GOING BACK 60 YEARS IN TIME
I lived on an little 80 acre farm
half ways between Winceville and Forrestell, Mo.
It was just a short drive in the
old black model 'A' Ford to Hawk Point.
There were 6 of us boys on the
farm.
The other 5 being "foster" kids,
ranging in age from 6 years to 13 years. I was the youngest.
I can recall only 3 of their names.
Joe, Carl and Walter.
One of the boys drowned, but I
don't recall which one. Another lost 2 fingers in a mower atempting to
save a bird.
We raised chickens, cows and pigs.
Sold eggs and milk and ate the pigs.
We had a corn field, a hay field,
a potato patch, and a kitchen vegetable garden.
The ice man came once a week to
put blocks of ice in the ice box.
Grocery shopping was once a month.
What was mostly 100 pound sacks of flour and sugar.
Meats and vegetables was canned.
The tractor was a Farmall.
We cut fire wood for heat and cooking.
Baths were in a wash tub.
Water was carried from the hand
pump well.
We had no electricity.
We ate at an old wooden table with
benches. Six hungry boys and two adults.
Dessert was served on the bottom
of your dinner plate. Ya licked your plate.
No eat, no dessert.
Sunday dinner was almost
always fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and some
God awful tasting vegetables I
didn't like. Bread, biscuits and pies was baked in the wood stove.
The older boys taught me many important
things about life what I still practice to this day.
Never sleep on your left side or
the devil will stick his pitch fork in your heart from under the bed.
Never 'tell on" (snitch) or you
will grow warts on your nose.
Never let a black person see ya
stick your tongue out, or they gonna take out a butcher knife and slice
it slap off.
Never drink creek water 'cause
the fish, snakes and turtles pee in the water.
Hide behind a bush if a stranger
comes in the yard.
Wash your hands before ya pees
so's ya don't get dirt on "willy"
This is the beginning of a true
to life adventure that will have ya wondering
"who the hell is Billy"
click for
"BILLY
BOB
IN THE
RAW"