MY BIG LITTLE BROTHER

NORMAN AND I Then and now.

2-16-09...MY BIG LITTLE BROTHER

My brother Norman was only a year old when I started to school. Not old enough to miss me but I sure missed him. I thought he was my baby and was afraid someone would come steal him while I was gone. He was such a cute little baby and as he grew he was so sweet. Kind hearted big smile and very sensitive.
I was the opposite. Loud and flighty, didn't smile as much. But I was sensitive to my brother. No one better have bothered him then. No one better bother him now!
One day in school I saw Norman scuffling with some boys at recess. I charged across the grounds like a mad bull and tackled all three of them. Gave them a few scratches and told them to leave my brother alone. Now I know that the only reason they didn't box me around was because I was a girl, guess I had an advantage, but they left my brother alone by golly. YEP! I could get on to him but no one else could.
Then when Norman was around 4 he would run up the lane to meet me when I got off the school bus. He was really missing me then. I can still see that big sweet smile and hear him calling, Sister, which is what he called me. He would take my book satchel and proudly carry it as it drug the ground almost, as he told me everything that he had done that day. We didn't often have sweets or pops but when we did Norman would proudly announce the news to me.
Anything I asked him to do he was willing to do for me no mater what it was. He covered for me at times to keep me out of trouble. Never tattled on me. But even when we were young Norman would try to give me advice. “Now Clydene I don't think this is a good idea” he would often say. But If I insisted he was right there to help me. As I've said often, We got in to mischief together and we got out of it together.
One day we were squabling and fussing at each other. My new words were I hate You and I got my face slapped every time I said it by my Mama. I told Norman I hate you and he slapped the tar outta' me. I was stunned to say the least. Well stunned was probably not the word for it. I was red hot mad! Norman had never done that to me. He had always been gentle and easy going. I was stubborn and wanted my way. I just could not believe that my little brother had hit me. I flew in to him like a wild cat. Well This time Norman fought back. It didn't last long cause Mama was on the scene fast and put a halt to it It was all my fault and I knew it but Norman wasn't saying a word, so I didn't either. Well, I didn't say anything till my Mama decided to spank us both. That's when my big sister instincts kicked in. “No Mama you can't” I hollered. “What do you mean I can't Clydene, if you keep on you will get double”. “I don't care Mama, You aint a gonna spank my brother, you just aint”! Whack! Well by golly I did get double but when she turned to Norman I came unhinged again. I got spanked again but I finally got through to Mama that Norman shouldn't have a spanking because It was all my fault. I didn't tell her he slapped me because I figured I needed it. He had seen Mama do it when I said those hateful words so he did it to. My brother was learning to defend himself and I was proud of him even if I was the first to face his defense.
He was The Greatest Brother anyone ever had. We are now as we were then, very close and have a great love for each other. My Little brother towers over me now but he is still my Little Brother. We were the only two kids and we are all that is left now. Bit what a hum-dinger of a good life childhood we had. YEP!!!

TERRIBLE MONSTER STAR

2-15-09...TERRIBLE MONSTER STAR

I used to lie in bed and look out the window and watch the sky. I'd try and count the stars, or see the man in the moon who I was sure was there. I'd find the big and little dippers and the milky way. I was facinated One night I was at Brenda's and we were watching. We had heard about falling stars and we sure nuff' wanted to see one. That night we sure nuff' thought we had seen one.
One of the stars seemed to be a different color than the rest. Was It? I don't know, but we believed it was. It looked red. Yep' Sure nuff' looked red to us. "Brenda if one falls it will be that one". "Yep it sure will Clydene". Well you know how the mind of a child can summon up fairy tales and fantasies? For that matter so can the minds of adults. Anyway we were drowsy and getting about ready to close our eyes and give up when that dad blamed star began to move. In our minds? Maybe so but it was real to us. "Brenda look, it's movin' it's movin'"! "No it aint Clydene, go to sleep". "Yes it is Brenda look at it"! Well in my mind it was moving and soon Brenda saw it moving too. Still think it was by golly!
Suddenly it was coming straight toward the window we were looking out. I was on the window side of the bed and Brenda was up over me trying to see. "Get off of me Brenda, you're squashin' me." "Move Clydene, I cant see". Closer, closer, closer, it came, brighter, and brighter it got. Maybe it was our bugged out eyes that made it appear that way. Maybe, don't know bout' that. So far we were whispering so as to not get in trouble for not being asleep. As it appeared to come closer and look to all the world like it was a'gonna come right in the window we panicked. BIG TIME! We were scramblin' round there in the bed trying to do I don't know what and just getting' tangled up in the covers and each other. "Breenndaaa, there it is, its comin right at us, MOVE!" "Clydeeeneee, I cant move, You move". At that moment in my eyes that danged ol' star turned in to a ugly ol' monster and it was lookin' with evil eyes right at me. Ohhhh! Now I was a'gonna move no matter what! Yep! I'm outta' here!
Those old beds had wire springs and slats underneath to hold the springs and cotton mattress up. Well with all our thrashin' and scramblin' round them dad burned slats started breakin' and we started sinkin'. That's when we started screamin' and screechin' and hittin' and whatever else came handy. The slats sounded like firecrackers going off. Bang, bang, bang! Then we sank right on down to the floor. Well part of us did. The middle part to be exact. The mattress folded up around us and the springs somehow was standin' straight up at the side of us. By golly we were trapped good and proper. Don't know what Brenda thought but I imagined all sorts of things. I thought for sure that scary ol' star monster had me in his grip. Heck fire I was a gonner for sure. YEP!! Brenda wasn't saying a word or moving so I think she had fainted although she declared she had not fainted. I was still bellerin' and slobberin' and thought it was over. Seemed like hours but probably was only seconds I heard Auntie say, "Oh good lord what in the world are you two doing"? Then the light came on and she did some more GOOD LORDS! And hollered, "SID Get in here".. I still kinda half way thought the monster star was there so I yelled, "Auntie, watch out. He'll get you too"!!! She told me to shut up and be still so they could make some sense outta' what the heck had happened. Course I didn't shut up right away. In fact didn't shut up till I could see Auntie's face and she gave me The Look! Heck that was worser'n the monster star so I shut up. It took a while to get us untangled and things straightened enough for us to sleep on the mattress on the floor. Three slats had broken and new ones had to be made. Not much problem with that. Heck Fire they were just long flat boards don't ya know.
We tried and tried to tell everyone that a star almost came in and hit us but no one would believe us. Finally we gave up cause we were tired of the other kids teasing us. But By golly I am 64 yrs. Old now and I still think I saw a star coming toward me. I'm too old to change my mind now and Brenda has forgotten all about it, but shoot fire on em' all, I saw a dad blamed red monster star with evil eyes coming tward' me that night when I was 8 yrs. Old. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it. YEP!!!!!

INFLUENCES IN MY LIFE

2-13-09...INFLUENCES IN MY LIFE

PEOPLE WHO INFLUENCED MY LIFE

If you think only good things you will be better prepared to face hard times. That is the way I was taught as a child growing up, and that is what I try to focus on now. It has never been an easy task. When the bad things sometimes outweigh the good things I turn to my wonderful memories of childhood when to my young mind everything seemed rosy and perfect. I know, and I guess I knew then, that things are not always perfect and rosy. It was my upbringing and the wonderful people who brought me up that kept me focused on a smile and great love. There were so many people who came into my life and stayed. But there were those also who were there for just fleeting minutes in time who also helped me grow and become what I am today.
There was my first Sunday school teacher who said to me one day, "Clydene live every day as if there was to be no tomorrow". Just those simple words stuck with me and I remember Miss Maude saying them as if it was only yesterday. Then there was my first grade teacher Miss Sallie, who made a different impression on me. One of fairy tales and being scared of the unknown. The old fairy tales were wonderful but not the way Miss Sallie told them. I'll never forget Miss Sallie.
Then there was my 5th. and 6th. grade teacher Miss Pansy. If she had a teachers pet it was me and I loved it. She would set me down and brush and fix my hair and just go on and on about how pretty my curly hair was. Miss Pansy made me feel special so I'll never forget her.
On up in High School was Miss Brasel. She was our class sponsor all through Jr and Sr High and we loved her. Miss Brasel was our English teacher and there was no nonsense about her. She quietly went about her business with a gentle smile and quiet manner. I'll never forget Miss Brasel either.
There are lots of people I'll never forget who helped form my life but today I want to talk about my Great Great Grandpa. He was my Daddies grandpa and he was a strange one. I know he had a name but I just called him Grandpa Lovell and can't remember it. As I said he was different as Grandpas go. He just wandered around here and there and stayed with different family members. Never stayed long any one place then he'd be off again. We would see him coming down the road and there he would be. I never knew much about him. Can't remember my Daddy ever talking about him much so I suspect Daddy didn't really know him well either. He showed up and came in usually about dinner time (noon). Whatever we were eating we shared with him. When Mama put our drinks on the table she would always ask "What do you want to drink" already knowing the procedure. "What'cha' got" was his answer. Mama would name off all his choices, coffee, iced tea, milk, buttermilk kool aid, or water was usually the choices. "I'll take one of each" was always his answer but he'd be miffed if he wasn't asked. He was also miffed if Mama just went ahead and put all the drinks on for him. He wanted to be asked, So he was asked! Told you he was weird! That day he stayed with us, next day he went to Brenda's. Same routine at Brenda's house. If we gave him anything to take along to eat later, no matter what it was he would put it in the pocket of his dirty old flannel coat and give it to Brenda's family. Same went both ways, if they gave him something he would stop back by and give it to us. We knew this but it was just the way it was when Grandpa Lovell was there. I can't remember him ever hugging us or showing affection but it was understood that he loved us and we loved for him to come. Grandpa also had a routine with eating his food. We never had a lot but he wanted one item on his plate at one time. Did not want his food all on his plate to eat together. He would eat meat, potato, bread, veggies, any sides like pickles etc., then he would drink all his drinks one at a time. His coffee was usually not hot when he got to it so it would have to be heated up or he'd be miffed again.
He wore his long johns year around with long sleeved flannel shirts and I never remember seeing him take off that big old flannel coat not even to sleep. He slept on the couch in the front room to the horror of Mama because she got up early and there he would lay all sprawled out and would be miffed again if she woke him. I heard her say many times, "Well thank The Lord he don't move in to stay".
Grandpa was not clean and had no desire to be clean. He smelled bad and you could see the dirt worn in to his skin and under his fingernails. I never saw him take his big lace up boots off. Probably a good thing I'm thinking now. I think feet tend to smell the worst of all.
Grandpa was a short slender man who had always worked but as I understand he never stayed one place very long. He was a wanderer until the day he died. I don't remember anything about him dying, being buried, or if he died and was buried. Just know that one time he was there and we never saw him again. Daddy probably knew what happened but I never asked. I really wish now that I had. Grandpa taught me about mystery and loving every minute of my life no matter what. I'll never forget him and I wish I knew more about him. Maybe someday I will, but if not that is OK. Grandpa Lovell will always be one of the people who made me what I am. It takes all kinds to make the world. Yep!!!

MY TREE HOUSE

2-10-09...MY TREE HOUSE

My tree house was not a house but just a tree. I climbed way up almost to the top of a big Elm (we called it Ellem') tree so high you felt like you could touch the sky. There in my 'spot' there was a somewhat flat limb where I sat. There was a slightly rounded limb just right to lean back in, and a limb to rest my feet on. To top that there was three limbs in front of my seat' to lay my stuff' on. Just like my own private club house. I wrote in my diary, wrote poems, watched birds close like, even watched tiny little bird eggs hatch one day. The Mama bird stayed home with the kids and the Daddy bird brought food and fed his family. Just like my Mama and Daddy I thought.
I had to use a ladder to climb up to the bottom limb so I could catch it and swing myself up to begin my climb. Oh what great times I had up there all secure in my own little world surrounded by that wonderful private chair' all my own. Only problem was I was not allowed to climb trees. Nope! Brenda climbed trees, Norman and Paul climbed trees, but Daddies little girl was not supposed to climb trees. Daddy wasn't home and I always suspected that Mama knew I climbed that tree. Never got around to asking though because if she didn't know then my get away was gone.
Sometimes I would get skinned up on the bark getting up or down but not much attention was ever paid to that. That is just what kids do, They get skinned shins and bruises all the time. YEP! Sure nuff do.
But lets talk about that ladder that I had to have to get up and down. One day I was up in that tree and Norman and Paul took my ladder down and took off through the pasture laughing their heads off. Well this is a fine kettle of fish I'm in now, I thought. Those little varmits anyway, and where the heck is Brenda when I need her? HUH? Brenda was sick that day but to my thinking that was no excuse. Heck fire no excuse at all.
I decided not to go hollering right then and get caught in a tree, I just sat there thinking maybe the boys would come back and help me. HA! Wishful thinking on my part, they had probably already forgotten about me.
Now often I sat up there half a day (and that is the reason I suspect Mama knew where I was) but knowing the ladder was gone I got antsy real fast and I wanted down from there. NOW! I tried to occupy myself watching the birds, lookin at the sky for odd shaped clouds, but heck there weren't any clouds. I got bored with that fast. I looked way over on the other side of the tree and there was a huge wasp nest just covered in those mean ol' red wasps. OH NO!, gotta get down from here now. I started to climb down farther and shushed a lizard off one limb but the next limb had something on it I was not going to fool with, No way No how was I gonna' try to go around a tree frog. NOPE!! I started climbing up again. I was getting pretty well flustered by now so I was really getting the scrapes and bruises fast. I was caught in the middle of a wasp nest and a tree frog. Well the wasp nest won out, I wasn't having me none of that frog! Nope!
I had no idea what time it was and my mind was runnin' away with thoughts of never getting outta' that dad blamed tree again. In reality it was only about fifteen minutes but to me it was days and days. I started cryin'. I snotted and blubbered, and sobbed. Then I started screamin' to the top of my lungs, HEELLPP!!! Somebody help me!!! Of course Mama was there in a second. "Clydene, What in the world are you screamin' about?" she said. "Mama, I can't get down, the boys took my ladder. When I get my hands on them they are gonna' be sssorrryy!" Sniffle, slobber, sputter. Well during all this bellerin' and splutterin' My Daddy drove up. WOOPS! "Mama just go back in the house and don't tell Daddy where I am" I said. My Daddy had already seen me though and probably heard my screeches way up the lane. The jig was up! Mama was setting the ladder up and I was scramblin' down that tree quicker'n'a wink. If that tree frog was there I sure didn't see it cause my eyes were on Daddy. "Now Clyde you have to let Clydene be a kid, You are too protective of her, she can climb this tree as good as the boys can, didn't you see how she came down?" Daddy didn't say much but I saw pride in his eyes. Yep he was proud of his little girl just wasn't about to say it to me. Well I had climbed a tree when he said I couldn't. I knew that was wrong didn't I? Sure I did. I wasn't proud of me myself right now. Daddy just hugged me tight and we all went in the house. I got a lecture about not minding my Daddy and the boys got one for taking my ladder. They still thought it was funny I suspect. Now I think it is funny too. Didn't then,NOPE, Do now. YEP!

THINGS THAT SCARE KIDS

2-6-09...THINGS THAT SCARE KIDS

I wasn't scared of much when I was growing up. Snakes, bugs, high places, etc. never bothered me. No, It was some people who scared me. Mostly people I didn't know, people who looked different, who made strange sounds, who were big, or talked different. Yep, Snakes and animals didn't scare me but people did. I think I now know that some, (not all) animals can be better more loyal friends that any human can.
There was a lady who lived up on the hill above us who was another one that scared me to tears. We could see her big house on the hill and I had it in my mind that house had to be a house of horrors. A huge two story house. Dark and forlorn sitting up there looking down on us. It had probably never had a coat of paint on it so with time the wood had turned dark gray, almost black. I had never been close to the house but I had seen Donna. She lived up there with her Mother who was never outside the house. I knew later she was never out because she was not able. Her daughter took care of her. But I imagined all kinds of things.
We saw her at Wallace Key's store where we saw everyone else. She was big, short, and looked like she was rolling down the road instead of walking. You could hear her as she came grunting, groaning, and what I called snorting. She was just trying to get her breath as she walked. She was old and she was huge, and she was childlike. Never married and alone except for her Mother and a Brother down in the holler who seemed ashamed of her. She was a poor, sweet, gentle soul, but as a child I didn't recognize that fact. To me she was just simply scary. Scared the wits outta' me.
Brenda and I were in the store one day when she came in. She was shy I think but she would always smile at us. Brenda was not scared of her though I had tried many times to convince her she should be and I sure wasn't gonna let her know I was scared.
"Let's go Brenda." "No Clydene, I'm gonna get me some candy". "Brenda come on, we don't need any candy, let's go". "Clydene stop bothering me, if you want to go then go on, what in the world is wrong with you anyhow"? I grabbed Brenda by the arm and tried to pull her by force but she was stronger than me. She jerked loose and I fell backwards right on Donna's foot. I can still see the view as I looked slowly up and all I could see was Donna's big belly, her big club like arms, and her dark blue dress which by the way stunk! I was too breathless to say a word because of having the breath knocked outta' me falling. All I saw was that big club of a hand coming down toward me. "OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOODNESS! I might have been out of breath but I got my second wind fast. I mean FAST!! I started scootin' backwards on the plank floor(not an easy task) and found splinters in my but later though I didn't even feel them then. I'm quiet sure I looked like a craw dad backing up fast. I still wasn't utterin' a sound from my tremblin' lips. I backed in to Brenda and knocked her down but I just scooted on around her. I couldn't get my footing so I just kept scootin' backwards all the time trying but failing to gain my feet. My Mama was not there to rescue me and Brenda sure wasn't gonna do it so I was on my own as I saw it.
Donna started toward me and I gained my feet then sure as shootin'. I was outta' there. As I ran down the steep steps of the store I could hear Brenda yelling for me to wait. Nothin' doin' I'm going home and I'm gettin' there fast. Brenda caught up with me and was shaming me but I didn't care, I had escaped with my life. "Donna was trying to help you up stupid" Brenda told me. Nope! I was not havin' any of that Heck fire no. I remained scared of the poor old woman and stayed away from her from then on. Yep!!
Well folks it didn't end there. Heck no that wasn't to be.
When I got married the first time I was still just a young foolish girl but I didn't know it. My future husband and I went to visit someone who had a house for rent. We rented the house sight unseen for $15.00 per month. We knew the people, knew they wouldn't lie to us, and fifteen dollars was as good as we could get. Besides it was a mile from my Parents house. That was all I needed to hear. But oh my gosh when I saw the house for the first time it was right next door from that big ol' scary house where Donna and her Mother lived. What made it worse was that we were told that Donna was allowed to carry water from the well right outside my kitchen door. YEP!
I stayed inside for several days. No TV, no radio, no phone, toilet out back which I ran to and ran back in with a hammer in my hand. Yep, sure did. I was so lonely. Coulda' walked to visit Mama but I was actually afraid to pass Donna's house. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
I could hear Donna coming when she came for water and I hid in the bedroom. One day she knocked on the door. It was hot and I had no fans or AC. so the door was open to let some air in, the screen door was latched. I peeked around so I could see her standing there but she couldn't see me. She was looking in the screen and she had two jars in her hands. Well now I was taught to welcome people to my home, and I was taught manners, so that won out. I went to the door and Donna had two jars of jam and a big smile. She told me how glad she was to have me there in her lilting, scratchy voice and that she had brought me some blackberry jam. What could I do? I opened the door (although with reluctance) took the jam she was holding out to me, said how much I appreciated it, and she was on her way. As simple as that a lonely young girl became friends with two lonely old women and made my time there easier. I visited in their house, scary and drab outside, but warm and homey inside. Here I was old enough to know better and I was still learning. I'm still learning new things and I hope I never stop learning as long as The Good Lord keeps me here. YEP! That's the way of things. Sure nuff'.

TALE OF TWO CHICKENS

2-5-09...TALE OF TWO CHICKENS

I was big sister and got my way about a lot of things simply for that fact. Other times I had to talk my Brother in to letting me be first, or to let me have my way. Norman was such a sweet little thing (still is) that it was never hard to do. Norman was and is my best friend. Helped me when he didn't really want to, covered for me at times, and even at a very young age he started giving me advice. Of course I had rocks in my head in the place of logic and didn't usually listen, Usually still don't listen.
There were always settin' hens and baby chicks around which we usually didn't pay much attention to. Just when we stepped in their poop or encountered the wrath of an irate mother hen protecting her brood did we pay much notice.
We were outside one day and noticed a bunch of squaking chickens in the lot circling something and attacking something. Of course we ran out to see. There were two little tiny, just hatched chickens trying to gain protection from their Mama hen. For some reason that ol' hen was not taking care of her babies. All she wanted to do was chomp up the corn Daddy had strewn out for them earlier that morning.
" Oh Look what they're doing Norman, they're gonna' kill them little babies". "Cumon lets get them" he said. We unlocked the gate and went in shooing and hollerin' at the chickens. Poor little things wouldn't have stood a chance if we hadn't rescued them.
There was a black one and a yellow one. Now most girls would want the yellow one. But I wasn't most girls don't ya' see. I wanted the black one and so did Norman.
We ran to the house and told Mama what had happened. "Put those chickens back" Mama told us. "No Mama" we started talking at the same time. We finally got the story out. Mama seemed to know the little ones could not be put back in the pen. She also knew they couldn't just be put down outside somewhere. "Can we have em' Mama? Please Can we"? Mama got a box and put some old paper inside. We took the box in the kitchen and she gave us dry oatmeal and some cornmeal in a 1 lb. coffee can. She told us to feed them every day, give them water, change the paper in the bottom, and we could keep them. "I get the black one, it's mine and the yellow one is yours Norman" I said. "No I want the black one, No I want it". Norman was really stubborn on this one but I finally got my way. Mama told us that when the chickens got big enough to put back in the pen they would just be chickens and belong to no one. Of course we didn't pay any attention to that.
We took care of these little chickens real good and they grew fast. Daddy brought in some corn chops one day and said they needed to go to the pen again as soon as they could eat it. Well, Heck fire if we didn't give them the corn they couldn't eat it right? Daddy caught on to that. The next evening he told us that the chickens were getting wing feathers and would soon fly out of the box and we had to take them to the pen. Couldn't have chickens running around the house. "You two did a good job and I'm proud of you" he said. "Daddy let me mark my chicken so I know which is mine" I said. "You don't have to do that Clydene, I can see that yours is a rooster and Norman's is a hen". "OK Daddy" that satisfied me. But not for long!
Those chickens grew fast. They would still eat out of our hands. I don't know what we thought came next. We were just happy with our chickens. My black chicken was not black now but a tall proud white rooster that strutted around like he owned the place. Norman's hen started cackling one day. She hadn't laid an egg yet but she soon would.
One evening after the chickens went to roost Daddy went out and caught my rooster and wrung his neck for dinner the next day. Daddy and Mama had not realized how attached I was to my rooster. Norman was tired of his hen and had gone on to something better. When I found out what had happened to my rooster I threw a fit. I cried and carried on like crazy. When it was all over my parents told me they were sorry but that's how it is done. "You know Clydene that the roosters are eaten while they are young. The hens are saved for eggs, if we had known it meant so much to you we would have talked to you sooner about it. You picked the black one Clydene and got your way. If you had of let Norman have the black one it would have been different". I was young and got over it fast but I learned something that I have never forgotten. Getting your way doesn't always make you happy. I know now not to want everything just for the sake of beauty but to look at all the sides and think before I speak. That was a valuable lesson that I have never forgotten. I can still picture that fluffy little black chicken and the feisty arrogant rooster he became. I'm still feisty and Norman is still quiet and laid back. We haven't changed much. Mama and Daddy didn't really want us to change. They loved what we were. They raised us with equal love and care. YEP! They were proud of us, and we were proud to have them as parents.

TATER PLANTIN' TIME

2-2-09...TATER PLANTIN' TIME

TATER PLANTING

Every year in February it was time to start preparing the ground for planting potatoes. Red Pontiac's I think was the name of the one Daddy always planted. That was it, no other kind even got any consideration. My Papa planted those and Daddy planted those. Now my Papa was adamant that potatoes should be planted on Feb. 14. Not a day before, not a day after. Sometimes the weather permitted this sometimes it didn't but Papa would plant them in snow if he had to. Lots of other veggies were planted later at just the right time. Green peas were next.
Everyone planted by the moon signs then. A copy of The Old Farmers Almanac was purchased and that was the rule. Don't laugh, In later years I planted peas in the bloom season and that was what I got . Lots of blooms, no peas. REALLY!
I grew up listening and watching the garden grow. I knew how to plant and take care of a garden and I always loved it.
Daddy would hitch up Ol' Dixie and off he'd go up and down in the two acre plot ploughing it deep and bringing up all the good moist rich dirt. Then he laid off the rows all neat and straight. It was quiet a production and I was there all the way. Took every step my Daddy and Ol' Dixie took. Ol' Dixie was a gentle horse and I loved her. Daddy would sometimes lift me up to sit on her even though I was too young to learn to ride I thought I was really in high cotton up on that horse.
One day I was with Daddy in the garden. I just loved to rake my bare feet through the fresh plowed dirt. Loved the smell of it and the feel of it. This day I was ahead of Daddy and Ol' Dixie just enjoying the dirt. I sat down in the middle of a row and was heaping dirt over one of my feet and stamping it down. Then I would very carefully pull my foot out and there was a mound of dirt. I'd stick something in the place where my foot had been and pretend it was anything I wanted it to be. All of us kids did this and it was fun we thought. Anyway this day Daddy didn't see me from behind Ol' Dixie. I was sitting right in front of Dixie when she stopped. Daddy flipped the reins and geed or hawed or whatever it was he said but Dixie would not move. Daddy was irritated. Dixie had never done this before. He flicked the reins a bit harder to let Dixie know he meant business. Well Dixie just politely stepped out of the row and started around me. Daddy was flabbergasted but relieved when he saw me. Dixie was not going to step on me. She loved me also.
Daddy had carrots in the garden always. Mama canned them with little potatoes for making stew later. On day Brenda and I decided to pull a carrot and take it to the barn for Ol' Dixie. The carrots were not ready to pull. About the size of my little finger. I pulled one and said, "Shoot fire Brenda, this aint big enough we are gonna need more". Well we pulled a "bunch" more before we thought it was enough and took off to the barn. Boy howdy now, Ol' Dixie loved her treat. Didn't take her long to eat the carrots so we decided to get her more. We ran back and forth till we had pulled almost two rows of carrots. Finally we noticed that we had almost destroyed Daddies crop of carrots and knew we were in trouble. We didn't say a word. We went down the rows and tried to fix things so no one would notice. How stupid was that?!
We just went on about our day and kinda forgot the carrot mutilation. Daddy always headed to his garden after he got home from work and had his supper. Of course he spotted the carrot destruction. There were our tracks all over the place and didn't take Daddy long to figure out who the culprits were. UH OO!! Stupid me I was with him as usual. "Clydene what in the world did you do this for" he asked. "Brenda helped me feed Ol Dixie a carrot" I said. Daddy was not happy with us at all and for good reason. He took me by the hand and we walked out the lane to Brenda's house with my Daddy talking to me all the way telling me why this was wrong. "I'll have to plant carrots again, You know better than to pull them before the grow big enough, etc. By the time we got there and Brenda got her lecture I was so ashamed. I felt horrible for what I had done, and I was sorry. I didn't get a spanking but I never did it again. Of course I knew better! The next evening when Daddy got home Brenda and I took him out and showed him how we had filled in the rows with new seeds. He was so happy with us there were tears on his lashes which he wiped away hurriedly. We learned and grew from our mistakes whether they be big or small. We learned from wonderful loving Parents who punished us when we needed it and loved us all the time. I'm so greatful for my up-bringing. YEP!!

EATING APPLES

1-31-09...EATING APPLES

EATING AN APPLE

Brenda and I got in to a lot of trouble going in her Daddy's orchard. We knew we were not supposed to bother the fruit especially when it wasn't yet ripe. We were just fascinated buy the different fruits. Now it wasn't a big orchard. I think there were about 8or10 trees. There were apples, peaches, apricots, and plums. All used for canning, making jellies, etc for the winter food. We imagined that it was a big magical place. Loved to see the blooms then watch the fruit start to grow anticipating when it could be eaten. Did you ever eat a green apple pie? Yummy! I think the reason we were not supposed to play in there was because of the damage they knew we could do. We wanted to examine each fruit at different stages of it's growth. And we always ate some of it too soon. That didn't always make us sick but sometimes it did. Still we persisted in going in there. Stubbornness ran in our family. Still does. We even picked a bunch of tiny fruit one day to make us a fruit bowl for our 'table' in the play fort. Trouble was Ol' Pet (the cow) got in there and ate it. Darned ol' cow! We were not to even pick it when it was ripe. Brenda's Daddy or my Auntie did that. Then if they gave us some we could eat it. We wiped it off on our dress tails, boys on their shirt tails and we'd munch away.
Well one day I decided to get me an apple and eat it. The orchard was right across from my house, closer than to Brenda's house. I crawled under the barbed wire fence, across the lane and under another barbed wire fence. We were all skilled at crawling those fences without getting a barb in our back sides. Sometimes we would tear our clothes but very seldom did we get stuck on the prickly fence. I was in for much worse this time, at least to me it was worse. I should have known that I would be seen. While I was looking for the biggest reddest apple to pick Norman and Paul showed up. Next was Brenda. The fruit was ripe and to be picked that evening so we didn't think anyone would mind if we ate just one. We each picked one and sat down under the tree. We shined our apples. I noticed mine had a few holes in it but heck fire that was OK with me. I just bit in to that thing and started chewing. I ate two big bites, one on each side of the apple. When I started to take another bite I saw something in the apple that didn't look right. I took my fingernail and dug it out meaning to go ahead and eat my apple. "What's that" Brenda said. "Don't know it was in my apple" I said. I held my hand out and everyone started hollerin', "Clydene, it's a worm". "No it aint it's just a brown spot". "It's a worm Clydene look". I looked and it was not a worm. NOPE! It was half a worm!!! YEP! Half a worm meaning that I had already chewed and swallowed the other half. YEP! Sure nuff did. They all started giggling and pointin' at me, "Clydene ate a worm, Clydene ate a worm". "No I didn't" I hollered. "Here is the worm". They finally made me realize that I had indeed ate the other half of worm. Thats when the fireworks started. I started screamin', cryin', spitin' and gaspin'. I got sooo sick. I was just mortified. "Don't tell anyone" I spluttered. By then Mama had heard me screamin and here she came. She wasn't as adept at crawlin' under the fences as we were and in tryin' to hurry she skinned her back on a barb. She didn't spank us because really it was OK for us to eat an apple. She told us in no uncertain terms that we should have asked and she would have given us a apple from the house. I was still spitin' and splutterin'. When the others told her about the worm she laughed right along with them. Boy I was mad at them. Vowed I'd never speak to them again a long as I lived. Course I did. But heck fire they hadn't oughta' laughed at me. I was sicker'n'a skunk.
I can still picture that half a worm in my hand and I still get a queasy feeling just remembering it. I have never again been able to eat a apple without peeling and quartering it and checking for brown spots. NOPE!

MAMAS SHAWL

1-29-09...MAMAS SHAWL

We had no water in our house. Well we had water but we had to go outside and draw it up from the well. It was a drilled well. The bucket was a long cylinder type thing with a rope that fed on a pulley hanging above. You dropped the bucket down in the well and let it fill up then draw it back up and empty it into your water bucket from the house. Several times a day this had to be done. There was a hand made wash stand in the kitchen to set the bucket on. Beside the bucket was a wash pan for washing hands. A dipper was hanging on a hook to get a drink of water. Yep. We all drank from that dipper, out of that bucket. Germs? Maybe. But we all survived. When one of us was sick we got our water in a glass. Why not a glass all the time? Heck I don't know. Just the way it was. The bucket, the wash pan, and the dipper were all white with red rings around the rims. The wash stand was built by Daddy out of rough lumber. Grandma made a cover of sorts with feed sacks, gathered it at the top and put a heavy string through it so it could be tied around the stand like a curtain. The curtain was white. It was taken off often and washed, starched, and ironed, to be hung again. Quiet a production.
Mama went out one morning to get a bucket of water. She usually asked one of us to do it but this time she went. It was just coming daylight on a late spring morning. A few minutes later we heard such a screech, then a thump. Norman, Paul and I were in the house and we all three went running out there. We weren't sure what the sound was but knew Mama was out there so we were concerned. We ran out on the porch and there sat Mama on the ground way out in the yard. She was wet and shaking like a bowl of jello. The water bucket was in her lap, turned upside down. Her face and hair was wet. She looked so comical sitting there that we all got tickled. Mama tried to give us the look but it wasn't coming out like THE LOOK at all. It was even more comical. We went running to her saying, "Giggle, Giggle, whas'the giggle matter, giggle, giggle. Mama what giggle giggle haapenned, giggle. I couldn't have stopped giggling for my dear life right then. Giggle, giggle, aaree' you giggle, giggle, hurt?
I don't think we would have ever got anything out of Mama if we hadn't finally calmed our giggles and gotten serious. She finally told us the story. She had her bucket of water and was on the porch just reaching to open the door when she felt something hit her and something went around her neck. She looked down at the same time she was reaching up on her shoulder, and what she saw and felt sent her trying to run. slinging her arms, bucket and all, till she got off the porch and sat down suddenly in the yard, bucket still with her, water all over her. I was about to get tickled again but I saw that Mama was really scared and I squelched that giggle and asked again, Mama what happened?
When we finally got the story out of her and got her in the house this is what we found out. The eaves of our ol' house were the perfect place for birds to build. Seems there was a big black snake crawling up there trying to rob a birds nest. It fell right on Mama's shoulder and one end was hanging down on each side. She had touched and seen the snake at the same time. The screech and thump we heard was her, trying to scream and trying to move at the same time. The thump must have been when she sat down suddenly in the yard. We searched for the snake but it was long gone. Probably almost as scared as Mama was. I still get the giggles when I think how Mama looked sitting in the yard all wet with a bucket in her lap. It took a while for Mama to see the humor in this and I can't say I blame her. I can just about imagine what that thing felt like almost wrapped around her. Black snakes aren't poison but I still don't want one on my back. NOPE!!

FEEDIN' THE ANIMALS

1-28-09...FEEDIN' THE ANIMALS

I always followed my Daddy everywhere. I was on his heels, in his way, and under foot always. I always loved to go with Daddy to feed the chickens, slop the hog, and feed our horse Ol' Dixie . I just loved to throw out that corn and watch the chickens scramble to snatch it up. If I got too close with my bare feet I'd wind up sometimes with blood coming out of a toe or two. Same with my hands when I searched under a hen for the egg. If the hen was wanting to set she never appreciated me taking her hatching egg.
Next would be the hog. Now those things were smelly and sloppy but that never bothered me. I likes to see them roll around in the mud and mire, and loved to hear them grunt as they stuck their snout in the slop. I'm not sure what the slop consisted of. The bucket sat on the back porch. Mama poured dishwater, potato peeling's and other things in it. Daddy would then carry it out to the pen and mix some kind of feed in it and pour it in the trough for the hog. I think that is where the phrase, A pig will eat anything comes from.
Next came Ol' Dixie and I liked this the best. I would run around to the other side of the barn and get there before Daddy did. I always reached in the big 100 lb. feed sack and get me a big ol' bite of that feed. I thought it tasted sooo' good. Still think it must have. What ever it was I guess it wouldn't hurt me cause' Daddy never said anything. One day I ran in there and was just about to put my hand in the sack when Daddy got me around the waist and hoisted me up and outta' there real fast. He put me down on the ground and said get the shovel. I ran and got it real fast and drug it back. Daddy didn't look away from the sack, just reached his hand out and I placed the shovel handle in it. I'd made the mistake before of handing Daddy the hoe by the wrong end and knew what to do this time with the shovel.
Now Get Back Clydene! By his tone I knew he meant Now, so I moved. "What's wrong Daddy", I said. "Be quiet Clydene", he said. I looked over at the feed sack then and saw it. I didn't know what kind it was then but was later told it was a Copperhead, a deadly snake. It had its head sticking up and its body coiled up ready to strike. I screamed then and Daddy didn't have The Look like Mama but he had the words and the way to say them and I clamed up. Since the sack was almost full Daddy had a clear view but by then I had my eyes closed and didn't see the whole scene but that snake met his 'waterloo', I do know that.
Later as I heard the grown-ups talking about the incident they all agreed that an instinct had made Daddy aware of the danger. I had always got a hand full of that feed before, sometimes before Daddy even got to that side of the barn. But that morning Daddy hurried and got there. Said it was just a feeling. And they say only Mama's have that protective instinct. Heck! I know Daddy's have it to if they love their kids. And my Daddy sure loved us bunches. YEP!!

MAGICAL MEMORIES

Memories ARE MAGICAL
Webster's defines Memories this way:

Definition of Memory
Memory: 1. The ability to recover information about past events or knowledge. 2. The process of recovering information about past events or knowledge. 3. Cognitive reconstruction. The brain engages in a remarkable re shuffling process in an attempt to extract what is general and what is particular about each passing moment
Whatever the definition memories are our most precious function. Memories never die. They may fade a tad bit but they are there whether they be sad or good. I tend to try to forget the bad ones but to no avail. A word, a smell, a sound, a place, and many other things can being memories flooding back. I like that fact.
I was just flabbergasted yesterday when hearing a conversation going on between someone else that this one came to my mind seeing that I was only two years when it happened. I was there again as it all flashed through my mind like a movie that I was watching. Clear as if It was happening right now. I made notes so as not to forget but it is still there. Now my Parents had told me the story before but this was like a instant replay in my mind that transported me right in to the scene again.
When I was two my Mama and Daddy took me on the train and we traveled from our home in AR. to Corcoran CA. where my Mama's parents lived. The train ride is vivid. I was of course restless and not wanting to sit still. There was a water fountain with these pointed paper cups that just fascinated me. I wanted a drink every few minutes and my doting Daddy always took me saving the cup so they were not wasted. I had to pee so Mama took me to the bathroom which also facinated me. Nothing was working though as it wouldn't with any two year old. I remember the man walking up and down the aisles (can't remember what they are called) giving me something and telling me "This is your train ticket, hold on to it because I will ask for it when you get off the train. You must have it or you can't get off". It was an attempt to help my parents who I suspect were worn out with me by now. I guess it worked for a while. I put the ticket' in Daddy's shirt pocket and told him to keep it for me and got rowdy again. "Gotta go dodo' I was hollering. This time they didn't believe me though. Daddy put me on his knee and started bouncing me up and down to pacify me. Well GUESS WHAT? Seems I did need to 'dodo' cause I proceeded to do it, right down Daddy's leg and in his shoe. YEP! Sure nuff did! I don't remember the clean up at all though I have tried but I sure remember the incident vividly.
I don't remember sleeping on the train which we probably did. Next thing is the train stopping and it was time to get off. I started yelling, "Daddy, where's my ticket, where's my ticket". I got up in his face and grabbed his head and started jerking it back and forth still yelling "Daddy give me my ticket". Well Daddy didn't have my ticket, and he didn't even remember the thing at all right at that minute. "What are you talkin' about Clydene? Get down, we've gotta get off the train". At this I started bellerin' and snotin' like crazy. "Daddy I gotta have my ticket or that man won't let me off. What didya' do with it Daddy"? I guess then I was about to tear the pocket off Daddies shirt tryin' to find my ticket and Daddy was so flustered he couldn't figure out what the heck was wrong with me and got firm with me in the form of a spat on my butt. The man who had given me the ticket saved more pain by walking by and giving me my "Ticket". "Little lady did you lose this?" He said, and winked at my parents. I took my 'ticket' from him and through my snotty nose I thanked him. Now I could get off that durn train with my Mama and Daddy!
Our brain is an amazing thing. Our whole bodies and the way it all works is a miraculous thing. Who could not believe in a God who could do this, make this. We are the very first computers my friends. Manufactured by a Supreme being. Made like a fine oiled engine that no man could make. For a mind to bring back a scene from 62 years ago is indeed a miracle to behold and I am greatful and Thankful to the God who made me.
Like I said before, Old memories never die. And I am so happy to be able to draw mine up from deep in my mind somewhere. It perked up my ordinary day in a glorious way. Memories, whether they be good or bad, happy or tormenting. They made us what we are today. YEP!

SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE SHOW

1-22-09...SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE SHOW

SATURDAY NIGHT SHOOT EM UPS

On Saturday nights we all piled in Daddies car and went to Ozark to see a cowboy show. My goodness was that a big event. I remember Gene Autry and Roy and Dale on that screen as big as life. WOW! Before the show started we would walk up the sidewalk past the Oklahoma Tire and Supply on past Coleys store and Davis Barber shop. There we crossed the street and went in a fantasy land. Ben Franklin's five and ten cent store. Whooppee! What a wonderful place that was. Bright lights shining down on all those things. We thought we has walked into a wonderland. We walked the whole store ooing and awing and touching. There was always a clerk right behind us. "Can I help You?". To which we would reply," No just lookin'." That was a constant thing every few minutes. We didn't pay any attention to her, we had known the old lady all our lives. A spinster lady. Daddy said she just had to do her job. Now days you can never find anyone to help you in a store.
We already knew what we would buy anyway just loved to look. We usually had a dime to spend and that bought a lot. We would buy Evening in Paris perfume in a beautiful little blue bottle usually. If we didn't splash it all on us in the coming week then we'd buy something else. One week we bought a small bottle of nail polish then we were not allowed to use it except on Saturday.
One Saturday Mama and Daddy decided to go early and visit a friend before the show. We would rather have been walking around in the 5&10 but of course had to go with them. We took our nail polish from the week before but Mama didn't know we had it.
Now I can't remember this ladies name but I can remember what she looked like. Sweet little older lady. And I remember her couch. It was green plastic which was the rage then. She said she had just gotten it at Vardarman's Furniture Store and she was so proud of it. Brenda and I sat on it and the boys were in the floor. Mama and Daddy were on the other side of the room talking to the lady. We got our nail polish out. Brenda laid her hand on a magazine to paint hers but I laid my hand on the arm of that pretty green couch. Brenda got some on the magazine and she quickly closed her bottle. I sat my bottle on the arm of the couch. GOOFY! I knocked it over and spilled some on the couch. I closed the bottle and got a pretty pillow from behind me and started wiping up the nail polish. DOUBLE GOOFY!! Brenda was nudging me to tell me what I had done. (as if I didn't know what I'd done) I elbowed her back and hissed, "Shut up" to which she elbowed me and got the boys attention. I just laid my head over on the pillow that was covering up the nail polish and looked as angelic as I could. I knew if the boys saw it the jig was up.
I was so relieved when Mama said for us to come on they were going. We got in the car and Brenda whispered (a loud whisper I might add) "Clydene you got polish all over that ladies couch and her pillow." Brenda shut up I whispered even louder. TOO LOUD cause Mama heard us. I guess Daddy heard us too cause he pulled into a side road and turned around. "What cha' doin' Daddy" Norman asked. "These girls are going back an tell Miss ??? what they did", Daddy said. Oh My Gosh, Oh My Gosh!!! I started bellering and Mama turned around and gave me THE LOOK! No one said another word and I dried up.
They took us to the door and made me knock. The lady came to the door and the look on her face told us she had already discovered our deed. She had a bottle of something in her hand and a rag that was red with the nail polish. I was the worst one so I blubbered out that I was sorry. Brenda was next and told her about the magazine. Come on in she said. Mama and Daddy were telling her how sorry they were. The lady showed us that she had already cleaned the polish off the couch. She said the magazine didn't matter. Daddy kept saying what can we do and she kept saying nothing so I figgered' that was that. ONLY, That sure wasn't that. NOPE. We went on to the show that night. Daddy said it wouldn't be fair for the rest not to get to go, but I didn't get to go the next week either. Had to stay at Aunties while Mama and Daddy took the rest. Brenda decided to stay home with me. She really didn't do as much as I did and didn't deserve the same punishment. We both had got our tanning already and had to put our nail polish up till we knew how to use it. At least that's what Mama said. We figgered we knew how to use it already. I also had to give up my dime and the trip to the 5&10. That was bad. I loved those trips to wonderland.
As I look back on this I know how my Parents felt having to go back and face that Lady. I know they were feeling helpless knowing there was no way they could replace the ladies couch. I'm so ashamed of myself now. We can't go back and correct our mistakes though. NOPE! Just gotta learn from them. Heck I learned from a lotta them. YEP!!

SNOW CREAM AND TOILETS

1-20-09...SNOW CREAM AND TOILETS

WINTERS IN THE SOUTH

I was always sickly when I was a kid. So even though I dearly loved winter snows I was not allowed to play outside much. When I did my Mama would always say, "Now, Clydene do not eat any snow it will give you a sore throat". I don't know if it did and to be truthful I just didn't believe it so I always tried to sneak a bite of that fluffy white snow. Mama usually was watching and stopped me. I was just sure Mama had eyes in back of her head. Someone (probably my Papa) had told me that. I know I did have a lot of trouble with sore throats and fever. (They call that flu now. Then it was just a sore throat and fever). I was sick a lot even in the summer. Mama made snow cream for us when she had what she needed to make it. Daddy would always say, "Now Lucille don't make it outta' the first snow cause' it's poisoned from the stuff in the air. (Today that is probably true, and just as true then as far as My Daddy was concerned).
One day I had to go to the ol' outside toilet and there was snow on the ground. I knew Mama would be watching so I just ran right on out there and went in the toilet. When I got in there and sat down I looked in the floor and there was a mound of beautiful white fluffy snow. WHOOPPEE! I got me two bites of that snow and really enjoyed it. Yep, Sure Did. Right off the floor of that toilet. Now I think YUKKY! but then it was a treat. By the way it was the first snow no less. HE HE!! I went back to the house just pleased as I could be cause' I'd got me some snow. I had no more than got inside the door when Mama said, "Clydene I told you not to eat snow". "I didn't Mama". "Yes you did, I saw you", she said. "No Mama I ran out there really fast and didn't stop, weren't you watchin"? " Yes I sure was watchin' and you got a bite of snow off that dirty toilet floor". Well now good grief howd' she know that? I thought. Even with eyes in the back of her head she can't see through a toilet wall. "Mama you can't see inside that toilet from here" I argued. "Clydene did you eat snow in the toilet? I know you did so tell me the truth". Well heck fire I guess Mama could see through toilet walls too. I had to fess up and I got a spankin' but I puzzled over that for a very long time. I was braggin to Brenda one day that my Mama could see through walls and we got in a squabble over it, hittin' and scratchin'. She went and asked my Auntie and Auntie said, "Sure Mama's can all do that".
We didn't have enough smarts to just let it go, we started askin' our Mamas, Did you see us do this, or that, or something else and just kept gettin' ourselves deeper and deeper in trouble. Heck we told everything we could remember that we had done to our Mama's in the next few weeks. They never said, "Yep I saw You", didn't have to cause' we were confessin' it all not even knowin' we were doin' it!!
I has that dreaded sore throat and fever soon after that. Did the eatin' the snow cause it? Well I was convinced that it did and so was my Daddy. We got another snow that winter and I never ate nary a bite outside. Nope! At least I don't remember it if I did. But I got snow cream a couple of times and boy was that good. We were all sittin' there one night around the stove shiverin' and eatin' snow cream and Mama said, "Now Clydene aint that better than that bite of snow you ate outta' the toilet"? "Yep sure is Mama". But You know? Even now I'm not sure that bite of dirty snow wasn't worth all the trouble. NOPE I AINT SURE!!! Still like a bite of snow now and then. HEHEHE! Aint Mamas smart????

MY PAPA

1-15-09...MY PAPA

Papa was my Daddies Dad, my Grandpa. He was quiet an old gentleman. He was just full of tricks. He didn't like anyone not being up with the chickens working . Everyone called him Papa even his kids.
Papa could not hear at all. You would have to get down close to his ear and cup your hands and holler for him to know what you were saying. He smoked a pipe, dipped snuff, and chewed tobacco each morning in that order after he ate breakfast. It was quiet a production to watch him as he went through the same ritual morning and evening. He would never get on to us but he talked loud enough that we heard him telling our Parents what they should do to us. My Grandma had died when my Daddy was only a few months old so Daddy never knew her. I am told I look like her. She was Cherokee.
Papa loved to watch TV. I was 14 when we got our first little black and white set. We only got one, sometimes two channels. Papa could not hear a word but you would have thought he could. He got such a kick out of the Red Skelton show. Would laugh till he had tears running down. That was easy to do with Red Skelton. When someone would come up behind Red and goose him, Papa would jump and say. umph! It was so funny to watch him.
Brenda and I sometimes got jealous of each other over our Papa and would squabble about it verbally. He likes me better, Nope he likes me better!!
We had an older cousin who we thought was mean and honery, which he was. He would go up behind Papa and goose him and scare Papa, well we didn't like that at all. No siree! Sure wasn't a bit funny to us or anyone else except his Mama. He was 15 and his Mama's baby. Spoiled rotten and everyone knew it and avoided him. Well Brenda and I had had a couple of run ins with him already and we were tired of him pestering our Papa. That big spoiled Mama's baby was even more jumpy than Papa so it wasn't hard to get him. And By george we got him good. YEP!
That big baby was scared of the dark and we knew it. He was at Brenda's house one night and Brenda and I were at my house and the time was right. We knew he would have to come out to go to the toilet sooner or later so we told Mama we were going to Brendas for a while. We walked on out there and sat down behind the toilet. Several others came out. Finally he came out. His Mama (our Aunt) came on the back porch to wait on him. The big old baby kept looking back to see if his Mama was still there and tripped. Down he went and we had to bite our tongues to keep from giggling and alerting him. It was so funny watching that almost 6ft. baby wallering there on the ground and his Mama saying, Oh! Oh! My goodness are you OK? But we waited quietly. When he got in the toilet we heard him latch the door and this was it. We took sticks and racked them up and down on the toilet and groaned a ghostly groan, OOOooooooOOOOO! My gosh we heard him scramblin around in there, heard some bumps and umps, and whimperin'. Then we heard MMAAMMAA!!! Our Aunt was hollering Oh My Oh My are you Ok as she ran toward the toilet and believe it or not she cane tumblin' down to the ground too. We could hear him trying to open the door. Guess he forgot he had it latched. He was shrieking now and so was our Aunt. Everyone came running out of Brenda's house and Brenda and I took off for my house. We laughed so hard we couldn't breathe and run at the same time so had to stop down the lane a few minutes. We ran on in my house and Mama asked what the commotion was. Oh ------, just locked hisself in the toilet was all we said.
Next day I'm sure my Mama and Daddy figured out what had happened when they heard the story, but they just smiled and never said a word. HE HE Great Parents YEP!!

MY GRANDMA

1-15-09...MY GRANDMA

Grandpa died when I was eight and I was the only Grandchild that he ever saw. Grandma came from California to Arkansas to live with us. I know now how selfish I was. As far as I was concerned she was in the way. I had to sleep with her and I hated that. Grandma had a gruff voice that scared some babies. She was a huge woman. 250# and only 5'3. Quiet a sight. Of course I loved my Grandma but I didn't know her well. Hadn't seen her a lot till she came to live with us.
I thought she was too bossy, thought she was too big, etc. Mama shamed me for it and I would keep my smart mouth in check for a while then I would get aggravated again.
Grandma didn't have anything but the big box of her things that were shipped from California. She lived with us and that was that. Another mouth to feed, more clothes to buy, etc. I never heard anyone say a word in complaint. That was the way of it then. No Nursing homes, no welfare, no help. Families took care of their own.
Grandma worked though. She cleaned, she cooked and canned, drew water, just anything else there was to do she was there helping.
My fondest and best memory of my Grandma was sitting in a rocker sewing. I can still see her there. She had a cardboard box sitting by her chair, along with a paper sack. The box contained all her scraps, the sack contained what she was working on that day. She embroidered such beautiful things and made pretty doilies that she cold starched and ironed up just so frilly. She even made our clothes, sheets and bedding. We covered in the quilts she made. But still I got aggravated with her from time to time even all the while being ashamed of myself.
Grandma had problems. Now I know it was diverticulitis because I have it too. Then it was a nuisance. Grandma was in the old one seater toilet a lot of the time when I wanted to go. She rolled and smoked cigarettes. Used a bobbi pin to hold it so none was wasted. I was mad about having to wait and then the smell in there was horrible what with that nasty smoke combined with whatever else.
I went out to the toilet one day when Grandma was in there. I thought Heck fire she's just sittin' there smoking cause Mama didn't like the smoke either. I'll scare the tar outta' her. YEP! I'll sure show her. I caught me a lizzard and threw it in a crack on the side of the toilet. It landed in her lap. Now Grandma wasn't afraid of lizzards but it startled her when it fell on her and she came outta that toilet in a hurry. I was prepared to giggle my head off but Grandma stumbled and turned her ankle. Heck I tried my durdnest not to laugh but there stood Grandma with her back to me and she mooned me when she bent to retrieve her panties that were around her ankles. I got tickled again and couldn't stop. I saw Grandma was hurting. I was saying, giggle, giggle, I'm sorry Grandma, giggle, giggle, let me help you. giggle, giggle!!! Well my gruff Grandma got tickled too. Here we were standing outside the toilet with Grandma's britches down just gigglin our heads off and crying at the same time when Mama saw us and came running. Giggle, giggle, Mama I need a Giggle . giggle whipping I cried.
We got Grandma to the house and through my Grandma's protest I sure nuff got my tanning. Yep! Grandma and I were still laughin' and Mama got frustrated with us and walked away. It was in the evening before we both settled down enough to tell Mama what had happened. She said she knew I had done something. Grandma soaked her ankle and it never swelled up just hurt a little she said. Later when I realized that I had "Asked" for a tannin' it somehow made me feel good. I needed it and guess I wanted it. Oh I was learnin' fast the right of things. Yep!
Over the next few days I really got to know my Grandma. I loved her before but it was a deeper love now because I also knew and understood her. That was Great!!! Yep!