MY STORY

THE FIRST THING I REALLY REMEMBER AS A CHILD THAT PERTAINS TO ME HAPPENED WHEN I WAS TWO. I ONCE ASK MOM HOW OLD I WAS WHEN I GOT A NEW COAT. SHE COULDN'T BELEIVE I COULD REMEMBER UNTIL I DESCRIBED THE TAN COAT TRIMMED WITH BROWN ON COLLAR AND CUFFS AND THAT I STOOD ON THE TABLE TO TRY IT ON. NOW AFTER THAT MY MIND PLAYED TRICKS ON ME AND I'M NOT SO CLEAR ON OTHER THINGS LIKE JACK COMING TO OUR HOUSE WHEN I WAS ABOUT TWO. MY OTHER THOUGHTS ARE GOING TO CHURCH AT A YOUNG AGE
AND PLAYING WITH MY OLDER SISTERS AND PROBABLY JAMES "BAKER." MY FIRST DOLL WAS A SMALL BABY DOLL DRESSED IN PINK I THINK. LIFE WAS GOOD AND I HAD NO REAL CARES OF THE WORLD.

I STARTED SCHOOL IN THE TWO ROOM SCHOOL FOR GRADES ONE THRU EIGHT. THERE WAS A COUPLE OF ROOMS FOR THE MAN AND HIS FAMILY WHO TAUGHT IN THE "BIG ROOM"TO LIVE IN. HE ALSO KEPT THE SCHOOL CLEANED AND FIRES STARTED EARLY IN THE SCHOOL ROOMS BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED EACH DAY OF THE WINTER MONTHS. THERE WAS TWO PATHS AND TWO OUT HOUSES ONE FOR BOYS AND ONE FOR GIRLS. AFTER WE GOT OUT SIDE ONE PATH SEPERATED OUT FROM THE SCHOOL A LITTLE WAYS MAKING IT EASY TO CHOOSE IF YOU WERE BOY ARE GIRL AND WHICH WAY TO GO. ONE THING THAT STAYS IN MY MEMORY WAS WHEN A GIRL BROUGHT A PURSE TO SCHOOL AND ANOTHER GIRL THREW IT INTO THE TOILET HOLE. A VERY BRAVE LAURA WAS ABLE TO CAREFULLY SQUEESE DOWN THRU THE HOLE AND RETREIVE THE PURSE BUT SHE WAS SENT HOME TO CHANGE CLOTHS. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE CAME BACK TO SCHOOL THAT DAY ARE NOT. I'M SURE SHE NEEDED A BATH IN THE OLD TIN TUB AND WATER WOULD HAVE BEEN HEATED ON THE HOME COOK STOVE. THAT COULD TAKE SOME TIME. IF I REMEMBER WE WERE IN THE FOURTH GRADE THAT YEAR. OF COURSE THE THROWER WASN'T TREATED TO WELL FOR SOME TIME IF EVER AGAIN.

THE SCHOOL HAD A SCHOOL BELL AND WAS RUNG IN THE A.M. AND AT RECESSES AND NOON. THE PULL ROPE WAS IN THE HALL BY THE BIG ROOM WHERE COATS WERE HUNG AND WINTER BOOTS LEFT AS THE OLDER CHILDREN FILED INTO SCHOOL. THAT WAS OFTEN A TEMPTATION FOR THE TALLER BOYS TO REACH UP AND GIVE THE ROPE AN EXTRA PULL. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN OFTEN HOWEVER. THE WORD GOT OUT THERE WOULD BE SEVERE PUNISHMENT FOR DOING THAT.

I'M DEVIATING FROM MY STORY TO SAY THANKS TO DENISSE AND JANA FOR GIVING THE SWELL HEAD I GOT FROM THEIR PRAISE ABOUT ME E MAILING AND DENISSE THINKING I COULD BLOG. SO AFTER MY PUFFED HEAD CAME DOWN TO EARTH AGAIN I DECIEDED TO INVITE DENISSE TO COME HELP ME. I WAS WATCHING CONFERENCE WHEN THEY GOT HERE AND BREILLE CAME OVER AND POINTED AT THE TV AND SAID "WHAT'S THAT PROGRAM GRANDMA?" I EXPLAINED AS BEST I COULD IT WAS OUR CONFERENCE AND SHE SEEMED OK WITH THAT AND WENT ABOUT HER BUSINESS OF PLAY. AFTER SAT. CONFERENCE DENISSE UNDER TOOK THE TEACHING SO HERE I AM TRYING TO PUT DOWN THINGS ABOUT MY LIFE THAT COMES TO ME THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO MY POSTERITY. I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH AND AM HAPPY OUR GRAND CHILDREN HAVE CHOSEN CORRECT PRINCIPLES TO LIVE BY.