Christmas on the farm.

 I must preface this with disclosing to you that I have an eggnog hangover. The sad part is that there's no alcohol involved with this hangover, never the less I had to drag my butt around the barn to accomplish chores this morning. Here's the thing about Christmas on the farm, the critters don't care if it's a holiday or not they want to be fed and watered and mucked out regardless of my plans to celebrate the day. So off I go to the Barn with my work coat over my red holiday sweater and good jeans. (That just means no holes.) While everyone is cozy and warm in their houses knee-deep in gifts with fuzzy slippers on and a mug of something hot in their hands, farmers everywhere are strapping on their muck-covered boots and doing what we do every other day of the year. Most often we don't mind, but there are moments when you are picking poo out of a stall when you think "why am I doing this?" Then, to restore your love of farming one of the cows rubs their head lovingly up your arm in appreciation or the dogs are playing and run across some ice and are suspended in a moment of animation as they run full bore and do not gain any ground (True story happened today. I laughed so hard)  and you remember why you love this life so much!

 Another thing about being a farmer on Christmas, you find the funniest things in your stocking. I, as I'm sure many other wives found on Christmas morning, fuzzy Sox, lip gloss (I love my chicken poop lip junk) and the press on nail stickers that I love so much (They last two weeks even with what I do) but one of my favorite stocking stuffers was my fencing tool! I have never had one of my very own, I'm looking forward to the hours of time this genius tool will save me. The other things my wonderful husband left me under our tree was silky pink pjs and a new shiny hay fork. Now this may seem like one of those gifts like a vacuum or an iron, things most wives would frown at receiving unless it was on their wish list. Not me! Not this farm girl there was nothing that could have made me happier than my husband thinking of something to make my life easier. An odd combination of gifts, so me!
Happy holidays!