Judith Sutherland

What do you mean my name is Judith?

Some can say that they come from a dash of royal heritage, others can claim a background family tree filled with military heroes. Me? I come from a long line of nicknames. When my parents were youngsters, each had been given a pet family name. Dad was his parents’ first born in 1932, and his [...]

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Farmers walk a delicate tightrope

“There were times we wondered how we kept from starving to death, but as long as mama had eggs from our laying hens after she had sold enough to fill orders, we knew we would survive. We felt lucky when papa brought rabbit home from the woods, and if there were still carrots and onions [...]

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Yes, I’ll gladly blow out my candles

I try to embrace the gift of another birthday, the gift of each and every day, really. I try to celebrate for those who didn’t get to grow older along with us, while holding them dear in treasured memories.

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Memories of Mary Lou

I long ago asked why the bull had a ring in its nose. I was told, simply, to never get close enough to find out. Without a word said, it was Mary Lou Moffett who answered that question for me, and it is something I will never, ever forget. A hard-working woman who raised five [...]

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Kitchen is heart and soul of farm

There is nothing more joyful than laughter and conversation wrapped around a hearty meal with friends.

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Wash day? We have it way too easy!

My grandmother once told me that my generation had no idea what real housework consisted of, especially when it came to wash day. She was always appalled when young people had the nerve to complain about how much laundry they had to do, saying, “If they had to work at it like we did, they [...]

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Mother Nature is always in charge

By JUDITH SUTHERLAND Farm and Dairy columnist Hoping for a little Irish luck, all I am asking is to replace the mud with a whole lot of green. Bring on the sunshine and balmy breezes! One day recently, after having had winter weather storm warnings with a flood warning thrown in on top of it, [...]

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Life’s journey is lovelier with dogs

“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.” — Gilda Radner By JUDITH SUTHERLAND Farm and Dairy columnist Each day on this farm is a new gift, the best of which is enjoying my cast of characters — my dogs. My [...]

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What the written word can do

I wish I had a nickle for every time I have been asked, “how do you find something to write about every single week?” The only answer I know to give is that writing has never seemed like a chore to me. I don’t feel the enormity of it that others seem to see. I [...]

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Can lesson can be learned from past?

Have you noticed a trend in the American work force? It seems that everyone I talk to is either being worked to death with no time to enjoy life and family, or they have no work at all and have the constant worry of trying to hold it all together. Conversation I struck up an [...]

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Snow not as appealing as it used to be

You know you are getting old when snow no longer holds one single bit of appeal. I think of all the times I hoped for snow — heck, even prayed for snow. We wanted enough snow to create an incredible winter wonderland. It wasn’t like getting off of school meant lying around for part of [...]

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They don’t make ‘em like they used to

“The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It’s the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the winds and rains and scorching sun.” –Napoleon Hill By JUDITH SUTHERLAND Farm and Dairy Columnist [...]

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Bottled serenity could cure any illness

“I was shaken awake by a nasty wind this morning. As I headed out to the barn to begin my chores, I saw that a nice little fall of snow had created a flattering prospect for sleighing.“ – Alexander Smalley, entry in diary, January, 1868 By JUDITH SUTHERLAND Farm and Dairy columnist I have often [...]

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You had to have pluck to survive

“I’d passed the teacher test. I was being offered the job of an itinerant replacement teacher in northern Arizona. The school that was expecting me was in Red Lake, Arizona, five hundred miles to the west of our farm, and the only way for me to get there was (on my horse) Patches. I decided [...]

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Resolve to give thanks every day

By JUDITH SUTHERLAND Contributing writer Just a few weeks ago, I wrote a column which mentioned Pete Smith, the kind and quiet man who did all of the plumbing and electrical work around our farm. Pete had been with us so many times on our farm that I considered him sort of a shirt-tail relative. [...]

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One wish: Growing families and memories

Snow falls, blown by a furious wind, as I write this. Christmas carols play in a continuous loop, a joyous refrain for all to enjoy. My wish for all would be, of course, for a very merry Christmas: Let there be a special gift for everyone under a twinkling tree. Wouldn’t it be wonderful for [...]

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Songwriters tell our lives in music

“God is in the roses, the petals and the thorns, storms out on the oceans, the souls who will be born. And every drop of rain that falls, falls for those who mourn…… God is in the roses and the thorns.“ – Roseanne Cash By JUDITH SUTHERLAND One of my earliest memories, emblazoned on my [...]

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Veterans’ sacrifices don’t change with times

As the holiday season approaches, I find myself thinking more and more about the families pulled apart by military service. It goes without saying that those who serve our country are giving years of their life that cannot ever be reclaimed. What we so often don’t think about is that this becomes a generational sacrifice [...]

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Try to recapture the real joy of eating

“I have shared recipes and practices to describe how we put food on the table during the Great Depression. Domestic Science and Home Economics have long since vanished from the school curriculum, and it is no longer practical to cure and smoke your own hams or make your own butter or headcheese, much less your [...]

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Be thankful for the tiny things

Sometimes, the only dose of medicine that makes any sense at all is time spent in the innocence of a child’s playroom kitchen. Last night, our little hometown rolled up the sidewalks early and pretty much the entire community headed to Findlay to watch our boys continue their march toward a state football championship. After [...]

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