What Do We Have Here?????

Be glad you were not at my house Thursday and Friday...  I was SOME put out...

Thursday, I had a nice lady call me and offer to adopt Lucy, my son's calico cat I told you about.  She was coming on Friday to look at her and possibly take her.  I had put Lucy on Craigsl*st to see if I could find her a good home.  Well, I went to take Lucy's collar off  because it seemed to be bugging her (which I had bought her a couple of weeks ago - it had a bell on it - I like to know where she is...) and it had irritated her neck  and she'd been scratching and her neck was all red and angry-looking.  So I thought I'd put a little  N*eosporin on it just for good measure.  I also tore off a clean piece of towel and safety pinned it around her neck so she'd not be able to scratch and put her in the laundry room in her basket to go to bed.  Ok, everything seemed to be fine.

We went out to eat at our favorite Mexican food place Thursday evening and when we got home, of course, it was dark.  I saw Gypsy out in the front yard playing with something and having the biggest time.  Altho the house porch lights were on I couldn't tell what it was that she was playing with.  We got out of the car and walked up to the house, and what do we have here!  There was a rooster laying in the yard that immediately hopped up and jumped on the porch with great difficulty and hid under the wicker settee.  There were tail feathers laying in the yard. Oh great.  We have a chicken ketchin' dog.

I jumped all over Gypsy and yelled at her - she knew I was mad.  She was very cowed down and submissive.  I clipped her leash on and  tied her where she couldn't get to the rooster.  I'm sure she thought I was going to be so proud of the cool play-purty that she brought home - you could just tell by her happy bouncy smile when we drove up.  The rooster was injured and looked like it definitely had a broken wing, so Tony went in and got one of his pistols and shot the roo and put it in a sack in a  box in the back of his truck.

Not sure where the rooster came from, but I know sometimes our neighbor's free-range chickens come on to our 80 acres on the north end.  Whadaya do?  Yes, I need my dog to stay on my property.  But there's dogs everywhere around here and they all run loose in the country, as well as the chickens and coyotes.  Got any good advice out there?  I'm going to get some chickens, too, and I don't want Gypsy playing with or killing them. Perhaps I'm being too optomistic here, but usually I can tell her or show her something that I want her to do or don't want her to do and she seems to understand.  She picks up things real quick and she really wants to please me.   I THINK I might could teach her not to mess with the chickens, but I can't teach her that if I don't have any right now.  Any and all advice would be appreciated.  I sure don't want to have to give Gypsy away and I can't keep her tied up all the time either, but I don't want my neighbors mad at me either.  'Course, they ARE letting their chickens run on our place...

Later in the evening, I went out and took Bug to potty (the chihuahua) and I was sitting on the settee waiting.  Gypsy came over, creeping up submissively and apologized so sweetly and I pet her a little bit.  Then she started barking at something we heard out in the darkness.  We could hear something moving about and didn't know if it was a varmint or what. She's such a good watch dog!  We eased over in the direction of the noise and it seemed to be coming from the back of the truck.  What do we have here? That dad-gum rooster was having post-mortem spasms or something!  It was moving around in the sack!  And it was deader'na doornail!  Is that possible?????  Scared the pee-diddle out both of us!  I told Tony and he said he was NOT going to shoot the rooster again.  He shot it 3 times.  And it was already dead.

Friday morning, I got up early (I always do) and made my way to the laundry room to let Lucy out.  Well, what do we have here?  CAT PO*P and CAT THROW-UP all over the the laundry room floor and the rug, too!!!  Evidently, she had gotten under that towel I'd put around her neck and licked all the Neosp*rin off and it made her sick to her stomach and she was going both ways!  Poor Lucy!  POORER ME!  Guess who gets to clean it all up?  Tony looks at me and says, "She's your cat, don't look at me!"  So I cleaned it up.  So, a lesson - if your cat gets clogged with hairballs, Neosp*rin works great!  (disclaimer - I don't recommend it - try some oil of some kind...)

Then I walked outside to let Bug out.  What do we have here?  I'd been putting Christmas items out on Thursday, and had some boxes sitting on the porch.  Gypsy had helped herself to one of the boxes FILLED with newspapers, and she had shredded both the box AND the newspapers and they were strewn all over the front yard!  I thought when I went to bed the night before that I really needed to move those boxes.  Thank goodness newspapers were all that were in the box! 

SOOOOO, as I'm cleaning up the mess in the front yard and as the morning work traffic is whizzing down our little country  road and all eyes are panning RIGHT to see our beautifully decorated (with cardboard & newspaper) yard with me in my flannel plaid sleepin' pants and jacket and no make-up and bed-head scraping up and picking and chasing down in the wind little slivers of newspapers and trying to keep them in the garbage bag!  TALK ABOUT WHITE TRASH!  And Tony says, "you're the one that wanted animals".  And smiles real big.

AND what ELSE do we have here?  My wonderful, thoughtful, kind and generous husband, dressed and ready for work and he's standing on the front porch enjoying my frustration.  Not only that, he's singing, "Welcome to my world! won't you come on in????"  waving his arms like an opera singer with an audience and making up silly verses about living on the farm and the animals and all the crap and inconvenience and mess they make!  Did he offer to help??? NO way!  He's thoroughly enjoying my dilemna.  I was so perturbed but he was having such a great time and singing at the top of his lungs - I'm sure anyone with their car window down could hear him.  I just had to bust out laughing - he was so funny and I couldn't help myself.  I had to laugh cuz I was too mad to be mad.  I'm still keeping my critters and I'm gonna get me some more.

How was YOUR weekend?

GIVEAWAY over at Margo's

Go visit Margo, people!  She's over there at Margo's Junkin' Journal and she's sponsoring a wonderful giveaway of a beautiful silver triple cross necklace from Sterling Grace.  Love that store.  I have some of their jewelry and it is really nice!  I'm entering - how 'bout you!!!  Oh and by the way, look at Margo's Advent Calendar - it is VERY neat!

I'm Still Alive Here at Sand Flat Farm!

Ummmm, okay ..... let's see, where were we?  .......

Oh yes, before I get any further, let me share this lovely giveaway with you from Christy at Artisan Farmstead Living!  She's having a giveaway of a lb. of her luscious laundry soap that she makes herself with goat milk soap and I'm REALLLLLY hoping to win!  If not, guess I'll have to buy some...  Pop over there and see her neat blog where she makes all things homestead-style!  Tell her I sent you!  I just found her today doing some blog-hopping!

Thanksgiving?  Check!  Had a great time with all the family? Check!  Ate WAY too much?  Check!  Talked to our Kiwi Kids?  Check!  Did some skyping, too!  Made plans for Christmas holidays?  Check!  Family agreed to draw names for gifts?  Check!  Been trying to get everybody to agree on that for years!  Did some target practice with the kids?  Check!  Even my mama got in on that!  Pictures to follow...

And my mama is serious - don't mess with mama! My brother is lookin' on and Daddy is coverin' up his ears...

My brother discussing the merits of his arsenal...

Anybody around my area need a purty calico kitty?  Lucy is staying with us until I find her another home.  She belonged to Josh and Lindsey, and since they couldn't take her to NZ, I'm looking for a new home.  I already have a sinus infection and severe allergies due to her being at my house.  She's always been an inside cat, so I hate to just put her outside.  She'd freak.  It's taken her two weeks to settle down and feel comfortable here.  She's already spayed and had shots.  Got any takers?  She's free to a good home!  WITH all her stuff!  I'll even bring her to you if don't live too far away! 

Thought I'd show you a fine specimen of canine-ity - our farmdog, Gypsy, is surveying the grounds (actually she is sitting on top of the berm that the boys shoved up with the tractor to use as a backdrop to shoot against).  Little did Gypsy know that soon,  gunfire would commence and she'd be hightailin' it back to the barn...  But I'll swan! - lawsy-mercy... she  did look mighty fine settin' up there for a few short minutes...

She's turning out to be a great dog so far - she's been here about a month now.  She's very smart - I can show her how to do something once or twice and she's got it!  We're thinking mostly Aussie with some border collie in her, too, for good measure.  She loves to play with the young tan outside cat - he who hath no name yet.  Young Tan Outside Cat, herein after referred to as YTOC either is stupid and has no escape skills, or he truly likes being played with by Gyp.  I've seen several times Gyp carrying him around the yard like a ragdoll and she traps him with her front paws.  I thought that she might bite him too hard, but I guess she's being very careful and hopefully has a very soft mouth.  He seems healthy and active and playful, and I let him in ONLY to eat so Gyp won't bug him. He comes in, eats, and then warts the tar out of Lucy. They fight and squall and chase each other all over the house.   I sure hope he makes it.  YTOC's been here two months and is getting big.  I don't know why he doesn't just take a whack at Gypsy's nose with his paw and set her straight...  I told him to many times, but as of yet, he hasn't done anything about it.

And Gypsy loves me.  I'm her person.  Makes me feel good.  She whines for me to hold her and pet her and scratch her.  She just wants me to love on her.  And I do.  What is it about dogs that we love them and they love us so unconditionally?  Why does their love make us feel so good?  Where is this post going?

Hope to get my Christmas tree up this week.  I have no earthly idea as to the whereabouts of my Christmas decorations.  I sold a bunch of them that were getting dog-eared when we moved, threw another bunch away and packed up the rest, and I don't know where it is.  Good excuse to get a few new things, eh? Only thing is, with one cat and sometimes two in the house, how in tarnation am I going to keep my Christmas tree and decorations intact?  Can you tell me that?  I think this year I'm going to go down to the woods and cut some evergreen limbs and such and do some natural decorating. I'm still thinking on that wreath that Vee did that I love SO much - the square one. So simple, yet so natural and I just LOVE natural!

Anyway, I'm really tightening my purse strings this year and am looking to find ways to decorate on the cheap, and natural elements are to be had everywhere.

We've covered lotsa territory this evenin', so I guess I'm outa here til next time.  Will try to post more often - Holidays are so busy!

Keep yore dress down!

News From Down Under...

Well, they're mighty close to "down under".  Josh and Lindsey that is.  Arrived safely in Auckland, NZ, and have been staying with some church members in Wellington on the southern coast.  It's 6:31 pm CST here as I write, and it's 1:31 pm NZ time but it's Monday already there.  They spent Sunday with the church there and Josh said there were some Christians there from Malaysia that owned a nice restaurant downtown and they all went there for Sunday dinner.  The folks there have just been SO hospitable to them and have helped them get their bank account, cell phone, and car registration done.  This would have been alot harder to figure out without all their help. Tony and I are SO grateful to them!  And another wonderful Christian family took them under their wing, fed them, and took them sight-seeing, Antony and Jeanette.  Their beautiful pup, Toby, joined them on their treks.  Hope we get to meet some of these wonderful folks IN PERSON with we go visit!!!

They are having a ball, suffering from some jet lag, but in great spirits.  Today is Monday over there.  In about an hour, they will take the auto ferry over to the south island and head to Nelson for the night, and continue on to Hamner Springs Tuesday where they will check out their first jobs!  I saved a few pictures for you.  Josh and Lindsey said it's the prettiest place they've EVER been.

borrowed this photo from Jeanette...

(above) The Harbor at Wellington where they stayed.

I'll just let you look, as most of these scenes are in and around Wellington...

Here's my two Kiwi Kids with Jeanette and Anthony's border collie, Toby.  I love this picture that Jeanette took.  She takes great photos... They look like native Kiwis!  (whatever native Kiwis look like...)    ;)

Momma is doing okay.  After they got there safely and were on terra firma again, and after we've talked to them via Skype several times, and after they got hooked up with some Christian brethren and sistren - well, I'm doing okay.  It was tough on me and Lindsey's mom at the airport watching our babies check their luggage and head on off to the checkpoints.  The dads were great and they let us shed some tears and have several goodbye hugs and kisses and waves --- oh please, just one more hug!  I'm so glad they have each other, too.  They are so perfectly matched and compliment each other to a T. I'm not worried about them - they are in good hands - the Lord can take care of them much better than I can.  I just have to let go and let Him do His job.  It's getting easier, really it is.

Ok, that's all for tonight.  Sorry  I've been absent so long - hey, it's the season - well, almost...  Catch ya later!  Keep your dress down!

Bon Voyage, Josh & Lindsey!

I have a big announcement to make...it's been in the works for some time now, and all the final details have been handled!  And if I make it public, then I guess it's really gonna happen!!!

My son, Josh, and his beautiful wife, Lindsey, are moving to New Zealand!

Gulp...  I still can't believe it.  They are planning on staying a year to work, travel, and work with the Lord's church wherever they may be.  They have made contacts with missionaries that are supported by Lindsey's home congregation and our church recently  began sponsoring another group over there in Auckland, NZ. Things have  come together rapidly and smoothly -- I believe there were some "God coincidences" at work here!  They've made many contacts with the Christians there in the church and have offers of employment and lodging already! They are both very giving and loving people and have hopes of doing humanitarian efforts especially on the south island where there was an earthquake awhile back.  No telling what they'll wind up doing!

They leave next Tuesday and this mother and dad are excited and have heavy hearts at the same time.  I know Lindsey's parents are feeling the same as  Tony and I are.  Their house is empty - everything is in storage (imagine all those new wedding gifts), and they are SO anxious to leave. They are packed and ready to go.  I know they'll miss all their family back home, but this is something they've both wanted to do for a long time.  And it's an awesome time in their young lives to go!  We wouldn't feel NEAR as comfortable with their decision if they didn't already have some good Christian people over there to welcome them and help them to get on their feet!

We asked them if there weren't a farther-from-home place in the world they'd like to go.  They couldn't think of one.

I'd appreciate your prayers for their safety as they fly and move about in New Zealand, for good health while gone, that they will make strong and lasting friendships with the Christians there, and that they will grow closer as a couple and grow spiritually in ways that they've never dreamed of before.  May they help edify and strengthen the Christians and churches that they work with and may the Lord grow them in His grace.  And  please pray for their parents to be supportive and encouraging and not miss them too awfully much!

Oh and by the way, we named our new pup Gypsy - since she was a stray.  We think it's fitting.  She seems to like it.  Thank you for your prayers.