Sunday, February 19, 2012

The things I do not blog about

While I try my best to be honest on my blog, my readers don't know everything that goes on around here.  I keep many things hidden, as much for the benefit of others as for myself.  If I think some activity would be upsetting to my readers, I keep it to myself, within reason, of course.  I realize the fact that we butcher and eat animals that we have raised from birth bothers some people, but I am not going to hide the fact that we do it.  I grew up watching my mother butcher a couple of chickens almost every Saturday so we'd have a good Sunday dinner.  It's the most natural thing in the world to me.  
Animals are more dispensable around here than they are to city folks.  This is sometimes a necessity in the country.  I alluded to one of the darker aspects of this fact of life when David was visiting, and he said, "Don't blog about it!"  
Trust me, I wouldn't.  I've spent years following Pioneer Woman's blog, and I've seen city folks criticize her for pictures of her husband and the hired hands roping calves and castrating them.  When people criticize Ree Drummond, they do it in a BIG way.  I have seen whole blogs dedicated to bashing her.    
My husband butchered for over twenty years.  It may seem like a cruel way of making a living, but until the whole world becomes vegetarian, somebody has to do it, .  One thing Cliff always made sure of, though, was that the animal died instantly and without pain.  He is the one who put Blue down for me, and when he was finished with the task, said, "He never knew what hit him."
My family could tell you about various things I don't include in my blog, and not all of them have anything to do with animals.  Sometimes I'm just avoiding the judgement of others.    
When I take pictures in the house, I sometimes crop them so you don't see certain things:  clutter on the end table, for instance.  Or I'll pick things up hastily so people don't see what a lousy housekeeper I am.  If that's dishonest, so be it.   
If you have thought of me as totally honest, loving, and hard-working, I'm just letting you know that this tarnished angel flies pretty darned close to the ground.  
Moving on:  I had another wonderful day yesterday.  Great-granddaughter Kami spent several hours with me while my daughter and her girls went to the beauty shop.  This is the first time she's been here alone with me, and it was great fun.  I held the camera at arms length and took this picture.


Isn't she beautiful?

We read all the "Spot" books, ate bananas and PBJ sandwiches, and watched some kid TV shows.  
Good times.  Things I can blog about.
  
(How about the fact that I am wearing the same sweatshirt two days in a row and it's on my blog for all the world to see?)

20 comments:

  1. Wow, she's a cutie. Yeah I'm always pretty conservative about my blog and column topics. Living on a farm all of our lives gives one a different perspective. I suppose if one didn't understand it would be bad but we spend our time making sure the animals are completely comfortable. Content and happy makes for a faster growing animal. We don't mistreat them.

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  2. Donna, my auto email isn't setup so I couldn't email you. You and Cliff should look at http://www.nebraskatractorride.com/
    It's a website for a tractor ride sponsored by a radio station in West Point, NE. I've been on it once. It was a blast and I think you and your husband would have a great time.
    The ride starts and ends this year (they move it around Nebraska) near Tekamah our hometown. That way you can drop your trailer and follow the progress of the trip. A for instance would be to be at the first break when he gets there and then travel to the noon place to eat and eat with him. He'd likely be in a line with other Olivers. I was in a line of Allis Chalmers with my D-14. Our captain (groups of about 10) was driving an Allis D-21. A mountain of a tractor but easy to spot.
    At the bottom of the page is a link to a pdf for sign up. You're welcome to come early for a visit and bunk here. The costly part I know is a trip pulling a heavy tractor. The gas consumption would be bad. To save money you could travel back here to stay the one night they're on the road or get a hotel. From experience I can tell you it's a blast and you'd be around like minded folks. Some people even install a second seat for their wives (or husbands to ride on. One man I say built a handicap accessible cage for a wheelchair on his 3 pt hitch to take his wife along.

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  3. Sounds like real life on a farm to me! I grew up on a farm & have witnessed many of the same things in my life time.

    Aww, what a precious little Angel! Glad you enjoyed yourselves!

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  4. Anonymous7:30 AM

    I'm afraid that the people that critize you about the butchering of you healthy raised cows--would not live long if they had to do it. How on earth do thosesame people think that our forfathers surrived all the years they did. They couldn't go to the nearest supermarket and pick up the SAME meat. I lived across from my grandparents, growing up and always loved the aste of fresh vegs. and meat. My dad would get a deer every year and that kept us all winter and was so good. I often wonder WHERE those same people think that meat they get in a store--comes from! Keep up the good work--you and Pioneer woman tell it like it is.
    from NewHampshire

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  5. Mechelle7:46 AM

    Donna,
    Growing up with you in my life, I enjoy reading your blogs because I remember so many places at your house and things you used to do. I understand the "sensitive" nature of some things and whether they should be blogged about. Granted I wasn't a farm girl from a "BIG" farm, but I had a pretty good feel and sometimes when telling stories of things we did growing up, people look at me weird. Especially the one about castrating(I'm sure I spelled that wrong)the pigs.
    I enjoy reading whatever you blog about...sensitive or not.
    Thanks for helping keep my memories alive!
    Mechelle

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  6. Working in HR I understand in a weird way I guess, that people will fuss and judge and criticize over just about anything so they can hear their own voice and be proud of themselves. One of the reasons I like to retreat to the back woods and be left alone. I always struggle with what I feel I can say and not say in my own blog with family and or work. I struggle with moments of bouncing back between not caring what anyone thinks to being concerned that someone read and is misjudging me. A cycle I go through constantly. While I'm not killing animals for dinner...(which I think is a natural way of life that God created) I am altering many people's lives by the line of work that I do. (And being altered myself by those I work for or live with). Sometimes you have to bite what you say. And it's hard but has to be done.

    I also clean off the counters and straighten before taking pics! lol You see pics of my house when company is coming! lol

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  7. I think all of us bloggers have things we don't write about. No shame in that and it's usually for the best.

    Have a great Sunday!

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  8. Good heavens. If I blogged about everything in my life there would be mobs with pitchforks and torches outside my house demanding I be tarred and feathered and probably burned at the stake.

    My life, as with most people, would not be a sane basis for a reality teevee show.

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  9. I am very disappointed with this post. I was hoping for something like "Housewives of Rural Missouri" and all I got was that you eat beef.

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  10. I think we all do that "show the best side" thing. I know I do, too. People have no idea!

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  11. now I will wonder what is so awful you wont tell us.

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  12. "Discretion is the better part of valor," of course.

    Thank goodness for discretion. While we enjoy your blog and lots here think a great deal of you, hey, who of us is perfect? Well, except maybe David. Or Meesha.

    As for me, I don't "now wonder what is so awful you won't tell us." Thank you for knowing better.

    Someone on my blog whom I've linked to today has a post called "Know when to show 'em, know when to fold 'em." Seems appropriate.

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  13. Patsy, it's nothing THAT bad. If I had your email address, I would tell you. I told Meesha already, just so he would know what I was talking about.

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  14. I think you and PioneerWoman do a wonderful job of making readers feel like they DO know what you're doing and how you live . . . and we don't need to know any of the dark stuff. It's not our business and truly most of us read blogs to be entertained-- not to look for something to judge. I was amazed when I stumbled across some of the sites that bash PW. They are horrible!! Of course though the first thing I thought when I was one of those sites was "how jealous they must be to go to all this trouble." Sure, a part of me is jealous of her life . . and of yours too! To get to live in the country and have your animals and open space would be wonderful! That's why I enjoy reading about it all so much.

    P.S. Your great-granddaughter is adorable!

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  15. That is a beautiful photo! I blog about most everything, except anything personal about my daughters--who don't necessarily appreciate that! My husband grew up on a farm and it was the same. :) I didn't, but it doesn't bother me. I'm realistic.

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  16. Anonymous12:52 AM

    I grew up a city girl...but lived out of the city...my Mom raised chicks from fluffy yellow boles to big white featgher ladies...and liek you..sunday dinner came from the pen...Mom would ring the chicks neck...it flopped all over the yard LOL...with my younger brother and me chasing after it...Mom then put them in a pot of boiling water...and stink to the high heavens they did...always amazed me how something like that tasted so good come Sunday dinner...life is made of many roads...and they don't all lead to the same place thank goodness...variety is the spice of life...while I couldn't be happy living and doing as you do...I sure enjoy reading about it...and I do believe you would be bored out of your skull if you lived as I did...life makes for some great reading and conversation...and life is too short to be so negative...if you put ten men and women in front of the classroom...there would be one who would find something to be negative about...always...I speak my mind...because I can...but I am not going to knock somebody for their way of life....oh my...I have yammered enough...LOL...so sorry...love and hugs to you both

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  17. Kami is beautiful, and so are you. You look pretty happy to be spending the day together. Sounds like you had a great time ~

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  18. Kami is a little doll, and I'm glad you got to spend some quality great-grandma/daughter time with her. I certainly don't include everything in my blog (when I blog nowadays). We don't mind that you don't include everything -- we're just happy you let us visit with you at all!

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  19. It is your blog. You can say or do as you please, no apologies or explanations necessary. I grew up hearing about my grandparents slaughtering chickens for their meals, so I wasn't too surprised by your life. I guess what surprised me was the fact you NAMED them. My family with the exception of my husband will NOT give me permission to put their photos online. Therefore you never get to see my daughters, parents, grandchildren, sibling, etc. on my blog. It makes me very sad that they do not want me to share that part of my life. There have been GREAT stories there believe me. Take care.

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  20. PS) Your great granddaughter is precious. What a sweetie pie.

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