Mom's Story Part 8

            Our home was the gathering place for all the neighborhood kids because of the big lawns that surrounded our house.  Such fun we had playing “New York”, “Last Couple Out” etc.  But on the street in front of our house was one of the few street lights in town and it was under that street light we planned our stratagem for the great game of “Run Sheep Run” – all ages of kids and from all corners of town came to play that game.  The town was our playground. 

            I was always a good runner.  I was good in gymnastics and could do most anything like that, but I was a terrible baseball player.  I was scared to death if the ball was thrown to me.  I’ve never been a very avid sports fan. 

            A lot of memories were connected with my sisters and the fun we had at home.  My sister Mayola was the leader or “boss” as we called her, of the neighborhood kids.  What she couldn’t think of was not worth much anyway.  She was fearless.  One thing she was particularly apt with was putting on plays.  She gave no thought to digging out Mother’s good quilts from the old quilt box down the basement – stringing them across the basement bedroom for curtains.  The plays were dramatic productions and of course, she was always the script writer and director.  Louise and I followed willingly.  I can still remember how tickled Louise would get.  She laughed so hard she couldn’t make it to the bathroom, and that made the situation even funnier.  Oh, my, how did Mother stand it?  Many of her best quilts had holes in the corners of them from the hard use; one curtain call after another! 

            As I said before, we always had a barn full of hay, a chicken coop, cows, and a few horses.  One old horse that Dad couldn’t use on his road jobs was Old Doc.  He was partially crippled; had a big knot on his knee, but was a good horse for plowing and working around the farm.  I used to ride him while my Dad plowed.  One day he stepped into a gopher hole with me on top.  He lost his balance and fell down.  I jumped to safety and ran over into the currant bushes nearby and began to pray.  When Dad came to get me he said, “Are you hurt?  What are you doing in there?”  My response was, “No, Daddy, I’m not hurt, I’m praying… that you won’t get mad at Old Doc!”  I think Doc got off easy that day.