Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Spring Break at the Ranch, aka Cute Kids and Good Eats Part 2

by Mindy Obenhaus

Oh, what a week it has been here at the ranch. Max and his sister couldn't have asked for a better spring break. Lots of sunshine had the wildflowers blooming - 
The fish biting -
The weather was perfect for taking walks in the woods.
 Down by the creek.
And out to the pasture where we discovered four new calves taking a nap together. Isn't that the cutest thing?
Max didn't spend any time in the woods, but he still did plenty of exploring. He loved the drums, also known as tables, on Grammy's deck.
However, a loud moo kind of startled him. Especially when we looked up to see at least half the herd rushing across the pasture at the front of the house.
Do you remember that little guy I showed you last week? The one that had just been born? This is him now, with his mama bringing up the rear.
Max was ready to move on, though. There were adventures to be had and he wasn't about to let sissy drive the UTV without him.
The riding mower appeared to be right up his alley, too.
He even helped in the kitchen.
With Grammy at his side, he whipped up some of her favorite peach cobbler. You can find that recipe here
But at the end of the day, a boy always has time for his dog.
And, sometimes, even goes so far as to crash in the dog's bed.
Yes, it was a busy week here at the ranch. A fun week. One I wouldn't trade for the world. But now it's time to get back to work. There are books to write and, contrary to popular belief, they do not write themselves.

I am pleased to announce, that after a chaos filled year of surgery, moving and renovating, I am finally writing in earnest again, thanks to a new contract with Love Inspired Books. Best of all, I have a new office to do it in. A place where I can close the door and play with my imaginary friends, all while enjoying the view I've looked forward to for years.

Now it's your turn. Have you ever taken a sabbatical from your job, writing or otherwise? Were you eager to return to said job? How did you get back into the swing of things?



Three-time Carol Award nominee, Mindy Obenhaus, lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com
 

12 comments:

  1. Your new space looks like a piece of heaven on earth. Congrats on getting all settled just in time for a new contract! Loved the pics with the grand kids. I'm a grammy as well and nothing can beat it! Can't wait to read your new book!

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    1. Hi, Pat, and thank you. Yes, this generational ranch really is our little slice of heaven and we are so enjoying being here. And as for being a grammy, you are so right. We get to spoil them, jazz them up on sugary treats and then send them home so their parents can get paid for their raising. ;) And even better than that, our grandkids like us. Even think we're cool. No wonder we spoil them.

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  2. Little Max must be a cattle whisperer. lol Love this glimpse of spring life in the wilds of Texas. (And thank you for not pointing out any sleep snakes waking up from hibernation.)

    Love all the green grass and signs of new life. Meanwhile we had frostbite warning temps over the weekend. I didn't even go to church 'cause it was too cold to walk! And yes, there are plenty of people who would be happy to give me a ride to church but if I don't walk first I'd be a pretzel of pain by the end of the service. So I hung out with fictional characters in the morning instead.

    When I worked in my school library the summer always felt like a mini sabbatical. Just enough time to wind down and rest up and I was ready and excited to get back at creating fun storytimes and readathons and all that kind of stuff. By Christmas I'd realize how much work it was (and how much work I took home) and I'd start longing for the summer break. lol

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    1. Kav, as far as I'm concerned, those snakes can keep hibernating. Blasted things. With all these warms temps we've been having, though, I've made sure to keep an eye out.

      Frostbite warning? I've never heard of such a thing. Is that just uber cold temperatures?

      So do you miss working in the school library?

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    2. Frostbite warning is where exposed skin can freeze in a few minutes. So bundle up or perish!

      And yes, I miss the library work terribly! I have friends who keep it touch and I live vicariously through them. :-)

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    3. So what kind of temperatures are we talking about, Kav? Zero or below?

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  3. Oh -- and I love your room with a view. How inspiring is that? Happy writing!

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    1. Kav, I'm hoping it will present me with loads of inspiration. But I will settle for calm.

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  4. You never have to cook again. For the blog, that is. Just keep posting pics of those sweet BABIES!!!!!! Oh my stars, I am in love, Mind-O!!!!

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    1. Ruthy, I might take you up on that if they were here all the time. I was sitting, eating my breakfast this morning and noticed one of Max's handprints on lower part of the fridge. I think I might just leave it. So cute.

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  5. Mindy, what fun photos!! I especially love the baby in a dog bed! Ha!! I bet his momma loved that one. ;)

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    1. Missy, that was actually their dog's bed that they'd brought with him. Evidently Max does that all the time at home, too. And the dog, the big black one in another photo, isn't quite sure how she feels about it, but never complains.

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