MEEKER | My mother-in-law, Pat Hendrickson lived in Meeker about a year before passing at the age of 94. She didn’t get to meet most of you, so I would like to share some of her humor with you now. Her Christmas letters from Bartlett, Kansas, population 69, were hilarious stories of life on the farm. You will need a little background for her letter to make sense. Her references to the “Wolf at the door” reflected the uncertain economics of farming. Ernie was her husband and all around great father-in-law. The name of their farm was Bittercreek.
My name is Chester and I have lived at Bittercreek Farm since 1976. In this time, I have become close to Ern and Pant and feel it is my turn to write the holiday letter. I shall try to not drool on the paper as I think of all you sweet, and may I even speculate, delicious people out there. Due to fog and heavy dew our corner of southeast Kansas has not become a dust bowl. The only good rain during the year was a flood. Welcomed it with open arms and paws. Some rain is falling now but could merely be another tease. That the farming was not the greatest is a no brainer. So far the Bittercreekers have refrained from putting Walmart sacks over their heads and asking for donations from 7-Eleven, but who know how long they can resist. Everyone in Joplin is doing it this season. Almost a robbery every day. Couple of banks, shades of the 1930’s. Have I have just dated myself haven’t I??? Sad to say-for me , not the cat worshipers- we went from a one cat family to a five cat family in the blink of an eye this spring. Once again slow moving cars enabled cats to pile out when going past the farm.
The consensus is that all but one are boys, though the jury is still out on Fluffy. Gracie, the lone girl—and yes there is Fred—is Pat’s baby and it is disgusting the things those two get up to. I never liked cat meat or…. Ern is checking gas wells as there is a bit of action there again after a hiatus, and praying the dam will get fixed before Ern loses the fish in his lake that had to be drained when a pipe rusted out. To cut off that man’s fishing is akin to telling him there will be no baseball next year. Something to mourn. The computer has brought much joy into our home. Ern owes Old Sol so much money from losing at poker solitaire that he fears Sol will reach out of the computer and grab his wallet. He now has it chained to his pants. Pat enjoys emailing and driving herself nuts when the PC decides to get cranky and freezes up. So, you see thing are normal around here. Blessings, dear people, and prayers that the world can have peace in the coming year.
By ED PECK
