Yes, I said borned. Sound Southern? It is. I was conceived in Iowa, but born in Missouri. Mom was 8 months pregnant with me when we moved to Missouri from Iowa.
My parents and my Dad's parents took a chance and moved lock, stock, and barrell
buying 2 farms down in the Southern, Hilly part of Missouri. Actually I think
saying Missouri and Hilly is redundant. Missouri is known for it's Hills.
It is a beautiful state. Just to drive through it is a joy. Along with the
Hills comes the Hillbillys. Yes, I have to admit I was one. Going barefoot
was a daily thing there. Mostly because we would only buy shoes for school
in the Fall. We were poor, but not dirt poor. There is a slight difference.
I try to imagine how my Dad must have felt, buying his own place. He and Mom
rented when they first married. It was a farm along the river. A place someone
they knew had rented to them at a very low price. But, as most people who rent
think, they felt that renting was throwing money away every month. Money that they needed to buy food or clothes.
It had to be the biggest, scariest thing they ever did in their Lives. Mom had
my brother Jim who was barely 2 years old to care for. Then she was 8 months
pregnant with me. What were they thinking?
Freedom, self worth, accomplishment, terror.
I am sure they thought all of these things, but took a chance anyway.
We found a small farm near the town of Lousiburg. My grandparents found one
8 miles south of there in a town called Buffalo.
My memories of that time are very pleasant. I don't remember having any fears when I was out on that Farm. I loved to go out and be around the cows and other critters we had around. I have always been a loving person who loved to care for others. I should have gone to Veterenary School perhaps. I did not even dare to have a Dream like that then.
My Grandmother Iva had a sister Bessie who lived near them. I do not remember if
Bessie moved to Missouri first, or later. She married a true Hillbilly named Hank.
We would go visit them sometimes when I would stay with my Grandma. She always said Bessie needed looking after. Her husband was not a kind man...scared me to pieces every time i saw him. He had one eye that looked sideways and I never knew where to look at him....so i would look at the ground. Grandma said he beat my Great Aunt Bessie, and I certainly hope that was not true, but I bet it was. She was the dearest woman you could ever meet. She never knew an enemy. She would wait on us hand and foot when we went to visit. She was the one who taught me to alway put sharp knives in the draining rack point down so no one would get hurt. She was childlike in nature. She loved for the sake of the love she got in return. I would always get a hug and kiss both when I arrived and when I would go to leave. I sure loved that woman! She had two kids, Mary Ann and ....hummm I forget the boy's name. He was a real hoodlum and was never around when we would visit. Grandma said he would only show up when he needed to borrow more money or have a place to sleep. Grandma always told me that those two kids were so lazy and never helped their Mom one bit. She would always tell me when teaching me things, now come here Katie Jo, lets learn this so you will never be like Mary Ann. I always felt so sorry for Mary Ann. I wonder how she turned out?
My Grandmother's family was very loving. They had some bad times when younger, like we all do. I remember Grandma talking about her younger brother Leslie. He wound up in a Home for people with Mental problems. We think now that he was not Mentally Ill but that his wife ended up not wanting to be married to him anymore, so she had him committed. I know no more details about that episode than that. He was lucky in some ways though. He met a woman who worked in that Home cleaning. She took time to be nice to Uncle Leslie. After some time, she managed to get him out of that home and they married and had some very good last years together. She was another sweet woman, one I am very proud to have known. I would go visit them often when I was about 18 or so. By this time I was living within 20 miles of where they lived. I never once was afraid to go to their home. They were dirt poor, but they were filled with the best gift of all, Love. They also made me feel very special when I went there. I wish now that I had spent even more time with them. Those times were very nice indeed.
Grandma had several brothers. The children were: Iva, Eugene, Jim, Leslie, Bessie, and one other brother who's name I have forgotten. I have plans to get together with my Dad to look through family picture books to get some names refreshed that even I have forgotten. I hope Dad has not lost them yet. I will be very sad if that is true.
Time goes so fast. We don't realize how fast till it is gone.
More next time, taking a break to go visit Hunter and Family.
Hug yourself and treat yourself as well as you would treat a special guest,
you deserve it!
Love you
Katie
Friday, March 31, 2006
My Old Missouri Home
I remember a few things from growing up. Some are foggy now.
Most are fun, fond, dreamy memories.
I was Happy on that Farm. If I ever was Happy. Sometimes I wonder
about that now.
But yet again, that is another story.
I want to describe my Home when I was a child. I remember some
details, so will share them here as I recall them.
The house was nothing special. It was a small home, but large
in my eyes.
The big deal of that home was when my folks closed in the screened
in porch to make it into a kitchen. Then the old kitchen became my
bedroom.
I remember the Dryer and my bed and dresser being in that room,
along with the stairs up to the second floor. It also had 2 other
doors! Talk about no privacy! But was better than where I had been
which was sharing a bedroom with my parents.
I remember one time being so excited about having a party on my
Birthday for about 5 friends. I was so worked up I actually made
myself sick. I had to stay home that day and rest. I never knew
if it was a real illness, but now as I look back, I think it
was nerves. Mom was really good about it and let me stay home.
She even still let me have the party. That makes me know that
she understood how I could get so excited to become sick about
it.
The party went on as planned.
I do not even remember who came to the party, just that I was
so happy to have friends over to my house for the first time.
Oh how I wish I could ask Mom about it now. I truly did not
realize that I had waited way to long to ask her a lot of things
Yet again another story! Which I have touched upon in other
writings.
I remember watching as the new room was closed in to make the
house grow. That was impressive to a very young girl. I would
guess I was about 4 at that time. Maybe 5. I cannot remember
if I was in school yet or not. Memories of details escape me
now days. I do remember my bed was a twin one and dark wood.
The dresser was too. It was what is called a tall chest now.
I remember the day we got the clothes dryer too. What a luxury
that was! To not have to go hang the clothes on the line
anymore and to have fluffy warm clothes! I can still smell
that fresh smell to this day! I sometimes miss hanging the
clothes on the line. I did this with my own family until
it got to be such a chore to lug the wet clothes up the stairs
and out to the line. Those baskets were heavy and our
stairs are those narrow see through kind. It is a wonder
I didnt fall down them more than once! (yes, yet another
story to come!)
The two boys had the upstairs bedroom all to themselves. There was a storeroom as well, but that was the official "Attic". It had all the extra "stuff"
that did not have a designated place downstairs.
I think about how small that house was now. But then I am seeing it as an adult now, not as the child I was then.
My husband and I went back once. I almost wish now that I hadn't.
The house had burned down, so lots of the memories went too.
But the one thing I truly noticed was the smallness of the place.
What had seemed like a mile across the yard was only about 15 feet.
Mom and Dad had a bedroom next of mine to the east. Then there was a door into the living room from their bedroom and mine. Then an opening into the kitchen
as well. I remember Dad closing in the one door from my bedroom into the living room and making it into a bookcase later on.
I am not sure why they would build a house with so many doors. Possibly because the one door from my room used to go to the back porch, and the one opening from the living room into the kitchen was not there at that time. That explains it.
I remember years later getting into trouble for sneaking to watch TV when I was
supposed to be taking my nap or going to bed. I had to take a nap and then
still go to bed at 8:30 pm. Maybe that is why I was more lenient about bedtime with my own children.
I did come around to the early to bed thing with my children later on, for my sake.
That makes me really wonder how my Mother did it caring for us 3 after being raised an only child. That could make one pretty crazy in itself, don't you think?
The new kitchen. I can almost smell it now. Fresh paint. Glistening Cabinets.
New Lineoleum floor. They did not even have Tile back then, that I can recall.
There was a cabinet between the Kitchen and the Living Room that housed some
books and a counter for the Phone to rest upon. It was a Party Line, remember those?
Pretty amazing to realize that our Young People today do not even know what that entailed. You would listen for your ring. Every person had their own special one.
If it were not for you, you would just let it ring until they picked up. Or sometimes, when a person was really bored, or snoopy, they would pick up to listen to the conversation of the other persons. Sometimes you would be asked to answer for someone called away for one reason or another. Then you would just write down the message and call later or run over to their house to deliver it. What a different world from ours today!
The living room was nothing special that I can remember. Just the Couch and a chair or two. Then that Bookshelf that someone built. I cannot remember that detail either.
I better ask my Dad next time I see him about some of the specifics of those times.
He is 81 now, so no time to delay. That will be gone too if I do.
Mom did a lot of sewing for us back then. I have a Memory Quilt to help with that.
It has our old clothes in pieces to bring back some more Memories. I remember the boys pajamas, and mine. Many of my dresses. Some shirts of my Dad, and a few of my Mom's Apron Strings. Anything she had leftover for scraps went into that Quilt.
Some of those patterns! Plaids, Flowers, some quite jazzy for the day. Mom went
with the norm sometimes, but others she just went with what pleased her eye.
She was quite bold in that respect. She made many quilts in her life. She was going to make a quilt for each Grandchild, which would have been 10 quilts. I have to say that she did not get them all quite finished. I believe the Alzheimers was taking over at that time and she would just wander through the house and sit and sort Magazines and do whatever else she did. When we cleaned our their house on the Lake,
we found reams of fabric and quilting materials and more books than we could count.
I don't know how she managed to pack so much in that tiny little room, but she did.
That pretty much describes our House in Missouri. The land outside was kind of a wild area. Dad tried to plant crops, but I don't think he was ever very successful. The land in that area was better to put building on than it was to farm. I guess the last time My Folks visited that area, there were new houses everywhere, all over our farm and the next, and the next after that. AAAAAhhhhhhhh Progress! I would like to see it again. The gravel roads have all been paved now, so it would really be different now.
No, maybe I best leave my Memories intact.
The Barn was a typical barn. It was not in very good condition even when we first moved in. I remember Dad warning us never to play in there. Especially not to go into the Hayloft because there were so many holes in it. Why he didn't fix those holes is beyond me. Just too busy perhaps. Anyway we stayed out of it most of the time.
The one time I remember being brave enough to go up there was the time I have told about before when we saw the beady little snake eyes and skedattled out of there fast.
There was Milkbarn made of Stone. It was a neat place to visit. I did not have to help Milk the cows, but sometimes would watch my older brother Jime as he did his part to help Dad and Mom. He could not have been very old at that time, but I remember him getting the Cows in, Milking them, then washing them off and sending them back out into the Pasture. I was maybe 8 or 9 at that time, which would have put Jim at 10 or 12. I remember him feeding the cats straight from the Cow. It was a no no to waste milk, but sometimes he could not resist doing it. I have tried to milk a cow since and never got the hang of it quite right. I needed more practice. I never got it. I was pretty good at getting out of things. My crying and whining must have worked sometimes. (who me? never!)
There was a Stone Building next to the Cowbarn that Dad used as his Shop. He has all of his tools in there. I don't think there was much room in it. I am not sure whether my Memory is not good, or if it was cluttered up with things. I do remember that there was a root cellar attached to a double garage, these were all Stone too.
What an accomplishment that was for whomever built all those buildings. I remember
also a delapatated building that was in ruin out by where my Mom had her garden.
I would walk those stone walls like an Acrobat. I think I may have wanted to be in the Circus one day? Or to be a Ballerina? Maybe I wanted to Sing on the Stage.
Boy, that memory was buried deep. I just recall walking and talking and singing
as I played on that wall. I could even walk part of it without looking. How daring
is that?
We had a back pasture past the fields Dad planted crops in. It was a ways to walk, but I used to love going there. We usually had a dog to go with me to protect me.
I am not sure how much protection the dog would have been in reality, but I had the idea from the "Lassie" show that I was safe.
I would spend time there. We had 2 ponds on the place. One was close to the barn, the other was in that pasture I just mentioned above. There were Persimmon trees back there as well. There was always something for me to watch or look at or dream about there. I remember going to get a Christmas tree back there one time with my Dad's
Dad, Grandpa Sheldon. Dad was a Jr. he was a Sr. My Dad became Junior, then June.
That name has stuck all of these years. He is even "Shelly" to a few of his friends.
I remember having picnics there too. We would pack up our stuff and go "down by the pond". That ended one time when there were Black Snakes spotted nearby. We had them often, even in the house! Mom would find snakeskins in the attic. She even herded one little black snake into a dishpan to try to get him outside once. He got away. My
brothers had to catch him when they got home from school. I remember they put him in a quart mason jar and put a preservative over him. He sat there in a jar for a very long time. My brother was going through a Science thing at that time and Mom let him experiment on that poor dead snake.
We had a menangerie of pets. I remember Kittens, Puppies, and who knows what other critters we befriended. One Easter my Mother's parents even brought us Bunnies clear from Iowa. I still don't know why. We had them outside and they did not live long.
I think they were intended to be inside pets, even back then. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma! This was not as bad as when my husband Larry's Grandpa Jess brought a goat
to their house for Christmas. I still don't know what that was about, but we both think it had something to do with getting Drunk at Christmas!
I digress. I wish I could remember some of our pet's names. Those are all gone now.
I remember one little puppy who would let me dress him up in doll clothes. That was oh so fun. Then we had a little black doggy that would chew gum for me. Why I gave him my old gum is still a mystery. Guess he smelled it and really begged to have it, so I would share sometimes. No, I did NOT take it back from him and chew it again!
I had a favorite "Climbing tree". I would climb up there and spend what seemed like hours just pretending things. I could go anywhere in that tree. I was a brave adventurer. Mom would say, "Don't go up too high now". But she did not seem to mind the time I spent there. I did scare myself onetime by walking out too far on a quite small in diameter branch. This tale would also get me into some scarey times with my middle daughter later on. That too can be a story in itself. Long story short, she survived unharmed and is 26 years old now.
Hugs for this time. Time to get some things done around the house for the day.
Have a good day today and a good tomorrow too!
Love you, Love Yourself!
Katie
Most are fun, fond, dreamy memories.
I was Happy on that Farm. If I ever was Happy. Sometimes I wonder
about that now.
But yet again, that is another story.
I want to describe my Home when I was a child. I remember some
details, so will share them here as I recall them.
The house was nothing special. It was a small home, but large
in my eyes.
The big deal of that home was when my folks closed in the screened
in porch to make it into a kitchen. Then the old kitchen became my
bedroom.
I remember the Dryer and my bed and dresser being in that room,
along with the stairs up to the second floor. It also had 2 other
doors! Talk about no privacy! But was better than where I had been
which was sharing a bedroom with my parents.
I remember one time being so excited about having a party on my
Birthday for about 5 friends. I was so worked up I actually made
myself sick. I had to stay home that day and rest. I never knew
if it was a real illness, but now as I look back, I think it
was nerves. Mom was really good about it and let me stay home.
She even still let me have the party. That makes me know that
she understood how I could get so excited to become sick about
it.
The party went on as planned.
I do not even remember who came to the party, just that I was
so happy to have friends over to my house for the first time.
Oh how I wish I could ask Mom about it now. I truly did not
realize that I had waited way to long to ask her a lot of things
Yet again another story! Which I have touched upon in other
writings.
I remember watching as the new room was closed in to make the
house grow. That was impressive to a very young girl. I would
guess I was about 4 at that time. Maybe 5. I cannot remember
if I was in school yet or not. Memories of details escape me
now days. I do remember my bed was a twin one and dark wood.
The dresser was too. It was what is called a tall chest now.
I remember the day we got the clothes dryer too. What a luxury
that was! To not have to go hang the clothes on the line
anymore and to have fluffy warm clothes! I can still smell
that fresh smell to this day! I sometimes miss hanging the
clothes on the line. I did this with my own family until
it got to be such a chore to lug the wet clothes up the stairs
and out to the line. Those baskets were heavy and our
stairs are those narrow see through kind. It is a wonder
I didnt fall down them more than once! (yes, yet another
story to come!)
The two boys had the upstairs bedroom all to themselves. There was a storeroom as well, but that was the official "Attic". It had all the extra "stuff"
that did not have a designated place downstairs.
I think about how small that house was now. But then I am seeing it as an adult now, not as the child I was then.
My husband and I went back once. I almost wish now that I hadn't.
The house had burned down, so lots of the memories went too.
But the one thing I truly noticed was the smallness of the place.
What had seemed like a mile across the yard was only about 15 feet.
Mom and Dad had a bedroom next of mine to the east. Then there was a door into the living room from their bedroom and mine. Then an opening into the kitchen
as well. I remember Dad closing in the one door from my bedroom into the living room and making it into a bookcase later on.
I am not sure why they would build a house with so many doors. Possibly because the one door from my room used to go to the back porch, and the one opening from the living room into the kitchen was not there at that time. That explains it.
I remember years later getting into trouble for sneaking to watch TV when I was
supposed to be taking my nap or going to bed. I had to take a nap and then
still go to bed at 8:30 pm. Maybe that is why I was more lenient about bedtime with my own children.
I did come around to the early to bed thing with my children later on, for my sake.
That makes me really wonder how my Mother did it caring for us 3 after being raised an only child. That could make one pretty crazy in itself, don't you think?
The new kitchen. I can almost smell it now. Fresh paint. Glistening Cabinets.
New Lineoleum floor. They did not even have Tile back then, that I can recall.
There was a cabinet between the Kitchen and the Living Room that housed some
books and a counter for the Phone to rest upon. It was a Party Line, remember those?
Pretty amazing to realize that our Young People today do not even know what that entailed. You would listen for your ring. Every person had their own special one.
If it were not for you, you would just let it ring until they picked up. Or sometimes, when a person was really bored, or snoopy, they would pick up to listen to the conversation of the other persons. Sometimes you would be asked to answer for someone called away for one reason or another. Then you would just write down the message and call later or run over to their house to deliver it. What a different world from ours today!
The living room was nothing special that I can remember. Just the Couch and a chair or two. Then that Bookshelf that someone built. I cannot remember that detail either.
I better ask my Dad next time I see him about some of the specifics of those times.
He is 81 now, so no time to delay. That will be gone too if I do.
Mom did a lot of sewing for us back then. I have a Memory Quilt to help with that.
It has our old clothes in pieces to bring back some more Memories. I remember the boys pajamas, and mine. Many of my dresses. Some shirts of my Dad, and a few of my Mom's Apron Strings. Anything she had leftover for scraps went into that Quilt.
Some of those patterns! Plaids, Flowers, some quite jazzy for the day. Mom went
with the norm sometimes, but others she just went with what pleased her eye.
She was quite bold in that respect. She made many quilts in her life. She was going to make a quilt for each Grandchild, which would have been 10 quilts. I have to say that she did not get them all quite finished. I believe the Alzheimers was taking over at that time and she would just wander through the house and sit and sort Magazines and do whatever else she did. When we cleaned our their house on the Lake,
we found reams of fabric and quilting materials and more books than we could count.
I don't know how she managed to pack so much in that tiny little room, but she did.
That pretty much describes our House in Missouri. The land outside was kind of a wild area. Dad tried to plant crops, but I don't think he was ever very successful. The land in that area was better to put building on than it was to farm. I guess the last time My Folks visited that area, there were new houses everywhere, all over our farm and the next, and the next after that. AAAAAhhhhhhhh Progress! I would like to see it again. The gravel roads have all been paved now, so it would really be different now.
No, maybe I best leave my Memories intact.
The Barn was a typical barn. It was not in very good condition even when we first moved in. I remember Dad warning us never to play in there. Especially not to go into the Hayloft because there were so many holes in it. Why he didn't fix those holes is beyond me. Just too busy perhaps. Anyway we stayed out of it most of the time.
The one time I remember being brave enough to go up there was the time I have told about before when we saw the beady little snake eyes and skedattled out of there fast.
There was Milkbarn made of Stone. It was a neat place to visit. I did not have to help Milk the cows, but sometimes would watch my older brother Jime as he did his part to help Dad and Mom. He could not have been very old at that time, but I remember him getting the Cows in, Milking them, then washing them off and sending them back out into the Pasture. I was maybe 8 or 9 at that time, which would have put Jim at 10 or 12. I remember him feeding the cats straight from the Cow. It was a no no to waste milk, but sometimes he could not resist doing it. I have tried to milk a cow since and never got the hang of it quite right. I needed more practice. I never got it. I was pretty good at getting out of things. My crying and whining must have worked sometimes. (who me? never!)
There was a Stone Building next to the Cowbarn that Dad used as his Shop. He has all of his tools in there. I don't think there was much room in it. I am not sure whether my Memory is not good, or if it was cluttered up with things. I do remember that there was a root cellar attached to a double garage, these were all Stone too.
What an accomplishment that was for whomever built all those buildings. I remember
also a delapatated building that was in ruin out by where my Mom had her garden.
I would walk those stone walls like an Acrobat. I think I may have wanted to be in the Circus one day? Or to be a Ballerina? Maybe I wanted to Sing on the Stage.
Boy, that memory was buried deep. I just recall walking and talking and singing
as I played on that wall. I could even walk part of it without looking. How daring
is that?
We had a back pasture past the fields Dad planted crops in. It was a ways to walk, but I used to love going there. We usually had a dog to go with me to protect me.
I am not sure how much protection the dog would have been in reality, but I had the idea from the "Lassie" show that I was safe.
I would spend time there. We had 2 ponds on the place. One was close to the barn, the other was in that pasture I just mentioned above. There were Persimmon trees back there as well. There was always something for me to watch or look at or dream about there. I remember going to get a Christmas tree back there one time with my Dad's
Dad, Grandpa Sheldon. Dad was a Jr. he was a Sr. My Dad became Junior, then June.
That name has stuck all of these years. He is even "Shelly" to a few of his friends.
I remember having picnics there too. We would pack up our stuff and go "down by the pond". That ended one time when there were Black Snakes spotted nearby. We had them often, even in the house! Mom would find snakeskins in the attic. She even herded one little black snake into a dishpan to try to get him outside once. He got away. My
brothers had to catch him when they got home from school. I remember they put him in a quart mason jar and put a preservative over him. He sat there in a jar for a very long time. My brother was going through a Science thing at that time and Mom let him experiment on that poor dead snake.
We had a menangerie of pets. I remember Kittens, Puppies, and who knows what other critters we befriended. One Easter my Mother's parents even brought us Bunnies clear from Iowa. I still don't know why. We had them outside and they did not live long.
I think they were intended to be inside pets, even back then. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma! This was not as bad as when my husband Larry's Grandpa Jess brought a goat
to their house for Christmas. I still don't know what that was about, but we both think it had something to do with getting Drunk at Christmas!
I digress. I wish I could remember some of our pet's names. Those are all gone now.
I remember one little puppy who would let me dress him up in doll clothes. That was oh so fun. Then we had a little black doggy that would chew gum for me. Why I gave him my old gum is still a mystery. Guess he smelled it and really begged to have it, so I would share sometimes. No, I did NOT take it back from him and chew it again!
I had a favorite "Climbing tree". I would climb up there and spend what seemed like hours just pretending things. I could go anywhere in that tree. I was a brave adventurer. Mom would say, "Don't go up too high now". But she did not seem to mind the time I spent there. I did scare myself onetime by walking out too far on a quite small in diameter branch. This tale would also get me into some scarey times with my middle daughter later on. That too can be a story in itself. Long story short, she survived unharmed and is 26 years old now.
Hugs for this time. Time to get some things done around the house for the day.
Have a good day today and a good tomorrow too!
Love you, Love Yourself!
Katie
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Breakfast of the Past, Pancakes
I remember having Pancakes and Homemade Syrup at my Grandma and Grandpa's house.
My Granddad could make the best Syrup that you ever tasted, from scratch.
Grandma's pancakes were ambrosia! They were light, fluffy and tasted divine.
They truly made me feel like I could conquer the world.(The world of a 7 year old at least!)
Ok, so I am exagerating a tiny little bit. When I was nearly a Baby, these
foods tempted me. As I grew older, they still tempted me.
I still remember the smell of that Kitchen when My Grandparents
worked as a fine oiled machine, a balanced team to make those delectible treats for me and my brothers.
It was a fantastic Summer treat to get to go to their house to spend the weekend.
My parents would occassionally have errands to run, or just needed to spend some time together, so off to Grandma and Grandpa's we would go.
The times when I stayed overnight there, I would never get Homesick like I always did when I would try to stay with my peers. When I was at their home, I felt like I was safe, I knew what would happen...there would be a certain schedule, no unknowns.
I think when bedtime came at other people's houses, it was different than at my folks, so it scared me. There was a set routine and Grandma and Grandpa's house, so I never worried, it was always good. I can still hear the cars and trucks going by on the Highway that ran by close to their house.
When we stayed at my Grandparents it was a time to be with Family as well. My Aunt and Uncle and Cousins would come to visit most of the same weekends, and it would be a Family party. In those days, it was very common to have stay overs. It was just easier.
I am not so sure it was easier for the hosts, but I never felt any tension over it.
They were always glad to have their two boys, (Their sons) and families with them.
We felt loved. We also learned to equate food with love, for in those days they were one and the same.
I was always in awe of my Grandparents in the Kitchen. They could each do either job, cooking or cleaning up and often switched who did what. Sometimes Grandpa would cook the entire feast, as Grandma had to work in the Insurance office until noon. He seemed to love to entertain us, to treat us like Royalty. It was a safe, loving time.
I still look forward to Pancakes as my favorite comfort food. I still get to be treated like Royalty. My husband is the same kind of loving, caring, good looking and good cooking man. He makes me Whole Wheat pancakes now, and I have low calorie syrup with them. I had never connected the two experiences until this time. It is nice to remember and have a connection with all of my Family.
I have been very lucky to find the Love of my Life. I have been blessed to have loving parents and grandparents. I will never forget the good times I had growing up.
It is good to go back, but I would not want to live there again. I like things as they are today. Life is good.
More next time folks,
See you around the bend or over the horizon.
Keep your Spurs handy, and your necktie on.
*wink*
OK, so I am having flashbacks to my hero,
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, just go with me!
(At least I didn't say Happy Trails this time)
Hugs, Katie
My Granddad could make the best Syrup that you ever tasted, from scratch.
Grandma's pancakes were ambrosia! They were light, fluffy and tasted divine.
They truly made me feel like I could conquer the world.(The world of a 7 year old at least!)
Ok, so I am exagerating a tiny little bit. When I was nearly a Baby, these
foods tempted me. As I grew older, they still tempted me.
I still remember the smell of that Kitchen when My Grandparents
worked as a fine oiled machine, a balanced team to make those delectible treats for me and my brothers.
It was a fantastic Summer treat to get to go to their house to spend the weekend.
My parents would occassionally have errands to run, or just needed to spend some time together, so off to Grandma and Grandpa's we would go.
The times when I stayed overnight there, I would never get Homesick like I always did when I would try to stay with my peers. When I was at their home, I felt like I was safe, I knew what would happen...there would be a certain schedule, no unknowns.
I think when bedtime came at other people's houses, it was different than at my folks, so it scared me. There was a set routine and Grandma and Grandpa's house, so I never worried, it was always good. I can still hear the cars and trucks going by on the Highway that ran by close to their house.
When we stayed at my Grandparents it was a time to be with Family as well. My Aunt and Uncle and Cousins would come to visit most of the same weekends, and it would be a Family party. In those days, it was very common to have stay overs. It was just easier.
I am not so sure it was easier for the hosts, but I never felt any tension over it.
They were always glad to have their two boys, (Their sons) and families with them.
We felt loved. We also learned to equate food with love, for in those days they were one and the same.
I was always in awe of my Grandparents in the Kitchen. They could each do either job, cooking or cleaning up and often switched who did what. Sometimes Grandpa would cook the entire feast, as Grandma had to work in the Insurance office until noon. He seemed to love to entertain us, to treat us like Royalty. It was a safe, loving time.
I still look forward to Pancakes as my favorite comfort food. I still get to be treated like Royalty. My husband is the same kind of loving, caring, good looking and good cooking man. He makes me Whole Wheat pancakes now, and I have low calorie syrup with them. I had never connected the two experiences until this time. It is nice to remember and have a connection with all of my Family.
I have been very lucky to find the Love of my Life. I have been blessed to have loving parents and grandparents. I will never forget the good times I had growing up.
It is good to go back, but I would not want to live there again. I like things as they are today. Life is good.
More next time folks,
See you around the bend or over the horizon.
Keep your Spurs handy, and your necktie on.
*wink*
OK, so I am having flashbacks to my hero,
Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, just go with me!
(At least I didn't say Happy Trails this time)
Hugs, Katie
Monday, March 27, 2006
A Ballerina for Christmas
In this post, I will try to remember some of the gifts I
got for Christmas when I was a child.
I want to talk to my brothers to get their memories
of this too....will do that soon.
I remember some of the Dolls I got...but do not
remember the specific Christmases when they came,
nor who even gave them to me.
I remember the Ballerina Doll the most, be cause she was
one of my favorite toys. She was dressed in Pink, and could
be posed on her toes or flat footed. She had dark hair done
up in an Updo. I know this too, because I tried to have her
wear it down and was unpleasantly surprised to see that she
didn not have all of her hair. She was bald on the inside
of the updo. So, she always had to wear her hair in a pony
tail. It was one of the traumas of my youth!
She played a song from a popular television show theme song.
It was "I'll be Loving you, Always". Gisele McKensie used
to sing that song on "The Hit Parade".
got for Christmas when I was a child.
I want to talk to my brothers to get their memories
of this too....will do that soon.
I remember some of the Dolls I got...but do not
remember the specific Christmases when they came,
nor who even gave them to me.
I remember the Ballerina Doll the most, be cause she was
one of my favorite toys. She was dressed in Pink, and could
be posed on her toes or flat footed. She had dark hair done
up in an Updo. I know this too, because I tried to have her
wear it down and was unpleasantly surprised to see that she
didn not have all of her hair. She was bald on the inside
of the updo. So, she always had to wear her hair in a pony
tail. It was one of the traumas of my youth!
She played a song from a popular television show theme song.
It was "I'll be Loving you, Always". Gisele McKensie used
to sing that song on "The Hit Parade".
Things I Learned once upon a Time
I remember my parents in one specific way. It is always good to learn of other things about them which I never would have known without those who tell tales!
I very rarely heard my parents say bad words. Oh sure, once in a while Dad would be working on some stubborn project and the air would become a bit blue, but as I said that time was rare.
My Dad and my Grandpa were the best of friends. That is when I first began to know them as a child growing up. I never heard them speak up to one another in a loud tone or in any sort of disrespectful way. They were the best of Friends at that time.
I have since heard a few stories that tell me this was not always true. I will begin to write them down here. I do wish I had asked Mom more about them when she would have been able to relate them to me. It is one thing I will always regret about the past. I will always wish I had asked more about things, or been more interested in HER slant on Life, instead of being so afraid she was going to Judge me for the way I wanted to live mine.
I remember things about living in Missouri. I remember why we moved there
when I was still in my Mommy's tummy. A better Life, land of their own.
No more renting. No more dealing with someone else telling them what to
do with their crops.
That had to be Brave, Scarey, and Wonderful all at the same time. Leaving what they knew, facing the unknown. I tried it for a couple of weeks...I have to admit, I was not as ready for Adventure as I thought I was. I never will be. I am the type who relishes safety. (This is another story I will write later)
Oh, I lamented for some time about "what ifs". I lived in the past.
I tried to blame everyone else for me...I know now that that is done.
I am moving on. I am finding out more about others in my Family whom
I have always loved. There is still time. I must keep digging. I want
to know more.
What that must have been like to buy a farm, cows, pigs, and etc. I will have to ask my Dad how much money they invested. I am sure it was not very much. I remember pictures of my Grandparents back then.
My Grandma Merril was about 90 lbs soaking wet and tipped the scales
at a whopping 132 at one time. She went on a diet as she felt so fat and frumpy at that weight. She never gained an ounce back either. After working hard most of their lives, she and Grandpa softened up as they got older and did not find themselves needing to work as hard at manual labor as they did when they lived
in Iowa and when they first moved to Missouri to farm.
I can remember their hands were always calloused and worn looking. Grandma would say that she was glad to wash the dishes because doing so helped her hands stay softer. I think of the way they did things back then. It was much more manual labor than now days. They earned every thing they had...or bought. Sometimes laboring for years before they would be able to afford things important to them.
Things people nowadays take for granted. Things people now will go into debt to have. Things to "keep up" with the other people they know.
I remember having to wash clothes in a wringer washing machine. Being careful not to lose fingers was my biggest goal. That and getting all the different loads washed before I would have to change the water and begin again. No fresh water for each load. Jeans and other work clothes were the last in because they were
the dirtiest.
The same was true of bathing. We did not bathe every day. Once or twice a week was a Heavenly thing! Once a week was required.
No Tv. No running into town for any little thing. One trip a week was all we got, sometimes 2 weeks would go by before we would be able to journey in. It depended upon the time of the year.
Grandma and my Mom gardened and canned and they/we had food for the
entire winter because it had to stretch. If we didn't, we had to buy canned, and canned goods cost about 10 cents per can...which was a lot back then.
Anyway, I am drifting away from my point. I was telling about my
Dad and things I heard Sometimes.
I remember one time hearing him Swear a Blue Streak because he was losing a calf that was being born too soon and he swore and cried until he had to stop trying to make that calf breathe.
It was one of the few times I saw him lose total control. He wanted that calf to live so much, he just worked and worked and didn't give up until he could no longer try. He sent me to the house as soon as he knew that the calf was not going to make it. He had wanted to share the wonderment of Birth with us kids and I know it made him feel so bad to have it turn out so wrong. "Sometimes things just go wrong" I remember him telling me later on and how he was so sorry for saying all those things he did not mean and that he hoped I would forgive him for saying them.
Of course I did.
I was going in another direction, but since I have wandered so far off topic, I will keep going and change the name of this later.
My point was to tell about things my Grandparents told about my Dad and his family. I realize now that I don't have all that much history in this respect, and will have to see if I can get some things from Dad or his Brother Don.
Waiting too long is not a good thing, memories like that die
with the older generations.
I will continue this story later on, I have run down for now.
Thanks for reading!
I very rarely heard my parents say bad words. Oh sure, once in a while Dad would be working on some stubborn project and the air would become a bit blue, but as I said that time was rare.
My Dad and my Grandpa were the best of friends. That is when I first began to know them as a child growing up. I never heard them speak up to one another in a loud tone or in any sort of disrespectful way. They were the best of Friends at that time.
I have since heard a few stories that tell me this was not always true. I will begin to write them down here. I do wish I had asked Mom more about them when she would have been able to relate them to me. It is one thing I will always regret about the past. I will always wish I had asked more about things, or been more interested in HER slant on Life, instead of being so afraid she was going to Judge me for the way I wanted to live mine.
I remember things about living in Missouri. I remember why we moved there
when I was still in my Mommy's tummy. A better Life, land of their own.
No more renting. No more dealing with someone else telling them what to
do with their crops.
That had to be Brave, Scarey, and Wonderful all at the same time. Leaving what they knew, facing the unknown. I tried it for a couple of weeks...I have to admit, I was not as ready for Adventure as I thought I was. I never will be. I am the type who relishes safety. (This is another story I will write later)
Oh, I lamented for some time about "what ifs". I lived in the past.
I tried to blame everyone else for me...I know now that that is done.
I am moving on. I am finding out more about others in my Family whom
I have always loved. There is still time. I must keep digging. I want
to know more.
What that must have been like to buy a farm, cows, pigs, and etc. I will have to ask my Dad how much money they invested. I am sure it was not very much. I remember pictures of my Grandparents back then.
My Grandma Merril was about 90 lbs soaking wet and tipped the scales
at a whopping 132 at one time. She went on a diet as she felt so fat and frumpy at that weight. She never gained an ounce back either. After working hard most of their lives, she and Grandpa softened up as they got older and did not find themselves needing to work as hard at manual labor as they did when they lived
in Iowa and when they first moved to Missouri to farm.
I can remember their hands were always calloused and worn looking. Grandma would say that she was glad to wash the dishes because doing so helped her hands stay softer. I think of the way they did things back then. It was much more manual labor than now days. They earned every thing they had...or bought. Sometimes laboring for years before they would be able to afford things important to them.
Things people nowadays take for granted. Things people now will go into debt to have. Things to "keep up" with the other people they know.
I remember having to wash clothes in a wringer washing machine. Being careful not to lose fingers was my biggest goal. That and getting all the different loads washed before I would have to change the water and begin again. No fresh water for each load. Jeans and other work clothes were the last in because they were
the dirtiest.
The same was true of bathing. We did not bathe every day. Once or twice a week was a Heavenly thing! Once a week was required.
No Tv. No running into town for any little thing. One trip a week was all we got, sometimes 2 weeks would go by before we would be able to journey in. It depended upon the time of the year.
Grandma and my Mom gardened and canned and they/we had food for the
entire winter because it had to stretch. If we didn't, we had to buy canned, and canned goods cost about 10 cents per can...which was a lot back then.
Anyway, I am drifting away from my point. I was telling about my
Dad and things I heard Sometimes.
I remember one time hearing him Swear a Blue Streak because he was losing a calf that was being born too soon and he swore and cried until he had to stop trying to make that calf breathe.
It was one of the few times I saw him lose total control. He wanted that calf to live so much, he just worked and worked and didn't give up until he could no longer try. He sent me to the house as soon as he knew that the calf was not going to make it. He had wanted to share the wonderment of Birth with us kids and I know it made him feel so bad to have it turn out so wrong. "Sometimes things just go wrong" I remember him telling me later on and how he was so sorry for saying all those things he did not mean and that he hoped I would forgive him for saying them.
Of course I did.
I was going in another direction, but since I have wandered so far off topic, I will keep going and change the name of this later.
My point was to tell about things my Grandparents told about my Dad and his family. I realize now that I don't have all that much history in this respect, and will have to see if I can get some things from Dad or his Brother Don.
Waiting too long is not a good thing, memories like that die
with the older generations.
I will continue this story later on, I have run down for now.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Granddad and My Mom
My Grandad: What a Man!
I remember so many things about him, it is difficult to find
a place to start.
He was a kind man. He was a Man of few words most
of the time.
There were always chores to be done. He would let
me tag along whenever I wished to.
There was always some critter to care for or some
car repair or maintainence to be done on the Farm.
I would never tire of spending time with him. He was
a great Story Teller. It was so real, you could feel
things happening.
He and my Grandma took care of us kids once in a while so
Mom and Dad would run errands and have time together.
There were always fun things to do on the Farm where they lived.
I will give more detail of these things in a later story.
My Grandpa used to play tricks on my Mom back when they first
moved down to Missouri, long before I was born.
I did not know my Grandpa teased my Mom until one day when
my Dad was remembering some things about when he and Mom
were first married.
Dad told the story of when my Grandpa, his Dad, teased my
Mom about there being a Huge Bear roaming around
the Countryside.
Grandpa was able to tell this story in such a believeable
way that Mom bought it Hook, Line and Sinker.
She was naive and did not know any difference. They had only
recently moved from Iowa to Missouri. The timber filled land
and houses so far from one another and the aloneness was
all new to my Mom.
I can imagine the look on my Mom's face when this entire
incident happened. I can also feel a lot of empathy for her
in that she was so easily "Hoodwinked".
It scared her so much that she began to see things that
were not happening. She actually believed she saw a bear
in the bushes North of our House!
She became so stressed out about it, that my Dad
finally told her that his Dad had been pulling her
leg and that there were no Bears in this part of
the Country so it was impossible to see them.
I wonder if she ever trusted my Grandpa again after that!
I wonder often how she could stand being so far from her parents.
The loneliness had to be hard to manage.
I wonder a lot about those days. I see the photos of those times.
My mother was very brave. She took care of my two Brothers
and me with an ease which I have never seen since.
She had grown up an only Child. That really astounds me.
To go from so much quiet to so much noise had to be tough to take.
Then to be separated from her Parents by so many miles had to be
a challenge as well. I remember she used to write to her
Parents very often in those days.
It was a time without TV to distract or entertain. There would
have been little time for that anyway with Laundry to do and
cooking to get done in time for my Dad to arrive home from his
busy day.
There was water to be carried for every chore she faced. When
we got a bit older, we began to help with as many of the
chores as we could. Times were just much harder back then.
Kids now days give funny looks when told of the the common
things we did "Way back Then".
I began to talk about my Grandfather and ended up talking more
about my Mom. I seem to do that a lot when I write.
I know it is because the Anniversary of her Death is coming
again soon. I always will think of her a lot in Spring.
I am not sad in that would she have lived, there would
not live been the quality of Life that she deserved. It was to
be her time. She had suffered enough. I am glad she is no
longer in pain.
I do not want to end this on a sad note, for I remember
all of the good things she left behind when she left.
She had so many former students and friends attend her funeral.
This after many many years of time and distance between them.
She had a lot of people who cared for her. That makes
my writing and remembering all good!
Hugs to you all, hug yourself and someone you know
today, it is important!
Smile at someone today that you normally wouldn't.
It can make their otherwise not so good day better.
It might even help your Day become great as well!
So little can mean so much!
Goodbye for now! Later,
Katie
I remember so many things about him, it is difficult to find
a place to start.
He was a kind man. He was a Man of few words most
of the time.
There were always chores to be done. He would let
me tag along whenever I wished to.
There was always some critter to care for or some
car repair or maintainence to be done on the Farm.
I would never tire of spending time with him. He was
a great Story Teller. It was so real, you could feel
things happening.
He and my Grandma took care of us kids once in a while so
Mom and Dad would run errands and have time together.
There were always fun things to do on the Farm where they lived.
I will give more detail of these things in a later story.
My Grandpa used to play tricks on my Mom back when they first
moved down to Missouri, long before I was born.
I did not know my Grandpa teased my Mom until one day when
my Dad was remembering some things about when he and Mom
were first married.
Dad told the story of when my Grandpa, his Dad, teased my
Mom about there being a Huge Bear roaming around
the Countryside.
Grandpa was able to tell this story in such a believeable
way that Mom bought it Hook, Line and Sinker.
She was naive and did not know any difference. They had only
recently moved from Iowa to Missouri. The timber filled land
and houses so far from one another and the aloneness was
all new to my Mom.
I can imagine the look on my Mom's face when this entire
incident happened. I can also feel a lot of empathy for her
in that she was so easily "Hoodwinked".
It scared her so much that she began to see things that
were not happening. She actually believed she saw a bear
in the bushes North of our House!
She became so stressed out about it, that my Dad
finally told her that his Dad had been pulling her
leg and that there were no Bears in this part of
the Country so it was impossible to see them.
I wonder if she ever trusted my Grandpa again after that!
I wonder often how she could stand being so far from her parents.
The loneliness had to be hard to manage.
I wonder a lot about those days. I see the photos of those times.
My mother was very brave. She took care of my two Brothers
and me with an ease which I have never seen since.
She had grown up an only Child. That really astounds me.
To go from so much quiet to so much noise had to be tough to take.
Then to be separated from her Parents by so many miles had to be
a challenge as well. I remember she used to write to her
Parents very often in those days.
It was a time without TV to distract or entertain. There would
have been little time for that anyway with Laundry to do and
cooking to get done in time for my Dad to arrive home from his
busy day.
There was water to be carried for every chore she faced. When
we got a bit older, we began to help with as many of the
chores as we could. Times were just much harder back then.
Kids now days give funny looks when told of the the common
things we did "Way back Then".
I began to talk about my Grandfather and ended up talking more
about my Mom. I seem to do that a lot when I write.
I know it is because the Anniversary of her Death is coming
again soon. I always will think of her a lot in Spring.
I am not sad in that would she have lived, there would
not live been the quality of Life that she deserved. It was to
be her time. She had suffered enough. I am glad she is no
longer in pain.
I do not want to end this on a sad note, for I remember
all of the good things she left behind when she left.
She had so many former students and friends attend her funeral.
This after many many years of time and distance between them.
She had a lot of people who cared for her. That makes
my writing and remembering all good!
Hugs to you all, hug yourself and someone you know
today, it is important!
Smile at someone today that you normally wouldn't.
It can make their otherwise not so good day better.
It might even help your Day become great as well!
So little can mean so much!
Goodbye for now! Later,
Katie
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Happy Trails
Remember "Happy Trails To You"?
I do. Fond memories come to me whenever I hear that song.
Dale and Roy riding into the Sunset.
Happy Endings!
Black Hat, Loser or Bad Guy.
White Hat, The Winner and Good Guy.
Nelly Bell the Jeep?
Pat the Silly Comic Relief? Yep....I remember.
Saturday Morning cartoons.
What About My Maypo? Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions!
There Is Always Room for Jello!
HEY Koolaid!!!!
It's Shake N Bake, and I helped!
SKY KING!
My Friend Flicka!
Nelly Bell was always tempermental, but started when
the Chips were Down!
Sky King flew that Plane everywhere...and it was a
child's dream...freedom and escape.
Even when Flicka got caught in the Fence, she
survived and came back stronger than ever!
(Was it Flicka or Fury? My memory is a bit blurry)
I grew up watching early Television. We would go to
the neighbors on Friday nights until we could save
up enough money to finally buy our own TV. We were
the last ones in the neighborhood to aquire one of
our own. I often wonder if Mom and Dad bought it
after all the folks said we couldn't come over
anymore.
My Dad worked 2 jobs to make the bills. He worked
Construction and Ran a Milk Route. I can still
remember the mornings when my brothers and I could
go on the route with him. Mom used the leverage of
being good to work as a reward. The best child of us
three got to go on the route on Saturday morning
with Dad. I can still smell the fragrance of that
Creamery where Dad would unload the fresh milk in
the metal cans.
As our reward for being good, there were always
cheese sandwiches and small bottles of chocolate milk.
I can almost taste those treats now when I think
about it.
The cost of those treats had to be minimal. Mom
packed the cheese sandwiches and dad splurged
for the chocolate milks. Sometimes he would take
all three of us along, mostly to give Mom a break
I think.
How well I understand that now having raised 3 daughters
of my own, and now seeing my own Daughters raising their
own children.
Were we poor? My Dad never thought so. He started working 2 jobs
then 3 to make ends meet. Mom even pitched in washing Dishes
in the local eatery till her hands became infected from a
reaction to the strong soap they used. She later went back
to School and got her teaching degree.
As far as I know, Dad and Mom never asked nor accepted financial
backing. They were strong and stubborn on that count. I do
remember Mom saying that her folks helped to finance her going
back to College. She always felt badly about not paying that
debt back. My Grandparents were investing in her future, they
never expected payback.
My parents moved to Missouri in February of 1950. They wanted
a new start and a home of their own. My Dad's parents were
going down to purchase land there. Dad's little brother was
there also, so Dad felt the pull to a new land and owning
his own place. I know the places were selling dirt cheap then
because that is about all they were worth, cheap dirt!
I still look back at what Mom accomplished as such a young Mom
moving so far from her own parents to let my Dad have his Dream.
I do wish I had talked to her and Dad more about those days.
I found some stories Mom had written about those times, but not
nearly enough. Dad said he had gotten rid of some of her work,
not sure to this day why. I am not sure if he didn't like the
things she was writing, or just thought it was clutter and
no longer needed. I would give my Eye Teeth to have those
stories back. Now with my own interests in writing, it would
be like Gold to be able to read more about those days of old,
back when I was only a twinkle in my Dad's Eyes!
I forgot to mention when I was writing of Mom and her courage
that she was Eight Months Pregnant with me at the time they
went. My older brother Jim was just two years old. My brother
George came along only three short years later. What a Busy
Lady! With Dad gone so much, she was really a Pioneer of
sorts.
I had some of the best times of my life on that small, dusty,
poor crops land. I don't think Dad ever got a decent crop,
but he was sure proud of the crops he did get!
Mom told me several times that she really enjoyed being on
that place. There was no indoor bathroom, but we had running
water soon after we moved in. They added a nice kitchen when
I was old enough to remember it....so about 4 or so years
after the move. I remember those cabinets. They had sliding
mottled glass doors. They were quite the style for those
days. The cabinets themselves were white and had silver
trim on the front.
Mom also said that her father in law had quite the fun
with her being so green in the country. She had grown
up in the shelter of her parents very small Country Store.
She was more of a townie than a country...so he did not
have to try all that hard to fool her.
I will write more of that later on.
Most of what I remember of those years is brought back
by looking at pictures from my Grandma's photo album.
I am not sure why I did not ask more about that sort
of thing when I could still get the answers from Mom.
Guess I was so busy with raising my own three girls,
I did not think about that sort of thing. Then I waited
too long and most of that is lost to me now.
When Mom died, I found pictures upon pictures that I had
never known they had. There are family members and friends
there that I will never know the names of because I did not
think to ask when it should have been done.
I have been enjoying this meandering in the past. It makes
the present much more precious. I will do my best to keep
better records so that if and when my family asks, I will
be able to tell them about the "Happy Trails" of my youth.
Hug yourself now, and have a good night!
Katie
I do. Fond memories come to me whenever I hear that song.
Dale and Roy riding into the Sunset.
Happy Endings!
Black Hat, Loser or Bad Guy.
White Hat, The Winner and Good Guy.
Nelly Bell the Jeep?
Pat the Silly Comic Relief? Yep....I remember.
Saturday Morning cartoons.
What About My Maypo? Wheaties, Breakfast of Champions!
There Is Always Room for Jello!
HEY Koolaid!!!!
It's Shake N Bake, and I helped!
SKY KING!
My Friend Flicka!
Nelly Bell was always tempermental, but started when
the Chips were Down!
Sky King flew that Plane everywhere...and it was a
child's dream...freedom and escape.
Even when Flicka got caught in the Fence, she
survived and came back stronger than ever!
(Was it Flicka or Fury? My memory is a bit blurry)
I grew up watching early Television. We would go to
the neighbors on Friday nights until we could save
up enough money to finally buy our own TV. We were
the last ones in the neighborhood to aquire one of
our own. I often wonder if Mom and Dad bought it
after all the folks said we couldn't come over
anymore.
My Dad worked 2 jobs to make the bills. He worked
Construction and Ran a Milk Route. I can still
remember the mornings when my brothers and I could
go on the route with him. Mom used the leverage of
being good to work as a reward. The best child of us
three got to go on the route on Saturday morning
with Dad. I can still smell the fragrance of that
Creamery where Dad would unload the fresh milk in
the metal cans.
As our reward for being good, there were always
cheese sandwiches and small bottles of chocolate milk.
I can almost taste those treats now when I think
about it.
The cost of those treats had to be minimal. Mom
packed the cheese sandwiches and dad splurged
for the chocolate milks. Sometimes he would take
all three of us along, mostly to give Mom a break
I think.
How well I understand that now having raised 3 daughters
of my own, and now seeing my own Daughters raising their
own children.
Were we poor? My Dad never thought so. He started working 2 jobs
then 3 to make ends meet. Mom even pitched in washing Dishes
in the local eatery till her hands became infected from a
reaction to the strong soap they used. She later went back
to School and got her teaching degree.
As far as I know, Dad and Mom never asked nor accepted financial
backing. They were strong and stubborn on that count. I do
remember Mom saying that her folks helped to finance her going
back to College. She always felt badly about not paying that
debt back. My Grandparents were investing in her future, they
never expected payback.
My parents moved to Missouri in February of 1950. They wanted
a new start and a home of their own. My Dad's parents were
going down to purchase land there. Dad's little brother was
there also, so Dad felt the pull to a new land and owning
his own place. I know the places were selling dirt cheap then
because that is about all they were worth, cheap dirt!
I still look back at what Mom accomplished as such a young Mom
moving so far from her own parents to let my Dad have his Dream.
I do wish I had talked to her and Dad more about those days.
I found some stories Mom had written about those times, but not
nearly enough. Dad said he had gotten rid of some of her work,
not sure to this day why. I am not sure if he didn't like the
things she was writing, or just thought it was clutter and
no longer needed. I would give my Eye Teeth to have those
stories back. Now with my own interests in writing, it would
be like Gold to be able to read more about those days of old,
back when I was only a twinkle in my Dad's Eyes!
I forgot to mention when I was writing of Mom and her courage
that she was Eight Months Pregnant with me at the time they
went. My older brother Jim was just two years old. My brother
George came along only three short years later. What a Busy
Lady! With Dad gone so much, she was really a Pioneer of
sorts.
I had some of the best times of my life on that small, dusty,
poor crops land. I don't think Dad ever got a decent crop,
but he was sure proud of the crops he did get!
Mom told me several times that she really enjoyed being on
that place. There was no indoor bathroom, but we had running
water soon after we moved in. They added a nice kitchen when
I was old enough to remember it....so about 4 or so years
after the move. I remember those cabinets. They had sliding
mottled glass doors. They were quite the style for those
days. The cabinets themselves were white and had silver
trim on the front.
Mom also said that her father in law had quite the fun
with her being so green in the country. She had grown
up in the shelter of her parents very small Country Store.
She was more of a townie than a country...so he did not
have to try all that hard to fool her.
I will write more of that later on.
Most of what I remember of those years is brought back
by looking at pictures from my Grandma's photo album.
I am not sure why I did not ask more about that sort
of thing when I could still get the answers from Mom.
Guess I was so busy with raising my own three girls,
I did not think about that sort of thing. Then I waited
too long and most of that is lost to me now.
When Mom died, I found pictures upon pictures that I had
never known they had. There are family members and friends
there that I will never know the names of because I did not
think to ask when it should have been done.
I have been enjoying this meandering in the past. It makes
the present much more precious. I will do my best to keep
better records so that if and when my family asks, I will
be able to tell them about the "Happy Trails" of my youth.
Hug yourself now, and have a good night!
Katie
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