O Christmas Tree

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Our nine foot tree from the last house is too tall for the eight foot ceilings at this house. 

Last House

Last year, we set it up in the eating area, which has a peaked ceiling, but it made the dining table seating a little awkward.  And opening gifts on the dining area floor was a little crowded and uncomfortable...not to mention difficult to get pictures - priorities, right?

Last Year

This year, the tree is going in the living room, eight foot ceilings or bust.  I bent the top few pieces down and we wedged it in.  It barely fits and I've probably gauged the ceiling (it needs fresh paint anyways), but it is not going anywhere!

We always had a fresh tree before, but we were also always sick at Christmas with itchy eyes, runny noses and sore throats.  Three or four years ago, we decided to try an artificial tree and voila!  No more sick!  Three or four years of packing the tree away in it's box has taken a toll though, the poor wooly thing started looking a bit flat and disheveled.  So last year, instead of ordering a new tree,  I ordered a five pound box of tree flocking.  I love those heavily flocked trees all over Instagram, but they are SO expensive and our tree is still good enough (I'd rather spend the money on house projects than on a new tree too!).  

It worked beautifully!  I was immediately hooked.  I pulled the tree out this year, it still looked good, but I decided to add more.  All you need is a flour sifter, spoon to scoop, and a spray bottle filled with water.  Make sure to cover under the tree with towels, paper, or a plastic tablecloth.  It comes off of hardwood, but you may have to scrape a little, so it's better to protect.  Spritz the tree first to give something for the powder to stick to.  I added some essential oils to give it a happy smell while I worked - cedar, Thieves, and orange, but that's just an extra, not necessary.  Then sift, and spray while sifting.  So easy!  A little addictive too, I did our tree and the kids two bedroom trees and was still looking for things to flock.  A little bit goes a long way, I still have quite a bit of that 5 pound box left!

Look how pretty!  And quickly!  I love a project with instant gratification.  You can find Flock-in-a-box here.  Let me know if you try it!

When Grief Shows Up for the Holidays

Joy, laughter and togetherness are always welcome for the holidays, but sometimes an uninvited guest can pull up a chair too.  

Grief.

You don't have to have lost someone to feel it.  It could be a job loss, a deep disappointment, a strained relationship, a missed opportunity, a health challenge, or changes either chosen or forced that you are adjusting to.

Like a badly behaved guest, if it isn't planned for, properly attended and taken care of, Grief can spoil your plans, wreck your party, embarrass you and leave you crying in the bathroom at the most inopportune of times.

No one wants that.

We can't ask our feelings to leave, but we can be ready for them, treat them kindly, and help ourselves handle them.  I've lost plenty of people at this point in my life, including my mother, and have suffered plenty of hurt, disappointment, strained relationships (and finances, those definitely cause grief!), and goodness knows, changes.  I've tried and failed so many ways to deal with it, including ignoring (it does NOT go away), and have found a few things that work for me, which might work for you too.

1.  Acknowledge Grief
Allow yourself a chance to be sad.  Feel it.  Don't ignore it or stuff it down for a later time.  Have a good cry about it when you have some privacy, you'll be less likely to fall apart later. Hand it to God, asking for help with healing and letting go.

2.  Know Your Triggers
The song "Amazing Grace" just kills me.  It's my favorite, was my mom's favorite, and is such a tender, precious song.  For the longest time, I couldn't hear the tune without my eyes leaking, and while that's better now, I still can't sing it without choking up.  If it started to play at church, I would exit the room.  It was just the easiest way.  If you know something will upset you, take a break, come back when it's over.

3.  Count Your Blessings
Gratitude chases an entire army of yucky feelings away.  It doesn't take long to come up with a handful of reasons to be grateful.

4.  Make Time For Yourself
Get enough rest, eat properly, drink plenty of water, and have a little peace and quiet to do something you enjoy.  A depleted person has a hard time during an average day, much less a holiday.

5.  Talk to Someone
Let your spouse, family, close friend know that you feel sad.  They care about you.  Sometimes grief shows up as irritability, impatience, and sullenness when we don't mean for it to.  It's easier to be patient and supportive of someone if you know they are struggling.

6.  Change It Up
Change things if you need to.  Let go of traditions (at least this time) that are just utterly painful.  Opt out.  You are allowed to decline, let go, and do things differently if you need to.  If it involves others, let them know why, they will be less likely to be hurt and more likely to understand.

7.  Remember Your Loved One
Reminisce over the good, share a funny memory, make a donation or buy a poinsettia for a nursing home in your loved ones name. Ignoring the loss does not help anything, honoring the person will help ease the sting a little.

Remember, you are never alone, each day will get a little better.  Reach out to your people, be honest with how you are feeling, allow yourself to be cared for.  You are worth it!

May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Psalm 119:76 NIV

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.  Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.  Psalm 147:3-5 NIV

Christmas at RedHouseDryGoods

I've had an Etsy shop for as long as I can remember, it's name and content has changed almost like I have.  When our kids were tiny, CaraMagic held handmade baby gifts, baby sock corsages and sparkly princess wands.  As they got older, the things I made changed a little too.  When we moved to a house so red, the name just had to change as well.  CaraMagic became Red House Dry Goods.  We no longer live in the red house, and goodness knows I hope the color our house is now is not permanent, but the shop name remains.  Long story short, Christmas has come to RedHouseDryGoods!

You'll find stockings, gifts, craft kits, gift wrapping goodies and jewelry...

How to Set a Pretty Thanksgiving Table - Quick & Simple

When we host a dinner or holiday, I get so caught up in the cooking and making sure the house is clean enough, that sometimes the table setting becomes the last task.  I love decorating so much more than cooking or cleaning, so it just pains me that this is the case.
I would rather take my time and enjoy the process, but sometimes there just isn't much time left!  Trying to set a pretty table can really add stress and pressure to an already busy situation.

There is a happy medium though!  I've figured out a formula.

You can use it for any event or holiday, and it always turns out...so long as you have the main piece...greenery of some sort.  Without it, ugh, it may feel a little empty.

1.  A Good Base
You need an easily cleaned, blank canvas.  That can be a bare polished table, or a tablecloth.  I like to use a cotton canvas painter's drop cloth.  It adds softness and light, protects your table...and it's inexpensive and multi-use!  If a spill doesn't wash out (they usually do), you can always use it for...a drop cloth.  *Make sure you wash and dry the drop cloth first (and of course iron it), sometimes they can have a funny smell.

2.  An Anchor
A table runner of any kind -  solid, patterned, an actual runner, a long piece of paper, or even just a long piece of cloth will give the next part, the most important part, an anchored feeling.

3.  A Centerpiece
This part makes the most difference and is SO easy...use a garland!  Either snake the entire length down the table, or fold it in half and center it.  Instant results!  It adds color, height, interest and fullness to your table.  Garlands are frequently on sale, cost less than flower bunches (fresh or faux), and are already arranged beautifully.  It saves you time and money (and can be reused again and again in other ways!).  You could even stop here and be done with it.  I added in a few sprigs of faux eucalyptus as this garland didn't have a lot of foliage.

4. Linens
I often use a neutral, basic napkin for the meal, and a smaller, colorful one to use at dessert.  They look so pretty layered between plates, or together in a napkin ring.  I'm keeping it simple for Thanksgiving, simple white dishwasher safe dinnerware (from Target, years ago), Mudpie monogrammed napkins and probably paper napkins with dessert (thanks to the mice that invaded a box in the garage that had my fall things- who knew cotton napkins made good nesting material?).

4.  Sparkle and Height
I love using both tall candlesticks for height and chunky short candles for weight.  You don't want anything that will block the view of who's sitting across the table, just something to add a little dimension and sparkle.  Worried about little fingers or napkins and candles?  Battery operated twinkle lights can mingle with the garland instead.

5. There you have it!  Basic, quick, no fuss table decor...of course you can add to it all you want, time and energy allowing.  What are your table decor go-to's?

5 Easy, Ready to Make Crafts to Get You into the Christmas Spirit

This year, my Etsy shop, RedHouseDryGoods, has a craft kit for grownups.  Every year, I have one for kids, each year slightly different, but why shouldn't the older crowd have some fun too?

Each kit has five little crafts, all packaged neatly in a sweet little bag, and comes with everything you need, including paint, paintbrush and glue....and of course, instructions.

Make these on your own, share the fun and have your kids help you, or give them to a crafty person on your list.  The little cloth bag they come in is perfect for storing your crafts as keepsakes or giving.  You can find them...here!

Something About Being 40 (and the blog name changed...again)

How many changes does this make?  Goodness, I have no idea.  My husband, my greatest supporter and helpful sounding board, has said "enough already".  So "Simply Cara Davis" it is (for now, I think, until I think of something better).  I think that encompasses about anything this blog could be, right?  And it beats the ones he picked for me...My Computer Wife Cara (big spongebob fans in house), Reloader Joe's Cara (his YouTube channel)...hahaha.  Now for the post...

The closer I got to turning 40, the more I wanted to be me.  Just me.  Not some version I was expected to be.  Not who others thought I was or should be, but bumps and bruises, warts, faults, joys, failures and talents...me.

I've talked to others and it's a thing, turning 40 changes a person.  Or maybe it's all the things you've lived through, seen, and grown from in the years up until then, rather than the actual age, that changes you.  Maybe it just takes most people 40 years to develop this "losing" or "loosening" of oneself and it's invisible set of self-inflicted standards.  I do know some who seem to have been very strong versions of themselves for a lot longer, even their entire lives...they are truly onto something.

As I approached 40, there was an urge to let go of some of the things I've held onto for so long that either don't fit anymore, or just seem like a burden to carry.  Maybe they never fit and I just thought they looked good or wished that was who I was.  Things like labels, habits, personas, even traditions started to pinch like too small shoes on feet that were a little tender anyways.

After letting go of some of these things, both consciously and by surprise, I've also found I don't embarrass quite so easily.  I'm not afraid to speak my opinion, raise my hand, admit I'm wrong, and ask for help.  I would never have done so before, at least not with anyone outside of my small, tight, safe circle.  Quietly leaving the room while blushing was more my common response.   To me, this is very freeing, to my kids...they sometimes aren't sure what to think.  Behavior in public has definitely improved though!

The things I wish I had known were ok to let go of sooner, the things that caused stress and struggle, the truths that caused shame I felt I needed to hide...I'm going to share them with you.  While some may seem silly, some still feel a little embarrassing or shameful.  Some may resonate with you.  I've always loved advice from others I trust, but I realize that's not the case for everyone, so take of this (or don't) what you wish and you don't have to be 40 to be your true self.

1.  I am not rich.  In our area, it seems everyone is well moneyed.  It's just not true though.  There is so much "keeping up with the Jones's", it's ridiculous.  Deep debt, pinched budgets, competition, not my kind of fun.  Your car and your shoes, whether they are top of the line or Target, will still take you down the road.  My husband is a computer guy, and while we have everything we need and most of what we want, we are not millionaires.  And that is ok.

2.  I misspeak.  Everyone misspeaks.  We all sound like idiots sometimes.  We say hurtful things on purpose or accident and embarrass ourselves in public.  Own it, it's ok.  We are all just people.

3.  Realize your kids, spouse, parents, distant family, dog...they're all going to embarrass you at some point either by something they do or by telling something that you've done.  We all have them though, we all share that feeling.  No man is an island.

4.  I've done things I'm not proud of.  Yes, I kissed the Superman poster in third grade (who wouldn't - I mean Christopher Reeves!) and it was stupid.  And then there's all sorts of teenage idiocy.  We've all been there, right?  The past is just that, passed. Leave it there and grow from it.

5.  I am not perfect in any way, but I am fairly good.  And you are too.  The important thing is that we try.  Love others, speak kindly, do your best, and when that fails, apologize if needed and try again.

6.  I can't do it all.  Sometimes I need help.  Sometimes things just don't work.  I am not Superwoman, no matter which big girl pants I put on.

7.  I'm uncertain and sometimes I change my mind.  It's allowed!  You don't have to keep thinking or doing a certain way just because you always have!  It's ok to rethink, change and make a move without complete clarity.  Turns out, clarity is a little hard to find.

So you may become a reader of this blog or this may end it for you, either is ok.  I hope that putting myself out there maybe helps someone not to feel alone in their struggles.  You don't have to turn 40 to let go and be yourself.  And those people you feel you have to behave/dress a certain way to befriend or impress?  If they are truly your friends, they will love you all the more for the real you.

And because sometimes you just need a good quote or two from very wise people...

"Some of us will wear ourselves out trying to change ourselves before we realize it is not about fixing it; it is about letting go- letting go of old patterns that no longer serve us...All we stand to lose is the false self - the adaptive behaviors that are ultimately in opposition to the life of love and trust and being led by God that our hearts long for."
 - Ruth Haley Barton, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."  Psalm 139:14 NIV

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." -Bernard M. Baruch

You Might Be the Answer to a Prayer

It hadn't necessarily been a rough week, but it had patches.  Just full of the general business, bits of discouragement, not enough good sleep, a few disagreements, a little too much noise, and a general feeling of overwhelm.  All the things that can weigh a person down pretty quickly.

I prayed about my attitude, I took it all to God.  I still didn't feel peace, and the cloud of grumpiness hadn't yet dissipated.

So I prayed more, this time I itemized. 

I think sometimes that helps to lay it all out there, maybe helps to process it, and realize how trivial some things are.  But I still felt a little...drowning.

My best dear friend called on her way home from a busy day at work, with her own difficulties, and I told her about mine.  Somehow just talking to her about it and knowing I wasn't the only one helped.  I started to say that I just couldn't believe praying about it didn't bring peace like it usually did...until I realized...I did have peace.  It had.

God HAD answered my prayers. 

He sent me a friend. 

Someone who called at just the right time, who knew how I felt.  I wasn't alone.  He had given me peace.

Sometimes we pray for a miracle, a sign, something big written in the sky.  But sometimes, it's right there.  As close as the air we breathe, maybe a verse in a devotion or a voice on the other end of the phone, a hug given at just the right moment, a smile in the middle of a cloudy day.

My friend had no idea she was the answer to a prayer, but I made sure and told her.  And then I said my thank you prayers. 

Did you ever realize YOU may be the answer to someone's prayer?  You have a place in this world, you have a place in others lives.  You never know when your smile or word of encouragement may just be the life preserver to another drowning soul. 

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  John 14:27

The Start of Something Beautiful - Part One

As soon as we moved to our new house, we had to get started making changes.  Lots of changes.  But to start, new kid's rooms.

The entire upstairs was a master suite, while the two bedrooms downstairs were supposed to be for the kids.  This just seems crazy to me, not because our kids will sneak out while we are sleeping, but for safety & security's sake, for any late night knocks on the door or dog barking fiascoes.  We didn't want one of them hearing or responding to any of the above.

We moved us and our home office setup into one bedroom downstairs, with the kids in the bedroom across the hall together while the upstairs demo began.  They bickered, giggled, fought and pranked each other regularly, so we knew we had to hurry.  Things got a little ugly sometimes, but I think they did bond and maybe become closer friends.  I like to think that anyways, I'd rather not think they are scarred for life, ha.

Caught them getting along on the trampoline (which we did not set up properly and had to redo twice!)

I came up with a perfectly even plan, both had the same sized rooms, closets, and a very nicely arranged shared bathroom.  There was a long home office/play area across the backside of the house with their bedrooms on the front.  One look in the attic revealed this would not work, unless the furnace was moved and ducts reworked.  It was going to add time and money to an already tight time and money budget.  So we changed the plan.  It wasn't the plan we had in mind, but it would work just fine.  Funny how that happens, right?

Our carpenter/handyman got started, ripping out the enormous jacuzzi (along with it's stage it sat in), the gigantic and odd walk-in shower, endless tile, and loads of 16 year old berber carpet.  He framed in the walls, called his brother to help him with the drywall...and they both headed to another project!

Each tile is 12", this tub took up so much space!

This is the landing at the top of the stairs.

He didn't want to do the drywall himself and his brother had larger fish to fry.

After lamenting to probably everyone we knew, trying to find a replacement, many friends and family said they had done it themselves here and there, we could too!  We decided it couldn't be that bad.  We wanted it done quickly and to save some money so we decided to tackle it ourselves.  We watched a lot of Youtube, read a lot of This Old House, and asked a lot of questions at Lowe's and Home Depot.

Boy were we wrong!

It was time consuming, heavy, and all out hard.  I don't think either of us have ever physically worked so hard in our lives.  Drywall sheets are heavy, dusty, and give minuscule fiberglass cuts, scratches and splinters.  It's a pain to cut, a pain to get even and level (especially when the framing isn't straight!)...we were almost thinking plaster and lathe would be easier.

We spent every evening, weekend, the entire week the kids were at camp, and even sheetrocked in our sleep (not good dreams, for sure).  A friend showed us how to mud, tape and sand.  I'm going to be real with you, it was not pretty and we were beyond exhausted.  Think almost new baby tired, but not quite.  The baby was super heavy, but at least slept all night.

I had stripped the bed, we had taken a break and someone fell asleep just like that.

You can tell where we started, it's a little uneven and lumpy, but by the time we finished, we were pros.  I could probably win an HGTV mudding and sanding competition at this point!

Things you don't think about...no ceiling fixtures yet equals table lamp on floor to work after dark!

After weeks of drywall mudding and sanding, we were ready for paint and floors.  We were moving on and getting closer!  ...stay tuned for Part 2!

Oh!  And about this time, barn construction started.  And the backyard fence.  Both items took an inordinately long time, far longer than either contractor had told us.  At one point, the fence contractor said he could have had that barn finished three weeks ago...he had been working on our fence at least that long.  The fact that he didn't see the irony in this made it even funnier!  We definitely did not tell the barn guys what the fence guys were saying.

And as they say in the country..."Y'all come back now!"

"ya hear"...

Tick Bit Hen

My daughter came running in the back door with a chicken in her arms (this is nothing new) while I was cooking dinner.  Something was obviously wrong with one of our Wyandotte hens.  She didn't have a name at the time, we had 6 of them and only one was different than the others, as she had a pea comb (lumpy instead of the typical one that stands up).  Why I feel guilty about this, I just don't know, because these pretty ladies really don't like to be bothered (except for given treats). 

The poor hen's face...was not right.

Her face, mouth, and wattles were sooo swollen and dark red, and she was laboring to breathe.  Her eyes, usually almost flush with her face, were deep set and her cheeks were large.  Her wattles stood out angled, thick and hot, instead of hanging loosely like thin flaps.  They were much darker than her comb, which was completely normal.

She looked really really bad, the situation looked dire.

We wrapped her up in a towel (you know it's bad if she allows that), it just seemed to be the right thing to do, then sat her on my lap while Natalie searched online for what could possibly be wrong.  It was essentially the chicken version of the WebMD search.  You know the kind, it always points to cancer.

Fowl cholera, bacterial infection...all very bad things that mean imminent death and possibly flock destruction. 

As she's looking, and we're both starting to freak out a bit on the inside, I notice a bulgy blister on the hen's head.  Natalie looks up "blisters on chickens head" just as I realize it's a big fat tick!  We call them dog ticks here, they are gray and get very large and round (they might be called castor bean ticks elsewhere).

I pull the tick with tweezers, both of us laughing with relief, and we look up if chickens can have Benadryl (they can).  We give her some children's Benadryl (they'll eat bread dipped in anything), and before our eyes, the swelling starts going down and her color looks a little better.  She starts breathing normally, and then suddenly with a loud squawk, wants off of my lap.  We turn the impatient hen loose outside, she doesn't even look back as she joins her friends.  Natalie and I giggled with relief, thank goodness for Benadryl!

It took a good several weeks for her comb and wattles to go back to normal, but she eventually made a full recovery.  And while ticks are something chickens eat (read about that here), it's bad news when a tick turns the tables.

Ticks, it turns out, though small, are very complex creatures.  The have special ways of latching on, making them hard to remove and allowing them to stay attached for a very long time.  Their saliva has anticoagulant properties.  On a small animal like a chicken, a little goes a long way!

Along a Winding Path

"Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans."  -Allen Saunders

I spent this week working with a dear friend I would never have met, for a good company I never would have worked for, doing something I would never have thought of doing had my career followed my plans.

My plans were interior design, and lots of it.  There's nothing like a quiet warehouse, painting walls and setting up a trade show booth while the kids are hanging out with the grands to allow a person a chance to think and look back.

Thinking about it, life feels a bit like a path.  We have an idea of where we want to go, but have no idea the bumps, dips and detours we may find along the way.  A lot has gone according to plan, but there are a few things that haven't quite, kind of like stepping in the unexpectedly deep puddle!  Allow a person some quiet time, and the mind really wanders.

Proverbs 16:9 has been on my mind lately, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps (esv)".  In my younger days, I would have felt rankled by this verse, though now, it gives me comfort.  I now realize, just through life in general, that God really does know better than me and that he has our good in mind.  I think that even though some things that I have deeply desired and hoped for have not come to fruition, maybe my life has been sweeter for it.

I've seen many times how God's "no" to some things and detours around others have actually been his hand of protection and not a withholding of blessing.  It has been for my best interest, my family's best interest.  It's hard to see when you are walking through it, but much easier when you can stop a minute and look back.  Of course, many prayers have been answered with a yes, but it's the no's that really make us think...

Younger years dating matches that didn't work out, and then, the one that did.  And still is, 22 years running!

The office closure of an interior design job in my twenties, pushing me out of my comfort zone and into marketing, meeting a number of great friends, stretching my art muscles and opening doors I never thought to knock on (15 years running!). Hence this week!  (And the catalog shoot I got to style earlier in the spring! Talk about FUN!)

Selling the budget swallowing, money pit of a dream home which allowed for less stress, strain, and constant maintenance, gave us breathing room in many ways and allowed us to put away the hammer and saw.

Opening and closing another office location (husband's shop) ultimately showing us we didn't want to move, we didn't need another location, and that God still provides even though sometimes we tune him out and do what we want to do.

Losing my mom unexpectedly, which was all sorts of hard, but it did lead to a closer relationship with my dad and a deeper understanding (ie crash course) of what really isn't important and what is.

The complete feeling of "halt and desist" of building a house on family land later allowing us to buy  a house tucked away in the needed quiet, with plenty of space, privacy, and room to roam and relax.

If you find yourself feeling a little off the beaten path, not really sure how you got there or how to get back, keep these things in mind.  They've certainly helped me.

1.  Trust that God has this.  Proverbs 16:9 "...the Lord establishes his steps." We may make the decisions and mistakes, but they come as no surprise to God.  He knows where you are going, and maybe he's pointed you that way for lessons that will change your character.  I deeply believe any purpose he has for us will be fulfilled, we won't mess it up.

2.  Reflect.  Take a minute to look back sometimes.  Think of the good that has come out of the bad or hard, and the wisdom and friendships you have gained in the process.

3.  Relax and take a deep breath.  You may not feel you are where you are supposed to be at this point in life, but it's not a race.  And the people you feel may be watching you?  More than likely, they are worried about their own position, knee deep in the weeds.

And lastly, when you find yourself fretting, say this verse out loud...

"And we know that for those that love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

I Did Not Get Bit

I did not get bit.

It did get really loud at our place.  I think it was mostly noise coming from me, though there was sound everywhere.

Natalie sicced the dog and came running to help.  Graham grabbed Ranger and pulled him back in the house, he wanted to keep him safe.  Chris came running from the garage, wielding the simplest weapon, a shovel, and took care of the problem...

A BLACK SNAKE coiled in the corner of the coop!

Which had just eaten an egg and tried to unsuccessfully swallow a chick.

And I had just TOUCHED the thing by accident.

Poor chick.

I had gone in the coop just before dark, to count chickens and gather eggs.  It was too dark, so I brought the flashlight back from the house and propped it in a laying basket.  The coop was loud, as it always is at bedtime, with hens jockeying for roost position and ducks settling in.  Tonight, the month-old juvenile chicks were piled up against the door and even up in the nesting baskets.  It was shadowy down below the baskets, and I grabbed for one of the chicks nestled in the duck area.

My middle and index fingers touched it first, and instead of feeling the soft, warm fluff of baby feathers, it was cool-ish, smooth, and unyielding.

What the?

I grabbed the flashlight from above and....

Coiled up, it stuck it's tongue out at me and froze.  Noise came from everywhere.  I calmly and rationally left the flashlight shining on the snake, tossing nearby chickens away from the area as I ran to find Chris.

And that brings us back to the frightened children, husband with a shovel, and problem solved.  I really do hate to have to kill a nonvenomous "good" snake.  Snakes are only good though until they hurt someone or something you care about, no matter their benefit otherwise.

 Egg in it's belly

You may have seen bigger, but this is big enough for me!

Everyone is calm now, tucked in their beds, roosts, and baskets.  Bedtime prayers of thanks and requests for no more snakes have all been said.  All is well that ends well!