My husband Jim grew up on a dairy farm. When we first met a decade ago I asked about family traditions. What do you do for Christmas? “Milk cows.” Easter? “Milk cows.”
His grandmother started reading to him from the beginning of the Encyclopedia Brittanica when he was two years old. He started inventing at a young age, mainly things to make his parents’ life on the farm easier (like a microswitch for the silo). At age 15 he got a letter from a place called M.I.T. and tossed it because he had never heard of the place. Instead he went on to study physics with 11 other brave souls as an Aggie.
Jim’s parents wanted their sons to go to college and, yes, have the opportunity to leave the farm. Jim became a software engineer and his younger brother, a bank VP who deals with agricultural businesses.
A few months ago my in-laws were in a serious auto accident (they hit a buck during hunting season, it just ran out onto the road). When both sons and families were there over Thanksgiving, the brothers split and stacked three months worth of wood, from the property, for their parents who were convalescing. If they were smart, they would have set up the splitter and hired a couple of hands to do the work for $100. I think their parents know this was the most expensive three months of wood they’ve ever gotten, because their two executive sons split and stacked it themselves over eight hours. Yes, the wood and the labor were free, and for these men who were given permission to leave the farm to lead their own lives it was a small gift to the parents who raised them.
I am honored to have a wonderful husband. We both have our faults but have dealt with them for nearly ten years. I also have a true brother in his younger brother, and a large family led by Jim’s grandmother.
The dairy is now a cattle ranch and I don’t see Jim taking it over ever when it’s passed along. Perhaps his brother will. But that’s many years away. The important thing to remember is that they had a choice, are educated and went their own ways yet love their parents and help out whenever they can even though it involves a long drive, a long flight. This family dreamed for their children and they took wing. Jim’s mother sees Jim as the hot air balloon and me as the tether holding him to the ground. She doesn’t know that I’m up in the balloon with him. Cheers! Dee
Cooking with Dee 
Oh, no. I was the tether, till it was time to fly. You just stay up in the balloon with him, it may be a wild ride.
Wow, any co-incidence it was toy balloons he chose for entertaining kids?
The wood continues to warm us, both heart and body.
I never thought of the balloon crossover from hot air to balloon twisting. It must be just unique hobbies, and he doesn’t do it anymore except for special occasions like lots of kids for Thanksgiving. D
Margie, my wild ride continues with a power outage at 2 degrees, and we were calm and had a lovely dinner at the dining table by candlelight. We love you and wish you well tomorrow. D & J
I’m wondering if you and your Physics “geek” watch The Big Bang Theory? Such fun!
To Christine,
No, but I do make him watch Top Chef from time to time. He likes most of the History Channel, plus MythBusters and American Pickers. Middle ground is Alton Brown, he likes Alton for the science, but still doesn’t understand good cooking and thinks a robot could do it. We don’t agree on that one. He might lose a bit of weight waiting for his engineered robot to start cooking the kind of food I make…. Thanks for writing in! Dee