Whether you’re moving off the homeplace or not, a farm auction can be one of the largest events a farmer will ever host in their own yard. This gathering of neighbors, friends, and prospective buyers is essentially no different than any other public event. It takes advanced planning and organization, and even then, you’ll still […]
TALKING ABOUT SEX WITH YOUR CHILDREN
I don’t remember ever sitting down with my parents to discuss the facts of life back in the 70’s or 80’s. Growing up on a farm, the biology of reproduction was everywhere from barn cats in heat, to late-night checks on the calving pens. Because of this, I had a working knowledge of the birds […]
YOU HAVE 60 MINUTES TO EVACUATE YOUR FARM/CITY RESIDENCE
If you think this can never happen, just ask the homeowners and surrounding farmers of Fort McMurray, Alberta or Lac-Mégantic, Quebec. It happens, and many times it’s not just fires we have to worry about. It can be floods, chemical spills, pipeline leaks, train derailments, or even toxic clouds from industrial plants miles away. The […]
DIVORCE CAN LEAD TO THE LIQUIDATION OF THE FAMILY FARM
No family or community is exempt from the disillusionment of marriage. In other words, everyone knows someone who’s been divorced. Considering that roughly 40% to 45% of all North American marriages will end in divorce, the law of averages is barely in our favor. A few counties over, a friend of mine had been […]
WHEN YOUR AGE COLLIDES WITH YOUR DREAMS
“The saddest words of paper and pen are those that say, it might have been”. I have no idea who coined that phrase, but from the first time I heard it as a teen, it’s managed to stick with me. And now as my husband and I are both pushing retirement age, I can’t help […]
RAISING A FAMILY IN THE COUNTRY VS. THE CITY
The image of young children frolicking in a grassy meadow while the family dog scampers alongside has always stood to represent the country life. A vision that many parents wistfully aspired to, this wholesome picture fondly captured a simpler life, from a simpler time. Country life promised to provide clean air, fresh food, and of […]
WHEN YOUR SPOUSE WORKS OUT OF TOWN
Standing alone in the doorway, I once again found myself waving goodbye to my husband. We had been playing this game for over two decades, but it still hurt me to give him a kiss and a hug, knowing that I was on my own for another couple of weeks while he plied his trade […]
Movie Review: BEAUTIFUL BOY, 2018
Rarely has a movie script been developed from the combined material of two blood-related autobiographers, but that is exactly the case with BEAUTIFUL BOY, 2018 starring Steve Carell, Timothee Chalamet, and Maura Tierney. Father and son, David and Nic Sheff, both wrote bestselling autobiographies detailing Nic’s addition to crystal meth, the resulting material contributing to […]
Movie Review: BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, 2018
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, 2018 is the highest grossing musical/biographical film of all time, as of January 2019. Starring Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, and Gwilyn Lee, this movie dives directly into the relationship between Queen’s lead singer Freddy Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) and his band mates, leaving Freddy’s formative years to remain a mystery. Formed in 1970, […]