Life Lessons

It was another snowy morning on the farm here in Michigan.  My daughter, Ashley stopped by my house to bring me back my pan that I had brought them dinner a while back.
"What's up?" I ask.
"I'm heading to the bank and feed store this morning.  They close at one o'clock so I better get going," she says but makes no move to leave.
"Where's the kids?" I reply.
"In the truck, buckled up. They are driving me crazy!" Ashley says.
So, here it is, I know why she dropped off the pan.  It had been at her house for a while so I know.
"Do you want me to go with?" I ask.
"You don't have to." she says with a sigh.
Scrambling around, I change, throw on a ball cap to cover my unwashed hair and head out the door. As I jump in her truck, Kasen is in the back yelling my name, Audrie is in the middle smirking and Clair the little one is giggling.  Glancing in the back I smile and think to myself, "Wow! what a crew!"
We make our rounds leaving our last stop, Family Farm and Home store where everyone gets out.  You see when I go on these excursions I usually just stay in the truck while Ashley runs in to get the errands taken care of.  A lot easier!
All we needed were a few things but when you don't go into town too often it seems like everything is fascinating at the farm supply store.  Slowly making are way around the store grabbing; sawdust, heat bulbs for the new baby lambs, vaccinations, dog treats, all the farm basics.  Audrie spotted a green and blue lamb halter and then Kasen wanted one for his lamb so he picked out a blue and red halter.
We purposely left the toy aisle last, hoping to strategically avoid it but no such hope.  Kasen spotted it right away.  Let's just get things straight, I am one of those types of grandmas that like to spoil my grandkids. They all chose something small, Audrie loved the eight ball, Kasen found a John Deere farm set and Clair got some farm animals.  Awesome! Everyone is happy!
Wrong!
As Ashley and I are looking at the clothes because of course we want something, too.  Kasen gets mad about something, still not sure what, and storms off by himself.  "Oh boy" I think to myself.  As I am looking at a rack of clothes I glance up at Ashley to see how she is going to react.  I certainly don't want to be the one to discipline if I don't have to because after all I am the grandma.
"Don't worry! I've got this one!"  She replies to my look as she starts"the walk".  You know "the walk"?  The slow but firm walk that mothers do, trying to gather themselves before getting to the naughty child and thinking about how to deal with the situation without losing your cool in front of everyone in the store.
I of course look away for two reasons: first of all I know this could be painful for my grandson and second of all I refused to be one of those gawkers who judge.
Out of the corner of my eye I see Ashley hauling an unwilling and limp Kasen back down the toy aisle.
Yes, she made him put the toy back.  She firmly explained to him that he is not allowed to take off in the store by himself or talk back and that naughty boys don't deserve special treats like a toy. Unfortunately, this just made the situation worse as Kasen sat on the floor at the cash out counter, sobbing but Ashley stayed firm.

Heading Home!

When we got back in the truck and headed home.  I looked over at her and said, "I am a very proud of you!  I am sure that was hard but that was small consequence for a big lesson."
"I won't lie," she responded, "I really wanted to go back and get the toy to give to him later but I stopped myself.  It wasn't something he needed and maybe when he watches his sisters play with their new toys today he will think twice about throwing a fit in the store."
It's official!  My daughter is a earned her way to the motherhood club!
Nobody said being a parent is easy!  We often have to dole out tough consequences that hurt a little bit now but it's an investment for their future to be someone with good character.

Lost Dog!

Lost Dog!

Have You Seen Me?

I look kind of like a bloated sausage with short stubby legs.
I am a pure bred possibly inbred red heeler cattle dog.  My purpose is to herd livestock but I have ADHD!  Unfortunately,due to my condition, I get too excited and run my master's sheep all over the pasture barking incisively or grabbing a mouthful of wool as the sheep leap over my head, crazy to get away from me.
My other job is to let everyone know when someone new has arrived at the farm.  You could say that I am the Shrontz Farm greeter.  I get a thrill when I sneak up behind them poking my nose into their calf because they always freak out.  I just smile and trot away knowing that I've done my job.
My colors are a blended mixture of yellow, orange, white and occasionally poopy brown or streaks of green shows up on the side of my face, back or sides.  And for some reason whenever I have those occasional poopy brown and green colors on me I can't get anyone to pet me let alone let me inside my house to curl up on my couch.  No matter how much I bang against the door with my hard nose!  All I hear is more yelling.
If found I answer to several names: Hoss, Hossy, Hey #*#*#*, Shut up, Get over here, or Out!  Some names I respond a little quicker than others.
Warning! If you find me don't try to shut me up in the house or garage as I have a phobia of being locked up or left out.  I will go completely berserk and trash your house not because I want to but because I completely lose my mind.  One time I ripped the screens out of ALL the windows, pulled the shower curtain off the rod, strung the trash over the whole kitchen and my last but not least a pile of poop somewhere special.

These are my neighbors!

I was last seen hanging out in the neighbors house eating snacks and playing with the little people.

On second thought ...

I'm not lost just waiting for my mommy to come get me.  I forgot to add that I don't like exercise and I only come home from the neighbors when the "cab" shows up to bring me home.  Until then I will continue to eat, sleep and play at the neighbors.

Amarillo Sky

Rocking in my leather recliner chair I watch my three year old grandson, Kasen line up the tractors, hook trailers on semis, and dig deep in the toy tub looking for more farm implements.  "Grandma who's was this truck?" Kasen asks me as he holds up a die-cast semi that was once white but now is roughly painted royal blue.  
"Oh, it was Trent's." I say matter of fact.  "He painted it blue." 
Chuckling he says, "Oh Trent! I love Trent and this blue truck!" 
"Me too!"  I respond with a sigh and a slight smile.
"These were all Trent's toys, right?" He asks
"Yep! Now your playing with them." I answer. 
"Why did you keep them, Grandma?" Kasen continues to inquire.
"Just in case I had a grandson that wanted to come over and play." I reply back.
Kasen nods his head.  "Look this combine has broken wheels! What happened to it?" He continues.
"Oh, Trent probably was rough on it and it broke." I respond.
Kasen nods his head again.  "Silly Trent!"  
I continue to rock slowly in my chair watching Kasen play with Trent's farm toys on the living room floor.  I stop suddenly.  Kasen starts singing..."He just takes the tractor another round...
And pulls the plow across the ground... And sends up another prayer...Another round...."   "That was Trent's favorite song," I say to my grandson.  "Mine too!"  He replies back with a smile as if he already knew.
Kasen's Uncle Trent passed away in 2008, four years before he was born.  "Amarillo Sky" by Jason Aldean https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc823UD0LeU was Trent's favorite song and we played it at his funeral.  It warms my heart that even though Kasen never met Trent he knows him and he will always carry him in his heart.  

Turning facts into scenes - Nonfiction writing

My third graders are working on writing nonfiction. One skill that my students struggle with is elaboration.  So, I began searching through my professional resources that might guide my instruction in order to strengthen my students writing. 
Georgia Heard's book, Finding the Heart of Nonfiction is a great resource.

Two pieces of advice that Heard gave in this book were: 

• Turning Facts into Scenes - Writing with Imagery
• Precise Language - Concrete Nouns and Active Verbs

I've always found that first I have to experience the process before I can guide my students. A topic that my students are familiar with around our area in Michigan is white tailed deer.  One technique that Georgia Heard suggested is to take a fact bit from an encyclopedia definition and transform it into a more descriptive passage that paints a vision for the reader instead of regurgitating facts.

My attempt:

Wikepedia Definition:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-tailed_deer

White-tailed deer typically respond to the presence of potential predators by breathing very heavily (also called blowing) and fleeing. When they blow, the sound alerts other deer in the area. As they run, the flash of their white tails warns other deer. This especially serves to warns fawns when their mother is alarmed

Prompting Questions:  What pictures do you see in your mind?  What are the facts that you need to weave into the passage?  What concrete nouns or active verbs can you use that is precise?

My Model:

The white-tailed deer nibbles on the tall grass in the open field, her spotted fawn is curled up hidden on the edge of the field where the forest begins.  She twitches her tail, swatting at the flies trying to land on her back.  Occasionally the doe lifts her head, staring off in the horizon, motionless except the rotation of her large ears. Satisfied she drops her head, grabbing a mouthful of green grass until something catches her attention.  Her deep breaths, blowing, signals to the other white-tail deer who also pop their heads up.  The mother makes a quick decision to bound across the grassy field away from the forest, away from her baby.  With her long strides she leaps through the air.  A flash of her white tail pointing straight in the air waving like a white surrender flag warning other deer that may be also unaware that a predator could be lurking nearby. 

When I do this lesson with my students I will show my model and then give them a portion of a definition, highlight the facts and then brainstorm some concrete nouns or active verbs to fit the description.  Give them time to draft a descriptive paragraph and then share a few.  Hopefully they can use this when they write their own nonfiction pieces.

Lion or Lamb

Many of you have heard the old saying "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."  It's always a big debate at school, making a prediction about how Old Man Winter will treat us in our last leg of the winter race in Michigan.  This winter has been easy on us compared to last year with only a few snow days but if you are from Michigan there are never any guarantees when it comes to the weather.  

You may be wondering where this old proverb originated from.   No matter how many best practices that a farmer uses to grow a bumper crop their livelihood is still at the mercy of the weather. Farmers would have to make important decisions about planting crops in the spring.  Planting too early could result in a complete crop failure with freezing temperatures.  Without weather forecasters such as Al Rouker around farmers relied on beliefs and astrology. The Leo constellation was present at the beginning of March in the night skies which then gave way to Aries the Ram at the end of the month.  People believed that their lives centered around the spirits of the gods and if March came in fierce like a lion then in order to keep a balance of power among the universe then it had to leave mild like a lamb.    

Now that I think about it ...  weather forecasting really hasn't changed a whole lot because after all we are living in Michigan where anything can happen.
So will March prove to be in like a Lion and out like a Lamb?  Only time will tell for certain but the fact remains there is a 50 - 50 chance either way.
Here are just a few other farmer's life proverbs to ponder:

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about, ain’t never gonna happen anyway.

Don’t judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.

Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, and leave the rest to God.

Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.

Hurt

It was a beautiful spring day in Michigan. Perfect for taking a drive in the Jeep with our dog, Hoss riding happily in the back seat.  Our mission was to check on the memorial playground in our little town.  It was packed which normally puts a smile on my face to see families and their children enjoying the park but today I was not.  My heart sank.  First of all dogs are not allowed, it's clearly posted when you pull up and there was a huge German Shepard.  Though that wasn't what brought the taste of disgust to my mouth.  It was the lack of respect for the playground that is clearly for young children.  Older kids were climbing on top of the wooden structure, in through windows, on top the plastic spiral slides without regard to anyone else.  I could almost see the strain of the handcrafted wooden structure as they hung out of the windows and pulled on handles that are meant for young children.  Screaming at the top of their lungs without regards to others around them.  I recognized some as former students which was another stab. I looked for some supervision, finding two adult mothers, not concerned.  I looked for the local cops that should be driving through keeping an eye out for this sort of thing, none in the whole 20 minutes that we sat there,  I looked for the cameras that the town council assured folks were mounted in the park to catch anyone considering vandalism, but none that I could see!  As my husband and I walked through the park there was graffiti written on the inside of the slides and towers, not words that youngsters should be reading when they are having playtime.  We walked back to the Jeep knowing that we were going to have to get involved, again.

Six years ago almost to the day a crew of over hundred people from the community came together to build a playground.  Everyone pitched in putting their skills together and in one week the playground transformed from a primitive play area of a set of swings, monkey bars, rusty merry-go-round to an intricate wooden castle structure with twin towers, spiral slides, diggers in the sandpit, fireman's pole, climbing rock wall and much more.    It was amazing to watch the transformation.  Our family was there from the ground breaking to the completion.  The playground groupies as I call them were inspired to tear down the old tin pavilion and raised enough money to build a beautiful wooden pavilion with picnic tables the following fall.  The project began as a glimmer of a dream, lots and lots of fundraising.  Many hours by two wonderful people making calls, knocking on doors, and trying to raise enough money to start the playground.  It was at this time that our son passed away and we had a dream also, which was to keep his memory alive.  Trent had a fourteen year savings from his 4-H farm projects, that he had put away for college.  It didn't seem right to spend his life savings  on a funeral so we gave it to the playground project.  This became our healing therapy.  We threw ourselves into helping.  As our family struggled with the pain of our loss we began to realize that there were many other families in our small community that had loss their child and that was when the park became a memorial park for all those young lives that were taken too early.  The playground build was healing therapy for many... all of Trent's friends from school that were looking for a way to channel their hurt, our friends that were trying to support our family... others that had a loss.... community members that wanted to be part of something important.

It's hurtful when you realize "that" is gone... Trent, anyone that knew Trent, some of our friends, community members that wanted to have something special for our town, people that cared. 

My hope is that it can be repaired and I'm not just talking about the playground. 

IN MEMORY OF OUR LITTLE HEAVEN'S ANGELS

Early Spring Farm Work

Even though today was a drizzly and dreary day around the farm on spring break the ground is beginning to dry out. The winter was frigid this year which helped mellow the soil. Frost in the ground heaved the dirt up aerating it. So, my husband got the tractor and ripper out of the barn where it was stored away for the winter. The ripper has long steel shanks that push deep into the ground lifting the soil to the surface. It turns it over where the air can get to it. Sometimes the ripper digs so deep that large rocks are yanked to the top to be picked later before the planter hits them when it's time to plant. Behind the ripper a rolling basket follows. The rolling basket is the width of the ripper and has large paddles that spin fast as it fluffs up the soil.  When the tractor slowly covers the ground one round at a time it's easy to see where you have been and where you haven't. The side that is not covered yet is light colored, with dry bean stubble and hard packed from the combine running over it in the fall. The side that is covered is dark, fluffed up and moist from the winter snow.  Many people don't realize that fresh dirt has a very distinct smell. All I can say is that it smells like spring. A fresh new start and a hope for a prosperous season.