StillwatersIowa

Thanksgiving week is generally figured to be the end of fall. Any nice weather in December is considered a gift. So much of our week was spent getting things home, cleaned up, and put away for winter. On a different note I was sent a cute poem that I'm sharing with you this week that's meant to be entertaining. It does share the truth of the undeserved gift offered to us. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.  "I was shocked, confused, bewildered, as I entered Heaven's door. Not by the beauty of it all, nor the lights,or it's decor."   "But it was the folks in Heaven who made me sputter and gasp. The thieves, the liars, the sinners, the alcoholics, and the trash." "There stood the kid from seventh grade who swiped my lunch money twice. Next to him was my old neighbor who never said anything nice." "Bob, who I always thought was rotting away in hell, was sitting pretty on cloud nine, looking incredibly well." "I nudged Jesus...

One of the favorite things our grand kids like to do  when they come over is to race their toys in the garage. Of course after a while it gets boring to just ride on a level floor so they generally try and find something to ride over. Well since Grandma Jan isn't crazy about boards and boxes getting pulled from their places she decided to build them a ramp. Since Jan babysits every Monday tomorrow will be the inaugural race day. For the last 2 or 3 summers I've lost the battle in trying to keep the hill water off of our bottom. So during my spare time between field work and seed corn selling I tried to make more room for the water to run.   I mentioned last week we got a new pup. She is getting used to her new home and is fast learning who her friends are and who her enemies are. Friday evening the Oskaloosa Chr. Grade School presented their annual fall music program. Six of our grand kids were in the program. Their theme was be a hero by being a he...

This weeks photos are family activities that are different than just run of the mill farming. Below Mike is posing by the deer he shot with his bow. The antlers scored a 148. After two years without a dog we decided to get another Saint. We have had Saint Bernards most our farming life. Kinze was the name picked over coffee one morning. Kinze is a female and was 1/2 price because she has overgrown puppyhood and is in that clumsy stage. Jan had a harvest breakfast for our family plus all those that helped us during the fall season. Here Mike is helping with pancakes, BJ is helping with eggs, and Karl is helping with fruit. Here the girls are either catching up on the latest news or talking about their husbands. All good of course.   Jan is helping the grandkids load their plates with scrambled eggs, fried eggs, toast, muffins, pancakes, hash browns, sausage, bacon, fruit, cinnimon rolls, chocolate milk, white milk, and orange juice. Cody is warming up by the firepl...

One of the many perks of our occupation is allowing kids to help, spend time with, and get to know their Dads. It takes effort on the Dads part but the benefits of teaching them responsibility and affirming them are well worth it.  During our busy schedules do we take the time to get to know or offer to help our neighbors who we are not as acquainted with or who are on the fringes? While we work for others we need to do our best with a pleasant attitude even if the folks we are working for are ungrateful and grouchy. Even if our schedules are hectic do we take the time to be a friend to the less fortunate? As Americans we have an obligation to get to know the people who want to represent us in government. Many folks today say politics isn't their thing. It wasn't mine either but if we as a country continue to put our privileges ahead of our principles we will lose both and 2012 will be our last free election. Do you have a dedicated place where you can go to pra...