Thistle

Saturday Thistle went into labor. It went on for hours. I tried to examine her but she would not cooperate willingly. So after Maggie and the gang got back from Easter Egg hunt at the Gibson's house down the road, she helped me and we were able to intervene. Thistle had one baby girl. We named her Lily. She is as big as some of our one month old babies! Unfortunately, her legs were twisted around and required quite a bit of intervention. Thankfully all is well. Mama is fine and baby is fine.

Goat birthing season is done for the year.

Whew.

I was a bit disappointed because I had planned on doing Easter preparation on Saturday afternoon. I like to make a nice Sunday dinner, rolls, iced tea. Patrick usually makes a pound cake in the lamb mold. I like to help the girls decorate eggs and fill up easter baskets.

After the activities of the weekend I had absolutely nothing left to give. I cried when going to bed Saturday night because I was so tired and spent from midwifing. Philip had to work late on Saturday and didn't have any extra energy either. After milking and doing other chores I threw a pork roast in the oven and we headed to church.

Not feeling especially full of joy.

I was so grateful sitting in church as everyone celebrated the resurrection of our Lord.

Grateful that redemption isn't all about how much emotion I can summon up with a fake smile painted on my face.

Grateful that I can rejoice even when exhausted and sad and disappointed in not being able to live up to my own expectations. God knows me. He knows that sometimes I am strong and sometimes I am weak and he loves me ALL the time. The sermon was meaningful. The scripture was relevant. I was blessed to sit in a pew with Philip and all the kids around me.

We got home and the pork roast was done but the broccoli and carrots and rolls and mashed potatoes were not. At almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon. A few more tears flowed and I felt very homesick for my family. Wishing I was with my mom and dad and sisters and their families. Feeling a decent bit of self-pity, wishing that we were all working together on the meal since I still felt so worn out.

After a big hug from Philip and a few more tears we decided to take all the earnings from some meat sold the day before and go to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Not exactly home cooking, but at least they did the cooking and the dishes! And Philip was thoroughly beaten by Rose in checkers and Maggie pretty much stole a couple of victories from Patrick on the front porch as well. We drove the long way home. Not exactly what I would plan or choose for Easter Sunday. Oh well.

I guess I like to believe that we celebrate Easter all year long, not just the one day. So much pressure to try to make it all happen on one day. Redemption. Resurrection. Supernatural overcoming of death. New life. Sounds like every week here on the farm!

So we will try to boil and decorate eggs tomorrow with our friends, the Webbs who are visiting us for Spring Break. It will be more fun to play with Easter eggs with our visiting friends anyway. We'll make those rolls and iced tea later.

By the way, Thistle and baby are doing beautifully. Thistle is a pretty good metaphor for our life on the farm. She is a bit prickly, sometimes a bit hard to get along with. But she is hardy, blooms beautifully, giving great milk and babies. I would like to think that she enabled me to keep Easter real this year.

May we all get to truly know redemption and resurrection this year. And recognize it when it comes.