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Posts Tagged ‘Reflections’

Time For Yourself

Posted in Inspirations, tagged , , on May 3, 2009| 6 Comments »

As I cut the loaves of soap that I made yesterday into bars this morning my thoughts were on writing, sharing my thoughts with friends.

I am in the middle of making bottles, heating milk, but feeling compelled to “chat” first.

This is a busy time in many of our lives, and the “experts” say we will get even busier unless we deliberately make time for ourselves.

Some of us are older, some younger. But I personally remember a house with one phone. A phone that hung on the kitchen wall. And it had a dial, not buttons to push! That phone did not fit in a pocket, nor did anyone expect that phone to be answered every hour of the day, each day of the week. Nor did that phone have voice mail.

I personally love the connections that we have during this period of time, but sometimes we need to be disconnected. I really am not into catchy phrases, I pretty much march to my own drumbeat. One phrase that I truly did not understand was “me time.” What???? It sounded very self-centered to me. Well…now that I understand the phrase more I will attest full-hearted that we all need me time! Me time is time without the pulling of committments, down time without the phone, without the computer, time to just do the things that makes our heart smile.

Yesterday, for me, it was making soap and mowing the grass. I felt like a teenager! Those are wonderful days!

Do not get me wrong, I love my friends, I love the connections, and there are too many people to count that I have to hear from every day (in one shape of connection or another). I do not feel complete without the connection of those people, BUT, and that is a huge but, we all need time without a tug or a pull. That is me time, and we do all need it for our own mental health. And remember yourself as newer technology continues to slide your way. You can say no. You can shut it off from time to time. I believe effectiveness stems from a balance in life. Try to be all, do all, and you lose yourself as the human being with a lot of worth you are!

The soaps that I cut this morning (above) are: spa salt bar (citrus blend), summer melon (muskmelon green and white), and a stress relief type of scent (citrus, light patchouli and others) with a slight violet marble. More on the scents once cured!

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I Thank You

Posted in Inspirations, tagged , , on May 1, 2009| 8 Comments »

I have had a few busy days. Not nearly enough time to write, but always enough time to say thank you.
Being a business person is not always about making money, in my opinion, it is about people. I want to make the best soap that I can possibly make, and I want you to enjoy the product. But, somewhere inside of me, I also want to make a difference in your day with a touch of encouragement, or a nice scent, or just by saying hello.

I thank you for being here. People in life is what it is all about!

I received a knock to the shop door a bit ago as I was taking photos, a local woman that was dropping off religious phamplets…the photo blurred as the door knock came. But, it was a nice visit after all, because I asked her in. And she walked away with a smile and a small bar of lavender goat milk soap! See what I mean…it is all about people. Thank you!!!

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Time For A Change

Posted in Inspirations, tagged , , on April 15, 2009| 6 Comments »

Just as the tide rolls in and out, so does the need for change.

Regarding everything that I do on a routine basis, a few of my friends have asked, “What is your secret, how do you do it all?,” “How do you take a vacation, or do you?,” and have said, “You are a worker!”

I do not try to do it all, I try to not do it all. As soon as the kidding season has just about ended on our farm, or even when something has changed that requires new steps in life, for example, I always begin to clear my mind and figure out what to do next.

I recently had a wonderful email conversation with a trusted friend regarding a change in my life that was not easy. The change involved something that I had held onto for a number of years, and it had become clear to me to let it go, however something held me back each time I tossed that thought around. It consumed time and energy that I could no longer afford. Once I made that change I felt complete relief, peace, even a sense of liberation. In the email response from my friend, she quoted my own words back to me, I have lost my go-juice for it all. I need something new in my life, and I need to let some things go. Sometimes we have to put the emotional side of things behind us. And sometimes what drags us down is right in front of our noses. When we wake up, we have to move on!

Bingo!

To keep a balance in my life, I determine what is most important, what must be accomplished from day to day, and I weed out the rest. I hope to never let emotions hold me back so badly in the future. Emotions are not always reality. Yes, they hold a certain degree of wisdom, but facts are facts. And I have said it once, and will say it again, we have to lead ourselves down our own paths in life. Do what is right for ourselves financially, physically, socially, spiritually, and mentally. You will find peace. I did.

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All Things Anew, Happy Easter

Posted in Goat Care (and General Farm), tagged , on April 12, 2009| 11 Comments »

Each spring a pair of canadian geese return to our pond. We would like to believe they are the same pair, and as those with knowledge have written, they likely are the same pair. They do mate for life and they do return to the same “home” spot year after year.

About 4 evenings ago I noticed momma goose making a next. She is now resting on it.

We have heavy frost this morning and something told me to walk down to the pond with camera in hand. Tyra went with me. She does not bother anything that belongs on our farm. As we gazed at the goose, I realized that she indeed has frost on her back. She has been setting for a very long time, obviously, and is not going to give up. Can you imagine?

In about 18 days we should see the fuzzy yellow goslings emerge. And then we will begin to enjoy the rest of the pond activities as we see the young ones grow and learn. It never ceases to amaze me how geese teach with body language.

Have a wonderful Easter!

Heavy frost this morning on the back lots –

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Less Can Be More

Posted in Inspirations, tagged , on April 9, 2009| 4 Comments »


No, I do not keep all of these items on my desk…just some of them like the steno pad (to-do list), the Post-It notes in every room, along with a pen, for ideas (so I do not have to depend upon memory), and of course, there is always paperwork to do. The files in the shop, the files in my desk, the files in the locked fire proof cabinet. The emails to follow on both the PDA and the PC. The land line phone so I can still send faxes. The camera is always charged up. Sound familiar? And look waht I did yesterday, announced my Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter contact names. And thank you, friends, sincerely, I will be showing up again! Your emails and contacts meant so very much to me.

I have been in deep thought this week. The kidding season is coming to an end and the brain is functioning much better. Going from the typical “I am having kids” zombie state to “I am beginning to see the light again, and my brain is growing sharp again,” is a great time. It means enjoying the kids even more, and it usually mean re-thinking life itself for me. I have been working on personal goals this week…better to start them later in the year than not at all!!!

I have a very good talent, as most women seem to possess, and many men. A talent that is not so good sometimes. And it seems to be a growing state of being for the population in general at the present. The talent is multi-tasking. I can multi-task like I have earned a crown for it. While multi-tasking is necessary at times, it is not always good. This is where I am saying less is more.

Have you ever caught yourself sitting down at your computer, with four different windows open, attempting to complete many tasks all at once? Uh-huh, that is me. If you shadowed me at work you would notice the following on many occasions; I am paying a bill in one window, sending an email in another, blogging in one more window, and updating the website all at the same time. And guess what is happening while I am doing this? My blood pressure is slightly rising because the satellite cannot keep up with my requests, I am irritated at Blogger because it seems way too slow, and I am thinking about what I need to do and cannot do because the computer is moving so slowly. What is up with that? It is nonsense, and I will be making a huge effort to make a change. Remember the old saying patience is a virtue? It is. Do you see yourself in any of this?

We do a much better job when we handle few tasks at once. First of all, we can think. Second, we are much more happy. Third, the outcome really is that we focus on what is most important and begin to see success.

Today I practiced what I preached. I fed the bottle babies, fed the rest of the herd, washed the dishes and mopped the floor (amazing that I completed something that I had not had time to do recently). I sent the husband to town to run a few chores. When he came back, I was ready for lunch, and ready to head out to the shop to make lotion. And it felt good to have accomplished so very much. I did just what was absolutely necessary. At one point I caught myself trying to send an email while water was heating up in the kitchen, and I caught myself looking up the to-do list while putting goat milk in the freezer, and later I caught myself with phone in hand, ready to send a message to someone! One thing at a time, one thing at a time. And everything in its own time! And less stress…ahhhh.

Again, less is more because there is no irritation, and the job gets done with a lot of quality and progress is able to been seen.

Life was probably not made to be this crazy, was it? When we feel overwhelmed, or feel like we cannot get it all done, our minds and bodies are telling us something. What do we need to get rid of, what do we need to focus on? Because when we are fretting, we are not doing a good job of anything. We are making mistakes and we are not thinking clearly. And what else is happening? Life is zooming by us 100 MPH. That is not good.

Did I lose you in the long post?

Honestly, I had decided to not write any more of these types of blog posts because I am not an expert, just someone that feels compassionate enough to write her thoughts down from time to time. The decision to not write flew away quickly! My philosophy has been, I hope I touch just one life when I do get the urge to share these thoughts!

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Not A Machine

Posted in Inspirations, tagged , , on April 5, 2009| 6 Comments »

On this beautiful Sunday I have several things in the works. Part of which is good old housework (that I never get much done, and I realize it cannot be a priority), catching up with people, and feeding newborn dairy goats. Yes, it is busy, and I am tired. What am I going to do about it? Write some thoughts here, head for a power nap, and then tend to the animals. I do all of this because I want to. It is not a burden. If a part of this were a burden, I would be figuring out how to make it what it should be, a joy.

Something has been on my mind. I am not an expert, but I still feel the need to write when something sways me. I never want to lead anyone down the wrong path. Honestly, I am not trying to lead anyone, period. But when I feel strongly, I write.

A few days ago, after I said to a wonderful lady that I am close to that I was swamped, but happy, doing what I want to do, the person replied to me, “I feel like a machine.” It saddened me that someone would feel like a machine.

We are not machines, we were created to be human. We started our lives without a care, but we were made to grow, to think, but not to work so hard that we do not exist inside. When we feel like a machine we are lacking something. And it often means we need some “me time.” “Me time” could be an hour, a day, or even a regular time and place to ourselves.

Everyone deserves a hobby, or a task that makes them feel good about themselves. It will not be tasking work as long as you enjoy what you are doing. We all need healthy outlets. The outlet may be your own business (doing something that you are passionate about), exercising (and I need to do a LOT more deliberate exercise myself), time alone, sleep (but not too much)…or just doing something that uses your mind, stirs your inner-soul, and helps you to feel good about life again.

I am not going to preach, because I have no right to do that. I can only speak from my own heart. To wrap this up…if you find yourself feeling like something less than human from day to day, do something about it. Be happy. We can all do it! Serving others is not a bad thing, but make sure you serve yourself too! When I feel that weariness I begin to evaluate several things, such as, what do I need to give up? What do I need to do for myself? And what can I change? If I cannot change something for the better (and I do not try to change others), then I find a way to do what makes me feel happy otherwise. Do what is best for you, nobody else will do it for you, it is not their job!

Take care…and I hope you are having a beautiful Sunday too!

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Joy and Thankfulness

Posted in Inspirations, tagged , , on March 20, 2009| 4 Comments »

I am brimming with joy and thankfulness.

I am thankful for life itself. Life throws some very hard balls at us. Such as, my husband not getting the job he interviewed for several times (he found out today). My sister called with a piece of disappointing news as well. And life gets difficult with so much work. But I asked for the life that I have, and I love the life that I have. And so I take the responsibilities and I run with them. I strongly believe people make a lot of the lives that they have so very unhappy because they fail to recognize the good things that surround them! Life is beautiful in itself.

My husband asked me to join him on an electrical inspection today. It meant travelling for over an hour, south and east of us. I took a pic as we drove down the highway. It was an absolutely gorgeous day!

Before I let her out of her stall, I talked to Cammille this morning (a beautiful spotted nubian doe, dam to the spotted doeling in Tuesday’s post). I used to call Cammille “Snake Eyes” when she was young because she would get an ornery look in her eyes and head butt every doeling that surrounded her, meaner than a snake! As I had my little conversation with Cammille earlier today, I asked her, “Can you give me a beautiful spotted boer cross doeling with your snake eyes?” She gave me exactly that! Such a bundle of joy.

I might have a long evening. Annie is heading into labor as I write this. I love it when life progresses. Today she did something surprising. After a number of years to her name, and 3 sets of twins under her own belt, she attempted to steal a bottle full of milk from me. Yes, I had to retrieve it. She definitely reverted back! When I got the bottle back, she turned around and nipped the bottle kid that I was feeding on the rear end! I am still giggling over that one! Nobody was hurt.

I try to remember the funny things that we have happen around here. I guess I should take notes. I could write books!

I still have not started the soap project that I discussed a few days back, but I’ll get there. My plans just get better as I sit on them!

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It Isn’t Just A Dog’s World…The Opportunity Is Now

Posted in Inspirations, tagged , , , on March 12, 2009| 6 Comments »

Me and the boy spent some time together today…the boy is a 90 pound boxer named Spike. More on that later in this article…

No, it isn’t just a dog’s world, the opportunity is now. What am I referring to? I am thinking on terms of today’s economy, both business and personal opportunity.

I have done a lot of talking recently regarding the positive side to the downturn in our pocketbooks, with many references to what I think the opportunities are.

I do a lot of business reading. One of my favorite spots is Entrepreneur.com. I also focus in on stories that relate to businesses that are succeeding in today’s world because they remember who they are, where they started, and the basics in life (caring for the backbone, the people that do the work), along with good products at low prices, such as Chick-fil-A and Dunkin’ Donuts.

Today is a grand opportunity to start a small business, even in the current downturn. It is also the time to sharpen up your own personal people skills, and believe me, it goes very much hand in hand.

If you were dealing with a person, or a business, wouldn’t you want to have contact with them again if they were honest, hard working, not afraid to show up early or work late, with old fashioned values? I would. I talked with a customer service rep the other day regarding my internet service. He actually took the time to speak with me on a personal level. I felt he was interested in fixing the problem. He gave me a very positive feeling about the company that he works for. Customer service gets a gold star when you talk to a person that emits respect for you. They fix the problem for you, or offer a good solution, and do not doubt your value. That is true customer service, and is true on the personal level, caring for the neighbor (as you want to be cared for yourself).

On a strictly business level, what about making sure every dollar counts? What about sound business practices (not cheating on the accounting)?

I see a lot of back to the basics in business and personal lives. I pat you on the back first (because I care about you). Yes, it can happen, and I believe it is happening! We can all succeed with a bit of effort. I love it. And I do think we are learning a lot from our world today. It isn’t all about money (I want to see happy customers, and people that feel valued first), it is about who we are, and those that we care for. True success in life follows.

Now…back to the boy. Spike is from my first litter of boxers. The boxer boy did not get the training that his (late) father, Samson, got from me. He rode in the truck with me this morning when I ran a few chores. He has a lot to learn, almost wore me out! But he is worth it. I should have started on him when he was a 25 pound puppy, not a 90 pound, 4 year old boy. Does he look worn out in the pic? He was. But it was worth the trip, and the effort.

Enjoy your life!

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Restoration

Posted in Goat Care (and General Farm), tagged , on February 22, 2009| 2 Comments »

Sundays, the first day of the week, the day to restore the mind, heart and soul…

RESTORE

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end

in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end on certainties.

-Francis Bacon

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

O Lord Almighty,

blessed is the man who trusts in you.

-Psalm 84, 11-12

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Lilac Goat Milk Lotion Day Accompanied By Memories

Posted in Family & Friends, tagged on February 16, 2009| 9 Comments »

After running chores this morning, and checking on Annie’s Goat Hill products placed in a shop in the next town south of us, I decided to dive into lotion making for the day.

The vanilla goat milk lotion came first. Smelled warm and clean. Then the Sweet Pea type was next. I love that scent! Today was a “spring” scent type of day. Then I decided the next batch would be a lightly scented lilac goat milk lotion. I can still smell it. It will be with me all day. And it smells wonderful!

My grandmother did not wear heavy perfume. But now she is on my mind. Aromatherapy? My grandmother had “treasures.” From the beginning of my memory, I have always loved soap, scents, bubble bath, you name it, and grandma’s house was not short of anything in that realm.

She loved to sew as well. And that is what I am really writing about today. Her sewing machine and table were handed down to me. I rummaged through the drawers a bit ago, just like I did when I was a child.

I first stumbled across her aprons. I distinctly remember her wearing the three in the first photo. Aren’t they great? They need a good ironing. And then I need to find a special place to show them off some day.

Then I looked through her tiny boxes and jars of things that she could not bear to throw away. In the marshmallow creme jar was pins, old buttons, snaps, and even bra straps that grandma would cut off before she discarded the undergarments. You can see the singe marks on some of these items (on the lid of the jar above). Grandma and grandpa’s house burned down to the ground once. She salvaged things, bless her heart, and now they are treasures to me (and probably only me). Everything filled with memories.

There is an old Singer box, filled with attachments for a machine that no longer exists. Sort of ironic that I can not throw it away either. A Sucrets box as well. Vintage compared to what we see on the store shelves these days.

Then there are the pin and knife boxes. Filled with other tiny things that grandma could not part with. Perhaps some day she would have used those things when she stitched up a new project. Amazing what she kept. I can open each treasure box and find they smell like “her” things. They smell good. Wonderful.

Memories are treasures!

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