I accidently left out the pig. Dad got two of them. The idea was that we would fatten them up on scraps as well as the feed he bought for them. In the fall they would be slaughtered for meat.
What he didn't take into account was that his daughters would name them and they would become pets. This one was named Millie but we weren't supposed to call it that wen Millie was around because Mom didn't want Millie's feelings hurt.
We weren't being mean. we thought she would like having a pig named after her. After Mom heard us she thought Millie might be offended but it was too late to change the pigs name.
Those pigs were a lot of work but they were fun too. When fall did come, nobody could stand the thought of eating them. Dad had to take them to an auction to sell them. I'm sure he didn't get back all the money for feed he put into them but at least we didn't have to sit down to eat them.
One year Dad got either big chickens or ducks from somewhere. I have a vague feeling they may have come from Haynes but its not a definite thought. They arrived a day or so before Thanksgiving. By morning we were in love with them. We were not going to eat them for dinner!
We had a bad Christmas once. Well, we had a lot of those but I think this one was here. Dad was not working. Mom signed up for a Christmas basket from somewhere. I was thinking the Salvation Army but I'm not sure.
You were supposed to get meat for dinner and assorted food stuffs to finish out the meal. It seemed for this time that our name was given to a local store owner who filled the box.
When it arrived there were a few dented cans of stuff, some with the labels off so you didn't know what it was. There was a head of very wilted celery but there was nothing to go with it. There was a packaged of a mac and cheese type dinner but when the box was open it had weevils in it. There was no meat at all. There was a jar of peanut butter.
Mom was so disgusted. What could be burned went in the burning barrel. The can stuff she burried.