I IRONED MY HAIR

9-8-08...I IRONED MY HAIR

I have curly hair and I've always hated it. Never could do anything with it. When everyone started wearing long pony tails I couldn't wear one. My very curly hair would just squirm out of the band I used to hold it. We heard about some girls ironing their hair and making it perfectly straight. I wantd that for mine so of course I drafted Brenda's help. We heated the iron and I put my hair over the board and she started ironing. Seemed to be working too but all at once she touched my ear with the hot iron and I squealed bringing Mama running. WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU TWO DOING SHE HOLLERED. Mama I want my hair to be straight I said. No you sure do not Mama said. But Mama, No Buts put that iron up. Oh my gosh Brenda look at this, I have one streak of straight hair. I can't leave it like this. We have to get the rest done. Well if at first you don't succeed, try, try, again. Aint that what Grandma always said? Sure was. Were'a goin' to Brenda's Mama. Ok behave yourselves your Auntie don't feel good today. Oh yeaw, we knew that. Brenda had done told me her Mama was sleeping. Yep. Now we wouldn't be interupted while we finished our ironing. YEP!! We went in and stayed very quiet. Got the iron and set up the board. Brenda turn it up all the way so it will work faster. Well those ol' irons got very hot. VERY VERY HOT! When it heated up I laid down my hair again and Brenda went to work. Now Brenda don't touch my ear this time, be more careful. Shut up Clydene, we have to be quiet. Well you'd sure better not burn me again. Clydene be still or I will. Brenda hurry up I can't stand this way all day. Shut up! You shut up! There I stood slightly bent with my hair draped over that board. Turn your head over the other way. When I turned my head my hair from the other side dropped down over my eyes and nose. Brenda I smell smoke. No you don't Clydene shut up. Brenda my hair is in my face and it tickles and it stinks. (I can almost smell it now) We were beginning to get loud and I was squirmin'. Brenda touched my cheek with the iron and I kicked out and hit her on the ankle, she jerked and burned my hand with the iron and the race was on, the jig got jagged, and two girls hit the floor kicking and scratchin' and screamin'. My Auntie ran in and said what is burning. OH MY GOD WHAT IN THE WORLD, WHAT ARE YOU BURNIN'. Nothin' Auntie/Mama we yelped. Auntie jerked us up and got a look at me and socked my head down in a bucket of water. I come up splutterin and cryin'. My face ear and hand hurt and when I reached to wipe the wet hair outta' my face a big hunk of hair came right out in my hand. Seems my hair had almost started flamin' and probably would'a if Auntie hadn'ta almost drowned me. Mama cried when she saw my hair then she absolutely blistered my butt till it burned as bad as my face. Brenda got a spankin' too though I really didn't figure she shoulda' cause it was my idea and my hair. We were 12 at the time and thought we knew everything. Everybody else was doing it so why couldn't we> HUH WHY!!? My hair was cut almost like a boys hair so I sure didn't wear a pony tail for a while. In fact I never could wear a pony tail. My hair is still curly and frizzy and I have learned to deal with it. Sure don't want my hair ironed again. NOPE, and I sure nuff' don't want Brenda ironing it. NO WAY NO HOW NOPE!!!

HALLOWEEN WALKS

9-5-08...HALLOWEEN WALKS

I was in a store yesterday and saw rows and rows of candy labeled Happy Halloween. When I was growing up we had a similiar celebration but nothing like "trick or treat". We didn't go in for ghosts and goblins and witches. Just not a part of halloween then. We didn't run up to doors in droves and holler "TRICK OR TREAT". When we were very young. Older kids would walk with us around a couple of what is called blocks now. Just dirt roads then and we walked up each one. People who wanted to would invite us in and give us a treat which was usually a piece of fruit or homemade cake or pie, and sometimes even a popcorn ball. YUMMY! When we got old enough to walk in a group and walk farther from home it was still the same. At least till one night when some, (now how do I be nice about this,) honery boys who lived near by wanted to do things like we had been hearing about kids doing elsewhere. They started following us and wanting us to walk with them. Well I'm not mentioning any names here but they were bullies. They thought everyone was scared of them. We had been raised across the way from them and we just were not afraid of them. They started cutting down trees across the road, turning over toilets, turning out chickens, things like that. I think Brenda and I were about 10 at the time and we got tired of them. HECK FIRE ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! We came up with a plan to scare the pants off them. It was very dark on the road which was lined with big trees on each side. Not much light got through. Brenda and I got in a ditch (seems we were awfully fond of ditches back then) and waited. We had found a piece of pipe of some kind about the size of a gun barrell. We had it and an old bucket and some large rocks. We were behind a house where we figured they would be turning the out house over. Now Brenda get ready I hear em comin', She was ready. In fact I think she enjoyed it all as much as I did that time. She usually tried to talk me out of things she was scared to do. The boys came up the road and started heaving on the back of the outhouse which was not an easy task. We sneaked out of the ditch, I stuck the pipe in one back and Brenda dropped a big rock in the bucket. Oh my Gosh let me tell you those boys started trying to run at the same time hollerin' and screamin' Please Mr (no name) don't shoot PLEASE!! We said not a word but I poked the pipe in the biggest bullies back again and he came unglued. Stood right there and wet his pants and cried like a baby. Brenda dropped another rock in the bucket for good measure and I poked the pipe at another one of them and we took off running and giggling and saying pee-pee-pants pee-pee pants, giggle- giggle- giggle- he's a big baby pee-pee pants, giggle giggle. Clydene ther'a'gonna kill us! No they aint I said cause Im'a'gonna tell Daddy on them. I knew they were a little bit afraid of my Daddy, though I can't understand why except maybe somethin' I'd said in the past, like maybe he was Indian and knew how to scalp people. Do ya think that mighta been it? Anyway they knew who we were because the next morning when Daddy went out to the toilet he said he could see where it had been turned over and then someone had set it back up. Now who do you recon coulda' done that?? Guess we made a believer outta them cause they sure wasn't taking any chances with my Daddies toilet. NOSIREEE. Those boys did grow to respect my Daddy when they found out what a nice gentle man he really was. I never did cotton to them though. Nope, they just never grew out of being a bully. But that night by golly we sure took em' down a notch. YEP!!!

RUNNING BAREFOOT

9-2-08...RUNNING BAREFOOT

We grew up poor. We had most essentials but shoes were not as essential as they are now. I looked out yesterday at the carpet of lush green grass and thought to myself. Now Self, Wouldn't you just love to feel that green grass under you feet again. Yep I sure would. The first thing I did wrong was step outside the door barefoot because right outside the door the ground is covered with gravel. Folks, not only does my mind not work well anymore but my feet never will work well again after stepping down in that hard gravel. And I wanted to wiggle my toes in that grass so bad that I just went on through the gravel to get to it. STUPID!!! And when my poor feet hit the grass what should I step in (ON RATHER) but a dad burned ol mean ol red wasp. OOOHHH my Gosh that hurt. No other open doors to get back in the house so here I go back through the gravel to get inside. I can relate to anyone who says, OH MY POOR ACHING FEET ,TODAY BY GOLLY YEP I CAN. Well I said all that to come to this! We went bare foot all summer when we were growing up. We had a pair of Church Shoes that were white. Always white. When school started we got a pair of School shoes which were always black. If you are thinkin' why just white or black. Well I'll tell ya" I don't really know. Anyway the rest of the time we were barefooted. Yep, even in the winter. And we were not always sick and snotty nosed either. NOPE, We were tough. Which brings me to the rest of the story. Brenda and I asked one day if we could walk over to Hall Parks' Store. We each had a nickle to spend. Now that would buy a lot of candy. Penny candy to be exact. Hall would take a sack and put his big hand down in that candy box and fill up that little sack and we would be on our way. Boy howdy now we were in hog heaven. On the way back one day we decided to wade the ditches. That ol' dirt road (no gravel, just dirt) was kinda hot on our feet even if they were toughened to the consistency of leather. It was a dry summer and not much water in the ditch but it was pleasantly muddy. Only thing was that people littered and there was lots of thingies in that ditch. We got interested in what we might find so we just decided to sit down there for a spell and explore. We would scoot along on our butts a ways and stop a bit. All this time we were dragging our candy sacks along in that muck. That candy was not wrapped nice and neat the way it is now. Just a layin' there in the sacks which were gettin' soggy. The bottoms finally drug outta them sacks and we strung our candy for a ways before we noticed it. I started to reach in to my sack and all that I came up with was air. Brenda's was the same. BBRREENNDDAA, look! The candys gone. There is some of it back there. So we turned around and started scootin the other way on our buts pickin up candy as we went. We were putting it in our mouths, no pockets and we sure wadna gonna waste that candy. No sireee, we were gonna eat ever last bite of it. When we figured we had it all we got back on the road and happily skipped along with our mouths bulging like a squirrel with his jaws full of hicker= nuts. We couldn't talk our mouthes were too full. I looked over at Brenda and saw somethin' hanging out of her mouth and it was wigglin at the end. Brenda what is that? When I said that a bunch of my candy came out and landed on the road which I proceeded to pick up and put back in my mouth. Oh my I can feel the grit in my teeth as I speak. YUKKY. wasn't yukky then though. No tellin when we'd get another nickel. But back to Brenda. I got up close to her and saw that a big ol red worm was danglin outta her mouth. BREEENDA, spit it out(there went my candy on the dirt again) NOOO CLLLYYYDDDEEENNNEEE WHY? And there went her candy on the dirt. But that fat ol red worm was still a hanging there. I slapped at it to get it off her mouth and she thought I was hittin her and she slapped me back. Well folks down we went back in the mucky ditch just a clawin and a scratchin' like two wild cats. Brenda quit! You quit first! Brenda you've got a worm in your mouth! And by golly she did. Half of one anyhow. OH GOOD GRIEF Clydene, you made me spit my candy out. Well heck fire Brenda I spit mine out too. We looked at each other and there we were in all our glory. Black muck all over us. We got so tickled we forgot about that candy and started running home. We had a ball that day even if we fought like tigers and never did get to eat all our candy. And our feet were fine. At least they were after we got them clean. A few scratches didn't bother us. And it was Ok for us to get mucky. They'll clean up my Daddy said. The dirt'll come off but they'll never have these days again. He was so right. Those days are gone and I'm so blessed that I could enjoy them so much. Also blessed that We didn't have persnikety Parents. YEP WE SURE WERE BLESSED!!! I just can't walk outside with such ease anymore. DURN IT ANYWAY!!!

PEACHES AND CREAM

8-29-08...PEACHES AND CREAM

Auntie, Will you make us some whipped cream so we can have some peaches and cream? Now Clydene you know I need this cream to make butter today, and I told you those peaches are not ripe enough to eat yet. Just wait till they are ripe and I'll make sure you girls get all the peaches and cream you want. We were 6 and waiting was not in our vocabularly yet. NOPE Didn't like to wait. Now girls I'm going to walk out and milk the other cow, slop the hogs, feed the chickens, and gather the eggs, you two go on down to Lucille's (my Mama) and behave yourselves. OK. We started down the lane and went by the fruit orchard. Those peaches looked so good hanging there. We didn't like the limbs but we sure likes the fruit. Now I dont know who decided that those peaches were indeed ripe but I suspect it was me! Anyway we scooted under the barb wire frnce and picked a few. YEP! SURE NUFF DID! Brenda Auntie is in the barn, lets go back to the house and peel these. OK. As we went in the back door there on the wash stand was the gallon jar of fresh milk with the yellow cream rising.. UMMMM! I can taste it now. Thick and creamy!! We went on by but we both still wanted whipped cream. We thought alike and could almost read one anothers mind. Not a word was said. Brenda got a big mixing bowl, I got the egg beater and a big spoon, and here we went. We took the cloth off the jar. Brenda hold the bowl and I'll dip some cream out. OK. Well folks if you know anything about cream you know it was thick and hard to dip. Wait Brenda, set the bowl on the floor and help me pick up this jar and we will pour it in the bowl. That'll work RIGHT? WRONG!! We couldn't hold on to the jar good and we were kinda doing a little jig with it. Cant you hear Turkey in the straw playin' on a fiddle? Kinda the tune we were jigging to. We got some in our bowl though and didn't spill as much as you might think. We put the jar back on the shelf and bent to pick up the bowl. Our hands were slick by now with the cream so we did another jig right on into the kitchen. Well our feet were slick too and when we jigged in on that slick floor down we went. We were wallering in milk and cream. Boy we sure better get this cleaned up Brenda said. We got time, lets make our whipped cream first. We took turns with the egg beater but nothing was happening. Brenda lets put it in the freezer and it'll get ready while we oeel the peaches. We got knives (which was a great big NO NO!!) and them durn things were hard as a rock. Don't matter we said we'll eat em' anyhow. Poured some of the cream out of the bowl, sprinkled on some sugar and got us a spoon. Sat right down there in the floor and ate every last one of them peaches and cream. I kinda remember they tasted awful but we ate em' anyway. Heck fire wadnt gonna go to all that trouble and not enjoy it now was we! HECK NO! Well Auntie had finished her chores and walked down to give my Mama some eggs. I guess you know we were not there. I think my Auntie figured it out as soon as she saw we weren't there. Mama had the boys but My Auntie did a jig of her own right back to the house and walked in on us just finishing up them peaches and cream. Auntie was angry! I mean was she ever angry! With good reason. She came charging in to that room with blood in her eyes and we knew we were IN TROUBLE. Make that DOUBLE TROUBLE!!! Auntie started across the floor after us and remember the floor was slick, Turkey In The Straw all over again. Slipin' and slidin'. We got tickled. GIGGLE GIGGLE GIGGLE! SHUT UP RIGHT NOW. WOOOPPPS! Down she came. Well I couldn't have stopped giggling then if it meant my life(which it almost did I think). GIGGLE GIGGLE GIGGLE!!! We folks I figure we just looked adorable sittin' there on the floor looking down at Auntie, cause she got tickled to. When Mama and the boys got there I guess she thought she would have to have us all hauled away to the loony bin. She looked startled for a minute then she got tickled, the boys were giggling too. Don't know how long that went on before our Mama's came to their senses and saw the situation clearly, but I suspect not long. Auntie said nothing was hurt but her pride. But let me tell you that was not all that was hurt on us. Nope, our backsides were striped. But later on that night was when we really got our punishment. We were both sooo' sick. OH MY GOSH GREEN SLIME SICK. OOOOHHH! I can still feel the queasiness right now. UGGG' Guys our Parents had fun with us, and I know now that when they said it hurt them more than it did us to have to spank us. THEY MEANT THAT YEP SURE DID!!!

SHE WAS ALWAYS LATE

8-26-08...SHE WAS ALWAYS LATE

If you think you know someone who is slow, You would probably think again if you knew Brenda. OH MY GOSH! was that girl slooooowwwww! Still is. I was always early and I still like to be. All through our school years somehow I got appointed to make sure Brenda was ready and on the school bus. Well my Friends that was an almost impossible task. If we were at the same house it was somewhat easier but still a hard task. When we were at separate houses!!!! Now that was when the trouble came out and grabbed me in the throat. We had to walk up to the cormer, turn right and walk to the next corner. Thats where the bus stopped. I'd start up our lane and here would be Brenda, out on her porch in all stages of dress. CLLLYYYDDDEEENNNEEE, hold the bus for me!!!! OOOKKKAAAYYY but hurry up Brenda, I'm gettin' tired of this!! It was the same every morning. Our poor driver was always so patient and waited on her. I know he didn't want to really, made us late for school sometimes. Besides the other kids started griping. I was getting embarraced myself and had just about had enough of it. One evening I said Now Brenda you better be there in the morning. I'm not a'gonna tell Hollie to wait. Yes you will, You better Clydene. I'm tellin' you I aint gonna do it. We'll just go on and leave you. I guess she didn't believe I'd do it cause of course she did the same thing the next morning. Out on the porch half dressed hollering, CCCLLLYYYDDDEEENNNEEE! Tell Hollie I'll be there in a minute. Well durn her I had got my can plumb full of this and I wasn't gonna do it this time. I'm tired of this stuff, Yep tired of it. I got to thinking though, Now, If Brenda misses the bus she'll get to stay home and I'll have to go to school. Heck fire I'm not a goin' to school and her staying here havin' fun without me. Of course she wouldnta had much fun cause she'd a got in trouble but I wasn't thinking that way. Brenda, you better come on now. I ainta gonna do it today. I see it comin' come on right now, I mean it Brenda, you better come on. I'll wait right here for you, now come on Brenda!!! Well folks she got the point finally and decided I meant what I said so she ran back in grabbed her book satchell and here she came a runnin'. Hurry Brenda!! I'm a hurrin' Clydene, wait a minute. Well she came on all right. Yep she came on. HALF DRESSED!!! There she was in all her glory. Socks, no shoes, slip and sweater, no skirt, sweater on backwards. Oh My Gosh Brenda, you can't go like that! You're not dressed. Oh my Oh My what are we a'gonna do! Brenda I should box your jaws red, that just what i outta do!! Just then we heard the bus honk three times and pull out. We looked up and there that big ol' yellow thing went likety split up the road. There we stood. What'll we do Clydene. Well Brenda how in the heck do ya think I know! I guess we'll just have to stay right here all day. Then when the bus gets here this evening we'll just go on home. Nobody'll ever know. RIGHT?? WRONG!! My Mama heard the bus honking, and knew I didn't get on it. I don't know how she knew that cause she sure couldn't see up there from our house. Come to think of it, I'm still not real sure how she knew, but she knew all right. Yep she knew all right. She bundled my Brother up and here she came up the road. Brenda lets hide! Where would we hide Clydene? Sides I don't wanna. I'm cold. Well Brenda you shouda thought of that when you come up here half nekked' I'm not nekked' Clydene, You shut up before I slap your jaws. You sure better not try it by golly I'll throw you in that ditch. No you won't. Yes I will! By then my Mama was there and the jig was up! Oh my gosh was it ever up. Mama was upset, my baby brother was a cryin' and Brenda was even bellerin like an ol' donkey by then. I don't know what you girls think your'a doin' Mama said, but you both get your tails down that road and you do it now. " BUT MAMA" No buts get going. Which we did. You are both gonna get your buts busted good when we get there. WHICH WE DID!! Yep we sure nuff did. Now do you think that all resulted in Brenda turning over a new leaf and gettin there on time? Shoot fire No! She was never on time and never will be. NEVER NEVER NEVER!!!! DURN YOU BRENDA. I STILL OUTTA BOX YOUR JAWS RED!!! YEP I SURE SHOULD! But I wont!!!

WE FOUGHT TOO

8-23-08...WE FOUGHT TOO

Now folks, Brenda and I loved and helped each other but we had an occasional brawl too. When we were in about 3rd and 4th grades at School we started making friends other than each other. Good Idea because we had to break free a little and explore other people. It had always been just us. But Hey, when we got home it was the same as it had always been. Well it was till one Saturday when we had a day planned for lots of things to do. We were at Brenda's house just having a ball down by the pig pens. YUKKY now but I dont remember even noticing that then. We heard a car coming down the lane. And now folks when a car came down that lane it was coming to our house!! Didn't matter which house either, still our house. We waited and listened till the car came in sight to see which house it would stop at. We were prepared to get to the house before they stopped. It came on up to Brenda's house and we ran to meet it. Well now let me tell you right now, thats when the manure hit the fan!! It was Brenda's friend Wilma Jane. Now I did not like "WILEMER PANE" at all (that was the worst thing I could think up to call her) I didn't like that snooty nosed thing infringing on my place in Brenda's life. Durn Her Nuthin but a long nosed smart elec. Brenda she's not'a stayin here and Im'a gonna' tell her so. I was ready to tell her to by golly when Brenda did something she had never done before, that little nut pushed me down. Go home Clydene we dont want you here! well let me tell you the blue fire jumped up and flowed over. How dare her, why the nerve of that smart elec, push me will you. I was up like a bolt of lightening and the squabble was on. First I let WILMER have it with all the claws I could muster up, then I went after Brenda. Wilmer pane's snubby nosed Mother started screaming like a wild bull with a hornet on his backside and here came my Auntie. I was busy working on Brenda when My auntie got hold of me. Clydene! What is wrong with you? What do you think your'a doin'? Well I was fired up like a ol' settin' hen and I wasn't hearing anything. I mean to tell you I think my brain had exploded, might'a been foaming at the mouth for all I know, I WAS MADDDDD! Wilmer had blood running down her nose and her Mama was taking on like a lost milk cow in the woods. ( by the way she looked like one too). Auntie held me till I calmed down a bit but when I found out that Wilmer and her Mama had come to pick Brenda up to take somewhere, "WELL" more manure! Mama was there by then and was prepared to take me home via way of the peach tree. When Brenda started to get in the car, I come un-glues again. They calmed me down and Brenda didn't go. I don't think snub nose wanted her to go by then. I had to tell Wilmer and her cow Mama that I was sorry and was supposed to hug them but they didn't want a hug for some reason. RECON WHY? Brenda and I were separated for a few days. I was given a lecture and told how I had to let Brenda have her friends and I had to have my friends too. I was so unhappy during the week-end. I think our Teachers were in on it too because they kept us apart in school all week. On Saturday we were back to normal but we were changing and beginning to understand why we couldn't always have it the way it had been. We still were together a lot, we still loved each other but we learned that our worlds didn't revolve around each other. Oh Yes! we still got in to trouble now and then. Even now sometimes we go on one of our tangents. Before Mama died Brenda was down here and we both stayed overnight with Mama. She had to knock on the wall just the way she used to and tell us to quieten down. "GIRLS QUITEN DOWN IN THERE NOW" Another thing I was to come to understand too. I was not really mad, I was hurt, jealous and scared, But most of all JEALOUS. Mama worked on me a while on that one. Jealousy is a bad thing Clydene. Yep I know that Mama, I know....

HOME PERMS

8-22-08...HOME PERMS

My Mama put home perms in everyone's hair when I was growing up. Everyone found out she could do it and came for her to work her magic on them. The three I remember are Lilt , Prom, and Toni. Or was it Bobbi? Oh well whatever. I had natural kinky hair and didn't need them. Brenda got one ever few months and I was always so envious of her. I wanted a perm and Mama just wouldn't give me one. I was miffed over that big time. Well Brenda didn't want to get them, she hated it. Aint that the way it always is? We want what we can't have? Auntie bought Brenda a perm and sent it down to Mama one day. Mama was supposed to put it in Brenda's hair in a day ot two. Brenda didn't want that thing and I did so guess what we decided? Yep we sure did! I said Brenda lets take that perm out to the pasture where that big tank is full of water and we will put it on my hair. OK she said then I wont have to get it. Mama had a box that she kept the rollers we got that and we had the pretty pink box with the perm and we were set. Mama we are gonna play in the pasture. Ok but don't go where I can't see you or holler at you. OK we wont. I told Brenda-- Now Brenda you will have to roll it and put the things on it. I don't know how Clydene. Sure you do you've got enough of them that you should know how. I'll tell you what to do. I was just sure I could tell her how. Hadn't I watched my Mama do it hundreds of times? Sure I had. YIPEE I'm gonna get me one of them perms just like Brenda does. We couldn't get to the towels without Mama seeing us and asking questions, but there were things hanging on the clothes line so we got some things there. We knew I had to cover my face during the process don't ya know. We knew what we were doing! Yep we sure knew all right. Then you had to mix some white powder in water (neutalizer? I think) and we didn't have a container. It'll be Ok Brenda, I'll just get my hair wet and you put the stuff in. Well Brenda rolled my hair up on the rollers (permanent wands?) and not very good either, but that would do. I splashed water out of the tank on my hair and got it wet. Brenda took the little bottle of stuff and was going to squirt it on the way we saw Mama do. That was our first problem. The top had to be snipped to make a little hole. We had nothing to do that so I said, Heck fire Brenda, just take off the lid and pour it on, Which She did! I held my rag up there ( which happened to be one of my Daddies shirts) and shut my eyes tight and she poured. OH MY GOSH BRENDA You poured that all over me. It was even in my ears. Well come here and put your head down on this tank and I'll splosh water on it and rinse it out. Which I did, and She did. She got me another rag(this one was Mama's dress) and I wiped and swiped around and spluttered. She gave me another rag(My dress) and I wrapped it around my head. I had heard Mama say, Now we wait (I didn't know how long and we couldn't read well enough to read the paper in the box). We waited a few minutes (coulda been seconds, don't know) then I stuck my head back over the tank and Brenda sploshed some more. Now we didn't know really what came next but we still had that white powder so that must be it. Yep that's it I said. Brenda took the powder like we had decided and sprinkled it all over my head. She handed me another rag. ( don't know what that was but I think it was a dish rag). Now we wait again she said then we take the rollers out. Yep we were doin' good right? WRONG!! After she sloshed my head around in the water a while I said hand me another rag. There aint no more she said. Take your dress off then. No I ainta'gonna do it! Oh well it was wet anyhow and mine was too. The sun will dry it. Mama hollered and said for us to come to the house and eat. Just a minute Mama. No minutes, come right now. Well Mama had seen us sloshing around in the water. We did that a lot in the hot summer, that was OK. Lets go Brenda, How does my hair look. Brenda's eyes just about popped out of her head, before she said, looks good, I'm goin' home. I knew then that something was wrong. Brenda you better tell me! You girls better get up here before I have to come get you. I'm a'goin' home. NO YOU ARE NOT!! I grabbed her and drug her along with me. When we got there my Mama's eyes about bugged out of her head just the way Brenda's had and I knew something was wrong, BAD WRONG!! What in the world have you girls done!!! Nothin' we both parroted. Nuthin my foot Mama said. Clydene why is your hair green and yellow, what did you do? HUH OH! I didn't know what to say so I just stubbed up and stood there. She put a perm in her hair, I told her not to. LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE I said! Both of you shut up Mama said. Well we knew now that she was really Mad at us so we instantly SHUT UP. Yep we shut up fast. Mama finally got it all out of us and she started crying. Well we couldn't stand that and we started bellering. Auntie came running down there. Mama told her what we had done and I thought she was gonna' cry too. Money was hard to come by then and there was none to buy another perm for Brenda and besides that my hair was ruined. I had long hair and Thank the Lord after Mama cut it real short it was OK but we got in lots of trouble that day and learned anoher lesson or two. We felt bad about the ruined perm but somehow they got another one and it all turned out good. Well good except fot that durn peach tree. One of these days Brenda we'd outta cut that durn thing down!! Another story. We got what we deserved everytime we got that tannin' and we knew it. We always hated when we made our parents sad too. Would you call that stubborn Or what? I call it Great Parents. YEP!!

BATH DAYS

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

SUNDAY DINNER

8-17-08...SUNDAY DINNER

Now I had Dinner today (which by the way is the noon meal here) but it was not anything like those wonderful dinners we had on Sunday when I was growing up. The best and most scrumptous meal of our entire week. It was mostly prepared on Saturday and eaten after Church on Sunday. It was quiet a production. Winters were less because there were no fresh veggies from Daddy's garden. The chickens were molting so no fresh eggs, and no good ol' fresh chicken to fry. No milk from Brenda's Daddies cow ol' Pet. But Boy those summer Sunday's were a feast. On saturday evening after the chickens went to roost, Daddy would go out to the Chicken house and pick out a nice plump rooster to kill. The hens were kept for laying eggs and hatching more baby chickens to keep things productive. Only needed maybe two Roosters that wouldn't fight each other. Daddy would pick one and take it by the feet and bring it outside. Now if you are squemish ya' probly' better just quit readin' now. OK?? Anyway Daddy would wrap his hand around the middle of it's neck and swing it around and around till' the head popped off, then let the chicken flop till' it was dead. (IF YOU ARE GASPIN' FOR BREATH RIGHT NOW I WARNED YOU) It was the way it was done then, just a way of life that Daddy had to do to feed us. Some of you know how the chicken was then put down in boiling water for a spell so the feathers could be plucked. The rest of you probably dont wanna' know the rest of the story. That chicken (usually two of them) was fried up in hog lard in Mama's big Iron skillet. Oh My Sooooo Good. Chicken gravy made with flour , fresh cow milk, all cooked up in that skillet where the chicken was cooked. Fresh veggies, Chocolate cake with fresh cream. Oh I am so hungry. Well one fall evening Brenda and I got to wishing for some of that fried chicken. We decided to go on out to the chicken house and get us a chicken. Heck fire, we could do that. We had watched our daddies do it thousands of times. Right? Wrong! First off when we got in the hen house the roost was too high for us to reach. Brenda climb up on that bucket and get one. No, You do it. Brenda you'll have to help me. We managed to get on the bucket together and looked up to pick one off when I think every chicken in there started pooping. In our face and just about every inch of our body. Brenda grab one and lets go. She reached up and said which one. Don't matter. When I reached up to help her the bucket tipped over with us and down we went. All the chickens got spooked and started flying down landing all over us with those sharp feet. We were afraid to get up and we had left the door open so guess what? YEP! Those chickens scattered and out they went. Now we are in trouble Brenda, them chickens are a'gonna get in Daddies garden and eat everything up. I'm a'goin home she said. Oh no you're not you're a gonna help me round up them chickens. The Chicken house was not close to the house but Daddy heard the chickens and come a runnin'. Of course there was no catching chickens. They had been on roost so daddy said,:; You two just better hope they go back in there to roost or they will be in the garden first thing in the morning. What in the world were you a' doin' anyhow? We told him we just wanted to get a chicken and get it ready for Mama to fry so he wouldn't have to do it. Girls those aren't fryers, they are layers, but that was nice of you to think of it. Next time ask before you go off doin' somethin' like that. We didn't get a tannin that time even though I know we needed it. Poor Daddy had to sit up that night and close the door after the chickens went back in, and it's a wonder they did. Poor Mama had to heat water and clean us up. We felt so bad. We were sorry that we did it and I think Mama and Daddy knew that. Years later I knew that they were probably hurt also. Hurt that they couldn't get a chicken to fry for us. Daddy killed a laying hen and Mama made dumplins the next day. I'm sitting here crying right now over that. Our parents fed us what they had to feed us and we never went hungry, but oh those Sunday dinners still makes my mouth water. I can almost taste that chicken. No Chicken has ever tasted the same. I miss those simple days. YEP SURE DO!!!!!

THE HOUSE I GREW UP IN

8-15-08...THE HOUSE I GREW UP IN

When I was four month's old My Parents bought and moved into the house that became home. I grew up happy there. We had only lived in walking distance of the house as the crow flies. The people who lived in our house and we lived in theirs. Each family bought the houses at the same time and we just switched. Daddy wanted this house cause his sister lived just across the pasture. Brenda was 11 month's old then. Of course I don't remember this but was handed down the story. Anyway that was the start of a wonderful loving home. It still sits there today but I only went back one time and it broke my heart to see it. Just bears out the meaning of YOU CAN'T EVER GO BACK. Oh but I can go back in my memories any time I want to. My Daddy worked in the coal mines just up the track. The mine was at the crossing and sat there for many years after it was dug out. Anyway back to that great home. Daddy paid 500.00 fo it in 1944 and I guess that was a lot of money. He paid payments through his pay check at the no.2 mine. The man was a friend and that is probably the only way Daddy was able to pay for the house. Luke Parks let him pay when he could. The mine wasn't steady so Daddy was often not working. But he did pay for it eventually and that's where we stayed. Brenda and i started roaming around as soon as we both could walk and could always find something to do. Some things I don't remember but was told about later makes me wonder how we survived childhood. But this happened at that old house before Daddy was able to make any repairs, and it wasn't dangerous to anything except our backsides. Brenda spent a lot of nights with me. Her house was crowded with brothers and sisters and we liked it better at my house. The house was not much more than a hull very open and cold. Of course there was no indoor plumbing and no electricity. We had a outside toilet and it was not close to the house for obvious reasons. Catalogs were the toilet paper and you didn't want the colored pages, they didn't work well. At night we had a 'slop jar' yep that's what they called it. Kinda like a bucket with a lid and a bail for carrying it out. We could pee in it but nothing else if you get the meaning. If ya had to go at night you had ta go to the out house. One very cold night for some reason Brenda and I both had to go and not to pee. Oh lord Brenda I ainta goin' outside. Me neither she said, go ask your Mama if we can use the slop jar. You go ask her I'm not going to. Heck no not me. Well then what are we gonna' do? Hey I said, that ol' back room is empty, just an old wood floor and there is cracks in it. We'll just go in there and poop then we'll pee on it and it will wash down the cracks. NOT!!! Well here we went and let me tell you we may as well gone outside. Our bear feet were freezing from that cold floor and Brenda got a big splinter in her toe. She started to holler out and I got hold of her just in time. Shut up Brenda they'll hear us. Well we squated down there and did just what we started out to do wiped off best we could with our gown tails and hurried back to the big ol' feather bed and snuggled up. Clydene are you sure that will wash down the cracks. Oh sure it will! And sure it didn't!!! The first thing Mama saw the next morning was our gown tails all smeared. And I imagine she smelled us a little too. What in the world did you girls do she said. Whatdaya' mean Mama. We really didn't know. We thought she'd never know what we'd done. Now Mama would have gone with us to the toilet and we knew that but we just didn't like going in that dark thing at night. When we realized what a mess we were in we had to fess up. But Mama it washed right on through the cracks we were hollering and she led us to the back room. When she opened the door and led us in there it was in all it's glory,,, frozen to the floor!!! Oh yes, that room was cold as outdoors and we were not even supposed to open that door at all. Oh My gosh, what a mess. The floor sloped down and the pee had only ran down a distance before it froze. I can still see it now. It was hard for us to believe what we were seeing. We got our thrashing right there poopy gowns and all.. My Daddy scooped it up (more like scraped) with a shovel before he went to work and brought in the wash tub with water. Mama warmed the water on the old stove and sat it on the floor for our baths. Sloshed us in together and cleaned us up. When it was daylight she warmed more water in the scrubbed tub and put us in again. Then she sent Brenda home with a note and we both got another spanking from my Auntie. Times were hard then but somehow we had so much Love that we never knew how hard. I learned a lot in that old house. Had a lot of love and made a lots of happy memories. I can go back in my memories and it is fun. YEP!!!

WE SNITCHED SOME SNUFF

8-12-08... WE SNITCHED SOME SNUFF

Well folks, I was gettin' ready to go on to school days but got side tracked. I found some old pictures in the old trunk that was my Great Grandma's. Also found her old black purse. Oh my did that bring back some loving memories. Granny carried that ol' black purse everywhere. Hardly ever put it down when others were around. It was hers and it was private and we knew we were not supposed to touch it. Mama said one day to us,, Do not even get close enough to it to breathe cause Grandma Mattie will know. Well, Come on now, she shoulda known us better'n that, Don't ya think. But then maybe that's why Granny never put it down. OOOOOOH. After all these years I GET IT!!! WEll I'll be, HMMM. Anyway back to that purse. Brenda was not really Granny's kin. She was from the other side of the family. But who knew, we sure didn't. We had lots of Grandma's and Grandpa's. Anyway Granny dipped snuff and she was vwry neat about it. Never saw it on her teeth or running down her chin. No sireee. She had her little can in that black purse and a little bitty doll spoon to dip it with. Oh it was just so facinatin' to us, how we would love to get a hold of that teeny little spoon and do what Granny did. One day we got our chance. Granny sat her purse on a table in the front room(what they call living or family room now a days. Front room to us then and now) so she could stir up one of her delicious cakes. Makes my mouth do crazy things right now just thinking about that chocolate cake. Scrumpdidilious. Yep the best. Brenda come on lets go look in Granny's purse. Oh boy she was ready. Wouldn't a done it on her own but I doubt that I would have either. We crept in there and very quietly opened that wonderful mysterious black purse. Oh my grasious sakes alive, what treasures we found. Mints, gum, and other stuff we weren't interested in right now. I grabbed the snuff can and the teensy weenesy spoon and we took off. Now there was a door in the front room but we went right through the kitchen and out that door. You girls get outta the kitchen now and stay outta the way my Mama said. Well we were a gettin' yep, we were a gettin fast. We ran around the side of the house and plopped down in the grass with our treasures. I took some on that cute little spoon and said here Brenda. Nope you take that one then I will. I popped that in my mouth and very fast got another spoon full and popped it in Brenda's mouth. OOOOHHHH, it don't taste good we both spluttered out. That's when our lesson started. Yep it was a long lesson. We started spitin' and gaggin' and splutterin. It was coming out our noses and going down our throats. We got strangled of course, couldn't even holler for help. I was gettin' sick and Brenda said she was too. Well we got morbid. We lay there holding on to one another, cryin', splutterin' and thinking we were gonna die deader'n door nails. Well we were ready, we were to sick to die though, we were just huddled on the ground bellerin' when Mama and Granny got there. Oh yeaw The troops had arrived right on time just like they always did. Mama said later that she got to thinking we were acting kinda funny whan we had come through the kitchen. Well her and Granny decided they better see what we were up to. The whole snuff dippin' episode probably was only a couple of minutes from start to finish but it seemed like hours to us. Mainly because we got sooooo sick. Bawlin' like a dying' calf sick my Granny said. We didn't get to eat any of Grannys chocolatecake that day. Couldna' if theyd' a let us. TOO durn sick. We were really sick sick sick. Never wanna be that sick again. Guess they figured that was all the tannin we needed or maybe we kinda scared em a little. We sure nuff thought we were gonners that day. That old Black purse is still in the trunk and that teensy spoon and a can are still there. But ya know what I have very seldom ever opened it again. It seems like a sacred thing to me almost. The last time I opened it (yesterday) I could feel my Grannies presense and I started geetin' kinda sick'. All in my mind?? Don't know the answer to that. Nope don't know...

FIRST GRADE OF SCHOOL

8-11-08...FIRST GRADE OF SCHOOL

When I started first grade Brenda was in the second grade. She was seven month's older and her birthday fell so she could start before me. We both hated it. The morning I started to school Brenda and I were so sure that we could again be together all the time the way we had been all our lives. How wrong we were. We of course were in different rooms and only saw one another at recess. Well I dont know how Brenda made it through the first grade without me I just knew it was a hard time for me. Brenda was still shy and wouldn't ever speak up and I wasn't there to do it for her so she almost failed the first grade. Auntie thought it would be better the year I started, but it was not to be. Brenda wouldn't ask to go to the bathroom and she would wet her pants in class. At recess I would go running to Brenda's room and we would go out together to the playground. I don't think I even got aquainted with my class that year very well. And the reason was I cried till recess when I could see Brenda. We tried everything to stay together. One day we climbed a pear tree on the grounds and tried to hide when the bell signaled recess was over. Another we got in the toilet and stayed in there. Our teachers caught on to our little schemes and watched us very close. They even decided to separate us and not let us play together at all. Well Let me tell you when that happened we were not havin' any of that. Nosiree guys that aint'a gonna' work. We pulled sit downs and running from them, nothing was working. Well we had'ta do something so we hatched up a good scheme. We Thought. We sneaked down to the far end of the play ground and sat down. we sat there and when the bell rung the end of recess we both laid down. Brenda now when the teacher gets here start crying and tell them we are both sick. Well I guess Brenda was learning not to do everything I said anymore so she said NO I aint'a gonna' do it Clydene I ain't, You do it. Oh Well My goodness Brenda you little stubborn thing just watch and do what I do. It was Miss Sally and Miss Sullivan our teachere who came after us. I started crying and said we are sick Miss Sally we've a'gotta go home. We wanna go home. Yeaw we are sick Brenda said in a perfectly normal voice. I hollered Brenda you are'a sposed' to cry, you aint cryin'. Well that did it. If they hadn't already figured it out they sure did then. I had already been crying every day in class anyway so wasn't a very good idea for me to cry, and Brenda wouldn't do it so the jig was up. But I wasn't quiet ready to give up yet. I just set there and stubbed up like an old opossum and of course Brenda was good at that anyway so she did it too.. BUT------ It werent' a workin'. There ween't any Peach trees near by but the teachers didn't use them anyway. They had paddles and just happened to have them with them. They took us to the toilet. ( which was not far away. they were outside toilets don't ya know) and used those paddles. Then took us back to the classrooms and told everyone what we had done. To add insult to injury they sent notes home to our parents and they did have a peach tree. Yep I guess we learned another lesson though I really don't know what that one was cause we still wanted to be together. Had to tough that year out though and the next one. It was a small school and 3rd and 4th were in one room and 5th and sixth were in one room. So we were finally together again. Yep together till' she married and moved to Kansas, then we really had something to cry about. Was never the same again. But Hey we still had a lot of growing up to do and we were and still are close. Sisters in all but name. GOOD NUFF'

HOW I GREW UP

8-10-08...HOW I GREW UP

I'm from Arkansas. Born There Raised There Still Here. Oh I lived in lots of places throughout my life but I'm home now. In other states I was often made fun of. The way I talked was funny. The way I expressed myself was funny. I said Mama and daddy, Papa and Granny. They thought that was funny. Hey, I still do all those things, say all those things in the same way but I'm home now and we Arkies are all just alike. I worked in a lot of different states and it never ceased to amaze me how they could think I talk funny. Never ceased to amaze me that they thought sometimes that I was an illeritate, backwoods hill billie, who had never been outta' them there hills. One lady (well that's not what I'd rather call her) kept trying to get me to talk and say things so she could giggle at the way I said them. Oh I caught on to that one fast. Yep sure did. I clammed up like a gator's mouth on his prey. She just kept on and I'd smile then just shut my mouth tight. I was in her home and I wasn't gonna' say the things I wanted to say. Well, at least not in the way I really wanted to say it. Nope, My Mama and Daddy taught me some manners and this person sure needed a few taught to her. I clammed up for a very long time and she must have begin to think something was wrong with me. She said Clydene please say something. You are scaring me. Well that's what I was a waitin' on cause I had a plan in that back woods illeritate hill billie head of mine. When her ol' prune of a face screwed up like she was about to cry I burst out giggling. I mean I giggled I got up from my chair and walked all around the room and my giggles got hysterical. At least she thought they did. That ol' big shot well spoken bitty was scared to death. I guess she thought that back woods monster that had raised me up was a gonna get her. She jumped up screaming and I grabbed her by the arm and had to hold her up to keep her from falling. Oh My Goodness I felt good. But please don't tell my Daddy cause I might get a tanning if that god forsaken city had a peach tree that is. Well I said very calmly to her. Honey now you just sit right down there and I'll get you a nice glass of water and I'm a gonna' talk to you. I said, Betty, you are my friend and if we both want this friendship we've gotta get a few things straight. Now I work with you and you know I'm a dietitian. I didn't get my education in a back woods or on a hill. I got it the same way you did yours. Now furthermore sugar I know we don't talk the same way and your speech is as hard to understand and as funny to me as mine is to you. And let me tell you what a hill billie really is. There was a small town that sat right at the base of a bunch of hills. There was a man named Billie who was a recluse and liked to live alone. He didn't bother anyone, would do anything in the world for anyone, just felt at peace with himself and the out doors. Billie came down to the town now and then to buy the things he couldn't get in the hills. Somebody would say There comes ol' Billie from the hills. After a while it was shortened to Here comes Hillbilly. And my friend that is the true story of what a hillbilly is. Well honey my name is not Billie it is Clydene and that is what I'd like to be called please. I was raised simple and different than you were but I make more money than you do which shouldn't bother good friends at all. Your speech is good and proper but we Arkies don't have time to add all those ing's to the end of each word we say. We talk slow anyhow and adding anything would take me all day to get anything said. Yes We were taught to say them just the way you were we had good educated Teachers too and all of mine were from Arkansas by the way. If we are to be friends you can laugh with me but I don't want you laughing at me. The end of that story doesn't end with us being buddies but I had to use that same technique with lots of other's that It Did Work On. So I gained some friends who had the sense to see ME as ME and not the way I talked or the different way that my great Parents brought me up. I learned other's unique ways and I wanted them to learn mine and take me as me and I would take them as who they were. I'm just me sugar JUST ME!!!

WADE THE DITCHES

8-8-08...WADE THE DITCHES

Brenda and I waded the ditches when it rained in the summer. But we only waded after we got permission from our Mama's so they could watch us closely. Well usually we got permission first. This one day both our Mama's were busy so we decided not to bother them and go ahead. MISTAKE BIG TIME! We got in the ditch in front of my house. The ditch went all the way to the end of our (well I don't know what it was called then) block) which was a lot farther than we really meant to go. Then we got out and went to the other side of the road. I like to think that we really thought this led back home, but I'm not sure we were thinking at all. Our Mama's never let us go that far and they certainly wouldn't have let us sit down in the ditch. The ditches were very deep and it had rained a lot so they were half full and the water just gushed out the end of the tile. We liked that> Wow Brenda, ain't this fun? Yep sure is! We didn't have any idea how far from home we were but we did know not to talk to strangers. An old man walked by right then and though he knew who we were we didn't know him. Hey Girls. Brenda don't answer him. No I wont she said. Girls, you better get out of there. Do your Mama's know where you are? Of course they do I said. Don't talk to him Clydene Brenda said. But he kept standing there. He was very old we thought and we can outrun him if we have to. Girls, come on now there might be snakes in there. Brenda he's lying to get us out so he can get hold of us, just sit still till' he goes away. He stood there for what seemed like an eternity to us then walked on. We Thought! Brenda He's gone come on lets go home. I raised up to look and there he was looking down at me. Brenda was pushing on me to hurry and all at once she screamed the loudest scream I've ever heard and fairly pushed me so hard my face hit into the bank of the ditch and buried up in slimy mud! Sputter, Sputter, Gurgle, BRRREEENNNDDDAAA stop it that man is there. CCCLLLYYYDDDEEENNNEEE, there's a snake crawling on my foot! I don't care Brenda get back down before he gets me. NOOOOOOO! It'll bite me! The old man was sitting on a rock where I suppose he was planning to watch us till our Mama's got there. And he knrw they would be looking for us. He knew us and he knew our Parents. He was very old I guess because he tried to jump up when Brenda hollered snake and couldn't get up very fast but he too started hollering for someone to help. I thought he was a crazy little girl killer or something so I sure wasn't getting out of that ditch. NO WAY NO HOW!!! I said Brenda get back down in there and I'll get that snake and throw it out at that ol' man. After it bites him then we will run home and get our Mama's. I pushed her down and reached down to get the snake. Heck that was better'n' facing that crazy old man. Where is it Brenda. I reached down in the water and grabbed A LONG STICK! Brenda you nut, it's just a stick. I was actually mad that it wasn't a snake. Wouldn't do no good to throw a stick at him now would it? Poor old man. I'll bet he was wishing right then that he had just walked right on by them crazy kids. Anyway you probably know the rest of the story but I'm a gonna tell you anyway. Our Mama's had followed the screams and hollering right to us. They sat our Brothers down for the old man to watch( Mama don't set them down there. That's a crazy ol' kid killer) and pulled us outta' that ditch likity'split'! They were so happy we were OK, kissin' and huggin' and cryin' that we thought they would forget the hide tanning. Well they sure didn't forget. No siree. We got it all right and we got it good. Then got more when our Daddies got home. We knew we deserved it too. And we were so glad to see our Mama's that day we woulda' almost asked for a tannin'. Well almost. If we hadenta' got all those tannings we wouldn't have been as loved as we were. NOPE, WORLD'S GREATEST PARENTS. We sure enough had that!!!!

LOST IN THE BIG CITY

8-6-08...LOST IN THE BIG CITY

I called Brenda and we consulted a bit on this one. We put our two pea brains together and come up with what we have agreed is the facts. It was in November but neither of us can remember our exact age at the time. We did agree that our Brother's were not there so we must have been four. Anyway that doesn't really matter. As I've said before Brenda and I hardly ever got out of our little valley on that dead end road and I think this was our first trip to the big town of Ft. Smith. ( well it is big now) Our Parents were going Christmas shopping we think, that don't matter either. Such pretty sights and sounds. Brenda and I were just flabbergasted' by the awe of it. Our Daddies took off to another part of the big store and we of course were left with our Mama's. They carried us for a while just to keep up with us I expect. When they came to something they wanted to look at they sat us down with strict orders not to move. We tried not to move, we really did. So many things to see and we had passed some dolls. We tried to get them to stop but of course they didn't. We were standing there gazing with such wonder around us when a beautiful lady came by. She was pushing a stroller with the mostest', greatest' most beautiful doll I had ever seen. Brenda look! Lets ask her where she got that doll, then maybe our Mama's will buy us one. Otay' brenda said. That girl couldn't talk plain till' she was purt'neart' grown. We tried to ask the lady but she smiled at us and kept going. Well I took off after her with Brenda on my tail saying Clydene you better come back. The lady looked back and saw us and stopped. She looked serious now but maybe we could ask her where she got that doll. She was trying to talk to us and pointing back but we didn't understand because as we found out she didn't speak English. Brenda was pulling on my coat tail and saying cumon lets go I'm scared. She slowed me down enough for the Lady to start down another aisle. Our Mama's had spotted us by then and were hot on our trail but I was going to see that doll no matter what. I took off running down that aisle after that woman likity'split' and Brenda was right behind me. By now I think I was dragging her by my coat tail cause' she wouldn't turn loose. She was strong as a bull but I'd seen that doll and I was movin'on. There she is Brenda lets go. After running up several aisles we caught up to her. I was asking about the doll while attempting to pick it up. Had it by the arm too but the lady got hold of me and she could say NO! If she couldn't speak any English she could sure say No. Well that little doll started crying and I said shoot'fire' Brenda this is a real baby. We don't want that thing. Lets go. That was what Brenda wanted all along so we turned around to go back to our Mama's and they weren't there. Brenda! They left us, They left us. Brenda started bellering and held on to me tighter. We had made such a twisting run around that of course we didn't know where our Mama's were and I guess they hadn't been able to keep up with us. The lady took us by the arms. Heck she didn't have to take Brenda's arm she was grown to my coat. The lady tried to talk to us and tell us she would help us find our Mama's but we wanted loose from her and we wanted loose now. Poor Lady, trying to push the strooler with that loud mouth baby hollering and get us to co-operate. Bless her heart. I kicked her on the shin and took off but she still had hold of Brenda and as you know Brenda was anchored to me. My Auntie and My Mama had finally caught up to us and I can imagine what it looked like to them. Now here is where I've learned I got my scrappiness" My auntie was a small woman but she came charging like a mad bull, pulled that poor woman away from us and slammed her in to the nearest display, which just happened to be toys of some kind that started falling off the shelf. Well Brenda and I were gonna' sit right down there and have a ball with all those toys but my Mama got hold of us and got us outta' the way. The poor Lady was trying to tell my Auntie what had happened but Auntie was like an old mad setting hen protecting her eggs. Brenda was bellering' and so was that baby. Oh My goodness. What a sight. I got tickled and Brenda stopped bellerin' cause' she always did what I did. We were giggling.. Some man came up and I think was about to take somebody off to somewhere. Auntie finally settled down enough to listen. The man translated and the poor Lady told her story. She was going to take us up to the front desk or something and try to find out our names so our Mama's could be found. Auntie thought she was kidnapping us. I don't think there was much shopping done that day. We met our Daddies outside the store. They gripped cause' we weren't there when we were supposed to be. Auntie and Mama had hugged the poor Lady before leaving the store. The Lady came out and heard our Daddies grumbling and she ducked back in that store so fast she was just a blur. At least that's what I heard my Daddy say that night. Our poor Mama's were explaining to our Daddies what had happened and they started laughing which didn't set well with our Mama's. Anyway, If they had planned to give our hides a tanning when we got home, they forgot all about it. "YIPPEE" The Goodest' Parents in the World" YESSIREE!!!