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My St Francis is housed in a bee box I found in Nebraska while “junking” with my junk sister Jenice. I plan on adding more moss to give him something soft to stand on and more heart rocks, flowers and treasures that I find in the garden and woods.

The Bee Box Chapel

It hangs on the front of the shop so I can see it from the deck and the kitchen window.

It will remind me - this is all a miracle.

Noticing the miracle, as often as possible - comforts, heals and astonishes.

The world of nature and the world of God are one.

Thanks Barry, Sue, Jenice and St Francis.

By 7:40 there were 8 people and 10 cats in the still growing line.

Marie announced in a calm, kind voice what forms needed to be filled out first and pointed out the clipboards with those forms, the pens and the name tags for each kennel or live trap.

One couple brought two live traps with a cat in each. I heard them say, “we’ve done this about 20 times.”

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“Remember your place in line. Not everyone fills out paperwork at the same speed.”

She answered every question like she hadn’t heard them 32 million times before.
She explained the procedures in Spanish to the man with the blue kenneled kitty.
She was calm, capable and helpful. And she had authority.

It’s a comfort to walk into a stressful situation that isn’t part of your daily routine and immediately trust the person running the room.

I picked up Frito at 5:30.

There were 3 people ahead of me in line - waiting for their pets and two more joined the line in the first 5 minutes.

One of the examining rooms contained at least 10 kennels and a vet tech waiting to facilitate the reunions.

Marie was still there - on the phone this time. After hanging up she helped the woman who was picking up her doberman who was whining and whining and whining.

Then it was my turn.

I handed her a Golden Goat Card and said I was impressed with how she handled all the activity when I dropped off Frito that morning.

I noticed how patient, kind and competent she was.

I told her I saw that and I know it doesn’t happen by accident.
It takes effort and intention.
When someone shows up like that - in a stressful time - it makes a big difference. It becomes the best experience possible.
That’s how she affected my morning. By taking good care of everyone that walked through the door.

Starting at 7:20 and until I picked Frito up at 5:30.

That’s a long day.

Thanks for being awesome Marie. You are making a difference.

When I gave her the card, she teared up a little and said thank-you.

I could tell it meant something.

My “shiny-ness” is extra bright lately - due to an abundance of distractions and limited focus. That’s just how it be sometimes.

Consistent themes in my life are still - coffee, goat-horse-cat chores, writing, finding new ways to ignore house cleaning and weeding, watering stuff, thinking of organizing things but not, and training for the Mammoth March.

I’m a lucky girl. I get to do all those things. And the Mammoth March is May 9th. Almost there.

Thelma and Louise send their love. They are thriving, being themselves and bringing joy. Also buttheads.
Cosmo and his (maybe) sister Frito bring the cat total to FIVE. We love them so but also what have we done?

In case you aren’t familiar with the Golden Goat Award - here’s the skinny.

Short version of why there is a Golden Goat Award:💛🐐💛

Recognizing someone’s effort and encouraging that goodness is easy. The cost is approximately 60 seconds of time that can transform someone’s day. There are zillions of people who do not experience encouragement. I can encourage a few and make a difference. And it will have a beautiful, positive effect on me too.

So here’s the motto - the mission statement:

Recognize awesome. Encourage the hell out of it.

Look for the shiny parts. Notice the light in others. Then elevate it. Call it out.

Because recognition reflects the light and encourages the shine. Light changes everydamnthing.

Practice the art of recognition.

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Extended dance remix of the Golden Goat Award:
In 2016 I was living in Kansas City and working at a place that satisfied my need to contribute but wasn’t fulfilling.

My husband worked with Brenda, a wonderful woman, who went out of her way on two occasions to help him out of a bind when he was traveling for work. She was gracious, generous and did it with a huge sunbeam smile. Without a doubt, she loved helping people solve problems.

When Barry told me about his experience with Brenda, I thought to myself, I wish we could formally recognize her - thank her in a big way.
I was remembering the award ceremonies from my Navy days. The formality and the public recognition among peers and family had always impressed the hell out of me. It made me proud to be a sailor.

That was the experience and the feeling I wanted to share with Brenda.

Then came the epiphany - I’m a grown ass woman and I can make that happen.

So I did.

I bought some supplies at Hobby Lobby and I built the first trophy. There was a power point presentation with audio!

Barry presented the award, Brenda was blown away.

The number of Golden Goats who’ve been recognized — I regret losing count.
But it is well over 100.

💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛🐐💛

Recognizing someone’s effort and thanking them is powerful. It’s moving.

The more we recognize awesomeness, the more it grows. It doesn’t cost us anything except a little effort to recognize extraordinary people and it can make all the difference in the world.

Recognition and encouragement feel good. They are mood and confidence boosters. Recognizing someone’s effort and thanking them is powerful. It’s moving.

The Golden Goat “system” consists of two levels.

The first is covered by our square business cards. These are carried in your wallet or purse making it easy to instantly show appreciation and recognize wait staff, cashiers, hotel staff, flight attendants, etc. Sometimes thank-you just isn’t enough.
Elevate your appreciation with a Golden Goat card.

The second level is what I call “Military-Grade” recognition. This is for a business that exemplifies exceptional service or an organization that is impacting the community or improving lives. It could be awarded to someone that volunteers their time and talents.

The trophy will be presented or it can be shipped. It will include a hand written statement of recognition and two Golden Goat cards. To nominate someone email Vikki at artofrecognition@gmail.com. Describe what’s exceptional, what they do and how they deliver awesomeness.

You can 100% believe me when I say it’s a beautiful thing to
- recognize awesomeness
- and encourage the hell out of it with a Golden Goat Award. 💛🐐💛

Thank-you for being here - it means the world.
Take care. Be on the lookout for awesome!

With buckets of love - and goats.

My favorite definition and example was learned while supporting Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operators while in the Navy. To render safe an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) the operator identifies and removes one component of the circuit. They disrupt the circuit. The IED can’t function - can’t explode - unless all the components are present.

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That’s an excellent disruption. The outcome is safety - peace. Lives are saved.

Not all disruptions can be “rendered safe.” And that’s a good thing!

Big life events are disruptions. A wedding or new baby brings all the joy, but includes interruptions, blips and speed bumps.
Lives are transformed - the happy couple, new parents, grandparents and every person who witnessed and celebrated.
Disrupted - dismantled - rebuilt - transformed.

Loss is a disruption. Losing a loved one, who we used to be - even an election will be grieved. Changes come, chaos is churned up and we will learn from it all.

Order - Chaos - Reorder.

When (not if) there’s an interruption, a disruption - life goes from order to chaos and then life is reordered.
We can’t and won’t go back to “normal”. The circuit has been broken.
We are changed.

“The birth of anything—stars and galaxies as well as people and animals—takes place amid disorder, confusion, and chaos”. Steven Pressfield

Thanks for being here.
Sending you buckets of love and goats.

Back at home, Barry has goat, cat and horse chores totally under control. He sends videos of the goats wondering where I am and then being totally distracted by pasta treats from his pocket.

We are knee deep in training for a Mammoth March on May 9th. I’m walking 20 miles in 8 hours and he is walking 30 miles in 12 hours. It’s similar to a part time job, building endurance, muscle and systems to keep from getting thirsty, hungry and injured.

We are starting a peony bed this year. It will be tarpped during the summer getting it as ready as we can for fall planting.

I’ve started writing a book about the Golden Goat Award. The title is: 24K Goat. It’s a manifesto for radical recognition and relentless encouragement.
It will be a field manual - a DIY guide. I’m going to share 10 years of Golden Goat stories. I’m beyond excited and terrified. Perfect.

I’ll be sharing more Golden Goat Award (GGA) content, energy, and lore with you. Will probably start a separate substack. Will keep you informed.

😘🐐

I don’t know or understand why it’s so easy to get caught in the web of outrage and division. Come on! We are smart and evolved people! We have access to an infinite amount of what the world is offering. There are oceans and galaxies of beauty and excellence. The miracle of our planet. Nature! People helping strangers. Astronauts flying to the moon and back!

And yet outrage is operating at max volume. We practically pounce on identifying wrong-doing and the wrong-doers.

I’m not looking for a fight. That’s not the answer.
I’m feeding recognition.
Cause what we pay attention to - grows.

“Observation is a skill, and like any skill, it can be trained and honed. Even if you’re not a negative person, you may be skilled at noticing negative things. Sometimes people are good at noticing the reason things won’t work out or have a tendency to fixate on the latest distressing story.

But you can train your eye toward the opportunities each day quietly presents. You can become competent at noticing your good luck: the little moments of joy, the stranger who helped, the small things that went right, the opportunity in front of you right now.

What are you competent in observing? And which types of observations seem to serve your life best?” James Clear

This is recognizing awesome.

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Noticing excellence, effort, attention to detail.
Caring about the how, not just the outcome.
Seeing the good. Calling it out. Encouraging more.

“It can be an ugly world. It can be a boring world. It can be a world full of distraction. Which is why the artist and the philosopher must learn how to cultivate their eyes.…We must cultivate the ability to see—to see beauty and poetry everywhere—because it is everywhere. We must look into the gutter. We must change our aperture and perspective so that amidst the muddle and puddles of life, we can see what the artist and the philosopher sees.”
Ryan Holiday

This practice of noticing and recognizing has value.
It is one simple way to contribute, to make a difference. I’ve seen it happen.

We can build a culture that recognizes awesome.
A culture that celebrates it and encourages the hell out of it.

It’s simple. No hidden meaning or agendas.
Yes it’s a high standard - and it’s worth holding up.

Changing the world one Solid Gold, 24K Goat at a time.

Thanks for being here. Take care!

Sending you buckets of love and goats.

Golden Goat Story

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“Your habits will hold you back more than your enemies ever will.
Which is good news because you can change your habits. You can’t change your enemies. Stay focused on what you can control.” James Clear

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“Whatever anybody says or does, assume positive intent. You will be amazed at how your whole approach to a person or problem becomes very different. When you assume negative intent, you’re angry. If you take away that anger and assume positive intent, you will be amazed. Your emotional quotient goes up because you are no longer almost random in your response. You don’t get defensive. You don’t scream. You are trying to understand and listen because at your basic core you are saying, “Maybe they are saying something to me that I’m not hearing.” Indra Nooyi
This is something Barry taught me years ago.

“To be engrossed by something outside ourselves is a powerful antidote for the rational mind, the mind that so frequently has its head up its own ass.”
Anne Lamott - Bird by Bird

“It always feels like the traditional values are slipping away…Maybe they are. Maybe they aren’t. It doesn’t really matter because we have a vote: We can decide to live up to those ideas and ideals. We can decide to be honorable and to operate with integrity. We can decide to believe. We can decide to be good. We can decide to stand up for what’s right.” Ryan Holiday The Daily Stoic

The most precious thing we have to give is our attention.
Outrage is contagious. It spreads easily.
Joy is contagious too. And spreads just as easily.
What do we want to feed? What do we need to increase?
Choose joy.
Make it a practice.
Pay attention to the good stuff. Notice it. Say it out loud.
Spread it everydamnwhere. - Golden Goat Energy

Buckets of April love and goats to all y’all.

Take care and see you next week!

That’s the secret.

Sitting down, face to face works sometimes, with old friends especially, around a table with coffee or “dranks”.

But moving in synch on a path, sidewalk or a trail in the woods - that’s a sure fire way to elevate the conversation. It flows easier - even the tough stuff.

Yeah a walk in the woods is real damn fine.

Now let’s throw in a wildcard. Who, outside of friends and family would you love to invite on a walk?

Who do you admire? Who would you love to meet and do some habla-ing? Yapping? Chatting?

Invitations would be addressed and mailed to a few of my favorite “celebrities”. I’d ask them if they have time for a 30 minute or hour long walk. Can you imagine?

Here’s my list:
This first group are writers with great faith. They are my dearest celebrity influencers.
Jen Hatmaker - I love her. Love her writing. Hers was the first podcast I listened to and that introduced me to so many others who I fell in love with.
ANNE LAMOTT! The Queen of writing. Brilliantly funny and humble.
Nadia Bolz Weber - Ohmygosh. Another talented and inspirational writer, Episcopal priest AND badass.
Barbara Brown Taylor - An Episcopal priest. Her writing is impeccable.
Lesson learned: Faith doesn’t have to be this one thing with an infinite number of don’ts.

“As a general rule, I would say that human beings never behave more badly toward one another than when they believe they are protecting God.”
Barbara Brown Taylor

Wait - there’s more:
Kelly Corrigan - smart, thoughtful, a stunning way with words - written and spoken.
Brene Brown - Admire the hell out of her AND she’s a bit intimidating. But I’d invite her for a walk.
The lady from the Good Place Farm in Georgia - goats, donkeys, geese, pigs. She’s a blast. I will be visiting her this year.
Chris Stapleton - Supremely soulful voice. Super smart guy and one my brother loved.
Either one of the Avett Brothers - I LOVE THEM SO. I’m their biggest fan. I could run for president of the fanclub - while hyperventilating.
Ash Ambirge - Another of my favorite writers - thinkers. She is a ball of fire. Effervescent. A lightening bolt. That’s how she writes. Always reinventing - becoming and doing what she wants.

Barry - Always. Everyday of my life, Barry is forever, my favorite walking partner.

Once I went to see Jen Hatmaker and Kelly Corrigan with my dear friend Stacy - in Austin Texas. We had a blast BTW. We were able to meet Jen and Kelly before the event and have our photo taken. A meet and greet as they say in the biz.
We had maybe 30 seconds with them.
Nothing came out of my mouth except maybe “Hey! Oh gosh I love you!”
But seriously I don’t even think I said that. Frozen. Paralyzed. If we had even one minute to walk around the church sanctuary - we’d have had a no-joke, converdamnsation!

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“As a woman, you must be brave enough to cause problems. Make no mistake: this is the opposite of Zen—this is war. But it’s the most important thing you will ever do for yourself. A person who never causes any problems is a person who doesn’t trust herself to handle what happens next.”
Ash Ambirge The Middle Finger Project

Thanks for being here as always. Thanks for reading. Hopefully you say to yourself, “I’ve been wondering about that same thing!” or “What in the world?”
Both are reasonable.

Buckets of love and goats coming at ya.

Until we meet again, next Thursday - be on the lookout for the awesome,
the exceptional. When you see it, call it out. Speak up. Tell them.
It’s worth the effort.
It Will Change The World.

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I want freedom. I want the ability and autonomy to do whatever I want.
And I’d prefer it be how and when I want to do it.

It sounds so good - right? So AMERICAN!
Total Freedom.

But total freedom is beyond overwhelming.
So many decisions.
So many potential avenues for exploring, creating, or improving.
Throw in Super Walmart and Amazon and there’s a slew of options at my fingertips.

There’s an over abundance of opportunity.
More choices than time to make them.

That’s when we call in the reinforcements: direction, boundaries, guardrails. Even the D word. Discipline.

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I don’t lack ideas. I have journals full of’em.
I occasionally lack d i r e c t i o n.

I’ve held on (and will continue to) to my idea of freedom to do what I want when I want - cause I’m stubborn that way. But by holding my ground I’ve not done nearly as much as I could have - if I had some guardrails.

“Discipline Equals Freedom.” Jocko Willink

Cause when I think of freedom, I do not for one second think about restrictions - which is what guardrails sound like - right?
But they’re designed to keep you on the road - to keep you from going off course and maybe even crashing.

That isn’t restriction.
It’s a life-saving boundary.

If a burger joint hires you and says,
“We provide the world’s best customer service,”
but never shows you what that looks like. That’s not an expectation.
It’s an empty slogan.
Throw in a couple guardrails and it might look like:
- Always look at a customer with a smile and say, Welcome to Burger Queen.
- We want the customer to believe we appreciate they chose us.
- Treat everyone who walks in as a guest in your house.
That’s what is expected. That can be taught, coached and improved.

Anyone can say they make the world’s best cup of coffee. But do they?

Greatness, excellence, and exceptional anything doesn’t happen by accident.
It is born from a vision, planning, systems and consistent hard work.

Don’t worry about losing your freedom.
It doesn’t evaporate when you set expectations and decide on a few guidelines.
Freedom is actually created - allowed to live - and can be truly savored
- when there are guardrails.

What are yours?

Rusted buckets of love and goats coming your way. ❤️ 🐐

Knowing my myself and what I value helps set the ground rules for whatever I’m doing. Our values are our foundation, our built-in guardrails for decision making.

Here is more info on values and a podcast I recorded with Anna Carter.

This is another one about values.

It was epic because of the people.
All the people that dreamed it, planned it, attended it, prayed for it, officiated it - and the million other ways it was brought to life.

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It was overflowing with love.
It was fun.
And there were no rules.

“It was the best day of my life, so far.”
Sam

When Barry and I exchanged goodbye hugs with the best man, Harold said,
“Y’all raised a good one.”
Barry replied, “He’s got your fingerprints all over him.”

Ain’t that the best?

We are all shaped and molded by the people we know or have known, the ones who raised us and even those who taught us what not to be.

Our fingerprints have shaped - are shaping - others.
We are all leaving a mark.

Buckets of love and goats to everyone.

Can’t come close to comprehending feeling any more joy than we have these past couple days.

We’ve welcomed friends and family who have made the trip
to be with,
celebrate, and
love on these two people.

I like to hang out with people who make me forget to look at my phone.

Buckets and buckets of love - and goats coming at ya.

All that energy had to go somewhere.

And it did. I created a thing.

In September/October of 2016 Barry was traveling for Cargill. He flew into one of his usual midwest destinations. His hotel reservation could not be found.
So he made a call back to Cargill HQ for help - for backup.
Brenda Berg Doubler was that backup. And she saved the day.

Barry was beyond grateful. When he called that night from the comfort of his hotel room - he really bragged on Brenda. She was known for making things right. It was her Modus Operandi (M.O.). She didn’t work for Barry but she would and did step in when she saw a need.

After that call, I couldn’t stop thinking of the huge difference Brenda made for Barry that day.
And then I wondered, wouldn’t it be great to give her an elevated thank-you.
Military Grade Recognition.

During my 20 years in the U.S. Navy I attended at least 100 award ceremonies. Formal recognition in front of command leadership, peers, and family is powerful and meaningful.

So that’s when it all came together.

“I am a grown ass woman and I can make that happen.”

That is the actual, verbatim, epiphany I had.

I can absodamnlutely recognize Brenda.
I can absodamnlutely create this award.

What to call the award?
I wanted it to be fun as well as honest to goodness awesome.

The Navy mascot is the Goat.
Goat has been Barry’s nickname for me since we’ve been together.
Greatest Of All Time - GOAT
“Golden” gives it shine.
That’s it!
The Golden Goat Award.
Shazam.

I hightailed it to Hobby Lobby and bought spray paint, a small plastic goat from the farm animal toy bin, a wooden base, three kinds of glue and started on the first award - for Brenda.

She was surprised, thankful and humble.

When you tell someone they are making a difference - that you see it - the awesome expands and ripples.

Here’s the Bottom Line:

I am hitting the accelerator on the Golden Goat Award.
I’m turning it into a movement and
I’ll need help - ambassadors!
I’ll share more in the next week. In the meantime:

Look for the shiny parts. Notice the light in others. Then elevate it. Call it out.

Because recognition reflects the light and encourages the shine.

And light changes everydamnthing.

Practice the art of recognition.

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Thanks for being here. Thanks for following my shiny, golden stories.

Rusted buckets of love and goats are all yours.

Check out some Golden Goat Goodness

Golden Goat Award

2023 award

Recognizing Emma

December Awesome

Once I enter the place in my head that houses my worry wart (right beside the “should of” section below the amygdala) and sit myself on the comfy couch - ready for a cozy session of worrying and shoulding all over myself - it’s hard to get back up.

Instead of that well worn and comfy couch, I’m gonna settle in for some good old fashioned reminiscing - on the good stuff. That’s what’ll save us. That’s the gift. Being thankful for sweet memories of who or what has been lost.
That shows up as actual joy.

And then I can move forward, carrying those memories with me while being fully engaged in this present moment.

Gratitude is the bright side. Looking for the light does not erase the darkness but it does let some light in. And if all I do is worry and relive regrets and should ofs - then the light could actually be lost.

Remembering Mike Daniel Caudle today on his 58th birthday.

I can hear him singing "I’m back in the sally (saddle) again” as a little boy while riding like the wind on Cocoa with no shirt, cowboy hat, jeans and boots.

I see his face and the twinkling eyes.

I can hear him laughing.

I’m thankful I get to help take care of his horse Red - just like Mike used to do.

Barry and I always think of Mike when we go to Sparta, knowing he would love it just as much as we do. The mountains, woods, creeks, boulders.
The quiet and the wildness.

Happy Birthday Mike Daniel. WH#1 forever

This is Mike singing Little Cedar - a song he wrote.

I was impressed with this company because it was founded over 40 years ago and still owned by the same guy. A large number of the employees had been there for 20-30 years. That fact alone screamed, “this is a great place to work!”

So I went to work - mostly copying documents - mountains of them. I had a cubicle to myself which I decorated gleefully.

I met new people and learned new things while making some money for the family. I also saw ways to improve, take less time and save money at my job. Not big things but easy improvements. Changes that were a “no brainer” in my eyes.

I tried my best to inject some awesomeness - a faster process and less waste. But they weren’t interested in my kind of awesome, the kind I was convinced they so obviously needed. I didn’t understand it and it pissed me off. How could they not want something better???

It took many years to recognize that it was none of my business what the founder of the company, a grown ass, successful man, did with his business.
My idea of improvement happened to be different from his.

I was giving what I thought every business owner wanted from their employees: Take some initiative, be proactive and add value. Ownership. Turns out I was wrong.

I am hard headed. This is a blessing and a curse. (Thanks mom and all generations of Littles and Pecks 😃) It’s a blessing when I’m right - when I have the power to make decisions. But not so much when I am paid hourly to sit in a corner and color make copies.

That’s just reality.

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I was right about what I valued. It’s my daggone value. Of course I’m right. Was I mistaking my conviction - was I showing up as arrogant and self-righteous?
Uh…yeah. Maybe. Little bit.

What I really needed was an avenue where I could create and practice my own authority over my grown ass self. I needed another outlet. I needed to show up and do something, make a difference and, have complete and utter creative control.

I needed to build something awesome.

This was the beginning of the Golden Goat Award. Tune in next week for all the deets.

• The first awardee and the start of something golden.

• What the award looked and sounded like.

• The vision for the future of recognizing awesome, seeking excellence and encouraging the hell out of it.

All of the knowledge and realizations about what I needed to do, how much power I had and why it was perfect timing to build an award to recognize awesome - that came later.

It’s just not possible to always see what is happening as it unfolds. Lessons are learned without knowing. That’s when it feels like destiny, pre-ordained, magic. And that’s just how it be sometimes. It’s life - lived.

Thanks for showing up for Letters from a Shiny Girl.

Sending out rusted buckets of warm, sunny love and, of course - GOATS.
Love and Goats go together like sunshine and rain, bread and butter, flowers and bumble bees. They complement the other, make each other richer and are required for living well.

See ya next week.

It’s kinda awful don’t you think?

I do it all the time. Scrolling automatically when waiting for anything - in the grocery line, at a red light, for night to fall, for the sun to rise.

Scrolling is killing time. Nothing is accomplished. Nothing for the good of the order. How many times does anyone need a never-ending carousel of baby goats, pretty flowers, life altering quotes, sunsets in far away places, more baby goats, flower arranging, etc, etc, etc…?????

Yeah I’m all about curiosity and growth. But that don’t mean diddly squat unless I move towards it - do something about it.

Movement has to happen or I become a paperweight.

But I am freely giving all my attention to this rectangle, an enormous resource and useful tool. I’m using this powerful tool to kill time.

“Absolutely unmixed attention is prayer.”
Simone Weil

Remember when we used to get bored? Nothing to do, nothing to occupy time.
I don’t think people say “I’m bored” anymore.

If hands or minds are idle we can pick up a phone and occupy both.
We will be mesmerized by something that has been formulated just for us.
It’s an instant boredom solution.

What are we missing from being bored?

Imagination. Wondering. Farting around. Piddling. Experimenting. Reading a daggone book. Drawing a daggone picture. Paper airplanes.
Being still.

When is the last time you were bored?

Do you get the chance to stare off into the distance?
Do you get to watch the tree tops move with the wind?

Who and what do we want/need/long to pay attention to?

Our attention is our most precious resource.

Thanks for stopping by!

Buckets of love, stillness and goats headed your way.

There were 6 of us including me. Two Goober Peas brought friends that included two new homeowners, one brand new gardener, and a retired school teacher who taught us a new method of seed starting - with paper towels and powdered milk! Anyone else ever heard of that??

It was cold as wiz that morning. The wind was whipping and there was still mountains of ice and snow on the ground. But these ladies showed up,
ready to rumble, bringing notebooks, jugs and seeds.

For 20 minutes we thought about and wrote a vision of something we wanted to happen. We wrote in present tense - using all our senses and our imagination.

Barry was my lovely assistant in the kitchen, making tea and coffee, serving scones and brownies. He’s the best.

Then we filled about 25 milk jugs with soil, seeds, hopes and dreams.
It was a hoot.

Here’s a shot of inspiration and a look back to the 1980 Olympics and our
Hockey Team.

If you grew up after the Cold War ended, after Jordan’s Dream Team dominated & professional athletes took over the Games, you might not appreciate how epic America’s 1980 “Miracle on Ice” actually felt. The Soviet Union had won hockey gold in five of the six previous Olympics and were again in Lake Placid. Their team consisted of professional-level players with significant international experience while America fielded collegiate amateurs… the youngest team in the tournament. In 1980 America lacked self-confidence… Vietnam’s wounds were fresh, stagflation growing, Japanese automakers were humbling Detroit, an energy crisis persisted, Iran had held American hostages for 110 days already, the Soviets had just invaded Afghanistan & President Carter warned that an “erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America.” We needed a win.
Herb Brooks’ boys delivered (and Disney nailed it). Watch the last minute. From Bruce Mehlman’s Six Chart Sunday 8 Feb

Our family watched this movie more times than I can count. We were a hockey family born during our time in Minnesota. Sam has this DVD signed by one of the Miracle on Ice players. The movie is incredible.

February is a somber month. It’s becoming less so as time goes on but it’s always going to be bittersweet. It’s Mike’s (my brother) birthday month - February 26th. He would be 58 this year if he were still here.

It’s not all sadness during February. But it’s there and always will be. That’s just how it is. I have tons of great memories. That’s the sweet part. Some memories I keep tucked away - just for February - cause that’s when they’re needed most.

The drink race at Sunset Stables on Cocoa. The Avett Brother’s concert at the Orange Peel when they sang Murder in the City. Cutting a Christmas tree from the median on 52 with Tammy and Ken Newsom. Spain….So many.

Here’s Mike singing My Rifle, My Pony and Me. Mom’s singing harmony.

Take care of yourselves. Thanks for stopping by.

Sending shiny, rusted buckets of love and goats!
(Monday was Thelma and Louise’s third birthday.)

Learning to tell time was just as meaningful as tying our shoes and reading sentences like See Jane run.

The “Zine”
We made a new friend in Denver a couple years ago. Shawn and Mamie introduced us to Adam Reed. He is a sweetheart who publishes a zine full of poetry.

The conversation we had with Adam sparked an idea that’s grown into my very own Gazine. I combined Gazette and Magazine - cause I like to make up words and this sounded snazzy.

It’s 12 pages of typed or handwritten info with some doodles in the margins.
It was written, edited, compiled, printed, edited, drawn on and stapled. The copies will be given out to a few business - who are all mentioned inside for being recognized with a Golden Goat Award or for having Golden Goat Energy.

And Adam contributed one of his own poems for the inaugural edition.
It’s titled, “Gardener”.

Also in the pages of the gazine are garden notes, quotes I love, upcoming events and silly stuff. Cause - I can.
I welcome other contributors too - anyone who wants to get in on the fun.

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It’s remarkable how an idea is planted and then becomes a whole new thing.

The world is loud and life seems to be unfurling at the speed of sound - faster than a speeding bullet. That is the world turning. That is reality.
AND
there are simple, slow, meaningful pursuits that feel good in our hands - a book/magazine/gazine, crayons, paintbrush, hammer and nail, pressed flowers, seeds and soil, bread dough, pen on paper writing a letter or a love note!

Bottom line - efficiency, convenience, high tech, and being at the pointy end of the spear has it’s place.

So does simplicity.

Remember - AND not OR

Thanks for being here.

Take care of yourself.

Sending rusted buckets of love and goats.

So far I have remained upright but Boris the barn cat slipped while walking to breakfast this morning. Keeping my fingers crossed and my steps slow.

This weekend, unless the threat of snow becomes real, I’ll be hosting nine women at the shop. We will be writing a vision and planting seeds for spring. And the timing couldn’t be better.

The first edition of the Golden Goat Gazine will be finished by the weekend.

I’ve used the computer to put it together and print so it’s not truly analog. I’m calling it analog-adjacent. There are some hand-written pages.

The Gazine (Gazette + Magazine) must be consumed by holding it in your hands, turning pages and reading it. Then hopefully sharing it.

I will leave copies at Soviero’s, Tucker’s Grill, EVRI Greek Eats and Ward Black Law - because all are mentioned inside.

It’s been a blast and a stretch.

Highly recommended - make something you’ve never made. Make anything.

In the Year of Baking Dangerously - Scones have taken over. Cheddar Bacon, Orange Cranberry, and Lemon Blueberry with Orange Cranberry being my fave. On the list to try - pita bread, sourdough, Momaw Caudle’s Chicken and Dressing and a sandwich loaf. I’ve completed 4 weeks so far. Digging it.

Take care of yourselves. Stay warm. Hope you have a big pot of soup and wool socks. Really hope you aren’t sick of soup.

Sending out warm, rusted buckets of love and goats.

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Going out! Step into the wilds of Walmart or the gas station or stand in line for propane.

It is a different world out here.

People are having conversations with strangers and thanking the utility truck driver - in advance.

Right this minute I’m seeing a kinder version of us.

Wanna know what I think?

It’s cause we are a community - one big ass community getting ready for an ice storm or a blizzard or just some cold cold cold days ahead.

We just came back from being “out in the wild” and seeing and feeling all those things. It’s for real and shouldn’t be missed.

It’s worth venturing out. It’ll warm your heart. It’ll make you smile.

Just do it. Enjoy it. Just go fart around.

Be a part of something.

Then come home and bake some cookies. Gather candles and make a pile of blankets on the couch - JIC. Pull out a deck of cards a puzzle or some books.

Cheers.

Thanks for playing along.
Here’s another rusted bucket of love and fuzzy goats coming to ya.

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Before any of the above sneaks in -

“I’m praying that God gets in my head before I do.” unknown

Front-load all the things that inspire and soothe and give you strength.
That’s what get’s the first crack at ya.
That’s letting God (or whoever you believe and follow) in first.
That arms us for what’s next.

We always have the ability - the power - no matter what is going on -
to let the divine in first.

“The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the good.”
Richard Rohr

“You have permission to experience joy right now. Despair is not going to effing save our asses right now man. But joy might...Insisting on beauty and goodness might…I need my hope to be bigger than my ability to be hopeful.”
Nadia Bolz Weber

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Make soup in your kitchen. Bathe. Do laundry. Get out of bed. Make the bed. Bake something and give it away. Give flowers to your neighbor. Let someone go in front of you at the grocery store.

Call or write to local and federal lawmakers and representatives. Tell the decision makers who work for you what you think, what you believe and what you want.
They work for us.

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.”
Martin Luther

Thanks for being here.

Buckets of love and goats foreva.

That sounds like the definition of an artist. My definition of an artist.

Art is doing something better than needed and not because it’s expected or required- but because you care - you want to make it better.

It elevates the ordinary.

You’ve probably read about Barry’s artful dishwashing and laundry skills - legendary. Artistry can be found in cleaning stalls, waiting tables, and finding the perfect hotel at 9:55PM for someone who’s been driving 9 hours. Betcha know somebody that’s delighted you with their cooking or their hospitality.

Art. Artists. Doing it better than it needs to be.

The Golden Goat Award was created for the one who brings all of it - all they have - to everything they do. They have a spark (maybe a sparkle), and everyone sees it, feels it.

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Golden Goats elevate the ordinary and make things better.

They do it simply because they can.

Our (anyone who notices) job is to practice the art of recognition by shining a light on them and encouraging the hell out of them!

If you know someone who needs recognizing - let me know. I got the goods - Golden Goat Trophies.
Golden Goat Stationary.
Golden Goat Cards.
Shiny, sparkly accessories.
Flowery accolades.

Thanks for being here.

Buckets of love and goats coming at ya right this minute.

Read the historical Golden Goat lore.

Golden Goats

Another Golden Goat

More Golden Goats

Visioning & Winter Sowing Workshop - 4 spots left

This hands-on workshop combines personal visioning with practical winter sowing. Future you will be oh-so-thankful. No gardening experience required – just your curiosity.

January 31^st, 2026 at 10-12:00 at “The Shop” Kernersville, NC
$55 per person To reserve your spot, ask questions or talk about goats - email, text or call Vikki at rustedbucketproject@gmail 336-986-4444

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Roots and Rituals: A Retreat of Tea, Flowers, and Purpose
Saturday, May 2nd | 11:00 – 4:00
Sunday, May 3rd | 1:00 – 6:00

Join us for a weekend built around slowing down, soaking up beauty, and finding your footing again. Inspired by The Way of Tea and Justice by Becca Stevens, this retreat brings together the simple goodness of tea, flowers, and thoughtful conversation.