June 15, 2010 by Debbie.

Hang in with me here, I’ll get past the nostalgia I’m feeling and tell you about the weekend towards the end of this post.

Last week I heard an old song titled “Eighties Ladies.” That tells you how old it is - it’s talking about 1980 ladies not ladies in their 80s. Hopefully, the link will work and you can see and hear it on youtube by K T Oslin, who has just the right voice for it. I don’t know why it has stuck with me but it has. I sat at the kitchen table this morning, listening to it and crying softly. I seldom cry in front of John. I know, Ladies, I know. Crying is suppose to get girls/women all they want. That’s why I don’t cry in front of John. I don’t want things that way. Yet today I did cry with the song. John couldn’t even hear the words to the song so he didn’t really know what was going on - how could he when I didn’t myself? But he stood beside me, with his hand on my shoulder and that was enough.

Now, on to the title of this post, Mixed Signals. Smokey, one of John’s cats, has been outside the back door just waiting and watching for someone (John!) to come out but I’m the one who is in and out in the mornings so she’ll settle for me. She meows and lays down just until I can almost touch her and then she runs a few feet away. She so badly wants someone to touch her but can’t seem to feel safe enough to let them.

I couldn’t help but think how many people are like that - sending the mixed signal of touch me, my life, my heart, but just before the touch, they run for the security of the known, even if it’s loneliness or disconnection. There are times my hands are full and I can’t reach down to pet Smokey; there are times I’m too busy to pursue her past the initial time; there are times I just plain ignore her completely, engrossed in my own life.  I wonder how many times have I done the same with people?

I’m asking God to help me read through the mixed signals and to push through the initial rejection. Even I don’t like rejection most of the time but I shouldn’t let it stop me nor should I always take it personally. Maybe instead I can follow the person back to their safe area instead of expecting them to meet me in my safe area.

Now, on to this past weekend! It was a good conclusion to two weeks of intense work. By Friday I was all spent out. John hosted the Men’s Retreat here at Beulah Land and we worked doing major spring cleaning to get ready. No, we didn’t have to do everything we did but I love a good deadline to force clean out and spruce up chores.

I spent the weekend at a friend’s and came home in the mornings to milk and see my animals and smell/see/feel country  as the friend’s house was in town.  John handled everything here, including nighttime feedings, wonderfully. From what I heard the guys had a great time, ending with a sunrise service including communion on Sunday morning. They started at 6:00 am and were still going when I got here at 8:00.  The men came and went over the weekend as jobs and lives dictated but there were 11 men here at one time. Below are a few pictures of the event.

Favorite pass time - eating!

The guys spent time outside swimming in the pool, training tarantulas to stay out of the living areas, playing horseshoes and washoes as seen below. The younger set (aka ones who could stay up later) took the telescope in the front yard where there are no security lights to look at the stars.

They even did a science project - the infamous cell phones popping popcorn. Ask your guy if he was here, I’m not going to explain it.

It was an honor to have the Men here this weekend - they blessed the land, the animals, the gardens and most of all, us.

Posted in Homestead living | 1 Comment »

June 7, 2010 by Debbie.

We finally did it. For years I’ve said I was going to raise some turkeys. So 10 baby Standard Bronze Turkeys and 15 Barred Rock pullets came to us via the Post Office. For two weeks now they’ve lived in the brooder in the garage but Texas heat has come in full force and they were just too hot in there, even with an oscillating fan blowing over them.

So in the almost 100 degree heat this Sunday in late afternoon John and I were snake proofing the old chicken tractor that would also protect from rain (whenever we’ll get it again). We put screening over top the chicken wire and covered every hole we could find. In a few weeks the Barred Rocks will be too big for a snake to swallow but until then I didn’t want to have the only free snake resteraunt around. I can just hear Slim telling Slimey snake, “Tastes like chicken,” and Slimey responding with, “Duh. It is.”

As you can see the screening didn’t improve it’s looks but since it’s solar shade screen it should help keep out some of the blistering sun. The old piece of wood will roof it for shade and rain protection as well.

The baby turkeys and chicks don’t care about looks, they’re just happy to be ‘free at last!’

I have to admit, May was a less than pleasant month but June is an improvement even though it’s been a very expensive month, and we’re only on day 7. We had to replace the pool filter (been needing that for a year or two), had a water line break in the drive way on Sunday morning, bought more cattle panels to cross fence the goat pastures, bought a new grill when the old one finally couldn’t be repaired any more, and after an alignment on the truck it was confirmed we need new tires. Add to that we’re hiring out goat pasture mowing (cheaper than buying a riding mower right now) and the house painter is due to arrive the end of this week.  BTW, to wrap up May, guess who was stupid enough to pull on a dead branch and get hit with bark and splinters and scratch their cornea? Well, it wasn’t John. I’ll never take my eyes for granted again. So despite the added expense, I’m glad May is over and a new month is here.

I decided it was not too late to do spring cleaning so these last two weeks I have been pulling things out of every closet and John’s den. For those of you who have ever heard Fibber McGee and Molly, John’s den equals (or exceeds) the McGee closet. My prayers are with our trash men each week of this month. Prayers that they will take everything we put down there! Six bags last week and a repeat in store for this Friday as well. I recycled the pop cans last week and the old grill today. I have been busy. Look for the truck who ran over me, please; every bone in my body feels it.

But regardless of age related comments my body is making, I have to push on for company is coming this weekend. Hope they talk turkey.

Posted in Homestead living | No Comments »