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Show I And Dad's Still There Mom didn't have an electric bread mixer. I don't suppose many folks did in those days. She always mixed her big weekly ball of dough by hand. Then arthritis pains made it hard for her. It was especialy difficult dif-ficult when the dough was stiff and had to be kneaded to make it right for baking. But Mom discovered a mixer that she hadn't thought of using before. Dad. And he was willing to help. All she had to do was catch him. That wasn't always easy, because Dad didn't know how to move slow when he worked. My brothers and I had to actually run 'to keep up with him. So when Mom had the bread dough near the kneading stage, she'd send one of the girls to get Dad. He'd usually see them and w hen they got near, he'd run across the field with a bale of hay he held above his head, throw it way up on top of the load and head for the house. The rest of the loading and taking in the truck was left to us boys. Once in a while, after the truck was unloaded, or some other task finished. I'd go see if Dad was ready to go back out with us and he'd still be kneading the bread. His sleeves were rolled up higher than usual and the big bulging muscles were white where the sun hadn't reached his skin. His shoulders were hunched over and strong hands worked the dough in Mom's big pan. It took a good table to hold up under Dad's enthusiastic kneading. I was glad it was bread dough and not me that was getting worked over. Sometimes, after completing his , kitchen task, he'd take Mom's hands in his and rub them for a while. Gently. A real contrast to w hat had just happened in the mixing mix-ing pan. Then his big arms would wrap aroud Mom He'd hold her for a while, bend over and kiss her and soon w e'd be running to keep up w ith him on the way back to the I "- i 1 1 1 i ED ROWLEY field. Now that Dad's past set; he's slowed down some. Nx;i though. It still takes a goccri: keep up with him. And wheel':; a big job and w onder how Z s done on time. I just thrill. For some reason, just ii. about him makes me start:." faster |