Be the Black Sheep

There is an old saying that everyone goes back to their roots.

I think the Bible said it best in Proverbs;

"Train up a child in the way he should go,

Even when he is old, he will not depart from it."

                                                                                               Proverbs 22:6

 

I went the way of a rebel. I simply wanted to get as far away from my Mom as I could and so at 17 years of age, and being ever so smart, I packed my bags and away I went. From that time on, and even more when I found Christ, I was considered 'The Black Sheep' of the family. Today, I am glad I am. But that hardly erases my roots!

(Gotta get me one of these!)

 

I am not a perfect person. I have never claimed to be, but whether it is age or wisdom, I find myself going back to those Farm Girl roots that were instilled in my younger days. I am glad for the training that my Mom and Daddy, God rest their souls, pounded into me whilst I was growing up under their roof. (Even though I fought that training tooth and nail!) I long to garden, to build and look out my window and see beloved animals, fat and sassy. I want to swing on a porch swing and gather roses and dahlias for my sideboard or dining table. I want to hear that stinkin' little rooster crow and my hens clucking away as they chase crickets and grasshoppers. I no longer want to roam this earth without a place to come back to. Don't get me wrong, I still love to travel, but I want the assurance that I will have a home to return to. One where I can simply be who I am and do what I love to do. I need my Sanctuary.

 

Today, I ordered my Farmer's Almanac and my planting calendar. So necessary to success in the garden and I especially want a good harvest this year. I'd like to plant as much as I can manage and share the wealth as well. But after I was on the website, I ambled over to the 'Old Farmers Store' and found some cute things that I need  want for the house as well. I thought I'd share them with you, so you can head on over and see what you need also!

 

Bestest ever cookbook!

 

Farmiest Dish Towels!

 

Gotta have Arizona Sun Catchers!

 

Most Wonderful Farm Signs!

 

So head on over and if you were not raised in the country sun, as I was, get an almanac and learn the wonders and joys of being a Farm girl!

 

I'll be praying you will find joy in coming back to your roots..................

 

 

 

 

 

 



I think I do, but I don't.......

I think it hits all of us at some point in time. The problem is..............how do you handle it?

I have spent the majority of my life alone. That is not to be misconstrued as being lonely. I am rarely lonely. My life is too busy for that, however, once in a blue moon, it hits me.

I find myself in a rut of my own making. Putting that nose to the grindstone, one day I look up and realize that my life pattern is something like this;

Go to work.
Go home.

Go to work.
Go home.

And sometimes, I go to work and then? I go home.

There are all the in between things that one does on a farm. Like feed horses, scoop poo, feed chickens, feed dogs, clean house..........the list goes on.

It is times like these that we have to stop and make GOOD decisions. I didn't do that this time. And while I am squirming under this bad decision I turned on the radio to one of my favorite stations.

I listen to a lot of different preachers and teachers of Gods Word on the radio as I travel to and from work. It is my most favorite thing to do. I love learning His precepts and understanding as much as I can about this world. One of my favorite people to listen to is David Hocking. He has a radio ministry called "Hope for Today".

This week David was running a series titled "Making Right Decisions" and at the end of the series, he gave 11 principles to making right decisions and as I listened to these words I realized I really blew it. (Big surprise. I do that often). The principles or questions you should ask when making a decision are the following;

1.    Does it glorify God?
2.    Does cause anyone to stumble?
3.    Does it edify others?
4.    Is your conscience clear?
5.    Does it keep you from doing good?
6.    Does it bring peace?
7.    Does it have the appearance of evil?
8.    Does it bring contentment?
9.    Is it the will of God?
10.  Does it make you a more effective witness for the Lord?
11.  Are you listening to Godly counsel when making this decision?

I think the biggest thing about making a dating site profile is that it just didn't feel right. I am too old fashioned for dating anymore. I was not always like that, but since I truly decided to follow Jesus, I just don't fit in to that anymore. It became apparent right away with the first guy I spoke with. Maybe he didn't think anything of it, but to me, the comment was lewd.

I took that profile down immediately.

And although I am emailing with a guy, it still doesn't feel right. It isn't bringing contentment. And I certainly don't have peace about this. I know it sounds silly, but I truly believe that if I was doing something I ought to be doing, I wouldn't feel this way. I just needed those sermons to validate what I was feeling.

I guess if I am ever blessed enough to have another relationship it will have to be because God dropped that man right in my path. If it happens, I hope that he is so busy chasing Jesus and looking up that we literally smack into one another. If not................Jesus makes a really good husband. He listens really well. He is always by my side. He has promised never to leave me or forsake me.

And He never complains about what I cook for dinner.

David Hocking
Hope for Today
Making Right Decision part 1
Making Right Decisions part 2
Making Right Decisions part 3

What is really important......

I live a small and quiet life. It is productive in some ways, but there are days you have to wonder.

What IS really important?!?

I am so tired this morning. I got home from work last night tired. Loooong day! And then when I went out to get in the truck, I found my drivers side back tire on it's way to being square. I don't like square tires. They make me cranky.

So I went to get my jack out, only to remember that it wasn't there, but sitting beside the horse trailer where this weekend, I was going to change the spare off of the trailer and put the tire I just had repaired back on. I feel like lately all I have done is change tires. But having round tires on all your vehicles is really important.

It wouldn't have been so bad, but I am baby sitting a girlfriends pup while she is on an over night trip. So here I am, with a pup on leash and needing to change a tire, with no jack and I am in my scrubs from work. And not just ANY scrubs, mind you. They are predominantly WHITE. Just what you want to wear when changing a tire. Especially when you have to let ALL that water out of the water tank in the bed of the truck (About 275 gallons of water that you just picked up for your horses)! That. Is. Just. GREAT.

So long story short, I borrowed a jack from a co-worker and after an hour of grubbing around on the ground in white scrubs, struggling with lug nuts that the shop put on too tight, I have a ROUND tire on the truck. My audience was approving.

 

What is up with that EAR pointing the way north???

 

So after stopping to pick up MORE water for the horses, Izzy and I headed home. Feeding animals and being too tired to fix something for myself, we headed off to bed.



This morning I woke up to this.........

 

My heart melted and I am reminded of what is REALLY important. I love you Izzy.

Resolutions

The new year is literally around the corner.

I am hoping the new year will bring something other than heart aches. This year, 2017, has been difficult to say the least. I miss Rhett, Boo, Siri` and Elmo so much. When does the pain stop and the change into velvet memories of the good times?

God only knows.

I am not content right now. I know Paul said that he had learned how to be content in any circumstance, but for some reason I have a restlessness inside. In times past when I got this feeling, I just simply moved. My moving days are over. Now I crave roots. A gypsy with roots. Who ever heard of a thing?

A friend posted on my Facebook page, an article that stated women who own horses live longer than those who do not. I have 7 horses and have had many more that have crossed that rainbow bridge. Maybe this is Gods way of giving a horse woman peace of mind. It is difficult to say good bye to these wonderful friends, but to be leaving this world and worried about what would happen to your babies after you were gone is a hell I don't wish on anyone. Least of all me.

I hate these nights when I cannot sleep. I have tried just about everything and tonight it is a new concoction that I found on Pinterest. Chamomile tea, coconut oil, raw honey and salt.

Tastes like crap.

I'll let you know how it works.

YAR!!!

Oh man. Ya ever have one of those days that everything just goes RIGHT? Yayness!

I know this sounds goofy, but I have had butterflies in my tummy all day long! Tomorrow marks 30, count 'em, THIRTY days until I leave for Disneyland. You would think at my age, I wouldn't be so excited. BUT I AM!

I. Am. EXCITED. YAR!!!

What's in a name???

Well. He is home.

But he is NOT a Rooster Cogburn. So I have aptly named him, Punky Rooster.

Here is a photo of Punky with his old owner. I will post others as soon as I can.

He is  VERY friendly!

The newest addition to my little family.........

His name is Rooster Cogburn.

He was supposed to be here today, but the lady I am getting him from had an emergency and could not make it. So sorry. But I will get him tomorrow.

He is too cute. A mille fleur Bantam rooster and although I don't have a photograph of him, he looks kinda, sorta like this...........

 

 

Rooster Cogburn has more black on him then this and his tail feathers are a little more gracefully shaped and longer. He is indeed a handsome fella!

 

I know a lot of people think I am crazy, (big surprise), but I don't want a big rooster. I really like the smaller bantam roosters because they inflict less damage, if they inflict any at all. My left leg still boasts scars from that big nasty Rhode Island Red rooster we had when I was a teen-ager.

 

I remember complaining about that stinkin' rooster to my Daddy. So my Dad gave me one of those little folding Army shovels to take into the chicken pen when I went to collect eggs. "Just whallop him once or twice", Dad said.

 

I have to thank Daddy for that. I had a killer backhand in tennis that year. All these years later, I still don't feel sorry for that stinkin' rooster. Holy guacamole, he never, EVER gave up. Just kept coming at me until I walked out of that pen.

 

I came home one afternoon and the rooster was nowhere to be found. So I asked my Dad...."What happened to the rooster?" His answer? "He attacked me, so I killed the SOB."

 

What. The. HAY?????

 

Which is why I like LITTLE roosters. I am looking forward to adding him to my little family. I am getting ready to build a new chicken house and run, so this is going to be fun. I purchased plans for the cutest little playhouse and will make it into the chicken house of my dreams. This is a pic, but mine will be painted differently.............

 

I am thinking purple and gingerbread red for the colors. I am building the actual house on a cement slab, but the yard run will be on the dirt. So I have to plan against those critters from digging into the yard I will be doing this...........

 

 

I want to plant some vines and other plants so that the run will look something like this.................

 

 

I do believe I have my work cut out for me. I get to pick up Rooster Cogburn tomorrow afternoon. I will not have all this done before that time. But it's a plan!

 

Ya think???