Throwback Thursday #5: Chocolat et Formage (Part 1)

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." ~Marcel Proust

So I realize that I promised a blog about our day of Chocolat et Formage....but there was just too much to say and too many pictures for one blog! So, I'm breaking the day into two parts. This first blog will be about the train ride through the Alps and the Chocolate factory (the "Chocolat" portion of the day) and next week I'll finish writing about the day with the cheese factory and wonderful village of Gruyere (the "Formage" portion).

This was a big day for us....Whitney and I were on our own as it was Monday and Cousin swiss Mister had to go to work! Here was our self portrait in front of Cousin Swiss Mister's apartment building (also served as a reminder in case we couldn't remember what street to go down on our way home!)

We made our way to Montreux and bought train tickets to ride up through the Alps first to Broc, where the chocolate factory was located and then to Gruyere, home of the cheese factory. The train had such BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL views! Here are just a few pictures...

On the trip, we saw lots of churches and cows. Now, I am very passionate about agriculture and religion....so I took a lot of pictures. My cousins decided I snapped a shot of every church and every cow in Switzerland. I sure did my best. :) Here are just a few of my collection....

In fact, it sort of turned into an agricultural tour of the Alps....in addition to the cheese factory and cows, we saw sheep, vineyards, a corn field, several dairies....not surprising this was my favorite day of the entire European Adventure!

The above picture is sheep we saw in a village. Below is a painting of a shephard and his sheep that was on a little Swiss house.

So we arrived at Montbouvon, Switzerland, where we had to change trains. What a cute little Swiss train station, huh? You will also notice the rain. It was FREEZING all day. We were dressed in short sleeved shirts and shorts, thanks to cousin Swiss Mister's promise that "It's hot here every day!" Yea....

Luckily, the next town had some stores, where we bought hoodies and an umbrella. That hoodie cost me 30 francs, but I would have paid 100 at that point, I was so cold! We re-boarded the train much happier (and warmer) campers!

After that little detour, we arrived in Broc, Switzerland. Hope of the Callier chocolte factory.

We took a picture of Henri Nestle, to say thanks. He started Nestle chocolate, the company that over 100 years later gave my cousin Swiss Mister a job in Switzerland, which gave me a couch to sleep on and a reason to come visit!

Then it was time for the taste testing!! There were probably 10 different types of chocolate down this long glass case for everyone to try. Because I believe in giving it my all, I think I tried 8/10. By the end I was getting sort of picky....

We walked around the village as we were waiting for the train. So peaceful and pretty! This was me doing the spinning dance to "The Hills Are Alive....With The Sound Of Music" song.

From here we got back on the train to Gruyere....maybe the most beautiful village I saw in Europe....stay tuned next week!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2009

"Family traditions counter alienation and confusion. They help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world." ~Susan Lieberman

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with my family back home at the ranch. We have some great family traditions (which will hopefully remain unless Emily gets her way....) :) that happen on Thanksgiving. Here are just a few snapshots of the fun.

Tradition 1: Bedlam football game
Okay, let's just get it out there. The Bedlam game was more than a nightmare. My cousin took this picture, and I'd say it pretty much sums up my game watching experience. That's all I have to say about that.
Tradition 2: Dinner out on Friday night
We always go eat out with the whole family on Friday night. This picture is of me and Baby Cousin. He's the one who was drafted by the Giants. Had to tippy toe a little to be as tall as him. As you can see, I'm still waiting on my growth spurt to catch up with him. One day I won't need the chair.

Some of my and my brother's best friends from high school joined in for dinner. Not sure they realized exactly what they were walking into.....screaming and chaos and the night ended with Carly setting off the fire alarm. They love us at a restaurant!

Tradition 3: Saturday family lunch

So becuase we don't eat enough on Thursday and Friday, we binge again on Saturday with ridiculous amounts of food. Seriously, we had like 5 racks of ribs. It was disgusting. We also have a lovely tradition of taking group pictures as people are leaving in the yard. Here you go.

This one is all my first cousins and their kids. We're missing four people. We're a big family. My brother and I are bringing down the average.

Tradition 4: Gathering cattle on Thanskgiving to preg check

For those of you unfamiliar with the cattle business, it means what you think....we check to see if they are pregnant. If so, they get to stay. If not, you'll see them soon at a sale barn near you.

We decided to end the day with a family photo for the Christmas card. No, seriously.

Anyway, there is just a quick look into Thanksgiving with my family. I think I say it a lot on here, but I could not have asked for a better one. We're loud and crazy and probably a little strange, but I wouldn't expect it any other way.

86,400 Seconds.....

"Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." ~Author Unknown

I recently heard the song "Live Like We're Dying" by Kris Allen. Here is just a portion of the lyrics.

We're all staring down the barrell of gun.
So if your life flashed before you,
what would you wish you would've done?

Yea we gotta start looking at the hands of the time we've been given here,
this is all we got and we got to start picking it,
every second counts on a clock that's ticking,
gotta live like we're dying.

We only got 86,400 seconds in a day
to turn it all around or to throw it all away.
We gotta tell them that we love them
while we got the chance to say
gotta love like we're dying.

If your plane fell out of the skies,
who would you call with your last goodbyes?

I think it's such a great message. Most of you who know me know that I've dealt my share of loss in my life. I've seen friends die far, far too young. People I've loved have died without any warning whatsoever, and I've also watched someone very close to me die before my eyes from the most horrific disease imaginable.

You know what I've learned from these experiences? No matter how we go, we're all dying. And we all have a chance to look at our own lives, and the things and people in them, and make changes that need to happen TODAY.

We have right now to tell people how much they mean to us. And we need to do that...not just for us, but for them. It doesn't matter what we say or how we say it, but it does matter that we let the people who we care about know. This is something we can leave behind. When you are gone, it will be so helpful for them to know they mattered to you.

We also have right now to look at our lifes and see if we are living them the way we want to. Are we doing the things that really matter? Have you discovered what you believe in? Have you found forgiveness for yourself and offered it for others?

If your life flashed before your eyes, would you like what you saw? If the answer is no, make the changes you want to see, TODAY! We have 86,400 seconds today. What will you use them for?

When I'm Married I'll......Christmas Cards & Trees!

"So plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers." ~Veronica A. Shoffstall

So.....it's almost the Christmas season again! This got me thinking about some of the holiday things I'm doing this year, and the story behind them. I thought I'd share.

So we all know I'm not married yet...shocking news, I know. Last yer, I remember getting a picture Christmas card in the mail from some of my good friends. They are married and had great pictures of them doing cute things together. I thought to myself, "When I'm married, I'm totally sending out cards like that."

I sort of have this motto----anything I think "When I'm married, I'll...." about, I do right now. I should not have to wait until I trick some poor sucker into marrying me to do the things I want to do in my own life!

So, sending out the picture Christmas card became a tradition last year. Now it's time for year number two. 2009 has been a crazy year for me....so many things have happened.....which is another blog upcoming for my year-in-review. But I had tons of pictures to choose from! My dear friend Myranda designs and prints custom cards, so she's been super helpful and has come up with an awesome design that I love!

Anyway, this year I've had a similar situation occur with having a Christmas tree. I had the same "when I'm married...." thought cross my mind, so I jumped in my car and went Christmas tree shopping! I figure if I own my own home, there is no reason why I shouldn't decorate for Christmas, even if it's just me living here! I'm super excited about my beautiful tree and wreath and soon to be nativity set that will hopefully all be up and decorated by next weekend. Pictures to come....I'm sure. :)

Oh, and if I don't have your address and you're expecting one of these Christmas cards in your mailbox, you probably better send that info my way!

When Grandma Goes to Court

"The older you get, the more you tell it like it used to be." ~Unknown

I got this great email from my friend Fern, a grandma herself! So here's a little legal humor for your weekend!

*****

Lawyers should never ask a Mississippi grandma a question if they aren't prepared for the answer!

In a trial, a Southern, small-town prosecuting attorney called his first witness, a grandmotherly, elderly woman to the stand. He approached her and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know me?" She responded, "Why yes, I do know you, Mr. Williams. I've known you since you were a boy, and frankly, you've been a big disappointment to me. You lie, you cheat on your wife, and you maipulate people and talk about them behind their backs. You think you're a big shot when you haven't the brains to realize you will never amount to anything more than a two-bit paper pusher. Yes, I know you."

The lawyer was stunned. Not knowing what else to do, he pointed across the room and asked, "Mrs. Jones, do you know the defense attorney?"

She again replied, "Why yes, I do. I've known Mr. Bradley since he was a youngster, too. He's lazy, bigoted, and he has a drinking problem. He can't build a normal relationship with anyone, and his law practice is one of the worst in the entire state. Not to mention he has cheated on his wife with three different women. One of them was your wife. So yes, I know him." The defense attorney nearly died.

The judge called both counselors to approach the bench. In a very quiet voice, he said, "If either of you idiots asks her if she knows me, I'll send you both to the electric chair!"

Guest Blog Friday.....Me!

"The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart." ~Elisabeth Foley

So guest blog Friday this week has a little twist.....because I was asked to do a guest blog! Yay!

My dear friend, Crazy Canadian, invited me to blog at her wonderful website, Copper West. Robyn and I judged together at Dodge City Community College for a year back in the good ol' days. She's one of the most AMAZING people you'll ever meet in your life! She started Copper West as a way to showcase and share ideas about western living and style......and it's a great website! Check it out at: http://copperwest.ca/blog

So now that I've shared my opportunity to guest blog.....I'll be returning to our regularly scheduled programming next week. I have several people who are soon to come...Denton, Stefanie, Shane, Elizabeth, Myranda.....it'll be fun!

Throwback Thursday #4: Journey to France!

"Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living." ~Miriam Beard

So for our second day in Europe, we decided to go to France. We just went to a little town across Lake Geneva, but we really wanted to say we had been to another country! The biggest disappointment of the day: they didn't stamp our passports! Darn it!

Anyway, the first thing we did was ride the train to Lausanne, so that we could catch the boat over to France. We walked around for a while in Lausanne....
During the walking...we saw sheep! Made me feel like home.
We also saw lots of these little bakeries and bistros....here are some of the pastries in one of the bakeries.

There were beautiful flowers everywhere in Switzerland! They also do these clocks made out of flowers---so pretty!
So then it was finally time to hit up a new country.....here was the boat to France! We were excited to go.

We got there and saw some French poodles! Of course, I had to take a picture. The other two rolled their eyes.

Because we were in Evian, France (home of Evian water) we decided to stop and have some. I was SOOO thirsty and this place had ICE! Seriously, you won't believe how much you appreciate ice until you don't have it. And there is no free water anywhere in Europe. You pay for bottles of it just like anything else you might want to drink at a restaurant.

As we were walking, we saw this sign about how the people of Evian were victims of the Nazis in 1944.Then the storm clouds started to roll in from the Alps. Started to rain, so we ran for cover in a little bistro. Then we made a run for the boat.

We get on the boat and the driver and some other person had a massive fight outside the window! They were screaming and yelling and making crazy hand gestures. It was insane.

They finally worked out whatever the crazy bickering was about and we headed back across the lake.We had a great day in France. It's always great to set foot in a new country, even if they don't give you a passport stamp!

Stay tuned next week.....we went on a fantastic train ride up into the Alps to check out both a cheese and chocolate factory. One of my FAVORITE days of the whole trip!

Happy Birthday, Brother AND Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

"To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time." ~Clara Ortega

Today is my little brother's birthday. He claims to read the blog, and got angry a couple weeks ago. I posted something about him and my best friend Chase, and put up one more picture of Chase than I did of Denton. To remedy that, here is a montage of pictures of my brother on his birthday!

I also want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful time with your families and you take the time to be thankful for all the blessings that you have been given.

An Endangered Species....The Family Farm

"The farm just won't get tended if the farmer isn't there, and these amber waves of grain might just disappear." ~Merle Haggard

(All photos from my own family's farm)

I recently received an email discussing 25 things that are becoming extinct in America. Some were predictable. Landline telephones, VCRs, and cameras that use film. Okay, I thought. Makes me feel old because I certainly remember a time (not so long ago!) when I used each of these things. Some were interesting. Honeybees (apparently they have some bad disease) and analog television (don't even know what that means!).

But do you know what the number one was? The family farm.
I have so many issues with this, I dont't think it will fit in one blog. First off, how can we even feel that the family farm can be in any type of category with honeybees and VCRs? Do we not realize how important family farms are? That they are our food supply, play a major role in our national economy, and provide an incomparable way of life for so many people? Maybe the majority of Americans don't.
Today, the average American is four generations removed from the farm. FOUR GENERATIONS! That means that most people in the US don't even remember going to their grandparents' farm....much less actually growing up on one themselves. People don't know where their food comes from. They don't know what it feels like to raise animals from the time they are born, to rack your brain to decide what ram to breed your best ewe to or what bull you need to buy semen from. They don't know what it's like to get on a horse and ride across your family's land.
This disconnect between agriculture and the public is only going to get worse. Currently, the US is losing 500 family farms every week. In 1950, there were 5.3 million farms scattered across the country. By 2003, there were fewer than 2.1 million. Fewer farms mean fewer opportunities for people to experience and understand the agricultural way of life.

What is the solution to this problem? I'll tell you what I think it is....it's time for those of us in the agricultural industry to go on the offensive! It's time for us to get out there and let people know where their food comes from, how hard we work on our farms, and how expensive equiptment and seed is, especially when compared to commodity prices. For us to be able to survive, we have got to find ways to educte the public about the importance of agriculture.

What are the benefits of a family farm? Why do I care so much? Do families really still even own farms? These are stories for another day....stay tuned! I'm ready to talk, I hope you're ready to listen!