| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Contrary Wife |
Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 07:07:46 AM
Happy Thanksgiving Farmgirls. This is truly a story of heartfelt thanksgiving and a great example of "plowin' through". I have something I want to share with you from a favorite cookbook of mine, THE PIONEER LADY'S COUNTRY KITCHEN, A Seasonal Treasury of Time-Honored American Recipesby Jane Watson Hopping.
I will warn you, it is a bit long but well worth it.
THANKSGIVING ON THE FARM
This joyous harvest festival has always been a family day celebrated with a big dinner and heart-warming reunions. Ninety-six-year-old farmer Webster Howe's recollections of his favorite Thanksgiving is a bit poignant, but full of family warmth.
The best Thanksgiving I ever had was when me and Mother was workin' the farm in southern Missouri, south of Joplin. It was in '34 or'35. our kids had all left home lookin' for work in California and in Kansas, takin' all the little ones with them. Draggin' the grandchildren all over the country, probably to starve, Mother always put it. Those years, there wasn't no one left on the farm but me, Mother, and John, our youngest son.
In those days, there was want all across this country. Where we was you couldn't hardly make a thin dime. We milked our string of cows and couldn't sell the milk, and fed it to the pigs and couldn't sell the pigs, but Mother and me and John was blessed with food and work. That year we put up more dried and canned stuff, and put down and smoked more meat than we done before or since. You'd of thought we was squrrels, puttin' away nuts for a hard winter. I guess knowin' about want everywhere and thinkin' it might come to you and yours makes a person a little scared.
Anyway, it got to be the week before Thanksgivin' and we didn't hear nothin' from any of the kids, not our two youngest families livin' in southwest Kansas or the two older boys in California. Mother had writ them long letters, tellin' them she missed them and wonderin' if any of them was comin' home for the holiday.
When she didn't hear, she jest went out one mornin' and killed two big tom turkeys and dressed them. Then she set about making apple, mince, and pumpkin pies. By evenin' the bread and baked stuff began to pile up till I asked her who she was cookin' all that for, me and John? She never even answered me.
I tell you, it got to me. Mother was workin' hard and lookin' tired. I was gettin' bitter at the kids who hadn't even answered their mother's letter. John, he put in every bit of extry time he had helpin' her-when she'd let him. I could see it was botherin' him too, you know, the way she was takin' on, as if all her cookin' and wishin' would bring them other kids home.
Well, it didn't get no better and by the time we was doin' chores the night before Thanksgivin' me and John was feeling low too. I still had two cows to go, when I heard a car drive up. John left the feedin' and went out to look. he come runnin' back and told me to come quick, he'd finish up later.
When I stepped out of the barn, there was my son Ken's old touring car loaded with women and kids and Jack, my son-in-law, jumpin' out of it. I jest turned around and went back into the barn. John, he come after me and told me they'd jest come down after me if I didn't come on up to the house.
At the house ther was a lot of laughin' and talkin' and everyone was huggin' Mother and John and me. When we went inside, John, he poured coffee for the growups and icy cold milk for all the children. Mother and the girls went to the pantry for somethin' to eat and we could hear them teasin' and laughin' about all the stuff she'd made.
Then with both hands full of cookies, the littlest grandchild come out to lean against my chair. She was a purty little redheaded kid. She told me that up in Kansas they didn't have no cookies like her Grandma made. I looked down at her and seen right away that whe was as scrawny as a lamb whose mother didn't have enough milk to feed it. Mother and Daughter walked out of the pantry about then and seen us. Mother gave a knowin' look at me and then at Daughter.
Daughter has always been the bravest of all my children, but when she looked straight at me, I saw fear in her eyes. Never sheddin' a tear, not a waver in her strong voice, she told us how they'd been broke most of the time in Kansas and how they'd sold everything-even most of their clothes-to get the money to come home. Without asking for an ounce of pity, she made me a deal to work out their keep till things picked up-as though I wouldn't a taken them in for nothin'.
My boy Ken, he never said nothin', neither did his wife, they jest let Daughter talk. Jack, our son-in-law, never said a word, jest sat there with his head kind of down and his elbows on his knees. Mother seen he was feelin' shamed for not bein' able to take care of his own, so she told him how much we was needin' help and how his comin' was a real godsend.
The next day was Thanksgivin' Day. The boys helped me with chores, then we sat awhile in the barn and talked about how we was goin' to make it. And about how bad it was in Kansas and on up north. The women spent the whole mornin' puttin' dinner together. Then about two o'clock we ate.
Sittin' there at the crowded table, covered with plates and food, the family all spruced up and smilin'. Mother lookin' like the Spirit of God had descended on her purty face, put me to mind of my own pa and ma and my own brothers, and I remembered the old, old prayer my father said at our table.
Well, I'm ninety-six-ninety-seven my next birthday-and since then, I said that same prayer maybe fifty times over Thanksgivin' dinners, but it never give me the joy it did that first time.
From WE PLOUGH THE FIELDS
THANKSGIVING
We plough the fields and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God's almighty hand;
He sends the snow in winter
The warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes, and sunshine,
And soft refreshing rain.
He only is the Maker
Of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star.
The winds and waves obey Him,
By Him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, His children,
he gives our daily bread.
We thank Thee, then O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seed-time and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
For all Thy love imparts,
And, what Thou most desirest,
Our humble thankful hearts.
-Matthias Claudius(1782)
music by Johanna A. P. Schults(1900)
Translated by Jane M Campbell(1861)
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Badgebadger
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Bookclub Coordinator
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
| 11 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| 5 acre Farmgirl |
Posted - Dec 03 2008 : 09:40:59 AM
Hi Sisters, just me again, I bet I am not the only one who had very slim growing ups,,,we only had one dress for months, one pair of shoes for all school year, but, when it came to the holidays, mother and daddy saved all year for them...we ALWAYS got new PJS(this brings tears to my eyes, to know how much our parents sacrificed for us children)...and something other real small....
My mother never worked outside our home, she chose to stay at home to raise us children, so we existed on very very little, but, WE WERE HAPPY, and did not want for anything, I KNEW my parents LOVED me and I just wonder if that offset not having alot of "stuff" and did the best for me they could, yes, they made their mistakes, but, they did with what they had....That is how we plowed through for my growing up years....Memories are good!
Love to you all this holiday season....
Farmgirl Sister #368
http:/froccsfrillsfurbiloesandmore.blogspot.com
http://thecontentedwoman.blogspot.com
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| Contrary Wife |
Posted - Nov 30 2008 : 2:30:40 PM
I do love her books. This is my favorite cookbook of hers tho. The stories just make you want to be there don't they?
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Badgebadger
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Bookclub Coordinator
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
| CountryBorn |
Posted - Nov 30 2008 : 2:26:14 PM
Isn't Jane Watson Hopping great? I really like her cookbooks as a book to read more than anything else!! I have quite a few of her books and I love every one.I read them over and over. Thanks for sharing this with all of us. I love it.
MJ
There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do. Freya Stark |
| Contrary Wife |
Posted - Nov 28 2008 : 10:53:52 AM
I am so glad y'all liked this story, I have enjoyed it for years. It really does speak volumes about what is important, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day.
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Badgebadger
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Bookclub Coordinator
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
| Homespun Livin |
Posted - Nov 28 2008 : 09:24:06 AM
Teresa,
I shared this with my homeschool group and this morning I received a reply from one of the moms. Here is what she wrote:
"Dear Brenda, I don't believe we have met, but I wanted to tell you that is one of the best true stories I have ever read. And I loved the prayer. I had planned our usual turkey and dressing dinner, but got some sort of horrible virus that put me out of commission through Thanksgiving. My husband stepped in and said he couldn't do turkey, but he could sure barbecue some Thanksgiving ribs and make some beans and potato salad. He and my daughter have really taken care of me the last two days and even without the big meal, I re-realized how thankful I am to have my family. Thanks for giving me a great ending to an already wonderful Thanksgiving. Lorrie R."
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Just wanted you to know that it has already touched and blessed the life of someone else. Thank you so much for sharing this. It really is beautiful. :)
"Love one another." |
| Homespun Livin |
Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 6:49:23 PM
WOW!! That was very beautiful! I had tears in my eyes just trying to read it to the end. Thank you so much for sharing it. I loved it. :)
"Love one another." |
| electricdunce |
Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 2:56:45 PM
What a wonderful post, thank you for sharing, I'm going to look for that cookbook, it sounds just my speed. I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving.
Karin
Farmgirl Sister #153
"Give me shelter from the storm" - Bob Dylan
http://moodranch.blogspot.com
http://domesticnonsense.etsy.com |
| Contrary Wife |
Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 11:34:27 AM
Go for it Maven Sister!
Wow, that e-card was cool!
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Badgebadger
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Bookclub Coordinator
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
| LivingWell4You |
Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 09:24:45 AM
I'm going to borrow your idea and print this off for everyone tomorrow.
Check out the Thanksgiving greeting from Diana (dkelewae). It's under the Across the Fence forum but here's the link:
http://www.maryjanesfarm.com/snitz/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=27046
God bless -
Karen ~ Chickherder & Farmgirl Sister #311 |
| Contrary Wife |
Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 08:59:35 AM
Thanks Karen, I was hoping everyone enjoyed it as much as I do. I've always wanted to read it to my family at Thanksgiving, but I can never get through the darn thing without crying like a baby, lol!
Teresa Sue
Farmgirl Sister #316
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Badgebadger
MJ's Heirloom Mavens Bookclub Coordinator
"Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly." The Dalai Lama |
| LivingWell4You |
Posted - Nov 26 2008 : 08:57:54 AM
Teresa Sue, I'm thankful that you took the time to type all of this to share with us farmgirls. It's a beautiful story and, you know me, I'm crying now. Such a wonderful story and speaks to the true heart of Thanksgiving Day.
God bless -
Karen ~ Chickherder & Farmgirl Sister #311 |
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