Two teenage farm boys, Dan and Dean, were talking about their farm life and and how it might impact their hopes and dreams for the future.
Dan says to his buddy, “I’m really worried about my future. Here on the farm dad slaves away so I’ll never want for anything. He gets up early, plants and harvests crops, puts up hay, takes care of the livestock — all so I can attend the university of my choice if I want to.”
“And,” he continues, “Mom works hard every day doing the washing, doing housekeeping, working in the garden, canning fruits and veggies, cleaning up after me and caring for me when I’m sick.”
Dan continues, “They earn and save all the money they can — buy me clothes and a used car to drove to school. In short, they spend every day of their lives just on my behalf. That’s why I’m so worried!”
Dean arches his eyebrows and replies, “Why? Sounds perfect to me. What have you got to worry about?”
Dan concludes the conversation with, “I’m afraid they might quit.”
***
An old farmer, Ty Twad, wuz going through his initial downsizing of his personal belongs. As he went through his old clothes that he’s “outgrown,” he found a 20-year-old ticket from the local shoe repair shop indicating that he had left a pair of brogans there for repairs.
Ty couldn’t even remember leaving the brogans, but he put the ticket in his pocket and the next time he went to town he checked — just for fun — with the shoe repair shop owner, ol’ Sol E. Mender, and show him the now-ancient claim check.
When Ty showed the ticket to the cobbler, Sol protested, “But that wuz 20 years ago. I can’t remember that far back.”
“I know” Ty said insistently, “But, would you at least look? As I recall, the brogans were Redwings and they needed new heels.”
Sol sighed deeply and disappeared into the back room of his shop. After a lot of shuffling around, he emerged from with a pair of Redwings and asked Ty, “Are these your boots?”
“They are indeed,” Ty exulted.
“Good,” Sol told him, “They’ll be ready to pick up next week.”
***
Another Aggie limerick popped into my head this week. Here it is”
There once was a farmer named Dunn,
Who diversified crops, second to none.
He said, “planting corn, beans and wheat,
Provide good food to eat,
But sowing wild oats? Much more fun.”
***
In these hard times, I understand that cattle rustling is on the uptick. It caused one rancher to go to an extreme measure to cut the theft of his cattle.
He put signs around his pastures that read: “Notice to Cattle Rustlers! If you are caught on any property that I own or lease for cattle, I will not call the law — unless I miss with my first shot! Otherwise, I’ll call for a hearse!”
***
Folks, this has been an unplanned eventful, and stressful week. I’ll make the story short and not go into much detail.
My wife had surgery to replace an aching and arthritic left hip last week on Wednesday morning. The surgery went well and she was released and we came home on Thursday morning — 24 hours after surgery..
But, on Friday morning, her blood sodium level plummeted and she ended up in the emergency room in the Emporia hospital, and then was transferred to a much larger hospital in Topeka.
She’s spent four days in the intensive care unit and finally improved greatly and today she moved into a private room. I don’t know when she will be released, but when she is, she’ll be headed to a rehab facility.
Her prospects for full recovery are improving daily. Hope we get her rehabbed and back home in a few days.
My thanks to all the friends and neighbors who have reached out to help and give encouragement.
***
Words of wisdom for the week:
Modern girls and women never put all they have into their clothes.
In the modern library, the books that aren’t dusty are dirty.
English is taught in schools to acquaint teen-agers with a language other then their own.
That’s enuf.
Have a good ‘un.
