Keep It Between the Lines

Keep It Between the Lines...


That's what my dad always told me when I was growing up.  "Keep It Between the Lines" has many different meanings.  So here's the story,  I was in junior high probably about 12 or 13.  I loved to drive at any given opportunity and I still love to drive to this day.  Something about being behind the wheel and in control of where you're going and how you'll get there is intoxicating.  Well my dad and I were on a road trip to the panhandle of Oklahoma to see his family.  I had been begging dad to let me drive.  Now please note that I might be just a little pushy! Ha!  So after much needling I won, or so I thought.  Dad pulled over and I jumped out so excited to get behind the wheel.  I got myself situated in the driver's seat and with much anticipation, I was ready to roll.  I adjusted the seat, mirrors, and radio.  While I was busy making myself at home in the driver's seat, my dad was busy.  Busy making his point.  He laid back his seat and gave me the map.  I think the look on my face was probably shock and I said which way.  His response was here's the map kid as he laid back and preceded to shut his eyes!  This trip should have taken about 4 hours max.  Let's just say that my dad has more patience than "the law ought to allow"! (That quote is what we like to call a Clovis-ism.  I'll explain more on that later.)  So about 6 hours later we finally arrived at my grandparents.  To this day I can read a map and can usually tell you what direction is what.  Now that's a lesson in itself!  But that wasn't the only lesson I learned that day.  As I'm driving, trying to figure my way in the wide open world, dad starts telling me to keep it between the lines.  He said life is like driving, sometimes you swerve right and sometimes you swerve left but it's important to keep it between the lines.  There will be times in your life when you swerve and almost hit the ditch or barbed wire fence.  How you handle that will make life interesting.  If you keep your cool and gently bring the car back to the road, it's a smooth transition, even in a tough situation.  If you over react and jerk the wheel, things can go bad quickly.  Little did I know at that point in my life that I was receiving many valuable life lessons that I would pass on to my own children.  So the other day my 8 year old son was begging me to drive, I'm sure similar to the way I begged my dad.  I gave in and I was right back in junior high with my dad teaching me a life lesson behind the wheel.  Keep It Between the Lines.  That thought came to mind, so I do what I do best, take a picture (to document the event).  I love this picture because it brings back great memories as well as lessons learned.  The goal is to keep it between the lines.  Yes we will hit the ditch here and there but just stay calm and get back on track in the right direction.  Don't worry about how you messed up, just focus on staying between the lines.  I hope I can teach my boys this valuable life lesson.


Disclaimer...this picture was taken on our land.

Life & Death on the farm

Well last night I went with my husband to check on a heifer that was working on having a calf.  After giving her some time to work on having her calf by herself, only 1 foot was out.  For all of you that are unaware of farm life this is not the right way for a calf to be born.  They're suppose to come both feet first.  That being said, we called the vet, got the trailer and tried to save both the momma & calf.  Well, with a lot of work, we saved the momma but lost the calf.  I realize that life & death are all part of life,  but sometimes something happens that makes you realize just how short our time is here on earth.  I want to live each day as if it's a gift, which it is, that is to be used and enjoyed to the fullest.  I love living on the farm for many reasons and this being one of them.  Teaching my children the lessons of life and death through animals is amazing in many ways but not always easy.  But hey who said life would be easy?  After all what fun would it be if everything was easy!

What a life!

Well all I can say is What a life!  In the past 6 months, I've had some big changes.  I'm in awe of how amazing life can be when you step outside the box.  We, as women, let society put us inside this box and dictate what we should be, how we should feel, and what we should be doing.  Well I hope that women can take a step outside that and see all that life is really about.  Why do we feel as if we have to work outside the home & have a career and if we stay at home, then why do we feel as if we should be working & have a career, actually do something with your life?  I don't know but I'm here to tell you that I've been on the working outside the home and now I'm on the stay at home mom side and wow have I been missing out!  Yes, I can have a career and be successful in many areas.  My mind never stops with ideas.  But I never knew I could be the most successful at shaping my children into young growing adults that can be independent thinkers with the ability to work and figure things out on their own.  Why would I miss that once in a lifetime opportunity?  I think we get wrapped up in what others and society tell us we should be doing.  All I can say about that is...time to get off the little exercise wheel that mice are on and look at what's really important.  That's no easy task but whoever said this life would be easy!  My eyes have been opened in many ways and I'm so thankful that I jumped off the wheel.  It's totally awesome what can happen when we stop trying to make things happen.