Vehicles....UGH!

So having a vehicle serves a purpose right? I think I'd rather move to Ohio and live with the Amish so that I can drive a buggy instead. Atleast the horses don't require insurance, they don't guzzle $1.78 a gallon gasoline, they don't put out environmentally unfriendly emissions, they don't get speeding tickets (okay so that's my lead foot and not the truck, but hey, a horse can only go so fast!) and if treated/cared for properly, they don't 'break down' when most needed (okay, maybe they do on that last one. Horses have a knack for hurting themselves on the one upright stick in a five acre pasture causing them to be lame for weeks! LOL). They are, however, willing to snuggle up to you (if you have some treats, they'll become lap dogs!), take you along on a trail ride just about anywhere (as long as it's not away from the barn or their buddies) and bring you lots of laughs from time to time (and some not so nice words as well, when they have yet again dumped over that muck cart just when you'd filled it to the top or the feed bucket)...okay so maybe there are some con's to having a horse and buggy, but heck I like horses more and my truck is out of service for a bit.

I ran errands on Saturday and it ran fine...I got up early on Sunday. Got the kids up (they actually popped up fairly quickly for a change and without complaining. I thought, this is going to be a good day!-should have known it was too good to be true). Got us into the truck early to leave, put the keys in the ignition, turned them and thought, "we're on our way!"...I was so wrong.

That truck sounded like it was going to turn over for about 2 seconds and then whah, whah, whah, whah, whah....nothing. It wasn't about to let me relish in my Sunday morning accomplishment. I was stuck with somewhere to go and no way to get there. I was bummed. So we headed back inside and got changed.

Then a little while later, I found Sophie had killed another chicken. She had somehow got inside the fence...I still don't know how she did it other than going over. Which she in fact did when she saw me heading towards her like a screaming banshee. She was getting the heck away from me! She took one leap at the five foot fence, fell back, looked at me one last time and seemed like she was praying to God for wings. She took another leap, hit the top with those front feet and scrambled over fast. I watched her hightail it to her crate and hide. She knew she was in deep doo.

She hasn't gone near them since...it could be that I stuck a training collar on her and started pretending that there was now an underground fence 4 foot from the fence line. This may take some time to teach her, but she's not dumb...just determined about some things...

Oh and about the truck. It still won't start, no one has a tow bar that I can borrow, and I'm going to need to pay $75 to have it towed 12 miles to the shop. I think I'm in the wrong business!

Gifts from the Heart...

While I love the holidays, especially Christmas, I don't like all the hoopla surrounding them. All the junk stores put out for us to buy that most everyone ends up returning later (most of it probably made in China or some other country where the laborers typically get paid a dollar or two a day). The crowds just make me a nervous wreck and I normally avoid going into Wally-World at all costs between November and January! It's insane in there on a normal day much less the holidays. I've got to where I buy some things online early, make goodies to send out and send cash to the kids. I personally like making things though and sending them out. Seems much more personal that way.

At church we ladies get together one night a month for our 'Enrichment' meetings; ours is the second Tuesday. It's a night to do something fun, learn a few new things, share our talents, and uplift each other. I am in charge of those meetings; I like doing them. Our topic last night was "Gifts from the Heart". I've been trying to showcase our sisters and their talents at each meeting. I presented a lesson on putting together jar mixes and different ideas on gift baskets to give. I made a few mixes and drew names later for the jars. I did up a turkey/chicken noodle soup mix (minus the turkey!) and a cookie mix. I had actually made both that day to try (I had to make sure they were good-I've had a few mixes before that were gross!). They were quite yummy and so I plan to do some up for Christmas...I have more than enough jars too. I brought some of my homemade bread and jam for refreshments (plus the jar cookies already made) and actually had two people ask if they could buy some of my bread on a regular basis!

I agreed so now I'm baking our bread and their's. I don't mind really. I'm just putting the money aside for now. Probably end up being Christmas money anyways, LOL!