December Memories 

For me, December is a month of memories.  Christmas tops the list, of course, with its preparation, anticipation, and hope. But there are also many other memories as well.

December is the month when winter claims its place among the four seasons of the year, often showing us that it is the most important of all the seasons—with its cold and snow, and short, and often dark, dreary days.  But as a kid, I looked forward to the change.  Now the farm work turned from field work to never ending barn chores as the cows were now kept in the barn nearly all of the time.  They were let out each morning, and sometimes in the morning to drink at the stock tank in the barnyard.  A special wood burning tank heater kept the stock tank water from freezing.

At our one room country school, December an eighth grader was in charge of keeping the woodstove in back of the school room going and struggling to keep the school room warm enough for learning.   It was a time for snow forts and snowball fights.  Riding our sleds down the hill back of the school and playing snow games where during warmer seasons we played softball.

One special memory was of my Grandfather Witt, who lived on a farm a mile or so from ours.  One winter, he made me a pair of skis out of birch wood. He turned up the fronts of the skis by holding the wood over a steaming kettle.  The skis were six feet long, about four inches wide and had strips of harness leather across their middle where my boots would fit. They had no grooves in the bottom.  This meant it might be skiing downhill straight ahead, or I may be going sidewise.  Always an adventure with Grandpa’s skis.

And not to forget the beauty of poinsettias—Christmas always means poinsettias.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: December is for slowing down and remembering a bit about yesterday and what the month of December meant.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

  You can buy my books at your local bookstore, order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby and visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.