Color My World

Taken with my phone

The eastern sky beckoned me outside Monday morning. I grabbed my phone and my camera and snapped a few shots of our silo before I took a short drive to my sunrise tree. 

With my phone

On several occasions, I've noticed a difference in the images I get with my phone's camera vs. my regular camera. Monday's shots were even more markedly different than usual. My camera recorded the images as golden, with very few paintbrush strokes of blue. My phone had both blue and gold tones.

With my camera

I got back to the house, and I had my daily KFRM report to do. Then, I had to go pick up the guys at Miller Seed Farm, where they took seed wheat to be cleaned before we plant our 2022 wheat crop this fall.

With my phone

 

So by the time I got the photos downloaded, I'd kind of forgotten how markedly different the images were. I played around with editing the photos, but I wasn't satisfied with getting the images to look like "real life." And by that time, what WAS real life? After several hours had elapsed, I was having trouble discerning which was the closest to the truth. So I gave up trying to manipulate the images. I just downloaded them "as is."

And it made me think about life as we know it today.

 

With my camera

 

Some Facebook friends color their vision of life through a conservative lens.

Others see the same situation with a much more liberal viewpoint.

And my view often falls somewhere in the middle.

 

Who is right?

Who is wrong?

Is there a middle ground?

 

I sure hope there is. And, with God's help, I hope we can find it. 

 

For the record, the more golden sunrise was probably closer to reality. Here's a photo my friend, Janet Hardin, posted Monday morning to her Facebook page.

 

Photo by Janet Hardin

 

But, then again, another of my Facebook friends, Jamie Kreutzer, posted this Monday sunrise shot from downtown Stafford.

 

Photo by Jamie Kreutzer

 

So ... there you go. The picture depends upon which view finder you're looking through.

I saved a devotional way back in January, thinking I'd use it sometime with nature photos. It was from one of the daily devotionals that arrives in my email in box - this one, from New Every Morning. I stash these snippets of wisdom in my blog "draft" folder. 

 

Here's the devotional and question from New Every Morning:

Today’s Reflection

Gracious God, thank you for the gift of this day.
We know that each day is a gift coming anew from you.
For the beauty of creation, we give you thanks.
For the joy of loving and being loved,
we give you thanks.
For the steadfastness of good friends,
we give you thanks.
For meaningful work to do and supportive colleagues,
we give you thanks.
When challenges and hardships overwhelm us,
remind us that your grace is all around us, everywhere,
to be seen if we just remember to look for it.
Let our prayer at the end of this day and each day
be gratitude for what you have given to us.
In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

—Mary Lou Redding, Prayers for Life’s Ordinary and Extraordinary Moments

  (Upper Room Books, 2012)

Today’s Question

How can you practice noticing goodness today?

Today’s Scripture

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
—Psalm 9:1 (NRSV)

A Banner Day

Today is a banner day. My parents - Bob & Janis Moore - celebrate their 68th wedding anniversary. (This collage is from one of the books my mom put together for the grandkids). 

2021 Photo by Kent Moore

They were just 17 and 19 when they were married. And even though that seems young by today's standards, it seems to have worked out pretty well for them and their descendants - four children, seven grandchildren and 10 great-grands. 

A couple of those great-grands also are having a banner day today.

It's Kinley's and Brooke's first day of the new school year. Kinley is a 4th grader, and Brooke is in 1st grade. I was anxiously awaiting the first day of school photos.

At this point in her life, Brooke wants to be a kindergarten teacher. (I wonder if that will change to first grade teacher after this year?)

Kinley's career choice of "veterinarian" has remained constant for several years. (I think that it was "dolphin trainer" one year, but that's still animal related.)

For old times' sake, I foraged in my childhood scrapbook to see what I looked like when I was the girls' age. (Thanks to my mom for her organizational efforts! I wish I'd inherited that quality.)

Jeff Berry, Kim Moore, Carol Beberstine, Lorraine Frisbie, Eugene Stotts

 

For me, first grade was the first stop in my academic life. Byers didn't have kindergarten.  I had a whopping five people in my class - counting me!

At Byers, two grade levels were combined, so both the 1st and 2nd grade had Mrs. Bond as their teacher. 

Front row: Curtis Matulka, Eugene Stotts, Ronnie Young, Mike Kelly, Kim Moore, Carol Beberstine, Jeff Berry. Back row: Monte Pritchett, Kevin Warren, Mrs. Bond, Danna Stinemetze, Lorraine Frisbie, Bob Parker.

 My fourth grade year was the final one at Byers. In fifth grade, Byers consolidated with other small Pratt County schools to form Skyline. I don't remember exactly what I wanted to be at those milestones in my life. I remember "composer" was one of the things I dreamed of becoming. (I was not granted that God-given ability, though I certainly appreciate musical composition.) But I also thought of being a writer. So I guess maybe I had an inkling of what I might become.

 The shot of the girls boarding the bus this morning also brought back a little nostalgia. I rode the school bus the 3 1/2 miles to Byers. My kids had a longer trip for their dozen miles or so to school. I didn't find any photos of my "antique" bus.

Even though my efforts in scrapbooking did not compare to my mom's, I did find a few photos of Jill at similar ages to her girls.

Jill was 8 1/2 and Brent was 6 in this first-day-of-school photo.

Here was their school bus photo that year.

Jill would have been 6 - just like Brooke - in these photos. Brooke wanted her hair crimped for her first day of school. And I noticed that Jill had her hair crimped for her first day of school, too.

You can see the bus lights coming in the dark!

What goes around comes around, I guess!

Happy anniversary and happy first day of school to some special people!

Cookies with a Twist (of Lime)

 

Cherry limeades were a special treat at Grandma Marie's house. After she died, I brought the juicer home because my kids had such great memories of making limeades with their grandma. I still use it when I'm juicing lemons or limes for a recipe, even though Jill always says, "I should put a new juicer in your Christmas stocking."  

Marie would combine fresh limes and sugar-free Cherry 7-Up and serve it up with ice and a straw. Sounds tasty on a hot summer day, doesn't it?

I have been baking lots of cookies for a bridal shower at church later this month and stashing them in the freezer. The bride has chosen burgundy, pinks and blush colors for her color palette. So when I saw the recipe for Cherry Limeade Cookies, I thought they were perfect. They fit in with the color scheme, and they provide that favorite summery Cherry Limeade flavor in cookie form.

While they haven't gotten the bridal shower seal of approval yet, they did get good reviews from both me and Randy. 

I was on a parts run to Pratt for Randy last week. And I just might have stopped at Sonic for a liquid version of Diet Cherry Limeade. 

Mmmmmm! These cookies taste like summer. If you give them a try, let me know how you like them!

Cherry Limeade Cookies

From Imperial Sugar

Cookies:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries

 

Tart Lime Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Juice of 1 large lime (1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons)
Zest of one large lime

 

For cookies, in bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix butter and granulated sugar together for 1 minute on medium speed until combined. Add in vanilla extract and cherry juice and mix until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and add in flour until incorporated, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as necessary. Dough will be thick. Fold in chopped cherries.
 

Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Scoop out chilled dough using a small (1 tablespoon) cookie scoop. Roll the dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart.

Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until set and edges just begin to turn golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

For glaze, in a medium bowl whisk together powdered sugar, lime juice, and zest. Dip tops of cooled cookies into glaze, or alternately you can spoon glaze on top of cookies.

Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. Makes about 36 cookies.

 

Punctuation Marks and Simple Blessings

 

 

We think it is the big moments that define our lives - the wedding, the baby, the new house, the dream job. But really these big moments of happiness are just punctuation marks. The narrative is written every day in the small and simple. 

Sarah Ban Breathnach, Author of Simple Abundance

 

Don't get me wrong: I look forward to big moments, too (especially a wedding coming in 2022 for our family!)

Brent & Susan - newly engaged!!

 

But I also appreciate the not-so-monumental times ... like rides to the pasture to replace the fence charger battery with my favorite farmer and some pretty scenes from Rattlesnake Creek.

The sunrises and sunsets from the Kansas flatlands may not have universal appeal like those from a mountain-top or from a sandy beach, but they are still moments to savor.

And they are a reminder to be thankful. I follow The Farmer's Daughter on Facebook. She has  finished a round of chemo for cancer, and I was struck by the post she shared on her birthday last month:

I'm just grateful.

This past year was tumultuous and upending and trying. I stared death in the face more times than I care to admit. And I finally understand that growing older is a blessing. An absolute blessing.

Folks, life is short.

Don't waste your time angry.

Prioritize the people you love.

Be kind.

Put down your phone.

Enjoy the sunsets.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

Slow down.

Be present.

Love.

 

Those are powerful words ... and a reminder to not let the little moments pass me by. 

 

 The message was reinforced with one of my daily email devotionals:

 

A Time to Think

If you begin to live life looking for the God that is all around you, every moment becomes a prayer. 

–Frank Bianco, U.S. journalist and photographer

Thankfully, the Kansas sunsets provide plenty of free beauty - just for the taking.

The sunset one evening seemed creased by a jet moving through gold-tinged clouds. And I hoped that the passengers were appreciating the view, too.

Simplify, slow down, be kind. And don't forget to have art in your life - music, paintings, theater, dance and sunsets. 

Eric Carle

A close-up of the clouds as the sun played hide and seek

 Good advice, don't you think?

Heifers and Helpers

  

I may not be as cute as this little helper at the Pratt sale barn. But I like to think I was just as indispensable. 

I am under no delusion that I was the most vital helper during the County Line's latest cattle work. That honor went to our veterinarian, Dr. Bruce.

He was at the farm Monday to preg-check 25 heifers - our first-time mothers. Many times, he has done  the examinations manually. But this time, he brought along a helpful machine. It's like a sonogram machine for cattle.

I seem to have mostly gotten Bruce's reflection in the photo below, but maybe you can also see an image, too. It's a little hard to see what you're photographing when you're taking the shot over someone's shoulder in bright sunlight. (Thanks for your patience, Dr. Bruce!)

 Most of the first-time moms were 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 months pregnant. 

I was the secretary for the ladies' doctor's appointments and also helped move them up the lane. Dr. Bruce inserts a wand to get the image and determine the approximate gestation, based on the size of the baby.

When I saw 001 come through the chute, I had to take a close-up. I knew I'd be able to find a baby photo of her. She would have been one of the first babies born in 2020, and she would have been born to a heifer, too.

August 2, 2021

January 25, 2020

No. 001 was pregnant, but three of her pasture mates were not. Those three - and an Angus bull - made a trailer trip to the Pratt sale barn. 

To make the sorting job easier, Randy always marks the  "open" cows with "O" on their sides and puts a chalk streak down the front of their faces. 

 

We sorted them off from the rest, and they had a chauffeured ride to Pratt, where they'll be sold on Thursday.

As one was walking away at the sale barn, I realized the Hereford-looking one was my 2020 Valentine's calf. I always thought she was so pretty, and I also noticed her as we fed silage this past winter. But, just like a sports team, you have to make tough cuts to the roster. And not being pregnant is a big deal for cattlemen.

Notice the "heart" shape on her chest: She made an appearance on the blog in February 2020.

 The rest of "girls" were transported to a different pasture, where they will graze as "ladies in waiting" until this coming winter when they will deliver the Class of 2022.