Good Morning Chad! The past 10 days are over for another year and hopefully it will get easier with time. I dont know what is worse, thinking of you or trying to imagine how your parents cope with your loss. All I know is how hard it is for us and I cant imagine how they deal with it. On to happier things like all the good memories you have left us with. Also want to mention that Zack is job hunting and it is not easy for him so that is where you come in. You two were such good friends and I know you will always be that angel on his shoulder while he searches for a job and gets adjusted to his new life. So, it is story time! Last week we talked about the friends I made along the way and there are at least two more that I want to talk about! First of all we will talk about the first friend I made when we moved next to our grandparents after my dad died. Her name is Pat and her family owned the farm down the road from my grandparents and we had the whole summer to get acquainted before school started. We spent so much time at my grandparents house that it was easy to meet all the people from the neighboring farms. In those days people just went visiting, you couldnt call and say you were coming because there was no such thing as a phone! Everyone knew everyone else and every home I ever visited while we lived in the country would welcome you with open arms. The first thing they did was put on the coffee or the tea pot and start bringing out goodies to eat! You couldnt visit in those days without serving something to the guests and everyone had something tucked away to serve! I loved it! They were interested in everything you had to say and they actually listened when you talked! Pats mother was a typical farm wife, working from sunup to sundown. Her situation was a little different because her husband was working in Chicago and she was left to run the farm. Pat had two older brothers who actually did the milking of the cows etc. When I met her there was Pat, the two older brothers, then Pats sister and three more brothers after that so it was a big house with lots to do. During the time I spent with them there were 2 more girls born bringing to a total of 9 kids. Pats mom was an excellent cook and in later years she cooked for a living. She also made my wedding cake. I was drawn to her instantly because she was so sweet to me. I spent many days and nights there and I learned what work was all about. We were up early in the morning, Pat, me and her mom to get the day started. First of all was a huge breakfast and I mean huge! There was always meat, potatoes, eggs, homemade bread, butter and jelly, hot coffee, milk etc. The table was set, nothing fancy just big plates, cups and silverware. During the time breakfast was being made she was trying to get the big boys up to start the milking and they never cooperated with her. They were actually pretty mean to her and very vocal about not wanting to do anything! Eventually they would go out the door arguing and fighting with each other but they did get the cows and milking done. It had to be done by a certain time because the milk truck was due at a certain time to pick up the milk! Pats mom always had breakfast timed when they came in it was ready. They were not considerate of their mother at all. They tromped in with cow poop all over their shoes and they didnt care, after all mother could clean it! I can still see those boys sitting there arguing and bickering with each other, lots of yelling etc. RUDE kids for sure. After breakfast we started the mountains of dishes and believe me you never reached the end of doing dishes in that house. Her kitchen was always a disaster but out of the kitchen came the most delicious food I had ever eaten! First of all you did the plates and silverware and immediately put it back on the table for the noon meal which was started. Meat was being prepared, potatoes peeled, veggies cleaned, bread raising on the stove, cakes and pies in the works etc. In between the wash was started, I never saw so many sheets in my life, towels, clothes it was amazing what she could accomplish in the morning hours. I love the whole process and hanging sheets on the line was my favorite. In between all that we fed the chickens which ran wild all over the place, pigs got fed, boys were taking the cows out to pasture and getting hay down from the loft, there was never an idle moment. Pat & I had lots of time to have fun, mostly because you can make anything you are doing fun if you really try! Pat was a year behind me in school and over the years we stayed good friends and she stood up in my wedding. Her mom did the cake and was in many ways a 2nd mother to me. I often went down to the farm without telling my mother and I would just stay there for 2 and 3 days at a time and eventually my mom would figure out I was missing and come and get me. Pat and I would hide upstairs where we could crawl between the wall and the insulation and not be seen. After much hollering and coaxing from Pats mom we would come down and I would have to go home. Pats dad would occasionally come home for the weekend from Chicago and lay down the law to the boys which lasted until they saw him pull out of the driveway. The oldest boy went off to the Navy and things went a little more smoothly out there because he was usually the trouble maker at home. He came home on leave and while driving home one night he flipped his car and was killed. I sad time for Pats mom and the family. During my many hours spent on that farm I learned so much! One of the things Pats mom did for me that I never forgot was when she gave me a pair of pillowcases for my bed at home. We never had pillowcases or sheets on our bed and when I visited other homes I was in awe of them. In those days pillowcases were usually made from the feed sacks that came filled with grain etc. They were always in pretty prints and colors and she gave a set of pink ones. I have never forgotten that single act of kindness nor have I forgot the lessons learned there. I learned that everything comes at a price, if you want to have a nice home you have to work hard to get it and then you have to work harder still to keep it. If you want to have your kids respect you it has to be taught in the home, Hard work is a part of life so suck it up and do it! So god gave me Pat and her mom for a reason, what you dont get at home you can learn from others if you really want to! I have went on long enough sweetie, time to get ready for my morning walk in the sunshine where I shall think of you and days gone by. Gram love you...
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 13:04:00 +0000
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