Muckingboots and Magic

Jacob is doing Wonderfully!

2011-10-10T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well this week was awesome. We have been working really hard. And it is definately paying off. Me and Elder bowers are just destroying this area. Changes are coming up this week and i really hope i get to stay. But I have been here for four months already. The members are gonna miss me. I will miss most of them.

So this week we had interviews with President Callan. I don´t know why anyone would never want to do that. He really knows exactly what we need to know. It is really cool how 15 minutes with him can change a persons entire attitude. It definately changed mine.

Well I can´t believe how fast time is just flying. In like 3 or 4 days or something I will have 6 Months! My mission is gonna go way to fast! Just keep praying for all our investigators. Your prayers are already paying off! We are seeing so many miracles! There are definately Angels administering to us. Guiding us to the people that are ready and eager to recieve the gospel.

We have had some crazy things happening. Mostly good crazy. But I definately have a testimony. So that´s good. :) I had an expirience that was kinda scary. I won´t go into details or even tell the story. But If EVER I doubted the existence of the Devil, or his Spirits, I don´t anymore. Just like Elder said in the Priesthood session of conference we are in a war of good and evil. Between the latter day Saints, and Satan, who wants so desperately to destroy people. It is so important to pray, and read the Scriptures. And keep the spirit with us. Because if we let our guard down. He will get us.

Well I have to write President for this week. I love you all! Be safe! Pray for me! I need it! :)
¡¡Les Quiero!! Seguir al Profeta! Recuerdan que la Iglesia es Verdadera! Y siempre Haz lo Justo!

Jacob's letter 10/3/2011

2011-10-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

This week was definately full of lots of cool expiriences. Mostly the weekend. So Saturday Morning was Elder Bowers birthday, so Friday, we walked forever trying to find an ATM so we could get some money to buy stuff for his birthday, after we got money we went to the SuperSeis Grocery store, and got some food stuff. We left there with bags full of yummy food. :) I even had the top of a pineapple poking out the top of my backpack. We had a ruff start at the beggining of the month, so we were short on moneys. So we had to get some out. We were eating rice and milk for breakfast. (Which isn´t bad if the kids are ever complaining about food... mom and Carol.) So saturday we woke up and Elder Bowers made some awesome peach cobbler for his birthday cake. So we sung happy birthday and then we ate some delicious cobbler! After that we went to the house of some inactive members with the intention of helping them paint their fence. While we were walking the sky turned grey, and by the time we got to there house it was raining a ton. So we waited a little, and then decided we were gonna just run home. Probably about 3/4 of a mil. ish. We were completely soaked within like 5 minutes of the walk. So like two mature missionaries we started jumping in puddles and enjoying ourselves. Part of our Journey included a Dirt soccer field. That was completely muddy. So we took off running hoping to slide. I just got really muddy, and Elder Bowers just about ate it. Then after we did that for a couple minutes were heard a series of whistling shouting and clapping from th distance. There were about twenty construction workers who had been watching us the whole time, from the shelter of their half way constructed wall-less building... It was pretty funny. :)

Then we went home and got ready for conference. The whole time hoping the rain would stop. It didn´t it just kept pooring and pooring. A lot of water... I used to have doubts about the truthfulness of the Noahs ark story. But if the whole world was raining like paraguay, the world would have flooded in about 5 days. So we strapped on our raincoats and backpacks and set out on our "15 minute journey"... We literally encountered rivers of water that came up to our knees. So carefully trying to avoid all of the water we worked our way through water.... hehe it took about 30 minutes to get to a bus stop. And when we finally got there we waited about 20 more minutes for the Collectivo (bus). When that finally came we got on it and we road through some more rivers, and about 15 minutes or so later thinking we were lost, got off of the collectivo. We Really had no Idea where we were. And then we just asked someone where the "Capilla Mormón" was and luckily for us we were about 2 blocks away. So we crossed the road in about calf high water, walked to bocks and encountered some more rivers. We walked across the water and finally after about an hour and a half found ourself in the chapel. We were really wet.

Then we got to listen to conference. 10 hours of learning from Apostles and Prophets and other inspired men. What more could a missionary ask for? Conference went by way to fast!! In between sessions we ate and contacted people in the street. It was cool. We meet lots of really interesting people. Sunday we traveled back to our area to try and bring some investigators to conference. But Satan is alway´s working against us. None of them could come. So we waited for the collectivo and lucklily made it back to the church by th middle of Elder Oaks Talk. That was definately a Powerful Conference.

Well I love you all! Be good!

--Elder Jacob "Water Walker" Sevy

26 September 2011. Another Lovely letter

2011-09-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Hola familia! ¿Cómo estan?

Esta semana fue.. buenísimo. Yo y mí compañero, estamos mejorando como misioneros cada día. Gracias por sus oraciones.

Haha okay.. So me and Elder Bowers are good. We have been working really hard this week. We had like 31 lessons or something. And we found a couple really cool people this week! It´s a good time to be a missionary. So many people ready to recieve the gospel!

So this week I have a bunch of funny stories. I am getting better at writing them all down so I can remember them by monday. So here goes.

So in our area every day at 5:00 there is a group of cows that comes to get there food. They eat right in the middle of the street too. It´s pretty cool to watch. They have this one GIGANTIC Brahma bull. He is probably the coolest cow I have ever seen. I kinda wanna pet him.

We also found a giant pig. There are a couple pictures of him attached. We were walking home from a service project and he was so big we had to ask if we could take some pictures with it.

We also made the best pizza ever. Crust and all. We cooked some delicious sausages and put them on it.. I took a picture of that too.. hehehe

Well right now we have one family that is progressing. They didn´t come to Church but they are really open to listening. And they invited us to come eat with them one day. They are called the Family Quiñones.

Right now the difficulty we are having is getting the members to help. We have a ton of inactive members in our area and so far we have reactivated Two. So we are definately going to have to work harder with that. The Problem is the lack of fellowshipping. The Members here don´t take the time to fellowship. But I know that if the ward would to their home teaching and visiting teaching we would have 400 members in church instead of 60. That is my goal.

Well I have nothing more to say right now... Be good everyone! Have fun! And yes..
Love, Elder Sevy

19 September 2011. Jacob's letter

2011-09-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

I love it when the weeks go fast. It means we worked hard. This week was good we taught a lot of lessons. Me and Elder Bowers are proud to say that we had better numbers than all the zone leaders in our mission. Just to brag a little. We are working hard. Walking a ton. Iamcompletely desensitized by walking. It doesn´t even phase me. So that´s a plus. I´m pretty sure Ilost about 50 pounds this week just from walking. And Eating Noodles and rice everyday. But that´s not so bad. My Companion makes some mean Fideos. :)

Well Right now we have one family I'm particularly excited about. The Familia Quiñones. They are pretty cool. The dad is way chill. He came to church this sunday and the only problem he had is that we didn´t talk about the virgin Mary in Sacrament Meating. I don´t know what the Paraguayos problems are. They are all obsessed with saints and virgins. They are definately worshiping Idols. It´s kinda interesting to see how the same commandments are being broken in this day and age. Just like they were in the bible and the Book of Mormon.

So this week we have been finding a ton of people that are inactive. A lot of them were offended by other bishops a long time ago. And didn´t even know that there is a knew bishop. So we are trying to focus on re-activation. So pray that their hearts will be opened to the Spirit. :)

The last two weeks we have had a Family Home evening the family Arguello. They are cool. We did an activity about the Attributes of Christ and then we played that game with the flower and acoin and a butter knife. Do you know what that is? hehe. It was fun.

Well I don´t have very much news this week. We are working a lot. And Being guided to the people that the Lord has Prepared. But remember to pray for the Paraguayos. They need it.

ELder Jacob Sevy

An update 9/11/2011

2011-09-12T15:34:00.001-07:00

So Last week I ran out of time. It was crazy how fast I ran out of time. So this week I decided to write this email very first. Okay so here goes.

This week we had changes. What ended up happening is that the Libertad area got split in half. So me and Elder Davis both got new companions. My companions name is Elder Bowers. He is from Wyoming. He is cool. Super patient. The begining of this week was kindof stressful. We had to find a new pension and when we started out all we had were beds. It is kinda difficult to study without beds. We also didn´t have a fridge so we ate a lot of bread and bananas. Yum. But we have pretty much everything now. No worries.

So the area got split and I was the one that was supposed to know the area. Well it just so happens that I had only been to this new area a total of like two times in the whole previous twelve weeks. So we did a lot of exploring. We found a whole bunch of inactive members that we are going to be working with. And a whole buch of new investigators. We definately saw a bunch of miracles this week. Just a testimony builder to know that we were blessed for being diligent.

I will share two stories that I thought were really cool. The second day we were here we had been walking all day. And then this little old lady came up to us and shook our hands. We were both kind of confused but she told us to follow her and so we did. We later found out that she was the mother of a family that are members. But they haven´t gone to church for a little more than a year.

The other cool story is that same night, we were buying some empanadas from a street vendor (The best empanada I have ever consumed) and we heard someone behind us say "Elders I have a question" We were a little bit shocked that someone knew us. But It was this middle aged Argentinian woman with a REALLY thick accent. We then found out that she was a Member that had recently moved into our area and didn´t know where the Chapel was. So we found out where she lives and we are gonna go visit her tonight.

Those are just a couple of the coolest Expiriences and Miracles I saw this week. Just proof to me that when we are Diligent and Obedient, we recieve blessings, and we also get to bless the lives of some of Gods other Children too. Super COOL!!!!

Well upon request, Here is our daily routine... :)

6:30 - we wake up and excersize.
7:00 - shower and prepare for the day
8:00 - Personal Study
9:00 - Companion Study
10:00- Language study
11:00 - Leave house and work
1:00 - Come home and eat lunch
2:00 - Return to the Vinyard of the lord
9:30 - Return to our house and plan
10:30 - Lights out.

That´s pretty much all. It´s alway´s good to work. We walk a lot. Probably an easy 5 or 6 miles a day. Sometimes more.

Well I love everyone. Thanks for your support and everything. Your all the Best. Especially you. Yes you. :) hehe

-Elder Jacob A. Sevy

Letter 8-22-2011

2011-08-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

This was a good week! We have definately been working hard. We found a bunch of new investigators the last couple weeks. And I think the members in our area are starting to maybe realize the missionary´s need help! Hopefully we can start helping them realize more that members are important in conversion. They are so important! Joseph and Caleb you guys should figure out how to go on splits with the missionary´s it is an awesome opportunity!

Well This week we have zone conferences. It´s gonna be interesting. For some reason i just feel a litle bit of dislike for leadership... I definately need to work on that. This last week I did divisions with the zone leaders. Now I know why they are zone leaders... that´s all I will say. I did learn a lot though. It was a good expirience. Everytime I am forced to Speak Spanish I gain a lot of confidence. That is a plus. I can pretty much understand everything. Unless they are talking with fancy words I don´t know yet. But I´ll get there.

This Friday we get to eat Crocodile at a Members house. I´m super excited to eat it. They say that it tastes like chicken. Of course that´s the same thing I thought before I ate the Rattle Snake with Joseph... jeje... I´m excited. :D

This morning I finished the Book of Mormon. That is a really good book. I really enjoyed it. And Now I won´t read it again in English for 2-ish years. Can you believe my 6 month mark is in like 3 1/2 weeks? That's crazy!

Welllllll This is all for this week. I hope Everyone is doing great! And Enjoying school! I can´t wait to go back to school and put forth an effort. I definately didn´t do that in highschool. I also have been thinking it would be cool to teach Spanish in highschool while I finish my other degree in College. Wouldn´t that be cool? Yes. I think it would.

Be good everyone! Remember who you are! Be good. Read your scriptures! :D Your the bests!
-Elder Sevy

Letter and photos of August 15, 2011

2011-08-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

This was a pretty good week! Me and Elder Davis kept busy. We are definately doing good work! Yes.

Well I have tried cooking some Paraguaya foods. I tried making mbeju and Empenadas. The Empenadas were delcious. But the mbeju should be left to the masters. Or just the old Paraguayan ladies that know how to make it. I also cooked South African Pancakes.. :D That was a good taste of home.

So I attached a bunch of Pictures there are some of our House where we live. And some where we just goofed off. And yes.. :D Also the little Paraguayan Family of Javier and Teofila and Roberto and Rossana. My Favorite little Paraguayan family so far. We are still teaching Rossana and Roberto. Roberto has had a problem with the Word of Wisdom. And Rossana I think is just smitten by the two Americans who come to share. But She is taking us more seriously now I think. They are all gonna be Baptised one day.

Well I only have one funny story today. Two sunday´s ago we ate with a family who is learning English. And they asked me to Pray in English. I hope they didn´t speak very good English. Cause I have been praying in Spanish for the last 4 Months. It´s hard to do it in English!

Also Today is Kids day. All the paraguayans don´t work or teach or learn or anything. I think the Idea was to spend time with kids. But I don´t think that is the idea they had in mind. Paraguayans just want a reason to not work. It´s kinda like neverland over here. Except the lemons are much bigger. And I don´t think there are missionary´s over there.

Well I hope everyone is being good and going to church. Pray for the Paraguayas. They need it. I love you all!

Elder Sevy

Letter from Jacob

2011-07-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hellllo Everyone!
This week was awesome! Also the last week of my first Change in Paraguay! It was cool! I have grown in so many way´s. I have changed too. You know it´s a real change when you can recognize the change in yourself. I definately feel more mature. And I can´t se myself anywhere but Paraguay. At least for the next two years.. :P
Well Saturday this week we had a Baptism/Wedding. It was a really cool expirience. I will send some pictures with this email. The wedding was really cool because for the first time the ward actually stepped in and did something. They decorated and bought a cake and god flowers and even made sure Javier and Teofila had a skirt and a Suit to wear. It was awesome! After that we had the baptism and then everyone went and ate refreshments. We also made a really cool program! I will attach it to this letter too.. I´m proud of it.
Teofila´s daughter Rossana is doing good. She isn´t really as commited as she could be. And she is a really big flirt.. 17 year-old girl.... So we alway´s make sure to bring members to teach her. She also didn´t go to church because she didn´t feel good. So we´ll have to work on that. But She has an older brother that we started teaching on sunday. His name is Roberto. He´s 21. He is gonna be moving back home in 2 weeks so we can keep teaching him. I´m excited we got him a baptisimal date for the 27th of August. So he will have enough time to learn and go to church. Cool!
Right now we don´t have very many progressing Investigators. It is really hard to get lessons with people. Because nobody remembers when we make lessons. And they are hard to get ahold of. So a lot of the time we just plan for them and stop by hoping they´re home. But it works out.
So funny story of the week... so yesterday we were at a members house for lunch. Sister Arguello is a really good cook. I think she does it professionally. But she made this noodle stuff and them there was some sort of beef on it. And I wasn´t sure what it was. But my companion and this other guy were talking about Mondongo. I knew what it was. So I just ate it really fast trying not to think about what it was. So Sister Arguello saw that I ate really fast and wanted to give m more.. I just kinda said no. So Mondongo is the bum hole part of the cow.. I think the Rectum. So you can imagine what was going through my head.. Luckily it wasn´t mondongo. It was just beef. Elder Davis was talking to this guy about all the wierd food that they have in Paraguay. So I thought they said we were eating Mondongo.. False Alarm.. :)
Well, I hope you all have a fantastic week!!! Be good! And remember who you are! And what you stand for! I love you!
-- Elder Jacob A. Sevy

Jacob sent photos!

2011-06-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Ramon is 17 and was baptised on Saturday. Here is what Jacob wrote to me for my birthday. "Hey momma! Happy birthday!
Thanks for alway's being there for me! So the first baptism of my mission is on your birthday!! HOW COOL!!!! It must be a sign! Well Be good! And have fun! I LOVE YOU! - Elder Jacob A. Sevy <3"

This is Jacob, and I imagine, his companion Elder Davis, outside the temple. They get to attend the temple twice a year. He is so fortunate to get to go so soon after getting there.

I imagine that this is their kitchen. His companion is Elder Davis and he loves him.

Jacob must have taken this of himself!

Our first letter from Jacob in Paraguay

2011-06-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
Well... I have a lot to tell you.. where to start? I only have 40 minutes! Well I discovered that I really don't like flying.. It was lame!

So our first day in Paraguay, we got here around 5 in the afternoon. We went to the mission office and had interviews with president, and then we had orientation. I don't remember anything from orientation. We slept in the mission office that first night, and then we got up in the morning and went and signed some papers for immigration. And then we went back to the mission office and met our new companions.

My companions name is Elder Davis. He is from San Antonio, Texas. He is pretty cool. I am serving in an area called Libertad (Liberty) in Asunción. I get called lots of funny things. Usually the ''fat elder'' or the ''white elder'' or the ''new elder''.. Being fat isn't a bad thing here, it's just how they describe me I guess. Speaking of that.. I have lost like 10lbs in a week! It's crazy! My suit is already loose on me.

Well this area is really cool. We walk a lot! And tomorrow we get to baptize someone! His name is Ramon. He's 17. He is super excited to be baptized. I was gonna get to do it, but he knows the other Elder better and wanted him to. That's okay, I still have a couple more years. :D

Pday is on Mondays. I didn't get to this Monday, because today is temple day. And they switched our pday around. So I can email again on Monday!! And I'm gonna send you a few pictures!!! Super cool! I was gonna send you pictures today but I kinda forgot my cord.. :/ Oh well.. Well the money here is kinda interesting. It is almost worthless. 50 Guaranies is 1 penny. So Two thousand is like 50 Cents-ish... Not very much! But everything is super cheap.

So it is winter in Paraguay. It isn't very cold, but yesterday and this morning I had a jacket on. The humidity makes it worse. Other than that it is usually really warm! I get asked a lot ''¿Tiene Color?'' which is kinda like ''Are you hot?'' My Spanish isn't very good. But I understand more and more everyday! I bet withing a year or two I will be able to have an intelligent conversation with someone! I got a VERY patient trainer.. Which is good. The lord is watching out for me.

The food here is good too. I have found that adjusting to Paraguay wasn't very hard at all. I feel like I fit in. I know I don't fit in. But there isn't very much that I feel uncomfortable with. Nothing really. I feel like I know the people. I do know them. It's a really cool feeling. When you can sit down in a total strangers house, speaking little or no Spanish, and teach them about Christ, and the Spirit does all the teaching. It is AWESOME!

I saw a monkey today... it is someones pet. But they have it all tied up to a tree. It{s kinda sad. But I guess it isn't a tame monkey. It is still super cute! Well I am gonna go now... I love you all! Be good! Remember who you are! And what you stand for! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!
-Elder Jacob A. Sevy

Rice Pudding

2011-02-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite South African recipes! My mom made this often and now Caleb makes it for us. The best way to serve this is with Sweetened Condensed Milk drizzled on top.

This evening Gary asked Caleb if he put Nutmeg in the rice pudding. Caleb said "no, it didn't call for Nutmeg." I laughed and said, "You know how you can buy recipe books that only have 4 ingredients? Well, in South Africa we only use 3 ingredients. They are Rice, Cinnamon and....." All the kids yelled out at the same time.."Sweetened Condensed Milk!"

Rice Pudding

pan 9x13"

Place 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice in the pan
1 1/4cup of sugar
10-12 eggs
Mix this very well so all slimy eggyness is gone.
add 1 teasp vanilla
add milk in until there is a 1 inch space in the pan left.
sprinkle with cinnamon
add blobs of butter here and there on cinnamon

Bake in a 375 deg oven Until the middle of the egginess jells up over and hour or so

I copied and pasted this exactly the way my mom told me to make it! If a 13 year old boy can follow these instructions, so can you! Caleb always uses 12 eggs!

Fridge Tart

2011-02-13T09:49:00.000-08:00

I am a bit of a computer nut, I could not turn this photo. So turn your computer sideways and you will get a cook look.

This was my absolute favorite dessert growing up. When I was in Haiti, I made it for the orphans and everybody smiled. It was great. Enjoy!

You will need...

2 bags of Mothers Coconut COCADA cookies. Or if you can't get them get Vanilla wafers

3 Eggs
3 cups Milk
3 Tablespoons Corn Starch
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

3 cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 Lemons

Set out a 9 x 13 pan

In a heavy bottomed pan pour in milk, corn starch and eggs, whip them together till they are smooth and well blended. Cook on medium to medium low till nice and thick. Watch it like a hawk, so that you do not burn it and stir it the whole time. When it gets cold and sets up it will thicken even more but cook it till it is pretty thick anyway.

Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar and vanilla. Set it in the snow to cool, or the fridge.

Now open those cans of Sweetened condensed milk and lick all the lids. Empty the cans into a bowl and lick out the cans too. Discard the cans. When you lick the lids, don't cut your tongue. One way to get more juice out of each lemon, is to put them in the microwave, one at a time for about 25 seconds. Before you cut your hot lemon, put it in a bowl, because when you cut it in half, the juice will pour out. Squeeze out every drop of juice, even use a spoon to reem it. When you have done this to all the lemons, strain the juice to get the seeds out. It isn't too fun to have them in your Fridge Tart. Mix the juice into the Sweetened Condensed Milk. At first it will look like they are separating but keep mixing. It thickens and mixes up beautifully. Set aside.

Now the Fun starts.

Put down a layer of cookies in your pan. You can pretend that they are little bricks and make cool designs, if you want. Smooth 2/3 rds of your lemon mixture over the cookies. The best way to do this is to drop many big spoonfuls down evenly and then smooth it out, so that you don't disturb the cookies. Don't lick your spoon yet!'

Dollop the Custard mixture over the Lemon one. Then smooth it out, so that it doesn't mess up the previous layer. You can lick the Custard spoon because you are done with it!

Layer on top of these three layers (Cookie, Lemon mixture, Custard mixture) another layer of cookies.

Now dollop the rest of the Lemon mixture on top and smooth it out. You may now lick that spoon!

Almost done...

Crush cookies and sprinkle on top.

Set in Fridge till it is very cold. Share it! Or you will be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.

I love being a passenger.

2011-01-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

Dust of Two
by Robert Frost

The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

I took this photo, from the passenger seat, with my cell phone. I love the drive up and down the mountain. It is magical, beautiful, peaceful. I can look at all the snowy shapes for hours. I love the long walks and watching the wildlife. I love the way everyone who lives up here cherishes the wilderness and yet understands that balance is necessary.

My Love

2011-01-23T11:06:00.001-08:00

If I get my hair or nails done, Gary loves to sit by me and watch. It is so wonderful to be with someone who thinks that every single thing you do, even the mundane things is interesting. He is such a wonderful man and I am so blessed and grateful to have him for my mate. He is such a good guy. He has had struggles since his heart attacks and I see him work at overcoming the irritations everyday and he is so patient with me. I have so much growing to do and he forgives me over and over again.

When I was divorced, I was extremely disillusioned. I never wanted to be married again. When Gary and I started dating, I thought, "this man is too good to be true", he never changed, in fact it got better and better. 18 months after we met, he was still solid, loving, supportive and pure in heart. I married him! I am so glad that I did.

Walk with me

2011-01-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Gary and I went on a walk this evening, and believe me after driving up the mountain with 6 ticked off kids, we needed the quiet, they were definitely cantankerous! The snow was falling gently and when I turned around to take a photo, I noticed our footprints in the snow. Sometimes they were together and then other times they wandered apart but they were always side by side. I love that!

I think the roof needs shovelling!

2011-01-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I saw a man, two stories up, using a snow blower on his roof. Insane! Can you believe that one? I don't want Gary or the boys up there so I will head over to Elk Creek Gas station and look on the bulletin board for the name of someone who shovels roofs, has lived up here for a substantial part of his life, so knows what he is doing, and hopefully won't break his neck doing it!

We have received at least a foot of snow in the last twenty four hours and the plow won't be in till tomorrow...

Snow in Island Park

2011-01-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

We are so blessed to be able to spend the winter in Island Park. It is a blissful experience. I love the Tree Gnomes, the trees are so loaded with snow that they look like bent over white gnomes. I love the animal tracks passing from tree to tree. I love the way the snow piles up higher and higher next to the roads and the roads get narrower and narrower. In the morning when we drive the children, the hour and 15 minutes to school, the headlights catch the snow and every flake sparkles, as it falls. The drifts sparkle and the road sparkles. It is absolutely magical!

The pile of snow, in the photo, is about 35 or 40 feet high and Jacob, Caleb, Joshua and Gabriel are on top. Gary took the photo and I love it. The sunset illuminates them and they look ethereal.

Today Jacob received his mission call. He will be serving in the Paraguay, Asuncion Mission and will leave April 13. I am so excited!

New photo!

2010-12-29T16:29:00.000-08:00

Rachel, thank you so much for taking this photo. Hanna thank you for gathering your siblings for it. I love it!

Wrapping up 2010

2010-12-26T22:27:00.000-08:00

My children are visiting their father, they left at 4 o'clock Christmas day. It makes me sad. When they are gone, I get to experience Empty Nest Syndrome, and feel purposeless and I HATE it. I walk around in a slump for a day, picking up their bits and pieces and feeling the echoes they have left behind them.

The restaurant is sold, we are buried to the eaves in snow, searching for possibilities and hoping for security, wondering if it even exists or if that is a luxury long gone in this topsy turvy world. Is opportunity a myth, misfortune a probability? Is hope a possibility, despair a prospect?

I see the beauty, but it is hard to feel the sensation when the joy in your life is missing. My children are my life blood, the cuddles, hugs, fighting, dirty dishes in the sink. Their clean folded laundry gives me hope, they'll be back to wear it. In the meantime, the piles are lifeless and I try to search for purpose.

This Christmas was the last time that all my children will be together for a few years. Jacob's mission papers have been turned in, he'll be gone for 2 years, Joseph will leave before he gets back, for two years. David might be deployed this year, Andy is studying to be a chaplain for the Navy and graduates in 2012 and will then be deployed.

My great grandmother used to say that you have no worries so long as you can cover all your children, at one time, with one blanket. I need a bigger blanket!

Proud of my children and grandchildren

2010-10-27T09:14:00.000-07:00

Xander loves the park and I love this photo of him.

This is Joseph, he turned 17 on 21st October, and he loves Football and he, his brothers and Gary have spent the fall trying to get me to understand the rules of Football. In their Wednesday game, they took district, so now they are playing for State. I won't be at Friday nights' game. Good Luck Diggers!

One of the things that I have learned about watching my children and grand children play is that they exist mostly "in the moment". I fail at this miserably. I live either in the past, battling depression or in the future facing anxiety. So I have been practicing a great technique... When I start to panic, heart pounding, etc, I use all my senses to focus on the present. I focus on what I am immediately hearing, laughter, water etc and then I switch to touch and stroke with my fingertips something immediately by me, if it's a table, I notice the grain of the wood etc, Then Sound, Taste, Smell and also try to acknowledge joy in the moment, in one of those activities. At first it feels awkward but over time it has become much easier and the results are rewarding.

Today I was watching Kung Fu Panda with Xander. There is a great quote in it, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”

Hamba Gashle

2010-10-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

I love these sweet little grandbabies. I bought Freddie the drum for his birthday and he loved it. Such a beautiful boy and he is 15 months old. He calls me regularly all on his own. So sweet!

Xander will be two next month and he and I have got to spend the last two weeks together. His Mama has been on bed rest and so I get to take care of him and I love it. He gets really upset when I am not here, or if I leave and that makes me sad. He loves trucks and rocks. If we go on a walk, which we do everyday, he has to bring back a rock.

Last night, I was fast asleep, on an air mattress when I felt a large, furry thing run across my face. Johanna described the sound I made as a yelp, I must have been holding back because it scared me spitless. I was dreaming about Haiti and the huge rats that we contended with, so in my dream, a rat ran across my face. I didn't go back to sleep, till 7.30 a.m. It was the neighbours cat, I'm not sure how it got into the apartment but I will be double checking windows and doors tonight.

I am at an interesting place in my life. I have worked very hard since I was 14. I have always had a job, even when I was having babies, I either had an outside job or a farm to work on. It seems like the restaurant business has played a huge part in my life and in-between it all, I have tried to fit in my passions, herbal medicine and writing. Now that the restaurant is sold and we are totally done with that, I have the opportunity to do what I want to do. Yes, my children aren't all raised and grand children take time but I am so used to doing that and tons more. What do I do?

I asked myself the question "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" I don't know! So I am going to explore and this blog with be reflecting some of that exploration. I am excited and terrified about this new chapter in my life.

In Africa we say Hamba Gashle "Safe Journey" or "Go Slowly", guess this will have to be my motto.

Summer is almost over!

2010-08-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am going to miss the summer folk, when they head home. One by one they are leaving and I have been collecting addresses.

Funny story: The other day, Gary was defrosting 8 chicken breasts in the microwave, they disappeared. Seriously gone, we have looked everywhere. We were low on chicken breasts, that day, and suddenly the phone rang...a customer wanted 6 Chicken Breast Sandwiches! Jacob was calling from the bathroom just so that he could panic us. Brat! Big, big brat!

Socks brings step ladders!

2010-07-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

First Socks came early and parked in Jacks' spot, filling the next spot with step ladders...

Then Jack parked in a new spot.

Round two - Socks strikes again!

2010-07-19T13:03:00.001-07:00

Guess who turned up bright and early, so that he could harass Jack. Socks set out a whole pile of saw horses, after parking in Jack's spot.

Jack rode through a few of them knocking them down and then started piling them on Socks' hood and cab. I think Socks lives for mischief!

We also went on a lovely drive the other day and looked at wild flowers. They are gorgeous!

The Parking Lot Drama

2010-07-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

Every morning the Lost Boys arrive for coffee. From 7 till 9 we serve coffee for a dollar, and I bake tiny cinnamon rolls and the Lost boys munch away and exchange information about jobs and bear sightings. The bears are making big news right now because they are into everything! Black bears and Grizzlies have discovered local fare, including a dog! Mind you, that could also be blamed on a wolf .

Last night the Grizzly, based on his print, ate all Willie's duck feed, guess he wasn't in the mood for duck. He also visited the childrens fishing pond, the gravel pit and another was seen up at Island Park Village. This week a garbage can was devoured and several bird feeders were annihilated and Fish and Game have asked us all to put away our bird feeders.

Back to the Lost Boys. Monday, Socks parked in Jacks' spot. Since there was barely enough room for Jack's truck between Socks' door and the gas pump, Jack squeezed in there, and Socks couldn't get into his car. It was very close! As Jack walked into the restaurant, Socks pushed the door into his face, just to tease a little more. Jack informed Socks: " Socks, you are working on my nerves!"

Tuesday morning Socks parked in the same spot and put construction cones up, one on either side of his vehicle. Jack pulled in and drove right over the cone. To Socks he said, as he paused in the doorway: " You are working on my last nerve!" To tell you the truth, he really looked ticked...

Thank Heavens we were closed on Wednesday!

This morning Socks had his wife help him park three cars in front of the restaurant. One, an ancient hearse, in Jack's spot. I hid in the kitchen but prepared to toss the Lost Boys out into the parking lot if things got out of hand. Jack came in shaking his head, paused in the doorway and then he bust out laughing. The Boys all started to laugh and joked while they all ate their cinnamon rolls and drank their coffee.

Hopefully Socks is done, although I heard him say something about crime tape!

In Island Park!

2010-07-08T14:47:00.000-07:00

Long story short...we bought a restaurant/store/bar in Island Park. I am so happy to be back. Come and visit, we are on the Yale-Kilgore road, 5 miles west of Elk Creek. The kids have loved seeing so many animals and I have loved them but especially the wild flowers.

Yesterday we took a drive up Sawtelle Peak and I couldn't believe the flowers. I counted 34 including my favorite Shooting star and there were lots more. Then we drove up to West Yellowstone and helped Joshua shop for birthday presents. He will be 11 tomorrow.

We have had lots of bear activity, Black bear and also Grizzly. Sad thing is that a fed bear is a dead bear. Lots of campers leave their stuff out and so I have been chaining the doors of our dumpster down and encouraging campers to use it. On Wednesdays the dump is closed and then there is no other place to put it. Lots of people are carrying bear spray and I notice that it is more the locals than the tourists. We have also seen lots of elk, deer, a fox carrying his squirrel dinner and wolves.

This is Heaven, I love this place. Gary has been teaching Caleb to fly fish and everybody has been worm fishing. Today Gary is down in the valley seeing patients but he can hardly wait to get back up here. I don't blame him...lol.

The Cosmos is shifting

2010-06-15T04:25:00.000-07:00

I have been very busy. I seldom seem to get near the computer lately and then if I do it is just for a minute. We have huge exciting changes ahead of us, here on the farm and in our family.

David graduates with his MOS today. It has been an amazing year for him in the Marine Corp. I cannot believe how much he has grown and changed. He is an incredible man and we are so proud of him.

Jacob graduated from high school and became an Elder, he is preparing to go on his mission. He turns 19 in December. He has accomplished so very much and I think he is such a great man.

Johanna is expecting a baby in December. She is 15 weeks pregnant and we all say "she" because we have lots of grandsons and would love to see a little girl around. Not to mention shopping for her...
Hanna and Andy also moved down to Provo this past week. I spent a seek with Hanna helping her unpack, and one evening was spent in the emergency room, rehydrating her and getting meds on board. She is awful morning sickness and I think she got a bug too. Andy is enrolled in the Masters program at BYU to become a Navy Chaplain.

K.C. and Ashley were married Saturday and it was a wonderful wedding. They were married in the Idaho Falls Temple, had the luncheon at the Sandpiper and then a beautiful reception in the evening. Ashley's family, the Holmgrens, are so very sweet and K.C. has gained a great family. He asked me to dance, after he'd danced with his mom, I was so surprised and touched, and while we were dancing he told me that he had never been happier in his life. It made me cry. Now they are off to Europe, for their honeymoon, for 6 weeks.

So, life goes on. Busier and busier. Also I have decided to remove stuff from my life. The next two weekends, we are having the mother of all garage sales. Time to make room in this one room cabin!

The Naughty Shepherdess

2010-05-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there was a tired woman, she had not been sleeping well. It was Spring, and Mother Earth had blessed the woman's farm with many babies, that Spring. After many sleepless nights, a calf was born, then a lamb and another and another, till 14 lambs were born with still more were to come.

It was a sunny Sunday and the woman, her husband and children went to Stake Conference, which lasted 2 hours! Despite the fact that it was filled with good advice, the woman and her family, had a hard time staying awake. So when she got home, she headed straight for the trampoline and climbed up onto it, in her dress and high heels, she lay down and went to sleep. Now the previous night, as the woman had slept, she had dreamt that a lamb would be born, all white with a black head. When she awoke and told her husband, they talked about how that was not too possible. As the woman now slept, on the trampoline, she heard a ewe bleating, she was in labor. Now this is where the woman became a naughty shepherdess. She picked up her cell phone, speed dialed 7, for her son Jacob, and in a half awake state told him to check on the ewe in labor. Then she pulled a pillow over her face and went back to sleep.

A few minutes later, the ewe was making grunting noises and the Naughty Shepherdess rolled off the tramp and hurried over to the sheep pen in her bare feet, groaning at the pricking ground and cussing out her children under her breath, for not being obedient and checking on the ewe. The ewe was not happy and the Naughty Shepherdess ran in the house and groused her son for not checking the ewe. He had, he said. Then she sat by the corral, in an arm chair and ate her roast beef, red potatoes, green beans and corn and watched the ewe... ... Her husband came out, still wearing his suit and the Naughty Shepherdess told him to change because she didn't want his suit dirty. She was being very bossy and grumpy because her nap had been interrupted, but also because she knew he would need to help deliver the "something wrong" lamb.

But before he could change, she saw a head and a leg, instead of two feet and a nose and told her son to catch the ewe. She said some not-so-Sunday-words while they got the ewe on the ground. Phew, her husband had arrived and he pushed the "something wrong" lamb back into the ewe, found the other foot and out popped the lamb. It was all black with a mostly white head. Hmmmm, not like the dream, and the eweling was named Leah, because it felt like it took 7 years to get her out.

Then the Naughty Shepherdess, realized that she should not be grumping and stomping and using words not good for a Sunday, or any other day of the week, and that she should be grateful for a family who loved animals, especially lambs who liked to come out wrong, and a husband who gave lambs mouth to mouth (and said lamb anmiotic fluid tasted better than human amniotic fluid) and who very dearly loved her, even though she was a naughty shepherdess.

Farm Babies. I love Spring.

2010-05-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

Two Merino/Shetland crosses. Meet Regan and Reaan

Sweet day old kittens.

Check out the foam running down Sizzler's chin. He drinks 2 gallons a day!

The most wonderful place to be, is in the barn. The lambs and kids are hilarious to watch and feed. Sizzler, the calf, gets fed from behind the fence because his butting can do serious harm. He is bottle-fed because his teeth were cutting his mother to bits. We depend too much on her milk and he gets a bunch of it, anyway. I love Spring although I do miss complete nights of sleep. We have 17 lambs or `goats kidding and lambing out right now, 4 down and 13 to go!

South African Pancakes

2010-04-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know that I should have a photograph to show you of these, but I don't. Enjoy this one Jacob took of Miriam and Blue on the hay stack!
So...imagine crepes. This is how these should look. These pancakes are such a comfort food for me. When I was growing up, in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and then in South Africa, we ate these fairly often but especially on Sunday evenings. My parents would cook a big pile of them and serve them with the traditional cinnamon and sugar mixture or a multitude of toppings. They included a browned ground beef and onion mixture, ice cream and fruit, curry etc. So they could be served at any time of the day! My children love to get home from school and find them cold in the fridge to snack on. I love them hot with the cinnamon sugar.

South African Pancakes

(For a smaller batch)
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 egg
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 Tablespoons oil

(For a bigger batch)
4 cups flour
6 cups water
3 eggs
2 tsp Baking Powder
Salt
1/2 cup oil

Put it in the blender, blend away and you are done.
Oil the frying pan well and, normally, after that first time, you don't need to do it again.

I love Spring!

2010-04-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

Nyxie seems to be telling Xander a really good story. Nyxie is a Zebu.

Puddle Perspective

2010-04-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

I have never stopped my children from splashing in puddles, unless they are in their church shoes. Neither will I stop my grandchildren, when he was done, we bathed him in a Rubber storage container, we don't have a bath here, and threw all his clothes, shoes included, into the washer and dryer. Xander played and played, sat down in it, pushed the stroller through it, visited with the Zebu, Nyxie and then went back to the puddle. He was enthralled. I was thinking about how we see mud, it can be an inconvenience but what a great way to look at mud, the way Xander does.

It is all about Perspective.

2010-04-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

Blue and Layah chasing ducks around the pond.

Yesterday, I bought two beautiful Nubian doelings, from an amazing woman out in Moore, ID. She breeds for healthy stock with great udders and production. Her animals were so healthy and well taken care of and she was so lovely to visit with. Need any goats, send me an email and I will give you her name. Each breed on our farm, is thematically named. We decided to name the goats after chocolate. Lady Godiva, our Nubian doe is due to kid-out the end of this month, beginning of next, and the two doelings, born yesterday, are Tansy's Twix (Tansy was her mother) and Sage's Snickers (Sage was her mother's name).

Because it is so cold here, they are in the cabin. Their mother was milked of colostrum and they have been bottle fed, and now are on milk replacer. They get fed round the clock for a couple of weeks and then during the day only. Jacob built me a wonderful box that fits neatly below the woodstove, in it are the puppies, who are toddling now, and the kids. When they are out of their pen, they wear Size 1 diapers, with a hole cut for their tails. I will take photos of them tomorrow and post them. Too darn cute. Today Twix and Snickers started leaping a bit, so acrobatic.

Two of my children made an observation. They said I am happiest when I am not on a diet and when I am playing with all my animals, especially the babies. Let's see, what can I learn from this?

Preparing myself!

2010-04-01T02:50:00.000-07:00

Today is April 1st and I prepare myself for all the surprises on Facebook and phone, but especially from my children. They will try all day to catch me in a trick. I think that they live for this day, all year long!

Here is a photo of Harley and Emily's two little puppies. They are three weeks old now and so kissable.

Happy April 1st, Spring is almost in full swing, and that is not an April fools joke, despite the snow, rain and hail Mother Nature has been shaking our way all week!

The Glacier is melting...

2010-03-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

This is the stream that divides out land. In the winter we ice skate on it and in the summer we canoe and sometimes swim it it. It is beautiful!

I need a sheep here!

2010-03-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

"No need to shear the sheep to make slippers. Just peck them till they sit down, this will take many times, then stand on their backs. Nice and warm, you can even sleep here, just nest on it. Hmmm, maybe the eggs will roll off....back to pecking and plucking!" - Loosey Goosey.

Late night surprise

2010-03-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

I was fast asleep, at 10:30, last night when I heard Jacob say: "Mom, it's cold. Please warm it up!" So I lifted the electric blanket and took the bundle into my arms, registering instantly that this was not one of my children but a new lamb, wrapped in a towel." I was fully awake then, and the sweet little thing nuzzled my neck and started to suck my finger. So sweet and shivering with cold, it was freezing outside and it was so freshly born that amniotic sac stuck to it. A black Merino, who was identical to his daddy Merino, Goliath. I picked his name, Goliath's Ace.

Soon he was in a warm spot, on soft straw, with his mama. He wiggled his tail and nursed away, just like a pro. I went back to bed and snuggled my hubby. "MMMMmm!" he said. "You smell like a lamb, and that is so baaaaaad!"

(Jacob and Joseph, you are my heroes! Thank you for taking care of Goliath's Ace and his Mom. Also Jacob, thank you for capturing this inquisitive lamb and Freddy, today.)

2010-03-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

We have two parrots, an African Grey, Davey, and a Blue and Gold Macaw, Drusey. They are in BIG trouble! Just recently, they have figured out how to open the latch on their cage, and get out and make a HUGE mess. It ticks me off... So much so, that when Gary heard that I was blogging about them getting out, he asked, "Are you allowed to use that sort of language on the internet?"

Well today was the last straw! I got home from church, to find them out of their cage, and Davey, the pest, prospective "Parrot Pie," had eaten most of my favorite magazine, just arrived in the mail. Have you ever heard of Mary Jane's Farm ? They also publish a wonderful magazine. I love it! I have every single issue, because they are filled with ideas and experiences of other Farm Girls. Check out their site, you won't regret it. The Forums are an education, all on their own, and you will never meet a nicer bunch of women.

So Davey and Drusey, meet a Carabiner, try and chew through that!

Simplicity

2010-03-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.”
Henry David Thoreau

Mud Season

2010-03-05T16:37:00.001-08:00

Did you know that we have a 5th season here in Salem? Mud season is serious stuff, the weather is warm enough to feel Spring-like but the mega snow has to melt. Since there is so much snow, it takes weeks to melt. Because we have several feet of snow, did I mention that we have lots of snow, it makes mud. Inches of mud! Today friends came over to play and all ended up taking a shower and wearing my kids' clothes because they were covered in mud. Not just mud, manure enriched mud!

Mud season also smells very farm-like. The aromatic ammonia is produced copiously by our horses, cows, sheep, chickens, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, ducks (including the wild mallards that think this is home, they eat from the cats' dish outside the door), dogs (Layah, our old Springer Spaniel is the dog looking so woeful, Blue, our Australian Shepherd, is off rounding up the geese, because the sheep won't cooperate, and Harley and Emily, my Yorkies are taking refuge in the cabin because they sink and disappear into the mud), cats, bunnies, parrots and one lone tortoise. Ok, we can't blame the tortoise.

I LOVE Mud Season, it means Spring is almost here, and it has been a LONG, long, long winter.

Something to think about...

2010-03-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

"Here is to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them. Glorify or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them, because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

I found this wonderful quote here.

H.P. Gary's wonderful horse!

2010-02-24T07:50:00.001-08:00

H.P. (High Performance), was a part of my life for a long time, about 16 years. He was a true Grand Champion. He had A NOBLE bloodline. He was a descendent from the Polish Arabs that Napolean brought back from his Egyptian Expedition. His sires were Calvary and show horses. I have a box of his ribbons and trophies at the apartment.
He also had a quirky sense of humor. Always gracious and never mean or unpredictable. He was a far more talented horse, than I ever was a rider. Fortunately now, he has a rider who can really allow him to express his potential. My Dad was a true horseman. I'm certain that he can take time from his missionary work to ride him. I'm so glad that H.P had someone to greet him at his passing.
He will be deeply missed. He was a beloved friend.
Gary

Happy Birthday to my Sweetheart

2010-02-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

It was Gary's birthday, on the 15th. I am so grateful for this wonderful man. He makes me laugh everyday, more than once everyday. He is my companion in everything and I am his, most of the time. When he is seeing his patients, I opt out.
I encourage him to draw, he is so gifted and can draw anything, if you ask him to. If I am working, in the studio, and he is caught up on his work, he is experimenting with my stuff and learning what all the bits and pieces are for. If I am doing things on the farm, he is right with me and talking about how his dad did things, he was a cowboy! Gary is a cowboy too. He seats a horse beautifully and his horse companion is a Polish Arab named HP. They are a great team.

Gary is an animal lover, he has a very soft spot when it comes to animals and suffering. If he could, he'd have this farm covered in rescues, three of our horses are rescues and so are most of the cats.

He is a voracious reader, which I love, since I am too. It is wonderful to be married to someone who sees the value in reading. He remembers everything he reads, dates, events, peoples names. In fact, he remembers lines and details from movies, the same way. It blows me away! What a gift.

He is a wonderful stepdad, encouraging and teasing, which does drive the kids crazy, sometimes I have to tell him "down boy, they don't get it". He regrets not being around more when his own children were young and constantly says that he is grateful for the second chance.

He is my very best friend, I can talk with him for hours, sit with him and say nothing for hours. He is a comfort and champions me. I am so very grateful to have him in my life.

Planting for the farm

2010-02-16T07:30:00.000-08:00

My studio is filled with flats of seeds. Starting early? Yes, because I hope to have everything growing in half gallon containers by May 1st. I have planted a lot of Lavender for the Lavender walk, Echinacea, because I use the root in preparations and Passion Flower, Artichoke because, unless they have a head start in our Zone, I'd never harvest some of the longer season growing things.

Our Greenhouses open this year, to the public, including a petting zoo and a Sweet Pea Maze, idea gardens and lots of fresh garden produce. We grow everything organically, pesticides and all that sort of thing, haven't been used on this land in 10 years and so we maintain it that way. Also, all our animals are of heritage variety and our plants are heirloom seeds and plants, no hybrids or GMO's.

This year we are also taking a bit of a turn as far as the poultry. March will bring Buckeye chickens to the farm, a rare chicken breed, hardy to our climate and also brown egg layers, Muscovy Ducks, also a hardy Heritage breed and great for meat. We feel, that by focusing on a couple of breeds, we will be able to provide our customers with better chicks, ducklings, meat, eggs, etc.

So it is a busy time and a fun time, reminds me that Spring is around the corner.

I don't like knowing...

2010-02-14T21:52:00.000-08:00

that the years march on and that death is inevitable. I don't like knowing that my parents are mortal. This week my mother suffered a stroke and lost most of the vision in one eye. We are hoping that they treated it quickly enough. Time will tell.

In the first 6 weeks of this new year, I have been made so mightily aware of the fact that my parents can be taken, at any minute. It scares me.

Service

2010-01-20T10:31:00.001-08:00

Service has a life of its own. A single act of kindness may have a long trajectory and touch those we will never meet or see. Something that we casually offer may move though a web of connection far beyond ourselves to have effects that we may have never imagined. - Rachel Naomi Remen

My Daddy

2010-01-19T08:22:00.001-08:00

This weekend we had a very near catastrophe with my dad. His leg necrosed and he got a septic infection. They had to do surgery and were able, so far, to save his leg. We are not completely out of the woods, but there is hope. If this surgery works, he will be on an antibiotic for the rest of his life.
I had many hours of waiting, with siblings, grandchildren and children to think. My relationship with my dad has only got this good, over the last few years. I had spent many hours berating him in my mind for not being there, the way I wanted him to be. He is the rock, in our family. He is a quiet man, he isn't one to call and chat, but he is always there for us. He was raised in a different time and country, a different standard of respect and communication. It is my job, to be respectful, loving and to honor my dad, no matter what. When I realized this, I had just had my last child, talking about a slow learning curve, our relationship became much better.
I love my dad, I pray God knows how much I need him to stay here with me.

Haiti

2010-01-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, my eldest son and I went to Haiti. David is a Marine now, and says that his experience in Haiti, contributed to his decision to be in the Marine Corp and, I believe, contributed to the giving person he is.
This is my favorite photo of David in Haiti. This little boy was having a bad day and David was comforting him.

We worked in 6 orphanges and worked with about 600 orphans. My husband is a retired Anesthesiologist and is going to Haiti to help with the recovery efforts. There is so much we can all do.
I have heard generous comments about helping people in Haiti and then concerned comments about what is going on here, in the States. I don't think we need to make a choice. I think we can do both. Perhaps the Haitian earthquake can remind us all to be more generous because as David put it "Our worst day, is better than their best day", and that was before the quake.

My Word for the Year

2010-01-05T08:13:00.000-08:00

Ali Edwards has, on her site, a wonderful idea. Go to her site to read about it.

http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2009/12/one-little-word-2010.html

My word is "Gather". I will focus this year on Gathering my Family, my Herbs(I say it with an H), Self Reliance and many more ways. I feel like this is an important time to "draw in the wagons" and become much more aware of every aspect in my life.

Pick a word, or let it pick you. I think it could change your perspective.

Jannie comes to visit

2009-12-29T11:47:00.000-08:00

My brother lives in Utah. Whenever he comes to visit, it is a treat. He is one of my most favorite people and Gary and my kids love him. Jannie has been dating a wonderful woman, Tami and she brought her children Matt and Jamie to visit. So we took them out to our ice rink to skate in their shoes. It was fun to watch.

Guess who came carolling?!!

2009-12-28T14:59:00.000-08:00

We were carolling at Walmart, for the Salvation Army, when along came my son, David. Home from 29 Palms for Christmas!! Yes we knew he was coming, but seeing him for the first time, is always so fantastic.

Joseph accompanying. He is a gifted guitarist.

The Carolling bunch!

Gabriel, our Chief bell ringer!

This is one of our Christmas traditions. Each year, all my children come together, to sing together, to raise money for the Salvation Army. It is the giving together and the service together that makes our Christmases together memorable.

2009-12-14T17:40:00.001-08:00

I use one of my stockpots to bathe the babies. The smaller the baby, the smaller the stockpot. The sink is too low for me... and the deeper water covers their shoulders, keeping them warm and getting the scent of the herbs up close to their noses.

To hot water I add, a sprig of fresh Thyme, a Sage leaf, a two inch piece of Rosemary and three drops of Lavender. It calms a cranky baby down and they go right to sleep.

This is Frederick James Haxby, almost 5 months old and adorable.

Remember never to leave babies alone, even for an instant, seconds later Freddie wanted to suck his toes and could've slipped down in the deep water.

Busy days

2009-12-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

We stacked lots of wood, because that is how we heat our home.

We cut three Christmas trees, this is Andy, Johanna and Xander with theirs.

Jacob (seated) was Sancho and Joseph was Padre' in Man From La Mancha which was amazing. Then they went on to District and State and their school took State in Theatre AGAIN!

David was home for a bit and taught Xander the fine details in the various G.I. Joe weaponry.

Xander turned a year old. I cannot believe how quickly this past year flew by.

So we have been a bit busy.

This next year will be bringing on a bit of a change for me. I will be living a Pioneer life, as much as I can. I will let you know the URL soon.

Almost have a bedroom...

2009-10-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

David and I are putting a final coat on the Bedroom Cabin today. The main cabin is an elongated hexagon and is about 500 square feet. We all sleep in one room, have for 19 months. There are 5 twin bunkbed spaces and a small loft.

The loft is 4 feet, at the highest point. Joseph and Jacob sleep up there, although lately, Jacob crashes on the couch because his hammock got too uncomfortable and he says his twin mattress takes up too much space.

Miri sleeps on a tiny couch behind the washer and drier, although this week she has set up a massage table to sleep in the main part of the cabin with the rest of us. Then folds it back up each morning. She never, ever, ever, complains. Just dreams about her own 10 x 12 bedroom cabin, with a loft for her bed and painted in purple, green and white inside, white wainscoating half way up and yellow siding.

The rest of us sleep in the bunkbeds, with Gary and I sharing one. This Thursday, we have been married 2 years and this spring we started on a 12x24 foot cabin, for our bedroom. We have had to move slowly, as funds allow, and it is very close to being done. My goal is for is to be finished, painted by this afternoon, and move in tonight.

There will be so much extra room and yes, our next goal, is Miriam's bedroom cabin.

We have had so much uncertainty the last three years, that we decided to try to pay off the land before building, but hope, in the next two years, to build a barn/home/reception center. We need a building that will help in several ways, be very efficient, and further the financial goals of the ranch.

I will post photos soon.

Two farm babies help out!

2009-10-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

Xander is 11 months and Freddie is 3 months. I love my grandsons and they love me. They call me Ouma, at least Xander does. Ouma is Afrikaans for Grandmother. Sometimes they come out to the farm and "help". I think these are great days. I want them to have the opportunity for a simple, old fashioned childhood and so we work hard on this farm.

I want them to experience miracles, like playing with a kitten and letting him lick your finger or watching clouds puff around in a beautiful, blue sky.

I want them to enjoy Simple pleasures.

Isn't she Lovely!

2009-10-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest member on our farm. This is our Jersey cow, Sugar! She is beautiful and five years old. Sugar is loving life. In her previous home, she was a Nurser. She raised calves, 6 - 8 at a time, this year her own twins and six more, and her udder showed it. It was incredibly scarred and her nipples were covered in scabbed fissures. We have continued to milk her but everytime we do, she gets my special mix of TeatmentTM on her nipples. Tonight they look so healthy and pink.

I have been very busy getting ready for the winter. My right hand man, Carlos, took a better job, closer to his home, so my cabin looks a little messy while I finish up lots of outdoor stuff.

The garden was harvested and then we let the pigs in to finish it up. Every one is fine, fit and happy till butcher day. We have lots of lamb, pork and poultry to process.

In the meantime, I hope this beautiful Indian summer lasts a bit longer.

Not as bad as I thought...

2009-09-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

I have had a busy week, an exhausting week and so I decided to go home and crash on the couch with a good book. I have been rereading the Earth Children series and I am halfway through the third book. I had just taken off my shoes, stretched out on my comfortable leather couch, when there was a knock on the door. Carlos was, apologetically, holding a fully grown lamb with a broken leg. We are slaughtering all this years lambs this fall and the break was right in the joint, the decision was a, relatively, easy one.

I have had to put down other animals and so I knew that I could do the killing, the hardest part, is worrying that they are suffering. I have yet to see any of them just be dead, immediately dead. There is always twitching or something. I hate that part, that and the smell of the blood. Even the gut smells are tolerable, but the blood is tough.

Now, if I had had some time to prepare, I think I could have done a better job but Ayla was my guide. We hung the sheep upside down after slitting its' throat and then cut around the rectum and then lightly down the belly, around the hocks and skinned the sheep. I should have gutted it first but I didn't know how deep to cut across the belly. So the skin was completely removed before we cut down the belly and the stomach was already expanding and I caught all the insides in a bag for Gabriel to dissect. He loves that stuff. You have to do that cut carefully so that you don't puncture the bowel and contaminate your meat.

I found that I used two knives and kept sharpening them as I went along. It took about 30 minutes and was fascinating. I also did the Bushman thing. I thanked the lamb for feeding us, for giving its' life to feed our family. I am also grateful for the skill, a step closer to feeling that we can be self sufficient, not only eating meat that we raise and have processed for us, but that we can take the additional step and eat meat that we raise and then process for ourselves.

Check out our squash

2009-09-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

Bennings Green Tint. A beautiful summer squash.
Sweet Meat. (C.Maxima)
This little squash is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten. Grow some next year! Table Gold Acorn (C.pepo).
This is grown from rare seed. A Lebanese White Bush Marrow.

These beautiful heirloom squash are Buttercup (C.maxima).

Fallish temps

2009-08-16T19:11:00.001-07:00

Last week before school starts. The greenhouse is almost recovered, and the two smaller greenhouses are ready for new planting, kitchen herbs. Then we will prepare the new garden spot for cut flowers and herbs, for next spring. Having spots ready to go, helps with our shorter growing season.

Sad day on the farm, our sheep helper, Jack, a sweet rescued mutt died this week. We put him down because he has been in a cast for 4 weeks with a spiral fracture. One night he chewed through his cast and rebroke his leg. The sharp bone had broken through the skin and he was in so much pain. Putting him down was the most humane and difficult thing to do. We miss him.

I can feel fall in the air, there is a zippy cold in the air and the leaves are beginning to change. Just cool enough to remind us about how much still needs to be done in the short time before the snow falls.

I love fall, it is my favorite time of the year. Perfect temperatures and our annual Harvest Party. If you are interested in coming, we are adding a haunted forest this year for the youngest children. It will be fun scary and will include a visit to the fairie's graveyard!

Huckleberries!

2009-08-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

They are yummy! But the best part about picking is the reconnection that happens. If you take family with, children, married and single, grandbabies included, and just listen, you learn a lot!
Sometimes your heart breaks listening and, other times, it will soar.

Today, my heart broke. I listened to a son, who hurts. He is at the age where he is learning that he can worry, a lot. I am trying to teach him to take time to think, but not too much. I want to protect him, but I can't completely anymore. He wants me to make the decisions too hard for him to think about, but I worry that he'll resent them down the road. Tough! All I can do is tell him how much I love him.

Today, my heart soared. I listened to an older son sit next to his troubled brother and toss precious Huckleberries at him till he laughed a little. Empty bags and healed hearts.

My great grandmother used to say: You don't have any worries until you can no longer cover all your children with one blanket! I need to sew a bigger blanket.

Summer flies by

2009-08-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

The greenhouse is looking naked now; we are recovering her this week and replacing trusses and getting ready for winter, It seems that my "winter preparation clock" starts ticking louder when the farmers' wheat turns gold, all ready to harvest.

Huckleberries are ripe and we have been picking, the garden is producing and we are eating solely from it. Our meat is from our own pigs, sheep, chickens and turkeys and the "Ladies" are producing dozens of eggs each day. It is a beautiful place to be, close to self-sufficiency.

All I need is a cow! Well, a lactating cow. Klippie, my Dexter heifer, and Nyx, my Zebu heifer, will be bred soon. Next summer we will be producing our own milk, so also cheese, cream and butter. I also want to add our own beehive next year. I also would like to sow better pasture, and fence the front of the farm, so we don't have to move fencing for the sheep.

By the way, this years lambs are for sale. They will be ready this fall. Also my Icelandic ewes and their boyfriend are for sale and also the Shetland sheep are for sale.

We have also been busy harvesting wild herbs, and making tinctures, decoctions etc. Gary loves to use my potions, I make a sleeping potion that helps him with his insomnia.

Lulu, this years surviving filly, had an ulcer in her eye but we were able to save it, she is medicated 3 times a day and is a devil to catch. She is healing nicely, thank goodness. Jack, our sheepdog, a mutt rescued by my brother off the streets of Salt Lake City, was hit by a dumb *** who decided to speed past the front of our house while Jack was retrieving a sheep from the yard across the street. Caleb ran over to help him, and he bit Caleb. Caleb ended up in the ER getting a Tetanus shot. Anyway long story short, Jack has a spiral fracture and after surgery and a cast, he has to be tied up for 8 WEEKS. He also gets X-rayed every week to make sure that it stays in place. At two weeks, he decided to go for a swim, on a potty break! He had to be put under anesthesia again to recast it. Now Jack goes potty with a guard.

One of the Manx cats had kittens, 5 of them. The next day there were six and the following seven. The two additions were obviously not hers, Layah, our Springer Spaniel was gathering them from wherever another cat had had her kittens. This morning one of the stolen kittens is missing, I think the real mama found out where they disappeared to.

Well, back to work. Funny how Sunday is never a day of rest, animals keep eating...lol

A photo of Freddy

2009-07-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

A new Daddy and his beautiful son, Freddy.

I LOVE being an Ouma!

I have new grandchild!

2009-07-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

Frederick James Haxby was born yesterday at 4:42 p.m. He weighed 7 lbs 8 ozs, 20 inches long and looks like a Smurf. He is adorable! He is so precious and I am in love, again!

I will post photos but Rachel and Justin haven't had a chance to post their own yet, so I am being patient.

Rachel is doing well, she ended up with a third degree episiotomy and Freddy has bruises from the vacuum and the forceps. We are glad he is safe and sound and I hope Rachel heals quickly.

Now to run them some dinner!

Kitchen Garden

2009-07-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of the kitchen garden. I love cooking and making medicine from the plants in it.

a busy week

2009-07-10T07:12:00.001-07:00

Alexander, is almost 8 months old and is licking off the condensation on Ouma's drink. YUCK!

But settles for a healthier drink.

Rachel has less than 3 weeks to go. Till Freddie gets here. We are so excited!

My handsome darling! I love him so much!

Every year, Johanna makes a version of this delicious dessert. This year it was decorated with raspberries and blueberries.

We were all so grateful to have David home from 29 Palms. I must say that 4th of July was a little poignant with him being a Marine now.

A family birthday party to celebrate Joshua's 10th birthday.

I love my family! I am so blessed to have them living nearby. Some of my nieces and nephews slept over this week, that is always so much fun. We have a blast! Since we live in a one room cabin, you have to tread carefully if you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, bodies cover the floor.

A surprise spring lamb

2009-06-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

One of the Merino ewes produced an adorable lamb, the morning we left for San Diego. She is adorable and we named her Elizabeth.

Today is Sunday lunch and we are eating lamb chops....Icelandic lamb chops. Great meat, without that "mutton" taste that puts most people off.

A quick Trip

2009-06-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Last week, I decided on a whim, to drive to Camp Pendleton, CA and spend a weekend of Liberty, and then graduation, with my son, David. He was graduating from MCT at Camp Pendleton, before moving onto his MOS at 29 Palms, CA. We packed up Xander, and Johanna and I drove 17 hours with a GPS unit. "Tim" guided us all the way there and back.

It was so wonderful to see David. He had lost more weight, with all the training, and was a bit more grown up. He and I share a birthday, and today, he is 21 years old. I looked at the Marines graduating on Tuesday and was again amazed. Our freedom, everything we hold dear, is in the hands of these boys. Ok, men... I talked to a few of them and resisted the urge to mother them all. Other mother's sons! I love them all.

David had to have a buddy to leave camp on liberty and so Ryan Young joined us. His mother, Heather, is also South African. Ryan was a sweetheart. We had lots of fun and the boys compared notes on being raised by South African mothers, lots of kicked rear ends...lol.

On Tuesday, after graduation, we put our sons on their buses, to the airport, 29 Palms etc. It was sad, heartbreaking to watch them leave again. But so proud of our young men and what they had accomplished. David graduated Squad Leader. Good job, my son. Semper Fidelis! OORAH!!!

Too many mothers!

2009-06-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

I really love summer and having my children home from school but...they are a bunch of mothers. They are soooooo bossy! So I say "if you want to be Mother you get to do everything that I do. Cooking, cleaning, laundry included!"

Petting Zoo went well. Norman sat down on his rear end in front of the horse trailer, the first time it came to loading him but by the fourth loading he had it figured out, especially when he felt the rope tighten around his rump.

The lambs were so sweet but did not appreciate being taken from their mothers each day. But, the piglets were the hands down favorites. We had the piglets and lambs in the same pen and the piglets tease the lambs and then the minute the piglets crash, the lambs get them back. Just like kids!

Baseball and theatre and a donkey named Norman...

2009-06-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

The three younger boys have had games every night, not all at the same time but at least two at a time. It is a hoot to watch and sometimes...painful to watch. Gabriel got hit in the cheek and the stitching imprinted on his cheekbone. He is such a tiny kid and so determined to do anything any of his bigger brothers do. He came for a hug with tears on his cheek and then took off to play more.

Then, all six of the younger bunch have been involved in Theatre camp and tonight were the performances. Mrs Stumme, you are a peach and such a jewel. Jacob, Joseph and Miriam were Directors for K - 6 and then Miriam performed and sang with the Jnr High bunch. Excellent performances, I am so proud of them all.

Tomorrow and Saturday, we will be hauling lambs, piglets, and our miniature donkey, Norman over to Valleywide for the petting zoo. We might take our cow, Klippie, too but we'll see what sort of mood she is in tomorrow. We will start bright and early because we will have to bathe the three piglets, Spare Ribs, Pork Chop and Bay Con. We have had bucketfuls of rain and the pigs do love the mud. "Awful" doesn't begin to describe how they smell.

Norman is such a cute donkey and this Christmas, in our live nativity, he is Mary's ride. He is about a foot shorter than a normal donkey and he is red. Norman loves to be brushed. I will take photos at the petting zoo, tomorrow, and post them.

Yesterday, I was chatting to the checker at Walmart, an old time farmer. We were talking about the weather and the animals and so I jokingly asked: "You don't think my sheep will start to mold, with all the rain, do you?" His look of shock was priceless. He was still shaking his head, as I pushed my cart away.

Hope it doesn't rain for two days....I'm starting to sprout mushrooms on my back!

Crazy Month!

2009-06-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

This past month was absolutely crazy. All the lambs were born, foals were born, piglets and ducklings had to be housed, garden had to be planted. We went to San Diego to get David and sent him off again. And then Caleb, Joshua and Gsbriel are in baseball, which is almost every evening, between the three teams. Actually it is all great fun.

Plants are growing, lambs are doing very well, and the duckings and piglets are so cute. We had two foals born but one was a Dummy Foal and after milking out his mom, Rose, and feeding him for a day, he died when we tried to insert an IV to hydrate him. Heartbreaking. We named him Cola, because he was very interested in my Coke. Watching Rose recover from his death and a rough birth, was hard, she really mourned her colt.
The Malaika, or Malley for short, delivered and little filly. Lulu, Swahili for Pearl,is a palomino paint, and was up and tearing around in minutes, stomping her foot when the milk wasn't there fast enough. She loves to play in the rain.

We only lost one lamb. His mother, Rosebud, also prolaspsed, but is doing well now. So we have been very blessed.

Our visit with David was so wonderful. He was here for two weeks and it was so wonderful that it was
really tough to have him leave. He is Squad Leader now, at Pendleton and it sounds like his men love him. This Friday, they have a ten mile hike, in full gear and he says he is hydrating efficiently so that he will do well.

I love spring, we are surrounded by miracles, new life and green! Here on the river, we are blessed with alot of greenery but as the summer moves along, we are reminded that we do live in a desert.

Spring comes and so does the snow!

2009-04-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Spring is tough. So hopeful and encouraging and then the snow hits again but we need the moisture.
Last weekend, we attended the Salt Lake City Marathon and visited with Gary's eldest daughter, Camille, and her family. Jerel, her husband, was running in the marathon with his sister, Shannon's, widower. Shannon died of Cystic Fibrosis last year. They were running to bring attention to the disease and raise money for the CF Foundation. It was also absolutely wonderful to see their 4 children, beautiful, handsome and sweet.

When I got home, it was to find Big Mama, an Icelandic Sheep, had given birth to triplets right before we got home. Paige, Millie and Lambchop (future meal). Lots of ewes waiting to have theirs too.

David begins the Crucible on Monday night. The is a 54 hour, very tough test. No sleep, 3 MRE's, 33 tasks in the hills and back terrain of Pendelton. On Thursday, when they come off the mountain, sweaty and dirty, they will receive the honor of being given the Eagle, Globe and Anchor and be fed the Warrior's breakfast.

We leave the evening of the 5th and travel to San Diego to participate in his graduation. I can hardly wait!

Here is a beautiful poem. Enjoy your day!
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain.
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

(Emily Dickinson

Butchering sheep!

2009-04-15T16:37:00.000-07:00

We butchered two Icelandic bucks today, not a fun job. I always feel bad when it is time to butcher but that is the deal, it has to be eaten, at some point. Cute lambs turn into dinner, fluffy chicks grow into roasts, chubby piglets into hams and ornery geese into Roast goose.

I wish I was French and enjoyed horse. My dad had me rolling with laughter the other evening. We took him and my mom out to dinner, it was Daddy's birthday. We were eating dessert, when we started to discuss the farm's finances. It costs a small fortune to feed the critters, and so I had been tallying for the taxes. My dad reminded me of what he thinks of horses. He said: "I look out the window and watch Silver eat the hay, but that is not hay I see him eating. Dollar Bills, I see him eating up dollar bills, disappearing into his mouth." The look of disgust on his face cracked me up.

I do have three foals for sale this year. They will be born this spring and will be ready to leave this fall. Each mare was bred to a homozygous stud, that means that the foals will be paints, their color that of their mothers. Rose is a sorrel paint, Zoe is a light chestnut dun and Malley is a palomino dun. The babies will be beautiful and I will post photos when they are born.

Our Almost Marine

2009-04-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

We always seem to receive David's letters on a Thursday or Friday. They are such a treat, all on their own, but this week we got a wonderful surprise. A missionary couple serving in David's ward, took a photo of him, and a number of other recruits, folding the garrison flag. My heart soared!

I have not written much about him and his experiences because I know the DI's search for the recruits online and give them additional garbage. But, if any of you would like to read his letters, let me know and I will email them to you. I have transcribed them all, because sometimes his handwriting is hard to read. This way friends and family have been able to enjoy them too.

I have reveled in watching him grow. The first couple of weeks were heartbreakingly tough. Then he excelled. He has lost a total of 45 pounds, has become extremely fit, become a Fire team Leader and now earned Expert in Markmanship and gets to wear the crossed rifles. We are so proud of him. The most wonderful part of this experience for us, is that David has become active again, in our church. He has learned for himself, his worth in the Savior's eyes. As a mother, I am so grateful that he has discovered that his own peace comes through his personal relationship with the Savior and his Heavenly Father, through prayer and the scriptures.

David is becoming a greater man. I am so proud to be the mother of an Almost Marine!

Xander at 4 months.

2009-03-27T16:20:00.000-07:00

Xander is so much fun, he laughs and laughs. He can whine too but he really communicates. Johanna has figured out what a few sounds mean, check out her and Andy's blog, she explains it better than I can. If you ask him what he needs, he really tries to tell you. Even I get some of them now. It is amazing!

Xander and the ducklings!

2009-03-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

Xander loves the ducklings. I love the way he is looking at his Oupa in this photo. Oupa is the Afrikaans word for Grandfather. He is such a sweet trusting little boy. He is 4 months old now!

Busy weekend!

2009-03-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

Friday and Saturday were so beautiful! I actually got a bit of a burn. We sheared the sheep Friday and did lots of cleanup, got a bunch of darling ducklings settled in too. Saturday we moved all the horses and cow south of the cabin.

Aidan and Emma, my sister's twins, came over to "help" on Saturday. They are six and so sweet, they enjoyed collecting eggs. Emma walked around with a basket, following chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. I was goosed, and have quite the bruise to prove it. One day, I am going to wring goose necks.

We have quite the thaw happening and also lots of rain.

Here is a photo of the triplets, Aidan, Emma and my Gabriel, who is 10 months older.

A beautiful Quote

2009-03-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Marianne Williamson wrote a book: A Return to Love. This is a quote from her book.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Craziness!

2009-03-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

The vacuum broke, a heater broke, the fireplace started smoking us out of the cabin, then NO WATER! $528 dollars later, we have a new electric line across the driveway because it is too frozen to dig into the ground and we have running water again.Some critter chewed through the wires deep down there.
At least it wasn't the pump in the well, that would have been almost three times as much.

Rachel finds out what sort of baby she is having today...yahoo! I can't wait, I am sooo excited!!!

Domestic Bliss

2009-03-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday,I went on a beautiful walk. The sun was shining and the early morning air was clean, invigorating and bright! We still have a lot of snow, and so long as I stayed on the animal trail, I was fine but if I walked on the snow crust, every once in awhile, I would sink up to my thighs.

Animal tracks criss crossed the snow and the ice on the lily pond. It is so pristine and beautiful, no signs of spring, other than a break in the ice on the streams here and there. It was quiet, so quiet that I could hear water running under the ice.

The tracks included coyote, fox, all sorts of duck and geese, elk, beaver, musk rat and deer, moose and rabbit. So much had been going on while I spent my winter in the cabin.

I felt so grateful and prayed for my son, his safety and peace. He needs additional strength now especially, and I hoped he could feel me thinking of him. I headed back to the cabin, crossing the meadow, Nickie's meadow, stopping by Calvin's tree for a moment and then crossing Gabe's bridge and looking for more tracks in the bank of the stream still crusted with snow and ice. Crossing Oupa's Bridge, I listened to the water gurgle through the Beaver dam underneath it. The mud peeked through the trail here and there while I headed up past the horses and cow to the hay barn. The cow gave me a steady look and mooed softly, I know that Brittany, one of the ranch hands, says that she is doing nicely and Gabriel says that he has petted her "18 times" but she didn't look too friendly to me. A couple of the rabbits scampered past me and I watched a hen nestle into an old cardboard box to lay, making a mental note of the newest hiding spot. I started gathering stray eggs, two in the greenhouse bathroom sink, one in an old planter and another two on a shelf, in the coop I found enough to round up a full dozen. Four hens crammed into two laying boxes eyed me out and I left them alone. Cats were curled up on the hay with David's dog, Layah. Ducks and geese played in the puddles and bathed in the mud. A golden sea bright rooster tried chasing me off and I had to chuckle at the tiny determined chicken. The pigs were snuffing in the yucky hay and the sheep were out in their yard, enjoying the sun. Beautiful, Beautiful day!

I focused hard on the snow, the trees and the killer turkeys when I got to the driveway, because the junk under the snow drives me crazy. The mud, I can deal with but I hate the bits of trash that magically appear, layer after melted layer, in spring.

Lots to do, plenty of time to do it. I am blessed! I love my life, my crazy, crowded, one room cabin life.

Please read this blog

2009-02-24T17:41:00.001-08:00

http://radecology.com/

Avik Maitra is in Malawi trying to make a difference. We are so blessed!

The Ladies are laying like crazy!

2009-02-24T08:23:00.001-08:00

They are laying about 3 dozen eggs a day! I am giving them away, they are so good, fresh eggs beat store eggs hands down.

We received letters from David yesterday. I was so excited and so happy. It made my day. He is doing well according to these, however he did call us Saturday night and by then he had a nasty respiratory infection and was on antibiotics. I MISS HIM!

Jacob scared spitless!

2009-02-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, Jacob hurried out to feed! It was still dark, and his brothers were hurrying to get their coats on to follow. The door burst open and Jacob's eyes were as big as saucers. As he had approached the haystack, he saw a dark shape, thinking it was Juba, and that he had managed to escape his stall, Jacob kept on walking. Not until he was a few feet away did he realize it was the moose we'd noticed several times in the previous days. I had watched him, while blowdrying my hair, the previous evening he'd been standing on the driveway, while we waited for him to move...lol.

I handed Jacob my camera, thinking the flash would chase him off. Actually, it didn't but a flashlight did!

He is a beautiful boy, chocolate brown and has developed a taste for the hay. I am a bit worried that he is around so much. Moose can be very dangerous and I don't want the children to think of him as a pet, but he is fun to watch.

Many little Miracles

2009-02-16T07:53:00.000-08:00

After I got done with my last post, I noticed that David's blog has been updated. http://darragon.blogspot.com/ I was surprised! I opened it to find the highlight of my day. David had had a chance to blog while he was at the USO. I had been missing him so much and I was so grateful he'd posted.

Then on Thursday morning, he was so heavy on my mind. As I was picking up, I noticed a stack of photos on the arm of the couch. All of David, when he was in elementary school. I asked Jacob if he knew where they had come from and he said that they had fallen out of a book that he had taken off the shelf. Little miracles! That are actually huge to me.

I cannot wait for the first letter from him, the children all have teary moments, as they miss him. I know he is doing what he really wanted, fulfilling his dream and that does make it a little easier.

Then Thursday morning I was styling my hair, there is a window right next to the window and I noticed a moose eating the lower branches of the aspens. It was fun to watch, lifted my spirits. He is probably about two years old.

Gary and I are listening to a book on CD. It is called "The Shack" written by William P. Young, http://www.theshackbook.com. If you want to read it, do so with an open mind and heart. I have loved it. The message is beautiful and liberating. If you have a Sam's Club, they sell it there for under $10 and it is also at Barnes and Noble.

The ladies are laying like crazy again. I saw a robin on Wednesday and then we got another foot of snow...mmm. I am confused!

Jacob

2009-02-10T15:49:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned Jacob several times in my blogs. He is my second eldest son. He was born December 16, 1991. He is the fourth of the 9 children and the only one with blue eyes. Jacob wants to be a veterinarian, he does so much work on this ranch and is so absolutely amazing. He is a junior in the Sugar Salem high school and is very talented. He plays guitar, sings, is an actor and has the most amazing gift with animals.

He is very protective of Gary and loves to spend time with him. He, Gary, his brothers and little sister, Miriam all took Hunters Safety last fall and love to shoot together.

He has a great heart and everyday asks me what he can do for me. I love you Jacob and want you to know how much you are appreciated.

Photos of David

2009-02-09T07:32:00.001-08:00

Joseph and David

David and Me

Gary and David, I love this photo

Hanna, Andy, Xander and David

David and Gabriel

David and Miriam

Rachel, 14 weeks pregnant, Justin and David

David with Jacob, on the left, Joshua wearing glasses and Caleb

David left yesterday.

2009-02-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

What a tough day! David, my eldest son, left for the Marines yesterday. My family is amazing, all the children and spouses, and my parents came to see him off. Sergeant Quinn was wonderful and explained what would happen during this next week. I was really bummed because we don't have a landline and David would need to call collect to give us an update. Well, this morning I got a call from Montana, Sergeant Quinn must have let David use his cell. He made it through MEPS and is on his way to San Diego to boot camp. He is nervous and excited. His worst days will be Thursday and Friday this week. He will do another fitness test on Thursday and if he gets through that, he continues with whatever platoon he has been assigned to, if he does not, he goes to a fitness division to get "fixed". David has lost 30 pounds preparing and has been going to the gym everyday with Sergeant Quinn for weeks, so we will see how he does. I think he will do fine. Friday is the day when the stress them out, to see who will stay. Gary has really been preparing David for this. He told him to remember "what they are trying to do and don't lose your cool, don't let them get to you. Remember that they want to break you down and build you into what they need, what you will need to be to survive combat." Good advice!

The first photo is of David with my mom and the second is of David and my dad.

I am so proud of him, he has worked so hard and I am going to miss the texts and calls. Good luck David, our prayers are with you, we love you.

Farm catchup

2009-02-03T08:26:00.000-08:00

We have been busy, digging out of snow again. Here is a photo of one of the bunnies, he obviously dug out! The ladies all quit laying, so cold even the cayenne doesn't work. They deserve a rest but I dislike store bought eggs. They are tasteless! Yesterday I made breakfast burritos for the freezer and cleaned out the fridge,the pigs had a feast.

I thought I would post my recipe for laundry soap. It is much cheaper than store bought laundry soap and does an amazing job. I buy the "ingredients" at Broulims, our local grocery store.

1/3 bars of Fels Naptha, grated with a cheese grater
1/2 cup Washing Soda, Arm and Hammer, but not Baking Soda
1/2 cup of Borax, 20 mule team.

Bring 6 cups hot water to boil and add the grated Fels Naptha and stir till dissolved. Add the Washing soda and Borax and stir till dissolved, add it to 10 cups hot water and stir thoroughly. Add another gallon of water and stir thoroughly. Leave overnight and it will thicken. Stir alot so break up clumps, or use a hand mixer to break it up. I keep mine in a two gallon water container, that has a spigot on the bottom. I use a half cup for each load, so it is easy to dispense. This ends up costing a penny a load and my laundry is lovely and clean. I have an HE washer and it works well in it because the soap is low sudsing.

Moose on the Loose.

2009-01-27T08:35:00.001-08:00

We have grown used to the moose, there are 11 out there on the land. The children know to retreat quickly and not provoke the moose. My sister on the other hand gets as close as she can get with camera in hand. This weekend, one of Miriam's friends wanted to sleep over, they went on a walk back to the lily pond and ran into a moose. Joseph was with them and says he was a two year old. The girls were out of there like bats out of a hot cave. It as funny!

It is so cold, -32 F. The ladies aren't laying and I don't blame them!

I detest Snakes!!!!

2009-01-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

This morning was freezing, I put my hand out from under the down comforter and pulled it back in. Gary told me to stay in bed, while he showered and dressed quickly. But I needed to get up, I hate sleeping in, it isn't fun to me. So I rolled onto my knees and turned to back out of our bunkbed, we are on the bottom but we still have to use a stepstool because it is three feet to the floor. Then I saw the snake, I had been sleeping with...my reaction is embarrassing, it involved a great deal of screaming and scrambling and Jacob and Gary trying to catch a two foot long garter snake. I don't remember getting undressed and into the shower...GROSS!!!! I imagined snake juice all over me, YUCK! It was too quick and escaped. So I am doing my ranch stuff on the couch with my feet upon a step stool, and I try not to have to move off it. In other words, when I really really really need to go, I run to the bathroom and run back.

I read about some snake repellent on line, I am buying some!

The cabin

2009-01-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

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Someone was asking me about the cabin on my Facebook.

Gary had a heart attack 16 months ago. We were doing advanced scuba certification and were 60 feet down, when his instructor noticed blood in his mask. Gary says that he showed her the rise to the surface sign, and they did pretty rapidly. I was diving with my sister's husband, James, also a physician and we followed but made the 15 foot stops. When I got to the surface, Gary was already on the shore and I knew immediately that he'd had a heart attack. I don't know how but I also knew he was dead. I panicked and couldn't think to inflate my BC. Because we were diving in salty water, I had about 40 lbs of weight in my BC and was sinking, I was also screaming, basically drowning, my son, Jacob dived in to save my rear end. So did my sister. She and James told me Gary had passed. I felt so alone, my friend was dead. There were so many things I wished I'd told him, he had had a rough year, gone through a nasty divorce, so many health problems and he was gone.

But there was a new search and rescue guy on the shore and he would not stop doing CPR. Kevin is a hero to me, for 7 minutes, he performed CPR and he saved Gary's life. A truck took him out of the desert to meet an ambulance and from there he was driven to Life Flight and they flew him to Salt Lake City.

James, drove me to LDS Hospital. Gary healed quickly after they put the stents in his chest. After watching him for a week in the hospital, I realized that Gary was more than a family friend. I was in love with him. We married the end of October.

Well, in December we went ice skating on our 12 acres on the North Fork. One of the kids needed rescuing and Gary fell through the ice. There was a disgustingly dirty cabin on the property and the kids had been told NEVER to go into it. Well, we needed to get Gary dry and so in we went. The cabin had been abandoned ten years previously and several living critters had moved in and out, at some point. I removed my clothing, Gary removed his and then he put on my long johns and a dry pair of extra socks we had brought with. In the mean time, Miriam and Joshua got into a fight outside and Joshua ended up needing stitches...awful!!!

I got thinking about it. As much time as we spent playing up at the ranch we needed a warming hut. So we spent several evenings removing and burning the old furniture, taking stuff to the dump, bleaching and vacuuming. Then it moved to painting. Everyone loved the cabin. We had a baggie toilet and lots of wipes. The fireplace had a metal sill, so lots of hot chocolate and "soup in a cup" could be eaten. Gary refused to use the toilet...it was funny.

Then Gary had more health problems, he retired from anethesia and decided to retire. His ex had ended up with the majority of their assets and he had inherited every bit of debt. So I suggested we move into the cabin to save money. We built bunkbeds from the floor to the ceiling, five beds, remodeled the bathroom, eventually got running water and electricity. We lived there before we had those essentials, it was an adventure. The day we got running water, the children stood at the kitchen sink, water running across their fingers and squealed. There is a small loft and the ceiling height is about 4 feet. Jacob, Joseph and Caleb sleep up there. In the twin size bunkbeds are the rest of us. Gary and I share one. Yes, you heard correctly, we share a twin bunk bed!...lol. Then Miriam, Joshua, Gabriel and David have their own. So when I say, go to your room, it is pretty funny. We share the cabin with our two parrots, Davie and Drusey, our Yorkie, Harley and the odd critter needing help. The cabin is an odd shape, an elongated hexagon. I will have to draw the floor plan and take a photo of it. It is about 20 feet wide and about 30 feet long. Imagine a 12 x 20 foot rectangle with a triangle on either end. I have a photo of Joshua in his bunk.

When guests come to the cabin they love it. The kids' friends love to sleep over, they know that comes with helping out on the ranch with feeding etc.

When we got back from Ashton, after Christmas, a storage tent had collapsed under 4 feet of snow. Some friends turned up to shovel off the greenhouse and that ripped most of the new plastic on top, so we will have to redo it. In the photo you will see the collapsed tent to the right and a blue cover on the left. Last winter the snow slid off the roof and blocked the entrance, and exit, to the cabin, so this is our solution, for now. You can see a photo with the blue porch and one without.

Chickens and winter

2009-01-19T18:47:00.000-08:00

It has been so cold and some of the animals have a hard time, especially some of the chickens. It seems like male bantams have the worst time. Last night the boys brought in a rooster who was frost bitten and lethargic. Gary soaked his feet in warm water and then we put him in a box, in a warm spot. This morning I was washing dishes, having forgotten about the rooster in the utility closet, when he came pecking across the kitchen floor and ate Harley, my Yorkie's, dog food. Out he went, into the ladies' coop! There are heat lamps in there so I had the boys catch all the Banty boys and put them in there.

This evening, two of the Bantams looked lethargic and they are in a box being doctored or vetted, in our cozy cabin.

I do like to treat the chickens to hot breakfast a few days a week. I will put a large saucepan on the back burner, half full of water and on low heat. Then throughout the day and evening, I will clean out the fridge, potato peels, wrinkly apples, leftover oatmeal, dinner scraps, fridge yuckies etc. The next morning, the pot is full and while reheating, I add the final touch, cayenne pepper and garlic. Cayenne pepper fakes the ladies into thinking they are warm and the garlic is a great way to eliminate parasites and I think that if garlic is good for all sorts of human maladies, it must be good for chickens too. Besides, if I were a chicken I would love a hot meal a few days a week, for all the work involved in laying!

Saturday housekeeping

2009-01-17T19:27:00.000-08:00

Today we slept in, till 8:30 a.m. and it was so wonderful. The cabin gets really cold and it is a mad rush in the morning to hurry and get dressed, and warm. So we lay in bed and kept cozy and I chuckled when Jacob, our 16 year old and "ranch manager", asked "Mama will the animals all be okay eating at nine instead of six?"

So eventually we got up and Jacob and Joseph, who is 14, went out to feed. Gary and I spring cleaned the cabin. Yes, we are far from Spring but, the sun was shining! The boys invited a bunch of cousins and friends over to play Airsoft and Johanna brought Alexander over, for us to babysit, while she went to a wedding luncheon.

Xander is 8 weeks old now and loves to smile. He cuddled and went to sleep, on my shoulder. I love being a grandmother! I talk to him in Afrikaans and my name for him is Katjie, kitten, because he never cries and when he was born he made mewling noises, just like a kitten.

Fell off the blog wagon

2009-01-15T08:04:00.000-08:00

I just blogged and it disappeared! Our internet has been down for a couple of weeks and so...no blogging! Also I have had the winter blues and you really do not want to hear what I had to say...lol I am a sunlight person, I love winter but it is bad for me, I get very depressed.

Gary is enjoying working in the new practice. He loves Family medicine and working with Dr Parker and Dr Curtis. We are looking forward to receiving our first paycheck, the first in over a year. We raided the change jar for gas money the other day, thank you for the $3 Jacob, and Gary said that we are in the Fourth watch. I wonder if there is a fifth watch we don't know about yet.

I have learned so many lessons the last two years.
Never listen to gossip because you are probably being gossiped about and you are the only one who is aware of the truth.
Family, stick by you, no matter what.
Friends, should be few and well chosen, like books.
Be grateful and look for the miracles constantly.
Heavenly Father cares, comforts and listens all the time.
Health is a precious gift, never take it for granted.
Be kind to yourself.
Love and listen to your children.

I am so blessed to have my children. Each of them calls almost everyday. They come out and help on the farm, or come and listen to me worry and fret. They call to encourage and cheer us on. They never ask for anything, try to figure out what they can do to be of service. They are wonderful! Jacob borrowed Garys car to go to Young Men last night and this morning noticed that Jacob had filled it up.

This will be a growing year. I have learned that self-sufficiency is a path to freedom, and one of our goals this year is to become even more so. Thank goodness for chickens and pigs. It's a good thing we all love eggs and the chickens love us.

21st to the 28th December 2008: 1st Installment

2008-12-29T08:28:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas! My sister rented a cabin in Ashton, and so we headed up there on the 21st and got snowed in. Almost every vehicle was stuck, at some point, and the kids thought that they had died and gone to sledding heaven.

Lots of snow!

2008-12-17T17:48:00.000-08:00

I love it! We have at least a foot now.I love falling snow, watching it through the window, while I am nice and warm inside. I love snowshoeing, wearing a pair of Gary's thick wool socks and my Warm Columbia snowboots and heavy jacket. I love shoveling the ice with Gary, so that the kids can skate, because I get really warm. Get the theme here? If I am cold, I dislike the snow.

I feel sorry for the animals in this weather, we give them plenty of water and feed and they can all get out of the wind, and except for the horses, out of the snow. The "ladies" are all in the greenhouse, laying away. We get a couple of dozen eggs a day and I am very grateful for them. They taste so wonderful and the "ladies" always seem cheerful.

Drama on the farm!

2008-12-15T09:12:00.000-08:00

Friday morning was beautiful! The boys all went out to feed and I hurried to complete another Christmas gift. At one point I thought that maybe I should go and check on them, they tend to get sidetracked sometimes, especially after a good snowfall.

Five minutes later, Jacob and Joseph carried in a screaming Joshua. Joshua was sledding, instead of feeding sheep. He had also been holding a piece of metal in front, to use as a brake. It had chipped off his two front, PERMANENT,teeth. Gary took him to the dentist immediately and I followed after organizing the rest of the family. Since his mouth was sore they will fix then in a couple of weeks. Joshua is the child who is always aware of how he looks, he even has his own look, button down shirts and vests, very preppy. So I think that having to be reminded that his looks are temporarily altered because he didn't obey won't do him to much harm.

Layah, my son's Springer Spaniel, has come in several times over the last two days with porcupine needles in her snout and paws. Poor thing! This morning, David pulled about a dozen from her lower jaw and one was buried about an inch and a half. He has gone out to track the porcupine and "relocate" it.

Porcupines are really prevalent here and really hurt our animals, it is hard to pull quills from a horse or cow. Also they strip the bark from all the trees and then the trees die.

One night, last winter, we were awakened by a very loud scraping noise. We looked around, inside the cabin, our parrots sometimes scraped their beaks but they were asleep. We wentback to bed, but it got worse, Gary knew then what it was. He headed outside with a rifle and I went back to sleep. A porcupine was chewing on the outside of the cabin! I slept through him shooting it. Because of their physique it is hard to do anything else, other than shoot them.

It is so beautiful out here, about six inches of beautiful powder. I think it is so magical!

Miracles everyday

2008-12-09T19:38:00.001-08:00

Our twenty year old son, David, was at MEPS, in Montana, yesterday and today. His Marine recruiting officer, and other recruits were also part of the trip. He was talking to me on the phone, in the background I could hear the others, and because of his audience, what he said was something that I will treasure for the rest of my life. He said lovingly: "I love you, Mama, I love you!" He scored very well on ASVAB and was sworn into the military today. He leaves for Basic Training on the 20th January 2009. I am going to miss him so very, very much!

I gave the rest of the children the news, "David was in the military!" and Gabriel, our seven year old approached me with a very worried face and a question: "Mom, is David going to die in Iraq?" I actually dropped a mug I was washing. Gabriel picked it up off the floor, it was unbroken, and as he handed it to me he said, "There's your miracle for today Mom, it didn't break!" But what he said to us next was eye opening. "Everyday we will pray for David and when he is still safe at the end of the day, we will know that we had our miracle." Then he was quiet for a moment before adding," but actually there are many miracles in everyday."

Wow, what an old soul!

Later I tried to videotape the funniest thing! Gabriel went running down the lane and behind him chased a flock of wild turkeys. He spun around and waved his arms at them and they fluttered back for a moment. Back up the the slope he ran, towards the greenhouse, turkeys close behind, once again he stopped and waved them off, this time using a siblings' tennis shoe, swinging it wildly by a long lace. What happened next had the tears running down our faces, in laughter. He grabbed a sled and ran down the lane, launching himself to get a good run down the slope. Behind him ran and flew the turkeys, then they followed him back up the slope. By the time I figured out where the camera was the turkeys were tired of the game.

Yes, there are many miracles in every day. We just need to stop and listen and notice.

Heart Attack!

2008-12-02T08:47:00.001-08:00

There is nothing like a heart attack to give you a wake up call! Saturday morning started off simply enough, then Gary came in to get a pepcid because he thought he was having indigestion. Then he took a shower and had alka seltzer. Then he said: "Please get dressed and take me into the ER!"

Tests and an angioplasty later, we discovered that he had had a heart attack. Yesterday we were released and he slept most of the afternoon but a pain and pressure in his chest got worse. About 9 p.m. we headed back to the ER. Gary has pericarditis, inflammation of the pericardium, the lining of the heart. Often patients will get this after a heart attack. So we will see how this goes!

I am so grateful to have him alive, grateful for modern medicine, grateful for doctors, stents and plavix, grateful for my children and family. Grateful for miracles and prayers, blessings and neighbours.

It has been an exciting week!

2008-11-22T14:55:00.000-08:00

I have a grandson! Alexander James was born on the 20 November at 10:18 a.m. He weighed 6lbs 8oz and is 20 inches long. He is the sweetest little baby and he and Mom are doing fine. Ouma is Afrikaans for Grandmother, me, needs the next 8 months to recover, Rachel announced she is expecting August 1st, 2009. She and Justin are very excited too. Gary has 4 beautiful grandsons in Arizona, very talented boys, with outstanding parents. So he is already a grandfather but now he is an Oupa too. Hanna and Andy have started a blog and the address is www.ajcooks.blogspot.com.

Jacob and Joseph took district for two of their theatrical pieces and are going to State. Their school also won at the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, UT. First place for the sweepstakes prize for perfect scores, and 2nd place for their ensemble piece. This week they are performing in Les Miserables. We went opening night and loved it. They did an amazing job.

Wrestling ended today for the three littlest boys, Caleb, Joshua and Gabriel. Football season is done for Joseph, Les Miserables finishes this week and Hanna's baby is here. I get a few day breather and then Thanksgiving and Christmas!

I have been working on my art for a 13 day show, so that is a big job for me. It is supposed to be delivered on the 24th November and the show is the 1st through the 13th December.

Jacob, Joseph and David slaughtered turkeys today for Thanksgiving. They are huge and we cooked a rooster for supper but the boys couldn't eat it, they were poultried out. I had a good laugh.

I feel so blessed! I have so much to be thankful for, My parents, husband, children and grandchildren are the best. I live for them all. I live in the most beautiful place, here on the river, in our little cabin. What more could I want!

Indian Summer

2008-11-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

All the panels are moved up to behind the greenhouse now! I am so relieved, we have to move some bits and pieces but then we can bring the horses in from pasture.
Thor, the ram got a real talking to, but I don't think he got it.

Yesterday I made glass snowmen most of the day, beautiful little snowmen, my favorite is a sweet little boy with a bow tie. I will post a photo later today.

But my wonderful mother came to visit. We had so much fun visiting and decided to go on a walk on the ranch. Fall is so beautiful and so precious to me, because it fades quickly. Everyday seems to become more colorful and lovely and as those leaves tumble, more magical, until the sculptures are left. I love naked, tree sculptures. As a child, it is the first thing I learned to draw. My branches would become finer and finer till I had twigs criss-crossing like dozens of spider webs. My trees were gnarly and ancient, there are some like that on the ranch but the skeletal ones are the white birch and aspens. I can look at them all day. They reveal dozns of nests, and I realise how little I was aware of all summer, but the also reveal the moose and deer, elk and coyote, porcupine and raccoon, squirrels and birds, who've decided to winter.

I love to name animals that live on the ranch, Zachias the squirrel, Caruso the woodpecker and so on. enjoy the photo of Zachias!