Archive for the ‘What-in-the-heck-Wednesdays’ Category

What-in-the-Heck Wednesday

November 19, 2008

So I don’t have any crazy, off-the-wall, rural, farm land, cows “multiplying and replenishing the earth” type pictures or stories today.

I do have a question to ask though.

Isn’t there a law against collecting rubbish from around your property, setting fire to it, and burning the dickens out of it for like two days straight?

Is this legal?  Because if it is, I may have to start a petition or something against it.  I know none of my neighbors in California ever burned more than their finger on the grill of their poolside grill/bar/entertainment center.  Heck, isn’t it illegal to even smoke within 50 feet of the state itself now?  Someone help me out with this.  I’m sure the smoke from the smoldering manure/leaf/cornstalk piles, or whatever they are, can’t be good for your lungs  or the aroma of your clothes, hair, house.

Maybe it’s just me.  Is it just me?  Help me understand.  Lorena?  Someone?

On another note.  Every year the PTA puts on a contest for kids all over the nation to showcase their talents in the arts.  It’s called Reflections. I love the arts. I’ve always thought it sounded like fun.  But none of my kids ever wanted to do it.  Until this year.  Erik wanted to submit something.  (OK, I was able to talk Erik into submitting something).  He loves art too.  The theme this year was “Wow”.

I love this kid.  (Does that sound familiar?)  He is a kind-hearted, sweet, gentle soul.  After sketching a couple of ideas, he decided he would watercolor a picture of something that made him feel “Wow”.  That thing was a rainbow with clouds arching over a field of flowers.  And he did a great job.

We went to the awards ceremony last night.  His division, K-2nd grade, had the most entries in the category of visual arts.  Being the realistic mom that I am, I was prepping him.

“Don’t be disappointed if you get a participant certificate.”

“Not all kids can place.”

“We’re just proud of you for particiapting.”

“Whatever happens, we love you”  , etc…

Guess who won first place???

dsc_0459

An award, a picture in our small town gazette, and the best part… a $10 gift card to Target!

Me, being the frazzled single parent this week that I am, forgot the camera so I shot this when we got home. I don’t have a picture of his painting because it’s being sent on to regionals, but I’ll post it when it returns.

Have a great Wednesday!

What-in-the-Heck Wednesday…

November 12, 2008

Will and I have been stuck at home all week spending some quality time together while he fights an inconvenient snot-covered, fever inducing bug . The other day, while playing Star Wars action figure pretend, Will looks out our back window and says to me:

Mom! Look at those silly cows out there.

backyard-cows

Oh, the joys of living in the country.

To help ease my transition into rural living, a friend of mine who happens to be my neighbor, the kids’ piano teacher and a reader of this blog, often offers insight into my silly “Idaho-is-SO-not-what-I’m-used-to” posts. She actually owns farm animals herself and has been living like this much, much longer than I have. She gently explains some of these oddities without taking offense that this lifestyle is…well…peculiar to me. Now that’s a good friend.

Remember this post where I happened upon a dead cow and wondered what the proper course of action would be to get rid of it? Well, she kindy explained what happens in this situation.

What happens is that when a cow dies, the owner drags it out to the side of the road and then somebody (I don’t know who they are or what they’re called) comes and picks it up there instead of traipsing all over the ranch/farm.

There. If you didn’t already know that, then you learned something new today. And if you DID know that, well, you must be live somewhere by me.