Living in Buhl-a-land

Wondering why

2009-07-11T07:26:00.007-05:00

Here on Buhlaland - we are aware of our blessings, express our gratitude and try to share with others the abundance over which we've been made steward. For a time now - we've struggled with "why is it so HARD?" - to run a business attempting to reflect God's glory, to have a small ministry which effectively reaches those who come across our path, to relate to people in positive ways, to be healthy so we can serve? It all has seemed hard recently. "If only" people weren't so --insert appropriate negative adjective of your choice -. During our devotional time this morning what I read reminded me we have an Abba Father not a cold God who doesn't see our "wronged" hurts. Even in things/people which seem to hinder what we believe we are supposed to be doing - He is working out His plan. Knowing there is a reason - a plan -behind hard times makes for lighter burdens. Not claiming I won't chafe at times even under the lightest of burdens-- but for now - I can record today's lesson so I'll remember to see the lily and know - while it is good on Buhlaland -- it will be glorious in our eternal home
Luke 12:27-28 (New Living Translation)
27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?"

The Way Appointed by Elisabeth Elliot

One aspect of the mystery of God's sovereign will is how the calculated evil of men is not only permitted, but actually becomes a necessary part of the divine plan. We are tempted to think of the wrongs done to us as hindrances, frustrations, interruptions. "What has this got to do with the will of God?" we ask, irritated and, we suppose, justifiably impatient with human interference. But the truth is that both our time and our way are in God's hands--they are "appointed." Surely it is so for all his sons as it was for the Son of Man. When He was on the verge of being "handed over for crucifixion," and betrayed by one of his own disciples, He said, "My appointed time is near....One who has dipped his hand into this bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man is going the way appointed for him" (Mt 26:18, 24 NEB).
Out of the deepest depths of human evil the good God brought salvation--the very salvation of man whose sinfulness killed the Son He sent.
Nothing can reach us, from any source in earth or hell, no matter how evil, which God cannot turn to his own redemptive purpose. Let us be glad that the way is not a game of chance, a mere roll of dice which determines our fortune or calamity--it is a way appointed, and it is appointed for God's eternal glory and our final good.

Happy and PROUD Independence Day

2009-07-03T21:12:00.005-05:00

Flying the flag every day here on Buhlaland, we are proud of the principles upon which country was founded. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The Declaration of Independence is a clear and well stated document. We challenge you to locate clarity or logic in anything coming out of Washington (or state capitals) in 2009.

The Creator endowed us with rights - not a government. We heard a recorded sermon given by the late Adrian Rogers reminding Americans what the government gives - it takes from us. Government has nothing to give until it takes it away from it's citizens. Government doesn't give us freedom, justice or safety - it doesn't possess them to give. Tea Parties are being held in hundreds of towns- people gathering to state the obvious - government cannot spend our country into prosperity. Please pray this holiday weekend for elected officials to exercise a sense of responsibility and reasoned action.

Enough of the heavy stuff - here on Buhlaland it is hot - going to be hotter. Watermelon in our fridge and a turkey is defrosting for weekend feasting. Below is a quiz I found online and reproduced here - hope you find it fun, instructional and you can trot out some interesting facts at the family barbecue this weekend! Stay safe - be grateful for our liberties - freedom has never been free - whether for a country or our eternal home-the cost has been blood. We are blessed and grateful here on Buhlaland.

American trivia: How much do you know?

THE DATE
1. Which three presidents died on July 4?
2. Which president laid the cornerstone for the Washington Monument on July 4, 1850?
3. What was the title of the 1969 Broadway musical, written by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone, that told the story of the founding of the United States?
4. What city in the American South fell to Ulysses S. Grant and Union forces on July 4, 1863, after a short siege?
5. What twin advice columnists were born on July 4, 1918?
6. In one of the wildest baseball games of all time, the New York Mets beat the Atlanta Braves, 16-13, in how many innings on July 4 (and 5), 1985?
THE FLAG
7. When was the Stars and Stripes authorized by Congress as the national flag?
8. The flag has 13 stripes. How many of them are red?
9. Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the Star-Spangled Banner after witnessing what?
10. Where and when was the first 50-star flag flown?
11. On the first U.S. flag, why were the stars displayed in a circle?
12. True or false: When the Pledge of Allegiance was published in 1892, the words "Under God" were not included.
THE PRESIDENTS
13. Which president served the shortest term?
14. Which president, to show his disdain for ceremony, would greet ambassadors in his pajamas?
15. Which president was the first to throw out the season-opening pitch for professional baseball?
16. To whom was the first telephone call made from the White House in 1878?
17. At 5 feet 4, who was the shortest president?
18. Which president's pet parrot had to be ejected from his funeral for screaming obscenities at mourners?
19. Which president had the most children?
20. Eleanor Roosevelt made news in 1939 when she served what dish to visiting King George VI and Queen Elizabeth?
21. Which president, when short of funds, offered White House china as the ante in poker games?
22. Which president's election was marred by charges of electoral vote corruption in Florida and other states after he lost the popular vote to his opponent?
23. Which well-dressed president was rumored to own 80 pairs of pants?
24. Who was the first chief executive to appear on television?
25. Which two presidents were signers of the Declaration of Independence?

Answers
1. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams (1826) and James Monroe (1831)
2. Zachary Taylor. He became ill with cholera that night and died five days later.
3. 1776
4. Vicksburg, Miss. It came a day after the Union victory at Gettysburg, marking a turning point in the Civil War
5. Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren (real names: Esther "Eppie" Lederer and Pauline Phillips)
6. 19 innings. The game ended at 3:55 a.m., and the Braves then fired off their Independence Day fireworks, leading many local residents to believe the city was under attack.
7. June 14, 1777. This date is observed as Flag Day.
8. Seven.
9. The bombardment of Fort McHenry
10. Philadelphia, 1960
11. So no one state would be above another.
12. True. The phrase was added in 1954.
13. William Henry Harrison, who died of pneumonia shortly after his inauguration. He served only 32 days, from March 4 to April 4, 1841.
14. Thomas Jefferson
15. William Howard Taft, on April 14, 1910, at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C.
16. Alexander Graham Bell (called by President Rutherford Hayes)
17. James Madison
18. Andrew Jackson
19. John Tyler (15)
20. Hot dogs
21. Warren G. Harding
22. Rutherford Hayes, in 1876
23. Chester Arthur (also the first to employ a full-time valet)
24. Franklin Roosevelt (April 30, 1939)
25. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams

Last day of first half of this year

2009-07-01T08:58:00.005-05:00

177 days until Christmas

233 days until my birthday

183 days until 2010

Yep - sunset on the last day of June - the sixth month of our twelve month year. Is your cup half full or half empty? Have the first six months of 2009 been used wisely, wasted, or a combination of being fruitful and being foolish?

Regrets are truly a big waste of time. Very human to regret and pick at the emotional scabs of your heart but totally useless. Once you've repented, confessed and been forgiven - it is gone - there will still be consequences from our bad choices but we don't have to bring them up repeatedly to ourselves or to the Lord.

SOOOO - how's your year going? It is a little bumpy here on Buhlaland but we are reminded with warm beautiful sunsets, the serenades of cicadas and fresh ripe peaches from a neighbor's tree - it is good - very good.

I haven't Croaked!

2009-06-28T17:52:00.005-05:00

Terrence the Toad reminded me I haven't checked in on the bloggy world in over a week.

Buhlaland is literally crawling with toads - from smaller than a dime to critters the size of a hardball -all intent on finding moisture and bugs. Bugs we have in abundance but this summer moisture comes out of a hose or sprinkler. Don't want to rant about weather -we've been in a warmish spell (nighttime lows in the high 70's) and today saw 102 on our deeply shaded porch thermometer.

Weather and toads don't have a thing to do with why I'm not blogging. DH hasn't been well (we think he is slowly improving - not terminal just tiring) , I'm stressing about finding a job and generally ignoring the biblical admonition "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Phil. 4:6 NIV

We have always had more than abundant provision. We are daily reminded of God's faithfulness in our walk with Him. My head and most of my heart knows things will work out better than I could have imagined -- my stomach and bit of my often rebellious heart keep bringing up "what if it doesn't happen this time?" BUT - we rely on God's grace He is more than enough.

If I had a picture of a nice frog - then I could use the acronym Fully Rely On God and be all clever. So you have to accept my word for it - FROG works.

The sweet doe (I suppose she is sweet - she hangs around here and has beautiful eyes - for all we really know - she might be the head of the Mean Girls in her herd!) still hangs around our place. Saw her and her fawn a week or more ago - trotting along in our front pasture and then leaping over a 5 foot tall fence as if it were nothing.

So little real news, the toads and I decided to check in with the blog world. It is hot, quiet and healing on Buhlaland and that is good. Ribbit--ribbit

Read the Word (s)

2009-06-20T19:03:00.007-05:00

Most of us have several bibles (I won't go off on the very disturbing reality we seldom wear out our bibles.) and at least in our household we have 4 or 5 translations and a paraphrase (The Message is not a translation). This morning in our readings I was quite taken by the simple, firm beauty of Micah 6:8 - for those who try to make walking with the Lord complex or legalistic or ritualistic - read the WORDS.

Micah 6:8 (Contemporary English Version)
8The LORD God has told us
what is right
and what he demands:
"See that justice is done,
let mercy be your first concern,
and humbly obey your God."

Micah 6:8 (The Message)
8But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love,And don't take yourself too seriously— take God seriously.

Please don't take yourself too seriously -and remember to be grateful and loving. Tomorrow is Father's Day - I miss my Daddy and hope any of you blessed to still have your father with you will make the day extra special.
It is blooming here on Buhlaland - canna blossoms and faith. That is good - very good.

Pigging out!

2009-06-15T10:07:00.005-05:00

Good Monday to you! We had friends over Sunday afternoon to share a meal - decided to barbecue which might not have been a wise choice - heat index was a mere 104!. DH persevered and cooked all the kebabs everyone assembled.

Wanted to give extra flavor to the pork but not traditional red sauce and DH dislikes the vinegary barbecue baste. We have a small forest of rosemary in the garden and always have extra virgin olive oil (or EVOO). Pantry yielded a big container of peppercorn medley (from the center of gourmet cooking - Wally World!).

We were kebabing the meats so I cut a nice pork roast into large cubes (the little brass pig with a lucky pence in his back represents about 3 pounds of pork - cooked pork photographs ugly and we cooked all I marinated).

Took the cubes of pork, about 1/3-1/2 cup of EVOO, at least one tablespoon of very coarsely ground pepper (could have just been broken up in a mortar and pestle but I don't have one). Added 5 or 6 good sized pieces(would translate into 4 to 6 inch long sprigs) of rosemary in the container and sealed it up. Marinated for at least 4 hours (in the fridge - seems goofy to add the refrigeration part but don't want anybody getting poisoned by my recipes!). Next time I think we'll try overnight marinating. Everyone really liked the pork - in fact they ate more pork than the chinese marinated chicken or pure and delicious rib eye steaks. Just a thought since it is BBQ season and sometimes you want something different. Same concept would work great with a pork tenderloin or chops.

We had such a lovely day on Buhlaland and as if having pleasant company and good food weren't enough --we had a beautiful visitor after the human guests were gone. The doe is still limping a lot and we haven't seen the fawn again but are grateful to have the beauty of creation - up close and personal! It is good on Buhlaland --good friends, good food and goodness it was HOT.

Stormy evening

2009-06-12T20:38:00.007-05:00

We didn't get any real damage - wanted to share our intense storm with those of you who like lots of thundery, windy weather wildness. The hailstones are shown in my hand (to give a perspective of size). The downpour from our downspout shows the side garden being well rinsed out.

The storm let up a little but still plenty of rain coming down.

Our driveway looked a little like a waterpark for a half hour or so. After a little while, as always true to His Word, rainbows began to appear in the sky and soon from the west evening light brightened up our sunset.

It was truly awe inspiring on Buhlaland - thank you Lord for your creations.

Quick Hi Y'all

2009-06-12T07:34:00.007-05:00

I may be hitting the wall blog-verbially speaking (making up words is one of my few creative endeavors). Cannot seem to find a reason to post other than I want to stay in touch with my wonderful blogospheric friends. The roses are now serving as buffets for thrips. Insecticidal soap to the rescue!
Fence picture is example of with goats (on the left) and non goat pasture. Fencing is between our pasture and property of our beloved neighbor to the north. Advantage for us - no mowing. Advantage for him - lots of wildflowers. Ooh - just realized - advantage for us - seeing his wildflowers and not having to mow -- woo hoo!

Last picture is my feet - I know you've been waiting for this moment for ages - NOT. Odd loop in the right corner of pic is camera strap - I'm so professional in my photography (point, shoot - shoot lots more and find a good picture out of dozens - publish any picture if none are good - now you know full repertoire of photography tricks).

Crocs are as close to barefoot as I go when outside - yesterday we had an unseasonable heavy rainstorm. On my way out to goat pens I stepped in a low place in our lawn and was tremendously refreshed with a flow of cold water through the holes in my shoes. Grateful for nearly 2 inches of rainfall in past 36 hours and we didn't have any serious wind damage.

Appreciating the blessings of downpours this week on Buhlaland. If something comes to mind I'll definitely be back to post. It is good here, muggy, but good on Buhlaland.

What DO you see?

2009-06-08T19:38:00.003-05:00

Looking out toward the front of our property from our house porch. Definitely a summer afternoon - temperatures in the low 90's and a little breeze but plenty hot.

We are hoping this little one was just "parked" here by it's mom. It is less than 50 feet from our front door so I'm not taking my evening walk until it is gone - don't want to spook mama from picking her baby back up. I love being here on Buhlaland and it is peaceful enough in our front yard this deer feels safe in our yard. Cool huh?

When Life Hands You Lemons - ---

2009-06-06T13:07:00.007-05:00

--go find some butter, flour and sugar - and make this cake!

I owe y'all an apology-- I've been AWOR (absent without reason) for a long while. Somehow blogging started being a "have to" rather than a "want to" and I stopped. Not sure how often I'll update now - life seems hell bent on teaching me lessons (some of which I'll address in other postings). For your edification and enlightenment - I'll share one of the lessons (ready for this??? are you SURE you are ready for this??)

DON'T PUT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW WHAT YOU COULD DO TODAY

Feel free to embroider on pillows my bit of original brilliance. I dillied and dallied even could have been some shillying and shallying after mentioning the lemon cake. Time passed (as it is wont to do) and almost forgot what I HAD done to make the cake. It isn't one of my fast and easy recipes but definitely a worth-the-work-taste once 'tis all done. Here we are:

Lemonade Cake
Cake:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest.
• 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
Lemon Glaze:
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup lemonade (or lemon juice)
One thinly sliced and seeded lemon
Frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel or Cream Cheese – at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar (sifted if it appears lumpy)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

DIRECTIONS
Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray with cooking spray and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. I also use waxed paper or parchment to line cake pans – spray a little cooking spray in the bottom of the cake pan – place paper then spray and flour the paper. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, lemon zest, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla and lemonade concentrate. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.
Divide batter evenly between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes.
NOTE: While cakes are baking, bring ½ cup sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice or lemonade and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1 thinly sliced and seeded lemon and simmer 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemon slices to waxed-paper-lined plate
When cake layers test done – remove from oven and cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Remove the waxed paper or parchment which was in the pan and now stuck to bottom of cake!
Using a toothpick, poke holes in warm cakes on rack. Brush with lemon syrup. Let cool completely. Frost cooled cakes and top with candied lemon slices.

Frosting:
Put cream cheese and butter in bowl of mixer and mix on medium speed until completely blended. Add lemon zest and slowly add the powdered sugar until frosting is well blended, add the vanilla extract. Frost the completely cooled cake and it should be refrigerated.
I should have added - put the candied lemon slices on top as decoration -

Fledged

2009-06-05T17:14:00.012-05:00

Wren - probably a Carolina wren is our best guess on the type of bird who recently nested here on Buhlaland. They built a nest up under our propane tank cover using twigs and leaves and goat hair (clever little boids) . Tiny eggs - cream colored with burgundy splotches. ( the egg for extreme closeup was one which didn't hatch - left in the abandoned nest - no baby birds were injured in the making of this blog post).

Next time we checked there were 5 tiny nekkid bodies and wide open mouths! Feathers began covering the little boidies bodies.

Thursday I realized I hadn't seen mama bird or heard her melodious call.

Final nest check showed nobody home anymore - a birder friend told me they "fledged" - what a wonderful word. I'm going to use it until it is part of my vocabulary (probably not as often as I will use the term y'all but not every word is as functional as every other word - even to a fledgling linguist!)

Hope all your baby birds and wishes are fledging successfully this spring and summer. I'll be back - not sure how often but here on Buhlaland we seem to have a pattern of all nothing. We are living on erratic blogging and high excitement of bird nest events! Early summer is quite good here on Buhlaland.

Keeping an eye on things

2009-05-18T12:09:00.011-05:00

I haven't been blogging much - actually have had real life to do. Chickens continue to grow and are developing real "chickatude" - pecking at my feet or the dogs!

We had guests on Sunday - made a "lemonade" cake and dadgum it was good. Several activities at the end of a school year, even with no children of our own we can rejoice with the children in our extended family-by-choice.

When I get down about not having a family of our own - I am blessed by contact with the family of our hearts - thanking the Lord for those we love.

"Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the other person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained."C. S. Lewis

Still busy - didn't want you to think I'd forgotten y'all - there is a time to reap and a time to sow - this is the time we are sowing whether it is a cake or hospitality or tending chickens and it is good on Buhlaland!

All in a day's work

2009-05-14T12:54:00.013-05:00

A ring on the phone and a truck at our gate - hubby and I scurried up front hoping not to be late. What to our wondering eyes should appear - a huge honking truck with tree trimming gear!

After building our place here about 9 years, trees on Buhlaland have grown up enough to be a potential problem for power lines. Electricity is provided by the locally owned power company and their crews have always been super guys. The fellows on the truck were amazed when we asked if they would simply pile the branches up along our fence instead of grinding up and hauling off that supply of goat food.

Sizeable mounds of freshly trimmed oak limbs in our east pasture - ready for a goat feeding frenzy.

awwww cute little frenziers aren't they? It was interesting and goat pleasin' yesterday on Buhlaland. Hmmm now I wonder who is going to pile up those frenzied clean branches for the next big bonfire???

New Link - try it!

2009-05-12T06:25:00.003-05:00

April Wilhite who is a dear friend of ours just opened the website to her business. It is a wonderful example of someone who took their love of "pretty pictures" to a whole different level. April's portraits tell stories, show a moment in time focused on a person. You can tell I like her pictures and love her. Jump over and look around - if you are in the North Texas area and want a special photograph - contact her. I'm waiting to lose this miserable weight (she may retire before I get that accomplished!) but we'll ask her to do our portrait - maybe for Christmas or January 1, 2010 is our 10th anniversary - that would be a perfect gift for my DH! He doesn't read my blog - ever - so it'll be a secret?! It is exciting on Buhlaland when someone we love begins a new adventure.

Zip-A-Dee = Cockadoodle?

2009-05-11T15:30:00.004-05:00

Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder

It's the truth , it's actual -

everything is satisfactual

zip-a-dee-doo-dah,zip-a-dee-ay

Wonderful feeling, wonderful day!

Definitely not a bluebird and not even a rooster - but she roosted on my shoulder today!

Goofy birds on Buhlaland - but it says a lot about me that I bothered to take a picture of it!

Excessively tasty

2009-05-11T09:45:00.005-05:00

If you read this blog you know I don't have children - we have kids but only the goat kind. I don't "do" Mother's Day, DH's sweet little mom died last July and my mom has been gone for several years. We DO like to have a special meal around noon on Sundays - Eggs Benedict was what I decided to fix for just the two of us. (DH set the table - I say nothing about choices but I would like to point out - the blade of the knife goes TOWARD the plate edge - whew now I feel much better).
Didn't have time to make english muffins and was strongly in the mood for Eggs Benedict. Made corncakes for a English muffin substitute, sauteed fresh spinach, put a patty of delicious hot breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean has an "all natural hot" yummogood), a cooked egg (not coddled - but beaten up and slapped around a while - OK I'm exaggerating - the eggs were cooked in butter on the griddle). Topping this cholesterol extravaganza - real hollandaise sauce. Thank you Lord for the gift of butter, eggs and lemon juice. Served with fresh mango and canned pineapple salad, sparkling apple cider and much sighing. It was GOOD on Sunday on Buhlaland. Just thought I'd share.

Lawn care - ecologically sound and fun

2009-05-09T14:56:00.012-05:00

It is a good day when we don't have to get out the tractor and work for hours cutting back the various forms of growing grasses, vines and weeds in front of our house. Yesterday was a good day. Warm breezy weather and letting the goats out in the forbidden zone (around the house and driveway). A glad morning of feasting on vegetation.

Lucy liked nibbling off extraneous leaves on small oak trees.

Montana and her daughter Sugar Pie liked working along a retaining wall nibbling soft lawn grass.

Crybaby takes advantage of her height and stands up to prune roses for us.

All in all a good morning on Buhlaland. The vegetation was trimmed back and an added blessing was the goats fertilized our lawn a bit in the process. Yes - it was a good day on Buhlaland.

A bit of a croc(k)

2009-05-04T21:43:00.007-05:00

Here's looking at YOU - kid - ala Bogart and Bacall the big time stars or in this case - Ellie and Hannah the goats

Nest is of unknown bird type - tiny little eggs in the ceiling joist of the fiberglass "mama and baby" shelter in our goat pen. Notice the lovely goat hair woven in for warmth and softness!

Haven't been blogging - I'd give lots of excuses but I usually tell the truth - been doing some real work around Buhlaland and lots of running around to stores (Lowes, Depot, Costco - source of my delightful crocky shoes and Wally World) . Even took pictures of food I was preparing for Sunday - and it didn't turn out all that yummy so why blog about it?

Ok Ok - so have also been playing with dogs, chickens, goats and making do without hot water.

Water heater began to leak (thank you - who ever did it - for the invention of drain pipes - very useful) so we ended up almost 5 days without hot water in the house. Blessed by having a small water heater in workshop bathroom so we trekked back and forth like we were at church camp! you know - without the meetings, crafts and some of the annoying songs.

Now we have hot water, addition is finished on the outside and tomorrow we drywall (I am using the royal we and no Prince William isn't coming to help DH). It is warm, we've had rain and are so blessed here on Buhlaland - we can take hot showers and wash dishes. Woo Hoo - it doesn't sound like much until you can't so easily.

I'm listening to Chris Tomlin's recording of Amazing Grace/My Chains are Gone - can't put it here due to limitation at YouTube but here's the link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghZfnQxUhzQ

It is good on Buhlaland and grace is abundant!

They grow up so fast

2009-04-30T10:00:00.011-05:00

I apologize for the weird spacing on this - I'm too tired (will tell the story tomorrow or soon) and Blogger has that moves stuff around issue I don't want to fight. SORRY!

Day one, hour one saga of the chicks of Buhlaland. Riding home in a box - looking so fluffy and chickie - Date March 27 - all at least 48 hours old.

Just three days later getting feathers on our wings and wanting to explore outside this weird nest.

Yes now they are getting feathers and chickatude - look at that face and tell me she isn't thinking she'd like to peck my camera!

Then the big day comes when they can go out in the big wide world (at least the part of it enclosed by wire and a cover over the entire run). Is this where the term chicken describing a coward comes from? All eight of them huddled at the top of the ramp to freedom for quite a long time.

Then one chicken boldly goes where no chicken has gone before - she is on the ground! They readily go up and down the ramp now - their water and feeder is in their coop -

This picture is the harassment our sweet soon to be egg laying chickens must endure on a daily basis - two mouthy terriers trying to get IN that fence.

It is fun having chickens on Buhlaland !

Goat Jenga

2009-04-25T20:20:00.007-05:00

Newsflash not hot flash - Monday morning - bale collapsed yesterday around 5 pm - goats immediately climbed on top of Jenga win and I didn' t see who the poor soul was taking the final jenga bite. I did go out and make sure no babies were under the mound when it collapsed. No goats were injured in the making of this blog post. Thankeweverymuch!

Round hay bale in our front pasture has taken on a sculptured appearance. When I went out to take pictures I realized - the goats are playing Jenga! You see our Norman (favorite Doe) scoping out the bale planning her next munch.

Violet is a shy goat but she dove right in to take out a big bite from very low in the bale.

Then bossy Flip and cantankerous Crybaby started moving in to try to control the game.

As of this morning - the bale still stands. Leaning a bit but standing ready for the next

round of goat Jenga.

Here on Buhlaland - doesn't take much to amuse us and that is good!

Rose-y outlook

2009-04-23T11:52:00.010-05:00

Too much gloom on the 'net and news. Too much "reality" instead of dreaming - it is rose-y here on Buhlaland.

Best advice for today is --- when your world has an excess of manure - put it on some plants and bingo - comin' up roses!

Hey where'd that cute dog come from? Oh that's Conan the Destroyer - a slimming down, guarding the garden Rat Terrorist.

He wanted me to remind you - -

"2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (New Living Translation)
8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."

Smart dog isn't he?

Sometimes it is good to be doing nearly nothing

2009-04-21T15:25:00.008-05:00

Sometimes goats are worth having around just for entertainment value -today I was trying to get pictures of birds (something I seem incapable of accomplishing). Had camera ready when Iona, daughter of Violet, decided she needed an all around the tree trunk body rub.

She is normally skittish around people but was quite intent on her tree experience . Iona never looked directly at me or the camera.

You could almost hear her say "ahhhhhh" - what's next?!

I had a little time and a camera on my hands today on Buhlaland - and Iona had a good body rub.

Blooms and buzzes

2009-04-19T19:09:00.005-05:00

The macro setting on our little point and shoot camera always surprises me. Sometimes when the camera is downloaded nifty pictures appear.
The bee is chowing down on a scabiosa bloom.

Our clematis is always a joy - it looks totally dead all winter and suddenly BAM green leaves, fast growing tendrils and dozens of deep red blooms.

Flowers are blooming, bees a' buzzin' and life is very good today on Buhlaland.

Grateful for the everday and the eternal

2009-04-17T20:11:00.012-05:00

Our life here on Buhlaland is rarely high excitement. Our days are a steady pace of working, resting, enjoying what is given us to maintain or improve and anticipating our eternal work. We appreciate small joys like this week's appearance of hosta shoots in the garden, the sweet care of young does for their first babies, the palette of colors on trunks of oak trees or golden light of a new day - we are grateful for our everyday life.

Today's devotional from Back to the Bible was needed by my heart so I trust someone else will be blessed by it also. On the right side a picture shows some of our does waiting expectantly for a good treat. They trust us to treat them well, do what is best for them and look out for their well being.

Do we accept gratefully the blessings of hot water, friendships or first shoots of spring growth? How about accepting disease, pain, or separation from those we love? Our Heavenly Father does know what is eternally good whether our earthsuit perspective can see the good. Do we live trusting Our Father; following the excellent guidance from Paul to the church at Thessalonica to "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ?

I am well aware of falling short of Paul's standard for how we are to live, but without a guidepost how do we know which way to walk?

It is good on Buhlaland- a little overcast and chilly but that too is good.

What follows are the words of Elisabeth Elliot:

Sometimes when I was a child my mother or father would say, "Shut your eyes and hold out your hand." That was the promise of some lovely surprise. I trusted them, so I shut my eyes instantly and held out my hand. Whatever they were going to give me I was ready to take. So it should be in our trust of our heavenly Father. Faith is the willingness to receive whatever He wants to give, or the willingness not to have what He does not want to give.
I am content to be and have what in Thy heart I am meant to be and have. --(George MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul)
From the greatest of all gifts, salvation in Christ, to the material blessings of any ordinary day (hot water, a pair of legs that work, a cup of coffee, a job to do and strength to do it), every good gift comes down from the Father of Lights. Every one of them is to be received gladly and, like gifts people give us, with thanks.
Sometimes we want things we were not meant to have. Because He loves us, the Father says no. Faith trusts that no. Faith is willing not to have what God is not willing to give. Furthermore, faith does not insist upon an explanation. It is enough to know his promise to give what is good--He knows so much more about that than we do.

(Content from All That Was Ever Ours, Keep a Quiet Heart and Love Has a Price Tag by Elisabeth Elliot)

Again with the miscellany

2009-04-16T09:06:00.018-05:00

Saturday morning --Comment moderation has been taken off now!

Sorry friends and occasional readers - I've enabled comment moderation for this post to avoid unnecessary malarkey from those who have nothing better to do than attack free speech along with all our other freedoms. Will change the comments back to normal soon - sorry for the inconvenience. First shot is the tulips I posted for Easter - they are really full and nice now- will be fun to see how they do when I put them outside for next year.

We attended (along with several thousand of our neighbors) a rally downtown to express our disappointment in the direction our government(at ALL levels) is headed. The little girl in a stroller is the child of a friend from church, the crowd was really mixed as far as ages and lifestyles.

I'm not expert with this macro setting - somehow the picture of an iris is out of focus and the honeysuckle was dead on.

Yesterday we tried to let the chicks out for some quality time in their run. They had great hesitation about even trying their ramp. One brave chick made a dash for it ----with Zoe raising cain outside the chicken run. Unfortunately we overestimated the size of the chicks because they walked out on the ground, pecked enthusiastically and then walked right through the chain link surrounding their run. Grateful for hubby remembering we'd kept the huge pole net purchased when we had guinea hens! All safely rounded up and moved back into the coop for more growing time.

OK it is busy time on Buhlaland - DH is removing siding from east end of house so we can rough in the new addition. I need to take truck for safety inspection and a few more errands (which includes buying eggs - come ON chickens!). Life is good and it is definitely springtime - ACHOO!

Almost forgot the original reason I wanted to post! click and enjoy!
If you are among the few hundred who haven't seen this youtube video yet - grab a box of kleenex and set aside 8 minutes - it is well worth it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA sorry I couldn't embed the youtube video player --it is disabled (probably for copyright issues).
GetReligion.org has a very good posting about Susan Boyle--- here is her Backstory .