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16 09, 2019

Emotional Stages of a Writing Project

By |2019-09-16T06:38:21-05:00September 16th, 2019|Writer's Life, writing, Writing Craft|0 Comments

My blogs generally focus on my writer’s life with stories about things that strike my fancy. Today I’m sharing a fun video aimed primarily for writers.

I first saw the video many years ago on the blog of The Steve Laube Agency. Fridays on his blog are FUN day and he shared this great video by James Andrew Wilson titled The Five Emotional Stages of Writing a Novel.

If you’re not a writer, I’m hope you can relate to some of the same stages in projects you undertake. And, it’ll help you understand your writer friends better.

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13 09, 2019

Wrong Side of the Fence

By |2019-09-09T20:56:07-05:00September 13th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

There are certain boundaries here on Miller Farm that all animals must observe.

The fence between the chicken yard and the dog yard is one of those boundaries.  I regularly tell the chickens to stay on their side of the fence or they may be eaten by Bella, the dachshund.  Usually they listen.

This new flock of chicks apparently didn’t read the memo.Once they got used to the chicken yard, they decided to venture out into the dog yard.  The rooster tried to warn them.

Fortunately I was able to catch them all and throw them over the fence before the dachshunds got them.

Later that day, during my weekly visit with friends at Dairy Queen, I stood up and my legs were very sore.  It took me a minute to figure out that bending and chasing chicks used muscles I do not normally use.

Hopefully the chicks will stay on their side of the fence. I’m not sure I want to use those particular muscles again any time soon.

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11 09, 2019

Trigger Dates, Anniversaries, and Memories – Virgil

By |2019-09-01T11:53:09-05:00September 11th, 2019|Wednesday Words, Wednesday Words of Wisdom, Weekly Quote|1 Comment

Years after things happen, whether we were part of the event or not, we recall and react on the anniversary. Even hearing those dates or seeing those dates can trigger memories.

  • December 7, 1941               Pearl Harbor
  • November 25, 1963            Kennedy Assassination

And, of course, September 11 2001         Attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon

Today is the eighteenth anniversary of that event.

I sat at home drinking coffee in our sun room with news on TV. I stared in horror as the second plane hit towers, watching the first building burn. I didn’t turn off TV for days filled with concern that my Army Reserve husband would have to go fight whatever evil had breached our borders.

I’m sure today will stir memories for those of us who lived through the event and the days following. Others will only imagine our memories through pictures like this.

No matter what date or anniversary triggers memories for you. Let’s remember Virgil’s quote used at Ground Zero.

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9 09, 2019

Took A little Trip to the Gulf of Mexico

By |2019-09-09T06:54:24-05:00September 9th, 2019|A Writer's Life|0 Comments

As I rode in the car, a line from an very old ballad played in my head.

“In 1814 we took a little trip … on down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico.”

Chances are you won’t recognize the lyrics.

The song, “The Battle of New Orleans,” was #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1959 and Johnny Horton won Best Country and Western Performance for his rendition.

I love those oldie ballads that tell such great stories. “Trailer for Sale or Rent,” “Big Bad John,” and all of Harry Chapin’s song are other favorites.

“The Battle of New Orleans” was an educational ballad. If you’re a history buff, you know there was a battle for New Orleans in 1814. And, the story song was accurate.

But New Orleans wasn’t my destination on my trip to the Gulf of Mexico.

I was headed to Corpus Christi with my youngest daughter and her oldest son to get him settled at the A&M campus there.

Taking a child to college is such a mixed bag of emotions. Exciting and sad at the same time.

My eyes teared up as we bid him farewell at the end of the day. Grandson looked a little apprehensive at the prospect of being totally on his own so far away from home and family to me.

His Mom managed the drop off better than I did. She knew her kid, had confidence in his ability to handle the new situation.

By Marcom.tamucc – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

I made a second trip to The Island University on Labor Day weekend with his Pepa. This time  to bring him back home for the holiday.

Grandson was all smiles. He’d loved his first week and couldn’t wait to get back!

Growing up and turning loose can be so hard on those of us watching. At least for this Nana it is.

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6 09, 2019

Are You My Mother?

By |2019-08-29T10:39:59-05:00September 6th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Texas is hot in August. How hot you ask?  It is so hot that eggs can hatch without a chicken sitting on them.

I know this because we picked up an orphan chick from a person who had several chicks hatch without a hen. She gave four away and then there was a late bloomer.  We still had our chicks separated so we thought adding to them would be fine.

We brought the little black chick home and put it in with the others that night.

We have discovered that when you move chickens at night they wake up and think they have always been in their new home.  (At least that is what we assume.  They transition very well.)

The next morning, I moved the chicks outside in their wire cage to enjoy some grass. When I checked before I left for school, the little black chick had managed to get through the wire and was wandering around in the big world alone.  This was not a good idea.

I put the chick back in a cardboard box in the house and went to work. The little black chick lived in the box until it was too big to get out of the wire cage.  It was still considerably smaller than the other chicks and they began to pick on it.

I moved it back inside into a larger tub.  It was safe but very lonely.  It cheeped all the time. Beekeeper Brian put the stuffed cat in the tub with it.  That made it happy.  Now it snuggles up with the stuffed cat every night.  I guess it thinks that is its mother.

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4 09, 2019

Work and Rainbows – Pagels

By |2019-09-01T11:06:36-05:00September 4th, 2019|Wednesday Quote, Wednesday Words, Wednesday Words of Wisdom|0 Comments

About the graphic

The picture is one I took when we lived in Colorado. The mountains and weather frequently combine to offer beautiful rainbows, both full and double. It was a lovely sight.

About the quote

Douglas Pagels is an author and this quote comes from his book, These Are the Gifts I’d Like to Give to You: A Sourcebook of Joy and Encouragement. You can read about him and his books here. I thought his words tied in nicely with Monday’s Labor Day holiday.

Work is good, but play is  important, too. We should take a day off, even when it isn’t Labor Day, and pick a color of the rainbow to  SLIDE down!

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2 09, 2019

Labor Day 2019

By |2019-08-31T20:34:48-05:00September 2nd, 2019|Holidays|0 Comments

The first Labor Day was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union.

The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885, Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country with parades and speeches.

In 1894, it became an official federal holiday.

Today there aren’t many speeches or parades.

We think of Labor Day as the end of summer and celebrate with cookouts, forgetting what it’s truly about — honoring the workers of American.

To all the workers, thank you and to all:

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

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30 08, 2019

Grumpiest Hen

By |2019-08-15T09:22:07-05:00August 30th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Every once in a while, a hen will go broody.  This means she sits in the nest box as if she is hatching eggs.  This would be fine if she actually had eggs and would sit on them until they hatch.  We’ve learned that many times she gives up before they hatch and we are left with undeveloped and unusable eggs.

One hen has been broody and grumpy. She pecks my hand when I reach for the eggs.  This is not entirely uncommon however it does not usually leave bruises!  I started throwing her out of the nest box before I gathered the eggs.  She would peck my leg in protest.

Brian put her in a separate area, but she would fly over the gate and go back to the nest box sometimes even before I got back to the house.She is the black hen – fitting for one so grumpy. Brian has now put wire over the top of the pen so she must stay put.

Be warned – if you get too grumpy at our house, you get put in time out!

Meanwhile, it is much safer gathering eggs these days.

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28 08, 2019

Being an Opti-Mystic – Edie Weinstein

By |2019-08-19T15:06:56-05:00August 28th, 2019|Wednesday Quote, Wednesday Words, Wednesday Words of Wisdom, Weekly Quote|0 Comments

About the graphic

Years ago this meme floated around in email then on other social media. I loved the elephant with the bird on his back cruising through the air. I ran across it the other day and had to share.

About the quote

The quote resonated with me as much as the graphic. I found this on Edie Weinstein‘s website: “Edie discovered that the life path we traverse calls on us to become willing to be light-hearted and childlike, not taking ourselves too seriously.” Doesn’t that sound like a great life?

Think I’ll try to be more opti-mystic and focus on possibilities.

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26 08, 2019

Life Lessons I’ve Learned from My Dogs

By |2019-08-26T09:02:43-05:00August 26th, 2019|A Writer's Life, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

I’m 100% a dog person and proud of it. My dogs are a constant source of love and amusement.

My breed of choice is Old English Sheepdogs who are natural clowns and always make me smile. In addition to all the smiles and unconditional love, my dogs have offered some great life lessons.

  1. When your loved one comes home, run to greet him.
  2. Eat with gusto.
  3. When it’s hot, drink lots of water.
  4. Take naps.
  5. Don’t bite, just growl.
  6. Give unconditional love.
  7. Stay close to your loved ones in times of distress.

This list appeared in an Ann Landers’ newspaper column years and years ago. It’s still great advice and important lessons to learn. You can find dozens of other longer lists with equally as important things dogs teach us.

My Finnegan turned three this year and his brother Buster, twelve years. Every birthday means another year less with my best friend. As every dog lover knows our time with our four-legged best friends is all too short.

And because I know no matter how long they live, it will never be long enough, all my dogs have taught me the most important and hardest lesson of life:

Enjoy every single moment we have with our loved ones.

Knowing Finnegan and Buster and all the others who’ve gone before will only be with me a short time reminds me to soak up every second because life is too short to do anything less.

Get off the couch. Go for a walk or chase a squirrel. Have fun. Love. Laugh. Dance in the rain. Time is too short.

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