Grind Update

Chores done this morning, worked on phones, Kylie did school. Ready to go to feed store now and be back to do stalls.

Trying to keep up the steam. 

Back to the Grind

I had a good day today and it was relaxed. Drove Big Red and Dave stopped by to work things out with Kylie. The furnace is switched and working and I bathed the neighbor's dog. My brother and I finished stalls and he went home.

Tomorrow though it is back to business and trying to keep a better schedule. Kylie must do school work and I must work on phones and stay work on doing stalls in the earlier part of the day.

I am going to shoot for a good night's sleep and that will make all the difference. 

Conquering the Frozen Barn Door!

I Found Chips.... but where's the Dip?

Micah Napping

Emmie Sleeping in her Hay Nest

Completing One's Self

Last night my life changed again and many things came full circle. I can't blog about what or why but I am at total peace with myself.

Today was sort of a slow relaxed day with plenty of contemplations.

My truck needed charged because I left the lights on and then I finally made it to the feed store. The furnace got changed out in the block building and the hook up should be complete tomorrow.

Stalls are done and I'm ready for a nap. There's housework to be done but it will have to wait. I am going to rest on the couch and enjoy my puppies snuggles!

Dusti Napping!

Feather Snout

Below is a picture of Daniel with a Parrotlet feather stuck to his nose. He was sniffing out discarded bird treats and managed to attach a feather to himself!

To quiet, no chaos, I'm bored....

I took yet another nap today and relished it. Made some phone calls and laundry. I took Kylie to pick up her new glasses and bought a few groceries. I picked up oil for the tractor and put it in so we could run it safely and spread the manure.

It was fun turning the key and having the tractor start, I love driving Big Red and I think I made it into fourth gear and I was really cruising through the pasture. I found the reverse gear on the gear shift so I don't have to change from forward to reverse using the bar on the floor by the clutch.

We did stalls around 5:00 and finished quickly. The two dogs came in for boarding this evening and will be here for a week. It will take a day for them to settle in but they have been here before and it will all work out.

I'm sitting here listening to music and trying to convince myself to vacuum. We have four dogs so it is a good idea to vacuum once a day as a rule. I'm sleepy and I almost feel lazy and I just want to veg. I'm not much for watching TV so I am tired but restless. I'm tired of the cold weather and the early darkness. I always kind of slow down this time of year because I'm ready for a break and some warmth outside.

I have a while to wait for better daylight and temperatures so I guess I will have to make the best of it. Soon I'll be complaining about being hot and the dang grass growing too fast and mowing. Flies can't forget about those flies when the heat comes and with horses and manure. Wow, that is a revelation! 

Tractor Fun

Make Shift Ignition!

He leadeth me beside still waters

I'm still caring around some anxiety about the fall out from yesterday. I felt tired again like I was still sick which I believe is just a reaction to yesterday's stresses.

I laid low today did a little work on the phones and took two naps. I roused around six this evening to feed horses and clean stalls. The manure spreader is full so we will have to empty it tomorrow.

Griff fixed the ignition on Big Red this evening which is very exciting. I can now turn the key and start the engine without fussing with wires. He has to put hydraulic fluid in it tomorrow and I can hook up the wagon and go. I'm so very happy to get to this point because it is so much simpler.

Tomorrow we will have two dogs boarded again till Monday so I plan on resting as much tonight as I can.

One significant thing stands out from yesterday though and it was the comment Dan the furnace repair friend I have said. Dan said he had never had to repair the copper pipes on a radiator because usually when one bursts it happens when people are gone for a few days and the house floods and everything must replaced costing thousands of dollars. Now... I was in my room across from where this pipe is and I stood up opened the door and heard the noise and water started to gush. I was heading to the barn which I would have been gone an hour or two at least. Imagine the water damage and possibly an electrical issue because it was coming out where the electronic stuff was on the floor and the dogs could have been injured.

Five minutes... I would have been gone and came back to a huge mess. He leadeth me beside the still waters - the pipe would burst that was a definite but when it happened and how it happened therein lies the blessing. 

Caught up on sleep trying to log in work glad all is well so far

Day from hell continued - an update

The Culprit 

Lets see, flood in living room, septic pump alarm sounds, then crisis intervention between Kylie and her dad.

Dan came and fixed the busted pipe and we have heat in the living room where we only had heat from the fire all this time. We did have heat in the rest of the house though. Yet another mess created by the previous owners that wasn't fixed properly or disclosed.

While helping Dan with the repairs, Kylie and her dad have a spat and he leaves.... lovely.

Kylie is all emotional at midnight and I must use a key on the radiators to bleed them of air pockets every half hour or so till the waterfall sound stops in the radiators.

I'm tired and my head hurts. Indeed I will be happy to move on into February as soon as possible and leave January in the dust. 

Just shoot me now or.... dogged determination that is the question

January... oh curse you January. Within seven days we have had a gas line failure, a carbon monoxide issue, a compression fitting failure and a pipe break on the radiator heat source in the living room. The water gushing like a river across the living room floor was today.

I was calm through all of this except for today. I am trying to work and trying to keep things going here with the barn and the business I run. Money is tight, and the winter is cold. (Whining and whining more, sorry)

On the other hand, I am finding that many people I call on the phone have a loved one or they themselves have cancer. I have a friend who just lost her husband a month after they found he had cancer and a client who's family member just got diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. I am in very good health except for weight I feel really good.

My animals are all healthy, I am not alone I have a beautiful daughter. I believe in God and that He loves me and helps me every step of the way.

Relationships are healing with my dad and Kylie's dad. We have enough to eat, we have heat, and a wonderful fireplace to boot.

We have enough food for the animals and sawdust too. We have good friends and good Samaritans. I am happy and not bitter and I don't feel old and most of the time I don't feel helpless. I have a huge red tractor and a yellow truck with four wheel drive. My other house is rented and is fine. I have two ancient oak trees that I have been honored with on this property. I love trees they have character.

An uneducated, illegitimate child once thought of as possibly mentally impaired because of neglect and abuse after birth who grew up in a trailer park by the river in WV in poverty. Abandoned by parents and later after my adopted mother passed, abandoned by her family. But... I am still climbing the mountain. I may loose steam now and again like today. I might want to throw myself down and just kick and scream with fear and frustration but I won't give up. I'll praise the good Lord today for all that he has given me and the people and situations that he has blessed me with.

I'll keep my eyes upward and onward till my journey's end. I'll raise my daughter and see her off to be a fine young woman. I'll care for this place till one day it will be hers. I love my animals and enjoy them. I'll thank God and Love Him back. 

Stretch, Brrrr, and Yawn

My title describes how I feel sitting on the couch with my dogs watching a raging fire in the fire place tonight. A fire which I plan to keep going till tomorrow and started last night.

My dad came this morning and picked up his dogs and visited with me and I saw my brother who I had not seen for about ten years. I worked on the phones and quit to go to the feed store and then to get some groceries.

I came back to jump on the phones again and of course things start to happen. First, the dog food bag broke in the driveway when my brother Greg tried to bring it in and then he got sick and was making a real fuss.

Next, the water pressure is low and we discover a fitting has separated in the block building and we manage to shut the water off and fix it. I did get some calls in but it wasn't easy.

Of course in the midsts of this the horses must be fed and while I am completing that process I get a phone call. It is a neighbor calling who would like to share some pie with us. My brother left and came back for his glasses and then Kylie and I went into the house. We then had pie with the neighbor... banana cream pie and watched some TV,

I am glad to be alone now and have things quiet on this freezing night with my fire and my warm dogs and my cozy house and my sometimes nice teenager daughter and I almost forgot.... Nana especially when she is asleep. With all that said, tomorrow is Monday and the week begins again (as if I had to say it). I really wish to hibernate for a few weeks until the sun shines warmer and a little longer. Yawn.....  

When you plan a day and it goes all wrong

My plans for today were more ambitious but less successful in completing tasks. Errands took longer then expected, time was wasted and unexpected delays occurred.

I was thinking tonight the barn would be freezing but I just came in from closing it down for the night and it was pretty cozy.

I am hoping tomorrow's schedule and tasks go smoother. The furnace in the block building may get switched tomorrow if all goes well. I am sending my brother to the feed store while I work on the phones some. The housework is caught up and maybe tomorrow evening will be a time to rest we will see.

I am trying to nurse a fire in the fireplace but it is not very lively. Everyone else has crashed I think for the night. I will be heading off to bed myself shortly. 

Marathon Day Again... Made it and more Contemplations

Started before 8:00 this morning with chores, did phone work and then computer work. Cleaned the house some, dishes, and laundry.

Back to the barn to fire up Big Red and hook up the spreader and drive it out to pasture. Afterwards, stall cleaning in fast forward. A quick something to eat and back on the phones. Last feeding time for horses and here I am in my cozy house and PJ's surfing the net.

My brother is snoring on the couch, Kylie is in bed, and the dogs are at my feet waiting for me to go to bed.

I'm unwinding a little and thinking about tomorrow when I will get up and start over. I will work during the day but be able to have my late afternoon and evening free.

The new farm sitting gig went well and it will be a regular occurrence. I like having regular clients who need me a few times a month. It is less sporadic than random calls or scattered sitting jobs. I meet very interesting animals and their people in the work I do now. It was fun meeting people in banking but it is I am afraid to say, more exciting doing what I do now.

I believe I work harder now but I like it more. It is more physical labor, it takes planning, making business decisions, and paperwork to accomplish things in what I do now. It is healthier because I am in fresh air and not confined to an enclosure with artificial air circulation. I am not forced to sit in one place for long periods of time and I am not restricted to set hours and location. I have stress about finances but I feel I do have some control in that department and feel I need less and can do more with what I have already.

I believe time is of more value than money. Money is necessary but time is the true luxury. The drive to acquire more money and more things is paid for with our precious time. Like a water jug in the desert, the precious water that represents our time, once poured over the hot sands, evaporates and is lost. No matter how fancy the jug is or how much it costs it has no value if it has no water left to quench your thirst.

I'm not seeing any thing fancy here, jug or otherwise, but I am not thirsty anymore and I am at ease in my own skin. I am genuinely happy. 

Enjoying the Eclectic Music on my Blog

Loving the player on my blog just now. Updated the look of it a bit to give it a nicer polished look. I suppose I should make it look more primitive but I like the darker colors and the layout. Getting on nicely working on the phones now that I don't feel like death warmed over.

A very good friend forced me to see a doctor earlier this week and get some antibiotics. He paid for the visit and I so appreciate the kindness. I work very hard here at the farm and on my business plus working part time and it is not an option to purchase health insurance right now. So, I am very grateful that I am healthy for my age and am not on numerous medications at the grand old age of 45. Aside from the occasional sinus infection I usually don't frequent a doctor's office more than once a year for a checkup. I know many people are not as fortunate in this country or the world and I hope someday everyone will be able to go to the doctor or afford the medicine they need without being judged as asking for a hand out or something. I usually don't get political but I think it is a fair statement that things could improve for everyone in the area of affordable health care.

Today will be a tractor day cause I have to empty the spreader. It is a nice day to do it because we have a little sunshine but the temps are still low. Time I think for some lunch and then off to work on this farm.  

Official Farmer Magazine

I found this in my mailbox today and I am very proud to say that it was addressed to me and Kindred Acres Farm. It is official that I am a farmer because I get all the good magazines to read and they look very farmy... wouldn't you agree!

Emmie helps train Echo

We see Emmie here demonstrating for Echo how to properly deal with a lunge whip. After she settled down she was able to walk over the pvc, stand with two paws over, and back up over the pvc. Echo took notes and will try harder next time.

A better litter box

Emmie admires the world's largest litter box.

Lets try starting it!

Horses with too much time on their hands will find a way to get into trouble. Here we have Preacher and Echo trying to crack the Russian Tractors ignition problem. They have not figured out how to hotwire it yet....

Working n blogging

Here I am blogging from my phone now

Back to Self

I have been busy and a lot has happened these past few days. I also had to get a bad sinus infection in the middle of it all just for fun. So, here I am feeling better and ready for more new adventures on the farm and off. I hope the world is ready for a recharged me... ready or not here I come.

I can also blog from my iphone now which should make things more interesting.

Oh No.... To busy to blog...

Working hours on phone and finishing my first week of school. I might have to let the school go after this class because I know I can't do it all and the farm is my future. We still have chihuahuas in the basement and I am dog sitting for the neighbor. Micah is very excited about this doggie visitor as she is a girl dog. Her name is Marley and she used to be right next to us at our old house and Micah would stand and look over into her yard but since both my neighbor and myself had in ground fencing never the twain have met.

Micah would look longingly in her direction but nothing could come of this long distance across the yard romance until now. The two are now sharing the same household and since all four of my dogs are neutered males they were all taking a step back when Marley came over last night. You would think she had always been here and the boys have been gracious to her but Micah is much happier as he tends to have a sulky look because he likes being taken seriously because he is next in line to be pack leader should I come to an untimely end.

Marley has a little candy cane scarf on and has a bed her owner brought over and is happy all of the time and wags her tail non stop. She has hit Micah in the face and eyes a lot today and he stands and just takes it without as much as a grrr.

When Marley leaves next weekend, we get Monty who is a great dog but clashes with Micah so he will be kept mostly by himself in the kennel in the block building. Oh, did I mention that Marley really likes Micah too and the two of them sort of rub faces together Ahhhh,,,

Today I sucked it up and cranked up Big Red. We managed to get the manure spreader out of the barn, spread the manure and put it back in. The manure was smoking because of hay and very wet shavings and I was thinking it would be best to move it instead of waiting for a man to do it. I had fun driving Big Red and it is easier than last time and I even backed it for the first time which is easy except for it has a lever you have to maneuver to switch to reverse and the gears are strange on the stick shift. The thing has six gears and can travel over 30mph and so I have to learn to shift properly as there are many choices.

This week I have a busy schedule with working part time, appointments with clients, and dog sitting. I'm not sure I'll blog every night but be sure there will plenty of action around here whether I blog or not!

My Bankers Tude, Emmie has a new job and more today

I ran around some today, cleaned stalls speedy quick and then went in the house to work on the phones. It can be discouraging when you are learning a new job when you are use to be proficient and then starting at the bottom at something. I decided to just suck it up and put on my old banker attitude and voice, it worked. I should probably say it worked for me and I felt more confident and I got better results.

A huge cup of coffee before starting could have helped the results a little to as I felt more up.

Emmie our barn cat  has decided she likes the heated  block building so we put a litter box, food and water in there. I had an anterior motive because I found mouse pooh in there and I know she will earn her keep.

I shared some pomegranate and blueberry ice cream with Nana (the Cockatoo this evening) she loves ice cream of any flavor. Now I ask you, her blanket is over the cage and I am two rooms away with ice cream and I hear her call for food sharing. Is it possible that a bird can smell ice cream? Only something she really loves would bring her down from her high perch and away from sleep time. Perhaps this is worthy of an experiment. I shall see how she reacts tomorrow night and I will be sneakier this time.

I'm off to bed now, the morning comes around fast. I had a little work to do in the barn tonight after getting off the phone so I am looking forward to catching some z's.

Konichiwa Bitches

Every day amazing things happen here

I have to admit I was plain exhausted from last week so I did chores this morning and took a nap on the couch. I went back to the barn and cleaned stalls and then took another nap. I did have some business to take care of and was feeling stressed about finances which is often the case since we are still in the first year of start up here.

As soon as I stepped out in faith the Lord provided for my need yet again. I know people struggle to believe in God and I admit with science and the knowledge of such a broad universe and beyond I can scare myself when it comes to thinking am I just going to live and then die and there is nothing else. However, there is no denying that there is a realm beyond what is seen and what is tangible. The power of love in each of us and the things that happen in our hearts defy a simple explanation. I live with nature and creatures of all kinds and I see the goodness and beauty in all that surrounds me even though I know that their is a harsh side to nature. My life is sometimes a greater enigma when I think about surviving as a baby before I was given to an almost stranger who happened to be there at the right time.

I can't afford to doubt that He is there, the good Lord. In fact, I know that for some reason He was merciful to me and He has allowed me to live a very fantastic life in ways. I hope and pray when someone has doubts that they can be as a small child as the Bible says and open their hearts and just believe that He is. His love is comforting and safe, in a world where there is so much pain and uncertainty their is hope if we will embrace it because love transcends and really no matter how hard it can be at times knowing that you are loved by God can strengthen and heal us.

The Weekend is Over and the Chaos begins to Wain

Okay, this day I knew would be very long and tiring. I entertained the thought that I could squeeze in a nap but that was purely an unrealistic hope. Chores, Pet sits, dog walking, Kylie's friend, more chores, starting school, and working the evening shift.

I did get to sleep at around 1 last night and got up around 7. I was really tired but rallied and did well with the help of super powered caffeine, I have to admit right now I feel like I am sleeping with my eyes open.

I look forward to tomorrow and working here at home. We need to take our tree down, move the tv back into the living room and get laundry done. I also want to start working on the small bedroom downstairs that can be used for Kylie maybe as a little game/sewing room.

With the exception of the tree and the tv everything can be done gradually during the next few days. I can maybe get a little rest in tomorrow as I need to work tomorrow evening again. I also need to read because Wednesday I have some homework to complete.

I look forward to being in my own bed tonight and snuggling with the puppies.

I Survived the Day and Then Some!

This morning I rolled out of bed and heard the neighbor flying down the driveway while I was drinking my coffee. Kylie got up so she could help cause her friends were supposed to come over later. We fed everyone, took the little dogs out of the basement. Fed the birds, let our dogs out and left the farm for a pet sit.

We picked up breakfast at McDonalds and did the pet sit and went to Tractor Supply. We came back to the farm and I cleaned the basement and blew out the dirt in the block building. My friend Betty and her grandchildren arrived and Shirley came later.

After the company left we again did a pet sit let the little dogs out in the basement and our dogs. We made it back in time to put away groceries which Betty gave us and swept the floor etc. Kylie's friends arrived and I went to clean stalls. My neighbor arrived with a newer smaller furnace he found for the block building. We put it in a corner till it can be installed.

I finished the stalls, went in the house and ordered Pizza for the girls and my neighbor came back over to eat some and play music on the keyboard. We started a fire and it finally took. The thing is with most people and starting a fire is they want to use kerosene or something to ignite it. I lived in England for a year with the only source of heat being a fireplace. Needless to say, I can start a fire the traditional way without any chemicals. I kind of look at is a challenge and an art actually.

The sound volume is much higher in my house with three teenage girls so the neighbor didn't last long before he decided his home was quieter and he liked that idea. The girls fed the horses and later one more pet sit. One girl had to go home early and so after she was picked up off we went to a pet sit and to buy ice cream at Walmart.

On the way back we were pulled over because I went around a car going really slow and swerving. The policeman thought we were coming off 71 from the game. He saw the Walmart bags and asked why I had went around the other car. After he checked my license he let us go because he thought maybe we had come from the game and might have been drinking. I showed him the receipt from Walmart with Oreo cookies, ice cream and Dr. Pepper and he had no doubt as to what we were up to.

We drove home and had the ice cream and fed Satire. The girls are still going strong and the fire is too. I will be sleeping on the sofa tonight where it will be quieter and the fire will be a plus. Tomorrow is two pet sits, some school work and phone work at night. The regular chores in the day time too.

Life is not dull and I enjoy moving around here and there. The dogs are crashed here beside me and it must be exciting for them too. Nanna enjoyed all the company but crashed awhile ago. I'm all sugared up but getting sleepy now.

Sooo Sleepy

This morning I fed the horses and after that it was all a little backwards. I ended up doing some running around when I intended to clean stalls early. Anyway, I learned the best time to go to a thrift shop is New Years. Lots of good stuff.

Found an awesome framed print for a top the fireplace and it's numbered. Anyway, $25 and it's a beautiful scene of water, and stones, trees and mountains. There were plenty of other things I saw that we could use but I have to be cautious with the money.

When I got home we got the stalls cleaned including pony and bits and put everything into the manure spreader that is now inside the barn.

I will have to take a picture of the new painting later because I am so tired. I have pet sits tomorrow an old friend is stopping by and my daughter's friends are coming for a sleepover. That is just what I know of is happening, who knows what else will and I should work on the phones for a couple of hours too. Monday school for me.

Lord help me with the next few months I hope I can keep up!

The rain cleared all the ice and snow off and the ground is pretty muddy now. Nothing like 4 dogs going in and out in the mud and last night it was raining and I let them out in the middle of the night and they were all wet when the came in and I am sure my pj's smell like wet dog now.

Bringing in the New Year with Big Red

The Big Red Russian tractor I bought has a new starter and I got a driving lesson today. This is important because I was afraid of the tractor because it is like a big red beast. I finally drove it today and it was awesome! Easy to handle and this is important because it signifies that anything is possible and I can do!

Starting a New Year boldly is a good thing. 2010 was a very big year for me with my whole life changing in a matter of a few months. This next year will bring me further down the path I chose and will no doubt hold the biggest challenges as well as the greatest of happiness.

Big Red

I had a nice time today earlier with Kylie and Dave and Big Red. I was invited over to my friends the Works for a New Year's party. I left at 9:30 so I could feed Satire and then went to the neighbors house to eat grilled hamburgers. I came home a few minutes after midnight and here I am in my little house with my dogs. Kylie stayed at the Works and will be dropped off soon.

This is the most I have done for New Years in a long time so the new life must be agreeable to me!