Living in America is, sure enough, a reason to praise God
The trash covered the living room floor but there were laughter and exclamations of delight and we just didn’t notice the mess for a while. The grands and their parents were all here in our home. Giggle and holler were the order of the day. We tried to cut out the overdoing of gifts, and maybe we will do better next year since we sure goofed up on that this time! It was a wonderful Christmas morning and we are more thankful for the birth of our Lord and Master as the years roll by.
I am so pleased to report no snow or ice and plenty of hay hauled out on the day before, and that left me with nothing but fun on that morning. I counted cows and checked things over after the big meal while most were being still or napping. I was wound up and happy to see the cattle, a thing I will forever need, watching our cattle. The peace I get from watching cattle graze is not easy to explain but, if you are a beef producer, you understand. It is a good time to contemplate life and what it all means. No, I don’t have it all figured out yet; I will let you know when that happens!
I got new coveralls this year and a pair of leather gloves. It was nine years ago when I got the old ones, and they are rather tattered now. My close relative has washed, patched and re-patched the patches until the material won’t hold anything together anymore! As tickled as I am to get new ones, I dread breaking them in. I put them on and walked like a robot to the pickup. You know the legs don’t want to bend at the knee and the arms are stiff too. I wore the gloves to the pickup but couldn’t turn the key with them on my hands so they will stay in my pocket for a few days. Blessed and happy is how I am!
It will be a couple of months, all of January and February and then part of March, before we start seeing new life sprouting. I want you to notice the days are adding minutes to the daylight now, happened on winter equinox and I am one happy person about that! The next two months can be rough as a cob, mean at times, but they will pass just like the good Lord intended. March reminds me of a mean-tempered old barren mare we had when I was a kid. One time you step up in the stirrup and she is good as gold, the next time she might blow up and put you to flying high!
We will be having calves way too early in February. I try to tell the offspring to not depend on last year’s weather, which was great for calving all through February, but do you think they listen? I look at those cows bred to calve and wonder how many we will have with problems due to the weather. Another reason to pray, and does He listen when we have made the mistake in full awareness of the consequences? I pray anyway!
It is my opinion, and everyone has one, living in America is, sure enough, a reason to praise God, be good to each other, try to be the best you can be and stop bad mouthing the president. If you had a Christmas dinner, you are blessed to live in America; and if you have a home, warm clothes and clean water to drink, add all that to the knowledge of how fortunate you are. My sainted mother was right, bad mouthing is not a pretty habit and does no good for anyone.
That is my New Year’s Resolution, no bad mouthing anyone, not the dang driver who cuts me off, the silly newscaster with an earring or the telemarketer who calls me from Asia. Don’t hold my feet to the fire, but I am gonna try!