Trusting a talking box

Today I took mom to the Cleveland Clinic. It was an early departure and we were on the road at 6am.

I have always been the navigator when traveling. Hubby and I have a longstanding system that I am the map person and we typically have to make one wrong turn in the course of our trip. Our family has long joked that we could take mom a mile down the road and spin her a few times and she would have a pretty hard time finding her way home. So she was not going to be the one to get us to the clinic.

Normally I would go to GoogleMaps, get my printout and be on my way. But this time it was different. Dad has purchased a Garman GPS and so we used it instead of a trusty map. This technological genius tells you when and where to turn, and even readjusts if you make a wrong turn. The voice gets a little bossy as you approach your next turn. And if you don't do it "her" way, "she" goes into reconfigure. Even with her assistance, I managed to make my one wrong turn, but we still ended up in the right place, with time to spare, despite the lake effect snow we drove into.

As I considered that talking box, I realized that there are people in the world that think my faith in God is no different than trusting a talking box to get me where I am going. BUT, my faith is not the same. God is someone I call on for guidance and through his Word I am shown where to go. The Bible is so much more than that talking box and I am grateful for such a wonderful truth.

Thumbs up from my boy

I got recruted by hubby tonight to help pull start the 3010 tractor. As I have mentioned before, despite growing up on the farm, I have almost no equipment related experience to draw from. Pull starting a tractor is no exception. So hubby stuck me in the truck with instructions on how fast and what direction to turn if it hadn't started by the time we got to the road.

Off we went, me flooring the accelorator to get up to speed, towing the tractor behind and of course, Thomas giving instructions from a safe distance. Hubby put the tractor in gear the first time and it did not start, he did it again and still it wouldn't start. We ended up heading into the road. It is a country road, but manages to have a lot of traffic. Thankfully nothing was coming and we headed on out. Finally, the third try was a charm and the tractor started.

As I got out of the truck, Thomas came running over to give me a HIGH FIVE cause he was so excited that I got the job done. Made me feel good to think my son was that proud of his mom. Soon enough, he and his dad will be doing these projects and I won't be needed.

Pizza can cause really strange dreams......

I had pizza for supper last night. Now I will admit it wasn't typical, homemade pizza. Instead it was Spinach and mushroom pizza from Schwans. I think I must have written a number wrong, since it wasn't something I planned to order. You might say yuck! but I like Martha Stewart type stuff and I have to admit it wasn't too bad. That is until I went to sleep.

I rarely have dreams I remember, but last night was the definite exeception. I had two that I remember and both were pretty strange. The first went like this. It was raining really, really hard and when the kids and I got ready to leave for school, my hubby had backed the car out of the garage and there were three horses in there instead. Two of which were horses we don't even own anymore. That was strange, but the next one was even crazier.

I was sitting in a glass observation room in the middle of my parents swamp. (Like I said this thing was weird). I spotted a pair of Tucans in a hollowed out stump. Mind you it is the middle of winter in Michigan. The only tucans I will ever observe will be at the zoo.

I think I will swear off eating pizza before bed.

Chasing cattle, yet again

I suspect that as long as we have cattle and kids around here, we will be chasing cattle. Last evening, as I was putting the finishing touches on dinner, my cell phone rang. It was an SOS from daddy. I needed to come out and help catch Suzanna's new heifer. It seems Thomas was doing a good thing, and had decided to put more sawdust in her stall. Unfortunately, she isn't completely convinced she likes her new home and whenever the door to her pen gets opened, she tries her best to get back to Stanton. Last night was no exception and as quick as he opened her stall door, she was GONE! Adding to it all was the fact that the big barn door was open and she had clear passage to leave.

Unlike the critters in the movie The Incredible Journey, Sami doesn't have much of a sense of direction, as she headed straight south rather than north, with Thomas not far behind. Daddy hollered a refresher course on Herding Cattle 101 and assisted Thomas in heading her off. I followed in the truck and brought a halter. Suzanna caught up by then and led Sami back to the barn. We never seem to stop learning, do we??

No school today

We have the President's Day holiday off, and considering what they are saying about the roads this morning, I think I'm glad. We had a February thaw yesterday...a one-day event that left all gravel roads and driveways a lot like an ice rink. We didn't make morning church yesterday since hubby wasn't in the mood to end up with a car in the body shop. That and he was pretty sure we could get out of our driveway, but not so sure about getting back up it.

So today it is back in the 30's and everything that unthawed yesterday is freezing back up. What fun. Thomas and I do have to get out this afternoon for a doctors appointment. He is on his third set of ear tubes and one is out. He was lucky enough to find it hanging in earwax outside his ear one morning. It was pretty disgusting to look at and he had a great idea. He wanted to take it for show and tell. His sister Kathryn quickly shut that idea down by telling him the thought of looking at that made her shudder. Kathryn is dramatic like that. Needless to say, I didn't let him take it to school, and he was pretty disappointed. Anyway, he needs to be rechecked to see what is going on with those ears.

Better get at my day.......

Heifer Hauling Day

Today the family is headed to Stanton, MI to pick up Suzanna's next 4-H project. It will be about a 2 and a half hour trip one-way, and the kids have a new box of Adventures in Odessey CD's to enjoy along the way. Actually, Daddy and I enjoy them too. And we find that they ride happily for long trips with Odessey to listen to. They are great stories with wonderful lessons.

The heifer is coming from the same farm as Rhoda. Suzanna is excited to have a new critter. Hope it lessens the sadness she will have after she sells Rhoda in another month. Tough life lessons to learn, but part of the project, letting those animals go. Hopefully, it will get easier. As her dad and I keep telling her, it isn't like the market projects, Rhoda goes into the milking herd when she is sold, rather than into the freezer.

Later, I need to tell you all about the mouse in the house......

Thomas-isms

Those who know Thomas, know he says and does some pretty funny things. We have named such things "Thomas-isms".

A couple of his latest follow.

Last night I walked into the barn and he asked me if his lip was bleeding. I looked and said that it was. Then I asked him if he hit his lip with the water hose when he pulled it out of the loft. He sheepishly shook his head no and acted like he really didn't want to admit what he had done. I pushed him a little and he finally confessed that he had put the end of the hose to his lips to blow on it and warm it up. Unfortunatly, it was about 5 degrees out at the time and his lip froze to the metal. He had no choice but to pull. You know the rest.

Then there was the night we went to Trainer Mikes for a Christmas party. The kids went along and I began to notice that Thomas was making a lot of trips to the bathroom. I stopped him after one of the trips and asked him if he was okay. I was concerned that perhaps he had a case of the flu or something. No, he was fine, but had discovered that there was a digital scale in the bathroom and was checking each time he ate something to see how much weight he gained.

There are a ton of stories like this. The fact that I never wrote them down is a real crime. So here are two, saved for posterity.

The Crumugen speaks.....

that would be my dad. He really got me laughing yesterday. And if you knew all my dad has been through over the past few years, you would wonder what he had to laugh about. He is a SURVIVOR of cancer, as I have said before, and credits God for it all. That is enough to put a smile on any face. That and the thousands of dollars his parents spent on braces. Wouldn't want to hide their investment.

He isn't much of a winter weather fan. From the time I was a kid at home, you never wanted to get too excited about a new snowfall while in his company. I suspect it comes from many years of trudging to the barn in the snow, and having to move tons of snow in order to get on with life on the farm. There are never enough hours in the day on a farm and to have to spend a bunch of them moving something that will eventually melt is are real waste of time.

Anyway, earlier in the month, after yet another snow storm, he declared he wouldn't be leaving the house again until May 15th. That was it, he had had enough and he wasn't going to take it anymore!!! That made me laugh, since dad is a traveler for his business and I know he loves getting out and seeing other parts of the United States and even some international travel as well.

So when the really cold stuff hit yesterday, along with a wind that was strong enough to blow a person into the next county, dad had a new declaration. He has moved that date back a few more weeks and now will not be leaving the house until June 5th. I just laughed at him, but he claims he is serious. So this afternoon, where is dad?? At an apointment. I guess life goes on even when you don't want to get out in it.

Cold and getting colder...

Seems like all I ever comment on is the weather lately. Well, I guess that is the news for now. It is a whopping 2 degrees out right now. And the wind is blowing about 25 miles an hour. Does make getting out of the house to do chores, etc. a cold endeavor. No long visits with the horses or kitties today. It is throw some hay, feed grain and make sure there is water. Don't envy anyone who's chores are more involved than that.

The question has come from Thomas already. "Do you think we will have school tomorrow?" I say wait and see. There is a lot of drifting going on right now, but it remains to be seen how nasty things will be in the morning. I have my fingers crossed for a normal day, that way they can ride to school with daddy. He has a job that direction and has been able to be bus driver several times in the past week.

We did have church today. Sunday school was pretty thin, but more came for morning service and then we headed to the Pastors home for a belated Chili supper that got delayed from Wednesday night due to bad roads. We had an enjoyable time eating, which is what we Baptist do best and fellowshipping (is that a word). Was hard to head back outside into the wind, but it is nice to know that we don't have to get back out tonight for evening service.

Beware

The Fog.

We are currently on a two hour delay due to heavy fog. All the snow from the weekend is melting fast and causing the fog. A lot of the schools are calling school off for the day. Oh boy, I bet I can find another cleaning job for the kids if that happens.

Other than that stuff is quiet on the hill. I have been working on tax stuff. There is always something in the office that needs done.

Hoping to get a couple things cut out and sewn in the next few days.

The Basement, Continued

The other big play area in the basement got cleaned on Saturday. A few tears were shed....hard letting go of stuff you don't play with anymore but still feel connected to. We have a pile of toddler toys that can be taken to Goodwill. That made them feel a little better.

The kids had a ball Saturday afternoon and again on Sunday. Uncle Terry was home for the weekend, and he had his 4-wheeler out. Thomas quickly negotiated a deal with him. They hooked three sleds up behind the 4-wheeler and were pulled all over the farm. That was great fun! The snow was flying up in their faces, piled in their laps, but they were still laughing. I think it took them a while to thaw out, but according to the three of them, it was worth it. Great memories.

Two hour delay due to icy road toward Adrian. Now the fog is thickening up around here. Better get going, it may be an interesting drive into school.

No school gives mom great ideas

My kids are begging to go back to school, I guess it is easier than putting up with my great ideas. As I sat doing payroll in an office you could barely walk through without tripping over something, I decided today was the day to change all that. It was time to clean the basement.

I quickly called the children to the basement before the inspritation left me and put their muscles to good use. They moved furniture, ran the vacuum and picked up enough pieces of paper to make a tree (Sure takes a lot of paper to make a set of prints). The end result is two rooms of the basement that look pretty good. What they don't know is the other big room is on my radar for tomorrow. No sense letting them know too soon, they might revolt.

In the meantime, I will have oxygen on hand to revive daddy when he walks in tonight and faints at the sight of a partially clean basement.....and all the bags of trash that need to go to the dumpster.

Have a little more snow...

We have about 5 inches of snow on the ground and the potential for a total of 13 inches before it is all done. Needless to say, there is no school today. Yeah, a three-day weekend. The kids love me, since I have already assigned projects to be done around the house. Pretty simple stuff that they got done quickly and they are outside working on their skating spot right now.

This skating spot is an ongoing project for the kids. When we built our house, the excavator pulled lots of sand out of a spot in our yard to use for fill. This has left a place that usually holds water when it rains and it has done that a lot recently. Then the temperature drops quick enough that it freezes over. It is protected by a bank on one side and the camper on the other, so it is sheltered from the wind. They have had more fun out there. They clean it off and then slide around on their boots. They have even gotten creative enough to play hockey with clumps of snow and use sunflower stalks for hockey sticks. I love the imagination of youth.

I am on the lookout for skates for them. I think they will break their necks, but they want to try skating on the pond. More on that later.