Relaxing, Refreshing and Raining!

We have just returned from a wonderful time in Branson, more specifically Silver Dollar City. The Southern Gospel Summer Picnic at the park was, as always, a great time! We were blessed with good weather, great music, and some good food.
One of the highlights was participating in the biggest Hymn Sing ever!

Just imagine over 5000 voices singing Wonderful Grace of Jesus! It was beautiful. We sat down in the lower (front) seats, and we could hear those voices being lifted in praise. It was like a heavenly choir!  We were sitting next to a young family and enjoyed visiting with them.  They had four children, two boys, two girls. They came up from Arkansas, and those little kids knew every word of every verse of the hymns we sang. It was scheduled to last for 70 minutes, but because everyone was enjoying it so much, they went quite a bit longer.
We also enjoyed seeing the McKameys in concert, as well as Whisnants, Mylon Hayes Family, Greater Vision, Collingsworth Family and many more.

Peg and Ruben of the McKameys

Collingsworth's at Echo Hollow

Our home away from home was at the Meadows, a beautiful facility. We enjoyed our lodging and even spent a little time enjoying the pool. We cooked in most meals, but did have one meal out at Montana Mike's. I had the Messy Mike's Burger, Dennis had the Summit. Both very good. And both way more than we needed. We left stuffed!
We heard while we were there that a storm passed through Keokuk leaving a lot of branches and trees down and several inches of rain. The wind even took a roof off of a building on Main Street and tossed it through the windows of a building across the street.
On our way home, we stopped for breakfast at Tonka Hills Restaurant, and then tried to stay ahead of the storm that seemed to be chasing us. We did stop in Mexico to pick up a case of shotgun shells at Graf's. We arrived home to find that it had indeed rained. In fact there was 3.8" of rain in our rain gauge. We found the cows in, the fences good, and more water in the pond than when we left. The grass we'd seeded prior to leaving was making a good showing, and Rusty was thrilled to see us!
It's fun to go, but regardless of where we go and how much we enjoy the trip, it's always great to get home.

Where to Begin? It's Been Nearly Three Years!

I've not posted since October 2015, and hardly know how to begin.  The past three years have been filled with countless blessings, constant grace, and the ceaseless love of God.

Lamentations 3:19-25 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰ I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹ Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;

The major "event" of the past three years was Mom's cancer treatment, and her "going home".  I miss her a lot, but I know without a doubt that she is truly healed and in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.  One might wonder how her death might be considered a blessing.  During the final few days of her life here on earth, she was so weary of being sick.  She was worn out with the constant hurting and struggle to go on.  She said to me, " it may be selfish, but I'm asking God to take me home."  I told her I didn't consider that a selfish request, and it was certainly understandable.  The doctors had already told her that the best they could do was done, and that the cancer was not curable.  So, we held hands, Mom, Bobbie and I, and we all prayed that Mom's suffering would end quickly and she could enter into the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus.  God answered our request and took Mom home two days later.  Oh, believe me, I was sad to see her go, because I miss her.  We all miss her, but at the same time, I'm happy for her.  And I'm thankful for a God who hears and answers my prayers. He answered this time with a yes.  I believe all my prayers are answered, but not all are answered with a yes.  Sometimes the answer is no.  Sometimes it's not yet.  But, whatever the answer, I trust God and am thankful.  One of my favorite verses is Habakkuk 3:17-19. Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places.
Whatever happens, I want to be faithful and grateful. I want to rejoice in the God of my salvation regardless of my circumstance.

Simplicity Sounds So Simple...

Simplicity sounds simple, but the simple truth is that simplicity is very complex.  Life seems to get complicated in a hurry.  If you're like me, you have more "to do" things on your list than you will ever finish.  Even if you manage to complete the chores, you just make another list.  There seems to always, always, always be more to do!  As if my "to do" list wasn't enough, I have several weekly commitments to keep, and then there are the appointments to keep, and then there are calls from others to go here or there, do this or that.  I don't have a "job" since retiring, but there are things that must be done regularly, every day that take time and energy.  In addition to all that, many have job requirements of forty (or more) hours each week, further complicating the schedule.

Sometimes it's a juggling act, and I've become a pretty good juggler!  Which reminds me of my friend.  At Heatilator, Connie and I were together most of the time, and while working one night, the conversation somehow went to juggling.  I told Connie that I could juggle, and in fact was quite good at it.  Connie believed that I was talking about the type of juggling that keeps three balls in the air at the same time.  I purposely led her to believe that, but in reality, I was actually talking about juggling through life in general.  Being one who loves a challenge, Connie went home after work, and learned to juggle that day.  Connie's mind-set is "anything you can do, I can do as well" so, when she came back to work the next night, she was able to juggle.  I love that story, and I love Connie, but let me get back to my simple thoughts.

I'm beginning to believe that I was designed for simple life.  I'm thinking that perhaps all of us yearn for the simplicity of the original plan.  I certainly do.  If you recall, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in a beautiful garden where He met them "in the cool of the day".  They walked and talked with God.  God provided for their every need, and it was simply wonderful!  But, that didn't last long!

I've been thinking about the things that complicate life and cause chaos.  I'm also thinking about how I can avoid those complications and return to the original plan.  From the things I've been reading, I've gained a few ideas to foster simplicity in me.

1. I will choose to be committed to a previously agreed rule.
          I commit to our marriage.  I won't consider divorce, or be shopping around for a new man!
          I'll be in church Sunday morning.  No need to decide what to do.  It's already decided.
          I choose not to play internet games.  (that time can be spent pursuing more worthwhile things)
These are not "rules" exactly, but choices I've made that I feel are important to be consistently made.  By maintaining a commitment to these choices, I've taken out the variables and eliminated the need to continually decide what to do each time I'm faced with an option. 

2. Learn to say NO as well as YES.   Sometimes, I take on a job or project just because to say no might make someone think less of me.  When I agree to do something just because I didn't want to say no, it becomes a drudgery.  Saying yes when I should say no creates chaos.  I'm not giving myself permission to say NO to everything.  Sometimes, though, I need to say no.  I should not commit to anything simply because to say no would disappoint another, or cause another to think less of me.  On the same note, when I say YES, it should be a solid, reliable YES.  Both are totally acceptable answers. 

3. Obey God.  This probably should have been #1 on this list.  This is exactly where Adam and Eve lost their perfect life in the garden.  The minute they disobeyed God's instructions, complications began.  They needed clothes.  They didn't want God to see them, so they hid. The Blame Game started and excuses were born. Obedience is most likely the number one way to simplify life, but it's certainly not always easy! 

I've read a book called "A Place Called Simplicity" by Claire Cloninger.  After reading that, I started reading Richard Foster's "Freedom of Simplicity".  Simplicity sounds sweet.  Simplicity sounds so simple, but in reality, simplicity is a complex concept and simply not easily achieved!  I'm on a journey toward simplicity. 

This yearning [for simplicity] can become a belief that becomes an attitude or a mindset that leads to a series of small choices that impel a series of small changes in the way we do things.  And it is these small changes that finally (if diligently clung to) can begin to become a lifestyle.    Claire Cloninger "A Place Called Simplicity" p. 26
           

Our "Anniversary Trip" ... Wonderful!

I'm going to do my best to share our wonderful weekend, but I know I won't do it justice.  Sometimes you just can't "retell" all the emotion and excitement of an event, and this is one of those times. 
We left home Friday morning without the usual stress of being on the road at a specified time!  That may seem a small thing to many, but to me it's huge!  Normally, by the time I get in the car and we are on the road it takes about twenty miles to settle down and start enjoying the ride!  This time, we had no rush, no racing around trying to make sure everything was done and nothing forgotten.  Great start.
We stopped in Cedar Rapids for breakfast, and when we left there it was raining.  It rained the entire rest of the day!  In fact, we didn't know it until later, but several places just to the west of Des Moines received 7-9" of rain! In spite of the rain and poor visibility, we made good time and arrived in Clear Lake just after noon.  We were able to check into our room early, and then we went to the Surf Ballroom.  We spent over an hour just looking at pictures and reading articles about the history of the place, as well as all the stories about Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P."The Big Bopper" Richardson.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it to be most interesting.

Later, we met my friend, Connie.  It was because of Connie's thoughtful gift that we made this trip.  She sent Dennis a T-shirt and a souvenir book of an upcoming event in nearby Forest City.  The event was called Operation LZ and the purpose of the event was to give Vietnam veterans a proper "welcome home" and thank them for their service.  But, I'm getting ahead of my story.  Anyway, Connie and I met when we worked at Heatilator, back in 1986.  We worked well together, in fact really enjoyed working together and became friends in spite of job changes and relocations.  We don't see each other often, but I still count her as a very good friend.  So, we enjoyed spending Friday evening with Connie.
Saturday morning we drove the short distance to Forest City for the Operation LZ event.  We arrived fairly early and learned that they wanted veterans to register.  So, making our way to the registration area, we were impressed with the venue, and the number of volunteers.  I believe the place was called Heritage Park, and it was 91 acres in size.  It was huge! 
At the registration tent, Dennis was given a commemorative medal, a "thank you for your service", and a big hug from a very attractive lady.  Already, he's enjoying this event!  They then asked him to write his name on a huge map of Vietnam. He was to write it in the location where he served.  He was also given a free meal ticket. 

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall (replica) was there.  It's hard to express the feelings that wall evokes.  For the first several minutes, we just looked at it, speechless. I tried to get a picture, but it's so big I couldn't get it all even using the panoramic setting.  There were folks there to help locate names of those we knew who had given the ultimate sacrifice.  I was in high school when my friend's brother was killed in Vietnam.  There are 58,491 names on that wall! 

Dennis points to Billy Marlin's name

The best moment of the day came after we'd just randomly wandered into a big tent.  While we were looking at the things on display, a young lady approached Dennis and asked if he'd received an official commendation and thank you from the Department of Defense.  She very sincerely thanked him for his sacrifice and service, and she pinned a lapel pin on him commending him for his service.  I'm not an emotional pushover, but that really brought the tears to my eyes and put a big lump in my throat! 

We listened to several different speakers, each one specifically thanking Vietnam veterans for their service.  All of them were Vietnam veterans, and they were sometimes entertaining, sometimes inspiring, and always very interesting.  I don't recall the names of the speakers, except for Governor Branstadt, but I do remember one had spent seven years in the "Hanoi Hotel" as a POW.  Seven years!  Can't imagine!  The audience was huge.  I wish we knew how many were there.  I'd guess several thousand people.  The photo shows a lot of the folks seated in front of us.  There were about as many standing  as were seated. 

There was also an Air Show, music by Rocky Lynne, and a whole lot more.  It was a wonderful day!  We're so glad Connie thought of Dennis and sent him that package!  Had she not, we'd have missed out.  So, Connie....if you're reading this, thank you!

Sunday we headed west to Spencer.  I finally got to meet Terry and Jacquie Heinrichs.

Dennis and Terry served together in Vietnam as part of the 199th LIB.  There's a special bond or brotherhood for men who serve together.  We enjoyed visiting and sharing a meal with Terry and Jacquie.  Dennis and Terry reminisced while looking through a photo album together.  It was the perfect way to end a very special weekend!  Our drive home was uneventful, and as much fun as it was, it's always good to get home!  

August Update

Summer is passing much too fast!  With all the rain we've had, the lawn mowing hasn't let up at all!  Beefy and the girls have had plenty of pasture grass and we've not had to supplement their diet with hay.  Usually by the end of July the grass is pretty well burned up, but not this year! 

We had a great vacation with family in the Ozarks.  We shared some great times, and some of our group also shared a virus.  We had two kids sick the second day, and then one or two different ones every day after.  I think there were a total of 12 who got sick while we were there.  In spite of that, I think everyone had a good time. 

Dennis especially enjoyed skiing with Travis. 










The garden was a total failure this season.  Even the pepper plants failed to produce a crop.  The only thing we planted that actually came up and matured were the zinnias.  They've been blooming profusely and are very pretty.  I'm planning to till it all up again and plant some fall crops.  Maybe we'll grow something yet!

We've been cutting the low hanging limbs of trees all around our property.  It's nice to mow without dodging those branches that used to slap me in the face.  We're really thankful to have had the use of a pole saw. 

We'll be celebrating our anniversary soon!  Forty-four years ago we were married.  I remember it rained early in the day and then the sun came out.  It was very hot and humid for our candlelight service at Melrose Church, which did not have air conditioning at the time! 

August 20, 1971

Happy Independence Day!

Last night we enjoyed the Midwest Academy fireworks display from Travis and Gail's yard.  They always have a good show, and we enjoyed it with family and friends.  We left Rusty at home, inside, with the television blaring, hoping it would keep him from hearing the big booms.  Last year he ran off and was gone for four days!  We didn't want a repeat.  He seemed to have enjoyed watching the Fox News channel, but was very happy to see us return.

We had a little visitor this morning.  Gariann and Valerie participated in the 5K run in town, so Kayla stayed here and entertained us.  She helped with numerous chores.  We washed grapes, took out the trash, and she decided to sweep the deck.  She also wanted to love on Rusty, but he's not much on hugs.  When Kayla started sweeping, Rusty left.  When the sweeping was done, she went looking for the dog, and found him under the porch  She squatted down, looked up at me and said, " I think Rusty is mad at me". 

I think Rusty is mad at me.

We also played a lot.  We read I Spy, played piano and sang chicken songs.  She ate a few of the grapes we washed, and a chicken salad sandwich.  She played with the Thomas the Train set for quite a while, and she petted the fawn, coyote, and skunk.  I know she had a good time with us, but she was still overjoyed to see her Mommy and Grandma return. 

Coyotes vs. Deer

Coyotes won. 

I don't know when they actually made the kill, but saw at least three coyotes working on the carcass.  While tugging and pulling it apart, they eventually moved it behind a big tree so we were no longer able to observe.  However, the buzzards are observing.  Two of them have already landed in one of the big trees.  I have seen eagles chase coyotes away from their fresh kill, but don't know if these buzzards are hungry enough to take on this bunch. 
Of course, I feel bad for the deer, and hope it isn't leaving an orphan fawn!  But, coyotes are coyotes, and they too must eat.  Around here sometimes it's like watching National Geographic.  Or Marlin Perkins, on Wild Kingdom.  Wow!  That's really dating me!  Anyone reading this remember the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom with host Marlin Perkins?

May Days

Only two days left of May 2015!  Can't believe how quickly the days pass.  It's true, the older you get, the faster time seems to fly!  We often hear young people say "I can't wait until...(whatever)".  I remember even saying so myself!  I couldn't wait to turn sixteen so I could get a driver's license!  Now, at my ripe old age, I don't care to rush to the next stage.  I'm just thankful for every day.

None of us know which day will be our last here, but it's true that each day I live brings me closer to the end.  That's true for all of us, regardless of our age.  All of us will pass from this life into eternity.  I'm so thankful for the saving grace of my Lord, Jesus Christ.  He was born to die, so that through Him, I can live....forever!  That almost sounds like the Christmas song, Ring the Bells.  Maybe Christmas thoughts seem out of place in May, but to me, Christmas (Jesus' birth) is the beginning point of God's plan to redeem His people.  For God so loved, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life! 

 We've certainly been staying busy.  Dennis has spent every morning for the past two or three weeks hauling rock home.  We have about a mile of "roadway" to maintain on our property.  Travis has also been hauling rock for his own long lane, but he delivered a big load to us one day too. 

 Rusty is always around, overseeing every job, and keeping watch over the place.

 








The birds are a constant source of enjoyment.  We keep feed out through the summer as well as winter.  These bluebirds (or a pair just like them) raise a family in this same box every year.  We enjoy watching them feed their young and teach the fledglings to fly.  We have numerous other boxes, but this one seems to be the favorite.  Fortunately for me, it's also nearest to the house and perfectly situated for viewing from my office window.

Here's a little "bluebird" of a different variety!  That would be Wyatt, off the rope and diving into the water.

Over the Memorial Day weekend we enjoyed having friends over for a cookout one evening, and family for the afternoon on Monday.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the food, fellowship and fun on the rope swing in spite of the uncooperative weather. 

We've had an abundance of rainfall!  The garden isn't looking so great, but the grass continues to grow, so I mow.  I've seen several reptiles.  I don't mind the turtles, but I hate snakes!  We believe we have a fawn somewhere nearby.  One afternoon, as I was coming down the lane, I saw Rusty following me as he usually does.  However, as he came through the wooded portion of his trail, I saw a deer.  Normally, the deer run when Rusty comes through, but this one actually stood it's ground.  Rusty thought it was playing the way he does with our cows, but this deer eventually convinced Rusty to move on....quickly.  I'd never seen anything quite like that before, and I can only assume that somewhere in that area is a hidden fawn.

Well, that's it for this time.  Enjoy the day!

Have I Ever Mentioned...

I love where we live!  I'm so thankful for our home.  We moved to this property in September 1981. 
I love living in the heartland.  I enjoy the seasons....sometimes two or three seasons all in the same day.  It's an actual fact that I have, on numerous occasions, ran the air conditioner and the furnace on the same day.  Admittedly, it's not the norm, but it happens.  I enjoy being right in the middle of the United States.  We're far enough away from the rat-race in the big cities, yet an easy drive to just about anywhere between the Rocky Mountains and the Smoky Mountains.
More specifically, I love the location of our home!  We're close enough to town for convenience, yet remotely located enough to not hear the traffic.  This afternoon I took my coffee out to the deck after mowing the yard.  It was so peaceful.  Not quiet, but peaceful.  I heard birds of many kinds.  Closest, and loudest were the wrens nesting in a box on the deck rail.  I heard robins, cardinals, orioles, chickadees, towhees, and tree frogs singing.  At a distance, I could hear red winged blackbirds, a woodpecker pecking, doves cooing, and way off I heard crows cawing. 
Looking around, I saw cows grazing in the pasture, a squirrel flipping it's tail on the gate near the pond, bluebirds, nuthatches, a bumblebee, and a pair of brown thrashers in the honeysuckle bush.  I also saw robins, orioles, cardinals, chickadees, wrens, goldfinches, and many other birds. 
I could smell the freshly mowed grass, and the scent of the sweet little flowers on the cardinal bushes.
What I did NOT hear---highway traffic, barking dogs, wind, thunder, mowers running...I heard none of that!
Yes, it was a most pleasant time sipping my coffee out on the deck today.  I am so thankful for our home!

Spring Green

View from my office window this morning.  Everything is green and growing!  Our garden ... too wet to work today!

There's light rain falling today, which will add to the 4.2" rainfall we've already received over the past two days.  Our pond was at a very low level until the rain.  It's now full, and will likely be running over after today.  I've been in it, just to check the water temperature.  It was cool, but refreshing, not too cold!

Before the big rains, we planted peas (my favorite) and two rows of bush beans.  The peas are up and looking good.  We're still waiting to see the beans sprout.

Between the thunderstorms and gully washing rains, the sun was hot and the humidity high.  The calves stayed cool in the shed.  We have four heifers and one steer.  I call them Beefy and the girls.  We've had them since they were weaned.  They keep the pasture mowed for us.

Beefy is the big one in the middle. 

 Since school dismissed classes for five consecutive days over the Easter holiday, Zach, Wyatt and I went on a cruise.  We drove to New Orleans, boarded the Serenade of the Seas and cruised to the Bahamas.  We enjoyed perfect weather and had a great time.  I'm posting just a few of the pictures from our trip.

Our first meal on board...lunch at the Windjammer Cafe

Basketball!

Foul???

The line was two blocks long to stand beside this landmark for a picture, so we hopped up on the wall and snapped this, then rode around in our electric car.

Our transportation while in Key West.  Zach drove us all over town.

We left home on Good Friday, boarded the ship on Saturday, and got home the following Saturday night.  The boys would like to have our whole family go on a cruise together next winter.  I'm all for that!

Yesterday, just before the big afternoon thunderstorm, Dennis and I straightened up the light pole that was leaning.  Actually, he'd already dug around it to allow room to straighten it up.  All I did was help pull it in the right direction, and then shovel the dirt back into the hole while he tamped it.  I intended to get a before and after photo, but just as we were finishing up, the rain came.  Heavy rain with lightning.  I didn't try to get a picture of the finished project at the time! I went back to get a picture later.

Another "project" we'll be working on later is cleaning up the creek crossing.  When ever we get enough rain to cause Sugar Creek to run full or flood, it backs up our little creek.  When the water goes down, it leaves lots of sand and mud sediment, which makes our "Missouri crossing" impassable. Actually, I did drive through it on the four wheeler in four wheel drive, but the tractor and baler won't make it through, nor will my mower. I haven't done any mowing around the back field yet, and won't until the crossing fixed.

 June 9 update: The Missouri crossing is fixed.  Now I can mow the back trails. 

The Sweet Williams have been blooming all over our place.  Of course, they are blooming all over the tri-state area, but I particularly enjoy seeing them here.

As I was going through the back pasture, I noticed holes drilled in a tree.  Who or what does this?  It's not a dead tree, but it might be soon if it keeps getting holes drilled into the trunk!

Well, it's still raining, so I'm going to get ready to run into town and do the shopping and errands that need to be done.  To me, the perfect days are those days in which I never have to pass through our gate!