THOUGHT OF THE DAY

"Ignorance of ignorance is a lot worse than knowledge of ignorance."

SCHOLARS AND THE WEATHERBOY

Kaya and Ava practice the ABCs

Benjamin checks out the weather.

Kaya, Ava, and Benjamin
spent the night here
while their mom and dad
went to Boise for a birthday party
of a friend.

TIMES ARE TOUGH

Headlines in our local paper stated "Dairymen Face Uncertainty". Scanning other headlines we read:
-Milk Prices Tumble in a Sour Market
-Plunging Milk Prices Threaten Local Dairies
-Dire Times for Dairy Farms
-two dairy producers in the southern San Joaquin Valley commit suicide over financial problems.

I think that you get the picture. Milk prices have bottomed out. But compounding the problem, dairymen are faced with higher-than-ever feed costs! Trust me when I say that it is no fun to be a dairyman right now.

We moved to Idaho in 1974, starting in the dairy business. When we struck up the deal with the realtor, milk price was at $8.40, but in the six weeks that it took for the deal to move through escrow, milk price fell to $6.45. It looked like we had made a huge mistake, having left a successful hoof-trimming business in California to become dairy farmers in Idaho! We used all of our savings, and then some, for the downpayment on the eighty acres, the double-two side opener barn, the twenty-two cows, the seven chickens, and the three non-operational tractors. Now we needed some money for operating our little dairy. These documents show that our loan request was DENIED.

The local bank says "no"

FHA says "no"

I stumbled on these documents cleaning closets yesterday. Reading them, took me back to those first few years in this business. They were not easy, but we have fond memories of the struggle. We persevered and we survived. We always gathered hope when we met with friends involved in the same struggle. I pray that we can navigate the rough waters of today with the same perseverance and hope that we had in those early days.

Harry, the dairyman, with my Dad.
Buhl, Idaho - Summer 1974

FOG, FOG, GO AWAY...

Though the fog settles beautifully in the trees, we are ready to see the sun again!

AN ERA OF CHANGE?

TEA, TREATS, & CONVERSATION

This afternoon I hosted a little tea party for my granddaughters.
Liz, Grace, Kaya, and Ava came after school and enjoyed tea, treats, and conversation. Ava, who is normally a picky eater, chowed down more chocolate dipped strawberries than I could count! And Brad was disappointed to find the mini tuna salad sandwiches all gone when he arrived. He was counting on them being leftover for him. But those little sandwiches were Lizzie's favorites.

CRUISING INTO THE NEW YEAR

Elly and Rob enjoy sunshine on deck while cruising into the New Year.
Jan 1 - 5, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BROTHER JAKE

This is my brother Jake. He is the oldest in my family. When I was little, Jake would flick his rough finger under my chin and call me bawl baby at the dinner table. It was sure to get me crying. His fingers were roughened up from the work he did on the dairy.

But those rough hands were good for other things also. Jake could play the accordion very well. And he also excelled at piano. When we would have our piano recitals, Jake was usually the last one to present his pieces. And everyone knows that the best is saved for last! The final performers of those programs would always be either Jake or Debbie Goldstein.

Jake would often get up in the middle of the night to study. He was very good at math, so a lot of his homework was working out pages-long problems on graph paper. Though I have never seen hard evidence, the rumor is that Jake had the IQ of a genius!

He loved the TV shows Star Trek and Chiller. He would watch them sprawled out on the couch and then he would say, "Make me a feast". I probably was a sucker, but I took great pleasure in presenting him with these feasts.

Harry often talks about the cool cars that Jake had as a youngster. His first car was a '57 T-Bird convertible, navy blue with white tuck and roll interior. Next he had a cherry red Pontiac GTO. When in college he drove a little red Triumph Spitfire.

It's ironic, but of all the kids in the family, Jake was the most uncomfortable with conflict, yet he was the one who would eventually be drafted to serve in Vietnam. Thankfully he survived.

There is little likelihood that Jake will ever read this posting because he is anti-technology. I doubt that he even owns a computer. He earned an advanced degree as an aero-space engineer, but he has left that field and works in lawn care these days.

My brother Jake is a very pleasant, silent, mystery man. On this your birthday, I want to say, "I love you. Rather, I think I love you, because I don't really know you. Happy Birthday, Brother Jake."

Our son Jake is named after my brother Jake.

GEOGRAPHY LESSON

Grandpa Harry explains to Gracie and Lizzie why their mom and dad will not be seeing Jake and Vereni today. Elly and Robbie should be in the port of Cabo San Lucas now. Even though they will be in Mexico, Grandpa shows his grand-daughters that this is still very far from the state of Guanajuato, where Jake and Vereni are staying.

STONES REMAINING

Have you ever looked for a life expectancy chart on-line? That's what I did today. I learned that, based on the averages, I can expect to live 26.2 more years. That's 9,563 days.

When Harry and I traveled to Israel, Ray Vander Laan, our tour guide, led devotions each morning. One morning he told us that he, too, had calculated his life expectancy. When Ray learned the results, he placed stones representing each day that, according to averages, he could expect to live, in a large glass container. Each morning he removes one stone and carries it around in his pocket all day. At the close of day, he removes the stone and reflects on what he did with the day. How well had he followed the Rabbi? How well did he walk as Jesus walked?

RVL said that, at first, the level of stones seemed little affected, but, as the years pass, the level is now alarmingly lowering. He challenged us to regard each day as precious, and to use our days in meaningful pursuits.

Teach us to number
our days aright,
that we might gain
a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12

sunset on
the Sea of Galilee

Happy New Year to Family and Friends!
May you know blessings and be blessings.