another day another time

I'M NOT SURE WHAT I'LL WRITE TODAY BUT THOUGHT I SHOULD DO SOME THING MORE THAN GOOF OFF. THANKS PENNY FOR YOUR NOTE YESTERDAY TO GIVE ME ENCOURAGEMENT TO CONTINUE MY SAGA OF LIFE.

WHEN MOST OF THE YOUNG MEN WAS ALREADY GONE DOROTHY STARTED DATING HOWARD CLARK. HE KNEW WE ALL LIKED TO DANCE AND HE WAS A GOOD DANCER ALSO. THEY STILL HELD DANCES AT WARM RIVER DANCE HALL. HOWARD WOULD PICK DOROTHY UP AND THEN ME AND VIRGINIA AND JEANE. VIRGINIA USUALLY HELD JEAN ON HER LAP AND SINCE THE CAR WAS A COUPE THERE WAS ROOM IN THE BACK WINDOW WHERE SINCE I WAS THE SHORTEST ALWAYS GOT TO RIDE. WHEN I THINK OF HIM DOING THAT I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE HE ENJOYED ALL THAT ATTENTION OR WHAT EVER. HE'D DANCE WITH EACH OF US AT LEAST ONCE AND THERE WOULD BE OTHER GUYS FROM THE FARMS THAT HADN'T YET BEEN DRAFTED OR VOLUNTERED FOR THE MILATARY. WASN'T LONG TILL GAS WAS RATIONED AND ONLY FARMERS WITH TRACTORS GOT A LARGER ALLOTMENT OF GASOLINE. SOON IT BECAME UNPROFITABLE FOR HARRY LEWIES TO HOLD DANCES WAY UP AT WARM RIVER.

OTHER THINGS ALSO BECAME RATIONED AND PEOPLE DIDN'T COMPLAIN TOO MUCH AS THEY WAS HELPING IN THE WAR EFFORT. MEAT SUGAR AND DAIRY PRODUCTS WAS ON THE LIST IF I REMEMBER RIGHT. EVERY FAMILY MEMBER WAS ISSUED A BOOK OF COUPONS DESIGNATING HOW MUCH EACH COULD GET OF EACH THING. I THINK THEY CAME VIA U.S. MAIL ONCE A MONTH. THOSE WITH LARGE FAMILY'S MADE OUT QUITE WELL. ANY ONE THAT FARMED HAD THEIR OWN MEAT AND DAIRY PRODUCTS AND COULD EVEN MAKE THEIR OWN BUTTER IF THEY FELT THE NEED. RUBBER WAS IN HIGH DEMAND SO EVERY ONE WITH CARS AND TRACTORS HAD TO KNOW HOW TO REPAIR THEIR TIRES.

HOWARD EVENTUALLY WENT INTO SERVICE SINCE HE WAS HEALTHY AND I THINK A LITTLE BIT EMBARRASED TO NOT BE WITH ALL THE OTHER FELLOWS IN THE WAR EFFORT. MANY PEOPLE LEFT THE AREA FOR WASHINGTON, UTAH AND ESPECIALLY CALIFORNIA FOR JOBS IN THE SHIP YARDS AND AIRPLANE FACTORY'S.

AFTER THE CUT BACK AT THE RADIO TUBE PLANT I WENT TO WORK AT CLEARFIELD NAVAL SUPPLY DEPOT. I WOULD HELP WITH FINDING SUPPLIES NEEEDED TO BE MOVED FROM ONE WAREHOUSE BUILDING TO ANOTHER CLOSE TO RAILROAD TRACKS. ONE DAY I WAS ASSIGNED TO GO TO BUILDING 'F SIX' I TOLD MY SUPERVISOR I DIDN'T LIKE TO GO THERE AND HE WANTED TO KNOW WHY. I SAID "I DON'T LIKE THE AWFUL FEELING FERGIE GIVES ME ". CARL LAUGHED SO HARD THEN SAID" YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FERGIE IT'S THE MEN". I WENT AND WASN'T THEN SURE WHAT WAS MEANT. THAT IS HOW SHELTERED I GUESS I WAS.



ONE GUY I WORKED WITH WOULD SIT DOWN OPEN HIS LUNCH BOX AND TAKE OUT HIS DESSERT FIRST AND EAT IT. ONE DAY I GOT BRAVE AND ASK WHY HE ALWAYS EAT HIS DESERT FIRST SO HE TOLD ME ABOUT AS A SMALL CHILD GOING TO SCHOOL AND AN OLDER OR AT LEAST BIGGER BOY WOULD GRAB HIS DESERT AND EAT IT. AFTER GOING HOME CRYING HIS MOTHER TOLD HIM TO EAT HIS DESERT FIRST AND HE WOULD ALWAYS HAVE IT. THE HABIT REMAINED WITH HIM .

I MET A NICE CATHOLIC SAILOR WHO WANTED TO COME TO SALT LAKE AND GO TO THE CHURCH THERE. HE ASK ME IF I KNEW HOW TO GET TO IT. WHEN I TOLD HIM I PASSED IT EVERY DAY GOING TO WORK OR TOWN HE WANTED TO KNOW IF I'D GO TO CHURCH WITH HIM ON SUNDAY. HE CAME EARLY THAT DAY WE WENT AND IT WAS EASTER RAINING HEAVY AND NO UMBRELLA. WE GOT THERE RIGHT AFTER THE FIRST MASS ENDED AND SO HE DID HIS "HAIL MARY'S" THEN OFFERED HIS PRAYERS. HE TOLD ME WHERE I COULD SIT WHILE HE WAS DOING HIS THING. HE TOOK ME HOME AND WE HAD A LUNCH OF WHAT EVER AND HE WENT TO CATCH THE BUS BACK TO CLEARFIELD. I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING HIM AFTER THAT MY GUESS IS HE WAS SHIPPED OUT FOR THE WAR THING.