View from the Front Porch - Page 87 of 161 - Award-winning Author Judythe Morgan

9 03, 2018

Well, Help Yourself

By judythemorgan|2018-03-08T09:54:02-06:00March 9th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Since we have several different feed pans and different pens of chickens, I have developed a system for feeding the birds in the mornings. I tend to work clockwise.

I throw feed into the runs with the Blue Laced Wyandottes and bantams first. Then I put feed into the four pans in the big pen and the one in the Welsummer pen.

The last to be fed are the two roosters in the long run. They were meant to be sent to freezer camp but one is particularly handsome and the other got a reprieve because it got too dark to keep working.

My system works great usually. Then one morning, I set the pail down and turned around to see one of the Buff Orpingtons helping herself to the feed.I guess she was really hungry.

7 03, 2018

Words about Wind – Longfellow

By judythemorgan|2018-03-10T10:06:17-06:00March 7th, 2018|Wednesday Words, Wednesday Words of Wisdom|1 Comment

5 03, 2018

Independence and Texas

By judythemorgan|2018-03-01T17:21:51-06:00March 5th, 2018|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Last weekend there were big doings here in the Lone Star State.

Folks ate lots of barbecue and chili and/or Tex-Mex and Mexican food. Many indulged in a Shiner Bock and Lone Star beers. And, of course, pecan pie (Texas’ state nut) or a Texas sheet cake for dessert.

You see, March 2 marked the 182^nd anniversary of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico. That’s a big deal to native Texans.

It wasn’t until April 21, 1836, when the outnumbered and outgunned Texians defeated General Santa Anna’s soldiers on the fields of San Jacinto that independence declared became independence secured.

Maybe you didn’t know Texas was an independent sovereignty once. Let me fill you in…

The Republic of Texas existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846. Its boundaries were Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico, two U.S. states Louisiana and Arkansas, and U.S. territories that included parts of current Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming.

See, Texas has always been a BIG place.

Citizens of the Republic of Texas were known as Texians. Residents of the modern state of Texas called Texans.

The first Republic flag was known as “The Burnet Flag,” a dark blue background with a single yellow star in the center. The familiar red, white, and blue Texas flag was adopted in 1839.

“Six flags over Texas” is more than just a theme park in Texas. Historically, six different flags have flown here:

The Kingdom of Spain (1519 – 1685 and 1690 – 1821)
The Kingdom of France (1685 – 1690)
The Mexican Federal Republic (1821 – 1836)
The Republic of Texas (1836 – 1845)
The Confederate States of America (1861 – 1865)
The United States of America 1845 – 1861 and 1865 – present

Here’s the national anthem (now the official state song) of Texas, “Texas, Our Texas.” It was written in 1924 by William J. Marsh, who was born in Liverpool, England, and emigrated to Texas as a young man, and Gladys Yoakum Wright, a native of Fort Worth, Texas, and selected as the state song by a concurrent resolution of the Texas Legislature in 1929 following a statewide competition.

Probably more Texas history than you wanted to know, but being a native whose family was among the early settlers, I just couldn’t stop myself. You know how Texans can be.

2 03, 2018

New Olympic Event

By judythemorgan|2018-03-01T12:51:14-06:00March 2nd, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We have had a great deal of rain around here lately. I don’t mean to complain. After many years of drought, the rain is appreciated.

However, it does present some unique challenges on Miller Farm. The chicken yard is very muddy and very, very slick. We’ve decided to institute a new Olympic event – Mud Sliding. Points are not given for speed or gracefulness. The goal is simply to keep from falling down.

So far we have all earned gold medals.

As entertaining and inspiring as the Olympics are, I will be glad when the Miller Farm Olympics are over. I don’t want to push my mud sliding skills (or luck) too far.

28 02, 2018

Words from Mount Rushmore – Abraham Lincoln

By judythemorgan|2018-02-21T11:17:53-06:00February 28th, 2018|Holidays, Wednesday Words, Wednesday Words of Wisdom|0 Comments

All month we’ve honored Presidents Day with Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom from the Mount Rushmore presidents. Today’s words come from President Abraham Lincoln, the last face on the right.Mount Rushmore is known as the “Shrine of Democracy,” an iconic symbol of the United States carved into the southeastern face of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum created the design depicting the faces of U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt and oversaw the project’s execution from 1927 to 1941 with the help of his son, Lincoln Borglum.

Borglum along with four hundred workers used dynamite and pneumatic hammers to blast through the rock quickly along with the traditional tools of drills and chisels as the heads of the four presidential heads took shape in the face of Mount Rushmore.

Arduous and dangerous work, it is amazing that no lives were lost during the construction. If you ever see it in person, you will stand in awe as I did.

26 02, 2018

Happy Blogiversary!

By judythemorgan|2018-02-02T09:54:28-06:00February 26th, 2018|A Writer's Life, Make Me Think Monday, Writer's Life|0 Comments

Anniversaries mark accomplishments and are fun to commemorate. This month I celebrate my blogiversary.

On February 24, 2012, I published my first blog with WordPress.com. You can read that very first blog, here.

My original plan was to blog every day. I quickly discovered creating a daily blog took time from my fiction writing.

That goal gradually evolved into two times a week for me and once a week for my daughter aka Chicken Wrangler Sara who blogs every Friday about Life on the Miller Farm.

Guest bloggers also contribute periodically.

When WordPress.com hosted the blog, I received yearly stats on my blogiversary. I switched to hosting the blog on my own website and don’t have such accurate accounting. I get stats, not cumulative data. But, over the years, I’ve posted hundreds of blogs and had thousands of views, followers, and subscribers.

By the way, it’s easy to subscribe and have the blog appear in your inbox. Simply, go to the home page and enter your email address in the box on the right sidebar.

Chicken Wrangler Sara and I cherish your comments. We respond to every one. We attributed our blog success directly to you readers. As a special thank you, we’re offering a FREE Kindle or paperback copy Love in the Morning Calm to one lucky commenter today.

Blurb for Love in the Morning Calm:

In 1966, while on temporary assignment to South Korea, Green Beret Major Alex (Ace) Cabot meets Lily Reed, a Department of Army civilian at Eighth Army Headquarters. Alex is a high-potential career officer, who should resist the temptation of any woman, but he can’t ignore his interest in her.

Lily is a firm supporter of the budding women’s lib movement. She enjoys her freedom and new life away from her stifling hometown. Her plans leave no room for any man. No matter how captivating his smile.

In an uncertain time, in a temporary safe zone, yielding to temptation changes both their lives forever.

Love in the Morning Calm is Book 1 of my newly created Promises Series, which consists of three published novels grouped into a continuous story of two men and one woman who met at Eighth Army Headquarters, Yongsan, South Korea in the sixties. Each sequel is a standalone novel that chronicles their stories from the turbulent Vietnam War years through the decades that follow.

The book winner will be drawn on Monday, March 2 and notified by email so be sure you include an email contact with your comment.

Thanks for visiting the front porch. We hope to stop by often.

23 02, 2018

Sticky Note Wars

By judythemorgan|2018-02-21T20:40:35-06:00February 23rd, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|2 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I’ve always known musicians are a unique bunch. The longer I teach piano, the more I realize how early the uniqueness begins.

This fall I started a new student who is also chicken fan. In fact he has a shirt that says “Chicken Whisperer.” I am only a little bit jealous. He is not, however, a fan of cats. One day he put a sticky note on the piano stating “cats are evil.”

Well I have a group of girls who are very much fans of cats. In fact I have bought cat stickers specifically for them to use. (Rachel found chicken stickers for my chicken friend.) So these girls were quite incensed to find this sticky note.

Thus began “The Great Sticky Note War.”

One student even added cat stickers to drive home her point. Another student doesn’t have a cat/chicken preference, she just likes music. Yet another one doesn’t quite understand what all the fuss is about.

Eventually the notes overtook my piano, becoming a distraction.

I moved them all to a poster board on the door. There is not quite as much action but I think of my unique young musicians every time I close the door.

21 02, 2018

Words from Mount Rushmore – Theodore Roosevelt

By judythemorgan|2018-02-21T11:15:29-06:00February 21st, 2018|Holidays, Wednesday Words, Wednesday Words of Wisdom|0 Comments

In honor of Presidents Day, February 19, Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom will be from the Mount Rushmore presidents this month. Today’s words come from President Theodore Roosevelt. He’s between Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.Mount Rushmore is known as the “Shrine of Democracy,” an iconic symbol of the United States carved into the southeastern face of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest.

Sculptor Gutzon Borglum created the design depicting the faces of U.S. Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt and oversaw the project’s execution from 1927 to 1941 with the help of his son, Lincoln Borglum.

Borglum along with four hundred workers used dynamite and pneumatic hammers to blast through the rock quickly along with the traditional tools of drills and chisels as the heads of the four presidential heads took shape in the face of Mount Rushmore.

Arduous and dangerous work, it is amazing that no lives were lost during the construction. If you ever see it in person, you will stand in awe as I did.

19 02, 2018

Why I think President’s Day is a Strange Holiday

By judythemorgan|2018-02-01T17:36:41-06:00February 19th, 2018|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|3 Comments

Three things strike me as making Presidents Day holiday strange.

1. There’s no universal agreement on the actual name of the holiday

Most American holidays are clear-cut in what we are celebrating or honoring, i.e. 4^th of July, Thanksgiving, or Martin Luther King Day.

Not so with Presidents Day. Ask several people what President’s Day recognizes or why we celebrate, and you’re likely to get totally different answers.

Fact is, President’s Day originated to recognize George Washington’s actual day of birth, February 22. It was the first federal holiday to celebrate the life of an individual and joined only four other national bank holidays – Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving.

Then under the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971, which was passed to create more three-day weekends and increase retail and tourism revenue, it became known as Presidents’ Day and included President Abraham Lincoln whose birthday is February 12.

2. There’s no clear clarification of which presidents are being honored

Popular culture gradually shifted the emphasis from recognizing Washington and Lincoln to a day to recognize the lives of American presidents generally.

Interesting to note that the Federal government still labels the third Monday in February on official calendars as Washington’s Birthday.

3. There’s no agreement about whether to use an apostrophe or not

Sometimes the apostrophe isn’t used at all (as in Presidents Day), sometimes it is placed between the last two letters (President’s Day), and sometimes it is after the last letter (Presidents’ Day).

No specific title for the holiday is a little confusing, especially if you happen to be an English teacher.

Seems reasonable to say those three things make Presidents’ Day or President’s Day or Presidents Day a slightly strange holiday.

Wouldn’t you agree?

16 02, 2018

Beloved Chicken

By judythemorgan|2018-02-13T16:25:47-06:00February 16th, 2018|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I sometimes read the obituaries. Recently I received several notifications from friends regarding one I had missed. It was for a chicken named Big Mama. She had been adopted by a family after her Houston owner decided to have her euthanized.

Big Mama lived out her life with a flock of chickens in College Station. She made the front page of our paper.I feel a little guilty about all the chickens on Miller Farm who have passed on without a memorial. Of course, with the size of our flock, I would stay very busy writing eulogies. I do good to keep them fed.