Monthly Archives: June 2013

June 30, 2013 · 15:47

Wedding Bell Blues?

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I can only blog from my perspective and this girl has been in a state of trauma this past week.  They say there is always a “let down”  for all involved in the planning of a wedding.  I can say my let down began when we exited the church last Saturday to a down pour of 3 inches of rain in an hour.  I know you’ve all been there.  You’ve planned an event and had a vision of how it would play out.  I had visions of Lori’s cookies and fancy cupcakes dancing in my head.  Moonlight dancing under the beautiful lighted canopy constructed from saplings  by our son’s now father-in-law.  Etceteraaaa.  Etceteraaaa.  You name it.  We had it figured out.

SOO many beautiful flowers put together very thoughtfully by sisters.

SOO many beautiful flowers put together very thoughtfully by sisters.

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The ceremony was spectacular. I felt a peace and calm from the whole congregation.  I could have sat there the entire day.  THEN…….

We arrived at our house where the reception was to be held.

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Flashflooding

Flashflooding

It wasn’t a bad deal if you didn’t mind swimming with moles, voles, snakes and near extinct turtles.

Oh, and adding the wet/dry vac activity to the agenda  so  all the people could suck  the water and mud out of their cars.

Every vision and plan was thrown by the wayside in a matter of 30 minutes.   In my head, I just wanted to go to bed and hide from what my eyes were looking at.

The great thing was that I didn’t meet a person all  day that did not have a great sense of humor and many thought it only added to the festive atmosphere.  “Really?”  I kept saying.  One gal came up and said, “I LOVE rain at weddings.  It means that God is washing over the couple with many blessings!”  That quote was my life-preserver that day.  No pun intended.

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The bride and groom, along with all of their friends, had a ball.  I think they were a little dumbstruck, as we were,  but I think age was on their side considering it has taken me a week to stop staring out the window paralyzed.

I had to bat myself on the head midweek finally.   I was so fixated on all the wasn’t and should have been.   What about the mountain of blessings that took place?  What about the killer ceremony that took place that united my son to Emily forever.  They are now one.  What about the fact that Eric and Emily’s faith in God is growing?  What about the weekend of huge fun (and challenge) with our new in-laws that are just awesome?  They came three days early and worked their tails off with us and stayed three days after and worked their tails off.   What about all the people who were here that obviously care so much for us?  What about all the people, many of whom I do not know, that pitched in and helped out when they saw we so desperately needed their help that day?  That blew my mind.

I was working in my studio yesterday when I felt God speak to me.  I love when that happens.  Sometimes it is clear and wonderful.  (wonderful doesn’t mean warm and cozy.  Many times it is “oh no” wonderful.  It’s wonderful cuz I actually hear  when He is speaking)  He said, “What makes you think that what you had planned was what was supposed to happen? What makes you think it was the right thing?”  Ouch.  But, you know what?  It was a relief to hear that.  Took the pressure off.     So I said back, ” Yeah.  What made me think?  Forgit that, man.”


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God bless,

Karen

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June 19, 2013 · 23:14

You Can Take A Farm Girl Out Of Routine…

……But you cant expect it to last long without going insane.

Posts have been coming far and few between.

We have been like little busy mice scurrying around preparing for our wedding.  It is an awesome experience that has brought our family together in great ways.   Our very sad news is that our middle son, who is in the Army, cannot be with us for the big day.   He will be greatly missed.   But we are working on a fun way to  make sure he is a part of the memories created this weekend.

A storm brought great signs yesterday for this union of  Eric and Emily.

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And the night before  we had yet another crazy vision from above.    Quite something.  One of the most dramatic sunsets I have seen out here.

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We are feeling blessed.

BUT……..burlap has been the bane of our existence.  I ordered 300 feet of burlap on ebay about 6 months ago so that we could make table runners.  I did not open the box until this past weekend and the rolls reeked of kerosene.  huh?  Yeah.  In my research, I cannot find out why burlap is treated with kerosene.  Please enlighten me if you know.  It felt wet, and it stunk terribly.

So we hung them on the fence to air out.

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It became very clear that airing was not going to do the trick.  And airing them out on the fence was resulting in many of them ending up in the pasture being enjoyed by the goats and dogs.   My son and I ended up at the laundry mat at midnight with the idea that breaking the washing machines there would be better than breaking ours at home.  We brought them home wrinkled to death.  If you ever get the idea to wash burlap, please know they shed, fray, and create an immense amount of lint.  I had to spend the better part of the next day ironing.  My generous neighbor came over to help.  I would still be in garage ironing had she not.  Total unforseen nightmare with the burlap.  On the bright side, I will have lots of burlap after next week to create…….. a burlap….. something or other.   Got ideas?

We have two more days of pulling this all together before the big day and am quite certain that we will have more challenges that will be memorable.  But most of all, I am quite certain the memories  will be treasured for years to come.

I have greatly missed routine so far this summer and look forward to getting back to it.  Posting here is a big part of my routine.  I will be back in touch.

I pray you are having a super summer.

P.S.  Lots of snake sightings.  Am thinking there is one in particular that wants a friendship with me.

God bless,

Karen

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June 10, 2013 · 11:06

Dreams. I Have Dreams……

When I’m awake.  When I’m asleep.  -Brandi Carlile.

Her Dream song has been in my head for a week now.

I looked on my iTunes to see how many songs I have in my library that are about dreams.  22 songs are about dreams.

Since I have a hard time sleeping like I used to,  my dreams are somewhat limited to when I am awake.  But, boy, do I have dreams.

I find it fascinating that we have been given a mind to dream. When asleep, we can live a whole different life than our reality. That may be a bad or good thing.  Calgon, take me away.   But awake,  we are given a gift of hope and dreams and if we have faith,  we can sometimes see it become a reality to enjoy.

I haven’t always had faith.  That doesn’t mean that I did not progress or get things done.  I did.   But when I didn’t have faith or belief that my God was interested in teaming with me in my hopes and dreams, it was more like an existence.  Moving through the motions.  A complacency.   A settling for a status quo.  A I’m-not-going-to take-risks and leaps-to grow attitude.

My motto is “If there is a will, there is a way”.  It always has been.  Physically, I have been able to accomplish most of what I set my mind to.  But in the past 15 years it has been vastly different.  DSCN0170

Ladders have found themselves in many of my paintings.  At one point in a state of depression, I decided that my ladders indicated descension.  Sinking.  But the greater my faith grew, the more I realized that my ladders symbolized ascension.  Reaching above my capacity to receive and then to achieve my dreams and hopes.  I came to the realization that in order to grasp my dreams I needed help from above.  Once I realized that, man oh man, my dreams and hopes came alive.

I be climbing ladders all day.   I get a dream in my head.  Sometimes they are pretty big dreams.  Like this here farm.  I run up the ladder.

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Talk to God about my dream.  He asks, “What does this have to do with Me?  How will this expand your love for Me?   What are your true motives? How will this help others grow to love Me?”   I answer Him as I think I know the answer or I say “Hmmmm, I don’t know” and run back down my ladder.    I have found that if  my will is in line with His will, and I am willing to go the extra mile to make them come true, there is no other feeling like it.  Explosion of joy.

I think that is the difference between before when I didn’t have  faith and after.  Before, I would have a dream, make it happen and it was checked off my list.  It didn’t bring that explosion of joy that impregnates all aspects of my life.   That continues to feed and breathe.  Yep.

Once I get  permission from above, which is the biggest detail, I set out to get ‘er done.   I can see the dream a reality in my head.  It then becomes a matter of patience, patience, patience.   Reaching for the stars takes time, calculated effort and  a fierce drive.  Lots of dialogue with my team partners.   And because God is on the team He will move mountains to make it happen.  It truly is a wonderful collaboration.  I am forever grateful to have invited Him to be on my team and that He is my biggest  supporter.

Dreams. ………I have dreams.

God bless,

Karen

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June 5, 2013 · 14:23

Homegrown

The sun comes up
in the morning,
Shines that light around.
One day, without no warning,
Things start jumping up
from the ground.

Well, homegrown’s
all right with me.

 – Neil Young

Ain’t that the truth.

Last year at this time, while I was delivering little kid goats,  the weather in the midwest was atrocious.   As early as mid June, I remember walking the animals at dawn and there was not a drop of dew on the ground.  That has never happened.   The dirt was fine like sand.  It felt “deserty”.   That scared me.  I had to ask -What is the worst that can happen?  We live in a desert?  All the plant species that have surrounded us forever die?  Our critters choke to death of thirst?  Scorpians and other desert creatures come to roost?

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  People from Phoenix will venture east?  Weather changes for some reason scare me.  When a season doesn’t behave the way it should, I get this oh-no-the-world-is-going-to-end  sensation in my heart.

But this season?  Has been fantastic in my estimation.  Cool.  Rain.  Sun.  Not too hot too early.   Everything is growing like gangbusters and we have been able to enjoy lettuce, spinach and asparagus in abundance.   There have been a few plates served up with homegrown beef or chicken, salad and asparagus so far this season.  We have never felt that accomplishment before.  It feels great to put dinner on the table without having to go to the grocery store.  That is probably the best part of the whole deal.

Livin’ out he’a in the country we don’t feel much like driving in everyday to do the shoppin’.  Just like anything else, I usually do have to jump into town daily for one thing or another though.

This homegrown thing obviously is a first for us.  Our efforts the past five years is paying off finaaalllly.   We will continue to plow through with the unknown and have fun.

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If you have ever homegrowed  your own food,  you know the feeling.  It feels good.

I have had a few snake sitings so far.

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This is a tiny one and the other two were not so much.  I saw  a black one that was about 5 feet.  And last night, I was walking Francis around the perimeter of her pasture and I saw another blacky that was about 2-3 foot.   I walk her twice ’round and this was my first pass.   I got the courage to go around again, ONLY because I had my big boots on.   She was still there so I snuck up on her to get a better look and she slithered away into an invisible hole.  Is that why they are so creepy?  They can just disappear.  LIke that.

God is good.  For sure.

Our wedding is in 2 weeks.  Talk about homegrown.  We are down to getting final numbers and compiling the mile long list of things that needs to be down last minute.  We have lots of good helpers so I am not fretting.  Too much.  That is another reason God is so good.  He put these two lovely people together and will make them one.  That is a miracle, baby.  That is a miracle.    They are perfectly yoked.  I am grateful for that.

I am not sure my posts have been showing up on Facebook for some reason.  I have not jumped shipped as some of you may think.  The posts are there, they just aren’t showing up on the social media stuff like I asked.  What is wrong wit them?

God bless,

Karen

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