Mama Makes Kanuche

The next week, the family was still busy with the harvest, Papa putting in long days, working in the store by day and gathering and picking the corn in the field by lantern light. Once the boys were in bed,Mama helped Papa out in the field, helping him take thecorn from the shucks and dropping...

The Cameo

All the month of October, the family worked hard to bring the farms bounty into the house, root cellars, and barns for the long winter. Root vegetables were layered in the bins and damp sand poured over them to keep them safe through winter. Mama boiled the cider and strained it through...

A Surprise for Louie!

The whole family was saying grace at the table, when Opa walked up the road toward the house. He was walking a little stiffly, but he carried two big sacks of glass gallon jugs with him. Papa saw him and hurried to help him. Fatther! he called, Ill come and help!Papa took the big bags of glass...

Come, be peaceful with me -- The Harvest

The next day, Louie, Ed, Oma, and Opa picked the rest of the apples from the Old Apple Tree, and his neighbors. All together, they had twelve bushels of sweet yellow apples, and there were more in the trees, if needed. Opa climbed in the tree with them, and helped to pick. His old bones cracked...

CANCELLED -- A Quilt for Grump's Grandson

I have received an email from Grump requesting that we do not do this, because he wishes the whole thing to be a private matter. Evidently, things are not going well. He wishes only for his close friends to know of this. Out of respect for his feelings, and unwilling to create even more stress...

Thanks Be For Chimitig

October on the farm was such a beautiful month! The cool, crisp mornings were perfect for a jacket, and the afternoons were warm, but not hot! The days were getting shorter, but there was still time for the boys to walk home from school, and help Mama on the farm during daylight. Papa had taken...

Wajj, the Sparrow

It was October, and the family on the farm were busy gathering the farms bounty to survive the long winter to come. The river lay in its bank lazily crawling downstream. Unless the breeze stiffened, the river appeared to be unmoving. The river was at its lowest point of the year, sand bars jutted...

The Last Buffalo

On a Friday, late in September, the day was so perfect for farm work, that Papa closed his store, and took the boys out of school to help with cutting the hay. A lot of the children stayed home for a day or two, or even a week or two, in the fall during the harvest, and in the spring during...

Oma and Opa

The next morning after the schoolyard fight, Ed stood in the wash tub, while Mama washed him down for school. Do I have to do this every day, Mama? Ed asked.Oh, yes, Ed! Mama said firmly. You must bathe every day for school! That schoolyard dirt is just as black as Chimitigs dirt! Mama smiled at...

Words Can Hurt More Than Blows

WARNING: Some of the language used in this story is derogatory, and may be hurtful. I use it only to illustrate the battles that Ed and Louie had. However, I know that all of you will understand that quoting it places the blame on the user, not the author.--------------------------------Not long...