Knolltop Farm Wife

Can I break from my normal opinionated commentary to tell you about something I’ve been wearing for the past two years?  Hang with me; you might find this helpful if you live in a northern climate, want to look nice, but don’t want to fall on your behind while unloading groceries at your local store or running across the barnyard to catch a runaway heifer. Durango Boots asked if I wanted to try a pair of their Lady Rebel line, and not ever having tried their boots, I figured I had nothing to lose.  I’ve been wearing them for two years now, and I have no complaints. When I put my jeans on in the morning, I have plenty of boots to choose from, but when the snow flies or I’m going to be out and about on the farm, I reach for my Durango Lady Rebels.   I had no idea how much I would enjoy these boots until I wore them in the ice and snow of our Michigan winters. They give me plenty of traction; they are water-proof and give me all-day comfort.  If I’m going to st...

 By Melissa Hart Something is happening in our world that is as scary as I’ve ever seen, and it has nothing to do with communicable diseases or artificial intelligence killing off the world as we know it.  It’s about the absolute disregard for one half of our population because of their gender. We have a full-on assault on men and boys in this nation, and it’s got to stop. For decades, Hollywood has portrayed men as nothing more than useful idiots in our sitcoms, movies, and now on social media.  Dads are dopes, boys are bad, and young men are a danger to society. The most troubling trend on social media is pregnant women who are blatantly saying if they find out they are having a boy, they will immediately abort the baby.  What infectious mind disease have these women surrendered their good sense to? Who has convinced these women that boys are bad and girls are better? Who has continued to perpetuate the storyline that women are superior because we are women and men...

As I was cleaning out the pen of the girl’s miniature pony, they were bouncing around the barn, playing with the hose and doing what toddlers do when given the freedom to explore.  Suddenly I heard Madi yelling, so I looked out to find her standing on the top of the gate yelling, “ROY! ROY!” She wanted Roy, the horse, to come up from the pasture so she could see him.  As passionately as she was yelling, you would think her relationship with Roy was like the Lone Ranger and his horse Silver, inseparable.  But that’s not an accurate description of Madi and Roy. Madi calls for Roy every time we go to the barn, but as soon as Roy gets up close and personal, Madi’s fear kicks in, and she quickly backs off.  She loves him from afar and believes she wants him to come closer, until he does, and then she wants no part of him. Her relationship with Roy is much like our relationship with faith in God.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve stood on the proverbial ...

By Melissa Hart Contentment can be an elusive concept when we are constantly bombarded with influencers telling us we are missing out if we don’t buy a product or service. The highlight reels of a family on a stunning vacation or the accomplishments of their kids can send us down the path to pity in a big hurry. Or simple fall decorations on a porch can make us feel like we are falling short of the expectations the world has seemingly put on us. We can fall prey to the need to be better, belong, and be happy if we only had a little bit more. Yesterday, I was reminded by my two-year-old granddaughter that I am blessed beyond belief. As I was preparing her toast for breakfast, she was sitting on the counter, watching every slab of butter I slathered on the warm, toasted bread. Suddenly, she said, “Are those your new drawers?” She was referring to the new drawers I had built for my kitchen to replace the 50-year-old drawers that had fallen apart after decades of use. I want a new kitchen....

 By Melissa HartIt is not lost on me that I have one of the best jobs in the world. Traveling is fun but traveling to so many state fairs and cattle shows is something I have enjoyed my entire life.  I think I inherited the love of a cattle show from my mom, who would have spent her entire summer on the road showing something anywhere she could if she had not been busy with a family and a farm. When I interviewed Alta Mae Core of Salvisa, Kentucky for our DAT Extra podcast, I realized she lived that life with her parents.  They went from show to show all summer long and last weekend, as a grandmother, I followed her into Broadbent Arena with a spring calf and followed her out with the Supreme Champion of the Kentucky State Fair. There is just something about the smell of shavings and the sound of clippers with hair flying that reminds us that we are near people we can relate to….we are home. We started our state fair coverage in Columbus at the Ohio State Fair. This f...

 On our 250 th birthday of the great experiment called the United States of America, there is so much patriotic content to consume and I’m here for every bit of it. The choirs singing patriotic songs, the flag that is being carried on foot by country loving patriots from Washington state to Washington DC and the constant barrage of fireworks from freedom loving Americans is just what this country needs. This beautiful yet battered experiment of people wanting to be free from the tyranny of a king needs to be front and center for every American citizen.  The FIFA World Cup has brought in visitors from around the world who are discovering America for the first time and loving it.  They love our freedom. They love our free refills and they love the beauty from corner to corner that is America. They have given us a gift. They have reminded us that we have taken for granted that we live freely, speak freely and travel freely through a country filled with like-minded y...