Heather Huffman's Blog, page 16

Why my sisters are my heros

Angie, Heather and Karen Huffman I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about how blessed I am by the people in my life. My readers and online friends, my neighbors, my friends at church, my family... the list goes on. Life is tough - some days more than others - but I am forever thankful for the people God has surrounded me by. They're what it's all about.

That train of thought led me to my sisters. I don't know how people navigate life without sisters. I'd be lost without mine. When I'm hopeless, they seem to sense it and my phone rings. Without fail, it's one of my sisters, calling to lend an ear. I kid you not, one particularly terrible day I thought I'd give anything for a pizza and my sister showed up an hour later with two pizzas. We live two hours apart, and I hadn't said a word to her. Yeah, they're both pretty amazing like that.

Beyond what they do for me, my sisters are the kind of women who change the world, who make it a better place. Both are teachers - one in an affluent district and one in a rural district where many students are not affluent. Though each in their own way, they are both that teacher who fearlessly makes a difference in the lives of the teenagers they interact with each day. (You know that one teacher you still remember with a smile? Yep, that's them.) They go so far above and beyond to do the right thing, to show they genuinely care about the people they come into contact with.

From Angie, the mother hen, I learned my sense of justice. By example, she taught me that when a task seems too big, just put your head down and get to work. She has this amazing sense of right and wrong, and I struggle to picture her ever making a bad decision. And yet, somehow, she never judges me for mine. She listens, counsels and cheers me on, but she never judges.

From Karen, who sparkles from the inside out, I learned how to be generous and how to laugh through the worst life has to offer. Growing up, I hated being in Karen's shadow. She was both funny and brilliant. I hated her for it. But now I realize that in trying to keep up with her, I discovered me. She'd give you her last dollar if she thought you needed it, and she'd do it without begrudging you or even thinking twice. 

As jealous as I was of Karen, I don't think she'd ever understand why. She doesn't see who she is; neither of my sisters do. They're beautiful - stunning even - on the inside and out, though neither views themselves that way. Whether they see it or not, I thank God for them. Someday, I hope my sons have what I do with my sisters. They've held me as I've cried, laughed with me, and shaped me into who I am.

They're the best part of me.

Oh so cold

We need the rain. We do. The crops need the rain; the rivers and creeks need the rain. My rain barrels need the rain. Do I sound convinced yet?

As happy as I am to see my rain barrels and creek being replenished, I'm tired of being cold and wet. As we prepare to move from our temporary cabin to our forever home, I stupidly packed away 99.9% of our winter clothes, leaving us each with one or two long-sleeve shirts and a lightweight jacket. In my defense, it was 95+ degrees when I did this. It's currently hovering around 40 degrees.

Sigh.

The weather has all building projects on hold. My goats huddle in their little shelters, looking at me like they expect me to turn the faucet off. I feel bad that one isn't in my control and I console myself with the knowledge that when I finish their big, solar-heated barn, it won't matter so much.

In the meantime, I try not to lose my mind over being in limbo for a few more weeks. I'm ready for a real house with a real kitchen. My admiration for the pioneers and the homeless has skyrocketed. My view of my own patience and faith has been humbled. A few more weeks...

Happy dancing over launch day!

I'm always excited to release a new book. Launch day usually finds me glued to my computer screen, smiling like a fool over each new comment and eagerly checking to see if anything new is happening. My books are my babies and I love sending them out into the world. (Even if it is a little nerve-racking!)

But there's something about this one that has me especially bubbly today. I can't say enough how happy I am to be announcing the release of Waiting for You. Karise and Aidan's story has become one of my favorites. Like Charlie and Neena from Jailbird, thinking about these two just makes me smile. I hope they make you smile, too.

So please go out and snag your copy now - then tell everyone you know to do the same! I'll be forever grateful. Maybe, if we can manage to climb high enough on the charts, I'll even let one of my boys get some video of me happy-dancing so you have something to giggle about. But it would have to be pretty darn high on the charts...

Here's the link to buy the book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble & iTunes. Happy reading!

A note from Project Liberty

It's been a rough few weeks in my world - things have gotten a little topsy-turvy, leaving me to wonder if I'm really on the right path or if I'm just chasing down a dream instead of facing reality. And then I got a note in my inbox that both brightened my day and reminded me why I'm on this particular road. It was from Saundra of Project Liberty, and she asked that I share a piece of that note with you. I do so now, gladly. I hope it reminds you, like it did me, that we can all make a difference in this world. We have the ability to make it a better place if we only try.
From Saundra: I want to tell you about one of your readers who read "Throwaway". She saw the info in the back of the book about PL and was so excited that we were so close to her in Grand Rapids, MI. She called me and set up a fundraiser Mother/daughter TEA at her church! It was great! I spoke at the church one week on a Sunday and then at the TEA. They raised almost $900 for us! Amazing for a small group! 

Blog Hop

When my friend and fellow author Becki Brannen asked if I would participate in a blog hop, I jumped at the chance, figuring it would be just the thing to pull me out of my recent radio silence. (Things have been hopping on the ole' homestead!) I've known for a while that Becki is an amazing friend, but I didn't realize until I read her answers to last week's post just how similar she and I are in our writing styles! So, without further ado, let me introduce you to her: Becki Brannen was born and raised in the South. She married her high school sweetheart and they have two daughters and a poodle, Sophie. She enjoys writing 'chick lit' with a Christian twist. Becki hopes that you enjoy reading her books in the Breathless series. While Peregrine is a definite departure, she still explores the characters' relationships with God. As for future books, there will be more to come soon!

Becki is one of my favorite people, so I encourage you to visit her online!

Facebook

Website

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

For my portion of the hop, I was asked to answer four questions. So here goes... What are you working on?


I'm currently working on a series of short stories to fill in the missing years from recurring character and fan favorite Vance Davis. I'm super excited about releasing these, and even more excited to start on Vance's novel.
 

How does your work differ from others in its genre?


I don't shy away from dark topics, but my books are mostly warm and funny reads that move along quickly. That makes them hard to place in a specific genre. I might talk about human trafficking or the gaps in the foster system in a particular novel, but I'd still say that themes of love, hope and second chances predominate. Anyone looking for something dark and gritty would be sorely disappointed in my books! 

I'm also different in that I don't shy away from passion, but I try to keep the books clean enough that I could look my teenage son in the eye should he read them. I love love, and I love the sparks and chemistry of new love. But I don't want to read the intimate bedroom details of someone else's life, so I don't write about them.


Why do I write what I do?


I guess, on some level, I write what I like to read. Mostly, I write the stories bouncing around in my brain. Usually those stories shed light on a particular injustice. Sometimes, they're just a happy romp through new love (like my new release, Waiting for You).
 
How does your writing process work?

Depends on what day it is and the mood I'm in. Lately, my life has been too chaotic for much of a writing process and that's really bothering me. So much so that I'm trying to decide what needs to change so I can make the words a priority again...

 

Finally, I want to pass the blog-hop baton on to one of Booktrope's newest authors. I'm eagerly looking forward to reading her debut novel, which is now available! I'm thrilled to introduce you to Brandi Jellum:

Brandy's passion for writing began long before she actually sat down to write. As a child, she has had an obsession with reading, everything from the classic stories by Jane Austen to YA Fiction by Richelle Mead. Finally, in 2012, she decided to create her own stories for people to fall in love with. Brandy bounces back and forth writing both Romance and Young Adult Fiction (which is mainly just for fun).

At the beginning of 2014, Brandy signed a contract with publishing company Booktrope. She is very excited about the next chapter of her life and cannot wait to share her books and passion with readers.

When she isn't writing, she can be found chasing after her husband, her four children and her black lab, Diesel. Or curled up on her favorite corner of the couch with her newest book.

Website

Facebook Author Page

Twitter: @Brandy_Jellum

Goodreads

If I Say Yes on Amazon

A boy and his truck

When it comes to the list of thing I want to instil in my sons, the value of hard work is close to the top - right behind walking closely with God and treating others with love and respect.

So when my oldest son cooked up the idea that for his first car, he wanted to work odd jobs to save enough money to buy an old truck to fix up, I was all for it. I've helped him line up work, juggle his schedule, and I've happily run him to and fro.

His savings account is growing, and he's shown pretty impressive control despite having a decent amount of cash in his pocket at any given time. (With the exception of one swap meet that set him back a bit - but it's kind of fun to splurge every now and then.) I have to admit, I'm really proud of him and how focused he's been on achieving his goal.

As we were leaning over the fence talking to the neighbors this weekend, Dylan's summer goal came up as a topic of conversation. They thought what he was doing was great, and told him he could have their old farm truck if he'd bring it by to show them once he finished fixing it up. Just like that, my son's dream came true. From the moment he first started thinking about what his first car would be (which was pretty young), he's wanted an old truck to restore. Not only did these people make that dream a reality, it's the truck he dreamed of.

Personally, I believe God used the kindness of these neighbors to bless Dylan's hard work. Whatever your beliefs, it's hard not to smile when you see the way my son lights up when he talks about his truck. As a mom, it's an amazing feeling to see your child work hard for something and that be rewarded.

I can't wait to see the truck as it returns to its former glory.

Things that looked easier on the Internet

I have a bit of a reputation for not letting a little thing like inexperience stop me from trying something new. When I'm venturing into uncharted territory, I study up on it for a bit and then dive right in, figuring the only way I'll truly learn is to just give it a try.

Some people in my life find this a touch nerve racking. Go figure.

My family started down the path to homesteading years before we actually moved to our farm. As I've sought to relearn the skills that came so easily to my ancestors, the Internet has been an invaluable resource. Usually. Every so often, Youtube lies and things aren't as simple as they seem. That, or I'm a dork. I'm telling myself it's the Internet’s fault, though.

Here are the top three things that I've found to be harder than expected since we started our homesteading venture:
Freezing eggs. I read somewhere that you can freeze eggs in ice cube trays to save them for those times when the ladies take a break. Sounds great in theory - mix the eggs as if you were going to scramble them, pour them into ice cube trays, then pop them out and stick them into bags when they're frozen.

The first time I went to "pop them out," they wouldn't budge. It's like the darned things had been glued in. I eventually figured out that I needed to run a butter knife along each of the four sides before they'd go anywhere. Even then, it can be a bit of a trick.

Still, if it saves me from having to buy eggs in October, it'll be worth the effort.

Milking goats. It looks so simple. Looks can be deceiving. I've tried and tried, heeding the advice of friends with goats and countless you-tubers, but to no avail. Apparently, I'm completely inept when it comes to extracting milk from a goat's udder.

My oldest son, on the other hand, seems to be a natural at it. He's now been gifted with the task of milking our girls twice a day. Sometimes being inept isn't entirely bad.
Cobbing. I read somewhere that cobbing is in our DNA, that our ancestors made mud houses for so long, people just naturally seem to know how to do it. Apparently, my ancestors did not get this memo. We jumped into our cobbing adventure with zeal. I knew it would be a lot of work, but there was something very appealing about sculpting my house with my own two hands.

Unfortunately, finding just the right mix of sand, clay and straw, the mix that won't crack when it dries, is a bit of a art - an art I am still mastering. So we have lots of small cobbed projects like rabbit pens and fire pits, but I've yet to come to a point where I feel confident I could cob a house and it not fall down around my ears.

I wouldn't mind the learning curve so much if I weren't so desperate to have a kitchen and running water again. I have to admit eyeballing the house next door when it went up for sale. But I'm determined not to give up. This is the week that I will master the mud...

I’m moving!

I have fought with my current web platform for what feels like ages. It’s a popular platform that works well for lots of people, but I’m not sure I’m smart enough for it. While working on a website for my farm, I stumbled across a new platform that solves all of the problems I’ve been wrestling with (like being mobile friendly).

So… I’ve been having a blast these past few days rebuilding my website in the new platform. (Seriously. I love this kind of stuff!)  I should be ready to migrate the URL to the new site this weekend. I don’t think that kind of stuff ever goes completely without hitch, so please bear with me if things go glitchy over the next few days. Hopefully I’ll be back up and running with my pretty new site in no time!

In the meantime, I hope everyone is having an amazing week!

Is this week over yet?

A baby goat just tried to crush my windpipe. Sadly, that’s not the weirdest part of the last 24 hours of my life.

Yesterday started horribly and went down hill from there. I won’t go in to all the details, but the day consisted of bad news and lots of running back and forth. During the course of all that running and badness, I took my oldest son to the doctor because his arm was still hurting him after Tuesday night’s football game. Turns out his elbow was broken in two places. He’d played the better portion of the game that way.

Um… I don’t know what to say to that. I can’t begin to fathom the mental fortitude that took. And he practiced the next day. All while taking comments from me and his coaches about not seeming to have his head in the game. He didn’t say a word.

The same son decided (prior to breaking his arm) that he wanted to use his birthday money to buy a baby goat for his own herd. You know me; I thought this was a brilliant idea. We found him the perfect baby goat for his herd plans and picked her up yesterday (along with another one for a friend). He named her Twix, to go along with his other goat, Snickers.

So much had happened that day, I totally forgot my scheduled call with Booktrope’s CMO. She’s kind of used to livestock and/or child-related insanity going on the background of our calls, but I think “I’m driving down the highway with two goats and my son who has a broken arm” took the cake. She elected to reschedule. Sorry about that, Katherine.

Before moving to the Ozarks, we homeschooled. We’ve been seriously discussing homeschooling again. Now that Dylan’s primary hand is completely casted, we’ve decided to go ahead and pull him. He’s there today wrapping up loose ends. I have to admit that while I’m sad to say goodbye to so many people at the school, I’m also really excited about homeschooling Dylan again. He’s such a smart young man; I love watching him learn and getting to be a part of that. I truly hope that the friend’s he’s made there are the kind of friends who will stay in touch, even if he’s not at school.

While Dylan’s at school today, I have charge of his baby goat. She cried and cried when he left, so I finally brought her in to hold her on my lap while I typed this post. She decided she wanted to see if she could find where I was hiding her bottle. Apparently my throat looked like a likely suspect, because she torpedoed me there before settling down. Silly goat.

Dylan and Blake, up bright and early for Twix’s morning feeding.

Proud Papa

I had a request from one of my boys to post pictures of our buck, Fernando. We’ve had him since he was little – I bought his mother with two bucklings at her side. I fell so in love with one of them that I wound up selling the mother so I could keep him.

In truth, I don’t think Fernando is necessarily proud of Buckleberry. More like he ignores him, other than being somewhat curious about the new sounds coming from the neighboring pen. Still, if it were in a goat’s nature to be proud of his son, I’m sure Fern would be.

Fernando as a baby, playing on the milk stand

Fern trying to eat my shirt

There’s something very kind about his eyes

His eyes are still sweet, even if his face is stinky now…

Fernando is all grown up now. He’s still my baby, though!