Blessings of Chopping Ice

Growing up in the Osage reminds me of putting a stake in the ground which everything pivots from.  There are lots of changes and additions in our lives but we are all rooted by our history.  For instance my wonderful and gorgeous daughter, Wynter- see picture, comes with roots of the Osage.  She may not realize it but her work ethic and values are direct decendents of the tall grass prairie right down to the blue stem itself.

If you remember my parents, Cliff and Opal Olson, you know they knew how to work.  Every day Dad would get up before daylight, drink his coffee with Mom, then off to get the chores done before going to work.  Now that always seemed confusing to me because they would work to get ready to go to work. 
Anyway, Dad would head out to the barn to milk our family milk cow, Jerz.  Jerz was around 22 years before she could just do no more.  She was a gentle cow that liked to be scratched like a dog.  She had a baby calf every year and had twins once or twice.  She always had so much milk that she would feed at least one other calf plus our household plus the cats and dogs.  Her milk was full of butter fat and we made butter from it many times.  Someday I will tell you how we made butter.  Jerz worked just as hard as Mom and Dad to provide for us.After milking Dad would expect Larry and I to be out helping get the feed and hay loaded on the pickup or trailer to take to the cows.  Mom and Debbie would be cooking breakfast and doing other chores at the house.  Now Mom and Debbie actually did outside chores as well including feeding the chickens and gathering eggs and feeding the 4-H animals (will explain that one later as well).  When I got old enough to reach the peddle on the pickup Dad would let me drive while he spread the hay and cattle cake out of the back of the pickup.  I know I was only about 6 or 7 but it was fun and I loved being with Dad.  The only bad thing about feeding in winter, not to be confused with Wynter my daughter (notice the picture), was taking an ax and chopping ice.  Growing up I always said I never wanted to chop ice in winter when I grew up.  Today I miss chopping ice.  I guess I should explain that the reason you chop ice in winter is so the cows could get to water in the ponds (most folks these days call ponds lakes and some folks call ponds - tanks, but it depends on where you were raised).Back to the story, after the chores we ate breakfast as a family (can you believe that?).   My favorite breakfast food was POST Toasties. Then everyone scattered, Dad went to carry the mail (he was a rural mail carrier for the post office) and Mom kept the house and farm running and we kids went off to school.  I just cannot resist adding this comment.  Dad and Mom ate and fed us meat at 3 meals a day and it was primarily beef, not chicken.  And when it was chicken it was FRIED.And that brings me to this value statement:      IT AIN'T THE FRIED CHICKEN, GREASE, OR RED MEAT  OR BUTTER THAT KILLS PEOPLE.  IT IS THE LACK OF HARD WORK AND EXERCISE AND POSITIVE THINKING.  And yes I am overwieght and don't eat right but I do know what can fix that AND IT IS NOT ANOTHER LAW PROTECTING ME FROM ME OR ME FROM YOU.Well that is about all you can take for today so I will talk at you tomorrow.Thanks for your time,Garyp.s. check out my favorite charity at www.wingsok.org and if you feel led get involved and donate if you can.