DAILY CHORES!

We all pitched in with our chores, depending upon our age. Some of the regular chores were as follows:

1. Gathering eggs
2. Getting coal & cobs in from the cob house (to burn in the stoves)
3. Getting the cows into the barn from the field so they could be milked
4. Feeding the white-faced Hereferd steers in a long feeding trough
5. Running the seperator (to seperate the cream from the milk)
6. Feeding the pigs (stirring water in the tankage) and then pouring it in the
trough. The trough went under the fence, so we were away from the pigs.
7. Pulling weeds from the garden
8. Picking vegetables, etc and the preparation work
9. Ironing clothes
10.Filling the reservoir on the stove for washing hands, etc.
11. Running errands (so dad didn't have to do this)
12. Turning the butter churn to make butter
13. Setting table for a meal
14. Helping with the dishes
15. Bringing water in from the pump for cooking, dressing chickens, etc.
16. Washing the seperator
17. Picking raspberries along the hedge fence every other day

These chores were assigned to us as we grew old enough to handle them. I do remember that we all wanted to go out to help our dad. We would fuss over who would get to help him. He had a way about him, that when we finished helping him, he would praise us so much that we really felt we were appreciated. He would often say, "I just could not have done this without your help". This always made us so proud and we wanted to help again.

Some of the things that I remember as I grew old enough to drive a tractor and truck, was my help during hay making time. I would drive the tractor pulling the hay rack and followed by the hay loader. Dad and my brother would be loading the hay in the hay rack while I drove. Later I would drive the truck while they loaded hay bales onto the truck. Also, I would drive the tractor when they put the hay into the barn. I would be on the other side of the barn and they would have big forks that went into the hay and when they called to me, I would start the tractor for the incline to the hayloft (this fork was on a pulley). If I went too soon, it could be a tragedy, and if I went too far with the tractor, I could have pulled the pulley out of the barn.

A neighbor and good friend of my dad was doing this one day and he fell out of the haymow and fell on a pitchfork. He died due to this accident. I'm sure my dad appreciated my help during this job on the farm. He always was very vocal in his praise, which made us want to help him all the more.

My mother never learned to drive and so when we were old enough to drive, we were assigned to run errands for dad. This included getting groceries, picking up parts for machinery, etc. Dad always said that girls should learn to drive the car. I am so thankful for my dad and his wise slant on new ideas. It was more the exception than the rule, that girls learned to drive a car.

A few times, I remember harrowing the field with the tractor. Also, we would shock oats in the field to prepare for threshing the oats. This was when the weather was threatening and they needed to get the job done before it rained. (So my sister and I would pitch in and help) This was a HOT job.

I never learned to milk a cow. I just did not know how the get the milk out. Of course, it was because I did not WANT that job. No matter how I tried, the milk would not come. I knew that if I learned to do this, I would be milking the cows. This did not appeal to me, so I faked it.

I am so thankful for good health that I was able to contribute to the families well being. I'm sure the good food that was put on the table was a contributing factor to my good health.

Wisdom for the day--Idle hands is the devils workshop!!