it takes a village

Tomorrow marks the 58th anniversary of the day that my parents were married, on Valentine's day. He was home from the air force and looked sharp in his dress uniform. Mom's gown was a fine one and it was a big todo up on College hill. I was born over a year later and we began our life here on the farm. First daddy tried to farm it himself but soon learned that the small farmer with limited cash flow just can't make it. He had grown up as a sharecropper's son and did his share of that sort of labor. As Big Ernie would arrange things, my maternal grandfather was managing the property and handed it over to him to run for the owners who live far away. Thus began his dual lifetime jobs as farmer and USDA plant protection specialist. You can't raise kids on a farm manager's check either!

There were two more after me, both boys. We grew up with a mom who was quite literally a 50/50 mix of Betty Crocker and Martha Stewart. She made everything fun, especially holidays. KY cousin mentioned that daddy was always late for Christmas breakfast because he was pulling calves. The three of us kids worked odd jobs to earn a little spending money, but never had to worry about a thing otherwise. Each of us came away from that raising with a different perspective on life love and the pursuit of happiness. I see my daddy's impatience in both of my brothers. One of them begrudgingly acknowledges that fact and the other denies it like crazy. I adore both of them and am extremely glad that I didn't catch either one of them when I was trying to kill them as brats.

Since my parents don't drive, we do the running for things like gifts and groceries and such. I had already picked up daddy's gift from mom and snuck it in under my coat this morning when I picked HIM up to buy for her. She always gets chocolate truffles and a card. They remembered Miss Faye as well! She truly is their valentine these days, in more ways than one. It was hilarious all the hoorah we went through to get these simple things accomplished. Daddy laid his "surprise" smooth on the counter in front of mom, knowing that she knew what it was even though she can't see. Some things never change.

Happy anniversary mom and daddy! Thank you for all that you have been and for who I am because of you. You done good.

^j^