You are right Rene’…
Time has a way to lending an appreciation of things past, and the mower is a Brilliant idea. Your move for the sake of your Children is an act of Love, and one day they will come to know just how significant it was.
I recently had a conversation with a young Friend at a shop in the mall, and noticed she was wearing BIG platform shoes. I commented: "Are those comming back?"… to which she replied: "They’re not ‘back’, they’re a new fashion."
A few days later, I returned with a photo from 1920 of a young woman wearing BIG (wood) platform shoes, and one of ME from 1971 wearing a pair from Thom McAnn, and she was amazed.
Hmmm… I wish I’d saved every tie I ever owned.
Good Bloggie…!
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

Gary, Dont I know it. I guess that is a sign of "aging" when we have seen it "all" before. LOL

I do love my kids. What a blessing they are and have been. I feel the move into town allowed me to be with them more, so maybe a little selfish on my part. I couldn’t imagine sitting out on the farm while their lives were 40 miles away. While it was a sacrifice, just as it always seems to be, it was/is worth it. I have found away to carve out my farm girl exsistance, even while living in a rural community. My heart is calling me back to the farm and someday, when it is just grandbabies to worry about, I will get there. Until then, the neighbors are just having to deal wtih having the Clampets in thier back yard :).

Thank you for all the encouragment.. A writer couldn’t ask for more.  R

Rene, What a great story… You are right, it does seem as though all things old are new again! Even old ideas…I love that " farming is becoming hip" again and I hope it sticks! So many people are being inspired to plant their first veggie gardens, us included! We home school our kids and this was our year to plant our first veggie garden! We made it a "project". We studied some of the ideas behind self- succiciancy and why it is good for humanity and the earth. Then we got to planting! This farm girl and her family live on a half acre in suburbia so we decided a salad garden would be a great beginning. Half way through the growing season and things are looking good! It feels good to " grow our own"… to feel more self reliant and satisfied. Can’t wait for the first ripe tomatoes! No wonder MaryJanesFarm ( and blogs) are hitting a nerve with so many people… I think there are thousands of us out in the world who were missing our rural roots and didn’t even know it! Thank you for helping us all make the
"connection".
Deb~

I am so glad that you can see the future and know you will return to the farm when all the boys are out of school!!! And your back yard now looks wonderful! Thanks for the wonderful thoughts!

You were so lucky to be able to keep the farm. (Even if your husband has to do all that driving.) By what you say, it looks like you have a miniature farm in the city. That’s what I have and I love it. My neighbors used to have issues but that’s their problem. Only wish I could have some girls but the zoning guy tells me I can only have two and they have to stay indoors in the main house and not in the yard or the detached garage (now a beautiful little cottage).

I love how "old things are new again." Kinda’ like us, eh? I am from a family of 12 children (and I am the youngest) so when our parents’ estate was divided, some of the treasures that I grew up with went to others. I also have some that they loved. So I started looking in antique shops for those things "like Mama’s" and started collected. The memories came flooding back as I saw things that I had even forgotten. Now when my sisters visit, they tell me that they feel that they have "come home." That is such a compliment to me!! Indeed, old things have become new when we laugh and remember.

Reba,

Great reminder that we have the power to create our own "home" in the "fashion" of those things and people that touch us the deepest. Thanks for the reminder.

I loved your blog. My dad never owned anything but a push mower that I can recall. Boy can I tell you some funny stories about my brothers and the mower. In any case, I have always loved old things. My mother had some things from her family that were very old like a child’s rocking chair and rag doll over 150 years. We were never allowed to sit in the chair, but rather to appreciate it. As I grew up and had my own family, we bought and sold two victorian houses that I loved. I am now living in a ranch house which is on the market. My son has graduated from college so we are down sizing. I am excited but a little scared. One thing I do know about old things, if they come into your possession you are only their custodian. My mother taught me that with her antiques, and it means we are only a part of a long line of history. Many have come before us; many will come after.
It sort of puts my little problems in perspective.
Ps. I don’t really think there is anything new, just things that have been revamped restyled regurgitated.

You stated, "It is simply perfect." I would add, "it is simply perfect; perfectly simple." I think we can over complicate everything and sometimes that just adds more stress in our over-complex lifestyle. As a single mother most of my life and having acreage, I would just hate it when a gas-powered motor did not start. If I can’t fix it, then I have to count on someone else to get ‘er going again, and in the meantime, the job does not get done. Yikes, that can be a huge speed bump when you are trying to check off your task list so that can go on to doing something fun! You have made great strides in creating your backyard haven and making your surroundings fit your preferred lifestyle. I think that we have seasons of our life and we are not always planted in ground where our roots would desire. You are thriving and being fruitful where you are planted! Love your blog (and you)!!!

Excellent site, keep up the good work

I don’t know If I said it already but …Excellent site, keep up the good work. I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I’m glad I found your blog. Thanks, 🙂

A definite great read..

-Bill-Bartmann

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Your blog is so informative … ..I just bookmarked you….keep up the good work!!!!

Rene,

Again, you have captured the essence of something that we all strive to hold onto! I was just thinking yesterday as I was watching my daughter at her horse riding lessons how there is such a special feel to summer. Maybe it is the warmth of the sun, the feel of the earth when you can just lay in the grass, or the smell of the fruits when the canning is started. Who knows, but I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. Thanks again for the wonderful entry! You make my heart sing every time I read your entries. Enjoy the rest of the summer…..it flies by far too quickly!

Your Bloggies this week have a Wonderful Theme Rene’…
Much time of Life has been wasted trying to be something I wasn’t… usually driven by some media message of restlessness.
I once commented to my Granny that I wondered if I would have a Happy Life, and I recall the answer well. She said:
"Yes, if you learn who you are and just BE that."
Your weekly writing "Dances" quite well in my mind.
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

Gary,

I think I will take your granny’s words and etch them. I know that I have the power to be the best "ME" the world has ever seen.. thanks!

My husband is a great dancer, I am not. However, metaphorically speaking,I think I ‘dance.’ At least I hope I do. In some ways I was freer when I was younger, but in other ways, I am less inhibited now–the older I get the more comfortable I get in my own skin. I recently read something that said "Why wait until you’re an old woman to wear purple?" I like that sentiment. In other words, embrace your inner child or inner old woman, whatever the case may be. Ultimately the goal here is to dance!

PURPLE is my signature color 🙂  thanks for your reminder.

Awesome Rene!Thanks so much for that and you DANCE!

Woo Hooooo!!! That’s what I’m talking about! Life is too short to waste time Not Living it. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve recently made a conscious decision to LIVE my life,(same idea as the "drive it like it’s stolen" phrase) not just go along like a good, quiet passenger and I can’t even express how happy I have become (though I do kick myself every now and then for not Always living like this) 🙂
I am not a good dancer, but I Love To Dance. I think I’ll use the "Dance Like Noone is Watching" phrase as inspriration for my craft project this weekend. I need a sign to hang in my kitchen to remind myself of this every day.
Once again, I LOVE your blog and I’m pretty sure that you are my new online BFF! 😉

Most excellent perspective. We have alot more in common than you think Renee *U*

Thank you, Thank you for the great reminder.

Always dancing either out loud or silently to myself!! Life is just too short to do it any other way.

To sum up the fabulous weekend with dancing was sheer genious (on your part, of course). We each became a part of the whole in our own little way while dancing on the grass that tickled our toes. Woo-hooing with a sunburned nose and sweat dripping down my back was where I could culmanate my dream of coming to Farm Fair. Thanks for all the hard work and memories you’ve blessed me with.

I sooooo relate to this post! I think the world would be so boring without eccentric people! I have so many eccentric friends, I think I am one, well, yes, I AM one lol. I just love that people do things just because that’s the way they are, and not because it’s cool or they think someone’s watching. AND I relate to the weight thing, too, at times get really self-conscious, but then something happens and I start talking and laughing, and pretty soon, I don’t care so much about stuff like that. I have a ton of skinny friends (hmmm, a TON of skinny friends, is that an oxy-moron?) who love me anyway! Karen

I just had my 40th birthday, and I feel like I too now can finally dance away. I wish I had felt this way a lot sooner than now – all the worrying and self-consciousness I could have avoided! Thanks for the blog, and the sentiments….

Dear Rene,
This is the first time I have read your blog (ever struggling to embrace technology, truth be told) and I am really appreciating where you are coming from. Sorry to have missed the dancing on Sunday…Paul saw the bus pull up and before I knew it we were on it. Perhaps three days of practically all women had him a bit overwhelmed : ) It wasn’t until we were back at American Country B&B that I realized I would not be able to say my goodbyes as our wonderful weekend was coming to an end (it simply hadn’t occurred to me until then). So, I am happy to see that it is not really goodbye since there are blogs and forums and e-mails and all kinds of opportunities to keep in touch. Thank you Rene, for all of your hard work. The Farm Fair was exactly what this mountain girl needed.
Valynne

hi rene,yesterday i was visiting one of my friends,she said there was a guy on amercian idol or whos got talent last week that was just an old hillbilly farmer type and they asked him about being a chicken catcher on his job title, they asked him and he said oh about 9 thous chickens and they all laughed,she said when he sang he sang,if tomorrow never comes by garth brooks, she said ,ya know carol, he is authinic,i cant spell it but her comment was, hes authinic, you know thats what you are, is authinic,your just yourself,you dont care what people think,then she says, i bet youve really got some talent,just like that guy, youve got a hiddin talent….kinda made me feel good…..just wanted to throw that thought in…i am a squaredancer by the way and if you have never done it,you just dont know what you are missing,i balked a first,and one of my clients just kept after me,what a blessing it turned out to be…i went to cancun mex with 97 square dancers,all older than me ,and squaredanced on stage on the cruise ship,it was so much fun…i have outfits and pedicoats in every color,and no one will ever make fun of me for it again,it is not corny at all,it is a terrific blessing,when my salon burned in 2005,the squaredancers all fed me and took care of me,they are wonderful people,and it is fun girls,i mean a load of fun…untill next time,the missouri farmers daughter,carol branum,lamar mo.

Carol,

I think you hit the nail on the head. At some point we need to say, "I am done apologizing" for being me. Why should we! Dance away girlfriend!!!!! I will be admiring the "moves"….

I really enjoyed reading this. From one small town girl to another, I got it. Now I just need the courage to bust that move.

Here’s sending you courage. Or well, Maybe just a blind fold and some dance steps..LOL  dance away!

Hi everyone,

I just stumbled on to MaryJanes, for the first time, today. Wow. I guess it’s true, the saying, everyone has a twin.

I grew up on a dairy farm, went to work, came back home, and bought a small, 15 acre, farm, to start a family. I love my little family and our little farm. I have always had the idea that we could make our farm into a vehicle that sustains us and those we love. Our farm may be small; but, our hearts and dreams are big.

Having grown up on a dairy farm, with grand parents, great grandparents, and 1st through 5th cousins, living together, I have been privledged to learn how to do things like: milk cows, sew, shear sheep, spin wool, make cheese, can, and bail hay. This early education combined with what I’ve learned from the corporate world, leads me to ask, the question, "Where do I start?"

I would love to hear some of your stories, insights, suggestions, and warnings.

Thanks,
Lorna Jean

Lorna Jean,

Make sure to check out of Farmgirl Conection at http://www.MaryJanesFarm.org an click on the link that says "Chat with other farmgirls". There are lots of us and lots an lots of stories…

I was so ready for this article! This is the first time I have read your blog, but I am definitely going to have to follow you now because you spoke to me! I also am in a place in my life where I need to do some mental and spiritual ‘housecleaning, and you have the right idea. The realization that only you are responsible for your own happiness is something that hit me hard about a year ago, but once I accepted it, I felt such freedom! It is very empowering!

I agree in ways I cannot explain. I am trying so hard to pull my weeds and let go of the things that hold me back it is difficult and I am doing the best I can. The great thing about gardening is that if you pull something out that you weren’t suppose to you can always replace it with something even more spectacular. And in the end life and gardening are building, growing, fostering, learning and just plain respecting the life we have created. Thanks for the great post.

Rene’, you are such a blessing. God has gifted you with a tender heart and oodles of wisdom, and I praise Him for sharing you with all of us.
Your words are a light unto my path, and I am grateful for each message you bring.

Pam,

I am so touched by your words. Thank You so much for them.

This is just what I needed to hear. I have a great job, but I hate working all night. Lately, I’ve been trying to just be grateful for it. The thing that really bothers me is having to sleep when it is so beautiful outside this time of year. I keep thinking that I’m sleeping my life away. I have tried to ignore that thought, but the feelings that go along with it are difficult to ignore. I’m going to try harder to find a new way of thinking because I feel things won’t change until I learn to love this way of living, or at least accept it.

I’m going to copy your words and put them by my bed so I can see them when I wake up. Thank you so much. I love following your blog.

Rene,

It is the first time I read your blog and love it. I too was a farmer when I grew up and the farm is the best place to be. I have the best memories in the whole world. When we drive to the country and see all the beautiful scenery I think of the city people(Some of them) that never left the city and miss all this lovely nature. I get up in the morning and admire my flowers and thank God for having them and be able to see them.
I grew some potatoes this year in my flower beds here and there and I feel like I am farming again. Just love it.

God bless you and your family.

Today your blog came into my in-box. What fun I have had looking at your essays. They sound so like the farm-girl that I am way over in Maine and the little messages I write in my own blog about the world outside my window. Our country is a big one and it goes to show how alike we are no matter where our wild world takes us. I enjoy a natural business with a partner who sees through the same eyes. I will peek in on you often to see how life on the other side of this great country of ours is going.

This is an old blog but I just found this blog and i’m so glad I decided to read all of these because this is exactly what I needed to hear and God Bless You for giving you know knowledge to write such a thing and help others. Have a blessed day.

"Reap what you sow!" This is one our family uses often, mostly in the content of relationships. It is kind of a warning to nurture all relationships. I have seen first hand what can and will happen if you take your relationships for granted.

Ahhh… more Memories Rene’…
I also like the expression: "Bloom where you’re planted", which is kinda what I’m doin’ while I wait to return to my Smokey Mountain Home.
My Ganny had some expressions that were social in nature, and you needed to know what they meant to function well in her circle of Friends on the neighboring farms. If asked to "stay a while", it had better be a short visit, but if asked to "stay a spell", you were wished to stay a long time. There were also suble distance sayings, like "a piece" meant it was close by, while "a fer-piece" meant it was a long way, as in ""hits up th’ road a piece".
My Uncle Loyd (known as "Sod") was a dairyman in the old tradition, and I loved to go there in the Summer (before airconditioning came along) because he had a "Cold Room" in his barn over a spring to store the milk in, and I could cool off in there. He had some salicious sayings, which always prompted my Mom to snap: "not in front of children Sod!"… like his reference to the Preacher as "having more mouth than a poor hog has rump."… I never did know what a "poor hog" was, and my Mom declined to discuss it.
Thank You for yet another walk down Memory Lane, and…
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

I too am a lover of words. That dog won’t hunt is a good one but to give it the proper punch it has to be said, "That "dawg" don’t hunt", making dawg a two syllable word.
Out here in the west you hear "Smile and Cowboy up," which means stop complaining and "Git er done." I also use the saying, "Who told you life would be fair?"
So smile and Cowboy up.

Diana C

I started grinning as I read your blog thinking of some of the funny sayings that you hear in the South where I’m from. Recently I taught a financial class and three of my sisters were in the class. I had a lot of quotes and one in particular that my mom stated to us most of the time when we were cleaning house": "If you’re not going to do it right, don’t do it at all." As I started to speak, my sisters finished the sentence. It was hilarious. The class just looked at us like "we had lost our minds." "Hey if you can’t run with the big dogs, get back on the porch." Have a great day!

I love the saying, "You teach people how to treat you." If you carry and conduct yourself with respect for yourself and others, you will be treated with respect. If you conduct yourself in a lesser fashion, you will be treated accordingly. "Bloom where you are planted" is a great way of saying "Make the best of any situation". I am a big fan of sayings (just ask my 17 year-old daughter who can quote my sayings just as I am about to say them :).

We have had chickens now for a year and the saying that I now understand is "madder than a wet hen." During last years hurricane, Ike. We experienced what mad hens look and act like! :o)
just experiencing some of the farm life you can understand where some of the sayings came from.
I also like, "Lord willin and the creek don’t rise" If you have ever experienced being flooded in by rising water you can totally understand this one!
Thanks!

When my sister & I fought, my mother use to say "You two better learn to like each other. One day it will be the two of you against the world." She was right, as aduts we are best friends. I mentioned that phrase to one of my great-nephews recently and he told him his dad says the same thing to him & his brother. She also loved to say "You made you bed, now sleep in it." Roughly translated? You married him, now make it work. Or, you created the mess, either live with it or clean it up yourself. A number of the sayings I read in your article & in the comments ring bells as well. I still use them today.

I was lucky enough to have my grandparents live with us while I was growing up. My grandparents were from Norway and many of thier customs and sayings go back to the old country. Two of my favorites from my grandmother are "God never gives us a cross to heavy to bear, but sometimes he sorely over estimates my strength." and "God answers all prayers sometimes the answer is no."

Being a Southerner by birth, I grew up with a lot of sayings. Since so many of us move around to different sections of the country, in the South, you hear "If the cat had kittens in the oven, it don’t make ’em biscuits". In other words, you can move some place but it won’t make you a "Native". I used "As handy as a side pocket in a shirt" just this weekend and if you believe in doing it right the first time then you don’t want to "..lick your calf over".

On fathers day this year I think I heard the perfect saying. You make a Living by what you Get but you make a Life by what you Give.

I asked someone one how they were doing one day.

That person said, Oh, I am finer than a frogs hair.

I looked it up and found it said a different way
with a little more added to it.

I am finer than a frogs hair split three ways.

Meaning: Doing well.

How about: Slower than molasses in January.

The way the prices are going up we could be saying
this one: Now that’s higher than a cat’s back.

"It won’t last forever" is what my husband has said to my daughter throughout her life. One day when particularly exasperated by an event in her life, my daughter said back, "Dad, I’m going to put "It won’t last forever on your headstone"! She’s right, it won’t.

This is so true about all the food we eat! I grew up on a farm. Mom milked our Jersey cow, Penny, every morning and night. She came in the house with the fresh warm milk, and strained it into a stainless steel milk jug and put it in the frig. No pasterization, no additives, no nothing. We drank that wonderful, sweet milk, sometimes still warm – sometimes ice cold, either way, I loved it! In the morning there was always a thick layer of delicious cream on top that she would skim off and churn into the most delicious butter. Or we would use that cream to put on our Rice Krispies in the morning with fresh red raspberries picked from her raspberry patch. The butter was slathered on her hot homemade bread or rolls, fresh from the oven. All the food we ate was fresh, and natural and delicious. Eggs! Right from the chickens! How much different they taste than the one’s from the store, even if you buy the organic ones -they just don’t taste the same. We didn’t worry about cholesterol or fat, there was too much work, you needed those things for energy! I was so healthy as a kid, we hardly every got sick, and if we had a cold or flu it was over in a hurry. We never took antibiotics, we just has some some good ol Ma Browns cream rubbed on our chests to relieve the congestion. Mom wrapped you up in a blanket and put you in the lounge chair next to the wood stove so you could put your feet up next to it, and you sweat out the cold! Now that I’m in my 50’s, I am so unhappy that the government has decided that raw milk and alot of the food we eat is no longer good for us, and has banned farmers from selling it. Everything that is good in our food is pasterized out, or some additive put in it to "save" us from eating food as it was intended. Wouldn’t they cringe to see us as kids going out to the garden for a snack, eating fresh tomatoes and strawberries straight from the earth with no washing, sometimes still with a little dirt on it! Horrors! What I wouldn’t do right now for a glass of that fresh milk along with a handeful of homemade cookies!

honey….well, I guess I’ve learned something here today. I was not aware that honey had an expiration date. I thought honey kept for many years. Did they not find some in the tombs of Eygpt or some such place that was thousands of yrs old? I will check at my local farm where I buy veggies- they do have their own honey. I was also not aware that it would be labeled "raw". I have not purchased it in the past because of the cost, but know it can be wonderful for sore throats, and I would imagine it perhaps is good for your heart? I had read that bee stings can help cure arthritis, and use a bee balm on my sore knees, which seems to help. I like to think that as each year passes I am getting better educated on my health…and pass this info on to family & friends that will listen.
I have developed asthma the past yr and wonder what might help me with that, other than the medication I use now in the inhaler. I am not happy that it is a manmade chemical, but it does help considerably. Do you know if there is anything "natural" that might also help me?
thank you….love your blog….O’Dell

O’Dell

You are correct that Honey has a very long shelf life. What I was referring to is that over time ( just like enzymes) it can loose its potency. For the "best" get the "best" date availlable.

If you have allegees you should eat honey from your area. I use to sell honey, and people would ask me if it came locally because of their allgees.

Also I grew up drinking milk fresh from the cow and am almost 43…now that was milk. My best friend and I would pass a jug around drinking it till it was gone…….yum! My mom would go buy eggs right from the farmer, so fresh they still was "dirty"…lol we just washed the shells. My parents would buy half a cow for winter. Big difference in taste with the beef you get in a store. I worked in a grocery store and the butcher told me the trick to make the hamburger look more red was to mix kool aid in it. You don’t taste the flavor of the kool aid.

This is so true !
Most folks want to live a healthier life, but are fooled by these marketing tricks.
It is very aggravating.

I spend about half (or more) of my time teaching folks about organic gardening and natural living in a few places, namely my Squidoo writings.

So many people think that if they see "natural" on the label, it is true.
I show them to read the labels to see what it REALLY is.

By the way Rene, I found your blog through twitter, I am Relax_Naturally

Thank you for teaching folks how to be more natural too 😉

Organically Yours,
Diana

Hey Diana,

Thanks, See you on twitter…

Totally agree!
Living rurally as I do, surrounded by orchards, I know well how important bees are! I always hope someday to get a hive too! Sometimes a whole hive will leave with their queen and take up residence in a pasture close by. Sometime I will have a home ready for the bees when this happens and maybe I’ll have my own yummy honey!

I use raw honey almost exclusively and I adore bees. The occassional sting is worth it.

That is all we can do. Work at changing our little corner of the world. Enjoyed your blog today. Check and see if they have classes in your area about being a bee keeper. I think you would enjoy the knowledge even if you decided not to keep bees. Thank you for your thoughtful insight.

Excellent and timely Bloggie Rene’…!
The February issue of "Mary Jane’s Farm Magazine" was all about Bees and honey, and it’s a real keeper. I opened a dialogue with one of the subjects Sherry Cockerham, a BeeKeeper in my Home State Tennessee, and have learned a lot about this since. Independent BeeKeepers struggle to make ends meet and take care of their Bees, and they both deserve and appreciate any donations to help with costs, and of course patronizing their products.
Monsanto and it’s GMO products kill millions of Bees each year, because the plants contaminated with GMO kill any Bee trying to polinate them. I had sent you an e-mail with a video about GMO a few weeks back, with a link to a good video explaining the problem.
You are absolutely right, as we each need to mind our little corner of the world and do what we can to make things better.
meanwhile…
GosSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

Living here in western North Carolina mountains surrounded by acres and acres of pasture and National forest you would think I would see more honey bees. Not so… I see less every year. With the wipe out the wild flowers and native trees program run by both the state and counties, massive amounts along all state maintained roads are mowed down way beyond any necessary clearances. Farm lands are disappearing at an alarming rate and being replaced with now abandoned new construction sites. Although where I live is really one of the most beautiful places in the world and is classified as a rain forest and named the seed bed of the world it is very poorly maintained. If this is happening in your neck of the woods, call your local and state road maintenance departments and let them know how you feel about this issue. On a lighter note, I was recently stung by a very large bumblebee while strolling barefoot in the clover on a very painful bunion! The pain was horrible for 3 hours and nothing helped. Well, that was 3 weeks ago and my bunion has not hurt since!!! My husband told me of how when he was a child he and his cousins would collect honey bees in a jar for his grandmother. She then would turn it upside down and open it placing it over her arthritic fingers and let them sting her. This brought amazing relief from her suffering! Now, I am not suggesting you do the same but… it sure worked for the Carolina farm girl’s bunion! Perhaps there is some science to this someone is aware of?

The bees were so many this year at our home in Pa when the locust trees were in blossom. They were so busy they never noticed me on their daily rounds when I was hanginglaundry on the line. I was even able to "touch’ them ever so gently on the trees. Beautiful !! Such a simple creature with so much to offer us and we barely notice them. Lately I have been taking more time to just sit and watch my garden. It’s a busy little place to vist and reminds me that it’s not .."all about us" in this world.

Is there anything quite as joyous to observe as a bumble bee deliriously snuggling into an open flower and humming exuberantly as she does it?

I love bees, wish i had a have at my place. I have only been stung once and it was my fault i stepped on the poor worker barefoot in the back yard when i was young. They say they sense fear and sinse i have no fear of them that maybe why they can be right next to me and never bother me. I hope more of us organic farmgirl can provide a safe place for bees to live organically.

This made me laugh out loud! Thanks.

Rene –

Your insight is so fun – and so true…I too am surprised at the woman whose words come out of my own mouth – it is my voice, but it can’t be my words! I had to laugh at the fact that I know who Odie is.

Fun piece – a grand tribute to your grandma…well done!
Nat

As always, you made me laugh out loud especially when I think back of how often lately my "outside voice" is talking instead of my calm "inside voice". Maxine is definately alive and well in many of us with the pace of our harried lives. It all goes back to your thoughts on "Refueling" and I believe simplifying to be able to find what we truly need to find that sense of balance.

Thanks again for making us laugh while we are still shaking our heads in agreement because it touches us in our every day lives! Keep smiling!

As usual, God answered your prayer before you even spoke it. You are not Maxine – not yet, anyway. You are way too funny and way too pretty. I do love your blog and will keep coming back, and let me tell you, that’s saying A LOT because I typically don’t read blogs – not any. Keep writing Rene’. I feel like I’ve made a new friend.

Marilyn,

Thank you for you kindness. I love to write and I am especially glad when it speaks to others. Thanks for letting me know that I am not Maxine yet, I keep beating her off with a stick :)… friends indeed!

It is an extra tough Monday morning for me. Thank you for sharing a peice of your life. I am the one on the other end of the adoption. My daughter is 10, we home school so
working is just a part of her life. We moved onto this little 5 acre farm 2 1/2 years ago. We adopted her when she was 6, but she had been with us since 9 mo. Your writing causes me to wish I could have one day of your time.
So great to hear from another women who acknowledges her
Heavenly Father.

My heart lurched when I saw Spokane River and camping. I grew up in the Spokane Valley and the river was a big part of my life. Skipping school (oops) and spending the day on the rocks, riding bikes with my best friend and sunning ourselves on an old dock on the river, feeling the roar of the falls and the spray on my face, rafting down the river, fishing,and on and on. Thanks for the pictures, I felt myself unwind with you. I live in MN now, land of 10,000 lakes and don’t get back very often. Thank you for jogging my memories.

Oh Rene’,
So glad you were able to join us for "re-fueling".
It really was wonderful to have you join us.
I have sat many an afternoon…"decompressing" at one of the picnic benches near the waters edge,,,,much needed as a California transplant.
Isn’t it amazing how we can cram 30 hours of "stuff" in a
24-hour day!?! That’s why taking time (re-fueling) for ourselves is very thereputic.
hugz
>^..^<

My life is like holding on to the wagging tail of dog. Once in awhile I just have to let go…. the dog always comes back…..

Thank you Renee! I needed the re-fuel reminder! I have been contemplating how much I want to get away for a few days but..how oh how with all the things to do! You’ve inspired me to just do it!

Cassandra,

I hope you do. I have found that life seems easier with a "full-tank".

Just two weeks ago came back from a rejuvenating hike in the mountain of Cathedral Gorge south of Ely, Nevada. The magic of the entire park is imprinted in my soul forever. The pics can be seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crudeco/3596500767/

The wonder of our natural surroundings still un captured by so many people, so many of us have know idea of what our America has to offer, and usuallly for free.

Beautifully said/written Rene’…
Your words ring True, and have been echoed throughout the Ages. Reserving (not "taking") time for our Spiritual regeneration, and sharing that time with Family and Friends, is an act that centers all the other parts of our Lives.
Yes, I can purchase a box and flip a switch and the troubles of the World will flood into my Home, but that doesn’t mean they belong there, and as for the weather report, well it’s right on the other side of my front door ‘eh.
This time we reserve is the essence of Sabbath, and there is a ancient Jewish saying about Tradition: "When you swap Tradition for "progress", you often wind up with neither."
GodSpeed to Y’all…!
Gary
in Tampa

I love that Gary, Thank You!  I think I will stitch it onto a pillow 🙂  thanks for sharing it!

Rene!
Thank you for sharing and the the photos are great! I could almost hear the rushing of the water! Refueling is exactly what I need! This drove that point home. Blessings from the south, as we both continue to reach our goal of filling our life "tank" with all the right stuff!

Lauren

Once again, nicely written! You indeed are a special person and you deserve to have special friends. You know the saying you reap what you sew, for you that includes your friendships.

Rene’, I was very moved by your story. I lost my very best friend in the late seventies. I have often thought what it would have been like if she were alive.For many years I was afraid to get really close to my girlfriends. I finally realized My friend who passed would not want me to live that way, she was such a giving and thoughtful person. I now have several really good friends and one I consider my best. We encourage each other and we both know it’s never too late to call if we need one another. Good friends are truly one life’s greatest treasures. And on a not so sappy note and gotta go pick peas ! Love to all, Suzy (Texas)

Hey Suzy,

Not sappy at all… Sorry about the loss.. I know how they can leave those life scars…You’re right though she would want you to have friends as they make life so much richer…..