Friday, December 30, 2011

New Year's Resolutions

If you are looking for a New Year's Resolution this year here is a generic list of  New Year's Resolutions you might want to consider. I challenge all of you to work on number one at least...I beg you. If you already have a New Year's Resolution feel free to share it with me. I love new ideas. My New Year's Resolution is to have book two published before...well before next New Year's if not sooner. Have a great and safe New Year's!

General New Years Resolutions

I will...
  1. Start washing my hands after I use the restroom.
  2. Stop drinking orange juice after I just brushed my teeth.
  3. Stop licking frozen flag poles.
  4. Gain enough weight to get on The Biggest Loser because I know I won't be able to lose it on my own.
  5. Help kids stay safe by not texting on my cell phone while eating McDonald’s and speeding through crosswalks in school zones with a frost covered windshield
  6. Go back to school to avoid paying my student loans.
  7. Read more books this year ... my book is always a good option ;)
  8. Keep it to myself that I have trouble with authority when being interviewed.
  9. Spend less than $1825 on candy at Walmart this year.
  10. Claim all my pets as dependents on my taxes

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Taking A Moment...

I have spent the last several days preparing for and then enjoying the holidays. I had a lovely Christmas spent with numerous loved ones. I can't express how blessed I feel this year to have all that I have. It has been an amazing year and although I spend a good half of it sleep deprived I wouldn't change it for the world.

I published my first book this year which was an awesome experience. I spent several years writing it and rewriting it and then editing it over and over again. Even with all that work I found (and so did my readers to my dismay) several mistakes which meant fixing it over and over again. I realized then that no matter how many times I edited it or how many people I had edit it for me it wasn't going to be perfect and to just do the best I possible could and hope that my readers would forgive me in the end.

For those who are waiting I am still working on book two. I would have had it done already had something, or should I say someone, not slowed me down. I am indeed speaking of the little drop of Honey that fell into my life in July.

For those of you who do not know who I am referring to I will enlighten you. Honey is our foster daughter and will be until four o'clock today. No, she is not returning to her family, which is the first hope of the foster care system. At four o'clock today my husband and I are finalizing her adoption. She will no longer be known as Honey after that. At four o'clock or probably a few minutes after she will forever after be known as Maleia. Although, I expect it might take sometime for some of us to refer to her by new name. (My five year old being one of those people because he, "thinks it's too hard to remember to call her, Maleia.")


I will be posting a few pictures after her adoption on my Facebook page.  (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1394731823). You will have to be my "friend" in order to see them so if you aren't you might want to "friend me" if you want to see them.

I will also be blogging about our adoption experience through the foster care system in the next few days. It is a story that I hope will inspire others to look into being a foster parent. It has been an experience that has changed my family's life forever. At times, I believed "the experience" would be the end to my emotional well being because it's has been so up and down. Even now I am afraid that something will happen and we won't be able to finalize, but I am trying to stay positive.

So with a positive thought process in mind, in a little over six hours I plan to be holding our beautiful daughter, Maleia, who has felt like our daughter from the beginning, but now can legally be a part of our family forever.

Monday, December 19, 2011

If You Feed A Reindeer Some Corn...

Someone sent this story to my husband. I have never thought to try and catch a deer, but if I ever had this story certainly would have cured me of the idea. I realize the story does not mention Reindeer, but I figured it was a fun title to keep in spirit with the season and because I love the story, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Enjoy!

Also, I do not know the author of this story and I want to make it clear that I am not taking credit for writing it or for any physical or emotional harm done to the animal in the story...so back off PETA!

WHY WE SHOOT DEER..

Why we shoot deer in the wild.(A letter from someone who wants to remain anonymous, who farms, writes well and actually tried this)

I had this idea that I could rope a deer, put it in a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks, then kill it and eat it. The first step in this adventure was getting a deer. I figured that, since they congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem to have much fear of me when we are there (a bold one will sometimes come right up and sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back of the truck not 4 feet away), it should not be difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag over its head (to calm it down) then hog tie it and transport it home.

I filled the cattle feeder then hid down at the end with my rope. The cattle, having seen the roping thing before, stayed well back. They were not having any of it. After about 20 minutes, my deer showed up - 3 of them. I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope.

The deer just stood there and stared at me. I wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the end so I would have a good hold. The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you could tell it was mildly concerned about the whole rope situation. I took a step towards it, it took a step away. I put a little tension on the rope, and then received an education.

The first thing that I learned is that, while a deer may just stand there looking at you funny while you rope it, they are spurred to action when you start pulling on that rope.

That deer EXPLODED. The second thing I learned is that pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a cow or a colt. A cow or a colt in that weight range I could fight down with a rope and with some dignity. A deer-- no Chance. That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled.

There was no controlling it and certainly no getting close to it. As it jerked me off my feet and started dragging me across the ground, it occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was not nearly as good an idea as I had originally imagined. The only upside is that they do not have as much stamina as many other animals.

A brief 10 minutes later, it was tired and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet and drag me when I managed to get up. It took me a few minutes to realize this, since I was mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the big gash in my head. At that point, I had lost my taste for corn-fed venison. I just wanted to get that devil creature off the end of that rope.

I figured if I just let it go with the rope hanging around its neck, it would likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the time, there was no love at all between me and that deer. At that moment, I hated the thing, and I would venture a guess that the feeling was mutual.

Despite the gash in my head and the several large knots where I had cleverly arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head against various large rocks as it dragged me across the ground, I could still think clearly enough to recognize that there was a small chance that I shared some tiny amount of responsibility for the situation we were in. I didn't want the deer to have to suffer a slow death, so I managed to get it lined back up in between my truck and the feeder - a little trap I had set before hand... kind of like a squeeze chute. I got it to back in there and I started moving up so I could get my rope back.

Did you know that deer bite?

They do! I never in a million years would have thought that a deer would bite somebody, so I was very surprised when ...... I reached up there to grab that rope and the deer grabbed hold of my wrist. Now, when a deer bites you, it is not like being bit by a horse where they just bite you and slide off to then let go. A deer bites you and shakes its head--almost like a pit bull. They bite HARD and it hurts.

The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to freeze and draw back slowly.. I tried screaming and shaking instead. My method was ineffective.

It seems like the deer was biting and shaking for several minutes, but it was likely only several seconds. I, being smarter than a deer (though you may be questioning that claim by now), tricked it. While I kept it busy tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I reached up with my left hand and pulled that rope loose.

That was when I got my final lesson in deer behavior for the day.

Deer will strike at you with their front feet. They rear right up on their back feet and strike right about head and shoulder level, and their hooves are surprisingly sharp ... I learned a long time ago that, when an animal - like a horse - strikes at you with their hooves and you can't get away easily, the best thing to do is try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive move towards the animal. This will usually cause them to back down a bit so you can escape.

This was not a horse. This was a deer, so obviously, such trickery would not work. In the course of a millisecond, I devised a different strategy. I screamed like a woman and tried to turn and run. The reason I had always been told NOT to try to turn and run from a horse that paws at you is that there is a good chance that it will hit you in the back of the head.

Deer may not be so different from horses after all, besides being twice as strong and 3 times as evil, because the second I turned to run, it hit me right in the back of the head and knocked me down..

Now, when a deer paws at you and knocks you down, it does not immediately leave. I suspect it does not recognize that the danger has passed. What they do instead is paw your back and jump up and down on you while you are laying there crying like a little girl and covering your head.

I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the deer went away.

So now I know why when people go deer hunting they bring a rifle with a scope......to sort of even the odds!!

All these events are true so help me God... An Educated Farmer.

 

Friday, December 16, 2011

Friday Funny and Genius Test

I found this puzzle interesting and since I know many of my readers are very intelligent people I am curious how many of you can solve this puzzle without watching the end of the video for the answer. Post a comment if you solved it without watching the solution.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W07ADwmuj8A&feature=related

For those of you who could care less and just want to watch the Friday Funny here you go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RD5OJeLeunc

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Giving Rid Of Stuff

I need to get less and give more. I think that is why my house feels like it's always a mess. If we had less "stuff" there would be less to clean up. It's not that I'm not grateful for what I have because I am. I am truly blessed. I have so much, but there is so many things I don't use or even need. That is why I've decided during Christmas break this year I am going to go through my house and really consider how much we actually need and use and how much is just taking up space. If I find that something is just taking up space I'm going to donate.

I  know the thought of getting rid of things may cause several people in my house to hyperventilate, but if they can see it as "giving rid of stuff" instead of "getting rid of stuff" it might go a bit smoother. If that doesn't help I plan to have my family sit down and watch a few episodes of Hoarders and see if that doesn't help move things along.

http://www.aetv.com/hoarders/video/

Remember folks, you should owe your stuff not let it own you.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Friday Funny!

I found this on a friends Facebook page and thought it was pretty funny. Don't get me wrong I wouldn't have the guts to do it, but I thought it was funny.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2vZX8l/www.break.com/index/how-to-make-people-paranoid-1986448

Have a great weekend and thanks Camilla for posting this.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Food

I love food. I love looking at pictures of food, but most of all I love making food...and eating it. One of the best and worst things about this time of year is the food. There are so many delicious recipes that start popping up on Facebook and in the newspaper that it's torture for those of us who are trying not to gain fifty pounds by New Years. I can't go five minutes online without someone posting a new recipe or a picture of the goodie they just made or plan to make.

When I was young my dad used to make what we called, Christmas punch. It was a beverage made with orange juice, cherry Kool-Aid, mashed bananas, sprite, and several other ingredients that I can't think of right now. It was one of those things that said Christmas to me. It still does. My mom used to make these round cookies rolled in powdered sugar every year. I never knew what they were called, but I loved them. I'm not sure she did it as a Christmas tradition, but it seemed that way to me.

The last few years on my husband's side we have been making a Christmas dish from another country to bring and share on Christmas Eve which has been fun. This year my husband picked Russia for our family. (Which I find funny because he isn't the one who makes the dish, I am. So shouldn't I be the one to pick? I guess that's a discussion for later tonight ;)

Anyway, I didn't have a clue what to make. I Googled, Russian Christmas recipes and up popped a recipe for Russian Christmas Tea Cakes. To my surprise these are the same "cookies" that my mom makes. Who would have guessed. Also, there was a recipe for Russian Spice Tea. This was also a recipe I was familiar with because it's something my husband's mother gave to her children when they had a cold or sore throat.

Why am I writing about this? I guess because I want to encourage people to find out the history of their favorite foods and traditions. It might surprise you where they originated from.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Friday Funny!

My kids have actually freaked out like this and I have to admit it's so much funnier when it's not my child.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q85xVaTfdgE&feature=related

Friday, November 25, 2011

Friday Funny!

I know it's a little late, but it's still Friday so enjoy and have a great weekend!

http://thedadjam.com/toddler/top-ten-funny-things-kids-say/

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Scrubs

When I was in high school I worked as a CNA. For those of you who don't know what that stands for, Certified Nurses Aid. I loved working in the nursing home with all the aging residence. One of the lasting memories of my job was all the songs the residence would sing. My favorite was,  Let Me Call You Sweetheart. I still enjoy that songs and all the memories it brings back for me.

Of course working in a nursing home I had to wear scrubs, but until now I never truly appreciated how much I enjoyed scrubs until I realized the scrubs I have worn for the last twelve year have all worn out. That is why for my birthday I bought myself a new pair of scrubs. I think scrubs are very under appreciated in the fashion world. That is why I've decided to transform my entire wardrobe into different type and colors of scrubs. It just seems so practical I'm surprised I didn't think about it before now.

Here are a few reasons I have decided to only wear scrubs:
1. Comfort. If you get the right kind they are so comfortable.
2. Practical. You can wear these everywhere...okay maybe not church, but everywhere else and no one thinks twice. They just figure you are on your way to or from work.
3. Time Saving. I can sleep in scrubs, get up, take my kids to school then stop off at the store to pick up milk or whatever without having to spend the time getting dressed just so I can change into my cleaning clothes when I get home.
 4. Thanksgiving forgiveness. When I've eaten too much for Thanksgiving dinner all I have to do is loosen the ties and no one is the wiser...well maybe they are now, but they won't be unless they read this.
5. Writing: Because I spend so much time writing I don't have time for the silly things in life, like doing laundry. In scrubs you can just jump in the shower with them on, shampoo will clean them just fine, and blow dry after. Scrubs are made to dry quickly.

Okay, maybe I've gone a little too far, but you can see the advantages. Scrubs are great!

Friday, November 18, 2011

It's Been A While

If you haven't checked out my book please take a moment. It's only .99 cents in ebook form. I am working on book two, but do not have a release date yet. Thanks!

http://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Illusion-Knots-ebook/dp/B0058ONPYQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321652554&sr=8-1

Link to the paperback version.
http://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Illusion-Knots-1/dp/1463671695/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321652694&sr=1-3

Friday Funny! Warning! Totally Inappropriate!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6YuLgyYZhc&feature=player_embedded

Hey, I warned you.

Thanksgiving Dinner!

Thanksgiving is around the corner and I'm already hungry. This year my family decided to raise our own turkeys. In March we went to the local Cal-Ranch and picked out two poults, (baby turkeys). Then we spend the next few months feeding, feeding, and feeding. After all that feeding we spent the rest of the months cleaning up after them. Turkeys are stinky!

Much to my dismay they decided to make their home on my back deck. Yuck! Now I have to power wash and re-stain it. You would think I would be against raising turkeys next year, but nope I plan on doing it again. I will just do it a little differently.

This is a picture of our tom. He ended up weighing 48lbs before processing and 45lbs after. We also had a hen that weighed 35lbs before and 32lbs after. Can't wait to eat them! The tom is too big to cook so we sent him out to be smoked, but the hen will be Thanksgiving dinner.