06 29 2001 Life with Father

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Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2001 5:22 AM

Subject: Fwd: Life with Father

Another nice father's day memory from Susan's former pastor from India days. Brings back some memories for me too!

Arthur Sanford <arthalie@webtv.net wrote: From: arthalie(a),webtv.net (Arthur Sanford)

Date: Wed, 20 Jun 200123:13:33 -0700 (PDT)

Subject: Life with Father

was thinking this week about my dad and what it meant to live with him my growing up years. My memories of dad are divided into two sections dating up to 1928 and then after 1928. that was the year of Dad and Mom's commitment to the Lord and life was different what was it like on a farm in the late 20s and 30s. we did not have electricity or telephone or running water (did have a pump in the house so did not have to carry water) and did have a sink with a drain in it to carry the water to the ditch outside the house. our house was heated by two stoves which burned wood and one of them was the cook stove over which Mom cooked all our meals summer and winter, but for LIFE with dad--‑ our days started early Mom was always the first up and she would start the fire in the cook stove and then open the stair door and call sort of softly "Are you awake? and all of us would answer with sort of uh hu and go on sleeping. TEEN Dad got up and when he opened the stair door we knew it and when he yelled BOYS every foot hit the floor NOW and we were wide awake. and dad's call was regular - summer time five a.m winter he let us sleep in until 5:30 with ten horses and 25 cows to feed, and care for, the morning chores took a

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good two hours dad had it worked out - some of us started milking right away,(we milked always by hand) -dad told a salesman once who wanted to sell him a milker, "I raised my milking machines and they do a good job") while others would feed the animals while others would take care of getting the horses ready for the day's work. breakfast was at 7 and we all ate together and no playing around for breakfast -- in the summer it was ready quickly for work and in the winter it was ready for school AND don't dare be late either time. in the summer at breakfast dad would outline the days work schedule and where and what each would be doing. we soon learned never to question the where or the what but we could ask for direction or help to know how to do it. He was very quick and careful in instruction regarding our work. noon time in the summer was a special time the horses HAD to be in the barn a full hour for feed and rest and we could sort of eat slowly and enjoy that time -then back to work. dad was very careful about his horses and made us be too. 6 in the evening usually was the time to bring the horses in for the night, care for them brush them carefully, give them good bedding and feed and then supper that was the real fun time for our family - we had nothing to rush for the milking would wait until we had had a good time as a family at the table to which we ALL had to be seated. we could laugh and talk and do a little teasing but nothing harsh or we got it quick AND while we could eat all we wanted and take as much as we wanted we ate everything we put on our plate. (and even today when I sit at the table I have that feeling - no matter what it is. IF I put it on my plate I eat it or Dad’s image comes up quick). Then after supper (we missing page 3)