Divine Visitors

One of dozens of monarch butterflies landing on the white flowered butterfly bush.

Butterflies are just breathtaking.  They are one of those delightful creations that take my breath away.  They always have and I dare say that they always will. Butterflies bring a sense of wonder and awe with them.

They have actually come to mean much more to me than just something beautiful.  They have become my primary symbols of faith and renewal.  Monarchs, because of their vivid beauty and their royal moniker, represent the transformational quality that faith provides as well as the very presence of God. 

We released monarchs at the graveside services for both of my parent's funerals and other times of celebration as well.   Their beauty speaks to me in a deep and meaningful way that truly fills me with spiritual abundance.

Today, I kept seeing monarch butterflies flitting by my picture window.  Deciding to investigate further, I walked out the backdoor and was shocked by what I saw outside.  I smelled the butterfly bush before I saw it.  The sweetness attracted me, bees, butterflies and a hummingbird.  There were 20-30 butterflies hovering on, around and above the bush.  Mesmerized begins to described the sense of wonder that enfolded me.

As a preacher by trade, my mind went directly to the story of Moses as he meets the presence of God in the visage of a burning bush.  This is truly how Moses much have felt on that occasion.  I was in the presence of something sacred.  Right outside my backdoor -- there was a sacred place.  And my sacred visitors were bestowing blessing rapidly.

I really believe that God (aka the Divine) usually works just that way -- bringing the sacred right to our backdoor welcome mat and readily making blessings as accessible as possible.

Winning Ribbons

As a kid I loved movies and books where kids went to the fair and won ribbons for projects they did and animals they raised.  Now that I'm an adult I hold this secret dream of winning a ribbon for the best jam in the county.  There's just something amazingly rewarding about that little strip of dolled up ribbon that tells us that we've done something well.  It's a statement piece that declares we've been approved.

Three goats and I attended the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan, Michigan.  I've wanted to go there and show animals for quite a while.  It took an enormous amount of work to prepare for the festival, to raise my goats, to groom them, to pack the camper!

My big reasonable goal was to win a third place ribbon -- the least glamorous of all.

Here's Sweet Pea (in the foreground), she won a third place ribbon in the senior doe division of the pygora goat show.  A ribbon!

This little darling pygora goat is Delphinium, Phin for short. He won third place in the junior buckling category.  A ribbon!

This beautiful girl is Poppy.  Our herd name is "The Price Bouquet" therefore the bulk of our goats are named for flowers -- we have a bouquet of goats instead of a herd.

She won first place in the second sub-category of young does, then won first prize among all young does and then, was awarded Reserve Grand Champion among all does. We won ribbons!

I was shocked, floored, bowled over and so totally delighted that three of my goats were recognized as an example of what the breed should look like. 

Now, I feel like I'm a legitimate goat herder.  It's good to know that we've been doing some things correctly in raising healthy, good quality goats. 

Be The Change

What did you do to change the world today? I changed my socks. That counts.

At our local watering hole the other night, I had this napkin as I was eating my chicken wings and Coke.  I love it when common household items can be so entertaining! This is an unusual twist on one of my favorite quotes--

                                   "Be the change you want to see in the world"

                                                                                  --Mahatma Gandhi

Sometimes being part of the solution instead of the problem can be amazingly uncomplicated, albeit a bit more demanding than changing your socks.

People can be awfully quick to spew hatred, complain and otherwise make more trouble in an already trouble-filled world.  That approach  doesn't help change, that perpetuates problems -- hatred, destruction, lack of cooperation, fear, and on and on it goes.

How can one individual with limited power and means make any difference? You can be a positive voice in the orbit of your daily world.  The effect of smiling at people can be amazing.  Most people smile right back, probably glad to make a positive human connection.  My personal belief is that prayer is a very real way to deal with life and be an active participant in making the world better. If prayer isn't something you resonate with, how about sending good thoughts, positive energy or holding someone in your heart with love and care. If someone criticizes a segment of society, can you find an alternate opinion to offer that doesn't involve hate? Engage in gentle balance not argument.

You can change your world everyday. It's a very intentional choice to embrace the goodness of what life has for us and refusing to be lessened by the negative. 

The Very Best Goat Milk Lotion

Petunia Catherine my Nubian queen of the barnyard

Meet Petunia.  She's my three year old Nubian goat.  Of our herd of 15 she is the largest.  She's a smart girl and doesn't let that lower her confidence or self worth. Petunia is large and in charge.  She is the bossiest and the loudest of all the girls. Petunia is also very sweet and personable.

In the photo above, she's impatiently waiting for me to milk her for the evening session.  I look forward to that time everyday as I share in an activity that has occurred around the world for centuries. I feel honored to be in the company of those who have had a hands on relationship with an animal who provides food and more. Petunia provides us with copious amounts of milk.  I freeze some, make soap, cheese, we drink, cook with and use as much as we can on a daily basis. 

Goat lotion is a wonderful way to use this incredible rich milk.  The lotion feels decadent in its silky coverage and it nourishes my skin as no other lotion has.  I'd like to share the recipe that I've gleaned from a variety of sources. It's relatively simple.

Special equipment you'll need includes a candy or cheese thermometer and a stick blender. 

Recipe:
                 10.2 ounces of goat milk
                 10.2 ounces of distilled or purified water
                  3.7 ounces of grapeseed oil
                   1.2 ounces of shea butter
                   1.2 ounces of emulsifying wax
                   Vitamin E--contents of a pill or a squirt from bottle
                    Some sort of preservative is advices - I use a squirt of optiphen
                     Essential oils -- about 20 drops for this recipe. This is optional as the lotion is just
                           delightful unscented

Melt the oil and butter, then add wax.  Watch this step carefully as you don't want it to get too hot or boil.  Set this container to the side.  I use a pot of water with a mason jar holding my ingredients as a makeshift double boiler.  At that point I wipe out the pan and add the water and milk.  Heat these two ingredients until they reach 80-100 degrees.  Poor the oil, butter and wax mixture into the water/milk mix and immediately mix with your stick blender for about five minutes.  This is when you add the remaining ingredients.  Blend again for another minute.  Pour final mixture into your selected containers.  The lotion will thicken nicely as it cools.  Makes about 32 ounces.

Make sure you save some of this for yourself as it seems like everyone you know will want some.

Common Ground

Meet BonBon.  She's a five month old Yorkshire Terrier.  There's a reason why they refer to terriers as the terrors of the dog world.  They are wonderfully feisty and mischievous canines.  I happen to prefer terriers to all other breed categories.  They have the most delightful way at looking at the world and I love to be around them.  I happen to have two.  My other pup is a Miniature Schnauzer named Truffle. But I decided it was time for a completely portable, take anywhere kind of dog.

BonBon attended her first obedience training class last Saturday.  She was with a baby Rottweiler and a young German Shepherd. As you may know, small dogs never know they are small and large dogs haven't a clue they are big, so I think it's safe to say that the field was level for all.

To my delight, it was a very positive class.  I've seen too many trainers with a need for dominance and control.  I have rarely felt a need to prove my dominance and prowess with a thumb or demonstrate my brute force.  With a desire for true transparency, I must admit that I currently have a nasty male goat I'm using force with, only so that I can have a reasonable working relationship with him.

With the other 14 goats, my dogs and especially  BonBon -- I want an enjoyable camaraderie with them.  It's difficult to do that with punishment as the common mode of communication. 

Therefore, when BonBon does was she's supposed to do -- she receives a tiny morsel of goodness and my honest praise.  When she doesn't do something the way I've instructed -- that stuff is momentarily withheld until we get to the correct response.  That's learning.  If she does something bad, she hears a tone of voice that she find unpleasant.  We have a great friendship forming, she loves to learn and she learns quickly. 

My dad could change my behavior by the movement of his eyebrow.  Seriously.  He could arch it up like a chevron or an upside down v.  It was a bit terrifying. It always changed my behavior and I really hated getting that look.

I think animals and people alike are much more prone to learn in a positive setting.  Relationships are much more likely to form into something positive when the little things we do are appreciated.  When you are training a four legged animal, you reward the littlest behaviors that point to the ultimate behavior you are working towards. How amazing things would be if we took the time to "reward" all the wonderful little things that occur around us. 

The WIsdom of Willie Wonka

Mrs. Humphrey would read to her class of second graders often. I remember begging her to continue reading "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It wasn't right to make us wait to find out what would happen next to Charlie, Grandpa, Violet and all the rest in that magical chocolate factory.  It was an amazing story.  Then I was able to see the masterpiece of a movie with Gene Wilder as the perfect actor to play Wonka.  There will never be anyone who can bring that role to life the way he did.

Near the end of the movie, when Willie, Charlie and Grandpa are in the wonkavator experiencing Mr. Wonka's crowning invention.  It's an experience beyond poor Charlie Bucket's wildest dreams and he will be able to live right in the middle of that dream with his whole family.  Willie Wonka asks Charlie if he knows what happens to the boy who got everything he ever wanted.  Charlie shakes his head.  Gene Wilder, with his unruly crown of hair, sparkling eyes and impish smile, replied that the boy lived happily ever after.

All these years later, I still love that movie. I was probably an adult before I was able to see the production in color.  That contribution just doubled the fantasy for me.

It isn't very often in life that we can say we have everything we ever wanted.  I'm not sure we even realize it when we do, since we are forever programmed and reprogrammed to want to have more and achieve more.

I am one lucky woman because there's nothing else that I require or need to be happy.  Sure, I'd like to be a best selling author, raise prize winning goats, have a couple more dogs, and definitely weigh less.  But, here I am just being happy and delighting in what life has for me in this place and time.

My dream of having a farm has come to fruition. My little herd of goats is such a joy. My love of crafts is nurtured by an enormous dedicated space to create to my hearts content. I have the privilege of doing what I want, when I want and the way that I want to.  This is my time to let my dreams come true and live in my happily ever after.  I don't need to be looking to the next hurdle to achieve and receive something.  I'm already there.

I'm living my dream. 

Doting mother Sweet Pea, cares for her newborns Pansy and Delphinium.