This morning when we stepped out to head across the road to the barn we heard a strange noise. We both stopped dead in our tracts to listen for it again. Even Sadie stood frozen. We listened carefully and heard it again….it was the coyotes playing out in the woods. Boy is that an erie sound first thing in the morning with the wind howling around us.

Last night was a wild night in the midwest as tornadoes touched down in several places. Last evening I called my mom to ask if she wanted to go to the draft horse show today at the pavilion and the first thing out of her mouth was…”Are you okay?” I didn’t bother to tell her JW was 30 miles south of us in the path of some bad weather and possible twisters at a volleyball game with his buddies. She would’ve worried all the more. I just have to say thank God for cell phones.

I called JW and all I could hear was screaming in the background with him saying, “I can’t talk right now…I can’t hear you, call me later.” Meanwhile I’m sitting there looking at the weather warnings on tv seeing he’s right in the thick of bad weather and doesn’t have a clue. I guess him not knowing kept him from worrying too.

At 10 pm, he walked in the door and all was right in the world. I don’t like this growing up stuff…I think I want to go back to changing diapers and stumbling over building blocks…it was so much easier then.

Sarah and I are headed to the Great Lakes Draft Horse Show this morning, she loves draft horses and so I thought it would be fun to spend the day at the show. Don’t worry, I’m not leaving the laundry undone…I got that done yesterday! But as I walked into the laundry room, I see I’ve got enough for another load….it’s endless.

Well, it’s raining and blowing this morning and we’re supposed to be in for some stormy weather today. You know what that means….more attention to indoor projects like laundry. That seems to be the only thing I do. If I didn’t have laundry to do in a day I think I would be absolutely lost! Like not heading out to the barn to milk cows morning and night. Although I could get used to sleeping in…very quickly…not going over to the barn every evening would be very disorienting for me.

So, what makes your day normal? What do you do everyday that gives you routine in your life?

Yesterday was a busy day, Bobby and I ventured into town in JW’s new truck. Yes, he finally earned enough money to pay for his truck and it’s sitting in the driveway right now. I’ll get a picture later…I know you just can’t wait to see that gem!

As I said, we headed to town for a round of errands. While he didn’t intend on doing as many as I had in mind, he didn’t complain too much about sitting in the grocery store parking lot while I headed in “just for some coffee”….six bags later….I came out with just the necessities of life…you know, coffee, shampoo, ginger snaps, cereal, cheesecake, butter, flour, sugar, apple turnovers….I was hungry.

After stopping at the feed store, TSC and the orchard, we were home again. Then the vet came by to vaccinate some calves and pregnancy check some cows. The curious thing about this particular vet is that she is 8 months pregnant and is still standing behind a cow with her hand shoved up her……Wow and that belly doesn’t even get in the way! It was when she came into the barn with the ultrasound machine strapped to her person. Oh my, was that a sight. I almost ran in and got my camera, but I didn’t want to embarrass her. After all she took my laughter so well. Ol‘ Doc is a great sport and is a cute mother-to-be in her blue overalls, that big belly and her rubber boots.

In the end, we have lots of cows who are pregnant to good bulls and will freshen at the right time for show calves.

Breakfast awaits!

Well, it’s raining and blowing this morning and we’re supposed to be in for some stormy weather today. You know what that means….more attention to indoor projects like laundry. That seems to be the only thing I do. If I didn’t have laundry to do in a day I think I would be absolutely lost! Like not heading out to the barn to milk cows morning and night. Although I could get used to sleeping in…very quickly…not going over to the barn every evening would be very disorienting for me.

So, what makes your day normal? What do you do everyday that gives you routine in your life?

Yesterday was a busy day, Bobby and I ventured into town in JW’s new truck. Yes, he finally earned enough money to pay for his truck and it’s sitting in the driveway right now. I’ll get a picture later…I know you just can’t wait to see that gem!

As I said, we headed to town for a round of errands. While he didn’t intend on doing as many as I had in mind, he didn’t complain too much about sitting in the grocery store parking lot while I headed in “just for some coffee”….six bags later….I came out with just the necessities of life…you know, coffee, shampoo, ginger snaps, cereal, cheesecake, butter, flour, sugar, apple turnovers….I was hungry.

After stopping at the feed store, TSC and the orchard, we were home again. Then the vet came by to vaccinate some calves and pregnancy check some cows. The curious thing about this particular vet is that she is 8 months pregnant and is still standing behind a cow with her hand shoved up her……Wow and that belly doesn’t even get in the way! It was when she came into the barn with the ultrasound machine strapped to her person. Oh my, was that a sight. I almost ran in and got my camera, but I didn’t want to embarrass her. After all she took my laughter so well. Ol‘ Doc is a great sport and is a cute mother-to-be in her blue overalls, that big belly and her rubber boots.

In the end, we have lots of cows who are pregnant to good bulls and will freshen at the right time for show calves.

Breakfast awaits!

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.

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.