A Tale of Two Weises

While most people talk about a year in review, we are so happy that 2024 is in the rear view mirror.

“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” I hope you’ll stick with me to the end. The moral of the story is worth it.

February started off with Tim falling, suffering a broken pelvis. I was in disbelief that he would heal without surgery as the doctors insisted. But he did. 

This happened a week before Tim turned 65. Twelve weeks went by without any weight bearing for Tim. That meant that I had to be a nurse, giving shots to avoid clotting twice per day. I was the farmer, taking care of all of the animals. I was the neighbor who had to deal with bulls who jumped fences. I was able to get them penned, but one jumped over my head and kicked at my face. I was inches away from the unknown.

Two years a go, we endured a drought that went a long time without rain. When it started to rain, we discovered that our roof was leaking. Water poured into our living room. While many other insurance claims all around us were being covered for hail damage, ours was declined because they said it was older damage that was too far past the point of reporting. Unfortunately, we didn’t know it until it rained. Tim was not well enough to check it out for himself, so we took the blow of replacing the roof on our own. 

At that same time, the Warda bridge was being replaced, which required me to take an alternative route to work. It was a foggy, wet morning, and I was on unfamiliar back roads with limited visibility. A sharp right turn appeared out of nowhere and so did another car. I couldn’t stop and slid head on into a Tesla. We exchanged insurance, but then that guy drove off and left me for some reason. I had no cell phone coverage and my car was incapacitated. After numerous dropped calls, Tim was able to hear enough information to find me and help me. Luckily no one was hurt. Yes it was my fault, but why was that guy in such a hurry to leave me stranded.  

Month by month, the list of things that went wrong grew. We had to get a new dishwasher. The water oak in the front yard started dropping huge limbs that became hazardous, so we had to pay someone to remove it. Without the tree, the attic needed better insulation. The pasture fences were in disrepair and needed replacing. The refrigerator went out twice, but we repaired it. 

In July we took our whole family on a much needed vacation as their birthday present. Experiences are so much fun. Kalahari was fun. 

In August, our son and his family moved back home. Literally. We are enjoying having them in our home until their house sells and they build a house nearby. This is one of the biggest blessings of the year.

On Christmas Eve all five of my grandchildren took part in the church play and they did so well. My mom came with us and I felt complete.

After Christmas Eve service, we were blessed with 3.6” rain and some small hail. Thankfully there was no damage, at least immediately. 

Two days later a large post oak tree fell on Tim’s tractor. 

What a way to end the year. We are still waiting on the estimate, but it looks like insurance may cover it, and it looks worse than it actually is, we hope.

In all of this we heard a story from Jim at the tractor shop that I will remember for the rest of my life. 

Jim’s dad Al, who is now bedridden, once received a call from someone who wanted to buy a tractor. The man said “Al, I have one more tractor in me before I go.”  Al delivered the tractor. But to Al’s dismay, the man was lying in his bed, dying of cancer. The man told Al, “I have plenty of money and if I could write a check to restore my health, I would. But I can’t. But I can write a check for this tractor. So anytime you find yourself having problems, ask yourself ‘can money fix it?’ If money can fix it, then you don’t have any problems.”

Happy New Year to all of you. May God bless you and keep you. And may 2025 be the best year ever!