Come little ones, climb up here beside me and let me take you back to yesteryear. Back to that day Grandpa and I sat our little trailer among the hedge row on our own little rented farm. Let me tell you about the "pot of gold" we found at the end of our rainbow.
Now don't get me wrong...it wasn't all peaches and cream, but back in those days we were so happy that we didn't even know we were poor. In those three years there were things we would rather forget at the time but now they are a bit funny. We just shake our heads...not believing we really did them. So I'll tell you some happy memories and some things that shows how patient Grandpa really is.
Even if Grandpa and I both grew up on a farm, it is different to have your very own. We both had lots of new things to learn. Grandpa grew up in western Kansas where a wheat field laid flat for acres and acres. On our little farm the fields were small with hedge rows or terraces. Out west the air was dry and a man could do something without melting away. Here you could about drown sometimes.
Goodness we owned not one piece of equipment. I remembered going to auctions with Grandpa. I would stand there beside him real still, while he would bid on a old pull plow or a spring tooth or a feed bunk. I remember feeling really nervous when the auctioneer would look at Grandpa and ask "would you give $25.00?" I remember feeling really happy and proud inside when the man would write our number on that old used feed bunk or a silage wagon.
One spring morning we got up early cause we were going way south to look at our first tractor. Grandpa went around and around that old 1963 Olivier tractor, looking at this and at that. He got up on the seat and started her up. Backed it up...then drove her forward. I remember how happy he was on the way home!! We had a tractor and a pull plow!!
We loved my Grandpa and Grandma. They lived just on the other side of a old garage and a chicken coop from our trailer. Grandpa had a old milk cow and he would bring us fresh milk. He brought it in one of those glass gallon jars with a wide lid. Boy did it have the cream!! We would take a gravy ladle and skim off that yellow thick cream. We would dip gram crackers in it or pour it over fresh mulberries. So good!!!
Grandma could cook anything. Cherry pie, doughnuts, cookies and much more. She would put doughnuts or cookies in one of those little brown lunch bags and bring it to us. The bag would be wet with grease, but yum!! So good!!
One day in late spring I decided to clean up around the place. I hopped into the old pickup and started loading boards, tree limbs, scrap iron and all sorts of "stuff". I had just loaded a rather large 2x4 and remembered that there was a tree limb out west of the house. I drive west a bit then put her in reverse and give it the gas.
All of a sudden I hear this crack, crash noise. What in the world? I hopped out and ran back behind the pickup. Sometimes a woman forgets---you might say-- that she has a 2x4 sticking out the back of the pickup. I couldn't believe my eyes!! There she was sticking right through the wall of our living room. Our couch was kind of setting in the middle of the room.
How was I ever going to tell Grandpa that I just managed to run a 2x4 through our living room? I heard his whistling out in the garage so I slowly walk out there.
"Hi" he said "how are things going back there?"
"Well--you see-- I kind of ran a 2x4 through our living room wall" I told him
"Oh yea?" he answered
"What are we going to do?" I asked him
"Patch it." was the answer
For some reason I think he knew what had happened before I told him.
We didn't have cows of our own yet so my mom and dad brought some of theirs down to put in the pasture. Grandpa and I would watch them. One day we went over to check and a cow was out in the neighbors pasture. She was on the west side with the bull. The trouble was we couldn't get to them because of a deep ditch.
Grandpa told me to stay in the pickup while he walked over there and brought her back to the gate.
"But what do I do if the bull chases you?" I asked scared to death. "Now don't start worrying about that --- he isn't going to chase me" was the answer. He started walking leisurely down across the ditch, just whistling as if no problem. There I sat in the pickup--heart pounding -- as I watched my new hubby get closer to the bull.
The closer he got the more nervous I get. Petty soon that bull looks at him-- kind of walks back--and looks again. "he isn't going to chase me" I keep saying to myself. Grandpa gets closer--the bull moves stiffly around--his head kind of down. Grandpa is getting closer to the cow. Pretty soon that bull starts pawing the ground. "Oh no--he's going to chase him!!"What do I do? My heart is pounding now as I start the pickup. I'm going to get as close as I can--I really don't know why.
I put her in first and stomp on the gas!! I really don't know how that ditch got so close to me so fast!! My front tires fell bomb-- right into it!! I kind of banged my head on something. I looked at Grandpa and he was calmly bringing the cow across the ditch up to the gate. Old daddy bull was ambling off in the opposite direction.
"Well we are in a fine predicament" Grandpa said to me when he got to the pickup, All I could do was look at him. We were high centered and somehow the steering wheel wasn't working quiet right. By the time we got out of that business --I wasn't sure things would ever be the same.
Yes you are probably thinking "But Grandma you aren't like that now. You like to help Grandpa with the cows". "Your right I do." But I want to tell you something real important. I was just a young bride back then. I loved your Grandpa with all my being. I still do 40 years later but when you work side by side with someone who loves you--you develop a trust in them. That makes all the difference.
Sometimes I felt like a silly little girl--all of those silly things I did--but I'm glad I can make Grandpa smile. I'm glad that when Grandpa and I set side by side on the old couch, thinking about those first years in that little trailer with the bright blue stripe, we can smile and know those were our best and happiest years.
Goodness look how long this is getting. I must stop talking and get busy. I love to chatter on and on about our first years together. I could of wrote pages and pages--but maybe some other time. Guess what?? Grandpa just came in and asked if I would help get the cows into the corral--- and there IS a bull in their midst--but I'm not one bit scared!!!
Now don't get me wrong...it wasn't all peaches and cream, but back in those days we were so happy that we didn't even know we were poor. In those three years there were things we would rather forget at the time but now they are a bit funny. We just shake our heads...not believing we really did them. So I'll tell you some happy memories and some things that shows how patient Grandpa really is.
Even if Grandpa and I both grew up on a farm, it is different to have your very own. We both had lots of new things to learn. Grandpa grew up in western Kansas where a wheat field laid flat for acres and acres. On our little farm the fields were small with hedge rows or terraces. Out west the air was dry and a man could do something without melting away. Here you could about drown sometimes.
Goodness we owned not one piece of equipment. I remembered going to auctions with Grandpa. I would stand there beside him real still, while he would bid on a old pull plow or a spring tooth or a feed bunk. I remember feeling really nervous when the auctioneer would look at Grandpa and ask "would you give $25.00?" I remember feeling really happy and proud inside when the man would write our number on that old used feed bunk or a silage wagon.
One spring morning we got up early cause we were going way south to look at our first tractor. Grandpa went around and around that old 1963 Olivier tractor, looking at this and at that. He got up on the seat and started her up. Backed it up...then drove her forward. I remember how happy he was on the way home!! We had a tractor and a pull plow!!
We loved my Grandpa and Grandma. They lived just on the other side of a old garage and a chicken coop from our trailer. Grandpa had a old milk cow and he would bring us fresh milk. He brought it in one of those glass gallon jars with a wide lid. Boy did it have the cream!! We would take a gravy ladle and skim off that yellow thick cream. We would dip gram crackers in it or pour it over fresh mulberries. So good!!!
Grandma could cook anything. Cherry pie, doughnuts, cookies and much more. She would put doughnuts or cookies in one of those little brown lunch bags and bring it to us. The bag would be wet with grease, but yum!! So good!!
One day in late spring I decided to clean up around the place. I hopped into the old pickup and started loading boards, tree limbs, scrap iron and all sorts of "stuff". I had just loaded a rather large 2x4 and remembered that there was a tree limb out west of the house. I drive west a bit then put her in reverse and give it the gas.
All of a sudden I hear this crack, crash noise. What in the world? I hopped out and ran back behind the pickup. Sometimes a woman forgets---you might say-- that she has a 2x4 sticking out the back of the pickup. I couldn't believe my eyes!! There she was sticking right through the wall of our living room. Our couch was kind of setting in the middle of the room.
How was I ever going to tell Grandpa that I just managed to run a 2x4 through our living room? I heard his whistling out in the garage so I slowly walk out there.
"Hi" he said "how are things going back there?"
"Well--you see-- I kind of ran a 2x4 through our living room wall" I told him
"Oh yea?" he answered
"What are we going to do?" I asked him
"Patch it." was the answer
For some reason I think he knew what had happened before I told him.
We didn't have cows of our own yet so my mom and dad brought some of theirs down to put in the pasture. Grandpa and I would watch them. One day we went over to check and a cow was out in the neighbors pasture. She was on the west side with the bull. The trouble was we couldn't get to them because of a deep ditch.
Grandpa told me to stay in the pickup while he walked over there and brought her back to the gate.
"But what do I do if the bull chases you?" I asked scared to death. "Now don't start worrying about that --- he isn't going to chase me" was the answer. He started walking leisurely down across the ditch, just whistling as if no problem. There I sat in the pickup--heart pounding -- as I watched my new hubby get closer to the bull.
The closer he got the more nervous I get. Petty soon that bull looks at him-- kind of walks back--and looks again. "he isn't going to chase me" I keep saying to myself. Grandpa gets closer--the bull moves stiffly around--his head kind of down. Grandpa is getting closer to the cow. Pretty soon that bull starts pawing the ground. "Oh no--he's going to chase him!!"What do I do? My heart is pounding now as I start the pickup. I'm going to get as close as I can--I really don't know why.
I put her in first and stomp on the gas!! I really don't know how that ditch got so close to me so fast!! My front tires fell bomb-- right into it!! I kind of banged my head on something. I looked at Grandpa and he was calmly bringing the cow across the ditch up to the gate. Old daddy bull was ambling off in the opposite direction.
"Well we are in a fine predicament" Grandpa said to me when he got to the pickup, All I could do was look at him. We were high centered and somehow the steering wheel wasn't working quiet right. By the time we got out of that business --I wasn't sure things would ever be the same.
Yes you are probably thinking "But Grandma you aren't like that now. You like to help Grandpa with the cows". "Your right I do." But I want to tell you something real important. I was just a young bride back then. I loved your Grandpa with all my being. I still do 40 years later but when you work side by side with someone who loves you--you develop a trust in them. That makes all the difference.
Sometimes I felt like a silly little girl--all of those silly things I did--but I'm glad I can make Grandpa smile. I'm glad that when Grandpa and I set side by side on the old couch, thinking about those first years in that little trailer with the bright blue stripe, we can smile and know those were our best and happiest years.
Goodness look how long this is getting. I must stop talking and get busy. I love to chatter on and on about our first years together. I could of wrote pages and pages--but maybe some other time. Guess what?? Grandpa just came in and asked if I would help get the cows into the corral--- and there IS a bull in their midst--but I'm not one bit scared!!!
Oh Helen we love just as you are! And yes you have a wonderful and calm husband meant just for you!
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