One of those days

Have you ever had "one of those days"?  The ones that make your hair pop out like Cruella DeVille?   The ones that as events unfold you find yourself asking "really"?  Yesterday was one of those for me.  I must  say that most of my life is fairly stress free compared to the average person and I have chosen it to be so.  You see, years ago I was under a significant amount of stress.  Probably not more than the average mother of two young children, with a third on the way, all the while trying to renovate a house with a husband that traveled for extended periods of time with his job. I noticed, at the time, that I knew more mothers taking some sort of "mood inhibitor" prescription drug than I knew not taking them.  I happened to be friends with a doctor and one evening we were talking and I asked her about them and if she thought I needed them.  She shared the most wonderful advice with me (this type of thing is why she is such a wonderful doctor).  She said to me, "Kerri, you have to look at your life and see what are elective stressors and what are required stressors."  Then, she pointed out that required stressors are things you cannot change at the time, but the elective ones are choices we make...good or bad.  What makes it more difficult is that something that appears "good" can be bad for your family.  You know the phrase our parents often used when we asked if we could eat all of our Halloween candy at once..."Too much of a good thing can be bad!".  Let me interject here and say that on any holiday on which my children receive candy I have a strict 24 hour rule.  They are allowed to eat all they can in 24 hours because at that point it goes in the trash.  My dear mother-in-law knows about the said rule and because she is a super-star she now only brings my kids each a candy bar (maybe 2) and a pack of gum and sometimes clothes instead....isn't she awesome?   I know homeschooling mothers who load their kids up and leave their house daily to do honorable things like Meals On Wheels, volunteering at the animal shelter, etc.   Don't get me wrong, I believe that the Bible calls us to serve but we must look at what we are giving up in our life?   Another godly woman and I were talking a while back and she said that we needed to be careful looking at the lives of others and measuring ourselves against them.  That each of us are only given 24 hours and that if we are impressed with what they have done or get accomplished we must remind ourself that there is another part of their life that it "cost" them. You see despite how hard we try, each of us only gets 24 hours in a day.  And, it's our choice what we do with those 24 hours. If we are constantly on the run are we truly spending quality time with our children?  What are we accomplishing in that?  But, we tell ourself the lie that it is okay because we're doing it all "for a good cause".  


Last year I was talking with another homeschool mom whose kids are much older than mine.  I asked her about their participation in a particular extracurricular activity.  She shared this with me...."Our motto is 'Say no to the good and yes to the best!".  Again, it was another moment that I took to heart.  She went on to tell me that there are so many good things out there for our kids, but we had to choose the very best.  And, it's true, kids today play soccer, do ballet, participate in karate, and 4-H (this one is my weakness...there are SOOO many wonderful projects it is easy to be consumed by them...and before you know it you are away from your home 4 days a week for meetings).


So, six years after those words were spoken to me by my doctor friend, I still hold them dear to my heart.  It was a moment when God truly used another person to speak to me.  I will say that six years later, I have gotten pretty good at slowing down and being able to say "No".  There are weeks that go by that I never leave my house and I LOVE it!  And, as for you Mr. Yesterday, you tried hard to steal my joy but I hope it made you mad when I laughed in your face.  It was a day filled with required stressors.....things beyond my control.   However, I took each challenge and addressed it and at the end of the day, my heart was not heavy with anger or frustration.  I laid down on my pillow (exhausted) and slept like a babe...


Living life in slow motion,
PrairieKerri

How A Wife Helps Her Husband With His Brakes

I thought I would share this story, of very little importance with you.  Actually, in hindsight, it might be of great importance for those that can learn from their mistakes.  However, for me, replacing brakes doesn't happen everyday, so I am sure the information I am about to share with you will be slow to come to mind if I am put in this situation again.  To tell you the truth, after what happened, I am almost certain my husband will NEVER ask for my help again. 

A few days ago, my dear husband, who still amazed me at what all he is capable of, was changing his brakes.  I steered clear of the barn unintentionally, but maybe I secretly knew my limitations.  I conveniently appeared in the barn, realizing that his work was almost done when I made my grand entrance.  The truck was elevated with not a wheel one touching the ground.  He only replaced the front brakes and rotors but being the man that he is, he went ahead and checked the back brakes to assess.  He was so sweet to explain to the ignorant about rotors and other brake "terms" and how these were the originals and probably couldn't be turned.  He gave me enough information to feel like an expert  in certain circles.  Whatever...who am I kidding. 

In the next moment, he asks me a question.  This is where the whole story starts to go south.  He says, "Hey can you get up in the truck and start it?"  I am wondering now if he knew what he was doing and if he saw the fear well up in me.  Having faith that he isn't going to let anything happen to the truck me, I carefully slide into the truck and start it.   Apparently, he has adjusted the back brakes but hasn't completely done something...I don't really know why I was doing what I was doing. That was of little importance to me really, I just was trying to be helpful.  Again, I am pretty sure he will never choose this path again.  He proceeded to ask me to put it in gear and take my foot off the clutch.  Ok, things are going well.  He tells me to take it out of gear.  Done.  Then, he asks me to put it in reverse and release the clutch.  This is the exact moment when the stars came out of alignment.  He proceeds to anxiously say "Stop. Stop!".  Then, I hear some not so nice things come out of his mouth...something about how it locked up and the drum was crooked and almost came off.  For about 47 seconds (I was counting again...no, not really), I hear him saying that he shouldn't have done that and that it was jammed on there.  It was about that moment that I look down at where my feet were.  Slowly, I remove my foot from the brake and simply say this, "Honey, does that help?".  I am sweet like that.  He said, "What did you do?  Seriously, did you have your foot on the brake?  I am WORKING on the brakes!".  In my defense, whenever I have been in the driver's seat and he tells me to stop, all four tires are usually on the ground and a quick application of the brakes cause me to actually STOP the truck. 

So, this story is only to make you smile and perhaps a lesson to any of you who might find themselves in a similar situation.  Again, I say to you, I am pretty sure he will NEVER ask me for help again.  He now, too, knows my limitations...

Blessings,
PrairieKerri

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

Just a recap of yesterday afternoon.  I carved time to make P-Dub's Tres Leches cake and fell in love.  And, to update you folks....the honeymoon ain't over.  I reserved the extra 3 milks and they met my coffee this morning.  And, now my Senseo Godiva Creme Brulee and the 3 milks are in love (there has been alot of love around my house the past 24 hours).  So, as I am typing this I am anxiously awaiting another friend to come out of the oven.  *start pause and ponder* Is it strange that I am referring to food as my friend?  *end pause and ponder*  I threw together PW's Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits and not without a price.  I actually had to threaten to chop my husbands fingers off.  You see, he has a nasty habit of eating my ingredients before they are all mixed together.  And, this morning, the Lord knows my heart, I tried to silent my tongue but didn't make it happen.  For those of you that haven't read all my posts, please click here and see line item #4.  It is yet another sign that I am still an untrained ranch wife.  I am going to remain positive and say that I am certain that these babies will make me do back hand springs (okay fine, so I might actually break my neck if that happened or pull a muscle...or 10), even though my husband probably ate a quarter of a pound of bacon.  Now, I will confess to you readers, and only you, that I, in fact, at 2 or 3 pieces.  *start pause and ponder*  Can one live on bacon alone?  Is there a diet out there called the Bacon Diet?  If so, I'm in.  *end pause and ponder*

Hang on a sec....the oven's beepin'....OK, I'm back.  These babies are reminiscent of the famous Bisquik Sausage Balls only with bacon.  I love those sausage balls and I love bacon....therefore I must love these Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits (analyitcal philosophists would love that).  The kids are in the kitchen attacking the biscuits with a fury.  I am happy to say that I hoarded a plate full and retreated to my bedroom to finish this post.

The propane man just left and now my cow is by the back door....literally.  Thank goodness for that cow bell.  I will post about that at a later time but for now, I have to go milk a cow.

Prairie Kerri

Oh, I almost forgot to share the recipe!

Ingredients


2 cups All-purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

¾ teaspoons Salt

¼ cups Vegetable Shortening (crisco, Etc)

10 Tablespoons Milk (whole Milk Is Best)

4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 whole Egg

10 slices Thick Cut Bacon, Fried And Crumbled

1 cup Finely Diced Onion

1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions:

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in shortening until all combined.

Combine milk, oil, and egg in a separate bowl. Whisk together.

Combine flour mixture, milk mixture, bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Stir gently until all combined.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes on 375 degrees until golden.  Remove from pan and serve warm.

The Grooming of a Ranch Wife

After much consideration, I thought the rules for grooming a ranch wife may be of value to some wayward cowboys that stumble on to my blog.  First, it is important to note, a good ranch wife does not necessarily come from "rancher's stock".  This means that you don't have to grow up on a ranch to make a good ranching wife.  DISCLAIMER:  These are merely guidelines/suggestions strictly for entertainment purposes.  Please do not try these at home.

1.  Good bone structure. Select a woman that is thick boned and sports nice, wide hips.  These will prove important during child-bearing.  It also is important to know that often times when good bone structure is present, it is often at the sacrifice of gracefulness.  However, it all balances out in the end.  When she falls face first while walking on a completely smooth surface, the heavy boned woman is less likely to break a leg (or arm, or wrist....or nose).

2.  Evaluate prospect for competitiveness.  This will become HIGHLY valuable to the rancher.  Just tell her she can't do something 'cuz she's a girl and see what happens.  It is a chemical imbalance reaction similar to mixing vinegar and baking soda.  Amazing things can happen here.  However, as the prospect ages, she will likely be laid up in bed for a week doped up on Hydrocodone trying to recover her youth.  I know this because it is still a phenomenom I suffer from, however with age is gradually coming wisdom to actually know my limits and abide by them.  I still will embrace the challenges set before me, like trying to dig a post hole to 3 feet in ground where bedrock lows 13" below soil level, just to prove that it CAN be done.  However, it may be on my time schedule.

3.  Complexion.  Look for something with an olive complexion.  It will save you thousands of dollars on sunscreen and aloe vera gel.  The gals that don't burn in the scalding Texas sun have a longer shelf life.  If however, you secure yourself a pale face maiden, don't fret, just cloth her in long sleeves, long skirt and wide brimmed hat.  She may curse you now, but thank you later when she isn't battling skin cancer from all the third degree sunburns she would have received. 

4. You may want a woman with a "tongue" on her.  NOTE:  This is the hardest quality to keep in check in a rancher's wife.  The rancher must be highly, trained to use this.....it is like the highest wizard's spell.  The woman's tongue, should be trained and controlled to be used only in ideal circumstances and NEVER, I said NEVER, on the rancher.  The woman's tongue should allow her to handle herself with dignity and pride when sassed  by salty, ol' cowboy's at the sale barn wondering why she is there with her 3 children during school hours.

5.  Smart.  She must be smart, or atleast learn-ed (that should be said as two separate words...."learn" and "ed"), and of good, sound mind.  Even if she doesn't know how to perform a certain task, she should be capable of learning it easily.  Again, in all fairness, you may want to revisit line item 1 and the whole lack of grace thing.  Often time, a native city girl can mentally grasp a concept such as tying fence posts or catching wild horses, but actually making those things come to fruition may be difficult due to lack of good ol' fashioned hand/eye coordination.

6.  Healthy.  Don't go find yourself some sickly gal that you picked up at the local drugstore while fillin' a prescription.  And, don't invite the gal you were chatting with at the waiting room in the small town clinic.  No siree.  I am not being judgemental here.  I know there are perfectly healthy women going in for checkups, but there is a LARGE chance that you are chatting with a girl who is deteriorating from the inside out, right before your eyes.  Think to your future, and your kids future.  When sickness infects your house, the rancher's wife still needs to be able to milk the cows in 19 degree, sleeting weather, while nursing vomitous little ones and washing the accompanying laundry. 

7.  Good cook.  This can be trained in to a prospect but if you luck upon one that can actually dish you up food that is both tasty and nutritious that is a plus.  It is important to note here that in early matrimony, the rancher will often be forced to eat a small variety of meals....like they can be counted on one hand.  If he is committed enough, and can perserve for about 10 years, he should be eating well.  But, it is the proof of the survival of a cowboy as to how many times he can smile and say "This tastes great, Honey" when eating Beef Stroganoff for the 200th time. 

8. Good driver.  Call the DPS and verify her driving record.  Watch carefully for speeding tickets and fender-benders.  In the long run, speeding will accrue several thousands of dollars in tickets/fines and insurance premiums.  Eventually, it could even lead to her license being revoked....at this point your up a creek without a paddle.  You will become her personal chauffeur....wait, actually this could be turned into a positive.  She would then be stranded at home unless you carted her somewhere (which is a negative anyway you look at it).  This would mean she would should be more efficient at household chores and she would have more time for general ranch maintenance like fixin' fence or shredding. 

9.  Able to work a flashlight.  And, no fellas, I do not mean find you a gal that knows how to manually turn the flashlight on or off.  A rancher's wife must know, or have had practice, in holding the flashlight, usually in some sort of extreme weather....high winds, dust storms, freezing rain.  There are many factors that must be considered.   The rancher's wife almost always will have to hold the "main beam" on a small screw or hose that is not only behind another structural element, but there will also be the brim of a cowboy hat to contend with.  (Ladies, I wish you luck here....just when I think I have mastered this one....I haven't).

10.  Finally, it is helpful if your wife is fluent in TSL (Trailer Sign Language).  It's similar to ASL - American Sign Language, but yet so different.  They should know the universal symbols for "keep it coming back", "come back slowly", "veer slightly left/right" and "whoa!stop!".  This will save the rancher countless hours of his life if he has a gal that can help him hook up the trailer and get a trailer load of hay backed into the narrowest of spaces. 

Once all of these have been evaluated and a prospect has been selected the true grooming process may begin.  It is like boot camp (in my case, it was called Boots Camp, seeing as my husband's name is Boots).  Ask her to stand bent over for atleast 4 hours a day....day in and day out....picking up rocks. Tell her you need them picked up so as to not hurt the riding lawn mower.  If you've picked a good'un, she'll do it for you, trust me.  If you really want to test her, ask her to do it in summertime in Texas.  Or maybe, you should ask her to help you fix the entire perimeter fence of the property at high noon in June (that's a rhyme). You know, when you literally can cook an egg in a cast iron skillet on your porch. Ask me how I know? My kids do it every year.   Oh, make sure you live on atleast 200 acres so you can really put her to the test. 

I would love to say that I fit all of these qualties after 15 years.  To know the truth, not my version of the truth, you will have to find my husband and ask him yourself.  But, I should warn you, he is a man of few words, it's the "cowboy way" so, good luck!

Praire Kerri

The Conclusion of the Butcher's Wife

It has been 11 days since I last posted and I have to say I have missed it.  To update you on our "situation", to be honest, it all went smoothly.  The weather definitely worked in our favor with two mornings in the single digits.  One of my dear friends, really sister, from college, Aggie,  and her fiance came and helped which was a blessing.  She was able to keep us fed and I went back and forth between the house and the barn to wrap meat.  She even cooked up two PW recipes for me so I could stay on track!  The first recipe was for her Creamy Mashed Potatoes.  There are not words to describe how amazing they are and you folks that don't have her cookbook yet are oh so lucky the recipe is on her site! 

I should go back a bit and tell you that my oldest daughter is involved in our counties 4-H Plant ID/Range Team.  They had a contest on Saturday of last week, which due to the week's events, proved most inconvenient.  I would also like you to know that I am VERY active in my kids extra-curricular activities, either leading or assisting with most 4-H projects.  So, Friday evening, after my husband looked at the 7 Day Forecast, he says that there is no way we can go to the competition.  After petitioning that our oldest was on a team that was counting on her, I was given the go ahead to call my mother-in-law, Granny, to see if she could escort Mini Me to the 4-H competition.  To give you a history on Mini Me's Plant ID career, she started last year and was the youngest (by about 4 years) on the team.  Not only was she new to 4-H, but the Plant ID project takes years to master.  So, most of her scores last year were between 25-60 (out of 400).  Her first competition this year was at the State Fair of Texas, where she scored a 96.  So close to breaking 100, but yet, so far away.   She has been working really hard on her grasses and characteristics, so I somewhat expected her to break 100, but barely.  My mother-in-law texts me to let me know that she scored a 163!  So, I politely demand request that Aggie bake her PW's Red Velvet Cake.  I was wearing coveralls and was later told by my husband that they made me unusually "raunchy" in the mouth.  To set the tone of that comment, I merely asked Longhorn where he was really from.  It certainly wasn't Texas because he requested non-sweet tea with his dinner!  Apparently, that little comment deems me "raunchy"....who'da thought?

Mini Me has been eye-balling the Red Velvet cake for weeks.  So, I promptly leave Aggie unattended in my kitchen.  I have no worries, after all, we lived together in college.  Later that evening, we sit down to dinner, where Aggie comments, under her breath, that she really doesn't like my Bosch mixer.  I have to laugh, because it is a true workhorse.  Made to knead the toughest of bread doughs, which is what I typically use it for.  Being that I predominantly use if for bread, of course the dough hook is the attachment that stays on it.  At the dinner table, Aggie proceeds to say how the mixer didn't do a thorough job of mixing the cake batter and I begin to snicker.  Somewhat softly at first, but as sad as it is to admit, I may have actually snorted later.  Even though the Red Velvet Cake was thrown together with a dough hook it had a great flavor....a little dense, but yummo!  And, as an extra suprise, it gets better the longer it sits. 

Back to the butchering of the steer.  We got most all the processing done by Sunday (when I had another Pampered Chef Show 3 hours away!).  OK, fine, honestly, I left my husband alone on Sunday where he finished the last cuts.  On Monday, we packaged the last steaks and ran the last batch of meat through "The Grinder".  Speaking of "The Grinder", we found an awesome commercial grinder at Cabela's which Aggie's fiance, Longhorn, brought us!  It was another moment to see two men and their man toy.  They chose the 1 HP model which I can honestly say never even balked at the meat we were throwing it's way. 

We have sampled our grass fed beef and it's wonderful.  It is such a blessing to have a deep freeze that is full of wonderful steaks, roasts and ground beef.  It is also wonderful to know exactly how the steer was taken care of....antibiotic free and hormone free.  I have been asked by several friends if it was exhausting or terrible and to be honest it wasn't bad.  The only glitch in the whole process was that I had two Pampered Chef shows scheduled and Mini Me's Plant ID Contest.  Would we do it again?  In a heartbeat.....that's just how we roll!

The Butcher's Wife

Today started as any other day.  When I woke up, there were no signs that today, this day, would be any different from most of our days.  The following is a transcription of my day as it actually occurred...
I woke up this morning and shared a cup of coffee with my soon to be 7 year old son.  You see, he is the only person in this house who drinks coffee.  I groomed him to be a coffee drinker.  I need someone to share my morning coffee with now and in 20 years when he comes home to visit.  I started breakfast (PW's Egg In A Hole), which is nothing shy of taking a slice of bread, cutting a hole in the center with a biscuit cutter, then pan frying an egg in the center all the while the bread is swimming in melted butter.  I must confess that I tried this many months ago with NO success and vowed that it never be attempted in my kitchen again.  However, I caved and somehow it came out a success.  But, in the split second I was relishing in my success, my world began to crumble without me even knowing it.  Okay, I am being a little melodramatic, but it was the beginning of the end of my day.

My husband was outside and for a brief moment I saw that he was penning a steer, Norman.  The story on Norman is this.  We purchased him 3 years ago when I got my second milk cow, Daisy.  He was a little tyke that would eventually grace the presence of our freezer.  About 5 months after we got him, we went in partners with some friends of ours.  He went to live with them and when it came time to process him, we would split the bounty.  Now 3 years later, as life would have it, we never got around to butchering him.  About two weeks ago, he came back home.  And, for two weeks we have swung like a pendulum as to what to do with him.  Do we take him to the packing plant or the sale?  You see we have 3 other steers coming up.  I must insert a side story here.  A couple of days ago I was visiting with a friend who is also a fellow milk maid.  She mentioned that her daughter asked her if my husband processed our own beef.  Her response was, "There is no doubt that he COULD do it, but I don't think he does."  Have I ever mentioned how strongly I believe the power of spoken words?  I would also like to say, that even though my husband and I decided not to exchange Christmas presents this year, I gave him a copy of a book called "Basic Home Butchering of Livestock and Game" which would prove very hand later in the day.   Now, to get back to the original story, I see my husband pushing Norman into the "yard" (our yard is about 2 acres of fenced area by the barn and mobile home).  He then calls me to come help him because the steer, who looks like a wicked beefalo cross with nasty horns, oh and he weighs nearly 1000#, has decided he would rather NOT go in the pen.  All of this is signaling to me that Norman will not be in the freezer but is going to the sale. 

I proceed to go outside in my thermal socks and flip flops to help.  The funny thing here is that I, not being raised in the country, have a different "way" of working cows.  You see, my cows and my goats are all dairy goats.  They are prima donnas, if you will.  My husband grew up on a working ranch where you push cows instead of luring them.  I am sure it goes against everything that my husband is made of when I start "singing" the cows/goats individual names and they run to me.  I shouldn't really say sing....it's more of a yodel really.  Things start falling apart at the seams as my husband is pushing Norman, so in comes Buelah.  Buelah is my work horse of the dairy cows.  She is a gentle giant who sports my great-grandmother's cow bell around her neck.  I have found it particularly useful when "luring" your cow to a particular location.  By the loudness and quickness of it's ringing, you are able to judge when you are about to get run over like a speed bump.  Shortly after Buelah enters the picture, I watch my husband drive off.  It is important to know that my husband is a particularly chivalrous man and that he had an appointment that he had to make by 9:00 am.  Some women would have been angered that without a spoken word he was gone.  But, me being the odd ball, I swelled with pride that he left knowing that I, alone with my 6 year old son, would no doubt get that steer penned.  And, not to be boastful, we did it within 5 minutes.  I did decide to leave Buelah in the pen until my husband's return that afternoon.  In hindsight, maybe it was that I didn't like the way Norman acted without dear Buelah. 

My husband returned home earlier from his appointments than I expected.  At which time, he hooked up the trailer and called the oldest kids to help him load Norman.  On the outside, all appears not too far out of the norm for us.  Until my husband comes inside and tells me to come look what the stupid steer did.  Now, we all know that stupid is not a very nice word, however, there are times when it is one of the only appropriate descriptives.  What happened next, I would have never expected.  I mean I have seen cows flatten gates, tear down fences, jump (and clear) fences without a scratch, but never have I seen this.  They had penned Buelah, Norman and my dairy goats in a smaller trap which makes loading/unloading livestock easier.  My son pushed the goats and Buelah out of the pen leaving Norman alone.  Loneliness does strange things to people cows.  And, when my husband turned his back to open the gate, Norman the Stupid Steer began to act....well, stupid.  He went to the gate, at which my kids were standing on the opposite side, and proceeded to butt his head against it.  When this part of the story is being retold to me, I was ever thankful that both of the kids were not hurt.  But, Norman didn't stop there, he then decided from a standing position he would see if he could clear the gate...which he didn't.  He did manage to get his front legs on it, then instead of backing off, he slid his way to the hinge, hung his foot at the ankle, laid down and flipped over, snapping his leg in two at the ankle.  Forgive me for keeping it real, but again it is what it is.  This sends my day into a frenzy.  It took my husband nearly 30 minutes to get him out (I wasn't much help here because although I think I am one tough cookie, there are just some things that make me want to cry....animals suffering is one of them) and he lost his leg from the ankle down.  I immediately come into the house trying to find a packing plant to take him.  I learned alot about the packing industry today and some things I am not quite pleased with.  I called all plants within 100 miles of us, told them my story,  and all of them were too busy to take him, with the exception of one.  However, today wasn't a kill day so he would have to suffer until tomorrow.   My husband is a tough ol' cowboy, but he does not believe in letting things suffer.  So, he rose to the occasion and decided we would process the steer ourselves.  Within the hour, his step father brings over a backhoe, which makes our life much simpler, I mean as simple as it can get at this point.  As my step-father-in-law is assesssing what is going on at our house, I boast that I gifted my husband this really great book, at which point my husband laughs and says "It's not like I had a chance to read it yet!".  We managed to get the initial part of the processing done.  The cold front that is coming in is working in our favor but we'll spend the next few days consumed by nearly 500# of beef.  At one point during the day of misdadventure, when we were both ingrossed in the processing, my husband said, "I could do this for a living."  My response was, "I could so be the butcher's wife!".

Although my day did not go as planned, it did prove to me why I don't normally make plans.  Me and plans are like oil and water.  We can comingle together (I love the idea of plans), but we never really "blend".  It is a vain effort to make plans in my life, because there is always something like this that comes up.  And, to be honest, I don't mind.  A wise friend of mine told me a few weeks ago that God had laid on her heart about how often we make idols of things in our lives.  And for her, she realized that her need to adhere to a  strict schedule was just that and when her day went off schedule she became angry with her children.  When that happened she would throw a hissy fit because her day was no longer in her control.  As she told me this, I felt so blessed to have it revealed to me, areas in my life that I had taken away from God.  Because I, too, am guilty of being a "spoiled brat" when things don't go my way.  I have prayed that God would work on my heart (which is often painful and slow) and today, on this day, I let it go and let it be God.  So, my day wasn't what I expected.  School didn't get done (or so I thought).  My laundry didn't get done.  But, God provided food for my family and an wonderful opportunity for my children.  And, just when I thought school didn't get done, we were able to have a HUGE science lesson in anatomy.  I can feel sure that my kids, if in public school, would not have gotten this kind of science today! 

On that note, for any of you readers that have questions about sharing these kinds of things with your children, these are my thoughts on it.  My children have been blessed with a life that allows them a true understanding of where our food comes from.  Yes, all of our animals have names, even the ones that will eventually end up on our table.  Yes, we love on them and enjoy them.  We provide for them up until they provide for us.  And, yes, I have to admit that each one of my children, when young, have been saddened by this.  However, my answer to them is simple.  Each one of us, all creatures, have a God-given purpose on earth.  How wonderful is it for us to fulfill God's purpose?  How wonderful is it to have lived and completed God's work here on earth? 

The Butcher's Wife