I’ve a list longer than my arm, filled with the names and breeds of differing pets living under my roof, at one time or another. My life began in the country, so early years hold memories of horses, dogs, cats, mice, and a few birds.
Parenthood brought forth tanks of fish, hamsters, bunnies, snakes, rats and a number of additional birds. Most parents are familiar with raising and caring for their children’s pets. If the animal didn’t live in our home, it lived in one of my kids friends homes.
I’ve worked for a veterinarian that owned a menagerie of differing rare species, dropped on the clinics doorstep. I sometimes wonder how many ill prepared families offered up their pets to the nearest vet, neighbors barn, field, stream or toilet?
My point here, is this… there is no perfect answer, as to the best and/or worst pets to own! Only three things come to mind, in choosing the right or wrong companion for your family. Can you afford to provide it a healthy and safe environment, will you be prepared to love and care for it throughout its entire lifespan, and does it belong in a home or in the wild? Outside of those things, pet owning experiences are open to interpretation, if you know what I mean.
My personal favorites are, of course, dogs cats and horses… but I also boast a large barnyard of crazy adorable babes that I wouldn’t trade for the world!
Do you ever wonder where on earth I get some of the sayings I come up with, as I tell you things from day to day? Until recently, I’d never given it any real thought, as no one has ever questioned me about it. When I’m talking or writing about stuff, it just sort of comes out of my brain. It baffles me, as to how we humans can remember certain things flawlessly, while other memories can just wash off in the shower.
Not too long ago, my Chica and I were driving somewhere, while I babbled on about one thing or another… I don’t get out much! Anyway, amidst whatever story I was entertaining her with, I uttered the phrase, “Never look a gift horse in the mouth,” to which she said something to the effect of, “how do you even know that saying means what you’re using it for?” I answered her honestly, that I wasn’t actually sure.
After thinking about it a moment, I realized that it just sort of made sense. I decided to give her my best guess, as to what I assumed it meant. That particular saying isn’t too hard for me to figure out, since I was born and raised around horses. From what I understand about the old days of horse drawn carriages and work horses, there was much value placed on ones horse. I am aware that the best way to determine the age and health of a horse, is to look at the teeth.
When you are looking to purchase a new horse, you do things like check teeth, hooves and muscle tone to look for any flaws or weaknesses. Horses were purchases, as well as, traded for goods and services. We all know there are times when someone is struggling financially and someone else steps in to generously help them recover. I assume that it would be very disrespectful, if when being offered a horse as a gift, you turn around and inspect the horses mouth to determine the value of the gift. It would be rude, I think!
Now, this is just a guess! On my honor, I attest that I’ve not yet looked up the saying, in an effort to determine how far off I am. I shall do this right now… give me a moment……..
First of all, Google refers to the saying as an Idiom, so ok.
The first definition I read says this: to advise someone not to refuse something good that is being offered. This was from Cambridge.org. So far, so good!
Where it came from sort of surprised me, as you would think I would have seen this coming. Apparently it was mentioned by St. Jerome, while commenting on something the Apostle Paul said in the bible. Well, duh… they used horses quite a lot back in that time. Sayings like, long in the tooth, also came from this era. Many horse phrases have been heard in much of the racing and showing world, so this has to be where I learned most of my horsey “As They Say” phrases, or to be correct… Idioms.
I have to say that this one was rather easy to guess and explain, so I’ll give myself some extra credit on this one. From here on out, however, it isn’t going to be so easy for me to come up with ideas on old sayings, as I’d like you to offer up the phrases.
I want to get some shout outs from all of you, as to what phrases you want me to take a swing at defining. If no one offers up a fresh one for me to work with, I shall simply pull one out of my brain and work with that, but I give you my word that I shall not cheat for my answers. Each Saturday morning I will give you a phrase, then my own definition, and from there I’ll let Google either confirm or refute my answer. Sound fair?
Well, it will have to be fair enough!
P.S. You’ve no idea how hard it was to get a photo of a horse, either in or around a gift. I won’t even try to explain how hilarious the pics turned out, when I asked the AI to give me a photo of a woman brushing a horses teeth… instead I’ll just show you!
Based on their horrific teeth, not to mention their malformed nostrils and severe underbites, I don’t think either of these horses would be very good gifts!
This prompt question is so easy, as I know what my job is currently, and I do indeed do it for free!
What is this job I speak of, or more accurately, write of? It’s this! I write, or in terms of a job, I blog. While I would do a great many things for free, if I had the resources to do so, this is the only one I can afford to engage in regularly!
While I don’t fully agree with the idea of everything we do, being reduced to the label of Job, I will say that I do what I do because I love to do it! Try saying that 10 times fast! I’ve spent years doing jobs, some for free and some for money, none of which has proved very fruitful, nor did anyone ever pat my back for it!
However one wants to look at my situation, I have the freedom to do what I do, simply for the approval of my God and the joy of hanging out in the Lobby with all of you guys and gals. I may not have the money to show for the things offered, but trust me when I tell you, I’m being rewarded 100 fold! So what if it isn’t green paper money falling out of my pockets! Giving away what’s been gifted to me, comes with such great kick backs, I’ve no need for seeking monetary reimbursement.
For anyone out there needing encouragement, to simply continue doing the free things they’re doing, just throw out that nasty ole Job word, and replace it with Act of Love. How differently, all of the answers to the prompt out on the feed might look, merely by swapping out one teeny, tiny word!
The barnyard was rather quiet when I arrived early this morning. No babes anywhere! While you might be concerned, I simply took it as an opportunity to get some work done, without a passel of fuzzballs climbing around in my office. Brutus and Tilly are usually corralling them somewhere or other, plying them with granola squares or other treats.
There was already a cup of steaming coffee, with my favorite creamer, resting beside my computer. That would be Squagon, as that tiny fella has enough energy and enthusiasm for the lot of us! He’s always the first one up in the mornings, and the toughest nut to get to sleep at night! I think he makes my coffee for me, just so that he can drink some of it while he’s preparing mine!
I sat down at my desk and picked up my cup to savor it’s aroma for a few moments. I’d barely begun to drink my coffee, when I heard a small disturbance, outside the window behind my desk. I lazily swiveled my chair around, to peek through the glass toward the direction of the sound. I could only see the tops of what looked like Tilly’s velvety ears. As I stood up and peered closer through the window, I could see her there, sitting on a bale of hay, quietly crying!
I immediately forgot about any sort of work I’d been planning to do, hastily setting my coffee down and headed for the back of the barn, where Tilly sat beneath my window. At first, as I knelt down in front of her, the mouse tried to put on a brave face. She weakly smiled, hiccupping through a tiny sob, and then completely fell apart! I picked her up in my arms and sat down on the hay with my tiny friend. Quietly, I waited for her sobs to subside, as there would be no point in asking questions amidst snuffles, blubbering and tears.
When Tilly gets upset, the best thing to do for her is to blow gently on the fur behind her ears; for some reason, it always calms the little mouse. So, for nearly five minutes I softly blew upon my little sensitive one… Tilly, like myself, tends to have a very gentle and emotional side. I know that when I’m upset or hurting, it takes me a bit of time to talk about how I’m feeling. I supposed that if she were like me at all, she simply needed a few moments to collect herself.
Finally, when the tears subsided, Tilly began to share the reason for her tears. You see, the reason it was so quiet in the barnyard this morning, was because all the babes were out in the back field building a fort. Tilly, being the big sister of things, had tried to guide them with ideas that would be fun but safe. But, being the babes of such adventurous renown, they’d not only rejected all her ideas but apparently, they kicked her out of the fort! Tilly was devastated!
Oh Boy! Ummm… how was I going to mend such a big ouchie? As I held my sad little friend, I chose my words carefully. The first thing I did was encourage Tilly, that I realized how much she tries to care for us all, here in the barn. I reassured her of the need for her wisdom and concern for our safety, requesting that she never quite trying to be who she was inside. This part was easy, as Tilly is sort of like a nanny to the babes, wanting nothing more than to be a mom herself one day. The encouragement was already beginning to work it’s magic!
Trying to undo harsh words, on the other hand, was going to take some effort! Rather than trying to defend something someone else did or said, I could only offer Tilly words of encouragement and advice on how to respond. I knew she felt sad at being left out, hurt by their words of rejection, and a bit angry that no one listened to her ideas. How was I supposed to undo all that?
I began to realize that I needed to encourage Tilly to forgive her young friends, and work it out with the ones involved! If I were to walk into the group with a solution, I’d be talking to myself! These were babes, with Tilly not being much older than the rest of them. Sure, I could break up the party and make everyone say the expected “I’m Sorry,” but it would NOT help in mending hurts! If I forced them to apologize, of course they would, but would it be heartfelt? Growing up into an adult mouse can be hard sometimes, and often confusing. All I could do was to share these thoughts with Tilly, in the hopes that she could be brave enough to go back out there and try again! Sometimes the hardest part of being the grown up, is letting others do their own growing up, without doing it for them.
Tilly must have understood enough of what I said, or perhaps she just felt better after I blew on her fur with love, because she began to visibly brighten. Wiping away her tears, the tiny mouse hopped up on my shoulder, kissed the tip of my chin, and was off like a shot toward the back field. All I can do now, is wait for the return of my crew of babes, to learn of how things went out at the fort. I love all the babes and so does Tilly! She’s a bright mouse, being way ahead of her young age. Santa saw this about her and he believed in her loving heart… and so do I!
Though my coffee is now cold, I’ll just reheat it. I’ve got work to do now that I’m back in my office. Whatever comes of things out back, I’ll be sure to update you when I know how things turned out with the babes. I assure you that it’s not the end of the world, as we’re a family, and a family works things out!
While I’m not one to regularly watch the Olympics, I would not be averse to watching any of their Equestrian events. Any of the Hunter/Jumper type events are always successful in getting my heart rate beating faster! If you’ve never cleared a bale of hay, astride your favorite horse, you haven’t lived!
I was riding horses before I left diapers, beginning as only a chubby little passenger. By the time I was 18, I could barrel race, jump and vault off a horses back! My spine is the truthteller, of how hard I rode and played upon the back of those enormous creatures. Spinal surgery in my mid 20’s ended my days of wild adventures. I now placate myself with watching others do what I too, once did! It’s enough, for me, to keep the memories of those riding days fresh in my mind.
I’ve enjoyed watching some of the ice skating, and some of the other winter sporting events, but not enough to write home about!
As I find myself walking along this river nearly every day, I couldn’t ask for a better landscape to travel through! The sights, sounds, and smells of the forest are such a gift, and I realize that not too many folks have the opportunity to spend this much time enjoying it. Too easily, I can find myself taking a thing for granted! I am often a creature of habit, settling into a thing that brings joy, to the point of just assuming it’ll faithfully be there to service my needs. Often writing about a thing, affords me the opportunity to remember how much value a thing can hold, if that makes any sense.
For some, living a busy life can bring with it the challenge of finding the time to rest, relax and/or play. For those who live more of a solitary existence, whether it be from circumstance or by choice, they face the challenge of keeping themselves busy enough to stay motivated. It is very easy for me to fall into the temptation of complacency; getting too comfortable in my spot, as I call it! I am a creature of habit, burrowing into a safe and comfortable place of existence and losing sight of things outside my view. At times I find myself more concerned with the steady routine of walking, than with the environment that is bringing me such fulfillment. Being a good writer requires that we keep a balance, of sorts, in how much time we spend going deeply inward, to focus on a subject. If one doesn’t come up for air, once in a while, we risk drowning in our own words!
I’ve a renewed desire to pursue and appreciate the world around me, even if it’s only in my local park or along my favorite riverside path. I’d like to take more pictures and videos of the things that bring me so much peace and tranquility, sharing them with the people I love; that’s you, by the way!
I have to say that this last weekend was an incredibly fulfilling experience for me, as I’ve been trying to seek God’s will and purpose in my life. Attempting to edit my book with integrity has been daunting, to say the least! I discovered that I’d been seeking my comfort zone, or my spot, in how I’d been shaping my work. I was asking God to guide me, but would still continue in my own direction of how I thought it should play out. I found myself stuck in only the third chapter, for nearly a month now. It wasn’t until I was walking along the river on Sunday, that I heard God call me out on it! He is so loving when He does so, I must say, and I heard Him loud and clear! Since then, editing has taken off and the book is falling together nicely.
The biggest issue I’ve been having, while editing this story, has been my concern with how much information is too much! I’ve got so many things to put in there, but not all of it belongs. If you get me started, I can talk or write for days on a thing, but that doesn’t mean it will all make sense or hold the value I think it might. When God tells me that a thing doesn’t belong, I’m finally learning to listen and not give Him a childish sales pitch, about what I think is best! Can you believe that I’ve actually been trying to do that? God knows my story better than I do, but I was actually trying to write it the way I wanted, not how it needs to be written. My story is supposed to bring love, healing and encouragement to others, so God is the only one who understands how it needs to be shared. By the time I’m done with the edit, I’m confident that it will be as God directed. Otherwise, it can just sit on the shelf! It wouldn’t be any good to anyone if I simply do it my way, as I’ve no idea what exactly is in my story that God wants to use, nor do I know who it’s intended for… that wasn’t part of the bargain!
My goals are to work the edit, one day at a time, til it’s done! From there, it belongs to God, along with whomever it’s intended to reach. I’m considering just releasing it live, in the lobby, once it’s complete. At this point, only God knows!
As writing is what I do, there are many different directions that I can take, in an effort to bring you more encouragement and love. Having so many choices can often be more of a hinderance than a help, so I thought I’d ask you guys and gals.
I know I don’t do politics, drama, or doom and gloom, but outside of that, I’m open to suggestions from my community. What would you enjoy reading more often? I could take more pictures of my trail walks, tell more of the antics going on in the Barnyard, or maybe do another Live Novel. I write so much already, I sometimes wonder if you get worn out, while trying to keep up with it all.
You are my community, like it or not, so if I can improve anyone’s life by writing things down here, I wish to make the utmost effort! All that I offer here should be positive, loving, and edifying; bringing good to those who read the words on the screen in front of them.
To assist in your selection of what to choose, I’ve offered some ideas:
A.) Fun
B.) Biblical History
C.) Antics
D.) My Journey
I’ve left some cookies below, so don’t eat the ones on the ground above… they’ve been sitting there for too long!
My husband suggested I start calling myself Wiwohka The Woodsy Wordpecker… and I like it… a lot!
Since Wednesday is being used for wordy things, I felt it a perfect fit, so I’ll be using that label, starting next week. If nothing else, it’ll be funny!
Today, I shall be pecking at you with some woodsy words of wisdom:
Yes, when a tree falls in the forest, it does in fact make noise! If a bear is pooping in the woods and you can hear it, you are way too close to the bear… you’re welcome!
I’m not sure which one goes before the other, adapting or surviving? Can one even allow those two things to exist in the same plane of thought?
When I think on all that went life interruptus, from the moment of the shut down, there isn’t a whole lot of adapting that went on. We lost our livelihood, our nest egg and our home, along with everything we could not carry, as the Sherriff stood at our door with an eviction notice!
Currently, we still exist within a 32 foot RV that has no working toilet or hot water. Again, is it adapting or surviving?
It’s difficult to assess whether there is much adapting mixed in with all the fear, distrust and hiding that continues to occur these days. I suppose the answer depends on how a person experienced things. Some got sick, while some died, and from this arose such a level of ugliness among humans toward one another… fear, distrust and outright hatred. Somehow, surviving in the wilderness, seems a safer bet than trying to adapt to such an unhappy society. If you are someone who experienced loss of any kind, due to Covid, using the word adapting seems almost like adding insult to injury!
I think that the word adapting seems far from fitting! I can thing of a number of other words to describe how people have handled Covid, like overcoming or healing, or even recovering. Has the world adapted yet, or does survival still seem like a better word?
Spring is in the air, from the sunshine to the smell of fresh cut grass. If one doesn’t watch out, they end up with Spring Fever!
I’ve got it bad!
I’m trying so hard to focus on writing, long enough to justify some free play time outside. It’s unbelievably distracting to have the blinds open, as my eyes keep wandering to the window instead of the computer screen. I can’t help it! Of late, I’ve been thinking about finishing the last part of my Acorn Valley series. I’m assuming it has a lot to do with all the young fat squirrels scampering about the park.
Just the other day, as I was walking along the path in my nearby park, a bold young squirrel began following along, looking for a peanut. As I reached into my pocket for his treat, I inadvertently spilled several peanuts onto the ground in front of him. You should have seen this little guy trying to carry three peanuts at once! He was tripping, and dropping them repeatedly, but not about to return any of his bootie! I had to just stand there watching him carry them off to his hidey-hole, giggling to myself the whole time. In truth, he reminded me of that squirrel from the movie, “Over The Hedge.”
Anyway, it’s not just the squirrels that are pulling at my attentions. Beside my trail along the river, the water is still rather high on its banks, offering up the sounds of water tumbling over boulders, as its carries on downstream. It’s rather intoxicating! I find myself daydreaming about this, instead of working on projects that call.
Well, there’s only one thing to do for this fever, and that’s to get out there and breath the fresh air. If I’m to break this fever without any medication, I must engage in full on frolicking and picture taking. The photos are actually just a way to prove that I frolicked. I don’t want you to think I’m making this stuff up. Spring Fever is real folks!
If you are having any symptoms that are similar to the ones I described, you too may be suffering from this fever. Just follow my instructions and get your frolic on, as fast as you can. Trust in the process and it’ll bring you much pleasure and relief from any pesky symptoms.
Journey With Me! 