Beloved Mother, Grandmother and Sister...

Yesterday, we were deeply saddened by the sudden passing of a loved one. Teri Mickelson Cary went to meet Jesus. Knowing that she is now in the presence of the Lord is comforting, but the pain of separation is no less severe. We covet your prayers especially now. I'm including a photograph of Teri with her grandchildren and husband, Jim. It's a very sweet picture.

	Jun 20, 1957 - Aug 25, 2010
	Teri Lynn Cary, 53, of Danville died at 4:21 p.m. on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 at Great River Medical Center in West Burlington. Born June 20, 1957 in Keokuk, Iowa she was the daughter of Robert and Frances Kurtz Mickelson. On March 7, 2009 she married James “Jim” Cary in Burlington. She was previously married to Lynn Nye. Mrs. Cary was a graduate of Central Lee High School. She worked as a bank teller for Danville State Bank for the past 12 years. Teri was a member of First United Methodist Church. She loved to water ski with her boys and her grandchildren. She enjoyed cross stitch, cooking and decorating. She loved to travel and take weekend drives. She especially enjoyed time spent with her family, whom she loved very much. Teri could do anything and everything and could do it well. Survivors include her husband; Jim Cary of Danville; her children; Joe (Joy) Nye of Iowa City, Jacob (Melissa) Nye of New London, Jerad Nye of Mount Pleasant, Brad (Amy) Cary of Edwardsville, Illinois, Todd (Laura) Cary of Burlington and Suzanne (Tobias) Lunsford of Burlington; twelve grandchildren; five great grandchildren; her mother, Frances Mickelson of Argyle; one sister, Michele (Jay) Sandona of Stevens Point, WI; two brothers, Kirk (Gariann) Mickelson and Mike (Chris) Mickelson both of Argyle and; nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, maternal and paternal grandparents. Friends may call after noon on Sunday, August 29th in Lunning Chapel, where the family will receive friends from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The funeral service for Mrs. Cary will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, August 30th in Grace United Methodist Church in Burlington. The Rev. Mike Orthel will officiate. Following the funeral service the body of Mrs. Cary will be cremated. Inurnment will be in Kossuth Cemetery, Mediapolis at a later date. Memorials have been established for First United Methodist Church, Danville Fire and Rescue and Melrose Church in Argyle.

Teri Cary

Jun 20, 1957 - Aug 25, 2010

Visitation

Sunday, August 29, 2010 3:00pm - 5:00pm Lunning Chapel 2620 Mt. Pleasant St. Burlington, 52601

Services

Monday, August 30, 2010 2:00pm - Grace United Methodist Church 1100 Angular St. Burlington, 52601

As Summer Winds Down....

We have had a very busy, and extremely wet summer! Because of almost daily rain, we have not yet cut our hay. We hope to get it done soon! Also, due to the excessive rainfall, we won't have much to harvest this fall. Much of the bottom ground is still (or again) underwater.
Still, we are thankful for a bountiful sweet corn crop, lots of time spent with family, and time to relax and enjoy the wonders of creation.
Just yesterday, while doing a little weeding, I found a cute little tree frog. At least, I believe it was a tree frog. It was small, green and sitting on a leaf in the honeysuckle bush. I didn't have the camera with me at the time, and of course, later was unable to find him for a picture. I found a photo of a frog that looked just like it in our reptile book.

We enjoyed a fun filled week in northern Wisconsin at Camp Forest Springs. Many of the photos have been posted on FaceBook, so I won't post them again here.



Last week, Little T, the heifer belonging to Zach and Wyatt, gave birth to a beautiful little girl. The boys were thrilled to be here and witness the birthing process. They named their baby Candy. She's doing very well! Little T is a very good mother. The boys will sell Candy when she is weaned.

School resumes one week from tomorrow. I will again be driving the bus, and expect to also drive some activity trips. Summer went much too fast! I'm looking forward to a great school year though.

That's all for now. I'm sure there's much more I could say, but it's time for me to get out and accomplish a few chores!

Four Weeks Left!

Summer vacation is getting short! Only about four weeks and we'll be back to school. I've talked to some of the students, and a few are ready to get back to classes. Others would like to put it off indefinitely.
Yesterday, we picked, cut, cooked, and bagged enough sweet corn to feed us all winter. I'm not sure of the count, but I'm thinking the total was well over two hundred 3 cup bags. Gariann did more today. Aaron loves sweet corn. He says it's tasty..... delicious!
We had more very heavy rain, which washed our lane out....again! It was even worse this time. Dennis and I worked on it Sunday afternoon. We got back to it again today, with help from Zach. It's pretty well smoothed out now, but needs more rock again.
After working on the lane, we came inside to enjoy some cool air. Zach provided music while I washed some dishes and fixed him some lunch.

An Unplanned Trip

To the emergency room!
Yesterday Dad was seriously injured while working at the farm. A big heavy chunk of cement with re-bar sticking out of it fell and caught Dad on the back of his legs. Thankfully, Dennis was there! After countless stitches, Dad was sent home.We went over later to find that the patient was relaxing quite comfortably and in excellent spirits.
Dennis didn't sleep well last night. He woke up thinking about how painful that must have been for Dad.

June!

Wow! Whoever said "life is like a roll of toilet paper.... the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes!" surely must be right. Over the past several weeks, we've attended many baseball games, had two family reunions, and have been trying to keep up with the grass. Because of the huge rains, we've had to do quite a lot of work on the lane. Also because of all the rain, we have not yet mowed our hay. We're hoping to be able to do that soon, but it's still much too wet at this time. We enjoyed getting together with our cousins in Houghton. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures, but Becca Howard has some posted on Facebook. I "borrowed" one from her.
It was great to see them all together.
Zach's baseball team went undefeated this season, winning the championship June 19. We really enjoyed watching them play. Wyatt also played, and had a good year. His league doesn't really keep score, nor do they count outs. Everyone on the roster bats each inning. Wyatt is a pretty good batter.
Last Sunday, June 27, we gathered with the Nye family. It was a reunion for the descendants of John and Thelma Miller Nye. Dad, Martha and Neet are the only three children still living. We enjoyed spending time with them and seeing many of our "long lost" cousins! There were 94 present. We also celebrated Aunt Neet's 85th birthday, with a beautiful cake. Also very tasty!

Farming has been pretty much a wash-out. There will be very little to harvest this fall.
Looking ahead, we have plans to see fireworks both Saturday and Sunday nights. The first ever Mann family reunion is planned for July 31. We hope to be baling hay soon! Rusty is becoming a very good companion and watch dog. He's now been with us for just over four months.
That's about all I can think to tell for now.

Productive Day Until Time To Bathe Rusty

I had lots of help today, and we got quite a bit accomplished. After completing several jobs, we thought it would be fun to give Rusty a bath. He really needed it! Well, turns out that Rusty didn't want a bath, but since we'd already applied the shampoo, we couldn't stop until he was rinsed. Long story short, the bath ended with one freaked out dog, two very concerned boys, and an extremely painful wound for me. Dr. Dennis helped clean the wounds and applied the super glue and bandages. I sure hope it doesn't get infected! Rusty is now resting quietly beside me, all soft and fluffy and smelling nice and clean. Was it worth it?
Zach mowed our grass and Wyatt trimmed. Wyatt also cleaned the interior of the truck. Both helped do some work at the cemetery, filling low places. I suspect that with all the rain we've had, there may be lots of places needing attention before Memorial Day.
I had hoped to include a few photos, but am unable to upload. After many attempts, I'm giving up!

Finally able to upload the pictures.....Sunday night.

Hail, Hail, It's Stormy Here!

Actually, it's stormy all across the central states, from Texas to Chicago. Fortunately, we don't have the tornadoes that are ripping through Oklahoma and Kansas. I was just about to fall asleep this evening when the hail started. It sounded like someone throwing rocks at our house. I feared that the windows were going to break. Thankfully, it didn't last very long. It may not look like much in the photo, but it sounded like coconuts falling from the sky!

Farming has pretty much come to a stand still. We've had rain, and more rain. It will eventually dry up, and then they'll be planting crops....some of the farmers will be replanting.

I am looking forward to the last day of school, June 4th. I'm sure the kids are as well. We have about three weeks left. I will be traveling with the fifth graders to Des Moines to visit the State Capitol one day next week. It should be a great time.

The storm seems to have passed, so...good night!

Civil War In Keokuk Again!

I wonder who will win this year? As usual, along with the Civil War Re-enactment we have rain, heavy rain, and chances of more rain for the weekend. It seems that it always rains on them.
Today is the day all the students get the Civil War tour. I'm in the bus, waiting on the fifth graders from our school to visit all the interesting displays. This is probably the fourth time I've taken this trip with the 5th grade classes, and only one time was the weather nice so that all the activities could take place in the park.



Travis and Dennis have been doing some planting. They've also been working on a culvert that the beavers plugged. Finally, they got it opened up yesterday....just before the rain! Now maybe the fields will drain better. Those nasty little beavers are always causing problems.

Mowing season is in full swing. I've mowed already twice, and it's almost knee high again already.

I must say that the beauty of spring has never looked more beautiful! I don't know if every spring is this pretty, or if it's just such a welcome sight after our long winter. Either way, it is absolutely gorgeous!

Neighborhood Restaurant Story

I received this in an email from a friend and believe it worthy of sharing. Obviously, it's not MY story, but I do like it!

I was in my neighborhood restaurant this morning and was seated behind a
group of jubilant individuals celebrating the successful passing of the
recent health care bill. I could not finish my breakfast. This is what
ensued:

They were a diverse group of several races and both sexes. I heard the young
man exclaim, "Isn't Obama like Jesus Christ? I mean, after all, he is
healing the sick." The young woman enthusiastically proclaimed, "Yeah, and
he does it for free. I cannot believe anyone would think that a free market
would work for health care. They are all crooks and thieves and don't
deserve all of that money." Another said, 'The stupid Republicans want us
all to starve to death so they can inherit all of the power. Obama should be
made a Saint for what he did for those of us less fortunate." At this, I had
had enough.

I arose from my seat, mustering all the restraint I could find, and
approached their table. "Please excuse me; may I impose upon you for one
moment?" They smiled and welcomed me to the conversation. I stood at the end
of their table, smiled as best I could and began an experiment.

"I would like to give one of you my house. It will cost you no money and I
will pay all of the expenses and taxes for as long as you live there. Anyone
interested?" They looked at each other in astonishment. "Why would you do
something like that?" asked a young man, "There isn't anything for free in
this world." They began to laugh at me, as they did not realize this man had
just made my point. "I am serious, I will give you my house for free, no
money what so ever. Anyone interested?" In unison, a resounding "Hell Yeah"
fills the room.

"Since there are too many of you, I will have to make a choice as to who
receives this money free bargain." I noticed an elderly couple was paying
attention to the spectacle unfolding before their eyes, the old man shaking
his head in apparent disgust. "I tell you what; I will give it to the one of
you most willing to obey my rules." Again, they looked at one another, an
expression of bewilderment on their faces. The perky young woman asked,
"What are the rules?" I smiled and said, "I don't know. I have not yet
defined them. However, it is a free home that I offer you." They giggled
amongst themselves, the youngest of which said, "What an old coot. He must
be crazy to give away his home. Go take your meds, old man." I smiled and
leaned into the table a bit further. "I am serious, this is a legitimate
offer." They gaped at me for a moment.

"Hell, I'll take it you old fool. Where are the keys?" boasted the youngest
among them. "Then I presume you accept ALL of my terms then?" I asked. The
elderly couple seemed amused and entertained as they watched from the
privacy of their table. "Oh hell yeah! Where do I sign up?" I took a napkin
and wrote, "I give this man my home, without the burden of financial
obligation, so long as he accepts and abides by the terms that I shall set
forth upon consummation of this transaction." I signed it and handed it to
the young man who eagerly scratched out his signature. "Where are the keys
to my new house?" he asked in a mocking tone of voice. All eyes were upon us
as I stepped back from the table, pulling the keys from pocket and dangling
them before the excited new homeowner.

"Now that we have entered into this binding contract, witnessed by all of
your friends, I have decided upon the conditions you are obligated to adhere
from this point forward. You may only live in the house for one hour a day.
You will not use anything inside of the home. You will obey me without
question or resistance. I expect complete loyalty and admiration for this
gift I bestow upon you. You will accept my commands and wishes with
enthusiasm, no matter the nature. Your morals and principles shall be as
mine. You will vote as I do, think as I do and do it with blind faith. These
are my terms. Here are your keys." I reached the keys forward and the young
man looked at me dumb founded.

"Are you out of your freaking mind? Who would ever agree to those ridiculous
terms?" the young man appeared irritated. "You did when you signed this
contract before reading it, understanding it and with the full knowledge
that I would provide my conditions only after you committed to the
agreement." Was all I said. The elderly man chuckled as his wife tried to
restrain him. I was looking at a now silenced and bewildered group of
people. "You can shove that stupid deal up you're a** old man, I want no
part of it" exclaimed the now infuriated young man. "You have committed to
the contract, as witnessed by all of your friends; you cannot get out of the
deal unless I agree to it. I do not intend to let you free now that I have
you ensnared. I am the power you agreed to. I am the one you blindly and
without thought chose to enslave yourself to. In short, I am your Master."
At this, the table of celebrating individuals became a unified group against
the unfairness of the deal.

After a few moments of unrepeatable comments and slurs, I revealed my true
intent. "What I did to you is what this administration and congress did to
you with the health care legislation. I easily suckered you in and then
revealed the real cost of the bargain. Your folly was in the belief that you
can have something you did not earn; that you are entitled to that which you
did not earn; that you willingly allowed someone else to think for you. Your
failure to research, study and inform yourself permitted reason to escape
you. You have entered into a trap from which you cannot flee. Your only
chance of freedom is if your new Master gives it unto you. A freedom that is
given can also be taken away; therefore, it is not freedom." With that, I
tore up the napkin and placed it before the astonished young man. "This is
the nature of your new health care legislation."

I turned away to leave these few in thought and contemplation and was
surprised by applause. The elderly gentleman, who was clearly entertained,
shook my hand enthusiastically and said, "Thank you Sir, these kids don't
understand Liberty these days." He refused to allow me to pay my bill as he
said, "You earned this one, it is an honor to pickup the tab." I shook his
hand in thanks, leaving the restaurant somewhat humbled, and sensing a
glimmer of hope for my beloved country.

Use reason, it is the closest you are going to get to Godly conduct
Clifford A. Wright


Please feel free to share with others

March Winds Bring April Showers, April Showers Bring May Flowers...

And, what do May flowers bring???

PILGRIMS!

The past few days have indeed been quite windy, and March is all but gone! We are in Iowa City this morning getting Dennis' eye exam. I came because they told him to bring a driver.

Zach and I enjoyed our brief time at the Lake of the Ozarks. We went to the LOTO Gospel Sing. We enjoyed the fine music from the Lesters, the Martins, Higher Power Quartet and the Booth Brothers. We also dropped a few dollars at Miner Mikes, the batting cages, and of course the go-karts. We stayed overnight at the Village Inn....adjacent to the Outlet Mall....110 stores! Zach begged me to go shopping... (just kidding). We looked them over from the highway and decided there was nothing there for us.

Well, I'd have added a photo of Dennis here in the waiting room, but before I could get set up to take the shot, he was called into the exam room. Looks like we might get in and out pretty quick! Hmmmm....wonder where we'll go for lunch! Since I've not eaten yet, I'm getting pretty hungry.

Well, that's it for this time.