snippets of my childhood and beyond~

Before I post "the snippet" I'd like to explain what I'm doing.  I'm in the process of writing down things that have happened in my life ~ possibly turning it into a little book.  A book that someday, my children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy in remembrance of me.   My Dad did this before he passed away.  He wrote a journal of some facts and history of his childhood.  After his passing my sister Darla had them published into a book that she gave each of us siblings a copy of for a Christmas present.  It's one of my most cherished possessions.  I can read it over and over ... it just holds such fond memories of my Daddy.  The way he wrote is like hearing him tell the stories out loud all over again.  Thank you Dar for doing this :)

My posting on the subject (me) will be of no chronological order ~
I'm from a family of 10 kids.  Actually there were 9 of us growing up ~ we had lost a baby brother when he was an infant.  We had wonderful parents who cherished us as we did them. I've been blessed.

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This particular snippet is under the Chapter PARENTS GRANDPARENTS ... (during the early '60's)

. . . I always felt that Mom was the main disciplinary in the household;  as she was the one that was usually first-hand party to whatever was going on. If she sent you to Dad to have a talk; then you were really in trouble.  Talk is what they did best. 

Once in awhile, when we were younger, I remember getting a little swat on the behind, as an attention getter only.   Mom always use to say that she would tell us something once.  The second time that she told us something it was because, just possibly, we didn't hear her the first time.  The third time she gave us a swat to make sure that she had our attention; or a little pinch on the ear or back of the arm.  That must be why I have big ears; too many pinches. 

Another one of Mom's little disciplinary tricks was what she called the snorting pole.  The snorting pole was nothing more than a thin stick that she would lay between two chairs.  The two siblings that were squabbling would have to sit in the chairs facing each other ... a snorting pole apart... and would have to stay on the chairs without talking.  We could talk if it was in a nice manner.  If it wasn't in a nice manner ... the snorting pole would get a piece of it broken off.  This would make us have to move our chairs closer to each other.  Well... when you are a kid and you are arguing with a brother or sister; the last thing you want to do is to be forced to sit closer to them.  We learned real fast to get along or we would be forced to be closer yet to the offender.  Usually these snorting pole incidents ended up into staring contest and laughing contest and forgetting what the original squabble was about.

I only remember getting the belt from Mom once.  Colleen and I were upstairs having an argument about something.  We were around nine and ten years old.  I think it was the time I cut her dolls hair off (not sure on that) but it turned into a nasty fight among siblings.

There was a thin leather belt laying on the bed and Colleen picked it up and began hitting me with it.  She wouldn't quit.  She was walloping me up one side and down the other.  All the time I was trying my darnest to get it away from her and at the same time hollering at the top of my lungs, "Ma! Ma! She's hitting me!"

Mom heard the ruckus and came barreling up those stairs like an old ma bear ready to protect her cub.  Just at the same moment, before she came around the corner into the room where we were, I finally snagged the belt away from Colleen.  I was just ready to make a swing at her and Mom grabbed my arm mid-air and in mid-swing. I never did get a swing in at Colleen.

She said, "You want to see what it feels like to get a whipping from a belt?"  Lord no! She spun me around, had me laying over her knee in one sweep and gave me a whooping like I never had before. 

All the while I'm getting my behind adjustment, Colleen is standing in the corner with this BIG grin on her face.  Then she took off down the stairs and out of the house. I found her hiding behind the barn.  We didn't get into a fist fight or anything; but she was afraid to be alone in a room with me for some time after that. 

I don't think Mom had the whole story on this until years later when we were adults sitting around the kitchen table one day; talking about some of the high jinxs we kids got into.  She just laughed about it and said, "I think you must have caught me on a bad day."  You think.

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Mom really is a  mild tempered person ~ and this incident was one of the rare, very rare incidents of me seeing her angry.  I forgave her :) ... now Colleen ... that took a little while before I let her think that she was off the hook. Kids will be kids and I'm sure I must have done something to ensue such a reaction from Colleen ~ because we hardly ever got into an argument like that one.
 
I'll be posting more snippets of my childhood and beyond as I go along.  (maybe)  They probably won't be of much interest to you.  We'll see how it goes.


Until next time ...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel