StillwatersIowa

Transformation is defined as a dramatic change. We enjoyed working together as three generations on Kurt's tractor. It's been cold enough this winter we could drive it out on the pond and take a picture on over a foot thick ice. 50 years from now these little folks will remember helping. What will life look like? Grandpa was asked to pick up 6th grader Anton from school and take him to the dentist. So I gladly did. While waiting in the hall I took this picture from 52 years ago. The same time the above tractor rolled off the John Deere assembly line. My eighth grade class. 😊 Nine girls and twelve boys wondering where they would be in 50 years. Of course I had to take the picture of the class below us as well just to tease some of you.😊 Twelve girls and nine boys. About 10 years ago these two classes got together for supper at our cabin. We ought to do that again sometime. This past Wednesday evening Lucas and Pastor Jon brought their 7th grade Cadet boys out to weld in our fa...

 A week ago last Friday morning, with 8-12 inches of snow coming, Jan and I headed out to take a few days off together. Thanks for the picture Devin. We drove southeast and stopped for breakfast in the little rural community of Farmington, Illinois. As we finished eating the waitress came to our table and told us our meal had already been paid for. A couple we didn't know and had never met had randomly blessed us by covering our meal check. Now that's meaningful purpose, and a pretty cool thing to do. When we arrived in Indianapolis, Indiana Jan suggested we fuel up for the trip home the following week. While filling our vehicle tank I smiled at and struck up a conversation with the station attendant. He was retirement age. And an immigrant from Greece. I thanked him for being willing to work. He said most folks are in a hurry and would often holler at him rather than give him a word of  encouragement as he tries to keep the traffic going through smoothly. Early last Saturday ...

Delight can be a hard word to explain. I think it's much more than a feeling. It's a source of joy. A way of life. Delight seems to be connected with action. Delightful people always seem to be on the move. Delight isn't motivated by a "what about me" attitude. The boys started a project. Kurt brought over his 1972 JD 4320. He purchased it from an older neighbor earlier. Back in the day the classic tractors folks like to restore were the ones they grew up on. Like an A John Deere, or an M Farmall, or a WD45. Today's classic tractors from the 1960s and 70s are the ones I drove growing up. Our crew is more than happy (delighted) to help Kurt clean it up, fix the oil leaks, and repaint it. After cleaning it gets sanded, then a primer coat, then several coats of color, and finally a clear coat before reassembling it. Stay tuned. On the first Sunday of every year our church passes the plate with upside down cards. These are called Star words. As you can see I have ...

A story is told of 4 mice who find an abundance of cheese. Life is good. The first pair become complacent. One day the cheese disappears. The first pair of mice wait for the cheese to come back. When it doesn't they start to complain and blame each other. They call themselves victims. The second pair of mice started noticing things were changing early on. They continue to explore. One day they find another abundance of cheese somewhere else. They hurry back and tell their friends about their new supply. The story finishes with the first pair finding excuses and refusing to adapt. Below Brynn, Jayden, Sydnie, and Lane, love macaroni and cheese at Grandma's house on Mondays. The author in our lead-in story uses cheese as a metaphor for what we need or want in life. His point is life is constantly changing. And his application is that there are risks and rewards to resisting or adapting to those changes. Winter continues here in southern Iowa. Many of our jobs have moved inside ou...