Nope. Still no rain and yes, the wind is still blowing, but DH and I just had a conversation with a lady at the Farm Store this morning and it put a new perspective on my griping.
This lady is our closest neighbor. They live 10 miles from us. We call her Grandma Lillian. She is 89 and still works at the farm store every day. She takes Wednesday's off, but still drives to town to get her hair done. She is always decked out and dressed up in the prettiest outfits. Never a hair out of place, but as down to earth as they come.
And she's been through a lot. Just this past Saturday, she buried her daughter who was 68. On Monday, she was back at work. She said there is no reason to just sit and fuss about things you can't change.
I'm thinking this just about sums it up: Pray without ceasing. Get up. Get dressed. Make yourself useful. Do what you can and leave the rest to the Good Lord.
There is one topic of conversation amongst ranchers and farmers when they walk into the Farm Store and that is the weather.
Too hot - it was 100° 2 days ago.
Too cold - it froze last night.
Too dry - our annual rainfall last year was 4".
Too wet - NEVER!
Grandma Lillian told DH and I that she remembers when the government came out and paid them $1.00 per head and shot the cattle because the drought was so bad. She said that her Mama and all the lady folk gathered together and stayed up all through the night canning what meat they could so it wouldn't go to waste.
We're so spoiled. I don't think we have a clue as to how good we have it. Ok, I shouldn't lump y'all into that statement. I'm so spoiled. I don't have a clue as to how good I have it. :)
Today the wind is once again blowing like the dickens, but I'm not complaining. We're not hanging wet sheets over the windows to keep out the dirt...yet! :)
I could learn a lot from Grandma Lillian. Wisdom at the Farm Store. You never know what you'll find there.
14 comments:
Have been having similar conversations with the elderly friend I've been visiting this past week. We could ALL learn a lot from the Grandmothers, if we'd only listen.
no I think you are right - most of us seem to not have a clue how great our life is when we can think back and hear our elders tell the rough times they had back in the 20's and 30's of the 1900's.
Yer right, that's one wise woman that really knows what hard times are.
Farmers/Ranchers are always at the mercy of mother nature. I too am a farmer/ranchers wife in western Oklahoma, and we have experienced the wild weather changes the last few days, this morning there was a very hard freeze here! Crazy on May 3! What part of the country do you live in, I didn't see it in your profile. Hope our spring and summer get more normal! And always praying!
Snowing here today, which as weather goes, is pretty strange for us in May. if we all keep praying for you all to get rain, you may need an ark! Grandma Lillian has much wisdom!!!!
We can definitely learn a lot from Grandma Lillian's generation.
I truly enjoyed hearing about Grandma Lillian.
I hear ya I try not to complain I think it is human nature too tho, Don't be to hard on yourself:)
People think it's funny that I call my blog Better Than I Deserve, but it is so true I am thankful everyday for my life, family, friends and our little ranch!!!
That made me homesick.
I'm from the Midwest and knew people like that (and I still buy canned mean whenever I go home). There are some people in our lives who just bless us by being around us. That kind of wisdom is priceless.
Whenever I think I have it bad I come across someone that has it worse and puts me right back in my place:)
My temps were 87 2 days ago and high of 56 yesterday and that was at midnight:( Warming up here but the wind!!!!!
I am just thankful we didn't get 2+ feet of snow!
Last week and this week we watched two parts of a pbs series about the Dust Bowl. Adults who were children at the time shared their memories and they showed photos of rounding up the cattle the government bought for a dollar a head. There were great photos of horrible situations. As I watched I thought how easy my life is and I wondered if I would have been strong enough to get through times like that. (Who knows that they might not come again, or worse.) Anyway, your friend Lillian has a great perspective. There's no sense wasting time fussing, fuming, and worrying over things we don't have any control over.
She's right when she said: " She said there is no reason to just sit and fuss about things you can't change."
Maybe some are happy we're not living back in the "olden times." But there was a lot of things that were "right" then and are certainly "wrong" now.
Great post Karin!
Wow, what a though provoking and moving post. Thank you. o:)
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