Merry Christmas

Well, bout time I make a post here.  I will try to do better, just a lot going on.  27 degrees here in ICT with clouds, trying to snow or whatever.  We have not had snow yet, not that it breaks my heart.  After growing up on the farm with it, was a lot of work, boy does that bring back memories.  Sometimes things were a lot simpler then.  The good old days where as kids, Christmas was with family, school, and church.

Our grade school would put on a Christmas Program every year in Marvin, SD and man did we ever pack that old hall.  Folks from all around would come and support us and the school and it was all good.  There would be full days we would practice, good news is no school work, but we learned how to work together under the careful guidance from our teacher Mrs. Lisa Halverson.  She was a good one, God rest her soul.  I think of her often especially at this time of year.  The best teacher I ever had!!!

After the school program and always on a Saturday, we would have Santa Claus day.  I would help Dad set up the PA as he was the announcer for the event.  Dad was great at those sorts of things with a loud voice and a great gift of BS and humor.   Kids and parents from all over would gather to get a chance to meet the "old boy"  Santa that is, and it was great.  We all got a big bag of Christmas candy and peanuts in the shells.  Remember that old crunchy candy.   After Santa left we had a big drawing with donated items from the merchants in town and most walked away with a prize.  What a great thing to grow up with. 

Then off to the Church Program, where we dealt with the true meaning of Christmas, the "Christ Child."  Too many times we get caught up with the season and forget what it is all about.  Again we packed the house here and we gave gifts to our Sunday School teachers and we got gifts from them.  One of the best was from Bob Stewart who gave us a box of .22 shells as he knew we all loved to shoot and hunt. 

Christmas eve was with family from my Dad's side and that is when we would open presents.  I remember one Christmas eve when it was snowing so thick our guests could not make it down the driveway and the steep hill into the farm yard.  So what did I do, well we hooked up the manure spreader to the old Massey tractor, drove up the hill, got them with all the gifts, and head down to the yard so we could have Christmas.  Yes, the spreader was empty.  Afterward we would brave the "elements" and head back up the hill and up the driveway to their car so they could go home.  Great memories.  Christmas eve of 1968 when Apollo 8 was in lunar orbit and we listened to the astronauts read about the creation from the bible.  One of the best quotes, "Merry Christmas to all of you, All of you on the good Earth."  Another fine memory!!

On Christmas Day it was always to my Grandma and Grandpa Quale's home and have Christmas dinner there with all the family from Mom's side.  Grandma was always a great cook and we never went away hungry.  Got rest her soul along with my Mom and other Grandparents.  The world is a lessor place without them.  Christmas has never been the same since but we move on.

  Now it is my turn to carry on as I will be with my daughter Tina, her boyfriend and his kids who are my "other grandkids."  As we know life goes on and we learn to cope.  Let us be thankful for our health, family, and friends and not forget our roots. 

Life in the RV is good.  Finally figured out the heat situation with the space heaters along with help from the furnace as needed to keep warm.  Cheaper with the space heaters.  Got the Christmas tree up, just a small one, a gift from my Mom of which I will cherish along with her memory.  Also some stockings and Santa on a Harley, got to have that.  Oh, one other thing which I consider to be a great idea is I got an indoor/outdoor temp gage.  I have the outdoor sensor in the compartment where the water pump and lines are and keep tabs on the temps there.  Good way to make sure we don't have freeze-up problems.  Also got a heated outdoor water hose and it seems to work good.  It had better for 90 big ones.

 So as another Christmas comes and goes we have to thankful for our blessings in life and keep the "Stray Cats" under control.  I will talk about the trip back from SD, blown tire, and Sept 15 hail storm that damaged my roof etc.  Just need more time in front of this thing.