 o'clock in the morning) I could feel her licking at her stitches. (she sleeps with me) I turned the light on and sure enough, she was able to get at the incision, even with her "hat" on. There was some bleeding and I was scared that she'd have to go back to the vet. I was able to blot the area and fortunately, had a larger Elizabethan collar in the garage ~ from when Sadie had her surgery a couple of years ago. So, at three o'clock in the morning, I'm trying to remove one Elizabethan collar and replace it with a larger one ~ on a young dog that does NOT want to wear one in the first place! Mission accomplished but my alarm going off at 5 a.m. was not a happy sound...

Bella is still not sleeping well. Which, of course, means that ?I'm not sleeping well. She must be feeling some discomfort and she definitely wants to lick her belly and bottom and is very frustrated that she can't. I'm just tired.

I don't mean this to be a 'whining' session. I just wanted to explain why I'm not posting. There just isn't any time! I haven't done any knitting or spinning either. Which is probably a good thing because my elbow is really bad again...

Things will lighten up soon. I'm going to TRY really hard to get a tree up. Not sure when because I truly don't have any days off work ~ but I'll try.

Katie's coming home for Christmas (12 days!!!!!!!!) and I want some sort of festive spirit in the house. I WILL be able to have some time off when she's here because it's after our peak/rush season at work. So ~ there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I just have to keep plodding along.

Thanks for letting me vent!

I Couldn't Be Any More Proud if You PAID Me.....

I am the luckiest woman alive....

EIGHT WEEKS....

It's been 8 LONG weeks since I last saw my Beautiful Baby Girl.
I took this picture of her as we drove to meet her recruiter who was responsible for getting her to Boot Camp at Great Lakes Illinois. I have missed her SO much! I have worried about her, endlessly. I have cried, I have laughed and I have prayed. LOTS of prayers!

On Thanksgiving Day, my oldest Daughter, Pam (my Princess) drove the 5 hours to spend the day with her baby sister.
Pam reports that Katie is fine ~ thin...but fine. And very, Very PROUD. Proud of herself, for what she has accomplished and proud to be in the Navy.
My girls spent the day together. Lots of hugs and smiles and love. I was so happy, just knowing that they were together!
This is Katie talking with me on Pam's cell phone.

This afternoon, I am picking up my son, Ben (Porkchop) and we are following Pam and her handsome husband, Karl and their three boys (my GRANDSONS!) to Great Lakes, Illinois, where my Beautiful Baby Girl will GRADUATE tomorrow morning!

I am so excited to SEE Katie and to be able to hold, hug and kiss her that it almost hurts ! We've gone 8 weeks and much longer without seeing each other before, but never without the ability to communicate. Boot Camp let us share letters but once a week letters are just not the same as hearing the voice of someone you love and are worried about! I know that my Baby Girl went through hell at Boot Camp....that's what Boot Camp is all about! It was difficult, as a Mom, to know that she was in such a stressful situation, and not be able to comfort or support her in any way! Needless to say: I am SO glad that it's over!!!

So, I'll be gone for a few days. I'm staying at Great Lakes and spending the weekend with my future Naval Intelligence Officer! Ben & Pam and her family are driving back, right after the ceremony tomorrow. Katie and I will spend a few days together ~ she has to report back to the base in the evenings. I will return home on Sunday night. I wish I could bring my Beautiful Baby Girl home with me but she has to report to her fist station, which will be school in Monterey, California! My BBG is going back to school (she graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 2005 ~ or was it 06? ~ and has desperately wanted to continue her education. That dream is finally coming true! I am happy. And proud. And oh-so-VERY Blessed!