The last of my kids grandparents--the story line

Charles Saunders (Chic or Grandpa) holds his first grandchild.  He is not all that comfortable but seems to enjoy it.  Then he says, "boy John is really warm" and as he lifted John to give him to his mom his pants have a wet spot!!!
Chick became a grandpa at the age of 52 and he kind of thought he was a bit young to be grandpa.  As the years went by he mellowed into the "grandpa' image but not too much!
Chic was  wonderful man.  He was a very good farmer, he championed the cause of the farmer like no other.  Way back in the days of the start up of NFO (National Farmers Organization) he lamented the fact that you went to the store and there was a price on any thing you wanted to buy.  If you were unhappy with the cost you simply bit your tongue and paid the cost or did not get it.  The farmer, on the other hand went to the grain elevator and ASKED, "What will you give me for my load of wheat?"  The Saunders milked cows and sold the milk to a business.  I guess you would say they were dairy farmers although the most important money making part of the farm was the crops.  NFO protested prices and for a short period of time Chic milked the cows and then dumped the milk in the ditch alone Highway 11 that went by their farm.  I guess it is called protest!
One story about Grandpa Saunders.  We were visiting for Christmas vacation and all the kids were home.  In the basement of their home (the house Grandpa built) was the play area with a shuffle board pattern on the floor and a dart board on the east wall.  Allen and I engaged in a game of darts and I don't remember who won, well maybe we did not finish BECAUSE in the middle of the game a wayward dart from my hand hit smack in the middle of the water pipe which was part of the furnace. As I pulled the dart out there was this thin spray of water shooting into the air!!!  I do not remember how Grandpa fixed it but he was pretty good in his reaction to the incident.  I never did figure out how that happened as I always thought I was fairly athletic!  I mention this story because Grandpa was pretty well known to have a temper that could flair up in a second but really it would only happen if there was wrong doing or dishonesty going on.  I could also tell of the time 3 cattle got out of the fence and wandered over to the neighbors corn field.  Several of us chased those darn cattle for hours but could not get them out of the corn field.  Finally Grandpa got his deer hunting rifle and the cattle became steaks and burgers, all three.  I am thinking he insisted paying the neighbors for the damages of the cattle but am not sure about that.
I probably have said this in the past but will say it again.  Grandpa started dealing with ALS in July of 1989 (I think that year is correct).  He and Grandma spent his last 3 months of life (January-April) with us in St. Paul.  ALS is a terrible disease and I often think to myself "Lord please do not allow me to come down with ALS".  His description was "being a prisoner in your own body".

I usually do not play tennis on the weekend BUT am playing today at 9:00.  A friend who likes to schedule me in TOO much has me playing.  We both started playing tennis way way back in 2011 and often played singles in the morning as our level of play was pretty bad.  BUT as the years have gone by his level of play has gone up and then leveled out.  My level of play (I like to think) is still on the upward slope so now there is a gap between his and my play.  Because of that I try to not play very much with him as the way to get better is to play against better players.  So this morning is the first time in the last two weeks that I have played with him.

A side note.  I enjoy reading the WSJ as there are usually a few interesting stories in it.  Today a short story about Jeff and Paulette from CA.  They have been convicted of a Ponzi scam taking $900,000,000 from people.  The government auctioned off 148 luxury vehicles that they owned.  Now what can a couple do with 148 cars???  IF they drove a different car every day each car would be driven twice in the year plus some.  I wonder how they figure in the oil changes?

I miss my swimming pool times during the day but with this weather it is just too chilly to heat it.

I think I intended to get some messes cleaned up in our den yesterday but what the heck nothing happened so maybe, just maybe today?  I often wonder if I inherited my messiness from Mom or Dad.  Well maybe neither and it is just me.  As I have visited Joan, Helen and Dave I see none of that but then it could be they just pick up before I visit.  No actually I am pretty sure they are much much better at being neat and nice than me.

The scrambled eggs are eaten, the FP is gone and I am ready for the day.