Throwback Thursday # 31: Dr. Wagley

"Live your life so that the pastor doesn't have to lie at your funeral." ~Unknown

Earlier this month, NMSU lost a legendary professor. Some of you, especially those of you involved in FFA, probably knew Dr. Wagley. He was in charge of the FFA dance ever year at State Judging. You'd see him in his button up shirt with his red hair in a buzz cut wondering around talking to everyone there. Dr. Wagley was a fixture not only at NMSU, but also within the FFA organization.

My favorite Dr. Wagley memories are of him at National FFA Convention. By the time I was in high school, Dr. Wagley had been around forever, so everyone knew and loved him. At National Convention, he would always come and find us to say hi, and to give us free trinkets.

See, Dr. Wagley was sort of an FFA trinket-clepto. You know how you see the guys on tv who are in New York and have the trench coats that they open up to reveal like 50 watches for sale? That was Dr. Wagley giving out free stuff at the National FFA Convention. I came home from those conventions with more pens, pencils, notebooks, and pins then you could imagine.

My favorite trinket, however, was one he gave me at my last National FFA Convention. I was a freshman in college when I went back to judge FBM at Louisville. I was also on my college judging team and had to be in San Francisco to judge at Cow Palace the next weekend. In order to make this work, my ag teacher, Mr. F promised to have me to the airport for the last flight out of Louisville to Houston on Friday night, so that I would arrive in San Francisco in time to judge on Sunday morning. Well, because this is how things happen in my life, the awards ceremony for FBM ran a little over. So Mr. F. and I book it out of there for the car.

On the way, we run into Dr. Wagley. He stops us to chat, says that he remembers me from the unfortunate food poisoning incident three years earlier (this is a good blog idea...I need to remember to write about that experience!), and says that he has something for me. We just have to hang on while he goes to get it. Mr. F tried to argue with him and explain that we had to go, but he was wasting his breath. We stood there while Dr. Wagley shuffled off into the office with the goodies. He came back with an armful of stuff, including a really awesome glass FFA clock. I still have that clock to this day. (And yes, in case you are worried--we made it to the airport....barely...I got to the judging contest and finshed 9th individual the next day).

Dr. Wagley was 89 years old. He had been a professor at NMSU 25 years and was involved with New Mexico FFA for over 40 years. The number of NMSU students and FFA members whose lives he touched is countless. He will be sorely missed.

July Updates

"The measure of good life is the accumulation of good memories." ~ Anonymous

Best Wedding Job Ever. As you have read about, and seen pictures from, I go to a lot of weddings. In fact, last week, someone told me that I go to more weddings than anyone he knows. I blame this on the fact that I know A LOT of people! Anyway, I've done pretty much every job at a wedding--guest book girl, cake cutter, videographer, bridesmaid.....just need to be the important one in a white dress and I have them all checked off.

But a couple weeks ago, I got the best wedding job appointment ever. One of my boys, the Animal House Boys, from college is getting married in September to a fantastic girl. (For those of you who know the boys....he did not live in the house, but he might as well have, so he's included in the group definition).

Their wedding website listed all of their wedding party, which included just about all of the boys from our group. I was sadly absent, so I sent a little text message asking if I was just chopped liver or what! Literally two minutes later, my Animal House boy told me to look at the website again. And there I was....listed right under the flower girls as.........."Legal Counsel."

Talk about making my day! So, Animal House boy and his soon to be Mrs., thank you for the title....I can't wait for the big day! Flowers. I know how Miranda Lambert feels. Yes, that's right. I've killed more flowers. (Remember this is the second death....) The after picture would be too depressing, so I'll spare you. I blame this death on being out of town for the weekend of the 4th to sort sheep and for the Centennial Celebration. So, in light of this growing season being a disaster, I have given up on flowers. Instead, I'll go to Trader Joes and buy the already grown ones and put them in a vase. That, I can handle!

Happiness Project. This month's Happiness Project focus was on being happier at work. The last couple months have been insanity at the office, so it's taken longer than I hoped. I've been able to implement a few of my goals, but several others are still in the works. So...I'm giving myself an extra month on this one. Stay tuned for my report at the end of August!

The Lost Rant Letters. I hear a few people wrote rant letters after reading that blog. Well, I found two of the long lost rant letters that me, College Roomie, and the Oklahoma Girls circulated. I had to share some of the funnier ones.

"I honestly have no idea why I ever even liked you...actually I know why. That year that I met you, I had become very close with my friend Jose Cuervo and he had obviously convinced me that I should go out with you. Never again will I ever listen to Mr. Cuervo."

"You were skinnier than me, which is a long-term deal breaker."
"I blame it on on halloween parties, and the fact you were once dressed as a penguin...it was kind of cute. Not anymore...I will never trust a penguin."

"You're getting fat and feel like you have to put other people down to make yourself feel better."

"You didn't want anything to do with me after I went to the George Strait concert. Your loss....you should know, no one and I mean no one comes between me and the King...no one!!"

Letters to (Future) Me. My girls and I all did a letter to me (except for one of the Okahoma Girls who needed to do a man rant letter instead...understandable!.....but she'll do one soon). Anyway, after we wrote those, we decided that we wanted to write letters to ourselves--to be read in the future! So, the plan is to each write a letter in 2010 that will be opened in 2020. We're also each getting a disposable camera and taking pictures that we will not develop until 2020. Let's hope that they still develop film by then.... And last, but not least, the quote of the month.

College Roomie had a really good quote, but we both forgot what it was. Sorry about that. But never fear, the same Oklahoma Girl struck gold again!
"Wanted: tall, dark and handsome good lovin manly man that can two step, loves Jesus, his momma and OSU football. Is this too hard to find?.....Apparently!"

Amen, sister!

(I also have a blog comment of the month--my friend Pig Farmer's Wife left a gem on my blog about why Kirk Herbstreit is killing my love life). It led to all sorts of interesting comments!

The Long and Short of It

"Happiness is not in our circumstance but in ourselves. It is not something we see, like a rainbow, or feel, like the heat of a fire. Happiness is something we are." ~John B. Sheerin

I recently read a blog where person being interviewed was asked what was the one thing she knew about happiness now that she didn't know when she was 18 (I've also blogged about this question myself). She said that one thing she realized was that life was long.

At first, I thought I read it wrong. We hear all the time, and in fact I frequently blog about the fact that life is short. Her statement is exactly the opposite.

She went on to explain that when she turned 30, she was rushing around all the time and stressing out about getting everything done because life was so short. She accomplished a crazy number of things in a short period of time. She says that what she learned from this is that life is long, and you don't have to do everything all at once. She and I have completely different philosophies about life....she says long, I say short (she says tomato, I say....) And because of that, our approach to being happy is also completely opposite. It makes her life happier to think about how long life is and to slow down. It makes my life happier to realize how short life is and to do what I want to do now while I have the opportunity to do it. My bucket list is a source of happiness for me....but having one would likely just stress her out.

I wonder if our experiences are what form our opposite beliefs. Part of the reason for my "life is short" mantra is because I've seen lives end, and be cut far, far too short many times. I've lost friends who were only teenagers, and friends who were just starting families, and friends who just graduated from college, and people who had just retired and should have had their golden years ahead of them. I've seen life be short with my own two eyes, and I think that has greatly impacted my view on this topic.

I don't think there is a right or a wrong answer to this question. I think that we all have to figure out the best perspective for us. We all need to find the approach to living life that makes us the happiest and makes us fulfilled. Whether we think life is short or long or in the middle---it's our life and we better be doing our best to make the best of it.

One Word....

"She always holds her head up high, she loves the company of her family, she has faith in God's greater plan..." ~ Josh Abbott Band, She's Like Texas


For the last couple weeks, I have been asking the question, "What is the one word that you would use to describe me?" From the answers that I've received, I have learned several things.

First off, the answer to the question can be radically different based on how well a person knows you. For example, College Roomie's word for me was "compassionate." I think that's a very perceptive word that is right on the money. However, people who don't know me well and have only a surface knowledge of my personality would not chose that word. Only someone like College Roomie who knows me really well would know that side of my personality and would be able to come up with that word.

When she shared it with a mutual friend, he looked at her kind of funny. She could tell that he would not have come up with the same word. It's not because I have acted uncompassionate towards him, but it's just that he doesn't know me well enough to have seen that side of my personality. It's important to have people in your life who see the real you, rather than just the you on the surface that the world knows.


What I have realized is that my best friends are the ones who come up with the words that are the most insightful. The words that the best friends came up with are the words I would most like to be seen as. Maybe they see the real me--or maybe I am more the person I want to be around them. Either way, I think I'm lucky to have these friendships in my life!


Second, it's amazing the things that other people don't see, that we worry about. I can bet you most people would think of negative words to describe themselves....think about how many people you know who worry about their looks or their weight or whatever. I bet if I asked you to list 5 words to describe yourself, you'd have at least one negative in there. The negative word that I think of for me is plain. But you know what, no one ever used a negative word when describing another person when I asked this question for the blog.


People don't look at us and notice the 5 extra pounds or the hair that will not stay in place or the way we might periodically snap at someone when we get annoyed. Instead, people generally notice the positive. Instead of spending so much dwelling on the little things that we see, I think we all need to spend time focusing on the positive things that others see. It's so funny how we see someone totally different when we look in the mirror than what people see when they look at us.


Third, I have amazing friends. When I tried to think of words to describe my friends, I was constantly amazed at what wonderful people I have been able to surround myself with. They are smart and funny and kind and protective and caring and loyal. They are beautiful and enthusiastic and real and supportive. It's these people who have made me into the person that I am today.


Finally, just a little aside, the two funniest words I got about me were "Donor, like a cow" (you will be seeing a blog about this soon) from BFF and "ring tailed tooter" (which I understand is a good thing meaning something similar to spunky) from Cousin Junior.

Family Farm Friday #25: Moments Like This...

"It's moments like this that make me wish I could freeze frame time." ~Brandon Rhyder, Freeze Frame Time

As I mentioned yesterday, last weekend was a big one for my dad's side of the family. We all gathered in Caprock for the Dallas Ranch Centennial Celebration (for those of you who are confused, my grandma's maiden name was Dallas.....my dad's first name is also Dallas.....maybe that will help). Friday night was a dinner and a hayride for just immediate family (meaning children, grand children (ie my dad's generation) and great grand children (ie my generation) of C.E. and Mae Dallas, who settled the ranch 100 years ago). Lots more happened Saturday, but that's next week's blog.

The night started off with a little pow-wow in the front yard where my Great Uncle told stories (including the Love Tree story you read yesterday). Most of the stories centered around our family settling the ranch in 1910.

My great grandparents were from Texas, but in 1910 they set out in a covered wagon and headed for New Mexico. They ended up in Caprock, where they settled in an old dug out and opened a store. Life wasn't easy back then--the free grazing ranchers in the area were not happy about homesteaders moving in and fencing off their land. So these free grazers cut our fences and threatened my great grandfather and great uncles many times.

Things got so bad that my great grandma was scared for my great grandfather's life. One night he was supposed to go to a meeting in town between the free grazers and the settlers. My grandma let the team out just before the meeting and told him that she wasn't having him go off and get killed. (Needless to say, I come from a strong, stubborn line of women!) He didn't go anywhere that night.

We also apparently had some supportive family back in Texas. My great grandma's step father sent word by telegram that if the free grazers were giving our family too much hassle, he would send some boys over to "take care of them." (I picture a mafia-esque group threatening the ranching equivalent of cement shoes myself...).

Anyway, the moral of the story is that my family held their ground and stayed put. And as my cousin likes to point out, those free grazers are gone, and we're still there 100 years later!

During this time, we also got what I think is one of the best gifts I've ever received. Each of the grandchildren and great grandchildren got a piece of the actual covered wagon that my great grandparents drove to New Mexico. Needless to say, everyone was pretty excited. In fact, the next day, we all got our pieces of wood and branded them with our great grandparents brand.

After the story time, the whole family loaded up onto a trailer for a hayride down to "the old place" which is where the original dugout was built. We saw the remnants of the dugout, a fender from an old Ford Model-T, pieces of a pot belly stove, and old farm implements.

After the hayride, we went back to the house for dinner, and the singing began. My immediate family has no musical talent, but luckily for us Great Uncle, his son and grandsons are quite musical. So there we were---the whole family---about 30 of us---gathered around the living room, singing and laughing. It was an amazing night--and I think when the whole family sung Amazing Grace while Great Uncle played it on the piano, there were tears in quite a few eyes.

The night ended with some dancing. We all figured that we needed to try it out before we invited the whole town to come the next day. I'm just saying, our family knows how to tear up the dance floor and we did our best to keep the party going well into the morning hours.

I think for all of us who were there last Friday night, it will be one we'll never forget. It was one of those times where you forget about everything else going on, your family is all together, and life just seems perfect. I think the great grandparents (and my Gran and great uncles who have already "gone to their reward") would be proud of their legacy that started 100 years ago. Our generation has big shoes to fill.

Throwback Thursday # 30: Things Built to Last

"And here's to the twinkle in old married eyes, still there after fifty years pass. Here's to the maker of things built to last." ~"Things Built to Last" by Heartland

As you will read about in several upcoming blogs, last weekend my Dad's side of the family gathered in Caprock, New Mexico for the 100 year celebrataion of our family's ranch. I'll give you lots of details on the ranch and all of that tomorrow.

But today is about one of my favorite parts of the weekend involving my Great Uncle, Great Aunt, and the Love Tree.

Once the family had all gathered at the ranch on Friday evening, we congregated in the front yard around Great Uncle. He got to telling stories of his childhood and the beginnings of the ranch back in the 1920's and 30's. Then, he started talking about his proposal to my Great Aunt.

In 1950, they saddled up two horses and went for a ride around the ranch to check the cattle. At the end of the ride, he took her to a tree next to the tank on the ranch. And then he proposed by telling her that he talked to his sister (who was my grandma who happened to be getting married in the next couple of months to my grandpa) and she said that it would be okay by her if Great Uncle and Great Aunt wanted to make it a double ring ceremony. Great Aunt said no.

But that was just to the double wedding---she said that my grandparents should have their day, and Great Aunt and Great Uncle should have theirs. In April of 1950, my grandparents were married. In May of 1950, my Great Aunt and Great Uncle were too.

So there we were, 60 years later, getting ready to go on a hayride to the tank where the proposal happened. Turns out, that same tree is still standing. So, Great Uncle decided he wanted to take Great Aunt back to the "Love Tree" as he called it. We got them situated, and he said, "You know, if we had a preacher here, we would just renew our vows right here." (I'm not sure they make men like him anymore!)

So what do we learn from this? Well, his proposal wasn't fancy. The ring wasn't flashy and there was no expensive dinner or roses or candles. But her loved her. The marriage has lasted for 60 years and counting. Some things are built to last. Here's hoping that one day I'll be taking a picture on my 60th wedding anniversary at that Love Tree.

Beautiful Girls....All Over the World....

"We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world." ~Nelson Mandela, 1994 Inaugural Speech

A couple weeks ago on the radio, I heard a statistic that was shocking to me at first, but then really got me thinking. Here's the statistic:

When asked, only 2% of women said that they thought they were beautiful.

When I heard the statistic, I first though of that older country song, "She Don't Know She's Beautiful" and had that stuck in my head all day. Annoying!

But beyond that, I was mad. I thought to myself, "Wow, girls need to work on their self esteem." But then I wondered, if someone asked me that question, what would I have said? Honestly, I would be one of the 98% who would say no if you straight up asked me. It was really funny to me that I was all offended, but then when I looked at it honestly, I'm part of the problem. The problem is this. We don't see what other people see. We are so much harder on ourselves.

If you asked me to pick out my best girl friends, I would tell you that all of them are beautiful, and I would mean it because they are (some of their pictures are on this blog to prove it!). But the odds are, based on that statistic, not one of them would say the same about herself. When we look at ourselves, we only see the problem areas, and don't look at the whole picture. If we're lucky, we have people in our lives who try and help us see past our own warped opinions and let us know we're beautiful---hopefully on the inside and out. At least I hope that I'm that person in the lives of my girl friends.
Another interesting observation that I made while listening to the radio discussion is that guys think just about all girls are beautiful. It's totally true that guys do not think the way girls think about beauty. Don't get me wrong--I think if Megan Fox knocked on any guy's door, he'd be all over it. But I don't think that guys look at every inch of a girl's body and compare it to Megan. A lot of guys on the radio said that they honestly think the opposite of women---instead of only 2% being beautiful, they would say that 98% are beautiful. (Perhaps we should lay off the boy bashing sessions for a minute...just a minute though!)

It's girls who do the judging--to themselves and to other girls. Think about it--even like walking down the street I think we are totally judgmental of other women. That's probably a huge part of the problem....I don't think it's all Hollywood. And I don't think it's all men. I think a lot of it probably is us doing it to ourselves and each other.
Anyway, my point is this. We need to work on our self esteem and stop being so hard on ourselves and on other girls. Life is hard enough as it is without that added stress. And, in closing, while this whole issue with my girls, this comment was made.....yes, the Oklahoma Girl strikes again with a gem:

I guess we all just need to be thankful we have boobs, big or small and don't have a nasty penis like boys, we have the luxury of peeing sitting down, instead of peeing standing up, and we, thank goodness are not hairy like guys...they are hairy all over...gross!!
Hard to argue there. Sometimes an Oklahoma Girl quote is worth a thousand words.

Puppies and Rainbows and Trolls and Dead Flowers

"You know what--sometimes even without a boyfriend life is all about puppies and rainbows and sometimes even with one it's about trolls and dead flowers." ~Me!

I mentioned before that my friend The Bride cracked me up last week by going back through ancient facebook messages and pulling out the funniest quotes from them. The quote above is one that she found. As soon as I read it, I knew I had to do a blog.

I think that so many times, people have the impression that once they are in a relationship, they will be happy. And until they are, they just have to bide their time and wait for happiness to arrive. If you ask me, this is a problem.

While a relationship should obviously add to our happiness, I think we better figure out how to be happy ourselves, instead of totally depending on someone else to make us feel that way. I don't think that our happiness is tied to our relationship status. Here's the deal:

1. Being single isn't all bad.

Once again, for my friends who are sighing and worrying that I will never get married, I really do hope to find a George Strait-eque cowboy or a Jeff Samardjiza-esque athlete to sweep me off my feet. But the point is that while I'm waiting, my life is pretty stellar. When you're single, you can do whatever YOU want, because there is not someone else that you have to think about. So, if I want to hop a plane to Oklahoma at the last minute, I can. If I want to take a nap all afternoon, there is peace and quiet. If I feel like spending money on something that a boy might not understand, like hot yoga or cute shoes, it doesn't matter, because it's my money!

2. Being in a relationship isn't all easy.

News flash: relationships are hard. Two people have to be on the same page about a lot of things. It's not always smooth sailing. Some people don't get this. I blame romantic comedies and fairy tales. The whole happily ever after nonsense is a myth. Maybe Cinderella and Prince Charming do live happily ever after, but my bet is that they have some rough spots along the way....the probably fight about money, him leaving his socks on the floor, and her wanting to buy a bunch of cute throw pillows for the bed. I'm just saying, relationships are not the magic cure-all that make people happy.

So, whether you are flying solo for now, or if you are in a relationship, know that there will be good times and bad times in both. The key to both is to enjoy the good times, and get through the bad.

You do that, and it really will seem like puppies and rainbows!

Letter to Me

“Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself... 'How did I get through all of that?'” ~Unknown

Last week, I read a great blog where the girl wrote a letter back to herself at 20. Brad Paisley has a great song about this same idea. I was inspired, and decided to write a letter to myself as well. It really made me think, but was a lot of fun to do. I totally recommend it.

Dear 20 year-old self:

Enjoy every minute of your time in Stillwater...the energy, people, college town, nights on the Strip, crazy parties at 44th and Western (this address will mean something to you one day soon) and everything else that happens during the next three years. You will spend a lot of minutes later on wishing you could go back. They will be some of the very best of your life.

You've got the best family in the world. Your parents, brother, aunts, uncles and cousins are crazy and loud and overwhelming and absolutely perfect for you!

Your year of junior college was a disaster. But it's over. It might have been necessary to funnel you into Oklahoma State. And you met this boy from Kansas and girl from Canada and their friendships will more than make up for the bad parts!

Know that alot of friends will come and go, but there are some friends who you make when you are nine years old that you will have forever.

You have just met a couch named Snuggles. When you move away, take him with you. There is no other couch that comfy and you will never be able to find him again!

Tell the boy how you feel. And this will apply to more than one boy in the next 6 years. Stop worrying about ruining the friendship.....once you get older and the boys start falling in love with other girls, the friendships start to fade anyway.

Always get the season football and basketball tickets. I know you are broke and it seems like a corner that you can cut. Really, it's not. Don't eat for a week or two if necessary.

On a related note, do NOT call your brother trash talking when OSU gets Texas down by 4 touchdowns in the first half of the home game your senior year. There's a guy named Vince Young who will shut your mouth. Big time.

Pick up a limee. Actually, maybe that's not the best idea. You not discovering them until your last semester may be what gets you (and your liver) through college unscathed.

That roomate who you were lucky enough to find is becoming one of your best friends in the world. Yes, you are nearly complete opposites. Maybe that's why it works. Don't yell when she burns the popcorn. It was an accident. Don't forgive her too fast when she breaks the cannister lid. She feels real guilty and will probably cook you something good if you play it a little...

Relax. Stop stressing about school and work and trying to get everything done. This nothing compared to law school, which is nothing compared to the bar, which is nothing compared to working. Who cares if your MCIS powerpoint is perfect? Put it down and go do something fun.

Enjoy every single Sunday at Sunnybrook Christian Church. You will find a small group that will become like family to you. The faith that you experience and cultivate here will only become increasingly important in the rest of your life.
When you meet the really nice girl at Lights on Stillwater, know that she'll lead you to one of your new best friends. The Lights on Stillwater girl will disappear from both of your lives, but that new best friend isn't going anywhere. Transfer out of the terrible Business Law class you go to the first day of your junior year and go to Professor Urich. Business law with him will open your eyes. You will realize that there are so many places to do and things to see and experiences to have that you can't live your life without trying these things. You will learn that not everyone believes what you believe, and while you might disagree, you can still be civil and respectful.

As great as your friends are now, there are some of your best friends who you haven't even met yet. Keep your eyes open. These girls will change your life!
This one is the most important. By the time you're 25, two of your favorite people in the world will be gone. Even though you think they seem invincible, they aren't. Ask them your questions, get their advice, and enjoy your time with them now. Hug them both every chance you get. Someday, you would be willing to give anything to hear their voice one more time.

Love, Me at 26

Family Farm Friday # 24: This Is How We Do It...

“It pays to plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.” ~ Unknown

Well, because the now infamous bull semen blog was such a hit, I figured I needed to have a blog about sheep breeding season as well. Things are done a little differently. Mind you, this is how my family spends our 4th of July each year!

First off, we don't AI sheep. In fact, most people don't AI sheep because it's much more difficult than it is to AI cattle (although my understanding is that they have developed non-surgical methods within the last year or so, up until that point surgical AI was the only option). So, instead of choosing which ram (daddy sheep) you want to use out of a book, you look at which rams you own and figure it out that way.

This decision isn't made lightly....we study and study and figure and think and argue and bicker, and then decide. First, we look at each ewe (momma sheep)'s physical traits to see which ram we want to breed her to. For exampe, if we have a ewe that is really heavy muscled, but might be sort of short necked and coarse shouldered, then we want to breed her to the really pretty, long necked ram, instead of one that is super heavy muscled. You get the idea.

Next, we look at their lineage--who is the mom and dad of the ewe. This gives us an idea of that kind of lambs she might throw, what her problems might be, etc. Third, we look to see what lambs the ewe has had in the past. So, for example, if one of our ewes had a lamb that won Grand Champion last year, we want to put her back with the exact same ram this year and hope it works out again!

So after all that figuring, we divide up the ewes for the different rams. We do this by running them through a sorting gate that allows us to separate them into different pens.

My mom keeps a list of which ewes go with which rams so that we have accurate and complete records for next year (athough no matter how hard we try, we always seems to be missing some daddy of a really good one...).

This year, we have 5 different pens of ewes. Our rams are named Italian Stallion, Macho, H2, White Lightning and Swamp Donkey. Clever, I know.

So after all of this figuring and sorting and work, it's time for the magic to happen. Here's the Italian Stallion's first encounter with the ladies this year. Exciting stuff, had to be captured on film!