Merry Christmas 2013

Greetings to our dear friends and family,

2013 is just about over. We can’t believe its time to share another letter with some updates for our family.

Joseph is continuing his career path with the Army passing the 1 year mark on 9/24.  After Basic Training which ended in Dec 12, 2012, he completed his individual training assignment at Fort Gordon, GA studying to be a radio operator/maintainer.  His training was delayed three weeks so he had a lesson in patience.  He was the distinguished honor graduate for his class having the top GPA, for which he received a promotion…. YAY!  His next training assignment was jump school at Fort Benning, GA.  Here he encountered another huge test as he had an injury on one of the zip line training activities.  This derailed his graduation plans and he took a medical drop into a hold over unit.  His original orders were for Fort Hood, TX but with the delays he was re-assigned to Fort Wainwright, AK. That’s right Alaska.  We were able to visit with Joseph in GA briefly before his transfer to AK.  We have had a visit to Alaska on our “bucket list” for a long time so we hope to check that item off next summer.  We look forward to having Joseph home for a Christmas break starting Dec. 17^th.

Judy continues to enjoy her association with Leigh, King & Associates as a staff accountant.  She is currently studying for the IRS Enrolled Agent Exam and has passed the first and second tests for her certification – ONE more to go!  She enjoys antiques shopping/refinishing and photography as her key hobbies.   Finding time to blog seems to be harder each year and 2013 just had too many moving parts to allow time for blogging.  Our gardening efforts were a challenge with a VERY wet spring, lots of travel and Charlie battling a back injury.  Our berries did yield much fruit and great peace of mind to enjoy fresh food right out of the garden.  Late July we visited with Judy’s High School classmates in Keyser, WV for her 30^th Class Reunion. 

2013 had some bumps for Charlie as well.  He had a back injury that derailed most of his shearing plans and restricted most “normal” farm work.  He was thankful to be able to arrange for a shearer from NC to come shear our sheep and the bulk of his clients in North AL, and TN.  His former apprentice was able to shear for a few clients as well.  Farm life continues to bring great joy yet also struggles…not the best combination but such is life.  Charlie still enjoys his part-time employment with the Northwest AL RC&D Council as their Executive Director.  The Council was honored to receive the Outstanding Project Award for AL and the Southeast Region.  2013 continued his 8th year of service as the minister of the Hawk Pride church of Christ in Colbert County.   During our trip to WV he was able to visit the VA Tech University farm and view their Polled Dorset Sheep.  Charlie was able to add some breeding stock to our farm from VA Tech that we hope will help us increase efficiency and quality.  As we go to print with this newsletter Charlie is still struggling with back issues and awaiting test results with hopes we can find out what is causing the problem.

As we all encounter struggles and set backs in life they are a constant reminder of what is most important….RELATIONSHIPS.  We continue to cherish our relationships with family and friends and of course our spiritual relationship with the GREAT I AM!

We pray this letter finds you and your family in good health and best wishes for 2014.  May God Bless each and everyone!

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year,

Charlie, Judy and Joseph Meek

Mother's Day 2012

For all of our moms, Happy Mother's Day!

For some reason, I feel the same way about you

 that I felt about my kids

 when they were small--

that it wasn't their job to love me,

 it was my job to love them.

                                                        --Eat, Pray, Love

Around the Farm - Berries, Lambs, Kitten & Sheep

Busy days around the farm lately from planting blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries to the beginning of the 2012 lambing season.  Enjoy some pictures:

 Judy :)

Royal Wade Kimes Cold Country

Had to share this country music video. This was filmed on my father-in-law's farm. The cabin in the video was built by him. We used to have our Christmas in this cabin yearly. Good memories! Hope you enjoy!

Judy :)

Liebster Blog

My cousin, Diane, who blogs at Diane Turpin Designs presented me with this blog recognition.  Diane is a wonderful photographer, scrapbooker, designer of digital scrapbooking layouts, seamstress, and artist --  she received a huge dose of the crafty gene in our family.  Her work is excellent and you can purchase a piece of it from her Etsy Shop.  The highlights of my childhood were the times we were able to spend together at Christmases, Thanksgivings, and weeks in the summer.  There is 10 and 1/2 months between our ages and since I never had a sister, she is the closest person I have to fill that void.  We even roomed together in college for a year before she married.  Check out her blog when you have a chance and give her a shout.

This award is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers, in the hopes that it will bring many new friends/followers.

Leibster is German and means 'dearest' or 'beloved' but it can also mean 'favorite'. The idea of the Leibster award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers. So, in the spirit of good fun I am passing this award on to five other bloggers. Please stop by and visit them.

The Rules are:

1. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.

2. Reveal your five picks for the award and let them know.

3. Post the award on your blog.

4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the blog share-other bloggers.

5. Finally and the best rule of all..........have fun and spread the love!

I present the Liebster blog to the following blogs:

Charissa Explains It All - spiritual thoughts with a dash of humor

Quilting Grannie - my Mom!  Anything to do with a needle, she can do it!

Upon A Dream - a recent find for me - great photography, cute kids, and crafts.

Spring Hill Farm -  restoring a 180 year old farm house - exquisite redos.

Living On Live Oak - renovating, cooking, and baking.

Please give your support to all of these "small" bloggers.

Judy :)

Our 2011 Christmas Letter - Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays 2011 from the Meek Family 

       

Greetings to our dear friends and family,

2011 was another busy year with new phases, BIG changes and transition.

Our family survived Joseph’s case of senioritis and we all enjoyed his achievement as he graduated from Mars Hill Bible School in May.  We were glad to have several family members come be a part of his graduation.  His senior year of high school was a busy one with the same cast of characters Soccer, Show Choir and Chorus.  His class also made a spring break trip to New York, NY.  He had a very busy social calendar this past summer.  He spent many nights with friends; we think to prepare us for being empty nesters. He began his first year of studies at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.  We wish him well as he starts his college experience and pursuing future dreams.

Judy has increased her work to full-time for Leigh, King & Associates.  College expenses are now a reality so we hope to survive physically and financially the next 3/12 years. Hint…Joseph we want you to graduate on time!  She continues to enjoy part-time searching for antiques.   In addition to Facebook, Judy has entered her second year as a blogger.  You now can catch up on our family, farm, and news at http://ameekperspective.blogspot.com.  Judy finally convinced Charlie to spend a little time on our farm instead of traipsing over AL, NE MS and TN shearing critters so we planted a small garden this year.  While the planting was later than desired our efforts yielded a pleasant harvest of radishes, corn, okra, tomatoes, field peas, and lima beans. The rabbits enjoyed the green beans so next year we will have to add a fence to curtail their appetite.

Well…the possible budget cuts that we always mentioned to our close friends each year, as concerns, became a reality this year.  Congress cut the RC&D Program on April 15^th for which Charlie had served since Sept of 1996.  So with only a 24 hour notice the run with RC&D was over and Charlie had to work other programs.  The Agency offered early retirement due to the cuts and Charlie felt it was time to say goodbye to USDA and try something else.  August 31 was his last day and he turned the page to new dreams.  In July Charlie celebrated 30 years with SCS/NRCS so it was a good run.  Post retirement Charlie is VERY thankful that he is able to work part-time for the Northwest AL RC&D Council.  2011 continued his 6th year of service as the minister of the Hawk Pride church of Christ in Colbert County; it is Charlie’s desire to assist this congregation and community in an expanded capacity.  The work at Hawk Pride has been a JOY with new additions and restorations in 2011. Hawk Pride has a Facebook page so please visit them via social media to see how the work is doing. As Charlie has struggled with some nagging health issues (Epstein Barr Virus and two oral surgery events,) the brethren at Hawk Pride have gone the extra mile in helping us in our time of need including driving Charlie to doctor appointments, house cleaning, feeding the sheep, delivering loads of hay for the sheep not to mention encouragement and prayers.  At the time of this letter Charlie is recovering from oral surgery and some side effects of the medications he was taking for the surgery.  The shearing side-business continued in 2011 (5^th year) facing the similar dilemma of scheduling appointments for too many clients (sheep, llamas and alpacas) and driving lots of miles.  Thanks to having the assistance of another shearer (Bret, that we mentioned last year) the miles were less than past years and production has been more efficient with two people shearing on most sites. 

We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!  May God Bless each and everyone!

Merry Christmas,

Charlie, Judy and Joseph Meek

~~

Merry Christmas, everyone!!

Judy :)

How Blessed We Are

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day spent with family.  

Our table had fewer chairs pulled up to it (only 7 of us Meeks this year), but it was a calm peaceful day 

filled with family chat and nature.

We took a drive to what we refer to as "The Wall" - an Indian memorial

 to a great-grandmother who walked back home from the Trail of Tears.  Her great grandson built this wall in her honor to represent her walk.  

The wall is amazing just with the sheer amount of man power it took this one man 

to build this wall with no mortar.  The wall measures 1.3 miles in length.

Many blessings of the day:  camaraderie of cooking together in a small kitchen, 

the sharing of food with loved ones, 

a clean kitchen at the end of the day thanks to a new brother-in-law, 

warm weather to take a walk, health to enjoy a walk,

beautiful fall scenery at a wall built by a dedicated man, 

time spent with a college son during the entire day, 

leftovers, pumpkin pie, laughter.

Hope your day was just as blessed.

Judy :)

Retired at 50

My husband is retiring tomorrow and he is only 50 years old.  Our current government has done away with his position in the Department of Agriculture.  Sure, this is not quite what we had planned for our future, but some great things are coming out of this change:  we have retirement, we have health insurance, and we have a whole new adventure to explore.  Below is my husband's goodbye letter to his friends and coworkers.  I'm very proud of his outlook and very thankful for the way God has blessed our family and cared for our needs.

Charlie Meek signing off from NRCS!

Effective August 31, I will be retiring from NRCS.  When I started my career as a student trainee in Cookeville, TN in May of 1981, I never dreamed such a wide array of opportunities and blessings would come my way.  I’m grateful to have worked in three different states (TN, GA, AL) and to have been a part of the conservation effort in numerous ways, especially serving the RC&D Program since 1996 for which I felt at home. 

As much as I have loved the positive aspects of working for SCS/NRCS, for some time I have felt a strong pull in my heart to serve God in a greater capacity and spend more time on our small farm experiencing what I view as real life, such as smelling fresh mowed hay stored in the barn or walking out to the barn in the wee hours of the morning and hearing a lamb bleating to its mom and saying hello world.   Thus the early retirement option sure seems to be a good fit so I’m going to jump and pursue some dreams.  Short term plans include additional involvement in ministry and service to others, expanding our small farm enterprise especially marketing lamb, and last but not least, I hope to continue to support the Northwest Alabama RC&D Council which I have been given the privilege to serve since February 2004. 

Stepping out the door I find myself with a lack of words to adequately thank family (especially my wife and son), co-workers within the NRCS family and NRCS partners (for which many became special friends) for your unwavering support.  You have made an amazing difference in my life and I can never thank you enough!  I’m confident those 30 years of support and friendship will be precious memories that will last till the Breathmaker calls me home.

If you wish to check in with our family and track some of our doings, you can follow my wife’s blog at http://ameekperspective.blogspot.com/ .   Also feel free to contact me via e-mail at meekcj2@gmail.com.

In His grip,

Charlie Meek                                                                                                                           Tuscumbia, AL

I think we will be seeing more of husband looking like this:

AND this:

Lamb, anyone?

Blessings!

Judy :)

Linking up with Grace Imparted at Imparting Grace.

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

In my head, I have composed at least a hundred letters to my son to give to him on graduation day.  I have preached, I have warned, I have pleaded, I have cried and I have shown my love in those head compositions.  They never made it onto paper.  Dr. Seuss must have known parents as well as he knew children.  Oh, The Places You'll Go expresses my thoughts and sentiments exactly.

I have been waiting 15 years to give this book to Joseph.  Humor me as you read the words to the book with pictures from many friends that ended up on my Facebook page during this last year of High School.

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.

About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any

you'll want to go down.

In that case, of course,

you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there

in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen

and frequently do

to people as brainy

and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,

don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along.

You'll start happening too.

OH!

THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!

You'll be seeing great sights!

You'll join the high fliers

who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.

You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don' t

Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so

but, sadly, it's true

and Hang-ups

can happen to you.

You can get all hung up

in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch

with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then,

that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,

you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself

is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.

A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...

or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?

Or go around back and sneak in from behind?

Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,

for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused

that you'll start in to race

down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace

and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,

headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go

or a bus to come, or a plane to go

or the mail to come, or the rain to go

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

or waiting around for a Yes or a No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil, or a Better Break

or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

NO!

That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape

all that waiting and staying.

You'll find the bright places

where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,

once more you'll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.

And the magical things you can do with that ball

will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,

with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.

Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times

you'll play lonely games too.

Games you can't win

'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!

Whether you like it or not,

Alone will be something

you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance

you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon,

that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go

though the weather be foul

On you will go

though your enemies prowl

On you will go

though the Hakken-Kraks howl

Onward up many

a frightening creek,

though your arms may get sore

and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike

and I know you'll hike far

and face up to your problems

whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,

as you already know.

You'll get mixed up

with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life's

a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

Congratulations to the Graduates of the Class of 2011!  Best of luck with many prayers!

Have a good week!

Judy :)