The Front Porch Swing

[Blooie]

Blooie your stories make my day... please write book. I would buy several for friends and family. As they all need sunshine in their life. You could call it "Blooies soup for the soul".

More like "Blooie's Slop for the Soul!" LOL But thank you kindly. Hey, if I sold enough books, I could build a bigger coop! Kinda like re-cooping my investment!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: I am glad shes still in the family.... I promised Katee she would have a home for life when she came here. I was her fourth owner. She went from the breeder in Idaho to a big Show barn in Washington state as a weenling.... She didnt have the size they wanted so they sold her as a 1.5 year old. (its called a long one year old)

She went to a family as a birthday present to the wife who had fallen in love with her at the show barn. This family was breeding Paint horses. When Katee came off the truck she had a big red bow tied in her mane and a birthday card. She was also 15 hands. The same size as their paint horses. She was put in the pasture with a young stallion. With the idea of breeding painted draft horses. 20 years ago the breed was still being developed. She wasnt old enough to have babies and she beat the stallion up... LOL. Taught him his manners.

By the time she was four she was almost 17 hands and about 1500 lbs.... Draft horse teenager. And much much too much horse for the demure owner who was about five foot tall. She hired a trainer who broke her to ride in thirty days.... but I suspect she was too afraid of her size to ride her so she went back out to pasture. They placed a local add to sell her and to a one everyone that came out to look her over wanted to use her as a logging horse.

The owner at the time was smart enough to know Katee wasnt suitable for that kind of work. So she placed other ads in California. I answered one of those ads. And we chatted.... Katee was exactly what I wanted .... A fully mature Draft mare who hadnt been abused, and who had little more than manners training. Because I was going to train her to be a carriage horse an occasional riding horse all for my own pleasure no commercial stuff.

So Now at the tender Age of 20 she is living the life of Katee... Queen of the Desert.

deb

 

[Triple Willow]

If I lived there they would be worrying about me....  And the work I would put them to for messin with my goats.  Unfortunately I cant live there right now.... Sigh.  When they come to stay with their grandpa he lets em loose to entertain them selves.

Though I have thought of puttin up some discreet cameras with motion detection.  Just to Know whos about hand have it recorded if I find stuff missing.  The place is kind of a mess...  goat and wind decorated....  But I notice ANYTHING out of place.  And I can tell if it was the wind or someone messing about.

deb

Do you ever take your grandmother and stay at your place a day or two? You might could talk her into living at your place...?

 

[perchie.girl]

Do you ever take your grandmother and stay at your place a day or two? You might could talk her into living at your place...?

Mom would go for it ... Grandma is best living in her own house. There are no steps into and out of her house..... Shes still getting about quite well with her rolling walker.

Mom on the other hand is going to be coming to live with me eventually. at least part time. Mom turned eighty on the 9th. And I am hoping to build her a granny flat up there.... A place of her own and her dog..... Because of that dog it will have concrete floors that all slope to a drain. Moms judgement in dog selection and training are a big issue for me.

But on the other hand living here in the city is better for them. They both have regular doctors appointments. Grandma not so much.... Mom is a hypochondriac.

I am conflicted about mom coming to live with me.... but it will resolve itself one way or another when its time.

deb

 

[LBejaran]

If I am not in the mood for company I don't answer the door either. And I never let someone I don't know come in my house either.

When I was still married to the ex and living in WV the tax assor showed up one day. He and his assistant got out of the car and started walking around the property taking measurements. I called the sheriff's department and asked what to do. They told me if I did not know who they were to ask them to leave.

When they started going around the house looking in windows the deputy told me to take my gun and confront them. They sheriff was sending someone out right away.

When the gentleman came up on the porch I stepped out the door with my shot gun leveled at him and told him to get off my property. I scared the crap out of him. He claimed he wanted to talk to my husband. I told him he would be home Saturday. He said he didn't work on Saturdays. I told him that was not my problem. He got in his car and left. To my knowledge he never came back.

No body in their right mind goes sneaking around a woman's house when she is home with four young children that she is defending .........

This was oddly reminiscent of a story Mom told me today.

Mom had just given birth to Adrian and, unfortunately, he was stillborn. She and Dad were mourning and she had finally been able to go home and have the funeral. Soon afterwards, a man came by the house and nearly convinced my Dad to purchase five other funeral plots.

Mom was furious and upset and mourning. Dad had done something else that had upset her and when she heard what the salesman was saying, she immediately told him they weren't interested.

The man had the gall to tell her to "think about it" and "do you really want your son to be alone in that cemetery?"

Mom just about put him in a plot and told him to get the heck out of there. I've rarely seen my mother get truly angry, but she has moments when she goes into Mama Bear Mode.

Mama has always taught me to be tough and to stand my ground. I think I realized how brilliant she was when her sisters criticized her method of raising her children. We could have been bleeding on the ground and they would have told her she was overreacting or coddling us. They only let up when they realized that she was the reliable woman who cared for her ailing mother with dementia and a minute form of cerebral palsy, all while working two jobs and raising her five kids.

I hope I can as good a mother as she is. My sisters and I have come to the realization that we'll always be unlike what my father expected us to be: soft-spoken, doting, simple women. We like to work, like to get dirty, are strong-willed and we speak our minds. We take responsibility for our mistakes and we can prove someone wrong as fast as we can compliment a hard day's work. Nivia (my 16 year old sister) and I are even planning on getting into MMA for fun. We want to make sure we can protect ourselves.

I think proving to ourselves and other women that we are worthy of being amazing is the first step to making a difference. After all, I'm sure you've heard...

Educate a boy and he's been educated. Educate a girl and you educate an entire community.

 

[LindaB220]

If I am not in the mood for company I don't answer the door either. And I never let someone I don't know come in my house either.

When I was still married to the ex and living in WV the tax assor showed up one day. He and his assistant got out of the car and started walking around the property taking measurements. I called the sheriff's department and asked what to do. They told me if I did not know who they were to ask them to leave.

When they started going around the house looking in windows the deputy told me to take my gun and confront them. They sheriff was sending someone out right away.

When the gentleman came up on the porch I stepped out the door with my shot gun leveled at him and told him to get off my property. I scared the crap out of him. He claimed he wanted to talk to my husband. I told him he would be home Saturday. He said he didn't work on Saturdays. I told him that was not my problem. He got in his car and left. To my knowledge he never came back.

No body in their right mind goes sneaking around a woman's house when she is home with four young children that she is defending .........

Love it.. Back in the day (30 years ago) my sister had just divorced. Lived in the sticks and while she was working someone broke in her house and just about cleaned her out. (my original Elvis collection of albums from the '50's. Think of what thats worth today.) Four different times. So she took her car and moved it around the back. Took the day off. When they showed up, she was standing in front of her big picture window with her shotgun aimed. They ran like turkeys. didn't work though. Last time they tried to take her kitchen sink but couldn't get it loose. Sold up and moved to town. Never looked back. Ahhh, good memories.

Added content: The Elvis records came from my Aunt Patsy. She moved to Calif and worked at the company that put out his records. She knew I loved him so sent albums from '58 to about'65. Before she moved to Calif she went to the Louisiana Hayride where he had his first concert. She SAID she was able to sit on his lap and kiss him. But, you know, no pictures and that idea has been floating since the President slept here.

My family story for the day.

 

[LindaB220]

Oh, well if it was because of the "bucket seats" then it could have been any of us..Willow, or Peachy or Enola.....maybe Loving...just look around and see who has been relegated to a bucket. But my Story Bucket doesn't count, does it?

Well, it wasn't me. I don't fit on a bucket. Well, I could but you'd have to pull me back up.

 

[LindaB220]

This was oddly reminiscent of a story Mom told me today.

Mom had just given birth to Adrian and, unfortunately, he was stillborn. She and Dad were mourning and she had finally been able to go home and have the funeral. Soon afterwards, a man came by the house and nearly convinced my Dad to purchase five other funeral plots.

Mom was furious and upset and mourning. Dad had done something else that had upset her and when she heard what the salesman was saying, she immediately told him they weren't interested.

The man had the gall to tell her to "think about it" and "do you really want your son to be alone in that cemetery?"

Mom just about put him in a plot and told him to get the heck out of there. I've rarely seen my mother get truly angry, but she has moments when she goes into Mama Bear Mode.

Mama has always taught me to be tough and to stand my ground. I think I realized how brilliant she was when her sisters criticized her method of raising her children. We could have been bleeding on the ground and they would have told her she was overreacting or coddling us. They only let up when they realized that she was the reliable woman who cared for her ailing mother with dementia and a minute form of cerebral palsy, all while working two jobs and raising her five kids.

I hope I can as good a mother as she is. My sisters and I have come to the realization that we'll always be unlike what my father expected us to be: soft-spoken, doting, simple women. We like to work, like to get dirty, are strong-willed and we speak our minds. We take responsibility for our mistakes and we can prove someone wrong as fast as we can compliment a hard day's work. Nivia (my 16 year old sister) and I are even planning on getting into MMA for fun. We want to make sure we can protect ourselves.

I think proving to ourselves and other women that we are worthy of being amazing is the first step to making a difference. After all, I'm sure you've heard...

Educate a boy and he's been educated. Educate a girl and you educate an entire community.

I actually got a job years ago to work in a funeral home. I thought I would be helping people when they came in . During the training it became apparent it was one of those advertising things where you look in the obits and then call surviving relatives and try to sell plots. Couldn't get out of there quick enough. Talk about insensitive.

 

[Triple Willow]

Oh, well if it was because of the "bucket seats" then it could have been any of us..Willow, or Peachy or Enola.....maybe Loving...just look around and see who has been relegated to a bucket.  But my Story Bucket doesn't count, does it?

If y'all are going to make me sit on this bucket I'll be needing two - one for each cheek. LOL

 

[Triple Willow]

        Love it..   Back in the day (30 years ago)  my sister had just divorced.  Lived in the sticks and while she was working someone broke in her house and just about cleaned her out.  (my original Elvis collection of albums from the '50's.  Think of what thats worth today.)  Four different times.  So she took her car and moved it around the back.  Took the day off.  When they showed up, she was standing in front of her big picture window with her shotgun aimed.  They ran like turkeys.  didn't work though.  Last time they tried to take her kitchen sink but couldn't get it loose.  Sold up and moved to town.  Never looked back.  Ahhh, good memories.   

Added content:  The Elvis records came from my Aunt Patsy.  She moved to Calif and worked at the company that put out his records.  She knew I loved him so sent albums from '58 to about'65.  Before she moved to Calif she went to the Louisiana Hayride where he had his first concert.  She SAID she was able to sit on his lap and kiss him.  But, you know, no pictures and that idea has been floating since the President slept here.     My family story for the day.

I'm glad I have dogs that act a fool when anybody comes around. They can hear the trashman slowing down way before he gets ready to turn in the driveway and start in with the rabid dog act. I'm beginning to think they have figured out what day he comes! lol If they weren't so convinced that he is stealing when he takes the trash bags they might not hate him so. I think I am going to get a bigger more intimidating dog ...that's not really acting. But they need to cut the poor trash man some slack. lol