Goodreads

Judythe Morgan

8 02, 2019

A Three Shirt Day

By |2019-02-07T21:52:15-06:00February 8th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Wednesday was a three-shirt day. It started out fine.  I made it through five classes and lunch with a clean shirt.

Then I decided a cold drink from Starbucks sounded great so I mobile ordered, but my card didn’t have enough money. I tried to add money but couldn’t remember my password.

After several attempts I gave up and went home. There was coffee in the fridge so I just added chocolate milk to make my own iced mocha.  In the process I splashed coffee down the front of shirt number 1.

I changed shirts and went to the high school to pick up Bill. On the way I dumped coffee down the front of shirt number 2.

Fortunately, the skirt I was wearing had many colors so I was able to find shirt number 3 to match so I could look a little professional as I taught piano lessons.

Today was Happy Hour at Starbucks.  I was able to reset my password and reload my card.  Bill and I got cherry mochas after school.

I am also happy to report there is no coffee on the front of my shirt today. There may be chicken footprints on the back.

Read More
4 02, 2019

It’s February and Love is in the Air

By |2019-02-03T18:17:46-06:00February 4th, 2019|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Hearts are everywhere.

Commercials are pushing chocolates, wine, fancy dinners, lingerie, and Hallmark cards. Florists are offering specials on roses. Love songs flow from the airways.

The commercialization bothers me a bit. The statistics stagger me.

The National Retail Federation anticipates $19.6 billion in Valentine expenditures this year, up from $18.2 billion last year. Those 25-34 will be the biggest spenders at an average of $202.76.This year’s survey broke expenditure averages down this way:

$88.98 on their significant other/spouse ($12.1 billion)

$25.29 on other family members such as children or parents ($3.5 billion)

$7.26 on children’s classmates/teachers ($991 million)

$7.19 on friends ($982 million)

$5.50 on pets ($751 million)

$4.79 on co-workers ($654 million)

Cards, flowers, jewelry, and fine dinners are all very romantic gestures to express love on this special day. If you have the funds and want to be extravagant, who am I to stop you? Go for it!

BUT, I’d like to suggest gifts don’t have to involve great expense. Nothing’s better than a homemade Valentine card or a home cooked meal served by candlelight.

Need ideas: Check the February editions of magazines or Pinterest. Most are loaded with DIY ideas for valentine cards and gifts.

More important, remember, it’s the day-to-day things that really show true love.

  • A hug
  • A back rub after a tiring day
  • An affirming text that arrives at the perfect moment
  • Holding hands

And, if you’re shy about expressing yourself with words or cards , you can always give a sign for I love you from Signing Savvy.

Read More
1 02, 2019

A Dog and His Raccoon

By |2019-01-28T07:53:02-06:00February 1st, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

Tucker (first of our six dachshunds) loves toys, especially if they squeak. He has been known to pull the squeaker out of a toy in 5 minutes flat.

Rachel made it her mission to find a squeaky toy that can outlast Tucker.  It looks like she has succeeded:  Meet Raccoon-

Raccoon actually has two squeakers – one in the middle and one in the tail.  Both are still working which can get annoying first thing in the morning.

Raccoon regularly goes outside with Tucker.  He likes for someone to throw the toy but it doesn’t really go far.

Sometimes he leaves Raccoon outside and it rains and Raccoon has to get a bath. Tucker is quite distressed to be without Raccoon, so Rachel has several back-up squeaky toys that help distract him.

Tucker is always happy to see Raccoon again. He really didn’t understand why it had to be clean.

Now when he comes in without Raccoon we tell him “Go get your toy” and he goes back out to find it.

After all, a dog needs to have his raccoon with him at all times.

Read More
28 01, 2019

Starting 2019 with S.M.A.R.T. goals

By |2019-01-23T08:02:36-06:00January 28th, 2019|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

It’s the end of January. By now, I’m guessing that one or more of your New Year’s resolutions has already failed. Statistics back me up. According to U.S. News approximately 80% of resolutions fail by the second week of February.

So why such poor odds for success? I’m guessing the reason for failure was vagueness.

Pablo Picasso said, “Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.”

I agree with Picasso. I’ll show you why.

Let’s look at a couple of my New Year’s resolutions.

  1. Lose weight
  2. Exercise more

Great goals, but very hard to stick with because there’s no focus.

Enter SMART goals which are:

  • S -Specific (and Strategic)
  • M – Measurable
  • A – Attainable
  • R – Relevant (results oriented)
  • T – Time-framed

My New Year resolutions restated as SMART goals:

  1. Lose two pounds per month.
  2. Exercise at the pool three times a week.

See the difference when the goal is SMART?

There’s a target. A way to measure success.

Your goals or resolutions will be different from mine, or not. That’s understandable. BUT, are your goals for 2019 S.M.A.R.T.?

Whatever goals you’ve chosen, restating as SMART goals can help ensure success. A measurable goal underscores a tangible outcome.

Good luck. Me, I’m off to the gym I have two pounds to drop this week.

Read More
25 01, 2019

Hope for the Future

By |2019-01-21T11:11:01-06:00January 25th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

We interrupt the Chicken Wrangler news for a report from my other persona – the music teacher.

I began a new position in August after the private school where I’d taught for 10 years closed due to lack of enrollment.  My new school is much larger – which is a good thing for job security but it has presented its own challenges.

I spent the first six weeks memorizing 180 names and learning a new grade book program.  Then there were the important things like where to get coffee and eat lunch.

The former music teacher had a very different style and the students were not all on board with the change. To say the first semester was interesting is an understatement.

One of the most challenging groups is the middle schoolers.  Just their age gives them a whole set of difficulties and I met regularly with the principal to try to figure out what to do with them.

I settled on History of Rock and Roll curriculum that has proved to be somewhat interesting to them.  In one lesson, however, a student took offense at the language.  The word “negro” was used and she felt the term “African American” was more appropriate.

I encouraged her to write her feelings in a letter to the company, and I would pass the information along.  I have done business with this company, Fun Music Company, many times in the past and have found them to be very responsive.  She worked with a few of her friends and wrote a very well worded letter.  Then she copied it over so it was neater.

I contacted the company who was very interested in reading the letter.  I scanned the document and sent it.  Within 48 hours I had a response from the company.  They were very glad to have the input and in fact changed the wording.  The creative director wrote a personal letter to my student.

“Thank you so much for writing – it has made a massive difference for many students around the world, as no longer will any student be offended by this word in one of our worksheets.”

This is by far the most encouraging thing to happen in my class in a long time.  Amaria, the student, handled the situation in a mature and appropriate manner and was able to make a permanent difference.  I look at that group in a whole new light.  There is hope after all.

In an age where overreacting and posting negativity is the norm, Amaria has taken the high road.

Well done, young lady, well done.

Read More
21 01, 2019

Starting 2019 with Martin Luther King

By |2019-01-19T16:49:50-06:00January 21st, 2019|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday, Monday Motivations|2 Comments

Today we honor Martin Luther King, the symbol for non-violent protest since the sixties Civil Rights Movement. His leadership in a trying time inspired change. He stirred, and still stirs, our conscience with his words.

Here are some of my favorites:

  • “Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
  • “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
  • “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
  • “We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”
  • “The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”
  • “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Are we forwarding the vision he set forth in these quotes today? Why not make this MLK Day the start of a year in which we purpose to move forward.

Read More
18 01, 2019

Problem Solving on Miller Farm

By |2019-01-08T21:19:10-06:00January 18th, 2019|Friday on the Miller Farm, Miller Farm Friday|1 Comment

A Blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I believe one of the most important skills one can have is the ability to solve problems.  I’m not talking about the word problems that plague math students every where.  I mean real life problems like how to open the door of the chicken coop from the inside when it shuts behind you.

I recently had to employ this skill while filling the chicken waterer.   The waterers have a lid that is removed to fill the tops and a small lid that covers the spout so water will not come out while it is being filled.

We have three waterers and somehow we have managed to lose all but one of these small lids.  This means that each time I carry a waterer to the hose, I must make sure I have the little lid. This week I failed at getting the small lid and I didn’t realize it until I had started to fill the waterer.

Rather than stop and go back into the chicken yard to get the lid, I used my finger to stop up the hole.  This was a little challenging because my index finger is still numb from having the tip cut off this summer.  So I used my middle finger.

As I stood there holding back the flow of water with my finger, I thought of the story of the little Dutch boy who put his finger in the hole in the dam and held back the North Sea.

I’d say fingers are a very important part of the problem solving process.

Read More
Copyright 2019 | All Rights Reserved | Powered by PetoWeb.com
Go to Top