Honoring My Parents

**forHISglory** · 08-15-2011, 11:03 PM

When I was little, my mom and dad went to my school and church programs, and clapped for me. When I was in high school, they came out to watch me march in parades and half time shows. They came to my plays and award assemblies.

When I started teaching, they drove out of state to come watch the plays that I directed. When I retired, they came to my retirement party.

Now tomorrow is the turn around. My parents are being honored at the Iowa State Fair, and I get to go and applaud them!!! So excited to do this for them and with them. They are not in good health, so it will be a tiring and taxing day. But we are so psyched!

**AmyBoz** · 08-16-2011, 08:02 AM

That is wonderful news! I'm sure, more than the honor itself, they are thrillednthat you can be there for them! Congratulations to your parents!

**Darlene** · 08-16-2011, 08:13 AM

How wonderful! Love your avatar.

**nodmicks** · 08-16-2011, 08:29 AM

That is terrific!

**McD** · 08-16-2011, 10:24 AM

Had I known in advance, I could have came to see you and your parents!

I have been to the Iowa State Fair once in my life. ANd that was more than enough for me. Ugh.

How awesome they are being honored. Do you mind if I ask what for?

**mamachop** · 08-16-2011, 01:08 PM

How wonderful for all of you! I know your parents will love having you there with them. God bless you all and I hope the day is enjoyed by everyone!

**Ramona** · 08-16-2011, 03:04 PM

That sounds like a beautiful day!

Take pictures and frame them, if you can. If it makes the newspaper, frame the article.

Enjoy the day ♥

**ncarr** · 08-16-2011, 06:59 PM

Congrats! I hope the day is wonderful

**forHISglory** · 08-16-2011, 09:13 PM

Thank you all. McD, my parents were honored for having acheived a Century Farm. It's called the Century Farm Award.

This is given to farm owners whose land has been in family hands for over 100 years. My great grandparents settled the farm, then it passed to my grandparents, and then to my parents. They have been on the land for 43 years.

If you are not from a farming background, you may not get the full impact of what this means. During the 1970s and 80s, many farmers from the mid-west went belly up and lost their heritage land to foreclosure. Banks sort of went wild with taking over farms after giving farmers really bad loans. The banks were very pushy with the loans, but seemed to have no heart at all in callling in the loan after a missed payment.

My parents have always been super frugal, and Dad worked at another job at night and farmed during the day in order to make ends meet. Instead of buying new equipment, he welded and patched the old. He was very hands on in caring for his animals instead of developing a mega-feedlot approach. Even so, they came within a breath of losing their farm, too. So this award really shows the gutsiness and perseverance of those who managed to hang on.

I am soooooo proud of them. All of my sibs and inlaws and I gathered there to see the Secretary of Agriculture make the presentation, and to hear the thunderous applause, and to see the tears in my mother's eyes, as she recalled her own grandma and grandpa and mother and father being on that same land.

**McD** · 08-17-2011, 07:43 AM

Well that is awesome!

But th real question is did you eat the fried butter on a stick?

**Brat** · 08-17-2011, 08:04 AM

Forhisglory This is quit an honor..Happy for all of you..

**forHISglory** · 08-17-2011, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by McD

Well that is awesome!

But th real question is did you eat the fried butter on a stick?

And the real answer to your real question is...... YES! My sis and I split this. It was delicious.... tasted like a pancake with lots of butter...

**Dutchie** · 08-18-2011, 08:32 AM

What an amazing story, it brought tears to my eyes.
I would LOVE to see any photos that you may have made.

(((HUGS)))

**Dutchie** · 08-18-2011, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by McD

Well that is awesome!

But th real question is did you eat the fried butter on a stick?

Fried butter on a stick???
I cannot even imagine how that is made!
Doesn't it melt before you heat it?

**mamamia** · 08-18-2011, 10:47 AM

Oh my goodness! That truly is incredible, and I can easily understand how this achievement is a rare one indeed! How sweet that your mom has all those wonderful memories. I'm guessing you have plenty of your own. Having grown up in NYC, I can only imagine how different your life growing up was compared to mine. I know farming is majorly hard work, and depends greatly on self-reliance (like your dear dad), and God himself, but I always feel a tinge of wistfulness of wishing I grew up that way. There's just a certain strength that can only be found in farmers, and that trait deems much respect!

Do you and your sibs have any plans of keeping this farm going?

Well thanks for posting! Reading it, and seeing your avatar brought tears to my eyes also!

Congratulations to you and your hard working parents and family!!

Theresa