Family Farm Friday # 7: Farming - The American Dream

"I learned that there were two ways I could live my life: following my dreams or doing something else. Dreams aren't a matter of chance, but a matter of choice." ~David Copperfield

The American Angus Association has been doing a wonderful series called "I Am Angus." My friend Crystal, who works for the Association, has been showing several of these videos on her blog....so I borrowed my favorite one. They focus on certain angus producers and do a short feature on their operation. First off, I think the idea of this series is amazing. This is exactly the kind of story telling that people in the agriculture industry really need to be doing today. Way to go American Angus Association!

Anyway, the most recent segment focuses on Tullyfergus Angus, located in New York state. The owners, Robert and Linda Groom, moved to America from Scotland ten years ago. The reason? They had their American dream---to have their own farm in the United States. They have made their dream come true. Today, they are producing high quality Angus cattle, and raising a family on the farm. To see their story, watch the "I Am Angus" video below.

Farming is the quintessential American dream. For centuries, farmers have been respected in American society. Owning a farm allows a person to create a way of life, to own their own land, to produce food and clothing for themselves and for America, to raise children with a strong work ethic, and to leave a legacy that can last for generations. If that's not the American dream, I don't know what is.

Throwback Thursday #13: Ancient Rome

“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” - Miriam Beard

And finally....the blog about ancient Rome. I say finally, because I know that when everyone thinks about Rome, they think of the Colliseum. Seeing these buildings and ruins was amazing. If you ever have the chance to go to Rome, take it! It will be an experience you will not forget.

This first building is one I had never seen or even heard of. But as we were wondering the streets, we saw this from like 20 blocks away and knew we had to go check it out! It really is one of the most impressive buildings in Rome. Turns out, it is the parliament building. The first picture is a close up of the top of one of the towers. You'll see the second includes Cousin Swiss Mister. He got really sick in Rome and didn't get to do much sight seeing.

Between the parliament building and the Colliseum, there is the Roman Forum. The ruins are absolutely amazing! This area was the center of Roman civilization.

The Pantheon is another really cool structure, located a little out of the way from the rest of the ruins, but worth it. Plus, as you have read about in a prior blog, Michaelangelo's is right next to the Pantheon, and you have to go eat there! Anyway, the Pantheon was built as a temple to the Roman Gods, but for centuries now has been used as a Catholic Church. On Sundays, they have Mass in the building, and you can seen inside.....which would be the second photograph taken below.

Next, we have the Arch of Constantine. It was built to celebrate the victory of Constantine at the Battle of Milvian Bridge. I especially enjoyed seeing this, as I did an honors paper on Constantine, who was instrumental in helping to spread Christianity in Rome.

And here's another arch located one of the entrances to the Roman Forum, called the Arch of Titus.

And finally, the moment you have all been waiting for, the Colliseum. If you knew how long it took me to find someone who spoke English to ask them to take my picture, you would laugh. I finally found an 8 year old girl from Massachusetts who was gald to play photographer!

So the Throwback Thursday blogs about the European adventure are getting close to an end. Next week, I will write about the place I found to be the most spiritual on the trip, the Bascilica of St. Paul. Then we'll have a blog about my morning walking around alone wandering the streets, and then a final blog summarizing the trip. So three to go....stay tuned!

Happy Endings

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story." ~Orson Welles

So I recently learned that a certain movie, which was based on a book, has a completely different ending than the book. (I'm trying not to spoil anything here....). Apparently they made it a happy ending, rather than the real ending from the book.

I think this is a huge problem in Hollywood.....there is always a happy ending. The love story always works out. The cure always comes. The good guy always wins. The marriage is always easy. And the bad guy always gets caught. I think this is bad for real life. We expect life to always be easy and for us to always get a happy ending.

I'm as guilty as everyone else. I can think of one movie where there is not the classic "happy ending." My Best Friend's Wedding. Have you seen it? Julia Roberts is in love with her best friend, don't know his name, but Hot Guy with the scar on his lip. Problem? Hot Guy is engaged to Cameron Diaz. You watch Julia struggle with trying to win over Hot Guy. At one point, they kiss under a gazeebo on what was supposed to be his wedding day to Cameron. Now....because I'm a happy ending sucker, I stop the movie right there and pretend it's the end. Seriously, I don't watch the actual ending. (In case you don't know....he ditches Julia and marries Cameron). In life, that's probably the real ending....the perky blonde gets the girl and the best friend is left out in the cold. But it's not the happy one I want, so I change it. I'm as guilty as the people in Hollywood.

In life, sometimes happy endings don't come. Sometimes, the love story that would end happy in the movie, just ends. Sometimes the cure isn't found, the good guy gets beat, and life is just hard. Don't get me wrong....I'm not whining (Cousin Kevin gets angry with me when I whine on the blog) and I know my life is great and I'm completely blessed more than I deserve. But I'm just saying, sometimes happy endings in movies mke us think that is how life will always be. And when life is hard, we want to throw our hands up because it's not like that in the movies.

So the bottom line is that life is hard, it's not always fair, and there are not always happy endings right away. I believe that things work out in the end like they are supposed to, and that we all get our happy endings, just maybe not here on earth. So unlike the movies, where they can just change a sad ending into a happy one, in life we have to learn to deal with the endings we're given.

At least we have to for now, until we figure out a way to pause life the way I pause My Best Friend's Wedding.

Proud To Be A Cowboy

"Please remember The Ten. Good men, good sons, good fathers, good friends." ~Doug Gottlieb

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog about the tenth anniversary of the OSU plane crash. One of my good friends, and fellow OSU alums sent me this wonderful article written by Doug Gottlieb, a former OSU basketball player and current ESPN analyist. It's long, but it's worth reading.

Doug graduated the year before the plane crash. He knew everyone on board. He had flown in the exact plane, on the way home from the exact game, two years earlier. He describes each of the men who were lost that day; he describes them as his friends.

He talks about going to school in Stillwater, playing for the Cowboys, and what it means to Remember The Ten. He also talks about how painful it had to have been for Coach Sutton to make those 10 phone calls 9 years ago, and how he thinks the pain is something he never got over. He talks about even though Stillwater has changed, people still remember.

This is honestly what being a member of the OSU family is about. It's a network of people who have shared experiences...whether you walked across the campus 4 years ago or 40, you are connected with everyone else who bleeds orange.

This is why we remember The Ten. This is why I'm proud to be a Cowboy.

The Good Ol' Valentine's Days

"Love is that first feeling you get before all the bad stuff gets in the way." ~Some little kid

I generally complain about Valentine's Day, like any other single girl in America. But this year, instead of my complaining, I thought I'd share the other thought that always comes to mind every year....how much more fun was Valentine's Day when I was a kid!? So here we go, Valentine's Day 5th Grade.....circa 1995.


First off...relationships (if you can call them that) were better in the 5th grade. I mean really......they were easier, there was no pressure, none of the cute boys were married....see? Easier!

Your entire relationship was based on holding hands on the playground, always picking the other person first for kickball, passing notes in class and occasionally being brave enough to call the person on the phone. Why did things have to get complicated? I sort of miss that 5th grade state of mind. Because the relationships were better, the Valentine's Days were better. I feel the need to share a few Valentine's Day stories from better times.

The first will involve me and my 5th grade boyfriend. We'll call him FirstValentine. I remember him bringing me candy and a teddy bear and a card....all on one Valentine's Day! I haven't gotten something that good in the fifteen years since! Remember those card machines that were at like Wal-Mart and you could design them yourself? Yep....it was one of those. Creative and sweet. I still have that card. Like I say, they just don't make Valentine's Day like they used to.

Another example involves two of my friends from my 5th grade class. We'll call them Tom Cruise and the cheerleader. Tom Cruise liked the cheerleader, but she didnt' seem so sure. In order to win her over, he hand-made her a gift.....it was made of Dallas Cowboys fabric (her favorite team) and ended up in the shape of Gumby. I still think back to that and about how cute it was that he made her something from scratch, focusing on what she liked. Sigh.....I have never received my own Gumby, but I frequently remind the cheerleader about hers.

Next fond memory, in 5th grade, everyone had to get a valentine from everyone else. Now, of course, not everyone had to get Gumby dolls or teddy bears, but everyone at least got one of those little valentine's that came in a box from everyone else in class. This equated to getting like 15 cards! Woo hoo!

And last thing, there was a party that everyone was invited to, whether you had a date or not. You didn't have to worry about being the third wheel. Everybody's mom brought junk food and cokes and we all watched a movie. Again, no pressure, no judgment, just enjoying the holiday. Yep, those were the good ol' days.

Oh, and you may wonder what happened to my friends? Apparently great Valentine's Day gifts don't equate to happily ever after for 5th grade romances. Tom Cruise lives in another state with his wife and beautiful baby. The cheerleader lives in a different small town with her two awesome kiddos. FirstValentine ended up in love with his high school sweetheart and they had two adorable kids of their own. We stayed good friends over the years until he passed away a year and a half ago. He was always there for me.....he did all of my home ec assignments and was the only reason that class didn't kill my gpa! I think of him often now, and I have always thought of him on Valentine's Day.

So this year, instead of complaining, I think I might go buy myself some junk food, look for my own gumby doll, watch a movie, and pretend I'm back in 5th grade again.

Family Farm Friday # 6 : Century Awards

"I say invest in your farm families, because your farm families will turn around and put every cent they've earned back into the farm, into their communities." ~ Jon Hagler, Missouri Director of Agriculture

In one of my google alerts about agriculture, I came across a great program in Oregon and see now that there are similar programs in several other states. I don't know if all other states do this or not, but I think that if they don't, they need to start!

Oregon (and apparently several other states including New York, Missouri, and Iowa) award program called the "Century Farm and Ranch Program" that recognizes farmers and ranchers whose families have worked the same land for 100 years. The operations get recognition at the State Fair (where else??) and get a sign for their yard. They are asked in many states to submit narratives and photographs of the farms over the years, and these are kept on file or made into a book. But more important than that is the fact that people recognize the kind of dedication, commitment and hard work it takes to keep a farm or ranch going for one hundred years.
As Missouri Governor Jack Markell put it, “I am not a farmer, but I recognize the kind of dedication, love of the land and perseverance it takes to live the agricultural life, an enduring way of life. I salute these families for their living history, their ongoing contribution to our state’s agricultural heritage, and sincerely hope that their children and grandchildren will carry on the tradition and farm this land for many years to come.”

The pride that a family farm instills in the owners is something that's hard to explain. It's a sense of belonging, of purpose, and of home that I don't think other people will ever understand. You learn at a young age the type of sacrifices required to keep a farm going. This summer, my family will gather at the homestead of my great grandparents to celebrate its Century anniversary. 100 years ago, my great grandparents loaded their baby up in a wagon, drove to the homested and settled there. Four more babies, lots of grandkids and great grandkids later, it's been 100 years. I'm proud to say that farm is still in our family, owned by my great uncle. The farm that my grandparents started is just over 50 years old. If blogs are still popular in 50 more years, expect to be seeing a blog about that anniversary as well.
Think about the idea of farming for a century....these farms and ranches began in 1910. To put this in perspective, that was before any World Wars had been fought, about the same time that Henry Ford was building his first model T, and before several states (including my own) were even states. And every day from then until now, these families have been farming and ranching. I agree with Governor Markell, I hope that 100 years from now, these people's grandchildren are getting the 200 year award.

Throwback Thursday #12: Buonna Notte in Roma!

"Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” ~Maya Angelou

One of my favorite parts of Rome was that you could just wonder around and never know what you were going to come across next. Literally, you could just be walking down the street, turn the corner and there you were at some ancient church, or in front of the Colliseum, or outside of Valentino.

It is a great city with so many different things to see and do! And yes, for those of you who were wondering, it was very safe. Cousin Whitney and I walked around by ourselves from about 7:00 pm until well after midnight and had no problems. Today, I'm going to share three of my favorite "modern" places in the city. Then next week I'll share some of the great parts of ancient Rome.

Piazza del Popolo

This was the closet piazza to our hotel, so we ended up walking through it a lot. But it was really pretty, huge, beautiful architecture, a fountain, and lots of people watching. There were tons of little restaurants and shops along the street leading to the piazza. It's what you think of Rome to be like when you see it on a movie. If I were going to compare it to a city in the US, it would be the most like San Francisco I think....open spaces, pretty, not too many people....

This picture is of a huge rally in the streets that ended up in Piazza del Popolo. These are fans of some soccer team (I'll admit my soccer knowledge is limited to liking to see David Beckham with no shirt on) and they were seriously having like a parade/riot. It was awesome. They were waving flags and chanting and had their faces painted....I have a video of this somewhere. I've got to learn how to upload those!

Trevi Fountain (Fontina de Trevi)

This would be a much more famous, more photographed area of Rome, but that also means way more crowded. Regardless, you have to go to the Trevi Fountain when you are in Rome. You throw a coin in and it ensures you will return to Rome again one day. The architecture and sculpting on the fountain are amazing. We even saw people taking their wedding pictures there! Oh yes, as for a US city comparison...I'd say Washington DC.

The Spanish Steps (and Piazza di Spagna)

Another very popular place in Rome is the Spanish Steps. US City equivlent....New York City. It was something I'm glad we went to see, but we pretty much snapped a few pictures and continued on. There were way too many people, and people trying to sell you junk. But it's a beautiful piazza and this is where all the expensive, high end stores are in the city. Not so much my scene, but glad we went and took pictures there nonetheless.

For everyone who is still waiting to see pictures of the ancient ruins and Colliseum, next week is your lucky week! I think we still have about three more Europe blogs to go. Hope you're not too sick of Throwback Thursday!

Eating Out with Kurt Warner

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." ~Plato

Well I've had enough of the political scene after one blog, so let's move on to something I really care about. That's right, football. :)

As you may have read (assuming my blog is not your only source of football news), Kurt Warner is retiring from professional football. He has one of the most remarkable and memorable stories in all of football. It's the type of story you'd see in a movie. Thirteen, he was working stocking groceries in a small town in Iowa. Then the St. Louis Rams came calling. Next thing you know, he's leading them to the Super Bowl. And winning NFL MVP honors. Twice. Just last year he led the Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl for the first time in their franchise history. Clearly he is a great player.

He's a good person and father, too, apparently. Every time they go out to dinner at a restaurant, his kids have to choose one table of people. Then, his family pays for that table's meal. He's teaching his children to give back...they have been blessed because of his footbll career, yet he seeks to do nice things for other people.

The other rule the Warners have when eating out is that after the waitress takes their drink order, they kids all have to know what color her eyes were. Again, a small thing, but it teaches the kids to pay attention to people, to look them in the eye, and that their waitress is no less important than anyone else they come in contact with. Maybe this lesson comes from a dad who spent nights stocking store shelves.

I think we can all learn a lot from Kurt Warner. His never-quit attitude, his caring about people, and his desire to give back are qualities that I hope I can show in my own life. And while we may not be buying people's dinner at the kind of restaurants he can afford, giving what we can when we can can make just as much of a difference......both for the people we are giving to, and for ourselves.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

"Common etiquette says not to talk about politics, sex, religion, or money. But these are the most interesting things to discuss!" ~Unknown

In general, I try to stay away from politics on the blog. I really am not interested in a lot of political things, and I figure it might come back and bite me one day.....I hear those Senate confirmation hearings to get on the Supreme Court can get pretty hairy! ;) But today, I'm sort of breaking the policy.


Anyway, my commentary today focuses on the state of the union address. I don't know how many of you watched, but at one point, President Obama called out the Justices of the United States Supreme Court, many of whom were in the audience, for a decision they made regarding rules for campaign financing earlier this month. Now, I'm a bad lawyer and admittedly have not read the opinion, but for the purpose of this blog, that is neither here nor there, and frankly might even better prove my point.

Regardless of whether you agree with the decision of the Court or not, they are the Supreme Court and they deserve respect. They should not have been called out in front of the entire audience at the state of the union address. They are not in a position to defend their decision, as the Court does not speak about its specific decisions it has made. All they could do was sit in the audience, probably dumfounded. Although, Justice Alito's reaction seems to have caught some attention.

I feel that it was unprofessional and uncalled for. Just to be clear---I am setting forth no political belief or viewpoint. I am not hinting at what side of the aisle I fall on. I'm merely commenting on my belief that the justices of the United States Supreme Court deserve respect from everyone, including the Presdient. I would feel the same way no matter the decision that they had made and no matter the party affilitation of the President doing the calling out.

I have, in fact, made similar arguments regarding respect for both President Bush and President Obama, arguing simply that whether we agree or disagree with his politics, the President of the United States deserves our respect becuase he is the President. The United States Supreme Court has been charged with interpreting the laws of the United States and making the best decision they are able to make, given the facts and record before them. For that, they deserve to be respected. Period.

...Put A Ring On It!

"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble." ~Kenny, age 7, when asked if it's better to be single or married

No no, no one is putting a ring on my finger. Don't get all excited. A couple of weekends ago my college roomie and I went to a wedding show here in town. It was sort of as a joke---I heard the advertisement one afternoon, was watching that stupid show "Say Yes to the Dress" that night, and I thought, hey, we should go and try on dresses! I told the roomie and she said she was in.

Only problemo? Neither of us are engaged. Solution? We bought rings at Claire's and decided to pretend. My ring ended up being too big for my finger, and the roomie (who is actually in a serious relationship) decided faking it might be a jinx for her. So, I took her ring, figuring no jinx is going to be worse than my current relationship status, and was a bride for the day.
My quick report on wedding shows......don't go if you're really getting married. I felt that it was very overwhelming--there were way too many people jammed in a banquet room. It was hot and you could hardly move. I said to the roomie, "Can you believe there are this many people geting married?!" To which she replied, "Like us?" Fair point. Anyway, I think had I really been trying to plan something, it would have just stressed me out---the vendors were pushy, they were not organized well (I would have put all the cake together, all the flowers together, etc), and it was just too much.

Oh, and note....you don't get to try on dresses at a wedding show. Boo. You do, however, get to eat a lot of cake samples, so that was nice.

Anyway, back to the point of the blog. I've always said I don't want an expensive ring. Seriously, I have repeatedly claimed that I would kill a guy if he spent thousands of dollars on a ring. I would be perfectly happy with cubic from Wal-Mart. (Yes, I've been told I'll make some guy very happy one day...) I just feel like you can spend the money on so many other, better things, and that what matters is the marriage, not the ring.

I think I get this partially through genetics. My dad bought my mom's ring off his cousin, who had proposed to a girl and then they broke up. My mom didn't care, and they've been married for thirty years. My dad's cousin's wife, however, is not a fan! See below.
So my point was totally proven at the wedding show. As I was analyzing photographs at one of the booths, the photographer came over and said she just wanted to tell me I had a beautiful engagement ring. Yes.....that would be the $10 ring from Claires. And she would be a wedding photographer. See? No one can even tell! I'm so keeping that ring and when that guy does come along, maybe we'll just use that and save our money for a freakin awesome honeymoon!