MOOOOve on Over!

 I am getting darn near close to having a whole herd in my den!

 And that's okay with me! 

 For Mother's Day, my mother gave to me $50.  Yes, you read that correctly, I got a Mother's Day gift from my own mother! (Yes, I did give her a gift too!) (Yes, she does this every year. Isn't that wonderful?)

I used my money to buy another cow to add to my collection. 

 After all, I had that long empty spot in the corner. The canvas was long. It seemed a perfect match. I am a little bothered by the fact that the newest member of the herd is a lot brighter than the rest of the herd. The colors still match my room, so I am hoping it grows on me!

 I have loved cows/cattle for as long as I can remember. I loved them before they were popular in the late 80's/early 90's and I loved them when they went out of style in the early 2000's. I STILL love them as they become popular again. They have never waned in my eyes. My love is true! 

 I think it is because I grew up raising cattle. My family has been in the cattle business for years. We had a large herd on the family farm, while we lived in town. My mother would take my brother, sister and I out to feed the cattle every day. She frequently pulled up to school in the pickup loaded down with feed and/or hay. If it was winter, we had to hike to make sure the ice was broken on the river and the cattle could get water. It never occurred to me to be embarrassed that my mom pulled up to the school in a work truck. I guess because so many people I knew also raised cattle. 

Hand carved from Switzerland.

 Once we were old enough to drive, we were expected to carry on the tradition of feeding and watering the cattle each day. I learned to drive the work truck with the gearshift on the steering wheel. I was the only one of us that could drive the standard, so it was my responsibility to get us out to the farm. It only took a couple of times getting stuck in the mud (or snow) and having to walk forever  (before cell phones of course!) to call for help, that I learned how to stay in the ruts and when to "give it gas"!  

 Those cattle were good to us. My parents (so wisely) reinvested our profits in more cattle and put away the remaining profits in a college fund for each of us. Those hours of driving, feeding, watering and counting our herd were well worth it when we got to college. 

I still love going out to the farms, walking the well-worn paths and seeing all the cattle. I guess that's why whether the cows are "in-style" or "out-of-style", for me they'll always be in my heart! I always have room for one more in the herd!