MOVING AGAIN

I WAS IN THE EIGHTH GRADE I THINK WHEN THERE WAS TROUBLE ON THE FARM LANDS. EARL AND RAMONA TOOK OVER EVERY THING THEY COULD VERNON AND LUCRITIA FOUND SOME OTHER LAND TO FARM AND DAD WAS ODD MAN OUT. WE MOVED BACK INTO THE OLD HOUSE BY SLACKS AS IT WAS EMPTY AND WE HAD NO PLACE TO GO. I THINK DAD EITHER WAS IN THE HOSP. THAT DR. ELLISON HAD BUILT AND OWNED OR HAD SEEN HIM SEVERAL TIMES FOR INJURIES HE SUSTAINED OVER THE FARM THING. THE OPEN DOOR BETWEEN UNCLE JOE AND AUNT LEAH WAS SHUT AND LOCKED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. LIFE WAS REALLY NOT GOOD AND FAMILY FEELINGS REALLY DIDN'T HEAL WELL.

MOM HAD GONE TO ASSIST DR. ELLISON IN BRINGING BABIES INTO THE WORLD BEFORE THE HOSPITAL WAS BUILT AND HE ASK HER TO COME BE THE COOK. SHE DID DO THAT TO HELP PAY OFF BILLS OWED TO THE DR. SHE DECIEDED TO TAKE RUTH WITH HER AS SHE WAS A LITTLE OLDER THAN ME. RUTH LASTED ONE DAY AND HATED THE JOB. I'D ALREADY BEGGED TO BE ABLE TO BE THE ONE TO HELP SO AT 12 I WENT TO HELP. MY JOB WAS TO HANG THE LAUNDRY OUT SIDE IN THE SUN IN THE SUMMER, THEN BRING THEM IN AND THE NURSES HELPED FOLD THEM IF THEY WASN'T TOO BUSY. I RUN ERRANDS FOR MOM AND WHEN THE MEALS WAS READY I'D CARRY THEM UP THE STAIRS FROM THE KITCHEN TO THE PATIENTS ROOMS. IT KEPT ME BUSY FOR AWHILE AS MOM DIDN'T WANT THE MEALS TO BE COLD. SHE MADE LIQUID DIETS, SOFT DIETS AND REGULAR MEALS. WISH I COULD REMEMBER WHAT ONE OLD HONERY GUY WANTED EVERY MEAL AND WOULD SEND MOST OF HIS TRAY BACK SO FINALLY HIS DR. TOLD MOM TO JUST SEND THAT ONE THING THREE TIMES A DAY. IT WORKED AND AFTER A FEW DAYS HE WANTED FOOD.
OFTEN TIMES I'D GO HELP CLEAN THE SURGERY ROOM AFTER SURGERY ARE AFTER A BABY WAS DELIVERED. THERE WAS A GIRL FROM NEWDALE WHO HAD HER APPENDIX OUT AND SHE AND I VISITED AND AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS I HAD HER LAUGHING WHEN HER DR. CAME IN. HE SAID DONNA GET OUT OF HERE AND DON'T EVER MAKE HER LAUGH LIKE THAT AGAIN SHE'LL BUST HER STITCHES OUT. THAT WAS WHEN NO MATTER HOW WELL THE PT. DID IT WAS ROUTINE TO KEEP THEM TEN DAYS. WHEN SCHOOL STARTED IN THE FALL I'D RIDE IN WITH MOM AND TAKE BREAKFAST TRAYS OUT THEN HURRY TO SCHOOL. I'D GO BACK AFTER SCHOOL AND HELP. I DON'T REMEMBER HOW LONG THAT LASTED OR WHEN MOM QUITE BEING THE COOK. SOME LADIES STILL HAD BABIES AT HOME AND MOM WAS OFTEN CALLED TO HELP. SHE'D STAY THE TEN DAYS THE WOMEN HAD TO STAY IN BED THEN COME HOME. SOME TIMES WE COULD GO SEE HER AND THE NEW BABY. REBA AND JOSSINE WENT ON ONE ADVENTURE TO SEE MOM AND THEY CLIMBED ON A FENCE WHEN REBA JUMPED DOWN HER SKIRT [NO JEANS FOR GIRLS THEN] CAUGHT ON THE FENCE AND RIPPED OFF. THERE SHE WAS IN HER DRESS TOP, SHOES ,SOCKS AND UNDER PANTS. SHE WAS SO EMBARRASSED OVER THAT.
I STARTED HIGH SCHOOL WHILE LIVING BY SLACKS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SENT A BUS TO PICK UP THE KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL. SOME WAS GRADE SCHOOL AGE AFTER THE BUS CROSSED THE RIVER AS THOSE CHILDREN WENT TO TOWN FOR SCHOOL THAT LEFT JACK REBA AND JOSSINE TO GO TO THE TWO ROOM SCHOOL HOUSE. SOME TIME DURING THAT YEAR DAD TALKED WITH A COUNTY AGENT WHO FOUND A PLACE DAD COULD FARM IT WAS ACROSS THE RIVER BY THE OLD VENICE DANCE HALL. THEN TWO MORE ROOMS WAS ADDED ONTO THE HOUSE AND THE FOLKS BECAME FRIENDS WITH THE COUNTY AGENT AND THE CARPENTER AND FAMILIES. DAD WORKED HARD TRYING TO MAKE THAT ROCK PILE PAY OFF. BERT LOVELAND WAS IN THE LDS HOSP. MANY YEARS LATER AND SAID "YOUR DAD WORKED SO HARD AND IF ANY ONE COULD HAVE MADE A FARM OUT OF THAT PLACE HE WOULD HAVE BUT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH GOOD FARMING LAND."
IT IS GETTING CLOSE TO TIME FOR MY DR. APPT. SO WILL ADD MORE AGAIN SOON I HOPE.