The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetings to ever one in western Illinois and all readers of The Quill. I'm a hope'n ever one had a good Columbus Day celebration last Monday, October 13th. Won't be long, October 31, and Halloween will be here. Along with Yom Kippur, Monday the 4th, that makes three big holidays this month.
Harvest seems ta be progress'n satisfactorily. Yields fer corn are very good. Soybeans that had sudden death syndrome have yields that are disappoint'n but those lucky buggers that were disease free report good yields.
Those fellers that sprayed their corn in test strips with a fungicide are report'n a 15 bushel per acre yield advantage or better.
I keep think'n of the weather person that reported a higher degree of probability the second half of harvest would be better than normal. I suppose rain this weekend helps remind me of her prediction. There's a lot of soybeans and corn yet ta be harvested and they needs all the good weather they can get.
Get Out of the Car
The follow'n supposedly true story is told from the police log of Sarasota, Florida: An elderly lady did her shopping, and upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle. She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her lungs, "I have a gun, and I know how to use it! GET OUT OF THE CAR!"...
The four men didn't wait for a second threat. They got out and ran like mad.
The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and got into the driver's seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition. She tried and tried, and then she realized why. It was for the same reason she had wondered why there was a football, a Frisbee, and two 12-packs of beer in the front seat.
A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down. She loaded her bags into the car and drove to the police station to report her mistake. The sergeant to whom she told the story couldn't stop laughing. He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a car-jacking by a mad, elderly women described as white, less than five feet tall, glasses, curly white hair, and carrying a large handgun.
No charges were filed.
Moral of the story?
If you're going to have a senior moment...make it memorable!
How Poor We Are
A fairly well to do city feller decided to show his son how poor people can be. He drove his son ta one of the farms they had inherited to spend a couple of days and nights there observe'n.
On their return trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was good dad," came the answer. "Did ya see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Oh, yeah" said the son. "So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered, "I saw that they had four dogs and we have one. We have a pool thirty feet long and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns by our patio and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
With this the boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks, dad, for showing me how poor we are."
There ya has it then, an example of how ever thing is relative!
What is a Mother
What is a mother? She knows her children better than anyone. She has carried them in her arms and in her heart. She is the woman who bore them, who loves them, who teaches them, who inspires them and who sometimes disciplines them. She rocks the baby. She reads the stories. She hears the prayers. She sets the standards. She teaches of God, of scriptures, of prophets and of commandments. She is a mother.
She is the best friend God has given children. She forgives. She trusts. She encourages. She is the woman who dries the tears, who makes the cakes, who plays the games, who sings the songs. She is a mother.
She is wisdom, common sense and patience. She is tenderness, loveliness and kindness. She is a source of safety, hope and comfort. Her smile lights the way. She is faith, perseverance, and courage. She is a refuge. She is love, duty and devotion. She is a healer, a nurse and doctor. She is a cook, a chauffeur and a counselor. She fashions genius and awakens intellect. Her heart is her children's schoolroom. She shares their victories and softens their losses. She is faith, perseverance, courage. She is a mother.
She is no stranger to grief. Her children are not perfect. No one knows it better than she. Their errors give a double blow. One to themselves and one to her. She bears. She nurses. She rears. She teaches. She protects, then she lets them go. Her love is that strong. For her teenagers, her lamp is always lit. Her love defends them from temptation. She is there when she is needed. Always. She is a mother.
She is the loom upon which they weave their character. She teaches the lessons of the past. She beckons them toward new horizons. Because she dreams, they dream. She is a civilizer, a builder of homes, a keeper of communities and a shaper of nations. She is not a woman of riches, but she is a women of great wealth. Her children are her jewels. She delights in their triumphs and in their character. She is a mother. She is a partner with her husband and with God.
I'm a hope'n mother and father alike enjoyed that little description on what a mother is.
Well, that's it fer this week. I'm hope'n this column finds ya well. Fer those of youn's that are farmers, be safe
Hope'n ta see ya in church this week. Where ever ya is, what ever ya be a do'in," BE A GOOD ONE!"
Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya later
Barnyard Bruke