Reminiscing

One of my friends gave me a stack of magazines to read. We trade things like that as they are perfectly good and we don't all take the same ones. I was reading one about the good old days and things that happened "Way back When,"when I realized that those were my days and it wasn't very long ago.

When I think about the changes that have taken place through the years, it was a long time ago by the standards of my grandchildren. But this is how it was......

When I was a girl:

We didn't know that we were poor, everybody had the same thing which wasn't much.

We walked where we wanted to go as we didn't always have a car and if we did, we might not have money for gas. No one drove to school, the kids in the country rode the bus.

We pulled a wagon full of sheets to the "Help Yourself Laundry" which had the old wringer style washers and brought them home to hang on the line. (My mother operated a rooming house.)

We didn't have a TV. If we did, we couldn't see a picture on, it as the nearest station was 150 miles away. We did have a radio in the living room that I thought was very old. I recently saw one in an antique store like it for $375. When I was in high school, I bought my own little radio.

We didn't have airconditioning. We sit outside in the shade of a tree, or had a fan in the house. I loved to go to the ice cream parlor and sit where the ceiling fan would blow on me. Before I left home my family had a water cooler.

Fast food was a bologna or peanut butter sandwich. We never ate out as that was a luxury. Even when we went to Woodward, mom packed a lunch that we ate in the park. We thought that was a real treat.

We had one phone that worked by calling the operator and we kids weren't allowed to use it unless it was an emergency.

Kids were expected to get a job to buy the extra things they wanted. We thought it a priviledge to earn our own money. I thought I was rich when I started earning $15 a week. I bought all of my school clothes and supplies, and even took a trip with some realtives that summer when I was 17.

When I was a girl:

My parents were always right....I was not to sass or question their authority.

With 5 children in the family, we each had chores and responsibilities and we "better take care of business" before playing around.

I never went very far from home until I was 17. I had not even been 50 miles from home until I was about 11 years old. Today my grandchildren go on cruises, mission trips in foreign lands and fly from one end of the country to the other and think nothing about it.

On the other hand.....When I was a girl........

We could freely roam the streets in our little town, day and night and not worry about any danger.

Play up and down the river from morning until we got hungry and went home. There were always a group and our mothers knew we took care of each other.

Start walking to a friends house that lived 3 miles out in the country and know that someone would give us a ride and we would know them.

Walk around holding hands and giggling with our best friend and not think it strange.

And last of all, When I was a girl:

N0 ONE HAD A TATOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reunions

Summer is the time for Family Reunions. My family, on my fathers side, gets together every two years and share a day together. This year is the first year that I was of the older generation. There are no longer any aunts and uncles, just cousins and more cousins. When do we cease being cousins? Are we still related if we are 6 times removed from the founding grandparents? You bet we are!!! We are family.

Yesterday, I met with my many cousins in a little community that my grandparents homesteaded in. The church we meet in is actually on the land that Grandad settled in 1901. One hundred and ten years brought back a lot of people to honor this special couple. The old homestead is much different now, it is overgrown with trees and this Spring, a wildfire sweeping through the country burned the big Dutch barn that had stood for almost 100 years. True, the old barn was not much too look at but it was packed full of memories. the loft was a haven for 22 grandchildren to play in through the years. When the weather was cold and snow was on the ground, we spent our time there swinging on the rope in the rafters and hiding ourselves in the hay bundles that granddad had stored in the big loft. The old two story house still stands as does the large chicken house and grainerys.

Yesterday, we reminesced over all of the good times and caught up on the news of today. I missed those that could not come. The meal was catered by a local family that fed us too much and we enjoyed the tales and songs of cowboy poet, J.W. Beeson. He kept up laughing and almost crying with his talents. It was a good time.

As the Rancher and I headed for home later in the evening, we stopped in a nearby community to get a cold drink for the road home. This is the same town I lived in as a child. By chance, there were two men inside who were also having a drink for the road. These were former classmates who I have not visited with in many, many years. It was by accident they were there as one of them was traveling through town, but the other one lived there. It just goes to show that even though many years have gone by and we are now older, or shall I say, just plain OLD, we still recognized each other after all these years. It was a good day for me.

It is Raining

What more can I say, but Thank you Lord for answering our prayers.

My Home Town Part three

It is time again to brag about the little town that I call home. As I look back through the years, this community has served the people who lived here. It has changed a lot through the years. It went from a sleepy little town that served the farmers in this area to "Boom Town" in the 1950's and '60's. The MKT railroad built it's track through NW Oklahoma in the early 1900's and the train was kept busy hauling loads of grain, broom corn, Silica, Cattle and freight up and down the line.

The Rancher's dad tells about riding to Kansas City on the train with a load of cattle. Today, the trucks come to the ranch and haul them over the miles of highway to whatever destination is requested. There came a time, after the big trucks came about that the spur of the MKT that came through our area was no longer needed. It was the end of an era. I still enjoy watching the trains going down the tracks on the Santa Fe Line to the South of us. I recently enjoyed a trip on the Silver Flyer from Ok City to Fort Worth. The local train depot is used as a headquarters for a drilling mud company and a car wash across the street is proudly named "Katy Kar Wash".

In the 1950's, the oil and natural gas field was discovered and brought many changes to town. Trucking companies moved in as well as roust about companies. Refineries were built in the area and pipelines were laid across the land. A lot of new faces came in with these changes. More businesses were built, houses had to be built and the school outgrew itself. It was time for new school buildings. We were so proud to move into a new High School during my sophomore year. We still had to use the old building for the overflow of the grade school but a time would come when it too would be replaced. A hospital was built and a golf course. Our town was growing up. We were proud. Sadly, progress does not last forever. The town that we once thought was on it's way to becoming a City started to slowly dwindle out. The Oil had played out or it was not practical at that time to explore different zones.

Not everyone moved on. The natives stayed and many of those that moved in liked our little community and stayed on too. We have faced slow times but have survived. Our little town is still a place full of friendly people. I enjoy the businesses that we have. Many have closed in recent years but those that are here still serve us well. I would not want to drive 55 miles to buy groceries so I am especially thankful for the grocery store that has weekly specials and the druggist knows my name. There are convenience stores, a Farmers co-op, cafes, motel, library, hair styliest, post office, machine shops, lumber yard, glass and radiator shop, auto repair, flower and gift shops, a weekly paper, realator, tag office, insurance offices, bank, wonderful churches and schools, health clinic, dentist, phone companies, oil field supply and many more that I am sure I have forgetten.

There is also an office for Murphey Brown Inc. which is headquarters for the hog farms in the area. So as we have lost many businesses, and the population has dwindled over the years, the town remains the same. Things just change in time. I feel safe in saying this though, " The People Who Live Here" never do. This is our home and we are proud.

I am Lazy

I haven't been worth a hoot this week. I had a great long week-end camping with my family and I haven't got my energy back. What has happened to me, the gal that would get going early every morning and do yard work, clean house, work in the garden and cook dinner for a harvest crew in the summer?. Where has that person gone? I know that I am not that old so that can't be the reason. I guess that I am just lazy, or maybe I have changed my priorities.

For all of my life, I have been a hop out of bed at 5 a.m. person. I would read my devotion, get a big breakfast for the family and then hit the ground running. This year, I have decided that sleeping until 7 a.m. is okay and sometimes it is okay to sleep later. The Rancher is okay with this too. He sleeps later, gets up makes the coffee and reads or goes outside, depending on the season. We eat oatmeal and toast. We have a devotion together, We visit for awhile and then see what needs to be done.

No garden this year. We plan to travel and camp when we can. This is the Ranchers idea. No rain..so not much yard work and lots of watering in the shelter belt to keep the trees alive. The buffalo grass in the yard is hearty so it will survive on little watering.

No one to cook for but me and the Rancher and Son sometimes. We eat a lot different than we used to. More vegetables and very few desserts. I should make the Rancher a pie but he would eat one piece and would be satisfied. I would be tempted to eat the rest if I don't put it in the freezer. Can you believe that I have thrown out pie that we let get old??? I never thought that would happen at this house.

I could sew but, I can't get into that room. Things from my mothers house haunt me each time I go in there and I still don't know what to do with it. Why did I want my grandmothers old dresser? I always wanted it but where can I put it. My house is full of my own junk.

So now you must know, not only am I lazy but I guess I am a hoarder too. I need a good swift kick in the posterier to get me going. Anyone want a job?