Year: 2013

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 15: Pongo

CarolynCares Pongo

Pongo is our Rat Terrier. We got him as a puppy, for a two week trial period…four years ago. For our daughter Laura and I, it was pretty much love at first sight.

I got my first pet shortly after Jonathan and I were married. She was a beautiful shade of gray, so I named her Smokey. That was when we found out I have asthma, and that I’m very allergic to cats. After a trip to the ER, and a shot of adrenaline, Smokey became an outside cat.

We’ve had a few dogs in the 25 years that we’ve been married. I still miss my first dog – a Border Collie that would climb trees to fetch her favorite stick, or climb ladders if we were working in the barn loft.

Pongo is the smallest dog we’ve owned, and by far the cuddliest. He is also the first dog that has been allowed in the house for more than an hour at a time. He likes to jump up on my lap when I’m sitting at the computer, which really makes it difficult to type! We trained him early on that barking in the house is not allowed. He will whine and run to the door when he sees a squirrel outside, then start barking as soon as he’s out the door. He’s a very good farm dog as well. True to his breed, he catches and kills mice around the grain bins when he finds them. Fortunately, he doesn’t bring them up to the house like the cats do!

I am thankful that our friends asked us to take Pongo for that two week trial. No matter how bad I think my day may be going, he is always happy to see me in the morning, and he never loses his enthusiasm. Some days it would be nice to forget all your cares, run around the yard at top speed, then take a nap. Sweet is the life of a dog…

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30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 14: Sunsets

CarolynCares Sunsets

One of the things I love about living where I do are the wide open views. I love to run out to the edge of the yard and watch the brilliant colors as they constantly change while the sun is sinking. This fall, there have been breathtaking sunsets, where I’ve paused just to drink it all in.

Some think that it is cliche to take photos of sunrises and sunsets, but I disagree. Our goddaughter’s Chinese name meant Beautiful Colors in the Sky. Her favorite colors were purple and pink. After she was killed in a bus accident, I think about her every time the sunset is full of purples and pinks. Sometimes I take photos of those sunsets, and other times I just pause and watch. I think some professional photographers forget that some of us find inspiration and joy in sunsets. It is not cliche if it means something to you.

I am thankful for beautiful sunsets that make me pause, and appreciate the painting God is putting on display for us.

I know I may be biased that my Minnesota sunsets are the best, but I have a couple of friends from North Dakota who would beg to differ! Head over to [j.l.d.] photograph blog to see her sunsets, then check out the Pinke Post for more.

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30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 13: Baking

CarolynCares Baking

I love baking, and I’m so thankful for that talent! I used to save the heavy baking for the holidays, but this year, I tried something new. Starting at the beginning of July, I was a vendor at the brand new Central Park Market in our town. It is a farmer’s market with the usual produce stands, along with baked goods, jams & jellies, home decor, a meal served by a non-profit group, and live music. All baked goods sold at the farmers market need to be made from scratch. I loved the challenge of baking four dozen caramel rolls at a time, and trying different scone and pound cake recipes. Baking became my therapy. If my day started out rough, or I woke up feeling grumpy, I would just start baking. By the time I was done, my mood would be considerably better. There were times when I was running behind (I really think that is a gene I inherited from my Grandma – she was late to pretty much everything), and stressed myself out with how long packaging was taking, but by the end of the night, all that was forgotten. It’s pretty impossible to stay grumpy or frazzled when you are in the midst of a festive atmosphere!

The Market ended in early October, and to be honest, I haven’t done much baking beside the caramel rolls that go to Jonathan’s Sunday School class every week. That may have more to do with harvest happening than with being tired of baking. I have been planning out what types of cookies I want to make for Christmas, and contemplating what goodies I should make for Thanksgiving weekend. Our oldest daughter is bringing home a boy to meet the family over Thanksgiving. We will also be celebrating her birthday, which falls on Thanksgiving day this year. When that happens, we sometimes replace the traditional pies with birthday cake, or a dessert of her choice. Just thinking about the dessert possibilities is making me happy!

During the Advent season this year, I plan on baking treats to give to some of the older members of our congregation. Good things do come to those who bake, but better things come to those who share!

Want to read more 30 Day Challenge blogs? Head over to Holly Spangler’s blog, and check out her list of current blog challenge participants.

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 12: AgChat

AgChatFoundationLogo_RGB

Some of you may be thinking “what in the world is AgChat, and why is Carolyn thankful for that?” AgChat is the reason I joined Twitter. I have made many friends from all over the world by participating in Twitter #AgChat conversations on Tuesday evenings.

There is much more to the AgChat Foundation than just the weekly Twitter chats. In February, I attended a regional conference where I was able to meet some of the people I had been communicating with over social media. You could choose from different presentations on improving your blogging, photography, Facebook fan pages, Twitter, and more. The networking and learning sessions were great for encouraging us to tell our stories using more than one social media platform. The Portland Regional Conference is coming up, so if you live in the Pacific Northwest, I encourage you to check it out!

The AgChat Foundation also encourages us to give back when possible. Next week starts the annual #FoodThanks celebration. This year, we have been asked to show our appreciation for good food, and to those who grow it, by using the #FoodThanks hashtag while sharing photos of food or recipes online. I plan on pledging to donate a bag of food this holiday season. For more ideas on how to share your Food Thanks this holiday season, check out the #FoodThanks website.

I am really thankful that my friend, Emily, introduced me to the AgChat Foundation. I am thankful for all of the people I have met while participating in the AgChats on Tuesdays (and #FoodChat on the 3rd Tuesday). Thanks to you all for putting up with me!

For more 30 Day Challenge Blogs, click here.

 

 

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 11: Veterans

Every day I am thankful for my freedoms, and thankful for those who have fought to keep us free.

Jonathan and I have had the privilege of visiting monuments dedicated to our military in Washington DC, and in Hawaii. Visiting those sites always leaves me in tears. I have taken photos, or pencil rubs of my uncle, Johnny Ulfers’ name on the Vietnam wall with every visit, starting in high school. The USS Arizona memorial in Pearl Harbor is very moving. When we were there in 2012, two survivors were signing books and telling their stories to visitors.

My youngest brother is currently serving in the Army. We pray for his safety, and for his family, as they deal with the stresses of military life. My sister-in-law is retired from the Army, but is still very involved by participating in spouse support groups, and encouraging my brother. I love them all so much, and appreciate their willingness to serve.

CarolynCares Pearl Harbor

CarolynCares POW flag

CarolynCares Thank You

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 10: Reunions

CarolynCares Reunions

Growing up in a large, close knit family was awesome. On my dad’s side, we would get together for Christmases, graduations, Confirmations, birthdays, anniversaries, 4th of July parades, and reunions. We lived 3 hours away from my grandparents and the majority of dad’s family, so our trips typically started early, and ended late. There were many times when we would get home after 10:00 pm on a Sunday night. We never wanted those weekends to end.

This past January, I lost two uncles. My dad’s oldest brother, and the husband of dad’s oldest sister. Many of the cousins were at one or both of the funerals. We realized how much we missed seeing each other, and plans were made to have a reunion in August. We all felt we needed to gather for a happy occasion.

Over the course of the weekend, 73 members of the Bredlow clan descended on Thornton, Iowa to share stories, play games, and reconnect with one another. There are 65 of us in the photo above, taken by my cousin, Judy (check out her photography blog here). Looking at this crowd, and knowing that many members of this bunch were missing, was kind of amazing. I started counting, and I believe we number somewhere around the 99 to 100 mark now. I can just imagine my Grandpa and Grandma being so pleased, and loving every single one. That’s the kind of people they were.

When we get together, we are a little loud at times. We all like to chatter, and we all have pretty much the same sense of humor. If you can’t handle puns and sarcasm, you may not enjoy our gatherings as much. Some of us went on a tour of the places Grandpa and Grandma had lived. I had never been to the site of the last farm they owned, so that was super interesting to me. We also went to the two houses they lived in after they retired. So many memories of holiday gatherings, 4th of July parades, and summers spent with cousins came flooding back. After the tour, some went golfing, while others visited. We closed out our reunion on Sunday morning with a very meaningful worship service. I believe that our family is so close, and so strong due to the faith foundation that we have.

I am so thankful to be a part of this crazy family. We may not always agree on things – I mean, some of them are Packers fans if you can believe it – but when we get together, there is so much love. I am also thankful that we had a reunion this year. I can’t wait until the next one!

 

Want to connect with other 30 Day Challenge bloggers? Click here to find a current list if participating blogs.

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 9: Winter

CarolynCares Winter

Call me crazy, but I love winter. The first snowfall has always been met with excitement. Most years, I bake (and we eat) the first batch of Christmas cookies on that day. When Jonathan and I were first married, our house was pretty tiny. In order to delay turning on the fuel oil furnace, I would bake. The heat of the oven was enough to warm up the house.

There are so many things to like about winter. Sweaters, curling up with a good Cookbook, Russian Tea, puzzles, and snow. I love to take my camera out the morning after a blizzard, and see what patterns the wind made in the snow. The photo above was taken after a December blizzard last year. The skies were a brilliant blue, and the contrast between the sky and the snow was stunning. There is no way I can totally capture that, but the photos I take bring me back to the feeling of the cold, crisp air, the birds singing, and the awesome colors.

I’ll admit, taking care of the animals is a bit more challenging in the winter, especially during a blizzard, but we know they are safe and warm in the barns. Other farm work is a bit more relaxed. Jonathan will crunch numbers, make decisions on what varieties of seed he wants to plant, and we’ll attend farming conferences. I love attending the conferences and seeing friends that we only see in person a couple times a year. We also sit in on sessions where we can learn about what’s happening with the Farm Bill, what we can do to help foster communication between farmers and consumers, and what the latest agriculture research says that will help make our farm better.

Mostly, I am thankful for winter, which is not only beautiful, but it gives us a chance to recharge our batteries for the next growing season.

Want to read more 30 Day Challenge blogs? Click here to go to Holly Spangler’s blog where there is an updated list of fellow bloggers.

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 8: Photography

CarolynCares Photography

I fell in love with taking photos when I purchased my very first digital camera. Before that, I would take the typical family snapshot at birthdays and on holidays, but wouldn’t really bother with photos of nature. Now, I keep looking for things to photograph.

The draw of photography for me, is trying to capture what I am seeing, to be able to share it with others. It is a very personal thing, really. I love putting on my winter gear to head outside and walk around the yard with my camera the morning after a blizzard. The patterns the wind and snow make are incredible. Trying to capture that beauty is a challenge. This fall, as I was getting out of the combine on night, I looked up and saw the Milky Way. That.Was.Awesome! Capturing the Milky Way with a camera is not easy. I have learned quite a few new things about night photography, but I still haven’t captured “the” photo yet. You’ll probably see it on my blog if I ever do!

There are times when I go through a dry spell, where my camera just sits in it’s bag. I find that I look at the world a little differently during those dry spells. I’m not noticing the little things. When I pick up the camera once again, I start thinking in terms of camera frames. I notice little details, and all sorts of patterns in nature. It fills me with awe when I look at tiny little flowers, or insects, or blades of grass. God made so many things uniquely beautiful. How can I say that He didn’t make me uniquely beautiful as well? I am so thankful for the gift of photography, and how it makes me look at the world, and at myself, with appreciation for the little things.

Want to follow along with other 30 Day Challenge bloggers? Head over to Holly Spangler’s blog for a current list of participating blogs.

Introduction to the 30 Day Challenge

 

30 Days of Thanksgiving – Day 7: Farmers

CarolynCares Farmer

I learned to be thankful for farmers by watching and listening to my grandpas. One was still actively farming with an uncle when I was growing up, and the others had retired. (I had three sets of grandparents, due to my birth mother’s death when I was 2.) Watching my one grandpa come in from feeding the animals in the morning, washing up with the Lava soap at the sink just inside the kitchen door before sitting down for breakfast, all with a smile, made a huge impression on me. We were given jobs to do when we stayed with grandpa and grandma, which helped to teach me a tiny bit of the work that goes into farming. Our jobs were easy at our grandparent’s, since we were from the city. We learned a little more about taking care of farm animals from our cousins who lived a couple of miles away. They had dairy cows for awhile, as well as pigs. We learned how to take care of calves, and how they milk the cows. I was always fascinated by that, and wanted to be able to take care of my own animals some day. That wish came true when we started raising pigs in 1989.

As an adult, I’ve learned that farmers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, religious, and political beliefs. Their farms are very diverse, growing everything from apples to zucchini.  The one thing they have in common, is an appreciation for the land and animals in their care. Some days the work is difficult, and some days pretty easy. Even with all of the uncertainty with weather and commodity prices, farmers are a pretty optimistic bunch. There’s always tomorrow (sorry if you are now thinking of the song from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), or there’s always next year are common phrases. I believe it is an attitude that is passed down through the generations. In the photo above, Jonathan’s great-grandfather, Daniel Olson, is working in the field. He moved his family up to our farm from Iowa in 1913. His wife and children probably had no idea what they were moving into. As we celebrated our farm’s 100th Anniversary this summer, we all were very thankful for that optimistic attitude that prompted them to seek a better farm.

In the 25 years I have lived and worked on the farm, I have learned how to communicate with other farmers. Many times, as I’m interacting with farmers from around the world through social media, I learn about a way of farming that I had never witnessed before. The food that they grow is one I like to cook or bake with, but had no idea how it was grown. I love when those farmers take the time to share their way of farming, and I am thankful that they care enough to share their stories.

To read more blogs written by farmers, check out Holly Spangler’s page, where she has compiled a list of other 30 day challenge bloggers.

Introduction to the 30 Day Challenge

Day 1: Family

Day 2: Harvest

Day 3: Music

Day 4: Bacon

Day 5: Flowers

Day 6: Coffee