[Photo: View of a harvested wheat field out our back window.]

This article made my day.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-15104707

Recently, Rihanna contacted a farmer in Ireland requesting to use his field for a music video. She probably had no idea what she was in for on any farm, let alone this one. Her first sign should have been that the farmer, Alan Graham had never even heard of her. "I didn't know who was coming. If the name 'Rihanna' had been mentioned, well, no disrespect but it wouldn't have meant anything," the farmer said in the article.

As they were filming, Rihanna, as pop-culture goes, started losing clothing. Mr. Graham walked by the shoot headed for his tractor when he saw her:

"I thought it was inappropriate. I requested them to stop and they did," he explained. I had my conversation with Rihanna and I hope she understands where I'm coming from. We shook hands.

"From my point of view, it was my land, I have an ethos and I felt it was inappropriate. I wish no ill will against Rihanna and her friends. Perhaps they could acquaint themselves with a greater God."

Can you picture that conversation happening...and the hand shake? I don't know if you could have witnessed an interaction between two more different people. And good for him for standing up for his humble, but timeless values. Best of all he didn't apologize for his beliefs. Those same values have probably been preached on that same family farm for hundreds of years - the rest of the world has changed, not him.

People like Mr. Graham are refreshing, and it is one reason we have loved the greater Moscow area and its people so much already. Just this week I was speaking with a receptionist at our medical school named Shannon. I mentioned I was looking to buy firewood for the winter and she readily volunteered to keep an eye out for me. One lead that came up was a cord of wood being auctioned (cord is a very official measurement of wood, I've had to learn the jargon!). She said a father in a nearby town had died in an accident leaving a wife and two children. The town is holding an auction and spaghetti feed this weekend for them, hoping to show support and raise a little money. Communities taking care of each other.

When you get tired of hearing about Hollywood and Washington just look to small towns and all the good, honest people in them. Their simple, thoughtful life is refreshing - from northern Idaho all the way to a farm in Ireland!