64 years ago today

It was a Saturday and the end of Christmas vacation was near.  On Monday, January 7, it would be back to school.  I am wondering if Dad will drive us or if we will have to walk.  The mile and a half is not that far but it has been really cold.  Today it is supposed to get up to 20 but then down to below zero tonight.  Even though we have today and Sunday left of vacation it seems as if it is at an end.  Ronald had come home from Ellendale college for a couple of days but he said he needed to get back as he worked at the Ford dealership and the after Christmas season was always busy.  Janet had been home for several days but she is living with the Popp family for her board and room as she goes to high school.  She said Mrs. Popp asked if she would come back on the 2nd as the Popp Gambles store would be busy after Christmas and therefore she could us Janet at home.
So here I was, getting out of bed kind of late and wondering what Dave and I should do today and tomorrow.  We would not be going to church tomorrow as we had services every other Sunday and tomorrow it would be services at Palestine and not at Bergen.  Dave and I had played games all day on Friday and I thought maybe we were kind of "gamed out" if that was possible.  I blew rings of cold breathe up towards the ceiling with its frost covered nails and contemplated what to for the day.  I had gotten a pogo stick for Christmas and had spent a lot of time trying to master it BUT still, after almost 2 weeks of trying I could only get half way to the barn before falling.  We had very little snow on the ground so maybe I could practice today again.  Sledding, behind the outhouse, was out as we had made a path with the sled down the hill but warm weather around the new year had kind of wrecked that.  We did have a puzzle that as of yet had not been put together.  Or, I could sort out my new baseball cards but then I had done that many times, it seemed like a hundred or more!  Dave had already gotten up and I kind of hoped he had felt ambitious and gone out to milk the cows without me but then I heard Mom talking to him about what he wanted for breakfast.  Why in the world she would be asking was beyond me as he was always happy with a mixing bowl of Corn Flakes or Wheaties!  For me I would want the eggs with chokecherry syrup on but then that would take more work from Mom.
Finally I climbed out of bed and in a few seconds had my clothes on and ran down the stairs before I got frost bite.  I exaggerate as that would never happen BUT it was COLD.  Much to my disappointment I see Dave eating Corn Flakes when I get downstairs.  That means two things.  He has NOT milked the cows and Mom is in the living room knitting which means she has NO intention of making eggs.  As I sit down at the kitchen table to eat I ask Dave what he wants to do today.  Before he answers I let him know that I do not want to play Monopoly as that darn game went on forever yesterday and I admit I lost big time.  Dave comes up with the suggestion of that new puzzle but we need to talk to Mom and Dad first.  IF they are going to develop pictures tonight they will be using the kitchen from dark on and there is no way we could finish the puzzle, which we do on the kitchen table, by dark.  AND if we put in hours on the puzzle we do not want to take it apart only to start all over again later.  So we finally decide that between the Lincoln Logs and Dave's erector set we can keep busy.  I do not want to say anything but in the back of my mind I know I have to practice that darn pogo stick.  It seems that over the last week or so I have been stymied.  First there was too much snow on the ground and then I just kind of hit a brick wall and did not improve.  My goal when I got it for Christmas as to be able to hop on it from the front porch to the barn door without falling off.  Really that seemed like a tall order but I felt it was doable.
Saturday and Sunday really went too fast as I was not all that excited to get back to school.  On Sunday I did make it to about 10 feet from the barn before I fell off.  (By the end of winter I was going to the barn, turning around and coming back without falling.  I felt like a success)
Here I am in 2020 now and it is about 10:15.  I need to get to the tennis courts as I am trying to get some playing time in with a new guy on the winter team.