A John Deere Tractor for my Dad......

July 11,2012...My Dads Birthday. He turned 75 today!
       If you have ever heard the sound of a 1955 60 John Deere tractor  you can maybe relate to my story. I would say that it has a combination between a "putter " and a "pop". To me it is a soothing sound that brings me back to a whole different time in my life.......that happened to me today.

Today is my Dad's birthday....a hot summer day and what ever family could come was coming to the farm for pizza. I was fine with my Dad turning 74 but my mom informed me it was 75.....that kinda hit the spot in my heart that makes a lump form in the back of your throat. I have worked beside my Dad my whole life and I miss having him here on the farm everyday. I was busy outside all day today and all of the sudden I thought of something I wanted to do for my Dad's birthday.....of course I need just a little help from Dan who is always so willing to help me when he sees somethings is tugging at my heart. I wanted to get dad's old 1955 JD 60 out and have it setting on the yard when he came tonight... I even thought he could take it for a ride.... he would put it in 6th gear...ride down the road wide open ...turn around on the North Place and come back again!!
    Since the tractor hadn't been started for  a few years we would have to pull it started....this meant that we would hook a chain to the 60 (Dan would drive  the 60) and I would pull it with another tractor till it would start. After 30 some years of farming I asked him to remind me of how this was going to go and what the "hand" signals for this little "jumpstart" were going to be. Well I pulled the chain tight....pulled the 60 only 25 feet and it started right up.....the "putter" -"popping" sound purred in to the quiet summer evening.The force that hit me was unexpected....my heart just filled  with memories of being a little girl and being with my Dad  and Grandpa on the farm.

     As my eyes filled with tears I climbed up the back of the tractor....I slide the handle in gear just like my Dad taught me....a little more gas....push the clutch ahead real slow. Pop pop pop. My life seriously went back to being 10 years old.... I went north....memories of my Grandpa dressed in his bib overalls drivng the baler in that field... I could even smell it. I drove south....memories of my Dad showing me how to use my leg to help push that handle to the next gear....how to pull a load of hay from the field driveway....how to drive the feeder wagon thru the gate to feed the cattle....seriously I felt 10....I felt like I had pig-tails blowing in the wind...hot sun on my face and a deep love for two very special people in my life. I inhaled and  I had one of those moments where as a  woman we cry and laugh at the same time. I just drove that  old tractor up and down the road till my dad came. He got up on the tractor...gave me a few instructions to adjust the sparkplugs to make it run even smoother and off we went...in sixth gear.....wide open...to the north place...turn around and come back. "Do you think we should sell this thing sometime?" he asked............" No Dad... " I said "Let's just keep it". .... I think I might want that feeling again sometime..... it makes me feel close to them. Funny how a sound can instantly bring you back 40 years......Dad got in the car to head for home.... "thanks for everything" he said...."it was a good day".  Yeap Dad it was a good day.

Miss Danika

Are you watching Danika…….?????


Having our grandkids around is one of our greatest joys! Our very quiet …sweet little Danika has turned 2! Now she is still very sweet but when she is very quiet you really need to know just where she is and what she is doing !! I “thought” she was downstairs with dan the other night when I heard a noise in the kitchen……ummm yes there she sat….in front of the fridge eating peppermint stick ice cream right out of the box with no spoon. Her bright eyes were shinning and when she saw me she just smiled her sneaky little smile…..”I got ice cream grandma!” My heart melts with So much love and compassion for that special little girl. “Who is watching you?” I said……….she shrugged her shoulders ….”Grandpa watching me!” Guess what I did? I let her eat ice cream from the box…with no spoon …..on the floor in front of the fridge!! It is so great being a grandma!

You called my name…………….


This mild Iowa winter has turned cold……..I struggle a bit when the days are dark , the winds blow and the snow whirls around the house. I fight the urge to pull the blinds, put the fire on and hibernate with some project in the back room or curl up and read a book! Ahh but we are almost done with January the end of the week is supposed to back in the forty’s!

A very dear friend invited me last week-end to a womens conference in Sioux city……….I had been to Women of faith once many years ago and it was a smaller version of that. Being brought up very conservative I knew that it may be a little out of my comfort zone but I think that over the years my children have taught me to step out of that “box” and I have found many wonderful people of faith that reside “outside” the box. We can all worship in different ways…..it may not always follow all the same “religion” rules but it follows many of the same “faith rules. Wait….faith maybe doesn’t have as many rules!

The theme of the conference was “You called my name.” The speakers were powerful…..The message was….. God is faithful….open your heart…..follow His call and Trust. God called you by name…..HE has a purpose and Plan for us even when it may not seem like it. In all our trails we are so blessed because God does not leave us, maybe we won’t realize that until many years down the road.

The kids are all grown and my life is in the middle of a big change. I have been a fulltime “MOM” for the past 28 years….my role as a mom is changing. It is a good thing right? I sometimes question what is next in my life because I have been consumed with “mothering”. BUT…God has called my name……..He has been so faithful….. How simple right?

I am so often brought back to my favorite verse in the Bible……….Be still and know that I am God. Put your worries aside today and trust Him.