Sooner than not,  rest assured, the trees will be budding. This is  Forsythia and the Red Bud tree in all their glory  last spring. They are starting to bud here in Ohio

Life  on Cherry Ridge  this week from my farmhouse journal  we enjoyed a sneak preview
of spring,  a marvelous day of warmth,  then a mini blizzard. I laughed out loud when  I saw a cute post on Facebook with a Cardinal all dressed in winter clothes asking,

Earlier this week, when it was warm,  we worked outside planting  potatoes and onions, target date is always St. Patrick’s day.  The lettuce and radishes Avah and I planted,  are up in the raised bed, cold frame. It was so nice recently, a sneak preview of spring,  that Jeff and I  wore light weight jackets and took a golf cart ride through the farm  to continue scouting  for “sheds” to add to  my husbands collection.

Deer antler sheds,  that is. The ones that fall off the bucks every year and then they grow them back. He hasn’t found any yet this year, but  would you believe the  dogs brought a really nice one into the yard?    He is persistent to continue the search and  to “find his own.” I get that.  But  I wonder, why not train those dogs to do it for a dog treat. We might have a god-zillion sheds  by winter’s end. But I realize too, it is the pleasantry of the hunt that is so nice, just  being in nature is a reward in itself.

He wants to find the matching shed  for this big buck all by himself, but if the dogs have a mind to find the match,  he says he would be glad.

While he searched I had a childhood remembrance and  plopped  down on the ground under a big Pin Oak tree   like I did  as a child. On my back,  I viewed  the beautiful,  clear blue sky and listened to  the wind through the trees. It was so exciting just like I remembered.   When Jeff  circled back,  I asked him if he remembered doing this as child. He did.  We talked about learning the different names of the various clouds. We tried to name them all but couldn’t remember and truthfully, we really didn’t care it was just being aware and soaking up nature  that made us smile.    These are the living in the moments you will hear me talk about  often.

Taylor at the stable barn where she still likes to hang out!

Are your school kids on spring break too? Our oldest granddaughter, Taylor, thirteen  came to the farm for a week of spring break. Remember when I mentioned a personal goal of mine was to “spend more time with my horse?” Today, check.   She and I went to the barn, though I had a To Do List that  I “could” be doing, but I dropped that list on my way out the door as we headed to the barn. This was more important and much more fun!

Taylor my first grandchild and a real horse lover!

At the barn, she cleaned out the horse trailer while I road Jo (Josephine) in the arena.  She is a beautiful buckskin mare with some age on her. Twenty four to be exact. That’s a senior for horses.   Time takes its toll on all of us, but it ain’t over for her either. I just take it easy with her, though I think she was a former barrel horse back in her day.  When we approach the barrels I feel her change her step in anticipation that   I might  ask her to “take it.” And sometimes I do ask her to take it, just not as quick as she probably did once upon a time racing against the clock.  Same here, too. I strive to not race against the clock of time and be jumbled up in social media constantly, and not be in such a hurry.

My girl Jo.

Savoring  the moment, living in the moment  takes practice, practice, practice. Like shutting the phone down and enjoying the meal and the person you are dining with. At the restaurants I see so many people doing this now a days. I say turn them off for a while. 

I remember, which seemed like only yesterday  being with her on her very first trail ride on a little bay pony named Trusty Rusty. She followed along back then, while I schooled her.   Now here she is in the lead and confidently doing so and I am relaxed and not needing to school her.    I smile out loud, being so proud of her equestrian talents. Isn’t this the way life is suppose to go, we train up a child in the way they should go……and then they take the reins and we can  relax and let them guide us?

To end the wonderful day, we went out to dinner with our youngest son’s family  and when we returned we learned the chickens had escaped their run, found the garden   and scratched up the onions!  I could see too that  they had made it to the house and fluffed  all the leaves from under every rose bush I own. That part is good, but  oh well, a do over in the onion row for tomorrow’s To Do List. Luckily, all ten chickens were safe. We’ve had Coyotes, you know.   They are calling for snow tonight.  Ugh, I say, again,  Who moved spring?

Today we  are going to be baking an Apple Pie!  Taylor will be leading the project. Amazing. Simply, amazing.

So Here’s the Thing: Those moments mentioned above are the things that “recharge the battery” for us. Sometimes you just have to leave the To Do List and recharge. Social media is great but sometimes you just have to turn it off, get in tune with nature and if you do find yourself laying on the ground (by choice, not by accident, LOL) you will know just what I am talking about. And if it snows again, you just have to turn your  face to the heaven and try once again to catch a snowflake  on your tongue like we did in wonderment as kids.   And who knows, lay down and make one of those snow angels. But in all things learning to simplify and giving  thanks are on my daily To Do List.

PS-So what charges your battery? Have you got plans  to recharge? Simplify?