TERRY
I would say Terry is about the same. I do think she is somewhat stronger as she gets in and out of bed but of course we would like to see that translated to walking which I am hopeful for. I still have Christmas as a goal for her to walk on her own. IF that happens that will be the best Christmas present ever!
I did play some tennis yesterday. There are more and more people coming down now so the tennis will get better and better. Karl, one of the best guys on my team, will be here a week from tomorrow. I have not even thought if I am going to field a team this winter. I hope that is possible because the team competition is very fun as it gives one a chance to play against guys you do not see every day. BUT time will tell if that happens. I would not be surprised if it does not happen as there is a chance that clubs will not want visitors coming into the club. We will just have to wait and see.
I need to reschedule one of Terry's doctor appointments that I messed up on last week. I am still upset that I could forget an appointment twice!
I am now thinking about Christmas presents and a Christmas letter. I think our letter this year will be short but at this time I do not know what to say. Maybe I should wait until close to Christmas and then send a hallelujah letter as Terry walks!!! As I lay in bed at 3:00 AM this morning I tried to figure out what to do/give but then as luck would have it I fell asleep again!
SUMMER OF 1957
It was a Saturday, July 13th of 1957. It had been a good year for calves so we had 15 little ones running around in the barnyard. I think one of my favorite, if not my very favorite, was little calves. I would hope when they started being born that at least one of them would be small or born too soon which would mean we had to nurse it in the barn. Anyway here we were in the middle of the summer and we had these little calves running all around the barnyard. As Dave and I were eating breakfast we had hopes that Dad would have something to go into town for and forget to give us any work to do. We knew that we could not pick rocks, our very worst job, because the grain was way to tall now. Actually I take that back as the very worst job was cleaning the chicken house as the ammonia smell would almost send one to the crazy house! Anyway Dad said it was time to dehorn the calves. The male calves were starting to grow horns and Dad did not want that so the job was to use the huge horn cutter that looked like a tool from the middle ages and cut the tip of the horn off so that it would not grow. Even though we had Shorthorn cattle we did not want any with horns! Now I knew why Dad had asked me to shut the gate to the barnyard last night as all the cattle came into the yard. So after Dave and I finished breakfast which consisted of pancakes with chokecherry jam on top it was time to get to work. Even though we only had eight male calves Dad said it may take most of the morning. When I asked why it may take so long he showed me a long needle and thick thread. He said that sometimes the bleeding would not stop so one had to sew up the cut.
Well that morning was not one I would want to relive over! Of the eight male calves four of them would not stop bleeding so we had to catch them and hold them to the ground as Dad sewed up the bleeding. The first three worked fine but the fourth one jumped up before Dad could get it closed and then we had to run after it with blood squirting out!!! We tackled it (would have been good football practice) and sat on a crying calf as Dad sewed it up again. He was not all the gentle as he was one upset Dad. Finally after a couple of hours we were finished. Dad said Dave and I should stay in the barnyard for the next hour just to make sure none of them started bleeding again. I think I can still hear the calves crying as they were cut and then some sewed up! All in all there was no more bleeding and Dad was happy for that. He commented that now the calves would be ready for market by late fall. My heart sank as I knew that would be the case but really as one watched the calves grow I usually put a name to each one and of course I knew that when the cattle truck came to take them away they were going to be butchered which made me sad. Maybe that is one of the reasons I would not have made a very good farmer!
So here we are at about 8:10 AM on a Sunday. We are starting another week with hope and prayers that Terry gets better and life returns to normal again. I say that but we all know that the word "normal" has an entire new meaning these days. I have half a cup of FP and then the days really begins.
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