As you might guess, my Dear Husband (DH) is a pretty busy guy. Right now he and our oldest son -- the baritone player -- are on tractors plowing and disking the fields. We hope to plant corn soon. This week they have plowed and disked at fields on three different farms. The beef cows have started calving. There were plow points to replace, tractor tires to repair, crop prices and weather forecasts to monitor.
So I was surprised last week when he picked up a copy of my book. He sat down with it and started reading.
He kept reading.
When he came in at night, he picked the book up and kept reading.
When he was done he pronounced it good and wondered what would happen with the family in the story. Then he started to read the other stories. He is not a historical romance reader at all. Mostly he reads the Bible and the newspaper and a couple of farm magazines.
For him choose to read our book and enjoy it was a touching complement.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Monday, November 30, 2009
A family tradition continues ...
"Leaves three, leave it be. Berries red, never dread."
We found out the hard way that DS1 is sensitive to poison ivy. While helping Grandpa clear some brush they handled some vine-wrapped limbs and branches. The vines were not Virginia creeper as they had hoped.
I haven't seen someone blow up with poison ivy that bad since I was a kid. Poor guy.
Other than that, the kids had a rip-snortin', hog-rootin' good time at Grandma and Grandpa's, who let them stay up late, eat candy 24-7 and watch crime shows.
Wish I could trade places with the kids sometimes!
We found out the hard way that DS1 is sensitive to poison ivy. While helping Grandpa clear some brush they handled some vine-wrapped limbs and branches. The vines were not Virginia creeper as they had hoped.
I haven't seen someone blow up with poison ivy that bad since I was a kid. Poor guy.
Other than that, the kids had a rip-snortin', hog-rootin' good time at Grandma and Grandpa's, who let them stay up late, eat candy 24-7 and watch crime shows.
Wish I could trade places with the kids sometimes!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Busted ...
The school nurse called and asked about DS1. "Just be sure we have not lost him, somehow."
"Uh ..." I can't lie to save my life. (Why would I want to?) "He's driving tractor for his dad."
"Oh."
That ended the call.
So DS1 took wagon loads of corn to the feed mill to put in grain bank for us, and to the elevator to sell for cash. At one of the two he said another farmer had a load so wet that juice was coming out the bottom of the gravity wagon. It tested 40 percent moisture. Ideal is about 15 percent.
The next day we wrote a note to his teacher (who grew up on a farm) DH was adamant that this was a one-time only deal. (Until spring, I am thinking) I was afraid DS1 would have to miss recess, stay in and write sentences or something like that.
When he got home we asked what happened. "Teacher said he would have done the same thing," DS1 said with a laugh.
"Uh ..." I can't lie to save my life. (Why would I want to?) "He's driving tractor for his dad."
"Oh."
That ended the call.
So DS1 took wagon loads of corn to the feed mill to put in grain bank for us, and to the elevator to sell for cash. At one of the two he said another farmer had a load so wet that juice was coming out the bottom of the gravity wagon. It tested 40 percent moisture. Ideal is about 15 percent.
The next day we wrote a note to his teacher (who grew up on a farm) DH was adamant that this was a one-time only deal. (Until spring, I am thinking) I was afraid DS1 would have to miss recess, stay in and write sentences or something like that.
When he got home we asked what happened. "Teacher said he would have done the same thing," DS1 said with a laugh.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Nice thing about blogging ...
I went back through some older stuff and "lo and behold ya," as DH would say, last year we got snow on Oct. 27. This year we had a flurry in mid-October, which was depressing. Now we're in a mild spell.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Sunday on the farm ...
...Absolutely nothing going on except feeding the livestock. Tractors and wagons are parked where the guys left them Saturday night.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Another beautiful day ...
... and a good day to recover from the weekend.
First thing Sunday morning, I saw we'd been TP'ed.
By midgets.
DD hosted a sleep-over with several friends. They rode their bikes up and down the hills in the farm lanes, played tag in the hayfield, played the Wii up at the house and had pizza and ice cream Sundaes. Then they TP'ed at Grandma's, next door, and here while I was asleep.
But, poor DD. During all the hilarity, she and a friend collided on their bikes. She fell off and skidded down the gravel driveway on her bare leg since she was wearing shorts. Next morning, the kitten got shut in her room by accident and while trapped, went potty on DD's bed. Finally, the class hamster, who came home with DD this weekend, escaped from his cage.
It all came right eventually.
Meanwhile, DH and the boys were camping with about 50 other father-son groups from church. They came back tired, sunburned and smelling like smoke.
And, DH admitted, no vegetable of any sort was seen at any of the meals.
We were ready for Monday morning to recover from the weekend!
First thing Sunday morning, I saw we'd been TP'ed.
By midgets.
DD hosted a sleep-over with several friends. They rode their bikes up and down the hills in the farm lanes, played tag in the hayfield, played the Wii up at the house and had pizza and ice cream Sundaes. Then they TP'ed at Grandma's, next door, and here while I was asleep.
But, poor DD. During all the hilarity, she and a friend collided on their bikes. She fell off and skidded down the gravel driveway on her bare leg since she was wearing shorts. Next morning, the kitten got shut in her room by accident and while trapped, went potty on DD's bed. Finally, the class hamster, who came home with DD this weekend, escaped from his cage.
It all came right eventually.
Meanwhile, DH and the boys were camping with about 50 other father-son groups from church. They came back tired, sunburned and smelling like smoke.
And, DH admitted, no vegetable of any sort was seen at any of the meals.
We were ready for Monday morning to recover from the weekend!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
"We'll take care of it ..."
No sweeter words could have been spoken a couple of days ago. We had gone to the local minor-league baseball game and grudgingly forked over $3 to park in the stadium lot.
Then, while reading bumper stickers on the cars around us and wrangling kids and joining the rush of people into the stadium -- we locked the keys in the car. (Pronouns have been changed to protect the guilty ...)
DH started poking around the windows because a couple of his hay customers, oddly enough, were magicians at breaking into cars after locking keys inside. The missing ingredient though, was a wire coat hanger.
Visions of doom crossed my mind: We have only one set of keys; and we couldn't get a ride home with anyone b/c all the inlaws and outlaws went to Canada this week. We'd have to call a locksmith. I saw a bill board for one and called on the cell phone ... but his office hours were 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The police don't do lock-outs unless it's an emergency such as a baby locked in the car.
Bottom line was ... how much was this going to cost and how would we get home?
I prayed and felt led that we should go inside, find the stadium office and ask about a phone book. Our first stop was the Fan Assistance Center. I told the gal on duty what we'd done and asked if they had a phone book so I could call a locksmith.
Bless her heart, she said, "Let me call someone here." She did and told whoever about it. Then they asked if it were in their lot, license number and so on.
The guy who answered the page had sort of a dark-haired Italian "Wise guy" look to him. "We'll take care of it," he said.
DD and I went ahead to the game. Then we got paged to the fan center about "some valuables for you." Lo and behold there were the keys.
The wise guy must have spoken to his associates and there we were. No charge. How thankful we were! I think the $3 for parking was money well spent.
And we are going to get a second set of keys.
Then, while reading bumper stickers on the cars around us and wrangling kids and joining the rush of people into the stadium -- we locked the keys in the car. (Pronouns have been changed to protect the guilty ...)
DH started poking around the windows because a couple of his hay customers, oddly enough, were magicians at breaking into cars after locking keys inside. The missing ingredient though, was a wire coat hanger.
Visions of doom crossed my mind: We have only one set of keys; and we couldn't get a ride home with anyone b/c all the inlaws and outlaws went to Canada this week. We'd have to call a locksmith. I saw a bill board for one and called on the cell phone ... but his office hours were 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The police don't do lock-outs unless it's an emergency such as a baby locked in the car.
Bottom line was ... how much was this going to cost and how would we get home?
I prayed and felt led that we should go inside, find the stadium office and ask about a phone book. Our first stop was the Fan Assistance Center. I told the gal on duty what we'd done and asked if they had a phone book so I could call a locksmith.
Bless her heart, she said, "Let me call someone here." She did and told whoever about it. Then they asked if it were in their lot, license number and so on.
The guy who answered the page had sort of a dark-haired Italian "Wise guy" look to him. "We'll take care of it," he said.
DD and I went ahead to the game. Then we got paged to the fan center about "some valuables for you." Lo and behold there were the keys.
The wise guy must have spoken to his associates and there we were. No charge. How thankful we were! I think the $3 for parking was money well spent.
And we are going to get a second set of keys.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Back to the fairgrounds ...
...to pick up the kids' projects. Brown paths lined the parking lots. The lanes among the barns, 4-H building and food booths were empty. So was the sky of the midway. No giant Ferris wheel, or Ring of Fire, or Freak-out. Just empty blue above the rock quarry and railroad line. The horses, cattle, sheep, goats, poultry and small animals are gone. Some of the farm animals were sold at auction and have already gone to their last round-up. Others, like our dairy cows and heifers, are back home on the farm.
We ended the fair with the open dairy cattle show, which brought in youth exhibitors from all over the northern part of the state. The kids bravely participated and gathered some last-place ribbons but kind words from the judge. The winning cows looked like box cars. Ours looked like ponies compared to some. The judge did comment about DD's cow that Verna was "correct and well balanced, just not enough of her to compete with some of these long tall cows out here."
We went to the rodeo and watched most of the bull riding with grit teeth. One mean bunch of Brahmas out there.
I took the boys to the tractor pull. We watched the super modified class that look more like rockets than tractors. We were there until one of them blew one its four jet engines. A long delay shaped up as officials set out to gather shrapnel from the track. The noise is indescribable -- a lot like being on the flight line with jets taking off -- the kind of sound you feel as well as hear.
Everyone surprised me by deciding after the 4-H show to keep the cows out there all week.
DS2, "Yasha," made the rounds of all the animal barns and displays. His favorite was the cow and calf barn. The dairy association lined up several close-up cows who freshened all week during the fair. Fairgoers could see the new borns, participate in hand milking, even saw managers pull a large calf.
It was fun and now we're done. Until next year ...
We ended the fair with the open dairy cattle show, which brought in youth exhibitors from all over the northern part of the state. The kids bravely participated and gathered some last-place ribbons but kind words from the judge. The winning cows looked like box cars. Ours looked like ponies compared to some. The judge did comment about DD's cow that Verna was "correct and well balanced, just not enough of her to compete with some of these long tall cows out here."
We went to the rodeo and watched most of the bull riding with grit teeth. One mean bunch of Brahmas out there.
I took the boys to the tractor pull. We watched the super modified class that look more like rockets than tractors. We were there until one of them blew one its four jet engines. A long delay shaped up as officials set out to gather shrapnel from the track. The noise is indescribable -- a lot like being on the flight line with jets taking off -- the kind of sound you feel as well as hear.
Everyone surprised me by deciding after the 4-H show to keep the cows out there all week.
DS2, "Yasha," made the rounds of all the animal barns and displays. His favorite was the cow and calf barn. The dairy association lined up several close-up cows who freshened all week during the fair. Fairgoers could see the new borns, participate in hand milking, even saw managers pull a large calf.
It was fun and now we're done. Until next year ...
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The fair ...
So far we survived. However, DD's beloved Verna, a 3-year-old Holstein, placed third in a tough class. We are staying ... all week ... for the open show. Means we have to go into the fairgrounds and milk the show cows twice a day there.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Off to the Fair
If I were wired differently, I could be posting from our remote site, the dairy barn of the county fair.
However, since we do everything old school, I am home at the desk top with laundry going.
We have two cows and two heifers at the fair this year. Because they are Holsteins with a lot of white on them, the kids have their laundry going at the wash rack at the dairy barn. (Or ... "worsh" rack if we want to pronounce it correctly :-)
However, since we do everything old school, I am home at the desk top with laundry going.
We have two cows and two heifers at the fair this year. Because they are Holsteins with a lot of white on them, the kids have their laundry going at the wash rack at the dairy barn. (Or ... "worsh" rack if we want to pronounce it correctly :-)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Romance!
After I unloaded a hay wagon for DH, he put a hay bale down at the side door and gave me his hand to help me down.
How sweet is that!
How sweet is that!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
All in one day ...
... The cell phone died; DD appeared to have a near-fatal sinus infection; Bible school started; DH had hay down on two farms with rain in the forecast; took the boys to VBS and helped wrangle kids; had to take DD to the doctor and be back in time for two Little League games; try and catch up on laundry; do chores for DD; run DH and DS1 back and forth between the two farms; spent half an hour with someone in India trying to get the cell phone working again; and tried to get a manuscript ready for a contest.
It all sounds do-able on paper in the spring.
It all sounds do-able on paper in the spring.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Road trip! Road trip!
We road-tripped to my parents to deliver the freezer beef they ordered from us. The kids were wired and tired, excited to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house, tired from a long day at school and irritable as they are jammed into the back seat like peas on a pod.
(Our Buick LeSabre that seemed as roomy as a luxury yacht is now quite packed as the kids just keep growing bigger and taller.)
To reduce the mayhem, we started playing a counting game. First they planned to count horses and cows and "bury" them as we passed cemeteries. Then they decided to count cars and trucks and scrap them as we passed junk yards. They got into a disagreement about junkyards or cemeteries.
We settled on counting "strange lawn things" which we defined as any lawn ornament that made you go "Huh?" when you saw it. For instance, a vintage bull-dozer in a front yard, or an iron bedstead in the middle of a flower garden. Or a lard kettle. Or wagon wheels. Milk cans. All sorts of things.
The bull-dozer was our top prize.
Next was a cross section of a huge log, painted to look like a giant watermelon slice.
Next had to be a lawn "glow ball" (I think the garden catalog calls it a 'gazing globe') that looked homemade. As a matter of fact, it looked like a bowling ball coated with plaster embedded with glass pieces. Sort of a stained glass, mosaic effect.
I'm sure we'll notice more as the weather improves and people start working in their yards.
(Our Buick LeSabre that seemed as roomy as a luxury yacht is now quite packed as the kids just keep growing bigger and taller.)
To reduce the mayhem, we started playing a counting game. First they planned to count horses and cows and "bury" them as we passed cemeteries. Then they decided to count cars and trucks and scrap them as we passed junk yards. They got into a disagreement about junkyards or cemeteries.
We settled on counting "strange lawn things" which we defined as any lawn ornament that made you go "Huh?" when you saw it. For instance, a vintage bull-dozer in a front yard, or an iron bedstead in the middle of a flower garden. Or a lard kettle. Or wagon wheels. Milk cans. All sorts of things.
The bull-dozer was our top prize.
Next was a cross section of a huge log, painted to look like a giant watermelon slice.
Next had to be a lawn "glow ball" (I think the garden catalog calls it a 'gazing globe') that looked homemade. As a matter of fact, it looked like a bowling ball coated with plaster embedded with glass pieces. Sort of a stained glass, mosaic effect.
I'm sure we'll notice more as the weather improves and people start working in their yards.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Wish list
'Tis past the season but as we were calculating some bills for freezer beef I started to wonder about a scale.
We don't have one for the beef cattle. When DH and customers and the butcher work out a date, he and Grandpa (me, too, sometimes) pick out the heaviest ones. With the last two, Grandpa guessed they would both dress out at 800 pounds, hanging weight, or about 1,330 to 1,335 pounds. One steer's sides weighed 378 and the other's weighed 438. So the sides averaged about 400 to 410.
I wonder if we had a scale we could sell in a more timely fashion and tighten up on the feed costs.
I'd put a scale on my wish list.
Also ... a new roof on Grandpa and Grandma's barn. It's a several-thousand dollar job. I don't know, though. If we talked to a few guys looking for work these days, maybe we could get a deal. I leave horse-trading like that to DH.
Would be nice to remodel our poultry facility. Now, doesn't that sound high class? In real life it was a three-sided tramp shed for cattle. It's long, tall and drafty, which would suit cattle fine. It needs to be snug but well-ventilated for the chickens. Right now, it's not. However, it gets too hot in the summer. Some re-engineering might be called for.
A few years ago we did get our wish for a newer tractor with a cab. It's made such a wonderful difference in the winter to have a heated cab. When we were milking cows through a super cold winter I added up all the calories DH consumed. At 4,000 calories a day he was losing weight. He leveled off at 6,000. I was baking something every day -- now I know why God created pie. Think of how many calories you can slug into a guy in a simple slice of pie. It's a beautiful thing.
I would love to have the kinds of flowers in summer that our Amish and Mennonite neighbors have. However, I think they go to the produce auction and buy a pallet-load at a time or something. They surround their houses and trees with impatiens and other annuals. I've often thought of doing all white annuals around the house but we end up with bright pink or red geraniums from the 4-H club. They are pretty, too, so no complaints here.
And the wish list goes on. This time of year I enjoy catalogs from poultry suppliers and seed catalogs. Each one makes spring seem a little closer
We don't have one for the beef cattle. When DH and customers and the butcher work out a date, he and Grandpa (me, too, sometimes) pick out the heaviest ones. With the last two, Grandpa guessed they would both dress out at 800 pounds, hanging weight, or about 1,330 to 1,335 pounds. One steer's sides weighed 378 and the other's weighed 438. So the sides averaged about 400 to 410.
I wonder if we had a scale we could sell in a more timely fashion and tighten up on the feed costs.
I'd put a scale on my wish list.
Also ... a new roof on Grandpa and Grandma's barn. It's a several-thousand dollar job. I don't know, though. If we talked to a few guys looking for work these days, maybe we could get a deal. I leave horse-trading like that to DH.
Would be nice to remodel our poultry facility. Now, doesn't that sound high class? In real life it was a three-sided tramp shed for cattle. It's long, tall and drafty, which would suit cattle fine. It needs to be snug but well-ventilated for the chickens. Right now, it's not. However, it gets too hot in the summer. Some re-engineering might be called for.
A few years ago we did get our wish for a newer tractor with a cab. It's made such a wonderful difference in the winter to have a heated cab. When we were milking cows through a super cold winter I added up all the calories DH consumed. At 4,000 calories a day he was losing weight. He leveled off at 6,000. I was baking something every day -- now I know why God created pie. Think of how many calories you can slug into a guy in a simple slice of pie. It's a beautiful thing.
I would love to have the kinds of flowers in summer that our Amish and Mennonite neighbors have. However, I think they go to the produce auction and buy a pallet-load at a time or something. They surround their houses and trees with impatiens and other annuals. I've often thought of doing all white annuals around the house but we end up with bright pink or red geraniums from the 4-H club. They are pretty, too, so no complaints here.
And the wish list goes on. This time of year I enjoy catalogs from poultry suppliers and seed catalogs. Each one makes spring seem a little closer
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Surviving the flu
We did all survive but I was starting to wonder. The flu has been going around at school but the kids seemed to be shaking it off until this weekend. First, DS1 got sick. Later we learned half of his classmates were sick at the same time as well as his teacher. Then DH and I and DS2 all got sick at the same time, which was a lot fun for me to clean up. (But, as I told MIL with a dramatic gasp and weak voice trailing into a whisper, "But ... I got 'er done.")
I do believe I was the worst off. High fever and slept all day. Poor DH hoped I could go out and do his chores for him but couldn't wake me up.
DS2 bounced back almost immediately. Our perpetual-motion machine read books and colored all day instead of running. He must not hav felt 100 percent.
When the "big kids" got home they ended up feeding the cows and calves and cooking supper. They fixed plain spaghetti coated with parmesan cheese, served with Gatorade.
Finally the next day DD got sick. She had the lightest case of all, thankfully.
So ... all better just in time to go back to work.
What are the life lessons here? Pretty proud of the kids for pitching in and helping. DD also thought to run to grandma's and borrow a can of soup. One of DD's friends called later to ask if we were all right. Basically we are grateful to be well.
I do believe I was the worst off. High fever and slept all day. Poor DH hoped I could go out and do his chores for him but couldn't wake me up.
DS2 bounced back almost immediately. Our perpetual-motion machine read books and colored all day instead of running. He must not hav felt 100 percent.
When the "big kids" got home they ended up feeding the cows and calves and cooking supper. They fixed plain spaghetti coated with parmesan cheese, served with Gatorade.
Finally the next day DD got sick. She had the lightest case of all, thankfully.
So ... all better just in time to go back to work.
What are the life lessons here? Pretty proud of the kids for pitching in and helping. DD also thought to run to grandma's and borrow a can of soup. One of DD's friends called later to ask if we were all right. Basically we are grateful to be well.
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