View from the Front Porch will be on hiatus until January 8th. Before we go we invite you to take a break and enjoy this amazing version of Silent Night performed in ASL by Susan Layton.
From Chicken Wrangler Sara and myself, Merry Christmas to those who celebrate the day, and Happy New Year to all. See you in 2016!
In just 2 minutes and 46 seconds, this video from Igniter Media and narrated by Willie Minor sums up the reason for the season using a simple basic scale.
I never heard this from my piano teachers, but what a great lesson to share.
A holiday blog from Chicken Wrangler Sara and her chickens
Christmas is always such a paradox for me.
I love it, but hate so much that goes with the season like the decorating, the baking, the Christmas cards, the parties, the gift shopping… you get the idea. And, most of all, I hate the rushing to get everything done. I want to wiggle my nose like Samantha from the Bewitched TV series of the sixties and seventies and have all the preparations done.
At the same time, I miss all the falderol after years of not decking the halls. Why did we stop decorating, baking, and partying? Several reasons…
Last year I broke my right wrist at Thanksgiving and had surgery, so not much Christmas happened last year.
Before that, we were only at our cabin for December so it seemed pointless to decorate or bake at either the Colorado place or our Texas home, which meant three years of not much Christmas spirit around either homestead.
When we made the decision to move permanently to Colorado and put the Texas house up for sale, the Realtor said no Christmas decorations. We took her advice and celebrated the holiday sans decorations and homemade holiday treats instead we went to relatives’ homes during the season.
Our move and remodel/addition consumed two more years of no decorating, baking, etc. We always had a tree, though. Our son-in-law hiked up into the forest behind our house and cut one.
This year, we vowed to change what was becoming a trend of a minimalist holiday celebration. It is time to get back into the holiday spirit.
I donned my “I hate this part.” tee shirt, gathered all the red and green plastic containers filled with years of holiday decorations, played Christmas music from satellite radio, and begin the arduous task of making the house festive.
Then the part of Christmas that I love came rushing back…
Every ornament and all the decorations whispered a story. Memories brought smiles as we hung ornaments and added touches of Christmas to all the rooms in the house. We went slowly, taking time to relish each and every precious memory.
Seeing the house transform into a winter wonderland inspired my husband to make his famous Chex Mix. Familiar scents from that holiday favorite spurred plans for other traditions like his pralines and fudge.
I’m also planning to bake Christmas cookies for the first time in years. I’ve even started practicing Christmas carols.
We had helpers, who reminded us of Christmases past when our adult children were toddlers fascinated by the sights, the sounds, and the smells of the season.
It’s fun seeing all the familiar Christmas things again. We’re truly pumped about our celebration this year and refuse to allow even the tiniest thought about what has to be done to undo after New Year’s Day.
What about you? Do you have an “I hate this part.” of the season? If not, what’s your most favorite part of your holiday season?
A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
That is exactly how long it took Max to worm his way into the Miller household permanently. I should have known there was trouble the day Max was returned to Beekeeper Brian and spent the day at work with him. Brian sent this picture:
Max would not stop whining so Brian held him in his shirt. From that point on they have been inseparable.
Max sleeps as close as possible – even if that means sleeping on Brian’s shoes:
He has given the term “facetime” a new meaning:
The other dogs have accepted him and Penny, his sister, is particularly glad to have someone her size to play with.
So now Miller Farm has 30 or so chickens and 6 long haired miniature dachshunds. I would say we are full up at the Inn but I’m not sure it would make any difference. :)
If you live in the United States, you’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving Day soon.
We Americans began celebrating the day during the Civil War when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”
Since 1924, many of us spend the day watching New York City’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or football. The National Football League has been broadcasting games since its inception in 1920. And, of course, there are always the collegiate teams to cheer for. Around our house, timing of our Thanksgiving Day meal is based on when the University of Texas Longhorns play.
Things today are different from that first Pilgrim Thanksgiving feast in the early autumn of 1621. What hasn’t change is the basis for Thanksgiving. We still pause on this day to give thanks for our blessings.
While I believe an attitude of gratitude should be an everyday occurrence, this Thanksgiving I am reminded of my many blessings:
A loving husband (who’s the hero model for my novels)
Family and friends (far and near)
My pets (who brighten every day)
Most especially you, my readers
If you are traveling this Thanksgiving Day, I wish you Godspeed. Our weather forecast for here in the mountains of Colorado is for snow on Thanksgiving Day, which will make a perfect day for those who ski or like to watch football games.
Me, I’m not that crazy about football or skiing. I’ll be cozied next to the fireplace reading.
If you have a Kindle, you can be reading too. Pick up a copy of my latest release. It’s my special Thanksgiving Thank you for you.
When Love Returns for KINDLE: http://amzn.to/1My5CeW 
By Chicken Wrangler Sara
Tucker had a girlfriend come visit this summer. Her name is Olivia and she is an English cream long-haired dachshund. 
It was a productive visit and 8 puppies were born on October 4.
This is a very large number of puppies for a dachshund.Unfortunately two of the puppies were very small and died within 24 hours.
That left 6 healthy puppies – 3 boys and 3 girls. We were promised pick of the litter as payment for Tucker’s services. It was not an easy decision.
We settled on a female named Penelope – Penny for short.
One of Brian’s coworkers wanted a male and chose Max. The puppies were in another town so when Rachel went to get Penny, she also brought Max home so Brian could deliver him to work. 
Having two puppies in the house was fun for a couple of days, but Rachel was glad to see Max go as he is much more energetic and vocal than Penny.
Max’s new family owns three other dogs. Unfortunately, they did not check with these dogs before bringing Max home and one of the dogs was particularly unfriendly to Max.
So Max has come back to our house and we are looking for a good home for him. He does have an eye condition which will require minor surgery. The droopy eye just makes him look a little sad to me.
I’m trying not to get too attached. I’m afraid Max’s new home may be further than next door.
Know anyone who wants a long-haired mini dachshund?
This Wednesday we honor all veterans. I come from a family of veterans which means I have a deep-rooted interest in the day.
My husband is a retired Army officer. My father served in the Army Air Corps as a bombardier. My uncle was a Marine on Imo Jima. My son-in-law served in the Coast Guard. For one tour, I was a Department of Army Civilian at Eighth Army Headquarters, Yongsan, South Korea.
This year I’m celebrating with a sale on my two military romances:
Read here to learn the story behind the story and how personal experiences play into the fictional romance of Lily and Alex.
And, click on one of the following links to purchase the books and read the whole story.
To all those who have answered when called, gone where ordered, and defended our nation with honor, I send a sincere thank you.
A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara
After a decline in our bantam population, Rachel decided to buy some replacement chicks. She chose frizzles, partridge silkies, and birchen cochins. It was all the same to me until they started getting their adult feathers. Now I understand Rachel’s fascination with these particular breeds.
They are adorable! I also understand more about their names. Partridge and Birchen refer to the coloring. Cochin means they have feathered feet and frizzles have feathers that stick out everywhere.
We already have Frizz and Frizz 2, the black frizzles. Now we have blonde frizzles:
I just hope they have the same sassy personality as Frizz.
Then we have the Partridge Silkies who look like they have fur rather than feathers:
They also have the Dr. Seuss tuft on top of their heads.
Then we have the Birchen Cochin bantams:
They are all in the long cage on saw horses for now. We want to make sure all the critters living under the shed are gone. Then we will put the chicks in the bantam side of the coop.
Eventually Rachel wants to build breeding runs and breed the silky to the frizzle to get sizzles. I’ll make sure to post those pictures.
SOURCE: http://quotesgram.com/time-to-refocus-my-life-quotes/
Halloween was Saturday, which means whatever calm and order existed in our personal worlds will soon disappear into preparations for the coming holidays.
Don’t get me wrong. The holidays are my favorite time of year.
At the same time I dread them because the days been Halloween and New Year’s Day can be so overwhelming.
Plus, this year I have a new writing project due by the end of the year—When Love Trusts, Book three in the Fitzpatrick Family series.
Because Chicken Wrangler Sara and I want to enjoy the holidays with our families, and hopefully reduce our stress, we will be taking turns posting blogs once a week instead of our two individual blogs each week. This plan worked well last holiday season and we’re counting on it working again this year.
What will you be doing to de-stress, re-group, and re-focus during this holiday season?
Need ideas? Check out these articles at Huffington Post and WebMD
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