I was trying to explain today to a co-worker about all the folks that lived in the house at Springhill when I was growing up. They were Granddaddy, Aunty, Earl, Doris, Mother (Frances), Daddy (Lafayette), Julia, Paul (Mother and Auntie’s brother), Owen when he came back from the Navy and before he and Ruth married, and Aunt Fronia (Granddaddy’s sister). I think that was all. As I have said many times, Mother and Aunty never knew how many were going to be at the table for a meal. But all in all, it was a great time growing up.
I also have fun thinking back about summertime when we had family from Texas. I was thinking today about when Aunt Dorothy would be there and we would all take off to the pea patch off the road to Sara Mae’s house. We would pick peas and corn and then go back to the house and shell peas and shuck corn and have it ready by dinner (lunch) time. We really had to get going, didn’t we; but there again it was fun because we were enjoying it.
Another memory that I have is that of too little water. I don’t know if any of you were there during those times or knew about it but in some of the summers, we didn’t have much rain and water was scarce and we were glad that we were going to Coal Fire Creek every day swimming. That took care of a lot of baths. Oh, you just had to grow up in the early times to appreciate all of this, but I really do.
Then to mention Coal Fire Creek opens up a whole ‘nother subject, doesn’t it but I won’t go down that road tonight. Hope this has tweaked some of your memories or for you younger folks given you a glimpse of what we grew up to appreciate.
Bonnie Gates Windle, October, 2012