Eat Meat.

Today I was browsing Facebook being as productive as I *cough*cough* always am, and noticed that one of my friends had shared a link from the New York Times that had this big, daunting, and daring title yelling at me...

"Tell us why it's Ethical to Eat Meat: A Contest."

This was just more than I could bare!

1)Because I love meat.

2)Because I love a challenge.

3)Because I love meat.  Did I already say that? Oh well.

And

4)Because I love meat. Alot. Amen.

So I sat down and in about five minutes I had written a short article, essay, whatever you want to call it, over why meat is ethical.

I'm not sure it will get any point across, but it made me feel better, and it made me feel creative.  And I like to feel creative because I secretly wish I was Martha Stewart. Except for the fact that I don't wish I was Martha Stewart...make sense?

Please enjoy, critique, throw away, whatever your diggin'...I'll understand.

Why is it Ethical to Eat Meat?

Written by: Summer Townsend

                Being the daughter of a Cattleman most people would consider me somewhat bias on this particular topic.  While this may be true, it is also true that I am very open-minded and have a slight tendency to visualize myself as a hippie. And what do hippies do? Well, besides “freeing their minds” they eat very natural and healthy things.  People usually consider food like this to be anything but meat.  They are wrong on this part, because meat can be very healthy. More importantly than that though, meat is ethical.

                I’m about to tell you the reason eating meat is ethical.  Most of you are not going to want to hear it.  Most of are you are going to laugh in my face.  You may even get mad me.  Heck, you may see the first word and run away screaming for your mother.  Whatever your reaction may be, this is something you need to hear, because it is the only truth.

So here it goes….

“Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.” Genesis 9:3.

I know what you’re thinking, “This lady is crazy.” Or, “This woman needs to get a life, and off her Daddy’s ranch!” or my personal favorite, “She’s your typical bible thumper.”

So before you think these things, please just stop...breath... and consider the words I have given you.  God gave us meat.  He gave us greens too, both for our enjoyment, and nourishment.

It’s as simple as that.  Eat meat, because the good Lord gave it to you.

On that note, I leave you with this....

Amen.

Peace, Love, & Let's all go have a steak together.

Sweet T

Hands of a Farmer

Have you ever stopped to think what you can tell from a persons hands?

Don't worry, me neither.

Usually when I look at someones hands I'm looking to see what kind of jewels they have on, or what kind of ice cream they are serving me. Amen.

Not until recently when I happened upon the blog Hands of a Farmer did I realize what all you can find out by studying the wrinkles in someones hand.

***Side note: Ok, Ok...I didn't happen upon the blog by myself.  I was assigned this blog as a class project, but I found it so riveting that I kind of wanted to claim it as my own stroke of genus. Forgive me.***

For this blog you take a picture of a farmers hands (Duh) and then tell the farmers story.

Since my own Daddy is not a farmer, I chose my Grandpa because he is the best farmer I know.  And I'm not just saying that because I'm his favorite granddaughter...

*Ahem*cough cough*Ahem* Who just said that?

Moving on....

Now sit back and enjoy as I show you the story of my Farmer named Pop.

(You may refer to him as "Pop" or "Poppy" or "Poppers" or "Poppilicious" or "Fred". His real name isn't Fred, I just think that would suit him....)

Name: David Lynn Templeton
Age: Wise...just kidding, he's 60.

***Side note: To find out Davids age, I had to text him (and the best granddaughter award goes to.....not me.) this is how are conversation went:

Me: "How old you be?
Pop: "60...61 in May"
Me: "Ok old timer"
Pop: "Still a pretty old poot"

Can someone tell me what a "poot" is?***

Background in Agriculture: David Templeton has been farming since birth, and wouldn't have had it any other way.

Most Difficult moment in agriculture: "Now. 2011.  I've been farming for years and years and this has been the toughest year yet."

Most Joyous moment in agriculture:  "All of it.  Getting to raise my family in this hard, quiet, fulfilling way of life that so many don't get to enjoy."

David Templeton is loved by his wife Julie, his two sons, one daughter, and 8 adorable grandchildren that are probably the coolest kids on planet Earth. Amen.


Peace, Love, & Go thank a farmer...preferably ones referred to as "Pop" or "Poppy" or "Poppers" or "Poppilicious" or "Fred"....sorry I'm weird.

Sweet T



P.S. David loves his grandchildren so much that he poses for them in church while they take pictures of his mustache because it is that cool...

Me & Consuela

I fall in love very easily.

When I was three Simba off the Lion King was my only love.

In Kindergarten it was an older man...(First grader.)

When I was in Jr. High it was Nick Jonas off the Jonas Brothers...Remember them? OK, never mind....

In High School it was with cupcakes...Oh wait! I still am in love with cupcakes...

And now...In college....it is with a '64 Fire Engine Red Chevy...And it's name just happens to be Consuela.

She's beautiful.

She's my best friend.

She's all I've ever wanted in life! Just kidding that may be a bit dramatic...but I don't care. I don't care about anything anymore now that I have Consuela.  Me and her...we're inseparable.  I tell her all my problems, she listens.  I give her fine jewelry, she thanks me.  I attempt to drive her pesky stick shift, she sympathizes by dying every once in awhile just so I can regain my composure. 

Me and Consuela (is that proper usage of grammar? Oh well, Consuela don't not care 'bout no grammar anyways)...we're partners in crime.

There is no telling what the two of us can accomplish together.

We're like Bonnie and Clyde!  Or Thelma and Louise!  Or Laverne and Shirley! Accept we really don't want to rob a bank, drive off the Grand Canyon, or have our own sitcom...

Once I trick my ride (Consuela prefers to call it "gettin' gussied up") she will be the hottest ticket in town.

She wants some longhorns to go on her front (she hears they are very slimming) and leopard covered seats so that it will make her red "pop" and, if we can find a big enough one, a disco ball to accentuate her tires. 

And if Consuela wants it, I get it.  Ya dig?

Consuela digs....


I'm pretty sure that from now on I will make 2.5 references to Consuela per blog post, so I hope you can all dig that.

Please dig that.

Thank you...I dig you too.

Amen.


Peace, Love, & Consuela!

Sweet T

Chocolate Pudding Saves Lives

I don't like email.  It's very complicated, and I get spam mail alot that scares me.

But, the other day I got bored so I decided to go read all my old emails...for fun.  Because I do things like that when I am bored...for fun.  And most of them were "trash and were going to be made into a Mini Series anyway!" Name that movie....

I found one collection of emails that me and my Mother exchanged on one of the many days I was bored as a High School Senior. 

They made me laugh so I decided to share them with the world because:

1) They are funny.
2) In all reality, they hold great ideas...
3)Yesterday day was my Mama's birthday and I kinda like her....

Enjoy.

And try to contain your laughter, but if you can't it's ok.  It happens to the best of us.




So as I'm sitting here, just as I have been for approximately the last two & half hours (give or take a minute) I am still as bored as I was when I came in here. But! Neverfear for P-dubs book has saved me, and yes dare I say it, Inspired me to write! Along with you, and Autumn a cookbook/storybook...I know we have thought this over before, but now it is necessary that we write it as soon as possible, for the pure joy of the fact that it will be a fun thing to do, and we need to share your Chocolate Pudding recipe with the rest of the world.



Keeping it to ourselves is just plain unfair.


Love your ever thoughtful daughter


ST





So my bored daughter, Im sorry you have nothing to do today.....it must be terrible to be a Senior! I think your cookbook idea is a grand one....li just wonder when we might squeeze this tiny project in to our very busy lives. But thanks for making me want some chocolate pudding as im trying to stick to my diet! FYI...I ran and walked this morning(ok, mostly walked) and im pretty sure i pulled my hampster string....and i learned how to use the emotions button on my new email!!!


love your hungry and tired mother


ht


The title of these emails was "Chocolate Pudding Saves Lives" a bit dramatic if you ask me, but hey what can I say? I was a High School Senior full of big dreams and a love for all things dessert...Oh wait, nothing has changed about that fact except now I'm a college freshman.


Peace, Love, & Happy Birthday Mama!

Sweet T

Agriculture Communications & Sandhill Cattle Co.

I am an Agricultural person.

I am a Communicator.

I am an Agricultural Communicator.

(I am also an over eater of tortillas...but we won't get into that right now.)

This makes Agriculture Media & Communications the perfect major for me...the Ag Communicator.  It also makes it the perfect major for um...about 245,600 other college students...give or take a few.

This weekend I got to meet a few of the 245,600 other students from all over the U.S. of A at an Ag Communicators of Tomorrow Conference.

There was a lot of communicating going on....

I'm not real sure why.

But I liked it.

Amen.

As you can imagine when you get many opinionated and passionate communicators in a room, ideas are flying freely around, and I managed to pick up a few that revolve around the social aspect of business.

While a lot of the ideas that I picked up need some time to simmer in a big pot (Just like stew...or John Wayne beans...or a roast....or anything else delicious you can think of...) one idea I plan to put into action ASAP. (I also learned how to say neat things like "ASAP" and "Ag-Vacate" and "Can I have another scone please.")

This idea is very simple, and should have come to me a long time ago...It's a Facebook page.  But not for me.  It's for Sandhill Cattle Company.

Now, by the time all of you read this there is a great chance my Father (operator of Sandhill) will have also read it, so my feelings on the idea may change slightly depending on how Daddy reacts to it....I kinda listen to his opinion every now and then because he's kinda smart, and I kinda like him....kinda.

What better way to promote a feed yard though...right?

Right?

Right??

Ok, so maybe not, but you never know who will discover the page, who might have previous interest in this kind of topic, or who might develop an interest in the greatest business in the world: The Cattle Business. Amen.

And with pictures like this....

How can your heart not be filled with joy?

Or at least the desire to go run around in the dirt with a fellow bovine friend...


Peace, Love, & Pray for all Ag Comm endeavors...

Sweet T

Valentines Day

I love lots of things.

Family, food, cowboys, water, glass figurines...the list goes on and on.

Naturally I'm talking about Valentines Day which is the horrifying/wonderful day we all got to experience yesterday.  It's fun if you are in a relationship because you get to lavish your loved one with gifts.  If your single it's equally fun because you get to lavish yourself with gifts of your choice. (Ahem, I chose chocolate.)

I got lavished with a grand meal too.

It was so grand I don't think it can be considered a meal, but more of like a banquet, or a reception, or a shmorgisborg!

Whatever you call it (I prefer shmorgisborg.) it was wonderful.

And a bit dramatic for six people, but hey its what we do.

We made Homemade Gnocchi. (A pasta made from potatoes AKA: Heaven in dough form.)

We made strawberries with cream...

That we ate with our flour less chocolate cake that my lovely sister made. 

It was the best cake I've ever had.

It was beautiful.

It made me cry.

The End.

And of course what kind of partiers would we be if we didn't drink our bubbly. 

(If you use your imagination that sentence rhymes...not on purpose I promise. I think...)

Did I mention our bubbly comes in the form of grape juice?

I thought so....



Peace, Love, & Happy Valentines Day to the single and the taken

Sweet T

I'm A Total Junkie

Today is Friday.  It's a good day.

Well, it didn't start out as a good day because one of my professors made me cry because I'm incompetent with a video camera, and can't pass a test to save my life, and because I'll never become a director, even though I never had any intention of ever being one, and because I love chocolate too much, and because it's Friday and who really administers a test on Friday anyways? And because my favorite color is a shade between turquoise and jade, And because I named a cat "Rosie" one time, And it's February 10, and that just has to be an unlucky day for me even though it's my Sweet Aunt Tori's birthday (Much Love to ya T-Sizzle) and I just want to paint and cook for the rest of my life but no one in the world of education seems to understand that but my family and close friends do so that's exactly why after this rather lengthy chain of unfortunate events my Grandma and my Great Grandma saved me from the pit of I-don't-need-no-education Despair by taking me Junkin'.

*********************I'm taking this moment to catch my breath**********************

Ok, I feel better now that I got all that off my chest.

Most of it is not even relevant to why I'm a big baby and cried this morning but I just felt like I would be doing you a favor by letting you know my favorite color, and my cat's name.  Your welcome.

What is relevant though is that Mom and Gran took me junkin' today, and it made my soul sing.

(For those of you who don't know what Junkin' is here is your proper definition.....:

Junkin': The act of going to really neat stores and buying old scuffed up things that you will probably never use, but then again you might.  And in the chance that you do find a place to use your junk, everything becomes right in the world. Amen.)

We spent all afternoon roaming through various Junk stores that smelt of old wood, and cinnamon and found some of the greatest junk. 

Most of this "Junk" probably seems just like that, junk.  But if you are a true junker, down in your soul you will see what can become of all this junk...A glorified mess.  Which is exactly what we want it to be.

This is a chandelier. Duh...

My lovely sister is wanting a chandelier for her room so it can take on that whole Shabby/Chic/Western look....Don't worry I'm confused too. 

Not Really.

This is a floor. Duh...

The coolest floor I've ever seen. Amen.


Peace, Love, & I want to be a Professional Junker.

Sweet T