A Day in the Life

We have a cat named Fuzz Jr. He is fuzzy and his dad is NOT Fuzz Sr., but they were both fuzzy and my student, Jacey (like Lacey or Tracy), named them both. Anyway, Fuzz Jr. has become quite the tough kitty and likes to prove his overall "badness". Especially when unwanted cats come around. There are two feral males who show up from time to time. So long story short Fuzz Jr. chases his daddy up a tree acting all tough and ended up hanging from some limbs. I would just like to say kudos to Fuzzy J for hangin' on. He hung there for at least three minutes or so. The lighting wasn't good and I didn't have time to adjust, but he's the shadowy looking thing in about the middle... Enter my Lovin' Husband. What you don't see is that Fuzzy J is hanging directly above our fire pit full of dead limbs and what not. Not a good place to land...

Poor cat didn't know what to do and was just swinging in the breeze and Adam had an "aha" moment and went to get our long ladder.

It took a minute for Fuzz Jr. to realize that we (I DID help there at the end :) ) were trying to help him. In fact, I don't know if he ever did, but Adam kept nudging him with the ladder and he finally realized he had an escape route. In the blink of an eye he let go of the limb and flipped around and grabbed the ladder. Adam lowered it about five feet and that cat was gone before I could even think about snapping a picture.

That is just one of the many hero-like things my Adam has done lately. I'm glad we're hangin' on this earth together, me and him.

Have a good day. Don't forget to smile!!

Malinda

Busy Weekend...

I'm off to do about four days worth of stuff in two days. Lots and lots of music. Lots and lots of family and fun. I get to see one of my church families tomorrow and am excited about that as well. Then more music and a meeting and then more music. I'll be back Monday...

Remember to be patient with folks this weekend. Especially if you're driving.

Bunches of love!!

Malinda

The Dragonfly Chase

Happy Birthday to Me

My wonderful parents got me a wheel barrow for my birthday. They are truly wonderful. I will think of them when I (or... ahem... Adam) is hauling chicken poop across the yard!! Ha! But really, I NEEDED a wheel barrow and my lovin' Daddy and Ma got me one. One of the *many* reasons they are truly awesome parents. Fuzz really appreciates it too... or appreciated it. There has been chicken poop since then, so he has now reverted to the far reaches of the property again unless he knows we're outside.

I turned thirty today. I'm okay with thirty. I figure my life is better than it's ever been so I'm happy and life is good. On the other hand, I'm having trouble letting go of my twenties. They were good to me. I learned how to be ME. I won't ever think of BEING in my twenties again and that is life changing to me for some reason and I don't even really know why.

I do know that God has a plan for me, though, and that I'm looking forward to my *gulp* FORTH decade.

Adam has truly spoiled me today. He even agreed to go see the symphony with me Friday (thanks to Mark and Jenny for the tickets!!) and also bought me pizza tonight just because that is what I really wanted. He built me a fire and we sat and talked for a long time. I'm so thankful to have such a truly loving husband and best friend all in the same human being. Thanks, baby, for making my pretty "blah" day extra - extra special just by loving and caring for me!!

So today, remember. Think about a time in your life when it was hard for you to let go of one way and embrace another. Then smile and thank God that it is OVER!!!!

I truly love you all!!

Malinda

Update... Gardeny Things.

I have mentioned before that we live in a cedar barren in middle Tennessee. One aspect of living in a cedar barren (other than cedar trees like WEEDS) is all of the rock. Everywhere there are rocks. Little ones, big ones, tiny ones. God didn't discriminate! We have rocks of all kinds and sizes. Lots of limestone, but also these really freaky ones that actually break down and become... claylike. (As in "claylike soil". I'm sure some of you have read those very words on the back of a seed packet and casually waved off the thought of claylike soil. How awful, you think. I'm so glad I don't have claylike soil. Well I DO! So the next time you read that and you don't have claylike soil. THANK YOUR MAKER, PEOPLE!.)..............................I digress.

I couldn't find any of my stakes that I usually use to mark beds so I found yet another use for all of the rocks laying as far as the eye cans see. Check it out... Until the relentless summer sun bakes that permanent Sharpie off of there we're good to go on labels from here on out. I may even challenge myself to never spend money on markers again. God gave me all of these FREE ROCKS. Might as well use 'em! Below we see that Adam and I don't discriminate either. Rocks of all shapes and sized can be used to line permanent beds. (I'll show you pictures of the rock piles sometime. We have those, too. Made 'em all by ourselves WITHOUT a wheelbarrow. Just so ya know.) Below is my reseeding/asparagus bed. I've had cilantro growing there for three years now. This makes me happy. :) Mmmm cilantro!

The tater bins doth work. Yay!! We were worried because we hadn't seen any sings of life in there, but I went out yesterday and saw leafage. We are gonna have SO MANY potatoes for our lovely little farmer's market.

The grassy lookin' stuff is from the bale of straw. Look closer. See the round leafy stuff? In the center toward the bottom? THAT, my friends, is a potato leaf. Potato leaves mean that down in all that straw and dirt baby taters are being made as I type.

Peas.... we will have lots of peas! Planted beside these very peas are turnips and kohl rabi. And if you don't know what kohl rabi is, you are missin' out people. I don't have any big enought to show you, but when I do you can be assured that you will then know! I also know that a lot of you probably think that turnips are gross. We beg to differ. They're pretty darn good when you GROW YOUR OWN!!!

Hello little baby pea shoot. I am going to eat you when you get a couple of inches taller. Yes, I know you didn't know you were edible, but you are. And quite tasty I've heard. We'll see...

This is the corner of the garden that I thought would NEVER AND I MEAN NEVER get done. It is done - and planted. *Thanks, Dad, for letting us use the tiller.* There is quite a bit of corn and squash planted there now. Before you get on to me for planting my corn early lemme say one thing. EARWORMS. I don't like them and they are gross, so this is my (our) plan. Plant the corn early (Early Sunglow - 63 days - can be planted a little early because it can take a little cold) and plant the squash in with the corn (Our squash lasts longer into the summer if we do this. The corn keeps it shady and cool.). Hopefully we will trick the worst of the bugs.

Below is Fuzz one of our wonderful kitties. He hangs with us in the garden a lot.




Here is what has been done for a while. Tatoes, then peas back where you can see the trellis. And Violet, of course. I can't take 2 steps without her on my heals. She is so NOT a country dog. We adopted her when she was dropped off here at the homestead. She does pretty good for a city girl, though.

And it is finished. Planted. Full up. We (well, Adam) are madly tilling and creating new raised bed systems for our summery warm weather stuff. We only had a tiller for the last few beds. Everything else we did by hand. It was sweaty, dirty, rocky, cloddy, hard, hard work, but it is done and I weigh about 5 pounds less than I did when we started. Adam has some serious muscles goin' on and we are looking forward to the fruits of our labors.

Have a great Tuesday!! Do something nice for someone today. It is good for your soul, ya know!!

Much, much love,

Malinda

Some Cuteness

I am always amazed at the mama kitties. Especially when they've never been mamas before. It took Matoike a few minutes to figure out what was going on, but she's got the hang of it now. If you need a kitty, let me know because those aren't the only kittens here at the homestead!!

Have a good day and hopefully if I can still move at the end of the day I will show you what's goin' on in the garden!!

SMILE!!

lots of love

Malinda

Please tilt your head to the left...

I don't know why I thought this was funny, but I did. So there.

Yes I'm goofing off while Adam is working hard, but that's ok. He says so.

I love him...

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

Sometimes I think that they are messing with my head.

Some Things About Me... (I'm feeling self-indulgent, today)

These are my sweet, lovin' parents. I LOVE them and they make me SOOO happy and would do ANYTHING for me. They always told me I could be anything I wanted to be - I could do anything I wanted to do - that there were no limits in life. They taught me to dream...how to be me and all that. I've never once doubted that they loved me. They're always loving and supportive and I am so thankful that they are mine!!

This is my sweet darling Kate. Soccer player extraodinaire... She is my first niece and she and her brother taught me how to be an aunt. Time flies...it seems like she was a baby yesterday and the girl just turned 16. I have loved watching her grow and develop her own style and personality and am only sorry that I do not get to see her more than I do...

We have cats...one showed up and now we have a gaggle of them... I like them, though. There are no mice, rats, voles, rabbits, no nothing. They earn their keep over and over and SO FAR they do not kill my chickens unlike a certain 4 legged K-9 that shall remain unnamed. They hang in the back yard and garden area and follow us when we walk over to visit Neighbor Stan. They love my Saint Bernard - follow him everywhere when he is outside. I think that they think he is a really big furry cat or something because when he goes outside, they mob him. It's pretty funny. ANYWAY....

Have a good day and remember that Christmas is not about buying presents, people. Go get some canned food and drop it off at a church - any church - God ain't picky. Visit some websites and learn about how you can help people - any people as long as the corporation is legit - again, God ain't picky. Let us love one another this season and learn how to give Christmas to those who don't truly know what it is... or how to give it.

http://www.nashvillerescuemission.org/

http://www.compassion.com/

http://www.smiletrain.com/

http://www.heifer.org/

This is just a small list, people. The best thing to do if you want to be involved on a local level in your own community is to educate yourself. It takes work to find need a lot of times, but if you dig deep enough you'll always find it... we can ALL make a difference.

Love,

Malinda