This Morning

Inside, I'm making Go-Gurt, Goat Milk Yogurt, in the Kitchen.  Sweetheart is assembling our new bee hives in the Living Room.  The boys are playing everywhere and the girl is napping.  Looking forward to sampling the Firecracker Carrots I made last night and putting together Chicken Pot Pie for dinner, though I may change that to Calzones with some of the ricotta I made from Bella's milk. 
Joining in at Barn Hop as well!

Resting Time

"Mom, the girls out are and they're walking down the street.  They're not supposed to do that."-Pumpkin
"What girls?"  I asked, thinking he should be in bed, not staring out the window.
"The goats."
I can still run fast.  And goats are (luckily) a lot easier to catch than chickens!)

Bird Brain

That's me.  Picked up the box of chickens from the neighbors' house last night.  We'd been told there would be 11-12 originally.  Then seven.  Then six.  Apparently one didn't make the journey to their house and they decided to keep more than they originally wanted.  No problem.

We put them in the pen in the barn last night and all was fine when I went to milk Bella this morning.  I decided to be nice and clean up some of the mess they had made, shutting the door, but not latching it as I was inside.

Yup,  they got out.  Luckily, I had already put Bella and Eve into their outside pen or I imagine it would have been worse.  Somehow.  Chickens squawking!!  Feathers flying!! And one apparently made it out of the picturesque window Bella enjoys looking out of that Sweetheart removed to fix.


Bedlam ensued.

By the time it was all said and done, I got five back in the pen.  Some swearing may have occurred in the process.

Where is number six?  Who knows.  I went walking around a bit looking and met a new neighbor who is probably still laughing at me.  She may still be hiding somewhere in the barn for all I know.  The chicken, not the neighbor.

The rest of them are just lucky I already have meat for dinner, or it might have all ended differently...

Go visit Farm Friend Friday for more adventures...

Meet the Girls!

Meet Bella.

 She makes the Barn more charming, don't you think?

This is Eve.

I milk her. Crazy.  From City Girl to Milk Maid in just a few short months. 

Use vs. Value

I read the devotion the other morning in My Utmost for His Highest and my mind keeps going back to a certain thought from it.

"We should quit asking ourselves, 'Am I of any use?'
and accept the truth that we are really not of much use to Him.
The issue is never of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself.
Once we are totally surrendered to God, He will work through us all the time."

How many of us get our feelings of worth from doing? I feel the day has been a success if I can mark off all the things off of my To Do List.

How often does that happen? I mean really. I put so much on that thing that I'll be dead before I'm done! You, too?

So does that mean I am not successful/useful, and if I am not successful am I a failure and therefore worthless? Ah, the endless American striving! The finding of our identity by what we do: I am (was) a teacher. A title, an accomplishment, something we can understand and even value. It's often the first question we ask of a new acquaintance. So, what do you do?

But, what if we would could just totally stop. Not just for our own selves, but for each person with whom we come in contact. Stop and see the VALUE of the person as One He Loves, not for What They Do. What a freeing thought! He does the needed work through us anyway.

*******

On a totally different note, let's talk goats. (See, told you it was different.) I want some, and now is the time of year to start looking and buying. I want them mainly for milk. (Not of course, simply for what they do, smile here in light of the last few paragraphs, but come on, it's a goat.) I like what I've read about Nubians. It is, I am sure, influenced by how darn cute they are as well. Just being honest here.

Most of our neighbors have goats and use (!) them for a variety of purposes: milk, meat, pack animals, lawn mowers, etc. For those of you lovely ladies (and maybe one of the two guys that read this blog) who have goats--please share. What kind do you have? What are the pros and cons of the different breeds you are familiar with? What should I know before I start this? I've read several books, but I want to hear what you think!