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Growing Older Gracefully
By Joanne Beckley
We have all heard the expression, or something
similar: “Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.” With a minimum of effort we remain alive without
serious thought about how we do it. Unless, that is, serious health concerns crop up and we are forced to take notice. But
this business of “growing up” is another matter. It is a matter of choice, and it is from Genesis 2-3 we learn
that there is really only one choice we should make and it takes effort. At times we feel like it takes too much effort. God in his wisdom created you and I with an amazing, magnificent piece of “machinery”
in which to house our spirits. He did his part, and He expects us to do ours. Growing older gracefully is a tough act to follow
– especially as we watch our bodies begin the process of going the way of all earth (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7). Growing older
gracefully means we have to “grow up.” Growing is a wonderful
concept of life increasing life. It holds the power to regenerate, renew, restore, revitalize. God promises each one of us
eternal life – but that means we have to grow up. We have to let go and release our childish concepts of “me first,”
“You do it,” “Life if for the living” – and the list goes on. It is interesting to note that
God has actually issued a command that we grow up. 2 Peter 3:18: “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.” Growing spiritually requires grit and determination.
It is just plain hard work. And the work never ends, until we breathe our last breath. Read Eccl.12:1 again. Notice that this
work should begin when we are young, for old age limits our abilities to grow. Although Christ recognizes those who obey Him
at the “eleventh hour,” God has given us our entire lives to live for Him – and expects us to use it! What about this word “gracefully”? The dictionary defines it as elegance of
movement or courteous good will. These are qualities of the body and heart. I want to take it one step further. “Growing
in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Not only can we learn to be beautiful women by our
walk and demeanor, but through the growth of our heart, our spirit, by the gospel. It is the power of the gospel that we will
find eternal life – that we will grow up. There are so many many
things to consider in our ever-reaching upwards. I could draw up a list a mile long, but consider just these few: 1. Learning to control our thoughts and actions.
2. Learning repentance and how to
forgive one another.
3. Learning to serve as Jesus served.
4. Learning to be content.
5. Learning joy during
good and bad times. It is these and other qualities of spiritual growth
toward being a graceful older woman that we would like to address. See you next time!
 ACCEPTANCE & CONTENTMENT
Lucy
Greene
I became
a widow twenty-two months ago. I say twenty-two months just like I did when my babies were little. You never have a twenty
five month old, but up until that two year mark you count time in terms of months. Unlike having babies grow with those busy
days passing quickly, these months have been an eternity. I never wanted to be a widow, nor the pioneer widow of my peer group,
but here I am. Even so, what I am learning and experiencing will smooth the way for those who come after me, though no individual
journey is the same. I want to grow older gracefully, but there’s
been nothing graceful about the stages of grief that I’ve experienced. Some days I’ve felt at the mercy of unplanned
and unexpected waves of emotion that come out of the blue and zap me at the most inconvenient moments. Sometimes it’s
even been hard to pray. Somewhere on my journey, I was surprised
to realize that I was indeed living in the past and missing the blessings of the present. Intellectually, I knew that was
not a good way to live, but I hadn’t recognized it for what it was. My friend observed that I wasn’t letting go,
and I thought about that deeply and seriously. Treasuring the past and it’s memories, being thankful for our past blessings
and relationships is right and important, but longing for what we no longer can have instead of looking for the joy and opportunities
of TODAY is an exercise in futility, and does interfere with our aging gracefully. I am realizing that acceptance of one’s circumstance in life is a quality one must learn as
we grow older. It puts us in a better frame of mind for facing so many of the less desirable outcomes of aging. So many things
are beyond our control and not the way that we had pictured them. Aging of our bodies, changing financial circumstances, passing
of friends and relatives, changes in living arrangements--- to name a few. If we can accept physical appearance, aches and
pains, poor health as we age and know that “though our outward man perish, the inward man is being renewed day by day,”
(2 Corinthians 4:16) we can be serene when we look in the mirror or try to get up out of a chair. Dependence on God and trusting
Him with the future is the key to acceptance. Paul
said that he had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself (Philippians 4:11.) Acceptance brings contentment.
Contentment is defined as “an uncomplaining acceptance of one’s lot.” You might not like what’s happened
to you, but accepting that situation says, “This is the way it is. It’s going to be OK. God will take care of
me. I can live with this.” Hebrews 13:5 says, “Be content with such things as you have for he said, ‘I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee’.” In 1 Timothy 6:6 we are told that godliness with contentment is great gain.
May we adopt that thought as our goal as we strive to age gracefully. I am realizing that acceptance of
one’s circumstance in life is a quality one must learn as we grow older. It puts us in a better frame of mind for facing
so many of the less desirable outcomes of aging. So many things are beyond our control and not the way that we had pictured
them. Aging of our bodies, changing financial circumstances, passing of friends and relatives, changes in living arrangements---
to name a few. If we can accept physical appearance, aches and pains, poor health as we age and know that “though our
outward man perish, the inward man is being renewed day by day,” (2 Corinthians 4:16) we can be serene when we look
in the mirror or try to get up out of a chair. Dependence on God and trusting Him with the future is the key to acceptance. Paul said that he had learned to be content in whatever state he
found himself (Philippians 4:11.) Acceptance brings contentment. Contentment is defined as “an uncomplaining acceptance
of one’s lot.” You might not like what’s happened to you, but accepting that situation says, “This
is the way it is. It’s going to be OK. God will take care of me. I can live with this.” Hebrews 13:5 says, “Be
content with such things as you have for he said, ‘I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee’.” In 1 Timothy
6:6 we are told that godliness with contentment is great gain. May we adopt that thought as our goal as we strive to age gracefully.
From a reader:
"I work full time, and baby-sit my grandchildren, all the time, overnight because my daughter works nights. I visit my
92 year-old mother in the home almost every day. I am afraid that sometimes I put God on the back burner because there are
not enough hours in the day."
Am I Putting God On The Back
Burner?
(Finding Time For God
When I'm Overwhelmed)
By
Cindy Granke
Your
dilemma is one that confronts many women today. Many grandparents find themselves struggling to balance their responsibilities
to their aged parents and their children – which often includes grandchildren. Add to these, the need to work and maintain
a home, and we find ourselves pulled in so many directions that we feel as if we are sinking in quicksand. Several years ago I found
myself confronted with a similar predicament. At the time, it was necessary for me to work outside the home full-time. My
oldest daughter and her children arrived - abandoned, abused, and without a place to live or income to provide for themselves
– and my daughter was four months into a high-risk pregnancy. Suddenly our empty nest was overflowing. It was a very difficult
time for everyone. Unfortunately there are seldom easy answers in such circumstances. It is during times like these when we
simply must rely on God’s help for the strength to do what is necessary. Unavoidable demands on our bodies and our time
can draw us away from Him or draw us nearer to Him.
I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and
My fortress and my deliverer;
My
God, my strength, in whom I will trust.
Psalms
18:1-2.
In
response to the reader’s specific situation – I would try to sort out all of my responsibilities by asking myself
a few questions, and try to prioritize what is essential (no options – must be done); what is important (one step below
absolutely essential – but necessary to work out); and what is negotiable (really want to, but can be moved around to
accommodate the other two priorities). 1.
Is it absolutely necessary for me to work outside the home? If I am a widow, or live alone, without sufficient income to provide
for my necessities, there may be no other options for me. Therefore remaining employed is essential. Is it possible for me
to change from full-time to part-time work? With so many obligations, working fewer hours would probably make it easier for
me to fit everything into my day, as well as to manage my health, emotional and spiritual needs. 2. Is it absolutely necessary to visit my aged mother every day? There are probably some options
to this, but certainly spending time with her is important to her – especially if she is cognizant and looks forward
to seeing me. Likewise, it is important to me because I love her and know that my time with her is limited. Could I arrange to make
short visits during my lunch hour, or on the way to, or from work? Then I could make a longer visit one or two days a week
– maybe on the weekend. If she is unaware of my presence, I might possibly change my visits to every couple of days, depending on the
circumstances. I am working on as article about what we owe our parents, and another one on what we owe our children. There
are so many variables in our roles as parents and as the children of aged parents, it’s impossible to find a correct
solution that fits every situation. We have to weigh everything and divide our time accordingly. Sometimes this is a painful
process. 3. Is it essential for
me to baby-sit for my grandchildren every night? Often financial necessity puts this into the essential category. I strongly
believe that children should be cared for by family, rather than strangers. However I recognize that some circumstances make
that impossible. As grandparents we often have one or more health issues that need to be weighed against the physical and
emotional demands of keeping children on a regular basis. Here are some things to consider. (a) Is it absolutely essential for the children’s
mother to work outside the home? (b) Are the children and their mother living with me? If so, could their mother use some
of her hours between sleep and work to allow me time to visit my mother, or to accomplish some of my own needs? When times
are tough and a family is pulling together to help each other, it’s important not to ignore one's own needs. (c)
If my daughter and her family live in their own place, what time do the children arrive at my house? Is there any time between
the end of my work day, and their arrival for me to visit my mom, or to have a little private time for prayer and Bible reading? Being a mother and grandmother,
myself, I understand the emotions that go along with these demands on our reader. In our hearts we want to do all we can for
our loved ones. Sometimes we gladly give more than we are physically, emotionally, or financially able to sustain. It’s
impossible for us to see our family in need and not try to take some of that on ourselves. We must try to remember
that our health is essential and it cannot be replaced if we allow ourselves to take on more than we can cope with, physically
and emotionally. I know many mothers and grandmothers who lovingly and willingly gave so much of themselves that their lives
were no longer manageable. Some of them developed stress related illnesses which permanently affected their health. God is essential to the
Christian. I love Him. I serve Him. I need Him. He provides for my soul’s eternal salvation, and the daily needs of
my body which He loaned me to use while I’m here on this earth, which He created. I am responsible for how I use and
care for my soul, as well as my physical body. After all, I eventually must return my soul to Him. I want Him to be satisfied
with way I have cared of it while it was loaned to me. . Having said all that . . . . Finally, dear reader, after you consider all of these things, you may find that
these are things over which you have little or no control. That does not mean that you are putting God on the back burner.
There are many Christians who struggle with similar problems. When all is said and done, keep in mind that visiting, and comforting
your mom, and caring for your family – including children and/or grandchildren - IS the Lord’s work, especially
when the need is essential, rather than just the natural desire to provide these things. God expects us to fulfill such needs
(1 Timothy 5:4). I will talk more about our responsibilities to our parents next month. I hope these suggestions
help you to balance some of the demands in your life so that you might find some quiet time for yourself, and to meditate
and pray. The one thing that I strongly urge you to do, more than anything else is to make some time each evening –
possibly after the children are asleep – go into your room, close the door, and bare your heart and soul to the Lord.
If you are really tired, don’t lie down to pray. It’s too easy to fall asleep in that position and that just adds
more guilt on top of what we already feel. Try sitting in a chair, or on the side of the bed. If you are able, kneel beside
your bed. But make up your mind to tell Him everything that is on your mind. Include your thanksgiving for your physical ability
to work, and for those precious little souls that are with you each night. Include your concerns for them, and for your physical
strength and wisdom in caring for them. But talk to Him about your needs, as well. He knows your heart anyway, but He wants
you to recognize your weaknesses, and your needs, and to realize your need for Him. Tell Him how weary you feel, and how you
need Him with you to strengthen you, to help you carve out the time necessary to be with Him, and to renew yourself each day
- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When we are at the end of our tether, we cannot make it without leaning on God.
Believe me, He understands what your days and nights are like, and He will help you.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.
Psalms
62:7.
Last, but not least, when I’ve been stretched beyond what I thought I could
bear – I’ve learned that it is possible to pray any time that I can put my mind into it. I feel that I need to
make a time specifically for the purpose of prayer. However I’ve discovered that I can talk to God often during the
day, while I’m walking in my yard, or anywhere when I’m alone – whether I am driving, exercising, waiting
in the doctors office and even while I’m cooking. Granted, it may not be quite so easy when we have small children around
us. My point is that many of us tend to feel like we must wait until we can find an uninterrupted time to offer a more formal
prayer. The wonderful thing about prayer is that we can tell Him anything and everything, without saying it out loud. He hears
what is inside our hearts. Open yours to Him when there is any quiet moment during your day. When
you think of God, talk to Him even if it is only for a moment to thank Him for something that you have just seen, like a butterfly
or a bird, or a beautiful flower. It is essential to take advantage of every opportunity to spend moments with Him –
keeping in mind that the day is coming when all work here on earth will cease.
Therefore be careful how you walk
not as unwise men, but as wise,
making the most of your time
because
the days are evil
Ephesians 5:15-16
If you do this often during the day
you will build a habit and I think you will find that you haven’t put Him on the back burner at all. Your duties to
your family may leave little time for yourself, but God realizes that your responsibilities are great. Like many others in
similar circumstances, you just haven’t thought about talking to Him for short moments when you can. When you utilize
even the smallest of opportunities to talk with Him, you will feel closer to Him, too.
The Older Widow
and Her
Task
By Joanne
Beckley
When your grief becomes muted
and the edge has softened – which it will – you then begin to realize that there is no other time in your life
that is so unique. A new beginning. You are set free to serve God in a wholehearted and undistracted way. No longer restrained
by the many duties and responsibilities that go along with married life, you are able to say, “yes” to God in
an energetic way. You are free to throw yourself without constraint into the things of God – to know Him as you have
never known Him before, to love Him and serve Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength – 100 percent. In 1 Corinthians
7:32-35, the apostle Paul gives this goal in one phrase: “that you may serve the Lord without distraction.” In
the context of this verse, Paul is not saying marriage is wrong, but that being single certainly gives one a spiritual advantage.
Without distraction - The Greek word in this
verse for “distraction” is aperispastos, (ap-er-is-pas-toce') and according to Strong’s definition it
means, “free from (domestic) solicitude:--without distraction.” It is a servant’s term, and it describes
the kind of servant who is so focused on his master that just the slightest eye movement or gesture of need will send that
servant into action. It is attention that is given constantly. (Cavanaugh, God’s Call to the Single Adult, p.82) Read
the account of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). These two women are excellent examples of what we should and shouldn’t
be focusing upon. Martha was not focused. She allowed her cares to divide her attention from her devotion to Jesus. Mary’s example is exactly the way God wants you to respond to Him. He wants
you to be so attentive to Him that just the slightest movement of His eye (becoming sensitive to the needs of the Kingdom)
He will be able to prompt you to action. Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should
go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be
harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.”“I will instruct you and teach
you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.” Yes, we live in this world with good distractions, but when these things take on
overwhelming proportions and crowd out our awareness of God’s eye in our lives, then its time to make some changes.
God wants you, his older widow, to wait upon Him, looking to Him, totally attentive, yielding completely to His will. And
you must be ready for Him, “without distraction.” This means being committed – heart and soul – to
the Lord in a way that can be seen in your attitude and service toward Him. Whatever He wants, you are ready to do it. Being alone is not a disease or a prison to be escaped at all costs. It is an opportunity
to know God intimately and to serve Him with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength. Three things come to mind that will
help you to consider your devotion to God: 1.
Give to God all that you have. Remember the widow in the temple who gave her gift to God? Take time to read Mark 12:41-44.
That widow didn’t hold back half for herself. She didn’t excuse herself, saying, “Well, money is tight this
month.” She gave herself. Mark 8:35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever
loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.” Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Remember the widow Anna? The writer Luke wrote
that it was she “who departed not from the temple, worshipping with fastings and supplications night and day”
(Luke 2:37). Her service to God included praying for all the many who needed her prayers – the many who are distracted
in this world 2. Give the Best that you have.
Devotion without distraction prompts such a generosity of heart that mankind is amazed. God is not. He knows that this kind
of love continually serves. Remember the woman who poured a very costly perfume on Jesus’ head? Jesus said she had done
a “good work for Me . . . She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial” (Mark
14:3-9). Hers was an act of self-sacrifice, in thanksgiving and love. Perhaps this amazing gift that was so expensive was
her dowry. Perhaps she had given away her right to be married. Think about the gift God is asking from you, the older widow. Asking, expecting, demanding your all. When we examine
1Timothy 5:3-10, we read of the honor God gives to widows who are “well reported for good works: if she has brought
up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she
has diligently followed every good work.” What an endorsement! What a responsibility. 3. Do what you can do. It was but a small task for the woman who poured her perfume
on Jesus’ head, even though it was the best that she had. Compared to what others were doing, it didn’t seem like
much. Her simple efforts could have discouraged her, but instead, she learned that her effort to honor Jesus turned out to
be prophetic! Likewise, your small acts of
kindness will create ripples of unknown proportions – not in a prophetic way – but your life will touch another,
and yet another with significance. Yes, you may come home every night to an empty house or apartment, miles away from your
children and close friends. You may wonder, if I died tonight, would anybody notice? Would anybody care? You may feel you
wish you could do things you cannot do. But all of these thoughts will discourage you from taking any action. They will keep
you from fulfilling what you can do. God only wants from you what you can do. Remember the parable Jesus told of the talents? Each of the three men were to do what they could do. Nothing more,
nothing less. Perhaps the one talent man compared his abilities with that of the other two men and thought his efforts would
be too pitiful. The master called him “wicked” and “lazy.” It would seem that the man used his comparison
as an excuse to be lazy. It is a struggle to grow and give 100% of yourself. Then again, that man may have been afraid to
fail. He may have been unwilling to risk failure in order to gain his master’s good will. God knows our limitations
and what you and I are capable of doing. God is only seeking ALL of what we CAN do!
Know someone who suffers from hearing loss?
This is for you.
By Cindy Granke
Have you ever wanted to learn sign language? My
husband is quite hard of hearing, and sometimes when we are in noisy places – like restaurants or noisy stores, with
lots of commotion and constant announcements coming over the loudspeakers - he often has difficulty filtering out my conversation
from all of the rest, even with his hearing aids in. We’ve talked
about the possibility of learning sign language in order to overcome those noisy situations and still be able to communicate.
At our age, I can’t imagine learning it all at one time, out of necessity. I decided that it would be easy for us to
start learning how to say one thing a day – or maybe adding a new thing every couple of days. I guess it depends on
how much we practice the phrases or words we learn, with each other. We’re definitely moving at a slow pace, but it’s
working. I told you that, to tell you this: There are a number of websites
available where you can learn basics of sign language - free. Obviously you won’t get a full course with an instructor
watching and correcting your practice. However it’s a fun way to learn some words and phrases, and practice. Most of them have alphabetical lists of words, and when you click on the word you want to
learn, a video window appears with a person demonstrating how to sign that word. This
web site is my favorites. Check it out. http://deafness.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=deafness&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aslpro.com
Another excellent resource is http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/index.htm
Just read the introduction page, and choose I am a student.
It gives you several options of what you want to try first. These are simple photographs, in sequence, to demonstrate, and
there are also directions written to explain how it is done. Keep in mind that the illustrations are going to be like you
are looking in the mirror. When I first started practicing, I ended up mirroring the person who was demonstrating. Since which
hand you use is important - and since I'm not the most coordinated person in the world - I've found that I need to
turn my chair to my right, so I can easily follow the illustrators correct hands.
This site uses video illustrations. http://www.masterstech-home.com/ASLDict.html
There are also instructions and pictures of the hands to explain
how it's done. Just scroll down to the alphabetical index and choose a letter.
Or you might prefer a simple American Sign Language Browser. http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/index.htm
Scroll down to click on the link for the browser and
just play around with it. These websites give you several options. Choose
the one which works best for you, and practice a little. You can learn at your own speed, and it's kind of fun, too.
Happy Signing.
Reminiscences For The Young-at-Heart
~
Retrieved from the archives of Cindy's memory ~
Many of us remember the Statler
Brothers singing, Do you remember these? Here are a few of my memories - just for old time’s sake. See how many you
remember. cg
The Good Humor man Hopscotch; Red light-Green light; Red Rover, and Mother, May I? Jump Rope; Double-Dutch; Jacks; Dodge Ball; Hide & Seek at dusk Catching fire flies at night, and doodle bugs on summer days The Hokey Pokey and The Bunny Hop Running through
the sprinkler, or playing in the summer rain Root-beer floats
and cherry cokes from the fountain at the corner drug store Victrola
(phonographs) and 78-RPM records Listening to radio shows -
The Lone Ranger; Big John & Sparky; Howdy Doody; Superman; Amos & Andy; Jack Benny; Our Miss Brooks and Don McNeil's
Breakfast Club And who can forget listening to The Grand Ole
Opry, on Saturday nights? Saturday Morning Matinee Serials:
Flash Gordon, and Buck Rogers Saturday afternoon movies: Hopalong
Cassidy; Lash LaRue & Gabby Hayes; Abbott & Costello; Laurel & Hardy; The Little Rascals - all for 25-cents Charms, Raisinettes, and Sugar Babies candy TV tubes, round screen TVs, and transistor radios. (It took five minutes for the TV to warm up) Do you remember the first TV show you ever saw? (Mine was “Topper,”
starring Leo G. Carroll, viewed at a neighbor’s house. cg) Fall-out
shelters; Fire Drills and Civil Defense. Edsels, Studebakers
and Nash Ramblers; Tail-fins and hood ornaments Brill Cream
commercials, & Burma-Shave signs on the side of the road Playing
Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians, and Zorro Coon-skin
caps, cap guns, cork guns, and BB guns Climbing trees, tree
houses, and tire swings - Maybe even hanging upside-down by your knees from a tree limb, like I used to do. (Did I mention
that I may have been a bit of a tom-boy? ;-) Tiny Tears,
and Betsy Wetsy dolls Lying on a blanket in the back yard,
watching for Sputnik crossing the night sky Lying in the grass,
picking out shapes in the clouds on summer days Old Maid, Crazy
Eights and Go Fish Shooting marbles and playing King of the
Hill Bobby socks, saddle oxfords, penny loafers, and pearl
buttoned sweaters Eating fruit-flavored powder that came in
paper straws Milk delivered to the door step, with a paper
stopper and the cream filling the top 3-inches of the bottle. Ice
boxes instead of refrigerators, and having to buy blocks of ice for it Wringer washing machines. The dryer was outside, strung between two trees; and needed one-piece wooden clothes-pins
Outhouses - with spiders or other creepy crawlies hanging out
in there Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels
hidden inside the box Sandwiches wrapped in wax paper.
Here's some additions from
Anita:
I remember all those things you mentioned in your growing up. I also remember: Riding to in the rumble seat of the old car, or in the back of the truck everywhere
we went - (watch out for the driver if he was a tobacco chewer). Picking
cotton Listening to the St. Louis Cardinals on the radio (Harry
Carry). Dad would ground the old battery radio by putting a long nail on a piece of wire on the back of the radio, stick the
nail in the ground and pour water around it when it was not loud enough. I remember Joan and Harry Davis. The Squeaking door
(For you youngins, “Inner Sanctum Mysteries” was a popular radio show in the 40s and 50s. Every episode began
as a door with very squeaky hinges is slooooowly opened. The organ began to play, and a spooky voice welcomed you into the
Inner Sanctum. Cindy) Making ice cream in a metal bucket, with
a tablespoon as the paddle, packing ice around the bucket, and turning it back and forward until it froze. Putting milk in a bucket or jar, removing the rope from the well bucket, tying
it to the milk bucket and then lowering it in the well to keep it cool. Putting ice in a wash tub (our bath tub), and taking turns keeping it moved from shade to shade. Keeping it wrapped
well to slow the melting process. (This was a treat and only came our way once in a while). Our first refrigerator was a GE,
with two ice trays. A family of 7 never had a glass filled with ice. Our closet was a nail on back of the doors. Heating
bathwater in the sun. Killing hogs and making cracklins. Making lye soap. Canning
all we ate. Picking blackberries then picking chiggers off.
(Ouch! I forgot about chiggers… Cindy) Corncob jail.
(The game is to throw corncobs at the other kids. When someone gets hit, they go to "jail" - a stable usually. The
game goes until all but one is left) Riding to worship services
with my brother driving (in the days of no license); with Mom holding the flashlight so he could see where to go;
Grandma
telling him to “slow down;” and him finally telling her, “Grandma, you have your foot on mine.” (There
were 7 in the cab. These are only a few of the times in my earlier
years, thanks for reminding me of the good old times.
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