Birthday for a Farmer

Happy Birthday honey!

Today my hubby turns... well, the important thing is that he's older than me ; ).

And, like everything else, his birthday revolved around the needs of the farm. This morning he got up early and hauled corn to town. He did this partly because the corn is contracted for December, partly because its what we do on the farm this time of year, and partly because we need more space in the bin because we're NOT DONE HARVESTING!!! Then he went to the bank to work out some details about end of the year finances, taxes, and other non-fun, non-birthday type stuff. Then he hauled more corn.

For his birthday dinner though we did something really great. We went to a meeting.

I will state that this was not a typical meeting, but a Farm Bureau Christmas party/December board meeting. And we ate a very nice fried chicken and mashed potatoe meal. Then he got to lead the meeting, as he is president, and dicuss the fasinating subject of next year's budget.

Then, poor guy, instead of coming home and putting a little guy into his (really adorable) train pajamas and getting good night hugs he had to move equipment so they can harvest early in the moring. (Side note: in the winter you get up early and harvest before the sun turns the frozen field into a muddy mess. This is different from normal, sane, harvesting proceedure during the normal, sane months of Sept., Oct., and Nov..) And now that it is 9:30 I hear him walking in the door.

Happy Birthday honey.

In Memory

Thomas Mix

1915-2008

We love you grandpa.

Opportunity Knocks

While life must always hold challenges, some days lend themselves to personal growth more than others. My husband ought to be three feet taller by the time he gets home today.

Harvest, ideally finished by Thanksgiving but happily accepted by the beginning of December, is now dragging on into what feels like infinity. Or at least the Supper Bowl. (Positive notes to ponder: beans are finished and the corn yield has been good, thus some of our harvest problems.) There is less than 300 acres yet to be stored in bins, but somehow life just keeps happening.

Saturday, for example, our grain truck caught fire. Yes, that's right. Caught fire. Brian says mice probably ate away at the lines in then engine, causing it to become combustible while being driven by our hired hand. But, more positive notes to ponder, Cory was able to stop the truck (apparently fires inhibit brake lines-- not sure how that works...) and put the fire out without harm to himself or further harm to the truck. So clouds do have silver linings.

Then, Sunday, the temperatures dropped. I have no recollection of living in other states (though Wisconsin was once my home) but I do believe it takes a Missouri day to drop more than 50 degrees in twelve hours.

So that brings us up to Monday when single digits caused every piece of equipment on the farm to gel-up, shut down, or otherwise become cantankerous. I am informed that only one Dodge pick-up and the haying tractor would run. Brian left the house at seven in the morning and called me just before five that evening to say the combine and (non-burnt) grain trucks were finally up and going. So they harvested till the wee hours of the morning and then...

Today. Its snowing. And for people who live their lives by NOAA weather radio I had no idea we were expecting so much as a flake. But you cannot harvest in the snow. Too wet.

So as I say, today, as well as most of December, is a great opportunity to learn patience, anger management, and financial self-control.

And if we don't learn it all today I'm sure we'll be given another chance. Because sometimes opportunity knocks. And sometimes it comes busting down your door.

Need

I know that on this blog I'm supposed to write about farm life. But today, I'm gonna write about something women across America can understand. Those of you living in skyrise apartments and women on the coast in their beach bungalows will relate. You mountain side bed and breakfast gals or desert homeowners know exactly what I'm saying. I'm talking about Tupperware parties.

In fact, there probably are right now, women in grass huts checking the sky to see if the sun is in the right spot for them to strap their babies on their backs and head off to see the latest in food storage.

"This will be so perfect for my leftover water buffalo!" they exclaim. "I need this!"

Never mind that women on the African plains have lived centuries without water buffalo storage containers. Or that this giant serving bowl is beautiful but will never fit in my kitchen cabinet. Forget that until this very moment I was not aware the product even existed. Now I need it.

But how do you say "no?"

And if you did say no, you obviously were not at the same party I was last night. A whole table filled with (Tupperware) bowels of home-made candy, fudge, cookies, sausage, cheese, spiced apple cider... Heaven.

So I shopped along with everyone else. The sales were great, the company superb, and the pocketbook lighter.

But what can I say. I needed it.

So Special

Awww! It's my first bloggy award nomination! Thanks Janna.

This award is for people who write about real life and now I'm supposed to pass it on by linking to my seven favorite blogs of other who, well, write about real life. And then you have to post this picture and do the same :). So, drum roll please, here goes!

Amber: who writes A Classic Housewife in a Modern World. I love her ideas for dealing with real life-- where does she get them all?

Janna: who nominated me so maybe this isn't fair, but she's tops in my book! Janna writes many things, but her blog is Something She Wrote.

Ruth: who makes me laugh, grin, snort, etc.. Read her stuff at The Book of Ruth.

Angela: who handles real life as well as anyone I know. The Grocery Shrink shows you just how she does it, but few will ever match her skills.

And that, unfortunatly, is the end of my postings because those are all the real life blogs I read. If you still feel like clicking you can check out my business blog for Designs of Mine, but otherwise feel free to go pass this prestigious award on.

((hugs to you all))

And We're Back!

Hi all! We got back last night from our trip to Farm Bureau annual meeting. We had a great time! There were a few snags, such as leaving our hanging clothes hanging in the closet, but that just opened the door to a shopping trip ;-).

One of the highlights was meeting the singer who preformed at the President's Dinner and at the church service. We have attended this meeting for several years now and there are always entertainers. Never before have a felt like I was listening to tomorrow's radio hits. This guy, however, was so GOOD! And his family was great too. We sat with them at dinner on Saturday night (kind of by mistake, but oh well) and we really enjoyed it. His wife's name was also Kelly and she taught first grade before her kids were born. They farm soybeans and corn and have a seed business so there was lots to talk about. Anyway, check out his website at www.chrisfilermusic.com. Listen to "Not to the Grave." I have been all morning.

Our county also did well this year. DeKalb got top county in District 1 so Brian was able to accept several plaques on behalf of our board. Last year we were cheated out of two of our six stars. I thought we'd have mutiny on our hands. The board threatened (in jest-- I think) to only send in 4/6 of our dues since we only got 4/6 of our stars. They were really upset. So to get all six stars this year, first place in special projects, and top county felt good.

We also had a representative compete in the Ambassador Contest. Even though she didn't make it to the top three we thought she did well! And our talent show entry did great! Two little girls, barely old enough to be in their division, knocked 'em out with their production. They got second place but I think the crowd liked them best!

So, all in all it was another successful annual meeting.

But it still feels good to be back.

Annual Meeting

Yea! I'm so excited! We leave early tomorrow for Farm Bureau's annual meeting! Besides being a great place to meet other "farm folk" it is also a wonderful vacation for our family. We also go to YF&R in February (That's Young Farmer and Rancher to ya'll) which is actually aimed more at families and family time, but this one is lots of fun too. Mostly because its all about policy meetings and I am not a delegate. Therefore I must spend my time profitably by shopping for Christmas presents at the outlet mall! And swimming at the indoor pool and channel surfing the million options available on the TV (we don't have TV at our house, so this is a BIG deal).

The hotel is actually a resort on the Lake of the Ozarks and they go all out on the Christmas decorations. There are elves who meet you as you drive in, snowflakes hanging everywhere, and a GIANT tree in the lobby. Must be 30 feet tall. No kidding. Its huge. And they hire a wonderful pianist to serenade you with Christmas carols as you eat-- which I love. Last year we took our family Christmas card picture in front of the decorations on main platform. So much holiday spirit! Did I tell you how much I'm looking forward to this?

So provided we don't drive down at three o'clock in the morning trying to outrun a blizzard we are actually caught in (true story) or forget the bag with the underwear and make-up (no one at this conference seems to sell Mary Kay...) it should be great!

Dear Reader

Please excuse Kelly from blogging today. Last night she split her right thumb nail while picking up Legos and later that same evening she pulled half of the nail off her left thumb by snagging it skillfully on her belt. Typing is torture and I do not like being dictated to.

Sincerely,

The Family Computer

Season for Hope

In this season we think of hope. Eternal hope even.

And while this phrase was coined in reference to all mankind, but it could not be truer of any group than the farmer. I am reminded of this because the farm just ordered its seed for next year. May I just remind you that this year's crop isn't even out of the ground yet!

Each year tiny seeds are placed in the ground with the hope that it will not hail, freeze, or get too hot. We hope for rain on exactly the right day, and enough dry spells to complete work on time. There is the hope that bean leaf beetles and spider mites will magically be absent this year and cut worms will only invade Brazil. We hope for bumper crops and higher market prices.

And every year the hail, the late frost, the flooding bottoms, the insects, or the droughts return. We realize that the hybrid chosen for the hill ground would have been better off in the bottoms and the corn we struggled to plant as early as possible did better when planted late. Harvest comes and you look back on the mistakes, misadventures, and misfortunes of last year with the perfect vision that is hindsight.

But as the year grows old the seed catalogs come. Stein, Golden Harvest, Pioneer and all the rest send their reps out to our fields to show their new products and promise cures for farming ills. Bright shiny pages advertise huge corn ears and giant seed pods. We are wooed by the promise that is “next year.”

And hope must spring eternal.

The S Word

Ugh. I am totally in denial. There is white stuff falling down from the sky. It must be rain 'cause I'm not ready for... the "s" word.

Our son has a toy combine that opens up into a book and in the book "Corey Combine" says you have to get all the corn in before the *#@! flies. Its been our joke this year since Marshall farms is rarely ever done harvesting before then. However, just because I've joked about it does not mean I'm ready! Icy roads, frosted windshields, slick sidewalk. I am so moving to Florida. NO! Cozumel.

But I guess they don't grow a lot of soybeans in Cozumel...

Wonder how my husband would feel about growing bananas?

With Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving! It seems to get overlooked by the excitement of Halloween and the coming of the Christmas season. And even though I will get out our tree and such tonight, I love the idea that our country has set aside a day just to be thankful. So to celebrate today I'm posting (in random order) things my family is thankful for.

each other

our home

kitties

pizza and a movie

rides in the combine together

parents

chai tea

talk radio

Internet access

grandparents

Scriptures

good health

my dishwasher

toddler's new words

the Grand Prix

food on our table

hand-me-downs

new camera

good books

hugs

scrapbooking

sisters

job

new recipes

playing outside

kisses

bountiful harvest

God's protection

peanut butter cookies

Veggie Tales

vacations

lower gas prices

new clothes

funny faces

brothers

Wal-Mart

chocolate milk

shoes

1st Steps

Sunday School

Parents as Teachers

disposable diapers

dump truck, loader, and bulldozer toys

dry days

helping hands

family dinners

quilts

testimonies

baby's Lammie

2 working trucks

church family

sales

and the Love of God

Visitors

Its been a busy time on the farm lately. (But when is it not...) Recently the farm played host to a father/son group Brian's best friend from college is a part of. Though I was away, I greatly enjoyed hearing the stories of a dad plus two squashed into the single buddy seat on the combine and an unbelieving kindergartner rolling off the edge of the semi's sleeper mattress. (He'll listen next time!) Having visitors is a family favorite around here. And showing them a corn harvest is the best! I'm just sad we didn't get any pictures to post. Better luck next time...

Today's the Day!

I hope. My sister and sister-in-law and I are off to see Twilight! Provided we're okay on tickets. Our tiny theater doesn't seem to sell in advance. How quaint. I hope we don't have to read the words printed on the bottom of the screen... Wish me luck!

I Get a Brownie

... as my friend Janna would say :). Today I made a good decision. A hard decision. I said no to something I really wanted. Really. And not just some small little thing that I can go back to the store and pick up whenever I feel like it. NOPE. When I said "no" I kissed it good-bye. Forever. :( But-- it was a good decision.

And I know it was the right decision because it would not have been helpful to our financial plan.

It was the right decision because it would have interfered with a responsibility at church.

It was the right decision because the little guy will appreciate the... lack thereof.

And it was the right decision because now I have peace.

And a brownie.

Sounds of Fall

The sounds of fall are like music to my ears. The russel of leaves in the trees. The cry of the geese as they pass by. The gentle murmur of deer rifles continuously causing me to startle from dawn until dusk. Ahh. Life in the quiet country.

Seriously. You'd think I'd get used to it.

But nope. Each time someone takes a shot at anything without a bright orange vest I jump three feet in the air and look frantically for my baby. Because I wouldn't know if a bullet broke through the window and came careening into our home? Because the hunter friend staying at our house is tired of the dinner tantrum routine? Because I am a paranoid freak?

Or because I am a Mom.

Yep. That's probably it.

Thankful

I’m starting Thanksgiving early this year! (Not that there is a time limit on being thankful or anything!) Yesterday we took our little guy to the children’s hospital to be re-evaluated for his muscle condition. He was born with cramped muscles on one side of his neck and at nineteen months old he has been in therapy for most of his life. Some children face physical deformations, surgery, and various other trying medical procedures. So far our son has had therapy, taping, a special collar, and Botox injections (who knew?), which have not been fun, but could be much worse. Well, yesterday we got good news! He still tips his head more than he should, but it is now habit and not a muscle condition!!! Yea!!!

More good news is that the Doctor could find no sign of physical deformation in his face or jaws (bad for dental work!) and only a little bit of a flat head where he sleeps. The doc informs us that this should continue to round out as he grows and hair will soon (we hope—he’s been bald for a while now!) cover whatever remains.

So while I plan to write a whole Thanksgiving blog in a few weeks, I just had to post this blessing a little early.

Praise God!

Happiness

We love movies.

For Christmas a few years ago we bought one of those DVD holders and we chose a big one so we could "grow into it." Well, we also got each other enough DVDs that the shelves were nearly full by New Year's.

But I have no idea about any movie filmed within the last four years. No clue. At all.

We don't have any TV channels; cable is expensive and mind numbing and none of the public channels reach our rural home without an extensive antenna system. So we rarely see commericals. And to see previews you'd have to go to the theater. I think we see the inside of the AMC 12 about once a year. So like I said-- I have no idea about any movie filmed after 2004.

BUT! There were plenty of great movies filmed before
then :-). And while the average person could rent one at the local Movie Gallery or grocery store, us country bumpkins don't like to drive all the way into town to pick one out only to have to drive all the way in again to return it. The solution? Buy movies at Wal-Mart. From the $5.00 bin. Which means the selection is limited, but hey.

Last night we enjoyed our raining holiday by dropping by one of our farm landlord's with a check and stopping at Wal-Mart to check out the amazing array of cheap films.

And honestly, I can't tell you how much fun it was.

See, for $5. 27 money really can buy happiness after all.

More of the Same... Weather

.04 inches of rain. That is what the digital gauge is reading, but it is apparently enough to bring harvest to a grinding halt. And within just a few hours of finishing the beans. Aargh. NOAA has big predictions for rain tonight (90%), so I doubt it'll be back to the fields for a while.

On the bright side it is not snow! Some forecaster was predicting just such weather. After I hunt him down and let him know exactly what I think about bringing THAT word into our vocabulary, I plan on being glad of it.

And as I read back it seems a lot of my posts are about the weather. Funny enough it seems as if my life might revolve around rainfall, temperature, and wind. For my next blog I'll just link ya'll directly to the day's forecast...

Brrr!

Whoa! Yesterday it was fall and today it is... well, I guess it is still fall,but now its COLD! And windy too. Poor hubby. Weather like this is very bad for working outside. Fixing combines. Hitching up head wagons. Transporting soybeans.

But it is perfect weather for hot chocolate and a chick flick. Watching bits of corn stock fly by. Snuggling with the little guy. Baking pumpkin muffins. There is no where to be, no place to go. I can stare out at the falling leaves and enjoy the scenery from our hilltop house. Its a great day to be a farm wife.

Just maybe not a farmer.

Undecided

Do you ever find yourself in a position where you don't know what to think? Not, unable to think, which does seem to vex me more often than it should considering I'm still in my 20s. But pulled in two directions, feeling that to root for either side would be okay-- but should you?

No, this is not about the election.

Its about the weather.

Ironically, no matter what I think, I have very little (okay, no) control over the weather. So why the worry? Well, I guess its just the life of a farm family. Brian has been in the combine for almost two weeks straight.

Which is good. We are getting near the finish line for harvesting soybeans. Just a few more days and we could have them all in the bin. Then we'll start back on corn. And there is a lot of that to harvest. And it needs to be in the bins before a storm can knock it over or the deer eat it or snow stops our progress in the field. And all of these are very good reasons for wanting the weather be fair and sunny.

On the other hand-- I miss my husband. Its amazing how many things I need to tell him, but I feel as if I've hardly seen him. A quick phone call here or there to discuss the most important stuff. A few rides around the field to talk about how harvest is going. A speedy kiss before he runs out the door in the morning. I miss my husband.

So... what to wish for? Rain, sun, sleet, hail-- oops, not hail. Just get the harvest over with as quickly as possible and then he can come home, or a small break in the chaos to spend an evening with us? Ugh. I just don't know.

God knew what he was doing when He did not bequeath me power over the weather. Wth my whirling thoughts we'd probably have a tornado.

Confession

I'm rereading Twilight. Again.

What does that say about me? I dunno. I'm not usually the kind of person to go in for vampire books, movies, etc. In fact the last scary movie I remember watching was Arachnophobia in second grade. And I still look for spiders in my bed.

But, in my defense, Twilight is not like that. These are good vampires. Really.

And my sister called the other day and we made plans to see the movie for her birthday (which is the 20th). Girl time, fun movie, toddler-less time. Needless to say I'm really looking forward to that!

However, I'm still not sure what it says about me that I'm rereading them. For the fourth time.

Thank Goodness

Today I've got a full schedule. I've temporarily suspended fall cleaning in order to create enough order for a party at our house on the 31st! The garage is looking better, bathrooms are... as good as they get, and the pinata is almost done. I'm so excited!

And... the little guy is out cold.

Thank goodness.

He had his 18 month shots today, which means, as a good mother, I can give him Tylenol. Which may have contributed to this coma-like sleep I love so much, but he needed it. Really. Shots hurt. You'd want medication too.

Normally I am not about giving my son unnecessary medication. In fact I lean to as little meds as possible, since he's so little and all. But today I am acting on dr.'s orders.

Thank goodness.

Fall Cleaning

I happen to be a clean person. I like order, dust-free surfaces, and fresh laundry folded in my drawers.

But we can't always have what we want.

Last fall our house was... under construction. I'm still not recovered.

Then there is spring cleaning. Of course last spring I had a one-year old. I did some deep cleaning. But not much. The spring before, well, I had a newborn.

So if you're doing the math you can see that its been like two years since I've really gotten down on my hands and knees and scrubbed the cracks and crevices of my home. Yuck.

But this fall I am inspired. Um, well.. maybe it would be more precise to say "was inspired." At the moment I'm just TIRED! Yesterday I mopped floors and then stood on a chair all day cleaning the light fixtures, ceiling fans, and cobwebs. Today I scrubbed the bathrooms and did the windows. Tomorrow I'll be mopping the floors again. Bad idea to do them first.

But I have not done this by myself. I had help. In the form of my eighteen month old. He dumped Comet all over the bathroom and hallway floors and on his lovey, Lammie. That was useful. Then he took the rags I cleaned the windows with to the trash can. He only dropped about a dozen dead flys and left just a small trail of dust. He had also tried to eat the light bulbs and when I gave him his own lunch he threw beans and rice across the dining room. All across it.

Its a good thing fall comes just once a year.

Town

My husband asked me to go into town to mail a letter. Sounds simple enough.

But which town?

Living in the country, such as we do, "town" is nebulous at best. First there is the tiny little town which is our mailing address. It has a small (over priced) grocery store, post office, gas station-- oh! two gas stations, school, and four-way stop. Oh yeah.

The next closest town is about 15 minutes away and has considerably more. There are several "mom and pop" restaurants, fast food, bank, Wal-Mart, and prison. Oh! Two prisons. This is where I usually head as I can also visit the library (which I must pay to belong to since we actually live in another county!) or drop off dry cleaning. Exciting stuff like that.

Then there is the small city/big town we go to once a week for the baby's physical therapy. It's 45 minutes or so away, but boasts several shopping centers, a small mall, a few craft stores, one electronics store, book store, and lots of services and such.

And the grand finale-- the city. A real cit-- small compared to say, Chicago, but it has sky scrappers and traffic jams and everything. We go there for BIG craft stores, big malls, the children's hospital, Babies R Us, nice restaurants, movie theaters, and Christian bookstores. Obviously its not where I'll go to mail a letter though :-).

So chose carefully. Going to town is a big deal.

The Perfect Nursery Rhyme

Rain, rain, go away

Come again another day.

Little Johnny wants to play.

Are You Missing Humor?

If you don't work with your family each day in a business arrangement you really have no idea what you're missing. Namely-- humor. For example:

The other night my brother and sister-in-law went to a football game and left their three year old with my mother-in-law. After the toddler woke up from his nap my husband and father-in-law decided he and Grandma should both come to the field and help with harvest. Meanwhile I've fixed dinner and taken it out to the field. My little guy and I are riding with Brian in the combine.

So MIL calls hubby and says we need the semi, so she's going to drive his combine while he goes and gets it. We stop to switch with she and my nephew, but since all of the family is in the combine we end up staying in our vehicles and driving back to the car. Then the three of us get in the Grand Prix (which is parked in the middle of a field after a two mile trek through newly cut bean stocks) and the two of them begin harvesting. We drive two miles down the rode and drop Brian off so he came pick up the semi. He drives it back to the edge of the field and then I drive him all the way back where he gets into his combine. Then MIL gets into the truck with the three year old and drives across the field to the other combine driven by my father-in-law. She switches with him so he can drive the loaded semi back to "home base" where the bins are.

At least they are amusing.

Bounteous Blessings

We live for the bounties of fall.

But the harvest of friendship

is blessed above all.

Pizza Hut Pizza

I'm always searching for good "travel" menus. During harvest one of my, shall we say, challenges, is getting food to the field. Besides being a bit of a pain it is also highly unfufilling to take a gourmet dish in a Styrofoam container to men who will wait 45 minutes before eating it so it is completely cold and no longer tastes like anything worth eating and then come home to eat my portion which is now stuck the bottom of the pan. And while I realize this is a terrible run-on sentence, perhaps you can sense my frustration in it. So like I said, I'm always on the look out for "travel" food.

Unfortunately one of the easiest foods to transport is pizza. In a nice box. Straight from the take-out counter. Its also one of the unhealthiest and most costly.

But I have an innovative husband and access to the Internet. So he took it upon himself to find Pizza Hut's recipe for pan pizza. And it really works. I use less oil than called for in the recipe and also use half whole wheat flour (all whole wheat seems to be a bit much).

Dough:
1 1/3 cups warm water (105)
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 T sugar
1 pkg dry yeast
2 T oil
4 cups flour
9 oz oil (3oz per pan)

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in 2 qt. bowl, add water, mix well. Allow to sit 2 min. Add oil and stir. Add flour and stir until dough forms. Turn onto flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Divide dough into 3 balls. In three 9" cake pans evenly spread 3 oz of oil. Roll out each dough ball to 9" circle and place in cake pans. Spray outer edge of dough with Pam. Cover with a plate and place in warm area. Allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Sauce:
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Combine and let sit 1 hour.

For each pizza: Preheat oven to 475. Spoon 1/3 cup sauce on dough and spread to within 1" of the edge. Distribute 1 1/2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese. Place topping in this order: Pepperoni or ham, veggies, meats and top with 3 oz mozzarella. Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown (about 10 min.). Cut into six slices.

So bring on the Styrofoam. I'm ready.

Shiny!

This was the shiny, new combine fresh from the factory.

This is the combine as of this weekend. I guess you could say the new car smell is gone.

But the very good news is that we are harvesting! Not exactly with a vengeance or anything... but still. Work is getting done. And some of the fields are looking good!

Its still too wet to run on the 24 hour shift mode (for which I'm greatful). The last field they opened was about 21% moistuer. (It should be between 15-16%) All that wet corn has to go through the dryer. Which is what it sounds like. Then it can go into the various big bins on the farm. But it takes a while for it to dry out, so they can't harvest too much at a time. But, like I said, its getting done. And that counts for something!

Wonders of the World

There are some questions to which we may never have answers. Like:

How did the ancient Egyptians build the pyramids?

Is there a Lock Ness Monster?

What is going on the Bramunda Triangle?

And most importantly: How does so much corn end up in the washing machine during harvest?

We may never know.

We Are So Doing That Again!

Wow! I've just discovered the most amazing thing! My son loves the combine. And he loves it so much he's happy to sit there for at least two hours while Daddy works. And Mommy LEAVES!!!

Last night I had an appointment with a client, so I dropped the little guy off with his Dad and then hurried home again as quickly as I could. I was picturing my husband holding the destructive toddler forces at bay while trying to steer a huge piece of equipment with one hand. I was imagining Brian with no hair as he had pulled it all out in frustration as baby poked and prodded every imaginable button available and then tasted everything else. I was dreading the words "never again" as my son was handed back to me.

But no! He and Daddy were happily working along until they finished the field, at which time they went back to the farm to fuel the combine before moving on. Brian was feeding our son turkey and cucumber when I got there.

Way to go Dad!

And tonight I had a women's group meeting, at which I was speaking and could not possibly hope to corral 26 pounds of dynamite.

So once again I was thinking, imagining, brainstorming, fearing...

And all of it groundless!

I am definitely doing this more often.

A New Look

450 pages. That's how much my husband had to read to learn how to operate the new combine's monitor. Two completely different manuals. And the second one started with "This manual assumes you have read and understood the previous manual." I was a little afraid he was going to throw something.

69 minutes. That's how long it took to download the software necessary to retrieve the information stored in the Precision Planting monitor. That and three tech support phone calls.

23 seconds. That's how much time it took for him to realise he should have imputed all the planting information in a different way.

Farming sure doesn't look like it used to.

12 months. That's how long it will take for him to get over this mistake.

But some things will never change.

It's Hard to Figure

Nothings fits. It's either too small or too big. And I don't like how it looks either.

Sounds like a clothing problem, right? Wrong. This would be an equipment problem. And for mechanical reasons I don't understand, its a big one.

Who would have thought that a piece of metal that looks like the hubcab on my car would be such an issue (or so expensive!)? It is exactly 3 inches across. And the parts store had 2 3/4 inches or 3 1/8 inches. Cruel really. So first a lot of banging was tried. This held long enough to haul two more loads. Then.. well, not so much.

So my father-in-law actually drove four hours today to buy a 3 inch piece.

But today, its too wet to run.

Go figure.

/A/, /a/, /a/

For those of you who don't speak teacher, the title is the short a sound-- the sound my son made all day yesterday as we picked apples! He loves this John Deere alphabet book which uses (of course!) an apple for the letter a. It was so fun to watch him see apples on the tree!


Not that he could do anything about it. No matter how hard he tried, or how hard I tried to make it easier, he couldn't get the stems to snap. Poor kid is all crunched over under the tree pulling and pulling to get one measly apple while mommy fills the whole bag in 15 minutes. It would have been about 5 minutes, but I had to stop and take a few pictures. Okay, okay, 76 pictures. But aren't they cute!

Now the kicker is getting something done with them all. My husband wants applesauce, I want some frozen for apple crisp, and the little guy just wanted to eat one! Too bad it requires teeth and a slightly larger jaw.

So wish me luck. I'm sure an extra four hours will just fall into my day!

Small Town Life

In the big city you've got shopping districts, movie theaters, parks and play groups, and who knows what all else. In a small town you've got... the small town festival.

Not that I'm dissing it or anything. I look forward to the local parade (especially the tootsie rolls thrown in an election year!), seeing school girls tap dance, and buying baked goods from the local Cub Scouts. Its fun to see everyone mixing and mingling on the town square and smelling the corn dogs sold out of those trailer-like stands. I like porkburgers and Dr. Pepper, sports teams painting little kids' faces, and all those crafts...

And this year I was one of those craft booths! I took a display board with samples of my custom scrapbook pages uptown and tried to convince passer-byers that I'm selling the service of making their scrapbook, not a product! It was fun, hot, and hopefully productive (and if your curious you can check out my website)!

My son had a good time looking all around with Grandma and Aunt Katie, although I don't think he had as much fun on the merry-go-round as we had hoped. He, unlike me, also does not like porkburgers. Oh well. Brian stood on the corner talking to other farmers about the moistuer level of the corn and who is harvesting and how much. He does like porkburger.

So while it may not have been as educational as an afternoon at the art gallery or enthralling as the latest fashions--I sincerely mean it when I say it was fun.

Ready or Not

I'm almost ready. Almost. There are some things about harvest that I love. I love riding in the buddy seat of the combine, especially when we harvest corn. There are few things like the view from the seat of a huge combine enclosed all the way to your feet with glass. (Or you know, whatever windows are made of...) I love the smell of autumn and the feel of the chill in the air. I can't wait to cut corn shucks for my front porch and take my son to pick out a pumpkin.

But harvest is really busy. And that means Brian is gone. A lot. It means no daddy to take over bedtime duty. It means making all our meals "to-go" in Styrofoam containers and driving them all over the countryside to the crew. It means when Brian does come home he's tired.

Of course, its not the end of the world or anything. There are always rainy days (provided there aren't TOO many) to enjoy. And nothing bonds a family like riding together for hours on end. Last year our little guy would even take his naps on the combine floor. But regardless, harvest is something I have to mentally gear-up for.

Each day this week I've been asking my husband what he'll be doing. That way I can keep track of our harvest "readiness." And its coming.

But I'm almost ready. Almost.

Not Nike

Life is a funny thing. Ironic really. For four years our garage has been an absolute disaster. As we've remodeled our old farm house we've used the garage for a work space, storage, and, well, a garbage can. Oh, sure, a few times we've cleaned a slightly bigger path through the junk piled up on both sides as you walk to the door. I've even swept (and then thrown away the broom...). But there is no denying it has been a total disaster.

So a few weeks ago we decided (du, da, da, du!) to clean it! I mean really clean it. It took two days to get everything out of the garage. And that was after we threw more than 10 huge garbage bags of total grossness into the local landfill. Then my husband wanted to paint it. Twice. And then the ceiling. Twice.

But now it is done! Very little remains. There is the deep freeze, a cart with tools, an air compressor, a few buckets of paint and several painting tools. That's it. So we bought shelves and made a plan.

And I can't follow it.

These huge, sturdy, shelves sit there and mock me. So neat, so clean! I cannot bear to put anything on them. To allow that mess into the house again-- I cannot tolerate it! The camping gear, the (dozens) of tool boxes, the gardening supplies, the baby clothes, the WHY ARE WE SAVING THIS stuff. It all sits in the shed, blocking the lawn mower. And the lawn really needs to be mowed.

But I just can't do it.

No Such Thing

If you are a guy and you're reading this you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. But if you are a girl, especially if you are married, you know exactly what I mean.

Boys have way too many toys!

Yesterday my husband and our hired farm hand were working on the 10-wheeler, getting it ready to haul grain for the harvest. Brian came home no less than three times to get some very specific and highly necessary tool. I have a dad, a brother and several uncles, so I have some experience with tools. But these... well, I'd never even seen anything like them before. Nor do I have any understanding whatsoever about how they will help add braces to hold a new tarp onto the truck. (Okay, okay, I got the paint brush part...)

One was a long, thin... stick attached to a cord and plug-in... thingy. Then there were the gauges with funky prongs? For working on a truck? I dunno.

But I am absolutely certain that every tool he owns is vitally important to the daily workings of our farm. Or, at least, he's certain.

Too many toys? Perhaps I'm not qualified to say. And maybe its better if I just don't know.

H, I, J...

In Missouir we are familiar with tornados, mosquitos, and humidity. Hurricanes? Not so much. But according to the local weatherman, they are here. Yesterday we had 1.69 inches of rain (no, I cannot read a rain guage that acuratly, we have a spify electronic rain guage) and at 8:00 this morning we'd already had 1.77 inches since midnight. And Ike just hit!

First off, for all of you in Texas (or anywhere on the coast really) in the path of a REAL hurricane-- we're praying for the best. But secondly-- what is with this!

Usually we worry about our crops washing away with the spring rain, getting hailed on in a summer storm, or blowing away in a mid-west tornado. Drowning in a September tropical storm is not... NORMAL!

So Brian is keeping an eye on the bottom ground, hoping and praying all our corn and beans stay right where they are. After all the rain we had this summer they look really good, and with the prices we've paid for next spring's imputs we really need this crop. It's not our home, but it is our livelyhood.

So pray for those on the coast, and if you think about it, remember the farmers too.

There She Stands

by Michael W. Smith

When the night
Seems to say
All hope is lost
Gone away
But I know
I'm not alone
By the light
She stands

There she waves
Faithful friend
Shimmering stars
Westward wind
Show the way
Carry me
To the place
She stands

Just when you think it might be over
Just when you think the fight is gone
Someone will risk his life to raise her
There she stands

There she flies
Clear blue skies
Reminds us with red
Of those that died
Washed in white
By the brave
In their strength
She stands

When evil calls itself a martyr
When all your hopes come crashing down
Someone will pull her from the rubble
There she stands

We've seen her flying torn and tattered
We've seen her stand the test of time
And through it all the fools have fallen
There she stands

By the dawn's
Early light
And through the fight
She stands

The Toddler

Over the years I've outwitted a lot of wildlife.

Opossums, raccoons, deer, mice, once even a ground hog. It all started when I stopped feeding our poor kitties the cheap (gross) cat food my husband bought and started giving them Science Diet, compliments of my veterinarian Dad. Oh yeah, the good stuff.

Well, then I began to notice the cats were eating a lot more than I thought they should. And they still seemed hungry. My suspicions were confirmed when I noticed the sleek raccoons and a opossum with a very soft looking coat. Well that stuff doesn't come cheap, so the battle was ON. We moved the food dish, got a dog, fed the kitties in the house, fed them in the garage, and a variety of other things. I finally found something that worked.

Our garage door is the one we use the most often and I'm sure it smells a lot like us. And instead of feeding the kitties once a day we just scoop out a little each time we go through the door. Presto! Problem solved.

And then, today, I met with the wildest wildlife of all.

The toddler.

Just when I thought my kitty food was safe, just when I had out thought, out planned all the other woodland creatures, my son comes along. Oooh. Neat. He started out by dropping each individual piece into the water dish to watch it swell. So I got rid of the water dish. (Hey, the cats are drinking out of his Fisher Price water table anyway...) Not helpful. He just moved on to dropping each piece one at a time into the bushes. I later found Sammy carefully crunching his way through the box woods like a child from the Hansel and Gretel story. I am back to square one.

Well, I have gotten rid of raccoons, opossums, mice, deer, and ground hogs, but it seems I have met my match.

I'm Good for the Economy

If there was one real problem in our early married days, it would have to have been money. I mean really, who doesn't have financial disagreements with their spouse? I've heard its the most common reason for a divorce.

But unless you married a farmer, you haven't got a clue.

Here's why. When we got married I was teaching kindergarten. A nice job, nice school, nice co-workers, pitiful salary. But I knew how to do the math. Nothing, minus very little, equals not much. Farming was a whole new issue. Money comes in, money goes out. And out, and out. Seed. Chemical. Fertilizer. Parts. Labor. Fuel. I just wave good-bye as the checks go to the mail.

And its time to send out those checks again. Sigh. There goes my Prada bag. And my in-ground pool. And my new house.

At least I'm good for the economy.

Holding My Breath

They say its supposed to rain. Like, within the next seven minutes. They said big clouds were headed this way from Iowa and would be at the town north of us by now. Then it would continue our direction and any time now the rain will pour down on our thirsty soybeans, newly seeded lawn, and unsuspecting kitties. Its what they say.

But even though my fingers are crossed and I'm praying really hard, I keep seeing blue sky out my windows. There are some big, fluffy, white clouds ambling across the scenery and a slight breeze-- is it coming from the north!? Butterflies are dancing happily and the cows are still standing up in the pasture. Sunshine warms the roof of our home and the A/C struggles to keep up.

BUT, if you look at it just right there could be a slight gray color on the horizon and I'm positive the humidity is rising as we speak... er, type.

So I'm sure that the much needed gentle rainfall is in our future. After all, they did say.

Kinda Laid Back

John Denver said that "life on the farm is kinda laid back" which I'm guessing means he never actually lived on one. But for us August is as close to laid back as we get. And while you might notice that this is actually the first day of September, the same is holding true for the moment. See, this year it rained and poured in the spring, so our crops were um, well... a little late. So now harvest will be a little late too. But unlike the spring I am excited about a late harvest. Why? you ask. See above title. Instead of planting, spraying, applying fertilizer, scouting, fixing, repairing, and all the other never ending work on a farm we are improving MY YARD! And no one does dirt work like a farmer.

Two years ago my father-in-law took a bulldozer to these giant scrubby trees that were badly damaged in a tornado. Then we knocked in an old cellar before our son was born, since it seemed a bit hazardous to me. When our septic tank went bad we dug it up and put in a new one. Oh! And two Christmas' ago we finally got rid of our well and hooked up to city water. So to imagine what my backyard looked like just picture a gravel query. Or the Grand Canyon. Whatever works for you.

But today they are fixing it!!! As I type I can hear two of the smaller tractors running over the yard with a box scraper and a front loader to smooth out the bumps previously created by the larger tractor and disk. Next up we'll spread grass seed and then a tractor and wagon will bring straw to cover it all with. Yep. No one does dirt work like a farmer.

So, even though fall harvest is right around the corner, today life is kinda laid back!