Ok, honestly...I really would love to know how I am so "busy" that I can't find time to sit and write a post! I think procrastination is more of a description. I'm just going to blame it on the fact that my office has been a total disaster since 'tax time' has set in motion and I couldn't even begin to find the top of my desk tops. Therefore, sitting to the computer meant that I'd turn it on, and while waiting for it to slowly boot up, I'd get sidetracked by the mess of my desk and would end up attempting to file away papers, put art projects away, rifle through magazines...that sort of thing. Then it'd be time to start supper or go pick the dog up from the neighbors...see? Procrastination. But I'm slowly losing my excuses now. Although the office is more of a mess than normal, I have a brand new desk/hutch combo that I picked up from Office Depot for a score of $99...and although it's nothing fancy by any means, its' sturdier than most cheap desks and it's got way more room than what I was attempting to work with before! Only now I'm sitting surrounded by my old desk, my new desk, Trav's old drafting desk, and Tucker's little school desk...and boxes and boxes and boxes of stuff. Now do you see why a lot of times I would just close the door and pretend this room didn't exist?!
On a sad note, the cattle world lost a very ambitious, young cattle producer on Wednesday afternoon. Although I only knew him from cattle shows, as did Travis, it still breaks our hearts to hear about someone young being taken from us so soon. Nathan James Adkins died from injuries received in a car accident on February 13 just before 4 in the afternoon. He was such a sweet, kind-hearted guy, always helping others out, and always all smiles. I know he'll be missed by many, and that smile of his will be missed around the cattle barns. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends as they cope with the grief of losing him so early. As my sister and I relayed information about his death back and forth as we were finding details, it made me want to hold the ones I love dearly that much closer.
As the end of another work week nears, it puts us a week away from one of my most favorite shows of the year...Illinois Beef Expo! As long as it doesn't rain, this show is by far the best in my book. I'd take cold weather at cattle shows over the heat any day! Plus, the cattle producers literally have the run of the fairgrounds, so it makes driving/parking/stalling that much easier. Unless you go to the Denver Stock Show (that's on my bucket list...I'm hoping that within the next two years Travis and I are able to go out west for it), this is typically one of the first major shows in Illinois, and kicks off the 2013 show season. I'll be honest, there are really two reasons why I always get excited to go to Beef Expo...ok, three actually.
#1, I get to see a lot of show/fair friends that I don't get to see all that often.
#2, Sister-time! My older sister and her family lives in southern Illinois...I love them dearly, but we don't get to see each other all that often. Since they do the "cattle-thing" too (as my mom calls it), we get a weekend of hanging out together!
#3, SHOPPING! I'll admit, I don't shop well. I know what I want, I go in, get it, and get out of there. End of story. But in my area we don't have very many "western" boutiques. But at the Expo part, there is a growing number of booths that cater to us women shoppers and give me my jewelry/clothing/house decor fix for a good six months or so. Plus, this year we're looking into a couple of other options for here at the farm, so we actually have business to tend to down there...along with a few necklaces and probably a couple shirts...maybe a new coat if I'm lucky!
This year will be Tuck's first ever Beef Expo...I'm excited for him, but I'm nervous too. This is really a test for him, because it's not like the county fair where I can bring him home for awhile and the head back that evening. It's a much bigger show than what he's used to, but I imagine having my niece and nephew there will be a huge help to him. He's already jabbering about wanting to help Brayden comb his steer and lead the steer around.
Still waiting patiently for momma cows to start popping. We have about three weeks left before we have to begin worrying, but it doesn't hurt to be ready for anything. We still are betting that even though it'll be mid-March before the first one drops, we'll be dealing with snow....happens every year.
Be safe this weekend, and I know as I attempt to figure out this mess in this office this weekend, I'll be brainstorming more ideas for posts. I'm still figuring out this whole process, and I do have a stack of ideas for posts and pictures to go with them.....now I just need to make time to sit and do it!
