Dexter Iowa Community Site

Consider this quote from Abe Lincoln

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."

It’s been an absolute crazy week here at the farm. It seems as though the beginning of Spring heralds the onslaught of so many things that take up time and keep us running from one place to the other. Throughout all of my hustle this week I’ve taken the time to sit down and jot out a few random thoughts for the week, so let’s get to it shall we?

1. Is there anything quite as grand as going out and spending time in the yard after a cold hard winter? The first few tulips and hostas start to peek out of the ground, timidly at first but soon snaking their heads above the ground clutter to announce that warm weather is here.

2. Unfortunately, those of you who have spent any time in Iowa, will be well aware that March in Iowa is unpredictable. This, of course, means most of us will spend the coming weekend huddled up in our long johns watching the first softball game of the season.

3. The oldest turned 13 this week. I’m sure that she wasn’t terribly thrilled when Dad had to go through the entire history of her birth before allowing the cake to be lit and candles to be blown out. She really has turned into a remarkable young woman and I fervently hope that she turns out to be nothing like me. In a good way that is.

4. I’ve gotten used to the reading glasses, which have been a godsend more than once. I’m almost back to my old form with books now, which gives me lots of joy. I was thinking the other day that getting older can be interesting. Along with the aches and pains that I have and the body parts that don’t work as well as they used to, comes the joy as my food tastes change a little. I’ve discovered a liking of sushi and salsa, which seems somewhat strange to me. Couple that with the fact that I no longer pick the tomatoes off my sandwich when I’m out at a restaurant must mean I’m aging well. Still there is no help for green beans I’m afraid.

5. I was doing a little journaling this weekend and as I like to do from time to time I made a list. On the top of my page was the world “Promise”. I made a list of all the promises I’ve made and the ones that have been made to me. I studied that list and went through them carefully. It’s very interesting to me, as I look over that list, to think about the promises that weren’t kept. How damaging those can be, and how far we are from God when that happens. Oh, I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve got my share of promises that I haven’t kept in that list. If for nothing else it made me realize a couple of things. First, the only real promise that has ever been kept is the one that God made to each of us. Secondly, I’ve learned that I need to be really careful with the promises I make. I think it’s something we all have to think about.

6. Only because I know it will drive my dear Uncle Duff crazy, I just want to take a moment and say that the State Fair is now less than five months away! Can you taste the corndog already?

7. My mom: God bless her ham ball and pea salad making soul, loves collecting angels. There are angels in her house, in the camper, in her car…anywhere she hangs her head. Certainly I’ve taken into consideration the fact that at some point there will be a large angel disposal, but I realized something as I was sitting down to eat lunch with her and the family this past weekend. She has the right idea all along. Much in the way she collects the little angels, so you and I go throughout our lives collecting our own real life angels. There are a few of them that have come into my life lately, and to each of you, whether I’ve told you lately or not, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for each of you!

8. What would your perfect job be? If you could choose anything in the world what would you do? This is also a subject that has been on my mind a great deal lately. I’m still searching for the thing I’m really good at, but I think I’ve figured it out. The key now is to find the way to get from where I am right now, to where I want to be. In it’s own way, perhaps, it is the true meaning of life. Figuring out the path.

9. If anyone caught the Sunday morning news show on CBS this week, you will have undoubtedly seen the quote from a renowned economist that not only am I going to post of my bathroom mirror, I may just stencil into one of my walls at home. “Don’t ever waste time that could be used for taking a good nap.” Yes, folks! Like it, learn it, live it.

10. Have you started planning your garden yet? I’m so very close to being able to turn it over, and yet I’m afraid to get to overly excited yet until the ground is a little warmer. This year I vow (notice I didn’t say promise) to have a weed free garden!

11. Finally this week. There are many of you, who are weekly readers of this column, either via the Advocate, or on the Dexter Iowa website, who take time out to visit me here from wherever you are on the globe. Please know how very humbled I am by that fact, and from the notes and calls I receive. It makes this job a lot more fun, a lot more interesting and hopefully we all learn a little something along the way.

See you next week…Remember, we’re all in this together.