I've got an itch I can't scratch....
It all started a couple weeks ago when a guest speaker came to church with his drawings. His sermon was about letting go of old programs that are "dead", being open to change and new ideas, and to focus our lives on what gives us life instead of what drains us. If there is something in our lives that is continually draining us, we need to think of a way to change it and either let go of it or change, then find things that give us life and go with them.
Then, I started a book called "7" by Jen Hatmaker. If you've never read it, read it. I'll highlight a little, or maybe a lot, since I'm obsessed. She's a Christian writer, and the book is about her 7-month fast on seven different things. For a month at a time, she focuses on one thing: clothes, shopping, waste, food, possessions, media or stress. Then, those single focuses are broken down by seven again: seven items of clothing, seven kinds of food, seven types of media, seven places to shop, seven ways to reduce waste, and I don't know about stress because I'm not there yet. Every "month" hits me hard....I spend way too much on food, clothing, in front of the computer/tv, random items to buy "just because", etc.
I just finished the "waste" month.
Here's a quote from the book: "I keep thinking about our obsession with health. Our kids have been immunized, checked, prodded, measured, tested, and examined since the day they were born. Cuts get antibacterial creme and bandaids. Twisted ankles get ice. Strep throats get antibiotics. We fuel our bodies with good food, drinking enough water and milk to keep the wheels on.....
Why? Because God gave us spectacular bodies, and we value them.
But as certainly as God created man in His image, He first created the earth. With the same care He designed sixty thousand miles of blood vessels in the human body, He also crafted hydrangeas and freshwater rapids and hummingbirds. He balanced healthy ecosystems with precision and established climates and beauty. He integrated colors and smells and sounds that would astound humanity. The details He included while designing the earth are so extraordinary, it is no wonder He spent five of the six days of creation on it.
So why don't we care for the earth anywhere near to the degree we do our bodies? Why don't we fuss and examine and steward creation with the same tenacity? Why aren't we refusing complicity in the ravaging of our planet? Why aren't we determined to stop pillaging the earth's resources like savages? Why do we mock environmentalists and undermine their passion for conservation? Do we think ourselves so superior to the rest of creation that we are willing to deplete the earth to supply our luxuries? If so, we may bery well be the last generation who gets that prerogative."
I've been thinking this over and over and over. How can I be a better steward of the earth?
I can recycle.
I can plant a garden.
I can conserve my trips to town.
I can plant trees.
So, not only do I want to be more green, I want to be a better spender, very watchful of where every penny goes, then give the money I would have otherwise spent on myself to those who actually need things. This book drills over and over that Jesus wants us to help the poor, needy, the orphans, the homeless, all those who can't help themselves. What are we doing spending all this money on ourselves? And what is God going to say to us when we meet him if that is all we ever do?
AHHHH!
Anyway...I feel like I need to change some directions of my life right now. I'm not helping the needy in any way that I can think of, and I want to. I am not a green person, either, and I want to be a good steward of the earth. I need to start recycling...that's something major I can do right away. I have to tell myself "no" when I want to buy something "just because".
Well, enough of my rant for now....
See ya!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
I've had fun, and I'm excited
Fun things we've done recently:
- Attended the rodeo in Greenbush a week ago...it was a beautiful evening, the kids were so good, and it was fun to hang out as a family. Clarence loved it - he's a farm kid through and through. He watched most of the events with wide eyes and interest. Adina, on the other hand, was only happy with treats and freezies.
- On the 4th, we went to Warroad. Matt's mom's cousin has an old, beautiful house up there where we went for lunch and to visit with their family. Then, we took the kids up town for all the festivities. They had all those jumpy game-things set up, and the kids could play all afternoon/evening. They had tons of fun. We ate yummy gyros for supper, and then brought the kids to the huge playground they have to play some more. The kids were sure tired. We were going to head home before the fireworks, but Clarence wanted to stay. So we stayed; he listened for a few minutes, then decided they were scary or too noisy and went and sat in the car. When the fireworks were over and we put our chairs away, we found Clarence asleep in his seat. Guess he was tired, too. :)
- The Kittson County Fair (see my previous post)...our exhibits and visiting with people, and fair food, and the grandstand events, and letting the kids go on rides, and watching Matt in the lumberjack show, and staying over (maybe), etc.
- Watching Mary show her steer in Roseau the week after.
- Camping with some good friends the week after the fair - a 4-day camping trip with the family, about 3 or 4 hours from home. It's going to be so much fun!
- The recent rain we've had this week to help the pastures, hayfields, and crp grow a little more. Thank You, God!
Our Fair List
Well, the Kittson County Fair is right around the corner, starting next Thursday. I'm getting really excited. The fair is one of the highlights of my summer. Having grown up on the farm and in 4-H, I always had tons of things to get ready. I'd bring a lead heifer, a cow/calf pair, a horse, and a bunch of other projects for the exhibit building. Now with small kids, my preparations have changed slightly, but I'm anxiously awaiting the day (kindof.....I'm excited, but don't want time to pass too quickly, either) when Clarence and Adina are in 4-H and we have tons of projects to be working on for the summer. I'm going to be baking next week with the kids so they can enter some things in open class. Matt and I were also thinking they could bring in some garden veggies or hay/corn/oats, etc. So, we'll see what next week brings. I have a lot of stuff to get ready before then. I think we're going to bring my brother's camper and stay at the fair. I think it will be easier to nap the kids right there and let them sleep there than run the 20 miles back and forth once or twice a day. We'll see how it goes, I guess.
Here's what I know we're bringing for sure:
Division B
Lot 1. Steer calf, 2-8 months
Jacki Przekwas
Lot
Since both Matt and I grew up bringing so many animals to the fair, we're excited for the day when we can bring show animals again. I think it's a wonderful experience for kids; it's one of my greatest memories - bringing animals to the fair, then winning trips to the state fair. It'll be a chance for us to get back into the swing of things...I know we'll both love it! :)
If you're bored next week, stop by the fair! (July 12th-15th)
Here's what I know we're bringing for sure:
Clarence Przekwas
Division B
Class 12
Lots
- Female: 3 Years and Over
6. Grade cow, 3 years and over with calf to be pen shown.
Class 18
Division K
Class 7
Lots
- Baked cookies
- Baked bars
9. Chocolate chip cookies
Adina Przekwas
Division B
Class 12
Lots
- Female:2 years and under 3
- Grade cow, 2 years and under 3 with calf to be pen shown.
- Best 2 Females, all bred and owned by exhibitor
Jacki Przekwas
Division K
Class 1
Lots
- Buns – white
- buns – dark
- rolls – caramel
- rolls – cinnamon
- rolls – orange
- rolls – any other
- cinnamon bread
- loaf of bread – oatmeal
11. loaf of bread – white
Class 3
25. Any other bars
Since both Matt and I grew up bringing so many animals to the fair, we're excited for the day when we can bring show animals again. I think it's a wonderful experience for kids; it's one of my greatest memories - bringing animals to the fair, then winning trips to the state fair. It'll be a chance for us to get back into the swing of things...I know we'll both love it! :)
If you're bored next week, stop by the fair! (July 12th-15th)
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The Home Front
It's been a busy month. The last couple of weeks have just flown by.
We've started haying, which totally consumes our life once it starts. On top of that, Matt's been AI-ing heifers, too. Today he'll be working on breeding most of the heifers we have at home. He did a few yesterday and a few this morning, but most of them will be ready by this evening, I think. We also put bulls out last night. They always get so riled up when we bring them into the yard and put them in small spaces...they snorted and mooed and fought all afternoon. I'm surprised they didn't break through any fences. I like watching the bulls, but I don't like to help with the bulls. They always seem ornery and huge and scary to me. I'm really no help for Matt when it comes to working with the bulls.
We're also just doing the daily/weekly yard work - keeping everything mowed, picking up toys, and working in the garden. I'm pretty excited about my garden right now. Everything's looking really nice. I watered it on Monday, and it seems to have grown inches since then. The watering and the heat have really helped.
The kids are having fun outside...most waking hours of every day are spent outside. They go with us and help whenever we're on the go, and they like swimming in their little pool, naked, every chance they get. Yesterday Adina rewarded me with a surprise...I let her go naked a little too long. She pooped and peed on the floor. It was gross. I'm really glad we have hard-wood floors instead of carpet downstairs. That would have been even more disgusting. Eeww.
Matt's little sister Mary had surgery last week on her jaw. She had an underbite and had it fixed; her bottom jaw was shaved, and they added other things to extend her upper jaw outward. She looks like a totally different person. Sunday evening, we went over to visit her and when we saw her, we all just looked at her. It was hard not to. Her face was still swollen, and she couldn't talk much at all. We saw her again on Tuesday, and she seemed way more comfortable with everything; she could talk way better, laugh better, eat better, etc., and the swelling had gone down some on her face. I'm glad she's doing so well; I just hope the next 7 or so weeks go by quickly for her so she can eat real food again. Get well soon, Mary!
This weekend, it's heritage days in Lancaster. There will be lots of fun things going on. We also hope to go to a rodeo in Greenbush on Saturday. I play organ on Sunday, and then I'm not sure what we're going to be doing. Probably just the usual - haying, working, etc. because we are hoping to go camping somewhere next week over the 4th.
Hope you're month is going great!
We've started haying, which totally consumes our life once it starts. On top of that, Matt's been AI-ing heifers, too. Today he'll be working on breeding most of the heifers we have at home. He did a few yesterday and a few this morning, but most of them will be ready by this evening, I think. We also put bulls out last night. They always get so riled up when we bring them into the yard and put them in small spaces...they snorted and mooed and fought all afternoon. I'm surprised they didn't break through any fences. I like watching the bulls, but I don't like to help with the bulls. They always seem ornery and huge and scary to me. I'm really no help for Matt when it comes to working with the bulls.
We're also just doing the daily/weekly yard work - keeping everything mowed, picking up toys, and working in the garden. I'm pretty excited about my garden right now. Everything's looking really nice. I watered it on Monday, and it seems to have grown inches since then. The watering and the heat have really helped.
The kids are having fun outside...most waking hours of every day are spent outside. They go with us and help whenever we're on the go, and they like swimming in their little pool, naked, every chance they get. Yesterday Adina rewarded me with a surprise...I let her go naked a little too long. She pooped and peed on the floor. It was gross. I'm really glad we have hard-wood floors instead of carpet downstairs. That would have been even more disgusting. Eeww.
Matt's little sister Mary had surgery last week on her jaw. She had an underbite and had it fixed; her bottom jaw was shaved, and they added other things to extend her upper jaw outward. She looks like a totally different person. Sunday evening, we went over to visit her and when we saw her, we all just looked at her. It was hard not to. Her face was still swollen, and she couldn't talk much at all. We saw her again on Tuesday, and she seemed way more comfortable with everything; she could talk way better, laugh better, eat better, etc., and the swelling had gone down some on her face. I'm glad she's doing so well; I just hope the next 7 or so weeks go by quickly for her so she can eat real food again. Get well soon, Mary!
This weekend, it's heritage days in Lancaster. There will be lots of fun things going on. We also hope to go to a rodeo in Greenbush on Saturday. I play organ on Sunday, and then I'm not sure what we're going to be doing. Probably just the usual - haying, working, etc. because we are hoping to go camping somewhere next week over the 4th.
Hope you're month is going great!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The Clarence Daily
Yesterday, I walked into the kitchen and noticed about 15 of Clarence's toy animals on the floor.
Me: Clarence, can you come and pick up your animals in here?
C: No, Mom, those animals are in Roseau.
Me: You hauled your animals over to Roseau?
C: Yeah, I brought them to Roseau County.
(He decided he needed to bring some of his animals to "Roseau County" because Matt brought 3 cow/calf pairs over to his parents' house a couple weeks ago. Now, in Clarence's mind, he's doing the same thing - bringing his animals over to Grandpa Bob's for the summer.)
Today: (The animals are now out of my kitchen)
C: Mom, I'm hauling all those animals to Roseau. (He's loading a whole bunch of them into his big semi.)
Me: Don't you want them anymore? Should we bring them over and give them to Harley?
C: No, they're going to Roseau County.
Me: Are you going to have Grandpa Bob take care of them for the summer?
C: Yeah, I'll bring those home next summer....(he means in the fall...he just has how he talks about time confused)
He comes up with such cute little ideas. I love watching him and trying to figure out what he's doing.
Me: Clarence, can you come and pick up your animals in here?
C: No, Mom, those animals are in Roseau.
Me: You hauled your animals over to Roseau?
C: Yeah, I brought them to Roseau County.
(He decided he needed to bring some of his animals to "Roseau County" because Matt brought 3 cow/calf pairs over to his parents' house a couple weeks ago. Now, in Clarence's mind, he's doing the same thing - bringing his animals over to Grandpa Bob's for the summer.)
Today: (The animals are now out of my kitchen)
C: Mom, I'm hauling all those animals to Roseau. (He's loading a whole bunch of them into his big semi.)
Me: Don't you want them anymore? Should we bring them over and give them to Harley?
C: No, they're going to Roseau County.
Me: Are you going to have Grandpa Bob take care of them for the summer?
C: Yeah, I'll bring those home next summer....(he means in the fall...he just has how he talks about time confused)
He comes up with such cute little ideas. I love watching him and trying to figure out what he's doing.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Two Fun-Filled, Busy Weeks
June 5th - We celebrated Adina's 2nd birthday at the cabin. Many of my relatives came, along with Grandma Carmen, Grandpa Bob, Great-grandma Jeanette, Auntie Mary, and Uncle Mark from Roseau. Everyone had a great time visiting, eating, and watching Matt and the kids have water fights with water baloons and squirt guns. It was a perfect night to have a party - warm weather and no bugs!
June 6th and 7th - I spent the days buying food to prepare for VBS, which was starting Sunday, June 10th. I brought food out to Lake Bronson, set the tables up, etc.
June 8th - I went to the fairgrounds to help my cousin, Savannah, set up the building for her reception. We decorated all morning. It was beautiful! That evening, we had wedding rehearsal and the groom's supper. It was fun visiting and getting ready for the wedding.
June 9th - Wedding day for Savannah and Evan. I was a bridesmaid; Matt was a handsome usher. My kids stayed home until about 2:30p.m. with my cousin Bailey. She brought them in when pictures were about to start.
We (the girls) were up early getting our hair done and watching others get theirs done. Mine only took about an hour and a half. It was fun, though. Then we headed to the church to get Savannah ready and hang out until our pictures started. The day was very relaxed, laid back, and so fun to be a part of. The reception and dance were held at the fairgrounds, and it was a perfect spot, because it was kind of warm out, so people were free to be inside or outside of the building and not be in the street like they would be if the dance had been at the city hall.
Auntie Mary came over during the reception and hung out with us to help with the kids and take them home after they'd danced for a little bit. It was nice to have a sitter and not worry about the kids all night. That left Matt and I free to dance the night away. :)
June 10th, 11th, and 12th - The kids and I spent the three days out at Galilee Bible Camp at Lake Bronson taking in Vacation Bible School. (Matt came in the evenings and we slept in a cabin at the camp.) Nikki and I were in charge of making all the snacks and meals for the kids at bible school. We spent our days chasing our kids and making food. It was so much fun, though. By the end, Clarence was loving his class and everything he got to do at Bible School. He liked everything except going in the water on the paddle boats. He wanted nothiing to do with that. He'd wear a life jacket and wait on the dock, but he was afraid if he got in a boat, someone was going to push him into the water. (Too much scaring from his dad, I think.) In the evenings, we'd make supper, play games, and have a bonfire. The kids (Clarence, Adina, and Anna) had so much fun playing together. Clarence is already excited about next year.
June 13th, 14th, and 15th - We didn't start cutting hay yet because the weather said there was a chance every day. We didn't get any rain until Saturday, though. Matt could've started cutting last week, but oh well....he actually didn't even have the right parts for the mower conditioner yet anyways. We spent the days cleaning up the yard. With our house project and everything, the yard was put on the back burner. We mowed the lawn, weeded the garden, picked up the yard, put winter machinery away, etc. The yard looks way better now than it did last week. We still have some raking to do, but that'll give me something to do today.... :)
Friday the 15th, we headed to Kick'n Up Kountry in Karlstad for the evening. My mom watched my kids and their cousing Harley so Nikki, Mark, Nathan and us could go enjoy the evening. It was a lot of fun! The Bellamy Brothers were my favorite - I knew almost every one of their songs. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was good, too, but I only knew like four or five of their songs. Then there was a dance afterwards, so we stayed at that for a while. It was late when we picked the kids up, but thankfully they slept in a little Saturday morning. :)
June 16th - my birthday. I'm now 26. My mom and Clarence picked strawberries and made me a strawberry pie for my cake. It was delicious! My day was spent relaxing mostly; in the evening, we went to a birthday party for my second cousin, Jadyn. It was fun watching all the kids play together.
June 17th - Father's Day. We went to church, then came home and took a nap. Matt wasn't feeling well, though, after that; he was all congested. We ended up going to Roseau in the evening, then coming home late last night. It was fun to visit, but I'm kinda tired today. :)
Today, the 18th - Tucker and McCall (my cousin's kids) are here for the day. So far, it's 9 a.m., and Clarence is still sleeping...he was tired from our late night last night. Adina's been playing really well with the kids. I'm sure most of the day will be spent playing outside. The kids will have a blast together!
See Ya!
June 6th and 7th - I spent the days buying food to prepare for VBS, which was starting Sunday, June 10th. I brought food out to Lake Bronson, set the tables up, etc.
June 8th - I went to the fairgrounds to help my cousin, Savannah, set up the building for her reception. We decorated all morning. It was beautiful! That evening, we had wedding rehearsal and the groom's supper. It was fun visiting and getting ready for the wedding.
June 9th - Wedding day for Savannah and Evan. I was a bridesmaid; Matt was a handsome usher. My kids stayed home until about 2:30p.m. with my cousin Bailey. She brought them in when pictures were about to start.
We (the girls) were up early getting our hair done and watching others get theirs done. Mine only took about an hour and a half. It was fun, though. Then we headed to the church to get Savannah ready and hang out until our pictures started. The day was very relaxed, laid back, and so fun to be a part of. The reception and dance were held at the fairgrounds, and it was a perfect spot, because it was kind of warm out, so people were free to be inside or outside of the building and not be in the street like they would be if the dance had been at the city hall.
Auntie Mary came over during the reception and hung out with us to help with the kids and take them home after they'd danced for a little bit. It was nice to have a sitter and not worry about the kids all night. That left Matt and I free to dance the night away. :)
June 10th, 11th, and 12th - The kids and I spent the three days out at Galilee Bible Camp at Lake Bronson taking in Vacation Bible School. (Matt came in the evenings and we slept in a cabin at the camp.) Nikki and I were in charge of making all the snacks and meals for the kids at bible school. We spent our days chasing our kids and making food. It was so much fun, though. By the end, Clarence was loving his class and everything he got to do at Bible School. He liked everything except going in the water on the paddle boats. He wanted nothiing to do with that. He'd wear a life jacket and wait on the dock, but he was afraid if he got in a boat, someone was going to push him into the water. (Too much scaring from his dad, I think.) In the evenings, we'd make supper, play games, and have a bonfire. The kids (Clarence, Adina, and Anna) had so much fun playing together. Clarence is already excited about next year.
June 13th, 14th, and 15th - We didn't start cutting hay yet because the weather said there was a chance every day. We didn't get any rain until Saturday, though. Matt could've started cutting last week, but oh well....he actually didn't even have the right parts for the mower conditioner yet anyways. We spent the days cleaning up the yard. With our house project and everything, the yard was put on the back burner. We mowed the lawn, weeded the garden, picked up the yard, put winter machinery away, etc. The yard looks way better now than it did last week. We still have some raking to do, but that'll give me something to do today.... :)
Friday the 15th, we headed to Kick'n Up Kountry in Karlstad for the evening. My mom watched my kids and their cousing Harley so Nikki, Mark, Nathan and us could go enjoy the evening. It was a lot of fun! The Bellamy Brothers were my favorite - I knew almost every one of their songs. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was good, too, but I only knew like four or five of their songs. Then there was a dance afterwards, so we stayed at that for a while. It was late when we picked the kids up, but thankfully they slept in a little Saturday morning. :)
June 16th - my birthday. I'm now 26. My mom and Clarence picked strawberries and made me a strawberry pie for my cake. It was delicious! My day was spent relaxing mostly; in the evening, we went to a birthday party for my second cousin, Jadyn. It was fun watching all the kids play together.
June 17th - Father's Day. We went to church, then came home and took a nap. Matt wasn't feeling well, though, after that; he was all congested. We ended up going to Roseau in the evening, then coming home late last night. It was fun to visit, but I'm kinda tired today. :)
Today, the 18th - Tucker and McCall (my cousin's kids) are here for the day. So far, it's 9 a.m., and Clarence is still sleeping...he was tired from our late night last night. Adina's been playing really well with the kids. I'm sure most of the day will be spent playing outside. The kids will have a blast together!
See Ya!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Living Life
We've been so busy these last couple of weeks. I think about going on the computer, then think of 700 other things that I need to do. I also haven't been feeling very inspired to write lately, so sorry. Here's what we've been doing, though.
1. Matt was seeding and finished all the fields with no significant breakdowns.
2. The cows got out. Like three or four times.
3. We've been hauling cow/calf pairs out to pasture. We've done about 170 pairs so far (I think)....at least 50 more to go.
Hauling pairs is fun....most of the time. Matt and I walk the pairs up together, or he manages to do it by himself if I'm busy with the kids. Then we get them into the barn and into the chute. We give shots, write down cow numbers, which pasture they're going to, make sure each cow has an eartag in each ear, and load them up. We do the same for the calves - make sure they match up with the cows, give them shots, and load them up. Clarence has really gotten good at herding the calves. He'll work on getting them into the chute while Matt switches trailers. Usually he can get them all in by himself. It's really so cute to watch. He'll chase them around, yelling, "C'mon, calves, get in the chute, calves...." in a drawly cowboy voice. It makes me smile every time. Then, once everything's loaded up, we head to whichever pasture the cows are going to. Most of the pastures are close to home, but my pasture is 13 miles away, so it usually takes about an hour to make a load. (Just so you know, when we haul pairs out, we get 11 cows in Matt's big trailer and 11 calves in my little trailer. If we use just the big trailer, we can do about 8 pairs....it's slow going, but every cow off the farm is progress!)
4. Mark P. came over two weeks ago and started my addition. He and Matt have: put in subfloors; put up the walls; put plywood on the outside walls; put the rafters on; put the plywood on the rafters; and are shingling the roof today and tomorrow. They've made a lot of progress in the last two weeks, considering everything else we've had going on.
5. Baby Harley was baptized. Matt and I are the proud godparents. We love him so much!
6. We celebrated my Grandma Muriel's 80th birthday a few weekends ago. We had a lot of fun visiting everyone and helping her celebrate. We had pie and coffee with her friends at the Caribou Grill; the next day, we served coffee hour at her church, then had a potluck at her house after church. It was a fun, busy weekend.
7. Ruby had two puppies. A boy and a girl. She's such a good mommy. They look like fat, solid little logs. They don't have their eyes open yet, but I'm thinking that'll come soon. They'll be two weeks old on Friday. Clarence loves them so much. He makes sure he goes and visits them a few times a day. I love to watch him with the puppies - it's the only time he's really and truly GENTLE!
8. Matt's brother, Mike, came home for a visit. He'll be up until Friday. He came last week and helped put the rafters up and visit with his brothers. Sunday, we went to Roseau to celebrate a whole bunch of birthdays and visit the family.
9. Matt turned 26 on Sunday. He's getting old. :)
10. Today when we got home from hauling out our load of cows, Clarence hopped out of the pickup to hurry and get on with life. Adina was going to follow him, but instead she nose-dived and hit the road with her face. Half of her face is red and a little puffy, but thankfully, that's all that she was hurt. She really scared me; she landed only a few inches from a huge rock in the road that would've really hurt her, I think.
11. Clarence has been busy bringing sticks and wood scraps to our new fire pit down by the river. He has a new love for bonfires. He'll sit and gather wood for an hour and haul it down for the fire. Tonight, he and Uncle Mark are going to camp out in Mark's tent after we have a fun little bonfire.
Clarence is also my 'official egg gatherer'. He takes this job very seriously. About 7 times a day, he'll come find me with a big grin on his face, and hold up his hands, show me the eggs and say, "I found more eggs, Mom." He loves that job....I'm very thankful for that, because I don't love that job! :)
12. It froze here last night. My two whiskey barrels full of flowers are withered and wilted. I think I need to make another trip to the greenhouse.
Hope you've been doing swell. :)
1. Matt was seeding and finished all the fields with no significant breakdowns.
2. The cows got out. Like three or four times.
3. We've been hauling cow/calf pairs out to pasture. We've done about 170 pairs so far (I think)....at least 50 more to go.
Hauling pairs is fun....most of the time. Matt and I walk the pairs up together, or he manages to do it by himself if I'm busy with the kids. Then we get them into the barn and into the chute. We give shots, write down cow numbers, which pasture they're going to, make sure each cow has an eartag in each ear, and load them up. We do the same for the calves - make sure they match up with the cows, give them shots, and load them up. Clarence has really gotten good at herding the calves. He'll work on getting them into the chute while Matt switches trailers. Usually he can get them all in by himself. It's really so cute to watch. He'll chase them around, yelling, "C'mon, calves, get in the chute, calves...." in a drawly cowboy voice. It makes me smile every time. Then, once everything's loaded up, we head to whichever pasture the cows are going to. Most of the pastures are close to home, but my pasture is 13 miles away, so it usually takes about an hour to make a load. (Just so you know, when we haul pairs out, we get 11 cows in Matt's big trailer and 11 calves in my little trailer. If we use just the big trailer, we can do about 8 pairs....it's slow going, but every cow off the farm is progress!)
4. Mark P. came over two weeks ago and started my addition. He and Matt have: put in subfloors; put up the walls; put plywood on the outside walls; put the rafters on; put the plywood on the rafters; and are shingling the roof today and tomorrow. They've made a lot of progress in the last two weeks, considering everything else we've had going on.
5. Baby Harley was baptized. Matt and I are the proud godparents. We love him so much!
6. We celebrated my Grandma Muriel's 80th birthday a few weekends ago. We had a lot of fun visiting everyone and helping her celebrate. We had pie and coffee with her friends at the Caribou Grill; the next day, we served coffee hour at her church, then had a potluck at her house after church. It was a fun, busy weekend.
7. Ruby had two puppies. A boy and a girl. She's such a good mommy. They look like fat, solid little logs. They don't have their eyes open yet, but I'm thinking that'll come soon. They'll be two weeks old on Friday. Clarence loves them so much. He makes sure he goes and visits them a few times a day. I love to watch him with the puppies - it's the only time he's really and truly GENTLE!
8. Matt's brother, Mike, came home for a visit. He'll be up until Friday. He came last week and helped put the rafters up and visit with his brothers. Sunday, we went to Roseau to celebrate a whole bunch of birthdays and visit the family.
9. Matt turned 26 on Sunday. He's getting old. :)
10. Today when we got home from hauling out our load of cows, Clarence hopped out of the pickup to hurry and get on with life. Adina was going to follow him, but instead she nose-dived and hit the road with her face. Half of her face is red and a little puffy, but thankfully, that's all that she was hurt. She really scared me; she landed only a few inches from a huge rock in the road that would've really hurt her, I think.
11. Clarence has been busy bringing sticks and wood scraps to our new fire pit down by the river. He has a new love for bonfires. He'll sit and gather wood for an hour and haul it down for the fire. Tonight, he and Uncle Mark are going to camp out in Mark's tent after we have a fun little bonfire.
Clarence is also my 'official egg gatherer'. He takes this job very seriously. About 7 times a day, he'll come find me with a big grin on his face, and hold up his hands, show me the eggs and say, "I found more eggs, Mom." He loves that job....I'm very thankful for that, because I don't love that job! :)
12. It froze here last night. My two whiskey barrels full of flowers are withered and wilted. I think I need to make another trip to the greenhouse.
Hope you've been doing swell. :)
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Yesterday: Clarence's Daily
This was our conversation on the way home from the farm we went to to pick up the seed tender, semi, and chisel plow. Matt took Adina home in the semi. I took Clarence home with me in the tractor. It was great one-on-one time for each of us.
C: That pasture have weeds, Mom?
Me: Yep.
C: Cows no yike weeds, Mom.
Me: I'm sure they'll just eat around them.
C: (silent for 1/4 mile, until we reach the next pasture) Any weeds in that pasture, Mom. (Meaning there are no weeds.)
Me: Okay.
C: Cows yike that pasture,Mom.
C: Any cows in that pasture, Mom?
Me: I don't know - the fence doesn't look very good - probably not.
C: Weeds in that pasture, Mom.
Me: I know.
C: Cows no yike weeds.
Me: Don't they?
C: No. They just yike grass.
Me: Oh, I see. (There's no point in arguing with a three-year old!)
(We're driving on, past pasture after pasture...the ever-observant Clarence sitting right beside me taking EVERYTHING in)
C: Mom, cattails!
Me: Yep, I see them.
C: Weeds in that pasture, Mom!
Me: Yep.
C: Cows no yike weeds, Mom.
Me: I know. I'm sure they'll just eat around those weeds. There's green grass growing underneath, see?
C: Yah, but cows no yike the old grass.
C: Mom, cows no in that pasture. Weeds in that pasture. Trees in that pasture. Cows no yike weeds and trees.
Me: Cows don't mind the trees, Clarence. Remember down at the Vagle pasture? There's a lot of trees there. I'm sure the cows just eat all the grass in the trees, too.
C: Oh.
(I won't keep writing our never-ending conversation - but this is what we talked about for a good 40 minutes in the tractor....)
C: Mom, I see cows.
Me: Those are Danny Lyberg's cows.
C: Danny Yiberg's cows?
Me: Yep.
C: His cows no yike weeds.
Me: I know, Clarence.
(Driving down the road some more.)
C: Mom, more cows! Those Danny Yiberg's cows?
Me: Yep, those are his.
C: Weeds in that pasture, Mom?
Me: Yep, probably, but I'm sure the cows just eat around them.
C: Mom, wooornge cows (orangeish/reddish cows)!
Me: I see them.
C: I yove woornge cows.
Me: I know.
C: Weeds in that pasture, Mom.
Me: Yes, Clarence, I see them.
C: Cows no yike weeds.
Just so all of you know, according to Clarence, COWS DON'T LIKE WEEDS! I learned a lot driving in the tractor with him yesterday, as I'm sure you have by reading this! He's a "rancher" through and through!
C: That pasture have weeds, Mom?
Me: Yep.
C: Cows no yike weeds, Mom.
Me: I'm sure they'll just eat around them.
C: (silent for 1/4 mile, until we reach the next pasture) Any weeds in that pasture, Mom. (Meaning there are no weeds.)
Me: Okay.
C: Cows yike that pasture,Mom.
C: Any cows in that pasture, Mom?
Me: I don't know - the fence doesn't look very good - probably not.
C: Weeds in that pasture, Mom.
Me: I know.
C: Cows no yike weeds.
Me: Don't they?
C: No. They just yike grass.
Me: Oh, I see. (There's no point in arguing with a three-year old!)
(We're driving on, past pasture after pasture...the ever-observant Clarence sitting right beside me taking EVERYTHING in)
C: Mom, cattails!
Me: Yep, I see them.
C: Weeds in that pasture, Mom!
Me: Yep.
C: Cows no yike weeds, Mom.
Me: I know. I'm sure they'll just eat around those weeds. There's green grass growing underneath, see?
C: Yah, but cows no yike the old grass.
C: Mom, cows no in that pasture. Weeds in that pasture. Trees in that pasture. Cows no yike weeds and trees.
Me: Cows don't mind the trees, Clarence. Remember down at the Vagle pasture? There's a lot of trees there. I'm sure the cows just eat all the grass in the trees, too.
C: Oh.
(I won't keep writing our never-ending conversation - but this is what we talked about for a good 40 minutes in the tractor....)
C: Mom, I see cows.
Me: Those are Danny Lyberg's cows.
C: Danny Yiberg's cows?
Me: Yep.
C: His cows no yike weeds.
Me: I know, Clarence.
(Driving down the road some more.)
C: Mom, more cows! Those Danny Yiberg's cows?
Me: Yep, those are his.
C: Weeds in that pasture, Mom?
Me: Yep, probably, but I'm sure the cows just eat around them.
C: Mom, wooornge cows (orangeish/reddish cows)!
Me: I see them.
C: I yove woornge cows.
Me: I know.
C: Weeds in that pasture, Mom.
Me: Yes, Clarence, I see them.
C: Cows no yike weeds.
Just so all of you know, according to Clarence, COWS DON'T LIKE WEEDS! I learned a lot driving in the tractor with him yesterday, as I'm sure you have by reading this! He's a "rancher" through and through!
So Little Time
So much to do, so little time.
That saying is so true! Matt's been seeding this week. So far, things are going well. He finished seeding corn this morning. We're seeding corn to feed our calves this winter. We'll grind it this fall and haul it into the yard, then pack it in a huge pile and feed it to our calves all winter. If the crop turns out well, though, we might combine some and stick it in the bin and bale the stalks. That's what we did last year. We're hoping to chop it for silage this year, though, because we've heard there might be a limited supply of beet pulp we'll have access to.
Anyway, Matt's going to start seeding soybeans this afternoon. Then the oats in a couple days. The kids and I were going to get up and head into Hallock this morning to go get garden seeds at the greenhouse. However, Clarence kept telling me how cold he was during breakfast; I took his temperature and he had a 101 fever. So I put in "Little House" for a bit. Then he was up and wanting to go outside. We went out to feed cows instead of actually playing. That way he can sit still in the tractor instead of running around. It took a while, but we successfully completed feeding the cows. I say successfully because we managed to finish without a SINGLE cow getting out!
Now the kids are napping. I'm hoping Clarence might be feeling a little better when he wakes up and we can head to the greenhouse then. We'll see, I guess.
Yesterday was quite cold, so the kids and I spent most of the morning in the house. I brought totes and totes up to the attic to store. It's not really a fun job. Most of the time, I gradually add more and more things into Clarence's room, then I decide I've had enough, and I deal with it. The thing about dealing with all the stuff is: I have to climb up a ladder in Clarence's closet, lift up a huge, heavy door, then one-by-one lift totes over my head and climb the ladder and bring it into the attic. Not to mention the fact that I had help. It took a little while, but we accomplished everything. We hauled about five totes, the high chair, and some random Christmas decorations I found in the bottom of Clarence's closet up there. Hopefully I won't have to repeat that for a while. :)
Then in the afternoon, we all hopped in the tractor with Matt for "family farming time". It was so much fun. :)
I'm kind of kidding...it was kinda fun, but long and hard to sit beside Matt on the wheel well holding a jumping child and trying not to knock the other one over (who was standing by the window).
We went up to a guy's farm about 10 miles north of us; Matt and his dad have bought some of this guy's equipment, so we're slowly trying to get it back to our house. Well, yesterday Matt wanted to get the seed tender so he can use it with the soybeans rather than filling the drills with 5-gallon buckets (like he's done the four previous years we've lived here). So the kids and I went with so I could drive the tractor home with a chisel plow and Matt could drive our semi home with the seed tender. The kids were very good and very cooperative.
My next post will be Clarence's daily from yesterday. It's about all the pastures we drive by going there and coming home.
Hope you're enjoying this splendid day!
That saying is so true! Matt's been seeding this week. So far, things are going well. He finished seeding corn this morning. We're seeding corn to feed our calves this winter. We'll grind it this fall and haul it into the yard, then pack it in a huge pile and feed it to our calves all winter. If the crop turns out well, though, we might combine some and stick it in the bin and bale the stalks. That's what we did last year. We're hoping to chop it for silage this year, though, because we've heard there might be a limited supply of beet pulp we'll have access to.
Anyway, Matt's going to start seeding soybeans this afternoon. Then the oats in a couple days. The kids and I were going to get up and head into Hallock this morning to go get garden seeds at the greenhouse. However, Clarence kept telling me how cold he was during breakfast; I took his temperature and he had a 101 fever. So I put in "Little House" for a bit. Then he was up and wanting to go outside. We went out to feed cows instead of actually playing. That way he can sit still in the tractor instead of running around. It took a while, but we successfully completed feeding the cows. I say successfully because we managed to finish without a SINGLE cow getting out!
Now the kids are napping. I'm hoping Clarence might be feeling a little better when he wakes up and we can head to the greenhouse then. We'll see, I guess.
Yesterday was quite cold, so the kids and I spent most of the morning in the house. I brought totes and totes up to the attic to store. It's not really a fun job. Most of the time, I gradually add more and more things into Clarence's room, then I decide I've had enough, and I deal with it. The thing about dealing with all the stuff is: I have to climb up a ladder in Clarence's closet, lift up a huge, heavy door, then one-by-one lift totes over my head and climb the ladder and bring it into the attic. Not to mention the fact that I had help. It took a little while, but we accomplished everything. We hauled about five totes, the high chair, and some random Christmas decorations I found in the bottom of Clarence's closet up there. Hopefully I won't have to repeat that for a while. :)
Then in the afternoon, we all hopped in the tractor with Matt for "family farming time". It was so much fun. :)
I'm kind of kidding...it was kinda fun, but long and hard to sit beside Matt on the wheel well holding a jumping child and trying not to knock the other one over (who was standing by the window).
We went up to a guy's farm about 10 miles north of us; Matt and his dad have bought some of this guy's equipment, so we're slowly trying to get it back to our house. Well, yesterday Matt wanted to get the seed tender so he can use it with the soybeans rather than filling the drills with 5-gallon buckets (like he's done the four previous years we've lived here). So the kids and I went with so I could drive the tractor home with a chisel plow and Matt could drive our semi home with the seed tender. The kids were very good and very cooperative.
My next post will be Clarence's daily from yesterday. It's about all the pastures we drive by going there and coming home.
Hope you're enjoying this splendid day!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Butter Crunch Cookies
I made these cookies last night. They're truly delicious! I was looking for a new cookie recipe to try, and this one caught my eye. I brought them to church this morning because the "P's" were serving coffee hour.
Butter Crunch Cookies Reci
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It's quick and very simple. But don't be scared away by all the butter - it's what makes them nice and crispy! And, the recipe makes a really large batch.
I added chocolate chips for an extra bit of yumminess.
Enjoy!
Butter Crunch Cookies Recipe
Butter Crunch Cookies Reci Ingredients
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups cornflakes, lightly crushed
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- Prep: 15 min. Bake: 10 min./batch
- Yield: 48 Servings
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Directions
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the cornflakes and pecans.
- Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks. Yield: about 8 dozen.
Nutritional Facts 1 serving (2 each) equals 153 calories, 9 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 20 mg cholesterol, 171 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein.
(photo and recipe courtesy of tasteofhome.com)
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