MY JEALOUS HEART

For years I've had envy.
And jealousy.

I've wanted something I couldn't have.
I KNOW! Breaking one of the Ten Commandments!

Who have I been jealous of?
MacDonald. (as in Old)
I wanted to live the life of Old MacDonald.

I was raised in the country.
My happiest childhood memories were being at my grandmother's home.
Nestled in the Sawtooth Mountains.

After I was married we spent some time out in that same beautiful country. We farmed and had dairy cows.
The stars were big and the air was fresh.

I have always tried to be a bit of a farmer even though we live in town.

I would go out and check the crops.

I canned what I could.

Like my grandmother.

And mother.

But my life seemed incomplete.
My heart was still jealous.

I wanted chickens.
I wanted to be able to go and gather eggs.
From my very own chickens.

I nagged begged Howie for years.
Then I started emailing him all these cute pictures of chicken coops.

The nagging begging continued.
For years.
I told him if I could get me a few hens he would never have to buy me another birthday gift.

Or anniversary gift.

Or St. Patricks Day gift.

Or Christmas gift.

EVER!

Then out of the blue...

A month ago...

Howie announced he would commence building a Chicken Sitter!!!

My grandson acting like a chicken.
It was a painful month waiting for it to be done!
He has traveled extensively and would get home and work each Saturday.

Thank you Steve for goading encouraging him! You were the best Project Manager!

My kids are pretty sure I'm crazy.
I've had some raised eyebrows from the neighbors.
There are two other families in the neighborhood with chickens, so I'm not the first crazy person on the block.

Monday night we FINALLY got 4 chickens.
I love them!
They love being scratched.
And talked to.

I absolutely love hearing them cluck and cackle.
It's a comforting sound.
It's a sound of contentment.
They have hilarious personalities.
(They remind me of people.)

Meet Steve. In honor of Steve, the Project Manager.

Steve is the black one. A Barred Rock.
She lays brown eggs.
She also has an attitude.
She's the first one to lay an egg every day.
Very competitive.

I'm unsure what to name the other ones.
But I think they are beautiful.

I know, I live in town.
Near a university.
With lots of traffic and noise.

Maybe this is just my way of slowing my world down.

And best of all...

From my very own chickens!!!!!

Dinner tonight?
Quiche.

AND Howie already has his Christmas shopping done!

Another NORMAL Day in the 'Hood

Is having an ambulance in your driveway normal?

How 'bout Bagpipers?

NO?

Well, you should have been at our annual block party.
"Thanks Madison County Pipe Band!
Thanks for being great Firefighters and Paramedics!
And playing Amazing Grace.
It gave me chills...
and tears.
You sounded unbelievable.
You ALL ROCK!"

You could have met my wonderful neighbors.
AND you could have seen my crazy neighbor, LaRae playing with the sirens and lights in the ambulance!

Speaking of cute...

"Hi Little Man!"

TRUTH in ADVERTISING

A few weeks ago I was perusing some blogs and came across this post by The Amazing Mrs. B.

CONTAINS ODOR-FIGHTING "ATOMIC ROBOTS" THAT "SHOOT LASERS" AT YOUR "STENCH MONSTERS" AND REPLACES THEM WITH FRESH CLEAN, MASCULINE "SCENT ELVES."

Hilarious!!!

I immediately went to my hubby's shaving kit and pulled out his OLD SPICE deodorant.

"If your grandfather hadn't worn it, you wouldn't be here."

OK, that was funny too!

It made me realize I should be more observant in my purschases.

You never know when you are going to pass up a chance for a good belly-laugh!

A few weeks ago I posted about our adventures hiking to Upper Palisades Lake.
We took Bear Spray.

Also known as Bear Deterrent.

The instructions are interesting.

They are very detailed and specific about how you should behave if you are being chased by a bear.

Among my favorite:
"do not run from a bear, don't try"

"climb a tree only if you can climb higher than 10 feet"

"do not spray deterrent into the wind"

and the best one of all....

"wait until the bear is 16 feet from you until you pull the pin and begin to discharge the spray"
REALLY?????

I do think the packaging of the Bear Deterrent could be improved and I plan on calling the makers to let them know they could do better.

They need to improve it by adding this:

I'm thinking that if
you have to wait until the bear is 16 feet from you before you start spraying...
you're gonna need 'em.

9-11-2001

Ten years ago.

I remember where I was and what I was doing.

Has it really been only 10 years?

Everyone was affected.
Everyone.
Differently.

Just a few years ago I was completing my Bachelor's Degree and was sitting in a religion class.
We were discussing wars in the scriptures.
The professor played this short video.

I had a son serving in Iraq at that time.
My mother-heart was frightened but I was proud.
So proud to be an American.
I sobbed during the entire video.

Take a moment to watch it, you won't be sorry.
There are several unbelievable clips on this website.
They will make YOU proud.

God Bless America.

UPPER PALISADES LAKE!

AGAIN Howie took Friday off.
I could get used to this.
And we went for another "hike".
It required this:

?
The bear spray we carried is called Bear Deterrent.
Because anyone in their right mind KNOWS it's not a bear repellant,
just a deterrent.

We stopped when we were finished to see where we had been.
We went from here on the left, to here on the right.

Do you know how far that is in DOG YEARS????

Well, let me tell ya.
7.2 miles.
But there were so sheer cliff drop offs and the trials trails weren't nearly as bad.

Hikers are supposed to sign in before they begin.

"Hey you silly hiker people, sign this book so we know how well the wild animals are being fed.
We appreciate your support.
Sincerely,
The Wild Animals"

It's also a popular horse trail.
There had been several horses.
I felt like I was in a parade.
Marching in the drill team.
Behind the horses.
I didn't take pictures.
(You're welcome.)

You stay alive, you hear me? Stay alive!
I will find you!

No matter what!
No matter how far!
I will find you!
Sorry, I had just a little of a James Fennimore Cooper Last of the Mohicans experience again.

I did get a little distressed when we came upon 3 cow meese moose and two baby moose.
Moose are ugly.
Seriously ugly.
And they had babies.
UGLY I'm tellin' ya.
Oh, ya, and there was a bull moose.
A regular Moose Reunion.
I hear moose are meaner than any bear.
I did not get a picture of the cows and their babies.

Bullwinkle is in the above picture.
But there was no close up of him.

There are two lakes at Palisades.
This is the lower lake.
It's pretty.

The upper lake was 2.7 miles further uphill.
Totally worth the climb.

So gorgeous and green and quiet.

Great place to soak the feet.

So nearly 15 miles and 9 hours later we made it!
We didn't break any speed records.

It was a great day.

Blisters and all.