Number of comments: 4 What happens when a mom tries to capture perfection for the annual Christmas card?
Ah, well. This is about as close to perfect as it gets around here. [...]
Number of comments: 7 The tale of 40 roosters begins last June with the arrival of two cheeping boxes at the local post office.
The little cheepers numbered 50 in all, the idea being that approximately half of them would become the new flock of laying hens and the other half would become chicken dinner.
Alas, [...]
Number of comments: 6 Having become a slacker blogger, I have trouble knowing where to start when I decide it's finally time to do a new post. I usually take a look at my photo files to remember what we've been up to lately, but I've been slacking so badly that I now have [...]
Number of comments: 11 After passing his hunter's safety course earlier this fall, Riley has been anxious to shoot something besides pop cans and paper targets. Last Saturday, he got his chance.I'm told that the first buck is something special for a boy. I suppose it's a rite of passage that goes back to' [...]
Number of comments: 9 My baby is four. I would be concerned about that if I weren't so distracted by the fact that my oldest child is 12. Four also happens to be one of my favorite ages, so I'm trying to enjoy the time for what it is instead of lamenting the idea [...]
Number of comments: 5 Today marks an important occasion: selling and shipping the calves.As the cows rounded the corner toward home, I realized that we're rounding a corner, too. Today we're transitioning into the next year in the cattle business. We choose a group of female calves to keep, and in another year they [...]
Number of comments: 9 I have this thing with birthday cakes.You can read about it here and here.I also have this thing with chickens.You can read about it here.Combining the two seemed like a really, really unwise idea, but my boy wanted a chicken cake. Who am I to deny him his birthday wish?So [...]
Number of comments: 7 When my first baby was born, I was 21. I was a college graduate, a farmer’s wife, and a newspaper reporter. I was pretty sure I could handle parenting. I had it all under control. I found motherhood to be fairly easy. The baby needed held, fed, changed, burped, and [...]
Number of comments: 5 My sister and I weren't the best of friends growing up.With six years separating us, we didn't have much in common. My, how times have changed. Now that we're adults, we find that we sometimes have too much in common.We frequently show up for family events wearing the same outfit,' [...]
Number of comments: 10 Next year when I'm taking the "First Day of School" photos, I should remember the following:a) Don't force the poor children to squint into the sun.b) Convince Matthew that I said, "Say cheese," not "Be cheesy."c) Keep in mind that sixth graders are not keen on Mom taking "First Day" [...]
Number of comments: 15 This time of year, my husband feels a bit like a boomerang. He is caught between the two major components of our livelihood: crops and cattle.We're midway through harvesting winter wheat, which means he spends at least 14 hours a day - and usually longer - in the field and' [...]
Number of comments: 7 Wondering where we've been lately?Gone fishin', of course.The fish bites were a bit sparse, but the experience was the stuff of which summertime memories are made.Digging worms, wading in mud, learning to cast with Grandpa. . .It's the way summer ought to be spent. [...]
Number of comments: 19 He may never be an Olympic athlete, but he's a gold medalist nonetheless.Riley took 15 exhibits in 3 project areas to the County Fair. He came home with 15 blue ribbons and 3 first place medallions in Electricity, Robotics, and Photography.This is a blatant brag. I'm proud of him. I'm [...]
Number of comments: 5 Sometimes living in Montana can be like taking a step back in time.My cousin's recent wedding was a case in point. In the city, the bride and groom are likely to hire a limo as a means of transportation to and from their wedding. Out here, you're more likely to' [...]
Number of comments: 11 At first glance, she might seem like a delicate little wisp of a girl, just beyond toddlerhood but not quite worldly enough for preschool. Her slow, sweet smile might convey an air of innocence. She may even cling to her mama's leg a bit.But then you turn your back and [...]
Number of comments: 10 When my grandpa was a little boy, his family would spend Independence Day in a mountain meadow near their ranch. No one can recall the exact year that the tradition began, but since the family settled on the ranch in 1914, we know that six generations have been retreating to [...]
Number of comments: 4 You think I can't run fast enough to make it to first base just 'cuz I'm a little farm boy wearing John Deere boots?Just watch me.' [...]
Number of comments: 6 Here we are at the end of June. I'm not sure how we arrived here so quickly. We haven't done anything monumental this summer (aside from the dual tonsillectomy earlier in June). We've just done a little bit of this and a little bit of that.A little bit of family' [...]
Number of comments: 8 From time to time, I receive a note from a reader of my newspaper column. I enjoy hearing from each person who takes the time to email me, but a few responses have been especially memorable.For example, one reader took the time to express her concern about the health of [...]
Number of comments: 8 I caught her running across the yard in pink plastic princess slippers and a gown. Her destination was not the ball at the palace, though.Her destination was either the chicken coop or the cow pasture. I convinced her that barbed wire was not kind to ball gowns. I figured that [...]
Number of comments: 8 I have not, in fact, fallen off the face of the earth.I have not had much sleep in the past two weeks.I have not done much house cleaning.I have not mowed my grass.I have not taken many pictures.I have not baked bread.I have not caught up on my scrapbooking.I have [...]
Number of comments: 6 Some of us thought that surgery wouldn't be so bad. It might be an adventure, even. With fun hats.Then reality struck.Sometimes reality feels icky.It helps to have a nice, soft pillow.And sometimes a nice, warm sister.We're slowly getting back to normal. Now we're hoping that the weather will get back' [...]
Number of comments: 10 Seriously? It could stop snowing any time now. In other news, we survived the dentist (although we broke our eleven year run of no cavities). We had only one chick casualty while we were gone, thanks to our excellent chick sitters who even wiped the little chick behinds because they [...]
Number of comments: 7 After our fun family outing to the feedlot last week, I made every attempt to plan our next getaway that would top the excitement of visiting our heifers.Every farm family vacation is really a business trip in disguise, so usually I just wait for a piece of equipment to break [...]
Number of comments: 4 I may dislike chickens, but even I must admit that the babies are cute.They arrived today.Two boxes. Fifty-two birds. Lots of chirping on the way home.They stretched their legs,had a drink,grabbed a bite to eat,and headed for the red light district.It was a chilly day, and they needed some snuggling.Happy [...]
Number of comments: 7 I spent the morning pounding steel fence posts, wiring up fence, shoveling grain and mouse droppings, and doing other assorted unpleasant tasks.We are preparing for new arrivals. The idea sounded okay a month ago when the order was placed, but in the middle of coughing and hacking up dust while [...]
Number of comments: 4 Lately, we have been doing a lot of runningalong with some jumpingand kicking.Add to that the seeding, spraying, mowing, cow moving, gardening, pruning, and driving 60 miles away for t-ball games, and you have a very busy family.We take moments together when possible, so a few days ago we loaded [...]
Number of comments: 7 The local elementary school recently displayed a bulletin board full of students’ summer plans. Handwritten on colorful paper in the shape of kites, the children’s expectations floated up optimistically toward the sky. Some students expect to travel out of state to visit relatives this summer. Others have trips planned to [...]
Number of comments: 5 I always cry at graduations, so it was no surprise when I was choked up about my littlest boy graduating from kindergarten.It's just that he's so. . . little. It doesn't seem right that he will be thrust into the big boy world of first grade in the fall. And' [...]
Number of comments: 4 I'm not a very good housekeeper.But lately, things have really gone downhill. It turns out that I've not only been living with dust bunnies, but I've been snuggling with them and kissing them goodnight.Every two years, our local elementary school hosts the Missoula Children's Theater, giving our very rural kids' [...]
Number of comments: 5 My Top Ten Excuses Reasons For Being A Slacker Blogger Lately1. Laundry. It's going to be the death of me, I tell you.2. My family insists upon being fed regularly. 3. The dog needed to be neutered, and since we live an hour away from the vet, it was an all-day [...]
Number of comments: 3 Today is a big day in our little town. Aside from funerals, weddings, and basketball tournaments, high school graduation draws the most people together in our community. These kids are our pride and joy. They're the best crop that we produce, and we grow 'em well around here.This year, I'll' [...]
Number of comments: 7 I am frequently asked how I find time to write.The truth is that I really don't know. Somehow, usually late at night, I am able to gather my thoughts and record them. But it's not an easy feat.In the morning, I sit down to the computer, intent upon writing a' [...]
Number of comments: 7 Sometimes when I look out the front window, I wish I could just hit the "refresh" button and see something different like I can do on my computer.This morning was one of those times.Unfortunately, I have no one to blame for the snow but myself.You see, I put away the [...]
Number of comments: 10 We were young. We had no idea what the future held. We said our vows in a homemade dress and a rented tux, and he was optimistic enough to teach me how to drive a tractor that summer. I retaliated by acquiring sheep the next summer and returning to my [...]
Number of comments: 6 Around here, horse photography is quite a challenge. It seems that someone doesn't quite understand the concept of keeping his nose out of the camera lens. I guess close-ups can be interesting, too. ' [...]
Number of comments: 9 He spent the afternoon on his tractor, working hard and being sure to dodge the sopping wet, sticky gumbo that threatened to sabotage his farming efforts.Determination displayed in his furrowed brow, he masterfully guided the red machine up and down the hills, his goal clear in his mind.The tractor picked [...]
Number of comments: 9 Our fourteenth wedding anniversary is approaching. I read somewhere that the traditional gift for such a milestone is ivory, and the modern gift suggestion is gold jewelry. Unless the wheat market makes a miraculous recovery in the next two weeks, I’m not anticipating such a gift this year. Actually, we [...]
Number of comments: 17 Is it just me, or does the Swine Flu hysteria sound just a little bit like the children's story in which an entire community follows the lead of a chicken who thinks the sky is falling?I am by no means an infectious diseases specialist, although I do have some experience [...]
Number of comments: 9 I know the world is up in arms about Swine Flu, but here in Montana, we're suffering from a bad case of Snow Flu.It's that unfortunate malady that strikes when a population realizes that the first snow of the season was nearly seven months ago and that they are, indeed,' [...]
Number of comments: 7 The calves are branded, and not a moment too soon. Looks like May is going to come in like a lion. It's going to be a long week for the farmers who are ready to be in the fields (and the wives who live with them). [...]
Number of comments: 13 Today is my birthday. My plan for the day was simple. After enjoying church with my family, I was going to catch up on some housework, do some baking, and then watch a movie I've been wanting to see for ages but haven't had time to sit still long enough to [...]
Number of comments: 6 It's just a guess, but I'm thinking that my kindergartener was probably the only one in the world today who took a toy grain auger to school for Show and Tell.' [...]
Number of comments: 5 "Wow, Mom," my little blonde boy said, his blue eyes wide with admiration. "That was a really good supper. Did you try your very, very best to make it taste so good for us?"The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard. As an at-home mom, I am unaccustomed to [...]
Number of comments: 4 Our little guyis all grown up.He's very handsome when he's planning a strategic attack on the deer invading his territory, don't you think?Now, if we could just keep him from going to investigate every single time the skunk comes around. . . ' [...]
Number of comments: 6 The deer are in good condition after the long winter (thanks to our readily available haystack and the newly green alfalfa they've been eating like candy).' [...]
Number of comments: 7 I guess you could say that I'm a tough sale. A hard nut to crack. Stubborn, even.Remember when I asked my faithful blog readers about tonsils and adenoids?I read each comment.I valued each opinion.I received emails, phone calls, and more advice than I could process, and it was nearly unanimous:' [...]
Number of comments: 8 There are many reasons why people prefer to live in cities rather than in the country.Pizza delivery comes to mind. Being able to drink the water that comes out of the tap instead of hauling five gallon bottles from the town 50 miles away would certainly be an advantage. Paved [...]
Number of comments: 4 We had a beautiful weekend.The weather was nice enough to hide eggs outside, which was delightful.Even those who are now too mature for egg hunts had an enjoyable time.The chocolate pie was so good that we dove right in with no regard for the mess it was making on our [...]
Number of comments: 8 If you are in the mood for an old-fashioned English teacher lecture, go ahead and click here to read my latest column in which I solve the country's problems.Just be forewarned that it took quite a stepladder to reach the top of the soapbox I was standing on when I [...]
Number of comments: 8 Many of my fondest childhood memories are those of traditions my family established. When I became a mother, I made it a priority to establish traditions for my children as well. The first tradition was to create a special birthday cake every year for every child. That sounded like a fine idea [...]
Number of comments: 3 April is a fickle month.One day it's mud boots,and the next day it's snow boots.The wise rancher is well stocked with hay.The wise mother never puts the snow gear away until May. [...]
Number of comments: 8 If you give a child a puddle,she'll throw her mittens in it.She will sit in it with her brother and fling mud.They will probably get all muddy.Being muddy will remind them that their mama doesn't like to do laundry.They will find a snowbank and roll in it to get clean.Rolling [...]
Number of comments: 9 There is a story to accompany this photo, but I'm too busy doing laundry to tell it.I'd just like to confess that I have now eaten all of the Easter basket candy I purchased two weeks ago. Chocolate is my drug of choice, and it's been a rough week.Another batch [...]
A few years ago, Krispy Kreme opened a store nearby.I use nearby as a relative term. It was actually 175 miles away, but in rural Montana terms, that's not so far.Sadly, I only had one opportunity to taste the doughnut perfection before they closed their doors. While I realize that I [...]
Number of comments: 9 Long ago, when I first began writing newspaper columns about life on the farm, I was a new mother of an only child.And while life seemed very much different back then, it seems that it was just as exasperating as it is now that the kid and critter count is [...]
Number of comments: 7 While you wouldn't know it by looking at the snow flying today, we are rolling right along into spring. The calving is two-thirds complete, a few blades of green grass poked through earlier this week, and a little boy in my house is putting in orders for a birthday cake.' [...]
Number of comments: 8 To be completely honest, I'm not a real fan of pigs. They rank somewhere near chickens on my list of favorite animals.I'm usually not one for placing bets, either, but I would wager that these may have been the only pigs who went to church last Sunday. I'm not sure if' [...]
Number of comments: 6 Self Restraint (Noun): The act of pursing one's lips together fiercely to avoid telling one's daughter, age 7, to fix the comma splice on her 4-H demonstration poster.Instead, I taught her the difference between your and you're. I don't have that much self restraint. [...]
Number of comments: 5 Some people might think that life here in the middle of nowhere lacks excitement.In fact, our lives have been quite full of drama lately.We might not have amusement parks in this region, but we have been riding the roller coaster of March temperatures that have ranged from -17 to 60 [...]
Number of comments: 6 The sun is racing to beat me out of bed in the mornings, a sure sign that spring is hovering around the corner. Other signs are cropping up as well. The kids are riding their bikes until dusk and coming into the house with jeans so caked with mud that [...]
Number of comments: 11 I'm thinking that March really isn't my favorite month.The wind, the snow, the subzero temperatures, the way the colds have turned into superbugs instead of regular viruses. . . altogether, it's just not very appealing.After considering the other months of the year, I think I've settled on a favorite. I' [...]
Number of comments: 6 I tend to be a person who sees the glass half full. I try to live by the Serenity Prayer, and most days that philosophy works for me.In that spirit, I have set out to find something good about today. Here's what I came up with: Today Is Almost Over.That's' [...]
Number of comments: 12 After checking the cows in the bitterly cold wind tonight, I just needed to prove to myself that winter always ends at some point. It's nice to remind myself of what summer will bring. [...]
Number of comments: 1 Anna: Did that girl just run over her?Matthew: Yup.Anna: Then you need to give her a coincidence.Matthew: A what?Anna: A coincidence. Oh, wait. Um. . . a consequence. Yeah, a consequence. 'Cause she did something wrong.Matthew: Yeah, that's why the ambliance is here. 'Cause she got stuck on the car [...]
Number of comments: 7 As the baby of the family, I learned early on that I could usually blame someone else for whatever trouble I created. . . and get away with it.So it's easy for me to say that my current chocolate addiction is my sister's fault.Last weekend, I loaded up my four [...]
Number of comments: 8 I haven't been writing much lately. Oftentimes when I write a piece like Powdered Sugar Donuts, I have a dry spell. Nothing that crosses my mind really seems worthy of putting on paper. Unfortunately, my occupation as a twice monthly columnist does not tolerate writer's block. Every two weeks, I have' [...]
Number of comments: 9 The cutest calf contest has officially begun. We have a definite contender.I'd like to get close enough for a good look. There's only one problem.Mama is not signing up for the photo shoot.Actually, Mama is not impressed with my presence whatsoever.I get the distinct feeling that Mama is not, in [...]
Number of comments: 7 This is our second set of twins this year out of a group of Red Angus cows we bought last fall. Anna has christened the heifer calves Hailey and Bailey. Mama can't quite handle the milk production for two, so Hailey is now on a bottle. If we lose a calf' [...]
I rode in this contraption.Actually, I paid money to ride in this contraption.Apparently this is called a sandrail, and its purpose is to drive at alarmingly fast speeds over the highest sand dunes that the Oregon coast has to offer.I can tell you that Oregon has some pretty serious sand [...]
Number of comments: 10 This is what farmers look like when you take them to the ocean.They just get positively giddy seeing that much moisture.This was my first visit to the ocean, and I was captivated.I am not a worldly soul. I spent my first 17 years on the ranch that has been home [...]
Number of comments: 10 The best way I can describe the past 10 days is "overwhelming."That's how my son described his feelings when I came through the door after being gone for four days.That's how I could describe my emotions as my family gathered to celebrate the life of my grandma.That's how all my' [...]
Number of comments: 8 This is what farm wives look like when you take them off the farm.Sometimes it's nice to kick off the muck boots and play dress up, even if it was at an event that had a tractor parked outside the hotel and a Gator in the lobby.At least the hay' [...]
Number of comments: 9 The physical properties of flight have been explained to me on numerous occasions.I understand the principles.I understand that the pilot has been trained to operate the aircraft.I understand that flying is statistically safer than driving a car.With that in mind, I still maintain that landing a plane on that little [...]
Number of comments: 6 When I was a small child, I was afraid of dogs.The fear began, I believe, because my weight at that time was equitable to that of a paper clip, and my legs were so short that I could barely outrun a turtle. I was an easy target for large, slobbering [...]
Number of comments: 24 My grandma let me eat powdered sugar donuts, and she didn’t even flinch when the white powder misted over the green vinyl tablecloth and chunks of cake tumbled to the floor.At her kitchen table, I tasted my first bowl of Froot Loops. My mom bought only Rice Krispies and Cheerios. [...]
Number of comments: 7 You could call me an optimist.After a long, cold, snowy, icy winter, I bought seven packages of flower seeds today.In my defense, it was 50 degrees outside. That's above zero. The snow is beginning to pull back its blanket and reveal the ground below, and the smell of warming earth' [...]
Number of comments: 8 I usually blog after the kids are tucked in bed and all is quiet for the night.Lately, however, I have been otherwise engaged.Now I go spotlighting. The heifers are (supposed to be) calving, so we keep close tabs on them. If I take the 11 p.m. check, I can stay [...]
Number of comments: 9 It's that sound made when small children rush into the kitchen after playing with Tonkas in the snowbank in the backyard and convince their mama to make them cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows (because everyone knows that marshmallows are necessary to the process of warming up).See? You can practically' [...]
Number of comments: 7 The first calf of the year is on the ground. It's a boy, and he has very long eyelashes.Playmates should be arriving soon.Brace yourselves for a barrage of calf photos.' [...]
Number of comments: 5 "Oh, man. She caught me in the recliner.""What was I thinking? She'll never let me in the house now that she knows I'm not cold and pathetic." [...]
Number of comments: 55 Whenever I peruse a news magazine, watch television, or listen to a radio broadcast, I usually find myself muttering, “What kind of people . . . ?”For example, what kind of people rush to call their doctor at the urging of prescription medication advertisements that do not even disclose the [...]
Number of comments: 8 I don't think I need to post any more pictures of snow to convince you that the past two months have been cold.My job as head chef of the outfit is to make sure everyone has a belly full of warm food before they head outdoors.However, cooking can be a' [...]
Number of comments: 2 I love to give practical wedding gifts. A potluck cookbook wrapped in flour sack dish towels with a pot holder for decoration is frequently my offering at a bridal shower.I rarely give decorative items to new brides, but that may be changing.A faithful blog reader has created a needlepoint design [...]
Number of comments: 15 Every now and then, I scan the folders of my hard drive to see what lingers there. One of the benefits of being a writer, I suppose, is that each piece of writing holds a memory or two that would have otherwise slipped away over time. Some pieces, like the [...]
Number of comments: 12 I have neglected the questions in the comments for quite some time now. I don't remember where I left off, so here are the answers to the most recent questions.Ethan, Zach, and Emma's Mom said...Hey, how'd you do that?I used Photoshop Elements to combine three photos into one and saved' [...]
Number of comments: 7 It's a well known fact that I'm the Meanest Mom Ever.But the new kid on the block hasn't figured that out yet."It's awfully chilly out here.""I wonder if Mom will let me in the house.""How about if I dab a little snow on my nose and look cold?""What if I" [...]
