StillwatersIowa

One of the first things parents teach their kids is to say Please and Thank you. When children are taught manners they learn to respect themselves and others. Those character traits become habits and are carried into adulthood. Manners aren't just proper etiquette. Our parents were trying to instill a respect, an interest, and a caring for others. Those kind of qualities lead to life long friendships. We can all remember folks who were heavy on talent and light on manners.  Either they or their parents made them the center of life and they became legends in their own mind. Those poor folks often become lonely because they are no fun to be around.   We always need to remember to say Please and Thank you to the folks we work with. Everyone including ourselves needs to feel appreciated. We need to be an example of manners around our families. Isn't it interesting how we pick up habits, good or bad, from our folks. Then as ...

I think it's safe to say that this year has been out of the ordinary. But then when you look back, what is ordinary? I think ordinary must be the average of extremes. Below John is helping his dad tile right through standing beans. Last week Mike and Kurt had to be in Louisiana on Monday so they left a day early and went to church in West Monroe, Louisiana with the Robinson family. For those of you that have never heard of them or seen them they have a family business making duck calls. They also have a TV show called Duck Dynasty. This is what's left of the Oskaloosa Livestock Auction. My dad has spent the last two years tearing it down. The old selling pavilion brings back lots of memories. Back in the day everyone had livestock and this is where things were bought and sold. My list of summer jobs was longer than our actual summer so I called a friend and asked if I could hire him to put in this fence. Thanks Dale. Craig is a neighbor who is picking up h...

Our week was about as packed as this chopper head. We spent the last few days doing our best to get ready for company. The chopper was chopping old sweet corn for feed for the cows out on dry pastures. Becky called midafternoon one day and said she had found a larger Jeep. They were jammed packed in their older Jeep because of their growing boys. She asked if I would have time to go to St Louis with her and the boys. Jan graciously offered to babysit and Becky and I had a fun and quick trip. While we were driving home during the night we watched all the lightening that accompanied the wonderful showers we received this past week. On Thursday the PC volleyball team came for an overnight visit. They were kicking off their season with a get together. I enjoyed getting to know them and leading them on a Ranger ride. At various places on the ride we would stop and I would tell them a story about the particular spot where we had stopped. The PC football team c...

Our family spent the past week vacationing in the upper peninsula of Michigan. We accomplished our goals of relaxing, making memories, and enjoying each others company. Kristin did a great job of finding this big old cabin to rent along a river bank. It is owned by a private family. The hometown folks called it the Old Dutch Mill. In the front yard we would make a play pen of sorts out of pickups and trailers for the little kids to ride their toys in. Of course kids love to ramp so we tilted the trailer back and used the loading ramps and some firewood for a small jump. The river just behind the cabin had a rock bottom and a swift current. It was cold but fun to play in. The grandkids caught crawdads or crabdads as Elliot called them and saved them in a bucket. BJ soaked them in ice water, then boiled them, and several brave souls tried crab legs.   Of course there is always someone that has to prove to the family that you can cross a river with...