Soon – Very Soon!

I never thought sitting in the maternity waiting room would be so emotional. Maybe it’s the time of day (1:55 am) or maybe it’s just the emotions of the moment. Whatever it is, I never expected it! The tears just won’t quit.

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I’m sitting here by myself concerned for my daughter’s well being! It’s the mother’s heart yearning to be with her child when she’s hurting. Something that was placed in my heart the moment I laid eyes on her 27 years ago.

I know Jamie and Curt were right in making the decision to do this as a couple but just so hard, as a mom, to sit here and know that always before when she was hurt and in pain, I was there for her.

So, I sit and I wait knowing that the next time I see my oldest daughter she, too, will be a mom. Maybe one day she will be sitting where I am and understand the uneasy feeling deep in my soul. The only way to ease that motherly desire to be there holding her hand and telling her its going to be ok is knowing that Curt is there doing that very thing. Still doesn’t ease that anxiousness that I’ve felt most of today.

I tried to stay away. And I did until about 3:30 this afternoon. The anxious feeling in my heart just wouldn’t give up till I was sitting in the room with her. Or walking the halls with her. Or helping through the contractions. Doing ANYTHING to help with her hurt.

I am truly anxious to meet my first grandchild! But right now, what I’m most anxious for is to get in that room and see for myself that Jamie is ok, give her a hug and tell her how proud I am of her!

After that…I will introduce myself to the newest member of our family!

STILL waiting!

Jamie’s due date was Monday, April 1. Tomorrow will be the week beyond the day she was expecting to give birth.

IMG_3138Last week’s doctor appointment      

I saw her today. Poor girl…she is MISERABLE! We had some really yummy peach/apricot wine (thanks Dale!) to sample this evening. She decided she’d have a few sips. She was paying for it big time with severe heart burn the rest of the evening. I remember being at the point she is now – just ready for my body to be back to “normal”.

While she was sitting here, she pointed to her belly and exclaimed, “watch this!”  I made it over to her just in time to see her lop-sided belly start to  move. One jab over here – another over there. While the whole family was gathered around her very swollen belly, we all began trying to coach that baby to make its appearance SOON! “Please, baby, come tomorrow”. “Stop being a bad baby and make your appearance”. “Come out NOW”!

She asked me to go to her dr. appointment tomorrow. No turning that request down! Maybe it will be her last. Jim’s birthday is Tuesday. I wonder if this baby is just waiting for Tuesday to roll around so it can celebrate his/her special day with Grandpa?

On another note, I hung clothes on the line today AND began cleaning garden debris from the flower gardens. I just can’t believe how therapeutic it is to dig in the dirt! My back is yelling a little tonight but I’m hoping I can get back out there again soon! It’s been a LONG winter and it sounds like the “S” word is making its way back in the forecast later this week.

It will soon start feeling like harvest is around the corner. The trailer house is coming out of storage on Wednesday. It has an appointment to get a few issues taken care of before the big trip south. I’m anxious for harvest to roll around but I’m NOT anxious to leave a six-week old baby and come home to a five month old. I will miss so much – it makes me want to cry!

 

Ag Day, Ag Nerds & The Hill

One week ago today, I was still battling the not-feeling-so-good problem. I was also on my way to Washington, DC to take part in the festivities surrounding the 40th anniversary Ag Day. I had no idea what to expect. US Custom Harvesters had signed on as an “Ag Day Partner” earlier this year and I was looking forward to being a part of the group of people who are working hard at making the public aware of where their food comes from.

IMG_3037A REAL Irish meal…corned beef, cabbage, potatoes & carrots – and Guinness.

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Ag Day, Ag Nerds & The Hill

One week ago today, I was still battling the not-feeling-so-good problem. I was also on my way to Washington, DC to take part in the festivities surrounding the 40th anniversary Ag Day. I had no idea what to expect. US Custom Harvesters had signed on as an “Ag Day Partner” earlier this year and I was looking forward to being a part of the group of people who are working hard at making the public aware of where their food comes from.

IMG_3037A REAL Irish meal…corned beef, cabbage, potatoes & carrots – and Guinness.

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It’s ALMOST Spring…

20130317-234359.jpgAny guesses? Hint…it’s not snow.
I saw a sign of spring in our “neck of the woods” on Friday. The snow geese have made their way through on their journey back to the northern country. It’s always a welcome sight…as is the return of the Robins. Know what I miss the most during winter? The song of the birds!!! The past couple of weeks, though, the songs have returned. I have to wait till the end of April for my favorite-the “Jenny” wren.

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Another sign of Spring? Prom. Taylor attended her senior prom Saturday night.

20130317-234952.jpgI went to her friends house to take pictures…still not feeling 100%. But, Taylor convinced me she didn’t care about how bad I may look so I went. I’m so glad I did. Her very last class “fling” forever. I started feeling the tears well up in my eyes as I drove away from the school. How could it be that she and all these friends that I have grown to love be nearly grown up and leaving? I’ve been pretty close to several of her classmates since they were in kindergarten. The years go WAY TOO FAST! I’m sure those tears won’t be the only ones I shed this spring!

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Part 3 – Why I Am the Way I Am

I started this post nearly a week ago. I hadn’t finished it because I wanted to add a few pictures. Unfortunately, my body decided to get really sick after I wrote this. I think I may make it…even though I think it would have been better to have someone just shoot me. I’m going to push the “publish” button without pictures. We’ll just hope I feel better soon and I can add pictures later. I have been reminded of something – BIG TIME – this week…when you have your health-you have the world!

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Part 2 – Why I Am the Way I Am

With Part 1 of this “story”, I left you with “When Grandma asked me if I’d like to join them the summer of 1974, I JUMPED on the idea. I’ll turn that part of my story into Part 2.” I was SO EXCITED when Grandma asked me if I’d want to go – I was 12 years old in 1974. I think I was most excited about the idea of getting to spend time with her and Grandpa. Staying in the trailer house and keeping the floors cleaned came in at a close second. Why? I have absolutely no idea. Maybe it was just the “smallness” of it. I don’t remember much about my first year on the road with Grandpa and Grandma but I’ll try to dig into that cobweb filled memory closet of mine and see what I can pull out. One of my favorite memories riding with Grandma was listening to the radio. She was so good about letting me listen to “my” music for 15 minutes and then it was “her” music for 15 minutes. I can still hear her singing “her” music! And to this day, every time I hear something that she enjoyed singing, it makes me think of her. A couple of her favorite sayings…”stop and smell the roses” and “one day at a time”! Continue reading

A Wheatie’s View on Wheat

Ok…that’s it…last straw…now it’s my turn!

I heard about cardiologist Dr. William Davis and his book, Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Path Back to Health quite some time ago. The first time I remember seeing mention of this guy was when a friend of mine posted his concern about the popularity of the book on his FaceBook page.  We are both harvesters and have been in and around wheat all our lives. Neither of us grow wheat, but we harvest wheat so it came off as ridiculous to both of us.

Yesterday, I opened my email’s  home page and what’s staring back at me? An article written by George Dvorsky titled, Why you should probably stop eating wheatWhaaaaaaaatttttttt?????

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Why I Am the Way I Am – Part 1

I received an email from a gentleman in August asking me if I’d consider doing a presentation about custom harvesting at a meeting (involving agricultural engineers) at the AG CONNECT show the end of January. I remember where I was and what I was doing the very instant I received this email. Why? Because it instantly made me sick to my stomach thinking about talking in front of anyone, let alone educated engineers!  I was sitting in the buddy seat of the combine with Jim in Montana. I read the email to him and his next words were, “Maybe you should see if Jon would do it”. Incentive enough to reconsider the idea that I couldn’t do it and show Mr. Jim I COULD do it. I was hoping for a little encouragement but he probably knew how I was feeling (terrified) and was trying to make it better the only way he knew how. I thought about it for a while before I answered with my “yes, I think I can do this”. I decided God had opened this door for me and I needed to walk through it. Continue reading

#1 Post for 2012…”We cut wheat today!” (video)

“Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Abraham Lincoln

The day I wrote this post was one that had been long awaited!  We cut wheat today  on May 16 after sitting for days of waiting for moisture levels to get low enough to cut. The perfect moisture to cut wheat is 13%.  We sort of figured out it was probably due to the early spring and already ripened wheat. The wheat was ready to cut but the dew and cooler temps in the mornings (like a typical spring in TX) were messing with our ability to get it cut. It was after 3:00 when we FINALLY got started. Reading this post and seeing the pictures makes me really excited about heading south again. 

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