I've been doing a lot of pondering lately about my education. What good old Roscoe Independent School District gave me and how I use it in my every day life.

It is amazing how things I thought were important then, are not now.

I am not an athlete, so I don't use anything I learned from athletics other than the team concept. In fact, usually when I am stiff and creaking I wonder what was I thinking!

I am not a musician, so I don't use anything I learned from band in my every day endeavors. I will admit, I do like to sit down once in a while at a piano.

I don't use much history on a daily basis.

I don't use much of the health I was taught. In simple terms, I spell health Neosporin. If I am really sick I got to the doctor or call my sister or friend that are nurses.

I don't use a whole lot of biology or chemistry very often.

I use a little geography regularly.

Math is used pretty regularly. Seeding ratios, Mixing chemicals and determining application rates. Budgets. Fuel economy.

Surprisingly, the two areas I use EVERY single day are from my English and office machine classes.

Typing (or more importantly keyboard) and English (spelling and grammar).

Communicative skills!

I had four English teachers (very odd in RISD). Ms. Fletcher, Mrs. Kinnard, Mrs. Brown, and Mr. Owens.

My typing teacher was Coach Rick Berry.

I would bet the keyboard or computer classes are much different than typing was. We had a whole room full of manual Olivetti and Underwood typewriters. Of course they were sans markings on the keys. We had the big pull down screen with the key diagram at the front of the class room.

Of course, English was a required course. I took typing figuring it was an easy class.

It is funny, but Coach Berry instructed all of us to select a warm up sentence or phrase. I still remember mine. Don Freeman is the starting left tackle for the Roscoe Plowboys. Heh, heh.

This past Christmas Day (2011) marked 40 years since I got my hand caught in the cotton stripper. Of course this injury and permanent damage forever altered my typing skills. I kind of do a three finger hop a long with my right hand, but I still know my way around a keyboard.

It still amazes me with how many people are illiterate when it comes to keyboards. My friend who is incarcerated likes the convenience and speed of e-mail correspondence, but doesn't like the cost because they charge by the minute. I guess that is a death sentence for a hunt and pick typer.

Giants/Forty-Niners, Patriots/Ravens.

Here is hoping for a Giants/Raven Super Bowl!

The NFL big boy bullies of 2011 went down hard. The Saints and the Packers. Lucky for them the Cowboys were already down there and cushioned their fall.

Sure wish the wind would lay.

We are in a good situation at the farm, BUT this wind will really suck the moisture away. I am fixing to get busy. I have probably 217 acres to plow and 366 acres I will probably spray.

I am not too concerned about winter weeds, or cover on fallow ground. Right now any cover is helping to control wind erosion. But on the one farm some areas are getting excessive.

Got my four hours sleep and I am wide awake.

Guess I will get a head start on my day!

Have one!

FATHER, thank YOU for the weekend and down time. Thank YOU for refreshing and renewing me. Help me to think things through and to make good choices. Greater are YOU!