My dad noticed the red tractors.
I asked him on the phone last night if he had been reading my blog posts, and he said, "Yes I have. That last one had a lot of red in it."
So, I decided that in honor of my dad...who has loved green for many, many years...I would post a little less red in this post.
I say "a little less," because one of his loves
just happens to be red.
You'll see.
As I was looking through pictures from this summer, I found the ones from back in June...from his retirement party...and I remembered that the party took place during one of my dry spells in blogging, so I never wrote about it.
It was a long time getting to that retirement party...
Dad decided that he would retire last December, right around the time that he turned 70 years old.
But his retirement date was decided for him.
In October, he had a heart catheterization that found
several blockages.
Dad had open heart surgery--a quadruple bypass--
on November 2.
Then back to the hospital for two blood clots in his lungs.
Then back again with pneumonia.
Carotid artery surgery in February.
Prostate surgery in July.
When I was a little girl, Dad worked at the grain elevator in town. It was a tough job, being that he was a farmer himself. He would work late at the elevator while the local farmers brought in their grain, and then he would come home and farm late to get his own crops in. I remember when Mom would pack a supper picnic for him, and we would take it to him at the elevator.
In 1987, Dad changed jobs.
He went to work at an oil company in town.
It was neat, because it was owned by a cousin, so the last name of the oil company was the same as our last name. Being a small town, Dad worked here with family and friends. I think that Dad would tell you that it was a great place to work.
The town cemetery is right across from the oil company.
When Mom died in 1993, she was buried in a new section, down drive 7.
Drive 7 is right across from the drive into the oil company.
I always thought that was neat too.
So, twenty-three years after he started working at the oil company, he retired.
Because of Dad's health, the retirement party was postponed until June.
The party was on a Wednesday afternoon at the oil company.
William, Josh, Matthew, and I made the trip north.
Dad and Gilda
Dad, Gilda, William,
Matthew, and Joshua
Gilda and I traded places...
Josh found these Spiderman gloves at Dad and Gilda's house before we came into town.
He is doing some Spiderman/Darth Vader hand thingy...
This was a retirement party for Dad and two other employees.
Dad and Jerry not only worked here together for those 23 years,
but they were also friends in high school.
Again with the Darth Vader chokey thing?
"Bring it on!"
This is Dad's cousin and boss, Jim.
Sitting down is his oldest son, Jamie.
Jamie and I went to school together...all thirteen years...
and we walked down the graduation aisle together.
That happens when you have the same last name.
And live in a small town.
This is Jamie's mom and daughter.
His daughter sang "Amazing Grace."
Remember that face.
I wouldn't be too surprised if you see her
on American Idol one day.
on American Idol one day.
Cute cake!
And ice cream!
My baby brother, Rob.
Jim took lots of time talking about each of the employees and his history with them...
not only as boss, but as friend.
I was so surprised by my emotions at the end of the afternoon.
I was saying goodbye to and thanking Jim...and noticing how everyone had aged since I had last seen them. These are people that I've known since I was a little girl.
And here was my dad retiring.
It hit me suddenly that we are all moving into
another season of life.
And then I thought of the cemetery across the street where Mom's body is buried.
I took the boys over to see the stone, and we talked about Mom.
I was so surprised by my emotions at the end of the afternoon.
I was saying goodbye to and thanking Jim...and noticing how everyone had aged since I had last seen them. These are people that I've known since I was a little girl.
And here was my dad retiring.
It hit me suddenly that we are all moving into
another season of life.
And then I thought of the cemetery across the street where Mom's body is buried.
I took the boys over to see the stone, and we talked about Mom.
Dad doesn't really mind the color red.
In fact, he likes it quite a bit.
This is the first tractor that Dad ever drove...he was pretty young.
Twenty years ago, he became the owner of it.
After much restoration, it now looks like this...and it is one of my kids' favorite tractors to take rides on.
Carl just died of cancer this summer.
He asked that Dad would bring it to the funeral home
to sit in the parking lot during his viewing.
Ahhh...there's a bit of green.
Matthew loves riding on tractors and the lawn mowers, but he always holds his ears.
I love that my little boys, too, have been able to ride green tractors with my Dad.
After Grandpa's farm auction...can it possibly be that it was five years ago already?...I saw tractor after tractor being auctioned off, and I sadly thought that an era was over.
But Dad couldn't let go completely.
I'm glad.
That's who my Dad is...Farmer.
Whether it be on a lawnmower or pulling weights at a tractor pull with a friend's tractor or just meandering down the lane on his little B, my dad should always have a tractor.
Brave Uncle Robbie.
He gave in to William's requests to let him drive his truck down the lane.
He gave in to William's requests to let him drive his truck down the lane.
Uncle Robbie even has his head about him enough to wave at me...
or could that be a sign that he is in immediate danger and needs help?
You know what this really is, don't you?
Bragging rights.
I'm sure the first person he told was Carrie...our soon-to-be-driver.
Who hadn't been behind the wheel yet.
He did a great job behind the wheel and was a pretty happy guy.
Take a look over his left shoulder.
That is my history.
My background.
I think that in some way or other, I miss the farm every day.
It could be that I see a soy bean field. Or hear the roar of a combine going past our house.
(Which I am hearing right now...right on cue!)
Memories of Mom remind me of the farm.
I have to tell you, though.
I'm pretty happy and content right here where I am.
One-Acre Jodi.
The amazing thing is that I have been here for almost 18 years.
In just a few years, I will have lived here longer than I lived on the farm.
This has become my past, present, and future.
And I love this home of mine.
Here is a video of some things that Jim said about Dad.
It doesn't look like it wants to play, but I am keeping it on here just in case it will.
I don't have everything that Jim said recorded,
because my camera's batteries went dead.
:(
Enjoying contentment...and the color green,
