Getting Weary...

After having to get a new blog in order to write I am just about out of the mood again. My old one disappeared. It went to Blog Heaven, I guess.

When I left off my last post, we were in a tent in the desert. It just got hotter and hotter. Mickey got to stay in the shade a lot because she burned easily. Buddy and I just got browner and browner. We were the cotton tops (white haired)so don't know why we were the dark ones but there you are. There's no telling why people turn out like they do.

We didn't stay in the desert too long after Lois died. For one thing, shortly after that, Grandma went into the hospital with the same thing Lois had. She was really sick. We moved closer to Phoenix. Somewhere on a canal bank, still in a tent.

Some other family was with us or near us because Mother sure had a time to keep us out of the water. I was always scared of the water because I couldn't swim. Mickey was scared, too, I think. But we were closer to where Grandma was in the hospital so Mother could go see her.

Every body thought she was going to die. Even Uncle Truman and Uncle Curly came to where we were. I can't say how long she was there but I do remember Aunt Lola Mae and Mother doing a lot of crying. Naturally us kids just joined right in.

The Bue family had moved out to Arizona about that time. Mom and Dad were friends with them but, to tell the truth, I couldn't remember much about the kids except we sure had a lots of games to play when there were more kids.

About then Daddy got a job landscaping that big park in Phoenix. He worked for awhile then got Vernon on with him. I can't say I remember how long that lasted because work wasn't on our list of games at that time.

We were ragged and threadbare in spots but I guess we were about as happy as kids at that time could be. We always had someone to play with. I do remember Daddy taking us to the park to play a lot of the time.

Daddy had a Charlie McCarthy doll and he could make his mouth move and he would take him to the park with us and make his mouth move and "throw" his voice into the doll, so before long we had a gang of kids and grown ups, too, trying to see what was going on.

My baby brother would go to the park with us and was barely walking but could already sing along with the best of us. He would get in front of someone and start singing, "I don't want your greenback dollar," and the people would give him pennies or even quarters and here he would come with it all to Daddy. The boy never did stop singing. Still does it. Writes a lot of his own songs, too. seems he just took to music like a duck takes to water. The whole family was always singing. Seems Daddy mostly. But mom and us would start in, too.

Grandma finally got out of the hospital so Daddy didn't take us to the park as often. Seems like Grandma was sick quite a spell. When she did get her strength back Grandpa said they were going to be moving on. They talked about going to Washington to pick apples. Anyway they moved away soon after that and we moved up into the tent where they had lived. It was closer to phoenix. But that's another story and not for this time. But for now, I am just starting to prattle on.

'Till then, Shike, Prattling On...

Prattling On From My Old Blog...some time to think
Some Time To Think…
It is a wet and windy day outside and slightly rainy. The wind is strong because it is tornado weather here in Texas. Herman went to the mail box to post a couple of letters and said it really wasn't very cold but I will never know because I am not allowed to go outside!
I have been out three times since Thanksgiving day and one of those was to the Dr. Got up the next morning with a high fever so now I'm trying to get that under control again. Blahhhh!!!
Every time she gets broke, here she comes looking for work to do. Of course I've always got plenty to do. She had a young man helping her and they trimmed out most of the fence row. We have piles of dead debris in the back yard but she promises they will clean it up. It will look much better when they get done with it.
I pay them both at the end of the day and the young man had a good bit of money so now he hasn't come back. I'm sure he won't until he gets dried out again.
Seems like almost everyone out here uses dope of some sort or other. I guess I should have said, no pay until the job is finished. Oh well, if its not one thing it's another!
I really should be writing about when Grandma was in the hospital but I just felt like blowing off some steam for a change. You get that way when you are house bound I guess. At least I am getting that way .
I guess my big brother is back in his own home by now. I understand his daughter got it all cleaned up for him. He had his eyes operated on, too, while he was at her house. I am proud of her for helping him out. I think I will close this thing now and go see if that blasted cat has had her kittens yet because I am just prattling on for no reason. Love to all, Shike.

Prattling On...

...and I was doing so good, too. I think it was because I stepped out on the porch to call Jody to the phone while she was working out in the back yard. She sure is a worker!!!




posted by Shike @ 11:42 AM 0 comments
Friday, March 09, 2007
A Sad Day...and More...
It was a sad day when Lois Alma died. The funeral was as nice as you could expect for a graveside service. There weren't many people there but Aunt LOla and Aunt Dessie came; Uncle Truman didn't come. I think mother and grandma cried a river full, or so it seemed to us kids.

We settled back down in our tent when it was all over, carrying water as usual. One night I was walking across the floor to Mother and something stung me really hard. I guess I yelled real loud 'cause Mom said, "What are you trying to do, wake up the dead?"
"No mama," I said, "Something bite me on the foot." She called me to her and looked at it and said It was a scorpion.
"Where did that come from?" she asked.
I showed her where I stepped and there was a crack in the old worn out linoleum so she decided there was a scorpion under there. She put me on a chair and poured ammonia on it. Sure stopped the sting but I thought I was going to die from the bite. Well, she had always said they were poison. She finished washing up my legs and arms, -we always had to go to bed clean,- then it didn't take so long to get ready for school the next morning.
Mom and Daddy went to town that next Saturday to get groceries and left us all home except the baby. We had a big old hound dog . He was brown and was prone to having fits. It had just about got dark and he went into a fit. Boy, did we scatter!!

We ran outside and climbed onto the tent posts then up into a scrawny little tree that grew near the tent. We all got up there somehow. Don't remember how but it wasn't easy. It was after dark when Mom and Daddy got home and we were still in the tree. Joan and I were crying and wanting down. Mother said," What are all of you doing in that tree?" Well, Buddy explained that the dog was having a fit so Mom went in and lit the lamp and they carried in a box of groceries. We came down gladly.

We stayed up later that night because Daddy had a good cardboard box. He put our foot on the cardboard and drew a line around our foot and cut out the foot outline. Then he put it into our shoe as a lining to cover any holes in the sole. That was a blessing. We could wear that shoe the rest of the year. What a thing to be tickled about, but we were.

I always got Mickey's shoes when she outgrew them. I remember that she even got a pair of Buddy's too little shoes.

Joan usually got new shoes because her feet were so much smaller than mine. Of course we always went barefooted except for school, church or town.

The next Saturday was washday. Mother loaded all the dirty cloths in one tub with the rub board and soap. The baby sat on top of that and Buddy and Mom carried that one. Mickey and I carried the rinse tub and Joan came along. We went to the river to wash clothes.
When Mom finished with the wash tub, Mickey and I got in it and sat just on the edge of the water playing like we were floating. Buddy came along and pushed us out in the water. We felt ourselves floating and he pushed us out farther. I began to get scared. We started yelling for Mother. She looked around and there we were floating away.
"Thomas Alvha," Mom yelled, "You get out there and get those kids back here!" Boy, did he have a ball. Boy, did we bawl. But when we got back to shore we were ready to get out and help carry things home.
More about Grandma next time. For now my back is tired and I'm just prattling on. Shike...
Prattling On...
posted by Shike @ 1:51 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Back trackin again
Three times I have tried to write this and three times I have failed!!! That must mean something!

When we got to Buckeye Lois Alma was in the hospital, not Grandma. Lois had typhoid fever. Mother went to see her when she could. With 5 kids to take care of it wasnt easy.
Buckeye was only a wide spot in the road at that time and not the suburb of anything. Lois never got better, just worse. She died just short of 12 years old tho' one would think she was older because she was a fat little girl.

I remember her funeral well. It was in Phoenix and Mother let me go with her to see Lois off. It was the first funeral I had ever been to so I was scared; scared enough to hang onto Mother's hand and not stray away.
I don't guess the others wanted to go. I really don't remember any of the details except that everyone was crying. Uncle Truman didn't come to her funeral. Don't know why; he just wasn't there.

Well that's all I stopped by to say but will fill in more about Grandma later when I get rested up. As for now, thats it.

Shike, Prattling on...
posted by Shike @ 2:38 PM 2 comments
Monday, February 26, 2007
Lookin' Good...

I guess I'd better change the subject a little for this short one.
Just want to say hello to my big Sis, Mick, and my lil bro', James. How are you'all a'doin'?


Here's one of all of us,-of course it goes back a ways.


What a crew! Prattling On...
posted by Shike @ 6:54 PM 1 comments
Saturday, February 24, 2007
posted by Shike @ 7:37 PM 0 comments
Thursday, February 15, 2007
They're all gone, all gone
I guess its not unusual to feel that you have lived a whole generation because that's the way I feel about my mother's family and past generations. Grandpa and grandma married in Nov. of 1905. Grandpa was born in 1885 and Grandma was born in1887. They must have been pretty close because they both died in 1959 Not too many months apart.

They had 9 kids and somehow kept them fed and clothed and it wasn't always easy.
The first one was born in 1906. That was my mother. She wasn't ready to be married but Daddy and grandpa were friends and one day, while Grandpa had his family in the cotton field picking cotton, Daddy walked out in the field and asked Grandpa if he could marry My mother. I don't guess there were any frills or dating with them. He just needed a wife because Hodie, Daddy's daughter by a former wife, was puny and never well. They were married in 1922 and Mother didn't waste any time starting a family.
She had 7 children in all, tho' the first two, Betty and Irma were girls and died at birth.
Daddy already had two grown girls, Lit and Hodie, and had lost a wife and one girl named Clayton three years before that. I can't say Mother was ever really happy with Daddy.

Uncle Newton, the second of their kids, was born in 1908, grew up and married my Aunt Hazel and they had three kids; a boy and two girls.

Then next was born my Aunt Dessie, the one who died last week. She grew up and married Uncle Leonard Scott in 1930.

Uncle Truman ,the next one, moved to Longview and went to work on the railroad from which he retired.

Uncle Frank and Uncle bill went to live with him for awhile. Uncle bill was too young but got married to Aunt Bennie anyway. Times were still hard and she got pregnant so he joined the Navy that was a guaranteed job at the time. It really didn't do him much good as the war started and he was one of the first to ship out. I have been told he went down with his ship when it was sunk.
He was an easy going and happy lad. I remember he had red curly hair and freckles. We all missed him.

Uncle Truman Married in 1936 in July right after Aunt LOla Mae got married in June. I guess both couples stayed married until Uncle Travis died, then Aunt Lola Mae died in a nursing home. I was lucky enough to get to go see her before she died. Bless her heart, she was the gentle one. Never had a cross word for anyone, but here I am getting off my message to ---who??-probably me.

Uncle Frank was next in line to marry. He and Aunt Sylvia Schultz got married in 1940. They had two boys and one girl. One boy died of cancer some years ago, I really don't know if he ever had any children . He was gentle like Aunt Sylvia. Uncle Frank and Aunt Sylvia later got a divorce and he Married Joan Day.
...understand about things but Mother let me go.
Grandma and Grandpa had another girl named Lois who died at an early age of typhoid fever.

Maudie was the youngest. She was my age . She married and had two girls who I understand are real nice. I wish I could know them. She died 5 year's ago. I don't know from what.

I really do feel a kinship with all of them We only have a half sister left, Sister Lit, and if she lives till may, she will be 96 years old .

I have left half of this story out because it belongs on My Daddy's side . At least I have vented my feelings. Maybe I am not so unusual after all. My fingers are rambling now so I'm beginning to prattle on. 'Till I get on this blog next time, I remain, your faithful Shike.

Prattling On...

posted by Shike @ 5:30 PM 4 comments
Thursday, January 18, 2007
just Thinking
Last week I lost a very dear Uncle,. I have so many memories of the things we talked about. He was so easy to talk to and remembered everything as far back as I could remember and then some. He was a lot like my Grandpa who was my very favorite person when I was a kid. He was so happy you would think he didn't have a worry in the world. That was my uncle too. But he did have worries. He had to move into an assisted living home when he was 92 but didn't complain about it. Said he got along very well, Thank you. Unk was always fun to talk to. If you were visiting him at home he would always bring out the old pictures and had to explain who everyone was and what relation they were to us. I think he knew every body back as far as George Washington!!! Or maybe Abe Lincoln! If you didn't know what happened in one particular year all you had to do was just ask Unk. He always had an answer for you. I called him and talked to him every Saturday or Sunday and we had some pretty good visits. I will miss all that but I guess we have to take it as it comes. Or so he has been known to say. Have a good rest my dear Uncle I will miss you. Your niece, Eva Mae.