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By: Jim Fitzpatrick |
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Email: jim@nunica.com |
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Local Farmer in Polkton Township writes for the Coopersville Observer. |
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Along Brandy Creek By Jim Fitzpatrick
The Coopersville Observer January 26, 2004 - - No. 21 |
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You entered the house by way of a small porch and then on into the big open kitchen at the back of the house. Aunt Nellie and Uncle Jake had raised a bundle of young ones, now long gone. They were in their later years and still milking 15 cows while keeping the farm going
The neighbor boy was often around to help out, mostly with keeping the lawn trimmed up and running the old tractor and pull type combine at grain harvest time. The best part of working there, he often said, was all the food that got laid out on the table at lunch time. Aunt Nellie always had a big three pound coffee can full of raisin filled cookies in the corner cupboard that you could count on as part of desert too! In addition to that she would often stick a couple of extra ones in your pocket to go, when the work was done.
At the end of the meal, old Uncle Jake would reach up and pull a well worn bible from the shelf and read a few of passages of scripture. Then came a long prayer that went on and on to include his appreciation for everything from the food on the table to having the boy sitting with them that day to share the meal. Well, sometimes that boy's belly was so full by then that he had a hard time paying attention to it all. Certain words stuck more than others. But, now that he is an older guy himself, he recalls it all as a just right ending to a fine meal and a good break from the work of the day. Very likely it did help keep him in line some too over all the years that have passed since.
Oh, if only a guy could get his hand into that three pound coffee can of Aunt Nellie's one more time! |
