Life’s Little Curve Balls
I love animals. Always wanted to have a horse growing up and even lived in the country outside a small town with a population of about 7,900 when
I was in 2nd-fourth grade. We had chickens and turkeys, one duck, five dogs and more cats than I could count. Oh, and one cow that thought she was a dog. But I never had any desire to participate in FFA in high school or raise anything to show at a local livestock show. So you can imagine how clueless I was when my oldest decided to quit color guard and join FFA her junior year in high school. Talk about one heck of a curve ball! Didn’t see that one coming.
Culture shock big time. That first FFA meeting had me in a panic because she wanted to raise an animal. No floral design for this one. LOL Thankfully, I talked her into raising one(not three) breeding rabbit instead of a steer or pig. I had cousins who took on this huge commitment and it was good for them. But I couldn’t stand the idea of raising anything we would have to sell for someone else’s supper. Gulp… Did I mention my parents bought our one cow to raise and then eat? Yeah, by the time she got big enough, we couldn’t do it. We sold her as a milk cow instead. LOL
Raffiki was a wonderful rabbit. He was beautiful and good tempered and had great genes. A Mini- Rex. I had no idea you could get rabbits with pedigrees. He took second last year and third this year in the FFA Project show for our area.
But now my oldest is getting ready for college in the fall. So Mr. Rabbit will have to find a new home. :( I’ll miss him honest, but cleaning him not so much.
Looks like we won’t have a problem finding him a new home either. After the show, there were several people interested in buying him. Wow. I had no idea.
This year is winding down fast. Way too fast. Soon we’ll be getting ready for Prom. Then it’s graduation. Then it’s off to college and many more new adventures. Sure hope I can stand all this excitement! LOL
Oh, and I almost forget!! Two great websites are going live today! The goal – Bring Authors, Writers and Readers together. There is something for everyone. Hop over and check it out! 
www.eatreadrate.com – An Interactive Book Club
www.allthingswords.com – A Hub for Writers and Readers
Feb 18, 2013 @ 06:54:36
Funny. My two younger sons have decided they want to take up tennis. I’m not sure I know which is the working end of the paddle. What I do know is that they’re going to have to load the dishwasher a gazillion times to make up for the cost of it!
Keri Stevens recently posted..Keri Not Keri
Feb 18, 2013 @ 14:24:53
Paddle, Keri?! Are they taking up tennis or ping-pong? LOL
Natalie J. Damschroder recently posted..I Hate Webmail…and Hey! Supernatural Sisters is Back! Kind Of.
Feb 18, 2013 @ 15:08:41
LOL Natalie! I didn’t even catch this until I read your post!
Feb 19, 2013 @ 06:23:25
Wicket? Bat? That swinging thing!
Keri Stevens recently posted..Keri Not Keri
Feb 18, 2013 @ 15:07:55
Oh, Keri! My middle daughter has been playing tennis since 7th grade. I was clueless too in the beginning. Now I love watching her, but still have trouble keeping score. LOL It’s more work than I ever imagined, but she loves it and her younger brother has picked it up as well. Best of luck to your sons!
Feb 19, 2013 @ 06:24:25
All I know us that love beans nothing, which is totally NOT what I want them learning!
Keri Stevens recently posted..Keri Not Keri
Feb 18, 2013 @ 08:06:01
Bunnies! My son won our rabbit as a prize at a carnival. I tried to resist, but I was a goner the moment I touched his floppy lop ears. Tim Bunny is a spoiled rotten house rabbit and the love of my life. He and the hubby are the best of friends but worst of enemies. They compete for my affections on a daily basis. We visit the FFA rabbits on display at the state fair each year, but since the day I walked into the kitchen while my boys were having breakfast together ( a chocolate chip cookie for the man, leaf lettuce for the bun) and overheard my husband offering to get Tim a bunny hooker, I’m a little wary.
Kids will throw you for a loop every time. Teens in particular. The nuns from the Sound of Music nailed it with the bit about catching a wave upon the sand.
Margaret Ethridge recently posted..Monday Mayhem – Nervous Nellie Edition
Feb 18, 2013 @ 15:13:29
House rabbit?? I had no idea you can have one of those, Margaret! Does it use a litter box? Or scratch at the door to go outside? Wonder if it’s too late to train Raffiki?? LOL And bunny hooker!! Too funny!!
Feb 18, 2013 @ 15:40:40
He uses a litter box, but he has been known to seek revenge on us for various slights. He is free to roam all of the first floor of the house, but really only strays into a few rooms. Rabbits are naturally prey animals, so they are skeptical of new territory.
You’re proabably better off with him in a hutch. Tim’s cute, but he is a rodent and he rarely lets us forget it. We’re just suckers.
Margaret Ethridge recently posted..Monday Mayhem – Yay!
Feb 18, 2013 @ 08:28:38
First – Margaret – A bunny hooker? BRAWAHAHAHAHA
Now to today’s subject – kids off to college. That’ll be hard on both of you! I’m not tough enough to raise an animal intended for dinner. Animals have a soft spot in my heart. I just couldn’t do it. I’ll always be the cook who has to buy her meat at the market!
Feb 18, 2013 @ 15:14:48
I’m with you Cyndi! I’ll get my meat at the market. I don’t need to meet it first! LOL
Feb 18, 2013 @ 12:51:25
a friend of ours son raised and showed a pig. best dadgum pork chops I ever had!
you missed a good chance there for some prime steak! nomnomnomnomnom…
If Son decided to do the livestock thing, I think i would probably struggle on what to pick. there’s pig (nom), but then theres BEEF (nomnom). but I really don’t like cows(this could be a good thing. I’d never be expected to help). Chickens! Hen layers! (eggs when I wanted *faints*)but omg-snakes and the poop.
rabbits would be good, but there’s just not enough meat on a rabbit to make it worth it, I think. All that work, one pot of stew. Yeah.
good luck!
Keri Ford recently posted..Your 30 Dress and Shoes
Feb 18, 2013 @ 15:20:19
Ack, Keri!! Girl, you’re killing me! LOL No attatchment issues for you, huh?
Feb 18, 2013 @ 14:32:06
I’m ignoring Keri F’s post. I don’t thing I’d be unable to have an animal I’d raised for food slaughtered (I’m not all that sentimental) but there’s a little too much enthusiasm there. LOL
Bunnies are the softest! Congratulations to her on her placement with him. I hope you find a good home.
Has she heard from any colleges yet? Mine got her first response on Saturday. The countdown begins! I’ve got a running to-do list in my head for all we have to get done before she can move on.
Natalie J. Damschroder recently posted..I Hate Webmail…and Hey! Supernatural Sisters is Back! Kind Of.
Feb 18, 2013 @ 15:25:17
This one is the softest one I’ve ever felt, Natalie. And the little stinker doesn’t like to be petted. It’s just not fair. LOL
Oldest decided on Texas State, so we are just waiting on housing. Already signed up for an orientation on March 2. This is going way too fast for me! Good luck on your to do list!!
Feb 18, 2013 @ 19:21:24
LOL I grew up with 85% of the meat I ate coming from animals we raised and slaughtered or was hunted. All that crap in the grocery store freaks me out with the junk they add. You can see the difference in the pan while it cooks. you can feel the difference when it’s raw in your hand.
That could be a big factor in why I’m all !!!!!
then again, I just don’t like cows. and pigs usually smell. chickens are stupid and make a mess. maybe I’m a cold hearted meat eater because I don’t like the animals when they’re not chopped up and in me freezer?
Keri Ford recently posted..Your 30 Dress and Shoes
Feb 18, 2013 @ 20:44:40
LOL Funny thing is, I love deer meat and for some reason this one is different and doesn’t bother me. I guess it’s because from as far back as I can remember, my dad and uncles were hunting, skinning and preparing the meat with us kids right there with them. So I can totally see you’re side, Keri.
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