Back to the Country

Thankful thought for the day: I'm thankful for the summer because I love being with my kids. I love how we can make our own schedule and do what we want when we want. I love the evenings that are not rushed like they are during the school year.

Here are some pictures that were taken in October. I didn't take any during this last trip but I wanted to share a few anyway.


Last week/weekend we traveled back to visit the farm. I can't remember when we visited last. There is something about returning. It's almost as though the clock ticks a bit slower, the days seem longer, and life is a bit quieter. Traveling back we pass by corn fields, this time the corn is all dark and black. The consequence of too much rain. We are not sure how many crops will actually yield anything of worth. This specific part of the state is immersed with generations of Germans and Czechoslovakians. Most people who live here have lived here for generations. Ken's family arrived here around 1905. The genealogist in me scans the scenery for the old cemeteries near the old Catholic and Brethren churches, homesteads that surely go back to the early 1900's maybe earlier. Life seems peaceful. I like the wisdom and information that the families have about sustaining life. Something that gets totally lost in the city or more developed areas.


We were lucky to spend some time with Ken's parents. No field work this time since they are waiting for the fields to dry out. Daria and I worked on a puzzle with Grandma, the kids learned how to play dominoes and we of course brought our Settlers of Catan game. Ken's mom played 4 rounds with us. Home cooked meals. I cook meals at home but there is nothing like a home cooked meal by Ken's mom. She's probably cooked 3 times a day for 60 years. She likes to cook. They don't eat cereal for breakfast, they cook for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It tastes good. I believe it is because most the staple items she cooks with are from her farm. Meat from their cows, eggs from their chickens, fruits and veggies from their gardens. I can finally taste the difference between frozen and fresh store veggies, and the fresh food on the farm. The eggs actually have flavor! Dustin loves eating grandma's cooking.


One of my favorite things to do is to sit outside. The sounds are different from where we live. No hum of the air conditioner (not even their air conditioner as it broke right when we arrived. So needless to say we spent a sweltering hot weekend, but it was worth it), no car noises. You can hear the insects making their chirping noises in the tree (I have no idea how to spell the Czech name for that insect) and the breeze through the leaves. The pecan trees are loaded this year. They are still green, not ready for thrashing but come November we may have to head back up and work for a day thrashing and picking. As farmers do, Ken and his dad had to rescue a piece of farm equipment that was stuck in a field because it broke. I think farmers spend just as much time farming as they do fixing. Once home Ken's dad, brother in-law spent their time welding and fixing the piece. The highlight is always a ride on the 4-wheeler. This time Ken (while riding with each kid) let them steer, very slowly. Time was spent with the cousins and visiting Ken's siblings. One trip to the meat market. We also watched a calf nurse from a surrogate mother cow.


In the end I thought to myself, "It is always good to visit and always good to return home.", but there is still a part of me that misses living in the country. We are however very fortunate that our kids can enjoy both worlds!