Accept It and Move On

It has been one of those weeks when you just feel like one thing after the other is going badly, a week when you seriously dream of living in a subdivision again.

For starters, my white female goose went missing. I am sure she was the victim of some predator, although we have looked and not seen any evidence of a goose kill. She is gone, though.

Then we lost 6 ducks over a 3 night span. This time there were sign of a kill and it looks like an owl got them. They have been out in the pond paddock, which is currently empty of livestock. I am letting that paddock rest after a winter of overgrazing.
Tonight the ducks are moved closer to the house and with my sheep nearby.

Most of the time my bull dogs are great at keeping the predators at bay, but when it is raining outside I let them stay in the house.

Rain? Oh yes, we have had several inches the last week. I was almost ready to buy a canoe at one point. Muck and mud are amplified 100x when it has been pouring rain.

The most tragic event, however, was the freezer mishap. During a storm (I can only assume) a GFCI kicked to one of my freezers. I didn't notice until several days later, only to discover 90 pounds of ground beef from our steer and 2 large turkeys from the fall ruined.

I cried. I cried a bunch. This was not only a huge loss in meat, but a waste of a steer that I respected. I truly feel guilty for letting it ruin and waste, like I did not follow through on my end as a farmer.

After several days of moping and being upset I finally did what every farmer must eventually do and that is to accept it and move on.

That's tough sometimes, truly. In fact, it is probably one of the most difficult things to do.

Accept It and Move On


The mama dog we are fostering is doing great and so are her puppies. This mama dog loves to be around people and follows me everywhere. We have moved them all up into the main house area, and we have them situated in the laundry room.
The weather has been nice so I do get them all outside some too. The mama dog is house broken now and really a sweet dog to hug.

The boys got new hats from the dealer we bought the tractor from and they love to wear them! We actually took the boys out on Monday to run errands and it was a fun afternoon out. They are both a hoot!

Finally, I collaborated with one of my dearest friends to create an art  quilt for a silent auction that will be held for North Korea Freedom Week in Washington.

It was a really fun project and I am always happy to be part of such a great event. Most of the fabrics are hand dyed and the theme is more of a positive one. I like that.

Now, the only other thing that needs to happen this week is for Lila to lamb. We have been watching her closely and I am hopeful that by tomorrow we will have some healthy babies.

Accept it and move on...because life keeps moving.

I Went There

Why have only one cow when you can get a second for a pretty good price? Yep, I just got home tonight from a trip a few hours north into Tennessee to look at a few Jersey cows for sale.
Verdict?
I might get one. This of course means we would then have 2 cows once they all get onto the property this spring.
This would also mean two baby calves this year.

It might possibly mean that I have LOST MY MIND!!!! In fact as I sit here and type I smell poo. Is it the baby? No.  Is it my shoes (sniff, sniff) No.  Maybe a dog (look around) No.  Wonder if I just spent too much time looking at cows today...but we won't go down that road yet.

Oh and my milking supplies and cheese supplies are rolling in bit by bit each day. In about 2 weeks, we will be ready:-)

*****************

On another, more somber note, there is a great book coming out Tuesday titled, "Escape from Camp 14."

It's about a young mans escape from a labor camp in North Korea. He was born in the camp and escaped in his 20's. Should you read it? Yes.
There are many countries out there in the world that are terrible and governments that commit terrible acts of crime against its people. None are as bad or as cruel as North Korea. None.

China doesn't help the situation either.




Here is a video made by my bestest friend and fighter for freedom in North Korea. Watch it and then be grateful for your country. Consider how you can help spread the word about the plight of North Korean citizens.

I hope your weekend is blessed!

***I was just informed that a dog is smelly, like she rolled in poo outside somewhere. Whew! it's not me and my crazy imagination:-)

Video, Please View!

My dearest friend, a North Korea Human Rights Activist, made this video to enter into a contest. It cannot be entered, though, without 200 views. Will you please view it? Thanks a million!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8WcmiOXCJI&feature=share

Images That Stick

Sometimes movies are so upsetting that I cannot sleep for days after watching them. It happened to me when I saw "The Green Mile." There were scenes that horrified me and I could not get the images from my head.
The same thing happened when I watched "Amistad." Goodness I think I even had to leave the room for a couple parts and STILL have a hard time clearing my head of some images from the movie. It's been YEARS since I saw the movie too!

This week I browsed for an instant play movie to watch and ended up seeing 3 documentaries.
The first was "Kimjongilia." It is about North Korea and it was excellent. I encourage everyone to see it, seriously.
 Next I watched "The Human Experience," which follows 2 young men who seek the essence of humanity. They experience several things, such as living homeless, in order to really answer the questions they were seeking. It was wonderfully done and I plan to watch it again, with my children.
Last night I saw another North Korea documentary titled " Seoul Train." Here is where I can't get images from my head. I cried a few times, and today my heart is broken for what is the most inhumane of countries, China is not much better. I have spent the day in disbelief that these horrors occur. Yes, you should watch it and then count your blessings.

I am still getting donations to the raffle. Please check it out and donate/buy a raffle entry if you have not done so! I have less than a week to reach my goal! You cna help people like those in "Seoul Train!"

The living room has been a fortress of toys and children this week and that makes me smile. Without a doubt, the toys that are always played with the most are the simple ones like wooden blocks and train sets. Cheap plastic just isn't as much fun, and the classic toys are far more durable.

 My boy spent the day with a purple barrette in his hair, and he would throw a fit if I even mentioned removing it! He loves to mimic his 5 big sisters, and it was not difficult to figure out which one helped him fix his hair.

 Willow was obviously the hair stylist yesterday.

She even fixed Rose's hair. Rose went outside and searched for a chicken feather (which is not difficult) and Willow added it to her hair style. I was happy to see some hair get brushed around here!!!!

 I am back to a well thought out menu plan for 2 week stretches. It's a simple way to keep us on track with a food budget and it also frees me up some during the week. I spend less time "figuring" out what to cook. Homemade pizza is always a favorite and the girls love to top them for me.

 I broke down and bought a tag reader. I was shopping online for this year's school books and decided Rose would enjoy this and it would give her an activity while I am cooking or helping the older kids with lessons. There are some good books for it, such as "Click, click Moo." Rose and Zeb both love it!

I only have one mold, but I have been using it like crazy to make candles with my bees wax. I must say that I really love these candles and they burn beautifully. New skills are so much fun.

 My word, the baby is so cute this week and learning so many things! He claps all of the time! Today Rose was standing outside making faces at him and he would giggle and laugh and clap his hands together.

 He has also discovered that he can bite Duke and Duke does not care. What a great dog! These bulldogs are so great with children, it's unbelievable.

 Fletcher is also pulling up on everything, even though he is not sure what to do once he is standing.

 He thought it was funny that I would take his picture through the glass door.

 Tomorrow is the curriculum fair and although I have ordered most of my books, I have still spent a good deal of time making lists and researching curricula. Peach tea makes it all better. There is not a single beverage that tastes better than a Snapple Peach Tea. They are also educational....

This is helpful information if you ever plan to travel to Albania.

Have   a happy Friday! We are having movie night tomorrow and showing the movie JAWS!!!! I wonder what images will stick??????

Why the Disparity?

****Update: I have now reached $650 of my $1000 goal! Thanks to everyone and PLEASE let's make it $1000!**** 




When I set out to raise money for a charity I am always certain that I will either meet my goal or come pretty close to the goal. I always try to gear the raffle prize to attract the people who I think will feel close to the cause I am supporting.

This latest raffle has been quite different from my African Orphan raffles, and I knew it would be different and challenging. North Korea is hidden from view. North Korea has a leader who is hated and despised by any person who has even a shred of morality or compassion. North Korea is only in the news when it concerns a nuclear weapons matter. I did see Greta Van Susteran a few months ago in North Korea on Fox News to cover the extreme famine, but only lush, green fields with healthy Koreans were shown. It didn't look so bad from that perspective, honestly.

So I wonder, how do I show the extreme famine, brutal tortures, and unbelievable oppression in a country that hides it so well from the outside world, from us? I can't.
How can I help the millions of people who are trapped behind that wall and suffering in North Korea? I can't. I can't help everyone, but I CAN help ONE. WE can TRY and help.
Here's the deal. We KNOW that people are tortured and starving and forced into labor camps in North Korea. We KNOW that there are orphans and people who want to escape, they want to be free, they want to have a voice. We do not have to see it all in order to believe it. There are people who DO escape, often times leaving their family behind to suffer the consequences. These refugees spend their lives in FEAR of being sent back home so they do not go on TV and tell everyone who they are or how they got here. These brothers and sisters do TELL others about their lives in North Korea though, and it's worse than what any of us can imagine.

There is disparity that allows me and others like myself to have been born here in the USA. I have food and clothes and freedom and everything I could ever need. Halfway across the world in North Korea there are those who are born and live their life starved, beaten, and silenced. Why is that? What is the purpose for that huge difference in life?
Have you ever wondered why you were born here and not there? Was it just luck?
If you are from South Korea, have you ever pondered how your life would be different had you just been born across the border instead? What do you think your purpose is as a free Korean?
Friends, I will be blunt and put it all out there because this is a cause that weighs heavy on me. This has been a cause that I have been wildly surprised to have NOT affected more of my friends and associates than I expected.
We are in an economic recession big time, I know. I also know that many of you have taken more than one big vacation this summer. That is great, I am not saying we shouldn't take vacations. I AM saying that I need $10 from you.  This cause needs the amount you spend at Starbucks a week. This cause needs the amount you were going to spend on pizza tonight. 318 Partners has North Koreans ready for a rescue, an escape. They need your $10 to pay for the brave mission. 318 Partners has orphans waiting in China, fearing for their lives, waiting to be brought to a forever family. They need your $10 to help pay the way.
It does not matter if you are white, black, purple or Korean. You need to ask yourself this question: Was I born with all of these privileges and blessings so that I may help those who were not? Can I sacrifice a little more?
The horror that happens in North Korea is beyond our full comprehension, but you can save someone and it will only cost you $10.

Will you ponder this for just a while? Then after you donate and enter the raffle, will you please consider spreading the word? The only thing better than helping 318 Partners fund their missions is spreading the word about the crisis in North Korea. I do not only want to give money, I want MORE people to fight, more people to speak up and educate others.
I want world peace, but this is a nice start.


Blessings,

Celebrations and Freedom...for others

Summer has officially started, at least that is what the weekend felt like with all of the family, friends and cookouts.
We had friends over Saturday for another family movie, only this time we had food and BBQ and delicious pies and slaw first.

 The kids endured the heat by running through the slip and slide.

 The sand box and tire swing were also played with, as well as the trampoline. It truly is a kid paradise around here with so much land to run and play upon.

The blue go-kart was used to drive on a track that we mowed through the pasture. This was all pre-movie entertainment. Lets' not forget the wonderful friends we were all able to visit and laugh with..good times.

 Fletcher has gone from crawling one week to pulling up the next.

 He even stands with only one hand for support. He's quite proud too!

 He's a sweet, sweet, boy......

His ONLY fault would be that he likes to teeth on people! In fact the girls call him "Zombie Baby" because he is constantly biting. OUCH!

 The 4th would not have been complete without more friends and family. We had ice cold soda and kabobs on the grill.

 More fun was had hanging outside, trying to climb trees and running through the pasture.

It was the first 4th without my dad, and his birthday was also over the weekend. To say that we were not all a bit melancholy would be a lie. This was a first, another step towards moving on with our lives and it was very bitter sweet. But then, anytime we move forward it is bittersweet because in order to move forward, we must also leave something behind.
We rounded the night with fireworks galore and went to bed that night exhausted but happy that we could have such a fun festivity here on Barefoot Farm.

 Yesterday we again played outside at a church where the big girls attend their Civil Air Patrol meetings.

 The kids love to swing and also climb the poles on the swing set. It was approaching bedtime, but decided to go grab a treat at Sonic and play outside anyway.

 This little man enjoyed sharing my Oreo Blast. Oh, it was so, so yummy! It was also great to again just hang out on a quilt with him. No agenda. No chores. Nothing but hanging out.

 A last minute gift from a dear Aunt was a huge success. The kids ran around for an hour playing with bubbles.

Tomorrow we hit the lake for some more family time. More food. More Fun.
It's amazing that in these times of poor economic times, we are chock full of blessings. Anyone in this great Nation can become anything.
This is where I turn your attention to North Korea. Yep, I thought about the poor people of that country all weekend. Amid my many blessings, there are people across the globe who have nothing. NOTHING. They have no voice, no food, no hope. Imagine for just a minute that you had been born there instead of here. I have one video for you to please watch. My dear friend Lisa made it over the weekend. The pictures are from her trip last April to South Korea. You might shield young eyes, as it is graphic at times. The drawings are from stories told by defectors who escaped.




After a huge weekend of celebration, what is a child's life worth to you? What can you spare so that ONE person can escape from the horrors in North Korea? Can you spare $10? $20? It's really that simple. I am raising funds for 318 Partners so that they can help a REAL person leave that horrible country. They cannot save everyone, you cannot save everyone but we can save at least ONE person. We can change their world for good. Imagine if you were on their side of the world and we were all over here celebrating with all of our food and glory and drink. Would you want us to dig deeper and find a few dollars to help? It's not much money, even in these times. You can read about the raffle and how you can participate HERE. I am only $400 shy of my goal and not only are the prizes fantastic, you would be helping someone who is truly in need.

I know the times are lean but honestly, you can find the means to help. You do, after all, live in the country of Hope and Prosperity, and Free Speech. You are not under a ruler who joyfully ties pregnant women up and cuts their babies from their bellies. You are not under an oppressor who tortures and starves his people. You can find the money to help. You can be THEIR VOICE!

So let's make this happen! Let's give 318 Partners all of our support....

and enjoy your week:-)

"...once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."

Proverbs 24:12

 

Motivation is the key!!!

Un-motivated is what I am feeling today. I think the rain has dampened and zapped all energy around here. Add to that with a fussy toddler and baby and you have one LONG day!
The up-side to it is I have family coming in for a visit...my dear sister. I have been trying to get my pantry all straightened up so that she will be amazed that it still looks great since she last was here and cleaned it for me:-)
Tomorrow a good friend will be here for a visit with her wonderful kids. Few things in life are better than having great friends. I should mention that the friend coming over is Lisa, the "I am their voice" North Korea Crisis advocate. I am sure we will be talking about the raffle and how the funds are starting to come in.

As of now I have $320!!! It doesn't all show on the Chip-In button because I have been given some checks and cash.  Have you considered donating? I know, I know that times are tough and the economy has been a bit busted. Consider this: how much do you spend eating out? How about Starbucks? Perhaps you could even make your July 4th celebration a more simple family affair. Yes, I think we could all dig deep and donate $10!
HERE ARE THE DETAILS!!!!

Now, please watch this and see if you don't feel a little more blessed to be a citizen here in the USA. Then, read the details again and donate! :-) My friend Lisa knows this great man!!! Your donation will help these orphans!
Blessings to you all!