Cattle, wheat field, Oklahoma and flip flops!

Such as this week.

I was in the house all day. (yeah, I know...no big surprise there! ;)) Anyway, I took out several loads of trash out to the dumpster and noticed the cows out behind the garden on the wheat field. Dad has been running cattle out there for several weeks, so it wasn't anything new to see them there.

I walked back in the house and proceeded to finish what I was doing and then it dawned on me. There's cattle outside, behind the garden, on the wheat field. Didn't Dad just tell me last week that he took the cattle off there and wasn't going to run them back out there???

Maybe he changed his mind. I looked out the kitchen window only to see the temporary fence he had up at one time was down. Uh oh. And Dad? Well, he was in Oklahoma for the day. So, why did the cows choose today to get out???

So my call to Dad went like this, "Are there supposed to be cattle on the wheat?"

Dad, "No."

Me, "Well, guess what? There are now! Where are you at? Are you on your way home?"

Dad, "No, I'm still a couple hours away. How many? They must have gotten through some fences. You're going to have to run them back in the corral."

Sure, just run them back in the corral. Most people find it hard to believe I live on a farm or that my sisters and I used to help Dad work cattle. But, it's true. Admittedly, it's been years since I've done it and as one person so accurately announced in church one Sunday morning, "There's this young lady living at Quincy's farm who doesn't help him with cattle." Well, guess what? That's about to change! ;)

I had walked outside while I was talking to Dad and Austin was in the yard (our next door neighbor) with his dog. Help was in sight!!!! I asked him if he would be able to help me round up the cows and get them in. His response, "Sure!"

I went back in the house for sunglasses and shoes. I've been grilled since very young to ALWAYS wear closed toe shoes when working with cattle and horses. Hmmm......shoes. I briefly debated this dilemma. I don't own tennis shoes. And I'm not wearing my good black boots out in a filthy field and corral. Soooo......it's gonna have to be flip flops!

Austin and I walked out into the corral and discovered that the cattle had broken through a gate, which would require repair to hold them back in there once we rounded them up. Austin said he could fix it (thank goodness!), but he needed wire and a post. Ok. Another call to Dad to find out where he kept that stuff.

Gate mended thanks to Austin. Now, to get the cattle. They happened to be clear at the opposite end of the field and I decided that we were not walking all the way out there to bring them back. Austin commented to me that now was the time he needed his horse here. Yeah, I agree. The next best thing? Dad's four wheeler! Worked splendidly!

Thankfully Austin has worked on a farm before and is familiar with repairing fences, herding cattle and driving four wheelers. About the only thing I did was call Dad multiple times as he was explaining to me the what and where with fences, gates and cattle.

I'm thankful I caught the cattle out there before they wondered who knows where. And so thankful Austin was here. He was just getting ready to leave when his dog came over to play with Lady and at that moment I walked outside. Perfect timing! If I would have noticed the cows out five minutes later, Austin would already have been gone! Praise God He worked through everything!

And....the flip flops worked! I still have toes!! ;)

Dustful of memories

Dusting. It's a chore in any house that needs to be done. It's the one cleaning job I like and dislike at the same time.

I like it because it's quiet. It lets me think, make mental to-do lists or organize my day while I'm doing something else. I can carry my ipod in my pocket, turn on music, a book or program and make my way from room to room with a dust cloth and dust brush. Why do I dislike it? Come on, you know how I stay away from dirt and dust as much as possible!! ;)

Nothing was different this week as I put on gloves, grabbed my dusting tools and started in the kitchen with the ceiling fan and skylight. I really, really love the dusting brush I have because it has a handle about 18" long that allows me to reach the the ceiling fan and high places (ok, I admit--I STILL end up standing on a chair in addition to that, but still...it helps!) and yet the handle isn't long enough that I hit everything behind me as I'm working.

As I'm working, one thing that crosses my mind is that I really should add this wonderful little cleaning tool to my wedding registry list. It's something I'll put to good use. I've already made note of it on my "Will Need" list when I move, but it would be a good registry item. Hmmmm...I'll have to take another look at Bed, Bath and Beyond. :)

This particular dusting brush we've had for years and it has memories all of it's own. It was one that Grandma had given to Mom for Christmas one year at my uncle's in Denver. The funny thing is that that particular brush didn't make it home with us; it ended up staying there accidentally and Grandma ended up buying Mom another one.

It was that same brush that us girls loved being able to dust with. Perhaps because of the pink and purple colors in it?? Mom never totally loved it like us girls did. She claimed that it was only "brushing" the dirt from one place to the next. Not dusting it up and getting rid of it. She preferred to use a dust cloth. Our dusting habits slightly differed from hers. But ultimately, the house still got dusted efficiently every week.

The handle has been bent in half and straightened many times. It's gone behind the fridge and under the stove to collect items out of reach. It's dusted the clock high on the wall every week. And it's the very same one that dusts off the entry way hanging light that Luke constantly hits his head on every month.

It's just a dusting brush. It's old. It's well used. It's been washed, hit against the side of the house to rid it of the dust it's gathered and had Endust sprayed on it too many times. But it holds memories in addition to the dust. Every time I pick up that brush, the thought runs through my head, "Mom didn't like this as much as a dust cloth."

And every time that I dust something with it instead of a dust cloth, I can't help but think, "Mom wouldn't have dusted this with this."

It still collects dust. That filthy, fluttery stuff. But it's also collected memories all of its own through the years. Maybe I'll replace this one with a new one for Dad to keep and pack this old pink and purple one to take with me to Colorado. Wonderful memories that it holds!

Hmmmm.....:)

Two months....

...until I get to marry this wonderful guy that I love!
...until all the plans put into place over the last ten months become reality!
...until I'm living in Colorado permanently!

Only TWO months left!! (See the last two months of details here...)

Photo credit: Heartland Photography

A cute little helper!

A while back, Erinn and I were working at the Learning Center, cutting letters, laminating posters, etc. And a little helper named Noah was there too! ;)

To keep him busy, I started to teach him to throw away the trash. What an easy job! With only one time showing him to throw the extra paper in the trash, he knew exactly what to do. He would come over to me, do the sign language for "more" (Erinn's taught him soooo much!!!) and I would hand him the trash.

Then he would walk over to the trash can, stretch up as high as he could and throw it in there!! What a super accomplishment for him!! Then he'd come back and sign for "more". Ahhhhh.....he's soooooo sweet!!! I love him to pieces!!! :)

"more!"

Here's the trash; throw it away!

Ok, this was the short trash can--we had two. The other one was taller than he was and with a swinging lid! Which he still managed to reach up and throw the paper inside! Smart little boy!!!

Such a cutie!!! :)

And yes, he loves my sunglasses!

What's new in Dodge?!?!?!

Granted, not a ton of world news happens here in western Kansas, but recently there was the grand opening of the brand new event center and convention!! Jena happened to be home that weekend and so we toured the building! Quilt the facility and very neat to see!

gotta love those camera in the mirror pics!! ;)

quite amazing!!!

And since they were handing out free popcorn and pop,
we couldn't leave without our share!!! :)

The balcony is pretty neat too!!!

ice skating!!

fyi--this would be a PERFECT place for a wedding reception!!!
It's beautiful!!!!

Really?! I really thought I was losing my mind!

My goal is never to lose my mind. But there are times when it seems like that has happened. Like this particular moment.

I had been walking back and forth between the kitchen and schoolroom several times, my mind on a million things running through my head when I saw this on my way out of the kitchen. I took a few steps back thinking, "Did I put that can of Mt. Dew there?"

On my last trip through the kitchen I had just opened a can of that favorite drink of mine, but I didn't do that with it, did I? And no one else in this house touches that stuff!

I turned to look at Dad who was sitting on the couch and saw his smiling face! Ahh, ha! The culprit! He's trying out some tacky tape to hold up fabric for my wedding reception and he's testing the weight. And it's working--that can has been up there for five days and it's still in the same exact spot!

Sometime I may question his methods of operation, but the end result is always just as I want/need it to be! So in figuring out the best way to drape fabric and lights for the reception--I'll leave it entirely up to him! He knows the effect/picture I'm trying to create and I have no doubt he'll know just how to do it!

To stay up-to-date on the latest wedding events, check out my wedding blog!