Little Pasture on the Prairie

It happens every spring. The best laid plans dashed by unpredictable weather, equipment malfunctions, illness, or most likely all three. But really, the truth behind why spring always gets crazy when you are working on a ranch or farm, is that there’s more to do than can be done.

Stray Thoughts: Cherished Memories

When I was a kid, I spent an inordinate amount of time hunting frogs. We had a variety of local ponds and frogs were plentiful. We didn’t need frogs for anything, but we caught them because catching them was fun. It was not uncommon to return home with a bucket full of frogs.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

Last week, I brought home three orphan lambs to bottle feed, and this week I was expecting the sheep I brought home last month to begin having babies of their own.

Stray Thoughts: In Dreams

I had a dream that I ran my own Japanese restaurant. Now, I am less Japanese than most people…but that doesn’t mean it would be impossible for me to do so. Do I speak the language? No. Eat sushi? Again, no. But dreams don’t care about any such small details.

Reflecting on Progress

It’s human nature to tell stories about the past, and doctors aren’t immune to that impulse. The second year medical students rotating through my clinic have me reflecting on my own years as a fledgling physician, and the changes I’ve seen in my decades of practice.

Pain - It’s No Joke

There is an old joke where a man walks into his doctor’s office and says, “Doc, it hurts every time I do this. What should I do?” To which the doctor replies, “Simple, don’t do that!” While the advice seems trite and maybe even insulting, like most jokes, there is some truth in it.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

Early last week my husband got a text message. It read: “Does your wife want some bum lambs?” A fellow shepherd and rancher in the midst of lambing was being overrun by triplets and needed to find them homes. My husband read the text aloud to me with raised eyebrows.

Stray Thoughts: The Storms of Spring

Winter snowfall turns to slush, an easy season is almost done Hard-packed roads will turn to mush and the springtime will have won Baby cows with big brown eyes with more arriving every day Lie in wonderment in grassy fields with moms not far away Perhaps this once the spring will hold…perhaps this...

True Self-Care

During our most recent family movie night, we watched one of my favorites: Encanto. At one point in the movie, a character who has been gifted supernatural strength confesses that she fears she will crumble under the weight of all that is expected from her.

Little Pasture on the Prairie

The Saturday evening before Easter Sunday a quiet, gentle snow began to fall. The flakes were fat and heavy. “That’s Minnesota snow,” my husband said, “Lots of moisture.” But it didn’t look like Minnesota snow to me, it looked like Hollywood snow, too big and soft to be real.