This little calf’s mom died shortly after giving birth. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed “Teddy” when we visited my folks’ farm.
Getting a bucket calf is definitely on my girl’s prayer list!
Grandma Eva’s Valentine Memories
February 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment
When my Grandmother-in-Law Eva Mader thinks about Valentine’s Day, she has great memories of school parties, finger lickin’ good paste, a big snowstorm and a bobcat hunt.
Eva grew up in Wyoming in the 1930’s. She went to an old fashioned little one room schoolhouse in the country (complete with an outhouse and a wood burning stove). All the kids in the school looked forward to Valentine’s Day and started preparing for it a month in advance.
“The school supplied us with red and white construction paper and finger lickin good paste,” she said. “Sometimes the teacher would give us some paper doilies to make some extra frilly trim. For basic valentines we cut a big double-layer red heart that opened in the middle. Then we pasted a smaller white heart inside and wrote a verse on it. Back then valentine verses always rhymed.”
Some of Eva’s favorite verses were:
“Here I stand beside you, I hope you won’t decline
For I’m about to ask you, To be my valentine”
Or:
“Valentine’s is here again, The day that’s set apart
For sweethearts everywhere to tell, What’s nearest to their heart
I’ve said I love you many times, The message isn’t new
But I’ll say it many times again, And always ‘dear’ to you”
When Eva was in elementary school, none of the children’s mothers had cars, so the school always held the valentine’s parties in the afternoon. That way mothers could attend and then have time to make the walk back home before evening chores.
By the time Eva was in 8th grade though, all the families in the area had a vehicle, so the school held their valentine’s parties in the evening.
“We usually got together with a nearby school and had a big party and program for the whole family,” Eva said. “Moms made popcorn balls and brought candy to pass out. We handed out homemade valentines – it was rare to get a store bought one – and made sure we gave our prettiest ones to our choice friends.”
In 1948 and 1949 Eva taught in a rural school. During the Christmas of 1948 she ordered valentines and party supplies from a catalog for her class.
“That year winter came on New Year’s night,” she said. “There was deep snow and high winds. We had to live on what we had in stock for over a month, so there were no treats on February 14th. Finally, in the middle of March the mail carrier – driving a horse team pulling a small sled – came through with my catalog order. So that’s when we had our valentine’s party.”
Valentine’s Day was an important day in Eva’s marriage too. “It was rare indeed if my husband remembered Christmas, my birthday or our anniversary,” Eva said. “But never once did he forget to get me a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day. And somehow he always managed to keep the box hidden until the 14th too.”
One of Eva’s favorite Valentine’s memories was from the year that they had a fresh snow fall on February 13th.
“On Valentine’s Day my husband got his gun and his horse and he went bob cat hunting back in the hills all day,” Eva said. “The next morning he came out grinning real sheepishly with a box of candy. He remembered remarkably well. We lived 55 miles from town and only shopped about once every 6 weeks.”
Though Eva’s husband has been gone for over 20 years now and she’s retired from teaching and being a rural school bus driver, Eva still celebrates Valentine’s Day by sending cards and letters to her great grandchildren.
What Do I Want My Kids To Be Like When They’re 30?
January 24, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Sports. Music. Art. Education. Parents invest a lot of time, money and energy into training their kids to excel.
A couple of weeks ago in my Sunday school class this question came up – “What do you want to be able to say about your kids when they’re 30?”.
Not surprisingly, every single one of those people in my Sunday school class agreed that all that they really wanted to see in their 30-year-old kids was a strong relationship and faith in God. I think most Christian parents would say the same thing.
The only problem is, many of us are investing in our kids’ skills (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) but we are neglecting to teach them how to honor God and pursue a relationship with him – the only thing that ultimately matters.
Thinking of my children as 30-year-old has really challenged me to reevaluate what emphasis I’m putting on their schooling and extracurricular activities versus their heart and character.
How are you eternally investing in your children’s lives?
Huge & Healthy Giveaway on Eating it Real
January 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment
A new blog I contribute to – Eating it Real – is hosting a huge launch giveaway! The prize package is awesome and worth signing up for!
Here’s my favorite prize (wish I could enter!):
Head here to enter the giveaway!
Evelyn’s First Colorado Christmas
January 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment
In case you are missing the Christmas season 
…
New socks, shirts and gloves aren’t at the top of most kids’ Christmas lists year – in fact, kids today probably wouldn’t be excited if they received just a gift like that on Christmas morning. But in the 1930s, getting anything new was special for my grandma Evelyn. In fact, she still remembers how thrilled she was to get a pair of red gloves one Christmas morning.
Christmas was simple during Evelyn’s growing up years – there were no decorations and very few gifts. Most gifts that were given were homemade and practical. But during those lean times the meager gifts were still exciting and appreciated. Typically, Evelyn got new socks and underwear for Christmas. But every once in a while, she did get an extra-special, out of the ordinary gift. One of her most treasured presents came during her first Christmas in Colorado.
Evelyn was born in the tree-filled, red dirt country of Coyle Oklahoma – a small town near Stillwater. Times were tough for her family in the late 1920s, so in 1931 the family sold nearly all of their possessions and made a plan to move to Colorado. Evelyn was 4 years old when she and all of her family – one brother, parents, three grandparents, uncle, aunt, and two cousins, loaded up their essentials in two old cars and one beat up truck and made the 600 mile long trip to Bennett Colorado.
Evelyn’s aunt and uncle and cousins headed for Denver once they arrived at Bennett, but Evelyn and the rest of her family stayed and found a farmhouse in the country. The old house they moved into was split into two sides so Evelyn, her parents and brother lived on one side and her grandparents lived on the other one.
Evelyn still remembers how shocked she was to see the dusty, treeless Colorado plains for the first time.
“It was a sad and forlorn country. There was nothing to stop the wind from blowing dirt across the land, almost covering up fences and farm machinery. Dust was everywhere,” she says. “Livestock had to endure the endless wind and dirt that blew into their shelters and covered the pastureland. Some did not make it. The fine dust invaded our home.”
That first year that Evelyn lived in Colorado was difficult. Drought was already affecting the area and the women of the house had a full time job keeping dust out of the living areas. Evelyn helped hang wet sheets and blankets over windows and doors in an effort to keep the dust away. When she set the table for a meal, she put dishes upside down until the food was ready to put on the table.
Thankfully, just before Christmas that year, it snowed. The house was icy cold – except by the wood stove, but the whole family was glad to get relief from the relentless blowing dust.
On Christmas Eve the whole family gathered like usual – sharing the light of the kerosene lamp and the warmth of the stove. But unexpectedly that evening, there was a loud commotion outside.
“We heard bells, stomping of feet and a very loud ‘HO,HO,HO’,” Evelyn remembers. “ My dad told my brother and I to open the door and see what was going on. Normally we were never allowed to open the door after dark, so we were surprised by my dad’s request. We cracked it open and saw footprints in the snow and a small green table with 2 matching chairs. The table and chairs were just our size – we were so excited. We couldn’t believe that Santa had found us.”
Today, nearly 80 years later, Evelyn still has one of those little chairs and cherishes that Christmas memory and the hope it brought during a difficult year.
See more of my columns at the Fence Post’s website – just search for Shelli Mader!
2012 End of the Year Goal Update
January 1, 2013 By 2 Comments
Wow, I got a little ambitious with the goals last year, didn’t I? There aren’t many things crossed off the list, but a little progress is still progress, right? 
Here’s my goal list from 2012 – and the progress (or lack of progress) that I made. The crossed off goals are the ones I accomplished.
Blog Goals
1. Write at least 366 posts this year!
(EPIC fail! – back on the list for 2013!)
2. Redesign the sidebar (boy, it needs help!)
(Didn’t happen – need to get some help with this!)
3. Redesign blog background
I figured out how to change the background myself, but I’m still need to work on it
4. Read at least 1 book on blogging
Read ProBlogger
5. Have at least 1 Skype meeting with a professional blog consultant
6. Post 6 days a week
7. Write one blog series a month
8. Finish blogging through the Bible in 90 Days
No
Writing Goals
1. Continue writing my column, Road to Ranching for The Fence Post
Yeah! So thankful for this opportunity!
2. Write 1 feature article a month for The Fence Post
Nope 
3. Send at least 2 query letters to national magazines
4. Spend at least 3 hours a week writing articles
5. Become a contributor to a least 1 larger blog
I’m a contributor for Eating it Real – a site that launches January 7th!
6. Write at least 1 article for a national magazine
Personal Goals
1. Run a 10 K
I did do a couple 5 Ks though
2. Eat a mostly whole foods diet (What the Bible Says About Healthy Eating and the Maker’s Diet really inspired me!)
I was off and on with this one!
3. Memorize 52 Bible verses with my 6-year-old
Nope! But I did make a scrapbook of 20 I memorized with her!
4. Lose 15 pounds (doesn’t everyone need a weight loss resolution?)
I did lose 10lbs this year – but 8 of them were ones I gained the first part of the year … ooops!
5. Be purposeful about tithing at least 10% of our income
An important goal….
6. Convert to a cash-only budget for “extra” expenses like eating out, entertainment, gifts, clothing
Not even close….
7. Pay off debt (can we get it all paid off this year??)
Not even close on this one either…
8. Read through the Bible in One Year
Yes!
9. Catch up on 3 year’s worth of scrapbooking (do 1 year at least!)
I decided to transition to digital scrapbooking this year – I made a few books, but I’m not caught up!
So… how did you do on your 2012 goals? Did you make any?
Advent Day 7 – Mary’s Song
December 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The kids had lots of fun with this craft. We used a CD remind them of the song of praise Mary sang to God (Luke 1:46-56) after she found out that she was going to have Jesus. The song is a good reminder to the kids (and me!) that God sees us and is merciful.
Advent Day 6 – Mary & Elizabeth
December 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
We had to squeeze 2 advent crafts into one day, but the days worked well together. This craft was all about Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth’s house. Can you tell which craft is my 7-year-olds and which is the 4-year-olds? 
Thanks for stopping in and following my family's journey to cattle ranching. Along the way I'll share some encouragement, ag news, and recipes. 
