I had a great weekend with Tyler at Purdue for FarmHouse Mom’s Weekend. This year was even bigger and better, with more moms–which was great! We put together a flower arrangement and cookbooks of our favorite recipes. I can’t wait to start cooking! I always enjoy my time with Tyler, and out of it, there is always a nugget to share. As I sit here and write, I am…
Happy Birthday, Grace and Scott! 16 and 54–2 very special people born on the same day, March 31st. No better way to celebrate them than to do a party “Westover” style! With a “State Fair” theme. We walked the tightrope with the Flying Wallenda’s family, and learned how to judge pork, with an official Iowa State Fair pork judge. We ate Dick’s special corn dogs and the “Cilley-est” Big…
It’s Easter season, and I do love Easter candy! When I think of Easter, it always comes back to my sisters and me spending Easter at my grandparent’s house on Cross Street with my cousins and the EB! Easter egg hunts, the ham dinner, and going to church are solidly there in my mind with pictures to boot! But, in a close second for memories is my mother,…
This is one of my hot buttons… I abhor daylight saving time. I hate it. My body hates it. My mind hates it. My life hates it. Does anyone else feel as strongly as I do? The spring, in particular, is my biggest gripe, I don’t have the bandwidth at this stage in my life to lose an hour. I remember when the kids were little–it was terrible. …
I had an odd thing happen to me the other night at dinner. I met a friend of mine at a restaurant in Saratoga–The Mouzan House. I had been hearing wonderful things about the restaurant for years, and it did not disappoint, it was a delicious meal. The restaurant occupies an old brick farmhouse in the middle of Saratoga Springs. It’s an oasis in the middle of a…
The decision has been made, and a deep sadness permeates everything. There are visions of what life will be, how life will feel. Emptiness. The last headlock clanks, and the pump stops. Silence fills every space on the farm. A final cow is loaded, and the truck and trailer head down the laneway and out the gate. It’s over. The feed wagon will sit idle, and the birds…
I believe in the power of positivity. I BELIEVE in the power of the team. And I believe in the strength of a village. It takes all of us. We are in the thick of playoff season, and our boy’s varsity basketball team survived their first sectional match-up. Greenwich, 5 cede, was able to eliminate the four cede. It was a nail-biter, as we did not take the…
Dear Jakey, Watching you play basketball has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Seriously, it has. I am your biggest fan! Through primary basketball, AAU, DAGS, and Varsity. Late nights coming back from practices and weekend-long tournaments, it has been so much fun, and I wouldn’t trade that time with you for anything. Your feisty defense and serious offense—you never let up, always working hard…
In the doldrums of winter when complaints come easily, smiles are few and far between, I think of this poem, this excerpt in particular. Always, always count your blessings. Find something, be it big or very small, that you can hang your hat on and be thankful for. I dare you!…
It’s a podcast kind of world, helping us to collect many grains of sand along the way. With busy schedules and minimal time, it’s nice to multitask by taking information auditorily. Recently I have had the opportunity to speak with 2-podcasters and be a guest on their shows. It was a lot of fun! Thank you, Chrissy Wozniak of North American Ag and Matt Brechwald of Off Farm Income.…
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