Good Morning from the Knolltop! It’s foggy and a little warmer yet, I think the aged thermometer reads 60 already. I say the thermometer is aged because it is. It’s one from the local hardware store in Hillsdale and the phone number on it is only two digits. How many years ago did we have two digit phone numbers? I can remember party lines and not having to dial the area code if you were calling a number that was in the same area code…but two digit numbers? Can anyone tell me how long ago that was?

Okay…now I have to let you know you are reading the blog of a “cool mom.” That’s according to the girls over at the school. A couple of weeks ago, JW came home telling me that the girls in his class think I am really cool. They also said, I was so beautiful and they hope they can have that kind of natural beauty when they get to be my age….oh those little girls are so precious, I just love them!

But seriously, what they don’t realize is they are all so very beautiful themselves. Each one of them could be on the cover of a magazine with their flawless faces! But they didn’t stop there, which they could’ve…then they went on to say that Bobby doesn’t look his age and if JW was going to look that good at that age they wanted to marry him. JW just grinned and walked away.

Then to take the cake, last night while we were milking Luke said that his girlfriend, yes, he has a new one and I’m not all that joyous over him having any kind of girlfriend….but…..she made some brownie points when she told Luke that I was cool. She thought I was so funny and so nice. Luke promptly pointed out that she didn’t know me and that if she spent time in the barn while we were milking she would have a different opinion.

Now, I don’t know why he said that, I’m no different in the barn than any other time. I milk and then I try to teach him how to dance properly or I try to hug him if he’s got his back turned. If he’s bouncing a basketball, I school him a little. But I’m not all that strange in the barn…honestly, I don’t know what he is talking about.

In the meantime…I’m going to enjoy my cool status…it may not last long when those cute gals over there at the school learn that I’m not in favor of any girl touching my sons in any way shape or form and they can’t date until their 40….well let’s reconsider that age…I do want grandchildren before I’m 70.

Does the fall color seem a little slow in turning this year? I don’t know why, but it seems like fall has been here a long time and the leaves are still green around here. I don’t mind a slow turn…it means winter in a little further off…I hope.

While I used to enjoy winter when I was younger because the snow was pretty and fun to play in…now that I have to be out in it every morning and night…it’s not as fun as it used to be. Coming in out of the cold into a warm house is much more enjoyable that it used to be.

We’ve had our corn stove running for a week now, but with the temps getting into the 60s there isn’t much need for it today. It sure is nice to knock the edge off the cool evenings after coming in from the barn.

I’ve yet to dig potatoes…I think that should be on the top of the list today…especially since roast beef is on the menu for dinner today. What is a roast beef dinner without potatoes and good, smooth, dark gravy?

Coffee’s ready!

Here it is on Monday and we’re starting another week already. It’s a little overcast this morning and warming up nicely. I had to take my sweatshirt off halfway through chores this morning.

Yesterday’s women’s retreat went well. We only had one screw up, but it was minor in my eyes. My singing partner was having a cow, but she’s an only child and has to have everything just right. In my eyes, it wasn’t a big deal and we dealt with it. The sound guys made a mistake and listened to my instruction….they shouldn’t have listened to me! That’s why they are the sound guys and I’m the singer…I don’t know how to run sound and they don’t know how to sing.

I also re-learned yesterday that it’s better when you don’t try to fix things and that when you get more than two women together, no matter where, there’s going to be conflict….and there was.

But in the end it was a great afternoon and God was honored with what was said and done.

I’ve got a list a mile long of things that need to be done today…better get at it!

Here it is on Monday and we’re starting another week already. It’s a little overcast this morning and warming up nicely. I had to take my sweatshirt off halfway through chores this morning.

Yesterday’s women’s retreat went well. We only had one screw up, but it was minor in my eyes. My singing partner was having a cow, but she’s an only child and has to have everything just right. In my eyes, it wasn’t a big deal and we dealt with it. The sound guys made a mistake and listened to my instruction….they shouldn’t have listened to me! That’s why they are the sound guys and I’m the singer…I don’t know how to run sound and they don’t know how to sing.

I also re-learned yesterday that it’s better when you don’t try to fix things and that when you get more than two women together, no matter where, there’s going to be conflict….and there was.

But in the end it was a great afternoon and God was honored with what was said and done.

I’ve got a list a mile long of things that need to be done today…better get at it!

Good Morning from the Knolltop! It’s overcast and 48 out this morning. I think it’s supposed to be warmer today.

Yesterday the neighbor came down and wanted to borrow a tractor for a hayride. After figuring out he had never driven a tractor with a hand clutch, I decided there was no way he was getting on my tractor. Selfish and protective…yes…that was not a proud God moment, I’m sure.

He borrowed Luke’s tractor instead, it’s prettier anyway. In order to get Luke’s tractor out of the tractor barn, I had to back mine out first, so I thought I would just put it on display for the afternoon under the Maple tree.

The hayride was successful, no accidents, no broken tractors, just a nice fall hayride for a bunch of little kids. After chores, Luke and I still had to put our tractors away. …that’s when he started talkin’ smack about my tractor.

He began by telling me his tractor was bigger than mine. “Whatever!” was my intelligent reply. So we measured and yes, his tractor is taller than mine. Okay…I still stand by “Whatever!”

Then I said, “Luke, my tractor eats spikes for breakfast,” in the best sneer I could manage. He then copied his intelligent mother’s reply with “Whatever!”

Then he leaned up against the back tire of his tractor and cocked his head to one side and said, “Mom, you know what my tractor eats for breakast?” I said, “What Luke?” He said, “John Deeres!”

At that point I just fell out with giggles…

We climbed up on our tractors, he raced off on his, I lagged behind with my putt, putt and we put them away in our barn. Never in a million years did I ever dream I would be sharing in the fun of tractor ownership with my 14 year old son. You just never know where life will lead you.

Good Morning from the Knolltop! It’s overcast and 48 out this morning. I think it’s supposed to be warmer today.

Yesterday the neighbor came down and wanted to borrow a tractor for a hayride. After figuring out he had never driven a tractor with a hand clutch, I decided there was no way he was getting on my tractor. Selfish and protective…yes…that was not a proud God moment, I’m sure.

He borrowed Luke’s tractor instead, it’s prettier anyway. In order to get Luke’s tractor out of the tractor barn, I had to back mine out first, so I thought I would just put it on display for the afternoon under the Maple tree.

The hayride was successful, no accidents, no broken tractors, just a nice fall hayride for a bunch of little kids. After chores, Luke and I still had to put our tractors away. …that’s when he started talkin’ smack about my tractor.

He began by telling me his tractor was bigger than mine. “Whatever!” was my intelligent reply. So we measured and yes, his tractor is taller than mine. Okay…I still stand by “Whatever!”

Then I said, “Luke, my tractor eats spikes for breakfast,” in the best sneer I could manage. He then copied his intelligent mother’s reply with “Whatever!”

Then he leaned up against the back tire of his tractor and cocked his head to one side and said, “Mom, you know what my tractor eats for breakast?” I said, “What Luke?” He said, “John Deeres!”

At that point I just fell out with giggles…

We climbed up on our tractors, he raced off on his, I lagged behind with my putt, putt and we put them away in our barn. Never in a million years did I ever dream I would be sharing in the fun of tractor ownership with my 14 year old son. You just never know where life will lead you.

Jake is off and running this morning with the neighbor who is combining corn. He will help with unloading, moisture testing, lunch eating and CB chats today as he and his best farming buddy, Rodney Schoenberger take in the “cheap corn” as he refers to it.

I will be cleaning up outside today, digging sweet pototoes and some white potatoes and then hopefully decorating the porches with some pumpkins and mums. I’ve got the orange orbs already, just have to pick out my mums. This afternoon we have a mess to clean up in heifer haven. Someone, who will remain nameless, left the hose running in the heifer water tank last night and flooded a couple of pens. We all make mistakes….it’s just a little water.

Yesterday I had a wonderful time rehearsing with Tim. What I thought would be a two hour time stint turned into three and a half hours of constant singing. What a riot we had just going from song to song…he’s amazing on the piano. IF no one dies late next week and he doesn’t have a funeral on Saturday it will be a very fun weekend. And I know who to petition about that!

After a breakfast of pancakes and bacon with homemade syrup, I’ve got a sticky mess waiting for me….better get to it!

Jake is off and running this morning with the neighbor who is combining corn. He will help with unloading, moisture testing, lunch eating and CB chats today as he and his best farming buddy, Rodney Schoenberger take in the “cheap corn” as he refers to it.

I will be cleaning up outside today, digging sweet pototoes and some white potatoes and then hopefully decorating the porches with some pumpkins and mums. I’ve got the orange orbs already, just have to pick out my mums. This afternoon we have a mess to clean up in heifer haven. Someone, who will remain nameless, left the hose running in the heifer water tank last night and flooded a couple of pens. We all make mistakes….it’s just a little water.

Yesterday I had a wonderful time rehearsing with Tim. What I thought would be a two hour time stint turned into three and a half hours of constant singing. What a riot we had just going from song to song…he’s amazing on the piano. IF no one dies late next week and he doesn’t have a funeral on Saturday it will be a very fun weekend. And I know who to petition about that!

After a breakfast of pancakes and bacon with homemade syrup, I’ve got a sticky mess waiting for me….better get to it!

The end of the work week is here…but I’ve noticed when you live and work on a farm Friday doesn’t mean much except the next day you’ll have more help because your kids aren’t in school!

I get to do one of my most favorite things in all the world this morning…rehearse. I will be leading worship at a retreat this weekend and next and so I get to go practice with one of the best accompaniests in the world….Tim Hampton. Not only is he a talented piano player….playing mostly by ear, he is also the local funeral home owner. We practice at the funeral home in Hillsdale, it’s always so dead around there! (Sorry, just had to do it!)

I will run some errands while in town and then head home to prepare dinner, do chores and head to the football game. Bobby has to do his civic duty and run the chains so we will milk without him. It might even be cold enough to warrant a winter coat tonight.

I keep forgetting to announce that we have another flute player in the family. Sarah has just started band and plays the flute. What a cost cutter since she can use mine. She’s actually very good, the band teacher even had her demonstrate to the other flute players how to form their mouths to make a sound. I’m very proud of her and I am now planning on her getting a college scholarship in music…I can dream, can’t I?

Better get to my column….yesterday’s Hillsdale Daily News column arrived just under the wire!

It’s been a couple of days since I blogged and my mother even called to see if there was something wrong with her computer because she couldn’t get today’s blog to come up. She was mighty relieved to see it was not her computer it was MINE.

I finally got sick and tired of the way my computer was acting and I took it in to get it repaired. It was so bad I couldn’t even hear anything on it…and if I can’t get my daily dose of Rural Route Radio with that wild and crazy Trent Loos then my day is just not complete! Actually the real story is that Amanda Nolz, the host of Chewing the Cud, interviewed me a couple of weeks ago and I was curious to hear how it came out.

Well, now it’s time to get dinner on the table and get the kids from school….better get…I’ve also got two columns to catch up on…and one of them actually has a pretty stiff deadline:(