A View From The Earth

Today starts the third week of my official permanent layoff from my employer. It has taken me a couple of weeks to really come to terms with it and what it means to me. At first I was really upset, angry even, about the dysfunctional leadership at the company. My employment was not ended by my manager but by the CEO, COO, & CFO of the company. The only thing I can think of about why I was terminated was that I have a tendency to ask questions and some of those questions are hard ones, especially about finances of the company and why certain things were happening within the company. After the anger episode I went on to what seems like my trusty companion of depression. My mood became gray, a lot like the days have been of late. Feeling like I was starting to slip into the clutches of depression, I've decided to fight. Not fight my former employer because I wasn't really happy at my job, but to fight the depression and see what is good about this change. I've sent ...

The above photo is of the four Mulefoot piglets that my fifteen year old daughter exhibited at the Clayton County, Iowa Fair. These are the critters that she received a trophy for 'Best Overall Other Animal' exhibit. She is now up to two fair trophies. That is the number that I received for all of my years exhibiting at the county fair and she has three years left. Of course my thirteen year old already had two trophies so she will probably end up with more than either of us. The majority of my family is down in Des Moines, Iowa. My lovely wife had a educational conference there. Three of the kids and my mom went with her, they are staying at my brother's house where the youngest two can play with my niece's kids. My thirteen year old daughter and my nine year old son are lucky enough to get to stay with their dad for a few days. Well I suppose I should get back to working on another appraisal report.... Grace and Peace to all!

This past week was our county fair in National, Iowa. My wife and I are both 4-H leaders and four out of the five kids are involved some way in 4-H. The four year old isn't old enough yet to be an official part of it but she tries to help out with everyone else. If you don't know, 4-H is a youth organization that originally started out in rural areas but is now in both large and small places. In Iowa, the Iowa State University extension service administers the program. I think that 4-H is best summed up by the 4-H pledge that is said at every meeting. I pledge My head to clearer thinking, My heart to greater loyalty, My hands to larger service, and My health to better living, For my club, my community, my country, and my world. Our kids did well, they received some purple ribbons, mostly blue ribbons, and a few red ribbons. One trophy was won by the oldest daughter in the "Other Animals" category for the mulefoot pigs that she took. The fair is an event that the ...