Tag Archives: seasons of life

P.S.

by nebraskawheatie

P.S. There were no noisemakers coming from this house last night. I think the day has come before I was ready! However, the new year still made its way into our world. Happy January 1, 2012!

Now, for a little interesting information to pass along. I have been posting since August. Yesterday, WordPress sent a note to inform me of the top rated blogs since that very first one. I thought maybe this would be of interest to you – my dear, loyal readers:

#5. “And I wonder why it takes me so long to get back in the groove!” – September 2011

#4. “The visible results of the 2011 Missouri River Flood” – November 2011

#3.” When can I breathe?” – October 2011

#2. “My first posting on my brand new blog” – August 2011

And the #1 read posting goes to:

“On the road…again“-  August 2011

So…if you’re really bored today, check them out and see why so many read these particular posts. Have fun! 🙂

Happy New Year!

by nebraskawheatie

We’re about to say goodbye to 2011 and ring in a brand new year. As I look back on the past year, I think about how each day brought new challenges and joys, bad days and good, lots of miles under the ‘ole belt and a new son-in-law. 2012 is anxiously being anticipated. One thing is for sure, there will be changes.

New Year’s Eve has never been a big deal to me and Jim. Most years it seems the girls (whichever ones are here) and I sit in front of the tv watching the ball drop. We quickly run to the kitchen, grab a couple of pans, spoons and start banging on them to make noise – lots of noise – to bring in the new year. And to help make them feel like they’re doing something special while everyone else in our little piece of the world is having fun. They enjoyed it – I enjoyed it. We usually had a meal of finger food and sparkling grape juice.

The day is coming, though, when I won’t have anyone to run outside with me and the “noise makers”. I’ll miss that. I’ll miss the traditions of this night when the final girl has realized there’s more to the night than what they’re used to. I hope one day, they will look back on the New Year’s Eve’s of the past and smile. Maybe even grab a pan and a spoon. head out the door and start ringing in the new year. I love that I’ve been able to share these past Eve’s with the girls, having our own special way of celebrating and looking forward to the new year ahead of us.

I expect your 2012 will be filled with good days and bad (just like any year). I pray the bad days are made a little easier with the help of family and friends and the good ones are so awesome you HAVE to share them with family and friends! Happy New Year!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions

by nebraskawheatie

This past week has been CRAZY!

When I got home from Washington, DC on Saturday, I knew I was going to have to hit the ground running since I had only purchased one gift for Christmas. On Monday, the race began. Every day it was a trip to the big city to find the perfect gift for each name on my list. I was still looking for those gifts last night and am still short one (that I know of). It has been one of the longest weeks ever! Thank goodness Jamie didn’t have to work on Monday and was able to tag along with ideas and pointers for her sisters.

Wednesday night was the night set aside to head to the mall for the annual Santa picture. I didn’t get any bad vibes about doing it until we were standing in line (a very long line) with a whole bunch of little, little kids. And, of course, the camera was having issues so we had to wait. At least I didn’t have to try to keep my kids happy and deal with the crying like most of the other parents did. However, while we were standing there, I was informed by my kids they were the oldest ones in line and this would probably be the last year for this tradition. Ok, I suppose I have gotten away with it a lot longer than I ever anticipated. I decided tonight, though, that I would share the “firsts” and a few “in betweens” just in case this IS the last year. While I was looking through the book, the pictures I saw reconfirmed the reason why I have insisted on this tradition. It’s great fun to see how the girls have changed from 1986 to present.

Today was spent entirely in the kitchen. It started fairly early this morning and ended about two hours ago. I haven’t made holiday sweets in quite a long time. We always make our traditional sugar cookies for Santa but nothing more than that. I used to make goodies to give to my neighbors along with a Swedish Kringle. BUT, it got to be too much and trying to be Martha Stewart was killing the holiday fun. Today just about killed the holiday fun once again. So much work and most of it will probably get thrown away in a week or so.  We started the morning making Oreo balls, Mocha balls, some sort of Frito chewy treat, bugle snacks dipped in white almond bark and an m&m candy (looked like an ice cream cone), spritz cookies, cut out sugar cookies and brownies frosted with cookie dough. Tomorrow afternoon will be spent decorating the sugar cookies and making Jim’s favorite – peanut brittle. Guess what…there’s zero calories in all of this 🙂

As I’m typing this, my personal elf, Miss Callie, is wrapping my presents. I think Christmas is actually going to happen in the Zeorian household after all!

Gosh…I look so young! The first year of being a mommy – 1986. Jamie was NOT happy about sitting next to that big man dressed in a red suit. That’s why I’m in the picture, too.

1988  – Jamie was almost 3 and Jenna was 7 months.

1994 – Taylor had just joined our family 7 weeks prior to the picture. Jamie was almost 9 and Jenna was 6.

1997 – Fourth and final addition to the family. Callie was 2 1/2 months old, Jamie nearly 12, Jenna 9 and Taylor 3.

2000 – Jamie was too cool to join the sisters for the Santa picture. She was nearly 15 years old at the time. Jenna is 12, Taylor is 6 and Callie is 3.

2003 – Jamie decided to jump back in the pictures in 2001. She is 17, Jenna is 15, Taylor is 9 and Callie is 6.

2006 – This was taken on Jamie’s 21st birthday, Jenna is 18, Taylor is 12 and Callie is 9.

2009 – Jamie is nearly 24, Jenna is 21, Taylor is 15 and Callie is 12.

P.S. Happy 26th birthday, Jamie!

Starting my day off with a tear

by nebraskawheatie

Yesterday, I mentioned that those of us who are doing the DC thing or anything to help with our organization sacrifice a lot for the time we give. Here’s one example – the Christmas concert I didn’t get to see Taylor and Callie perform last night:

As I sit here in my room with tears in my eyes, I am thankful for today’s technology! I love you Taylor & Cal and I’m sorry I missed your night. I can’t make it up to you but I do know you understand. Doesn’t help me feel any less sad though!

It wasn’t supposed to be like that.

by nebraskawheatie

Thanksgiving…a day of family, food and memories. That’s how it’s supposed to be!

Yesterday morning, Jim’s mom called me early to let me know she wasn’t going to be able to attend our Thanksgiving meal. She and I had talked the night before and I knew she wasn’t 100%. I could tell she was out of breath. Yesterday morning, though, she was a lot worse. Worse enough that I woke Jim up and told him he had to take her somewhere for help. He didn’t even argue with me. He got up, got dressed and called his sister. Here’s an instance of seeing how God works in our lives. Maureen (Jim’s sister) usually has a house full on Thanksgiving. Not this year. She had Thanksgiving on Sunday (a little weird, I thought) and wouldn’t be celebrating on Thursday. So, when Jim called her, she was able to drop everything and head to Omaha with him (without leaving food preparations and a house full of people). God is so good all the time!

Our meal was supposed to be ready at 12:30. It was placed on hold until further notice. Our crowd was slim as Jamie and Curt were in Kansas with Curt’s family. Jim wasn’t there and neither was his mom. So, those of us that were here just sat around the kitchen table and in the living room watching tv. The time seemed to drag. Once in a while Jim would call with an update. Finally, at 1:00, he said he’d be home at 2:00 to eat. The cooking began, once again. At 2:00, Jim called and said he didn’t feel like he could leave the hospital and we were to go ahead and eat without him. We said our grace and began feasting. It sure didn’t taste as good as it should have. As I was staring at my plate, I got to thinking about the previous years and it hit me – this was the first time in over 30 years that I hadn’t been sitting at the table on Thanksgiving with Jim. Weird. He was where he needed to be. We all missed him. He showed up – about 3:30 – with information about Grandma. She was in ICU and was resting but had a very tiresome day. Her Thanksgiving included a lot of poking, prodding and testing. The doctor diagnosed the shortness of breath was due to fluid built up around her heart and in her lungs (as a result of congestive heart failure). She was wore out from struggling for every breath she took. How often do we take that next breath for granted? All the time. Makes me want to take a DEEP breath right now!

(The girls in their after turkey coma state)

God prepared us for yesterday even before we realized why. Grandma is still in ICU but is resting more comfortably. Today, she was tired but thankful for the company she had throughout the day. I hope she rests well tonight and knows that God is watching over her. Thanksgiving wasn’t supposed to be like that. We were supposed to celebrate the day just like we have every other year…

It’s official – I’m getting OLD!

by nebraskawheatie

No school today…ALL day. I say this because the kids usually have to go to school at least 1/2 day the day before Thanksgiving. For whatever reason, they had a full day off today so, by gosh, we’re going to take advantage of it!

Callie’s been studying and studying to take the written Nebraska driver’s test. She’s 14, so she’s eligible to drive to school. However, she’s required to have the learner’s permit first. We went to the DMV office this morning. Poor girl, I could feel the butterflies in her belly the whole way there, while waiting in line and while talking to the nice-lady-behind-the-counter. It was finally time to take the test! About half way through, the computer decides to unexpectedly stop. I happened to still be in there talking to the nice-lady-behind-the-counter when this happened and, of course, heard them saying, “this has never happened before”. Times like this seem to be reserved only for the Zeorian’s! The issue got fixed but it meant Callie had to take her picture again after learning SHE PASSED! The last one of the four girls is now legal to be behind the wheel of a car. If that doesn’t make your hair a little more gray, I’m not sure what will.

Because Jamie had the day off work too, she was also at the DMV office to get her name officially changed from Zeorian to Hermesch. Jamie will be 26 next month. Do the math…12 years between my oldest and my youngest.  When Jamie was a senior in high school, Callie was starting kindergarten. The name change on her driver’s license was the last piece of I.D. that needed to be taken care of. Jamie’s visit to the DMV wasn’t an easy one either. She started at the Douglas County DMV with her certified marriage certificate from the State of Florida.  She got there early this a.m. only to encounter a not-so-nice-lady-behind-the-counter. She was told that even though she can change her Social Security number with the certificate via the US Federal Government, it was not enough for the name change on her Nebraska driver’s license. “You must call the county office in which you were married and get more information before I can take care of this for you”, she was told by the not-so-nice-lady-behind-the-counter. She calls me because she’s frustrated beyond belief. I don’t blame her! A brief thought enters my head, “tell her to go to the Sarpy County DMV”. So, I did and she did and she encountered a nice-man-behind-the-counter who had no issue with the certified marriage certificate and took care of the issue for her. Hmmm……..interesting, huh?

Back home now. The sun is shining and two girls are a little happier than they were a few hours ago. Callie got to drive home – on the highway with rock trucks and a speed limit of 60 mph. I’ve been through it three times already so I’m convinced that I’ll make it through one more time. What I’m not so sure of, though, is Jamie being officially un-Zeorianed (the BEGINNING of a new trend in this family, I’m sure).

 

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.

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!

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!

It’s been an eventful week!

by nebraskawheatie

It began just a week ago today. Callie celebrated her 14th birthday. We were hoping for a little bit of rain for the day so we could ALL celebrate. If it didn’t rain, that would mean Jim would have to be in the field. It also happened to be Elmwood/Murdock’s Homecoming dance and Taylor would be going to that later that afternoon. So, we went to Plan B. Plan B was taking Callie’s favorite meal (roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn casserole and homemade rolls) to the field. Jamie and Jenna offered to make the mashed potatoes, corn casserole and the birthday cake. I think I had the better part of that deal!

Jim called before noon and said we could eat in Russell’s (the farmer) garage because the wind was blowing so hard. They were cutting very close to the house and we decided to take them up on that idea! We were able to set up a buffet, eat and open presents without the wind trying to carry everything to the next county. The only “whoops” for the event was Jamie forgot the special birthday cake at home. What made it special? The two of them put some extra special love and time into that cake! It wasn’t just a cake, it was a very colorful cake. One that took some time and effort to create. They mixed food coloring with the white cake mix and blended the colors so that when it was cut, it was like opening up a rainbow.

I think by the look on her face, it was a successful party!

Taylor took off before the party was over so she could go get ready for the dance. She was so excited and had been planning this evening for at least a month. She had created her perfect outfit and was excited to spend the evening with her friends. We happened to get home before she left to go take pictures with her friends. So, we were able to get a few pictures of her and with her.

Jamie helped her with her flower and as Jamie usually does, she had to see if it smelled good.

The sisters.

She even let me get a picture with her.

The following week was spent finishing the cakes that I had spent most of the previous week baking. I had schedules and goals set in my mind and it seemed like there was something constantly trying to set me back. This week, the one of the bus drivers fell and hurt his throttle leg. They needed a substitute driver nearly every day. So…you begin to fall back on that faith that everything will be worked together and will be ok. Which it was! I even had enough spare time one morning to can 11 quarts of tomatoes. I would almost stop anything to can tomatoes! That’s a treat to have – especially if you don’t have a garden. Our friends from Montana and Wyoming were scheduled to be here Thursday night. Maybe I should say Friday morning – which they were. This brings us to today…the day of Curt and Jamie’s wedding party. We spent most of yesterday tying up loose ends and decorating the building. I think you’ll see by the following pictures that all the thinking and working paid off – so far.

The pile of gathered decorations.

157 miniature pumpkins for the tables.

The room, prior to beginning anything.

So the story is this: the candelabra was bent a little. I thought, well, I’ll just bend it back and this is what happened. Guess I should have left well enough alone!

The helpers needed a supper break. Thanks, Matt, for agreeing to stop and purchase 15 pizzas for us!

Bug Juice…

The head table is beginning to take some sort of form!

Mark taking a couple of minutes to visit with old friends from Jordan, MT. Thanks for coming all this way to celebrate with us, Tom and Shelley!

Jim – either trying to figure out what it all cost or offering suggestions, I’m sure.

The last time Jim and Tom were together for a wedding party would have been 15 years ago. We celebrated Tom’s daughter’s wedding. At that time, the third Amigo was still alive and center of attention – Charlie. We’ll certainly be thinking about you tonight!

The girls were awesome help and wanted to do whatever Jamie asked them to do.

Couldn’t have done this without the help of Jake and Rich!

The “H” – can you see it? Made with love from two ropes brought all the way from Lusk, WY (thanks Johnny!!)

The head table – COMPLETE!

Now, we’re putting up the lights outlining the dance floor.

Decorating is nearly done and time to relax and visit!

Thank you, friends, for coming to my rescue today! We pulled it off!! So, today will be last minute detail gatherings and food preparation day. Mark’s got that handled, for the most part. It’s a beautiful day! Tonight will be as perfect as it can be. I’m looking so forward to seeing people I haven’t seen in quite a while. The day will go fast and I’ll be wishing I could relive it all over again soon. It’s one of those days that I’ll be wishing I could have stored in my time travel bank!