Laughter at all the wrong times.....

Odd how a memory will all of a sudden POP into your head.

REALLY bad when one does that as you are in church and you are trying desperately to not break out in laughter. Yeah. It happened to me today.

I went to church today, Saturday, because I just wanted to have the day at home on Sunday. Got lots to do and not enough time to do it in. You know the drill.

So during worship time, there we are singing and a certain song comes up and of course it brings the funniest of memories to my mind. The song was "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand" and the memories flowed from there.

I have a daughter. She will be turning 35 this year. I don't speak of her much to anyone. A long time ago, I learned the best way to handle not having anything nice to say is just to say nothing at all.  Better that way. But there was a time when she was cute and precocious and oh, so sweet! I know I may be biased, but I don't think there was ever a little girl that was as cute as her. She was quick and bright, inquisitive and I always knew that lurking behind that little smile was a creative and curious mind.

When I was a younger woman, I had boundless energy. Always on the move, making and creating and I LOVED being a Mom. When my children were little, at bedtime I would sit between their open doors and read them books. We covered so many different books, but their favorites were always from C.S. Lewis.....The Chronicles of Narnia. So much magic! When I read "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" to them, they were enchanted and many summer days were spent in the back yard with swords and imaginations.

So I did what any Mom would do. I built them a "Dawn Treader". Smack dab in the middle of  what would be a sand box. A HUGE sand box. I made the sail out of red canvas and on it there was a big Aslan, right in the middle. It had a poop deck and a ladder and I never did get that ships wheel to stay on correctly, but they loved it.

When it came time to fill the sand box with sand, we talked about it. Did they want white sand? Did they want sand that looked like a sea shore or just plain brown sand? What? I remember her answer clearly, as if she uttered it only today.

"Well I just want the kind of sand Jesus has. Not that stinking kind."

Wait. WHAT???

I questioned her as to what she was referring to and she broke out in song, belting out these words....

"On Christ the solid rock I stand! All other ground is stinking sand! All other ground is stinking sand!"

I had a really difficult time in church today. To not bust out laughing like I did that day long ago.

I guess the moral of this story is......If you are building a sand box for your kids, make sure you don't fill it with STINKING SAND.

Because that would be icky.

Crapolla

After careful consideration and many frustrating moments along with a few choice words, I have decided to completely redo my fodder growing system. The first one was too small!

I have 8 horses, (for now) which means for 15 pounds of fodder for each horse a day, I need to run 56 flats per week. YIKES. My old fodder system only ran 30 flats per week. Which is still a lot, just not enough.

So last night, after working all day on the old system, I took it all apart and am re-configuring it today. Hopefully, I can have it up and running tonight because my horses LOVE their fodder.

Photos and instructions to come. (Yeah right).

Easter blessings to your family on this wonderful, wonderful day!

cate

Sunshine and rain

Beautiful day today! Sunshine and rain both. Go figure.

I am reworking the fodder grower I made today. Wish I knew what I was doing. LOVE the videos on YouTube, but they don't explain enough for someone who is mechanically challenged.

But my horses love the fodder and I am determined. Today I will be working on the watering system as it needs to be automated to save me time and be more efficient.

Good luck on that one. I'll post pics later.

Maybe.

This is going to be a loooong wait....

Today is April 17, 2019.

My trip to Disneyland is scheduled for November 2019.

THIS is going to be a loooong wait! I only hope I survive to see my beloved Disneyland again!

So why do I like DisneyLAND over DisneyWORLD??? Well, I am glad you asked. Both are great places to visit and both are magical, but DisneyLAND is the original. And in my opinion, Disneyland is more of Walt Disney's dream whereas Disneyworld is more of Roy Disney's vision.

I love walking under the railroad archway when walking into Disneyland. It feels like the first time, EVERY time I do that. Magically, I become that little 8 year old girl that went there that first time way back when. As I walk through that and enter into Main Street, I remember my Uncle Wally, the one who gave me my very first trip to Disneyland. He gave me a gift of wonder and magic and I am forever grateful that gift. Uncle Wally was pretty dang special. I always wanted marry him when I got older. Miss him very much!

 This year, I have decided to do everything I want and haven't been able to do because of being with other people and compromising, as one has to do when you go with a group. Soooooo.....I am staying at the Candy Cane Inn, where I have always wanted to stay, but have never been able to. I even reserved a deluxe king room so that I don't feel so cramped and can enjoy the time I must spend away from my Disneyland friends.

I am always envious of those staying at this lovely little place when I see the exclusive Candy Cane Inn Disneyland shuttle taking back those weary Disneyland adventurers at the end of the night whilst I walk my tired butt back to where I am staying! Well no more. My turn has come!

 I am also looking forward to seeing the lovely landscaped grounds and pool from close up and not from the sidewalk as I pass by ON FOOT!

But the very best thing about this trip is that STAR WARS LAND is opening on May 31, 2019! And I will be there to see this brand new land after all the bugs have been worked out. YAYNESS!!! And all the Christmas decorations will be up! AND I got the MaxPass option so ALL my photos will be available for download to my smart device. Now I just have to figure out how to do all that stuff. NOT a techie bone in this old body!

This year, I have also decided to join in with all the other people who have been Disney Bounding for years. I have joined a group that does this and posts photos regularly. Here are some ideas that I found via the internet...

I haven't yet decided who I will choose to emulate, but I am getting closer to a decision and have even picked up some items for a start. But I already ordered my mini backpack! (Just not arrived or packed yet!)

So reservations are in place and paid for, tickets are paid for and a fancy schmancy rental car is in place and waiting for me. I even got personal pick up service so I don't have to park my vehicle at the rental parking garage here at home. My pet sitter is already confirmed, so that worry is off my mind as well!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have heard it all before. I am too old to be this excited over Disneyland. BUT when you have a full time job AND run a farm, it is difficult to get away for any amount of time and for me that can only come once a year. If I can only get away ONCE a year, then I am going to the Happiest Place on Earth. I will go and have a blast and honor the memory of my dear Uncle Wally at the same time!

I am more than excited! I. CANNOT. WAIT!!!

Unfortunately, I have to....