StillwatersIowa

Good morning. How are you all doing? I hope and pray, wherever you're at, that you and your families are good. That you are staying healthy. That you have things to do. That you have relationships, someone you can talk to, if even from a distance. Natalie and Allison came with their dads, BJ and Mark, to the office early one morning. They talked Kasey into catching a litter of kittens for them to play with. We all need a reason to get up in the morning. Especially nowadays. We need things to do. It's called our purpose. Some of you are extra busy with kids, with changes, with adapting. Others of you may be quarantining yourselves because of where you've been, or because of health, or because of a compromised immune system, and life seems to have stalled. Below Jackson is replacing field cultivator shovels while Jaydon and Grandpa are taking a coffee break. Last Monday the forecast was indicating a gray week both mentally and weatherwise. At coffee our crew made a...

Good morning. Can't say I've ever experienced a week like this before. It seemed like every day was a new surprise. However I'm sure some of you have had more uncertainty than us who live here in rural Iowa. Below Jackson is certain this is going to be the best spring ever since he has no school and gets to help farm. Jackson is Kurt and Emily's oldest, and is in kindergarten. Thanks for the picture Kurt. Last Monday the little folks and I tackled the store room above the garage. Part of the time we played and part of the time we cleaned. By the time everyone was tired of both, it looked much better. I received a call from a friend who lives near the east coast with his family. They were home quarantined and working from their house. Rick reminded me of the openness and blessing for us living in the rural midwest. I was concerned about friends in Malawi. So I called Harrison and asked about life in southeast Africa. He said things are normal. He said they...

Good morning folks. To say we are living in interesting times is an understatement. I don't know what to think about this coronavirus deal. I'm definitely not as worried about the cause as I am the effect. In 2009 their were 61 million cases of the H1N1 (swine fever) virus worldwide yet it didn't make as big a wave. I tend to think we are so informed instantly worldwide at the tip of our fingers with our electronics that it has blown up. I also think the media is continually and intentionally fueling the fire. Here in southern Iowa the cause of this emergency seems as far away as the possibility of a train coming on one of our Sunday afternoon Ranger rides down the track that runs through our farms. However the effect of this current situation is coming at us like four engines and a mile of train cars. Those effects are crashing markets, empty store shelves, cancelled trips, closed schools, and a host of cancelled sporting and other events. And just like meeting a...

How good are you at winning? Maybe a tougher question. How good are you at losing? If you want to be a class act you need to be empathetic while winning and respectful while losing. That may sound backwards.   When us guys come in for lunch during babysitting days the little grandkids beg Grandpa to open the ladder after lunch so they can climb and play in the store room above the garage. Then I sit at the bottom of the ladder during their time up there in case they need ladder help or to warn them if they get to close to the opening. Well!! I never pay any attention to what they are actually doing up there. Yesterday Jan asked me to go up and get a roaster for our anniversary lunch today. Wow!! I think tomorrow, myself and some little people are going to have a "pick up parade" as my mother used to call it. Including cleaning up a styrofoam cooler that apparently was fun to pick apart. :) How good are we at watching others win? Or lose? Or maybe a better way of ...