I wish I were a librarian....................

because if I were a librarian, I would always be around some of my most favorite things - books and computers! Hello! I also saw one of the librarians in their little back room drinking Starbucks! Make that three favorite things. My dream job.
I just dropped Alex off at his dream job - the movie theater. The bright side - he gets into movies for free. The down side - I have to hear about movies even more than I did before! Save me! I on the other hand am so sick of my job I could scream. I work in a place managed by idiots. This was illustrated quite clearly in the newspaper yesterday where one and all could read that the "big boss" got a 54% raise. Yes - you read that correctly - 54%. Who the $@$%#% deserves a 54% raise. No one I know, for damn sure! Morale at my workplace is soaring - right underneath the belly of that snake traveling downward toward the center of the earth.
So I'm through griping now and I'm on my way to pick up a barn. I don't know. I'll have to get back to you on what that means. Hugs!

Going Through Withdrawal...........

It's been too many days since I've blogged, and thanks to my place of employment, there are going to be more large gaps because they took the internet out of most areas! What kind of shit is that? So...........I guess I'm destined to become one of those bloggers that will never get out of the minor leagues. I'm not even in the minors - I'm in the miniscules, the microscopics..........rats.
On the brighter side, I've been doing well with cooking everyday so that I can take leftovers to work for lunch and I've been scrapbooking and making a lot of cards. In short, I've been using my time more wisely. Hmmmm...........not much I can say about that.

Thanksgiving Turkey Tag

What a lovely turkey day I had. My kids were with their respective dads and I spent the morning doing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. Yeah, I know - it was really sucky. I hung out with the Van Goats quite a bit and it was a memorable day. I fed each one of them a least a few bites out of my hand because I wanted them to know how thankful I am for them and it was just so sweet. Even Wallace and Pixie, my two shy ones, took a few bites from me (well not from me......) We played and sat around by turns and some of the time I went inside to do stuff there like shower, eat, scrapbook, doze off, etc. The goats got in the mood to play a little game of chase, so I would tag Vincent and then run and he would take off after me and all the other goats would just get nutso and run around bucking and jumping. It was hysterical! A little bit after three, I went to my sister's to be with the rest of the family for Thanksgiving. My mom said, " it took you long enough to get here" to which I replied, " I WAS home by myself - you're lucky I showed up at all! I was tempted to tell you guys that I was just going to have some soup out a of can, so hollah!" You know, I've never really craved time by myself, but I really enjoyed it yesterday. It was especially nice just to do whatever I felt like doing on my schedule. And of course, it was wonderful to spend a lot of time with the Van Goats without feeling like I was taking time from someone else. Is that wrong?

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Better Than Sex?

I have no self control whatsoever. Last night I was talking to Richard and he said, " You know what I want?" Do I want to know what you want?
"Uh no......I don't."
" I want to go back to Greenlife and get some more of that cranberry walnut bread and French Broad (beer)."
" Well hell, count me in! "
So off we went.....back to Greenlife....two days in a row.........
OMG! They have the best pizza I've ever had. Yes, of course, we did get some more of the cranberry walnut bread, but man/woman/child cannot live by bread alone, so we got a cheese pizza and an Italian Flag pizza. The cheese pizza was good, but the Italian Flag was......well words fail me. I'm still thinking about it longingly like you think about a really hot guy that you just had sex with for the first time. Damn.

Eco Sunday

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It's kind of overcast today in Sunday, but if you really stare hard you can see that this is a picture of Greenlife Grocery. To us locals, it's exciting because it is the brand new Greenlife Grocery amd it is a monument to organically eco green living. Dude, this is a total shout out to Annie B Bond if I ever saw one! We spent a fabulous few hours looking, shopping and then lunching up on the upper level dining area. We dined on a rather odd mix of food that Richard, Rachel and I picked out. Red Bean Curry accompanied by jamine rice and green beans; a really fabulous pasta salad in olive oil with garlic, pitted Kalamata olives and freshly grated parmesean; and fresh (as in still warm) walnut cranberry bread and the best beer I've ever had. A really awesome amber on tap by French Broad Brewing Company, which does not come in bottle much to my dismay. After searching on the internet, this brewing company located in Ashville, apparently on produces on tap. Waaahhhh.

And if the food wasn't good enough, Greenlife provided it's own entertainment yesterday. While we were sitting up on the balcony, dining alfresco, I noticed that they've provided designated parking for those eco-saavy enough to drive low emissions vehicles. Well, no sooner than I had noticed one such parking space right in front of the store, some woman drive up in her late model Mercedes and parks - no wait abandons - her car right in that spot. Richard and I look at each other - " Mercedes has a hybrid?" HA HA HA HA HA!!!

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And because it doesn't take much to entertain me, I periodically snickered about that for the rest of the day.

Symphony Saturday

Okay - I have been transported. I am at the library listening to the Symphony's traveling group. Due to union rules, I haad to delete the picture I took with my phone - I got dinged by the librarian the second I took the picture, so just use your imagination. Typing away amidst the stacks listening to quite an eclectic assortment of music - from Bach to Disney to Rodgers and Hammerstein - surrounded by others using the computers, looking for books, or just listening to the music, but it's quiet because everyone is into the spirit of the music. Just some free, but nonetheless quality entertainment on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The picture wasn't that great anyway......

It's Friday.....

I'm tired, it's been a busy week and I'm overjoyed that it's the weekend. So here I sit at Kinko's......again. We had a baby shower for a friend at work today....it was nice. Great petit fours. They had little baby booties on them.

I almost went into a diabetic coma after eating one of them, but it was worth it. I left to go home after the shower and stopped by a friend's house to see her goats. She is renting four goats from the city to get rid of the kudzu in her backyard. The city has a deal with this guy from South Pittsburg. They are really cute, but she says she isn't really going to make friends with them because she'll just get attached to them and they're going to leave in a month or so. I certainly see her logic, but I just couldn't have four goats in my backyard without slobbering on them and talking to them.

I love this picture of Rachel and Trixie. It cracks me up becaue it's kinda like Trixie senses the dog running up behind her (with the fence between them) , so the ears stick up and she's saying, "Rachel - do you hear something? Eeek!"

I know........I have a vivid imagination.

I gotta get me one of these!

My daughter, all comfy eating her lunch, watching Magic School Bus in her float. Who knew that those things double as recliners with their own shade trees? Doesn't everyone need a shade tree in the living room?

Bloggin Ho!

Sad isn't it? I'm forced to uh, pay for it now. I used to be able to do it at home, but now I just go wherever I can to do it. Yep, that's me - blogging all over the city. So far, Panera, Starbucks, Kinko's and my place of employment. (No - I'm not blowing the whistle on myself yet.) Wait.....you thought I was talking about something else, didn't you? That's got to be the funniest thing ever!!! As if.
Anyhoo, I'm trying on the computers at Kinko's tonight to see how they are and they're alright. A bit pricey and they don't even have coffee, but then they do actually provide the computer, so they've got me on that one. I know the goats are really missing looking at all the cool goat websites that we used to surf - some of them are on my sidebar if you want to check'em out. Trixie has kind of taken to pining away for this one picture of this cute little guy on the Green Acres Goat Farm website. Girlfriend has the hots for the little guy named Robo. Little does are so precocious these days.

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I Told You So!

Well, as I predicted - I'm not doing well in the weight loss department. The "Slim Cuisine" diet lasted about 5 minutes (okay - actually about 4 days.) and I have set my alarm to go off an hour earlier than usual to get up and do yoga and it hasn't happened yet. Well, the alarm has gone off an hour earlier.....I just haven't gotten up. Is there any end to this vicious circle? I've read all manner of motivational articles in Yoga Journal and well....Yoga Journal, which is a really good magazine.
They have really got it going on. I guess if you're really looking for something, you're more likely to find it. Strangely enough, a magazine I subscribed to, but was completely unimpressed by, Cookie magazine, has turned out to be somewhat of a surprise. If you can get past the fact that it is like family magazine to the seriously wealthy, then you can find some really useful information in it.
So, okay. That is my critical contribution to the literary world.

I Had No Idea .....

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that Vincent likes Michael Connelly too! Imagine my surprise when I sat out on the deck with my brew to read The Lincoln Lawyer and Vincent came up and tried to take the book away from me. He apparently loves those crime thriller books...........just eats'em up! Nyuk Nyuk!

I Can't Believe....................

it's been a whole week since I posted and I totally let Halloween go by without even so much as a goofy little flickering pumpkin on this blog! What's wrong with me!!! That's a rhetorical question, of course. I know what's wrong with me - I'm too friggin busy! I think this is the part where I start going into all the things I' m trying to do and how it's all wearing me down. Just consider it gone into - I don't even have the energy to type all that crap. I'm just gonna say it would be nice to hear from/talk to someone out there who is homeschooling, working full time (if you're a parent, you're working full time) and all that stuff. Drop me a line or two, will ya. It will be nice to hear someone else's version for a change.

p.s. this was just too funny to pass up.

picture hosting

See, what had happened was..........

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Okay, Alex and I were trying to play chinese checkers out on the deck by the fire we built on our fabulously cool Saturday evening, but Vincent.....well let me just say, he wasn't having it. He tried to eat the little wooden board, he tried to eat the little wooden pieces, and he tried to drink my beer! When we tried to play "Clue" instead, Professor Plum almost met with a terrible death. It was ghastly.

Ya Gotta See It!!!!

WhyMommy now has a television interview with Fox News and it's just incredible! Go Mommy, Go!!! You've just got to see it. Read her post and click on one of the links to see the Fox 5 interview. She'll be your hero too!

Mysterious Forces

There are mysterious forces at work in the universe - mysterious forces that don't want me to blog.... the goats repeatedly tearing up the phone line ( a story unto itself), abject poverty forcing me to cancel cable internet and then my significant other knocking over a glass of water into my laptop. You'd think I could take a friggin hint, wouldn't you? I had accepted that I was going to have to go to Starbucks, Panera, McDonald's, local hospitals with free internet to use my laptop to do my cyber stuff, but now.........nothing..........I don't even have anything to take to Starbucks. WTF? I am at said significant other's house using his computer since the library is closed. And I just LOVE going to library to use their computers so that I can sit there with the rest of the schmos that are there to check their Hotmail accounts. I can do some stuff at work, but they take a dim view of blogging on their time. ( just how tight-assed can an employer be?) Oh well, I'll not be defeated by these mysterious forces - at least, not until they slam all my fingers in the car door.

That's Not My Job!

Can you see this guy being sent out in the world to earn his keep? Maybe a sign around his neck that says " Will work for food."? Nah, I don't think so either.Apparently goats being hired out as mowing machines is a growth industry in my neck of the woods though. On one hand, it's good to see goats getting the respect they deserve, albeit not entirely for the right reasons.There are so many things about goats that are totally cool and lovable - their land clearing capabilities are down on the list. On the other hand, it's not so great seeing some goats getting something they don't deserve - killed. On more than one occasion, the news that some of the goats that have been hired out to clear the kudzu off of Missionary Ridge have been attacked and killed by dogs, has made the paper.Now don't get me wrong - the idea of clearing out acres and acres of obnoxious weed without the use of Round Up or napalm is certainly not without merit, but if you're going to send these guys out to do this big job, then you damn sure ought to protect them. They have recently put a Great Pyrenees in the enclosure with a goat/the goats (I've not seen more than one in the enclosure), but the logistics of where this goat/these goats are grazing and what's protecting him/them while grazing is not exactly clear.

And no I'm not some fanatical tree-hugging nut-job. (I'm a regular nut-job.) I'm just sayin.

My shoes, my shoes, my lovely lady shoes. Okay, Fergie I ain't but I do love my Keens Everyone ought to have at least one pair. Sure, I had to come up with a down payment and interest rates aren't too good on shoes right now, but these babies are the Manolo Blahniks of sporty shoes! I admit it - I got two more pairs when I got my tax return back. Of course, I recently read some article on the stupidest financial mistakes you can make, and getting big tax returns was somewhere real close to the top of the list. Ahem. I sound like an honor graduate of the Spears/Lohan Institute for the Advancement of the Responsibility- Challenged Adolescent. Somebody help me.
Oh yeah....day three of the Slim Cuisine diet....let'S just say I haven't totally blown it, but there have been a couple of slips back into Starbuckaholism. By 10:30 yesterday morning, my coworkers were BEGGING me to go downstairs and get a triple effing anything. It's little bit of a dilemna friends.

Embarrassing myself to the whole world

That's what I'm doing. I'm telling all of you that I'm starting a diet today so that the day I fall off the wagon I'll be totally humiliated. I'm doing Slim Fast and Lean Cuisine. None of this Adkins Zone Beach shit for me! I diet according to the KISS principle. I know that everybody knows that mean keep it simple stupid, but while I'm here, why not insult your intelligence as a special bonus feature. I am also planning to walk around the very large city block that my workplace sits on for some exercise during my lunch break. Boring? Yes. Effective? Hopefully.
I'm tellin ya, life is sad without my good friend food. I feel like I should've had a going away party or something. Bye food......come back when you can stay longer. Like it hasn't stayed long enough on my ass.

Slackin Sunday

It's kind of weird when things look the same inside the house as they do on the outside of the house - except outside the house is probably cleaner.

It's Sunday morning and the kids are just lying around watching whatever. Now, look up there at the goats. They are doing the same thing - lying around watching whatever. Amazing, huh?

Now this is what I'm talkin about! A crisp fall night, sitting by the grill with a Sam Adams Octoberfest........does it get any better? The kids are playing, some of the goats are roaming, while others are going to bed. I'm grilling burgers for a (very) late dinner while beans and fries are baking. I love fall evenings! Fred the cat is sitting here next to me waiting for some rubbies.
And on a sadder note, almost all the Van Goats are afflicted with a runny nose! My poor babies. I hate that they're feeling bad.
On a more positive note, I've discovered a way to overcome my computer difficulties for the time being - the LG en V. It's hard to keep a good blogger down! ( Well, I may not be that good, but it's still not keeping me down.

Dontcha wish your boyfriend was hot like me?

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Well have your people get with my people. Maybe we'll do some lunch.........I've got a nice big bowl of medicated goat feed on a bed of sweet mix with a nice little Calf Manna garnish. Hollah!

Why can't I be this cute?

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Of course, I guess being me still has it's advantages. I get to eat more than just goat feed, sweet feed and hay, I sleep in a bed, AND......here's the biggie - I poop and pee in a toilet. I guess being me isn't all bad. Seriously, Pixie is so photogenic isn't she? I guess it must seem like this is post about Pixie week. Sometimes I've just gotta go with the goat that will stand still for the camera and make a story for me. The uncles almost never stand still for the camera and likewise Twister. Oh hell......what am I saying? Goats just don't really like having their picture taken! Maybe that's why I like them so much. I would rather walk through hell wearing gasoline panties than have my picture taken.

You know, I feel a little sad today...........sad that the world is in the shape it's in..............sad that I actually heard some stupid bastard say " What the hell is Breast Cancer Awareness for? Everybody is AWARE of breast cancer. " I mean could you not just sew your lips shut and forever have people wonder if you're a stupid moron rather than just opening you mouth and removing all doubt? Yes, I know that is not an original, but it's totally appropriate. Well, this is just for you, assclown.

Breast cancer comes in all different shapes and sizes. It can be in-your-face or downright sneaky............like inflammatory breast cancer - sometime referred to as IBC. WhyMommy says and I quote, " There doesn't have to be a tumor." Okay, get it? You can just think you have the flu and really have breast cancer. So people need to be AWARE of that. Not just women - all people. Because all people can spread the word. And if you don't understand what I'm saying, go see WhyMommy - she knows more on the subject than anyone should ever have to know. Please God keep her strong - the world is a better place with her in it.

A word or two from Pixie

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Uh, excuse me....uh machine......yeah, Pixie here...yeah I'm talking to you. Can you tell me if it's ever going to stop being hot, I mean look at me - I'm reduced to talking to something that isn't even another goat. In fact, I don't even know what you are. I notice that you're not wearing any fur ....so what's up with that. Doesn't everybody wear fur? This fur, I'm tellin ya...it's damn hot. That lady that gives us food..she has some fur, well on top of what I think is her head. Okay, well, think I'm going to take a nap, or eat some grass, or something.

I wanna be a cowgirl........

Well, not really a cowgirl, but I do want to be a goat farmer - for real. Nursing sucks! It was okay when I started twenty years ago, but now it is a travesty....not even a shadow of it's former self. For as long as I've been a nurse, there's been a nursing shortage and there still is a shortage, but I think one of the biggest reasons for this is that all the people who would be nurses - I'm talking the people who actually do the work - are becoming managers, anesthetists, pharmaceutical reps or high paid black jack dealers at the casinos that spring up here and there and pay big money to disgruntled hospital employees. I know this because the casino thing happened when I lived in Connecticut. Nurses left the hospital to go to work at the casino and made big money - the kind that enabled them to buy big houses and drive Beamers. Of course, did they have the kind of job security that working in health care afforded them? Probably.

I'm going night-night now.........

Miss Trixie is getting ready for bed. She's comfy in the deck chair, she's got her hooves tucked in for the night and right before I took this picture, she let out a big yawn. I love to watch goats yawn because it lasts for about an hour and their jaws go this way and that - it's too cute! What you also don't see in this picture is her dad standing with his head resting in my lap, occasionally eyeballing her in case she tries to claim any of my attention at all. Men!

Thank you

WhyMommy and League of Maternal Justice for keeping us, ahem......... abreast of the news, so to speak. In view of recent developments surrounding Facebook's ban on breastfeeding pictures, we here at the Van Goat Ranch taking a very strong stance against oppressors of maternal practices such as but not limited to breastfeeding, felt that a special post was in order. So here by special request ( he is the best writer) is Gus Van Goat with his feelings on the subject.
Thank you Gus!

Gussy says - "Hey Facebook - You Suck!"

Umf, yumf, moof, miff, yum....uh excuse me. Sorry, I was just having some lunch here. And, yumf, moof, um,um, okay I'm stopping now....I just wanted to say that I can't believe that anyone could find fault with a little baby like me finding nourishment at his mama's breast. I mean, come on! What could be more natural? And what could be less natural than a networking-blogging wanna-be establishment that would rather promote boobs without babies attached to them - that's just wrong! So I say to Facebook, " All of us Van Goats are canceling our accounts (as soon as I ask Mama what an account is!) and you can just suckit!" yum , yumf, moof, miff, umf, yumf...............

Guest Post by Augustus G. Van Goat

Ponderings from the Back Porch....a nice mushy little observation

Sometimes I just like to sit on the deck and watch the goats nap, play or gnaw the bark off the trees - whatever they're into at the moment. I sit there with this commentary running in my mind and I think that I could sit there literally for hours (especially if I had a cooler of beer) and never get tired of watching them. Their lives are so simple - eat, sleep, play - and yet they are so complex if you sit and watch their expressions and their mannerisms. Yes- they do have mannerisms, it's true. Also, each one of them has a personality- a countenance, if you will, that is completely, uniquely them. Twister, for example, is somewhat aloof. She is the queen of the herd and God help anyone who doubts it for a moment. She will make a believer out of that person or goat - whatever the case may be. Vanessa is my little angel - you already know this if you've ever read this blog before. She has such a big heart that looking at her just makes me feel joy. She is a funny one though. While Twister will let you get right up in her face - she'll even let you touch noses with her - Vanessa will not let you anywhere near her face. She doesn't want kisses from anybody but Wallace - he's her current boyfriend. They stand and nuzzle each other and play together, but they don't let their relationship get in the way of a good meal - all's fair in love, war and sweet feed. Wallace and Gromit are fun to watch because they always have this quizzical expression on their faces - "is this where the food is?" They play together most of the time, eat together and usually sleep side by side. Vanessa and Wallace don't sleep together yet - they're not married. Trixie and Gus are still somewhat babyish in behavior but they have grown so much it's incredible. They are so cute the way they bounce around, jump up on the deck furniture and then swan dive back onto the ground again. And Pixie...sweet sweet Pixie. She has turned out to be such a little doll. You just look out the back door around seven-thirty and you'll see her standing there waiting for the evening milking. She's so good just walks onto the stand and you don't even have to secure her in the head holder. She also likes hugs and rubbies and she is developing quite a little personality - ladylike, but she ain't takin any shit either. Then of course, there's Captain Ass also known as Vincent Van Goat. He's still the man; rules the roost while showing few signs of mellowing at his advanced age of 18 months. My kids comment on how mean he is to his kids. Hey - what can I say? He isn't always nice ( although he always wants me to love on him and scratch his chest. )His kids respect him as The Authority. That kind of makes you think about where humans have taken parenting, doesn't it?
Speaking of goats getting married......all the girls are in heat except for Trixie. You want to see some action - if this backyard's a rockin, don't come knockin! They have been off the chain running around chasing each other. The boys are trying to mount the girls, the girls are trying to mount the boys, the boys are trying to mount the boys and the girls are trying to mount the girls. It's like the collector's edition of "Goats Gone Wild" about 4 times a day. No wonder they all go bed early - they're worn out.

Here I am again.......

You may or may not have noticed that I haven't been posting; this is because I don't have internet access right now. Cable..dial-up......cable.......dial-up.....I'm not really happy about any of it. And furthermore......I just don't want to pay for it anymore, but how are you going to blog without internet access? Of course, that's as good a reason as any to go somewhere and drink expensive coffee beverages. Another factor in the equation - if I can't get on the internet, then neither can my son. This is good and bad- good because it keeps him out of things he doesn't need and bad because he needs it for school. You know, they say you can't win'em all and frankly I'm not okay with that - I want to win'em all. I mean why the hell are we here? God, I'm starting to bore myself.

Okay, so this past week was verrah busy. Work was nuts, Rachel went back and forth between my house and her dad's and Alex was, as always, driving me crazy! Who invented teenagers anyway? Who told them they had to act that way? If no one had ever said, "Well that's how it is - he/she is a teenager" and if they had even gone a step further and beat teenageritis out of said teenager, then a lot of us wouldn't be enduring the trauma of teens vs parents. See, what I'm saying here is that someone set our asses up, yo! If I had been the first parent of a teenager, I would have said" WTF!!???!!!??!! Listen up, ass clown - this teen thing can be hard or it can be easy. You choose." End of discussion. (Was that a little harsh?)

Yeah, I have a healthy fantasy life.......how could you tell? One of my current fantasies is the one where I live in this big house in the country - this is a house I know and I've visited. (Well, visited the people who live there.) Arrgghhh, anyway- I have a big party at my house for the people at work and a good time is had by all- even by the powers that be - and it's like" OOhhhh, what a cool house, what a slammin party!!!! She has Guinness on tap. Damn!" Now that's what I'm talkin about! And you know after such a hellatight party, everyone would be saying" Do you think we could get her to have the Christmas party? I mean the girl can cook and the fireplace in her living room! Blimey - you can walk into that fireplace. Glass on one whole side of the house - you can see her goats frolicking in the pasture. I love her house!"

See, now that's a good fantasy because it sounds like it could actually happen - not like one of those "makin it on a beach in Tahiti with Brad Pitt" fantasies - I mean HELLO! Like that would happen. Actually, I don't even like Brad Pitt - he looks sort of greasy. I mean, what the hell did Jennifer Anniston ever see in him? Was it a " He really makes me look good!" kind of thing or what? Now with Angelina, it could either way - who's making who look good? Not that I wouldn't like to be thin like her - I would - but she's just kind of scary, you know what with all the stuff she's mentioned about her past. Well, you know - I'm not going there, okay. Frankly, I've always been a Tom Hanks kind of girl - at least until he did that weird freaky thing with his hair for "The DaVinci Code." I couldn't even go see that movie because of that hair. Yikes. Tom babe - what were you thinkin?

I don't know what your Starbucks is like, but mine is rather....uh...strange. Here's something I've noticed. Everyone is on their computer or their cell...or both. No one is here to socialize, really. (Okay - I'm not either, but that's beside the point.) There are a lot of snotty little girls with their cell phones. They're all talking or texting. Then there are the yuppies who are here to work on whatever. Like the dude sitting next to me. Briefcase, cellphone and a book on triathloning. There's the professor over by the window grading papers. (I'd like to have that job.) I'm just wondering...am I the only person (redneck) here for the internet because their goats took out the phone line - again?

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Starbucks Buddies

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Okay........ yeah ........ I caved. We went to Starbucks so I could get on the internet, but it was totally worth it!(In an earlier post, I totally trashed Starbucks because they don't have free Wi Fi.) The getting on the internet part was a pain in my arse, but the coffee and snacks were good, and lo and behold - Rachel made a new friend. This little girl showed up with her brother and his six friends - they were doing Pokemon cards or something like that, and she apparently didn't quite know what to do with herself. She and Rachel kept checking each other out, but not engaging in any play until finally, Rachel got under our table and was sulking about something and the other little girl got down on the floor right beside the table and it was on! They got on like a house on fire, having to be scolded for racing around Starbucks and screeching to a sudden halt when they reached the end of the room and giggling loudly the way little girls having fun do. The above picture is proof that I talked them into sitting in the chair and coloring for a while. Cute.

Oh, and by the way..........I am pleased to announce that Starbucks somewhat redeemed themselves by giving us a free venti Rasberry Chocolate Frappucino. Ha Cha Cha!

Yum, mmm, yum, yum chomp.......

This hoof is great! Yum, yum yum! Nothing like chowing down on your own foot for an afternoon snack!

It's been a while since I rambled incessantly so I figured I'd better get crackin. Absence does not make the heart grow fonder - it just makes you absent. It's been a really busy week - as in "I'm starting to hear the people talking in my eyebrows again" busy. Work has been off the chain - I think there were 5 million people with broken bones this week and they all showed up at the hospital where I work. I love my job, but sometimes it is sad beyond my ability to explain. I took care of a soldier and his surgery was one such occasion, compounded by several factors not the least of which was the fact that he had been driving after consuming alcohol. In my neck of the woods it's considered tantamount to murder to drink and drive because we see so many deaths caused by drinking and driving. This particular instance was a little bit different as the man involved was home after serving in Iraq and was suffering terribly - at least terribly enough that he wanted to end it all, so he drove his car into some into something that was tougher than his car. I admit that sometimes I "perceive" things that others don't, but I looked at this guy's face and I just couldn't see a "murderer". What I saw was someone who had looked death in the face on a daily basis; someone who had seen so many terrible things that there was absolutely no way that he could reconcile the loss of so much and so many with his continued existence in this world. What can a person do? Is there enough help these men and women when they come back home from trying to kick Satan's ass for a year or more? Is there anything we can do? I think probably one thing we can not do is condemn people out of hand without even looking past the first impression. I was so disgusted with the anesthetist on the case, because even though he is someone I usually like and respect, he didn't even look past the first tier of the situation - he just went straight to, "He was drinking and driving - he deserves what he got." The hell you say.

I talked with his precious wife and my heart just went out to her - they have been through so much since he's been home. I could hear that she loves him, and I could hear the fear and confusion in her voice. Where do they go after this? She sounded as though she is made of the kind of stuff that will see them both through..... I hope. Ironically enough, when it was time for me to go home from work, I was relieved out of the case by one of my very dearest friends and coworkers, who also is a soldier and also served over "there". I told her that it must have been Divine Intervention that she was my relief that day because I thought of her that morning as I started the case and I wished for her even though I knew it was a case that would be hard for her to do, but I knew she would understand how I felt about this patient. And she did.

Well, I Never....

I just erased a whole post. Alex and I have been watching We Were Soldiers; a little history for school. I cried my eyes out......and then suddenly everything I'd been saying seemed totally irrevelant.

Feeling Ashamed Now

I wouldn't say that today has been an unusual day because it takes alot to qualify as unusual in my life, but it has definitely been different. To start with, I overslept and didn't make it to church (okay - not so different since I've worked weekends for the last 2.5 years) and I did really want to go, so then I got up, made some coffee and got on the internet (okay...again, not so different! Crap - should I just give up on the whole different motif?) Anyhoo, I surfed my way over to a website called Refuge for a Single Mom, which is very inspirational, and from there I landed on another blog called Especially Heather, both of which are worthy of blog awards.(Okay, this is where it starts getting different.) So....... on Single Mom's blog, there is a button showing a picture of an adorable little girl and the button has writing on it that says "Praying for Emma Grace". Naturally, I was curious as to what we were praying for, so I clicked and that is when I landed on Especially Heather. Now I'm a nurse and I work in surgery in a Level I trauma center , so you know I see some scary and sad stuff, but crikey - this girl has been through it! I was crying before I finished reading about her. I am so filled with admiration and respect for her, and equally filled with shame for myself. I've been whining over every little ailment that works it's way through my body and this girl has not an ounce, not even a skosh of an ounce (I'm not really sure what a skosh is, but I know it's really small.) of self pity. If I were one of those house elves in Harry Potter, I'd be throwing myself in front of a bus right now while tearing my fingernails off! Oy.

You really have to read about Heather and Emma because I can't do them justice, but I can tell you that if you do read about them, you won't be sorry - it might even change your life.

The truth comes out...........

I love Starbucks coffee - in fact, I'm addicted- but I am not going to sit there and pay T-Mobile for the privilege of accessing the internet. So here I sit at Panera on my cheap ass, drinking their house latte (which I might add, is not too shabby.) and pecking away on this stupid bitch of a laptop. (Me and **** are gonna have words - as in I'm going to throw down on their asses for sending me a laptop that has to have the power cord and the motherboard replaced every two months. WTF? Sorry.......I don't know WHERE that came from . Why am I even bothering to leave the comfort of my own home to use the internet, you might ask. Or you might not. You probably don't even give damn why I left my house or where I use the internet. Do I sound like I just went through a wind tunnel on a Vespa? I am blathering on like Lindsay Lohan at a Blackberry Convention. I'm going to go home and milk the goat.

BUT - just one more thing before I go. WhyMommy and Plain Jane Mom - I'm thinking of you today.

Jealousy rears it's ugly head

You know..........I have to admire somebody who is still driving a Toyota Previa - I know that sounds like I'm being an ass (That almost NEVER happens!), but I'm actually not. Every once in a great while you see someone driving down the road in some beat-to-shit Previa - it has to be beat to shit, because those suckers were made, like twenty years ago. Anyway, if you think about it, that person probably has their shit together because A), you know they so do NOT have a car payment, and B) someone who is driving around in a Previa is seeing the big picture, as in they are saying to themselves," Who gives a rat's ass what I drive? It gets me from point a to point b, and I have more important things on my mind like " did I remember to send my mailer of toothbrushes and razors back to Recycline?" I am not poking fun - I am jealous, dammit!!!!

Have you seen this face?

Yes you have, a little while back when I was talking about my little angel, Vanessa. She is just SO sweet. And yes , you know I absolutely adore my children, but there's something about my goats, this little girl in particular. It's really hard to explain how special goats are - mine in particular ( of course). Goats really have personalities - they speak without ever uttering a word. I'll give you an example.

Last night, I was having a real shit night - there's no other way to put it. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but the evening sucked and blowed. So, I got home from the Labor Day celebraton at my sister's house, Rachel had gone to spend the night at her dad's and Alex was taking a shower (I'm always grateful for that.), and I was really in the depths of misery so I went out on the deck, sat down and promptly started caterwauling. I looked over and saw all the goats in their usual bedtime configuration under the big tree by the fence and as soon as my little Vanessa saw me sit down, she got up and came up on the deck to stand beside me. She wanted some "rubby love" - she likes to have the area I call the chest (it is right below her neck.) rubbed and scratched and she will stand there and let you do it until you stop or someone shows up with food. So the rubby love commenced and I talked to her and shared my woes with her. I ended up sitting on the steps so I could be closer to her and I hugged her and rested my head on her and she just kept getting closer and I could tell she was hugging me back. I told her that she was the sweetest little goat in the world and that I loved her and as she leaned more and more against me (that's a goat hug - you know, they can't just wrap their arms around you.) I heard her saying that she loved me too. And we sat like that, talking and hugging, until Vincent Van Goat decided he needed rubby love too and being a male, he decided it had to be all about him. Typical.

Can we please have a moment of silence?

................................................................................................................................................................
OMG! I am completely............well I just can't even explain it! There are no words!

I HAVE FINISHED HARRY POTTER!
Frankly, now I don't know whether to shit or wind my watch. Oh....I don't have a watch, so that leaves an option I really don't want to discuss here. Enough stalling - I am so distraught because I LOVE THOSE BOOKS!!!! I am not out to spoil anything for anyone , so I'm not going to talk about it - yet. Let me just say that she did not disappoint - the final book was so incredible that I found myself feeling completely envious that someone out there has the - I don't even know the name for it - to write seven books that have affected not a generation, not a country, not a segment of a population, but a WORLD! A WORLD, PEOPLE!
Okay, maybe I'm a little wound up right now, but daaaammmnnnn! Unlike most people , I read the first one when it first came out and didn't read another one until this year and then I was hooked.I took a little break at Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and when I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the theater, I rushed home and started back up again. I must say that I think that was the way to do it, because I didn't have to wait for the next book to come out. Now that's what I'm talkin about! So now it's over and even though it was just the most exciting thing I've ever read - sorry, Eragon - I'm feeling a little down and I don't know what I'll read next because let's face it - that is one helluva hard act to follow. I mean, what to read after that? Chick lit?
And in one of life's great little moments of poetic justice, one of the characters (I'll not say who) had a patronus that was a goat. J.K. Rowling - you're my hero.

My Life is So Cool......

I mean how many people out there are trying to make a career of reading Harry Potter, scrapbooking ,AND avoiding housework like the plague while their 4 year old is surfing down the stairs on their Reebok Step? Yeah, I'll bet the step thing puts me right up at the top of the slacker pile! All kidding aside, I'm just having a little mini vacation - this is "be good to me" weekend. And that step surfing thing? I'm joking, of course - it's not a Reebok Step.

Get Thee Behind Me Satan!

The temptations are numerous..................continuing to putz around on the comnputer, resuming my consumption of the final Harry Potter book, and scrapbooking. Alas, the fence out back calls...............the very same fence that one Vincent Van Goat a.k.a. Captain Butt Head decimated a couple of days ago and I have been unable to repair due to a cumbersome little thing known as - work. Yes, gainful employment has gotten in the way of more than one endeavor that I have sought to undertake, but I digress. It's time to bite the bullet and start digging. I've got to go out and dig a huge chunk of cement out of the ground and replace it with a wood post that he certainly cannot break, and reattach the fence.

We discovered that said fence was broken when we got home one evening only to find 5 out of 8 Van Goats cornered next to the fence by the stray dog that shows up when needed to keep the goats from running amuck. Don't ask me how this dog knows - she appears to have some kind of herding instincts and vaguely resembles some type of cattle dog - but she has appeared twice now to save our goats from the repercussions of their escapes, barking and running back and forth just like a trained cattle dog would do to keep her charges in line. We are grateful to her and told the humane society that she was ours when they came to pick up dogs running loose in the area. Allegedly, she belongs to some people down the street, but since they apparently don't care enough for her to keep her in their yard, house, or wtfe, we feed her and lie to county officials when necessary.

Back to Mr. Van Goat, below is a picture of the culprit himself, getting some love from Alex. Even though he's an ornery cuss, it's impossible not to love him because as easily as he knocks the downspout off the back of the house, he will just as easily walk over to me when I'm sitting outside, lay his head down on my leg and look up at me as if to say, " I love you - now please rub my chin, okay?" He has the sweetest face, the most soulful brown eyes - what a typical male.

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Originally uploaded by lr4rr

Is there a sign on my house?

There must be one somewhere that says - " Bring me your tired, bring me your poor, bring me your stray animals. " We now have a new dog, a dog that we threatened to call the Humane Society on, but due to the fact that she herded the goats when they got out and kept them by the fence until I could get home and return them to the safety , I just couldn't call them on her. The second I put her in with the goats, she decided to "herd" them here and there at warp speed,so...........she is now living in the back part of the enclosure in relative comfort with shelter, food and water, not to mention the,uh....protection of eight goats that sometimes stand at the fence and stare at her. Everyone is chilled out now; the goats are enjoying their usual siesta and "Cookie" as she has been known in the neighborhood, is enjoying the comfort of her little lean-to in the shade. Life is good.

ALERT!

Due to computer malfunction, the posts on "It's a Goat's Life......." will be few and far between. I will miss posting, however, they just don't go for that kind of activity too much at work.( Much deception and subterfuge is involved just to post this.) Sometime next week, I'll blathering on as usual. Have a good weekend!!

Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Today, I have something new on my blog.....probably the most important thing I've put on here so far - a post by WhyMommy and the Team WhyMommy button . Who is WhyMommy and why does she have a team? WhyMommy is a beautiful lady whom I learned of through the Blogger Chicks and it became my mission to show my support for her in her endeavor to kick Inflammatory Breast Cancer in the butt. You can make it your mission too. Tell everyone you know - have yearly check-ups, get a mamogram, do self-exams and above all - spread the word to everyone you know. The more people who know about IBC, the sooner it can be caught. And per WhyMommy's wishes............steal this post again and put it along with the button on your blog/website and show her you're another block in the wall!


Monday, July 23, 2007
We hear a lot about breast cancer these days. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes, and there are millions living with it in the U.S. today alone. But did you know that there is more than one type of breast cancer?
I didn’t. I thought that breast cancer was all the same. I figured that if I did my monthly breast self-exams, and found no lump, I’d be fine.
Oops. It turns out that you don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer. Six weeks ago, I went to my OB/GYN because my breast felt funny. It was red, hot, inflamed, and the skin looked…funny. But there was no lump, so I wasn’t worried. I should have been. After a round of antibiotics didn’t clear up the inflammation, my doctor sent me to a breast specialist and did a skin punch biopsy. That test showed that I have inflammatory breast cancer, a very aggressive cancer that can be deadly.
Inflammatory breast cancer is often misdiagnosed as mastitis because many doctors have never seen it before and consider it rare. “Rare” or not, there are over 100,000 women in the U.S. with this cancer right now; only half will survive five years. Please call your OB/GYN if you experience several of the following symptoms in your breast, or any unusual changes: redness, rapid increase in size of one breast, persistent itching of breast or nipple, thickening of breast tissue, stabbing pain, soreness, swelling under the arm, dimpling or ridging (for example, when you take your bra off, the bra marks stay – for a while), flattening or retracting of the nipple, or a texture that looks or feels like an orange (called peau d’orange). Ask if your GYN is familiar with inflammatory breast cancer, and tell her that you’re concerned and want to come in to rule it out.
There is more than one kind of breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer out there, and early detection is critical. It’s not usually detected by mammogram. It does not usually present with a lump. It may be overlooked with all of the changes that our breasts undergo during the years when we’re pregnant and/or nursing our little ones. It’s important not to miss this one.
Inflammatory breast cancer is detected by women and their doctors who notice a change in one of their breasts. If you notice a change, call your doctor today. Tell her about it. Tell her that you have a friend with this disease, and it’s trying to kill her. Now you know what I wish I had known before six weeks ago.
You don’t have to have a lump to have breast cancer.

WhyMommy

It's your turn.

Up Close and Personal..........

Gussy really knows how to live on the edge. Here, he is investigating Hermione's tail, which was waving around like a red flag. I was waiting for the inevitable smack - down, but he lost interest before she was incensed enough to exert herself. It was a rather interesting exchange nonetheless. It's so bloody hot outside that if I were the cat in the chair, he probably could have gnawed my tail off before I even started to get disturbed. The backyard, is ummmm, looking rather junglesque due to the fact I am not into heat exhaustion or stroke. Now that the clover is gone, the goats have started munching grass again , thankfully. Everyone thinks that goats eat anything and everything - they don't. My guys are rather picky, in fact. (This could be due to the fact that they are extremely SPOILED - as in brats. Last night around eleven, Trixie was on the deck bleating her head off because she wanted a snack. There's no ignoring her either - it just goes on and on until you pony up the munchies. So, there we were in the back yard, doling out feed to the seriously oppressed.............poor babies.

Hey - this is cool!

What Your Favorite Color Pink Says About You:

Blissful --- Content --- Romantic Idealistic --- Expressive --- Artistic Funny --- Quirky --- Individualistic

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

Are they for real?

Once upon a few years ago......

I started a scrapbook as a gift for my friends Jeff and Casey, who got married.........well, let's just say some time ago, and well, you know, with life being the way it is and all, I haven't finished it yet. I am thinking that I will definitely get this done before their grandkids start making an appearance. This picture is the front of cover of the actual album, complete with the sadly disturbed plastic cover. I thought it was just the perfect album for pages that show their lives up to the wedding.

I haven't actually mentioned my scrapbooking passion before, but I do love to scrap and I've decided to start talking about it here, maybe in hopes that it will make me accountable to someone. Or something like that. I have to admit that so far, while I have spent some quality time in the activity itself, I have spent more time even perusing the online stores shopping for paper, embellishments and the latest gadgets. There are some really incredible online scrapbook stores - AllyScraps, Rocky Mountain Hobbies, and for looking at their incredible papers and their huge layout gallery, Basic Grey. I love their paper and it is second to no other. All their papers are heavier than most and their designs are so unique - I can spot their paper without even looking at a label. I have a wonderful time scrapbooking, but I just haven't been able to devote the time to it that I would like here lately, so from here on out, I am making a vow to myself that I am going to start scrapping at least three times a week and , uh, no more shopping . So there it is.

Never wake a sleeping baby.....

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Originally uploaded by lr4rr

Look at the sleeping babies with their mommy, Twister standing guard. Trixie is resting her head on Gus's behind and he's all curled up into a tight little ball. This is their morning siesta - something that occurs every day without fail. I've pointed out more than once that goats have got it going on.

SSDW

Same shit different week. Still hating the sinuses, hating the poison ivy /spider bite on my right arm even more. WTF? I can understand life's need to pour when it rains, but a friggin monsoon!??!?!?!? As you may have guessed if you have read this far, the morale here at the Casa Van Goat is pretty low. My poor children are wondering when the "dementor" possessing their mother is going to finally leave and render their home somewhat normal again. For those of you not in the Harry Potter know, the Dementors sucked the life out of people leaving them feeling like all the happiness was gone. Sadly, that about sums me up right now.
On a brighter note, I did get the carpet cleaned yesterday - an arduous long overdue procedure. When you have one dog, three cats and eight goats, your carpet should be cleaned, umm like, every five minutes. You can see where once a month wouldn't really be getting it. The Van Goat Ranch isn't truly set up to be a ranch, but it sort of works - the neighbors took some convincing, let me tell you.
I think pictures add so much to a post, but I have come to realize that it isn't always necessary. A good rationalization when none are forthcoming. If you do really want pictures, then you may or may not have noticed that I have attached a cute little link to my Flickr site - am I cool or what!!! Next think you know, people will actually be reading this thing and they really should, you know - the Van Goats read it every day.

Arrgghhh!

Sinuses suck and I really don't see the point - mine are completely stuffed up right now. My poor sweet angel has seen my stuffy sinuses and raised me an ear infection. She went to the doctor today, courtesy of her daddy - yours truly was bringing home the bacon. I'll be damned if I'm frying it up in a pan tonight - ordered out. I feel guilty about ordering out, but I am just too tired.

Four Year Old Tyrants

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Originally uploaded by lr4rr

Everyone should experience one for at least a week in their lives - it has to be for a week because you wouldn't want to miss one of their "personalities". Yes - I'm feeling a little injured right now having awakened to my very own "tyrant" - and she's got a bad cold. Waking up to a sick four year old just isn't like waking up to smell the coffee - it's more like waking up in the path of a speeding Mack truck - painful. If you add not sleeping well and being somewhat under the weather yourself - well that's just an equation that Albert Einstein himself would not have touched. Now, having gotten things somewhat squared away - it's amazing what "green yogurt" and ginger ale can do - things are calm once again and the dictator has left the building , miraculously replaced my sweet, smiling angel. Whew.

As it happens, no sooner than I thought I was home free(that's what I get for thinking!) my cell phone rang and it was AT&T, finally showing up to fix our phone line which has been out for a week. Do I really need to tell you - yes the phone was dead courtesy of one Vincent Van Goat a.k.a. " Butthead. When you see a black cable with little wires hanging out of it - a cable that used to be attached to something on your house - then you know there's going to be a problem somewhere. Such was the case with our phone line. Should I admit that this was the second time? So ....back to the phone call ;I loved having to answer the question " Well , do you know what happened to your phone line?" Uh, lightning, lawn mower, an Act of God - you choose."
He had the line fixed in no time at all with our assurances that we would keep it safe from the goats. So now there's a Little Tykes play house nestled comfortably up against the back of the house - in front of the phone line.

Slacker Alert!!!

That would be me, slacker extraordinare! Haven't posted in a week, so I thought today I would break the silence - I find this ironic, since it is not likely that anyone is listening anyway. (This, in and of itself, is cracking me up.) It's been a hellatious week, let me tell ya. I started working 7a-7p during the week - a break neck shift in orthopedics compared to the weekend pace. It felt good to work hard non-stop and I think maybe I lost 5 pounds - no lie. Rachel, Alex and I all have been struggling with some version of sore throat and snotty nose, but Rachel seems to be bucking for the most persistent snotty nose. I feel like a dirt bag today since we apparently didn't help her cause by going down to the flea market - my first trip ever to a flea market and not one damn flea! - follwed with lunch at Don Lo Lo's (ya gotta love that name - does it sound like Mexican food to you?)and then the grand finale - a double feature at the Wilderness Outdoor Theater. Frickin awesome - I haven't been to the drive in since I was Rachel's age. Richard, Rachel and I watched The Simpson's and License to Wed. Alex went to screen one for The Bourne Ultimatum and The Transformers. I really enjoyed both movies, but due to the wanker in front of us in the concessions, we missed probably the first half hour of The Simpson's. Other than that, it was time well spent. We backed the truck( for truck, see this)
into the appropriate space, set up the chairs in the back of the truck, tuned in the boombox to the correct frequency and Hello - that is the ONLY way to watch a movie! I don't ever want to go to a regular theater again. Uh.......yeah! I've already said I'm a redneck! Alex and I are, being Halloween fanatics - both the movie and the holiday - looking foward to Rob Zombie's upcoming version of the movie Halloween! I am really hoping that it's going to be at the outdoor theater - talk about a hella-bomb way to see that movie! I ,uh, admit to listening to his music on occasion - usually at work where the kids aren't listening. It makes for efficient adrenaline usage in the work place. We all have our dark sides.
Although I do actually have more to ramble about, we're off to get Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and ginger ale. The princess needs pampering. And meanwhile.............the Van Goats are enjoying lazy, hazy Sunday afternoon.

Wake Up!!!!!!

I'm awake, I'm awake already! My 4-year old daughter wants to make sure I'm awake as I'm sitting here pondering my sad little blog, so she's continually setting off the alarm on this cute little, old-fashioned clock, complete with 4-alarm fire bell. On the other hand, ring the bell some more and lets celebrate - my first Sunday off in over two years! Yeee haaaaa! No more working weekends for me. (Of course, having sold my soul to the devil, I will be working every day during the week. ) This of course, is to support our belief that Rachel is ready for something more than being home with mom.

In the meantime, I've got soooo much to do - it is time! I'm going to catch up on scrapbooking, baking, gardening, exercising - the list is endless. We stayed home from church since both the kids have coughs and snotty noses - naturally I would be thwarted on my first attempt to go to church in two years. We've decorated a mason jar, played V Smile games, made waffles and pizza dough and had an altogether productive day so far. The goats are thrilled to have some sunshine and are out staking their claim on their preferred sunning spots and it's looking like the caprine Cancun out there. Rachel is really getting into cooking with me - so far her specialties are pizza dough and lasagna. I have to give Mollie Katzen big thanks for her recipe for pizza dough - it's an all purpose dough actually - because it's easy enough that my daughter can do it with my help. We make the dough by hand and she has got the kneading down yo! I was so proud of her that she helped me from start to finish.I think one thing that has been so rewarding about having a daughter this time around, is that she is interested in some of the things that I do and it is so cool for her to try and imitate what I'm doing because she usually catches on pretty quickly.

You know, I've read many blogs in the last few days and I find it very odd and interesting that my life, the appearance of which is no less substantial than the appearance of the other blogs, is so different. Different to the point that we're living in the same country speaking different languages. Okay, I'm a redneck - I admit it freely - but geez, I used to be a fairly "with-it" kind of person. What is up with that? Don't get me wrong - I'm happy with my life - it just feels strange to find myself in a place that never even was a blip on my future radar in my younger days. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I used to be the "queen bee" and now I'm "Farmer Fran" and the two are not in the same ball park. Of course, I made the choice to withdraw from my life as a hottie. (Could it have had something to do with the 40 pounds that didn't go away after I had Rachel; mine and Richard's separation;or moving to the redneck ghetto?)Uh, there's a thought.

So here I am, not wanting a change really - I do truly love my life - just wanting to get back in the loop in some small way. I've been posting on Twitter, blogging my little heart out and joining every cyber organization that will theoretically put my blog out there amidst all the A-List blogs out there. But will I'll ever have anything to say that the rest of the world wants to hear?

Great book for beginning counters!

I just ordered this book for Rachel - it's one we've checked out from the library countless times and she never gets tired of it because it has ghosts and bats and all manner of scary things to count. I found it used on Amazon for 45 cents, which even with shipping, is quite a good deal. This book is a Barefoot book - you may have noticed the Barefoot button below - and while it is no longer available on the Barefoot Book website, they have plenty of other fabulous books that are!
Click here to see some other Barefoot favorites. My personal favorite? Well it's a toss-up between Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon and My Daddy is a Pretzel.

Fun day out!

This post is actually a couple of days late, this day was Rachel's first visit to her preschool and I believe it is going to be a good thing for her - I've been very anxious since she's never been in any type of child care. Her teacher, Miss Karen, is absolutely wonderful and makes out the coolest weekly plans that keep the kids busy every second of the day. She bases her plans on themes and this weeks theme is a circus theme - the next theme is pizza, which most assuredly will be a huge hit with Rachel. They are going to do everything imaginable with a pizza theme, including making pizza's and delivering them to the other teachers. Now how cool is that!

After we left the school, we went to the park and rode the big carousel, which was big fun for all of us so they talked me into a second go round. Rachel rode the lion, Aslan both time, which she remembered from last summer when we went. Alex rode an ostrich named Oscar and I rode - yes you've got it - a goat. I named him Vincent. (His name was actually Gilley.)

I am thinking we will have a trip to the zoo soon if it ever stops raining long enough. The poor goats are completely water-logged. They keep looking for dry ground and there isn't much to be had. I hate to complain, since we've really needed the water, but I think the house is about to wash off of it's little hill! Hopefully the sun will come and dry everything out soon - at least for a little while. Meanwhile, the goats are all taking turns standing in the deck chairs and I'm cleaning house.

New Look!

It's a Goat's Life got a face lift yesterday because I was really feeling hemmed in by the layout, so here it is - and I like it! I hope you do too. Vanessa Van Goat herself, stopped in to give her approval. She's very picky, you know. It has been a rainy morning so everyone has huddled in the barn except for Vanessa, who was in the playhouse, and Pixie, who huddled under the playset. Finally, the sun appears to be coming out.



Time to get busy!

My little golfing astronaut came home today after her big vacation at the beach. Boy did I miss her!!! Check out the action shot - such focus!

Sleeping UN Beauty!!!!!!!!

I don't normally post pictures of myself, but this is too funny - maybe I should've saved it for Halloween! Well last night was the big night - the sleep study. Yes, I do have sleep apnea and I will be returning for the study with CPAP. I just hope it's a cure for me like it is for all my friends who have been here before me. I should have gotten the tech to hold up the box that is connected to all the wires that are connected to my head - what a beaut!! I did not sleep well, not surprisingly, and I figured I hadn't even slept enough to snore let alone have any incidences of sleep apnea that would register on their monitor. Everyone I know says that even trying the CPAP in the lab is just incredible - like a new lease on life. Me - me - please pick me!!!!!

On a less scary note (I think?), Alex and I went to see the Harry Potter movie yesterday and - it totally rocked!!! We loved it! I have enjoyed every one of them, although Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban has been my favorite - until now. This one is even better and I was wide awake the whole time (amazingly enough - see above) Sadly, I am only on the fourth book - I sort of got sidetracked on the books - I've been busy reading thrillers and chick lit. I am back on track now and I'm going to read them all.

Rachel and her dad will be home from vacation tomorrow and they have been greatly missed. I cannot wait to see my little pumpkin - she's been gone too long! They've had a great time, if all the pictures they've sent on my phone are anything to go by, and yesterday they went to the Kennedy Space Center. I have always wanted to go there, but I just haven't made it there yet. Hopefully some day. Wonder if the goats would like to see the shuttle take off?

Not too much to say..........................

Yes that's right..................I just haven't had much to say, which is sort of a sad thing for me because it usually means that I'm feeling sad, blue, down or something negative. It's been a rough couple of weeks on several different levels, so I'm not even going to get into any of it at the moment except to say that our lives are really going to be changing over the next few weeks.
One thing I want to say, if anyone is reading is that I now have a badge on my blog for PlayPumps International so please click on it to go to their site and check it out. It is the most amazing thing I've seen in a long time. They have an e-card that you can send to your friends to show how PlayPumps work in providing people in impoverished countries with water as well as playground equipment , who are otherwise going without. I hope you'll check it out because not only is it a worthwhile cause, but PlayPumps are an example of people really working together and using the intelligence that God gave them for good instead of evil - the genuine article! Go PlayPumps!!!!!

Namaste !

I have felt a serious lack of peace and well-being in many ways as of late, so I have made it my mission to return to my yoga practice (my very beginner's yoga practice) in order to try to get rid of the bad karma and bring in the good.Yoga brings something to my life that nothing else does, which begs to question why I would ever stop - I won't dignify the question with an excuse. You can feel better by doing a great many things , healthy and unhealthy, but if you want true wellness, Yoga leaves no "stone " untouched.
It has been a while since I got out the mat, but this morning get it out I did ,and I programmed a very short session from Shiva Rhea's Yoga Shakti dvd. Generally, when I'm really rusty, I just start with the Basic program, but today just wanting to ease back into doing anything at all that early in the day, I went to the Yoga Matrix and selected the Surya Meditation, Pranayama, Meditation and Shavasana. What can I say? I was feeling minimalist this morning. And I do buy the advice about blowing your nose prior to beginning the Pranayama, which involves breathing in one of side of the nose and out the other. Even though it was a very short session and completely lacking in the movement of large muscle groups, I feel better, and doing something generally results in something getting done. . I like this DVD because it offers something for every level of practice. You can do a set program or create your own, and I like the fact that the set programs are not impossible for a rube like me. The Basic Flow is good for beginners.
If you would like to check out Yoga Shakti for yourself see below -




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You can also check out her website, Yogadventures , which will make you want to take off for parts unknown to get your down-ward facing dog on next to the gloriously sparkling azure water generally seen in parts unknown. I can feel the gorgeous white sand between my toes right now! Hmmm, I wonder if the goats like the beach?


Now - while I have sung the praises of Shiva Rhea and Yoga Shakti, I have to confess that Seane Corn is my favorite Yoga instructor. Plain and simple - she rules. Not only does she an incomparable gift for teaching, but she makes so many contributions to the world, sharing her gift of love and compassion. Her dvd's begin with an introduction in which she describes the benefits of yoga and how a person goes about receiving those benefits and just listening to her is unbelieveably motivating and inspirational. I don't mean to gush , butI cannot say enough about how wonderful she is. I have both of her dvd's, which are available to you to purchase from Amazon below -







After you've done one of Seane's dvd's, you feel like you've exercised and stretched every part of your being. Even a week of yoga is enough to make you feel a significant change in your mental and physical health. My daughter has really gotten into it, and the mood might strike her at any time to drop down into cobra, fish or downward facing dog. She has also become quite accomplished at tree pose. Iwatch her when she's in downward facing dog and feel so proud and so envious all at the same time. It's like kids are born to be the perfect yogis/yoginis. About the same time I wandered into Yoga, I also wandered onto a website called Barefoot Books. I give credit for this to Vegan Family because it was on their website I discovered Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon, which is a Barefoot Book. Eventually, I found the Barefoot Book website, became a stallholder and discoverd Baron Baptiste's fabulous book, My Daddy is a Pretzel.
From this book, Rachel has learned to do several different poses and she loves to read this book over and over and why not - it's well written and the illustration is great!



Of course, I think it would be great if you ordered this book through this blog, but in all fairness, you should check out Barefoot Books because it is such a fun website and if you did like My Daddy is a Pretzel, then you would definitely want to order more books from Barefoot because their books are totally unique and more fun and eduational than your average book!
so what are you waiting for - go look!!!! Oh, and.........................Namaste.

Welcome Amazon!

Yes, I've joined the ranks of those with a "working" blog so to speak. I became an Amazon Associate yesterday, so I will be displaying links to their site for products that I have used, liked, recommend etc. I dont' expect to become rich, but it's a way to build up enough referral dollars to get a free book or something. For example:



I am reading this right now and so far and I am really impressed with the author's knowledge and his ability to share such an exstensive practice on paper. I have to admit - I really had never even heard of permaculture until I started researching and found this book on Amazon, but as it turns out, there's a whole secret gardening world out there. I plan to completely transform my front yard over time, into a garden that is good to look at and yields a hefty vegetable crop. I also hope to be able create a more pleasing envirnment in the backyard as well, which of course, will be a challenge considering there are eight goats living back there. But hey - what's life without a challenge or two? I've also been on the Path to Freedom site quite a lot - Jules Dervais is my hero! This is a man, who back in the 90's got tired of spending money on watering a lawn that did nothing but sit there and turned his entire fifth of an acre into an urban homestead complete with vegetables, flowers, herbs, animals and a successful business. If it relates to homesteading/sustainability, this man and his family have done it and they have done it well. They even have goats!