SCHOOL DAYS

Here I am again after quite a long time. I have been told I should be putting more adventures of my life in writing, so here goes.  One of the things that might be of interest was when I was in the first and second grade of school. I started to school at Old Glory, Texas . This was a very small town the northwest part of Texas. We lived in the country, across the Brazos river from school.
My sister and I had to ride the school bus which my dad drove. There was not a bridge across the river where we had to cross. The bus had to ford the river each morning and each afternoon. In the morning if the river was up and we could not get across we went the long way around to Aspermont and there down the highway to Old Glory which made everyone on the bus late for school. In the afternoon when we got to the river if it was up and we could not get across in the bus, we swam across. The high school boys would put the little children on their backs and swim across with us. Two of the high school boys lived close to the river so they would go get a tractor and wagon come back load everyone on and take them on home.
Also while we lived at this place my dad taught me how to dance. There were several familes lived in the area and there was not much to do for entertainment (this was long before TV). They would have dances at different families homes. The whole family would go. My dad would let me stand on top of his feet while he danced around the room. That is how I learned to dance. Before I was eight years old I was dancing real well. Still love it but the old knees don't work so well any more. Well you see the "I can do anything gal" started at an early age.

Car Repairs are Easy

Image by Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL) via Flickr

Well I have told you how I have always been so bad about getting things done. My car needed some work. I was married to husband #1 and he was a very top notch mechanic. I ask several times as it was over heating for him to fix it. As I am sure most of you know, a mechanic's car , a plumber's pipes, a carpenter house, are the last to get any thing taken care of. After months I decided to take care of the problem."Miss I Can Do Anything" took a different approach to this. I got in the car and drove until the car would not go any more. in other words I burned up the motor. Back then there were no cell phones to call for help. But pretty soon a farmer came by and I went back to town to the garage where my husband worked. Then I told him where the car was. I proceeded to get his car and go home. Husband #1 then had to put a new motor in my car when if he had fixed it to began with it may have only needed minor repair.

Several years later with husband #2 my car needed new spark plugs and wires. I knew if I was to get this done I was the one to do it. So off to the parts store I went one Saturday morning. Purchased what I needed and back home to get to work. One spark plug and wire at a time so I would know just where the wire went. I did the job myself. When my husband finally got out of bed he said was going to go get parts. With a smile on my face I told him it was fixed.

NEVER GIVE UP

More first time experiences for "Miss I can do Anything".

I had now lived in the big city for one year. Always in a furnished apartment. Finally we found a house, so I had to go back to far west Texas for my furniture. This was over 400 miles away. Since my parents lived there still, my sister said she would go with me. We loaded up my 5 children and her 2 kiddos. I had a station wagon at this time, thank goodness. And this was before the child seat and seat belt laws. Thus all 7 kids and 2 adults could fit in a station wagon.



When we arrived we then went to U-Haul for a trailer. The only one they had was a long 6' x 12' flat bed with side rails about 1 1/2 feet high. My sister and I was able to get everything loaded and tied down with our dad's help. I had never pulled a trailer before and a 400+ mile trip back to the big city was ahead of me. My mom and dad were going to see my grandparents which was about the halfway point in the trip. My dad said they could travel that far with us as he was worried about me pulling that long trailer. (Makes me think of the movie The Long, Long Trailer.)

Seven children in one car is enough trouble without adding to it. We went to Grandma's with out to much trouble. There we spent the night and then next morning I had problems. I could not back the trailer out of the back driveway. "Miss I can do Anything" failed this time. My dad came to the rescue, thankfully. So away we went no problem as long as I didn't have to back up. Finally we made it home without much problem. (If you call 7 kiddo's in the back seat not much of a problem.)



I said "never again would I pull a trailer any where". But 20 years later I had a service station that had U-Haul equipment so I had to move a lot of trailers around. "Miss I can do Anything" learned to back up a trailer and park them correctly. I knew I could if I just kept trying. One should never give up.

Plane Crash

Image via Wikipedia

In 1958 I worked for a crop dusting firm. This is where I learned to use a Spanish typewriter (quite different). Across the hall from my office was a farm office and the two girls working there and myself took turns going on trips when one of the private plane had to make a trip. It was my turn. They had to take two pilots on the other side of the Guadalupe Mountains to pick up two crop dusters from a cotton gin. We went in a four place Cessna plane. As we were landing at the gin, which was at the base of the mountain) we ground looped. Sometimes if you go into a wind tunnel when landing in a small plane (as we were in) it flips the plane. We lost one wing, the windshield popped ou and when the pilot opened his door it fell off. I could not get my door open nor could I get the seat belt off. One of the pilots behind me cut the belt with his pocket knife. All four of us got out without any one hurt. All of us were pretty scared because we had enough aviation fuel for the two planes we were picking up. It was in the luggage compartment. Not knowing if it might explode we

Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

needed to get away from the area. The real fun part was I had to go back to the office in a crop duster plane. The crop duster was a Stearman biplane. The front seat had been taken out as that was where the dust was put to spray the crops. The guys washed it out real good and the guy at the gin gave us an army blanket for me to sit on. Remember I was dressed for the office. In 1958 tight skirts and high heel shoes were the only option or you were not dressed to go out of the house. I had to take off the shoes because I needed to climb on to the wing in order to get in and climb over the side into the plane in my tight skirt. I sat down into the front of the plane could not see out except straight up. Back across the mountains we went, scared you bet. Finally we landed back at the main hangers. And sure enough there were plenty of people to see us get out of that plane. Remember tight skirt climbing over the side and off the wing to the ground. But we were all safe.

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ONE LONG TRIP

School was out the second week of June and it was time to go to the city.
Husband (#2) had a job and was waiting for us to arrive.
I start loading the car. The back floor was stuffed to seat level, then blankets, sheets and such. A A baby bed mattress was on top of that up til all was level with the back seat.
On top of the car was the a baby bed, ironing board and baby high chair.
The trunk was stuffed full and my mother was shoving canned foods any place she could find. Finally the car was loaded with four children (10 months, 4, 7, 10) and myself.
My oldest son was on vacation with his grandparents and joined us later.
This was way before car seats were required.
The car did not have a/c so I put a window a/c in the front passenger window.
This is a water cooler for a car.
You put water in the bottom and as you drive the air coming thru is cooled.
Instead of water I put a bag of ice which helped a lots.
Four children and I had a very long trip to make (about 9 hours).
When the ice would all melt we would stop and get more.
This was in the same car I had replaced the water pump on.
I had no trouble with it. (ha ha)
Finally we arrived in the big city.
My children had never been to a big city and I was not sure of their safety.
This was really a big adjustment for all of us.

Grease Monkey, I Don't Want To Be

Here I am again with memories.

After divorcing my first husband (his drinking just became to much) I finally remarried.

Image by kendrak via Flickr

We were in business for ourselves and lived in Billy Sol Estes country.
As so many people did at that time we had to close up shop and go else where.
Husband #2 went to the city for work while I stayed at home waiting for school to be out for the kids.
Then my car broke down .
I found out it was the water pump so I call a good friend who was a mechanic.
I asked him to go get me a water pump (he could get it at a discount).
One morning I started, pulled the fan and then the water pump.
Then I put the new one on and replaced the fan .
Next I put water in the radiator and checked for leaks.
Sure 'nuff had one so I went back and tighten all the bolts up better, surprise no leaks.
Was finished by lunch time.
My mother had lunch fixed, by the way she was watching the children for me.
If not it may have taken me several days to finish.
When husband #2 found out I had replaced the water pump he was sure the car would never work again.
It lasted a long time and we never had to replace the water pump again.

Getting Old Is No Fun

Image by bensons via Flickr

I am so thankful I have done so many things when I was young.
I can't seem to do anything now days.
I lose things that I know where I put them and then they are not there.
Five days ago, I cleaned out all seven drawers of my desk
looking for a new cell phone I had put up.
Did not find it but I found six new refillable lighters (yes I smoke).
Took one out to use, did not remove the other five.
I gave mine to a friend today so went to get another and they were no where to be found.
Emptied all seven drawers again to no avail.
Just because I am older than dirt would someone please tell I am not loosing my mind.
Love My 2 Dogs was asking if I was alright, Yes I am fine I think.
Not sick as far as I can tell.
But I so think someone is messing with my mind.
It may be that it is just gone.

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