We couldn't get a cuss word past Aunt Katie
When I see all of the water standing along the roads during this rainy season
it always takes me back to the wonderful lazy days of summer in Reliance and
wading barefoot in the road ditches. Then, if it was a good
day, finding a pop bottle that we could take to Hank and Eldalaine Sattler's
store for a nickel or was it two or three cents? Sometimes my mind wanders
off. Must have been the two or three cents. I remember when the pop went to
eight cents! My God, where would we ever get those extra pennies!
I guess I should have said gosh. Aunt Katie was the "cuss-word marshal" in the
family and just about the time one of us would figure out a way to cuss she
would decode it and we'd have to get back to the drawing board. I was
always so envious of Donna Hofer because she was so "grown up" and always said
"Jesus." Sounded good to me, but Katie nipped that in the bud real quick! I
tried to out-smart her by shortening it to "Jeez." Nope, she was on to me. I
couldn't figure out how she always managed to stay ahead of me! Little did I
know that sort of wisdom comes with parenting. We finally came up with something
she either didn't pick up on, or just gave up on us. One would ask a question
and another would say, "don't ask ole me, how should I know," but WE knew what
that really meant and would do the hysterical giggle thing because we were
finally getting away with something!
And, where am I going with this? I have no idea. The mind is not smiling on me
today. Maybe I'm reflecting on the "good old days." Thank God my birthin'
days are over! I worry about the little ones coming up in our society
as we know it today. They know more at eight years old than I did when I was 20
and had my first three kids. Casey never believes me when I tell him we said
things like "in the family way," "PG," or spelled out the word S-E-X. Our dirty
jokes went something like this: "You want to hear a dirty story?" "Yes". "A
little boy fell in a mud hole." "You want to hear a dirtier one?" "Yes!"
"He got up and fell down again!" Kind of pitiful, isn't it? Or
is it? Maybe not ................
I spent most of last week with son Bill at McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.
We spent most of the day Wednesday praying for gas which seems to be the miracle
solution for recovery, so, if you have a prayer list, just pray for gas
for him. God will understand. We have discussed making a birth announcement upon
delivery.
My God ... she WILL talk about anything!