Before performing a baptism, the priest approached the young father and
said
solemnly, “Baptism is a serious step. Are you prepared for it?”
“I think so,” the man replied. “My wife has made appetizers and we have
a caterer coming to provide plenty of cookies and cakes for all of our
guests.”
“I don't mean that,” the priest r...esponded. “I mean, are you prepared
spiritually?”
“Oh, sure,” came the reply. “I've got a keg of beer and a case of
whiskey.”

Outside my window.......it's cold and dark but I'm pretty sure that at least it will get lighter.  I couldn't say about warmer.  But one out of two ain't bad.

I am thinking.......The aching in my muscles and the stiffness of my joints must be a function of age not fitness.  I load wood all the time so yesterdays work shouldn't have caused such discomfort.

I am thankful for.......good friends and even gooder family.  It was a good day in this neighborhood.

I am wearing.....navy sweatpants and a grey sweat shirt.  Too early and too cold to get ready for the day.  Better get the stove all stoked up.

I am going.......nowhere I hope.  One week from tomorrow we leave for SC so I have more and more to do to get ready.

I am reading..........Signs of Life by Scott Hahn and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I am hoping........that the sun shines today to give me the lift I need to get my work done.

From the schoolroom........Matthew will be his usual diligent self.  He's a good kid.

From the kitchen.......Ian is cooking his eggs for his breakfast.  Then I think leftovers will be the order of the day.  Need to bake some zucchini bread for Doug.

Around the house......I don't even want to look.

One of my favorite things........the family gathered all together doing just about anything.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you......

Yesterday we went to help some friends lay in their winter wood supply.  He has two daughters and I have strapping boys.  Also he was in a bad car accident this summer and is in no real shape to be doing this job by himself.  Bet you can't tell that these two are related.,

I got home from running my errands and my husband and I decide to take a walk, it being a nice day again and all.  This is how the conversation goes.

Doug, "Where do you want to go?"

Me, "I don't care, where ever you go is fine."

Doug, "If we take the dogs then we can't go on the road. Why don't we take the dogs."  (Isabella isn't good at a loose lead yet)

Me, "Okay, lets take the dogs."

Little did I know that he had an ulterior motive.  Off we go with the dogs, once again across the wheat field.  Only this time we angle back into the woods at the top of the ridge.

Let me interpret the poses here.  "There's a dead tree with a lot of wood in it. Perfect for burning in the stove in the living room."

"Some good wood over there too.  Not too hard to get to either."

"That cherry is money in the bank.  Might bring in four or five hundred dollars if we can find a buyer for it."

This tree I found.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of it.  I call it my Jess tree.  It looks to be about 7 1/2 months along.

Not a good picture but I looked up and saw my neighbor Stephanie riding her horse up in the field.  Nice surprise. 

On second thought, not a bad shot when you think it is 1/4 mile away taken through the window.

Yesterday afternoon Doug and I took a walk.  In all of my life living with this man I have learned that when men and women take a walk they are doing it for different purposes.  While I am walking along enjoying his company, the scenery, and the general loveliness of the day, he is looking at Ian's wheat field assessing how well Ian did planting it, looking at the pile of bad round bales to see how fast they are decomposing, and scouting dead and down trees to be cut into stove wood.

After that pleasant little interlude it was determined that there were quite a few trees down in the valley past the wheat field that we could spend a productive three or four hours making a load of wood for the basement.  So, back to the house we trekked to get Matthew and the equipment and so I could change my shoes.  The dogs and I went ahead because I would always rather walk than ride.  We headed down the slope behind where the barn used to stand.  This pond is in the valley below our house.  The valley is about 23 feet deep there.  My husband used to swim in this it when he was a little boy, although I cannot imagine it since it has always been brackish and green since I have known it.  When we were first married there was even an outhouse standing at the head of the pond right in the bend of the path.

Across the path from the pond is the creek that carved out the valley.  According to the abstract of our farm there used to be several sawmills on this creek over the years.  It's hard to imagine this gentle flowing body of water supplying enough power to run a sawmill.  But I have seen it in flood several times now and I know the awsome power of that water.

My silly dog, who doesn't like getting into his bath, spent a great deal of time in that green slimy water.  He was having a grand time.

When they finally came down into the valley with the tractor and the wagon they had to clear the path that is there.  There were several fallen trees across their path.  This one, unfortunately, was box elder so it was merely cut up and pushed aside to rot back into the earth and sweeten the soil.  Not a lot of heat in that tree.

Matthew went ahead of the tractor pushing brush aside and cutting some of the larger pieces with the chainsaw.

The dogs and I followed in the trail made by the wheels of the dumpwagon.  The farther back we got into the woods the deeper the underbrush got for awhile.  Then we came out into the trees and it was nice and clear.

Now it's time to get to work.  Doug ran the chainsaw cutting up anything that had fallen down and wasn't rotting yet.  There are quite a few trees down in the valley so that we can make another couple of loads. 

Matthew went after him standing up the blocks that were made with the chainsaw and split them with the go devil.  This not only makes them of a size that will fit into the furnace but it also helps the wood dry out better.

One swing of his mighty go devil and each piece goes down.  The wood was surprisingly dry so it split fairly easily.  After splitting it we threw it up onto the dumpwagon to be taken home and dumped down into the basement.

I think this does as good as any shot with my camera of showing how deep the valley is.  Up above where Matthew is working is the field of wheat that Ian planted. 

Across the valley from where we were working the creek flows slowly along as it always has. 

Outside my window.........it is dark but it is supposed to get lighter.  That's generally the way of things and I don't expect today to be any different from any other day.  Time will tell though.

I am thinking..........about how long I enjoyed the ability to sleep all night long.  I guess those days are over for awhile.  Back in insomnia mode again.  It was bound to happen.

I am thankful for..........friends and the great day that we enjoyed yesterday.  An early Thanksgiving and boy am I thankful.

I am wearing.........Navy sweatpants and Army sweatshirt.  When I am done with this I am going to suit up Brutus in his collar and lead and go for a run.

I am reading.............the new book that came in the mail Saturday.  Scott Hahn's Signs of Life

I am going.......for a run with Brutus and then, hopefully, nowhere else for the rest of the day.

I am hoping........that today turns out to be like yesterday, weatherwise.  I would like to spend some time outside if I can today.  I feel the seasons closing in on me and I need to catch every moment of outside time that I can.

From the schoolroom........I need to write Matthew's plans for the week.  He is moving along at a nice pace and staying on track in spite of all of the obstacles that life has been throwing at us thus far.  I am proud of that young man. 

From the kitchen.........leftovers from our lovely turkey dinner yesterday. 

Around the house.........there is cleaning that needs doing, laundry piling up, and sewing that needs to be finished.  It will all get done in its own time. 

A few plans for the rest of the week.......the usual round of chores, holy hours and classes.  I need to carve out some time to continue boning up on Algebra so I have a chance of passing my math course.

Here is a picture thought that I am sharing with you.........

The man carving the bird.  Now isn't that a mouth watering picture.

Last night when Doug got the tractors stuck I didn't have my camera with me.  Also, I didn't think they would have appreciated picture of their efforts to pull them out, it was too dark in the valley for photography, and they made me stand way back for safety.  All very good reasons for not getting pictures of the action.

This morning, though, Doug has to wash all the tractors.  He has to wash the neighbors 5140 before he returns it.  That one isn't so bad since all it did was pull and it stayed high and dry most of the time.

The Kubota, however, was sunk in to the hubs and was splashed up onto the cab.  The steps are so caked with mud that they are solid.

This job is going to require a special outfit.  Doug was already speckled with mud when I went out to take these pictures and he hadn't really started yet.

The Matthew says the tractor was stuck so deep that the step was in the dirt that is why the bottom step is caked with mud.  It was sinking slowly into the bank of the creek.  I fear if we had left it until this morning we may only have seen the top of the cab.

The backhoe is the worst.  That was sunk in to the top of the hubs.  All of the steps on that are solid with mud and the back and one side of the cab are totally covered in mud.

I think I know what Doug is going to be doing for most of today.  Guess that will keep him out of my hair.

My husband took the backhoe down to the creek to drain out some water, or some such thing so that some trees that are down would dry up so we can cut them up for stove wood.  While there he got the backhoe stuck, thoroughly, in the creek.  So he walked up and got the Kubota so that he could pull the backhoe out.  No go.  The Kubota got even stucker!!!!  (yes that is a word, at least in my world it is)

Then he borrowed the neighbor's tractor to pull the backhoe out and the Kubota.  It took a lot of pulling, shouting, and changing of position to do it but he finally managed, with Ian, Matthew, and Jim Havener's help, to get the backhoe out of the mud.  Once they got going there was no stopping and he drove it right out of the valley out onto the road.  Matthew followed with the neighbor's tractor and Ian drove his truck.

Now they are down there trying to get the Kubota out before it sinks out of sight.  Not an exaggeration I assure you.  As it sat there it was slowly sinking into the mud.

My question is, after 6+ inches of rain why didn't anyone think that it would be a bit muddy down in the bottom land in the valley?  Even I wouldn't have ventured down there and I am the member of the family who likes to go mudding. 

Unfortunately I was unable to get any pictures of the whole ordeal.  It's too cold out there for me so the dogs and I walked home to have another beer and get warm.  I'm glad that at least three of us have a bit of intelligence.