Guest post: Someone I think you should know- Kristal Slager

Mr. Awesome had encouraged me to reach out to those that I have been inspired by.  There are so many people that are in my own tribe that have successful businesses, as well as those that champion for a variety of Causes or those that changed their lives dramatically because of some sort of serious issue.

I soak up positive stories like some people soak up the sun. I am encouraged, uplifted and amazed at the challenges or obstacles these people have overcome. 

I will bring you people that I pray impact you as much as they have impacted me over the next year and maybe longer! 

I worked with Kristal, well; I worked in the same building we were on different teams. The times we interacted were filled with banter and fun ribbing on one another. I still have a fondness for a super adorable Cupcake bag she has.

I didn’t see her for a bit and kind of keep to myself with the rumor mills that run around workplaces. I happen to overhear a conversation between a few co-workers and was sadden to hear that she was diagnosed with Terminal Cancer and she wasn’t well enough to keep working.

A dear Friend had started a Facebook page called Praying for Kristal. The page is filled with support, prayers, and love.

I kept tabs on the group as well as on her personal page, I was inspired how she didn't seem like some person just waiting to wither away! I became deeply encouraged by her faith, courage and strength on her journey.

She shared some intimate moments but always gave glory to the Lord. I found out recently her journey started with her mammogram in 2010. There was a lump found on her right breast. She quickly had that taken care of and remained free of cancer for many years.

Fast forward to a few years, she developed back pain so severe that she could only find some degree of comfort by sleeping in her car or chair. She had seen a doctor whom informed her she pulled a muscle and later that she had Degenerative Arthritis. He provided her with comfort measures and sent her on her way. Time is passing and her back wasn’t getting any better. The Doctor kept giving her the run around, cortisone shots and offering physical therapy.

She was to the point where she couldn’t walk. Work and just getting around was becoming too extreme. After 2 years she was no better than when she first saw her doctor. She needed to take matters in her own hands so she consulted another physician.This doctor ordered numerous tests that her other primary caregiver hadn’t done!

She received her results the afternoon of her testing. The results sank in immediately.  She has incurable, inoperable Stage 4 Metastasized Cancer. There are 23 tumors in her spine, 3 in her groin, 6 in her Liver and scattered throughout her body.This is why she was in so much pain with her back!

She was/is being treated with radiation for 2 series. She will be on Chemo for the rest of her life and starting on a new series of radiation on her legs as it has spread.

After her diagnosis she gave her Cancer to the God and considers herself 100% healed! She recalls looking out the windshield, telling the Lord she couldn’t do this! She told the Lord to take it! It’s much bigger then what she could handle and she was not willing to have Cancer in her body. Finding a hair color was big enough but this?! This was too much!

With this she never took it back. She says when we have a problem we give it to God, if we keep praying about it then we didn’t really “give” it to Him. We told Him about it but keep praying on it rather than casting all your cares upon Him.

When Kristal faces doubt or challenges come up she prays for wisdom, strength, a positive attitude and how to talk to others about Jesus. She wants to give glory to God!

Even though some folks would grow negative, bitter, depressed and upset, she continues to share how much God loves her in the waiting room at the doctors or while waiting for her Chemo treatment. She wants to share when God has done for her! During this time some of her relationships have grown closer, yet some grew further apart as her faith grew and she began to witness for the Lord.

She turns everything over to God, sometimes she forgets and frets over silly stuff and then it clicks to give it all to the Lord. She quotes scripture for solace and give thanks to the Lord: 

I lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help…

Blessed is the man that walked not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor sitter in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in this law doth he meditate day and night…

She has many favorite verses but Nahum 1:7 is her favorite: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him

I had asked her what words or encouragement did she think should not be said at this time. She says that she has explored her options for and says please don’t offer but appreciates it.Within the first week of diagnosis several well meaning folks suggested that she try:

Hypnosis
Marijuana
Dandelion Root
Oils
Acid diet
Greens only
Or that she travel to Mayo Clinic.

Kristal says it seems when they make suggestions it makes things a bit awkward and has to tell folks “Thanks but no thanks”.

Throughout all of this she thanks God for giving her a wake up call to live!  Her adventures have included visiting friends and family and being invited to speak at a Women’s group. She is also invited to lunch much more before her diagnosis, it’s been wonderful to reconnect and to connect with loved ones!

To learn more about the Lord and this God loving Woman she can be reached on Facebook Kristal Biggs Slager and Facebook page: Praying for Kristal 

I hope her story has inspired you as much as she has inspires me!

Guest posts soon!

I am super excited! Well, at this time I am calmed down more then I was earlier. 😄

Under the advisement of my supportive partner, Mr. Awesome, I created a list of influencing and inspiring people that I admire in various paths of life.

The idea was to reach out to them and let them know what an impact they had on me and perhaps they would do a interview or just give some sagey advice.

None of this is for us to profit from but to share their stories to spark a fire in you like they did for me! Most importantly I want to give back to the Community by sharing. 💖


So I stopped procrastinating, bit the bullet and contacted almost all of them + the dozens of folks on my FB circle. All but 1 so far have responded with a YES!

Yes, you heard me right!

I was floating all day! I called my Sister, Mom, told my Pastor's Wife (I asked her to share in a Guest post as she is an AMAZING Woman!) and of course Mr. Awesome!

I posted a YouTube earlier and here it is! I don't know how my video's stop with me looking silly or goofy.

Hope you enjoy our Guests! They will provide information of websites, product info, and contact info (If applicable).

I can't wait! Have a wonderful night.

I believe in you...
BIG HUGS!
Mel🌈

What the heck have we been doing?

We lost a few loved ones in 2015. We lost chickens, ducks, guineas, our bees over the past few years from predators, Mr. Awesome, sickness, giving to friends or selling at auction.

We didn't go away on our great School bus tour (Did I mention this previously?) We are still renovating the bus but...

I found myself bedridden towards the end of 2015. After brief battery of tests and tears I found out that I have Lyme Disease! I walked with a cane for a few months but after a IV Antibiotic for 10 days and several courses of Antibiotics for the past year I am better. I did have to quit my job in 2015 but had to go back to work in the Summer of 2016 after our nest egg went down to non-existent. SADFACE!

I'm still not 100% with my health but am working on it!

I found a part time job working for a hotel. The hours are great but I still have a nagging in the pit of my tummy telling me I'm not doing what I need to so my heart sings.

I am struggling to figure what that is since I... Look there's a chicken!

Just kidding! I am passionate about so many dang things that I'm not sure where to go. I wanted to get my business idea- Legacy Antiques & Estate Sales off the ground but am not sure if I am really physically up to doing it.

I still do flea markets, had a Hoard sale in November, started a FB page for my business. Love healing/energy work (Reflexology)! Haven't done any Doula work though I did see the birth of my 1st Grandbaby! My middle Daughter had a beautiful Girl! A month later Mr. Awesome's Daughter welcomed our 2nd Grandbaby, a Boy!

I know right?!

In March of 2016 we also bought our FOREVER HOME! We are so excited! We love it!

This year we plan to put Permaculture plans into work. I created a Youtube channel, Instagram account and will be having some Guest posts from small business owners that inspire me. I'm not sure how often I will do this. I was kicking around doing so Weekly or every other week.

These will include businesses that are related to beauty, health, restaurant, photographers, antique dealers and more! I'm super excited! If you are interested in a Guest post to plug your business drop me an email or snail mail. I'd love to work with you!

Can you tell I'm ready to kick 2017 in the butt?

Post from 2012- I was BRAVE! & Eat, Drink and Get Married!

I was brave! I wanted to live on the wild side and throw caution to the wind!

What did I do? 

Tattoo? 

Rockin pink hair I have always wanted?

Radical new clothes?

Nah! I bought and used a Pressure Cooker! TEEHEE!  I admit I was so nervous! I had images of Looney Tunes cartoons of the thing blowing up on me running in my head the whole time. I read several books on canning, something else I'm new to, and felt confident and brave enough to actually fill the darned thing. I don't have a Frankenstein monster of a cooker, like these. That is too intimidating for me just starting out. It's much smaller no bells or whistles. 

I cut, scooped, peeled, blanched and seeded what I needed to. I was pooped when I was done. I made sure Mini Man and the dog were at a safe distance before I turned on the stove. Then I waited patiently for the darn thing to start dancing to start timing it. Unsure whether to start my timer before the top started wiggling. Of course I grew paranoid if I heard or saw the top moving or not. I saw steam and figured it was time. (I didn't see that in any of the books GRRFACE!) I managed to stay alive, no burns, no fire dept called. All my bottles remained in tact and looked so lovely I might add! The girls gave me a big compliment at how pretty everything looked like in the jars. After everything was done I had to admit it was neat but a lot of work for so little jars. 

 We still have a great bounty that has been coming from this little garden! I am still in awe! I have had several gardens in the past but this one is different. This whole experience here on the farm with my family is different. I won't go into details but over 4 years ago I would have never dreamed of such happiness and good times!

 This is today's haul! I know I'll have more tomorrow! I actually can't wait! Like a kid in a candy store everyday is a wonder and very peaceful time in the garden.

I'm going to tackle Pumpkin next! And yes I will walk on the wild side and use my canner again!

Chicken count is remaining at 9! YIPPEE! Hope to keep the Fox family at bay with Coyote Urine. Yes, as gross as it sounds but if it works then Horray!

Eat, Drink and be Married was a success! 

 May you never steal, lie, or cheat, but if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows, and if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life, and if you must cheat, then please cheat death because I couldn't live a day without you. 

Cheers~ Leap Year

 My sister made these adorable birdseed hearts for favors! She also created Microwave popcorn bags and below so cute chick cake pops that Kalven found yummy!

A special thanks to the wonderful lady and her crew that came out a day 

early to help start the celebration! 

GIGGLE! Love ya Chelle!

 Thanks to Ms. Ve for all her help setting up tables with Brian!

 Jessica and Jennifer played beautifully for us! 

And Mike and Justin worked the doors keeping out the Riff Raff. Just kidding. They were very good ushers!

We felt very blessed to have so many shared our day with us! 

Thank you very much to Brian, Cathy, My Mom and Dad, Sister Ashley, Lee and everyone who brought yummy food, good company and wonderful memories!

Post from 2012- The chicks are coming!

Sorry for the fuzzy picture...
Oh my gosh! I was so tickled to see 8 little guys swimming around in they're shells out of 9 that I put in the incubator is AWESOME! I was amazed and of course I'm a big sap, so I was teary eyed! I'm such a nerd.

I even texted my family to let them know they will be Aunts and Grandparents to a few feathered chicks. HAHA! Thank goodness my family tolerates my silliness!

So, praying everything turns out alright with these little ones that we will have a new flock of little one's running about soon! Now, of course I have an itch to try another breed if all turns well with these little ones.

Of course the girls are doing a wonderful job with laying eggs. So far, production is at 4 eggs a day. I never realized how often I do not eat eggs! They are piling up rather fast in the fridge! I hear a baking day coming up in the next day or so.

My canning adventure was fun and a neat learning experience. I almost hate to pop the jars open because how pretty they look! We have spaghetti sauce, salsa, pumpkin (Which my darling Sister Amanda did for me), Acorn squash, stewed tomatoes, and a few other things. I am glad our garden is small this year for the practice. BRING ON SPRING! I'm already itching for next summer!

Our harvest went well considering the garden size and I was pretty pleased with it!

From June 2012 to September 2012

Acorn Squash- 12

Watermelon-10

Pickles- 2 lbs

Cantaloupe- 2- I was disappointed at that number

Roma Tomatoes- 1lb

Beefsteak Tomatoes- 2 lbs

Cherry Tomatoes- 1 lb

Corn- 10 ears

Popcorn-

Hybrid corn-

Broccoli- 1 lb

Cauliflower- 2 ½ lbs

Turnips- 8

Radish- 6

Zucchini- 12

Strawberries- ½ lb

Kale- 1 lb Rabbits/Chickens

Carrots- 6 mini

Green peppers- 2 lbs

Leaf Lettuce- 1 lb

Pumpkins- 14

Cabbage- 3 heads Cabbage worms- Chickens loved them!

Gourds- 50+

Herbs various- 2 lbs

Potatoes (Yukon Gold/Red/Idaho)- 1 lb

Onions Variety- 2 lbs

Garlic- 6 heads small

Peas- ½ lb

Green Beans- ½ lb

The game plan is to expand and plant more and space out the plantings better. We were blessed to have some free veggie plants at the end of June but they didn't fit so well in the garden and it was like Melons Gone Wild in the garden! Not to mention the pumpkins had a mind of their own. 

It was fun! On occasion a very happy chicken would fly into the garden and nibble on something yummy but for the most part a lot of insects and moths made homes in much of the cabbage and some other veggies. I'm pretty pleased! 

 

I sold enough of my pumpkins and watermelons to make my seed money for them back! YEA! Really anxious for next year! Did I say that already?

Over due super old posts

November 2013! From our www.redrumhotel.blogspot.com

Since last posting, we had added ducks, guinea hens, an adorable set of bantams but we have lost many of our feather flock due to coyotes, foxes, hawks and not sure what else! We do currently have 12 chickens and many have them (Blk Astralops) have been gifted by my sister- Ms. Amanda! A neighbor could not keep one of his Americuna roosters so we got one that we all Bruce! The Django and Hilde were added to the mix but Django was taken by a hawk recently and Hilde appears to either fell to her death from a rafter or froze during a bad cold snap a few weeks ago. We felt horrible! Mr. Buttons did recently get added to our mix! He is an adorable chihuahua!

I snagged a job again earlier this year and I was unable to do as much as I did last year. Terry is "Mr. Mom" and has been working on Aquaponics, Wind turbine and some really neat home projects.

I have dabbled in educating myself with different canning recipes, "Cowboy Jam"(via the amazing Jen Cox), watermelon rind pickles, Green pepper/Jalapeno jam, Apple pie jam to name a few! OH! Our apples came in like crazy! We had Mulberries and Raspberries too! We invited many of our neighbors, friends and the public to pick apples and there is are a bunch!

Terry is going to finish a small green house shortly before winter really hits us and he has been a guru at repopulating our chicks! Honey next year! We left the honey for the bees to winter over and I got to tell you that I am super excited for next season.

Next season will have a bigger garden, with more herbs, corn, variety of beans and more!

I also started schooling myself Reflexology and Energy work. Do I hear any volunteers for a foot rub? Learning and training to become a Reflexology practitioner will help out greatly in our household. I had a great seminar that taught the basics and it was just enough to make me dangerous! I continue to learn about herbs, making my own lotions, salves and healing  concoctions. Also crystals for healing, I have always loved rocks and crystals!

Terry was awesome enough to take me to Michigan to go to Gypsy Soul Retreat a few weeks back. It was a weekend trip and a blast! Hoping to go in Spring but it's a we will see thing. All in all life is good. There are some dark times (Those are saved for www.hopewhentherewasnone.blogspot.com).

More to come! Stop by and visit coffee is always on! Also our little vintage/thrift sale will be back next year with new stuff and great buys. But if you need a gift on the fly feel free to call me and I'm happy to open up for you!
God bless!

We're moving!

***Old post! We have since moved to our forever home!*

It's been so long since I have been on here. My poor blog!

It's just due to plain laziness! A bunch has happened since I last wrote. The long and short of it:

We had to get rid of Blue as she killed all but one of our chickens. We have been through at least another few dozen or so since then. Unrelated lose from a Fox, Hawk, Raccoon and Owl. We also added and subtracted Guinea Fowl, Bee's, Rabbits and my Ducks.

We had disheartening news about our small farm we are renting a few years back. The news was a bump up in our rent and the probability we would not be here longer than 5 years without some kind of interesting change. This meant a big change to our dreams of a mini farm/CSA/B & B and other plans.

This took the wind out of our sails and we switched gears. I went back to work for Republic Services as a Customer Service Representative. I loved my co-workers! They made every day tolerable as the daily workload and customers could be brutal! You never knew what the day would hold! I would dread going in. My PTSD went crazy. I had ticks, twitches and panic attacks. My stomach was on fire!

It is not too surprising many of my fellow workers are on anti-depressants or alcohol to help a unwind at the end of a intense day. It's pitiful! I never realized how hard that job would be.