Chasing Cows on Amish Highway 35

I've been waiting a long time to have a post like this, a true picture of just how exciting life can be here on Amish Highway 35.


I woke up this morning at an amazing 9:00ish. Oh, how I love Saturday's ....


About 10:00 I finally managed to call my hubby, who had been at work since probably about 6:00am. (He does this most Saturdays) I called him to see if he wanted to go to the local downtown restaurant and have coffee with me, and just "catch up". Now that our kids are old enough to stay at home for a couple of hours alone without killing each other, this is is something that we really enjoy on Saturday mornings.


So as I was driving out the driveway to head to town, I noticed two cows in the field across the road from us. Oh oh, Lena's cows. Lena is a single older Amish lady, and recently had foot surgery. Now this is where you can picture that cartoon where there are two different consciences perched on my shoulders. "just pretend you didn't see the cows and go meet your husband for that nice hot cup of coffee" and "you really should be a good neighbor and help out". You'll all be glad to know that the GOOD guy won! I knew this would be a job bigger than myself, and I noticed Jr. (his real name) two houses down on his skid loader, so I hauled butt up there to get his help. When I got back to the field, neighbors Edna and Mary had also arrived on foot. So the four of us began "shooing" these heifers! The kind neighbors told me to stand along the fence, they didn't think I should be attempting to run through the plowed rows with my arm in a splint (this thing comes in handy). I told Jr. "yeah, and that big cow with the horns is probably gonna run right at me". He laughingly told me that if he runs my way I should just grab the handle bars and hang on! We worked this way for probably about 1/2 hour and couldn't get these stupid cows in their pen. They finally ran through an opening in the fence at the back of the field, and we stood and watched as they ran across the next field and across the next county road to another dairy farm. By this time, I knew this job was bigger than the four of us, so I went and looked for Orlan (no luck) and John. At the next farm Darvin and his son joined in the chase! I also went and picked up Sam, who we found out actually owns these fine animals. If you're counting, we now number 8, along with several other neighbor men who were at the far woods waving their arms wildly.


Now, I need to say that cow owner Sam is a wise man when it comes to cows. He informed us that by this time the cows were so riled up there'd be no way we'll get them to go where we want them! He told us to just leave them where they were (at least one mile from home) and he'd come back in the afternoon and lead them home with a bucket of feed. He also mentioned that if that doesn't work, he would just butcher them right where they were, one week earlier than planned. Lucky heifers! So here's the lesson I learned from Sam ... "push dairy cows from the rear, and lead beef cows". I won't soon forget that! Just so you know, I hadn't seen hide nor hair (no pun intended) of those cows before it got dark tonight, so perhaps the Miller's are having a nice roast for Sunday lunch tomorrow.

By the time I got back into my warm house and thawed my toes and ears it was nearing noon. I called my not-so-worried husband to tell him the story and that I was just going to make a pot of coffee at home. As I was cleaning up my coffee cup and fried bacon, I looked out the big living room windows toward the barn ....

Now for the second part, with a little background information to set the scene. We have a large barn in which we have 36 freezers that the Amish people rent to keep all their yummy veggies and fruits that they processed in the summer, along with ahem ... butchered cows and pigs. There is always a lot of activity in and out of the barn, and we have a hitching post by the barn too so they can tie up the horse and buggy, or pony and cart (as was the case today), while they go inside and get some of that frozen food, along with a cold can of pop from the pop machine that is Abbi's side business.

Back to looking out the big windows ... I saw a pony with cart going crazy in front of the barn, like it was spooked or something. And our sweet neighbor girl Joan running along beside the pony trying to grab the reins. If my windows would've been open I would've yelled for her to just let it go, I was so afraid she would fall with the pony and cart running right over her! That crazy pony ran straight for my big windows and took a sharp right around the front of our house. I went sprinting to my front door thinking I could leap off my front porch, like super woman, and grab those reins. By the time I got on the porch, the pony had shot across the road between two cars, and ran through the same plowed field where less than two hours earlier I had chased two mad heifers! Joan had already loaded up all kinds of frozen food, so by the time the cart went flying over the furrows in the field the food went flying too. The whole wild contraption came flying back out of the field , losing the rest of the frozen food on the road, and sprinted down the road to home with Joan running after it, stopping right outside his very own barn. I could see all this from my front yard, as I'm standing in snow up to my ankles with house slippers on (remember my frozen toes?). I went back in the house to put my boots on and get some bags to pick up the food. When I got back out to the road and field, Edna (my cow chasing comrade) met me with a smile on her face. She helped search for and pick up all the frozen food. Her and I decided that we would both just go back to bed and wake up at 5:00.

I took the food to the neighbors and also wanted to check on Joan. She actually did fall, and I'm sure that happened as I was sprinting to my front door, and scraped the whole length of her leg. Other than her leg and a sore shoulder, she's just recovering from a good dose of anger and embarassment, and I can't say I blame her. I'm so thankful she's OK because with the road and cars involved it could've been so much worse.

Now we're just sitting here enjoying the peace and quiet in our little neighborhood. I guess I'd better mention that anytime our neighbor Chris might call when his wife's labor pains get close enough that one of us will have to take her to the birthing center in the next little town east of here. He stopped by about 4:00 and said it seems like tonight might be the night! Ha! That's nothing ... Today was the Day!

For Mitch ...

I've been accused of not updating my blog. It seems this deeply troubles my son who lives 30 minutes away at college. He claims we never tell him anything, and the only way he finds out what's going on at home is by reading my blog.

So here's the latest!

1. It snowed here on Amish Highway 35! Didn't even have time to get rid of my pumpkins yet. I actually really like this picture and needed an excuse to use it on my blog. I also sent it to WNDU, so it might show up on the news ... who knows?

2. I had my cast taken off and the stitches removed! They were in too long and were wanting to permanently stay in my arm, believe me when I say "it hurt" when that sweet nurse snipped them out! I am now in a long-arm splint that I take off every two hours to do 5 different stretches. I check in with the therapist every week to see how I'm doing. Yesterday I had quite a bit a pain, and I blamed it on the cold snowy weather, because mostly it doesn't bother me.

3. I took Alli to OSMC for an MRI today to begin the process of figuring out what's going on with her ankle that has been hurting her since her sophomore year of high school (she's now a junior in college). We don't rush into things around here! Kevin hobbled around on a broken foot for about 5 weeks last spring before I took him for x-rays, and I nursed my elbow for 2 years before finally having surgery. I say "living with pain is good for a person!" :)

4. Mitch shot a nice 8-point buck Saturday! (Sorry mitch, you probably already knew that)

5. We received a nice casserole tonight from a member of our Sunday School class. Any task with my right hand is still nearly impossible! I love our class!!!

6. Kyle and I used a broom to chase an opposum out of our garage Sunday evening. Those things look like giant rats! EWWWW! If Mitch would've been home he could've shot the ugly thing! He had to hurry back to school to "study"???? Seriously ....

There you go Mitch ... back to the books!

Love, MOM

Fallin' In Love ...

Falling in love with Fall, that is! I know it's unlike me to post twice in less than a week, but this weather is absolutely amazing - Our God Is An Awesome God! I'm feeling much better but still posting with left hand only, so I will write few words and leave lots of pics. I see the Doctor next week to remove stitches and cast ... can't wait.









Go Colts!

It wouldn't be fall without football.

Is Right Really Right?

This isn't some political posting, to inspire people to get off your tush and vote. It's a post to inspire all of us "right-handed" people to have more compassion for our friends who use the wrong hand to function in today's world. (But if you want to vote on Tuesday, that's OK too.)

On Thursday, Oct. 30 I had tendon repair surgery on my right elbow, and in a short 2 hours I became a Lefty. Now please understand that I have it better than most switching people. I have now become ONE OF MY OWN! In other words I finally belong! Dave, Abbi, and Kevin are all Lefties, and with my 2 older Righties away at college, I had become the only right-minded-person around this place. So now we are all reveling in the notion that we can all do things the same because of our likeness. Little do the others realize what a true handicap I'm living with. About the only benefit I can think of at the moment is that it doesn't matter where we sit around a table. No more do I have to fight for a seat on an end, so that I don't have to do elbow battles while eating dinner.

Here's some thought-provoking questions for all you one-handed single-minded people.

~ How do you open sweetner packets with one hand?

~ How do you brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand?

~ How do you roll over in bed (or out of bed) with only one arm?

~ How long would it take you to do a post with one hand?

My surgery re-cap is this ... the tendon repair was sucessful with a titanium screw holding it all in place on my elbow bone, the cyst removal from my wrist was a sucess, and I'm alive in spite of my breathing stopping two different times during surgery. According to the anesthesiologist, he had a difficult time getting me to sleep. He had tried three different tubes, and my vocal cords clamped down on each one refusing them. I'm assuming those are the times when I stopped breathing. I'm also quite sure this is why I have a monstrous sore throat and neck/back pain. I hate to even think of what happens to a person when these types of situations arise.

My right arm is in a 1/2 cast for 10 days until I see the Doctor and he takes the stitches out. He said at that point he would decide how soon I start therapy. The 1/2 cast really limits my movement, but I truly am glad for that. I literally can't touch anything with my right fingers without pain shooting into my elbow. No kleenex (wiping noses and other body parts), no using pens or pencils, no speedy typing on my laptop (this entire post was done with my left index finger hitting letters and my left thumb hitting the space bar), no opening pill bottles (they're all sitting open on the counter), and I confess I've even had to use my left hand to wipe away some tears. Yesterday was that day. It was a pretty rough day!

But today is a new day, and things are feeling much better, both physically and emotionally. I am excited for my hubby to bring mashed potatoes home from a Thanksgiving Dinner at church. I am happy for Alli who gets to go to the Colts game with her boyfriend for her birthday. Soon I hope I will get to see my smiling Mitch for a few minutes (don't get to see near enough of him). And I also hope Dave will take me for a drive up to the lake today - just to get out of the house and a quick Diet Coke stop!

I have many things to be thankful for ...

A Sunday School Class who will be feeding us for several weeks.

A wonderful younger friend who will come each morning to help get the kids to school, then stay to do laundry or whatever, for as long as I need her.

My wonderful sister "nurse Julie",who stops in often to check on me, puts ice packs on my neck, props up my arm, calls the pharmacist to see what drugs I can take, ect...

My amazing husband who just loves me regardless! He's learning how I like to have the kitchen tidied up in just the right way. (Are any of you other women that picky about your kitchen counter?)

More of my loving family (Mom and others) who will be home from Australia & New Zealand on Tuesday, finally! I'm praying for safe travels for all of you! Can't wait to see you!

All of my Blogging friends who have asked and who care ... keep praying for a speedy healing!

So here's my place on the sofa, watching the world go by ... at least my windows are clean!

ARE YOU SURE RIGHT IS RIGHT?

I'm leaving you with more random pics of recent happenings ....

I had the privelege of being Jadyn's Grandma for Grandparents Day at her school. What fun, and I'm pretty sure I love her almost like a Grandma!
The next two pictures are of my wonderful neice and her awesome little family! Thanks for trick or treating at our place. I hope you let Cooper have some of that candy I put in his bucket.


My friend's son borrowed Uno and the Hot Dog costume, and the Burger hat to go trick or treating! It didn't last long ... Uno was not impressed!
October 31, Alli's 21st birthday! Here's the adult enjoying her birthday dinner with her boyfriend, Kyle. We went to my Amish friends' home, and she cooked Mitch's 4-H chickens, mashed potatoes, noodles, corn, on and on .... There were a total of 20 college kids, and Dave & I and Abbi. It was wonderful. because I didn't have to do a thing, and Alli loved it!

Alli opening her presents from Abbi. A necklace from TTV and a vb jacket.