Sunday, September 2, 2007

Another Happening...

I was already a very busy girl(at about age 8 or 9) when we moved to a farmers house to pick cotton. We still had Betsy Buick. I guess we were low on money so Dad traded Betsy for an old Star car and a sow with nine little pigs.It sure was tempting to try holding the cute babies but, after the old sow ran at us a few times, we learned to leave them alone!

We lived rent free, I guess. There was an old apricot tree close to the back window and when those apricots got started growing, I started eating. Mom said if I didn't quit eating, there wouldn't be any left by the time they got ripe.

Everyone in the family picked cotton and came in for lunch. I stayed home and baby sat James and Joan and cooked lunch.

One day when it was time to start the beans, I took the caps off the front burners so I could build the fire up. It wouldn't burn so I looked around and found the kerosene and sloshed some in on the wood. The darned thing still wouldn't catch so I looked in to find out why.
When Mom and Dad and the kids got home they found a funny looking, almost bald, black faced kid. Well, my hair grew back but I lost my babysitting job and had to pick cotton. I learned one thing; never use kerosene to start a fire.

Mom said Eva's nose bled to much for her to be out in the heat. I told her that Eva picked it so she could stay home.

That cotton picking was the hardest work I ever did! I guess we needed money more than we needed baby sitting because, when I could finally get my back straight and stand, there was mom pulling a long cotton sack with James on the tail end just happy to get to ride. Some times Dad pulled Joan on his sack. I only got a quick look then dad would see me and yell, "Get to work!"

One day we got to quit early because it looked like rain. We were so tired that it hurt and felt good at the same time to slowly straighten up. We started home running, hopping, doing circles and yelling and Dad looked up and said, "Well, I thought you kids were tired. We'll stay longer tomorrow!"
It's funny how many lessons kids have to learn. We never played on the way home again.
Now it's time for breakfast! Miz Micks.

See ya...