Magic Jack Calls and a Dangerous Threat

My husband is in Iraq for short time, and as always happens any time that he is away, I miss him until my chest literally aches. As he served in the United States Army, and now serves with the State Department however, there are sacrifices that must be made.  Part of what has helped me so much has been the love and devotion of various pets, especially two dogs, Ginger and Chance.  They always miss Randy when he is gone as much as I do.  Ginger was part of this world for almost 18 years, and she faithfully loved us every day she was part of our family.  Thank goodness Randy had already bought Chance for me on Valentine's Day the summer before we had to put Ginger down, I need a loyal friend who shares the burden of Randy's absences with me each time he is away.

Each evening I can call and talk with Randy for mere pennies while he is away, as we invested in a Magic Jack telephone device before we moved to Germany.  By the way, I highly recommend Magic Jack, in fact I don't know what I would do without ours. I have to hear the voices of my children and grand-children often, and that little Magic Jack device makes it possible at a yearly fee that is less than I used to spend for a single month of land line service in the States.  The only draw back for me in living in Europe is my family being so far away.  I have to talk to them often, in fact every day I call at least one family member.  Of course the ability to speak with my husband daily while he is in far away places, all of them dangerous, is such a blessing, and I really need that little daily sweet time of communication, evidently our dog Chance does too!

On this current trip Randy is on, I had a bit of

computer trouble, and could not get through to Randy for about four days, and I had to rely on email communication.  Chance had been missing Randy for a few days already by the time I got the problem resolved and got through to him the first time.  To use Magic Jack, I have to use my computer and have it on speaker phone.  It is so clear, it sounds like Randy is in the room. It took Chance a few moments to realize , sure enough, that was Randy's voice coming from somewhere.  At first he ran to the front door barking, then back to me, he ran out the back door which was open, barking as he ran all the way to the back fence before circling back into the house.  He again came and stood in front of me barking loudly, and by then I was annoyed as I could not hear Randy for the racket.  Chance next bounded up the stairs to the bedroom barking the whole way.  Then it dawned on me that Chance thought Randy was home, and I laughed and told Randy about it.  Randy then called out, "Pig, Pig, Pig!"  There was joy in Mudville!

 

 We had pot bellied pigs in our little petting zoo at the ranch, and for some reason, those pigs held great animosity toward Chance, and he towards them. There is no love lost between Shelties and pigs.  Our little dog doesn't chase a ball, chew, dig, fetch, or play any dog games at all, except for Pig, Pig, Pig. Randy found this good sized rubber dog toy shaped like a pig which squeaks loudly on a shopping trip, and against my advice he bought it for Chance.  He thought maybe Chance would enjoy it.  The reaction from our sweet and overly friendly little dog was over the top!  He despises that pig, and feels it is the number one threat to world order, and his gentle and loving personality turns from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde, at the mere sight of the toy pig.  Where ever he is in the house or yard, when Randy squeezes that pig, no matter how softly, Chance comes charging to bark, growl, jump, and attack like we are all going to die if he doesn't do something right now!  In an instant, he transforms from a little dainty Sheltie, to a rabid pit bull on steroids, and he loves it!  So does Randy!

This thing would scare anybody, don't you think?

Every night right before bed, Randy plays the version of the game Chance so loves when we go upstairs to bed.  It is hysterical to watch!  In fact, since we go to bed fairly early, at about 9:30, if we stay up a bit later, Chance starts begging.  First he goes to Randy, whines and bows.   By that I mean, he stretches his front paws forward, and bows the front of his body down.  According to the "dog language experts, this can be interpreted as, "I want to play with you."

If Randy won't listen, he comes to me, repeats the behavior, and needless to say, this begins to interrupt whatever activity we are finishing up.  When we ask him what he wants, his face zeros in on Randy, he freezes, stops barking, and listens as we ask, "Do you want a drink of water?"  He remains frozen.  One of us will then ask, "Are you hungry?"  He remains frozen.  "Do you want to go outside?"  Frozen.  "Are you ready for bed?"  The happy dance begins, accompanied by vocal rejoicing!

We go upstairs, get ready for bed, brushing teeth, etc... Then we take the nice bedspread and all our "extra bed pillows men hate" slowly off the bed, and turn back the covers...  By then, Chance's whole body is quivering... and he bounds onto the bed.  The pig is always kept under Randy's pillow, and Chance is well aware of this.  If Randy tries to just turn over and go to sleep, Chance isn't having it!  The game must be played!  Randy loves pretending he isn't going to play the game.  Chance lays his chin on Randy's shoulder, staring intently with his big, brown, lovely eyes, waiting.  If he has to wait too long, he comes to me, whining, and begging for me to make Randy play...

When Randy finally stops teasing, the game begins.  Randy hides the pig under the covers, and makes the pig move under the covers toward Chance...  Anyone observing would think Chance is capable of chewing a leg off,  as he chases the covered pig moving under the covers.

Randy has very quick reflexes, and he will suddenly pull the pig from under the covers and make it "bite" Chance in the rear.  Several other quick maneuvers bring delight to the game. This causes Chance to all but loose it!  And so the play and laughter goes for about ten minutes, until at last I am the one who must declare Chance the winner by throwing the pig off the bed, and declaring, "You got that pig again Chance, thank goodness we can now sleep safe and sound.  Then Chance is praised, petted, and hugged... his joy is complete!

Each night now when it gets about time for me to call Randy, Chance comet to me, and begins encouraging me to hurry up and call.  He now climbs in my lap, tries to "paw the computer," and when he hears Randy's voice, he is filled with joy and excitement!  As anyone who has a dog realizes, these wonderful creatures make such good life friends, and make life richer.  My husband's jobs always carry a great deal of responsibility, but he never seems to suffer from stress.  When he works, he works, and his focus is unbreakable.  On the other hand, when he plays, he plays, and a good game of Pig, Pig, Pig, well played, melts the stress of everyone's day.  Chance climbs from the bed, lays down on the floor, and falls to sleep immediately.  God brings blessings and comforts to those who take the time and love to form a relationship with whatever animals are brought their way in life. Think I'll go make Chance a scrambled egg.

I Call This Piece "Friends"

More of Those Beautiful Horses

Nature is a Part of the Language of God

^{I really feel like capturing these images defines some of my best work in photography.} 

<sup>Job 12:

7</sup> But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:
⁸ Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.
⁹ Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
¹⁰ In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

Can You See the Wild Birds?

Can you see the three birds?

This is It, Will She, or Will She Not Herd That Armadillo?

You Know What They Say About Talking Softly, Carry a Big Stick! Patti Part II

This little dog that I found abandoned can be such a trial. She is an Australian Shepherd, and is so full of energy, so intelligent, and so devoted to me, I am afraid she is going to trip me as I go down the stairs, as she tries to walk so closely to me.  Her name is Patriot, Patti for short. I found her abandoned with two siblings at a local cafe after church one day. She chews up every thing, steals jalapeno peppers from the garden and eats them, chases the kittens, the ducks, the old dog Ginger, Rocket, our little goat, and the miniature horses, (she has learned better on that one, they kick.) She torments the chickens, rabbits, and pigs, even though they are in pens she can't get in. She delights in running up and hitting the chicken wire, and bouncing off, causing what ever is on the other side to squeal, cluck, or dart in terror and panic. (I think the hens are laying fewer eggs because she keeps them so agitated.) When I found the garden dug up, holes dug all over the yard, and I mean all over the yard, she got the blame. Then I saw Patti alerting on something at the edge of the woods. It was an armadillo, and I suddenly knew what was trying to dig into the chicken pen. Armadillos love eggs! I also understood Patti had been falsely accused about the digging in the garden... However, although she is very brave when she chases and herds kittens, not so much so when she has to herd an armadillo. I promised to post two more videos on my blog to tell, "the rest of the story."  We had been unable to gently poke the armadillo with a stick found on the ground and tried poking her little hard shell with, to get her to mosey on along, as I have found where she was trying to dig into my chicken pen, as well as all over the place.  There are about 5-6 inch deep holes everywhere near the garden.  As I said, I had just assumed Patti did it. Armadillos are notorious for this kind of behavior as they love grub worms and such. If Patti will learn to bark at and hassle the armadillo, she will move back into the woods.  So here as I promised, our next effort, a BIG stick.

  

And so the saga continues... Will Patti prevail?  Will she overcome her fear, and herd Jasmine back to the woods where she came from?  Only the Green Lantern... knows ... wait a minute... that is the rest of another story...

Another of My Favorite Rooms

When I first told Randy I wanted to paint a bedroom purple he raised an eyebrow, and said, "Debra, this is a ranch..."  I told him, "trust me," and he did.  He likes the room too, but it is mainly a room for the grand-daughters, they fight over who will get to stay in what has become called, "the carrousel room."

I keep the little carrousel on top of the  armoire, so it cannot be explored by little hands that might not understand how fragile it is.

I bought the little carrousel on sale a Lowes about 20 years back at Christmas time, and the little figurines are from the Dollar Store.  I have had them as long as I have had the carrousel.  All of the little children portrayed by the figurines are looking up, and when I saw them, I knew they were perfect accent pieces, as they are perfectly proportioned.





The bed is an antique reproduction I bought when we moved to the ranch. I made the form which holds the dressing above the bed.  The floral print is another of my favorite possessions.

There is a couch in this bedroom as well.  and it is very comfortable, and when you have enough company, three of the grand-children can sleep in this room.

I love this antique chest I bought for $25.  That old gilded mirror is so heavy I like to have never gotten it hung.  The closet is built out into the room, so it makes a nice little niche for this little table and lamp.

The print  hanging above it was a gift from my oldest daughter Amie.  It is a favorite of mine.  As you can tell the purple is a very soft color, and I think it works well in the room.

                
This photo of the couch with the puzzle put together and framed above it is in exactly the colors to compliment the room and the rest of its furnishings, but looks a little too blue in this photo.  The puzzle is a mural of carrousel horses in different shade of blue and purple.

The rug beside the bed was a gift from Randy from Afghanistan which for that reason, I truly love. 

Above the closet there is space where I can display items, and that is what makes all the grand-daughters love this room so.  I have placed a small collection of vintage dolls and bears there, along with another piece that goes with the theme of this room.  It is a horse from an old miniature carrousel.

This room too is one I love to clean and make ready for Randy's home coming and the company we will be having.  Children and women love staying in this room, especially those with a child's heart. 

No... on Second Thought, I Like This One Best

My husband and I do not live an extravagant life, but we are very content and happy here at Soldiers Heart Ranch.  We have no desire to live an extravagant life either, we have dear friends, wonderful family, and a good church.  We love our little place here too, and while it isn't fancy, many in the world do not have the blessings that we do.  We are grateful to the Lord every day, and enjoy the time we have together, and count it as so valuable.

When I clean deep down, as I always do before Randy comes home on leave, I think of how much I love this little house, and each room in it.  It is where we have nested, where our animals are, the pond, the cabins, the woods, and much to Randy's chagrin, the Barbie Barn.  It is where our grand-children love to be.  It is where our military friends can rest and regroup to meet the challenges of being a military family.  It is where we pray, where we share meals, where we garden, and grow some of our own food.  It is where we sing, and I play the piano and other instruments.  I have put my stamp, and humble possessions we  have spent a life time collecting in each room.  They are probably only important to us, but to me they make our house our home.  The legacy of our lives is in this ranch house.

Each time I clean a room, I think to myself, I love this room, it is my favorite on the whole place, (we have 6 bedrooms when you count the cabins.)  So tonight I thought, "I will share this room with the world in pictures before my company arrives tonight, and I will share a room each day."   You guys can help me decide, which is the best room at the ranch.  Of course I already know what the men will vote for, it's the man cave... but anyway... the ladies will have to decide which one they like the best.

The walls in this room are the palest pink.  You almost cannot tell they are pink, and the pink sort of runs toward a rose pink.  

The bedstead is an antique reproduction, and the other pieces, the night stand, bookcase, dresser and chest I bought new about thirty five years ago when my children were very small.


 

This little chair I bought at an antique show several years ago for $20, and I recovered it, I love it!  The black Asian trunk at the foot of the bed is one that Randy brought back after serving in Korea.                                                                                      

The lamps on the dresser I bought many years ago at the Dollar General Store, and the three antique looking porcelain figurines I also purchased many years ago at the Family Dollar Store.  I love them because they remind me of my daughters.  Two are just alike, they represent my twin daughters.  

Two of my violets have found their way to the dresser, 

because the kitchen window has gotten too hot. 

 

                             

                                                                                                                  There are two framed prints, which I have had about 20 years, hanging in this room, which I love.

 Always I have lived with the truth in my heart that is the essence of this print.  I believe it with all that is within me...

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, but  the world my be different because I was important in the life of a child."  

This quote is by that really smart guy with only one name, "Unknown."

The very last time Randy and I made the trip up to Arlington Heights to perform our individual responsibilities with the 1st Battle Command Training Group, Randy bought me a tea set on the way home.  I display it in this bedroom on the night stand.

I have taken great care to make my          beds very comfortable.  If you visit me, you will sleep well.  The mattresses are good, and there is a three inch memory foam on each of them.  I have at least 400 thread count sheets, and all kinds of "sleepable" pillows, and decorative pillows as well.  I found these "furry" kinds of blankets at Target one time, the same kind of material that expensive baby blankets are made from.  You will not get cold under them, no matter how cold it is outside.


I always shampoo the carpet with Arm and Hammer Oxi-Clean Laundry Detergent.  It smells heavenly!  In fact I clean everything I can with that laundry soap, I love the clean fragrance!  Well that is a tour of what we call "The Pink Bedroom."  Nothing fancy, but comfort abounds, and we do love company!  So we will leave the porch light on, and turn down the bed if you are headed our way any time soon!  Just give us a call, see ya!

Our Little Cabins

These pictures were taken in the winter, I need some 

new ones with the trees green.            

 Inside they are cozy, and I spent a great deal making the beds super comfy!

I Love Dirt!

I love gardening, getting my hands into the soil and planting seeds.  The reward is so tangible, and delicious.  The summer garden is fading, so I have taken the steps to get everything ready for the fall garden.  Then I did the planting this morning.  There is always a great deal of work involved in the process.  I love every minute of it!

I have been blanching okra in the pot on the stove there, bell peppers too.  I don't freeze the hot peppers though, they are dried in the sun on the back porch.

I washed the days eggs too.  I always mark them with a sharpie, then I know which ones to use first. All of the scraps from the blanching of the vegetables, along with the egg shells go out with to the chicken pen to feed my chickens.  The egg shells are a needed part of the egg making process, the chickens eat the shells.  As my mother would say, "waste not, want not."

The various cups on the counter are my seeds.  I soak them overnight before planting them.  They germinate twice as fast that way.  

As you can see I use the cheap seeds.  Twenty cents max is all I will pay, and the vegetables are great that I get with the seeds. 






Guess I will go get in the pond for a swim, I'm still hot and tired after coming in from my work.

The Best Photo I Made This Summer

It was during a rain, right at sunset, looking down our road to where it meets the highway, from our house.  I captured the rain drops as they were falling, ad the eery light almost makes it look like a black and white photo.  The goose in the corner just makes the photo I think.