As my brother has pointed out, I stopped writing. We’ve been very busy.

I went back to work for a week. It was quite the vacation, there were grown ups to talk to and I could get things done with out near as much help as here at home. Cleaning a bathroom is nothing compared with getting The Goblin Child dressed to go outside. I was still glad to be done once the week was over, I missed my rotten little Goblin Child.

Speaking of which, she and I have gotten a fair bit of riding done. On trusty old Coyote not her pony yet. Having The Goblin Child under foot makes me appreciate Coyote all the more. I give her the reins and she leads him all around. With me hovering right next to her of course, the old boy is trust worthy but spooks happen. He has had lots of experience with very small creatures underfoot. Years ago when we used to calve for real those baby calves often got confused about who was their mother. It was a different gelding that got suckled, lucky for Coyote, that poor boy was standing very carefully squealing every time the calf got hold.

Avoiding that embarrassing fate doesn’t mean that Coyote hasn’t had them under his belly and wrapped around his legs. He is very careful of the child, leaning down to sniff her every time she stops. I complain about how spooky he is when we ride him but truthfully he does pretty good. I spend most rides without being able to use the reins. The Goblin Child leans clear forward onto my arms, one hand clings to the main to hold us on and the other holds the reins but mostly holds onto the main too, helping to support the dead weight laying on them. I don’t know how anybody can survive with out leg reining.

The Goblin Childs pony did get some riding time last weekend. The whole family was up for Cades birthday (Happy Birthday Cade!!!) and Ava wanted to go for a ride. That made me very happy it seems like as she’s getting older she wants to ride less and less. Odie hadn’t been ridden in months so I saddled him and rode around in a circle or two then threw her up on him. He went as nice as could be, zipping along for the first circle around the yard. Ava wanted to keep going so we went again, he slowed down a bit. Cade decided he wanted a ride, I told his mom that I didn’t feel comfortable putting him on a horse that I had barely ridden. So we did anyway and made another trip around the yard. By then poor old Odie was really dragging. Apparently that was a lot of exercise for a horse that had stood around in a small pen all winter.

I need to start getting him in shape. First though he has to learn how to step over, to mounting blocks or say my pick up so I can get on. Yet another thing I don’t know how people live without.

It’s hard to find time to keep up with all the things I want to write now that the weather is nicer and one of us wants to be outside all the time but I am going to make an attempt.

Last night we watched Brave for the first time with The Goblin Child. I was a little concerned that it might be too scarey for her but she sat enthralled. The horses, one of my favorite parts, were of little interest to her. But then the bears came on. The big fight scene at the end was fascinating.

She growled right along with them as they fought. We know what sounds bears make, they growl with their claws over their heads, and we discussed it in great detail. After the movie was over she giggled happily pretending to cower while I, in bear form, attacked her. She showed no interest in the princess or playing with a bow and arrow. No silly princesses for us, she wanted to be the bear.

I couldn’t have been prouder.

Only my mother will (may) get that reference.

But anyway, we planted seeds. My tiny little petunia seeds shot up, again. The seeds of the plants for the greenhouse are taking a little longer much to the dismay of my impatient gardener husband. It’s amazing how those incredibly small seeds can produce such huge beautiful flowers.

I have gotten a surprisingly large amount of riding done this week. Twice. That’s pretty impressive for the way this winter has been going. I think I have made it out once a month, if I’ve been lucky, all winter. Earlier this week I put The Goblin Child down for her nap and grabbed a halter to catch Coyote. The child and I had been outside all morning playing in the unusual warmth of the day and I couldn’t wait to go ride. I stepped out the door only to discover it was snowing. I was determined though and decided that at the very least we would plod around the yard.

The snow was so beautiful, gigantic flakes floating gently to the ground with barely a drop of wind, that we headed into the corn field. Coyote was spooky and hot while dragging his feet and trying to convince me to turn back. I thought things would get really interesting once we turned around, but no. He walked faster and that was all. He walked that walk that would have won walking races that were held back when horses were used for transportation and it was important to have a walk like his. He zipped and bounced and we flew home in half the time it took to get out.

Then again on Tuesday, he was at the gate begging, probably for grain not riding but he shouldn’t be begging anyway maybe this will teach him. It was cold, ten degrees maybe, we kept it short but sweet. I keep telling myself, and anyone else who will listen, that spring is coming and soon we will go outside again.

Last night The Goblin Child was playing at our feet as we watched a little TV. She scrambled on and off of the couch honing her new climbing skills. Finally as her bed time drew near she grew tired of that game and tugged at her father telling him to come with her. He pulled his hand away and jokingly told her to go wait for him in bed and he would come read her a book. She turned away and we continued our movie.

Next thing we knew she was headed down the stairs. She went to the kitchen table and got her sippy cup down then turned to her bedroom door. We paused the movie and her loving father went to keep his promise. He said they actually ended up reading three books but if a eighteen month old child is going to follow orders like that I think she deserves as many books as she wants.

I knew that I needed to write this, have known for the last week or so, but it was going to be hard and I couldn’t think of a way to apologize nicely so I didn’t do it. I am very sorry that my mother had to be the one to do it but she did it far better than I ever could have. Very well written but I don’t think she owed near this much apology especially since I was the one who started it and talked her into writing the beautifully written story she did write. Sorry mom. So here it is, guest post by Tammie:

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a short story about two churches, one I attend now, and one I used to attend, pushed the send button, and off it went to neversummer. 

True, the voice he used was our young preacher, Steve, who preached from Romans 14, but the words spoken were Gods.

Steve went on to say, do not poke at the one who’s faith is weaker, or tease him, as the worse thing we can do is be a stumbling block to one of Gods children.

I knew that was what I had done, even though I had tried to write as if I were not. 

Then midweek came, and God was not done yet.

Steve spoke again, this time reminding us of how Jesus offered bread to Judas at the last supper. Reaching out his hand to Judas, giving him the bread which represents Jesus’s body, broken for us, knowing that Judas would leave immediately to sell Jesus to the priests and pharisees. Even knowing this, Jesus offered Judas another chance, to break bread together, something one does as a sign of trust and friendship. Steve reminded us that we can do no less for our enemies, for those we feel far from or feel have wronged us.

If that is so, how could I have written something that might hurt anyone from a weaker faith who might read it?

So, what can I say?

Just that I am sorry. I did mean to be judgmental, but didn’t really think it was that bad.  God felt otherwise. 

Something happened!

I don’t know what, it doesn’t really matter that’s not the point. The point is that if you had been looking at the main street cam some time before 9:40ish you might have seen it. At 9:41 I looked and could still see an ambulance sitting there, that in its self is something happening.

Oh the excitement.

It’s a small town it doesn’t take much to entertain me. I do hope it was nothing bad of course.

And everything else.

We started the first batch of seeds inside today. I planted petunias ,Wild, Vineing, Burpee’s Best Mix and some random petunia seeds I picked from one of the pots in the yard.

My gardener husband planted more practical things. Four types of tomatoes, Jetstar, Solar Fire, Super Sauce and Sweet Tangerine. And a very impressive eight peppers, Garden Salsa, Goliath Griller, Highlander, Purple Jalapeno, Sweet Goliath, Yummy, Golden Treasure and Orange Blaze. The last two were extras because the seeds were there and we had some extra space to fill. The others will go in the green house. Later in the year we will plant the plants to go in the outside garden.

This is a whole new world for me. A good one, like taking a horse to a show, having a friend over or going to a friends house points out holes in your training. Last week we went to visit a friend at their house this week they came to ours.

The Goblin Child is our little social butterfly. She loves to see people and play with other peoples toys. When it came to someone else playing with her toys it wasn’t quite as fun. Having another child in HER house came as a bit of a shock. Then to top it off he wanted to touch HER toys. The other mother is so good about making sure her child is well behaved, she makes sure he shares and doesn’t take toys away from guests. That is amazingly hard to live up to.

I always thought my little Goblin was well behaved. I have learned otherwise.

All in all we both enjoy the visits, I can only hope the other participants do too. If I have discovered that I am not as good a trainer as I thought then that gives me something to work on. Hopefully with time the two children will start playing together in stead of

separately in the same room. They are cute to watch in their separate togetherness. He is a big boy who talks, a lot, and is very sweet and cheery. The Goblin Child is tiny and overly energetic, she doesn’t talk but knows lots of animal sounds. Maybe he will teach her to talk the way her cousin taught her to walk.

How old are you now? I believe you are getting perilously close to forty. I can never remember, to me you never seem to age. Stuck forever at perfect, how awful. You are still the worlds best husband, and father. I hope you have a good day today, as usual I wish you didn’t have to always work so hard. If were up to me you would stay home all day and we could watch movies and play on the computers, maybe even venture outside, if the weathers nice. As it is we are looking forward to lunch and can’t wait till you get home from work.

The weather has been miserable this winter. I want desperately to go outside. I have been running out during naps to feed chickens and grain the horses, I never grain the horses usually but it is so cold out. Yesterday it got clear up to twenty! We went out and played in the snow, it was fun. Last night she was acting a little sick. So much for getting outside.

The whole weather thing gives me lots of time to write though, for better or worse. I should be cleaning house I suppose.

My husband is a tech genius, he wont tell you that, he is humble, but I can say it, so we are inundated with technology around our house. It’s pretty cool. Combine that with my new favorite topic of child training and training a child to use technology effectively becomes a topic of interest.

The schools spend ridicules amounts of time and money trying to teach this. The attempt is failing miserably. It’s sad when there are so many very good resources out there. One option is the Raspberry pi. They are small, cheap computers, just a mother board really, and endlessly programmable. We have two of them and I’m sure will collect more around the house as my tech savvy husband dreams up more uses for them. We watch TV through it somehow, don’t ask me how I am not the techie, and listen to pod casts using the other. He talks about getting a camera and a waterproof case and taking time lapse pictures of the garden.

Right now there is a push for students to learn one hour of code. Our local school librarian/computer teacher has done this with some of her students they have some great resources available. I have had a page with lessons and games for beginners open on my desktop for a week now meaning to study up myself. Never do get to it, I’m the horse person not the techie.

We have some really cool games here, ready and waiting for The Goblin Child to get a little bigger. She has the want to, she is constantly grabbing at our phones, computers and remotes. She just doesn’t get that she is moving the mouse or pushing buttons for a purpose yet. Seriously, she’s only a year and a half, patience people, patience. But when she does, there are games available on Linux that boot through a CD or USB stick so a child can’t break the computer. My child can completely break a phone or computer with a single touch so that is very important. I played one the other day, when my husband was experimenting with them to see if he could get it to work. The one I played was fun and hard. We did physics with crayons, I am hopeless.

I also see talk of this sort of thing on my favorite homeschooling blogs. Penelope feels that gaming is a very good teaching tool, as a very beginner player at WoW, more on that later, I think it is incredibly difficult and I see how it would teach many skills including technology. I suppose we will let her dabble in that sort of thing also, with supervision of course.

That said I am off to read The Goblin Child a book, of the paper variety. Technology is great up to a point.

My brother keeps asking what we plant as he tries to figure out what he wants to try. He planted his first garden last year and was almost as excited about it as I was. This year we will be planting:

Beans: Cosmos, Dragon Tongue, Provider, Top Crop

Cabbage: Gonzoles, Super Red 80

Cantaloupe: Honey Orange, Honey White, Lambkin, Sarah’s Choice, Savor, Serenada F1

Carrot: Deep Purple, Mokum, Nelson, Romance, Sugarsnax

Corn: Mirai, Vision, Xtra-Tender 277A, Xtra Tender 3473, Wilda’s Pride (Ornamental)

Cucumber: Sweet Success, Sweeter Yet

Kohlrabi: Kolibri, Korriodor, Winner

Lettuce: Black Seeded Simpson, Butter Crunch, Five Star Greenhouse, Flashy Trout Back, Green Star

Okra: Carmine Splendor, Chant, Clemson Spinless

Onion: Undecided will see whats available in the greenhouses at the time, probably a red, sweet white, white and a shallot

Peas: Green Arrow, Premium, Sugar Heart, Super Sugar Snap, Wando

Peppers: Cayenne Purple, Garden Salsa, Goliath Griller, Highlander, Purple Bell, Purple Jalapeno, Orange Blaze, Sweet Goliath, Yummy(favorite)

Potatoes: Masquerade, Red Norkotah, Viking, Yukon Gold. Not purchased yet but this is the usual

Radish: Cherry Bell, Crunchy Royale, Ping Pong

Spinach: Emu, Pigeon, Red Kitten, Space

Sun Flower: Royal Hybrid 1121. I actually got these harvested last fall and roasted for seeds, good.

Swiss Chard: Prima Rosa

Tomato: Black Krim, Fresh Salsa, Gourmet Heirloom Blend, Heirloom Cherry Blend, Jetstar F1, Roma vf, Solar FireHybrid VFFFSt, Speckled Roman, SuperSauce Hybrid (huge!), Sweet Tangerine

Watermelon: Crimson Sweet, Million Bucks Hybrid, Orange Tendersweet, Sweet Favorite, Tom Watson

Zucchini: Greyzini, Gadzukes

It seems like a ridicules amount when written out. It seems excessive when planting and harvesting, but when sitting inside in the winter looking at seed catalogs they all look so good. If we didn’t practice great restraint the list would be much longer.