The Close of 2010

Most of the time people say "It was a long hard year." I find it very ironic because when there are challenges, time goes by at the speed of light. 2010 at ElevenMileRanch was indeed a very short, hard year.

Here are some thoughts on some of the challenges we were dealt in 2010

January 17th, one of my dear sweet parents passed on from this mortal earth. The dignity of one's dying is the mortal family must know how and when to let go.

July 31st was the day of the 'diaster.'

Subject: Mile 11 "This Old House" Series
Sent: Aug 4, 2010 11:52 PM

If you want it to rain in the Oklahoma Panhandle, plan a roofing project, results guaranteed! The black dirty thirty dust mixed with a 2010 micro burst rain makes dark ooze that runs in from everywhere you can imagine. The ceilings have muddy water just wasting to burst the whole thing any minute! You open the muddy windows to let air in to help air dry and to move the smell on through. Did I mention my mother says that as a child when I got mad because things didn't go my way, it took me days to get over it. Well, I finally got my big girl Depends (the pull ons) on to just deal with it. That first morning, picked up where we left off in trying to dry things out. I picked up my kitchen and dumped all the spices. Thank goodness my rum and my bourbon were in glass bottles, sure wouldn't want it ruined for the pecan pies! And of course, I have to taste test sometime to make sure it wasn't ruined too. Just not anytime soon! The boys worked straight from 8 am to 5:30 am the next morning; slept two hours and worked straight until 9 pm. Re-cycled billboards are the next in thing for roofing with about 10,000 staples. Of course, it didn't rain Wednesday night. Brenda broke the rules; made Odie come with her; and her car looked like a low-rider when they came driving up! We were all very tired and I was over-whelmed as her car kept jacking up as she kept unloading food and paper staples, water, energy drinks and Oreo cookies. Our next house will have a roll in shower because after the boys opened those cookies, I think I finished them off and started rolling. An army could come by and ask to be fed for the next month. The emails, phone calls and hugs are appreciated, however, over-whelming because I am used to running the show! Hope you are enjoying the circus without me. I thought I would do some catching up this evening at the office as the boys are doing a great job on the roof. I get a call saying "Muz, the clouds are rolling in, it is sprinkling now and we need more staples!" Guess what the lumber yards are closed by then; Tractor Supply is still open and have the staples we need! My tour car looked like a jet trail west of Guymon. Everyone was rolling billboards back out, staples goin in and drills, saws, and all that other stuff was being thrown into the house to keep it from getting wet. And as soon as we get everything ready for the big one......it quit sprinkling! So, we get out the grill to start cooking dogs and burgers, Heath is getting his pyro fix burning more shingles in the burn barrel and then some on the drive. It starts sprinkling, then quits. Sprinkles and quits, called the Mile 11 Water Torture. We finally got signs up "Watch for falling whatever!" It is not sheet rock. It is cement plaster! The wood looks sort of petrified. I highly recommend if you plan a field trip to wear steel toed shoes, hard hats, gas masks and take out a life insurance policy, as it is a "Enter at your own risk area!" We will see what tomorrow brings. I think I want to come to work where it is normal! The boys have plenty to eat and paper plates so they don't get dishpan hands. I really do have a wonderful husband and son. It is 11 minutes from normal. Thanks to each of you for everything.

I read on FB "I love the thunder!" I do too! Expecting another Dust Bowl tsunami; it jolted me awake @ 4:30 into a madness to close all the windows that splattered mud on me as if I were running outside in the mud puddles! Aha no waterfalls!

Then I felt a drop and another and another! The buckets were all outside full of water and the lighting was flashing across the sky with its' jagged tentacles! I grabbed the empty flower vases inside to start catching the drops. The book case has a micro mini waterfall and I quickly checked on the backside....my pantry full of food and paper goods! Aha I beat the water and saved everything! The rain has slowed down now. The laptop guy billboard is thin as the living room ceiling has drops coming down!

The stage for a perfect death is getting wrapped in the anchor ropes around the neck while falling off the roof! You can exhale! I won't even step up a ladder!

Oh the rain keeps the vegetation green and the dust is not blowing! There is no fire!

Priority #1 - Straight Strong Black Coffee!!
#2 Maybe go to work where it is normal!

We have been working on getting a general to start the building process since August 11th and now we are on our own as the good ones are booked for months. We are divorcing the damaged home as soon as possible.

My dear sweet cousins lost a mother and a father also. We are all moving on as there are no guarantees in life and it time to turn the page to the next chapter of our life.

My parent wanted me to check on my sibling because they were so sick. I was astonished when they answered the door. My sibling was not very happy; however; it must have been a blessing in diguise. My sibling was diagnosed with cancer and began reigorous treatment. Their checkup in December show the treatments to be successful. A blessing.

Our health is good. We continue to work on the house project as well as keep up our goat operation.

May the Year 2011 be a good one for you.