oh shit!

I've been working on a post that I had planned on publishing this morning except I spent the past hour and a half cleaning out the chickens coop. We had been using straw in a deep bedding method, but with all the rain, water had started to creep in the edges of the coop and the straw has gotten wet. Our coop is well ventilated, but wet poopy straw is bad, very bad.
As I was raking up the stuff I actually had to leave and start heaving. For those of you who don't have chickens, may I recommend you find a friend or neighbor with chickens and ask them if you can clean out their chicken coop. This is an experience everyone should get to enjoy.
Oh, by the way I forgot to mention that it was 65 degrees at 7:30 this morning so I was working up quite a sweat that just added to the excitement of sliding around in mud, 6 inches of straw and chicken shit!
I replaced the straw with rice hulls, about 4 cubic feet to be exact. The coop looks so nice and smells so much better. I'm off to soak in a bath. Have a pleasant day all.

Winter Weather

So last week in South Mississippi it snowed. I grew up in Mississippi and trust me snow is a big deal. The entire state has to stand still. I love that sort of snow. It just last for two or three days, every thing is covered, it’s beautiful, and then it's gone.

Friday we were under a winter weather advisory. It’s been in the 30’s and 40’s everyday for a while so I was hoping for snow that would stick for a couple of days. Did we get snow? No, we got sleet. Sleet ugh! That’s no fun. And yesterday it melted. The weatherman said it would be in the 50's and even the 60's, I think he needs to back to school. It's 38 degrees and overcast! Everything is wet and mucky! Where's my snow!?!

(icicles melting)

viral linking?

This link loving in 2008 came from JayeDee. I have randomly selected 5 of you below to be tagged and I hope that you will similarly publish this post in your blog. You will have to tag 5 other bloggers and just keep adding on to the list. (Do not replace, just keep on adding! Yes we hope it will be a long list!)It’s real easy! Tag others and see your Technorati Authority increase exponentially! The benefits of Viral Linking:
- One of the fastest ways to see your technorati authority explode!
- Increase your Google PageRank fast
- Attract large volume of new traffic to your site
- Build your community
- Make new friends! Add your blog url here...The Strategist Notebook Link Addiction Ardour of the Heart When Life Becomes a Book The Malaysian Life Yogatta.com What goes under the sun Roshidan’s Cyber Station Sasha says Arts of Physics And the legend lives My View, My Life A Simple Life What Women REALLY Think Not Much More Than This life in the lost world, the suburban farmer, you're next!
Now, add/tag 5 of your friends blogs… I'm adding Wisteria, Sam, Julie, Doobiewah, and Rookiemama all Mississippi bloggers!

Who me

I was awarded the Bloggers with Integrity Award for Staying True to Your Beliefs by Ann over at Sharp Spiels. I was told to Pay It Forward, so here it goes.



There are 5 categories to this award:

**I award the Bloggers with Integrity Award For Creativity to Kelly at Outside The Lines. Even though she on hiatus from her blog at this time, she has wonderful and creative ideas that she had posted.

**I award the Bloggers with Integrity Award For the Spirit of Giving to Karen at Between the Worlds . She is an example of a wonderful Christian mom.

**I award the Bloggers with Integrity Award For Staying True to Your Beliefs the Smocklady at Her blog. She expresses her spirituality in a wonderful and very human way.

**I award the Bloggers with Integrity Award For Keeping it Real To MommaTader Doodles over at Too Busy to Clean. She speaks her mind and can usually put a great spin on her life.

**I award the Bloggers with Integrity Award For Social Conscience Jayedee over at Life in the Lost World . She has a recent entry about farming that My favorite husband I just loved. I recommend you go and check it out!

So there you have it. These bloggers are amazing and deserve their awards more than I do. So now I'm asking them to Pay It Forward and give this award to others.

God's Grace

This morning we started a new study in our Sunday school class. We are using On This Rock it's about the disciple Peter. We discussed that Peter was very much like any ordinary man. He had a home, a job, and he made mistakes, many of which related to his impulsiveness.
He had a knack for saying and doing things impetuously. I can totally related to sticking my hand up and saying the wrong thing or volunteering to do something, like walk on water, to some how lose faith, and start sinking. I thought it was important to note that Peter was the first disciple and that even though he denied Jesus he was forgiven and went out to lead many to to Christ.
We were ask to think about what discipleship means and how we can grow as disciples of Christ. My understanding of a disciple is that it is anyone who who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of Jesus Christ. I think this is something that we can all do.
In our children's moments this morning Barb had a paper bag and the kids had to guess what she had inside the bag. She gave them lots of clues and finally they guess that she had a light bulb in her bag. She talk to them about how important it is for us to share the light of Christ and not keep it hidden.
I thought that was a wonderful analogy for how many of us tend to hid the light and not share it with others. I think most times I afraid of what others will think and I, like Peter, deny Christ. I don't blatantly deny Him, but I do deny Him by not sharing when the oppertunity presents itself.
Peter was ordinary, as am I and he was called, as am I. I pray that I hear that call and answer it with a life of Christian discipleship.

Boys will be boys?

Trying to look back over the past couple of weeks just wears me out. Manchild is grounded again. He got grounded right after Christmas for 1) sneaking and playing his Nintendo DS after he was told to put it away, 2) running off to a friends without telling an adult, 3)sneaking and playing with his bow and arrow without adult supervision and 4) not coming home when he was told to do so. Now he's grounded for 1) playing in the creek after being told not to go near the water and 2) coming home late. Oh how I love to be the big mean momma.
My momma laughed at me and reminded me of all the trouble I got into. My favorite father-in-law laughed and told me of all the trouble my favorite husband got into at Manchild's age. Is all that supposed to comfort me or just drive me over the edge!?!
I'm tired of hearing that boys will be boys. What exactly does that mean? Am I supposed to just laugh it off and let him run wild? How will he ever grow into an intelligent, loving adult if I let him run wild? Ugh!!!!!!!
People support me on this, please. I think he needs to learn to follow directions and to make safe decisions. Playing in a creek, shooting a bow and arrow, and running off the a friends house whenever he please doesn't make any sense. At the rate he's going he'll never see adulthood.
Forgive my rant, but children need direction!

New Years Day

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