The Old Rocking Chair

It’s just a wooden rocking chair, and it’s about as old as our marriage. That old rocking chair has stories to tell. Stories of rocking our three kids when they couldn't sleep or weren’t feeling well. Stories about when after a day of hard work, I sat in the old chair watching the sunset and listening to the birds call in the trees to the west of the cabin. Rocking slowly, enjoying the evening. Feeling good about life.

Often while rocking, I remember dad and mother, and what life was like on the home farm going back to the 1930s and 40s. I recall the old rocking chair that sat on the porch of our farmhouse, with Fanny, our farm dog resting nearby. I will never forget those summer evening sitting on the back porch, my dad and mother and my two brothers, after a day of making hay, or shocking grain, or hoeing potatoes—always hoeing potatoes. We would talk some but mostly listen to the sounds of the early evening and enjoying those wonderful smells of new-mown hay coming from the hayfield in front of the house.

The old rocking chair reminds me of the early days at Roshara, back to 1966 when we bought the place. All coming back as I slowly rock in this old rocking chair. Stories about the grandkids when they were little and needed a little rocking in this old chair. Remembrances of my 70th birthday party, and a photo of me in that old chair in an invitation inviting people to help me celebrate.

So many stories associated with that old chair.


THE OLD TIMER SAYS: A old rocking chair can become a memory chair.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: My writing class at The Clearing in Door County is scheduled: Friday, July 27, 9-4. Call 920-854-4088 to register.
UPCOMING EVENTS:.
Thursday, May 31, 7:00 Middleton Public Library. Book Launch for Cold As Thunder (New novel)
Purchase Jerry’s signed DVDs and books from the Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):

Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
Phone: 920-622-3835

DVDs: His latest Public TV show, One-Room Country School is now available. It’s based on his book, One-Room Country Schools (also available).
Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)
Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm books.)
The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows,)
Never Curse the Rain, (based on his book with the same title)
The library has several of Jerry’s signed books for sale including Jerry’s newest nonfiction books, Once a Professor, Every Farm Tells a Story, Living a County Year (reprints), One-Room Country Schools, Never Curse the Rain and Old Farm Country Cookbook, and his novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. Also Wisconsin Agriculture: A History, Roshara Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guidebook for those who want to write their own stories.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.