speechless…Thoughts and Prayers to Chardon, Ohio

I am not usually inclined to re-post others work; I will make an exception today. I can not even fathom the pain these families are forced now to endure.
My heart goes out to each and every one. I send my thoughts and prayer.

http://soulsbyfarm.wordpress.com/author/dumfinger/

A tragedy occurred this week in the tight-knit community of Chardon, Ohio. Chardon High School students were subjected to a random act of violence. The senseless act left 3 dead and 2 more injured.

This tragedy happened just 10 miles from where I grew up. A rural town of only about 5,000… Chardon is a quiet place where folks love to farm, fish and hunt. Where everyone knows you and where community is strong. This hits especially close to home because my Uncle, Aunt and cousins live on a farm here. My youngest cousin graduated from Chardon High School just last year.

Our deepest sympathies go out to the friends & families of everyone affected by this horror. Please, say a prayer for those who passed and those who are left to pick up the pieces.

If you want to make a donation, a fund has been set up through the United Way of Geauga County called the Chardon Healing Fund. Here is their website: http://www.uwsgc.org/

cc/

Peace ❤
Jess

When winter finally comes, can spring be far behind? (Shelley)

We, in Upstate NY; have had a very mild, record setting, mild winter… I am not complaining mind you. It was ever so much easier going about chores in 30 and 40 degree weather, as opposed to -5 degrees in 2 feet of snow. But, now they say we are about to get 7-10 inches of snow? I am just not ready anymore. My feet are not ready to be cold, my fingers no longer wish to be numb…Finnegan doesn’t care to have ice balls forming between his toes (he hates that). The chickens still prefer to scratch for little bugs..and such (such=?). The llamas have refused to holed up in their shelters, they want to sleep under the still naked, sap saturated Maples trees… The buds on apples trees don’t want to freeze. Lexi could care less…she is happy being, well, a lab.

Old Man Winter comes by to chill my bones and the sun becomes absent and ominous clouds hang over the fields, winds blow cold down this valley…and yet, surely spring will usher in a welcome warmth…alas, we have lost our early spring.

new, old shelter...

Andy ❤

Mercedes...

Rain and Breezy

Ahh, sweet Andy.

Awe, Finni, whadjado?

Sophie, you are not a duck...

the 2 step...

Jenni with Lil' Finni

Lexington ❤

Snow is coming, sadly it is too little too late, for now I no longer wanna sled, I don’t wanna ski, I don’t wanna build a snowman anymore. I wanna plant! I wanna stomp my feet! (will that help?)
Be Well, stay warm.

I write like I talk…

It is raining here while I am sharing my thoughts about about rain. I love rain. Its so refreshing..I love how the animals seem to look out into it from their cozy and dry hay beds; I love listening to it especially at night while I’m all warm and cosy in my bed…

This beautiful rainy night brings back so many thoughts and emotions. Of my childhood, of my children, of my siblings. Rain is grace.

summer rain drops…tears of joy are my sunbeams….
It is a proven fact, no really, if you go camping with young children it will rain, it will pour, the sky will crackle and the air will rumble. There will then be puddles, muddy, muddy puddles. Sopping wet sneakers and leaky tents. There will be 20 mile road trips to the nearest laundromat to dry sleeping bags, sneakers, jeans, and t-shirts; while the little ones sit wrapped in the only dry bath towels eating Happy Meals and half frozen Popsicles. There will be cozy story time, read by lantern while snuggled into our newly laundered sleeping bags. The smell of freshly scrubbed toddlers, zipped into their footy pajamas, tired from the lakeside air and the days activity.

Sitting on the front porches of childhood; still and contemplative as the rains came down. Sometimes it was calmer outside in the damp air, it was a refuge, a soggy blanket of solace. There was peace to be found out there alone in the dark, rain…singing it’s comforting lullaby; leaving the messy mud inside. I loved walking in the rain, no one knew I was crying. Healing rain. My brothers, sisters and I walked in the rain, with sacred tears, together we were messengers of overwhelming strength…and unspeakable love. Still.

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.
Roger Miller

And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.
Gilbert K. Chesterton

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“Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain”

it is time…

Well, the un-done projects have caught up with my “must -do” sensibilities.

I am not a person who can leave things un-done for long; so I will be taking a bit of a blogging break. Not too long, I hope. I will be back; sharing photos and silly stories…

Until then, I leave you with a song.

So long
Farewell
Aufwiedersehn
Goodbye
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye

Goodbye!

I’m glad to go I cannot tell a lie
I flit I float
I fleetly flee I fly

The sun has gone to bed and so must I
So long Farewell
Aufwiedersehn
Goodbye–

Goodbye…
Goodbye…
Goodbye…
Goodbye…

Be well,
Jessica

A Valentine Video for the Love of my Life

If I had to choose between breathing and loving you I would use my last breath to tell you I love you.

Click here:

My Animoto Video.

There is nothing on this earth…

Valentine’s Day, Aah, something nice for your true love. My husband, I think I’ll keep him <3.

But,should we also remember our friends on Valentine's Day? (Saint Thomas Aquinas said; For there is nothing on this earth more prized than true friendship… and, Anais Nin was so right in saying that "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

This morning, I received a message from a very good friend of mine, and at that moment I really appreciated her, no, REALLY appreciated her. There are some people, that no matter where life takes you, they are willing to take the journey with you through the good and the bad. So I immediately messaged her back to say “thank you” and to let her know how much I appreciated having her as a true friend, even a sister. I told her I would be sharing her message here on my blog, and I hope you too see the beauty. I had some corrections, though I purposely didn't fix everything…(not sure why) you see my friend Marie is nearly blind, her sight taken by a sinister disease. As Pooh would say her writing is wobbly.

Only have a minute, but i wrote you a valentine’s story.
Once upon a time, there was this little girl. you have met her before, she is the heroine of all of my stories.
anyway, she was feeling disconnected from her loved ones far away. she went to the moon lady to discuss this matter, as the moon lady had given her good advice before.
the girl said to the moon lady, will my friends far away remember me. do they rememebr my voice, my laugh? do they rememebr that i love diet root beer and hate mice? do they rememebr that i love to sing to the radio and that i particularly love to sing songs from musicals?
the moon lady laughed, and said, Well, do you rememebr their voices and their smiles? do you remember their hugs and their warmth? do you rememebr that they hate mayonaise and love to be outside but hate to be cold. do you rememebr their homes and the way they speak to their animals? do you rememebr their children and the way they cry at sad stories? do you remember that they too love to sing and dance to eighties music?
the little girl said, well of course I do. (she was a bit huffy at this)

the moon lady replied, then so do they.
Miss you.
Marie

(made me cry a little bit) I will not to take my friends for granted. I will cherish your friendship for ever.

I talk a lot about friends, important relationships that we should treasure through out our life.
I truly believe every one of us has friends, all sorts of friends…best friends, close friends, not so close friends, blogging friends, fair weather friends and some who are just friends!

As we grow older; these relationships run the risk of being put on hold, after all ~ we have a family, job responsibilities, places to go, people to see. However,perhaps it is necessary to take the or create the opportunity to thank our friends for everything; to tell them how special they are and how incomplete would be our life without them. I, like you ( I suppose) rely on my friends for comfort, inspiration and advice and solace.

“No measure of time with you will be long enough, but we’ll start with forever.” A few friends and some love:

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ABC award! I really wanna say….

ABC Award

“ABC Award” is the Awesome Blog Content Award.

1.First,Thank the person who nominated you. In this case, 2! Can I even stand it? To garner attention from bloggers such as these is a huge compliment; I am not the best at taking compliments….Miss Manners would tell us;when a person has complimented you and note that it’s nice and courteous to return it in a short space of time, and I would have replied straight away, however, I have been dealing with a bit of a flu-ish thing. I won’t go into all of the gory, unpleasant details; let it suffice to say YUCK. I would like to send a really big thank you, they were very generous and I just really wanna say how appreciative I am to them. It means a lot that you took the time to nominate my blog for the ABC Award. I just think you’re awesome for that. I would also like to say that I had a wonderful time visiting their blogs, I think you will too.

http://allaboutlemon.wordpress.com/
http://lostupabove.wordpress.com/

2.There are no limits to how many blogs I may nominate:

Winsome Bella; Oh, the stories she tells, and the pictures she shares…you will be enthralled, give her a visit, you will not be disappointed.

96arley ,join him on his journey, you are sure to find beauty.

Pairie wisdom; if you haven’t smiled today…head on over; you will!

The Kitchen Garden; looking for a change of scenery, or a great recipe…C will fix that!

This little light; head on over to see what she is up to; if it happens to be Tuesday…it’s craft day!

3. Share some things about you but alphabetically just a word or two about you and or anything that interest you, starting with each alphabet. (Or alternatively, just write the first word you think of…or whatever makes you happy on how you’d like to represent your words)

A) Art
B) Beauty
C) creativity
D) Decorate (anything or anyone that will stay still long enough)
E) energy
F) finish ( at least one project,hee hee)
G) generous
H) happiness
I) interests (never stop looking for new)
J) joking
K) kisses
L) Love
m) more, love and kisses
N) Niceness matters
O) oops, all of the grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, and typos, I notice AFTER I press “publish”
P) pennies from heaven
Q) quirky
R) restless
S) soups
T) thankful
U) unforgettable
V) Veronica, one of my sisters
W) What?
X) Xanadu
Y) yellow flowers, evening primrose…one of my favorites, one time I gave these to many people I love.
Z) zany; well maybe a little 🙂

I need to get out I am running low on photos you haven’t seen. 😦 I hope you enjoy these random landscape and floral shots.

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But for the grace of God go I
I must’ve been born a lucky guy
Heaven only knows how I’ve been blessed
With the gift of your love
And I look around and all I see
Is your happiness embracing me
Oh Lord I’d be lost
But for the grace of God

Thank you all for your support and for taking time out of your day to read my blog;(a song by Keith Urban).

Be well,
Jess

as the moon rises,the sun sets on another day….

I have decided to post a bit differently today; all of these photos were taken late in the afternoon yesterday. My young neighbors,William, Andrew, and I were walking about the farm just as the sun was setting. They were just coming home from their busy days and I was just winding up mine; heading in to start dinner, and expecting Barb and Marty to rescue us with more panels to keep the new llamas safe.

I hope you enjoy the photos and the sentiments I attached to each.

Thoughts?

Take care and be well
Jess

Livin, lovin and learning

Life on the farm can be disappointing as well as exciting Working in the home is a great way to pass a long winter. We added three new llamas to our herd this month. We welcomed Giovanni, Sweet Phantom’s Cafe, and Cinnamon. Three beautiful llamas! Friday after noon, the sun came out and the earth began to warm. It approached 60’ish. In February. In New York. And though I know that this is just an Indian Spring (?), I still enjoyed our time outside. This was a big blessing in an otherwise chaotic and at times dis heartening day…

My facebook status…by 5pm on Friday, says it all: I would love to say it was a wonderful day, I really would. But,I have owned llamas for 8yrs and have been spit on twice up til today; Today…I have been spit on 10 times before 9:30am..built 600ft of fence in 6hrs. to be lept over in 30seconds flat, placed in another pasture jumped on, then out of a five ft chain link fence with a hot ribbon one foot above that…I love my job, I love my job…I really do. tomorrow, back to the old drawing board. For tonight I am tired, and hungry. Oh, but there is more, Finnegan (our dog) got sick all over the kitchen…because he ate a pair of pants, one of my Roosters died, and our truck is at this moment still stuck in the muddy pasture….

Ever have one of those days, days that make you question your choices, and try your resolve? Sometimes all you need is a warm meal and a good night’s sleep to bring things into perspective. Saturday, I spent the day inside doing indoor chores.(soothing my bruised pride while preparing spaghetti and meatballs for a dinner with friends) We never have time to do indoor chores when the days are long and the nights are warm. I’ve picked out a new color for the living room wall; I think a shade of slate blue will go nicely with the lightly white wash of the barn board stair case and accent wall. What do you think?

morning sunrise…

Peaceful wheelbarrow, with a promise of spring…

And, so, life on the farm continues and outside chores must be done. There is no rest for the modern day farmer.

My little farm hand..lovin on Lilia..

a snapshot of summer on the farm..who wants to look at mud, anyway?

The farm is mostly mud now, and the trees are bare sticks.. But,for visitors to our little cottage farm, I think a warmth is still felt, as they are greeted by a waddling of ducks,vivacious chickens bustling about , the big black dogs,Finnegan and Lexi, all announcing your arrival with their quacking, clucking, and barking. As you wonder up the path; looking off to the far fenced pasture you’ll see the llamas outside their barn intently watching over your arrival and a young cria running to catch up to his (pseudo) mother…Andy still likes to stick fairly close to KatDoll.

A country welcome…

Come on in…

I can hear the birds starting to sing. I hope that you’ve had time to enjoy some oddly warm weather these past few days.

Dear Lord, I thank You for the Grace of being alive this morning; I thank You for the sleep that has refreshed me; I thank You for the chance to make a new beginning.
Be well,
Jess