First Fruits

The figs have started coming in at the house in Houston. I'm sure they are ripening at the other house, too, but WE DON'T LIVE THERE YET!!

I like figs just fine, but the real reason we harvest them it to make preserves for my father and father-in-law. They both just love them. Now I have learned that Lar's Aunt Sarah has a fondness for them as well. I pick what is ripe each day, let them sit out overnight to ripen, and then cut the tops and freeze them. When the harvest is over, I make preserves. Yummy!

She Seems OK

I know many of you have been walking around wringing your hands worrying about Muffin since I told you about Pooh. Let me assure you that we have been keeping a close eye on her.

We have spent a lot of time with her the last few days. I have not been this watchful of poop since I was changing diapers all the time. We have even let her in the house a couple of times since I didn't feel like hanging out in the swamp we call a backyard. She was very well behaved and only pooped in places where it was easy to clean up. She had the nasty stuff the first couple of times, but it has been becoming increasingly normal as time passes. I think she is going to be OK. Now that I know what to look for, I hope we can keep her that way. The next thing to do is get her wormed. I can't imagine what that will be like.

Eyewitness

I was there! I actually saw it! I got to see Muffin lay her egg today! It was so cool.

I went to check on her and she was sitting on the nest all fluffed up. I checked, but she didn't have an egg under her. She looked a little intent on something, so I thought I'd sit there a minute and see what happened. She stood up, then squatted a little, and stood back up. There was an egg. I picked it up. It was sticky and very warm. It dried very quickly though. We have gotten warm eggs before, but I have never seen one right as it came out of the chicken.

We can't eat them right now because she is still on the antibacterial medication, but it was fun just the same.

And she seems to be doing well. That is good news.

Hard Lessons

This morning we went to a service at a church we had never attended and listened to a man I had never heard of. Funny, he was speaking to me personally. How did he know I would be there? Isn't God just the coolest?

He was convicting me on the feelings I have been having this weekend. We have been hearing from the antsy sellers of the property we are trying to buy. We were even given an ultimatum this morning before we left for church. My first reaction is to do whatever they want - now! Just secure the property! I even know in my head that it is probably not the right way to handle it, but that is what I want to do. After being spoken to directly this morning, I am re-resolved to wait it out. I think this is about more than us getting this property. I think this is about us learning to trust God. I think this is about relinquishing control and the desire to "make" things work out when we feel stressed or pressured. I still believe God wants us to have this property. But I also believe that he wants to get it for us. He wants us to let Him get it for us as a growing experience for our faith.

Let me tell you, this is hard. I want that place and I want it yesterday. Last week even. But I want to trust God in a way that I have never been able to do before. I want to see what He can do for me without my "help". I want to not just believe in Him, but to believe Him.

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.

We covet prayers for a good and quick resolution to the problems at hand. I fully understand the concerns of the sellers, but we also have to look out for ourselves. We are currently waiting for the appraisal to be done and to hear from the finance company - who is waiting on the appraisal. We just need some things to start happening this week.

Lesson One

Today our animal husbandry skills were put to the test. They were found lacking.

Yesterday Pooh was acting funny, but I thought she just might be trying to lay an egg. She wouldn't stand up for more than a few seconds when I let them out for the day. She also had really funny poop, but I'm stupid and didn't realize it was a warning sign.

When I went to check on her this morning, she was in the same condition. I called the feed store and told them what was going on. They said it was coccidiosis. It is a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract. I went and got the appropriate medicine for her. Have you ever tried to medicate a chicken? It was interesting, but we got the job done.

Unfortunately, when we got home after being gone all day we found her dead. I hate to think that if I had clued in to her symptoms earlier that we could have cured her, but that may be the case. The kids are taking it pretty well. I hope Muffin will be OK. We are giving her the medicine in her water just in case she has the same thing. The feed store folk said that because it has been so ridiculously wet that this sort of thing should be expected. Good breeding ground and all that.

Rest easy, Pooh. Thanks for the eggs and we will miss you.

Oasis

Today was a feed store day. I love going to the feed store. We actually have two nearby. They are little oases in a sea of townhomes. They are real honest to goodness feed stores right in the middle of town. They have not only plants, feed and the like, but also puppies, kittens, chickens (both large and small), ducks (both large and small), and the occasional turkey or guinea fowl. Once they had a donkey. If I take the kids, we never get out of there in less than 30 minutes what with all the bunny petting and duckling holding that goes on. Oh, and the begging and pleading for such NOW. They can't wait any longer. Funny, but they seem to survive the waiting just like I do.

I had to get dog food, chicken feed, and hay. Just regular old hay, but we need it to line the chicken's laying box. They like it best and it is fun to buy hay. I just throw it in the back of the van. Carpet and hay do not get along. The back end of the van is now dripping in hay. What else I can I do now? I really am going to have to get a pick up truck though.

After I got it all home, I filled up the hay box. Muffin immediately came to check it out. I guess everyone likes a freshly made bed. Now they need to fill it up with eggs!

Peaceful Afternoon

I let the girls (chickens) out to run around and look for bugs and worms and such. It has rained so much lately, everything is really green. While I haven't done much in the yard this year, some things are blooming and we have several swallowtails that regularly visit the yard. If I am out there without the kids and sit quietly, the squirrels come out and dig around, too. One particularly brave one comes right up to my feet. There are a few songbirds around enjoying the day.

As lovely and peaceful as this sounds, I have to tell you that our background music is circular saws, nail guns, and the occasional beep beep beep of an over-sized vehicle backing up. Ah, city life.

We really need a closing date.

Sign of the Times

We have a sign in our front yard. It's not a realtor's sign. It's one of Lar's from the contracting business. Every time he puts one in front of a house he's working on, he gets calls about the house. Since our house is currently still a "project", we thought we would try to stir up some interest in it. It would be nice to not have to deal with mortgage brokers or two mortgages or starving to death.

If you know anyone interested in buying a large, potentially drop dead gorgeous house in a neartown neighborhood, let us know!

Moving right along....

The new round of papers have been signed and mailed.

In other news, the new broker is in the hospital with a ruptured appendicts. Will the fun never end? This adventure has taken many twists and turns. Nothing really surprises me at this point.

I Haven't Packed Yet

I have started a little but not in earnest. I am waiting for the Spirit to lead me, and He just hasn't yet. I've been doing things to prepare for packing, but I haven't actually packed. I have cleaned. I have sorted. I have given away. I have thrown out. I have organized. I have collected boxes.

If I had packed right away - you know, when we thought we were going to move, - I would be very sad right now. We would be sitting here on a pile of boxes thinking that we should have been gone by now and wondering if we should unpack or continue waiting for a closing date. I still feel like we are moving, just not yet.

The new mortgage broker said that she thought it would be the middle of July before we could get everything together. I can live with that. Both kids will be very occupied that first week of July. I can get serious about packing things then. Besides, there is always more cleaning and sorting to do.

Happy Father's Day

I hope everyone who still has their fathers here with them was able to spend a few moments with them. My sibs and I were lucky enough to have dinner with our father and surprise him with a fountain made by my talented brother. Happy Father's Day, Daddy. We love you.


I was also fortunate enough to spend time with my children as they celebrated their Daddy, my sweet husband. Happy Father's Day, Lar. We love you.

I hope everyone also had time to spend with our Heavenly Father, the One through whom all things are possible. Happy Father's Day, Abba Father. We love you.

Blessings to all.

We begin again

The application packet from the new mortgage company came today. I guess we will fill it out and see where it leads.

Phase Two

Well, the Loan Ranger (aka our Mortgage Broker) has thrown in the towel. His big city mortgage lenders just couldn't warm up to the idea of loaning money to finance acres of undeveloped land. We are now talking with a mortgage company that specializes in farm loans. Hopefully, we can get this show on the road. The farm to market road, that is.

Limbo

I haven't posted because, well, there is nothing new. Ever since last Thursday when we learned that the property was actually deeded as two rather than just one property, we have been waiting on word from the mortgage company. They will now want two of everything: 2 appraisals, 2 loans, etc. This simply makes things a little more complicated (and a little more expensive.) I'm not sure how it will work out and am long past the point of trying to figure it out. If God wants us to have this place, He's going to have to take of it. There is nothing I can do but make my requests made known. I have done that.

Have I told you how He answered those requests and why we think this is the place? Well, then, let me fill you in!

The kids only requests - besides being able to get bunnies and horses and goats - was that there be a tree that could easily hold a treehouse and some parts with trees and some without. That beautiful heritage oak is perfect for a treehouse. And there is also a good mix of pastures and wooded areas.

Larry wanted something on the particular road that this one is on. That is a miracle in itself because it is a very short road, well paved, and easily accessible. I had really resigned myself to the fact that we would be lucky to get 10 - 15 acres. Larry was really holding out for a little more. This is 25 acres.

I really wanted a fig tree and a pecan tree. There is a big, fat, fig tree and several pecan trees. Oh, and pear, lemon, lime, tangerine, grapefruit, persimmon, peach, pistachio, apricot, cherry, grapes, plum, and several trees called "fruit cocktail" trees that have been grafted to produce 4 different kinds of fruit. They are small, but I can't wait to see that!

So you see, we feel that this place has been hand-picked for us. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we also know that God is God and we are not. We know that he has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. We don't think He has lead us here to tempt us with what could have been. And so we are waiting to see how He is going to work this out. He's big and very creative and has solved much more difficult problems. I, for one, can't wait to see what He's going to do with this one!

What did you want to be as a grown up?

I don't mean when you were a kid. I mean, when you were a young adult and thought about how your life was going to be.

I had more than a few ideas. I have a degree in fashion merchandising, if that tells you anything. I wanted a beautiful, elegant home. I wanted a few kids, lots of friends, a nice church, time to travel, nice clothes, lots of shoes.

I was watching my neighbors today. They are a few years younger than we are. They have a beautiful, elegant home. They just put in a pool and had some friends over for barbeque and swimming. They are both professionals. No kids yet. They looked like they were having a lovely time. All I could think about was: when did I change so much? That just didn't look like that much fun to me. Not the event. The life.

Don't get me wrong. My list isn't all that different than it used to be. I still want a nice home. But I don't think that "elegant" will be used to describe it. I have my "few kids", so my dreams for them are more focused. I still want lots of friends and I want them to visit me frequently. I want a nice church where I can find the best ways I was meant to serve my Lord. Travel? I don't know. I've seen a lot. There are a few things I would like to show my children. But I don't need to spend 3 weeks in Brazil like my neighbors just did. I still love clothes, but I'm happy with something that I feel good wearing. I don't even know who's designing what anymore. And I pretty much hate shoes. Really, I prefer boots, but it is too hot to wear them all the time. I just want something comfortable.

I just don't want as much period. And the things I want are more earthy. I want earth. I want plants and trees and animals. I want to surround myself with people I love, not things I love. In fact, the fewer "things" I have, I think the better. I want to feed people. Both their stomachs and their hearts.

I think the move will be good. I know I feel close to God when I am with "His stuff". All of the accoutrements of city life are lovely, but I want to be closer to God's creations than man's.

Waiting....

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

Why is this goat smiling?

Why is this goat smiling? I don't know, but it's not because he has any news about a closing date. *sigh* There's always tomorrow.

Hugging Goats

No, we haven't made our first livestock purchases. We just went to the zoo today. We had fun loving all over the goats and decided to take some pictures. I woke up this cutie and made her smile for the camera. I think she went back to snoozing when I left. I don't blame her. It was 90+ degrees out there.

Sweetness Baby Girl was brushing this darling little dwarf goat. I had never seen one with the brown on him like this one had. He was very sweet and seemed to enjoy a nice brushing. We may have to get one that size because they are just so cute.

My Sweetie Boy only spent a few minutes with the goats. He was happy to hang out with the prairie dogs. They were talking to him which delighted him beyond words. He did pick out this pretty girl to be photographed with. I think they make a cute couple.

There is a rumor that we may hear something from the title company tomorrow. Maybe even a closing date? I'm not holding my breath, but I'll let you know.

My New Love

I am in love. As I am preparing to move, I am taking the opportunity to clean everything that is coming with us as thoroughly as possible. I borrowed my sister's Little Green Machine to clean the couches. Oh. My. I had never used one of these handy little devices. I have used it on everything imaginable: couches, recliner, mattresses, car carpeting. Even the things that didn't look that bad produced the vilest gunk when I vacuumed them. I will never have to borrow this honey of a machine again. I will be getting one ASAP. Thank you, Lisa, for letting me see for myself how deep my dirt really is.

Chicken Tractor

In case you were wondering what a chicken tractor is, I thought I would show you.

The chickens have a yard of their own to run around in and a house at the end. There is a nesting box in the house where they lay their eggs. There is a rope on one end and wheels on the other. We move them around to different parts of the yard every few days. That way they get fresh grass to fertilize and they don't destroy the yard too much. Oh, and it keeps them safe from the dogs.

Equal Time

Top ten things I will miss about living here:

10. The Museum of Natural Science (and the other museums).
9. The library system.
8. Being able to walk to Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, or Blockbuster if I so choose.
7. Being able to drive to get virtually anything I want in about 30 minutes.
6. The variety of restaurants nearby.
5. The eclectic nature of our part of town.
4. Walking through the neighborhood and seeing friendly faces.
3. Sitting on the porch and watching all of my dogs' friends stop by to visit.
2. Having so much family so close.

And the number one thing I will miss about living here:
1. My house. Ain't it perdy?

Top Ten

Top ten things I won't miss about living here:

10. Bulldozers tearing down every house in the neighborhood, usually early in the morning.
9. Cars going down the street booming bass so loud that it shakes the house.
8. Traffic
7. The bald transvestite who walks down our street every night in a tutu. (OK, I may miss him a little, but I won't miss trying to hide him from the kids.)
6. Taking 30 minutes to drive 5 miles.
5. The middle school kids that walk home in the afternoon past our house.
4. Did I mention traffic?
3. The drunk teenager that rides around the neighborhood on his bicycle.
2. Road construction - EVERYWHERE!!!

And the number one thing I won't miss about living here......
1. The ridiculous property taxes.