Happy Father's Day!

Some dads will get fishing poles. Others would prefer golf equipment. Still others may get the stereotypical necktie.

For a couple of dads I know, the best gift for their special day is the chance to get some more wheat harvested. So Happy Father's Day to my Dad and my hubby who should get their wish today.

On this Father's Day, I am truly blessed. I don't say "I'm lucky" because I truly feel blessed by God to have such great Dads in my life.

First of all, there's my Dad, who obviously helped cultivate a love of reading that is still alive and well today.

He taught me how to shoot a basketball. Even though the early indoctrination seems to have not paid off with playing time (since I was a champion bench sitter), I did learn to appreciate the game (especially when it involves Thunderbirds, Trojans and Wildcats!)


He taught me to work hard and to never settle for mediocrity. He taught me to think for myself.

He paid for years of piano and voice lessons, but when the time came, he advised me to try journalism instead of becoming a music teacher. With my temperament, it was some of the best advice I ever got.

He taught me about the importance of family. I will never forget him telling me, my sisters and my brother that we needed to protect one another. Sure, we were going to bicker, but if some outsider was threatening one of our siblings, we were supposed to rally to their defense.

Thanks, Dad, for all the things you have done and continue to do for me and my family. Happy Father's Day!

***

I made one of the best decisions of my life 29 years ago when I married my husband. He turned out to be the best father for my children that I could ever have hoped and prayed for.

Randy has been a great Daddy at all the stages of our kids' lives.

From little ...



To a little bigger ...

To almost grown ...


To entering a new stage of life as a father of adults. It's a journey I've been privileged to be on with him.

Photo by Gina Dreher, Gingerroot Studios, Wichita

He's been a great partner at every stage. Happy Father's Day, Randy!

***

And on this Father's Day, I also celebrate the memory of my father-in-law. He would have been right there with them on the notion that a perfect Father's Day would be spent in the driver's seat of a combine.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Melvin and Marie for raising the fine man I married.

So, while we celebrate a couple of great Dads around here today, we'll also be missing another one.



Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Hope your day is spent doing the things you love.

And We're Off!

It feels like a blast furnace outside. That must mean it's harvest time. After a rain-induced wait, wheat harvest 2010 is officially underway at the County Line.

I didn't drive the truck yesterday. But I spent a fair amount of time on the road anyway by the time I went to Stafford for parts, took supper to the field and then went to Hutchinson for another parts run.

But my running around was in air-conditioned comfort. Jake's teenage sister, who rode with him in the truck yesterday, said she had never been so hot just sitting still. Welcome to harvest, Monica!

Because of all my extra assignments yesterday, I didn't have a chance to take many photos of the County Line harvest. With my propensity to click away at life, be assured there will be more coming.

But on my final parts run of the day, I headed back home on 4th Avenue out of Hutchinson. There's an old grain elevator on Rayl's Hill. Every time I drive by it, it seems like an old-time sentinel standing guard over a modern-day crop.


The sun was setting and the light was golden, so I pulled in for a few photos.


I can hear you farmers and farm wives wondering out loud, "What was she doing taking pictures when she had parts to get back to the field?"

But I knew the parts weren't going on the combine until this morning, so I couldn't resist.

Before my tromp through the wheat field, I parked my car in the cemetery across the road. And when I got back to the car, I noticed the golden light on an angel fashioned from a tree trunk.

(You can even see a tiny sliver of the moon in this photo - if you look closely.)

May God and his angels surround you and keep you safe during another hectic harvest!

God Sightings

Maybe we expect a burning bush. Maybe we are waiting for manna to drop from heaven. Maybe we are anticipating a thunderous crash from the clouds and an unmistakable deep voice giving us a definitive answer to our every question. Surely God would be "sighted" in those things, right?

But in all the searching and all the angst, maybe we are missing the answers all around us. That's what Vacation Bible School has been about this week. We have been using Group Publishing Company's "Egypt: Joseph's Journey from Prison to Palace."

I've been the snack lady. But I've overheard snippets of conversations from the students and their leaders as they have searched for "God Sightings" this week.

It's easy to read incredible, true stories in the Bible and quietly wonder why God doesn't do those things today. Joseph's special gift of interpreting dreams literally changed his life and freed him from prison chains. Joseph, as an instrument of God, saved the Egyptian people from famine. He forgave his brothers even after they attempted to kill him. (And yet we can't seem to forgive the person who slighted us in some way or who cut in front of us at the stop sign. What does that say about us?)

The Bible is full of miracles. But we seem to forget to look for miracles all around us today. During VBS, the students were encouraged to look for "God Sightings" in their everyday lives. They were to "look for the evidence of God in things like a sunset, a rainstorm, a laugh, a kind word, and a tasty snack."

That's where I came in - the tasty snack part and, hopefully, a kind word or two. It's not an unusual role for me, but the circumstances were unique this year. As a small membership church in the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Church, a team from Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina came to Stafford to help us with VBS. There were Carl and Sandra, the group leaders and teachers. Karl with a "K" has used his beautiful voice to lead the music. Janea has used her physical fitness training as recreation leader. Chelsea's art background has guided the craft area. Coby has portrayed Joseph this week.


They ably demonstrated the lesson from Day 2: "In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well." Romans 12:6

I didn't see the actual VBS materials, so I was left to come up with snacks I hoped would complement the lessons. In the advance materials, the KWU team suggested things like animal crackers and goldfish crackers. Those snacks are just fine, and I could have done that with a lot less time, effort and money. I know they were trying to make the snack time quick and easy, which I can appreciate.

But I was also struck by a story my sister told earlier this month. She was helping with VBS at her church and noticed a little boy taking a photo of his snack. When she asked him about it, he said that his mom seemed really interested in what he was having for snacks every day, so he was going to show her.

I laughed out loud when I heard that (and the pressure was on!). It reminded me of our Sunday after-church dinners when we would quiz our kids about what they had learned in Sunday School that day.

"We learned about God and Jesus," was the standard reply, even as they got older and were saying it with a grin just to perturb their mother.

But I do hope there were a few moms out there asking about the VBS snacks. It's not because I want a lot of praise and kudos for putting snacks on the table. But I hope the kids were listening as they discovered their homemade pretzels looked like a heart to represent God's love for us. And I hope they heard me say that the monks in Germany shaped pretzels in that way to remind young children to pray.

Teddy Grahams were stand-ins for ancient Egyptians in a couple of different snacks.

Randy helped me shape Scotchoroo no-bakes into pyramids. Then I put graham cracker "sand" underneath and had Teddy Grahams stand guard. (I would have used chocolate ones for more contrast, but my grocery store didn't have them.)


I made "Sand Cups" instead of dirt cups, as we talked about the dry desert lands and the famine that came to the Egyptian people.

I hope the VBS kids had a God Sighting as their families came together for a Wednesday night meal of sloppy joes, baked beans, cookies and fixings. I hope their families had God Sightings as they watched their children sing songs and enthusiastically do the actions.


I personally have seen God Sightings all around. I saw it in the laughter of VBS students ...




... and helpers.

I had a sighting and heard it, too, as they sang, "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord."

I saw Him when church congregation members opened their homes to house the Kansas Wesleyan team. The evidence of God's miracles was abounding as other congregation members fed the team lunch and supper. I saw it when the congregation opened their wallets to help with VBS expenses.

I experienced the love of Christ as my husband helped me make pyramids on a rainy day (and maybe I helped him forget about the rain-soaked wheat fields for just a little bit, so maybe it was a God Sighting in both directions.)

(Randy was a much better pyramid builder than me!)

And then it happened again as Randy and other friends helped me serve the Wednesday night supper.

But it's not just about looking for things that God has done or made for us. It's also about sharing God's love and being a God Sighting for someone else.

I've been doing Vacation Bible School a lot of years. I hope I never forget that's what it is all about. I pray these kids have heard the message this week. If they don't remember anything else, I hope they will remember to look for God in others and to demonstrate God's love to others.

And I also pray they will hear and then truly know the message from one of their daily Bible verses, the day they were to learn that "God gives us hope."

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Amen.

True Love

I'm not married to a guy who showers me with high price-tag gifts. We are practical people who usually just exchange cards on special occasions. Randy doesn't often frequent the flower shop to pick up a bouquet to bring home. My engagement and wedding rings qualify as my major jewelry.

But I don't need a purchased bouquet to know my farmer loves me. The evidence is blooming on the windmill tower in our yard.

A long time ago, I saw a trumpet vine growing on an electric pole not far from our farm. I mentioned in passing that we used to have trumpet vine growing on the windmill at my childhood home.

It wasn't long before Randy had transplanted some trumpet vine on the windmill tower on the County Line. It continues to flourish. (These days our windmill tower houses the antenna for our business band radio instead of providing water.)

Someone has since told me that a trumpet vine is a weed. Well, maybe it is to that person.

But to me, it means true love. It's evidence my guy does listen to me ... at least on occasion. He is always looking for ways to "trumpet" his love in his own quiet way.

Caramel Coconut Squares

With harvest just around the corner, I'm digging through the recipe box looking for quick and tasty cookie recipes.

Caramel Coconut Squares fit the bill on both counts. With limited time available, putting together a bar cookie makes sense. It dirties fewer pans, always a plus. Once the cookies are assembled, you don't have to spend additional time putting drop cookies on baking sheets, removing them and starting the process again.

Don't get me wrong. I make plenty of drop cookies (See Back to the Basics.) In fact, in preparation for harvest and for a Vacation Bible School supper tonight, I tripled my basic cookie recipe last weekend and divided the dough into four different bowls. My add-ins were white chocolate/macadamia nut; oatmeal with dried cranberries and white chocolate; chocolate/chocolate chip; and I tried the new Almond Joy Pieces. I then packaged an assorted 3 dozen on a plate for VBS and packaged the rest in twos in sandwich bags. Then they are ready pull from the freezer for a suppertime treat during harvest.

But, back to the Caramel Coconut Squares ... When you see the ingredient list, you'll think that sweetened condensed milk manufacturers have sponsored several of my last recipe posts. If only that were true. ... I can dream, can't I? But sweetened condensed milk is a central ingredient again in this recipe.

So, no, Caramel Coconut Squares are not going to fit into your weight-loss plan. However, it's a great cookie to stick into the suppertime harvest meal run. But it can also hold its own as an addition to an assorted cookie tray, even for a fancy occasion that doesn't include wheat dust, sweltering temperatures and cheat in your socks.

Here's what you'll need:

Enjoy!

Caramel Coconut Squares

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add flour and mix well. Pat into ungreased 9- by 9- by 2-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Combine milk, butterscotch pieces, coconut and vanilla. Spread over partially baked layer.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown around edges, 25 to 30 minutes. Cookies will not appear set. Cool; cut into squares. Makes 36 squares.

Hurry Up ... And Wait!

The combine is greased. The trucks are out of the shed. The wheat heads are turned down in their "I'm ready!" position. The cookies are baked and bagged in twos in the freezer, ready for grabbing for suppertime meal runs to the field. The farmer is definitely ready.

But since we don't have pontoons for the combine, I guess it will be a few days before it's harvest time here on the County Line.

Randy was eagerly anticipating firing up the combine on Monday. But that was before our rain gauge here collected 3.3 inches during the weekend. However, we feel fortunate. One farm to the northeast of us got 6.75 inches. One to the south of us got 6.75 inches.

I think it's Randy's fault. He made the comment last week that he couldn't remember the last time he was able to plant milo all the way through the mudholes in pretty much every field he planted.

The mudholes are back in the field and on the road. And the little milo stalks are probably drowning in the overabundance in those mudholes again.

Our dog Ralph enjoyed the extra water on the roads as we walked yesterday. We people, however, had to take the 4-wheel drive pickup to church on Sunday.

Vacation Bible School started yesterday morning at our church, and I'm the snack lady (more about that later.) I had been worried about juggling my snack duties with the noontime harvest meal. I don't think I'll have to worry about it until at least Thursday now. The television weatherman has raindrops on his seven-day forecast, so who knows when Harvest 2010 will begin?

I've always said I married the eternal optimist. Sure, he's a little antsy about pulling into the wheat fields and getting started with our major harvest of the year. But he always finds the silver lining. The rain was good for the pastures. It gave the milo a good drink of water. He always seems to find the "good" in situations, which is a wonderful trait in the man you marry.

All the rain was good for another crop, too. We have a bumper crop of frogs who are happily singing about the wet weather. The farmers are singing, too. But, for many of them, it sounds more like the blues.

Roots at 500 Degrees

I will be the first to admit: It's probably not the smartest thing to use a recipe in the summer that requires heating your oven to 500 degrees.

But if you're looking for a different side dish than the norm, it still may be worth it. Roots at 500 Degrees is just such a dish. It is from "A Taste of Tradition," a collection of recipes compiled by the Stafford Oktoberfest Committee in 1996. That cookbook has special significance for me because Randy's mom was the chief editor on the project.

The recipe includes a variety of root vegetables - regular potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots and fresh beets. The hardest part is chopping up the veggies. Sweet potatoes are so hard and dense that it takes some oomph to get through them. The beets are prone to stain your cutting board.

But the finished product is worth the chopping, staining and the 500-degree temperature in your kitchen. Today is supposed to be a little cooler here in Kansas. It's not that you will need to heat up your kitchen to 500 degrees to cope with the cooler temperatures, but today might be the best day this week to try this tasty sidedish.

Roots at 500 Degrees

1 large russet potato, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup baby carrots
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 lb. fresh beets, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tbsp. olive oil
Salt & pepper
Fresh parsley (opt.)

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Pour olive oil into large, flat roasting pan; place in oven just long enough to heat oil. Add russet potato, onion and carrots; stir to coat with oil. Roast 15 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and beets. Continue roasting 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. When vegetables are tender; remove. Season with salt and pepper. Top with chopped parsley, if desired.

In this meal, I served the Roots with a ham steak and a fresh fruit salad. But Roots can accompany steak or chicken just as well.

Enjoy!