Measure Two

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I have never been the type to write what people would consider “political” editorials. Don’t get me wrong, I have very strong convictions, but I’ve always felt that everyone is entitled to their positions and my chance of changing anyone’s opinions was between slim and none.

I’m rethinking that now.

There is no way that I will be able to protect my children’s legacy if I do not take any given opportunity that I have to voice my thoughts and opinions. And so I begin…

The latest item that has come up that has me concerned is Measure 2 in North Dakota. At first, it appears innocent enough. The measure calls for banning what they deem as high-fence hunting…in essence, it’s a step in the direction of banning all fee hunting.

To me, it’s a very, very slippery slope. Don’t get me wrong, I do not participate in fee hunting. I do not participate in high-fence hunting. I, personally, do not see myself ever involved in either. But guess what? That’s my choice. Freedom of choice has always been an American principle.

Part of the measure that bothers me is the infringement on property rights. If I have bought and paid for the land to be hunted on and the animals to be hunted, why can’t I market them the way I choose? Where does the line get drawn?

Someone said to my husband that by banning high-fence hunting, we will appease the animal rights movement and they will leave the rest of hunting rights in North Dakota alone. Really? Ask Ohio how easy it is to appease the AR groups. How about California? In fact, please, please find me an example where giving in to any of the AR groups has been successful in easing their demands and creating a peaceful existence for all.

The other part of the measure that bothers me is the vagueness of the wording. When discussing “privately-owned big game,” I wonder if the sponsors of the measure realize what they are saying. If big game is privately owned, then it is no longer wildlife. It is now livestock. Can you see where I’m going with this?

If I’m reading the measure correctly, it basically states that hunting of privately-owned wildlife (livestock) in a man-made enclosure (fence) would be illegal. There are no specifics to the height of the fence, no specifics to the types of animal, no specifics whatsoever. So if we now pass a measure that makes the use of non-traditional livestock illegal on your OWN property, then how far is the step to make the use of cattle illegal? Is it a far stretch? Maybe. But not nearly far enough for my comfort.

This measure is a step in the wrong direction…and to top it off, immediately it’ll only effect 12 operations in North Dakota. Twelve! We are putting hunting as a whole at risk, we are putting animal agriculture at risk, just for the sake of putting 12 people out of business. Is the price worth it?

Not to me.

Quiet week

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Sorry about the quiet week. I didn’t intend to be silent this week, but Mommy duties were hot and heavy. I don’t even know how to describe it all…it’s been…trying, to say the least.

To hit the highlights, we’ve been to the doctor 4 times, including an emergency trip to Mayo, which led to a doctor refusing to see us and a return trip home less than 12 hours later. My anger level hit a point so high, that I was tempted to actually physically assault a physician. And I think she could sense it, because she kept trying to talk to me and explain to me, “where they were coming from.” At that point I had to walk away.

So, to back up and retrace my steps, this is how the week went: George was vomitting excessively during the middle of the night, multiple days in a row. ER visits, tests, doctor appointments, etc., etc. No great improvements. New pediatrician decided that an emergency MRI was in order, waited at the hospital, got the all-clear. Two days later got a call back that MRI was not all clear. Need to be at Mayo ER in the morning for admission. Scramble, scramble, scramble. Leave for Rochester at 9 p.m. on Friday, arrive at 3:30 a.m. Saturday. Get to ER about 9 a.m., wait to see doctor, go through exam and told to go home and wait for appointment in two weeks.

Yep, I lost my cool a bit.

Now, to give the doc credit, we have known about George’s “gaps” in his white matter for a little while now. But the new report wasn’t worded the same way…and somehow the pediatrician here and the doctor there miscommunicated, leaving us with a lot of time, hours and money out the window. (By the way, did you know that we’re in the middle of soybean harvest here???)

The official findings read as such (and I will quote directly): “Abnormal white matter signal is identified in the paritrigonal occipital region bilaterally with a more focal 8 mm signal abnormality lateral to the atrium of the right lateral ventricle.” Going on to say: “Impression: Abnormal exam. Concern for dysmyelinating disorder or storage disease.”

There’s a lot of scary big words in there, and the age of internet doesn’t help much.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I was relieved that George’s condition didn’t need hospitalization at the time…there’s been many times that that hasn’t been the case. But I didn’t appreciate the doctor’s implication that I didn’t do enough communicating to the physicians at Mayo. I also didn’t appreciate the remark that (and again, I will quote her), “We know there’s something in the brain that’s not supposed to be there, but we don’t know what it is. Since you’re already in the process of testing for it, we can’t do much more now. You have an appointment in a few weeks, we’ll see how things go from there.”

So, here we are, at home…which is a very comforting place to be. Unfortunately, my confidence in medicine, and in myself, has been shaken to the core this week. I balance a fine line the way it is, always wondering what is normal, what isn’t, when do I need to be worried, when are things just normal childhood stuff?

If anyone reading this is a neurologist, or knows of a great pediatric neurology center, or has connections to Mystery Diagnosis, please, drop me a line! 🙂

Hey, on a positive note, Big Bro aced both his spelling tests…ahhhh, a nice dose of normalcy. What a feeling!

Does church make you sweat?

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Strange question, eh? But the explanation is another glimpse into my children’s thoughts.

Here was today’s conversation after church:

Scooter: “Mom, can I take my shirt off?”

Me: “Why?”

S: “Well, I’m really kinda sweaty.”

Big Bro: “Do you know why you’re sweaty? Because those are church clothes. And church makes you sweat.”

Hmmmm…interesting concept. Although, I do have to say that this week I had nothing to sweat about in church. But I’m guessing my children didn’t have the same guilt-free conscience. I, for one, am not surprised! 🙂

The honesty of children

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Children are generally honest…in fact, brutally so. And my children are no exception.

For example, this evening while eating supper the TV was somehow left on. I usually pay no attention to it, but as we were eating I happened to notice that the show, “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant,” was on. As I went to shut it off, this is the conversation that occurred:

Big Bro: “So, Mom, women like, lose a lot of weight when they have babies?”

Scooter: “Well, duh, everyone knows that.”

BB: “So did you lose a lot of weight when you had us?”

S: “Well, of course she did.”

BB: “So…what happened after George?”

S: “Well, apparently having four kids makes you fat.”

*sigh*

Instead of supper I guess I’ll just have a protein shake.

Land of the free?

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I love my country. I love everything about it. I would not want to live anywhere else…ever. Saying the Pledge of Allegiance chokes me up. Hearing the National Anthem brings tears to my eyes. Yeah, I’m a sap, but I’m a patriotic sap!

One of the greatest freedoms we take for granted in our country is the freedom of choice. We have choices every day. You choose to go to work, you choose how you get to work, you choose what you eat, you choose where you get your food from…our choices are abundant and overwhelming if you think about it.

And yet there are people out there wanting to take those choices away. There’s a movement trying to dictate where your food comes from…taking the choice away from the one person who should make it…YOU! There are groups and organizations trying to pass legislation and regulations that would determine where your food would come from, or whether or not you should have to raise the majority of your own food. And that should disturb you…actually, that should shake you to the core.

Agriculture is under attack, and in the end, what is being demanded is a lack of choice for the consumer…creating an even larger problem then the one we are currently facing.

My example for today is a call for people to be raising their own food…namely chickens. There has been a great uproar over the egg recall and people are being pushed into thinking that the only safe egg is one they pick out of their backyard. And although I understand the thought process, the follow through is a tad ridiculous.

For me, my eggs will come from someone who knows what they’re doing, and who enjoys doing it. My chicken will come from the same types of places. I have no desire to raise chickens…in fact, the thought sends chills down my spine. (And for those of you that know me personally, I’m sure you’ve heard me say it time and time again!)

But, you know what? That’s MY decision, and since I live in this country, I get to make it…so far.

Until there is not one single person in this country that goes to bed hungry, there is room for all types of agriculture. Small, large, in-between, organic, “natural,” conventional, etc., etc. Whatever buzz word you want to use, we need all the food we can get. And somewhere, there’s someone who went without a meal today who will agree with me completely.

Living with royalty

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Well, it was another busy weekend…which will lead to more busy weekends, but I’m OK with that.

This weekend was our local Applefest. Part of the celebration is a pageant-like activity that is called Lil’ Miss and Mr. Ellendale. It’s open to 5-6 year old’s and is kind of a mixer/social activity that gives local kids a chance to be on a parade float, play some games and bring home a cool lunch box/cooler.

Well, this year’s Lil’ Mr. Ellendale is none other than Scooter! He’s so excited! He can’t believe that he gets to wear a crown, a cape and ride on parade floats. Yeah, he’s even talking about learning cursive so he can sign autographs.

It’s been quite the deal. But as much fun as the weekend was, tomorrow will bring back our regular routine…whatever that is.

And I invite you to check out this great video…of the best 3-year-old mechanic in town. EJ’s calendar is filling up fast, so if you need some work done, you better schedule it soon!

Vocabulary for today’s third grader

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A few months ago our oldest son, Big Bro, asked why he didn’t have any stepbrothers. He didn’t think it was fair that he only had one mom and dad and no “extra” family members.

The outburst took me a bit by surprise. I didn’t know if I should be apologizing to him that his father and I have decided that whatever it took, we were going to make our family work. Or if I should be chastising him for taking our family for granted. Well, I went with option c: I told him how lucky he was to have a family of people that loved him, no matter what.

I was wondering where all of this came from then, but now I have an idea. My son just brought home some vocabulary words and work that he did last week. The lesson was titled,”Me and My Family,” but the four vocabulary words were: family, divorce, values and sibling.

Wow.

Out of all the words that could be used to describe family, divorce is in the top four? Perhaps this is part of the problem with today’s society? Maybe if we start giving children outs at such a young age, it just becomes second nature.

Well, I was a little proud in the fact that Big Bro didn’t know how to use the word “divorce” in a sentence. I know he knows what it means, but it’s not part of our daily vocabulary, and I’m not planning on using that word regularly. It cost him 3 points on his paper, but it was the only one he got wrong on the whole lesson.

I’m thinking that maybe he should have got extra credit.

The responsibility of parenting

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A group in North Dakota is seeking to start a graduated drivers’ license in our state. (The article is here: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/292067/ in the Fargo Forum.) And although it is being discussed with good intentions, I’m a little leery as to the consequences that may come up.

Now, I agree that I’m not real excited about the prospect of having teens that are too young to make responsible decisions to legally be behind the wheel, driving a death machine in the middle of a winter blizzard. But on the other hand, I know plenty of adults that I don’t want to see behind the wheel either!

From the viewpoint of a farm family that lives about 15 miles from town, having another licensed driver in the house will be a great benefit for us. Even though I dread going through the whole permit/licensing process, I know that when the time comes for my sons to get their licenses, I will be comfortable with their driving abilities before that appointment is made.

Why should the state be stepping in where a parent should be? At what point are we going to just turn child-rearing over to the state altogether?

Now, before I get a million messages about those parents that don’t take an active involvement in their child’s upbringing, don’t care about what the child does or with whom, etc., etc. Let me say that I get that. I understand the concern. But yet, at some point in time we need to take responsibility for our children and actually be a parent.

Is a year-long permit process going to actually force those parents to all of a sudden become responsible? Are restrictions and regulations the answer to the teen-driving concerns? Or are we just increasing the burden on law-enforcement and those that actually follow the law?

I know the reasoning behind the requested change, but I’m doubting the outcome. And although it will be a few years before this law change would have any impact on my life, as a parent I know I need to be involved.

Imagine that.

They can sense it…I know it

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Our bulls have ESP…I just know it.

Yesterday boss man pulled out of the yard with the semi to go get a load of hay from our land about 20 miles west of here. Just as he pulled out of the yard, the bulls headed west across our alfalfa field to take a little walk.

They pretended the fence wasn’t even there and just kept right on walking. And there was nothing I could do about it. I don’t know if they enjoy watching my little mini-van trying to round them up, or they just like to make me seem like a crazy woman who can’t stand to see her husband leave the yard, but whatever it is…it works.

By the time boss man got back to the yard, they were mostly back in, making it seem as if I had either a) dreamed up the whole thing, or b) over-exaggerated the whole escape. The answer was closer to c) the bulls are trying to drive me over the edge.

Sad thing is…they’re beginning to win!

Who gets to decide?

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I was trying to catch up on some reading this weekend. I read through old papers that have been stacking up, some farm magazines (a few Us Weekly’s, I’ll admit!) and something started bothering me.

I was reading through old Letters to the Editor, editorial pieces and other information regarding the split between technology-reliant and nostalgia-driven agriculture. I kept reading about supposed scientific studies regarding the dangers of certain technology, the caution of genetically enhanced foods, etc., etc. when a thought hit me…who gets to decide who goes hungry?

What I mean is that as the number of farmers dwindles, and the number of people in our world rises, something has to give. (According to http://www.farmersfeedus.org/fun-farm-facts/ the avg. farmer feeds 155 people, as opposed to just 25 in 1960) As fewer acres are available for actual agriculture production, the production of your daily feed, fuel and fiber, without the use of technological advances, how will the world be fed? Clothed?

For those that use the argument that we use technology at the risk of “playing God” and committing some sort of sin, I think back to the parable about the drowning man. Every time someone offered to help him, the man replied the same, “No, God will save me.” When his energy finally gave and he drowned, the man asked God why it was that he did not save him. God basically replied that all the help he needed was sent, but the man ignored it. Perhaps we’re doing the same thing?

We sit and talk of the evils of advancement and the down-fall of modern agriculture, yet the hands that came across such discoveries were created the same as those that built the ark, brought children into the world, created your evening meal. Perhaps these hands have been guided to find these advances that will help an ever-decreasing percentage of the population to feed an ever-increasing total population?

Isn’t God’s endless allowance of miracles enough to give us reason to believe that such a thing could happen?

I fear that some day, as we sit at the feet of our Father and recount the days that we were on this Earth, that perhaps He too will say, “I sent you the answers to ease the hunger of the world, and yet you chose to ignore them.”

The Father that I know and praise for each gift that has been brought to my life would bless us with the tools that it would take to ensure that each of His children would have enough food to eat, clothing to keep warm and shelter to take comfort in. His gifts and grace are immeasurable in that way.

He’s the same Creator that gives the gift of life. Who creates a being in His image, and then allows for growth and prosperity where “modern” medicine proclaims that none are possible. I know, I see it each and every day in the eyes of my child.

So, yes, I believe that we CAN feed the world. And each gift we are given plays a part in it, no matter how big, or small.