The Home Front
David and I both grew up on family farms. On the Standridge farm, David’s family had row crops and raised feeder pigs. On the Swann farm, my family had cattle and grew a large vegetable garden every year. So, along with delicious farm-fresh vegetables and beef in the freezer, we Swann children had to help out on the farm. There were four of us. Suzanne was the oldest. Less than a year after she was born, twins came along. That would be Danna (me) and Dinah. Four years later, our baby brother, Tommy, was born. 
One fine spring day, my Poppa Swann and Dad, who farmed cattle together, told us to be in the hayfield just as soon as we got off the bus and changed into work clothes. Time to put the hay in the barn. On hay hauling days, it was all hands-on deck. Square bales were heavy and had to be stacked neatly on the trailer, hauled to the barn, then hoisted off the trailer to be stacked neatly in the hay barn. My sisters and I, who were of small stature, loaded the square bales onto the trailer. If a bale was extra heavy, it took two of us to get the job done. My Poppa stacked, our little brother drove the tractor, Nanny Swann was cooking, and Mom and Dad were at their day jobs.
At school that day, this cute boy whom I had my eye on finally got up the nerve to ask me if we could do something together after school. I hemmed and hawed around because I was shy about telling him I had to work on the farm. I was conflicted but realized if I said no that he may not ask me again. So, I said, “I really want to, but I have to haul hay when I get home.” He thought about that for a minute and said, “I’ll come help you.” So, we had an extra hand in the hayfield. Poppa was testing this young man’s mettle and put him to stacking hay on the trailer and stacking it in the barn. It was hot and dusty work. We finished much quicker than usual. My Poppa was smiling ear to ear- something he never did in the hayfield. David Standridge won my entire family over in the hayfield that day!
When we got engaged, David’s mom reminded him of a conversation she had with him when he was five years old, and I was four. When we were much younger, our dads worked together. Our families would share a meal sometimes. The grownups would visit, and we children would play outside. As we Swanns girls were leaving the Standridge home, David and his mom, Pat, were watching us walk to the car from their window. Pat told David, “When you grow up, son, pick out one of those three girls and marry her.” David and I have been married for 44 years.
-Danna Standridge, Author of Happiness is Homemade Y’all! For speaking engagements and cooking demonstrations, email [email protected]. Join her in the kitchen on Facebook @DannaSwannStandridge and YouTube @dannastandridge8749.
