1944 #2

Saturday night.  Moma and Daddy going to town tonight.  I will go to Dad and Ma M. house for the evening.  After we eat the three of us will gather round the battery powered radio.  Amos and Andy, the Grand Ole Opery.  The kersone lamps are on.  Siting in the rocking chair on the back porch.  Another fine evening.

As I said my Dad is a share croper.  He grows crops for cash.  Some cows, one for milk for the house.  Some pigs, and of course horses to do the farming with.  A garden for the house.  In the fall he would butcher a hog.  From this Moma and Daddy would make pork(seasoned) sausage form the meat into patties.  Fry the patties in pork fat then put the patties into Mason jars pour pork fat over the patties until it filled the jar.  Then seal the jar, place the jar into boiling water until the top of the lid sucked in a little.  The jars were then placed into storage.  We had pork sausage for most of the year.  Moma canned a lot of vegetables also, minus the pork fat.  Bacon and hams were salted and cured in the smoke house.  Cuts of fat were taken to Dad and Ma M. who had also butchered a hog, these cuts of fat were combined and it was time to make soap.  The fat was placed in a large kettle in the yard.  A fire was built under the kettle, when the fat reached the right temperture lye as added and mixed in.  This mixture was allowed to cool.  Then cut into bars, this was our laundry soap, bathing soap,    cleaning soap.  There was another kettle used to make our shorting.  Pure pork fat was rendered, allowed to cool then put into cans to use in cooking.  These were done on different days because it was a rather under taking.  Also the other farm work had to be done, milk the cow, feed the horses, and pigs, chickens. 

All of these things were normal for me.
Pappy

1944

Ma and Dad lived in house on the hill.  My dad was a sharecropper.  We lived in a house down the hill by the creek.  Between the houses was a field oh maybe 4o acres.  Dad farmed this field.  Sometimes he would have cotton, corn, or watermelons.  This was my play yard.  I would meet dad out in the field and follow him around.  I especially liked when he planted watermelons.  Dad and Ma were my mothers parents.  This was in OK.  My moms  brothers were in the army in Germany.  Walt was home but he worked for some one else.  My Dad and Dad M. would get the field ready, using a team of horses and a plow.  Then other horse drawn implements to prepare the the ground.  I would go along with Dad M. and he would make little hills and plant the watermelon seed.  Some snuff was placed in each hill then the seed.  He then carefully covered the seed not to deep just deep enough. (the snuff was to keep bugs from eating the seed)  Now we waited for rain to give enough moisture to sprout he seed.  During this time any weeds were hoe'ed out.  Many hours were spent in this manner.  I loved every hour I spent with my Grandpa M.  When the watermelons got ripe they sure was tasty.

When he had cotton in the field and it was cotton picking time the family all helped.  Each had a cotton sack(a long bag open on one end, closed on the other.  On the open end was a strap sowed to the bag off center.  You put his strap on your shoulder and drug the bag behind and beside you while you picked the cotton from the stalk and put it in the cotton sack.  I was unfair to my mother because I would get on the cotton sack and ride while mother picked cotton.  When the sack was full we had a team of horse's pulling a wagon with high chicken wire sides.  When this wagon was full of cotton we would drive the team and wagon to town to the cotton gin.  I remember riding with my Dad and Dad M. to town and the cotton gin.  Lots of work to being a farmer back then.  More later.  Have a good day.
Pappy

#1 February 2013

Hello!!!!!!!!!  Been a long time since I was here.  But how long is time?  For us mortals time is a nano second of life.  I have been doing fairly well.  It took some time to adjust to my sitution.  Now it is little goals, small rewards.  But each day I wake up is a small victory.  Enough about me.
     Next week on the 19th will be a milestone.  More later.  The girls will be here the 14th thru 17th for Sandy, Isabel on the 15th till the afternoon of the 17th.  Looking forward to see them and hear about their lives. 
     A vacation we took was to canada and Montana.  Had a good time and enjoyed their company.  You get some idea how your kids are when they are small.  But as adults sometimes they suprise you.  I need to get my thoughts in order and relate some of the things from childhood into adulthood.  Maybe some stories about me.
     Take care, love to all.
     Pappy

I'm back

After  rather a long time I have come back to the blog.  So many things have happened during this period that I have neglected this blog.  I am happy to say things are working out.  That's all for now.  More later.
Pappy
 

Here again

Time gets away when you don't make good use of it.  Many times I have thought about writing something as I am going to sleep.  The next day it all seems to have slipped away.  Could I be trying to make more of blogging than it should be.  With 3 readers I know pretty much whats going on.  The things I do daily are very normal, not very exciting.  I worked at a job for many years where I spent the day alone.  Not much contact with other people,  probably spoke less than 100 words during the day.  After I got married and had a family I looked forward to those evenings with my girls.  It was a good time.  When my grandson was born I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could.  I have been able to share much with him and his Mom and Dad.  I have always been welcome in their home even for extended stays.  My youngest daughter and her boyfriend have welcomed me into their home.  I am a very lucky man to have such a wonderful family. 

The 19th of February Jo and I will celebrate 46 years of marriage.  The girls and grandson are coming here to help us celebrate.  I am very pleased they are coming and very emotional.  Thanks girls.
Safe travel, love you all.
Pappy
 

 

So long since I bloged

July 3, 2010
Back in UT. Been here for a month now. Just hanging out with Sandy and her family. Several special things have happened since I have been here. Celebrated Sandy's birthday with her and the "boys". Very happy time for me. Went to watch Tristan play soccer. In the final game of the season he scored a goal. Great to see his reaction and the joy on his face. Attended an assembly at his school where he received a gold President's award. Signed by President Obama. A citizenship medal. His mom and dad were very proud. Grandpa was wiping bauba from his chin. (also very proud) It has been a good visit, a little longer than planed, but some things came up and this is how it worked out. Tristan and I head back to La Mirada on Monday. Looking forward to being home and seeing my sweet baby.

Espana won their game today and advanced to the next round. That's good. I am sure Jo is happy.

Take care.
Pappy1

Open Road

Greetings to all,
Wednesday I began my trip to UT. It rained all the way to St. George, UT. Not very a very hard rain. Not a bad drive. It felt good to be back on the open road. Lots of time to think and enjoy the feel of driving. Something feels good to me when I can get out to the open roads and just drive. The freeways around LA are so crowded it takes the fun out of driving. Thursday morning it was very foggy in St. George. I had fog most of the way till I got past Filmore(home of the world famous potato logs) then the weather was a little hazy. Rolled up to Tristan's school in time. He said he was out on the playground doing PE and he saw my pickup pull into the parking lot. It was good to see the little man. We went to his house, unloaded the truck. Had a snack and talked.

Friday was a short school day. I picked him up at 1:10pm and we went to lunch at Taco Bell. Then to Walmart* for a little shopping. Only food items, much to his disappointment.

Saturday was game day (basketball). Marty, Sandy, and I were in the stands cheering. Tristan scored 4 points for a game high and a season high. He played very well. Blocked some shots, got a few rebounds, and covered his man so close he never got the ball. Good game. His team is undefeated. Next Saturday is the final game of the season. We are going to see the Jazz play Monday night. Looking forward to the game.

Things are good here, a little cold but no snow.

Take care love to all.
Pappy1