Tag Archives: fun

North Dakota nice…even when flooding

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Have you heard the term “North Dakota nice” used before? Around here, it means that no matter what, you’re polite and kind, even to total strangers. And it happens…a lot.

And now we use it for our road signs…as I saw yesterday on the way to baseball/tee-ball:

Please...and thank you.

 
We’re flooding around here. And although it’s nothing like what’s going on north of us, it’s pretty significant for our area. Now our roads are flooding in places that have never flooded before…but we’re being nice about it. We’re remembering our manners and asking nicely for everyone to “take turns.”
 

The highway now has water over the road. It's one vehicle only crossing, so please, take turns!

 

My Mom tried to take a picture of the water we were driving through, but it's basically just a picture of her taking a picture. LOL! 🙂

 

If you're traveling Highway 11 east of Ellendale, please be careful!

 
 
But, it’s not just that way here. If you check out the Minot News Facebook page, you’ll see hundreds, if not thousands of instances of “North Dakota nice,” where people ask for help and receive it. Or people offere assistance without even being asked.
 
People have offered truck driving assistance, storage spaces, places to sleep, walking pets, watching children, packing items, you name it, it’s been offered. (Even licensed massage therapists have offered their assistance!)
 
A lady posted on Facebook that an elderly woman needed assistance evacuating. Within seconds, the call for help was answered and more than 30 people showed up to pack what they could and help her out.
 
I guess you could say that’s just how we operate. You take care of what you can…and when you can’t, someone will usually be there to help you out. Most of the time, you don’t even have to ask for the help, it’s just there.
 
But, back to the ball game…and a very important announcement! The boys love their summer ballgames, even when they don’t have many opportunities to play, thanks to the rainy summer we’ve had!

It's a big swing for this little batter!

 

Happy Birthday Big Bro!!! Where did the last 9 years go???

 
Today is a very special birthday for a very special boy…HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIG BRO! Nine years ago we were blessed with you…and every day I thank God for having you in our family! I am one lucky Mama indeed!!!

Simple Rhubarb Cake Recipe

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Alrighty, folks…here it is, my first actual recipe post! (I did these flowers for Mother’s Day, but it was more of a craft than a recipe.)

Since I’ll be teaming up with Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks and The Real Farmwives of America and Friends, I better get my apron on and get to practicing my skills, so that some poor soul doesn’t end up following me into kitchen chaos!

My first recipe will be a super simple rhubarb cake. Here are the ingredients:

3 cups rhubarb, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 cup sugar

1 yellow box cake mix

1 pt. whipping cream (heavy cream)

9 X 13 pan

Yeah, simple, right??? Thought I should start out easy.

Here’s my rhubarb –

I picked 10 stalks, but only used 5 to get 3 cups of rhubarb.

 

 

My ingredients...all lined up! Super simple!

 

 

After you wash and cut up the rhubarb, pour the cup of sugar over the rhubarb and set it aside. (It will help draw the juices out of the rhubarb and make it sweeter!)

3 cups of rhubarb, 1 cup of sugar = yummy!!!

 

 

Then, make your cake mix according to the instructions on the box.

Yellow cake...all mixed up!

 

 

Then, simply sprinkle your rhubarb mixture over the top of the cake. Pour the cream over the top of that. And bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes.

Top off the cake mix with the rhubarb mix.

 

 

Next, pour the whipping cream over the top of it all.

 

 

Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes...and voila!

 

 

Must have been good, 'cuz my taste tester had to have a whole row!

 

I will warn you, the bottom does end up pudding-like. To serve it all pretty and nice, you would have to serve it upside down somehow. But for now, I’m not at all concerned about presentation, just that it comes out of the oven actually looking like it’s supposed to! Big score for me!

Next I may try something that requires more scratch than box…we’ll see how adventurous I get.

Any suggestions???

Super summer Saturday

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Well, we finally did it. We managed to have a real family day. Spent doing nothing but family stuff. Well, except that morning. Mark had to rotate the tires on the suburban, but that was it. We hit the road.

We spent a wonderful day at our niece and nephew’s birthday party. And we had a blast!

There was a pinata…

George decided he wanted a turn!

 

 

And then there was an attempt at getting a family picture…

Scooter, 7; EJ, 4; George, 2; and Big Bro, soon-to-be 9!

 

 

And then there was playing…lots and lots of playing!

The water table was a big, big hit!

 

 

EJ had to concentrate hard on his plans.

 

 

Little hands at work.

 

 

Some rare Daddy play time!

 

And then, as we were getting ready to leave, the idea came up that we take a drive to see the historic Garrison Dam (it’s releasing water for the first time since it was built!). It was a little bit of a jaunt, but it added to our special day…and we had special guests with us too! (Uncle Bryan and his little angel joined us for the drive…although mostly just napping for the little ones!)

It was an amazing sight to see!

Garrison Dam - releasing water

 

 

And then, when we hit Bismarck on our way home, this lovely little storm added some excitement to our journey…

I kept having flashbacks from the movie, "Independence Day."

 

 

Yeah, it was definitely kinda creepy!

 

On our way home, we stopped and visited a college-friend of Mark’s and had a great visit…plus I was able to pick up some 4-H pointers! Score for me!!! The kids played well, even with it being on the late side. Although I had to make sure that EJ didn’t take home any extra tractors! It was great to spend a normal day, much like many other families.

On the farm, that doesn’t happen nearly often enough!

It’s All in the Name

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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.

Wordless Wednesday – Crazy Week

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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!!!

How to Spend 10 Years Married to a Farmer

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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!

Mother’s Day bouquet

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It’s Mother’s Day this weekend, and I was hit with an idea last week when a friend of mine (on Twitter, I’ve never met him face-to-face…funny world, eh?) tweeted about an idea of baking cupcakes in an egg shell. It piqued my curiosity. You see, I’m not a baker…and I’m not very crafty, either, although I try to pretend now and then. But these cupcakes made me itch to try it.

But instead of just making a cupcake, I though, why not a bouquet of flowers??? Easter was already over, but Mother’s Day was coming up…so:

Voila!

Awww! Pretty flowers! And yummy!

Now, let me start by telling you that (again) I don’t bake…but that’s going to be changing. But to start off, I decided to use a box cake mix. I need to get my legs under me before I try to fly! 😉

Baby steps for me...I start with a box mix.

And then, I have a dozen eggs (a box mix will give you enough for a dozen eggs and a dozen cupcakes).

These are the eggs, and this is my handy corkscrew.

I used my handy-dandy corkscrew and put a hole in the BOTTOM of the eggs. (Eggs have a pointier end and a rounder end. The rounder end is where the air pocket usually is. If you drill the hole there, then your egg will sink better in part 2.)

Once the hole was made, I peeled back enough of the shell so that you could put the tip of an icing bag in it (or, in my case, the tip of a baggie with the corner cut off!).

My version of a piping bag...it works spendidly, and the clean-up is quick!

I used a toothpick to stir the insides up (breaking the yolk) and then drained out the egg. You can use the egg for the cake mix, make scrambled eggs for the family, or bake away for the rest of the day!

A weapon of mass destruction...mostly just yolks.

I then rinsed the eggs out, and placed them in hot salt water for 30 minutes. Rinse, drain and let dry.

My egg shells, in salt water.

I used a muffin tin, with tin foil inside to help the eggs stand up.

The foil in the muffin tin helps the eggs stand up.

Mix your cake batter up, and fill the eggs about 1/2 full of batter. (Warning: they WILL overflow, but it’s not too tough to clean up, just scrape off the cake, and wipe off with a damp cloth.)

My eggs, standing at attention, awaiting filling.

Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Yeah, they’re kinda messy, but FUN!

Then comes the fun part!

I took bamboo skewers and craft sticks (we call them popsicle sticks in this house!), and I stuck the eggs on them. I then took paper baking cups and flattened them out a bit. I had the boys color the white ones with bright markers, and I also used some of the colored wrappers. I placed them on the sticks, under the eggs, and presto! A flower!

Not just beautiful, but delicious as well!

You can use different sized cupcake wrappers, depending on the size of your eggs. To make a bouquet, I used a formula can, cut holes for the craft sticks, and just stuck the pointy end of the skewers in the lid. You can decorate the can all fancy-like, or, if you’re like me, you can just be amazed you made it this far and call it good.

Hey, I’m taking this whole Betty-Crocker thing one step at a time, I don’t plan on going all Martha-Stewart as well! 🙂

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Signs of spring – Ag Book of the Day 8

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For those new to my blog, the month of april is Cultivating Reading month at our school. In support of such a great month, I’ve decided to feature an Ag Book for each day of school. Today is day eight!

And since we’re entering the half-way point of April (and it’s Wordless Wednesday…hmmm, Wordy Wednesday?), I’ve decided to include some pics of sure signs of spring:

Lilacs budding? Check.

Tulips coming up? Check.

Green grass? Sandal weather? Check and check.

Shop open for repairs?

Parts arrived? Check.

But the best sign of spring? Outdoor bathroom is open for business.

Today’s Ag Book of the Day is:

When the Rooster Crowed

“When the Rooster Crowed” by Patricia Little. It’s a really great book about a farmer that wants just a few more moments of rest before starting his chores in the morning…but too many people and animals are relying on him! It’s a cute story, with great illustrations, and my boys love reading it, especially when they’ve gone one too many mornings without seeing Dad.

Records – Part 2 (Ag Book of the Day 7)

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So, as promised yesterday, I said that I would explain what records we keep for our heifers (females that haven’t had a calf).

At birth, the records are the same. We keep track of the cow number, the sire (or bull), date of birth, weight at birth, calving ease number and weaning weight (adjusted to 205 days). The only thing that is different, is when we decide to keep a heifer to include her in our herd.

As I’ve mentioned before in my blog, bull calves get white tags at birth, heifer calves get yellow tags. If a heifer is chosen to stay in the herd, she keeps that yellow tag until after she’s been bred with her first calf. Sometime between breeding and calving, those heifer tags are switched to a new cow tag, the chosen color for that year and a new number.

That’s why it’s so important to have those records. This way we can keep track of which calves came from which cow, which bull sired which calves, etc. This way, if we have really large calves, we can see if the bull is the problem, or if there are other genetic abnormalities or issues. Also, we can make sure that no heifer is bred to its own bloodline.

Boss Man writes down the calving information in a small notebook that he keeps in his pocket, then he transfers that information to his calving book that he keeps in the shop. We used to keep that information in the kitchen, so I could help with writing out tags and such, but one Easter morning, right before church, we found out that Scooter knew how to use a Z-tag marker.

What happens when you have a child find a Z-tag marker right before church on Easter Sunday. (Pic is of Scooter, Big Bro, EJ and their cousin)

So, needless to say, Boss Man does all his own tags now…in the shop.
On to Ag Book of the Day 7 – “Senses on the Farm” by Shelley Rotner.
I had the privilege of being able to be involved with the American Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher committee that read this book to a small, young classroom outside of Atlanta this year. It’s a great book, with great pictures, allowing lots of discussion and question-answering.

Calving by the numbers – Ag Book of the Day 5

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I promised yesterday a calving post, but the day got away from me…I know, real shocker, right?

Here is the 2011 calving data:

2/11/11 – Starting date of calving

5 – cows left to calve, as of this posting

75 – number of bull calves

95 – number of heifer calves

9 – most calves in one day, including two sets of twins

2/19/11 – most sets of twins in a 24 hr. period (5 sets)

48 lb. – smallest calf (a twin)

130 lb. – largest calf (not a twin…but born by c-section, only vet call for an assisted delivery this year. Knock on wood.)

18 – number of sets of twins for this year

This group of twin calves is enjoying a day in the sun!

8 – number of sets of twins that were heifer/bull sets (I’ll get into why that’s important to know in another blog, but if you follow Cows_Life on twitter, you’d already know that answer!)

12 – number of calves that have died

3/17/11 – first day that we did not have a calf since calving began

165 – number of cows on the farm right now

170 – number of calves on the farm right now

This calf is a twin...notice the "B" on it's tag? There's an "A" to match!

 

And now onto today’s Ag Book of the Day:

“Buttercup, the Clumsy Cow” by Julia Moffatt and Lisa Williams. It’s a really cute book, focusing on how to make the most out of any situation. Yes, it’s silly, but you need some humor on the farm too! Plus, it still gives plenty of places where you can talk about real-farm stuff, like the dangers of wildlife to livestock, etc. Mostly, my boys just love it!