Miss March, A Cow

There’s a whole big world out there.  How many of my readers have seen a cow in real life? I live in a rural area and have that opportunity often – and last week I went to the Ag Fair at Franklin County Fairgrounds sponsored by Farm Bureau.  Enjoy Miss March!

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Remembering my Dad

Dad was the first son and last child in a hard working German family.  Did his two sisters spoil him?  Did his mom and dad?  I’m willing to bet they did.  But on a farm, it’s hard to be spoiled.  Dad told me Grandpa let him do whatever he wanted to do, as long as…

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Duane Murray, Artist

I’m contemplating how we can help one another. I think in small communities it is important to support each other in the work we do.  Not just shop local, but refer local too. Duane Murray is a local artist here in Franklin County.  I’ve recruited him to teach/lead the Art Camp the first two weeks…

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The Gift of Love

Though I may speak with bravest fire, And have the gift to all inspire, And have not love, my words are vain, As sounding brass, and hopeless gain. Though I may give all I possess, And striving so my love profess, But not be given by love within, The profit soon turns strangely thin. Come,…

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Monster Barbies Rule

I was at a Hailey’s birthday party today.  She’s four.  She got a lot of presents.  Three of them were Monster Barbies.  The boys at the party played with the Monster Barbies.  One of the adult boys asked Steven, the 6 year old, why he was playing with Barbies. Steven answered “You don’t know why…

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Change is Good

It’s no big secret – change is good. Now a lot of people don’t like change.  I think they’re just looking at it the wrong way. Change has many definitions.  Here’s just a few: to pass gradually into (spring into summer) to pass from one phase into another anything that is or can be substituted…

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Depression is a Disease

In our family we jokingly refer to “the crazy gene.” See, my dad suffers from depression.  He’s had the kind of depression that got treated with shock treatments in the 60’s.  I remembered those Jack Nicholson One Flew Over the Cukoos Nest days in my dad’s life.  I was a scared teenager – and swore…

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A business that lives by their motto

I bank at Ackley State Bank.  They have a branch in the little town of Geneva where I first lived when I moved back to Iowa.  I don’t live there anymore, but I still bank at ASB. They have a motto.  It leads all their activities and communications.  They strive to live by their motto.…

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No Room for Hate Here

We have a right to civil discourse. We do not have a right to kill someone because of their beliefs. Today a tragedy occurred. We must stop the proliferation of hate. Give Peace a Chance pic

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Work today, heard tomorrow

“What we do in life echoes in eternity.” – Maximus So what can I do in the year of 2011 that will make a difference in the years to follow? That’s a pretty deep question.  Yesterday I had a conversation with my friend Cruzanne and we talked about what it was like to be women…

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