Peggy, our milk cow

Once upon a time, we owned a farm in western Kentucky. We were two city slickers and one of us had the lifetime dream of having a farm, guess who that was? Like a message from Above, a piece of property became available next door to Bob's grandparents and we heard about it before anyone could snatch it up. We packed up our belongings and our four kids and made the journey from Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, to Wickliffe, Kentucky, in the middle of January. It was a long cold drive, but the thoughts of dreams fulfilled kept the spirits warm.

We were to purchase many chickens, geese, rabbits (which he had in Buzzards Bay), we also bought a few cows and a bull, and down the road we tried our hand at raising pigs. The pig story will have to wait for another time because it was a laughable experience for me.

We weren't through with the dreams, his next adventure was to have a milk cow, and that's where Peggy came in. She looked very similar to the Guernsey in the picture above, I couldn't find an actual photo of our Peggy at this moment. I didn't get in on the milking but it was the job of Bob and the boys. She gave us lots of good rich milk and it was my job to be creative with recipes to use up all that milk. I learned to make cheeses of all sorts and ice cream too. The kids never had to be told no for having an extra glass of cold milk or hot chocolate.

This morning I thought of Peggy more intently than I have in a few years since we left the farm. I use to make rice pudding all the time with Peggy's milk - it was so good and rich. I'm making rice pudding from scratch this morning. With each ingredient I add and each stir, I think of Peggy and give thanks for the blessings of nutrition and enjoyment she brought to our lives on the farm. I also made some good potato soup with her milk too. Ummm Yum!

Peggy was a good ole gal - a really good milk cow and very much part of the Sullivan family.

We have lots to be thankful for in our everyday lives. I am grateful to have had the experience of living on a productive farm. The work was hard and it was a daily commitment with crops and livestock, but it was worth every minute. It was havesting the fruits of the land God has provided for us. Today I thank God every day for all the blessings He has brought into my life no matter how small.

I hope you are having a blessed day and all is going well with you today. May the Good Lord be with you and protect you.