Sunday Night Reset

Ever feel like you could use a reset?  Like a do over.  A chance to begin again, and try again, pull things together, get things right.

Sundays are rather like that.  You pull everything back together and get ready to begin again in the world.  So that Monday morning comes and you begin a brand new week with your feet under you, ready to take on the world.

Another reminder of this is the full moon.  Right now is a harvest moon.  Officially, it is when the moon is closest, causing it to appear yellow.  Funny how it isn't that yellow once the camera captures it!

The kids and I were outside working at dusk, getting ready for another busy week.  That was when I watched the last glow of the sun in the West and the rising of the moon in the East.  So beautiful!

I found myself looking back at these photos lately.  I sure miss my Remington.  Remi loved her walks with the kids, and loved every animals on the property.  What she didn't like were cats trying to sneak in after her chickens and people trying to sneak onto her property.

Don't get me wrong  I love all of our goofballs.  Old man Vegas is presently asleep at the foot of my chair, and crazy Shadow is sprawled across a dog bed a few feet away.  They are all treasures in our lives, but Remington, while brought home by Charlie, loved me as her human.  She was such a special bond and joy.  And I was never alone working or caring for things here.  Countless babies were warmed or babysat by her.

I can't have my Remi back for a do-over, but I do believe she has made me a better person, which I hope it what we all do with a do-over.

So enjoy the harvest moon, and take a moment to set a goal for yourself, and a plan to reach it.  If you share it here in the comments, the public note can be a great impetus to keep you on track.  Let's have a great week!

Saturday Sillies...

I rode to Wyatt's game separately from the boys.  They took their time coming home, and went shopping!  When Wyatt came in last night, he hunted Bailey down to share a treat he brought her.  While this is like free product advertising, it was too funny not to share.

Hubert's lemonade.

Around here, everyone has a nickname.  Our first dog, Callie Jo, somehow learned to answer to Calli Jo, CJ, Calija, Lija, CEEJ, and much more.  This bring us to the nickname in play here- our old buck, Huey, whose registered name is Knee High Knibblers Lil Huey, is called Hubert around here.  And he answers to it.

So Hubert's lemonade.  Aha.  He has a side business!

The Back says if live gives you lemons, you buy a big truck.

Not a bad theory.

So we all scrutinized the drawing.  Huey -aka Hubert- is a goofy black pygmy buck.  The elbows go the wrong way, though.  The kids say there is no way that could be a goat.

Well, I guess that's that.  Fun to bring home and share for a night.  But not old Huey's.  They said it was pretty good, though the ingredient list was fuzzy (that's my kids!).

So there was our Saturday night silly.  Nothing major.  But a little fun.  Have a great day!

Friday Night

Aunt Kathy posted photos of chocolate chip cookies earlier this week.  I had me really wanting to make some.  Then I had a run in with an insurance person who wasn't doing her job, so I decided to bake away my frustrations!  In the end, white chocolate pecan.  YUM!

Then, I managed to get a batch of soap into the curing process.  These natural cucumber soaps will be ready to leave their molds soon.Now I need to decide what kind to make next!  I do have a request for more CocoMange Goat Milk Soap, what else?

Curious what shapes these are?  Celtic knot and rectangles with horses.  I also did some Victorian flowers and Victorian hearts.  Got  suggestion or a request?  Feel free to ask!  And I will be returning to the farmers' market in Marana this week!  See you there!

Morning Walk

I had really been looking forward to a morning run, but it was our first time with Shadow Paws  out with us, and she pulled a lot, giving Bailey quite a challenge on the other end of her lead.  So we got a good brisk walk.

Bailey and I took a little break a little over two miles in, near these lovely flowers- one of the lovely holdovers from the monsoon season.  

Shadow thought they were beautiful, too, and enjoyed a quick peek before we moved on.

Not only are mornings still cool enough for a good workout, but this morning's clouds treated us to a beautiful sky as the sun peeked out around the clouds.

This is Shadow Paws on the way home, trying to drag Bailey out to the middle of the dirt road. We have a lot more work to do, but Shadow loved her walk!  And we even ran across some neighbors we hadn't seen in a while along the way =)!

After this, it was a couple quick chores and off to work for me!  What is your favorite morning activity?

Contest Prizes!

We are so excited to be kicking off a fun contest this week!  We have teamed up with the Hen House to get the word out about our products and mission!

Our friends at the Hen House donate proceeds from their breads, candy and eggs to benefit cancer related charities.  But this isn't the only reason we love the folks over there, we also love that this is a small, family based project with kids, chickens and dogs!  One of our contest winners will win bread from the Hen House. YUMMM!!!

At Patriot's Dream, we believe in sustainable farming on a local, family basis, with healthy nutrition and healthy living leading the way.  (And a little beautiful jewelry never hurt anything!)

To keep folks going to the farmers' market and bringing home the veggies without filling the landfill, one of our upcycled feed bag market bags will go to another winner!

Many of our regulars know we believe in all natural bath products, which began with making our own soaps and lotions that Bailey would not be allergic to.  A third lucky winner will receive two bars of soap from our inventory. (Winners choice from available varieties.)

So, how do you enter?  Feel free to follow over to our facebbok link here,

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Patriots-Dream-Farm/141620095849011

then click on our giveaway page and feel free to enter every day!  Oh, and share with your friends- they will love you for it!

Henny Penny...

We love all of our animals around here, though each has its own distinctive personality and reason to love them.

This is one of the young Delawares who just joined our laying flock.  She keeps sneaking off to try to mother the chickens in the bantam pen!

This is one of the older Ameraucaunas.  She likes to sneak up and perch on fences next to you and ask for treats.  She pretends not to care, but will cuddle up to you shoulder when other hens aren't looking.

This is a silver laced Cochin hen.  She has decided this year to be more broody, and encourage the Poofy and Foofy twins to hang out int he nest boxes.  No one is allowed to take her sleeping spot in the big mesquite tree!

And these are just a few of the goofballs around here.  What fun personalities keep you laughing at your house?

Bring on the wet winter!

I heard something on the news this morning about perhaps seeing one last hurrah rain storm before the monsoons are completely over.  To be honest, it feels pretty dry, and I had a student dehydrate on top of low blood sugar this afternoon, so I am not inclined to hold my breath.  To be fair, though, it was a pretty good monsoon here at our house.

I cannot remember the last time this Texas ranger plant had this many blooms for so long after the last rain.  Not without additional water, anyhow.  

The weather folks have spoken of maybe getting a wetter than usual winter.  I am all for that idea, too.  Especially since I hope to kick off the fall garden in the next couple weeks.  I suppose I should go back and tally up the rainfall total for the monsoon, but I guess this possibility of one last storm gives me a reason for a little procrastination- just until after the last of the rain is gone from my barrels.  Unfortunately, that won't be long.  So, does anyone have any special hidden talents for leading a rain dance?

Meeting at the Goat Gate

I was first up this morning.  Okay, second, really, since as I rolled over I realized Shadow was outside the bedroom door asking to be taken outside.  I put on shoes, and we went to go feed chickens and try to get a few chores in before I needed to get things rolling toward breakfast and football.

Vegas and Shadow picked along the fence together, then she went with me to go feed.  Often she won't go too close to the chickens, she is afraid she will get in trouble.

Today she went to visit with the goats at their gate.  They hung out together, tails going, while I fed all the chickens.  

Not ten feet away, this was the sight.  Shadow is a far cry from leaving along with all the animals without supervision, but she is doing a little better.  And she has been conspiring with the goats.  I think they like that they are all the same size!

Well, better finish cleaning up breakfast and get this show on the road.  It is a youth football day!

Once in a lifetime!

Okay, I admit it.  Never actually tried to hide it, in all honesty.  I am an airplane junkie.  I love paper airplanes, jets, and cool biplanes that do funny loops at the airshows.  My dad and I even took flying lessons together when I was in High School, I learned to fly an airplane before I learned to drive a car.

When we were looking at colleges for my sister in Florida, we went to Cape Canaveral.  The tour was outstanding.  Space shuttles AND bald eagles!

Wyatt and I re-watch every launch on the NASA website, and we are both rather depressed about the end of the shuttle program.  It was such an amazing push for American innovation and ingenuity.  Kids in the pool would pretend that they were training for space walks underwater.

And today, the Endeavor flew over Tucson on its way to display in California after formal decommissioning. I stood outside of work, waiting for the 747 with the shuttle on top to fly by, since Mark Kelly had requested the flyover.

I even got a little video.  But now I am actually pretty sad.  The end of an era.  For now, I will remind myself of what an amazing once in a lifetime these photos represent.  And that here, as it was flying away - that as I was filming this it was flying over Wyatt's class int he schoolyard cheering it on.  Because, to be true, their generation will have to pick this one up and see where we go next- to the moon, to Mars, and beyond...

Stripes

Stripes.  These can refer to zebras, who you are on the outside, who you are on the inside showing for the world to see, a prison uniform, or much more.

As you can see by the photo below, today I am referring to military rank insignia.

In the military, rank is earned by a number of different things.  Time in grade, training, evaluations by superiors, positive contributions to the unit and the mission.  But there are other factors at hand, as well.  Things such as how many other members of your work area there are, and how many of each rank a given work area is permitted to have.
Anyhow, Charlie had been a Tech Sergeant for a very long time.  This past year, after many years with A LOT of travelling, Charlie decided to apply to switch to a new job, as a crew chief.  He got two job offers with different groups at the same unit, and was excited to try something new.

One of the bonuses of changing- a larger pool of people in the job description, so he wouldn't travel nearly as often!  I know it is part of the job, but goodness it has been a long run of continuous travel, and he and Wyatt had talked every year about Charlie helping coach football.  One little downside, Charlie would have to give up a stripe.  Well, he has never been one to be too concerned about rank and titles, more about doing a good job/

Charlie has enjoyed his new adventure, and it seems that it is going well, because his supervisor recently called him in, did a performance evaluation, and put him in to board for the rank he gave up.  When Charlie was home sick earlier this week, he boss called, and said he wanted to be the first to congratulate him on placing so highly in the boards.

Yay!  So noce to know you are valued, right?  And I am glad to know that he is planning to take those uniforms in to change the rank back to the E-6- to the same place that sewed his name badge upside down. They can fix that othe little detail along the way- and I can skip messing with badges!

Well, congrats, Charlie!  Well deserved.  Now before you get a big head, can we talk about the to-do list around here?

Do these two look like babysitters to you?

Meet Huey.  Likely, you have met him before.  The goofy old buck that loves everyone, and things all visitors came to get a kiss from him.  Though he is not the youngest meandering around here, we don't discriminate by age.  This old guy loves to hang out with his son, Obediah, and sing to the ladies in the nearby doe pen.  You might have recently seen a blog post, where he and Obediah were letting some Australorp hens raid their dinner.  I guess they figure, since there is always plenty, why worry about some guests for mealtime, right?

This is Obediah, Huey's son.  He recently went off to a goat show, where he was so overstimulated by all of the goats around that he didn't use his best manners.  But outside of that, silly Obediah got lots of praise for being a beautiful buck, though smaller than the other buck there in his age bracket.

But I ask you, do these two look like babysitters to you?

Sure they are friendly and share their food with visiting hens and roos without complaint.  After all, there is always more in the bowl.

But yet again, we have a little pullet- a baby hen- who prefers to spend her days cuddling up to Huey and Obediah.  We tried to put her in the bantam pen with the other two Seramas.  Twice.  But she didn't like it there, and snuck out.  She sleeps at night with the group of bantam Cochins living in Bailey's Sicilian Buttercup pen.  And by day, the noisy little pullet runs around the buck pen with Huey and Obediah and the Australorp girls that have adopted the bucks.  She cuddles up to the bucks, and tells them what to do, though we haven't caught her riding around on Huey's scurs the way we did little Plume Snowflake when she did it as a pullet.  

Well, I guess I can be glad that for the most part, they are one big happy family out there, even if they are a little different!

"Find your own Calcutta"

For those of you who read similar columns to the one that supplied this blog topic, you may be surprised at the very American notions that line up so simply with the tenets of yoga and life balance.  Follow me for a minute, let's see where this goes...

This afternoon, I was speaking with a student and an intern at work.The student confided in the intern and myself, that he regularly eats fast food because it is so easy.  The intern  said it was tantamount to smoking and began discussing grilling some chicken to carry in a cooler and buying fresh fruits and vegetables.  Whoa, now, intern.  For many, this is just too much change.  Too much all at once for many to stick to, anyhow.

So we talked for a moment about making small changes first.  Little things like healthier snacks to spread out the fast food.  Perfect?  No.  But one step at a time.  And he is going to avail himself of her free personal training services.  Get the most out of the class, one step at a time.

Too much of a good thing can be just that.

It is the same with volunteering our time, or doing any special thing.

It is just SO hard to be all of the things we want to be in this world.  I have often, in the course of our sixteen year marriage, told Charlie that I should be a stay at home Mom.  Each time, he has laughed and told me that if I wasn't gainfully employed, I would still be frayed at the edges, with multiple near-full-time volunteer gigs, and no money to donate to the causes.  Darn, I hate when he's right.

So back to the article I was reading.  The woman had selected a spiritual guru, of sorts- someone she wished to emulate- in order to focus her energy in that when she gave happiness to others, she would feel happier, too.  In the process, she had stumbled upon a line from Mother Teresa, when someone had asked her how they themselves might make the kind of difference she had, in her ministry to the poorest of the poor.  She had told them, "Find your own Calcutta."

Was Mother Teresa being territorial?  Not likely!  Inside each of us, there is that one cause.  That one meaning, or devotion, which moves us to action.  My Grandma volunteered at the hospital for a very long time, then ran women's bible study groups in her retirement home.  I know some who run benefit functions for animal rescue groups, my sister has twice walked the Avon 5 Day Breast Cancer Walk.

Just because it is your calling now, doesn't mean it always will be, either.  But if you were to find that one thing that really moves you, pick that one true thing and son't feel that you have to be swept up in every cause that comes your way.  As important as all those other causes are, you matter, too.  And you will have more to give overall, if you are not pulled in so many directions that you cannot effectively give to what matters most, or manage your day-to-day life.  Find that one thing that really moves you.  In other words, find your own Calcutta.

Perseverance-

Or- Show Up, and Try

This time of year, I spend a lot of time telling my students that if you keep showing up and trying, you will get better. (Or stronger, faster, more agile-whatever it is you are training for.)  I often find myself saying, too, that of the students who look back in three months and have not met their goals, the single most common thing stated as what they would do differently next time is (drum roll, please...): showing up more.

So what does this have to do with life, or the peewee football photos on this page, you ask?  

Pretty much everything.

Life comes with its wins, like the kids below experienced, yesterday.  Some are easy.  But sometimes they only look that way from the outside.

These boys came out fighting yesterday.  They scored quickly- Sunshine, then Tank, recovering their own kickoff, even.   They ended up winning 36-0.  But what might not be visible to the casual observer are other aspects of this win.  Like number 54, in the middle was playing through an upset stomach, and one of the Quarterbacks was just back from a concussion in last week's game.  Or the fact that they haven't won in well over a year.  At least.

Just as big a win for my young nose-guard who was fighting illness on the field, was the fact that it was a win which came as the first time his dad got to coach from beside him on the sidelines, instead of from afar around his military schedule.

That part of us that helps us keep getting up in the morning, like that underlying fight of my friends and family members who are fighting or living with cancer- that perseverance- not only gets you to the win or the next day, but it gets you the little things.

In yoga, there are some postures, or asanas, which help build physical strengths, or also those that build strength inside- from trust to perseverance.  Holding a posture that is hard, or a little scary, that helps build perseverance. 

 That same perseverance is a quality that will help you have a little more get up anyway when life keeps trying to knock you down.  Sometimes we need a little help to keep getting up, and sometimes we need to helps others.  But by practicing perseverance, and taking on new challenges in life, from a new sport to a new class or hobby, will give you a reason to get up anyway.  After all- there was that one time when you won.  It can and will happen again.

There's my thought for your Sunday. Hugs to you all. And find something to tackle this week, or helps someone else take on life.  It will build you both.

No rain, but still a beautiful night sky...

It has been a tough week, and today it felt like things just kept piling on.  Charlie took the kids from me at the school, letting me go home to get started there.  After feeding all the little crazies outside, I thought it would be good for me to spend a little more time trying to pick up some of the pieces of the greenhouse and water what was left there.  These clouds rolled in from the east.

They said the monsoon season was over, but as I type this, they are mentioning something about a back door system coming in on the news.  It would be nice to top off the rain I used this week from the barrels, they say we are still two inches behind for the year.

Speaking of rain, the last several days yielded another half inch here at our house.  I will have to look back over the weekend and come up with the overall tally for this year's monsoon.

This little one was sitting on the thermometer next to the rain gauge...

The bottom photo is from when I got started at the greenhouse tonight.  The blueberry plants and several of the mint plants made it, there are a few tomatoes on the fence, and a few other plants like chives and some veggies.  The cacti you see here are back to being upright.  I watered what I could.  It felt good to do something like putting the pieces back together.

Well, I don't know about you all, but I am looking forward to Friday!  Have a great Friday, and a magnificent weekend!

Special Project: The CRUSH Blanket

This is the CRUSH blanket- or should I say CRUSH Cape?

Last Spring, when CRUSH 1011 was awarded Engineering and Inspiration, and therefore moved on to the world championships of FRC First Robotics, I thought a little blanket was in order for while cheering in the stands of the competition.  My mother was visiting as we got Bailey ready to leave, and she even helped to cut out letters for more than one of these blankets to happen.

As luck will so often have it around here, time ran short and Bailey headed off to the competition with a plain orange blanket, but she chose to wear it as a cape!  I saved all of the parts, and tonight I finally got the letters on the first of them!

Note to self: these materials creep nearly as bad as the velvet I once made a patchwork quilt from!  But oh, well!  Bailey will have her CRUSH blanket!

On that note, it is VERY late, so I should get to bed!  Sleep well everyone, and warmly.  Until next time...

Tonight's Project- Feed Bag Market Bag

One of my friends posted the instructables for this- and I HAD to try it!  Upcycling is taking things that are commonly thrown out and making them into something new and useful.

So, tonight I made this fun market bag out of goat grain.  Bailey and I have since decided that it needs a bit more of a gusset in order to fit two stacks of egg cartons properly, but other than that, it worked really well! Thinking I might make some for a contest.  They would also make a great sewing project for Bailey for 4H, I believe!

Monsoon Beauty

I have always been a sucker for skies like this.  For some reason, they have been a reminder to me of God's promise, and the possibility that life is.  The monsoon has left in its wake this week, a good bit of destruction, people swept away, the greenhouse in shambles and debris all over the saturated ground.  That makes a good time to look back at the beauty of the monsoon, and to remember all of the life that the water brings.

Some might say photos like this beg to be made into memes or inspirational posters.  Maybe.

Or maybe they are meant to simply transport us back to the beauty of a summer afternoon, when I didn't need to rush to get the kids through homework or off to the next thing, and when we could really just enjoy being together as a family.

Well, either way, whenever I look out and feel overwhelmed, it is a good time to count my blessings and look at the beauty of the life and the world I am given.  So that is what I have chosen to share this morning.  Later today, or tomorrow, I have a picture and a story to share about relaxing and enjoying the moment.  Both tenets of faith, as well as yoga, another place where the world fit together nicely.

Have a beautiful and blessed weekend!

Floating Downstream

This morning, we had some lakefront property on our hands!  It was still raining when we left for town, and much of the property had water.

It took a bit to figure out that we could safely pass the wash going out to Sandario.  But in the end, we got in to town for school and work, visited Auntie and made the feed run.  As dinner was almost ready, I stepped outside to check the rain gauge.  Another inch!  

If I wasn't already motivated to finish up the rain collection upgrade, I would be after the last week.  Two inches in a week, and the barrels were full well before this round.  I am really looking forward to that upgrade!

Well, tomorrow morning is a long drive for football.  The first game to count of the season, with Wyatt having been sick this week, the coach demoted him to being a sub.  But Wyatt says he isn't worried, he will be there for his team.  Then he reminded me a few of the boys don't get back up very often when they get hit, and he will see enough play time for the cough he still has lingering.  I just wish Charlie didn't have to work, and would be on the field with him!

Well, the bell on the dryer is calling my name!  You all have a great night!  Hugs to all =)

Not quite done yet!

Last night, the storms came in fiercely just as the farmers' market where our eggs are sold was setting up.  I left my eggs with the food bank consignment folks, and dashed off as the wind sent the outdoor sellers to their cars to wait out the mess.

I headed up the the kids' school, driving out of the storm at one point.  As I was sitting in the hall outside Bailey's pre-calculus classroom, talking to Charlie, lightning struck and knocked out power. (Big excitement for all the kids in the hallway!)

Charlie called to coordinate with me, and he had watched lightning strike a car two in front of him and send sparks and debris flying.

Charlie took Wyatt down to practice, where there was only light rain and they got in a full practice.  I got Bailey to her college class, then headed home to see what would be there.

We crawled out way down Ajo.  As I sat waiting for our turn at Camino Verde, I snapped this photo of the full washes down by Tucson Estates.  As I drove out past Ryan Airfield, this sight reminded me of a mountain in the winter.

When I got home, the worst of our storm had passed.  I fed and watered and collected eggs.  Then the light rains resumed.  Charlie and the kids were turned around by a sheriff half way home, leading to a very late night.  By midnight, we were back to full fledged electrical storms, with lightning cracking and thunder waking me up.  By 5, the thunder was starting to lessen.  Much of the East and North ends of the property are flooded, and Shadow is driving me nuts from being stuck inside!  My rain barrels are all overflowing!  Thanksfully, the animals are all still high enough to be out of the flooding, the reason why we have been unable to move their pens.

I wonder where today will lead?  For now, time to turn on the news and try to figure out the best way to town for the day.  Stay safe everyone, and Happy Friday!  Hugs to all!

Shadow goes to school...

Before the college semester began for me, I had a morning where I got to spend the day at home after taking the kids to school.  Shadow was already really missing her Wyatt, so I let her help take the kids to school.

Shadow rode the way in to town with her head in Wyatt's lap.  She didn't care all that much about the drive, or what was outside, just getting to go with her Wyatt.

At school, we dropped off Bailey.  I needed to run in an sign up on a list for the back to school night.  So Wyatt took Shadow to get a little exercise in the grass before the long drive back home.

The whole thing was just so exciting, Shadow slept for two hours after we got home.  I will have to remember to take her for rides more often when I want to get things done!