The Keeper of the Flame has had the esteemed job of mowing the lawn. Not just your average postage stamp of grass, but rather a couple acres. By push mower.
As parents we were super impressed with our forward thinking that the mower we gave him to push is gas powered. The Keeper of the Flame dilligently pushed for three weeks of the July heat index beyond 100F. The lawn is large enough to make it divisible into five smaller parts so that it was five days of an hour or two of lawn mowing. Small complaints were breathed, but no large blow-ups. And then the day came when the request was made, "I don't need any birthday gifts. Save the money to buy a riding lawnmower." This is the way to any mother's heart, through humility and self denial. Willing to give away all worldly pleasures for a simple riding mower with which he could bless his parents and continue to cut the lawn. So when the neighbor was selling his riding mower, the Wife was willing to pay whatever he was asking for her dear sweet boy. The haggle was short, and the mower drove to its new home. At dinner that night the conversation was light and good humor abounded. Tomorrow the Keeper of the Flame would be cutting the full lawn in one day. Everyone was jovial! Soon the conversation became something new to the Wife's ears..."Hey, Pop! Could we hook up a trailer to the mower to haul water buckets?"
...Such a thoughtful son, she thought, helping do his brother's chores...
"Pop, I could drive the mower to weed the bean field with the neighbors.."
...ahh, everyone should have a son so willing to be a blessing to everyone...
"and we could hook a trailer up to the back for the canoes going down to the canal, maybe we could tweek the engine to go a little faster? How do we lift it for four-wheel drive? do you think I could drive it to the gas station to get ice cream?"
...eh?...who's child was this?
And this was when the Wife realized...she had just bought her son his first vehicle...which just happens to cut the lawn.
(He is still a sweet boy, thoughtful, and diligent.)
Showing posts with label birthday gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label birthday gifts. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Friday, June 10, 2016
Dear Farmer's New Day Job
So, we kinda left you hanging. We were hanging too...
but now we know what's going on!
Dear Farmer has left the fields full time to tackle another aspect of farming, while the family farms during the day. Dear Farmer's new day job is at an organic soybean processing plant. What's he doing? He's running the plant. Actually, he's firing up the machines and running the soybeans to them in order for the machines to process the soybeans. BY HIMSELF! {sigh, he's so amazing!}
While Dear Farmer is gone during the day the Wife and the children are farming the garden, preparing for the goats and the chickens, and cutting a lot of grass. The "Sock" and the "Shoe" suit us very perfectly, we find. We are people that like to be out-doors rather than in-doors. We like to spend time together, rather than cleaning. And we are minimalists...well, some of us more than others.
The largest challenge of Dear Farmer's new position...we are in a location that doesn't have internet.
The Wife didn't know how much email was part of life. And grabbing information off the world wide web. And GPS. Messaging. Blogging.
It's a bit of a pain, but everything has challenges.
Like Dear Farmer's new day job, a job he's never done before. Never even thought it existed. But he's doing it to spend more time doing what he loves most...spending time with his family, and farming.
I love this Dear Farmer!
but now we know what's going on!
Dear Farmer has left the fields full time to tackle another aspect of farming, while the family farms during the day. Dear Farmer's new day job is at an organic soybean processing plant. What's he doing? He's running the plant. Actually, he's firing up the machines and running the soybeans to them in order for the machines to process the soybeans. BY HIMSELF! {sigh, he's so amazing!}
While Dear Farmer is gone during the day the Wife and the children are farming the garden, preparing for the goats and the chickens, and cutting a lot of grass. The "Sock" and the "Shoe" suit us very perfectly, we find. We are people that like to be out-doors rather than in-doors. We like to spend time together, rather than cleaning. And we are minimalists...well, some of us more than others.
The largest challenge of Dear Farmer's new position...we are in a location that doesn't have internet.
The Wife didn't know how much email was part of life. And grabbing information off the world wide web. And GPS. Messaging. Blogging.
It's a bit of a pain, but everything has challenges.
Like Dear Farmer's new day job, a job he's never done before. Never even thought it existed. But he's doing it to spend more time doing what he loves most...spending time with his family, and farming.
I love this Dear Farmer!
Thursday, April 14, 2016
The Wife's Log: April 14, 2016
The day started like any other day. The Pied Piper was sent outside to milk the goat, he returned in the house fifteen minutes later whining that the goat was not cooperating.
The Farmer's Daughter had to leave for work, but went down to milk the goat for the brother instead.
Meanwhile, the Haus Frau Farmer's Daughter (who just had a birthday) madly was doing her own chores so she could go and enjoy her new kayak on the pond.
The Wife drove the Farmer's Daughter to work and sent the Farm-boy Trio out to help Dear Farmer finish preparations for the incoming 1000 chicks this morning.
The Haus Frau Farmer's Daughter finished her work and pleaded to go kayaking on the pond. She took with her the Pied Piper. The Keeper of the Flame and WhizBang! were anxiously anticipating the soon-to-be chick delivery. It is always amazing how the Wife can find jobs for waiting people to do...they began a job and disappeared "under the radar"(which means the Wife doesn't see them again)...
Left alone in the house with the smallest Farmer's Daughters, the Wife tried desperately to get dressed and clean the kitchen from the onslaught of breakfast. With three "helpers"...it was going slowly.
In walked the Farmer's Shadow, who had a cold for the past few days and couldn't manage to get up and collect eggs. He had been feeling well enough to make a dime, and brought in three dozen eggs that he found. He began sorting through the hay in the egg basket for the eggs in the middle of the kitchen floor. Hay all over one's kitchen floor, does not make a cleaning process go faster or smoother.
While changing a diaper and giving orders to the egg sorter a faint "Mother? Mother?" is heard above the roar of life. The Haus Frau Farmer's Daughter was back with the Pied Piper--both wet. Apparently all of kayaking is fun, except for the part when the electronic device slides out of the back pocket and lands in the murky bottom of the farm-pond. Tears were shed over the device that she was sure kept her world revolving...but lesson learned: Don't go kayaking with anything in your pockets.
During the tears, and before the laughter, the chicks came in. Out went the Keeper of the Flame and the WhizBang!Farmer's Daughter to settle them down in brooding houses with Dear Farmer.
Into the house whooshed the Farmer's Daughter with a friend for a lesson on the attachment of fake eyelashes. Upstairs echoed giggling and laughter. Downstairs we were preparing for a (hopefully) early lunch. With four helpers making lunch, snitching ingredients, and generally causing chaos lunch did happen. All were called with a whistle.
Downstairs whooshed the Farmer's Daughter with friend to the next appointment.
In came Dear Farmer...the 1000 chicks were short...by 800??? On the phone went Dear Farmer to find out where 800 chicks are peeping currently. In came the children to snarf down food, all are excited about being next to try out the kayak. The Youngest Farmer's Daughter Trio is just too small to kayak. Great tragedy's of life are often solved by popcorn and a movie about a dancing British mouse. Which works once again today!
Clean up in the kitchen goes much faster without help.
The Pepper Goat was arguing with the Garlic Goat, and the Garlic Goat snapped the Pepper Goat's neck. Tears shed over the loss of a pack-goat, but quickly recovered with another ride on a kayak.
The Nordic Ninja is over to replace headlights and tail-lights with Dear Farmer. The Farmer's Daughter whooshes back home to change into work clothes and whooshes out again to evening work.
No one can find the 800 missing chicks currently, they are somewhere in the USPS(where I am sure someone is going mad listening to unrelenting peeping). Dear Farmer is working to build and wire infastructure, while at the same time keeping the phone nearby in case he hears word of the chicks.
And now, onto those dinner preparations...at 6pm the whole family will be at the table, there will be laughter of the fun, remembering the losses, and encouragement that we can all do this again tomorrow.
This is an amazing world we live in!
The Farmer's Daughter had to leave for work, but went down to milk the goat for the brother instead.
Meanwhile, the Haus Frau Farmer's Daughter (who just had a birthday) madly was doing her own chores so she could go and enjoy her new kayak on the pond.
The Wife drove the Farmer's Daughter to work and sent the Farm-boy Trio out to help Dear Farmer finish preparations for the incoming 1000 chicks this morning.
The Haus Frau Farmer's Daughter finished her work and pleaded to go kayaking on the pond. She took with her the Pied Piper. The Keeper of the Flame and WhizBang! were anxiously anticipating the soon-to-be chick delivery. It is always amazing how the Wife can find jobs for waiting people to do...they began a job and disappeared "under the radar"(which means the Wife doesn't see them again)...
Left alone in the house with the smallest Farmer's Daughters, the Wife tried desperately to get dressed and clean the kitchen from the onslaught of breakfast. With three "helpers"...it was going slowly.
In walked the Farmer's Shadow, who had a cold for the past few days and couldn't manage to get up and collect eggs. He had been feeling well enough to make a dime, and brought in three dozen eggs that he found. He began sorting through the hay in the egg basket for the eggs in the middle of the kitchen floor. Hay all over one's kitchen floor, does not make a cleaning process go faster or smoother.
While changing a diaper and giving orders to the egg sorter a faint "Mother? Mother?" is heard above the roar of life. The Haus Frau Farmer's Daughter was back with the Pied Piper--both wet. Apparently all of kayaking is fun, except for the part when the electronic device slides out of the back pocket and lands in the murky bottom of the farm-pond. Tears were shed over the device that she was sure kept her world revolving...but lesson learned: Don't go kayaking with anything in your pockets.
During the tears, and before the laughter, the chicks came in. Out went the Keeper of the Flame and the WhizBang!Farmer's Daughter to settle them down in brooding houses with Dear Farmer.
Into the house whooshed the Farmer's Daughter with a friend for a lesson on the attachment of fake eyelashes. Upstairs echoed giggling and laughter. Downstairs we were preparing for a (hopefully) early lunch. With four helpers making lunch, snitching ingredients, and generally causing chaos lunch did happen. All were called with a whistle.
Downstairs whooshed the Farmer's Daughter with friend to the next appointment.
In came Dear Farmer...the 1000 chicks were short...by 800??? On the phone went Dear Farmer to find out where 800 chicks are peeping currently. In came the children to snarf down food, all are excited about being next to try out the kayak. The Youngest Farmer's Daughter Trio is just too small to kayak. Great tragedy's of life are often solved by popcorn and a movie about a dancing British mouse. Which works once again today!
Clean up in the kitchen goes much faster without help.
The Pepper Goat was arguing with the Garlic Goat, and the Garlic Goat snapped the Pepper Goat's neck. Tears shed over the loss of a pack-goat, but quickly recovered with another ride on a kayak.
The Nordic Ninja is over to replace headlights and tail-lights with Dear Farmer. The Farmer's Daughter whooshes back home to change into work clothes and whooshes out again to evening work.
No one can find the 800 missing chicks currently, they are somewhere in the USPS(where I am sure someone is going mad listening to unrelenting peeping). Dear Farmer is working to build and wire infastructure, while at the same time keeping the phone nearby in case he hears word of the chicks.
And now, onto those dinner preparations...at 6pm the whole family will be at the table, there will be laughter of the fun, remembering the losses, and encouragement that we can all do this again tomorrow.
This is an amazing world we live in!
Thursday, February 18, 2016
I Bought My Love a Flock of Chickens and Ducks
So, you may have gotten the idea that around here gift giving is pretty practical.
Examples:
Birthday - Dear Farmer built a bed for the Wife
Anniversary - Dear Farmer and Wife give eachother goats
Birthday - The Wife gives Dear Farmer fence supplies
Christmas - The Parents give the children "bus tubs" for cleaning the dining room/kitchen
Yeah...it looks pretty bare bones around here....
ANYHOW... for Dear Farmer's upcoming birthday (June) this year, the Wife told him she'd like to buy him a flock of chickens and ducks. The Wife has to give Dear Farmer this gift now, because he has to place his order to the hatchery so that the flock can be delivered by mid-spring...and then be able to be enjoyed by June.
The Wife told Dear Farmer he could choose what-ever he wanted...like a kid in a candy story, Dear Farmer's eyes widened and he started jumping up and down! His very own flock!
He has been working hard pouring over the hatchery catalog, researching and pricing. He's still undecided on everything he wants...but he's pretty set on laying chickens and a "straight run" of ducks. (A "straight run" means that the hatchery just sends you little guys without looking for male or female parts.)
We've learned that ducks do a great job eating ticks, so the more ducks we have, the less ticks we have. Dear Farmer's theory is "Let those boys feast all year, and then we'll eat them!"
For the laying chickens Dear Farmer wants just female...obviously, THOSE are the ones that lay eggs...but a colorful flock, and no broody hens.
He's having fun with his birthday gift preparations...and the Wife is looking forward to all those eggs!
What other Wife can say, "I bought my love a flock of various foul for his birthday!"???
Anyone else?
Examples:
Birthday - Dear Farmer built a bed for the Wife
Anniversary - Dear Farmer and Wife give eachother goats
Birthday - The Wife gives Dear Farmer fence supplies
Christmas - The Parents give the children "bus tubs" for cleaning the dining room/kitchen
Yeah...it looks pretty bare bones around here....
ANYHOW... for Dear Farmer's upcoming birthday (June) this year, the Wife told him she'd like to buy him a flock of chickens and ducks. The Wife has to give Dear Farmer this gift now, because he has to place his order to the hatchery so that the flock can be delivered by mid-spring...and then be able to be enjoyed by June.
The Wife told Dear Farmer he could choose what-ever he wanted...like a kid in a candy story, Dear Farmer's eyes widened and he started jumping up and down! His very own flock!
He has been working hard pouring over the hatchery catalog, researching and pricing. He's still undecided on everything he wants...but he's pretty set on laying chickens and a "straight run" of ducks. (A "straight run" means that the hatchery just sends you little guys without looking for male or female parts.)
We've learned that ducks do a great job eating ticks, so the more ducks we have, the less ticks we have. Dear Farmer's theory is "Let those boys feast all year, and then we'll eat them!"
For the laying chickens Dear Farmer wants just female...obviously, THOSE are the ones that lay eggs...but a colorful flock, and no broody hens.
He's having fun with his birthday gift preparations...and the Wife is looking forward to all those eggs!
What other Wife can say, "I bought my love a flock of various foul for his birthday!"???
Anyone else?
Monday, June 8, 2015
What did Dear Farmer do for his birthday?
In our large family gifts are usually time together, not so much opening boxes or having things. Last year the children at home started the tradition of all pitching in together for Dear Farmer's birthday...
this year children at home took Dear Farmer out for his birthday gift to the "John Deere Historical Site" in Grand Detour, IL. If you're a "John Deere"-fan, it's a must!
Check on their website first, to confirm when they are open, admission was only $5.00 for ages 12 and up-we went on a Saturday, they were open from 9-5. We packed a picnic lunch, they have a beautiful pavilion to lunch in, and they have nice clean bathrooms as well.
The site is approximately one block long, and maybe a quarter block wide. It's absolutely beautiful and well kept. You are given a guided tour in small groups with other visitors. We were a small group all by ourselves, but there was a couple that tagged along with us. I only felt bad for the other couple when it came to "Do you have any questions?" from the tour guide. The Pied Piper always has tons of questions. I'm sure the couple would have gladly moved on.
On site there are several buildings of interest:
this year children at home took Dear Farmer out for his birthday gift to the "John Deere Historical Site" in Grand Detour, IL. If you're a "John Deere"-fan, it's a must!
Check on their website first, to confirm when they are open, admission was only $5.00 for ages 12 and up-we went on a Saturday, they were open from 9-5. We packed a picnic lunch, they have a beautiful pavilion to lunch in, and they have nice clean bathrooms as well.
The site is approximately one block long, and maybe a quarter block wide. It's absolutely beautiful and well kept. You are given a guided tour in small groups with other visitors. We were a small group all by ourselves, but there was a couple that tagged along with us. I only felt bad for the other couple when it came to "Do you have any questions?" from the tour guide. The Pied Piper always has tons of questions. I'm sure the couple would have gladly moved on.
On site there are several buildings of interest:
- One building is an excavation site of the original blacksmith shop built by John Deere where the company first started. In that building is a movie about John Deere, and many artifacts from the dig.
- One building is a replica of the blacksmith shop where an actual blacksmith was giving a demonstration as well as a verbal "tour" around the shop. The blacksmith was entertaining and informative! What a craftsman!
- One building was John Deere's home. The family owned the property for a number of years, so family pictures and furniture were decorating the home. There are also a number of period pieces to complete the lived-in look.
- One building is the neighbor's house, where there is a gift shoppe. We didn't go in there...I had eight small children with me, and was not planning on purchasing anything for them.
The entire time there was about an hour and a half, not too long for the littlest, and just right for the parents.
Having seen this John Deere site, it makes Dear Farmer want to go to Moline, IL and see the corporate HQ. I don't know anything about that, we'll have to look into it for next year's birthday.
If you head over that direction, there is more to do in the area. Lee County in Illinois has a well organized visitor's bureau.
The highlight of Dear Farmer's birthday...he said it was being with his family! What a great guy!!!
*Do I need to tell you no one paid me to say anything about anything? We just had a great time, and would love you others to have a great time there as well!
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