I have waited for my sister to put this on her blog, but she has been too busy laughing about it and crying over other things. Last Sunday, while sitting at a local restaurant, Uncle T was talking about having a slight cold and worrying that he would not be able to sing today (Sunday). My ever so serious son says, "Uncle T, you need to put some "vixen" on your feet and then put on your socks and go to bed." We almost spewed tacos! So this week, everytime someone has said they have some aliment, we tell them to get some "Vicks and" (sounds like vixen) put it on their feet.
Yep, this is a 2 post kind of day!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
And then there were Two...needles
Because of my very busy schedule, I have failed my readers greatly! I should have added this post quicker than I am. You see, it was 2 days after loosing the sterling silver horse ring that my daughter was throwing out new shavings for the pigs, and realized that she had lost her James Avery ring. Okay, now...I am sorry but that is a little more serious than a $10.00 sterling silver ring. I did not keep my cool at this point. I didn't leave her to sleep in the pig pen, but I sure didn't just smile and say..."Oh my poor baby." No, I grunted and grouched! Now we have two rings in the pig pen. As I am telling T about it, he says that he has a friend with a metal detector. M had just said "I wish I had a metal detector". T sets it up with his friend from work to come to the barn on Thursday afternoon. M promises to pay the man $20.00 for his time. I promise to do nothing but watch.
You are probably thinking that is the end. How easy it will be once you get a metal detector. Do you remember me saying that we had the pig stalls cemented for easier cleaning? Do you know that if you don't put in the re bar(spell check doesn't know what to put there and I don't either..I just know that it is all the metal bars that go in before pouring the cement)...anyway without that stuff, the cement cracks easily. Guess what.......on Wed. T realized all that was under the cement, and called to tell me that I will have to shovel up the shavings, and take them out in the center of the barn, spread them on plastic, run the detector over them, and return the shavings to the barn. These are clean shavings......the ones where they sleep. I will not just throw them away. The answer to the question running through your mind is yes. Yes, we bagged them, spread them out, ran the detector, and carried them back into the stall. Yes, for your information that would be both stalls (only half of each 12' x 12' stall) And, Yes, we found the Alice in Wonderland ring. Midway through the second stall.
We did all that work in order to locate a ring. A simple ring. But you would have thought we found a treasure chest. The other ring......the horse one.......well, we will just watch what we shovel up and check poop! That one experience wore me out! I wonder if I were to loose a $20.00 bill in her room, would she work that hard to clean out stuff? Nah....she would just say..."It'll show up later. You can have one of mine."
You are probably thinking that is the end. How easy it will be once you get a metal detector. Do you remember me saying that we had the pig stalls cemented for easier cleaning? Do you know that if you don't put in the re bar(spell check doesn't know what to put there and I don't either..I just know that it is all the metal bars that go in before pouring the cement)...anyway without that stuff, the cement cracks easily. Guess what.......on Wed. T realized all that was under the cement, and called to tell me that I will have to shovel up the shavings, and take them out in the center of the barn, spread them on plastic, run the detector over them, and return the shavings to the barn. These are clean shavings......the ones where they sleep. I will not just throw them away. The answer to the question running through your mind is yes. Yes, we bagged them, spread them out, ran the detector, and carried them back into the stall. Yes, for your information that would be both stalls (only half of each 12' x 12' stall) And, Yes, we found the Alice in Wonderland ring. Midway through the second stall.
We did all that work in order to locate a ring. A simple ring. But you would have thought we found a treasure chest. The other ring......the horse one.......well, we will just watch what we shovel up and check poop! That one experience wore me out! I wonder if I were to loose a $20.00 bill in her room, would she work that hard to clean out stuff? Nah....she would just say..."It'll show up later. You can have one of mine."
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Like the Needle in the Haystack!
Like I have said many times....why is it such a wonderful thing that our pigs gain weight and not good when they loose. Maybe I will be an animal (pet well loved) in my next life! ha ha. So, I have been on this "diet". Counting all my points. Drinking all my water. Watching what I eat. Remember, I am giving up my boxes of hot tamales candy for this. And so....I have lost an average of one pound per week. So that is three pounds. Now, I can tell you where I have lost those pounds. I can feel it when I wear a certain article of attire! No, it is not the scarf around my neck. I have proudly lost 3 pounds in my feet. That is probably one and a half pounds per foot. I wore my boots yesterday, and my feet slipped up and down all day long. I am certain that is the only spot I have lost the weight since none of my clothes are screaming "hey, we aren't stretched to the max!" So, since I have lost the weight in my feet, and you will never notice, I just wanted to tell you! My toes are soooo excited, just wish my waist, rear and chest could be too. Hmmmmmmmmmm If things don't change, I will have to continue to give up the hot tamales and take up pumpkin bread. Hey, tis the season.
Now if you could actually "freeze your butt off", I would have been a size 6 by 5:30 yesterday. You see, when I arrived at my parents to retrieve my children, they weren't in the house. I knew they were in the barn feeding so I just stayed inside (chicken!) and waited for them to return. However, they didn't return with in 30 minutes. It doesn't take that long to dump feed and scoop up the "larger" more visible chunks of pig poop. So, I redressed with coat and hat and headed to the barn to hurry the situation. When I arrived, both K and M were in Wilbur's pen on their hands and knees. Hello? Have we all become pigs? What is up? "Mom, I lost my new sterling silver horse ring in the shavings." Being the calm mom that I am, I just rolled the eyes and grabbed the pitchfork from her. The saying "It's like looking for the needle in the haystack" was all that I could think of. A 12' X 12' pig pen with at least 2 bags of shavings and a pig who is walking around stirring everything up does not lend to finding a ring. (Buy cheap metal rings that magnets can pick up!) The mom with a method starts at one area and sift the shavings through the pitchfork. I pick up another scoop and do the same over the first "sift" pile. I was soon joined by my father who was wearing gloves and was on hands and knees sifting through another area. He also had on a great pair of jeans verses my skirt...he had on real heavy boots with socks....I had on my "muckers" with no insulation!! This went on for a good 45 minutes. Needless to say...that needle is still in the haystack. I just told M to watch for it in the next few days as she shovels the "poop". Sometimes your treasures are hidden from view.....like the three pounds in my feet!
Now if you could actually "freeze your butt off", I would have been a size 6 by 5:30 yesterday. You see, when I arrived at my parents to retrieve my children, they weren't in the house. I knew they were in the barn feeding so I just stayed inside (chicken!) and waited for them to return. However, they didn't return with in 30 minutes. It doesn't take that long to dump feed and scoop up the "larger" more visible chunks of pig poop. So, I redressed with coat and hat and headed to the barn to hurry the situation. When I arrived, both K and M were in Wilbur's pen on their hands and knees. Hello? Have we all become pigs? What is up? "Mom, I lost my new sterling silver horse ring in the shavings." Being the calm mom that I am, I just rolled the eyes and grabbed the pitchfork from her. The saying "It's like looking for the needle in the haystack" was all that I could think of. A 12' X 12' pig pen with at least 2 bags of shavings and a pig who is walking around stirring everything up does not lend to finding a ring. (Buy cheap metal rings that magnets can pick up!) The mom with a method starts at one area and sift the shavings through the pitchfork. I pick up another scoop and do the same over the first "sift" pile. I was soon joined by my father who was wearing gloves and was on hands and knees sifting through another area. He also had on a great pair of jeans verses my skirt...he had on real heavy boots with socks....I had on my "muckers" with no insulation!! This went on for a good 45 minutes. Needless to say...that needle is still in the haystack. I just told M to watch for it in the next few days as she shovels the "poop". Sometimes your treasures are hidden from view.....like the three pounds in my feet!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
I want a castle....
My precious M had a project assigned. Being the not-so-bashful child that she is, she raced to her friend and asked him to join her in the fun. His mom and I visited and decided that we would let come what may. They can both be very silly at times. They can both get WAY off track at times. BUT...they both work well together. They don't see it as the "boy/girl" thing. They see it as "friends" who get along. They boss very well, and they take orders very well. So, sit back and watch!
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Friday, November 28, 2008
The Post Thanksgiving thoughts
And so I joined with my sister, cousin and her daughter along with what seemed like 1/2 of Texas to the wilds of Black Friday. We didn't get out and stand in any silly line, we just planned over and over again our shopping route. Macy's Parade has nothing on us. Sis and I even started out with no coffee. Yes, the first 2 hours with NO coffee!!! NONE.... The "niece" suffered a small casualty. I was successful in most of the adventures, and sis hung in there!
So, today after taking an hour nap (yes, you heard me...an hour nap in 24+hours) I am sitting in the living room listening to my ipod and the new selection of downloaded music.
One of my favorite songs from long ago and far away is one called "I'd Choose You Again" sung by a group called the Forester Sisters. I so love that song. You see, it talks about the fact that if God gave me the chance, I would choose "you boy" again. Can I just share with you that tears streamed down my face. You see, I would have been married 17 years this past week, and IF God said to me," Let's back up and do it all over again."......I would choose Kelly again....and again...and again. This time of year makes me sentimental. The leaves turn colors (yes If there is no early freeze, they do change in Texas). The air finds a little bite in it which causes you to get your groove going. And the smell of Texas in the fall is.....well, Texas in the fall! BUT....then there is the promise of spring. Green Grass, bright green leaves, new calves, baby lambs, baby pigs, and the air....it smells of freshly mowed grass, flowers, the baled hay or just.........Texas in the spring kind of thing. And so.....I listened to my song.."I'd Choose You Again" and think....knowing what I know...knowing where I sit today....I would choose Kelly over and over again. I would choose once again the guys who broke my heart before I met Kelly. Reassures me that not all men are so smart or they would have chosen me for a second date! I would choose you, my friends, all over again!!! Tony, with our different as can be lives, I would choose you again....well, okay, the jury is still out. Does that tell you that even though I have been through 49 changes of the seasons in West Texas and more "seasons" in my life, I am a pretty happy camper as my life goes! Knowing me...I would even choose the stupid roads I have gone down because the wrecks I had were those you learn from.
I will choose over and over again that my favorite time of the year is Thanksgiving (sorry Andy Williams).
Will I choose to do Black Friday again next year? You bet your Starbucks I will.
Oh and did I choose carefully over and over again the foods I ate yesterday? Yes I did. Did you ever notice that turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and pecan pie on a plate together create a fall type color scheme?
Will we choose to show pigs next year? You bet your ham hocks we will!
Most of all though .......I will choose You, God.....over and over again. I may not always be the smell of fall or spring to You, but I choose You over and over again! I pray that in the years ahead, I will continue to choose You and Your way over and over again!! It's not an easy road some times, but there is the promise of spring .........and I LOVE green!!!!!
So, today after taking an hour nap (yes, you heard me...an hour nap in 24+hours) I am sitting in the living room listening to my ipod and the new selection of downloaded music.
One of my favorite songs from long ago and far away is one called "I'd Choose You Again" sung by a group called the Forester Sisters. I so love that song. You see, it talks about the fact that if God gave me the chance, I would choose "you boy" again. Can I just share with you that tears streamed down my face. You see, I would have been married 17 years this past week, and IF God said to me," Let's back up and do it all over again."......I would choose Kelly again....and again...and again. This time of year makes me sentimental. The leaves turn colors (yes If there is no early freeze, they do change in Texas). The air finds a little bite in it which causes you to get your groove going. And the smell of Texas in the fall is.....well, Texas in the fall! BUT....then there is the promise of spring. Green Grass, bright green leaves, new calves, baby lambs, baby pigs, and the air....it smells of freshly mowed grass, flowers, the baled hay or just.........Texas in the spring kind of thing. And so.....I listened to my song.."I'd Choose You Again" and think....knowing what I know...knowing where I sit today....I would choose Kelly over and over again. I would choose once again the guys who broke my heart before I met Kelly. Reassures me that not all men are so smart or they would have chosen me for a second date! I would choose you, my friends, all over again!!! Tony, with our different as can be lives, I would choose you again....well, okay, the jury is still out. Does that tell you that even though I have been through 49 changes of the seasons in West Texas and more "seasons" in my life, I am a pretty happy camper as my life goes! Knowing me...I would even choose the stupid roads I have gone down because the wrecks I had were those you learn from.
I will choose over and over again that my favorite time of the year is Thanksgiving (sorry Andy Williams).
Will I choose to do Black Friday again next year? You bet your Starbucks I will.
Oh and did I choose carefully over and over again the foods I ate yesterday? Yes I did. Did you ever notice that turkey and dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and pecan pie on a plate together create a fall type color scheme?
Will we choose to show pigs next year? You bet your ham hocks we will!
Most of all though .......I will choose You, God.....over and over again. I may not always be the smell of fall or spring to You, but I choose You over and over again! I pray that in the years ahead, I will continue to choose You and Your way over and over again!! It's not an easy road some times, but there is the promise of spring .........and I LOVE green!!!!!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Pre-Thanksgiving Rambling
I have two things I would like to throw out at you. As we quickly approach Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year, and as I begin to salivate over the thought of turkey and dressing with some cranberry sauce, I am struck by that fact that I was dumb enough to start a diet one week before Thanksgiving. Like that would keep me from shoveling so much of the bird and bread into my mouth. What was I thinking? Hello...I invested money to keep me from over indulging in good healthy food? Okay, I admit..so I did, and hopefully I won't make myself sick on the good cooking. I had to laugh when thinking about that this morning. Here I am calculating my alloted points on a daily basis. Exercising at night. Drinking my water. What IF I don't loose any weight. Well of course I won't blame it on the Thanksgiving meal because you see, I checked the points system and there are no points listed for the amount of drainage going down my throat hourly. There are probably no points listed because there is no way to measure the individual amounts of it. I am sure that if there were points, I am over the limit! And by the way......I have given up my Hot Tamales candy until further notice. Ten candies are worth 3 points...the amount of points out weighs the pleasure.
This brings me to another thought. Why did everyone rejoice when it was announced that Wilbur had jumped up from about 130 to 149 pounds and Bevo was up to 117? No one jumps for joy when I gain weight. It's a great thing for these pigs to gain weight.
Finally....remember the post about my daughter not liking being eleven. I am with her!!! I don't like the age eleven either. It is a weird age. They do weird things. Their body does weird things. Did you realize that eleven is the only number below twenty-one which contains 3 syllables? Think about it...........it is just weird all around. It doesn't even rhyme well. Therefore, I have decided that terrible twos.........and elevens are both rough. My eleven year old has stretched the one syllable word NO into 2 syllables. It is said like this: No-ah! And man, can she stomp. Maybe is we stomped for 45 minutes we would loose weight. However on the positive side.......she has not lost that precious hug, kiss, or "I want to hold your hand, mom" stuff. So......there is one bright thought!
I will just remind you that even though I am dieting before Thanksgiving; I am rejoicing that pigs gain weight; and that eleven is #^&*!$%...This is my life and I will stick with it! I love roller coaster rides!!!
This brings me to another thought. Why did everyone rejoice when it was announced that Wilbur had jumped up from about 130 to 149 pounds and Bevo was up to 117? No one jumps for joy when I gain weight. It's a great thing for these pigs to gain weight.
Finally....remember the post about my daughter not liking being eleven. I am with her!!! I don't like the age eleven either. It is a weird age. They do weird things. Their body does weird things. Did you realize that eleven is the only number below twenty-one which contains 3 syllables? Think about it...........it is just weird all around. It doesn't even rhyme well. Therefore, I have decided that terrible twos.........and elevens are both rough. My eleven year old has stretched the one syllable word NO into 2 syllables. It is said like this: No-ah! And man, can she stomp. Maybe is we stomped for 45 minutes we would loose weight. However on the positive side.......she has not lost that precious hug, kiss, or "I want to hold your hand, mom" stuff. So......there is one bright thought!
I will just remind you that even though I am dieting before Thanksgiving; I am rejoicing that pigs gain weight; and that eleven is #^&*!$%...This is my life and I will stick with it! I love roller coaster rides!!!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
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