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9 11, 2018

Rooster Dishes

By |2018-11-05T15:01:21-06:00November 9th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

A friend of mine recently found herself in possession of a set of rooster dishes. She immediately thought of me and called to see if I was interested.

We still have most of the set of stoneware we received for wedding gifts along with two sets of Talavera we purchased in Mexico. But none of these have roosters on them so I had to at least take a look.

I am so glad I did – they are wonderful!

They were packed in plastics bags and labelled with a Sharpie.  As I unpacked the bags, I made an interesting discovery.  The bag marked “salad plates” contained larger plates than the one marked “dessert plates.”

Here is a picture of the dinner plate, salad plate and dessert plate stacked for comparison: In researching the dishes I discovered they are Poppytrail Red Rooster manufactured by Metlox probably in the 1940’s.

I should have known they were from a different time period.  Today our dessert plates are much bigger than salad plates, if there is a distinction at all.

I have packed up the Talavera (it wasn’t dishwasher or microwave safe) and replaced it with the rooster dishes.  While they say they are dishwasher safe, there is no indication about microwaves – probably since they weren’t in use yet.

I hope having the different sized plates will encourage me to eat more salad and less dessert.

7 11, 2018

Quotes about Doors – Akiko Busch

By |2018-11-07T06:33:08-06:00November 7th, 2018|Wednesday Quote, Wednesday Words|0 Comments

This quote in the November Martha Stewart magazine got me to thinking about doors.

Doors not only appeal to our sense of arrival and coming home, doors also signal welcome and give a first impression of our homes and our personalities. Doors can remind us of the current season or holiday. Doors can be open or closed. Doors can be metaphors for life. Doors can offer opportunity or keep us from opportunity.

November’s Wednesday quotes about doors should get you thinking about doors too.

5 11, 2018

Two Ways to Develop an Attitude of Gratitude

By |2018-11-02T15:59:04-05:00November 5th, 2018|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

I know blogging about thankfulness and gratitude in November is cliché, but what better time to focus our thoughts on thankfulness and gratitude.

After all, we do celebrate Thanksgiving Day in America this month.

Too often, though, our attention on thankfulness is missing for the rest of the year.

Being grateful is a choice. If you’ve lived most of your life NOT focusing on gratitude, it’s not so simple to change that perspective.

Here are two ways to help you cultivate an attitude of thankfulness beyond one Thursday in November.

Keep a thankful list.

It’s sometimes hard to write down things that you’re thankful for, especially on those terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad days, but over time the act of physically writing out a daily list can produce an grateful attitude.

Start your list with simple things like a bed to sleep in. A house that keeps you dry and warm. The sunrise/sunset. If you look around you, there is so much to be thankful for.

If writing out a list isn’t for you, you could try grateful beads. That’s what I use.

My grateful bead string has ten beads to help recall things to be thankful for. Three beads for three people who touch your life. Six beads for six things, events, and occurrences and the final bead to remind you to give thanks to your creator.

You can find beads like mine here  or do a search online for grateful beads. There are many options.

Share thankfulness on social media

We are a plugged-in culture, which makes it next to impossible to avoid social media altogether no matter how hard we might try. Social media sites are filled with an abundance of thoughts and images of wars, earthquakes, floods, fires, sick children, murdered spouses and, lately, politics.

By sharing positive, uplifting posts, memes, and videos instead of those, you encourage attitudes of thankfulness in yourself and others.

Give these two ideas a try, I think you’ll find an attitude of gratitude grows the more you use it.

2 11, 2018

Secret Pals

By |2018-10-22T10:41:37-05:00November 2nd, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

My new school did secret pals for the month of October. It was a really fun way to get to know the other teachers.

We would leave things by the sign in computer and they would disappear throughout the day.

The best part is always the timing of the surprises.

My secret pal got me a travel mug and flavored coffee on the very day my 5th and 6th graders made me want to quit.  I’m glad I didn’t.

The next week she got me an orchid plant.  It is beautiful.

Beekeeper Brian researched and found it is best suited for east facing windows.  My kitchen window just happens to face east. Now I enjoy it as I’m working in the kitchen.

I can also see it when I am walking back to the house from the chicken yard.  It is a very pleasant sight after mucking around in the mud collecting eggs and feeding chickens.

It makes me smile.  I hope it lives a long time.

29 10, 2018

Black Cats, Black Dogs, and Bad Luck

By |2018-10-18T10:32:41-05:00October 29th, 2018|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|2 Comments

Around Halloween time, black cats and black dogs get a bad rap for their reputation of bringing bad luck.

Black cats have had a major role in folklore and mythology for centuries. Some of it good, some of it not so good.

In some places owning a black cat is considered lucky. In others, a black cat that crosses your path signals misfortune will come your way. This illustration from thesprucepets.com shows more folklore connected to black cats.

Illustration: Hugo Lin. © The Spruce, 2018

Then there’s all the black cat connection to sorcery, witchcraft, and devil worship. Cats are nocturnal and roam at night. Folklore says witches often take the form of black cats to carry out their nefarious schemes. Satanic cults use animals for ritual sacrifices, particularly black ones. Around Halloween many shelters will not permit black dog or cat adoptions because they fear for the animals’ safety.

But black cats aren’t alone with their associations to ill luck, black dogs  also have the reputation. Folklore stories tell of a huge black dog with glowing red eyes that roams the countryside as the embodiment of the devil and warns that meeting a black dog at night is an omen for death.

Big, frightening black dogs appear in The Hound of the Baskervilles, the Harry Potter series, movies like The Omen and even on “Beware of Dog” signs.

Superstitions surround black dogs too. The Irish claim if a black dog visits the grave of a priest that priest was untrue to his vows. In Germany, if a black dog visits a woman’s grave it means she committed adultery. And, if a black dog follows you home, it brings good luck.

All this superstition and folklore has led to the Black Dog/Black Cat Syndrome. Animal shelter workers note that dark colored cats and dogs are overlooked for lighter colored companions. Campaigns to promote adoption of black animals help diminish the phenomenon. However, the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) tends to discount the syndrome. In fact, this 2016 ASPCA blog shows that black animals are actually adopted more.

To me, a dog or a cat is a good dog or a good cat, regardless of appearance. Color has nothing to do with character.

So should you come across a black cat or black dog in your wanderings this Halloween, don’t run away.

It could be they’re not out to cast a spell or bring you bad luck—they’re probably looking for a little love.

 

26 10, 2018

Grumpy Chicken

By |2018-10-22T10:26:37-05:00October 26th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

It is not uncommon to get pecked on the hand while gathering eggs. This can be very disconcerting at first but I am not bothered by it much anymore – except for Grumpy Chicken.

She is a black top hat bird who has left marks on my hands. She even started pecking me when I was gathering eggs from the nest box next to her.  This is totally unacceptable.

The rule on Miller Farm is “I feed you and you feed me.” Grumpy chicken protested this arrangement regularly.

I used Rachel’s technique of throwing Grumpy Chicken out of the nest box before gathering eggs.  The first time I did this, she pecked at my feet.  The muck shoes must have been harder on her beak than my hand because she only did that once.

Then we started playing the game “get all the eggs before Grumpy Chicken gets back in the nest boxes.” I got really good at it.

I guess Grumpy Chicken is a sore loser because she doesn’t play anymore.  In fact today when I went out, she was not even in a nest box.

Chicken Wrangler Sara – 1

Grumpy Chicken – 0

22 10, 2018

From Lizards to Headlights and Taillights

By |2018-10-16T13:26:41-05:00October 22nd, 2018|A Writer's Life, poetry, writing|1 Comment

Many years ago one of my grandsons lived next door. He was home-schooled and sometimes I helped with his homework.

Writing was his least favorite subject. Fast forward to his first year in college and he loves his creative writing class. He sends me links when the Southwest Baptist University newsletter publishes his work.

His most recent publication was a poem, which reminded me of another homework poem, one I’d helped him with years ago. That poem was about a lizard.

Lazy lizards leap from leaf to leaf

As green as a Sprite can

Lizards like to hide under the weather

Running, hiding, and sneaking around

Crazily, hastily, and hurriedly leaving their tails behind them

The miniature lizards are tiny compared to the big, blue sky

You can read about the do-your-homework challenge we had before he finally wrote the lizard poem here.

His newest poem is about seeing headlights and taillights as he journeys back and forth to college. I’ve copied it here, but you can also view it in the SBU Student Media Organization newsletter here.

As I drive down these roads

Each day, every night,

I look up, I look back, and

I see headlights and I see taillights

The taillights in front, the headlights behind

When they travel this life with me,

The headlights ahead and the taillights in back

When going to places I've already seen.

There might be a lesson here or there might be none,

But I do know behind each pair of lights is a someone.

He may be an old man with nothing but the past,

Or she may be a young girl nervous about class,

They could be a happy couple, but then again maybe not,

Or it might be somebody having the same thought.

Maybe they’re hurting, or maybe they're fine

Maybe they've given up or maybe they're still trying.

Will I ever know, and do I really even care?

Because what do I give them but the occasional stare?

Are they in need, and if so, why?

Could I help them, should I even try?

If they're as real and loved as I am, or maybe more,

Then why is it they're so easy to ignore?

Is it because I don't know them individually

But can only speak in generalities?

The answers to these questions I may never know

But I frequently ponder them as along these roads I go

And each day, and every night,

I look up, I look back, and I see headlights and I see taillights

Looks to me like we have a budding writer joining his multi-published father, Dr. J.B. Hixson, and his Nana.

19 10, 2018

The Power of Not Thinking

By |2018-10-18T10:48:06-05:00October 19th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Guest blogger, Miller Farm Friday|3 Comments

 A Guest Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara 

I have often heard people speak of “the power of positive thinking.” HiResHowever, I’ve become convinced lately that there is, at times, even greater power in “not thinking.”

For example, when my alarm goes off at 5:15 a.m., I get out of bed, put on my swimsuit, get in my car, drive to the outdoor pool, and jump in before my brain wakes up and realizes that it is January.

No thinking person would behave in such a manner, no matter how “positive” their thoughts.

As moms, I believe “not thinking” is a crucial skill.

For example, when a child (who sleeps on the bottom bunk) comes to your side of the bed in the middle of the night and says, “Rachel (who sleeps on the top bunk) is throwing up and it is dripping down the wall” a mom can get everything cleaned up without giving it a thought.

Most recently, I employed this “not thinking” skill when helping my husband butcher chickens.

I do not usually participate in this process. However, I called everyone I knew who had expressed an interest in observing or even learning this task (a surprisingly long list) and no one was available.

Hesitantly, I donned latex gloves and started plucking chickens. I must say, I felt a certain satisfaction since I was plucking the horrid roosters.

As long as I was “not thinking,” it was not a bad task.

People talked about how bad the chickens smelled, but my nose detected no foul (fowl) odor at all. It made me wonder if perhaps Rachel had secretly bathed the roosters.

I even carried on a pleasant conversation with my husband the entire time. Part of this conversation included, “Hey look what I found!”mm35reddevil1-1I kid you not – it was a marble, which made me think of a song (of course):

“I know an old rooster who swallowed a marble…”

I’m so glad that when my brain goes into “not thinking” mode, it still allows songs to float in and out. A silly song seems to make any task a little more pleasant – as long as you don’t think about it.

The Power of Not Thinking originally appeared on February 1, 2013


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