October 3 - The Party Edition

Wow! I can't believe we're down to less than a week before our Big Shindig. In case it's not on your calendar, our Customer Appreciation Dinner is on Saturday, October 8th from 5-8 pm. If you're planning to come, please let me know by Thursday. Don't forget to bring your kids, lawn chairs and if you get a chance, a side dish to share - although, don't let this keep you from coming. We'll do farm tours on a hay rack and visit at 5; eat around 6; let the kids run free and take a "train" ride after that. Well have a little farm store set up inside along with literature and a slide show - that way you can see what normal looks like around here. If you'd like to pick up meat, let me know and I'll have the order packed ahead of time. I know several of you are planning on picking up fresh chickens that day. Don't forget your coolers!

Kurt and his twin brother, Andrew, are making smoker plans - chicken, pork loin, brisket, hot dogs and pork burgers. I'm roasting a turkey inside. Some of the best we have to share - again, to say thank for your continued support and encouragement. Looking ahead at the forecast, there is a chance of rain next weekend although I've become a bit of a cynic when it comes to the National Weather Service and their empty promises. We will have a rain plan ready but more than likely if it showers, we'll be dancing between the drops!

We've spruced up a little and been spurred to finish a few projects - all the more reason to make this an annual event! I gotta warn you though, the yard looks rough. Six months of very little rain hasn't done much for the little grass we had and the chickens and turkeys have fed on the weeds. That said, we're excited you're coming and promise to show you a good, albeit dusty, time!

In addition to party preparations, September has been full. It has been cooler, thankfully, but certainly not much wetter. I keep telling Kurt it WILL rain again but soon I'm afraid it will be winter, and I'm going to have to tell him it will SNOW instead.

Earlier this month, the girls and I headed to Pretty Prairie to cheer for Kurt - he's still learning that the girls like football but they really go to watch and cheer for him. We stayed the night in Pretty Prairie and then headed onto Hutchinson the next morning for the State Fair. Allison had some 4-H responsibilities and wanted to see her exhibits. At first, I thought I was a bit nuts for taking all 3 girls to the fair by myself but it was a good day. We rented a wagon early on and Anna had a special monkey backpack which had a "tail" I could hang onto. No one got lost, no one had a full blown meltdown and we saw a 700 pound butter sculpture - by all measures a good day.

Kurt and I also celebrated our 14th anniversary this month. A few remembrances we shared over dinner: Kurt picked our wedding date with a planting schedule and a K-State football schedule in front of him. Yes, really - and I let him! I was teaching at the time and only had a handful of personal days. Our honeymoon was spent in the very relaxing, very familiar Wichita, KS. We decided the last 14 years haven't been perfect but there has been a lot more laughter than tears and I wouldn't have wanted to make the journey with any other farmer.

Part of our sprucing up has involved repainting the porch railing and the swing. Because I'm a little short on time, I actually put paint brushes in Allison and Natalie's hands - desperate times call for desperate measures. All things considered, mostly their ages, they did a nice job. They enjoyed their time on the porch so much, they asked if they could sleep out there. Anna was most disappointed that she had to stay inside. She's still up at night though and I didn't want her disoriented. Allison and Natalie were quite a sight! They shared a twin mattress and Natalie definitely got the short end of that arrangement. Both were bundled in heavy duty sleeping bags, multiple blankets and stocking caps - the low that night was 45. To listen to them talk, they have plans to do this every Saturday night. We'll see. I'm not quite sure this is what's meant by a sleeping porch.

While Anna didn't get to sleep outside, she did have a friend over this week. I pinch hit for a friend that needed emergency day care. Oh. . . . they were both so excited. Silly me thought that they would both take naps. After about 20 minutes in separate bedrooms, I begun to hear very loud stage whispers:
"C, what are you doing?"
"Nana, can I play with this?"
After about 10 minutes of this, I gave up on the idea of a nap and instead we played, ran errands and headed to the Kreeme for a much needed snack. Both kids were great - or as great as you can expect two 3-year-olds who didn't nap to be. I would help out again in a heartbeat BUT I did learn why God never blessed us with twins! Oh my goodness! the energy! Headed in two different directions!

Our turkeys are growing - it's helped that the puppy is in foster care at the farm and has quit chasing them - hard to eat when you're running for your life. We only have a few left to preorder. If you want one, reserve it soon.

Your last chance to get fresh chickens will be this week. After the Customer Appreciation Party, chickens will go up to $3.50/pound to cover our additional expenses of storing them, etc.

I have good news for those of you who love bacon as much as we do - it's back in stock! We also have ribeyes and fillets back in the freezers. Life is good. We brought home a few new products from Krehbiels made with our beef and pork:

* A sweet sausage link - Natalie's favorite

* A hot link for those of you who like heat. I tried a bite - oh my. Didn't realize I was such a weenie.

*A few pork tenderloins for those very special meals.

*And our most exciting new product - SUMMER SAUSAGE in two varieties, mild and jalapeno cheddar.

Our October special is in deference to my German heritage and Oktoberfest - ok, I'm only like 1/8 or so German but hey, it sounded good. Buy 10 pounds of sausage - you pick the mix, sweet Italian, spicy Italian or zesty breakfast sausage - for $30. A $5 savings.

Last chance to put your name on a quarter, half or whole beef. Kurt is headed to the processor on Thursday. See our FAQ's page for commonly asked beef questions. Hogs will be available in December and our supply is limited so let us know if you'd like to reserve one.

Family updates:

Kurt is frustrated with his hot wire situation right now. The hot wire allows Kurt to keep his cattle bunched up and graze more intensively for shorter periods - a practice that is good for the cattle and the grass. The problem is with very little moisture in the ground, the hot wire isn't grounded and won't carry much of a charge. It's hard to get the cattle, especially the younger, smaller calves, to respect a wire that won't bite them when they hit it. I rode out with Kurt last night to check cattle and was floored to watch the calves duck and walk under the wire and then moments later see the older, more experienced cows who know better step right over the wire - almost as if they were thumbing their noses at Kurt and I. One more reason we need rain - so we can better handle cattle and manage the feed we do have available.

Allison has been enjoying her usual activities. Two weeks ago, she and a friend walked in the Homecoming Parade as chefs from Cupcake Wars - a show we were not familiar with. They took 2nd place and won $5. After the parade, the two girls came up to me and asked, "Can you split this [$5 bill] into $2.50's?"

"Two fifties?? If I could do that, I wouldn't worry about rain." I responded.

After a beat to think about what I'd said, they both gave the obligatory chuckle. Then, headed across the street to the bank to ask the cashier if she would change their $5 into two $50's.

A highlight of Natalie's week was getting to ride home on the football bus Friday night with Kurt. The team played in Greensburg which is only about 35 miles from home. She was very excited about the trip but fell asleep shortly after the bus hit the highway.

Apparently, my concerns about preschool were totally unfounded. Anna has settled right in and I have been informed that she can be quite a "Chatty Cathy" when given the chance.

I am ready to begin my career in the IT field. We have recently replaced our laptop and I took on the challenge of moving important programs and documents from one computer to the other. Some processes have been pretty simple; others have involved more frustration, more time and more muttering under my breath than necessary. Either way, I know more today than I did a week ago.

Looking forward to celebrating with you this weekend!