A Suggestion

Jerry standing by the old mill in Wild Rose. NPR Photo.

I have a suggestion. Something you could do in these troubled times when a huge part of the population is at home, young and old, as most businesses, schools, colleges, churches, restaurants—almost everything is closed. Try writing in a journal.

I began writing in a journal more than 50 years, ago, not every day, but several times each week. It is in my journal that I write down the good and the bad that is going on in my life. For me it serves several purposes—when something is bothering me, I write it down. When something good happens, I write that down, too. The writing not only establishes a historical record—it is fun to look back at what was happening years ago. Once I have written about it, especially the bad things, I feel better. It is if I have moved my troubles and concern’s from me to the pages of my journal.

Here is some of what I wrote in my journal this morning:

“On my early morning walk, I was reminded of the song, ‘The Sound of Silence,’ a popular Simon and Garfunkel song. I hear no background traffic sound, no roaring cars and trucks, only a crow announcing the coming of the sunrise, and a spring robin singing its cheerful song. In this troubled and challenging time, I remember my father’s hopeful words, ‘Tomorrow will be a better day, and next year will be a better year.’”

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Never forget the power of hope.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

April 15, 10:00 a.m. I will be reading from my book TENTS, TIGERS AND THE RINGLING BROTHERS live on the Wisconsin Historical Society Press’s Facebook page. Tune in.
You can also go to the Wisconsin Historical Society Press’s Facebook page and see me reading my children’s picture book EAT RUTABAGAS, which was aired on March 25.

.WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS AND DVDS.

Read about life on the farm in my book EVERY FARM TELLS A STORY..(Wisconsin Historical Society Press).
It is available 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 travel to the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby and visit Dregne’s.. They have a great selection of my books for sale, or order a book by calling them at 1-877-634-4414. Or visit your local bookstore.



.

Spring has Sprung

Z

Zinnia. Photo by Jerry Apps

Spring has sprung,
The grass is green.
I wonder where the flowers iz.

I remember those words from my childhood. After a long winter on the farm, oh, how we looked forward to spring. Spring was a time for hope and anticipation. A time for green grass and spring flowers. A time to put behind us the challenges of winter and enjoy sunny days and warm breezes.

Spring at my country school meant the start of the softball season. With the snow gone, we once more found the softball and the bat—we had only one of each—and began practice in our special softball diamond back of the woodshed. The bases made it special and different from other softball diamonds. First base was a box elder tree, second base was a black oak tree, and third base was a white oak tree. Home plate was a sandy place where the grass didn’t grow. Need I say that no one slid into a base.

The neighboring country schools also played softball; none of us could afford the special gloves worn by baseball players. Softball was strictly a barehanded game in those days.
Softball teams that came to our school to play complained loudly when they saw our diamond. “We can’t play ball in the woods,” they would shout. But they did, and they usually lost because their balls hit high often got caught in a tree.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Spring is a time for hope; a time to leave our troubles behind and enjoy the new season.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

(Cancelled)Saturday, March 21, 1:30, Columbus Community Center, Columbus, WI Sponsored by Columbus Public Library and Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

(Cancelled) Saturday, April 11, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Speaking at 3:00) Middleton Library.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS AND DVDS.

Read about softball at the country school in my book, ONE ROOM COUNTRY SCHOOLS (Wisconsin Historical Society Press).

It is available 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 travel to the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby and visit Dregne’s.. They have a great selection of my books for sale, or order a book by calling them at 1-877-634-4414. Or visit your local bookstore.

A Challenging Time

Speaking at Patterson Library in Wild Rose. Photo Waushara Argus.

Coronavirus. On the news every day, all day. Cancellations, lots of cancellations. No sports events. No state girls or boys basketball champs this year. No national “March Madness.” University face-to-face classes canceled. No visits to Disneyland or Disneyworld.

For me, speaking at Columbus Community Center, March 21, canceled. Speaking at Middleton Library, April 11, canceled. Speaking at Wild Rose High School, April 19, canceled.

New language developing: “Social distancing,” staying at least three feet away from other people. “Elbow bumping,” replacing a handshake by bumping your elbow with a person as a way of greeting. Stay at home. Avoid large groups. Wash your hands. Lots of fear and concern. What will be next?

The Coronavirus reminds me of the late 1940s when polio was on the rampage across the country, with hundreds of cases here in Wisconsin. I was one of them. County fairs canceled. Fourth of July celebrations canceled. Swimming pools closed. Polio mostly affected kids, crippling many of them for life. Killing too many of them. Polio vaccination became available in 1955, stopping the spread of the dreaded disease in its tracks. But no vaccine is yet available for this new quickly spreading virus, which causes most casualties with older people.

With all the worry and dashed plans, some good things are happening. The snow is melting, the days are longer, the robins are back, and the cardinals are singing their hearts out as the sun climbs over the horizon each morning welcoming a new day.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Time to take a walk in the woods.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

(Cancelled)Saturday, March 21, 1:30, Columbus Community Center, Columbus, WI Sponsored by Columbus Public Library and Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

(Cancelled) Saturday, April 11, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Speaking at 3:00) Middleton Library.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS AND DVDS.

Read about farm life in an earlier day in my book, Every Farm Tells a Story. (Wisconsin Historical Society Press)
It is available 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

Mud Season

Photo by Jerry Apps

“Leave your muddy boots on the porch.” Those were my mother’s words, uttered so many years ago, but still ringing in my head as we enter what she called, “The Mud Season.”
My mother hated mud, but during the month of March, we had a lot of it. The once frozen paths, shoveled clear of snow all winter long, were mud. The road past our farm was mud. The barnyard was a sea of mud. Mud everywhere, and alas, too much of it made it to my mother’s kitchen floor.

Walking the mile to our country school in March was usually easy in the morning, as the mud stirred up by the milkman and the mailman, and the occasional salesperson making his rounds had frozen overnight. But wow, on the walk home! By the time we left the school the mud had become enriched—almost alive. If you weren’t careful it sucked the boots right off your feet. If you thought walking home in a blizzard in January was a challenge, walking home in March, in the mud, although not dangerous, was downright challenging.
Of course, once home, doing your chores meant stomping through the mud to the chicken house, to the granary, to the barn. All muddy adventures.

There was an upside to Mud Season. It was usually short, only a couple of weeks. No one was happier than my mother when this challenging time between winter and spring ended. Beyond a clean kitchen floor, the end of mud season meant the beginning of spring.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Sometimes a little mud in our lives helps us appreciate the times when the mud is gone and things are going well.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, March 21, 1:30, Columbus Community Center, Columbus, WI Sponsored by Columbus Public Library and Wisconsin Historical Society Press.

Saturday, April 11, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Speaking at 3:00) Middleton Library.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS AND DVDS.

Read about farm life in an earlier day in my book, Every Farm Tells a Story. (Wisconsin Historical Society Press)
It is available 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 travel to the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby and visit Dregne’s.. They have a great selection of my books for sale, or order a book by calling them at 1-877-634-4414. Or visit your local bookstore.