tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77419730937671057632024-02-07T02:59:15.316-05:00farmhousewifeSimply put-this is a blog about the city girl I used to be-the country girl I am now-and the things that are important to me. This is about the journey of life from the tiny to enormous and joyous bits in between. Here we are learning the hard way about gardening, homesteading, canning, solar-living, wood-cookstoving, animal husbandry and wearing out a lot of flip-flops along the way.wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-17008645297185507762015-04-19T12:06:00.001-04:002015-04-19T12:13:28.966-04:00It has been a while........since I've posted anything on this page. It seems, truly, that life is indeed what happens while we are making other plans. In my case, and presumably many others', it is what happens while we are living!<br />
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I'm taking this opportunity to revitalize this page and discuss with you, gentle readers, what has become somewhat popular lately: essential oils.<br />
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While we could discuss the difference between brands, levels of purity and even the marketing of these life-giving products, I'm going to concentrate on everyday opportunities to incorporate oils in regards to boosting health and unique ways to use these oils in our homes and on our farms.<br />
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The simple fact is: life can get really complicated - if we let it. What my goal is, here, is to seek information and education alongside anyone who is interested in learning.<br />
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I've been interested in essential oils for a few years now but felt overwhelmed at all of the different types and brands. In the research I took the time to do over the last six months I came to the conclusion that support was very important.<br />
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Speaking of support, there is an upcoming <a href="http://healthyoilsummit.com/" target="_blank">Healthy Oil Summit</a>, The Essential Oils Revolution, which I would like to invite you to <a href="http://healthyoilsummit.com/" target="_blank">register for</a> if you are as interested in essential oils as I am.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Essential Oils Revolution is an ONLINE and FREE event from May 11-18, 2015. You can watch it from any computer or mobile device that supports video. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The summit begins on </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1708551137" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; position: relative; top: -2px; white-space: pre-wrap; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">May 11</span></span><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">, at 10 A.M. U.S. Eastern Time.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Important Things You’ll Learn About Essential Oils:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">· Understand what essential oils are and why they are popular today</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">· Why essential oils are nature’s BEST medicine</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">· How to use essential oils safely and effectively</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">· Tips for regaining control of your health with essential oils</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">· Pain and stress remedies using essential oils</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">· Culinary uses for essential oils</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">· How to use essential oils for high performance health</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">· Essential oils for animal aromatherapy</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Join me, won't you?</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a></div>
wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-85665451174507004832013-06-13T13:45:00.001-04:002013-06-13T13:45:59.202-04:00Come On OverFarming seems to be taking up most of my time, so I would like to cordially invite you over to the farm page. There isn't much farmhousewifery or housekeeping going on, so come on in the gate - and get some dirt under your nails....<br />
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<a href="http://hope-farms.blogspot.com/2013/06/cant-write-too-nice-out-must-garden.html" target="_blank">http://hope-farms.blogspot.com/2013/06/cant-write-too-nice-out-must-garden.html</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-17257779993969743832013-04-22T16:10:00.005-04:002013-04-22T16:10:54.081-04:00School WorkThe next couple weeks are going to be hectic - starting two farmers' markets within one week of one another and final papers, quizzes, exams and presentations are coming due.<br />
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Here is the paper I just finished for my Social Problems class - enjoy!<br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Paper
or Plastic: Our Disposable Society<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> In the course of a week the kitchen garbage cans all over
America fill up once, maybe twice, and get thrown out to “the trash,” wherever
that is. The majority of individuals never handle the garbage much more than
lugging the 13 gallon twist-tied bag from the kitchen to the curb at which
point it gets hoisted by the arm of a garbage truck and dumped out into the
compactor. In 2010 alone, after burning or recycling solid waste, America still
had 136 million tons of garbage to contend with. It is important to discuss
this because our resources are finite and at the current level of growth, our
environment is suffering, and in turn, we are too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> In one morning alone, the average consumer in the U.S.
might take a tube of toothpaste out of its box, use one paper plate, a Styrofoam
cup and lid, two paper napkins, one gum wrapper, two bottles of water and one
plastic fork. Add to this list the remainder of the day’s garbage and multiply
it by 315,718,000 – the approximate population in America as of 2012 – that’s a
lot of solid waste to contend with. It is all going into the earth, into the
air, and into the water – three essential things we need to survive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> We can blame the pollution on capitalism, which “demands
the pursuit of profit,” created primarily after the Industrial Revolution,
which “changed everything by replacing muscle power with combustion engines
that burn fossil fuels such as coal and oil.” (Macionis 424, 433) And we could
certainly point fingers at the development of technology. What is most clearly
to blame, though, is the attitude of consumerism within our society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> It isn’t difficult to see that our world is changing
fast, and not for the better. While one might believe that the technological advances
of today’s society have made life better, it has also made the earth rebel.
Global warming, acid rain, the vanishing rain forests, loss of biodiversity, water
and air pollution are major problems. While Al Gore’s “<i>The Inconvenient Truth</i>,” gave many a good political chuckle, it
bears watching again. It is not someone else’s problem – it is ours together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> The structural functional theory regarding environmental
issues takes the perspective that the damage to our ecosystem is a symptom of
society’s attitude toward the earth and resources. Our use of technology, our
culture, and the thread of social patterns connect the function of society and
the environmental problems that we have created. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Opposing
this view is the social conflict analysis – they believe that the inequality in
society is to blame for the damage in our environment. Their point is that a
minimal number of individuals and groups have the power to fix the problems but
instead the consequences are most felt by the poor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> The rich are to blame, Macionis says, “It is the people
in rich countries who consume most of Earth’s resources and who generate most
air, water, and land pollution. In other words, not only do we maintain our
affluent way of life by exploiting poor in low-income countries, but we poison
the world’s air and water in the process.” (433) The Marxist class-conflict theory states that
what is needed is “a more equitable distribution of the world’s existing wealth
among all its people, which would achieve greater social justice and better
preserve the natural environment.”(433) Some say that the rich will have to do
the most changing in regards to reducing waste, living more sustainably, and
conserving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Whether rich or poor, there are many ways to become more
sustainable. If we choose to make small changes, each one can add up to make a
big difference. The reality is that our attitudes about the preservation of our
environment has to become, as the text states, “ecocentric” as opposed to “egocentric.”
Here are a few ideas:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Recycle, repurpose, re-use</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Conserve; electricity, water, and other
natural and technological resources</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Drive less (this is a multi-purpose step
– saving tires, fuel, and reducing air pollution)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Plan meals – eat at home, and use dishes
instead of paper, plastic and Styrofoam products</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; text-indent: -0.25in;">Consume less – do you really <i>need </i>that new iPhone cover? Or that pair
of Nike shoes?</span></li>
</ul>
<!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Although
it seems like common sense to many, reducing, re-using, and recycling will not
come naturally to some. Our culture has created an upcoming generation that has
never used a telephone book, library system, public transportation, or
payphone. It would be easy to say that equal distribution of wealth would solve
many environmental challenges today, but realistically, it starts with one.
Your home. My home. Your friends’ homes. Call it a pay-it-forward campaign for
the earth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> In light of Earth Day, this paper won’t be
printed. It will be kept on a tiny flash drive, made of plastic, incidentally,
and kept for years to come. Creating an “ecologically sustainable culture, a
way of life that meets the needs of the present generation without threatening
the environment for future generations,” will be the most important job I have
as a mother, wife and steward of the earth. What happens in this home will
affect future generations in a positive way. The ripple effect, although it may
be slow and near-reaching, exists from this corner of the environment. Rich or
poor, we will solve immediate environmental problems here, and learn from our
mistakes. No more plastic utensils or Styrofoam cups. We’ll use our mason jars,
milk our goat, and grow our gardens as big as we can. Preserving not only the
earth, and our harvests, but a way of life, cultivating respect and a cleaner
piece of land than when we found it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> No, that won’t fix the air, the water, or
the ever-increasing population issues but ignoring it on a societal level won’t
either. It starts with ourselves, then as we learn and grow we get involved in
policy-making, support conservation efforts, and eventually, our ripple reaches
farther out. No immediate solution is plausible. But remember, the word
impossible itself says, “I’m Possible,” and so is a sustainable lifestyle, even
if begun in the smallest of ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Keep going past the drive through, bring
your own water in a BPA-free container, and pack a lunch – then pay-it-forward.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,<br />
Nothing is going to get better. It's not.” Dr. Suess. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-49149381867253844372013-04-10T22:16:00.000-04:002013-04-10T22:16:49.207-04:00It's quiet in hereAnd that is because, in true farmhousewife field-mouse fashion, I've been spending all of my time over at <a href="http://www.hopefarms.co/" target="_blank">Hope Farms</a>, the <a href="http://www.mcfma.org/" target="_blank">Farmers' Market</a> (well, okay, not really on the site, but as the market manager I've been preparing for our opening day on April 18), and of course, I'm busy with school. This semester is full of General Biology 112, American Women's Studies, Sociology of the Family and of course, Social Problems.<br />
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It's all good. Eddie and the weeds are growing neck and neck and Ed has this place rivaling the Disneyland of Farmville.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqg5vKrbL6YjeLziJGarVQYP8sDVAFR-QdTh07pcuTKnRNz_aDK6HW4mUn_ulrtIed56d4XvOyMMezIdkyXXBMIk82e2w8i8Ro8p1e4zJjz9sgXMd-cxZlz5m5Kv3Qa3qs_MszeQncdI5/s1600/006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqg5vKrbL6YjeLziJGarVQYP8sDVAFR-QdTh07pcuTKnRNz_aDK6HW4mUn_ulrtIed56d4XvOyMMezIdkyXXBMIk82e2w8i8Ro8p1e4zJjz9sgXMd-cxZlz5m5Kv3Qa3qs_MszeQncdI5/s320/006.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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We had fun on Easter Sunday - a relaxing (overcast, though) day - we colored eggs, I hid them and Eddie pretended to be surprised when he found them (all in a 40' radius).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexwWCS2sP21gVl_2woVTEEMwoa47xpy8SQpxUAZsSUlAZ4DtJXBgZ4C0SZDq6qMuZFprQd1AC5geyfue7oVAjvwtCLL2fBsZ-9ABR1ayBI55Q-MYHgiEZmRDzTKX5WfpVLYoZ6K-woNEX/s1600/008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiexwWCS2sP21gVl_2woVTEEMwoa47xpy8SQpxUAZsSUlAZ4DtJXBgZ4C0SZDq6qMuZFprQd1AC5geyfue7oVAjvwtCLL2fBsZ-9ABR1ayBI55Q-MYHgiEZmRDzTKX5WfpVLYoZ6K-woNEX/s320/008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The bunny is out with the chickens the goat is producing milk (yes, I said goat) and everyone on the farm is enjoying spring.<br />
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How's life in your neck of the woods?<br />
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Cheers!<br />
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p.s. come on over to the <a href="http://www.hopefarms.co/" target="_blank">Farm Blog</a> where I've been pontificating and philosophizing about life and farming and chasing dreams. It'll be fun they said. You'll love it they said. They weren't wearing flip flops in the cow pasture, were they?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-48094918845189478082013-02-12T15:33:00.000-05:002013-02-12T15:33:09.106-05:00DoggoneShe's hairy, and dusty, and she sometimes walks so close to me I can't see her in my shadow. Once in a while, her stick-to-me glue gets on my nerves. But she's mine.<br />
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She came to me through Craigslist. We've been together since August of 2009. Once in a while I get wistful for a Corgi, or a Basset Hound, or a Shetland Sheep Dog, or a Labrador, or a Mini-Australian Shepherd, or a Blue Heeler/ACD, but I'm pretty happy with my Border Collie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gIJBimymF9Xx4GG5GylXEASbDztLJi29FMVPxf6PQB9mnhMitv0aIzOsxyMEf0BR4-I1Rob6o0EQVB9JpSNRPAh-kmgAlQO80fcxRzwJwKo2ejcSpMrdDKh6XZZx-oKhjh2xOAScDa8_/s1600/Sam+and+I+on+the+porch+again.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gIJBimymF9Xx4GG5GylXEASbDztLJi29FMVPxf6PQB9mnhMitv0aIzOsxyMEf0BR4-I1Rob6o0EQVB9JpSNRPAh-kmgAlQO80fcxRzwJwKo2ejcSpMrdDKh6XZZx-oKhjh2xOAScDa8_/s400/Sam+and+I+on+the+porch+again.png" width="261" /></a></div>
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She thinks she is the boss, she tries to herd children, ducks, chickens, pigs, cows, and goats if you let her. Mostly she takes her "job" of protecting her territory very seriously.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEnY8-haGc4fntNGqfJMM_86nadItR4mil3AqLsO93UQC2vHRbjVz2daWlJ8nGLRWUCj3qVpMlkL6fREJDS8avak9jobxSv0bcXlkdpvs9aSE1V0j9NhsZpGzjCv28vCuj2iF9-Oqi2EG/s1600/Sam+and+I.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEnY8-haGc4fntNGqfJMM_86nadItR4mil3AqLsO93UQC2vHRbjVz2daWlJ8nGLRWUCj3qVpMlkL6fREJDS8avak9jobxSv0bcXlkdpvs9aSE1V0j9NhsZpGzjCv28vCuj2iF9-Oqi2EG/s320/Sam+and+I.png" width="212" /></a></div>
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She's quirky. She has one blue eye, and the other eye is 3/4 black and 1/4 blue, which makes her look cross-eyed sometimes. She <i>hates</i> baths and <i>loves</i> popcorn. She sleeps on my feet and is the first to greet me when I come home and open the gate.<br />
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Meet Sam.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-40046938742934530202013-02-08T11:05:00.001-05:002013-02-12T14:27:50.801-05:00Unwrapping the Gift of Today<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After just one cup of coffee I’m dreaming of sneaking off to the greenhouse - instead of doing dishes and organizing the chaotic mess that is the pantry - where the early morning sun slants in through the glass and begins to warm the day. I can hear the birds singing outside, after a night of rain, they seem much more vibrant and active than usual. I suppose most things feel refreshed after a rain. The grass reaches up, the roots reach down, and all things are in order. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"All is well," I often see – in notes from my sister, and my mom, and the random new friends I have met in this journey of late. It really is the time spent – the conversation, the eye contact, the shaking hands and saying, “I’m glad I had the chance to meet you,” - that is the most important. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The take-away from these thoughts about doing what you want to do as opposed to doing what you should do is, "<i>don't be afraid</i>."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Time spent in the greenhouse, listening to the birds, relishing relationships and hearts – this is all what life’s biggest gift is to us. We choose to leave it wrapped or we unwrap it. Sometimes that last part gets messy, and we don’t always clean it up right away, but if we don’t unwrap our gift, how can we give the gift of our hearts to the next individual that needs it? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbxC-ZBEGpDZBgv59uP9VXbph9aXrihif3gDmqt3MTp-GtoO067oB-1koYY5-P8TAPwEk8HeMc1olDaUCkiyJhdzIJpTC1UBGnj2az9x6DAPzFLiyW8_-Gg3hj7qIJBwzFddjadzKnhiB/s1600/Bob+on+the+bed+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbxC-ZBEGpDZBgv59uP9VXbph9aXrihif3gDmqt3MTp-GtoO067oB-1koYY5-P8TAPwEk8HeMc1olDaUCkiyJhdzIJpTC1UBGnj2az9x6DAPzFLiyW8_-Gg3hj7qIJBwzFddjadzKnhiB/s320/Bob+on+the+bed+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are you afraid to open <i>your</i> gifts?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My mom once shared a little story with me and I’ll paraphrase it to you: Once upon a time, God met me in heaven. As we stood in a hallway there were several doors. He asked me to open one of the doors closest to me. I did. From that room came the most brilliant, but serene, light I had ever seen. Every color imaginable enveloped packages, from tiny to enormous, with all kinds of transcendent coverings, with ribbons and adornments. They all looked so inviting! I turned to Him with a puzzled look in my eyes and he said, “My child, those are all of the gifts you were given, but did not open. They cannot be used to bless others now.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwNRHP8qU-W3lXKPo_-4jZ_VmkRcgBaOZjfq-GBrz1VQK9SH9xcbBSWhwGpxcqtGRrBHvka4QLPjiWHvR6FvNo_9jmTlQYdJNfW9xtJDu94HMBhj6AGd7qKC3lTrZknzp54ohGQNFtJGL/s1600/030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwNRHP8qU-W3lXKPo_-4jZ_VmkRcgBaOZjfq-GBrz1VQK9SH9xcbBSWhwGpxcqtGRrBHvka4QLPjiWHvR6FvNo_9jmTlQYdJNfW9xtJDu94HMBhj6AGd7qKC3lTrZknzp54ohGQNFtJGL/s320/030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So the moral of the story is: sneak off to the greenhouse, listen to the birds, soak up the sun, take all of the beauty in, spend that gift, so it can shine back out through you. All is truly well. Or, it can be. Rest in Him. Open your gifts. Pass it on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When you unwrap your gifts, you feel good, and when you feel good, you naturally bless others - it's nearly without notice - that's when you send the message to others, "all<i> is </i>well."</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-78176410988960511642013-01-23T07:53:00.000-05:002013-01-23T07:54:08.545-05:00Busy Human Doing or Human Being...Tick tock, tick tock - that's the sound of time, taunting and teasing in its ever-so-almost silent way. Hours speed by, minutes lost on seconds and then, it it time to get up and do it all again. <br />
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This post is a glimpse into what I'm doing. Focusing on the long term of what I will be when I grow up.<br />
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This is my sixth semester of studies at the local community college and will graduate in May with an associates degree. I'm pleased with the coursework I have done, and have the GPA to prove my diligence and great effort: 3.69. I believe returning to school as a mature adult is an advantage - and when I first registered, my English Literature instructor told me as much. Her classes were my favorite; the most difficult but the most rewarding. In addition to English Literature, I took a "Writing at Work" class that gave me valuable experience in the do's and don'ts of professionalism. 60+ credits later, I now know what I do NOT want to do.<br />
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What will I do with an associate's degree? The plan is to continue my undergraduate studies and study psychology. In a wild epiphany - last November - I realized what it is I've always wanted to do, so I'm laying the foundation for actually doing it. I want to work with horses and humans - kids and adults alike.<br />
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Meanwhile, my service as an <a href="http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp" target="_blank">AmeriCorps VISTA</a> continues - my work centers around an old farmhouse on just over seven acres that is owned by a town in the geographical center of the state of North Carolina and through two grants, it was rehabilitated and given a purpose to be a heritage center, teaching heritage crafts and skills of a bygone era. Also, the house hosts an indoor marketplace with locally produced goods, art, pottery, sustainably raised farm meats and eggs. While this project takes up most of my time, another puzzle of my work schedule fits with the County's exclusive "growers only" farmers' market, where I volunteer as market manager. <br />
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Home is as busy as work and school combined, the pigs, chickens, rabbit, guinea pig, ducks, cows, horses, dogs and cat all need attention, nutrition, water, shelter and their quality of life is important to us - so we work hard to maintain their respective living areas that give them a sense of safety, comfort and contentment. My husband keeps the lawn mowed, the waterers cleaned and filled, the manure picked up and composted, and fixes things almost constantly.<br />
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Laundry piles up (clean AND dirty), dishes await their washing, and supper always needs to be planned, made and leftovers put up. <br />
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We've made the decision to homeschool our seven-year old son, this year also, he is in the first grade. He reads like a third and fourth grader and completes his studies well. There are a great many advantages to homeschooling, and some not-so-great things.<br />
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Sigh. It's just the beginning of another really busy season but mostly I'm grateful to be able to work and study, to live on a small-timey farm and to look back at how far we've come in the five years since we've moved here is awesome. (have a gander at some posts from 2007, 2008 and 2009....)<br />
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I haven't time to post a picture, it's time to get the lad out of the tub and fold some laundry. It's a good thing I'm a bit hard of hearing, or that tick tock might just worry me. I can't hear it. A rhythm all its own is influencing my movements - at a fast pace - but all worth it.<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-85592788306851128052013-01-11T22:03:00.000-05:002013-01-11T22:03:45.569-05:00{this moment]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_myIvTzwKCvvT0RDsHw9FcEnO3hlHzBAPhbwMOsy0tRjlo_hxpoARytM5lFPYTYm3q2ENP3cTbYY23_GMcLfbSxVL5iP7uG-xALIuyl5Ub5_0F9xR8n_QLm9X1Lv7VHpi386LU8W0p4WR/s1600/April+pic+3+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_myIvTzwKCvvT0RDsHw9FcEnO3hlHzBAPhbwMOsy0tRjlo_hxpoARytM5lFPYTYm3q2ENP3cTbYY23_GMcLfbSxVL5iP7uG-xALIuyl5Ub5_0F9xR8n_QLm9X1Lv7VHpi386LU8W0p4WR/s400/April+pic+3+2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">{this
moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a
moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I
want to pause, savor and remember.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.ngofamilyfarm.com/search/label/%7Bthis%20moment%7D" target="_blank">this blog</a> and, ultimately, <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2012/11/this-moment-2.html" target="_blank">this blog</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span></span><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="65" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% transparent; border: 0px none ! important;" width="200" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-1669447463584825072012-12-23T19:06:00.002-05:002013-01-03T09:54:22.078-05:00{this moment}<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtXu1BrK54qrOVLF5UGgmBeEPyLhtR1k6m8sSwCFUL4TOj_OCMQNDhzOki1otFkjmPgcMTzeccsfBroMRBp7O2rZ4zwvI058qxALGi5ExGcCS_E_a9K5Do1S8Pafzlt_V5GoRSRnNsp01/s1600/Eddie+and+Martha+October+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtXu1BrK54qrOVLF5UGgmBeEPyLhtR1k6m8sSwCFUL4TOj_OCMQNDhzOki1otFkjmPgcMTzeccsfBroMRBp7O2rZ4zwvI058qxALGi5ExGcCS_E_a9K5Do1S8Pafzlt_V5GoRSRnNsp01/s400/Eddie+and+Martha+October+2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><br style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.ngofamilyfarm.com/search/label/%7Bthis%20moment%7D" target="_blank">this blog</a> and, ultimately, <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2012/11/this-moment-2.html" target="_blank">this blog</a>.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">And yes, I realize it is not Friday, but I was so inspired, I could not resist.</span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-56054700405816647082012-12-17T21:22:00.000-05:002012-12-17T21:22:26.216-05:00Merry Christmas<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Merry Christmas</i></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">From our house to yours, may your season be bright, filled with peace, and aglow with the warmth of love.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"><img border="0" height="104" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="border: 0px !important;" width="320" /></span></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-89363862120817603292012-10-07T17:52:00.004-04:002012-12-17T21:25:16.705-05:00Where You'll Find Me<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeI6wUv29iP2GH5W5FLYBK0QzkFGjFjOFFvNPrRyXyzE_jGtNjnWqXSSTxRP_VxkFxPflZPssEgSZmEUeTzheo8UgEup0F6avcOJkVd6UittNLfg5X95fIGUcXGpLFxyRvTvE7187LUTBj/s1600/Wits+End+Hope+Farms+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeI6wUv29iP2GH5W5FLYBK0QzkFGjFjOFFvNPrRyXyzE_jGtNjnWqXSSTxRP_VxkFxPflZPssEgSZmEUeTzheo8UgEup0F6avcOJkVd6UittNLfg5X95fIGUcXGpLFxyRvTvE7187LUTBj/s400/Wits+End+Hope+Farms+2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At my "Wit's End." Sit down, we'll chat and have tea.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-7051605556807218372012-09-18T15:41:00.000-04:002012-09-18T15:41:56.567-04:00Who doesn't love a Before & After?I know I do! So, let's get right to it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXe69xtPVNX5LzZ6TVhavPf528OXK3v-aCfRumu_jUta6IDEEqr5IjWq5EXDEA35HsUTNBgdKQ_spKHX-5KgF7I6jXEAl-fJ3JaoAstoArAssnJ-a3BUeXD2TmvA94GWSIYKecS898O_q/s1600/LifeatafarmhouseJuly2007003+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXe69xtPVNX5LzZ6TVhavPf528OXK3v-aCfRumu_jUta6IDEEqr5IjWq5EXDEA35HsUTNBgdKQ_spKHX-5KgF7I6jXEAl-fJ3JaoAstoArAssnJ-a3BUeXD2TmvA94GWSIYKecS898O_q/s400/LifeatafarmhouseJuly2007003+(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July 2007 - just a mere five months after moving in...</td></tr>
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and another...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWuTNGZYNik-kGhcZEfkQDpJ6Ie8J_aL3H6UunyCkuSkc1-u9kvgVViK0MkI8Bh5wOUU9H0JPFx8jT3iA_Cw7aRHhMqw1CbWWKhursXFOTNxJ1DGXbxxF33AH4TaIoorUEZQBkKHYWyGH/s1600/Porch2071907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWuTNGZYNik-kGhcZEfkQDpJ6Ie8J_aL3H6UunyCkuSkc1-u9kvgVViK0MkI8Bh5wOUU9H0JPFx8jT3iA_Cw7aRHhMqw1CbWWKhursXFOTNxJ1DGXbxxF33AH4TaIoorUEZQBkKHYWyGH/s400/Porch2071907.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">humble beginnings; salvaged chairs given a seat and paint job....<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWXcTK8YaLEin_8exEA77yCBYA28bS_VoiWMnAyGz8PsEfrUogx09tNWR5WOwFnnQblNWkuwHtEDT81kjsQ6sbMIZ4BDhfx5w0cI9gYvdmbOoq7aQCQOnjl5jMk0cWm8TbfYmg6NNdgtv/s1600/LifeatafarmhouseJuly2007017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWXcTK8YaLEin_8exEA77yCBYA28bS_VoiWMnAyGz8PsEfrUogx09tNWR5WOwFnnQblNWkuwHtEDT81kjsQ6sbMIZ4BDhfx5w0cI9gYvdmbOoq7aQCQOnjl5jMk0cWm8TbfYmg6NNdgtv/s400/LifeatafarmhouseJuly2007017.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much history in and behind this door...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3YLbbzlzvHb9xDbFZOgmpMpo8DPZHI3oSBwaCYt6RNxb4NiPYwEJEggj10ujBCNU4SKChAvsVUSiA8sbpsWieyS2uxFhF0OCJeXthHHKYZzlb3Z_T0Jt24tmd2Lhv9DiclPFEztoxCV1/s1600/LifeatafarmhouseJuly2007019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3YLbbzlzvHb9xDbFZOgmpMpo8DPZHI3oSBwaCYt6RNxb4NiPYwEJEggj10ujBCNU4SKChAvsVUSiA8sbpsWieyS2uxFhF0OCJeXthHHKYZzlb3Z_T0Jt24tmd2Lhv9DiclPFEztoxCV1/s400/LifeatafarmhouseJuly2007019.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the outside looking in...</td></tr>
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So many people who buy old houses start the process by replacing the leaky old windows. We knew that a lot of the value in an old house IS those leaky old lead-filled glass panes and their wood sills. We chose to keep them. Sometimes, in January and February I cuss at them. But most of the time I like the way they look.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLIu8ZNM9qu54nCULlzlFIC8OCWLK94M96GpmaSK7yQNQN7dRKWiBh-lG2P2J4yhkR1WE8L-pEiFAfL8XPo-9RIdRmZii_oQ_vHma875Yjqk8dNtqD1bpnRswdWaZOLBwERUpv-HqKbwy/s1600/September2007FarmhouseMisc006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLIu8ZNM9qu54nCULlzlFIC8OCWLK94M96GpmaSK7yQNQN7dRKWiBh-lG2P2J4yhkR1WE8L-pEiFAfL8XPo-9RIdRmZii_oQ_vHma875Yjqk8dNtqD1bpnRswdWaZOLBwERUpv-HqKbwy/s400/September2007FarmhouseMisc006.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, Welcome Home! Let the fun begin!<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYIVm-zKgHdmYcgN76HAeAJAToeo_Ph5GvENpmMoGfhc9waCwkTt5hVNW_8ItNBLy4Ky7hQIXy5Xp-Gyx_sQXQzOceMfZojIo5xbeGw-XoGxKtxyDQhV3431TnTg1Cy0bp-gXGfYuPVz9/s1600/September2007FarmhouseMisc004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYIVm-zKgHdmYcgN76HAeAJAToeo_Ph5GvENpmMoGfhc9waCwkTt5hVNW_8ItNBLy4Ky7hQIXy5Xp-Gyx_sQXQzOceMfZojIo5xbeGw-XoGxKtxyDQhV3431TnTg1Cy0bp-gXGfYuPVz9/s400/September2007FarmhouseMisc004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And so it began...<br />Next time on farmhousewife TV we'll tell the story of "How We Chose Our House Paint Colors!"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6q55s7Brr2dOc-04qtTkxNcXF7VAv7wjDgeSngZauiYFourNhFfWPUoLtySEVYQ9E7ohbrqcAmyappwwzCyUSVe32hCvhMUYmGUI2-esR4kDs_xJ5noIj-UKWrafYv2pORoB2O-hC6Gv/s1600/HopeFarmsMay2008012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6q55s7Brr2dOc-04qtTkxNcXF7VAv7wjDgeSngZauiYFourNhFfWPUoLtySEVYQ9E7ohbrqcAmyappwwzCyUSVe32hCvhMUYmGUI2-esR4kDs_xJ5noIj-UKWrafYv2pORoB2O-hC6Gv/s400/HopeFarmsMay2008012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming along...<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaogeivirh7sDUO-cyewgVApp5uuKDRXl93ezezedngGZAnTjdECBB0OL4JucpWTR1zcDWDk8VFgMBZ2KxXMRKbqJjfs432pykOGEWCrlZudHim4ppvEb43t0tUaXBmGEbqgHkGb-i2JeX/s1600/31410_1491401724326_828719_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaogeivirh7sDUO-cyewgVApp5uuKDRXl93ezezedngGZAnTjdECBB0OL4JucpWTR1zcDWDk8VFgMBZ2KxXMRKbqJjfs432pykOGEWCrlZudHim4ppvEb43t0tUaXBmGEbqgHkGb-i2JeX/s400/31410_1491401724326_828719_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And, she is finished. My husband, Captain Strong-Arms scraped, primed, and put two coats on this old girl all by himself. He's my hero. <br /><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-26358254232173305692012-09-18T15:06:00.000-04:002012-09-18T15:06:16.570-04:00Organized ChaosUsually, I can't stop myself from saying whatever is on my mind, but lately - I've been a bit subdued. I was about to use the word "normal" in a sentence, but I wonder if everyone here shares my philosophy that the word is a setting on the dryer? <br />
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We are gathered here today to talk about my muse. Er, uh - ahem, the lack thereof of my muse.<br />
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See, when time gets tight, I tend to focus on the <i>must haves</i> in life, like clean laundry, food, clean dishes, oh, and my little side gig - called full time work <b>and</b> school. But less inspiration crosses the threshold of this wanna-be-creative farmhousewife. Which causes farmhousewife-withdrawals. It's not pretty, folks.<br />
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On Sunday, I <strike>carefully planned my time according to allotments of necessary chores and schoolwork</strike> said 'to hell with it' and re-arranged the entire living room which had not been touched in well over 9 months. At first it was the gigantic lop-eared over-sized dust-bunnies that disgusted me. As I moved furniture about, I dusted, swept, then mopped. Once the cleanliness began, then, I experienced the strong motivation to create beauty around me. I <strike>sweated</strike> whirled about, changing the red slip-cover on the heavy couch, fluffed and punched pillows, arranged magazines and what-nots on the coffee table, angling the furniture just-so, for a close and intimate feel, but still handy to watch the <strike>monster-in-the-room</strike> television if that were to strike a fancy. <br />
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At the time, I didn't realize this was the drive I was experiencing, as it felt more PMS-related and the fact that the house did not have 7 year old and 44 year old feet tracking mud throughout (they were on a road-trip!). But later, as I was done, and sat down with a bowl of chicken-n-dumplings I looked around and felt peaceful. Why, all of the sudden did I feel so much better? So much more ready to sit for hours on end and stare into an extra-large biology book, pretending to know how many charged atoms, protons, neurons and nuclei are in a molecule of minuscule proportion.<br />
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It was because I got my muse back.<br />
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My point is; when I feel out of control it helps to create beauty, therefore re-organizing the chaos in my mind <i>and</i> my living room. Beauty comes in many forms; food, home, garden, and I aim to find more time for it. It re-inspires me.<br />
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I didn't ace the biology quiz by the way, but now I have a really nice space to retreat to when the going gets.........normal.<br />
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*no photos, I know...b o r i n g.... let me get some snapped when I get home later today and I'll upload.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-38752773677517920052012-09-15T22:31:00.001-04:002012-09-15T22:32:12.658-04:00Speechless Studying SaturdaySince I am in school and working full-time, I do not have a lot of time for blogging. So I bring you this speechless Studying Saturday in pictures. Enjoy!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MLrXz9DTEcHFCLooCiyjsRyH-K9GyvZmu14hyphenhyphen7oDolxfomCwgRosfsCxCwxN4B6xCJq4-8_08frOO1IjoX80ATGpzzefJFHCx3VzklkHXnUxJZmVFNVFjHcORy8nMMEImlBvQdFO7Oyt/s1600/004+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MLrXz9DTEcHFCLooCiyjsRyH-K9GyvZmu14hyphenhyphen7oDolxfomCwgRosfsCxCwxN4B6xCJq4-8_08frOO1IjoX80ATGpzzefJFHCx3VzklkHXnUxJZmVFNVFjHcORy8nMMEImlBvQdFO7Oyt/s320/004+(4).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four O'Clocks</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSZ6xnMtnx3EQCfgkI_YHZB4GMUPuccp1agkGCTS8WIQPLzKSd7UsR9mvz_oNHLIYKUpVutCHVL7y3Drzdr9yh3ceTXRO_URNMppTcb74YX73nO5gN2vp8nP3OPcCaY1ndUGj0sAx-WHL/s1600/049+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSZ6xnMtnx3EQCfgkI_YHZB4GMUPuccp1agkGCTS8WIQPLzKSd7UsR9mvz_oNHLIYKUpVutCHVL7y3Drzdr9yh3ceTXRO_URNMppTcb74YX73nO5gN2vp8nP3OPcCaY1ndUGj0sAx-WHL/s320/049+(3).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catawba Tree Blooms</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAje7LGsrAhE9DSyEn7yJwgCjTeZcI53_5TJyYbb97GTWwiy45ylPmpuoZHSdqoa4-dv_mrmAXXTpltqEKlsDrGP5HxC5OZgc8RuYry6hviv4PsYy-GLY_70-ltP1kT6yhGaLZkTaq4SUK/s1600/056+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAje7LGsrAhE9DSyEn7yJwgCjTeZcI53_5TJyYbb97GTWwiy45ylPmpuoZHSdqoa4-dv_mrmAXXTpltqEKlsDrGP5HxC5OZgc8RuYry6hviv4PsYy-GLY_70-ltP1kT6yhGaLZkTaq4SUK/s320/056+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hattie and friends</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd6bgpRnRZw_R-7oloabkVZ_Jz24xrj4hw_BhI5KgqnHmSR1ARwP-TliBuTA6M3ahPnVtTpXm-gtw2IDaJtvkuwybbSontpyt5NuHvktXkdDz4pAzeAe-2TpHM4YuA6na5Zf-wj7kFSLM/s1600/062+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd6bgpRnRZw_R-7oloabkVZ_Jz24xrj4hw_BhI5KgqnHmSR1ARwP-TliBuTA6M3ahPnVtTpXm-gtw2IDaJtvkuwybbSontpyt5NuHvktXkdDz4pAzeAe-2TpHM4YuA6na5Zf-wj7kFSLM/s320/062+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spencer, the Skin Horse</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8YXbNcZXaV6JJ6cvyrsRYkQAWXZGbXXxklC7tzvXDkWKithevMgxvQihdJn4qsS9vPJMpeQvz7K58HAGu_8bUJoTPpezOnwhMkqnARyZEkIG0cTFLJsHAQQy6g_UvxOoAp70oKOoqPNy/s1600/314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8YXbNcZXaV6JJ6cvyrsRYkQAWXZGbXXxklC7tzvXDkWKithevMgxvQihdJn4qsS9vPJMpeQvz7K58HAGu_8bUJoTPpezOnwhMkqnARyZEkIG0cTFLJsHAQQy6g_UvxOoAp70oKOoqPNy/s320/314.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Wit's End - a nice place to be</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-57194541122783844062012-08-22T08:38:00.001-04:002012-08-22T08:38:46.922-04:00Pigs Will Be Pigs<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43Tme0deMEl21-Y-UI2F3kDe1Fpmev7pXK0DVq59XcwVBhAebefAsSoQW-HoHLuZalUkaiOVlYwJja-NaXEAJhr1yYC1YtV6NEFrwQfLV8TetKpcW7vPEzleSe1jIkLhcbuMzBsZ2t6rS/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh43Tme0deMEl21-Y-UI2F3kDe1Fpmev7pXK0DVq59XcwVBhAebefAsSoQW-HoHLuZalUkaiOVlYwJja-NaXEAJhr1yYC1YtV6NEFrwQfLV8TetKpcW7vPEzleSe1jIkLhcbuMzBsZ2t6rS/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We raise our pigs in a wooded dirt lot.<br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz06PZ8OxygbhcLve9-FHLOFoCuIWMKxVhyphenhyphen8ZAkCyjfSW8Pi07aeQxiTC8xQh8iZaQjwgRLpBfz_VApbZuyz8cWee2NRGZYkWI6spLQoi5H0YghTlXH35MM345ZxMEE9RICzCViMElHy6m/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz06PZ8OxygbhcLve9-FHLOFoCuIWMKxVhyphenhyphen8ZAkCyjfSW8Pi07aeQxiTC8xQh8iZaQjwgRLpBfz_VApbZuyz8cWee2NRGZYkWI6spLQoi5H0YghTlXH35MM345ZxMEE9RICzCViMElHy6m/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They seem to enjoy it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JYv4zWYZeM0hVvpDMKYsYYvB-ZteA00uB5fXUiIor-S7OGmHYT_YF9xk4knS2Hn6oqJK9__FhP7sn6LNodvpirTViSsI296VNymmqBQszLxCCHiKRWQEquDjglFvjgEfOBEbrrmRKxpo/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JYv4zWYZeM0hVvpDMKYsYYvB-ZteA00uB5fXUiIor-S7OGmHYT_YF9xk4knS2Hn6oqJK9__FhP7sn6LNodvpirTViSsI296VNymmqBQszLxCCHiKRWQEquDjglFvjgEfOBEbrrmRKxpo/s320/006.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They have "waller" or big muddy pond-like place to cool off.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNsd2KUcbSd4JK4EA6K-Jfrox98stPNyWXZq9sz1iyrzpsczab_ifEn093BodKWGmpjfrFej_fTRW-sJmOSrteNjMmyujGxKU_lLm3t_s14bXoI7ObLdE7fXyJcHCZR0xta35peZD5LjO/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNsd2KUcbSd4JK4EA6K-Jfrox98stPNyWXZq9sz1iyrzpsczab_ifEn093BodKWGmpjfrFej_fTRW-sJmOSrteNjMmyujGxKU_lLm3t_s14bXoI7ObLdE7fXyJcHCZR0xta35peZD5LjO/s320/007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of dirt to "root" in - and lots of roots, too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnysYyVO8ia-jyz6C3JGxY53S83D_rEWo2HiBdmVKDGvULtzimRkyJsyIM0C5eTq1GoqFJKLn44ZPzv6VooL9bm4ZNDrWAfLbZ8-JWOjnSA5GNA7Q87D9XDCGlEdt-Hva0X-EOfeui9f96/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnysYyVO8ia-jyz6C3JGxY53S83D_rEWo2HiBdmVKDGvULtzimRkyJsyIM0C5eTq1GoqFJKLn44ZPzv6VooL9bm4ZNDrWAfLbZ8-JWOjnSA5GNA7Q87D9XDCGlEdt-Hva0X-EOfeui9f96/s320/008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're stinkin' cute. They stink and they're cute.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVI4HCyB6UwubXGk1ChP7DX7P5WNi49Hm9b9TYvElRre8Zkl8JH0PtpfODmFyzxKg_JfKRcQlnwJRungBl_CRwwauj_r0sMVd4SdgLsfgxR8INebAKiiv0JS5iisRrSRWg4dTE-nQcLJc/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyVI4HCyB6UwubXGk1ChP7DX7P5WNi49Hm9b9TYvElRre8Zkl8JH0PtpfODmFyzxKg_JfKRcQlnwJRungBl_CRwwauj_r0sMVd4SdgLsfgxR8INebAKiiv0JS5iisRrSRWg4dTE-nQcLJc/s320/009.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They enjoy each other's company.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TyWhLPnsnzNJEwOrKkuBKZAOk1FtS5OHJrdyh4T8yQ1xeSTgmIV5dIjzv3Qw81ipnWlcqNmB-mhYE8ZOzgh9ZjL324VoW-hBwRyy78NFGXWbIFhGhbEF1duSnc7HruHrpabhGFl7AFr9/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TyWhLPnsnzNJEwOrKkuBKZAOk1FtS5OHJrdyh4T8yQ1xeSTgmIV5dIjzv3Qw81ipnWlcqNmB-mhYE8ZOzgh9ZjL324VoW-hBwRyy78NFGXWbIFhGhbEF1duSnc7HruHrpabhGFl7AFr9/s320/012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They love doing this!<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsKwDNCCohjl7pmgn57rnxQAuLDM-QYcXJYzFZGDESh_60Gw1Zj0GP0a40W8GmFIHASvvAnYZEvMPZ-XBI-KS49IcZOQuSDcccTszRl7_IRGLs1C7iUaYnGCkFOv0syLiyY9jk89KdqDb/s1600/013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsKwDNCCohjl7pmgn57rnxQAuLDM-QYcXJYzFZGDESh_60Gw1Zj0GP0a40W8GmFIHASvvAnYZEvMPZ-XBI-KS49IcZOQuSDcccTszRl7_IRGLs1C7iUaYnGCkFOv0syLiyY9jk89KdqDb/s320/013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pigs will be pigs.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-26367221741334488882012-08-07T16:27:00.001-04:002012-08-07T16:29:14.966-04:00Falling in love, again and again.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMn-Irc6Aq2nW43n3w9M09wvKOnHvI1SYWkfZrk5-xrvCoAx8X1mS8ZChoUoHPewt-Rr83er6pAVCFUcTZtF_esM7wzpi0-HoRJVW_Pe07_e4bmFZ1yy5A480genb0IXlRIpkgUy6_NwY/s1600/262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzMn-Irc6Aq2nW43n3w9M09wvKOnHvI1SYWkfZrk5-xrvCoAx8X1mS8ZChoUoHPewt-Rr83er6pAVCFUcTZtF_esM7wzpi0-HoRJVW_Pe07_e4bmFZ1yy5A480genb0IXlRIpkgUy6_NwY/s320/262.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
If you've ever read "<i>The Velveteen Rabbit</i>" by Margery Williams, you'll recognize the nickname for gentleman in the photo above: the Skin Horse. Partly because of how 'real' he is, and partly because of his color: Buckskin, is how the nickname came about. <br />
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He's not mine, no. But I love him like he is. This mature and gentle being belongs to my mom. His name is Spencer.<br />
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25 years ago, he looked like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDI_gKedLgVZBQoLqRytjl-dKtaSznmA8EzJg4lKCUGRQEvrdZSqnHDUPfpgfCmPEA93lNz4OIkBUhnPDY5vOfCQ9qvCMyoUKsgfd1lZCuKDuazWohEkMmR7kRBYvWZbeCyJyANlHS-h0S/s1600/Spencer+1987+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDI_gKedLgVZBQoLqRytjl-dKtaSznmA8EzJg4lKCUGRQEvrdZSqnHDUPfpgfCmPEA93lNz4OIkBUhnPDY5vOfCQ9qvCMyoUKsgfd1lZCuKDuazWohEkMmR7kRBYvWZbeCyJyANlHS-h0S/s320/Spencer+1987+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
His mom's name was J.B. and I would lounge on her uncomfortable back for as long as Lori would let me, just to bury my hands in that mane, lean close to her neck and smell that lovely scent of dirt, and "horse," which is an unforgettable smell. <br />
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His dad was named Diamond Eyes, a well known APHA (American Paint Horse Association) sire and Halter Performance horse:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhfMivefxwBC-mztCb9ppvsUV60rrgNt-TNXDKlckd1y6T99gkgXpW3SUWlioeXIGOnU6GfXpJf2LACumUcGiVI-ZxF5XgPnU8i13KtO-UZwNzI0yuE7E5bA5JqdM0OHFB_KXB9mgZlGZ/s1600/DiamondEyes+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhfMivefxwBC-mztCb9ppvsUV60rrgNt-TNXDKlckd1y6T99gkgXpW3SUWlioeXIGOnU6GfXpJf2LACumUcGiVI-ZxF5XgPnU8i13KtO-UZwNzI0yuE7E5bA5JqdM0OHFB_KXB9mgZlGZ/s320/DiamondEyes+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When he was born, he didn't have any white markings on him, so the breeder put him up for sale immediately. In the mid-to late-eighties paint horses were all the rage, and the more white coloring they had, the better. According to the show circuit anyway. </div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>The Skin Horse had lived longer in the nursery than any of the others. He was so old that his brown coat was bald in patches and showed the seams underneath, and most of the hairs in his tail had been pulled out to string bead necklaces. He was wise, for he had seen a long succession of mechanical toys arrive to boast and swagger, and by-and-by break their mainsprings and pass away, and he knew that they were only toys, and would never turn into anything else. For nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it.</i></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpXPetYH1KQajeJ4q5Ho3QRNoEYhAmJAuA6OY2CL0Lano5-QNln1-OTPJ9Iwqe6hYlJ2zXf-XHgztXqaDgfxWFkqLqnfc7V3qoXRyxomzfIi0QDJV8uq6hsNT_W9XLbyqkJf_eYa2dywr/s1600/skin+horse+pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpXPetYH1KQajeJ4q5Ho3QRNoEYhAmJAuA6OY2CL0Lano5-QNln1-OTPJ9Iwqe6hYlJ2zXf-XHgztXqaDgfxWFkqLqnfc7V3qoXRyxomzfIi0QDJV8uq6hsNT_W9XLbyqkJf_eYa2dywr/s320/skin+horse+pic+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"</i></blockquote>
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<i>"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."</i></blockquote>
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<i>"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.</i></blockquote>
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<i>"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."</i></blockquote>
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<i>"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"</i></blockquote>
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<i>"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."</i></blockquote>
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<i>"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.</i></blockquote>
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<i>"The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."</i></blockquote>
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<i>The Rabbit sighed. He thought it would be a long time before this magic called Real happened to him. He longed to become Real, to know what it felt like; and yet the idea of growing shabby and losing his eyes and whiskers was rather sad. He wished that he could become it without these uncomfortable things happening to him. </i></blockquote>
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In late November of 2009, Spencer, along with April, came all the way from southern California to North Carolina to live at Hope Farms. Since then, I have fallen in love, again and again with the Skin Horse. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2byGUaIoGBA-mEcbcn1Ym5cgav2_-eXvwtHLbu8_WuMIfvlx0X6Uez5q99hvlmKSUIRcRdWz1nMlQMYKAhGZ4E_0__RT-wxRsRlIhfCzg4nHBlF5sifxO7_0gN7ZuDa-g_9Lpw-EZLq3/s1600/259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU2byGUaIoGBA-mEcbcn1Ym5cgav2_-eXvwtHLbu8_WuMIfvlx0X6Uez5q99hvlmKSUIRcRdWz1nMlQMYKAhGZ4E_0__RT-wxRsRlIhfCzg4nHBlF5sifxO7_0gN7ZuDa-g_9Lpw-EZLq3/s320/259.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lately, he's been known to teach me a thing or three, especially about trust, and every time I am around him I feel more comfortable in my own skin. </div>
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At 25, and being from California, he doesn't keep his "topline," meaning, the roundness of a younger, more fit horse and I worry about him keeping his weight on, especially in the summer time. The humidity of these NC summers are difficult for him, but I'm hoping that he adapts more and more every year. </div>
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I no longer think of 25 as being "old" for a horse. He has <i>become</i>. And he's helping me to do the same.</div>
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Thanks for sharing him, Mom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKkpY7m3ZCsJLTpQHErB4TvT2q1R8UqylHXx4lda1o-s3ZXNpwAWJpaPnzDly4fx0UfiKcI5nVC0kPa8g98J5dkWs3NbEIX0UZeJwE5rHW1sA6q1JzFU1E7ehP2ewKoxFznsxe7Z8RD7i/s1600/12835_1193589439998_1313747_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKkpY7m3ZCsJLTpQHErB4TvT2q1R8UqylHXx4lda1o-s3ZXNpwAWJpaPnzDly4fx0UfiKcI5nVC0kPa8g98J5dkWs3NbEIX0UZeJwE5rHW1sA6q1JzFU1E7ehP2ewKoxFznsxe7Z8RD7i/s320/12835_1193589439998_1313747_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-74222440156268536142012-07-19T00:26:00.000-04:002012-07-19T00:26:29.321-04:00Thankful Thursday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEH273DAyZRLvtyvm92XTCxBa_AJnNCM-lqEyjJp7OydfshPSA7xT6U7-vd16zBbBp70JLosAUApl6Zn9OvajxwZi1xtXAYZtdc7QwJnsN3QU8GZH1hyFK8lPebOJqyjq4vYLfwhE4daM/s1600/037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQEH273DAyZRLvtyvm92XTCxBa_AJnNCM-lqEyjJp7OydfshPSA7xT6U7-vd16zBbBp70JLosAUApl6Zn9OvajxwZi1xtXAYZtdc7QwJnsN3QU8GZH1hyFK8lPebOJqyjq4vYLfwhE4daM/s320/037.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I find lately that I'm overwhelmed with gratefulness. For instance, I've been blessed by the presence of this pony, April, for over 30 years. There just aren't many things that compare to walking up to the barn in the morning to find a cute little old lady that isn't quite awake yet....</div>
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And these....</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWn8EuIm41TSyJyqecZTneUuknJmLee5_2QjVYORD0G-zC5IAaH2nAodGn13zrR9Y2ul6CHJ5lz5zSFmXughV6C6i6g5GvvmMihW1omryr4dpA9LNa2fqaxbDGvswFwqWA8AVQMRHxqKT/s1600/039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWn8EuIm41TSyJyqecZTneUuknJmLee5_2QjVYORD0G-zC5IAaH2nAodGn13zrR9Y2ul6CHJ5lz5zSFmXughV6C6i6g5GvvmMihW1omryr4dpA9LNa2fqaxbDGvswFwqWA8AVQMRHxqKT/s320/039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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They'll make you smile on the worst day...</div>
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and grin like a fool any day...</div>
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Spaces created out of function, still create more beauty...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0437OGYxV0-pR64e2I1t-VgOJ7Lao-ImAMKDOCGyjb4W5ouyfY1FhZZK9ZwLT0QJgoT8MZMffb0z7GocpEh5f93tCLpktDfJGvpttemtYeWZr6C-NhnHrTFeZFUGZhZF3cLGIF54HcjGZ/s1600/110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0437OGYxV0-pR64e2I1t-VgOJ7Lao-ImAMKDOCGyjb4W5ouyfY1FhZZK9ZwLT0QJgoT8MZMffb0z7GocpEh5f93tCLpktDfJGvpttemtYeWZr6C-NhnHrTFeZFUGZhZF3cLGIF54HcjGZ/s320/110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is hereby dubbed "Wit's End" - have a seat.</div>
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Stay a while.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozfrJ3eKrtJLldlgYlKUvMBGmV8DyTYnpmAhyphenhyphenDIt79h05qLsuvJLkm3NKhiuPGgDiEvS9uqexnX-mgfHGFS_H6nT79-7Z8QNj8SaZ0BbYjg1jtGaUv9hsN3EBc-QJLYjhyY6LbSl1a55M/s1600/113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozfrJ3eKrtJLldlgYlKUvMBGmV8DyTYnpmAhyphenhyphenDIt79h05qLsuvJLkm3NKhiuPGgDiEvS9uqexnX-mgfHGFS_H6nT79-7Z8QNj8SaZ0BbYjg1jtGaUv9hsN3EBc-QJLYjhyY6LbSl1a55M/s320/113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Can you imagine?</div>
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This being your "office"?</div>
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What a grand view.</div>
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"Work" would not seem like "work"....it takes on a whole new meaning.</div>
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Thankful Thursdays. Thanks for stopping by.</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-20987870390141681292012-07-09T08:02:00.001-04:002012-07-12T22:09:29.148-04:00Manic Monday...or not.<br />
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and then,...<br />
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I'm going to "work"! Have a great day everyone!</div>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-26847659565372013292012-07-07T14:07:00.002-04:002012-07-07T14:07:49.146-04:00Speechless Saturday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Summer is here. Enjoy!<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-9988474100149157062012-06-18T23:21:00.000-04:002012-06-18T23:21:02.904-04:00as you were<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After agonizing over the decision for the last month; I have decided to offer Lanie up for sale to the right person. Without going into every useless detail, I think it is the right thing to do. Kick, or no kick. <br />
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She stands around with not much to do and while that's OK for the retired folk (Spencer and April) it's not really fair to her. School, Work, Farm, Family - things have to give here and there, and I'd rather experience the heartbreak of seeing her go with a new human than experience the heartbreak of her sitting idle.<br />
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Someone came to look at her last week, and while I was torn emotionally about the prospect of selling her - I noticed one really important aspect. She has come a long way in 2 years. She is more responsive, flexible, respectful and easy to handle. She doesn't push, pull and bulldoze her way through you. Eager to please, she's in the prime of her life - and she needs a 'job'. <br />
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This lovin' horses isn't always easy, folks.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-31959811518929988652012-05-07T15:12:00.002-04:002012-05-07T15:13:50.169-04:00a girl and her horse begin again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Almost five months ago, I was not "present," while feeding my horse, thinking about other things, and talking to my husband while mindlessly touching her hip, I bumped into her with the hay cart (it was dark, and way past normal feeding time) and suffered not only the physical kick from a horse, but a devastating blow to my ego, as well. In all of my years of caring for and riding horses I have <i>never</i> been kicked like that. Matter of fact, come to think of it, I have never been kicked. I've been stepped on, squished between a horse and a barn door, bucked off, thrown forward clinging-to-the-neck-of-a-crazy-Arabian and had some other sometimes scary, sometimes funny, close calls. <br />
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I thought my leg was broken. And I also thought I was going to be able to go to work on Monday. Not-so-much on either thought. What did happen, though, was that I received a kick from the left hind hoof of a Haflinger mare who is a suspected "fear-kicker" - meaning - it's her 'knee-jerk' reaction to something that frightens her. I've now had the opportunity to think about how dedication to horses and a serious injury can make a girl rethink her ability and comfort level around horses. So, for as long as I've been healing, Lanie, the Haflinger, has been living a somewhat neglected life. Most of that neglect stems from being in school with 18 units this last semester (which is over, tomorrow!) and not because of the kick, but it does have something to do with my less-than-motivated self when it comes to working with her. Working 35 hours a week probably has something to do with less hands-on, too.<br />
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Don't get me wrong, she has everything she needs; hay, water, salt, treats (carrots, apples) and exercise, access to pasture (supervised - she IS a Haflinger...they are also known as Fatlingers...) and grooming. But.<br />
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I feel like have I let her down, as much as she let me down. Let me explain: when a horse bonds to a human, they cannot eliminate their instincts, some of which are stronger in some horses than others. They can control them, depending on the horse and the situation, but there will always be a flight or fight instinct within a horse - always. And when a horse injures their human in this way, it is - to the human - a strange form of betrayal in a sense. What has been interesting, in a strange and heartbreaking way, is that she seems like she got <i>her</i> feelings hurt, too. It's almost as if she knows that what she did was wrong, and that it has caused a rift between us. She has become somewhat aggressive and pushy, yet fearful underneath those two symptoms. I can't yet walk directly behind her. Picking up her hind feet is a huge accomplishment for me - all the while my heart is pounding and my stomach sucked up in fear. That pain won't soon be forgotten.<br />
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Catching my breath, at first there came no sound. The thoughts that raced blindly through my mind went something like this; mud, my new scarf is dirty, she kicked me!, oh f@#$ my leg is broken........how did I get way over here? and then I wailed as the pain seared like a hot branding iron from my thigh all the way through my entire body, immobilizing me.<br />
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It's a good thing that Captain StrongArms was there; or I might <i>still</i> be there trying to pick myself up off the ground. I was paralyzed by the pain, a feeling that was possibly like eating lightning with extra hot sauce. When I finally saw a physician, seven days later (yes, I'm <i>that</i> stubborn), it was explained to me that I would need: a) to rest, rest, rest and be on crutches b) to NOT take ibuprofen, which was actually hindering the healing process c) to watch for symptoms of blood clots. There was no break, according to the x-ray, but as further explained, a large muscle injury (there is a 1/4 hoof print just above half-way above the middle of my outside left thigh) can sometimes be worse. There was a danger of calcium build-up, fluid build-up under the muscle tissue (hematoma) and so forth. Never mind all the things I couldn't do whilst hobbling to and fro.<br />
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As a part of the follow-up, I saw an orthopedic specialist because four weeks later, I was still in a great deal of pain, and so this doctor explained to me that a break would have actually been less painful than what I was dealing with and it would take a year to fully heal. A <i>year</i>? As in twelve months? I wasn't sure I could take my husbands comments about having a farmer's limp for that long....<br />
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As I said, it has been nearly five months and I don't limp any more, but my heart is still a bit broken for having lost that unspoken, beautiful, taken-for-granted trust that was there between myself and this stunningly gorgeous animal. Like my leg, this relationship will take time to heal. Maybe it will take a year.<br />
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I am grateful to be able to put my own socks and shoes on. I can climb stairs without pausing to remember which leg needs to go first. While there is still tenderness within and an external numbness, and a literal indention, the reminder is this: healing takes time. On the outside<i> and</i> the inside. <br />
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As the old saying goes, if you fall off your horse you get right back on. Well, it took me four months, but I did get back on. Because my left leg is the 'mounting' leg, I was worried about the lack of strength, but once I put my foot in the stirrup, I didn't look back. It's a strange parallel to me that I was even anxious once in the saddle, even though I've not had a negative experience with her from that perspective; it just tells me that my relationship with horses is WHOLE. One experience translates through all prior experiences, and becomes current perspective. <br />
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While it might be easy to think, for someone else, of selling the horse, it is unthinkable to me on many levels. Some are sentimental reasons, some are stubborn reasons, and some are truth-seeking and challenging reasons. <br />
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Now that this semester of school is over and summer is nearly here, let the healing begin.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-3879141908785402662012-04-30T09:18:00.000-04:002012-04-30T09:18:39.888-04:00<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Thought for the day:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">"Speaking from a place of criticism, comparison, false appeasement, and fear leads to living inauthentically, which translates in to low satisfaction and high frustration levels."</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> - Terri Cole</span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-15439883263419534802012-03-02T23:14:00.000-05:002012-03-02T23:14:43.448-05:00Dear Blog:<br />
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You are the only one I can neglect for months at a time without nary a complaint. You wait patiently for me to quit wasting time on Pinterest and <strike>Facebook</strike> educational sites and come back to you. While you proudly display the blog-posts of yester-month, I go on about my days one after another without too much guilt because I know you have <strike>no choice</strike> been loyal. For that I thank you, oh, dearest Blog.<br />
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Now if you could operate a coffee-maker, we might see one another more often. <br />
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I bid you adieu, and farewell, until next time, sweet Blog.<br />
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Don't wait up.<br />
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Love,<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-85375061499463887672011-12-12T23:56:00.000-05:002011-12-12T23:56:24.047-05:00gah! finals!<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today was the last day of the semester. I have officially completed 35 units since beginning in January. Tomorrow, I will laugh at my textbooks. And then post a 'for sale' ad in hopes that someone will buy them. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hopefully we'll get around to decorating our "outback" Christmas tree by the weekend. The wee one, who isn't really so 'wee' anymore, is really looking forward to it. He's going to be in a Christmas play at one of the local churches this year and has enjoyed his weekly practice of singing. It's the cutest thing. Darn. It makes me want to freeze time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kindergarten is going really well for him, except for the 2 colds, 1 round of flu and 2 rounds of a stomach bug he's had thus far. And his "year" of school is not even half-over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The greenhouse is up, the pig had her piglets and winter is here on the farm. More updates later. I'm going to go read........a NOVEL! Or,...a NEWSPAPER!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tomorrow: beef stew with vegetables all brought to us by local or homegrown/home-preserved foods cooked right here on the wood-cook-stove.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-image: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7741973093767105763.post-19705028804596731962011-10-13T10:20:00.000-04:002011-10-13T10:20:01.288-04:00This Inconsistent LifeI've been given a warning; the blog-police have issued an invalid citation of bored-blog-syndrome and I must rectify the situation before it becomes contagious. <br />
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Admittedly, I've never been consistent with blogging. Or dishes. Or laundry. Or anything, for that matter. I'm very spontaneous, always late, sometimes a know-it-all and always me. So, when it comes to blogging, you can always expect the unexpected. I won't win any blog-awards. I'm okay with that, too. <br />
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This last year started in January with me going back to school at a local community college to finish my associates degree and while I thought it would be easy - it has proven me wrong. What it has done, though, is taught me a little bit more about myself. I've learned that I work well under pressure. I can meet scholastic deadlines and while not the best at it, still be a farmhousewife. So far, I've managed to stay a straight "A" student. I'd like to keep it that way.<br />
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Also in my other pocket of busy-ness is the volunteering I do with the Montgomery County Farmers' Market. Formed in February of this year, a group of committed and like-minded individuals came together and moved forward with a Farmers' Market. On a weekly basis, we all pack up our goods, meet at the designated location, and put on our tables the heart and souls worth of our life-work. Sometimes we make a few dollars, sometimes we don't. There are some days when we actually lose money. Nevertheless, it has been a most rewarding venture, one which I'd like to continue and mostly because of the nicest people I've come to know and love. <br />
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Rounding up the inconsistencies of life, this last summer, my husband grew very ill. While we never did find the cause and aren't likely to, the most important thing is that he's getting better now. Life is precious, and we must live in the "now" in order to truly and fully "live." <br />
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Aligned with the theory that life is precious and we must live in the "now" - I and my family mourn the passing of a friend, Vickie Parsons Hayden, and grieve for the family she left behind. The sparkle in her eye and her dazzling smile told me that she lived life, not for then or later but here, and now - in this moment. And so, in her honor I will carry flashy pocket-books, wear my useless high heels and sometimes curl my hair and put make-up on for no reason. <br />
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And today, I will not worry about whether or not I can keep up with three blogs, a farmhouse, full-time school, a six-year old and a husband. I will not worry about how to spend the paycheck from my twice-a-week part-time job or the past-due electric bill. I'm going to soak up the colors of the changing leaves. I'm going to go to math class and learn square roots. I'm going to see my friends and fellow vendors at the farmers' market and then come home to a sink full of dishes and be grateful that what I have is now.<br />
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Life is inconsistent. I'm going to embrace it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">/<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO809VxPabEbmBXhgRRQik039bT7MfOMOwMMLG0ckTcJElMXdEex9f6EC7pUD7hhXH8STqF1mLGwonff6SpNqOEcWmUxLwsWNCdppHVugr8mEOyvOp8fUY78QTyCnvtm5S3F2ejDcHR7z/s1600/083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO809VxPabEbmBXhgRRQik039bT7MfOMOwMMLG0ckTcJElMXdEex9f6EC7pUD7hhXH8STqF1mLGwonff6SpNqOEcWmUxLwsWNCdppHVugr8mEOyvOp8fUY78QTyCnvtm5S3F2ejDcHR7z/s320/083.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Loving and Vivid Memory of Vickie Parsons Hayden<br />
9/27/66 to 10/9/11<br />
23rd Psalm<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="104" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85885/hopefarms/73f6933348c31fefdaf4b6c43521bb7e.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" width="320" /></a>wtf-eryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00231580777535789901noreply@blogger.com3