Have you ever thought about where you received so many of the things
you've learned about, enjoy or love to do?
I saw a post on facebook this week that started me thinkin on this.
This woman used to host a christian radio program that I loved so much called Midday Connection.
She and 3 other women interviewed interesting guests and had great conversations
about this vast array of topics. I enjoyed it so much I got my first ipod so I could listen
while going about my daily chores of life, and walking/hiking, even mowing and brush hogging!
It was such a gift in my small and sheltered life. It led me to reading many books, and bible studies
that filled my life with so much joy. I grew closer to Christ because all these people
were daring to share their lives, stories, and talents with the world. I began loving word studies,
having sacred bible time, and discovered so many worship songs .... it just filled me up
with really good things. I listened for years and when Moody cancelled the program..
(don't ask me why because it was a beautiful thing) - but when it ended..
I cried real tears. I remember telling Myguy after the last program... how much I was
going to miss it...while wiping tears from my face.
So much good came from that program... and
from people daring to share their walk ... their testimonies,
knowledge, their things with others.
After reading the Facebook post of this friend from Midday,
I started thinking about other things in my life that I love and enjoy.. Things that
people shared somehow and I gleaned because of their sharing.
It reminded me of Miss Mary.
Let's rewind a little ways....
I was a very young married Mama of two little boys and we had bought
our very first house on the outskirts of a town in NW Arkansas.
We didn't have much money so I got a library card and started reading books
on homesteading! Our small house and one little storage shed were the only buildings
on the property. Myguy had his very own metal storage shed and was so happy! :) I remember he
carefully lined jugs of oil and a gas can on the one little shelf inside. We were dirt poor
but so rich. I decided to learn how to grow a garden and how to can vegetables.
Myguy built another little wooden shed and it became the chickabarn. We had a handful of
free, white, Tyson broilers for our very first chickens. They had escaped while unloading a semi at the plant. Those things grew the size of turkeys but I loved having them!
As I read about homesteading, we decided to get a few more chickens, rabbits and goats.
There was a free newspaper called The Star Shopper and I found an ad for all these fancy
bantam chickens. That's how I met miss Mary. She lived out by Tontitown and raised
Nubian goats ... purebred Silkies of every color, Cochins of every color, a few heavys and
rabbits galore. Meeting her was gold. She reminded me in looks of one of my Gramas;
-short and heavy set, and she only wore dresses without any buttons because the goats would pull them off. She milked a herd every day by hand and sold raw milk. She grew a huge garden,
and butchered rabbits for the meat. I could listen to her forever. She was so knowledgeable about everything I wanted to learn. We did buy a few chickens from her and a couple of rabbits to start our own rabbitry. But best thing of all was we became fast friends.
Through her I learned of a really good homesteading book that I still have, and I learned how to grow a garden, ....
how to can tomatoes, jellies, how to milk a goat, how to butcher rabbits!
In fact it became a good money maker for us especially since I stayed at home to take care of our boys.
We ended up having really good rabbit customers! We ate alot of fried rabbit, drank goats milk, ate lots of scrambled eggs and fried egg samiches, even used duck eggs for baking.
Miss Mary shared what she knew with me.
There was another woman I met when buying a different buck rabbit; she was a true blue homesteader.
I don't remember now her name it's been decades ... but I only met her once.
They lived in the boondocks and after buying the rabbit- I remember they showed us around their place. I was blown away how awesome they lived. But that woman shared not only knowledge with me
but many many many starts from her garden! She just loaded me up with wild violets and lilies, and berries! My life was so gifted from meeting her and her daring to share. Her sharing; inspired me to share the love as well... especially garden starts.
I've been remembering so many people across my timeline of life today
and the many things they shared that have blessed me. And how dull some of my life
might have been had they not shared the things. I'm so grateful God crossed my path with theirs in all these
vibrant ways!
-- I've discovered authors and memorized quotations from books
--songs I will forever sing...if even out of key.
I learned how to cross stitch, and by learning it, was able to make countless
gifts ... primitive dolls also... selling on Ebay.
I learned how to make jewelry, and discovered so many art styles; mixed media, - especially
art journaling. Things that enrich this simple life so much. Especially artists who share to
"just do it for the process!" Because doing it for the process and not worrying about the outcome
is yet another gift that was shared and so so so meaningful.
The list goes on and on and on...
Think about your own life... and all the things!
How did you come to know how to do the things you love?
How often someone has said, "Hey I have to share a movie with you... you are gonna love it!"
And I did... but I especially remember the ones who dared to share.
Thank you to all of you .... who have shared parts of you with me.
From the times when I was a kid... until now.
Sharing your thing... mattered.
I end this post with a photo from my yesterday.
Water, and cocoa powder aka dirt, and sugar, aka mulch, and
roses .. aka flowas were so sprinkled and stirred up and
baked to a yummy goodness.
Even this... was once shared. Because someone on facebook shared a video
of little girls all playing in a mud kitchen together. When I saw that video, it lit a spark for me
to create space for our own kidlet to play.
She has so much fun baking and cooking up her special cakes and soups and
stews here.
I'm grateful.
For all these moments and things.
Signing off to go play in my journal and
do it for the process.
Until we meet again,
<*)))><
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