A Visit to Mary's Farm....

My old friend, Mary, called last week, she had been doing more cleaning around the Farm, and had gathered some things up, she thought maybe I could find a use for.... I love Mary... She was raised on a farm, north of Cedar Rapids, then married Ivan, in 1957, and moved to a farm, south, of Cedar Rapids... I love the way she thinks... kind of like, I do.... Before you scrap it...or pitch it... see if you can find another use, for it....Mary was 're-purposing', before it was the 'popular' thing to do...When I first met Mary... many, many moons ago...Ivan was ill... Mary worked in Iowa City, and worked around the farm, too... always sorting... and cleaning up buildings... one by one... I spotted her rake, in the Pole Building.... Mary has used and used this old rake, for years.... while burning piles of lumber, around the farm... It's braces have bowed, and the fork, had even bent. from wear.... I told Mary, to go buy a new one... I'd pay her the same, for hers.... That is a perfect memory of Mary... Strong...Patient...Enduring... She is an amazing Woman... A True Iowan... A Farm Woman...

Mary lost Ivan, a few years ago...but, still... she forges ahead... works hard, around the farm... everyday...with no complaints..... Mary is involved with her Church, and is truly an inspiration...

This an old De Laval Cream Separator, Mary had in the shed... I buy them, for the stand... They are perfect for a Martin House perch, or a stand for a gnarly grinding stone.... They are pretty heavy... 100 pounds, or more... I suppose...{ I never really want to know...} I asked Mary, how she thought we might load it...{my truck bed, is so high...} She thought, maybe taking some boards, and creating a ramp... hmmm... I looked at it... she had it on a 2 wheeled cart... I wheeled it, to the truck... and asked Mary to hold the cart handle back, a little... Thanks to the 'overdose of Brethine... {it's like adrenaline}I had melted in my coffee, yesterday morning.... I grabbed a hold, and hoisted 'er right in the truck...

I told Mary, of the time, a man asked me to do something, I didn't want to... I said if he could beat me arm wrestling, I'd do it... I had another friend, standing next to me...To my surprise, the man took me up on the offer... To his surprise... he couldn't beat me... and said, to my friend, as he was struggling to take my arm down..."She's pretty strong, for a woman"... My friend's reply... "She's pretty strong, for a man, too".....ahhh...Farm Women...

Have an Amazing Thursday!

Barb C.