Having fun on the Tennessee Farm...

My sister in law, Teresa Fowler Stancil, drove up from the Atlanta, Georgia area to the Nashville, Tennessee farm of my daughter and son in law, Steve and Nikki Brown, to spend the weekend with us.  We've had such fun playing "farmers,"and feeding the various animals who call this home.  We went to WalMart (everyone goes to town on Saturday here) and we bought fresh carrots for the horses, made big milk bottles for the baby calves, and bought cream cheese and olives for the people.

Coming home, we hurried to the barn to feed the calves before dark.  As Teresa was feeding Rusty, the largest of the five horses, he decided he liked her finger as well as the crunchy carrot she was holding for him.  The baby calves, born December 23, were Christmas gifts to Steve, Nikki, Steven and Brendan and have been the source of much fun and learning for the entire family. Nikki often calls Texas to tell PaPa Ted that she thinks of him warmly every morning at 5:30 AM when she marches out to the barn in the cold to bottle feed the babies.  They are growing quickly now and Truffles, Steven's calf, is the largest by far.  Oreo and Beau are keeping up and they can empty the giant bottles in only seconds now.  They have also adapted well to the sweet feed provided for them and are now eating some hay to supplement the milk diet.

We've played Scrabble, bowled on the Wii game, cooked and eaten great food, made music with the boys, and in general, enjoyed ourselves immensely.  Steven and Teresa both play guitar and Steven also plays drums, so it has been an eventful, fun-filled weekend we will long remember. We also got in a bit of shopping and discussed all of the recent books we have read as well as escorting Steven and his little friend, Callie, and Ryan and Nikki, on a double date to Hendersonville for a Valentine movie.  Teresa and I chose to see Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino.

There's nothing like enjoying the simple things of life and being around those you love. DeAnna and Melissa, you've missed a hoot of a time!  Had you been able to see Teresa when the horse chomped on her finger while the calves were butting her, you would have convulsed in laughter.

PaPa Ted was so right in suggesting the calves as Christmas gifts.  They've been great hits!

Until the next page turns,

Brenda