Family experts tell us we should write and tell the stories of our family so that our kids and grand kids will be able to share their family legacy and heritage. I am sure some families would not want to share this memory, but our family has enjoyed this story for many years. I am repeating it here because I think you will enjoy it too.
When I was a seven-year-old we lived on a farm in Minnesota where, among other things, we raised sheep. One year, for reasons unknown to me, a baby lamb was abandoned by her mother and no other ewe (mother sheep) would accept her. At about the same time, another ewe had twins and died the next day. (Farm life can be cruel.)
Dad did what any caring shepherd would do and brought the three babies into our house. He placed them in a box in the kitchen and assigned us four older kids (ages five to ten) to care for them. After he purchased some black nipples from the farm store, we attached them to used syrup bottles and nursed the babies many times during the day and night. We grew to love these lambs, but Mom didn’t! I suppose she wasn’t happy sharing her tiny house with three four-footed creatures. Fortunately, a couple of weeks later the weather warmed and the lambs started sleeping through the night, so we moved them outside.
We also had a big mutt dog named Shep who slept on the porch in the warm weather, but he could turn the latch on the front door. Since there were no locks, he could come in whenever he wanted. One summer Sunday when we went to church, a thunderstorm came up and frightened Shep. He opened the door and invited his friends—Whitey, Blackie, and Bucky (names we had given the three sheep)— in out of the rain. When we got home from church, most of the family broke into fits of laughter at the sight of almost full-grown sheep in the living room. Our mother, for some strange reason, was not amused. I hope you will be!
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Those of you who read “Messengers in Denim will recognize this story. After reading it one of my sisters sent me a picture of these pets taken so many years ago. I wish I could print it for you to enjoy, but unfortunately, I do not know how to put paper into this blog!