Two thumbs (way) up!

A quick review and hard sell.
Tonight our school hosted the movie "Gifted Hands, the Ben Carson Story."
We watched it with our kids in our laps and cried.
Tears of sadness knowing this is the great surgeon who tried to save our beloved MacKenzie. Her birthday was two days ago...
But also tears of joy!
If you haven't seen it yet I strongly encourage you to do so. Makes you want to be a strong mom, throw out your tv and send your kids to the library. Makes your kids want to read  *and*  pray!
Please check it out on Amazon - read the reviews!

How Y'all doin'? Weather worries, births n blessings...

I'm such a big behind these days with so much piling up, but I had to put that aside and just plain check in on my farmgirl friends. How are you all? This weather has been crazy and I've read some very sad stories... Praying you are all snug n safe after the latest tornadoes n flooding.

This was our time. Usually the small creek in our front pastures rises n falls fast... Yesterday it rose n rose n rose! Our farm flooded worse than during even our worst hurricanes... Guess the ground's already sooo wet and the rains so great... And when we finally thought it safe to drive the kids to school we were invited in to sit in the hallways while another tornado warning passed. Although we live far from the Baltimore metro TV stations they named our road during tornado watches and a news helicopter filmed our small flooding! We felt so blessed that our buildings are set up high. And that our old house is made with three stout courses of brick. Still, we were ready to hit the cellar any second. Thanks be to God we were spared any real damage. Some of our neighbors had water at their back doors. 

Although our horses looked cold n tucked up (after 83* sun beforehand) I was more worried 'bout the cows n geese that nestle near the creek down the road. I wonder if the poor geese lost their eggs? 

 Amazingly we were able to watch a momma cow give birth right beside the road on our way home from school. What a blessing indeed! Excuse the blurred pics. I think my Droid was a bit damp. ;-)

The calf and the sun rose. The water went down.

Praise be!

Linking up to Farm Friend Friday  and Farmchick Photo Friday! 

Easter Blessings to You and Yours

Little hands keep sneakin' all my "decor!"  ;-P

Sarah made a super cute bunny cottage with Easter Bunny!

And Jack made a duck pond with chicks n eggs. 

And here are a few pics from last year... I'm always amazed how fast my kids are changing... 

We gave my (city boy) baby brother his very own chicks for Easter last year. After baskets and church here, we headed down to his place with our sweet fluffy peeps (and a bunny cake and ham and deviled eggs). For sure we felt like we were the Clampetts, bringin the farm to the city in our big truck full of shavings n feed , heat lamp and crate o chicks! You could almost here the hillbilly music following us...

Baby Brother bought his first home in the burbs, but it's in a nice area w/big lots and old barns so he had an instant coop. (lucky sod) Bless his yuppie heart he even made them a welcoming home in his shower stall 'til they were ready to face the cold outdoors! Wonder if his new sweet fiance will ever let that happen again!? The chicks are all grown and now enjoying their new run and outdoor playtime. Baby Brother enjoys bringing his free range organic eggs into his D.C. office to share!

Last pic. Sarah four years ago. There were snow flurries as I took this. No smiles from the shivering tot!

 

Wishing you a bright and beautiful Easter!

Earth Day 50% off Movie COUPON

Happy EARTH DAY!

Image by Dana Gray

Go plant somethin' COLORFUL!


Our large order of trees to plant along the creek has not yet arrived, but that's just as well as MORE rain is coming soon. If they were here I'd be tempted to lash 'em together to make a raft!

PS - I just got an email that YOU can buy Fresh, The Movie 

for 50% off TODAY ONLY = $15

Use discount code FreshEarth here

Spring Cleaning ~ Farm style!

Why is it that cleaning anything on a farm makes you filthy?

Many of you are busy polishing windows and floors and opening windows for fresh air.

We polish ponies.

And open doors for new spring mud n flies.

Farm life is awesome.

But it ain't often glamorous.

Unless you're P Dubya...

Here's Jack pitchin' in with chores.

Polishing up n shedding out his old hairy pony.

Not a chore to do in polarfleece with a snotty nose.

Only a mother could be lovin' these pics and feelin' grateful for the help.

But that doesn't mean she wouldn't make him strip and head for the bathtub before a thank you hug!

Hmm, unorthodox style, but I guess he's doing it!

 Wouldn't want to wear himself out or anything...

There's enough to stuff a horsehair mattress.

 Not counting what's on the kid.

Aaachoo. That's all for today. 

Another day, another load of gross laundry.

Linkin' up to Verde Farm  Farmgirl Friday blog hop- go meet some new friends!

Eggstraordinary cauteness!!!

These are not mine. Check out Sunghee's talent!!!!

I've hardly been online but somehow, through the magic of hopping, I found my dream plastic eggs project! Yup, made with plastic easter eggs and mini Play-Doh!
Talk about FrEsH n FuN!

I was stopped dead gobbling up all the eye candy and just had to share before I burst!

Go visit her blog Creativity in Progress and stop and make a cup o tea n cupcakes with someone special. 

I'm a bloggy bust these days. So much going on and not enough time or a great camera to capture it all. Sorry! I promise I'll be back w/lots to share soon! Will finish up my vintage farm bucket for my giveaway and fill you in on all our farm fun. I'll give ya a hint ~ it involves a piglet! 

Bet you're all crazy busy too and hope you're havin fun in some sun!

Feelin' Fresh!

What follows is text that was sent from the makers of "Fresh, the movie." I decided to actually post and/or forward it as Fresh IS one my favorite movies and I hope more friends will see it. One of my heroes, Joel Salatin, is featured along with a marvelous program called Growing Power.

*I myself bought "Fresh" and am hosting free screenings to friends and clients here on our farm. If you're near north central MD and would like to join us, please leave a comment or email me!  :-)

I often joke to friends that everyone should see "Food Inc" but that it will make you want to become a vegetarian- anorexic...  "Fresh, the Movie" makes you eager and excited to EAT HEALTHY! In any case, I have little understanding of folks who say they don't want to know where their food comes from...  And now for more news - I've been blogging for one year!  I don't post as often as I'd hoped, and I'm all over the map on topics, but for some crazy reason a few of you follow me....  I APPRECIATE EVERY VISITOR SOOOOO MUCH! To thank all of you incredibly kind and supportive bloggy buds I've decided to host a giveaway... I've put together a goodie bucket full of farm fresh treats. Please check back next week to enter! As usual, I'm a big behind. Still have a few finishing touches before my reveal! (don't stop here ~ keep on scrollin' for the pitch!) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Friends, Recently, I fell in love with a movie called FRESH. It’s a documentary which celebrates the farmers, thinkers and entrepreneurs across America who are re-inventing our food system. Watch the trailer here: http://bit.ly/hpQ3rl I was moved by the FRESH message and want to share it with you. Empower yourself to make sustainable food choices and turn inspiration into action. FRESH isn’t about what’s wrong, it’s about what’s right. It’s about being hopeful that we can work together to create change, and it gives real solutions for making a difference in the world.

Spring is coming, and there’s no better time to plant seeds of hope for our food system by watching FRESH!  Here are a few reasons to watch and spread the word about FRESH: Meet the farmers and activists transforming our food system. Watch as Joel Salatin squawks joyfully at his chickens. See Will Allen plunge his hands into clumps of "black gold" wriggling with worms. Recognize real food as a human right. We all deserve access to healthy, safe and nutritious food. FRESH showcases a new paradigm of food production that respects our animals, our farmers and our communities. Turn inspiration into action. FRESH is not about what's wrong, it's about what's right. It's about being hopeful that we can work together to create change, and it gives real solutions for making a difference in the world. Empower yourself to make sustainable food choices. FRESH will show you why cheap food is an illusion and how every purchase you make impacts the future of our land, farmers, communities and children. We vote every day with our forks. Share your passion for good food. Invite your friends to show off their kitchen skills and bring a dish. Watch FRESH and talk about how we can support sustainable food. They'll thank you for introducing them to a film that critics have called "informative, inspirational, swiftly-edited and beautifully scored...not a preach-fest." Impact your community's legislative choices. Join the FRESH movement and participate in FRESH's advocacy campaigns to improve our food system. Support independent film making. You’re FRESH. Literally. We get no funding, no corporate sponsorship, and our work is 100% community-funded. Help us continue to spread the word about good food by hosting a screening. Purchase your screening license/DVD now!  Sincerely, The FRESH Team ------------------------ A few pics of our efforts 'round the farm!

Hope you're feelin' FRESH this spring!

No Foolin' ~ No Coffee!

Happy April Fool's Day!
Did you prank your family or friends?
We have a two hour snow n ice delay for school -  I was sure The Farmer was prankin' me when he told me...
But this is no joke,
I GAVE UP COFFEE.
I know, I shouldn't "scream" in caps, but wouldn't you?!
Green tea may be makin my body better but my mommy brain is sufferin'!

I actually gave up coffee for lent. Go read this at Life in Grace if you somehow missed it... "Lent is time to retreat with Our Father. To confess to Him that we have wandered so far from home and that we have become far too ‘comfortable’ in the pleasures of this life. To confess to Him how utterly dependent we have become on everything, but Him."

It ties in well with my thoughts on Water for Christmas' "Live Without" campaign...  There are too many who live without basic needs in the world right now. Maybe in my tiny way I can help.
Each nonstop second that I crave coffee, I say a prayer for those who live without and thank God for his love and compassion. During April I will also drop a dollar in a savings jar each day.
By Easter I should have a small donation and hopefully be more in the habit of praying when I need a quick fix, instead of leaning on false comforts (like coffee n chocolate)!

Drop by to read and think about what you can do.
It's an ongoing campaign.

Maybe you might give up somethin' more sane than coffee!  ;-)