Sarah the Jam maker

Good Morning from a cloudy kind of rainy knolltop!

I've got writing to do, so I will make this quick, but yesterday Sarah and I were busy most of the day making jam. It was Sarah's first stab at the process and she did a great job! She made a batch of strawberry and a batch of blueberry. She will enter her jams in the fair this year, so we have two more kinds to make.

She wasn't to excited when I told her what we were going to do, but then after she took over and I just watched she enjoyed the whole process. We made cooked jam, just like my mom used to do. And this morning I had the skimmings of the Strawberry jam on a roll and I told everyone else we coudn't touch the jam until the snow flies!

I was most impressed with the fact that the fruit in the jam is evenly spread throughout the jar, this has never happened to me, it always floats to the top. I guess Sarah has the secret touch!

The little homemaker then made a blueberry crisp for dessert and finished up the homemade rolls for dinner. She was my slave in the kitchen for sure yesterday. Today she is no where to be found!

Off to write!

Mooing at midnight

It's a cool, clear, breezy morning here on the Knolltop! What a week last week! I'm so glad to have things back to normal. It's fun to go but it's so much fun to come back home and settle back in.

The kids were extremely tired when we got home Friday night, but they still had to unload the trailer and then JW and Luke went and unloaded straw for a few hours Friday night before it rained on Saturday.

I posted a couple of pictures from last week and I will post a few more today for fun.

It was so funny this morning, when I got up and posted the news on Dairy Agenda Today, like always, I finished, made the coffee and went back into bed to drink coffee and eat my toast before we head out to the barn. When I finished my coffee I heard a cow that was way too close to be in the pasture! So we jumped out of bed, got our clothes on and looked outside only to see Melinda in the middle of the road looking at the house mooing as if to say "WAKE UP!"

I got my boots on, went outside and by this time she was in the front yard, facing the bedroom mooing again! I just told her to head back to the barn and I would let her in. She went down, patiently waited for me to go into the barn through the milkhouse, walk around and open the door where she was waiting for me. I let her in, she walked straight to her stall and began drinking. Ah ha! She had been out all night and hadn't had anything to drink!

As I went to tie her up, I heard more rumblings from where I shouldn't have heard rumblings from. And as I toured the yard I found three more renegades waiting at three different doors waiting to get into the barn! What a hoot!

Well, it's time to get back to work!

Bobby and Shelley

This is my next favorite picture from Dairy Days. Bobby and Shelley Hardy following Parker's heifer to the ring to make sure she doesn't get dirty. Flash back 20 years and this was where they were, together, "Pre Melissa" days with the two of them following Gregg with a cow to the show ring with Bobby carrying the bucket with straw and paper towels to wipe the cow's behind when she got dirty and Shelley walking along side in her sparkling "show day wear" chatting the whole way. Twenty years later they have a few more grey hairs, well, maybe not Shelley, they've added a few more wrinkles, have a little more wisdom, and still enjoy a very special friendship.

Me and My teenagers!

This is my favorite picture from Dairy Days last week, me an my three teenagers. Where's Jake? Not winning showmanship!

Dairy Days has been fun!

Good Morning from a cool, cloudy and busy knolltop.

As you know we're at the show this week, but I wanted to take a minute and post something this morning. Yesterday was the 4-H show and the kids did okay. Let's just say I won't have to make two trips with the truck and trailer, one for cows and the other for trophies.

But they had a good time yesterday. I'll post a few pictures after this post. But really, you need to go to Dairy Agenda Today and check out the pictures on my blog over there. Jake out did himself yesterday and he doesn't even know it. Luke and I had a great time watching him in the ring...and of course I took a bunch of pictures. Just go look!

I'm headed back for the great dairy adventure today! Daycare centers from all over Lansing will bring their kids in to learn about the dairy industry....oh so much fun!

Show Week!

Good Morning from the sunny, cool Knolltop!

I know, I know, I haven't blogged in a while, sorry about that! Everything and everyone is fine, just keep forgetting to do it after all the other tasks are done!

We are headed to East Lansing this morning for the Summer show, Jake and Sarah will be taking a heifer each, Luke is their transportation back and forth to Grandmas and JW and I will drive back and forth to be here to milk morning and night. Busy? YES But oh so much fun!

I'll try to keep you updated as the week progresses!

Painting Extravaganza!

Good Morning from a cool Knolltop! It's be so nice the last few days, cool at night, sunny during the day! I love it.

I haven't been blogging because there just hasn't been time. When I get done blogging on Dairy Agenda Today I have a million other things waiting. Like yesterday we painted the milkhouse....and it's waiting for a second coat today! I had all the kids out there working away, some are better than others at painting, but we got the job done and will have to go at it as soon as I get done here.

Jake had his final game last night and they lost to Pittsford. He wasn't feeling all that well and you could see it. He's got Sarah's cold and cough and just doesn't have the energy he needed. But it was a nice night of baseball.

Today after the kids get done with the milkhouse, I'm headed for a perm....and OH MY HEAVENS IT'S WAY OVERDUE! Can you tell I'm sick to death of my hair? I stick it in a pony tail everyday and don't even look at myself in the mirror...and we've had so many visitors, they are probably wondering why I look so blessed awful! But after today, I will have big hair again. I know that's not the style, but I've come to a place in my life where I DON"T CARE! I like big hair and that's what I'm going to have, no matter how many people don't like it!

Better get!

The barn is beautiful!

It's another gorgeous day on the Knolltop!

We've had a string of beautiful days here lately! I just love it.

The barn got white washed the other day and it looks so nice! Of course I made the whitewash guy pose for a picture for my blog. They do such a great job!

We got everything moved out and yesterday everything was moved back in so now the barn is all back together and it's so much fun to milk in a white barn!

Does it seem like I only have one kid? Yes, Jake has gotten a log of blog time lately, but honestly, he does the goofiest stuff! And he's not a teenager yet so he doesn't get all hung up about his picture being on the blog ....yet!

They made my birthday GREAT!

It's another beautiful morning here on the Knolltop.

Yesterday my birthday was wonderful. Although we were busy getting ready for the whitewashing guy, I still had a great day.

When I got home from the Godfrey picnic, Sarah had a birthday cake for me and the boys purchased a couple of John Deere shirts for me. One was a sweatshirt and the other a teeshirt. I love them! Thanks to everyone who sent me birthday wishes!

This morning we cleaned out the rest of the barn and the white washing guy is out there working away. I've put the indians to work, they aren't happy about it, they are working on projects that have needed be done for a long time!

Cowboy Jake

Good Morning from a sunny Knolltop!

It's going to be another beautiful day here and we've got lots of work to do. The white washer will come tomorrow so we've got to get everything out of the barn today so they can clean it and paint it. I'm not looking forward to this!

Then tonight Bobby and I will attend the Godfrey Farm Rural-Urban Picnic where the featured speaker will be Mike Cox, Michigan's Attorney General who has tossed his hat into the Governor's race ring. It should be interesting.

I should get a great article out of this event as always.

Yesterday we had lots of activity as always, but one camera worthy event was Jake, Sarah and Jake's friend Mason with the horse. Sarah and saddled the horse for the boys to ride and led Bud down the road for them. I didn't catch it until they were all done and pouring water on Bud to cool him off from the tough workout. Here's what I witnessed.

Jake's cowboy hat was the biggest HOOT! That is one of Bobby's old hats that was up in the closet and got a bit misshapen, but Jake didn't care, he still though he needed to wear it, with his shorts and tennis shoes???? What a kid!

Jake's video...finally

It's a sunny morning her on the Knolltop. And promises to be a very beautiful day!

Here is the video I've been wanting to upload for you. While the rest of you might not find this funny at all, to those of us who know Jake, it's really funny. And sorry about my big mouth laugh in the background!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Independence Day from the Knolltop!

And a very Happy Birthday to my mom! As she used to think when she was a little girl, isn't it nice that everyone celebrates her birthday!

We went and watched fireworks last night. It felt like an eternity before it started and it only lasted 15 minutes. But they were pretty and I'm glad we went.

I was sent the picture above from Julie Herbert. Her retired oldest sister is sorting through photos and came across this one, wondering which wedding it was of her siblings. I think the consensus was that it was Patty's wedding...to Dick Hyde.

Anyway the picture from left is Jim Munns, my brother Rex and my late brother Tim and apparently they were up to no good with the newlywed's car.

Enjoy Mom!

Lively baseball game!

Good Morning from a cloudy Knolltop!

Last night Jake had a baseball game and boy was it eventful....in the last inning. The ump called a strike that the other coaches didn't like and they let the ump have it. What they didn't realize was who they were dealing with. This particular ump would rather get into a fight than call the game. So when he threw the coaches out of the game and the coaches kept arguing, the ump said, "I'm not afraid to come over that fence and start throwin' some punches!" And with that, the coaches took their team off the field and forfeited the game. So, we won all because of an ump who "isn't afraid to start throwin' some punches." We know the ump, and we know how he reacts to things, so it certainly wasn't a surpise that he got into a shouting match. In the end, it was pretty humerous. Of course, not for the other team...but it gave me a chuckle on the way home.

Now I'm going to try to post the video I took of Jake and his drum set.

Jake the Rockstar

Good Morning from the sunny, but cool Knolltop!

Honey's baby now has a name....Honeymaid! There is a short story behind that name. From the time I was a kid, I've always enjoyed dipping graham crackers in milk. I did it then, I still do it now and I've inadvertently taught my children about the goodness of graham crackers in milk.

A few months ago, I was arguing with someone about the price of graham crackers and that the store brand is just as good as the name brand. Then one day the name brand went on sale, so I bought some. Luke and I sat down to share some Honeymaid graham crackers and milk and we looked at each other and agreed, they were so much better than the store brand!

So when Luke was searching for a name for Honey's calf, Honeymaid just seemed appropriate!

Yesterday afternoon, Jake acquired a drum set from a friend and he has been playing them ever since, so when I heard him outside, I decided to take a peek. The video camera was a must and now because I know Nana and Grandma will get a kick out of this, I will share another video. Just so you know, Luke, JW, Sarah and I were all outside watching the rock star do his stuff!

Well, I'm currently uploading it right now, it takes a while, when it's done it will appear!

Honey's Baby was born!

Good Morning from a cool Knolltop!

Honey had her baby! She was bred with sexed semen, so it should be a heifer calf out there in the pasture that the boys are bringing up as I type! Luke gets to name her and as of yet, I haven't heard what he's decided on.

After I get all this writing done, I'll head out and take a look at the new addition to the baby calf clan. They are going to overrun the barn pretty soon!

Jake and Sarah are busying playing with the new kittens they found in the back room. There are three of them and they are just opening their eyes and boy are they cute!

Well, I've got a column to write and I've had my share of interruptions this morning, so I'd better get on it!