Friday, April 30, 2010

I have the honor of being in a treasury on Etsy

I just love when someone appreciates what I do in my Etsy Shop. Carol from VintageChiciBean has included one of my fiber art yarn bundles in her treasury....

I am so excited!! You can see her wonderful "Marshmellow" selections at
http://www.etsy.com/treasury_listphp?room_id=129149

Also please go and visit Carol at www.VintageChiciBean.etsy.com. Carol has some wonderful vintage items that will be calling for you to take them home.

Thank you so much Carol for including me..

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

He who watches over me



Outside my bedroom window I awake to my Guardian Angel - Llama Boy!

He gives such purpose for this farm - protector, guardian of the meek and mild, friend to those who have none and my dear sweet silent friend. During the storm he did not think of his own needs but stayed by the shop door watching over Kasha and me. Like a marble statue he held his post only blinking when I called to him "Are you alright Llama Boy?" I tried to guide him into the barn a dozen times - thru the blinding storm but he would always double back and place himself in front of the shop door. When I finally gave up trying to SAVE HIM I realized he was trying to SAVE ME... His drive to protect me outweighted his need to be in a dry barn.

I am so lucky to have him with me. Tuesday when one of the old hens fell thru a drift of snow he ran and placed his head next to her so she could climb on this head and he lifted her out of the snow. The hen gave a quick peak to his fleece as to say THANKS and ran into the hen house to gather her nerves. Llama Boy slowly walked behind her and peaked into the house to check that she was safe and then sat himself in front of the door as to say "No Coming Out Today". Trust me the other hens did not appreciate the fact that they had to climb on top of him to take their afternoon nap but this Angel wanted to make sure there was not another repeat of the snow mishap.

So today I give thanks for my Guardian Angel - LLAMA BOY

Mother Natures Melt Down





After my melt down which was not the least bit pretty I thought I would show you what Mother Natures Melt Down looks like here at the farm. There is still snow but not in any of the huge drifts I worked thru for the past couple of days. The pond is rising and the sky and air is clean and clear. I even had a couple of wild ducks in the pond early this morning. They always seem to know when the Funny Farm pond is open.

I must admit the wind is howling which who knows might assist with those fleeces.. Now that everything looks like spring time I must warn you the weather guessers are saying another storm is on it's way. So today I will be working like a mad women to get things done outside in advance of the next Mother Nature Event. However, for this moment let's enjoy what we have - it is GRAND

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Value of Challenge

After another storm hit the farm Sunday night and I was up all night worrying about the animals I was glad to see the morning. Yes, I was still in snow shoes to do the chores but what you going to do?? All had made it thru the night without harm.

As I came to the younger boys barns they all stood on their hind legs to get a good look at me. Such sweet faces - all nine of them with their heads over the barn divider. As I clunked over with my snow shoes still on I gasped in horror. Here were my beautiful boys covered with this tiny Vegetable Matter in their once spotless fleeces. I flung off my snow shoes and hopped the gate. I grabbed Eistein to get a closer look - it was if someone had rolled them in teeny tiny hay powder. I grab another and another - all with the same horrible mess. Now I am not one to go nuts but this was like you had kicked the air right out of me. I have not a clue what had happen to these animals but I dropped to my knees in tears. A WHOLE YEAR, A WHOLE YEAR, What in the world am I going to do... Now I am not a drama queen but I am one who deals with hundreds of fleeces a year - this was a nightmare.

I left the barn crying so hard that I really did not know if I could make it to the house. There I sat on my bright red chair that sits inside the shop door in all my wet clothes just crying... I must admit it was like the flood gates to my emotions just came pouring out. What is going on?? Then I got a grip and said to myself - everyone is still alive, we made it thru another horrible storm and we are all O.K. GET A GRIP GRACE!!

I peeled off my wet, smelly clothes and slowly made my way to the shower. There I scrubed the tears and dirt from my face and gave myself a hard talking too.. I know better - a life is worth more then a fleece, I know that there is a reason for everything even if I do not like it, know what it is or asked for it. Just then I realized I had not read my mediation for today. Here is just the beginning and end of it.

"Faith is a verb. It's our willingness to exerience life as it unfolds in all of its pain and all of its promise". Joan Borysenko

Affirmation: "Today, I allow myself to experience all of life. I accept whatever life brings and know it is all a learning experience".

As I went to do my afternoon chores I gave thanks that we are all standing today in fine health, great spirits - being able to have one more day on this farm. The creative spirit will give me new ways to share my love for these animals with all of you and who know a clean fleece may be the miracle awaiting tomorrow.

Be up to Value the Challenge

Friday, April 23, 2010

Lost in Space

Life on the Funny Farm has been it's continual strange place. I hardly know where to begin - it all seems a blur - or maybe it is my way of just not wanting more.

Last Saturday I started my Spring Cleaning outside - we had great weather so I spent the day tearing the Hen House apart. Scrubbing down everything and rearranging the layout (hens like to have their house changed around) just like two legged ladies do.
As I came out to catch a lung full of clean air I notice Kasha was hanging out of her house funny. I called her - no response, I yelled several more times and no response PANIC!!! I ran to her screaming her name and no response. As I reached her and grabbed her, she opened her eyes but was very unsteady - Oh MY GOD - My heart was pounding so hard I am sure you could hear it clear across the farm. I walked her into the shop and sat with her while I checked her over - She slept and I worried till the next morning. I know her end is near and I think that will be the end of me. She is my heart, soul and dearest of friends - this will be too hard to take.

Then a couple of days later there was POLICE all up and down our road. Not a normal site at all. At first I thought "OH MY GOD - FIRE" It has been dry here and there has been warnings posted - I put my nose in the air like one of my dogs but nothing - so I went about my business. During the day the power was off - again I though FIRE. No reverse 911's, none of my friends called to inform me of doom, nothing on the news so back to work I went. Then about four hours later upon going to the road to collect the mail I could see in the forest flashing lights. I got in my truck and headed down the road - only getting about 500 yards there was a road block with police and guns. As one approached the truck he told me to turn around - I explained I was the farm that this all was next to and I thought I had a right to know what was going on. He stated they found drums of chemicals used in making METH on my neighbors property. Now this is a 8 generation cattle ranching family and the last folks in the worldyou would every think would be involved in such things but now a days who knows what goes on in peoples lives. He informed me that the HasMat Team was coming in to take it all away and if it goes up in a ball of flame they would come and tell me. WHAT!!! Again, he said it really was not any of my business. I explained that I have over 60 animals that would need to be evacuated and I do not wish to do that while my farm is burning to the ground - he said again "It was not his problem what I did with my animals and that it was none of my business what they where doing to deal with this problem".. I must admit if it was not that he was wearing a gun I would have loved to have popped him in the nose... Finally at 9:30 pm they removed the materials and now I was wondering how was I going to go to sleep tonight??? Trust me - I didn't

What a week with Mother Nature and her Colorado weather. It is being true to form... First we had 70 degrees on Wednesday, Tornado touching down in the next county and an inch of hail on Thursday and Friday well, I have snow up to my butt!!! Colorado weather - you just got to love it or hate it - either way we don't get a vote.

Yep, this has been one bumpy week. Let's hope for a calm and boring weekend.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

What will the weather be tomorrow? Anything but Wind I hope.

Well it is evening at the farm and the wind is slowing down - not until it took off another two sheets of metal off the barn roof and even tore off the rooster weather vein from the little tool shed roof. That is a first in 14 years...

Nerves are a bit frayed here so in Grace fashion I got out my some horror movies and decided to put the head phones on, as I hear the Tooth Fairy scream her way thru a very lame B movie at least I can not hear the wind.

One bad thing about the wind is all my creative juices just dry up. My mind goes blank (some would say that happens even without the wind) my body gets stiff and all is Lost!! Heck that reminds me did you see LOST tonight??? I sure hope they get this tied together because I want to make sure that if I ever end up in a plane crash on an island I will know exactly what to do... It could happen! O.K. where was I ? Mind going blank - I am not going to call them senior moments even if I did get a year old..

Here is my newest question that has been rolling around in this blank brain - How do you know when you are ready for a new patth?

For the past year there has been a small voice saying there is a new path for you Grace. Now I know that might sound like I need to be at a Funny Farm but really have you ever had that happen? That is how I started this farm and business 14 years ago.

I would love to hear if this has happened to others and what was that path that was shown to you I hate that I am a person who lives in her head too much - I really am working on letting go and as the saying goes "Going with the Flow"
That is really a hard one for the list maker, pro's and con's, decission tree designer, black and white - well, you get the picture.. Still I wonder are others hearing a small voice telling them of a new path or should I really look into checking into a Funny Farm??

WIND WIND and MORE WIND



Since Sunday the wind has been howling. We are not talking about blowing winds, HOWLING WINDS.... Monday all the animals have just about had enough - I know I have.

Last night it was so bad that I went to the basement, turned off the propane tank, shut down all the power and planned to ride it out. You could hear things being thrown around outside and I sat hoping for the best. As you can see two large metal panels where ripped off the smaller barn and I brought them back to lay closer to the barn so when this all dies down we can repair again. All of the animals have placed them self in barns or shelters to ride out another day of winds. The weather guessers are saying it will calm down by tomorrow - Let's hope so I have two ton of hay being delivered tomorrow, she says with her fingers crossed.

So hang on to your hats, gloves and pants - it is going to be a very bumping ride.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Catching you up on all the News !

Saturday I went to see Reece (my grandson) and he is a cutie but I must admit babies seem to look about the same at this age. I had a nice visit with the parents and enjoyed a birthday lunch of Middle Eastern Food.... Spent a couple of hours taking inventory in my retail booth in town - not a single print out was correct so it was lot of counting - boring!!!

Casper has been slowly but surely getting day by day a bit stronger. Today he and I went out walking with the other boys so he could get some fresh air. That nasty wind came up again so he made the call to go back to the barn. Fine by me. I sliced his pear, gave him tons of kisses on the forehead and he waggled his tail.. I know that may not sound like much but he has not done that for a week so THAT IS A BIG DEAL. I thought surely he was done for earlier this week so a wiggling tail is huge.

As I said the wind has returned big time. The wind was so bad it knocked over 10 very heave horse panels that I use as a moveable fenceline between the normal pastures and the forest. That had been standing for six years and this is the first time the wind has done this. It looked like a bulldozer hit them. So I struggled but got them all back in place and reinforced. However, while doing this project one of the heavy panels fell over and hit my left big toe - yep, the same one that the big billy stepped on a week ago. By the time I got inside my foot was in pain. I peeled off the sock and half of my toenail fell off. GREAT - I do not have a toenail on the Right Big Toe (stepped on by a huge Ewe many years ago) now I have only half on the left - Just Great! Well I guess I will give up my dreams of becoming a footwear model

That is about all the exciting news for now - I know, you wished you had half the excitment I had - Right???

Thursday, April 8, 2010

More Party Time at the Funny Farm

I forgot to mention it is another group of Birthday Celebrations - Chief and Sophia turn the big 7 Years Old today!! They are brother and sister and such big kids. They received their Cheese Omelets this morning and for dinner they received two Lamb Sausages each. Not only did they received their food goodies but a big round of "Happy Birthday Song" from all of us. Chief sang along with me but Sophia just wanted her food....

It is amazing that I have had these two for 7 years - it seems like only last week that they came to the farm and started their adventures here... Such sweet, gentle, hardworking family members. They are such joy...

So sing out loud "Happy Birthday to You Two"

Reece Marion Gerber has arrived

Last night at 8:39 pm MST he made his arrival and all is well. He is 6 lbs 14 oz, 20 inches long and loves to eat. Mother Brooke and my son Nick are soaking in the presence of their bundle of joy. I do not have pictures yet but my son promises to send some today and I will share them when I get them.

I am on the farm today to watch over my sweet goat Casper (17 years old) who has been ill for the past two days. I figured there will be plenty of company in the hospital and when they get home I will come and see the new one..