PETS AND THEIR POOP

1-31-10...PETS AND THEIR POOP

I have always had a dog. The only time I remember not having one was when I lived in town where you couldn't let your pets be free. You could only have 1 and it had to be penned. I had a little dog in the house but I also had an outside dog when we moved there. I had always lived in the country where my dog could run free and I just couldn't stand to pen her up. I left her with my Brother in-law in the country because I knew she would be so unhappy penned. My little dog was old and I had to have him put to sleep that winter.
Some little kittens showed up on my doorstep. I am not a cat person I've always preferred dogs but they were cute and I decided to feed them and claim them. I hadn't heartd of any ordinance on cats but to have appropiate shots.
Now My neighbors who lived almost at my back door had two dogs which they kept penned. NO Problem until I noticed that she came home from work every evening and let her dogs out for exercise. Of course there was no way that they wouldn't get in my yard which I didn't mind at all till I started stepping in poop right in front of my steps. I knew she couldn't do anything about the pooping but I saw her cleaning it up in her yard and the pen so I mentioned to her that they werepooping on me too. If we were going to be friends that put a stop to that. She didn't pick up the poop at my house and said it wasn't her dogs that did it so it kept up and I picked it up or stepped in it (even though I had seen her dog do it several times). . Whichever came first. We lived up on a hill that had a vacant area down in front so I threw the poop down there even though I wanted to deposit it on her steps.
Now back to the kittens. They started sitting on her porch in the evening where she had a rug. I saw her kicking them several times and I was beginning to steam at the mouth trying to keep quiet. One night we had company and we were all in the kitchen eating and visiting when there was a knock on our door. I went to the door and she stood there with one cat in each hane. She tossed them inside my door and said, “Keep these cats in the house and off my porch”. Ok now I've had enough of this crap so I said, “Keep your dogs in the house and don't let them poop at my steps anymore”. Oh My goodness. This would probably have been an all out war except that I never saw poop again and I gave the kittens to my Preachers kids. I never saw her pick up the poop but I did notice that she made sure her dogs were in the front yard from then on. Why didn't she do that in the first place I don't know. In her front yard they had a big area to run and poop. GOOD GRIEF!!

AN ARKANSAS SNOW FALL

CLYDENE'S BEAUTIFUL SNOWY BIG VALLEY

MY SOAP BOX FOR TODAY

1-29-10...MY SOAP BOX FOR TODAY!

Conceit is thinking more highly of yourself & your acompolishments than anyone else does and then trying to push those things or thoughts on everyone. It is not recognizing what others think about you because you think you are above it. I have met a lot of these conceited people. When I was asked just what I considered conceited I looked up the meaning in my Websters dictionary just to be sure and it went along with what I thought it was.

There is someone in my life right now that matches all the definitions of conceited. They never make a mistake and if they do they will never admit it. Telling them of a mistake brings their fangs out. How dare I persume to say they made a mistake. Why That is unheard of.

No one is an Iland or an enity unto themselves. I need all my friends to point out my mistakes and shortcomings in a loving manner. Constructive critism should be accepted and we should be thankful for it. But to attempt to advise a conceited person is like whistling against the wind.

Once upon a time there was a mistake
So silly so small
That no one would even have noticed it

It couldn't bear
To see itself to hear of itself

It invented all manner of things
Just to prove
That it didn't really exist

It invented space
To put its proofs in
And time to keep its proofs
And the world to see its proofs

All it invented
Was not so silly
Nor so small
But was of course mistaken

Could it have been otherwise?TEE HEE How'd You like my poem?

OK I'm through with this soap box. Wanna Borrow it??

REMEMBER LIGHTENING BUGS

1-28-10...Remember Lightening Bugs

called fire flies now I think. Lightening bugs to me.
A lightening bug is a wonder really. A little bug that flies around flashing that light from their tail. They are beautiful aren't they. We didn't have much to do when we were growing up and 'catchin' lightenin' bugs was something that would suffice for one whole evening now and then. When Daddy first pointed them out to me I was very young. I was so facinated with them. I'd go running through the yard with my bare feet at dusk swinging my arms through the lightening bugs. I was in to Cinderella then and I pretended I was a Princess and the bugs were lighting my way. To where I don't know but it was magical.
I don't know when we got the idea to catch them in a jar but indeed we did. Mamma gave Brenda and I a jar and Norman and Paul loved to help big sisters fill their jar. We had asked Mamma several times if we could put a lid on the jar and bring it in. We wanted to sit it beside our bed at night and watch them light up. Mamma was not too fond of that idea. She told us that would be mean because the Lightening bugs wanted to be free and they would die in the jar. We gave every argument we could come up with but Mamma would not budge, it was definitely NO.
Well one night we sneaked a jar of bugs in the house and hid them under the bed till Mamma went to bed. Well of course we did, didn't you know we would??
As soon as Mamma and Daddy were in bed we took the jar out and lay there in the bed watching them. We got a very close look at those bugs. We had punched holes in the lid. The bugs got to acting slugish. I said, “Brenda they can't breathe in there, they're gonna' die”. “Yes they can Clydene”. “No they can't Brenda they are dying. We gotta give them some air”. “How will we do that? Brenda asked. “Well we will just losen the lid a little bit”. Which we proceeded to do. YEP! Trouble with that we both had our hand on the jar and that dang lid went flying to the floor. Clickety, Clack a few times and Mamma said, “What was that? You girls be quiet and go to sleep”. “Oh my gosh Brenda look what you did”. “You did it Clydene, you shouda' left it alone”. Back and forth with this and we weren't even paying attention to the bugs flying out of the upside down jar. Nope, didn't notice that till we heard Mamma say, “What are you two doing in there”. We could tell she was on her way as she spoke. That's when we saw them darn bugs flying all around the room. Just as Mamma came through the door some of them dang bugs flew right by her head. “You Two Better, What in the world is that, Oh my Gosh I told you to never bring those things in the house”. You talk about scrambling around now we were doing it for about the next two hours catching them bugs. Daddy was up, Norman was up, and we were really catching bugs. I got tickled. Oh Good Grief, I got riproarin tickled. Giggle giggle, whopee, hurry up Brenda, giggle giggle. Brenda caught the giggles next, then Norman. GIGGLE GIGGLE!!! Mamma said, “I don't see any thing to giggle about girls, you two are,---GIGGLE GIGGLE GIGGLE. That was Daddy. “Clyde this sure nuff aint--- Giggle giggle giggle. That was Mamma. After she started giggling she was still trying to tell us what for between giggles. Daddy , Norman, Brenda, anmd I couldn't stop. We were having a ball. Finally Mamma gave in to side splittin' giggling too.
Well we were seeing lightening bugs for days to come let me tell you. Mamma said we'd better just get all those things out of the house. So at night I would see a little bug lighting up and up I'd get and chase it down. We all did that for a long time it seemed to me. Every time I caught one I got the giggles again but from then on I laughed alone and Mamma would tell me the laughing was over while trying to hide her smile. What a wonderful Family, Thanks For The Memories!!!

MORNING THINGS

1-28-10...MORNING THINGS

MORNING THINGS
I Saw the sun this morning in it's glory rising.

It has come to take the moon's place on yonder hill's horizon.

I saw a baby calf in the Meadow, a few hours old at most.

The early sunlight beamed on him standing, wobbly by a fence post.

In wonder I beheld, a dewdrop on a rose, shining in early light.

I smelled the fragrance in the air, saw a whippoorwill in flight.

These magical things of morning are there for everyone. So we should all enjoy it, It comes from God and His Son

One morning when I was about four I tagged along behind Daddy as he fed animals in the early dawn. Sun was coming up all pink and purple and fiery. This little colt had just been born and it's Mamma was cleaning her off. She was wobbling around and trying to get to breakfast but Mamma wanted her baby's face and hands clean for breakfast. (kind of like my Mamma was)
There were wild roses growing on the fence and they also sparkled with dew drops.
And that elusive Whipporwill that we hear but seldom see flew out of a bush. His eyes shined in the light just like a cats or a dog would.
Years later when I was away from my beloved home and couldn't get back I remembered this scene and wrote this poem. It was published in my Poetry book called From My Heart and available on Amazon. I am remembering that morning on this cold drab morning to remind me there will be sushine as well as rain.

TRIBUTE TO FRIDA

1-26-10...TRIBUTE TO FRIDA

She said, "Can we always be friends"?
I said. "Of course we can".
But as the days came and went,
that was not to be the plan.
We had a fun filled summer,
my best friend and me.
We knew she'd leave come Fall,
but for now our days were free.
It never once crossed our minds
Frida's life was almost done.
We skipped through days on end
having so much fun.
Making fudge and playing records
at her place or at mine.
Thinking as young ones do
there was always so much time.
Sometime bout July
on a hot southern day
something trivial happened
I said, "Wish you'd go away!"
We'd had just a little spat
shouldn't of meant so much.
But for the rest of that summer
we never were in touch.
Her parents picked her up one day,
we never said good by.
Still miffed and acting stupid
I let that day go by.
The next day we got the news
of speeding cars on up the way
Frida's family didn't make it
they all passed away.
They never had a chance
That's what my Mamma said.
Frida would never come back
her whole family was dead.
Mamma had always told me
never go to sleep mad.
Now I understood why, that was so bad.
I'll never forget Frida, She's still there in my heart.
She has a special place now, where we'll never be apart.

FASHION SHOW

1-24-10...MY FASHION SHOW

I got up at 5:30 this morning. I woke and couldn't go back to sleep so just got up and turned my coffee on. I thought , well I have plenty of time to get ready for Church so I can just relax with my coffee for a while. I was feeling good about this since I usually can't seem to get myself ready any more without scurrying around like a lost goose.
Before I knew it I had dwaddled around till I was going to have to hurry to get there on time. Now let me tell you my hurrying days are long gone. They left town around the age of 50. I couldn't see how in the world I had messed around from 5:30 AM till almost 8AM.
Well now I needed to get in high gear but I stripped that one about the time my hurrying days went south. I've only got low gear now and it needs fluid to go.
I started trying to get myself dressed. I always lay out my clothes when I'm going somewhere like that so I wont have to look for things. I had a brown velveteen skirt, beige sweater, and my brown brushed leather boots, slip, bra, the works laid out there in sequence to how I would put them on. I put runners in my last pair of good hose but that didn't matter, the skirt is long and they wont show. So far so good. Next came my slip then the skirt. Well in the first place that dang thing seemed to have shrunk a size. Good Grief! No problem I'll just zip it up and not button it at the top. I stepped in to it and pulled it up to my waist and proceeded to zip it up. Half way to the top it stuck and wouldn't go down or up. I got my pliers and forced that sucker on up. I turned to get my blouse and looked down at my belly hanging out of that skirt. Well good grief! That durn zipper is stripped out just like my brain is. I started to pull it down and the zipper catch was hung at the top. It was tight and there was no way I was gonna get that skirt down over my hips and belly. I got my scissors and proceeded to cut the blasted thing loose. Never seen such thick material in my life. I finally got myself chopped out of that thing and noticed that I had cut through the skirt and the slip. Good Gravy no wonder it was so hard to cut. I finally got out of that thing and started digging around for another skirt. I pulled out a red and black plaid skirt and put it on with no problem. I got my black boots to sub for the brown ones which I didn't think would match the skirt I had on. I put my blouse and my boots on and had to grab my things and run to the car.
By Golly I got there with 10 minutes to spare and there I was in my red & black skirt, brown patterned blouse and brown boots. No wait a minute, my brown boot and my black boot. I stood in the middle of the floor in the foyer and did a fashion show for a bunch of people. I strutted my stuff by golly. Turned around twice so they could get the full effect. They all burst out laughing and I was giggling till tears were running . Heck I wasn't gonna wait till somebody noticed my attire and thought I was just an old senile woman who didn't know the difference. Nope! I told my story and everyone got a laugh. Even a two year old little boy that had no idea what he was laughing about. They all know me well and one girl asked me if I really didn't know how I was dressed. Heck no Honey I really didn't. NOPE

SENIOR CITIZEN

1-23-10...SENIORS'?

You can call me a senior citizen if you'd like. I'll even be glad to take all your senior discounts and anything else that comes with the honor. But honey just remember, I aint so old that I can't spot a phoney or someone trying to take advantage of me. You aint' a gonna rip this senior off. GOT IT??
Why in the world do these young people think we seniors are a bunch of dummies sitting around drooling and clacking our teeth? We've been there done that and passed it all by. Experience has taught us a thing or two and we've seen more than you may ever see because the world is fast changing. Everyone is becoming like a robot that some big person up in a high rise somewhere has the control. We seniors had to rely on our own good sense, brawn, and grit to get by. We didn't have internet, cell phones or even any phone to make big deals. In fact we used the sweat of our brow and the strength of our backs to get us by. We didn't ask for bail out money. If we made our bed we laid in the cotton picking thing till we could get ourselves out of it.
If it aint broke don't fix it, if it sounds too good to be true, It Is! We learned all this from experience. Why do people think only seniors are gullible to get rich schemes and greedy crooks with their hand out and their pinchers clicking. Honey it is the younger generation who are losing their shirts to these things. They invest in everything that comes along and lose because they are greedy. Guess who they run to for help and advice when they've lost their pants. Yep you got it, They come running to us doddering old fools who are sitting here with our mouth's open and our chairs rocking. Now who is the smart one I ask? If we don't give freely they try to take it by any means at their disposal.
Oh how I wish that the young generation of today had had the chance to experience life where you never locked your doors, your money was in your pocket, and a handshake was a binding contract for any kind of transaction.
We are still in there folks. No one took our brains and locked them away somewhere just because our backs are bent, we can't see as well, can't hear as well, and can't always walk a mile on a treadmill. We walked our miles down dirt roads and through woods a long time ago and that slow pace was more adept to learning how to live.
So don't look at this ol' gal with greed in your heart you just might get grit in your eyes. YEP!!

DRIVE INS AND CAR HOPS

1-21-10...DRIVE INS AND CAR HOPS

I remember a drive in here called Wimpy's. I didn't get to go much but oh how I loved it when I did. Kids my age congregated there, usually on Sunday evenings, and ordered a coke. Any kind of soft drink was called Coke then. If you ordered a Coke the car hop said what kind would you like. A big glass was 10 cents. When I had ten cents I ordered Cherry coke. Wimpy would put any flavor you wanted in your ten cent coke. Now if you were lucky and had a whole quarter you could get a Hamburger and a coke. I can still taste those old fashioned hamburgers. Believe me they are not the same now. You went inside and put a nickle in the jukebox and got to pick three songs. Yep, Sure nuff, three of them. Speakers mounted outside blasted, Don't Be Cruel, Hello Mary Lou, Lets do the Twist and many more. Sometimes a car load of kids would sit there for two or three hours just visiting. We would sometimes get out on the parking lot and Bop or twist our fannies off. Wouldn't take long for my fanny to be off now. Just one coke and sometimes a hamburger and we were set for a night or day of fun.
Wimpy was a silver haired gentleman with a handle bar mustache. He had a healthy head of hair too and sometimes I'd notice it in the lights and I thought it was so pretty. He was slightly bent. Very tall, and walked with a lurch. He was kind and fair but best of all he liked teenagers. I wonder what they would say about a man like that now. They don't dare to even look at a kid. Wimpy would sit in the Parking lot with us and laugh and giggle right along with us.
The boys all had some kind of exhaust pipe , I didn't think I'd ever forget what those were called. Straight Pipe?? Whatever, it was one pipe and it was loud. They would sometimes all get to reving, (is that what it is?) their engines, and talk about loud. We loved it but usually Wimpy would come out and say, “Take it down a notch or two Boys”. They always did it too. Wimpy was a sweet man but he took no backtalk from a bunch of teenagers.
That was the first thing I noticed when I moved back home was Wimpy's Drive in was still there. Only the building though, no bunch of teenaged kids having the time of their life in those cars made in the 50's. (Now those cars are another story) There is an insurance office in the building now but if you listen real good sometimes you can hear All Shook Up blasting out of a speaker and hear the laughter of a bunch of teenagers having a bunch of good clean fun. I swear You can. Yep!!

OUR FIRST TV

1-20-10...OUR FIRST TV

I was in the 9th grade in school before we got our first TV set. It was a Zenith. Daddy and Mamma got it at Vardamans Furniture store on time payments. They usually would not do that but Daddy said, "You kids don't ever get much and you never ask for much. I want you to have a TV set". There were others of course who had a TV but not us. In fact I had never seen but one in my life belonging to my Sunday School teacher. She took us to her house once and had a TV party.
The day we got the TV we were not expecting it. We got off the school bus and ran toward home. When we got closer we saw that big tall TV antenna standing up proudly on the roof of that old wonderful house. By George we knew what that was and what it meant. Whooppee!!! Norman hollered "We got us a TV, We shore nuff got one didn't we Sister?" "Yep I think we did Norman, come on lets hurry".
When we got in the house there stood Daddy and Mamma and of course Granny. They were just beaming. They were so proud that they could provide us with something that we desired so much but never aggravated them about. Daddy said once that was the reason he enjoyed so much being able to give us stuff. We took what we got and never complained because we couldn't have more.
We had been used to running out of anything to do, at least in the winter, at 8 or 8:30 and going to bed. That night we got to sit up till nine o'clock. What a treat. We got two channels and there was not always anything on either channel. I mean literally nothing just that pattern that they put up. I have sat and stared at that a long time thinking that any minute something would come on the screen. Mamma liked Ed Sullivan I think it was and Daddy liked Red Skelton. The whole station went off the air at 10:00 then. News was broadcast and that was it. The screen was not big like I have now, neither was it color but That was the most precious TV I ever saw. It was worth so much more than what it cost. We got so much enjoyment from it. The whole family together watching one thing on one TV.
As I look back I am wondering just how much My Parents had to sacrifice to give us that TV. I know it had to of been very hard for them to pay for. But pay for it they did. Daddy said "Kids always be honest and Pay your bills, If you have a job, JOB IT, and never try to cheat anyone or steal from them". Thank You Mamma and Daddy, I've always tried to live the way I saw you live and the way you taught me. I know Norman has too. I know you were and are Proud of us. Well we were and are proud of you too!!!!!!!

A GOOD NAME

1-19-10...A GOOD NAME

In my part of the world 'kin folks' stick together and if someone is lucky enough to be brought in to that circle then it was the same for them. Now we were not like the Hatfields and McCoys by any means but we defended what was ours. Still do. Kin was kin and most times whole neighborhoods fit in to that category.
WE were always very friendly and welcomed new comers but we kept a part of ourselves back in private till we learned we could trust them like 'kin'.
Hardly ever did we have anyone in our midst who didn't belong there but I remember one time when we did. Mamma and Daddy always welcomed anyone to our table and to our humble home. We always had someone in our house staying a spell. Cousins, Aunts ,Sisters etc. One day a young man showed up on our doorstep. He had an Army Uniform on and nothing else. I mean not a dad blamed thing, not even a penny in his pocket. He said he was on leave and that he was one of Daddy's distant cousins' son. I think Daddy knew that there was a rat in the meal but he let him stay. I can't remember his name but I remember him well. He never took a bath or even washed his hands and face. He was getting raunchy with the same clothes on day in and day out. Mamma tried to get him to wear something of Daddy's just long enough for him to take a bath and for her to wash those stinking clothes. You talk about body odor, now that was straight from the body I'm here to tell you.
He refused to take that uniform off and it was rotten right along with the rest of him. He slept in it and at first he slept with Norman but Mamma finally declared her 'Baby' was not going to sleep with a stinking thing like that. Therefore Norman slept on the floor.
Mamma had finally come to her wits end and told him flat out to either take a bath or stay out in the barn. He didn't take a bath and he didn't stay out in the barn because he was picked up that evening and hauled off by the most scary three men I had ever seen in my life. Daddy said, “He's going to the brigs because he was AWOL”.
Come to find out he wasn't a bit of kin to us but he had met someone who told him how welcoming my parents were so when he took off from his base he headed straight for our house.
Later that evening after Mamma got all the stinch out of the house and we were all in the front room Daddy said,”Kids A good name means a lot in this world. You two have a good name and I'm trusting you to keep it that way”. I didn't really understand that then but later I did. To have a complete stranger hear about the Thomas' several hundred miles away and to make a beline to our home when he was in trouble. Now that is something that is not taken lightly. It would have just been nice if the one that came to us for help was not a runaway from the military, and if he would have just not stunk up our house like he did. Nothing worse than odor from a dirty body. NOPE!

THINGS ARE SO DIFFERENT

1-18-10...THINGS ARE SO DIFFERENT

Things are different here in the country, there is just no getting around it. I've lived in big cities, medium sized cities, and small towns. It is just different down where I grew up. Of course the fact that I grew up in the 50's makes a big difference. Also the fact that I grew up poor as a church mouse, (whatever that means) makes the biggest difference I suppose.

Kids today don't know how good they have got it. Most of them either don't believe, or can't comprehend how it was then. When they get up in their warm homes, go to the heated modern bathroom, ride in a warm vehicle to a warm modern school, that is all they've ever known. In the hot weather it is the same. They never have to be hot unless they choose to. There was no relief anywhere for us. I think I am lucky really for having experienced both worlds. I guess I take these things for granted also at times but all I have to do is think back a few years to know the difference.

One morning I was up getting ready to catch the bus to school. The house was extra cold that morning because the gas pressure had gone down so low there was hardly any flame in the stove. Mamma had to cook on that little bit of heat and it took longer. She got up a lot earlier to do it because she knew the pressure was down during the night.

There was snow on the ground and Daddy had already left for the coal mine where he worked long before daylight. Norman was two and he got up out of his warm bed and wanted breakfast. He didn't understand of course that I needed to eat so I could catch the bus to school. I was also whining because I was cold I guess. At six I was learning the way of things but that morning it was just too much. Poor Mamma, I remember her standing there at the stove with Norman and I both complaining. How horrible that had to be for her.

I finally got my warm oatmeal and Mamma bundled me up. I started off to the bus stop which was about the same as two city blocks now. No phones or even announcements on the radio then to let us know there was no school that day because of the snow.

Brenda was not there but she was always late so at first I didn't pay much attention to that. She was sick that day and never came. Problem was neither did the bus come.

I don't know how long I stood there waiting but I suspect it wasn't long till I went back home. My shoes were caked with snow. I took them off on the porch and went in to the little stove with not much heat still. I took my socks off and sat in front of the stove with my feet close. It hurt and I started crying. Mamma put Norman down and wrapped my feet in towels. My feet had frost bite on them. No going to a Dr. I was taken care of right then and there, that was the way of it. I don't remember what all she did but I remember warm water and towels. My heels turned white a few days later and finally peeled off. It wasn't a fun ordeal for any of us but that was the way of it then. We took care the best we could and we did OK.

That is just one of the many things that were different then. It was never easy but it was what we knew so that was that. I can't help but think that young people and kids now have missed a lot by not experiencing some of the things we did. They don't have any reason to appreciate what they have because they've never known any other way. I think that is Sad

Clydene at home with Moses

THE PIG TRAIL

1-14-10...THE PIG TRAIL

called this because our state mascot is the big red razorback pig
Talk about a difference in people based on where and how they were raised. A stretch of road called The Pig Trail, (yes it is, I'm not making that up) winds up a very crooked and hilly area just up the road from me. Now it is paved nicely. There is a Lodge on the top that is beautiful and draws people from all over the USA. I went there twice to a Ladies retreat. The Pig Trail is the only way to get in there.
There is a big body of water that runs through there and lots of off roads that are made for two wheelers and people going to the water. Well recently because of so much rain in the area the Pig Trail caved off about nine miles above my home. They had to close that stretch of road for repairs. Man what a wasp nest this knocked down from out of town travelers. They come up here in their fancy cars. Fancy cars are Ok but not for the outer parts of the Pig trail. Most of these fancy cars have GPS trackers in their cars to help them get where they are going. When the road got closed there were signs saying a detour was ahead. Well these people not knowing our area and especially not knowing the Pig Trail relied on their GPS's or whatever they are called instead of the detour laid out for them.. (Someone can correct me if I'm wrong on what those things are called). I guess those things are really nice to have for traveling and give the best routes to take. HEY now those smart devices don't know a dang thing about the roads leading off the Pig Trail. Some of them aren't even roads but glorified paths through the woods.
My Gosh our local Sheriff's Department has been about worked to death rescuing people from the "roads" that their devices sent them on. One drove right off in a big slush pit where the two wheelers ride. One drove on to one of those glorified paths and very quickly got lost and stuck in a narrow and low spot. Heck when the rain was producing flash floods a bunch of them had to spend the night on top of a rest room, (glorified privy) and were rescued the next day. If they happen to have working cell phones and reach 911 they don't know where the heck they are so they can tell the rescuers. Phone companies have been asked to locate the ping from the phone and point the rescuers in the right direction.
Part of the road was reopened yesterday morning but three more people were rescued this morning out of a gully they drove in to.
I have been having a ball keeping up with the news about where some of those GPS's take people. It is down right funny to me and no one has been hurt so far. I sure hope there are no bad results from this but people need to learn that in some places they better listen to a human who knows and not go off half cocked on a glorified road or path. Sign after sign directs them to use the marked detours. Why do some people not know that a human mind is often preferred over a machine. And why in the heck can't people follow directions? I guess they know I need some giggles. TEE HEE YEP!!

PATIENCE???

1-13-10...PATIENCE???

Patience is a virtue they say but I sure don't have much of it sometimes. Presistance is the one I am better at. You know, If at first you don't succeed try, try, again. Yeaw, sure. If at first I don't succeed I get flustered, if the second time I still don't succeed I get a full blown case of presistance by golly.
I have lots of evidence of that too. Some very recent. I get rip roaring headaches sometimes through no one fault but my own.
I was mad as an old wet hen one day at my husband. I was trying to make up my bed and I was thinking I'd like to kick his pants. I kicked my foot out pretending I was kicking the snot out of him and my foot came in contact with the bed rail. OMG!!! I thought for sure I had broken my foot but it turned out just a toe was damaged. My little pinkie turned black by the next day and swelled up till I couldn't get a sock on much less a shoe. Pain pills please!!
Then there was the time I was hurrying to chase him down so I could give him a big piece of my mind and ran smack dab in to the door as he shut it. BIG TIME HEADACHE. Pill time headache.
I was using my electric mixer one day whipping up chocolate cake batter when he said I was making so much noise he couldn't hear the TV. I raised up my hand to lay down the law to him. Thing was I still had the mixer in that hand and it was still running. Chocolate batter all over me and everything else. Hey, has anybody got any potent pain pills handy?
If he complains about something that I have done my best at and says , "Mamma never did it that way", now that's coming completely unglued time, killing a man time, the worst headache I ever had time, give me a whole bottle of them darn pills time!!!
Hey, Now I know why I have so many headaches. Anyone got any suggestions?

PROGRESS?? NOPE!

1-9-10...PROGRESS?? NOPE!

As I sit here feeling sorry for myself this morning over frozen water pipes I started looking back to my childhood when there was no water in the house ever. No bathroom or bathtub to worry about freezing up. The pot was still out back in a little shanty of sorts that my Daddy built with a seat with a hole in it and a dug out spot underneath. The well was still out there to draw water from and it never froze up. If we couldn't get to town we had taters and onions under the house and meat in the smoke house. Then there was the kitchen pantry full of canned goods in quart jars that Mamma has harvested out of Daddy' garden and stood over a hot stove and pressure cooked them. Heck we had the whole thing taken care of right at our fingertips. We even had a bath tub in the back room. The water was heated on the kitchen stove and we were set to go.
Seems to me we were set up better then than we are now. I am at a loss this morning. Can't wash my dishes without water even with that shiny white dishwasher setting there. Can't take a bath, in fact can't even get me a drink of water. Can't flush the commode so must use a pot and carry it out in the cold to dump it just like I did back then. I guess it was just easier then because it was the way of things. At least we have a nice potty chair to set on. I'd hate to think about me getting down on those slop jars we used to use. I couldn't get in the old tub we used then either now that I think on it.
On cold frosty mornings like this one Mamma and Daddy were up getting prepared before they woke us. There would be warm water in the wash pan to wash our hands and face. The bucket beside the wash pan had water to drink There would be a hot breakfast on the table also. Heck we had it good then. Of course I know my Parents didn't have it as good as we did but at least they weren't absolutely shut down like I am now. The essentials were there just like any other morning and no frozen pipes. Progress? Heck this Morning I'm not liking this darn progress one little bit. NOPE!!!

GRANDMA'S CROCK

1-7-10...GRANDMA'S CROCK

Grandma had two crocks with lids. They were about three gallon containers. She used them constantly. She made buttermilk, sour pickles, churned butter, made sauerkraut. When a hog was killed and the sausage was made she cooked patties and packed them in the crock with hog grease. They kept all winter. I know there were other things she used them for but you get what I'm saying. The crock was essential to our survival it seemed.
I loved those sour pickles, and I mean they were sour. I would remove the lid and fish out a big pickle and munch on it. My mouth is puckering now just thinking of those good pickles.
But you know me. I couldn't do anything without making mischief and I almost really messed up one evening. Brenda was there and the two of us could get in messes together that would never happen with just one of us. We were not supposed to put our hands down in the crock at all. There was a slotted spoon for that. But of course we did just what we were not to do. Not being satisfied to go one at a time we both soused our arms up to our boney little elbows in those pickles. But that was not even the worst of it. We both seized on the same big pickle at the same time. Yep, no one but us could have done that. We were both stubborn too so we both hung on for all our mite. Neither of us would turn the pickle loose to take our hand out and both would not come out at the same time. We kept messing around till we turned that blasted thing over. Good Grief Brenda now you done it and I'm tellin' too. No you done it. After we carried that on for a while we finally decided that we were in for it unless we could do something fast. Well heck fire all of them didn't spill so we just picked um up and put the suckers back in the crock. Yep we did!! We set that crock up and noticed that a lot of the water spilt out too so we got some water and poured in. I saw Grandma put salt in there so we got some salt and poured a bunch in. Heck no one will ever know the difference. Ha That's what we thought. First time Grandma opened the crock there on top was sticks and all kinds of trash. She took some pickles out in a bowl and brought them in. When we had supper someone took a bite of pickle and I guess it didn't taste good. The jig was up. No use in me not telling the whole story because everyone was looking at me and I knew they knew by golly. Grandma was upset and Mamma was past upset. It was tanning the hide time. Yep I heard Grandma say to Mamma later, Well I'm just glad they didn't break the crock. I think she saved most of the pickles too. Another near disaster was in the books. Oh My Gosh!!!!

LOVE IS WEALTH

1-7-10...LOVE IS WEALTH

WEALTH IS NOT VALUEABLE
BUT LOVE IS
It is brutally cold here today. The wind is blowing 35-40 MPH and the wind chill is supposedly at a dangerous level. It is just hard to stay warm. I am thinking about the house where I grew up. Very open and airy if you get my drift. As I set here in a good tight house and I'm cold I just can't imagine the winters in that wonderful house that was my home. We had lots of love but even though the song says it does, love don't keep you warm. I remember when Norman was small he slept in the bed with Mamma and I slept in the bed with Daddy because they were afraid we couldn't stay warm. The little heater was like a drop in a bucket when it came to heat but I guess it kept us from completely freezing to death.
On cold winter nights like this one will be we all slept together. Daddy set one of the iron beds up in front of that little stove and we all slept there. I remember how warm and safe I felt. There were very cold nights when the pressure would go down or the gas would freeze up. Daddy had to watch so the stove didn't come on and gas us. I don't imagine Daddy slept much most nights.
If you left a little bit of water in a container anywhere in the house it would freeze up tight. No way did we ever step out of the bed with bare feet like I do now. We were warned by our parents to never do that. Well of course you know 'miss try it or bust me', I did it one morning and there was frost on the floor. Never did that again.
Daddy had to go out before daylight and bring in water, slop the hog, feed the horse, cow, and chickens. I cry now to think of that dear sweet man having to do that. Mamma would carry Norman on her hip and cook breakfast. I can remember seeing her shaking from the cold. Years later after Daddy was gone Mamma had a nice snug apartment with central heat and air. She would often say, "Oh how I wish you kids could have had this growing up. Or I wish Clyde was here to enjoy this. After Norman and I were out on our own they were able to make some improvements on the old house but it was still old and was never perfect. I was so happy for them and so proud that they were my Parents. I told Mamma one day when she was wishing for us, "Mamma Norman and I had the very best of everything and we didn't have any reason to want for more. The way we grew up with Daddy and you in that wonderful house that was a home made us what we are today. I wouldn't have it any different". She cried when I said that just the way I am crying right now.

HOUSE vs HOME

1-6-10...WHAT MAKES A HOUSE A HOME

There are so many differences between a house and a home. A home has to be full of people but that's not enough. There has to be love, understanding, respect, closeness, etc.
I had a friend once who lived alone with her Mother. Her name was Pamela. She was beautiful. I was only 8 but I knew she was beautiful. Like a little China doll with clear blue eyes and beautiful curly blond hair. Pam always had money to spend at the school candy store. She had the most frilly beautiful clothes I had ever seen. And Pam had something else that was more important which was a loving spirit. Pam came home with me lots of evenings from school and spent the night, sometimes two or three nights. She loved to come to my home. I didn't really understand that because we didn't have a inside bathroom or any other of the conveniences that Pam had at her home. Pam lived in a big white house with tall pillars, a wrap around porch with big chairs and flowers all over. Her room inside that house was all pink and fluffy with stuffed animals and everything that a little girl could ever imagine wanting. Yet Pam wanted to be at my house. I was never at her home except for a few times. I didn't really understand why I wasn't invited.
One day Pam told me that she wanted me to come to her house after school. I told her that I couldn't go without asking first so I'd have to wait until the next day. Pam told me that she never had to ask, she just came when she wanted to and stayed as long as she wanted to. The next day Mamma said I could ride the school bus home with Pamela and stay a while and play but that I couldn't stay all night. She said my Daddy would come and get me before dark. I didn't really mind not getting to stay the night. The only place I wanted to stay the night was at Brenda's.
We got off the bus the next evening and walked up the lane to Pamela's house. We couldn't get in. Pamela rang the doorbell over and over then she started hollering for her Mamma to come open the door. No one came and I was scared. I told Pam that I wanted to go home. Of course it was too far to walk so I was stuck. Pam said don't worry my Mom will let us in after a while. That I didn't understand. It was cold and if Pam's Mom was in the house why did she lock Pam out.
About an hour later , which seemed a lot longer, the door was finally opened and her Mom was standing there looking terrible I thought. She was in a robe and looked like she had just gotten up. As soon as she opened the door she started cursing Pam and slapped her. She said “Pam I have told you over and over not to keep knocking on the door when it is locked”. I told her to leave Pam alone because my Daddy would be there soon and she better not be slapping her when he got there. She pushed Pam in the door and shut it in my face. It wasn't long till my Daddy got there. I ran and told him what had happened. He put me in the car and told me to stay there. He knocked on the door but no one ever came. Daddy was mad but all he could do was to keep me away from Pam's house. The law wasn't even thought of . Back then that was the way of it. The law did not interfere in family matters.
Pam didn't come to school the next day or the next. When she came back a man was with her. They got all Pam's things out of her desk and I never saw her again. I have no idea where they went or who the man was but the big fine house had a for sale sign on it soon after that.
It was years later that I figured out what might have happened but I don't know and Mamma and Daddy never would tell me if they knew.
That was when I understood that I had a warm loving home but Pam just lived in a big fine house. Quiet a difference. Yep and a good difference.

DAD BLAMED BIG TOE

1-5-10...DAD BLAMED BIG TOE

Well by golly I thought I'd lost my touch but today showed me I had not. My touch at being a klutz is what I'm talking about. Good Grief I have been a total disaster today. I guess I should have not gotten up because I sure didn't want to.
During the night I kept bumping my big toe and it was sore as heck. Now what I thought, is my big toe gonna fall off. Well I wouldn't doubt it!! I can't see my toes anymore so there might be a dad blamed leech hangin' on it and I'd never know. When I got up this morning I went stumblin' and shufflin' through the house as usual and stumped my sore toe on something. I'm tellin' you right now I almost let my tongue slip. I was thinking Well I do stump my toes a lot.
I got in the bathroom and sat down on the pot but I couldn't get my foot up so I could see my toe over my belly. In that process I hit it on the vanity cabinet. OUCH! I had to bite my tongue this time. I could just catch a glimpse of that toe. I can get my left leg up a little farther than the right one so why in the heck wasn't it the one that was sore. Good Grief!! I got in every position imaginable but no way. I thought well just forget that. It can't stay sore forever. I started out to the Kitchen to get my first cup of coffee. Now have you ever started to open a door and get your toe under it? I did by golly, and hit my head on that door too. Well if this keeps up the only way I'm going to be able to control my tongue is to cut the dang thing out. That durn toe was sure feelin' funny now I thought. Wonder if the thing is even still there, maybe I ought to shine my flash light around and see if it's laying somewhere. Now I finally figure out that after I turned the bathroom light off I shoulda' turned the flashlight ON, cause Don left his dad blamed shoe in the middle of the floor and you know what happened. If you don't GOOD, I aint gonna tell. Got my coffee and got out to my recliner, took my slippers off, put my recliner up, shined the flashlight on my toe, “OH MY GOSH, That's the ugliest toe I ever saw in my life. The toenail was cracked and jagged, and had been bleeding. I've got a blamed ingrown toenail I do believe. I remembered having them from stumping my toes so much when I was a kid and knew what had to be done. I gotta soak my foot in warm salt water to soften it so somehow I can get that toenail outta my durn toe. I went back in the bathroom, got a plastic pan, fixed up my water, and soused my foot in there. “OwwEe. Couldn't control that flappin' tongue that time, Nope couldn't do it. I soaked it till the water was cooled off, put some cortisone cream in the end of a sock and stashed that foot in the sock. Now I thought that was genius because I couldn't get my foot up high enough to put the cream on the toe. I wore that sock all day and when I took a shower a while ago it didn't seem sore. I put another cortisone packed sock on and I'm gonna sleep in that. Maybe it wasn't an ingrown toenail but just a too often stumped toe. I need to get over to Carol Ann's and get a complete working over any way. She will check my toes then. Till then I gotta quit stumping my toes. YEP!!!

Grandma Made The Covers

1-3-10...Grandma Made The Covers

Grandma made the quilts that covered us each night.
She sewed the pieces together with needle thread & might.
She made the feather bed where we lay our selves down
The pillows stuffed with feathers, were passed all around.
We were tucked in and covered, clear up to our nose
till' we looked like a cocoon from our head down to our toes.
We slept warm and snug in that ol' cast iron bed, with springs
that would squeak every time you moved your head.
Many quilts were piled high, hot bricks for your toes.
Some Vicks upon your chest, your back and your nose.
You'd lie there warm as toast, till nature would kick in,
Unwrapped you would be then do it all again.
There were so many quilts that if you moved and squirmed
you'd be liable to get tangled at least until you learned.
But the very worst thing I think that you could do
would be to turn over with so many covers on you.
One night I flopped and flounced moving all about
lifting up those covers and that's when I found out.
When you are weighted down with covers and you try to move,
your like to wind up on the cold floor with them on top of you!!!!

Don't Bungee Jump Naked