5-9-09...MOVING WITH DADDY
Daddy worked in a coal mine and had to go over to the next state to work. Now and then we would all pack up and move with him so we could be together. It was not easy on any of us. Norman was too small to mind much but I always hated the school. I never could make friends there. I don't know if they just didn't like me or if it was just that I was different but I always felt lonely. I just missed everything about being away from my home. I did love being with my Daddy though so I don't remember ever complaining.
When we moved we just left our house in Arkansas unlocked. I saw something that Mama called a skeleton key once but it was never used. In fact I remember the lock was not even usable. No need to worry though no one would bother a thing. That is hard to believe isn't it? Especially for some of you that are younger. I don't know how it was in bigger places but where I lived no one locked a door, Ever!
In Oklahoma we always lived in an apartment on the second floor. Daddies room he shared with other miners was on the third floor. No refer, but we had running water. Also we had a bathroom with a real big bathtub in it. It was at the end of the courier and four apartments used it. Even so we thought that was neat. My Brother was four when he went in the bathroom. I was waiting outside the door for him. Norman locked the door which he had been told never to do because it was very hard to unlock. He locked it and of course couldn't get it open. Oh My Gosh! When he wanted out of course he was locked in and scared. He started screaming. I was trying to open the door and of course couldn't.. I ran back just a few steps to our apartment hollering at Mama. Mama and two other women came out of their apartments. Everyone tried to get Norman to quieten down and unlatch the door. But of course that didn't happen.
No elevators in that building or any other building at that time. One of the women ran down two flights of stairs to get the janitor.
Now let me tell you about that janitor. He was old and slow. He licked his tongue out and in constantly and some mean people called him snake because of that habit. He didn't mind though and would even answer to the name. He was all bent over and Daddy always said a strong wind would blow him down. That was probably not far from the fact either.
It seemed like hours before he got there. Probably wasn't that long but it was a long time. Of course he didn't bring any tools and I was sent back down to ask the lady manager for his little tool belt. I lugged it back up there as fast as I could, which I suspect was faster that any of the ladies or that old man.
He took the door down to get Norman out. Poor little boy had cried till he was vomiting on the floor. When I saw my little Brother crying I started crying. Mama was crying and one of the other ladies was crying. Mama said much later that she saw the poor old man wiping tears too.
Norman finally settled a little bit and stopped crying. Mama rocked him and sang to him while I stayed nearby. I remember being really worried about my little Brother. After he went to sleep he snuffed in his sleep. Mama held him all evening while he slept. I laid down on the floor in front of her and went to sleep too.
After all these years I still get teary eyed thinking about this. I'm sure Mama did many times too. I doubt that Norman even remembers it.
We stayed with Daddy until Summer and always went home for the Summer so Daddy could raise his garden. My Parents had a rough time back then but they loved us enough that we didn't ever know how hard it was. Thank you Mama and Daddy!!!!!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
ABOUT MY BLOGS
5-5-09...ABOUT MY BLOGS
Hello friends, To any of you who have read and enjoyed reading my blogs I wanted to tell you that I have compiled them in to three books. The last one has just been released and is for sale. I put a lot in to these books and I did it for friends and family. It all started right here on The Hill. Thank you all for making this possible for me. Clydene
BITS OF MY LIFE: Southern Charm and attitude
Hello friends, To any of you who have read and enjoyed reading my blogs I wanted to tell you that I have compiled them in to three books. The last one has just been released and is for sale. I put a lot in to these books and I did it for friends and family. It all started right here on The Hill. Thank you all for making this possible for me. Clydene
BITS OF MY LIFE: Southern Charm and attitude
LITTLE LOST BIRD
5-4-09...LITTLE LOST BIRD
I have a finch feeder hanging on the eave of my house. It is hanging close to the window right in front of my chair. I love to watch the birds. Not only finches but all wild birds come to feed. I have a pair of Cardinals that eat side by side along with the little finches. The finches are gray and drab in the winter but in the spring they are colorful. Blue, red, yellow. I have squirrel feeders hanging in trees around my house and the squirrels never bother the bird feeders. I also have hummingbird feeders.
As I was watching the birds four mornings ago it was pouring down rain. The feeder is mostly in the dry. A little bird lit on the perch that I had never seen before. He was a pitiful sight. Looked like he was almost drowned. He sat there trembling and holding his wings out to dry. He really looked so bad I was afraid he would fall off the perch. I thought to myself that another bird would come and run the poor little thing off. I didn't know what to do for the little thing. He sat there until he began to dry and started fluffing his feathers. That ugly wet bird turned into a beautiful sight. His belly was snow white, his neck was red, his back was a bluish black with white feathers. I have never seen a bird like it as it is not a common one here.
There is no telling where that bird came from. No telling how many miles he had flown in that pouring rain. I felt so sorry for him. He ate his fill then he was gone. Amazingly the other birds let him eat. They wouldn't eat with him. They would fly up there but never perch. I'm sure they didn't recognize the bird either.
I got my bird book and tried to find a picture of him but never found one. I got on the INTERNET but no luck there either. Oh well I thought, I hope he is all right and gets where he is going.
The next morning there he was again. He still looked puny but he ate his fill and was gone again. He came back again three mornings in a row. Yesterday morning he looked good and chipper. He ate and as he sat on the perch he looked me right in the eye. I didn't move because I didn't want to scare him. It lasted only a few seconds and he was again gone. He didn't come this morning and I miss him. I think he stayed here long enough to recuperate so he could go on to his destination. I don't know why I didn't take a picture of him while he sat there daily eating. I wish I had because I had gotten attached to that little bird. It isn't raining today so I guess he took advantage of it to travel on. When he looked me in the eye I choose to think he was saying Thank You Kind Lady. Well You are welcome you beautiful creature. Come back anytime!!
I have a finch feeder hanging on the eave of my house. It is hanging close to the window right in front of my chair. I love to watch the birds. Not only finches but all wild birds come to feed. I have a pair of Cardinals that eat side by side along with the little finches. The finches are gray and drab in the winter but in the spring they are colorful. Blue, red, yellow. I have squirrel feeders hanging in trees around my house and the squirrels never bother the bird feeders. I also have hummingbird feeders.
As I was watching the birds four mornings ago it was pouring down rain. The feeder is mostly in the dry. A little bird lit on the perch that I had never seen before. He was a pitiful sight. Looked like he was almost drowned. He sat there trembling and holding his wings out to dry. He really looked so bad I was afraid he would fall off the perch. I thought to myself that another bird would come and run the poor little thing off. I didn't know what to do for the little thing. He sat there until he began to dry and started fluffing his feathers. That ugly wet bird turned into a beautiful sight. His belly was snow white, his neck was red, his back was a bluish black with white feathers. I have never seen a bird like it as it is not a common one here.
There is no telling where that bird came from. No telling how many miles he had flown in that pouring rain. I felt so sorry for him. He ate his fill then he was gone. Amazingly the other birds let him eat. They wouldn't eat with him. They would fly up there but never perch. I'm sure they didn't recognize the bird either.
I got my bird book and tried to find a picture of him but never found one. I got on the INTERNET but no luck there either. Oh well I thought, I hope he is all right and gets where he is going.
The next morning there he was again. He still looked puny but he ate his fill and was gone again. He came back again three mornings in a row. Yesterday morning he looked good and chipper. He ate and as he sat on the perch he looked me right in the eye. I didn't move because I didn't want to scare him. It lasted only a few seconds and he was again gone. He didn't come this morning and I miss him. I think he stayed here long enough to recuperate so he could go on to his destination. I don't know why I didn't take a picture of him while he sat there daily eating. I wish I had because I had gotten attached to that little bird. It isn't raining today so I guess he took advantage of it to travel on. When he looked me in the eye I choose to think he was saying Thank You Kind Lady. Well You are welcome you beautiful creature. Come back anytime!!
DREAMS ARE WHAT THEY ARE
5-2-09...DREAMS ARE WHAT THEY ARE
Did you ever get up with a dread that you didn't understand? Like you just know something bad is going to happen. Did you ever wake from a dream that you can't remember yet you feel frightened? That is the way I felt this morning when my eyes opened in the early morning. Still dark outside, still mysterious like something is lurking around. I raised up on my elbows to peer into the dimness of the room. Of course there was nothing there but I still wanted to pull the covers over my head and bury back down in the warmth and safety of my bed.Many times as a child these feelings would come on me. All I had to do then was cry out and one of my parents would be there. No one to call out to this morning but I called out anyway. I called out to God who is also always there.I remember falling off my bed as a child and being frightened. One night as I hit the floor and my eyes opened to total darkness I sure didn't have covers to pull over my head. Nothing there but the cold hard floor. I was up in a flash and tore out running through the house. Every step I took I imagined something was nipping at my heels viciously. Now My Daddy used to say that I kicked like a mule. You know backwards. Well I was running and kicking at the same time that night and must have been quiet a sight. I've seen a mule running and kicking and it is a funny sight indeed.Dreams are something that no one has ever really understood. Now some will say they do but I don't believe them.I've had dreams that I remembered vividly when I woke too. Those are indeed scary.A week before my Papa died I dreamed very clearly that I saw Papa floating down the Arkansas river in a red shirt. I just seemed to know in my heart that my Papa was gone. Not alive with us anymore. I was so frantic that I had to see him the next day to be assured he was still with us. He was! But a week later My Papa died. No he didn't die anywhere near the river. He was in a nursing home at the time. But Papa was gone just the same. A premonition? A vision? I don't know but I believe that God was preparing me for Papas death.Then when my Son was 16 and living with his Dad I worried about him so much that it was terrifying. I knew where he was just wasn't stable and safe. One night I awakened screaming. I had seen my Sons funeral. Every detail. I lay there in semi awakeness and lived through that horrible time. I called the next morning and checked on my Son. He was OK, Then. Just a few weeks later I got that dreaded call in the night. My son had been in a wreck and was in the hospital. I got up at midnight and went 300 miles to the hospital. My Son died three days later. He never regained conciousness. I never got to say good by. Again I believe God had prepared me for the most horrible event in my life.I have had many dreams like this. I don't feel they are supernatural or mysterious. dark or foreboding. They are simply Gos preparing us in advance for something that we may not be able to handle if it were an unexpected shock. That is all it can be. Other dreams that we don't remember or ones that are so outeageous to be believed are just not worth exploring now are they
Did you ever get up with a dread that you didn't understand? Like you just know something bad is going to happen. Did you ever wake from a dream that you can't remember yet you feel frightened? That is the way I felt this morning when my eyes opened in the early morning. Still dark outside, still mysterious like something is lurking around. I raised up on my elbows to peer into the dimness of the room. Of course there was nothing there but I still wanted to pull the covers over my head and bury back down in the warmth and safety of my bed.Many times as a child these feelings would come on me. All I had to do then was cry out and one of my parents would be there. No one to call out to this morning but I called out anyway. I called out to God who is also always there.I remember falling off my bed as a child and being frightened. One night as I hit the floor and my eyes opened to total darkness I sure didn't have covers to pull over my head. Nothing there but the cold hard floor. I was up in a flash and tore out running through the house. Every step I took I imagined something was nipping at my heels viciously. Now My Daddy used to say that I kicked like a mule. You know backwards. Well I was running and kicking at the same time that night and must have been quiet a sight. I've seen a mule running and kicking and it is a funny sight indeed.Dreams are something that no one has ever really understood. Now some will say they do but I don't believe them.I've had dreams that I remembered vividly when I woke too. Those are indeed scary.A week before my Papa died I dreamed very clearly that I saw Papa floating down the Arkansas river in a red shirt. I just seemed to know in my heart that my Papa was gone. Not alive with us anymore. I was so frantic that I had to see him the next day to be assured he was still with us. He was! But a week later My Papa died. No he didn't die anywhere near the river. He was in a nursing home at the time. But Papa was gone just the same. A premonition? A vision? I don't know but I believe that God was preparing me for Papas death.Then when my Son was 16 and living with his Dad I worried about him so much that it was terrifying. I knew where he was just wasn't stable and safe. One night I awakened screaming. I had seen my Sons funeral. Every detail. I lay there in semi awakeness and lived through that horrible time. I called the next morning and checked on my Son. He was OK, Then. Just a few weeks later I got that dreaded call in the night. My son had been in a wreck and was in the hospital. I got up at midnight and went 300 miles to the hospital. My Son died three days later. He never regained conciousness. I never got to say good by. Again I believe God had prepared me for the most horrible event in my life.I have had many dreams like this. I don't feel they are supernatural or mysterious. dark or foreboding. They are simply Gos preparing us in advance for something that we may not be able to handle if it were an unexpected shock. That is all it can be. Other dreams that we don't remember or ones that are so outeageous to be believed are just not worth exploring now are they
HIT THE FLOOR RUNNING
5-2-09...HIT THE FLOOR RUNNING
Getting out of bed has become more of a problem to me now that I'm older. I used to hit the floor running. Now just getting my eyes open is a chore. I awake and lay there with my eyes still closed for a while. My aches start right then. I have to flex my arm, leg, and yes even my brain muscles all the time knowing the actual rising up and moving is going to hurt. As I do this I force my eyes to open slowly peering into the room and over to the window. If it is sunshiny I think Oh Heck, It's going to be hot today. If it is cloudy or raining I think, Well heck I can't go out today so might as well lay back down for a spell. f it is cold I think Oh my this bed sure feels warm and comfy. It goes on and on that way for a while. Finally I decide I'd better just get up and be done with it.I Pray and Thank God that He has once again awakened me, I'm alive and I ask Him to guide my steps today and be by my side.Now I finally sit up and slowly swing my feet over the side of the bed. Now comes another struggle because I know I must put my feet on the floor and actually stand. Ohhh, Grunt, Groan, Ouch, My this hurts!Next thing is to get my glasses on my eyes so I can see where I'm going, get my robe on and stumble out to the kitchen. There I will find my coffee already brewed and ready unless I forgot to turn on the timer the night before. I pour my coffee and head to the bathroom. On the way I might run in to a door or two or step on a doggie toy that protests loudly with a squeak. It is then that I realize I have sometime during my trek indeed again closed my eyes to protest having to wake in the first place.I finally get to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face to assist the waking up. Then I dry my glasses after I discover I forgot to take them off before splashing the water on my face. I sit down on the toilet lid because I forgot to raise it.Once more I arise put my teeth in my mouth, run my hands through my hair and go back to the bedroom to retrieve my house slippers that I forgot to put on before. I stand looking lovingly down at the bed and contemplate crawling back in for a short nap. When the wisdom of not doing that finally hits my blurry brain I go on and get a new day started finally. In my younger days I would have already been dressed and about my business by now. GOOD GRIEF!!! Clydene
Getting out of bed has become more of a problem to me now that I'm older. I used to hit the floor running. Now just getting my eyes open is a chore. I awake and lay there with my eyes still closed for a while. My aches start right then. I have to flex my arm, leg, and yes even my brain muscles all the time knowing the actual rising up and moving is going to hurt. As I do this I force my eyes to open slowly peering into the room and over to the window. If it is sunshiny I think Oh Heck, It's going to be hot today. If it is cloudy or raining I think, Well heck I can't go out today so might as well lay back down for a spell. f it is cold I think Oh my this bed sure feels warm and comfy. It goes on and on that way for a while. Finally I decide I'd better just get up and be done with it.I Pray and Thank God that He has once again awakened me, I'm alive and I ask Him to guide my steps today and be by my side.Now I finally sit up and slowly swing my feet over the side of the bed. Now comes another struggle because I know I must put my feet on the floor and actually stand. Ohhh, Grunt, Groan, Ouch, My this hurts!Next thing is to get my glasses on my eyes so I can see where I'm going, get my robe on and stumble out to the kitchen. There I will find my coffee already brewed and ready unless I forgot to turn on the timer the night before. I pour my coffee and head to the bathroom. On the way I might run in to a door or two or step on a doggie toy that protests loudly with a squeak. It is then that I realize I have sometime during my trek indeed again closed my eyes to protest having to wake in the first place.I finally get to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face to assist the waking up. Then I dry my glasses after I discover I forgot to take them off before splashing the water on my face. I sit down on the toilet lid because I forgot to raise it.Once more I arise put my teeth in my mouth, run my hands through my hair and go back to the bedroom to retrieve my house slippers that I forgot to put on before. I stand looking lovingly down at the bed and contemplate crawling back in for a short nap. When the wisdom of not doing that finally hits my blurry brain I go on and get a new day started finally. In my younger days I would have already been dressed and about my business by now. GOOD GRIEF!!! Clydene
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