Weekly Update: 11.16.24
When we pulled into the gravel parking lot of the Springfield Stockyard, the silver truck was already waiting. The sun was just beginning to set as Jeremiah and I got out of our folks' SUV, smiling at the woman beside the truck. In her arms, she held what we have dubbed an angelic ball of fluff -- a black and white Miniature Australian Shepherd.
A couple months ago, Jeremiah and Bonnie-Jean hatched a plan to surprise Grace with a puppy. Grace has done a lot to support their German Shepherd project, filling in when Bonnie-Jean has been busy and helping take care of Rascal, Jeremiah's 12-year-old Jack Russell. Grace tends to be one of the most low-maintainence people on the homestead, and Jeremiah and Bonnie-Jean wanted to do something special for her. Jeremiah funded the project, while Bonnie-Jean did the leg-work -- doing research and contacting breeders.
Over the last few months, Grace has talked about wanting a dog -- discussing preferred breeds and colors. She is especially fond of smaller dogs that remind her of the Border Collie we had growing up. Calamity Jane was our family pet for 11 years, our farm dog when we lived on our 10 acres in north Idaho.
When Bonnie-Jean found the Cactus Bar Ranch Miniature Australian Shepherds, they seemed like the perfect fit. They even had an upcoming litter with a pup whose face reminded us all of Calamity.
We picked up Grace's puppy on our way home from getting groceries. Grace was expecting to help unload and put things away when we got home. She was shocked when, instead of a bag of groceries, Jeremiah handed her a new puppy. She laughed, teared up, and snuggled right up to what she called "the perfect little puppy." The moment was a definite bright spot in our week.
Calamity Jane was named for the title character of the 1953 musical. Grace drew from another '50s musical to name her new puppy -- Milly, after the heroin of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Milly has only been with us a few days, but she already feels like part of the family.
Even Grace's cat, Strider, loves Milly. They tumble and wrestle around the bunkhouse and tent, and they snuggle in Milly's fluffy new bed. Sometimes, Strider kicks Milly out and keeps the bed for himself.
Before the puppy-craze descended on us on Monday, we had a festive weekend. We celebrated our niece Eilley Mae's birthday on Sunday. Like a true little homesteader-in-the-making, she had lots of practical gifts -- including sewing kits and a small aquaponics set. I beaded her a hatband and some fringe earrings, which she loved.
We had our family harvest party on the same day. My mom planned her traditional kids' treasure hunt. Our brother Jeremiah got his party on and threw a grown-up treasure hunt, too. We all enjoyed the opportunity to get outdoors and romp around our property.
With all the fun, we did manage a little progress on the bunkhouse. We installed our kitchen sink. Levi did most of the installation and plumbing. Last night was the first night we were able to use it, and we couldn't have been more excited. It's going to be a real life-changer, especially now that it is getting colder outside.
We worked on some trim in the living room, and Grace did some cosmetic caulking. Dad installed a light, which is making the living area positively bright in the evenings. We also worked on our hearth. I laid out all of our brick in a hearth mock-up, so we could decide exactly how we wanted it to look. While I played with bricks, Grace scrubbed down the woodstove, first with water, and then with vinegar. Levi had sanded most of the rust off, so we hoped the vinegar would take care of the rest. Unfortunately, we still think some rust remover will be necessary before we can paint the stove.
We also spent a couple days this week doing deep cleaning and bookwork. Staying organized througout this process feels downright impossible sometimes, and it really helps our sanity when we make an effort to really plan. We always hate slowing down on the bunkhouse, but the trade off is worth it in the end.
It was a busy week full of lots of ups and downs. All of our fun and festivity was punctuated by trials of various kinds. Serious health issues loom, as multiple family members are having tests done. Several of us dealt with headaches and bad allergies that left us low on energy. Life is heavy these days, and our festivity has been intentional. No matter what is going on, we can choose to enjoy life's simple pleasures. We can romp through autumn woods. We can sip hot cider. We can snuggle new puppies. God gives us good gifts, even in hard times. And after all, it's the perfect season to practice gratitude.
