The Little Things in Life (Or Little Live Things)

     In the spirit of equal time it seems only fair that I dedicate one blog to the frog...

   
     Yes. It's true. I have a frog. And just like every other member of my funny cast of characters, Wills has a personality all his own, today stretching out his little froggy legs doing his best Baryshnikov as if to say "What's a frog gotta do around here to get a mention?"
     Every morning, as goats start to squawk and dogs start to wag...
     Just about the time Boo jumps up on his breakfast table poking my arm with his paw, nudging me to "Hurry it up with the cat food already, can't you see I'm starving?"
     As Minsky patiently takes her perch, looking up ever so faithfully as if to say, "Yo, You...with the opposable digits...Can you save watching weather till AFTER you put the bowl down?"
     One by one as life around me start to waken, each in their own personal way, I confess, I don't always put the tank critters first. (They usually eat at night.) But today, one glance at my little desk tank (home to Jonathan Livingston Betta-fish and Prince William the frog) and I do a double take.
     When I wasn't looking, seems Wills got long. (I mean, stretched out, he's twice the length of the fish!) Never knew frogs to have growth spurts, but apparently they can and he did. Just as Hiccapup has now hit his lanky, teen-dog years, so too has Wills apparently begun to stretch out of his comfort zone (or else he was just trying to get my attention, which worked, as he stopped me long enough to reflect on this first time behavior).
     Placing palm to tank, (our version of a hug), I paused to wonder just how much consciousness might this little dude have?
    Whatever his intention, it worked. He seemed genuinely pleased to be acknowledged. As for me, it made me smile to see him blink...then kick. He raced up to the surface and back down again as if to say "I did it! I did it! I made the lady stop! Maybe today's my day!
     You did, Wills! You did, indeed.
     And to honor this momentous occasion . . . My first frog blog!
     Here's to my determined little guy...
     (Just goes to show ~Where there's a Wills, there's a way!)

A Dog by Any Other Name...

Some days pictures really ARE worth a thousand words. . .

A Trust of Good Deeds

     It does my heart good every time I hear a news story of someone doing a deed for a stranger, simply for the sake of kindness. A waitress being left a huge tip...The lady at the register, short on cash, when the stranger behind her reaches in with a $20...That driver at Starbucks who paid for the next car behind launching a "pay it forward" chain reaction  that lasted well throughout the day (as the story was reported).
     Random acts of kindness they're called. "Pay it Forward" only for real, in day to day life.
     While not done for praise or recognition, we tend to want to call these people out, if for no other reason than to credit them for being kind. (Not that they aren't worthy of both praise and recognition, but I live for the day when an act of kindness is not a news story, but rather just that-- an everyday act of kindness...Something that happens regularly...that makes us smile without shocking our socks off!)
     As a matter of these acts, I got my quarterly boost from attending a meeting of a trust I've been blessed to be a part of for nearly 6 years now...The result of one thoughtful man (and his wife/now his widow, left to carry out his wishes) when, on his deathbed he not only found Christ, but also a part of his soul meant for giving. As a part of his silent legacy and loving heart, he (in his will) established a trust designed solely (souly) for giving...not to huge non-profits or national efforts of relief (for which there are great things being done and for which funding elements are in place). No, this man's vision was to supply a team of good hearted people (some he was related to; a handful he selected) to be there in a time of need for others to "play angel" as we've been blessed to do...to swoop in at just the right minute, when a need presents itself. (Each of the angel gestures listed above have happened to members of this group; along with myriad other opportunities that have appeared, now that watchful eyes and armed wallets are ready for small ways in which we might be called to help.)
     Because these deeds are done most often through anonymous means, we don't talk much beyond our group as to what it means to spot such moments (using someone else's money at that, which you think would be easy, but it's actually even harder). What HAS resulted from this experiment of an experience is the keen reminder (a theme to my entire life these days, not just here, but in growing gardens, in raising things, in hugging dogs, in living) that AWARENESS is everything. Being mindful...WATCHFUL, of life's moments when someone might be facing something uncomfortable for which the smallest gesture in one split second could bring about a world of comfort...silently, unbeknownst to others....all in the twinkling of an eye.
     I make mention of this only because after a week of juggling, struggling, and yes, stressing over too much to do and too little time, my quarterly trust gathering restoreth my soul (as the great Psalmist put it). Nothing recalibrates my cogs, rejuvenates my spirits and returns me to my regularly scheduled life that hearing from souls such as these who find themselves in positions to help and how it made them feel (how it made others feel; how it changed them) ...A reminder of priorities in check--(that priority being to be here to help others and to be open to others (angels included) who more often than I deserve, show up unexpectedly and without fanfare or need of recognition, miraculously arrive on my scene to be play angel to me).

Of Deadlines and Time Management

            I’m a week behind on thank you notes; 4 days behind on blogs. I’ve got cookbooks on backorder and friends I’m longing to see; but when deadlines loom, all else goes back burner…(Not the best of organizational planning, but mine for now. And  it needs help.)

           In between, I’m keenly aware that before any of this, there are goats to fee, dogs to walk, water buckets to clean….a litany of farm chores that come before anything else (living things come first; at least we got that priority straight). In short, today I feel like that frog in the boiling pot: no one small increase in the heat caught my attention, but then days like today –BOOM. It’s boiling and you start asking, “How’d this happen?”

            I keep telling myself, “Soon and very soon—help is on the way!” (though several of those afore mentioned things need completing first to keep that proposition in check). Some days it’s a vicious cycle; some days you wonder if you could jump off the merry-go-round even if you wanted to. 

            Challenge is, no one part of it alone would do you in. To the contrary, each individual, incremental project is doable and worthy of a full blown plan. It’s just that somewhere along the way, I forgot that taking on a new one, might mean slowing down or letting go entirely of another. (Instead, each new one in this scenario, only enhanced the efforts of all the others…preferably with more people involved to help out as we go forward.)

Case in point: a garden alone is a full time job. I started this little gardening proposition for the sake of a cookbook. Now I have a garden AND a cookbook, either of which is a full time job unto itself. (Thank God it’s fall.) Now that I’m in love with all my garden represents: the healing, the growing…the sustainability, the spiritual element, perhaps it's time to inventory those things going on in the rest of my life I might consider pulling back on to allow proper time for this new addition come next season. (Good in theory: instead, I'm adding gardening courses to the mix, hopeful to work with others who know more about gardens willing to network us all into more community minded propositions.)

            These are the thoughts I awakened to on a Saturday that has a “to do” list longer than most of my Mondays. When you get to the bottom, “Quit digging” they say. But if digging’s all you know, that’s easier said than done.

Dinner Lab

   

     It was a new one on me. (I don't get out as much as I used to.) But anything involving creativity tied to menus I'm intrigued by these days. I knew minimal about it going in...But I must say, as a concept for encouraging new chefs, it's one creative proposition.
     In short, it's a novel new way to get to know the personal story behind upcoming chefs and their creativity (you know...that aproned soul behind the scenes in our fancier restaurants...the one who may get one review or a newspaper mention, but otherwise, you'd really like to know better?)
    That's where Dinner Lab steps in. According to their website:
    "We don't dictate what our chefs cook, but instead give them a platform to tell a story through their menu..."
     Each chosen chef is invited to speak to address the dining audience and 1) speak to your background; 2) speak to your passion about the ingredients you favor; 3) share personal experimental dishes (things you'd be perfecting on your own time back in your own home kitchen)...These are but a few of the guidelines. The rest is a tasting feast for those who've signed on as members of this foodie-fanatic club.
     Nashville is now in the big leagues along with New Your, LA, New Orleans and Atlanta for having lured the concept here. The focus is to bring a touch more personal into the whole cooking equation, all while preparing these chefs to perhaps, one day, have a brick and mortar of their own.
     As a part of the competitive spirit (for there IS a nationwide prize for the one who tests out the best; the winner gets their own restaurant! Nice prize.) But until the day before the event, it is not revealed (to the patrons or the chef) the venue (which is a non-restaurant setting; everything is done before hand; it's the chef's job to bring it in and prepare it for a crowd of 125 or so).
     Creativity. Just goes to show, how it's played at all levels of the game. From garden to table, I marvel at how each and every level steps into its own, from farmer to vendor to restauranteur to chef...
     To my Dinner Lab loving' hosts...thanks for getting me out of the house....and for introducing me to yet another of the many creative ways folks are learning to love and appreciate food~

Meanwhile...This Farm Progress Report

     As my spring gardening season comes to a close (I have only sweet potatoes to pull; a task I've learned from Thurman, you do (first proper sign) before the first frost, which means it's coming)...Meanwhile, the overgrown garden outside my door is metaphor for the overgrown patterns inside my life, home and mind, stemming from books now in full swing, planned projects stepping up their pace, and of course, a barn that is slated to be done before the cold sets in (after all, we have goat babies on the way and some big headed dogs that long to romp in and out of its doors).

      And speaking of doors, the doors were this week's first signs of life (post the posts going in!)...Because we're creating them from scratch, from the same woods we'll be using for the barn's exterior (not purchasing them pre-made), my contractor and lead carpenter savored the task of hunkering down and spending a day sawing and putting the first of many creative elements together...towards the birthing of my new (old)  barn.
     A parallel to my own life, we shared how sometimes the paperwork and busy-ness of business consumes so much from an artist, that the soul longs to get past the technicalities, and throw yourself whole heartedly back into the work you set out to create in the first place. Seems the ultimate challenge for all artists I know, and even those who might not consider themselves artists, but are just that: masters of their craft, be it the accountant with a yin for numbers, that dentist with a gift for gentle, or that doctor with a touch for healing--Artists all in my book...doing that thing God put them on this planet to do. And of course, this would extend to farmers and wood workers alike.)
     With a week full of too much busy-ness and not enough "hands on" my guys were, like me, eager to recalibrate their creative energies by getting back to the tasks that brought us to the dance in the first place (in my case, cookbook layouts; in theirs, barn doors, crafted by hand).
     All in all, a good way to end a perfect week.
     May we never let the details of life override the reasons why we started a business in the first place...(Something I ponder quite often, and have discovered others who run their own shops, struggle with as well.)
     At the end of the day, it's all about creating...It's all about finding your bliss.
     (Here's to the guys whose bliss lies in crafting hand made barn doors~ Are we blessed or what?)

My Beautiful Niece

            With no children of my own (save for the 4-legged ones that romp about my yard) I owe my brother a debt of gratitude for the two beautiful nieces I love as my own. Much to their parents chagrin I’m sure, both are big time travel bugs. (I once thought that they got that from me, though at this stage of their young lives they have seen far more of the globe than I have; and are doing it more frequently, so that I now live vicariously.)

But sweeter to me yet, both have hearts for missions, which despite the concerns any parent might have in this day and age for a child going half way around the world to study abroad, my niece Tiffany is committed to this cause and for the next six months, longs to study leadership and discipleship in testimony to her Christian faith in Mijas, Spain.

Seems like only yesterday, her biggest decisions in life were Chucky Cheese or circus? Dress up or hiking trails?  But as life evolves, so do discussions and decisions about why we’re here. Today finds our talks more soulful…we talk about service and ministry and how best to do the work you were put here to do.

She’s a brave little girl and a beautiful young woman; I’m proud of her resolve and adore her beautiful heart.

For those interested in ministry leadership programs such as this or in contributing to this mission, you’ll find more information at: http://www.g42leadershipacademy.org And should you find it in your heart to support her journey, all donations through G-42 Leadership Academy are tax deductible. (Just make sure you plug in her name –Tiffany Evins – so that it routes to the proper intern.)

Here’s to each of us finding our own calling in life…

And here’s to supporting others in finding their own.

We welcome your prayers, your support, your love.

Laugh Here/Applaud Now

     I confess I'm watching far more television than I should here of late. Easy to justify that morning weather report then leave it running while you doing chores...But I have to say I AM mindful of what it's doing to my brain...(as if, is it any better for knowing you're rotting it...I know. I am aware. But that's no big credit. I admit.)
     Case in point, I left the tube on while running in and out today and became keenly aware of the noise differential between outdoors and in....Yes, outdoor sounds have their noise factors: there's barking, there are goats grunting for space at the trough...there are even things like the occasional plane flying overhead. These are outdoor sounds.
     In stark contrast, I noted these in contrast to inside sounds. I will grant you, if I'm near a remote, I must hit "mute" when commercials come on (OK Ad agencies. We are all aware you crank up the volume hoping we'll notice, and we do! Enough to mute through your obnoxious messages. Please stop! I swear, whoever told that furniture guy in that green cartoon ad to yell at me ought to be fired. If I EVER grace his store, it will be to give the dude a piece of my mind.  I don't know the company's name; I only know it's when "mute" moves front and center in my brain.)
     But the other noises brought about an awareness as well. No matter what the show, there is artificial noise happening throughout. Where once there was "canned" laughter, we now have the "performed before a "live" studio audience" announcement ( as if prompting live audiences with sound guys holding poster boards over their heads that blare "Applaud Now" or "Laugh Here"  now makes it more real to us...Just saying...)
     Then it hit me...Even in something so basic as a mid day talk show, EVERYONE laughs at the perfect time...Audiences are always alert and loving the guest is (regardless if you knew who it would be that day you secured tickets) ...Meanwhile, next Thanksgiving table when that perfectly funny pun is cracked...who gets this? And why aren't they all applauding at all the right moments.
     Bottom line: No one lives this way. No one receives a depreciating joke and walks away unhurt. No one waits for applause before uttering the next line. Silently, subliminally, the noise is killing us (or at least killing our spirits) ...for we are primed and properly poised for hosts yelling into commercial breaks: ISN'T THIS GREAT? WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!
     And given we spend more time with these strangers than we do our own families, it's no wonder we've grown addicted to them. (At least we know what is expected of us.)

Action/Reaction: On Cause and Effect

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to grasp this concept. Newton’s Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Einstein improved upon it, telling us every motion affects every other motion. In spiritual terms, it’s called cause and effect.

 Yet as basic as this concept is (you see it everyday in nature), it should come as no surprise that the law still holds, even in our not-so-natural, materialistic, manmade world. Though some (myself included) tend too often to overlook this.

            I was thinking of cause and effect while watching hoards of people line up (even sleeping on mall floors) awaiting the new iPhone. Having recently purchased the older model (with learning curve still unfurling), I marveled at these techies… the first to have the latest technologies, and usually the ones we call (if kin to or friends with) to explain something so basic as “How do I get my picture onto Facebook?”

            It definitely takes all types, and I’m not here to pick on these people, but rather observing, as one example, how things like new iPhones serve to remind why life runs amuck for so many of us, in large part thanks to devices such as these, sold to us with the notion of saving us time.  More times than not I find them to invade my time, though admittedly, I’m not ready to give mine up (poor, slacking 5c model that it is).

            No, I come to this reminder of cause and effect as I think of my life, farm life in general, friends’ lives and societal life on the whole for it seems that all of us, at one level or another, tend to forget that no matter our avoidance of the subject, laws of nature are just that: Laws. Young/old, rich/ poor... gravity doesn't care. And Mother Nature waits for no one.

            By way of iPhone cause and effect, I use as case in point, my own recent purchase: Cause—I buy a new phone. Effect—I must LEARN this new phone (for me this means classes, one-on-one instructions, online tutorials and yes, calls to my geek friends who waited in long lines to have the newer model they insist I too should have.  I ponder while watching these types, in their lines what their own cause and effect formula looks like. True, they know the technology; that drove them to want the phone in the first place, but when you buy the latest, do you diss your last? Sell your last? Box your last? Or toss your last in a drawer with the other “lasts”. Given that every cause has its effect, and given most would rather focus on the cause, rather than process the time consuming effect (other than the good stuff, like “Look! I have a new phone!”)  Is ignoring effects what’s leading to our hoarding shows, our rat-packed drawers...our cluttered corners? (Meanwhile, who among us hasn’t  at one point asked, “When did this happen?” and/or “When will I ever have time to organize or trash all this?”)

            Not to pick on iPhone people…What’s true for phones is true for goats is true for gardens. Cause: I buy a few goats (which I truly adore). Effect: I must feed said goats (and feed said goats, and feed said goats) until another cause is enacted, such as selling goats, or hiring help for goats, or…simply keep on feeding, though to do so, means less time for writing, running business matters, clearing the clutter in my corners, etc…etc..)

            Same for gardens: Cause: planting seeds. Effect: Weed the seeds; pick the plants…again, a litany of steps all resulting from one causal action. Meanwhile I’m thinking “It was so much easier that day I just unplgged and blissfully planted some seeds.”

            The notion came front and center as I tripped over my luggage from my weekend ( "day cation" (causal decision, for which had me packing it just 2 days prior. Cause: my decision to go (complete with gassing the car, lining up help, packing said luggage, etc). Effect: my luggage…now at my door, along side other items I've dropped when hitting home only to race into new causes or the completion of other effects (such as resuming the goat-feeding schedule). In short, we’re a culture that’s become cause heavy and effect lazy.

            In truth, however, I’m not so sure we’re lazy…as much as we’re mindless. (Heck, we’re the workingest bunch of people on the planet, losing sleep, giving up Sundays, etc.) It would appear since the cause end of the formula is so much more enticing…(Let’s face it: Madison Avenue doesn’t sell us on the many frustrations that come with learning a new toy, or the aftermath of having gone away for a weekend. Their job is to sell you on the fun part. Leave you hanging with the rest. That’s our problem... And to me, this is where the problem lies.

            I look at my own life, and the many details I tend to each day, and yet it's those that don't get seen to that are backing up. I'm an idea a minute (which means a cause a minute), that in the end, if not processed properly, only leads to feelings of guilt, worry or overload. While inspired to launch into that fun end of the formula, such effects as stacked dishes, cluttered corners, or unweeded gardens remain, staring me in the face.

            So to stay in motion (until someone figures out perpetual motion) it occurs to me a little more thought on what causes bring with them, and what time the effects might consume, might prove helpful, as I suspect all feelings of overwhelm stem from my ignoring this otherwise.

            Then again, what do I know?

Why We Love Dogs

     I've been moved recently by the number of dog deaths reported on Facebook. (And with them, the number of deeply comforting messages in reply)
     Unlike most obits, I read dog obits to the end, no matter how long... I get what these people feel and the depths of their loss as they convey it...I've lived that loss. I know that loss.
     I cry at real people funerals too. Lives lived. Loved ones left behind...
     But there is something about the loss of a pet that hits a whole 'nother nerve patch... a different set of synapses entirely go off...
     My rational (read: left brain/linear) mind longs to help in  moments such as these.  (My right brain/creative side arm wrestles back with, "Let her weep. Let her weep. Weeping is good.")
     But as I try to place all these feelings somewhere in the filing cabinets of my mind, well...here's the best I have to offer...
     Even if you're married (biggest life decision a soul will decidedly make) ...Even if you feel good to have chosen your friends...These relationships have conditions (even those you feel are unconditional, have conditions)...For no matter how hard you try, human minds don't forget... won't forget. Even when God blessed us with forgiveness genes, we, are humans,  and we keep score. We recall, remember...(even when trying) we recollect...and at all the inappropriate moments...There's that, "This person hurt me. Yep. I love 'em. But proceed with caution" moment that is wired into our circuitry as a part of our human survival package.

     Not so with dogs. Never so with dogs. (Yes, there is an equal post coming for cats; with cats it is merely a timing thing...But they too, are wired to forgive.)

     Point is, dogs forgive by nature...Or maybe WE accept dogs' forgiveness as a part of OUR nature...(I can't say. I'm pondering this.)

     Never once have I come home (no matter the tattered the item; no matter how pee stained the carpet) and said, "I'll NEVER forget this!" And even if I did react in the moment to one or two such occasions, never has my dog said, "That hurt. That really, REALLY hurt. And I'll remember it and never get past it...Not now. Not ever." (Though in that moment, we each remember the face on that dog...Can we agree?)

     Face it. Dogs don't keep score. Only humans keep score.
     Dogs live to see us happy. (Our mates? Some days yes; some days no. A certain percentage of the time, our mates would love to make a point. I've never once had my dog want to make a point.)

     Dogs LONG to get back to their happy space. Humans? We might just be a lit-tle too familiar with the drama that brought us here, and might (we just might) enjoy it for a second or two a little too long...

      Then again, what do I know?
     You're reading the blog of a woman who's chosen dogs over dudes now for coming up half her life. Must be a reason.
     Best I can answer (and I'm asked often): I have never once dreaded coming home to my dogs, no matter what happened last...No matter who was right or wrong. When it comes to my dogs, they never once think to pick up where we last left off...If anything, their wagging tails indicate they'd just like to be past that last one and back to doing what they do best, which is making us feel better about us every chance they get.

     Their sense of timelessness is God's gift to humans.
   
     Perhaps we should all paws to take note.

Mini-Vaca's (And Other Nights Away)

            Used to take me all of 5 minutes to jump on a chance to head out of town. I once had a friend newly back from her honeymoon with a two-day turn-around before speaking in Hawaii. In the short window we had to touch base, she mentioned off-handedly she “had to go to Hawaii the following day” to which I replied “Have to” and “Hawaii” should never be used in the same sentence.

            Lightheartedly she shot back something about accommodations for two, and her new husband having to get back to his work of his own. “Wish you could go with me,” she haphazardly quipped.  (Friends have since learned not to toss such notions out there lightly.) “Are you kidding? Give me 30."  Suffice it to say I was on her flight the next day. I have a similar story with a professor friend who “had to be in Rome” one Thanksgiving weekend, to speak at the Vatican. Suffice it to say, we dined on spaghetti, not turkey that year…(Again, ya don’t toss it out there lightly.)

            All to say, I’m  a “travel on a dime” kind girl…well, at least, I used to be.

            You’d never know it now, given my past 2 ½ years, which have found me (grateful though I may be) tethered to my garden. But little did I know that traveling is a muscle; and like all muscles, if you don’t use it, you could lose it.

            For 6 months I’ve been anticipating the weekend, wedding for which, the sweet young couple were gracious to extend an invite. Yet as the time drew nigh, I could see it was not a weekend I would be engaged in, but one simple evening (PM wedding) the list of “to do’s” left behind for those caring for my farm, making for one busy pre-game set up.

 First off, Sweet Minsky (at 14 1/2) requires meds every 8 hours, (some are drops, some you crunch, most of which you hide in food, which she has painstakingly learned how to disassemble, despite her failing eyesight.  Add to that her faulty hearing, and suffice it to say both Minks and I are blessed to have a friend who knows the routine. So before heading out on my 5 ½ hour drive, I had two hours of delivery time, delivering Minks.

Next, come the big dogs. (Big dogs btw, now watching a barn being built, which means every nail box, screw packet, flapping tarp, and pallet tie, every-everything needs to be battened down or set up high ‘cause everything’s one big chew toy to dogs like Hix and TJ. To keep the crews moving (and the pups out of their stuff) we secure extra chews, extra bones, extra stuffed toys, extra-everything prior to departure, all while leaving taped instructions on top of Tupperwared rations of dogfood in cleanly stacked bowls for both dinner and breakfast feedings. (Thank God for neighbors, friends and barn-building water-checking crews, all pitching in so that I might spend one peaceful night away.)

Fortunately, Boo is low maintenance, as are the fish.

Still and so, 4 – 6 hours of critter prep (vs. the 30 minutes I gave myself, including dusting cobwebs out of luggage that hasn’t seen the light of day in over 2 years)…all to ensure a stress-free evening (which we  a l m o s t  got to) before driving the 5 ½ hour drive back the next morning....

Let us just say...the wedding went off without a glitch!

As for me, “Glitches are us” but none so critical as to infect those I’d shown up to support.

In the end it (once again) it all serves to remind that farming’s no one man (or one woman) sport.

Moral of the story: It’s high time we bring on the help!