Thursday, November 27, 2008

Turkey day

One wouldn’t know it were a holiday around here. First thing out I had to bring home a load of stover. And, while I had to go that far to bring home the ladies their eats, might just as well make it two loads. So taking using the gas Ollie I loaded al the wagons. The gasser needed here to unload and move the feed, it had to come home. So you see the tractor brings home the first two wagons and taking Ugly I go and bring back the third and last one, in between the two trips I fed the ladies. Surprisingly enough Ugly didn’t spin a wheel bringing the last wagon out of the field. Ugly had impressed me again.
I baled out the tarp, filled with ice and snow, what had been covering the second load shelled corn. Stripped that tarp off and spread it over the barn housed Leland to dry before its folded and put away.
And as sorry as my butt feels I went down again today continuing to polish the ice and snow to an even higher luster. I got to quit that continued each day debuting. It’s down right embarrassing see the barn cats laughing their hinnies off when they see me go down my feet higher than my head. Plus I’m beginning to look like a black and blued bruised/abused husband.
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Now where was I, or my mind, in the ever loving romance department?
It had been a good morning to turn in a lot of insured storm damage bills for payments. The insurance office was in one of the down town blocks. Right in between the camera shop a couple doors away on one side and Murphy’s five (nickel and dime emporium). Why it was still the 5&10 I never knew unless that’s what it was called years and years ago, when its fancy sign was cheaper, even before my time. Then there was one of the them privatizing chain drugstores. Truck parked a couple nickels in the parking meter, I went in to see my insurance agent and gave him my accumulated Spring’s windstorm damage bills. He checked them over happy with my figures and then we chatted a bit about my Mom’s getting along and some other friendly chat matters.
Coming out the insurance office looking right and left, walking to the truck, standing there for a moment looking back, I thought, “What the heck. Gotta do this someday anyway and I got money today. Well, I could price’em regardless. The place empty save for the proprietor and a lady standing in the back. “May I help you?” he asked. I told him what I wanted to see and how much. Here he brought out three, four, five trays, giving me a look at everything he had. I asked him, Have anything brighter?”
“I have some in blue white.” Another tray set out before my eyes I liked what was seeing. Not knowing anything about these sort of things I simple mindedly picked out what I thought would make somebody a pleasing yet a serious gift. Christmas was only another six months away. “Wrap then up. I’ll take them with me.” Parting with my money, twice the amount of a month’s pay. I extravagantly left the place.
I should have known better. But, what sense has guy got when he’s chasing a dream. I’d have later bet, thr lady I saw in the back of that store was on the wire before I had gotten in, started my truck, backed out of the angle parking space. But I thought I had something nobody’d know about.
Taking myself over the contracted house site I was right on time to shoot basement grades for the back-hoe operator. About the time he finished I thought it a goodtime to pay my respects to an adorable young lady. Parking was easy on an Elm tree lined neighborhood street. Hollering the screen door I was bid to come in. I sauntered through the kitchen proper and set myself down at the kitchen table beyond. My seated Frieda’s Ma set in front of me the hellishly hottest cup of coffee had ever had the opportunity to be set before me. Just about that time Frieda had come waltzing into the kitchen. She was pleasant sight in my eyes, my eyes having not blinked once when Ma descended upon me as though I were a criminal. “What and who are you buying rings for, young man?”
“For an investment in the future.” I had said my tongue stumbling on it’self.
“You’re taking mine Frieda out and marrying some one else?” she spieled loudly. Meanwhile, Frieda having heard the news had turned on her heal and slowly walking away. Ma have had her words with me went stomping out of the kitchen. Me, I didn’t know what to do; although, as Frieda had turned away from me I had seen her cheek bones rise, she was smiling widely. Me? I took up trying to hide behind the steam off my lifted coffee cup. Sipping at it, she wouldn’t expect me to be saying anything just rat then.
Frieda wide eye smiling ear to rear slide sideways into a chair oppisit from me. At about that moment abouy to take a sip of my coffee, I felt a foot sliding softly up my calf startling the living Hell out of me, The cup taken up shaking, its contents making waves savagely burned my lip. Choking on the coffee I had almost drunk, I windily spewed hot coffee over the cup’s rim with my own wholly blown windstorm in surprise spraying down the table‘s cloth spread.
Oh, by God, she knew exactly who those mystery rings, were intended for, who’ll they’d belong to, and her foot running softly up-inside my leg was a yes. Oh lawd, what had I done? “All of a sudden I knew I was headed for an inescapably life-time sentence. After all these years, I’m just getting around to asking now, was there ever a reprieve for a thief of heart’s?”
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And what’d I do with the rest of my afternoon?
I filled fire starting’s bottles with gas Ollie’s drained crankcase engine oil.
I cleaned snow off tarped wagons before snow’s weights ripped the tarps in two.
The Cushman demanding to be let out of the barn gladly assisted me bringing two loads firewood to the house. Then becoming obstinate making me carry the firewood in by myself. (mumble, grumble, mumbling, grumbling, oh humbug)
All in all it’s been a good Shorthorn country day right up until 4:00 PM when my headache caught up with me, plus a nauseating feeling thrown in. BGKC.
Fernan
PS: The turkey stuffing was absolutely wonderful. I used that cinnamon raisin bread dried upon a rack over the wood stove. To the dried bread I added grated carrot, short sliced celery, chopped green and ripe olives, pepper, garlic powder. The bird stuffed, on a rack in the covered roaster with two quarts water was baked until the red button popped.
I wonder what's for supper tonight?

1 comment:

Paula said...

Yep thats the way it is in those small towns. I'm wondering if you gave her the ring right then or did you wait six months until Christmas?