Saturday, November 26, 2016

Cow Chow


Her Royal Highness, Annabelle, has a more refined palate than most cows. She likes a side dish of squash, bananas, or other fruit in her luncheon menu.



Bella, one of Annabelle's daughters, is so fond of fruit that I've nicknamed her Fruit Loop.


Bella and Annabelle aren't served any apples, though. The horses don't share.

~~~~~~~


"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." ~Galatians 5:22-23 NLT



Thursday, November 24, 2016

Thanks Giving

While Cinnamon and her fellow heffies stuffed themselves with hay, Hubby and I overstuffed ourselves with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pie with our church family. Before we ate, we delivered hot Thanksgiving meals to folks who couldn't cook their own feast. It was so much fun to see the surprise and delight on their faces!






"When you're overwhelmed with the goodness of God to you, you overflow with the goodness of God to others." ~Ann Voskamp

Friday, November 18, 2016

Jump In


Kids can't resist playing in a pile of leaves...




...and heifers can't resist playing in a pile of straw.







"A man is getting old when he walks around a puddle instead of through it." ~R.C. Ferguson

Saturday, November 12, 2016

The In-Crowd

I need a bigger recliner. 





~~~~~~~

"Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow." ~Jeff Valdez


Thursday, November 10, 2016

Forebears

The Chicago Cubs have won the World Series, so it's finally cool to be a Cubbie. I'm now free to disclose my Cubs heritage. 

My dad has been following the Cubs for over 70 years. When Dad was a kid growing up in Beardstown, Illinois, he mowed lawns for two bachelors who owned a sporting goods store. The store had a radio, and the owners let Dad swing bats and pound balls into gloves while listening to the Cubs' games. Dad says that his family's favorite outing was to drive to St. Louis to see the Cubs play the Cardinals in a double header. 

Dad's dad, Pete, was handy with a baseball. By age 16, he was pitching in a semi-pro league and was even offered a minor league contract by the Yankees. But an arm injury, a job on the railroad (in the Depression), and marriage to my grandma ensured that the family name was only associated with the Cubs. 

By the way, Dad grew up and met Mom. Her people were Cardinals, but they let her marry him anyway. 



My grandpa, Pete, in 1982. 



My grandma, Nelda, with Dad, circa 1938. 


~~~~~~~

"People ask me a lot about the values I got from playing for the Cubs for so many years. The value I got was patience. A lot of people these days are not very patient." ~Ernie Banks






Saturday, November 5, 2016

Practical Panther

Given a sunny day, she's Mercy Monster, the famous Fearless Peerless Panther Princess. No one in the jungle is safe. 



Because a jungle isn't supposed to be cold, wet, or windy, Mercy is a fair weather panther. Wyoming jungles don't always meet the criteria, however, so she must be flexible. 



Mercy is also known as the Terrible Table Monster, but that's another story. If it isn't picked up by Animal Planet, I'll tell it here. 

~~~~~~~

"The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, 
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter 
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES."
     ~T.S. Eliot, "The Naming of Cats", Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats