Fair Time!

I really love county fairs. I LOVE the smell of frying foods and hot sugar (even though fried foods try to kill me and sugar doesn't do me any favors, either!). I enjoy the booths and the displays of farm equipment. But mostly I love the people.



I love people watching. I always have. I love watching the old couple who arrived on their bike, wearing their well worn Harley-Davidson outfits holding hands as they wander down the midway, discussing and debating all of the offerings of good things to eat. I love watching the boy and girl combos where the relationship isn't quite at boyfriend/girlfriend stage (unlike that couple who appear to be stuck together with velcro!), but whose flirtacious body language is hovering very near the edge! I love watching testosterone charged guys showing off at the game booths and observing everybody debating over what ride to go on next. I love the little kids, riding around and around, and loving every second of their grand adventure!



I love watching the 4-H and FFA kids with the animals that they have poured so much time and attention into--leading them around before and after their judging, washing, trimming, grooming and talking to them. I love looking at the animals, too.


And it is a good thing I love it, because I am EXHAUSTED and the week isn't over yet. I have checked out of (or am giving desperately short shrift) to every other aspect of life and demand on my time. I apologize now, sincerely.

But, it is time for me to leave and go back to the fair.

Back Home

I had such a great summer adventure, I didn't have time to post anything! I am home now, and attempting to settle into real life--but have found myself with several new projects on top of what I already had going on!

This week I set the humane trap for the !@#$%^& raccoons. They look cute, but they are horrible pests--they have eaten (or just killed for fun) a third of my chickens--I had 50 when I left, now I have around 33.

Anyway--the first night I baited the trap with fresh corn on the cob. They spurned it, and left a mangled chicken corpse next to the trap. So, I used all the bones and leftovers from our dinner porkchops. HOWEVER, I had to move it outside the chicken yard, cause the dumb chickens kept trying to steal the meat!

In the morning (before the glasses were on!), I looked out of the window, and could see movement in the trap, so I called handy neighbor guy and asked if he could take care of it for me--he nicely agreed. THEN I went out to feed the chooks, and found--it was one of the kittens, mewing piteously! I could take care of that by myself, and had to call neighbor guy and cancel the marines!

I am in the West!

After many days of travel--boring, boring travel (Welcome to Nebraska, the Never Ending State!) we have arrived in the West. I was discussing with my aunt--we both love where we live now, and don't particularly want to move back--but even so, getting out of the van to refuel at sunset, we both noticed how RIGHT it felt. The lighting was right, the temperature was right, the big, spacious sky was right---but mostly the lack of humidity was totally right!

I had a great time with cousins that I haven't seen for a long time--including one who fixed my problem bangs (the ones that look like someone has stapled a hedgehog to my forehead) so that they actually look cute!

I have limited computer access, so I probably won't be posting a lot, but at least you know I am still alive!

Fair Warning

My computer has crashed with a nasty virus (again), and Yes--I do have Anti virus software. It needs a complete wipe and reinstall. Big Sigh.

Also, I am preparing (i.e. excavating) my house to have a huge, awesome party on Saturday. Also, we have normal busy week stuff going on everyday.

And the Boringmobile died the death on Sunday morning as we got ready to leave for church. I was deeply grateful that it didn't happen until My Favorite Gentleman got home from a VERY long week working out of town, and it didn't strand me on the side of the road with a car full of hot, whiny children (as it very well could have.) So, we are getting a new (to us) car this week, too.

AND I am trying to get everything ready to leave my home, chickens, kittens and older children in the extremely capable hands of some of my favorite people for weeks and weeks, and drive across the country having (hopefully VERY tame!) adventures.

All this to explain that I may not be posting much for a while.

Woohoo!

The Public Library just called me and asked me to teach TWO more felting classes for them! I really had fun teaching a class in March (which I was too busy to blog about!), and apparently is was as good for them as it was for me! Yay, Yay! Happy Dance! And, I suppose I can say I am now "A Professional" since I have been paid for my work! Yet another weird item on the "Resume` of Strangeness".

We finished the last Mistborn book over the weekend. I have found some fabulous fonts to download that just give me warm fuzzies all over! The kittens are getting bigger and have started to play with each other. I have two twelve year old boys and three 12 and 13 year old girls having a "sleepover"--not a lot of actual sleep will happen tonight! They are so good, it is actually fun for me, too! The passel of babies is proceeding nicely--I am so happy that such pretty girls have joined the world (Anna, Zuzu and Bella)! The world is green and my hollyhocks and delphiniums and lillies are blooming.

Life is very good.

The Big Project!

Two weeks ago, our Bishopric asked me if the Activities Committee could put together a Summer Book of Mormon Reading Challenge for the ward. The answer, of course, was yes, but there were a few little snags.

Currently, the Activities Committee consists of, well, me. Also, the Activities Budget is at approximately nada. And, I am going to be gone all summer. Which means that the Summer Reading Program needed to be put together quickly, cheaply, in a manner that could function without me, and it should be fun, too.

Returning to my mom's old saying "you can spend time or you can spend money, but you have to spend something!", I decided to spend time. So, this project has used up most of my time for the last two weeks. HOWEVER--We had our official kick-off brunch on Sunday, and I, for one, am really excited!

We are doing a 60 day program, which is about 4 chapters a day. Each week, if you read your whole scripture block, you get a cool "Book of Mormon Hero" Collectible Bookmark, with a color picture of, and a quote from the hero, PLUS a quote from a modern prophet about the blessings of the Book of Mormon in our lives.
You also get an adorable Hershey Miniature Chocolate in a custom wrapper that says "Good Job! Mansfield Ward Summer Reading Challenge 2010 I follow the prophet “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Ps. 119: 103, when you finish reading 2 Nephi.

At the end of the summer, we will have a "Winding-Up Potluck", where awards will be given, which will include:

o Organization with the highest percentage of members to finish
o First person to finish
o Youngest person to finish
o Most copies of the Book of Mormon Shared
o Most Pass-Along Cards Shared
o Most Chapters in the Shortest Time
o First Family to Finish
o Best Comeback (for getting behind, but not staying behind!)

In addition, each person who completes the Challenge will receive:
o A Certificate of Completion,
o A picture of the Savior
and
o A Keychain that says:
“I completed THE BOOK OF MORMON: ANOTHER TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST Mansfield Ward Summer Reading Challenge 2010”

Each Person who read will get a certificate of Participation, even if they didn’t complete the entire Book of Mormon.

Pretty Cool, huh?

Anyway, it has kept me plenty busy!

If you would like to participate, I would be happy to send you rewards, too! Just drop me an email.

I am not dead

But I am very swamped with a MEGA HUGE project. I decorated a wedding last weekend, and got the kiddos off to 4-H camp. I have also moved out of my comfy, sedentary groove and started a REAL exercise program (real means not counting mosying the 9 houses down to the library as a workout!). I will post details soon--I promise.