H folks well just got an E-Mail from the Nugget and they aren’t going to put in my Column this week due to space shortage.  Hmmm.  Well not much one can do so the story that I mentioned won’t be in till next Saturday.  Sorry about that and hope this isn’t a regular thing as I know how many folks look forward to reading them.  Talk Soon/.

Country Woman

It was a beauty of a day and I had just come in from doing my chores. I was sitting in my most favorite spot, in the wood box in the corner and listening to Reg talking to his Grandson and wife. Reg was washing his hands by the sink and listening to what they had to say. The Grandson’s wife was looking out the window. ¿I see your wife Laura working in the garden, she sure looks happy out there. It must be nice to not to have to go to work every day like I do. She has the life of Riley living here on the farm, doing what she wants, when she wants, not having to answer to any one. I got to say, I don’t think she would last a week in the city.¿

Reg was standing there taking it all in and then went and sat down at the table. ¿Young lady, I think its about time you and me had a talk. That woman your talking about, is about the hardest working woman I have ever met. She might not have a degree of schooling hanging on the wall, but she has a farm that has risen from the dirt and made into a place we can call home. She is the back bone of this whole farm, without her it would have never happened.

You say she could never live in the city and do your job, well your probably right. She hates the city, as she is a country woman. Country women are a different breed of woman. They are special, she has worked by my side for over fifty years now, through hard times and good times. She has put up with my nonsense, cooked, baked, washed, and knitted my clothes when they had holes. She was there for me when we had no money to hire help, worked in the fields, helped with the milking, delivering new born calves in the middle of winter in the snow. She has helped with getting firewood ready for winter, splitting logs with an Axe, she has planted and worked the family garden, for longer than I can remember and kept it hoed by hand. She has been there for your Father and myself, when we were sick and nursed us back to health. Fixed our cuts and broken bones when no doctor was around. She also has been the love of my life and I will not stand here and let you run a woman down that has done so much.

I don’t blame you though as much as I blame society. You younger folks don’t realize, that if it wasn’t for these hard working country women, you wouldn’t have even been born. All the food that is eaten in your cities, where do you think it comes from? It isn’t grown in a grocery store. Society has you all so strung up on what you think you need in life, that you don’t take time to enjoy life.

You see that woman singing away in the garden? She is enjoying life, doing what she loves and making every minute of every day, count. When she comes in here in a few minutes, I expect you to treat her with respect, as she will you. I have had my say and these words will never leave this room.¿

With that Reg got up and went outside. I watched as the Grandson’s wife got up and went to the sink. She wiped her eyes and then looked over at her husband. I needed that she said. I just never realized what your Grandmother had to go through, or any farmers wife for that matter. They gave each other a hug and went outside to the garden.

I don’t know what was said after that, but for as long as I can remember, I do know this. They became the best of friends from that day on.

Farm women are a different kind of woman I will say that. As my wife, she has been there for me through all our farming days and without her we wouldn’t be where we are today. The old saying, that behind every successful man is a good woman, can wrap this story up all in one sentence.

So there you have it, a conversation that I overheard, that stuck with me through life. I guess I kind of molded my life around that conversation and I do know that when it comes to country women. I got one of the best.

In closing I would like to wish you well.

Hi Folks well decided to let you know a bit about how I got into writing and things. It actually happened around 20 some years ago.  I always had the urge to write,  just never knew how to get started. So,  decided on just sitting down and doing it. MY first bit of writing was my Biography which turned out pretty good.  I then decided on writing short stories of something I knew like, farming, woodworking you name it.  Ended up I got to writing of my past life experiences and my old Dad’s and Grandfathers. We all have had quite a life.  If there was any advice I could give to any one that wants to be a writer would be this. Write what you know and you can’t go wrong.  Today I look forward to sitting down and writing up a story or two and it always gives me a good feeling inside when done.  I write now for different Newspapers and magazines.  I am currently working on putting out my first book which should take place next summer, should.  Not cheap doing that I have found,  and it takes a lot of work getting things done up right.  I think I am half way there.   I have planned on taking around 60 of my stories and using them for my book,  time will tell how that goes.  My son Karl put a link on The Old Craftsman’s web site www.theoldcraftsman.com   for those that are interested in Pre-registering  for the book.  Once the book is published and those that have signed up, will then be notified and the book will be mailed out to you or you can pick it up.   Following this post I will put on a story called,  Country Woman. Kind of figured I should let the folks see how I write.   Also if you want further stories to look at there is another link on the Old Craftsman’s site which says Just One More Story.  Click on that and it will show you a list of around 300 stories with a blip of each one.  Can’t beat that huh?    Talk Later.

I haven’t been doing to much writing for the Community Voice lately as I have had a real busy summer.  But now that cold weather is settling in I have a bit more time,  so wrote up one. It was called Fall Is In The Air.   It is about getting ready for fall with  firewood and things, along with a bit on getting the vegetable garden ready  for winter and next spring. So hope you all pick up a copy as there is a lot of good tips and things and of course a bit of my every day humor.   Enjoy and talk to you soon.

Well figured maybe I might just give you a glimpse of the story that will be in the Nugget each week.  Can’t get into telling you to much as that would kind of take away the whole story.  This week I wrote one up on Messages and how we got them out to folks years ago back on the Dairy farm where I was raised.  I got to say when writing this story a lot came to mind and brought back a lot of fine memories. Folks of today would probably wonder how we made out as good as we did back then, but we did ok.  The Story is called Messages but we will see what the paper calls it as they have a Tendency of changing the titles on me.  But what can you do.  At any rate look for it this week in the North Bay Nugget.  Talk Soon

Well another day here in the small quiet town of Port Loring. Had a good breakfast and now settling down to do a bit of writing for a column that I put out each week. You know I got to thinking here about this Blog thing and for most parts I don’t think there will be much adding to different Categories for now as when I talk it is usually here in the Uncategorized one. Simpler I think and if any one wants to read what I have to say its right up front. I guess I am a up front sort of feller anyways. I did manage to get one story ready for press this morning and got it Edited up. I do all my own editing pretty well other than my wife and boys giving me a bit of their wisdom once and awhile. Some I take some I don’t. My writing style is different than mosts. I use simple words and phrases and over the years seem to like them. The story today is on giving (Advice). Can’t get into the whole story but will say this. Never tell folks what they should or should not do. I try and show by passed life experiences when I go to help folks. At least then I know what I am talking about. Well guess will go will probably be back later on just that I got another story that came to mind so had better get it on paper. That’s a good tip on want to be writers. Write things down as soon as you can or for sure you will forget it. Taker easy.