February 5, 2008

• How A Soldier Spends His Leave Time

  Here are a few ways that a soldier home on leave keeps himself busy.  Last week while it was cold and snowy he was out by the wood pile cutting, splitting, and stacking wood.

  

  Last fall the stack of logs was over all of our heads.  Now my son has managed to reduce it to only a few logs.  Now I feel warmer seeing the stacks of wood all cut and split waiting to be dumped into our basement.

  

  Three dump wagon loads of wood ready to be dumped into the basement and one dumped down.  Now it is warm out and we don’t need the wood so much.  But it is all there just waiting for the weather to turn cold again.

  

  Then he spent time entertaining the troops.  Elizabeth’s grandmother had to work at the polling place today so I watched her.  She was in her element with a big strong guy here to wrap around her little finger.

  

  So he carried her so she could see the pigs and not get into the mud.

  

  Then he took her down into the valley to see the rushing water of our creek in flood.  She wasn’t sure about that trip at first but then she began to enjoy the ride.  What’s not to like when you’re riding on the shoulders of a big guy like that?

  

  Then he ran back up the hill with her.  After I brought her back into the house all she could talk about was being outside and riding on his shoulders.

  

  Monday he helped his father load some pigs that were going to be sold.  The pigs were not enjoying this trip but the guys were.  Now instead of fifty pigs we are down to only forty-five.

  

  Then it’s time to please our little sister and finish her chicken coop for her.  He worked two days on it and to show her appreciation she made him a batch of cookies.

  

  What a versatile guy.  He can swing a hammer just as well as he does a go-devil or wields a chainsaw.  Can I raise them or what?

  

  Then last night he wanted roast suckling pig on the menu.  That was fine with me but someone had to prepare the pig for me so that I could put it into the roaster and into the oven.

  

  When a man’s stomach is at stake you don’t have to ask twice.  Very soon I was presented with the killed and well cleaned six-week-old piglet. 

  

  Now all I had to do was stuff him and rub him and place him into the roaster and into the oven. 

  The piglet was enjoyed by all.  The leftovers were enjoyed tonight.  It is all gone just in time for lent to start tomorrow.

  • 8:05 pm
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