One morning, Farmer Jones told his wife he was going out immediately after breakfast to plow the back pasture. But the tractor needed oil, so he went to the shop to get some. On the way he noticed the pigs weren’t fed – so he proceeded to the corn crib.

The feed sacks in the corn crib reminded him that his potatoes were sprouting. On the way to the potato shed, he passed the wood pile and remembered his wife wanted firewood for the kitchen stove. By the time he had picked up a few sticks, an ailing chicken passed by. He dropped the wood and reached to help the mother hen.

When lunchtime arrived, the frustrated farmer was asked by Mrs. Jones: “Did you get the south pasture plowed?” “Nope,” was his reply, “I didn’t even get the John Deere oiled. I intended to, but…

Excerpted from A Thought Over Coffee.