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Murdock Newsletter

August 13, 2008

 

Calendar
Fri Aug 15-First day of school
Mon Sept 1-Labor Day
Sun Sept 7-Grandparent’s Day

Inspiration
Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back.

From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television? (Hello, Mom!)

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer.

One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.
Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask 'How are you?' Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift. Thrown away....Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

'Life may not be the party we hoped for...but while we are here we might as well dance!'

 

What’s Happening Around Our Community

Murdock’s Oxbow Enterprises featured in last Sunday’s Omaha World Herald. Go to www.omahaworldherald.com and archive “Money” for the full story.

Published Sunday August 10, 2008
Demand spreads for Nebraska farm's pet foods
BY JOHN FERAK
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

“MURDOCK, Neb. - Plastic bags filled with products like the aptly named Bunny Basics have turned a fifth-generation Cass County farm into a global economic power.

Off a narrow, dusty, gravel road in Cass County, John Miller has developed Oxbow Animal Health, previously named Oxbow Pet Products, into one of Nebraska's most dominant international companies.

About 20 percent of Oxbow's products are sold overseas to markets including Sweden, Japan and Germany, and the company does more than $1 million in annual international sales.

Oxbow operates from a traditional 750-acre family farm that once raised hogs, cattle, soybean and corn. These days, the farm grows timothy hay and continues to research new types of nutritional hay for small herbivores.

A decade ago, Oxbow was a three-person company. Today, Miller has 50 full-time employees and in June added a second hay packaging production shift.”

What FUN it was at the Cass County Fair last week!

Beautiful weather too. Here are some pictures from the parade:

Here comes the parade.

Our band is GRAND! Under the direction of Michael Hansen.

Murdock’s Postmaster Angie Friesell carries “We Support Your Service.” Banner.

The 2008 Elmwood-Murdock Cheerleaders

4-H Group Stove Creek Rustlers 50th Year Celebration

Elmwood’s Flying Wheels rolls through the parade route

Elmwood and Murdock’s fire and rescue throw lots of candy!

Miss Elmwood and Miss Cass County Sierra Ronhovde

Miss Murdock-Mallory Buck

Miss Alvo-Tasha Schuelke

Erin D-Wyer, Lindsay Oehlerking, Jordan and Lauren Bowman are off to the “Zipper” after the parade.

Air Force Week in the Heartland

(taken from www.airforceweekintheheartland.com Visit this site for more information)

Wednesday August, 13th 2008

Bring your family to Air Force Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Neb. The Strategic Air & Space Museum (SASM) and SAC Federal Credit Union will host an entire day dedicated to the Legacy of Air Power, including:

Saturday August, 16th 2008

Experience Air Force Airpower and Airmen at the "Defenders of Freedom Open House and Air Show" from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Offutt Air Force Base. This spectacular event will feature aerial acrobatics by the USAF Thunderbirds ; USAF Academy Wings of Blue jump team, many other military and civilian performers. Many military aircraft will be on display for an up close and personal display. Some of the aircraft on display are F-15C, AWACS, B-17, and UH-60 Blackhawk, and many more.

If you do not already have a church home, you are invited to the Sunday School Kickoff Party at Elmwood Christian Church!

Meet new friends, play games, and eat with us!
Sunday, August 17 at 9:00 a.m.

 

 

 

TADA Productions, Inc.
In The Haymarket in the Creamery Building * 701 P Street Suite 203 * Lincoln, NE
402-438-TADA (8232) www.tadatheatre.info
CABARET SERIES RETURNS AS SPECIAL EVENT AT JAMES ARTHUR VINEYARDS

Members of TADA Productions Inc. will perform their popular Taste Of Wine and Broadway, cabaret series, at James Arthur Vineyards Friday, August 29th.

Showtime is 7:30 pm at James Arthur Vineyards, 2001 West Raymond Road, Raymond, Nebraska. Doors open at 6:30 pm. For tickets call the vineyards at 402 783-5255. See more about the vineyards at www.jamesarthurvineyards.com.

A Response from a Reader of the Murdock Newsletter

Teri

Interesting article – but 50 years ago from when?   1950?  I was born in 1953 and lived in the Trinity Lutheran Church parsonage (new at that time) just outside of Murdock.  The parsonage had (still has) 2 full bathrooms, 3 bedrooms, office, living room, dining room, big kitchen, and basement.  It also had a gas forced air furnace.  We had a GE refrigerator and electric stove with two ovens.  Modern (1950's modern) cabinets and counters.  We had a real telephone (with a 10-number dial).  The basement was unfinished, but it's where my mom washed clothes in her Maytag washing machine.  She did, however, hang the clothes on the line to dry.  We had a big chest type freezer.  And as the pastor's family, we were pretty poor.  But it was the 1950's!!!!!  Not the 1850's.  Rickli's, Borland's, Stroy's, Roehbers, Thimghans (I may be off on the spelling of some of the names) had homes that, I'll bet, are pretty much the same as they were in the 1950's, with all the modern amenities of the 21 st century – back 50 years ago.  The only things missing would have been dishwashers, microwaves, and central air. 

We had television. Bicycles.  Betsy Wetsy.  Baby dolls with hair and blinking eyes, just like the ones today.  Plastic piggy banks.  Little metal cars that we could get in and peddle and steer.  (1950's version of Barbie Jeeps)

My father, Pastor Ulmer, died in 1958.  I was 5 years old at the time.  We had to vacate the parsonage upon his death.  We moved to Seward and at that time, 50 years ago, we had air conditioning in our home in Seward, albeit a window unit.

I just came home yesterday from visiting the cemetery at Trinity.  I was there with my two older brothers, Jim and Dale.  The parsonage looks the same, only it has a garage addition to the house.  We also drove around the streets of Murdock.  My brothers said it looks pretty much the same.  Nice new school, but the grocery store is now something else.  The ‘downtown' looks tired.  But time will do that to everything.

I may have been a little girl 50 years ago, but the homes were modern.  Take a look at TVLand or Nick at Nite.  Check out Leave it to Beaver.  Father Knows Best.  That was 50 years ago.  50 years ago from 2008.  Murdock 50 years ago looked like Murdock today.  Not like Little House on the Prairie.  I remember going with my dad to visit people that were ill.  Some of the older people at that time lived in homes that weren't newly decorated or completely renovated in keeping with the ‘50's, but, come on, washing clothes by beating them with a stick in the washtub??????  Kerosene lamps?  Maybe for when the power went out.  Seriously, watch some 50's television.  That really is how Murdock was 50 years ago – only country!

Carol Ulmer Burns
Moline, Illinois

Hello Carol,

Thanks so much for your response.  I'm so happy you enjoyed your trip back to Murdock.  I like to visit the house I grew up in as well.  It must have brought back a lot of nice memories.

I had asked several people from the community to help me with this story that was assigned to me, but was not very successful with a response due to a variety of reasons.  So as you noticed in the article, a lot of what I said was with "I imagine" or "it might have looked like" type writing as I really had nothing to go by except what I heard from my husband's parents.  My mother-in-law actually injured her finger permanently while doing her laundry using the wash ringer.  She has a lot of old antiques that she has told me about and absolutely "YES" I did imagine the farms as Little House on the Prairie.  I loved watching that movie every Monday night with my sister as I was growing up.

I did receive other emails concerning the article when it was written over a year ago and put a "correction" in the next newsletter giving a more realistic version of what it was really like.

Thanks so much for your response!

Have a TERRIFIC Tuesday!

Teri :)

 

News to the Editor
- Please send all your Murdock area news to me. Birthdays, anniversaries, announcements, events or news are welcome and will be added to the upcoming newsletter. Thanks in advance for all your help!

Teri Bowman
Editor@murdocknebraska.com