What Was I Thinking?

I'm home, sitting at my work/play table creating, minding my own business when Raquel calls:


Me...........Hello

Raquel....Hi Mom, wanna buy a turkey?

Me..........Umm, I need details Raquel!

Raquel...Well, Some Turkeys didn't make the weight rules and so, we have Turkeys we need to
get rid of...... I mean sell.

Me.........Are they freak Turkeys or what....lol?

Raquel....(audible sigh)...No Mom, we just have to sell them or something.

Me.......How much are they?

Raquel....I don't know yet but I'll let you know later when I find out.

She tells me to hold on and then proceeds to yell at someone regarding the price and. I hear people talking back and big crowds of people rumbling and the PA system making announcements....


Raquel....OK, It's $30.00 and the butcher will cut and wrap and deliver.

Me.........Alright

Raquel....Really? Awesome Mom. Ok, I'll talk to ya later...Love ya!

Me........Ok...Oh Wait! Call Auntie, she might wanna buy one.

Raquel....OH! Great! OK...Good Idea....your so smart....LOL!!

Me.......And don't you forget it...bye!


I didn't ask how big, what breed, age...nothing. I was taken by surprise plus, I had Modge Podge all over my fingers and it was drying. Am I? Am I really smart?

Life List

There's so much going on lately that I could write several posts and take up about 5 or 6 weeks worth...but I won't cuz I'm to lazy, instead, I'll just write a list...here goes....


Raquel got a car and not just any car, a car that my mother in law bought 5 days before Raquel was born...yup, it's a 1993 Mercury Topaz, top of the line (for that year) with 32,000 miles on it and in mint condition. It even has a little statue of Jesus on the dashboard, that I so fashionably attached a FFA flag to his hand. So now, my car isn't used for a mobile office anymore, nor does it reek of livestock and have a continuously layer of farm dust on it...It's just MY car again!

I'm officially buying College stuff, like, extra long bed sheets and comforters and mace.

Raquel, my very anti dress daughter picked out the very first prom dress she saw and we both like it....who knew?

We found a possum living up in our tree and Eric is beside himself trying to catch it. Even though he's slower (the possum) he seems to be a little more adaptable.

Easter was uneventful and I made a little mini ham for just us but I still had to endure all those scary pictures of Jesus.

Although we and when I say we, I mean Eric, has finished the little staircase it made the rest of the carpeted staircase look ugly, so, we are beginning to rip out ALL the carpet and finish it in wood. Now when my squirrelly grandsons tap dance on the staircase, it'll be music to our ears....NOT!!!!

Our house is starting to resemble a dairy, a goat dairy to be exact. We are feverishly pasteurizing goat milk and making the most delicious garlic and dill goat cheese on the planet. Thinking about renaming the house to Maison de fromage de chèvre...House of Goat Cheese!

Signed up for water aerobics again and although I haven't gone yet due to cold evening weather, I'm sooooo looking forward to putting on the slenderizing bathing suit that cost me an arm and a leg...hopefully, thinner arms and legs.

....And I'm crafting my arse off, making whatever comes to mind...and that is what I'll be posting about soon.

What have you all been up to?

Vacation Property

It's not like I live in the country or way out in the boon docks. I live in a suburb in Southern California, 25 miles South of Los Angeles in Orange County. Now mind you, I do live in a hilly community smack dab between a smallish mountain range and a creek which is a city term for a wash with lots of pine trees around it. Since we moved in, about 16 years ago, the hills around us have been filling up with new construction, therefore, the animals have been on the move and wandering more and more into the communities.

We have had mating ducks in our backyard (not a pretty sight I may add) hoards of squirrels besides my grandsons, a plethora of possums...yuk! and stinky skunks. A few month ago, I don't know why, but a particular skunk was wreaking havoc on the neighborhood and skunking anyone and everything in it's path. Seemed like you had to put on your gas mask when you left the house in the morning. And Coyotes everywhere!

But raccoons, those wascally creatures are particularly a pain in the ass. Every year we get a family who takes vacation in our yard. They are a bundle of fun to watch with all their acrobatics, but they cause lots of damage. And then the other night, Raquel and I saw this in our yard....a gigantic humongous lone raccoon...




So we slowly opened the sliding patio door to shoe it away and this is what it did...




He started to walk towards us as we screamed and ran back into the house. He wondered around the yard for awhile as if he was looking for vacation property and then he just plunked himself down and proceeded to clean himself. After about 30 minutes, he got his lazy ass up and started moving towards the trees. We came out again and threw rocks in his direction only to scare him ( he was eating the cats food) where he turned his head towards us, gave us the stink eye and moseyed over the neighbor fence. Can't wait for summer...that's when all the fun starts. I'm just Sayin'

An "aha" moment

I may not be the brightest bulb on the tree and sometimes it takes me a while to see the obvious, but the other day I had a "light bulb" moment. I was watching TV and a reporter was interviewing a recently released convict who raised "rolling pigeons"...yeah, they actually roll. He'd been out of prison for 2 years and was determined to not go back. Having only been interested in pigeons, he decided to use his passion and make a difference in the world...starting with his community which was in dire need of help. He enlisted local teens to help him make pigeon coops and in general, feed and tend to the birds. Eventually, he had ex gang bangers and thugs off the streets and helping him and the community all at the same time. He now writes articles in "pigeon" magazines..(who knew?) and holds competitions for rolling techniques and whatever else these birds do.

So....

Having said that, it kinda dawned on me that animals are kinda magical in so many ways....Yeah, I know....I'm slow sometimes. Animals are a very intricate and personal addition to our lives.
Studies show they bring down our blood pressure, make deppressed people happier and they are our eyes and ears. They are your partner when you are lonely, they keep you warm and they save lives. It's amazing how important all animals are and not only domesticated ones but wild ones too. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hippy dippy animal PETA type gal, although I have always had cats, I can separate animals from humans unlike the animal fanatics who take things to the extreme. But it's truly as if animals are here for a purpose in so many ways...just like people. I don't know why I just thought of this...told you I was slow!

New temporary family member....

Yes it's true, we have a new 5 month old in our family...a heifer by the name of Rogue. Raquel is at it again with her school's farm project, except that instead of starting with a lamb in the Spring, she is starting with a heifer now until she sell her at auction in July. And, when Spring does come around, she will acquire a lamb for the same auction...two animals this year.

For all you city folk, a heifer is a young cow and by the end of the school year she will weight roughly 1,300 lbs. Now, Raquel is use to riding horses which also weight that amount but the difference is on a horse you are on top of them riding and controlling at the same time. With a cow you are side by side trying to train them for show. Not easy when 1,300 lbs doesn't want to move or do what you want her to do. I have no doubt that Raquel will do well as she is obsesses with animals and has a good head on her shoulders. She's already taken her Christmas pictures with Rogue.



So Merry Christmas and Happy MOOOO Year from our animals to your!

Fat Lipped Cat

This is the 2nd time this has happened. My cat Ginger has a fat lip. For some reason, she likes to chew on the neighbors climbing rose bush that drapes over on to our yard and we think a thorn got her. We shoosh her away when we catch her doing this, but for whatever reason, she continues to chomp away. It could be a insect bite too. It's not a tooth, I checked and don't worry, she's eating like a champ as usual and seems to be happy and content. She looks funny. Almost like she's wearing a kitty mask. Raquel says she has a joker mouth...big and wide. Whatever it is, it's slowly going away little by little. I just wanted you all to see the kitty with the fat lip.

Animals Got Soul...

I had an interesting conversation with Brenda the other day. A spiritual one you mind say. We were talking about different religions. We talked about Catholics, we talked about Mormons, the different types of Christians we've encountered, Hindus and Buddhists, but we really didn't talk about they're religion and what they preach or teach per say, we were discussing animals in heaven. Many years ago, Brenda knew someone who told her that animals didn't go to heaven, having remembered that traumatic statement led to our conversation.

Did I think that true? I am not the most religious person on the planet, I question people and theories all the time. I've even questioned Brenda on many occasion, but in my opinion, if something is a living and breathing entity, no matter animal or human being there is an energy or soul or whatever you want to call it and when the body is gone that energy leaves to it's resting place.
Now, I don't know if it's heaven but I do believe the soul goes somewhere. Animals have feelings and thoughts. They are our pets and part of our families. We cry and mourn when they leave us just like when people leave us and they give us pleasure and they give us grief. The Buddhist believe that people and animal souls are reborn into babies and the process is repeated over and over. Hindus know that cows are sacred. The bible referrers to animals and humans living together in peace but it doesn't really say where. Here on earth or in heaven? I believe Christians say that only true believers will go to heaven. Animals don't believe in god so what happens to them? After doing just a little research on this subject, apparently, there has been an on going debate as to if animals have a soul. There are many references to animals in the bible but they are not clear about souls and heaven...hence the debate.

Anyways, this was some conversation and we both agreed that they do and somehow and somewhere we will see Reign, kiki, mopsey, ryan, arthur, shadow,mimi, dolly,tweets, squeekie, hera, nokel and all our other pets that have been in our lives.


My furry children...cleo and ginger ~