Next Door Neighbor

This is the home of Christopher Kupris, my next door neighbor and former owner of my farm. He and his sisters were born in this house, which dates back to the original owners of the farm in the early 1800's. We are supposed to have dibs on this house when it is sold, although I am not sure how it works. How do you put a claim on someone's home? He worked this farm all his life, with 100 cows in the barn to milk day and night. I can't fathom the work. I think I am stretched to the limit sometimes, but I don't think I could do dairy farming. Stories abound why he went out of business, but whatever happened he deserves to rest and be happy wherever he wants to live. People sometimes say to me, "Why is he still here?" I answer, because this is his home, and this is where he spent his life, and I guess he wants to be here, so why shouldn't he be here???? Chris told us he didn't get a penny out of this farm. He works at Wal-Mart now and seems to enjoy it. His two sisters, Sister Grace and Sister Bernadette come to the farm from their respective convents at Christmas and in the summer. They garden and chase my dogs and cats back to the barn. We are good friends and I enjoy the many stories of life on the farm. An order of Franciscan Sisters visited their church and recruited the young sisters back in the 1960's. They tell me the church got them out from under cows. The Sisters put the roof on my barn, three nails in every sheet of metal. They cut and planted every fence post. There are many heartbreaking stories, like the prize heifer their mother bought. $500 was a fortune for them and the cow was dead in the stall the next morning. Or the new mother who had a terrible time delivering a 60 pound calf. Chris carried the calf out to be sold and the mother was so grief stricken she had a heart attack. Chris says animals have souls - he knows it to be true. So do I.