Someone Moved My Cheese

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 our farm shop.

We have in-floor heat in our shop that uses an LP fired boiler. However we also have a heater that burns waste oil (used oil). Thanks to Mark who brought us over his tote of used oil for us to burn for heat in our shop.

Mike worked on his mowers getting them ready for lawn mowing next spring. Thanks for the picture Mike. The yellow piece on wheels you see below is a heater that burns kerosene. I talked to Pastor Dale this past week who moved to California 5 years ago. He mentioned since the executive order to close petroleum pipelines, moratoriums on drilling, and forcing closures on fossil fuel energy plants, that energy prices are becoming unaffordable in his area.

Mike spent an afternoon burning tree piles that he had cleared off of dikes earlier this fall. Thanks for the picture Mike.

BJ and John worked together to mount a snow blade on one of their pickups. Farm pickups and heavy trucks are getting about impossible to find. And the ones that are available are just about cost prohibitive.

Every year we have to go to a half day meeting to continue being a commercial manure hauling applicator. Karl and I attended. 3 hours and $400 later we are good to go for another year. This year's info focused on penalties and fines for non-compliance and spills.

BJ has been taking his good alfalfa hay in large square bales to an Amish hay auction near Drakesville. The Amish folks unload him with gas powered, walk behind forklifts. Thanks for the picture BJ.

One evening this week three of my siblings and us went out for supper for my sister Donna's birthday. Jan and I. Donna and Roger. Doug and Ginger. And Julie and Bill. Our youngest sister Beth and Dan live in Colorado, and our brother and Donna's twin Dan is in heaven. We have used Mexican restaurants for our last two outings. They are the ones open since they use family for help.

Speaking of family and help we had a fish fry Friday noon in our shop. Mike deep fat fried catfish we were given by Buddy and Eileen, landlords of ours. Jan brought out some cheese curds and jalapeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese along with a skillet full of fried potatoes. The gals, help, and neighbors that were available that day joined us. Pictured below are son's Mike, Mark, BJ, Kurt, Karl, and their mom, Jan.

During our fish fry I received a call from Dale. He was coming to Pella for his Uncle Delmer's funeral. Dale is an Ag professor at Dordt University where I serve on the Ag Advisory Board. We had good discussions about Ag, Education, and their future in a changing world. Thanks for taking the time early Saturday and the Jaarsma goodies Dale.

Uncle Delmer happens to be Ryan's grandpa. Ryan is a son of Dan and Andrea. Ryan also has an aunt that's married to my cousin Phil who pastors in Mason City. When Ryan worked for us 5 years ago he made this plaque for me as a gift. Today Ryan builds and remodels houses. Thanks Ryan, and our sympathies to you, your parents, your Grandma Wimp, your Aunts, and the rest of your families.

In the 1990s when I was still recovering from the 1980s Jerome gave me trucking work while he owned and operated Fremont Elevator. We used to get up at 2am every morning and take a load of soybeans to Quincy, Illinois for him with our old cabover semi. He also gave good advice on helping Mark and Stacy rent one of their first farms. Jerome passed away on Friday. Our sympathies to his wife Marion, his children Mike and Kate, and their families.

So what advice do I have this morning for those of us who are still here in this changing culture? A Bible verse comes to mind. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, and pray, seek my help, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear them from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land". I realize this promise was made 3000 years ago to another group of folks. However I'm sure it was recorded in the Bible for advice for us as well. This is a promise that's guaranteed, and history proves it works. I doubt if we hear this advice from Washington DC, or the CDC, or the World Health Organization. Our cheese has been moved. Let's explore, adapt, and grow. Let's ask our Heavenly Father for help. I appreciate you stopping by.