Happy Halloween

 Okay, these perfect pics clearly aren't mine... They come from my dearest friend Lori's spankin' new blog.  (She promises to start uploading more of her great work. Especially if some kind comments prod her into action!) These are her adorable kiddos. She's hoping to start her own photography biz very soon. If you're in Michigan look her up, she's really talented and affordable!

Now, obviously, these are mine. They're worse because they are old and I couldn't edit them.  And I have no talent.

These were taken four years ago!

3 y.o. Sarah as Dorothy at the cellar doors

 1y.o. Jack as a (?) spider...

We're off now to the historic town down the road as Kanga n Pooh!

Happy Haunting friends!!!

Mad Moms March for Milk

What follows is an email alert I received.

Mothers to Break Raw Milk Transport Law

On November 1st 2011, a group of mothers will break the law against interstate transport of raw milk, then distribute the raw milk in front of the FDA headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. The FDA has already stated they will have federal enforcement agents present.

Contact: Liz Reitzig, Co-founder Farm Food Freedom Coalition LizReitzig@gmail.com 301.807.5063 http://www.FarmFoodFreedom.org/events.htm

"Don't Make Us Criminals Over Milk!" Demand Moms

Washington, DC-A group of mothers from across the country who feed their children raw milk will hold a demonstration on November 1 outside the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in Silver Spring, MD to protest the FDA's crackdown on raw milk production and distribution, arguing that the government's campaign not only criminalizes raw milk, but criminalizes American citizens who buy and consume it.

Recently the FDA has conducted undercover sting operations and raids against farmers and buying clubs. "Not only are the FDA's actions a shameful use of force, they are also a serious threat to my freedom and my family's food supply" says Karine Bouis-Towe, Co-Founder of the Farm Food Freedom Coalition and Grassfed on the Hill, a DC area local food buying club. "Moms everywhere are disgusted by the FDA making us criminals for feeding our families nutritious food just because that food happens to come from a farm in a different state!"

Leaders in the local foods and foods rights movements will join mothers from across the country for their demonstration. Prior to their peaceful demonstration, a caravan of mothers will cross state lines with raw milk and invite the FDA to witness what the agency wrongly considers to be a criminal act. Media are invited to ride along as embedded reporters to report on how the FDA responds to what it wrongly terms a violation of the law.

Under FDA regulations [21 CFR § 1240.61] implemented in 1987, it is illegal for anyone to transport raw milk intended for human consumption across state lines. That includes individuals purchasing it legally in one state and crossing into another state where they live.

Information about farm raids at www.FarmFoodFreedom.org

Yours for food freedom,

Deborah Stockton, Executive Director
National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association

Our purpose is to promote and preserve unregulated direct farmer-to-consumer trade that fosters availability of locally grown or home-produced food products.

NICFA opposes any government funded or managed national animal identification system.

Here's just one wonderful blog from a great dairy farm that sells raw milk.

 http://familycowfarmstand.wordpress.com/

If you're local, check out their website and explore raw milk yourself! 

Here's an explanation from their site~

People have been drinking raw milk for thousands of years. If harvested with care from clean, healthy cows, it is not only safe, it’s a whole, nourishing, living food. Around the beginning of the 20th century, dairy farms associated with alcohol distilleries started to appear near major cities. These were large, dirty factories where cows were confined to filthy conditions and fed only swill, the hot acidic byproducts of distilled grain. Workers, often sick themselves, sometimes inoculated the milk with human diseases. This “swill milk” was implicated in human illness and death. Instead of cleaning up or regulating the safe production of milk, widespread pasteurization kept low cost, low quality milk on the market. Raw milk has been stigmatized ever since. No food product is totally safe from contamination and the laws of the land reflect fear and bias against raw milk. 

In Vermont perceptions are changing! Rural Vermont, a family farm advocacy organization, led the effort to reform the state’s raw milk laws. Farmers are now allowed to sell more raw milk (up to 40 gallons/day) and deliver. We are inspected by the Agency of Agriculture, but we don’t mind because we are proud of our clean process and healthy animals. Read the presentation below for even more information.

There are many others to be found on google too!

Just.Not.Right.

Snow

Before Halloween

In  M A R Y L A N D !!!!!!!!!

No, it's waaay too early to say "awww, how pretty."

Don't.even.try.

YESTERDAY I took these.

 

Today these...

Yes, we are all snug.

Here's  a hint of our Halloween...

 Vintage kitties from my Great Grandma for my black Cat collection

  

Our entry

 This is ME.

 Jack will be Pooh Bear, Sarah's Kanga!

Hope yours is H O T!!!

Naughty pony!

We adore "cheeky" little ponies and kids with gumption here...  Our own young Piglet tries some of these moves on Sarah and even sweet Neil Diamond has his moments! So of course were thrilled to see this YouTube clip. What a great boy and naughty pony. If you haven't see this make sure to read n watch Ross's other clips too. He's a great little rider who clearly loves the ponies.

Tomorrow we take the kids to the church in costume for a Halloween party then come back and load up a bunch of horses for a cross country school at a horse park down the road. It's cold n crisp and there may or may not be some similar cowboy riding! I think I'll have all my students read this great quote I saw at another of Ross's videos ~

To succeed, you must first improve, 

   to improve, you must first practice, 

   to practice, you must first learn, 

   to learn, you must first fail.

      ~Wesley Woo 

Hope your weekend's not too wild a ride but still spooktacular!

Formal Family FUN

Ta Da!
Here we are! All black tied n faanncy at my brothers wedding!
(The glasses were handed out to all the groomsmen.) 

Study well,  'cause you'll prolly never see us all lookin' so good at once again!

All the boys were so cute!

We're especially fond of Brian!

A kindred farm fellow. Gotta love him and his pretty wife, Sarah. Ben told stories of Brian always workin' hard in the 'burbs and savin' to get his own tractor as a kid! When he did get a Craftsman lawn tractor he got out the green spray paint. He was born a John Deere man!

The girls were super sweet. I'm thirteen years older than my brother.
And Casey is younger than him...
I felt like the matronly bridesmaid for sure!

The partay began in the stretch Hummer limo in front of the church...

Champagne and Buds were on ice.
There was also a "fire place," disco floor and laser lights inside the limo!
I was so glad I'd brought cold Capri Suns n snacks for the kiddos.
Can you believe none of us farmfolk had ever been in a limo before?
(Hillbilly me's still never had a mani/pedi,
and didn't get my hair n make-up done by anyone beforehand either! )

Sarah adores her Uncle Ben.

But she's completely smitten with Casey!

And she's not the only one!

You can see why~ Casey's a knockout and so fun!

Everyone enjoyed the night

My wonderful Aunt n Uncle...

and their daughter n grands! 

Mom and Dail kept it classy!

 Paul and his fiance dipped!

 Brian n Sarah gettin' down!

Makin' like movie stars!!!

I was so pleased that my family danced with everyone.

 Sarah with M.O.B. and F.O.B!

The Farmer was so suave!

And I managed not to let my hillbilly side show too badly... 

I didn't hike up my skirt n ask any of the doctor guests if this patch on my calf is ringworm!!!

Bahaha. What can I say, I am a country girl!

But I loved the day o dress up too. 

(And tough actin' Tinactin killed the fungus amongus.)

Clearly, we are still hillbillies tho.

To my classy baby brother and his lovely bride...

THANK YOU for sharing your beautiful day with us.

May you have happiness always!