Well, call me "blushing"!

Dear Rebels,
I am an ASS.  I did not read that entire article before I linked to it, and if I had I would have known it was bogus.  There are a couple of ways to tell if your pieces are any good or not and the first is to do your research; secondly is to go with your gut and see if the article makes sense and is not too over the top.  This one was.  As I got closer to the bottom and the Author got more and more angry, I knew I was in trouble.

I have no excuses, but I will explain what happened.  It is Spring Break around here, but for only half of my children; we have a case of unexpected Chicken Pox (and yes we were vaccinated) and things are nutty; I saw that article come across my email and it REALLY scared me, more on that in a minute.  I started reading it, I swear I did....and messing with the "link to" buttons, and lo and behold there was one for Blogger.  So I thought, what the hell????  Something distracted me, and that was that.

So, let's tackle this thing shall we?  First and foremost, my apologies if I offended anyone (which I did).  Period.  Secondly, I truly am sorry for linking to bullshit; no other way to say it.  I really try to pride myself on being an honest and up front writer with you all and that just really put a chip in my "armor" so to speak so let's just forget it happened, "K"?  I could have just pulled that piece, but it still would have been cached, and it would not have been a reminder to myself of my mistake.  As you see I did make a correction on that page.

Okay, so I tried to think through why I fell for this and it is because I truly feel that this is not far in the making.  Through CREDIBLE research I have been reading all about raids on homes, yes homes of FAMILIES, that are being raided with guns abalazin' all at tax payers expense because of milk, eggs or cheese.  This to me seems really quite incredible when our country is in such a time of crisis; like a foreclosure epidemic, a couple of possible overseas situations, starving residents, dirty oceans, my list could go on and on...  Food that people are literally begging for does not top my list of things to prosecute people for.

I mean it really has nothing at all to do with what I do here on my own Ranch.  Even if I did not sell my own products of this nature I would think this is total "you know what".  I talked to a friend of mine, and this comes first hand.  He had another friend that had a customer for three years.  That customer talked him into harvesting some chickens for them; they begged him to do it, even after he explained the law, etc.  Well, he went ahead and processed the chickens for the customers; because he had had a relationship with them for so long...BIG MISTAKE.  He is still going through court battles.

See, it was all a sting operation.  The whole three years!  For that whole time these folks had been in the area befriending the locals, buying eggs and then just waiting to ask them to process their chickens and then BAM! they'd bust them for being neighborly!  Which, yes, technically is against the law, but I mean really, I kinda wonder how many murders went unsolved during that three year time-frame???

And as far as health concerns go, well you are never going to win that argument with me.  The whole reason we are having outbreaks of bacteria these days is because of commercial farming, not because of organic farming.  IN MY OPINION, what has happened with CFO farming is that they have robbed the ground of all the nutrients so they have to spray it all back on, therefore using all sorts of chemicals, pesticides, etc. and that is what then causes the outbreaks.  Overcrowding of animals is also a HUGE, I can NOT say it enough, HUGE problem of bacteria in CFO farms!!!  A person can follow the CDC (Center for Disease Control) paths for themselves of any outbreak of any food at ANYTIME by going to the CDC website.

Now, as you will notice I did not take the time to link to anything with this first piece as I am a bit link shy right now.  I have been looking at the great Cantaloupe breakout to see if I can use it as an example, but again the CDC didn't show it's findings very quickly and I really wanted to get my apology out there!  But, from what I can gather, they were NOT organic farmers.

So, the bottom line is I screwed up and I'm sorry.  And you will continue to see more of my REBEL side, just a bit more toned down! :)

The American Tragedy Part 2

I was feeling really terribly that I left you all with such sad news and with sort of a negative post; the one about Shasta.  But, to be honest, that is sort of how life has been around here...But that is sort of how life has been for MANY people, for a VERY long time; so I am still smiling and laughing each and every day.  And knowing that many of these things are a natural part of any ranchers life; and that I would not be a good rancher if I did not take them so DEAR TO HEART.

So it is time to get over my pity party and get back to work.  I don't have many months left here at The Royal Ranch and I need to make every minute count.  I don't know if I have made the point enough times, but I am a full time student at Ohio Christian University now also; so life is a bit hectic, what with eggs in the incubator, kids running to and fro, new turkeys adjusting to our ranch routine and of course online studies to be done.

I am orchestrating the move of an entire ranch/family that will also entail a huge downsizing (which is a good thing in my book) and still taking on new projects.  Yes, you heard that right.  Why?  Because I feel that this particular project is one that will help my family, my new homestead and my community.  I will get further into it in another post, because I have really used my negotiating skills to get this project off the ground!

Today I want to talk a bit further about the banks (and bank bailouts).  Simply because I said I would.  I am not going to spend much of my energy on them because frankly they don't deserve much of my energy anymore; but what I do want to share is some useful tips.  I told you all our story in the first post of The American Tragedy.  I also told you all in that first post that our belief is that this foreclosure mess in America is due to the bank bailouts.

Okay, so I am no financial genius.  From here on out you are going to assume some of your own risk.  But I mean this country has a financial epidemic on it's hands.  We went to our county's Public Trustee's website to figure out about foreclosures in our county and did you know that only banks buy up foreclosures?  Not one has been sold to a private person in the last year.  That's right they take them, buy them back and then sit on them.  Why?  In my opinion, so that they can tell us tax payers that it is a loss and then when the market gets better they will put them all for sale; which by the way will be no good for the recovering market.

I mean, I just went to go pick up the links for this story and started getting a damn headache  from reading it all.  I can't do it Dear Rebels.  So if you want to do some reading on what all is happening to folks, have a go at this article (don't forget the comments, that is half the story!).  Or this one, because it is where I got a good piece of advice.  Well, I hope so anyway.  I filed a complaint with the OCC (Offices of the Comptroller of the Currency); which so far hasn't shown to do anything, but at least I feel like I am doing something and they are not just going to get away with this scott free.

Next, if you are in this or any other legal issue for that matter; make sure and read every line of every piece of paper that you are sent, and even more importantly do it in a timely fashion as their are "due dates" on many items.  Now, this may sound like common sense to some, but it simply is NOT.  When a person finds themselves in a place like I have the past few weeks, and that is simply inundated with work and pretty much grief stricken; common sense does not play a role.

I got a mailing from the attorneys that are foreclosing on our homes, and of course this mailing pissed me off.  So, being the Rebel that I am I had set it aside and not thought much about it.  Well, it just so happens that it was The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act that they are required to send me and it actually had some really helpful information in it so if I hadn't read each and every little bitty, and they do make sure it is little bitty, line of it, I would not know that they have to provide me with quite a bit of information before they can just foreclose on my home.  The catch of course is that you have to ask for this information, in writing, within thirty days.

So they are of course hoping you, as a dummy don't read the tiny writing and won't do the awkward wording of how in the hell am I going to ask them for all of that stuff and make it sound just so?  And within their time-frame no less?  Well, at least I was.  So, lo and behold my class right now is Intro to Computers and we are learning Microsoft Word; can you believe that in that program is a template for exactly what I needed?  I mean this letter even quoted The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and a court case that supports it and everything.  So there is help out there for us dummies folks, don't despair.

Lastly, we got a delivery from a Deputy of an affidavit that has some helpful information on it that we are following up on as well.  This program is something called Deferment; and I don't know much about it except that it goes through the Colorado Foreclosure Hotline and it gets you set up with a HUD counselor if you are approved.  I must admit I am a tad bit leery of this program as it is another government plan (gee, we've had such great luck with those so far...) and they are for people who intend to keep their properties as their PERMANENT RESIDENCE.  Which I am not sure we can commit to.  Wink, wink Big Brother.

You know that anything I say can and will be used against me in a court of law...or something like that.

The Silver Lining

Okay, so just moments ago I posted about our foreclosure, literally.  But I am going to let this post sit in my drafts folder for a few days for a couple of reasons.  First and foremost so that my first post in this series gets it's full amount of time in the spotlight so to speak; and secondly because this part of the story, too is one that is unfolding daily and will be the fun part to share.

You see, when I made the decision to go public with this Foreclosure deal, I talked to my family about that decision and how it would affect each and every one of us.  Not that I am like famous or anything, but word will get out a little faster this way....  Specifically, I asked my parents for feedback on the first article I wrote.

Well, Mom felt obligated to tell the family before it hit the airwaves, which I entirely respect.  What I didn't expect was for my family to react the way they did.  My Uncle and Aunt will be arriving this weekend with a large bale of hay and my Grandpa is making a tuition payment for us!

Which brings me back around to one of the reasons I wanted to write this piece.  I wrote in The American Tragedy about us making decisions, not mistakes, throughout this process and I would like to clarify that a bit.  We have chosen to pay for our boys to go to school as much as we can instead of them going into debt.  Yes, they have taken on debt for themselves, but we are paying for as much as we can.  Some people may say that is a mistake; I for one was not willing to start my kids out with a pile of debt.

Another thing that I think a family needs to really and truly look at when they get to a point that we are in is if they are living above their means.  And we are to the point that we know we are, and we are done with living that way.  The hard part for many families, as it was with us, is that we weren't living above our means at one time.  With the change in economy and the added medical expenses it happened slowly over time.

We are so excited to be moving on and ready for the next phase in our lives.  Although it is scary to be downsizing at this stage; it is a necessary evil.  I will share some of these tips and tricks with all of you too, if that is what you want, give me some feedback here...  So far, one of my rules is if it isn't antique or in use....it isn't going!!!
JJ~

Royal Ranch Royalty

Not knowing exactly how much longer I will be representing The Royal Ranch has made me a bit melancholy, I guess you would say.  There is a good chance that this could be my last post in this series as the official owner of The Royal Ranch; therefore I really wanted to make it one that counts and one that really gets the point across of what I am trying to do with my livestock and my homesteads, yes I say that in the plural.

As I have NOT made a secret of, we are adding to our homesteads with The Double J; and of course I will continue with my heritage breeds.  I hope to even expand my heritage poultry business, raise pork for my family and anyone else who is interested and of course by now you Rebels know I am adding Yak to the mix.  But what I have been secretive about is what we are going to do with The Royal Ranch, and for another week or so, that is still going to be kept close to home (until I have cleared everything with all parties of course).

For now our plans are to continue to live in it, probably as caretakers, while we build our new dream home on the Double J.  I am spending my days learning everything I can...for now unofficially, but that may change.  I may go back to school officially if I think a GC (General Contractor) and Mother, and Rancher, and Volunteer and other hat wearer can also be student....  But right now I am a student on a quest for knowledge of all things heritage breed.

Meaning any breed of livestock that this country (and many others for that matter) was founded on to put it quite simply.  I am taking my homesteads back to their roots.  With their animals and with their supplies and with their needs.  I have told you I am going off-grid, and I'm not kidding, so I'm learning a lot about that too.  So I go to bed at night with my head swimming with ultra-capacitors and old-fashioned pigs; all wrapped up in one image.  How in the world am I going to make all of this work????

Well, I am going to make it work with websites like American Livestock Breeds Conservancy and Earthineer.  Those are today's Royal Ranch Royalty's; I bet you were wondering how I was going to get around to that weren't you?  Well, Rebels, it is very important for me to get my facts straight, and in one or two convenient, intelligent stops.  And I have found that in these two sites.  I can look up information about animals and capacitors and make new friends all at the same time.  So if you are living a sort of mixed up crazy weird life like me right now...check 'em out; more than useful!

Thanks Bubby!

You know your children are becoming adults when they send you things like this!!!  My son at college who always complained about my "greenness" now must remember it with a sense of fondness, I am thinking....

Join us Rebels, Tell the FDA to regulate GMO foods!

Good Morning Rebels!  Happy hump day; hope you are having a wonderful week; but even more importantly I hope you will join me in signing this all important petition.  It is high time we know exactly what we are eating; and that people who are not yet even aware of how deeply GMO foods are embedded into our everyday diets, become aware and knowledgeable about what they are putting into the mouths of their beloved families!

Life's funny little bumpy roads.....

":) Being a leader, especially a leader of conscience, isn't always easy."

Yes, read that Rebels and let that sink in for just a minute.  I had to.  Dear friend and Rebel, Daisy sent that to me when I thanked her for her support about my letter to Ms. McGee a few days ago.  And it was funny because I got it on a day I had also taken on another llama big wig, the day I had to have another MRI on my back.


The day had been a hellish day anyway. I must say that sometimes it is easier to just count on yourself than to have partial support.  Tom had told me he'd take me to the appointment, which is great, but then he had to go back to work....and it was almost worse than if I'd just counted on my own strength the whole time, you know what I mean????  I had had to go and pick up my daughter sick from school and that threw a wrench into the morning....


But the big tests these days seem to be coming from my so called peers.  And what I have realized is that they don't know I am their peer; and that is where things went all wrong.  I'll give you a bit of background on the story, although it really isn't all that important to my point, but over a decade ago when I first got into llamas I mistakenly bought 2 llamas.  At that time I didn't know that there were rescue llamas that needed homes.  Llamas were on the downhill slide of the fad I guess....


One of those purchased llamas is the only one that has ever given us much trouble.  He is the only llama that I have ever had to spend vet dollars on other than maintenance because I have tried to figure out what the hell is wrong with him.  He has knocked each of my family members down, he has bitten me and all of these things are absolutely NOT normal llama behavior.


In the decade since owning this llama I have learned A LOT!!!  I have also rescued more than twenty llamas; many of them I (little old me at 120 lbs soaking wet as my husband would say) have trained to pack from being not even halter broke.  I have no formal training in llama handling besides what my wonderful mentor Bobra Goldsmith taught me before she died; which was a lot.

She taught me to simply expect good behavior from my animals; and that is a theory The Royal Ranch has always had.  When I train a llama to pack it is simply an agreement between the llama and myself....I'm going to trust you and you're going to trust me.  By the time I put the pack on them I have been building a working, trusting, loving relationship with the animal for as long as I can.  I don't stand for bad behavior and I never will; that is just the way it is.

Speaking of hunting camps..

  Take for instance our first hunt camp ever.  We had been getting advice from everyone that animals are afraid of the smell of blood and that our llamas were going to freak out unless they had been trained to be around meat, etc.  We had even been told to stuff their nostril with some sort of Mentholatum so that they wouldn't smell anything; to me this sounded like abuse. 

So Tom and I headed up the mountain with our very untrained pack train of llamas to pick up a huge bull elk for a friend.  We figured since it was a good friend of ours at least if the llamas freaked, no biggy.  We got to the camp and we did what we usually do; we packed up that elk and we put it on the llamas....that was that.  They were a bit jumpy at first but when they saw that we just expected them to behave like any old job, and we weren't going to take any crap from them, it was the end of their nervousness.  They knew they could trust us.  One of them even had to wear the antlers and the cape (which is the hyde) of the elk down the mountain!  It was sort of weird to look forward (I of course am always in the caboose position with Tom in lead) and see a llama with antlers-ha!!!


But back to my point, I am no llama schmutz.  I know what the hell I am doing when it comes to these animals.  I am the Co-Colorado Coordinator (it's an awful big state) for the Southwest Llama Rescue, and not by mistake, I was voted in.  If there is an aggressive male within a four state radius of me, chances are he is going to end up at my place for evaluation and rehab if he is capable.


So it really surprised me when I called the breeder of that fat, lazy llama and had to get into a battle of wits with him over the behavior of said llama and what to do about it.  Now that my spine is not quite what is used to be, I'm not really sure I'm comfortable, or really need a spoiled, over de-sensitized llama in my yard when I have spent the last decade of my life to saving llamas that really need homes.  As I mentioned this man, like Ms. McGee is in the llama world...you know, people that give a crap what other llama owners think of them.


He acted as if I was still some newbie, the same nobody that had walked into his yard 12 years ago looking at llamas for the first time and offered to come assess the llama for me.  Well, no thanks.  I've been assessing him and paying for him and having to watch out for my family's and visitor's safety from him for ten years now.  I gave him a very clear assessment of the situation, and simply asked if they were in a position to take him back now that my back is in such bad shape and he poses a real danger to me with his pushy behavior.

Well, needless to say, the llama will be staying where he is at.  The llama breeder got told exactly what I thought of his assessment.  And I kept thinking "Really?  Two people in one week?  My name is going to be $*@! in the llama world"  But I don't give a rat's patooty because that guy had it coming. (Well, I sort of did, I actually threw a baby fit when I got off the phone with him he had made me so mad, but it was just a natural reaction-ha!!!!)

And then I got that sweet quote from Daisy worth repeating again, "Being a leader, especially a leader of conscience, isn't always easy."; and it made me smile.  Thursday, I got a call from a gal on my rescue group who asked if I had a few minutes; I gotta tell you after the week I'd had with llama folks I thought I was really in for it now.  Actually she was calling to answer a question I had posted about; but more importantly she was calling to ask me if she could gift me a sweater that she had cherished for years because it had llamas on it.

She wanted me to have it because I have added such "vitality and personality" to the group.  All I thought I did was respond to the emails and try to help out a few llamas when I could-who knew?  It truly was a wonderful phone conversation; one of those where you really just enjoy getting to know the person at the other end of the line.  This amazing lady owned llamas from 1978 to 2008, and here I thought I was all that-ha!  But the point was, I know it sounds silly, but I felt like the chosen one, you know?

Then last night I answer the phone to the cutest little southern voice you can imagine and she is just thanking me up and down.  And it took me a second to figure out what the heck I had done.  Oh yeah, email again, I had sent a positive, reinforcing email to a newbie llama owner.  Amazing how far positive reinforcement goes, eh?  Whether it is with ourselves, our kids, our dogs, our llamas, whatever; I think in this post alone I have given you several examples!

These new folks have been SO kind to adopt some llamas from Nebraska; the issue is that they live in Texas.  Which as you all know is having a drought and heat problem.  The Colorado folks took in the Nebraska llamas temporarily until we could get them down south.  Well, somehow these folks got to thinking that our talking about expenses to get those llamas down there meant they were a burden (we should have switched to a more private Yahoo board in hind sight to avoid hurt feelings maybe!) and I tried to clear that up, right quick.  Anyone sticking their neck out to rescue one (and they are taking in 11!) of my wondrous creatures is no burden to me, that is for DAMN sure!

So my week had turned from on the attack to on the receiving end of so many blessings. I do believe strongly in everything I told those people I had to tell off, but I also truly believe even stronger what I told those people in loving manners.  Originally when I first started this post a day or so ago, it was called "Being kicked while you're down...", and then these crazy events just kept happening and I could no longer call it that, could I?

A musical clue:

Bailey Day 2011

 Entrikin Cabin located in McGraw Park

Photo courtesy of Gary Nichols

Well, here it is Bailey Day 2011; and boy did this one sneak up on me!  I had to look up in the newspaper when we were expected to be there, now that is pretty bad....but you know what I told myself?  I decided that that meant that I am getting so good at my job that I don't need much time to prepare for gigs like this anymore and no big deal; I can do them in my sleep practically.  And it is true.

But that doesn't make Bailey Day any less fun.  Or important.  This is our towns big event; and it is important; it is important to our town and it is very meaningful to us as a Ranch as well.  See, this will be our 9th year at old McGraw Park with the llamas; our historical park in downtown Bailey, CO.  And it is a beauty.  With cabins that have been carefully moved there from their original homesteads and then meticulously refurbished; a schoolhouse that received the same loving treatment all from our very own county.

Our town really does this celebration up right too.  Lots of great vendors and food too.  And it is so fun to teach people about the love of llamas...  So, if you live in the area and feel like a drive today; head west towards the cool air of Bailey, Rebels.  Consider this your personal invitation.

Jakoti has got it going on!

I can not begin to tell you how much I LOVE these new shears.  As a matter of fact, what got me to thinking about writing this post was the shears laying next to my computer.  That's right Rebels, these shears have become my right hand tool.

I purchased them as llama shears.  You know, to remove the wool from those fidgety creatures that inhabit my ranch...Well, let me tell you a little about shearing a llama at The Royal Ranch.  I don't think it's like shearing at typical wool producers.  We have to cut through hay and pine needles and whatever else is hidden inside that wondrous coat.  So over the years, I have learned A LOT about shears; and that is that they are truly lacking.


A good pair of Fiskars, which is our next choice since we hand shear will run us around $13-$15 with a coupon, etc.  If I sharpen it I may be able to get that one pair through one season of shearing, but sometimes they only last one llama!  If you get cheaper scissors, they will wear out your hands (not spring loaded), and big electric shears usually scare the you know what out of rescues so that is out for us.

I do want to give you a bit of background here, just so you know that I am sticking to my Rebel roots.  When I first heard of these shears, I was told that you could only get them in one place in the US; and that place is by a llama trainer that I don't particularly like.  This woman had rubbed my "animal sense" the wrong way over the years, but when it came down to saving hundreds of dying llamas in MT and all she did was offer reduced price behavior clinics for new owners while the rest of us small farms struggled with the starving...

Well, it made me decide to look a bit further for those shears.  And lo and behold I found them on the World Wide Web, funny thing about that...it covers the whole world.  Better yet, I got two pairs, direct from the UK (yeah, I know, I'm normally a buy US only, but they just don't have this sort of shear...sigh), for a little more than I would have spent on one pair plus shipping on Ms. Behavior Clinic.com.  Man, I hate it when people are buttheads.

But, anyway, these shears came and we have just been shearing our butts off.  Well, our butts are fine, and it is Tom doing most of the shearing anyway.  But dang do the llamas look nice.  And when I got on the link to send it to a friend, because believe you me, I'm telling everyone I can not to shop at so and so's-ha!, I read that they are great in the garden.

So, I took them outside and can you imagine the cutting power of these babies on grass?  Geez, if they can cut through that crap in the wool, grass and dandelions along the fence line is like butta, baby, butta!  And the best part about it was that I wasn't polluting the air with a weed whacker either.  I did go a little crazy and now the grass along the dog yard looks like it got a bad hair cut from Mom back in the sixties....

Well, I guess you get the point, if you're looking for either garden or llama, sheep or goat shears these are the ones.  Spring action, self sharpening, yes you read that right engineers, I don't really get it, but it says it does it...They are the best.  Oh, I do have one critique...they could use a "petite" size.

Royal Ranch Royalty

 Photo courtesy of Rocky Mt. Llamas & Bobra Goldsmith

Today I will not even try to stop the flow of tears, I really deserve this cry.  I have lost my friend and mentor Bobra Goldsmith.  Three weeks ago she was diagnosed with Leukemia and Friday morning she passed away.  That's that.

Long time readers will recognize the name, because Bobra gave me Thunderboy.  And I have never been so proud of a gift in my whole life, especially now.  Let me give you a little background on my relationship with this amazing woman.  Many years ago, when I first decided to get into llamas I chose to take one of Bobra's training classes.  Now, keep in mind that all of the people in the class were there to train their llamas, and I went to train myself.  Which I think is what really impressed Bobra; she knew that I was taking this seriously and wanted as much information and knowledge about these majestic animals as I could get before I brought one (or ten...) home.

She was then the person who put me in touch with the organic farm that I rescued Marcel and Jasper from; as a matter of fact, back then I didn't even have a trailer yet, so she delivered those boys herself; in a van I might add.  I'll never forget the compliment she gave me that day.  Marcel (my lead llama and also the llama on the cover of my book) was not used to being handled, and had been very difficult for her to catch.  She told me that she never, ever has left a halter on a llama, but was worried that we might not be able to catch him again if she didn't leave it on him for a few days.  She said to me "Judy, I have the utmost faith in you, and I would never do this with anyone else, but you will have this wild boy in shape in no time flat.  Work with him daily to get him calmed down, and get that halter off as soon as possible."  And that is exactly what I did.

Bobra Goldsmith was one of the first people to bring llamas into the state of Colorado.  She worked tirelessly with the Forest Service and her train of pack llamas to keep the forests around Boulder clean and trails maintained.  She even developed her own line of llama equipment and pack gear that is absolutely unrivaled in its usefulness.  And this is all after she was an accomplished professor at CU!  But one of the main things that I really loved about Bobra was her sense of family.  She had suffered the loss of her husband and mother, and cared for her ill step-father until she herself could no longer do so.

I told Tom last night that she was one of those people that you just assumed would never die.  She was old when I met her, and although she had aged, she just was "Bobra".  Even the boys knew how sad I would be...I had gotten the message via a text, and my sweet little daughter quietly made sure her brothers knew that Mommy was sad.  It seems the whole llama community is probably really sad today, we lost a pioneer, a teacher, a volunteer, but most of all a dear friend.  My hat is off to you, Bobra, you were one of a kind!

Metaphysical Monday

You know, some friendships are just hard to describe.  My friendship with Tiffany is one like that.  I think maybe it is because we started out with her as an authority figure, she was my son's seventh grade science teacher, so I first knew her as Mrs. N.

Then we had a terrible shooting at our school.  And something told her that she could talk to me about her fears of sending her son to school for the first time.  I was the parent at the door that day, it was a few days after she had toured schools for her son and found out that there are no other schools that keep an eye out for her son like we did after that shooting, and it really bothered her.  I mean really bothered her.

I have never even hugged her, but in a way would consider her one of the most important people in my life right now.  Pivotal.  That is the word I would use to describe our relationship.  Good thing I write this stuff down, so I have to come up with fancy words (ha!), because that is the perfect word for it.

When I picture our friendship, I sort of see sciencey Tiffany as a rock, and spiritual, not sciencey, Me as this floating bubble (isn't that funny, I always sort of see me as a bubble, what's up with that?), and I think that we came into each others lives to balance one another out, if you know what I mean.  Hopefully I am bringing something to the table, because I know that she has brought a lot.

So it shouldn't have surprised me when I got an e-mail from her with a link on it to something that I have been searching for, well for a very long time; but it did, because she doesn't really believe in that crap-ha!  Or maybe she didn't until she met me, hmmm...  Anyway, the link was to a gal who offers courses in Kundalini Reiki training.  Wow, not even spell check knows what that is!

And I'm not sure if I will be of much help, yet, but Kundalini is a type of energy that comes from the earth, and Reiki is a type of healing.  Each person carries energy from the earth with them, of course, that is a fact.  So this to me makes perfect sense, especially for a person like me (chronic pain, weird abilities, etc.), as I said, it is exactly what I was looking for.

I look back on all of the posts I have written, and all of the thoughts I have had in the past few weeks and months.  The collecting of the crystals and feathers, this problem with my back.  The fact that the word "chakra" keeps appearing in my thoughts, specifically the third chakra.  Which I finally did some research on, and lo and behold if that isn't the chakra that would be affected by this damned herniated disc.  It is also the chakra that is in charge of emotions.  Emotions that might make me angry and speak out of character, oh wait, I've been doing that! 

I believe I have even spoken of becoming a healer before, wishfully.  And the thought has often entered my head if this is all one big test.  I have mentioned the fact that a preacher once told me that I have a talent for helping people enter into the spirit world after watching the third family member die in just a few months; and at the time, it sure didn't feel like a compliment.  (Sorry, looked and looked, couldn't find the link to this one, hopefully you are a long time reader...)

So after hearing again last week that Western medicine is unable to do a damn thing (unless you consider being doped up all the time doing something) about my back, and realizing that this is the same issue that I have had for more years than I can count, I knew I was on my own; I had even said it here.  Well, take a hint Lady!  Call it whatever you want (divine intervention, destiny, fate, etc.) I call it time to go back to school, well sort of.

I start my lessons today, and I have no idea what to expect, so wish me luck!  By the way, when I am done, I will be a Kundalini Reiki Master, and will be able to do healings on people and animals.  Does that not sound like me or what?  Thank you, thank you Tiffany, er, I mean Mrs. N.!

Once in a two moon(s)!

Photo taken in June 2006 by Judy

Man, am I really disappointed!  I hate it when I find out something I was really looking forward to was a big old hoax!  Our neighbor had told us that there was going to be two moons tonight (on his birthday, Happy Birthday Old Man!), and I should have known better.  Two moons?  It actually has nothing to do with two moons, people somehow got a moon mixed up with Mars.

Actually, according to NASA: "The origins of the Hoax can be traced back to 2003 when Mars really did swell to unusual proportions. On August 27th of that year, Mars came within 56 million km of Earth—the nearest it has been in 60,000 years. People marveled at the orange brilliance of Mars in the night sky and crowded around telescopes for clear views of the planet's towering volcanoes, ruddy plains and glistening polar ice caps. At the height of the display, Mars was about 75 times smaller than the full Moon."

And the old fashioned "telephone" game started from there.  One science guy said to the next not so sciencey guy, use a 75x magnifier and take a look, and then he forgot to tell the next guy that important piece of information, and so on.  And here I sit on the 27th of August, seven (my god, I first typed in four!) years later, all excited thinking I'm going to see two moons, when I darn well know better...Thank goodness I have this blog to keep me researching and on the straight and narrow!

Change is a good thing

Big change is coming to The Royal Ranch, mostly here at the blog and in my writing career.  I have decided that it is time to grow-up, so to speak, and so we are all going to go through a few changes together!  I know that you, my dedicated readers, will be along for the ride, and I hope to attract new readers and make this blog a little more interactive.

As you know I recently celebrated my first birthday on this blog.  It has been the most wonderful year, but it is time to grow up and be a big girl now and stretch my wings a little bit.  I went into this to get my name out there for writing and in business, so let's do it!

So how am I going to accomplish all of this?  Well, we are restructuring things at The Royal Roost so that it is now a "short term rental"; meaning that I no longer will be making breakfasts.  This will be a good thing and will free up some of my time and allow me to concentrate on my writing.

I am also going to being placing an ad or two on this blog.  Yes, I can hear you, me dedicated readers, groaning and reaching for the delete button as we speak.  But hold on just a second, I have done a lot of research on this and not only will the ads help me, but Google is very good about matching up the ads with the content and they may actually end up being helpful to you, my oh so dedicated readers; and yes I'm kissing up-ha!  A girls gotta make some money somewhere, being a starving artist isn't all it's cracked up to be.

My friend Daisy turned me on to the blog Problogger, and I have really enjoyed it.  One of the ideas I have gotten from there is to do a series of posts where we as individuals determine a couple of goals and then work on them as a group.  I'm going to call this series Royal Rebels, after my own rebellious spirit and to remember to remind ourselves of our own royalty each and every day as we strive to reach our goals.  

Just so that you can be thinking of a goal to work on for the big jump start of Royal Rebels, I am going to be working on getting and handling the mail each day, making a business contact each day, and have not yet determined what my long term goal will be.  Maybe I should be open to input on that?  It will definitely be writing related.  It can be to lose some weight, work out a little bit each day, whatever. But statistics show that no matter what goal you are trying to accomplish, it is better to do it with a support group.  And that is what I am going to offer with Royal Rebels.

Now, don't worry, I still have plenty of things to share about crazy life here at the ranch.  I'll break you all in slowly, as a matter of fact very slowly (I may even be offline for a few days, nooo!).  The next few days are very crazy around here.  Tomorrow is Bailey Day; our big town celebration.  We have the llamas in our cool historical park as we have done since 2003, and  then I have my first big book signing!  But get ready to grow with me, because I hope it will be a fun experience...and please bring a friend.

Green living through dentistry?

I just got done e-mailing my dentist.  We've been chatting back and forth all weekend.  Now, my situation is a little atypical, but the dedication of this woman is amazing!  She is a student at The University of Colorado Denver Dental School, and for Green Spot-On readers please catch up with this story here.  My journey with this school started clear back in February and has been a great one.
Now, what does all of this have to do with green living?  A lot.  I have found that this is a great way for me to do community service, save money and that the school is on the cutting edge of technology which includes green practices.  When I say community service, I really feel as if I am helping these kids when I go in there.  I have the attitude that I am forming the minds of the future dentists of the world and what better way than to be totally open and honest and give them feedback and to help them learn?
It was really interesting this last Wednesday when I was in there, the student had the instructor come over, and the teacher asked why my hygiene area was still blank.  My student said she had felt awkward about asking that, so that is one of the things her and I have been e-mailing back and forth about.  Brainstorming ways of finding out true tests of ones personal hygiene without embarrassing them.  I said maybe she could ask the patient to grade themselves and then she could ask why they gave themselves that grade.
My neighbor, Mr. P. has even gone after asking me about it, and calls and updates me each time.  He is so proud of all of the work that he has gotten done there, it is almost funny.  Most of his dental work was done many years ago in Germany and is now needing to be replaced.  He is proud to tell me that for the thousands of dollars that his regular dentist was going to charge him, his total is at about $330!
Now, as I said in my first post about the dental school, it has to be a proper fit.  Meaning you must be able to devote quite a bit of time to your student.  I don't think I've ever gotten out of there in under three hours.  Mind you, I have gotten a lot done in three hours, but when you include a 1.5 hour drive each way, you're talking all day for each appointment.  But for me, it is worth it.

Career Day Follow Up

One of my favorite views on my job.

I have been wanting to tell you all about my time at Fitzsimmons Middle School Career Day for weeks now and just have not taken the time to do so.  I did mention it very quickly, but it deserves much more than that because I got an envelope recently that made me really think about what I had done.  It was an envelope fat with letters on lined paper, each of them dated and nicely addressed in practiced sixth grade cursive.  I'll share a few with you here:

Dear Mrs. Jeute,

I really enjoyed the visit to FMS.  I thought your job is amazing, you get to hang out with all the animals.  Mrs Jeute, you inspired me to want to work with animals.  Who could know llamas could be so fantastic.  Once again I really appreciate you taking the time to come to FMS,

Sincerely,

KE

Dear Mrs. Jeute,

I appreciate the time you spent to talk to us about your job.  I personally think that being an author is really cool.  I also like the idea of having a bed and breakfast.  I really enjoyed looking at the book you wrote.
Sincerely,

HM

Dear Mrs. Jeute,

I want to express my gratitude for your visit at our school.  It was stellar to actually get to meet a real author.  Some of my classmates are calling you "Lama Lady" but I don't think your a lama lady.  I hope you get to make some more books.

Sincerely,

BS

Dear Mrs. Jeute,

I truly appreciate the you gave to tell us about your job.  But you could have stayed home and worked but you came and we are all very grateful of it.  The book that you showed us was very nice and colorful.  Your inspiration to write your book was very nice it shows what you like to do.  We are grateful that you came.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

DB

I must admit that when I got that wonderful envelope, I shed a few tears with a smile a mile wide.  Little 'ol me had an impact on those kids.  And the funny thing was that day had been very crazy, there were three presenters in a short time frame, and I kept getting short changed on time.  Which was fine with me, because I am not the best public speaker, but since the group was mostly kids, I was pretty comfortable.  Another thing I thought kind of ironic is that not one of the letters mentioned my name, which all of them thought was quite funny the day of the presentation.  I was glad to know that it was not all they remembered.

This isn't a post about patting myself on the back, it is to remind you, my dedicated readers to get out there and share your hidden, or not so hidden, talents.  From middle schools to adult education classes around the country educators are anxious to share their classrooms with real life workers to bring that experience to their students.  What better way to share the love of your work than with future glorious minds?

Ain't Misbehavin'

I'll never forget the time when Thomas was just a tiny young boy, probably only three or so, old enough to be a smart alec, but cute enough to cause a lot of trouble; and we were in the mall.  He'd been doing something that he shouldn't, I'm pretty sure that it was that he was getting too far away from me, and every time I would reprimand him, he would say "Sorry" in this little smart mouth sort of way.  Well, I'm not one for giving too many chances, especially when it comes to issues of safety, so I took that cute little red headed boy under my arm and hauled his cute little butt out to the truck for a good talking to.  As you know, in the mall, this is not a short or direct route.

So, as I am winding my way through the halls, and stores and food court of the echoing mall, this adorable kid is screaming at the top of his lungs "I'm sorry, Mommy, I'm sorry Mommy" crying and hiccuping the whole way.  To this day, more than a decade later, I can still remember the looks of contempt and concern on the people's faces as I carried my very naughty toddler to the parking lot for a conversation about safety in the city and what the word sorry truly means; and I really do mean a conversation, not a beating.  

I know that the people were concerned for the safety of my young son and that all they could see was a very young, frustrated mom and an apologizing cute, very upset, toddler.  But, the background on this is that Thomas at the time had learned that a quick sorry could get him out of trouble, or so he thought,  and I had had enough.  Especially when it came to his safety, again, I am not one of those moms who believes in discipline in times of convenience.  Strike while the iron is hot, so to speak.  We had our discussion, and headed home for the day; Thomas learned very quickly there are consequences to his actions; but, sadly, so did I.  As I said, I will never forget the looks on the faces of the horrified people as I very rightfully so, disciplined my child at the mall that day.

This incident has been on my mind because of a big blogging blunder.  And I do mean BIG.  I had never heard of this blogger before, and to be honest, I'm so irritated, I'm not even going to directly link to the original blogger from here, but I do encourage you to follow the links.  What started out as a post from the original blogger fuming about her perfect children's right to time on public computers turned out to be quite insulting to the autistic blogging community and friends.  I found a great response post at one of my new favorite blogs, Mom NOS and am really happy that I signed up to read the follow-up comments as well, because I have learned a myriad of new things about Autism, it's kids and their families in the process.

So, here I sit a week later on Autism Awareness Day.  I brought that story up because I completely understand what some of those parents must go through on a day to day basis, worrying about the judgment from other people.  And, to be honest, I hope and pray, that if I'm in a hurry and cranky and late, and whatever; that I am always at my most tolerant, and aware of what is going on around me.  I also found some great information on a new blog that I am following called A Life Less Ordinary? and really like it.  It has some great insight on Autism and it's signs and symptoms so that maybe we can all be more aware.

But, you know, the one thing that I have taken away from all of this, is that it has had me, and for that matter, a lot of others, thinking about it a lot this week.  You know me and timing.  I think everything happens for a reason.  There is a reason this happened at this time, near Awareness day, and there is a reason I have been constantly thinking about it and following up on it.  We must simply learn from it and move on, yes that is easy for me to say from "the outside", but I am definitely learning from it....

Learning how to better serve the needs of the kids who need us most.  
Learning how to become more aware of people who could use a hand in public.  
Learning to appreciate a blogging community that is as tough as I am.  
Learning I can't wait to work with some of these kids and moms at my ranch!

Don't Forget Dental Students

Okay, so you know I am a huge supporter of students of all ages.  I think that we should support our kids at all levels, whether it is to pick up recycling at the middle and high schools, be parent at the door, help out the teachers in the classrooms at the elementary schools, what have you.  But, when I was having all of those dental problems I remembered a story I had seen on the news about a local dental school and I decided to check it out.  I may have mentioned this before, but I have delved into this a bit further now and would like to tell you a little more about what a great opportunity this has worked out to be for me.  So, read on.

As you know, I injured my back, which in turn caused me to crack a couple of my teeth.  Simple enough, right? Wrong!  Not when it comes to dental care.  I had no idea how varied, and really how corrupt the dental field is.  I will start from the beginning and give you a quick run down of my dental care.  We have never had dental insurance, but I am blessed with fantastic teeth and my parents did a great job of my dental care when I was growing up.  When Tom and I got together, he was behind in his care, so we signed up for just a cheap dental plan and went to whatever dentist was available on it.  Mostly we took care of him and the kids and very minimal on me.  The last time I went to that place I remember having some sort of deep cleaning and it being very painful and never going back.

Well, of course, time goes by, the kids become the priority and their dental health comes first and this damn back thing takes two years, blah blah.  As things go for me, it turns into a big ordeal and gets bad overnight and the story probably rings a bell from here.  On a Thursday I see the first dentist and for $200 I leave crying with a $5,000 estimate and no help.  Monday night I see a much nicer dentist who says my mouth is terribly infected for waiting so long, still no help, but the estimate is of course going up because he has better x-rays than the first guy and can see I need a root canal instead of just this or that, etc.  So, I head back up the mountain, frustrated, sick (literally), and in pain, and that is when I remembered the show about the dental college.  

I did a bunch of research that night when I got home, got the kids off to school the next day and headed off to college.  UCD Dental School is a long ways away from Bailey, CO but it has been a wonderful experience for me.  The morning that I arrived was a bit chaotic as they only take 8 patients per session, first come first served, so you have to get there early.  I was seen in the morning session by a very professional student and was given multiple care options for the emergency portions of my dental care.  That afternoon I was seen in the oral surgery department to have the worst of the teeth extracted.  The first visit cost me $44 and the extraction cost me $70.  I was going to pay $279 for just the extraction at the first dentist I had seen.

While I was there, I headed upstairs and got signed up for a screening to be accepted into the student's program for the rest of my dental care.  Part of the problem is that I had other dental issues going on as well.  Due to the seizure meds I take, I have pretty bad gum problems and I still have one more tooth that is cracked, and the reason it cracked, of course is because it has a cavity in it.  As you can imagine, getting into this program could be very beneficial for us, and I was hoping, for the students as well. This last Thursday was my appointment to see if I was accepted.

Well, I was exactly right.  They were more than happy to see me!  I chuckle as I say that, it's a little embarrassing that a bunch of dental students think how crappy my mouth is, and were happy about it, but whatever it takes to get my oral health back I figure!  Anyway, for the low, low price of $20 I had a quick screening done to see if I fit the profile, and they loved me.  I have some unusual things that they can teach with because of the meds and the tooth that they pulled in the back will be fun to teach with because either we will be doing a three part bridge or a little bit of a tricky implant (soft bone).  The really exciting thing is that there was a young gentleman standing around looking for a patient to help him take his board exams, which lucky me, I fit the bill for that too.  So, now I get a portion of my dental care for free and will get paid a couple hundred bucks to help him pass his boards!

Now, there are a few down sides to this.  The biggest being time.  These appointments take ALL (they tell you a couple hours, but with drive time etc.) day.  And that is not at all an exaggeration.  They even tell you that at the screening, but to me it is absolutely worth it.  I am getting state of the art dental care, by students who are almost too gentle (maybe that's what takes so long) and then everything is double and triple checked.  The other down side for me is the location, again it takes about 1.5 hours to get there, but again, I just write the entire day off, take a book and thank my lucky stars that I'm not paying 10 times that amount for much less care.

Very quickly I would like to touch on that.  I do not like to "bash" on anyone or any industry in particular, but I have really learned a lot about dental care in the last few months.  First and foremost, dentists pretty much can do whatever they want.  It's not like doctors and hospitals that still have to treat a sick person even if they have no money or insurance, they can charge whatever they want and treat at a "standard of care" that they choose.  Secondly, there are a lot of quack dentists out there.  Turns out, that deep cleaning I had that I never went back after, I was supposed to have been numbed up for, and wasn't.  The first dentist I went to with the $5,000 bid, well, a bunch of that was crap too.

My point being, is that there are a lot of options out there.  If you don't like your dentist, check out another; if something is hurting you, it shouldn't.  I am so excited about getting my oral health care back while helping out these new and excited dentists.  Even if you have dental insurance think about helping out some students, I know that they are very appreciative, and you never know who you might meet.  The guy who I'm helping with his boards, he and his wife are moving to Oregon right after he takes his exam with me.  We got to talking and I was proud to hear he had taken a job for Oregon Public Health, but thought it was even more ironic that they were thinking of buying a llama ranch!  Small world!

 

Metaphysical Monday

Good morning!  I hope you all enjoyed your weekend, it is bitterly cold here in Bailey, CO.  I have been thinking a lot lately about my motivations for this weekly series and for trying to expand my spirituality at this time in my life.  I have decided at this point in time, I am not too much in control of the spiritual road in which I have chosen to take.  Not to say that I am at all unhappy with this path, just a little stumped every now and then.
In one of my earliest MM posts I talked about the sudden onset of a noticeable difference in my sixth sense after a dream I had.  My dreams have always been a source of extra sensory information, and often times very scary.  Then, I had some strange coincidences (which by the way, I really don't believe in) with an astrologer who really shed light on many facets of my life.
Which all led to my reading as many books as I could possibly find on this subject, our extra sensory capabilities as humans.  It's kind of interesting, the more I read, the more questions I wonder about.  Many of the books that I have read (I'd be happy to share a reading list if anyone is interested) are written from the vantage point of that specific medium or psychic or philosopher, etc.; so you get to know the person's story a bit.
In almost all of the books I have read the authors talk about "sensory input overload" in their day to day lives.  Bright light, loud noises and crowds are a huge problem for many of them.  A feeling of being different than others throughout life is commonly noted.  It is almost as if I am reading about myself; it is very reassuring that I am not crazy in thinking that there is more for me to do.
You know, that sounds very egotistical, like I have a higher calling than most; and I really don't mean it that way or even feel that way.  It is more a feeling of expectation and that I may not be living up to my full potential.  If I was given extra senses, what for?  And how do I use them to be a positive, beneficial part of society?
I think I am getting closer to the answers; I would love to work in a healing capacity and help people deal with awkward times in their lives (sort of like what I'm going through-ha!).  I hope it will all come together a little more clearly when I am able to spend time on preparing Judy Jeute's Soul Center, "a networking haven for those who like to do things differently" for its Grand Opening in the spring.  I am listening and learning, but the hardest lesson is to be patient for the next lesson that is given to me.

Discovering Our Options

Good Morning! I know that you are all probably really sick of hearing me brag about my kids, but this post is one that you'll want to read if you have kids. You see, my oldest son, Thomas, has been having a really hard time with his Calculus class. He is planning on going to the School of Mines for anything math and science related, and had taken Calc as an elective because he can't imagine life without a math class. He has already gotten all of his math credits, by the time he is a junior, so to us, Calc was the only alternative.

The teacher of that class happens to be one that Tom had when he was going to school there, so we really came into it with high hopes. Actually Thomas was a little worried that she would hold Tom's behaviour against him-ha! But, whatever the case, things have not gone well. Thomas has really struggled through and was having physical symptoms of severe stress, like migraines and chest pains-no big deal!!! I mean, I was beside myself that this kid of mine was suffering so badly, and there really wasn't a darn thing I could do about it.

When I spoke with the teacher things just got worse, and we were about to the point we were going to pull him from the class. What bothered Thomas the most, was that he would not have a math class to take for the rest of his time at the school, or until that teacher retired (ha!) to take his beloved math classes. So, we decided to get the counselor involved to see what we could do about re-arranging his schedule. Although our school is very small, they do offer a wide variety of great classes, just with a limited amount of teachers, so scheduling can be a little tricky.

This was probably the best thing that has ever happened to my boy. After talking with the counselor myself by phone, and then her talking with Thomas at school, we have come up with an ingenious plan. Thomas will finish out this semester of Calc at his school, and they have changed his schedule for early dismissal next semester so he will take a college math class at Red Rocks Community College! Thomas will be starting his two year program with Red Rocks, which has a program to lead you directly into the School of Mines, early and we'll be saving money!

When I got off the phone with that counselor I was so happy. Thomas had been getting to a point where I was really worried that we were losing his attention. Saying things like how he couldn't wait to get out of school and get a job; or how school "sucks so bad", this coming from one of the most intelligent people I know, and that's not just his moms opinion! Thomas came home from school that day with a gleam of excitement that I have not seen in quite some time.

Not only will he be getting the stimulation he needs, but he will get a high school credit and a college credit. He will be starting his college classes a year and a half early, and best of all, after he passes the class, our school district will reimburse us for the tuition! Thomas and I both were saying "why didn't anyone tell us this sooner?", so I wanted to pass it along. Even my little genius had said that he was so glad he knew why he had been having such a hard time in that class, it was to point him in a new and more exciting direction!

Have a miracle of a day!