ON RAINY DAYS, MY WET FOOTPRINTS REMIND ME OF THE SAME FOOTSTEPS I SAW IN THE BASEMENT WHERE MY MOM WAS DOING THE WASH. THE DAY BEFORE JOE AND I WERE MARRIED SHE WENT TO THE WOODS WHERE THE WILD APPLE BLOSSOMS GREW AND BROUGHT fl3S ARM LOADS OF BLOSSOMS FOR THE HOUSE. I NEVER THANKED HER FOR THAT UNTIL...NOW.

UNCLE ARTHUR WAS AUNT MILDRED’S HUSBAND. WAS THE SAME KIND OF OLD ROGUE THAT ELI WAS. I COULDN’I’ FEEL TOO SORRY FOR HIM WHEN I HEARD THAT HE HAD CANCER IN HIS EYE. HE DASHED OFF TO FLORIDA WITH HIS SO CALLED SECRETARY, AND AUNT MILDRED CAME TO CALIFORNIA TO BE WITH HER DAUGHTER PAT.

ONCE WHEN BROWNIE WAS JUST A LITTLE BOY, HE WAS ALMOST ELECTROCUTED WHEN HE GRABBED ON TO SOME WIRES THAT HUNG IN THE BASEMENT.  MY MOTHER GRABBED HIM OFF BUT SHE ALSO COULD HAVE BEEN ELECTROCUTED.

WE ALMOST LOST BROWNIE ANOTHER TIME WHEN HE HAD THE WHOOPING COUGH. I STILL REMEMBER HOW HE GAGGED AND I ALSO HAD THE COUGH BUT NOT AS SEVERE.

READING THIS OVER NOW I REALIZE HOW TOUGH MY PARENTS HAD IT IN RAISING US. THEY DID A LOT OF THINGS FOR US AND I AM SURE THEY DID THE BEST THAT THEY COULD. WE DID A LOT OF FUN THINGS AND HAD IT BETTER THAN SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS. WE WERE THE FIRST GENERATION SO WE HAD TO MAKE OUR OWN WAY MANY TIMES.

OUR ONLY REGRETS

BOTH JOE AND I SAID OUR ONLY REGRET IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE DONE MORE FOR OUR MOTHERS.

SET ASIDE ANY GRAMMATICAL ERRORS OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS YOU MAY FIND AND JUST READ THE STORY OF A LITTLE GIRL GROWING UP KNOWING TH GREAT DRPRESSION AND THE WORLD WAR; & BEING FIRST GENERATION IN THIS COUNTRY. AS TOM BROKAW SAID WE WERE “THE GREATEST GENERATION” BUT TOUGHER FOR SOME THAN OTHERS.
SUCH IS LIFE.