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Count ALL the Votes because All Votes Count

~ debsthoughts

Traits of Great Leaders (on the Farm)

All votes must be counted, regardless what the guy, pretending to be a leader, says. Count ALL the votes. Every. Single. One. I’m not watching the election results play out; instead, I’m appreciating all the beauty of farm life in my own backyard. I still believe goodness WILL prevail; but the fact that this election was not an immediate landslide election for Biden is mind-boggling. However, ALL votes must be counted. Nearly one hundred million early paper ballots received across the nation, will take time to count. A great leader understands the process.

Farm Life Joy Number One

Rika, Border Collie Extraordinaire

Rika has a ‘Border Collie’ personality. She is different – all her doggy friends say so. Her intelligence is mind boggling. She can move mountains with her quiet, intense stare. She’d make a great leader because she can count all the votes.

Farm Life Joy Number Two

New egg

I adore raising egg laying chickens. I love my hens almost as much as I love my horses (the horses didn’t make it into this farm life joys post. Weird that a couple of eggs did, right?). The egg on the right is a first egg from a young hen. Our first egg from the new flock. I usually refer to this as the $500 egg. Because lots of time and money goes into getting to this point. The hen who laid this is leading her flock by example.

Farm Life Joy Number Three

My Rusty boy, Rusty the Magnificent, Best Cat in the Whole Wide World – are some of his names. He found me in the woods. He trotted right up, meowing and purring. He was tiny, hungry, loaded with fleas and worms. But today he is healthy and king of his jungle – loving and ferocious. He is a great leader. Just ask the other cats.

Farm Life Joy Number Four

There are so many joys living on this farm, too many to list here. But I am extremely grateful for my family and friends who make me laugh on a regular basis. And, by the way, I’m fine. Everything is fine. Joy number four: Laughter.

Traits of a Great Leader

  • Ability to count all the votes
  • Lead by example
  • Seek a balance of love and ferociousness
  • Appreciate humor and remember to laugh

A Free and Fair Election

~ debsthoughts

A Free and Fair Election is what the American people deserve, however, will it happen? Your guess is as good as mine. But a free and fair election is what democracy is built on. So a free and fair election is what we are counting on today — election day, 2020.

Optimism

I woke up feeling optimistic; I admit, this is unusual for me lately. I’m going to listen to my gut today and rejoice over the possibility that the ugly, horrible, immoral humans occupying the People’s House will soon be somewhere/anywhere else. If they lose they will not lose with dignity, that’s for sure. There will be lies (obviously) and conspiracy theories from them and the far right extremists. I pray there will not be violence, but if there is, it will be the current president’s responsibility. And since he only knows how to pour gasoline on the fiery chaos that he alone creates, it won’t be pretty. But this is:

Peak Fall Colors

The Pandemic Politicized

Fall in Michigan has provided intense color and beauty. While natural disasters are occurring far and wide, including political strife around every turn, no one expected 2020 to bring a global pandemic as well. I had a horrible gut feeling way back on New Year’s Eve 2019 that 2020 would be very difficult from a political standpoint, not knowing a pandemic was on the horizon. However, the current president and his cronies have politicized the pandemic and are now pretending like it’s over, even though the numbers of cases and deaths are on the rise. The majority of us accept the fact that nothing the president says is likely to be true, but far too many of his loyal supporters do. That has been perhaps the most disheartening thing to witness during these trying times. Critical thinking skills are lacking in far too many people.

Of course, I admit I would cherish the thought that the pandemic is no big deal, that the worst is behind us, that a fully tested, proven safe, and peer-reviewed vaccine is coming soon. I’d also like to believe I’m still 30 years old and have my whole life ahead of me to take any career path I desire. But I choose to be a realist and not live in daily denial, even when it’s really hard.

Goodbye Leaves, is it a Sign?

Peak fall colors have become a memory. November 3rd is here and I think it’s a sign that the leaves are nearly gone. Perhaps a new leader will be overwhelmingly voted into power today. Imagine . . .

Fall leaves disappearing

Leaves, going going…gone.

A Country in Need of Healing

This country needs time for healing. There has been a lot of human suffering since this administration took control of the People’s House. Lots of emotional and physical suffering has occurred and will continue for a long while. If the polling is accurate at all, Joe Biden will become the 46th president of the United States. If he, and his stellar choice of a VP candidate, win this historic campaign, they will have their work cut out for them. The damage done has been astronomical and will take years to clean up and make right again. Especially the racial divisions that have risen to the surface under 45’s racist team of ‘advisers.’

First Order of Business – Dealing with the Pandemic

The racial divide has brought out the worst of the worst in us, and that will be a difficult challenge for a new administration to take on. But the first challenge is saving American lives, which will not be easy by any means. It will require a national mandate that we know will not go over well with the covid-deniers in our midst. If only we’d had a national plan back in January, we could already be on the other side of the worst of it. Potentially hundreds of thousands of lives might have been saved.

Praying for a Peaceful Transition of Power

But these are empty words. All that matters today is #VOTE. I pray for a peaceful transition of power. I pray for red states, like Texas and Florida to turn blue as an historic sign that goodness will prevail in America. There will be evil in this world, however, it should not be leading our country. And it, like the leaves of Fall, will soon be . . . going, going, gone. I feel it in my gut.

How to Care for Others While Surviving a Pandemic

~ debsthoughts

March 13th, 2020 was the day the Covid19 virus officially became a pandemic. Schools closed immediately with little notice to children, parents, or teachers. We are in our seventh week of staying at home except for occasional food or essentials shopping trips. I’m one of millions of sewers making masks. I do this because I am able and because it feels like something helpful and worthwhile during a time that I feel anxious most days. Wearing even a fabric handmade mask feels comforting even though we know they are not the best form of protection.

This virus is new and scientists are doing what scientists do – they are studying and researching and testing to discover what makes it tick. Unfortunately, a few months of research does not provide enough understanding to develop vaccines or cures. This much is known: It is highly contagious and spreading fastest when large groups of people are in close proximity to one another. Therefore, staying at home is wise. It’s not good for the economy though. But neither is masses dying in a short period of time.

People everywhere are exhausted and tired of staying home. We all want to return to some sense of normal. The economy is suffering greatly and business owners are going broke. Which means much of the population is also going broke. So, what are our options? Get mad? Say, ‘Screw it! I’m not wearing a mask! I’m done with this nonsense!’ Protest and call it ‘marshal law?’ Ignore all the experts’ advice? Believe it’s all a hoax?

I’m seeing people do all those things and it is extremely disturbing. Listening to a president who suggests bazaar made-up treatments/cures, like injecting disinfectants to ‘clean’ the insides of a sick person is terrifying. It’s terrifying because people need something to cling to and some will believe the mad man’s insane ravings. Please don’t.

Since March 13th our world and society as we know it has vanished. Are these the end times? Some choose to believe it is. Some of those same people are complaining a lot about hoaxes and fake news. I do wonder if they truly believe God created Fox News as the only truth they can trust. It really boils down to folks wanting to believe something so badly, they align themselves with a source that agrees with their bias – confirmation bias. It’s natural and we all have one. The trick is to recognize it and notice when you feel it. Here’s an example: People deeply want to believe this virus is nothing but the flu, is not nearly as contagious as we’ve been told, or is purely a hoax, voila! Lucky for them their news source of choice just confirmed it!

But there are indisputable facts. This is a brand new virus, undiscovered till recently, with unknown characteristics. It’s not ‘just the flu.’ This thing causes its victims to essentially suffocate and die alone. But the unknowns are many: Is the incubation period truly 14 days? Is it an airborne disease? Is it possible that some of our immune systems already know how to beat it? Is ‘herd immunity’ occurring? We just don’t know because it’s too early to tell.

Confirmation bias is innate and in all of us. God gave each of us a brain to critically examine information. Some of us are more inclined than others to practice critical thinking. It’s natural for each of us to lean toward information that aligns with our desires and beliefs. It also boils down to living in denial, ironically. Deny all truths that do not agree with our beliefs, even if it isn’t logical because it makes us feel better. Don’t we all want to feel better? It’s not helpful though, in the long run. Especially when it divides groups of people, even family and friends. Pointing fingers at each other when we disagree and shouting ‘fake news’ will get society nowhere fast.

I’m tired of all this too. We all are. Like it or not, we ARE all in this together. We are in it for the long haul, until we understand more about this virus and its characteristic behavior. Listen to the experts. Stay home. Wear a mask when you’re not home. These are ways we can express love and show respect for one another. To not shake hands, to not hug right now, these are not signs of fear, they are signs of caring for others. Let’s do that. Let’s care more for each other while taking care of ourselves. And remember to breathe and look up.

Indian Summer: a Christmas Letter

~ debsthoughts

The calendar tells me it is indeed December, even though my brain cannot comprehend how fast the year has gone. We are content with the warmish temperatures lately – highs in the 40s – in our corner of Michigan. It’s like an Indian summer around here, finally. By the way, I discovered Indian summer has two meanings:

  1. a period of unusually dry, warm weather occurring in late autumn.
  2. a period of happiness or success occurring late in life.

As I write this we are mere minutes away from waving good-bye to autumn and welcoming (with mostly open arms) the official start of winter. The second definition of Indian summer reminds me that periods of happiness and success are something to be cherished. The trick is what we do with those moments in between.

We are having a lot of fun living this farm adventure. I’ve taken to sharing pictures of our animals on social media because they’re funny creatures – all of them. There’s a lot we can learn from watching animal behavior, whether in nature or in our back yards. The way they interact with each other and with us can be comical and it can be frightening too.

That ‘pecking order’ thing – it’s real, and not just with chickens. Rusty, the cat, is in charge of the other cats. Dixie, (our Black Beauty) is the boss of Zima. Lily, the lamb, is mostly in charge of her three siblings. While Rika, the wonder dog, is the boss of all the animals except the young rooster (who is currently undergoing ‘training’ to become a gentlemen, or else). It’s fascinating how they figure out their place in the flock or herd and they never worry about tomorrow. Animals know how to live in the moment.

To the casual observer it may appear to be complete peace on earth over here, but we know better – there is conflict and chaos all around us. You probably know what I mean.

Caring for livestock brings us silly moments of happiness and occasional feelings of success. I’ll take it.  When all are fed and watered, we do feel successful. But a kink in the hose or an unexpected rooster attack can ruin the day if we let it. Which means we must grab hold of, and be thankful for, all those little Indian summer moments. Those moments in between though, we should really practice a little gratitude for them too. Without them we might take for granted the lovely Indian summer moments.

It’s nice when the grandkids visit because they all want to help with chores. Although Owen is 12 and more interested in driving the Kawasaki Mule than gathering eggs. Olivia is 9 and leaps, pirouettes, and splits her way from point A to point B. Morgan is also 9 and does back-bends, and flip-overs across the yard, while dribbling a basketball. Ella is 6 and is happy as can be to kick a soccer ball everywhere she goes. And Charlotte is 2 and . . . well, she tries ALL the above with gusto (except for the driving part, of course).

Come to think of it they don’t really help that much with chores on their visits, but those visits are definitely part of our Indian summer moments.

May all your moments be filled with love and joy and gratitude.

5 Steps to BEing Calm

~ debsthoughts ~ 2 Comments

For many of us the daily challenges we face can feel like too much to handle on some days. Modern medicine tells us we must learn to reduce the stress in our lives. We’re told to just calm down, relax, chill! If you’re like me those suggestions are not helpful. So how do we start?

I recently started a daily practice of meditating for ten minutes. Only ten minutes, y’all! And it’s helping my overall emotional and physical well-being. It may seem daunting to BEgin but that’s all it takes. And in the end, learning to just BE is one of the most important things we can do for self-care.

Here are my 5 steps to BEing calm:

  1. BEgin today. Don’t wait any longer. There’s no right or wrong way to meditate. It’s basically sitting still and breathing. You are already breathing so now all you have to do is sit still and just BE for ten minutes. It can be anywhere, preferably where you can BE alone but even if you can’t, you can still BE still and breathe, anywhere. Sitting in a chair, on the floor, with legs crossed or straight out in front, are all perfectly fine. BE comfortable.
  2. Use a phone app if you can. I am using one called Calm and another called HeadSpace. I tried both with free trials and ended up purchasing a subscription to each. These are great tools to help us get started because they guide us through the ten minutes, reminding us to focus on our breath and walk us through relaxing and just BEing. These apps also have tools for helping us sleep with relaxing sounds in the background. You don’t NEED an app to meditate but I have found it excellent for a beginner like me. 
  3. Light a candle or incense if you are so inclined. These are not mandatory but I find it helpful to set the mood relaxation relaxation.
  4. Set reminders to practice at whatever time of day works best for you. Experts say first thing in the morning is best, but I grab my ten minutes when it’s convenient for me – usually in the middle of the day. 
  5. BEgin. There’s no better time than now. The benefits of this short daily practice are immense and cannot be denied. Just ten minutes a day of BEing still, calming the mind, and breathing deeply with awareness of the breath, can reap huge health benefits both physically and emotionally. Now keep it up because before long this new habit will be something you look forward to every single day.

Winter – No Sissies Allowed

~ debsthoughts ~ 2 Comments

There’s no denying winter is brutal. A month ago there was a chill in the air. Today that air has been treated with an arctic blast of frigid cold that can be downright dangerous to living things. At fifteen degrees Fahrenheit, now is not the time to be outside prepping for the cold weather, so I’m happy to report we took care of it back in November. I’m filled with gratitude, to be sure. Along with the extreme chill we have also been gifted with far more than a foot of snow on the ground and covering every horizontal surface. It is a stunning wintery painting everywhere one looks.

Folks who have never had the opportunity to live in a cold climate, on a farm, might be interested to see what it takes to get through a long, cold and snowy Michigan winter. So here are some highlights of our fall preparation: Continue reading →

Slow Down and Rest–That’s an Order!

~ debsthoughts ~ 12 Comments

I love what I do at Big Fat Soap, but being a sole proprietor is hard work. One of the reasons I choose to be self-employed is so that my work schedule can be flexible. What a great plan! You may be thinking . . . but reality is when you work from home and are Director of Everything, like me, you tend to work far more hours each day than a typical American employee – 7 days a week. Orders must be filled and shipped, supplies must be inventoried and stocked, marketing and sales tasks must be done, forecasting, reports, planning, follow-up with customers, and on and on it goes. It is truly never-ending. Add to the equation, the personality type who feels guilty sitting down to read a book or relax in the garden during day-time hours, and you have potential trouble.

A friend I’ve met recently—also an entrepreneur—gave me some valuable advice: You MUST take a day off. This is not negotiable. I’ve been replaying her words in my mind and I know that it is important, but I haven’t been able to heed her advice until . . .  one day I got the message. Continue reading →