Wednesday, April 29, 2026

No matter how much we plan ahead at our house, it seems those plans always change. I choke back some frustration, let the rest of it torture the eardrums of my family in heated words, and tell myself to stay flexible.

The end of central Illinois' heat-stoked, rain-starved summer is being whispered in the yellow leaves rattling on my backyard's black walnut trees.

Have you ever been driving along, listening to the radio, when a song comes on that simply takes you back to a day, a moment in time, a place you never thought you would be again? I have experienced that same incredible jolt at times when looking at treasured photographs.

On your mark, get set, go back to school! That rite of passage, the "back to school season," is upon us once again, ready or not.

Driving home after a day at work can get to the best of us. With hectic schedules and multi-tasked minds, it's hard to avoid road rage as we hustle around each other.

It is the Red Bull power drink for calves, and then some. We tend to take colostrum for granted, not fully appreciating how amazing this first milk is.

Killed the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921. Largely gutted the U.S. Department of Agriculture's mandate to "promote fair and competitive trading practices for the overall benefit of consumers and American agriculture.

I have a big question for all farmers out there. Who among you could possibly farm without the following agricultural essentials: baler twine, duct tape and a tarp strap or two.

I am running with a bad crowd. Somewhere there is a bookish gathering of nerdy, sedentary types missing me terribly.

Even this summer we felt under the gun with places to be. "What time do you have to be at practice, Kathie?" I asked as I tried to gauge what I might do in the next hour.