What's a Cowgirl Do?: Keep Calm & Ride On

We have an auction coming up this SATURDAY @ Chicken Ranch Dancehall in NECHANITZ for the BEAUTIFUL Paige "Bird" Norsworthy. I don't personally KNOW Paige, but I do know what its like to be a COWGIRL. I know how SCarY the UNKNOWN of the medical world is. I've got a DADDY that had to FIGHT one medical issue to come back to us & then FIGHT to stay with us. My family & I had to RALLY ALL of EVERYTHING we had & what others would GIVE to raise $$ to GET him what he NEEDed that we couldn't provide on our own. I've worked in hospitals where I have seen first-hand...the StrUGGle people face when they have to make a decision... A DECISION to become a victim or to FIGHT thru the stRugGLE & GROW from it.

We will all face that decision & some of us MULTIPLE times & let me tell you... It is NOT AN EASY DECISION. It is comprised of multiple battles within the decision. There are PLENTY of things that can get you down & there are plenty of things that COULD keep you there. There are times when no family member, no nurse, & no BEST friend can give you what you need & YOU have to reACH deep within yourself to KEEP yourself....to not hand yourself over...

Growing up I didn't have many "cowgirls" around me in school, but we went to cuttings damn near EVERY weekend. Me & my sister weren't AFRAID to climb on ANYTHING. It was natural. We wanted to be able to do MORE than just ride. We wanted to LEARN how to make a horse move, how to read a cow, how to change leads, how to start a young horse on cattle... WHEN a horse started buckin' we WANTED to RIDE it thru... teach it to side pass... spin & cross over the right way... do things RIGHT. We'd get picked on every so often about "cowgirl" things & the way we went about things & as the years pass on, I have LEARNED a few THINGS...from ALL of my experiences (horseback & not). DON'T GET ME WRONG. We are ALL SpecIAL....but cowgirls have this...something in their character....this personal, private GRIT....this GRIT surrounded by love & light & ENERGY....this...."You got me down now sucker, BUT just wait until I GET UP" kind of attitude. In the things that REALLY MATTER to us...Nothing is ever really ENOUGH. PAIGE is a full-fledged "cowgirl." If she's anything like me...she could care less for the label, but nonetheless...the fight that girl has is undeniable. Once you ARE one...you can't lose it....even if you don't ride for YEARS... The skills & horseback ability may fade a little, but the GRIT will FOREVER & EVER be there. 

I was looking through my Facebook feed last night & I saw this picture of Paige at her Semi-formal. She was rockin' that helmet! It takes COURAGE (no matter how much people like you, love you, & SUPPORT you) to step out & BE SEEN....when not very many people have SEEN you in that light... & When seein' yourself in that light is DifFereNt.

I get anxious before my auctions because I KNOW not only what the individuals go thru, BUT what family & friends are going thru...all the emotions. All the LOVE. All the WANT. All the everything & I want to make EVERY SINGLE AUCTION the VERY BEST it can possibly be. The WHOLE event really... What made me DECIDE to walk the BENEFIT & fundRAISING auction journey with my business is how networks of people come together....businesses, friends, families, high-school students, co-workers, past employees, friends of friends....come together...& LIFT EACH OTHER UP. Accidents, illnesses, tragedies....they don't discriminate. We ALL can get knocked down....get the wind knocked out of us....get blind-sided. We ALL get depressed, get discouraged, get lost & WE ALL need each other to LIFT US UP. That's why GOD put us here. To NEED him & NEED each other to learn, to grow, to live, to appreciate, & to support. I am HONORED to be able to provide a team to give ALL we've got to RAISE as much $$ as we can. I am also HONORED to help another COWGIRL & ENCOURAGE her to ALWAYS shine her light. That's why GOD GAVE IT TO US!!

BUCK UP BABY!! COME ON OUT!! THROW THOSE HANDS UP!! You can't take that $$ with you & there is always more to be made!! The flyer is below with details. You can drop off auction items at the Chicken Ranch Dance Hall FRIDAY from 12-3 Or Saturday starting at 1PM until before the auction. 

Heather Kaspar

TXL#17037

A Story about Beau "Diddle" Green

Our next UPCOMING Auction is on FRIDAY, April 25th in Giddings, TEXAS. See the flyer below. It is a MEMORIAL scholarship FUNDraiser in HONOR of the memory of the late BEAU DIDDLE GREEN. The $$ raised from the entire event (Dance, LIVE & silent Auctions, & Golf Tourney) go to deserving students of the GIDDINGS & LEXINGTON School Districts.

I didn't have the pleasure of knowing Beau, before he passed  & was asked to talk to Beau's cousin Jacob - to learn a little more about him. I have to say that I was touched by Jacob's MEMORIES & LOVE for Beau.

Beau was 6 years older than Jacob. Beau lived with Jacob & his family for a while & the two of them became roomates. Here are some of the things Jacob had to say about Beau:

-He became like a BROTHER to me.
-He was the 1st person I ever called a BEST FRIEND.
-He was TRUSTWORTHY.
-He MADE YOU FEEL secure.
-He was like a WATCHDOG or PROTECTOR.
-He was FULL of life....ALWAYS positive.
-He was a GREAT LISTENER & sound board.
-He was the LIFE OF THE PARTY!
-He would ENCOURAGE anybody to do ANYTHING they wanted to do.

When Beau was 23 years-old, he took his own life. Let me tell you somethin'. LIFE can get mighty hairy....especially when you don't have much money, & stability, & the demons start creepin' up. God put all of us HERE ON EARTH to HELP EACH OTHER. We all know that in our low times sometimes....family can't help us...our friends can't help us...sometimes GOD is the only person that can help us....just BE AWARE. Sometimes people like Beau WILL NOT (UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE) let the people they are protective of KNOW that they are hurting. People who LOVE that much, can also CRASH that hard.

As sad & heart-wrenching as his death was, Beau's family ORGANIZED a MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP EVENT to carry out the kind of things Beau was already doing, in his short time here. Through this scholarship fund students are encouraged to become anything they want to become. They are given an OPPORTUNITY & Beau's family has figured out how to keep his LEGACY ALIVE in this event. There will be dancin'. There will be EXCITEMENT! There will be golfin'. EVERYTHING that comes from it will be POSITIVE & going to help students that really NEED it.

Beau wasn't only a BIG GOLFER & BIG DANCER, but he had a GREAT BIG HEART.  Come out and support this event. You're not only gonna have a heck of a time, but there are some SUPER cool items to bid on & all the $$ you spend is going right back in the community to help one of your own.

BUCK UP BABY! Shine your light on others...even if it's just a glimmer. You can contact Paula Otto at 570.778.1727 OR Melissa Lira at 979.716.0622 if you have an auction item to donate, want details so you know when to come bid, or have questions about the golf tournament. Check our website. We keep updating it with auction items: www.buckupauctions.com

Heather Kaspar
TXL 17037

Antique Fair Adventure: Day 6 of The Wandering Auctioneer

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”  - Colossians 3:23

Guys....I almost didn't do this whole Antique Fair Adventure thing & I SURE didn't know that I would become a wandering auctioneer for a week....

I knew MOST people wouldn't get it & I would be facing a lot of CRITICISM....which I can take.... I just wasn't sure I wanted to. In fact....I know I didn't WANT to, but there reached a point where I knew I HAD to. God wouldn't let me turn this CraZy idea loose. So I prayed for STRENGTH & thanked God everyday that he sent Christie to keep urging me on....b/c I was still half-way crawfishin' out of this on Monday & Tuesday. 

Now I look back.... at how truly BLESSED I am to:

-Have FABULOUS people, (with such different skill sets) that will come out & help me when I call last minute OR CreaTE something that is REALLY more work than what we ordinarily do....but understand WHY I'm doing it.

Words can not express how thankful I am for these people!

Our MOBILE wagon. 

My cashiers - hard at it!

Mobile Clerk/Cashier

Christie & her boys getting the items lined up. 

Melissa - ready wherever she is needed!

Avery showing item up for auction...and a MIGHTY cool one at that. 

-Have met some really wonderful people ALL WEEK LONG...some of which have become life-long friends.

Me & Jennifer Clack @ Junk Prom

-Have been given a gift to truly help people & a platform to show more people from different areas....& not spend thousands of $$$ in advertising to show them.

-Have found a land owner & show organizer that really GOT IT....(my idea) & helped me set it into motion. 

Cheryl from Zapp, Myself, & Bobby with Bobby Boyd Designs

-Have been given the opportunity to silence peoples' doubts. 

- & probably MOST of all: share my ministry to others. I'm not kidding when I say..... WE DID EVERY SINGLE DAY.... and people shared their's. I could almost feel the Holy Spirit moving between us. 

When it was all said & done....all the $$$ tallied - including straight donations.... each event raised over $6000!!

Guy's...we pulled off these 2 auctions in a week's time. If you know anything about auctions....that is tough!  We "made it work" from the word GO. 

The first auction was for Shawna Robinson. We dubbed it a "Wandering Auction" & literally started in a central location....then wandered from vendor tent to vendor tent selling DONATED items from each booth....where ALL the proceeds went to Shawna. Shawna is a vendor at Zapp Hall that had planned on coming to the show, but was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 weeks before. In the middle of our planning - we learned that the Cancer had actually spread & things were going to be a little tougher, before they got easier. BUT LET ME TELL YOU.... those vendors RALLIED behind her. I had the opportunity to get a chance to visit with ALL the vendors there at Zapp. Some of them knew her, some were her BEST FRIENDS, & some had never met her - BUT there isn't one vendor that did not participate. Many said...if that was us, we'd want someone to help. Others said....I have a loved one fighting that battle & I don't care how tough a person is...everyone needs somebody. To KNOW that they'd a been happy with $2000 & we helped raise over $6000 really makes me SO happy that we could help people BLESS EACH OTHER. Shawna is a former NASCAR RACE CAR DRIVER & is no stranger to pressure, but I hope she knows that in her low times.....SHE HAS A CREW....to hold her, love her, support her, & bless her EVERY step of her journey.

The second auction was at Chelsea's Meadow in Round Top. So...I'm sittin' at Los Patrones in Round Top - with my two main auction gals & we are BRAINSTORMING this whole idea & the best way to do things & IF we should do them & IF I was cRazY & Cathy introduces me to Mr. Clack, who then introduces me to his daughter & they have a NEED for what I'm thinking about doing. We meet the next day. We initially talk about a consignment auction...where a piece of it goes to her friend Stephanie....also fighting breast cancer. We mull it over in our minds & I pray about it & I tell her, with the time frame we have to work with in mind, that I think the BEST thing we can do is a DONATION only fundraising auction & have the proceeds go to Stephanie, which should raise more money. So we agree to it, pull the trigger, & get to work. Jennifer was also happy to raise around $2k & we were able to surpass $6k with the entire event. This auction benefited Stephanie Few - who is a childhood friend (since Kindergarten) of Chelsea's Meadow Owners Jennifer Clack & her Dad Larry Clack. Stephanie was diagnosed with breast cancer at 7 months pregnant. They delivered the baby early (happy & healthy) & performed a mastectomy. She has recently started chemo treatments. Her husband was laid off from his job shortly after she was diagnosed. Since then, he was able to find work, but for much less than what he was making. Needless to say....Jennifer talked to Stephanie & knew that new situations arose where she would be in need of funds that they just would not be able to come up with on their own...so this fundraiser is just a HUGE blessing to her. 

Guys...BOTH of these girls we helped were COMPLETE strangers to us...in fact the people we were working with to organize the events were COMPLETE strangers to us, BUT WE DID GOOD. We have now made life-long friends, have started discussing what we can do & how we can do things to help EVEN more people - in more than one way, & really....HELP PEOPLE SHARE THEIR LOVE & USE THEIR NETWORK OF PEOPLE TO LIFT EACH OTHER UP. 

God knows what he is doin' & KNEW that the GOOD that would come out of this was SO MUCH BETTER than any criticism that would be thrown my way. I'm not kidding when I say I feel SPENT. The crew & I  mustered EVERY bit of what we had to do this & I am SO PROUD of them & eternally GRATEFUL. 

Our work here is done...for now. 

BUCK UP BABY!! LET JESUS TAKE THE REINS & JUST GO ALONG FOR THE RIDE! IT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU'LL HANG ON! Stay tuned guys....LOTS more on the horizon!

An special THANK YOU to Hengst Printing in LaGrange for gettin' me set up with almost EVERYTHING - short notice, our parents & friends that helped watch the kiddos, & Susan Hickey& Nelson Muhoberac for the photos!

Heather Kaspar

Buck Up Auctions

TXL 17037

Political Roast & Early Act First Knight

I have a fundraising auction coming up this coming Monday in Aransas Pass. I was contacted by a sweet little lady that is part of the Rotary Club there. The Spanish & Science Club Network is allowing them to hold an auction during their Local Political Roast Event, which will be held at the Aransas Pass Civic Center from 6pm-9pm. They are working to raise money for a program called EARLY ACT FIRST KNIGHTS, which is a character building curriculum for public schools.

The most updated information I have is as follows:

Politicians being roasted are:

Jack Chaney, Aransas County Commissioner & Joe McComb, Nueces County Commissioner

The BAKED items that will be auctioned off will be baked by several LOCAL celebrities including:

Ex-Mayor

Currenty City Council Member

Citizen of the Year

Retired District Judge

Engineer From Ony

Care Regional Medial Center PR Specialist

City Manager

Local CPA/Business Owner/2011Citizen of the Year

Chamber of Commerce CEO

Early Act First Knight Supporter

& HOPEFULLY 1 very special MysTerY celebrity!!

When I lived on the coast I was a mentor at one of the local schools (Middle School & High School). I had several friends that were also part of the mentoring program & when we would run into tough scenarios we'd talk with each other about how to BREAK through to our mentee OR try to figure out WHAT they were needing from us. 

Let me tell you... It was tough sometimes. Here are a couple scenarios: A 5th grader is constantly in ISS & when you go and visit they are blank. They don't really want to talk to you. They keep their head down. There is a TOTAL lack of motivation. As the school year goes on...you find out that their parents give this child weed....mainly so they don't bother them. As a mentor you go through the proper channels, but KNOW that this child will already have a battle to overcome, that they should have never even been subject to. 

Here's another: A child with a mother totally out of the picture. Her father has limited presence, but in another state, with his other family - that the mentee only gets to go visit. She has a hard-working aunt that works to support the entire family, so isn't home much. Her uncle doesn't have hardly any interest in her & this middle-schooler doesn't understand it. She has a hard time making friends & seeing her worth.

Last one: A Freshman in high school, that WANTS to DO GOOD. They have an older sister that dropped out of high school at 16 because she was pregnant. The mother has a new boyfriend (that the student doesn't get along with). The student is struggling with their grades. They report drug activity that they saw after school, but their identity somehow gets exposed, so they are now being threatened. Another student threatens the pregnant sister after school & threats of physical violence are voiced. 

I bring these scenarios up because they are REAL. FIRST ACT KNIGHTS is a character-building curriculum that teaches students about HONOR, INTEGRITY, HONESTY, KINDNESS, COURAGE, & SO MUCH MORE! ALL kids naturally want to DO GOOD and make people PROUD of them. Early Act First Knight can be their outlet!

EarlyAct FirstKnight® (or EAFK) is a groundbreaking character education program for elementary and middle schools from Knights of The Guild. Sponsored by Rotary Clubs, EAFK motivates and teaches children of all backgrounds to become civil, service-oriented people during their most formative years.

Here are more links to learn more about Early Act First Knight:

http://www.eastcoasteafk.org/index.php/features

http://www.eafk.org/EAFK/EarlyAct_FirstKnight.html

http://www.anderson1.k12.sc.us/domain/878

https://redbluff.pasadenaisd.org/news/early_act_first_knight

I hope all of my friends down South can make it out to this event! Who doesn't like a good roast? I'm not positive where you can get the tickets, but I'm sure the Aransas Pass Civic Center OR the Spanish & Science Club Network (look at the bottom of the web page) can point you in the right direction!! BUCK UP BABY & THROW THOSE HANDS UP! This is SUCH a needed program for our schools & together we can raise enough $$$$ to keep it going & MAYBE get it into MORE schools!! GOD BLESS!