Grand-babies and Fosters = Love X infinity

 

Hello Friends! 

The time hath come (yes, I said hath, because emotions deserve drama) to return my latest (5) little foster kittens to HSNT (Humane Society of North Texas) in Fort Worth.

I think about each one of them. Their personalities, their wants and desires - and their future. They have met the magical milestone of > 2 lbs and 8 weeks old so that they can be neutered or spayed and then placed up for adoption. I'm so proud.....and so wrecked. 

On a peaceful, gorgeous-weathered Sunday, my heart cracked open once again. Cue the tears. Letting these little fluffballs go never gets easier, even though I know it's the whole point. My job is to keep them out of a cage in a noisy shelter, and give them space to frolic in my Cat Room, and let them fully embrace their chaotic kitten authenticity. And let me tell you, they fully embraced it. My house has never been the same - or cleaner, because sweeping has become a daily spiritual practice as kitty litter flies with 5 small wild-things running about.

Me: Just trying to keep up

Once the criteria is met, though - BOOM, time is up. Just like that, they're gone. As quickly as they came....only now they're a little bigger and way more mischievous. 

Excellent eaters

Oddly, it's a like a recipe.....a pinch of self torture with a blend of heart-wrench, along with equal parts reward and love. Mix them together and you get something unexpectedly wonderful. That's fostering. A blend of hard and soft that somehow makes magic.

Indeed, it was a brutiful (brutal and beautiful) day as I returned them. Only to be able to receive again.

Yet, surprise though! Turns out I had a kitty overlap. I’d already received my next foster. Yes, I double-booked myself emotionally. Again. 

Meet this tiny nugget of a soul:

How could I say 'no' to this lil guy?
Spoiler: I didn't

I would have run to Fort Worth to get him, but I drove like a responsible adult. (You're welcome, Texas Highways).

Because of his blindness, I set up a tiny bachelor pad with all the essentials: food, water, litter box and a soft blanket with a heating pad underneath - aka his personal spa. 

I do have to keep him separate due to his eye infections and stashed him safely in the grandkids room, while the other 5 held domination over the Cat Room.

Every little things gonna be alright

He has a rough history, this tiny guy they named Kylin. I call him Buddah though - you'll understand why in a sec. 

Buddah came from the wild - literally. He and his siblings were found trying to survive outside, all with severe eye infections. Not all made it. But this tiny warrior did. Blind, but here. Still standing (well, wobbling).

Poor thing

His eyes were swollen and filled with pus, and I'll be honest - I was terrified. My first medical foster. What if I couldn't handle it? What if he didn't make it? 

Me

But Buddah slowly showed improvement. And sometimes, setbacks. One eye would look better, then the other eye would betray us. Then back to square one. 

The visual impairment is real

I became a tiny eye nurse, mastering warm compresses (which he strongly opposes) applying ointment, and trying to win his trust in the process. Pro tip: kittens don't enjoy warm compresses to their face. Weird, right?

But love has power ❤️‍🩹 And patience. And a microwavable towel. I'm sure he wishes he could see me coming. 

He begin to show more
consistent improvement 🙌

And with time, his “good” eye (left) is mostly infection-free now. And his “bad eye” (right one) that is not really even an eye, is seemingly improving. HSNT has told me when Buddah grows a bit more, is eating well, infection-free and stable, that they will likely remove his left “bad" eye. They have told me he will be blind, and likely there’s no fixing that - in their opinion. And also, I was informed that with him having his bad eye removed should be helpful to decrease infection risks and allow for more comfort. We still have a ways to go.

With time and patience, he's improved.
And even gained a little weight.

His favorite thing is to actually be in the egg basket, walking around on the eggs like a mountain climber. All while periodically looking up at the under-cabinet bright light with fascination. It's very stimulating for him and he really perks up for it. Maybe he sees some actual light in one of his eyes? Not sure, but he does seem mesmerized by it. I like to think it's a little hope glowing just for him. 

And as he gets stronger and more confident, he's beginning to show his personality. Cautious but curious. Playful yet unsure. It's hard being 5-6 weeks old, tiny and blind. Life is very different for him and he doesn't even know it. I do notice him perking his ears up with noise, and using his little bewitched nose to sense his surroundings. It's fascinating to watch his unique little life unfold and a privilege to witness.

Sight or no sight, this lil guy has vision.
He's alive. He's loved. And he's thriving.

I have reached out to HSNT to let them know Buddah's most recent progress and update, and in return, the Vet there has asked I bring him in for an evaluation of next-steps for his eye(s). So we'll see what is to come for this lil guy. I don't know how I'll truly be able to let him go. I say that every time, right? 

Oh wait, why Buddah, you ask?

Exhibit A : The belly

His little body is trying to keep up with his ravenous food intake. He eats like he has a food bucket list to finish before nap time. Let's just say he's a fighter, a surviver and an inspiration. I can't wait to see what the future holds for you, my sweets - and I can only pray and hope you get to see as well. A girl can dream, right?

🎉 Brooks turned FIVE 🎉

How!?  I swear he was just born.

And wouldn't you know, the very same day I dropped my fosters off was the same day I headed out to celebrate a certain someone's birthday. 

Bestest boy

Brooks can have a good time anywhere, and on this day, it was at Gigi's house (Ryan's mom aka Lauren's mother-in-law). 

We partied at Gigi's house, we laughed through voice changers, played outside with monster trucks, and communed like civilized humans hopped up on cake and party chaos.  

It was simple. It was perfect. It was love in action. That's what life's really about, isn't it? And this bestest boy deserves it, 100 times over. It's pure joy watching him enjoy it all 💝 and to be there for it. I don't take it for granted, as being celebrated is one of the best feelings in the world, and watching someone celebrated.....a close second, if not a tie. 

And if you've read the book, The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Birthday then you know how it goes.....yet, Brooks - you stood firm in it all 💕

This book is a staple in my own library
- and life

Also - Olive, now age 2 and wise beyond her years, told Brooks she was 5 too. Brooks did NOT appreciate that. 

Let's just say.....she lit a fire in him. And when she saw it worked, she kept doing it. Sisters, man. Olive may be young, but she's scrappy - and possibly training for roller derby. Code name: Lady Bug.

Brooks better stay taller, because right now, she's winning the war of words and fists. That girl don't play. She's got a quick jab cross that even surprised me.

Lauren in her Roller Derby Era.
Maybe not 😉

For now, innocent Olive is a practicing lady bug (side note: just like her mama was)

Don't let her fool you

Also, her current bedtime outfit. And daytime outfit. And....identity. She even sleeps in it. Lady Bug never clocks out.

Ah, the joy of siblings. And these two are pure joy in my book. 

What a fun weekend celebrating Brooks! Bonus: He received Player Of The Week at his soccer game on Saturday. And a fun birthday celebration on Sunday. It's hard to get too much of this guy. After all, he's a Master Lego-ist, which by the way, may actually be a major in college by the time he goes. I mean, if Gaming can be, why can't Legology be a major? Brooks would likely have a double major, if that was the case. 

Lego El Toro Loco, for those who don't 
speak monster-truck dialect. 

Happy Birthday, Brooks!! 5 years old and already cooler than all of us.

Nothing says monster like this boy at a 
monster truck jam

I love you more than you'll ever know. Forever my bestest boy. 

Please stop aging,

Cyndi

HBD Brooks!

 

While I finish up my blog post, I wanted to share that our sweet boy Brooks is turning five tomorrow, and the celebrations have been plentiful! 🎂

And as a special treat, he also got Player of the Week in soccer. Apparently, turning 5 is magical.

And a goal, to boot!

What's more fitting than a 5 year old boy going to a monster jam for a birthday treat?

This 💛

More soon, my loves,

Cyndi

Fence Me In, Baby

 

I can't begin to tell you the number of times I've thought: with all the fences in the world, it seems I should be able to build one, too. I mean, I drive by them all the time. Somebody's out there pounding in T-posts like it's a full-time gig. 

Logically, that somebody could be me, right? 

Well, the reality hit when my donkeys and horses decided my well-intended portable fencing was merely a suggestion. The goal was to rotate them through the pasture to control their sweet grass intake - because, fun fact: overfeeding mini horses and donkeys is the gateway to chaos. I'm talking colic, founder and a whole lotta veterinary bills. 

The portable panels? Great in theory, but my donkeys?  For real, bulldozers in disguise. They'd lean, nudge, push - and the panels would politely fall over. 

Answer? I'll just place a few T-posts every 30 feet or so, and strap those panels down so there will be no further shenanigans. 

Fast forward. 20 T-posts and a T-post Pusher later. 

And BOOM. Turns out I can pound those T-posts in myself. 💪  And believe you me, I did. 

Maybe I should change occupations

Every other panel-connection now
has a T-post in place

See this here?! This is a horrible and great example of what my donkeys can and will do. So one time, they pushed a whole section over and completely ripped the connectors off. So now this section is labeled as janky and held together with a heavy-duty chain that I randomly found out in the pasture. This above example 😤 now has a much-needed T-post that will be their new nemesis. Your welcome.

Me: Knowing I don't have to spend all that 
time chasing down escapees anymore

And sure enough, T-posts have solved all my problems. Well, not all my problems. The only downfall is that it's harder to move this portable fencing around for my horses and donkeys - and requires more thinking about how I want to move it in relation to the T-post. Yet, overall, it's a W.I.N. I do have a T-post Puller, too, because all real fencers do.

No more rouge donkeys at the front gate waiting to greet me like long-lost lovers. 

Luckily you don't know the front gate code to
actually leave

Nor any more equine mayhem in the barn, eating up all the goat and chicken feed, knocking over feed bins and making more work for me. Nope. Believe you me, I create enough work for myself, but thank you for trying.

 

Fencing Round Two - The Goatening

With all this new fence building confidence, I turned my attention to Pearl and CoCo. For months, I've wanted to build them a bigger pen.

So I went back and purchased 25 more T-posts and luckily I have the fencing panels I'll need because I saved some from a fence I took down here, awhile back. Genius. For less than $100, I'll have a new fenced area for my goats - and ready to go in no time. Well, a day.

I got to work again setting the T-posts in the ground every 8 feet, knowing damn well that it wasn't straight. Details. My fence panels are 16 foot long, so I'll have 2 T-post per section and that should be secure enough for my goats who are also professionally-trained escape artists. I'm not sure who trained who. But I'm going to take care of it, don't you worry.

And luckily it didn't have to be straight because I made it a circle area, on accidental purpose. 

It took me a whole day and 4 large brownies with extra frosting to build my sweet goats a fence that gives them a larger area to graze and live.

Side note: Funfetti vanilla mixed with a little Nutella = Happiness 14/10 

It makes my heart happy that they have a larger space

With their same barn access, same playground, 
and same goat houses.....yet more area to nibble

I'm so happy for them and my budget. They eat more from the ground now and less from my feed bill. Every little bits helps, so it's a win-win for sure.

Me: Contemplating quitting my nursing job to
be a fencer. 

Who wouldn't build a fence for this face?

Tractor Tales

Meanwhile, in the back pasture, there's about 12-14 acres that needed a good mowing. 

This beauty detracts from the reality of
the need for a tractor

Not to worry, Kevin lives just down the way and drove his new "$71,000" tractor (with bush hog attached) casually down the road and across the street to my place. 

And just like that, he cleaned it all up real nice.

This, my friends, is the magic of a tractor

The bonus was that Kevin gave me a ride in his tractor all while providing a tutorial on the features (in case I'm gonna get one?) and with the A/C going and the smell of a new car tractor, it just seemed like there were so many knobs and gadgets you'd think he was flying an airplane. It was like riding shotgun in a Boeing. 

Luckily, I don't think I need a new tractor when I have a Kevin.

It is nice though

Thank you, Kevin for driving that tractor like a champ and making my place look gorg! I appreciate you annoying traffic to drive on over. Y'all, he made it look easy, but I'm not so sure it really is. The best part? He didn't run over any horses. Low bar but still important to note.

The only downside? It scared Pearl. That sweet and sensitive soul of hers was not impressed. You do know she's a fainting goat, so it was too much overwhelm and too much falling down.

The tractor was loud. It was scary each and every time it came near her goat pen. So she took refuge in her little goat house until the roaring monster was gone. I mean, it went right by her new goat area and how's a girl to graze with all that noise and commotion? 

CoCo stood guard like a loyal friend

Probably whispering, "He's still out there...Wait, now he's gone. You can come out now."

Is he really gone? 

Foster Fluffballs

In brighter and flufflier news......I'm so happy to report that all foster kittens and mama cat have been adopted! 

This girl 💖

Cricket was a great mama to all her kittens, and now she's been spayed and is healed up and living her best barn life with June Bug and Kitty. She's officially part of the barn crew - and both June Bug and Cricket are bob-tails which makes them extra cute. Love all my barn kitties and Cricket makes a wonderful addition! Welcome, so glad your here 💝

But wait, there's more......

The Fab Five

I've been blessed with my next fosters of 5 wild n crazy kittens who will 'chill' at the farm for a few weeks. At which time, I'll return them to HSNT for their spay/neuter and then they go up for adoption there. I love that my first batch of foster kitties all ended up finding homes, and look forward to following the journey of these as well. Side note: these kittens are a little more spicy that the last litter. Just saying. 

My heart is learning what the job of a foster really is. My brain knows, as I went through the training and it all made sense, but my heart was a slow learner. My job is to love them, keep them safe, and provide them room to roam and grow in my home while they await their "altering" (as it's so fondly called at HSNT). As this hard and fast rule: no animal can be adopted until they are 'fixed' is real - and good for the realm.

There's rules and guidelines with HSNT, and they do a bang-up job in all the good they do for these deserving animals. So for now, these 5 cuties have taken up residence in my Cat Room and turned it into a jungle gym. 

The Fab Five are adorable lil gremlins who do not have one shy bone in their little furry bodies, who are chaotically running laps and plotting world domination (or just the dog's bed).

The blessings keep coming, as fostering continues to stretch my heart in ways I didn't expect. 

Speaking of running.....

This guy is doing his fair share of running. Maybe more running than kicking a ball right now, but it's his first season and all the 4-5 year olds run in a pack similar to how bees swarm. In circles, all together, not always knowing exactly where they will go next. Trying hard to follow the ball.

So many new things to see and learn

As many of you have experienced in your own lives, this is a fun and exciting time in the life of a 5 year old. Almost like a ritual of sorts. 

There's nothing else I'd rather be doing on a
Saturday morning than watching this guy ⚽

For those of you who know my dad, Glen Hindman, he's the one yelling from the sidelines louder than anyone else. It takes everything I have to contain myself on the sidelines, as he's apparently passed this cheering-gene onto me. Clapping, cheering, yelling, telling everyone they are doing a good job. It's pure joy. Thanks, Dad for showing me how to do it. I think of you every time I'm out there clapping and cheering for all the kiddos. So fun. 

As Brooks plays his game and Olive attempts to be on the team too, it takes a village of people to make all this magic happen. Being a grandparent at the game? Low responsibility, high ice cream acquisition. Another 14/10 recommend.

Every little things gonna be alright

Penny and Dutch are crushing security detail

Peace on the farm ☮

Nothing better than a almost-potty
trained Princess

Triple Trouble rebellion? Shut down.
Finally contained, for now.

Senior Dog Spotting
She requires gentle life checks now and again
Her bed is her safe (and favorite) place

And me? I'm just over here living my 12 year-old dream life, one T-post at time. 

I've not only learned that I can build a fence, but that I can show up for myself. No one will love you or show up for you, quite like you will. No one will care for you, like you will. I'm learning that reparenting my inner child to know that it's safe to be there for herself is where true peace and love begins. 

Hugs, fences and Funfetti frosting,

Cyndi

I’ve goat this

Me: Cooking up a new blog post

 

You: Waiting for new blog post

What’s new? Well, I built my very first fence and my 2 sweet goats are loving their new, bigger grazing area. They have waited patiently and I appreciate it. It took me a minute to realize I can put in T-posts all on my own. And boom, I can make my own fence. The farm magic is real y’all. 

More coming soon…..

Keep The Peace

 

Well friends, it's been about 6 months since I moved here, and the time has finally come - the farm has a name. It came to me as naturally as my coffee at sunrise:   Peace and Love Acres

☮ ♥🐔

You see, there was already a heart painted on the barn from the previous owners, and one day, I randomly added a peace sign above it. I stepped back, looked at it, and BAM - there it was. The name had been waiting for me, right there in front of me, this whole time.

Peace. And. Love

And let me tell you, the girlz (you know who they are 😗) are most certainly a large part of my peace and my love in the barn. 

So here we are at  ☮ & ♥  - the world is still spinning - and I am way overdue for some updates.  Let's get into it, shall we?

Let's talk Huck 🐶

Ah, Huckleberry. The goodest boy. My very first foster from the Humane Society of North Texas. And the reason my mascara ran down my face in the HSNT parking lot on a Wed morning at 8 am. 

Here's the thing. Fostering is basically emotional roulette. I went back and forth. Do I keep him? Does/will Max' family adopt him? Do I return him for adoption because that's what fosters technically do? 

I felt like I was on Love Is Blind - you know the part where they don't decide until they are literally at the alter? Yeah, that was me pulling into the Humane Society parking lot the morning of his neuter. Because here's the deal: If I don't adopt him, he stays and goes up for adoption. If I do, I pick him up after surgery and he's mine. No takebacks. 

The decision? I chose to let him go so I could continue fostering. Cue the waterworks. 😭

A kind staffer - clearly a veteran of fostering herself - asked if I needed a hug. "Yes", I sniffled. She wrapped me up in the kind of hug that stitches your soul back together. She reassured me, "He's sweet, small and adorable. Someone will scoop him up straightaway." And since straightaway sounded like a Mary Poppins word, I trusted it.

And sure enough, Huck was adopted quickly. My heart swelled. As did the lump in my throat when I found out.  

Fostering has taught me something beautiful: I don't have to be their forever to be their safe space. Temporary love is still powerful love. It's joyful heartbreak and I'm here for it. 

The Cat Room Chronicles

Next up: The Cat Room Saga - starring mama cat, Cricket and her fab four kittens. Tomorrows the big day: spay/neuter time! And unlike the Huck saga, this ones less teary because: 

I'm keeping Cricket! 

Plus, two kittens are going to Lauren and Ryan, one to my co-worker, Morghan, and just one lil orange kitty will return to the shelter for adoption. Not bad for a Monday.

Mama is the mottled kitty
I love everything about her 💘

Mini, the bobtail 
Future heartbreaker in Ryan's life

Bug,
officially Brooks' new ride-or-die

This right here? 💕
This is the good stuff

Mama kitty, Cricket as I call her now, is an OG outside cat. She's doing her best to raise her littles inside. Lucky for her, once she heals from her spay, I will release her in the barn with June Bug, who's also a bob tail and enjoys the outdoorsy life. I think the two of them will get along famously. And hopefully keep the mice away, too. 

Hay is a Thing of Beauty

Big News: I had my first cut of hay! 

Listen, I've never been so excited to watch grass turned into big rolls. It's mesmerizing. 

Why so exciting? 

First, it's beautiful to look at.....

I just love a field of fresh cut hay

Second, it's such an interesting process to watch.....

They drove these farm machines down the 
side of the road for miles to get here
(from Leonard)

I used to think tractors hogging the road were just being dramatic. Nope. They're actually going to work. Who knew. I thought maybe they were heading to the gas station to fill up.

As I watched the whole magical hay process, this seemed to me, how it went down:

1) First, the grass is cut and left to dry (cure as the farmers call it). I missed that part - work life got in the way.

2) Then, after it's done curing (days later) a weird looking farm machine with spinning-wheelie-thingies takes the grass off the ground and fluffs it, making it ready for the next step.

2) The finale is this giant vacuum cleaner-meets-transformer machine that scoops the fluffed-grass up into it's mysterious back part, and I assume the farmer then waves his magic wand, and the transformer spins it into bales, just like yarn into balls. 

Every time a bale popped out, I gasped like I was watching fireworks. #farmmagic #haythere

Rapid Fire Updates

Speed round style........

Paul loves his bestie

It hurts my heart that he's getting older 😓

Loving life even during
his molt - currently rocking 3 tail feathers 

* Side note copy and pasted from the interwebs:   Chicken and turkey molting is the natural process of shedding old, worn-out feathers and growing new ones, typically occurring in late summer or early fall. It is a necessary part of a chicken's life cycle to ensure healthy, insulating plumage for winter. During a molt, egg production decreases or stops, chickens may look lethargic, and the process takes anywhere from a few weeks to several months to complete.

Hard to believe it, but guess whose in school.....

Tiny CEO

Brooks started PreK this year and is loving every minute of it! He has such a love for learning, and enjoys the social aspect of it, as well as the routine in it. I'm so happy for him - Go Brooks! 

Side Note: Lauren sent me this screenshot of Brooks, and I thought I'd share a nugget with you about it: Did you notice Dr Honda in the top right? He's a psychologist who has a podcast/youtube that does a deep dive into the contestants and their interactions on Love Is Blind. It's interesting to watch/listen to after binging LIB. Lauren introduced me to it, as an added bonus for after you've watched Love Is Blind and have no new episodes to watch. Dr Honda breaks it all down from a psychological standpoint and I've actually learned some things from him. #freetherapy.

Is it unhealthy the number of times I've referenced Love Is Blind in this blog post? 

Next up.....

My ducks are still in a row - and loving all this rain 

Emmie, Poppy, Pippa, Dora and Hope are all
doing great and the mash is flowing
The goats are living their little goat life back there, too.

Hope is still here with me 💟 and I love every small step she makes in her life. She and I have a rhythm unlike the others. She's my special girl. Hope is a reminder that there's always hope. 

Side Note: The horses who were boarding in my back pasture have all been picked up and have upcoming sell dates, according to Liberty, who often houses her horses with me in the back pasture. She buys and sells horses and mules, and brings them to my Airbnb in the back pasture for a little vacay while they await their new forever home. The horses and mules unknowingly work while they stay - as just their presence detours predators from the back pasture. Love that.

And since there's never enough heavy equipment on site.....

Mia supervising everything like the good girl she is.
Currently, it's the septic system install.

Water line trenched and ready

And did you notice.....

Sweet Mia 💛 My sidekick

Side Note: Mia and I found each other about a year ago now. She's has the temperament of a saint. 

Penny and Dutch are holding strong
on their own 💪

Two of my fav little humans.....

Since big brother has a tractor, this
only seemed fitting for her

Minnie Mouse is king queen here,
besides monster trucks of course

My most faithful companions (besides my 2 doggos outside protecting everyone).......

Where does everybody sleep, you ask?
The better question is where do I sleep.....

Cluckingham Is Everything

The chickens are back roosting in the area in which
I shot the snake in.
Never mind the hole I blew in it.....no, I'm not fixing it

The chickens are all doing wonderful despite the heat. And my little chicks are growing up and blending in beautifully with the flock. 

Here at Peace and Love Acres, the world keeps turning - sometimes quietly, sometimes chaotically, always full of heart. 

But whatever comes, it'll either be good - or it'll be a story. (Lauren is probably so tired of hearing me say that). 

Thanks for riding this journey with me.

Take care of you.

With peace and love,

Cyndi