Thanksgiving 2011

I love Thanksgiving, but it is bittersweet since most of my loved ones have passed on. Every since I moved out on my own 20 years ago, I’ve been cooking and hosting Thanksgiving. I still cook a GIGANTIC meal but it’s only for 3 people and we end up eating it for 3 or more days. As I spent the day in the kitchen cooking up a storm yesterday, I began wondering, “Why do I do all of this for just us?” I had CMT on the television in the background and they were showing the Top Family Videos and in those songs and videos I found my answer.

Turns out I'm pretty dang lucky For all that good advice Those hard to find words of wisdom Holed up here in my mind And just when I've lost my way Or I got too many choices I hear voices

The whole time I’m cooking, it’s like they are there telling me what to do and how to do it. I could feel their presence so strongly in the kitchen yesterday. If they were still alive, they would be sitting around the kitchen table asking if I needed any help or telling me to do it this way or that way. Then I heard this:

You're gonna miss this You're gonna want this back You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast These are some good times So take a good look around You may not know it now But you're gonna miss this

Ean is about to turn 18 and that time has just flown by. I realize that he is much like I was at that age, mostly focused on himself and his dreams, so I do all I can to make happy memories and moments for him to remember.

If I would have known 10 years ago they would all be gone now, I would have treasured every moment, every aggravation because oh, how I miss them! It seems like my time with them just flew by and I feel like a completely different person without them. Not that it’s a bad thing, I guess you have to change to be able to handle life on your own. But sometimes I wonder if they would approve of the person I’ve become. And then I hear:

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder You get your fill to eat But always keep that hunger May you never take one single breath for granted God forbid love ever leave you empty handed I hope you still feel small When you stand beside the ocean Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens Promise me that you'll give fate a fighting chance and then I hear this: Life’s not the breaths you take The breathing in and out That gets you through the day Ain’t what it’s all about Ya just might miss the point Try’n to win the race Life’s not the breaths you take But the moments that take your breath away I work hard to take the time to stop and enjoy the moments with my two guys and try to make as many GOOD memories as possible for their sake and mine. We’re not going to be together forever and I want whomever is left behind to have all of these good memories to hold on to. The way I live my life now with my photography and running, helps me clear my mind and focus on the little miracles of this world. They were with me yesterday at the farm in the kitchen, and I believe they are with me always.

Countdown Continues....

Making a list and checking it off for Thanksgiving Dinner at the Farm. My stomach is growling just thinking about it!

Actually, there IS farming done on the farm

Our cousin does the farming. He planted grain sorghum late in the summer. I don't know why I didn't think to take pics of it when it was green and pretty. Everyone thought it was corn, and it did look like corn when it was growing. These pics are after the first frost and it's a nice fall looking color. this one's saying, "ya missed me, ya missed me...ha hahahhaha!"

Finally killed a Deer!

I didn’t hunt as much last year because I was so busy concentrating on my running. I haven’t killed a deer since the doe and and her button buck son over Thanksgiving weekend in 2009. I did shoot a doe during bow season with my crossbow and broke an arrow off in her. She fell down and did a couple of flips but then ran far, far away and I never found her. I swore I would never hunt with a bow again...such a waste. If I would have had my 30.06 that day I could have killed two at one time with one shot! They were perfectly lined up! Anyway, this is what I killed this past weekend.

I know, it’s not very big, and at the time I thought it was a doe, but when we went to load it in the Ranger I noticed it had testicles....and then I was really excited when I noticed it had little horns. My hubby said, “You should have let him get bigger,” and I said, “For what, so he can be tough and musky? I hunt meat...not horns.” He was also pretty aggravated with me because I had cleaned house and raked the yards in the clothes I had on. Didn’t even spray on any “scent away” stuff. Just put on a camo shirt and hat over my clothes and went to the stand to read....I mean....hunt and relax :)

So here’s a video of us cleaning it up...do not watch if you’re squeamish. Just kidding! It took us about twenty times that long to clean it. I took out the two strips of meat that run along the back bone from the inside...I think they’re called tenderloins...the outer strips are the back strap, and this is what we had for breakfast the next morning.

Fried deer steak and hoe cake....breakfast of Deer Slayers...and then I went for a 4 mile run to burn it all off!

So I’ll be busy this weekend processing the rest of the deer...but maybe I can sneak in another hunting trip.

Even more Farm Pics

More Farm Pics

Scenes from the Farm