Patience

Our old barn needed a new roof, badly. We wanted a roof that preserved the character of an old barn, so we chose not to go with the modern, easy sheet metal roof. Originally, it had a cedar shake shingle roof, but it was replaced with asphalt shingles in 1980. We wanted the shake shingle look but didn't want to use asphalt again because they don't last as long as they say, and the warranties are usually worthless. So we chose to go with Decra steel shingles that look like shakes, but have a 50-year warranty.

We chose an experienced local contractor who gave us a good bid, and in August of 2005 he began the work. The barn also had a cupola on it that for aesthetic reasons we wanted to replace. The old one could not be saved, so we ordered a new one.

With the roof 95% finished, waiting for the new cupola to come, scaffolding still on the roof, the contractor pulled off of the job near the end of August 2005. Months pass. Unanswered messages left on his business answering machine and his cell phone. The winter passes. More messages and finally a returned call. A date is set to resume work in the spring, but rain is predicted and the date is cancelled. We wait to be rescheduled. And wait. In August of 2006, I send a 1-year anniversary card. I get a call back and a promise that a date will be set. Winter passes. In March of 2007, I send a letter with a 30- day ultimatum - finished job or we talk to our attorney. Finally, a phone call and a date.

Today, April 30, 2007, he and his crew show up and install the cupola, finish the roof, reinstall the lightning rods, re-roof a small nearby outbuilding, and are finished by 4:00. Why it took him 20 months to come back to finish a one day job we'll never know. He apologized, but offered no excuses. But it's done, and the scaffolding is finally off the roof, and it looks nice.




Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1)

Rain

Three inches in 2 days. We are saturated. We are out of the fields until May. But, the ducks are back in for a while.
So I am doing some honey-do jobs because the 'Shakers are coming.

Plant Corn

Normally we will start planting corn anytime after April 15 that the soil and weather conditions are right. This year, conditions were finally right yesterday, the 23rd. And we started planting corn yesterday. By this evening, we had about 200 acres in the ground - not a bad start. But, it's raining now so we are probably out of the field until the end of the week, if then. Hopefully, all the bugs are out of the system and when we get back in we should be able to make quick progress.

A Cold

I made it all the way through the winter with its wild temperature swings, rain, ice, and snow, wind, and now the third week of April I come down with a nasty cold! We are supposed to be starting our corn planting now! Of course its still to wet and cool in our fields, but still, its no time for a bad cold. Runny nose, headache, fever, wracking barely productive cough, not much appetite. All the common symptoms. But it is just a cold, and it will pass. I remind myself of that when I get a cold. There are others that would trade their infirmities for a cold any day. I am thankful for my good health. I'm still forcing myself to put in 8-9 hour days of work, but I also sneak in some naps. I even got to bed at 10:00 last night! About the only time I get to bed that early is when I'm sick, or the night before deer hunting season:) Hopefully a couple more days and the worst will be over, and hopefully we'll be able to start planting corn.

Because I felt so lousy last night, I didn't go to church. After may nap, I found a website( thanks to Kim Komando) with Winston Churchill's "Iron curtain" speech given in 1946 at Westminster College in MO. It reminded me of the old saying - "if you don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it." Our politicians today should listen to more of the old statesmen. One other interesting observation; the speech is laden with scriptural references and innuendo. I doubt that many people today would understand the applications of much of it in our Bible illiterate nation.

Milepost

After a week and a half, we finally have our computer back and operating. It seems to be running slower than before, but maybe that's because we updated all the software(?).
Anyway, we passed a milestone a couple of weeks ago. Our van turned over 200,000 miles! Its the first time I have put that many miles on a vehicle. Back when the Old Farmer started driving, it was rare for someone to put over 100,000 on a car. By then they were burning oil and the body was rusted out. Nobody wanted a car with that many miles on it, so it was basically worthless. Not anymore. With proper maintenance, cars last much longer now. Our van still doesn't use any oil between changes. We have spent a lot of money on maintenance - but not all of it was the vans fault. I hope it has a few more miles in it before we have to put it out to pasture.

April Fools Virus?

Our computer has been down since Monday and is currently in the shop. I'm wondering if we didn't pick up a virus on April Fool's day. Everything works, but about every three minutes it shuts down and reboots. It makes it real difficult to accomplish anything! If you want to check e-mail, you log on fast, wait for it to download, quick check through your messages, scan the important ones, then flash it shuts down. Trying to print something is even trickier. So, while the college students are home for Easter weekend, we are using their laptops. Thanks kids! It's showing us how dependent we have become on our computer and how much time we spend(waste?) on it.

But, here is truth:

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying, the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. (Luke 24:1-7)

Communion

Saturday evening we celebrated Holy Communion.
From Webster's 1828 Dictionary:

COMMUNION, n. 1. Fellowship; intercourse between two persons or more; interchange of transactions, or offices; a state of giving and receiving; agreement; concord.We are naturally led to seek communion and fellowship with other.What communion hath light with darkness? 2 Cor. 6. 2. Mutual intercourse or union in religious worship, or in doctrine and discipline.The Protestant churches have no communion with the Romish church. 3. The body of Christians who have one common faith and discipline. The three grand communions into which the Christian church is divided, are those of the Greek, the Romish and the Protestant churches. 4. The act of communicating the sacrament of the Eucharist; the celebration of the Lords supper; the participation of the blessed sacrament. The fourth council of Lateran decrees that every believer shall receive the communion at least at Easter. 5. Union of professing Christians in a particular church; as, members in full communion.

EU'CHARIST, n. [Gr. a giving of thanks; well, favor.] 1. The sacrament of the Lord's supper; the solemn act or ceremony of commemorating the death of our Redeemer, in the use of bread and wine, as emblems of his flesh and blood, accompanied with approprite prayers and hymns. 2. The act of giving thanks.

SAC'RAMENT, n. [L. sacramentum, an oath, from sacer, sacred.]1. Among ancient christian writers, a mystery. [Not in use.] 2. An oath; a ceremony producing an obligation; but not used in this general sense. 3. In present usage, an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace; or more particularly, a solemn religious ceremony enjoined by Christ, the head of the christian church, to be observed by his followers, by which their special relation to him is created, or their obligations to him renewed and ratified. Thus baptism is called a sacrament, for by it persons are separated from the world, brought into Christ's visible church, and laid under particular obligations to obey his precepts. The eucharist or communion of the Lord's supper, is also a sacrament, for by commemorating the death and dying love of Christ, Christians avow their special relation to him, and renew their obligations to be faithful to their divine Master. When we use sacrament without any qualifying word, we mean by it, 4. The eucharist or Lord's supper.

It was a blessed evening.

Random observation: There is no better tasting wine than communion wine at communion.