Solstice Sheep Day One - Muffin

As I was preparing to get up this morning I decided I would wear my Maisie sweater today.  I love all my sheep sweaters and I like to think the sheep know I'm wearing their wool and are maybe a bit disappointed if I wear something not from our flock.  

I was rustling around trying to find Maisie - I do this by feel in the dark - and felt Muffin's sweater and changed my mind and decided to wear her.  As I was pulling it on I thought "Wouldn't it be fun if I drew Muffin's name this morning!"

I cut all the name tags out, folded them tightly and then shook them up in a bowl and without looking put each one into a pocket.  I love surprises and if I'd seen a name, I'd have put it back in the bowl and tried again.  I was Very Careful.

And on the very first day of Sheep Solstice I drew...Muffin :-).

Muffin and her mom, Mrs. Pepperpot, moved over here from Final Frontier Farm in...are you sitting down?...2017.  Good.  Grief.  Time flies.  She'd been the sickest little lamb I'd ever seen who actually lived and she still looked pretty rough when she moved over here to be Biscuit's best friend.

"First hot day this summer, you are probably going to lose her, so don't get too attached."  Too late.  I was already attached.

Watching Muffin and her mom take the very best care of each other was one of the highlights of my sheep life.  Remember them sleeping together, Muffin's head tucked over her momma's back?  The day we had to put old Pepperpot down was soul crushing, but the last thing I told her was that we'd take good care of Muffin and here we are seven year later, still enjoying some Muffin magic.

About an hour later I walked into the front room and found a ceramic sheep laying on the floor.  Archie!  It was a sweet little shiny black sheep and I picked her up and set her on the kitchen counter.  She'll be our mascot for the season.

Muffin is a sweet treat lover, but she also loves pumpkins, so today everyone got to have a pumpkin party.  My friend Celia and I picked up an entire car full of pumpkins at the season end at our local orchard.  I never shared that picture and need to go find it.  That car was loaded!  I think we had over 150 pumpkins of various sizes piled in there.

Muffin's portrait?  One only a mother could love.  Look at that slimy pumpkin face :-o.  Her calendar picture is so much prettier, but this one tells a good story.  Oh, and who is that sheep trying to share her pumpkin?  Yep, it's Biscuit.  I love that they are still best friends.

We'll try to do better tomorrow ;-).

Solstice Sheep

I have always been one of those people who struggled to enjoy the holiday season, for various and the same reasons so many others do as well.  I understand.  I also hated the holidays being over though, usually because I felt sad and stupid that I hadn't made the effort to enjoy them.  Two years ago I decided to try to fix that.

Wing and a Prayer Farm did a beautiful winter solstice advent calendar and I treated myself.  If I did even just one deliberate thing to find some joy in the season, I could open my treat for the day.  I didn't miss a day and I ended up actually enjoying the holidays for the first time.

Last year I re-used the calendar and had Auntie Reg tuck a bunch of tiny sheep figurines in all the pockets as my prizes.  Not only did I enjoy some holiday cheer during the day, I got the fun of finding my sheep and then adding them to the flock that night and taking a pretty picture to share.  The whole year had been awful in so many ways, but it ended with some peace and joy that carried on into the next year.

This year I thought about what I wanted to do and decided I'd give little gifts back rather than get them for myself...although gifts given are usually gifts received as well ;-).  

Tucked in each of the pockets is a tag with a sheep's name.  Each day that sheep gets to be extra special and get their portrait taken and a short (or maybe long) story written about them and also sneaked a yummy treat.  

I've got some apples for the ones who are willing to eat a healthy snack, crackers for those who like salty treats and of course some good old fashioned vanilla wafers.  I'll try to remember to tell which treat each sheep prefers.  There will probably be treats for everyone each day because sheep don't understand calendars and special days and the treat bin is extra full thanks to you all :-).

I'm only doing current sheep this year because I don't want to risk making myself or anyone else sad thinking back on dear old friends now gone.  There is a place for that for sure, but not right now.  I do love having their pictures and stories on the blog, but it can be a rabbit hole lined with tissues.  

I chose the picture above because not only is it one of my very, very favorites and made a beautiful "cover", but those sheep are many of the dear old friends.  I don't think there is anyone in that picture who is still here, but they are always with us in spirit and I hope they still enjoy the treats as well.

I will post each Solstice Sheep over here and on Instagram.  I will try to share at least a few on Facebook, but as always that is not my favorite platform and part of trying to make it through the holidays is setting some boundaries.  There will probably be extra stuff on IG because it's fun and easy.  I posted today's sheep this morning.

There is already a good story about this draw!  I'll share it later today :-).