Michel: I remember hauling the little red wagon around the neighborhood to sell the extra fruits and vegetables from the garden. We would pile it high with corn, tomatoes, cucumbers and I can't remember what else. I was always so mortified to knock on the neighbors doors, although I loved the money that we earned. Years later I had someone from the old neighborhood tell me how much they had loved it when we brought the little wagon around to their house!
Eric: We had rows upon rows of corn growing in the neighbor’s backyard. One day he sent me over to fertilize the corn. He gave me a bucket of granular nitrogen and told me to go to it. I was clueless as to how this was to be done, so I just started tossing it up onto the tall corn leaves. The next thing I can recall was that Dad was scrambling and to water all the corn so the nitrogen didn’t burn the leaves. From this valuable lesson I learned that plants get their nutrients from the ground.
Clair: One job that was never done was picking up the constant supply of the many rocks found in the soil. This was one of the least favorite of the gardening chores so Dad would use it as a punishment for when we got out of line or started fighting with one another. Fortunately for him he had a small army of naughty kids that were constantly getting in trouble. I in particular created a rock pile at least as tall as I was and 50 times my own weight over the years.
Connie: I remember getting up on Saturday morning and wanting to spend the day reading and playing but you would insist on two rows of weeding before we could do anything else. I may not of appreciated it at the time but through your example I have learned the value of work.
Carrie: What I really loved about Dad and his love of gardening was that twinkle he would get in his eye when it was harvest time. He would grab a salt shaker from the kitchen and head outside towards that garden. I would always follow because I knew something good was about to happen.
What an unbelievably hard working man my father is! He has worked so hard all his life. He taught us all what a good work ethic truly is. He has made sacrifices all his life for the good of his family.
The gardens we had year in and year out are the perfect metaphor for our family. There was always such a diversity of vegetables in our garden, just like the personalities in our family. And just like all the plants needed different things to grow to their full potential, so did we. We were all responsible for helping in the garden, but it was always Dad that worked the hardest. All that time he worked in the garden over the years he was helping us to lay the groundwork in our lives to be good, hardworking people. People with qualities like Dad.
Dad, we all love and appreciate you so much! We're grateful for how hard you worked all these years to provide us with a comfortable and loving home. Happy retirement and happy gardening Dad!
