May 2013 Articles

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Just Rambling May 2013

Just Rambling: When you opened your Ag Trader, I hope you liked the front cover. You probably thought—is this the same Brangus cow and calf that were on the front cover in this year’s March issue? Yes, it is! My youngest daughter, Blair, to whom this cow and calf belong, took this picture last month and immediately brought it in to show me, saying, “Daddy, you have to use this picture of Jessie and Baby J on the cover of the next Ag Trader.” I told Blair that I would probably use it later, but not this month, since I had just used their pictures on the front cover in March. Blair immediately began to emphasize what a good shot of both Jessie and Baby J it was, but still I said no to using it for this month’s issue. After that conversation, Blair dropped the subject and didn’t mention the photo again. I should have known she was lobbying for help from her sisters. Yesterday, I had a telephone conversation with my second-oldest daughter, Brittany, when out of the blue came the question: “What are you going to use for the front cover this month?” When I stated that I wasn’t sure yet, she immediately said, “I know what you should use.” Having unknowingly taken the bait, Brittany said the picture of Jessie and Baby J that Blair put on Facebook would make a good cover photo. Acting like I didn’t know what picture she was talking about, I asked, “What picture?” Brittany immediately said, “You know the photo of Jessie and Baby J, nose to nose, that Blair took.” As she said this, I knew then that Blair had been lobbying her sisters on Facebook to get this photo on the front cover. When I again hesitated to agree, Brittany went into her sales pitch and told me that Mother’s Day was in May, and that this picture depicted a mother and her baby. My rebuttal was, “What mother wants to be compared to a cow?” Brittany’s comeback was immediate: “Daddy, you see how Jessie is looking at her son, Baby J, and you know how special a son is to his mother.” With this statement, I instantly thought back to my mother, and the special relationship we had, and how special my son, Cody, is to Donnette. Brittany had made Blair’s case very effectively, so I relented and agreed to use the photo of Jessie and Baby J. I hope you enjoy looking at them! Remember, it is difficult to say no to one daughter, near impossible to say no to two daughters, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the other three daughters started lobbying for the picture as well. And if I had said no, I knew it was only a matter of time before they would bring in their brother to help them out. When daughters are involved, I guess I am just a push-over—just like most fathers. If you don’t have any daughters, then you don’t know what you are missing out on, but if you do have daughters, then you know that they are one of the most important joys of your life. Daughters: I hope you enjoy this photo of Jessie and Baby J. Memorial Day in the United States Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formally known as Decoration Day and commemorates all men and women who have died in military service to the United States. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials on Memorial Day, and it is traditionally seen as the start of the summer season. It is traditional to fly the flag of the United States at half-mast from dawn until noon. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries. Memorial Day is combined with Jefferson Davis’ Birthday in Mississippi. Memorial Day is a federal holiday. All non-essential government offices are closed, as are schools and businesses. Memorial Day started as an event to honor Union soldiers who had died during the American Civil War. It was inspired by the way people in the Southern states honored their dead. After World War I, it was extended to include all men and women who had died in any war or military action. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. The current name for this day did not come into use until after World War II. Decoration Day, and then Memorial Day, used to be held on May 30, regardless of the day of the week on which it fell. In 1968, the Uniform Holidays Bill was passed as part of a move to use federal holidays to create three-day weekends. This meant that, from 1971, Memorial Day holiday has been officially observed on the last Monday in May. However, it took a longer period for all American states to recognize the new date. This Memorial Day, May 27th, let us remember all the fallen soldiers of today and yesterday that have died fighting for our freedom.
Van Bennett
New email address: van@agtraderusa.com