10 Tips on How to Be a Great Cat Parent
Here’s another helpful post from the FACE Foundation blog. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read these wonderful reminders on how to be a great cat parent. Thank you! 🙂
The Weekly Bleat
“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.” ~Henry David Thoreau Meadows of Dan, Virginia Blue Ridge Parkway
Falling
Originally posted on Almost Farmgirl:
? “Oh, I’ve never fallen off…” She thinks she’s bragging, but the little girl, or teen, or grown-ass woman (or perhaps man) who utters those words in the horseback riding world has failed to read the room. We are not impressed. In fact, the polite among us are trying not to laugh in her face. …
A Summer Fling
Originally posted on fourth generation farmgirl:
I’d like to start with the fact that I don’t normally get emotionally involved or gush over dessert. Yes. I enjoy decadent treats in moderation: a piece of Victoria sponge or chocolate cake on occasion. I don’t, however, just lose my mind over sweet things…….until last week. It started out innocently enough. My dad is…
Fun with Farmgirl
Originally posted on Meals With Mel:
Hi everyone and happy Monday! Things have sure been busy here in Texas recently and when we are not busy we’ve been out of town. Recently we took a lovely trip to Virginia to meet up with a good blogging friend of mine, Tonya, from Fourth Generation Farm Girl. So here’s a little peek at…
The Other
*This is simply an account of a personal experience. I shall not debate any aspect of politics, religion, or cultural issues on this blog. Disrespectful comments will be deleted. Thank you. Not too long ago, I visited a quaint town north of the Rappahannock River in Virginia—a place with lovely architecture, scenic views, upscale shops, galleries, and restaurants. One day, as I was exploring the town, I decided to go into one of the art galleries. I entered and exchanged a few niceties with the salesperson. Accustomed to tourists, she asked where I was from. “Virginia,” I answered. “What part of Virginia?” she probed. “I live between Roanoke and Lynchburg,” I said. To which she responded, “Oh, you’re from the other Virginia.” Let me just say…..I knew what she meant. Her tone and facial expression conveyed arrogance and superiority. It was a comment that carried a negative connotation regarding a particular view of the political, religious, and cultural identities of people living south of the Rappahannock River–what some historians call the “grits line.” I glanced in her direction and smiled. Because, y’all know in the other Virginia, many of us are taught the old adage: “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.” So, I continued to walk around, viewing the artwork silently. As I made my way through the gallery, these questions crossed my mind. “Is she trying to be offensive? Or, bless her […]
An Expression of Perseverance
Originally posted on fourth generation farmgirl:
As a speech and language pathologist, I’ve worked in a number of settings, including hospital, public school, and private clinic. I’ve also worked with adults as well as children. Although I enjoy working with people of all ages with varying speech and language issues, I find that working with children is especially enriching and rewarding. Children who have limited communication skills are typically identified and treated for their speech or language delays between the ages of two and eight; this is usually due to having difficulty expressing themselves effectively and/or having limited understanding of language. Children who have delayed speech and language skills may also demonstrate challenging behaviors, such as, tantrums, hitting, and biting. In my opinion, behavior IS communication; and, for many children without effective communication skills, it’s their only method of expressing themselves. After all, not being able to tell someone we’re hungry or really need to use the bathroom may just evoke a kicking and screaming fit from us as well. It is my job to help these students by providing opportunities to learn speech and language in a meaningful way. This may include instruction on sound, syllable, and word production as well as language treatment, including sign language and other forms of augmentative communication. This is sometimes easier said than done; as I mentioned earlier, there may be challenging behaviors to overcome. When I first began working in this profession, I…
The Weekly Bleat: Grain Treat
Last weekend, Farmguy and I gathered our sheep for their spring shearing. We’ve had a number of warm days since early April with temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s, and the sheep were appearing a bit stressed by the heat. I was happy to finally get a shearing date, but also a little nervous about rain as we seemed to […]
The Day Maud and I Went For a Ride In a UPS Truck
I recently completed this painting of our beloved Maud. “Sweet Maud” is an 11 x 14 acrylic on canvas. It was just an ordinary summer day on Green Hill Farm. I’d been busy all morning with housework and farm chores when I decided to take a little break to relax. After a cup of tea, it was time to […]
Green Hill Farm: A Retrospective #3 — Faith
This is the third and last of the Retrospectives on restoring my family’s home. Have a wonderful weekend! 🙂 Looking back on the experience of saving my family’s homeplace, I’ve realized that not only was it a gesture of love, but more importantly, it was an act of faith. Faith, or wearing my rose-colored glasses as I like to say, sustained us through difficult times and propelled us forward. I don’t know where we would have been without it. At the beginning of this journey, shortly after my parents offered us the homeplace, my mom and I took a walk through the house. I remember walking through the dark, dimly lit downstairs hallway, the musty smell of rooms left undisturbed for too long, and cobwebs carefully covering yesterday’s treasures. I remember slowly climbing the stairs, counting each one as I went up. It made me think of Granddaddy. He once shared a story of the time his Grandmother Rieley visited when he was just a boy; she asked, “John, how many steps are there?” He quickly replied, “16!” He told me that he knew the answer because of the many, many times he had carried firewood up these very same stairs. So, after climbing all 16 steps and arriving at the top, I began to look around. Metal and plastic buckets, and maybe even a pot or two, sat strategically placed to catch any drips of water. I glanced around […]
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