I know it’s rather childish, but what do I care… if it sells furry babies, I’m in!
Seriously, if there was an opportunity for a shopping spree of any kind, I’d pick a farm and garden store. Something like Farm and Tractor Supply, or one of those feed stores that often have kitten’s running around in the warehouse. I wouldn’t care!
But, just for the sake of being thoroughly responsible, I’d probably settle for a store that also offered vet and grooming services. This way, I’m not being too hasty in my decision to fill our home with hungry, furry creatures. I already care for a hungry, hairy husband, so I’m well prepared for feeding, snuggling, and cleaning up messes around the house. It’s a win win!
If I picked the right store for said shopping spree, I’d make short work of all their departments, from the pet food and supply section, to lawn and garden, and a full walk through of the clothing and camping section. Before taking my bounty home, there would be full memberships in a lifetime supply of pet care and grooming services. Now my fur babies would be set for life!
You know, if it was a decent size store, maybe they’d have those prebuilt little garden sheds, too… I need room for my other hobbies, as well as, my Easy-Bake Oven.
Eustace is so proud of his corn crop that he’s already set up a popcorn stand to sell his wares. I tried to tell him that the corn hasn’t been harvested yet, nor is it ready to be picked, but he was just too excited.
Now all my popcorn’s missing, and one of my good slippers is stuck to the kitchen floor, somehow.
Just out of curiosity, does anybody know how to get caramel out of camel fur?
I can hardly believe that it’s been over two years since Barnyard Business began. So many changes have occurred in the lives of our little babes, with some changes being bigger than others.
Time waits for no man, as they say, and in terms of barnyard life, it couldn’t be more apparent! I wanted to share a big change that’s coming to the barn, but while looking through the old photo albums, I found myself lost down memory lane… in a good way.
Sometimes it just feels good to look back.
I’ll admit that it’s a mixture of bitter and sweet, realizing how much all the babes have grown, and reminding myself that they can’t remain the same forever. I know that I’m certainly not who I was two years ago. I cant expect them to stay babies, nor can I treat them as such.
You try bossing a two ton dragon around. Let’s see how far you get!
Remember when Brutus was just a baby?
He’s far from a baby now…
I could spend hours looking back over their baby photos! Why can’t they stay babies forever, though?
I do actually have an answer to that last question. The babes have grown and changed because I have, as well. Within my imagination and dreams, the babes don’t stay the same… they can’t. With each and every adventure I write about, all the creatures within the barnyard grow a bit, depending on the lessons learned, if that makes any sense.
I never expected to become so attached to these wonderful creatures, nor did I plan their paths out for them, as you may have thought. What I see in them, and write of them, is fully dependent on the way my journey affects my perspective. I shouldn’t feel so surprised when I compare their mature images with their baby ones. I still recognize the baby in them, though they appear far different on the surface.
If I hadn’t have had those dark days of struggle, I may never have imagined Nugget. Remember our little guy from my bedside table drawer?
He’s still in residence, but doesn’t sleep in the drawer much. He prefers to sleep on my pillow, just behind my head. Fortunately for me, this little guy seems immune to aging, in much the same way as our little Dinky Do.
I think characters like Dinky, Boomer, and all those Twilight Dreamers will always be my safe space, my comfort zone. Maybe my anxiety is just a bit more manageable with these little ones. Who knows, right?!
Now Eustace… he’s quite a camel!
But, as much as I loved looking back at his baby pics…
I simply adore the adult camel that he’s become, don’t you?
You’re probably wondering what’s got me all nostalgic and melancholy, so I’ll fill you in on the changes occurring at the Barnyard, and those to come.
It’s been a difficult winter for most of the residents in the barn, as miss Tilly has moved down to the church, where Henry has taken on the roll of pastor. His father was quite aged, and far too old to perform his pastoral duties any longer.
While I realize that she’s got a whole new life ahead of her with young Henry, it hasn’t been so easy explaining things to the babes, if I can still even call them that. Tilly was like a favored auntie, always caring for them, feeding them, and tucking them in each night… I try to do it, but I’m just not her!
Slowly, but surely, they’re coming to accept her absence. Both Boomer and Brutus have helped immensely, in this regard. While Dinky remains small, with only the mind of a child, her brother has begun to grow, and has taken up the roll of caregiver for the others. While Boomer cares for the babes food and bedtime routines, Brutus has been frequently taking them to visit Henry and Tilly, down at the church.
Things are about to change, once more.
Our Miss Tilly, or more aptly referred to as Mrs. Tilly Munster, is expecting her first baby, or possibly babies.
We won’t know how many babies, til the big day arrives. Tilly isn’t due til the end of March, but her belly looks as if she could deliver next week!
We’re all very excited about the newest change, as the babes are now all practicing the art of babysitting, in hopes that Tilly will call on us to help out.
I must admit that the excitement is very contagious! I’ve already added a crib to SugarPlum’s bedroom, just in case. I can’t help but get excited along with all the babes, but it’s so hard to imagine our Tilly having a baby of her own.
I still see the wee little thing that Santa dropped in my Christmas satchel, two years ago. It seems like only yesterday…
From that tiny little ball of love, came the Tilly that we’ve watched grow up…
Time for a bath…
She began changing overnight, it seemed…
Then love found our young mouse maid, in the form of young Henry…
The beautiful thing about our small ones growing up and finding their own way is that we must have done something right. While I can’t take credit for how wonderful Tilly turned out to be, I would like to think that I played some small part in who she is now. Who knows?
So here’s the fun part! We get to throw Tilly her first baby shower, and I want to make it something special. For that, I’ll need some help with ideas for gifts and decorations.
If anyone wants to suggest some things, I’ll bake virtual cookies, in trade.
No worries about thinking things up right this second, as the shower is still several weeks away. I don’t want to wait too long, however, as she might deliver early. You know how babies can be. They seldom operate during normal people hours…
Not only is a good budget impossible to approach in our current society, but whatever that thing is in the image… you don’t want to get close to that thing either.
The art program I’m using was just as frustrating and disappointing as a budget I didn’t agree to, what with offering me a rabid African deer instead of a roaring lion. Typical budget, these days!
I had to give up on budgeting about six years ago, when Covid landed on our country’s shores. When you lose everything you own, fall through every crack in the fabric of society, and wind up homeless at the bottom of the proverbial human pile… a budget no longer helps.
With my husband back in college gaining a new career path, my health has kept me homebound, and alone. Mornings are spent in scripture and prayer, then to my writing… that’s the only budget I’m approaching.
God willing, my book will fall into the hands of a competent publisher, and perhaps then I’ll have need of approaching a budget. One needs to have actual dollars in hand if they’re to do anything, really.
I used to say that you can’t leave home without spending money, but that’s changed since Amazon. Now you can spend money without even getting up out of your bed. Isn’t that a hoot!
That’s what I love about baking virtual cookies… they’re free! No budget needed here.
Honestly, if one tries hard enough, they can learn something new every day!
I know this may sound silly but I’ve just discovered something hidden in plain sight, so to speak.
I’m fairly certain that you’re well aware of many different words in the English language, carrying two meanings that are only separated by a single letter.
Take the word compliment, for instance. Were you aware that it’s not the same as complement? I’m only aware because I asked Google. Don’t I feel like a silly ant! How many times have I used this word with the wrong spelling? Check this out…
Key takeaways:
Compliment refers to praise or a positive remark. It’s something you say to appreciate someone or something.
A complement completes or enhances something else, making it more complete or better.
A compliment is used when expressing admiration, flattery, remarks, or praise, either as a noun (“She gave a compliment”) or a verb (“He complimented me on my work”).
Complement is used when something enhances or completes something else, either as a noun (“The sauce is a perfect complement”) or verb (“The new features complement the product”).
Now, I’m not saying that anybody else missed this little tidbit of knowledge. Maybe it’s because I’m an ant, and this truly is my literary education stage. I mean, I did say that I wanted to learn to write better so I could become a journalist one day, right?!
Since that means I’m off the hook for not knowing a thing, maybe I’ll keep things short and sweet this morning. Instead of a long drawn out language lesson, which I’m nowhere near qualified enough to instruct… I’ll make you virtual breakfast!
This is to make up for Wiwohka not baking you cookies…
However unlikely it may be that anyone would write a book about me, I’ve chosen to go the extra mile this morning.
Not only did I come up with a snappy title for the prompt, but since it’s Saturday, I offer you the Title, the Cover Image, AND any possible illustrations needed for the book in its entirety…
Against All Odds
Additional Illustrations –
Doesn’t this prompt make you wonder what might be written of your journey from the eyes of someone else? I bet the book would read as an Action/Adventure story. What about yours?
Don’t forget to grab a cookie while your thinking of an answer…
Eustace is determined that I should get Valentines cookies that won’t hurt my stomach, so he spent the whole of yesterday baking dairy-free, Gluten-free, and low sugar/sodium cookies… Oh, Joy!
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that they looked and tasted kind of like Playdough.
While I could show you a video of my own very excited, and amazingly fantastic news dance, I’ll show you the video of how I learned to do it. No one does it better than Johnny Depp and Mia Wasikowska…
Seriously though, I really do dance a bitty Jig when I get really happy. You should’ve seen the crazy dancin that went down at the birth of each of my grandbabies. I could have been a star (not really).
The next best thing to do with good news is to bake cookies, and I’m very good at that! Well, at least I think so…
There are so many activities to choose from when it comes to the Olympics, right?!
Just add a bit of honey to a cup of chamomile tea, and put on your favorite pair of night goggles, and then let the games begin!
There’s Snore Skiing, Dream Car Driving, or Powder Puff Pfootball… ok, that one was reaching a bit.
Well, what about 40 Wink Figure Skating? Or Siesta Skating? No?
Ok, ok… how about Dozing Dragon Dancing? That’s a tough sport to enter though, just saying…
I don’t like to brag, but I’ve actually earned my wings in this sport, so to speak.
If you’ve never tried Catnapping, you really should. It’s the rage, right now!
(I wouldn’t recommend this if you’ve an allergy to the little furballs, though. No worries, because they’ve a competition that’s adjustable for those with kitty boo sensitivities…
There’s even a Bedtime Baking category…
How’d you think I was able to keep up with all these cookies that I bake for you each morning? You better grab one before I roll on them.
Journey With Me! 