We interrupt this blog...

I love teaching.

What other job could you have

where you get paid to take a break??

Yeah. I am all over that.

I'll be in and out for the next few days, so no worries!

Oh... did I mention we have snow in the forecast? What's up with that??

In the meantime, party on.

Two-by-two

This is what we woke to Sunday morning. By the way, the grey is our road and the other, well, is the little creek that became a big creek in a very short time. As a point of reference on the creek, usually we cannot see nor hear it. This is our bottom pasture -- all five acres on the house side of the creek and another three on the back ... all underwater...

In fact, we had so much rain, that all the farm critters started lining up, two-by-two, and looking for the Ark. In the course of no more than five hours, we experienced rain, rain w/ snow, snow, and then rain w/sleet.

Yeah. It's March....

First Day Musings: Reaching Goals

Airman John

Good, bad, or indifferent, I have always been goal oriented. And, good, bad, or indifferent, this trait was passed on to my dear Airman. And, today, dear ones, he has acheived a goal that more than 80% of his classmates didn't. He earned one of these:

The one on the left is his first badge; the others come with time and experience. It is called a "crab" and this is what it stand for:

The Wreath is symbolic of the achievements and laurels gained in minimizing accident potentials, through the ingenuity and devotion to duty of its members. It is in memory of those EOD personnel who gave their lives while performing EOD duties.

The Bomb is copied from the design of the World War II Bomb Disposal Badge and represents the historic and major objective of the EOD attack, the unexploded bomb. The three fins represent the major areas of nuclear, conventional and chemical/biological interest.

Lightning Bolts symbolize the potential destructive power of the bomb and the courage and professionalism of EOD personnel in their endeavors to reduce hazards as well as to render explosive ordnance harmless.

The Shield represents the EOD mission — prevent a detonation and protect the surrounding area and property to the utmost.

While I alternate between crying from pride and great fear that he will now be in the field doing what the Air Force has trained him so carefully to do, he is ready, willing, and excited about his next challenge. He will be in Japan for a year serving our troops in a variety of ways. And, yes, I will be going to visit in six months, Lord willing.

What more can I say? I am very proud of you, Airman, and I am proud of your service and determination in times that were difficult and challenging. And, most of all, I am proud you are my son.

Warning: RANT!

Okay. So, do you have this kind of "friend" in your life?

You make plans. Confirm. Talk to confirm plans. Confirm. Plan your day around the plan. Confirm.

And then, it comes: The Voice Mail:

We can't do it today, because....

OR

Today has not turned out so good, could we...

OR

Just confirming that you are going to... (and it is ONE HOUR before you are supposed to... )

Come on. If I take the time to make the plans, confirm, and then confirm a second time, do you really think I am going to change my mind? Or, do you really think that I feel like being your friend is special because every single time  you have to make Some Kind of Change? Or, do you honestly believe that your are in control of every moment of every day in everyone's life (read: Mine) and that I am so happy that you are in control that I will shift my entire week, day, or minute to suit your Very Special Needs?

It seems to me these days that there are more of these kinds of people than the ones who make a plan, stick to it, and keep it as it was agreed. Everyone seems to want to make life All About Me. What about the other person? What about my time? My needs? My wishes? Maybe we shouldn't be friends anymore. Wait. Maybe we aren't friends. Maybe just I am the friend. Frankly, ya'll, I am worn out with some things and this is one.

It's like those people who call and never once ask how you are or anything about you. They rant, rave, weep, complain, and eat up however long it takes them to either wind down or for you to get a word in edgewise to end the conversation and then hang up. Or, when they have exhausted their soliloquy, they ask how you are only to cut you off with, "Yeah, I had that happen once... let me tell you..." and then you are doomed to being relegated to listening. Again. Jiminy, ya'll, is there no one who knows how to be a friend any more?? Doesn't anyone understand that friendship is a two-way street and that it takes two people to have one... that it is give and take??? Geez.

I quit shopping at a wonderful yarn store for just this reason. I couldn't bear the Disease of the Day when I went in. Don't you go to a yarn shop or craft store for the fun? I sure do. I don't want to hear the great recent sadness. Or, if that isn't timely, to hear a recanting of the Last Recent Sadness Until The Next One Comes. Please. Let me just order from someone online who wants my money and nothing more. At least we understand each other!

Now, how are you?

Not So Old-Fashioned

A certain farm gal has leapt into this century with this little doozie here. It isn't that I wanted it, but rather that I want a way to talk with my Airman while he is overseas and not spend his inheritance doing so. With this thing, er, phone, er, whatever it is, I can use Skype and we can chat over the internet for an unlimited time without breaking the Lazy Bee Farm bank. The only problem is ... I can't remember how to turn it on...

Remember Farm Gal Friday at Amy's:

Please Remember

Keep in your thoughts and prayers the Airmen who were attacked, wounded, and killed today in Germany as well as their families, please.

All our service people are in my thoughts and prayers daily. God keep and protect you and bring you home safely!

That Was Creepy

Wookie, as you well know, is quite elderly and, I keep fearing, drawing close to the end of his life. Now, he has good days and bad days. On the good ones, he runs through the house like the hounds of hades are on his heels and on the bad ones, well, he does nothing but sleep. So, I have been trying to come to terms that we will not pass over to the other side together and that I will be without him one of these days.

Last night he snuggled down between me and the Mister in bed and fell asleep with his head on my hand. About two hours later, I needed to roll over, so I did and he just walked Right Over Me as if it were business as usual, curled up against my tummy and off to sleep we went again.

A few hours later, I was in that weird stage of sleeping-and-not-sleeping and reached down to pet him. Usually he trills, but he didn't. This woke me a bit more; I petted again. Nothing. I touched his side and he was cold.

"Holey cow, this cat has died in my bed," I thought as I jumped up and turned on the light. "Mister! Wookie is dead. Oh my gosh. He's dead!" I began to weep.

Then, Wookie looked up with a very sleepy face as if to say, "No, silly. I was sleeping quite well until Someone woke me..."

I kissed his face and he snuggled back down. I didn't. How can you sleep after that?