Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Like moms everywhere I have a million things to complete before the family arrives for dinner.
Yesterday, after spending an hour checking recipes, ingredients, and lists, I went to the grocery to get everything for the big day. While wandering the aisles, I remembered that I had forgotten to get the cider for hot mulled cider (a hard and fast tradition, not to be messed with). After backtracking and grabbing the cider I remembered that the last time I had made it I was out of one of the whole spices I used...but which one? As I stood in front of the spices, racking my brain for the answer, an attentive clerk offered to help me find what I needed. "What I need", I declared in frustration, "is someone to run home and see what I'm out of so I don't have to make a dash back tomorrow!" A soft chuckle rippled out from behind me, "Honey, you can't ever have Thanksgiving without reaching for at least one thing you were just sure you had and don't!", declared a woman passing behind me.
Another shopper waiting to pass us in the aisle, chimmed in, "I plan on being out of a few things," she laughed. "Then when the menfolks get to bugging me too much in the kitchen, I send them to the grocery to fetch it for me." Laughing harder, she proclaimed, "it works every time. By the time they've found the ingredients and visited with all their buddies doing the same thing, I've got dinner ready."
The clerk, now laughing with us, agreed. "The store is full of men all day Thanksgiving, hunting for odd ingredients and passing the time with friends. We've actually thought about setting up refreshments and just letting them hang out!" We agreed it was a good plan, and still laughing we parted to continue our shopping.
Today, while setting the table with the paper turkeys I bought at the local drug store when the kids were little tykes, I started thinking about some of our more treasured memories.
The year my sister's son was little and was fascinated with the candles on the table. For some reason (who knows how little kid's brains work?) he decided to blow out the candle in front of him. Unfortunately, he had a mouth full of mashed potatoes at the time. Hubby's dad was sitting directly across from him and received the benefit of the potatoes. The kid survived, but it was a close thing. Not a perfect memory, but it still makes us laugh!
The kids remember splitting firewood on Thanksgiving morning. Hubby's instructions were to stay out of the kitchen and keep everyone occupied. His solution was to fire up the splitter and split firewood until dinner time. I'm pretty sure that is why my daughter decided to learn to cook. Then she could help in the kitchen!
My favorite memory is of the dinners at my Aunt and Uncle's home. Without football games televised 24/7, the adults stayed around the table after dinner and told stories. As a kid I loved sitting and listening to the tales grow "taller" as the after dinner drinks grew shorter. I learned some fascinating things about my elders....who knew my genteel grandfather was such a rip or my dad and uncle were such terrors!
Tomorrow, everyone will bolt from the table to continue watching ball games or playing their video games. Times change. One thing stays the same. We will sit down as a family, wrapped in the warmth of each others love, and be thankful for the blessings we have been granted.
And stare at the paper turkeys marching down the table.
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Saturday, November 7, 2015
The Machinery Auction
There are few things that get a farmer more excited than a good machinery auction.
Unless it is getting ready to hold a good machinery auction.
Hubby has retired from the insurance business but he kept his interest in the Real Estate firm. Frankly, the man is a born salesman. He just loves selling things.
For the past few weeks he has been up to his ears in getting ready for a big estate sale that involves a farm, house and lots of machinery. Did I mention...LOTS of machinery. The farmer in question never sold his equipment, he just bought more. He also kept it well maintained and stored around the farm. For the past few weeks they have been finding tractors, hay balers, gravity wagons, mowers, manure spreaders, wagons, and bush hogs, tucked away in fence rows, barns, sheds, fields, and woods. Each day has been a treasure hunt.
Hubby and his old partner, who retired several years ago, have been spearheading getting all of the equipment organized and cataloged. It wasn't long before they realized that it was going to take more help. The first person they drafted was our son. He is the one that keeps our machinery repaired and running so they were soon calling on him to tell them how this or that worked. It wasn't long before he was spending every minute he could spare helping with the sale.
He came home one night just bubbling. They had spent the day trying to organized buildings full of parts and pieces of farm machinery. "Mom", he laughed, "We found enough parts in those buildings to build enough machinery to run a big farm!" Trying to sort and organize was like a big puzzle keeping them all guessing what pieces needed to be with which equipment.
Soon the line of machinery stretched across the farm frontage causing traffic jams on the little country road as farmers drove by to see what was for sale. Still they were finding treasures in the fence rows and building. For example, the old farmer loved showing his two pair of pulling mules. The mules had found a new home, but left behind were boxes of harnesses and hanes. That stumped them. Neither of my men have ever harnessed a pair of mules. That may be the bargain of the sale if someone knows how to figure them out!
As the sale date drew closer the talk in the town grew too. Now people were calling and stopping by to view the farm and buildings. Days were busy answering questions, showing boundaries, and finding more stuff in the fence rows. Excitement grew.
Today is the day. Hubby, son, and grandsons left early this morning to "work" the sale. Everyone had their job assignments and was eager to get started. Tonight, after a long day of selling, visiting, laughing, and working, they will drag in, exhausted, exhilarated, and full of stories.
There is nothing more fun to a farmer than a good machinery auction.
I wonder what we will do for excitement next?
Unless it is getting ready to hold a good machinery auction.
Hubby has retired from the insurance business but he kept his interest in the Real Estate firm. Frankly, the man is a born salesman. He just loves selling things.
For the past few weeks he has been up to his ears in getting ready for a big estate sale that involves a farm, house and lots of machinery. Did I mention...LOTS of machinery. The farmer in question never sold his equipment, he just bought more. He also kept it well maintained and stored around the farm. For the past few weeks they have been finding tractors, hay balers, gravity wagons, mowers, manure spreaders, wagons, and bush hogs, tucked away in fence rows, barns, sheds, fields, and woods. Each day has been a treasure hunt.
Hubby and his old partner, who retired several years ago, have been spearheading getting all of the equipment organized and cataloged. It wasn't long before they realized that it was going to take more help. The first person they drafted was our son. He is the one that keeps our machinery repaired and running so they were soon calling on him to tell them how this or that worked. It wasn't long before he was spending every minute he could spare helping with the sale.
He came home one night just bubbling. They had spent the day trying to organized buildings full of parts and pieces of farm machinery. "Mom", he laughed, "We found enough parts in those buildings to build enough machinery to run a big farm!" Trying to sort and organize was like a big puzzle keeping them all guessing what pieces needed to be with which equipment.
Soon the line of machinery stretched across the farm frontage causing traffic jams on the little country road as farmers drove by to see what was for sale. Still they were finding treasures in the fence rows and building. For example, the old farmer loved showing his two pair of pulling mules. The mules had found a new home, but left behind were boxes of harnesses and hanes. That stumped them. Neither of my men have ever harnessed a pair of mules. That may be the bargain of the sale if someone knows how to figure them out!
As the sale date drew closer the talk in the town grew too. Now people were calling and stopping by to view the farm and buildings. Days were busy answering questions, showing boundaries, and finding more stuff in the fence rows. Excitement grew.
Today is the day. Hubby, son, and grandsons left early this morning to "work" the sale. Everyone had their job assignments and was eager to get started. Tonight, after a long day of selling, visiting, laughing, and working, they will drag in, exhausted, exhilarated, and full of stories.
There is nothing more fun to a farmer than a good machinery auction.
I wonder what we will do for excitement next?
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