The Big Three: Bringing in the Harvest

The world can be a crazy place. Sometimes it helps to step back and list a few of the things you’re grateful for. I’m making it a habit each week to list three blessings. Here’s what I’m grateful for this week, September 14-20.

What I’m grateful for:

—Brum, brum. A car that starts in the extreme heat. In the extreme cold. I remember as a kid my parents’ cars leaving us stranded on more than one occasion. Usually it happened when I was the driver. I’m not sure if cars are more reliable today. Or if we take better care of them. Or if we’re just luckier. But I’m grateful that our cars for the most part start when I want them to start.

—Lists. I’m a list guy. I have my running list of chores I need to accomplish. I have a second list of calls and appointments I need to schedule. You know things, like scheduling blood tests for doctor visits and taking my car into the shop. I have another list: my wife’s honey-due list, all the things she wants me to tackle around the house. Oh, it gets better. I have lists for my lists. More than anything my lists keep me organized. I’m grateful for that feeling of accomplishment and being on the ball.

—Bringing in the crops. I grew up in rural farm country. Fall, which officially starts on Monday, was always an interesting time. Farmers were busy with harvesting mature crops like corn, wheat, apples, squash, and pumpkins. They were getting ready for winter by planting soil-protecting cover crops and performing maintenance on equipment and barns. Fields were prepped for future planting, and compost added to enrich the soil. Dairy farmers in the region provided their livestock with extra feed to build fat reserves before the colder months. They also spent time planning for spring births. Many farms opened their properties up to corn mazes and sold pumpkins and apples. Thank goodness for harvest time.

What gave me a smile?

One day this past week, my son’s four-month old English Bulldog puppy sat with me on a bench and taught me a valuable lesson about life. Here’s what I learned:

Some days, you spend all your time pondering the big meaty topics of the day. You know what I mean. You wrack your brain trying to figure out the meaning of life? Coming up with a cure for Cancer. Solving world peace. For good measure, you try to solve poverty and malnutrition too. And oh yea, figuring out whether the chicken or the egg came first? Or even why the chicken crossed the road?

You know real tough challenges. The important stuff. You wrack your brain.

You work so hard, your brain starts to sizzle and smoke. Hey, it’s hard work. And then out of nowhere, when you least expect it, comes . . . well, sleep. And it’s much needed and appreciated. Sweet, blissful sleep. Ahhhhh.

You’re enjoying your much needed nap, your few minutes of pure, wonderful rest. And then like clockwork you’re woken to a loud blaring, annoying alarm.

The guilty party: a damn horrible, no-good, nosy squirrel. The only thing to say to the unwelcome intruder: “Bah-humbug ya little bugger.”

And, yes, he better run, because if he gets any closer, my son’s puppy and I will jump off our bench and try to get him.

Yes, bah-humbug!