Speed vacationing

It won't be long before our son heads off to college!

Look carefully and you'll see a bicycle rack on the front of Tom's tractor.  This way he can leave the outfit at the field and ride home on his bike.  The organic crop inspector was very impressed, as was his wife.

Not all our farms are organic though, hence the crop duster.

At a place where your next door neighbor is nearly 2 miles away and you can count on one hand how many cars pass your house in a day, you can see the excitement a crop dusting can bring to a farm girl.

Meanwhile back on the organic 80 farm Tom has tried to convince us that walking beans for cocklebur is more like leisure than paddling a tandem kayak down the Delaware River in upstate NY.

Dan advocated for an abbreviated family vacation this summer.  This, after our 10 day family trip to the west coast over Christmas.  

Dan is helping his dad go fashion forward with some cool black-n-blue socks to match his shirt and shoes.

Dan assigned me 102% on our family vacation. It was a lot of fun and only 24 hours long!







This next paragraph is about my grandfather from the 50 year ago column in this week's Hancock Herald.
The Village and Town of Hancock as well as the surrounding areas, lost a leading citizen on Saturday afternoon, July 20, 1963. Death claimed the life of Vincent N. Elwood. A resident of East Main Street, a lawyer for over 50 years and a prominent member of the Republican Party. Failing in health, the well known and highly respected attorney was at his desk in the office of Elwood & Elwood, until the past few weeks. Funeral services were held at the Emory United Methodist Church were he had been a faithful member for many years. He was 79 years old.

Summer travels

Here we are at the Pedaling for Kicks bike ride: me, Dan, and Uncle Dennie. Dan is clearly distraught from all of the spandex-clad people he had to endure throughout the day (mother included).

Our prolific apricot tree resulted in preserves (by Tom) and enhanced cocktails.

Dan and I drove to CU/Boulder for freshmen and parent orientation. Dan had no use for Nebraska until he got to eastern Colorado and discovered there were exits that led to nowhere.

I mostly wept through orientation hoping no one would notice. Such a sap.

This is the view from the quad.  Please.

After Colorado it was off to NY for my college reunion.  I gave Noelle a ride to Niagara Falls area for a baby shower with her family. Tom was originally scheduled to go with us but had to stay home an extra day to cultivate beans. It was really fun to see her stomping grounds and spend some time with her family.

After collecting Tom at the Rochester airport we headed off through the Finger Lakes to Cortland stopping at a distillery and this winery along the way.

We noticed this request in the midst of wine country.

There were 6 Cortland grads plus Tom Terrific and Joe (who took the pic) from "the gang." We picked up visiting as if we'd just graduated yesterday. Reunions rock.

Tom and I went to Wegman's grocery to pick up picnic supplies for our mini family reunion in Hancock. I'm on the phone with my mom because according to her, you can't have a true Wegman's experience unless you call someone while you're there.

Grandparents with Kylie, Teri, Kelly, and Blake

 Outlaws Tom and Carolyn took turns taking these 2 pictures.

 Blake has her driving permit.

Kelly

Chas, Barb, Mom, Dad, and Tom

Charles, Barbara, and Thomas in 1965.

The former Guild residence, Walton, NY

Dan stayed home from NY to paint our quanset shed and walk beans on the organic 80.  He wasn't always impressed with the set up, especially for prepping and painting the top - a wobbly cart with a board atop 2 ladders with the usual IL wind.

Don't complain...because

Don't complain because half the people don't care and the other half are glad it happened to you.

There is never a good time to encounter a snake.

Dan is mowing ditches now.

They realized that, for the sake of peace and harmony in the home, the manure spreader should be moved out of the front yard.

Tom had a power meeting in Amish Country so I took along my trusty bike and made a 30 mile tour of Douglas County. This Amish bike shop had only sky lights.

I saw so many Amish sights but was too nervous to take pictures. You can see the Amish buggies at the foot of the wind mill.

I took this picture of a horse and buggy while riding my bike.  I think this was an illegal activity but it was too good to pass up.

After dinner crop tour on Jim's 80.  The beans look pretty good!

Wild purple cone flowers.

A curious bunch.

Dan joined Dennie and I on the 25 mile Pedaling for Kicks bike ride this weekend.

I made a LC pie from our cherry tree.  Tom gently insisted on a lattice top so I slapped something together for him.

Since I've lost my marbles...

It's been 8 long weeks with my splinted mallet finger.  Dr. Selkow assigned me myriad rehab activities including picking up marbles with the afflicted digit, except I've lost my marbles...and had to resort to lifting Dan's rocks instead.

Dan (and his father) thought it would be fun to adorn the front yard with the 70 year old manure spreader for his mother's enjoyment. Tom recalls scooping up and spreading chicken and cow manure with this implement.

In case you needed to view it from a different angle. The euphemism for manure spreader is honey wagon. Lookit, when you pass a field that has had manure applied, there ain't no way in hell it smells like honey.

Brother-in-law James was on the Class of '63 float for Chatworth's Heritage Days.

Oh the things you'll see on a bike ride through Livingston County. Here is Dan relaxing by the pond after a hard day of work with his dad on the farm.

Tom is taking his lunch back to the tractor where he is planting the organic 80 (acres) of soybeans.

I asked Tom why his rows are especially straight this year.  He explained that many farmers use GPS to plant their crops, hence the straight, straight rows.  Tom doesn't have GPS so he just eye-balls his rows up with the farmer across the road and...well, it's really worked from my opinion!

Here is Tom spraying his conventional field with some sort of chemical. 

On a bike ramble through southern Livingston County you never know what you will see (piggy mail box).

Pile of chicken shit to be spread as HONEY over this farmer's field. 

An old barn.

We all have our collections to adorn the roadside.

This little horsey got left out. 

John and Megan got married last weekend.

A fine time was had by all at the celebration. All that we ate for dinner was danced off later that evening!

The Lard Controversies - a blast from the past!

Fourteen years ago cousin Karen edited a book entitled "Family Secrets." It's not what you think. This was a book of family recipes which she collected for our family reunion that took place in NJ in July 2001.  The last chapter was dedicated to the Lard Controversies which played out over email back in 1999. We recalled it over Dan's graduation weekend and, while making Tom Terrific a Lard Crust (LC) pie for Father's Day today, I decided it was time to enjoy these missives once again.

Family Secrets, Chapter 10, edited by cousin Karen

This is for all of you who did not benefit from the email conversation regarding lard usage. Thanks to Aunt Annie who kept the string of emails!! The story begins in the Midwest and caused quite a stir in the family, hence the name The Lard Controversies.

From Barb (12/12/99):

Tom and I had a major disagreement today over lard vs. Crisco...he was going to the store and I wanted him to buy me some Crisco so I could make some Christmas cookies. He is quite sure that margarine, Crisco, and other assorted hydrogenated items are very bad for us. I was being stubborn (my dad tells me that comes from my mother's side) and insisted that I use Crisco. He bought the Crisco for me with great reservation.

From Barb (12/13/99):

Cookies turned out great (with Crisco) AND Tom keeps thinking he should test them.

From Aunt Harriet (12/13/99):

Barber, (she always calls me Barber...and I don't know why to this day) regardless what YF (your father) says, butter is the only thing to use when making cookies. Absolutely. Try it and I know you will agree. Certainly you would never use lard for cookies. Pie crust, yes, but not cookies.

From Barb (12/14/99):

Aunt Harriet! Really?! No lard in cookies! You may be hearing from Tom Terrific on this one, but I'm with ya all the way!

From Barb (12/16/99):

I told  Tom what Aunt Harriet said about never making cookies with lard. He paused, shook his head and said, "She's so closed-minded."

From Ann  (my mom):

Barb, you needn't make cookies with lard - butter will do nicely. I never used lard.

From Jeanne  (Tom's sister):

Just read your email and of course had to respond to the cookie dilemma. I just made cookies this weekend with lard. Oh no! Actually it depends on the cookie probably. You wouldn't want to make sugar cookies with lard I suppose.  Oh well, just had to enter into the discussion.

From Carol (my sister in law):

Just go to the store and buy Pillsbury sugar cookie dough! From the sacrilege living in SS (Sunny South).

From Tom (Himself):

Has anyone tried cookies with lard? Me neither. But how do you know that they wouldn't be the best cookies ever?  Pie crusts are better with lard so why not cookies. Whoops, I see that my sister Jean has used lard in cookies, must be a genetic inclination. I agree with the butter assessment, cookies are fine with butter. My discussion relates to the Crisco issue, I contend that lard is a superior product and should generally be used as a substitute for Crisco. Crisco may be the next big health issue because of the hydrogenation of liquid fat (which is how Crisco and margarine are made) results in the body's inability to dispose of it. Plus IMFFHO (in my far from humble opinion) lard is superior in flavor. There, now you have a registered opinion from the origin of the debate. I am taking orders for "Eat more Lard" bumper stickers. I am sure George E will want one.

From Aunt Harriet: (12/17/99)

Himself finally wrote about the Lard controversy. He is all wrong, there isn't a cookie that lard could enhance. Besides, it is fuller of cholesterol than butter, hence badder for you. When you come from dairy country like LB (little brother) and LS (little sister), and TOB (the old b-you fill in) you know that butter is best regardless of what the AMA (American Medical Association) says.

From Barb (12/23/99)

Marta and her sister joined us for dinner recently. Soon the conversation turned to the Lard Controversy.  Dan piped up (he was only 4 at the time) and said, "Dad loves lard."  Anyhow, Tom has decided that the problem with lard is the marketing/packaging. Crisco, margarine, and butter all have measurements marked off on the side of the stick and lard doesn't. Marta's sister was sure that lard is the grossest thing in the world. After dinner I served chocolate cream pie and Sister ate every bite.  Tom couldn't wait for Sister to put down her fork before mentioning how good the lard crust was.

From Aunt Harriet:

Barber, I am sure I told you at the beginning of the LC that my pies are all made with lard only. It gives the best flavor. I won't disagree with Himself on that. Has he ever spread it on his toast?

From Barb (12/24/99):

Lard Trackers!  While making the pumpkin pie I noticed we were out of lard. You recall, however, that I still have several sticks of Crisco in the frig from my sugar cookies the other day. When I told Karen we were out of lard, but that we had plenty of Crisco left over SHE suggested that I make the pie with Crisco. So the pie is in the oven and Himself has no idea that it's not lard. So stay tuned to see if we can fool Tom with Crisco. Heh, heh. Karen is SO bad.

Ah ha! Himself ate the Crisco crust pumpkin pie and said, MMM, the lard crust is coming through good and clear." The girls immediately fell to the floor in gales of laughter. Once they told him it was Crisco he started laughing and said, "Entrapment."

Oh it was sweet.

From Tom Himself (later still on 12/24/99):

I'm so humiliated. George, I need to talk to you about this entrapment issue.
Himself.

Father's Day, June 16, 2013

While I'm not much for pie or cookies, I must admit that rolling out a pie crust using lard is very easy.  Tom requested a banana cream (LC) pie for his Father's Day dessert. Dan wasn't disappointed with his choice.

Nothing like a bucket of lard in the frig!

 It used to be a 3-4 swear word job rolling out the Crisco crust because it would crack and tear. Not so with lard.

Ready to bake the crust.