Challenged...

I'm challenged in many, many...MANY....areas. 
I needed one more. Really.

Because, you know, you're not really living if you aren't just completely and totally committed to impossible tasks every waking minute of the day.

Quite often, finding matched socks in less than 30 minutes to be able to meet the school bus in shoes can be an impossible task. (I've NEVER met the bus barefoot. The thought crossed my mind in the last frantic seconds of the sock hunt, I can tell you that, but I've never actually done it.)

Or writing, editing, and formatting the Christmas book for the grandparents the night before it needs to be submitted or I'll have to pay $900 extra shipping to have it here before April. (Not $900, but it sure seems that much.)

Things like that.

My friend Kim (I'll try to link this to her blog) is a teacher in Billings and is taking a technology and writing class this fall. She discovered a blog challenge for teachers, but thought perhaps it would work for ANY blogger. Like...me. 

I'm IN.

I'm in over my head. 
I guess that's why they call it a "challenge".

So the post this week is supposed to be about small moments of significance in our lives, and what we learned or experienced in that moment.

My life is nothing BUT small moments, so I had to narrow it down a bit.

This week, I learned that if I don't get the laundry done and my son doesn't have Captain Napalm underpants that he's unwilling to go commando or wear his sister's Tinkerbell panties.  And it will be tragic.

There was a moment that I thought I wouldn't make it to the computer recharger cord before the power was completely sucked down by my last email, and that all the dire, bloodthirsty, earth shattering warnings about what would certainly occur, nearly did.  But I made it. (Doesn't your heart just race when the laptop or Droid does that?)

One of the small, significant moments that stands out is that if my college football team loses, I can barely go on.  But if, the next day, my NFL team wins, it brings on three days of giddy euphoria and gloating that no one can stand to be around.  And vice versa.  They almost never win on the same weekend, which is fortunate, because I don't know if I could take the thrill.

These are all silly moments, and I'm glad I have them, because odd little things that make me laugh are great.  I tend to take myself a little too seriously; little things like this bring me back to basics.

But there are also mornings on the couch with my daughter in my lap, coffee beside me and the day slowly easing in.  I love watching my son's face light up when he's telling a whopper of a story.  My old dog, yelling at me when I'm not trying hard enough on my run...I'm so grateful she's still coming; 11 years, now.  It's gratifying to work alongside my husband and father-in-law and feel like we're accomplishing something bigger than just moving cows; that people will be fed because of what we sweat over, here.  Oh! And moving cows night before last, when the whole world was gold and blue, and the black cows looked like silhouettes floating...that was indescribably beautiful.  Or the sound of my friends' voices, laughing and chattering. 

It's the little things that become the big things.

Be looking for challenge posts once a week.  I have no idea what day I'll get to them, but I'll try to mark 'em so you won't get in the middle of one and think I've completely flipped my lid. 

Doesn't bug ME....

Maggie very rarely shares stories about what they're studying at school. Usually, I have to stab around at subjects until I hit a hot one and then we can chat.  But lately, they've been studying bugs (insects, I was informed).

Bugs are just fascinating to my daughter and she actually checks out books from the library to look at bug pictures.  Some of you know that earlier this year, she started a stink bug collection.  Live stink bugs.  It was an extensive collection.  At the high count, I believe she had 13.  Live. In her room.  (Yes, they were in a bug cage, but STILL....I'd lay there reading her bedtime stories and hear their scritchy legs, climbing up the screen...shudder!)

Tonight, she cheerfully told us all about insects and what she'd learned at school.  She commented that yellow and black bugs were poisonous to eat.  The Farmer and I have each eaten bugs by accident, driving 30 mph on fourwheelers, and didn't have the chance to check to see if they were yellow and black.  (Since we lived...must've been good.)  We told her that SOMETIMES bugs can be accidentally consumed.  They shouldn't be eaten, ordinarily.

We have to tell her this.  Maggie ALSO loves the show, Survivorman, and he eats bugs with regularity. And relishes them.

She told us she didn't eat bugs.
Except fried grasshopper legs.

After a little pause, I jokingly said, "Well, you must not have had many, because I've never fried grasshopper legs!"

Immediately, she reassured me, "I know.  I get them off the pickup."

I'll give you a moment....


Same child, who not 10 minutes before, was making faces at having to gag down waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.

Every day adds another layer to the surreal world we twirl around in...

With permission

I get to share a few pictures of some beautiful country girls that I was privileged to spend the afternoon with a couple weeks ago. You can't tell (hopefully) but it was stinking cold, both girls had colds, and the wind hit us at about 30-35 mph in the middle of this. They were such good sports in spite of those challenges!
There are two grandmothers who look at the Chronicles, occasionally, and this post is especially for Nan and Sally. (Well, there are actually a LOT of grandmas who look at the Chronicles, but Nan and Sally are THE grandmas...and are so proud of these little girls!) I hope you like them.

*All images copyright Mary Pluhar