Tag Archives: friends

Russell, KS

by nebraskawheatie

Do you remember my final thought of last night’s post? ” I wonder what tomorrow will bring?” Well…let me tell ya about today:

Last night Jim was concerned the Pete wasn’t sounding quite right. He didn’t let me know his concern until we were walking to the restaurant for supper. He said he didn’t think it sounded like it was running up to par since we had stopped on the Kansas/Nebraska line for a short break.  This morning, before starting the truck up, he was looking things over and said, “I think I see what could be the problem and it ain’t good”. Four bolts were broken on the exhaust manifold. Several calls were made – a couple to fellow harvester friends – and then to a repair shop in Ellinwood.

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When Community Comes Together

by nebraskawheatie

Last night was THE social event of our area and was due to the love of one person by so many!

On November 19, 2011, Jim and I attended Marcy and Eric’s wedding. It was a beautiful evening and attended by many of their family and friends. Exactly two months to the day, Marcy found out she was about to begin a battle with stage 4 cancer. Tests revealed malignant masses in her colon and a spot on her liver.  Marcy will celebrate her 36th birthday on April 2. Through all that she’s been through, Marcy has remained positive and her outlook on life is simply amazing and something we could all learn from.  Marcy’s journey has been recorded through her Caringbridge.org website (marcyjamesonplautz) which allows the reader to keep up with her progress.

Last night, I was honored to be a part of an event that was organized by Mark and Candi Rathe  and several  of Marcy’s and Eric’s friends. The many hours they lovingly poured into this fundraiser paid off! The Weeping Water and surrounding communities came together to help support one of their own and I was blown away by the number of attendees! There were more members of our surrounding communities together in one place than I have ever experienced – EVER! (The pictures will tell the story) The food was amazing, the bands outstanding (and local), and the raffle, silent auction and live auction were eagerly participated by all. The result? Approximately $50,000 was donated to Marcy and Eric to help cover some of the huge medical expenses they’ll be staring at before Marcy WINS this battle! This example of small town living and community is THE BEST reason to live in the Midwest!

If you are a part of my community and weren’t able to participate in last night’s event or would simply like to help with Marcy’s expenses, please email me at jz45239@windstream.net   I’ll make sure you’re pointed in the right direction as to how to make it happen.  With that, I will leave you with a few pictures of the evening:

Some of the many donated desserts.

The Roger Roberts’ Three Piece Blue Grass band. LOVED them!!

 Hours of usage for a brand new New Holland tractor was auctioned during the live auction.

Selling raffle tickets.

The food lines.

The busy workers in the kitchen!

 

Jillian helping draw numbers for the raffle.

Taylor and Evan.

Dave and Dolly Crandall during the live auction.

 Nick & Taylor.

Callie, Jamie and Curt.

Brooklyn and her friend dancing the night away to the music of “The Legends” – the same band that played at Curt and Jamie’s party in October. Gee it’s nice having great local music!

A Loud, Screaming THANK YOU!

by nebraskawheatie

I just realized something as I was brushing my teeth and getting ready to end the very first day of the new golden decade that I am about to begin.  It hit me like an emotional punch in the gut how BLESSED I truly am! I received more birthday wishes today than ever, I’m sure! I have Facebook to thank for that, I know. However, I also know there are a lot of wonderful people in my life. You are who makes me. 25 years ago, I was definitely not the same person I am today. I have grown and I have each one of you to thank for that!

The opportunities I have been given the past 10 years have been amazing! I don’t know how the next 10 could get any better. I do know that with age comes wisdom and a sense of satisfaction in who you have become. For these two reasons alone, I look forward to what the next ten years have in store for me. And, I look forward to including you, my family and friends, in those moments. Thank you for taking the time to wish me Happy Birthday, for the phone calls, for the cards and for taking time to let me know you were thinking of me today. I woke up this morning and told myself, “I don’t feel any older” 🙂 It’s all good. I knew once I got through the reminders of the day, it will be ok – and it is.

Goodbye 40’s…HELLO 50’s!

by nebraskawheatie

Tomorrow, I will be 18,261 days old…or 50 years old…or half a century old. WHOA! How can this be? Life really does happen in the blink of an eye! Am I feeling a little crummy about it, YES! Will I get over it the very next day, YES! I know we never know how long we have on this crazy earth and how long we have with our loved ones but by being 50, I know I’m closer to death than I am to birth.  For the heck of it, I went searching for some fun “being fifty facts” and the following are the ones I found that I liked:

“Turning 50 heralds a decade of transition, many of them involving bodily changes. Menopause ends the childbearing years. Gray hairs supplant natural color, forcing one of three decisions: let nature take its course, cover the gray or try a completely different shade. (Unlike men, women haven’t embraced head shaving as midlife sexy.) Changes in vision require reading glasses. Gravity takes its toll as our necks sag, stomachs bulge, breasts droop, faces wrinkle, underarms swing like fish bellies. Waists thicken and knees and back ache. Skin loses its elasticity, causing some of us to try and turn the clocks back by means of all sorts of chemical and medical interventions — moisturizers, ointments to reduce age spots, wrinkle creams, Botox injections, plastic surgery, face and eye lifts.” (About.com Turning 50 – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Turning Fifty for Women)

” Women over 50 are president, CEO, and the star of their own lives. If you have the attitude that life is precious, that life is grandiose, that you don’t want to waste any time, you will make this quality time.” — S. Mitchell (WebMD 50 Great Things About Women Over 50)

“It is not unusual for someone to feel a lot of anxiety about  turning 50 years old, but once you reach your 50s and beyond, you are going to  wonder what exactly it was you were so worried about.”

Tonight, the sunset was spectacular! It was almost as though God was giving my 40’s a grand farewell and it made me smile! I look forward to what the      50’s have in store for me. I do know I’m not going to stop living life to the fullest, I will still view the word “impossible” as a bad word, and I will continue to look for God in every part of my day! Here’s to the next 50!

Saying “see ya later” to a childhood memory.

by nebraskawheatie

Today, I sat in a church in my old “neck of the woods” with people whom I remember being so much younger. I went to the first of my childhood friend’s parent’s funeral (wow, that was a mouthful). It affected me more than I thought it would since I haven’t seen Walt in nearly 30 years. As I sat there singing the songs and listening to the Pastor speak, all I could focus on was the memories that flooded back to me. Walt always seemed like a giant of a man to me and just a little bit scary. I loved him, none the less! He was a part of my childhood and part of what made me who I am today.

The faces I saw today were different…older. Although the years have aged us all, I felt a feeling I hadn’t felt in some time. The feeling of being HOME. When I was growing up, we lived on a street that had a lot of kids the same ages as me and my brothers. We didn’t spend much time in front of the tv. We played outside and we played with the entire neighborhood of kids! We were one big family. As kids, we’d confide in each other about everything, was a part of each other’s family, and always looked out for each other. As we grew up, we went our separate ways. It was through our parents that we’d keep up with each other and know who was married, who was having babies and what each of us had done with our lives. For a couple of hours, I was really home again.

It was unfortunate that the Pastor doing the service today didn’t know Walt – he said so himself. If he had, he would have been able to tell the guests just what a wonderful guy he was, how much he loved hunting and fishing and how important his family was to him.  He could have retold stories about the good old days and how much fun our neighborhood used to have. Walt would have done anything for anyone! You know what…I didn’t need a Pastor to tell me these things, I already knew – firsthand. Although I hadn’t seen you in at least 30 years, Walt, I’ll miss you!