Bloggity stuff

Who's a blogger and why do they open themselves up to the blogosphere? I started a blog because a friend who is in the mission field in Mexico had a blog. A friend who was going through a terminal illness had a blog. Much to my surprise, Google had a free deal (free is significant to me - being a good steward of our blessings is a biggie). A thought snuck up on me with unintended consequences dragging behind it. I could blog,if they could blog I could blog. We had a digital camera and a relatively high speed Internet connection - yep blogging I could do. A blog is more than a public record of events and thoughts. Even the most mediocre blog can introduce you to a world of people and ideas and a form of relationships.
Why blog? I live a modest life with no international significance whatsoever. I'm not a great writer, accomplished musician, high achieving athlete, interesting artist, famous cook or great beauty. All those disclaimers in place - I wanted to blog about the bliss of ordinary, the joy of monotony, the blessing of sameness . Putting our life into words and pictures (here comes one of the unintended consequences) showed me - I like my life, I'm blessed and a few people responded.
Updating you, my good reader, I'm going to redesign the blog and put in more links to other blogs. Linking is putting a live link (web address you can go to merely by clicking on the words) on my blog to encourage the 5 to 9 people a day who view my words to try a different blogger.
Whew - that was a lot of verbiage for telling you - look at the links and try them out - there are many clever, interesting and passionate people in the blogosphere. Also - watch for a new look - not sure how it will settle out but I'm thinking spring colors and more room (sounds like the design for our master bedroom - hoping to show you that project when we start).
What are we doing on Buhlaland? The best we can do, most days. Most days we work hard, occasionally we goof off with the animals, you just never know - DH on the tractor getting ready to mow and Snickers stuck in a tree. Yep that's Buhlaland.

Update on Snickers - not the candy bar

Cute kid pictures. Our newly acquired nubian buck (at this stage he is more of a buckette) - first picture reminds me of a very old song: Mairzy Doats (borrowed liberally from Wikipedia)

At first glance, the song's refrain, as written on the sheet music, seems to be meaningless:
Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?
Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wouldn't you?
However, the lyrics of the bridge provide a clue:
If the words sound queer and funny to your ear, a little bit jumbled and jivey,
Sing "Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy."
With this aid, the refrain is easily comprehended, and the ear will detect the hidden message of the final line: "A kid'll eat ivy too, wouldn't you?" Awww - this kid definitely will eat ivy too. He'll also terrorize small hyper dogs on the breezeway,run up to older goats in the pasture and practice leaping off retaining walls! Then he works on his fine dining senses by attacking my herb garden and developed quite a liking for rosemary.

Life is an adventure for Snickers - and he makes it a little more fun in Buhlaland for us.

Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs (and buckettes) eat ivy or almost anything else they can mouth!

It Is No Secret

While we were driving to early church on Easter Sunday , KCBI Christian radio station played this song. Most people remember Elvis Presley for his excesses in later years - not recalling at one time he was a gifted young man who made no secret of his religious faith. I am not claiming this song is a spiritual or artistic equivalent of Amazing Grace , it brought a flood of memories. Growing up in a household where going to church was the normal activity set a pattern for my life. Even though I spent years doing other things on Sundays, the longing to be where I was supposed to be never left. Resurrection Sunday church services, home to dinner and laughter with friends. Life in Buhlaland was very good on Easter - and it is no secret in our household what God can do.

Words and Music by Stuart Hamblin - It Is No Secret
The chimes of time ring out the news,Another day is through.Someone slipped and fell.Was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strength,Your courage to renew.Do not be disheartened,For I have news for you.
It is no secret what God can do.What He's done for others, He'll do for you.With arms wide open, He'll pardon you.It is no secret what God can do.
There is no night for in His lightYou never walk alone.Always feel at home,Wherever you may go.
There is no power can conquer youWhile God is on your side.Take Him at His promise,Don't run away and hide.
It is no secret what God can do.What He's done for others, He'll do for you.With arms wide open, He'll pardon you.It is no secret what God can do.

He is Risen and life renews

Wild plum blossoms in our back pasture - the fragrance is almost overwhelming. A perfect "find" on an Easter afternoon walk. Wonderful Holy Week for us - Good Friday service was moving, reassuring (traditional elements tend to give us a spot on which to stand). Easter Sunday - the empty grave, life renewing in ways we only understand in our small ways. One speaker said we should realize when we respond to the centuries old declaration "He Is Risen" - "He Is Risen Indeed" was said by about one billion believers today. Amen and Amen!

Walk with Me: Blond Squirrel

Walk with Me: Blond Squirrel

Internetted friends and acquaintances - my web friend Jane does fabulous nature photography - interesting views of animals, birds and in general the blessed world of creation around her in Illinois. I -being the deep and esoteric person I am - immediately saw this squirrel and thought - poor squirrel - used same crummy hair highlighter I did. I use chemicals to expose my true blonde inner self that is somehow hidden by grey and blah brownish hair. Looks like squirrely here tried the same - we both got a brassy not very real look. Just a chuckle - nothing deep today on Buhlaland!

Everything old is new again

I posted last night but apparently had started my post much earlier so newest post is hiding - scroll down a bit to the Tracks - according to the blog gremlins that would be 3 posts older - but actually it is the newest - ergo - all things old are NEW again.. Since it is Sunday I get to do another plug - I am a new creation in Christ - try being renewed and if you don't know how, haven't felt that way in years or simply aren't sure it is true - click on Not Religion on the right side of my blog screen . I'm not very keen on "religion " - too often used to create an image rather than a relationship with the Risen Lord. Try it - only bad thing that could happen is you might realize what you've been missing. Now back to our regular blogging program - scroll down and see the snow in Buhlaland.
(This is Palm Sunday - don't idolize someone and praise them without knowing who they really are and where following them might take you - just a thought.)

Looks who's coming to dinner (and breakfast and everything in between)

A handsome little 3 week old Nubian buck. He met the MIL (Ethel) today and she approves - we'll have the little guy in a week or two. He is a bottle boy - currently being fed his mama's milk but by bottle (she rejected him). Hope he will be contented here - we don't have any kids this year and he won't be doing buck duty for a good long while yet! Looking forward to seeing how this new addition to the herd works - hope it isn't too stressful for him or for us. New life on Buhlaland - always interesting. We're working on a name for him - we already have a Nubie in our herd so that is out.

Superhero? or Superheroine? PC I'm not

Fun - I want to have a bit of fun because I'm working on a posting that isn't. Beth was tagged with a meme.Superhero Quiz.
I turned out to be 75% Spiderman. I have never pictured myself wearing tights (not a pretty mental picture) and slinging sticky gunk out of my wrists. Hey it's on the internet so it can't be wrong?
Just a simple chuckle y'all - nothing deep here today - we are getting a new roof, noisy process and about to lose internet for several hours while they take down the wireless receiver! AARGH! Touch of panic in Buhlaland for sure.

What kind of track?

Before anyone corrects me - I am making an experienced guess on these tracks, not a woodscraft expert nor do I play one on TV. You live in the country and begin to figure out what else is out here. The hundreds of tiny tracks by a round bale of hay were made by little birds - haven't a clue as to the kind of bird, they are not sparrows. They were getting seed heads out of the hay after our big snow (for Texas it was a big snow). The next tracks are more of a story. The rounded track is canine - probably a dog who tried to attack one of our goats. Scuffled up areas and sliding marks were from a struggle, but there was no blood so goats won this round. I was able to follow the tracks into the goat pen and back out again - predator had come in through back pastures and exited further to the west same pasture. Goats were upset that morning - can't say I blame them.





Next set of tracks is more a study in timing - I think the small pointed tracks with a dragging line (armadillo) occurred first then the rounder tracks were a cat who happened through later. You see the spot where the cat either tried to catch something or just messed around a little? I think it was our neighbor's wonderful big cat Blue (he was the cat mentioned in our friend's obituary last summer). Blue regularly patrols the property around our rock house. So other than showing you animal tracks - what am I blogging about?

The basic idea of this post was my own issues with what track am I leaving? If you knew me well would you see the scuffling marks of battles, my tail dragging at times (now I confess to making a long stretch with the tail remark) or am I pecking at someone else's food bale to find my little nuggets?

My conclusion is I believe I'm more like these rabbit tracks - the rabbit walked(hopped) all around our house, found a snowy spot covering green weeds and dug it out, ate a bit and went on it's way - bothering no one and not damaging anything of significance. Hmm - maybe I've done better than neutral (don't rush to build me up - I believe I have worth by being a Child of God and loved by a good man) but I really like the idea of "no hurt no harm" - but I'm no hare either (oh dear she is rhyming!). Wanted to share the snow one more time - we have had 80 degree days this week so thank you Lord the snow is done for this year. It is good on Buhlaland, and we like rabbits much more than attacking canines.

The Curl

The house we renovated across the road has a metal roof, cold weather and heavy (for Texas) snow results in -The Curl. It is wonderful it happens The Curl is a very rare phenomenon in Buhlaland. For The Curl to exist we have to have The Snow - rare is good for snow in Buhlaland!

Come on Springtime!

China - and no not the country

Per instructions from Shannon I'm doing a short blog about "nice" china - the white floral with gold rim is from my mom - I remember my dad bringing this home but I didn't recall the date until I found a delivery note from his purchase in 1951. He had been on TDY (temporary duty) with the United States Air Force in England -those were the days before internet and cheap long distance so we got a few letters and I don't remember if he was able to call home or not. The family picture is marked in my mom's writing 1955 but I think it was a little earlier. Shannon - it is definitely NOT washed in a dishwasher - and it is worth the extra trouble. I remember my mom lovingly hand washing and drying these dishes for special occasions. (before we go all "I remember Mama" on this thing - in my childhood NOBODY had dishwashers - or if they did - they called them "children"!)

Enough of this china foolery - since I first read Shannon's request for china pictures - my real life has been on hold and it isn't holding well right now. Thank you for the trip down a memory lane - I also have two sets of every day dishes (not paper plates - although we do have those) and a beautiful set of dishes seen elsewhere in my blog ,came with DH when we combined households. It is cold, crowded in dish cabinets and good in Buhlaland.