Hook Me

    

      ”Three  pirate boats  encircled Charlie’s  yacht  thinking he would be an  easy target.  What they didn’t count on was he’d served with the Marines in Viet Nam, and when he’d outfitted his boat,  he’d planned for this sort of thing….”      

    Recent conversation around  our  B and B breakfast table  Hook #1

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     ” A truck driver sexually harassed me this morning on my way here from Walmart,”  my eldest daughter  told me when I got home from work.  

     She continued: “As I was merging, he waved and I waved back thinking it might be someone I knew.    Then I realized I didn’t .    Addy was in the back seat sound asleep in her  car seat.  A couple of minutes later when I tried to pass him, he sped up- and I couldn’t get around.  I looked at my speedometer – I was going over 80 mph so I said, what the heck and got back in the right lane….then  he started to slow down.    This cat and mouse game went on for 15 minutes until I got to  our exit.  It really shook me up.  I didn’t get his license plate number but I do remember the name on his mudflaps….”

    At this point I got on the internet….

 

Excerpt of a conversation with my eldest daughter  two  summers ago.-  Hook #2

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     I woke up on Wednesday  to the sound of a contented giggle coming from under the covers.  I looked over  to see my wife  of 30 years still asleep with a  smile.      “What’s so funny?”  I asked. 

Early morning conversation this week in our home- hook #3

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     “Jr- take a look at this-  how bad  is it ?”

     Dad had been working in the basement with an electric chainsaw when it had kicked back, catching him on the forehead. 

       There was blood on his stocking hat…..

This happened the Summer of 1997- hook #4

    

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     The  silver Pontiac cut in front of me at the crest of the hill.   Calvin, Bernie, Steve and I were headed to Central Park fishing.   I was south of Amber on the gravel  when our right front corners clipped.  I stayed on the road, but  the other vehicle landed in the ditch at an  angle, his two right wheels barely on the shoulder.    We ran to the car… in the back seat was an 83 yr old woman…..

This happened the summer I turned 16- hook #5

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     Grace  has offered to look at the rough draft of  my new book “On The Trail Of Lyman Dillon.”

     As we talked this week,  I realized :

  #1  Writing is hard work! 

 #2  I needed  to work on my “hooks”  (for those of you non-writers like me..it’s the idea of “hooking” your reader out of the gate)

 #3  Think in terms of the five senses when writing.   (Smell, taste,visual, hear and touch.)

Today’s post is a compilation of actual events from my life , practicing the “hook”.  

Back To Basic Country Living Skills- Introduction To A New Series

“You can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy”

      I caught a hint of Spring last week in the air.  The smell is unmistakable here in rural Iowa.  It immediately took me back to 1967,   I was 9 years old.  We moved to the farm that March from a town of 3250. 

      My formative years were spent on the farm-  from 9 till after I  graduated high school.  At the time I didn’t think much of it, but on looking back, I am  thankful for the many life lessons that were planted in the soil of my life.   

     My brother and I were  responsible for milking 18  cows morning and night, 365 days a year, twice a day.  Our farm was small by todays standards, just 120 acres, although dad did rent another 100 from the neighbor. 

    When you’re a  farmer, you’re a vet,  a master gardener,  a businessman, a mechanic, a welder, a butcher, a chemist,  a weatherman, you’re familiar with genetics, GPS crop management,

       You learn about death early, whether it’s seeing what a tomcat can do to a new litter  of baby kittens, having to pick up the family dog  off the road who refused to stop chasing  cars, or having to put down your pet calf who is too sick to recover.

       In 1995 my wife and I moved back to the country onto an old acreage.   The place needed a lot of TLC.  House  hadn’t been painted in 50 years.  All of the out buildings, looked tired.  The first thing I looked at was the foundation of the house, and it was solid.  

       So here I sit, 14 years later, gearing up for another growing season.  We’re hoping to put in a garden.  I’ve been reading up and think we’re going to do a combination “Stout” mulching/ sq ft gardening method.

      The chicken bug has also bit- we’re going to get  some baby chicks.  I  talked with our neighbor Renee  about it yesterday

…(Hi Renee you lurker you   )

   We’re going to get some hens and a couple of roosters…they will come to us as day old chicks so we’ll get to watch them go from cute little chicks to ugly chickens.    I’m already working on a “Chicken tractor”- stay tuned if you’re interested, I hope to write briefly about each of these things.

      One of the things I’ve realized lately is we’ve not passed on to the next generation basic country living skills- if you’re living in a city, why would you need to know how to butcher a live chicken right?  Well,  if this sort of thing interests you, be sure to stop back.  This will be the first in a series of short articles on basic country living skills.

      There is usually more than one effective way to do something.  When it comes to framing a house for example , there are at least 3 different approaches.  I’ve taken tricks from each method and I’m still open to learning.  Well, when it comes to country living skills the same thing applies.  There really  is more than one way to do something.

     Feel free to ask  questions, share your ideas, etc. That way we can learn from each other.

When The Sacred Is Torn

 

      I just got an update on the condition of a friend  who  suddenly collapsed with a seizure 6 weeks ago.   His daughter got word this morning her dad has stage 4 brain cancer with 6 to 14 months left to live.

     Hearing the  news  caused me to  feel like someone just knocked the wind out of me. 

     He and his wife have  mentored us as a couple several times over the past 10 years…humm….First thing I thought of was this song by Natalie Grant- When The Sacred Is Torn.   If you’re going through a hard time and have never heard this song,  it might speak to your heart.

    On a personal note, my emotional response is one of numbness and shock-  haven’t shed a tear since 2005…it’s not something I intentionally do…

I’ve written about this before  here so won’t repeat myself.

Winston The Pig- Litter Update

     Today’s post is dedicated to the families who opened their hearts and homes to Winston the pig’s first litter.  Below are some  photo updates:

     This first piglet has been called “Wingo”  she has been adopted by Anna:

 

Here is a picture of Lizzie  all snuggled in with some other critters who was adopted by Enola and family:

Buzz and Lydia Lynn  live with Kristina and Jesse-  Here’s a picture of them looking @ their Mama on their computer:

Bacon  (hope there isn’t any for-shadowing in that name) is seen below with Addy and  Big Rigg:

Winky is getting lots of love and affection from Owen:

Here is a piglet named “Monk”  hanging w/ his new friend Jonathan:

I had to post this additional picture of Buzz.  Jesse took him on a road trip the first week he got there….took lots of pictures.   Sounds like Buzz had the trip of a life time:

 As far as the other 4 baby pigs….Joy  sais she  be sending me some photos  and updates of of her babies,so when she does, I will add them  here, and I do have one more piglet  going to Grace’s. 

     Let me know if you would be interested in adopting a piglet.  At this point, there are none available- but that could change pretty fast, if enough people expressed an interest.  In addition to the piglet, you also get a certificate of adoption:

Any profit from the sale of these pigs goes toward the ongoing expenses and upkeep of the real pig Winston.  Here she is waiting for me to come and feed her:

My Grandma’s Root Cellar

     

   True story:

     College professor decides to do a social experiment where he goes into a  neighborhood, handing out $100.00 bills-  no strings attached.  People looked at him like he was crazy, a few accepted the money, many didn’t, I guess they figured the money was  counterfeit or there had to be a catch.  The ones that did accept the money quickly found out that yes, they were real $100.00 bills, they told their friends. 

      Next week, same time,  professor comes back, same thing- handing out free $100.00 bills- this time, he has  no trouble  giving them away.  People still didn’t understand what he was doing.

     Third week, professor is back,   this time people recognize him, joke with him, pat him on the back….

     This pattern is repeated for another 6 weeks.  Every Monday evening, Professor  shows up, does his thing.  By now, people are on their porches looking for him, waiting for their $100.00 bill.

     Week 10 Professor is back for his weekly walk- only difference-  no money.   The people  get  mad- “Hey where’s my money????!!!!!!”

       What started out as a gift quickly became an expectation.   Those people never did anything to deserve that money.   They didn’t work for it.   But their attitude   quickly went from “ Wow ”  to  “I expect you to give me $100.00 because this is how it’s been for the last 9 weeks.”

      We live in a culture  where we’ve been conditioned and lulled into thinking somebody owes us something.  It hasn’t always been this way.

     I’ve  been reading  local  history books the past 20 months  and the accounts of the early settlers to Iowa.   I’ve been stepping back in time to the 1840′s.   To survive in 1840  required  inner fortitude that is seriously lacking today.   Uncle Sam was not your nanny.  He wasn’t going to bail you out if you bought a property you couldn’t afford.  He wasn’t going to fill your pantry.  You didn’t live from week to week, check to check, or  you wouldn’t last long.

     I got this response via e-mail on my previous post on this topic

    “there are a lot of us who don’t have enough oil for our lamps – (referring to the Matthew 25:1-13 passage)  but the prevalent thought today seems to be that the government will take care of us so why should we use our heads or plan ahead!  If something goes wrong there’s always someone else to blame! ”

      I titled this post “Grandma’s root cellar”   because for me , a root cellar stirs thoughts of wisdom, planning, and  personal responsibility…..

     My great, great, grandma  who lived in the 1840′s  didn’t  have a crazy Uncle Sam to take care of her or her family, handing out “free” money.   

     It was  not a lack of faith to have a root cellar.   

      And just for the record-  I don’t want any  free  $100.00- they come with a price tag-  they make you  dependent.

Having Faith / Being Prepared

 

“Trust in God, but keep your powder dry.”

Oliver Cromwell

Des got me thinking this week on the relationship between faith and personal responsibility.   

     The area of the United States we live in is sometimes called “tornado alley.”  Homes in our area  have  basements.- When the weather man issues a “tornado warning” we head for the basement.   Now you  don’t have to head for the basement if you  don’t want to, but if an F5 tornado happens to rip through your neighorhood  you’d better be ready to meet your maker.

Category F5: Incredible tornado (261-318 mph); Incredible damage. Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distance to disintegrate; automobile sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 yards; trees debarked; incredible phenomena will occur.

   My point is- it is not a lack of faith to have a basement in our area- it is common sense.  

      If you live in Northern Minnesota,   you’d better be prepared  to  get snowed in and make do with out electricity once in a while- or be willing to suffer the consequences.

     If you live in the coastal areas of  Florida - while you may not have to contend with blizzards, you probably know how to prepare for hurricans- right?    My point is-there is no contradiction between  preparing  for storms and having faith.

       With the current instability in the world today, it’s not surprising  I’ve been wrestling with questions of faith, fear, and personal responsibility,  then this morning it hit me-  we as a family have spent the last 30 years learning how to walk  by faith in areas such as:

  Family planning

Finances- (saving vs spending and giving)

 Provision for the future (how much food to have in the cupboards)

Personal protection-(whether or not to own a gun) 

 Work

Housing

Vehicles.

       So  for what it’s worth, here are some random thoughts on having faith and being prepared:

#1  If my personal security is in my  money, my job, my brains, my gun, the people I know, even the country I live in-  then I am deceived.

#2 ” A wise man sees danger and makes provision-  a foolish person walks naively into danger and wonders later what happened.”  Proverbs

#3  When  I encounter  an area of life that has got me  distressed- I will ask myself this question: -  If the worst case scenario did happen- would I be OK with that?   Is there anything I can do to make provision so that it wouldn’t happen?-  I will  then think through my options, my current situation and do what I can.

    For example-  you’re wrestling with whether or not to use birth control-  I pretend for a moment we won’t.   I’ll  just “trust” God for his provision.  Am I willing to have 8 or 9 children-(or more) and live with the consequences of that decision?  (foot note- please don’t make a negative comment here on large families or take us down the bunny trail of family planning…I will delete it-  I’m just using this as an example) 

     Unless I  has a very good paying job, practically speaking I’m probably going to struggle financially- that’s just a fact if I  chose to have a large family.

#4 Read Matthew chapter 25:1-13 from the Bible  for some thoughts on personal provision and decide which group of 5 you would like to be associated with.

#5   Too many people today live their lives from week to week, check to check.   In most cases that is not faith, that is stupidity.  For years, we as a family did just that- until I was challenged with the goal of getting one month, then two, then three months  ahead with our budget.  I can’t tell you the difference that made in the stress level in our home going into winter.  My income didn’t change,  how we managed our money did.    If you want to know more, drop me a note and I would be glad to talk w/ you about it one on one via e-mail.

#6  Even in the animal kingdom (ants, bees, squirrels, bears,mice) all make provisions for the lean months.  Me thinketh they are smarter than some humans. 

#7  It is better to be prepared and not have to use it, than need it and not have it to use- that has many applications.

#8  I believe we live in a broken world.  I’m an optimist with a good dose of reality.  Because we live in a fallen world, it is not a lack of faith to lock your doors at night.  Feel free to do otherwise

#9  An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.- still makes sense to me.

#10  To use a word picture, I see the uncertainty in the world today like a major change in a weather pattern.  You personally may have  never had to have deal with an F5  tornado before now, but now might.  Balls in your court.

(Picture of a lion looking into the storm)

Final footnote-  the analogy of preparing for a storm comes from my wife.

How To: Loose Weight Naturally According to Me

 

     Today was a big day on the farm.  Rebekah and I partially assembled a 10 ft by 18 ft walk in cooler for our 2009 apple crop, raised the ceiling joists in the building where we’re going to assemble it, and poured 6 cubic yards of concrete ( in layman’s terms that is about 72 good sized wheel barrows of cement) 

     Here are some action photos my wife took today as we worked.  Here’s the cement truck backing up to the building:

 

Here is Rebekah and I partially assembling the cooler to make sure it will work:

Here is a picture of us just starting to pour:

Striking off the wet cement:

This is called bowl floating in our neck of the woods:

One hot chick   (literally) :

Here is a view from inside looking out:

Who- Me?

I bet we both sleep good tonight-  thanks for stopping by the blog!

Heart To Heart Volumes 1 and 2

     I’m guessing about two weeks ago   Sharon  asked me to consider writing a letter …not just any letter, but a letter I might write to my children expressing my thoughts on life, faith and marriage.  

      I was honored by her request, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that was no small task, told her I would LOVE to write such a letter, but it probably would end up being not one but as many as three letters.  To date she’s gotten two of them,  a little bird told me she is intending to post the first one on her blog  in about a week.

    What I didn’t tell her is I’ve had some practice thinking along those lines.  In fact,  I’ve filled two books with my thoughts on  life, faith, marriage on topics I as a dad wanted to pass on to my children.

      Three of you who are regular readers to the blog have seen at least one of these books in the past year.    I mentioned to Grace, another author recently I struggle with talking about the books, not that I am ashamed of writing them- I’m not, it’s just that when I hear some people talking about something they’ve written, it  sometimes comes across as bragging. Grace asked me if I believed in the message of what I’d written-  whole heartedly I said.  So I’ve finally decided  I would  mention these books on the blog and leave it at that.

      I’ve been asked what are they about-  you know what’s funny, I have a hard time answering that question.    You could say they are a devotional of sorts, but not really, -they are a collection of personal letters bound up as a book.

      Starting around 1999 or 2000 I was keeping in touch with 25 -30 people via e-mail, writing about things on my heart,  many times thinking to myself, boy I wish I could say some of these things to my kids   Occassionally , someone would ask if they could pass  on what I”d written- the ultimate compliment.  :-)

     In 2002 , I decided there were enough “keepers”   to look into  getting them bound in a book.  I asked  a friend who loved grammar to proof read them, she did,we  found a publisher and wha-la  Heart To Heart Volume #1 was born.   Same thing happened again in 2005 with the second volume.   Each book has 30 brief chapters, with discussion questions-  In case someone wanted to use it to lead a discussion group.  Here are the books with links to Xulon Press.   I know at one point you could also get them on Amazon a little cheaper. 

 

Here’s that link:

http://www.xulonpress.com/book_detail.php?id=262

Here’s a link to the second one:

http://www.xulonpress.com/book_detail.php?id=2097

 

Writing A Book, Bidding A Job, Prepping The Orchard

    

      The past two weeks I’ve immersed myself in three  projects:

      Project# 1 has been putting together a bid on a commercial project. (see blueprint above)

     Project #2 Writing a book.

     Project # 3 Replanting the Apple Orchard

      Project #1  has brought with it  a learning curve  that has left my mind smoking @ the end of  each  day.   Don’t get  me started on government red tape.  If a person isn’t smart enough to  wear safety glasses when  cutting steel, or keep their electrical chords out of standing water then no amount of “tool box”  meetings are  going to help and they should probably  find a different job.

     Project #2 is a continuation of my adventure from last September.  I am  two thirds way  through the rough draft of my book “On The Trail Of Lyman Dillon” 

       It is a combination journal   and collection of true stories ( horse thieves, blizzards,  lost children on the open prairie ,a  four  foot tall  white wolf,  Native American midwives delivering white settler’s babies,…..)

     Here is a photo of my wife and I just after I crossed the finish line of my 84 mile adventure:

      Project # 3 involves   replanting  38 apple trees in the orchard for the third time.  This week I took the time to mark where the new trees will go:  If  you look real close you might be able to see the yellow flags:

     We’re still shooting for Saturday April 4th 8:00 AM if you want to be a part of history     (An apple tree planting party-  if you’re reading this, you’re invited-  remember, I will dig the holes with an auger so it won’t be that hard.)

      It’s been a spell since I written anything on the blog, didn’t want anyone  to think I’d  given up blogging.  I’ve  invested most of my creative  energy in this book manuscript.

    What have you been up to?