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Horse Tails

My dealings with horses were not so much a love of but as part of my chores.  I gathered the milk cows about 1/2 mile away from the barn on horseback.

There were 3 events I can remember that had to with horses not involving work.

The first was a date of sorts, Alan Burkhart called me up and asked if I wanted to come play.  He lived 3 miles down and came to take me back to his house on horseback.  I remember it taking him a long time to arrive.  Seems he had stopped on the way to kill ants with the horse`s reins.  Boys!   I was probably 8-10 years of age.

The next was I decided to go for a ride.  Got a mile away from home and the horse wanted to go back and ran home with me holding on and screaming all the way.  The more I screamed the faster he went.  He stopped at the barn and I fell off into Daddy`s arms.  He later found my ponytail holder in the horse`s tail.  After that I often walked to get the milk cows.

The last was I ran for Freedom Rodeo Queen.  I had to ride a pattern in front of the crowd but the deciding vote was the number of tickets each girl sold.  I worked at it.  Another girl Tana Ferguson really worked hard at it but the owner of a large ranch wrote a check to raise his daughter,  Karen Walker`s amount to the top.  I didn`t resent it.  She was always a friend.  That was one thing I wished I hadn`t been talked into but I did receive some nice prizes.  One was a pair of purple jeans, I promptly took them back and exchanged them for blue.  Another was a skirt and sweater set I wore alot,  gold wool straight skirt with fuzzy fall colored sweater spotted something like an apaloosa horse.

Goodbye Mother

We said goodbye April 27, 2005.  Mother was in alot of pain but was embarrassed when nurses came to bathe her.  I`m glad she didn`t have to endure pain long.  Pancreatic cancer works fast!

We buried her in a pink dress (she thoughtfully had drycleaned a couple weeks before) with a yellow ribbon on her shoulder in honor of a grandson serving in the war in Iraq.  Several young great grandchildren took it all in.  One commented "Why is Big Granny sleeping in church?"  Another "Big Granny is in a pretty cradle." At the cemetary they were the last to leave "Tucking Big Granny in."  I`m sure Mother was smiling down on them.  She looked at death as a celebration, another step in life!

I think I will close with Grand-son-in-law Walter Cox`s tribute that says it all.

Juanita "Big Granny" Balk 1920-2005

You were always the consumate "Granny", the most gracious host, never expecting, yet always prepared for visits from the offspring of your offspring.  There were always cookies on the counter, and your famous cinnamon rolls were perpetually in various stage of preparedness.  You were always sincerely interested in our work-a-day, humdrum lives, and you always doted on our children.  Polite almost to a fault, modest to the core, religious in a firm but not overbearing manner, an all-around-one-hec-of-a-pleasant-lady to be around, your influence will be felt infinitely, and your presence will be sorely missed.  Thanks for being a part of our lives.

Juanita Continued

In my H.S. years Mother continued to support whatever we were interested in.  For college she decided I would follow in Karen`s footsteps to Northwestern State College at Alva, Oklahoma.  After I was married she remembered every holiday with a care package of her infamous cookies.  They were a treat since we didn`t get home often.  After Daddy was hurt she cared for him tirelessly for 25+ years.  Christmas was always a large gathering until maybe 5 years before her death.  She welcomed every new child-in-law without question.  The grandkids were her joy.  She spearheaded Granny`s Pool Party in August before she sold her house and cheerfully moved to Enid for her last 7 months.  She seemed to enjoy the ladies but I`m sure she was homesick.  I know she missed her little church.

A few of Mother`s favorite sayings:

Everything happens for a reason.

It was just not meant to be.

I can`t promise but I will try.

She never wanted to be a bother to anyone.  She was so patient with Daddy even in his most difficult times.  She always wanted to pay her own way.  Mother was so appreciative of some of the little things we take for granted.  The "Good Ole Days" was the present-she had carried water, wood , milked cows by hand.  It was just plain hard work to her.

Tune in for the final chapter next time.