Dear friends,
We hope many of you enjoyed a wonderful Mother's Day brunch with your families ... even if some had to join only by phone.
We have been very busy on the farm and I have a lot of news to share next time, but today I thought it fitting to focus on moms everywhere and share some stories about my mom, for without her influence, we would not have this farm and you would not be reading my drivel on a regular basis. I know many of you have wonderful stories to share as well, so I hope these fond musings might remind of all of those we love and better times together as families.
My mom's name was Janet Mae Lodge and she grew up in the small town of Robinson, Illinois, located in the Southeast corner of the state. Growing up, Janet was a bit of a tomboy and enjoyed biking and golf. Her love of golf came during her high school years when, after a bout with polio, she could not participate in regular gym class or play other sports. One of her favorite stories was playing golf at the Robinson Country Club with her friend Pinky, and kicking a club member’s ball into the hole on a blind par 3. Of course, the gentleman was thrilled with his “hole-in-one,” not knowing about Janet Mae’s secret, which her father sternly told her never to disclose.
Janet was the original fisherman in the family. She could bait a hook, catch a fish and release it with ease, much better than my father Harry who was more at home on the golf course and tennis courts. Janet grew up near a big woods and spent many hours identifying bird calls and brought many animals home, including mice, salamanders, snakes, frogs, toads and insects. When she once went to summer camp, she left a note detailing how to feed her menagerie for her rather proper mother, Crystal, a task surely handed off to someone else. Her love of fishing and animals was passed off to her children, especially yours truly, allowing me to raise many snakes, frogs, turtles, fish, crayfish, tadpoles, a mink, a pet ferret, mice, rats, cats and dogs in the house! She also enjoyed watching my favorite TV shows with me: Bonanza, Daniel Boone and Gunsmoke, all leaving an indelible mark on me and my dream to someday have Hill House Farm.
She loved to tell the story about the long car trip to Illinois for her own mother’s funeral where Tad (me) brought a family of baby garter snakes in a small box in the back of the car, a fact discovered well into the trip when I had to collect bugs at a rest stop to feed them.
One favorite family story was about the Easter peep my mom received as a young girl. Cute at first, the peep quickly grew into a full-sized chicken. Her father felt raising a chicken inside the city limits was not appropriate, so they soon took it to Mrs. Brown, who owned a chicken farm. Janet Mae wanted to make sure her chicken was safe and easy to find so she tied a yellow ribbon around its neck. Before every visit, Crystal or Arthur would call to warn Mrs. Brown that Janet Mae was visiting, sending her scurrying into the yard to catch a chicken and tie a ribbon around its neck. Only at dinner one night did Uncle David break the news about the chicken’s true plight.
My mother's passed away 5 years ago in March. She will be forever missed, but lives on in all of us.
Happy Mother's Day to moms everywhere (especially our Cyndi). You have always been the original "first-responders" for which was are all deeply grateful.
Your friend,
Harry
