Happy Birthday Grandma Angle

Today would have my Grandma Angle's 86th Birthday, a little over 23 years ago, she started celebrating those in Heaven. When I think about that I was only lucky enough to have her for not quite 19 years, it seems sort of sad. But I will say that in those years, my Grandmother was a big influence in my life.

I think about her when I am listening to my beloved St. Louis Cardinals on the radio. I think about her when I am making sweet tea. When I am watching kids play sports and MIGHT be one of the louder ones hollering for them. :) I think about her when my kids are playing ball in the yard. When I am going up and down stairs doing laundry. When I am making gravy. When we sing In the Garden at church and about million other times.

My Grandmother had 5 kids, my dad was the second oldest. There are 9 of us first cousins. I was the only Grand-daughter. 5 of the 9 us lived with Grandma (or she did us, however you want to say that) at different points in our lives.

She and my cousins Stephen and Jeff lived with us one summer, I look back and think that if she hadn't ran such a tight ship, I can't imagine how things would have gotten done. 7 people under one roof! With one full-sized bathroom. I remember she shuffled us kids through the showers throughout the day...........did umpteen loads of laundry in the basement. We vacuumed the carpeted stairs twice I week I think. All four of us kids played ball. Can you imagine what a busy place our house was that summer? Actually I can, at least sort of since until 2 yrs ago, we only had one bathroom with 6 people...............all of my kids are in activities, thankfully the only activity that they are ALL in at the same time is cattle showing and they all go the same place together for that!

We had a big garden and memories of canning lots of stuff is a vivid one from that summer, but in hindsight, feeding 4 kids, two of them teenage boys...........I am sure that the garden helped the grocery bill. We cooked, we cleaned, we listened to Cardinal Baseball. Grandma loved to listen to Jack Buck call the game. One thing we didn't agree on was TV.............I watched Days of our Lives on NBC................she watched CBS soaps, it was a problem, LOL Actually my best friend, who's grandmother lived next door also watched another channel, but we could get our channel to come in with a black and white tv that had 'rabbit ears' on it in her grandpa's shop, so I survived! :)

I am lucky enough to have some things that were my Grandmother's. Among them are her china, some of her pans from when she ran a restaurant, some Angels that she sat out at Christmas, plus many other items who's only value is purely sentimental and a lifetime of memories. For that today, I am thankful.

Running my busy household and thinking of those who went before me who did the same thing and appreciating their influence in my life on this Thankful Thursday,

From Tulip~

KH

:)

Welcome to my Dining Room----A look into what the Farmscape of H&K Farms looks like.

As a farm family, we probably eat more meals together than a lot of families. Truly one of the biggest blessings of being at home with my kids and having a self employed husband. Today The Farmer and the oldest sons are doing a big push to finish planting corn, which includes putting in a test plot and hopefully if I am lucky planting my sweet corn patch. There are only so many tractor drivers needed, so the way that I helped them today was to take lunch to the field.

Meals on Wheels--Tulip Style!

I fixed a pretty normal lunch. This was the menu, pork chops, mashed potatoes, gravy, mixed veggies, and watermelon with sweet tea to drink. Typing that last line reminds me of this show..........

Hee Haw's 'What's for dinner Grandpa?' GREAT CLASSIC SKIT, from a great classic tv show!

We got to the field and served our meal, we means the littles and momma as The Farmer and the big boys were working. We didn't have lunch with the oldest as he took his lunch break to run to town buy a replacement part.
As I got the food out here was my view...............

The Farmer's RIDE, who else has a work vehicle like that one?

Trees along edge of the field provide great shade!

This big bruiser, still wounded (smoke stack) but hard at it!

We ate off the back of my Expedition and sat on the tailgate of the truck............

Maybe not an ideal spot to all, but we didn't complain! 

I have come to think of seed bags as great seat cushions.

A quick siesta by The Farmer, and some texting to a female friend by middle son while the shorties and I went for a walk.............

Apparently flattened out fescue is suitable for napping!

See those BIG FEET? That would be middle son.............

As Seth and Jenna finished their last slices of watermelon, we went for a short walk. The field they are planting at the moment is about 50 acres, about an average sized field on our farm. I love that standing in the middle of it I can still see farmsteads of four neighbors, acres and acres of crop ground and lots of trees. There is a creek that is never farther than about three miles from me no matter where I am on any of our farms, that adds a little rolling-ness (is that a word?) to the land and adds lots of lush green everywhere. There is no horizon line anywhere on our farms, that doesn't include trees. What a blessing!

Who doesn't like a toothy smile mid-bite on some watermelon?

The Sass is also a melon lover! ;)

Neighboring farmhouse. 

Notice how EVERY SINGLE horizon line includes TREES?

Extra credit, who knows what made those lines and why?

Is this how crop circles begin? Nope, just the farmer's turn row!

My walking buddies showing you how tall the fescue is. 

Heading back to the car. 

Guess mom walks too slow! 

I think sometimes I forget how blessed my life is. Thankfully today I was reminded of this as I did something I have done time and time again, just a plain ol' everyday blessing. I think those are my favorite kind!

Blessed to be farming,

From Tulip~

KH

:)

Silent Saturday/Sunday

Busy day at H&K Farms, here's a glimpse....................

The Farmer kept the planter rolling all day long.

I think he got over about 100 acres

The boys started 'refilling' the near empty loft.

Our last group of heifers to be bred Monday AM

That elevator is a big help!

Dustin unloaded this load.

With some 'muscle' to help him! 

Those heifers are here to clean up what blew off the trailer.

That's it, that ALL I've got!

Now waiting for those hard working guys to come eat all this food I've cooked,

From Tulip~

KH

:)