Lessons in Humility

Yesterday Granna asked Taylor if she could run a few errands for her. She just needed her to run to DeQueen and pick up some supplies that she needed to finish a couple of projects before she left on a little EHC trip.

Well, Taylor had really had a bad day at school. She needed her mother.

Can you go with me to town Mom?

I had been working in the wood-shop all day and wasn't fit for town.

Taylor, I would have to take a shower, put on make-up, fix my hair and loose 20 pounds.

Pleeeeeeaaaassseeeee!!

I really hate it when I'm caught in this dilemma. Do I go and risk being seen by a hundred people at walmart looking like I'd just emerged from the woods, eating gopher...or do I break my daughters heart and stay safe at home where nobody cares that I have on dirty overalls with wood shavings in my carelessly pinned-up hair.

It's the risk of being a farmer. Sometimes I just happen to look like a hillbilly. It's just the way things are. So, I decided to go warts and all. I threw my little hoodie sweater on over my dirty overalls, put on my converse tennis shoes, wiped some of yesterday's mascara off my cheeks and headed out the door.

I figured I would see at least 10 people I knew. Intellectually, I can discern that people probably don't give a flip about what I look like, but I'm riddled with insecurity and could just feel the pressure of it all. Luckily, our list was short so we could get in and get out quickly.

Things were going along pretty well. So far, the kids and I were laughing and talking in the car, singing to the music, and talking about all the high-school drama going on. I kind-of forgot about my attire for a bit.

When we were in the produce isle at Wal-Mart, Taylor said, "hey look, there's Josh!"

I know a few Josh's, none of which I would care to see me looking like I looked.

But being me I said "Where?"

Right THERE!

Little did I know that she was talking about Cute-Coffee-House-Josh until he turned around and our eyes locked. His big brown dreamy eyes locked right on my worn-torn confused face.

and I exclaimed "OH!"

Not like a happy to see you "oh", but a long drawn-out oooohhhh. It hung in the air for infinity. It was very loud, at least in my head.

Cute-Coffee-House-Josh is this cute guy named Josh that works at the coffee house. Just thought I'd clear that up.

Anyway, I scurried away like a frightened squirrel and before I got out of the produce section, I got tickled. The whole incident played over and over in my head and it got funnier every time.

I started laughing and, as fate would have it, I happen to snort very loudly when I laugh. I mean like a pig. God really needed to show me some humility yesterday. I was doing the kind of laughing that I had to actually pinch my nose with my fingers to keep from snorting, so then I was just quietly convulsing while pinching my nose. Taylor, who loves a good laugh, joined in the giggle-fest as we tried to make our way to the check out.

I lived through the whole thing and have a new image of myself to make me laugh. And...I won't be going back to Wal-mart till next Christmas.

A Goose on the Loose

Our farm has had many feathered visitors over the years. I love to see the ponds sprinkled with mallards in the winter and always wonder where they've been all summer long. We have Great Blue Heron's all year round and every time I see one in flight I always say, "oh look, a terra-dactyl!" They are on my endangered species list (I keep my own) and are not to be hunted on my farm. Rodney tried to convince me that they would eat all the fish if we didn't shoot them. I convinced him that should we EVER start eating fish from the pond then I would consider it but my belief is that they only eat the little ones, leaving room for the others to grow. You know, that whole ecosystem thing.

One year we had a flock of pelicans stay for the night. I am not lying. I swear...PELICANS!!

My list of endangered species is quite long. It also includes Canadian Geese. There have been three here on the farm for a couple of weeks now and I'm already dreading their leaving.

Three is an odd number (I learned that in school). What is peculiar about a threesome of geese, however, is that they usually come in pairs. Geese mate for life so one by itself means either he hasn't found a mate or that on the long journey from Canada, his mate was lost or killed.

Excuse me while I go cry into a sofa pillow.

Sometimes all three are together and then, at times...this one is all alone. I'm not sure if you are Mr. Goose or Mrs. Goose, but my heart is broken for you. Cue the dramatic heart-swelling music.

Uh OH...Run Mr. Goose, I mean Mrs. Goose, whoever you are are...RUN!!

Eddie is sweet and all but I don't think he is coming to lick your face. HAUL ASS!!

Poor Eddie. He doesn't understand that he can't catch things that fly, or swim. Not for a lack of trying however.

Ok, that is just cool.

And...safe in the pond.

na ne na ne boo boo

He got away Momma.

I'm in love with this goose.

I think he loves me too.

Stay as long as you'd like. You are graceful and lovely and I'd be honored to have you as a guest. Eddie promises it won't be boring.

A Year With Eddie

After a couple of weeks of busy schedules, traveling and a terminal case of writers block, I found, today, the easiest thing in the world to blog about...Eddie.

Eddie is a year old today. He shares his birthday with my niece, Grace which makes him extra special in my opinion.

So here is my year-in-review of life with Eddie.

He was so pitiful when I brought him home. But, he has gone from this...

to this...

to this.

and from this...

to this.

He has a magical ability to make the sternest of faces go from this...

to this.

He has welcomed our guests,

and made new and interesting friends.

He has watched over our fields

and frolicked in them

and played in the snow.

He has made hideous messes

and shown no remorse.

We have walked with him

kissed his boo boo's

snuggled in bed

included him in all our recreational activities

and played in the sunshine.

He has melted our hearts

made us smile

and made us laugh till it hurt.

Happy Birthday Eddie. Sorry about the hat buddy.