March Goat Milk Soap Thank You Pack

On this bright and beautiful March day, with green grass sprouting, the world is full of new things, and good news.

As I have been saying, and I am far from being an expert, I think we will see our economy on an upswing. I developed the attitude to not worry. Why worry? Worry does not change a thing. Well, let's back into that, worry does change our happiness. It does change our demeanor. But worry does not change the circumstances that led to the problem. And, as I have been saying, I encourage everyone to be creative, if you feel you want to be, start that Etsy store, fire up a website, promote your hand-crafted products in a farmer's market, or start a small business. You will be in the train car on the down side and you will be in the front car on the swing back up. For about a week the "experts" have been reporting that the economy is strengthening. I am not worried. I do hope people begin to rebuild their lives, however (those that have lost jobs and homes). But whatever it brings, be happy, do not worry.

On this bright and beautiful day it is good to see the animals outside, enjoying the sun. Occasionally stopping to munch, as Aleecia is in this photo. But more often I see the girls kicking up their heels and playing chase across their lot. Carefree worry-less animals!

And on this bright and beautiful spring day I am announcing a package on the way to Florida, destination Casa Hice. A random pick of commenters on this blog resulted in pulling Alix's name from the hat. Thank you, Alix. Her package consists of one of her favorite scents, a lilac based soap, and a lilac goat milk lotion, very fitting for spring. I see my lilac bushes are budding out green today, and I cannot wait to smell their scent in a month or so! I agree with Alix, a very nice scent.

Thank you everyone!

Premios Dardo Award

Alix of Casa Hice presented me with the Premios Dardo Award.


You know me, I'll bend the rules ever so slightly. And I also have an inquiring mind.


Did you know a Dardo was a fancy, 2 seated sports car built 40-something years ago? Yes, that is right. I do not think the car is related to this award, though.


This award is a fun one, one that tells our friends and readers more about ourselves. I love reading these sorts of questionnaires.


The award comes with 12 or so questions. If you receive the award from me, you should replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own, and add a new question of your own.


The questions passed on to me:


1) What are you wearing right now? Levi jeans (my uniform), a gray/black/red trimmed sweatshirt, New Balance (backless tennis shoes, slides?), and a red hoodie.


2) What is your biggest fear? I have a great dislike of snakes and worms, anything that crawls and slithers on the ground.

3) What was your worst subject in school? Social Studies was so boring!


4) Who is the last person you hugged? I'll change this one to, who did you hug last? Tyra my female boxer. She was doing something extremely cute, and made me give her a huge hug! Boxer dogs are constant companions.


5) What websites do you visit when you go online? They are usually business related sites.


6) What was the last item that you bought? I never buy clothes. I love good Levi jeans, about the only thing I spend big money on (for myself). I wear them for years. The more worn, the more I love them. While waiting for the new glasses to be made a few days ago I hopped over to the sales racks. I bought this crazy top that I have now coined as my "painters smock." It is light gray with teal and black markings, almost like someone took a fat paintbrush and painted these big wild flowers. It looks like it has been dipped in black paint along the hem and sleeves. It is not me. I am very conservative! I'll wear the thing with a smile on my face, fun!


7) If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Friends, I love being home. When I was in the corporate mode I lived for vacations. If a vacation started on Friday, for example, we would be in route that Friday, I would leave work early, in the middle of the day, lickity split! Now, I would just rather be on the farm, tucked away. I cannot explain it, it just is what it is for now. If I had to chose a destination, it would be a state in the western part of the United States, somewhere I had never been. Somewhere remote probably.


8) If you woke up tomorrow and were the opposite sex what is the first thing you would do and why? I do not know! I like being a woman. You should see me sitting here and snickering, laughing at myself because I cannot come up with an answer to this one! I keep thinking, where can men go that women cannot? What can they do that we cannot? I am drawing a blank!


9) Has a celebrity's hair cut ever influenced your own hairstyle? Yes and no. The Farrah Faucett craze, many moons ago, left a bunch of us youngsters with trying to do the big feathered bangs.


10) What is your most embarrassing moment? Lost a slip while waiting for the walk light to change on a busy city street corner during morning rush hour.


11) What was the last movie you watched? O Brother, Where Art Thou?, one of my favorite movies! I am not a George Clooney fan, but something about that movie, the entire show, just draws me in each time I see it. It never grows old on me.


12) If you had a whole day to yourself with no work, commitments, or interruptions, what would you do? I would try to do nothing at all. Try is the key word...try! Nothing is difficult for me to do because I like activity.


13) If you were to win the Powerball, what would you do with the money (besides invest it)? I would buy some commercial real estate and start up a sister company. I would love to put some people to work, give them good paying jobs. We just lost 8,000 (and soon 9,000) jobs in our area recently. I would also buy a larger farm. The farm would include my goats, but also dairy cows, with a huge dairy barn. This is based on the thought that I could afford help. :)


14) In your opinion, who is the most significant person in history and why? I need a raincheck on this one...I'll be back on it.

15) If you had a choice of places to live, where would it be? I would live somewhere more flexible with milk sales.

Now...I need to pass this award on to a few people...and I'll start with 9!


Kathy Spot On Cedar Pond

Amy I Love Nubians, Make Mine Mini

Jennifer Goats In The Garden

Corrie Lomond Soap

Peggy Hidden Brook Farm

Chris Johnson Family Farm

Bethany Drowsy Waters

Elaine Blog Briallen

Sue SoapyChica

Have fun!

Not complaining...it took 3 hours for me to get this posted (last night and this morning). My signal has not been very strong with the satellite these past few days! Dealing with the electronics...I am hoping to catch up on reading and commenting today! :)

Tree Of Happiness Award

Sheepishly I say, I have only said this just a few times this week (a few too many), I am way behind in blogging, commenting, and especially behind in posting this award!

Joanna of Boonedocks Wilcox gave a Tree of Happiness Award to me. Joanna has a wonderful blog, filled with great animal stories, especially cute Sweet Pea! Last but not least, Joanna is a friend that I appreciate, and yes, she makes me happy!

The recipient of this award should list 6 things that make themselves happy.

You know, silly or not, this award even makes me happy because I love to talk about happiness!

To top 6 things that make me happy in life are:

My faith. My faith carries me through so many times in life. It picks me up when I am sad. It revives me when I am tired. It gives me the wisdom to do many things that are right, the first time. It gives me patience. My faith has helped me through troubling and trying times. And when I am happy, I do not forget, I know exactly why I am happy!

My husband. My best friend. He is one special person that has looked out for my best interests. Until I met him, I did not know what that was all about. Now, do not take that sadly, it is definitely a very positive thing. It was like peeling back the layers of an onion, my own wrappings, working through things that I did not know existed. Once I realized this person was subtly helping me through life, and he guided me to do it by myself, which was a very good learning experience, I blossomed. It makes me so happy that I could cry. Now, don't you agree, that is pretty darn happy?!

My friends. I have adopted a very common word in my latter years, genuine. I absolutely love genuine people. They make life complete. They make me happy. They make everyone happy! I am one of those people that everyone looks to for a smile. The problem is, when I don't smile, or when I am quiet, I catch it from everyone. I am watched like a hawk from my best friends, down to the casual friends at the corner convenience store. So, my common response to the much-loved pressure is, "Who holds my chin up when I am not up to holding yours? Hmmm...that is a big job!" I get reminded, "We do." That is love, that is true happiness...that is a genuine friend. Thank you.

My animals. When I was a child I drew farm animals. When I went to the zoo I walked behind everyone that I accompanied. The petting area was my spot to hide in. When I visited family farms as a young child I would run around in the barns, the cow pastures, even the pig pens. Yep, I did. They were not muddy, thankfully! I remember my grandmother riding in the back seat of a car with me on a muggy summer day once. She exclaimed, "Whooo-eeee, roll those windows down! This child stinks!" Ha ha ha! I didn't recognize my love for animals until I had a few of my own to tend to. I am blessed, very happy.

What number am I on now? Ah-hah...I need to tell you what #5 is.

My work. I am doing what makes me happy. Crafting soap, putting products on the store shelf, being creative, running my own business. I have no idea what drives me, but I can say I am happy. I am elated. Very seldom do I slump. And when I slump, something comes along (the light bulb goes back on) and I am driven that much more. I truly believe that each and every person that has a desire to do something in life, something creative, should do it. Give it a whirl! Do not let anyone stop you. Finances may hold you back today, but find a way to do it as soon as possible, and do not let any good intended well-wishers stand in your way! And guess what? Work is NOT work when you are happy doing what you are doing!

My age. I am happy to be 50 years old. I realize now that I hold a lot of wisdom, but more importantly, I am wise enough to know there is always room for growth, with much more to learn. Bring it on! This is a wonderful age. The best is yet to come.

There are a lot of things and people in my life that make me happy (my sister, my farm, books, gardening, music, primitive furniture/crafts), too much to list!

Now...I am going to give this award to 6 blogs written by people that bring me happiness! I like this award, may the branches of the tree reach out and bring more happiness forward. :)

Thank you for your smiles...

Amy I (Heart) Nubians, Make Mine Mini

Alix Casa Hice

Corrie Lomond Soap

Heidi Soapaholics Anonymous

Kathy Spot On Cedar Pond

Jennifer Goats In The Garden

Lemonade Stand Award

I received a Lemonade Stand award from Hidden Brook Farm. I am honored! I love The Hidden Brook Farm blog. We share many interests, and even better, she is a wonderful friend!

I have not yet completely followed through the steps yet for the Butterfly Award that I recently received from Alix of Casa Hice.

Because I treasure all blogs, and read such a variety, some that I follow annonymously, some I have book marked without following, etc..., it is extremely difficult for me to select 10 blogs to award, much less 20.

I look upon this as a very positive situation to be in, to be honest. I love all of your blogs!

So, I am going to select one blog to receive the Lemonade Stand award, and I plan to give the remaining 9 awards throughout the year.

Sweet Cottage Dreams, please accept a Lemonade Stand award from Annie's Goat Hill! Congratulations! I love your blog, and I love your crafty work!

The Lemonade Stand award rules are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post

2. Nominate 10 blogs that show gratitude or great attitude or both

3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post

4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog

5. Share the love and link this post to the person whom you received your award from

Enjoy!

Butterfly Award

I am honored to report that I have received a Butterfly Award from Alix, of Casa Hice. Alix is a fun lady, one that is a joy to talk with, a supportive friend, and one that definitely writes an entertaining blog! You might not want to take a sip of coffee or pop before you sit down to Ms. Alix's blog!

Blogging is a great way to make new friends, connections across the globe. I feel blessed that we have the means to network with so many people. Being able to write is something that I treasure, and being able to read other's blogs is something I look forward to each day!

All blogs take time and effort. Blogs that are simple are just as valuable as those that are elegant and fancy. Spilling your heart, knowledge, and passions out in print, for the world to see, deserves acknowledgement. But choosing one single blog to give an award to, or ten blogs to give an award to, is very difficult (for me). The reason is, they all deserve an award because they were put together by someone with thought behind them.

So, here is what I am going to do. I am going to post the rules for the butterfly award, but the rules I am going to follow will be bent slightly. My goal is to choose at least a recipient per month for a Butterfly Award. This means that my award giving might stretch over a 10 month span.

When I give an award, it will be given for whatever reason I see fit at that time. It might be awarded to someone having winter doldrums that needs brightening up, it could be given to someone that has a great blog, it might be given for one particular interesting blog post, and it might just be awarded randomly.

That is my plan...and here are the blog rules that have been handed down to all recipients of the Butterfly Award:

1. Put the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. Award up to ten other blogs.

4. Add links to those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message for your awardees on their blogs.

6. Is my own rule, HAVE FUN!!!

Today I have decided to award one blog. This is being given to a lady that has been a good friend, Amy, of I (love) Nubians, make mine Mini!, Pine Pod farm.

I met Amy going on 4 years ago through a goat forum. She is a positive young woman, one that lovingly tends to her goats and farm critters, and is very dedicated to her family and friends.

Amy helps me in many situations. Just the other day, for example, a blogger reported that they were not seeing photos correctly on one of my blog posts. I knew I could email Amy and that she would be Johnny-on-the-spot, reporting what she saw. She did it, and I know I can trust every word she says. That is friendship. A good genuine friend! Thank you, Amy!!!!

I will have my eyes and ears open to more award deservings...you just never know. I could award the remaining 9 tomorrow, but I'll take my time more than likely! :)