Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Whistle You to Work

Father-In Law was an amazingly patient man.
Kind. Loving.
He was always so.
These qualities were especially apparent during one experience shortly after he and Mother-in-Law were married. . .
The two of them had settled in a former granary on FIL’s Mother’s farm.
Now Great-Grandma was an ‘in-charge’ sort of person.
And she happily took charge of this new little family.
Very early every morning, she would appear at the side door of her house, walking in the direction of her son’s little home.
Did she softly call to make sure the young couple was ‘up-and-at-em’?
Nope.
She blew a whistle.
A loud whistle.
Now I’ve heard of some annoying alarm clocks in my time.
Certainly I’ve chucked a few because they were too . . . erm . . . efficient.
But how do you stop a mother/mother-in-law? Okay, yes, there are probably times when you wouldn’t mind a more forceful resolution, but let’s be practical.
People would notice a M/MIL (see above) if they’d been set out with the trash for pick-up.
Am I right?
So back to the whistle . . .
FIL found a unique solution.
He swiped that whistle in an unguarded moment.
And tossed it into the flour bin.
The one that was full of flour.
That flour bin.
For weeks, Great Grandma searched for that whistle.
But came up whistle-less. So to speak.
Then one morning, fairly early, the shrill single tone was again heard.
“Oops,” FIL said. “Looks like Mother needs her flour bin filled.”
Yeah. That probably wouldn’t have been my reaction.

10 comments:

  1. This is another amazing story from your family. I sure hope you use some poetic license now and then ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. OMG. I'd go crazy, especially as the daughter-in-law. Sounds like they were very patient, and I think that whistle might have found itself "disappeared" for good if it were me.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ha ha - what a wonderful story, Diane! I don't think that would have been MY reaction either ...

    ReplyDelete
  4. How considerate of MIL to give an early warning. Just the same I am pretty certain that the whistle would have permanently disappeared if I had anything to do with it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yep, refill time.

    You've reminded me of a story i read in Reader's Digest years ago. A man who was an only child had married, and his parents were so thrilled with her that they would drop in to visit "the kids" often, without notice.

    One Sunday afternoon, as the newlyweds were doing as newlyweds do, they heard the familiar car door slam in the driveway, and he said, "I'm going to put a stop to this right now."

    He wrapped himself in a towel, went to the window of the bedroom (upstairs), opened the window, leaned over so they could plainly see he was only wrapped in a towel and yelled out "Geez, ma, how do you ever expect to have grandkids if you keep dropping in without calling first!"

    His parents froze, then got back in the car, went home, called every time after that before coming over, and were rewarded with 3 beautiful grandchildren.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! Make it matter to THEM! What a great story, Mimi :)

      Delete
  6. Was she a drill sergeant in a former life?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my, the whistle should have been thrown down a very deep well. Your FIL was more than a a very patient man; he was a saint.

    ReplyDelete

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