Staying Strong

Many times in my life I have had to be a coach to myself, because I needed someone to say the right things to encourage me and I didn't have anyone around to say them. Digging down deep I speak what my heart tells me I need to hear, that still small voice.  My normal state of being is positive, and often times through the years my husband has called me Pollyanna, because I like to dwell on those things that are good in life.  I don't like to watch scary movies, I try to never allow negative images into my mind, I don't swear, I realize the power of good words, words that build up and edify, and I don't like to be around mean or judgmental people. 

In our home we don't have regular tv, so I don't get to see live images of the news, but over the last couple weeks as I look at news on Yahoo's splash page, seeing  what's happening in and around the world, it seems to be in an uproar right now, who would have imagined  a month ago what just took place in Egypt and is continuing to take place all over the middle east, it can be unsettling.  Plus we're in the midst of  having a solar storm from a large solar flare, one of the worst in years.  I've read about EMP(electomagnetic pulse) and that it could take us back to the days of old, it could take years to fix if all the electrical grid gets hit...not stuff I want to dwell on, but it really could happen.  One reason for self sufficiency, and stocking up. 

We had snow this morning, luckily the children have a 4 day weekend, so we don't need to drive and try and get off our hill, at 1200 ft, we have to descend the hill for 10 minutes down into the valley, and another 5 minute drive through the valley across the river and into town where the schools are.  Our bus route is the toughest in the district, we've had the same school bus driver for years, because no one else wants to take it on.   Sometimes I have to chain up, just to get down the hill to meet the bus on snow route days.  One year we had over 2 weeks of snow days to make up.  The snow at our elevation will often last for weeks.

We had an interesting experience a few days ago with a raven that we found.  It had a broken wing, we heard the loud cawing sound just outside our door, and ran to see what it was, our cat Tigger was getting close to pouncing (must have been instinct) on the giant of a bird.   We managed to corner it in the woods,  pick him up and set him in a clean cage with food and water.  Jarin took it into PAWS the next morning for them to set the wing, and I had high hopes of rehabilitating it here.  They told us they have to keep him in their care due to fish and wildlife rules.  This afternoon we called to check on it, and they said it had to be put down (we were so sad), someone had  apparently shot it quite some time ago, and the muscle tendons wouldn't heal properly...why would anyone shoot a raven or crow, they are so smart and fun to watch. We have many ravens around here, they are loud and obnoxious at times, but I still like them.

A bright spot in my week was my sister visiting on Tuesday evening, and spending the night, we had tea and talked until late in the night, then woke in the morning and had coffee and chatted some more.  We made a fresh egg omelet, and then she left, it was short and sweet, as she was on her way home from the airport, and had to get home to her family.  My sister and I are identical twins, I'm 4 minutes older, so technically her big sister.  We have been very close our entire lives, and when she moved to Wenatchee 7 years ago, I missed her alot.  We talk on the phone every few days, and no one on this earth can encourage me or lift my spirits quite like her.  We are similar in our positiveness about life.

Tomorrow I will finish rendering all the suet into tallow and plan to make soap on Saturday, we'll take pictures of the process.  On Sunday afternoon my 2 youngest daughters and I are planning to go meet a local breeder of Nigerian Dwarf goats, and we'll get to meet the pregnant does, her does will be kidding in April. I'll bring my camera.  Some of the good things in life to me are my family and friends, our gardens, and farm animals, a warm fire to sit by, and yummy food to share. Sometimes staying strong is just talking and writing and knowing when to go to bed early, and wake up to a new day full of promise.