Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts.
~Author Unknown
...and you know who you are.
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Rick
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
A Farmer
If I had to describe my Dad in a single word, I guess it would have to be—Farmer.
Although, one word could never do justice to describe a life of seventy years, I think he would smile if that was how he was remembered.
He made his living in different ways, but he was a farmer from the first time he helped Daddy Ray in the fields of
A farmer isn’t what you do. It’s who you are.
Dad watched the wind as it gusted across a wheat field before the oncoming rain with the same love and awe that sailor does when he looks at the sea. He was a flatlander. He loved the wide open prairie without fence or bramble. He felt a kinship with the land and understood how to treat it with respect.
In return—the land paid him back with a bounty.
His beans were bushier.
His corn was taller.
His hogs were healthier.
Wherever he spent time—he left the land better than he found it.
But a farmer is much more that just a caretaker of the land.
He is honest and steady;
A story teller;
A soldier and patriot.
A farmer is a faithful husband and father; grandfather and uncle; brother and friend.
He is a teacher and a student;
A lover and a brawler;
A historian and a thinker.
A farmer is funny and loves to laugh.
He gets a bigger kick out of making others laugh.
He shoots a nifty left-handed jump shot from the baseline.
And poses for the Heisman Trophy after scoring a touchdown in a sandlot game.
A farmer loves his tractor.
He loves his mower even more.
A farmer is strong…
…and tender
He is loyal to the Bears, Cubs and Fighting Illini. Even when they don’t deserve it.
He is at home in his pickup with a faithful dog at his side.
He loves meat and potatoes, biscuits and gravy, pickle loaf and sharp cheddar cheese.
Sometimes a farmer thinks he is John Wayne.
Other times he thinks he’s Mike Ditka or Don Rickles.
A farmer is the first kid on the block to learn to dance rock n roll.
He is the football star who gets the cheerleader.
A farmer can walk the dog and go around the world
with nothing more than a Duncan Yo-Yo.
He would never dream of hurting an animal…
…unless it was to feed his family
A farmer learns to trust the land with patience.
He sees what will be, before it exists.
He works hard without complaining.
He understands the seasons and the cycle of life.
He is not afraid.
A farmer sews.
A farmer reaps.
A farmer hopes that beyond the gates of pearl and streets of gold, there is a forty acre patch with coal black topsoil so deep, you measure it in yards. There are no weeds.There is a brand new, bright red, 1962 Farmall 560 tractor hitched to a four bottomed plow with his name on it. On the fender is an AM radio that only gets talk radio and country music without any static. He is greeted by loved ones who have waited patiently for his arrival. He has no pain.
A farmer doesn’t seek wealth.
He seeks serenity and peace.
A farmer is a good man.
A farmer is a hero.
My Dad was a farmer.
Friday, October 16, 2009
A thought...
Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all
the paint on it you can.
~ Danny Kaye
Saturday, October 10, 2009
A thought...
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
-- George Bernard Shaw
-- George Bernard Shaw
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Rick
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Stop the Rain!
I don't want to alarm anyone, but the animals are acting strange on the west side of town.Buy more books before they float away
Rick
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
My Biggest Fan
The Shot
Shooting hoops behind the garage
on a cold November night
by the light of a full moon.
Free throw—
Free throw—
Jump shot—
Hook—
The clock is winding down.
6,5,4...
Fake right—go left
3,2,1...
The shot is up...
...and good!
The Fighting Illini win the game!
...and my dog, King, wags his tail in approval.
Rick
Friday, October 2, 2009
Book Signing Tomorrow in Robinson
I'll be on the square in Robinson in front of the Heath Toffee Museum tomorrow signing Copies of Wa-Ba-Shik-Ki and The Hanging of Betsey Reed from 9am to 1pm. Hope to see you there. If it's raining, Ill be inside the museum.
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Rick
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
A quote
History is the sum total of things that could have been avoided.
Konrad Adenauer
I don't know who Konrad Adenauer is but I liked this.
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Rick
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Damn Bears
Even though the Bears beat the Seahawks today, I don't know if it's worth the aggravation of sitting on my couch and and biting my fingernails as my beloved team tries to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on a weekly basis.I found this old poem that I wrote several years ago that described the the foolishness and optimism of my youth.
Some things never change
Damn Bears
Nip of fall and the smell of persimmonis in the air.
October anticipation mixed with grade school optimism.
Dad's finished his chores early today,
because it's almost kickoff time.
The Bears are in
I've got the good seat on the sofa until Dad kicks me off
to join my brothers on the floor.
"Go baby go!" yells Dad, when Gayle Sayers gets the ball.
"Hit him again!" he yells when Butkus makes a play.
He's so excited now he has to run to the fridge for a beer.
I consider claiming my spot on the sofa, but think better of the idea when I see Dad's look of disapproval.
The game is close at half-time;
only down by seven.
Mom serves her contribution for the day.
The half-time feast.
Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and glazed carrots.
She made the carrots for me; they're my favorite.
But it's "Eat fast boys! The second half is ready to begin."
It's a good day so far.
But then
we fumble...
then punt...
then fumble again.
A dark cloud settles over the household.
I can tell Dad's had enough.
My brothers lose interest and go back to fighting each other.
Traitors!
I know it's not over as I take my rightful spot on the sofa.
If we can score quickly...
recover the onside kick...
and score again...
we would only need a field goal for the tie.
But things don't go as planed.
Time runs out and the referee shoots his gun.
I sit in solitude and disgust.
Thinking...
Damn Bears...
Damn Bears...
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Rick
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wabash Jake is Almost Done
My eyes feel like they are ready to fall out of my head. I've worked on the second draft of The Adventures of Wabash Jake all day and should be finished sometime tomorrow. I'll be glad to get it in front of another set of eyes on Saturday. With any luck, it'll be published by Christmas. Buy more Books
Rick
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sunday In New Harmony
The rain let up enough on Sunday for us to drive to New Harmony for Kunstfest. even though it was overcast, it was still a beautiful day. I took these photo's as we walked around town.
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Rick
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