Inside the Mind of a Four Year Old

I currently have one niece and two nephews and let me tell you - they mean the world to me. I'm not sure what I would do without each and every one of them. Karlee's special though...we have an unmistakable bond - I'm not sure if it's because she was the first born, because she is the only girl, or because I was one of the first people to hold her. Whatever it is...we get each other!  From the moment she was born to now, she has always had the ability to make me laugh and smile with just a simple look. She is the sweetest little girl with a huge heart.

Karlee and I right after her birth in 2008

Every Tuesday, I go to Dodge for "therapy" where workout with my trainer Thomas and every once in awhile Karlee will get to come with my mom and I to "help Grandma shop". This past Tuesday, she made the 30-minute drive to Dodge with us, but instead of shopping with Grandma, she wanted to stay at "surgery" with me.  Unfortunately, she fell asleep before we got to Dodge, leaving her no choice but to grocery shop with Grandma.

Karlee and I at the Detroit Zoo in Summer 2009

On our way home, Mom and I were talking about the news story that aired on Monday when Karlee piped in, our conversation went a little like this -

Karlee: Emily, I saw you on TV yesterday...

Me: Oh ya? What did you think? Did I look ok?

Karlee: Ya...you looked pretty.

Me: Thanks, Bert. That's sweet of you.

Karlee: How did you get out?

Me: Get out of what?

Karlee: THE TV, EMILY!!!


It was just too cute that I had share.
If only the world was as simple as it is in a 4-year old's mind!

Karlee and I after her Mini Cheer Camp Performance in Fall 2011

We're in the Big Time Now

Last Friday morning at work, Viv and I were chatting about the news and she mentioned a series KWCH was getting ready to run about small towns in Kansas – and how people are supposed to send in reasons as to why Jenn, Michael, and Merril should visit their town. It sounded as if it would be a pretty cool series to watch and so I made a mental note in hopes that I would remember to watch Channel 12 at 6pm and 10pm this coming week.

*Note, the 10 o’clock broadcast would be the hardest to remember - Chelsea Lately is on at 10pm and I rarely miss it…she is one funny lady.*

Fast forward to 5:00pm on Friday…I check my phone and see that I have a voicemail. It is from Kim at KWCH and they have chosen Bucklin for their ‘One of a Kind Kansas’ series and was curious if I would do an interview as Ms. Wheelchair Kansas. I happily agreed and the plans were made. Jim was going to come to Bucklin on Sunday for my interview and KWCH’s live crew would roll into town Monday morning.

 Around noon on Sunday, there was a knock at my door and I thought, “Ok, he’s here…let’s do this!” and when I turned around it wasn’t the guy from KWCH, but Ms. Jane. She had seen a KWCH vehicle sitting on Main Street and thought either there’s going to be a storm of some sort or he’s lost and looking for someone. Lost and looking for someone it was! Now here, Jim set up his camera and we began the interview. He asked lots of questions and I think got some good footage.

When Monday morning rolled around, I was all excited to see what they would film here in town, but nervous of my interview. I had complete faith that Jim would do a good job editing it, but I’m always nervous about being on camera! Around 10am, I looked up from my desk to see Dennis from KWCH and he informed me he had bad news. Turns out my interview on Sunday was accidentally deleted and we needed to redo my interview

I was more prepared this go around and things turned out great. The piece on Bucklin began on their 5 o’clock show and then continued on at 6pm and 10pm. While in town, the news crew visited the Moore Ranch where they got to feed the lambs, ride horses, and check out the longhorns, they had cherry limeades at the Market, and they visited the school and hung around for the athletic banquet.

Check out KWCH's piece on Bucklin by clicking --> Bucklin Kansas is 'One of a Kind' 

 I am so glad they chose to feature Bucklin – it truly is a unique place and I am proud to call this community my home.

Thanks for visiting KWCH!

Operation Meet Mayor

I’ve mentioned before that I am from a small town (see Small Town Blessed) where everyone knows everyone and there is such camaraderie and a sense of community between all 700 residents.

In charge of all of us residents is our mayor, Mr. Mike Fisher himself. Janitor at BHS by day, Mike began moonlighting as the mayor a few years ago and I must say he’s done a great job.

I have known Mike my entire life – he and his wife Terry live just a couple of blocks from me, his boys have always been good friends of mine, and he was a groomsman in my parents wedding.

When I was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Kansas and had the opportunity to meet Governor Brownback, Mike made a point to come into BTI and give me some grief about how I was “too good” to meet with the mayor of Bucklin. Of course, that is far from the truth and I was going to prove it! On Thursday, I donned my crown and sash and made my way down to Bucklin Schools to surprise the mayor.

He was knee-deep in the task fixing a toilet out at the football field, but made his way over to office just to speak to this concerned citizen.  I knew if I was going to get him back and be able to give him just as much grief as he had given me, I must come up with some “issues” to discuss with him. I decided on the pot holes in the street, the seismograph lines all over town, and the sidewalk in the park – but he handled them like a pro, with just a little sarcasm mixed in.

All in all I’d say my impromptu meeting with Mr. Mayor went quite well…now we’ll see if these pot holes get fixed! =)

Mayor Mike Fisher and Myself

Pink Squirrels and Hot Tea

As a person goes through life, they look to various people as role models - people they respect and people they aspire to be like. I have many people I look up to in all aspects of my life, but there are two women in my life who have always, and will always be my role model…my grandmothers.  


They have both taught me so much in life. My Grandma Pat was the ultimate homemaker – she taught me how to cook and sew, and of course how to make a mean pink squirrel, among so many other things. Unfortunately, in 2005, she lost her battle with pancreatic cancer and made her way to heaven to be with my Grandpa.  I miss her dearly, but I know that with her life lessons she taught me and the fact that she is always watching over us, that everything will always be okay.


Now on the other hand I have my Grandma Bea…and I’m not even sure where to begin – she has taught me that you’re never too old (or young) to do anything you dream of, how to appreciate a cup hot tea no matter what time of day or how hot/cold it is outside, how to be spontaneous, and of course how to play a great game of rummy or cribbage.


I have so many great memories with both women that I could write for days, but today I will stick to just a few stories that always make me smile…

Grandma Bea

For those of you who know my Grandma Bea, you know she loves to travel, whether it is to another country or even just an overnight camping trip to the lake.  I have been blessed to experience many trips with her, such as Arizona, Hawaii, and the Eastern Caribbean, but growing up it was always an adventure to hook on the pop-up camper and go to the lake in the summer. Jason and Jared would fish constantly, Jeff and I would go hiking and explore, and Grams would sit by the camper, read her book, and make sure we have all the essentials for a hot dog cookout that night and plenty of marshmallows to roast when the sun went down.

After my Grandpa Roy passed, my Grandma Bea decided that she would like to take each one of the grandkids on a trip of some sort. I think Chris and Jill went on a cruise, Scott and Jeremy a river boat, Jason and Jared a bus trip, and Andrea a cruise. Andy, Jeff, and I got blessed with a week-long cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. I think I was a sophomore in high school when we went and let me tell you, we had a blast. Grandma’s only rule was that she didn’t care what we did, but we must all eat together and attend the show every evening. Probably, not the greatest rules for 15-16 year old kids, but like I said…we had a blast!


The most prominent and cherishable memory I have thus far with my Grandma Bea is her tea parties. We would gather around the kitchen table with freshly baked cookies and a pot of hot tea, play rummy, and discuss the happenings of our day and so much more. And if we didn’t feel like playing cards that day, there was always a picture puzzle that needed put together. There was a ton of cards shuffled and a lot of life discussed around that table!

Grandma Pat
My Grandma Pat was an amazing seamstress and everyone that knew her, knew that. If she wasn’t in the kitchen cooking, she would be sitting on the couch, quilt blocks in hand. I won’t tell you about all the patterns we cut out on the kitchen table or how she made my First Communion dress, but how much of a treat it was to spend the night at her house. We would get to unroll the blue egg crates and sleep on the floor in the living room. If we were lucky the next day, the boys would spend the day outside and Grandma would get out the pea green- colored Easy Bake Oven and let us girls make and decorate our own cakes.  If we pushed our luck, we could even get her to make us pink squirrels, the Vogel girls’ signature drink!


For my Grandma’s funeral service, my mother and I made up the flower arrangements – they consisted of spring-colored flowers and a lot of pink and yellow roses. During her rosary and service, it was undeniable that the smell of roses filled the church. Ever since that day, there are random moments on random days where I smell roses, without a flower in sight. This not only happens to me, but my mother, her sisters, as well as a few of my cousins. At that moment in time, when the sweet smell of roses fills the room, she is with us. After my accident, throughout the months of being in and out of hospitals – I smelled a lot of roses…

                 

Without these two ladies, I would not be the person I am today. They have been there for me throughout all my highs and lows and have taught me some of the greatest lessons in life. I strive to be just like these two, and if I can accomplish being just half the women they are…I’ll be okay!

As Grandma Bea famously says when things are coming to a close…”Party’s Over!”

A Sea of White

I’m a few days late writing this post about the Senior Boomer Expo I attended last week, but it has been a busy last few days – I saw my cousin Adrian marry his beautiful bride Cori, spent some amazing time with family, and even got to go fishing today with Jason, Heather, and the kids.

Last Thursday, the 26^th, I had the privilege of attending the Senior Boomer Expo at the Civic Center in Dodge City. Rita Linnens of Kansas Truck Mobility out of Wichita had contacted me a week or so earlier mentioning that she would be showing one of their vehicles and asked if I would like to attend and spend some time at their booth. I quickly agreed and we made all the necessary arrangements.

I asked my Grandma Bea to go with me, thinking she would enjoy the Expo since it was geared to her age group. After she first shot me down saying “Emily, that isn’t really my thing,” I thought to myself, “Grams, you’re 86 years old, what kind of “thing” do you have exactly?”

Nonetheless, Grandma Bea came with me and when we arrived, Rita met us at the door and then showed Grandma and my Dad to where lunch was being served. She and I then went up on the floor to where the booth was. I was introduced to the crowd and then did a little mingling. It wasn’t much longer that the seats started filling up and a woman got on the stage and talked about insurance and Medicare.  Rita informed me I could head out about 1:30ish – the Senior Center groups were performing their skits and Bingo was up next…all the booths tend to shut down about Bingo time – the crowd gets pretty serious and doesn’t pay much attention to anything else!

It was an enjoyable day – I got to speak with numerous people, represent the Ms. Wheelchair Kansas organization, and most of all spend a few hours with my Grandma Bea.

No MWKS appearances this upcoming week – Bucklin’s Graduation is next on my list and I’m still in the process of writing my speech – hope to finish it up this week! 

Takes Me Back

Have you ever heard a song that instantly take you back to a certain place or time in your life...where you remember exactly who you were with and what you were doing? I normally listen to Pandora throughout my day at work, but yesterday afternoon I had my laptop and had access to my iTunes…literally every other song made me “go back.”

I had thought about writing a blog about music and how it can take you back, but I thought how silly is that – then I heard Springsteen by Eric Church and his lyric “funny how the melody sounds like a memory, like a soundtrack to a July Saturday night” hit me like a ton of bricks and I knew it was a sign – I had to blog.

So here goes a few song and the memories to go with them…

Cover of the Rolling Stones – Dr. Hook: This song in general just reminds me of my father, but it takes me back to our family vacation to Michigan when I was in elementary school. We drove up there – got delayed in Des Moines for a day due to problems with our vehicle, but I remember us driving down the road, Dr. Hook in the CD player, and the whole family singing the Cover of the Rolling Stones...and you can’t forget Queen of the Silver Dollar.

She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy – Kenny Chesney: New Years Eve, my 7^th grade year on the Giles Ranch. This night consisted of dancing on chairs and a washing machine, drinking a lot of slushy punch, eating puppy chow, burning Cheetos, and a dance routine to this song. I still may even to be able to show you a few moves =)

Back Where I Come From – Kenny Chesney: Sophomore year of high school.  I remember vividly sitting at the Legion (unlike our normal spot at the Station) watching a certain someone climb the water tower and duct tape ’03 for all to see.

Smooth Criminal – Alien Ant Farm: Once again during my sophomore year, three of us decided to take a late night road trip to Spearville. All I can say about this night is the Bullet got stuck, I walked about half a mile to use the restroom, and we were lucky the cops didn’t see us…all for Santa Fe Avenue.   

Yeah – Usher: Prom, Senior Year of High School. Dancing in my white and pink dress with the Ice Cream Man himself.

Wonderwall – Oasis: This song reminds me of a certain someone who holds a special place in my heart. I will never forget that after my accident, while I was doing my initial rehab at TIRR in Houston, I was laying on one of the mats during shoulder class on a Saturday when a family member of another patient brought in his guitar and began to sing….this was the first song out of his mouth.

Lips of an Angel – Hinder: On Sept. 7, 2006 I came home for the first time after my accident. Scott picked us up at the airport in Dodge City and we headed home to Bucklin. I hadn’t listened to the radio for about 2 months and when we going through Fort Dodge, right by the cemetery, this song came on. Why I remember this, I haven’t a clue!

There a million more songs that when I hear them, it sparks a memory, where I all I can do is smile and then send a text that starts out “Hey, do you remember when…” and ends with “…that was epic”.  I’ll always cherish these memories and I always look forward to hearing that certain song that can take me back!

**Please forgive me for being discreet with names in this post;

 I would hate to incriminate anyone. =)

Farm Girl at Heart

About a month ago I got an email from an old friend from high school asking if I would be interested in speaking at a Kansas Agri-Women event in Hays. I happily agreed – agriculture has been a part of me ever since I was born and I became really excited for this event. When I told Carrie about this speaking engagement, I remember her asking the question, “What exactly will you talk about at the Ag Event?” I’m not certain if I actually ever answered that question for her, but I knew that I could easily tie agriculture into my platform of defining yourself.

So yesterday we hopped in the vehicle and headed North to Hays where I had the amazing opportunity to talk with 15 or so members of the Kansas Agri-Women. (I have to admit, I was a little more nervous about this appearance than all the others on Wednesday – I think that was due to the fact that my audience was over the age of 11 and actually understand everything that I had to say.)

I began with my normal introduction and then talked a bit about my platform and how I hope to empower young girls to define themselves and not let others do it for them. While I usually target young girls, I think it is message that can be relatable for people of all ages and especially women in agriculture. When society hears the word agriculture, I think they automatically think that it is a male-dominated field, which is far from true - there were 236,269 farms operated by women in the United States in 2002. For all the other farms in United States that are operated by men – I would almost guarantee you there is a woman in the background somewhere! I’ve always chuckled at this, but a lady, who is very near and dear to me, has mentioned numerous times that she must work a “real job” to support her husband’s hobby of farming!

I also think that many people who are not from the Midwest and rural communities do not know the benefits of growing up here. I am a firm believer that kids who are involved with agriculture learn respect, responsibility, and commitment at a young age. Those who are involved with groups such as 4-H and FFA (as well as family operations) often have the responsibility of caring for livestock and crops. In turn of having that responsibility, kids usually learn to have a good work ethic - being able to manage time, money, and other resources.

Kansas Agri-Women Annual Conference

Kansas Agri-Women (KAW) was formed in 1973 by a group of farm women who were concerned about a threatened meat boycott and bill before Congress which would have rolled farm prices back. Their focus is to educate and promote agriculture and its importance to the economy and the environment; work in areas of legislation, regulations and consumer relations; support and encourage research that benefits agriculture; and sustain a network of women of all ages and professions of agriculture.

Accepting my KAW shirt

I was absolutely delighted to speak with these women and share my story yesterday and felt completely honored when they asked me to become an honorary member of Kansas Agri-Women. I cannot wait to get involved more with the organization and I hope to represent them well!