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Chapter 1.12: Dear Diary, Horses, Chickens and Cows, Oh My!

Entry 12:

Journal, can you imagine my excitement when I learned that we had finally done enough to the out-buildings to get our animals? I’ve been beside myself with anticipation and happiness! Once they arrive, this will be a full-fledged working farm!

And animals are so darn cute. Liev told me they’re a lot of work but the more he went on about the responsibility part, the more I heard, “Blah, blah, blah.” I know it sounds immature. I just don’t want to focus on cleaning the stalls. I want to relish the idea of cows, chickens and horses and how adorable they are. It’s going to be great! I’m gong to milk a cow! I’m going to play with chickens and ride horses!

“Yes,” Liev had said with a very sober expression when I gushed more of my thoughts to him, “we’ll be milking the cows and taking care of the animals daily. Even when you don’t feel well. Even when you’d rather be doing something else because there are a million other things that have to be done.” What a wet blanket. He must think I’m so dumb. I know that animals come with a big responsibility.

While I’ve been busying myself with gardening, canning and taking pictures of Keniesha, Liev has repaired the chicken coop, brought in hay and fixed the barn roof. It seems we are always busy!

1


The garden is coming along. I haven’t harvested anything yet and keeping up with the weeds is next to impossible, but this is kind of a stress free zone for me so I don’t mind spending my time here.

2


I hope that someday, I’m surrounded by my children in this garden. I can see their antics and hear their laughter now.

Speaking of children, Keniesha is doing pretty well. She’s six months along and not having morning sickness any longer, which is a huge relief for everyone, let me tell you.

She’s been eating some strange things, though. I really can’t understand it. The worst I can think of is when I walked into the house after gardening and I thought a skunk had died in there or something.

5


I didn’t like the idea of coming across anything dead but I knew I had to find whatever it was and dispose of it. Still, no matter how long I searched, I couldn’t find the source of the smell.

Finally, I asked my sister. She was in the dining room eating from a bowl.

“It’s my lunch!” she snapped, glaring at me.

Good gravy, how could anyone’s lunch be so odoriferous? And what would possess anyone to eat it? Presently, I found out she was eating beets, hard boiled eggs and sauerkraut. Together. And she was smiling while she did it, too, as if she’d never been so content in her life.

Isn’t she cute, though? I guess I can overlook some of these dietary faux pas for now. And Mango is so proud!

4


I made the mistake a couple months ago of asking her if she knew what she was having. She’d just had an ultrasound, for Pete’s sake. Why wouldn’t this auntie ask?

Her response? “A baby. I’m having a baby.”

Wow. I know I don’t always have the keenest grasp of the obvious but just… wow.

The fact is, lately, she and Mango have been keeping everything close to the vest. They won’t discuss what names they are thinking of either. It’s as if they have this really special secret just between the two of them.

Anyway, I am praying Keniesha is holding her ground with Mango in the name department.

6


Now that you have the pregnancy update, I’ll show you what we’ve been doing outside! This is the front of our house. I’m hoping that someday soon, they pave this road. It’s a real stinker to drive down after it rains. Liev says not to hold my breath, though.

7


See the tree house? When Liev was a kid visiting his Gramps, he played in that tree house. From what I heard, Gramps and Liev built it together. I can’t help but smile when I think of my kids playing in the very tree house their father and great-grandfather built.

8


This is the front porch. Isn’t it pretty? (Or “purdy” as some of the folks around these parts would say.) I really love the tinkling sound the wind chimes make when the breeze rolls in.

9


This is the side garden. There is a garden on the other side as well, but it’s really overgrown and I just don’t see myself getting to it any time soon.

Apparently, Gramps found that statue but no one seems to know from where. My bet is he dragged it home from a cemetery or some place abandoned and spooky. From the colorful stories Liev tells about Gramps, this is all I can imagine! Someday, I’d like to write down some of the stories Liev tells about Gramps. That would be a bestseller for sure!

Liev said that Gramps called the statue Annabel Lee.

10


There’s the barn and the hay bales Liev stacked. And guess what? The animals are here!

I can’t wait to show you our beautiful horses! I’ve been taking riding lessons but I’m nowhere near as good Liev. He says he’s been riding all his life and not to compare myself to that. He thinks I’m doing just fine.

11


This is the back of the house and my garden there on the left. Oh yes, and the chicken coop that Liev repaired on the right. Now, it’s chock full of chickens! Their antics really crack me up.

On a side note about the chickens…. the sweet, dear things…. upon first meeting them, the rooster made it quite clear that I’m to keep my distance. He chased me all the way back to the house! I ran inside and was afraid to come out again. Liev calls this rooster “Gus” but I have a secret name for him… which I’ve decided not to share in writing.

12

And Liev… he really surprises me sometimes.

“What are you wearing?” I’m not one to be all that picky about what someone chooses to wear, but I gotta say, this had me raising an eyebrow.

“Work clothes,” he said simply. Then he rewarded me with that lopsided grin of his.

“Work clothes. Hmmm. You look like some kind of bumpkin.”

He put his hands on his hips and twirled like a deranged, drunken fashion model. “Thank you. I’m just a good ol’ boy.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Look, I’m out here to work and get dirty,” he said, “not to look all sophisticated for you.”

I playfully smacked him in the shoulder. “Okay, okay.”

“Well, sometimes you act like such a city slicker.”

He was immediately rewarded with another playful smack in the shoulder.

13

In those work clothes, Liev was determined that I should learn the ins and outs of farm life.

There are the cows! Aren’t they beautiful? Their names are Mabel, Delilah and Effie (because at least one cow should always be named Effie).

I braved the chickens long enough to feed them while Liev fed the cows. Apparently, the rooster doesn’t see the need to attack if you’re feeding him. I warily kept my eye on him just the same.

Then Liev offered to show me how to milk the cows and I have to admit, I was quite eager to learn.

14


Until this city slicker got closer to one of them. I think it was Mabel, but honestly, I really can’t tell. I don’t know how Liev recognizes which one is which.

“Good gravy! What is that smell?” Skipping any attempt to be delicate or graceful, I pulled the collar of my shirt over my nose and mouth. I think my eyes were watering.

Liev just stared at me for a moment. It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. “Ummm… it’s a cow.”

15


Needless to say, he milked the cows by himself. Maybe each day, I’ll get another foot closer. I don’t reckon we can count on that for certain, though.

Liev, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to notice it.

“All I smell is fresh air,” he declared at one point. As if that statement explained everything and should make sense to me.

All I can think is, if this is the smell of fresh air… well, I’d just as soon not find out what the opposite smells like. I sure don’t remember the city smelling badly but Liev insists the city stinks something horrible.

21


Speaking of odors, there is a whole lotta “fresh air” around these beauties as well, but I’m getting used to it. Maybe. I mean, there is just something about these guys that really make me forget what I’m smelling. So, meet Dilly and Dally.

19


And what farm or ranch would be complete without cats and dogs? Well Misty and Mister here are the best mousers in the county! Not that I’ve ever seen mousers before. Liev says they’re very good, anyway. I didn’t figure I’d want to pursue how he knows this as a fact.

On a side note, Liev wanted to call them Beatrice Minerva and Elwood P. but I put my foot down.

20


These are my sweet pups Biscuit and Gravy. Liev says the little one is a Beagle and should be a good companion when hunting. All I know is they’re both about the cutest things I’ve ever seen.

16


At least in the late afternoon before things get crazy again, we can usually take a break.

“I wish this day would never end and that we could stay out here all the time.”

He stroked my hair and then murmured, “Me, too. But tomorrow’s Monday and it’s back to the grind.”

17


No matter how often I tried to convince him it would work, he just didn’t see any possibility of quitting his job to work the farm full time. While there was nothing he’d like better, it just didn’t make sense financially.

So, our routine began to slowly fall into place. I did what morning chores I could and worked in the garden. He took care of the animals before and after work.

18


I pushed unpleasant thoughts of Monday out of my head and reveled in the feel of his fingers smoothing my hair.

That particular afternoon, we stretched out in the sweet smelling grass and talked about our future together.

Kymber Hawke
Kymber Hawkehttps://booomcha.com/
I am a simmer, Rennie garb wearer, author, and dog petter. Judy Garland is my queen, horror movies & classic movies are my jam. INFJ with "Unity Hayes" as a pseudonym. A little bit eccentric, owned by two cats, Cesare & Josie-Pye. 🐱🐱

60 COMMENTS

  1. I enjoyed this chapter! It was just calm and fun and it looks like she’s really enjoying life. I hope they are able to run the farm full time one day. Also, I’m super jealous! I mean really, The Sims 3 has so much good farm stuff and pet stuff and Sims 4 has NONE!

  2. Oh I really wanna live on a farm now! Yay animals!! I love the renovations, the farm looks amazing. And Gus seems pretty intimidating, I think I would stay away from him too haha.

  3. Well this chapter was full of a plethora of scents for Memphis, from Keniesha’s lunch to the fresh air, haha. Farm life appears both peaceful but hard at the same time~ It’d be nice if she gets her inheritance so Liev doesn’t have to work anymore and they can remain on the farm together, he seems to have a knack for it.

      • I don’t blame you. She’s amazing. First time I saw her, I was wondering if I could download her to my game to pair up with an heir or a spare, but then she married Harry Mango (lol) and I figured you tell her story well. No need to give her an alternate universe.

    • Hahaha Keniesha, oh my goodness. I’d forgotten about that! Gross! 😀

      I love farms so much and all the animals, too. I’m glad you liked the chapter.

  4. Poor Memphis. I thought farm life hard but very relaxing and rewarding. There’s nothing as great as picking up eggs and harvesting your own food. I loved it. I wore those overalls too, especially when clearing the land of briars and cudzu. Long sleeve denim shirts protected my arms as well. That stuff can be deadly. I didn’t have all those animals, just chickens. Bliss

  5. Another lovely chapter ♥♥♥. I also love everything on a farm and gardening is allways what I play first, after getting a new sims game… and also the first generation in every legacy, right? I do appreciate it very much, it’s like I play it again.
    Yes, Memphis is definitively a romatic soul. I wonder if we’ll watch her wake up and notice how hard farm word really is!

    • Thank you so much! 🙂 That’s a good question about Memphis. LOL I really love playing farming life in sims. It’s one of my favorite things to do.

  6. Tee hee, Biscuit & Gravy lol. I think Liev was right to think that she may have been romanticizing the idea of farm life lol. Hopefully she’ll get over it and start helping him with the animals soon. Speaking of animals, was there some sort of farm life pack I missed?? I never had farm animals in my game!

  7. All the animals are so cute, I especially love Biscuit and Gravy! Maybe Liev should consider working on the farm full time, It would probably be better for both of them. Cool chapter!

  8. Huh. I think there’s something on my side too. I kept being prompted to log into my WordPress account, and it seemed like it pre-filled like three email addresses into the login screen at different times. They were all *valid* addresses in that they’ll get to me, but only one is connected to my WordPress account.

    I’m wonder if somehow my login cookies are all scrambled. I think I’m just going to have to delete them all and see what happens.

    • I hope this doesn’t happen anymore. I can’t imagine why your posts went to that folder instead of here because there never seemed to be a problem before. I’m going to be searching for answers today. Thank you so much for reading. 🙂

  9. Memphis certainly is learning a lot about life on a farm. I hope she doesn’t become discouraged or overworked. Most of all, I hope she never regrets moving to the country. I know Liev will have a lot to deal with between his job, the farm, and helping Memphis adjust. All that pressure can create problems. I wish them the best! Of course I’m looking forward to the arrival of the new little Mango, too.

  10. I have a question, why can’t he just work the farm? I thought Memphis would get all the money from her fathers discovery that the Covingtons tried to keep from her. Isn’t that why Garret wanted to marry her, to keep all that money for themselves? Just curious. For all I know maybe the Covingtons were really bad with finances and spent all the money lol at any rate I think Liev has a better grasp of what running a farm entails then Memphis does. It’s a lot of work!

    • Hello! The reason they are still watching their money is because she hasn’t received the inheritance yet. 🙂 Yes, it sure is a lot of work! 😀 Thank you for reading!

  11. I hope my comment came through…did it?? I seem to be having problems posting comments on these story blogs, for some reason! Anyway, I love your story, and I am definitely looking forward to more! ♥

    • I don’t know why it didn’t post right away because your comments were approved a long time ago. Very strange indeed. It should all work fine from now on, though. 🙂 Thank you again for reading and commenting!

  12. I must say, I like everything Keneisha was eating, maybe not all at the same time, however! Memphis is funny about the ‘smells’ of the animals. If she stays around them long enough, she won’t notice anymore!! I hope she can make friends with that rooster…they can be pretty mean! I hope we find out what Keneisha is having, perhaps twins?? Looking forward to the next chapter!! ♥

  13. Awwww! I loved Memphis’s attitude towards the animals, it was very cute albeit a little naive. It’s nice to see her settling into the farming life- it suits her, even though she needs to get used to the cows! I liked the adorable beagle in particular. 🙂

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