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Farm Helps And Farm Happy

Reader Contribution by Mary Conley
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Dear lovers of hard work! You might think some huge, expensive machinery would be on my list of modern day farm helps. Nope. I’m talking about simple things that I didn’t have as a child that might have made life easier for me. Maybe I would have even liked gardening back then. I’m talking about things like insect repellant. Oh, how the mosquitoes and chiggers love me! Sunscreen is a good one too, but my favorite that first summer on the farm was Ibuprofen. Taking it was a nightly ritual.

Our old bodies could barely roll off the air-mattress at night, grab a door or wall to stand, and stagger into the bathroom! We were a mess, but it didn’t stop us. Each morning, we were up and raring to go. Who knows why, but we were driven. We had a routine as the day ended. I would quit first and shower while Larry put the tools away. Then he would shower while I fixed the evening meal. We were so tired. I remember having my elbows on both sides of my plate with my head in my hands, and telling myself not to let my face fall in the hot food.

Larry after a day of being in “hog heaven” as he calls it! Har! Har! Snort!

As we ate and rested,we revived a little. Then, what to do? We had no television, no computer, no telephone, no recliners, no place to relax, nothing to entertain us, and too tired to read. Just bone weary, miserable tiredness … and a card game called “Hand and Foot!” Our hands even hurt to hold the cards and shuffle, but we would begin to play and then stay up way too late. Could this be why I preferred being at the farm? Why is it that when we are in the city, we take the easy road and park in front of the TV? I liked this togetherness. Besides, I won more than my share of the games!

Yes, we both liked this togetherness. Larry is an incurable romantic and was always stopping to kiss me as we worked outside. Ugh! I had never had so many dirty, sweaty, salty kisses in my life, and I knew it wouldn’t do any good to complain. It was because he was so happy. Farm happy!