8-19-08...BATH DAYS
I've already mentioned that it was difficult for us to have much more than a pan bath in the winter. But in the hot summer we got a good tub bath every evening. If it had rained we had water in the rain barrell sitting at the eve of the house. Late evenings that water would be nice and sun heated. Mama dipped it out into a NO.3 wash tub and there you have it. Other days if the barrell was empty she drew the water from the well and put in that tub. The tub was placed where the sun was on it almost all day. When daddy came home he and Mama carried the tub behind the house for our baths. Most times there were bugs, leafs from trees, and trash in the tub. We just dipped them out and got in. Boys one house girls the other house. Quiet a production. HUH? Just so happens that I was terrified of frogs, still am! Now I dont know if that frog jumped in there or someone put it there but what I do know is I didn't see it in the dusky evening light. Brenda and I crawled in and guess where I sat down. YEP!! ON THE FROG!! Brenda wasn't afraid of them but when I reached down to see what was under me, I picked up that blasted frog and the race was on!!!! I slung the frog but it landed in Brenda's lap and she thought it was a snake, and the muffins hit the fan big time. We were both struggling and sloshing around with very little room to do so. I wanted out, Brenda wanted out and neither of us were making any progress. Brenda get out of my way, You get out of MY way, I can't, I can't either. We started screaming and throwing our arms around then and we both later had a black eye that we were kinda' prowd of. Battle scars ya know. But right now we wanted out away from that frog/snake. We succeded (though I'll never know how) in turning that tub over. I guess ya think we were out now, RIGHT? WRONG!! When my Mama and Daddy got there we were UNDER THE TUB. And the frog/snake was under there with us. We were really moving then and that ol' tub had the dents to prove it. Daddy moved the tub and very quickly turned his head.(yes we were taught not to undress, raise our dresses and show our panties in front of anyone but our Mamas. We weren't uneducated) We heard Daddy and Mama laughing and Boy were we mad. The cat even came out in Brenda that time. It ain't funny! There's a frog/snake in there we said at the same time. It just ain't one bit funny!!! ( still aint funny to me) HE HE! Well of course they had seen that poor ol frog limping away as fast as his little hurt hopper could carry him. Mama got our towels off the fence and wrapped us up. Daddy carried me and Mama carried Brenda inside the house and Mama helped us get in our jammies. She kept telling us it was only a little frog and it was gone. It was hard to get us quietened down and in bed. We made Daddy look under and in the bed for frogs/snakes. He told us a story about a brave little Princess, Mama got us a cookie and we were set. But, Hey, I can still feel that frog in my hand and I think Brenda is still about half convinced that it was a snake. We never enjoyed those baths as much after that either. But we grew up in that wonderful invironment amoung all those loving wonderful people and I feel so blessed today by those growing up days. We were happy and content and loved greatly. YEP!!! WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES. SURE NUFF!! GOOD OL' DAYS
