When I was in the 5th grade, Miss Swenson the teacher, decided I had a brillant future as a poet. She asked mother's permission to submit some of my work to Jack and Jill magazine. I could write reams back in those days, unless some one wanted me to, and then I was blank. As I recall I did manage to give her something and she mailed it off to the magazine, but I never heard any more about it. Childish dreams dashed in the forgotten world of adults. Probably her fault I am screwed up today!
Seventh grade proved to be very traumatic for us kids. Mother was diagnosed with cancer and was put in the hospital and operated on immediately. By this time Josephine was already married and so we were sort of left in the lurch with no one to take care of us except dad. Now what that man knew about taking care of kids was exactly nothing. He assumed on some level that since Mother was not there, we would not need to eat. Neighbors took pity on us and we did not starve. You can not tell by looking at me today that I ever missed a meal!
When Mother came home, she was "bedfast" which meant the little bed in the front room was where she spent her days. That way she could look out. As I recall there was not a whole lot to see out there, but she was in a prime place to see it if it were to be seen. She had received lots of cards while in the hospital so she spent time reading those, over and over again.
The ladies at the First Christian Church on the corner of Main Street and across the street from the school came to call and decided that since school would be starting soon, they needed to sew us girls new dresses for school. We were measured and measured again to make sure the first measurements were correct. Then the day came that they met for the "sewing bee". I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I was going to have a new dress! This would be a fancy dress made just for me and it would not have the words "Gooch's Best" any where on it. At least I hoped not. Dad was beside himself because those old biddies were sticking thier noses in our business. They thought he could not take care of his family. The fact that they were right was entirely beside the point. I was going to have a new dress.
The day came when they brought the dresses and we tried them on so they could see how they looked and if they fit properly. To my amazement I recieved 2 dresses. I could hardly contain myself. I could hardly wait for the first day of school. It did finally come. To this day I can not remember what color my dresses were or what they looked like. Seems like one of them had stripes and one had flowers, but you could not prove it by me. Mother cautioned us not to be "putting on airs" because we had new clothes. I don't think I did, but nonetheless, my day was shattered when a boy in my class said, "Oh, ain't you something in your new clothes? My mama said the church ladies made them because your momma is dying and can't take care of you. Says you are poor as church mice." Well, that pretty much did it for the happiest day of my life. Needless to say, Mama wasn't dying, but it made for a long day.
Got into a lot of trouble that year. Got sent to the office for saying Loren McQueen had cooties. What ever cooties were. I only said it because some body else told me that. Seems like that was also the year Mrs. Wells had her baby in the bathroom in the middle of the night. I sure wished we had an indoor bathroom, but that would not come for many years. Oh, and I am here to tell you, an outside privy certainly leaves a lot to be desired. I am amazed to this day that my digestive tract ever worked, between worrying about falling through the hole and living in mortal terror that a black widow spider would bite me on my tender tush! And then there was that trip out in the middle of the night and having to worry about mountain lions and gypsy's and God only knew what else. How did I manage to survive in that world?
Seventh grade ended with a bang. The last day of school was always a picnic. The band played and the kids ran around and it was so much fun. Well, sort of. That was the year the band was playing and a bird flew over and did a number on Gay Withrow's hat as she played whatever insturment she played. Sure sucked to be her!
But the best thing about the whole year was that since the ladies made us clothes, mother felt obligated to attend church. Thus began my early religious training. I wanted to know all about this man named Jesus. I was crushed that this man had died on the cross. If I had only known him my life would have been perfect, but now he was dead and I would never know him. I did finally get it straight, he had died for me, so I could have life everlasting. That is something I never forgot.
I joined youth group. I always memorized more verses than anyone else. I loved that church and I loved the minister, Rush Barnett and his lovely wife, Genevive. I wanted to be a missionary and go to Africa. He talked to me about it and the plans were made. Many hours were spent in there home and it was there that I was happiest. And then the inevitable happened. Rush J Barnett was transferred to another church. I don't remember who took his place, but it was a man who did not much like kids and I was a kid. We still went to that church, but the youth group ceased to be. When we quit going, no one really seemed to care.
Seventh grade proved to be very traumatic for us kids. Mother was diagnosed with cancer and was put in the hospital and operated on immediately. By this time Josephine was already married and so we were sort of left in the lurch with no one to take care of us except dad. Now what that man knew about taking care of kids was exactly nothing. He assumed on some level that since Mother was not there, we would not need to eat. Neighbors took pity on us and we did not starve. You can not tell by looking at me today that I ever missed a meal!
When Mother came home, she was "bedfast" which meant the little bed in the front room was where she spent her days. That way she could look out. As I recall there was not a whole lot to see out there, but she was in a prime place to see it if it were to be seen. She had received lots of cards while in the hospital so she spent time reading those, over and over again.
The ladies at the First Christian Church on the corner of Main Street and across the street from the school came to call and decided that since school would be starting soon, they needed to sew us girls new dresses for school. We were measured and measured again to make sure the first measurements were correct. Then the day came that they met for the "sewing bee". I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I was going to have a new dress! This would be a fancy dress made just for me and it would not have the words "Gooch's Best" any where on it. At least I hoped not. Dad was beside himself because those old biddies were sticking thier noses in our business. They thought he could not take care of his family. The fact that they were right was entirely beside the point. I was going to have a new dress.
The day came when they brought the dresses and we tried them on so they could see how they looked and if they fit properly. To my amazement I recieved 2 dresses. I could hardly contain myself. I could hardly wait for the first day of school. It did finally come. To this day I can not remember what color my dresses were or what they looked like. Seems like one of them had stripes and one had flowers, but you could not prove it by me. Mother cautioned us not to be "putting on airs" because we had new clothes. I don't think I did, but nonetheless, my day was shattered when a boy in my class said, "Oh, ain't you something in your new clothes? My mama said the church ladies made them because your momma is dying and can't take care of you. Says you are poor as church mice." Well, that pretty much did it for the happiest day of my life. Needless to say, Mama wasn't dying, but it made for a long day.
Got into a lot of trouble that year. Got sent to the office for saying Loren McQueen had cooties. What ever cooties were. I only said it because some body else told me that. Seems like that was also the year Mrs. Wells had her baby in the bathroom in the middle of the night. I sure wished we had an indoor bathroom, but that would not come for many years. Oh, and I am here to tell you, an outside privy certainly leaves a lot to be desired. I am amazed to this day that my digestive tract ever worked, between worrying about falling through the hole and living in mortal terror that a black widow spider would bite me on my tender tush! And then there was that trip out in the middle of the night and having to worry about mountain lions and gypsy's and God only knew what else. How did I manage to survive in that world?
Seventh grade ended with a bang. The last day of school was always a picnic. The band played and the kids ran around and it was so much fun. Well, sort of. That was the year the band was playing and a bird flew over and did a number on Gay Withrow's hat as she played whatever insturment she played. Sure sucked to be her!
But the best thing about the whole year was that since the ladies made us clothes, mother felt obligated to attend church. Thus began my early religious training. I wanted to know all about this man named Jesus. I was crushed that this man had died on the cross. If I had only known him my life would have been perfect, but now he was dead and I would never know him. I did finally get it straight, he had died for me, so I could have life everlasting. That is something I never forgot.
I joined youth group. I always memorized more verses than anyone else. I loved that church and I loved the minister, Rush Barnett and his lovely wife, Genevive. I wanted to be a missionary and go to Africa. He talked to me about it and the plans were made. Many hours were spent in there home and it was there that I was happiest. And then the inevitable happened. Rush J Barnett was transferred to another church. I don't remember who took his place, but it was a man who did not much like kids and I was a kid. We still went to that church, but the youth group ceased to be. When we quit going, no one really seemed to care.
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