Generations

   The new photo is of some of my family.  Great G'Pa was so very proud of his cattle.  And Great G'Ma had a lot of chickens.  They were gone before I could remember them.  When Mom was pregnant G'Ma Kate shared a lot of country folklore.  Like don't hang clothes on the line, the baby will turn. G'Ma Kate was a deeply religious woman and schooled Mom in the ways of the Lord and the Bible.  There was a lot, a lot! of guilt placed on a person back then.  The sin's of the father, if you lie you will be punished by something terrible happening, if you don't go to church you will go to hell. Consequently, I grew up with all this guilt and angst.
   Mom married at 16, and no, she wasn't preggers.  I came along when she was 19.  I'm not sure why they married so young.  But they did not grow up together as time marched on but grew apart. He was the love of her life. She, not so much for him. They divorced and remarried each other once. The divorce was really strange for me because none of my friends' parents were divorced.  Everyone seemed to feel sorry for Mom and I. Some of her married friends went by the wayside.
   We belonged to a swim club just a few blocks down the street from the neighborhood.  It was called Koboldt's, after the huge family who owned it.  I remember it cost $80 a year to join. I used to walk barefoot to the pool, and boy, did I get in trouble for that!  Your feet are going to spread and we won't be able to find shoes to fit you, Mom said.  Thanks, GG Kate! And no, that didn't happen at all.  
  Childhood was really very good for me, even with the divorce.  The younger days were the best.  Swimming every summer with all my friends was the best!  I loved it! I can't play the piano to this day after years of lessons because I would not practice.  Had to get to the pool and swim. The piano was right next to the beauty shop that Mom had in the house.  They would all get sick of listening to me TRY to play, and were seemingly extremely relieved when I stopped.
  Wouldn't trade growing up like that for anything.  Life was simple, and good, and fun.