Memphis Democrat Column from November 27, 2005

I'm back after some very relaxing time off. Michael and I spent two and a half weeks on our land in

McDonald County, which is in southwest Missouri. We got down there just in time for the peak color, which was glorious although a bit later than usual. The hickory trees in particular were a blaze of gold this year. The weather was quite warm, with many days in the 70s and some in the 80s. Cooler temperatures didn't happen until our last few days there. We saw friends in the area, read a lot, and mostly just puttered.

Before returning to Sandhill we visited our daughter Melina and her family for a few days at their new home just south of Columbia. They live between Rock Bridge State Park and the Katy Trail, and we all spent a pleasant Saturday afternoon exploring both.

Things were much quieter at home when we got back. While we were away, Brad, Karene, Justin Heather and Kris all left. Brad headed to Rolla and Ohio for family visits before returning to Seattle. Karene spent a short time in Columbia before flying to the Philippines to spend a couple of months there. Justin and Heather returned to their homes in St. Louis and Canada. Stan and Kris hauled back the steam sorghum cooking pan we borrowed to its Amish owner and then Stan took Kris home to East Wind Community.

Sorghum season, although hectic this year, was a lot of fun. But it is nice to shift gears and have more time to spend with the other members now. It is also good to be able to start in on some of the community and personal projects that have been on the back burner for a while.

Stan represented us at the Small Farm Conference in Columbia the first week in November. Sales of our products were excellent and Stan had the chance to talk to a number of folks involved in sustainable agriculture. This is the largest show of its kind in the United States.

Ceilee was here for a few days during our absence to hunt deer and was back again during the last week. Laird got home from his western travels on the 22nd and he and Ceilee drove to Kansas City the next evening to pick up Jo, who flew in from San Francisco for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was special for Michael and me since our children were also at Sandhill for the holiday. Melina, Matt and our granddaughter Chloe came from Columbia and our son Andrew drove up from Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the first time in several years that we have all been together at the same time and we had a nice family reunion.

The holiday feast was hosted by Skyhouse at Dancing Rabbit this year. Laird and I were busy most of Thursday cooking in preparation, with help from Michael, Jo, and Melina. Our offerings included two home-raised turkeys, a luscious green salad, vegetables from our garden, and Laird's famous mincemeat pie.

We gathered at Skyhouse late in the afternoon to socialize before supper. The meal was fantastic and Cecil did a great job as master of ceremonies. There were games afterwards and some of us spent more time hanging out.

However, the high point of the evening was Laird's announcement of his engagement to Ma'ikwe Ludwig. Ma'ikwe, who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a long-time friend of both Sandhill and Dancing Rabbit. No date has been set for the wedding yet, but we are looking forward to celebrating it with Laird and Ma'ikwe.