She's Got a Ring!

Thanksgiving has come and gone. It has been a good one and I've enjoyed the break; now the Christmas decorations are up. Nate and I have chopped the leaves and what we didn't get the wind has blown away. The soybeans have been cut and the wheat has sprouted. It feels like we are officially on final approach to the end of the year.

The big news around here is that Nolan has popped the question! And Jenna said yes! We had celebrated our Thanksgiving on Wednesday since Nolan's grandparents are in and his family planned to have their dinner on Thursday. He had spent the night here Wednesday so he and Jenna took a walk on the farm before they left. Jackie, your farm, close to the TVA tower, was actually the scene of the proposal. I told Nolan it was very fitting for an aspiring electrician to propose marriage under a set of high voltage power lines.

Jenna was completely blindsided. This is hard to pull off because she hears everything and picks up on the subtlest of clues. She certainly knew the proposal was coming because they have been talking about it for a while now and had even discussed ring shopping. She had no idea that Nolan had met with us on Halloween and asked our blessing before proposing and that we had given him Mom's engagement ring then. Mom met Nolan a few times and liked him—though she said he looks "so young"—so Vicki and I felt like this would be a fitting way to bless them both and pass that heirloom on to Jenna. Mom's ring is too large for Jenna so they plan to have the diamond set in a new setting. Even so, when Vicki took the ring to the jeweler for cleaning he had high praise for the stone Dad picked out for Mom some 60 years ago.

Vicki's secret keeping was put to the test last weekend as she and Jenna traveled to West Virginia for the wedding of Jenna's best friend from high school, Maegan They had about 13 hours in the car together for Vicki to avoid that subject. They had a fun trip and said Maegan's wedding was beautiful.

So here we are on the backend of Thanksgiving. My daughter is engaged to a young man we think very highly of. No date has been set, but we are thinking the wedding will be after school starts next fall. I'll pass along the details as they are ironed out. Hopefully the pandemic craziness will have settled down long before then.

Joe

Being Thankful

 Well, here we are in the middle of November. I must say the trees seem to have hung on to their leaves a surprisingly long time this year. It's as if God is saying, I know you folks are having a rough year so let me give you a good, long look at all the beautiful colors my trees can put out. And around the farm the corn is in, the wheat has been sown, and the soybeans will be cut soon. Everything is beginning to look like it is buttoned up for the winter ahead.

I am most thankful that we've gotten 64 days of school in, however, our high school went virtual last Tuesday. We had been rocking along really well with only the occasional infection or exposure case that needed to be quarantined, but as COVID activity began to rise around the country a week or so ago we saw a similar uptick among our high school students as well. So, the decision was made to switch to virtual learning mode for grades 9-12 through the end of Thanksgiving break and then make a determination at that time whether to bring them back for in person classes for the last two weeks of the semester and mid-term exams. I'm still going in to work because I have two 8th grade classes that meet in person, but I sure miss Nate's company going to and from work, and Nate looked at me yesterday evening after three days of virtual classes and said, "I hate distance learning."

I really hope we can get back in school. From what I see most students just perform better with face-to-face instruction. I'm really wondering if one of the long-term affects of this pandemic will be a few years of high school graduates who will not be ready for the job market and will really struggle to succeed in college. Nate wondered to me if last Tuesday was his last day of high school on campus. I feel like it might be premature to say that, but I can see the possibility of us bouncing between in person and virtual classes through the winter months. We'll see how that story plays out.

Speaking of enjoying Nate's company on my commute, one morning as we were heading out the door Nate said, “Let's take my car today." I thought about that a moment and then said, "You need gas, don't you?" He replied with a grin.

As I reread what I have just written and think about this year with everything that has happened in the world it is so easy to be discouraged. We're less than two weeks away from Thanksgiving, which has become my favorite holiday, I think, because gratitude is a key to happiness. So please allow me, with all humility, list the things for which I m grateful.

• I enjoy a healthy relationship with my wife who shares the journey of this life with me and prays for me when I need it.
• Jenna is able to pursue a second degree which will help her minister to those who are hurting. Additionally, she has found Nolan whom she loves deeply and whom we all enjoy as well.
• Ben has chosen a major that seems to be a good fit for him and he has surrounded himself with good friends in college.
• Likewise, Nate is thriving in his senior year of high school and has good friends both at school and at church.
• And while I miss my mom, I am grateful I had her for as long as I did. She is free of the limitations brought on by age and pandemic and reunited with all those who went on before her.
• I am grateful that I have a job where I can touch lives. Hopefully I am serving God well in this capacity.

Since it is unlikely that I will write again until after Thanksgiving let me wish you a happy one now. You are another reason for my gratitude. Some of you reading this are still part of my life regularly right now, but many of you are not because of distance or schedule. Still, I am grateful for the people who have crossed my path, so happy Thanksgiving.

Joe