Category: My Columns
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Revisiting Ranch Country
It’s time for a trip back to ranch country which means another lesson in the country’s language (you can read the first lesson at www.ranchwifesslant.com archives section). The following are more words and popular slang terms used by natives of ranch country. Gather: To scatter in all directions or spread out. By doing so, horseback…
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Ranching Career Trainees
Our kids’ instincts to ranch were evident at an early age. They preferred helping with outside chores over inside ones and recognized a good incentive package. Each milestone they met meant they were on their way to a ranching career. At one and two, our little rancher trainees wanted to go with dad and be…
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In My Next Life I Want to be a Cow
In my next life I want to be a cow on a United States cattle ranch so I can find out what it feels like to be spoiled. Cows live a cushy life as a result of a rancher’s hard work and his pocketbook. If I were a cow, I would get to eat an…
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Learning in Style
How stylish one wants to look while doing ranch work is totally up to the individual. Correctly understanding what’s expected is far more important on our ranch. Learning through one’s style to comprehend instructions and process information is helpful in fulfilling job expectations but our ranch utilizes all three learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic/tactile…
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Eat Like an Animal
There are days when I would rather feed our heifer calves than my family. For me, cooking is oftentimes more trying than parenting or ranching. I strive to have supper ready at a time when we can all sit down together and I try to make wholesome, home-cooked meals that nourish and satisfy, but I…
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Waiting For A Downpour
I’m one of those people who look for the bad in a situation. Problems are commonplace on a ranch and I thrive on the drama that our ranch’s problems produce. The basis of my column is about marriage, parenting, ranching, and rural life in western South Dakota but it’s describing the troubles we face that…
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A Dame Funny Game
What’s a Dame to do? is my new favorite board game for girlfriends. Players take turns drawing a dame’s dilemma card. Everyone else draws a reaction card and lays it down for all to see. The girlfriend with the dilemma chooses one of the reactions and everyone else guesses which one she picked. Irrelevant…
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Pledging Character Building
The words of the 4-H Member’s Pledge are important for all youth in today’s society. Raising good and caring citizens while still protecting kids from an era of new dangers has become increasingly challenging for parents. I believe in 4-H club work for the opportunity it will give me to become a useful citizen. 4-H…
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oo-Mom-ee
Umami is not a word cattle producers are likely to make a habit of using regularly but has an effect on them whether they know it or not. Umami defines what an aromatic beef dish tastes like and is the reason farmers and ranchers never tire of eating beef. Umami is a Japanese word derived…
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Bootism Disease
Bootism Diseasolumn for Oct 11-17 My family has a genetic disease called bootism. It’s a rare disease that affects only ranch families, but knowing that there are other families like ours all over the country with too many boots is reassuring. The disease can infect a person at infancy, as it did with both of my…