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.