The last of the GREATS

Last week we made our yearly trip to Iowa to visit Grandma Mary on her little farm outside of Lakeview, IA. Jarod and I have been visiting his grandmother as regularly as we can for the last 14 years, but this was our first visit to her home since both of my grandmothers have passed away. She is our children's last living great grandparent. 

The weight of the trip was a beautiful thing for me as I watched Grandma search for kittens with the children and cook up farm fresh meals like a storm for our group of 13 on Saturday night. We visited on a festival weekend where we experienced everything from a small town talent show to a nighttime boat parade. And as we made the 3 mile drives from town around the lake back to the farm we listened to her stories. She was raised on this same property and has loved this land for eight decades. As she shared her stories of houses being built, businesses closing, families transforming, farms dividing, and city limits expanding I couldn't help but think, “This is the best America has to offer. My children are connected to and the international students are experiencing the most beautiful and rooted ideals America has.”

Grandma Mary still puts in longer days than most Americans my age would ever be able to manage. She came from the generation that built their own homes, grew their own food, sewed their own clothes, educated themselves, and in their free time learned how to dance skillfully and play card games that required serious math skills. They "tinkered" - they created. Evolutionarily speaking they are pre-consumer.

Yesterday a friend of ours admitted that he had tried drastic medical measures because his shoulder was so sore from playing video games. Seriously.

My 8 year old has eaten out more in his 8 years than Grandma has in her 80. I'd bet on that.

Lucy has spent more time in her five little year of life painting her nails and taking self-pics than grandma has spent time imagining such frivolous stupidity.

Every international student I meet thinks that they see the heart of America when they visit LA and NYC. 4 have visited Grandma Mary in Iowa. They have seen the true heart of America.

As Jarod and his brother stayed up late one evening talking “shop” with grandma I was amazed at her ability to not only to keep up with but lead conversations on crops, organics, pesticides, and mechanics with these two very technically minded young men... one of whom works in a CO-OP.

With the amazing health she is in, I wouldn't be surprised if she is around for another dozen years or so... shoveling her own paths through Iowa winters. And if she is - I would HANDS DOWN advise our kids to spend 4 years living with her over attending ANY university.

Now – to be completely honest they would probably go crazy from all the conspiracy theory jargon compounded by the “save it ANYWAY – no matter what” reusing/hording mentality. But in the apathetic and disposable society they are growing up in I am sure they would come out with a well rounded appreciation for all things religious –governmental – recycling – and otherwise.

I wish we could keep the Greats around forever. I miss my grandmas so much now. But I am FOREVER grateful that we had them... and that my children have had them... and that we have laughed long and hard over gluten-free muffins, puff-pastry inquiries, technical difficulties, and all of the space and differences between us. The greatest gift of the Greats has been the grace with which they have met each generation.

THE GREAT.

The waffle feed. Have you ever seen so many waffle makers?  Me either.  

I think they will all be in heaven when we get there.

I have this theory about food grown in Iowa.  It is all better.  I don't know how but it just is.

I think it is called rain water. (which we got 6 inches of in Hays this week YEAH!!!!!)

The Model-T --- of course.

I love that the students all just call it, "The old car"

Cousins from Omaha --- loved, loved, loved that they came to visit

Bingo at the carnival in town

Lucy appointed herself to "take care of Arnie"  - by which she meant:

 force-feed-him-all-the-apricots-from-off-the-ground-because-he-is-too-slow-to-run-away.

Dou-Dou and Jude pitting the 5th gallon of cherries

(PS - Jude is into the "surprise/dumb" look for photos... we may be seeing this face for awhile.)

DouDou says, "You know Amanda, Grandma really loves us. She is such a good woman. She works so hard for us."  

Yes, yes - she does.

schedule as art

I was going to blog this morning.  But I scheduled August instead.  I am sure there will be complaints and at least one unforeseen conflict - but I see ART:
31 days for 22 people (Bethesda and our home.)

4 BBQ's
1 lake trip
1 zoo/water park trip
4 dr.'s appointments
5 people's requested vacation days approved
1 going away party
1 re-licensing
deep cleaning of 4 houses
2 sets of fire drills
2 orientations, (household and FHSU)
1 person moving out
5 people moving in
guiding a bus tour of Hays
school supply shopping
2 birthday parties
First day of kindergarten and 3rd grade
A five K race
2 play dates
8 farmer's markets
.... and all the stuff that I forgot to put on the calendar.
.... I probably won't have a chance to blog about it
... and right now I have to see if we can fit in a random white-water rafting trip :).

An amazing life is ART.

After-life as a shepherdess

This week Lucy turns 5.  Next month I will no longer - ever again - be a mother of a preschooler.  And everybody keeps asking me what I will do with all of my time.  I think it is a polite questions but for some reason it just sounds like they think I have been sitting and staring at my children for the last 8 years - and now I am out of a job.  Because I am generally a mean sarcastic person my pat response has been that, “at least now I won’t have to share my bon-bon’s.”  

But yesterday I realized that I need to paint my garage... and that will be so easy - like a one week job to scrape and paint if I don’t have to constantly dismount the ladder to take people potty, break up fights and run munchkins to and from preschool. 

Also.  After I am done painting the garage I think I will become a shepherdess.  

For real.

I already spend 5 hours a week preparing things for farmer’s market and 5 hours sitting in Dr’s waiting rooms, and 5 hours filing paperwork that no one will ever read, and 5 hours shopping for and cooking meals that are devoured in 10 minutes flat. I figure my time is really only worth about 10 cents an hour.  So shepherding should fit right in with all the other monetarily pointless things I do.  Also, the 300 international students in Hays will be so happy to have access to lamb.  And considering they drive 2 hours now once a month to have a slaughtering party on some farm in St. John - why not bring the fun a little closer to home? And I have like 8 years of practice herding people who are more complicating to deal with than herding cats and slower than herding turtles.  So how hard can sheep be?  And besides... my poor husband will probably end up doing most of the work anyway... and he LOVES it when I sit on the couch and eat my bon-bon’s and think of things for him to do with all those hours he used to spend sleeping.  Like going to a gym.  He LOVES going to a gym with me at 6:00 am.  Right honey?  You want us to get a herb of sheep right?

Well, speaking of herding... there are 4 children trying to catch 5 stray kittens in my back yard and it starting to sound a little violent out there. Gotta go.

By the way-

The going rate for one lamb is $120.  

Jarod says that the way that the guys feed the chickens - each egg we get costs Bethesda 50 cents.  I figure you will be getting a $1,000 lamb for a steal.  Place your order now.

Resume for herding:

This guy - he has more energy than 10,000 sheep. And is less cooperative - FOR SURE.

I have herded students picking and pitting cherries.  And look - they are even smiling!

I herd other people's children in my time off.  baby lambs aren't even as cute as these two.

I know the answer for all problems too - MORE FOOD.

I herd children with snakes.  Like - at least once a week this summer

I herded a 4 year old on a 2 mile bike ride in 100 degree weather.  Not the brightest idea.  But we made it. So there.

We even have the shepherding clothing.

I find free food.  Daily free ice cream cones on the way to Aikido.

I can do small groups.

Swimming groups.

 And large groups.  And large groups swimming. Oh my.

also - sheep don't have clothing.  Which is good, because apparently I don't do so well with clothing.

And finally - I do cats.  But let's no mention that I just found the children swinging the cats in the hammock.  No - let's not mention that.