Just got a note from a friend asking to fill in for Videoswallow Studies at another hospital. It's always a fun experience to work with different radiologists, new rad techs, and also just new protocols. I am super looking forward to it, even though it is only two days next week.
Still should be a great time!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Hate to admit it
As much as I hate to admit it, I have a weakness. I have somehow managed to hurt my back (herniated a few discs). So I will be seeing Dr. Maria Walker at the Rockford Spine Center on the 3rd. I am very happy to be seeing a specialist because I hope it means I will be able to resume any and all activity...including my running.
Pray for quick healing for me. Please. I am losing patience.
Pray for quick healing for me. Please. I am losing patience.
Headed away
Not only am I looking forward to being a "Conversation Leader" for USFRA (US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance), I am looking forward to having a night away from my children. Absence makes the heart grow stronger, and I think my heart will need to get a little stronger from a night away.
I am also looking forward to having excellent conversations about where our food comes from, the safety of our food, and how to use social media to get there.
I will have lots of follow up once we are done. I hope...
I am also looking forward to having excellent conversations about where our food comes from, the safety of our food, and how to use social media to get there.
I will have lots of follow up once we are done. I hope...
Gourmet Scented Pencils
We just recently entered the world of the store "Justice". It's been a crazy transition for mom, Bella managed just fine. One of the things we ended up with were these Gourmet Scented Pencils. Which really smell like what they say. I have the Mint Chocolate Chip one because Bella didn't "care for it". So, I am now using it in my office and feel so much younger. :-)
Yeah for smelly pencils!
Yeah for smelly pencils!
I want these pumps! For real!!!
Unfortunately, they are $595 at Saks Fifth Avenue. So...if there are any of my followers who feel like being my benefactors, I would take a pair in size 7.5. Thanks!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Pink Slime--questions answered
The truth about Pink Slime is that it has gotten blown out of proportion, imagine that. The goal of using this Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) is to use as much of the animal as possible. Please see the article link below that takes you to information from Dr. Dickson from Iowa State University.
http://www.bestfoodfacts.org/main/food_for_thought/0/111
http://www.bestfoodfacts.org/main/food_for_thought/0/111
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
USFRA Training/Conversation Leaders
I have the distinct honor of being selected as one of the "conversation leaders" for USFRA (US Farmers & Ranchers Alliance). I will go up to Chicago next Wed./Thurs. for more extensive training on how to start those conversations with consumers. Please feel free to check out their website and follow their facebook page.
http://usfraonline.org/ It's a great page, good design, user friendly. Even my farmer/rancher friends should be on there.
http://usfraonline.org/ It's a great page, good design, user friendly. Even my farmer/rancher friends should be on there.
IL Legislative Day
John and I are headed to Springfield for the IL Pork Producers Legislative Day. We are hoping to get a chance to share our story and express our thoughts and feelings on many of the Agricultural bills that are coming up in the house and senate. I hope that you are all taking the opportunity to at least get to know your legislators, at least know their names.
After the election, and redistricting, you need to know if there is a difference. Enjoy your days!
After the election, and redistricting, you need to know if there is a difference. Enjoy your days!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Want to make these with the kiddos
Easy Rice Krispie Treats in Easter colors using PEEPS! :-) With GF Rice Krispies, I can make this perfect snack for Mae.
Before and after
I cannot believe I had that much hair, either! I will be donating all of it to Wigs for Kids. They do not charge for their wigs. I was disappointed to hear that Locks for Love makes people pay for their wigs.
$$ at the Supermarket...Meat prices will go up without changes
Food for thought...and $ from your pocket.
From IL Soybean Association:
Food Costs Could Rise With Greater U.S. Livestock Regulations
Paying more for food may not be out of the question for consumers if regulations on the U.S. poultry and livestock sectors increase. In fact, consumers could pay up to $16.8 billion more annually for meat, milk and eggs if such regulations raise input costs by 25 percent. Consumer and Food Safety Costs of Offshoring Animal Agriculture, a recent soybean checkoff-funded study, evaluated current U.S. supply and demand for poultry and livestock products and the impact of regulations on retail prices. For example, requiring cage-free housing for laying hens would increase the cost of eggs from $1.68 to $2.10 per dozen, a total cost of $2.66 billion per year to U.S. consumers. The report cites other potential increased regulations that could drive up production costs by anywhere from 10 to 25 percent. A 25 percent increase in costs to animal agriculture would reduce U.S. exports by $1.1 billion, and cause nearly 9,000 Americans to lose their jobs. Statistics compiled with checkoff funding show the poultry and livestock sectors support 1.8 million jobs and generate more than $283 billion for the U.S. economy.
From IL Soybean Association:
Food Costs Could Rise With Greater U.S. Livestock Regulations
Paying more for food may not be out of the question for consumers if regulations on the U.S. poultry and livestock sectors increase. In fact, consumers could pay up to $16.8 billion more annually for meat, milk and eggs if such regulations raise input costs by 25 percent. Consumer and Food Safety Costs of Offshoring Animal Agriculture, a recent soybean checkoff-funded study, evaluated current U.S. supply and demand for poultry and livestock products and the impact of regulations on retail prices. For example, requiring cage-free housing for laying hens would increase the cost of eggs from $1.68 to $2.10 per dozen, a total cost of $2.66 billion per year to U.S. consumers. The report cites other potential increased regulations that could drive up production costs by anywhere from 10 to 25 percent. A 25 percent increase in costs to animal agriculture would reduce U.S. exports by $1.1 billion, and cause nearly 9,000 Americans to lose their jobs. Statistics compiled with checkoff funding show the poultry and livestock sectors support 1.8 million jobs and generate more than $283 billion for the U.S. economy.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Family Photos
My fav family photo from our session this winter. Love that we were all at least looking at the camera. I have an amazing, supportive family. My only regret is that we don't live closer to each other.
Rehab Staff
I know that for most people, they look at Mendota Hospital as a small, only in emergency type facilty. Now that I am the patient, I have only the most amazing things to say about our staff. I work with these people, they are my friends, but I am a bad patient, so my editorial is truly based on my opinion of the treatment, NOT the friend part.
Jared Wise, PT. Amazing. He's young, but thorough. He's also honest, maybe more than I was looking for. :-) He has provided me with exercises, stretches, and confidence to push through the pain and move forward.
Laura Geldon, AT. Young, just out of school, but amazing. Great asset for our team here at MCH and for the local high school sports program. Laura has provided me with massage and plenty of education on how and WHY things hurt when they do.
Nancy Walzer. Technically our dept. secretary, but so much more. She has been helping me from day one with everything from occasional massage when needed to trying to work around my schedule and their schedule (the most difficult part of this whole thing).
And, finally, Dr. Amy Matheis-Soliman. As a friend, we are super compatible. As a doctor-patient our relationship is just as compatible. She has taken the time to listen to what I am feeling, prescribed the needed things to get through my life with three kids (since she has four of her own), and understands the demands of being a mom.
Long story short, consider MCH for your treatment needs. It's a great place to work and be a patient!
Jared Wise, PT. Amazing. He's young, but thorough. He's also honest, maybe more than I was looking for. :-) He has provided me with exercises, stretches, and confidence to push through the pain and move forward.
Laura Geldon, AT. Young, just out of school, but amazing. Great asset for our team here at MCH and for the local high school sports program. Laura has provided me with massage and plenty of education on how and WHY things hurt when they do.
Nancy Walzer. Technically our dept. secretary, but so much more. She has been helping me from day one with everything from occasional massage when needed to trying to work around my schedule and their schedule (the most difficult part of this whole thing).
And, finally, Dr. Amy Matheis-Soliman. As a friend, we are super compatible. As a doctor-patient our relationship is just as compatible. She has taken the time to listen to what I am feeling, prescribed the needed things to get through my life with three kids (since she has four of her own), and understands the demands of being a mom.
Long story short, consider MCH for your treatment needs. It's a great place to work and be a patient!
Being a "Farm Mom"
So, part of writing this blog was supposed to be my role on the farm as farm "mom". What I find is that it truly extends to just being a mom. I have to work sick kids into the schedule the same as the rest of you. For those of you with Grandparents nearby, you understand my ability to have that super small sigh of relief knowing that you can lean on them during the tough times.
As a farm mom, I want my children immersed in the farm. They spend time with us in the barn. When the pigs are small enough (remember my oldest of three is only 6), the kids are in the pen with the pigs. When the pigs are too big (just so they don't knock the kids down), the kids help me do chores by walking down the alleyway and "waking" them up. Imagine my two year old Nolie saying, "Up piggies, come on, Mommy needs you up". So cute!
Planting season is around the corner and they will also be immersed in that. They love riding in the tractor and being part of the action. I hope that all of this is preparing them for the future that I see for them in farming.
As a farm mom, I want my children immersed in the farm. They spend time with us in the barn. When the pigs are small enough (remember my oldest of three is only 6), the kids are in the pen with the pigs. When the pigs are too big (just so they don't knock the kids down), the kids help me do chores by walking down the alleyway and "waking" them up. Imagine my two year old Nolie saying, "Up piggies, come on, Mommy needs you up". So cute!
Planting season is around the corner and they will also be immersed in that. They love riding in the tractor and being part of the action. I hope that all of this is preparing them for the future that I see for them in farming.
Beyond the Elevator video
Great video by IL Soy. If I was home I would add the photo from our barn location where you can see the nearest elevator just beautifully. Leave feedback!
A Humble Victory
I was honored last Wednesday when my project was chosen for the National Patient Safety week challenge. In all honesty, all of the projects were wonderful, and I'm not even sure how mine ended up on top.
My project, presentation, etc., are all from 7 years of hard work in pulling together and trying to implement an "actual" Oral Hygiene Protocol and Free Water Protocol. **Note, we do not currently charge patients for water...it's free--as in unrestricted**. The gist is that if patients are on thickened liquids and we do strict oral hygiene (at least three times each day) they can have thin water between their meals. We as a staff are responsible for offering water to those patients more frequently. The benefit is less post admission infections, better patient outcomes, and shorter acute care stays!
So, anyhow, again, I am humbled and honored to have been chosen for this award. I am over the moon that some of the physicians have already begun to write orders. I think we are on the way to even better patient care here at MCH!
My project, presentation, etc., are all from 7 years of hard work in pulling together and trying to implement an "actual" Oral Hygiene Protocol and Free Water Protocol. **Note, we do not currently charge patients for water...it's free--as in unrestricted**. The gist is that if patients are on thickened liquids and we do strict oral hygiene (at least three times each day) they can have thin water between their meals. We as a staff are responsible for offering water to those patients more frequently. The benefit is less post admission infections, better patient outcomes, and shorter acute care stays!
So, anyhow, again, I am humbled and honored to have been chosen for this award. I am over the moon that some of the physicians have already begun to write orders. I think we are on the way to even better patient care here at MCH!
IL Products Expo
John and I had a chance to volunteer to hand out samples of "Da Burger" at the IL Products Expo on March 3rd. It was a lot of fun, and I was really surprised by the amount of vendors at this event. There were many small farmers present and some specialty growers, along with vendors with beer. They also dedicated a whole section to IL Wine and it was great to see our August Hill friends there.
We got to taste some fantastic cheeses (thanks Ropp's for bringing the Green Olive cheese!), brats, beer, honey, fudge, etc. Entry was only $5 (for us it was free since we were volunteering), and we got a free t-shirt to boot. At the IL Pork booth, Bloomington Meats were selling 1/3 lb pork burgers (3/pack) and pork spice. They emptied the chest freezer at least twice while we were there. It was estimated that we gave out over 3200 samples on Saturday alone, and they carried this over to Sunday!
Feel free to ask at your grocer's counter for ground pork burgers (they are different than sausage because they have no seasoning). Have them make 1/3 or 1/2 pound burgers to be extra delicious!!!
We got to taste some fantastic cheeses (thanks Ropp's for bringing the Green Olive cheese!), brats, beer, honey, fudge, etc. Entry was only $5 (for us it was free since we were volunteering), and we got a free t-shirt to boot. At the IL Pork booth, Bloomington Meats were selling 1/3 lb pork burgers (3/pack) and pork spice. They emptied the chest freezer at least twice while we were there. It was estimated that we gave out over 3200 samples on Saturday alone, and they carried this over to Sunday!
Feel free to ask at your grocer's counter for ground pork burgers (they are different than sausage because they have no seasoning). Have them make 1/3 or 1/2 pound burgers to be extra delicious!!!
Last week was Ag Week
In Michele Payne Knoper's recent blog, she asks...does ag week actually make a difference? Are we doing it right, can we "switch our shoes?" so to speak and have a conversation about what is important to the consumer, or are we preaching to them about how we are right? Here's the link to her conversation:
http://www.causematters.com/advocacy/agriculture-week/
On my end, I spent a WONDERFUL day at Holy Cross School. I was welcomed into each of the classrooms. I was shocked by the questions that even the little kiddos posed, and was so pleased to get a chance to talk to them. It is surprising that even in a small town, there are very few "farm kids" in our school. Many of them were surprised by the amount of animals we have with only our family taking care of them. Naturally, they all giggled when we talked about poop, but we discussed how we call it manure and what we do with all of it.
Overall it was a fun day. Check out these resources for some really fun games.
www.myamericanfarm.org
www.podtoplate.org
http://www.causematters.com/advocacy/agriculture-week/
On my end, I spent a WONDERFUL day at Holy Cross School. I was welcomed into each of the classrooms. I was shocked by the questions that even the little kiddos posed, and was so pleased to get a chance to talk to them. It is surprising that even in a small town, there are very few "farm kids" in our school. Many of them were surprised by the amount of animals we have with only our family taking care of them. Naturally, they all giggled when we talked about poop, but we discussed how we call it manure and what we do with all of it.
Overall it was a fun day. Check out these resources for some really fun games.
www.myamericanfarm.org
www.podtoplate.org
New Acronym, and I love it!!!!
HSUS: The “Hysterical Society for Uninformed Simpletons”
What a riot. Thanks again to Humane Watch for that one.
Visualization of HSUS donations to IL shelters.
I wanted to share this image I got off of www.humanewatch.org I find it very interesting that IL's percentage of donations is just over one 1/100th of a %. Look at some of the other states....0% in some of them. So, when you make a donation because you saw a TV commercial, where do you think your $$ are going? Think about it.
Golly...this is harder than I thought
So the end of February/beginning of March has been rough on our family. We have had sick kids, I herniated a disc in my back, and life continues at the crazy pace. I am 11 posts behind and doing my best to catch up. I apologize for the truncated posts that you are probably going to be getting until I get caught up. I think I bit off more than I can chew, but I won't give up.
Hang in there with me!
Kate
Hang in there with me!
Kate
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Do you follow me?
Here's all the info for ways to keep up with my news:
Twitter: @jkhagenbuch
Facebook: like us at Hagenbuch Family Farms
Website: www.hagenbuchfamilyfarms.com
obviously you know I blog already...
email: hagenbuchfamilyfarms@gmail.com
Contact me, share me, ask me questions. My goal is to get the info out there.
Twitter: @jkhagenbuch
Facebook: like us at Hagenbuch Family Farms
Website: www.hagenbuchfamilyfarms.com
obviously you know I blog already...
email: hagenbuchfamilyfarms@gmail.com
Contact me, share me, ask me questions. My goal is to get the info out there.
Don & Roma
I am in the process of trying to clear up some misinformation that I heard on the Don (Wade) & Roma show on WLS AM yesterday morning. Roma is a big proponent of this Natren probiotic. We agree on probiotics, for sure. They are really quite beneficial. What we disagree on is the fact that you need probiotics to combat the "super bugs" that you get from consuming so many antibiotics in your meat. It is an unfortunate fallacy. The meat that you consume may have been fed an antibiotic, but that animal has to be clear of that antibiotic before it enters the food supply.
Take a probiotic to help maintain the healthy flora in your body. Do not take a probiotic to combat super bugs from eating meat. It's simply untrue.
Take a probiotic to help maintain the healthy flora in your body. Do not take a probiotic to combat super bugs from eating meat. It's simply untrue.
Monday, February 27, 2012
More articles
We were honored (once again) to be featured in two more farm publications. One was in the IL Field and Bean magazine and the other in Farm Credit's monthly publication. Both were well written and included many of the points that we wanted to get across.
Also, we recently met with an Associated Press reporter, Tammy Webber, from Chicago. She is writing an article about CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) and the permitting process. This is the first (non farm) reporter we have really spoken to about some of the key issues. We hope that we got our point across that the dynamics of a family farm are certainly changing, but we are and will remain a family farm despite our size. We are going to have our eyes and ears open for when that article might surface. Let me know if you see it before I do.
Also, we recently met with an Associated Press reporter, Tammy Webber, from Chicago. She is writing an article about CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) and the permitting process. This is the first (non farm) reporter we have really spoken to about some of the key issues. We hope that we got our point across that the dynamics of a family farm are certainly changing, but we are and will remain a family farm despite our size. We are going to have our eyes and ears open for when that article might surface. Let me know if you see it before I do.
Accounting
There is nothing I enjoy more than trying to figure out accounting software. That's it. We are going to buy Quicken again. It's the easiest I have ever used. This dumb business software isn't worth it if I cannot figure out how to work it. Grrrr.....insert frustrated face.
Branching out
One drawback
So, I've been diligently counting points on Weight Watchers for the last month or so. I have lost 8.8 pounds and I'm feeling good about where I'm headed. Yep, until the cake making train stopped this weekend. We had a party for Bella this weekend and I made her cake. No problems for me with the cake itself. It's the Wilton buttercream recipe that is going to send me to my grave. If you have never had my frosting, it's pretty much to die for. It's so creamy and complex. We use meringue powder and fine grain salt to take it to the next level. I thought I was doing pretty well, actually, until I realized that I did not finish all the frosting from the mixing bowl. Darn it anyway. So, I had a (heaping) tbsp of the delish stuff. MMMMMMMmmmmmmmm. I have no idea where to begin on how many points are in that. I do know that I am going to cut my losses this week, even if I gain. It's too great to pass up. I am on track for everything else, so I'll catch back up. This is why I am grateful that birthdays only come every so often in our family.
Empty rooms
We are in the process of finishing emptying Room #1 in the barn. Once that room is empty, we will go through and pressure wash every square inch to ensure that everything is clean before restocking the room. We will begin refilling that room in a matter of just a few days. In the meantime, selection of gilts continues in the other rooms, and we will begin the process over in those rooms shortly.
It's been great for us to work with Illini Farms on this adventure. They have made the transition to contract feeding a flawless one for us.
It's been great for us to work with Illini Farms on this adventure. They have made the transition to contract feeding a flawless one for us.
Kilgus Dairy
Off tomorrow to another GRIT meeting, but first we get a "field trip" at Kilgus Dairy in Fairbury, IL. I am looking forward to getting to taste some delicious ice cream and cheeses!
Here's the link to the Kilgus farm's website:
http://www.kilgusfarmstead.com/
Check out how this family farm has transformed their business.
Here's the link to the Kilgus farm's website:
http://www.kilgusfarmstead.com/
Check out how this family farm has transformed their business.
McDonalds
In response to HSUS's latest video about the use of gestation stalls in the production of pork for McD's, McDonalds has decided to have their producers phase out the use of gestation stalls or no longer produce pork for McDonalds. Once again, the debate about whether or not modern pork production is the best for the pigs is coming into question. Much research is being done currently about the use of gestation stalls vs. open pens for pregnant pigs. Results are showing that the safest method of housing pregnant sows is in gestation stalls. Many locations are finding that when given a choice between a gestation stall and an open "loafing" pen, the sows return to their stalls to rest, eat, and relax. They even return to the same stall over and over.
I am going to be doing my best for my health and the pork industry and try not to eat at McDonalds. It will be tough since those three little ones feel like they need Happy Meals, but we are going to try to limit giving them our support.
I am going to be doing my best for my health and the pork industry and try not to eat at McDonalds. It will be tough since those three little ones feel like they need Happy Meals, but we are going to try to limit giving them our support.
Ugh. Another birthday
Thanks for all my birthday wishes. I don't enjoy celebrating my own birthday, but I am honored to have had so many wishes from my friends and family!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
IFF
I know I keep beating a dead horse, but you really have to go check out the IL Farm Families website. There have been some recent comments regarding two of the blogs posted after our Mom's Meet Up in Chicago. I even have my own blog put up last Wed. Feel free to browse the site, leave a comment, etc. Just check it out!!!
www.watchusgrow.org
www.watchusgrow.org
Unloading
We have sent more gilts (female pigs that have not had a litter yet) out yesterday and today. I cannot believe that it has been nearly 4 months since we began filling the barn. The gilts will go to one of three different sow farms where they will have their piglets (eventually).
We are still feeling anxious about starting on the new barn. It's going to be exciting and a bit of a whirlwind when all four barns are up and running. We are pleased, once again, to be working with AgriTech Enterprises.
We are still feeling anxious about starting on the new barn. It's going to be exciting and a bit of a whirlwind when all four barns are up and running. We are pleased, once again, to be working with AgriTech Enterprises.
Getting old
I cannot believe that time is flying so quickly. Today was my special day to go to Kindergarten with Bella to read her favorite story, bring in a few baby pictures, and also bring in a snack. It was a lot of fun. We read Bella Gets Her Skates On. We also decided on pudding cups and lots of different sprinkles instead of cupcakes. It seems like they get cupcakes a lot!
I love being able to go into the kids' rooms. It's really fun getting to know their friends and teachers.
I love being able to go into the kids' rooms. It's really fun getting to know their friends and teachers.
CLMT
I am proud to say that I just finished my Certified Livestock Manager Training yesterday, AND I earned an 87% on the test. A test that I was convinced I couldn't pass. The cutoff score was 70%, so I'd say I did pretty good.
IL livestock farmers are required to take the course when they have more than 300 animal units (not the same as "head" of livestock...there is a different multiplier). You have to take the course and the test when you have over 1000 animal units. Much of the training focused on responsible environmental stewardship, which we do already. That part was easy. It was the geometry and algebra I was not expecting...and I was grateful for my liberal arts education! I have had so much background in biology and chemistry that the agronomy stuff was much easier for me than even some of the farmers there.
I am glad that I have it behind me, but I am proud of myself.
IL livestock farmers are required to take the course when they have more than 300 animal units (not the same as "head" of livestock...there is a different multiplier). You have to take the course and the test when you have over 1000 animal units. Much of the training focused on responsible environmental stewardship, which we do already. That part was easy. It was the geometry and algebra I was not expecting...and I was grateful for my liberal arts education! I have had so much background in biology and chemistry that the agronomy stuff was much easier for me than even some of the farmers there.
I am glad that I have it behind me, but I am proud of myself.
Lily
We are so excited that our newest niece and nephew are here for a few days. Our little Lillian is just the smiliest little thing I have ever seen. The girls are just in love with her. They are so cute wanting to hold her all the time. :-) I heart babies!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
SNOW!!!
Why can't we get lake effect bands of 12-18 inches? Just my quick question for the day! Happy Valentine's Day
Selling tickets!
I have tickets available for the Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner at Holy Cross School on March 8, 2012. Dinner is 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. We will have Mary Cate Smith, a senior at St. Bede, performing Irish Step Dancing and singing Irish tunes.
Also available for $5 each are raffle tickets for technology. We are raffling off an iPad2, several Kindles, a flat screen TV, etc. All of the money raised will go to purchase either laptops or iPads for students in our school.
Let me know if you are interested. We had 3000 tickets available, but only have 250 left!!!
Also available for $5 each are raffle tickets for technology. We are raffling off an iPad2, several Kindles, a flat screen TV, etc. All of the money raised will go to purchase either laptops or iPads for students in our school.
Let me know if you are interested. We had 3000 tickets available, but only have 250 left!!!
Chinese Delegation
John & I were fortunate enough to get a chance to participate in a luncheon yesterday honoring a high level Chinese trade delegation. To begin with, we ate at the Union League Club. A. Maz. Ing!!! It's unbelievable. The architecture is phenomenal, but when you walk through and check out their art collection...wow! It honestly knocked my socks off. I am not sure if John was as impressed as I was, but it was quite awesome. I mean come on, they had a Monet!!!
The next part that was awesome was meeting with this delegation from China who purchase 25% of the soybeans produced in IL! That's amazing!!!!! Every fourth row of soybeans grown in IL goes to China via the Mississippi River. Thank God we got those FTAs worked out finally. The delegation had lots of questions about corn vs. beans (which farmers prefer to grow and store), cash rent vs. owning (which cash flows better...HA!), and future trade goals for IL farmers. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to sit with the translator for the group, so conversation flowed fairly freely at our table. I also sat next to a staffer for Mark Kirk (IL Senator) who is responsible for his agriculture policy. It was nice to get a chance to talk to him and get some real answers, and do some lobbying, also! BTW, the Senator is doing well in his recovery.
Finally...this is the crazy part...I was speaking with another one of the Senator's staffers. I asked where they were from originally. The one said he was from Glenview, which is a northern suburb very near where I grew up. I explained that I knew Glenview because my childhood dentist (whom I adored) was in Glenview. He asked who...so I said...turns out it was his father! Can you believe it? What a small world. I enjoy making connections with people, but that one just fell into my lap. So neat. We were honored to be asked to represent the Soybean Assn and be part of a wonderful day.
The next part that was awesome was meeting with this delegation from China who purchase 25% of the soybeans produced in IL! That's amazing!!!!! Every fourth row of soybeans grown in IL goes to China via the Mississippi River. Thank God we got those FTAs worked out finally. The delegation had lots of questions about corn vs. beans (which farmers prefer to grow and store), cash rent vs. owning (which cash flows better...HA!), and future trade goals for IL farmers. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to sit with the translator for the group, so conversation flowed fairly freely at our table. I also sat next to a staffer for Mark Kirk (IL Senator) who is responsible for his agriculture policy. It was nice to get a chance to talk to him and get some real answers, and do some lobbying, also! BTW, the Senator is doing well in his recovery.
Finally...this is the crazy part...I was speaking with another one of the Senator's staffers. I asked where they were from originally. The one said he was from Glenview, which is a northern suburb very near where I grew up. I explained that I knew Glenview because my childhood dentist (whom I adored) was in Glenview. He asked who...so I said...turns out it was his father! Can you believe it? What a small world. I enjoy making connections with people, but that one just fell into my lap. So neat. We were honored to be asked to represent the Soybean Assn and be part of a wonderful day.
No more Chipotle for us
What a bummer. It's unfortunate that when you find a place that you enjoy eating, something changes and you can't go there any longer. For us, it's Chipotle's new ad. Thanks to a Facebook friend for showing it to me. Their ad vilifies agricuture, especially animal agriculture, by categorizing a "family farmer" into an "industrial farmer", and then illustrates his trip back to what they call "sustainability". I find it interesting that people see this as supporting farmers and agriculture. Once again it is clear that people do not understand what a farmer is, does, or how he is focused on the issue of sustainability.
Long story short, our trips to Chipotle are done. We will not support a corporate entity that attempts to destroy what we hold sacred.
Long story short, our trips to Chipotle are done. We will not support a corporate entity that attempts to destroy what we hold sacred.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Mary Kay & HSUS???
http://humanewatch.org/index.php/site/post/this_ones_for_all_the_ladies_out_there/
I am going to be trying to follow up with this one to see if there was ever a real answer. From everything I can see, Mary Kay denies any part of this....I certainly hope that is the truth. I would hate to have to stop using their products because my money is going to support Wayne and his group.
I am going to be trying to follow up with this one to see if there was ever a real answer. From everything I can see, Mary Kay denies any part of this....I certainly hope that is the truth. I would hate to have to stop using their products because my money is going to support Wayne and his group.
Do you give to your "local" Humane Society via HSUS????? Your money doesn't go where you think.
http://humanewatch.org/index.php/site/post/even_hsus_donors_are_in_the_dark/
Read this article to find out where the money that HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) receives as donations actually goes. They get your money by showing you animal shelters, but your local animal shelter will receive less than 1% of that donation! If you want to support your local shelter, then give DIRECTLY to your local shelter!
Please share and post on your social media sites. Also, subscribe to humanwatch.org to follow all the stuff that HSUS doesn't want you to know about.
Read this article to find out where the money that HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) receives as donations actually goes. They get your money by showing you animal shelters, but your local animal shelter will receive less than 1% of that donation! If you want to support your local shelter, then give DIRECTLY to your local shelter!
Please share and post on your social media sites. Also, subscribe to humanwatch.org to follow all the stuff that HSUS doesn't want you to know about.
Family
We are excited to welcome home some long distance family members next week. My brother-in-law and his family, including our newest niece, Lily, are going to be home for a short time. We are over the moon to get to see her and our nephew. They are transitioning back to the US from a two year stay in Naples, Italy. It will be reassuring for us, as well as the whole family, to have them back stateside.
Tickets
Through Holy Cross School, we are selling tickets to the Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner on March 8th. I am also selling the "Technology for Technology" raffle tickets. They are $5 each. You could win and iPad2, a Kindle fire, one of 2 Kindle Touches, a 27 inch TV, etc. All proceeds go to benefit improving technology programs at Holy Cross.
Let me know if you are interested.
Let me know if you are interested.
Farm Labor
http://chrischinn.wordpress.com/2012/02/09/will-my-children-be-allowed-to-work-on-our-farm/
This article poses the new question that farmers are asking ourselves now. Will my children be allowed to work on our farm. New legislation proposed will prevent children under the age of 16 from "working" on a farm, even their parent's farm. It will also prohibit them from using any tools that are not "hand or foot" operated. No battery powered drills, no driving tractors or other equipment, nothing electric or battery powered.
What is frustrating is that we hope that our children will return to the farm one day to establish their careers and families. Unfortunately, this legislation could prevent our children from learning the necessary tricks of the trade to help them when we are no longer around.
I assume that the legislation is going to be in place because of farm safety issues. We talk to our children on an almost daily basis about being safe on the farm. We emphasize how important it is to "hit the grass" when you hear any type of vehicle coming, and our children will go running for the yard the second they hear a car, truck, semi, or tractor coming up the gravel. We talk about not climbing ladders, not to ever enter a bin without an adult, and to steer clear of the augers. Our kids know which hogs they are allowed to be in the pen with and which ones they cannot enter because of the size of the kid and the animal. We take all of this very seriously. I see no difference with urban parents who have to teach their kids about how to be safe on the ell platform. Are we going to ban children under 16 from riding the ell in Chicago?
Please talk to your legislators about the foolishness of this proposed law.
This article poses the new question that farmers are asking ourselves now. Will my children be allowed to work on our farm. New legislation proposed will prevent children under the age of 16 from "working" on a farm, even their parent's farm. It will also prohibit them from using any tools that are not "hand or foot" operated. No battery powered drills, no driving tractors or other equipment, nothing electric or battery powered.
What is frustrating is that we hope that our children will return to the farm one day to establish their careers and families. Unfortunately, this legislation could prevent our children from learning the necessary tricks of the trade to help them when we are no longer around.
I assume that the legislation is going to be in place because of farm safety issues. We talk to our children on an almost daily basis about being safe on the farm. We emphasize how important it is to "hit the grass" when you hear any type of vehicle coming, and our children will go running for the yard the second they hear a car, truck, semi, or tractor coming up the gravel. We talk about not climbing ladders, not to ever enter a bin without an adult, and to steer clear of the augers. Our kids know which hogs they are allowed to be in the pen with and which ones they cannot enter because of the size of the kid and the animal. We take all of this very seriously. I see no difference with urban parents who have to teach their kids about how to be safe on the ell platform. Are we going to ban children under 16 from riding the ell in Chicago?
Please talk to your legislators about the foolishness of this proposed law.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Manure
Here's another from www.sustainabletable.org, whom I am not promoting at all, but thank for the ideas.
**QUOTE**Waste
Some industrial livestock facilities produce as much sewage as a small city, but they are not required to treat all this waste. Instead, the waste is held in large pools and spread on farm fields where it often runs off into nearby water systems.**END QUOTE**
Everybody Poops...I think that's a kid's book for potty training, but alas, everybody does, in fact, poop. That includes our animals. What Sustainable Table fails to note is that many livestock operations, specifically hogs, do not have "lagoon" storage any longer. Our farm, for example, has an 8 foot deep pit under each barn to store the manure. We are not required to treat the manure because it is to be used as organic fertilizer. Treating this manure and then applying it to the soil where we grow our food seems like more of a safety issue to me.
In a previous post, I stated that we are not irresponsible with our use of the manure, either. We use annual soil testing results and variable rate technology to help ensure that the proper amount of nutrients are being applied to the soil. There are even computer programs designed to help you keep the records of weather events around the dates that you apply the manure to the soil to ensure safe nutrient management. Another change that the swine industry has seen is the use of manure injection systems, meaning the manure is not "thrown" on top of the soil, but rather injected 6-8 inches below the surface. The injection system cuts down on odor by 66%, provides the nutrients directly to the roots of the plants that grow in that soil the following year, and decreases the chance of "run-off" into water supplies.
As far as the safety of the animals in the barn where the manure is stored, we have taken many steps to ensure the health of the animals is not compromised by their "poop". Our buildings are "tunnel" ventilated, which means that there are fans on one end that suck air through the barn at up to 7 mph. We also have "pit fans" which pull air down from inlets in the ceilings, through the slats in the floor, and out through the pit fan on the sides of the barn. These two systems provide a well-ventilated and comfortable environment for the pigs. We also have fail safes built in to the system. Our building has a state of the art alarm system that calls 5 phone numbers the second any of our systems in the barn fail, i.e., temperature decrease/increase over 5 degrees, loss of power, fans that do not turn on, loss of water, etc. In the event of a power outage, our barn is equipped with curtains on the side walls that lower immediately in order to keep the barn ventilated. We also have a generator on site, large enough to power all operations of the barn at any time.
We feel strongly about the health and safety of our little piggies, and also about the environment that WE also live in and raise our children in.
**QUOTE**Waste
Some industrial livestock facilities produce as much sewage as a small city, but they are not required to treat all this waste. Instead, the waste is held in large pools and spread on farm fields where it often runs off into nearby water systems.**END QUOTE**
Everybody Poops...I think that's a kid's book for potty training, but alas, everybody does, in fact, poop. That includes our animals. What Sustainable Table fails to note is that many livestock operations, specifically hogs, do not have "lagoon" storage any longer. Our farm, for example, has an 8 foot deep pit under each barn to store the manure. We are not required to treat the manure because it is to be used as organic fertilizer. Treating this manure and then applying it to the soil where we grow our food seems like more of a safety issue to me.
In a previous post, I stated that we are not irresponsible with our use of the manure, either. We use annual soil testing results and variable rate technology to help ensure that the proper amount of nutrients are being applied to the soil. There are even computer programs designed to help you keep the records of weather events around the dates that you apply the manure to the soil to ensure safe nutrient management. Another change that the swine industry has seen is the use of manure injection systems, meaning the manure is not "thrown" on top of the soil, but rather injected 6-8 inches below the surface. The injection system cuts down on odor by 66%, provides the nutrients directly to the roots of the plants that grow in that soil the following year, and decreases the chance of "run-off" into water supplies.
As far as the safety of the animals in the barn where the manure is stored, we have taken many steps to ensure the health of the animals is not compromised by their "poop". Our buildings are "tunnel" ventilated, which means that there are fans on one end that suck air through the barn at up to 7 mph. We also have "pit fans" which pull air down from inlets in the ceilings, through the slats in the floor, and out through the pit fan on the sides of the barn. These two systems provide a well-ventilated and comfortable environment for the pigs. We also have fail safes built in to the system. Our building has a state of the art alarm system that calls 5 phone numbers the second any of our systems in the barn fail, i.e., temperature decrease/increase over 5 degrees, loss of power, fans that do not turn on, loss of water, etc. In the event of a power outage, our barn is equipped with curtains on the side walls that lower immediately in order to keep the barn ventilated. We also have a generator on site, large enough to power all operations of the barn at any time.
We feel strongly about the health and safety of our little piggies, and also about the environment that WE also live in and raise our children in.
Animal feed
A big thank you to www.sustainabletable.org/issues/ for helping me come up with ideas for my blog posts. I was not sure what to keep writing about, so this really helps.
**QUOTE**Feed
Animals on industrial farms are fed the cheapest grains and waste products in order to fatten them quickly. This leads to widespread health problems, so low doses of antibiotics are also added to the feed. The result is unhealthy animals and unhealthy food for consumers.**END QUOTE**
FALSE! Our animals are fed a specific ration based on their age and weights. Animals haven't been fed waste products for years. Watch Charlotte's Web and you'll see them pouring food scraps or "slop" into Wilbur's pen. This just is not realistic. Our feed rations are comprised of soybean meal, corn, fats, and proteins. We have no "widespread health issues", and our animals' feed DOES NOT contain a low dosage of antibiotics. Just like you would give your children medicine if they are sick, we do offer a sick animal antibiotics on a case by case basis. We work very closely with a team of veterinarians who help us determine when it is safe to provide the animals with medicine. We strive to keep our animals healthy and happy. We also trust wholeheartedly that our pork is perfectly healthy "for consumers". We have three small children and feed them our pork without question. You should feel confident that you can do the same for your family.
**QUOTE**Feed
Animals on industrial farms are fed the cheapest grains and waste products in order to fatten them quickly. This leads to widespread health problems, so low doses of antibiotics are also added to the feed. The result is unhealthy animals and unhealthy food for consumers.**END QUOTE**
FALSE! Our animals are fed a specific ration based on their age and weights. Animals haven't been fed waste products for years. Watch Charlotte's Web and you'll see them pouring food scraps or "slop" into Wilbur's pen. This just is not realistic. Our feed rations are comprised of soybean meal, corn, fats, and proteins. We have no "widespread health issues", and our animals' feed DOES NOT contain a low dosage of antibiotics. Just like you would give your children medicine if they are sick, we do offer a sick animal antibiotics on a case by case basis. We work very closely with a team of veterinarians who help us determine when it is safe to provide the animals with medicine. We strive to keep our animals healthy and happy. We also trust wholeheartedly that our pork is perfectly healthy "for consumers". We have three small children and feed them our pork without question. You should feel confident that you can do the same for your family.
True or false?
I am going to call out a few different "hot topics" or controversial issues in agriculture. I am not a PhD, but this is what I do for a living. I can tell you some facts and the truth about how things are done on my farm. I WANT your comments and questions.
These quotes came from a website called www.sustainabletable.org/issues/. The reason I am surfacing these fallacies is to better explain what modern agriculture is really about. Farmers really do care, because we are raising families, too.
**QUOTE**Factory Farming
Meat and dairy production in the United States has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Small family farms have been replaced by huge livestock facilities, where animals suffer horribly, workers are mistreated, the environment is being destroyed, and where rural communities are falling apart.
Meat and dairy production in the United States has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Small family farms have been replaced by huge livestock facilities, where animals suffer horribly, workers are mistreated, the environment is being destroyed, and where rural communities are falling apart.
Family Farms
Family farmers are being forced out of business at an alarming rate, and hundreds of small farmers sell their land every week. The dramatic expansion of industrial agriculture has made it increasingly difficult for small family farmers in the US, but many small family farms have found hope within the sustainable food movement.**END QUOTE**
Family farmers are being forced out of business at an alarming rate, and hundreds of small farmers sell their land every week. The dramatic expansion of industrial agriculture has made it increasingly difficult for small family farmers in the US, but many small family farms have found hope within the sustainable food movement.**END QUOTE**
Factory Farming vs. Family Farms....actually a great question was just posed on www.watchusgrow.org about this exact topic. I find a few lines from the above text quite interesting. 1. "where animals suffer horribly, workers are mistreated, the environment is being destroyed, and where rural communities are falling apart." Interesting. Our family farm is considered by most a "huge livestock facility", but we do not participate in any of the above statements. Our animals do not "suffer horribly". On the contrary, they are in a comfortable, temperature controlled environment, just like at your home. They are given ample room to spread out and can move wherever they would like in their pen. They also have unlimited access to feed and water. Our workers most certainly are not "mistreated", namely because our workers are us. We are a family farm. Even when we will have a need to hire extra help, there will be no changes in the importance of maintaining a safe working environment. I am not even sure what they mean by saying a livestock facility is destroying the environment. I can tell you that we have the benefit of having manure available to us as an organic fertilizer. The primary nutrients in manure are nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. As you well know, these are vital nutrients to any plant and are organic materials. We do rigorous soil testing to ensure that the rate at which we apply the manure is exactly what that particular acre of ground needs. Using technology, we can vary the rate throughout the field to perfectly match the needs of that ground. We also have strict guidelines on where manure can be applied in relation to ground water supply. The IL Dept of Ag, and IL EPA both review our Nutrient Management Plan and both have approved it. Finally, nothing about the construction of our facility have made our "rural community fall apart". In fact, we feel strongly that the communication we have had with the community and media have strengthened the sense of community and provided positive views of animal agriculture.
2. "Family farmers are being forced out of business at an alarming rate, and hundreds of small farmers sell their land every week. The dramatic expansion of industrial agriculture has made it increasingly difficult for small family farmers in the US". In IL alone, 97% of farms are family owned. There is a perception from the public that over 50% of the farms are "industrial", but in fact they are not. Family farms are changing from the small "do all" farms of the past. Before most every farm had a variety of livestock on a small scale, plus a few hundred acres and some equipment. Nowadays, farmers are able to specialize in the type of crops they prefer to grow (in IL, it is predominantly corn, soybeans, and wheat), and the type of livestock they would like to raise. The amount of land owned by a family farm is on the rise, also. So, the truth is that family farms aren't disappearing, but they are growing, leading some to assume that more industrial farms are popping up.
3. "many small family farms have found hope within the sustainable food movement." Ummm....huh? All farmers are concerned about sustainability. We are concerned about how to keep our environment protected and yet maintain good productivity from the land. As I said before, we do soil testing and control the rate of fertilizer that we apply. We constantly assess what crop rotation cycle is the best for the land, and make realistic decisions that help promote the sustainability of the land. To be honest, sure, I wish every person had a garden large enough to support their own families. To be realistic, it isn't feasible. What we as farmers can do is continue to look at what practices we are using on our farm to ensure that we are protecting the soils that are so vital to us.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Failing in my duties
So, I actually thought I was doing well educating my co-workers about animal ag. Until yesterday morning, that is. The conversation we were having quickly swung into the antibiotics, hormone, steroid topic regarding what we give our animals and the safety of the food supply.
Most of the conversation was focused on milk and poultry. As I told my coworkers, the USDA and we as farmers have STRICT guidelines regarding the use of antibiotics and hormones. You will not find any of them in any of the meat, eggs, or poultry you consume, and also in the milk you drink. You can feel confident, as I do, that you are feeding your family directly from the world's safest and most abundant food supply.
As a mom, that makes me rest easy.
Most of the conversation was focused on milk and poultry. As I told my coworkers, the USDA and we as farmers have STRICT guidelines regarding the use of antibiotics and hormones. You will not find any of them in any of the meat, eggs, or poultry you consume, and also in the milk you drink. You can feel confident, as I do, that you are feeding your family directly from the world's safest and most abundant food supply.
As a mom, that makes me rest easy.
IL Farm Families
This is my reminder to all of you to check out IL Farm Families efforts at http://www.watchusgrow.org/ You will find so much information coming directly from farmers!!! If you are a farmer, use this site to get the word out about what we do, and how we make a difference!
TURN ON YOUR HEADLIGHTS!!!!!
What the heck, people? Of course the day we have to be in Rockford for an 8:15 a.m. Dr's appt, it's the foggiest day all year. What cracked me up (NOT!) is all the dumbies out there who drive white or gray cars and DO NOT USE HEADLIGHTS!!!!! Seriously? I am clearly annoyed, but if you think your auto headlights were working, they weren't!
While I'm on the subject of dumb drivers, can anyone tell me what the heck is wrong with setting your cruise control? I set it and forget it (thanks, Ron Popeil). I had this lady tailing me in this minivan, won't give your her license plate number---but I should! As I finished passing the semi, I got over into the right hand lane....now I remind you, she was TAILING me...couldn't see her headlights. She proceeds to pull up nearly to my rear passenger doors, then hang out their until we got close to the next semi. Then she backs so far up that I couldn't even see her through the fog. I signal to get into the left lane, and BOOM, there she is again, taililng me! ARGH!
Cruise control and headlights, people. Cruise control and headlights.
While I'm on the subject of dumb drivers, can anyone tell me what the heck is wrong with setting your cruise control? I set it and forget it (thanks, Ron Popeil). I had this lady tailing me in this minivan, won't give your her license plate number---but I should! As I finished passing the semi, I got over into the right hand lane....now I remind you, she was TAILING me...couldn't see her headlights. She proceeds to pull up nearly to my rear passenger doors, then hang out their until we got close to the next semi. Then she backs so far up that I couldn't even see her through the fog. I signal to get into the left lane, and BOOM, there she is again, taililng me! ARGH!
Cruise control and headlights, people. Cruise control and headlights.
Monday, January 30, 2012
IL Pork Expo
Don't miss the IL Pork Expo tomorrow. It's by far, Illinois' largest conference for all things pork. There are two separate "tracks" of information being presented. One for Purebred and show animals, and one for larger scale producers. There is also a large trade show where vendors from all over the country will be present.
For more information, look up www.ilpork.com
For more information, look up www.ilpork.com
Sunburned piggies
Downhill and water skiers will both tell you the importance of sunscreen. We all know how important protection against the July sun is, but we always forget about the winter sun.
Our pigs have very sensitive skin when it comes to the sun, too. This is another reason that living in a sheltered, temperature controlled environment is so beneficial to our animals. Pigs can get very red, painful looking sunburns, even in the winter. So, we keep them comfortable by protecting them from the sun.
Our pigs have very sensitive skin when it comes to the sun, too. This is another reason that living in a sheltered, temperature controlled environment is so beneficial to our animals. Pigs can get very red, painful looking sunburns, even in the winter. So, we keep them comfortable by protecting them from the sun.
Catholic Schools Week
We chose to send our kids to Holy Cross School for so many reasons. One reason is that our children are filling their "tanks" educationally and spiritually. This week is Catholic Schools week, and a reminder why we are continuing to support our kids in this environment.
Today the kids got to pick prayer partners. Bella was so excited to find out who her prayer partner would be. She couldn't wait to make that connection to another kid in the school. I am also excited to find out who her partner is. Tomorrow is a non-uniform day, which she is also excited about. Then Wed. patriotic day, wear red to support the clergy on Thursday, and Twin Day on Friday. To say Bella is excited about twin day would be an understatement. She and her friend, Ryleigh, are dressing up as twins. They were very meticulous about their planning of this outfit. Should be great.
We have been embraced in love by the Holy Cross family. Thanks! I am happy to discuss more if you have questions.
Today the kids got to pick prayer partners. Bella was so excited to find out who her prayer partner would be. She couldn't wait to make that connection to another kid in the school. I am also excited to find out who her partner is. Tomorrow is a non-uniform day, which she is also excited about. Then Wed. patriotic day, wear red to support the clergy on Thursday, and Twin Day on Friday. To say Bella is excited about twin day would be an understatement. She and her friend, Ryleigh, are dressing up as twins. They were very meticulous about their planning of this outfit. Should be great.
We have been embraced in love by the Holy Cross family. Thanks! I am happy to discuss more if you have questions.
Education Commission
Part of my duties as President of Parent's Club include being a member of Education Commission which is similar to a public school's board. So, Sat. I headed to school for a full day of meetings where we updated our 5 Year Strategic Plan. I was honestly dreading it. I mean really, who wants to sit in a meeting for 8 hours on Sat.? But, I was pleased at how quickly the day truly went. We have an amazing EdCom team this year, and I have so many little quips to giggle about from this great day. I hope that we have focused on making some good changes and keeping things in place that don't need to be changed.
A big thank you to the rest of the EdCom members. What a fun day!
A big thank you to the rest of the EdCom members. What a fun day!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Animal ID
Animal Identification systems are a great option for farmers to keep diseases in check and continue to provide the world's best and safest meat supply. One of the ways we are looking to implement this is through RFID ear tags at the point of origin for animals. So, animals would receive an id at their place of birth. This would not affect 4-H or kids who show animals at all. The animals would be able to be tracked though a quick scan upon arriving at the various shows and fairs. There would be a huge benefit to those kids as far as disease control goes.
Watch for this to surface again at IL Farm Bureau annual meeting. We are entering a new wave of the future, Animal ID is going to be necessary to farmer's bottom lines.
Watch for this to surface again at IL Farm Bureau annual meeting. We are entering a new wave of the future, Animal ID is going to be necessary to farmer's bottom lines.
100 days
I cannot believe my Bella has been in school for 100 days! Seems impossible! What a riot this morning when I dropped her off in her curlers, gray hair, house coat, and slippers. Today they are dressing like 100 year olds. Too funny. They paraded around the gym to show off their 100 year old selves. Did I mention Bella borrowed a junior walker from the PT dept at work? Again, hysterical. Check out my facebook page for pictures.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Feeling productive
Generally, my main goal at home is to keep the main level of the house organized and tidy so that people who enter aren't frightened of the monstrosity that is our house most days. Please tell me that I am not the only mom who has toys scattered, literrally, everywhere! I have been hiding up in the girls room emptying out all their bins and separating them back into Barbies, Polly Pockets, My Little Pony, American Girl clothes, American Girl accessories, American Girl furniture, American Girl etc., Teacup Piggies, Littlest Pet Shop, etc. Holy cow...I haven't even started back downstairs to get the main stuff done. However, I feel incredibly productive by being able to put a "completed" stamp on a project.
Sometimes I feel so torn between all my roles, I don't always feel like I see everything to the end. So, pardon me if you enter my house and step on dirt, legos, wet spots from snowboots, etc. You should see the girls' bedroom, though. Wow! :-)
Sometimes I feel so torn between all my roles, I don't always feel like I see everything to the end. So, pardon me if you enter my house and step on dirt, legos, wet spots from snowboots, etc. You should see the girls' bedroom, though. Wow! :-)
Prayers
Our prayers go out to Mark Kirk and his family. We pray that he will see a speedy recovery and quickly return to help make our state a great place to live.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Always have to be right
So, I have this issue with having to be right all the time. Sometimes I really am right, and I am pleased to note that one of those times was at supper last night. So, yes, I am going to gloat, and offer the link to a website that shows that I am correct. :-)
The debate came up about what a delmonico steak actually is. I said that it is just a differently cut ribeye, I have seen them bone-in and bone-out. The argument from my fellow diners was that it was a seasoning or marinade on the steak which is NOT true! This website describes all the different cuts that are considered delmonico, none of which involve any extra seasoning. It is strictly determined by the cut of the meat.
So, there. Call me what you will, and I am gloating. But, mmmmm....my delmonico was delish!
The debate came up about what a delmonico steak actually is. I said that it is just a differently cut ribeye, I have seen them bone-in and bone-out. The argument from my fellow diners was that it was a seasoning or marinade on the steak which is NOT true! This website describes all the different cuts that are considered delmonico, none of which involve any extra seasoning. It is strictly determined by the cut of the meat.
So, there. Call me what you will, and I am gloating. But, mmmmm....my delmonico was delish!
Coupons
I have found that I really enjoy scoring a great deal. The flip side is that I get really disappointed if I miss one. Like the 4/$10 Pepsi at Walgreens last week...missed it. :-( So, I headed to town to get my Chicago Tribunes today. Managed to find four of them this week. I am off to find out what excitement is headed my way. But, if you haven't heard yet, there are FREE toys at Target if you get on some of the couponing websites and print off the Hasbro and Playschool coupons.
Enjoy!!!
Enjoy!!!
Guilty as charged
Clothes!!! We have too many clothes. I honestly do a minimum of 20 loads of laundry each week, I swear. But, today, John was actually enjoying a little break on the recliner downstairs while I was upstairs putting away the clothes in the kids room. Ultimately trying to take back our master bedroom from the onslaught of laundry baskets and unmatched socks. So, here's where I am guilty. The kids were playing in the same room as Daddy, so when they started calling for me, I froze, didn't make a sound, move, blink, etc. I pretended I was invisible. I thought maybe they would think I had disappeared. Since none of them had actually seen me go upstairs, the chase ensued. Nolan said I was in the basement, so I heard all six feet head north to the basement stairs. Then they thought I was in the laundry room, bathroom (we all know there is no privacy in there anyway), office, and FINALLY they figured out I was upstairs. So, as any mom enjoying a little quiet time would do, I hid in my closet with the lights turned off. Yep, I hid from my kids, not once, but twice in one morning. I have a large walk-in closet, so it's not like I was wedged into a closet, but I am 100%, guilty as charged. I am a hider. I thwarted their efforts to find me this time. :-)
Thanks for the laughs, PETA
PETA has graciously delivered some humor to my life this week. You know the crosses and memorials on the side of the road that you see when a person is killed in a car accident? Well, PETA wants those where animals have been killed on the highway. Specifically, they want a memorial set up honoring the 20 cows that were killed in two separate roll-over truck accidents in 2011. Through IDOT, families are actually able to purchase signs for $200 "in memory" of their loved ones. Cows do not have families. This is PETA's argument.
Forgive me for mocking this, it was unfortunate. Honestly, though? Where do you think those cows were headed, PETA? Here is a link to the SunTimes article about it. What do you think? Do we as Illinois-ans owe those 20 cows a memorial? I say "no". Bummer, but no.
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/PETA-seeks-memorials-to-cows-killed-on-Ill-roads-136535258.html
Forgive me for mocking this, it was unfortunate. Honestly, though? Where do you think those cows were headed, PETA? Here is a link to the SunTimes article about it. What do you think? Do we as Illinois-ans owe those 20 cows a memorial? I say "no". Bummer, but no.
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/PETA-seeks-memorials-to-cows-killed-on-Ill-roads-136535258.html
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Meeting
I had an amazing day yesterday at the IL Farm Bureau GRIT team meeting for Livestock and Dairy. I was pleased at the discussions that we had and how we planned to move forward with them. One of the primary issues we decided needed to be addressed is the issue of promoting our industry! If we don't do it, someone will. Naturally this led us into a discussion about the IL Farm Families project and the Farm Moms blog.
Please check out the website at www.watchusgrow.org I think some of the Farm Mom's stories can illustrate how their minds were changed regarding how farmers really treat their animals, and the differences between a "family" farm and an industrial farm.
Please check out the website at www.watchusgrow.org I think some of the Farm Mom's stories can illustrate how their minds were changed regarding how farmers really treat their animals, and the differences between a "family" farm and an industrial farm.
Why I am a farmer
I am a farmer because I take responsibility for putting food on YOUR families' table as well as my own. Yep, if I don't do my job, you don't eat. Well, that's the gist of it at least. American farmers are farming significantly less land today than 50 years ago, but producing so much more off that same land. We have the smallest cow herd since the mid 1900s, but we produce more beef that ever before. We have taken the responsibility to feed the world seriously, and we have stuck to it.
By the year 2050, the world's population will reach 9 billion people. Many of the countries that are growing in size are also increasing their demand for protein. We export 30% of the beef produced in the US, and 25% of the pork produced in the US. Soy and corn percentages are also high on the export side. We are truly feeding the world.
American's can take pride in the fact that US farmers produce the most abundant and SAFEST food supply in the world. It certainly makes me feel better about what I am feeding my kids.
By the year 2050, the world's population will reach 9 billion people. Many of the countries that are growing in size are also increasing their demand for protein. We export 30% of the beef produced in the US, and 25% of the pork produced in the US. Soy and corn percentages are also high on the export side. We are truly feeding the world.
American's can take pride in the fact that US farmers produce the most abundant and SAFEST food supply in the world. It certainly makes me feel better about what I am feeding my kids.
Monday, January 16, 2012
10.5 months and counting
Cannot wait to get back to Disney! We are so excited to be able to go before Christmas this time. I want a pair of Mickey ears with a Santa Hat. I hope I can find that. We also will get a chance to see some close friends that live far away! Super excited for that, too.
Speaking of Disney, I should point out that I love vacations. Period. So much fun. I was just remembering our fun two-week honeymoon vacation to Scotland, England and France. I was checking out some amazing pictures that my cousin took on Facebook. Couldn't believe the gorgeous sights. Just amazing. Want to get the kids over there for a visit someday, too. Once we are all out of the diaper, stroller, car seat phase, hopefully that will be easier.
What are your travel tips for plane rides with kids? We haven't decided if we are driving or flying to Disney. Probably driving again, but we'll see.
Speaking of Disney, I should point out that I love vacations. Period. So much fun. I was just remembering our fun two-week honeymoon vacation to Scotland, England and France. I was checking out some amazing pictures that my cousin took on Facebook. Couldn't believe the gorgeous sights. Just amazing. Want to get the kids over there for a visit someday, too. Once we are all out of the diaper, stroller, car seat phase, hopefully that will be easier.
What are your travel tips for plane rides with kids? We haven't decided if we are driving or flying to Disney. Probably driving again, but we'll see.
I'm gonna do it this year
I have to do it this year. I am going to get organized. There, I said it. It has to happen now. I am grateful to Pinterest for their help in broadening my ability to find pictures of other people's organizing ideas. I'm gonna do it this year. My house will look like it stepped out of a Container Store.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Enjoying the ride
So, most of you who know me well would agree that I have trouble saying "no". I volunteer for most things when asked (sometimes even when I am not asked), and attempt to attend all the events that pertain to the kids. So, it comes as no surprise that I volunteered to participate in the IL Farm Bureau Grassroots Issues Team (GRIT) this year. The question I get the most is, "Why do you make yourself so involved?". My question back to these other people is, "Why aren't you more involved?".
Being involved with any organization is vital to continuing your lifestyle, your profession, or your livelihood. In fact, for farmers, it's not an option anymore. Every single farmer should be out there doing something. Even if it is posting something positive about agriculture on facebook, we should all be doing something. The GRIT team that I am participating on is the Livestock and Dairy Team. We are responsible for conceptualizing resolutions for the IL Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in July. The time committment is small, actually, only a few meetings throughout the year. One is a conference call. The effect is that I can be part of the change that helps move agriculture foward.
There is so much negative publicity that ag faces, we don't have the option to sit at home and be silent any longer. Please consider being part of that change. Maybe all you can do is talk to a friend, family member, or coworker about how important IL agriculture is, or maybe you can volunteer to serve on a committee for the Farm Bureau, IL Soybean Assn, IL Corn Growers, etc. Assess all the things that you have at stake, and make a decision. Agriculture is going to move forward. American Agricuture is at the forefront of feeding the world's growing population. We will feed 9 billion people by 2050. Be part of the change that helps promote this exciting industry!
Being involved with any organization is vital to continuing your lifestyle, your profession, or your livelihood. In fact, for farmers, it's not an option anymore. Every single farmer should be out there doing something. Even if it is posting something positive about agriculture on facebook, we should all be doing something. The GRIT team that I am participating on is the Livestock and Dairy Team. We are responsible for conceptualizing resolutions for the IL Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in July. The time committment is small, actually, only a few meetings throughout the year. One is a conference call. The effect is that I can be part of the change that helps move agriculture foward.
There is so much negative publicity that ag faces, we don't have the option to sit at home and be silent any longer. Please consider being part of that change. Maybe all you can do is talk to a friend, family member, or coworker about how important IL agriculture is, or maybe you can volunteer to serve on a committee for the Farm Bureau, IL Soybean Assn, IL Corn Growers, etc. Assess all the things that you have at stake, and make a decision. Agriculture is going to move forward. American Agricuture is at the forefront of feeding the world's growing population. We will feed 9 billion people by 2050. Be part of the change that helps promote this exciting industry!
We heart the Mouse
100% love and adoration for the Mouse and all things Disney at our house. A recent facebook debate between some of my sorority sisters made me want to be able to voice my seemingly one-sided opinion on my blog. :-)
So, here are the questions: is teaching our daughters about princesses and fairytales the wrong thing? Are we harming their sense of independence and teaching them that beauty is important?
I will answer them both this way, then explain. NO! These ideas are ridiculous and unfounded. First of all, our children are CHILDREN. They should be allowed to dream and have imaginations. It is okay to believe that life is a fairy tale at the age of 5, even at the age of 8, or even (gasp) 10. What is wrong with keeping our children innocent? Secondly, I think that the princesses all have a very strong sense of independence and each has their own positive traits. Belle is innovative, Mulan is fiercely brave, Ariel is independent, Cinderella is an incredibly hard worker, Rapunzel is creative and crafty. What is wrong with teaching our daughters about any of these things? The fact that they are all beautiful (inside and out) is irrelavant, however, there are those who think that we are teaching our children that thin and pretty is the only way to get where you want to be. Which leads me to my third point.
Yes, I think that as parents, we are solely responsible for teaching our children good self-confidence. We need our daughters to love themselves the way they are. But, I am not dumb enough to teach my children that the world will not judge them for the way that they look. They need to know that appearance does mean a lot. People judge you based on your clothes, your hairstyle and color, and even your weight. That does NOT mean that I am teaching my children that they have to be perfect, but I am teaching them to look their best for the situation at hand. Do you think that my patients would look at me funny if I walked into their rooms in sweatshirts and jeans, no makeup, and my hair was unkempt? Yes. I also cannot go into a job interview with casual clothes, tons of piercings, and rainbow colored hair and expect that interviewer not to judge me.
Anyhow, my point is, being a good parent is more important to your child than letting them watch and pretend to be a Disney Princess. One of the reasons we love Disney so much is that when you are at Disney, life is magical. You can be swept away into a fairy tale. You can be transformed into a princess or a pirate. You can be a kid again. What is more special than seeing the sparkle in your child's eyes when s/he meets their first character? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We will continue to heart the Mouse for the rest of our lives and hope that we can pass on the innocence and magic to our kids.
So, here are the questions: is teaching our daughters about princesses and fairytales the wrong thing? Are we harming their sense of independence and teaching them that beauty is important?
I will answer them both this way, then explain. NO! These ideas are ridiculous and unfounded. First of all, our children are CHILDREN. They should be allowed to dream and have imaginations. It is okay to believe that life is a fairy tale at the age of 5, even at the age of 8, or even (gasp) 10. What is wrong with keeping our children innocent? Secondly, I think that the princesses all have a very strong sense of independence and each has their own positive traits. Belle is innovative, Mulan is fiercely brave, Ariel is independent, Cinderella is an incredibly hard worker, Rapunzel is creative and crafty. What is wrong with teaching our daughters about any of these things? The fact that they are all beautiful (inside and out) is irrelavant, however, there are those who think that we are teaching our children that thin and pretty is the only way to get where you want to be. Which leads me to my third point.
Yes, I think that as parents, we are solely responsible for teaching our children good self-confidence. We need our daughters to love themselves the way they are. But, I am not dumb enough to teach my children that the world will not judge them for the way that they look. They need to know that appearance does mean a lot. People judge you based on your clothes, your hairstyle and color, and even your weight. That does NOT mean that I am teaching my children that they have to be perfect, but I am teaching them to look their best for the situation at hand. Do you think that my patients would look at me funny if I walked into their rooms in sweatshirts and jeans, no makeup, and my hair was unkempt? Yes. I also cannot go into a job interview with casual clothes, tons of piercings, and rainbow colored hair and expect that interviewer not to judge me.
Anyhow, my point is, being a good parent is more important to your child than letting them watch and pretend to be a Disney Princess. One of the reasons we love Disney so much is that when you are at Disney, life is magical. You can be swept away into a fairy tale. You can be transformed into a princess or a pirate. You can be a kid again. What is more special than seeing the sparkle in your child's eyes when s/he meets their first character? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. We will continue to heart the Mouse for the rest of our lives and hope that we can pass on the innocence and magic to our kids.
Friday, January 13, 2012
100th Day of School
What a riot Bella and I had making her 100th Day of School poster! We took 100 candy conversation hearts and made them into a heart, around which we wrote "I (heart) Holy Cross School. It turned out cute. Bella helped me lay it out and she definitely conceptualized it. I was the workhorse. Do you know how long it takes to glue on 100 candy hearts with tacky craft glue? My hands and wrists are killing me today from trying to squeeze the bottle so hard.
My oh so crafty 5 year old also is a total sweetheart. She made Daddy a card because he works so hard to make money for us. On the inside of the card, she showed a picture of the barn with John in it. She drew the feeders, John standing with the rattle in his hand, and a pig standing by him with an ear tag in it's ear. All the things she saw him doing the other day. SOOOOOO darn cute! Love it. I love that they appreciate the fact that he works so hard. I hope it teaches them a good work ethic.
My oh so crafty 5 year old also is a total sweetheart. She made Daddy a card because he works so hard to make money for us. On the inside of the card, she showed a picture of the barn with John in it. She drew the feeders, John standing with the rattle in his hand, and a pig standing by him with an ear tag in it's ear. All the things she saw him doing the other day. SOOOOOO darn cute! Love it. I love that they appreciate the fact that he works so hard. I hope it teaches them a good work ethic.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
SNOW!!!!
There is finally snow in the forecast! I cannot wait. All I have heard from the kids is "can I wear my snowpants today????". Instead of saying yes, I'm telling them they have to wear their light jackets. Well, yipee! Snow is coming. I think I am probably the only person in the world excited about it, but I am over the moon. :-)
That leads me to a question that I received about why we keep our animals in"confinement" housing vs. "free range". Ten inches of snow is the best reason I can give. By keeping our animals in covered shelter, we are able to control all the elements. As I sit here, the room temperatures are as follows (Rm 1-Rm 4) 71.4, 72.4, 69.2, 70.2. We keep the temperatures hovering between 68 and 72 degrees year round. Our animals are much more comfortable this way, and they stay much healthier. It's the same reason that we no longer live in poorly insulated log homes or tipis. We enjoy being at a comfortable temperature year round, and our animals enjoy the same "creature" comforts. :-)
That leads me to a question that I received about why we keep our animals in"confinement" housing vs. "free range". Ten inches of snow is the best reason I can give. By keeping our animals in covered shelter, we are able to control all the elements. As I sit here, the room temperatures are as follows (Rm 1-Rm 4) 71.4, 72.4, 69.2, 70.2. We keep the temperatures hovering between 68 and 72 degrees year round. Our animals are much more comfortable this way, and they stay much healthier. It's the same reason that we no longer live in poorly insulated log homes or tipis. We enjoy being at a comfortable temperature year round, and our animals enjoy the same "creature" comforts. :-)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Selection
Today Illini is selecting the gilts that they would like to keep for breeding stock out of room one. Stephanie is in marking the ones she thinks meet their standards for good breeding stock right now. If you show animals, you probably know most of the things she is looking for. After she is done, our work begins. We will be ear tagging in three different colors to indicate which of the three farms the animals are going to. Then we will be giving vaccines to the gilts, also. They will receive a total of four vaccines before they leave.
What is amazing is that our first group is scheduled to leave by the middle of February. We cannot believe how quickly time has gone! We will soon be into our fifth group of pigs shortly after that. It's amazing!
The hogs that are not selected will go to places like Tyson Foods or Farmland. So, when you are shopping, shop brands that you know where the food comes from. Farmers like us, family farmers, who are committed to producing the best and safest food supply in the world!!!!
What is amazing is that our first group is scheduled to leave by the middle of February. We cannot believe how quickly time has gone! We will soon be into our fifth group of pigs shortly after that. It's amazing!
The hogs that are not selected will go to places like Tyson Foods or Farmland. So, when you are shopping, shop brands that you know where the food comes from. Farmers like us, family farmers, who are committed to producing the best and safest food supply in the world!!!!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Now I'm caught up
Sick. Everybody is sick. I may get shot for saying it, but WE NEED A GOOD SOLID TWO WEEKS OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES!!!! Ok, we need to kill these yucky germs. The kids are sick, employees at the hospital are sick, teachers are sick, etc.
So, here is the deal, maybe it's because I am a bit of a germaphobe, but...WASH YOUR HANDS...here is the info from the CDC on how to wash your hands. Why do we need to learn how to wash our hands? Because most people don't do it correctly. And, PURELL is great if you use it appropriately. It's not going to save you from everything.
Enjoy!
http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/How_To_HandWash_Poster.pdf
So, here is the deal, maybe it's because I am a bit of a germaphobe, but...WASH YOUR HANDS...here is the info from the CDC on how to wash your hands. Why do we need to learn how to wash our hands? Because most people don't do it correctly. And, PURELL is great if you use it appropriately. It's not going to save you from everything.
Enjoy!
http://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/How_To_HandWash_Poster.pdf
No...TODAY I owe you two.
Whew...somehow in a short 48 hours, my resolution has evaporated into a memory. I am trying. I even set an alarm on my phone for this. :-)
I am in total amazement when I look at the things our little ones know. I cannot believe how far the kids come in Kindergarten! Bella read me a book with several lines per page and at least 20 pages. I cannot believe that!!! I know that saying, "It's not like it was when I was in Kindergarten" seems a little overused, but it is so true. For starters, I only went to parttime kindergarten! Half days, in the afternoon in fact. So, now our kids are going full time, 5 days a week, and learning so much. We are adding and subtracting; even gym class seems like it is farther ahead of where we were.
In preschool, Mae is writing (well, she's improving her technique), she can count concrete objects to 60+, she knows all of the basic skills: colors, shapes, numbers, etc. The basic skills don't even seem that exciting anymore, because Nolan knows all of his colors, shapes, numbers, etc. Thanks to the Tupperware shape sorter, he knows hexagon and pentagon.
I hope this isn't coming across as a brag session, because it isn't. I am just amazed at what we push our kids to do. Let me expand on that statement. Because of all the new standards, Bella's class will soon be taking a timed standardized test that is supposed to assess their knowledge of language arts, I assume. All it is really assessing (in my mind) is the fact that your kid is good at timed trials or not. So, here's the drill. Your kids have to name letters, as many as they can in 60 sec. Then, they have to name the sounds of the letters, as fast as they can, in 60 sec. Then they have to read as many 3-letter nonsense words as they can in 60 sec. (e.g., nim, fec, pib, etc.). What breaks my heart is that there is at least one child who got all of the words correct, but only would have had 8 words in 60 sec. Does that indicate that he is a poor reader? No, I think it just indicates that he needs more time to get his reading done. This test is going to say that he is not at his grade level. Grrr...anyway. I am stepping off the soapbox now, but I am frustrated. Why do I have to be working on this stuff with my kid when we could be snuggling up with a book instead?
I am in total amazement when I look at the things our little ones know. I cannot believe how far the kids come in Kindergarten! Bella read me a book with several lines per page and at least 20 pages. I cannot believe that!!! I know that saying, "It's not like it was when I was in Kindergarten" seems a little overused, but it is so true. For starters, I only went to parttime kindergarten! Half days, in the afternoon in fact. So, now our kids are going full time, 5 days a week, and learning so much. We are adding and subtracting; even gym class seems like it is farther ahead of where we were.
In preschool, Mae is writing (well, she's improving her technique), she can count concrete objects to 60+, she knows all of the basic skills: colors, shapes, numbers, etc. The basic skills don't even seem that exciting anymore, because Nolan knows all of his colors, shapes, numbers, etc. Thanks to the Tupperware shape sorter, he knows hexagon and pentagon.
I hope this isn't coming across as a brag session, because it isn't. I am just amazed at what we push our kids to do. Let me expand on that statement. Because of all the new standards, Bella's class will soon be taking a timed standardized test that is supposed to assess their knowledge of language arts, I assume. All it is really assessing (in my mind) is the fact that your kid is good at timed trials or not. So, here's the drill. Your kids have to name letters, as many as they can in 60 sec. Then, they have to name the sounds of the letters, as fast as they can, in 60 sec. Then they have to read as many 3-letter nonsense words as they can in 60 sec. (e.g., nim, fec, pib, etc.). What breaks my heart is that there is at least one child who got all of the words correct, but only would have had 8 words in 60 sec. Does that indicate that he is a poor reader? No, I think it just indicates that he needs more time to get his reading done. This test is going to say that he is not at his grade level. Grrr...anyway. I am stepping off the soapbox now, but I am frustrated. Why do I have to be working on this stuff with my kid when we could be snuggling up with a book instead?
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Today I owe you two...
One week exactly before I messed up my resolution...but I did qualify it by saying 365 blog posts this year, not just every day. :-)
Anyway. Tomorrow was a dreaded day for me. Some of you may say I was just being dramatic, but taking down the Christmas stuff is always a difficult thing to do. I always get a little melancholy because it is difficult to completely ignore the fact that the "magic" is gone. Please tell me I am not the only one who feels the magic at Christmastime. Anyhow, I did make it better by watching one of my favorite movies, An Affair to Remember. Such an amazing movie...Cary Grant, and Deborah Kerr. I was shocked when I looked at the info under "Cast & Crew" and discovered that everyone who worked on the movie was dead. I didn't realize that some of them had died, but anyhow. I enjoyed watching the movie while disassembling the tree. It brought a little of that warm feeling back.
Now that the tree is down, I do feel a bit of a sense of relief that the chore has past and I have regained a little room in my house. But, I cannot wait for the next 10.5 months until I get to redecorate for the holidays!
Anyway. Tomorrow was a dreaded day for me. Some of you may say I was just being dramatic, but taking down the Christmas stuff is always a difficult thing to do. I always get a little melancholy because it is difficult to completely ignore the fact that the "magic" is gone. Please tell me I am not the only one who feels the magic at Christmastime. Anyhow, I did make it better by watching one of my favorite movies, An Affair to Remember. Such an amazing movie...Cary Grant, and Deborah Kerr. I was shocked when I looked at the info under "Cast & Crew" and discovered that everyone who worked on the movie was dead. I didn't realize that some of them had died, but anyhow. I enjoyed watching the movie while disassembling the tree. It brought a little of that warm feeling back.
Now that the tree is down, I do feel a bit of a sense of relief that the chore has past and I have regained a little room in my house. But, I cannot wait for the next 10.5 months until I get to redecorate for the holidays!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Frustrated
I am frustrated by the recent news about this kid getting shot in Texas. As a parent, I feel for his parents, but give me a break. The world we live in is not the same as it used to be. Columbine stole that from us. Unfortunately, this kid is to young to remember watching the kids being dragged out of that Colorado HS. So he brought a gun to school, that was a pellet gun if I heard correctly. But, did you see the gun? It looked like an automatic weapon to me. I may be the minority here, but I think that the police were doing what they felt was right to prevent another tragedy.
Maybe I will get some comments today. It is day six of the new year and I have kept my resolution.
Maybe I will get some comments today. It is day six of the new year and I have kept my resolution.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
hand washing...ugh
I enjoy folding laundry, vacuuming, and dusting. The rest of the household stuff, I could totally hire out. Our wonderful, had to have it, dishwasher is not cleaning very well. I am in the process of running every possible cleaning solution through it in an effort to get it working efficiently again. The crappy part about that is that after every cleaning solution, you have to run a load with just water...so, here at our house, that means the dishes have been piling up. Apparently I am the only adult in the house with hands, so I am handwashing the dishes. At intervals, of course, but it sucks. Worst part is that we have a single sink with no dividers. So you have to wash and rinse simultaneously. I am not worried about wasting the water, but it makes the sink fill up fast. So...I have now handwashed and dried over ten sinkfuls (or is that sinksful?) of dishes, with no end in sight. I want an honest answer from someone. How did women survive with families of over 5 people? There are still families that have 5+ children, not even counting the adults...we make so many dishes and we aren't even here 3 days a week...ugh. Anyhow, wish my hands well. My manicure is gone and my hands are at the mercy of the Dawn hand softening dishsoap...gonna give them a run for their marketing money.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Grants
I have been a grant seeking monster lately. I have a few projects in the works that need funding, and grants could help push them over the edge. What I have found in doing all these searches, is that I feel like a total moron with no grasp on the English language. It isn't just legal jargon, it's political and government jargon which is seemingly worse. I honestly feel like I need to pay someone to help me read these things. Yikes!
Anyhow, the rest of my day was a blast. I am so pleased to be able to work in this new facility here at the hospital in Mendota. We have some amazing new radiology equipment. It makes my job so much easier to use digital equipment in a digital age. Not one short month ago we were still recording our videos on VCR tapes. Now we are all digital and have DVDs with a label printer and everything! Yippee!
anyhow, off to get the kids from school, then home to think of a cool 100 days of school poster for Bella.
Anyhow, the rest of my day was a blast. I am so pleased to be able to work in this new facility here at the hospital in Mendota. We have some amazing new radiology equipment. It makes my job so much easier to use digital equipment in a digital age. Not one short month ago we were still recording our videos on VCR tapes. Now we are all digital and have DVDs with a label printer and everything! Yippee!
anyhow, off to get the kids from school, then home to think of a cool 100 days of school poster for Bella.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
farm mommy
Today is one of those days when I feel pulled so many directions. I haven't met a fellow mommy yet who has managed to maintain a one thing at a time life. Today is truly my "farm mommy" day.
First of all, it's our first day back to school after the Christmas holiday. This is the first day I have had to set my alarm for 6 days. Even though most days I was up before my alarm would have gone off anyway, it seems worse to be woken up by an alarm. Per usual, it was mom getting up to wake everyone up, too. This means lots of heads covered up by pillows, lights turned back off, and blankets pulled back up. Yet, we made it. Somehow we managed to be out the door early this a.m. Maybe it's because I was excited and got lunches packed last night before I went to bed. Maybe.
Anyhow, I got the girls dropped at school, Nolan dropped at Grandma's, then headed in to volunteer in Bella's classroom for an hour. I helped assess the kids on the dumb RTI pre-tests. Then headed back to get Nolie and went straight to the barn.
Here at the barn, we are testing for PRRS, a respiratory illness, by doing saliva rope tests. So much fun to wring pig spit out of ropes, but it's better than bloodwork. We are working with Dr. Noel today, who seems like a really great guy. We take pride in making sure that every animal in our buildings is healthy, so it is nice to get to work with a veterinary group who feels the same way.
The rest of my day is planned out like this. Head home, get lunch for Nolie, try to get him to take a nap while I do dishes, laundry, and continue to try to find places for all the new toys the kids got for Christmas. Go back to get the girls from school, head home, finish supper, bath time, bedtime, more laundry, catch up on dvr shows and try to stay awake. First day back to work this year is tomorrow.
Despite the craziness, I love getting to spend the time doing what I do. Until tomorrow....
First of all, it's our first day back to school after the Christmas holiday. This is the first day I have had to set my alarm for 6 days. Even though most days I was up before my alarm would have gone off anyway, it seems worse to be woken up by an alarm. Per usual, it was mom getting up to wake everyone up, too. This means lots of heads covered up by pillows, lights turned back off, and blankets pulled back up. Yet, we made it. Somehow we managed to be out the door early this a.m. Maybe it's because I was excited and got lunches packed last night before I went to bed. Maybe.
Anyhow, I got the girls dropped at school, Nolan dropped at Grandma's, then headed in to volunteer in Bella's classroom for an hour. I helped assess the kids on the dumb RTI pre-tests. Then headed back to get Nolie and went straight to the barn.
Here at the barn, we are testing for PRRS, a respiratory illness, by doing saliva rope tests. So much fun to wring pig spit out of ropes, but it's better than bloodwork. We are working with Dr. Noel today, who seems like a really great guy. We take pride in making sure that every animal in our buildings is healthy, so it is nice to get to work with a veterinary group who feels the same way.
The rest of my day is planned out like this. Head home, get lunch for Nolie, try to get him to take a nap while I do dishes, laundry, and continue to try to find places for all the new toys the kids got for Christmas. Go back to get the girls from school, head home, finish supper, bath time, bedtime, more laundry, catch up on dvr shows and try to stay awake. First day back to work this year is tomorrow.
Despite the craziness, I love getting to spend the time doing what I do. Until tomorrow....
Monday, January 2, 2012
Gluten Free Grocery Shopping
Getting groceries with three kids under the age of 5 is always a total blast. Read: sarcasm. Now that the girls are getting a little older, it is slightly easier, but I am still saying, "Put that back", "No we can't get that", etc. Yes, I give them tasks to help. "Bella, I need you to remember these three things, and Mae you need to remember these three things". And, yep, it's me who puts it all in the cart anyway.
Adding to the fun is the fact that Mae has Celiac Disease and has to eat gluten free. She can't have any foods with wheat, rye, barley, or oats or any of their derivatives. I am quite adept at reading labels after two plus years of doing so.
Today, was an exception to all these things. I was armed with my coupon binder, a list, and two kids. John took Nolan and went to Rural King after they dropped us off at HyVee. Now, just so you know, I am going to brand name drop today. I am not being paid by anyone, but it makes me happy to find products for Mae that are safe, and on sale, so I am happy to share names of products!
Here are some of the AWESOME things that we bought today that are gluten free: Kikoman Teriyaki Sauce (this is #1 on my list because few, if any, chinese food items are gluten free), HyVee brand Soy Sauce, General Mills Chex cereals and Trix cereal, Udi's gluten free white bread (unbelievable!!!), Food Should Taste Good cheddar cracker crisps, Hodgson Mill pastas, HyVee brand mini colored marshmallows, flavored milk straws (which are just cool anyway), Betty Crocker fruit snacks (My Little Pony and Thomas the Tank Engine of course), Capri Sun, Jell-o, etc. There are plenty of other things that we bought (like fresh produce) that are gluten free, but I could go on forever. My point is, two years ago I spent over 4 hrs in the store almost in tears reading labels and trying to find ANYTHING that actually was labelled as Gluten Free. A short 24 months later, we are finding many products that are labelled as gluten free and are found in the "regular" food section, not the natural food section (where they can hike up the price more).
All this said, if you know someone who needs a little extra help at the grocery store, I am happy to help them walk through. I wish I would have had that person with me the first trip.
Adding to the fun is the fact that Mae has Celiac Disease and has to eat gluten free. She can't have any foods with wheat, rye, barley, or oats or any of their derivatives. I am quite adept at reading labels after two plus years of doing so.
Today, was an exception to all these things. I was armed with my coupon binder, a list, and two kids. John took Nolan and went to Rural King after they dropped us off at HyVee. Now, just so you know, I am going to brand name drop today. I am not being paid by anyone, but it makes me happy to find products for Mae that are safe, and on sale, so I am happy to share names of products!
Here are some of the AWESOME things that we bought today that are gluten free: Kikoman Teriyaki Sauce (this is #1 on my list because few, if any, chinese food items are gluten free), HyVee brand Soy Sauce, General Mills Chex cereals and Trix cereal, Udi's gluten free white bread (unbelievable!!!), Food Should Taste Good cheddar cracker crisps, Hodgson Mill pastas, HyVee brand mini colored marshmallows, flavored milk straws (which are just cool anyway), Betty Crocker fruit snacks (My Little Pony and Thomas the Tank Engine of course), Capri Sun, Jell-o, etc. There are plenty of other things that we bought (like fresh produce) that are gluten free, but I could go on forever. My point is, two years ago I spent over 4 hrs in the store almost in tears reading labels and trying to find ANYTHING that actually was labelled as Gluten Free. A short 24 months later, we are finding many products that are labelled as gluten free and are found in the "regular" food section, not the natural food section (where they can hike up the price more).
All this said, if you know someone who needs a little extra help at the grocery store, I am happy to help them walk through. I wish I would have had that person with me the first trip.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
New Year's Resolution
Year after year, we all make resolutions to improve something, try something new, or just to have more rest and relaxation. I have once again joined that bandwagon, and set a resolution. This year, I am going to try to post 365 blog posts. Ideally, I would do that once a day. Realistically, there will be days when I have to catch up on a few. As the title to my blog states, I am a Farm Mommy. I will be blogging about my life. Sometimes that is going to be simply about being a mom, others about just being a farmer, and sometimes a mix of both. Please help me stick to this goal. I need you to keep me accountable. I think that this could be a fun way for me to look back on the past year and see what we are really up to.
So...up until this post, I had 16 previous posts. I owe you 364 more this year to bring that total to 381.
Happy New Year 2012 to all of you! I'm headed back to spend precious time with my family before we go back to school and life sweeps us away again. Gods blessings for a healthy and prosperous New Year!
So...up until this post, I had 16 previous posts. I owe you 364 more this year to bring that total to 381.
Happy New Year 2012 to all of you! I'm headed back to spend precious time with my family before we go back to school and life sweeps us away again. Gods blessings for a healthy and prosperous New Year!
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