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94 years of life

by nebraskawheatie

My Grandma turned 94 on Saturday. This means she was born in 1917.

1917…so many years ago and so many changes she’s experienced. I didn’t go visit her on her birthday because I assumed she would have a lot of other company there helping her celebrate. Taylor and I went to see her yesterday and found out no one was there on her special day. That was the beginning of several “twangs” I felt in my heart and my stomach. I should have been there! Grandma’s level of anxiety is so much less when there’s not so much activity in her room and in her life. Too many at one time overwhelms her because she can’t see very well and she can’t hear very well. She wants to be an active participant in the conversation and can’t focus when there’s more than one conversation happening.

Yesterday, while Taylor and I sat there with her, Grandma was in a very chatty mood. She smiled a lot and offered stories I had never heard before. I told her about going to Lincoln on Friday night to watch Taylor at All-State Choir. She asked what songs they sang and the only one I knew she would know was “My Country Tis of Thee”. She smiled from ear to ear, “Really? My Country Tis of Thee?” and then broke out in song. It was a moment that melted my heart! I really didn’t know Grandma liked to sing. She said she sang a lot as a kid and whistled all the time. Really? That’s Taylor! Whistling all the time. And in shrill notes that aggravate the heck out of me! Grandma told us the story of whistling really loud each time she had to go out and call the cows in. The cows got to know her whistle and when they heard it they’d know she and her dog were on their way. This brought tears to my eyes. My Grandma was once a little girl – someone who sang and whistled and enjoyed being with her 9 brothers and sisters. It was at this moment that I wished that I could have one of those days that I mentioned in a previous posting. A day that would take me back in time to allow me to see my Grandma as a little girl and view the simplicity of her life at that time.  Grandma can’t whistle anymore. When she got dentures, the dentist took away her whistle. When she told us that story, it was Taylor who started to cry. Whenever Taylor whistles, I will probably still get agitated with the shrillness, but it will forever take on a whole different feeling – I will think of my Grandma.

Grandma also told of the time that she (as a 5 or 6-year-old girl) had to go up on stage for a school play. She could STILL remember her line. It goes something like this:

When I got up on stage, my heart went twitter pat, twitter pat.  I heard someone in the audience ask, “Who’s sweet little girl is that?”

I can picture a little blond-headed 5  year old being scared to death up on stage and Grandma said, “My heart really was going twitter pat, twitter pat”. 🙂 Grandma was once a little girl, someone’s daughter, sister, and best friend. I have always known her as Grandma.

The memories I hold near and dear to my heart include her famous fried chicken with bread and gravy, Christmas and Easter, fishing, her cookie drawer, sitting in her lap, and “fixing” her hair. When I was little, we didn’t get to go see her very often. She lived 2 1/2 hours away. But, when we did, it was the BEST! I can still remember the overwhelming feelings of sadness as I would watch her house go out of sight in the rear view mirror. I felt that same feeling yesterday.  I love you, Grandma! And I hope that one day, I’ll be a grandma just like you who unknowingly creates that sort of love in a little ones heart!

Our little songbird

by nebraskawheatie

The same day we were getting ready to celebrate Jamie and Curt’s wedding (October 15), Taylor was making her way to Lincoln to audition for the 75th  NMEA All-State Choir. She stressed over that morning long before it finally rolled around. Well…all the stressing and the hard work paid off! We found out 10 days later that she made the choir. And – not only did she make it but she was rated the #2 Alto from her site. I was told the Lincoln site was one of the harder ones to audition at because of the Class A schools. I was (and still am) pretty darn proud of our little songbird.

Tonight was the payoff for all her hard work. She’s been away from home, living in a hotel room with several of her friends (and chaperones) since Wednesday night. I’ve received text messages from her throughout her stay letting me know how things were going. My favorite text from her was the one that said the sound coming from these people’s mouths had to be what heaven would one day sound like.

“There were moments in our final rehearsal where I couldn’t even sing. It is SO amazing…I was completely overcome with emotion haha AND I had goosebumps throughout the ENTIRE rehearsal.”  Taylor

I have to admit, she was right! As the sound of the very first word from the very first song was made, I was tearing up. By the time the song was over, I was wanting to really sob. The hour went way too fast! I’m sure it felt like that for Taylor, as well. What an awesome experience for her and for the other 400+ singers in that ALL State choir!

Over 3,000 kids from the state of Nebraska auditioned for this night and our little songbird was one of three from our Class C school that got to be on stage at the Lied Center in Lincoln. I’m so very proud of Taylor, Megan and Sophie! Thank you Mrs. Colbert and Mr. Hanson for all the time you’ve sacrificed and invested in these kids!

I wish I had a picture to share and/or video but we weren’t allowed to take any. You’ll just have to take my word for just how amazing it sounded!

The 2nd annual November campout

by nebraskawheatie

This all began last November. Harvest was over a little earlier than usual and we decided to go camping. “We” also included the Rathe’s and their trailer house. It was a perfect weekend and having the trailer house and it’s amenities (refrigerator, electricity, furnace, Mark’s cooking, etc.) made it even better.

Last week, we decided if it was going to take place this year, the past weekend was the only time we had before Jim started back to work and it got any colder. Seems like schedules are so hard to work around! The weather looked like it was still going to be fairly nice and there was no talk of moisture. Everyone was for it and the plans were made. Everyone, except the Rathe’s. They weren’t going to be able to go which meant no trailer house and none of Mark’s cooking.

We decided Waubonsie State Park near Hamburg, IA would be our destination. Jenna and I took off with the tents and a load of wood before everyone else late Friday afternoon. She and I got the tents set up just before Jamie, Taylor and Callie showed up. The sun was going down FAST! Everyone found a job to do and the campsite was finished being set up with the help of the van’s headlights. While the girls were putting the beds, etc. together, I got a fire started. Our new home had been created and the next step was a hotdog. Jim, Curt and Abe (the granddog) showed up shortly after 9:00. It was a good thing they trailed behind as I had forgotten a couple of necessary items – like my dutch oven.

We woke up on Saturday, got the fire started again and breakfast (bacon, eggs and pancakes) prepared. I had an enamel stock pot that remained on the fire grill constantly for hot chocolate. The day was beautiful for the middle of November – lower 60’s. Friday night’s low was probably 40 degrees or so. No one complained of being too cold but the fire sure felt good. The Nebraska/Penn State football game was tuned in on Curt’s pickup at 11:00. Jim and Curt didn’t move from their chairs…much. The girls and I took a little drive to nearby Sidney, IA. Later, Jamie and I went into the town of Hamburg to see if there were any antique stores. There was a store but it was getting re-stocked after being evacuated in May due to the Mighty Mo flooding. The owner very emotionally recalled the past five months of dealing with the flood waters and how it changed the course of the river and the people.

The rest of the day was spent around the campfire. A couple of times, Callie and Taylor entertained us with their lovely music via the guitar and ukulele. Their fingers would get too cold so it didn’t last very long (unfortunately). We tried to convince Curt to break out his harmonica but it didn’t happen. The day went into night fairly fast.

The second night was as nice as the first and no complaints of being cold. On Sunday morning, we fixed breakfast and decided it was time to go on a hike through the woods before packing up camp and heading for home.  We may be crazy for camping this time of the year but we’ve got to take advantage of these times when we can. We had a great time and I hated to see the weekend have to come to an end. We have decided, though, it will be an annual event and Curt volunteered to make the t-shirts. LOVE IT!

To see more pictures of the weekend, go to our Zeorian Harvesting & Trucking Facebook page.

Saturday morning in our tent.

Abe was constantly trying to rearrange our woodpile.

Warming up with hot chocolate and tea.

Most of the trees had no leaves so they made this one really stand out!

Jenna taking a catnap.

We didn’t see much of Taylor all weekend. She wasn’t feeling good and spent a lot of her time in the tent.

Saturday night – cooking by flashlight.

Sunday morning.

Sunday morning breakfast.

It was really cold standing on top of the bluff we hiked to.

The view from on top of the bluff. Most of this valley would have been under water this summer.

Jenna carrying through with her “jumping” posts. Nice hurdle, Jen!

Taking a break.

Tearing down camp. No more tent.

A day for heroes!

by nebraskawheatie

This is a picture of me and my two “little” brothers – Mark is on the left and that’s Matt on the other side.

Veterans Day…A day to remember the men and women who have sacrificed so much to keep me and my family free and living in the country we love so much. Thank you to all Veterans out there!

I really feel like someone who has been involved in our military should be thanked more than just today. How many of us actually walk up to someone in uniform and thank them? I witnessed this quite a few years ago when my “little” brother took me to the airport and sat with me until the flight was ready to leave.

Mark always wanted to be a pilot – ever since he was a little boy. He chased that dream after he graduated from high school. Mark joined the Air Force and entered as an officer (my memory doesn’t recollect all the details very well and Mark may tell me I’m wrong but you’ll get the jest of it). I tried to keep up with each level of advancement but unless you’re involved in the military, I don’t think it really means as much. All I know is that I missed him when he was gone to boot camp and I’ve missed him throughout much of my life! Mark has a work ethic like none other – and he’s very dedicated to his country. Therefore, when he retired a few years back, he retired as a Lt. Colonel. Awesome achievement!

Mark began his career wanting that pilot’s slot. He did everything right and passed all the tests. However, Mark decided that the pilot’s life wasn’t for him when he started flying. The confinement of the plane was more than he really felt comfortable with and he went into another line of work. Now, this may look like a failure to Mark and there’s probably been days when he wished he had fought that anxiety and continued chasing that dream. However, I see it differently. Mark’s life has been one blessing after another. He has done more for this country than I know about. He was involved in things that not even his wife knows about. I used to tease him that he’s probably pretty darn important in the Air Force but to me, he’s still just my brother. I’m proud of him and all he’s done with his life! If he had gone in a different direction, he would have missed out on everything he’s gotten to experience.

Mark met his wife while he was in Oman. They’ve been married for nearly 13 years and have two BEAUTIFUL kids – Caleb and Bekah. They decided to retire in Tampa, FL. This is one detail in his life that I wish I could change. I wish he were closer to the rest of us so we could enjoy each others family and do more together.  He is the smarter one, though, living in Florida where it doesn’t snow!

Mark and his family at Curt and Jamie’s wedding in FL.

Back to thanking a member of the armed forces. I was visiting Mark and Rowena after Caleb was born. They were living in California at that time. When it was time for me to go home, he and his family took me to the airport to see me off. Mark was dressed in his military fatigues because he was going directly to work after the plane left. While sitting there, a complete stranger came up to him, shook his hand and said, “thank you”. I was so proud of him – it literally brought tears to my eyes. It was then that I realized that he WAS more than just my brother – he was my hero!  I love you, Mark, and I thank you for all you’ve done and have sacrificed! You’ve been away from your family and done more than most of us would ever consider doing. THANK YOU!

One more hero I’d like to thank is Jim’s dad. Lloyd passed away a couple of years ago but he was a hero to me too. Lloyd was a WWII veteran. He was away from home as a 19-year-old for four years. He served in the Philippines. Lloyd didn’t talk much about his time in the Army and definitely not much about the war. One story I do recall, though, was the time he contracted malaria while in the Philippines. He was nearly dead when a native found him and carried him down the mountain. I often times think about how very different my life would have been had he died. It would have meant no Jim and no beautiful girls that I so proudly call mine. Isn’t it interesting how God knows what’s supposed to happen before any of the rest of us do? Lloyd’s generation is referred to as “The Greatest Generation” and they truly are!

The visible results of the 2011 Missouri River flood

by nebraskawheatie


The water has receded and the interstate is open for traffic again for the first time since the first week of June. Who would have ever thought the Mighty MO could wreak such havoc in this part of the country for nearly five months! I started hearing about the flood warnings before we left for harvest last spring. The anticipated flooding was supposed to continue for a couple of months. A couple of months?

On Friday, Plan A for the day went to Plan B when we found out our friends from the Sioux Falls area wouldn’t be making the trek south. We sat around most of the day staring at each other. Taylor and Callie had the day off of school due to teacher in service and we were bored. It was a beautiful day so I suggested we take a drive to Nebraska City and hop on the interstate just to see what we could see.  What we saw was devastation in a huge way! Where fields used to be, there was now sand, mud, logs and debris. It was like nothing I have ever seen.  The homes are still vacant and there are visible signs of the high water level everywhere. The countryside was NOTHING like I remembered.

We drove north of Omaha and got off the interstate at the Blair exit. On our way back south again, we took a tour of the area that Jim USED to haul propane to. The river communities are no longer there. What’s left is a mess. A mess that is so extensive I can’t imagine how it could ever be what it used to be. So many lives have been changed.

I’m not sure who’s to blame for the amount of water that raced from Montana to Nebraska all summer long. I hear the Army Corp of Engineers are being blamed. I hope the flood of 2011 has been a learning experience and flooding of this magnitude will never happen again.

Department of Road employees were taking down the wall of sand that was put there to help spare the town of Hamburg, IA.

The levee that was built around the town of Hamburg, IA.

Signs of harvest. The pile of corn was pretty impressive!

These grain bins looked like they just fell into a hole. I’m not sure if this is where they were prior to the flood. The running water just created a large hole around the three. This was right along I-29.

The most visible raging water damage along I-29. You can tell it wasn’t a peaceful flow of water right here.

The railroad tracks are suspended in the air because the water washed away the soil.

I took this picture because you can see how high the water level was in the trees and bushes.

The Mighty MO back where she’s supposed to be!

We started down this road that was familiar to Jim but couldn’t get very far.

We did make it down one road that was open to a river community that he hauled propane to just last winter. This is one of many pivots with its tires in the air.

Jim said this was one of the nicer homes in this community.

The sand looks like snow drifts.

What a difference a day makes!

by nebraskawheatie

So exactly 24 hours ago, we had snow on the ground here in Eastern Nebraska! Yep…the day before yesterday it was BEAUTIFUL – near 70 degrees. Yesterday, however, we had a taste of what’s to come. We had pouring rain, thunder and then thunder snow. It went from 45 degrees to 30 in a matter of minutes. By the time it was all said and done, we had more than an inch of wet snow on the ground.

When Taylor got home, she informed me that it was THE BEST day ever! Not only because it was her 17th birthday but she had answered a question or a poll or something that asked her if she could have any one thing for her birthday, what would it be? She answered…to have Jordan (our dog) back in our lives. Well, Jordan LOVED snow. She loved chasing snow – either coming out of a snow blower or thrown snow balls or she could roll her own snow balls with her nose and throw them up in the air only to catch them again. So, Taylor was convinced that it snowed only for her and for her to know that Jordan was with her. 🙂 Love it, Tate!

Today, however, it’s beautiful once again. Not 70 degrees beautiful but over 50 and the sun is shining. No more white stuff to be seen anywhere.

Yesterday was also the beginning of the fall puzzle that must be put together before winter can truly arrive. The puzzle I’m referring to is the arranging of the equipment in the shed. We’ve rented a shed for 20+ years and it has gradually gotten smaller and smaller every year. Why? The equipment keeps getting bigger and bigger. The shed we rent is not one like you’d see in a farmer’s yard. It’s sides are rounded and not very big. Twenty some years ago, it was perfect! I wish I could wiggle my nose and create a much larger one with heat and a cement floor for Mr. Jim to be able to work in. We should have just bit the bullet 20 some years ago and bought our own. Hindsight is always 20/20! So, as I began telling you, we started putting the puzzle together yesterday. Jim wanted to get the two heads (MacDon flex head and the corn head) out of the weather first. Working from the back of the shed, of course, to the front. One piece of the puzzle that we won’t have to find a spot for will be a trailer house. That should help! By the time it’s all together, Jim will have organized and fit and moved and removed each piece of our Zeorian Harvesting & Trucking puzzle until it’s just perfect…with little room to spare! Once this chore is complete, harvest will truly be over for 2011 and Jim will begin his next yearly adventure – hauling propane. I heard him say he’ll start that after November 15th, giving him a little time to kick back before his REAL job begins! During the winter, he’ll work harder than he does in the summer and will put in over 70 hours per week. By the time April rolls around, he’ll be welcoming the upcoming harvest routine once again (and so will we).

We didn’t have a full blown 17th birthday party for Taylor like we sometimes do. She opted to have a smaller, more intimate one and wanted to do the cooking. Really? Who wants to cook on your birthday? Tate!! She’s an awesome cook and didn’t even realize it until this past summer. She was forced to be the harvest cook after Jenna retired and she has stepped up to the plate in all her glory! She really likes to bake. So, for supper, she created bread bowls and we had two kinds of soup – cheesy broccoli and chili. She also made her own cake – a pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling. It was DELICIOUS!

17?….I remember 17 – how can I be the mother of THREE daughters that have reached that age? Callie, you’ve got a few more years to catch up – but please don’t hurry! Happy birthday, Tate! Love you!

Taylor is reading her card out loud to find out what we got her. I ordered a Ukulele but it’s still in transit from Hawaii. That’s what she wanted!

Something must have been REAL funny!

Now THAT’S funny!

She FINALLY got to the end to see what she’s getting.

Trying to look like her card.

This is what Taylor likes to do…rub things on her face.

NICE girls!

As quoted by our 34th President:

by nebraskawheatie

“Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from a corn field.”                                 Dwight D. Eisenhower (9/11/1956)

Happy November 1st!

by nebraskawheatie

For the last 20 some years, I’ve been involved with Halloween. It came to a sudden stop last night.

Since Jamie was born, costumes have been thought about and created – sometimes at the very last minute. School parties and parades marked the day nearly every year.  I bet I could count only a couple of times that I didn’t walk around our little town. The two times I can think of was in 1994 when I was VERY pregnant with Taylor (she will celebrate her 17th birthday tomorrow) and in 1997 because Halloween was cancelled due to an ice/snow storm.

Last night was a beautiful night for the little goblins. Very rare, too. Most Halloween’s, I remember having to come back to the house midway through trick or treating for more gloves, hats and heavier coats. So many fun memories. However, that is done in the Zeorian household. Callie dressed up, but she went to another town with her friends. Taylor dressed up – only to help hand out candy at Jamie and Curt’s house. I was here most of the night by myself handing out candy – and very little of it. We only had about 25 kids, at the most, this year. Signs of the times? or just that our little village is lacking kids?

Brook and Jillian stopped by at the end of their trick or treating to let me see their costumes. I got to take a picture of them. So, the tradition continues with a new generation of spooks! Because of my moving out of the flurry of Halloween activity, I felt like it would be a good time to go through some of our past Halloween memories. I didn’t get every year represented but enough to give you an idea of the happenings in our house for the past 20+ years.

It’s beautiful here today in Nebraska! The doors are open and the clothes are on the line. It’s a day like today that I’m missing Jordan (our dog) really bad! She would have enjoyed soaking up the sun today.

The traditional carving of the pumpkins.

Callie doing a trial run the night before Halloween.

Notice the bare feet? It’s been an awesome fall in Eastern Nebraska!

The next generation of spooks! Jillian was a princess and Brook was a fairy (Tinkerbell).

The very first Halloween celebrated in our household. This is Jamie in 1986.

Me and Jamie in 1986.

Jenna in 1991.

1993

1998

(notice Taylor’s faces in a lot of these pictures)

1998

1999

2000 – the extra kid is Josh S.

2001

2001 – the tattered flag was hung outside immediately after 9-11

2002 – a new flag!

2003

Saying “see ya later” to a childhood memory.

by nebraskawheatie

Today, I sat in a church in my old “neck of the woods” with people whom I remember being so much younger. I went to the first of my childhood friend’s parent’s funeral (wow, that was a mouthful). It affected me more than I thought it would since I haven’t seen Walt in nearly 30 years. As I sat there singing the songs and listening to the Pastor speak, all I could focus on was the memories that flooded back to me. Walt always seemed like a giant of a man to me and just a little bit scary. I loved him, none the less! He was a part of my childhood and part of what made me who I am today.

The faces I saw today were different…older. Although the years have aged us all, I felt a feeling I hadn’t felt in some time. The feeling of being HOME. When I was growing up, we lived on a street that had a lot of kids the same ages as me and my brothers. We didn’t spend much time in front of the tv. We played outside and we played with the entire neighborhood of kids! We were one big family. As kids, we’d confide in each other about everything, was a part of each other’s family, and always looked out for each other. As we grew up, we went our separate ways. It was through our parents that we’d keep up with each other and know who was married, who was having babies and what each of us had done with our lives. For a couple of hours, I was really home again.

It was unfortunate that the Pastor doing the service today didn’t know Walt – he said so himself. If he had, he would have been able to tell the guests just what a wonderful guy he was, how much he loved hunting and fishing and how important his family was to him.  He could have retold stories about the good old days and how much fun our neighborhood used to have. Walt would have done anything for anyone! You know what…I didn’t need a Pastor to tell me these things, I already knew – firsthand. Although I hadn’t seen you in at least 30 years, Walt, I’ll miss you!

An opportunity to share our way of life.

by nebraskawheatie

A couple of years ago, Conrad Weaver with ConjoStudios contacted me regarding his dream of producing a documentary about the wheat harvest and the custom harvester. I LOVED the idea but “bucked” the idea of being a part of it. Mostly, because Jenna was already involved as a correspondent with the High Plains Journal and I was a member of the  U.S. Custom Harvesters board of directors. I was willing to give Conrad ideas and help him in any way I could but wasn’t comfortable with being in front of a camera. I feel EVERYONE has a story and ours isn’t any more unique than the next guy (or gal). I tried conveying this to Conrad and yet he continued saying he wanted our family involved.  I still wrestle with the fact that my involvement with USCHI and HPJ has been more than enough exposure for me and for my family and it’s someone else’s turn to share. However, last summer, we agreed to allow Conrad and his family to visit us on the road and film the harvest as it was happening at that time. Since then, Conrad has put together a “trailer” for the Wheat Harvest Movie – which I am proud to say I am a part of. It is my desire that every American know exactly where their food comes from (it’s not from the grocery store) and every step it takes to get it there. I wonder if most people realize that it takes nearly a year for that first load of wheat to be put in the bin of a combine? I wonder if they realize the process it takes from the beginning with the farmer preparing the land to planting and caring to the end with the harvest and the harvester? My hope is this documentary will educate and stir up an emotion within all who watch it. Everyone needs to understand just how precious this resource (agriculture) is to our country and to our people before it’s too late.

So, because of what I’m seeing this documentary evolving into, I can say I am proud of being involved and hope to do whatever it takes to make Conrad’s dream come true. I realize this 15 minutes of fame could quite possibly be my one and only time to vocally speak out about the lifestyle I love so very much! One day when I’m really old (and it’ll come way too soon), I’ll be able to say I tried rather than wishing I had tried! As I mentioned above, EVERYONE has a story – ours is no more unique than yours. Tell your story! Tell it loud so everyone can hear and be proud of that story! We’re here for a purpose. Discover what that purpose is and run with it!