LIFE IN TWIN GROVES

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REMAINS IN MY MIND WAS MOM STAYING UP BY THE LIGHT OF THE COAL OIL LAMP TO MEND OUR CLOTHES FOR SUNDAY MORNING. DARLEEN AND ALBERTA WITH THE HELP OF THE YOUNGER ONES WASHED AND CLEANED ON SAT.S THE CLOTHS WOULD HANG OUT SIDE ON THE CLOTHS LINE AND COME IN STIFF AS A BOARD AND DECORATE THE HOUSE SO THEY COULD DRY. AS WE GOT OLD ENOUGH THE CLOTHES WOULD BE IRONED BEFORE THEY TOTALLY DRIED ALL OF US TAKING TURNS WITH THE STOVE IRON. THAT TOOK WRINKLES OUT AND HELPED DRY THEM. TOWELS SHEETS AND WASH CLOTHS ,UNDERWEAR AND SOX ANYTHING THAT DIDN'T GET IRONED HUNG TILL DRY AND THEN WAS FOLDED AND PUT IN THE FEW DRAWERS WE HAD. MOM WORKED MANY SATURDAYS AT THE SEED HOUSE. I ALWAYS LIKED TO WATCH HER MEND AS HER STITCHES WERE SO SMALL AND EVEN. BAKER DIDN'T EVER MIND WEARING PATCHES ON HIS KNEES SINCE THEY WOULD BE NEATER THAN OTHER BOYS.
IN THE SUMMER AFTER THE CROPS AND GARDEN WAS IN AND DAD COULD GET AWAY WE WOULD LOAD UP ON THE WAGON AND GO TO ISLAND PARK AREA FOR OUR WINTER WOOD. IT TOOK SEVERAL TRIPS TO HAVE ENOUGH TO HEAT AND COOK THROUGH TILL THE NEXT YEAR. MOM LOVED ISLAND PARK IT WAS A REMINDER OF THE FOREST IN TEXAS. SHE ESPECIALLY LOVED TO GO TO CAVE FALLS SO THAT WOULD BE A PICNIC DAY THEN THE FIRE WOOD LOADED AND WE'D RIDE ON TOP OF THE LOGS TO GO HOME.
I WAS ABOUT TEN WHEN UNCLE VAN AUNT DELIA AND THERE FIVE YOUNGEST CHILDREN CAME TO GO TO THE SALT LAKE TEMPLE. THEY CAME FOR A VISIT AND I GOT TO GO TO YELLOWSTONE PARK WITH THEM HOW WE PACKED IN I'M NOT SURE BUT THAT WAS A FUN TRIP. I WAS AND STILL AM ENTHRALLED WITH OLD FAITHFUL. WE SAW BEARS COME DOWN AND SOME PEOPLE FED THEM FROM THEIR CARS. MOMS UNCLE CAL AND AUNT SADIE WILLIAMSON CAME WITH THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS ALSO. THAT HELPED TAKE SOME EXTRAS AND I GUESS NOW I WAS VERY LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO GO. ANOTHER PLACE THAT WAS A FAVORITE OF MOMS WAS THE SANDHILLS SO WE ALWAYS TOOK VISITORS THERE. WE'D GO LATE ENOUGH THE SAND HAD COOLED SOME AND WE ROLLED AND CLIMBED TO ROLL DOWN AGAIN AND AGAIN. THEN A FIRE WAS STARTED AND A PICNIC EATEN BY THE BON FIRE. AFTER IT DIED DOWN AND WAS COVERED IN SAND WE'D HEAD HOME FOR SLEEP.
ONE SUMMER AUNT BERNICE CAME WITH LOUISE AND ANNIE STEVENSON CAME WITH THEM. SHE TOOK OVER THE PIANO AS SHE WANTED TO LEARN TO PLAY. DARLEEN HELPED HER ALL SHE COULD. ONE SUNDAY LOUISE AND I WENT TO PLAY WITH BETTY HILL AFTER CHURCH. BETTY'S BROTHER RICHARD HAD A THING FOR ANNIE ALTHOUGH SHE WAS A BIT TALLER THAN HE. SOME ONE HAD ASK HER IF SHE WOULD GO WITH HIM AND SHE SAID "NO I COULD EAT CAKE OFF HIS HEAD '. WELL HE KEPT ASKING LOUISE AND I ABOUT HER AND WANTED TO KNOW IF SHE WOULD DATE HIM SO I WITH MY BIG MOUTH TOLD HIM "NO SHE SAID SHE COULD EAT SOUP OF YOUR HEAD." THE NEXT MORNING AFTER HE'D CONFRONTED ANNIE AT CHURCH THAT SUN. EVE. HERE CAME ALBERTA AND ANNIE ON TWO OF DADS HORSES TO BRING US HOME BEFORE PRIMARY FOR ME TO GET MY PUNISHMENT. I DON'T REMEMBER IT WAS MUCH MORE THAN A TONGUE LASHING FROM MOM AS AUNT BERNICE AND ANNIE WAS LAUGHING SO HARD. I DON'T THINK MY PUNISHMENT WAS WHAT WAS INTENDED IT TO BE OTHER THAN WE DIDN'T GET STAY AND PLAY WITH BETTY TILL PRIMARY TIME.
CHURCH WAS A BIG PART OF OUR LIVES. MOM BEING A CONVERT AND HAD SUCH A DEEP ABIDING TESTIMONY OF OUR SAVIOR AND THE GOSPEL WE DIDN'T NOT GO TO OUR MEETINGS. FROM AN EARLY AGE. PRIESTHOOD MEETINGS WERE HELD ON SUNDAY MORNINGS I THINK. THEN AT TEN WE HAD SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT SEVEN SACRAMENT MEETING WAS HELD. PRIMARY ALWAYS ON MOMDAY M.I.A. TUESDAY EVENING RELIEF SOCIETY ON WEDS. I ONLY REMEMBER ONE TEACHER IN PRIMARY AND THAT WAS WHEN I WAS IN BEEHIVE CLASSES. SHE WAS YOUNG AND MARRIED TO HAROLD HOBBS. I THOUGHT HER TO BE SO PRETTY. SHE MADE CLASSES FUN AND IN SUMMER WE'D GO OUT SIDE IN THE SHADE OF THE CHURCH FOR OUR CLASS PERIOD. ON RELIEF SOCIETY DAYS THE SISTERS OFTEN PUT A QUILT ON TO QUILT OR TIE FOR SOME ONES FAMILY SO AFTER SCHOOL WE'D GO TO THE CHURCH AND PLAY UNDER THE QUILT TILL OUR ANTICS GOT TO MUCH AND THE SISTERS WOULD THUMP US ON THE HEAD AND DRIVE US OUT FROM UNDER THE QUILT. NOW I WONDER HOW MANY FINGER'S I CAUSED TO BE STUCK WITH THOSE NEEDLES.
I HAD SISTER ALMINA RICHARDS FOR ONE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER SHE WAS A GRANDMOTHER BUT A GOOD TEACHER. SHE TOLD OF HOW DEEP THE SNOW WAS WHEN SHE AND HER HUSBAND MOVED TO TWIN GROVES. IN THE WINTER THEY DUG TUNNELS FORM THE HOUSE TO THE BARN TO FEED AND MILK THE CATTLE AND CARE FOR THEIR ANIMALS. I SUPPOSE THEY HAD TO DIG THE HAY OUT SOME HOW ALSO. WHEN I WAS AROUND TEN I HAD A MAN TEACHER WHOSE NAME HAS LEFT ME. HE TAUGHT ABOUT THE PIONEERS AND MADE IT SOUND SO GOOD I WISHED I COULD HAVE CROSSED THE PLAINS. BUT AFTER GROWING UP AND SEEING HOW FAR IT WAS AND NO HIGHWAYS NOT EVEN DIRT ROADS LIKE WE HAD FOR MANY YEARS I'VE CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT BEING A PIONEER.
THE SEVENTEENTH OF MARCH WAS ALWAYS A FAMILY THING AND IT TOOK ME A GOOD MANY YEARS TO REALIZE IT WAS FOR THE RELIEF SOCIETY BIRTHDAY NOT JUST A PARTY DAY. THE WHOLE WARD WOULD GO AND TABLES LINED UP AND DOWN THE ROOM WITH THE BENCHES FOR CHAIRS. I REMEMBER ONE YEAR SITTING ACROSS FROM WOODFIELDS AND THEY ONLY BROUGHT A SPOON ONE KNIFE AND FORK. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO EAT THE HOME MADE FOOD FROM THE WARD SISTERS JOHNNIE WOODFIELD WOULD HAND HER THE FORK AND HE USED THE KNIFE. I STILL WONDER HOW HE MADE PEAS STAY ON THAT KNIFE. I GUESS YEARS OF PRACTICE AND EXPERIENCE HE WAS GOOD AT IT.