Roots and Wings Archives - A Country Girl's Heart -Beats that Matter

February 8, 2021February 9, 2021

Roots and Wings: An Old Fashioned Valentine’s Day

People sitting on a couch on Valentines day

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I never doubted the love of my grandparents. I knew how they enjoyed holding the annual Valentine’s Day celebration at their house. The event became tradition over a period of around 20 year or longer. I do not recall the exact year our first event was held or my age. But in my heart, I treasure what I now call an old-fashioned Valentine’s Day

Handcrafted gifts with hearts were passed out. But not right away. As I reminisce, the gifts must have taken them all year to make.

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Our Family Meal on Valentine’s Day

A red, white and pink themed table displayed the source of delicious smelling homemade meal prepared by Grandma and Aunt Rosetta consisted of Dad’s Casserole, green bean casserole, applesauce, and a fancy Jello salad among other delightful foods Here we gathered to pray and eat of the lip smacking delights

Dessert was festive heart shaped cake or little cakes shaped like hearts covered in pretty little candy hearts or red and white M&M’s. Ice cream of various flavors were offered to eat with cake.

Or others like myself enjoyed their cake in a bowl with milk poured over it. This was before I needed to refrain from eating sugar. Even when after I started taking insulin, I would enjoy a treat at our Valentine’s Party.

Once we all had our fill of delicious food, and dishes were washed, we waited for the parents to arrive. When all had arrived, out came the first clue of our treasure hunt.

Valentine’s Day Treasure Hunt

These were 6 to 10 clues hidden strategically throughout the house and even in the pockets of the parents sometimes. Eventually the last clue led us to the ‘treasure’.

A box of several of handcrafted gifts made by our grandfather. A few included hand made pieces by my grandma such as the miniature quilt rack (Grandpa made) complete with miniature quilts (Grandma made).

For 20 years we were treated to items homemade gifts for Valentines Day. Today, they can be found in various areas of my house.

Each gift had a heart shape incorporated into it. My Grandpa created the mug tree with a heart shaped base.

Another event of the day was taking pictures of the grandchildren and grandparents. The celebration ended with an evening meal for all generations.

Valentine’s Day Games

Throughout the year my grandparents saved coins to be placed in a heart shaped container. All the grandchildren took turns guessing (1 guess person) the sum total of change. We wrote out our guesses. The closest to the correct amount would be given the money.

After looking at old pictures, I realized the change was not always in heart shaped container.

After the traditional events took place several of us grouped around tables and played favorite games such as Dutch Blitz, marbles, Skip Bo and Dominos are a few I recall.

Breaking Tradition

One year my grandparents saved up money to purchase each of us a Bible. A breaking of the tradition, no hand made wood item this particular year. Every year they spoke of the love of Jesus as the gave us Valentine’s Day gifts, but the year they gave us Bible’s it was a bit different.

The wanted us to know the love of Christ. While they liked giving us physical gifts, they placed a high value in the written Word of God.

This toy sized bench is unique in my opinion and special because my Grandpa made them.

My grandparents wanted to share a clear and confident message to each of their grandchildren. The love of Christ Jesus surpassed the love of my grandparents. It was deeply important to them their grand children be given the word of God.

Curiosity Created

I think, at some point, I became interested in seeing how my grandfather created these gifts we had been given.

My grandfather had a spot in the basement for his wood working hobby. His bigger tools stayed outside in the garage, but the intricate work and sanding happened in the basement.

photo of people — The youngest of the grandchildren were not born yet in this picture.

I recall a stretch of time I spent down with grandpa in the basement watching and learning a few of his processes. Instead of spending time with grandma, I wanted to understand the skills grandpa used to make items from wood.

I do not remember why I stopped, my curiosity had been satisfied, I suppose.

The annual event ended years ago. The memories live on inside my heart while the handcrafted gifts and Bible serve as a reminder of days gone by.

Roots and Wings ~ Joy or Heartache? – A Country Girl’s Heart -Beats that Matter (dontclipmywings.com)

Roots and Wings: Beats that Matter

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June 1, 2020June 1, 2020

Homesteading and Chronic Illness

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How do I homestead and balance 3 diagnosed chronic illnesses? Imperfectly!

Taught high standards and a hard work ethic as a child, letting go of perfection proved heartbreaking at times and freeing at others.

Homesteading lifestyle does not lend to ease and comfort on a regular basis. The rewards of opening a jar of home canned tomato juice, drinking my fill, savoring the flavor, while feeling thankful I know exactly what is in my healthy drink motivates me to take one job at a time.

For the fun of jumping ahead: the result. From a heaping 5-gallon bucket of tomates I now have 6 quarts of tomato juice and 7 pints.

Many steps and a bit of hard, uncomfortable work goes into the delicious drink I canned myself. Planting seeds, weeding, watering as needed, picking tomatoes, and the work of actually processing and canning the juice.

Knowing the reward of healthy food options and a feeling of accomplishment for a job completed keeping me moving when my body aches, my head feels dizzy and I am simply tired.

Get a FREE PDF on how to preserve Stewed Tomatoes.

12 steps complete with pictures.

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There are days I need additional rest, days the best thing for me is to be up and moving however slow I may be. There are days I feel like I used to. On those days I often become wonder woman for a few hours until reality catches up with me.

Reality

Realty might hit me in the form of a low sugar, or becoming so tired I can. Not. Go. another step. It often appears to come on sudden, but in truth many times I am busy celebrating all I am accomplishing. I miss the signs, or I ignore the tiredness lurking because my focus keeps them at bay. Reality might be a high sugar level for unknown reasons requiring me to rest or extra sleep.

Reality means I do not have the same number of hours available for hard work I used to have. In certain moments it means pushing myself because when caring for animals and raising your own food there are windows of time where tasks must be completed. A time for extra rest will be required for sure when the work is done.

The Hardest Part

The hardest part for me has been letting of my high expectations for outcomes of all I do. One of the good parts? Learning to see and act on what is important on any given day. What has to be done today? Resting when it is done.

I brought home my first Swedish Flower Hens in May of 2016. I drove 3 hours to pick up 13 chicks. Pictured about are offspring of those chicks crossed on others I added later.

I might be a workaholic if my health allowed. If you ask my spouse, I am any way. I may need to take breaks before a task is finished or leave things I want done today, for tomorrow.

A New Direction

The idea of writing and running a website was born only after I realized I could no longer work as hard as I used to. To my belief my number one asset I brought to a job, was my physical strength and stamina. It sent me for a loop when I realized I could not longer push through anything I choose to.

The realization came on over a period of a week or two. I was working at a factory learning a job I would have not had a problem with in the past. Sanding a trailer should not have been out of my range of capability. Instead, I learned I had contracted mono. I was let go from my job with the understanding I had the option to return when (if) my health allowed.

I did not return. Six years later, I do not believe myself capable of doing the work.

Blooms from Ashes

Roses will bloom again, Just wait and see, Don’t mourn what might have been, Only God knows how and when, but roses will bloom again.
~ chorus of song ‘Roses Will Bloom Again’ by Bill Gaither

Recently, I was reminded how events look terrible to us at the time, actually open doors for opportunities we would have never looked for. Loosing my job pointed me in a new direction. I felt lost , my pride wounded. I carried (from God) a belief blooms rise from ashes and good awaited me down the road.

The road meandered slowly bringing me to my current life. I did not immediately decide to start a website or homestead. Such ideas came along over the coming year and a half. Implementation itself continues to this day.

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I write to share my journey and knowledge. I homestead to produce more of my own food. I continue to learn how to improve my writing, homestead skills, and earn a bit of money along the way. I strive to keep the genetics of 3 heritage chicken breeds alive. In my newest venture, I am learning about the Great Pyrenees dog breed as I train a puppy.

I may be slower these days, but I still find joy in a new challenge. Blogging, homesteading, and creating provide me with ways stimulate a desire to see what lies around the next bend. I have a couple ideas up my sleeve for the remainder of 2020. Stick around to find out what they are.

Are you living life with a chronic illness or two? How do you make the most of your life?

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May 28, 2020May 28, 2020

Roots and Wings ~ Joy or Heartache?

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A homestead lifestyle, raising food and caring for animals brings joy and hardship. Today, I struggled to find the good.

I recently read a quote from the last chapter of Old Yeller.

What I mean is, things like this happen. They may seem cruel and unfair, but that’s how life is a part of the time. But that isn’t the only way life is. A part of the time, it’s mighty good. And a man can’t afford to waste all the good part, worrying about the bad parts. That makes it all bad.
~Fred Gipson, quote from Old Yeller

Today I am watching a kitten die. I found I lost a hen. I cried about the kitten. I have been nursing him daily I feel those familiar words creeping in, ‘You are a failure.’

He happens to be a niece’s favorite via pictures. I do not look forward to telling my niece, but a voice inside reminds there is a life lesson for my niece in the story of loss. A silent prayer, ‘Lord, May I have the right words?’

I quoted the following Bible verse to myself.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is noble, whatsoever is just, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is noble, whatsoever is of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be anything praiseworthy, think on these things.
~ Philippians 4:8 NKJV

A reminder to focus on what is of good report and praiseworthy. I almost forced myself to think on the fact it was time to take Aneta for a walk. Spending time with the adorable Great Pyrenees puppy decidedly brings joy to my life. Time with her has already proven an antidote for any dark mood I might be facing.

As I prepared to head outside, I thought, I am thankful 4 of the 7 eggs in lockdown are pipped already. It was late last night when I set up the lockdown. I skipped candling them. I have no idea what to expect from this hatch.

A long list of work awaits me. Our wet weather in the last week has proven a challenge to do any planting or working the ground. The chicken barn is over due for a good cleaning and the list goes on.

Again, I have a choice to look around at all the blessings and good or carry a weight of frustration. Where will my focus be? On this day, the battle rages minute by minute, hour by hour. Yet, Do I really have a right to be discouraged? My friend recently lost her mother. Now there is a reason to grieve.

I recall a specific night I worked at a foaling barn. On one side of the 30-stall barn was a baby who would be gone by morning. Mamma had kicked a, soon to be fatal, blow earlier that evening. On the other side of the barn a healthy foal birth, new life. The contrast of life and death sharply burned in my heart.

As living people, we are free to make choices in our thoughts and actions. There are moments a hard choice will bring a good emotion down the road. Choices might appear good under present circumstances that down the road create a terrible emotion.

Our world may saturate us with feelings of fear and unknown future. I am thankful for a God who sits on the throne no matter what. He sits there when I lose a chicken, when I watch a kitty die, when we lose a loved one and when a family member struggles.

I am thankful for all the good around me, watching other kittens play, watching a puppy romp in the grass, the chirps of newly hatched chicks, the whinny of a horse, the warm breath of a trusted horse, and wet puppy kisses. Life’s blessing surrounds us, we choose to see them, or not.

Jesus said he goes to prepare a place for us. I am thankful this broken world I live in is not my final destination.

Perception, a powerful word when put into action.

May I encourage you to focus on all the good you are surrounded with today?

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May 26, 2019July 9, 2019

Roots and Wings: Beats that Matter

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Often, I share what is happening on the farm, how I move forward in my homesteading journey or enjoy other parts of the country I have visited. In this post I get a bit more personal sharing about my unseen journey, of the heart….Beats that Matter.

I have always had an interest in animal husbandry and the biology of how a body functions both human and animal. There has long been a special place in my heart for the appearance of new life. The wonder of it all, the few moments that life hangs in the balance before arriving, the nurture of a new mom and the trust of a new born have repeatedly touched my heart in a special way. My first experiences go back to my childhood, observing, learning, and assisting with the birth of baby goats. In high school as a part of the farm lab in an Ag and Natural Resource class, I assisted a sow(pig). My journey with horses was only beginning and it has continued to this day.

I have consciously made the decision to step away from horses while pursuing different areas of my life. Music, the beginning of my homesteading journey, raising chickens, producing vegetables and fruit, and attending farmer’s markets along with this website have taken hours of my time, energy, and money. Yet, in the last 3 weeks, caring for equines, felines, and supporting those practicing veterinary medicine seemed to take up a much of my emotional and physical resources. Now, for certain, I do not regret any of it, but rather I have enjoyed the moments as they came. Anytime I have been involved in caring for animals both good and bad, tears and joy abound. These last few weeks have been no different. I have learned new information and put to use my previously acquired knowledge. One such way was in the joint effort of mare watch and foaling. I made an exception to my decision to step away from such activity while focusing on growing new ventures. Largely because, this was to help another human with her animal when she was not in a position physically to do so herself. You see, I have had to rely on others to help me with my animals when I did not feel good. Another time, I found myself alone, no help, with serious health struggles with a horse that needed around the clock care. I jumped at the chance to support another. I am not sure how many times I teared up, happy to be a part of helping. I felt the old adage, ‘It is better to give then to receive’. I will say no more, but rather share this 12-minute video of my wonderous moments.

These past two weeks allowed me to add to the portrait of who I am created to be. This journey called life unfolds much like the stroke of a painter’s brush bringing details of a picture into being as the Lord shows me who He created me to be. For that I am deeply thankful and growing confident in His leading while I grow roots in unseen soil. As the roots develop I am learning it is not about what field I work in, but rather, no matter where I am, I find much joy in encouraging others. Heartbeats that make a difference to those you are around. What are you doing while your heart beats?

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April 24, 2018April 29, 2018

Roots and Wings: New Life ~ Chickens

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Have you ever reached a point in the journey of your life, stopped for a moment and wondered, How did I get here? That describes how I have felt these last few weeks as I wrote about my memories of new life and how it pertained to goats and horses.

I turned down the opportunity to foal out mares this year. A difficult decision for me to reach, largely due to my health. Staying up all hours of the night disrupts the body’s circadian rhythm. This negatively impacts the adrenals. Since I am working to create an environment for mine to heal, I believe it would be counter productive. A smaller percentage of the picture is the fact that I have a limited amount of energy and I have chosen to direct it to my current goals of breeding chickens and a homestead lifestyle. I am hopeful that I will discover a way to add foaling mares back into my life in the future. If that doesn’t happen, I will simply relish the memories of that season. To read my blog on seasons click here.

Swedish Flower Hen chicks hatched at CG Heartbeats Farm

I adore babies of almost any species. Spring time brings new life in plant and animal form. I like to see the tiny plants pushing their way up through the soil, but not quit as much as seeing new life appear when a mother gives birth or an egg hatches.

How did I go from foaling out horse to hatching chicks? I see some humor in the fact that an egg or newly hatched chick is about the size of a foals hoof. Now that is quite a big difference, going from one to the other. My health goals have played a part in directing my current path. It is a simple truth that when making room for change in one’s life certain activities must be let go of to make room for new. An area I struggle with at times, letting go. Some days, I actively choose to stay focused on the new adventures.

Silver Gray Dorking and Swedish Flower Hen chicks hatched at CG Heartbeats Farm

Hatching chicks

Hens make hatching chicks easy. They do the work of an incubator and brooder after the hatch. One of the Swedish Flower Hens went broody last fall. Click here to read the story. The relationship a chick has with a broody hen seems like it would provide an education. However, the incubated chicks seem to know instinctively to peck at food and drink water. Again the power of new life is amazing.

Today, as I write, new life abounds around me in the form of hatching chicks. Yesterday, the little chirps greeted me before I even seen a pip. Today I have been privileged to watch them pop out of their shells. Some times I need to work hard to pop out of my shell. It is tempting to stay where it is safe, comfortable, and truthfully, easy. Working to get out of a shell takes effort, and then just when I accomplish breaking out, I find myself faced with changes. Like a chick who suddenly finds space to stretch and learn to walk and balance. Freedom to move is one of those changes. I mean what chick would want to stay cooped up in a shell. In reality, a chick dies if they don’t break out in time. Similarly, we risk a different kind of death( I am not referring to an eternal death here) if we too stay in our comfort zone.

Last year incubating chicks became a new challenge for me. I have used 3 different incubators to hatch chicks in the last year and a half. The Little Giant, Incuview and Janoel12 produced chicks, but offer different features that seem to influence hatch rates. The Little Giant, a styrofoam, I used only once when I borrowed from a friend. I hatched only 2 chicks. Perhaps with time and experience I may have improved the %. I like the plastic incubators best for the easier clean up after a hatch. Both the Incuview and Janoel12 are constructed of hard plastic. They clean up nicely. And oh those newly hatched chicks make a mess.

They are adorable though once they dry off and the fluffiness appears.

A discussion on different incubators would provide enough material for its own blog post. In the hatching course, I am preparing, I include info on different incubators and a worksheet to help you decide which one suites your financial need and personal preferences.

Consider joining the wait list while I finish up the e course on hatching chicken eggs. If you are not needing this type of information, perhaps you know someone to pass this opportunity onto? There are going to be a few bonuses for signing up early.

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April 4, 2018April 4, 2018

Roots and Wings: New Life ~ Goats

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As a child I observed the birth of baby goats. I do not remember my age the first time I seen a baby born, but I may have been as young as 5. Perhaps I was in early elementary school. Somewhere along the way we lost a kid or a goat due to complications in the delivery process. I remember the frustration I felt, seemed like something could be done to help out.

Perhaps all the James Harriet books my Dad read me triggered the belief that I might be able to assist the does when they had trouble kidding. The next time I was alone with a doe who was having trouble giving birth or kidding, as it is called I decided to see what I could do. Feeling a bit apprehensive, I tentatively, reached my fingers in the birth canal found the missing leg that was just out of sight. I gently pulled the leg forward. Excitement rushed through my veins as the doe was able to complete the birth of a kid (baby goat). Looking back, the kids elbow may have been locked on the does pelvis. Thus, my journey as mid wife of sorts to animals found a place in my life. A new feeling to me, accomplishment, a new belief that maybe I could……make a difference, succeed, learn a new skill, and a belief in the importance of trying. I guess, the belief and the curiosity in what if I tried this(or that) may have been there all along or I would not have searched for the baby goats leg that was hindering its birth.

From that first kid where I pulled a leg forward to assist with a birth, I gradually learned to sort out more difficult kidding complications. As I recall my next challenge presented a kid with one leg and head present in the birth canal and one leg pointing down or back into the utertous. Again I reached in and found the hidden leg holding up the process and gently worked it forward, allowing for the kid to make easy passage and begin a life out of the womb.

Life as a (human) kid featuring the pet goat Jimmy.

Becoming bolder, I found myself facing two kids attempting simotanous birth. I remember feeling only slightly sorry for the doe. No time to think about the momentary pain I was causing her. I resolved the short lived pity of her pain with the thought that if I didn’t proceed the kids and her would loose their lives. I worked back the nose that did not belong pushing it farther back into the uterus. I may have needed to find a leg not properly positioned, or perhaps that was another time. I do not recall if there were twins or triplets born that day. I do recall the momentary joy as my confidence grew in the belief that in at least on area of my life I could make a difference.

This picture shows a mucus plug on a doe getting close to birthing or in goat terms, kidding.

As my confidence grew, I learned to reach into a goats birth canal when no kid was presented, but the goat was obviously straining in labor. I remember one particular time where no kid presented, but I found it in the uterous, its back bone pressed against the birth canal. This not only blocked its own birth it blocked the birth of the other 2 kids that were born that day. Before they could make an appearance, I pushed the kid further in the uterous to reposition it allowing it to come out into the world via the birth canal. In the process, everything became funny! The doe was less than convinced I was truly helping her and instead of laying down she began moving rapidly around the pen. I stayed with her, my arm still lodged inside working to move the kid into position. She laid down again and the kid was born. I likely will not forget the memory of that experience. Of course, this was over 30 years ago and technology did not lend to the ease for videoing the process. Recalling this story causes me to laugh inside for the picture I must have presented.

Goats also influenced my life as the first animal I exhibited.

Not only did I learn this skill, I developed a passion for new life. A passion that carried over when I found what I call my heart animal, horses. Looking back I am amazed at the timing in which each lesson presented itself. Had I faced the doe in labor with no kid visible, first, the doe and all 3 kids would have died. I would not have been prepared or confident enough to sort out that problem. Today as I write and think how perfectly each incident went from a small challenge to a slightly bigger one. It feels like God’s hand wrote the process. Did He orchestrate my education? And if so what was He preparing me for? I can look back and see where my passion led me up to now, but I do not see why! The why of how my life abruptly changed and headed down a different path on the surface largely rests on choices I made, but in the bigger picture(the strong passion for birthing animals I have always felt), I am uncertain. I trust the message of Philippians 1:6(KJV) that says, “…..He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

As I ponder, I have to ask where else in my life has this kind of learning process occurred?

Mare and foal before the foal stood for the first time.

On a lighter note: Next in this series, I share about how my experience birthing goats fueled my passion for new life in the form of a horse. I could write a book about foaling out mares, but for now I will limit my sharing to a blog post.

If you have ever witnessed or helped an animal give birth, what was your experience? Leave a reply in the comments.

This is the second post on New Life to read the first click here. If you would like to watch a video of a chick hatching be sure to enter your info below.

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March 28, 2018April 11, 2018

Roots and Wings: New Life

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Almost all of my life, I found time standing still for the presentation of new life in animal form. I have not kept track of the times I have observed, and sometimes assisted, in animal births. I am pretty sure the list includes goats, pigs, cattle, dogs, cats, horses and chickens. From an early age the process has inspired me, leaving an almost spiritual experience impression on my heart. Now to be sure the few times a mother’s life was lost in the process damped my enthusiasm, but has not eradicated my love for the process of new life appearing to the world. Oh yes, I have been privileged to observe the appearance of human babies on 3 occasions, but with an almost tear in my eye, never my own.

New life in the form of animal and human births present like the beauty of a new day, a sunrise, a new start, a new journey. Maybe that lies at the heart of my passion for the birthing process. Beautiful expectations for all the untapped possibilities, dreams and discoveries of potential capabilities envelope new life. I often felt a bit of anxiety and fear as well. Knowing the importance of timing for everything to go right leaves me feeling I witnessed a miracle. New life amazes me for all the development that occurs out of sight with a mothers womb. Aside from a larger abdomen and some rapid belly movements there is no outside indication of the inside growth and development. I think God works in our lives that way from the inside out. He speaks to our hearts and helps us make these little changes that over time appear in big ways. I suppose, truthfully this process might lead us the other direction if we are giving an ear to the devil. Makes a pretty strong argument for the importance of learning to know the voice of Lord.

On a complete side note: As I was writing this last paragraph I heard the distinct chirp of a baby chick from the incubator. No visible pips yet, but there is a definite chirp coming from across the room…New life! My heart leapt and I felt compelled to put the computer down to have a look. I could not find a single pip, perhaps it is out of sight or not quite through the shell. Fitting for the current topic!

Spring represents new life. Flowers, and plants begin pushing new growth up through the soil. Trees grow new leaves. Spring commonly presents the time frame for animal births too. While I have been present for the birth of several different species, I am going to speak to the three most common in my life: goats, horses, and chickens. This post is the first in a short series of 4 where I will be sharing a few stories of my animal birthing experiences.

To be honest, there are a few times the stories sadly ended in the loss of life. In those hard moments, I have questioned if I ever wanted to be present for another birth. The truth is, the good out weighs the bad for me. I would not trade the moments of joy just to avoid the painful ones.

Have you ever experienced the birth of an animal? If so please leave a comment telling about it. Would you like to see a chick emerging from its shell? Use the form below to receive a free video of a chick hatching.

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December 25, 2017December 27, 2017

Roots and Wings: A Living Moment

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I celebrated Christmas in a different way this year. I often find myself missing someone at Christmas and feeling lonely. It gets in my way of enjoying the day. Now I know grieving the loss of a loved one is going to happen, but this has become a pattern for me. A habit of wanting what is not going to be and choosing to live in the pain.

Some of the people I miss are my sisters and their families. They live a long distance from me and our connections take place during warmer months of the year. Largely due to the extra work it takes to care for my animals when we are having winter weather and the expense of travel I do not see them during the Christmas Season. I decided this year I was going to live in the moment(s) and enjoy myself in my current circumstances.

I created Christmas DVDs for each of their families and mailed them early so they would be able to view them Christmas day. I pictured a Christmas morning at their individual houses and the kids viewing the DVD’s. I left it to my sisters discretion of when it actually fit into their day the best. I knew that I was making a connection with my nieces and nephews even if I was not there in person. One of my sisters text me the kids were re-watching the video and the youngest was jabbering through the video. I guess she liked seeing the pictures of herself and her siblings on the TV screen. While it was special to hear the reactions, even without, I had a fullness and peace on my heart with the knowledge that I had planned for a way to connect with them.

Knowing I enjoy children, I decided to make plans with a different branch of the family. I felt compelled to invest in the lives of my in-laws. I made plans, but they did not turn out quite what I orginally imagined. As Christmas day unfolded, I learned, many I invited were not going to be able to attend. I had peace (that passed understanding). For you see, I believed in my heart that I planned and acted on the Lords prompting in my heart. I realized that He had prompted me to act and plan knowing full well how the day would reveal itself. He would use my actions as he had planned. It was only me who had a preconceived notion of ‘why’ I was doing the things I was doing. I could choose to be disappointed, if I wanted to be. In this circumstance, I rested in knowing He had it covered all along. Nothing happened this Christmas that He didn’t see coming. With that outlook the day was a complete success!!!! I rested in knowing He had it planned this way all along!!!

It was a cold after noon and I spent the remainder of the day caring for the animals. I believe my PM chores took me about 2 hours. What did I do when I was done? I fell asleep!!!! It was a restful, peaceful sleep, with the feeling of contentment and a happy heart! I had lived fully in each moment of the day!!

What did Christmas mean to you this year?

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December 18, 2017December 19, 2017

Roots and Wings: My Favorite Holiday

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Exciting! In one week, we get to celebrate Christmas, my favorite holiday!

I was born on Christmas. It was no easy feat to even arrive. I required a forceps and broke my moms tail bone getting here. I have in years past, and may again, been unhappy with the fact that I was turning one year older, but not this year!! I am choosing to take a look back and celebrate the victory of some of what I have lived through. I am choosing to feel thankful I survived a traumatic brain injury, broken pelvic bone, among other not so serious horse wrecks and, daily, I have awakened every morning to date, despite, low sugars, struggling adrenal glands, and low thyroid. Yep! I am going to celebrate!!

I have many fond memories of Christmas. One of the earliest, is going to my grandmas house to decorate the Christmas tree. Memories of home made gifts from relatives. A couple that come to mind at the moment are the cross stitched picture of a barrel racer with the words ‘dare to dream’. Shelves made by my uncle and grandpa which still hang in my house to this day. Homemade gifts are the best kind, in my opinion.

The presence of loved ones, a few who are no longer living on earth, are the memories I cherish the most. I carry the sound of their laughter, singing, and words of wisdom in my heart. Speaking of singing, a Christmas tradition I enjoy is caroling. It is not a tradition in the sense that I go every year. But when I do, the warmth in my heart over rides the cold air, that along with insulated Muck boots and Carhartts.

My intention is to impart specific impressions into the heart of those loved near and far. Encouragement, hope, joy, laughter, and a knowledge of the importance the difference a relationship with a Savior makes when times get tough. What better time of the year to sow seeds into others lives? This year I am looking for ways I can be intentional when it comes to connecting with people near and far.

There is a more important celebration than my birth happening across the world on December 25th. Jesus, God’s only Son, entered our world all to become our Savior. This often has me feeling my birthday pales in comparison.

I like Christmas for the gathering of relatives and for a period of time one can immerse in the reminder of what it is like to have faith. Not in Santa, but in a God who sent His son to eventually die for me, for us all. That is a pretty special gift wrapped up in a baby.

What are the ways you make connections with those close to your heart no matter the physical distance? Sending cards? Gifts? Caroling? A phone call? Enjoying a meal together? Viewing Christmas lights?

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December 15, 2017December 19, 2017

Roots and Wings: Christmas Candy

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I had the pleasure of making Christmas candy with a neighbor and friend last evening. I met her a little over a year ago. I stopped by her house to introduce myself as I realized there were people living in a house that had been empty. She had moved into the area from Iowa. I learned I am the same age as her mother. That felt weird to me at first. It doesn’t seem that long ago I was her age. We became friends quickly and last year made Christmas candy and snacks together. I hosted last year and this year was her turn. We intend to make this a tradition.

The snow flakes were speedily blowing across the landscape as I drove the short distance to her house. I admit, I entertained visions of driving a sleigh instead of my old car.

We chatted and laughed while we made chocolate covered pretzel complete with sprinkles, buck eyes, chocolate covered peanut butter sandwich crackers, and home made peppermint patties.

I snacked on the Chex mix she had taken out of the oven soon after I arrived. We drank coffee and told each other stories. Oh, did I say we laughed a lot? We did!! We decided to play Justified – Once in a Manger while we were crafting yummy sweets. She told me a story of when her little sisters were in the area to visit.

She said, ” Oh you should have seen them. They gathered all their dolls, stuffed animals, blankets and pillows around the lap top and huddled there, listening to your CD.” (Justified ~ Once in A Manger) My heart was blessed. A warmth filled my heart and bubbled out of my eyes ever so discreetly. How precious to have made a difference in the lives of little ones. I shared with her the special memories I had as Sheila, my Mother and I put the CD together. I am thankful that even though I was going through some dark moments personally while we put the CD together, the Lord can show up and bring beauty out of ashes.

These moments spent in the presence of people dear to our hearts are moments that live on much longer than presents under the tree. I challenge you to find ways to be intentional about what is important, no matter what struggle you are facing.

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