TERRY
As I write Terry is watching TV as she said she was not ready to read the paper yet. I am guessing she will call for the paper soon. Life is pretty much "same" as the days go by. I just peeped in on her and she had her eyes closed.
Some days I feel like I could be the 4th person there!!!
I have NO complaints but life is just like that sometimes. I turn around and the kitchen is a mess. I walk into the living room and the table has papers all over it. I did not bother to take a picture of the den as I thought two were enough!!! It is not that I have no time but rather I have little get up and go in terms of ordering things in the house. Oh, I could have shot a picture of the laundry but that is a mess as well as the clean clothes are on top of the dryer waiting to be put in their place. So life goes on one day at a time and maybe, just maybe, I will get my "get up and go" back some day! Again, I say no complaints, just this is the way things are at this time.
I was looking forward to tennis this AM but got a call that it is off as two of the guys are hurt. It looks like my tennis yesterday could be it for the week, yikes! This is after I got my racquet restrung and the grip redone. Now I will have to wait to show them how good I am!!!
No real plans for the day now that tennis is out. Oh, I know I should clean the kitchen and get those darn papers in order. Yes, I promise I will do that. Actually it will only take a few minutes to get the kitchen looking nice and the papers, well that is a different story.
I will not comment on the weather but these tell the entire story of the morning!
No need to comment as one can see what Naples weather is like this morning.
August 10th, Thursday of 1961
It is a Thursday and Dave and I are hoping we can finish the fall plowing by the weekend. We have finished the fields to the west of the farm and also to the east of the farm. All we have left is the oats field on Uncle Jim's land down south. If we play our cards right we can finish by early afternoon on Saturday and then maybe, just maybe, we can spend Saturday afternoon playing ball with Ricky. Mom is surprised to see us downstairs and ready to eat by 7:00. By 7:30 we are gassed up and on the road to the fields. Plowing down south is actually kind of fun. It is flat, very few rocks and the fields are square as there are no sloughs to go around etc. There is a small groove of trees in the middle of the south field but that is not bad as it provides some material in case one needs to use the bathroom. Well I should say in case one needs to relieve themselves. You get the picture without more words! The morning goes fast and almost before we know it we are standing in the field with our shadow straight north which of course means it is noon and time to go home for lunch.
As we park by the gas pump I decide to fill gas in before I go to the house. I guessed it would take 5 gallons and I was off by about half a gallon which I thought was pretty good. As I walk through the entry way Mom says I got a letter from the school. My body feels kind of nervous as I have NO idea what that could be about. I open the letter and it is from Mr. Hanson, the football coach. It states that fall football practice will start on the 14th at 9:00 AM at the school. I have had in my mind that I would like to play football but have not talked to Dad about it. I interject here that NEVER did I have a conversation with Mom or Dad about what I should do, what I should take or anything else about high school. I take the letter upstairs and put it on the box that I use for a dresser.
Dave and I actually finish plowing late Friday as we made the last few rounds with the headlights on as we wanted to finish. But for the rest of Thursday, all of Friday and the weekend I had football on my mind. Could I play? If I did would I be any good? Would Dad allow me to drive to practice before school started? Would Dad come and get me after games OR would he come to watch me play? All these things rolled over and over in my mind and of course Dave and I talked some too but not a lot as Dave could not play sports in HS and had concentrated on band. Monday morning came and I still had not gotten up the courage to ask Dad if I could play. Tuesday came and the same as I was afraid Dad would say school was too far away to be in sports. Finally on Tuesday night as I said good night to Dad I popped the question, "Could I go out for football?" He looked up from his gun magazine and asked when would it start. I sheepishly said it started Monday but I thought I could still sign up. He then asked what time was it and I said practices were 9:00 in the morning. He then directed his gaze back towards his magazine and simply said we could leave at 8:15 tomorrow! As I took the steps two at a time on my way upstairs my heart was in my throat. Really, could I play football? But then the realization set in that I would be coming in two days late.
The next day Dad drove me to Forman and we walked towards the school from the north parking lot. As we exited the car we saw Mr. Hanson leaving the gym on his way out to the practice field. Dad hurried a bit and we met Mr. Hanson midway between the field and the school. Dad introduced himself and me and said I was interested in trying out for the team. In hind sight I kind of can remember Mr. Hanson's reaction. Here was this farm boy coming in as a freshman and he was lean and trim and about as tall as the coach! We shook hands and Mr. Hanson asked us to wait a minute. He hurried to the field and talked to one of the players and then came back to us and walked with us to the school. He assured my Dad that I could be on the team and then Dad asked what time practice was finished. Dad said he would be there to pick me up. Mr. Hanson then went through all the equipment left in order to find things for me and of course I had NO idea about shin pads, hip pads etc. He even managed to find me a pair of used football cleats. Mr. Hanson then told me to get dressed and come out to the field. Somehow I managed to figure out how all the things fit and in a short time I made my way to the field. I quickly found my friend Larry and pretty much stayed glued to him the rest of practice.
Such was the beginning of my HS sports and yes football was my favorite. I letter all four years, started for three years and served as captain my senior year. My working on the farm served me well as I was pretty much always in better shape than most guys. In those days there were NO weight rooms etc so I would say the guys from the farms, and there were not that many, had somewhat of an advantage over the town guys. Even the disaster of our senior year could not take away the fun of the four years of playing.
Too much said today so will end with a last sip of coffee and the MAYBE get some work done.
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