Storm Survival

They always make it sound as if we are all going to freeze solid and starve to death while being blown around like tumbleweeds...but, we love our weatherman!  So, off I go to feed.  I've already been to the store, we have plenty of supplies in preparation for the storm...our joke is that we "prepare" by buying a bunch of Dr. Pepper, Doritos and Little Debbies to ensure storm survival!  By the looks of us, we've been in storm survival mode for 17years!! 

*Movie Watching!

Yesterday we went to the movies.  Hubby & I watched It's Complicated and the boys along with a couple of their friends watched The Tooth Fairy. Our movie had it's moments, but it paled in comparison to The Blind Side.  Kids enjoyed their movie.  We saw relatives of mine, friends of ours...the movie in Carnegie Oklahoma USA is a great place....people will drive and drive some more to get there! Thank you Liberty Movie Man...You're doing GOOD!!!

Bud goes to DA McGee today for a followup on an eye issue.  DA McGee is an amazing place, they can do everything and anything to an eyeball.  I'll be "shopping" for frames while they see the dr.   I'd have a pair of glasses for everyday if it were permissible! 

January Thunderstorm

We've had weather this month that has been mild, cold, really cold, blizzardy and then yesterday...we had a thunderstorm.When I was a kid we had to be stone silent when two individuals came on the television...Billy Graham & Gary England ....BG of course was there to help save our souls....And GE was (and still is) there to save our hides from tornadoes! It was a nice thunderstorm..gentle rolling thunder and only a few lightening strikes.  In this picture, it was just beginning to sprinkle.

3rd Place in the Beauty Contest

Yep, they won it:  THIRD PLACE IN THE BEAUTY CONTEST....well, it was really 3rd place in the SW District 4-H Share The Fun.  Being on a big stage with microphones, wow!  4H is a great thing, gives awesome opportunities. 

*What TV Can Do

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE WATCH TOO MUCH SMACKDOWN ON TV!

COMMERCIAL BREAK!

*A Monday Morning Request

Once upon a time, along time ago...we were coming home from Green Acres when we stopped at our neighbors for a quick visit.  Grandson who was maybe three or four at the time was there.  He was shyly standing in the shadow of his Grandpa while peering out at us.  His head was huge and so was his voice, the voice we heard sounded as if it evolved from a body of twenty years.  His Grandpa was over the top proud of him, he was a cute little kid with a big ol mass of black curly hair.  That kid grew up and spent one summer working for us.  We have a  grain bin dent to permanently remind us of him.  He still lives a few miles away, but he had an accident last night.  They say he is ok, it was quite close to being fatal.  So, with that in mind, please pray for our friend Chrissypoo, he is dear to our family.  Please pray for him, his health, his choices and his family.   Thank You,  Mary

Warmer Thoughts

Maggie appreciates a cool bath at most any location.  Some lovely soul dumped her here about five or six years ago, she is sweet, timid and gun shy like nobody's business.  She is scared of our new camera...it makes heap big noise!  During the boys "Hank The Cow Dog" obsession we had to name every critter after a character in the series.  We've had Hank, Maggie and Pete to this point. Hope you get a nice bath like Mag did....maybe in a cleaner tub and maybe not quite so public??

Dual Purpose Parts

Oldest Kids coveralls are cheapos and were made in China...  The shoulder strap latches lasted about 32 minutes, but not to worry he fixed them..with bolts and nuts that are used in the sickle section of our swather...next summer if I need a couple for a broken section...I'll know just where to look! 

Chicken Ranching

Chickens are opportunistic critters....they eat everytime the opportunity strikes....and it strikes everytime the feed pickup rattles back into the driveway after feeding cattle.  No sense in wasting tiny tidbits of corn or wheat mids!  Makes for happy hens and nice fat eggs! 

A Neat Gift

This little quilt was made online, I uploaded the pictures and they made it..hopefully somewhere in the USA.  It is so cool, I had tons of fun and stayed up way to late one night putting it all together.  Made one for each of the boys and one for my husband.  I sew so well...quite a quilter!  Really, sewing makes me  throw things and use naughty language.  This is a better option for me. 

My Other Sister

Christmas came again yesterday afternoon with my family.  We ate pork burgers w/bbq sauce, crowder peas and nachos.  For a special treat we had little glass bottled Dr. Peppers.  We opened presents and visited.  Not all were in attendance, but those that were had a good time.  My sister "B" left about 4pm and unfortunately she left her purse.  This wasn't an unforuntate event for us and after we realized she'd left it a gleam came to our eyes....we knew just what to do, we'd been taught by our Mother who always enjoyed "putting" little things in loved one's purses.  She once put horse pebbles in our Aunt Ola's purse....we didn't have any equine pebbles handy so we used a plethora of things from around the house to spurce "B's" bag up with.  A couple handful of red beans, 1/2 cup of minute rice, a few pop bottle lids and a little bit (whole bunch really) of red packing stuff from Cracker Barrel.  Oldest sister took it to her this morning at school!  She "enjoyed" unpacking her purse....we're certian of it! 

Dishwasher Blues

My good natured honey is singing the dishwasher blues...He went to Lawton and picked up a new Bosch d/w last night, put it in this afternoon....turned on the water....and OUT IT CAME!  Water that is! Seems the door hinge was broken on the left side! There is nothing uglier than the hole where an appliance is supposed to be!  Happy dishwashing! 

On Being Warm

Manopause has not yet hit my husband...especially since it has been in the teens temperature wise around here.  But, he incessantly pesters my sister about it, and she good naturedly gives it right back!  Here she is agreeing with him in regard to being a "Hot Teacher"....mind you she has six year olds! 

The Mental List

The WIND IS SWOOPING DOWN THE PLAINS AND IT IS DRIZZLING...SO WE'RE GETTING A BIT OF ICE....and like many of you in production agriculture, I am going over "the list" in my head. Did I feed and hay everybody???  Is there a pasture full of cows that I blindly drove by and forgot about....did I put out enough hay, will they get out of the wind, are my chickens warm enough, do the pigs have enough shelter??? But, the biggest worry is electricity....drizzle, high wind and freezing temps will weight the lines down in a hurry and we'll be in the dark...hope you have your flashlights and candles...especially if you live on "The Red Bud Line". Until tomorrow...if we have electricity...  

*Nice Things Done

On a website in which I visit, a question was added, "What nice thing have you done for someone today?"....So, what about you?

Must Read Instruction Manual

Our new camera is so cool....when it is used by someone who KNOWS how!  I must read the book..look at this pic closely...I missed a really good shot...by playing...I should have been reading!! We'll call this one....Pink Boy on Pink Dipstick taken by Wing It Too Often Mama!

Back To School

Good Monday Morning.  Our Little Darlings will be off to school this morning, I'll be off to feed cattle and Mr. Consultantman will be Consulting....The Little Darlings have spent a huge part of their Christmas Break in the Great Oklahoma Outdoors...feeding cattle...I think they are secrectly ready to get back to school where it is warm and there is...no baler twine...no loading the feed box and NO MORE GATES TO OPEN!  They have been amazing help!  I'll miss you little darlings....see you at 3:15, I'll have your coveralls, gloves, warm hats and a three course after school snack ready!! 

Time to Ride

The boys have spent all of their Christmas break feeding cattle, busting ice and retrieving cattle that decided to go for a swim.  But, today they've had time to ride Trig and Dipstick, as Teddy Roosevelt said, "The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man".