Tuesday, August 24, 2004
AUGUST TO DECEMBER....1972
The early days that Becky and Jennifer lived with us seem so long ago. We were in a different mobile home then without air-conditioning. The heat and humidity in Missouri is miserable when it gets stuck in that pattern. We had put in a fairly ambitious garden and Warren was working on the yard to get a stand of grass. Fall came quickly with everything going on….I helped mom can some of her things because dad’s garden was flourishing where ours had withered. The difference was a few years of tilling and mulching…..we were no match for the poor ground and the little we had to work with.
We made a trip back to Shawnee in November and enjoyed seeing old friends. It’s always good to catch up on the news from each family and spend a few hours. By the time we came home it was Thanksgiving time and we planned for mom and dad, and Floyd and Ruth from next door. After we had eaten our meal we heard shots fired at close range and saw a man walking with a rifle in full orange gear across the road from us. He had fired at a deer and missed, narrowly missing our mobile home. He apologized but it was a little unnerving. In those days there were deer, wild turkey, and all the obvious critters……..lots of quail…sadly they have all dwindled with the increased building and infringing on their natural surroundings.
Right after Thanksgiving we began work on Christmas. Money wasn’t very plentiful so we made most of what we gave. I’ve always thought gifts that were personally made were giving the most precious commodity we have…..our time. Mom, Becky and I were busy with our individual projects and would work together some of the time while we had coffee and a “goodie.” We drove down to see aunt Beulah for an early Christmas in 1972 because Dale was going to be home and we always liked to see him. Aunt Beulah never failed to have a good meal and she had a knack of having just the right seasonal things sitting around. Most of which she had picked up on her walks or made out of material she had on hand. We always looked forward to the things she made. She was never idle.
John came down for Christmas with us. He was growing like a weed and losing his young boy look. It wouldn’t be long until he was taller than all of us. We all made Christmas candies and cookies to mail out to family and for our own holiday munching. Dad and John always made it seem worthwhile for they were constant samplers. John stayed until he had to go back for school and the house always seemed emptier after he left. We closed out 1972 all present and accounted for and we were grateful….for the time being, life was good………..
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
We made a trip back to Shawnee in November and enjoyed seeing old friends. It’s always good to catch up on the news from each family and spend a few hours. By the time we came home it was Thanksgiving time and we planned for mom and dad, and Floyd and Ruth from next door. After we had eaten our meal we heard shots fired at close range and saw a man walking with a rifle in full orange gear across the road from us. He had fired at a deer and missed, narrowly missing our mobile home. He apologized but it was a little unnerving. In those days there were deer, wild turkey, and all the obvious critters……..lots of quail…sadly they have all dwindled with the increased building and infringing on their natural surroundings.
Right after Thanksgiving we began work on Christmas. Money wasn’t very plentiful so we made most of what we gave. I’ve always thought gifts that were personally made were giving the most precious commodity we have…..our time. Mom, Becky and I were busy with our individual projects and would work together some of the time while we had coffee and a “goodie.” We drove down to see aunt Beulah for an early Christmas in 1972 because Dale was going to be home and we always liked to see him. Aunt Beulah never failed to have a good meal and she had a knack of having just the right seasonal things sitting around. Most of which she had picked up on her walks or made out of material she had on hand. We always looked forward to the things she made. She was never idle.
John came down for Christmas with us. He was growing like a weed and losing his young boy look. It wouldn’t be long until he was taller than all of us. We all made Christmas candies and cookies to mail out to family and for our own holiday munching. Dad and John always made it seem worthwhile for they were constant samplers. John stayed until he had to go back for school and the house always seemed emptier after he left. We closed out 1972 all present and accounted for and we were grateful….for the time being, life was good………..
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
