Those who have known me the longest remembers when patience was not a word in my vocabulary! When something needed to be done, it needed done RIGHT. NOW. and usually I'd be the one to ignore all advice and jump in to do it.
Since the death of our oldest daughter, I've stopped doing that. Partly because I try to take life a little slower and enjoy it more - savoring the moment rather than seizing it. But also, partly because I'm just getting older and slower and my "To-Do" list is always longer than my day.
When we started this venture it wasn't with a lot of planning or plotting. I was just being led along the way it seemed. I mean, how in the world does one just end up in Greeneville TN? How in the world do you wind up in the very spot where your heart is at home? At peace?
What in this world made us choose BUFFALO?
I can go on, and someday I will because when I lay out all of the "coincidences" that came along from 2017 to today there is no denying that what brought me to this moment -- this exact minute -- in time has nothing to do with anything IN this world, but everything to do with OF this world.
Since we are a grass-fed and finished operation, population-to-land balance is mandatory. So, I had two cows I planned to pull off the herd for harvesting last week. The 2nd cow/heifer had never bred and if I wanted to get her off the ground before rut this year, NOW was my only chance. So, she was an almost last-minute decision.
On Monday morning while in Morristown for an appointment, I agreed to swing by the Pink Pig to pick up my daughter's ceramic order. I don't go into Morristown enough to know my way around, so I turned on GPS. As I went through a green light at an intersection, I saw that the light at the next intersection was just turning green and the traffic beginning to move, so I didn't bother taking my foot off the gas as I looked down at my GPS to see if I had a turn coming up (I don't leave the voice direction on because it drives me crazy!)....and, as I looked back at the road a little blue Toyota Corolla sat no more than 2 car lengths ahead of me.
I could see the driver's head was down as if looking at a phone, but there was no time to stop, no time to turn and miss, and really no time to blow the horn (not that it would have done any good - my tires locked up were louder than my horn).
I plowed right into the rear end of the car...and that was the story of my life for the next couple of hours.
Thank God no one was hurt. The other driver was a young boy who had saved his own money to buy this 2010 Toyota (which I'm sure the insurance will total) from a fellow church member. And, there was no denying my fault, and certainly no reason to be upset (even though I was and had already commenced kicking my own butt for being so careless). He was calm and most importantly he was okay. He called his mom, I called 9-1-1 and my insurance, and harvest was canceled for the day.
I drove the truck home, no real damage appeared and no fluids leaked while I sat there on the side of the road for over an hour. So, I watched the gauges as I drove the back roads home and had a conversation with God.
"So Much To Do!"
"How will I get the girls to the processor?"
"Why NOW?"
"I really didn't need this to happen!"
And, a few other poor-me whines.
God answered.
Friends of mine were sitting in a hospital in a holding pattern as their baby fought for peace. My thoughts went to them the rest of the evening.
God gave me perspective.
This morning, I went out for the morning herd check and started counting. I was coming up 'heavy' on my numbers, so I ran my finger through the air as if plopping each on the head so I could be sure I counted each just ONCE.
The calves were bouncing and swirling, so when I saw little legs walking alongside Midge I paused.
Did I count one of the other calves twice???!
I quickly did a recount. NOPE. All of them were bunched up and playing.
Midge had her first calf last evening! She's already brought the tiny little thing into the herd and moving from pasture to pasture. Being a first-time mommy, I've been keeping tabs on her to be sure the calf is nursing and she's not walking off.
I wanted to get fresh water out, but as I started out to fill the tanks, something said to go check the backfield.
There was Midge in the upper corner of the back pasture in (what I've dubbed) the jungle nursery. The little one wanted to sleep and she would not allow it, too busy licking and cleaning -- and apparently annoying it.
So it got up and walked straight out of the fence, plopped down 2 ft from the back corner, and commenced to sleep for 45 minutes. Midge grunted. Midge paced. Midge ate. Midge lay down. But Midge never left.
I finally walked around the outer back fence line and scooped up the little one then shoved it back through the fence. Midge? She just looked at me with a bit of a "What took you so long?" look.
I had really hoped she'd figure out the importance of getting that calf back in the fence on her own, but she chose patience.
As soon as they were reunited they walked off to join the rest of the herd.
So, God keeps putting me in the place I need to be at the time I need to be there. Even when it's not a place I would choose to be or want to be.
Had I not hit that young man last week - Midge would have harvested Midge not knowing she was pregnant, and THAT close to calving. And THAT would have likely killed me!
*NOTHING indicated that girl was having a calf. At least to my "still learning every day" eyes...she was healthy, lean, and YOUNG, and her body did present any physical characteristics of being pregnant.
So we have a July 4th calf -- if it's a heifer she'll be "Lil Miss Independence" and if a bull? "Firecracker"...
Be blessed all!
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