8-19-10...I DON'T UNDERSTAND
School is starting up today in the schools here. I imagine it is the same almost everywhere. I couldn't help the thought that came to my mind about those poor little babies in the lower grades. My first thought was , 'Oh My Goodness I hope no one leaves their child locked in their car all day and forgets them'. That happens so much it seems. Poor little trusting kids dependent on their parent or care giver. I just can't comprehend a parent, especially a Mother, going about their business all day and forgetting their child in the car. Last year even a Teacher in this area did that very thing. Her child was so blessed that a cousin was coming to school and saw the baby sitting there cooking in that hot car. It has actually been happening all summer around here and almost everywhere else.
We have an excessive heat warning today. How long would a small child have to suffer? What in the world is going on with people now? It is not just babies dying in hot cars, they are raped, kidnapped and murdered, drown and pushed in a big body of water strapped in car seats. Small children raped and murdered by big men who are sex offenders. What makes that worse is that these perverts get out of jail almost as soon as they are convicted. It just makes me sick to my stomach and mad as heck. These people should never have kids at all. I don't understand why they don't just give them up for adoption by someone who really wants a child. My heart just breaks even thinking about this. What in the vworld is going to be done about this?
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
A TRAGEDY
7-25-10...A TRAGEDY
I know for a fact that even with the had things we went through as kids we were still some of the most Blessed kids in the world. Thinking what others my age had to endure then just brings that home to me more.
There was another house that was right on the tracks like ours. I had a friend who lived in that house and I could walk up the RR right of way and go there in about 10 minutes. I visited her often and I can see that house like it was yesterday. It was fairly large and good thing it was because they had 10 kids in that house. My Friend, (I'll call her Ella) lived there with that huge family and she was the baby of the group. We were probably about 10 then. She and Brenda never developed the friendship that I had with Ella.
Ella's Mom and Dad were jolly and good but never had the time they needed to spend with their kids even though you could see the love they had for them. The older ones took care of the younger ones mostly. There was only one boy in the whole 10 of them and he stayed in the woods for reasons obvious.
Ella's Daddy was a farmer and he worked hard just like my Daddy did in the coal mine. He was a big man. He had an old tractor that had seen it's better days. He was out on the tractor cutting hay one day at dinner time and Ella's Mamma sent us to take him water and food.
He was quiet a ways from the house and as we got closer we could hear the tractor running and see smoke rising in the air.
We never suspected anything was wrong and just took our time getting there. What we saw when we did get there was the tractor burning. We didn't see her Dad at first but as we ran closer the tractor exploded and we say her Dad crawling toward a little creek close by. His clothes were on fire and he was screaming. Never before or since have I heard such a sound. A high pitched moan. The grass was on fire but wasn't spreading much because it was green.
We ran on to the creek and her Dad was lying in the edge of the water and he was quiet. The smell still haunts me sometimes. Mostly the memory has been blocked out of my mind. Very seldom does it come back.
Her Dad was already gone but we really didn't know that. He was black and charred.
WE ran back to the house as fast as we could get there and told what we could. Ella's Mom sent me home and told me to go to the only neighbor who had a car and ask for help. I did that and the people sped off in their car.
I went home and it took me a while but I told Mamma what had happened.
All the neighbors walked up the track to try and help. All of us kids stayed together in one house with older ones to watch us.
Ella and her family moved away after that and I never saw them again but I know, now even better than then, how hard they must have had it in years to come.
The house sold and the new family were middle aged with no kids. Mamma went up the track from time to time and visited with the woman but I never wanted to go with her.
It was a terrible thing to happen and made my Parents seem even more precious to me.
I know for a fact that even with the had things we went through as kids we were still some of the most Blessed kids in the world. Thinking what others my age had to endure then just brings that home to me more.
There was another house that was right on the tracks like ours. I had a friend who lived in that house and I could walk up the RR right of way and go there in about 10 minutes. I visited her often and I can see that house like it was yesterday. It was fairly large and good thing it was because they had 10 kids in that house. My Friend, (I'll call her Ella) lived there with that huge family and she was the baby of the group. We were probably about 10 then. She and Brenda never developed the friendship that I had with Ella.
Ella's Mom and Dad were jolly and good but never had the time they needed to spend with their kids even though you could see the love they had for them. The older ones took care of the younger ones mostly. There was only one boy in the whole 10 of them and he stayed in the woods for reasons obvious.
Ella's Daddy was a farmer and he worked hard just like my Daddy did in the coal mine. He was a big man. He had an old tractor that had seen it's better days. He was out on the tractor cutting hay one day at dinner time and Ella's Mamma sent us to take him water and food.
He was quiet a ways from the house and as we got closer we could hear the tractor running and see smoke rising in the air.
We never suspected anything was wrong and just took our time getting there. What we saw when we did get there was the tractor burning. We didn't see her Dad at first but as we ran closer the tractor exploded and we say her Dad crawling toward a little creek close by. His clothes were on fire and he was screaming. Never before or since have I heard such a sound. A high pitched moan. The grass was on fire but wasn't spreading much because it was green.
We ran on to the creek and her Dad was lying in the edge of the water and he was quiet. The smell still haunts me sometimes. Mostly the memory has been blocked out of my mind. Very seldom does it come back.
Her Dad was already gone but we really didn't know that. He was black and charred.
WE ran back to the house as fast as we could get there and told what we could. Ella's Mom sent me home and told me to go to the only neighbor who had a car and ask for help. I did that and the people sped off in their car.
I went home and it took me a while but I told Mamma what had happened.
All the neighbors walked up the track to try and help. All of us kids stayed together in one house with older ones to watch us.
Ella and her family moved away after that and I never saw them again but I know, now even better than then, how hard they must have had it in years to come.
The house sold and the new family were middle aged with no kids. Mamma went up the track from time to time and visited with the woman but I never wanted to go with her.
It was a terrible thing to happen and made my Parents seem even more precious to me.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Daydreams of Yesterday With Gratitude
7-22-10...Daydreams of Yesterday With Gratitude
It seems like most days now I go running down that dirt road that leads to a dead end. There is black shale on that road and I am barefoot. I don't notice the sharp shale grinding in to my feet or that my feet have become black and maybe hot from the sunshine. All I see is two houses to the left of me and a train going by on the track at the very end. The house's are very close, In hollering distance. There might be a couple of kids in each yard but most likely there will be four kids in one of the yards together. Sometimes those kids might be squabbling over something but most times they are laughing and playing together.
As I get a little closer my heart beats in anticipation and fills with longing to hurry and be there in their midst. A big Collie dog with a limp comes to welcome me with his tail wagging so fast that his whole body is moving.
At the second house I see a woman on the porch calling to the kids to come on in “supper's ready”. She doesn't have to persuade them much, they've been playing hard all day and they are hungry.
I think to myself, Well she didn't ask me but she looks so welcoming I know she won't mind so I go on in and get ready for supper with all the rest. There are some more folks who also come to the door and they are welcomed as the Woman says 'Sit down and I'll get you a plate. There is plenty.
There is a square home made table that I know that kind tired looking man made with his hammer, hand saw, and nails. An oilcloth is covering the rough lumber. It has yellow daisies covering it and I think it is so pretty.
On the table is a large pan of pinto beans with some kind of meat in them sometimes but usually not. There is a huge bowl of fried potatoes and I know no one will ever fry potatoes as good as those. A big skillet of cornbread sits on a dishrag piping hot, a bowl of red sliced onions and that is usually all there is.
The floor of the kitchen is not level. In fact the table is slanted so far on the uneven floor that the girl knocks over a glass of something and it runs right down in to the lap of the man across from her. He jumps up and the lady starts cleaning up the mess.
I'm thinking, Boy that girl is in trouble now but strangely the man and woman just smile at her and say “Eat your supper honey, and be more careful”.
What a beautiful scene all of this is as it flashes through my mind. So real that I can feel the dirt on my feet and smell the beans and cornbread, fried taters and red onions. Only to realize that here I sit looking out at a very different scene, and none of that is real. Kind of sad until I remember that I can go again anytime I wish and once again be drawn in to that wonderful place that I can call mine. This makes me smile as my heart fills with such wonderful memories of a place exactly like that. Knowing that I grew up there and it all was and is mine makes me overflow with gratitude.
It seems like most days now I go running down that dirt road that leads to a dead end. There is black shale on that road and I am barefoot. I don't notice the sharp shale grinding in to my feet or that my feet have become black and maybe hot from the sunshine. All I see is two houses to the left of me and a train going by on the track at the very end. The house's are very close, In hollering distance. There might be a couple of kids in each yard but most likely there will be four kids in one of the yards together. Sometimes those kids might be squabbling over something but most times they are laughing and playing together.
As I get a little closer my heart beats in anticipation and fills with longing to hurry and be there in their midst. A big Collie dog with a limp comes to welcome me with his tail wagging so fast that his whole body is moving.
At the second house I see a woman on the porch calling to the kids to come on in “supper's ready”. She doesn't have to persuade them much, they've been playing hard all day and they are hungry.
I think to myself, Well she didn't ask me but she looks so welcoming I know she won't mind so I go on in and get ready for supper with all the rest. There are some more folks who also come to the door and they are welcomed as the Woman says 'Sit down and I'll get you a plate. There is plenty.
There is a square home made table that I know that kind tired looking man made with his hammer, hand saw, and nails. An oilcloth is covering the rough lumber. It has yellow daisies covering it and I think it is so pretty.
On the table is a large pan of pinto beans with some kind of meat in them sometimes but usually not. There is a huge bowl of fried potatoes and I know no one will ever fry potatoes as good as those. A big skillet of cornbread sits on a dishrag piping hot, a bowl of red sliced onions and that is usually all there is.
The floor of the kitchen is not level. In fact the table is slanted so far on the uneven floor that the girl knocks over a glass of something and it runs right down in to the lap of the man across from her. He jumps up and the lady starts cleaning up the mess.
I'm thinking, Boy that girl is in trouble now but strangely the man and woman just smile at her and say “Eat your supper honey, and be more careful”.
What a beautiful scene all of this is as it flashes through my mind. So real that I can feel the dirt on my feet and smell the beans and cornbread, fried taters and red onions. Only to realize that here I sit looking out at a very different scene, and none of that is real. Kind of sad until I remember that I can go again anytime I wish and once again be drawn in to that wonderful place that I can call mine. This makes me smile as my heart fills with such wonderful memories of a place exactly like that. Knowing that I grew up there and it all was and is mine makes me overflow with gratitude.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
PROMISE OF GOD.COM...FOUR SEASONS
7-10-10...http://www.promiseofgod.com/four-seasons/
I know a lot of you have read my blogs and some of you have bought my books. Thank you I appreciate you. I recently was accepted by a site that is going to feature some of my stuff on theie site. Below is one of them and I wanted to share it with my friends. I posted it in bulletins this morning but I realizd that I have a bunch of friends here in blogs that are not necessarily on my friends list and wouldn't see my bulletin. Please click below. I hope you like it. If it won't open for you please let me know. Love to all Clydene
I know a lot of you have read my blogs and some of you have bought my books. Thank you I appreciate you. I recently was accepted by a site that is going to feature some of my stuff on theie site. Below is one of them and I wanted to share it with my friends. I posted it in bulletins this morning but I realizd that I have a bunch of friends here in blogs that are not necessarily on my friends list and wouldn't see my bulletin. Please click below. I hope you like it. If it won't open for you please let me know. Love to all Clydene
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
CHANGE CAN BE GOOD
7-5-10...CHANGE CAN BE GOOD
Life can be rough but it can also be wonderful. It really comes down to the way we handle all the fears, hurts, hopes, dreams, and everyday problems that we are sure to face. Just when things are smooth on the road you can be sure that there will be a bump up ahead that is totally going to wreck your cart and all the things that were good are going to come spilling out in a great big heap. What counts is how you handle the spill. You can scream and holler about all the injustices of your life and just leave it lying there, or you can stop, pick it up, and start over.
Many times I have just gone on and let it lay but I always had to come back and clean it up. It's always harder that way so I try to always clean up as I go. Mamma always told me that if I made a mess to clean it up as I go. That way when it is done, it is done.
NO one person will ever view things exactly the way I do, do the things I do, or think the things I think. I learned very early on that there is no way I can bend someone's will and change what the say, do, think, or what they want. We all all unique and different. I can't for the life of me why everyone in the world aren't scrambling for a big plate of fried Okra. I love it. It is delicious to me. I hate Summer and the intense miserable heat it brings and I love winter with it's beautiful snow and ice. I just can't comprehend anyone liking to get their brains baked in the hot summer sun.
God made us all different just the way he wanted each one to be. We all all special to Him. We are the very first High Tech Computers ever built with every part having it's own use in the scheme of things. We are what we are and none of us have a right to push our thoughts and beliefs on anyone else yet we all do try at times.
I've tried to change, I've tried to change others. It doesn't work. We need to be happy with who we are and where we are. Everyone has the same rights and chances that I do. I have accepted me and I have accepted that everyone else has that same right. It is a sad thing that we have to be older before we accept things. I guess we are like they say about fine wine, It's better with age.
I love God, family, friends, Fall, Winter, snow, and a nice warm fire to name a few. I hate liars, being lied to, being lied about, being called a liar, bullies, and summer. As long as I keep the love list longer than the hate list I figure I'm OK and I am satisfied.
My perspective on a lot of things has done a complete turn about. That fact in no way means that I am a different, a better, or a worse person. I'm still just a plain ol' Country girl who talks funny to some and likes Pinto beans, fried taters , okra. Red onions sour pickles, Cole slaw and cornbread. I'm just me and I'm still here. YEP!
Life can be rough but it can also be wonderful. It really comes down to the way we handle all the fears, hurts, hopes, dreams, and everyday problems that we are sure to face. Just when things are smooth on the road you can be sure that there will be a bump up ahead that is totally going to wreck your cart and all the things that were good are going to come spilling out in a great big heap. What counts is how you handle the spill. You can scream and holler about all the injustices of your life and just leave it lying there, or you can stop, pick it up, and start over.
Many times I have just gone on and let it lay but I always had to come back and clean it up. It's always harder that way so I try to always clean up as I go. Mamma always told me that if I made a mess to clean it up as I go. That way when it is done, it is done.
NO one person will ever view things exactly the way I do, do the things I do, or think the things I think. I learned very early on that there is no way I can bend someone's will and change what the say, do, think, or what they want. We all all unique and different. I can't for the life of me why everyone in the world aren't scrambling for a big plate of fried Okra. I love it. It is delicious to me. I hate Summer and the intense miserable heat it brings and I love winter with it's beautiful snow and ice. I just can't comprehend anyone liking to get their brains baked in the hot summer sun.
God made us all different just the way he wanted each one to be. We all all special to Him. We are the very first High Tech Computers ever built with every part having it's own use in the scheme of things. We are what we are and none of us have a right to push our thoughts and beliefs on anyone else yet we all do try at times.
I've tried to change, I've tried to change others. It doesn't work. We need to be happy with who we are and where we are. Everyone has the same rights and chances that I do. I have accepted me and I have accepted that everyone else has that same right. It is a sad thing that we have to be older before we accept things. I guess we are like they say about fine wine, It's better with age.
I love God, family, friends, Fall, Winter, snow, and a nice warm fire to name a few. I hate liars, being lied to, being lied about, being called a liar, bullies, and summer. As long as I keep the love list longer than the hate list I figure I'm OK and I am satisfied.
My perspective on a lot of things has done a complete turn about. That fact in no way means that I am a different, a better, or a worse person. I'm still just a plain ol' Country girl who talks funny to some and likes Pinto beans, fried taters , okra. Red onions sour pickles, Cole slaw and cornbread. I'm just me and I'm still here. YEP!
THE RABBIT HUNT
7-4-10...THE RABBIT HUNT
As I have aged things have changed with me. I no longer dream of the future and all the great things I'm going to achieve. I am happy with the way things are most of the time. My perspective on most things has done a complete turn about.
My resistance to things like, problems, adversities, feelings, indeed my body does not respond to pain the way it always did. My feelings are much more easy to hurt and I'm finding the least thing and I go on a crying pity party. You would think that I'd have developed a shell hard as nails and not petratable by no but no I'm very vulnerable to everything and I detest that.
My Parents taught me to get up dust off my britches and keep on keeping on no matter how far my face was pushed in to the mud. I thought I would always do that and I built a wall between me and things that wanted to harm me. Somewhere or someone along the way tore my wall down and I became weak and mellow as a kitten. My fire is gone it seems. It was such a subtle thing that I didn't notice it. Getting older and losing resilience was kinda like getting fat, someone had to point it out to me.
When I get in this mode and seem to lose my fight all I need to do is start using my ability to go on back there in my child-hood and reminiscence about things. That'll do it every time but because of my slower reflexes it takes me a bit longer now.
My Grandpa (Pappa) Thomas was an honery old cuss and never a bore to be around. He told us many things that were less than the truth just for fun. Mamma didn't like it one bit but we had fun with him. He told us things like a brown cow gives chocolate milk and the moon was made of cheese and we had to have it proved to us that Pappa was just funning with us. When he told us that if we sprinkled salt on a rabbits tail we could catch it he very nearly got everyone in a bunch of trouble.
One day Brenda and I decided we would catch us a pet rabbit by golly and we knew just how to do it. We were afraid Mamma would miss her salt shaker so we just took the box and off we went. It didn't take long to find a rabbit and if you are familiar with their actions you will know that you can walk almost up to the rabbit before it hops away. I think they kind of sniff out what you are up to doing by instinct or they just like to play tag.
Here we went through the pasture chasing that critter with it staying just a bit ahead of us. The salt was flying through the air. We sneaked, it hopped. When we ran out of salt and gave up we started back home. But wait a darn minute here, which way is back? We hadn't been watching where we were going and though things looked familiar we had gone without watching and we didn't know which way was back home. We had gone a whole bunch farther than we ever had before and there was two 6 year old's lost as two gooses in a fox den. As was typical with Brenda she started hanging on to me, ripping my clothes, and we both wet our britches.
"Brenda turn loose of me you are pinching my arm", but she just dug in deeper. I was never quiet as brave as I acted but Brenda brought out something in me that made me dig in my heels. (I need some of that heel digging right now.) I said "Brenda start screaming, maybe they'll hear us". They heard us all right but the one who heard us was the old ragged man who lived in a haunted house way down in the woods by the tracks. Pappa had told us all about him. Sure He Had! and there wasn't a scrap of truth to it. Pappa always said he was gonna toughen us up and between his stories and my protectiveness of Brenda it did toughen me up.
At least when the old man came up to us we had some sense of where we were. "Run Brenda" I hollered. Well heck fire Brenda was holding on to my arm in a death grip and I was dragging her. I stopped abruptly and of course it had a sling shot affect on Brenda. She went flying past me and now she was dragging me. I mean that girl was moving on now. "Brenda, you're going the wrong way, stop". She stopped and this time I was in the sling shot smack dab in to that old man. We all went down. "Well Brenda you done it this time. He's got us now".
Poor old man had the wind knocked out of him but he was trying to laugh. That just scared us worse. He said "You girls get up off me and I'm gonna to take you home". It took some convincing on his part but we finally figured out he was a good old man even if he did stink and live in a shack. Heck his house wasn't haunted either he said. He led us up to where we could see Brenda's house, patted our backs and he was on his way.
Now we hadn't been gone long but Mamma was looking for us. We told her our story (by the way Brenda still had a vice grip on my arm). We got in trouble for taking her salt, after all a box of salt cost 10 cents and money didn't grow on trees she said.
Next time Pappa came for a visit he was told in no uncertain terms to stop lying to her kids. Pappa really thought it was funny but he knew Mamma meant business so he didn't argue with her at all. I'm not sure if he told us any more of his tales but if he did I don't remember any more run-a-ways because of it. Shoot fire, we didn't even catch that rabbit!!!
As I have aged things have changed with me. I no longer dream of the future and all the great things I'm going to achieve. I am happy with the way things are most of the time. My perspective on most things has done a complete turn about.
My resistance to things like, problems, adversities, feelings, indeed my body does not respond to pain the way it always did. My feelings are much more easy to hurt and I'm finding the least thing and I go on a crying pity party. You would think that I'd have developed a shell hard as nails and not petratable by no but no I'm very vulnerable to everything and I detest that.
My Parents taught me to get up dust off my britches and keep on keeping on no matter how far my face was pushed in to the mud. I thought I would always do that and I built a wall between me and things that wanted to harm me. Somewhere or someone along the way tore my wall down and I became weak and mellow as a kitten. My fire is gone it seems. It was such a subtle thing that I didn't notice it. Getting older and losing resilience was kinda like getting fat, someone had to point it out to me.
When I get in this mode and seem to lose my fight all I need to do is start using my ability to go on back there in my child-hood and reminiscence about things. That'll do it every time but because of my slower reflexes it takes me a bit longer now.
My Grandpa (Pappa) Thomas was an honery old cuss and never a bore to be around. He told us many things that were less than the truth just for fun. Mamma didn't like it one bit but we had fun with him. He told us things like a brown cow gives chocolate milk and the moon was made of cheese and we had to have it proved to us that Pappa was just funning with us. When he told us that if we sprinkled salt on a rabbits tail we could catch it he very nearly got everyone in a bunch of trouble.
One day Brenda and I decided we would catch us a pet rabbit by golly and we knew just how to do it. We were afraid Mamma would miss her salt shaker so we just took the box and off we went. It didn't take long to find a rabbit and if you are familiar with their actions you will know that you can walk almost up to the rabbit before it hops away. I think they kind of sniff out what you are up to doing by instinct or they just like to play tag.
Here we went through the pasture chasing that critter with it staying just a bit ahead of us. The salt was flying through the air. We sneaked, it hopped. When we ran out of salt and gave up we started back home. But wait a darn minute here, which way is back? We hadn't been watching where we were going and though things looked familiar we had gone without watching and we didn't know which way was back home. We had gone a whole bunch farther than we ever had before and there was two 6 year old's lost as two gooses in a fox den. As was typical with Brenda she started hanging on to me, ripping my clothes, and we both wet our britches.
"Brenda turn loose of me you are pinching my arm", but she just dug in deeper. I was never quiet as brave as I acted but Brenda brought out something in me that made me dig in my heels. (I need some of that heel digging right now.) I said "Brenda start screaming, maybe they'll hear us". They heard us all right but the one who heard us was the old ragged man who lived in a haunted house way down in the woods by the tracks. Pappa had told us all about him. Sure He Had! and there wasn't a scrap of truth to it. Pappa always said he was gonna toughen us up and between his stories and my protectiveness of Brenda it did toughen me up.
At least when the old man came up to us we had some sense of where we were. "Run Brenda" I hollered. Well heck fire Brenda was holding on to my arm in a death grip and I was dragging her. I stopped abruptly and of course it had a sling shot affect on Brenda. She went flying past me and now she was dragging me. I mean that girl was moving on now. "Brenda, you're going the wrong way, stop". She stopped and this time I was in the sling shot smack dab in to that old man. We all went down. "Well Brenda you done it this time. He's got us now".
Poor old man had the wind knocked out of him but he was trying to laugh. That just scared us worse. He said "You girls get up off me and I'm gonna to take you home". It took some convincing on his part but we finally figured out he was a good old man even if he did stink and live in a shack. Heck his house wasn't haunted either he said. He led us up to where we could see Brenda's house, patted our backs and he was on his way.
Now we hadn't been gone long but Mamma was looking for us. We told her our story (by the way Brenda still had a vice grip on my arm). We got in trouble for taking her salt, after all a box of salt cost 10 cents and money didn't grow on trees she said.
Next time Pappa came for a visit he was told in no uncertain terms to stop lying to her kids. Pappa really thought it was funny but he knew Mamma meant business so he didn't argue with her at all. I'm not sure if he told us any more of his tales but if he did I don't remember any more run-a-ways because of it. Shoot fire, we didn't even catch that rabbit!!!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
TYPICAL 50'S? NOPE!
6-23-10...TYPICAL 50's? NOPE!
We keep hearing and seeing things about the 50's right now because of the Boomers. I watch things on TV from that era if I can find them because almost all I see on TV or in the movies is just plain trash to my way of thinking. I watch , Andy Griffith, The Waltons, and Little House on The Prairie ,to name a few, and hear them say that was typical of that time. I was watching Leave it To Beaver at the time and I thought, “Typical”? HUH? You gotta be kidding me. Beavers Mother was wearing high heels, beautiful dress, & jewelry as she busied herself in her neat little kitchen with all the modern conveniences, some of which were definitely not typical. When Father comes home she calls up the stairs, where for some reason the writers thought kids stayed in their rooms all the time, “Boys dinner's ready”. Now she has Dinner ready just as the Father comes in the door and on the table. She goes walking like a fashion model over to him as he comes in the door and says, “Hello dear dinners ready. How was your day?” He kisses her and says,”Very good and how was your day dear.” Right about now I think I might puke when the boys come in to the kitchen, kiss mom on the cheek and say ,”Looks good Mom, Can I do anything to help? Then when Dinner is over Beaver and Wally say “May I be excused Mom, I'm finished”? Oh Good Grief! A typical evening was no where near that in my home or in any body's home that I knew of. I'm thinking some imbecile is writing this. Even The Waltons and Little house were too sugar coated but a little closer to the way it really was.
At my house, my Daddy came dragging in, worn out from a days hard labor with a pittance of pay. Mamma is getting 'Supper' on the table. That doesn't take long because we don't have a big table full of fancy food. Just some beans and potatoes and corn-bread usually. . There is always someone there to eat with us. Whether Family or stranger there was always someone else there in our house. Norman and I are certainly not up in our 'Rooms' we go there to sleep, we are outside playing or in the front room doing something with our hands and our minds because there wasn't a TV to be parked in front of. Mamma is usually bare foot and wearing an old house dress that has worn so thin she figures it will disintegrate when it is washed again. Mamma hollers, “You kids wash your hands and get to the table”. We all assemble at the table and we are very thankful for what we have. Sometimes we'd like something else but we don't stress out over not having it. And we wouldn't dare say anything like, I don't like this stuff. Give me something else cause I'm not eating this like I heard someone say recently. Heck no. If we were to act that way we'd be whacked a time or two and told to apologize to Mamma for our rudeness.. Norman or I always spilled something ALWAYS, and it was usually ol' butterfingers me. When we all got to the table and got our plates filled the chattering starts and we have good Family time. Now how in the world could any one believe that the Beaver Show was typical is beyond me cause honey it aint nowhere close to typical in the real world I grew up in. NOPE!!!!
We keep hearing and seeing things about the 50's right now because of the Boomers. I watch things on TV from that era if I can find them because almost all I see on TV or in the movies is just plain trash to my way of thinking. I watch , Andy Griffith, The Waltons, and Little House on The Prairie ,to name a few, and hear them say that was typical of that time. I was watching Leave it To Beaver at the time and I thought, “Typical”? HUH? You gotta be kidding me. Beavers Mother was wearing high heels, beautiful dress, & jewelry as she busied herself in her neat little kitchen with all the modern conveniences, some of which were definitely not typical. When Father comes home she calls up the stairs, where for some reason the writers thought kids stayed in their rooms all the time, “Boys dinner's ready”. Now she has Dinner ready just as the Father comes in the door and on the table. She goes walking like a fashion model over to him as he comes in the door and says, “Hello dear dinners ready. How was your day?” He kisses her and says,”Very good and how was your day dear.” Right about now I think I might puke when the boys come in to the kitchen, kiss mom on the cheek and say ,”Looks good Mom, Can I do anything to help? Then when Dinner is over Beaver and Wally say “May I be excused Mom, I'm finished”? Oh Good Grief! A typical evening was no where near that in my home or in any body's home that I knew of. I'm thinking some imbecile is writing this. Even The Waltons and Little house were too sugar coated but a little closer to the way it really was.
At my house, my Daddy came dragging in, worn out from a days hard labor with a pittance of pay. Mamma is getting 'Supper' on the table. That doesn't take long because we don't have a big table full of fancy food. Just some beans and potatoes and corn-bread usually. . There is always someone there to eat with us. Whether Family or stranger there was always someone else there in our house. Norman and I are certainly not up in our 'Rooms' we go there to sleep, we are outside playing or in the front room doing something with our hands and our minds because there wasn't a TV to be parked in front of. Mamma is usually bare foot and wearing an old house dress that has worn so thin she figures it will disintegrate when it is washed again. Mamma hollers, “You kids wash your hands and get to the table”. We all assemble at the table and we are very thankful for what we have. Sometimes we'd like something else but we don't stress out over not having it. And we wouldn't dare say anything like, I don't like this stuff. Give me something else cause I'm not eating this like I heard someone say recently. Heck no. If we were to act that way we'd be whacked a time or two and told to apologize to Mamma for our rudeness.. Norman or I always spilled something ALWAYS, and it was usually ol' butterfingers me. When we all got to the table and got our plates filled the chattering starts and we have good Family time. Now how in the world could any one believe that the Beaver Show was typical is beyond me cause honey it aint nowhere close to typical in the real world I grew up in. NOPE!!!!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
BRENDA AND CLYDENE
6-21-10...BRENDA
A lot of you probably feel like you know my Cousin Brenda because I write about her a lot. We are only 7 months a part in age and grew up side by side almost. Our homes were in hollerin' distance. Really I think of her as my Sister and she feels the same way. We are probably closer than a lot of real Sisters
We had fun and laughter together with our Brothers Norman and Paul when we were kids. As we grew and aged and became teenagers, Adults, and now senior citizens our closeness just got stronger.
Brenda got married a lot younger than I did and moved 350 miles away with her husband. At the time I could have cheerfully choked the life out of her husband and later I had good reason not to like him. I missed her so very bad and I was so lost without her for a while that I actually grieved like she was no longer living. Of course I pulled out of that but when Brenda started having problems with her abusive Husband I was there for her just as she was for me later when I had the same problems. First sign of trouble for either of us and we gravitated to each other like a homing pigeon. We could even feel in our hearts when the other one was in trouble and here we'd go like ol' sittin' hens to right what was wrong. It was always that way and it was the one sure and steady thing in our lives for many years.
We are both older and ill now. Not able to travel but we always could talk over the phone. Brenda doesn't tell me but I know her and I know she is more than ill because most times she doesn't even feel like talking on the phone. Her Brother has been to visit her and he said she is not doing well at all. Neither of us are able to travel the 350 miles to visit so that is the way it is.
I'm sure you have all been there when everything comes falling in on your head at the same time. That is where I am. I need Brenda and Brenda needs me and there is not a darn thing we can do about it. Brenda knows I love her and I know she loves me so that will have to be enough. I don't think over all these 66 years we ever once thought about what this time would mean to us. I wrote Brenda a long letter letting her know that I will always be there in my heart for her.
A lot of you probably feel like you know my Cousin Brenda because I write about her a lot. We are only 7 months a part in age and grew up side by side almost. Our homes were in hollerin' distance. Really I think of her as my Sister and she feels the same way. We are probably closer than a lot of real Sisters
We had fun and laughter together with our Brothers Norman and Paul when we were kids. As we grew and aged and became teenagers, Adults, and now senior citizens our closeness just got stronger.
Brenda got married a lot younger than I did and moved 350 miles away with her husband. At the time I could have cheerfully choked the life out of her husband and later I had good reason not to like him. I missed her so very bad and I was so lost without her for a while that I actually grieved like she was no longer living. Of course I pulled out of that but when Brenda started having problems with her abusive Husband I was there for her just as she was for me later when I had the same problems. First sign of trouble for either of us and we gravitated to each other like a homing pigeon. We could even feel in our hearts when the other one was in trouble and here we'd go like ol' sittin' hens to right what was wrong. It was always that way and it was the one sure and steady thing in our lives for many years.
We are both older and ill now. Not able to travel but we always could talk over the phone. Brenda doesn't tell me but I know her and I know she is more than ill because most times she doesn't even feel like talking on the phone. Her Brother has been to visit her and he said she is not doing well at all. Neither of us are able to travel the 350 miles to visit so that is the way it is.
I'm sure you have all been there when everything comes falling in on your head at the same time. That is where I am. I need Brenda and Brenda needs me and there is not a darn thing we can do about it. Brenda knows I love her and I know she loves me so that will have to be enough. I don't think over all these 66 years we ever once thought about what this time would mean to us. I wrote Brenda a long letter letting her know that I will always be there in my heart for her.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
I CAME FROM GOOD STOCK
6-19-10...I CAME FROM GOOD STOCK
My life has not been easy, it has been tough to say the least. I've had more than my share of hard knocks. I don't have the corner market on that I know. Many people have had that kind of life. Mamma always told me that no matter how bad things were I could always look around and find someone in worse condition. I know that is true but that don't make my situation any better by knowing that fact.
My one Ace in the hole has always been to always get up no matter how hard I am knocked down and I've always done that. But don't everyone have the right to stay down and rest a spell now and then? Nope, I don't think that is the way it goes. I have gotten up when I thought it was impossible but I am tired now. You'd think that in those Golden Years they always talk about things would get easier. Not the case. So if you are younger and still out there working just don't think Retirement will be like you've read about or seen on TV. Could be it will for a few but I've not seen many my age who will brag about their leisure days of retirement. I do know some. In fact some I know right here on The Hill. I'm envious of them sometimes and Mamma taught me not to be that way either. Mamma had a beautiful peaceful smile right up to the day she passed in to Heaven even though her pain was enormous. Wow, What an inspiration that Lady was for me. I try to maintain a smile and a happy word for everyone because that was the way my Mamma taught me but it is getting harder and harder.
I miss my Daddy and Mamma so bad it hurts deep in my heart sometimes. Daddy was my inspiration also. He started ploughing fields young. Pappy took him out of school when he was in the second grade and he never got to go back. Daddy worked hard from then on and was never able to let up for a minute so why should I think I have that right now? Daddy was old before his time and his heart stopped when he was only 68 years old. I'm just a little over two years younger than that right now.
My smile is faded for a while but I have no doubt I will have it back soon. I came from good stock and life wont keep me down for long. That is my encouragement at the moment. Yep, I came from good stock by golly and I aint gonna forget that as long as I've got a mind with some limited capacity. NOPE!!!
My life has not been easy, it has been tough to say the least. I've had more than my share of hard knocks. I don't have the corner market on that I know. Many people have had that kind of life. Mamma always told me that no matter how bad things were I could always look around and find someone in worse condition. I know that is true but that don't make my situation any better by knowing that fact.
My one Ace in the hole has always been to always get up no matter how hard I am knocked down and I've always done that. But don't everyone have the right to stay down and rest a spell now and then? Nope, I don't think that is the way it goes. I have gotten up when I thought it was impossible but I am tired now. You'd think that in those Golden Years they always talk about things would get easier. Not the case. So if you are younger and still out there working just don't think Retirement will be like you've read about or seen on TV. Could be it will for a few but I've not seen many my age who will brag about their leisure days of retirement. I do know some. In fact some I know right here on The Hill. I'm envious of them sometimes and Mamma taught me not to be that way either. Mamma had a beautiful peaceful smile right up to the day she passed in to Heaven even though her pain was enormous. Wow, What an inspiration that Lady was for me. I try to maintain a smile and a happy word for everyone because that was the way my Mamma taught me but it is getting harder and harder.
I miss my Daddy and Mamma so bad it hurts deep in my heart sometimes. Daddy was my inspiration also. He started ploughing fields young. Pappy took him out of school when he was in the second grade and he never got to go back. Daddy worked hard from then on and was never able to let up for a minute so why should I think I have that right now? Daddy was old before his time and his heart stopped when he was only 68 years old. I'm just a little over two years younger than that right now.
My smile is faded for a while but I have no doubt I will have it back soon. I came from good stock and life wont keep me down for long. That is my encouragement at the moment. Yep, I came from good stock by golly and I aint gonna forget that as long as I've got a mind with some limited capacity. NOPE!!!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
MAD AS HECK
6-8-10...I'm MAD AS HECK!!
I was watching the news this morning and saw something that just broke my heart. It made me physically sick to my stomach.
They were showing a video of a little three year old girl doing a “Dance?” to a Lady Ga Ga song. I had never even heard of this Lady Ga Ga until I started seeing little girls imitate her. The Mother was being interviewed and she thought this it was perfectly fine for all the sickos of the world to watch her precious little three year old daughter all painted up and dancing suggestively. Now I may be called a nerd or whatever it is they call us now but I'm Proud I've earned that title.
What has happened to Parents who protected their kids boy or girl? I just can't comprehend where their minds could be. Don't they realize what could happen to these beautiful little girls? Didn't they learn anything from Jon Benet Ramsey? It is the parents who enjoy this stuff not the kids. It is the parents that push their kids in to this stuff like beauty contests where babies are dressed to look like floosies. The kids don't want to do it. Parents even make their kids go on diets so their bodies can look “Sexy” or whatever it is they are trying to achieve. What kind of people will these little precious kids become when their parents take their innocence away from them like that? They shouldn't even see things like that at their age.
I appreciate my Parents and the way they raised me more every day. I was never exposed to anything like this and though I was called square in my youth and didn't like it then I love it now. I'm a square still and I shudder to think what is going to happen to these little innocent, beautiful children. It makes me more than sick to my stomach it makes me madder than I have ever been in my life. It makes me want to knock some sense in to those knuckle headed parents.
There I got that off my chest!!!
Friday, June 4, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
FLIP FLOP FIZZ FIZZ
5-31-10...FLOP FLOP FIZZ FIZZ
I was in a store yesterday evening getting some things we needed bread being the main thing I was a little tiffed because Don waited till I got home from Church before he told me we needed bread. “Why didn't you tell me sooner?” And he starts this condescending tone that ruffles my feathers fast and says “Now how was I going to tell you when you were not here”. Oh good grief I do have a cell phone with me at all times. It wouldn't have rang in Church but a simple messages would have cause me a lot less hassle. I just let that go and headed back out in the hot day. I thought to myself that I'd just take my time and look around since it was a Dollar General and has everything. It being a holiday weekend there weren't many stirring. Just me and two others in the store.
I wandered around a spell, got bread and a bunch of other stuff, and sauntered on up to the check out. Now there were only three shoppers in the store and one check out girl. Shouldn't be a problem. RIGHT? Well heck all three of us decided to leave at the same time. I was second in line, with a man behind me, and a lady in front of me. I started smelling a stinch. Now I had already observed that the man had been out working in the hot day and he was dirty and sweaty so I tried to just hold my breath. I mean, after all the poor feller couldn't help sweating and that stinks after a while. I can't really blame the poor guy for that. But when I heard a loud succession of “Flop Flop, Flop, Flooop and a big sigh from the guy I knew that warn't no sweat stinch. Heck fire that guy was ______ Well you know. I was thinking ,Oh hurry little girl and get us checked out of here.
The lady in front of me looked back at me. I thought Oh My Gosh, that woman thinks I did That!!! How in the heck do I convince her otherwise. I used my eyes to let her know the man behind me was the culprit not me. Then out of the deep dark recesses of my warped mind the words of that Alka-Seltzer jingle came up in my mind and I said “Flop Flop Fizz Fizz Oh what a relief it is. OH good lord Why in the world did I say that. Oh My, What if he follows me out of the store and throttles me?
The Lady in front of me looked back again and the look on her face set me off in a giggle fit. She was checked out and she took off like all the demons in hell were after her. I had several things in my cart I told the check out girl I was sorry (Or some such thing) and put my stuff up there. She seemed to hurry. Probably was afraid I was going to get us all in trouble because I could see she was trying to hide a full blown smile.
I never looked back but I almost ran out of there with my purchases and left the store as fast as I could. I mean this ol' gal got out of Dodge. Yep!
I was in a store yesterday evening getting some things we needed bread being the main thing I was a little tiffed because Don waited till I got home from Church before he told me we needed bread. “Why didn't you tell me sooner?” And he starts this condescending tone that ruffles my feathers fast and says “Now how was I going to tell you when you were not here”. Oh good grief I do have a cell phone with me at all times. It wouldn't have rang in Church but a simple messages would have cause me a lot less hassle. I just let that go and headed back out in the hot day. I thought to myself that I'd just take my time and look around since it was a Dollar General and has everything. It being a holiday weekend there weren't many stirring. Just me and two others in the store.
I wandered around a spell, got bread and a bunch of other stuff, and sauntered on up to the check out. Now there were only three shoppers in the store and one check out girl. Shouldn't be a problem. RIGHT? Well heck all three of us decided to leave at the same time. I was second in line, with a man behind me, and a lady in front of me. I started smelling a stinch. Now I had already observed that the man had been out working in the hot day and he was dirty and sweaty so I tried to just hold my breath. I mean, after all the poor feller couldn't help sweating and that stinks after a while. I can't really blame the poor guy for that. But when I heard a loud succession of “Flop Flop, Flop, Flooop and a big sigh from the guy I knew that warn't no sweat stinch. Heck fire that guy was ______ Well you know. I was thinking ,Oh hurry little girl and get us checked out of here.
The lady in front of me looked back at me. I thought Oh My Gosh, that woman thinks I did That!!! How in the heck do I convince her otherwise. I used my eyes to let her know the man behind me was the culprit not me. Then out of the deep dark recesses of my warped mind the words of that Alka-Seltzer jingle came up in my mind and I said “Flop Flop Fizz Fizz Oh what a relief it is. OH good lord Why in the world did I say that. Oh My, What if he follows me out of the store and throttles me?
The Lady in front of me looked back again and the look on her face set me off in a giggle fit. She was checked out and she took off like all the demons in hell were after her. I had several things in my cart I told the check out girl I was sorry (Or some such thing) and put my stuff up there. She seemed to hurry. Probably was afraid I was going to get us all in trouble because I could see she was trying to hide a full blown smile.
I never looked back but I almost ran out of there with my purchases and left the store as fast as I could. I mean this ol' gal got out of Dodge. Yep!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
MAD BANANA CAKE
5-29-10...MAD BANANA CAKE
Did you ever get out of bed mad? I mean rip roarin, teeth gnashing, skin tearin', jaw boxing mad! That was me this very morning. I have no idea why either. Don't remember a dream last night or anything yesterday that might have triggered this. But I was/am Mad. Not angry but mad.
I made my mind up that this was not going to ruin my day. I was going to go about my day as usual and try to be calm and serene. Well that was the first mistake. Get real Clydene, You aint ever calm and serene.
I don't know if I was just looking for something or not but I wouldn't have had to look very far. I discovered that someone I had known and loved and trusted with my very life had betrayed me. Usually I would have been deeply hurt over that but I already had a mad going so why switch in mid stream. Heck Might as well stay mad.
I could always work out a mad by doing something I love doing which is baking. I had some very ripe bananas in the kitchen so I decided a banana nut cake was in order. I do things in stages lately since I can't stand or walk for very long at a time so I started assembling my ingredients, pans, mixer and getting it all set out in order on the kitchen counter. As I was doing this Don came in the kitchen and asked me what I was doing. Irritated me that he would ask when he should be able to see what I was going to do. “I'm cooking”, was my short answer. He said “Well you need to use those banana's before they ruin first. No use in wasting stuff”. HUH?
What!? What did he say? How dare he accuse me of wasting. I was spluttering and almost foaming at the mouth by now and he must have caught on because he said, “Do what you want to do, don't matter to me”. That just added fuel to my fire but I did my best not to grab his skinny little neck and twist it backwards for him.
Don escaped the kitchen in a hurry and sat down in the Dining room right off the kitchen. I sat down in my chair in my room with a cup of coffee and a book because my legs were getting numb which they always do.
OK! I've had my rest and my nice cup of buggered nerves coffee so I'm ready to begin to get the cake mixed and baked. I'm going along great until I start to sit the mixer down to add more flour mixture. I did turn it off first but when I tried to set it down on the counter it started tipping over, I grabbed for it, dropped it again, snatched it up before it fell off the counter and accidentally turned the dang thing on. Oh My God, Good grief. Batter was flying everywhere as the mixer scooted and watusied across the counter top with me in close pursuit. Batter was covering my glasses and I couldn't see so I hollered (might have screeched) “DOOOONNN”. To which he replied, “Quiten down”. WHAT DID HE SAY? Hey Did he tell me to quiten down? Did he really say that when I'm needing help? HOW DARE HE, Why I'll take this bowl in there and pour it right over his head. I didn't do that. I got very calm, You know the calm before the storm. I finally got the mixer stopped and turned off. Got myself and the counter, microwave, toaster, bottom of cabinets, and the floor cleaned up all the time on a slow burn.
I hoped there was enough batter left for the cake. All there was left to put in was the mashed bananas which I proceeded to do. As I was folding the bananas in I was spluttering under my breath. “How dare he I'll show him. Tell ME to quiten down. I'll show him. I'll get that sucker back if it is the last thing I do. I can't believe he had the nerve to tell me to quiten down, Why the very idea.” On and on and on. Once he said, “What'd you say” and that set my mutterings off again.
I smell my cake baking as I write and I'm beginning to calm a bit. Just a tad bit but it will come. Should I let Don eat a piece of cake later? Don't know. Might Might not.
Did you ever get out of bed mad? I mean rip roarin, teeth gnashing, skin tearin', jaw boxing mad! That was me this very morning. I have no idea why either. Don't remember a dream last night or anything yesterday that might have triggered this. But I was/am Mad. Not angry but mad.
I made my mind up that this was not going to ruin my day. I was going to go about my day as usual and try to be calm and serene. Well that was the first mistake. Get real Clydene, You aint ever calm and serene.
I don't know if I was just looking for something or not but I wouldn't have had to look very far. I discovered that someone I had known and loved and trusted with my very life had betrayed me. Usually I would have been deeply hurt over that but I already had a mad going so why switch in mid stream. Heck Might as well stay mad.
I could always work out a mad by doing something I love doing which is baking. I had some very ripe bananas in the kitchen so I decided a banana nut cake was in order. I do things in stages lately since I can't stand or walk for very long at a time so I started assembling my ingredients, pans, mixer and getting it all set out in order on the kitchen counter. As I was doing this Don came in the kitchen and asked me what I was doing. Irritated me that he would ask when he should be able to see what I was going to do. “I'm cooking”, was my short answer. He said “Well you need to use those banana's before they ruin first. No use in wasting stuff”. HUH?
What!? What did he say? How dare he accuse me of wasting. I was spluttering and almost foaming at the mouth by now and he must have caught on because he said, “Do what you want to do, don't matter to me”. That just added fuel to my fire but I did my best not to grab his skinny little neck and twist it backwards for him.
Don escaped the kitchen in a hurry and sat down in the Dining room right off the kitchen. I sat down in my chair in my room with a cup of coffee and a book because my legs were getting numb which they always do.
OK! I've had my rest and my nice cup of buggered nerves coffee so I'm ready to begin to get the cake mixed and baked. I'm going along great until I start to sit the mixer down to add more flour mixture. I did turn it off first but when I tried to set it down on the counter it started tipping over, I grabbed for it, dropped it again, snatched it up before it fell off the counter and accidentally turned the dang thing on. Oh My God, Good grief. Batter was flying everywhere as the mixer scooted and watusied across the counter top with me in close pursuit. Batter was covering my glasses and I couldn't see so I hollered (might have screeched) “DOOOONNN”. To which he replied, “Quiten down”. WHAT DID HE SAY? Hey Did he tell me to quiten down? Did he really say that when I'm needing help? HOW DARE HE, Why I'll take this bowl in there and pour it right over his head. I didn't do that. I got very calm, You know the calm before the storm. I finally got the mixer stopped and turned off. Got myself and the counter, microwave, toaster, bottom of cabinets, and the floor cleaned up all the time on a slow burn.
I hoped there was enough batter left for the cake. All there was left to put in was the mashed bananas which I proceeded to do. As I was folding the bananas in I was spluttering under my breath. “How dare he I'll show him. Tell ME to quiten down. I'll show him. I'll get that sucker back if it is the last thing I do. I can't believe he had the nerve to tell me to quiten down, Why the very idea.” On and on and on. Once he said, “What'd you say” and that set my mutterings off again.
I smell my cake baking as I write and I'm beginning to calm a bit. Just a tad bit but it will come. Should I let Don eat a piece of cake later? Don't know. Might Might not.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
COUNTY FAIR
5-27-10...COUNTY FAIR
I was reading a book today and read something about riding a Ferris wheel. That reminded me of something that I hadn't thought of in years. I don't how I could have forgotten because it scared me so bad I shook.
Our County had a fair and carnival every year in September. My little school took the school bus and some teachers and parents as supervisors and all who wanted to could ride to the Carnival on Friday. It was half price day and was in Ozark not very far from our school. They also took us to the state fair in Little Rock when we were older. Rides were a dime and you could get a hamburger, fries, and coke for 15 cents with half price. Daddy always managed to give me a dollar for the day which seemed a humongous amount to us at the time. I could eat, ride, and maybe something else in a day and boy did I love it. This particular time was my very first time on the Ferris wheel and I was not in very much a hurry to do it. Probably wouldn't have if my friends hadn't been there and most of them didn't know how scared I was of heights. Well little miss brave britches me wasn't about to admit to them that I was afraid of anything
One of my friends and I decided to ride together. Now I knew Pat wasn't afraid so I felt a little more cumfy' with her. I stepped right up and got on that monstrosity like I had done it hundreds of times. Pat didn't even know it was my first time.
When it jerked as it took off my nightmare had begun. Scared the snot outta' me and I screamed. Pat thought I was having fun and excited so she started rocking the seat which was positively against the rules. Well I didn't know nothing about rules but I was petrified. Completely spaced out and undone. When we went around a complete circle the first time I thought 'Wow, this is over. I'm getting' off this thing and I'll never get back on one as long as I live'. Well I guess you know I didn't get off. That thing just kept going and 'Uppp' we went again. I held my breath as we went down again but it stopped half way to let more passengers on. By golly I thought that dang thing was stuck and I was a doomed girl for sure. I was so scared that all I could do was breathe hard and nary a sound came out of my mouth but by golly I was screaming loud in my mind for them to get me off of that thing this instant.
It went on around and this time it stopped when our seat was right on the top. I had gotten on there with cotton candy and Pat had a coke. I was hanging on tight to my cotton candy with one hand and the brace on the seat with the other hand.
When the seat lurched as it took off again I slung my arm out and hit Pats arm. The coke and the cotton candy went flying out over the crowd.
Pat said, “Clydene that stuff hit a man and a lady on the head and they looked up at us. If they see us when we get off we are in trouble”! I was too much in a hurry to get off that thing to be worrying about that so I just ignored Pat.
The next time around it stopped and they let us off. Pat grabbed me by the arm and said , “Come on Clydene we gotta hurry”. Well she sure as heck didn't have to tell me to hurry up cause I was moving on. I don't know if the ones we spilled on saw us or not but Pat was convinced they did. She finally convinced me to and we were both scared the rest of the day that those people were gonna' come get us and do something bad to us. I was so scared that I didn't enjoy the rest of the day.
When we got on the bus to go home that evening one of the girls said that she got sick on the ferris wheel and threw up on a lady down below.
When all was said and done we had no idea if it was the same lady we had spilled our stuff on but I'll bet the lady knew. I know I would rather have cotton candy and coke come down on me that a glop of puke!!! YUKKY!
I was reading a book today and read something about riding a Ferris wheel. That reminded me of something that I hadn't thought of in years. I don't how I could have forgotten because it scared me so bad I shook.
Our County had a fair and carnival every year in September. My little school took the school bus and some teachers and parents as supervisors and all who wanted to could ride to the Carnival on Friday. It was half price day and was in Ozark not very far from our school. They also took us to the state fair in Little Rock when we were older. Rides were a dime and you could get a hamburger, fries, and coke for 15 cents with half price. Daddy always managed to give me a dollar for the day which seemed a humongous amount to us at the time. I could eat, ride, and maybe something else in a day and boy did I love it. This particular time was my very first time on the Ferris wheel and I was not in very much a hurry to do it. Probably wouldn't have if my friends hadn't been there and most of them didn't know how scared I was of heights. Well little miss brave britches me wasn't about to admit to them that I was afraid of anything
One of my friends and I decided to ride together. Now I knew Pat wasn't afraid so I felt a little more cumfy' with her. I stepped right up and got on that monstrosity like I had done it hundreds of times. Pat didn't even know it was my first time.
When it jerked as it took off my nightmare had begun. Scared the snot outta' me and I screamed. Pat thought I was having fun and excited so she started rocking the seat which was positively against the rules. Well I didn't know nothing about rules but I was petrified. Completely spaced out and undone. When we went around a complete circle the first time I thought 'Wow, this is over. I'm getting' off this thing and I'll never get back on one as long as I live'. Well I guess you know I didn't get off. That thing just kept going and 'Uppp' we went again. I held my breath as we went down again but it stopped half way to let more passengers on. By golly I thought that dang thing was stuck and I was a doomed girl for sure. I was so scared that all I could do was breathe hard and nary a sound came out of my mouth but by golly I was screaming loud in my mind for them to get me off of that thing this instant.
It went on around and this time it stopped when our seat was right on the top. I had gotten on there with cotton candy and Pat had a coke. I was hanging on tight to my cotton candy with one hand and the brace on the seat with the other hand.
When the seat lurched as it took off again I slung my arm out and hit Pats arm. The coke and the cotton candy went flying out over the crowd.
Pat said, “Clydene that stuff hit a man and a lady on the head and they looked up at us. If they see us when we get off we are in trouble”! I was too much in a hurry to get off that thing to be worrying about that so I just ignored Pat.
The next time around it stopped and they let us off. Pat grabbed me by the arm and said , “Come on Clydene we gotta hurry”. Well she sure as heck didn't have to tell me to hurry up cause I was moving on. I don't know if the ones we spilled on saw us or not but Pat was convinced they did. She finally convinced me to and we were both scared the rest of the day that those people were gonna' come get us and do something bad to us. I was so scared that I didn't enjoy the rest of the day.
When we got on the bus to go home that evening one of the girls said that she got sick on the ferris wheel and threw up on a lady down below.
When all was said and done we had no idea if it was the same lady we had spilled our stuff on but I'll bet the lady knew. I know I would rather have cotton candy and coke come down on me that a glop of puke!!! YUKKY!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
A SMILE
5-21-10...A SMILE, HUG, GIGGLE, BACK PAT, FRIEND
Every body has a smile. Some use it until they have wrinkles around their eyes. Some use it less often than others. I hate to say it but I know some who I just don't think they ever use their smile.
A smile doesn't cost a cent. You can give it away all day and have plenty more left over.
There is no one no matter how mighty or how rich that doesn't benefit from a smile.
No one can steal it or borrow it from you but if you give them one you have enriched their life beyond measure. Money can't buy one, power can't take one away but I can give millions away and never be the poorer for it. I might even heal a heart, dry a tear, or comfort a grieving soul with one quick smile. I know this is true because I've had many smiles given to me at just the right time to lift my spirits and make my heart soar!!! There was a time in my life that if someone had just smiled at me I know I'd have felt so much better.
Another thing that we all need is hugs. Nothing more therapeutic than to be down in the dumps , sad, or hurting emotionally, and have someone give you a big warm bear hug. I am a touching, hugging person. I have to be careful because I have ran across some people who don't like to be touched or hugged. All I can say is if you don't wanna be hugged stay outta' my way cause I can't help myself. Not very long ago I encountered a lady in the grocery store who I had gone to school with. I hadn't seen her in a very long time. I walked up to her with my arms wide open meaning to give her a big ol' hug and she dodged me big time. I mean to tell you she took off in the other way fast acting like she didn't see me. It took me a few minutes to figure it out but that lady didn't want a hug and she certainly DID' see me. I followed her all over the store trying to at least talk to her a bit. Finally I said, “Well forget it then. I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole”. Good grief! I don't understand that at all. Especially since we used to be good friends.
Everyone needs a pat on the back now and then too and it don't hurt me a bit to do it. Heck a pat on the back doesn't even have to be a touch of any kind. You can tell someone they did a good job, they look nice, or sometimes they just need someone to say, It's Ok, It'll be fine, or just, Hang in there, I'm here for you. It only takes a few words to make someone's day better.
Now something that is good for us all is a good giggle or a full blown belly laugh. One of those tear falling ones that opens up and pours out all the pain, or fear. A good laugh washes all the gross stuff out of your mind and cleanses you all over. I love to laugh and I love it when I can help someone else laugh. That is another thing I missed for years.
I had a dog (Bo Jangles) for 16 years who was my life line almost. He loved me unconditionally. I used to cry a lot. Bo Jangles would get in my lap, look me in the eyes, and cry with me. He even licked the tears from my cheeks. Everyone needs someone or some thing like that. No one can make it in this old wicked world without, A Smile, A Hug, a pat on the back, A good Belly Laugh , and a Friend now and then and I plan to give as many of these out as I possibly can. So Honey Don't get around me if you don't want any of these things. OK?
Every body has a smile. Some use it until they have wrinkles around their eyes. Some use it less often than others. I hate to say it but I know some who I just don't think they ever use their smile.
A smile doesn't cost a cent. You can give it away all day and have plenty more left over.
There is no one no matter how mighty or how rich that doesn't benefit from a smile.
No one can steal it or borrow it from you but if you give them one you have enriched their life beyond measure. Money can't buy one, power can't take one away but I can give millions away and never be the poorer for it. I might even heal a heart, dry a tear, or comfort a grieving soul with one quick smile. I know this is true because I've had many smiles given to me at just the right time to lift my spirits and make my heart soar!!! There was a time in my life that if someone had just smiled at me I know I'd have felt so much better.
Another thing that we all need is hugs. Nothing more therapeutic than to be down in the dumps , sad, or hurting emotionally, and have someone give you a big warm bear hug. I am a touching, hugging person. I have to be careful because I have ran across some people who don't like to be touched or hugged. All I can say is if you don't wanna be hugged stay outta' my way cause I can't help myself. Not very long ago I encountered a lady in the grocery store who I had gone to school with. I hadn't seen her in a very long time. I walked up to her with my arms wide open meaning to give her a big ol' hug and she dodged me big time. I mean to tell you she took off in the other way fast acting like she didn't see me. It took me a few minutes to figure it out but that lady didn't want a hug and she certainly DID' see me. I followed her all over the store trying to at least talk to her a bit. Finally I said, “Well forget it then. I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole”. Good grief! I don't understand that at all. Especially since we used to be good friends.
Everyone needs a pat on the back now and then too and it don't hurt me a bit to do it. Heck a pat on the back doesn't even have to be a touch of any kind. You can tell someone they did a good job, they look nice, or sometimes they just need someone to say, It's Ok, It'll be fine, or just, Hang in there, I'm here for you. It only takes a few words to make someone's day better.
Now something that is good for us all is a good giggle or a full blown belly laugh. One of those tear falling ones that opens up and pours out all the pain, or fear. A good laugh washes all the gross stuff out of your mind and cleanses you all over. I love to laugh and I love it when I can help someone else laugh. That is another thing I missed for years.
I had a dog (Bo Jangles) for 16 years who was my life line almost. He loved me unconditionally. I used to cry a lot. Bo Jangles would get in my lap, look me in the eyes, and cry with me. He even licked the tears from my cheeks. Everyone needs someone or some thing like that. No one can make it in this old wicked world without, A Smile, A Hug, a pat on the back, A good Belly Laugh , and a Friend now and then and I plan to give as many of these out as I possibly can. So Honey Don't get around me if you don't want any of these things. OK?
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