Author Archives: Mitzy Bricker

Five Minute Friday Writing Prompt—Moment

Wherever you are–be there.

I came across this thought a while ago and have held it in my heart ever since. It reminds me to live and be in the moments of life I find myself, sans the distractions that try to fill my days.

The cell phone is a daily culprit for keeping me from being there in my moments of life. Often I have found myself on it while ‘visiting’ with a friend, spending time with family, or sometimes out walking the dogs. Really? I ask myself. Just exactly where am I? Truth is I am on my cell phone.

I am allowing that device to steal my moments. Not anymore. It is put out of sight. It will not boss me or the precious times of my day. I will control it, not visa versa.

Wherever you are–be there.

Faith, Love and Hope

Faith, love and hope go a long way in this world. Even in the life of a little chicken named Sally Lind.

Chickens and horses get along well together around the barn. Chickens follow the horses around while grazing. They eat the bugs the horses stir up. They help compost the manure in the way they scratch through it looking for worms. It is a good set-up for the most part.

Horses move incredibly fast and sometimes even too fast for a busy chicken. High Hope came tearing into the paddock last week at feeding time, and Sally Lind was busy scratching around. She got stomped by High Hope.

I was in the barn and heard her squawk. She quickly limped into a corner of a stall and sat down. She was hurt.

I gently picked her up. No blood, her wings looked and felt fine. Nothing seemed too wrong, she just limped. I put her in the coop.

I called a good friend and long time chicken owner for instruction on culling her. But held onto hope, faith and love. She would eat when I set her in front of food and water. I kept her quiet and away from all activity and other animals.

About five days later I was prepared to ask my husband to cull her out the flock when I noticed a tiny improvement in her limp.

She steadily improved and now nearly two weeks later, she is fine and out with all of us! Such joy!

Yes, faith, love and hope go a long way in this world. Even with little chickens!

Lesson learned? Clear the paddock of all chickens before calling the horses in!

High Hope loves running like mad to the barn at feeding time. Duke will too, just not as often.
Duke is coming in nice and quiet, but that does not always happen.
Even the miniatures accidentally can stomp and hurt chickens. Raggedy wants his dinner!
Sally Linds first day out of the infirmary.
She is enjoying being out with everyone again.
Our grandson giving her sun-seeds.
She is doing very well. We are grateful.

Barn Art?

I saw my first ‘barn art’ cheerfully hanging years ago in an older gals’ barn. She invited me to horseback ride with her once she observed I knew a few things about horses. Being a Clarke County horsewoman that rode with the Blue Ridge Hunts, not any ‘ole yahoo would be riding with her or on her horses. It was a joy and delight when she invited me to join her.

Many visits were spent before she invited me to call her by her first name or go horseback riding with her. Really, the only reason I was able to meet her was because of her massive grapevine laden with grapes and a mutual friend.

She was interested in giving her grapes away. Our mutual friend thought of me. Sometimes friendships take a while, don’t they? A fine friendship grew between me, a young mother with five rambunctious children and a lovely older woman who enjoyed life with her husband, dogs and horses.

It was her stable where I first saw barn art. Cute, hand painted signs about horses and dogs of course.

I do not have a photo of the first ‘art’ we hung in our barn years ago, painted by my daughter. I left it there when we moved. I’ve often wondered if it is still there.

Our barn here is much larger than the old one, so I have had great fun hanging my ‘art’ in it. Won’t you join me on a little tour?

Brass Harness bells hang by the tack room door.
Mom read poetry to us as kids. This line is from The Man in the Moon, by James Whitcomb Riley. One of her horses name is above the poetry—Boomerang.
Mom, a twin herself, had two sets of twin girls. This line from the poem, The Twins, by Henry S. Leigh, we knew nearly by heart.
Mom raised Miniature horses. She had much art, such as this one, in her barns.
This pretty piece came with the barn.
The happy chicken coop.
No barn is complete without flowers or…
…a barn quilt.

Thank you for joining me.

She Floats!

A successfully, completed project is a wonderful feeling of satisfaction. Would you agree?

Our one son, home from school for most of the summer, brought a boat project back with him. Purchased in Idaho during this past school year, she is an old, rather worn out looking boat whose name had been removed. She obviously had not been on the water in a while, a rather forgotten little vessel. But not for long!

Through diligent hands and a good working plan our son got her water worthy again. I wish I could hear the stories this old gal has, and the waters she has floated on, and now she has an opportunity for more adventure!

He tested her on our little pond the day before packing her up and heading back to Idaho for school. I got a little ride in her. Oh the joy!

I know Gordon is going to have some fine boating time in this worthy little vessel that now belongs to him.

A rather tired-out looking little vessel.
She needed fixing up.
Plan your work, work your plan.
He tested it on our little pond before heading back to school.
She’s a worthy vessel!
She is fun to ride in!
All ready to head back to Idaho for school.
Until next time—Godspeed.

Five Minute Friday Writing Prompt—Work

Work, here is a word with many differing ideas about it. I have ‘worked’ and successfully run our household for nearly forty-five years. Yet many folk do not consider this ‘work.’ Keeping a smooth running home is not real popular—never really has been, except perhaps during the ‘Leave it to Beaver’ days. At any rate it is my business, and I run it as such.

I do however have a one-day-a-week job outside my house. I say it helps me keep polite. It is a grand little job taking tours through the oldest home in town. I grew up in the tourist business, so it is a good fit.

My work at home has been a great success. Being my own boss, (wearing flip-flops all day!), setting my own hours schedule gives me flexibility to help in our community and church. There is a lot of freedom I could have never enjoyed with an outside job.

In all work there is profit. Proverbs 14:23

Abram’s Delight—oldest home in Winchester.