Slice of Almost Heaven Blog

Ivy

2/10/2020

Today was a sad day on the farm. Ivy, one of our does had a miscarriage today. She was three months pregnant. We are not sure the cause of the miscarriage. But, it reminds us again of the fragility of life and how precious it truly it is. Each and every time one of our goats give birth we marvel at God's creation. Countless times I have remarked “and they say there is no God!”

As I write this I am reminded of this scripture: “I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you, When I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth. Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be.” Psa 139:14-16 NAB

Ivy is in her stall softly bleating for her kid, she does not understand what happened. But she knows something is not right. This reminds us again how we long as with all creation for the time when death has been swallowed up and The Prince of Peace reins!

So God made a farmer…

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Regret

12/29/2019

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This Christmas has been hard but educational. You may ask why I chose those two words? It is because my father passed away on the 23rd. It was hard because it is never easy to lose a parent, even if you didn’t really know them. It was educational because in the few days since his passing I have learned a great deal about him.

A background story so you understand the circumstances, this will be the Reader’s Digest version. My mother and I moved out of our house in OH and moved to WV in 1979 and my parent’s divorce was finalized in 1980. There in the beginning we were in contact but as time moved on our relationship fell apart. The last function he attended was my HS graduation in 1986. Over the years I have tried to mend the relationship, but to no avail. My last time trying to contact him was a friend request on Facebook about a week before he passed.

Now for the educational part….everyone has always said I look and sound like my mother (maybe that was part of the problem), but all of us are a part of each of our parents. I knew the traits that I had inherited from my father, my mom reminded me of them many times (whenever we argued, she said I had his temper). But I knew something else that I inherited that my mom rarely acknowledged and that was my technical abilities. When it came to fixing things that was my job around the house.

But in the past 6 days I have learned that we were more alike than I ever realized. On many topics my mother and I were polar opposites, especially in politics. As an adult our arguments almost always centered around politics or religion. From what I have learned I would have had a staunch ally in my defense of those topics. Don’t get me wrong, on many things my mom was somewhat conservative, but not in her politics. Whereas I was the conservative, and as I grow older, I have become even more conservative, but that is not the topic of this discussion.

I wish now that I would have worked harder at getting that relationship renewed, but now time has run out and I feel regret, but at least I am able to take care of his final wishes and learn about the life he led from others. As I thought about what would happen over the years when he would pass away, or if I would even find out. The last thing I thought would happen was shedding tears. Yet, as I sit here and write this, I am crying for what could have been.

I am sorry that we could not have the relationship that I think we could have had, but now with your passing I can finally change your name. I have always called you my father, because I respected your position as my father, but I couldn’t call you dad. I felt dad was a term that meant relationship. I can now say, even though I didn’t know a lot about you I can call you,

DAD

I am happy that you became a believer in Christ as your Savior so I know I will see you again.

Doyle Been
March 16, 1945 - December 23, 2019

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Christmas Eve Memories

12/24/2019

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Not the best picture of Mary, but it was taken at one of those get togethers so I felt it was appropriate.

Today is Christmas Eve, while warming myself near the fire a long deep memory came to me. It was a long time ago. But I remember it as if it was yesterday. Shortly after I married Michelle, we traveled to Clarksburg from New Jersey to see her mom and to go with her to the family’s holiday traditional get together. They would meet on Christmas Eve and exchange small gifts, eat and have a good time.

This struck a very deep chord with me. You see the people there did not know me at all but welcomed me into their home as if I was born into the family. Never in my life have I felt so accepted and loved. We went to several of these gatherings over the years. It was always the same. Further, Michelle’s mother over the years did not treat me as a son in law, but as her own son. As her time grew near to depart this life our bond grew more and more, that was Mary. I am almost ashamed to say it, but I loved her as much, if not more than my own mother. You see I was blessed to have “two moms”.

As I write this the tears are flowing hot, but this is tempered with the wonderful memories of a family that took me in as their very own.

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Thanksgiving Memories

11/30/2019

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On Thursday of this week, Michelle and I bowed our heads and gave thanks for the rich blessings we have received over the past year. Since our parents have passed, we celebrate the holidays with each other. The holiday season unfortunately is a time of the highest amounts of depression and loneliness in the whole year. This in many cases is caused by people missing their loved ones and not know how to deal with it. For us, it is a different story. Any small detail reminds us of Thanksgiving past, and we relive those times and celebrate the memories.

Neither of us, by far, are a Norman Rockwell painting of Thanksgiving. That being said I can remember the sights and smells of some very unique thanksgiving dinners. From sawing off the bottom of burnt rolls so there was something edible left behind. To eating turkey after thanksgiving until you swore that you had the container of unending turkey (similar to Ezekiel’s container of oil and flour, 1 Kings 17:16 for reference).

Michelle remembers the first Thanksgiving that it was just her and her mother (parents divorced). Her mother had to work so it was up to Michelle to bake the turkey. She knew how to cook, but had never baked a turkey before, so she followed her mother’s directions until something happened that her mother did not warn her about…the legs fell off!!! Michelle did not know that it meant the turkey was done, she thought that she had done something wrong. She called over to where her mother worked and asked the ladies working with her mother how to put the legs back on the turkey. Needless to say, it all worked out ok and the turkey was wonderful.

I remember the first holiday meal that we had at Mary’s house (Michelle’s mother). The meal was one of the best I had ever eaten, but what I remembered the most was just how welcoming Mary was to me. She treated me like I was her flesh and blood son and not just the man who had married her daughter. I have never had anyone to be so welcoming to me in my entire life. She always treated me that way, I was her son.

So, as you can see from this small sampling, Michelle and I are not alone at Thanksgiving, but we are surrounded by all of the precious memories of holidays past to feast upon.

We hope that you had a blessed Thanksgiving.

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The Box Vampire

10/28/2019

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We have a strange creature in our home, he tries to look so cute, but he is far from it. He appeared out of nowhere back on a full moon in June. Up until that time everything was safe and cozy in our home among the hills.

But now.......our paper products tremble with fear. For they have come upon an enemy that takes no prisoners....he is in it for pure chewing pleasure....he is

THE BOX VAMPIRE!!!! (cue scary music)

The box vampire is always hungry. He is always seeking his next victim. He is cunning and he has no pity for his prey. He has no natural enemies the only thing he fears is.....

Not garlic

Not holy water

Not even crosses

The only known thing that repels him is a camera. He does not fear the camera when he is “camouflaged” but when his fangs come out the only pictures of are of the aftermath of the havoc he has dealt. No box or package is safe from

THE BOX VAMPIRE!!!!!

Photos of some of his "victims"

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Remembering.....

9/11/2019

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Something strange happened today, a lone figure was seen before dawn slowly walking towards the 9/11 memorial at the downtown campus. As he approaches it he sees the two cadets standing vigil. He slows his approach. He then stops and utters something through a veil of tears, it sounds like “thank you", but because of the hoarseness of the voice it is hard to determine. But the cadets can see that he is visibly shaken. He states, "I was there that day.” He then quickly walks off not saying another word. They can see him sobbing as he quickly walks away. He is not seen again that day. They do not know anything about him, just his greaf and his thanks for remembering...

I am that man...

Today is 9/11, for those my age or older, this is a very somber day. Over the last 18 years I have observed a variety of ways how people who lived through it cope with their grief, this is my way.

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I'll Be Watching You....

8/18/2019

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Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you ..... from the Police

But the goats give it a different meaning...

I'll be watching you.....

Recently during the cool of the day, the does were on the pasture running and playing.

Suddenly, all play stopped, eyes fixed on something, to be exact.....someone......

Michelle was nearing the bamboo patch, she had clippers in her hand. As she started to nip off boughs of bamboo they watched intently. Their gaze bored holes in her as they try to will her to deliver this delicious treat to them. As she gathers up the boughs and approaches them they start to pace and stomp their hooves in the soft green grass. As she nears the fence and pitches the bamboo over the once passive and refined does transform into a pack of hungry vegetarian wolves and pounce on the delectable leaves and stems. In a few short minutes it is over. A few look up as if to ask “what, no more?”.

It is now time to resume enjoying the cool of the day. But there will always be someone watching you.....

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Bite Me!?!

7/29/2019

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The term "Bite Me" is quite common in our language today. It usually has the same connotation as our "unofficial" state "bird". Here at Slice of Almost Heaven Farm we have given that term a more literal meaning.

According to Dairyfusis, Confucius's dairy goat owning brother; "If you have treats in pocket, watch your backside!" Michelle did not heed this saying. During evening chores the other day I was walking toward the bucks barn, all of a sudden, I hear Michelle yelling at the bucks. I could not make out what she was saying , but I could tell she was hopping mad. I ran over to the barn thinking something was very wrong, and that she was in dire need of help. When I get there, out of breath I horsley asked her what is wrong?

"Junior is the problem" she blurts out. "He bit me on the (proper term replacing word just spoken) gluteus maximus!" I try to refrain from laughing, but could not, which garnered me a "stink eye" look.

What happened was Michelle had forgotten to remove the extra treats from her pocket before coming back to the bucks. Junior, our butterball Nigerian Dwarf does not pass up an opportunity for food. He could smell the peppermint treats wafting from her pocket and after locating the source just took a nip to see what he could get. What he got, was tongue lashing, then he gave the "sad goat face" and was able to woo Michelle into giving him the treat. So in the end he was successful.

The moral of this story is if you travel with treats in your pocket expect to get bit on the........

The offender....

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A Girl and Her Goat

7/24/2019

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This is a picture of "Mr. T" (Sliceofamostheaven Mr Tumnus), he is one of our bottle babies from the spring. The little girl next to him is his new best friend.

Let me explain, this girl's other goat died a few weeks ago and she was missing him so much. So her parents went out to see if they could find a replacement for her most beloved "Jack Jack". Mr T and Basil (a wether) were up for sale, animals at this time are not selling as easily as in the past, usually we would be sold out by this time. But I think the Lord had a plan for this girl and this goat to meet. Just like in the story by CS Lewis, "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" Mr Tumnus consoled and kept company with his friend. Big difference, (besides talking) was the character of Mr Tumnus was only 1/2 goat (he was a faun).

So the day came for pickup, the goats were loaded and went to their new home. A few days later, her parents sent us this picture. Our hearts melted knowing we were able to give this little girl so much joy!

All the long hours and bone crushing work seemed to melt away and it was replaced with joy. We know the little girl will always remember these goats. But with this picture we will always remember it as the day she got her new buddy!

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Milo 20??-June 14, 2019

6/14/2019

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Today we had to send one of our long time housemates over the rainbow bridge.

We have had Milo since October 2008, but we do not know for sure how old he was, because he was an adult when he became part of the Liga household. We had gotten Milo as a buddy for our older cat Mozart and they became fast friends.

Mozart on the left and Milo on the right

Mozart and Milo got to spend 2 years together before Mozart crossed the bridge in 2010.

In the meantime Xavier came into our life in 2009, but he just was not a buddy to Milo the way that Mozart had been. Then in 2014 Henry happened. Milo and Henry were best buds. They hung out with each other and played all the time. They acted more like littermates then any two cats I ever saw. They enjoyed each other's company and loved to snuggle with each other and with their humans. As seen in the photo below.

Milo was such a great cat. For a cat that was horrendously abused before he came to us to be so loving, that is what made him so great, he was everybody's buddy. He even tolerated the baby goats running around the kitchen during kidding season.

It was hard to say goodbye to him today, but it was his time. This world held no pleasure for him anymore, therefore it was time for him to return to the earth from which we all come from.....

Good-bye Milo, thanks for being part of our life!

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Ivy

Regret

Christmas Eve Memories

Thanksgiving Memories

The Box Vampire

Remembering.....

I'll Be Watching You....

Bite Me!?!

A Girl and Her Goat

Milo 20??-June 14, 2019

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