This book is a collection of true stories that happened in the life of the author Del Hart on a dairy farm in Central Pennsylvania. After Del was blessed with his own children, he would often lie with one of them in bed at bedtime and tell these stories loud enough in order that all four children could hear in the adjoining bedrooms before they went to sleep.
All the stories deal with Dels family. His family consisted of his mom and dad, Judy, Rod, his twin sister Deb, and Matthew. Judy was three years older than Del, and Rod was one year older. Matthew was born fourteen years later than his other brothers and sisters. For this reason, Matthew is not mentioned in many of the stories. Even though the stories occur at different times in Dels early life, they all begin with the same sentence. Dels children loved this group of words and would often start the story by reciting this sentence. Their dad would then choose a story, from memory, and finish it.
Dels children, Leah, Thomas, Lydia, and Timothy, heard one story each night and, in time, heard these stories many times. However, Picking Up Pears, The Bees Nest and Debs Shoe, and The Cow Story were some of their favorites.
Del would like to thank his children for the special times he shared with them during these bedtime stories. The stories you are about to read have all been heard by Dels children many times. Del hopes that you will enjoy these stories as his children did.
