Things I am Thankful in 2013

As the new year approaches, we all like to look back at the past year and reflect.  I have so many things to be thankful in this past year.

The most important thing I was able to spend another year with these two guys!!  My husband's health has continued to be good.  All his tests come back normal which is a HUGE relief.  I got to see my son, who is in the Navy, three times this year including a surprise visit in August (where everybody knew he was coming home except me!!)  Best surprise EVER!!!

Once again health issues continued to be "bothersome" for me.  Unexplained shortness of breath whenever I did any type of exertion like walking up steps, etc.  I chalked it up to "old" age!!  But a HUGE thanks goes out to my doctor Anna Fox who didn't think that!!  After so many tests (and one where I got to see the inside of my carotid artery - kind of weird but kind of cool, too!), it was determined that I have COPD (a "politically correct" term for emphysema).  Through a trial of different medications and exercise programs, I now feel better than I have in a long time!  So I am forever grateful to Anna Fox for her diligence!!

I am so thankful for all my customers who continued to believe in my products because they keep buying them!!  God bless you!!  And I love talking to you all and learning all about you.  You aren't customers, I think of all of you as my good friends.

Can't forget the goats and the wonderful milk they gave me!!  I made the best goat's milk yogurt and ice cream from their milk this year which I thoroughly enjoyed!!  And many of our customers got to enjoy the cheese (and so did we!!).

I am also thankful for my 3 little puppies (I know they are dogs but to me they are puppies) - Choo, Ella and our new one, Niki.

They keep me company during the day while Bobby is at work, go on walks with me or ride to and from the store.  And, if it weren't for Ella, we won't have known our car was being stolen - thank you Ella!!!

My garden was wonderful this year!!  So many good things came from my garden that we are still enjoying this winter!!!

If only I could get the deers to leave my garden alone!!  Oh well!!

And turning 60 wasn't as bad as I thought!  It is just a number.

Looking back on 2013, I would have to say it was a pretty good year!!  Can't wait to see what 2014 brings!

New Year's Resolutions

It is that time of year when everyone makes those lofty resolutions "I am going to lose all this extra weight!!" "I am going to make a million dollars!!", "I am going to be a much better person!", etc., etc., etc.  All of these will be "broken" probably by the second or third week in January!!

Well, this year I am not going to make any resolutions - how's that for a New Year's Resolution!!  I really don't need to lose any weight (well, maybe a pound or two - but at 60 years - this is as good as it gets!!).  Overall, I am pretty satisfied with my life - can't think of any way that I would want to change it or improve on it. 

Instead, I am going to have my New Year's Wish List.  This is what I am going to wish for the New Year:

1.  I wish to see my son, who is in the Navy, more often.

2.  I wish that my husband's health continued to improve.

3.  I wish for my business to continue to succeed.

4.  I wish that all my goats and chickens remain healthy and continue to provide us with eggs and milk.

5.  I wish that this silly economy would settle down and our govenment would get back to what it is supposed to be doing and STOP playing all these STUPID games!!!  gives me such a headache!!!

6.  I wish that my gardens are as productive as they were last year and that the deers leave my gardens ALONE!!!

7.  The most important . . . I wish and hope that God continues to work in my life leading me in the direction that He wants me to go and that I listen to His voice.

And that is what I wish for in 2014!  May God bless you and your family this coming year

So Thankful This Christmas!

Our son, a sailor in the Navy, was able to come home for Christmas this.  So many of the soldiers, sailors and marines can't.  I couldn't help but think about all those families this morning opening presents and knowing the void they must be feeling. How do I know because two years ago, Nathan was in Boot Camp for Christmas.  And holidays, no matter what the holiday is, it is just not the same unless you have all your loved ones there.

And this Christmas also took on a more special meaning.  One of my son's friends died tragically Christmas Eve night on his way home in a car accident not far from our home.  I thought of his Mom all day today and kept her in my prayers.  Christmas will never be the same for her.  All I can hope is that God will somehow bring her comfort.

So I will hug my son just a little bit tighter tonight and tomorrow when he leaves to go back to his "other" life.  I will pray that God will watch over so that he can come home again.  I believe in God and I know he will take care of my son.

One of My Many Roles!

I keep asking where is THAT barn hand???  Then my husband reminds me - that is ME!!  Hmmm.  I guess that means I WILL have to clean out that barn.  And it was a mess!!

You couldn't open the door!  And I forget there were steps buried under all that hay!!  The hardest part was getting motivated to do it because it seemed OVERWHELMING!!  And it WAS!!!

Well, here is how this same barn looked yesterday . . .

What a difference!!!  Yes, it took me a couple of months to do it, but I did get it done by myself.  Not bad for a 60 year old lady!!  (as I pat myself on my back)

And God Gave Me A Goat

Yesterday as I was sitting at the Farmer's Market, I was thinking how much my life has changed all because God gave me a goat.  Goats were never in the "plan."  Before we moved out to New Richmond, I don't think I have ever been that close to a goat.  And if you had told me 25 years ago that I would be a goat farmer, I would probably have laughed at you.  Is it amazing how God works in your life and leads you down paths that you would never imagined possible?

I can't help but think of what an amazing life I have.  I have a husband who puts up with all my silly ideas and who will drive across town to pick up 60 baby chicks (and then let those 60 baby chicks take over his garage in makeshift "nurseries").  I can go out on my back deck and listen to the sounds of Nature - oh so lovely!  The birds clirping and singing.  The deers rustling through the leaves in the woods behind our house.  I have 3 goats that give me fresh goat's milk that I use to make cheese, ice cream and fudge for us to eat and soap and lotion for me to sell.  And chickens that provide eggs.  Small gardens that give us fresh vegetables. It just doesn't get any better than this.  And it all started with God giving me a goat.  How blessed am I!

You just gotta love customers!

With the onset of this cold weather, my chicken egg productin has dropped which is normal for this time of year.  As a result, I am not bringing as many eggs to sell at the market and there have been a few times when I haven't had any eggs to sell. 

Last week was one of those days where I just didn't have enough eggs to sell.  One of the customers approached me with a suggestion . . . "Why don't you just go to Krogers and buy your eggs?"  HUH???  She replied, "Krogers has lots of eggs.  You should go buy some eggs from Krogers!"  Dumbfounded, trying hard not to laugh.  I explained to the customer that this was a FARMER"S market and we are supposed to grow all that we sell here.  And buying from Kroger's was a BIG no-no!!!  BUT, I did appreciate her advice. (how's that for political correctness!).  As I said, you just gotta love customers!!

Two years ago . . ..

My life changed forever.  My son left home and joined the Navy.  So many emotions that day, but mostly pride.  I tried so hard not to interject my personal feelings into this because this was his decision about what was best for him.  And looking back now, he made the best choice for him  Like any Mom, we always want to keep our "babies" close, but we can't and it hurts when they leave the nest.  BUT, I survived like we all do and there was not a prouder Navy Mom than me when he walked into the that auditorium on February 10, 2012 as a brand new Sailor in the United States Navy.

Yes, my life has changed and not exactly the way I wanted it to be or expected it to be but isn't that the way life is?  So today, I am so thankful that you are my son, Nathan!  I am so very proud of you and love you so much.  God Bless you! 

Bath time!

Niki - our German Shepherd/Rottwellier mix puppy, got her first bath yesterday.  Doesn't look like a happy camper!  But she sure looks cute!!  And she smells a lot better!  I know that isn't going to last for long!  They always find something nasty to roll in1

Life on the farm

Sometimes I wish my life on the farm was like they portray farm life in the movies.  Everything is wonderful, the crops come up every year without fail, chickens lay tons of eggs, cows (or goats in my case) give gallons and gallons of milk and life is good!!

BUT reality is that you have a hawk that decides to attack your chicken pen the first thing Saturday morning. And God Bless your rooster for protecting his flock!!  I shot my gun a couple of times to scare the hawk away.  The rooster survived - but has battle wounds to show for his efforts.  And, for some reason, I have a chicken or a couple of chickens that have taken to killing all the baby chickens that I bought back in August - that's about $125 down the drain.  Almost every morning or two, I find bodies.  So disheartening.  And to add insult to injury, they aren't laying eggs.

Last night I went out to feed the goats and noticed one of the younger goats had some type of "discharge" on her rear end.  Upon closer examination, it was blood.  Yep, looks like she had a miscarriage.  I really didn't want her bred but the buck figured out how to jump fences and he breeds whoever gets in his way.

So today I want to go to one of those storybook farms!!  LOL!!  I am just fustrated and I know it will get better. Sometimes life on the farm isn't always that much fun!