Enjoying the sunshine

I'm not gonna lie, I caught myself longing for spring today...thinking about starting seeds, digging in the dirt, working outside.  And it's only December!!

The bright sunshine triggered some of that, I'm sure.

It felt good to be outdoors for a just a little while though, especially with the good company I had.

This little bit is always on the move, whether she is outdoors or in. 

We took a little ride down to check on the donkeys, Rosie in particular.  No baby for her yet, but she definitely had milk!  Suuuuurely, it won't be long.

Since I've been taking apple and pear treats to the donkeys on occasion, our big-eared furry friends are extra welcoming and affectionate.

They got close enough that I noticed that little Flopsy is not so "flopsy" anymore!  She's holding both ears up!  One has a small fold at the top, but the ear that was so bent is now standing tall. Hmmm...I guess it just takes a while.

We decided to name the jennies after country music singers, because two of their mommas are Dolly and Patsy.  Besides, they like to sing!

Flopsy, Jenny #3, is now Kitty, Jenny #1 is Loretta, and Jenny #2 is Wynette.
Don't you think those country music legends would be proud of their new namesakes?

Day 30: A sweet finale to National Blog Posting Month

It's been a good day for the proverbial ducks...not such a good day for Small Business Saturday or hanging the Christmas lights outdoors, I'm afraid.  

I sure didn't want to get out. 

However, it has been a great day for staying warm and dry inside our cozy home--cooking, eating, catching up on laundry, shopping online and otherwise piddlin'.  

I've got a turkey in the oven for round two of Thanksgiving tomorrow, and I just mixed up a batch of everyone's favorite peanut butter fudge. 

It's so easy, I'd call it the easiest.  In fact, I did call it that for our Arvin family cookbook.  This recipe is virtually foolproof.  

I would flip this recipe around for easiest reading, but I don't know how. 

Photoshop, where are you?  Not on this computer.  But I digress. 

Anyway, I never did fully relax on what should have been a relaxing day, because I was pacing the floors, waiting for a break in the rain to go outside and get my Christmas tree and decorations out of the storage shed. 

I was about to give up on that ever happening, when lo and behold, the waters parted around 4 p.m., just long enough for the hubs and I to load down the trailer.  

Before we got the stuff carried into the house,  the rain started pouring again! 

We had drought conditions back in October.  Remember that?  

Anyway, we kicked it in high gear and got everything in before much damage was done.  

Foreseeing a marathon decorating session ahead in my very near future, I decided I'd sit down and scribble out a little blog post right quick. 

Thirty days, and I did it!  Posted daily for 30 days in a row.  

Just a little somethin,' somethin' about mostly a little a nothin', nothin', but I did it. 

I actually enjoy writing this nonsense, so maybe you'll hear from me before November of 2020.  

Lord willing,' and the creek don't rise.  

But it's a risin'!! 

My trusty helper, just as the rain returned.  

After we unloaded, he drove the Mule down in the lower pasture to get the solar battery before the creek gets it, and he ran out of gas.  

Love its heart, it had to walk all the way back up here in the rain to get gas, then carry it back.  😏💧💧😬😅

Day 29: Just under the wire

I've been transitioning hard between holidays today...not as hard as those hardy souls who got up in the wee hours and headed out to shop Black Friday sales, but still.

I tidied up the house a little, made turkey corn chowder from, you guessed it, leftovers, took down all my fall decorations, and did not get my tree up.

That was on my to-do list, but it did not get to-done.

There was more to the un-decorating for fall than I anticipated, such as a lot of leaves that needed to be raked away from the house.

After the hubs got home from work, we had some of that chowder, then took off on a Rural King run to stock up on dog food, bird seed, chicken feed, sweet feed.  Gotta keep the critters happy, ya know.

We bought a few Christmas gifts, too.

It took me a while to get in the zone.  Don't you just hate walking into a big store like Rural King or Walmart, and every single thought you had about what you'd buy flees from your head and leaves you feeling a bit, uhh, vacant?

Yep, that's me.  Even with a shopping list.

Christmas shopping makes my gut tighten.  It makes me long to be snowed in so I'd have a good excuse not to do it.

But tonight I managed to focus long enough to knock a few things off my list; therefore, I'm feeling a bit accomplished.

Now, if the rain will hold off long enough tomorrow to get my tree out of the storage building, I'll be making real progress--assuming I get it up.  

Maybe that will keep the "bah-humbugs" at bay.

So very full

What a wonderful Thanksgiving!  My heart is as full as my belly.

With a house bulging at the seams with people, good food, laughter and love, how could I possibly ask for anything more?

I missed Johnnie though.  He loved Thanksgiving dinner so much, particularly the turkey drumstick. I thought of him several times throughout the day.

Before everyone headed home, I snapped this photo of all Mom and Dad's grandkids and great-grandkids.  It's unbelievable how the grandkids have mostly grown up, and the great-grandkids are catching up with them quickly! I hope they'll always stay close and make time to get together.

Each is so special in their own unique way, and I pray the Lord will guide them and favor them all their days.  

Twas the night before Thanksgiving...

...and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.  

Not yet, anyway.  I've been trying to figure out my new iPhone, a total impulse buy today, but hey, when I can buy it for 49.99 and keep the same plan I have, why not?  Thank you very much, Appalachian Wireless. 

I really like the cameras that my daughters have on their iPhones, so that was my motivation for buying a new one.  

And I haven't bought the first Christmas gift yet!  Tsk, tsk. 

Earlier in the day, I spent some time in Richmond with these monkeys, where we had a bite of lunch and made a last minute trip to Aldi's. Aldi. 

Aldi's.

Meijers.

Carhartt's. 

Walmark's. 

Why in the world do we hillbillies feel the need to stick an s on the end of all our store names? Another of life's great mysteries. 

Anyway,  I'm about to start slicing and dicing and prepping for our feast tomorrow, so Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a good night! 

Ivy gets some coloring lessons from the parents. 

How do you process?

I thought this quote was kinda clever, but I disagree with that last sentence, Ms. Parker.

If you are a writer, you aren't really happy if you aren't writing.

I almost can't imagine not writing.  It's my way of processing life.

Some sing.  Some paint. Some build.  Some clean house. Some cook.

I write.  And cook sometimes.  Rarely clean.  Would love to become a skilled carpenter. I hate to paint.  I like to sing sometimes, but it's nothing I'd want anyone else to have to suffer through.

I write nearly every day, whether it's in a journal, at work, or this blog.

Sometimes I don't feel very inspired doing it, and I really don't have a lot to say, but it's good mental exercise, I suppose.

Tonight I recruited my hubby to help me move/drag my old Army desk to the opposite side of the room, next to the window.

This might sound silly, but I love it when the sun comes through the window and bathes me in light while I'm writing. And this particular window gets lots of morning sun.

I don't know why I hadn't thought of moving it before.  But here I am, feeling inspired already, and it's dark.  😎 And almost bedtime.  😉

Thank heaven for small comforts

How do you unwind after a busy day?

This afternoon, after a tense day of mental rushing to beat an early deadline,  I walked away from my desk feeling drained and dull-witted.

It didn't help that I didn't sleep well last night, on a night when I know I really needed to sleep well.

That happens way too often! 

When I'm  tired like that, I know I need to re-establish balance in my life. It's key to good mental, physical, and spiritual health.

There was a time in my life when I thought that being tired meant I needed more rest. Now I'm thinking it means I need a change of pace, to change my focus.

One of the best antidotes to that dull draggy feeling is to move--in fresh air, if at all possible.

A little exercise, a little time outdoor time--it's invigorating, restorative, and yes, restful.

Other small comforts that help me rebound when I'm tired...just a few minutes of looking into the faces of my sweet grand babies. Chatting with my girls.

Some good food.  Even if it's only a hodgepodge of leftovers. A cup of hot tea.

Home.  Just being home. With my ol' man.

Settling in with a good book after the chores are done, or watching something that doesn't require a lot of concentration.

My brand of Southern Comfort may not sound very exciting, but these are the things I love.  They restore my soul.

A grateful heart

Gearing up for Thanksgiving, my thoughts turn to the importance of gratitude.

I think gratitude is as important to meaningful and joyful living as anything.

Even knowing that, it sometimes is not easy to practice an attitude of gratitude.

This morning in church, we sang a familiar chorus..."We bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord."

When we are in a funk, or are just plain irritated or bent out of shape about something, we might not feel like being thankful.

If we are going through hard times--sickness, loss of a loved one, etc., it's hard to feel grateful too.

Choosing to offer up thanksgiving in those times, by a deliberate act of our will, well, that is a sacrifice.

The thing about sacrificing praise is that it turns us inside out in a good way.  It turns us from being preoccupied with ourselves and our often petty grievances to recognizing that we really are fortunate.

Looking up, we can usually see that we are better off than we thought, that we are not alone, that the Good Lord has blessed us beyond measure.

We are richer than we know, regardless of what our bank account might say.

A good rainy day read

This book is also about the WPA pack horse librarian project.  

I highly recommend it! 

There has been some controversy associated with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and Giver of the Stars by Jojo Moyes because of similarities between the two books.  

Sure, both are about pack horse librarians in Kentucky in the 1930's, but they are very different stories. 

For one thing, the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is one of the mysterious blue people.  Because she is blue, "Cussy" faces prejudice and ill treatment not only for being a woman, but for being "colored."  

This book is filled with plenty of cultural detail about herbal remedies, superstition, foodways, dialect, etc. 

It's also a stark portrayal of the poverty in the hills during that time period.

We tend to romanticize "the good ol' days," but this book will make you think again about that.  For that reason, and because it's just a captivating story,  I recommend this book.  

No sign of the ears straightening up

But Mom...mahh, ... I can't hold it up! 

Yes, this cute little thing appears to have a permanently bent ear, but I see no sign that she was frostbit.  I'd like to get ahold of her cute littler floppy ears, but she still keeps her distance.
In the meantime, she's doing well, nursing frequently and frisking around.  
I saw her being chased by one of her older sisters today, which got big sis a scolding from me, but no harm was done. 

And besides, her momma was watching closely and was ready to intervene if she was too rough on her!

(I've got to come up with some names. These pronouns are confusing even me!)

Happy weekend, folks!  I'm about to sign off and dive into a good book.  Adios!

Isn't she the cutest thing?  

Heritage farmers and such

Just look at this pearly pink sky! 

Our view this morning, and nearly all mornings, but I'm continually amazed at how the same mountains change their appearance in different seasons, different weather, different times of day.

There's always something new to see and appreciate, if we just keep our eyes open.  

This blogpost will be brief.  After work, I had the annual Kiwanis Farm-City Banquet to cover, so we haven't been home long.

This happens to be a favorite event of mine, because I know how hard farmers work and how deserving they are of recognition, or at least, of being appreciated.  

Sometimes people don't appreciate what they may consider an humble class of people, but I'll be sure and point out yet again, if you ate today, you can thank a farmer.  

And if you are really fortunate, you'll know your farmer, and where your food comes from.  Otherwise, your groceries might very well have been shipped from hundreds or even thousands of miles away.  

Imagine the quality that must be sacrificed when we buy food like that.   Ironically, it may look perfect, but there's something unnatural to me about perfect-looking food that's been transported across the country and setting on a shelf for weeks--or longer.  

Obviously, there aren't enough of us growing local food to keep everyone supplied all year round, or even ourselves, so I'm not necessarily being judgmental.  

I just think it's sad, and it's something that needs to change.  We should be able to source everything we need from within a much smaller radius (with the obvious exception of bananas and citrus, etc.) 

One reason there aren't many people growing local food?  Most other jobs don't depend on the weather.  And many, I daresay, are easier. 

Well, that's my ramble for the night. I probably ought to go to bed soon, before I really start to make sense.  Ha! 

Just piddlin'

So, what do you do on a gray day at home when it's kinda chilly and you are content to be indoors?  

Ya piddle. 

I've been piddling' all day, messin' and gommin' in the kitchen. 

Anyone else know how to "mess and gom"?  My momma taught me these valuable skills.  

But the end results of my mess was a rather tasty meal, if I do say so myself. 

I was inspired by a conversation I had last week with my work buddy Suzi.  We were talking about how good pork is with kraut, even better with mashed potatoes served up alongside. 

So, I pulled out a jar of kraut that we made back in the sweltering days of summer, and I spread it in the bottom of a baking dish.  I layered some pork chops on top of that, then topped them with some onions.   I peeled some of those buttery yukon gold potatoes harvested from our garden, and I mixed up some cornbread from the cornmeal ground from Dad's corn.  

After everything cooked and baked and smelled the house up real good, I  sautéed some brussel sprouts and mashed the potatoes.  I served it all up with a couple of the homegrown tomatoes we are still eating from the garden.   Yum, yum.   

Slow food, indeed.  A lot of trouble, yes. 

But worth it to me, and worthwhile. 

Meals grown and prepared with my own hands seem more meaningful to me. 

That pile of peppers in the background is ground up and ready to make a batch of pepper jelly, by the way. 

 A stroll around the field this afternoon prompted this photo of Haystack Mt.  Some might say it's a dull scene now, and it certainly isn't as green and lush as back in the summer, but I still think it's beautiful in a quiet muted way.

Puttin' up the Maple Leaf

Tonight we drove one more nail in the coffin that is the memories we made last summer.

But wait, you can't really put to death a memory, can you?  Not that you'd want to, if the memories  are good ones. 

There's probably a more fitting analogy, but I can't think of it right now.  We finished issue 47 today, and my brain is tired. 

Anyway, what we actually did this evening, just before dark, was go to the creek bank and load up the grill and the chairs and the fishing pole props and hook up the little ol' Maple Leaf and pulled her to higher ground.  She's been on the creek bank since it finally stopped raining, in what, August?  

While time for camping was limited last summer, what time we spent on the creek bank was still 

chill-axing.  We enjoyed a few weinie roasts, a few fishing sessions, even an overnight stay or two. 

We watched turtles float, and an otter surface and dive outta sight again after it saw us. We saw big carp and narrow gar swim lazily near the top of the water when it was so hot and dry.  

We listened to coyotes yip, yip, yip, all around when darkness fell on warm nights.  We marveled at the stars and the sunrise that we got to view from a different angle on the farm. 

We saw excitement in our grandkids' eyes after Clay caught a fish.  

So, yeah. I felt a bit sad about retrieving the Maple Leaf, but the reality is, if we'd left our camper on the creek bank, we might not have one to use next spring/summer/fall! 

The Maple Leaf.  She's high and dry now. 

I'm amazed at how inky the creek looks right now.  

The light was reflecting off the surface of it, so it was hard to get a photo that showed true colors.  I saturated this one a bit, and it still doesn't accurately show how black the water is!  

Anyone else ready for spring?

This will be a short post.My brain is depleted after a long day followed by a long meeting.

It was dark when I got home, and chilly. Thank goodness I already had chili made so I didn't have to cook!

These long dark evenings have me craving some springtime, hence the photos.

Ahhh, color. How I miss you.  

Missions accomplished

Don't you love it when you have intentions of doing one little thing, but that one little thing turns into a bunch of chores accomplished?  

I do!  

The Gas Man, aka "Pops" and I headed to Chelsea's today to help put up a short piece of fence, with the hope that it will keep a certain Houdini dog from escaping her back yard and wandering off in the neighborhood. 

Not only did we get that fence up, but we pruned some shrubs, vines, bushes, etc., raked the yard and bagged up the leaves, put away fall decorations, pulled out Christmas lights and decorations, transplanted a redbud tree and some ornamental grass, put up all the lights and decorations and dug up a root that was causing some issues in the driveway. 

When I say "we," I mean the multi-talented crew above. Har, har. 

And isn't it so much more fun to work when you have a big crew?  That's one thing I miss about the old days, particularly 'round the farm. 

Have a big job to do? Get a big crew together and make short work of it!  

If feels good to have helped "the young'uns" out today.  As I said the other day, it's difficult to do much of anything when you have a toddler who is still a little unsteady on her feet.  You have to keep your eye--or hand--on her all the time. 

The biggest reward of our missions accomplished?  

Seeing Miss Ivy enjoying this funny-looking snowman.  That was her dad's idea. Good call, Dad! 

P.S.  I forgot the gutters!  Chris's dad even cleaned the gutters while he had the ladder out.  

Busy as a bird dog...

My day began with a look at the frosty farm through my car window.  I stepped outside to retrieve something from the car and noticed these cool designs on the glass. This photo in no way does the beauty of it justice. 

Frost is such an amazing thing!

The Gas Man had asked me to go with him to make Saturday deliveries again, and while I'd like to have loafed with him in the bright sunshine, there was much work to be done at home. 

I had punkin' chunkin' to do and pepitos to toast.  There were bucket of pears to pare, slice and dice. 

I made a big pot of chili and a chocolate cake.  

I'm still working on stuff in the kitchen this evening--I'm making pear sauce and pear preserves, and I've got a huge pile of kale prepped for making kale chips.  

After The Gas Man got home, I took a break from all the kitchen witchin' and walked down to the pasture to open the gates so he could set out hay. 

I took with me a bucket of pear peelings and cores, thinking I could entice the little donkeys to come closer.  The little ones didn't get a chance to try the sweet treats though, because their mommas fell all over themselves to eat them first.  

Once the bucket was empty, Dolly took it from me after sniffing around inside for more.  I'm sure the grandkiddos would have gotten a big kick out of seeing that! 

Once she figured out she wasn't going to get more, she tossed her head--and the bucket--and Honey and I walked back to the house.  

Welp, I'd better get back to work!  

Rambling on...

Sometimes it's hard to get our head around this simple idea.

What we do with this hour, and that one, well, that's what we are doing.

In other words, it's easy to waste a lot of time.

Such as in scrolling Facebook. You may come across this post while scrolling, and you may think you've wasted your time reading it.

Time is such an interesting concept to me. How momentous occasions can occur in seconds, while long stretches of sameness can drag on for...months?  Years?

A few brief seconds is all it takes to alter the life of a whole lot of people, as we saw with yesterday's school shooting.

A child can be conceived, a marriage proposed, a mortgage signed--in just minutes.

It's the filler stuff that we spend hours on, some of it necessary, some of it not. 

Everyone needs a little downtime, of course, but too much filler makes for dull minds and aimless lives.

Life's too short for that.

Because how we spend our days is how we spend our lives.

Her ears are still floppy, but we don't care

The grand-kiddos rode the bus to Nan and Pop's house this afternoon, so we thought we'd venture down in the pasture to see if we could get a closer look at our newest addition.   

Dolly, above, is usually the first to approach us for some lovin'.  Or maybe Rosie.  She's very affectionate also.  She's the miniature that we are still waiting on to give birth. 

The kids are so intrigued when the donkeys walk up close with their velvety lips and noses that quiver an sniffle.  

Ollie, however, with the new baby, literally steered her away from us and walked in the other direction.  Ollie isn't as friendly as Dolly, Patsy or Rosie.  

Even from a distance, it was clear that the baby's ears still aren't standing up.  Maybe that's just how she is, and if so, that's fine, because she's adorable anyway.  

At least her second day of life was a little warmer.  The sunshine was golden this afternoon, like Oaklee's hair and Honey, who's always happy to tag along when we visit the cattle and donkeys. 

Another arrival!

Guess who showed up today?  This little flop-eared gal!  

I didn't check on our donkeys this ten degree morning, but late in the afternoon, I thought I'd get out of the house for a little while and take a walk.  

From the driveway, I could see a little dark shape by Ollie, the larger momma who had still been expecting.  

At first, I thought it was the first donkey born back around Labor Day, then I noticed this one was smaller, and besides, she was beside the wrong momma.

Honey and I took off, excited to get a closer look.  Sure enough, we had a newborn!  She looks exactly like the first one.  

She was walking around like she was a week old, but something is not quite right with those ears!  

One of them is flopped over, and she (I think it's another she!) seemed to have a hard time holding them up.  

Poor thing.  I don't know what time she was born, but I know she hadn't arrived last night.  Could it be that her poor ears got frostbitten?  

Or maybe she was just crowded in the womb.  

She seems okay otherwise. I  hope her ears don't fall off!  

Some bright spots in a gray day

We awakened to a strange-looking world...snow on the pumpkins, the fall leaves, the foddershocks.

It was beautiful in a moody sorta way, though. 

As I drove to work, I thought what a perfect day it would be to hole up at home.

But our weekly deadline loomed and that thought had to be put on the back burner.  

Not an impossible thought for the school kiddos tho, and those who work in the school district.  A snow day! Lucky pups! 

After our pages were sent and approved by the printer,  I drove the short distance to my baby girl's house.

She had invited me to come up and have some of her homemade meatloaf for lunch. 

Now how could I refuse an offer like that?  

The meatloaf, mashed potatoes and lime beans were delicious! 

Equally delicious was the sugar I stole from miss Ivy's sweet cheeks...when she'd be still long enough to let me.

Into everything,  that little one is. 

Chelsea mentioned her Christmas tree in the basement, and I offered to help carry it up. 

I remember how hard it is to get things done with a baby trying to help.

Besides. What better thing to do on a day like this than deck the halls with festive lights? 

We had the tree and lights up in no time, and Ivy seemed intrigued by the bright colors.

Heading back home in the cold a little later, I tried to absorb the beauty of my natural surroundings as much as I safely could while driving. 

My hubby was here when I got home, and I thought how thankful I am for the comforts of home...companionship, a hot meal, shelter. 

It may look like Christmas outside,  but it feels like Thanksgiving in my heart.

Brayyyy-cing for winter

Stuck on a fencepost?  Nahhh.  Just scratchin' my chin.  

I had no meetings to cover tonight for the newspaper, so I took advantage of the last couple of hours of daylight to take a walk and check on the critters.  With the cold moving in, I may be avoiding evening strolls for a few days.  

Down in the pasture, one of the first sights I see is the cow above, looking like she's got a fence post rammed through her jaw.  But then she turned her head, and it became obvious that she was just scratchin' her chin.  

Our sweet little donkey herd came to greet me.  The two jennies, now about two months old, are growing so fast.  They don't allow me to pet them much, but their mommas sure love attention.  I need to remind myself to take the babies a treat...a carrot stick or slice of pear or something.  

My guess is, the way to a jenny's heart is through her stomach! 

Works for me, anyway.

Our dog, Honey, plays this little game with the young jennies. She chases them around and around, then they chase her.  She's not at all aggressive with them, just playful.  They seem to enjoy the game too. 

Leaving our little asses to their hay, I sauntered on down to the creek and took note of how black the water is.  Despite some recent rains, the creek is still very low.  With all the leaves dropping into it, the tannins in the leaves turn the water black. I always wonder if that is harmful to the fish and other creek life.   Hopefully not.  But it makes for an interesting sight. 

My hubby placed the hay rings close to this lone tree in the field, in hopes that it might provide a bit of a wind break for the animals.    

I'm so dreading the cold for our livestock, who have nowhere to go to warm up.  Sure, they can go to the barn, and it might knock off a little wind.  Still, it's not what you'd call warm in there, not when the temperatures are in the teens and twenties.  

We are still waiting on two of our donkeys to give birth.  

It would be just like 'em to give birth after the temperature drops 50 degrees, the hubs and I agreed. 

Livestock are notorious for giving birth in the worst possible conditions.  I hope the gals can put off birthing at least until the rain passes.  

Being cold is bad enough, but cold and wet?!  Brrrr....