Tag Archives: farming

The Country I Grew Up In

I miss the country I grew up in. I went to elementary school in a tiny Midwest town called Hamilton. Mrs. Ferris sat down on the piano bench after lunch and taught us every word of the Star Spangled Banner … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood, faith, faithful members of our community, Family, Farming, God bless the USA, God our Father, God's faithfulness, Hymns, listening prayer, Mrs. Marguerite Miller, music, Patriotism, piano playing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

A Tribute To My Dad

I’ve been thinking about my dad this week, because he died just before Thanksgiving, seventeen years ago. My old-fashioned Dutch dad was a stoic, hard-working farmer. I can’t remember my dad ever telling me in words that he loved me. … Continue reading

Posted in Dad, Death, Family, Farming, Father loss, Grief and loss | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Gerrit Kleinheksel and his wife Bertha set their minds to building a big sturdy farmhouse in 1905. The deep dark pine was abundant and the fresh scent of sawdust filled the air as the handsaws sliced back and forth. The … Continue reading

Posted in ancestors, Ancestry, Childhood, Dad, faith, Family, Farming, Father loss, God's faithfulness, Grief and loss, Memories, mother loss, piano playing, trust in God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Happy Birthday Dad

Dear Dad, Happy Birthday Dad! It would be your 95th birthday today and I am thinking about your past life, and what it would possibly be today. If you wouldn’t have had to begin suffering strokes and then finally die … Continue reading

Posted in ancestors, Ancestry, Childhood, Dad, Death, faith, Family, Farming, Father loss, Grief and loss, listen, Marriage Commitment, Memories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

My Dad…

My dad was a hard-working farmer who loved to talk to people. I can’t remember him ever telling me in words that he loved me. Hugging was also not really done in my family. My old-fashioned Dutch dad was very … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood, Dad, Family, Father's day, Grief and loss, trees | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Pretty Place

 The overgrown trail was dotted with purple, white and yellow in the spring. The whole area was called the “gullies.” Grabbing unto tree branches along the way, my senses filled  deeply with the grassy muddy smell. In the famous movie “Chronicles … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood, Farming, God our Father, God's faithfulness, God's protection, Grief and loss, Memories, mother loss, prayer, sister loss, Springtime | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

A Harvest Night

That fall feeling was in the air. The smell of corn husks and leaves. The chill that makes you pull your coat closed. Maybe I was 8 or 9 years old. Often I’d sit on top of the warm pile … Continue reading

Posted in Childhood, Farming, Siblings | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments