Directions

I am a firm believer in instincts that are bred into animals over a period of time. We once had a border collie that had never been anything but a pet. No one had worked with him or even slightly encouraged him to herd anything. However, that dog would perfectly herd my baby ducks every chance he got. Why? How did he know that was what he was supposed to do? Over generations of breeding the best herding dogs the instinct to herd was imprinted on their brain. They just know what to do.

My daughter lives in Iowa. It's a wonderful state. The land is fertile and it's flat. The people are open, friendly and great neighbors...and it's flat. It's a wonderful place for my grandchildren to grow up....and it's flat. Did I mention that it is flat? I live in Kentucky.....it's not flat. Oh, we have a few flat spots, but for the most part our land goes up and down. We have knobs (little mountains for you uninitiated), real mountains, and just plain hills. It's a beautiful place to live but we have developed a little differently from our friends in Iowa.

If you are getting directions in Iowa, you get DIRECTIONS. You will be told to go north for two miles, then go east for 1 mile. When you get to the spot you will be told to look on the north side of the barn that's through the west gate. Now at this point I am totally lost because I don't know where I am much less what direction north is. These people are born knowing what direction north is. You ask any child to point to the north and they will point as unerringly as a compass to true north. How do they do it?

When you get directions in Kentucky, you'll get landmarks. Go two miles until you get to the red barn with the old tractor out front and turn left at the next road. Go two more miles and turn right by the silver silo and continue until you pass the house with the blue shutters and red door. Why do we do this? Because in Kentucky you might wind around curves until you have gone north, east, south and west before you get where you are going. We don't know what direction we're going until we get there. Our directional gene has been bred out of us. You put me in Iowa and tell me to go north and I'm going to ask "is that right or left". The Iowans have had to learn directions because landmarks are scarce. Turn left at the intersection with the corn field on the corner, just won't help you much. All four corners may have a corn field on them. So their directional gene has developed to a high degree. Just like the dog, we have been bred to do what we need to do.

What this all means is that when I leave to take my grandaughter to town in Iowa they all wonder if I really will get there.

The Hay Field

The view today from the kitchen window is the hay field. The men (my husband and son) are working hard to get the hay baled before it rains again. We've had a wonderful week for hay--lots of sunshine and hot weather. However, on Sunday the hay baler suffered a major break-down. It was Wednesday before we could get back into the field. Then within five minutes it was down again. This time a minor fix, but that was followed closely by another break-down. Then it rained..... Now doesn't that just make you want to run out and buy a farm?

I read somewhere that farming was the third most stressful occupation. I can't remember what number two was, but number one was an air traffic controller. That should tell you how much fun farmers have. However, you won't find a more dedicated group anywhere. They love it all. Yes, there are bumps in the road (some years it's more like major pot-holes) but they keep on doing what they love. I guess the great days of hard work and seeing what you accomplish, the satisfaction of working together as a family, seeing your children grow with responsibility and a strong work ethic, the love of the land that God has given us make all the problems that go along with it seem worthwhile.

My husband grew up on a dairy farm. He knew early on that if he wanted to get ahead in life he would have to do something besides farm. Farming is a great life but you probably won't get rich while you are at it. He went to college, majored in ag-economics, owns an insurance agency and comes home and farms every night. I tell him that he works to support his hobby.

So why do we do it? I honestly can't imagine living in a city. Nothing against cities, they are great places to visit, shop, go out to eat, but then I want to go home. I want to look out my window and see---well, cows and fields and trees and space. I like being able to water my flowers in my nightgown or sit on my porch and watch the grandchildren without yelling " watch out for the cars" a thousand times. I love being able to go to the garden and pick supper. There are few things more satisfying than being able to put a meal on the table that you have grown for your family.

So today we are putting up hay for the cattle to eat this winter. We are using our resources to provide for those creatures that are in our care. Yep, it's a good feeling.

A Time of Memories

We have just finished one of life's saddest tasks. My mother-in-law, a sweet, former elementary music teacher, has advanced dementia. For the past seven years she has had to have constant help. We have gone from hiring "sitters" around the clock to now putting her in a private home. We strongly feel that with the advanced stage of her dementia she would not be easy to care for in a nursing home setting. She simply cannot be left alone and must be fed on her schedule when she will eat. So a one on one situation is best for her.

However, this is certainly not the most inexpensive way to provide care for an elderly person. Since she is no longer living in her home and her expenses keep mounting, we have made the decision to sell her home. This means dividing up the household goods and cleaning out a lifetime of collected memories. This is especially painful since she is not gone, just not aware of what is going on.

For the past several weeks we have been sorting through old pictures, letters, awards, music books, keepsakes from her children's school years, and other memories. The decision on what to keep and what to toss out has been heartrending. I want to keep everything but realize that I am just creating a nightmare for my children when the time comes to clean out my "stuff". Just how many boxes of old pictures can you keep? Especially when no one knows who they are anymore. Yet, how can you just toss the memories of a lifetime? What about her mother-in-law's party dishes? Her mother 's collection of delicate handkerchiefs? The fancy aprons (now sadly stained) that her sister made for her each Christmas?

The memories of long gone relatives hung over our shoulders while we sorted and decided. I hope they approve of the decisions we made. They certianly weren't made without a lot of soul searching and thought. I hope our children appreciate the history of the things that we kept. I know they have brought me tender memories of a lovely lady who welcomed me into the family and became my mother. She may not recognize me now, but she will always have my heart. I am blessed to be able to return some of the love and care she gave to me. Thanks for the memories.