Glancing through my Facebook newsfeed, I saw A LOT of people were putting up Christmas decorations this weekend. I'm a stanch believer in waiting until after Thanksgiving to put up any decorations or basically doing anything towards Christmas. Thanksgiving, I feel, is one of the most overlooked holidays. It's so close to Christmas, everybody is already looking forward to and planning for Christmas and the holiday season. For God's sake people, stop planning what expensive toys, trinkets and technology you're going to buy for the people in your life. Take a week in a 52 week year and spend every single day of it being thankful for everything we are given as American citizens. Seven whole days out of 365 days being thankful for every little thing that we have and not complaining about what we don't have. Do some say our country is falling apart under the current leadership, absolutely. Who can say they HAVEN'T complained about Congress' inability to pass any laws? Can anybody say they've gone even a day, let alone a whole week, without picking up their smart phones, tablets or computer? Can we say that we've taken time out of our oh so busy lives to call our grandparents-the ones that built this country and would be ashamed to watch the ACM awards on TV tonight.
Have I complained about government in the past week, yes. I don't remember the last time I didn't get on my computer in the evening. I haven't talked to my 101 year old Grandma in about 2 weeks. Am I so busy that I can't take 5 minutes out of a 24 hour period to call my grandma on the phone or even better...go see her!? How blessed are we in this country to have everything we have? And have the need for #firstworldproblems when we can't find two of the same color socks? What is wrong with our civilization that we have to complain about EVERYTHING! That we are so busy bustling through this life, that we can't take the time to do the things that truly matter. In the last week alone, I can think of a dozen things that I've nagged Matt about doing or not doing. If I'm honest there's been a dozen things today alone. Why? Why do I have to nag about the little things that I feel should be done and be done MY way. Why can't I appreciate the stress he's under and instead of adding to that stress by nagging, take away the stress by just doing the things I want him to do.
Why!? Why can't the world's problems be solved peacefully? Why can't every child born in the world, be born into a loving situation? Why can't there be food, water and shelter available for EVERY SINGLE person on this Earth? One of my Forever's most favorite thing to say right now has to deal with the movie Frozen. Whenever I'm going on a rant about something and in the process of creating a grudge that I fully intend to hold for a long time, he asks me if I've seen the movie Frozen and after telling him yes, he tell me to, "Let It Go".
Let go of the anger towards fellow human beings, let go of the hurt and disappointment, let go of the worry, let go of being a person that complains and nags, let go of not doing the little things for your family, let go of the battle to be number one.
We aren't church attenders. I cherish Matt and I's Sunday mornings of being together. Sunday mornings are our time to be together, to chat and to love. Not that we don't all week, it just seems like Sunday mornings, there are less distractions and we can just be for a little while. I love everything about our Sunday mornings.
If you believe in God, you believe that everything happens for a reason. If everything was perfect in the world, there would be no need for God. It's our weakest moment, that God takes control of our lives and shows us the path he has for us. He has a reason that there is so much anger, hurt, disappointment, worry, complaining, nagging and competitions in the world. For everything there is a reason. For everything there is a season. Even in the worst times you can always say, "and this too shall pass". Whatever the "this" is for you that you are waiting to get past, take time each day this week to be thankful for every little blessing in life. Be thankful we're in America, a country that has amazingly brilliant healthcare givers so we have minimal disease outbreak unlike Africa, a country that has freedom to choose, unlike so many other countries, a country that an individual can make change happen in, a country that we get to be so blessed that we forget how blessed we are and complain about how slow the internet is working, not that we don't have internet, but it's just working too slow.
Every single day this week, take 60 seconds out of your day to thank somebody or do something nice for somebody. There are people in your own communities that don't have it as good as you. Take a moment this week and do something for those people. Take a salad to your local Thanksgiving dinner, volunteer your time. Be thankful for the family you have around you. A 15 year old girl from Topeka passed away this week after a courageous battle with a brain tumor. If that doesn't put life into perspective for you, not a lot will. 15 years old, not even through high school and she faced death. Her family is without her this Thanksgiving and Christmas season. A classmate of mine passed away in high school our junior year and I miss him everyday. What do you think those families feel? Everybody has lost somebody in their lives. Appreciate the people in your lives everyday, but especially now. Take the time this week, to be thankful of their presence in your life and LET THEM KNOW you appreciate and love them. Take the time to be thankful for all the blessings we have just by being born in this country. Take the time to be thankful for the little things in your lives, like the availability to food, water and shelter. Not too far away from us, maybe even down the street, is somebody that doesn't even have that.
This holiday season after we've been properly thankful for everything and start stringing our lights, decorating houses, picking out the perfect tree, preparing scrumptious feasts, loosening the waste bands on our cloths and perfecting the perfect gift, I encourage all of us to let go of the negativity that is all around us, instead be the change you want to see in the world as Gandhi said.
Enough of a soap box for you? Pushing Thanksgiving to the back burner has always bothered me because there are so many things we need to be thankful for, but it's so easy to skip over. Borrowing lyrics from the oh so popular, Frozen...
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door!
Turn away and slam the door in the face of not being thankful, of skipping over Thanksgiving and not helping your fellow human. For one week of the year just LET IT GO!
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
How to Keep Your Ladies Warm in the Winter
It's official...farmers are crazy! Winter has officially hit in Northeast Kansas. Hopefully it hasn't set in for the season, but it is definitely giving us a sneak peak as to what is coming.
We were given our first snow of the season on Saturday. Thankfully, it wasn't very deep and didn't stick to the ground, but it's still been a good heads up to prepare for the winter. Since about Wednesday of this last week, it has been very very cold! It went from T-Shirt weather on Monday to layers upon layers of clothing for Tuesday. It hasn't been much above freezing or at all since. This means cattle are needing a lot more care. Like my dad explained to me when I was a little girl riding around in the tractor with him. Cattle need hay in the winter because they have furnaces inside their stomachs and without hay that furnace doesn't burn. But when they eat hay, it allows the furnace to keep running and that's how cows keep warm during the winter. Okay, that's not true-there's no furnace, but it gives a good illustration.
As a cattle producer I hate seeing the cattle out in the cold weather. However, cattle are equipped to be out in the weather as long as we, as cattle producers prepare the cattle for the weather coming. For example, during cold weather producers increase the amount of feed fed to livestock to increase their metabolism which in turn produces more body heat for the cattle.
Another thing that producers do is provide windbreaks. Just like us, we can stand a colder temperature as long as their isn't a bitter wind blowing. A good wind break is a essential for cattle to withstand the cold for multiple days. Wind breaks don't have to be fancy or anything incredible, just something for cattle to get behind. A lot of producers in NE KS use the natural shelter in the pastures such as the trees.
Next, water availability. A lot of producers rely on ponds during the summer to water their cattle and let them cool off. However, during the winter we like to shut the ponds off so the cattle can't get in to them. Cattle can get on those ponds and fall through and freeze to death if you don't catch them in time. This means there has to be another water source. This could mean an automatic waterer or a running stream or creek. For cattle in a more confined area this could mean a water tank that has to have ice broke on them everyday. Whatever the water source, it's very important for producers to keep the water open and available to cattle so they don't go in search of water and get into dangerous situations. Water is also important for health reasons. Remember, the cattle are eating more and just like us when we eat more, we want more to drink. Cattle need this as well.
What's next? Feed, water, and shelter. All things that producers can provide for their cattle. But what do cattle do for warmth for themselves? When winter sets in, cattle (just like your pets) develop a thicker hair coat. This hair coat naturally insulates them from the wind and cold weather like snow. Cattle gather together to get group body heat. These two natural reactions can prevent cattle from succumbing to the cold.
So while it is very cold outside, producers are doing everything they can to provide for their cattle and keep them warm. Please be careful with your pets and outside animals. Make sure they have the same things that we're providing to our cattle, shelter, food, water. I hear there is a warmup in the nearish future. I hope it gets here and gives us a chance to adjust to the cold temperature rather than just shocking our systems.
An update from Matt's grandpa that is in the hospital. I haven't been to see him for a little while, but Matt saw him this week. He's doing much better! He got the tube out of his nose that was pumping his stomach out and is starting to eat and drink again. He's a lot more alert and interested in what's going on on the farm. Long road left, but he's doing much better!
Another side note, I was telling my dear Forever about the blogs that were the most read. He says it all depends on the title and how good the title is. So, the title this week is all his! We're doing an experiment on who has the better blog titles.
Again, I welcome any questions you may have regarding this blog or any of my others. Hope you have a great week and stay warm!!
We were given our first snow of the season on Saturday. Thankfully, it wasn't very deep and didn't stick to the ground, but it's still been a good heads up to prepare for the winter. Since about Wednesday of this last week, it has been very very cold! It went from T-Shirt weather on Monday to layers upon layers of clothing for Tuesday. It hasn't been much above freezing or at all since. This means cattle are needing a lot more care. Like my dad explained to me when I was a little girl riding around in the tractor with him. Cattle need hay in the winter because they have furnaces inside their stomachs and without hay that furnace doesn't burn. But when they eat hay, it allows the furnace to keep running and that's how cows keep warm during the winter. Okay, that's not true-there's no furnace, but it gives a good illustration.
As a cattle producer I hate seeing the cattle out in the cold weather. However, cattle are equipped to be out in the weather as long as we, as cattle producers prepare the cattle for the weather coming. For example, during cold weather producers increase the amount of feed fed to livestock to increase their metabolism which in turn produces more body heat for the cattle.
Another thing that producers do is provide windbreaks. Just like us, we can stand a colder temperature as long as their isn't a bitter wind blowing. A good wind break is a essential for cattle to withstand the cold for multiple days. Wind breaks don't have to be fancy or anything incredible, just something for cattle to get behind. A lot of producers in NE KS use the natural shelter in the pastures such as the trees.
Next, water availability. A lot of producers rely on ponds during the summer to water their cattle and let them cool off. However, during the winter we like to shut the ponds off so the cattle can't get in to them. Cattle can get on those ponds and fall through and freeze to death if you don't catch them in time. This means there has to be another water source. This could mean an automatic waterer or a running stream or creek. For cattle in a more confined area this could mean a water tank that has to have ice broke on them everyday. Whatever the water source, it's very important for producers to keep the water open and available to cattle so they don't go in search of water and get into dangerous situations. Water is also important for health reasons. Remember, the cattle are eating more and just like us when we eat more, we want more to drink. Cattle need this as well.
What's next? Feed, water, and shelter. All things that producers can provide for their cattle. But what do cattle do for warmth for themselves? When winter sets in, cattle (just like your pets) develop a thicker hair coat. This hair coat naturally insulates them from the wind and cold weather like snow. Cattle gather together to get group body heat. These two natural reactions can prevent cattle from succumbing to the cold.
So while it is very cold outside, producers are doing everything they can to provide for their cattle and keep them warm. Please be careful with your pets and outside animals. Make sure they have the same things that we're providing to our cattle, shelter, food, water. I hear there is a warmup in the nearish future. I hope it gets here and gives us a chance to adjust to the cold temperature rather than just shocking our systems.
An update from Matt's grandpa that is in the hospital. I haven't been to see him for a little while, but Matt saw him this week. He's doing much better! He got the tube out of his nose that was pumping his stomach out and is starting to eat and drink again. He's a lot more alert and interested in what's going on on the farm. Long road left, but he's doing much better!
Another side note, I was telling my dear Forever about the blogs that were the most read. He says it all depends on the title and how good the title is. So, the title this week is all his! We're doing an experiment on who has the better blog titles.
Again, I welcome any questions you may have regarding this blog or any of my others. Hope you have a great week and stay warm!!
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Short Blog!
First off, if you have some extra time thoughts and prayers to Matt's grandpa, Willy. He's Matt's mom's dad. Willy had cancer surgery and is now in recovery. It's a slow journey, but he's doing pretty good. We're definitely sending our thoughts to Willy's kids. They've been spending a lot of time at the hospital. They've been switching on and off and someone is with him basically all the time. They doctors say they have got it all though, so that's great to hear! Sickness effects us all at one time or another. Hoping for a speedy recovery!
With the creation of this blog, I've had the opportunity to network with fellow farm bloggers. Some of them grew up on a farm like me, others married into the farm. Regardless of background, we're all working towards a common goal, educating the non-farming community about why we do what we do. They often have a much tougher audience than I do. However, they often have questions about fertilizer.
Matt's uncle gave me a card that he carried in his billfold. It has a lot of good information on it and thought it would clear up some misinformation dealing with fertilizer.
It's from fertile minds (www.nutrientsforlife.org)
1. Fertilizers are drawn from nature-they are not man-made.
2. Farmers are not adding fertilizers to the ground. They are replacing nutrients that are lost at each harvest.
3. The world has no choice but to use fertilizers. Without them, 2 billion people would starve.
4. By helping conserve land, fertilizers safeguard recreational land and wildlife habitats.
5. Farmers care about the environment as much as anyone.
Farmers must care about the environment. Without taking care of the land, farmers wouldn't be able to continue what they love doing.
I would love to have further conversations with anyone that has questions. I know that isn't a whole lot of information, but it's a start. Not a lot of time to write much more. Trying to clean our very dirty house when Matt gives me time off.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Have a great week!
With the creation of this blog, I've had the opportunity to network with fellow farm bloggers. Some of them grew up on a farm like me, others married into the farm. Regardless of background, we're all working towards a common goal, educating the non-farming community about why we do what we do. They often have a much tougher audience than I do. However, they often have questions about fertilizer.
Matt's uncle gave me a card that he carried in his billfold. It has a lot of good information on it and thought it would clear up some misinformation dealing with fertilizer.
It's from fertile minds (www.nutrientsforlife.org)
1. Fertilizers are drawn from nature-they are not man-made.
2. Farmers are not adding fertilizers to the ground. They are replacing nutrients that are lost at each harvest.
3. The world has no choice but to use fertilizers. Without them, 2 billion people would starve.
4. By helping conserve land, fertilizers safeguard recreational land and wildlife habitats.
5. Farmers care about the environment as much as anyone.
Farmers must care about the environment. Without taking care of the land, farmers wouldn't be able to continue what they love doing.
I would love to have further conversations with anyone that has questions. I know that isn't a whole lot of information, but it's a start. Not a lot of time to write much more. Trying to clean our very dirty house when Matt gives me time off.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Have a great week!
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