Texas Cattle Ranching & Scrapbooking

Texas Wild Fires

2011-09-08T09:54:00.005-05:00

I suppose one might ask why I have this layout with this title. We are attending a Southwest Lowline Angus Breeders Assoc. Field Day just south of Paige Texas in 2009 at a breeder who live on Hwy 21. I finally got hold of this breeder yesterday because I had a feeling they were way to close to the Bastrop Complex fire. As the breeder told me, 'If you could see the photos I took right before we evacuated, you would not understand how our house didn't burn.' Fortunately her cattle are ok, too. As of yesterday they are still not allowed back in to care for the cattle. Yet she has a friend who is allowed access and is feeding and watering her cattle for her.

This past weekend I watched as fires popped up around us. I fear this will be the norm and not occasional occurrence through October. It's stressful! Texas Forest gives daily updates HERE. The map showing current fires is HERE. The closest fire to me is the Limestone 481 and is 95% contained with 3000 acres burned for the past two days. It started due to an electrical line malfunction due to high winds on Sept. 4th. We decided to try to start a green space around barn and home. I just hope the soil temperature has gone down enough for seed to sprout. As of this morning I am also watching my neighbors house as he's in the hospital after having six bypasses.

I ask a favor from you should you read this post. Please pray for our state. At the same time I have sent prayers this morning for those being affected by more floods in the NE and wish you will do the same.

As for the inspiration on this layout. This was the layout I created in April as part of my application to My Scraps and More Design Team back in April. This was the first design team I applied for and I just love the community. I didn't make the team, but I look forward to applying to be on more design teams.

Praying for Rain & Cooler Weather

2011-07-16T10:34:00.001-05:00

It's mid July and the heat and drought is on and today will make 16 days in a row above 100 and over 30 days above 100 for this year. If only the high pressure would break over Texas! I pray for rain right now. Dreaming of fall right now makes the hot horrid temperatures seems to allow each day to drag on and on. I thought this writing this post might make me at least feel cooler. Winter....I love the cooler temperatures, I just don't like February in Central Texas. We get our worst weather during this month. I love the clear blue skies so representative of a blue norther coming through. The air crisp and clean! At night living a rural life allows one to see the Milky Way in no other way one can see it in an urban life. I love these photos, they represent what we need to do during the summer as cattle producers to take our cattle through the winter. The other picture looks up the hill from my neighbors ranch to ours. The tree line in the distance is a lease pasture we have which borders our ranch. I wouldn't trade living right where I am for anything in the world. I repeat that sentence over and over and over. I will not ever stop either!

Mothers

2011-07-15T07:45:00.002-05:00

On the heals of my rant yesterday..... I thought I would write about Mothers!!! I love being 'MOM!' I can still hear..... 'Awe Mom!' Now I smile, sometimes wishing I still had teenagers in the house. I never wanted children until I met the man of my dreams. About eight weeks after Lynn was born I told Larry, 'I want six!' Yep, six and I got.... "The Look!" Except inheriting my father's analytical brain logic set in. I wanted two, or in my case I had this extreme urge to give my husband a son. Well the son came as child number two. And the teenage thing, I couldn't wait until my kids were teenagers! Ok, think I'm nuts! Teenagers are wonderful, they see the world with optimism, enthusiasm, and haven't been jaded by life experiences in the way this 50 year old has. Our two routinely got the question, 'Why do you want to spend time with your parents?' Or I routinely heard from their friends and still do as well as my kids, 'Your parents are cool!' Are we? I don't think so, we have just always treated teenagers with the same kind of respect that we expect out of an adult. We also have listened to what they have to say and validated their opinions. They are human after all.

My mother was a positive influence as were all three of my grandmother's of which one was not a mother. I'll let you ponder that one. There comes a time when the kids become grown and your roll changes yet again. My aunt put it right, there are stages to life and they repeat. I share the following layout with you from my wedding pictures. A short two years later my aunt shared that little jewel about life's stages. Now twenty five years later I will at some point get to this stage or I'm in this stage waiting for my children to find the right person to spend their life with. Their friends are starting to marry. And God willing I will see this stage again as a grandmother. I present a quiet time with my mother:

'nuff said....

Children....Let Them Make Choices

2011-07-14T08:36:00.004-05:00

My family.....they mean the world to me! Including our precious Paige sometimes called Paigee Poopers, Paiger's, etc. I read a blog this morning which struck me as odd. Or at least to me odd, as my idea of choices I allowed my children to make were very different. I have often been asked how I have two well adjusted young adult children. Both Lynn and James have given me insight into our parenting skills with them as children. Lynn recently made a statement which made me think. 'No, Lynn we never had a big discussion on parenting between us.' I remember telling Larry when I was pregnant with Lynn our oldest child, 'If we are worried about length or color of hair we are worrying about the wrong thing.' Larry was like, 'If we have a son he's not coming home with long hair or colored.' I know I must have given him what he always has termed, "The Look!" And sure enough when James was in 6th grade he came home with short hair and the style of the time was blond along the top. Not a peep out of Larry. LOL...I think the hair thing was the biggest discussion we ever had on parenting. Parenting discussions between us were more on the line of one or two sentences in passing.

I have always wondered how a parent can with a child of six years of age decide the birthday party is a certain way without consulting the child. The subject of a blog I read today. Now was this really how it went down? I have no idea. Lynn and James have both told us we taught them how to make choices and always explained the "why" to a decision we made. I hated being told as a child, "Because I told you so!" I can remember a handful of times those words came out of my mouth from an exasperated parent with young children in late afternoon. And each time I felt I failed. I would then sit down and explain why I told them so.

Choices....I see more children raised who don't know how to make choices. Hello parents, children have a brain!!! They are more then capable of making choices starting at a very young age. Choices should always be age appropriate and if your controlling choices they are perfectly capable of making.....good luck down the road. The ones I remember giving my children at a young age were on hair and clothes. No a two year old can't go shopping for clothes. But you can pick out two outfits and ask the child which one they want. A very simple choice and the start of boundaries being set. Yeah....they only got one! Or in the case of Lynn, she was two years old by time she had enough hair to cut. I absolutely dreaded the first trip to get a haircut. I hated seeing kids scream bloody murder while mother's thought it was so cute. So I made this big to do about Mommy and Lynn going to get a haircut and looking so pretty when we were done. I started two days ahead of time. When we got to the salon, she was able to watch Mommy get her hair washed and cut. Lynn was fascinated....and there was my two year old watching the whole process without running all over the salon. I was stunned she was so interested for the 45 minutes it took to get me through the haircut process. After my cut I pulled a magazine out and sat with Lynn. I quickly found two pictures side by side. Do you want long hair or short hair pointing to the pictures. She pointed to long hair. Now it was her turn. What fun she had getting her hair washed like Mommy and then to sit in the chair so still watching her hair being cut in the mirror. Not a peep, not a whine! Every female in the salon sat with open mouth wondering how my child in the middle of her first haircut was not screaming. uhhh ya think! She had a say in her haircut. Even when Dad took James for his first haircut, he showed him two pictures and he watched Dad get a cut, I guess modeling after my success with Lynn. James came home with a buzz and a huge grin at age of early two. Out of ear shot Larry told me James never uttered a sound. Again every man in the barber shop wondering with open mouth......again ya think.

Lynn is 22 and we are just talking on the phone. Exactly what we were talking about I don't remember except for one sentence. 'Mom we never had a curfew.' Lynn ended up saying, Mom are you there?' 'Yes, sweetie, just deep in thought.' She was right, they never had a curfew. You might be thinking we were nuts. My response is why give a child a set in stone curfew when they show you time and time again they can be responsible? When does that start for kids, certainly not when they are teenagers. It starts the moment two people decide to be parents. It is your job and responsibility to MAKE SURE you raise well adjusted kids. It's not the grandparents, your neighbors, the school, or government. It is YOU who is responsible!

So the birthday party's in life. Have your child help you plan his or her party within your budget. Remember teaching boundaries are important, too! This was a comment a child made to me recently, 'If my Mom was here, you wouldn't believe the amount of money she would spend.' And this came out of the mouth of a 11 year old. Aghhh....no wonder your parents are having problems. Does Mom know boundaries? This clued me in to listening more to this child. And sass her father, she did on more then one occasion. Katy bar the door, sassing anyone whether child or adult was never allowed by Larry in our household or in public and still isn't. I would hate to be the parent of this youngster in another two years. Those big huge birthday's which are extravagant....that's a whole other post I could rant about. Above all enjoy the time with your children....they grow up way to fast!!!

I'm so excited!!!

2011-07-08T09:51:00.007-05:00

Oh, my gosh!!!! I was floating on air Thursday evening after I received a comment to my post on Thursday. Earlier this week Nikki Sivils offered all five of her Fall lines to someone who left a comment and linked the post to their blog. Of course she included Facebook and Twitter, too. Julie asked if she could use my layout for the monthly post "Showcase On You." There's a first time for everything and this is the first time a layout of mine has been requested to be use by a manufacturer of scrappy goodness! I literally did a happy dance. Thank you so much Julie and Nikki for this opportunity and for all of the wonderful products you provide us!!! Again, best wishes for a successful Summer CHA!!!!

Wink and nod.....it's not a picture of my Mom....it's a picture of me that my daughter took 2 years ago when I received my Nikon D40 for my Mother's Day!!! She got to play with it first....lol!!! She plays with the camera every chance she gets! It's ok....it is all about the thought that counts and my mother is a beautiful woman so Julie has honored me beyond measure!

This Month's A Cherry On Top GCT!

2011-07-08T07:45:00.000-05:00

I've been so busy the first four days of the month with cattle and the TJLA Belt Buckle Bonanza I totally let it slide to post I was chosen last month to be this month's A Cherry on Top's July Creative Team Guest!

Wow!!! To date it has been a wonderful experience! Thank you ACOT, the Creative Team and bluejeans7 (Guest Creative Team Coordinator)!!! I am having so much fun! I was treated to some fantastic products from K&Co Abrianna line. I had to complete three layouts with my products and I had a huge amount left over so I'll have many more layouts to do into the future! My first layout is to the left of this paragraph. I'll post the next two in future posts!

There is always something fun going on the Message Board at ACOT! There is a whole bunch of challenges each month to keep your creative juices flowing if your into any type of paper crafting! One of my favorite challenges each month is the Scraplift the GCT. Of course this month they are lifting one of my layouts. But last month I scrap lifted meteechtap and I just loved her layout and how my lift turned out at right.

Come over and join us for a rocking good time at A Cherry on Top with the greatest ladies on the web!!!

Nikki Sivils Summer CHA Sneak Peeks

2011-07-07T15:55:00.008-05:00

This past week for the My Scraps and More Got Talent Challenge #5 we had to scrap a picture of oneself. Hah!!!! ....my printer went kaput this past weekend which meant I had no access to scan some photos of me my grandmother had. It took me a full forty-five minutes to find a photo of me. I knew just the papers I would pull to do the layout! And with a little help from Page Maps July Maps this is my creation!

This is Nikki Sivils first line of papers, My Sweet Cherry Pie, back in 2009 if I remember right. Since then I've collected papers from another four or five lines. Nikki Sivils holds a very special place in my heart when it comes to her designs. First she incorporates animals and presents them in very unique ways. Second she uses some species that any other designer wouldn't use....like skunks. Had to have some of them, too! And third her style is so totally unique I feel at home even though the colors are not often ones I scrap with. Finally fourth....the papers and embellishments are just plain fun to work with!

Nikki Sivils, Scrapbooker, on her blog yesterday she introduced her CHA Sneaks....and as usual I'm drooling. MUST HAVE You're A Hoot!!! I can see myself scraping photos of Papa Red with this line. It's such a treat to see all five lines I can fully love and want!!! I can't even do that with my long time favorite company Basic Grey and their Summer CHA lines. Nikki you completely outdid yourself this time!!!! I can not wait until they hit my favorite online stores or Photolicious in Buffalo, TX. While your at it, you can go straight to her blog post yesterday from the linked, Nikki Sivils Scrapbooker, and leave a comment on her blog and maybe just maybe win all five lines!!! Whoop....thank you Nikki!!!

Congrats Nikki!!! I love love your 2011 Fall Lines!!!!

I Didn't Sign Up for Beef Trim

2011-06-27T23:12:00.005-05:00

Beef Trim.... I had a tirade over beef trim this past Saturday. Sadly we have none of our own beef in the freezer. And it showed when my poor husband made the statement and echoed by his cousin.... 'EXCELLENT STEW!' Poor husband got a tirade over stew meat. 'I'm done with stew meat having become beef trim, if I wanted trim I would have purchased bologna thank you very much!' Stew meat looks like this on a wonderful little blog called The Life of a Wife:

Pieces of Stew Meat are suppose to look like this. What in the world has changed in the last two years since Mrs. Bowles has made this fab looking Sunday Stew and the stew meat I purchased at HEB in Mexia this past Friday. The pieces were a 1/3 of that size and tough as nails. It's not just at HEB either, Brookshire's is the same way as is Kroger. I didn't sign up for beef trim Mr. Grocer as stew meat. So HEB and Brookshire's I'm headed to Stephens Grocery this Friday to pick up some real stew meat to make that fab stew for Poor Dear Husband. By the way Sweetie, thank you for telling me the stew was just as good today for lunch! Made my day!

Just a reminder to self, I'm bookmarking Mrs. Bowles', The Life of a Wife, to get some of those fab recipes with delectable looking dishes she is creating in her kitchen! Link to that fab picture above and the recipe! Life is fun when your searching for a picture and you find a blog as a jewel in a haystack. Jewel sounded better then needle! ;-) Thank you Mrs. Bowles!

Bumble Bee

2011-06-23T19:20:00.004-05:00

If you have not checked out the store over at My Scraps and More and the FAB Gallery it is must visit site and community to become involved in. Going on right now is the My Scraps Talent Contest!!! Fun Fun Fun!!! We are ending the third week tonight with five more to go. Even though you won't be eligible for the Talent Contest Prize there is a little prize awarded each week. Week 3 of the Contest was AWESOME! You can check it out on the thread here!

I had an absolute ball stepping totally out of my zone!!! A 2fer layout which required the use of two separate companies papers that don't match together. Talk about having to think. I have never fussy cut for a layout like I did this one. I have never done a seven photo layout and had to find a sketch to do the challenge. I used Page Maps sketch from p. 47. And this was my creation:

To find out more about this layout you just have to visit the link to the challenge above. Then scroll through the thread to find my layout. Hey, I just want you to see how fantastic this community is!!!

Predators in My Life

2011-06-09T09:23:00.004-05:00

Following some of the friends I've made online in Agriculture a post on a Hunting Blog reminds me that life on a ranch is not always a friendly place to be. Please be warned there are graphic images.

Wolves Kill Prized Quarter Horse

We are fortunate we don't have wolves in our area of Texas. But we do have coyotes and mountain lions or cougars. They are the same species just different terminology. We have two donkeys in the pasture with the cattle to help protect calves. The really sad part as the drought deepens here, the chance of coyotes hunting in packs increases as their prey decreases. Their most common prey is rabbit and other small mammals in our area.

Yet, coyotes are opportunistic hunters and your pet dog can become a meal. Puppies in an yard are their favorite because they can lure them away from a home. Coyotes have learned to be leery of humans. When one has an experience that coyotes will not always remain out of a human's way, you begin to reevaluate your status on the food chain. We are only at the top of the food chain because of our brain in relation to other animals.

Top of the Food Chain came in full view earlier this spring as I watch unfold before me the cruelty of my environment play out in front of me. To become part of a coyote hunting it's prey was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. The prey, our beloved German Shorthair Pointer Belle. I'm just glad I was there to remind the coyote he should be leery of humans. At the same time my biggest regret was I never had a clear shot and when I did he was out of range. I could have been the one the coyote was after, to think differently is just plain stupid on any human's part.

Fashion: Hats!

2011-04-07T23:55:00.001-05:00

I am often stunned by papers by various companies who supply all those wonderful goodies we use in scrapping. Graphic 45 routinely has provided that "I WANT, I WANT!" desire. Yet for at least 2 1/2 years I've refused to buy because I didn't know what to do with such beautiful vintage papers which is pure artwork!!! I finally said I'm getting some because they are perfect for the photos I have to scrap of family. This was for the Heritage Challenge at ACOT in March. You had to scrap a Heritage photo with hats. My grandmother was definitely a hat person. She wore them ALL of the time. She was most comfortable when out and about wearing a hat. The picture is difficult to see, but it is my grandmother and aunt arriving at the Onteora Club up in the Catskills in approximately 1932 from what my grandmother wrote on the back. And yes, Onteora Club still exists today. And of course both were wearing hats. This was a tough layout for me. I must have played with the elements for an hour before I was able to start adhering everything to the page. I loved the way it turned out, my grandmother would have loved this page. She then would have reminded me I need to wear something other then jeans, 'Ladies belong in dresses, Kim.' She's 100% right, but not when your working with your horses or cattle.

Amigo

2011-04-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

I kind of laugh at this layout! This is a layout I totally dislike, not one thing to I like about it. In my opinion I used "ugly" paper to build on. Taken in the front of my Houston area home. My neighbor John was moving to a retirement community in Arizona. Pictures were needed of Amigo to allow for her to move with her best friend. Yes, I typed it right. Amigo is a she and not a he. I know, I know John gave her a male name. I asked John when we had been neighbors about a year. He replied, 'I know!' I smiled. These pictures were then emailed. Laurie is shown with her dog Angel. And one of our dogs Cis-quo was sitting next to me while I took the picture.

I received eight comments on this layout....as all of my work can be seen in ACOT's gallery. I still don't know why?????

2011 Houston Livestock Show & Star of Texas Livestock Show

2011-03-25T08:22:00.000-05:00

Eight days on the road with cattle for two livestock shows back to back isn't just hard on the animals but the owners, too! Everyone is tired tired when you load for home. Being 50 something in age makes it really tough compared to years ago, but even our daughter Lynn was worn out! It's so much fun though to be around all your friends within the breed your showing. These shows allow us to talk cattle, share ideas on one's breed, and just plain have fun.

I've been home almost a week as I write this post. We did well in selling embryos and a Half-blood Lowline. We also had good shows with our animals. FJL General Beauregard won Senior Bull Calf Division Champion in both shows beating the reigning National Senior Bull Division Champion. We did not attend the National Show in Denver this year. I have not ordered his photo as of this date. A heifer we have out on lease to a junior to show her did a bang up job at HLSR and took the Reserve Grand Champion Heifer. Here is Sunset Vicky 913W (Bar J Tequila x SC Victoria S11 12J) winning photo. She was not shown at Star of Texas because Andrew was showing his Beef Master heifer at HLSR.

There were two bulls Larry really liked in the sale. One just went for more then Larry thought he was worth. Larry did purchase the other bull who is a maternal half brother to Vicky, MRG Black Jack. He is sired by the hottest sire in the country right now, Yarra Ranges Jackaroo. We look forward to continue showing this bull who won his class in each show.

Perfect Scrapbook Line

2011-03-24T14:20:00.002-05:00

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels a particular line of scrapbook papers hits the market and you think it was made for a photo you have to scrap. This was true of October Afternoon's Modern Homemaker released last fall. As soon as it hit ACOT's store I snapped the entire line up. My grandmother was Equipment Editor for American Home Magazine in the late '40's and up until she married Papa Red in 1958 and moved from New York City to just north of Wilmington, NC. In this photo she was obviously out having fun away from work in Atlantic City and her friend signed the photo.

She was attending the American Gas Assoc. Convention in 1950. I don't know who her friend was but I suspect it was a co-worker. Their fun along the boardwalk must have been really special as there was a push pin hole in the top of the photo. I can imagine it was pinned on something near her desk at work. And as you can tell from the papers and embellishments, Modern Woman was absolutely perfect for this photo for fun and the time period. Thank you October Afternoon! I also used this layout to enter the March 2011 ACOT Scraplift the GCT Challenge! The Guest Creative Team member is aceason. Make sure you check out her reveal using Best Creation's Travel Forever line at ACOT, it is wonderful.

2011 ACOT Winter Crop

2011-03-23T10:34:00.001-05:00

I was so busy late Feb. & early March I just didn't have time to post what I was working on in my scrapping. I'm also catching up on posts of those creations now.

I joined ACOT's scrapping community a couple of years ago and I've been a devoted participant and customer since then. I have been so inspired by all of the Creative Team and loving community. A few months after I signed up I went back and saw an annoucement about the up coming NSD Crop in 2009 on the upcoming weekend. Needless to say my first online crop was kind of confusing to say the least. But I became hooked!!! I mean really hooked. I've not missed one since. Some I've gotten the present to be left alone for the weekend and then other times I've had to peek in and out with chores at the ranch. This crop was one of those with very little time! I completed two Fast Scraps and one Challenge. I also played a few games along the way.

The first one was to make a bookmark. And typical of me in a hurry to complete in an hour I didn't totally grasp the rules for the bookmark. I was suppose to personalize it. Whoops! But I think I will use it on one of my wedding album layouts!

The next Fast Scrap was to alter a can. I had the perfect coffee can for the job. Karenscraps gave me the idea to make a piggy bank for my husband to place his spare change in......and of course make it a piggy bank for me to buy more scrap goodies from you guessed it ACOT, LOL! I'm actually still not done with it! Gotta love using only scraps for these fun challenges!

I would have loved to have had time to work on more of the challenges for the crop as they were some of the best challenges ACOT Creative Team has put together for a crop. I was to draw inspiration from the posted collage for Challenge #2. A number of ladies drew their inspiration directly from the photo and did a blocked layout. I saw the birds on the tea cups, the ferris wheel and the clock. I had been working on heritage layouts and it brought me back in time to feeding the birds everyday with my grandmother. Funny how what grandmother's do tend to stay with someone. I love feeding birds at the ranch whether it is my chickens who bug me at feeding time and have a tendency to follow me around anyway or sitting on the porch and watching the finches and hummingbirds feeding on the feeders. In fact two nights ago we had sandwiches for dinner, a make your own night. James made his then stated matter of factly that a sandwich only tastes good when cut in triangles....LOL! My mother and his great-grandmother would do this for the kids when they were little. I would do it when they were sick and make butterflies with the triangles. And of course in this layout is James and Lynn's great-grandmother. I've known for years when I become a grandmother those beautiful butterfly sandwiches will grace my grandchildren's plate.

Years Together

2011-03-22T01:49:00.003-05:00

I've loved loved the new lines since last summer from numerous companies. I wish I had double my scrap budget so I could buy all the lines I have fallen in love with. I kinda of shied away from Cosmo Cricket, Crate Paper and Pink Paisley the last couple of years. Their lines didn't fit me until Crate Paper Restoration came out. One of those have to have with all the family photos my mother handed me. I thought this line was perfect for scrapping this photo of my mother's fraternal grandparents taken I'm guessing in 1930's.

This was my layout into Heritage Challenge over at ACOT.

Happiness is......

2011-02-28T15:05:00.000-06:00

What makes you happy?

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.

~ Margaret Young ~

Most of you might think I'm nuts to love ranching so much. The job day to day is never the same. Sometimes the sorrow weighs so heavy you don't think you can go on, but the simple joys that happen make all the dirt, grime, physical labor and sorrow over fighting with an animal for their life keep you moving forward.

I've always said to myself and family, "Being on a farm would make my life complete." Hmmmm....two major crisis in our marriage and several minor ones made me realize happiness to me would come from within me first. And trust me those major ones would have caused most marriages to break up. Ours didn't. It didn't matter if it was something I wanted, had and didn't want or just a dream, none of those things would make me a happy person. I found I was responsible for my happiness, no one or not a single thing could make me happy. I worked happiness in reverse. When both of us became happy people inside of ourselves, our marriage and the ranch came to be. Now I live my dream, not my happiness. Now my husband lives his dream, not his happiness.

Today's simple joy at the ranch. Miss FJL Prissy is just over 60 days bred! She'll be on the trailer for the Houston Livestock Show and Star of Texas Livestock Show.

Facing Fear

2011-02-22T13:41:00.002-06:00

Sometimes life hands you a challenge that raises an interesting fear of that challenge. When I started to scrap, my mother handed me all of the family photos. Including going back into the late 1880's. Scrapping these photos sent fear just pulsating through my body. Then came this month's ACOT Contest "Read All About It". I finally had a reason to do a layout using some of the photos. If you want to read more about my layout you can visit here.

I just love how it turned out and now I'm motivated to really get going on my Genealogy Albums. Sometimes we just have to face your fears to conquer them!

Inspire

2011-02-19T18:17:00.001-06:00

I have really been into one word titles for my layouts and this is no exception to that seemingly unwritten rule I have of late. From my wedding, the photo of the men in my life until I met Larry who had and still do provide me a great amount of Inspiration. I am Blessed Beyond Measure! My Dad a very blessed father flanked by my two brothers. Dad has since gone to be with the Lord. I don't get to see my brothers as much as I would like. Ranching can do that to you! It's even harder to get away when you only see your husband on weekends.

I am so delighted as Larry and I will celebrate our Silver Anniversary this year! It gives me a whole different perspective on looking back as I scrap our wedding photos.

Speaking of Inspiration, check out the sketch this week (Sketch 225) over at Pencil Lines! Thank you for allowing me to play along this week! The design team is amazing and so creative! If your just a tad bit thinking about trying for a Design Team, then they have a call out right now for their new design team! Would be so much fun. No, I'm not trying out for it....have too much on my plate. Maybe next year.

As always ACOT has a hand in this layout, too!!! It is the February Theme Challenge!

Grandparents

2011-02-16T14:52:00.004-06:00

1962.....a visit from Papa and Dee-Dee! I love this photo! It's that expression my grandfather would have on his face when he found something amusing!

I borrowed this sketch from the 2009 52 Sketches...52 Weeks #29. All those cuts to get them just right for the rounded corners! Gotta love my Creative Memories Patterns.

As I kept looking at the date of the photo on the bottom I had a sudden block. Some of the younger ladies would see this as a heritage layout. Well not me....I'm neither heritage or vintage yet, LOL! So I found this really cool site trying to find colors to match the time period. Early '60's were very different from the late '60's in colors. I have clearer memories of the late '60's, as I was only 18 months when this photo was taken. Need help with colors then visit Ugly House Photos. I love traveling back in time! Might be ugly by today's standards when you look at the '60's houses, but I don't think so! I picked out Lily Bee Design Lovely papers to do this layout! I love how it turned out.

Also my entry into the ACOT Feb. One Word Challenge! Come join in on the fun!

What's a Farm Without a CAT!!!

2011-02-16T14:30:00.002-06:00

Whenever I think of a farm cat I think of a Dairyman squirting the milk from a dairy cow right into the cat's mouth. Cliche....you bet! But honestly a farm without a cat just isn't a farm. So meet our farm cat who has two homes, mine and our neighbors!

And who said one could not use Halloween Paper for just a layout of your cat! Thanks to My Mind's Eye for this great paper to highlight "Cat"!? Yep, that's his name!

Thought I would share a link to a group on Facebook!!! Want to see some ooogly papers (ugly)!? Have a laugh or two? Great page!!! Scrap-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Scrapbook Creations Group

Ibn Zubaydahh aka Zuby

2011-02-08T08:49:00.000-06:00

At it again to scrap our family's Arabian horses. If you have followed I've done several layouts of Zuby's dam, Zubaydahh. This is her youngest son Ibn Zubaydahh. Although a chestnut his personality, the conformation of his face and his nuisances are his mother's. He's a Tammen son.

My entry into the ACOT February Scrap you Life Challenge. This month was to scrap the simple things in your life. For me I have those simple things happen each and every day with my animals. Some of those wonderful simple moments last but minutes when you have spent hours upon hours of work leading up to the moments which last a lifetime in your mind. Thank you Zuby, for making my life full of those wonderful moments we spent in the ring together when you were a younster. I still love many years later love watching you and your friend Bogart trot across the pasture with heads up and tails curled. The Arabian horse, to be owned by one is a treasure to hold for a lifetime!

Sir Lancelot

2011-02-06T08:32:00.003-06:00

I really need to get some of the photos we have of the cattle in the Ranch Scrapbook. I have a number of photos which need to be put in this album and more to purchase from show wins. As ususal I turned to ACOT for inspiration. January Contest was titled January Sketch Contest. I love how the contest was set up with the beginning letter of your "nick" as the Page Maps Sketch one had to use. I had this light bulb moment of a kit I purchased from Scrapbook Kits, now sadly defunct since I loved their kits! This is the Page Maps Sketch I used:

And my take on the sketch:

This was a fun sketch using American Crafts and Nikki Sivils pattern papers! I think I succeeded in giving the impression the photo was from a county fair, 2004 Brazoria County Fair. Lynn is showing one of her senior year projects, Sir Lancelot, her steer and scramble calf project.

Coming Severe Cold Bought a Calf

2011-02-05T09:55:00.003-06:00

Twyla in 16 short months has given us four calves thanks to Embryo Transfer. Her two youngest calves are natural calves born 363 days apart.

Severe winter weather is something my state does not handle well. Everything comes to a screeching halt. My northern friends involved in ranching laugh at us. It's ok, because they just gasp at the thought of our temperatures in the summer. Twyla seems to love to hold and hold her calves. I keep thinking, tonight will be the night. This is calf number two she delivered just prior to a bad cold spell. Just after these photos I moved the little "Bear" and mom into the barn to protect him from the high winds we would have. "Bear" shows promise as a future head sire. His sire is Wanamara Findon Royale so he certainly needs a royal name when he is registered. Yet the barn name "Bear" will stick.

Photo: taken Monday, Jan. 31st and the high temperature that day was 62 in the shade.

Agriculture Technology

2011-01-20T18:38:00.002-06:00

I've been working on registrations for SGBI, American Lowline Registry, and DNA Testing Via MMI Genomics. As I drove off this afternoon to the Post Office and Fed Ex, my mind drifted to technology. For my son it means computers. For me it means the cattle on our ranch. Years ago I would have to sit and wait for friends to get home from the Arabian Nationals to learn who won National Championships. Then came cell phones, then email and finally Twitter or messaging on cell phones. In a blink of the eye I can learn what's going on in my own little space in the world of cattle ranching.

Technology of communication lets me visit sales while sitting in front of the computer and viewing the bulls and heifers selling in the sale. This week Larry and I sat in front of the computer to watch the NWSS National Lowline Angus Sale. We watch five or six sales a year this way and have purchased numerous cattle by just clicking a button with the mouse.

But the technology for every farmer has grown just as fast as communication. It's so vast no one individual can grasp it all. I know little or nothing how technology works in corn, or cotton or chickens or any other sector of agriculture. I keep up with technology on cattle being a seedstock producer. Mapping of the cattle genome has help the seedstock producer to select for traits to be passed on to cow/calf producers so they can bring you a more enjoyable experience eating beef. We can now test for those genetic traits that produce marbling and tenderness for that great ribeye you love to put on the grill.

We have slowly been testing our cattle for their genetic traits for parent verification as required by the American Lowline Registry, whether they are polled or not, color genetics, tenderness, and marbling. For the first time Lowline breeders across our country could see first hand what testing for marbling and tenderness could do for you in the sale ring. Lowlines are a relatively new breed in the US and because of their small size, individuals who don't even know how or what to feed their cattle purchase them because they built their dream home on 30 acres. The National Sale sets the tone for Lowlines being sold via private auctions such as the National Sale or private treaty sales on the farm for the year. Sale order usually starts with the very best animals. The National Sale was no exception with the top selling heifer, EZ Satin 60U selling for $12,500 as a bred female to the sire of the hottest show bull in the nation this year, Jackaroo. The second high selling lot at $11,000 was MCR Findon's Montana Queen, the 2011 People's Choice Champion and sold as Lot 1. As we headed into the bottom of the fullblood heifers a 10 month old heifer selling in the 25th spot out of 29 heifers came into the ring. There was nothing special about Dakota Queen. That said she would not place well in her class the next day. In fact I would have been surprised if she even made it into the ribbons. The auctioneer went through her pedigree and then went into her MMI testing on Tru-Marbling and Tru-Tenderness Scores. Dakota Queen was the only heifer with DNA testing behind her sold in the sale. These scores made her a gold mine. She tested in the top 1% of American Angus scores and Lowline Angus Scores on Tenderness. Her Tru-Marbling scores were in the top 5% of American Angus and Lowline Angus. As I watched the bidding start at $1000 it was like a rocket ship went off. As the bidding slowed at $7000 I smiled as I looked at Larry, 'That $85 turned into a huge return on investment.' The gavel came down at $9500. This 10 month old heifer became the third high selling lot in the sale. Her genetics will assure a much sought after market for her offspring. Just a simple $85 and an extra five minutes of time in the chute provided a tremendous advantage for the breeder of this calf that wasn't much to look at. Before technology she would have been just another average fullblood. Now she is in the top 1%.

To all my fellow agriculture producers, grasp technology and use it. Even if your my age, 50, we need to grasp hold of technology instead of shying away from change because of our age.

I leave you with this thought....we do the things we do to bring you a great meal at your table. Beef, It's What's for Dinner.

Maya Road Chipboard

2011-01-20T02:10:00.002-06:00

Yep 2am and I'm moving through Scrapbooking Sites to see what's new for CHA - Winter. When I moved away from paper only scrapping into using some dimension my first love is chipboard!!! Still is my first love! Naked chipboard was a hot item. I am in love with this from Maya Road being released at CHA this month!!!

Titled Windows Chipboard Set. I WANT!!! I GOTTA HAVE THEM! The only thing I would change is two window boxes in the package even if retail was $4.50 instead of the $4.00!

A Big Thank You to scrapgoo aka Jess on her blog "The Examined Life". She helped me think of Maya Road. Thanks Jess!

Agriculture and Scrapping All in One Post

2011-01-07T20:05:00.002-06:00

I follow Crystal Cattle, one of the best cattle blogs on the web IMHO! Today's post The Farm Sign - Marketing 101. Crystal is exactly right a business markets itself first with their sign. I agree a sign needs to be up so one knows those gorgeous cows in the pasture by the road belong to. I'm not wild on the signs breed registries make like with Brahman Cattle. But take a look at the V8 Ranch sign on Crystal's blog today. V8 Brahman Cattle match the sign......AWESOME! So after the house is built this year I'll make sure we concentrate on the sign! Somewhere in the back of my head you'd think I would have been putting more emphasis on the sign, but the herd had to be built first! I am after all the Ag. Economist in the family.

I finally had the time to visit GCD Studios Blog today! They have been releasing lines since December and I'm loving them. Today's was Fun House. Don't forget to leave a comment on GCD's Post because one lucky winner will get the entire line. Need a Circus Line with a little vintage flare tossed in. And who said it had to only be for a Circus. I could just see the darling photos Lynn took of Tillie's calf this fall with her cute Angus head she got from her sire Peyton and all sorts of Milk Face going on done with this line! So enjoy some of these then click on the link for their blog!

And of course some of the embellishments:

You will just have to go to the two blog posts to see the rest of the lines, HERE AND HERE! I am so drooling!!!!

Zu

2010-12-10T00:28:00.003-06:00

My second layout of Zubaydahh's photos just after purchase. When I started on the her other layout I happened to look at the journaling paper. The back was so pretty but the journaling paper just kept begging me to us it. December arrives and I see the ACOT's Sketch Challenge for this month. I've been wondering how to do the next five photos. I'm a person who likes a single photo layout. But I looked at the sketch and looked at that journaling paper. I played with the photos. Through it to the side. Came back the next day and tried again. Through it to the side....why do I have trouble with multiple photos? Picked it up again on Monday....and it fell together by midnight in my on the table. Everything I need but the ribbon. I'll find it in the morning. I inked the edges of the photo and went to bed. Then next day my creation!

As I posted this layout to my Facebook page and started to write the caption I thought about how much trouble I have had trying to get my mother to understand what journaling is on a layout. I may have found the solution because she doesn't get it when I say there is a story behind every photo or series of photo. It's not just a who and when thing. It dawned on me. My mother has always written detailed instructions. Called overboard on folding the clothes or linen napkins after ironing along with the instructions on ironing. I laugh now even thinking about it. Whether it was our chores after school if she wasn't home when we arrived or how to feed each individual horse. And it always seemed there would be at least three different rations in the barn. Now I'll tell her, 'Mom write detailed instructions about Zu!' I'm laughing thinking about those instructions.

Mothers & Daughters

2010-12-06T11:30:00.000-06:00

I wish I could have had plural, 'daughters.' But I had a son and a daughter. I remember Lynn saying one day when she was 8 or 9 about wishing she had a sister because on that day James was driving her nuts. I looked at her, smiled and said to Lynn, 'Brothers are an absolute pain in the derriere until they are 14 or 15. Get use to it, been there done that with two brothers, not one like you have. If you had a little sister, when you get older she would get all into your makeup, hair brush and all kinds of things you wish she wouldn't. And that would never quit!'

So I imagine my nieces were like that, I talked with Jessie about it, but never Dana. I do know that my sister-in-law is blessed to have two daughters.

I love this photo and got a block in scrapping it. I was back to wanting white space but get the feel for fall when the picture was taken without it being a fall layout. On Scrapbooks, etc., March 2007, p 120; designer Christy Tomlinson, I found a layout I wanted to lift. I always like it when a designer gives me permission to try something new. I free handed the swirls with Stickles. Do have to try more of that.

This layout was my entry into the Supply List Challenge for of course ACOT Nov. Challenges. I had to use a stamp so I made my own. I used this netting which was on a bottle of Meade for my stamping! I painted the paint on a piece of card board then transfered it to my page.

Once in a while everyone should try something new!

Scrappy Stuff for 12/2/10

2010-12-02T08:16:00.002-06:00

One of the ladies who posts on a regular basis on the message board over at ACOT is having 12 days of Raks. How cool is that. I'm not one to go running to participate in a RAK because I have been blessed to have a huge stash. I always think someone else deserves it more. So ladies visit Shayla's great blog and leave a post for today and scroll down to see her great layouts! I'm now officially a follower!! The winner is announced tomorrow. You can find her thread at ACOT here. Even better come follow our wonderful friendly community at ACOT!

I promised to publish my layout for this week's sketch at Pencil Lines, #215! I once again used Sassafras Lass Indie Girl for this layout. The papers are just so feminine. When they arrived I thought this was just perfect for this photo. The papers just speak about my MIL, second mother. And I love this photo with my BIL, Danny! I chose the blue Bazzill cardstock to frame the layout because of Danny in the picture with his mother. I just loved loved this sketch and most likely will use it yet again. I also entered into the layout into ACOT'S Novemeber Manufacturer Challenge.

And my take:

A huge thank you to Pencil Lines for the inspiration and to the girls of ACOT's Community and Creative Team for the wonderful support I receive in my life and hobby. I just smile each time I see this layout! One of my new favs! I am blessed beyond measure to have the loving family I have!

On to that thing called legal stuff: The sketch for Pencil Lines #215 is copyrighted by Jennifer Matott!

My Life Just for Today

2010-12-01T13:23:00.005-06:00

I hope everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving! I know we did getting to spend time with my husband's family! I'm back into swing of normal ranch life and getting our show string into the routine of what they will experience at a show. They all must come in the barn to have halters on to eat, washed and blow dried and in February each one in turn will get to experience a few days with total dependence on me. They will get lead to water, eat when I allow them to eat, and all the grooming that goes on during the show.

I've also made myself stay off of "Facebook!" I've gone back to my other love. Scrapping in any spare moment I have. I'm loving it and a much happier person staying away from the political issues of agriculture. I still keep up with the issues, but I'm not letting them consume me.

This week I made it back to one of my favorite sketch sites! Pencil Lines! My first creation was using Sketch #212.

And here is my creation!

I am so proud of myself for not reaching for the Basic Grey Stash. I used Sassafras Lass Indie Girl line. This is part of an album I'm doing for my mother. She had all of her Arabian photos in one of those magnetic albums. This is Zubaydahh (Ibn Morafic x Surrayah), a Straight Egyptian just after we purchased her. Tomorrow I'll show you the next creation using the same line.

Final reminder with the legal stuff: This Pencil Lines sketch # 212 is copyrighted by Sasha Farina!

What's in the Shoe! ahhh Boot!

2010-11-23T08:00:00.001-06:00

As a rancher of beef cattle what is in the footwear one wears. The first thought is a rancher wears boots. I smile as women want to marry the rancher but buy their food from a farmer. Even before I was high school graduate, I was a Wranglers and T-shirt gal. Hasn't change even after marriage. I love my Wranglers and t-shirts. I am even back to wearing men's Wranglers. Why, well I could go into all the economic gobbledygook about why, but lets just say I can't find my size anymore. I was blessed with a short waist and longer then long legs with needing a 36 inch inseam jeans. And as you can imagine I do not own a dress pair of slacks with needing that inseam. But boots....even getting me to ride with boots on unless I was in the show ring was not happening. More then likely you would find me barefoot as a teenager cleaning horse stalls and slip the tennis shoes on to ride. Sigh.....the joys of teenage rebellion. Tennis shoes even when riding until I went to work were State of Texas regulations required me to ride with boots on. Yep, my supervisor pulled that one on me. But if I didn't have a supervisor around on my weekend I had to work once a month, back in the tennis shoes horseback. Now happily turning 50 this year I look back and realize I have some real problems with my knees and ankles having worked with livestock my whole life. So now when I'm in the barn I look for a shoe which gives my ankles more support. Still no boots, but yep I have a pair for when I go to a cattle show. They are a pair of Ariat Lace Up. They are so uncomfortable and yet again finding my size was an issue, I wear a 7 1/2 C. It's that darn C width. Next pair of boots I'm going back to Justins! My work in the barn shoes are my US Polo Muckers. Oh My Gosh they are so comfortable! And then if it rains I'm back in what I call my work tennis shoes. So once again, I dispel the myth of all cattlewomen walking around in western clothes and boots like any of those old western movies. This gal loves her muckers and tennies in that order!!!

A Choice In Food

2010-11-22T11:00:00.001-06:00

My favorite place on Facebook to either read or participate is on The Truth About Agriculture page. One of the recent posts on the page was about Tasha and the realization of her personal journey as a human. I as an agriculture producer am very concerned by many previous posts I've done on Animal Rights Groups and their wanting to define animal agriculture production. But a personal blog post by Tasha I found was very interesting on an individual who was living a Vegan lifestyle. It's lengthy but I found it eye opening and a wonderful read on many levels. I am a person who believes in personal choice in many areas of your life. Those choices are afforded me, too, as a citizen of my country by our Constitution. So Tasha's choice to be a Vegan is fine with me. The only thing I don't like about some Vegans is the rants against Agriculture Animal Production. I care about the animals I raise to supply food for my family and extended family. I care about the animals who will leave my farm to another or stay to provide this country with the very best beef genetics of the two breeds we raise. I raise grass fed beef genetics and I don't like grass fed beef, which is my choice. Not liking grass fed beef does not mean I disagree with someone eating this type of beef. I blame it on being 50 years old and not wanting to change what type of beef I do like. I urge you to read the post all and the comments. The comments leave you understanding what she writes at the top of the post:

UPDATE: Thank you all for your comments, I never expected this post to get so much attention. However, I do not have the time nor the desire to continue moderating comments. Some of you have been amazingly supportive and have shared many thought provoking ideas, and I really appreciate that. Unfortunately, others have made threats against me and my family and that I cannot tolerate. So, thank you all very much for reading my post but I am going to be turning off the comments. I hope you can understand.

Why on earth would anyone want to threaten her life or her family's? I just do not get it. What makes her evil for choosing to change her diet from a vegan diet to a omnivore diet because of her health? I suppose one of the most common attack comments was saying she really was a meat industry plant. Ughhhh, the typical conspiracy theory when you have no other substantial science based argument. Really couldn't you come up with something more creative? Yet, Shannon if you want to be a vegan it is great, just let me and everyone else have their choice of diet.

From Shannon: 'You guys, this person is just a plant from the meat and/or dairy industry. It’s obvious because “she”talks about stuff that isn’t relevant to “her” supposed reason for writing this.'

The most interesting thing Tasha wrote was the following:

'First, I now no longer lie to myself about the fact that life requires death. Second, I am now healthy. Just like always, I still care intensely about the environment, the well being of animals, and the politics of food, but my ideas of how to do the most good and effect the most change have drastically transformed.'

I'm glad she has found a new purpose in her activism. At the same time I'm not expecting her to believe or think like I do about Agriculture. I don't necessarily agree with her on her beliefs but they belong to her and are a part of who she is as a human being. But ultimately in this post and the comments she received I have a better understanding of the vegan mind. For that I am grateful. And it isn't about putting a vegan down for their beliefs or activism, but maybe to find some way to have them understand the need for meat in our diet of those who choose to eat meat.

Thank you Tasha for a very insightful post and I am delighted you have regained your health! I look forward to reading about your continued journey.

Finding Total Relaxation!

2010-11-21T20:23:00.006-06:00

Introducing Belle, my first Arabian and a professional photo taken of her in 1986 at Rinconada Arabians in Albuquerque, NM. She was there to be bred to Nabiel. For Challenge #4 of ACOT's Fall Crop I had to do a layout about myself. There is no journaling I can put on this layout, the simple "MY SOUL" describes it all! To read more about this layout you can visit here.

I haven't really scrapped much in the last six months. I do not know why but this month I have cranked out six layouts. Maybe because of ACOT's fall crop at the beginning of the month. As I started layout number 7 my Mojo came to a screeching halt. It has been almost two weeks and looked back at the challenge I was working on after deciding to set it aside for a week, but the layout should have been hidden. Then maybe it wouldn't have been taunting me. ;-) The challenge was the November 2010 Monthly Sketch Challenge at ACOT. Sketches are easy for me, maybe it was my choice to use the sketch with a single photo that caused that lack of MOJO! Any way I took a look at that sketch and the light bulb is on. So my goal is to make sure I get it done so I have time to do the Manufacturer's Challenge with Sassafras Lass products, arrival of those should be Tuesday! Then Wednesday my Basic Grey Curio and the first day Fed Ex Delivers after Thanksgiving should be October Afternoon Modern Woman and Cosmos Cricket Circa 1934. Yep, I went hog wild this past week! I'm actually impatiently waiting for Black Friday. I've never shopped on Black Friday, I hate crowds while shopping. But this coming Black Friday I'm hoping to find some irresistible goodies at ACOT. All from the comfort of home, family around and no crowds! Then I get to relax the rest of the month working on Christmas Presents and a layout here and there.

What have I created this month? Some layouts I love!

This was a labor of love, the second layout I did of my father since his death in 2005. When I posted it to my facebook wedding album a friend commented, 'Beautiful! Sometimes I think it's better to wait to do certain scrapbooks until the time is right. Yours will be so much richer after you've had time to reflect on everything.' Thank you, Sally! This was for the Fast Scrap #5 during the ACOT Fall Crop. One had to use a definition of a word on the layout!

I have since done a couple of other layouts for my wedding album. One of my Matron of Honor, myself and my mother. And the bottom all the wonderful people who helped and supported me while getting ready! It was my entry for Challenge #7 (Turkey Dinner Recipe Layout) during the ACOT Crop. One had to choose what they wanted from a list ahead of the deadline what they would have for Thanksgiving dinner. Then the list was matched with what had to be on the layout or card. This one of my loving husband of 24 years with his Best Man and our Pastor. I often laugh now when I think of Larry not having anything to do with the wedding other then the 'We will be married in Denson Springs.' I had no input on the church at all. And at the time it was not worth an argument. 24 years later, I love the fact we were married there! I did this for the Scraplift the ACOT November GCT Challenge.

I never stay within one album any more. I love to switch! The next layout I did for our Family Album. I've been scrapping my Larry's Brother's family during the Holidays in 2008. And my great-nephew is absolutely adorable and begged for me to use Basic Grey Lime Rickey! This was for Challenge #3 during ACOT's Fall Crop. We had to contact another board member and find out their favorite color which in her case was green and then add some bling! When the crop was over I won this challenge, and with it a ten dollar Gift Certificate! Whoo Hooo saving it for Black Friday!

My final layout is one I loved doing. It ties in my love of three things: my husband, my life on the ranch and scrapbooking. Simple layout because life is simple on the farm. It is the layout I did for Challenge # 2 Ad Challenge. You had to use photos forming a 1,2,3 sequence as in the ad. Perfect for this series of photos!

As always I'm hoping to become better at blogging, we'll see!

Is it June Already?

2010-06-01T03:36:00.004-05:00

I simply can not fathom it is the sixth month. This year has flown by. As I sat this evening watching the young heifers we are retaining I looked at a show heifer and realized by the third week of June she had to go out with Peyton. My goodness she grew up quick!

I thought I would divert for a post on cattle. Oh yeah, I already mentioned them. Yesterday, I spent working on a couple of layouts. Finished them both and uploaded them to the Challenges I entered them in at A Cherry on Top. My last layout is my favorite of the twelve I did during May. My subject was AC, a gelding we owned a long time ago and is now owned by a good friend. He's 24 this year. His full brother is in our pasture here at the ranch along with another gelding hubby rescued. I don't talk very much about our horses, although they are a part of my soul. I could never be without one to love. Back to the layout. This is AC as a yearling being shown at a show under the capable hands of Tom McNair at Great Southwest Equestrian Center. He has a decorated career in halter as a colt and a couple of get on the ground. I used Basic Grey Lillykate Collection. I've learned over the last several months "AC" has a Black Beauty story over his life. I chose the paper because he is now in his forever home with lots of love. He deserves to always have green pastures surrounded by Texas Wildflowers.

AC aka Abcar Ibn Tammen (Tammen x Zubaydahh) who's name means "first born son of value." He's a straight Egyptian Arabian of Glennloch lines.

Hanging Calendar!

2010-05-29T12:27:00.004-05:00

Am I organized this year. Maybe for Birthday & Christmas presents! I've decided to make everything for Christmas this year! I completed my first birthday present. I have to give credit to A Cherry on Top and Jess for the inspiration of the perpetual Hanging Calendar idea! Jess is a member of ACOT's Fantastic Design Team. The photo and monthly calendars can be canbe switched out because you make your own photo corners. So cool! Oh did I have fun with this project and the end result I'm so pleased with! I have fallen in love with the Kaiser Craft Beyond the Page items. They make creativity so much fun! This gift is for my wonderful Mother-in-Law, Marion. You can see more photos in my ACOT Gallery of my calendar. She has wonderful porches to sit on where everyone enjoys bird watching and a cool glass of ice tea. So I wanted her calendar to reflect her love of her flowers and birds. What better way to do that then to use GCD Studios Artsy Urban line of products. Marion also loves antiques and the Artsy Urban Epoxy Stickers give a real flare for the Vintage feel! Thank you, Thank you GCD!!!

Who said you couldn't put a Christmas photo in this calendar. Hey my niece is wearing a sleeveless shirt. Ya know it can reach the upper 80's in December in Texas!

I so loved this calendar I'm making one for my mother and my scrap room.

Busy Weekend! - Cattle & Scrapping

2010-04-28T13:06:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we started setting the cows up to be Artificially inseminated. CIDR's were put in and first hormone shot were given. Tomorrow I go to purchase and pick up semen at Camp Cooley for a Santa Gertrudis bull, Yogi. We have the semen we need to inseminate the Lowline Angus. Saturday morning CIDR'S will be removed, a patch to detect estrus will be adhered to the top of the hip, and another hormone shot. Sunday is yet again another hormone shot. Monday morning we AI. Then the girls go to the specific pasture where they will be with a bull in case they do not conceive using AI. You might ask why we do this. Artificial Insemination allows us to introduce a top bull in a breed into our herd that we do not own. This gives us genetic diversity which is very important in any purebred breeding operation.

I have another thing to do this weekend. I'm attending a National Scrapbooking Day Online Crop! This is my one year anniversary for attending A Cherry on Top's NSD Crop. A Cherry on Top is an online Scrapbooking store and community. They host four crops a year. So come join us for a great time of games, prizes, classes (great ones scheduled), and just plain fun scrapping! Make sure you have your digital camera handy to post your layouts to the gallery! If you have never scrapped, stop by anyway, you might discover through the gallery it is something you might want to try. I heart A CHERRY ON TOP!

Photo credit: Photos of my layouts shared at ACOT.

Need a bumper sticker?

2010-04-20T12:19:00.003-05:00

My bumper is free to hold a bumper sticker and I decided I needed this bumper sticker. Today it is free for registering at Humane Watch! So you might now be asking, what is Humane Watch? If you have followed my blog for very long you know I am not in favor of "Animal Rights" groups. I find them to produce spin which makes them appear to be animal welfare groups, coin terms that become common terminology, and basically turn unsuspecting Americans against Animal Agriculture Producers like me. Over time I have been called an animal abuser, factory farmer and just plain demonized. A visit to the ranch would show I am not an abuser of our cattle. We work very hard to provide an environment beneficial to both the cattle and wildlife. Then there is those cattle I have an emotional attachment to who are very special to me: Peyton and May are two. If we overstock our cattle then the wildlife can not thrive. If I manage for wildlife then my cattle thrive. Come join me and learn just how "Animal Rights" groups are slowly chipping away at your right to own an animal as a pet, in livestock production or your ability to hunt at Humane Watch or HumaneWatch on facebook.

A Day in the Life of a Farm Vet

2010-04-19T14:54:00.003-05:00

With the numbers of rural vets dropping at an alarming rate across our country, it was a great treat today to find this blog and their page on facebook. Do you often wonder what really happens on a dairy (cow or goat)? Do you wonder what equipment I use to protect my animals while we provide routine or critical care in a beef cattle operation. Now you have the chance to see just how important a vet is to our production of beef cattle. I hope you'll follow "A Day in the Life of a Farm Vet" to learn more about how livestock producers bring you the safest food system in the world! Photo Credit: A Day in the Life of a Farm Vet

Waiting...

2010-02-22T07:40:00.005-06:00

This is Texas! This is ranching. Snow?! Wishing it wasn't to be. A Winter Storm Watch went up at 2:30pm yesterday. Forecast for Tuesday is 80% chance of snow to the tune of 4"-7". Ughhh! We are in the middle of calving. There is so much to do today for freezing temperatures over 36 hours. Water Troughs completely full then waterlines drained, go to the feed store to make sure I have enough feed. Bottled water for me because I don't trust the utilities! I started on the water troughs last night. Last Friday they were predicting a chance of snow so I started to let the larger troughs be emptied. I have two more to rinse and clean today. There is hay to put out today. I'm just thankful we won't have three days of below freezing weather.

Two days ago I opened the gate to the three cattle we have in the front pasture to allow them to eat the four inches grass underneath the mesquite trees on the lawn. Happy cows.

Texas weather is to guaranteed to change at a moments notice and sometimes drastically. Like yesterday when the Winter Storm Watch went up it was 75 degrees on the porch. By dark thirty when I got done at the barn the north wind was blowing at 15-20 and it felt like 45. I went out to the porch at 8 pm to find a 51 degree temperature. Wind still hollowing I was glad the porch faces south.

The photos I took yesterday. Warm and pretty still at 5 pm. This morning cloudy and cold! I love my life!

My Greatest Fear

2010-02-16T10:11:00.004-06:00

I love my land and the fact I produce a product all Americans need. A protein source. If you don't like beef or your a vegetarian or vegan that is ok. There are other excellent protein sources.

I wish I was eloquent with words. I wish I could paint a picture of my feelings for the land and my cattle. I care for each and every cow. I spend hours with my animals or for my animals. It is what I do and love to feed my family and the country.

So what is my fear....that someone who will not give my children the same right I have to choose how I make a living and raise cattle. I read a wonderful analogy about the Auto Industry and Agriculture. Our imports of food are increasing, we have organizations who wish to stifle agriculture on all sides of our sector of the economy. The press paints us as evil whether in grain, fruit, vegetable, or animal production. Hollywood has picked up on the theme with recent documentaries. I am fearful for my children and the ranch I so love.

Enjoy this great read by Mike Rowe, the Cable TV personality of World's Dirtiest Jobs. A wonderful analogy on the Auto Industry and Agriculture. He hits the nail on the head with the current state of the economy. Thank you, Mike, for supporting American Agriculture!

What is in America's Future? by Mike Rowe (from his blog)

I always believe in HOPE FOR THE FUTURE!

2010-01-24T11:26:00.002-06:00

A brand new sketch site is up on Blogger! I'm so excited, Sassy 'Lil Sketches! One of my A Cherry On Top friends made the first Design Team for Sassy 'Lil Sketches! Congrats Heather! I can not wait to see the first sketch and participate!

The sketch at the left was one of the two sketches used for the Design Team call! I can not wait to use this one this week, a good practice one to get geared up to participate. So on to legal stuff: This is a Sassy 'Lil Sketches copyright sketch!

Don't forget to check out this Sketch Challenge Blog!

Highlighted!

2010-01-23T01:17:00.002-06:00

Sometimes there is just a moment in time when the world just seems to be a great place to have residence in. It isn't because of something one does, but what others do to recognize you. When this happens to me some where in my mind I get a "Why me?" thing going on. No matter how hard we try to say being recognized isn't important we all secretly love it. I always wish it was someone else who needs the happy face that day instead of me. I'd rather put the happy face on someone else and make their day. Making someone's day is more important to me then someone making my day a great one.

With all the philosophical stuff out of the way, Sarah who is a member of the A Cherry on Top Creative Team made me feel so good today by recognizing one of my layouts and put it in the article January Creative Team Spotlight. As I scrolled through the other members layouts also "Spotlighted" I really felt humbled. The incredible creativity of the projects, cards and layouts was just AMAZING. I feel so humbled to be placed next to these wonderful ladies who worked so hard on their projects. Congrats to you, too! To check out my layout what I used on the layout the link is: My Gallery, Blessings. I love working with sketches for my layouts and this one was no exception. I used the 2008 52 Sketches...52 Weeks Sketch # 48. 52 Sketches is no longer running but Julie produces the BEST Sketches on her blog.

Thank you to Sarah, all of the Creative Team Members and ACOT for being such a great community of scrappers! You put so much effort into making the board a "Happy Place" to spend time and get tremendous amounts of inspiration in scrapping!

Altered Box

2010-01-16T12:49:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted much nor put up but one recent layout I completed.

I tried my hand last summer and fall and completed two chipboard Mini Albums. I fell in love doing Mini Albums. I just need more photos from family for the gifts of Mini Albums! This lead me to thinking about doing altered projects with paper. I thought a box would be best to try my hand at this new type of paper crafting. In December A Cherry on Top had for the Dec. '09 Altered Challenge to alter some sort of gift box. I decided I wanted to try a box that would have a gift for my Great Niece Harley, but she could use it later for her little treasures.

In order to get this box done I searched You Tube for a video to help me get started. And this is the video:

I then asked all sort of questions on A Cherry on Top Message Board as they popped in my head and again one more time when I had another while working on the box. What I learned was to be careful of folding the paper under the lid because of how the lid would fit. I spent an hour sanding and sanding and some more sanding & filing to get the lid to fit again. I think another thing one shouldn't do is use Mod Podge on top of a water base ink. But we learn from our trials and errors. I did find I love love Sparkle Mod Podge. In the pictures you can't really see how sparkled the box is. A fun project.

I liked altering the box so much I decided I'd do a Kaiser Craft Tic Tack Toe Board for my son James. He has transferred to University of Houston and I thought it would be a great conversation starter using U of H papers.

I have to admit I'm getting hooked on all sorts of Paper Crafting items!

I am an American Rancher

2010-01-14T18:29:00.004-06:00

I love being an American Rancher. There is something about being close to the land, to wake in the morning and spend quiet time among the cattle. The arrival of a new calf brings hope for the future of our Lowline Angus and Santa Gertrudis breeding program. The spotting of a white tail, a skunk or any other animal is a site to behold on a quiet morning. I am proud to be an American Rancher.

On occasion I cruise through You Tube to see what I can find. This time it was The American Angus Association Channel called apicreativemedia.

This evening I watched four videos and I thought I would share two with you.

The second video is something I love to do, compete. We as a family have friends all over the nation because of our cattle. We see each other at Field Days, Production and Select Sales and of course Cattle Shows. The new year brings the winter show season starting with the Grand Daddy of all Livestock Shows the Great Western Stock Show. I was looking for the Lowline Angus National Show Results last night on the National Western site. On the AAA You Tube Channel I found the video of the Bull Show (This year it is the National American Angus Show). As I stopped the video to look at each Division Champion and look through them as if I was judging I had to go with the Junior Champion Bull.....and yep he was named National Champion American Angus Bull. Up came the Junior Reserve Champion and again hands down I would have had to place this Bull Reserve. Woot....I once again agreed with the judge as this fine Bull was placed National Reserve Grand Champion American Angus Bull. Treat yourself to watching a GREAT GRAND CHAMPION RUN! Only at the Great Western Livestock Show in Denver, CO. The Grand Daddy of all Stock Shows!

I am an American Rancher! aka Kim

GCD Studios Names a Winner of CHA Sneek Peek

2010-01-14T12:32:00.004-06:00

So I was busy busy with work last week! I didn't get to show the remaining beautiful lines of Scrapbooking Supplies! Do check them out at GCD Studios Blog!

I'm so excited for Peridee! I hope she love loves her new goodies!

I've already asked Kendra, owner of Photolicious Scrapin and Gifts, to purchase the GCD Studios 8x8 Homespun Chic for me. I'm so excited about this line! If she gets any of the embellies I'll purchase them, too! Perfect line for my Gardening Album! The paper (shown) is just so beautiful from the collection! LOVE IT!

Made My Day!!

2010-01-14T11:24:00.003-06:00

WOOT!!!! I LOVE THIS ARTICLE. I just need to find the US source!

USA - Alleged Animal Rights group pay top man $5,000 a week, Nice one!

There are only two things certain in life, as the saying goes, and a byproduct of one of them requires nonprofit organizations to file paperwork with the IRS. So now that the deceptively named “Humane Society” of the United States (HSUS) has submitted its "Form 990" for 2008, we thought it was time to take a close look. The tax filing itself is a bit more detailed than ones in the past, thanks to some new IRS rules. And more detail equals a clearer picture of exactly what HSUS is doing -- and what it's not doing -- with all its money. (more)

Of course there is this paragraph towards the end of the article. Amazing....how deceitful this organization is in their advertising!!! Ok, Fox News your getting an email from me and so is Rush Limbaugh who did those PSA's for HSUS!

With all the politicking going on, the animals—remember them?—seem to get lost in the shuffle. We added up the totals, and HSUS gave only a little more than $450,000—that’s just half of one percent of its total budget—in grants to organizations providing hands-on care to dogs and cats. That’s less than 11 percent of what it paid “ALF” (see above) just to count its money.

With a Happy Smile,

Kim

GCD Studios - Independence Collection

2010-01-02T11:38:00.002-06:00

I sat so impatiently this morning to get the peek at the next collection from GCD Studios. And here went another mouth opening response. The colors are deep and vibrant. To quote GCD Studios Blog, 'This collection will be perfect for 4th of July, Fathers Day and Fall.' Before I even scrolled down, I thought "Now this should be something to see!" They were right, it could be used for all three and one could even use the red pages for Christmas if you like the traditional red of Christmas.

This is my favorite paper in the collection, but all of the others come in a close second. I so love this collection and it is another MUST HAVE! I so see dollars flowing out of my pocket, GCD is enabling me in my scrapping addiction to the max! I so can not wait until they arrive in my favorite stores! I'm so hoping there are embellishments in the wings!!!

Kim

GCD Studios

2010-01-01T21:23:00.004-06:00

I am not much to get super excited about a line of papers and embellishments. The first one was this past summer, Lemonade by Basic Grey. My favorite message board has been down now 72 hours and having major scrap talk withdraws I turned to the blogs I follow to keep from hitting "bottom" so to speak, LOL!!! I've been totally addicted on scrapbooking since September of 2006. One of my dream vacations would be to attend a CHA event.

Now I've found another line that is a must have!!!! Such a must have I'm busting at the seems. Next time I head over to my LSS in Buffalo, Texas I'm asking the owner to purchase this line. I'm so in love!

Oh you want to know the line.....well here is a little peek:

I can so see one of my photos of my Killarney Rose sitting in the middle of this page!

Still need to know the line! This is Homespun Chic Melody Ross 8x8 line. And the 12x12 is just as beautiful! This line brings back such wonderful memories of my Mom fitting clothes she lovingly sewed for me. In fact until I was 13 close to 95% of my clothes were hand made. The pinks and greens fit my sorority Delta Zeta. It is wonderful to see gingham again. Such a wonderful homey feel! Now lets get into the embellies....OH MY GOSH, what is there not to like, I WANT ALL OF THEM! My favs: the Paper Clips, Epoxy Brads, and Chipboard Accents. But my FAV EMBELLISHMENT ON THIS LINE IS THE AWESOME FLOWERS.

Come take a peek at GCD STUDIOS WITH ME FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS AS THE NEW CHA LINES ARE INTRODUCED!

Oh the line that got me hooked on GCD Studios: remember this LO I won the Mother's and Daughters Challenge last year and was so excited! My first to win any judged challenge and second challenge to win! Now I think in the last year I've become and even better scrapper!!!

I'm so HAPPY IT IS 2010!

2010-01-01T08:57:00.006-06:00

I spent my New Year's Eve scraping and this is what I came up with of a young bull we raised a couple of years ago, now in a commercial herd. A safe New Year's Eve so we didn't have to deal with people drinking and driving.

I'm excited it is 2010, mid-term elections are around the corner! Hopefully you don't forget how those on both sides of the isle are idiots. With the idea of remaining safe, we at times get to see just how safe our Congress keeps us or actually the lack there of. To be balanced I have included one from each side of the isle. By chance did these idiots, knuckleheads or whatever adjective you would like to use to describe them drive home on these days......or did someone step up and play designated driver. Montana (D) Senator Baucus' excuse was he was tired. I don't know what Ohio (R) Rep. Boehner's excuse was. Last time I checked I would get fired if I showed up to work drunk when I was an employee! If one of my employees showed up drunk to work, we'd fire him/her. Yet you should read some of the comments by Americans who left them. That in itself is scary!

Mr. Senator, you need to be fired!

Mr. Representative, you need to be fired!

I'm SO HAPPY IT IS 2010!!!!

Happy New Year's Everyone!

Kim

Muffy

2009-11-06T22:55:00.002-06:00

Muffy took me back 25 plus years. You see Muffy is a sorority sister of mine. I love her dearly for introducing me to my sisters. I could sit and listen for hours to Muffy. We would laugh have a great time. I found her blog this evening via Facebook. Rated R. I found myself sitting with a bunch of sisters enjoying a lazy afternoon shooting the bull. So I gave away our age. Somewhere the slang of yesteryear no longer is .....cool!

I just enjoyed the reading and relating it to my life. Thanks for not letting me feel so alone in being almost 50 Muffy!

In you and I,
Your sis!

Lucky Girl - The Family Farm

2009-10-24T09:23:00.008-05:00

I have the opportunity to record what I do on our ranch everyday via my blog and my scrapbooking layouts. I get to share what I do with others. I've found a community of scrappers where there are a few of us on family farms or grew up on family farms. There are a few who are reliving childhood moments while visiting grandparent's farms through a post I write. It's a joy to connect those with where their food comes from. Yesterday it was Jenna who connected me to the family farm through her layout titled "Lucky Girl."

How can one just not sigh to see Father and Daughter sharing a portion of the day together harvesting corn. This is America's Bread Basket. This is what makes America Great. Thank you Jenna for sharing a day on the farm with me. It is my desire we never loose the values and lifestyle provide on the Family Farm Experience and move towards larger corporate farms. We are the backbone of America!

Flying J&L Lowline Bulls

2009-10-19T15:03:00.011-05:00

I've spent too much time not writing. I've been so very frustrated with writing and listening to both sides of issues. So I stopped writing.

So now back with a different attitude to write about life, to hope my stories of the ranch and our lifestyle will be one bright part of my day.

Yesterday I spent taking photos for our website and a renewed interest in keeping up to date. My first photo is of the ranch, above, and one of our Star 5 weanlings. She is by far the best of last fall's calf crop of Star 5. She is an awesome heifer and one who will go on to be bred for a 3/4 Santa Gertrudis. She is due to be bred in late April of 2010 to one of our Lowline Bulls.

Speaking of the bulls I thought I'd spend the rest of this post on our Lowline Bulls.

LTL Peyton (LTL Dillion x Miss Jet's Raphael 258K). Peyton has done well in the show ring with 2 Division Championships and 1 Reserve Division Championship (against English and Exotic Breeds). His sire Dillion is a National Champion Bull and his dam is considered one of the greats in the breed. He's long, deep and a very complete bull. His first calf was born to EZ Tillie (EZ Houdini x Miss Panmure L361). A heifer that is really starting to come into her own. She is a very feminine heifer. She will be shown along side her mother at the Houston Livestock Show and in her own class.

EZ Undercover Agent was purchased this summer at the 3rd Annual Discover Lowline Weekend Sale held by Effertz EZ Ranch. It was hard to believe to see everyone bundled up because of snow. I was happy to be home in Texas and watching via Internet. Agent is a very powerful bull who has been shown and we will show him at Houston Livestock Show this coming March. It will be his last show. We are very pleased with him and he will breed some of our heifers this fall.

At this fall's Legends of Riverwood we purchased our newest bull, a fullblood, Riverwood Cadallic (Brambletye Transam x Riverwood Abby). Brambletye Transam is a half brother to Brambletye Tequila the sire of some of the most famous show cattle in Lowlines. Abby is sired by the renowned Bar J Sparks and out of the famous Bar J Nellie line. He also goes back to Brambletye Tequila through his dam. His pedigree is a who's who of famous Lowlines. He just turned a year old. A very well balanced bull with incredible extension through his stifle. Depth and length is all through this bull. He is exceptional! He should be a taller individual with his mother being 48" in height. Since his purchase we have sold 75% of Cadillac and the partnership will offer semen by this spring.

Our final fullblood bull is EZ 12S aka Murphy. He has been sent here to be sold. A mature three year old bull with loads of muscle mass and very high feed efficiency. He is an exceptional bull for a Grass Fed Operation.

Our only Percentage Lowline Bull is Flying J&L Diablo 11 W01 (JJ Bruzer 3S x PX 20L). Both sire and dam are 1/2 blood Lowlines with his dam tracing to a Gelbvieh cow and his sire's dam tracing to a Shorthorn. Diablo is a true composite bull with that look at me attitude. JJ Bruzer has some of the great bulls in his pedigree to include Admiral, Kaptain Planet, and Bell Brae Borus. His dam is an own daughter of the Great Quartermaster. One can't ask for a better pedigree. His conformation is perfect for the show ring with a club calf look. His first show will be the Houston Livestock Show. He's available for sale as a guaranteed low birth weight heifer bull. At birth Diablo weighed in at 53 lbs.

Aged

2009-08-12T14:52:00.004-05:00

I needed to relax in the worse way and stay away from politics right now. It's driving me nuts!

So best way to relax when it is over 100 degrees outside is to scrap. I'm moving pretty slow for the most part. This was for ACOT's 52 Challenges...Week 7. We had to take a picture of what we considered to be art in our world. What is considered normal and maybe you might just walk by. I thought to myself what in the world on a ranch can be considered art. I don't have an old barn any more, it was falling down and not worth fixing. Then it dawned on me....the fences, the right picture taken and it becomes art. It's also something I check every week to make sure there are no holes. That is two hours of work.
This was also the LO for 52 Sketches...52 Weeks #31.

Then a LO I started six weeks ago and finished two weeks ago because I had mental block on the title. It's hard sometimes to think this is a 7x7 LO. I had so much fun with the LO using my revolution to do all the work except for the background paper. I took so many pictures of my Tahition Sunset that I just couldn't title it with the name of the rose. It was just such a fun LO to do! This layout was for 52 Sketches...52 Weeks Week #25 entry.

When you have a chance visit both sites!

So I'm back of to do some more scrapping....

Lloyd Doggett Doesn't Get It - US Rep from Texas District 25

2009-08-05T12:20:00.005-05:00

Lloyd Doggett is the Representative from District 25 in Texas. What a shame I didn't know he was going to host a town hall meeting in Austin last Saturday. Larry and I so would have been there since we were in Austin that day. No he doesn't represent us, we are represented by Chet Edwards (Dem) and Ron Paul (Rep). Why two representatives, we have homes. Larry is registered in Brazoria County and I'm registered in Limestone County.

I have found in being around town, Groesbeck, for meals the subject of conversations is the Health Care Bill as well as the Cap and Trade Bill. As the weeks have gone by the anger in the voices at these conversations just keeps getting worse. Am I angry, I've been angry at Congress since the early 90's. These dimwits both Republican and Democrats are selling us out. They truly have surrounded themselves with Special Interest Groups. They have forgotten that it is me and you they work for.

So last night I saw this on both the local Waco news and National ABC News. I went to You Tube this morning and found this video, the very same one they took a clip from for the news services.

I almost died when I saw the response by Rep. Doggett. Did he forget Senator Cornyn got a huge boo on the steps of our great state's capital in Austin at the July 4th Tea Party. Rep. Doggett this is not a Republican thing going on, it is some very angry independent voters, Republicans, and Democrats like me who do not want socialism or an increase in our growing 9 trillion dollar debt. Why can you not understand to stop spending money we do not have. I have not received one email from an organizer and neither have my friends. Your response was so out of line that it was Republicans organizing this! WAKE UP SIR!

If you don't think Doggett didn't get it watch these videos. The video above the photographer says he did not represent the Republican Party so as you watch these realize that Rep. Doggett is flat out lying.

Yes, the Republican Party put out the second video, unfortunate to add their spin as they are as guilty as Democrats with their own spin. But listen to his response to MSNBC, he really doesn't get it.

Here is a couple of other things these dimwits who represent us from Texas. We are an oil and gas rich state. We have an Oil and Gas Transportation Co. Quote from what we are hearing as rigs both offshore and land are being stacked. "We won't do anything until we get rid of Obama and the current Congress,' is what we are hearing from our customers. This is both the large and small companies we service in the Oil and Gas fields. Our income is severely down. It is now down 80%. If these corporations won't do anything then neither will other corporations. So are we out of the recession, NOPE! Better think very carefully how you vote mid term and again in 2012. . Ok, that's enough of my soap box.

I'm chuckling his job is on the line. Is it such a novel concept to start with an entire clean slate in Washington? I would love that to happen!

Just my two cents!

Austin Farmers Markets

2009-08-05T11:54:00.003-05:00

Larry and I headed of for Austin on Friday night. We were excited if for no other reason then to have our 1959 Airstream Camper behind us. It's almost done being refurbished! It just needs a buff, Larry wants a shine and I want a buff shine.

Our mission to attend the Farmers Markets in Austin. We started at Sunset Valley Farmers Market which is ranked in the Top Ten in America. Wonderful time and I was struck that it was pet friendly. Then of to Austin Farmers Market in downtown. Another great Farmers Market. What did we purchase. Some Free Trade Katz coffee, two half pints of Texas Blueberries and a loaf of Sour Dough Bread. But that isn't why we went. We want to control the price of our beef, it was to see how vendors selling meat set up to sell their beef, lamb, pork and poultry. From my reading on the web there is a vaccum for grain fed beef at the markets. We have only seen grass fed beef. Consumers at the market are concerned with how their beef is grown. We have always fed our calves out on pasture and grain at the same time. They finish beautifully that way. In 2010 we will have our first large calf crop and need a way to sell our steers and heifers not able to go into purebred operations as breeding animals. We don't want to accept the prices feedlots are willing to pay. So lets skip the middle man and go straight to the consumer. Consumers at the markets are concerned about Gentically Modified (GM) Grains in their diets, so we will find a source for GM Free Grains.

It is an adventure to look forward to. I love Farmers Markets! Find one near you and get to know your local Farmers!

ACOT - Scrap It Forward

2009-07-20T14:55:00.006-05:00

I've been a member of A Cherry on Top Community for about three months. I decided to participate in Scrap It Forward Challenge. This is my entry for the challenge.

I promised to edit the photo, but I've been so busy that I've not had time.

I took this photo last summer after picking up around the house for "Dolly." Hurricane Dolly went in at south Texas. This was the pasture our Arabian Gelding called home. The Upper Gulf Coast of Texas has the most gorgeous live oak trees. I just found the setting sun and the amount of humidity just hanging in the air just gorgeous! The road was not wet but it sure looks like it in the picture, just the shimmer of the amount of water hangin' in the air.

Little did we know Hurricane Ike would make us a visit later in Sept. It is hard to see the barn in the picture, it's behind the tree to the left. Ike damaged the barn so badly it has been torn down. I moved our gelding to the ranch 11 days before Ike arrived. Whew as it also took the fence down.

Kim

ACOT - Scrap It Forward

2009-07-20T14:55:00.001-05:00

EEE Causes Death of Two Horses in East Texas

2009-07-17T01:02:00.001-05:00

I just thought I would share the this particular email I received from Carla Everett. Carla does mass emails to agriculture animal producers throughout the state of Texas from Texas Animal Health Commission. If you own horses in Louisiana, Florida, Missouri or Mississippi then please read. Thank you Carla, your work is so appreciated by those of us who are animal producers in our great state.

Texas Animal Health Commission
Box l2966 * Austin, Texas 78711 * (800) 550-8242 * FAX (512) 719-0719
Bob Hillman, DVM * Executive Director
For info, contact Carla Everett, information officer, at 1-800-550-8242, ext. 710, or ceverett@tahc.state.tx.us

Two Horses in East Texas Die from Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE);
Vaccinate Your Horses and Protect Against Mosquito Exposure!

Two horses, one in Jasper County and the other in Newton County, in East Texas have died from Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Humans also are susceptible to EEE, which causes inflammation of the brain. The disease is spread by mosquitoes, and measures should be taken to prevent human and animal exposure to the biting pests.

“As part of their routine health care, horses in all parts of the state should be vaccinated to protect against dangerous mosquito-borne diseases, including West Nile Virus, and Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis (EEE and WEE),” said Dr. Bob Hillman, Texas’ state veterinarian and head of the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), the state’s livestock and poultry health regulatory agency.

“It takes a week to 10 days after vaccination for the animal to develop protective antibodies, and booster shots must be administered as directed by the vaccine manufacturer to maintain the highest level of protection,” he said. “As effective as vaccines are, however, they are not foolproof, and rare instances of disease can occur. Therefore, it is essential that you protect yourself and your horses against mosquito exposure with a repellent containing DEET.”

Dr. Hillman also said other preventive measures should include draining stagnant water, where mosquitoes can breed, and using approved products that kill mosquito larvae in desired water sources, such as troughs, ponds and fountains. Avoid being outside at night or at dawn, when mosquitoes are most active, wear long sleeves when possible, and consider sheltering horses at night.

“Contact your veterinarian immediately, if your horse acts erratically, is confused, staggers or collapses. These are clinical signs of an encephalitic, or brain inflammation, condition, and a blood test is needed to confirm the diagnosis. With appropriate supportive care, about half of infected horses may survive. An infected horse will not spread the West Nile Virus, EEE or WEE to humans,” said Dr. Hillman. Although they are not regulatory diseases, these mosquito-spread infections are reportable to the TAHC, due to their potential to cause human illness. In 2009, a horse in Washington County, also in East Texas, has been confirmed to have West Nile Virus.

EEE also has been reported in July in horses in Florida, Louisiana, Missouri and Virginia.

Billboards

2009-07-16T15:05:00.003-05:00

Thank you to Troy and Stacy, Advocates for Agriculture, for another great find to read. The OpEd written by Megan Daum is a must read if you live in a urban area or are just removed from agriculture. Megan writes as a columnist for the LA Times and her column for today, Animal rights, writ to large? Well written but ultimately I agree with Troy she falls short on understanding the big picture. My response is to add she fell just short of doing her research on Animal Rights Lobby Groups like HSUS & PETA. Like any politician, Wayne Pacelle is good at just leaving out information when asked by the press. She even drew the wrong conclusion of HSUS being a 'The Humane Society is a mainstream anti-cruelty and animal-shelter organization.' Wrong they are a lobbying group only. I don't have to add any more as she got an ear full in the comments to her blog. The comment left by dogmom is the best:

'Your statement that HSUS is a "mainstream" and "animal shelter organization is totally incorrect but it is what Wayne Pacelle wants everyone to believe. HSUS does not own or operate a single shelter on its own and does not regularly give money to local animal shelters. In contrast, the ASPCA in New York operates a state of the art shelter and low cost animal hospital and helps local shelters all over the US. I know, because I am on the board of an East Coast shelter that is getting $ and expertise from ASPCA. HSUS charged us $6,000 for a "consultation" that produced a nothing but boilerplate report. Worthless, just like HSUS!'

Submitted by: dogmom

6:25 AM PDT, July 16, 2009

'Nuff said'

Kim

Shortie

2009-07-09T02:00:00.004-05:00

My other post for today "Shame in the Horse Show Ring" made me think of the most wonderful Quarter Horse I ever rode. I was working as a Livestock Supervisor for Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice. I watched for three years this horse being ridden by another individual doing what one does with cattle: checking cattle daily, penning cattle for working, and checking fence. His name was Shortie. A fire orange sorrel gelding built like a little bulldog standing just 14.1 hands. The time came when his rider left the ranch. I was able to pick him up. Why that rider loved to have this horse's nose in the air was beyond me. I was drawn to Shortie because he loved his job and had a real gutsy attitude. He just knew he could do anything the bigger horses could, and he could.

Well that rough nose in the air gate had to go. Patience was the rule every day I stepped onto his back. After three weeks of a get to know you period I set up a series of cavaletti for Shortie. We would work about five minutes everyday at a walk and trot across them. At first it was like a fish out of water. This powerhouse athletic gelding couldn't even walk across them with out almost falling down. It took two weeks for him to begin to look down at the ground. It was the beginning for him to realize he didn't have to stick his nose in the air. Slowly over the next year he began to drop his head, learned to cadence his gait. We could head across open ground at an extended trot and I could sit and ride with ease. His jog was exquisite and balanced. His lope like a gentle rocking chair, easy and free lead changes with just a shift of the opposite leg by me. His neck level and collected at all gaits. All I had to do was lift my hand and he would stop. A year and half later other employees took notice, the gutsy little gelding was the envy of the ranch. Time and again I would hear someone say, I can't believe Shortie is the same horse. Can I ride him, the answer was always some other time.

Then one day as I climbed on his back, something was amiss. After twenty minutes I got off and check the girth, the pad, the saddle, the bridle, the bit.....I mean I checked everything. He was off, he wouldn't collect, wouldn't cadence any gait. After two hours I felt beaten to death like when I first started to ride him. On top of that I'd felt I was fighting him all morning. He wasn't tossing his head, he wasn't angry....it felt like a test. He didn't accept a single cue I gave him. I was trying to get a cadenced jog when I finally had enough. I didn't raise my hand to stop as I just stepped off of him. Roping horses are trained to stop when the rider comes off. He wasn't collected like he should have been. The result taught him a simple lesson he would never forget. He stumbled, scrambling to stop, and his knees hit the ground followed by his nose. He picked himself up as quickly as he fell. Stunned he stood there eyeing me.....I touched his neck lightly stroking him. 'Shortie,' I said, 'I hope that taught you a lesson.' I mounted and my wonderful gelding moved off at a walk, no soreness. I gently asked for a jog, and my gutsy little gelding was in fine form, collected and cadenced. He never again tested me. I never asked Shortie to drop his head so low he couldn't collect himself. I never forced him into an unnatural gait. I asked him to be on the bit and drive off his hindquarter. He was a horse I will never forget. A gutsy little guy that had one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen in a horse.

Some of the best horses I've ever mounted were ranch horses or PRCA Ropers. Working animals with hearts of fire and the patience to go all day long, day after day.

Kim

Blog - Shame in the Horse Show Ring

2009-07-09T00:52:00.004-05:00

I found the blog Shame in the Horse Show Ring today. An interesting blog to say the least. A subject put forth which for years I was showing our Arabians aggravated me to no end. As all horse owners believe, their favorite breed is the best. For me it is Arabians, but let me stress an excellent horse of any breed is IMHO a joy to behold. I also am a believer that all horses regardless of what they look like should be treated with honor and respect!

Pictured in my LO is one of our family's three Arabians. This is Ibn Zubaydahh (Tammen x Zubaydahh) a Straight Egyptian we bred. In fact the last one we bred. He's a dream, well behaved with a fun loving streak. He isn't for the faint of heart. His mind like all Tammen babies is quick and devious at times. He isn't for a beginner. He will test and test you just for the fun of it. His forever home now resides at the ranch. His companion is Asia TA an El Hadayhh daughter. She has been at the ranch for 10 months as a refuge of Ike. She finally gets to return to her Mother, my Mom next Monday. The third I've yet to meet and shame on me for forgetting his name. Mom just adopted him. A very sweet gentleman in his aged years she says. I will meet him in a couple of weeks. The fourth equine we own is a donkey by the name of "Donkey" who pulls double duty at the ranch as a guard animal and halter breaks our show calves for us. To me the three I know well are so special to me. They never are abused but respected loving members of our family.

As I wrote "Shame in the Horse Show Ring" is a terrific blog! It points out the abuses that go on in the show world. A good friend near our Houston home was telling me about a the Arabian English (Saddle Seat) Horses. I was appalled to hear of them being shoe with stacked shoes, if that is even the correct terminology. I thought in the late eighties we solved that problem from ever beginning to occur. Arabians aren't AHS or Walkers. They are a desert horse: smart, brave, beautiful, and sensitive. WHY!!!!? would the people involved in Arabians do this. I've been away from the show scene since the early '90's because of money back then. Our kids got involved with livestock and that is the direction we have taken. I could never go back with this treatment of a breed as wonderful as the Arabian.

As I sat and read several posts today on "Shame in the Horse Show Ring." The post dated April 28, 2009, Model Citizens of the Horse World, is a post after my own heart. It talks about horse owners with an "ego." Something that would grate on me with several trainers in the show world. An truth be told I see it to some extent and much less in the cattle show world. For the most part it is from those who have moved or are showing horses, too. I shy away from them.

Speaking of which....abuse of horses just doesn't occur in the show world, it occurs outside of it, too. I happened to have my daughter tell me about a man who was chiropractor when she had an appointment the other day. This man had his horse literally dance on his back, run wide open around the ring several times then headed down a calf chute. Read between the lines....he did something to that horse to cause it. I have no sympathy. The nurse at the doctor's said he was always in for something relating to his horses (that was to me as I took my daughter to her appointment)....again read between the lines......I have no sympathy! I've been riding since I was nine and started with English Hunt Seat lessons on a Welsh cross horse. I've only ever had one horse in my entire life buck with me. It was a quarter horse who had a bad accident with another rider working on a ranch I worked on. A cow turned on her and she went to pitching. I road her out, more afraid of the cow then the mare bucking. She took three huge pitches, I kept kicking her forward until she took off at a run. About a hundred yards later I was able to slow her into an easy lope and then to an easy trot and finally to a jog. I never punished her or hit her. Her accident was she had been flipped when her legs got tangled in a rope after the rider roped the cow. In forty years of riding, I've been unseated by a horse shying at something or stumbling. I've never had one buck in training a youngster to saddle.

I've become a follower of "Shame in the Horse Show Ring," if for nothing else then to make a statement that abuse of any animal is abhorrent to me and my sensibilities!

For those animal rights activists who sit and read my blog....I don't tolerate animal abuse! Here at the ranch my husband laughs as he watches "my kids", the show calves, following me around their pasture. Somewhere along the line I would like animal rights activists to give me the freedom to do what I love and that is to contribute to the food supply of my country and to the world. I AM NOT A FACTORY FARM!

Kim

Rep. Peterson Flip Flops on Cap and Trade

2009-07-06T12:29:00.003-05:00

Have you asked why Cap and Trade was allowed to pass the House of Representatives?

VIEWPOINT: Peterson does flip-flop on cap and trade

Apparently in Congress, Midwestern sensibility only takes you so far. Tuesday night, Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., struck a deal with Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to guarantee the votes to pass the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill.

By: Pat Anderson, St. Paul

ST. PAUL — Apparently in Congress, Midwestern sensibility only takes you so far.

Tuesday night, Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., struck a deal with Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to guarantee the votes to pass the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill. Peterson, chairman of the House Agriculture committee, under pressure from the White House and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, compromised with Waxman.

Politico, a D.C.-based news organization, highlights the terms of the compromise:

“Under the deal they announced Tuesday evening, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will oversee the offset program for farmers, and the House will seek further guidance from the Obama administration about the appropriate role for the Environmental Protection Agency.

“And Waxman has agreed to ask the EPA to roll back its new requirements that farmers offset rural land developed in other countries. Both were major sticking points for rural members and the many agriculture associations opposed to the bill.”

The controversial Waxman-Markey bill, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050, has had plenty of opposition from farm state and rust belt lawmakers. Crippling to industry and agriculture, the bill may indeed prove very controversial for Peterson’s constituents. His western Minnesota district’s economy is based heavily on agriculture, and if Peterson’s compromise does not adequately shield farmers from the provisions in the bill, it could have disastrous effects on the district’s economy.

Anderson is president of the Minnesota Free Market Institute. Read more....

I was thinking about a conversation relayed to me by my husband with our neighbor across the street from us. Our neighbor owns a broiler (chicken) farm at another property he owns. He has made little or no profit in the last two years with the increase in cost of electricity. He recently had his lawyer review his contract, most likely Sanderson Farms. They have found a provision for him to shut his broiler farm down. He is also concerned over the Cap and Trade bill. Should it pass the Senate he will shut it down. How many other broiler chicken farmers do the same? What will this do to the cost to you the consumer on the chicken you buy in the grocery store? Shorter supply, higher prices is the result. You should be concerned about this! I encourage you to read the entire article. Then call or email your senator. I already have.

On the personal level Rep. Peterson sold out the American Farmer and Rancher. He comes from the family farm. He shouldn't have sent a message to us, we aren't considered important in his eyes. He sent a message to the American Consumer he wants to see their taxes go up and the cost of their food to rise. If the damage the EPA will do to the farmer, may even cause a greater number of our population to go hungry. The way I read the article, the compromise only dictates the promise to do something to ease farmers burden on the carbon tax, not set in the law. The promise to ask President Obama what the role for the EPA will be. There is nothing set in stone to keep the EPA from setting standards which will force farms to go out of business.

Just my two cents.....

Day at the Ranch, May 19, 2009

2009-05-20T17:22:00.011-05:00

Yesterday, Larry and I spent the morning trying to get our new donkey, "Donkey" to either get caught or go out the gate so we could move him down the road to home. Yep, he visited the horses next door. He's now keeping our new senior bull Premier company until we get him gelded. Larry left for our Angleton home and work. I sat to cool off from the miles I walked behind "Donkey." Yep, his name is Donkey when we purchased him, so the name sticks. Thank you Natasha for such a rascal.

Then I dashed out the door to go see the cattle out back. Purpose other then to check and make sure everyone was there was to get a picture of "my" new bull calf. I claim one cow on the farm. PX 20L is my cow. I found her in the 2008 Get Back to Grass Sale Catalog and marked a big red star as the first one to look at. The picture was not of a cow of a particular great animal. Pictures are not what you will see in person. I marked her because she was a daughter of the great Lowline Bull Quartermaster. I'd been bugging Larry for Quartermaster semen for two years last fall. All falling on deaf ears. When I arrived at the sale, I headed in the barn looking for PX 45. I stood there looking at a seven year old cow, in the prime of her reproductive capacity. There was a lot to like about her and some I didn't. But then again I could pick apart any animal. I liked what I saw and had visions of her being bred to Tequila, Peyton, and Machine. I could probably think of a few other Lowline Bulls I could breed her to. I said to Larry I wanted that cow. He said there are better and she's older. "I want that cow!" He said I don't think we need her. "I want that cow." I think of the on going remarks prior to the sale about that cow. My reply kept being "I want that cow." Larry asked Lynn about that cow. She was positive. Then I happen to be in a group of individuals and asked Neil where Quartermaster worked the best in the breed. He said on the half-bloods and listed the whys. I happened to go outside about two cows before she was to sell. When I came back in she was selling. Then I spotted Larry and I saw his hand wave. I could barely contain my excitement. He was bidding on the cow I wanted. Of course you know the story, she came home with me.

She was exposed to two different bulls. I was excited when I looked at when she was palpated, Wow maybe she'll give me an Absolut calf. Yet when she calved and I took one look at my new bull calf it was obvious she was a Bruzer son. Mr. FJL11 V01 is a half blood lowline, a quarter Gelbvieh, a quarter shorthorn. He's been the best of the three percentage calves born on the farm this year. I had no doubt he would be. He's better then the Absolut heifer he had last year and she was a show quality 3/4 Lowline heifer. I'll see how he does when we wean him on his weight. Right now he's advertised for sale as a show steer or bull. He should easily make the lightweight class for a steer. Needless to say my husband is very pleased with my now eight year old cow.....who goes by the name of "Your cow."

I took alot of pictures this day and put two of my other favorites up on this post. The one at the top of the post is of the massive bloom all of the Prickly Pears are having. It's a larger bloom then I've ever seen before. All of the Prickly Pear large and small are blooming with a passion. Then there is the yard art to the left of this paragraph. I couldn't resist this shot after the photos I took of my calf. There was Chili Pepper
and my loyal "cow dog" Paige who is currently warming my feet. She long ago realized the safest place for her when the herd was around was in the mule. The cows don't pay any attention to her, she's just part of the crew to them. Paige loves to be in the mule while I'm wondering among the cattle. She's sooo cute watching her "Mommy".

May your day be as peaceful as mine! Kim

Michigan Farm Bureau - Close Up on Farm Animal Welfare

2009-05-16T00:05:00.008-05:00

How do I feel when I watch before my eyes the one thing I love second only to my family being attacked? What emotions do I feel? Anger, Extreme Sadness and Fear. We bought the ranch to sustain us through our retirement. It won't provide a great income but one we feel we can live on. How would you feel if someone threatened your right of choice on any matter? Any matter at all. I think HSUS is after ME and other animal livestock producers. This is what I wrote on another site about my feelings for what I love, my ranch. It's not just the livestock it everything which occurs around me at the ranch.

In this country, the greatest on earth we have so much freedom to choose which side we are on in any discussion. We truly are blessed. I choose to be a rancher, I choose a much smaller income when we sell our business on the coast. I do so because I love walking outside and seeing the cows with calves grazing. A blue bird landing on a fence post nearby. Sitting in our mule (motorized) watching my husband on the dozer clearing mesquite trees and having a 12 week old skunk walk by me within arms reach. I enjoy watching a pair of turkey buzzards raising a pair of chicks....did you know they are ground layers. I didn't until Larry found the nest. We have our second nest this spring on the ranch since we have purchased our property. I love walking quietly up to one of the stock tanks to see the turtles sunning themselves. I enjoy watching the interactions of the cows in the herd. And they have taught me so much about life just as my horses have. I love being covered with dirt, hot and sweaty. A shower and cool glass of tea on the porch in the evening is my reward for a wonderful day.

On occasion I spend time online searching for something that will alleviate the fear I have of someone taking my right to choose my rural ranching lifestyle away from me. As I was searching the web I ended up on Michigan Farm Bureau. I was thrilled to see a six part video announced to be added to You Tube this week. Videos that show researchers, farmers, and the truth about what farmers do. The title of this six part series is titled, Close Up on Farm Animal Welfare. I love the whole series, but I thought I'd leave you with a touch of what is talked about.

I love the introduction to each segment by Ernie Birchmeier but especially his introduction for Segment 3. He talks about the evolution of our confinement systems to be able to feed a hungry nation. He says this segment will show, 'How we do, Why we do, What we Do.' No truer words can be spoken. Listen closely to the President of Michigan Pork Producers and his experience of raising hogs outdoors. That would have been back when he was growing up. They talk in soft tones of Why we got to where we are. Sows eat, squash, and step on their babies causing death and injury. Inclement weather can take even more death loss. Pigs are happy when given a little to eat and their body is clean. They really hate being dirty. They roll in mud because they can not sweat, it keeps them cool and the bugs off.

Segment 6 starts by giving the statistics about where we were and where we are today as far as the number of people each farmer contributes to feeding meat to the consumer. Imagine taking my ability to feed 143 people away from me. 143 citizens of my country will not have the food I produce, will they be hungry. What if one plant farmer quit. 143 plus people will go hungry. No meat no plant food equals a minimum of 143 hungry people. Could you be one of those people? Why would an organization want that to happen to their fellow citizens? I have the ability to produce a minimum of 40,000 lbs of beef on the hoof each year right now. That equates to approximately almost 21,000 lbs of beef to the consumer. If you do the math I can contribute 1.5 lbs of beef per household of four 365 days a year for 38 families. That is 153 people. I have the capacity to produce more meat then the average family needs in a year.

My favorite Segment is number six, but if your unfamiliar with the discussions of the previous three you might not understand what is being said if you don't know about farming and ranching. I love hearing the personal understanding of the importance of agriculture to this country. Please hear the stories we tell, the love we have for our profession, and the dedication. If you learn about us, you will side with the producer who desires to provide the consumer with the safest, cheapest, and most abundant food in the world.

The half truths and downright lies of a lobbying organization declaring they are for animal rights. Versus the organizations who are for animal welfare and are doing front line work for the benefit of animals. Don't believe HSUS or PETA or AFL. These groups are dangerous to my lifestyle and yours. Don't give to them, your money is being used to lobby unjustly about my job, my life, and what I choose to do which under the Constitiution and the Declaration of Independance is a God given right of the American people.

The printed article can be found at the Michigan Farm Bureau their online You Tube page is at Michigan Farm Bureau

Kim

Atlanta Channel 2 News Reports on HSUS

2009-05-15T14:46:00.004-05:00

I found it so refreshing to see this video on You Tube. Atlanta Channel 2 News reports on HSUS and their misconceptions in how they raise money. I'm delighted! All I can say is watch this video for yourself to see what this group is up to. They should be investigated by the US Congress instead of listening to their lobbyists! The piece was balanced towards pet welfare and what HSUS stands for. Wish they included the beliefs HSUS has about animal producers in agriculture. I'm so tired of being called a factory farm when I know of no "factory farm" anywhere in the US.

Kim

Hunger in America

2009-05-05T10:33:00.003-05:00

We say not me! I'm won't go through that! Hunger only occurs with the homeless, and I won't be there! Really, you really think that way! Please, I've been homeless and couldn't put food on the table and now my income level is at what most people only dream of it being. I won't go hungry again, I can grow my own food on the land I own outright. That's a good thing. But what about you? Do you even know how to grow your own food. This is the picture we see on TV and the streets of what hunger looks like in America. You say they don't look hungry. Eventually it gets to looking like this.
Is it really what you want to see? I'm seeing the first signs! People with backpacks walking along the road in the rain and cold. I'm seeing the first signs with passage of Prop 2 in California. HSUS has gone into Ohio, Missouri, and North Carolina to try to pass similiar measures.

I had someone tell me today it would never happen, no one could stop the production of meat. Another wrote yesterday how stopping meat production could cause an increase in pollution. No leather for your baseball gloves or footballs they become vinyl. Vinyl is synthetic produced in a chemical plant. The result goes even further into our lifestyle then you think.

If you think it can't happen, guess again. Agriculture operates on a very small margin, people are only willing to pay a certain amount for chicken, pork and beef. These are the three meats that Americans eat the most. If the price goes up restraunts and manufactures will go out of business and grocery stores will carry less. Those who can't afford it won't buy the meat. If meat prices rise so high there will be a demand for more plant food production and we don't have enough land to feed our country on plant production alone never mind helping to feed the 6.7 billion and growing human population of the world. The number one cause of social and political instability in the world is hunger. Learn about Agriculture and your food systems in this country. Don't let hunger in this country become our legacy of my generation for not stopping left wing animal rights groups.

Kim

NSD '09 ... ACOT

2009-05-02T15:18:00.012-05:00

NSD or National Scrapbooking Day is really celebrated around the world. To be honest I think we need to change it to National Scrapbooking Weekend. There are all sorts of functions going on across the country in LSS, consultants with Creative Memories and other home businesses, and online. My cropping group this year will celebrate next Saturday with our monthly crop. This weekend though I spent time at A Cherry on Top or ACOT! They hosted a very fun online crop! This was a first for me and I am so HOOKED! Here are some of the pictures pulled from my picture library and projects I completed over the weekend. I would have gotten more done had it not been for doing some work around the ranch. The pictures and other items are in desending order.

I fell in love with Challenge #11! We had to list all of the STUFF in our bag (purse) on the thread. Then go back and read the rest of the post. Common items we choose to carry were matched with a product. Here's what I wrote with parenthesis the matching product I was allowed to use in our LO's. Cash (pattern paper), Debit Card (cardstock), receipts (die-cut), lipstick (glitter), coupons (stamp), hair brush (paper clip), car keys (flowers), mints (brads), cell phone (buttons). I also had business cards listed and since it wasn't given on the list I was allowed to choose an additional product and I chose alphas. I chose to do LO that reflected our lifestyle and work on the ranch.

Delta Zeta's rose, Killarney! How I love this rose! Used on the thread asking how we chose our nic on ACOT's message board. My nick killarney_rose!

My darling Paige asking my son James for some sprinklins'!
Posted this photo of my precious girl spending time with her James. The thread asked us to tell which breed of dog they would buy. Of course I would have another Cavalier. Small dog averaging twelve pounds bred to be a lap and foot warmer during the middle ages. Wonderful temperment not yappy and a real joy to have. Paige is currently warming my feet.

Talk about a mess...my scrap space during crop! We were asked for a photo of a messy scrap space. Mine was relatively clean compared to some, LOL!

Fast Scrap 13 was so fantastic! I didn't think I could do it but I did! I'm so excited! The challenge was to make an altered item or a card holder to hold a hand made card. I thought this was a neat way to dress up a present! I so love my Creative Memories Pattern. I could stick with a star theme with a star on the card I made. Then on top of it all I WON the challenge and received a $5 gift certificate to ACOT's store. So excited!

My Fast Scrap 12 entry for the birthday card. Thanks for getting me to move with lightening speed! Done in 10 minutes. Uploading it with a site I'm not familiar with was another story!!!!! LOL!

Me on the porch of our house at the ranch during ACOT NSD Crop! The thread asked for a picture of us during the crop. Well I love showing how I think when it comes to the ranch. I love using the cattle to mow our two acre lawn! A thread for a picture the morning after our first night. The crop was a 50 hour extravaganza!

There is nothing more fun then spending time sharing family, our stories and having a blast producing a item for others to enjoy! I AM ADDICTED TO SCRAPPING!

My Brothers

2009-04-30T14:49:00.003-05:00

I looked at a tutorial about using a whole punch to form a title. I was so excited about it I went to punching holes. When done I understood why the tutorial said to use two different sizes of hole punches. Aghh well, another tool to purchase.... with a smile on my face.

My brothers much younger. For my "About Me" album. I've chosen photos of us when we were young because those are always my first thoughts about my brothers. They both are wonderful adults with wonderful families of their own. They been so supportive of our mother since Dad's passing. They have been more like big brothers to me then I could ever hope for in recent years. So hats of to MY BROTHERS! Hey guys, who spit the seeds the furthest that day?

Thank you to Pink Sketches for their wonderful inspiration for this LO with Sketch # 30. The collage is all about what my brothers love.

Kim

...on my Journey

2009-04-30T12:20:00.005-05:00

I probably have written this before, I love being a mother. Some time back I did a LO of James titled Embrace and wrote a post about it. The picture was a self-portrait of James. Lynn did a self portrait of herself. I knew like with James' LO I would be given a word to describe where my children are as young adults. It is why I so love One Little Word. The inspiration of just one word can send you forward. I also used 52 Sketches...52 Weeks #17 to put the LO together. Thank you to both sites. The other inspiration came from tutorials on technique on both sites. Using paint on your LO's. Since we had so much rain this week I could take the time to paint and let it dry.

Larry and I have always told the children to look and explore the world around them. Both of us would say or do something when they were growing up and then tell them to see if what we were telling them was true. I think my favorite thing I told the kids was about piercings and tattoos. Lynn was allowed to pierce her ears for earrings. Other then that both were told no tattoos or piercings until they were over the age of 18. I told them to look around them. The most successful people in the world who were not in sports or entertainment did not have tattoos or piercings or at lteast they couldn't be seen. As they got older they really did begin to look. Lynn has gotten a tattoo but it is well hidden. She pierced her nose, but I think she's beginning to get tired of it from the way she talks. It's forever getting infected. Kind of why I rarely wear earrings any more. My ears are infected within 36 hours. We also talked openly about drugs and sex with them. We showed them examples in their lives and ours. They now have seen cousins wind up in jail over drugs. They shake their heads and both have said, 'how stupid!'

Lynn was about 8 years old when she decided to set a plan for her life. It started with going to college at Texas A&M. She wanted to be a lawyer for a while. Then there was probably half a dozen other things she wanted to be. Where is she, of course a Senior at Texas A&M majoring in Agriculture Science (what they call Agriculture Education). She was a PAL (Peer Assistance Leadership) in High School. A select organization to be a peer mentor. She found she loved helping others. I just think it is ingrained in my daughter to help others. So many adults helped her down her journey she started to set for herself at age 8. There were teachers, coaches, and friends to guide her through swimming then softball, her rabbitry and on to her pig and cattle. Teachers leading by example to her. I'm grateful to all of those positive experiences Lynn received. She has allowed herself to let her journey to evolve and grow. I so look forward to where her journey will lead her from here. She'll continue as she always has, placing one foot in front of the other to reach her goals. We love you Lynn!

Kim

Pork Prices

2009-04-30T10:37:00.003-05:00

I had two courses in college where we had $10,000 dollars on paper and had to invest the money (on paper) in the Futures Market in Agriculture Commodities. At the end of the six weeks we had to let the class know how much we made. Both times I made just over $1,000,000. The closest anyone else came was a good friend when we took one of the classes together. He also made over a million but was slightly under me. The next closest student in both classes was $250,000. The friend and I worked together on reading information on the agriculture markets and then made trades based on our discussions together. The one thing I understood was how the speculators entered the market and exited the market. I understood how emotions could drive the market, too. Back then we didn't have instant communication as we do now. We had to do all of our trades based on a one day delay via the Wall Street Journal. I loved this particular exercise in these classes.

Pork prices are down. How is it determined. First the Futures Markets for Agriculture Commodities for the most part are traded on the CBOT and CME. From my classes I stayed clear of Pork Bellies. This was the only way back in the '80's that Pork was traded. Pork Bellies were just too volatile for me. Since then Lean Hogs have been added.

Pork Bellies is the way to trade Bacon. Yeah, funny name to me. Lean Hogs is the other instrument to trade Live Hogs. Late last night I took a look at the prices. Hog producers were already reeling from the high grain prices of last year. The outlook for prices and making money for this year was dismal at best. Now enter the current flu virus. Pork prices have tumbled severely. This is such a blow to the producers. If I had the money late last week when the virus hit the news, I would have sold contracts in one or both of the instruments to market hogs. This morning I would have purchased contracts to exit the market and made a boat load of money.

On April 23, Pork Bellies closed about $83 dollars from the charts I read. Yesterday they closed at 75.875. Lean Hogs on April 24 closed at just under $74 from the charts. Yesterday it closed at 69.17 and currently are trading at 10:50 am at 68.300. Some of this is speculation and institutional driven. But, it is based on the falling purchases by consumers of pork in the grocery store. On a Lean Hogs contract that is a profit of almost $2000 per contract in five days.

If you want to help producers please buy pork. You will not get the flu from eating pork!

HSUS President & CEO Pacelle on Swine Flu

2009-04-28T00:47:00.005-05:00

I have never in my life seen such a blatant outright piece written with half-truths and down right lies in my entire life. Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of HSUS, blog post dated April 27, 2009, A Possible Connection: Swine Flu and Factory Farms, is the source for all of his half-truths and down right lies. This man is blaming everyone involved in animal agriculture production for Swine Flu and other diseases and pathogens. He is responsible for two of the most egregious forms of asking for donations and getting huge amount of dollars only to spend a fraction on what was raised. Katrina, HSUS receives 37 million and only spends 4 million on animal victims of Katrina. The most recent is the Micheal Vic, where they raise money only to say, 'Put the dogs down.'

HSUS as reported by Micheal Johnson of the Charlotte Observer quoted: “The Humane Society of the United States is trying to help out from the top down,” said David Miller, executive director of one of those dog-and-cat shelters, the Humane Society of Charlotte. “That's confusing for people sometimes.” And yet this is what was said by Victoria on the Facebook Group Stop the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) :

'HSUS infuriates me to no end! I am a shelter director and I can tell you for a fact that we get people all the time assuming if the give to HSUS we will be helped. We have never seen ONE RED DIME from them. We are in a county with an 11.5% un-employment rate and I can't even get them to send us a donation to help us continue our spay/neuter certificate program. You would think after all their yapping about that, they would be willing to help shelters continue their programs when they are financially incapable of continuing!!! Tells you that they really don't care about those of us actually working with the pets that they supposedly hold so near and dear to their hearts. HSUS does not operate one single shelter in the US and are nothing more that a massive lobbying organization I will never support them after what they did to horses in this country. We have a small hog business and farm on a small scale and this group will be the end to all of us if we do not stop them now.'

Victoria's post was dated March 11,2009. Obviously they would rather put her small farm out of business then help the shelter she is head of. Pacelle would say she is running a Factory Farm without even knowing her. I guarantee her pigs are treated with the utmost respect and care!

Pacelle uses in the first paragraph the H1N1 influenza virus is what humans are contracting. Further down Dr. Micheal Greger, a senior staff member of HSUS, writes about H1N1 as a swine influenza virus. The influenza virus humans are contacting is not H1N1! It is a combination of swine, avian, and human virus. Time and again research has shown the virus mutates. This is a totally new virus. Pacelle says it has been traced to a major area of pig farms in Mexico. Mexico does not have the built in safety system the U.S. has for their food supply. We have the safest food system in the world. A local restaurant owner in the Clear Lake (NASA) area is a immigrant from Lebanon. In the Middle East if you want chicken for dinner you go to the local market tell the merchant you want 'that chicken.' The chicken is alive when you pick it out, the merchant carries it in back of the shop, harvests the chicken for you and brings it out to you. No USDA inspection like we have here. Where would you like to purchase your chicken? Pacelle refuses to acknowledge the safety systems in our Agriculture products.

Dr. Paconna interviewed on ABC Early Morning National News is quoted as saying, 'You can't get the flu from eating pork.' Don't let Pacelle say you can as he implies in his blog post. I've heard the same statement all day long on every news program I've watched. I've been watching as we received rain all day.

By the time you finish this post you are sure you are going to get influenza and it is all of the pig producers fault in this country. Even the picture he shows is misleading. There is no dirty floor the pigs are standing on. In fact they look pretty happy pigs to me. Pigs are very curious, intelligent and expressive animals. Happy pigs have the kind of face you see on these pigs. The slats of wood are the cover over an automated flush system to remove manure. Pacelle has once again shown a false statement of how our pork producers are concerned with the welfare of their animals to bring a very safe product to market for the consumer.

Again, Pacelle has shown what HSUS is all about. He and the rest of HSUS wants to get rid of Animal Production Agriculture as quoted in his March 30, 2009 blog post. Notice I highlighted Policy of HSUS on wanting to eventually do away with Animal Production Agriculture.

We believe in the Three R's—reducing the consumption of meat and other animal-based foods; refining the diet by eating products only from methods of production, transport, and slaughter that minimize pain and distress; and replacing meat and other animal-based foods in the diet with plant-based foods.

I'm just exposing the man for what he is, head of a deceitful lobbying organization!

Kim

Edited on 4/30/09: In an above paragraph I stated H1N1 is not a human virus. Yesterday, even the President uses H1N1 virus as the name of the flu currently infecting humans. So I apologize. Now my question is who is wrong? If swine do have H1N1 virus affect them as a stated in Pacelle's blog and known as swine flu then what is the name of the current virus affecting us. It obviously evolved, mutated, changed, converted, or changed to be able to affect us as proved by the US Center for Disease Control as being of Swine, Avian, and Human origin. My point of HSUS trying to instill fear hasn't changed!

On top of that please understand you can not get the flu from eating pork.

HSUS lobbying in North Carolina

2009-04-27T20:47:00.003-05:00

Troy and Stacy had some wonderful comments on various topics today! HSUS in North Carolina really seem to hit home for me. While in college (working on my BS as I have two degrees) I spent my three summers in North Carolina. Two of those summers I worked for the North Carolina State Government Horticulture Crops Research Station. When I went in to see if they had any jobs open the end of May 1980, I was surprised they were excited to have an Agriculture Major requesting a job. They even offered to set me up with Sam Houston State for me to receive an internship. I never pursued it. Essentially, I was an intern though. I couldn't believe there were no NCSU Horticulture majors working at the Station. Only Aggies ever were able to get positions on Texas Research Stations. Their primary crop was and still is blueberries. I did every conceivable thing one can do to a blueberry. No computers to run the statistical analysis and I ran them all by a calculator. Lots of time in the green houses watering the plants and reporting on any problems or fixing the irrigation system when it went down. The list of what I did during those two summers is long. Yet, I learned so much about research and production agriculture. I think the most interesting experiment was a group of Grad Students and two professors had a test plots for new varieties of carrots. They were grown at this research station as the soils were very close to soils in Central Africa. When the carrots were ready for harvest, we spent the morning with the Grad students pulling carrots. Very back breaking work. They had been taking weights, measurements, etc. Just like I would do with the blueberries each week a test plot was picked. I came down a row with a full bucket of carrots from one plot after we had been harvesting for two hours. The Grad Student I set it down by looked at me and said I would get to taste a carrot from that bucket. I asked, 'Your not weighing first?' The reply, 'Nope!' So I walked over to a facet, washed a carrot off turned around and took a big bite, and nearly choked to death. That was the most GOD AWFUL CARROT I had ever tasted! I remember him laughing at me. I'd spit that thing out and ran back to the facet to rinse my mouth. He then told me every plot had been that way. Dejected the team returned to Raleigh to start completely over. There is one thing the research work made me realize, I didn't want to do it for a career. At least for Horticulture it was slow as molasses. By the start of my second summer I knew I was going to stay in school for a Masters and by the end of my summer I was positive I'd rather not do a Thesis. So I have a terminal degree. I can say again, I loved the work though. I really enjoyed the statistical analysis the most. I suppose it is why I have my degrees in Agriculture Economics. Crunching numbers for trends or to find a way to save money on the ranch is intriguing to me.

I have family in North Carolina and Larry's ancestry traces to Pender County. Along with those two things and the two summers meeting so many professors in the Horticulture Department at NCSU drew me to the article Troy found in the Charlotte Observer, Bill stirs battle - over dogs, or meat? I urge you to read the post. I found for the most part the author Mark Johnson attempted to show both sides of the issue. Better then most articles, but he too, fell a little short. I'd point it out but I think I have in other posts on my blog. What I did find out was what seemed to be the HSUS owned sanctuaries. Mr. Johnson used the term "operated" instead of owned. I'd always heard HSUS didn't own any shelters or sanctuaries. The one that disturbed me the most was one in Texas. So I set out to find out who actually owned the ranch. As I began my search I found out some interesting things. The Black Beauty Ranch outside of Athens, Texas was founded by Cleveland Amory a children's author. The Black Beauty Ranch's Partners according to the website is The Fund for Animals and HSUS. The Fund for Animals according to Wikipedia at the link for Cleveland Amory founded The Fund for Animals. In 2005 HSUS formed a "Corporate Combination" with The Fund for Animals. What the heck was that? You'd think I could pull it from the recesses of my mind since I have a minor in General Business. So searched yet again. I found this on the web and I'll let you read it at All Business. So the end result is I'm still not sure who owns Black Beauty Ranch. I do know one thing, I will not go to the ranch and will not give dollars to the ranch and will do everything I can to keep others from giving to the ranch directly.

Now I'm off to email Mark Johnson to correct him on some points in his article. I'm also going to email my aunt and uncle in Greensboro to encourage my aunt and uncle to call their state representative and senator of the North Carolina Legislature.

Kim

Out My Window

2009-04-26T10:00:00.003-05:00

Living on a ranch there is never a dull day. Just looking around you see a world open before you full of wonder. This morning Larry comes out from his morning shower and asks me to come back to the bedroom. He points out the window to a brown mass in the trees along the fence line. There in the tree is a swarm of bees. He tells me to be careful if I go out to get a picture. I tell him not to worry. I've no desire to disturb this group of one of the most wonderful insects in the world! Kim

Aggie Ring Day & Scrapbook Layouts

2009-04-24T14:53:00.015-05:00

I've enjoyed the last two days working on two layouts. I think the biggest reason I enjoyed it so much is because I've been in and out with family things to do. The most fun we had was last weekend in College Station, Texas A&M Univ. Parent's Weekend. We started Friday afternoon with the rain falling walking to the William Clayton Alumni Center for Ring Day. All I can say is, 'WHAT A ZOO'! The seniors were having a ball, celebrations started, pictures being taken everywhere. My favorite is this one to the right. Everyone was damp from the rain. May have dampened the body but certainly not the Aggie

Spirit! The picture at left is Lynn proudly showing off the Gig-'Em Aggie while making sure her coveted Aggie Ring is there for all to see. Now just one more thing to do to the ring. She will wait until Natasha gets hers next semester and then they will Perform a Ring Dunk! Another Aggie Tradition.

When I arrived back at the ranch on Wednesday I started in the evening with the two LO's I needed to accomplish before Saturday. Both were using Sketches from 52 Sketches...52 Weeks. Because of the busy week between the ranch and our home in Angleton I didn't complete Week #15. I decided on a companion page to my "Real" layout I did a while back. Another view of my Tahitian Sunset Rose from a different position. The picture is below.

My entry for this week's 52 Sketches...52 Weeks, Week 16 is a pictures of a Killdee and her nest. I loved working with this sketch for the LO. My favorite was the tag. I had fun working with my Ranger Perfect Pearls. You can't see the shimmer but it is a really fun medium to work with. I used a butterfly stamp. Larry happen to find the nest and came in to tell me about the nest. I've seen several Killdee nests on the coast. I've always found it amazing the color of the eggs is not always the same. The color directly depends on the color surrounding the nest. Somehow when I took the picture the eggs came out darker then what they really were. As I worked I remember my feelings to see this hen's nest. Her nest was along the side of our county road. The chances of the nest surviving would be next to 'nil. All of the other nests I'd seen had two or three eggs. This gal was prolific, she had four. The picture was taken last June. As I finished up the layout I thought how could I attract a Killdee and keep her nest relatively safe. Every nest I've seen has been in gravel. Our road is the wrong place. But our garden is a great place. I just need to get some gravel back there so maybe next year we can attract a pair to build a nest. The pair would help with bugs for the babies.

Texans have fond memories from the '90's about Killdee's. Seems it is the in thing for Candidates running for governor to get out with the press in tow and have a hunting trip. It is always during Upland Game Bird Season. It's the only way to show one of our state's favorite passions before the actual election. Deer Season and Duck/Geese season start on or just after the election. 1994 Election between Ann Richards and George H.W. Bush was a very hot election. It was important for both to be seen as true sportsman or woman as the case may be. Open day of Quail Season Ann & George headed out to the field, separately of course. At the end of the day both reported success and a good day of hunting. Ann Richards had to be the one to hang her head though. She killed a Killdee, a protected species, and was levied a fine. She handled it like the honorable Texan she was. So her day of hunting brought more press coverage then Bush's. I guess it can be said some bad press can be good press.

As for the spelling of the Killdee's name. They are also known as Killdeer and both spellings are correct.

I leave you with one more though: Why can't I use the symbol "&" in the Labels? I tried to write Texas A&M Univ. That is the correct way to write the name of the University. I had to settle for TAMU. Oh well, rules of the blog post.

Keep our elected officials in your prayers. They sure need some good thoughts sent their way.

Kim

Tea Party - Lake Jackson, Texas

2009-04-18T22:51:00.003-05:00

Most of my online scrapbooking friends know I have two homes. We hope by the end of the year it will just be the one in Groesbeck, TX. I had to go home Monday evening to Angleton for a dental appointment on Tuesday. I'm such a wimp when it comes to the dentist it wears my nerves to a frazzle. I always stay an extra night. My bags packed and ready for me to go. I'm about to call Larry and let him know I'm leaving. He calls when I'm within minutes of calling him. Would I go to the Lake Jackson Tea Party with him. I hate to tell Larry no when he asks so nicely. Plus I'm curious about what these are really all about since I don't get news that isn't skewed at least a little to the liberal side. Larry arrives home, and James wants to go. His two best friends are going. He is waiting for a call on when he can go for a job interview. He can't leave until 5:00pm. We decide to wait.

While we wait we all sit in front of TV watching Glen Beck in San Antonio in front of the Alamo at the Tea Party. As Texans we can so relate to the things Glen Beck and his guests relate about Texas History and what the Alamo means to Texans. Larry had told me at least seven days before the Tea Parties he really wish we could have been at the San Antonio Tea Party. We finally get to leave. I would estimate a minimum of 500 people. We saw so many friends and enjoyed saying hello. A past owner-operator who leased his truck with our terminal came up to say hi. And as I look back and I think what Nancy Pelosi said, made me realize this individual who worked under a lease agreement was just disgusted. He'd been unable to find work, as he had sold his truck and lost his job since he left working for us. He was 30 days to being homeless because of foreclosure. I think what Nancy Pelosi said about the Tea Parties being about the wealthy rich paying individuals to attend and I think about the individuals I've seen walking along Texas Highways with backpacks in the last 72 hours. These aren't individuals that look like alcoholics or drug addicts. These are people who have had their world turn upside down by the Recession. It is just horrible the far left wants to put a spin on what occurred on April 15th.

James did the above video of the Lake Jackson Tea Party. I'm proud of him for becoming active in his freedoms! Keep it up James!

Larry had gone to bed and I began to think about all of the posts I'd written about attacks on Agriculture and the hidden agenda of HSUS and PETA.

Here's what I think the Tea Parties were about. As I said we saw many friends there. Some are like me a economic conservative and just left of the middle on social issues. Friends who were die-hard Democrats, friends who were Republicans and those who consider themselves Independents. Why can't the far left can't respect our wishes to make our voices heard. Everything in me from my economics training tells me the way our government has chosen to handle this recession is going to send us into a place none of us wants to go. I can't fathom what will happen if they don't stop spending. It isn't just Bush and Obama. Most of the blame needs to be blamed on Congress. Barney Frank needs a good stiff kick in the back side. Why is he blaming the Republicans when he and the Democrats had control of the House? He was in charge of over site on the Finance Committee. Why didn't he pursue it? Why does he blame everyone else when the buck stops with him? Who knows.

As I dived more deeply into why I went I found it really had to do with my love of Agriculture. As I saw three individuals in the last 72 hours on Texas State Highways. A couple walking south on State Hwy 35. A man not ten years older then me on State Hwy 6 this afternoon. It hurt to the bone. It made me think of the tent cities I've seen in California on the news. It made me think about hunger in this country. Here we are the most blessed nation in the world with not only the land, climate, and soils to grow enough food to feed our nation and a huge portion of the rest of the world we have hunger and homeless due to the recession. We have had both without the recession, but now it is getting worse by the day.

I so believe in the humane treatment of animals. My mother and my brother-in-law are animal control officers. My mom is a member of Second Chance Pets, a rescue organization for dogs and cats. I look at our own cattle. They all have names. Some given names, others their brand numbers but none the less we all know who each individual is. I can tell you from a distance which animal is which. There are just over 80 on the ranch. Calves born receive a herd number, they have to have one so they can be registered with the respected registry. Some are double registered so the numbers have to match the requirements of both registries. They go buy their herd numbers until they receive given names. Some never get a given name, but their name is their number. In our eyes it is a name. I think the one cow who we purchased as a 21 month old heifer has the registered name of Corporran Acres 590. We call her 590. When she had a problem with foot rot, she was up in the pasture with the show cattle so I could care for her. I've grown very fond of her. She loves being a Mom and is a good Mom.

So why does HSUS and PETA keep their agendas hidden? Why won't those who support them listen to the argument I have about the ability to feed our population at an inexpensive cost? Why won't they listen that we don't have the land to grow enough plant food products to replace meat if we did away with it? Why won't they acknowledge we are loosing quality farm land to urban development that could be used for growing plant food products to feed our nation and the rest of the world? Why will they not see that forcing their so called humane ideas on animal housing or what agriculture calls confinement systems is dangerous not only to the animals health but the health of humans? Why most people in this country can be tolerant to those who choose a diet based on partial or total vegetarian diets but in return not respect those who desire to enjoy meat? I'm not saying all of those who enjoy a vegetarian diet are like this.

Next time, you want to blast me for being a "factory farm" remember I'm willing to let your post stand, but you don't let mine stand. Who is the tolerant one.

I just leave you with one thought....do you consider humans more important or our friends the animals?

My answer is my fellow citizens of this great country of ours first, then my fellow citizens of the planet we call home, Earth.

Please, think of the hunger in this world....remember a huge portion of the land not suitable to growing crops, vegetables and fruits is used for the production of meat. Please speak to a farmer, attend a livestock or crop symposium, and learn about the intricacies of producing food in the quantity we do in this country. When you do you just might change your mind about how you look at Agriculture.

I enjoy the quality of life in my home state of Texas, part of the greatest country in the World simply due to others like me who raise the grain crops, vegetables, fruits, and meat. Thank you to the Farmers and Ranchers of this country!

The Tea Parties were about our freedoms we enjoy under the Constitution of the United States of America. It's not about right or left, it's about a voice of a people who feel isn't being listened to. I'M PROUD TO SAY I'M ONE OF THOSE! I'm not a right wing terrorist!

Kim

Rush is supporting the Liberal HSUS!

2009-04-15T23:49:00.004-05:00

I'm so stunned by Rush Limbaugh it is unbelievable. I can't understand for the life of me why he would ever be allowed to be snowed by a far left wing group HSUS. This group wants to destroy our Agriculture systems and the ability feed our population and contribute to feed the 6.7 billion residents of a planet we know as Earth.

Now you have listened to one of the two PSA's Rush gave on his April 14, 2009 radio show. All you have to do is read the post during the last month on my Blog to know HSUS primary goal is the destruction of farmers and ranchers in this country. You might say, "Your crazy, not the farmers!" I'm not crazy. I'm telling the truth. Without the ranchers, hog farmers, and chicken farmers the farmers who grow our grains will be placed out of business not to mention all of the support industries that contribute to the growing of food. Please think, it is because the farmers and ranchers you have the safest food system in the world and the cheapest.

I thought I would point you to the blog post from Wayne Pacelle. It is his actual intentions of the HSUS in the last paragraph. He wants to do away with all forms of meat production in our country. Stand up to their tactics!

As food for thought please read the following blog post from Lene Johansen, titled OMFG! Rush has lost it! Thank you, Lene for telling the truth about HSUS!

Send Rush an email and tell him how much you love the meat the American Farmer and Rancher raises!

Kim

Texas House of Representatives HCR 50!

2009-04-15T12:38:00.009-05:00

Yesterday, Larry comes home from the office and wants to know how our Governor Rick Perry made the news. So up I went to the computer to search what was happening with Texas' Governor.

First let me explain my feelings about "King" Perry. I don't like him, I didn't vote for him in 2006 and I won't vote for him in the next election. Two reasons I feel this way. He decided by executive order to force parents to have their daughters vaccinated for HPV. It isn't a disease like Small Pox and the other childhood diseases. Am I in favor of vaccination for HPV? Yes, most definitely. Had my daughter been under 18 I would have taken her. At the time she was over 18 and could make that decision for herself. His Executive Decree raised such a wind storm of descent he was forced to back down. The citizens of Texas were also very upset over the Trans Texas Corridor. Two issues existed with the development of the highway, the issue of fair compensation of land placed under imminent domain and the fact both land and income were going to be owned and receive the income by a foreign country. He finally backed down when a company placed his ranch under imminent domain for the building of a railroad right of way. Then the company backed down.

I know the video below is an attempt by the governor to sign on with the Texas House of Representatives as part of his bid to be elected governor in 2010. There is a big BUT here though. He is right in doing so just as Representative Brandon Creighton was standing up and saying our state believes in the 10th amendment under HCR50. Thank you, Governor Perry for standing up for the Great State of Texas!

Ya know that is what the Tea Parties are about today. It's about our Constitutional Rights and upholding the whole concept of the Declaration of Independence. I'm entitled to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. So is everyone else. So do not tell me that Texas is crazy for this Resolution. It is supported by every Texan I've spoken to. I'm standing up to the ongoing tyranny of the federal government. My rights under the Constitution are consistently being chipped away. STOP!

I found the video on a blog titled Cajun Boy in the City. I really feel sorry for him. His statement about the video and our state led me to believe he can't communicate without using a four letter word. Sir, even though I stated in my last post I was proud to be a Yankee, I'm not now! I'm very proud to be a Transplanted Texan and very happy my parents got me to the state as soon as possible. I just want you to know Mexico drug thugs are shooting into the US from the border towns. I have no desire to drive along I-10 in El Paso where you can look across the Rio Grande into Mexico. Why will the federal government not allow us to put the National Guard on our border? Last I checked my state taxes go to them for protecting the citizens of Texas. On top of that I have close friends who have gone to Iraq who are members of the Guard. You pay taxes for that. Are you against the war on terrorism? Are you in favor of Homeland Security calling the Attack of 9/11 a "Man Made Disaster?" Wake up! Read the Resolution and then go read the Constitution.

Just wanted to let this individual know how many of my Cajun friends who currently reside in South Louisiana would agree with what our Legislature has done. Please stay up in The City! They deserve you! Don't even try to say I only have a few friends in Louisiana. I spend a great deal of time with them as we own a business dealing with Oil Field Service. Oh, yes I'm involved not only with feeding the people of the US but in delivering your energy needs. Don't blast me for not knowing what I'm talking about. DO NOT ATTACK, TEXAS! Unlike Louisiana and New York we were the Republic of Texas! We were a nation! We are TEXANS first!

I so wish I could have been at the Alamo today, it would have been so significant to stand where so many died for Texas Independence. What has happened to the Northeast, have they forgotten our roots in what the Tea Party was all about. I'm proud to be a Texan and an American.

Kim

Family Agriculture History, Part #1

2009-04-13T10:13:00.005-05:00

This is my story about our family's involvement in Agriculture. I have a few questions for you to think of while you read through my posts on our Family's History.

1) Do you keep track of your family's genealogy?
2) Do you know when your family left the farm if they were ever involved in farming?
3) Are there any stories passed down to you about the farm?

Through some very small amounts of research into my family's past, I've come to find this suburbia gal has very close ties to the farm.

I proudly say I was born a Yankee, almost Canadian. Niagara Falls, New York. I always have fun reminding my husband, a fifth generation Texan I am a Yankee. He smiles, 'Nope you aren't, your a Texan.' I always tell folks I got here as soon as possible...my Dad transferred here when I was nine.

My love of Agriculture grew from two sources. The first I think was genetically coded in me. Mom, said my second word was horse. She tells about the first model toy horse I received from her father. I never picked up a doll again. I have memories of my mother holding tight to my hand until I was six or seven to keep me away from a horse who was within my eyesight.

From my earliest memories one of my favorite places to go was my Dad's parents summer home, aka "The Cottage" to the family. See my post: The Cottage. The time spent there was incredible to me. My grandfather had a one acre vegetable garden on the five or six acres of the summer place. There were other scattered beds of flowers and the most wonderful raspberry patch. My grandfather loved gardening. By high school I had no idea how much he really loved farming until I took my first agriculture class and was in FFA. So on Dad's side of the family I only have to go back to my grandparents, both grew up on family farms in Ohio as first generation Americans.

I have had to dig a little deeper on my mother's side of the family. I do know on Mom's Dad's side I have to go back to at least my great great-grandparents to the family farm in the Northeast. My grandfather though was very attached to a rural life as my great-grandfather was a Presbyterian circuit rider minister in North Dakota Territory. He even graduated from high school or probably better put school in North Dakota. My great-grandfather was determined my grandfather would go to college. Eventually my grandfather was Dean of NYU's Business School.

On my mother's mother's side of the family I can trace my great-grandfather to Prince Edward's Island in Canada where he and his brothers arrived from Scotland with his parents. During that time period his family were fishermen. I'm sure they also had a family garden due to the late 1800's. He came south to the US and opened a shipping yard building ships. On my great-grandmother's family can be traced back to John & Priscilla Alden who came over on the Mayflower as well as subsequent family members who arrived in as early immigrants before the Revolution. At that time everyone was involved in producing food to eat.

Horses have always been a part of who I am and are deeply embedded in my soul. Yet I remember my first trip to the Houston Livestock Show at the age of ten. I was in heaven. I wanted to show at Houston. I wanted to have a cow and show. I thought the pigs so neat. I didn't know how to communicate that desire to my parents. At eleven my parents finally gave in and purchased my first horse for me. I've not been without a horse since then. Because of my horses I met Patty, and she introduced me to her FFA project for her sophomore year. I was in eighth grade. She had a dairy heifer. I begged Mom to let me be in FFA my freshman year. The answer was a resounding, "NO!"

Finally, as a Junior, I was just rebellious enough to not listen to my parents. I did tell my parents I'd signed up for the agriculture class. My mother said she was going to the school to take me out. I told her I would quit school. I was in my Ag class and FFA. I was in heaven. I came home at the first of my Senior year and told my parents I wanted to raise a steer. Mom said no, and amazingly my father said yes. I purchased my steer, I paid for the feed, and did the work until Mom said to me she'd feed in the morning. She got attached to my steer. At the end of my senior year, she told me she wished she had made me be in FFA. It made me feel so good.

My agriculture teacher so inspired me, I decided I wanted to be an high school ag teacher. I even went to the same college he did, Sam Houston State Univ. I was so ready to party, and going to the then #2 party school in Texas was so great. I planned on partying my way through and get my MRS. Well that didn't happen! I switched my major to Ag. Economics and ended up with a Master of Science and no husband. I did party, but somehow had really inspiring professors my first semester and made the Dean's List. I'd never done that in high school, made Honor Roll. I was hooked at what I achieved with eighteen hours. I look back and I was stupid to take that many hours. I only had one three hour ag course and a one one hour ag course. I went on to make the Dean's List every semester and scheduled myself to also party.

It wasn't long with that first ag course being the core economics class that I was hooked. I changed my major by the end of my second semester. I even became one of the darlings of the Ag. Dept. I ate, lived and breathed my ag courses. I even got permission to take Animal Nutrition instead of the core Dairy Science class. Something that just wasn't done for students.

Back to my paternal grandfather. Grandma & Grandpa moved to Texas the summer between high school and college. My grandfather learned I would be an Agriculture Major. I don't think I ever saw my grandfather that happy. He had always wanted my Dad go to Ohio State or Michigan State and major in ag. He would then buy a farm. My Dad majored in Chemical Engineering. So his dream came true in me, just not the farm. We became so close. He passed away at the end of my first semester as a Sophomore at SHSU. I know he is delighted I have returned to develop the family farm.

I also wish my maternal grandfather had lived long enough to see is only grand-daughter in the economics end of agriculture. He too, would have been thrilled beyond belief!

That's my story....next is my husband's family history of farming.

Kim

Spring Planting

2009-04-10T11:42:00.004-05:00

This morning I found Larry doing what he loves more then anything else in the world, tinkering with some piece of new equipment. Well not new, he purchased a host of equipment to use with his 1949 Ford 8N Tractor. It's not a Parade Ready 60 year old tractor. It is though nice looking, has had the transmission rebuilt, the motor cleaned, and now runs like a top. Even I love driving it with the rack on the back for me to haul protein tubs, grain and hay. I can't wait to be turned loose to mow with it. The equipment Larry bought was to garden with. He fenced in a one acre plot near one of the stock tanks to use as for a food plot to attract deer or for a garden. The first garden is going in. It is black land near the tank and will take a good five or six years to amend the soil to get it where we want it to be. We've spent most of our marriage gardening in raised beds. He sent me off to the feed store for seed. They had just one variety of sweet corn and I just had to have Silver Queen so off I went to Walmart. I was disappointed not to find any Roma Tomatoes for me to make Tomato Sauce (rather a Vegetable Sauce) that I love to freeze and use throughout the year. My family is so spoiled they grump when we run out.

The soil so needs amending. I've been begging him to get the blade from our Angleton home up here, pull the manure and hay out of the pens. From there I load it into the mule and carry it up to the garden to compost beside it. I love building a compost pile. During the winter Larry plants a mix of browse for the deer. Then turn it under in the early early spring to be used as a green manure crop. Then I'll come in a month later with rabbit manure from the rabbit barn and the compost and he'll turn it under. I think in another four or five years our one acre garden will be a joy to work in the soil.

It's all part of the wonderful cycle of living on a ranch. The seasons, spring is always a time to find renewal.

May each of you find your true blessings this Easter!

Kim

Barn Raising

2009-04-10T11:37:00.003-05:00

My entry this week into 52 Sketches...52 Weeks Sketch Challenge. I'm always reminding you to visit Julie's site. Truly the work there is incredible!

Barns, I love barns! They smell wonderful to me, especially one where horses live. I love big barns, small barns.....oh did I say I love barns!!!

I've always wanted a barn this big! Filled to the brim with horses. Whoops, we are a cattle ranch and this barn doesn't have stalls it has pens. And it is not for our production cattle. It is for our show cattle. By the time a bull or heifer reaches three years of age they are relegated to the pasture for their lives as production cattle. Some of the show cattle still love their scratches on their terms, some don't. The only thing the barn and stock pens are used for are to care for cows or bulls who need to be looked at from the medical standpoint to include but not limited to a cold or injury. It's also where they are worked through the chutes to receive their vaccines, palpation for pregnancy, and genetic testing if required or needed. This is done twice a year. Any calves are weaned during this time. Weights on the calves are taken at birth, at six months and again at a year for statistical evaluations to determine if their growth pattern is meeting the genetic standards we set for both breeds. If not they are sold at six months or at a year as non registered cattle. We also decide if the bull calves will remain bulls at six months or are steered and grown out for our customers who buy beef right off the farm.

So where do the horses live. Cold rainy nights (winter only) they are in a pen in the barn. Otherwise like the cattle they love being out doing what they do best, being Arabian horses.

Genetic testing you say! No, it's not some bio-engineering thing. We pull blood for DNA typing of parentage to be able to register our fullblood Lowline Angus. The Registry must determine the Fullbloods are from the parents they say they are from. Some of the other genetic testing is for production traits of meat. We collect hair samples from the cattle and they are sent off to determine if they have any of the genetic markers for tenderness, marbling and feed efficiency. These tests along with their performance tests based on weights help determine whether this animal is able to be registered or not. That's the short cut simplified version. And then we still aren't always right in keeping an animal in the herd. We will be culling four cows three of them first calf heifers based on their performance with their first calves. Two couldn't give milk to their calves and keep their weight up. One never got pregnant. The fourth has developed some leg problems with her third calf and as good a cow as she is structurally she also can't keep her weight up with or without a calf. If they pass all those criteria then they either stay here to be used as breeding animals or are sold as breeding animals to other individuals for the same thing we do. Breed cattle for beef or are used to provide beef producers improved genetics within their herds.

The barn is still unfinished. A shed off the right side in the lower picture is a shed over a portion of the working pens and the squeeze chute was built last fall. The inside of the barn has temporary pens. Plans in the near future is to build to shed's off the side, from where the tin is on the sides. Then the permanent pens will be finished. A wash rack and blow drying rack will be put in near the lab to be able to clean the show cattle every day and blow died. They get a soap bath once a week and a shower the other six days. The lab serves as a storage area for all of the different supplies we need to take care of the cattle, from medicine, wormer, to a calf puller, show sticks, rakes, electronic reader for the scale, etc. It is also a place where we can get our certified AI tech and embryologist shelter to work with their equipment. Both the back and front remain open to allow for air flow. It helps to keep the show cattle comfortable and healthy with the air movement. It is after all Texas and our winters are mild and summers hot. We rarely have a freeze last more then 24 hours. Cattle like cold weather or at least they are most comfortable in 50-65 degrees. I sometimes laugh at their funny looks when they start to run, jump and play and I won't join them.

The only thing I wish is I could bring one of those great big Amish barns down here. This barn won't hold a candle to the beauty of the big barns in the northeast!

Kim

OLW: Word Up #49; NO

2009-04-08T11:39:00.005-05:00

I so love this Scrapbook (Paper Crafting) site for the inspiration of using a single word as the focus. The current Word Up is "NO." Ronda gave such a poignant description of how this word has affected her life. I can say the same word has made such a difference in my life, too. A true must read! OLW: Word Up #49; NO. I so love working from sketches and I loved the sketch for Pencil Lines #129 this week. So be sure to check this sketch out and their awesome DT works of art! I also want to thank Kat, an online scrapping friend who just recently paid tribute to her parents. You can see her as a follower of my blog. Her post are much better written then this one. Your inspiration led to this layout, too!

For me NO does include the courage to say Yes to things we need to do.

I'm a parent. At times it hurt to say "No" to my children. At a time when we couldn't afford some of the things James and Lynn wanted, and deserved to have saying 'no' to them truly hurt me! I always believed in telling them why I said 'no.' I hated it when I asked why to my parents, I would get a response, 'Because I said so!' Both Lynn and James came back to me as young adults telling me they were glad they were told 'no.' They've learned that sometimes one just has to tell themselves 'no' to things.

I love my parents very much. The picture is one of the few taken without my brothers in the picture along with our parents. Actually it was taken in March of 1974 at Disney World. No Epcot, or the other parks existed back then. Just Disney World. I love this picture as my Dad passed away in 2005 and he was really having fun with us on this day. In so many ways I found out at my Dad's Memorial Service just what my Dad meant to my brothers in a way I'd never known. His good friends also let me know how wonderful a friend my father was. How supportive and how fair he was in all of his dealings with others at work or at play. My mother is still there for us, as she was when we were growing up. A SAHM who guided us and loved us. She still does the same today. What little time she had from house work, to being a soccer Mom for three kids all with different activities she gave of herself a volunteer paramedic to Clear Lake Emergency Medical Corp. She also gave of her time as a Girl Scout Leader, a Cub Scout Leader, Treasurer for ten years to Arabian Riders & Breeders Society, and 4-H Leader. At the age of 74 she is still Volunteering and in 2007 was named Volunteer Employee of the Year for Taylor Lake Village (the city in which she lives). She serves as TLV's Animal Control Officer. She is absolutely wonderful to the animals she has to pick up, finding the owners or if the animal was dumped she gets the animal enrolled in Second Chance Pets. Oh and I forgot she volunteers for them and is a foster home to at least one or two pets at all times. She was a great wife to my father, is a great mother to my brothers and I and wonderful friend.

My parents were parents first. They saw loving us meant raising us to be contributing members to society. We were taught "no" didn't mean yes. There were a host of things they would say no to as I have with my two children. At times like me I knew it hurt them terribly. But, I also know in my heart it was out of their undying and unconditional love for us. They were always fair in their dealings with us. I came to realize as the only girl, what held for me wasn't necessarily what held for my brothers. It wouldn't be until I was in college as a first semester freshman that I really understood why I was kept track of closer then my brothers. I even one night remember chastising James for leaving the movies in Lake Jackson and not waiting on his sister as they met there in separate vehicles. 'Don't you ever leave a young lady, never mind your sister and not make sure she gets home, ok!' I know I said some more things I could not repeat here to drive it home to my 20 year old son. I ended it with, 'You won't understand until you have a daughter of your own. Don't dare do it again!' Then when Lynn walked in the door, she got Mom's wrath, too! 'Don't you dare let a young man leave you to your own devices after dark, he is to escort you home even if it is in separate vehicles, do you understand!' Another dumbfounded look from my 21 year old. And on went the story....like with James. I am profoundly grateful for the things my parents said "no" to, I'm much more grateful when I look back at all of the now wonderful "no's" my parents said to me.

For seven years I worked for TDCJ as a Livestock Supervisor. Part of what my responsibilities were was to oversee inmates in the performance of their job assignments. And yes I worked in a male penitentiary. I once had a new employee ask me, "What's the best piece of advice you can give me?" My answer, "NO!" I added nothing more and received a look of, 'How could you!' Trust me it was a little more expressive then that! I then explained.

"I told you that way to make you understand saying "NO" is the one word you should say that makes it seem like it's the only word you can utter from your mouth. Say it and say it often! Do not get into the crap these inmates will try.

If your a female running around alone on 17,000 acres with anywhere from 1-50 inmates, you need to say that word and say it often. I even laughed one day when an inmate who worked for me for those seven years, told me I could say 'NO' more often then any boss on the farm. Boss is the terminology the inmates use for employee.

When I get done with the layout I'll put it up on this post. In the meantime think about what you want to say "NO" to, it can be a very positive word! Well the LO went up on the 10th, and I can think of another 10-15 no's I could describe that were really very positive ones.

Thank you OLW, Pencil Lines and Kat for the great inspiration you give to the followers of your blog!

Kim

In Support of Animal Abuse? Not Me!!!

2009-04-08T09:26:00.010-05:00

Can My Pet Be a Vegan Like Me?

Pet Owners and Veterinarians Divided Over Vegan Diets for Pets

By Ki Mae Heussner and John Berman
April 8, 2009

In a country bred on burgers and bacon, it's hard enough for vegans to defend their meat-free diets. Imagine the scrutiny they face when they decide that their pets should go veg-only, too.

Should animals be denied meat, fish, dairy and poultry?

For the longest time, Ari Moore, 28, and her partner, wrestled with the idea of adopting cats. Committed vegans, the couple wasn't sure they could adequately square their ethical beliefs with a cat's nutritional needs.

But after research and conversations with other vegan cat owners, about four years ago, the pair decided to make the leap and adopted two homeless cats in Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood. Read More

I was so horrified by what I saw on Television I literally broke down in tears. It is the most egregious form of Animal Abuse I've ever seen and justified on National Television News. How could ABC do this? There was even a vet who agreed with a vegan diet provided certain provisions were done to protect the animals health. How could this vet do this? He is going against his oath! As an Agriculture Economics major I was also very interested in livestock and my pets. I took both courses, a total of six hours of Animal Nutrition. The very same courses the Vet Students at Texas A&M are required to take to become Vets. This was in 1986. Vet students are still required the same courses. It is just beyond me any Vet would even agree with changing a diet on our household pets.

The comment next to mine on the article from a vet was so sad. She treated a ferret who's vegetarian owner didn't understand her ferret was a carnivore. She stated the ferret was literally orange from the cantaloupe he was forced to eat.

I encourage you to read the entire article as it explains some of the problems associated with forcing a vegetarian diet onto our pets.

The greatest single argument I have is I can choose what diet I wish to eat. I choose a balanced diet including meat. I support the right of choice of vegans to choose the diet they wish to eat. A pet doesn't have that right of choice, we make it for them. This is wrong and abusive if you force them onto a diet that is not what nature intended for them to have. It's the most bigoted, abusive idea I've seen anyone espouse.

I've spent a great deal of time studying raw meat diets for dogs. These diets include plant foods for the dogs, too. I think it is a great way to feed your dogs.

I also would like you to read this post on Advocates for Agriculture. It is the true hidden agenda of HSUS: The Goals of HSUS. If you live in Ohio your the next state to go under the guns of HSUS in 2010.

Finally, I do not support other citizens of my country telling me and attacking me on the bases of my right to choose to be happy. Remember I have the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I give this right to you. Return the favor.

Kim

Barn Raising

2009-04-07T10:57:00.006-05:00

I'm a product of a urban (suburbia) up bringing. I remember how crowded it seemed when we lived up north in Niagara Falls and Wilmington. Houses seemed crammed together. In the Clear Lake area from the age of 9 through high school there were wide open areas. Lots of room for kids to investigate. If you went to the other side of Clear Lake into Galveston County the space was even larger. Somehow, I didn't always feel like I was living in a suburb of Houston. As a teenager my friends and I rode our horses where there is now houses, chemical plants, and shopping centers. We loved to ride to Galveston Bay, tie the horses and go swimming. By the time I was in Clear Creek High FFA I loved being down at the school farm. My closest friends were in school at Clear Creek, they always told me I wasn't stuck up like most of the Clear Lake High students. My friends were right. I went to Clear Lake, but if you want to take an Ag course you were at both high schools in our district. There were still gravel roads in the League City area.

I go home now and it is like being in a real city. I am always thankful I don't have to stay. I love the open spaces of where Lynn and James grew up in Angleton. The feel was like League City 30 years ago. Once again, though, I'm watching the urban sprawl move south towards Angleton, just as I watched it grow south towards the Clear Lake area and then engulf it. I'm so happy our business has allowed Larry and I to "return to the farm."

As a child I loved the drive from Wilmington, Delaware, to Geneva,Ohio to see my grandparents. It meant we drove through Amish Country in Pennsylvania. I loved the big barns. I wanted so badly to climb to the top floor. I've always loved the smell of a barn. Especially, if horses resided there. I've often thought about the age of those barns. The barn raising being a social affair for the community.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Our own barn raising and still a year later it is not quite complete. Our barn is 40'x80'. That's big to me. Now we are using the barn, it's small. There have been a host of considerations for a cattle barn vs. one to house horses. I think one of the most interesting things we had to consider was taking into account our hoof trimmer and his chute to trim one of the cows who has never been halter broke. Terry was amazed as I asked if what we were planning would work to get cattle in his chute. He had never been asked a question like that. I want everything set up right so we can care for the cattle in a fashion that is in their best interest of their health and welfare.

I'm excited about the wings which will go on the long side of the barn. It will provide more protection from the north wind in the winter for an animal who may be in the barn because they need attention to a health issue. The wings will allow me to have the show cattle out of the sun during the day so their coats will be healthier. It does mean fans will have to be mounted to during the summer. Consideration must be made for a tractor to be able to get into the pens to scrap the floor to remove manure. We also need the wings because we plan on having a yearly field day at the ranch. A chance to give back to the local agriculture community involved in beef cattle production especially the youth.

I hope you have learned a little more about my story and my love of my cattle, horses, and the rural life. I get to wake every morning to watch the heifers in the front pasture, in the distance the show cattle and horses sharing a pasture eating side by side on a round bale of hay when it's needed. And beyond them the bulls. Eating in the early morning sun. In the afternoon the bulls are lounging in the shade. I love the spring.

The scrapbook layout of the pictures I took of the barn was entered into 52 Sketches...52 Weeks for Week #14 Sketch. I guess making my own nuts(hex nuts) as an embellishment worked because I've found a lot of comments on the LO. To those who visit my blog because of the community at 52 Sketches...52 Weeks, I am very thankful to you for your wonderful support and love. To Julie, thank you for the wonderful work you do to make your site a wonderful community of supportive women.

Kim

Casing a Blog - Creating a Layout

2009-04-06T10:34:00.004-05:00

Challenge for Mothers and Daughters last week was to create a LO by Casing the Design Team Member's Blogs. Great idea!

After my casing I chose Laurie's Blog, {Lovin My Life}. I love her simple straight forward approach to scrapbooking so she has very elegant layouts. Thank you Laurie!

I picked her layout for 3/19 of this year. I loved the beautiful papers and butterflies! I chose a picture of the first blooms from a newly planted Miniature Rose, Renny. This is an incredible little rose. The photo of my layout I took just doesn't do the photo justice or the rose. It's a much deeper pink, but not a bling type pink. Thank you Laurie for the inspiration.

I really got very frustrated with taking a picture. The pattern paper I used to form the frame is a very pale pink pattern paper. It matches the pink on on the brown/pink pattern paper on top. I tried all sorts of card stock underneath this 7x7 layout to bring the pink out. I so dislike my point and shoot camera. Two things are on our list of must haves: a 12x12 Epson Scanner and a Cannon Rebel. Then a new point and shoot camera!

Kim

Keep scrapin'
Kim

Justine's Comment to my post on Prop 2

2009-04-05T16:56:00.004-05:00

I start with thanking Justine for a very constructive 2nd comment that didn't feel like an attack. We are trying as two individuals to come to the meeting of two minds. That is a good thing.

This is Justine's second comment to me:

'Well Kim, if I had a blog, you would be most welcome to post on it. You are also welcome to come with me on a tour of a factory farm followed by a tour of a farm animal sanctuary. I think you will see the difference. Yes roosters fight naturally to establish a pecking order. When there's room to move around, it's easier for them to create a natural hierarchy to follow and for the non-dominant males to stay safely away from the dominant ones.

When you say liberalism, why don't you say what you really mean? Extremism. You think people who care about animal rights are extremists. At the opposite end of the spectrum, you are also an extremist. You don't believe that animals should have the slightest bit of comfort before they die.

I'm not asking you today to give up beef or to close your farm. That is too much to ask and I don't want to take away your livelihood. I'm asking that you consider that there is both a humane and sustainable way to farm. Even if you don't believe that animals have a right to live and not be eaten, I hope that you will realize that animals do not need to suffer prior to their death. They don't need to be forced into small cages, they don't need to have their beaks docked, they don't need to live their lives in pain and fear. There's a middle ground.

Take care!'

Justine it is with pleasure I hope with this post you understand more about my family and most importantly me. Our family believes in sustainable ranching. We chose the Lowline Angus specifically because they can sustain themselves on grass. Crossing with very highly efficient Santa Gertrudis gives us the ability to educate local cattle producers an alternative to having to feed a large amount of harvest products to sustain the cattle through the winter months. With price of fuel and grain going through the roof last year, feed and fuel is no longer cheap. The American Consumer of Beef loves grain fed beef. There is a segment of the population who is discovering organic or natural grain fed beef and organic or natural grass-fed beef. The two taste very different. The Lowline Angus is perfect for all types of operations in the beef industry. For years with cheap feed, fertilizer, and fuel we were told bigger is better with cattle. Research out of Dickinson Research Center of North Dakota State University has found cows in the 1000-1200 lb range are much more efficient producers of the grass they eat and as a percentage of their body weight can wean a calf that weighs half of what they do. This allows producers to stock more cattle and raise more pounds of beef per acre. Their nutrition requirements are less then a cow weighing 1600-1800 lbs. If I can stock three cows in the smaller range for every two of the larger cows and still have adequate grass then I'm selling more pounds of beef. I'll have three calves weighing 1500 lbs vs two calves weighing 1200lbs. My income rises. The other upside to this is allowing more land to be used to raise crops. I really consider myself a grass farmer growing native grasses having far more nutrients then improved grasses. I utilize the sun and rain to produce a crop of grass. I market the grass in the form of cattle. I also am very aware of improving my wildlife population. If I improved the habitat for my wildlife I provide a better habitat for my cattle.

Our family finds inhumane treatment of any animal as wrong. I have been to and worked on what you call a factory farm as well as spent time at horse sanctuaries. I've always had a deep abiding love for animals especially horses. I've been around horses for 41 years, owned them for 39 years. They are a part of my sole. I'm lost without a horse. I do find animal rights activists as extremist. I'm not, I dislike organizations like PETA and HSUS that loves to use shock value to force their extremist concepts on people. I often think of my Puritan ancestors who spoke of tolerance in their beliefs, but in reality were no more tolerant then anyone else of the time period. Because of their desire for tolerance for their beliefs, I fully believe we should all be tolerant of others beliefs. I had a close friend from Virginia who came down and showed me a picture of PETA members arriving at a Hunter/Jumper show throwing tomatoes at the participants in the ring riding their horses. She was the Show Secretary for the show. That was inhumane to the horses never mind endangering the riders. There was no tolerance that day for anyone at the show. 95,000 animals under PETA's care last year were euthanized last year. I'm sure they would say they were all terminal. I had my vet tell me one time a Greyhound I found on the side of a county road wasn't going to make it. She was seven years old and lived to 13 years old. HSUS is currently calling for broiler chickens to die from carbon monoxide gassing but actively lobbies against dogs and cats to go through the same thing. I find this concept bigoted. I voice my opinion, there is a place in our country for all beliefs on a range of subjects. I respect your desire to be a vegan and I think it is wonderful you are. Your comment to me shows me you respect me for having cattle and I think, too, for enjoying meat in my diet. Our garden is grown organically. We try very hard to only eat a whole food diet. I bake all of our bread to avoid the preservatives. I admit we slide on occasion, mostly my husband and son. Like you when possible I buy local or directly from a farmer. We really aren't that far apart.

In relation from this post to the last you were much more kind and I appreciate it. It's ok if what I write makes you think I'm an extremist. I know I'm not. I'm much more a realist. The real facts are so very apparent about food and the production of food. We are a rich nation in both culture and technology. We are the richest nation in the world because our country has the very best environment and soils to produce a huge amount of food. The world is still growing with a projected growth of 80 million people from 7/08 to 7/09. There is an approximately 6.7 billion people in the world. They all need to eat. 30 years ago as I started my college education we could feed our nation and the world. There were half the people. We have lost 100 million acres of farm & ranch land to urban development. Not feeding the world could have all kinds of consequences. Look at Africa to realize what happens when a country can't feed it's citizens. That bothers me greatly! It bothered me to hear of individuals in the richest nation (not in $ value) were selling family heirlooms to eat, pay their house note, and keep the electricity on in the last year. People had to make the choice between eating and paying the house note.

I call it liberalism because of the individuals in PETA and HSUS get the liberal politicians to listen to their shock value ideology. If the conservative side listened they'd vote conservative. The politicians are only interested in getting re-elected.

I agree there is a middle ground, but when someone posts 15 lbs of grain to produce a pound of gain in cattle, they are nuts. I invite that person to please read the following information available by South Dakota State Univ. Research has been done in all of the areas discussed in this article. There is even the reason behind why those who say cattle eat 16lbs of grain per lb of gain to get to slaughter weight. It's just easier to read it then me get on my soap box.

Beef by Richard Goodrich & W. Ray Stricklin

You really need to believe that all livestock producers want what is best for their animals. They feel that way because a healthy happy animal grows or produces well.

I'll give you an example of just such a thing happening to us as a family. Our daughter Lynn asked to raise and then show a market hog her sophomore year in FFA. We purchased a show pig for $200.00 and at the particular time I borrowed the money because we didn't have it. We purchased the pig at the last possible moment and the chances were very great the pig wouldn't make it to minimum weight to be shown. We were told to buy a "non show pig" so she would eat better. We couldn't afford to feed two. We didn't buy the other pig. Their stomachs are like ours and you can't push them hard. When Lynn's pig arrived at the county fair the gentleman that help Lynn's Ag teacher pick up the pig and deliver her to us was amazed this pig not only made weight but would be in the Heavy Weight Class. On top of that she never had to be held so she wouldn't go over weight. Lynn wasn't around and her Ag Teacher asked how she did it. I smiled, 'Traylor you won't believe it when I tell you, it's as simple as "Happy Pig." Lynn's best friend for five months was her pig. They raced around the barn together with her pig always winning by two laps, rolled in the mud, had a bath, worked together practicing for walking in the show ring every evening it wasn't raining. In fact where we lived at the time the neighbors around us would sit out on their porches to laugh and enjoy the interaction Lynn and her pig had. Her gilt would grunt the funniest noise every time she would lap Lynn. And the racing was the pig's idea not Lynn's.

I actually think if you start researching "factory farm" practices you'll find we aren't cruel to animals, including laying hens.

Then here is another food for thought. We lost $12,000 dollars from the loss of three calves to coyotes on our ranch in August and early September last year. What would you have done? The number one stress on our ranch for the cattle is coyotes and not the humans. We need the coyotes to control the rabbit, mice, rat and feral cat and hog populations. It's about balancing our wildlife.

Kim

A Internet Friend Reminds Me of My Memories & Space

2009-04-05T01:15:00.004-05:00

Kat RN, as I know my Internet friend from Scrapbooks, Etc. Website. I so love her blogs. I've found her blog on the web via her blog on SBEtc just as I have one there. Kat recently paid tribute to her memories of both her parents. Wow, I had tears welling in my eyes.

Her mother trained as a machinist in Technical School. WWII ended as she graduated....read Kat's post I could not in anyway pay a greater tribute in words then Kat did. Her father loved flying. I can so relate. I love flying, too! Yet I love animals more. I have two brothers who are pilots. Her father loved the Space Program. Throughout my young life the Space Program was forever apart of it.

My dearest memories of NASA.

On the day of the first Moon Walk from the Eagle my Dad & Mom were so excited. The whole country was excited. We were a people that were going to have something no other country could claim. And we'll do it again in my lifetime! We were living in Wilmington, Delaware. I remember Dad having us stay up to watch "History." I was trying so hard to keep my eyes open, it must have been close to 10pm. I was eight years old. I did keep them open, I saw the FIRST STEP! I heard the words....I was proud I was an American!

Late that same year Daddy started leaving on business trips a lot for Houston. Around April I asked at the dinner table one evening, 'Are we moving?' I'd remembered four years before the same thing happened just before we moved from Niagara Falls to Wilmington. Daddy said yes, this summer. In June, we stayed with friends as Mom met Daddy in Houston to look for a new house. They came home together. They had found a house.

For those in Kat's and my age group you can remember back in the '60's and '70's the astronauts were on the same level as Hollywood Stars. Sometimes I think bigger. My parents told me were moving into a house that was across the street from the Conrads and the Lovells lived in the same neighborhood. Oh my Gosh, real astronauts! I became a sudden celebrity at school.

We arrived in the Clear Lake Area on July 21st, 1970. I saw the Conrad Home for the first time the next day. I also saw John Glenn's home. It had just sold and was one of the houses my parents looked at. We were devastated they didn't buy a house that used to belong to an ASTRONAUT! Mom looked at Doug and I and said, 'It's on the canal and you two can't swim.' One week later we both could, but that's another story!

I remember meeting Chris Conrad the first time. At nine I thought he was so cute. And he lived across the street. Chris and I were the two youngest in our grade at Bay Elem. in Seabrook. He had three older brothers Peter, Thomas, and Andy.

It didn't take long to get over the star struck thing. I remember babysitting for the Lovells, going on skeet shooting trips in a local pasture with Peter or Thomas overseeing the younger kids. I remember swimming in the Conrad's pool. They were just like us. My father worked as a Chemical Engineer and the others had astronauts for fathers. I could name a list a mile long of the astronauts I know and were friends with their children. They are people just like I am.

There was a different feeling back then in the Clear Lake Area. Pride in NASA, pride in being an American. Everyone was touched some way or the other by the space program. Here's some other memories.

Production of the television movie starring Gary Collins, 'Houston We've Got a Problem' holds fond memories. Jack King who headed up Mission Control at the time was very involved in the production. Jack and his wife were close friends of my parents. I remember one afternoon after school the house suddenly filled with about 10 people and were given a tour. When they left Mom said they chose the painting of the Delaware River near Shawnee, Pa., to be in the movie. It was a painting my grandfather commission from his home there. Wow, we were excited. The whole family was invited down to watch one of the scenes being taped at the King's house. Sure enough there was "OUR" painting above the mantel of their fireplace. Their house had been transformed into a set. Cables were everywhere, their family room furniture was piled in their formal living room. Other furniture was selected for the scenes shot in the King's house.

I remember how excited Clear Lake was as we were headed back to space with the Space Station. The whole place was all a buzz. I remember the station moored in Clear Lake just across NASA 1 from JSC. New stickers were being added to cars for that flight. It was a badge to be a NASA employee back then and proudly display the flight crest stickers. If you displayed all of the flights you sat at the top of the heap! I remember Chris really missing his Dad. Then the day he returned home. Chris and I rode the bus home from school. It was the first flight Mr. Conrad had since we moved in. His other flights came before we moved to Texas. It was a zoo out in front of the house. Then it happened.....the door to the bus remained closed. Chris was at the front of the line. Six of us got off the bus at that end of our street. Bright lights shined in the bus, Mrs. Conrad was angry and fussing at the reporters. I look back on it and know our bus driver had dealt with it before. Chris disgusted said, it happens every time to me standing right behind him. I remember hitting the ground running for my house. I wanted nothing to do with the press. All of us kids in the neighborhood stayed in the house that afternoon. I found Mom disgusted, too. Our front lawn looked like a trash pit. Needless to say it took until after the 10pm news for them to leave. My mother went out too many times to count and told them to get off the lawn. The next morning my brothers and I went out to pick up the trash they left behind. Chris and his brothers doing the same. Thus my distaste for media cameras as an adult.

I think the neatest thing that during Mr. Conrad's stay aboard Space Lab, Mr. King took all of the kids to Mission Control over at JSC. Not all at one time, there were probably 300 kids or more in the neighborhood. I went with my brothers and Ellen who lived across the street, too. We lived on the corner. It was so cool to sit quietly and listen to all that was going on. What a treat.

Then the first flight of Columbia. Mr. Young and Mr. Crippen. I knew Mr. Crippen well. His daughter and I kept our horses at the same boarding stable and were good friends. Mom and Mrs. Crippen very close friends. Another new first for our nation, but the rest of the nation no longer put astronauts on the level of Hollywood Stars. I remember before the flight, Columbia was on it's way to KSC aboard it's 747. They were going to do a fly over of the Clear Lake Area. I was now in High School. I was a junior or senior, can't really remember. I remember our principal telling us during morning announcements we would get a five minute heads up and we would be released as in a fire drill to watch the fly over. When the fire drill bell rang the shop wing didn't walk, we flooded the hall and ran to the student parking lot. There were only four classes. I was taking drafting. The roar that went up from the students of Clear Lake High School could be heard for miles I'm sure. It sounded from around the entire school. WE WERE PROUD!

Then came a moment of devastation. When I was little I asked about the plaque at the front honoring Commander See and Commander Grisham. Astronauts that died. Commander See on a training mission in an F4 and Comander Grisham of course in Apollo 1. All before we moved to Texas. This was a cold rainy morning in Jan. of 1986. I was in my first semester at Texas A&M as a Graduate Student. I finished my morning classes and went to grab lunch. I didn't know any of my fellow students yet. I was commuting from my job in East Texas twice a week. I went to a local restaurant to grab a bite before labs. I sat down, looked up at the TV and saw a clip of the Challenger rising. I knew there was a flight, I'd not paid much attention to it, and in fact the media never paid much attention. I was surprised, the sound turned down but the scrolling of what was being said was being played. I wasn't reading. To my horror I watched Challenger explode. Right there in the middle of the restaurant I started to sob. Someone came over to me, asked if I was ok. NO, I have to call home, I have to know if I knew any of the astronauts. I ran from the store to find, yes a pay phone. A collect call to my mother, crying, "Mom tell me I don't know anyone aboard the Challenger?" Micheal Smith the pilot, and I slumped to the floor! Until your life is surrounded by a program such as NASA and your pride in your country is created in a program of heroes both who fly and are on the ground helping our men and women in Space you become a part of a huge community that is pulled together. That is NASA! I was able to return home that weekend. Headlights throughout Texas were on, driving down NASA 1 past JSC was 20 miles an hour out of respect. People were still crying as they drove past NASA. We hurt as a community. It was the same when Columbia was lost on re-entry. Yet, I didn't know any of the astronauts on that flight. I still fell apart when I heard the news.

I am a product of NASA even though my father didn't work there. I eat live and breathe the space program. I love the space program. I lived history day in and day out. Funny thing, I've never asked a single astronaut what it was like to walk on the moon or be in space. I had the privilege of taking my great-nephew to Johnson Space Center last summer. I'll pull the pictures off and put them up on this post later today or tomorrow. I had fun showing Blake the Astronauts I knew in the pictures from the '60's and '70's. I'm also going to spell check it later, it's 2:30am. Good night!

Kim

Visiting the End Result of California's Prop 2

2009-04-03T09:13:00.004-05:00

I'm stunned, or rather once again I get to pick on the stupidity of California Liberalism. Once again I invite you to visit Advocates for Agriculture.

I have been looked at in life with the look of "You have no idea what it is like to go hungry!" I remember that comment made to me with the look of disdain. I remember my reply. Both individuals I was eating lunch with in a public place were my co-workers. I was angry and insulted that I had no idea what it was like to be poor. I do know what it is like. We didn't qualify for help with food stamps because we had owned our own business. We lost a business, a house and couldn't put food on the table for our children. That's really hard! I suppose the hardest thing for me to handle is what the government does with so called "animal rights" which will cost an increase in the cost of food and those at the lower end of the economic scale.

What is currently before the California Assembly Bill 1437 is to not only require producers within the state to conform to Prop 2 but all eggs coming into the state must conform to Prop 2. So the argument the cost of eggs will only go up a penny a piece or twelve cents a dozen has become mute. When you go to the grocery store the next time take a look at the price of a dozen eggs and the price of cage free eggs. There can be as much as $2.00 difference in cost. So my point stands with the individual who left a comment on my last post. The state is more humane to the chickens then to people being able to afford to eat. On top of it all eggs are and always have been considered a staple food item. The same as flour, bread, sugar, and milk.

I agree with Troy and Stacy on how embolden HSUS has become over this issue. If we allow animal rights activist to go to this extreme we endanger our National Security and leave a legacy of hunger in this country.

I'm stunned, or rather once again I get to pick on the stupidity of California Liberalism. Once again I invite you to visit Advocates for Agriculture.
You ask how this endangers our National Security. Hungry people only think about being hungry and how to get food for their stomach. As a result internal strife can occur. Remember the food riots of last year in some of the third world countries over food prices. Remember the problems in Africa with hunger. It was worse in countries with civil war. Don't ever forget you enjoy the lifestyle you have only because of the American Farmer and Rancher. Photo Credit: Flying J&L Ranch, 2009 Senior Champion Open Lowline Angus Fulblood Bull, LTL Peyton, very tired on day four of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo found it much easier to eat laying down then standing. The HLSR is the largest show dedicated to the celebration of the farmer and rancher in the world.

Please start to care, I know what it is like to be hungry!

Kim

Mom Loves You!

2009-04-02T22:35:00.004-05:00

Going from no children to one child was a change in my life like no other change I'd ever undergone. For individuals who make the choice to not have children they have no idea what it is like to have a child. I laugh now, but at the age of 18 and even up until I met Larry I didn't want children. Then I fell in love with Larry and that all changed.

I was so blessed to have God give me exactly what I asked for. With Lynn I asked for a healthy baby. With James I asked for a healthy baby and that he/she would look like his sister. Yep, I was one of those who didn't want to know the sex of the baby before birth. Friends thought I was nuts, I thought I was sane. I grew up with one of my two brothers obviously my brother. Poor Doug and I, we always had to look at people funny when they would ask if we were really brother and sister after we'd already just said that we were. It really bothered me. And Lynn and James look enough alike to tell they are brother and sister.

I'm glad they were 18 months apart. They are super close. But I also think the clue to having siblings close is not to interfere in their arguments. As they got to about 7 or 8 years, I'd send them off to their rooms so they could finish the argument. Doug and I still argue as Mom was always trying to solve them. It dawned on me she did so because she was an only child. I just made sure my two didn't hit each other when they argued.

Then there are the joys. As babies it was milestones: rolling over, sitting up, crawling, first smile, first word, walking, etc. When they get to high school you wonder where time went. I couldn't wait for mine to be teenagers. Other parents thought I was crazy. I had wonderful teenagers. Yes, they experienced all of the emotions I did as a teenager, the same apprehensions, the ups and downs of trying to be an adult and not there. The clue to teenagers to not expect them to be bad, to LISTEN to them. I mean really listen to them. Lynn and James were never given curfews. They never abused the fact they didn't have a curfew. They weren't ones to run the streets. We still expect them to be considerate. If your living in the house with someone let us know where your going. We don't care where they are going, it so we know where to start if something happens. Common manners. I still tell my mother where I am since we have two homes or if I'm going somewhere for a weekend, like the yearly Ward family reunion.

Right now I get onto Lynn for texting while driving. I've threatened to shut her texting off if she doesn't stop. She glares at me and I remind her we are the ones with the money. I hate to even talk on my cell phone while driving. I hate phones anyway! And believe it or not, it's James that is the better more responsible driver....I know unheard of!

I loved the picture of Lynn and James together in the living room. At the end of each semester I so enjoy having them both together again.

I absolutely loved the designer for this week on Pencil Lines. You can find a link to her blog on mine. She is a wonderful designer, her name Birgit Knoopsen. I've so enjoyed seeking her designs on chipboard albums. Next time your going to Europe you really should see if you can take a class from her, LOL. Yep I know your leaving next month!

Take a small bit of time and visit Pencil Lines Sketch #128. I had so much fun with this sketch. From the moment I saw the sketch and Brigit's layout for the sketch it was always in the back of my mind how I would but the sketch together. I thought it really deserved for me to use my favorite lines of Paper, Basic Grey! I LOVE BASIC GREY! I would probably only use Basic Grey if I wasn't so head strong and determined to try new things in my scrapping. On this layout there was nothing really new I tried. I did for the first time adhere the metal swirls without a brad. I just love my Creative Memories Precision Point Adhesive Pen! Thank you, Pencil Lines for having Birgit and I hope in the near future you will have her back as a guest designer.

I close with saying, I SO LOVE BEING A MOTHER!
Kim

Miles of Smiles!

2009-04-02T13:46:00.005-05:00

On Lynn's visit she spent time with Blake on a playground. She caught Blake and three friends at the bottom of a slide. How much fun. I'm assuming it was at the school.

I'm such a Basic Grey kind of person! There has only been two or three of their collections I didn't like. I would even step outside my box if I had them. My favorite of the new collections is Porcelain. It is stunning! I used Recess on this layout. Thank you to 52 Sketches...52 Weeks Sketch #13 for the inspiration. Like I said in my last post I've so been into White Space. I just kept looking at the space and thought the title leaping out of the picture would lend to the children running and jumping on a play ground. Have fun kids!

Keep scrappin'

Kim

Cousins!

2009-04-02T12:44:00.007-05:00

I loved the sketch this week for Pink Sketches, #26. The design team took this very simple sketch and did a great job with their layouts. As I look at mine today vs. the sketch, it looks very different to me. I stayed with the colors of the other two graduation layouts I did for Blake's Kindergarten Graduation. I'm so not use to doing LO's for little boys. When I started scraping my son was already in college. I've not even started doing albums of the photos when the kids were little. The picture is Blake with his first cousin Zander. Zander like Blake is one of my great-nephews. He's so cute, but a real handful for his mother. Lynn took the picture in the hallway or I guess it is a hallway of the school. I've only ever been in the gym of the school.

Both are darling in the photo. There are a couple of things I've gone off into in my 12x12 LO's this week. I've gone off into a lot of white space.....hmmm seems I have a lot of red space. I don't know why one wouldn't use the term open space. Maybe that term is reserved for architecture. I've never done a lot of white space. I'm trying to see how it works for me. I'm also seem to be in love with circles and buttons. So maybe that too, will wane in another few days. I do know my candy dish of buttons has gone down. Not too, severely though. My buttons are out where they are in easy reach and in something they are easy to see. Once more I'm trying to get out of the box of comfort for me.

Keep scrappin'

Kim

Scraping Weekend - Flowers

2009-04-02T08:12:00.008-05:00

I've written before about my love of scrapping my gardening habit. Actually I use my garden album as a journal. I have pages that are only journaling so there are a host of pages I don't journal on. The series of photos I'm currently working with are of the roses and their first leaves. I was also still doing spring work on the bed. The wonders of having a rabbitry on top of the cattle. The manure is great, no composting needed. Spring cleaning of the rabbit barn goes straight to the beds. By the next year there is no sign of any manure and no burning of the plants. The soil is incredible, dig in it and I'll find a host of earthworms. I'll miss these roses when we sell the house. Two of the roses were planted in clay pots and buried in the garden. My Killarneys. They made the trip to the ranch right after the Houston Livestock Show. I just have to find a place to put them in the ground, still in the pots. When the house is built at the ranch they'll find a bed of their own and have a few more added to join them.

My goal in my Garden Album/Journal is to have a good time scraping and to keep the LO's simple. I'm working in a 7x7 format. I have gotten detailed as I like to on my 12x12 LO's as I did in a recent Tahitian Sunset picture titled "Real." With this LO of my Wild Blue Yonder I used the 2008 Sketch #17 from 52 Sketches...52 Weeks. It was a sketch I never used last year. I love the Wild Blue Yonder. I plan to purchase another one when we moved to the ranch. The Wild Blue is such a deep red with Purple/blue hints. It looks in the right light a dark blue/red rose.

I seem to always have pictures of my Taihitain Sunset. It's a J&P Rose, very prolific bloomer and pretty tri-color rose. No two Sunsets look alike. It is truly a beautiful rose. I kept this really simple as far as the papers. I used the CM page to form a border, grab a tropical color CM TTY Kit that came with the blue photo mat and three daisy stickers. I added a bright yellow paper from the CM Everyday Power Palette and then Bazzill Stitchiz template to make my daisy and heart. The Bazzill Stitchiz templates are so cool. I don't know if it can be seen in the picture but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get the outline stitch to work correctly. I've never had that problem before on paper. Maybe the holes on the template are just too far apart to make the curves properly using outline stitch. I kind of like how the crossing of the thread makes it look like petals.

The Radiant Perfume is a beautiful yellow rose. This was the first year in the garden for this rose. It was suppose to be a very resistant rose to a number of problems including Black Spot. The joys of having year round roses on the Upper Texas Gulf Coast means lots of Black Spot. It's so frustrating. No it wasn't immune but this rose didn't have near the problems as say the Tahiatian Sunset or the Memorial Day does. I scraplifted the LO from the back of the 2009 Spring/Summer Creative Memories Catalog. I was struck with the LO and decided I would Scrap Lift it. I used all CM Papers. The frame was cut using the CM Wavy Patterns. The chipboard and eyelet is the only items not from CM.

Pope John Paul II Rose was introduced by Jackson Perkins three years ago. One of the most stunning white hybrid teas I've ever seen. The fragrance is delicate. As I thought about presenting this rose I turned to the internet and searched for Pope John Paul II images. You always thinking of the Pope being dressed in white. Yet look again! There are pictures of him in a rich red, too. Then his dress has trims of red, black and/or gold. Perfect! The gold paper I used is my favorite. It's a shimmer gold from Creative Memories. It's discontinued and I'm so disappointed! I love the Archiver's exclusive Brackets 4x4 die. You have a choice of three very different decorative brackets. This was definitely one of my favs from this scrap weekend.

The final LO is of my Ronald Reagan Rose. I love the Ronald Reagan. It's a beautiful bi-color rose. A striking rich red with a hint of white at the base of the petal. Just stunning! This LO came from 2008 52 Sketches...52 Weeks Sketch #47. I found when I used the tab, it really is huge on a 7x7 LO. I had a lot of fun with this LO. The red buttons just made the whole LO. What I don't like and it's not that apparent as it is looking at it. I keep highlighting and I don't like how it ever turns out. I guess I'll just keep trying.

All of these LO's were only done with scraps except the black paper for the Pope John Paul II. I really have this thing about having lots of scraps...I go all out to keep them to a minimum. I've not been that good lately, but I've decided to work harder at it. The 7x7 format is the perfect way to use one's scraps!

Keep scrappin'

Kim

Pencil Lines Sketch #128

2009-03-30T16:03:00.002-05:00

Oh my gosh, Oh wow! I don't often have this need to
shout at the top of my lungs.
But I am today!
Pencil Lines Sketch #128
Guest Designer Brigit Koopsen from The Netherlands
has the most stunning LO I've ever seen!

A MUST SEE!

"Cow-Tax" Bill Introduced - In Support of Producers

2009-03-30T13:39:00.006-05:00

I found this wonderful blog yesterday, sponsored by a couple in South Dakota. To me they are wonderful to keep me politically informed about Agriculture. I love talking about Agriculture and telling my stories. They are about the triumphs and despair one experiences devoting so much energy and emotion to what I love. Yes, it is a part of our family income. Yet who in their right mind would invest over 1/2 a million dollars in structures, equipment, and animals or seed & chemicals to do what they love. A farmer and ranch would. What is our return for that investment, NONE. There isn't a corporation in America that would do what the American Farmer and Rancher does just because they love what they are doing. So I'm sure there will be plenty of double posts in a day. I hope so!

Time and again I find the citizens of this country have no idea where their food really comes from or how much we contribute as a nation to the hunger in this world. We crave certain fruits and vegetables year round, we want specialty items like gourmet coffee, cocoa, etc. These items can and do cause Agriculture production to be limited to meet the needs of a developed nation. Staples like rice and corn are put aside to grow the things we consume.

On January 13th I wrote a post about the proposed EPA tax on cows (beef & dairy) as well as pigs. I'll let you go back and read it instead of writing it over. I'm happy to say Frank Lucas from Oklahoma introduced the House Bill 1426 to amend the Clean Air Act to not allow the EPA to tax or charge a fee for emissions on cattle and pigs. In the Senate, Senator John Thume (SD-R) and Senator Charles Schumer (NY-D) introduced their version of the bill. As you can see there is bi-partisian support for this bill. New York has is a large dairy producing state and of course South Dakota is a large beef production state. These bills are ultimately to keep our food available to the US consumer at an inexpensive cost. It keeps fast food chains from going outside the country and importing beef for you to eat from South America and Australia. This keeps both the American Farmer and Rancher in business. The farmer producing grain the pigs and cattle eat. It would greatly please me if you would be so kind to take a moment to ask your congressman(woman) and Senators to support this bill.

Let's work together to keep American Farmers and Ranchers in business to help feed the rest of the world. Let's not be part of the problems of demanding of other countries for our food when we can grow our own. Let's keep our food products inexpensive so our population in the lower end of the economic scale can afford to eat. Remember you enjoy your lifestyle because of the American Farmer and Rancher!

Kim

California's Farmers and the Liberal Establishment

2009-03-29T08:58:00.009-05:00

California is once again at the for front of stupidity when it comes to humanity and agriculture production. I have yet to understand why some individuals put animals over humans first, especially when it comes to fish.

In 2007 a federal judge sided with liberal environmentalists and put the Delta Smelt on the endangered species list. In the grand scheme of things the environmentalist, state government and the federal judicial system puts priorities for water in a very interesting fallacy. The population gets water first, the fish second and the farmer third. How in the world can people think this way! The fish comes before humans eating!

Let's take a real look at the situation. Pumps that feed water to agriculture production in the Central Valley of California are turned off during the time period farmers need the water the most, spring and summer. This is to protect the fish, or rather so called protecting the fish. Inflow and outflow areas of water into a water system actually protects the fish. Introduction of game species of fish such as bass endanger native stocks of fish. There are problems with more then just the Delta Smelt (a minnow) to include salmon. Hello folks a human induced problem. Pollution is the other problem to the fisheries. Who is the number one polluter in the country. The home owner! It isn't industry or agriculture. I use to work in an environmental lab who serviced the Petro-Chemical industry along the Gulf Coast. All of the chemists I worked with agreed it was the home owner who caused the most chemical pollution in the country. Need to get rid of the weeds in my lawn or the fungus caused by brown patch, etc. The attitude of the home owner when they read the directions in spraying for these problems they are using think that adding a little more the spray will work better. WRONG! The minimum amount runs off somewhere, eventually into our waterways. Humans need to use the right amounts or go organic in the care of their lawns.

Now here is a novel approach, as I stated in California the population gets water first. That means having a green lawn has priority over agriculture production to feed people. Why?

How about the economic impact of this species being protected. California in this recession already has the highest number of tent cities in the nation due to recession. Job loss to the Central Valley is 40,000 jobs and could be as high as 70,000. Jobless figures as of this date in the Central Valley is 20%. Why do we not turn the water on? California's government is already struggling not to go broke. Or actually they already have as they decided not to return income tax refunds to the populace. Just the job losses in California means there will be less tax revenue to the state and instead a larger tax outflow from the state. Last I checked we are in a very severe recession.

So you think, well that's California and it doesn't affect me. Guess again, the Central Valley grows 25% of the fruits and vegetables in the nation. You'll pay more because the supply just went down. It's spring....don't laugh at the Obama's for planting a garden on the White House Lawn. Maybe you should be doing the same. It really infuriates me that those at the bottom end of the economic scale go once again to the bottom of the list as a priority to our governments, environmentalists and judicial system when it to feeding people. You should be as mad about this as AIG bonuses. Right now I'm watching on ABC's This Week and projection for the next several months is a loss of 600,000 jobs per month. It is so simple to save a minimum of 40,000 jobs by turning water on. It's so simple to not force our population to pay more for food by turning the water on.

I found a host of articles on the web about the crisis of job losses in the Central Valley. My two favorites are below. I invite you to read these articles or search your own. If you live in California I invite you to tell your legislature to do something! The logical solution is to build a bypass for the Delta to supply water to farmers. The Delta is an aqua duct running through the state north to south.

The Ironic Danger in Becoming an Endangered Species

The above article written in October, 2007 is as pertinent today as it was when the article was written.

Despair as California's Central Valley Dries Up

Other Bloggers gives an insight full post:

Life in Small Bites Environment Blog
Coffee Muses

Then there is the crazy view from the liberal side:

Views from the Left Coast

Of course it is always great to find a California gardener that has the right idea to help being a part of the solution then part of the problem!

The Yard Farmer

Photo credits from top to bottom: Student Britannica and US Department of Interior Bureau of Reclamation

Kim