Have moved over to wordpress...
You can find me at http://www.mommydocfarmer.com
Check it out!!!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Meeting Mommy Bloggers
Just had an excellent session with three engaging, interesting, and social media motivated "Mommy Bloggers" here at Agvocacy 2.0 in Nashville, TN.
This was a great session. We as producers (both organic and tradition, pick your own, and farmers marketing to larger wholesalers) we given roughly an hour to talk and ask questions of the three ladies above. One who has turned her social media blogging experiment started when her baby was napping 6 years ago into a job utilizing public speaking and social media and another who is still learning about healthy foods and how to share this information and information about her faith to others, and a third who is dealing with life threatening milk, egg, and peanut allergies in her youngest child.
These women were awesome and really interested in what we as producers are doing. They let us into their issues and concerns and by doing so are helping to shape a new outlook on interactions with other "Mommy Bloggers" and society in general. The issue that these three women face in their daily lives mimics the same issues faced by many of us in agriculture today as well. We all want good food from healthy sources - regardless of our individual food issues, whether this means a vegan lifestyle choice or severe life threatening allergens in food. We all want to be able to have a back and forth educational conversational discourse about these common issues. They want farmers to be the source for information, they want to see our farms, and they want our information in a positive manner.
The overall outlook that I am getting both from this time with the "mommy Bloggers" and with the other social media attendees here at Agvocacy 2.0 is that it is time for agriculture to stop the war with persons with a far right outlook on agriculture and time to move to a progressive stance about the positive things modern agriculture is doing.
The talk from Jennifer Dahm from the United States Farmers and Ranchers Alliance was also inspiring this AM. Her whole talk was on being positive and alleviating the FEARs and CONCERNS behind the day to day work in modern farming and to relate the reasons moderns famers may need to implement these practices.
She spoke of using less industry approved wording in our message, because the majority of American Farms are still family owned and factory farming seems to be an emotional buzz word. The need for open and honest conversations are being emphasized. Reaching out to people on social media is as you might expect, is being highly emphasized. As is the need to stop engaging agricultures detractors in negative debates. The need to tell our story in our own words is being emphasized.
Overall, this has been a motivational meeting and I highly encourage anyone with an interest in agriculture and social media to attend future sessions.
Mike Haley (@farmerhaley on twitter) just presented an awesome talk with a letter framed to agriculturist from the average America Consumer... we need to look at these thoughts and start telling the awesome story of modern agriculture to people, Mom's, Bloggers, and consumers who are rally interested in what modern agriculture is providing for them.
The time has come to stop spewing facts at the American Public. They don't need to be educated - that can make them feel smaller and afraid to ask the next time they have a concern, when what we want to have is a conversation on foods, production agriculture, and pubic concerns about agriculture with us and not others who may have very different opinions then we do as a community.
Twitter, Blogging, and Facebook represent excellent ways for us to tell our stories in our own words.
Back to listening and learning now from farmers about social media... learning about #foodthanks
Links to our "Mommy Bloggers" - any errors are mine not theirs
http://www.sububanturmoil.com
http://www.allergenfreeplease.blogspot.com
http://www.sbrawner.com
I have really decided that taking today to come here and work on my agriculture concerns is definatly worth missing two days in the office. Hope my patients can forgive me, but food and agriculture are as much a part of my personality now as medicine has always been.
This was a great session. We as producers (both organic and tradition, pick your own, and farmers marketing to larger wholesalers) we given roughly an hour to talk and ask questions of the three ladies above. One who has turned her social media blogging experiment started when her baby was napping 6 years ago into a job utilizing public speaking and social media and another who is still learning about healthy foods and how to share this information and information about her faith to others, and a third who is dealing with life threatening milk, egg, and peanut allergies in her youngest child.
These women were awesome and really interested in what we as producers are doing. They let us into their issues and concerns and by doing so are helping to shape a new outlook on interactions with other "Mommy Bloggers" and society in general. The issue that these three women face in their daily lives mimics the same issues faced by many of us in agriculture today as well. We all want good food from healthy sources - regardless of our individual food issues, whether this means a vegan lifestyle choice or severe life threatening allergens in food. We all want to be able to have a back and forth educational conversational discourse about these common issues. They want farmers to be the source for information, they want to see our farms, and they want our information in a positive manner.
The overall outlook that I am getting both from this time with the "mommy Bloggers" and with the other social media attendees here at Agvocacy 2.0 is that it is time for agriculture to stop the war with persons with a far right outlook on agriculture and time to move to a progressive stance about the positive things modern agriculture is doing.
The talk from Jennifer Dahm from the United States Farmers and Ranchers Alliance was also inspiring this AM. Her whole talk was on being positive and alleviating the FEARs and CONCERNS behind the day to day work in modern farming and to relate the reasons moderns famers may need to implement these practices.
She spoke of using less industry approved wording in our message, because the majority of American Farms are still family owned and factory farming seems to be an emotional buzz word. The need for open and honest conversations are being emphasized. Reaching out to people on social media is as you might expect, is being highly emphasized. As is the need to stop engaging agricultures detractors in negative debates. The need to tell our story in our own words is being emphasized.
Overall, this has been a motivational meeting and I highly encourage anyone with an interest in agriculture and social media to attend future sessions.
Mike Haley (@farmerhaley on twitter) just presented an awesome talk with a letter framed to agriculturist from the average America Consumer... we need to look at these thoughts and start telling the awesome story of modern agriculture to people, Mom's, Bloggers, and consumers who are rally interested in what modern agriculture is providing for them.
The time has come to stop spewing facts at the American Public. They don't need to be educated - that can make them feel smaller and afraid to ask the next time they have a concern, when what we want to have is a conversation on foods, production agriculture, and pubic concerns about agriculture with us and not others who may have very different opinions then we do as a community.
Twitter, Blogging, and Facebook represent excellent ways for us to tell our stories in our own words.
Back to listening and learning now from farmers about social media... learning about #foodthanks
Links to our "Mommy Bloggers" - any errors are mine not theirs
http://www.sububanturmoil.com
http://www.allergenfreeplease.blogspot.com
http://www.sbrawner.com
I have really decided that taking today to come here and work on my agriculture concerns is definatly worth missing two days in the office. Hope my patients can forgive me, but food and agriculture are as much a part of my personality now as medicine has always been.
Preaching to the Choir
Am here at AgChat Foundation 2011 Agvocacy 2.0 Conference here in Nashville. Today has been eye opening in hearing from other leaders in AGVOCATING for American Agriculture and modern consumer ideas about what actually happens on a farm. I have the privilege meeting other agvocates, famers and ranchers involved in spreading the news about agriculture via social media.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
A good thing
I had a treat tonight as a mom. My little Cordell went up at service tonight and led Jesus loves the little children all by himself. No, he did not take the songbook, but at three he went up and stood in front of our entire church and sang.
I am so proud.
I am so proud.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Doing as I say...
Today was my first day back at work after my most recent surgery. Yes, that's right, I went back to work 4 days after abdominal surgery. Let's just hope my doctor is not a fan of my BLOG.
As I was working, slowly, today at the office, I realized how naive modern medicine can still be. I was exhibiting the perfect exam. I know in my head that I was going back to work to early, but I had patients to see and a job to do. So, what is the difference in a patient choosing to stop a medicine after I tell them to take it.
Most patients don't understand the biochemical and enzymatic issues affecting their cells. For that matter, most patients have more problems after starting certain medicines than before the doctor gave them the prescription. Case in point, the 40 year old man that has no symptoms what so ever from his hypertension (elevated blood pressure) but has depression and impotence after starting the beta blocker written by the doctor (a specific type of blood pressure medicine).
So, I know that my body is still healing and yet there I was at work. So, how can I presume to comp ell my patients to listen to me....
I found this an interesting ironic humor...
And laughing helped me make it through today
As I was working, slowly, today at the office, I realized how naive modern medicine can still be. I was exhibiting the perfect exam. I know in my head that I was going back to work to early, but I had patients to see and a job to do. So, what is the difference in a patient choosing to stop a medicine after I tell them to take it.
Most patients don't understand the biochemical and enzymatic issues affecting their cells. For that matter, most patients have more problems after starting certain medicines than before the doctor gave them the prescription. Case in point, the 40 year old man that has no symptoms what so ever from his hypertension (elevated blood pressure) but has depression and impotence after starting the beta blocker written by the doctor (a specific type of blood pressure medicine).
So, I know that my body is still healing and yet there I was at work. So, how can I presume to comp ell my patients to listen to me....
I found this an interesting ironic humor...
And laughing helped me make it through today
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Taking Time
Well, I have now made it through my fifth and hopefully final GYN surgery. I guess it is unusual to write about such personal type of surgery on the internet. But, these surgeries and dealing with my own human frailty has been a profound educational affect on my day to day outlook on life.
My Husband and I are both self employed and when one of us is sick there is significantly less income into our home. I have found that this economic crutch has had me going back to work sooner rather than latter. I, who starting again on Monday, will be telling patients to listen to the advice of doctors, will be going against my own MD's advice. I cannot seem to listen.
I have found that being sick is not the best thing I have ever done. I am so frustrated when I cannot lift a pot of water or pick up my three year old son. I hate hearing my kids talk about being easy with Mommy. But for the last year and a half, I have not had the best time. It seems like I am either getting surgery done or recovering from surgery.
I hope to be all better now, and am looking forward to better times. I am blessed to have been able to have my children before all my female troubles started.
I hope to have more interesting tales in the future.
My Husband and I are both self employed and when one of us is sick there is significantly less income into our home. I have found that this economic crutch has had me going back to work sooner rather than latter. I, who starting again on Monday, will be telling patients to listen to the advice of doctors, will be going against my own MD's advice. I cannot seem to listen.
I have found that being sick is not the best thing I have ever done. I am so frustrated when I cannot lift a pot of water or pick up my three year old son. I hate hearing my kids talk about being easy with Mommy. But for the last year and a half, I have not had the best time. It seems like I am either getting surgery done or recovering from surgery.
I hope to be all better now, and am looking forward to better times. I am blessed to have been able to have my children before all my female troubles started.
I hope to have more interesting tales in the future.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Having fun in yard after the storm
Here are my two younger kids playing in the ya
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Saturday, June 18, 2011
Home again, home again
Hello again,
This has been a rough week planning wise at the Diamond M Farm household. Brian had planned to go on a 4 night horse ride in the Smokey Mountains with some guy friends for a little male bonding time, and I needed to go to the Tennessee Farm Bureau Women's meeting in Columbia.
Sounds simple but we had three kids to juggle in this too. Plus I ended up getting a stomach virus and spent Wednesday night wishing I were dead in my Bathroom. (You would think that after 10 years of practicing medicine on a near daily basis, my guts would be immune to every stomach virus known to man - but we just aren't there yet... I keep hoping)
So, we managed, and we both had a good time on our respective trips. No bones broken on Brian or the horses, and Brie and I made it home from an excellent Women's meeting.
Cord had spent Friday night at my Grandfathers and Ella stayed with my mom. Taking business trips when you have three kids all under 8 gets entertaining.
To top off our planning, I had to break it to my mom that I have another trip coming up soon. To say I got a dirty look was an understatement...
But, we McLerran's are all home and safe. Looking forward to a happy father's day tomorrow.
Here's hoping a Blessed Father's Day to all the great hard-working Dads that I know.
Heres to a good nights sleep in my own bed.
This has been a rough week planning wise at the Diamond M Farm household. Brian had planned to go on a 4 night horse ride in the Smokey Mountains with some guy friends for a little male bonding time, and I needed to go to the Tennessee Farm Bureau Women's meeting in Columbia.
Sounds simple but we had three kids to juggle in this too. Plus I ended up getting a stomach virus and spent Wednesday night wishing I were dead in my Bathroom. (You would think that after 10 years of practicing medicine on a near daily basis, my guts would be immune to every stomach virus known to man - but we just aren't there yet... I keep hoping)
So, we managed, and we both had a good time on our respective trips. No bones broken on Brian or the horses, and Brie and I made it home from an excellent Women's meeting.
Cord had spent Friday night at my Grandfathers and Ella stayed with my mom. Taking business trips when you have three kids all under 8 gets entertaining.
To top off our planning, I had to break it to my mom that I have another trip coming up soon. To say I got a dirty look was an understatement...
But, we McLerran's are all home and safe. Looking forward to a happy father's day tomorrow.
Here's hoping a Blessed Father's Day to all the great hard-working Dads that I know.
Heres to a good nights sleep in my own bed.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Back in the Posting...
Well, despite a spring of technical difficulties, I finally have an iPad and keyboard that are working, so I can blog and share in family time. Dance recital has come and gone again, T-Ball/Softball is almost over, and it is time to put up some hay. Brian is having a time getting enough sunny days in a row to get our hay in for the stock at Diamond M Farms. It keeps raining and raining.
Today at work, my car took a beating in a hail storm. I am not sure that a tornado did not go over my office. I never ever heard strait line winds sound quit like that.
I hope to be posting more often now as my technical difficulties are getting resolved...
BUT does anyone know how to get twitter and Facebook to work right on the iPad
Today at work, my car took a beating in a hail storm. I am not sure that a tornado did not go over my office. I never ever heard strait line winds sound quit like that.
I hope to be posting more often now as my technical difficulties are getting resolved...
BUT does anyone know how to get twitter and Facebook to work right on the iPad
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Thoughts for a Mother's Day
Over the last few days as I have been learning more about the AAFP, I have thought a lot about the various titles I have had in my life.
At the start of my life, I was everyone's little princess. I had the good fortune to be the first grandchild in both my Mom and Dad families. I was the apple of their eyes. Unlike a lot of children today, when I was born I had all four grandparents along with four great-grandparents. I knew who I was named for and why. I spent nearly weekend with first my Dad's Parents, then on Sunday I would go home with my Mom's parents. I even lived with my Mom's parents for four years while my Dad finished vet school.
One of my fondest memories of this time in my life is my memories of my Pa Doc (my Dad's father) stopping work at his busy vet office nearly every Saturday... No matter how many people and pets were needing him, unless they were critical, to take me to the Blue Circle to get a grill cheese sandwich and a chocolate donut. I also got treats like being able to order an entire adult salad just so I could eat crouton's and thousand island,or just eat hot fudge cake for lunch.
Then, I grew as we all do, and became (at least it felt that way at the time) quite the little Cinderella. My beloved Pa Doc died from cancer. My family ran three to four businesses at a time. I learned how to run a video store, a motel, a pet store, and raised exotic parrots. In addition, at this point in my life my Mother became critically Ill with systemic lupus errythematosis. She went from a go getter, never stopping nurse to an invalid overnight. I can remember sleeping on the floor in our living room just to be able to help her to and from the bathroom. That time was spent in turmoil cause no boy seemed to like me and fear that my Mom would die. Fear became my constant companion. My teen years finished up when I found my parents had never put any money away for college and with the death my Mom's mom to the same cancer that I lost my grandfather too.
So, now off to college, and I did go. A scholarship, federal work study, and part time jobs sent me through. I was in such a hurry to grow up and move on that I never seemed to have time to stop and smell the roses. I was a lot ruder and quick tempered than I am now, and as I remember it I had people skills to rival Temperance Brennan. I managed to get a biochem degree, EMT license, and a wonderful husband from Tennessee Tech.
Next, thing I knew, Brian and I were married and off to medical school. I was fortunate again in finding an excellent school and great friends. And at this time I worked on wearing the hats of student and wife. Learning more and more about life and myself as I went along.
Time passes and now I wear my favorite hat/title - mom. As, my family and I prepare to celebrate Mother's day for myself, my Mom (yes, despite severe illness and many complications, she is still here), my mother-in-law, and some very special aunts, I have grown up enough to finally realize that no matter how many titles, honors, and accolades I achieve in my work they are nothing in comparison to the sound of three little voices saying "I love you Mom".
I am blessed by many things in life. I have a great practice with wonderful patients. I work in a great office with amazing staff. I never want for food or shelter. I am earning new relationships in my medical communities. I get to provide medical care for a community for that has known and cared for me since my Princess days.
But, I am proud that nothing has ever come close to the honor I feel over my children's love. I am also thrilled to have so many special women to spend a special day with.
May you take time to reflect on your own joys and blessings, and may you all have a blessed Mother's Day.
Samantha Easterly McLerran, MD FAAFP
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
At the start of my life, I was everyone's little princess. I had the good fortune to be the first grandchild in both my Mom and Dad families. I was the apple of their eyes. Unlike a lot of children today, when I was born I had all four grandparents along with four great-grandparents. I knew who I was named for and why. I spent nearly weekend with first my Dad's Parents, then on Sunday I would go home with my Mom's parents. I even lived with my Mom's parents for four years while my Dad finished vet school.
One of my fondest memories of this time in my life is my memories of my Pa Doc (my Dad's father) stopping work at his busy vet office nearly every Saturday... No matter how many people and pets were needing him, unless they were critical, to take me to the Blue Circle to get a grill cheese sandwich and a chocolate donut. I also got treats like being able to order an entire adult salad just so I could eat crouton's and thousand island,or just eat hot fudge cake for lunch.
Then, I grew as we all do, and became (at least it felt that way at the time) quite the little Cinderella. My beloved Pa Doc died from cancer. My family ran three to four businesses at a time. I learned how to run a video store, a motel, a pet store, and raised exotic parrots. In addition, at this point in my life my Mother became critically Ill with systemic lupus errythematosis. She went from a go getter, never stopping nurse to an invalid overnight. I can remember sleeping on the floor in our living room just to be able to help her to and from the bathroom. That time was spent in turmoil cause no boy seemed to like me and fear that my Mom would die. Fear became my constant companion. My teen years finished up when I found my parents had never put any money away for college and with the death my Mom's mom to the same cancer that I lost my grandfather too.
So, now off to college, and I did go. A scholarship, federal work study, and part time jobs sent me through. I was in such a hurry to grow up and move on that I never seemed to have time to stop and smell the roses. I was a lot ruder and quick tempered than I am now, and as I remember it I had people skills to rival Temperance Brennan. I managed to get a biochem degree, EMT license, and a wonderful husband from Tennessee Tech.
Next, thing I knew, Brian and I were married and off to medical school. I was fortunate again in finding an excellent school and great friends. And at this time I worked on wearing the hats of student and wife. Learning more and more about life and myself as I went along.
Time passes and now I wear my favorite hat/title - mom. As, my family and I prepare to celebrate Mother's day for myself, my Mom (yes, despite severe illness and many complications, she is still here), my mother-in-law, and some very special aunts, I have grown up enough to finally realize that no matter how many titles, honors, and accolades I achieve in my work they are nothing in comparison to the sound of three little voices saying "I love you Mom".
I am blessed by many things in life. I have a great practice with wonderful patients. I work in a great office with amazing staff. I never want for food or shelter. I am earning new relationships in my medical communities. I get to provide medical care for a community for that has known and cared for me since my Princess days.
But, I am proud that nothing has ever come close to the honor I feel over my children's love. I am also thrilled to have so many special women to spend a special day with.
May you take time to reflect on your own joys and blessings, and may you all have a blessed Mother's Day.
Samantha Easterly McLerran, MD FAAFP
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:McGee St,Kansas City,United States
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Learning about my academy
Well, for those of you that know me, you should be aware that most of my days are spent as a rural family physician. I am proud of this. It is all that I ever wanted to do. I remember my Mom asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up (she was a critical care RN and my Dad and paternal GF were veterinarians) and she thought I would be a nurse like her. I replied, "no mom, you take orders, I want to give them."
Even at that young age, all I wanted to do was be a country doc in my home town. Even now my county has a population of around 18,000 people, and yes that is for the entire county. Not that that is a bad thing. At least my kids can go outside and play and the only thing I worry about is snakes and coyotes.
So, fast forward a few years and here I am at my first American Academy of Family Physicians meeting for special constituents. I am loving this. It's like a Farm Bureau meeting for doctors. See, not going thru state schools, I never met a lot of the people that I am meeting now. And I am proud to say that my experiences in social media have put me ahead of the curve here. I know how and what to tweet, and both Brian and I are comfortable in our skins.
So, in the last two days, I have met some of the nicest people in medicine. I am please to know that I will have the same opportunity for leadership in medicine that I have been blessed to have in agriculture. I am truly blessed to live in both worlds and be a mom to kids being raised in both.
My oldest daughter tells everyone that she wants to grow up and be a doctor like her mom, and I hope that she can grow and come to be as proud of our simple country life as I am.
For years, I was uncomfortable at medical meetings. I mean all I was was a small town country MD, but I have grown to love being at meetings at telling people about all aspects of my life. I have been blessed and I thank God every day for my blessing.
I look forward to meeting and learning more about the organization of family medicine and I hope to be as much of an asset to them as they are to medicine.
Samantha Easterly McLerran, MD FAAFP
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Kansas City, MO
Monday, April 18, 2011
from tractor to t-ball
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brie at bat
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Thursday, April 7, 2011
Still Sore
Now that I have published what a great day I've had with my family, I am going to take two seconds and whine... cause I am not healing as fast as I think I shoulld and cause this surgery cost me two trips that I was very excited about.
Mostly today I sat in a chair or the gator, while everyone kept telling me not to overdo.
Ugh....
I am frustrated at my body for a: not getting better as fast as I want it too and b: for having to have another surgery in the first place.
There now I have vented, as if it matters that I sat here and typed all tha out...
But the psyce is soothed....
Night
Mostly today I sat in a chair or the gator, while everyone kept telling me not to overdo.
Ugh....
I am frustrated at my body for a: not getting better as fast as I want it too and b: for having to have another surgery in the first place.
There now I have vented, as if it matters that I sat here and typed all tha out...
But the psyce is soothed....
Night
A Good Day
As I am sitting here writing this, I am thanking God for how truly blessed I am. I got to experience a truly Great Day with my family. A day when family is dealing with a critically ill child from a car accident and a friend lost a brother in that same accident. So, yes, as I think about all the things that could be wrong or have made today bad, I am glad by God's grace I was allowed this one Great Day.
What made today so great, nothing special. We did not go on any fancy trips or spend a lot of money. What we did was spend time with each other.
Know I don't know how many of you know what "Dry Land Fish" are, but in the culinary world they are Morel Mushrooms. Every year in March and April they come up wild on our farm. So, it has been a habit of Brian and I to go and ramble over the woodlands of the farm to hunt these elusive "dry Land Fish".
Given that I had an abdominal hysterectomy last Thursday, I did not think that I would get to go this year, but like I said God was good to me today. We went to the farm and I got to watch my kids ride a mule while I sat in a chair for about 2 hours. Even my 3 year old can ride better than I can.
Then we were off, albeit much slower paced than we usually go with more Mommy breaks too. My Husband, 3 kids, Father in law and 3 squirrel dogs had a ball. The kids learned how to spot, and not step on, the Morel's and we got about a pound wet weight mushrooms.
Ella, my oldest who is forever running out ahead of the rest of us, learned not to walk into brush unless her Dad or I went first because in Tennessee in the Spring there are snakes in them their woods. I am glad it was only a black snake, but boy it sure taught her a lesson.
Around Five o'clock my Mother-in-Law got off work and the kids had a ball surprising her in the woods. She did not know we were there. Then we all went out to Mexican for diner. Let me tell you 2-3 hours of walking in the woods certainly puts kids to sleep.
No, today was not perfect. Brie got hit in the mouth with a stick, Cord sat on a sharp stump, and Cord had to Potty in the woods without wipes. But we survived and had fun doing it. Not once was there an argument over a TV show or iPod game. It was nice.
I think getting out and spending time is the best thing that any parent can do with their kids, and no I don't mean take them somewhere and expect them to entertain themselves while you veg out, read a book, or otherwise ignore them. I will be the first to admit that I like my me time, but kids need your we time.
It was fun to watch my Husband teach the kids how to track a squirrel, deer, and turkey. I liked showing them violets, May Apples, Morel mushrooms, and wild strawberries. It was fun watching them problem solve how to get from here to there when there was a downed tree and a ditch in the way, and for the most part they helped each other and worked it out.
Yes, I was proud of my day today. So proud that I don't have one picture to show for it except the ones in my head and sorry I cannot share those. Sometimes technology, even cameras need to wait in the car.
But, a note to my hubby should he read this - till Cord is a little older, the wipes should never wait in the car... ever.
What made today so great, nothing special. We did not go on any fancy trips or spend a lot of money. What we did was spend time with each other.
Know I don't know how many of you know what "Dry Land Fish" are, but in the culinary world they are Morel Mushrooms. Every year in March and April they come up wild on our farm. So, it has been a habit of Brian and I to go and ramble over the woodlands of the farm to hunt these elusive "dry Land Fish".
Given that I had an abdominal hysterectomy last Thursday, I did not think that I would get to go this year, but like I said God was good to me today. We went to the farm and I got to watch my kids ride a mule while I sat in a chair for about 2 hours. Even my 3 year old can ride better than I can.
Then we were off, albeit much slower paced than we usually go with more Mommy breaks too. My Husband, 3 kids, Father in law and 3 squirrel dogs had a ball. The kids learned how to spot, and not step on, the Morel's and we got about a pound wet weight mushrooms.
Ella, my oldest who is forever running out ahead of the rest of us, learned not to walk into brush unless her Dad or I went first because in Tennessee in the Spring there are snakes in them their woods. I am glad it was only a black snake, but boy it sure taught her a lesson.
Around Five o'clock my Mother-in-Law got off work and the kids had a ball surprising her in the woods. She did not know we were there. Then we all went out to Mexican for diner. Let me tell you 2-3 hours of walking in the woods certainly puts kids to sleep.
No, today was not perfect. Brie got hit in the mouth with a stick, Cord sat on a sharp stump, and Cord had to Potty in the woods without wipes. But we survived and had fun doing it. Not once was there an argument over a TV show or iPod game. It was nice.
I think getting out and spending time is the best thing that any parent can do with their kids, and no I don't mean take them somewhere and expect them to entertain themselves while you veg out, read a book, or otherwise ignore them. I will be the first to admit that I like my me time, but kids need your we time.
It was fun to watch my Husband teach the kids how to track a squirrel, deer, and turkey. I liked showing them violets, May Apples, Morel mushrooms, and wild strawberries. It was fun watching them problem solve how to get from here to there when there was a downed tree and a ditch in the way, and for the most part they helped each other and worked it out.
Yes, I was proud of my day today. So proud that I don't have one picture to show for it except the ones in my head and sorry I cannot share those. Sometimes technology, even cameras need to wait in the car.
But, a note to my hubby should he read this - till Cord is a little older, the wipes should never wait in the car... ever.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
pretty Angus cattle
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Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Father Daughter Dance Night
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Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Cancer 101
Cancer - there its out, that big scary word that stops most people from hearing anything else a doctor says. As a working family doctor, I have dealt with many faces of this disease. From young to old, it takes all comers without any prejudice. But what has really gotten me thinking about this blog is how few of my patients, or even family members for that matter, have any kind of true understanding to what "Cancer" is...
So in a nutshell...
People are made of organs and organs are made of cells. Those cells have a certain lifespan programmed into them, and when something happens either from external stimulus i.e.smoking/radiation/asbestosis exposure or internal cell reasons i.e genetics any cell in your body can forget how to die. Basically, anything that may cause a normal body cell to develop abnormally potentially can cause cancer. When this preprogrammed cell death fails to happen a cancer cell is made. Now this is actually thought to happen all the time in our bodies, so why don't more people have cancer? Because our body has immune cells that go around and fight off these altered cells. When the cancer cells (the cells that have forgotten when to die) overtake the immune system and keep growing, those growing groups of cells are now a a cancerous tumor.
There are many terms that doctors use to describe cancer and tumors: carcinoma, sarcoma, leukemia, malignent, metastatic... and each one has a very different meaning.
Carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover body organs
Sarcoma: Cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue
Leukemia: Cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood
Lymphoma/Myeloma: Cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system
Metastatic: Cancer that has sread either by lymph nodes or blood from its original site
Malignent: Another medical word for cancer
The most commen question I get in the office is - "Doc, I want a blood test to tell me if I have cancer..." Given the about explaination you can see the problem in this. There is no one blood test for eye cells, brain cells, liver cells, and gut cells. There are certain tumor markers for certain types of cancer, like CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) which is present in Large Colon Cancers, some ovarian cancers, some pancreatic cancers, some breast cancers, and some lung cancers. But this test would be negative in a patient with Melanoma (an aggressive form of skin cancer).
So, what are the most commen types of cancers that affect us here in the U.S.?
Cancer type Estimated new cases Estimated deaths
Bladder 70,530 14,680
Breast 207,090 39,840
Breast(male) 1,970 390
Colon&rectal 142,570 51,370
Endometrial 43,470 7,950
Kidney 53,581 11,997
Leukemia 43,050 21,840
Lung 222,520 157,300
Melanoma 68,130 8,700
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 65,540 20,210
Pancreatic 43,140 36,800
Prostate 217,730 32,050
Thyroid 44,670 1,690
The three most common cancers in men, women and children in the U.S. are as follows:
•Men: Prostate, lung, and colorectal
•Women: Breast, colorectal, and lung
•Children: Leukemia, brain tumors, and lymphoma
Cancer affects us all. It has no preferance to race, sex, or age. It will affect, sicken, and sometimes kill the very young to the very old. I have seen it do all this and more.
What I hoped to provide in this article is simple commen sense terms to exlpain what is often a scarey and life altering diagnosis.
If you don't understand what your doctor told you, ask again, and keep asking until you do. Don't agree to test you don't understand. It is your body and you need to know what the risk is and potential benifit from each and every test or treatment that anyone wants to run on you.
And lastly, sometimes it is the bitter truth that Cancer kills. Don't be afraid to ask for help with spritual counseling whatever your faith may be. Make sure you understand what kind of treatment odds you are dealing with from the doctors. So many times as a family doctor, I get the letter from the Oncologist explaining the palliative therapy (therapy to just make symptoms better not to treat or cure the disease) that my patient is in, and then will see that patient who tells me that the cancer doc says it looks good for them. I don't think anyone is telling falsehoods, I think that there is a lot of selective hearing that goes on when talking about cancer. And even more selective hearing happens, when a doctor starts talking about potential end of life.
Never ever be afraid of big medical terms, sometimes you may find that the doctor is just as uncomfortable with talking about cancer as you are. My personal losses with this disease are two of the best grandparents you could ever have, and watching them face this illness in two very different ways and still die still hurts. I can see the faces of the patients that I have lost to this illness, and it makes me angry, but then it also makes me want to make sure that my patients understand to the best of their ability what they are facing.
Overall, I think one of the biggest downfalls of my profession is doctors spend 8 years or more learning to talk in arcacic terms and in language way above the average patients understanding. Then, when we as MD's are out of school, we forget that not everyone talks like we do.
Case in point... I was giving a community talk on heart disease and the Cardiolgist that was talking with me got ask to explain Congestive Heart Failure. He looked at his watch and said there is no possible way to explain that in the 5 minutes we have left and ask for the next question. Seeing the womens crestfallen face, I ask the cardiologist if I could try to explain heart failure to her. He looked at me funny and said to try. I did it in 4 words... "your pump (heart) don't work". He was astounded and she understood. The Cardiologist later told me that he never thought to take such a simple approach to the explaination.
So, if God forbid, you or a love one ever face this terrible disease in any form, I hope this will help. Remember that it is OK to be overwhelmed when you are first told and your doctor should realize that you may need to hear this shocking news more than once. Make sure you understand what you are risking and gaining by various test and treatments, and make sure that you understand what your doctors treatment goal is. Often doctors and patients are worlds apart on this, i.e treating for a cure verses treating for remission of symptoms (palliation). Make sure you understand the diagnosis, write it down if you have to. And lastly, remember that your doctor brings their past into this as well, and may have as hard of time with this diagnosis as you do.
So in a nutshell...
People are made of organs and organs are made of cells. Those cells have a certain lifespan programmed into them, and when something happens either from external stimulus i.e.smoking/radiation/asbestosis exposure or internal cell reasons i.e genetics any cell in your body can forget how to die. Basically, anything that may cause a normal body cell to develop abnormally potentially can cause cancer. When this preprogrammed cell death fails to happen a cancer cell is made. Now this is actually thought to happen all the time in our bodies, so why don't more people have cancer? Because our body has immune cells that go around and fight off these altered cells. When the cancer cells (the cells that have forgotten when to die) overtake the immune system and keep growing, those growing groups of cells are now a a cancerous tumor.
There are many terms that doctors use to describe cancer and tumors: carcinoma, sarcoma, leukemia, malignent, metastatic... and each one has a very different meaning.
Carcinoma: Cancer that begins in the skin or in tissues that line or cover body organs
Sarcoma: Cancer that begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue
Leukemia: Cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as the bone marrow and causes large numbers of abnormal blood cells to be produced and enter the blood
Lymphoma/Myeloma: Cancers that begin in the cells of the immune system
Metastatic: Cancer that has sread either by lymph nodes or blood from its original site
Malignent: Another medical word for cancer
The most commen question I get in the office is - "Doc, I want a blood test to tell me if I have cancer..." Given the about explaination you can see the problem in this. There is no one blood test for eye cells, brain cells, liver cells, and gut cells. There are certain tumor markers for certain types of cancer, like CEA (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) which is present in Large Colon Cancers, some ovarian cancers, some pancreatic cancers, some breast cancers, and some lung cancers. But this test would be negative in a patient with Melanoma (an aggressive form of skin cancer).
So, what are the most commen types of cancers that affect us here in the U.S.?
Cancer type Estimated new cases Estimated deaths
Bladder 70,530 14,680
Breast 207,090 39,840
Breast(male) 1,970 390
Colon&rectal 142,570 51,370
Endometrial 43,470 7,950
Kidney 53,581 11,997
Leukemia 43,050 21,840
Lung 222,520 157,300
Melanoma 68,130 8,700
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma 65,540 20,210
Pancreatic 43,140 36,800
Prostate 217,730 32,050
Thyroid 44,670 1,690
The three most common cancers in men, women and children in the U.S. are as follows:
•Men: Prostate, lung, and colorectal
•Women: Breast, colorectal, and lung
•Children: Leukemia, brain tumors, and lymphoma
Cancer affects us all. It has no preferance to race, sex, or age. It will affect, sicken, and sometimes kill the very young to the very old. I have seen it do all this and more.
What I hoped to provide in this article is simple commen sense terms to exlpain what is often a scarey and life altering diagnosis.
If you don't understand what your doctor told you, ask again, and keep asking until you do. Don't agree to test you don't understand. It is your body and you need to know what the risk is and potential benifit from each and every test or treatment that anyone wants to run on you.
And lastly, sometimes it is the bitter truth that Cancer kills. Don't be afraid to ask for help with spritual counseling whatever your faith may be. Make sure you understand what kind of treatment odds you are dealing with from the doctors. So many times as a family doctor, I get the letter from the Oncologist explaining the palliative therapy (therapy to just make symptoms better not to treat or cure the disease) that my patient is in, and then will see that patient who tells me that the cancer doc says it looks good for them. I don't think anyone is telling falsehoods, I think that there is a lot of selective hearing that goes on when talking about cancer. And even more selective hearing happens, when a doctor starts talking about potential end of life.
Never ever be afraid of big medical terms, sometimes you may find that the doctor is just as uncomfortable with talking about cancer as you are. My personal losses with this disease are two of the best grandparents you could ever have, and watching them face this illness in two very different ways and still die still hurts. I can see the faces of the patients that I have lost to this illness, and it makes me angry, but then it also makes me want to make sure that my patients understand to the best of their ability what they are facing.
Overall, I think one of the biggest downfalls of my profession is doctors spend 8 years or more learning to talk in arcacic terms and in language way above the average patients understanding. Then, when we as MD's are out of school, we forget that not everyone talks like we do.
Case in point... I was giving a community talk on heart disease and the Cardiolgist that was talking with me got ask to explain Congestive Heart Failure. He looked at his watch and said there is no possible way to explain that in the 5 minutes we have left and ask for the next question. Seeing the womens crestfallen face, I ask the cardiologist if I could try to explain heart failure to her. He looked at me funny and said to try. I did it in 4 words... "your pump (heart) don't work". He was astounded and she understood. The Cardiologist later told me that he never thought to take such a simple approach to the explaination.
So, if God forbid, you or a love one ever face this terrible disease in any form, I hope this will help. Remember that it is OK to be overwhelmed when you are first told and your doctor should realize that you may need to hear this shocking news more than once. Make sure you understand what you are risking and gaining by various test and treatments, and make sure that you understand what your doctors treatment goal is. Often doctors and patients are worlds apart on this, i.e treating for a cure verses treating for remission of symptoms (palliation). Make sure you understand the diagnosis, write it down if you have to. And lastly, remember that your doctor brings their past into this as well, and may have as hard of time with this diagnosis as you do.
Change Happens...
Its been a very full new year for us here in upper Middle TN. Brian and I have had one meeting after another it seems, and when you add in the kid's events we haven't have five minutes to ourselves as the piles of "tax stuff" in my room can attest to.
I have just returned home from an overnight stay in Nashville, this one for doctor stuff. You might have been at the Capital too much if the Legislators and Lobbyist are starting to ask you if you are there doctoring or farming...
I got to interact with my elected officials at the hill today and watch several of my physician friends do the same. I was really struck by how some of the doctors approached the visits like a lecture with a rigid set of talking points, while I took a more laid back approach. Who knowns which way is better, but I liked mixing in talking points with asking about Mums and making it to state playoffs in Basketball. I admit that I have known my Legislators for a lot longer though.
People - most people - are so busy that they don't take time to get to know their officials and then they expect the legislator to automatically take their position for an issue if something ever does move them enough to call or write.
Our state legislators work long hours, sit through boring and often confrontational meetings to keep our Government going and I thank each and every one of them for it. While I know that I may not agree with every vote they cast, at least I know that my concerns represent a personal face and story to them when I call. I can be grown up enough to agree to disagree on issues as well. I think more people in America have forgotten that critical fact.
Here in America, we are rapidly forgetting that we exist in a government of the people and by the people, and when the people are more interested in their facebooking and texting maybe we the people should reevaluate what that says about us as a whole.
Over the last year, there has been a ton of information put out about Health Care Reform... but after taking some time and thinking long and hard about it, I really think we need patient reform. Americans have forgotten that without an investment from them in the relationship with their doctor there will never be good medicine. And Doctors need to take time to listen to the patients complaints. But that means that patients need to come in focused and not with a laundry list of complaints and forms to fill out. Patients, especially those on government subsidized health care need to be made more accountable for their treatment, and tort reform should have been the basis of health care reform from the start.
How do you fix a broken system that is forced to order 20% of all MRIs in "defensive medicine"?
So even though as I sit here typing with a massive headache, I am glad for my fast paced life and for the work I do for my passions - agriculture and medicine. I fear that today's generation - my generation - is one that thinks someone else is going to take care of the issues and I can just live my life.
I have to counter that with something my Grandfather told me, "If you did not do any work for it, don't complain about it."
Hoping for brighter tomorrows... I have three here at home that need them.
I have just returned home from an overnight stay in Nashville, this one for doctor stuff. You might have been at the Capital too much if the Legislators and Lobbyist are starting to ask you if you are there doctoring or farming...
I got to interact with my elected officials at the hill today and watch several of my physician friends do the same. I was really struck by how some of the doctors approached the visits like a lecture with a rigid set of talking points, while I took a more laid back approach. Who knowns which way is better, but I liked mixing in talking points with asking about Mums and making it to state playoffs in Basketball. I admit that I have known my Legislators for a lot longer though.
People - most people - are so busy that they don't take time to get to know their officials and then they expect the legislator to automatically take their position for an issue if something ever does move them enough to call or write.
Our state legislators work long hours, sit through boring and often confrontational meetings to keep our Government going and I thank each and every one of them for it. While I know that I may not agree with every vote they cast, at least I know that my concerns represent a personal face and story to them when I call. I can be grown up enough to agree to disagree on issues as well. I think more people in America have forgotten that critical fact.
Here in America, we are rapidly forgetting that we exist in a government of the people and by the people, and when the people are more interested in their facebooking and texting maybe we the people should reevaluate what that says about us as a whole.
Over the last year, there has been a ton of information put out about Health Care Reform... but after taking some time and thinking long and hard about it, I really think we need patient reform. Americans have forgotten that without an investment from them in the relationship with their doctor there will never be good medicine. And Doctors need to take time to listen to the patients complaints. But that means that patients need to come in focused and not with a laundry list of complaints and forms to fill out. Patients, especially those on government subsidized health care need to be made more accountable for their treatment, and tort reform should have been the basis of health care reform from the start.
How do you fix a broken system that is forced to order 20% of all MRIs in "defensive medicine"?
So even though as I sit here typing with a massive headache, I am glad for my fast paced life and for the work I do for my passions - agriculture and medicine. I fear that today's generation - my generation - is one that thinks someone else is going to take care of the issues and I can just live my life.
I have to counter that with something my Grandfather told me, "If you did not do any work for it, don't complain about it."
Hoping for brighter tomorrows... I have three here at home that need them.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
playing games
Spent some down time tonight playing Rook angle Uno with my family. It was humbling to be bested at Uno by the five year old. I'd like to think this is a fluke, but she beats us all the time.
Yesterday, @DiamondMFarms and I went to Capital to plead, well at least state our position on ag related issues.
Yesterday, @DiamondMFarms and I went to Capital to plead, well at least state our position on ag related issues.
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Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
A good reason for Heard health
We had another snow filled afternoon here in Tennessee, and given a light patient load, and sled some fun was in the making. Hubby and I had to check and feed the cattle at Diamond M Farms and since our babysitter was sick (aka my Mom "Gigi" who lives with us) we loaded up the kids and off we went.
Sledding, snowball fights, time with family friends and the loss of Ella's glasses rounded out the afternoon. But a picture is worth a thousand words, see my 2 year old eating snow. This is a prime reason that his Daddy spends so much time monitoring the health and immunization status of our cattle. He never knows when his doctor wife will get the bright idea to sled in the cow pasture, probably ruining some of his precious forage, and by so doing let the two year old eat snow from said pasture.
Agriculture impact can be found everywhere. Even in a two year olds handful of snow.
Sledding, snowball fights, time with family friends and the loss of Ella's glasses rounded out the afternoon. But a picture is worth a thousand words, see my 2 year old eating snow. This is a prime reason that his Daddy spends so much time monitoring the health and immunization status of our cattle. He never knows when his doctor wife will get the bright idea to sled in the cow pasture, probably ruining some of his precious forage, and by so doing let the two year old eat snow from said pasture.
Agriculture impact can be found everywhere. Even in a two year olds handful of snow.
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Thursday, February 3, 2011
Proposed TN care cuts - good or bad?
The new government in our state is facing tough issues in regards to our health care Medicaid program. I know that we are not alone in this plight and hope that some changes could be for the better. But I am deeply concerned when they plan on limited number of MD visits, little to no Physical Therapy, no hospice care, etc.
It seems like this is overkill in many places. Not all patients on TNcare are over using the system. As a working doctor in upper rural TN I already deal with treating multiple chronic diseases with only five scripts for medicine a month, with a few exceptions, and it takes my nurses an extra 20-40 minutes per prior authorization that we need.
Could we not make sensible changes instead of saying no MRI or limited visits, let's set up a copay system for these patients. This would cut down on unnecessary office visits and ED visits as well. I would even allow for a refund of fees if there were an emergency.
As a provider it seems to me that some not all of the Medicaid patients have no responsiblity to their end of their treatments.
How can we as a society fix healthcare cost without addressing this fundamental flaw?
So while I applaud the efforts for reform, further tieing my hands as a provider will only lead to trouble and more work with less time for actual patient care.
It seems like this is overkill in many places. Not all patients on TNcare are over using the system. As a working doctor in upper rural TN I already deal with treating multiple chronic diseases with only five scripts for medicine a month, with a few exceptions, and it takes my nurses an extra 20-40 minutes per prior authorization that we need.
Could we not make sensible changes instead of saying no MRI or limited visits, let's set up a copay system for these patients. This would cut down on unnecessary office visits and ED visits as well. I would even allow for a refund of fees if there were an emergency.
As a provider it seems to me that some not all of the Medicaid patients have no responsiblity to their end of their treatments.
How can we as a society fix healthcare cost without addressing this fundamental flaw?
So while I applaud the efforts for reform, further tieing my hands as a provider will only lead to trouble and more work with less time for actual patient care.
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Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Working Mom
But at the moment I have a few minutes while my kids are at music class to think and write. Just got a hug from nephew as Aunt Amy stopped by class.
And what I am thinking is I am glad that this rain and not snow. And I am glad that our cows can get in from the weather. This week I had to help work on an abcess of a calf. My husband still thinks I am a vet. And that I wish I had an iPad to work with... silly thoughts
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Thursday, January 20, 2011
A sad day...
Well, today started out hetic like most of mine do anymore. Dressing for work with an early medical staff meeting is never fun. There a kids to get ready, and time to make sure to get all their supplies in their bags. Snow report says snow is coming, so there may be no school again.
When I get to the office, looks like a typical day in my schedule. But then, heartbreak. I had a patient that has been without food for around a month. The patient did not know that there are places where one can go to get help. The patient simple waited till he was hurting so bad from hunger that he decided to come to see the doctor.
This truely makes one thankful for all the blessing that we have in life. I hope that this patients example will remind us all to be very grateful for everything we have.
When I get to the office, looks like a typical day in my schedule. But then, heartbreak. I had a patient that has been without food for around a month. The patient did not know that there are places where one can go to get help. The patient simple waited till he was hurting so bad from hunger that he decided to come to see the doctor.
This truely makes one thankful for all the blessing that we have in life. I hope that this patients example will remind us all to be very grateful for everything we have.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
One hungry planet
A picture is worth a 1000 words, so how many words is this YouTube video worth...
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Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Baby, its cold outside
Greetings from frozen Tennessee. This winter weather has made life interesting in my medical practice and for our farm. Our cattle are eating more hay and grain, and my patients are having to reschedule appointments and we are doing a lot of telephone medicine. My wonderful hubby is having to bring me back and forth to work too as our road is covered in snow and ice.
Brian and I were pleased to be able to go to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual meeting in Atlanta this past weekend, and we both have to admit that we were more pleased to have driven ourselves and been able to leave on Sunday before the weather set in. We had no desire to be stuck in Atlanta in a snowstorm. We were learning a lot and were please to see our friends from across the country. I was really pleased to have been able to attend the AgChat Foundations training on social media and proper use for Agvocating for Agriculture.
We met and made many new friends as well.
I know that this blog can seem fractured in post at times. And after our training session, I have put more thought in what I want this blog to do. I want people to see the real issues facing agriculture and medicine. By writing and posting here, I hope to provide a glimpse into rural life here in Upper Middle Tennessee. I think that unless people start telling their stories, whether they are based in agriculture or in my case in both agriculture and medicine, the Average inner city American lacks the knowledge to be able to understand our world and the issues we face.
Agriculture has been a late love of my life. I stumbled into this passion of mine by my relationship to my Hubby and our common interest in making our Beef Farm a success. Medicine is a calling that I have always had and am fortunate to be able to continue - unless Congress keeps trying to cut my pay - haha!!!
Looking forward to a more centered approach with this blog, but I will admit there will still more than not be post about my family as well because they are the real reason that I do what I do. So, I guess this post is my New Years Blogging resolution, it just took a bit to write it all down.
Brian and I were pleased to be able to go to the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual meeting in Atlanta this past weekend, and we both have to admit that we were more pleased to have driven ourselves and been able to leave on Sunday before the weather set in. We had no desire to be stuck in Atlanta in a snowstorm. We were learning a lot and were please to see our friends from across the country. I was really pleased to have been able to attend the AgChat Foundations training on social media and proper use for Agvocating for Agriculture.
We met and made many new friends as well.
I know that this blog can seem fractured in post at times. And after our training session, I have put more thought in what I want this blog to do. I want people to see the real issues facing agriculture and medicine. By writing and posting here, I hope to provide a glimpse into rural life here in Upper Middle Tennessee. I think that unless people start telling their stories, whether they are based in agriculture or in my case in both agriculture and medicine, the Average inner city American lacks the knowledge to be able to understand our world and the issues we face.
Agriculture has been a late love of my life. I stumbled into this passion of mine by my relationship to my Hubby and our common interest in making our Beef Farm a success. Medicine is a calling that I have always had and am fortunate to be able to continue - unless Congress keeps trying to cut my pay - haha!!!
Looking forward to a more centered approach with this blog, but I will admit there will still more than not be post about my family as well because they are the real reason that I do what I do. So, I guess this post is my New Years Blogging resolution, it just took a bit to write it all down.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Producing Results... AFBF theme for 2011
All day, day in and day out, I work towards producing results and so do the men and women of American Agriculture.
I al looking forward to time spent with the Women Leaders of the American Farm Bureau.
Each encounter here in Atlanta brings us opportunity to see friends from across this great nation of Agriculturist.
Did you know, that one American Farmer feeds 155 people as compared to the 49 we could feed in 1970's and by using modern environmentally sound farming practice, Agriculture has greatly decreased environmental impact.
Oh well, happy to spend time at this great luncheon learning more about Producing Results for Agriculture.
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Saturday, January 8, 2011
Having fun...
Well, Brian and I made it to Atlanta. We have spent the morning on the Expo floor. It's amazing. I am still wondering how the got all those huge pieces of agriculture equipment in this building. There are tires taller than me.
I am also loving that I have gotten to meet some of the friends that I have made through Blogger and Tweeting. Am looking forward to talking with Janice (aka @JPlovesCOTTON ) about Genetically Modified agriculture products and Ag social media.
Hoping it does not snow too much to get home though. Seems like most of TN farm bureau is here in Atlanta.
I am also loving that I have gotten to meet some of the friends that I have made through Blogger and Tweeting. Am looking forward to talking with Janice (aka @JPlovesCOTTON ) about Genetically Modified agriculture products and Ag social media.
Hoping it does not snow too much to get home though. Seems like most of TN farm bureau is here in Atlanta.
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a new start
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Friday, January 7, 2011
On the road
Finally, Brian aka @DiamondMFarms and I are on our way to AFBF meeting in Atlanta. Have had a busy day. Yesterday, I ended up with a stomach flu so no packing. Then today school got canceled, so had to get kids settled for Mom and Dad weekend away. Looking forward to AgCONNECT and to the AFBF meeting. Last year we were competing and did not get to see much. Very excited...
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