Crazy Calendar

I   don't    know   if   anyone   has   noticed...

That   the    calendar  to  the  right

Has   had  a   mind  of   its  own...

One   day  it   will  say   the   correct  month...

The    next   time   I    look   it   says    March,

Today   as   I    am  Typing    this...

Its   says   April.

This    is   really   has   been    the  way

Our   weather   has    been...

One    day    it   really   feels   like   May,

The   next   it   is   cold   like   March.

I   have   lived   in 

  the   Rocky  Mountains

for   almost    23   years.

And   I   still   forget  that   we  really  don't  have  Spring,

Its   just    all   of   a   sudden...

And   its   Summer   !

It   looks   like  my   Irises  will  be   blooming

later  this   week.

( They   always  bloom    the   first  week   of   June )

Love  to  All,

Mommy  2

Hope   you   had  

a

  Blessed   Memorial   Day

Sepia Saturday

So  far...

I  have  been  showing  you  pictures  of 

My  Mother's  side  of  the  Family.

I  will  continue  with  this  theme.

This  is  my  Mother  at  age  9  or  10.

When  I  first  saw this  photo

  of  my  Mother 

at  my  Grandmothers House,

I  ask  my Grandma

where  she  had  gotten  this  picture  of  me.

She  told  me  it  was  my  Mother,

boy  did  that  surprise  me.

So...

Look  and  see 

if  you  see  any  similarities

in   this  photo.  

This   is   me   at  age 10.

Love to All,

Mommy 2

Thankfully it is Thursday!

Today is a particularly thankful Thursday for me. Sir Dashing comes home from a week long walkabout. He, after driving his mom to Alabama where she is relocating, stayed a week to visit with Big Army Man and Lanky Guy and their precious children. He has had a week of being "Paw Paw" to the sweetest grandchildren on Earth (I know Mommy 2 will disagree.) Today, though, he is coming back to be our knight in shining armor. The children are getting excited, talking about a welcome home menu and the little ones are drawing pictures and writing letters. So, to top my list today, I am thankful that I have a living, flesh and blood husband on this Earth. I look forward to being in the same zip code with him.

Sir Dashing, Lanky Guy and the Cutenesses!

                                                                                     

I am thankful for a warmer morning today. Like Mommy 2 we are out of wood and the house has been cold lately. Today dawned bright and clear and already we are warmer than we got yesterday. I thank God for seasons. I thank Him for the rain and also for the beautiful sunny days. I am thankful for shade trees in summer, for a steep roof when heavy snows come and for a view that makes my heart soar any time of the year!

Looking East from my kitchen,

Buckwheat, the daddy goat, Cutie the Paint and Brie

the cremello

                                                                              

I am thankful for cheese making! It is like magic to me to see my own fresh goat's milk through the wonder of culture and acidification turn into fresh curds and whey, then gradually shedding moisture and growing flavor to become fresh cheese, or feta in brine and sometimes pressed into rounds and put to age in my cheese fridge. (The results of my aged cheeses are still unknown, but ask me again in two months.) I am thankful for the ability to save the nutrition from milk that is so abundant in spring and summer to use later in the year. It makes me happy to know that this winter when milk is scarce, if God blesses my efforts, my family will have cheese.

I suppose I am thankful for goats a lot! Every day I feel so blessed to have these gentle little creatures who can turn weeds into milk. They are family pets and sweet natured companions. As the "poor man's cow" they provide for our family in a sustainable and affordable way. I could probably buy milk at the store a little cheaper than I can keep goats, but the cooler in the market is not as cute and friendly as our goats. It also won't climb on your car!

Opal and Corduroy (the baby)

                                                                               

Once again, I am thankful for this blog and Mommy 2 who encouraged me to get here and sweetly encourages me to keep writing. I am thankful for you, dear reader, because you give your valuable time to read what I write. Oh and where did my children hide those chocolate chips?

God bless you today!

Mommy 1

Wordless Wednesday = Miss Green, Shiny Locks & Creative Chick

Hey...Sorry for Complaining Yesterday...

I  am  Thankful

  for   the   rest   of   you  

who    have   some 

  sunshine   and   warmer   weather.

TODAY...

We  did  have  sunshine

and

  it  got  up  68  degrees!!!

YEA!!!

I   even  bought  some  flowers  to  plant.

 The   Lord   Jesus   Christ   is  Good!!!

Love to All,

Mommy 2

P.S.

The Yellow is for the Sunshine.

What Happened to Global Warming ???

Hey....

Is    anyone   experiencing   Global   Warming?

We   in   the  North  West  Rocky  Mountains...

Are  waiting  

with  layers  of

  Sweaters, Wools  and  Flannels

on   and   wrapped   about   us...

   drinking   gallons   of  

coffee,   tea   and  cocoa.

We   have   used  most  of  our  wood  supply...

so  we  are  ready  for  it  to be  warm...

with  just  a  little  bit  of  sunshine...

hopefully  soon.

So....are  you  having  the  same  global  warming?

Much Love,

Mommy 2

P.S.  It   would   be   nice   to  be  able  to  plant  some  flowers...

or  a  vegetable  garden...

But    for  now   I  will  stay  inside.

My Little Cowboy

Since   I   didn't  really  get 

an   Official   Birthday  Greeting

to   Cowboy...

Here   are    some  

Recent   pictures  I  took   of   him...

New   Boots

 He   Likes   His  Spurs...

Love   to  All,

Mommy  2

Sepia Saturday

This  Four   Generation   Picture

includes:

The   Baby... My  Mother

Lady   to  the  far  Left...Her  Mother

Lady   to   the   far   Right...Her  Grand  Mother

Lady   in  the  Center...Her  Great  Grand  Mother

Love  to  All,

Mommy 2

Wordless Wednesday.....Is Spring Really Here ?

Making Memories

"Memories...like the corners of my mind, misty water colored memories, of the way we were." That song was drifting around in my mind as I was washing a few dishes tonight. (How did those lyrics get there from so long ago?) Today, May 17, Mommy 2 and her 5 youngest children came and spent the day on our little ranch. It was the day before Cowboy's 9th birthday (Happy Birthday, Cowboy) and he wanted to ride Cutie, our paint mare. So the Mommy 2 crew drove the hour to the Mommy 1 view early in the morning. No dads were there, Sir dashing was on a long trip and Mommy 2's husband was working. 

Techno guy and Mr. Inquisitive, fired up the grill and made us wonderful veggie filled meatloaf burgers. Both of these fellows are grillers extraordinaire. The dog enjoyed a couple that got a little crisp and we devoured the others.

The girls from both families made triple chocolate cupcakes for Cowboy's party. They also made strawberry and orange Julius's for themselves and their younger siblings.
Mommy 2 made a delicious meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans. It was wonderful, one of my favorite of her meals and to have her cook it in my kitchen was even better.

Cowboy

In addition to eating, our young people played card games on the living room floor and they rode horses. Some worked on repairing a shed and helped with gardening and mowing. Then they went to play in the river. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! There were lots of wet clothes, dirty jeans and boots, dirty dishes and laughter.

I am very thankful for the opportunity to fellowship with such exceptional young people, including the star couple, Lost In Space and Lost in a Dream, who made wedding plans and honeymoon plans when they were not supervising swimming siblings. I pray that these lovely times will remind us all when difficulties come, just how much we need the love and interaction of our friends. I pray that my children will remember being loved and encouraged and just having some fun as they were growing up.

Friendships for a lifetime, fellowship for eternity and we get to enjoy it now too!

Enjoy your loved ones today.

Mommy 1

Sepia Saturday

This  is  a  picture 

of  my

Maternal  Grand  Mother

She   was  a  little  German  lady...

with  spunk...

My  brother  and  I

were  her  only Grandchildren...

We  were   very  spoiled.

I   miss  her.

Love to All,

Mommy 2

Friendly Friday

Meet:

My    Friendly    Family

(actually  children)

Yes....they are all mine.

This   was   taken  on  Easter.

6  of  them still  live at  home...2  are married.

Here are the Grandchildren...

the 3 on the left  are siblings (my oldest daughter's)

the 3 on the right are siblings (my next oldest daughter's)

I am  Thankful 

  for  each  one  of  my  

Children  and Grandchildren.

Each  one   is  a  blessing...in  their  own  way.

Love to All,

Mommy 2

Thankful again

I am writing this Thankful Thursday post as I do many things...a little late. So, if this is almost Thankful Friday for you, I apologize. I am thankful for a lot of things. This past week I was able to make a batch of Mozzarella cheese with two of my friends. Even though I find Mozzarella a little tricky (it is hard to get the ph just right) it turned out passably well. This means that my family ate it, which is another blessing!

I am also thankful for coupons! Nope, I don't coupon, but Mommy 2 does and she blesses me with the things she buys. This week it was cereal and ravioli mainly. My children were thankful for those items and they don't even know about Thankful Thursday!

Always, Sir Dashing, my longsuffering husband is a blessing to me. This week in particular we have had a lot of stress in our lives and he has remained caring and kind. It is hard not to be thankful for a man like that.

I am thankful for a hot bath, for a comfy bed, for blankets, for a breeze and windows that open. I am thankful I get to have pets. I am thankful my children like me and each other. I am always thankful that God is faithful and trustworthy and that I am not at the mercy of some creator-less cosmic force that doesn't love me and know me.

As usual, I am thankful for chocolate!

God bless you!

Mommy 1

P.S. Leave us a comment and tell us what you are thankful for.

Wonderful Wordless Wednesday

Ramblings of Mommy 2

Ok...

You   All   Know...

That   Most  of   My   Posts...

Have   Pictures....

and   not  too   many   words....

its  not   that   I don't   have things   to say...

its   just  that  I  can  not  get  them  into proper 

sentences  and  understandable  words...

So...

I   leave  it  to  Mommy1  

to  tell  you  about  her childhood

  or 

  share  the  wisdom  that  she  has.

   Both   of  us   have  a  had  a  very  busy  weekend...

Her  and  her  family live an hour  away  from  where

we  both  attend church.

Our  church  had  a  youth rally on Friday & Saturday.

There drove home  Friday night 

(they have animals that need to be tended to)

and  then back again very early  Saturday morning.

(Even  before me...I  live  way  closer  to church  than  she does)

Mommy1   is   my   Hero...

she  keeps  on  going....

even  when  she  should  take  it  easy.

I  love  her  dearly...

Most   people  who meet  her  do.

So....

Her  dear  husband  has  taken

her  on  a  mini  Vacation.

That  is  why  you  are  reading  my  ramblings...

She  will  be  back  soon...

to  write  words  of  wisdom...

and  not  just  ramble...

I   do   ramble.... 

just   ask   my  children... 

Love  to all,

Mommy 2

P.S.  to  Mommy1

I   love  You..

I  hope  you  got  your  rest...

cause  I   need   your   help...

Happy Mothers Day

Happy     Mothers   Day

to     all   of    you  

  Mothers  today  !!!

I   want   to  especially    thank 

  my  

Mother  for  having  me...

and  being   the  Mother that  I  needed

 I  love You  Mom,

from:

   Mommy 2

Mother's Day.....by Mommy 1

My first memory was of my grandmother. I was three or four years old and I was to meet my grandmother for the first time in my memory. I called her Grandmother and I believe she came on the bus from her home in the mountains of Northeast Alabama to our home in North Carolina. I remember waiting impatiently for her to arrive. When she come into our living room, I brought my baby dolls to sit in her lap. I was in awe at the looks of her. She was my mama's mama, but so different. Her hands were covered in velvety wrinkles and she was much smaller than I thought she would be. Little did I know she had come to our home to die. Even at this first meeting, she was frail enough that she needed to rest before she even learned the names of all the dollies in her lap.

I don't know how long she lived after coming to our home, but in the spring (I believe) she died. My mom says she died gently and peacefully in her sleep in our spare room. I wasn't really aware of how her illness was progressing until my daddy pulled me aside and told me that Grandmother was gone. I remember some gentle sadness and a little feeling of loss, but a certainty that Grandmother had gone to Heaven and that we would see her again. Her death though raw and agonizing for my mother and aunt, was soft and velvety like Grandmother's hands for me. I revisit that memory sometimes because it is precious to me. I only had my grandmother for less than a year, but it changed me. What a powerful thing is a grandmother!

My mom has been a longer influence on my children. Though we have not always lived close together, she has always had her heart available to all of her grandchildren. She is the kind of grandmother whose adult grandchildren crave time with her. She is a sage of sorts, sharing our very personal history and truths from God's word. My children all would love to have time over a cup of tea or coffee with Grannie every day. Perhaps they will get their chance. She is planning to come and spend the summer with us. We are all excited, but I am the most excited. Three months with my mama! What a great anticipation is building  in our home.

My mother was a wonderful mom, but she became a spectacular  grandmother. It is generally accepted that Granny is the kind of grandmother that the rest of us long to be. On mother's day, I would like to thank my mom for putting up with me and all my strange and wild ideas! For loving her parents and her husband by which I learned a lot about loving people, Thanks Mom and Grandmother for all you did for the husbands and children in your lives. Mom, you are such a lively link to my past that I believe it wouldn't have been possible to have been me without your weaving in the history of our family in with our everyday visits.

Mothers, Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, what a handsome chain of love, wisdom and care has been forged by your daily selfless acts, your unashamed devotion and your love for your children and grandchildren
                                                                                                                                      
I am grateful for my wonderful mother and the long line of God fearing women who came before me.
Thank you Lord.
                                                                    

My Maternal Grandparents,

my mom and her little sister,

Wordless Wednesday, Shineylocks' Photos Around the Ranch

At My House......... Its Birthday Time.....Again..................... by Mommy 2

TechnoGuy...

was   born   almost  17   years  ago...

He  was  my 

extra    special    Mother's   Day   present   that   year.

 Here    he   is   at   4   days   old...

He   was    the   little   brother   then...

There  were   4   older  sisters  to greet  him.

This   is   him    at  4  months  old.

Someone    must    have    thought ...

he   needed   glasses.

 

The little Cowboy...around   5  or  6.

Here    he    is...
   almost  grown  up...
Taller   than   ALL   his    siblings...
older   or   younger.

HAPPY     BIRTHDAY    TECHNOGUY !!!

Love,
Mommy 2