Heritage Day

Today is a special day at our house. It's not necessarily a day of partying and celebration, but a time of remembrance. David and I both lost a grandparent on the 25th day of September. David lost his grandpa, Norman Roberts, 16 years ago and I lost my grandma, Hedvig Reeder, just two years ago. Last year, we decided that since this was a significant day for both of us, that we would designate it a day in remembrance of all our grandparents - Heritage Day!

We share memories and make G.G.'s famous applesauce cookies - with only 5 chocolate chips. Any more would just be gluttonous!! She definitely knew how to stretch a dollar and make do! Something I have always admired and strive to emulate.

It's been a nice day. Even though bittersweet, we are both grateful for our heritage and hope that our lives will honor those that have gone before us!

Life is just not............Fair!!

I must admit, August and September are probably my least favorite months of the year - or at least, right behind or tied with February and March. The heat of the summer is suffocating, the flowers in the yard are starting to lack luster, and with the excitement of summer long gone, we all seem in dire need of the school-time schedule. I think the thing that makes these two months the most sinister is the way they tease you with the possibility of better things to come. There is a crispness to the air that promises of cooler nights with the allure of sweatshirt attire. The tomatoes tease with a tint of red to their hue. Even the relentless reminders that my favorite T.V. drama's season premiere is only weeks away is enough to drive this girl crazy!! Enough with the taunting!!

There is one thing that I really enjoy during these dreadful months............FAIR!

I'm not quite sure what it is I love most about a fair. It could be the diversity. There's diversity in those that attend, food choices available, and an array of entertainment - a man with his gaggle of dressed up geese, deep fried ice cream (seems impossible to me), and comedians to cloggers. There is definitely something there for everyone!

I honestly believe the reason that I truly love a fair is that it's reminiscent of a bygone era. An era that I long for. An era when the artistry and beauty of a jar of jam was appreciated, the adoration that a farmer felt towards his animals was of value, and a coming together of a community was not only commonplace, but vital to it's survival. People talked over fences, went for walks, and shared recipes. We invested in others more than ourselves, because we knew that on some level, that's all we had. We seem to have lost some of that in the hurried pace of our lives today. A phone call takes too much time - texting is more convenient. A homemade meal consists of a frozen entree with a side from a can. Even time to visit with a neighbor is a frivolity in times when getting ahead rules our lives. It seems that we build bigger houses and have smaller hearts. We have become too busy and wrapped up in what we'd like to have and become that we neglect to appreciate the beauty of our everyday existence.

As I sat up at our county fair with my hubby, kids, and cows, I realized that the spirit of community isn't dead. People strolled around visiting with one another and catching up, took time to marvel at the talents of others, and for a moment thought of animals as more than just a mere commodity. It is a renewal to my own spirit - a setting straight of my own course. I come away with a deep sense of gratitude for the small town that I am privileged to raise my kids in and the way of life and values it imparts. I gain a renewed appreciation for the heritage arts that were so commonplace in years past, but are now nearly extinct. I vow to watch T.V. less and make more of my time.

Thank goodness for fairs - a retreat from the mundane of summer, a coming together of communities, and best of all, an adult form of show and tell. It's an opportunity to be entertained by others and their talents. It's an awakening to the diversity that surrounds us, that is so easily overlooked. Fair's give us a chance to see the best in others and an opportunity that can bring out the best in ourselves. It's really too bad that life isn't well.................FAIR!!

* Life on the Farm - It's Good to Play Fair!

Sisters.........We Are!!

I just returned from the most amazing weekend. I spent four days with one of the most independent, diverse, and beautiful group of women I think I have ever met. What an opportunity! What an adventure! What an experience!! Let me explain....

For a couple of years now, I have been a fan of Mary Jane's Farm in northern Idaho. She's a free, hard working spirit that embraces all that is feminine and all that life has to offer, while helping woman be more self-sufficient. I am part of her Farmgirl Sisterhood and have taken her magazine for the last few years. I also love the Farm Chicks. They are two women who started with a small antique show in Spokane, Washington and are now contributors for County Living magazine, have published two books (which I own and love), and orchestrate one of the biggest antique fairs in the nation. Lastly, I inherited a vintage trailer from my dear Grandma Reeder. I love my little red trailer and have put it to good use while at the fair showing cows, but I have always wanted to restore it and join up with Sisters On the Fly - a group of independent spirited women who meet up during the summer caravaning with their vintage trailers to spend weekends together learning and laughing.

A few years ago, David and I had the opportunity to be guest speakers at Mary Jane's Farm Fair in northern Idaho. Through this experience, I was blessed to meet Rene' Groom. She was instrumental in getting us there and making our time there incredible. She was also willing to come and teach a rag rug making class for our Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance conference that David and I had to chair. She did a tremendous job and it was so great just to spend time with such a fun-loving, cheerful, loving person. Since that time, we've kept in touch over facebook.

This spring I had decided that I truly wanted to make the trek to Spokane to attend the Farm Chicks antique fair. After I had asked some pals to make the trip with me and it just didn't work out, I was wavering in my resolve. Rene' then posted that she was attending, so I asked if it was worth the trip - thinking I would be making it alone. Much to my delight, she not only said yes, but also invited me to ride along with her as she was meeting up with a group of Sisters On the Fly that were also Farmgirl members. I just about died with joy! Three of my favorite things all rolled into one with time spent with Rene' - what could be better?!!! About nothing!

So I made the trip to Prosser alone to meet up with Rene'. The time was actually enjoyable. I got to stop when I wanted, eat what I wanted, and listen to the music I prefer. Once there, we met up with some other Farmgirls for dinner. It was so fun to hear them share memories of their previous experiences at the Farm Chicks show. The anticipation was building. The next morning, the same group loaded up, hooked up, and headed up to Spokane to camp together along the river. It was actually an awing experience to see these ladies' show of independence as they caravaned up the highway. Plus, it was a cute sight - all those vintage trailers being pulled all in a row!

When we arrived at our camp site, it was so awesome to see the ladies work as a team to back in and park their trailers. Once that was done, the fun began. They all started "staging". This is when they set up their stuff outside their trailer to enhance and welcome guests to come and "check it out". I made the rounds, gathering ideas for my own trailer restoration. These trailers are not just cleaned up and road worthy, they are truly works of art that portray the individual personalities of their owners. I was in heaven!!

The next day we (my new friend, Debra, and I) headed out to the antique show. We had the best time. We made our way through the event without too much trouble - well, the only trouble was that I wanted more than I could haul home and use. I did buy some things for my trailer since I had decided on a color and theme for my project. Debra was so helpful - maybe too helpful. Now comes the work to "get'er done". After, we went back to camp for a quick rest and then we hit the local yard sales. We were very successful, finding deals too good to believe. We had to leave behind a few "treasures" too big for Debra's trip home. I wonder if she is still lamenting her lose.

That evening, we all met up for a lovely dinner and the donning of our tutus. It's tradition to dress up in hip cowgirl garb and laugh and live it up - and that is exactly what we did!! After that, we simply sat around the campfire, exchanging stories and making memories.

I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity! Thank you so much Rene'! Also a big thank you to my other new sisters - Paulette, Bonnie, Jennel, and Debra! My life has been enriched for the time we spent together. I dearly hope that there is more to come. Usually we have sisters by chance - I came out lucky on that one. Now I have sisters by choice too. We are tied together not by blood, but by experience, memories, and our love of each other and an independent spirit. What a lucky girl I am!

*Farm to Table - Pesto Mac n' Cheese

Memories of.......

Growing up in close proximity to both sets of grandparents, Memorial Day meant many things. When I was younger, it meant hauling the Fonnesbeck set around to the cemeteries to decorate the headstones and to catch up with the other old people that seemed to hang out there. I would bide my time until we were lucky enough to go out to lunch as a family. It seemed like just payment for the time I'd spent waiting for them to converse and discuss the goings on of the last fifty or so years. It felt like years while my siblings and I waited. We did find time to run around and read the strange names that people used to be given - I say "given" because I'm not sure that they would've actually chose those names for themselves. We got a kick out of this and turned it into a game of sorts.

As I got older and more mature, I actually liked and learned to appreciate the "old ones'" conversations. Their stories became more interesting and I learned a lot about my grandparents that they might not have ever shared with me. I met and remembered my mother's aunts and uncles. They were nice people. It ended up being a nice family day with lunch as a bonus.

Now, I am lucky enough to live in close proximity to where my grandparents are buried. I still spend Memorial Day with them - visiting their grave sites, thinking of them, and sharing the stories with my own family. I have a rich heritage and I am so grateful for the chance I had to live by them, get to know them, and make memories of them. When I was little, I used to envy my cousins that got to go on vacation to visit them. They got a week full of fun. We got to help them mow their lawns, clean their houses and help do their hair. We also got to go fishing, eat fresh cinnamon rolls, and share a pepsi after the work was done. I now think they are the ones that are probably envious.

My kids are the lucky ones now. We live on the same farm as one set of their grandparents and only a short drive from the others. Life seems to move at a faster pace than it did when I was a kid. My kids seem to always be doing something - all good things, but they just seem busy. It makes it hard to spend time together as an extended family when my own is going in so many directions. Yesterday, we did have the opportunity to spend time with the Fonnesbeck families. It seemed fitting. It was a nice day. We shared the news of the day and fondly remembered some of the past. My kids got to visit with my aunts and uncles and hear some stories that maybe they wouldn't have otherwise. Glad they had that opportunity. It might not seem like much now, but they will feel very blessed one day, as I do.

Life seems to be a game of musical chairs. Time marches on and us with it. When the music stops for a brief second and you look around, you find you've moved into your parent's chair and they've taken the spot of grandparent. Things do change and they do stay the same. I'm glad. I've never been a big fan of too much change, but it's the changes that make you take note and appreciate where you've been.

Get Your Hankies Ready......

No need to fear......this isn't a sad story, just me, admitting that I have a few issues when it comes to hankies. It's not that I don't like them - I love them!!! They are so bright and colorful, and........girly!!! I just can't get enough them.

David is slightly dismayed and repulsed by my obsession. The thought that something once used to blow someone's nose can somehow become a treasure, is incomprehensible. Okay, so they might have once been used for something less than sanitary, but I simply don't care. I choose to focus on the idea that they were once used to dry the tears of a mother as she said good-bye to her son headed off to war, or the tears of joy as that same son returned. They carry stories of heartache and hear felt joy - they have a history. Plus, once washed and ironed, they become so versatile, useful, and fashionable. Possibilities with these cute little squares of floral bliss are endless. And the best part - they are not hard to find and are quite cheap! I find most of mine for a dollar or two at antique or thrift stores.

I seem to find more and more uses for them the longer I have them and the more I acquire. I've used them for home decor and self decor. I've used them in craft projects. Sometimes, I just get them out and look at them for enjoyment. I'm sure a lot of women do this with shoes - I just like hankies.

I truly believe I'm drawn to hankies because I was accidentally born a few decades too late. I long to live in the era when women wore gloves and glorious hats, dressed up to go to town, and carried hankies. The world just seemed more glamorous back then. So, I'll continue to collect my hankies and find new uses for them. Useful or not, they make me smile!

*Re-use, Re-purpose, Re-cylce - creative uses for hankies

*From Farm to Table - Mother's Day Luncheon Crab Sandwiches

Kite Strings and Apron Strings

Today, a good portion of my morning was spent untangling kite string and if you're wondering how this inspires a blog post, well.......let me start at the first....

This year, I decided that it would be a great idea for the kids to receive Earth Day presents. You know, things that would encourage them to get outside, enjoy nature and get a little exercise. So I found these amazing kites at the store and figured flying kites as a family would be exactly the right thing. We went out in an open field and tried flying our kites. The wind didn't seem to want to cooperate, so there was a lot of running involved - yeah for extra exercise!! It was a fun hour or so even without the wind. We laughed at each other and the many experimental ways we employed to try to make our kites fly. It was a good day.

Yesterday afternoon, while I was gone, a good wind was blowing and the kids decided that the moment was right to give kite flying another try. They were wildly successful!! I feel bad I wasn't home to hear the giggles and be a part of the fun. Herman was anxious to fill me in on their adventure. He was so proud that he had flown his kite to the end of the string. He had taken it to the height of glory, his frog dancing, being tossed to and fro by the power of the wind. Then, he sadly told me that in that moment of sheer excitement, he panicked, afraid that the wind would overtake his kite and blow it far away. This is when he made the split-second decision to start reeling it in. The reel that the kite came equipped with wasn't fast enough, so he started pulling it in by the string, hand over fist, making a massive ball of tangled thread on the ground. This is how he brought home his kite.

Now, to this morning and the time I spent untangling the mass he'd created. I was frustrated and cussing under my breath about all the other things I could be doing - or should be doing while in the background, Pandora started playing Somewhere Over the Rainbow/It's a Wonderful World. And, just like some sappy, inspirational commercial, I starting gaining a new perspective on the whole situation.

I got thinking about how excited he must have been, his choices in that moment, what I would've done and the counsel I would've given him if I'd been there. Then I asked myself, would I have let him fly it that high? Would I have been supportive of him during such a strong wind or...... let him fly his kite in those conditions at all? Would I have just told him to wait for better day? Would I let him have the freedom to make those decisions himself or just take control to avoid a catastrophe like the one I was now trying to sort out?

Now, in even a sappier moment, I started to parallel all of these thoughts to parenting. Raising kids is so much like flying a kite. I hold the string, but so much of the control is beyond me. I hold on with faith, that as they grow, flying farther and farther away from me, that they will be safe - hoping that the conditions will be just right for a successful flight. And if/when that moment comes and I am holding the end of the string, will I take the opportunity to marvel with excitement as my creation dances beautifully at the end of the string for all to see or will I panic in fear that the wind may overpower them and take them away from me? Will I pull them back hand over fist, making a big mess as I try to protect them - a mess I will have to sort out later? So many questions. So many unknown answers. I hope I have the strength, that when the time comes and my control is dwindling, that I can sit back, look up in amazement, and marvel in excitement. I know that there will be fear, but I hope my faith and trust in them will overcome my fear to hold them back. I want to allow that moment. I want to enjoy that moment. I want to live in that moment because it's only a moment and then it's gone.

Earth Day.........Shouldn't It Be Everyday?

It doesn't seem like that long ago that the bulk of my days were filled with Disney movies, Teddy Grahams, and sippy cups. One of Em's favorite movies was the Lion King. I got so tired of watching that movie. There are still parts I'm sure I could quote verbatim. But today, I find myself thinking of the dialogue between Mufasa and Simba about the circle of life. Some pretty fine points were made during their discussion.

With tomorrow being Earth Day, I find myself slightly confused at some of the attitudes that accompany a day set aside for us to marvel at the great gift that we've been given. I'm sure that my own attitude is fostered by the profession that we are engaged in. When you live and breathe the nurture and well being of not only the animals in your care, but soils and plants, it's hard to not be in awe regularly of the power and graciousness of the earth.

I think what disturbs me most, is the fact that many want to politicize this holiday. That if you celebrate it, you must be an extremist. So some, in an effort to make clear that they are not in favor of the extreme, find it necessary to use this holiday to flaunt their objections by making sure that they use, in excess, the resources that are given to us. The reality is, I believe, that there are many that live in between these two extremes - ones that realize that this earth is such a precious gift - a gift from God - and feel a deep responsibility to do what they can to preserve and respect our planet. That kind conviction is not something that you can legislate, it's just too personal and for some, innate.

As parents, we all want to instill in our children those things that will help them be successful - successful in their relationships with others, in their careers, and in their lives. One of the things I hope I can give to each of my children is a deep appreciation, love and respect for all that the earth gives us. It is a precious gift. A gift to be treasured. A gift that sustains us. A gift to be used in a respectful way. And, with that gift, comes responsibility. I hope that they each will embrace that responsibility and take their place as caretakers.

So, I am excited to celebrate Earth Day - a day to pause in awe, appreciation, and humility. A day to go outside and fly a kite, plant some seeds, look at the stars - whatever makes you smile. Hopefully you can find something in this great earth of ours that inspires you to celebrate it! Happy Earth Day!!!

*At our house, we not only celebrate Earth Day, but a true example of a caretaker on all levels, Happy Birthday Grandpa Ellis!!