As you may know, I'm working on my folks' stuff (catch up here).
This past weekend I tackled my dad's shop.
Well, I attempted to tackle it.
With a four year old and a 19 month old.
(I'll let you come to your own conclusions on how well that went.)
Yup, that's about how well it went.
I could work for about an hour or so before someone was poopy, crabby, thirsty, and dirty. And then there was the girls...
My dad's shop is full. Full of tools. Full of wood. Full of boxes of stuff on some back shelves that I don't even know what is in there.
And because my dad was a master woodworker, there is a lot of sawdust, shavings and dust.
The 19 month old never sat down unless it was in a giant pile of sawdust. She has very curly hair that was then covered and inter-twined with sawdust. And grime-y?? Man-o-man, the grime factor was high.
Because I'm tired of hefting and hoisting and boxing all by myself, I'm declaring a "fellowship day" to help me. Come, and at the very least sit and talk to me (just as long as you don't sit in a giant pile of sawdust). I know I'm getting to the end of this seemingly endless road of stuff. But I need your help to get there.
Will you help me?
I'll let you know the day of the fellowship day and you can either come and join me physically or virtually on the blog by leaving a comment, joke, funny story....anything to get me to the end.
Are you in???
Monday, September 10, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
It seems like forever
It seems like forever since I've heard his laugh.
It seems like forever since he held my babies.
It seems like forever since he wore his shoulder britches.
It seems like forever since he made his grandson and namesake giggle.
It seems like forever since he snuggled the grandkids into his big chair.
It seems like forever since he tickled some toes.
It seems like forever since I last saw his face.
But it was just a year ago today that we buried my dad.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
My other most embarrassing moment
This embarrassing moment also has to do with basketball.
I grew up on a diversified farm. We raised sheep. A lot of sheep. And, as on all farms, sometimes sheep die. And we would have to take them out of the yard to a distant location.
Before school started, we had two-a-days. Which means that we had practice from 8-noon and from 4-8pm. If you think that's a lot, you would be correct. I basically came home from practice and collapsed until 3:30 when I drove back in for practice.
On this particular day, I had to do chores when I got home from morning practice and found that one of our ewes had died.
And she wasn't just dead, she was DEAD! Legs sticking straight up in the air, tongue hanging out one side of her mouth, eyes bulging...DEAD. My brother helped me load her in the back of the pickup on the tailgate. I went inside and told dad that he needed to take her out. And I went to bed for a nap.
My alarm clock went off and I hit snooze. Twice.
Then I realized I was going to be late for practice. I threw on my practice clothes, grabbed my shoes and raced out the door. The pickup was the only vehicle in the yard so I jumped in and headed into town.
My parking spot was right in front of the gym door. Right where all the girls basketball players and the football players would walk on their way into practice.
I screeched into the parking lot, grabbed my shoes and ran into practice. A teammate arrived later than I did. She was white as a sheet, "Annnnnniiieeeee? Did you know you have a dead sheeeeeeppppppp in the back of your piiiiicckkkkuppppp?"
Oh. My. Goodness. Yes, I did. I took a dead sheep to basketball practice.
I ran out and tried to hide her under some empty feed sacks. But it just looked like a dead sheep under some paper feed sacks.
That spring at the athletic banquet, the football coach got up and said, "Tonight's menu is roast beef. We wanted to have lamb, but Annie didn't bring enough."
This story lives on in my hometown, and neighboring towns. When I was working as a corporate trainer, I was training a new hire class. One of our new employees had married a man from a neighboring town. One day we were sharing our embarrassing stories and I told this one. The new employee gasped, "That was YOU?? I heard that story at the bar when we were dating!!"
I guess that's one way to be famous...
I grew up on a diversified farm. We raised sheep. A lot of sheep. And, as on all farms, sometimes sheep die. And we would have to take them out of the yard to a distant location.
Before school started, we had two-a-days. Which means that we had practice from 8-noon and from 4-8pm. If you think that's a lot, you would be correct. I basically came home from practice and collapsed until 3:30 when I drove back in for practice.
On this particular day, I had to do chores when I got home from morning practice and found that one of our ewes had died.
And she wasn't just dead, she was DEAD! Legs sticking straight up in the air, tongue hanging out one side of her mouth, eyes bulging...DEAD. My brother helped me load her in the back of the pickup on the tailgate. I went inside and told dad that he needed to take her out. And I went to bed for a nap.
My alarm clock went off and I hit snooze. Twice.
Then I realized I was going to be late for practice. I threw on my practice clothes, grabbed my shoes and raced out the door. The pickup was the only vehicle in the yard so I jumped in and headed into town.
My parking spot was right in front of the gym door. Right where all the girls basketball players and the football players would walk on their way into practice.
I screeched into the parking lot, grabbed my shoes and ran into practice. A teammate arrived later than I did. She was white as a sheet, "Annnnnniiieeeee? Did you know you have a dead sheeeeeeppppppp in the back of your piiiiicckkkkuppppp?"
Oh. My. Goodness. Yes, I did. I took a dead sheep to basketball practice.
I ran out and tried to hide her under some empty feed sacks. But it just looked like a dead sheep under some paper feed sacks.
That spring at the athletic banquet, the football coach got up and said, "Tonight's menu is roast beef. We wanted to have lamb, but Annie didn't bring enough."
This story lives on in my hometown, and neighboring towns. When I was working as a corporate trainer, I was training a new hire class. One of our new employees had married a man from a neighboring town. One day we were sharing our embarrassing stories and I told this one. The new employee gasped, "That was YOU?? I heard that story at the bar when we were dating!!"
I guess that's one way to be famous...
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
One of my most embarrassing moments
It's been a little uptight here on the blog lately with all the school food and mountain lion talk. So I thought I'd share some great stories from my early days. Today I'll share one of my most embarrassing moments. Tomorrow I'll share the other one.
If you knew me in high school, you were probably there for at least one of these. And if you weren't, you definitely heard them and probably repeated them.
Without further ado, one of my most embarrassing moments...
You may not realize it now, but I was a basketball player at one time in my life. Yes, it is true. I was the daughter of a basketball coach and played in our yard and the rec center for hours at a time. I loved basketball. Back when I played (Moses was our coach), girls played basketball in the fall. I was a sophomore in high school and was playing on the varsity team.
This particular night, we were playing our arch rivals. It was hot in the gym, in more ways than one. The temperature was climbing, the score was close and getting closer.
It was the fourth quarter and I was on the bench at the time. My teammate stole the ball and went coast to coast for a lay-up. The crowd went wild! The bench erupted and I leapt into the air, cheering and yelling.
And I came down on the side of my left foot and felt my ankle give way.
My best friend was sitting next to me as I gasped in pain. She asked if she should get our coach. I told her no, we were trying to win the game. I cinched up my laces really tight and hoped that I wouldn't be asked to go into the game.
Thankfully, I didn't have to go in. And we won the game!
So no one noticed as I limped painfully to the locker room. I quietly gathered my things and fought my way through the pain to the car.
I got home and my dad asked, "What happened to you?" I told him that I twisted my ankle during the game. He replied, "When did that happen? I watched the whole game and I didn't see you get hurt."
Then I had to admit to my father that it happened while I was sitting on the bench.
He snuffed. He snorted. He laughed.
And then he helped me unlace my shoe and pull it from my already swollen ankle.
As was the medical treatment practice in our family, we waited to see how it was in the morning. It wasn't pretty. It was black and blue, swollen and very painful. And to make matters worse, my toes were blue. This seemed pretty serious so into the doctor I went.
When the doctor, and the radiologist, and the technician heard how it happened and wiped the tears of laughter from their eyes, they concluded that they weren't sure if it was broken. I was to keep all weight off of it for a week and then they would re-evaluate.
I was sent to school with crutches. And had to tell the tale again.
A week later, the doctor decided that I needed to immobilize it for at least two weeks. I was put into a knee to toe cast. The humiliation continued...
I was the one who shredded her ankle while sitting on the bench.
If you knew me in high school, you were probably there for at least one of these. And if you weren't, you definitely heard them and probably repeated them.
Without further ado, one of my most embarrassing moments...
You may not realize it now, but I was a basketball player at one time in my life. Yes, it is true. I was the daughter of a basketball coach and played in our yard and the rec center for hours at a time. I loved basketball. Back when I played (Moses was our coach), girls played basketball in the fall. I was a sophomore in high school and was playing on the varsity team.
This particular night, we were playing our arch rivals. It was hot in the gym, in more ways than one. The temperature was climbing, the score was close and getting closer.
It was the fourth quarter and I was on the bench at the time. My teammate stole the ball and went coast to coast for a lay-up. The crowd went wild! The bench erupted and I leapt into the air, cheering and yelling.
And I came down on the side of my left foot and felt my ankle give way.
My best friend was sitting next to me as I gasped in pain. She asked if she should get our coach. I told her no, we were trying to win the game. I cinched up my laces really tight and hoped that I wouldn't be asked to go into the game.
Thankfully, I didn't have to go in. And we won the game!
So no one noticed as I limped painfully to the locker room. I quietly gathered my things and fought my way through the pain to the car.
I got home and my dad asked, "What happened to you?" I told him that I twisted my ankle during the game. He replied, "When did that happen? I watched the whole game and I didn't see you get hurt."
Then I had to admit to my father that it happened while I was sitting on the bench.
He snuffed. He snorted. He laughed.
And then he helped me unlace my shoe and pull it from my already swollen ankle.
As was the medical treatment practice in our family, we waited to see how it was in the morning. It wasn't pretty. It was black and blue, swollen and very painful. And to make matters worse, my toes were blue. This seemed pretty serious so into the doctor I went.
When the doctor, and the radiologist, and the technician heard how it happened and wiped the tears of laughter from their eyes, they concluded that they weren't sure if it was broken. I was to keep all weight off of it for a week and then they would re-evaluate.
I was sent to school with crutches. And had to tell the tale again.
A week later, the doctor decided that I needed to immobilize it for at least two weeks. I was put into a knee to toe cast. The humiliation continued...
I was the one who shredded her ankle while sitting on the bench.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Laboring on Labor Day
Today is Labor Day and instead of hitting the mall for sales, we're laboring on the farm.
We're doing some of this:
And we'll gather some of these:
But we'll do it with fun and fellowship, because our wonderful friends and their adorable daughter are here to help!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
School Lunch Soapbox - The Price Is Not Right
How much did you pay for your lunch yesterday? I'd like you to think about it. Did you eat at home, grab something in a drive-thru, eat in a restaurant, bring your lunch or skip it? Yesterday I was in Sioux Falls, SD for a meeting to plan farmer training programs across the nation. We ate lunch in the hotel as we worked and it was $11.50 a plate.
When a student registers for school, their parents are often asked to fill out a financial statement form to determine if their family qualifies for free or reduced lunch assistance. Per the USDA (article found here),
"Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through the National School Lunch Program. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced-price meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents. (For the period July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013, 130 percent of the poverty level is $29,965 for a family of four; 185% is $42,643.
Children from families with incomes over 185 percent of poverty pay a full price, though their meals are still subsidized to some extent. Local school food authorities set their own prices for full-price (paid) meals, but must operate their meal services as non-profit programs."
What does this mean financially for a school lunch? (facts and figures are again from the USDA article)
For a student who receives a free lunch, the school lunch program receives $2.86.
For a student who receives a reduced price lunch, the school lunch program receives $2.46. (The student pays 40 cents.)
For a student who pays full price for lunch, the school receives $0.27.
These prices do take into account overhead and personnel costs. Things that are necessary like stoves, ovens, staff, dishes, etc. When overhead costs are subtracted, many schools are left with just $1 to put a healthy lunch on a child's plate. (source:http://visual.ly/school-lunch-food-thought)
When was the last time you had lunch for a dollar? A small bag of chips from the vending machine costs a dollar. And we're asking school food personnel to source and serve a healthy, nutritious, filling meal to our children for just a dollar. Until just a few years ago, schools were required to take the lowest bid on food. Now there are some preference points that can be given to locally sourced food. But, with only a dollar to spend on food, the lowest priced option is the logical choice.
Why do we believe that the mantra "you get what you pay for" applies to everything except food?
Think about the last car you bought. Did you walk onto the lot and say to the salesman, "I want the cheapest one you've got."? Or scan the classifieds and search just for the lowest price? What about your cellphone? Did you buy the cheapest phone? Or were there other considerations when you were making your decision? I'm not saying there aren't values to be had, of course there are things that are a good value. But by and large, there is a price to be paid for quality. And quality in food is nutritional value.
If we want to have better school lunches for our children, it will require more money to be spent on food. One of my dad's favorite sayings was "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear". We can't take the cheapest food we can find and make it good enough. It isn't possible.
Our bodies are designed to eat until our need for nutrients is met. The current epidemic of over-eating is directly related to the lack of nutrition in our food. USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan said at a talk in Bismarck last year, "The United States doesn't have a calorie production problem. We produce enough calories. We have a nutrient production problem." A study published in 2004 (listed here) documented the decline of nutritional value of vegetables since 1950. In the interest of higher production, ship-ability, and shelf life, we have lost the nutrition that food once had. If we are what we eat, then (quite literally) we are less healthy than our grandparents.
Many parents are making different choices regarding school lunches for their children. Some of them are packing lunches that they feel are better serving their children's nutritional needs. Others, including a friend of mine, have pulled their children out of school and are homeschooling.
If we want better quality, more nutritious school food, the cold hard fact is that it will cost more. And I don't have the answers right now on how that should happen. I'd love to work together to explore solutions.
When a student registers for school, their parents are often asked to fill out a financial statement form to determine if their family qualifies for free or reduced lunch assistance. Per the USDA (article found here),
"Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through the National School Lunch Program. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced-price meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents. (For the period July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013, 130 percent of the poverty level is $29,965 for a family of four; 185% is $42,643.
Children from families with incomes over 185 percent of poverty pay a full price, though their meals are still subsidized to some extent. Local school food authorities set their own prices for full-price (paid) meals, but must operate their meal services as non-profit programs."
What does this mean financially for a school lunch? (facts and figures are again from the USDA article)
For a student who receives a free lunch, the school lunch program receives $2.86.
For a student who receives a reduced price lunch, the school lunch program receives $2.46. (The student pays 40 cents.)
For a student who pays full price for lunch, the school receives $0.27.
These prices do take into account overhead and personnel costs. Things that are necessary like stoves, ovens, staff, dishes, etc. When overhead costs are subtracted, many schools are left with just $1 to put a healthy lunch on a child's plate. (source:http://visual.ly/school-lunch-food-thought)
When was the last time you had lunch for a dollar? A small bag of chips from the vending machine costs a dollar. And we're asking school food personnel to source and serve a healthy, nutritious, filling meal to our children for just a dollar. Until just a few years ago, schools were required to take the lowest bid on food. Now there are some preference points that can be given to locally sourced food. But, with only a dollar to spend on food, the lowest priced option is the logical choice.
Why do we believe that the mantra "you get what you pay for" applies to everything except food?
Think about the last car you bought. Did you walk onto the lot and say to the salesman, "I want the cheapest one you've got."? Or scan the classifieds and search just for the lowest price? What about your cellphone? Did you buy the cheapest phone? Or were there other considerations when you were making your decision? I'm not saying there aren't values to be had, of course there are things that are a good value. But by and large, there is a price to be paid for quality. And quality in food is nutritional value.
If we want to have better school lunches for our children, it will require more money to be spent on food. One of my dad's favorite sayings was "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear". We can't take the cheapest food we can find and make it good enough. It isn't possible.
Our bodies are designed to eat until our need for nutrients is met. The current epidemic of over-eating is directly related to the lack of nutrition in our food. USDA Deputy Secretary Merrigan said at a talk in Bismarck last year, "The United States doesn't have a calorie production problem. We produce enough calories. We have a nutrient production problem." A study published in 2004 (listed here) documented the decline of nutritional value of vegetables since 1950. In the interest of higher production, ship-ability, and shelf life, we have lost the nutrition that food once had. If we are what we eat, then (quite literally) we are less healthy than our grandparents.
Many parents are making different choices regarding school lunches for their children. Some of them are packing lunches that they feel are better serving their children's nutritional needs. Others, including a friend of mine, have pulled their children out of school and are homeschooling.
If we want better quality, more nutritious school food, the cold hard fact is that it will cost more. And I don't have the answers right now on how that should happen. I'd love to work together to explore solutions.
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