A Midwestern Life
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"Ma was a hard worker. We always had enough to eat 'cause my mother canned a lot of stuff. Not always all the meat, but we had plenty to eat. Ma would can sometimes between 500 and 1,000 quarts. We had in our backyard currants, those big green gooseberries, apples, plums, cherries, and a great big garden. And my dad would rent a little spot for, I suppose, two dollars right out of town. And we planted potatoes and squash and that kind of stuff...pumpkins. I know even one year Ma raised celery! My dad had a couple of big planks. He'd stake them up alongside each side of the celery to bleach it. Then you'd fill those full of ground 'til it hit the tops of the celery. And that would turn it more bleached...make it white. So we had the basement loaded with stuff every fall. Never went hungry. I just hated to help with the garden work! Isn't that funny? My mother would have to kind of bribe me. I helped but I know I didn't like it, but then later in life I just loved it!"
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About the Book
Speaking to his daughter in his own unique style of story-telling, an elderly man relates his personal journey through eight decades of life in the Midwest. He vividly recollects growing up during the Depression, proudly serving during World War II, owning a lakeside resort in central Minnesota, and finally retiring to a quiet country home.
About the Author
Barbara Stegeman was born and raised in Minnesota where her father and mother still live. She graduated from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN, with a BS in English and psychology. In 1965 she moved from Minnesota to Colorado where she taught high school English and psychology for eighteen years, eventually relocating to Florida where she completed another sixteen years of teaching before retiring in 2002. Barbara greatly enjoys time spent with her family(particularly two adorable grandsons), traveling, good books and movies, and cooking. She currently resides on the beautiful barrier island of Anna Maria on the Gulf coast of Florida.