Little ones and chores

When someone mentions the word chores we think of some dreaded task or routine: something that has to be done whether we feel like it or not, although that is not always so. For instance, walking the dog or gathering the clothes off the clothesline on a sunny, breezy, summer day. They smell so nice and fresh! This has nothing to do with little ones and chores, you might ask, but I just happened to be thinking way back when my little ones were always eager to "help" with all sorts of chores and that was just one.

Each little one liked to be in on most every chore that I can think of. The washclothes or tea towels or socks might be somewhat off center, but I always told them that they were a big help and thanked them. When they were little they liked to help set the table, dry dishes, sweep the floor (with their own little broom), dust the furniture, etc. Even John liked to do some of those things when he was very little, but he very soon liked to "help" his dad work on the machinery. One day, when he came in the house with his hands all covered with axel grease black as tar and a big smile, he exclaimed "Look Mom! I've got grease ALL over my hands!" I'm sure his dad bragged on what a good job he had done helping grease the wagon axel or whatever it was he had "helped” do.

Most little ones like to imitate their mom and dad. They are inspired by how we talk to them when they have done something to the best of their ability. A little praise goes a long way. At this age I think “thank you” and telling them what a good helper they had been is better than giving them money. A reward is not expected unless we put the idea in their thinking. That will come much later when they have learned how to use money wisely. I do think it is OK for them to have their piggy bank, but that’s another subject. There are many things that little ones can learn to do by tagging alongside their mom and dad or older siblings. So little by little the little ones, in their innocence, are learning what it means to “Do The Chores”.

To name some of the chores that they eased into gradually were: setting the table, washing and drying the dishes, washing windows, feeding the chickens, gathering eggs, helping plant the garden, hoeing, husking roasting ears, feeding the pigs, going after the cows from the pasture to the barn to be milked, and the list goes on and on. Kids didn't get bored back then for lack of something to do.

To celebrate my 50th Blog Posting: What I Think About This Blogging and Computer Business

The idea of ever owning a computer had never entered my mind until Nancy mentioned she had seen an article in a magazine about a computer for seniors. She told Bill about it wondering if “mama” might like one. They agreed to find out about it, and Nancy asked me what I thought. I remember being shocked by her question. I was too old! I might have considered it back in my eighties, but Nancy and Bill sold me on taking a chance so I agreed to "give it a whirl" thinking I wouldn't have to keep it if it didn't work out for me.

They told Wendy and Robert (Bubba) about it. After that Robert got on the Internet and found this one that would be better than the one advertised in the magazine. Nancy and Bill mentioned to John and Judy about getting it for my 95th birthday as a surprise. Wendy and Robert ordered the computer and had it sent to Austin where Robert installed PointerWare. Robert got it all set up and then had FedEx deliver it to my house before Robert and Wendy came so Robert could install it. Mary talked to the person(s) in Savannah who would help getting it connected to the Internet.

It was Wendy and Robert, Nancy and Bill, John and Judy, and Mary who all went in on getting it for my 95th birthday. It was a surprise all right, as the party was in October but my birthday is in November! This was in 2009, and I still have the PointerWare and a nice computer desk from Wendy and Robert.

I will confess that I had not known what a blog was until Bubba asked if I could write something about where I was born and some things I remembered when I was small. After I sent two or three I supposed that would be the end of it. And I said that I had sent the notes for his blog. He quickly fired an email back which read: MY blog? That’s YOUR blog!!! Well I am told that this is Blog Number 50.

I was just wondering: If I am a blogger, is there such a thing as a bloggee??

I have really enjoyed this computer. It has so many things that I haven't begun to get a pinch of the things it will do. It has Internet, games, and voice mail that I especially like. I can even listen to Bubba's musical band.

Thanks Bubba!

What I thought about Elvis Presley

My thoughts and feelings toward Elvis were rather mixed. I liked hearing him sing. I remember a few of them: "You Ain’t Nothin’ But a Hound Dog", "Love Me Tender", and others that I can't recall unless someone mentions them. However, I didn't like watching him once performers were shown below the waist on T.V.: that was too much. At least I thought so, so I probably missed out on a lot of his shows during those times.

However, some time later after listening to the story of his life and the struggles he had with drugs after he became famous, I changed my thoughts about him. Down deep, I think, Elvis was a caring, kind, and generous person. It showed in the way he treated those who were less fortunate.

Elvis put a lot of feeling in any type of song whether it was pop, gospel, or country, and I can truly say that I loved his singing. Other favorites that he sang were "Amazing Grace", "An Evening Prayer", and "How Great Thou Art".

I was lucky enough to get to see his Graceland place. It was in the mid 70s when my sister-in-law, Grace, invited me to go on a trip with her and her daughter, Rose, and a college friend, Mary Lou. We went to Brownsville,Texas, to visit my sister and husband, Janice and Bill Girard, then some other places. New Orleans for one where we toured several interesting places on the Gulf Coast. We toured the Super Dome and saw the football stadium.

Rose remembered one incident that happened where we stopped to eat breakfast one morning. I asked if they had bran cereal. The waitress replied that they had “risin bran” but none of us could understand what she was saying until we guessed it was “raisin bran”. I can imagine that I was "relieved"!

Getting back to Elvis: I imagine God has a Mansion for him Up Yonder a zillion times more wonderful than the one he had Down Here.

Mary and Nancy in suits

Those photos of Mary and Nancy modeling bathing suits at the farm took place about the year of 1956, give or take a year or so. Perhaps the date was written on the original snap shot.

The girls had summer jobs, so they had a little cash to spare and decided to go to St. Jo on a shopping spree. If I remember right, they didn't have bathing suits in mind. Probably they were thinking of getting new school clothes or just going window shopping?!

It seems that they just happened to notice a sale on bathing suits. There two left, both alike, both the right sizes, and the color they both liked. There was one problem: Mary lacked enough money. Nancy quickly came to her rescue with a loan!

The day they came out all "dolled up" I was in shock for a fleeting moment but thought they looked like beauty queens for sure. The way I recall about taking their picture was that they were a little hesitant but I convinced them that I would like to have a snapshot. I imagine that they did as well. Nancy thinks that the reason they posed with their hands on their hips was that they were pretending to be Jane Russell and Lana Turner or some of the movie stars of the late 40's and early 50's.

At that time those bathing suits were a bit old fashioned compared to the latest fashion, so they were not thought to be risque at the time, at least to them. Me? Well, bathing suits were really suits back in my early years!

Mary has picture of herself in the summer of 1958 with some of the girls at the swimming pool in Idaho Springs, Colorado, when she and some of her friends worked at the Brown Derby Restaurant. She and Jack were married in December of 1958, so she knows she had it for a few more years.

Nancy found hers in the attic several years later. It was brittle from old age and chlorine. Needless to say, she threw it away.

Mary, then Nancy, and John

We had three children, the first child was Mary, then Nancy, and John.

Mary was born on one of the hottest days the summer of 1936 at the home of Franklin's parents in St. Joseph, Missouri.

I recall the sound of the huge old-fashioned electric fan as it rotated and whirred sending a cooling breeze my way and the sips of ice water that my sister, Janice, and my mother-in-law brought. What luxury! The next door neighbors were having a house built, and I thought what a hot job they have out there in the broiling sun as I listened to the noises of saws, hammers pounding, etc and a few cuss words once or twice at least.

The doctor had the old school idea that in most cases its best to "let Nature take its course”. However, after a time, it was evident that this was a breach birth. He told his wife, who was also his nurse, that the baby might not be needing the new baby basket that Anne, Franklin’s sister, had bought and was having delivered to the house. However, when I heard someone say "It’s a girl!" and later when the nurse laid her in my arms, life was never the same after that very day!

We had talked about names. I liked the name Mary, so that was agreeable with Franklin. We thought we could name her after both of us, so we talked and more or less agreed on Linn, and the subject was dropped for the time. Later Franklin’s mom suggested Dale which was Franklin's dad’s middle name, so that it is. We didn't know that the doctor had sent it in to be recorded, but it was changed when she had to show it to get a job teaching.

Three years later, lacking one day, Nancy was born. This time I went to the hospital! Winter and summer were still pretty extreme temperature and weatherwise. We still had the same doctor. The day before I had so much energy that I cleaned everything indoors and out. I even scrubbed the Brooder House--no pun intended. I got enough exercise without going to the gym.

In the wee hours of the morning, I was sure that the time was almost up, so Franklin took me to the hospital. The doctor said that it would be a while, so he left me in the care of a nurse and left to chore or whatever. At that time family or friends had to stay in the waiting room until a nurse came out with any new information.

Time went on, and I think they were saying that I might leave. Everyone was getting pretty well relaxed, especially the doctor and his nurse, who were telling jokes. I was still on a bed, and the little gurney was beside me ready to take me to the delivery room when the time was ripe when all of a sudden the babe was getting tired of this nonsense and decided to make a quick entrance into the great universe. Boy, did that get everyone’s attention! While they were "throwing" me on the gurney, the doc says "Hold it! Hold it!", but I didn't know how that was possible, so it wasn't but a few minutes after they got me placed in the delivery room that we were the parents of another baby girl!

When they brought her for me to see, I looked twice to make sure. Her ears were folded over, her forehead was slanted back, and the back of her head was too big. Amazingly, by the next day or so, everything was in place and she was as cute as a button. I had always liked the name Nancy and when I suggested it everyone agreed. Then for a middle name I believe that Gran came up with Jane, her Mother’s middle name. I also thought it would be after my sister, Janice. Our old neighbors had always called her Jane and so did Bill, her husband.

The years passed and the attic was needing a cleaning. I ran across the old baby clothes that I'd been keeping, just in case. I decided that maybe it was time to get rid of them, including the diapers--everything. And so I did. About two or three months after that episode, it was evident that we were expecting a third child. Then it hit me: What have I done? What if it’s another girl? There were a lot of cute things I got rid of, and diapers were all alike then and cloth. Birdseye material was expensive (we bought the material and hemmed our own as we couldn't afford to buy the ones already made). Time passed. I marked on the calendar the day I'd be due.

Our old doctor had retired. There was a new doctor who was practicing in a small town nearby who had been recommended and delivered in a hospital in St. Joseph. By now we had electricity and running water but still no gravel roads. It came March, the month that I had marked on the calendar. It had snowed and was cold, and then it would get warm enough to thaw the roads. The mud would get deep then, if it froze again, it was like riding a bucking bronco to ride over the frozen ground in the car. It was either get stuck in the mud or the other--most of the time.

About two or three weeks before time was up, Franklin's folks decided that I had better stay with them (at least most of the time). I was back and forth. This particular day, Franklin and the girls had come to see me. Everything seemed as usual, so they went home. As I remember, Gran was keeping Nancy part of the time. They had just arrived home when they got a call from Anne that she had taken me to the hospital as I was going into labor. This was early evening. The doctor had been called, so the stage was pretty set for the performance to begin any time, or so we thought. I kept in mind the date I had circled on my calendar, which would be the next day. Night came and the doctor announced that he was going to take a nap and to call him when he should be there. At 3:00 o'clock in the morning I heard the doctor say "You have a fine baby boy".

Horses, as farming was concerned, were going out and tractors were in. Johnnie, as he was called then, was born with a built-in motor. Although he did like ponies after the girls taught him not to be scared of them.

I may write more about this subject at a later date. For now I will say: I have three fine kids!!