Linda

Innovative Garden Design with the Help of Rocks

I remember the first time I cried over spilled milk. I was a toddler, still learning to walk, and I had just gotten my hands on a glass of milk. I was so excited to drink it, but my little hands weren’t quite steady enough yet, and I ended up spilling it all over the floor. I was devastated. I burst into tears and wailed for what felt like hours. It was just a glass of milk, but to me, it felt like the end of the world. My parents comforted me, cleaned up the mess, and told me it was okay to make mistakes. They encouraged me to try again and reminded me that learning to walk was just as hard as learning to drink from a glass. One of the responsibilities I had on the farm growing up was the chore of straining the frothy milk that my dad would bring to the house in an open 5-gallon stainless steel bucket.  In the morning my dad would milk two milk cows by hand.  To accomplish this task, I used a metal canning strainer equipped with a Kendall circle filter.  Carefully, I would strain the milk, ensuring its purity, and transfer it into clean 1-gallon glass jars.  Time was of the essence as I needed to complete the process before the school bus arrived to pick up my siblings and I.  This often proved to be quite a challenge especially when my mother, who was a school teacher herself, was also running a bit behind schedule, eliminating the possibility of her assistance.  There were moments when I could see the school bus starting to reverse, preparing to return down the gravel road!   Growing older, I realized that crying over spilled milk was just a metaphor for the mistakes we make in life. We all make mistakes, big and small. Sometimes, we spill the milk, and sometimes, we make bigger mistakes that can have real consequences. But the lessons my parents taught me as a toddler still hold true. It’s okay to make mistakes. We can’t be perfect all the time. What matters is how we respond to those mistakes. Do we let them defeat us, or do we learn from them and try again? Learning to walk is a perfect example of this. When we’re learning to walk, we fall down a lot. But we don’t give up. We get back up and try again. And eventually, we learn to walk without even thinking about it.   The same is true of any mistake we make in life. We need to get back up and try again. And sometimes, we need to change our approach or try a new tool or way of thinking about the problem. One tool I’ve found helpful is reframing the situation. When something goes wrong, it’s easy to get stuck in a negative mindset. But if we can reframe the situation and look for the positive or the lesson to be learned, we can turn that mistake into an opportunity for growth. Another tool is to ask for help. Sometimes, we’re too close to the problem to see a solution. Asking for help from a friend or a mentor can provide us with new ideas or a fresh perspective. In the end, crying over spilled milk isn’t the end of the world. It’s just a reminder that we’re all human, and we all make mistakes. But if we can learn from those mistakes and keep moving forward, we can achieve great things. Just like learning to walk, it takes time, patience, and a willingness to try again and again. Is there a time when you spilled the milk and needed some help to reframe the whole situation?  I would love to hear a tale of your experience and how you handled it.  ~ Linda With the trusty metal canning strainer, complete with a Kendall filter, I carefully poured the milk from the 5-gallon stainless steel bucket, allowing it to pass through the sieve-like contraption. The purpose? To capture any impurities or froth, ensuring a pure and creamy result. The destination for this strained milk was a clean, waiting 1-gallon glass jar. Interestingly enough, these jars had a fascinating history. My mother would procure them from the lunch ladies at school, who typically used them to house delectable treats like pickles and vegetables. Oh, the anticipation of tasting those savory delights later on! But for now, my focus was on the task at hand—straining the milk, preserving its freshness, and preparing it for the refrigerator.

The great Blizzard of ’73 in Iowa will never be forgotten.  It was a crippling storm with snow drifts reaching as high as 12 to 19 feet in some places. https://www.thegazette.com/community/time-machine-the-april-1973-blizzard/   Special snow plows had to be brought in to blow the massive amount of wet snow far enough away to plow a tunnel thru.  School was out for the first week and the second week school was only attended by those capable of getting out or at least getting to the main highway to catch the bus.  In early April of ‘73 we lost electricity for almost two weeks, thereby relying solely on wood heat.  The Des Moines Register and Tribune called it “the worst spring storm in at least 80 years” My mother had purchased a grill for the Ben Franklin stove and we used it to grill hamburgers and cook stew. My mom had purchased a popcorn popper that we used over the fire in the fireplace.   With no electricity, the neighbors on our country road that had a milking herd, needed help getting the cows milked.  This had to be done manually or “by hand” the old-fashioned way.  My father milked our two cows by hand each morning and night so he was ready and willing.  There were four families on our mile-long gravel road and all the men pulled together to get the milking done.  Most of the milk for the first week had to be dumped or fed to the pigs, even though the creamery (MVMPA-Mississippi Valley Milk Producers Association)  that normally purchased the milk, located right at the end of our gravel road, less than a mile away!  The depth of the snow made it impossible to get the milk out.  By the next week, our neighbor was able to get the milk to the creamery using the old milk cans shown in the picture, as no milk truck could yet get thru.

Elm trees and chainsaws by Linda

Have you ever had an event or series of events that just stops you in your tracks and causes you to stop and reflect?  Reflect on who you are, what you believe in and what made you who you are?  After 55 years, my parents sold their little 80 acre farm nestled in the beautiful hills of Northeast Iowa.  “My grounding place”.  A little piece of heaven that taught me the value of hard work, gave me opportunities to care for a variety of animals , and gain a bushel full of valuable life skills. My family moved to “The Farm” when I was 4.  A beautiful farm located at the dead end of a dusty gravel road.  The house, like the farm, were in various states of dis-repair. The upstairs rooms were unfinished, the dining room floor sunk down in the middle. (I always thought that was the meaning of “sunken” when referring to a room.   The yard was uneven, hilly and full of ruts.  But it was ours.   My special childhood adventure began at the end of a dusty gravel road.    The farmstead consisted of one barn, one silo, a corncrib, one Quonset machine shed and an old train depot, and 40 Dutch Elm trees. The trees were massive in size and curved around the backyard between the house and barnyard area.  There were several pine trees in between that were so thick there was actually a gate to enter the area.  The gate was there because of the wire fencing used to keep the cattle in the barnyard.  Like a tiny little fairy forest, it called to my imagination… I was only 4 remember? The farm also consisted of 40 acres of open farmland and 40 acres of woodland with a front pasture just behind the barn.  I am thankful for the memories that I have gathered over the years from My Side of the Barn.  Reflecting on past memories on the farm provides me solace to draw from, as life continues on.  The farm experiences provided ways to help me navigate this path called life.     Life is not a race but indeed a journey.   Be honest.  Work hard. Be choosy.   Say “thank you”, “ I Love you” and “great job” to someone each day.   Go to church, take time for prayer.   The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh.  Let your handshake mean more than pen and paper.  Love your life and what you have been given.   It is not accidental  –search for your purpose and do it as best you can.  Dreaming does matter.  It allows you to become that which you aspire to be. Laugh often.  Appreciate the little things in life  and ENJOY THEM!  Some of the best things really are free!  Do not worry, less wrinkles are more becoming. Forgive, it frees the soul.  Take time for yourself–Plan for longevity.  Recognize the special people you’ve been blessed to know.  Live for today, enjoy the moment ….. Bonnie Mohr Gratitude, when uttered, reflects an acknowledgment of Him, as oftentimes what I perceived to be the pieces of me falling apart, like the breaking of glass (so to speak)  produced a beautiful stained glass picture beyond my wildest imagination.  Meander down my dusty gravel road, as I share chicken tales HERD on My Side of the Barn.com