Sold! Home-Raised, Home-Grown, Homespun

"Look at these here, boys: They are home-raised, home-grown, homespun."

We collected a paycheck for our "home-raised, home-grown, homespun" feeder calves a little earlier than usual when we sold 73 of them at Pratt Livestock on December 19.

Because our supply of silage was dwindling, Randy decided to sell the calves in December, rather than our usual January or February. (We sold February 7 last year.) Just what I needed: More to do in December, along with the Christmas rush. But ... such is life.

That move to the auction block is only a small portion of the journey that epitomizes that "home-raised, home-grown, homespun" slogan.

 

The first one born was this little guy, who got the first ear tag of the year - 900. (The first number on the eartag tells us when the baby was born - in this case, 2019.)

 

He wasn't the only cutie, of course.

 

 They warmed up on cold winter days with their own personal milk machines - aka their moms.

On our wedding anniversary in March 2019, we worked baby calves for the third day in a row, giving them vaccinations and eartags. The boy calves were also transitioned from bulls to steers.

This eartag caught my eye, since it was our 38th anniversary.

 

 In May, the calves traveled via trailer with their mamas to summer pastures.

This group arrived at the Big Pasture, which has been in Randy's family for more than 100 years. While there is definitely less work with cattle when they are on pasture, this year provided its own set of challenges with five pair that would not stay in, no matter what we did.

We lost track of the number of trips we made on 4-wheelers to bring them back to the pasture. As Randy says, we toured some shelterbelts and back roads that we'd never experienced before.

In early November, on a frosty morning, we gathered the cattle from the the Ninnescah pasture and brought them back home.

On another day, Randy and his cousin Don (along with some other excellent help, if I do say so myself), gathered cattle from the Big Pasture and we transported them home.

After they arrived home from the pastures, they were weaned from their moms. Like wellness checks for humans, the calves had a doctor's appointment, too. Dr. Figger gave them another round of vaccinations. 

My stint with the feed truck began in earnest.

In December, with feed supplies dwindling, Randy was ready to sell.

After getting them in the corrals, we sorted out the 25 heifers we planned to keep. They will become mothers in our herd for the first time in 2021.

There are no pictures from sorting because I had plenty of other things to do. The following day, the semi arrived to transport the 73 calves to the sale barn.

Though we have two farm-sized cattle trailers, it would take several trips to get all the cattle to the sale barn. So we hired Darrel Harner Trucking to do our hauling to market.

The semi is divided into different compartments, which can hold anywhere from six head to 25 head of cattle. Darrel told us how many calves he wanted at a time to load the semi, and we sent them on their way.

It's always a good feeling to watch the semi leave the farmstead ...

... and then watch it arrive in Pratt at the sale barn.

As we watched the calves unload, I noticed our shadows. This journey requires a lot of teamwork from start to finish.

The calves stayed overnight so they were ready for the sale the next day.

Randy says sale day is always a highlight for him, a culmination of a season of work. He had hoped the calves would weigh 600 pounds apiece, but they weren't quite that big. While the price wasn't quite as good as last year, he was pleased enough with the paycheck.

The cattle work didn't end. We are still feeding the 25 sisters left behind at home. Randy is hauling hay and water to the expectant mothers. Today, with the cow's due dates fast approaching, we are driving one group of cattle off stalks and into a pasture. We are sorting another group that got mingled together earlier this winter.

The 2020 maternity ward is only a couple of weeks away. And the whole process will begin again. (I'm hoping for no repeat of the summertime escapees in 2020.)

Through a Glass Dimly

When the path ahead seems foggy or unclear, 

the only course of action you can take is to step forward.

Anonymous

The first sunrise of the new decade wasn't particularly spectacular. Just a week earlier, the Christmas Eve sunrise had painted the sky, decorating it as brightly as the multi-colored lights on my living room Christmas tree.

December 24, 2019

 Now, that was a sunrise worthy of a new year, a new decade!

But, as is always the case, we don't get to order up sunrises and sunsets like ordering a Diet Dr. Pepper to go from that anonymous voice in the drive-through at McDonald's for the 40-minute drive home.

But, when I bundled up for a sunrise foray to begin the new year, I was certainly hoping for a more spectacular view. Wouldn't a spectacular sunrise translate into a fitting metaphor of a promising new year and a new start?

Every sunrise has its beauty, but this one was less like a glamorous super model and more like comfy-pajama-clad me.

However, as I slipped into the driver's seat and flicked the windshield wipers, the frost stayed in place. And I decided I'd drive the few hundred yards to the backyard silo without taking time to clear it.

While the sky had not exploded with color and personality on the first day of 2020, the intricate ice crystals provided a metaphor ... and a little extra beauty, too.

We don't know what this next year will bring. Honestly, we don't know what the next hour or day will bring. As Type A planners, we might have our to-do lists and our careful plans, but, in reality, that list is just made up of scratches on a piece of paper.

Those plans can be interrupted with things big and small.

 

Life's circumstances may blur our well-planned vision and have us searching "through a glass dimly."

I'm not big on resolutions. They just provide more reasons for me to feel as though I've failed. But maybe my focus should reflect on focusing on the moment - whether it's crystal clear or obscured in some way:

A Time to Think

All the world is an utterance of the Almighty. Its countless beauties, its exquisite adaptations, all speak to you of Him. –Phillips Brooks, clergyman and author

A Time to Act

Open your heart to the beauty that surrounds you.

A Time to Pray

Dear Lord, please help me to see the beauty of every day.

Devotional (in blue) from Guideposts.

 

So, I will appreciate the less spectacular sunrise. And I'll be thankful for the chance to see another one.

(For the record, the final sunset of 2019 wasn't particularly remarkable either. Though, to be fair, I didn't spend much time trying to capture it since it was during the K-State football game. 

Sunset, December 31, 2019

Appreciate every little beautiful moment

 in every day of your life. 

Give it a try 

and you'll see the world from another perspective. 

Thea Christine May

Sunset, December 31, 2019

"Bowl"ed Over with Snacks for Football and New Year's Eve

Eat 'em up! Eat 'em up! K-S-U!

Let's hope our signature K-State chant leads to victory over Navy at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl game today. We didn't make the trip to Memphis, but we'll be watching the 'Cats from the warmth of our living room.

 

And we just might be dipping into some tailgate-worthy snacks from the comfort of our own home. Whether you're cheering for the Wildcats or just looking for a quick appetizer to help welcome the New Year, this Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip is a contender.

I've made it for our family's Christmas Eve celebrating for several years now. My sister, Lisa, initially brought it to the gathering, but I liked it so well that it has become a permanent fixture. Jill also served it as an appetizer for our family's Thanksgiving gathering.

It's easy to put together. I find it makes less of a mess if you freeze your cranberries and then chop them in a blender or food processor. Just chop up the rest of the ingredients, stir together and let it marinate to blend the flavors. Then pour it over cream cheese and start dipping the crackers for a tangy taste treat.

There are some other K-State (or New Year's) snacks at the bottom of this post. They are easy to make for a last-minute football bowl or New Year's snack.

Happy New Year to you and yours from The County Line! And Go 'Cats!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Recipe from my sister, Lisa Bauer

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese

1 package (12 oz) fresh cranberries (Freeze and chop in the blender or food processor)

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro

1 tbsp. diced jalapeno (or more, if you like it hotter)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

Dash salt

Combine all ingredients except cream cheese.  Mixture needs to sit for 4 hours or so. Garnish with additional chopped green onion and/or cilantro.

Spread cream cheese in bottom of serving plate. Top with cranberry mix. Serve with Wheat Thins or other crackers.

Try these other snacks for bowl games, tailgates or parties. You can always tailor the colors to fit your favorite high school, college or pro team. 

Pretzel Snacks

Toffee Snack Mix

  White Chocolate Cinnamon Pretzels

Tidings of Great Joy: Christmas Traditions

You don't have to be famous to have a stable of paparazzi clicking away trying to capture the perfect shot. My mom's birthday and our family's Christmas Eve gathering have a good share of "Smile!" "Look this way!" and "Wait! Just one more!"

My mom celebrated her 84th birthday on December 24.  Ever since the grandchildren were little, we've been taking a photo of the birthday girl with the troops.The first one with all seven of them was in 1994.

From left: Abby, Brian, Blake, Mom holding Madison, Jill, Brent & Paige

The grandchildren shot is easier these days.Wow! They're all looking the same direction.

From left: Abby, Mom, Brent, Madison, Paige, Brian, Jill and Blake

Grandpa gets in on the action in some of the photos, too.

 

These days, my parents' great-grandchildren are the little kids in the Christmas/birthday photos.

This year, we were missing one of the 10 great-grands. He was a sad little boy to miss the shenanigans with all the cousins, but the other mommies and daddies were glad he kept his stomach virus at home.

With the great-grands getting a little older, the yearly shot is getting somewhat easier.

 

Cake time! The troops disbursed. No more holding the pose.

Someone suggested an "outlaw" photo. So they got in on the photos this year, too.

We were missing one grandson-in-law who was home with the sick boy.

This was the entire gathering - minus my brother, Kent - who took the photo.

We've moved the evening meal to the shed to accommodate the crowd. 

The Moore "kids" have been the stars of Christmas photos for quite some time. Though my brother, Kent, was born in December 1966, he didn't make the Christmas card until 1967. This is the first photo card with all my siblings. I would have been 10, Lisa, 9, Darci, 6 and Kent was 1.

We haven't changed a bit.

***

We were glad to have some extra chore helpers around here last weekend. Kinley and Brooke helped Grandpa water the cows ...

 ... and feed hay and grain.

The cattle aren't the only ones growing this year. Kinley's 8th birthday is coming up soon, so it was time to add her height to the family growth chart.

Since Brooke's 5-year-old height hadn't yet been recorded, Grandpa measured her, too. Kinley is a bit shorter than her mommy was at the same age. Brooke is taller, but not as tall as Uncle Brent.

The girls helped light the Advent candle at their church in Topeka early in December. Then, on December 22, Kinley and I read the Advent devotional and Grandpa lit the candles at the Stafford United Methodist Church. It gave this Grandma a bit of deja vu, since it was something that their mommy and Brent did as children. They also got the candy bags that our church has been giving out at Christmas for 90 years now. This year, Randy and I got the candy and stuffed the bags, carrying on a tradition for one of our church's patriarchs who died this year.

And, of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without some presents. They might have gotten one or two.

Peace vs. Hatred

Advent wreath at Susanna Wesley UMC - Photo from their Facebook page

I sent this text to my family Sunday morning (December 8) after the girls and I arrived for worship at their Topeka church:

Irony of the morning: Peace candle is lit for Advent at church. Protestors from Westboro Baptist Church stand across the street as we arrive. Part of Advent litany talked about the hatred in the world. Thankful that Kinley didn't see them on the way into the church.

Jill says the protestors have been there before, though their presence is sporadic and had never coincided with one of my Sundays in Topeka.

Frankly, I wish my record of not seeing them had stayed intact. However, I've continued to think about the juxtaposition of hate vs. love and peace. So maybe it was an Advent message I was meant to ponder.

The Advent candle litany said, in part:

Because hatred is still so strong, because so many swords have not yet been beaten into plowshares, we light a candle of peace. May the light from this candle overwhelm the world. May the light from this candle say to all that God's peace is coming on earth as it already is in heaven! 

In his sermon that morning, Pastor Andrew talked about the preparations they, as a young family, made to get their home ready for Christmas. He talked about shuffling furniture to make room for the tree and then unwrapping the ornaments.

When I think about the tree, I also think about our lives - reflecting back on the things past or looking forward to the things to come ahead. What will be unexpectedly beautiful? What will break by accident? What events will occur in which we need to find our place?

His reference to shattered ornaments took me back to our own Hanging of the Greens at Stafford UMC in late November. As I made my way through the church foyer that day, a dad was sweeping up the remnants of a glass ornament. I smiled and asked him how many had succumbed this year. Only the one, he told me.

Children's tree at Stafford UMC - Children made the nativity ornaments this year in Sunday School

One broken bulb (or even two or three) is a small price to pay for involving young children in the Advent preparations - whether that's at home or at church.

Jon and Bryson shared their love of Christmas bulbs during our Hanging of the Greens event.

 Besides, sometimes, we need to be broken for Christ's light to shine through:

Blessed are the broken and cracked 
for they allow God's light 
to shine through them.

Unattributed

Yes, we are broken. The world is broken. Even if there aren't protestors standing on a street corner, there are plenty of disagreements and differences in opinion. Just take a stroll through Facebook or Twitter and the hatred isn't hard to find.

 

On that Sunday, the Advent choir anthem said, in part:

Soon a tiny child will come

A gift from God above

To teach us all to live in peace

And fill our lives with love.

He will teach us how to love.

May that be more than just a sentiment in a Christmas anthem or a saying hung from the Christmas tree.


Advent is when we name and remember our longing for and need of forgiveness, restoration and redemption in the present day, while we wait for Christ to come again in final victory. While we wait, Jesus calls us into the world to participate in acts of compassion, preparing the way for God’s love to be known by all who need to hear the good news, having their sight restored and experiencing freedom. During this season, we prepare our own lives for one of the most transformative understandings of Jesus’ coming - his mission to set us free.

From Susanna Wesley UMC's Facebook page

***

I will take a short hiatus from blogging as Christmas approaches. Adding to an already-packed schedule as CEO of Christmas preparations around here, we are selling feeder calves this week. That adds cattle sorting and loading to the holiday mix this week.Wish us luck!

Wishing you and yours PEACE on earth and tidings of great JOY!