"Walk on" music is music Mike Daniel Caudle and Dottie Pyrtle singing, My Rifle My Pony and Me.

Hey goat lovers, welcome to the Goat Locker podcast. I'm Vicki and I'm going to be talking your ear off about goats, goat lockers and other life-saving topics. I know you're probably dying to hear about Thelma and Louise and I'm dying to tell you some stories. I believe I've decided that this will be like a regular part of the podcast. I might call it treat time with the toxic twins or something like that. To start at the beginning of the Thelma and Louise saga, they were born February 9th of this year and we brought them home on March 25th. That was a very good day. They are twin girls (Doelings). They're black with a little bit of white. Thelma's got a bigger white patch between her horns. That's the easiest way to recognize her and Thelma's got more white on her side. They are very sweet. They have zero manners and they're mouthy. But I'm totally in love and pretty much anybody else that meets them falls completely in love with them too. I know my family is for sure. They absolutely love treats and what I've given them is carrots. That was the first thing and they really loved those chopped up apples. Then there's a goat treat that tastes like licorice or that's what it says on the package and they love that. They are completely absolutely motivated by food. That's the way to get them to do anything, to get them to come, to get them to go. That's their jam. That's my son for a transition. Now we're going to talk about goat lockers. Why would I call this the goat locker? What is a goat locker? First of all, it's just a cool ass name, you know, goat locker. It can encompass pretty much anything. Anything can be in a goat locker. It's probably going to be kind of messy and funny and entertaining. So that's the perfect description of what I would like the podcast to be. And there is a pretty good backstory to that. Most of you know I retired the Navy in the reserves as a chief. Barry served 11 years in the Marine Corps. And that's how we met. The goat is the official mascot of the Navy. So that's kind of how it fits in. I've always loved goats. Barry's nickname for me. One of his nicknames for me is goat. And I in return call him goat lover. And I've always loved goats. I've always wanted goats. Like for about 20 years I've been heavy duty wanting goats and we moved too much to have them up until now. Okay, now stand by for a little bit of Navy history and I'm going to read this part. So in the early days of the Navy livestock were kept on board ships as a food source. Goats were the only animals that could adapt to life on board ship and earn their sea legs. When the rank of chief was created in the late 1800s they were tasked with the care of the livestock and they kept the goats in their own quarters in their sleeping quarters. Even after goats were no longer used as a food source they were still kept on board as pets and mascots. So the chief's birthing came to be known as the goat locker. And it is absolutely a badge of honor. And our goat locker here on the farm is essential. It keeps our herd safe. It feeds them, it houses them, it gives them a place to kick up their heels, play king of the mountain, headbutt anybody that pisses them off. That was Thelma and Louise telling me it was time to transition to the next topic. And yes, goats saved my life on a daily basis but what do I actually mean by what is saving my life right now? And it comes from a book that I'm reading by Barbara Brown Taylor entitled and Alter to the World. And Alter in the World, sorry. But it actually, the first time I heard this question was on a Jen Hatmaker podcast in 2018 and she was referring to a question that was posed to Barbara Brown Taylor. So full circle, six years later, however long that was, I'm reading this book and Barbara Brown Taylor is asked this question in the book. And so she just talks about what the question meant to her then and it was kind of like a gift. And I can see that because thinking about what is saving my life right
 now, it shifts my perspective and it allows me to think about the present and be completely in the present and dismiss any kind of shit that might be coming up in the future that I'm worried about because I'm a worrywart. And it allows me to dismiss any kind of past regrets or what ifs that I'm chewing on for no reason whatsoever. So I'm absolutely grabbing that question and I'm going to put it to some good use. The big thing saving my life right now is Liz Gilbert's latest project on Substack called Letters from Love. My favorite book by Liz Gilbert is Big Magic. But a lot of people know her from Eat, Pray, Love that was made into a movie with Julia Roberts. But this project, Letters from Love is a place to learn how to speak and write yourself with love and encouragement. Liz said that she's  day. And she says it's transformative, which you know, absolutely you can see why. It's her prescription for the present culture of thinking that we are unlovable or not worthy of love. And it's kind of an epidemic and it's, I think it's really sad. I know I have a dialogue that goes on in my head that is not encouraging and is not loving. You know, I will beat myself up for any kind of misstep or, you know, misspeaking something or, you know, just making a mistake. I'll absolutely beat myself up and call myself names. Something I would not do to anyone else I loved. And you know, that's bullshit. So I just haveto relearn and this is a way she's guiding us how to relearn that, you know, how to talk to ourselves, practice it. You know, we got to practice anything to get good at it or change, change a behavior. So loving yourself, treating yourself like a treasure, realizing we are our own best friend. I am my own best friend. I'm going to be with myself till the day I die. Walking shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart. I can depend on me like I can depend on nobody else. And I have plenty of people I can depend on. I'm a lucky girl, encourager. And so I'm just going to turn that around on myself and practice being loving and encourager and a cheerleader to myself. I'm going to change that dialogue in my head. Maybe you need to forgive that teenage girl or the 37 year old woman, or maybe you need to go back and say what you wanted and needed to hear to your seventh grade self. Speak it or write it, whatever it is you need to hear right now to you. I think it's revolutionary. And I love being a part of a revolution for me. All right, so that's it. Thank y'all so much. The music on today's podcast is from my brother, Mike Caudill. He recorded a CD a long time
 ago and this is my personal favorite off of that debut album. It's called My Rifle, My
Pony and Me, and Dean Martin sang it in Rio Bravo. Mom is also singing on this one. They were one hell of a duet. Thanks for showing up to the Goat Locker podcast. Please share it if you have the inclination. And I'll see you later, Goat Lovers. Keep an eye out for awesomeness. 
Music is Mike Daniel Caudle and Dottie Pyrtle singing, My Rifle My Pony and Me.