Thursday, August 30, 2012

Cucumbers glore and more, Faith is a funny thing, so much different for each of us, a personal thing.

Spent the morning canning 5 bean salad,  I put a few jalapenos in it just for kicks.  I was happily on my way to finishing the last of 15 quarts when my friend called to see if I wanted to buy 60 lbs of cukes that her husband was picking.  20 of which would be little picklers and 40 general run, suitable for sweet pickles.  I told her my kids didn't eat bread and butters so I would have to let them eat the really big ones and make the rest into my Grandma Gladys Virginia Chunks, the only sweet pickle that I ever eat.  I just don't like sweet pickles.  Mokie said she wanted some of them so she went out and picked them up for us.  She took 20 lbs and I took 40.  I put the little ones up in jars for kosher dill pickles, ended up with 12 quarts, one jar were ones the Poppie brought me from his garden, the rest should be on by the next week, if no frost comes.  All in all a fruitful day of canning.  I have Virginia Chunks to start this morning, it is a 3 week process then I will get to can them, all worth the effort.  I am hoping to some dill green beans today but I will put them up in pints, so that will be fun as well.

Lady called me last night she is home from a wondrous adventure in Alaska with her kids and two little grandsons.  I am so blessed to have some of my grands near enough to see daily and miss all the ones I don't get to see on a regular enough bases to even have a relationship with them, so sad.  She had read my facebook status of Poppies being saved.  Poppie is becoming more comfortable in his salvation so is happy to have the good wishes from those who have commented.  He really is a private person, and has no idea that so many people care for him and love him.  A totally humble and real person. 

Lady asked how it happened?  It was a question that caught me by surprise a little.  Bug asked his dad if he did it for himself or for mom?, another unexpected query I suppose but then maybe not.  I really did have to contemplate these two questions. Not in the immediate moment because the short answers were simple. " NO', Poppie said to Bug "I didn't do it for mom, what purpose would that serve?  I did it for me."  That probably surprised Bug more than had Poppie said I did it for mom just to get her to quit nagging me.  Though I don't think anyone would endure 32 years of nagging if they just did to stop the nagging after only 32 years.  You would have just done it and stopped the nagging to begin with.  So A dumb question had he just listened to his own words.  I told Lady he had really started changing about a year ago and then became more called as we attended Church this year.  That was my simple answer to my friend who was glad for Poppie.  So many countless friends sent there congratulations to him, he really had no idea so many people would be so happy for him. 

I have since had time to contemplate.  NO, Church alone didn't do it as we have spent many a year in Church it was only in the last number of years we hadn't been able to so that was not it alone.  Faith is a wondrous thing.  God calls to us all of our lives but we have to be ready to hear the call.  God calls and knows are heart he knew us before the earth was created and knew the time of our birth, the time of our salvation and the time of our death.  We are an open book to our Lord and God knew Poppies salvation, as he does all of our salvation's, at the time he established the pillars of the earth.  Isn't it wondrous how we are so loved, and God gave so much for us, not us as a whole, though he does that as well, but us as an individual.  We are all, each and every one of us, the most special thing that God ever created.  How glorious if we could only believe that to the bottom or our souls.  We so much of the time can't fathom that God would love us at all and love us that much is so mind blowing.  All our salvation's are a personal journey in God's time and at God's knowing.  How glorious that is... tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Zucchini pineapple, 5 bean salad today, and Poppie got saved.

A Glorious day yesterday was, Poppie got saved but since he is a private person and this is so new to him I am not to blog about it, yet, I can respect that so all I can say is how wonderful and glorious the Lord is and how he works his will in our lives.  Amen.

I had a nice morning with Cubbie she had her first day of home school.  She liked the time she spent with Preschool.  They got to know one another and began to build a teacher student relationship.  Cubbie is not a wilting flower by any ones description so before long she will be in her element and leading the way to wondrous experiences in learning.  It was fun to get to share this time with her.  I get to be grandma and what a blessing that is.

I canned up my zucchini pineapple yesterday.  I ended up with 19 quarts of crushed.  I would like to make up some chunked this year, I haven't tried that before but think that I shall try it to be different.  I will be able to make stir fry's with it that way.  The recipe is very easy.  You grind 4 quarts of zucchini, I used a food processor but you can use a grinder.  It just has to be textured similarly to crushed pineapple.  You mix in 46 ounces of pineapple juice,  I preferred the frozen concentrate but the canned will work.  I used to make it with crushed pineapple as they did in the 70's but it is much better with the concentrate so no more crushed pineapple for me.  You add 1 and a half cups of lemon juice, fresh, frozen or canned seems to work equally as well.  Lastly 3 cups of sugar.  I 3 timesed the batch.  You put it in a big ole pot and cook to boil then simmer for 20 minutes.  It can be eaten at this point.  Bubbles couldn't get enough of it and let me spoon feed it to her.  She is in her independent stage of eating, almost 9 months, so that she let me feed it to her said it was big on her list of likes.  The girls both gave it a thumbs up so I put it in sterile jars, and water bath processed it for 25 minutes.  I gifted one jar to Bubbles and one to Belle, the rest filled up one of my canning cupboards so now to fill up the next one.  Even when I get a my cellar next year I have so many plans for it that I will still use all my canning cupboards, it is a good thing they will hold several hundred jars of food.  Today I am making 5 bean salad, Booboo is worried we will run out so making a huge batch about the same amount as the crushed pineapple so hope to get about the same 19 or 20 jars.  Wish me luck. 

I can't wait until Sunday this week, Poppie will be getting baptised and that will be such a glorious day in my life.  I am so proud of him, he is so blessed by the Lord and this is wonderful news and a wondrous time in our lives.  I am truly a blessed woman.... tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

The Ladies and Boy go to school, Cubbie gets preschool at Nannie's.

The Ladies are off on a new adventure at school.  Booboo to third, Yogie to fourth and Boy goes to kindergarten.  Cubbie is going to get to do pre-school at Nannies so an exciting day for all the littles.  Bubble will get alone time with her mom so that will be a special blessing for her.  Yogie got all of her over the summer math done and is so proud to take it this morning to her math teacher.  They are all excited about wearing just the right thing.  I do so love when they are still predictable and life is a pleasure in the eyes of the innocent child.  I am not looking forward to the time when I become stupid and I failed on every level in the things I did for them.  Well maybe it won't be as bad the second time around, but I digress.  I am just going to enjoy the ride as it come and hope I don't become stupid and fall off in my idiocy.

I really do want to know when I am no longer responsible for all the problems in their lives once they are adults?  Well to some of them, others think I am a person of value and that maybe their problems could be of their own making. I just hope that I can weather their growth and hope to be still standing when they reach their enlightenment.  Funny, I went through this with Poppie years ago, I told him to get over his past and get on with his life, made him a better person. Sure wish the child was as smart as the parent, but somehow no, it is all our fault.  I am all for living in the present, can't change the past, don't know the future but sitting and whining about what was and not fixing what is, is not the answer.  I may be at fault but then not one person I know had a perfect life, we grow up get over it and become who we were meant to be.  Sorry for those who can't but you can't fix any ones life but your own and that is a full time job, with no room for managing others lives. 

I am happy to hear the pleasant voices of two excited little girls, brushing their teeth with no complaining, and excited for their new year to begin.  Oh, for the joy and innocence of a child... tomorrow.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

The most important thing a father can do for his childern is to love their mother.

I have a plaque on my wall that once belonged to my father, its is something that I cherish because that is how my father raised his children.  It says, "the most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother".  My fathers has loved my mother to distraction, through thick and thin, through anger and bitterness, through love and passion for well over a half century.  They are now old and my mother is not an easy person to live with all the time, but my father still loves her much more than she does him, I think sometimes, he has always been on her side even if it was not the right side.  My father loves the Lord first and loves my mother quite often more than he loves himself.  I have had a good role model in many ways, he taught his children to love their spouses and nothing less.  I think to a person we all are viciously loyal and in love with our spouses. We all will take you to task if you threaten, or hurt, our mates, my dad did know how to teach you to love unconditionally, not an easy thing but a loyal trait to have and rare in this day and age of throw away relationships. I do know that I love no one but the Lord more than I do Poppie.

I remember how people would chide me when my older kids were little and I would say to them.  "I love your dad more than I do you", and then explain to them why and that it was a different love.  They were appalled that I would tell my kids that they were loved less than I love their father.  I would look at the person doing the reproaching and say,  "my love for Poppie has to last a life time, it has to be the most important love in this house, it has only to come second to my love of the Lord.  When my kids are raised, and gone, if I have not tended to the love I have for Poppie it will have withered like a garden that didn't get taken care of and what would I have to give my children?  I love my children so therefore I love their father more than them".  They would look at me sadly and shake their heads, like I was nuts and they were sorry for me.  Sadly, I am still married to Poppie and love him more today than yesterday and can't imagine a day without him, but their marriages have long since ended and maybe even a second one.  No, loving a spouse is much more important than loving a child, different and sometimes the child needs you more in the moment but you can never love a child more than you love a spouse if it is right love of a life time.

Today the Preacher hit upon that in his sermon, somehow it was very reassuring to know my dad had taught me the right of it and we have lived a life as God wants us to, loving your spouse next to God.  The rest of his sermon was about the 5 crowns, funny how it was something Poppie and I had spoken of earlier in the week and did a little studying on.  The crown he began with is the Crown of Life.  The crown given to those who never give up, those who like Job always praise God.  Those who when trials and tribulations come still look to God and always believe in his love for them.  He told us to listen to God, if God spoke to us, then to put that into action.  I remembered, as he spoke, how many people were negative when we decided to start all over and raise two little Ladies after our own kids were raised.  We were advised of the trials that it would bring, the tribulations at our ages, I am so glad that God was right and knew we needed them in our lives and with out them were weren't complete.  God told me that I can't fix everything, something I find hard to do is not to fix those I love, but he told me I have to let my adult children fix their own lives, I can't do it.  I must remember not to try and to let them figure it out on their own, a hard thing for a momma to do.  He also told me to press forward and blog more about him, some where out there there is someone that needs my voice and I should keep trying to find them.  He said that the Crown of Glory is for those who teach as well as those who preach, being as I am not a preacher, I must have something to teach.  I do know that I have enjoyed the teaching of my children, my grands, the pseudo grands but somehow I am meant to teach someone else so I was encouraged to continue to speak here, so I shall until the Lord tells me enough.... tomorrow.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Every dog gets it's day, or is it that God is in charge after all?

When I was a child my mother would rather say just about anything to not have to say bitch, and my mother was no stranger to saying some really bad words.  If you were being naughty, you know being a real bitch, she would say, "stop being a witch".  I have no idea why it would be more acceptable to say someone is a witch than a bitch, but it was.  Aren't witches the devils minions?  I do not and have never called my kids witches, if they were being bitches I told them that I didn't like them acting like bitches, or I said you are being a bitch, I tried never to say they were bitches.  I know splitting hair but it did make a difference to me.  I was appalled by the term bitchin' in the 80's don't ever remember saying it.  In the 2000's while at the sheriff's office and the helpline I learned to embrace the term bitch.  If some one called me a bitch it was almost a badge of honor, but then the term had really changed.  I do know that there are varying degrees of being a bitch and I am well aware of the different meaning and nuances of being a bitch.  I would hate to be called a bitch in heat for instance.

When I was around 8 or 9 my dad had a young female hound that jump out of the back of his jeep while on a hunt and hung herself.  I heard him say that if you give a bitch in heat enough rope she always hangs herself.  I didn't have any clue what he meant at the time, but I always remembered that giving a bitch enough rope was a deadly thing.  My dad bred hounds when I was a kid for many years.  We, at one time, had as many as 22 dogs.  Now you know why I am a sucker for the strays people bring me.  10 is for sure my limit though, really.  I digress.  I bred Pekingese dogs for about 10 years but no longer do.  Funny with all those dogs around I never got in the habit of calling a female dog a bitch, my mother had always made the term so horrible that I didn't know that a female dog was a bitch until I was an adult.  It made my dads statement alot clear when I found out and I had always know what an animal in heat had meant from a young age.  Funny how a little knowledge changes things. 

It has recently come to my understanding that a bitch in heat with alot of rope finally hung herself.  It was gratifying to hear, as those kind of bitches almost always have lots of victims and they don't care how many or who they hurt along the way.  I had said all along given enough rope she would, it is just nice that I didn't have to wait until the here after for it to have come to fruition.  Some time patience is a virtue and good things do come to those who wait, but most especially true evil seldom hides itself long term from the innocent or those that they deceive.  Too bad that it took so long, and two little girls lost so much, but then maybe what they lost was not God's plan for them and his will was done by the devils minion this time and not the other way around..... tomorrow.

Independents the spice of any election. That little bit of something no one can quite put their finger on in a recipe.

The elections in this country are won and lost on the votes of the Independents, no really they are.  How funny that is as most independents don't actually spend that much time on politics.  Some independents don't even no, that as independents, they have that power.  True independents have a great deal of my respect, the ones that are truly independent.  The false independents don't and are probably as false in the rest of either lives as they are with their politics.  You know the ones that claim to be independent but are really democrats or republican that instead of saying I Decline to state, they claim to be independent, if you are something stand up and say it, own it.  Green or Libertarian my hats off to you, you go for it.  Own your choice don't hide and be subversive, or are you just lying to yourself? or don't have a clue that you are or what you are?  If you are really the Unaffiliated, own it and be proud. 

What percentage of Americans are politically independent? 24%, including those that are Unaffiliated, Declined to State, Green Party and Libertarian Party.  These are the people that really decide our elections, well maybe not the delined's.  This is why there has, off and on, been some that have tried to change the election of our president from electoral college to the popular vote.  That is a debate I am not going to continue in this blog but of some interest as the government changes with age. I think it is really ironic that the independents have so much power and care so little about that power.  Independents are like the spice in a good recipe.  You taste the recipe and you know there is something in it but you can't quite put your finger on it.  It is something different and exciting, something that makes you say "that adds to the mix."  Independents give us moments of thought about the mundane.  They can be such thought provoking individuals.  A real independent is a true addition to the conversation, and not a divisive impostor. 

The truly independent are a wondrous breed of people they have such interesting views.  No, I am not talking about the young people that don't claim their real beliefs, and just because they don't like to call it being a democrat or being a republican it doesn't make them not one.  Really, if you are for bigger government, abortions at any stage of pregnancy, you are for marriage for any combination of  couples, you want more entitlements, or you are for socialization of our country and numerous other democrat views, no, you are not an independent so stand up and own it, you are a democrat.  And again really, if you are for individual rights, smaller government, pro-life, restricting immigration rights, less entitlements, a stronger republic you are a republican, again not an independent, stand up and own it as well.  I get so tired of hearing young people saying they are an independent then they rave about the Occupy Wall Street movement, scream pro-abortion rhetoric and whine about animals being killed (still don't understand how an unborn puppy is more important than and unborn baby, and don't think God does either so watch out for the consequence of that choice) but smile and tell you they are independent, not.  They either can't read, or haven't read the democrat planks of the democrat platform, do they even know there are planks?  Same with a mouthy "independent" that quotes the tea party platform then wants you to belief they are independents, guess what they aren't part of the spice of politic no matter who they try and fool.  Their vote doesn't count any more in the grand scope of things than any other democrat or republicans that own their beliefs and voted their convictions, the statistics already knew them as democrats or republican.  You can't pretend your way into being an independent.  And don't get me started on the false independents that run for office just to get more votes.  If you run as an independent actually be one.

Real independents don't have a platform, most fly by the seat of their pants and decide at the last minute, they let the input be undecided right  up to the last and then they make a choice on who they like, and why they want or don't want that person leading them, because of a mixture of various reasons with an open mind.  I think why I have respect for a real independents is that they don't have preconceived cubby holes that they put the candidates into and they actually listen to what the candidate wants to do and accomplish for us..... tomorrow.

Friday, August 24, 2012

20,000 views, what a wonderous thought. What to say......

Those of you that know me, know I like to talk.  Okay, I have said it before and maybe you are tired of hearing it but then I get to decide what I say and you don't so, oh well. My mom always said I liked to hear myself talk, but then who wouldn't if you had to share your talk time with 8/12 kids oh, and two adults.  It didn't leave much time for you to talk.  I do like to talk to myself, and do all the time.  It bugs Poppie to no end.  Yogie asked my when she was little who I was talking to and I told her "me, that it was okay to talk to yourself, sometimes you needed to talk to somebody that was on your side so you could figure things out.  And that someone who knows you so well might have good advice to share with you".  She took me on faith and I see her discussing the world with herself on lots of occasion especially when her sister is gone and she needs to talk things out.  If the problem gets too big for her she brings it to a kindred spirit that knows about talking it out with yourself, old mom.  I digress.  Talking is something I aspire to needless to say.  Talking goes hand in hand with writing.  I loved that my grandma Gladys chose to write diaries, we call in journaling now.  I love to journal, it was taken away from me as a teenager, by my mom.  She on occasion used my personal diary as entertainment for reading to my siblings, always wondered why, still don't know, she didn't like to read.  My mom is a gossip, there is no nice way to say she isn't.  She is one of the most lovable people I know, more so as a younger person, but less so as she ages.  She is also a very bitter person, and always has been.  I don't know why, I don't know her demons and I know from training and years of learning, the hard way, you can't help someone who doesn't want help.  I love my mom and have learned to accept her as she is, a big step for me.  I know I have gotten lost again....

So talking and writing are big things for me, followed by reading and learning but here it is about the writing.  I basically like to communicate with people.  I originally began this blog those 18 months ago seeking a way to share with my children and grandkids.  I began with the idea that I would write something for them, that way if they wanted to share it with their kids for entertainment it would have been for that purpose.  I also thought that I would try and share the Lord with people, if only one person opened a Bible to seek the Lord through by meanderings how wondrous that would be.  So today, I find that 20,000 people have viewed my words.  It is remarkable to me, okay on the scope of blogs that people seek out and share it is not a remarkable thing on that level.  I have never gone viral and not sure that I would want to.  I do know that I have learned so much and the Lord has given me so much for writing this simple blog.  I have opened up in a way that has been so healing.  Alot like when I used my childhood rape as a teaching tool at the Helpline.  I learned the healing of lancing a pain that had haunted me, and in many ways I have experienced that here as well.  I have come to terms with my mother, on many levels.  I have come to terms with any failures that I have as a mother myself.  I have learned that both my mother and I did as good as we could or were capable of while we were raising our children and that is all that Lord asks of us.  I also learned that your past is your past and that if you waste the rest of your life whining about how someone failed you as a child, then as an adult you are the problem not the mother that raised you.  I learned that someone who was truly abused, like Poppie, can over come and be a special person on a grand level if they but try. 

I have learned that this open expression has brought me so many new friends. I have always tried to be and honest open person.  I just never thought I would put it out there for all to read if they chose to.  I try not to live in a world of fairy tales and fantasy.  If I think it I say it and if I say I try to do it.  I like that most people understand that about me, not all people like that approach and find me abrasive but they never have to wonder where they stand with me.  I learned the hard way that gossip hurts and is a sin, so I try daily to not let it be a part of my life for the most part I succeed, with God's help.  I have learned, through the course of writing, that I may be a little hard to understand and maybe just maybe my mind does spin at mock one sometimes; and through reading my thoughts some of my friends have actually figured out how I think and that some of my oldest friendships are the better for it.  I have learned to love dear Poppie on a newer deeper level and maybe myself, I have come to a new peacefuller understanding of the love of a man and self love. 



I do know that I have gotten off of task sometimes. I did learn alot about God's purpose for neighbors, enemies in our lives,  about and through trials and tribulations, and about the five crowns ( the incorruptable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of rightousness, the crown of life and the crown of glory)  that can be our rewards, I may just earn some of those to throw at the Lord's feet.  I have learned oh so much by simply writing and sharing. I hope you have gotten something out of my blog because I know I have.  I hope that one person, if only just one, opened a Bible and said "what is she talking about?"  I hope that even if it was to prove me wrong you opened it and the Lord spoke to you.  I do know that along the way, I have found the Lord in a way that I never knew him before.  I now have a deeper love of the Lord my God and if that is the only thing that this blog has brought forth then that alone has been worth every minute I spent at it........ tomorrow

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

I once was a visitor center lady, oh, what people say.

The mill closed in March of 94, so after almost 15 years of working to support his family Poppie found himself with out a job.  We knew as a family we didn't want to leave the area, I don't know if it was the right choice on all levels but it was our choice and in the end probably the choice that God wanted us to make.  I found myself volunteering at the local DPHHS office, I was required to do it for several months a couple times a day, but anyone that knows me knows I usually don't do things half way.  I ended up doing it five days a week for about nine months.  I used that time I spent as a spring board on my resume to get the fair board secretary job and then the manager of the St. Regis visitor center job.  I spent nearly 15 months working there.  It was a good job, it could be warp speed and joyous, it could be long hours of true loneliness and it could be fun.  I can't say it was one of my favorite jobs but it had it's moments. I would say in hindsight, it was much like the job I had at the sheriff's office. I loved the people I serviced, and missed them when I was gone, I wouldn't return to the politics of the job for anything.

I with joy look back almost 20 years later to the people.  One day I was in the reception desk area when a young couple came in, they looked like they had had enough of traveling and appeared tire.  That will be the focal part of many of the remembrances I will recall, vacating makes you tire, cranky and on edge sometimes.  My most important job at the center was to be up for the visitor and get them excited about their visit to our state, a very tiring job let me tell you, I digress.  Anyway this young couple came in and walked to the desk they took out two maps.  They showed me the map of Rhode Island, where they were from, and then they took out the map of Montana.  The young man says we have been traveling for several days and we are still in Montana.  I looked at him and smiled as he continued,  He said look at these two maps they are the same size and back home I can plan a day trip that goes half way across the map and then be home in several hours.  We have been traveling all this time and still haven't gotten as far in that time as we can go on a day trip back home.  I looked at him in amazement, what did he want me to say?  How was I supposed to explain that maps were all the same sizes and states weren't.  I finally decided to try I said as I pointed at the North Dakota board with one hand and the Idaho board with the other, it is nearly seven hundred miles from here to here.  See this county as I pointed to Mineral county, the county we were in, this is the size of Rhode Island.  I still don't know after all these years if they really didn't know that the states weren't the same size or if it was the exhaustion of the trip had finally set in.  It was funny and I did remember not to laugh until they left on the way to finding where they were going.

One day a young man came in with his son,  you could tell he was being a heroic dad and showing his son the world on a grand scale.  They decided to sit down and take in one of the tourist movies of Montana.  I watched as the dad explained to the boy the different things that came up on the movie, as he saw them.  Shortly into the movie there was a scene of a ewe mountain sheep grazing along the road near the Thompson falls area.  The fathers says "son look, look there is a baby buffalo."  I looked, thought for just a moment about correcting his gaffe, then thought the better of it, no he-man wants some receptionists to correct them when they are instructing their son.  Shortly there after they left,  I do wonder if that poor little boy still thinks that buffalo calves are female sheep?  I can't count the times when I had to explain in the fall to the granola types that "no, the pollution from Zootown didn't come up the valley and kill all our trees.  No, that happens every year it is the tamarack loosing their needles, they are the only needled trees that shows glorious color and looses their leaves like deciduous trees.  They would look and me and think I might be covering something up but some did come around to the belief that I might be telling the truth.  One time a young lady came in, she had stopped along the road and picked a fountain drink cup of berries.  She was so excited as she came in the door she wanted to show me her prize and get my glowing praise at her accomplishment.  She said "look I picked huckleberries" as she popped one into her mouth.  I looked in her cup and said, "those aren't huckleberries" she spit the berries in her mouth on the floor and gasp "What are they? are they poisonous?"  I said "no, they are just June berries, they grow everywhere.  They are definitely not huckleberries and nowhere as good."  I did tell her where she might go to pick actually huckleberries.  One couple came in on day and the exasperated man said, "where is the next real town, atleast

I did love the time I spend with the visitors, one and all, as I did helping the people on 911 calls and later on at the helpline.  I don't think their is a more worthy profession than one that allows you to help people.  I am not saying that there weren't exasperating times when I wanted to say "what are you thinking?" or much worse, but I did love the people and the things they said, needed or the chance to really help and make a difference..... tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Poppie's beloved garden... his haven, his retreat and his pride.

It is funny what a roll of fencing can bring to a man. This year we got to fence the garden so that the kids don't walk over from Mokie's across it and that goats can not get into it. The garden has a wall so to speak...  Years ago we had an area of the property that was quite well suit, space wise, for a garden.  Sadly we had stripped the topsoil off of it to make our old yard better, we no longer own the yard as that is where Mokie and family now live.  The piece of property had always been such a hill that it was not really good to begin with so we had used the top soil to make a nicer yard.  We also had a lot of excess tires at the time, the left overs from our junk  yard and the crushing of over 157 cars we had collected for the purpose.  So what does one do with well over 200 tires, thank the Lord not all of them had come to use with four wheels.  Well necessity is the mother of invention, don't you know. By shear coincidence, if you believe in them which I don't,  the neighbors were digging a section out of a hill in their yard for a shop, they had lots of dirt to get rid of and we had a space that with dirt and a tire wall we could make into a garden.  God does so provide.  The neighbors brought the dirt over and I built a dirt wall around the dirt.  Poppie and our tiny little Yogie in his lap, used his little garden tractor with a push blade on the front to smooth all the dirt down behind the tire wall and eventually it become a huge raised garden.  What an accomplishment it was and such a source of accomplishment for the three of us,  Booboo was an infant so didn't help out much.  The last layer of dirt was a couple of loads of cow manure, also provided by our wonderful neighbors.  The garden of our dreams became a reality.  It had weeds a plenty the first year, a short growing season as it got planted late due to the building of it.  I planted strawberries in every one of the 200 plus tires and we had the best crop of strawberries for the next few years.  A five gallon bucket every few days during the producing season, thank goodness they were just June bearing berries. 

As with all thing time passes and the wear and tear comes.  We expanded the garden back to the fence doubling it's size to where it is about 3/16 ths of an acre.  We didn't have any manure over the years and it grew less and less fruitfully.  The strawberries after about 5 years no longer bore fruit as we had to allow the tires to become the wall it was designed to be and the dirt became to hard for them to thrive.  The wild grass grew in and was hard to manage or mow.  The top row had been planted with a iris in everyone, a beautiful show of color each spring, but irises they do grow and eventually filled each tire and became root bound.  Sadly over the last two years, the garden produced so little as to be not worth the work to take care of it.  Poppie built a green house in the back corner and put in raised beds so we did get a great crop of tomatoes and peppers but most of the other was a bust.  The rain last year and this gave us no incentive to plant and let the seeds rot.   Fortunately God had supplied incentive in the production of manure, in all things praise God.

This is the third full year of having a large herd of goats at our place, and goats make waste, they eat so therefore they expel waste, yes, they poop.  Poppie had used his little tractors to push the waste and the wasted large stalks of hay together,  we no longer use alfalfa as the stocks are not something they like so there is a lot of waste.  We are now trying only to us Timothy hay, as it is as good a food source as alfalfa with not the waste, win win.  Anyway Poppie had three large piles of composted manure and hay waste.  Which had become the greatest soil with energy and food in it.  Poppie heaped it all on to our garden, as it was raining all spring he couldn't plant it so he thought he might as well just dump the compost on it.  A blessing it was.  Poppie tilled it all in and tilled it and tilled it on the days it didn't rain.  The rain didn't stop until June and we thought it was too late to plant but we did it anyway.  The garden almost came up over night, it was for some reason a small utopia.  The seeds were up and making little plants in no time.  Grandpa had extra plants he didn't sell due to the rain and people being hesitant to plant.  Poppie planted all comers.  Shortly Poppie had a wondrous garden.  He spends many an hour pulling weeds, tilling the rows,  our little Yogie has been caught sneaking into the garden and for no apparent reason sitting in her chair pulling weeds, love that girl.  She is an outside girl by nature, has taken on doing all the animal chores and helping with the garden because like Poppie it is a pure joy to her.  She loves to pick huckleberries just like Poppie, though she likes to eat them which Poppie doesn't, I digress. 

PoppiePoppie has a sanctuary to retreat to for the moments he needs, can a garden be a man cave, I wonder.  The fencing keeps the goats from storming his sanctuary and destroying his beloved garden, the blessing to them not being able to enter the garden is that they have groomed the old grass filled garden into a well kept hill, they are so much better than a lawn mower,  they have even eaten a good deal of the old irises, so maybe just maybe I will have a new display of color in the spring at the rim of the garden.  God so had a plan for all the things he made for us, if only we let them come to fruition, just grow a garden and watch it unfold.. tomorrow.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Alone, what will we do with ourselves all day? I do hate the politics of politics.

The Ladies are at the Grandparents for the next couple of days.  I hope they have a great time, I think Grandpa will actually be off today to spend time with them. I hope that Grandma doesn't spend all their time telling them of all the wondrous things that Only does.  They love Only but they don't like when all Grandma does it talk about her from morning to night and not enjoy their visit.  Grandpa being there should help, they will get to spend time with him in the greenhouse or yard. 

Poppie and I are going to have to figure out what to do with out them. The grands will probably give us no time to miss not having them. Poppie is going to try and finish his rabbit condos and I have jelly to make, didn't get it done yesterday we all went to river for a few hours. It was a nice outing, Grandpa was here when we got home. He had only been here a few minutes so not to bad a wait. Maybe I can help Poppie with the rabbits and the goat stalls later in the morning.

I rarely say political things on my facebook, sometimes I share a supportive status about my chosen politics but for the most part I try not to put up divisive rhetoric about the other side.  I occasionally fall short but not usually.  I do comment on some of the nasty ones that my friends put up occasionally but usually only the really untrue and completely outrageous ones.  I don't usually comment on all of them though as some of my friends are really left wing and those seem to be the worst of the batch, on those I try to turn the other check.  It is so ironic to me that the left wing people assume so much about you for being conservative,  Did I say I didn't litter my facebook with alot of  my political views?  Well this is not facebook you didn't get here by chance this is my blog and I can say what I want and if you are reading it you didn't just happen to see it on my status.  Run, this is your chance to leave, still here well I warned you. 

I am not a homophob,  no, I don't believe in marriage between people of the same sex.  I find it interesting that something that is so fundamental to the Christian beliefs, and was instituted by God would be something that non believers would want anyway, and if you are a believer you all ready no that it was meant for one man and one woman.  I do belief in civil unions,  but then I think that if you are not a Christian your marriage, if you are a man and a woman, is a civil union anyway.  A Christian marriage is very specific institution from God and should be ordained by God and he should have a daily part in it.  So do you still want one, probably not maybe the civil union is the best option for some anyway.

I don't belief in left wing politics and get sick of the liberal medias biased representation of conservatives, republican and tea partists.  I did read an interesting paper on the liberal media on the net the other day.  Did you know that something like 68 percent of the anchors on TV admit to being liberal, and only 9 percent admit to being conservatives?  Now tell me that the media is fair.  Oh, and if you think it is I have some ocean front property here at the house to sell come on over.  I find people that don't know what they believe spouting off views that are not independent, but think they are, irritating.  NO, you are not a tea partiest if you are middle of the road, that is called a moderate.  NO, if you only get your political views from CNN you are not independent and trying to see both sides.  NO if you send out a facebook status that "for fun" shows liberal as the good guys and the "tea party, terrorists and people of Islamic beliefs, all the same and the bad guys" you are not looking to find your political voice you already have one and it is hateful and nasty.  I really get irritated when people have no idea what a democrat believes, or what a republican believes in, but bad mouths them as being the spawn of evil.  If you don't know anything about politics walk away or become educated. It's called reading, wonderful invention you should try it and for those that can't or don't, TV is an alternative but you have to actually watch both sides, ever hear of FOX, if you are only watching the others you are not getting anything but the liberal rhetoric so don't bother.  The heritage foundation is an option if you are on the net, thanks Lady Hero for the wonderful additional alternative and heads up. 

designed as country under God and that the founding fathers did intend that God be a guiding influence to this country.  NO, they did not intent that any religion be involved in our government but since when does the belief in God and his values become  or denote religion involvement.  They are not one and the same and the founding fathers did not want religion in our government but they darn sure wanted God there,  just read their writings.  I also wonder when does separation of Church ( that would be religion) and state become our national parks, our schools, our public buildings and all the other places that the liberal left wants to stomp God out of...... Okay, really climbing down and off, for the day..... tomorrow.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

I lost a week, does that ever happen to you, oh for the days when it was only a day.

Okay, some how I have lost a week, well I haven't actually lost one I just some how, for no apparent reason, was under the misbelief that the Ladies went to school this week and that Labor day was next weekend.  How does one do that?  I remember the days when it was Tuesday and I thought it was Wednesday, never a good thing.  That just meant another day of work in a week, who wants eight days in a week, well this is a blessing.  I get a whole extra week with my girls.  Well, I get a whole extra week with the grands and the pseudos but a blessing is a blessing and I will take it either way. It does mean for sure another week at the farmer's market, not sure how many we will do after the school year begins, I think the Ladies are tired and want to just be. I may do a few, I may even make a few pies for my table but the Ladies won't be obligated to sell or bake. 

They will have enough work trying to get back into the routine of school.  They are going to start 4H this year, we have found that it will begin on the 10th of September.  That is the same day that Yogie has a ortho.  It will be a long day I am betting.  They will love it though so they are looking forward to the participation.  I think it will direct them into a life that they both have a prelove for.  They both take pride in our little farm; and when someone asks them if they have pets and are told of all our animals,  the enquirer says oh you have like a farm.  They smile with pride and say yes we do.  So 4h will be something for them to enjoy.  I think that it will be a blessing in there lives in ways some other activities might not be.  We will see how it will progress.

I still have one more lug to finish up today.  I think that we are going to be making some of it into jelly after Church.  We did find a jelly recipe that is a wonderful alternative to the ones we had made with pectin and jello.  We do like the jello ones and are glad we made them but from now on Poppie will eat jello and we won't steal it from him for our cooking experiments.  We found an old style recipe.  It requires candy making skills.  We measured out our sugar (15 cups) added it to 1 and a half cups of water in a big big pot.  We added a cup of lemon juice and stirred the sugar into a paste.  Add a candy thermometer.  NO, not to the sugar to the side of the pot, silly.  We, Yogie, cooked it stirring as needed until the thermometer read 244 degrees.  While we cooked the sugar mixture we had prepped 6 lbs of fruit, any or most any kind will do, we chose strawberries.  When the sugar mixture came to temperature we added the fruit.  We, Nannie, stirred it as it bubbled enough that Yogie might have gotten burned, it was a nice rolling bubble by the time it got back up to 220 degrees.  Temperature reached we had jelly, no pectin at all, yay.  Jelly made by actually reaching jelly state and temperature.  We put it into our sterile jars and sealed it up.  We tried out one jar for breakfast dinner, with hot homemade sourdough buns, yummy and a winner.  New recipe, tried and true,  we are writing it up in our family recipe books we are hand writing to have a recipe journal of our journeys in cooking.  Today we make, peach and then peach huckleberry.

Off to Church we go this morn.  We may have a new baby to see, one of the ladies at our Church had a baby on Yogie's birthday.  She was so proud to share her day with a special new baby.  The Lord has so blessed me this week, a whole extra one with the Ladies to enjoy this coming week, I love that that happened.  May you to praise the Lord in joy and heartfelt happiness... tomorrow.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

9/11 cross, Farmers market, controversy is a part of life.

I was watching Fox this week and saw an interesting segment.  It was about the museum that is going to be put up as a memorial to 9/11.  Apparently their is a Cross, well a section of abstract girders if you believe the atheists, but anyway.  There is a Cross that was found in the wreckage of the twin towers, when it was found it brought great comfort to the people on the sight, one and all.  It is a section of the girders that once held that majestic building up.  It was damage, destroyed and molded into a beautiful cross that became a cross because of the spiritual oneness it brought the survivors, the responders and all involved on sight during those first horrible days.  Now 10 years later the museum is trying to gather pertinent historical artifacts together to commemorate that day.  I had never heard of the Cross before as I was not on sight and only got to see the wreckage at ground zero through the eyes of the liberal media.  I really would have liked to have heard about the Cross back then when my heart broke for the people who had lost so much that day, those in the towers, those of us who watched in horror all over this country and the future children that now have this as a page of their history.  I do recall the Lord sending me a vision of his hand holding the buildings in a staying position for those precious minutes in time that they stood.  My vision saw God's hand holding the building up as some escaped down ward and some walked to heaven up his arm, all blessed by God.  I still would like to paint my vision but have not drawn or painted it to this point.  Anyway.  I would have liked to have known about the Cross, it would have brought me comfort.  I only know about the Cross now because of an atheist court proceeding.  They have decided that like with  the Statue of Jesus on Big Montana that it must go.  I do so wonder why the atheist run around defiling the icons of Christians with their petty law suits.  I have come to the determination that we all are not upholding our God given right, and the rights of American, to take some one to court for displaying an icon in public if it bothers our sensitivities.  We, Christians, are missing the boat, as atheist believe in nothing and their icon is nothing, then every courthouse in the land has one of their monuments out front.  We should all demand equal representation.  Why should we be allowing their display of nothingness to so influence our children and direct our innocent children's mind like as to brainwash them into believing that the display of nothingness is more important to their lives than the 10 commandments or a statue of someones representation of the Lord Jesus.  Why should we have to take down our commandments and statues but the derisive atheist be allowed to flaunt their icon of nothingness right there in front of the courthouse? in front of other public buildings? the parks? and they are so disruptive as to have had the audacity to establish their displays of nothingness along side our Crosses at the our various Churches, shouldn't we have the right to display our Cross without them sullying our places of worship with their trophies to nothingness, shouldn't they have to remove the nothingness that occupies those places where no Crosses, no statues and no displays of the commandments are allowed to be? There are no icon you say, well what could possible be a more fitting and presumptuous display of atheism in front of a courthouse than that big area of nothing? The atheist have won out, why oh, why should they be allowed that repugnant display of nothing?  We demand our equal time and equal display.

The farmers market was nice today, the same regulars.  This afternoon I got a call regarding the farmers market asking me to participate in something that I may believe is partially right and partially not right, I voiced my opinion that I could not hurt the creator and that I felt consideration for the founder was more important than the idea being put forth.  I was sad that there is a conflict but that sometimes people are more important than business consideration and good intentions.  The good of the one is sometimes as valid as the good of the all,  didn't Jesus leave the 99 to search for the one? I know that the person doing the asking did not understand my side or thought I was misguided but I am trying

Controversy is truly part of our daily lives as humans, we daily decide to heed the call of the Lord or Satan, and if that isn't controversial I don't know what is.   We try to live a simple basic life here but controversy calls to us at every corner.  Controversy usually demands a decision of the people that it touches,  the question or the quest is how do you reply to the controversial things and events you are faced with every day?  Do you answer as Christ might have?  Do you even try?  Does it matter?  Oh, yes, I would say it does.  I pray that you follow your heart and it leads you to the choices that Jesus would have chosen.... tomorrow.

Friday, August 17, 2012

A day away always a blessing. Sadly less than a week left with the Ladies this summer.

We were out and about early yesterday to the ortho we did go.  The check up was great and she only has a few more teeth to come in before all of her braces will be attached.  Once that is done it will be no more than 7 months of braces.  So a little more than a year or so, yay.  I get a little tired of the battle to get them to brush their teeth, why is it such a battle?  They have a cycle of great brushing to a low of not so much.  Once the ortho was over we stopped and bought light bulbs for Poppie, jello to make more jelly we have decided that we like the outcome of the jelly and it is considerable less expensive.  We are going to be making up some pectin of our own with the apple cores and peals too. We got a few frosting bags, we were disappointed to find that the kits for cake decorating did not include the books to do the techniques, the ones on line had I should have checked closer now I have to buy the books or maybe the videos.  Either way we will have them soon enough and spend time learning a new fun activity.  Maybe in time for our annual gingerbread tea party this winter, yay.  We went to Costco last, had lunch, okay odd choice but the Ladies like to stop there and it was their choice.  We bought Poppie some rolls, he does like his sweet snacks, and some chips, he couldn't decide which to eat when we got home so he ended up eating both.  Typical I don't know a bigger snacher and it never never shows on him, he has the metabolism of a hummingbird.  I digress.  The Ladies each spent their spending money on almonds,  they looked and looked for a treat and both settled on almonds as their treat of choice, I gotta be doing something right.  I told them they will need to put them in the freezer to keep them fresh so a learning tip as well.  I picked up strawberries for more jelly.  We took the long way home along the river and were home around 2 ish.  Poppie was glad of our return, we were to have made jelly when were returned home but were wiped out so they swam in their pool with the grands and Poppie and I relaxed.

The Ladies and I are going to bake pies, bread and a few foccacia's this morning for the farmer market.  This is the last one before the school year begins.  I am not sure how many more we will do. I think I will try to do a few but we will have firewood to get in so probably not all of them or even most of them.  We are hoping to get jellies made this morning as well, we got two more lugs of peaches that are just about perfectly ripe and won't last.  Poppie also said we are going to have more green beans than any one needs in a couple days, so the work will begin in earnest.  I am bidding on two pressure canners on eBay, I had tried on a different one but lost it to more than I wanted to spend.  I more than likely will not win both of these but do hope to win one of them.  I am bidding on All Americans, the 921's,  they will do, I think, 14 quarts at a time so I do hope to win one.  They are both vintage but not near as old as my little national.  I am thinking they are both from the 80's.  The Lord will provide and I will win the one or ones I am supposed to or not. 

The ladies go back to school on the 28th, I will so miss having them at home, not so much all of the kids but I do cherish my time with the Ladies and we are fast approaching a time when spending time with mom won't be a high priority in their lives, well not until they are older and hopefully that time will come again.  They are all ready to go, got all the wants they could think of to start the year out right.  They both got hair cuts/trims yesterday.  They were both happy with their do's and that is all that matters.  Life is good and God bless what else could we asked for..... tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Canning has come again, Hearts goes to a new home, and still there is politics.

I spent the last couple of days beginning my canning.  I do wish I could get a second pressure canner.  I am working on buying one from Grandpa, or Ebay. My lovely little beauty only does 5 quarts at a time, oh to have one that can do 19 can you imagine?  I canned 19 quarts of goat/veggie stew, two didn't seal so the Boy, Big Sister and Second got to sample them for me.  Big Sister and Boy each ate two bowls and Second ate one, I guess that is a thumbs up.  I ended up with 9 quarts of chili, 10 quarts of milk.  I ended up finding a second recipe that I think is better.  Takes less heat in the process so the milk stayed white and should be drinkable.  Yay. I froze two lugs of peaches and have two more coming.  Using the other for jelly's and eating, I made 11 jars of what was to be peach jelly but if it doesn't set up it is peach syrup.  I do so like that when you screw up jelly you can just rename it and no one knows the difference.  Well the ladies who make syrup probably guess what you did but the rest of creation is oblivious....  Poppie took me on a field trip of his beautiful garden and the green beans will be overwhelming in a week so I have to get ready for them to come.  He has a beautiful pumpkin on his giant pumpkin plant that will make lots of pie filling, okay so most people don't go on a garden walk and see future jars in the pantry but to each our own.  Poppie and I were both so proud, just not sure for the same reason, maybe it's a man and woman thing?

Hearts found a good home with Preschool, she was looking for a goat for her grandboy and Hearts seemed to be ideal.  Hearts was part Nigerian so he was of small stature.  We had not harvested him when we harvest the other little buckling and withers, as he was just too small.  I am told that he was welcomed with open arms by a lovely little boy who will love him dearly so his place in life was in another direction.  I am thinking as he came into this world with hearts as markings and didn't get a food name it was his destiny.  I do know God makes plans for us all and Hearts's was to be a little guys friend.

Foster and Tinker came and got a pair of turkeys from us.  The big toms were about to kill one another so it was a blessing to see the tom go for sure.  I think that my tom will do fine with the three ladies he has left.  Well let's hope so and that the queen turkey can be a lady and not harass her two ladies in waiting.   Funny how all of the animal have a peaking order, goats, chickens, turkeys and pigs.  The rabbits all have their own cages so they don't usually beat each other up but the ones that do spend a great deal of time seeing who is best or the leader.  Reminds me of election politicking.

I do so hate the mudslinging of politicking, it is so terrible.  I do know that the negative adds are more effective than the nice ones but this year seems especially horrible.  I don't know that there have ever been more lies that are blatantly put out there and shoved down our throats.  I think my biggest problem is that the media used to be unbiased and more fair but now for the most part it is all owned by the liberals.  I have a friend who is generally a Democrat asking the opinion of her conservative friends and where to find information that was unbiased, as she uses the democratic sites and wanted to try and understand the republican view.  She is married to a republican by the way, sort of a James Carville and Mary Joe Matalin.  I digress.  Anyway I told her that she needed to read, read and read, both sides of the issue and wade through the spin.  I told her she needed to watch different views of the spin, the networks (nbc, abc, cbs, cnn, msnbc) all of the liberal media and then give fox equal time.  She was aghast that she should watch fox, okay so maybe she doesn't want to know anything about the other side of the coin.  Why asked if you didn't really want to know?  If you think you are educating yourself on the issues and you only watch or read the side you want to hear anyway, then is that really educating yourself or just pandering to your own beliefs in a fish bowl?  I atleast try to understand why some one believes something and look at the other side of the issue, it's like debate don't you know.  I try to make an educated decision.  The spin this year is pretty bad to cut through.  It really does help to know who owns the company that the news come from, sad that journalism has gotten so askew in this day and age. I am not saying that there hasn't always been lies and spin in politic because there has it's just that in this real time era it is much more overwhelming and in your face.  Just think two hundred years ago the spin traveled at the speed of foot or horse or boat, and then telegraph, then phone and onward and upward to today's nano seconds, is that really progress?  Gossips has always been more fun than the truth that's why it is a sin.... tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

I have a plethra of deverse friends, I am blessed to have them but sometimes wonder why we are?

My mothers is one of those people that at any giving moment you don't know where you stand with.  She is a person that if you don't agree with her you are her enemy.  It wasn't as bad when I was a kid but as she has aged her has gotten worse on that front.  You can be having a conversation and say something that she doesn't like and in a heart beat you are on the enemy list.  You get used to it I suppose but having to learn how normal people live and that that is not normal took up some of my adulthood.  Did I mention that it is my belief that my mother is not a day older than when her momma died, 24, so since adulthood is reached by 25 by the accounts of those who know and study this type of thing, my mom is a perpetual non adult, you see why it took me awhile to obtain it myself.  Okay, I did obtain it myself and it wasn't her fault as it is never the fault of someone else what you do in your life.  I digress.  Anyway having learned to be patient, my dad has the patience of Job so there was hope for me from the beginning, I find it a great asset toward understanding others.  Patience was a life time accomplishment for me and on some respects I have it in spades and sometimes not so much.  Anyway...

I look across my facebook friends and find it funny the friends I have accumulated in my life.  I only friend or allow friends that I have known or people I do know and would want to share things about my life with on facebook.  I don't just allow any who ask.  I don't aspire to having countless people I don't know just so I can have the most friend or anything like that.  Most anyone who is on my relatively small friends list, a little over 200, are people I have known or interacted with threw out my life.  It is a very diverse array of people I must say.  I am known by most people as a conservative, most people who really know my on a personal level, but it is funny that people who know me in a more casual level would be surprised I am sure.  Who would really think that a Conservative would have done some of the things I have done or do in my life.  Those who think that some one who does that assume that I am a democrat and a liberal, don't all liberal do that, well they never asked and I didn't say.  Did you know that mostly democrats buy and sell on ETSY, news to me?  There are many other instances of this that I could name but won't, it is superficial anyway. 

I do wonder sometimes about how I can be good friend with some of my friends and read how different their ideas and values are.  I sometimes wonder how we can both be faced with the same problems in this country and see it so differently.  How ones of us see the deterioration of country as horrible and others see it as equality for all and progressive?  How ones sees women's right, gay rights and immigration as progressive ideas and fairness to all and others see it as a desperate flip flop to avoid the issues and say anything or do anything to get more votes.  Why do some see abortion as a right but whine about a litter of puppies that need homes, if they were fetuses it would be okay to murder them so why isn't euthanasia acceptable for them?  I could go on but won't even in my group of friends none are going to ever agree, that is what makes America great and always has.

 What my problem is now is that lying is more and more acceptable,  the media  no longer even tries to be fair and no one makes them or even tries to  make them.  I think that in a fair and equal country that the liberal purpose to want there would be more true fairness but the liberal extremest are making sure that it isn't.  They want what they want and if you don't agree with them, every time, you are the enemy ( believe me been there and done that) and they can make your point invalid or a lie all they need do is but the spin on it.   The spin machine called our modern media will jump at the chance.  I get really tired of people who eat, drink and live on the words of the liberal media, take a step back, check the facts and look at the other side.  In this day and age, you can look at both sides of every issue just get on you Internet and read, read and read, both sides, the answer is there but you have to actually look for them and not just accept the first opinion you hear or read.  Find out what the truth is, I know it takes a little longer to actually read the article, and not just repeat the spin, but you would find out what is really going on in this country, if you really cared.  It might make your friends think you are a nut or radical but I would bet you would look in the mirror with a whole lot more respect and pride.  If you believe in a cause do you even know that the details entail?  Do you even know what a moderate is?  An independent?  A Liberal or a Conservative?  Do you claim to be one and portrait another because you don't have a clue what it is you profess to be?  I might be alot

Monday, August 13, 2012

Reading and the thoughts that it provokes, Ryan is Romney's choice. Maybe there is a chance for "hope and Change" yet.

I have been trying to read my 6 new books, all signed copies, of Lottie Beth Hobbs.  I find them all as wonderful as the first one, The Daughters of Eve, still love that my dear great aunt was on the cover.  I have no idea why she was on the cover, was she a friend?, one of a random group of ladies?, was she a member of the same Church? I do wonder, but I still digress.  I read "Lets Live" last night and found that it really called out to me in a very similar way that the Constitution and Amendments, and the Declaration of Independence had reread the night before. I like the rest of you have been really distressed with the way our country has been head for the whole of this new century, but most especially the last three and a half years.  When Obama first came on the scene some 5 years ago Lady had asked me what I thought of him.  I said I didn't know enough about him to make a real opinion but I thought he was naive.  Well I know enough about him now and I was the one that was naive.  I won't go in to the absolute failure the he is as most of you already know that without being told.  I do know that he was a really man of change and no hope, and that hope for the future is at an all time low.  I am really tired of the socialism that he has brought into our country on such a big scale.  I hate the loss of Christianity in our country, and no I am not for religion in our government but if you would read the Constitution you too would know beyond a doubt that the love of God, the one true God was a part of it and not just some " greater power"  that guided them and us.  The founders of this country were not afraid to acknowledge their faith and love of God.  They said it, they believed it and the they lived it.  They didn't pay millions of dollars to hide all of their past from the people.  I don't know about you but if somebody spends lots of money on hiding something they have something to hide.  That same person had no business whining about his opponent not releasing his taxes, which aren't a requirement of running, and why is it that the whiner is allowed to take all of his exemption and whine that Romney took all of his? and then whine that is what Romney is hiding something in his taxes? Smoke and mirrors to quote an up and coming new politician.  Well Mr. President lets us see what you are hiding, where is your transparency?  And yes, I did build my business as tiny and insignificant as it may be in your world.  I don't want a holiday tree, and I don't want a moment of silence, and I don't want God's name wiped off of my songs, our founding documents and my country.  I want a Christmas tree.  I want to be able to say a prayer to God with humbling pride.  I want the fact that the founding fathers were men of God and that he guided their hands to make this the great country it once was celebrated by those who would praise him  to have the right to do it.  I want you to go back to where ever it is you came from as none of us know, and I want you to go back to writing the same kind of papers that you are so ashamed of that you had to pay some one to hide them for you from the people.  I want you out of the white house while their is still a chance that our kids might be able to live in a free country that stands for something.

I truly have been praying for our country for a long time.  I am sadder and sadder ever day and more and more scared every day especially since the supreme court upheld the obamacare as a tax and constitutional, but they did say they were not saying whether it was right or wrong and that the people had the right to do something about it, so vote.  Why is it even legal then, isn't the house of Representatives the only ones that can put forth taxes laws?  I know that obamacare didn't start there.... ?  I see our country turning it's back more and more on God.  If you have ever read the old testament the Lord does punish his people for the same thing over and over again for doing so.  The United States in so many ways is the promised land for the gentiles.  He gave us this country, he gave us a place to practice our faith, he gave us freedom of religion.  He guided the founding fathers every step of the way.  We are now as a county turning our backs on God forgetting more and more daily that he is at the base of this country to it's foundation.  Why is it that history must repeat itself, if we haven't learned from it, you will repeat it.  I was so heartened to see the choice of Ryan from Romney.  I know that the republican base was only lukewarm about Romney, alot like we are as a country have become about our country and God.  But Romney as put forth a vp

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Farmers market was a great turn out, lots of veggies and people. Vegas says goodbye.

The farmers market had a great turn out.  There were 4 vendors selling veggie from their gardens. Beautiful summer squashed, onions, cukes, peppers sweet and hot, huckleberries?, raspberries, lettuces, cabbages, herbs, flowers, beets, Swiss chard, a regular plethora of garden bounty.  There were the regular buyers that are true supports of the local farmers market.  I wish more people would come out to support the growers, they work hard and almost always have produce to take home.  I like the banner I saw at the rodeo, it said something about buying locally, and supporting your local business or you will lose them.  This year the fee is a little more so the vendor do depend upon the locals coming out to buy.  Flower Child does her best to bring in more buyers, she really does alot of work putting on the market,  some of the fenders were crabby about it but she is doing her best to supply a community event that will build into a really nice Saturday must.  Priscilla and I were there with our soaps, we both have good clients that favor us with purchases.  It is nice that our soaps are different that ways we appeal to a different clientele.  The girls sold all their pies but one today, Poppie was so excited he had one to eat, they actually made 9 this weeks hoping he would get one.

Vegas stopped by the market to say goodbye as she and family are returning to Los Vegas in the morrow.  She is truly a doll and I am glad to have gotten to know her.  Tuckyrose stopped by to say hi, she is another new friend that I have made.  She is a self educated woman with lots of similar interest to me.  She told me how to pull the fleece out of the angora goat, which worked great.  She made me some ice cream to try last week which was a truly nice treat,  I have gotten to know her over the last year and have truly come to enjoy her company.  I think I offended a local lady on accident today.  I was helping another customer that had lots of questions and didn't actually get to help her as I should of so she walked away from my stand.  I do hope to make it up to her.  I don't think she has an email so will apologize to her daughter who is a friend of mine.  I am sorry to have offended her.

We came home to Poppie who had spent the morning making head way on his rabbit hutch building.  We convinced him to go on a ride up the creek.  He and the girls skipped rocks, he showed them the best techniques and the secrets of the art.  The girls waded back and forth across the creek, swam a little, as best they could in the shallow water. They tired to rebuild part of the dam that was washing away.  We hiked a little to a hidden cove that we took the older kids to when they were little, two trees had fallen and blocked the deep whole that we spent many a summer day at, sadly it no longer holds the charm it once did.  The girls and Poppie gathered small rocks for me to bring home to add to a sculpture I have had an artist block on for over a year.  I think they just might be the thing to finish it off just right.  The Ladies and I just whipped up a huckleberry cream cheese bread pudding to take to breakfastfest in the morning.  It is our turn to treat, we will bake it off in the morning so it will be nice and warm.  I hope you enjoyed your day and the Lord blessed all of you doings... tomorrow.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Vegas come to visit, life is good and we had fun sharing ours.

Vegas came around 3 yesterday,  I had made up a batch of liquid soap/shampoo earlier in the day.  It was just getting to the creamy Vaseline stage when she arrived only the clear Vaseline stage to go to be done cooking.  We let it cook as we made cold process soap, liquid soap is hot process soap.  I made sure to stir it every once in awhile.  Vegas had used her shampoo and had really liked it.  She got to measuring all the oils, the milk and the lye for her soap.  We had a whole passel of little eyes watching us.  They all thought she was the greatest so had to watch her every move, sort of like kids do with a fish in a fish bowl.  She took it all in stride, talked to  the littles, and got big grins from Bubbles and Cubbie, as she made her measurements.  The older kids got to fighting and tattling so they were in comfort zone with her.  It was funny, as I don't have a stick blender, and I am not buying another just to ruin, I have no patience for the spin and wait system, I am an all out sort of person  it is my general way so not good for any stick blenders so will do without.  Therefore I have gone to using my kitchen aide mixer and it does great, slow and steady like the turtle it gets the Job done.  Vegas blended up her oils, it looked like icing when she got done.  I hadn't ever blended it that much, usually just a good mix and then the lye.  Well when she added the lye it was almost immediate trace, (trace is like when you stir pudding and can see the path of the spoon like you are writing with it).  Trace is where you are trying to get to in soap making.  She added the fragrance oil and orange peel.  Mokie started to chat and I had to tell them it was setting up, some fragrances make the soap set faster than other, we were using my new fragrances so had no idea how fast that one was going to set.  We quickly got it in to the molds.  It didn't really sponify normally but it did have a sponification, I hope it turned our as she took the soap with her to unmold today.  Can't wait to find out the results.  

We were then on to knitting.  I showed her longtail casting on, and continental knitting.  I find it is the best way.  No goal posts in the cast on and adults don't need to learn the techniques twice, with some children it is better to teach the simple cast on and the throwing method.  She was a natural.  She will get the tension as that comes with practice.  I have taught several people in the last few years this style of knitting, and have found it very effective.  One of my dear friends, who I had tried to teach years ago and it was a bust, learned in just a few minutes, she is left handed so that was a challenge and she did superbly well.  Our dear Shorts, she made all of her grandkids hats and mitts in record time, so proud of her.  Lady knitter was a whirlwind, I taught her so little and she exploded, she is a wonderful knitter, and like me a self teachers so she is better than I am and in such a short time frame.  I have great hopes for Vegas, hope to show her how to purl before she has to leave to go home, it would be so sad to know the knitting and not know the purling.  I told her she can know look at any YouTube video or books for more techniques, I can't wait to see her first completed project.  I hope she will post a photo.  Knitting in hand we were one to milking.  '

The Ladies were in their element they had awaited their turn to "teach" with baited breath.  They opened the gate and out came Gladys, she ran over to the stanchion and got herself in to position.  Vegas was amazed,  she said "do they always do that?"  "Yes", they love the grain reward and stand like ladies to get it.  The stanchion is a pure treasure in the milking process.  Gladys can be tricky so Vegas just got to watch,  then it was Spices turn.  Gladys went in the pen and out came Spice jumped on the stanchion and into her squat.  Vegas got behind her, we milk from the back I know post people milk goats from the side but we do it from the back like a cow.  Yogie showed her how to make the bubble and squeeze.  She did well.  She was amazed that it was harder to do than she had thought it would be.  She had milked cows before, we haven't so we have no knowledge of the difference.  She did a great job then wanted to know if the goat was empty.  Yogie said "no" and finished her off, I took photos of her milking so she would have them to share with her friends.  Milking done it was time for her to go home, to make dinner for her folks, she has been giving her dear dad a break from cooking this week.  Her mom is on the mend from a long illness so her visit has been a true blessing in their lives.  We were so sad to see her go, we only got to spend a short time with her but we solidified a life long friendship.  I don't have that many close friends, lots of acquaintances but few special ones.  Funny most of my special ones I don't get alot of time with, just a few, most of the rest I get short bits of special time with, I think she is the newest one of my friends I will get short bits of special time with, what a true blessing from the Lord. 

Today I have kids, none yesterday, nice break.  We have baking to do, and I have to finish the shampoo today, I am going to put fragrance in some of it and leave some plain for individual scenting.  Pies, sourdough bread and bagels today, well maybe a couple of foccacias too.  We have orders for the sourdough and the bagels.  The pies are a given, they are the girls best seller.  Today we are going to do triple berry, strawberry and maybe peach.  Whole wheat bagels for Drama and we had requests for them at the market.  Off on a busy day, I hope you enjoy your day and the Lord blesses your life as he does mine daily..... tomorrow.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Vegas may stop by, Mokie and I had words, well maybe I gave her a lecture.

Vegas is still visiting and she emailed me yesterday that she might get to stop by, she wants to learn to milk (she has milked a cow so no problems, I have never even tried a cow), to make soap and to knit.  I will let you know what we get done.  The milking Yogie and Booboo will have to do the teaching as I have never been a good milker.  I currently have no incentive to keep it up, I have "milking machines".  I may have to invest in a real milking machine in the next ten years, before they go off to college for sure.  Well maybe I could get Cubbie and Bubbles to help me then..... I was to go huckleberring with Lady this afternoon but she is going on a vacation to visit her special little grandkids from Alaska so she has lots to do in the time until she leaves. I am going to get out of huckleberring, I think Poppie and the girls are going to take Grandpa and go, or maybe he will meet them there.  Either way Poppie is going to go on one last pick.

I was going through comments on my blog last night.  One was a very nice one from a nice Christian lady who had read a blog from January.  She was very nice and supportive of the girls and wanted to let us know that AWANAS was a great program and maybe we could try it again in the future.  I was heartened by her compassion and genuine comments.  I do know that at this pointed the Lord as definitely lead us in another direction and we are at home in the love of our Church but her heart felt love was very reassuring to our souls of the love of Christians in general.  I got two that were in spam, don't know why they were in spam, but I posted them too, they were nice heartwarming comments as well.  I am glad that I have been able to allow anonymous comments once again.  I do like to read other thoughts on subjects.

I had a long hard day yesterday.  There has been an issue for months that has bugged me.  Mokie is allowing herself to be used and won't stand up for herself.  Yesterday I had enough.  She is allowing me and the girls to be used as we help her and support her in the situation.  She agreed with my assessment and just was at a loss as to help the situation.  I think I finally prodded her enough to make the situation better or at least not allow the problem to continue.  I told her that she needs to fix the problem by a certain time or the girls and I are out, we won't help her after that date.  I think she has made some progress toward fixing it but we will see if it comes to fruition.  I do know that I am done on that date if she doesn't fix it and help herself.  The Lord's will will be done.

Bug stopped by he had some positives to share in his life, let's hope he stays with it and gets it done.  He really needs to get his life back on track.  He needs to decide what is important and work toward a goal.  His news may have been the Lord giving him some options, lets hope so.  I talked to Goofy on Yogie's birthday.  She didn't tell me but she told Poppie that they are going to be going to Germany for two years sometime next year.  They are hoping to visit before they go.  It will be nice for them I have been told numerous times that Germany is one of the best countries to visit and live in.  Twins daughter in law is from Germany and Twin's son meant her while he was stationed in Germany.  It will be a fun adventure for the four of them.  Funny it won't be that different for us, they live on the Mexican boarder now so both are farther than we can travel.  Poppie and I have never been on a plane, have no desire to do so, and the drive is not a reality for Poppie.  So Germany is for us no farther away so to speak.  It will be a long two years though.  But they will send pictures of castles I am sure, always wanted to see castles, they just don't have any here in the mountains of Montana. 

Off to finish the coffee Poppie gave me as he walked out the door and start a wonderful day..... tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Conversations, a treasure and reward of Ladies days out......

I would imagine that anyone that knows me knows I like to talk, I am not sure it is because growing up you only got a small share of the stage with so many others actors to share it with, 7 or eleven depending upon the era.  I do like to talk to this day.  I generally use the time when I am not talking to fill up on facts to share with others so I have something to say the next time I get my chance to talk, probably why I a fount of useless knowledge, trivia and have taught myself how to do many a thing.  Poppie still has a problem when all the sisters get together, he say we all talk over each other then louder, and louder.  I have try to explain we are all talking and listening so twice as much gets said and heard, he is skeptical.  He just doesn't understand large families. 

I have always spent time talking to my kids, more so with my littlier ones but I am sure the older ones will tell you I talked them to death.  I never wanted to be my children's "friend" when they were growing up but I did want them to come to me first with their problems and for the most part I succeeded.  They didn't always tell me the little stuff, like about the naughty things they did, but they did always come to me with the big stuff, alcohol, drugs and sex.  So I guess I did okay.

I have tried to keep an open dialogue with my little Ladies as well, in many ways I am better at it now than I was then.  No family to talk over so much any more, but being alone with little kids and animals makes me like to talk in a different manner than before, I told you I like to talk.  Kids and animals are a captive audience.  I began talking with Yogie when she was still my granddaughter and it was just part of who were and so much more a part of who we are together. I have photos of me talking to her in the delivery room and you can see her responding to my voice, that was a observation that their Grandpa made.   Booboo likes to asked me such big adult questions and I have always tried to give her answers at the top of her understanding, but never a bigger answers than she was ready to hear, and hadn't asked about in the first place.  Bubbles, Cubbie and the Ladies all like to hear me sing to them, and no other living being would even want that, but they love that I sing to them.  Boy likes to hear me get after him, well he must as he fights with me everyday just so I will do it and then he helps me vacuum or sweep. Bug used to like to hear me fight with him.... Funny that.

The Ladies and I always take advantage of our girlie time to talk of things.  Yesterday they wanted to talk about what is Gay.  We were at the fair on Saturday night when the "cousin" of Second and Big Sister walked by, cousin is not their cousin by blood but by choice.  Both of my girls immediately said mom Cousin was wearing a dress.  I told them that was okay he just liked to dress up nice at the rodeo.  I didn't think that that rodeo was the best forum to talk about why Cousin would be dressed like a girl.  We did get time to talk on our trip to the Zoo.  I asked them if they knew what gay was.  They didn't.   I told them what it meant to be heterosexual, girls like boys and boys like girls.  I then told them that gay was when boys liked boys and girls like girls.  They took it all in stride and said "oh, like Cousin."  We talked about how it was a choice they made about how they want to live their lives, that like we make a choice they make a choice for themselves.  I told them that we should never call them bad names or be mean to them because of their choices for their lives.  We wouldn't call some one of a different color names, or someone with a disability names, so we should not call some one with a different life choice names.  They seemed to get it and think that I was silly for thinking that anyone would call someone names for that, but at least the seed of right is there or always was been I suppose. 

Another wonderful girls day, they are some of the best days.  Tiring and overfilled but the best.  They bought all the dresses any little girls would need, more pants, shoes and hair pretties.  Booboo was impressed the brand of the hair pretties was spelled exactly like her names, dots and all.  We had lunch, Starbucks and a great time.  Came home and had cake with Mokie and family, the girls went home with the cousins so a wonderful end to a full day..... tomorrow.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

My girl is 10, where did the time go? She is truly one of the joys of my life.

My dearest Yogie turns the big 1oh today, two digits hard to imagine it has been that long since she came into our lives.  She came as a grandchild but soon became the daughter of our hearts and then the daughter our lives needed.  She is a joy and one of the hardest working little girls I know.  She is a self initiator and go getter.  She is a very kind and loving soul.  She is a kid and there fore carefree, forgets to do the chores she doesn't like and goes her own way, she is stubborn to the core of who she is and rarely gives in.  She once told me, when she was three, when we were bumping heads, seeing who could out stubborn the other, "Did I win"  in the moment I knew she wasn't only like me but she knew it.  She looks the most like me of all of my children and probably truth be told the most like me in the little things.  She will conquer the world, on her terms, and Lord doesn't that make me one proud momma.  She is truly one of the specialist parts of my life, well all of them are in just very different ways. 

Today her "big" sister Booboo and I are going to take her on a girl's day out.  We are going to do shopping, school clothes accessories, you know they are the most important part.  We are going to pick out birthday presents, it is their general consensus that they want cake decorating kits.  We have always made their birthdays a two for.  They both share the days and they get to do it twice, a month apart.  So today we get cake decorating kits, they want to learn to decorate cakes.  They both should do well a decorating, I am told it is just like milking a goat, same hand motions.  We are hoping to stop by Starbucks and say hi to Preacher and Pianists daughter, she is working there, transferred from Texas.  We will also pick up some goat feed items, and some rabbit food so it will be a well rounded day.  We will also do the grocery thing. Can't wait to spend a special day with just the two of them, no Poppie doesn't want to come he is happy to not be included in all the fro fro.

I think we will pick up a birthday cake in Zootown and bring it home to share with Mokie and family.  We actually did the river trip and the rodeo as part of Yogie's birthday wishes so she will have had a few days of special time dedicated to her big day.  I just asked Booboo if she wished her sister a happy birthday and she said "I am not waking her up it's her birthday she can sleep"   Now if I can just get them to be that considerate all day long... tomorrow.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Adoption, part of my family nearly all of my life, God sends us the kids he wants us to have.

I have said before that I am the oldest of 12.  I am but I was mostly raise as the oldest of 8.  I have one brother that died when I was 14 months.  He was the twin to my brother Silver, funny how most of my life I called him "Silver's Twin" it took me well into adulthood to realize he was my brother as much as he was "Silver's twin".  I think in many ways his death was one of the reasons my mom stopped aging mentally when her mother died.  She is the same 24 year old, in many ways, that she was the day her mother died.  That is my opinion and may not be embraced by  others but I know my mom quite well.  It doesn't make her a bad person, per se, it just makes her a person that is 24 and that is an age I would not visit again.  I digress.  We adopted my brother, Little Brother is 1965, I remember the day we went and picked him up like it was yesterday, he had a pacifier and my mom was having none of that, we bought one at the next town we came to, he did indeed need it.  He was three weeks old when we got him.  He is and has always been my brother in every way my other two living brothers are.  Funny when people would find out we had an adopted child they always guess the wrong one of us.  We didn't treat him any different than any of the rest of us kids.  Adoption back then was very rare.  We weren't people who adopted a child because it was our Christian duty, we loved him and wanted another child in our lives.  I, to this day, don't understand when people of wealth adopt out of charity, Christian duty or for what ever reasons that people who don't want children do it.  I do know that I having experienced that moment of becoming a mother, a miraculous moment when something inside of you changes the second that baby is placed in your arms.  I know some adopted mother who have that, they are special people.  I also have known adoptive mothers who have not a clue of what that moment is.  I feel deep sadness for the adoptive children who are the result of adoptions for the "right" reasons or that it is a duty.  So sadly many of them end up in therapy, jail or are walking mental time bombs awaiting their moment to detonate.  I know very little about that type of adoption and pray for the ones who have to or have had to endure such sorrow. 

I know only of the joys of adoption.  I have 3 additional sisters, they are 9 months older than Yogie,  they are loved by my parents to distraction and in many ways at the expense of their grandchildren.  You truly only have so much time to give to others and the triplets take up all of the time my parents have. My dad is 75 this year and mom is 70, a full time work for them, so understandable they have no more time to give.  It is sad for the grands but it is a joy in the triplets lives and my parents and in the end they have a wonderful life.  So, it must be God's will for them. 

I was raised that all your kids come from God no matter how they arrive in your life.  I am fortunate enough to have been given 5 children.  I always wanted 4 and Poppie wanted 2, we compromised and had 3, it was very important for me that my girls had a sister, having had 7 of my own.  I think that sisters have a relationship that is invaluable and one of the most special lifetime relationships anyone could have.  I got my two girls and I was ok not to have the fourth child of my dreams.  My son still whines about not having brother, we did give him a foster brother better but not all that he wanted.  I raised my kids and was into my post children era when lives path gave us the Ladies.  They came to us from God, and that is the truth of it.  Their biological parents were in a place where they didn't have their lives together enough to raise them.  They both in their own way gave us the girls of their own free will.  They to this day have a relationships with the girls but the reality is the the Ladies do not for a moment remember Poppie and I not being their parents.  They are the children of our hearts, from God, and for the purposes of others they have our names on their birth certificates.  They are our children as much as any other adopted child has the right to their parents.

Recently some one I have known, well actually a couple of people I know, was surprised that they were my daughters, took me by surprise as they have been my daughters for 9 years this year.  The adoptions took a little while longer but they have lived solely with Poppie and I for just short of 9 years.  I explained to one yes, my name was on their birth records and unlike my 9 grandkids, they live with me all the time.  It was a funny incident but not a problem.  The other friend probably  knows they are mine but just choose to call them my grandkids, bugs my girls but they got over it.  We understand the people like this and just go on, they have busy lives and our problems mean nothing to them so no big deal.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Farmer's market, parade,river float, sunburned, rodeo and the grands on the floor.

The Ladies and I set up for the farmer's market then the Ladies deserted me to go ride on the Library Float, they had Pansy at their side.  She was a lady, she followed them around like a puppy on her leash and collar.  She stood on the float with them for some time then had enough and laid out at Yogies feet to enjoy the ride.  I took some photos of them, will download them later, I took some for the Library and some for mom.  I held down the fort so to speak at the farmer's market.  I got to see so many people my friend from Vegas, so I will call her Vegas, was home to visit her family.  It was wonderful to get to see her as a friend, last year I meant her at the farmers market and one short year later she is actually my friend.  Going stopped by she was home to visit her family and she may help me send some items to Texas for her sister to try in her boutique.  That would be a great outlet for items.  I sold all the girls pies, but they sell themselves, and I am not the best seller on the rest.  One of our regulars was disappointed as there was not sourdough so they will make it for next week.  All in all a good farmers market, I sold more for the first time than they did.

We went on a river float after the farmer's market.  Drama and family came, Bug, Mokie and family and the four of us.  We had a great time but I got my face sunburned.  It was uneventful just a lazy float down the river.  I swam for several miles for that was good exercise for me.  Yogie and Booboo swam with me for part of the trip, they did have their life jackets on as it is the law, it did help them learn about currents.  They were surprised to find out as we talked and swam along that I had taught Goofy, Bug and Mokie to swim.  Funny how it was a matter of fact that I taught them but such a surprise that I taught the older kids.  Our float trip and the rodeo tickets were all in honor of Yogie's birthday that is coming on Tuesday.  She will be the big double digit this year.  She, Booboo and I are going to go on a girlie day on her birthday. 

We got home from the rafting trip shortly before the rodeo was to start.  Son ran out of gas and Poppie had to help him get gas.  Mokie's car had a problem and she left it along side of the road,  Poppie wanted to go tow it home right away but Mokie and Son didn't want to make us late for the Rodeo so decided to collect it after the rodeo.  The rodeo was great, we actually got there and our seats were right by Vegas's and her families, such a wonderful surprise.  Her mom and dad were there as well.  Her mom had had a major illness this spring so this was one of her first outings.  It was nice to see her out and about, she seemed to enjoy being out on a special night with her daughter.  The rodeo was good, two guys actually rode the bulls, sometime no one does so when they do it is a better rodeo.  We came home and they went to collect Mokie's car.  It had been towed so Mokie was not happy, the Sheriff's office had called a couple times but couldn't find them so had it towed.  Not a good end to a nice long day. 

Cubbie and Boy spent the night they are to go to Church with us this morning. Cubbie is excited, Boy is more reserved but I am sure excited.  Bubbles will get to spend the morning one on one with her dad, a good thing.  Off to awake kids and feed them before we are off to worship the Lord... tomorrow.