Just for those wondering, Cody and I lasted just past 5 years. They were enjoyable. We can't get along, though, so we're divorcing. We are 2 completely different people and have kept each other from doing things that were important to us. If you have any questions about what's going on, just ask. I'd much rather tell you than to have the gossip mill add juicy details.
I appreciate all the friends that have shown me support. If I would have known that I would feel this good and loved, I would have done it sooner. Yes, it hurts me DEEPLY to lose my best friend of 7 years, but it appears that I am the only one that feels that way.
Anyway, I feel like my life has begun all over again. I loved alot, but I learned even more.
Love you guys!!!
P.S. Call me soon to hang out!!!!
Dairy
We visited Monte Vista Dairy in Greeley, CO. Currently, they are milking 3,200 head. We toured their facilities, and I thought I'd post some pics and explain the process.
For those that don't know, there are two different classes of cattle. You have beef cattle and dairy cattle. Beef breeds are raised for-you guessed it-BEEF. Those breeds muscle up more and finish out to produce ideal steaks and other beef cuts. The milk produced by those cows is only enough to raise a momma cow's calf. (We raise beef cattle, by the way.) Common beef breeds are Angus, Hereford, Limousin, Simmental, Brangus, and many, many others.
Dairy cows, on the other hand, are raised to produce milk. The females of the dairy breeds have extremely large udders and produce massive amounts of milk. Dairy breeds include Holstein, Jerseys, Guernseys, Brown Swiss, and a few others. (FYI: Those are Holsteins in the pictures.) In the old days, everyone ha
d a cow which they milked every day for their family's milk needs. Today, however, farmers have herds of dairy cows which they milk in their "parlors" twice a day, every day. In Henry County, our dairy farms range in size from 30 head to 500 head. The parlors also range in sophistication. I've only visited the parlors that are like the one at Monte Vista, so that's what I'll explain. Keep in mind, though, that there are other set-ups. Also keep in mind that they do this on a MUCH larger scale than many dairies.
d a cow which they milked every day for their family's milk needs. Today, however, farmers have herds of dairy cows which they milk in their "parlors" twice a day, every day. In Henry County, our dairy farms range in size from 30 head to 500 head. The parlors also range in sophistication. I've only visited the parlors that are like the one at Monte Vista, so that's what I'll explain. Keep in mind, though, that there are other set-ups. Also keep in mind that they do this on a MUCH larger scale than many dairies. 
First, the girls file into the stalls. They walk down the lane then turn 90 degrees to stick their heads through the gates. As you can see in the picture, this puts their rears and udders at eye level with the farmer standing in the working area. Dairy cows are extremely gentle and docile animals.
The farmer then comes through and sprays all the udders with a cleaning solution. He then goes down and wipes off every teat on every cow. The important thing here is that he uses a clean rag for each cow. That way, no infections or bacteria will be transferred from cow to cow. Once every teat is cleaned, the farmer turns the suction on the milkers and puts a milker on each cow. If you look closely at these pictures, you can see that one milker has 4 metal tubes. Each metal tube suctions onto a teat to milk the cow. The milker carries the milk through pipes to the milk storage tanks. The milk is stored there until the milk truck comes to pick it up and take it to a local processing plant.
The frequency of the milk truck depends, of course, on the number of cows milked (which is directly correlated to the volume of milk collected).
Oh yeah...that's just the morning shift. It all has to be done again in the evening! Twice a day, EVERY day.
Another little tidbit that I find interesting is that in some set-ups, the cows decide when they want to be milked. They make their way up to the pen to be moved into the parlor. Isn't that cool? I guess the mom's that have nursed their children can relate....engorged mams aren't fun.
Need
At the YF&R Summer Conference, a rep from Second Harvest Food Bank came and spoke to our group. She stated that since she had talked to us one year ago, need in the Middle Tennessee area is up 31%. ONE YEAR and the number of people needing a food bank for FOOD is up 31%! She also showed a news clip of Second Harvest's mobile pantry. The video showed a long line of people waiting to get food to feed their families. Interviews revealed a mother in tears at the reality that she didn't have enough food for her children, along with a woman who had been laid off repeatedly. It was heartbreaking...and then they told where it had been filmed. Right next door to Henry County, Stewart County was where this had taken place.
I know, I know...I am somewhat of a bleeding heart, but this just really hit home. I know that was the purpose, so when we passed the hats, I think alot of us were compelled to give more than we usually do. I guess I'm just posting this to remind anyone reading that there is dire need right around our corner and in our own county. If you feel a need to contribute and give back, it won't be hard to find a way to do so. Contact your local food bank or even Second Harvest. Second Harvest will direct you where you need to go.
Lastly...and I hesitated about this...I'll leave you with this photo. I snapped it at the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade. There was a mission group passing out water. When I saw t
he kids, I wondered how much money they had to raise to travel to Cheyenne when I'm sure there were people in their own community who were in need. Meanwhile, in front of us, a cute little Shitzu puppy was enjoying the parade. The group came through again, and the Shitzu's owner got a bottle for the dog. Here's the cute little dog that probably cost at least $200 drinking water. That's God's work, right? When we all got back on the bus, there were several people that had bottles of the free water. Mind you, we all paid our own ways on this trip...it's not as if we would have dehydrated had this mission group not been there to hand us a bottle. So my question is this...how much did it cost for a bunch of kids to travel to Cheyenne to hand out bottles of water at the parade? How much did it cost to give the overpriced puppy and vacationing Tennesseeans a free bottle of water? Would that money not have gone MUCH, MUCH further in the group's home town with people who are homeless and foodless? I suppose it would not have been as glamorous, right? Just like it would not be very glamorous for Henry Countians to take a 30 minute drive to Stewart County to distribute collected food. I guess a "Mission Trip" has to be fun and exciting these days.
I know, I know...I am somewhat of a bleeding heart, but this just really hit home. I know that was the purpose, so when we passed the hats, I think alot of us were compelled to give more than we usually do. I guess I'm just posting this to remind anyone reading that there is dire need right around our corner and in our own county. If you feel a need to contribute and give back, it won't be hard to find a way to do so. Contact your local food bank or even Second Harvest. Second Harvest will direct you where you need to go.
Lastly...and I hesitated about this...I'll leave you with this photo. I snapped it at the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade. There was a mission group passing out water. When I saw t
he kids, I wondered how much money they had to raise to travel to Cheyenne when I'm sure there were people in their own community who were in need. Meanwhile, in front of us, a cute little Shitzu puppy was enjoying the parade. The group came through again, and the Shitzu's owner got a bottle for the dog. Here's the cute little dog that probably cost at least $200 drinking water. That's God's work, right? When we all got back on the bus, there were several people that had bottles of the free water. Mind you, we all paid our own ways on this trip...it's not as if we would have dehydrated had this mission group not been there to hand us a bottle. So my question is this...how much did it cost for a bunch of kids to travel to Cheyenne to hand out bottles of water at the parade? How much did it cost to give the overpriced puppy and vacationing Tennesseeans a free bottle of water? Would that money not have gone MUCH, MUCH further in the group's home town with people who are homeless and foodless? I suppose it would not have been as glamorous, right? Just like it would not be very glamorous for Henry Countians to take a 30 minute drive to Stewart County to distribute collected food. I guess a "Mission Trip" has to be fun and exciting these days.
Tragic Loss
On Monday July 6, 2009, Farin Lambert was killed in a motorcycle wreck. She and I weren't close friends, but she was one of those people that you don't forget. We went to high school together and knew each other. I ran into her a few months ago and we caught up. She had the most contagious, ever-present smile. Cody and I were going to meet up with her and her boyfriend one night but I ended up getting a stomach ache from one of our questionable Mexican restaurants. As she and I were texting back and forth, I told Cody how disappointed I was since she was so refreshing to be around. That was the last time I "talked" to her.
Her funeral was yesterday. When I woke up, I had the worst feeling of dread. The only other funeral I have dreaded so much was my mother's. The actual funeral was very nice. Her old soccer teammates from Bethel told stories about her. I think everyone there was like, "I can see her doing that!!" She was a truly wonderful, genuine person. If you ever met her, I'm sure you remember that smile and those blue eyes.
My heart aches so badly for her family. Her mother has always stood out to me. She has been through a great deal, yet has held her head up and taken care of her children. As she talked with sympathizers yesterday, I couldn't help but be in awe of how beautifully strong she was. There was pain and strength in her face at the same time.
For those that don't know, Farin's boyfriend, Tony, was driving the motorcycle. He is just banged up (physically). The last time I saw her was the first time I met Tony. He struck me as very goofy/funny. What also struck me was how he looked at Farin and acted toward her....it was very sweet. The next time I saw him was when he walked in the sanctuary just before the funeral. The look on his face then was absolutely gut-wrenching. I believe that is the most pained look I have ever seen. I can't begin to imagine the turmoil he is going through, but I can only pray that God grants him peace soon.
In the past few weeks, we have had 6 people who have touched our lives or the lives of our friends pass away, most unexpectedly. It makes me realize that life is too short to take things for granted. Please, friends, be careful.....I love you all.
Her funeral was yesterday. When I woke up, I had the worst feeling of dread. The only other funeral I have dreaded so much was my mother's. The actual funeral was very nice. Her old soccer teammates from Bethel told stories about her. I think everyone there was like, "I can see her doing that!!" She was a truly wonderful, genuine person. If you ever met her, I'm sure you remember that smile and those blue eyes.
My heart aches so badly for her family. Her mother has always stood out to me. She has been through a great deal, yet has held her head up and taken care of her children. As she talked with sympathizers yesterday, I couldn't help but be in awe of how beautifully strong she was. There was pain and strength in her face at the same time.
For those that don't know, Farin's boyfriend, Tony, was driving the motorcycle. He is just banged up (physically). The last time I saw her was the first time I met Tony. He struck me as very goofy/funny. What also struck me was how he looked at Farin and acted toward her....it was very sweet. The next time I saw him was when he walked in the sanctuary just before the funeral. The look on his face then was absolutely gut-wrenching. I believe that is the most pained look I have ever seen. I can't begin to imagine the turmoil he is going through, but I can only pray that God grants him peace soon.
In the past few weeks, we have had 6 people who have touched our lives or the lives of our friends pass away, most unexpectedly. It makes me realize that life is too short to take things for granted. Please, friends, be careful.....I love you all.
5 Years!
On June 30th, Cody and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. WOW! We got married waaaaaaaaaaaaay too young, but I've enjoyed the past 5 years more than if I didn't have Cody.
I just cannot believe how the time has flown.
The Big Easy
I finished my much-dreaded Chemistry class on June 26th. WOOHOO! I am 3 classes away from my Bachelor's of Science in Business with an Area in Accounting. WOOHOO! (Just wanted to reiterate that.) We also celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on June 30th (see separate blog). Given the reasons, we planned a weekend getaway to New Orleans.
I have been trying to visit New Orleans for a couple years now and was very excited to finally do it! I was not at all disappointed, either!!! We love to travel and take road trips, and this is-by far-one of our favorites. By mid-Saturday, we were trying to figure out when we were going to come back to New Orleans. We HIGHLY recommend checking out the Big Easy.
The drive down was wonderful. Traffic was clear. We checked into our hotel that we got a ridiculous deal on at 10:30. By the time we got showers and got to Bourbon St, it was 11:30. Bourbon was AWESOME! We just went from bar to bar enjoying the music. I LOVE music and that was just the PERFECT night for me. We got back to the hotel at about 3:30, so we didn't exactly get an early start on Saturday morning.
We headed out to the French Quarter. Just a little off of Bourbon, we found Oceana, a neat restaurant with a g
ood air conditioner. We both had shrimp po' boys....MMMMM! I usually don't like fried shrimp because you just taste the grease and breading, but these were wonderful. I guess the shrimp were just so fresh that you couldn't miss the great taste. After walking around the French Quarter and Riverwalk for a while, we went back to the hotel to cool off a bit before supper.
I am SOOOO glad I thought to ask Ann for suggestions on a restaurant! We wanted good, fresh seafood. Not French food with a bunch of stuff in it, just shrimp and crabs. She suggested Kenner Seafood and we tried it. YUM! We ordered "from the Boiling Pot." The shrimp was AWESOME. We got recommendations on another restaurant to try the next time we go down. We were planning on going down to Bourbon again, but we were tired so we stayed in.
We got up Sunday morning and went through St. Louis' Cemetery 1. We then made our way to Cafe Du Mond for beignets. OH----MY----WORD! Yum, yum, yum!! We checked out the flea market and got
a few souvenirs before heading out. We went back to Oceana's for lunch before heading out. I got another po'boy and Cody got "A Taste of New Orleans." It had Crawfish Etouffee, Jambalya, and Red Beans & Rice with a little alligator sausage. I tasted all but the sausage, and it was all wonderful.
After lunch, we headed home. I slept for a good portion while Cody drove, but the traffic was still smooth. We had a WONDERFUL trip and canNOT wait to go back! I HIGHLY recommend everyone experience the Big Easy.
I have been trying to visit New Orleans for a couple years now and was very excited to finally do it! I was not at all disappointed, either!!! We love to travel and take road trips, and this is-by far-one of our favorites. By mid-Saturday, we were trying to figure out when we were going to come back to New Orleans. We HIGHLY recommend checking out the Big Easy.
The drive down was wonderful. Traffic was clear. We checked into our hotel that we got a ridiculous deal on at 10:30. By the time we got showers and got to Bourbon St, it was 11:30. Bourbon was AWESOME! We just went from bar to bar enjoying the music. I LOVE music and that was just the PERFECT night for me. We got back to the hotel at about 3:30, so we didn't exactly get an early start on Saturday morning.
We headed out to the French Quarter. Just a little off of Bourbon, we found Oceana, a neat restaurant with a g
ood air conditioner. We both had shrimp po' boys....MMMMM! I usually don't like fried shrimp because you just taste the grease and breading, but these were wonderful. I guess the shrimp were just so fresh that you couldn't miss the great taste. After walking around the French Quarter and Riverwalk for a while, we went back to the hotel to cool off a bit before supper.I am SOOOO glad I thought to ask Ann for suggestions on a restaurant! We wanted good, fresh seafood. Not French food with a bunch of stuff in it, just shrimp and crabs. She suggested Kenner Seafood and we tried it. YUM! We ordered "from the Boiling Pot." The shrimp was AWESOME. We got recommendations on another restaurant to try the next time we go down. We were planning on going down to Bourbon again, but we were tired so we stayed in.
We got up Sunday morning and went through St. Louis' Cemetery 1. We then made our way to Cafe Du Mond for beignets. OH----MY----WORD! Yum, yum, yum!! We checked out the flea market and got
a few souvenirs before heading out. We went back to Oceana's for lunch before heading out. I got another po'boy and Cody got "A Taste of New Orleans." It had Crawfish Etouffee, Jambalya, and Red Beans & Rice with a little alligator sausage. I tasted all but the sausage, and it was all wonderful.After lunch, we headed home. I slept for a good portion while Cody drove, but the traffic was still smooth. We had a WONDERFUL trip and canNOT wait to go back! I HIGHLY recommend everyone experience the Big Easy.
Photographs
I've been REALLY busy lately! I am coaching a 10 and under girls' softball team, heading the committee to publish a cookbook, and trying to help organize a BackPack Program in Henry County. I also finished my online class last week, so that's a relief!!
First, my softball team! These girls are awesome! They absolutely CRACK me up! We won our second game on Tuesday night, so I took them to Ace's. I thought the dug out was crazy with 11 10-year old girls saying, "Mrs. Brittany, Mrs. Brittany, um, can I . . ." That's NOTHING compared to getting them settled at a restaurant! What was awesome, though, is how they had such a fun time together. From the beginning, we've been meeting on the field, getting gloves on, and practicing. Then at games, it's game, game, game. It was fun to see them all be able to interact and have a good time together. Included is a picture of them all. It cracks me up because each of their personalities are so evident!
Next, is the cookbook project! Our Young Farmers & Ranchers group is putting together a cookbook. I am SUPER excited about this, as we have some really good recipes. I feel that this would/will be one of my very favorite cookbooks because of what we have in it! We ARE a bunch of Farmer and Rancher wives/daughters, after all! Contact me if you want to buy one. While searching for cover options, I have started taking some pictures. I've gotten some really good ones, so I thought I'd share. These were all taken in God's country (Cottage Grove) on or near my family's farm. I'm waiting for a day with a blue sky to go back and take this shot again so the top of the silo will stand out. This will do for now, though:
The next farm picture is of wheat. Plain and simple....but vital. I like it! I had fun with the other picture. I'm glad I snapped it. I pulled over on the side of the road to snap some of this guy and his buddies. I was in a hurry to get to softball practice, so I turned to run back down the fenceline to get to my car. Suddenly, I heard what sounded like a dog chasing me, so I turned back around to see him stop and watch me. He was following me! This is why I love cows...even boney old dairy breeds! I just want to kiss them on those big ol' snotty noses! (Don't do that, or you'll end up with a broken nose, I promise.) Anyway, I had to protect Tennessee from those silly "California" claims!
You'll have to excuse the spacing and order of the pictures...I haven't quite got this figured out yet!
The last big thing I've been working on has been the BackPack Program. I'll not get too much into this now because it is so moving to me. All I'll say is that God wanted this program to come together. He presented it to three of us at very different, but vital times. The last piece came in a couple months ago, so now we're all put together and working. As I was compiling survey information on Monday, it became even more evident to me that there is a great need for this program. I was eating lunch while reading the answers from teachers. I realized that I was treating myself to a chocolate chip cookie that I didn't need as some children were eating their first decent meal in 3 days.
I often take such little things for granted.
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