February 05, 2009

2 Awards and Some Happy Addictions

Joanna over at BooneDocksWilcox gave me the Tree of Happiness Award. If you haven't visited Joanna's blog you should, it is always fun to read and she has some beautiful animals, not to mention an adorable goat named Sweet Pea. I apologize that it took me a little bit of time to post it but thank you Joanna, it means a lot that you thought of me and my blog. I'm am to list six things that make me happy.

1. Living in the country. We moved to our farm a little over 10 years ago, but it had been a dream of mine my whole life. I don't remember a time in my life I did not want to live on a farm, it is probably one of my earliest goals and wants in life. I am not antisocial at all, but I hated living in town, the nosy neighbors, the traffic, concrete and rules. I don't want some city board telling me what color to paint my house or what pets I can have. Maybe I am just a little bit of a rebel at heart but life just feels a little more free to me out here. My farm is more than an address to me, it is home and living here in the country makes me very happy.

2. Animals make me happy. I love animals and I always have. My mom tells me as a young child I wanted a pet giraffe, I do not remember that but I don't doubt it. My own animals are very special to me, they always bring a smile to my face. They understand when the world doesn't and they have got me through some dark days in my life. Animals are comical, honest and true and responsible for a great deal of the joy in my life. My goats especially do something every day that makes me laugh, I just love being around them.

3. Music makes me happy. I love music and love many different kinds of music. I like country, rock, R&B, rap, I don't turn my back on any type of music. That doesn't mean I like every song or band out there because I certainly don't, but I am open minded. A world without music would be a very sad world indeed. A great song on the car radio that you just have to turn up is a happy moment for me.

4. Sunflowers make me happy. All flowers do actually, but sunflowers are my favorite. Those pretty, sunny yellow petals and big round face just makes them look like such happy flowers. Not too fancy but beautiful all the same, sunflowers always bring a smile to my face. They are also the Kansas state flower, how cool!

5. Kind people make me happy. Those that are just truly nice, good down in their heart of hearts type people. I think most people are like this, but when I see someone show it by helping someone out or doing something kind just for the sake of doing something nice for someone else, that makes me happy.

6. My blog and this community. I have got to know some very interesting people through these blogs. I enjoy reading about their lives, interests and hobbies and being able to share mine as well.

So now in keeping with the rules of this award I will pass this Tree of Happiness on too six other blogs that make me happy. Please don't feel obligated, but if you want to share in the fun list 6 things that make you happy.

1. Aventures In The 100 Acre Wood
2. Casa Hice
3. Melissa's Ramblings
4. Petalz and Finz
5. Tale of The 3 B's
6. Hot Belly Mama


Claire at the fun and fabulous "Is this heaven? No, this is Iowa" blog awarded me the "Your Blog is Fabulous" award, which comes with the unusual requirement of listing 5 of your "favorite addictions" I'm not sure that I technically have any true addictions, but there are lots of things I really, really like, so here are 5 of them.

1. Dr. Pepper - this is probably the closest to a "true" addiction that I have. Growing up my sister and I never had any restrictions on how much pop we could drink. Pepsi is just what our family drank and I continued to drink it everyday as an adult. I gave up pop (that is what we call it around here, other people call it soda...but whatever you call it..one thing is for sure, it really is not good for you. ) for months and only drank water and tea but I have fallen off the Dr. Pepper wagon again I am afraid. I have cut back, and now I need to quit drinking it again.

2. Goats - I know, what a strange "addiction" you say. The truth is I started out with just a couple, to eat the weeds around the yard you know, but just like potato chips nobody can have just one or two goats once they get started with them. Now I have 24!

3. Homemade soap - I love to make homemade soap. I use goat's milk instead of water and it is so much nicer than commercial, store bought bars and so much fun to make too! Hopefully a small shop or space where I can make soap is in my near future because right now it is taking over my house. I have soap bars everywhere..or at least that is what my husband would say. LOL.

4. Sunflowers - Yea, I know I already mentioned this for the other award, but I like them so much that I find myself wanting to decorate my house with sunflower wallpaper borders and curtains.

5. Warm weather - I like the sunny warm days of spring and summer so much that I find myself almost counting the days through winter until spring arrives again. I love sunshine, what can I say.

I hope Claire does not mind to much but I am going to bend the rules of this award just a bit. I am so thankful and really appreciate her and others that have given me these awards, they really mean a lot to me. I have been happy to receive several of them the last few weeks. So what I am going to do is wait and list great and deserving blogs one at a time over the next few months, so stay tuned!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

How fun!

Joanna@BooneDocksWilcox said...

Dr. Pepper, ewwww. it tastes like cough medicine. However, I'm addicted to Snapple Noni Berry (it's diet). I enjoyed your lists.

Claire MW said...

An excellent way to bend the rules! Isn't that was rules are made for?!

Jenny said...

Thanks for thinking of me!
You've been reading my blog, so you know how ready I am for warm weather. I love homemade soaps, too. I couldn't believe the difference in my complexion when someone gave me a bar of goat milk soap. I haven't gone back to store bought since! And I've always wanted to grow a patch of sunflowers. The one year I tried all the animals acted like I had laid out a little buffet and none of the seeds made it!
~Jenny~

KathyB. said...

Isn't it amazing how loving animals can open up so many more wonderful things in your life? Look ! You have a herd of goats, they are friendly and fun. Their milk allows you to make soap, and your interest in those things has led to blogging and so many new friends and interests...I could go on, but you know what I mean.

Congratulations on your awards!

Boozy Tooth said...

Congratulations on your two spanking new awards, Jennifer - especially since you shared the Tree Of Happiness with ME!

I am honored to accept this award on behalf of Casa Hice, and promise to hold the title with integrity. I will post as soon as I return from Dallas.

Again, THANK YOU! Coming from your outstanding, beautiful, funny blog - it means the world.

Jennifer said...

Amy - Thanks

Joanna- You know, after I had quit drinking pop for several months, I did feel better once I got past the caffeine withdrawal headaches.

Claire- Thanks for understanding.

Jenny- Thanks! I am hoping to plant some sunflowers this year, hopefully the birds don't eat all the seeds!

Kathy- what a great comment, I had not thought of it in exactly that way but you are so right!

Alix- Thank you so much for your kind words! I hope you have a wonderful time in Dallas and a safe trip!

Alison said...

Pop! You said pop!

In my childhood, someone once mentioned goats as an alternative to my dad's spending entire weekends mowing our acreage. I am sad to say, Dad felt we already had enough animals.

Wouldn't it be great if every suburban house had a goat to maintain and fertilize the lawn? Think of the savings and improved air quality!

Jennifer said...

Flartus- I love that idea! A goat to replace lawn mowers across the US...that should be in Obama's green plan for the future and just imagine, no more waking up at 7am to the sound of your neighbor's lawn mower! ;) Of course if you read my last post, the sound of car alarms going off across the towns from goats jumping on cars might end up in more goat arrests..then we would be back to lawn mowers anyway and our jails would be full of goats. Darn.

Lisa K said...

I use soap made from goat's milk too! But I buy mine, can't make it. I was told that goat's milk has the closest pH balance to human skin and so that's why it's the best kind of soap to use.

Thanks for commenting on my blog!