Monthly Archives: August 2014

29 08, 2014

Moving Cheese – Miller Farm Friday

By |2014-08-29T06:00:14-05:00August 29th, 2014|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

This is the season of change.  Kids go back to school, husband goes back to work, and my piano students start back up.

It can be a very stressful time for those who don’t like change.

One year when I was teaching preschool, we got a new director. One of the first things she did was have us all read the book Who Moved My Cheese? By Spencer Johnson, M.D. It talks about change.

When they rearranged my grocery store, I told Beekeeper Brian they were “moving my cheese.” One morning someone parked in my normal spot at the swimming pool, and my friend said “So they moved your cheese.”

Some people, me included, do not like to have our cheese moved.

I’ve discovered that humans are not the only ones who have trouble handling change.  Our dogs are pretty set in their routine.

I usually put their kennels in the living room where they sleep and then I let them go outside while I go to close up the chickens. When we come in, I take down the gate between the kitchen and the living room and they go straight to their kennels.

One day last week, I took down the gate before I went to let out the chickens. Sometimes stepping over it in the evening is too daunting a task.

This was very confusing for Bella.bella's cheese She ran straight to where her kennel normally is and walked around in circles. Then she went to look for it.

I had a very hard time getting her to go outside first. Finally we got everyone settled for the night.

The good thing about Bella is that she has a very short memory so there is no danger of her being permanently traumatized by the temporary change in routine.

I’m not taking any chances, though.  No more moving Bella’s cheese.

27 08, 2014

PERFECTIONISM – One Word Wednesday

By |2014-08-27T06:00:00-05:00August 27th, 2014|one word Wednesday|1 Comment

I seem to be stuck on words that begin with the letter P this month. Not on purpose. Oops another P word.

There’s a reason PERFECTIONISM is today’s word.

As I rewrote the beginning sentence of my WIP (work in progress) for the jillionth time, I realized that I was striving for the perfect opening hook and not moving on with the story.

That led me to thinking about how the need for perfection can stymie all of us.

The dictionary defines PERFECTION two ways:

  1. a quality, trait, or feature of the highest degree of excellence
  2. the highest degree of proficiency, skill, or excellence, as in some art

Creating something that is perfect is not a bad goal — until that need leads to perfectionism where you regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable.

iStock_000021270771SmallWhy is perfectionism bad?

According to Psychologytoday.com, perfectionists regard life as an endless report card on accomplishments or looks, which is a fast track to unhappiness, depression, and eating disorders.

Perfectionists focus on avoiding failure and miss all the joy of learning from mistakes.

It’s easy to slip into the perfection trap. I did.

My fear of a lengthy revision letter from my editor brought out a desire to produce a perfect opening. In reality, all I ended up doing was road blocking myself.

If you’re worried you might be slipping into the perfection trap, here’s an on-line test.

To overcome a tendency toward perfection, I’ve found a Hemingway quote as a reminder for those times when I start down the slippery slope of perfectionism.

Since we’re all apprentices in one way or another, maybe the quote will work for you, too.

hemingway

SOURCE: http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/ Thank you, Edie Melson

 

 

25 08, 2014

Seasons – They are changing

By |2014-08-25T06:00:31-05:00August 25th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday, Uncategorized|1 Comment

My internal body clock is set for early morning wakeups. Time zones don’t matter. With or without an alarm, I’m up and moving before the sun crests the horizon.

For me, it’s not a problem. I love getting up at the crack of dawn and walking the dogs in the still of daybreak.

Living in suburban Houston, I didn’t worry about walking in the dark. Streetlights lit my way.

Now that I live in the forest in a state that supports a night sky (meaning streetlights are limited and rare), walking in the dark is a different story. Too many critters like the twilight hours for their prowling.

So before I leave the house, I check on weather.com for local sunrise time and start walking about ten minutes before or just as the sky begins to lighten.

On a recent walk, I spotted sure signs that summer is ending and fall is in the air.

fall shadowsFirst, shadows are changing. You can see what I mean in this photo.

Another clue—temperatures are dropping. This morning it was 42 degrees. The scent of wood burning in fireplaces hovered around some cabins.

For those of you facing triple digit highs, I’m sure that sounds heavenly. Truthfully, it was chilly. I was thankful for my gloves and hooded jacket.

Another hint is our shrinking population. South Fork is a summer tourist town. Our numbers swell from three hundred year round to 3,000-4,000 during May, June, July and August. RV parks are emptying. Shutters cover windows of summer cabins. The exodus has begun. Summer folk are heading home.

The absolute confirmation that winter is heading our way is found in the Aspens along our walking route.

Aspen w gold.1
aspen w gold.2

Yep. That’s yellow among the green. The Aspens are turning.

Fall is on the way, which means wildlife is on the move scavenging for food.

Bears have started their annual bulk up for hibernation and need 12,000 calories a day. That means lots of overturned trash and destroyed barbeque grills. Time to seriously heed the signs posted all along our walk.

feeding signs

22 08, 2014

Maypole Dog Leashes – Miller Farm Friday

By |2014-08-22T06:00:50-05:00August 22nd, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A guest blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

While Rachel has been at home this summer, we have established a routine of walking the dogs in the evenings.  The girls next door like to go with us and we appreciate the help. This week, however, Rachel has been housesitting so I’ve been on my own.

I faithfully walked next door to see if anyone was available to help. This particular time, one of the girls wanted to go but wanted to ride her scooter instead of walking a dog.  That left me with our four dogs and Miller who was staying at the Miller Farm Hotel while his mom was away at camp.

With five leashes, I felt like a sled dog driver.

We walked passed a friend’s house and he commented that the leashes looked like a May Pole. maypole

The school where I teach celebrates May Day each year so I knew exactly what he meant and he was right.

maypole leashesWhen I got home, I decided it would be much easier to take all the harnesses off the dogs without untangling the leashes.  That way the dogs could go get water and rest while I worked on the “maypole leash.”

20 08, 2014

PHOBIA – One Word Wednesday

By |2014-08-20T06:00:00-05:00August 20th, 2014|one word Wednesday|2 Comments

phobiaimagesAn overwhelming and unreasonable fear of an object or situation that poses little real danger but provokes anxiety and avoidance.

Unlike the brief anxiety we all feel when faced with giving a speech or taking a test, true phobias causes intense physical and psychological reactions that affect your ability to function normally.

Phobias are common. We all have a fear of something in varying degrees. Hopefully not too many are debilitating.

My phobia is claustrophobia. Not too bad, but you’ll not find me under houses or in rooms without windows or doors for very long. =)

Mostly, the names of phobias fascinate me. The list is long. You can check it out here.

Ablutophobia– Fear of washing or bathing.

Coimetrophobia– Fear of cemeteries.

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia– Fear of the number 666. (Try to pronounce that one!)

My favorite has to be Phobophobia– Fear of phobias.

Just joking. I do recognize that phobias are real.

For instance, ASTRAPHOBIA– fear of lightning and thunder.

Our little Buster suffers from this. He looks pretty relaxed, but let a storm come through and that changes.buster resting

It is a phobia shared by many dogs according to the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association.

Behaviorists are not yet sure what part of the storm frightens dogs most, whether they’re reacting to lightning flashes, the sound of thunder, wind blowing around the house, or the sound of rain on the roof. Some dogs even start to pace and whine half an hour or more before a storm. They may be reacting to a sudden drop in air pressure or the electrical charge of the air.

A very clever entrepreneur invented a thing called a thundershirt to relieve the animals’ suffering. An ingenious marketing technique to name the cure after the cause, don’t you think?

We haven’t tried the product with Buster through the shirt has been proven to work for many animals.

I’m Buster’s thundershirt.

Whenever a storm is coming, Buster moves from his place approximately four feet away next to my desk, which puts him within a short jump to my lap.Buster by desk

The first clap of thunder he jumps up and cuddles in my lap. Buster on my knee

 

It works for him and, fortunately, since he’s so small I can still keep working.

Plus these mountain thunderstorms drop the temperature at least ten degrees and I get a chill. Buster is like an electric blanket on my lap.

Do you or your pet have a phobia? How do you cope?

15 08, 2014

A Tale of Birds and Bees – Miller Farm Friday

By |2014-08-15T06:00:47-05:00August 15th, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A blog to life with Beekeeper Brian on our wedding anniversary

By Chicken Wrangler Sara

sara Brian cakeCTwenty-seven years ago today, Beekeeper Brian married Chicken Wrangler Sara. At the time they were just Brian and Sara and no one would have ever been able to predict where their lives would go.

They were married in Houston and lived in a second floor apartment near downtown.  Brian worked part time in a bank and went to school while Sara taught elementary school music.  There were no chickens, dogs, lizards, bees or living creatures of any kind sharing the apartment.  It was very quiet.

Then they moved to Denton where Brian could pursue his Masters degree.  While in Denton, they purchased their first home but still had no chickens, dogs, lizards or bees – at least not on purpose.  The quiet continued until the birth of their first child.

For the next 20 years, there would be no quiet. Soon there were two girls, but still no animals.

Their next home was in Canton – home of the world’s largest flea market.  Life was simple, even after a third child was born – a boy.

After six months of simple, the Miller family moved to Mexico City, Mexico to a fourth floor apartment in a building with no elevators. Sara has vowed to never have stairs in her house again.  Life was slightly more complicated, but still included no animals. Brian did woodworking while Sara helped with Bible Studies.  The kids played, as they would have wherever they lived.

Two years later they returned to the US and have lived in Bryan for the past 15 years.  This is where life has become interesting.  It all started with one dog – Marv.  He was soon joined by another dog – Sugar.  They lived outside.

When Rachel was in kindergarten, her teacher gave her a guinea pig.  The whole family was enamored and before long they were breeding and showing guinea pigs (which fall into the rabbit category). Gradually the guinea pigs died off and were replaced by a Leopard Gecko named Casey.

In true Miller fashion, Brian built an incubator and began a breeding colony of leopard geckos. The Millers don’t do things half-heartedly.  The reptile period also included a bearded dragon named “B”.  After a while, the geckos and incubator went to a graduate student and B finally died.

The dachshunds came next. Brian worked with a woman who bred dachshunds and before long there were four living at the Miller house.  Life at the Miller’s was definitely not quiet.

Then began the chicken phase. Brian put a fence in the middle of the back yard to keep the dogs and chickens separate.  Over the next five years, Miller Farm has provided much entertainment leading to the Chicken Wrangler Sara blog.

The bees started as a hive in a tree in the front yard.  While most people would call an exterminator, Brian researched and decided this was the perfect time to realize his dream of keeping bees.  His dedication to his craft has earned him the title Beekeeper Brian.

There has never been a dull moment in the Miller House. Even as the children go off to college, there is plenty of activity.  Beekeeper Brian is a renaissance man who gives the same devotion to everything he does – including his marriage.  After 27 years, life is just as exciting and we have much to anticipate.

Sara and Brian wedding 1CI love you, Beekeeper Brian, and I can’t wait to see what you do next.

13 08, 2014

Procrastination – One Word Wednesday

By |2014-08-13T06:00:51-05:00August 13th, 2014|one word Wednesday|0 Comments

Procrastination is the act or habit of putting off or delaying something. A clever enemy of everyone, not just writers.

I’m not sure whether procrastination is a deliberate act or subconscious, but, according to Wayne Dyer, “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.

Author of The War of Art, Steven Pressfield, calls procrastination a form of resistance. He believes creative types face lots of resistance and offers inspiration to overcome that resistance. Words from his little book have gotten me over more than one bumpy writing slowdown.

I believe his idea of overcoming resistance applies to everyone plagued by the habit of procrastination.

Even if you’re not be a writer, procrastination can hold you back and prevent you from doing something you should be doing.

Goethe said, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it. Begin it now.

Writing is hard  and solitary. Those two truths stall many writers. Procrastination wins.

I refuse to let procrastination to win. I get up every morning, put my butt in the chair, and W-R-I-T-E.

Note, I didn’t say when I feel like writing or whether I think what I write is worthy of a Pulitzer. I sit at the computer and write. EVERY DAY.

Does procrastination stall your dream?

I suggest following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s advice so beautifully depicted in Edie Melson’s graphic?

photo-29

11 08, 2014

Foray for Mushrooms

By |2014-08-11T06:00:51-05:00August 11th, 2014|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Options for summer outings in our little corner of the Rio Grande National Forest are plentiful. There’s something different and fun every weekend. Don’t believe me, check out our South Fork website.

Last weekend we joined the fun on the 14th annual Mushroom Foray.

What’s a Mushroom Foray you ask?

I wondered myself knowing foray is to raid and plunder. Surely, that wasn’t the intent.

I contacted the Visitor Center for information and learned the Mushroom Foray is a simple adventure into the forest to learn to identify edible mushrooms.

And, if you check Dictionary.com, you’ll find that venturing into something new is a less used meaning of the word.

So off we went into the forest on one of the many Rio Grande Forest Service trails. We stopped at three different elevations to find different species of mushrooms.

At the first stop, we gathered our paper sacks and hiked up the hill into the woods. My husband and I were a little fearful that we’d be the only ones of the twenty folks on the foray that didn’t find specimens, but we soldiered on.

Jerry mushroom foray1Our fears were found less for we quickly located a mushroom by a fallen log and prepared to extract the bloom from its habitat. I dutifully made notes of the location on the sack and carefully dug the mushroom then dropped it in the sack. My husband, meantime, kept searching.

???????????????????????????????We found six different varieties of mushrooms and proudly dumped our cache for identification along with the mushrooms others had collected. Alas, only one of our finds was an edible variety.

On our third and last stop, we ate our sack lunch then started searching again. More sure this time of what to look for, we were careful to dig only the ones we thought were edible. mushroom (3)

In the picture below, the large white mushroom was the star of the pickings. It was the biggest example for the day of an edible mushroom…and it was ours.mushroom (2)

The day provided a truly fun foray and an educational adventure. Now, if we are ever stranded in the forest, we won’t starve. We know what mushrooms we can eat.

Although my husband isn’t so sure eating a mushroom is better than starving. Me, I love the fungus blooms.

8 08, 2014

New Chicks – Miller Farm Friday

By |2014-08-08T06:00:15-05:00August 8th, 2014|Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Guest Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We hatched more chicks last week.new chicks

Twenty-one of them hatched all on their own. There was one, however, who just couldn’t seem to get out of his shell.

The normal process is for the chicks to “pip” or poke a hole in the shell then they “zip” a line all the way around the shell. Once the line is complete, they can “pop” off the top of the shell and make their entrance into the world.

This chick had pipped and partially zipped. We waited 24 hours and there was still no progress.

We could hear him cheeping so we knew he was still alive. Rachel gently removed the egg and carefully helped the chick out.  He was in the shell upside down so he couldn’t finish zipping and push his way out.

We let him dry and put him with the other chicks in the brooder. He was a little uncoordinated. The other chicks were not particularly welcoming and he protested loudly in his new home. After a few hours, he was accepted and now it is hard to tell which one he is.

I named him Leo after the lion in the book Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus, illustrated by Jose Aruego.

I enjoy watching the chicks. They sleep with their heads down on the wire.  It makes me a little nervous because they look dead.

So I hit the top of the brooder and wake them up. They are not happy.I apologize and tell them I’m just “chicken” on them.

I want to introduce them to the Miller sense of humor while they are still young.

6 08, 2014

Un-stereotyping – One Word Wednesday

By |2014-08-06T06:00:34-05:00August 6th, 2014|one word Wednesday|4 Comments

stereotypeI’m in the process of developing characters for two new love stories, and I’m wrestling with creating people who will be real to my readers.

At the same time, I’ve discovered I fell into the stereotyping pit in developing my fictional hero and heroine.

In the next novella of the Fitzpatrick Family series, my preacher’s daughter heroine is any parent’s nightmare.

In the final book of my military romance series about starting over, my retired Army colonel hero is a tough old bird unwilling to show vulnerability.

Of course, the characters can be exactly that way, but Holly Gerth’s blog got me to thinking. Do they have to be?

Too often (and too quickly),  we lump people into categories because of a common characteristic or trait rather than think about their story.

I know from personal acquaintances the stereotypes I created are not necessarily true. Army officers can be compassionate and alpha at the same time. All preachers’ kids are not rebellious.

As a writer, I was being sloppy with my characterization so I started over and interviewed both characters, one at a time, again.

I discovered some amazing things that un-stereotyped them both.

Things that altered the plots of their stories.

Things that will make both novels more interesting.

Whether writing or dealing with people in our everyday world, stereotyping is the easy way, the lazy way.

A trap we shouldn’t fall into. Wouldn’t you agree?

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