Guest post: Gardens and grandkids

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Gratitude

What a beautiful fall morning it was today! Sun just peeking out from in-between some sparse clouds, light fog and gorgeous fall colors in the trees! And another new month has arrived! I really love this time of year with the holiday season and all it means, but I still can’t believe it’s here already. Hopefully we won’t all get so caught up in the hustle and bustle, but instead will take time to really enjoy and cherish the time we have with family and friends.

I’m so grateful to call our guest blogger today a friend as well as a co-worker! Laura Marlatt, a member of our circulation staff, works remotely from her home in Washington but is a very valuable member of our team. I’m not sure what I’d do without her! But today she shares something she is grateful for.

She writes:

When thinking about what I’m grateful for, a couple of things come to my mind – gardens and grandkids. They might be more related than you would originally suspect…

My husband (Papa Jer) and I have been blessed with 12 (and counting) beautiful grandchildren (no, I am not biased). We are lucky enough to have three that live just around the corner from us, so we get to be more involved in their lives.

I also have the privilege of getting to work at my awesome job from home! This being said – there are probably a few more ‘little interruptions’ in my day-to-day routine than a ‘normal working person’ might experience, but it’s also MUCH more enjoyable, I would bet!

I can hear the children’s voices outside, just as they are rounding the corner to our street. The 3 year old boy will bound into our home, just barely getting the door open before he starts yelling, “Maymee! I’n here! Its me!” If I am not right there to greet him, he continues to yell his greeting through the house and up the stairs until he finds me – always so excited to ‘surprise’ me that HE is here!

He then proceeds to tell me the events of the day, including “Papa Jer not here, he’s at work” (much to his 6 year old sister’s chagrin as she thinks she is ‘past’ that stage of constant excitement and a bit more reserved in her acceptance of things right here, right now, just the way they are. A little sad to see the skepticism of life at so young an age… AFTER she has circled nearly everything in the newest store circular that she thinks she wants for Christmas?!?)

It is so rejuvenating to feel the exuberance of childhood as I get to experience life through a child’s eyes; noticing things I usually take for granted or have somehow forgotten or pushed aside for ‘more important things.’

As we dug up the remaining carrots from our garden last weekend, the children helped gather them up into boxes & bags. They could see ‘shapes and faces’ in many of the fancy carrots that grew this year, their imaginations running wild with possibilities.

I listened to them reflect on the efforts made to plant, grow, water and weed the garden, and remember the amazement in their eyes the first time they visited after they’d helped to plant and green was beginning to shoot up throughout (it was probably weeds, but they weren’t bothered with that!).

Sure, the radish sandwiches were a ‘feast or famine’ this year, as the 6 year old accidentally dumped the entire package of seeds into one big pile rather than the long row created for them. But how excited she was to see what she planted actually growing! And each of the grandchildren have their own, favorite ‘sitting spot’ amongst the raspberry rows where they pick & eat to their hearts content (or until mom & dad calls them away)!

As they help gather cucumbers, green beans, tomatillos or even tomatoes (yuck! they say), their constant commentary of life is a wonderful reminder to me to ‘stop and smell the peppers’ rather than rush from one project to another!

Now that the garden spot is tilled and raked in preparation for winter, the 6 year old suggests a new place to plant pumpkins “so they will grow bigger and more next year!”  What excitement!! Bring on the snow and a new season!!! Life is great! 🙂

Thank you so much, Laura! I was thinking many of the same types of things today – how I need to take a step back and just learn to really enjoy each moment life has to offer and how much good there is to see, if we take time to recognize it.

As a post-Halloween treat, I also have to give everyone a ‘sneak peek’ of our Progressive Forage Grower issue 9 cover. Even though we have a new editor, I still got to work with Kevin D. Brown, our in-house artist, on the cover this year. It won’t be in your mailbox until mid-November, but I couldn’t wait that long to share it with you!

As usual, I had an idea in my head but didn’t quite know what I wanted the end result to look like. So I turned it over to Kevin. As usual, he did something that far exceeded my original thought.

The inspiration for our cover this year came from a painting a reader had shared with us previously, as well as a thought I read somewhere that says, “You are the seed that decides the harvest around you.”

From those small ideas came a beautiful new painting titled “The Harvest” – which you can see below.

I absolutely love how it turned out! There is so much symbolism, in addition to just the beautiful artwork. Kevin found another quote that I think illustrates this idea perfectly, as well.

Credited to Cicero, it reads: “The harvest of old age is the recollection and abundance of blessing previously secured.”

Much to ponder and apply in our lives! Thank you so much, Kevin!

 

Guest post: People, places and things

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Gratitude

It’s been a fairly good, productive week around here! Crazy busy with everything again, but that’s what keeps life fun and interesting, so I suppose it’s all good!

Our guest blogger today is one of our sales team members, Jo Dexter. She is outside of our Idaho office, so we don’t get to see her as often as some other team members, but I really admire her work ethic and willingness to just ‘get in and get it done’ when a task is at hand.

She writes:

With my position at Progressive Publishing, I travel a considerable amount around the U.S. and attend conferences, meetings, farm shows and livestock shows. I am often reminded how blessed I am to have good health, family, friends and prosperity in my life. 

It is easy to get caught up in day-to-day activities and life and complain about the little things that are a challenge. But life without family and friends would be empty, and life without good health would be a struggle everyday. Prosperity is not necessary, but it does afford me the ability to experience the world and live comfortably.

During this season of Thanksgiving, many reflect on their lives and give thanks for people and bounty they have. I am no different. People are what make the biggest difference in my life. My travels and experiences have allowed me to meet so many special people that have influenced my days and my life. 

All of which I appreciate.

Thank you, Jo! It’s always so important to remember the ones that have helped shape and mold our lives.

In addition to our guest post, I also wanted to share something else with you this week. If you are not a current subscriber to our Progressive Cattleman publication, you missed a great piece of writing by our editor, David Cooper (click here if you’d like to read the entire article). I really enjoyed reading it, and it was another great reminder of how important it is to express gratitude in our lives.

My favorite line is this: “Gratitude is contagious and builds us up as well as others, and fills the spirit the way no other possession can.” Thank you, David! Such a great perspective! May we all keep that in mind, especially during the coming holiday season.

Thankful for a day off

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Gratitude

Well, I haven’t heard from our guest blogger yet today, so I guess I’ll take another turn to share something I’m grateful for again. It was pretty easy to think of something today, too!

I’ve been working a lot of hours for the last couple of weeks, ever since World Dairy Expo. We had a great show and were able to talk to a lot of our readers and get them to fill out subscription forms to continue to receive the magazines.

SIDE NOTE: That’s something some people don’t realize…yes, the magazines are free, but we do ask that you request them every couple of years, just to make sure we still have all the contact information correct and that there’s still an involvement with the industry. So, if you want to keep the magazines coming to you, don’t forget to renew here.

Anyhow, we ended up with a big pile of subscription forms to process, and our circulation team wanted to try to hurry and get as many processed as we could to get them updated before mail lists this past week. So it meant some extra hours and a couple long evenings. Well worth it, but the hours do catch up to you.

I was feeling pretty run down and then came across an article during lunch this week about why our brains need downtime (it’s a long read, but if you’re interested, you can read the complete article here).

The part that really struck me was this:

“People are working so many hours that not only in most cases do they not have more hours they could work, but there’s also strong evidence that when they work for too long they get diminishing returns in terms of health costs and emotional costs,” Schwartz says. “If time is no longer an available resource, what is? The answer is energy.”

That makes a lot of sense to me! We can’t come up with more time, but what we can do is use some of the time we have been given to replenish our energy reserves.

So, today I’m grateful for a day off! My college daughter was home, my husband and three boys had a day off from school after parent teacher conferences, so everyone was actually home for a day!

We didn’t do much of anything. In fact, I even got a nap! But it was a wonderful way to spend a day, and I think I’ll be ready to back to work again on Monday!

Many thanks to my team for ‘holding down the fort’ while I was gone today. And to my employers for letting us take time off when it works best for us and our families. It’s been a good day!

Guest post: Home

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Gratitude

Another week has just flown by! But, I just love the fall, with crisp, cool evenings and warm afternoons, the changing colors of the leaves, sights and sounds of crops being harvested and the approaching holidays. What a great time of year!

Today I have the privilege of introducing you to another member of our staff. Melinda Amy is part of our circulation team and always does her work with a smile and a positive attitude! But today she shares something she is grateful for.

She writes:

I’m thankful for so many things, but when I try to narrow it down to one I keep coming back to the same thing: Home. 

I recently spent a week away from home in Madison, Wisconsin to attend World Dairy Expo. It was a great experience meeting people from all over the world and seeing things I would never have had a chance to see. But, when it’s all said and done, I’m so glad I get to go home.

Someone once said “home is where the heart is,” and I truly believe that. Home can be a specific place, but it can also be anywhere you feel loved, safe and content.

I love being home. Home is where I’m happy, spending time with those I love most. My home is where my kids cuddle on my lap and tell me how much they love me. My home is where I have meals at the table and talk about the things that happen during the day. Home is where I, as a Mom, get to teach my kids the things that matter most.

My home is warm and inviting with toys, shoes and laundry throughout. I love my home and those who live there with me more than anything in this world.

I also love the things that remind me of my childhood home. I love the mountains and seeing the seasons change.  I love the smell of fresh-cut alfalfa, sagebrush being rained on and seeing a full night sky of stars; Sunday dinner with the family, the smell of chicken frying and the sound of football playing in the other room.

My physical home has changed throughout the years, but the memories and the feelings I get when I’m there are always the same. I love my home.

Here are a few quotes I found regarding home.

“We shape our dwellings, and afterwards our dwellings shape us.” —Winston Churchill

“Where thou art, that is home.” —Emily Dickinson

“People usually are the happiest at home.” —William Shakespeare

“Home is the most popular, and will be the most enduring of all earthly establishments.” —Channing Pollock

“The ordinary acts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.” —Thomas Moore

Thank you, Melinda! Love these thoughts and love the quotes! I’m so glad to have you as part of our circulation team and really appreciate all you do! I have truly enjoyed getting to know you since you came to work with us, and it’s such a pleasure watching your cute little family grow!

Guest post: Learning to be grateful

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Gratitude

Posting early today from our hotel room in Madison, Wisconsin before we prepare to head to another day at World Dairy Expo! This week is always so tiring, but also so enjoyable! We love seeing our readers and clients face-to-face and hearing their feedback about the magazines. So, if you’re at Expo today or tomorrow, be sure to stop by one of our booths and say hello!

Oh, and by the way, if you renew your subscription (or sign up for a new one) while you are at the show, we have a button you can wear, and if one of our staff spots it, you could win a fun prize! 🙂

Anyhow, today I have the privilege of introducing you to another member of our staff. Bill Paul is a member of our production team also our go-to guy for computer issues (how he has the patience to deal with all of those things I’ll never know!).

He’s a rather private person, so I had a hard time convincing him to share something for the blog, but I’m so glad he finally agreed. I hope you are as touched by his words as I am.

He writes:

Gratitude is a private aspect of my life. It is part of my daily religious worship. That is why Lynn has had to petition me several times before I would agree to write this.

Often the last thought on the average person’s mind, after being the benefactor of a gift, gratitude can be forgotten. Not that they meant to forget…the feelings of happiness, joy or simple gratification flow through the mind for a brief moment, then the humanity of being distracted by other worldly needs or treasures take hold. And the grand plans of showing gratitude fade into the noise of the everyday distractions.

It is for this reason gratitude must become a natural reaction. We need to create the habit of daily gratitude. We must. If gratitude is not followed by action, we loose. We loose because if we do not put forth the energy to learn it, gratitude will be taught to us in a much more miserable way. It will be taught by the miserable teacher named “want” and also by the other more undesirable teacher “scarcity.”

As a young lad of 19, I was working as a missionary in Guatemala. There, on a very rainy afternoon, I was schooled when I thought I was the teacher on this very subject.

I sat next to my fellow missionary on a hard bed perched up on some boxes. There in front of us were the lady of the house and her son. We tried in vain to talk to and teach these humble people. But the sound of rain on the tin roof of the poorly pieced together shanty was deafening.

There we sat in our fancy clothes and polished shoes, having had our three square meals during the last 24 hours. While these humble people in front of us had nothing but scrap clothes upon their frames as they sat upon their dusty, dirt floor. Such kindness they had afforded us by allowing us the honor of sitting upon their only piece of furniture.

In vain we taught over the roar of the rain. And as we finished, while petitioning for another visit with them, the rain subsided. We thanked them and wandered back out into the day. We never did return to try and teach them. But the lesson they taught me did (and still does) bring tears to my eyes.

At first I thought the tears represented pity. But as I have thought more upon that day, I have realized that the tears were tears of remorse, sadness for why I did not have more gratitude in my heart. Why did I not recognize on a daily basis what I really had?

No my friend, I am not referring to their lack of possessions compared to the king-like possessions I have been blessed with all of my life. It is, I’m afraid, much simpler than that. They were richer than I. They had smiles on their faces and gratitude in their eyes. They had survived yet another day. Oh what triumph and delight in living and breathing with gladness in their souls they taught us that day!!

Thank you so much, Bill! What a wonderful lesson. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you sharing that story and your wisdom about how important it is that we learn how to be grateful. And it truly is a habit we have to learn to cultivate and nurture in order for it to become a natural part of who we are!

Guest post: Season of creativity

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Gratitude

It’s been a busy couple of weeks around our house. We got to have our ‘college kid’ home for a couple of days last weekend, which involved a couple trips to Logan, and it was so good to see her and give her a big hug! I’m so proud of her and all she is accomplishing!

But in-between drives, work and church responsibilities, and just the the hectic pace of everyday life, I’ve been busy canning and freezing food from our garden or donations from generous friends and neighbors. I’m so grateful for it when I’m finished, but it makes for lots of late nights and aching backs that make it a little harder to appreciate at the moment. But I truly am grateful that we have had ample water and good weather to make it possible to harvest and preserve food for the upcoming months. Such a blessing to have plenty to eat and share with others!

But, enough about me! Today we have the pleasure of another guest blogger! Brina Norwood, a member of our office staff, shares some of her thoughts about the season and what she is grateful for.

She writes:

The dictionary defines autumn as: “The season of year between summer and winter, lasting from the autumnal equinox to the winter solstice and from September to December in the Northern Hemisphere; fall.”

I absolutely love this time of year, which consists of brisk mornings and evenings, with the absolute perfect temperature during the day. I love taking long walks in the evenings with my kids and hearing their excitement about their day as the sun begins to set in the distance. I love feeling the leaves on the ground beneath my feet as we walk past the tree-lined street with an array of different colors falling from the monster of trees all around us. The fields in the country are being harvested and the farmers are hard at work even after the sun goes down.

I love the excitement on my husbands face as he brings in the harvest from our small little garden and surprisingly shows me the huge cucumber that we missed in our last several attempts of harvesting our garden. This cucumber could have won an award at the fair a few weeks ago.

I love helping my kids submit their art projects at the fair that they’ve excitedly and thoroughly worked on for the year. Then we have the anticipation of seeing what place they took in their categories.

How did I get such creative kids? I’m so not creative, but the good Lord knew I needed some creativity to spice up my life. I’m so thankful for my kids and what they have taught me. On our long walks, my daughter is always dancing around practicing a new step/move and singing with her beautiful voice while my son always points out the tips of the mountaintops or the array of clouds and their different shapes or the beautiful sunset still peaking out at us.

I hate to admit it but often times I have been known to go too fast and not take the time to “smell the roses.” I can remember any set of numbers your throw at me…but did I ever stop to recognize the different colors of clouds? Did I even notice the beautiful orange in the sunset? Did I even know there were tips on those mountaintops? What about the shadow coming off those mountains or trees? How did I miss all this beautiful detail?

I’m so beyond thankful for what my kids have taught me and guess what? They are both born in the autumn/fall. Coincidence? I think not.

Thank you so much, Brina! I read a quote again this week that your words brought back to mind:

“Life is meant to be enjoyed, not just endured.” – Gordon B Hinckley

I so admire you for your work ethic and the sacrifices you and your husband make for your family. But, you are right – we need to notice the little things, too, and learn how to enjoy the time we have here with our loved ones! Thank you for that reminder! I’m glad to have you as a friend and co-worker.

Oh, and for those of you who don’t know – Brina’s son was the ‘artist’ behind one of my favorite Progressive Forage Grower covers (drawn when he was only eight years old)! Click here to see it! He’s pretty amazing! Thanks again, Brayden! I’ll always love this picture!

Guest post: Thankful for opportunity

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Gratitude

Well, it didn’t take long for fall to arrive around here. The morning temperatures have dropped to the point you definitely need a jacket, but it’s warm enough in the afternoon that you’re definitely ready to shed the extra layer and enjoy the sunshine. I love it! And I love opening the windows at night and enjoying the cool air! So grateful for the change in seasons!

As you know if you’re a regular reader, we’ve had lots of staff changes around the Progressive Publishing offices in the last year or so. One of those was hiring a new member of our editorial team – Andrew Weeks. And today he’s our guest blogger and gets to share what he is grateful for.

He writes:

When I was asked to write a blog post on the topic of gratitude, I was excited for at least a couple of reasons. First, I’ve been reading this blog since before I started working at Progressive Publishing and have enjoyed reading other people’s expressions of gratitude. Second, expressing gratitude is something I deem intellectually and religiously worthy of a person’s character.

The tough part for me has been coming up with something to write about. It’s not that I lack things to be grateful for, it’s that there’s so much to be grateful about. But after considering the topic and all the many things I could write about, I decided to express gratitude for “opportunity.”

The word opportunity, according to Merriam-Webster, means “an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done.” When looking at it in this light, we see that our days, weeks, months and even years are filled with many opportunities — from meeting personal goals, accomplishing good works with our families, to achieving success at school or in our careers. Maybe we’ve set goals — a timeline — to accomplish certain tasks. How fulfilling is it when we reach those goals!

An opportunity I’ve had — one that’s brought me a lot of fulfillment — is being a journalist and writer. The opportunity (remember Webster: “an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done”) started when I began my training at the University of Utah, where I studied mass communication. My first real hands-on journalism experience came while I was still in school, writing for a weekly newspaper and soon thereafter covering the world Olympics for an international publication. I was on Cloud Nine!

Later, as a dour economy challenged the industry as it has done with many professions, I would sometimes wonder where this demanding and sometimes quirky profession would take me. Gratefully, I’ve had the chance to become a published book writer and work for some good news companies while growing my love for the story of journalism, an “opportunity” I might not have had if I didn’t live in the United States of America, a country dear to my heart. Now I work at Progressive Publishing and rub shoulders regularly with many hard-working, dairy-loving and God-fearing people. It’s an opportunity I don’t take for granted, but one for which I’m extremely grateful.

If we look at our lives, evaluate our stature and place, we’ll see that a loving and kind Heavenly Father constantly provides each of us with opportunities to extend our talents, learn new ones, and grow into our dreams or develop new ones. It might not happen overnight because, after all, opportunity (again, think of Merriam-Webster) is a benchmark, a time allotted to accomplish certain tasks. In this vein, our very lives are an opportunity, one for which we should all be grateful. We should all consider — or reconsider, if we must — how we’ll live up to our life’s opportunity. It’s something that’s been on my mind. And I’m thankful for that!

Thank you so much, Andy! I’ve enjoyed getting to know you a little bit better and glad to have you as part of the team. I hope we can all be grateful for the many opportunities that come our way each day and remember to take full advantage of the new and exciting things it brings into our lives!

Guest post: Those that matter most

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Gratitude

We’ve finally had a few rainstorms the last week or two, and it’s been wonderful to get some moisture! Although we’re not as dry as many other areas, it’s still been a long, hot summer. But the mornings are starting to cool off a little bit and a few of the leaves are just starting to change color. I get the sense that fall is just around the corner! It’s amazing to me – I know I say it over and over again, but where does the time go?!?! Incredible!

Anyhow, this week it’s time to introduce another one of our staff members. Amy Brown is a member of our circulation team, so you might have had the opportunity to talk to her on the phone if you’ve called in to renew your subscription lately!

But today, she shares something she is grateful for. She writes:

There are so many things I am grateful for! But, at this time of year, I would have to say that my family is at the top. I was blessed to grow up in a large family with wonderful parents. The summertime reunions are so much fun. I know it may sound strange, but my siblings are some of my best friends! We really do enjoy being together! I am so thankful for parents that raised me in a house where it was okay to laugh, play and stay up all night talking. Those relationships will last forever.

As my children get older I am constantly amazed at the wonderful people they are becoming. I would like to take the credit for being such a great mom, but reality won’t let me. My teenagers really are best friends, and who could ask for more! I am excited to continue watching them learn, laugh and, yes…stay up all night talking.

School is back in session and the holidays are fast approaching. What a blessing to be able to slow down, settle back into somewhat of a routine and spend time with those that matter most.

Thank you, Amy! I am so grateful to have you as part of our team! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your positive attitude and work ethic! And I know you have had an influence on those awesome kids of yours!

Guest post: Grateful for stories

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Gratitude

Back to some guest posts for a few weeks, and today I’m excited to introduce you to another member of our production staff – Carrie Stockbrand. She doesn’t say a whole lot, but when she does, it’s worth listening to, and I loved what she chose to be grateful for this week!

She writes:

I am grateful for stories. My Grandma Clark had a way of telling stories, a rhythm to her voice that would always draw me in. Her stories have taught me lessons, made me laugh and made me cry. I am grateful for all the time I spent listening as she told fascinating stories about ordinary things.

Stories can transport you across the world or to the moon. They make you ask questions and can also provide answers. Stories have the ability to make you a believer, if only for a moment.

There are Big Fish stories and Old Wives tales. There are stories that can change you. They can be powerful or funny, or they can leave you in awe. But the best thing about stories is that everyone has one worth sharing.

Something so simple, but so powerful! I, too, have very fond memories of stories told to me as a child – my dad always told us Brer Fox, Brer Bear and Brer Rabbit stories at bedtime. I haven’t thought about that in a long time, but oh, how I loved those stories!

I also had an adopted ‘grandpa’ growing up that would tell the best stories around the campfire after a long day of pushing cows. And my father-in-law loves to gather the grandkids on his lap and around his chair for a good ‘Old Pooch’ story!

Thank you, Carrie! I enjoyed remembering why I, too, am grateful for stories!

How did we live without it?

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Gratitude

Well, our staff member you were supposed to meet today was not able to get a submission finished up for this week, so you get to hear from me again. There has definitely been something in particular on my mind that I’m grateful for, however, so I’m happy to share it with you.

My grateful “word of the day” is TECHNOLOGY. I use a computer every day, and honestly don’t know how I would accomplish my work without it. But, to be more specific, these last couple of weeks I have been so grateful for a silly little technology called FaceTime.

As you know, if you are a regular reader, our oldest daughter headed off to college a couple weeks ago. The dynamic in our house has been so different with her gone (although my two youngest boys are happy, as they now have their own bedrooms!). And, as a mom, I worry about her – is she happy, getting along okay with her roommates, eating right, etc.

It’s fun to send a quick little text back and forth (which in and of itself is pretty amazing!) or have a phone call, but my favorite moments are when we get to FaceTime. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s basically a video call where you can not only hear the person, but get to SEE them, too! And you can tell so much from a person’s facial expression! She might TELL me she’s okay, but when I can see her face, I can tell if she really means it!

I marvel all the time about how many advances in technology there has been, even in my young (I can say that, since I just had the 25th anniversary of my 20th birthday!) lifetime. I still fondly remember our first Commodore 64 computer with the rubber keys where my brother and I liked to play Pong – it was brilliant! And then when I went to college and got my first Apple computer – I don’t how I would have made it through college without it!

But when I stop to think about how blessed we are to have such easy access to advanced technology to make our lives easier and be more efficient, all I can think is, “How did we live without it?”

I’ll be the first to admit I’m NOT a real ‘techie’ person, but I’m coming along and am very appreciative of the wonders of our modern age. Yes, we all need to be careful to not abuse it – no texting and driving, no inappropriate use of media, no obsessive behavior with a video game – but if we recognize technology as a tool that can help us do and be better, we can count ourselves lucky to live in a time when it is so readily available to us.

So today I’m thankful for technology. And now I think I’ll head home for some dinner and a FaceTime call with my daughter!