[AT] Merry Christmas

John Slavin chaunceyjb at sbcglobal.net
Mon Dec 24 09:31:46 PST 2012


Merry Christmas Everyone!

I don't post much, but enjoy lurking around.  I'll post a link of me (several years ago) on my beloved Farmall 450 with the kids when they were much younger:

http://users.marktwain.net/jslavin/450far.jpg

And for those that have passed this year, here is a poem written by a dear friend for my father's eulogy back in 1993, nearly 20 years ago.  My dad farmed all his life.  I also posted this several years ago, but several people asked me to send them a copy. 

                         A Tribute 

What was this journey just complete 
        So swiftly passed this day? 
What did I give, what came to me; 
        What does it matter that the course I stayed. 
The majesty of nature was my call; 
        It held me in its grasp. 
I daily wondered at new birth 
        And agonized at death. 
My year began each spring, 
        With the robins' voice so sweet, 
The smell of soil, the drops of sweat, 
        The furrows I'd repeat. 
The summer tried my metal, 
        With its drought, its floods, its heat; 
The fall brought forth the harvest, 
        With its abundance we'd await. 
The livestock took our winters, 
        As we kept it in our care; 
We fed, we watched, we wept, we laughed; 
        We loved each one so dear. 
I might had trod a different path, 
        With prizes great and grand; 
Have dined with kings, possessed many things, 
        Have lived in many lands. 
If all the world were mine to have 
        With treasures without end; 
I'd choose, just now, the gifts you gave, 
        Of family and of friends. 
For all these years I have 
        Sought to know why things be so;
Why some are strong, others weak, 
        Why some are weighted so. 
I know not why so richly blessed 
        You made this man to be. 
I can but wonder why you chose 
        To let me walk with thee. 

                       E. Richard Webber


Have a great Holiday!

John C. Slavin
jslavin at marktwain.net

The most important things in life, whether they’re personal or professional, are decided on intuition. I think you can have a lot of information and data feeding that intuition. You can do a lot of analysis. You can do lots of things that are quantitative in nature. But at the end of it, the things that are most important are always gut calls. And I think that’s just not true for me, but for many, many people. I don’t think it’s unique.  Apple CEO Tim Cook.








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