Cop Comes Callin

I was busy changing a tire on the manure truck when I noticed a cop pulling into our drive. I jumped on the 4 wheeler and motored across the street to see what was going on. He told us they had received a 911 hang up call from our address and wondered if everything was okay. Aleya was busy playing and Sierra was reading books so neither one of them had made a call. We don't know if the phone line was funny or if someone was making some sort of prank call. He said they had received several hang up calls this morning. It is comforting to know they can be here at the drop of a hat if we need them.

Shooting Stars

Some people refer to falling stars as shooting stars.
If a star shoots, what weapon does it use? Shotgun, rifle, cannon, or musket?
Or do they just fall! I have never seen or heard a shooting star. Have you?

Social Issues

When I posted concerning home schooling, there were a number of comments which referred to the social ineptness of home schooled children. However, no one said what the problem was or what could be done to remedy that glitch in the home schooling arena. One thing I thought about in regards to this issue concerns what we consider status quo, or who is cool. Maybe the the children who are schooled at home actually are socially acceptable and the others are not. I have noticed some of these children are much easier to communicate with on an adult level. So, one question I have, is in regards to what we consider acceptable on a social level. What can be done in home school families to help alleviate the problem of what we call social ineptness? Another question concerns the possibility of a church school and a home school working together? For instance, attending music class for one hour a day or something of that nature. For some reason there usually seems to be very little acceptance of home schooled children at school. In some ways I can understand the argument which states if you want your children in school some of the time, why not send them all the time? Does social acceptance revolve totally around an individuals ability, or lack of, to play sports? Is this what we base social acceptance on?

Aleya: two weeks old

Aleya Nicole

Two years ago today when my alarm rang I had no idea how dramatic this day would be. At four-o-clock in the morning all I was worried about was tripping as I went to the barn. I had a little trouble milking and was a late coming home. Instead of being home at 7:00 it was 8:00. I opened the door and stood there in total shock. Sitting on the kitchen floor were suitcases, a car seat, and many other assorted baby items. My wife came bursting around the corner and squealed "Let's go man!" "Go?" I asked. "Go where?" "Florida" she replied. "Ah, honey, why don't you tell me what is going on." Rachel said, "Ashley called and is at the hospital. She is having the baby!!!!" Fifteen minutes later we were driving out the lane. We did not know where we were going but we were going there in a hurry. As we drove we managed to dig out the atlas and find the place on the map. Punta Gorda, FL located a little south of Sarasota. Around ten or eleven we decided Rachel's mom should come and help with Sierra so we could be at the hospital. Her mom, Donna, found a flight that landed in Sarasota at the same time we would be driving through the area. This was a fifteen hour drive and we made several phone calls to Ashley through out the day to find out the success of the labor. At six in the evening we stopped at McDonalds for supper and decided to call and see what was going on. No answer. I remember telling Rachel that Ashley might be delivering and they couldn't answer the phone. At seven we called again and discovered we had a little daughter. The time of the birth was 6:07. We still had four and a half hours of driving before we would reach the hospital. We picked Donna up at 10:30 and arrived at the hospital at 11:35. It was late and they were not very busy so they let everyone in too see the baby. What a precious little girl. The baby we had waited on for four and a half years. After spending time with Aleya we went to see Ashley and her mom, Dorothy. I left Rachel talking with them and took Mom and Sierra to a hotel. After getting them settled I went back to the hospital and visited some more with Aleya's relatives. We had a wonderful time together and chatted until 2:00. We are so thankful for Aleya and those who chose to give her to us.

Steroids

Those of you who pay any attention to professional sports are aware of the discussion this summer concerning steroid use among professional athletes. For some reason I could not understand why this was such a big deal. Why was everyone so anti-steroid use? Every sports related talk show I heard condemned an athlete for using them. This irritated me but I could not figure out why. Is it really that terrible? People were claiming these athletes should have there records or accomplishment's stricken from the record. It would look like they had never played or they would have an explanation beside their records. This player used steroids.
One day it dawned on me why I was irritated. We live in a society in which people can cheat on their wives, lie, abort/kill/murder babies, and live a homosexual lifestyle. These are things which do not matter in our society, it is okay to do these things. However, if one player gets caught using steroids his name is forever tarnished. Why is steroid use such a big deal and these other issues are not? This seems to be extremely inconsistent. It is disheartening to realize people in general are more concerned about whether or not a player cheated while playing a specific sport. Concerned about padded/accurate stats but are not concerned about the lifestyle people are living. I am not condoning the use of steroids in anyway. I wonder what would happen if the commissioner of the NFL, Paul Tagliabou, would begin fining football players for cheating on their wives?

Friends

What a refreshing thing friends are. Do you have friends? I am not talking about acquaintances, I am talking about friends. I have many acquaintances but very few friends. Are your friends made of iron? The Bible talks about iron sharpening iron. Those who are married have at least one friend, although at times it doesn't feel friendly. The problem occurs when we take offense to the sharpening. This weekend I was reminded how wonderful it is to have iron friends. Saturday evening, after all eight children were in bed, we stayed up talking. It was almost one in the morning before we blew out the candle. It was very refreshing to discuss the different issues we are facing. Topics included, child training, marriage, personal struggles, church related discrepancies, home schooling, and work. There were certain things we did not agree on but there were no fights. We felt at liberty to say how I felt about certain issues knowing they would understand. Knowing they wouldn't believe we were heretics.
It was very encouraging and we are thankful for Jon and Ginny's friendship.
Do you have iron friends? Or would your friends fall into the acquaintance category?

Floyd, VA

Well, we are off to Floyd for the rest of the weekend. We are going to see Jon and Ginny Yoder. There second born, Natasha, and our first born were born within a month of each other. Well, almost. When Natasha's mother asked her what she wanted for her birthday she said she wanted Sierra to come and visit. We feel very honored and are looking forward to spending time with there family. I also want to wish Tasha a very happy birthday.

Shower

I am wondering how long you stand in the shower. Are you part of the prune tribe? A tribe known for standing in a stream of water until they begin to erode. Some people are part of the quick tribe. These people are afraid they will miss something important so they shower quick. I am part of this tribe and base my speed on this very important issue. All interesting things occur while I am in the shower. Why are some people inclined to stand in a hot, sweltering, stream of water for thirty minutes? Personally I enjoy a nice, long, two minuet shower. I see no reason to huddle there after the soap has been used sufficiently. In and out, that's my motto. What's yours?

Annoyed Neighbors

We are in the process of hauling liquid manure and to help us accomplish this job we have manufactured a manure truck equipped with a 5,000 gallon tank. This is a splendid way to get the job done. This afternoon I was busy spreading this fine looking, very black this year, stuff in a field near the road. Right across from the field is a home. We have never been reprimanded or screeched at before for the wonderful odors which are common when this project is being worked on. Today, I noticed someone waiting on the school bus and while she was waiting she had her cold eye trained on my progress. After the bus left she came wheeling into the field and flagged me down. This was our conversation.
Lady: "What is this stuff?"
Me: "Cow manure."
Lady: "Are you sure? That isn't human waste?" (You can now get human waste that has been through a treatment plant. You do need a certificate of approval from the land owner stating you can put it on her land. There have been some articles in the local paper about this sludge.)
ME: "No!"
Lady: "What is that pile of stuff over there?" (She was referring to some fly ash we are getting to spread on the fields. The fly ash replaces lime and comes out of the local power plant. It is also free which is a big plus.)
Me: "Ashes from the power plant."
Lady: "Are you sure that is cow manure?"
Me: "Yes." By now I am beginning to get tired of this silly and pointless conversation.
Lady: "Why don't you put it some where else? Are you SURE that is not human waste?"
Me: "Yes"
Lady: "Okay" (She sounded very weary. I would be weary to if I had to worry about this issue.)
She must be from the big bad city......

Premarital Counseling

Is premarital counseling necessary? In general I believe engaged couples are so naive and honeymoonish this is basically a waste of time. Okay, that is probably not accurate but before you throw me in the river let me give you an alternative. Mennonites tend to meet with the excited couple and discuss a book or some other source of information, which is good. However, once this is completed they are ready for marriage. After the wedding the couple will be trying to live together and this when the problems begin in earnest. Here are a few of the issues I have heard about in the last 2-3 years. Things that were actually fought over. How high should the clock be mounted on the wall? Why does she make so much noise when she is sweeping her fangs? Why does she always burn the eggs? Why does he always track mud in the house? This is only the beginging. How will they deal with these simple yet huge problems? These are the problems which tend to get bigger as time goes on. In the middle of this we have Jr. entering the equation. Oh boy, then things really get interesting. Where are the helpful counselors after the fact. Do we in general assume the couple will be okay? I believe there should be a year, minimum, of postmarital counseling. What was your experience, if your married. If you are unmarried and not attached what do you think would be helpful? We attended a marriage seminar before marriage but had no counseling per say but we did have some counseling after marriage. So, was your premarital counseling helpful?

Swarm Of Gators

When we were in FL getting the boys we spent one afternoon at

Gatorama

Gatorama is like a fish farm only it is for gators. I can't remeber how old this batch of gators is but there was quite a few piled on top of each other.

Aleya (1) Sierra (4) 

Scared Spitless

There have been two specific times in the last five years that I have been scared spitless. They occurred approximately two weeks apart. They both happened in early in the morning when my defenses were at a very low ebb. I was on my way to get the cows in too milk on both occasions. Imagine plodding methodically along flashlight in hand, it's feeble beam peering into the murky darkness. All of a sudden you hear a woman screaming aaaaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
When I landed I could feel the hair on my neck standing up and I had chills running up and down my wavering spine. After a few spine tingling seconds of silence my spine began to straighten and my confidence returned only to be shattered by another heart rending scream. This time I didn't jump near as high and I was able to maintain some sort of sanity. Oh yes, that must be the mountain lion that guy (hunter) was referring to. The scream of a cat is the worst thing I have ever heard. By the way, he was quite a ways from the barn.
The other incident occurred as I was approaching the barn. As we were trudging towards the barn there was this loud hiss or pop sound right beside the fence. The cows bolted for the barn and my reaction was to bolt the opposite direction. Which I did with an amazing amount of agility for 4:00 in the morning. Woe is me, I still need to pass the spot to get to the barn. I slowly inched my way along, squeezing myself against the opposite fence while training my once again feeble flashlight at the spot. What do you think I saw? Nothing, absolutely nothing. I have no idea if there was anything there or not but it sure scared me. After the sun came up my knees finally stopped knocking, I think, no wait, there still knocking......

Schooling

When you think of home schooling versus church school, what criteria would you use to make your decision? What influenced your decision the most? What are some of the concerns you see on both sides of the issue? How does social development fit into the equation? Will home schooled children be more apt to have social problems? Is social ineptness related to training, or lack of it, at home? When I say social ineptness I am referring to playground etiquette. What about classroom discussion? Would discussion in a classroom setting be something your children can use to develop good listening habits? Being willing to listen to another point of view? We keep rolling around different options concerning school. We have a very good church school should that settle the issue? How would school mates fit into the equation? (Not that I have any one in mind....)
How does the cost of home schooling compare to sending your children to a church school. Each tuition cost is different I am sure. Lots of questions so lets have some answers.

Hurricane Zehr

I heard there was a hurricane warning in our area the last several days and my fears were confirmed when I saw the following article.
Cleanup continued this afternoon in the aftermath of Hurricane Zehr. This hurricane was first spotted on the disaster radar Thursday afternoon around three-o-clock. The first inclination a hurricane was in the area occurred when a mini-van was seen leaving the greater Marysville area. As the storm continued to rage, Seneca creek began to rise and soon debris was seen floating down on the raging waves. Things came to head this afternoon when cleanup began in earnest. Homeowners were seen using heavy equipment to remove mud and dirt from damaged homes. The most obvious was a home located across from Airy Mont Farm. Shovels were put into use as counters were cleaned and floors were swept. There are plans for a grand celebration this evening were families will gather to devour sloppy joes and other assorted items. "We think things are under control" Mr. Zehr said "We won't know for sure until my wife returns from GA and can view things for herself." It appears Mr. Zehr was given strict orders to clean the house before his wife returned. Hopefully he has successfully fulfilled his cleanup obligations.

Salt of the Earth

I was thinking this evening while milking about my children. I had jokingly told someone the other day they were the salt of the earth. Salt is an amazing thing if you have the right amount it will add a special dimension to any meal. Yet, if it is overpowering you will throw it out. There is also an old saying which goes something like this rubbing salt into the wound. This, of course, is similar to adding insult to injury. What struck me was how much our children can be like salt. They add a wonderful dimension to life, they make life worth living. They add spice to life. For example, I had the privilege of babysitting my niece and two nephews tonight as well as Sierra. Sierra and Megan got into a little disagreement over something and a few tears were shed by both young lasses. In the process of getting them to resolve there differences I mentioned that they needed to be like bread and butter. I went on to explain this meant they needed to learn to get along and play together cheerfully. To be very, very close friends. When I got done Megan said then we will be like Mom and Dad cuz they never fight. I thought ummm, I know that isn't true. Then I realized they must be doing things right because she has not seen any disagreements which would cause her to wonder about her parents relationship. I wonder what Sierra would say.....
I mentioned earlier that too much salt can be a problem as well. I hope and pray that when my children begin to branch out and make decisions on there own they will make God-fearing choices. The decisions my children make in the future will be based on how I am teaching them now. I know I have failed miserably many times but God is faithful. I am very thankful for my children and the ways they have and are enriching my life.
How have your children enriched your life?

A Picture Scam

I discovered, due to one of my loyal readers, the pictures I posted concerning hurricane Katrina were not related to Katrina in any way. Below is the accurate information about those photographs.

Thursday, September 15, 2005
Photos are not from KatrinaBy Kevin MyattROANOKE.COM COLUMNIST
Used by permission of Mike Hollingshead
E-mails have been circling the planet with a series of attached images, including the one displayed with this column, claiming the photos are from Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi. Perhaps you have received one of these.
I have received an e-mail twice in the last few days, each time with the same photos and words claiming they are from Mississippi. I also received the same photos via e-mail in May, long before Katrina, in a forwarded e-mail claiming the photographs were from storms near Perth, Australia.
These photos are real storm photos, excellent ones at that, but they're not from Mississippi or Australia. These photos are the work of storm chaser Mike Hollingshead of Blair, Neb., and they depict supercell thunderstorms he has photographed in Iowa and Nebraska. Without his permission, the images are being e-mailed with false claims of what they depict, and those e-mails then get forwarded endlessly.
Check out his Web site at extremeinstability.com.

Camping?

This picture was taken at our Zehr camp out. While we were there I began to wonder what camping really meant? The cabin was located in north central PA. and had more rooms in it then the house we live in. Not only did it have lots of bedrooms it had an indoor shuffleboard court, pool table, and ping pong. There was a host of indoor and outdoor toys for the children to enjoy. This made our camping experience one of true delight, meaning, the children were able to entertain themselves some of the time. When you think of camping do you think mountains and back packs? Or do you think cabin in the mountains which you hope has more toys than Toys-R-Us? I enjoy camping when it does not include living off of the land, taking showers in the river, or sleeping in a bag.

Humorous Episode

My dear wife has this hankering to hear her mother speak and will be able to do so this weekend. Her mother is beginging to be a Mennonite renown speaker and has written several books. She is scheduled to speak this weekend in Hartwell Georgia at a ladies retreat. She will be taking the three youngest children with her as well as a lady from church to help drive and do other assorted duties. Lyndon and his wife, Rhonda, are youth leaders and youth camp is scheduled for this weekend. In the process of telling him about my wife's plans I told him I was wondering if he would be willing to take Sierra along with them to camp. The look on his face was one of total horror and concern. I could see the wheels spinning in his mind "How in the world would we make that work?" I wish I could have spun it out a little longer but I had this uncontrollable desire to laugh. So, Sierra and I will be milking nights and doing other assorted things throughout the day. Hopefully we have as much fun as everyone else.

Shaving

I have discovered shaving is a fine art. Here are the steps for the perfect shave
1. Water temperature
The water temperature must be hot. How hot? So hot the razor will singe the hair off of the face.
2. Shaving cream.
The shaving cream must be labeled for sensitive skin and should be liberally smeared upon the face before the very hot razor approaches the area to be shaved.
3. Razor sharpness
I have much experience with the art of shaving. I have used some razors so long they literally scrape the hair/skin off of my face. This becomes very uncomfortable and nearly unbearable if you have forgotten to shave for several days. This uncomfortable feeling is directly related to ones ability to grow facial hair. I have also experienced the joy of a very sharp razor skimming smoothly over the skin without needing the band aide box.
Of course I always wonder why I put myself through such torture. I have often heard of people needing a conviction to let the hair grow. Why? Wouldn't you need a conviction to shave???? By the way, what is a conviction? I would not die for either.

Pharisee's

Am I a pharisee? I think about my Mennonite background and the way Mennonites in general function and wonder, at times, if we are any better than the pharisee's. They were caught up in the ritual of the law but were unconcerned with heart issues. They did all the right things, looked a certain way, thus they were good people. Am I really a Christian? A person that is trying to live a Christ like life? Can we as Mennonites hide behind our traditional Mennonite dress? Will my children have a desire to love and follow Christ or hide behind the dress code? How do we keep from being like the pharisee's?

Zehr Family Picture

I don't believe you can get a more accurate picture of humanity. This picture was taken with a digital camera on a tripod. On this particular photo, everyone appears to be looking and talking about things that don't pertain to looking at the camera. I found this picture quite refreshing and very funny.
Back row L-R = Laureen Zehr (Jon's Wife), Jon Zehr (Holding Megan Zehr), Milo Zehr(Gramps), Glen Zehr (Holding Aleya Zehr),
Middle Row L-R = Marcus Zehr, Mary Sue Zehr (Grandma), Rachel Zehr (My Wife), Juanita Miller (Holding JoAnna),
Front Row L-R = Korwin Zehr, Sierra Zehr, Hannah Miller (Holding Casey).
I don't know where Ben is.... Obiviously he has not made it into the picture.....

Skunks & Ground Hogs

There appears to be a family of skunks living on cow deposits in the pasture. Well, its not really a pasture it's more like a large weed patch. The other night as I was getting the cows up to milk, I almost treaded upon one of these nasty little critters. After this narrow escape I began paying closer attention to the path I was treading. I noticed if I walked one way they had a tendency to go the other. This is rather encouraging because I have no desire to try new cologne. While I was feeding today I discovered two well fed ground hogs rumbling across the drive. They appear to have a home under one of the old silos that is no longer in use. Has anyone ever eaten a ground hog? Someone told me they make for fine eatin. I have no plans of putting them on my menu.

One more for your viewing enjoyment. These were sent to some friends of ours who then sent them to us. 

Hurricane Katrina 

Night Vision

I have been milking nights this week. I feel sorry for everyone that has not taken the time to look up this week. Look up people, it is amazing. The stars are brilliantly shining. The milky-way is very milky and there are two planets on the western horizon that are beautiful and can be seen as the sun sinks. The moon was a tiny orange sliver the other evening. Truly beautiful, so go look, right now, I mean it.

Broken Record

Ah yes, we have broken the record. We cut 58 loads of corn today. That is a record, for us anyway......

Billy Joe's

Billy Joe's is located off of the expressway in Lynchburg. There slogan is "Good food Good friends" We were in town this evening, trying to kill three birds, doves I think, with one rifle shot. The kids were hungry and I wanted some ice cream for dessert so we stopped at Billy Joe's. I had never been there and we wondered what it was like. The food was good, all though the hamburger was tad on the pink side. The dessert was great but the bill was the greatest. When the waitress came with the ice cream she said "The gentleman sitting behind you said you had such beautiful children he wanted to pay your bill so it is all taken care of." We were very surprised. The fellow had left so I told the waitress to tell him how much we appreciated his thoughtful deed. This is the first time we have had this experience. Has this ever happened to you?

How Old Are You?

I have noticed a tendency in my life that has begun bring great consternation into my life. This primary concern is not gray hair. I have a quite a collection of them, in fact I think you gave me some of them...
Anyway, the proofs in the pudding, as they say. I have noticed a trend which concerns my memory. For example, I will be working on something and lay down my wrench. Thirty seconds later I will not have the foggiest notion where it is. I will spend the next five minutes frantically searching for the offending tool. After much searching and frustration I will angrily leave the vicinity. Upon my return, woopdydoodaday, there it will be. Lying smugly in the middle of the shop floor. I calmly pick the tool up and hurl it savagely through the shop window. The morale of the story? Always duck when you are within throwing distance of the shop.....
Please tell me I am not the only one with a failing memory.

Rivermont

VOP had two programs scheduled yesterday, the one in the evening was at Rivermont Evangelical Presbyterian Church located in Lynchburg. They called to tell us they were planning a special prayer service and our songs needed to fit into a certain category. Meditative, contemplative, and soul searching songs. After we sang they spent the rest of the service in special prayer for the hurricane victims. I was blessed.

WCPE

I have added this link to my sidebar. They have some really good sacred music on Sunday morning. I think this would be my favorite station and you can listen online for free, even though they would prefer if you pay or get a subscription.

Deletions

How do you delete those spamming comments????

Straw Poll

I need some sage advice from the land of the unknown. From the mighty minds that roam the wild terrain of the blogging world. The advice I need concerns the age old problem, at least it's a problem in our church, of teaching Sunday school. Not that I am opposed to teaching, in fact, I rather enjoy it. Here is the dilemma. Two little boys, note this, not one but two, ages 3 months and 2 months. Throw into the mix a very enthusiastic two year old. Would we be wise parents to farm our children out amongst the willing hands on the days that I would need to teach. Or should I try to politely tell the powers that be that teaching would cause a major family ruckus which I would have to deal with at a later date, like next Sunday when I don't teach. Now to be sure you have the facts, I may not need to teach but three or four times a year. Should we decide to farm out our children or just have my wife stay home with them OR should I say, "sorry but this is a bad idea and is not conducive to our family at the present time." I believe it would be hard to teach and hold a baby at the same time. The question is: What would be best for our children?

Gas Prices

Wow, I cannot believe the price of gas actually hit $3.59 in Altavista today. What does this mean? How is this going to affect you and your daily life. Will it keep you from purchasing the 6 pack Dr. Pepper? Do you cringe every time you fill up the car/van/suv? Here is the big question, do you blame the government? All they talk about on NPR is how poor a job our president is doing. Is this his fault? What does he need to do different next time, bomb the hurricane?

Going To Town

Here a few random thoughts that occured while we were in town. The first concerned the Wal-Mart employees and the jackets that say "How may I help you?" There was a fellow stocking shelves and in the process he was taking up the whole aisle. Well, that is an exaggeration but you get the point. I read the lettering on the jacket and the first thing that went through my mind, oh this is terrible, was "You would help me the most by getting out of my way."
Thought number two concerned the carts. Yes carts, plural carts. We had two of them, this is the only way we can maneuver two babies and a two year old through the store. The four year old could walk, but man, that would really wear her out after a couple hours of traipsing through the hundred acre wood, I mean Wald-Mart, so she rode also. What struck me was how much we were in the way. Man, I would have been annoyed if I was there with myself....
My third thought was about the rubber, or lack of, on the wheels of my cart. The left rear wheel was losing it's mind, in fact, on the way to the car it completely lost it and got all twisted up. I had to back it up and get it untwisted before it could think enough to go forwards again.
The fourth and final thought occurred at Sonic which is located directly across the street from the big monopolizing Wal- Mart. On the backside of Sonic is a railroad. While we were enjoying our Sonic Bacon Cheese Burgers a train came screeching through. I have never heard a whistle as load as this one.
Here is a side note for the day. Sierra purchased a little game tonight that was a result of her cheerfulness for the last several weeks. After we got home she told her mother "I am going to save this receipt because kids don't like to throw things away."