Granny milked the cows
along side of her man,
eight or more each day and night
to lend a helping hand
I’ve seen her milk so many times
astride three-legged stools,
head leaned against a Guernsey cow,
yet she was no one’s fool
She used to name the critters
and treated them like kids,
petted, soothed, and curried
the same as Grandpa did
Granny pulled her weight
and did the work of ten,
there was no question ‘bout it
when measured next to men
You see it was their livelihood,
they worked a humble dairy,
pulling teats, cleaning stalls,
and milk cans they would carry
There were no days to squander,
their life was not their own,
no sick days, fun, nor leisure,
or time to whine and moan
Were no machines in those days
to make the work go fast,
they did it all by hand, you know,
like kinfolk in the past
The weather made no difference,
in blizzard, rain, or hail,
they headed for the old barn
each carrying a pail
Gramps would walk by Granny
not saying much it seemed,
convinced the life he’d given her
was not what she had dreamed
Forty years of hard work,
cooking, mending clothes,
having kids, and milking
was not great, he supposed
But I don’t think it mattered
to Granny and her kind,
they went where their men led them
and gave it little mind
She left her mark upon us,
we watched as kids and learned,
and I can’t thank her near enough
for what all I discerned
My thoughts are often with her,
an example to us all,
to not complain, just do the work,
each task both large an’ small…
23 comments on Granny Milked the Cows
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So true, never remember mom nor dad complaine about anything.
Good post.
No, they were too busy working. Is it my imagination or was crime not as rampant?
Nice Post Angie!! I like this a lot..
Life was so different back when.I believe it was a happier and more secure period in time..
AWWW,Working along side her man,just to be with him,awesome! Showing her love thu action..
My Aunt Sarah and Uncle Frank,my grandfathers brother and sister-inlaw had a farm and lived just like this post above.I remember going to visit as a very young child...
I like the Picture insert a whole bunch,nice touch.... :-)
My mom and dad worked together like that--they were old school. When he died, mom said that the work team that had always carried the burden together was gone. It broke my heart. I could see that lone work horse standing just as my mom stood.
Painting by ?
It looks a lot like John Sanford's work. I will have to check my pictures to find out for sure.
It was sad with my Dads Uncle and Aunt Sarah..Uncle Frank died,Aunt Sarah went to bed and died a few days later.. They were old I know,its so sad that after he was gone,she had nothing to look forward to anymore.They never had any kids,my Dad was the only family they had left...Gee that was a long time ago..A real walk down memory land..
It does the soul good!
Wonderful post and tribute to a great lady's inspiration in your life. The wonderful people who work the land and the bonds, commitment and personal soul investment that grow roots in farming and ranching families are precious. God bless them!
Grass roots of America! It is the place where deep spiritual values abound.
That's such a sweet n' tender little poem. It really makes you think. Is that a tribute to your grandma or something that you came across and wanted to share?
I'm only sharing. My mother was much like this granny. I was a late in life baby so my grandparents were only stories passed on by my parent.
What a beautiful poem...I love that..
I'm happy that you enjoyed. Hope your birthday was wonderful!
Both of my grandparents are in their mid 80's now. Grandpa goes to the barn every morning for milking and in the summer grandma does the square bailing. I've never heard grandma or grandpa complain once. Everyone in our family loves working on the farm. Even the 2 year olds love it. lol.
I have lived in the country nearly all my life. I enjoy the quiet solitude, the smell of newly turned soil and freshly mowed pastures.
I hate people who are like "OMG IT SMELLS LIKE POOP, EWWWW"
Ughhh, I hate people like that.
I want to throw them in the manure pit.
Are these the guys smelling the exhaust fumes and such of the cities?
This is a gem! A great poem, a great story, a great way to look at a different life. There's a lot to be said about the world today, but there certainly is a lot to be said about the life of yesterday. There's a lot there that can help us appreciate what we do have and remind us of the things we really don't want to let slip away.
I think that it is the gift of being able to say, "This is where I am meant to be." It seems we are constantly searching for something else when all we need to do is look at what we have.
So true, complaining doesn't change the work that needs to be done! Thanks for the reminder!
There is a difference between complaining and venting. We all need to get things out of our system. I think the idea is to look at your life and decide that this is where you are meant to be at this particular time and grow from there.
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