The Many Shoes of a Farmer's Wife

They say that a farmer wears many hats.

But what they forget to tell you is about the farmer's wife and her many shoes.

As a farmer's wife, you have to learn how to walk and run in anything and everywhere.

You must be prepared at all times.

Well, at least somewhat.  

I had an extra pair of boots in my car for this one but was in a dress at the time.

Sometimes you have to do what you have to do in your many shoes.

As a farmer's wife, sometimes you get a call before you even get home to come and pick-up one guy in the field and take another to the farm.  And during those critical times, like planting and harvest, you have no time to change your shoes.

Heels in the fields, it happens.

Other times, you are prepared, especially on rainy days.

Other times as a farmer's wife, and hunter's wife, you notice some red stains on your once nice boots.  Then realize you have worn them around the city and to meetings all day.  But that's just part of this fancy in the country life.

As a farmer's wife, we do get off the farm and live our lives at times.  

Walking in heels around at events......

.....and enjoying a fall weekend out with the farmer and our families.

Farmers' wives become experts in the many shoes we have to wear and the sacrifices we have to make.  

We learn how to run in heels through gravel and muddy barnyards (well at least I do), and we realize that work boots and rain boots don't stay clean very long on the farm.

But it's worth it, knowing that we are supportive and stand strong no matter the type of shoe we wear.

Sometimes the farmer's wife has to step into the shoes of the farmer, 

just like my mom did when my dad passed away.

While the farmer may wear the hat, you can't really go anywhere without a great pair of shoes!

Thanks to all the farmers' wives and farmers' daughters for wearing many different shoes!

On a Path to Pinterest, Passion, Politics & Patience

It's been awhile, again, since I have blogged.

This post was supposed to go live a few days ago, but my husband asked me to go on a walk after dinner. 

When your significant other asks you to go on a walk, you go.

Even if it's through a field with a cow path full of cow pies.

You go so you can listen to your husband talk about the ground beneath your feet, and tell you about his favorite cattle and the genetics of his favorite calves.

Well, that's why I go on walks with my husband.  

I hope you have your own reasons for your walks and the path that takes you there.

So the walk along with a trip to DC with women leaders in my state delayed 

my post regarding our Mother's Day Celebration and my wonderful mom.

I have written about my mom a few times, but have I told about how she IS 

Pinterest, has passion, taught me about politics and has a ton of patience?

When we were younger, my mom did lots of creative stuff on her own, without Pinterest.

We had a HoBo Party once and even though they weren't fancy invitations (we were HoBos.....), you should have seen the creative spin she put on this party in the country.  

She even made my sister and I pick up sticks in the yard to make hobo sticks we gave away as party favors.

The woman taught me about presentation.  It's all about "Presentation, Presentation, Presentation" she says.  I think that's apparent with the various parties we have hosted over the years and mom is at the center of it all.

She also taught me about patience and that you must always have it.

It's so, so hard......especially with this crazy nephew and my husband telling him to push my buttons every time we are together.  They are cute though, weird, but cute.

Mom always said to pay attention to the details and have passion with what you do. 

So I always make sure to have a full bar at my parties.  I'm passionate about making sure everyone has a good time!

And that would include a dessert bar.  

This Mother's Day we had a float bar because mom loves Root Beer floats (and so did little boys, apparently).

It's nice to display your affection but we must always remember to have love when doing it too.

Just like my mom tried to make celebrations special for us as kids, I try to do the same with the nieces and nephews.  They got their own "Kids Only" section in the yard along with a chair for whoever was princess at that moment.

My  mom always allowed my sister and I to run free.  Even though it stressed her out with the amount of things we committed to, trips we took to strange places and crazy things we tried, she was always supportive of us running free to figure out what we wanted out of life.

On this Mother's Day as the kids were running free in the field, I was reminded that mom gave me the opportunity to run free and find my own path.

I ran free a lot and down a lot of paths with a lot of passion.

One even led me to love public service and politics so much that I am considering running for office someday.

Not sure what or when, but someday.

I thought a lot about it last week when I was in DC with wonderful, passionate, involved women graduating from a women's political leadership class.

I thought of my mom and said a little prayer thanking God for her.  

Then I laughed because at random moments one of my favorite memories of my mom pops into my head.  

We were young kids and she was a young working mom who wore red business suits.  

One night we got home and the calves were out in our yard, again.

She yelled, "Katie!  Sarah!  Get out of the car and go run through the yard and chase them back in!"

We did as we were told but the next thing I knew, she was chasing the cows with us....in her red suit!  She had kicked off her heels and joined us, running free in the yard chasing those calves back into the pasture.

So I wonder, will my passionate, political life take me down the path full of cow pies where I have to kick off my heels and chase cattle out of my yard while wearing a cute, green dress?  

Well, I hope so.

May God grant me the patience to be as great as my mother someday.

And thanks, mom, for giving me the passion to try.

Perfect, Dirty Floors & Springtime Mottos

It's springtime on the farm and it's perfect.

Well, except for the floors in our kitchen and laundry room because the farmer can't take his boots off to walk across the somewhat clean floor.  

When I come home and find chunks of dirt that have fallen from is filthy boots, I take a deep breath and realize that taking your boots on and off takes time.  

And farmers don't have a lot of spare time in the spring to take off their boots.  They are too busy worrying about the weather, running to the fields to plant a new crop, checking the pastures for new calves and more.

In their mind, spring is a perfect time to start doing what they 

love again--caring for animals and planting a new crop.

So I guess I can have a little patience and accept that my floors will be dirty for spring.

And it seems like we have several mottos on the farm during this time of year.

One of them may just be for me as a reminder to slow down and enjoy being outside surrounded by cows and farmers in the fields.  This towel hangs in my kitchen to remind me to chill out.

And it's in the kitchen because I spend a lot of time in there making sandwiches for the guys on our farm.  I get so prepped and organized before putting their lunch and dinners together that the farmer says I "compose meals" instead of make them.  

It's just one less thing for them to worry about and a perfect way for me to give back to the farm and farmers.

When you live on a farm, each day counts during the various seasons.  

And as a farmer's wife you have to stay positive and upbeat about each day. 

I found this mug during the move, showed it to the farmer and did a little cheer for planting! 

He then shook his head at me, gave me a kiss and walked away.  

At least he didn't say anything and make fun of me, right?

This year we expanded the cattle herd on our family farm and there have been great days and not so great days.

One cow delivered still born twins early this spring.

Another had twins several hours apart and she abandoned the second one.

And another cow died several weeks after giving birth.

But the good days are when the mom that lost the twins survived, and when other mamma cows tended to the abandoned and orphaned calves.

And the great days are when the calves are running around enjoying the open fields and spring weather, and sometimes really enjoying their photo op!

So on the farm, we try to keep calm because calving's on.  

In our house, there are lots of springtime mottos but most importantly it's patience and love.  We must have patience with each other to get through the spring, just like the fall.  And we continue to have love and passion for what we do--taking care of the cattle, digging and planting the new crop and making sure to care for each other along the way.  

Do you have a springtime motto?  

If you don't, appreciate your perfect, dirty floors and it will come to you.

I Needed a Minute...Do You?

It's been too long since I have blogged.
Two weeks to be exact.

But I needed a minute.
Do you ever just need a minute?

This winter and the month of March took it out of me, and it caught up with me the past two weeks.  With travel, the move, work, changes in friends' and family members' lives and a never ending to do list and involvement, I just needed to sit, be still and take a minute.

I needed a minute to call my grandma and discuss flowers.

I don't have a green thumb, she does, so she is my go to for all things flowers.
And sometimes you just need to call grandma.

I needed a minute to transfer these hens & chicks from the bungalow to our new house.  Grandma gave these to me when I graduated college and they have followed me to four different houses growing more and more with each move.

I needed a minute to come home, relax and actually read one of the 15 magazines stacked up on my coffee table.

I needed a minute to catch up on my handwritten notes that I love to send.

I needed a minute to really embrace what an honor it is to be a part of a leadership class for women that encourages them to run for political office.  And in that minute realize that I have always had two women in my life supporting me through everything I do.  Thanks to my mom and my sister who remind me to take a minute with them sometimes and embrace the moments we have together.

I needed a minute to realize that spending time with little boys can be really funny.  

Like when my husband left the house with a lawn mower and came home with a nephew, a dirty nephew.  

"Eli, why are you so dirty?" I asked.

He replied, "I don't know Aunt Katie, sometimes I play and get dirty." 

Well there you have it, that minute when you love him but hate his dirty feet in your clean kitchen.

While he enjoyed his watered down orange juice, I enjoyed my orange juice with champagne to celebrate that minute.  Then I sent him back outside....

As I took a few minutes the past couple of weeks, I noticed things I had forgotten.  And I discovered new things that I would have overlooked had I not just stopped to breath and take that minute, that moment.

This tree bloomed and then was gone a week later.  

I would have regretted not taking those minutes to stop and enjoy it. 

And by writing this and telling you, I hope I'm reminded to just take some time to slow down a bit every so often.  Those minutes always make me appreciate how blessed I am and discover new things to be thankful for.

So....do you need a minute?

Do You Have a Cabbage Dish?

When I moved in with the farmer almost two years ago, I never would have thought he would have a candy dish.  Let alone, a cabbage candy dish.

As I was combining all of our possessions (really throwing his stuff away and adding mine), I came across 

"the cabbage".

When I first spotted the cabbage, I hated it.  I thought it was ugly and asked to throw it away.  

He proclaimed, "No!  That was Great Grandma Opal's and then Aunt Freida's".

He didn't say much after that so I sighed and tucked it away.

I recently found the cabbage again when we moved. I rolled my eyes and sat it on the counter to be packed.

It's funny sometimes the memories that flood a person's mind when they see an old piece.

When the boys were helping us move, my husband's cousin and brother both mentioned "the cabbage" and Aunt Freida and the candy in it.  

"Hey Tim," the farmer asked "what did Aunt Freida have in the candy dish?"

Tim, "Krackels, Mr. Goodbar, Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate."

All of the boys light up when they talk about Aunt Freida and the candy in "the cabbage" on her counter top.

So I moved her to the new house.  And she is growing on me....more and more every day.  

The history behind the cabbage makes me want to embrace it even more. 

Great Grandma Opal painted it like she did many other pieces.  When she passed, Aunt Freida got it and continued the tradition of filling it with candy.  

When Aunt Freida passed, my husband was lucky enough to get it.

The cracks and chips give her character and more meaning.  

Think about all the hands that were in "the cabbage" picking out candy when they needed a quick sugar pick-me-up or when they weren't really supposed to (guessing that's what the farmer and all the siblings and cousins did).

Now that "the cabbage" has become such a big deal in our new house, I have been thinking about the candy jar I grew up with.  Well, it wasn't a candy jar really.  It was a "munchies" jar and it was full of oreos.

Oreos were a thing growing up in our home.  They were a special treat and you HAD to have milk.  

Our dad loved oreos and he was a proponent of making sure you had the twist and a good dunk down.

He didn't really care if you made a mess. 

You can tell by this picture of my sister Sarah and our dad, caught red handed with an oreo mess and the munchies jar full of oreos ready to be devoured by their side.

Now that the "the cabbage" has made her way to my counter top, I have to laugh at how ridiculous I was when I wanted to throw it away.  But now I appreciate it more than I ever thought I would.  Every time I think of it, I thank Grandma Opal, Aunt Freida, the farmer.  Then I think of the munchie jar, messy oreos and my dad. 

So....do you have a "cabbage".
If so, appreciate it's meaning the memories it brings to your counter top and the new ones you will make.

The Sacrifices and Love from a Move

The move from our bungalow to our new house on the farm was a success. 

However, we still aren't fully unpacked and I forgot the silverware at the old house for a few days.

But, we are here....at home.

It seems as if I always make my way to The Brick in Jonesville, Indiana before major events in my life.  I enjoyed a greasy burger and cold diesel at the classic, American, whole-in-the wall a week before my wedding.  And last week I went there with friends the night before we moved.  

But it was needed, a Great American getaway just 25 minutes from my home.

When you hang out with country boys and ask them to help you move, you have to take "shooting breaks".  I was happy to participate and let them hang out for a bit since they were moving all my furniture on a cold, Friday night.

But it was a beautiful night at that.  And going back and forth, and back and forth behind pick-up trucks wasn't a bad Friday night at all.

However, I must have been a little "off" from moving.  

It was still pretty chilly the week we moved, but in all the chaos I somehow packed up our spare space heather.  

So I froze the last night in our bungalow.

And when will I learn my lesson about getting up before the farmer to have the hottest shower?  Never, apparently.  My last shower in the house was a cold one.  

And as I started brushing my teeth, I realized I had grabbed the wrong toothbrush.......

BUT when packing up a bin full of the farmer's old sweaters, we found this beauty.

A vintage sweatshirt from a Field Day on the farm when his dad was still alive.  The corn logo with the family name seemed to be the perfect attire for the day as we moved to another house on the family farm!

The one good thing about moving is that you find things you forgot you had.

As we unpacked all the nooks and crannies of the bungalow, I found all these lovely pink boxes.

What are they?

The wonderful and beautiful pink boxes are full of our china.  

The china that the farmer rolled his eyes about and could care less about.

It's the china that I now have room to display in a cabinet and serve my fancy appetizers and wild game on when we have guests.

So we moved on Saturday and got a dog on Sunday.  

Not only were all my processes and habits messed up in the move, now I have a dog.

For those that know me, I don't really like dogs.  

But now I have one and his name is Tank.  

He's an English Pointer and a hunting dog so at least there's that.

Moral of the story, I really love my husband.

But my husband dealt with me in the move. 

He let me take naps from my exhausting workdays and drives when I should have been packing.

He made friends with Fran at the grocery store who gave him lots of boxes for our move.

He dropped what he was doing and came every time I yelled his name from another room to help me, even if it was to review how to organize a closet he doesn't care about.  

And after the move when I called him from the house because I couldn't figure out how to unlock the door, he left the farm and drove home to help me.

Now he has a dog and a pasture to take walks in.  

And I have more room for my china and I can see my clothes in the closets better.

Oh, and I have love from the farmer and the dog.

Even in our new house, we have each other.  

Honestly, it doesn't feel much different because our stuff is here and so are we.  

However, the best part of the new house is our new backyard view.

The bungalow didn't have this.

It seems as if I can get use to sacrificing, loving and making new memories with the farmer in our new home with my new dog and my new view.