I began my day with sweat pants and a sweatshirt. (and sprinkles) It was July 2nd, for crying out loud!

I think it was well after noon when I finally decided the Cottage was warm enough I could put my shorts on. Who would have ever guessed? Just one more for the crazy weather of summer wheat harvest 2014!

Due to the early morning moisture and cool, cloudy conditions, there wasn’t any wheat cut. Jim did try it but it was over 15%. And that was later in the day.

So, how did we spend our day? Well, first off, Jenna showed up!! Woo hoo!! It’ll be so good to have her around for a few days. The time will go fast – it always does. I find myself thinking about different events that have happened within the past couple of years and I just can’t believe how crazy fast the times go. I hope there is something that comes from all these events and happenings because when I reflect, I think about the reasons and the purpose of being here at this exact time. I pray that what I’m doing is the reason I was placed right here, right now. Will I have done all that I was supposed to? Did I teach my kids all they should know to survive this crazy world? Will I be allowed to be a large part of my grandkids’ life? So many crazy things I find myself thinking about that I never even would have considered several years ago. Guess this comes with age, right?

Am I too old-fashioned for today’s way of thinking? Probably. And that tends to get me in trouble with my emotions and the struggles of wanting to accept some things and being pulled back to my old-fashioned way of thinking. I sort of feel like I may be rambling right now but am typing as these thoughts come to mind. I can live with the fact that I’m getting older and my ways and my thoughts are different from what they used to be. What I have a hard time coming to grips with, though, is knowing just how fast the time comes and goes and wanting to make sure I’m going through the days without regrets. Making each day count because you just don’t know how much time you have to make a difference. Maybe my desire to make a difference comes across to others as being  self-centered, egotistical or patting myself on my back. That is NOT what I want. I want to be remembered as someone who loved God enough that others could see Him through her, she put her heart and soul into her family, she put others before herself, and didn’t stand still and let things go by.  Wow – where did this come from and why? The crazy things I think about!

Let’s get back to what yesterday brought.

Jenna showed up – YAY! It’s good to have her here. Tomorrow is the 4th of July and this will be one of the first “untraditional” harvest 4th’s that we’ve ever had. Not sure if I’ll even get out my decorations. I’m anticipating that we’ll FINALLY be able to put in a full day in the field. Crazy…right? Jenna will probably have to leave again on Sunday.

We spent most of the afternoon sitting in the Cottage and just doing nothing. At 6:00, however, all attention was focused on the National FBLA awards ceremony. Callie and her Public Service Announcement (along with Lindsey and Kara) made it to the finals stage and, during the ceremony, we would find out how they placed. We sat through the entire ceremony (3+ hours) waiting to hear names of the Elmwood Murdock group being called. That group of kids represented the community and our school in a big way! Several times we watched as kids we knew walked on stage. FINALLY, the project we had been waiting for was being announced and Callie and Lindsey’s names were included in the winning names. “10th place goes to…6th place goes to…4th place goes to Lindsey & Callie of Nebraska” WOO HOO!!! So proud! Those girls put a tremendous amount of time and hard work into that project and it paid off. So excited for them. I can’t believe how nervous I was!

Thank you, Katie Dilse, for sharing this picture with me! Katie’s son, Jordan, was also in Nashville and she, too, was glued to the TV.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

This puts me at noon already today. We still are unsure of what to do. Apparently the moisture is a little too high. I have been waiting to get the call to come out but haven’t received it yet. I don’t know if I should make lunches or wait and see if Jim will be coming back to the Cottage for lunch. All this unknown stuff! I’ll be glad to get into some sort of routine and to know what to expect (sort of). One thing about harvest – you never know what to expect and I have to remind myself – One Day At A Time! The weatherman just said hot and dry for the next seven days. Maybe that will mean some sort of routine will finally start.