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Hope

Hope

My brother-in-law Kerry driving the combine with me riding shotgun
My brother-in-law Kerry driving the combine with me riding shotgun

The heavy iron ladder is swung out and locked into place allowing me to climb up to the cab of this odd shaped monster of a vehicle.  Like something out of a Mad Max movie, the behemoth is now in motion and the pointed jaws lowered into position lining up with the rows of corn in the field.

It’s the harvest.

The race to bring in the crops has begun.  That race to beat the winter weather that can, at the very least complicate and delay the process or in the worst case, damage the crops that have been worked so hard since the spring.

On this day only 91 acres of corn and 65 acres of beans (soybeans) remain.  The soybeans are more fragile and are the more urgent concern.  If the snow comes early (and in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania early could be any day now since in my experience, it has been very common to have snow on the ground by Thanksgiving) it could pose a problem.

View of the front of the combine as we approach the end of the row.
View of the front of the combine as we approach the end of the row.

But this morning, though the weather is beautiful, the soybean storage bin is full.  The truck that will pick up a load of beans and create more space in the storage bin, has just exited the Pennsylvania Turnpike and is on its way now from Somerset.

So in the meantime, the focus is on the corn.

The “behemoth” is the combine.  This morning I am riding shotgun with my brother-in-law Kerry and getting an education.  I never experienced anything like this growing up on the Jersey shore.

The combine will take the ear of corn off the stalk, remove and save the corn kernels,  then spit out the now naked cob and husk. The corn kernels are then transferred to a large “dump truck” like vehicle and moved to the grain dryer where the remaining moisture is removed; then stored until sold, transferred, and transported to the buyer’s facility for use as feed.

It’s hard work, requiring long days, but in the words of my brother-in-law Kerry, he’s “loving every minute of it.”

My other brother-in-law Keith has been manning the grain dryer since 6 AM this morning.

They are working the same land their father worked and his father before him.

 

Unloading the corn into the truck to take to the dryer
Unloading the corn into the truck to take to the dryer

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am in western Pennsylvania again.  At the Geiger Church of the Brethren on Sunday, the message was about hope and service was opened with us singing America the Beautiful.

O Beautiful for Patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam,

Undimmed by human tears!

America! America! God shed its grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

 

Hope.

People without hope are people without a future, the message said.

I thought about that and the song we had just sung.

Hope…in dreams that see beyond the years.

Hope…undimmed by human tears.

 

I haven’t worked since the middle of August, other than writing and occasionally substitute teaching.

I am learning what it is to be sixty years old searching for a new career.  I don’t know what tomorrow will bring.  I can’t commit to that vacation or plan for that retirement date.  I am experiencing change once again in my life.

So does that mean I am a person without hope?  And therefore, a person without a future?

Absolutely not!

It is true there is some uncertainty in my future for sure.  But that does not mean I am without hope.

God has not revealed what is in store for me.  But I expect when He does, it will be bigger than I can imagine.  I expect my future will be my reward for everything I worked hard for in my life to get to this point.

And what if I am living my reward already?

What if being able to work with elementary and high school students, the future leaders of this country; is part of my reward.

What if having the opportunity to climb into the cab of a combine and harvest corn that will help feed this great country of ours is part of the plan for me also.

And surely being able to express myself when I want, any way I want, through words and these musings is a reward I also cherish.

And regardless of what happens today and what changes we will wake up to tomorrow in our country, my brother-in-law Keith will still be at the grain dryer at 6 am; Kerry will be in the cab of that combine, and along with millions of others,  whatever it takes to  keep this country moving will continue.  And at least I can say,  my brothers-in law will still be enjoying every minute of it.

America will still be Beautiful.

Our dreams will continue undimmed by change, tragedy, conflict, and those tears that may be shed as a result.

Brotherhood must and will continue from sea to sea.

And we will still have hope in a future that like my own, may seem a little uncertain today.

Because, like the song says, God shed its grace on thee.

And I too will enjoy every minute of it.

 

I voted!
I voted!

 

Presidential Politics, I Am Mad As Hell and Can’t Take It Anymore!

Presidential Politics, I Am Mad As Hell and Can’t Take It Anymore!

christianI told myself when I started this website I was going to stay away from anything controversial; nothing that would offend people and especially no politics.

But I can’t take it anymore. I now think I need to weigh in on the subject. If this offends you I am truly sorry.

We are on the eve of the Florida Primary and this idea needs to be vetted.

I think, without a doubt if I surveyed a sampling of our younger generation, those that we will be leaving our legacy to; a sampling like my two grandsons, Cameron and Christian, I would unanimously come up with a viable candidate. And who would that candidate would be?

Mickey Mouse.

Yes, that’s right, Mickey Mouse.

He has all the qualifications we need in a President.

He doesn’t lie.

He loves ALL boys and girls.

He manages a small country otherwise known as “Mickey’s Clubhouse.”

He is an excellent problem solver.

He has fiscal experience proven by the fact that he can round up and lasso numbers 1 through 10 and place them in a corral.

He surrounds himself with a team of loyal followers that include a female mouse, male duck, a couple of dogs, a cow, and another duck who is a professor, a big cat, and a couple of chipmunks. Oh, and a Giant.

And that is just his inner circle, his cabinet; that I would speculate looking this way:
Donald Duck – Vice President
Minnie Mouse – Secretary of State
Daisy – Interior
Goofy – Secretary of the Treasury
Willie the Giant – Secretary of Defense
Clara Bell – Labor
Professor Von Drake – Health and Human Services
Pete the Cat – definitely Homeland Security
Chip – Agriculture
Dale – Education
And I am sure Mickey can find a few more to fill in the rest.

But that is not the best of it.

Most importantly, Mickey Mouse has Mouseketools!

Can you imagine how much stronger our already fine military would be with the help of a Mouseketool?

National Security? Hurricane relief? No problem!

Just think about it.

North Korean President Kim Jong-un swinging his hydrogen bomb around again?

“Oh Toodles…………..Oh Toodles………… ”

That’s it, done. Go have another cup of coffee.

And what about vacation White Houses? Who needs Camp David, we’d have Disney World and Disneyland!

And how about those State Dinners? They would be like character breakfasts at the Contemporary Resort! How fun would that be?

And can’t you just picture Vladimir Putin doing the “Hot Dog Dance?”

I am telling you, I think I am on to something here…….

Who’s with me?

Well that’s it then!

It’s unanimouse…..!

I mean it’s unanimous!

Thank you my fellow Americans!

 

Facebook, ReTrumplicans, and Peanut Butter Things

Facebook, ReTrumplicans, and Peanut Butter Things

trump

My wife is not on Facebook. She doesn’t have a Facebook account and is adamant about the fact that she will never have a Facebook account.

Kim: “I don’t have Facebook and I never will have Facebook!!!”

I have a Facebook account. I have had it for a while but never really paid much attention to it until January of 2014 when I started a blog for work called Happier, Healthier Me and wanted to share it and follow the attention it got. My wife didn’t like the fact that I was on social media.

Kim: “So you are on Facebook now?”

Me: “Yes I need to use it for work, for the blog I am writing.”

Kim: “Do you have a girlfriend on Facebook?”

Me: “No, no Kim I just need to watch it for work stuff, it’s just work…”

Kim: “I can see it now you will hook up with someone on Facebook and leave me…”

Me: “No seriously I will never leave you, it’s just work, I promise!”

The truth is however, she doesn’t have a Facebook account but she likes to get on my Facebook.
The other evening she was logged on. The reason I know this is because I was upstairs reading How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie, a book I got for Christmas, when I checked my cell phone to find it was lit up with Facebook alerts.

Me: “Kim……you are on my Facebook account?”

Kim: “Yes, I was just watching a video.”

Me: “Kim, did you know that you shared that video post on my page? Not just once but twice? And I am getting likes and comments? And did you know that post was about baking? About Peanut butter fudge things? Not about sports; or cool things like guitars; not about surf fishing……it was about baking……peanut butter things! I don’t even like peanut butter things!”

Not only that, she even sent out a friend request that got accepted!

Me: “Kim you have to be careful! What if I was a Democrat and you were sharing Republican propaganda? What if I was a Republican and you were sharing Democratic propaganda? And What if I was a ReTrumplican and you were sharing Hillary stuff, or the other way around? I have a reputation to maintain you know. I would prefer that not be done with peanut butter fudge recipes! You have to be very careful with what you post on social media!”

So we laughed, it was kind of funny. I really don’t mind her on my Facebook, it might be a blessing she doesn’t have her own account!  And I am okay with the peanut butter recipe video too since I do like to cook.
And maybe once I finish reading How To Win Friends & Influence People I will have more Facebook friends for Kim to connect with.
And by the way, if you are not familiar with the Happier, Happier Me blog from 2014 I have posted the links on a separate page on this website if you care to read them.
Thanks again for letting me share.