I was saddened on this Independence Day morning to see the newspaper story about a recent tragic accident on a dairy farm near Bridgewater, Virginia. A young farmer, his wife, two daughters, and a farm employee, died due to breathing methane gas in a manure pit. The farmer had climbed down into the pit because something was clogged, and had been instantly overcome by the gas. The employee, the wife, and the daughters went in one by one to try to assist, and were also immediately stricken. Oh, my. The couple also has two other little daughters. Send prayers for them.
We have a manure pump system in our dairy barn, which pumps the manure to an outdoor open pit. The description of the closed underground pit involved in the Virginia accident sounds much different than the set-up we have here on our farm. We don't have any sort of enclosed area where lethal gas could build up, and we pump the manure out every day. Still, one always has to be aware and careful.
Turning to a much different, but likewise, tragic subject, a few days ago there was an article in the newspaper about a young girl in Egypt who died as a result of an FGM procedure. If you don't know what an "FGM" is, as I didn't, then Google it and find out. Or Google her name, Badour Shaker. I was ignorant of the fact that such cruel atrocities are being perpetuated in this day and age. Its difficult to fathom the mindset of people who would deem it acceptable to do such things, whether it be for social, cultural, or religious reasons. There could never be a valid enough reason for doing such a horrid thing to a girl. Respecting the cultures and religions of others in the world is important, but if a culture or religion advocates FGM, then respect goes out the window, in my mind, anyway. Another incomprehensible thing is that most FGM procedures are done by older women......they must be able to do that because it was probably done to them when they were young. Can't something or someone bring the horrible cycle to a halt?
One writer on an FGM website pondered whether this mutilating corruption of women's bodies also has an affect on the men in those cultures and religions, helping to fill them with anger which they then unleash in acts of cruelty and terrorism. Obviously, its an atrocious cycle which needs to stop.
I sit here in my pleasant, sheltered life on an Iowa farm and wonder.......is there anything at all that I can do to help this situation?? Fervent prayer is possibly the only recourse.
Happy Independence Day.......just a normal day on the farm. Cows don't take time off from eating and producing milk, and the hay needs to be cut, so that is what Husband is doing. Fireworks were a big deal when the kids were little, but now, no one's too interested in going to see them anymore. By dark, I'm just ready to collapse into bed, anyway.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
Bridal Shower Weekend
Let's see if I can get a post done during these few minutes of peace and quiet on a Monday morning. The weekend was extremely full of busyness and noise. Daughter and her fiance arrived Saturday morning, she to attend a bridal shower given in her honor at my sister's house. Great fun was had by all at this event. We enjoyed silly shower games such as fashioning wedding dresses out of toilet paper, trying to blindly find safety pins in a bowl of rice, and drawing the bride on a piece of paper on the tops of our heads. Many laughs! My younger daughter and her teenage cousin were in charge of planning the games, and I thought they did a very good job! Four young nieces were there, ages 5, 6, 7, and 10, and it was obvious they were enamored with their older cousin, the future bride, as she opened her gifts and chatted about the wedding plans.
Also, at the shower, I was privileged to finally meet my future son-in-law's mother and his brother's sister. They were easy to be around and all impressions were very positive. Afterwards, we loaded up the lovely gifts and headed back home to the farm where Husband and Sons, and Grandpa, were hosting Daughter's fiance's father and two brothers. They had spent the afternoon touring the farm and playing horseshoes and bocce ball. Beautiful weather had graced the whole day!
On Sunday, Daughter and her fiance were still here, searching through old photographs to use at their reception. Over the years, I have taken many, many pictures, but have not done well at getting them into scrapbooks. Maybe its just as well. They are organized in boxes, and the kids can go through them and take whatever they want.
After church, Older Son and his girlfriend decided to make us taco salad for lunch. Fortunately, all the ingredients and toppings were on hand. We also made a smoothy drink out of pureed peaches, lemonade concentrate, Sierra Mist soda, and optional peach schnapps. It was very tasty. The kitchen was busy and noisy, and very much a mess by the time the meal was over. I actually enjoy cleaning up the kitchen in solitude, so quickly I made that clear to everyone, and they happily moved outdoors to play bocce ball. I put on a Phil Coulter CD and spent the next hour filling the dishwasher and washing dishes and cleaning counters. Truly, I have always preferred cleaning up to cooking.....
is that weird? Signifies some strange flaw in me, I suppose.
This morning has been a typical Monday. The phone woke me up at 6:15......it was the parent of the boy my younger daughter babysits for, wondering if she could come over right away instead of at 10:15 a.m. What fun it was giving her that news.......she hates getting up early! Then when I got to the barn, Husband was in a grouchy state because he had noticed that the neighbor's old horse was out in our hay field, something he would have to attend to after milking, which would delay all his other plans for the day. Those plans of Husband's included shingling his dad's garage roof today, so that is where he and Son are now, and I must hurry to take lunch to them.
Babysitting Daughter just sent me a text message......she had dreamed last night that her big toes were pierced with earrings! The other night she dreamed all her teeth fell out and when she looked at them they were painted with nail polish and 4th of July designs! There must be some message there......maybe she will see change in herself soon. Probably so, as she soon will start college!
Also, at the shower, I was privileged to finally meet my future son-in-law's mother and his brother's sister. They were easy to be around and all impressions were very positive. Afterwards, we loaded up the lovely gifts and headed back home to the farm where Husband and Sons, and Grandpa, were hosting Daughter's fiance's father and two brothers. They had spent the afternoon touring the farm and playing horseshoes and bocce ball. Beautiful weather had graced the whole day!
On Sunday, Daughter and her fiance were still here, searching through old photographs to use at their reception. Over the years, I have taken many, many pictures, but have not done well at getting them into scrapbooks. Maybe its just as well. They are organized in boxes, and the kids can go through them and take whatever they want.
After church, Older Son and his girlfriend decided to make us taco salad for lunch. Fortunately, all the ingredients and toppings were on hand. We also made a smoothy drink out of pureed peaches, lemonade concentrate, Sierra Mist soda, and optional peach schnapps. It was very tasty. The kitchen was busy and noisy, and very much a mess by the time the meal was over. I actually enjoy cleaning up the kitchen in solitude, so quickly I made that clear to everyone, and they happily moved outdoors to play bocce ball. I put on a Phil Coulter CD and spent the next hour filling the dishwasher and washing dishes and cleaning counters. Truly, I have always preferred cleaning up to cooking.....
is that weird? Signifies some strange flaw in me, I suppose.
This morning has been a typical Monday. The phone woke me up at 6:15......it was the parent of the boy my younger daughter babysits for, wondering if she could come over right away instead of at 10:15 a.m. What fun it was giving her that news.......she hates getting up early! Then when I got to the barn, Husband was in a grouchy state because he had noticed that the neighbor's old horse was out in our hay field, something he would have to attend to after milking, which would delay all his other plans for the day. Those plans of Husband's included shingling his dad's garage roof today, so that is where he and Son are now, and I must hurry to take lunch to them.
Babysitting Daughter just sent me a text message......she had dreamed last night that her big toes were pierced with earrings! The other night she dreamed all her teeth fell out and when she looked at them they were painted with nail polish and 4th of July designs! There must be some message there......maybe she will see change in herself soon. Probably so, as she soon will start college!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Grooming the Farmstead
This week had become devoted to preening and primping around the farmstead, trying to clean up the rough edges. Lawn mowing, of course, is a major part of that. As on many farms, our yard is very large, almost like a city park. The task of mowing falls to me, as Husband and Son keep busy all day doing livestock chores and Daughter has summer employment off the farm.
Lawn mowing has always been a part of my life. While growing up, I spent countless summer hours pushing droning green Lawn Boys. My parents didn't consent to buying a riding mower until my brother was old enough to mow. Figure that one out! Push mowing was fine for us girls, but somehow was below what a son should have to do. Actually though, all that walking and pushing the mower was a good thing......it built muscles and kept us in shape.
Anyway, long-gone are my days of push-mowing. Since moving here to the home place twenty-one years ago, I have had access to a riding mower, thank goodness. There's been many frustrations, however, since Husband had inherited his father's tendency to buy cheap mowers which often broke down or just plain wouldn't start. That was usually the main problem......I would get all set to spend an afternoon mowing, and then the mower wouldn't start. Husband would get grouchy because he had to drop what he was doing to work on the mower. This went on for years, and I learned to just keep my mouth shut about it. Finally, this spring, Husband came up with the brilliant idea that we should invest in a higher-quality mower. Can you believe it?! So now when I mow I almost feel like I've died and gone to lawnmower's heaven. The mower starts nicely for me, and has plenty of power to handle all the rough and tough terrain around our farmstead.
Over the years, I've tried to expand the areas that we mow, because it makes the place look neater, plus really helps to control the nuisance of mosquitos, who like long grass and weeds to hang out in. If I mow everything at once, it takes about four hours. Sometimes I dread the thought, but once I get started, its OK......I can zone out on the mower and think and pray. Round and round, mower and I go, circling countless trees, avoiding rusty old farm machinery lurking in the weeds, outlining bins and buildings, and dodging pine tree limbs. By finish time, I'm covered in dust and dirt, with pine needles and tree bark pricking inside my clothing. It's great fun, and people ask me how I get that wonderful tan!
This morning after chores, while it was still fairly cool, I trundled about with my big yard cart, pulling stray weeds here and there by trees and buildings. By the house, I've been trying to establish a perennial flower garden, partly using native flowering plants. Right now most of the native ones are not blooming yet, so they look like weeds. Coneflowers, evening primrose, mullein, catnip, and black-eyed susans are the weedy-looking ones. I planted a patch of black-eyed susan by the barn door, too, and last week when the dairy inspector was here he wrote on his report that we need to "cut the weeds" in front of the milkhouse. That would be my black-eyed susans plus another area of bee balm! In a couple weeks, both will be in bloom......if only the inspector would see them then!
The main reason for all this farmstead clean-up is that this weekend my daughter's fiance's family is coming to visit for the first time. Even though they are long-time town people, I'm not too worried. Both parents grew up on farms, so they should remember what its like, and won't be too shocked by weeds and old stuff sitting here and there.
Lawn mowing has always been a part of my life. While growing up, I spent countless summer hours pushing droning green Lawn Boys. My parents didn't consent to buying a riding mower until my brother was old enough to mow. Figure that one out! Push mowing was fine for us girls, but somehow was below what a son should have to do. Actually though, all that walking and pushing the mower was a good thing......it built muscles and kept us in shape.
Anyway, long-gone are my days of push-mowing. Since moving here to the home place twenty-one years ago, I have had access to a riding mower, thank goodness. There's been many frustrations, however, since Husband had inherited his father's tendency to buy cheap mowers which often broke down or just plain wouldn't start. That was usually the main problem......I would get all set to spend an afternoon mowing, and then the mower wouldn't start. Husband would get grouchy because he had to drop what he was doing to work on the mower. This went on for years, and I learned to just keep my mouth shut about it. Finally, this spring, Husband came up with the brilliant idea that we should invest in a higher-quality mower. Can you believe it?! So now when I mow I almost feel like I've died and gone to lawnmower's heaven. The mower starts nicely for me, and has plenty of power to handle all the rough and tough terrain around our farmstead.
Over the years, I've tried to expand the areas that we mow, because it makes the place look neater, plus really helps to control the nuisance of mosquitos, who like long grass and weeds to hang out in. If I mow everything at once, it takes about four hours. Sometimes I dread the thought, but once I get started, its OK......I can zone out on the mower and think and pray. Round and round, mower and I go, circling countless trees, avoiding rusty old farm machinery lurking in the weeds, outlining bins and buildings, and dodging pine tree limbs. By finish time, I'm covered in dust and dirt, with pine needles and tree bark pricking inside my clothing. It's great fun, and people ask me how I get that wonderful tan!
This morning after chores, while it was still fairly cool, I trundled about with my big yard cart, pulling stray weeds here and there by trees and buildings. By the house, I've been trying to establish a perennial flower garden, partly using native flowering plants. Right now most of the native ones are not blooming yet, so they look like weeds. Coneflowers, evening primrose, mullein, catnip, and black-eyed susans are the weedy-looking ones. I planted a patch of black-eyed susan by the barn door, too, and last week when the dairy inspector was here he wrote on his report that we need to "cut the weeds" in front of the milkhouse. That would be my black-eyed susans plus another area of bee balm! In a couple weeks, both will be in bloom......if only the inspector would see them then!
The main reason for all this farmstead clean-up is that this weekend my daughter's fiance's family is coming to visit for the first time. Even though they are long-time town people, I'm not too worried. Both parents grew up on farms, so they should remember what its like, and won't be too shocked by weeds and old stuff sitting here and there.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Shopping Day Adventures
Yesterday morning as I finished my chores in the barn, Husband suddenly asked me if I needed to go shopping. What a dumb question......of course, I can always come up with a reason to shop. He needed some parts for the elevator and for the pickup. Quickly, I racked my brain to see what other errands I could do, like scheduling a fitting for my mother-of-the-bride dress and the strappy shoes, and shopping for the undergarment the dress will require. Without much trouble, I soon had a whole day's worth of activities and shopping planned out.
Soon, our rusty old van and I were merrily making our way to town.......the big town that has the mall and all the usual chain stores......Target being my favorite. First stop was the dress fitting. Hmm......I seem to have a lost a little weight since buying the dress.....I should have ordered a size smaller, but its too late for that now. It can be taken in in late July, if need be.
Next on my agenda was getting Husband's parts, which included a long wait at the parts counter of a business which sells bearings, chains, belts, etc. We've done business there for many years, and through all that time the same humorous poster has hung on the wall by the counter. It contains a long list of hilarious quotes, and someday I should just go in there and copy them down.....they are so good. One of my favorites is, "The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an oncoming train!" Life is so often like that, it seems. You think something good is coming, but it turns out differently.
A stop at an auto parts store was next. I handed over Husband's list of needed items and let the clerk find everything. No problem. Just down the street happens to be a favorite place of mine, so I couldn't pass up a chance to go there as well. Its a shop packed full of antiques and junk. Mostly junk, but well maintained, and the owners are friendly and interesting. Everything under the sun is there......jewelry, knick-knacks of every type, books, framed pictures, tools, furniture, kitchen supplies, dishes......you name it, its there! I tried to narrow my browsing to the books and old fruit jars, which I collect. I found a Drey jar that I don't have yet, and some glass lids. I also picked out an old book on German history, but the owner saw that it was part of a set, and he couldn't find the rest of the set, so he said he would keep the book and call me later when he found the rest. Well, whatever. I only wanted to buy it because it had some chapters about politics during the Reformation, a subject I'm interested in. I think the Reformation was as much about politics as it was religion, and Lutherans rarely hear much about that.
After the fun at the junk store, it was off to Sam's Club. A boy from my church works there, so I visited with him for awhile. Sam's Club is great, but a person really has to be careful not to pick out too many items, or the bill quickly adds up to too much. I like to buy just certain things there......and I try not to look at anything else. Easier said than done.
Next stop was Penneys at the mall, and a dreaded session of trying on bras. Ugh. Unclothed middle-aged human beings are not a pretty sight. Sometimes I almost wonder if Eve, of Garden of Eden fame, was seduced not by an apple, but by the promise of clothing. Humankind could never have survived in the naked state......it gets cold in the winter in some parts of the world! Plus, humans just look better in clothes. The fitting room next to mine was being used by two women who looked to be sisters. One was trying on bras the other one brought to her. Their conversation was hilarious. The one in the room was hollering things like, "The girls are falling out of this one!", "The girls don't like this one!", "Get me the 44D." Males have no idea how awful it is to try and find the right bra. I tried on about a dozen and found just one of those that was sort of OK.
When I left Penneys, the sky which had been threatening rain all day, had finally let loose, and was pouring. Rummaging around in the van, I finally found an old dusty umbrella to use while I ran through the Target parking lot. I made sure I had a sweater with me as the Target store is always freezing. Quickly, my cart became filled with miscellaneous groceries and supplies and through the checkout line I went, looking forward to heading for home (a light at the end of the tunnel!). As I pushed my cart full of sacks to the front door and opened my umbrella, I reached into my pocket to get the van keys.......the pocket was empty (the oncoming train!). They must be in my purse, I thought.......but how wrong that thought was. My heart sank. The keys were locked in the van, and the rain was still pouring down. Great. I called home and told Husband and Son what had happened and that I would be delayed. Then I just stood there trying to think of what to do, finally deciding to get a Starbucks decaf and sit by the window for awhile to see if the rain would stop. On a wall which I had never looked at before, because I don't usually sit down in Starbucks, was a huge collage-type painting. Big words at the bottom said, "Joyfulness evokes another world". Really. In other words something like, "Think happy, and you will find yourself to be happy." Good advice, I decided, and forced myself to maintain an optimistic attitude, and keep my little dilemma in perspective.....much worse things can happen than locking your keys in your vehicle!
Through the raindrops on the Starbucks window, I could see my old van sitting forlornly way out in the parking lot. People were running to and fro, some with umbrellas, most not. Husband had reminded me on the phone that the small side window of the van, behind the driver's seat, can be opened from the outside. (As if he thought I could crawl through that tiny window!) Then an idea popped up. I asked the Starbucks server if I could leave my full cart there, and then went back into Target and bought a broom for $1.39, and a cheap rain poncho. With some effort, I was able to slide the little van window open. Then I put the broom through and started blindly hitting at the area on the driver's door where the automatic unlock button is. This went on for ten minutes or so until my arm was tired. The rain continued to fall, but I was staying fairly dry under the poncho. My cell phone showed a missed call from home, so I returned the call. Husband wondered how things were going, and I told him not so good. As we talked, I started absently hitting at the door again, and all of a sudden I heard that wonderful ker-clunk of the doors unlocking! I told Husband that talking to him must have brought good luck! I ran back to Starbucks for my cart, and finally was on my way, stopping also at Pizza Hut to get food to take home.
What a day! Never a dull moment. Watch out for those oncoming trains!
Soon, our rusty old van and I were merrily making our way to town.......the big town that has the mall and all the usual chain stores......Target being my favorite. First stop was the dress fitting. Hmm......I seem to have a lost a little weight since buying the dress.....I should have ordered a size smaller, but its too late for that now. It can be taken in in late July, if need be.
Next on my agenda was getting Husband's parts, which included a long wait at the parts counter of a business which sells bearings, chains, belts, etc. We've done business there for many years, and through all that time the same humorous poster has hung on the wall by the counter. It contains a long list of hilarious quotes, and someday I should just go in there and copy them down.....they are so good. One of my favorites is, "The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an oncoming train!" Life is so often like that, it seems. You think something good is coming, but it turns out differently.
A stop at an auto parts store was next. I handed over Husband's list of needed items and let the clerk find everything. No problem. Just down the street happens to be a favorite place of mine, so I couldn't pass up a chance to go there as well. Its a shop packed full of antiques and junk. Mostly junk, but well maintained, and the owners are friendly and interesting. Everything under the sun is there......jewelry, knick-knacks of every type, books, framed pictures, tools, furniture, kitchen supplies, dishes......you name it, its there! I tried to narrow my browsing to the books and old fruit jars, which I collect. I found a Drey jar that I don't have yet, and some glass lids. I also picked out an old book on German history, but the owner saw that it was part of a set, and he couldn't find the rest of the set, so he said he would keep the book and call me later when he found the rest. Well, whatever. I only wanted to buy it because it had some chapters about politics during the Reformation, a subject I'm interested in. I think the Reformation was as much about politics as it was religion, and Lutherans rarely hear much about that.
After the fun at the junk store, it was off to Sam's Club. A boy from my church works there, so I visited with him for awhile. Sam's Club is great, but a person really has to be careful not to pick out too many items, or the bill quickly adds up to too much. I like to buy just certain things there......and I try not to look at anything else. Easier said than done.
Next stop was Penneys at the mall, and a dreaded session of trying on bras. Ugh. Unclothed middle-aged human beings are not a pretty sight. Sometimes I almost wonder if Eve, of Garden of Eden fame, was seduced not by an apple, but by the promise of clothing. Humankind could never have survived in the naked state......it gets cold in the winter in some parts of the world! Plus, humans just look better in clothes. The fitting room next to mine was being used by two women who looked to be sisters. One was trying on bras the other one brought to her. Their conversation was hilarious. The one in the room was hollering things like, "The girls are falling out of this one!", "The girls don't like this one!", "Get me the 44D." Males have no idea how awful it is to try and find the right bra. I tried on about a dozen and found just one of those that was sort of OK.
When I left Penneys, the sky which had been threatening rain all day, had finally let loose, and was pouring. Rummaging around in the van, I finally found an old dusty umbrella to use while I ran through the Target parking lot. I made sure I had a sweater with me as the Target store is always freezing. Quickly, my cart became filled with miscellaneous groceries and supplies and through the checkout line I went, looking forward to heading for home (a light at the end of the tunnel!). As I pushed my cart full of sacks to the front door and opened my umbrella, I reached into my pocket to get the van keys.......the pocket was empty (the oncoming train!). They must be in my purse, I thought.......but how wrong that thought was. My heart sank. The keys were locked in the van, and the rain was still pouring down. Great. I called home and told Husband and Son what had happened and that I would be delayed. Then I just stood there trying to think of what to do, finally deciding to get a Starbucks decaf and sit by the window for awhile to see if the rain would stop. On a wall which I had never looked at before, because I don't usually sit down in Starbucks, was a huge collage-type painting. Big words at the bottom said, "Joyfulness evokes another world". Really. In other words something like, "Think happy, and you will find yourself to be happy." Good advice, I decided, and forced myself to maintain an optimistic attitude, and keep my little dilemma in perspective.....much worse things can happen than locking your keys in your vehicle!
Through the raindrops on the Starbucks window, I could see my old van sitting forlornly way out in the parking lot. People were running to and fro, some with umbrellas, most not. Husband had reminded me on the phone that the small side window of the van, behind the driver's seat, can be opened from the outside. (As if he thought I could crawl through that tiny window!) Then an idea popped up. I asked the Starbucks server if I could leave my full cart there, and then went back into Target and bought a broom for $1.39, and a cheap rain poncho. With some effort, I was able to slide the little van window open. Then I put the broom through and started blindly hitting at the area on the driver's door where the automatic unlock button is. This went on for ten minutes or so until my arm was tired. The rain continued to fall, but I was staying fairly dry under the poncho. My cell phone showed a missed call from home, so I returned the call. Husband wondered how things were going, and I told him not so good. As we talked, I started absently hitting at the door again, and all of a sudden I heard that wonderful ker-clunk of the doors unlocking! I told Husband that talking to him must have brought good luck! I ran back to Starbucks for my cart, and finally was on my way, stopping also at Pizza Hut to get food to take home.
What a day! Never a dull moment. Watch out for those oncoming trains!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Strappy Shoes and "Clompen"!
Several weeks ago I finally found a mother-of-the-bride dress that seemed to be right for me.....it's not too old-ladyish, and yet suitable for someone my age. As I stood there in the bridal shop modeling the dress in the big mirror, the very young store owner (in her 20's) cheerily chirped, "You'll want to get some strappy shoes to wear with it." Whoa. The word "strappy" reverberated around in my head, meeting with silent laughter from my feet. I've never worn "strappy" shoes, not even when I was young. And nowadays, my 48-year-old feet are veiny and calloused, so I'm definitely not inclined towards "strappy" styles. But since finding the dress, I've been weighing the options......the dress is floor-length, meaning my feet won't show much anyway, so I decided to be daring and try looking at "strappy" footwear.
Last Tuesday morning, after a really fun dentist appointment in which a cavity was filled, I, along with a numb mouth and chin, headed to the mall to look for "strappy" shoes. At Penneys and Younkers I scanned the racks and tables of shoes, trying several styles on. One black, strappy little slip-on was actually quite comfortable, so I bought it. The price was so good that I decided to look for a second more comfortable and stable pair to wear at the reception and dance. I'm not into high heels.....stability is important to me. So I found a very comfy pair of Clark's slip-ons for that. There were many racks of clearance shoes, so since I hadn't shopped for shoes for quite awhile, I browsed through them and ended up buying two more pairs of very comfortable clog types to wear with jeans and skirts in the fall and winter. I just love the easy-on, easy-off, clog styles. Anymore, my walking shoes are the only ones I still have to sit down and pull on and tie.
Speaking of clogs, they always makes me think of the Dutch wooden shoes. Those people were smart to make shoes like that. My older daughter spent the fall semester of 2001 in the Netherlands (she had been there only two weeks when the 9/11 attacks took place......someday I'll write a post about her interesting experiences there), and she came home with a Dutch/English dictionary. One time I happened to look up the English word "walk", and in Dutch it is "clompen". I thought that was so cute! "Clompen"......that's exactly what you do when you walk.....clomp, clomp, clomp!
I enjoyed my "clompen" out in the warm sunshine on our farm this morning! Hopefully, anyone reading this will have a chance to go "clompen" today! It's good for you!!
Last Tuesday morning, after a really fun dentist appointment in which a cavity was filled, I, along with a numb mouth and chin, headed to the mall to look for "strappy" shoes. At Penneys and Younkers I scanned the racks and tables of shoes, trying several styles on. One black, strappy little slip-on was actually quite comfortable, so I bought it. The price was so good that I decided to look for a second more comfortable and stable pair to wear at the reception and dance. I'm not into high heels.....stability is important to me. So I found a very comfy pair of Clark's slip-ons for that. There were many racks of clearance shoes, so since I hadn't shopped for shoes for quite awhile, I browsed through them and ended up buying two more pairs of very comfortable clog types to wear with jeans and skirts in the fall and winter. I just love the easy-on, easy-off, clog styles. Anymore, my walking shoes are the only ones I still have to sit down and pull on and tie.
Speaking of clogs, they always makes me think of the Dutch wooden shoes. Those people were smart to make shoes like that. My older daughter spent the fall semester of 2001 in the Netherlands (she had been there only two weeks when the 9/11 attacks took place......someday I'll write a post about her interesting experiences there), and she came home with a Dutch/English dictionary. One time I happened to look up the English word "walk", and in Dutch it is "clompen". I thought that was so cute! "Clompen"......that's exactly what you do when you walk.....clomp, clomp, clomp!
I enjoyed my "clompen" out in the warm sunshine on our farm this morning! Hopefully, anyone reading this will have a chance to go "clompen" today! It's good for you!!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Dictionary Game
Because I'm fascinated by amazing little coincidences, I have to describe something that just happened today. Here's some background: The book I am reading right now is The Lost Language of Symbolism by Harold Bayley, first published in 1912. I love reading about history, the more obscure the better, and this book is definitely that. It is all about watermark symbols used in early European papermaking. Apparently the earliest papermakers were from southern France, and tended to be some of the earliest Protestant-type heretics, many later called Huguenots. This interests me because some of my ancestors were Huguenots.
Anyway, last night, as is my habit, I read from the book until I got sleepy. The last thing I had read mentioned Osiris, the Egyptian deity. The book said that the word "Osiris" means "many-eyed" (Os=many, Iris=eye). I had never heard this before. It reminded me of some verse in the Bible, in Revelation, I think, that talks about a creature in heaven that is "full of eyes".
Ok, now back to noontime, today. Husband and Son were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for me to get lunch all set out. Husband grabbed the big dictionary which we keep by the table for working on newspaper Jumbles and crossword puzzles. He said, "Let's see if we can learn something", and then proceeded to open the dictionary to a random page and was going to pick out a definition to read to us. Then I said, "No. Do it this way. Close your eyes and open to a page and put your finger down and read the definition your finger is touching." So, that's what Husband did. And guess what word he opened and pointed to......"Osiris"! I chuckled. With a puzzled voice, he read the definition: "The ancient Egyptian god of the lower world and judge of the dead, brother and husband of Isis."
It was a funny little coincidence, just for me privately, of course. But that makes it no less entertaining and interesting. Watch for this type of happening in your own life!
P.S. - I had to come back and add this! In my email just now there was a message from Amazon.com advertising an upcoming book entitled Coincidentally: Unserious Reflections on Trivial Connections, authored by George Rutler. His name is unfamiliar to me, but I may have to look into his book.
Anyway, last night, as is my habit, I read from the book until I got sleepy. The last thing I had read mentioned Osiris, the Egyptian deity. The book said that the word "Osiris" means "many-eyed" (Os=many, Iris=eye). I had never heard this before. It reminded me of some verse in the Bible, in Revelation, I think, that talks about a creature in heaven that is "full of eyes".
Ok, now back to noontime, today. Husband and Son were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for me to get lunch all set out. Husband grabbed the big dictionary which we keep by the table for working on newspaper Jumbles and crossword puzzles. He said, "Let's see if we can learn something", and then proceeded to open the dictionary to a random page and was going to pick out a definition to read to us. Then I said, "No. Do it this way. Close your eyes and open to a page and put your finger down and read the definition your finger is touching." So, that's what Husband did. And guess what word he opened and pointed to......"Osiris"! I chuckled. With a puzzled voice, he read the definition: "The ancient Egyptian god of the lower world and judge of the dead, brother and husband of Isis."
It was a funny little coincidence, just for me privately, of course. But that makes it no less entertaining and interesting. Watch for this type of happening in your own life!
P.S. - I had to come back and add this! In my email just now there was a message from Amazon.com advertising an upcoming book entitled Coincidentally: Unserious Reflections on Trivial Connections, authored by George Rutler. His name is unfamiliar to me, but I may have to look into his book.
College Orientation
Last week I spent a day and a half at my daughter's college orientation. She's going to attend a school which is only 30 minutes away, so we did not stay overnight. About 400 students were there for their orientation, so a large crowd of parents was also in attendance. The first morning we parents were treated to skits and lectures to assist us in helping our children adjust to college life. One speaker talked about "helicopter parents".......those parents who hover too low over their child's life, producing a disturbance which clouds the situation instead of helping it. I smiled to myself as soon as I heard the words.....I had never heard that term before, but it makes perfect sense to me. At this point in a young adult child's life, the parents need to retreat somewhat into the background, "hovering" high in thought and prayer......and sending money, of course!
This is my third experience with launching a child into college, so I feel fairly relaxed about the whole thing. As I surveyed the crowd of parents, I could tell that some were more anxious than others about their child entering college. Of course, in a crowd that size, there were parents of all ages, some in their sixties, some in their thirties, and many in the middle like me.
We attended other sessions on financial aid, student services, and spiritual aspects. As I walked along with the crowd from place to place, I tried to read nametags to see where people were from. One mother I happened to walk next to was from a small town in hilly northeast Iowa, so I commented on that to her. We ended up having a great conversation. It turned out that she also lives on a dairy farm, and has a child getting married this summer, like me. Cool! Her daughter was planning to major in geology in college.
Our lunch was served in a high-ceilinged ballroom in one of the older buildings on campus. In around 1918 or so, my grandmother had attended school here for two years after 8th grade, to get a certificate to teach in the country one-room schoolhouses. I wondered if maybe she had spent time in the old building we were in. At my lunch table were three mothers from the Dubuque area, one whose child had graduated from a Christian Academy across the Mississippi River, in Galena, Illinois. These mothers' children were all planning to become teachers.
My daughter is a bit undecided about her major. She is interested in art and humanities, but says she does not want to teach. Time will tell.
By the end of orientation, my brain felt ready to burst, full of all the information that had been presented to us. I was very glad to finally get back home and go to sleep.
The next morning we had to be back on campus at 7:15 a.m. for my daughter's class registration appointment. I enjoyed the continental breakfast and waited for a turn to talk to the financial aid people. Oh, joy. Lots of loans. Then my daughter got her meningitis vaccination and we browsed the computer booths for awhile. She wants to buy a laptop computer, but has to decide between a PC or a Mac. I wish I was more knowledgeable about such things.
Anyway, the orientation all went well. My daughter and her roommate, who is from western Iowa, have been talking via e-mails and face-book chat. They have to figure out who has what appliances, supplies, etc., for their dorm room. Hopefully, the two girls will get along ok. One never knows, but needs to go into it with a positive, optimistic attitude.......that's what I'm trying to get across to my daughter, anyway.
Happy college orientations to everyone!!
This is my third experience with launching a child into college, so I feel fairly relaxed about the whole thing. As I surveyed the crowd of parents, I could tell that some were more anxious than others about their child entering college. Of course, in a crowd that size, there were parents of all ages, some in their sixties, some in their thirties, and many in the middle like me.
We attended other sessions on financial aid, student services, and spiritual aspects. As I walked along with the crowd from place to place, I tried to read nametags to see where people were from. One mother I happened to walk next to was from a small town in hilly northeast Iowa, so I commented on that to her. We ended up having a great conversation. It turned out that she also lives on a dairy farm, and has a child getting married this summer, like me. Cool! Her daughter was planning to major in geology in college.
Our lunch was served in a high-ceilinged ballroom in one of the older buildings on campus. In around 1918 or so, my grandmother had attended school here for two years after 8th grade, to get a certificate to teach in the country one-room schoolhouses. I wondered if maybe she had spent time in the old building we were in. At my lunch table were three mothers from the Dubuque area, one whose child had graduated from a Christian Academy across the Mississippi River, in Galena, Illinois. These mothers' children were all planning to become teachers.
My daughter is a bit undecided about her major. She is interested in art and humanities, but says she does not want to teach. Time will tell.
By the end of orientation, my brain felt ready to burst, full of all the information that had been presented to us. I was very glad to finally get back home and go to sleep.
The next morning we had to be back on campus at 7:15 a.m. for my daughter's class registration appointment. I enjoyed the continental breakfast and waited for a turn to talk to the financial aid people. Oh, joy. Lots of loans. Then my daughter got her meningitis vaccination and we browsed the computer booths for awhile. She wants to buy a laptop computer, but has to decide between a PC or a Mac. I wish I was more knowledgeable about such things.
Anyway, the orientation all went well. My daughter and her roommate, who is from western Iowa, have been talking via e-mails and face-book chat. They have to figure out who has what appliances, supplies, etc., for their dorm room. Hopefully, the two girls will get along ok. One never knows, but needs to go into it with a positive, optimistic attitude.......that's what I'm trying to get across to my daughter, anyway.
Happy college orientations to everyone!!
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The Martyrs of Tulle
A few nights ago, in a dream, I was closely examining a medallion which was hanging by a length of tulle (the gauzy fabric used in wedding veils, etc.). There were symbols on the medallion, but I couldn't recall them very well after waking up, so I decided to focus more on the tulle. An internet search of the word "tulle" led me to the website of the city of Tulle, in France. The fabric called "tulle" had been named for its city of origin.
A link on the Tulle website led to information on the "Martyrs of Tulle", a story I had not been aware of before. On June 9 and 10, 1944, during the World War II Nazi occupation of France, a terrible event took place in Tulle. The story is not well-known outside of France. A skirmish of some sort had taken place near Tulle, and 40 German soldiers had been killed. The Nazis were furious and marched into Tulle to exact revenge. They ordered all the men of the town to line up, and then announced that they were going to hang 120 men of Tulle. The Nazis went down the line, choosing the men that would die-----mostly they chose the ones who had dirty shoes, because that gave indication of being part of the French Resistance. The Nazis then proceeded to hang the men, from lampposts and trees along the streets of Tulle. They stopped the hangings after the 99th man because they ran out of rope.....
I know we've all heard countless stories of Nazi cruelty, and this only adds another one to the grim list, but what a devastating thing for a small town to endure. The only book written about this event was authored by an eyewitness who had to watch his son be hanged. The book has never been translated from French, evidently.
Anyway, I felt this was an interesting bit of history to pass along about an event which occurred exactly 63 years ago.
What are those quotes about the importance of remembering history? "If we forget history, we are bound to repeat it." And, "History is our memory", or something like that.
A link on the Tulle website led to information on the "Martyrs of Tulle", a story I had not been aware of before. On June 9 and 10, 1944, during the World War II Nazi occupation of France, a terrible event took place in Tulle. The story is not well-known outside of France. A skirmish of some sort had taken place near Tulle, and 40 German soldiers had been killed. The Nazis were furious and marched into Tulle to exact revenge. They ordered all the men of the town to line up, and then announced that they were going to hang 120 men of Tulle. The Nazis went down the line, choosing the men that would die-----mostly they chose the ones who had dirty shoes, because that gave indication of being part of the French Resistance. The Nazis then proceeded to hang the men, from lampposts and trees along the streets of Tulle. They stopped the hangings after the 99th man because they ran out of rope.....
I know we've all heard countless stories of Nazi cruelty, and this only adds another one to the grim list, but what a devastating thing for a small town to endure. The only book written about this event was authored by an eyewitness who had to watch his son be hanged. The book has never been translated from French, evidently.
Anyway, I felt this was an interesting bit of history to pass along about an event which occurred exactly 63 years ago.
What are those quotes about the importance of remembering history? "If we forget history, we are bound to repeat it." And, "History is our memory", or something like that.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
A Randomly Pleasant Morning
This morning I awoke and tried to orient my mind to the day, thinking about what everyone had going on. Older Son is home for the weekend from his summer internship, probably with plans to spend time with his girlfriend. Daughter will sleep late and attend more graduation parties this afternoon and evening. Younger Son needs to be driven to a friend's home for a "paint-ball war".
I shuffled through my usual wake-up routine of making coffee, eating a banana and a trail-mix bar, and heading out to the barn to feed calves. I can't sit down and eat breakfast, not right after getting out of bed......I must keep moving. About the time I finished with the calf chores, Husband informed me that he needed me to take a manure-spreader part to get repaired. Quickly, I cleaned up and jumped into the pickup. My son drove to the site of the "paint-ball war" where he would spend most of the day, and I headed onward down the road.
The town I was taking the part to is about 40 miles away, and is a town I don't get to very often, so I was happy to be driving on roads seldomed travelled. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Fluffy white clouds in the deep blue sky were suspended over endless young cornfields of brilliant green. The green tones this time of year, when the corn is maybe 12 inches in height, is the most lovely green that could possibly be. In another couple weeks, the color will deepen and become less luminous for the rest of the summer, although it will still be beautiful in its own way.
Finally, I found my way to the implement dealership. Recent road construction in the area had led to me taking a couple of wrong turns. Anyway, being a woman and going for repairs and parts is always an interesting experience in a mostly male domain, and this time was no exception. I walked into the dealership building, and into a circle of farmers seated in chairs having a yap session. They then shut up for a minute or so, as if struck dumb by the entrance of a woman, and I thought, well, for goodness sake, don't stop talking on my account. Good grief! Sheesh. I felt like saying, "Please, guys, just carry on." Instead, I just pretended to be very interested in the machinery booklets hanging on the wall. Anyway, finally the guy behind the counter waited on me, and I gave him the part to be repaired and he said it would take about an hour or so to fix. Good, that would give me time to go back into town and snoop around.
It's a town of around 4000 residents, and has some stores downtown, so I headed that way. First, I filled the pickup with fuel.....what a joy, with these high gas prices.....the tab was $76! I noticed there was a Dollar General across the street, so I went there next. Truly, I would just as soon shop for supplies at a small store like Dollar General than at pointlessly gigantic places like Walmart. And I buy most of my greeting cards there at Dollar General, too. After picking out laundry detergent and drain cleaner, I wandered into aisles I don't normally look at in Dollar General....stationary and children's books. I was amazed at all the cute, inexpensive children's books, not like I need them or anything, but it was nice to know they are there. They would make good gifts for younger Sunday School students. They even had regular Bibles there. Anyway, I almost lost track of time, and soon I needed to check out and head back to the implement business. The wait in the check-out line took awhile.....many people were in town for a girls' softball tournament, and they were shopping between games, I guess. Sports for young kids keeps parents running and helps support small town economies, it seems. I'm glad not to be part of that rat race.
The part was all ready when I got there. The mechanic was very courteous and pleasant when he loaded the part onto the pickup. A credit to his gender. I don't mean to be critical.....guys just make me laugh sometimes.....they can be so predictable. Like that yapping bunch from earlier.
It was nearing noon, so I quickly made one more stop, at a Pamida. I like Pamida stores, but I hardly ever get to one anymore. Then a Subway across the street caught my eye, and I went in there expecting to walk out with my usual turkey sub sandwich. But, guess what......I walked out with a pizza! Must be something new Subway is trying. I chose the cheese pizza, topped with tomatoes, olives, green peppers, and onion. It was very tasty and I enjoyed munching on it most of the way home.
The road I was driving home on has always been a major link in this part of Iowa, always known for its heavy traffic. That is easing a bit, as slowly the road is being developed into a four-lane highway. It goes by the farm where my husband's mother grew up, and what's kind of sad is that the house and most of the buildings there were torn down a few years ago due to the road construction.
Ah, well, that's progress.
Not far from her old home farm, is the cemetery where my mother-in-law is buried, also right along the highway. I pulled in for a quick visit. I had put a flower there before Memorial Day, and I was kind of irritated to see that it had been removed already.....probably by my father-in-law. He must go there on the day right after Memorial Day and take away all the flowers, even though many of the graves still have flowers adorning them. I don't understand why he does that. Oh, well, its really not that important, I guess. My mother-in-law has been gone for thirteen years now. So much family stuff she's missed out on. There's times I feel like pounding on the ground above her grave and hollering, "I'm sorry! I should have been a better daughter-in-law to you!" We just didn't seem to connect very well.
I walked over to Husband's grandparents' gravestone, also. The flower I had put on that one was still there. I never knew the grandfather, but Grandma and I had been good friends. Someday, I'll blog an interesting story concerning her.
Anyway, what a wonderful morning, full of random interesting moments and lovely late spring Iowa scenery to enjoy!
I shuffled through my usual wake-up routine of making coffee, eating a banana and a trail-mix bar, and heading out to the barn to feed calves. I can't sit down and eat breakfast, not right after getting out of bed......I must keep moving. About the time I finished with the calf chores, Husband informed me that he needed me to take a manure-spreader part to get repaired. Quickly, I cleaned up and jumped into the pickup. My son drove to the site of the "paint-ball war" where he would spend most of the day, and I headed onward down the road.
The town I was taking the part to is about 40 miles away, and is a town I don't get to very often, so I was happy to be driving on roads seldomed travelled. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. Fluffy white clouds in the deep blue sky were suspended over endless young cornfields of brilliant green. The green tones this time of year, when the corn is maybe 12 inches in height, is the most lovely green that could possibly be. In another couple weeks, the color will deepen and become less luminous for the rest of the summer, although it will still be beautiful in its own way.
Finally, I found my way to the implement dealership. Recent road construction in the area had led to me taking a couple of wrong turns. Anyway, being a woman and going for repairs and parts is always an interesting experience in a mostly male domain, and this time was no exception. I walked into the dealership building, and into a circle of farmers seated in chairs having a yap session. They then shut up for a minute or so, as if struck dumb by the entrance of a woman, and I thought, well, for goodness sake, don't stop talking on my account. Good grief! Sheesh. I felt like saying, "Please, guys, just carry on." Instead, I just pretended to be very interested in the machinery booklets hanging on the wall. Anyway, finally the guy behind the counter waited on me, and I gave him the part to be repaired and he said it would take about an hour or so to fix. Good, that would give me time to go back into town and snoop around.
It's a town of around 4000 residents, and has some stores downtown, so I headed that way. First, I filled the pickup with fuel.....what a joy, with these high gas prices.....the tab was $76! I noticed there was a Dollar General across the street, so I went there next. Truly, I would just as soon shop for supplies at a small store like Dollar General than at pointlessly gigantic places like Walmart. And I buy most of my greeting cards there at Dollar General, too. After picking out laundry detergent and drain cleaner, I wandered into aisles I don't normally look at in Dollar General....stationary and children's books. I was amazed at all the cute, inexpensive children's books, not like I need them or anything, but it was nice to know they are there. They would make good gifts for younger Sunday School students. They even had regular Bibles there. Anyway, I almost lost track of time, and soon I needed to check out and head back to the implement business. The wait in the check-out line took awhile.....many people were in town for a girls' softball tournament, and they were shopping between games, I guess. Sports for young kids keeps parents running and helps support small town economies, it seems. I'm glad not to be part of that rat race.
The part was all ready when I got there. The mechanic was very courteous and pleasant when he loaded the part onto the pickup. A credit to his gender. I don't mean to be critical.....guys just make me laugh sometimes.....they can be so predictable. Like that yapping bunch from earlier.
It was nearing noon, so I quickly made one more stop, at a Pamida. I like Pamida stores, but I hardly ever get to one anymore. Then a Subway across the street caught my eye, and I went in there expecting to walk out with my usual turkey sub sandwich. But, guess what......I walked out with a pizza! Must be something new Subway is trying. I chose the cheese pizza, topped with tomatoes, olives, green peppers, and onion. It was very tasty and I enjoyed munching on it most of the way home.
The road I was driving home on has always been a major link in this part of Iowa, always known for its heavy traffic. That is easing a bit, as slowly the road is being developed into a four-lane highway. It goes by the farm where my husband's mother grew up, and what's kind of sad is that the house and most of the buildings there were torn down a few years ago due to the road construction.
Ah, well, that's progress.
Not far from her old home farm, is the cemetery where my mother-in-law is buried, also right along the highway. I pulled in for a quick visit. I had put a flower there before Memorial Day, and I was kind of irritated to see that it had been removed already.....probably by my father-in-law. He must go there on the day right after Memorial Day and take away all the flowers, even though many of the graves still have flowers adorning them. I don't understand why he does that. Oh, well, its really not that important, I guess. My mother-in-law has been gone for thirteen years now. So much family stuff she's missed out on. There's times I feel like pounding on the ground above her grave and hollering, "I'm sorry! I should have been a better daughter-in-law to you!" We just didn't seem to connect very well.
I walked over to Husband's grandparents' gravestone, also. The flower I had put on that one was still there. I never knew the grandfather, but Grandma and I had been good friends. Someday, I'll blog an interesting story concerning her.
Anyway, what a wonderful morning, full of random interesting moments and lovely late spring Iowa scenery to enjoy!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
An E.M. Bounds Synchronicity
What a pleasant and peaceful Saturday. Older daughter is keeping us updated with text messages from the state track meet in Des Moines, where the team she coaches is involved, plus some runners from our local school district. Wow, a perfect day for that! Older son and his girlfriend headed to a nearby state park for some hiking and a picnic. Younger daughter......well, who knows where she is......at graduation parties, probably. Younger son......he's here at home shooting hoops. Husband......snoring on the living room floor.
Found out yesterday that our neighbor lady hasn't been feeling well, so I just got back from walking over there with a casserole. Unfortunately, no one was home, and with their snarly spitz dog barking at me from inside I decided not to try and go in and put the pan in the fridge. I'll just have to drive over there later. The one and 1/2 mile walk was pleasant, although the casserole basket got very heavy, and I felt like Little Red Riding Hood.
Along the way, in the roadside ditch are blooming patches of Sweet William, a wildflower whose proper name is Prairie Phlox, I believe. Their colors varied from white to lavendar to fuchsia. Very lovely!
Yesterday an interesting little synchronicity occurred when I was shopping in the Christian bookstore. I had stopped there to try and find a graduation gift for my daughter. Always when there, I like to glance over the bargain book table. I quickly scanned the titles, not really looking for anything in particular. For some reason, one book title jumped out at me......The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer. I thought to myself....."Who is E.M. Bounds? That's an odd name." Then I walked on over to the bookmark rack to browse. The store was very quiet and I soon became aware of a conversation nearby between an older male customer and a store clerk. The customer was asking, "Do you have any books by E.M. Bounds?" He must have been looking on the regular bookshelves. The clerk replied that she would go look in the back room. Being quite interested by then, I listened for what she said when she returned....."No, we don't have any books by E.M. Bounds right now." I then stepped around the shelves to where the man was standing and I took him over to the bargain book table and showed him the book by E.M. Bounds. Later, I noticed that he did purchase it. The clerk asked him where he had found it and he told her. Anyway, it must have been meant to be that he have that book!
This morning I googled "E.M. Bounds". His full name was Edward McKendree Bounds and he lived from 1835 to 1913, and was a Methodist pastor in the southern U.S. His great focus in life was prayer. He used to pray every morning from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m., during what he called the "great-while-before-day" hour. He wrote several books on prayer, and the book I saw was a compilation of all of them. Maybe I'll take a closer look at it next time I'm at the bookstore.
For anyone who doesn't believe in synchronicity, or thinks it is something that new agers came up with, I am here to tell you that it does occur, and the above incident is a prime example. This is not the first time I've experienced such a thing. I had known over the years that many odd things had happened in my life and finally while reading a book one time, I ran across the word "synchronicity" and its meaning, and then many things became clear to me. The ancient Greeks knew about it and some physicists today even study this phenomenon; possibly quantum physics is involved. Be mindfully aware and pay attention to what is going on around you. These types of "meaningful coincidences" are occurring all the time, but most of us just never notice!
Found out yesterday that our neighbor lady hasn't been feeling well, so I just got back from walking over there with a casserole. Unfortunately, no one was home, and with their snarly spitz dog barking at me from inside I decided not to try and go in and put the pan in the fridge. I'll just have to drive over there later. The one and 1/2 mile walk was pleasant, although the casserole basket got very heavy, and I felt like Little Red Riding Hood.
Along the way, in the roadside ditch are blooming patches of Sweet William, a wildflower whose proper name is Prairie Phlox, I believe. Their colors varied from white to lavendar to fuchsia. Very lovely!
Yesterday an interesting little synchronicity occurred when I was shopping in the Christian bookstore. I had stopped there to try and find a graduation gift for my daughter. Always when there, I like to glance over the bargain book table. I quickly scanned the titles, not really looking for anything in particular. For some reason, one book title jumped out at me......The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer. I thought to myself....."Who is E.M. Bounds? That's an odd name." Then I walked on over to the bookmark rack to browse. The store was very quiet and I soon became aware of a conversation nearby between an older male customer and a store clerk. The customer was asking, "Do you have any books by E.M. Bounds?" He must have been looking on the regular bookshelves. The clerk replied that she would go look in the back room. Being quite interested by then, I listened for what she said when she returned....."No, we don't have any books by E.M. Bounds right now." I then stepped around the shelves to where the man was standing and I took him over to the bargain book table and showed him the book by E.M. Bounds. Later, I noticed that he did purchase it. The clerk asked him where he had found it and he told her. Anyway, it must have been meant to be that he have that book!
This morning I googled "E.M. Bounds". His full name was Edward McKendree Bounds and he lived from 1835 to 1913, and was a Methodist pastor in the southern U.S. His great focus in life was prayer. He used to pray every morning from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m., during what he called the "great-while-before-day" hour. He wrote several books on prayer, and the book I saw was a compilation of all of them. Maybe I'll take a closer look at it next time I'm at the bookstore.
For anyone who doesn't believe in synchronicity, or thinks it is something that new agers came up with, I am here to tell you that it does occur, and the above incident is a prime example. This is not the first time I've experienced such a thing. I had known over the years that many odd things had happened in my life and finally while reading a book one time, I ran across the word "synchronicity" and its meaning, and then many things became clear to me. The ancient Greeks knew about it and some physicists today even study this phenomenon; possibly quantum physics is involved. Be mindfully aware and pay attention to what is going on around you. These types of "meaningful coincidences" are occurring all the time, but most of us just never notice!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Post-Mother's Day Thoughts
Obviously, I've let springtime cause me to neglect blogging. Not that it really matters, of course, but since this blog was created with the intention of posting regularly, I need to get back to that. This post's title indicates a Mother's Day theme, but first some thoughts on spring-planting.....
The regreening of our part of the earth has once again prompted much outdoor activity. Tractors rumble through the fields towing plows and planters. Pickups filled with sacks of seed corn sit at edges of fields, in readiness for the farmer's next stop to refill planter boxes. Planting equipment is quite high-tech now, with electronic sensers which keep the farmer in his tractor informed about the operation of the planter being pulled behind. Flashing lights and beepers will let him know if something is amiss. It seems the planters get bigger every year. When I was a kid, everyone used four-row planters. Now its common to see 24-row planters.
The worst thing is when you get a good whiff of odorous farm chemicals being sprayed on the fields. I had to shut all the windows the other day because a strong east wind kept bringing that awful chemical smell from the farm next door. Although I'm fully aware of the benefits of utilizing herbicides and pesticides, deep inside I wish that they didn't have to be used. They pollute and they stink. But, it's a tradeoff, I guess, for farm chemicals do allow farmers to efficiently produce food to feed the world.
As for Mother's Day......the other day I read of the true origin of this holiday. It actually originated as "Mothers Day for Peace" in the late 1800's. A woman named Julia Ward Howe, after seeing the ravages of wars in the U.S. and Europe, called for mothers to unite to promote peace in the world. Hmm. Somehow, this Mothers Day for Peace became the day for mothers themselves to be honored. Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course. Plus, think of all the greeting cards and gifts that are produced and sold, providing a boost to the economy. Hmm.
We don't celebrate Mother's Day too heavily around this household. It's like most every other Sunday......we go to church, come home and Mom fixes dinner. That's OK with me. My sons gave me hugs. My older daughter phoned and sent a card and gift certificate. My younger daughter gave me two candles, kitchen towels, and a DVD (one that she must have been wanting to see for she watched it right away!). Husband's mother passed away many years ago. My own mother is on a river cruise in Russia......I gave her a card and gift before she left. I can't wait to hear about Moscow and St. Petersburg!
Yesterday we had strong winds all day long and unseasonably warm temperatures. It actually was hot! I spent most of the day outdoors, and it seemed otherworldly out there. The sound of the wind roaring through the pine trees made me feel caught up in another dimension, enveloped about by constant sound and the warm whirling wind. A wonderful day, but tiring. Sun and wind really make me feel worn out.
Last evening after chores, as I was ready to collapse into the recliner, my daughter became frantic because the printer ran out of ink as she was trying to finish her senior English portfolio. So I had to do something I try to avoid.....running to town for just one item. I sped 20 miles to Super Walmart....they were out of the ink I was looking for. Then on to another Super Walmart, where they were out of that ink, too. (We have too many Walmarts around here.) Good grief! And it was getting late. Back in the car I happened to hear a radio commercial for Office Depot, so I headed there right before they closed, and they had just what I needed. Next time I will go there first.
Today the chilly weather has returned. A good day to stay inside blogging and baking cookies. Husband and I have started doing the newspaper Jumbles, ciphers, and crossword puzzles together over lunch. Surprisingly to me, it is alot of fun. And Husband seems to enjoy it, too. You never know what will turn out to be fun and enjoyable sometimes.
The regreening of our part of the earth has once again prompted much outdoor activity. Tractors rumble through the fields towing plows and planters. Pickups filled with sacks of seed corn sit at edges of fields, in readiness for the farmer's next stop to refill planter boxes. Planting equipment is quite high-tech now, with electronic sensers which keep the farmer in his tractor informed about the operation of the planter being pulled behind. Flashing lights and beepers will let him know if something is amiss. It seems the planters get bigger every year. When I was a kid, everyone used four-row planters. Now its common to see 24-row planters.
The worst thing is when you get a good whiff of odorous farm chemicals being sprayed on the fields. I had to shut all the windows the other day because a strong east wind kept bringing that awful chemical smell from the farm next door. Although I'm fully aware of the benefits of utilizing herbicides and pesticides, deep inside I wish that they didn't have to be used. They pollute and they stink. But, it's a tradeoff, I guess, for farm chemicals do allow farmers to efficiently produce food to feed the world.
As for Mother's Day......the other day I read of the true origin of this holiday. It actually originated as "Mothers Day for Peace" in the late 1800's. A woman named Julia Ward Howe, after seeing the ravages of wars in the U.S. and Europe, called for mothers to unite to promote peace in the world. Hmm. Somehow, this Mothers Day for Peace became the day for mothers themselves to be honored. Not that there is anything wrong with that, of course. Plus, think of all the greeting cards and gifts that are produced and sold, providing a boost to the economy. Hmm.
We don't celebrate Mother's Day too heavily around this household. It's like most every other Sunday......we go to church, come home and Mom fixes dinner. That's OK with me. My sons gave me hugs. My older daughter phoned and sent a card and gift certificate. My younger daughter gave me two candles, kitchen towels, and a DVD (one that she must have been wanting to see for she watched it right away!). Husband's mother passed away many years ago. My own mother is on a river cruise in Russia......I gave her a card and gift before she left. I can't wait to hear about Moscow and St. Petersburg!
Yesterday we had strong winds all day long and unseasonably warm temperatures. It actually was hot! I spent most of the day outdoors, and it seemed otherworldly out there. The sound of the wind roaring through the pine trees made me feel caught up in another dimension, enveloped about by constant sound and the warm whirling wind. A wonderful day, but tiring. Sun and wind really make me feel worn out.
Last evening after chores, as I was ready to collapse into the recliner, my daughter became frantic because the printer ran out of ink as she was trying to finish her senior English portfolio. So I had to do something I try to avoid.....running to town for just one item. I sped 20 miles to Super Walmart....they were out of the ink I was looking for. Then on to another Super Walmart, where they were out of that ink, too. (We have too many Walmarts around here.) Good grief! And it was getting late. Back in the car I happened to hear a radio commercial for Office Depot, so I headed there right before they closed, and they had just what I needed. Next time I will go there first.
Today the chilly weather has returned. A good day to stay inside blogging and baking cookies. Husband and I have started doing the newspaper Jumbles, ciphers, and crossword puzzles together over lunch. Surprisingly to me, it is alot of fun. And Husband seems to enjoy it, too. You never know what will turn out to be fun and enjoyable sometimes.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Remembering the Planters
On Monday I made a trip to town to buy garden seeds and plants. Last year I didn't get a garden put in because we were caught up in a house remodeling project. Actually, for the past many years I've really been lacking in enthusiasm for gardening. It seemed that the springtime months would get so busy that I just didn't have time for yardwork other than lawn mowing. Through eighth grade our kids all attended a Lutheran dayschool which had sports starting in fifth grade. We played against schools in our Lutheran district, but many of those events were over an hour away, so most Saturdays would be spent driving to and sitting at games. At the time, I thought I enjoyed all that running around, but now, I'm relieved to have those years behind me. Also, our school had lots of tasks for volunteers to do, so I spent time doing that, too. Twenty years were spent focused on that school......that is enough. And I retired from the church ladies group, too. It seemed pointless to go sit at meetings and yack about what we could do next to raise money. I had enough of that! I'm so happy to just stay home most of the time......and there is plenty to do here. Never a dull moment, and if nothing else, I can always find a quiet spot to relax and enjoy my favorite pastime, reading.
Anyway, its with pleasant surprise that I find myself in the mood for gardening. In a shady flower bed area I planted pansies (my favorite), violas, and lobelia. Hopefully, the dogs and cats won't traipse around in there and break off the flowers. My perennials are shooting up now that the days are sunny and warm. Coneflowers, black-eyed susans, bleeding hearts, hostas, asters, phlox. Perennials are great.....they grow themselves!
After hoeing the garden up good, I planted eight tomato plants. Four Early Girl and four Better Boy. Those varieties have been around forever......I remember my mom planting them. Also, I put in four hills of pumpkins for fall decorating. For the past few years I've purchased pumpkins, so hopefully this year I won't have to do that. I planted one hill of cucumber, called "armenian". Its supposed to be crispy and not bitter. We'll see. Also, I put in gladiolas, marigolds and zinnias.
As I hoed and planted and watered, my mind wandered back through the years, to the memories of people who were "planters" of many types. My long-gone great-uncle, who never had the privilege of being a parent, but always had a huge, gorgeous garden. There are lovely lilac bushes in my yard, thanks to him. He had emigrated from Germany along with his parents when he was three years old. When I was a little kid, with big ears, like kids usually have, I heard my mom say that Uncle didn't "believe in miracles". I pondered a long time about that, and wasn't sure what to make of it. He didn't go to church.....maybe he was an atheist.....I don't know. He sure had nice gardens, though.
My grandpa showed me how to plant garden seeds and plants. Flower seeds and tiny, fine seeds (like lettuce) in wide shallow rows. Peas and green bean seeds one by one in deeper rows since they are bigger seeds. The holes for the tomato, cabbage, and pepper plants need to have some water put in them first, then the plant can go in. Press the dirt firmly around them and make a circle around them. There would be our handprints in the dirt. Grampy died when I was nine and I still miss him. He planted not only garden plants, but also love.
May we all take time to remember and appreciate those who have planted seeds of faith, hope, and love in our lives.
Anyway, its with pleasant surprise that I find myself in the mood for gardening. In a shady flower bed area I planted pansies (my favorite), violas, and lobelia. Hopefully, the dogs and cats won't traipse around in there and break off the flowers. My perennials are shooting up now that the days are sunny and warm. Coneflowers, black-eyed susans, bleeding hearts, hostas, asters, phlox. Perennials are great.....they grow themselves!
After hoeing the garden up good, I planted eight tomato plants. Four Early Girl and four Better Boy. Those varieties have been around forever......I remember my mom planting them. Also, I put in four hills of pumpkins for fall decorating. For the past few years I've purchased pumpkins, so hopefully this year I won't have to do that. I planted one hill of cucumber, called "armenian". Its supposed to be crispy and not bitter. We'll see. Also, I put in gladiolas, marigolds and zinnias.
As I hoed and planted and watered, my mind wandered back through the years, to the memories of people who were "planters" of many types. My long-gone great-uncle, who never had the privilege of being a parent, but always had a huge, gorgeous garden. There are lovely lilac bushes in my yard, thanks to him. He had emigrated from Germany along with his parents when he was three years old. When I was a little kid, with big ears, like kids usually have, I heard my mom say that Uncle didn't "believe in miracles". I pondered a long time about that, and wasn't sure what to make of it. He didn't go to church.....maybe he was an atheist.....I don't know. He sure had nice gardens, though.
My grandpa showed me how to plant garden seeds and plants. Flower seeds and tiny, fine seeds (like lettuce) in wide shallow rows. Peas and green bean seeds one by one in deeper rows since they are bigger seeds. The holes for the tomato, cabbage, and pepper plants need to have some water put in them first, then the plant can go in. Press the dirt firmly around them and make a circle around them. There would be our handprints in the dirt. Grampy died when I was nine and I still miss him. He planted not only garden plants, but also love.
May we all take time to remember and appreciate those who have planted seeds of faith, hope, and love in our lives.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Angelus & Amazing Grace!
It seems spring has finally arrived just today! And so have the barn swallows who swoop through our dairy barn and build mud nests on the rafters. Husband says they are already busy repairing the nests with fresh mud. What amazing creatures!
The week started cold and rainy, but by today the warmth of the sun seems to have overtaken the unspringlike weather pattern we've been in. That's good, because my perennials have been but timidly peeking out of their winter hiding places; they need the encouragement of warm sunshine in order to fully reveal themselves.
I mustn't sit here too long, but the following incident which took place last Friday is worth recording. I love it when cool little things like this happen! (First let me say that for several years I have had it in my mind to try and find a copy of the painting "Angelus" to hang in our living room. Not long ago I almost ordered a $40 copy of it from a catalog.) Anyway, on Friday evening, my high school freshman son asked if I would take him and a vanload of his friends to a neighboring town for a movie and bowling. I willingly agreed to do so, because it gives me a chance to get better acquainted with the friends he hangs out with. In another year or so, they will all be driving on their own, and I will no longer be asked to accompany them.
Anyway, when we arrived at the movie theater, we found that we were about 30 minutes early. The kids (4 boys and 2 girls) spied the Goodwill Store across the street, and decided to look around in there. I tagged along and browsed amongst the shelves of glassware and knicknacks, trying also to stay aware of the kids, to make sure they didn't get too noisy or goofy. You know how a group of young teenagers can be. My son and another boy found bowling balls to purchase for $1 each. I had spied a nice votive holder for 50 cents, and proceeded to the checkout counter. While handing over my two quarters, something on the floor behind the clerk caught my eye.......it was two matching "Angelus" prints, oval, in metal filigree frames, the praying man in one, and the woman in the other. I immediately pointed at them and asked, "Are they for sale?" They were, and very inexpensively, too, so I became the proud owner of half an "Angelus". Why, thank you, Lord, I thought, for that little miracle, or serendipity, or synchronicity.......whatever best describes an experience like that.
Across the street, at the theater, another minor miracle awaited......one of the two movies listed on the marquee was one that I actually had wanted to see, but I didn't think it was around in theaters anymore. It was "Amazing Grace", the film about William Wilberforce, the Englishman who in the late 1700's had been instrumental in ending the slave trade. The Parliament scenes were fascinating, with all the fervent debate and powdered wigs. I noticed that Patricia Heaton was named as one of the producers.....I think she had played Ray's wife on the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond". I once read an article about her Christian convictions, so it was good to see that she had been involved in the making of "Amazing Grace". This movie was named for that famous hymn written by John Newton, who was part of the story in the film. He had formerly been a slave trader, who after his conversion to Christianity, was full of regret over all the suffering he had caused. He lamented that that he felt as if he lived surrounded by 20,000 ghosts of the slaves he had so horridly transported across the Atlantic Ocean on his ships. He served as an inspiration for William Wilberforce's obsession with halting the slave trade. And then the way they finally accomplished that was amazing......Amazing Grace, I guess!
Now back to the "Angelus" painting for a moment. It was done in 1859 by a French artist, Jean Francois Millet. It depicts workers in a field standing with their heads bowed and hands folded in prayer. Way in the background is a church steeple. Evidently, the church bells had pealed to signal that it was time to pray the "Angelus", a prayer which was said three times a day. This picture is moving and inspiring to me, as it shows everyday people stopping in the middle of their everyday lives to pray.
The week started cold and rainy, but by today the warmth of the sun seems to have overtaken the unspringlike weather pattern we've been in. That's good, because my perennials have been but timidly peeking out of their winter hiding places; they need the encouragement of warm sunshine in order to fully reveal themselves.
I mustn't sit here too long, but the following incident which took place last Friday is worth recording. I love it when cool little things like this happen! (First let me say that for several years I have had it in my mind to try and find a copy of the painting "Angelus" to hang in our living room. Not long ago I almost ordered a $40 copy of it from a catalog.) Anyway, on Friday evening, my high school freshman son asked if I would take him and a vanload of his friends to a neighboring town for a movie and bowling. I willingly agreed to do so, because it gives me a chance to get better acquainted with the friends he hangs out with. In another year or so, they will all be driving on their own, and I will no longer be asked to accompany them.
Anyway, when we arrived at the movie theater, we found that we were about 30 minutes early. The kids (4 boys and 2 girls) spied the Goodwill Store across the street, and decided to look around in there. I tagged along and browsed amongst the shelves of glassware and knicknacks, trying also to stay aware of the kids, to make sure they didn't get too noisy or goofy. You know how a group of young teenagers can be. My son and another boy found bowling balls to purchase for $1 each. I had spied a nice votive holder for 50 cents, and proceeded to the checkout counter. While handing over my two quarters, something on the floor behind the clerk caught my eye.......it was two matching "Angelus" prints, oval, in metal filigree frames, the praying man in one, and the woman in the other. I immediately pointed at them and asked, "Are they for sale?" They were, and very inexpensively, too, so I became the proud owner of half an "Angelus". Why, thank you, Lord, I thought, for that little miracle, or serendipity, or synchronicity.......whatever best describes an experience like that.
Across the street, at the theater, another minor miracle awaited......one of the two movies listed on the marquee was one that I actually had wanted to see, but I didn't think it was around in theaters anymore. It was "Amazing Grace", the film about William Wilberforce, the Englishman who in the late 1700's had been instrumental in ending the slave trade. The Parliament scenes were fascinating, with all the fervent debate and powdered wigs. I noticed that Patricia Heaton was named as one of the producers.....I think she had played Ray's wife on the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond". I once read an article about her Christian convictions, so it was good to see that she had been involved in the making of "Amazing Grace". This movie was named for that famous hymn written by John Newton, who was part of the story in the film. He had formerly been a slave trader, who after his conversion to Christianity, was full of regret over all the suffering he had caused. He lamented that that he felt as if he lived surrounded by 20,000 ghosts of the slaves he had so horridly transported across the Atlantic Ocean on his ships. He served as an inspiration for William Wilberforce's obsession with halting the slave trade. And then the way they finally accomplished that was amazing......Amazing Grace, I guess!
Now back to the "Angelus" painting for a moment. It was done in 1859 by a French artist, Jean Francois Millet. It depicts workers in a field standing with their heads bowed and hands folded in prayer. Way in the background is a church steeple. Evidently, the church bells had pealed to signal that it was time to pray the "Angelus", a prayer which was said three times a day. This picture is moving and inspiring to me, as it shows everyday people stopping in the middle of their everyday lives to pray.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Seeding Oats Fit For Ceres
It's cool and windy, but sunny today. This morning I spent pushing my big Rubbermaid cart around the lawn, gathering up stray branches and corn husks that keep blowing in from the fields. I haven't mowed the grass yet----that can wait until next week when hopefully the days will be warmer. I've been fighting a raw throat and cough for almost three weeks. The doctor did a strep test which was negative, and told me to take allergy medicine and be patient. Great. I've been trying to stay warm and get enough rest, but I feel like a microwave oven whose power level has been lowered from 10 to around 6. The normal energy is just not there, and I feel achy and chilly in the evenings.
On Tuesday, Husband seeded oats. He uses a grain drill which plants the oats and alfalfa seed into the ground in close-knit rows. When I was a kid we planted oats by "sowing" them from a sowing apparatus attached to the back end of a flare-box wagon. It threw the seeds out, broadcasting them onto the top of the ground. My sister and I would ride in the wagon and keep the hoppers filled with oats and grass seed. I can still hear the sound of the sower chains starting up as we headed across the field. The wagon would jerk ahead and we would fall backwards into the pile of oats which would cushion us during the bumpy ride. Probably no farmers, except maybe the Amish, use an oat sower like that anymore. Actually, not many farmers plant oats, period. We do because Husband uses oats in livestock feed, plus we make straw bales every summer for livestock bedding.
On a calendar website that I look at everyday, it said that today is the last day of the ancient Roman celebration of "Cerealia", in honor of Ceres. She was the goddess of grain plants and motherly love. She was depicted in art with a sceptre, a basket of flowers and fruit, and wearing a garland made of wheat ears.
Also, the Romans used an expression, "fit for Ceres", which meant splendid.
May everyone's day today be "fit for Ceres"!
On Tuesday, Husband seeded oats. He uses a grain drill which plants the oats and alfalfa seed into the ground in close-knit rows. When I was a kid we planted oats by "sowing" them from a sowing apparatus attached to the back end of a flare-box wagon. It threw the seeds out, broadcasting them onto the top of the ground. My sister and I would ride in the wagon and keep the hoppers filled with oats and grass seed. I can still hear the sound of the sower chains starting up as we headed across the field. The wagon would jerk ahead and we would fall backwards into the pile of oats which would cushion us during the bumpy ride. Probably no farmers, except maybe the Amish, use an oat sower like that anymore. Actually, not many farmers plant oats, period. We do because Husband uses oats in livestock feed, plus we make straw bales every summer for livestock bedding.
On a calendar website that I look at everyday, it said that today is the last day of the ancient Roman celebration of "Cerealia", in honor of Ceres. She was the goddess of grain plants and motherly love. She was depicted in art with a sceptre, a basket of flowers and fruit, and wearing a garland made of wheat ears.
Also, the Romans used an expression, "fit for Ceres", which meant splendid.
May everyone's day today be "fit for Ceres"!
Friday, April 13, 2007
Snow and a Prayer Corner
It seems I haven't accomplished much the last several days. The snowstorm on Wednesday was just too much for my April-minded sensibilities. I curled up and read books when my services weren't needed for meals, laundry, and barn chores.
School was even cancelled that day! I wonder how long its been since that happened in April?
Yesterday I mustered enough motivation to bake bread from scratch. What could possibly beat the aroma of bread baking in the oven.
This morning the milk truck driver and I had a nice visit in the milkhouse. Somehow the conversation moved from tax time worries to college costs to working mothers. We both agree that kids are better off having stay-at-home moms, and its unfortunate that financial pressures (or the perception of such pressures) so often prevent that. We discussed all the running around that parents do for their kids' sake nowadays, and how ridiculous and exhausting that can be. Oh, well, what do we know, standing here in our little corner of the world, but maybe talking about it will help somehow.
This afternoon I sorted through clothes and odds and ends that my daughter had removed from her room, in preparation for the move to college next fall. I made three piles, one for Goodwill, one for nieces, and one for the dumpster. Actually, there were a couple things I kept for myself, too----as if that it a good idea. Here's a quote I saw the other day: "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries."-----A.A. Milne. Believe me, I can totally identify with that thought! Because I tend to keep so much stuff around (waste not, want not, you know......and well, I might find a use for it someday), I do often discover wonderful treasures stuffed in drawers and closets from years past. It does add excitement to life!
Somehow, in the course of my day, I also decided to arrange a prayer table in an unused corner of the living room. A place where I can sit in the morning, or whenever, and pray. The items I chose for the table will be reminders of what's important to me.......faith in God, home, husband, children, parents, siblings, friends. A couple of the items are from way in my past......a rock I painted in Bible School many years ago, and a tiny globe in a cube of lucite that was a Christmas gift from my parents one year----it has always fascinated me. Four candles, also, one for each of my children. A little painting of Jesus knocking on the door, also, and a clear glass angel holding my birthstone, which was one of the last gifts I received from my namesake aunt before she died. And, of course, an old Bible which I received upon graduation from high school. It has many notations and underlined verses in it, because I used to read it faithfully-----a habit I've fallen away from, and that needs to change.
School was even cancelled that day! I wonder how long its been since that happened in April?
Yesterday I mustered enough motivation to bake bread from scratch. What could possibly beat the aroma of bread baking in the oven.
This morning the milk truck driver and I had a nice visit in the milkhouse. Somehow the conversation moved from tax time worries to college costs to working mothers. We both agree that kids are better off having stay-at-home moms, and its unfortunate that financial pressures (or the perception of such pressures) so often prevent that. We discussed all the running around that parents do for their kids' sake nowadays, and how ridiculous and exhausting that can be. Oh, well, what do we know, standing here in our little corner of the world, but maybe talking about it will help somehow.
This afternoon I sorted through clothes and odds and ends that my daughter had removed from her room, in preparation for the move to college next fall. I made three piles, one for Goodwill, one for nieces, and one for the dumpster. Actually, there were a couple things I kept for myself, too----as if that it a good idea. Here's a quote I saw the other day: "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries."-----A.A. Milne. Believe me, I can totally identify with that thought! Because I tend to keep so much stuff around (waste not, want not, you know......and well, I might find a use for it someday), I do often discover wonderful treasures stuffed in drawers and closets from years past. It does add excitement to life!
Somehow, in the course of my day, I also decided to arrange a prayer table in an unused corner of the living room. A place where I can sit in the morning, or whenever, and pray. The items I chose for the table will be reminders of what's important to me.......faith in God, home, husband, children, parents, siblings, friends. A couple of the items are from way in my past......a rock I painted in Bible School many years ago, and a tiny globe in a cube of lucite that was a Christmas gift from my parents one year----it has always fascinated me. Four candles, also, one for each of my children. A little painting of Jesus knocking on the door, also, and a clear glass angel holding my birthstone, which was one of the last gifts I received from my namesake aunt before she died. And, of course, an old Bible which I received upon graduation from high school. It has many notations and underlined verses in it, because I used to read it faithfully-----a habit I've fallen away from, and that needs to change.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Gentle Whirlwind
Such a dismal, cold day in April......the two just don't fit together......April and cold/dismal. But, here we are in the midst of the misfit day, anyway.
After calf chores this morning, I helped Husband round up two steers to load on the trailer. They were an obstinate duo, unwilling to go through a wide open gate! The two big brutes would gallop up to it, and then whip around and go back the wrong way......right toward cowardly me. Being no match for them in size, I quickly clambered up and sat on top of a panel gate and stayed out of their way. I waved my arms and shouted as needed, and finally one of the steers found his way through the open gate and the other one quickly followed. Surprisingly, after their initial stubbornness, they went through the barn and onto the trailer without incident.
After Husband left, I started laundry, grabbed a cup of coffee and turned on the computer. The Church Year Calendar on the wall informed me that today is the day to remember the biblical Prophetess Huldah. So I quickly Googled her to see what I could learn. Huldah is mentioned in II Kings 22. King Josiah was having the "house of the Lord" renovated, during which was discovered an old "book of the Law". King Josiah, who wished to obey God, wanted to know more about the book. He ordered five of his advisors to "Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book.....". (My Bible's notes say that "inquire" is a technical term for divining or seeking an oracle from God.) So they went to consult with the Prophetess Huldah, who spoke the oracle of the Lord to them. Is it odd that they would seek out a woman to speak the Word of the Lord to them?
It's too cold to take a walk today. Maybe I'll just run up and down the steps here in the house for exercise. Yesterday, when I headed out to walk, I wondered if anything unusual would come my way. It's fun to be attentive out in nature.....not for divining reasons, but just because it can be very thought-provoking. And I was not disappointed. While walking along our long farm driveway, I heard a rustling in the cornfield to my right. I glanced over, figuring it was a bunch of birds on the ground. Instead, there was one of those little whirlwinds coming at me, sending loose cornstalk residue and dust swirling up into the air. Like a tornado in its embryonic stage. Soon I was enveloped in the gently whirling, swirling air and bits of debris. The mysterious phenomenon then continued on across the driveway and into a hayfield, creating short-lived circle motifs in the alfalfa as it moved along. I shivered, thinking about how things in life can be like that whirlwind. A situation, or a person, comes whirling into your path, and you are touched by the ensuing disturbance of your territory. The effect may be temporary, as with the harmless little whirlwind, or more lasting, depending on the speed and strength of the wind. Anyway, something to think about......complements of nature.
If on your path today you encounter a whirlwind.......may it be a gentle one!
After calf chores this morning, I helped Husband round up two steers to load on the trailer. They were an obstinate duo, unwilling to go through a wide open gate! The two big brutes would gallop up to it, and then whip around and go back the wrong way......right toward cowardly me. Being no match for them in size, I quickly clambered up and sat on top of a panel gate and stayed out of their way. I waved my arms and shouted as needed, and finally one of the steers found his way through the open gate and the other one quickly followed. Surprisingly, after their initial stubbornness, they went through the barn and onto the trailer without incident.
After Husband left, I started laundry, grabbed a cup of coffee and turned on the computer. The Church Year Calendar on the wall informed me that today is the day to remember the biblical Prophetess Huldah. So I quickly Googled her to see what I could learn. Huldah is mentioned in II Kings 22. King Josiah was having the "house of the Lord" renovated, during which was discovered an old "book of the Law". King Josiah, who wished to obey God, wanted to know more about the book. He ordered five of his advisors to "Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book.....". (My Bible's notes say that "inquire" is a technical term for divining or seeking an oracle from God.) So they went to consult with the Prophetess Huldah, who spoke the oracle of the Lord to them. Is it odd that they would seek out a woman to speak the Word of the Lord to them?
It's too cold to take a walk today. Maybe I'll just run up and down the steps here in the house for exercise. Yesterday, when I headed out to walk, I wondered if anything unusual would come my way. It's fun to be attentive out in nature.....not for divining reasons, but just because it can be very thought-provoking. And I was not disappointed. While walking along our long farm driveway, I heard a rustling in the cornfield to my right. I glanced over, figuring it was a bunch of birds on the ground. Instead, there was one of those little whirlwinds coming at me, sending loose cornstalk residue and dust swirling up into the air. Like a tornado in its embryonic stage. Soon I was enveloped in the gently whirling, swirling air and bits of debris. The mysterious phenomenon then continued on across the driveway and into a hayfield, creating short-lived circle motifs in the alfalfa as it moved along. I shivered, thinking about how things in life can be like that whirlwind. A situation, or a person, comes whirling into your path, and you are touched by the ensuing disturbance of your territory. The effect may be temporary, as with the harmless little whirlwind, or more lasting, depending on the speed and strength of the wind. Anyway, something to think about......complements of nature.
If on your path today you encounter a whirlwind.......may it be a gentle one!
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Help From Mother-in-law
The weather remains cold and windy. If good for nothing else, at least the cold temperatures cause the fields to stay solid enough for all-day manure-hauling. Husband has our son busy hauling manure out of the pit by the barn. It's good to be able to get that job done before spring fieldwork.
I'm trying to keep the house warm by baking cookies this afternoon. Daughter is giving her bedroom a thorough cleaning, which it definitely needs. In between cookie batches, I've been looking for some recipes to use for Easter dinner tomorrow. Ham balls are one dish I want to make, but locating a recipe was proving difficult. Finally, I opened a cookbook which I inherited from my mother-in-law, who passed away 13 years ago. Normally, I don't use it......not sure why. Anyway, the first page it opened to contained a piece of notepaper on which was a recipe for Ham Balls, handwritten by my mother-in-law. Just what I was looking for! When Husband came in for lunch, I startled him by saying that his mother had paid me a visit. Actually......I think maybe she did.
Blessings on this Easter Saturday!
I'm trying to keep the house warm by baking cookies this afternoon. Daughter is giving her bedroom a thorough cleaning, which it definitely needs. In between cookie batches, I've been looking for some recipes to use for Easter dinner tomorrow. Ham balls are one dish I want to make, but locating a recipe was proving difficult. Finally, I opened a cookbook which I inherited from my mother-in-law, who passed away 13 years ago. Normally, I don't use it......not sure why. Anyway, the first page it opened to contained a piece of notepaper on which was a recipe for Ham Balls, handwritten by my mother-in-law. Just what I was looking for! When Husband came in for lunch, I startled him by saying that his mother had paid me a visit. Actually......I think maybe she did.
Blessings on this Easter Saturday!
Friday, April 6, 2007
Good Friday
This is a very cold, windy Good Friday. Old-timers used to plant potatoes on Good Friday, so I've been told, but in weather like today, that would be an unpleasant task.
Our rural church still holds its Good Friday service in the morning, at 10 a.m. Husband stayed home to clean the cattleshed, and our two high-schoolers and I ventured to church. Our pastor uses a Stations of the Cross devotion booklet on Good Friday. According to the back page, the devotion was put together by Rev. John Fenton, from a text put out by the Order of St. Benedict. Included with each of the 14 "stations" is a meditation from the writings of Martin Luther. Anyway, I recognize Rev. Fenton's name, as he was also the compiler of the catechesis book that our pastor used to teach my son in Confirmation class last year. Rev. Fenton is very orthodox, and I think I read somewhere recently that he has now left the Lutheran Church and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Anyway, I tried to move into the right frame of mind for the occasion of remembering the suffering and death of Jesus. The back of the service booklet said ".....this devotion aims not to encourage sympathy for our Lord or to pull the worshipper into the event, but to allow the pious to ponder and meditate on what our Lord had to endure to procure the soul's salvation." I guess that means to be an appreciative and reverent, but emotionally detached observer. And observe was all I could do in church this morning, as I've been fighting an aggravating cough. To avoid making a scene with a coughing fit, I popped cough drops and did not sing or speak.
The Lutherans kind of pride themselves on not being emotional about religious matters. Sometimes I view church as a place to just follow along, numbly. I've been steeped in Christianity since childhood. Sometimes, in some distant part of the ocean of my mind, a thought will try to surface concerning some aspect of what I've been taught......a thought like "Do you really feel that teaching rings true? Does it resonate as truth?". Usually, I just have to push the thought right back into the ocean. To do otherwise is to allow faulty human reason to rule, right? Here's an example: Pastors seem to think that we are all constantly burdened by overwhelming guilt over our sins. But, if we haven't committed heinous sins like murder or adultery, in my view, it seems a struggle to conjure up the weight of guilt all the time. And Lutheran teachings never seem to allow us to reach the point described in II Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" We're always spinning our wheels in the "old" weight and guilt. But, St.Paul says "the old has gone".......so what does that mean, anyway? Should I ask my pastor? He would reach for the Book of Concord, and then I would be out the door. I'll just keep my mouth shut.....even if I don't have a cough.
Obviously, I'm not a very good Lutheran. I follow along.....do the things I'm supposed to do-----be present for the Word to be put in my ears and in my mouth-----but my heart is simply not entirely Lutheran.
As always on Good Friday, the service atmosphere was very solemn. There were no flowers anywhere. The cross on the altar was covered with a black cloth, and Pastor wore a plain black robe. The congregation was silent on the way into the sanctuary and on the way out. That was fine with me......I could do that every Sunday. No yak, yak, yak.....how are you.....oh, fine.....smile, smile, smile.
Now, for the rest of the day, it will feel like Sunday, after having attended church this morning. My son turned on the TV after church.....I think he was expecting to find a sports broadcast on, instead of weekday soap operas. For lunch I fixed pancakes and a vegetable omelet. Everyone around this house just loves pancakes......I hear more "Thanks, Mom, that was good!" after a pancake meal than any other!
Blessings to all on this Holy Day!
Our rural church still holds its Good Friday service in the morning, at 10 a.m. Husband stayed home to clean the cattleshed, and our two high-schoolers and I ventured to church. Our pastor uses a Stations of the Cross devotion booklet on Good Friday. According to the back page, the devotion was put together by Rev. John Fenton, from a text put out by the Order of St. Benedict. Included with each of the 14 "stations" is a meditation from the writings of Martin Luther. Anyway, I recognize Rev. Fenton's name, as he was also the compiler of the catechesis book that our pastor used to teach my son in Confirmation class last year. Rev. Fenton is very orthodox, and I think I read somewhere recently that he has now left the Lutheran Church and joined the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Anyway, I tried to move into the right frame of mind for the occasion of remembering the suffering and death of Jesus. The back of the service booklet said ".....this devotion aims not to encourage sympathy for our Lord or to pull the worshipper into the event, but to allow the pious to ponder and meditate on what our Lord had to endure to procure the soul's salvation." I guess that means to be an appreciative and reverent, but emotionally detached observer. And observe was all I could do in church this morning, as I've been fighting an aggravating cough. To avoid making a scene with a coughing fit, I popped cough drops and did not sing or speak.
The Lutherans kind of pride themselves on not being emotional about religious matters. Sometimes I view church as a place to just follow along, numbly. I've been steeped in Christianity since childhood. Sometimes, in some distant part of the ocean of my mind, a thought will try to surface concerning some aspect of what I've been taught......a thought like "Do you really feel that teaching rings true? Does it resonate as truth?". Usually, I just have to push the thought right back into the ocean. To do otherwise is to allow faulty human reason to rule, right? Here's an example: Pastors seem to think that we are all constantly burdened by overwhelming guilt over our sins. But, if we haven't committed heinous sins like murder or adultery, in my view, it seems a struggle to conjure up the weight of guilt all the time. And Lutheran teachings never seem to allow us to reach the point described in II Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" We're always spinning our wheels in the "old" weight and guilt. But, St.Paul says "the old has gone".......so what does that mean, anyway? Should I ask my pastor? He would reach for the Book of Concord, and then I would be out the door. I'll just keep my mouth shut.....even if I don't have a cough.
Obviously, I'm not a very good Lutheran. I follow along.....do the things I'm supposed to do-----be present for the Word to be put in my ears and in my mouth-----but my heart is simply not entirely Lutheran.
As always on Good Friday, the service atmosphere was very solemn. There were no flowers anywhere. The cross on the altar was covered with a black cloth, and Pastor wore a plain black robe. The congregation was silent on the way into the sanctuary and on the way out. That was fine with me......I could do that every Sunday. No yak, yak, yak.....how are you.....oh, fine.....smile, smile, smile.
Now, for the rest of the day, it will feel like Sunday, after having attended church this morning. My son turned on the TV after church.....I think he was expecting to find a sports broadcast on, instead of weekday soap operas. For lunch I fixed pancakes and a vegetable omelet. Everyone around this house just loves pancakes......I hear more "Thanks, Mom, that was good!" after a pancake meal than any other!
Blessings to all on this Holy Day!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Meaning of Maundy
Today is Maundy Thursday, celebrated by Christians. I've never heard the exact definition of "maundy", so here it is from my big fat World Book dictionary:
maundy, (a noun): 1. An old ceremony of washing the feet of a number of poor people to commemorate the Last Supper and Christ's washing the feet of his disciples, performed as a religious rite, as by a sovereign or an ecclesiastic, on the Thursday before Good Friday. 2. Alms distributed at the ceremony or on this day. (Sometimes special coins were minted for the occasion.)
The next entry in the dictionary is "Maundy money": Coins given to the poor on Maundy Thursday. In England, special coins are frequently minted for the occasion in denominations of 1 to 4 pence and presented by the sovereign.
Once, in the church I grew up in, we had a foot-washing ceremony. Each person washed the feet of the next person in line. It was humbling. We won't make it to church tonight because the service starts too early. They will have Communion because tonight was the night of the Last Supper, celebrated by Jesus and the Disciples. After that most famous of meals, Jesus, accompanied by Peter, James and John, went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The three disciples, of course, notoriously dozed off there while Jesus prayed. Later in the night, Jesus was arrested in that garden, also.
Ponder anew this ancient story, especially on these days of remembrance during Holy Week.
maundy, (a noun): 1. An old ceremony of washing the feet of a number of poor people to commemorate the Last Supper and Christ's washing the feet of his disciples, performed as a religious rite, as by a sovereign or an ecclesiastic, on the Thursday before Good Friday. 2. Alms distributed at the ceremony or on this day. (Sometimes special coins were minted for the occasion.)
The next entry in the dictionary is "Maundy money": Coins given to the poor on Maundy Thursday. In England, special coins are frequently minted for the occasion in denominations of 1 to 4 pence and presented by the sovereign.
Once, in the church I grew up in, we had a foot-washing ceremony. Each person washed the feet of the next person in line. It was humbling. We won't make it to church tonight because the service starts too early. They will have Communion because tonight was the night of the Last Supper, celebrated by Jesus and the Disciples. After that most famous of meals, Jesus, accompanied by Peter, James and John, went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The three disciples, of course, notoriously dozed off there while Jesus prayed. Later in the night, Jesus was arrested in that garden, also.
Ponder anew this ancient story, especially on these days of remembrance during Holy Week.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Grouchy Clouds and Comments
Br-r! This morning started with a hint of sunny warmth after a stormy night, but that was quickly overtaken by grouchy gray clouds and a very strong northwest wind. You better believe I put the flannel sheets back on the bed! There is even snow in the forecast, to contrast with the thunderstorm last night. I was awakened several times by amazingly bright flashes of lightning. We don't have a rain gauge in place yet this spring, but a neighbor mentioned today that he had two inches in his.
Husband sent me to town to get a new tire for the skid loader. While that was being mounted, I shopped for groceries. It didn't take long to gather a heaping cart-full of items. The bags pretty much filled the seat and floor on the passenger side of the pickup. Then back at home, it was a marathon of sack-carrying and putting away all the groceries. I was ready to sit and rest awhile after that was done.
Today I was thinking about Sunday's church service and our church's situation. Last Sunday was Palm Sunday, which is also Confirmation Sunday in our Lutheran Church. Usually, the fact that it is Palm Sunday is hardly mentioned, but this time Pastor did read John 12:12-19 before the service started. What perplexed me though, was that the Gospel reading before the sermon was the whole chapter 23 of Luke, which relates what took place on the day Jesus was crucified. Why doesn't that get saved for Good Friday? Plus, Pastor didn't preach at all on the Gospel reading he had just read. Instead, he spoke to the Confirmands, lamenting that often Confirmation is viewed as a "graduation" of sorts, and that afterwards the kids don't show up often in church. I thought that was a bit off target. For one thing, kids that get confirmed are only 14 years old, and should have several more years of being under their parents guiding influence to get to church services and events. I wished he would have emphasized that important role that parents have. And then he went on to criticize "church growth" proponents who want to plan fun activities to keep the teenagers interested in church. Whew, I was relieved to hear he would keep our church away from that sort of undesirable rut.
Our youth group activities have dwindled to practically nothing. When I joined this Lutheran church many years ago, it had an active, thriving youth group. They had regular meetings and Bible studies. The pastor at that time, and his wife, were the leaders. One of the annual traditions for the youth was to put on the Easter sunrise service. That tradition ended when this new young orthodox pastor arrived. He evidently believes it improper for anyone other than himself to be involved in leading a church service, even though a regular 10 a.m. Divine Service would follow the sunrise service. Anyway, Pastor hijacked the sunrise service from the youth group, and so now we have only one Easter morning service, sort of a combination sunrise/regular service. But it is at 7:30 a.m., which is way too early for dairy farmers, so Husband can't even attend church on Easter now. I could get my calf chores done early and go to the service, but I'm not going to. Why should I go when Husband can't go. The whole thing irks me. I feel the pastor focuses way too much on doctrine and properness. They must learn that at seminary.
Well, enough of my complaining. I need to tend to supper which is bubbling in the oven and on the stove. The wind howls outside, but it is warm here in the house.
Husband sent me to town to get a new tire for the skid loader. While that was being mounted, I shopped for groceries. It didn't take long to gather a heaping cart-full of items. The bags pretty much filled the seat and floor on the passenger side of the pickup. Then back at home, it was a marathon of sack-carrying and putting away all the groceries. I was ready to sit and rest awhile after that was done.
Today I was thinking about Sunday's church service and our church's situation. Last Sunday was Palm Sunday, which is also Confirmation Sunday in our Lutheran Church. Usually, the fact that it is Palm Sunday is hardly mentioned, but this time Pastor did read John 12:12-19 before the service started. What perplexed me though, was that the Gospel reading before the sermon was the whole chapter 23 of Luke, which relates what took place on the day Jesus was crucified. Why doesn't that get saved for Good Friday? Plus, Pastor didn't preach at all on the Gospel reading he had just read. Instead, he spoke to the Confirmands, lamenting that often Confirmation is viewed as a "graduation" of sorts, and that afterwards the kids don't show up often in church. I thought that was a bit off target. For one thing, kids that get confirmed are only 14 years old, and should have several more years of being under their parents guiding influence to get to church services and events. I wished he would have emphasized that important role that parents have. And then he went on to criticize "church growth" proponents who want to plan fun activities to keep the teenagers interested in church. Whew, I was relieved to hear he would keep our church away from that sort of undesirable rut.
Our youth group activities have dwindled to practically nothing. When I joined this Lutheran church many years ago, it had an active, thriving youth group. They had regular meetings and Bible studies. The pastor at that time, and his wife, were the leaders. One of the annual traditions for the youth was to put on the Easter sunrise service. That tradition ended when this new young orthodox pastor arrived. He evidently believes it improper for anyone other than himself to be involved in leading a church service, even though a regular 10 a.m. Divine Service would follow the sunrise service. Anyway, Pastor hijacked the sunrise service from the youth group, and so now we have only one Easter morning service, sort of a combination sunrise/regular service. But it is at 7:30 a.m., which is way too early for dairy farmers, so Husband can't even attend church on Easter now. I could get my calf chores done early and go to the service, but I'm not going to. Why should I go when Husband can't go. The whole thing irks me. I feel the pastor focuses way too much on doctrine and properness. They must learn that at seminary.
Well, enough of my complaining. I need to tend to supper which is bubbling in the oven and on the stove. The wind howls outside, but it is warm here in the house.
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