Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Chop Wood, Carry Water

We are SO grateful that the water now comes in through a pipe.  When I was a kid on the farm, we carried it into the house in three-gallon, enameled buckets.  Two of them sat on a cart in the kitchen after they had been filled at the pump.  For many years now (since 1957) faucets, sinks, a toilet, and a shower have been a part of the house.

Three and a half rows of wood for the winter



But when I visit my mother, I get to chop wood.  We left the farm for my mother to take RN training.  I was too young to handle an ax except to make kindling. And when I tried to milk the cow, it just made her cranky.  Small hands are can make a mess of things.







"Small" wood for the stove


All these years later, it is safe to say I grew up, though a child-like glee wells up when the ax falls smartly and the wood splits with a decisive and resounding crack.   I found that I love to chop wood.  I make sure that in all the Things I get to do today, time is left to include a contribution toward keeping the house warm.


4 comments:

  1. ME TOO! Choppin' wood always meant I got to bake bread! My Grandmother didn't have electricity. We hauled water from the pump. NOt quite so nostalgic about pumpin' water though! I was so happy when I graduated from a knife for shaving kinlin to a small hatchet and then an honest to god axe! So much so I am contemplating getting a wood cookin' stove for the covered patio to cook on again.

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    1. The energy released from the wood as it burns has been gathered from the heavens and stored in the plant/wood since the little tree sprout first took hold. All this is glows into our space when we burn it. How blessed! Fire is, indeed, magic. Thanks for sharing your bread with us. And do get that cook stove!

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  2. Splitting wood is good exercise. I used to to it some, just cause I liked to, when we had a fireplace here that burned wood. It now burns gas logs. I miss the wood burning fire place but we burn plenty of wood outdoors. Not splitting required though. I was fortunate enough to have both indoor plumbing and taken for granted heat as a child, but my husband has a different story.

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    1. Ah-h-h! Those good ol' days! Best to you and your husband--wood-burners, all!

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