SISTERHOOD

Sisterhood.  This is such a foreign concept to me.  I did not join a sorority in college.  I usually had one on one relationships in high school rather than traveling with a "pack" of girls.  I played softball and basketball and had many friends from team sports, but not sisters.  My biological sister and I fought from the day she exited the womb.  Our fights were so often and so bad that my father would make us fight in the front yard like boys.  There were bald spots from hair pulling and long scratches down arms.  She was the queen of grabbing a chunk and ripping it right out of my scalp.  My forte was a little like Wolverine from X-Men...  My claws were a thing to be reckoned with.

To this day, my sister and I have a very rocky relationship.  I wish it were different but have accepted that it is what is.  It bothers me most during the holidays when we are sitting across the table from each other and the conversation is very cordial.  That's when I miss having a sister the most.

But it was not until a few weeks ago that God revealed to me that I have something very precious.  I have three sisters!!!  The first is my sister in law Karen.  Karen welcomed me with open arms into her family.  She accepts me for exactly the way I am.  She makes me laugh and her annual summer visit to the farm is something we look forward to for months.  Karen has mailed family photos to me of my husband's parents who were deceased before we married.  Although they are no longer with us, it makes me feel like I'm connected to their whole family.  Early on in our relationship we started calling each other SISTA and still do to this day.

My second sister is Vickie.  Vickie and I worked together and were assigned to implement a new customer in Mexico.  This required hours and hours of work and days on end of being cooped up with each other in a hotel.  We bonded immediately.  We've been through divorces, spiritual transformation, kids growing up and life trials.  Vickie and I pray together on the phone and tell each other things we really don't want to hear, but need to hear.  It's funny that Vickie started calling me TITA.  This is what my biological sister called me when she could not pronounce sister.

My third sister is Karen C.  Karen and I met at church.  She is 20+ years my senior.  I don't exactly remember how we bonded or why.  It just happened.  I felt an immediate connection to her.  Karen C. has been in my life for about 3 years now.  One day at church she took me aside and said "you remind me so much of myself at your age".  Little did I know that Karen would become my Stephen Minister and walk along with me during a very challenging time in my life.  We meet once per week and she just listens.  She reads scripture to me and loves me.  She calls me LITTLE SISTER.

Now, I started this blog telling you how much I've missed having a sister and being a part of that thing called sisterhood.  But now I realize that God hand picked not one, but THREE sisters for me.  They all have different names....SISTA, TITA, and BIG SISTER.  They are all precious to me.  I am a better person because they are a part of my life!

Shirley and the Great Escape

Last month friends from our church ask if we wanted a fainting goat.  They knew a lady near us who was trying to find a home for one of her baby goats.  Although I have always wanted a fainting goat, my initial thought was can we take on another animal?  Hubby and I had been talking about making goat's milk soap and knew we were going to have to try our hand at goat farming. 

After a few introduction phone calls, we were set to pick up the baby in about four weeks.  Several weeks late, my husband returned from a business trip with an idea for the goat pen/shelter.  I took several days off and we went to work constructing the pen.  After we finished, we felt so proud at our shelter and it was an wonderful opportunity for us to reconnect from his 2 weeks on the road.

We picked up the little black and white fainting goat and named him Sherman.  Upon putting Sherman in his newly constructed home, he was so little he jumped right through the holes in the pen.  We never imagined he'd fit through a 4 inch hole, but he did.  We put Sherman in our dog kennel in the kitchen and hubby went to work adding chicken wire to the outside of all the fenced area.  The extra wire worked and Sherman was happy in his new home.

Worried that Sherman would be lonely, we decided to go to the Saturday goat auction in Carthage.  We purchased a nanny and headed home.  We named the nanny "Shirley" and introduced her to Sherman.  After we felt comfortable that all was well, we headed into town for dinner.  As we sat at the long community table in the center of the restaurant, we told our goat adventures of the day. Including tales of me getting stuck in the dog kennel with Shirley after trying to get her out of the truck.  Hubby has pictures to prove it!

As we arrived home, my hubby went to close the chicken coop and check on the goats only to find Shirley was gone.  We think she jumped up on a hay bale and right over the fence.  Hubby searched for her by spotlight and four wheeler but she was no where to be found.  Our biggest concern was that she would end up being coyote food. 

We woke up the next morning had our coffee and decided we would take a ride around the farm.  We were not hopeful that we would find Shirley, but had to try.  We spent about an hour riding, visiting neighbors to see if anyone had seen a "rogue" goat, but no luck.  We gave up and headed home to get some projects done on the farm.

We had only been home about 10 minutes when we heard Sherman sound off and another goat calling in response.  IT WAS SHIRLEY!!!!  She made it through the night and was trying to find her way home.  It was obvious that she wanted to get back to Sherman.  We led her into the yard and cornered her near a tree.  My husband picked her up and we put her back in her pen. 

It was such an awesome miracle that she survived the night.  We said a few prayers for the divine help we received this morning.  We picked some dandelions and hand fed them to Shirley.  It was an even more beautiful morning than it had originally started.  The sun was shining and we spent the rest of the day working on the farm we love.

Redgate Refuge

To say our house is smaller than most would be an understatement.  We live in a 1920's farmhouse.  I can't say that it's my ideal house, but it feels more like home than any other place I've lived.  About 6 years ago my job required that I travel extensively.  Mostly in the US, but I also spent a good bit of time in Mexico.  And the one thing that kept me going during that grueling travel schedule, was knowing that my little farmhouse would be waiting on me.  I would fantasize about sitting on the front porch with my husband drinking coffee and watching cows in the pond yard.  I could not wait to step off that plane and jump in my car to take I-40 home.

Over the years, our farm has been refuge for many animals.  When the recession began in 2008, we began to notice more and more dogs were being dropped off in the country.  Six of those lucky devils ended up finding a home at Redgate Farms.  I used to imagine that our 2 dogs would sneak down to the end of our lane and "coach" the strays on how to win us over. 

Then there was the arrival of our cat, Meow.  Neither my husband nor myself are "cat people" but this cat sat in our pasture for weeks and watched my husband work.  She gradually found her way to our porch and into our hearts.  She has now befriended our dog Izzy and likes to lay with her on Saturday mornings.

The farm has also been a refuge for friends in times of trouble.  Sometimes for weeks and other times just an overnight stay is all that is needed to heal.  Friends will visit during hunting season.  Family will vacation during the summer.  But there is one common thread upon leaving....they are changed.

I feel so blessed to have this farm.  It restores my soul and connects me to God through nature.  Whenever I am hurting, I grab my bible and start walking.  I find a rock where I can sit a spell with God.  I feel safe and warm in this old house.  The yard is usually cluttered with farm equipment.  There is always something that needs "fixin" or "mendin", but it's through the "fixin" and "mendin" that we are able to share this REFUGE with others.

Calving Season

Growing up in Atlanta, I never dreamed as a little girl that I would live on a farm.  I am constantly amazed at the joy I receive from farm life.  One of my favorite times of year is calving season in the Spring.  God gives us special little surprises when we least expect them.

I never get tired of that spark of excitement when we discover a new calf in the pasture.  This past Sunday's events surpassed any birth that I've seen in the past 5 years.  I was sitting in our living room and see my husband shoot passed our storm door, arms waving in the air.  His words were barely audible as he went by.  The next thing I hear is the four wheeler firing up.  As I step outside to see what the commotion is, he tells me that our cow Baby has just had a calf.  He happen to look at the top of the hill of our farm and actually saw the calf drop.

I jumped on the back of the four wheeler and away we went.  Baby who is very used to us and the four wheeler was paying us no attention at all.  She was diligently cleaning the little calf and nudging it gently.  What an incredibly wonderful sight.  Now, many may think what happened next as silly, but I'm so thankful that I still get emotional from life's little miracles.

As I watched Baby and her calf, I began to feel incredibly privileged.  We shared these first few precious minutes of life with the universe.  Tears welled up in my eyes and my heart was filled.  We sat on that four wheeler cheering on this little guy as it tried to get up and stand with many failed attempts.  But finally he made it.

We are living in a time when we barely remember how we got from point A to point B while driving because we are so distracted with life's worries.  We live in the future always preparing for tomorrow.  We miss so much that is happening right in front of us.  Many are so stimulated by TV, cell phones and computers that it takes an act of God to excite us.  We keep a schedule that can make our heads spin most weeks.

But Sunday, we were there.  We were totally in the moment thinking of nothing else but the blessing of being able to experience God's miracle of life.  I hope that after reading this that you will not take for granted the joy of little blessings.  The everyday miracles that happen right in front of us.  Enjoy them and feel the emotion they create inside of you.

RED GATE GAL gets REAL

Okay Red Gate Gal followers...it's time to come clean.  I'm not feeling very encouraged this morning.  I sit here with coffee beside me and lap top in hand, but I am having a hard time coming up with an encouraging topic for my Saturday morning musings.

The last year has been tough on many fronts for hubby and I.  Some things I've shared with friends and family and other things I've kept within the safe confines of the farm.  It's been a year of change and a journey of self discovery on my part.  At times life has felt very frustrating and overwhelming.   Having a Type A personality and being a perfectionist is a sure fire recipe for disaster.

So...Hello..my name is Red Gate Gal and I am a perfectionist who cannot say NO, I have issues with setting boundaries and realistic expectations for myself.  I am learning that the person I have been creating these 37 years to meet the expectations of others may not be who I am really am.  It's been a long battle of fighting against this person who I've suppressed for many years.

This is a scary place to be...funny that I'm excited at the same time.  I know I'm not alone in this journey.  And that's the ENCOURAGEMENT I'll leave with you this morning.  God walks with us, although at times his footsteps are soft and quiet.  But he is there so willing to catch us with big arms of love when we just collaspe from exhaustion.  We forget this, we try to handle it on our own never wanting to trust him completely with our burdens.  I can't wait to see what this year brings and I'm a little lighter this morning.  Giving a little to GOD each day...but hey I'm a recovering Perfectionist...I can't give it all to him at once now can I???  LOL.

A Farmgirl's Hope for Spring

Living on a farm in the winter can make you question if ALL the hard work is worth it.  The snow and the rain turn the ground into fields of mud and muck.  I am lucky that most mornings my husband handles the farm duty to allow "The Queen of the Farm" her full dose of beauty rest.  But there are those mornings when he is traveling that the farm chores are left on my shoulders.  I don't complain, but it's not a walk in the park.  It's a trek in the 9 degree, snowy, rainy, dark, cold tundra.

The animals depend on us and we depend on them.  Therefore, I make my way to our mud room and put on the farm garb.  My stylish attire consists of dirty bib overhalls, a ski mask, $5.00 down jacket (what a deal!), and my gloves.  I grab a flashlight and head out the door.  As I walk through the gate, I pray the cows don't hear me before I can dump feed in their troughs.  Walking through thousands of pounds of beef as I get stuck in the mud is extremely scary for me.

I walk and have a conversation with myself.  A little like Sally Field in Sybil, but I know you understand as I've laid out the visual in the previous paragraphs.  Sybil and I continue our chores from the muddy (an understatement) barnyard to the chicken coop.  I open the henhouse door and throw corn as I yell....Here Chick, Chick, Chick.    The "girls" as we call them, are reluctant to leave their warm laying boxes.  I can't really blame them.

As I make my way back to the house, I hear the cows who have now arrived at their troughs.  If it's late enough in the morning, I can see swollen bellies filled with calves who will be dropping soon.  Then it dawns on me that Spring is on it's way.

I begin to dream of putting my hands in the dirt.  I can see Henrietta with her calf suckling in the field while Guido our bull is deciding whose next.  The excitement of days to come of picking strawberries and peaches begins to find hope inside me.  I can taste fresh tomato on bologna sandwiches and it is more than I can stand.  Taking morning four wheeler rides with my husband to experience the day waking up before us are times that I treasure.  And my oh my, rocking on my porch watching bird after bird come to the feeder is something you just have to experience for yourself.

When I was a little girl, living on a farm was no where in my plans for life.  But, thank GOD I have this wonderful blessing.  As I sit here and write this morning, I can hear the winds of winter outside and feel the cold draft in this old house blow across my feet.  I'm reminded that good things are always better when you've had to work for them.

So we'll continue to work through the winter as we do each year.  Because the mud, muck and cold are so worth it to experience the amazing blessings of Spring!

Eat Your Heart Out Julie Andrews!

Oh the things that make us happy!  Ever taken the time to write down your favorite things?  On days when I'm feeling down or the forecast shows no sun for days, I remind myself of the things that bring me joy.  Today was one of those days.  I have just returned from the doctor and was given a prescription for round 2 of antibiotics.  Z-Pack to fight a cold I've had since December 26th.  I battled wind and rain going into the pharmacy.  UGH!  Julie Andrews's performance in The Sound of Music is playing in my ear.  I am now in my PJ's with a warm blanket and thinking about a few of my favorite things.  A good exercise to make you smile.

Yellow roses

The first veggies that start to appear in the garden

Noticing a newborn calf in the field

Being moved by music

Receiving cards in the mail

My husband

Cheesecake

Rocking on our front porch

Being a grandma

Making homemade bread

Watching the birds at our feeder

My friend Vickie

Wearing strappy sandals

Reading

Dancing

Fly Fishing

Our Dogs

Walking in summer grass

Walking on the beach

Indigo Bunting's song

Conquering a fear

My "Sista"

The love of my family