lucy, you've got some 'splaining to do....

Yesterday I promised to tell you the truth about the farmer.

He does dishes!!



Well, he did dishes after Thanksgiving dinner at my sister's house. It was such a momentous occasion that everyone broke out their cameras. But that's not the truth I was thinking about.

He's lots of fun and has an adventurous spirit. Here he is in Central America. We were celebrating our 25th anniversary. We're married 29 years today.



But that's not the truth I was aiming for either. The real truth is....
He's not a farmer! He is the financial officer for one of the country's premier fresh herb producers and helps manage their herb farms but he doesn't operate anything larger than a snow blower or a lawn tractor.

So how does that make me a farmer's wife? Well, in reality I'm not. But here's how I became know far and wide as "The Farmer's Wife". Almost three years ago I discovered the blogosphere and decided that I'd like to jump in with photos of our community. For the past 15 years we've lived in a very rural farming area, surrounded by a million acres of corn and soybeans. I love the lifestyle and the people that make our community special. The main focus of The Farmer's Wife was to publish a photographic record of an area and lifestyle that was fast disappearing as developers moved in.

I need two or three words for a blog title that would embody the subject matter. The choice was between "Little Blog on the Prairie" and "The Farmer's Wife". My sister like "Little Blog.." but ultimately I chose "The Farmer's Wife." It turned out to be an unsettling decision for me because after awhile I felt it was disrespectful to people who truly lived the farming life, like Kelli and Matt at Sugar Creek Farm. But I was stuck. When I was out and about taking photos people who saw me with the cameras around my neck would come up and ask, "Are you the farmer's wife?" Salt in the wound for sure.

Eventually I made peace with my long-ago choice and decided that real farmer's would understand. I was extremely proud to accept Garfield Farm Museum's Agricultural Preservation Award. It came as a big surprise to me because it's not always apparent if you're making an impact with your blog. I'll tell you my family's reaction to that award some other time.

For now I'll just say Happy Anniversary to the "Farmer" who never was.

Tomorrow: Let's talk about hope.