  Summer came and we had lots of work to keep us busy. We would help in the fields, whatever needed to be done. 
Oh, there came time to pick blackberries, we sure dreaded that, climbing the hills, sun so hot  we would almost faint. Finally
our buckets would be full and down the hill did we hurry.
Mom would make jelly from the berries, she canned everything we ate.  When going to the store on the horse, would buy things like sugar, coffee, flour, etc. Had our corn to take to mill and grind to make the meal for cornbread. It was a long haul, but it was fun.  We raised hogs and butchered them in winter time, Mom canned the sausage and salted the rest and put in a building outside, the winters were COLD. Folks couldn't do that today, as the winter is not cold enough. We had everything a person desired to eat, even snow cream in winter...mmm, tasted so good. 
Also we had an orchard with all kinds of fruit, you name it we had
it. In the fall we would gather black walnuts, hickory nuts, wild
grapes, hazel nut, butter nuts, and some chestnuts, not many trees were
left, most of them had died. All kind of herbs we would search for in
the field and woods. Just think all this good eating came
from God 's good earth. Oh, I can't leave this out. Growing up I only had one little doll. So one day, we decided to fill a tub with water, after that we sang some songs and one of us said a few words, don't recall now what was said, but we baptized my little doll. We told our Mom and she said, "You did what!" Well, a few days later I noticed my doll's face was peeling off. I ran to Mom and told her what was happening. She said, "It was the kind of material the doll was made of, and I can't repair it." Was I ever so sad, and I never got another doll.  Sometime that summer the Power company came through, we finally had electric! Wow, we didn't know what to think! I would say, "Wow, I can see to read good at night, pick up things from the floor!" What a difference it made in our lives, bright lights. What a great joy, bought electric things to use, but Mom still used her old sewing machine to make all of our clothes.  Another thing we all liked to do after the work was done was riding horses, bareback or with saddle. What a time we had, sometime we would race, trying to out run the others. Silly children, will do anything!  We also enjoyed fishing, as we lived close to the river and walking in the water was cool. But to this day, I never learned to swim. Mom would say, "Children don't get close to that cliff or go down to the river." So if one don't get in the water, how do you learn to swim? Sooo I can't swim. After all the summer work and crops almost in, school was ready to begin. The Board of Education finally hired a person to drive their own vehicle for a bus, now we had a ride to the highway to catch the big school bus. What a blessing! No more walking. A big change. New high school in Chapter 5... ... Home ... |