Last week during guidance class in Cora’s second grade, they discussed gratitude. She came home, and being her mother’s daughter, grabbed a pencil and paper and began writing. She begged …
I love a good rainy night, or day, as the following lyrics allude to. “I Love a Rainy Night” is one of my favorite rainy day songs. I am an especially big fan of rainy days when they fall …
The chopper’s roar echoing across the ridges and the valleys has been replaced by the constant purr of the combine. The frequency of trucks rambling in and out of the yard has decreased, but …
Hugs. Squeezes. Embraces. Cuddles. They are such a simple way to show emotion. Affection. Appreciation. Love. Excitement. Comfort. Joy. Hugs can be used in the place of words, in those …
I originally wrote this poem four or so years ago, but as I delivered the lunches to the pile-packing posse this past Thursday, thinking about how I needed to can more grape juice when I got done, …
We sometimes underestimate the power a simple connection can make in one’s life. Those of us writing for this paper, and likely you reading it, connect over the dairy industry. It is our shared …
A few years ago, a friend gifted me two sheet pans — one with ‘cake pan sides’ and one with ‘bar’ sides. Both came with lids. I never in my life thought I would use …
Peter’s text to me Friday morning said, “If chaos has a fuel gauge, today it would show ‘FULL.’” He was not wrong. We had picked the day two weeks earlier to …
Colorful aprons on the line Were someone else’s — but now they’re mine I treasure them and the stains they show I smile in the sunshine and watch them blow I …
No doubt many of you reading this are seasoned fairgoers and veteran animal exhibitors. We are still in the rookie stage of this — kids and most of the adults that are involved. If you recall …
“You should marry him” My mom once said with a smirk “Eww, he’s like my brother” Somehow, she knew it would work “Put a bag over his …
The calendar has turned to June Dairy Month. Signs are up for our local dairy breakfast, and I am trying to channel my creativity into coming up with different projects for the FFA kids to do to …
The calendar has turned to June Dairy Month. Signs are up for our local dairy breakfast, and I am trying to channel my creativity into coming up with different projects for the FFA kids to do to …
In a perfect world, My house would be clean My dishes all done The floor would gleam In a perfect world There would only be flowers Yet, I don’t mind weed pulling …
It struck me this past weekend as I was crawling around in my garden trying to spot new life (that wasn’t a weed) that I had forgotten to write about how our wild garden plans came out last …
The smell of spring is permeating the farmhouse these days. Around here, that is the smell of the manure pit being agitated with a hint of freshly mowed lawn. Between Don the milkman and Henry, no …
I heard the hum of the lawn mower and smelled the fresh-cut grass blowing into the window in our upstairs bedroom. I was in a Zoom meeting and was able to look out the window to see the flowers on …
When he was a little boy, Peter had a print hanging that had this quote on it. “Some days you step in it, some days you don’t.” There were beautiful Holstein cows in front …
I can recall sitting next to my mom at her sewing machine when I was young, listening to the tap-tap-tap of it doing its work. I watched with amazement as she created whatever her mind …
“Teamwork makes the dream work.” This line oozes with cheesiness. It is one of those you hear coaches saying to pump kids up and get them playing better. You can hear the …