Brothers

This is another little snippet from my husbands memories of growing up in Alabama-probably early 40s...





Brothers

It seems growing up in a family of ten kids could be a real blast!


O.K.- There were six girls sharing a room and four boys sharing the other, in the upstairs of the house where they lived.

Bro #1 and bro #2 shared a bed, as did bro #3 and bro #4.
(This mini story is about Bros #1 & #2 –the older of the four boys.)

There was always a race between bros # 1 & #2 at bedtime, to be the first in bed.

The reasons being …for #1- to hog all the blankets -for #2 to PREVENT his brother from hogging the blankets-and to save himself from having to shiver -uncovered- all through the night! The older brother, being bigger, faster, perhaps more devious, usually won the races…so... if he didn’t take ALL the covers he at least had his pick of what he wanted! :)

One night things played out a little differently and bro #2 beat bro #1 to the top of the stairs and to the boy’s sleeping room! He could hardly believe his good luck as he entered the dark room and, running, still, made an air borne lunge to the familiar corner where he knew the bed to be!

…Where he THOUGHT he knew the bed to be! OUCH! A hard belly landing, for bro #2, and a big commotion to follow...outraged yelling of surprise and pain, by #2...loud laughter by #1 and the younger boys too!- ( truth be told!! )
Finally, bringing Daddy Boyd to the top of the stairs with a loud, "Shut your mouth and get to bed!"

It just so happened- during the day the sisters had decided to clean and re-arrange the boys’ room, putting the bed on the opposite side of the room! One bro knew-the other didn’t…but found out soon enough! :)


Very generous of #1 to let his brother win that race, eh? :)



June Kellum
2006

Lessons Learned

...Here are more early memories from Mud Bottom -my husband's young years!...

Lessons Learned

Being the youngest of four adventurous brothers (Not to mention, also, having six sisters) could often be hazardous to a boy! This lesson young Ed learned, early on - with up-dates from time to time.

Farm life was not ALL work. There were times when boys could explore!

In the country neighborhood of Mud Bottom there happened to be an old abandoned log house. No one had lived there for a long time. The yard was overgrown with weeds, with the house almost hidden from view. It was the kind of place that would call to young, inquisitive boys to get a better, closer up, look!

The right day came for the three younger boys to explore the old log house. Ed was always up for some fun. He was about age six, with his brother Odell, eight and brother Jack, eleven.

The only thing of interest to be found in the old house was a pile of long discarded, mostly worn out, clothes! Being the only ’Find’ of their adventure, nevertheless, the boys focused on this pile of musty smelling old clothes!

Among the raggedy duds was found a pair of ‘under drawers’ which most likely had never seen the inside of a wash pot, nor ever flapped on a clothesline to freshen in the breeze! Ed remembers them as being a dingy white in color with brownish spots…especially in the seat area.

Jack dared his little brother, Ed, to try the underwear on! Perhaps Ed was intrigued with finding a pair of under drawers of his own. Little country boys his age often wore their overalls with nothing between the rough fabric and tender bottom! Whatever the reason, Ed did just as his brother told him to do! He shucked off his overalls and with his brothers watching him he put one bare foot and then the other into the underwear and pulled them up! He found them WAY too big!

It might would have been a blessing that they didn’t fit and he would leave them there in the heap of old clothes…so that his mother would not discover them when the next bath time came around!

It might would have been …except Jack said, ”Ummmm, I’m telling Mother you found some old under drawers and put them on!!” And with that the two older boys raced home, and did just that; leaving Ed to scramble back into his overalls as quickly as he could, and follow.

A set up!!

Ed of course, got a whipping from Mother and spent hours in a tub of water on the back porch, scrubbing his bottom with a bar of lye soap!

The brothers laughed! :)

June Kellum

July 2006

~~~

This picture was taken on our recent trip to Mud Bottom!
The old barn is still there and , still used, it seems!
A big, new house was built on the spot where my husband's family lived, but the barn remained the same- except for the red paint!
:) Charles said it had no paint on it in their time there!









Amazing to me that so many old barns are still standing - after 70 -or even more- years!

I love the old things!



Junie

A Gaggle of Geese

(This is a story that was first printed July , 2006 at 'Junie's Place' blogspot)

...This is a story that goes WAY back...

A Gaggle of Geese

In the year of 1898, in the area of Waco Tennessee, lived a farm family of a father, mother, two boys and a little sister! The boys were about ages 8 years and 6 years. The sister, little more than a toddler at this time.

The family had recently moved back to Tennessee from Texas, to this farm. The boys, even at this young age, were expected to help out with the things that had to be done around the homeplace.

They had a gaggle of geese that the father needed to have driven to the town to be sold! The brothers, Elwood and Boyd, were given the job of ‘driving’ the geese to market to be sold! The driving of the gaggle of geese was accomplished by a boy on each side, with a long stick, moving them along and keeping them together as a flock. (gaggle)

On the way to the town, ( which was a distance of a couple of miles or more) the boys passed by another farmhouse. The farm lady was very friendly and engaged the boys in a conversation, asking if they were hungry! Of course they said yes, that they were hungry! Farm boys didn’t often turn down good grub when offered! She fixed, for each of them, a big plate of butter and molasses!

They ate the sweet and tasty mixture with great gusto! (As the geese grazed the roadside…) Each boy finished every bit on his plate, ending by licking the plate clean! On returning the empty plates to the lady they thanked her for her kindness and told her that the plates wouldn’t need to be washed - that they had already cleaned them!! :)

As the two little boys left to complete their assigned task of driving the geese to town,

I can well imagine the big smile on the kind farm lady’s face, as she watched them leave!

Can’t you? :)

Note: Boyd was my husband’s (Charles) father!

This is a picture of Boyd with James Elizabeth, holding their first grandchild.

(Photo 1948)

June Kellum

July, 2006

(some comments at original post)


Junie