Beginning my list of Thanks

One Thousand Gifts Ann Voskamp

Based on the book “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp I am going to make the focus of this dairy blog to be my very own list of 1,000 things to be grateful for, from January 2015 until finished. Some things I will just list, some things I will expound upon. Thus begins: A Thousand Dairy Thanks. Happy reading...

November 2014 Gary and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. I am amazed at how quickly it has gone by. It seems as though I have always lived here, and yet again it seems as though I just arrived. Strange how that happens. In any case here I am. And it is in truth November 6, 2004 that is listed on our license. So it must really be 10 years.

And the thought has just occurred to me; I shall start at 1,000 and count back to number ONE. Pray for me as I do this. HA!

A Thousand Dairy Thanks

1,000. A husband who doesn't like sports. (Laugh if you must; but this was on my list of specifics I gave to God when I asked for a husband. And this fact alone reassures me that God DOES answer prayer!)

999. A husband who doesn't watch TV. (We have never had a TV hooked up in this house, ever. The only reason we own a TV is because Gary won one as a prize here 2-3 years ago. We hooked it to the computer for a brief while as a monitor, but it now resides in the top of our storage shed. Long may it gather dust.)

998. Ten years of marriage without an argument. (Not that we have never differed in our opinions; we just agree to disagree and that's it. )

And the above does not mean either that we have never had our ups and downs. Which brings me to my story for the day. Ten years ago when I came here the adjustment was quite difficult at times. But living on 80+ acres there is room enough to get out and walk off my anxiety. This I did many times. I cannot give the exact date or month, but I remember that first winter I was here I did quite a bit of exploring in the creek bottoms. Down there in one particular area is the 'boneyard.” This is where many of the dearly dairy departed are laid to rest. But being in a watershed area it floods off and on and washes various bit and pieces of bones along the bottoms. Or else the coyotes drag them around. In any case along one fence I encountered a skull. I vaguely remember I was in a dark mood at the time; so I ups and hangs it on a post. It is still there this day.



I do not know who she was, but this gal certainly has seen better days. This fence is right in the flood zone, so many waters have washed underneath her, but here she has perched through sun and snow and rain and flood for the past TEN years. And in death there is also life and renewal. Just this past winter I noticed something;

In her cranium, where her small brain used to be, there is now neatly curled grasses and moss. 


997.  In death there is life.  And as a Christian this is a Spiritual fact I cling to.

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