The Farmer's Wife...

One evening recently, I accompanied my Farmer and son to a neighboring farm in response to reports that our cattle were out. I off-handedly mentioned that maybe I should go for a walk while they were fixing the fence, and the Farmer invited me to walk the fence line with him. "You'd get your walk in that way," he said and so, having really been missing him these busy days during corn harvest where he barely has time for a quick peck on the lips and a smile as I hand him his supper plate in the tractor, and being a rather impulsive sort of lady (I'm still being changed from glory to glory!), and always up for an opportunity to hang out with my peoples, I hastily agreed to do that pasture walk with him.

Ahem...little did I realize 

what this entailed. 

Imagine me, sort of a known 

'city slicker' kind of lady,

 clad in orange flip flops 

(pretty comfy for walking around the house or the store 

but NOT in a pasture.

 I would have grabbed boots

 if I had known I was doing this!) 

at dusk, dodging cow pies, 

listening to the happy chatter

 of my son, trying to keep up

 with the Farmer's long strides 

AND take a few pics along the way, stepping in holes, fording mucky little swampy places (my boy made sure I had stones to step on),

 skirting swampy areas at my 

son's direction, and then deciding

 to cut up across that humongous pasture to the truck, because I had had 

enough of a workout!, 

leaving my husband to do 

the last corner without me.

(He was so sweet, 

running up after me 

when he realized

 I was cutting it short, 

making sure he walked me 

to the truck before finishing 

because he didn't want 

his wifey to be the first person the young bull decided 

to charge. Had I known this,

 I would not have made the extra work for

 my beloved Farmer, but I did feel very protected!).

I was really glad I made these memories with the men. I don't often get into their farming world like that, preferring to serve my husband by creating a clean and calm home for him, and running errands for him when he needs me to, but normally I stay out of the dirty part of farming. They were thrilled that I was with them.

I was reminded that night of another incident I was in recently that has enforced my heart feelings about embracing my Farmer's occupation and supporting it, even the parts I don't really like...

A little while ago, we attended the NYS Pageant of Steam for my son's 12th birthday, 

and as I sat in the bleachers watching the antique tractors, 

I couldn't help but notice the unique hat the woman in front of me

 was wearing (and later, I noticed she had a tote to match).

Maybe she is a bonafide, diehard country farm girl 

who absolutely loves

Farm-all tractors, but to me this hat spoke volumes

of a woman getting into her husband's occupation/life

and supporting his cause and loving the life he has

created for us.

You see, this Farmer's wife
(me, not the woman sitting in front me me, I mean)
 spent far too many years

griping (in my heart) about taking tailgate suppers,

being 'bothered' to run for parts,

or feeling forsaken during seedtime and harvest

when the Farmer is compelled to work with the

weather the good Lord gives us,

to get his crops in or harvested.

But the Lord did a work in my heart,

and now, I admire the tenacity of my Farmer.

I love to see him doing what he enjoys

(yes, there are parts of his job he doesn't like),

and I appreciate how hard he works to provide

for his family, and to do a job well for his

employer who is also his father-in-law.

I no longer grumble in my heart when I need 

to drop what I am doing on a warm afternoon

at his plea to bring him some water.

It is pure joy to me to take him supper

so that the tractor can keep going 

'before it rains'.

I truly feel blessed 

to be a

Farmer's wife.

Wives and daughters,

I honestly think that it gives

our  husbands a huge boost of

confidence when they know we

love them and support the

work of their hands.

Do you despise the grease that

comes with your mechanic

father or husband?

Do you grimace at needing

to pack his lunch or clean up his

lunch box when he comes home?

Do you find yourself

grumbling 

(silently or aloud)

about the inconvenience of

his work schedule?

Please consider how your attitude

can tear him down or lift him up.

It matters.

It makes a huge difference.

God created us for them.

How well are we doing?

Let's embrace our calling fully

and let Him make us who we ought to be.

And as I close this post,
I do want to clarify that
my Farmer is very careful
and considerate as my
husband. He does his best
to be with his family as much
as he can, even during the busy seasons,
and I am blessed that he makes an effort
to be considerate and kind.

It was me who needed to change my
attitude and embrace his life.
It has made all the difference
in our marriage and in our home.
Hallelujah!

From My Garden...

My children in the garden a few years ago.

I like to garden. I really do, but as time passes, and my responsibilities are greater, I find that my desire to garden has diminished. It is alot of hard work to raise your own food, and to keep the weeds down. The past few summers, our veggie garden has been sadly neglected, as sickness and busy schedules did not allow much time to devote to gardening. But I MISS it.

At least 10 years ago, I heard about 'no till' gardening from a book I picked up at the local library. I read it with interest and it has 'soaked and simmered' all these years as I've gardened. A few years ago, a friend recommended that I should watch the Back to Eden film, and I put that thought on the back burner but after the third and fourth mention of it over the years by others, I decided this spring I would watch it, especially after I watched this short clip and learned of Ruth Stout's gardening methods:

Ruth Stout's Garden

I was very intrigued. This makes alot of sense to me.

So from Ruth Stout's Garden, I went on to watch 

the Back to Eden film, twice! Once by myself,

and once with the whole family, 

and we are all inspired!

We decided to give it a try.

We are preparing part of our big

vegetable garden for next summer,

and planted just a little plot for some

fall vegetables for our table.

It's been alot of fun so far.

My dad gave us a huge stack of newspapers

that were in his office,

and we've been having fun 

'dumpster diving'

at a local Mennonite bulk food store

for cardboard boxes to lay down

as a weed barrier.

Building the soil through no till gardening

really makes alot of sense to me.

We decided to use what resources we have,

and since we live on a farm,

hay and straw are readily available,

that will be our main cover.

Perhaps we will use ground leaves 

when they are available in the fall.

 

I like to grow my

own food.

 I enjoy preserving

the harvest,

and serving

that food to 

my family

in the winter

months.

I like to know

where my

food comes 

from and

how it was grown.

Being sick, and extra busy for a few summers has helped me to reinforce

the knowledge that it is not a must to do this,

and it is not even possible at times

(hello! we do not live in Bible times or Victorian days

where servants were plentiful!)

But I do like it,

and I enjoy the thought

of maybe having a way

to build the soil and have less

work in the garden simultaneously.

I bought Ruth Stout's book, and hope to 

devour it soon, too.

Here is another video I came across on mulch gardening:

Deep Mulch Gardening

Happy Gardening,

and happy summer to all,

whether you garden or not!

Love and blessings,

Marcia