Per usual, I am little behind on my Mother’s Day tribute this year, but you should all expect that from me by now. As is the case for most, time is a precious commodity these days, and things hit me at some of the most unlikely moments. This past weekend, I was sitting in church doing my Sunday “meditation” for the better part of the sermon (my kids accuse me of sleeping, but I’m really just...
Family
My oldest turned nine smackeroos on Sunday, and I felt it was time for some reflections on the latest trip around the sun. If I didn’t know better, I would have guessed he was going on 23 based on his ambition to help keep our world going round this week. We’ve had quite a few late nights between a sewer backup, a hot and heavy start to planting season, and the everyday dynamics of our real estate...
God Cracker (n.) meaning communion wafer. Used in a sentence, “Mom, I want a God Cracker!” My boys have always been inquisitive about how things work and tend to ask frequently if they can engage in the same activities as adults. During a Sunday church service several weeks ago, my son made a unique observation. We were nearing the part of the service when it was almost time for communion and...
There is a John Deere 4240 hooked to the unloading auger at our family farm right now. Its sole purpose for the season is to auger the harvested grain into the bins as trucks brimming with bright yellow corn and soybeans are unloaded. My young nephews can amp it up and get the auger running when the semi drives across the unloading dock, which saves their dad a few steps. My own dad bought that tractor...
My youngest son has taken quite a shine to music during his short life, and, honestly, he is quite good at picking up a tune and repeating song lyrics…over and over…and over…all day long. His favorite right now floats between International Harvester by Craig Morgan and One Toke Over the Line by Brewer & Shipley (the kid spends a lot of time with his grandpa jamming to the 70s). However,...
The Peters family has been up to our usual summer event schedule. We stay up entirely too late, we have a hard time waking up every morning, and we don’t get enough time to do all the fun things that fun moms let their kids do (i.e. go to the pool daily). Yesterday, we helped wrangle some cattle out at the original White Farmhouse, and I was told by my younger brother that I wasn’t any good at...
Author's note: The following is an excerpt from an address that was given at the 2012 Spring Commencement for Graduate and Master's students at Wayne State College. It was written the day my grandpa passed away in March 2012. I felt it fitting for the high school and college classes of 2020 and 2021 as they prepare to graduate this weekend, especially considering the hardships they have faced...
I've been planning this post for about a week, and the inspiration/time just didn't come until today. The change in the weather last week made everything hit the fan, and kept us all out working some late evenings. This weekend marked my oldest son’s 8th trip around the sun. If you ever want to make a breakfast to impress your kids, stack a pile of powdered donuts on a plate in the center of the...
Like any good and dysfunctional marriage, my husband and I do not have the same perspectives on meal preparation at our house. I take a more conventional approach as taught by my mother and grandmother which requires days of planning and a monthly grocery list that usually results in the bulk of our intake for the entire month in one single trip the store. On the other hand, my husband is more of a...
Alas, the summer light fades into the early darkness of daylight savings time. The harvest is over, and the harvest log chronicling the high and lows of this year’s harvest season has been put to rest for the year. With all of my free time, I checked out a 550 page book from the public library and started making plans for the work that still needs done to our building. My husband has his frowny...