TERRY
No news about Terry. As I write it is 7:40 AM and she is sound asleep. She stayed up on the couch for about an hour when Mary and Mark were here and also joined us for lunch at the kitchen table but then needed to retire to the bedroom for rest. Nothing planned for today.
I am looking at a day where I may not even start the car to go out. As I write it looks like a fairy land outside with fog hiding much of the landscape. We are in for kind of a warm trend as I think in the next few days we may hit 80 again.
I enjoyed a long visit as Mary and Mark were here yesterday for about 4 hours. It sounds like they are taking their time getting back to ND as they will make several stops along the way. More than once they mentioned that they really enjoy the sunshine and warm weather!
Here is the art work from South Bend for today:
The AL stands for Audrey Lee
I have continued to read about the life of Henry Aaron as there was another article in the paper today. He just sounds like not only a great baseball player but a wonderful man as well. The articles have sent me back to the mid to late 50s as Hammering Hank was at his best during those times. I have recalled my many baseball cards that went up in smoke when the farm burned. I spent 100s of hours with those cards as I would arrange them and then arrange them again and again. Those days when I could spend 5 cents or may 10 cents on a pack of baseball cards and then open them with the hope that at least one of my favorite players might be in the pack. AND yes as he died at the age of 84 and it also reminds me that I am headed towards old age (maybe I am there!) and I should do all I can to continue making this life meaningful. As one could guess it often reminds me of brother Dave and I miss him MUCH.
IT IS JULY 17TH OF 1966--A SUNDAY
I roll over in bed and check the clock. It is 8:30 and I can not believe it is so late. As I stay in bed and think about the day I decide that I will not go to church with Mom and Dad. They now go to Veblen as our tiny county church Bergen closed 4 years ago. I have been home all summer as Janet died in February and Mom and Dad have been having a very difficult time with the death of their two oldest. I have NO idea why Mom thought it would be good for Dad if I spent the summer on the farm as Dad never talks about losing his two oldest children even though I know his heart is heavy and broken. Anyway before I get out of bed I decide that I am not going to church with Mom, Dad and Helen. I have gone every Sunday this summer and today I am going to get on my Harley Davidson Sprint 250 cycle and head out to somewhere! I slowly decent the stairs as I know what Mom will say when I say I am not going to church with them. Sure enough the first thing Mom says is we will be leaving at 9:30 for church. I kind of turn my back and walk into the living room as I say I will not be going. When Mom comes into the living room I am sitting on the couch ready for a little lecture but it does not come. She simply asks, "why?" I say that I had planned on a long motorcycle ride today and going to church at 10:00 would give me a too late start. To my surprise Mom just leaves the room without a word. By the time Mom, Dad and Helen are ready to leave for church I am on my cycle and down the driveway. It is a warm morning so I only have a T shirt on and shorts. To be honest the T shirt is to let people see that I have a fabulous tan!!! AND as usual no helmet which as I think back was more than a little careless but then way back in the mid 60s and at the age of 19 a helmet was almost a sign of weakness which is terrible I know. I did remember to put a $5 bill in my pocket. It costs about $3 to fill the gas tank and then there may be a chance to stop for a bit to eat. Anyway as I had down the gravel road I am feeling a sense of relief. I have spent the last almost two months at home working on the farm. I know Dad has appreciated me being home and working but it has not been a fun summer at all. It has not been unusual to see Mom in the kitchen with a tiny tear in the corner of her eye. Dad is his usual self. Not a word about either Ronald or Janet and he is often gone to town for something.
As I head south, then west and then south again I have decided that I will spend the day on my cycle in the "hills" as they are called. To the south of our farm in South Dakota are several lakes where people have summer lake cabins. It is also where Dad often will take off for a day of fishing. There is Bufflo Lake, Pickeral Lake, Roy lake and Clear Lake to name a few. I do not know anybody who has a cabin there but I will spend the day cycling around the lakes and enjoying the warm breeze that meets my face will I travel on my cycle. I need a day to myself and away from the farm. I am happy that we are into the last days of July as I am looking forward to getting back to school again. NOT that I love school. It is NOT that I don't like Mom and Dad but really the air of sadness that hovers over the farm is almost thick enough to cut with a knife. I do not blame Mom and Dad yet it is so so difficult to be there. I often think of Helen and wonder who she does at home. BUT do we talk about it----no. Does that mean we are of Norwegian descent???
So the day is spent riding the "hills" of South Dakota. It is a refreshing day being out and about with kind of a carefree air about the day. I really should mention that a side issue is my cycle. Many places I go people come up to me and ask what kind of cycle it is. Of course most cycles those days were Honda, like my friend Larry's or Yamahas. Anyway as the sun goes over head and heads towards the western horizon I think to myself I need to get back to the farm. I know that both Mom and Dad will start to worry If I do not get back before sunset.
As I turn the corner by Rollof's farm and head the half mile to our farm I feel refreshed and say to myself that I can endure another month of work on the farm now.
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