ELMER TALKS OF WINTER

Even with all the snow coming down and the temperatures getting so low, the chores still must be done.  The cows must be milked, all the animals must be fed, the eggs must be brought in and more.  Plus that, with John gone, I have to do two farms and help at Sarah Mother's farm.

Before he left, John and I got the sleigh out and cleaned it up.  Also checked to make sure the blades were sharp enough to go through the snow.  During the worse of the snow, I have used that to get around from farm to farm.  Last Monday, when the storm was so bad Bishop Eli got a farmer closer to Sarah Mother's farm to go over and help her sons do chores.

Until the young folks get back, I have hired Jean's sons to go over and plow out our son's and Eli's son's driveway so that is one less job we have to do.  They are also cleaning the snow off their porches and walk ways.  We wanted the farms to appear someone is there.

Anna comes along with me sometimes.  She helps with the milking, if necessary.  Also, she collects the mail and checks the inside of the house to make sure everything is all right at John and Sarah's.  We haven't had anything go wrong yet, but we want to be sure.  They will be doing it for us while we are gone.

Speaking of Anna, when she does the laundry during the winter it usually gets hung outside if the weather is close to 30 or above.  If it is colder than that she hangs the laundry in the basement.  It is something to see laundry hung in the basement, if your not use to it.  Even with just the two of us, we sure do come up with a lot of laundry sometimes.

One thing I do like during the winter, though, is the looking out over the quiet snow covered land.  It looks so quiet and peaceful.  Some evenings Anna and I will sit on our porch and just look out over the land.  At least our little corner of the world is quiet, at peace, and we wish the whole world were like we are now.  It is the season of rest for not only the land, but for us, too.

We know that spring is around the corner.  Right now, it seems like a way off, but it will be here soon enough.  Then we will be back plowing the land God has given us to work and planting again.  But there is something special about this winter time, too.

The ladies are having their quilting bees now, too.  They are making up quilts for the Haiti Auction coming this June.  Anna also enjoys knitting in the evenings during this season.  Seems the ladies hands are always busy.  Right now Anna is knitting some lap quilts, I guess you call them.  They go to one of the local hospitals to give new patients.  It seemed they were getting low on them, so some of the Amish and Old Order Mennonite ladies are making more.  Also, they knit or crochet baby blankets for the hospital.  When it is time for the baby to go home with it's parents, they are given a handmade blanket to wrap the baby it.  These are all donated - the ladies do not charge for them.  It is their gifts.

Another good thing about winter is we get to eat the goodies that Anna has been canning all through the summer and fall seasons.  Anna's canned goods beat the taste of store bought goods any day.  It is also a good feeling to know that we spent the other seasons planting, growing and harvesting these goods.  We eat some as they are grown, but still it is great to eat the canned goods during the winter.

Do I wish this winter would end?  Yes and it will.  Am I looking forward to a trip to Pinecraft to get away from it?  Sure.  But if we did not have the cold and snow, I don't think that the fruit and vegetables would grow as well as they do after snow.  Some years, we have had little snow and they just haven't been the years for the best produce.   At least as well as I remember.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer