Category Archives: Columns

A little celebration

July 4, 2021Columnssusanmanzke

On the third of July, I joined my son Russell and his family up north. I usually stay away from crowds during Independence Day celebrations, but I went anyway.

On a normal weekday, only a few families would have lunch at this beach. On Independence Day weekend, a crowd showed up.

At least there was enough room for father and son to play in the sand and make enough blocks to build a wall until it tumbled down.

It wasn’t until later that my real fun began when I joined Harrison and ran through the sprinklers in the backyard of the cabin.

As we dried off, everyone played SORRY. The last time I played this board game was many moons ago and I had to be reminded of the rules. Even so by chance, I WON!

It’s good to have fun with family, but best if not so many other families surround you on the beach.

When the rain didn’t come

July 2, 2021Columns, Farming, Weathersusanmanzke

This year (2021) gave us a very dry, hot June. The year 1988 was near the same.

This column is about praying for rain, seeing clouds, and wishing they would bring beneficial precipitation.

Luckily, our weather changed at the end of June this year. The rain came all at once, but it sure helped the crops.

No knowing how the rest of the season will be. Will rain come when needed? Or will it skip this area again? Only the Almighty knows.

Hoping for enough rain, but not too much.

No time for mother

June 27, 2021Columns, Family, Susansusanmanzke

In this 1988 column, the last few days of school were not spent in school but at home. All four Manzke children caught a bug, which meant their mother would be busy nursing them.

A mother needs time for herself, but when necessary that time is given up, maybe not gladly, but she does what has to be done.

When the storms came

June 12, 2021Columns, Family, Weathersusanmanzke

Sometimes the storms are predicted and miss. Sometimes they don’t miss. Once we had two in one day. The second one hit the Seymour area and our farm.

This is the story of that 1989 storm.

When dust was flying

June 5, 2021Columns, Farming, Susansusanmanzke

This column tells about 1989, a year when the rains failed to come.

Farmers continued to plant even though it was very dry. I tell how it felt riding through a dusty field as I worked the ground.

Perfect farm years are hard to find. Farmers continue to work rain or no rain. You never know when things will improve and rain will arrive.

In 1989, Bob and I ate a lot of dust but continued to work. It’s what we had to do to keep the farm.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person