Cows And Chickens’ Idiomatic Homecoming

by Kevin Burton     American farm country has fed the world and supplied it with a number of mud-caked idioms, as we have seen with the help of Merriam-Webster.    Today we bring it all home with our third and final installment of Barnyard Idioms.    We start with an idiom touching on my job …

Just Say “No” To The Fourth Crockpot

by Kevin Burton    You’ve been there I’m sure, where I was Sunday.    I called it “crawl out of it” day. Perhaps you can think of a better term. The idea is part  getting back into a normal routine and part creating a better routine.    I felt as if I hadn’t quite recovered …

Flying Pigs And Uncounted Chickens

by Kevin Burton    I seem to remember on The Beverly Hillbillies, one or more of the Clampetts describing someone as “muley” to mean they were exceptionally stubborn.    Now I see that Merriam-Webster, the dictionary supplying us with idioms from farm country, defines muley as “hornless.”     Stay tuned for our second helping of …

Idioms Straight From The Horse’s Mouth

by Kevin Burton    Today I am owning my farm-country standing and taking a look at some phrases we have exported to the rest of the country.    Merriam-Webster calls them “barnyard idioms.” I don’t love that name but I must admit some of these phrases are more than a little muddy.    From Kansas …

Seeking An SOS From Beepball And ABBA

by Kevin Burton    Eureka I say, eureka! I have my beep baseball problems figured out.    In athletics they say, father time is undefeated, and that’s true. But all I need is a great idea, and an SOS, from ABBA.    This is truly exciting!    You’ve probably heard about ABBA Voyage, a virtual …

Burton Ride Service Delivers (For Me)

by Kevin Burton    The following is a product/service review for the Burton Ride Service, located in South Central Kansas.    The service was formally established in 2012. Terms and conditions for this service are written between the lines of a 2012 marriage license obtained in Sedgwick County, Kansas.    This review is written and …

Watch Your Step, You Dancing Christians

by Kevin Burton    There has been some shuffling and backpeddling, some twisting, prancing and jiving over the years about Christians and dancing.   You could maybe add waltzing and tap dancing.    Just so you know, I hate dancing, at least formal dancing.  So to those who want to condemn it outright, I may …

Hey Foodies, Can You Help A Brother Out?

by Kevin Burton    Do you know people who may ask you a question about something but will do whatever they please no matter what your answer may be?    Do you work for, or did you perhaps marry someone like that?    Well you may place me in their camp ever so briefly today. …

Take Care Of Mom As She Took Care of You

by Kevin Burton    From the cross, the most difficult circumstance imaginable, Jesus took care of His earthly mother.    He knew He was ending his earthly walk and He was telling the disciple John to meet her needs.    “So when Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said …

Home Decluttering Means No To Garage Sales

by Kevin Burton    Just two hours on a recent Tuesday greatly enhanced how we feel about our house, and all we did was open the front door.    Electricians came and executed six of the seven small projects we had scheduled. The seventh is much more involved than we thought because of the way …