Tall Silos With a Light Dusting of Snow

Growing up in a large family of mostly girls did not preclude us from work. Seemingly the work always revolved around Dad‘s stacks of 5-gallon buckets. The tougher the job, the more buckets he would retrieve from the screened-in back porch. We were delighted when the jobs were slight enough to only require one short stack of buckets. However, on one bitterly cold November day, Dad loaded the family station wagon with a large stack of buckets. We were all told to bundle up with coats, hats and mittens and get in the car. As we drove the short ten miles from our home, my sisters and I asked Dad repeatedly “Where are we going? and What are we doing?”

“You’ll see when we get there!” was Dad’s simple response.

We soon arrived at a cornfield outside of the neighboring town of Hamburg, Iowa. There were tall silos and a light dusting of snow on the frozen ground. Dad unloaded the large stack of buckets, took two for himself, and instructed each of us girls to grab a bucket as we walked toward the field. Still the question of “What are we doing” had yet to be answered. As we neared the first rows of the field, Dad picked up an ear of what looked like dried up sweet corn. We told Dad it was no good- that it was old and frozen! Dad gently removed a portion of the husk, put it in his bucket,  and progressing down the row quietly said: “It’s absolutely perfect…”

We all looked at each other in confusion “Perfect for what?”

To our amazement, Dad explained we were in a popcorn field. Dad told us that he had gained permission to glean the fields. He gave us quick instructions on how to gather the cobs and not bother filling our bucket with the dried husks but to do our best to remove them. As a group of five girls ages four through ten,  our “best” was certainly a matter of perspective. We worked to fill all of the buckets and as past family work had indicated, we were never done until the buckets were overfilled. Upon completion, Dad loaded the car and us girls squished together in the middle seat as the back was full Of 5-gallon buckets of popcorn. This was certainly different than any kind of work we had done before and we were all grateful to be done with the task and inside the warm car headed home. However, the work did not end as we drove away. Once we were home Dad taught us how to remove the popcorn from the cobs. We delighted as we ran our thumbs down the cob and watched the kernels fall into a large bowl. Hours later, with blistered thumbs, our labors paid off. Mom helped us pop the kernels and add a few sweet ingredients making a treat of caramel popcorn.

Many times that winter the whole family would gather together in the kitchen as we watched our popcorn kernels – gathered from a frozen field, removed from the cob with tiny blistered thumbs – be transformed into a delightful treat enjoyed by the whole family.  

The process to gain the sweet treat was certainly an arduous series of tasks, but the entire family agreed, worth the efforts in the end. Perhaps therein lies a connection with gospel learning.

If I wanted to come to know who Christ was, what He did, and what He taught, great effort would be required. I would have to listen, read and learn of Christ. Take time to ponder on and pray about the things I had heard. Then in quiet moments of true desire, I could know by the gift of the Spirit that these sweet principles were true.

-JC

As I reflect upon this experience today, I wonder:
Do I engage in learning of Christ?
Do I understand that the more I learn of Christ, the more I can draw upon His powers?
Do I recognize the effort required to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ is my own responsibility?

Spiced Molasses Cut-Out Cookies

¾ cup soft butter
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 XL egg
¾ cup molasses
1 teaspoon white vinegar
3 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves

Cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high for 1 minute or until fluffy.

Hand stir in egg, molasses, and vinegar. Don’t overmix.

Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until fully incorporated. Add an additional 3 Tablespoons flour for high elevation.

Refrigerate dough for 90 minutes or more. (I spoon dough into gallon size  Ziploc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take dough out of the refrigerator and knead on floured surface for a few turns.  Roll out ¼ inch thick.

Cut cookies and place on prepared (greased or parchment paper) aluminum baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min. Makes 18-20 5” cookies. Let Cool. Decorate with your favorite icing, or melted almond bark.

Let set. Share!