Farm update – corn planting

Posted on by
2

I realized that my posts lately have been heavy on family and emotions, and light on farm and facts! So here goes a great Friday post!

Check out this video on our no-till corn planting (only 45 seconds, won’t kill ya to watch it!):

And now here are some pics of that same corn…growing!

All our little corn plants, growing in a row!

 

 

Planted a little later than liked, but looking good! Happy corn makes for happy cows makes for happy Boss Man!

 

 

Yes, the corn appears to be a little on the weedy side right now, but thanks to the never-ending rain, there’s not much that can be done about it at this time. It’s raining as we speak…and I took some cool pics, but you’ll have to wait for my Wordless Wednesday post on those! 🙂 Now you have a reason to come back…

See you soon!

Why I Don’t Love My Dad

Posted on by
5

I wrote this back in 2007…and it’s still true today. I love you Dad, and may your Father’s Day be a great one!

Why do I love my Dad? Hmmm…that’s a tough one. Maybe it would be easier to explain why I don’t love my Dad.

I don’t love my Dad because he gives me everything I’ve ever wanted. Although, truthfully, he probably would if he could. What he did give me was the ability to appreciate all that I have. He also gave me the wisdom to know the difference between what I want and what I need…a lesson not taught nearly enough these days.

I don’t love my Dad because he took me on vacation every summer. Actually, we hardly ever traveled anywhere as a family, especially not to “touristy” locations. Instead, he instilled in me the value of what is here at home. We went fishing as often as possible, sometimes getting up before the sun rose and staying fishing all night. (You can’t quit if the fish are biting!) I learned how to bait my own hook by the time I could walk and learned how to tie a line while learning to tie my shoes. He taught me that being a girl didn’t mean you had to sit back and let the boys do all the fun stuff.

I don’t love my Dad because he bought me a new vehicle as soon as I got my license. In fact, the day I got my license my Dad drove me to the exam and then, after I passed and had my new license in my hand, he drove me home. I guess he wasn’t quite ready to let go of the wheel yet. He didn’t buy me a new vehicle, but he did buy an old Pontiac Phoenix that was definitely a learner car. Boy, are those some memories!

I don’t love my Dad because he went to every activity I was in. My Dad worked long, hard hours and when I was growing up, I knew not to expect him at many of my programs, games, etc., whatever it may be. At first I was hurt, thinking that I was missing out on having my Dad there, taking snapshots or filming those moments, but then one day I overheard my Dad talking to a friend about us kids. The amount of happiness and pride in his voice was overwhelming. That’s when I realized that Dad didn’t skip our activities because he didn’t care…it was more because he was so anxious to see us succeed that he couldn’t handle seeing us fail first-hand. He would listen to us tell our stories about our games, programs, tests, etc., then repeat them to whomever would listen, as if he had been standing right next to us.

I don’t love my Dad because he was a stern man. My Dad is actually a certifiable softy. I’ll be in trouble if he reads this, but my Dad is a crier. His heart, and a weak one at that, is the size of Texas. He tears up at Christmas, no matter what we give him. His eyes glistened at our weddings. He makes sure he brings a handkerchief to funerals. He won’t even get close to the Hallmark Channel. I personally think the only reason he watches those fishing shows is because he knows they won’t be “tear-jerkers.” (Well, except for when the Big One gets away!)

I don’t love my Dad because he puts his family before all else. Actually, most anyone who knows my Dad is treated as family, so that one may not quite be true. I guess as family, we don’t get special treatment. It’s just the way Dad handles everything. If you need something he has, he’ll give it to you. I have actually, literally, seen him give the shirt off his back. That’s just the type of man he is. Sometimes it’s annoying, but most times it just makes me even more proud of him.

I don’t love my Dad for any of these reasons. And yet, I love him for all of them.

48 Years…and Counting

Posted on by
1

Happy Anniversary to my parents. They have been married an amazing 48 years today!

Now, I’m not going to get all weepy about how my parents are the perfect couple and have the perfect relationship and I hope that someday that my husband and I can follow in their footsteps…well, except I kinda do.

You see, my parents are different than most. But they kinda need to be, because our lives are different than most.

My Dad has had heart problems for more than 20 years now. Calling 911 and seeing an ambulance at my parents’ house was nothing out of the ordinary. Dad’s been told by countless doctors that unless he changes his ways, his days are numbered. The doctors just happen to be wrong on that number, because it keeps going higher than they expected…so Dad has continued on his wayward path. It’s what we’ve come to expect.

Nothing could shake him…until last year. Let’s take a step back:

Shortly before Christmas 2009, my Mom had a cold that she couldn’t shake. So she went to the local clinic and was told that she should go have a sore in her mouth checked out by a specialist. The specialist got her in and took a biopsy of the sore. She had to go back for a more in-depth biopsy. And just a few days before Christmas we found out that my Mom had cancer.

But they had a plan.

Shortly after 2010 started, my Mom and Dad drove down to Omaha, Neb., to a specialist who decided that Mom’s cancer would best be treated by removing a portion of the roof of her mouth, along with any other tissue that he deemed necessary. And so it was scheduled.

Prior to her surgery, Mom had to have a whole bunch of tests done. They needed a baseline to go off of for subsequent testing. Mom was the opposite of Dad…where his medical records could fill a warehouse, Mom has very few. She had only been to the doctor a handful of times since my little sister had been born, and most of those visits were typical cold/viral illnesses. Not regular checkups. (And for reference point, my little sister just turned 30 this year.)

Long story short, my Dad ended up having an anxiety attack after my Mom’s surgery…which landed him in the hospital overnight. Did you know that anxiety attacks and heart attacks look and act very similar? I do. Now.

Mom’s cancer was removed, along with part of a tonsil and a couple dozen lymph nodes from her neck. She had none of the bad side effects, didn’t need to have therapy to re-learn to eat or talk, didn’t need to have chemo or radiation. The only thing she needed was to have a plate added to her dentures to cover the hole left on the roof of her mouth.

We were blessed.

And now, we’re facing a new battle.

Mom has macular degeneration. And she’s started treatment to have shots in her eye. We all thought it was simple cataracts. That’s what her regular eye doctor said this winter. And he told her to wait until he got back in May to have something done. But we convinced her to set up another appointment with a different doctor while waiting. Which led to a retina specialist. Which led to this new route for treatment.

Dad was cranky after the appointment. And did a little lashing out. But my sister found out what was truly the problem. He simply said:

“This isn’t supposed to happen to her.”

Yes, my Dad is a regular at the clinic, hospital, etc. My Mom is not. And in 48 years, my Dad has never worried that my Mom had anything wrong. She is his partner in everything they do: fishing, hunting, whatever it may be. And the thought of that changing has Dad scared. (Don’t tell him I said that!)

But I know my Mom, and she’ll persevere and she’ll tackle this newest complication the same as always. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I just want everyone to get along.” (My siblings will get a kick out of that last line. It’s Mom’s mantra – or maybe it’s mom-tra.)

And my Dad will be there with her…crabby, cranky and crying when she’s not looking. (My Dad’s a softy.)

After 48 years, neither cancer, nor bad heart, nor bad eyes can stand in the way.

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Apologies to All

Posted on by
12

I am apologizing to all of you. I’ve spent the last week, wanting to post, but not knowing how to go about it. I’ve had a lot of things going on in my life. And I was feeling overwhelmed, stressed, frustrated and everything else in between.

I didn’t want to write about it, but knew that whatever I DID write, my feelings would taint it, and it would not be the light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek type of posts that I like to write. So I wrote nothing. And I shouldn’t have taken that route.

I’m trying to make changes in my life. I’m trying to better myself. I’m trying to do things that will improve the future for my children and, hopefully, in some small way, will improve the future of agriculture as a whole.

I’m trying, but…well, let’s just say that it’s become a lot more difficult than I anticipated.

But, it’s time for me to shake it off, and get back to my grand plan and get to work. Just minus some of the support I was expecting. In my life, though, I’ve come to expect the unexpected. Nothing goes as planned, and that’s what makes life interesting.

Well, thank you for still being here, and thank you for still reading. I promise, no more of this fuddy-duddy stuff. It’s time for some serious writing, some serious laughing and some serious living.

Hope you’re ready for it! 🙂

It’s All in the Name

Posted on by
3

I spent the weekend helping out my Mom and Dad do a few projects around their house…like replacing a hot water heater. It was tons of fun…really.

Actually, I don’t mind helping them one bit. They’ve always done so much for us and since I was always the one physically closest to them, I’ve been part of many projects. Like replacing a porch floor, repainting the entry way, residing part of the house…little things like that.

I was thinking back on my days in school. You know, those days that you are forced to take classes like shop and home-ec. (I think they call it industrial arts and consumer science now. Ha!)

I remember one shop project in particular. We were supposed to make name plates for our homes. You know, those fancy routered slabs of wood that have the last name engraved on them and look so great outside your house? Well, that’s what it was “supposed” to look like.

I finished the project, but I had a bone to pick with the shop teacher. First of all, I was a girl, and if I got married, my last name was changing. So what was the point of the project? I wasn’t keeping it forever.

Second, we had to pay for the wood by the inch. Which to me, wasn’t fair. I mean, some people had really choice last names, like “Rall” and “Hafey.” I mean, even “Beringer” was bearable and wasn’t going to break the bank. My last name? Are you ready?

B R A N D E N B U R G E R

Yep. My expensive piece of wood was supposed to hold all those letters.

I was going to need a week, just to get the router through all that. And then paint. And then send it through the planer. It was a grueling project. And not all that cheap.

And here we are, some 20 years later. And guess what?

Anyone have an extra-large doorway? It needs a bit of TLC and a new coat of varnish, but it's all there!

 
My Mom and Dad still have it on the front steps in front of the house.
 
I think they just want to make sure they get their money’s worth.

The Non-Joys of Parenting

Posted on by
2

I was about ready to head to bed tonight, completely satisfied with the way the day went. I had a wonderful morning with my oldest sister, had a great afternoon taking care of the garden and yard with my boys. And had a great evening, having Scooter help me replant tomatoes, put cans around them and water everything down.

Everyone had taken a bath and we were all getting ready for bed.

And then it happened.

My day was ruined.

Scooter decided at that moment to reveal that he had taken some things that weren’t his. They were his cousins, they were expensive and he had been asked about them earlier in the day. He had lied.

To make a long story short, Scooter will call his aunt in the morning and apologize, he will write his cousins a letter and he will spend the next two days working on cleaning his room, minus TV, radio, DS, games, etc. His source of entertainment will be reading a book for 10 minutes and he will be taking care of his dog and cat chores when he goes outside.

We talked tonight about why he said the things he did, we discussed why I was disappointed and I explained to him that we had such a great, fun day…and those memories were tarnished because he had acted pretty selfishly. I didn’t yell (amazingly) and I tried not to over-react…but it was more important to me to not under-react.

It is very important to me that my children understand that they don’t “deserve” certain things just because others have them. There is way too much of that in the world already.

So, although I will have to change my plans…and the weekend would be a perfect one for fishing, playing outside and having a GREAT time…we won’t all be enjoying it. There is a lesson to be taught, and it will serve him well through the rest of his life…and I owe him that.

Why don’t the parenting books ever tell you about the days it sucks to be a parent? Oh well, summer should last for more than one weekend in North Dakota, right?

Wordless Wednesday – Crazy Week

Posted on by
1

It’s been one of those weeks…and to top it off, we got a puppy! We have 300 acres planted and many more to go. I finally got the garden planted, but the wind has taken care of some of it. Life has been interesting, that’s for sure. Now softball and VBS tonight, more VBS tomorrow night and perhaps a quiet weekend at home. Whew! I can’t wait!

EJ decided to keep the puppy company on her first night.

 

The puppy whined when in the kennel, so EJ decided she should sleep on his batman pillow.

 

Road trips and cameras...need I say more?

 

And we ask Scooter once again...where are your glasses???

 

EJ loves trips in the van, doesn't matter where we go!

 

George has really packed on the pounds the last few months...we have been so blessed!!!

A New Wagging Tail

Posted on by
1

OK, so Wag’n Tales has added a new wagging tail…and we need suggestions for a name!

She’s a sweetheart of a pup…a female black lab. She doesn’t jump up, loves the boys and (I’m hoping) will become George’s shadow.

Here’s a few shots of her first moments…and don’t forget, we need a name!

It was love at first lick!

 

She's absolutely the calmest puppy I have ever seen!

 

Fast friends!

Progression of farm work

Posted on by
1

Well, Boss Man hasn’t been very happy lately. We have received enough rain to delay planting yet again. Every shower we get, the chance of being able to get into the fields prior to deadline is getting smaller and smaller, which means changing the game plan.

These were a few of the shots that I took while he was able to plant with his “new” corn planter. We spent many, many hours working on this (yep, even me!) and we just wish we could use it a bit more! 🙂

Enjoy your beautiful weekend!

It takes equipment of ALL sizes to farm!

 

Corn is being planted...finally.

 
 
 

Thanks to GPS, the marker arms aren't needed. The tractor uses satellite signal to drive a straight line.

 

How to Spend 10 Years Married to a Farmer

Posted on by
156

1) Be patient – When he tells you to pick him up at the Lone Tree Quarter and you go to the quarter of land that has the only tree on it and he tells you that he meant the quarter of land that had one tree on it when his grandfather was farming…well, that’s just how farmers think.

2) Be flexible – When he says that he’ll be in the house in 20 minutes for supper and you get everything ready and then two hours later he walks in the door saying that some salesman had stopped and that he didn’t buy anything, but time just got away from him…well, maybe he should be the flexible one. That way he can duck when you throw the plate at him.

3) Be willing to laugh – When he comes in the house, mad that he can’t find the nuts/bolts/tools/whatever he had taken apart and had set “right there” in the shop and he needs an extra set of eyes and then when you go to help you realize that your 3-year-old had “helped” Dad by putting all the parts in the handle of the floor jack…well, that’s just plain funny. Even if he doesn’t think so. At least not right away.

4) Be willing to change your view of norm – Walking into church 10 minutes early, enjoying the prelude music and visiting with a few people is no longer a normal part of life. Walking into church 10 minutes late, realizing your 4-year-old is still wearing his “rubby” boots and wondering if anyone else notices the smell of cow in the air, is.

5) Remember that he relates to new situations by connecting them to ones he knows – For instance, when you’re having a child and the doctor says he may need to assist in the delivery and he says something like, “But where do you hook the chains?” Well, he’s just trying to relate. Or if your children are born weighing in at 9 pounds 6 ounces, 10 pounds 9 ounces, 9 pounds 2 ounces and 9 pounds 13 ounces, and he calls the Select Sires rep to try to figure out what his Calving Ease score would be, but isn’t feeling too bad because he’s not breeding heifers any more anyway…well, he’s just trying to relate.

6) Throw out the calendar – Yes, it may be your anniversary, your birthday, Thanksgiving, what have you may…but since the weather is perfect for ______ (fill in blank) you may need to celebrate tomorrow or next week…or maybe three shindigs in one. Happy Anni-birth-giving!

7) Keep your temper – When he calls at noon, as you’re feeding four children, giving one a bath after eating, preparing a Sunday school lesson, trying to get some laundry done, washing dishes, breaking up a food fight and trying to find the wild cat that someone let in the house and he asks you if you’re “doing anything” – well, just count to ten…slowly…then backwards. Breathe. It’s OK.

8) Remember that cows and children are different…sometimes  – When he comes in the house covered in manure from head to toe, yet the smell of baby poop makes him gag…well, isn’t that just sweet?

9) Be willing to love – Love whatever life throws at you…and with a farmer it will be a lot. Take each new challenge and turn it into something fun and memorable. You can’t change the weather, the conditions, the fields, so you may as well look at it with a light heart.

10) Thank God for each day – I know I do. It’s not always easy, and it’s not always light-

My farmer - AKA Boss Man.

My farmer – AKA Boss Man.

hearted, but even the tough times can be good learning experiences. I’m sure Boss Man has tons of quirky things that I do that drive him nuts, but we’ve made it 10 years now…and that’s gotta count for something.

Here’s to the next 10 – hope my guardian angel can keep up!