Whining Warning

Good morning.  It's a bright and sunny day.  -20 degrees, I really want to complain.  Who do you complain to if you really believe the Lord is in control?  He knows whats best.  I'm ready for some warm weather, though. This gets discouraging.  Even for a Minnesotan.  This month, I think we've had more below zero weather than any other month this winter.  I want spring!!!  Okay I'm done.

The electric fence is down and I get to walk it to find out where before our wandering steer gets to wandering again.  One of our donkeys is having a hard time with her front foot-ice build up- so next I need to get a saw and a hoof pick and try and help her out.  Clean the cow stall, clip the ice off of one of the goat's beards.  Thaw out water buckets and get water to everyone.  If I get the fence working, I'll put out the little steer.  I don't think it's good for him to be in the barn all of the time.

I should grind some flour and get some bread and caramel rolls started.  Get the kids going on their schoolwork, once they come in from chores.  Paint some more in the bathroom.  I'd really like to get it done.  Primer white isn't my favorite color.  Honey wants me to help organize his shop.  Maybe a couple of things a day, until it warms up.  I have taxes to work on.  Not in any hurry for those. 

I am complaining.  I'm sorry.  I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed today.  Thank you for letting me get it out there.  I know that this does not bring glory to God.  Maybe now I can start looking at my blessings.  My wonderful husband, who let me nap yesterday when I should have been getting supper ready.  Bless him.  The wonderful sun, which, even though the thermometer reads CCCOLD, actually has some warmth to it.  Gardening dreams and the ability to put one of my seed orders in today.  The excitement of the farmer's market to come....

Yes, life is good.

From Glory Farm

We have this cow....

We have this cow...

Living  here, we have met so  many nice neighbors.  They help out and it's just like neighbors should be.  One of our new friends raises beef cattle and in December he  had a heifer that looked like she might surprise us with a calf soon.  Because of the weather, we took her over here, he only has loafing sheds and wanted to put her in our barn so that the weather didn't get to her and her "soon to be born" calf.  Well, two months later, you can hear her laugh whenever I go into the barn.  She gets her three meals a day, inside, a pen that is cleaned daily, all of the attention she could want.  She's playing it for all it's worth.  I was ready to get a bull, but yesterday I went out there and I think she might be in the family way.  Her udder had filled out (again) and she was showing  other signs.  So I'm off to the barn to check on her and do chores.  It's still -21 this morning.  I hope she has her calf when it's warmed up some and I can scrape out her frozen pen first.  Don't any of you let your cattle read this, they might get ideas.

From Glory Farm.

Rhonda

 

Music, Music, Music

Life is just rolling along.  It's above zero today and feels balmy at 8 above.  The seasons are changing, even though the temp is cold, it just feels more like spring somehow.  Maybe it's just wishful thinking.  Who cares, as long as it works.

We went on Saturday and got a piano for dd2.  It was free....but it was in a basement.  My honey, bil, a friend and the Lord were able to move it out of the basement and into the back of our truck.  We used something called a piano slide.  It hellped, along with constant prayer.  Dd2 has practiced every night since we brought it home.  Her piano teacher is happy that she finally has a real piano to play.  She was practicing on one of those roll out keyboards.  We're starting to get quite the musical family.  Dd1 plays clarinet and saxophone, dd2 plays trombone, coronet and now piano, ds plays harmonica and is learning violin and piano, dd3 is taking guitar lessons from me, but I haven't been real regular with them.  Lookout Partidge Family.  Now I'm dating myself.

It's too early to start seeds here, but I have my orders made out and I started some lettuce in the house.  I did this last year and we had enough for a few meals.  Just makes me feel better, doing some windowsill gardening.  I took in my rosemary and lavender  last fall and they're still surviving on the windowsill.  They don't winter over up here.

Our business is officially closed.  We are no longer in the trucking business.  Praise God.  What a burden has been lifted off of our shoulders.  We just have to finish up our taxes for '07 and we can be normal people, working for someone else.  My honey is a company driver now and he actually likes not having to be responsible for everything.  God is good, my honey has had another job offer, and is going on an interview this week.  I now can budget because I know where the next paycheck is coming from.  I'm excited to see what God is going to do next.

This is getting long and if you have read all the way to the end you have a great attention span.

Better go and get lunch.

Give God the glory,

Rhonda

 

Katahdin Sheep

I'm not sure if that's the right spelling or not.  No, I'm not going to be raising these, but a friend of mine is getting some for butchering for her family and I thought I'd see if anyone had advice.  I know that they're hair sheep and raised for meat, but that's about all I know.  How hardy are they?  How secure does their fencing have to be?  What kind of diet?  Worming and shots?  She also has workhorses, are these sheep easy going?

Thanks for any info.

Have a glorious day.

From Glory Farm

Book Sale

In town today, running errands and then I remembered......UWA used book sale at the mall!  No, this wasn't in my budget, but just a quick stop.  We walked out with a sign language textbook and workbook, Christy, Spanish Dictionary, three American Girl Books, two Encyclopedia Browns, two Frank Peratti mysteries, Charlie Brown,  Reader's Digest Guide to Needlework and a wonderful set of paper dolls with rooms to decorate.  They had thousands of books, overwhelming.  Sunday is their last day and it's a bagful of books for a buck!  Have to be careful not to buy anything that we won't use.  When we're done with these we can bring them back for the next sale and pick up some more.  Books are a weakness with me. 

Have a glorious weekend.

From Glory Farm