The Runaway Horse Cart

Early this week I found an email surprise in my inbox, a note from someone who had seen one of my old blogs and was writing to ask if the "Uncle Leo" mentioned could possibly be the Leo Shafer he had known growing up. Our notes have left me remembering the stories Dad told of his days on his uncle's farm. I don't think I've shared this one in detail before, so here it is.


Up on the family farm in Angelica, NY was an old horse cart that my dad and Uncle Art liked to play with. One day they decided to ride it down the old dirt road with the understanding that Arthur would do the steering and Dad would work the brake, the brake being a large rock held against the wheel.
They started off down the road, obviously unnoticed by any of their aunts, uncles or grandparents. Of course the road was all downhill from the farm into the town of Angelica, and the old horse cart quickly picked up speed. It wasn't long before Arthur hollered to Dad to put on the brake and they found that a large rock held against the wheel of a speeding horse cart does not make for a sufficient brake. The cart continued it's wayward descent, gathering speed as it went. Thankfully, Arthur was able to keep the cart upright and had the sense to turn off the road and into a hayfield somewhere along the way. It was one of those stories dad always laughed at even though he knew things could have turned out really bad. I couldn't help but smile whenever he told it because he always laughed so hard.

PS. Yes, this is the cart. That is Dad on the left with the blonder hair, with Uncle Art on the right.

Mission Impossible?

"It's hard getting old." So I've been told...

I'd really like to know if it is possible to have fun getting old. Well, is it? If so, I'm guessing I'd best start practicing having fun right now so that I'm in the habit by the time my hair turns gray and my face begins to wrinkle. What do old people do for fun? Besides crossword puzzles and word searches, I mean.

I'm pretty sure my great grandpa knew how to have fun. The smile on his face speaks volumes, as do the tattered outfit and hat he wore to work out in his garden. (Perhaps a walking stick is key... Grandmanita has one of those too... I think she might actually have a whole closetful...) Then again, maybe it's all in the attitude. "I think therefore I am... I think..."

Something to Smile About

In the midst of the sorrow, we find bits of sunshine. Two weeks ago we learned that we will be grandparents again in April. Lucas is going to be a big brother. Maybe the baby will come on Dad's birthday.

Over the weekend I also found my nephew, my brother Dan's son. (He is the baby shown here with his mom and dad.) This is really special because we haven't had much contact with him through the years. We are sharing photos on Facebook and hope to get acquainted that way. He brings to the family another great grandson for Mom and Dad. His little guy is just seven months old. I am really looking forward to getting to know him and his family.

Dad's memorial service is set for next Saturday. I am sifting through old photos...

Another Wintery Day

Winter blew in while we slept last night. Snuggled down under my covers, warm and cozy, I never would have expected the blanket of white outside. Well, not if I hadn't heard the weather forecast. My house was quiet, Hannah stayed overnight with Audra, Ben was gone with James, and Nathan was at work. It was almost too good to be true. Actually, it wasn't true at all, at least not for long. Sara and Alysa came just before nine and Josh arrived about a half hour later. It was a busy day after all.

I stayed inside as much as possible, venturing out only to grab some firewood or potty the dogs. I listened not to the persistant call of the grocery store, but around 3:30 pm, after Bethany had come for Josh, I ventured out to meet Priscilla in Palmyra and retrieve my darling daughter. I took so long to get there that my sister thought maybe we were stuck in a ditch or a snowdrift somewhere along the way. Tonight we are staying home, eating more junk food, and watching a movie.

So, all this has nothing at all to do with the beautiful baby pictured here. Who is this little darling? I do not know, except that the picture was in a box along with many other family photos taken from my grandpa's house years ago. I assume this to be a family member, but I'm not even sure how to tell if the child is a boy or a girl, or if that can be ascertained. Does anyone out there know?