Aunt Pearl

 Mom and Pearl were farm girls from Lester, Iowa.  They were two years apart in age, so they were always together growing up.  Then they both married central Illinois men, so they were best friends after marriage also.  We spent a lot of time together with the Streitmatter family growing up.  Uncle Vernie was a car salesman and worked late most nights of the week.  Pearline and kids were at our supper table several nights a week.  We spent every Sunday afternoon/evening together that we didn't have other plans.  We traveled to Lester together for holidays and camped together in the summers.  Mom and Pearl did much of life together.  They shopped together, entertained together, put up green beans, sweet corn, and apple sauce together, and gave each other perms.  Pearl became like a second mom to me.  She could scold me, give advice, give encouragement, and give praise.  

After Vernie died at age 58, she spent more time with our family.  They were with us every big Christmas and every big family vacation.  She was a good cook, hostess, gardener, and always brought her homemade sweet breads to family gatherings.  The old farmer's wife started a tradition of having my parents and Aunt Pearl to our home at Christmas for their favorite oyster stew.  She often received compliments on her beautiful white hair.  She was a faithful Sister in Christ.  She and Vernie were founding members of our church in Washington.  She served lunch the first Sunday.

One of my favorite sayings of hers (she had many!) was regarding corporal punishment for adults who committed serious crimes.  She thought prison was too comfortable.  "They should tie them to a post on a busy street corner, and everyone who walks by should kick them."  Another was when we would complain about a pain or hardship, she would look at us and say, "you don't die that easy!"

She was having health issues including some abdominal pain, so they took her to Eureka hospital.  She was transferred to a Peoria hospital where many tests were done.  It was determined that she was terminal and should go on hospice.  The morning after she was admitted to the Eureka Home, I stopped in for a quick visit after a meeting I attended at the home.  She was sleeping, but opened her eyes when I spoke to her and she gave me a big smile and we chatted a bit.  The next time I visited she wasn't able to communicate very well.  One week after being taken to the hospital, she passed away peacefully. 

After being a widow for over forty years, we laid her to rest by her husband.  It was a nice service and her great nephews and grandsons sang at the cemetery.

Mom is now the lone survivor from a family of 14 children.  We are praying for her.

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.                                                           Matthew 13:46

Working High

 After a dry start to the growing season, it has now turned wet.  It rains easy now, and we are probably ahead of normal for rainfall.  I started working on the combine, getting it ready to harvest wheat.  One afternoon I was going to pull it out of the shed to work on it outside.  I turned the key on, and heard "clunk, clunk, clunk".  I stopped and wondered what that noise could be.  My first thought was maybe a cat was in the engine compartment and was hit by the fan blade.  I open up the back, climbed up, and checked the engine compartment.  There was a racoon between the radiator and fan, and he was bloody!  I tried to fish him out with a hog catcher, but he wanted no part of it.  I decided it was best not to bother him and wait until morning when he would either be dead or gone.  Thankfully, he was gone in the morning and I could continue my work.

Father's Day weekend, the old farmers wife made a fancy meal of roast duck and bloomin' onions.  It had been a while since she made duck.  We were mostly lazy on Father's Day.

I had the combine all ready, and the straw was mature, and then it rained again.  I was thinking that I might have to miss the big family vacation, but the rain allowed me to take four days off.  We were packed and ready to head for Indiana on Thursday morning.  Son#1 and boys had just left with our spare van, when we got a call from the Kellenbergers.  Their van had broken down in Fairbury. Matt stopped and picked up their luggage and we stopped and picked up R & K.  Their van was repaired in Forrest while we were on vacation, and they were able to pick it up on their way back through going home.

We had a good time in Grabill as always.  Catered meals every evening and large homemade breakfasts.  The Klops bought a new boat, so the kids got in lots of tubing time.  They also enjoyed the pool.  I chose not to join the pickle ball tournament this year, but I did play a practice match. Being close to the 4th, they put on a fireworks show for us over the lake.  It was the 40th annual family vacation, so special T-shirts were printed along with coffee mugs.

The back side of the group picture line up.

We came back home to the hottest, most humid week of the summer so far.  I was able to get the wheat harvested despite the soft, tarry road and the fact that the township was working on it.  The yield was very good, and we made ready to bale straw.  I was able to find only two teenagers to help.  The rest were middle age and us old guys.  Because of being short of help, and the extreme heat, the haymow crew couldn't keep ahead of the baler.  So it took us two days to bale the 1000 bales I wanted for the haymow.  We made the rest of the straw into large round bales and hustled them off of the field.  Then I was able to drill in my double crop soybeans just ahead of another rain.  I watched a coyote hunting while I was drilling.

The Brakers invited us for supper on the 4th, and then we went next door to Ron and Kary's to watch fireworks.  It was an extra impressive display this year because of our nation's 250th celebration.  But there was heavy cloud cover and the wind was wrong, so the first ten minutes we were mostly watching backlit smoke.  The wind shifted eventually and we enjoyed the show.  We also enjoyed the root beer floats afterwards.

Waiting for the show to begin!

Our friend Dan fell off of his roof and was injured badly with several broken bones and a head injury.  He spent a several weeks in the hospital, but is at home recovering nicely.  I say this because I've been keeping a list of jobs I need to do around the farm that require working high up in the air. My wife helped me decide that maybe I shouldn't be working off of high ladders anymore.  So I have rented a 45 foot JLG lift for a week and am now in the process of repairing the barn roof, trimming trees, changing a yard light, cleaning gutters, fastening tin on the crib roof, and spraying Wet & Forget on the sides and roofs of the house and another building.

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.                   Isaiah 58:14