On Hold For A Little While

  I think I can honestly say that I have tried everything to get my internet up and running as it should. But despite my stubborn efforts, said internet refuses to be steady! So much to my dismay, I need to announce that the blog will be on hold for just a couple weeks. I may still manage to get a post in, here and there, as the internet allows; but the daily posts and the newsletters may be few and far between for a bit.

  But I promise that it's only a couple weeks! The Man and I are moving back out to the farm on the second week of January, and then I'll *finally* have steady internet to continue writing! Woohoo! 

  This also means the e-course will be rescheduled, which is a disappointment to me... But it's a necessary decision. Although, I guess this gives you more time to save up for it, so maybe it's a win for you?

  Take care, okay guys? I'll be back as soon as I can! 

Any Day Now

  Today is my "guesstimate due date" for this wee little babe. And the exact date that I came to Missouri on for a dairying internship, two years ago. I'm finding this fact amusing and rather ironic.

 Two years ago today, I landed in a state completely unfamiliar to me, 1,900+ miles away from home and family. My worldly possessions consisted of two small suitcases of clothes, a laptop, and my trusty dog. I intended to stay in this state for 6 - 12 months, learning the fine details of running a farm business (and how to garden, make cheese, and keep bees) before moving on to another state. That was the plan, anyway.

 On December eighth, 2013, just four days after getting settled on the snowy farm, HE showed up. The young brother of my internship host. Three and a half years younger than me, and with the looks and personality that made pretty much every girl in the county swoon, this young buck decided that of AAAAALLLLL the girls he could possibly go for, he wanted me; the odd, secretive farm girl who hailed from Oregon. 

  I wasn't interested. At. All. But that didn't phase him in the least. He just tried harder.

  And yes, y'all know how THAT ended. He got his prize, we got married 11 months after meeting each other, my "6-12 month internship" turned into becoming family, and now here we are: In the midst of living our "Happily Ever After", we've landed on the 2nd anniversary of my coming to Missouri, and I find myself quite heavily pregnant! Life is strange, my friend... Life is so strange. You never quite know what will happen, and where it'll take you.

  I am 41 weeks pregnant, today. And I feel every bit of it. The last 24 hours have been nothing but solid contractions, which have been bearable but leaving me with the feeling of having been hit by a bus. Not cool. Until my water breaks though, I'm to stay put here at home; more specifically, I'm supposed to stay put on the couch. Which, all things considered, isn't such a bad gig. Until I look at the dishes that need to be washed... Oh well. They'll get washed eventually. Today I am dutifully following orders and staying on this couch with my chocolate chip cookies, raspberry leaf tea, and all the online articles I can find on keeping water buffalo (raise your hand if you start mentally singing Veggie Tale's silly song at the mention of these critters). No, I don't know what's up with the water buffalo idea either. It just came to me this morning and I decided I needed to research them. And -- email a dairy in CA to ask how much their bottle heifers are. *Cough, cough* Did I just say that out loud? Pretend you didn't hear/see that! 

  But seriously... WATER BUFFALO. 

  AAAAAAAANNNND back to the original subject. Ahem. Sorry guys; "pregnant brain" makes me rabbit trail something fierce! Hopefully it'll go away soon, seeing as this small person is running out of room in his current living quarters and needs to come OUT! But then, I guess it might just get worse. And if that's the case, then hang on to your hats, folks. Blog posts might start to get reeeeaaally interesting.

  I'll keep y'all posted on what's happening, and when the little man *finally* makes an appearance! He's due any day now. Any... Day...

  For now though, I think I shall go back to my research on the imposing water buffalo.

  Just smile and nod, my friend. Smile and nod.

Balancing my Yin and Yang

  This morning I found myself washing dishes while pondering the eight limbs of yoga, and dancing to Dierks Bentley's epic song, 'Drunk On A Plane' (which happens to be the current favorite country song of my husband and I). Soap suds splashed on the floor as the just-washed whisk became an extension of my arm and got waved in the air with unabashed enthusiasm, and this little baby inside me jumped and wiggled along with me as we did an awkward but joyful dance that only a 39-week pregnant woman can pull off.  It was a moment that has taken me months to find peace about. A celebration of finally balancing my yin and yang. Balancing two sides of me that I've felt were incompatible.

  In the months that I was absent from writing here, I found myself really struggling with what sort of person I was. I didn't seem to fit in anywhere, and there seemed to be two starkly different sides of me that were constantly competing to become the "whole Caity". I called this dilemma my "yin and yang" and day after day during those dark months I could be found draped across the couch in a depressed heap, wondering why life had to be so confusing.

  One side of me I knew well; it was the "country girl" side that loved hunting, mudding, farming, big trucks, guns, Chase Rice, and everything else that comes with being a person who loves her eyeliner and rifle equally. This side of me was familiar, fun, and I couldn't help but love the sexy feeling that comes with wearing tight jeans, gorgeous boots, a fitted top, and my beloved Mossy Oak ball cap (I can't pull off the "cowgirl hat" look; ball caps for me!!). 

 Then there was "The other side"... Bum, bum, bum, BUUUUUUM!! (that's supposed to be epic music) This "other side" had been lurking quietly for years upon years, and finally decided to rear its head and make something of itself. It was more of the "natural/spiritual girl" kind of thing. I couldn't deny it; there was a part of me that adored yoga, desired to become a more spiritual/wise person, and was very seriously considering getting a degree in working with healing crystals (yes, it's a thing). This person ate chia seeds in her yogurt every day (after drinking her lemon water, of course), meditated on her yoga mat for at least 30 minutes every morning, could list all the yoga sutras, and knew that congo citrine could help balance your solar chakra (if you understand any of that last line, then I am impressed and would love to shake your hand). 

  These two sides did NOT get along. Or so I thought. I was too "crunchy" to be in the country girl circle, but too redneck to completely get along with all the others at yoga class. Which side was really me?? How do I choose!? I felt so horribly alone and awkward in my desire to have a definable label for myself. The thought of blogging here was unappealing, since it's all about farming and I occasionally wanted to share my learnings from the yoga world. But starting a new blog that focused on "the other side" never felt very right either, since I would inevitably find something exciting going on in the agricultural world and wanted to share it online... But it didn't fit on those new blogs. 

  There had to be a decision, surely. I can't be both of these sides; it sounded absurd and I had certainly never heard of anyone else doing both! 

  A couple weeks ago I had the breakthrough... There's a private Facebook page for all the people doing the business/marketing course that I'm taking and about 98% of the people there are all on the very "spiritual" side of things. Many of them are crystal healers, tarot card readers, reiki instructors, etc. Great women, for sure, but I did feel rather out of place among them. Then one day, a woman posted something that really shook me. She explained herself as being a retired Army sergeant who loved hunting, and was now a yoga teacher. She said she felt out of place; like she was struggling with two worlds and didn't know how to combine them. Fifty comments followed that post; every single one of them from other women who were in the exact same boat.

 "Wait a minute! You mean I'm not alone!? There are others who do Vinyasa flows to Blake Shelton music??" Turns out there were. A discussion ensued, and what I learned was this:

  These two worlds ARE compatible. It's completely fine to have steak and Jack Daniel's after evening yoga class. You can still practice meditation and then go to a Luke Bryan concert. And you can sure as heck ponder the eight limbs of yoga while dancing in the kitchen to Dierks Bentley!! 

 For so long I've fought these two sides, when I should have embraced them and let them meld to create the whimsical, unique person that I am. I'm no longer ashamed of who I am, nor am I conflicted about who I should be. It sounds crazy and impossible, but I am melding two very different worlds. I'm a country girl who wears a mala. I'm a yoga girl who loves hunting. I've given up some things over the last few weeks (Hubby and I decided that dropping the "healing crystal" thing would be a wise move, and I did make some changes in my meditation habits...), but that hasn't been a bad thing. It's made life a lot easier and simpler, for which I'm grateful. 

  It's taken me months, but I've finally learned to balance my yin and yang. And you know what? It's a beautiful thing. 

A Day Of "Nope"

  I had this HUUUUGE list of things I needed to get done today. Blog posts to write, writing projects to work on, dishes to wash, a house to clean... You know, normal life stuff that people do. Unfortunately, my brain seems to have missed the memo, and is determined to make this a "nope" day. Writing? Lol, nope. Dishes? Nope! Cleaning? Definitely nope! I don't know if I'm coming down with a bug, or just having an off day (most likely the latter), but I am so zonked. I accidentally slept the whole morning away, and have spent the rest of the time guiltily perusing Pinterest. *cough, cough*

  Maybe I'm just loopy, and in need of another nap, but I saw this dye job on ye' old Pinterest and all I can think is, "I should totally do that for my 24th birthday..."

 

  For the record, I have never, ever, EVER dyed my hair. I've always wanted to (granted, the idea of something this drastic never occurred 'til now), but I've never had the guts or money to do it. But hey, maybe I should make a big splash when I finally do it?

 And as an added perk, at least I'd be recognizable in public.

 "Hey! There's that Goat Song girl!"

"How do you know that's her?"

"Well who else would be walking around with hair like that??"

Wanted: Your Thinking Cap!

 

 Hey guys, I need a wee bit of help in the thinking department; care to give me a hand? I'm working on a project, and need some unique enterprise ideas that can be done on a small farm (example: quail, chevre cheese truffles, barn dances, etc.). I've already got quite a few of these ideas, but as I near the end of my needed quota, it's starting to get harder to think up these creative enterprises!

 So here's where you come in: What's the most unusual/creative business you've heard of someone implementing on their farm? Put your answer in the comments below!

 And to sweeten the deal, here's what I'll do: If I get enough answers that I haven't used yet, I'll give you guys a sneak peek on what the project is!

Feeling Old

  I accidentally locked myself out of my own blog. Yep, I am that talented. I did this storm of password changing (like almost everyone else in America seemed to be doing??) and of course did it late at night when I wasn't thinking properly... Come morning, I realized that I had no idea what my new blogger password was. Oy vey. Google wasn't a whole lot of help, but after trying, trying again, and RE-trying, I finally managed to get a NEW password, and was then able to let myself back in. So here I am. In one piece. And almost a month later.

  I'm not even sure what to write, right about now! Life's been a crazy whirlwind of farmer's market, getting the gardens in, milking cows, enduring thunder storms, having my favorite (no favorite's allowed) sister out for a visit, and getting ready to visit my grandparents down in MS again this week. :) Oh yeah, and feeling sick. Blah. I've never been one for migraines, but I've had two in the last few days, and the headaches refuse to leave me alone. Not. Fun. And my naturopath is apparently giving me some sort of herb to take, as a gentle sedative, since my stress levels are too high. Hehehe. That makes me feel old. Not yet 22 years old, and I'm already taking something for stress levels. Oh well; I admit that I do need some sort of help at times, because I. GET. STRESSED. OUT. It's an introvert problem. A lot of times it's not even anything huge that sets me off; I may just be listening to the dinner-time conversation, which usually strays to news of war, natural disasters, deaths, and other such gloomy things... Next thing I know, I'm in "freeze mode"; tense, trembling, quiet, and unable to shake myself out of the funk until the next day. WHY can't we talk about happy things at the table??? Like the fireflies that just came out? Or the healthy baby that someone at church just had, or balloons? Balloons count. Oh well. I'm getting old-lady sedative stuff to help the problem. ;) 

  Soooo... Yeah. I don't know what to write. Just doing that tiny little bit has me tired. I've been uber tired for the past few days (goes with the migraines/headaches), and I've basically been napping in all my spare time. Sorry you don't get more of an update than this, but I have no more words for y'all right now. My body wants another nap... And food. Food sounds good.

I'm A Scary Hermit

  I really shouldn't be left alone for long periods of time. Because I start doing really weird, awesome hermit stuff. Well, I call it "awesome" anyway...

  Today's been a pretty fun day, but I think there's a possibility that I'm either loopy, or suffering from too much caffeine from this morning's coffee. I got a FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP last night and oh glory was it warm. I very muchly did not want to get up, but Lavender (the mama cat who keeps her kittens in the loft) wouldn't let me sleep in. Ah nuts. Oh well. Between the full night's sleep, and a large mug of strong coffee, and getting the ENTIRE morning off of work, well -- I'm feeling quite chipper. Hehehe. I got the morning off because my host family left early for a camping trip; so the wife did the barn chores before I got down for breakfast, and I've got the next few days pretty darn easy.

 So yep, I've been left to my own devices to stay occupied. This could be dangerous. What does a Caity do all by herself on a beautiful spring day? Everything she can think of. From putting vases of daffodils everywhere in the loft (I think I've got 8 or 9 up there right now? And I ain't done!), to cleaning out and filling up her fish tanks that were just given to her so that she can keep all the frogs, toads, snakes, salamanders, lizards, turtles, and fish she wants, to filling out paperwork to foster a parrot from a local avian rescue (c'mon... there's no one else in that loft! Why not keep a rowdy bird for a few weeks!?), to twirling around an empty house in time to rap music. 

 Like I said. I'm either loopy today, or the coffee was a wee bit too strong. Or both. 

  Back on the subject of the fish tanks... I mentioned to my host family that I was wanting some fish tanks to keep critters in and was told that the husband's parents were trying to get rid of a gazillion aquariums (there could be a very slight exaggeration on the number of tanks), and I could have as many as I want!!! I am so STOKED. I got three this morning; just a 5-gallon, 10-gallon, and 20-gallon. They've got a 50-gallon tank that I want next though. Why? Oh just for my bearded dragons. *innocent look* 

 What? Don't give me that look! No one here cares if I get them, and I've been wanting a dragon since I was fourteen years old. And now that I've just been bequeathed a bunch of aquariums, why not get the long-coveted reptile? These lizards are fantastic pets; friendly, active, gentle, and even trainable. I want a male so I can name him 'Toothless'. ;) Hey, it could be worse. Be glad I'm not eyeing a Savannah Monitor, which Petco also sells for a very decent price. Those carnivorous beasts top out at 5 feet in length. I love reptiles, but even that's a bit much for me... I'll stick with a 2' long beastie that looks like it's smiling. 

  I'll admit that the parrot thing is kinda' out-of-the-blue. The idea came to me this morning. A loud, rowdy parrot is another thing I've always wanted but could never have. And while it won't work for me to keep one for very long, there's a local rescue that will let me "foster" (that term sounds so weird and yuppy... I kind of cringe saying it) a bird over the summer and then give it back. Basically, they provide the cage, food, and everything, and it's my job to make the bird friendly and adoptable. No cost for me, and I get a neat loft companion. I think this idea came about because I was trying to come up with a good challenge for myself... I have to have some sort of really good mental challenge to keep me from getting bored. I was originally hoping to get back into horses and do some training and rodeos over the summer, but I have been implored by those around me to not do it because of the danger levels. I have to agree with them there... If I get back into horses, then it will only be a matter of time before I start riding bareback and/or bridleless. Actually, my goal was to do a barrel race in the county fair rodeo this summer, but do it bridless; just use a slim string around my mount's neck. Reckless? Foolish? Uh yeah. Duh. It takes training and trust to do that feat. It's totally doable though. But again, my dare-devil habits with equines makes others nervous, so for their sake I've decided to look at a different challenge. Thus the birds. No, the challenge is nowhere near the same. But it's something at least.

    The whole "twirling to rap music" thing isn't that abnormal for me. If there's no one around, then I have no qualms with jiving to whatever I'm listening to. Don't deny that you do it too. Although, you might not do it to rap. And that's fine. To each their own. I was listening to a bouncy song by Lecrae called 'I Used To Do It Too', and the beat/tune really is quite catchy. In fact, if you're into that style of music, then here's the song itself:

  I used to not like rap simply because you never could tell what on earth the singers were saying. But then I was introduced to Christian rap (namely Lecrae) and I've been enjoying this stuff. I find that with normal contemporary Christian music I tend to just listen to the instruments and melody and not so much the lyrics. With the rap though, the lyrics are what is being showcased. It's not about the beat (although the bass is awesome, and yes I turn it up), it's not about the melody ('cause there usually ain't a really strong one), it's the WORDS that you hear. In a modern form of poetry, the words rhyme, catch your ear, and you're not swamped by all those extra things like too many instruments. I realize that most folks don't like rap, and I'm not trying to convince you otherwise; I'm just explaining why this conservatively-raised country girl is now listening to, and enjoying, such a genre. I like the simplicity of it, and the fact that I can hear the lyrics so strongly. I have gotten more out of one song by Lecrae then by all the songs in a hymnal. I can't even count how many times I've been upset and have listened to 'Far Away', or 'Background', or some other song, and felt better afterwards. The message in those songs is amazing. Today's song 'I Used To Do It Too' is a good one too. It's like getting a mini sermon in lyric form. And I have a gut feeling that Jesus has no qualms with rap music. My conviction concerning music is that if your heart's in the right place, and you're singing to glorify Him, then the style don't matter. Acappella or heavy metal; classical or rap. I think we humans are the ones who do the judging, when in all honesty -- that ain't our job!

 And just because I can, here's Lecrae's song 'Far Away'. Love this one! ^_^  God's not far away! He's always right here for us! I love that this song starts out despairing (usually the way I am when I listen to it), and then it finishes strong. Yussss...

  Now... What shall I do next? Hmm... Methinks I might go finish the lunch dishes real quick, and then maybe go swing outside for awhile. We'll see what happens.

FYI

  Canoeing in a giant puddle during a deluge is more fun than it should be.

  It really is.

  And it makes for an awesome redneck date. ;) 

  Just thought you'd like to know.

  If you ever have a flash flood in your area, and find a ginormous puddle on your property, by all means grab a canoe and another person. And a camera. I'd love to see photo evidence. *cough cough* :) 

Darth Pooh... Wait, Wha?

   If you've ever wondered what Darth Vader would sound like if he had the voice of Winnie The Pooh, well... Here's your chance to find out. I just about died watching this. ;)

Girl vs. Snapping Turtle

   Everyone has their moments. And by moments, I mean when you seem to lose all logic and sense. You know, the most basic logic that every human being possesses? I had that moment today.

  Call me an idiot, folks, but this crazy country girl tried picking up a snapping turtle today.

  Yeah.

  It was dumb of me.

  I was originally in the midst of bringing the cows back up to the barn, when right at the pond's edge I saw it: 12 inches in diameter, and looking like some prehistoric monster that should have died during the Great Flood, that turtle glared at me from the other side of the electric fence. 

  I'm a fool when it comes to reptiles and amphibians. In Oregon, I never had to worry about any dangerous or poisonous creatures, so I got in the habit of picking up everything that came my way. That same habit is a bit of a death wish here in Missouri.

  I was originally going to just leave it alone. Honest. Cross my heart. He looked mean, and he was a downright whopper! But the reckless part of me couldn't resist. I hopped the fence, tiptoed over to the ugly beast and cautiously put my hands on each side of his big shell; trying to keep them as far from his head as possible. I got him about two inches off the ground before he erupted in all his snapping fury. HOLY SMOKES!! You wouldn't believe what a long neck those things have! That ornery critter whipped his head around and did his very best to take a finger or three off of me.

   "FALL BACK! RETREAT! EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!!"

  I totally panicked. Like, I dropped that turtle, screamed, scurried over that fence, and didn't stop running until I got back up the hill and reached the cows (I didn't want to find out how fast snapping turtles moved on the ground). I laugh now, thinking about how ridiculous I must have looked (and sounded... Screaming like a little girl, I was!), but at the time I was freaking out enough that a passerby might have thought I had found a skeleton.

  I got home safe and unscathed. I still have all eight fingers (oh wait -- I mean ten. Don't worry, Mom), and the snapping turtle didn't follow me up the path in an angry rampage. But one thing's for sure: I am never, ever, EVER dipping one toe in that pond. That demon might want revenge.

  I got bested by a turtle. This is kind of humiliating...

Your Argument Is Invalid

  I am not a fan of chickens. I must admit this. Sure, I like some of the fighting breeds, but on the whole, I don't care for chickens. However, I could be very easily convinced to keep chickens, if I had a coop that looked like the TARDIS. Observe:

It is a TARDIS chicken coop. Your argument is invalid. 

P.S. The source of this image, plus building directions can be found HERE.

Can I Get an 'Amen'?

My Motto

A Laugh For You

   This Youtube never fails to set me laughing. Comedian John Branyan tells the tale of the 'Three Little Pigs' in a hilarious, Shakespeare fashion. I thought I'd share the humor with y'all; so here you go!

  You're welcome. ;)

One Sticking Point

  Okay so I really am working on maturing and getting rid of pride issues in my life, but I have to admit that I do have one sticking point that I don't think I will ever come to terms with: Tractor color.

 Yes, it does matter.

 The green tractors are the best.

 Not the blue. Not the red. Not the Orange. 

 Fellow country folk will agree with me that this is most definitely an issue not to be taken lightly in life. The color of your tractor is a very serious subject. Right up there with what kind of truck you drive.

 It's gotta' be a Deere, folks... Go with the green tractors.

(P.S. This post is written 75% tongue-in-cheek. I'm mostly just being ornery. But I do love the green tractors!)

Random Thinking

  My blog name really doesn't seem to fit anymore.

  But I think I'm too attached to it to let it go.

  Conundrum, this is.

  Your thoughts?

Let It Go

This was by far my favorite song from Disney's 'Frozen'. ^_^ I can almost sing this by heart. Hehehe.

By The Way...

I wanted to note real quick that Blogger is giving me grief right now, and not allowing me to upload any images whatsoever. :-/ This started last Saturday, right when I was trying to post the newest Pinterest Link Up, and it's still not letting me upload anything, as I try desperately to upload this week's link up!!! Aargh!! I'm working on getting it fixed, but figured I should let y'all know why you haven't seen those Link Ups lately, or any other pictures. I'm almost tempted to switch over to Wordpress; Blogger has been so annoying lately. -_-

New On My Mp3

Okay, never mind the name of this music group; their songs are *awesome*!!! If you're into soundtracks, medieval style music, thriller music and basically all around awesome songs, then here's the motherload  for you. This is basically all I've been listening to for the last three days. No lyrics, just a symphony doing an incredible job at creating inspiring songs. :)

Guinevere

Hope y'all had a good Thanksgiving, yesterday! We celebrated ours a day late this year, so today was my day of eating waaaaay too much food (oh glorious food!). Now I'm feeling sleepy, and wondering why on earth eating so much food is so tiring. Hehe. Eh, I'll ponder the answer to that in my sleep.

 I've got nothing hugely new to share since Monday (gadzooks! Was it really Monday that I last blogged???); save for the fact that I got my very own laptop as an early Christmas present from my family (eek!), and I've been busy all week doing that last-minute stuff before flying out next week. Yeah, I leave next week! Wow. My days have been full of saying goodbye to friends here in Oregon, enjoying having a driver's license (freeeeedooooom!), getting Gyp ready (he aced his health inspection at the vet!), and now I'm realizing that I do eventually have to pack. Grumble, grumble, grumble... If there's one thing I don't enjoy doing, it's packing. Too tedious.

 So in some random attempt to post SOMETHING new on here, I'm caving and posting a Youtube of a band that I've got a new crush on (okay, not the usual crush... But, you know, I'm like downloading aaaaaall their songs now. It's crazy.). They're called the 'Eli Young Band' and I'm loving the country/pop twist that they're putting in their music. This particular song, 'Guinevere' is probably my favorite so far (I call it my theme song), but hey if you're ever bored and you're looking for music, you could always try their other tracks like 'Crazy Girl' (second favorite!), 'Even If It Breaks Your Heart' (third favorite!), or perhaps 'Always The Love Songs'.

Or -- you could be a normal/sensible person and not listen to them at all and just smile at my eccentricities when it comes to taste in music. I really can't decide if my taste in music is awesome or horrible... Hm.

Anyway, talk at ya' later, guys. I'm off to go find something useful to do, while avoiding the kitchen and the tantalizing smells coming from there.