Just another Day on the Farm

Happy Valentine’s Day.by dear hubby..

It was fifteen years and three days ago that I first met the woman I’m fortunate to call my wife, my Farmgal.  Appropriately enough, the first three weeks of our courtship was exclusively via e-mail, and even after we started talking on the phone, we flipped notes, letters and essays to each other up to several times a day.  There’s a three-inch binder full of the hard-copies in our bookshelf.

Over time, I got involved in online role-playing and started doing some writing in support of the games.  Farmgal sometimes read these things, thought they were generally well done, and asked if I wanted to take up writing on a more serious basis.  I waffled on this; wasn’t sure I had the time, wasn’t sure I had the skill, wasn’t sure I had the self-confidence.  I certainly didn’t do any more serious writing.

Until five years ago, that is, when she finally had enough and, in her words, “kicked my ass”.  She told me she thought I could write well, that I could be published.  But I had to get it together and actually do it.  If time was an issue, she’d help me find some each day.  If skills were lacking, she’d help me finding learning opportunities.  Naturally, she was happy to read and comment upon anything I produced.

So I started writing actual stories.  Posted them on a couple of discussion boards and got some generally positive feedback.  But I wasn’t submittng anything for publication.

Hence, two years ago, the application of another boot to my butt.  A friend let Farmgal know of a writer’s workshop taking place on a Saturday, and she encouraged me to go.  Committed to taking care of all the farm stuff I wouldn’t be doing if I went.  It was an informative workshop, and one that led me to my current critiquing group, too.

The following summer, we caught wind of the Masked Mosaic anthology and the notion of Lonesome Charlie the reluctant supervillain came along.  I started writing the story, got bogged down.  Farmgal asked me how I was doing with it, offered suggestions, read the drafts, and generally poked and prodded me until I’d finished the thing – tacking on her family name, Johnstone, to the character’s name and the story title in the process.

Man, she was so happy when when the story got picked up for the anthology – and beaming when we had the book launch at the Comic Shoppe last February.  She helped me keep calm-ish before the reading, took video of me doing my reading, and then arranged a delightful get-together with some of the other contributors and fellow local writers afterward.

She even pushed me to start the blog, recognizing that it’d be an opportunity to share my thoughts, to advertise my work, and to interact with you folks – fellow readers and writers.

It’s pretty fair to say I wouldn’t be an author, let alone a published one, without Farmgal – so here’s to you, my dear, with my humblest appreciation for that kick to my ass five years ago and all the support since then!

And if you, the reader, are also lucky enough to have a supportive spouse, partner, or special friend in your life, encouraging you in whatever endeavours you undertake, then here’s to them, too.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Those expecting ewes are carrying wide loads these days.. its amazing how much they can waddle around before the time comes..

Its snowed and snowed and snowed, and we need more hay kay?

Glenda says, you be fussy, just chew cud till she does the next feeding, I am come on Sam, we get fresh hay three times a day.. I think Farmgal lied the other day when she said something about spring coming though..

Thanks for stopping by, some of you I have seen in the past little while, and others, well its been a bit since I heard from you..

Come on in, those roads were wild to get here.. can you believe it? another six plus inches of fresh snow coming down, and they say more is on the way.. Its been a wild winter, lots of cold, lots of snow.. could be good for the land and gardens, as long as we don’t lose to many things from the overwintering.

Used to be paths all over the place, but not anymore, the snow has filled them all in.. Why yes, you are right the horses are pretty in the snow..

How is Brandy, she is still a bit lame but can already see such a improvement since her trim and treatments have started.. but I don’t think she will be ready by spring for my planned horse trip..  Think I am going to take sam, it should be a lot of fun, its a girls only weekend and we are heading out to a horse camp ground in the hills, we are getting a little cabin with its own corral for the horses.

Come in, come in.. just knock the snow off and grab a pair of the wool slippers, there are all sizes from adults to kids of the wall, dogs back, get back, quiet, Quiet!.. GET down.. go lay down, please don’t pet them till they settle and sit nicely.. I mean it.. Git! Go lay down!

The smell, well that’s the  Apricot Almond Buns  baking for our treat with our tea, its my mom’s recipes, can’t make it quite right anymore because I don’t like to use corn syrup but its still pretty close, and its darn yummy.

Ah, thanks, I love my teapots, figured it would be nice to have bright and cheerful one, afterall , I don’t get much company on the farm, yes, those are peppers that are starting, o, that’s great that you have started yours already, no, I haven’t tried the baggy method myself, I have heard good things about it.. do let me know how it works out for you..

Ah, that’s better, the hounds have settled, are you sure you are ok that the kitty is in your lap.. ok, I will let you make that choice 🙂 she will stay the whole time you know..

So tell me.. how are you today?