Monastery Work Day 2007

Even though I was up in Tulsa for a nutrition class with the CNHP (Certified Natural Health Professionals) my Dad and brothers spent the day helping the monks at the yearly monastery work day. Able bodied people with a willingness to work come from all over the area to help the monks with jobs around the monastery grounds. Apparently there was quite a crowd helping for the event from the stories and pictures. The main reason for this post is to share pictures that the monks posted on their picassa page from the work day. To view the pictures click here.

New baby oberhasli goats

I walked out this morning with a bucket of grain to move our oberhasli dairy goats out to pasture. The goats know the routine very well - they follow me from their night shelter to the pasture and when we get there they get grain. So I opened the gate to let the goats out and I noticed that "Ari" (one of our two pregnant does) was not looking nearly so "round". I looked again and everything about her seemed just fine (I was a little puzzled) and then I heard a little bleat and looked just behind her. There was the cutest little fuzzy goat ever! The Oberhasli kids look so different than the boar goat kids. I was shocked since I was not expecting to see the babies yet and everything had gone so smoothly. I ran back into the house to tell the good news and bring new on-lookers to enjoy the spectacle. I found the other baby goat still inside the shelter and brought it out with it's brother (both turned out to be boys). Our other goat "Teeka" is expecting her babies at the beginning of April and hopefully she will have at least one girl. But even that does not matter so much now since I am so thankful for healthy baby goats and a healthy mamma.

Amazing 3D art with chalk

I recieved these pictures in an email from a friend and I thought they were really neat. Everything in the picture is drawn with chalk and yet they look so 3-D. I did a little more research and found a few websites with more pictures by this artist : Julian Beever.
Julian Beever's site
more pictures

Enjoy!

Even the hose in this picture is painted with chalk!

The Result of Prayers for Mr. Robinson

Update from Tracy on her Dad:

It's been 11 days since the Code Blue and my dad is alive--not only alive, but with no sign (so far) of brain damage. He was moved out of ICU three days ago and should be moved out of CCU (Cardiac Care Unit) in a couple more days.

This is really amazing considering that his chance of surviving was about 2-3% and his brain had been without oxygen during the 3 times CPR had been preformed on him (for 10-15 minutes each time). See the complete post.

As a side note: The monks now have pictures uploaded on picasa (and there are a lot of them). I have been enjoying them and I think you will too.
Pictures from CC monastery

Lent 2007

Here are some links you may find helpful for your Lenten journey toward Easter:

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI
FOR LENT 2007

Lenten reflections on EWTN

No Mass was said on the High Altar this morning during Low Mass since the Blessed Sacrament was exposed in keeping with the Forty Hours Devotion. The monks take turns praying before the Blessed Sacrament during the 40 hours ... I think it is their prayers and the prayers being said all over the world in this devotion that stays the hand of Justice from sweeping over us this day when so much sin is commited. Here is a brief explanation of this devotion I thought you might find interesting:

“Most Americans know when it is Mardi Gras because there is a huge celebration
of this day in New Orleans. A similarly famous (or infamous) Mardi Gras festival
takes place in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. These events are unfortunately best known
for their debauchery and are cut off from their roots as part of preparation to
begin Lent. In response to these abuses, which are by no means unique to the
Americas in this century, the Catholic tradition of the Forty Hours Devotion
developed. In the 18th century, Pope Benedict XIV asked the faithful to
participate in Eucharistic adoration to atone for the excesses committed during
Carnival. This devotion, which was brought to the United States by St. John
Neumann, begins at 8 am Monday and involves exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
followed by Benediction.”

From Celebrating the Faith in the Home –
The Forty Days of Lent for the Christian Family by Teresa Zepeda with Laurie
Navar Gill.

FYI: Here is the complete text for the Latin Mass.
Text of the Traditional Latin Mass

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

I think I really aught to do at least a quick post. Here are a few combined but important tidbits that I would like to share for any interested.

One of the most important Christmas presents we received this year was a subscription to two of the most awesome magazines for those want to live the self-sufficient life or who want to know what it is all about. We have already devoured our first issues of the magazines and we have a great time talking over the ideas and concepts in the articles. Here are the links for any interested:
Countryside Magazine
Stockman Grass Farmer

A very important point to share would have to be James Herriot's “All Creatures Great and Small”. I cannot say how much I enjoyed reading this book and how much it has helped me to mentally handle the constant animal health situations that come up. Some of you may have heard about one of our goats who was having difficulty birthing during one of the nights of the ice storm. Dad woke me around 3 am to come and help the mother who had already been laboring for too long. We went armed with a flashlight and I very fortunately with a few chapter of James Herriot’s book. When I knelt behind the goat and saw the small nose just sticking out I knew what I needed to do. I asked dad for the warm water and soap and washed down my arms and then began to feel out the problem. It was a strange sight. A nose and three legs all trying to come out at once … and it was obviously not working. I knew that there were 2 kids inside and I began to feel which leg belonged to the little nose. I was very afraid that the baby would be dead since it had been so long in waiting to come out but the baby began to bleat quite well and it helped me on. After I thought I had found the right legs I began to pull and nothing happened. I felt around again and was perplexed. It went on for some time … the baby was not coming. I sat back and began to think … I thought over the stories from James Herriot’s book and tried to pretend to be him and think the way he did when something was not working right. I had an idea and after feeling around a little more I found what I was looking for. Only one of the legs that was showing itself belonged to the little nose while the other two legs belonged to the baby still inside. Once I realized this, it was not long before the baby slid out very easily. It was beautiful to see and the baby was very healthy. The next morning we went to check on the mom again and she had not delivered the 2nd baby because she was too exhausted. So I washed my arms again with soap and water, reached inside and gently slid the 2nd healthy little kid out into the light. The kids are doing great and the mom has also recovered very well. God sends us what we need to accomplish his will and for me that was James Herriot’s book “All Creatures Great and Small”. I would not have had the courage to even attempt what I did without those few chapters under my belt. I have finished the first book and am about to begin the sequel “All Things Bright and Beautiful”. I would highly recommend these books to anyone who already cares for large animals or for anyone who wants to know what it might be like to care for them. I would also say it is meant for an older audience.

A more minor note: My computer had been running very slow recently because of some nasty virus and so I finally brought it into a shop in town. I should have my computer back sometime early next week which will be very nice. It is very handy in times like these to have multiple computers in the house.

For your prayers: Mr. Robinson is doing very well and seems to be on his way to recovery. I don't have more details but when I do I will share them. The family is very grateful for all the prayers they have recieved.
If you could also keep the 2 women who were shot in Kenya this past Janurary in your prayers. My cousin and friends who are at TAC are friends of the students who are relatives of these women. One of the women was their mother and the other their Grandmother. It is very sad.
Here is the story from USA Today.

As much as I love to watch the snow and be by the warm fire I really am looking forward to the spring. I have planted some irises and daffodils and am keeping a watch for when they bloom. I am also looking forward to planting our garden.

Update

Mr. Robinson's condition seems to be stabilizing a little. Miraculously he is able to communicate a little with his family. I spent time today with the Robinson family in the hospital and was really amazed at how well they are doing. There is a lot of prayer traveling to heaven for Mr. Robinson ... all the monks are praying for him, the community at FSP seminary in Nebraska are keeping him in prayer, and he has all 13 children and his wife waiting and praying outside his door - wow! I hope I get that much prayer if I get that sick! Please continue your prayers.

Urgent Prayer Request

I am asking for prayers for my friends the Robinson family. Mr. Robinson is in the hospital now with a serious heart and lung condition and he very possibly might not make it much longer. The Robinson family has 13 children and they are great friends of our family. They live just up the street from us and we see them at the monastery almost everyday. Tracy and Beth (Lizzy) Robinson are close friends of mine. We are just waiting near the phone and praying now. I will post an update when I can. Please pray for the family during this very difficult time. Thanks.

Some pictures from Ice Storm '07

We now have our electricity back. I am glad in some ways, but in another sense the time we had without power really brought our family even closer and we spent more time enjoying each others company. I learned how to cook almost everything we ate on a barbeque and I learned first-hand about delivering baby goats at night using a flashlight. There are many neat stories that I want to share but I don't have time now. I will have to do a more in depth post later about our Ice Storm 2007 but for now enjoy some of the pictures and know that life on Vita Bella Ranch is back to normal (if there is such thing as "normal" around here).

Here is a picture for those who are partial (and that includes me) to our beautiful Pyreneese "pups" : Caelo and Terra.

Oklahoma Ice Storm - January 2007

Hey Everybody, I don't know if you have heard that this part of Oklahoma is going through a big ice storm. My family is doing well considering we have no running water (we are back to bringing water to and fro by hand) and no electricity ... it reminds me a little of our first winter here when our well did not work. I don't have much time since I am on my Grandparent's computer so let me share two emails that were sent by my Granddad that sum up what life around here has been like that past few days. I have some really awesome pictures of the ice storm to share once we get electricity back. Take care until then.

Excerpts from a letter from my Granddad ....

Sunday A.M:

It's an incredible storm that is currently gripping eastern Oklahoma. We're at the end of the first wave with temperatures in the 20's, massive icing everywhere. Nighttime lows to be 2 degrees Tuesday with daytime highs in the 20's. There are massive power outages all over the region. By last night over 45000 homes lost power. Must be much worse today. The very heavy ice is snapping power lines and trees all over. We lost power in this area yesterday afternoon. Mike and the kids rounded up the cows, and led them int the barn. But no electricity, so no heat or pumped water. They have stocked up a lot of water however. So Mike has no phone, but we communicate by walkie-talkie. Mom and I are fine. We have heat and electricity (and Internet. Apparently we're the only ones on line, because we don't have electric service) with our little Honda generators, which I am using carefully to conserve fuel but to mainly charge up the batteries, etc. Trying to keep it down to well less than a gallon a day until we make it through next Wednesday when the weather starts becomming normal. Tune in later for more info.

Monday:

We all had a good day yesterday. Mike and Joey and I went to Tim's in Mike's big Excursion van complete with his large chain saw and Joey muscles to clear the road when necessary. And indeed, we did stop 6 or 7 times to cut and clear fallen trees and branches. And they were mostly on the paved roads. Many fallen logs had already been cleared earlier by others, but the heavily weighted limbs keep falling at such a fast rate.We found a gas station with one out of four pumps still active with a line of cars. But we got all our gas cans filled. And we brought lots of jugs of water. Tim and I worked on his generator while Mike went back on the dirt roads to look for a neighbor roumered to be stranded. Nobody around here has electricity around here for miles and therefore no water as well for most. And also, even though most have propane tanks, the furnaces won't run without the electric blower. And another widespread problem is telephone service for those with cordless or hightech phones, which don't work without electricity. Mike and I got back after checking on some vulnerable friends and chain saw sessions along the way, and we did get his backup generator going. Mike just finished installing a new wood stove in his main room just last week. It's super efficient and he has no shortage of fire wood. And with the great number of fallen trees and limbs, ther is no shortage in sight for the next couple of years. Today the weather is in the teens and will be single digits tonight and tomorrow night with a low of 2 degrees. According to the local TV there are 122,000 homes statewide without power. So many involve downed power poles, especially in this part of the state, which may take up to 2 weeks or more to restore because of the sheer workloads. So we are hunkered down for now. The ice is incredible yet beautiful out here. So it is all a very unique experience, and should begin to improve after Wednesday.