The Hymnal 1982 teaches the city girl about farming

I grew up on the south side of Chicago proper (none of this "Chicagoland area" back then), where we bought tasty Chicago hot dogs from the vendor outside our apartment and didn't notice the constant noise of taxis and sirens and people out at all hours.

Later this summer, J and I are moving to quiet Mount Pleasant, Iowa, a small college town whose town square surrounded by funky shops reminds us of the college town where we met. But in Mt. Pleasant, we have farm equipment. And I'm familiar with almost none of it -- except the green and yellow John Deere tractors.

As we've driven to Mt. Pleasant, I ask J (why am I asking the Philadelphia city boy?), "Is THAT a silo?" or "What does that machine do?" He figured out the ideal way to teach me something about farming. He sang. See Hymn #290 (vs. 2): "first the blade, and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear: grant, O harvest Lord, that we wholesomes grain and pure may be."

Ah, good Hymnal, I treasure thee!