Question Edition

Did you get moved into your little home?

I did! It took a hot minute (and maybe a snack break or twelve) but yes, I'm officially moved into my little dream home. I've got until May to grab the last few odds and ends from the main house, but really, if they weren’t important enough to grab on the first 20 rounds, do I really need it? I'll find out as the next few months roll around. 

It's like a cozy corner, with hidden dogs

It's their chosen fav place

Behold, my one-bedroom one-bathroom (with a laundry room) palace. 

And I love it! 

 The dogs love it. We all love it. 

Just my size

My laundry room and bathroom - as one 😃

The house was built - literally built - by Josiah and his family. Even their extended family who flew in from Paraguay jumped in like it was a Mennonite episode of HGTV. They handcrafted my kitchen cabinets during their visit here. By hand. With actual tools. Not Allen wrenches and regrets like the rest of us.

This sweet Mennonite family still does business with a handshake and their word - something you don't encounter these days unless you mosey into Commerce, Texas. Fun fact: I live about 10 miles from Commerce. Yes, I'm officially "way out here", where the chickens probably outnumber the humans.

More dogs, of course, in a spot of their own

And honestly? My little home came with a bonus feature I didn't expect: getting to know some of the kindest, most capable humans I've ever met. Need plumbing? They can do it. Electricity? Easy. Building a home from scratch? They're like, "Hold my unsweet tea."

Whatever happened with my lil blind kitty?

Oh, buckle up for this one. The Humane Society of North Texas (whom I foster with) trusted me with a less-than-half-pound blind kitten with severe eye infections and furthermore informing me she would be blind, no doubt. Fast forward to today, and guess whose healthy, happy, curious, loving, playful - and (drum roll!) mine! 💖 Yep, you guessed right. 

Theo is her fav doggo 💞

Let's pretend I didn't foster fail the first time she squeaked at me. 

Her name started as Lady Bug but quickly got upgraded to Pixie because she's tiny, magical, mischievous, and has the navigation skills of a Roomba with a dent in it. 

She's as dark as the darkest night, so
actually seeing her permanent wink is not easy

This little girl bumps into everything - walls, dogs, the air - but she does it with confidence, which I admire deeply. She had one eye removed, and keeps the other, even though she can't see out of it. Doesn't slow her down one bit. 

She's living her best little bonk-filled life. 

Surgery was a tough one

Yet with us all by her side -
and her own grit,
she made it through 😉
now with a permanent wink

We're bonded for life. Thick as thieves. She's my tiny little fearless (oozing chaos) muffin pie. 

Not to worry, Cricket and Pixie will be joining me in my new place, too.

Where will all this go? That's a later problem.

And how are Penny and Dutch?

Thriving. Absolutely thriving. They are out here running their own nighttime security company. 

Penny enjoying her raised bed

Just last night, at 3 am I awoke to frantic barking just outside my bedroom window. And now that I live next to one of the ponds, I realized that Penny and Dutch had something cornered at the pond. And based on the chaos soundtrack, The Littles and Mia decided it was a group project.

I threw on clothes, grabbed a flashlight and hustled to the pond - only to shine my light on a VERY annoyed raccoon floating in the water like a overstuffed ring-eyed pool noodle. It was trying to convince everyone it was the boss, but considering it was the only one in the pond, I'm not sure it's argument held up.

So I stood there watching The Littles get muddy and wet, knowing full-well they would be getting back in my bed. And then I thought, 'my LGD's have got this under control'. Penny and Dutch will figure this out. They got in this and they'll come up with a solution. 

Me? I'm heading back inside, resisting the urge to get my 410 shotgun, but with 18 dogs zooming around the pond like toddlers hyped up on caffeine, the odds of friendly fire were.....not great. So I left it to the pros - Penny and Dutch.

The Littles watched me leave and were like, "Yeah, warm bed sounds better than raccoon drama." 

I still don't know how that saga ended. But I trust the doggos. I was clearly the weakest link in that operation.

They deserve breakfast in bed every morning 💪

Am I still running?

Yep! Running? Yes.

Biking? A hard no during the winter. I don't winter-bike. I will never winter-bike. I am firmly a "my face shouldn't hurt from the weather" kind of girl. 

Pre-run fun

Lauren and I ran a 5K while pushing Brooks in a stroller. Cause you know I'm all about pushing a stroller, although it's usually filled with dogs and not children. 

A beautiful day for a run

And boom - D.O.N.E.
😎

We had so much fun  - Brooks ran some, rode some and then sprinted to the finish like a champ! Pure joy. Nothing like a Thanksgiving Turkey Day 5K. 

How's all the farm animals doing with the cooler weather? 

So far so great! Chilly weather? No problem. Everyone's either extra-furry or fluffed up - and acting like they invented winter. 

My girl, Hope. She's so magnificently beautiful.
Couldn't let her go.

The rest of the crew
Dora, Poppy, Pippa and Lil Emerald (Emmie)
All with their furry winter coats

Pearl and Coco's AirBnB
They also are extra furry

Kitty and June Bug - barn cats extraordinaire

With their own warm spot, in the back of the barn 

Paul, kicking it

And lastly.....all my girlz are feathered up and winter ready.
Makes my little chicken heart so happy. 

Me

Until next time, my loves......

Keep being you, uniquely you,

Cyndi

The compound grows.....and another building to follow soon

Trying to try

 

As I get moved in and settled into my new home, I'll be back soon to give more deets. It's going to take me a minute to get it all sorted 😊

Here's a sneak peek into what it's like to live small - and large - all at the same time.

Let the moving begin

Mostly furniture and appliances at this point

Less to vacuum

I'll show more pics in the next post with the bedroom, laundry, and bathroom so it'll give a better idea of size. Although it's hard to really tell by photos.

Kitchen and Dining Area

This here is the beginnings of having more and more belongings moved over and it gets crowded real quick. It's a slow process, but I'll get there. With time, as there's a lot of decisions and contemplation during the process. Should I take this? Leave it? Throw it away? Do I really need this? And ALOT of home editing along the way. It's very freeing. 

Me

Busy sorting over here,

Cyndi

Little Home, Big Heart

 

Back in February, when I decided to move to Wolfe City, my emotions were on full display — part thrilling, part terrifying, and all kinds of what in the world am I doing? But here I am, settled in nicely and happier than ever. My house is wonderful… and also a tad too big for one person (unless you count the animals, and honestly, they don’t help with the cleaning).

So, I started dreaming smaller — literally. I began working with a Mennonite family business that builds small homes, made-to-order. My vision: a one-bedroom, one-bath home with a real kitchen, laundry room, and space that feels “just right.”

Enter Josiah — the wizard behind the hammer. He and his family have built my little home by hand, and it’s pure magic. Now, I could call it a “tiny house,” but technically, that’s anything under 399 square feet. Mine’s a whopping 800 square feet — basically a penthouse in the world of tiny homes. It’s the perfect size for the things (and creatures) I love, and the rest? Donated, recycled, or joyfully tossed.

Let’s just say I’ve done “The Home Edit” on steroids. Less is more… especially when “less” means less to clean.

The Great Delivery Day

Me

When the big day came to deliver my new home, my neighbor Sherry came to the rescue. She graciously allowed the truck to cross her pasture to get to my land — because, apparently, “wide load” really means WIDE load.

Here it comes, down my county road!

As fate (and small-town life) would have it, Sherry already knew Josiah and his family! They had a grand ol’ reunion right there at the fence while my new home waited patiently for its grand entrance. A few trimmed tree limbs later — courtesy of Josiah, of course — and we were in business.

There seems to be nothing that Josiah
can't do, along with his sons

Meanwhile, Dutch and Penny (the self-appointed Welcome Committee) supervised the whole operation like they were on payroll.

Don't know what I'd do without these
two goofballs 😍

Down my 'new' gravel road to my new place

And the placement beside the huge awning begins

Settling the Dust and Hooking Up the Dreams

Now that the dust has settled, the water, septic, and electricity are all hooked up. Just a few finishing touches left before move-in day! Josiah has truly thought of everything — outlets galore, non-freezing outdoor faucets, window ledges that double as shelves, soft-close handmade cabinets, and even outlets high on the wall just in case I want to mount a TV, which I thought was funny. It's normal for normal people, right? But I don't even have a TV for me. It's something to think about though.

I'm loving the awning beside my little home. This is
technically the front door.

This, the side door, that opens to my vehicles
under the (existing) awning.

This is all very raw at this point. The placement, the finishing of it. Yet, it's all a matter of time before it becomes a real home. 

In progress

As I await the finishing touches, I'll deliver inside photos (next time) that may be more telling of the size. My phone takes photos like it's in a capsule. Or on a subway train. But to give some reference, it reminds me of the size of an apartment. Very simple.

There have been many ups and downs along this journey. I’ve learned a big lesson through this process of building a small home: sometimes, the best results come when I don’t try to control every detail. When I step back, the blessings multiply. God is good — every day.

The Master Plan (and the Master Plan Jr.)

Now here’s the fun part: when I move into my little home, the “big house” becomes Lauren and Ryan’s. Which means — cue the trumpets — Brooks and Olive will be just next door!

My grand plan of having the grandkids close by? Complete success. Sleepovers at Nana’s, adventures on the land, and daily doses of hugs and chaos — all within shouting distance.

Lauren and Ryan will move here next year and Lauren hopes to start nursing school in the upcoming future, and Brooks begins kindergarten right here in Wolfe City. The population of Peace and Love Acres will increase by four humans and two cats. And I’m completely here for it.

He's A She

Speaking of cats — let’s talk about my latest emotional rollercoaster. 

This sweet sweet thing

My “little boy” foster kitten turned out to be… a girl. Oops. How did this happen? Somewhere between the eye ointments, eye drops and the warm compresses for her poor eyes, everyone just went with “he.” But surprise! Lady Bug (formerly known as Buddah Bear) is thriving — tiny, blind, and full of personality.

Her eyes are so improved that it brings
tears to my eyes. She will remain blind,
but she's transformed 100 times over.

She’s now roommates with Cricket, a mama cat I also failed to foster “properly” (meaning, I adopted her). Lady Bug will be go for her spay surgery soon, and they will likely take her "bad" right eye, and leave her left eye. Wonder if she'll get a kitty eye patch? 

Cricket was living in the barn with June Bug 
and Kitty, but she makes a wonderful
roommate for lil Lady Bug - for now

These two occupy The Cat Room and seem to love it there together. They snuggle together, eat together and both extremely lovey and sweet. I'm so glad they have each other. And although I don't know how the living arrangements will work in my little home yet, I can't wait to see! I've been acclimating the Littles with them, in preparation.

Char thinks Lady Bug is hers

Nonstop play on her low-to-the-ground 
 play structure. 
Her lack of sight doesn't damper her 
desire to live life on the edge

Lady Bug may bump into walls, but she’s unstoppable. She’s a fighter, a lover, and quite possibly the bravest little thing I’ve ever met.

And Finally… the Heart of It All

Brooks and Olive — my human “Littles” — hold a sacred spot in my heart. 

These two 💕

Their love for discovery?
Infinity and beyond.

The best moments....

Watching them grow up close by is a dream come true. Half of my 20 acres will be theirs, half mine, and a whole lot of love in between.

Mia is the definition of resilience  💖

My journey to Wolfe City has been full of surprises, laughter, lessons, and more love than I could’ve imagined. My little home may be small, but the life it holds? Big.

Less stuff. Less stress. Less cleaning.
More love. More laughter. More peace. 💗

So much love,

Cyndi

Almost….

As I finish putting some things together for my next blog post, here’s some fun and exciting things cooking around Peace and Love Acres ☮️💜

Here it comes!

Me, while watching it all

More to come…..❤️

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