Past 27 Days In A Nut Shell

Actually it would be really hard to put all that has happened in the past 27 day into a nut shell!  However, we have been busy.  Nick turned 26 on the 11th, Rachael turned 21 on the 15th, Becky and Mike have been busy planning their wedding.  Nick and Michelle got engaged with the wedding to be the month after Becky and Mike and Rachael took off for Vegas exactly 7 days after her birthday (by the way, she is having the time of her life and has asked if we could all go back next year as a family).  My youngest brother and his wife brought 2 beautiful boys into the world two days after Rachael's birthday.  They were able to claim their own day even with all of the other July birthdays we have in our family.

I have been busy with work and family and then found out last week we had 5 new tenants living on our property.  Aunt Diane called me out into the backyard and this is what we saw:

Do you see the two on the ground?  One under the wagon and the other just in front of it?  There is a gray one sitting on top of the burner next to the wagon.

 See the fourth little gray one on top of the shed?  This one is Christian and I will tell you why in a bit.

Well, there were four little kittens running around our back yard under and over the shed.  Up and down the trees and fencing chasing each other.  They were having the time of their life.  I guessed that they were about 2-3 months old.  2 orange tabbies and 2 gray tabbies.  My wonderful husband brought out his live traps and over the next 4 days we were able to catch 3 of the kittens and the little mother (she was only about 7 or  months old herself).  After a little leg work and research on my Aunt"s and Mother's part, we found that our local Humane Society has a program called TNR, or Trap, neuter and release for no charge.  It is solely funded on donations.  So, that is what we did.  I picked up the 3 kittens and their mother yesterday and the little ones are feisty.  Mama is resting in her own carrier but inside the Kittie kennel that my Aunt has out on her back patio.  We will be releasing them back into their environment tomorrow.  Perhaps they will hang around, perhaps they will run as fast as they can from us.  At least they will not be producing a bunch of Ferrell kitties themselves. 

So, why is the one on top of the shed named Christian when I did not name any of the others?  Well he/she is the sly one.  Has not been able to be caught yet.  I got a pretty good look at him/her up close and the coat is many shades of gray.  Hence the sly, many shades of gray Christian.  If you do not get it, then go to Nook or Amazon and buy and download the 3 book series 50 Shades of Grey.

Moving on......I have been very slow on getting the Cranberry Wine started for Becky's Wedding.  Sunday, we went to the local grocer and discovered that the cranberry concentrate that I use was on sale 10 for $10.  bought 25 cans and guess what...

Yes, I know, it is cutting it close.  I have been able to make the Cranberry in 2 months or less so, keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer.  As I was making this yesterday I kept running through my head how Jesus turned water into wine his cousins wedding party when they ran out and I believe in my heart that God will not fail me with this.  Cranberry always is fast and tastes the best without having to age it.  It is fermenting away today!  Yahoo!!!

We had a little bit of rain last night.  The drought has been brutal but my garden has produced one zucchini and about 5 cucumbers.  Larry make sures that it stays watered.  Brian and Nick ate my first cucumber up without sharing a bite.  They felt bad (I bet) so they told me that it was not really that good.  I shared the second and third with them.  I have many hot peppers that need to be picked and we have had a few green beans which Brian and the big kids like to eat raw. 

The little bit of rain we had last night got the ground wet and made a lot of noise but I do not think that it did much for the plants and grass.  A friend called me last week and told me she was going to do a rain dance that night.  Guess what I saw on my way into work the next day...

 Yes, that is rain on my car windows.  I sent her a text and told her it work!  However, it only gave our dry ground a sweet kiss of moisture and was gone and just a memory like the real sweet kiss from the one you love.  Perhaps it was a kiss from God.

So, this is my parting comments......

1. I wish that I lived out in the country and the only work I had to do was the work to sustain a way of self reliant living.  But, I am thankful that regardless of where I live we are able to make a living and provide for ourselves what we need.

2.  I wish that the physical pain I live with would just disappear.  But, I am thankful that I am able to get out of bed and walk on my own everyday.

3.  I wish all of the hurtful things that the people of this world say and do to each other every day would turn into loving acts of kindness.  However, I am thankful that those that are near to me and really truly love me are in my life on pretty much a daily basis.  They say blood is thicker then water.  When it comes to science, yes it is.  When it come to real-life and love, it is not.  It is the people that do and give to you to make you feel loved and worthwhile and do not expect anything in return that really are your family. 

4.  God asks us to pray for only one group of people in our lives, it is our enemies......I pray for those people but, I pray for all the others in my life also that are good and kind.

5.  With everything happening behind the scenes in my life that I do not put out there for the public, I pray that I continue to find the WISDOM TO BREATH and pray that you all do too.