american history

I got to pondering today on how much technology has taken over during the eightyish years that my parents have been alive. Born during the great depression, they were brought up in totally opposite worlds, but ended up living the same one here on our farm where three children were raised up right, knowing how cows have babies and can turn on you when you raise a red shirt to the breeze. After the thrill of wading in muddy ditches was gone, I turned to looking for reasons to get into town where all the action was. We all attended school on the street where both sets of grandparents lived. It was almost so Cleaverish as to be sickening at times ;) Both our parents worked in town so it was easier than trying to have somebody get us off the bus from Holice Powell just to make a quick scoop and deposit us at one grandma or another's place. My great grandma Ethel lived next to the school so I got to eat lunch there sometimes...always a treat with things like chicken and gravy in an iron skillet plus berries and cream for dessert. Beats the heck out of peas and carrots.

Daddy worked as a plant pest control agent for the USDA during the heyday of the boll weevil. I remember visiting his office and marveling at all those push pins where he had trapped them and there was an effort underway to eradicate. That was his DAY job. After that, he managed the farm with (a little) help from my brothers so he essentially was on call 24/7 for that. He delivered calves in the snow with chains and hauled bales of hay in the summer to fatten up their asses for sale. Mom was this and that, ranging from staff reporter for the local newspaper to claims adjudicator for state unemployment recipients. And fabulous cook! They both remained active with their friends doing their own thing at least once a week. Daddy bowled, played penne ante poker and went to fish fries and squirrel stews. Mom played bridge and went on unforgettable getaways with her gal pals. It was a joint effort, by them, to keep their respective sanities while raising three kids and making a living during the sixties and seventies. Their hard work allowed them to retire early and enjoy life a bit at a time when that was not a dream but a possibility. There were very few family vacations due to the nature of farming, and the ones we took were pure torture on everybody....especially the time I rode to Atlanta in the back seat of the white Chevy, wedged between two little brothers. I opted out on the Stone Mountain tour and chilled in the hotel room while they did the Chevy Chase vacation thing. Hey...I was a 13 year old girl and had had enough of the fam.

Mama was the one who liked to "get away" for a bit and daddy could care less, so she went without him. She saved up her quarters and bills for a long dang time to afford a trip to England with her ladies. I remember wondering why she was so upset right before she left for her dream trip, and realized that she was just afraid to leave us or, more likely, that our world might end before she got back to fix it. To this day, I think she's driving herself nuts with worry over every little detail. Something tells me she needs a timeout from reality. Come to think of it, I could use a little of that myself.

Just to let you know how thankful I am for little things, I'm jumping for joy tickled pink that I get to sleep in for an extra hour tomorrow. The bird flu has kicked my ever loving ass to the point that I crave the chance to stretch out and be still. So here's my theory. The flood of the century came and so did all the egrets and ducks and geese, just as nature intended. That's when H1N1 came to visit from some Asian country and made me sick as a dog for three months. There was a vaccine last year, but this year no go. I personally think the vaccine manufacturers totally missed the mark on flu season 10/11. I'm living, heavy breathing proof. After James Frank helped me get the mower off the fence post yesterday, I finished up the yard so that the traveling John Deere could move down to my parents' house and then back to the junction where Sally lives. If I ever get a camera that works I'll show ya'll her pic...cutest little border collie you ever saw. She's learning to ride in the truck now like a good dawg. I'm sure she'll fall out at least once, like Faith did right in the middle of Lake road from the back of a red Dodge. Oscar thought he could fly last time we went up to spend the night at the Newbern residence and still has the scar on his chin to prove it. Precious memories :)

I was scheduled for allergy scratch testing today but had to break down and take some benadryl after yard work so I'm disqualified for awhile. It's just as well....my PA told me I might need some recovery time after the bird flu. She's younger and smarter, so I trust what she says.

Over and out kids. Remember who you are ^j^