The Best Day Ever
the end of harvest, excessive Netflix recs, and big feelings || August 2024 newsletter
Harvest ends around the same time that school starts. It feels like a rush of two rivers crashing together—and I can never tell where the pressure is coming from. Am I sad that the kids are going back to school? Did we make enough memories? Did we have enough fun? Am I just tired and overwhelmed by the monotony and stress of harvest?1
In the last few weeks, all of those feelings left me raw—my emotions bubbling right at the surface, and the tears flowed easily. I know it was partly because Nora started school for the first time this week, too. While she’s only in Pre-K, and it’s only part-time, it’s still a transition from her being home with me to being at school. I’m tiptoeing into the waters of the next phase of motherhood. And honestly, I have big feelings about it—big feelings I can’t put into words yet.
Thanks to a rain delay in early August, we took the kids on a last-minute trip a few hours north to Lethbridge, Alberta. We stayed at a hotel with a pool and waterslides that we’ve stayed at many times over the years. After swimming, we went to dinner and Despicable Me 4 in 3D. It was the first time all five of us went to a movie together. The next day, without prompting, Allie told me, “Yesterday was the best day ever! Thank you for taking us to Canada!”
Nora still brings up our 36-hour vacation weeks later: “Thanks for taking us to Canada, Mama. It was so much fun!”
I didn’t grow up going on big beach vacations or trips to Disney (I’m 40 and still haven’t been to Disney), yet I sometimes worry about what my kids will remember about their summers. Will they only remember the work of harvest? Don’t get me wrong; it’s not the “keep me up at night worry” thing; it's just something I think of as summer winds down.
Looking back at my summers as a kid, I don’t feel like I missed out on anything. I remember the road trips we took to visit family out of state. I remember spending time at my grandparents’ gas station and my grandpa paying my sister and me to clean the bathrooms every Friday (and how we would fight over who had to clean the men’s bathroom each week). I know my kids will be fine, and more than fine.
My kids will likely look back on these years and remember the waterslides, the movies, and the donuts, but I’ll remember their words, their excitement, and the smiles on their faces more than the pool or the movie.
And as much as the transitions of motherhood are hard, I know I’ll be okay, too. It won’t matter how many vacations we took (or didn’t take); it will be the small moments that mean the most.
I imagine I’ll think, “They were the best days ever.”
Farm Happenings
We finished harvest! After about 30 days (give or take a few that we were out of the field due to rain delays), we put the final grain into the bins last Saturday. For the most part, the season went well. We didn’t have any major equipment breakdowns; everyone stayed safe. But the rain did make it a little more stressful. Partly because the rain delayed us from cutting for a few days but also because we had wheat cut and lying on the ground, and when it continues to get rained on, it ruins the quality of the wheat. Rich was stressed, so then his stress flowed to me. 🫠 We’re still waiting to get the test samples back on that wheat to determine the quality, but it’s in the bin!
I tried to count the number of dinners I brought to the field, and it was around 20. I repeated several meals (meatball subs, French dips, walking tacos) and tried a new recipe, ham and Swiss sliders (which I made a few times). Even though harvest is over, apparently, the people in my house still want dinner every night. 🫠
Rhett lived his best life, clocking many hours running a combine this summer.2 It was hard for him that we weren’t completely done with harvest when school started. But our last day of harvest was a Saturday, so he spent the whole final day in the field.
Up next: seeding winter wheat in early September. 🌾
Things I’m Loving . . .
I watched more TV in August than I normally do, which is probably true for every August since I spend most evenings alone at home. My writing friends told me I *had* to watch this three-part series on Netflix, so I took them up on the suggestion. It was like a train wreck that I couldn’t stop watching. While watching the Simone Biles documentary, the familiar faces on the screen—Kerri Strug and Dominique Dawes—took me right back to the 90s, just like the sound of dial-up Internet. Even though I was already familiar with the tragic Laci Peterson case, having watched documentaries in the past, I watched the new series about her, which was well done. Rounding out my Netflix binge, I watched this rom-com, which was cute and not life-altering but fun.
I didn’t just watch TV this month; I read a few books, too! I absolutely loved Summer Romance, which was the perfect (IMO) summer read and an easy-to-read closed-door romance. I didn’t know much about The Wedding People going into the book, and it started a little slow, but once I got going, I listened to it in less than two days. If open-door romance is your thing, Slow Dance was good (there were some aspects of the storyline I didn’t love), but overall, it was a great second-chance love story. Lastly, I read My Ranch, Too: A Wyoming Memoir, an interesting perspective of a woman on her family ranch. I pre-ordered The Unplugged Hours a few months ago, and it comes out in a couple of weeks! I’m looking forward to returning to a better routine of putting my phone down.
I bought myself this half-zip pullover, which I’m guessing is a dupe for something more expensive. It’s soft and perfect for cool mornings. I love Post Malone’s latest album, but this song is my favorite.
I kept off social media for most of August because it doesn’t help me to be there when I'm stressed. 🫠 I posted one short essay there this week about doing something just because it brings me joy, that something is meaningful just because it’s beautiful to look at.
Fall is in the air around here; the mornings are cooler, and it feels like change is on the horizon. 🍂 I planned to finish this newsletter early this morning before the kids got up, but I was up on and off last night with a sick kid. Back to school, right?! Rhett is playing flag football again this fall and loving it, so we’re off and running with school schedules and after-school activities. Living rurally adds an additional layer of chaos to the mix. Fall also means college football is back—the best part of fall!
Hit me up with your favorite books, and let me know if there are any shows I need to watch (that I haven’t already). 🫠
E. All of the above.
He turns 10 next week. 🫣
Loved this story, Stacy. I grew up with simple summers, too, and I have wonderful memories.
My youngest is starting K and I’ve had all the feelings about this next stage of motherhood, too!