21-30 of 100 Not So Boring Things About Me

21-30 of 100 Not So Boring Things About Me

21. During the summer of 69 I faced the reality of death for the first time. My little, sweet, smiling, always ready for a hug brother passed away in a farm accident. He was only eleven years old. Tears still roll, when I think about the heart wrenching sobs I heard coming from my Mother’s bedroom just down the hall from me.

22. In 1970, I became a Mom for the first time and understood why my Mother had sobbed so. After a long and laborious night in which I told my husband “I was going to die.” several times, our first blessing arrived. She had her Daddy’s hazel/green eyes and my nose. As I sat holding my firstborn that morning, kissing, cuddling and touching her, I realized just how much my own Mother loved me.  What a revelation…

23. Michael Landon, Karen Grassle and Melissa Gilbert of Little House on the Prairie fame put the little town in which we were living on the map. “Walnut Grove” (pop.654)!! 

24.  Rent was $60 per month, a 100 gallon tank of fuel oil was $16, and a lb of lean hamburger was $.69. Gas was outrageous, $.28 a gallon! My hubby’s monthly salary was $500, his net $411.

25.  Shortly after my 21st birthday, I voted for the first time. I voted for Richard Nixon!

26.  At the age of 22 I was pregnant for the third time. We were thrilled, as my second pregnancy had ended in miscarriage. Shortly after her birth, a nurse came into my room and asked if I wanted to see the baby, I said, “Yes!  Bring her in please, I want to count all her fingers and toes!” Again as I kissed, and cuddled this beautiful child I felt the love welling in my heart. The nurse came back after a few minutes, asked if everything was alright, sensing something wrong, I questioned, “Why do you ask?”  She said, “Did you count her fingers and toes?” I replied, “No?” at which point I unwrapped her and found she only had four toes on her right foot!  Being the eternal optimist, I was thankful it wasn’t her hands, feet we could handle, hands, I figured would be more difficult. The next morning the Doctor came in and told me ALONE, something was wrong with our baby. They suspected our little Maree Joy was Down Syndrome. They were WRONG, as the genetic testing which followed showed otherwise.  Maree did have       problems and was eventually diagnosed with congenital anomalies, (birth defects). This was the one and only time in our marriage I seen my dear husband cry.

27. Our little girl was born the same year the American Disabilities Act became law. Our quest for equality in all things pertaining to children’s disabilities, including education, became a main focus in later years when Maree entered public school.

28. I have worn saddle shoes, can-can's, mohair sweaters, angel blouses, empire style dresses, paisley plaids, go-go boots, mini skirts, bikinis, hot pants and pointed, round, squared toed clogs!  One thing I have never done is use drugs, NOT even pot. My first offer came shortly after I was married, a friend and his girlfriend said, "here try some hashish, its great." as they were rolling around on the floor barking like dogs.  Nope, that crap wasn't for me!

29. We bought a brand new house in 1976  for $24,750.00. To make the horrendous house payment of $207, (interest was at 8.75%) I went to work as a grocery store clerk at $3.11 per hour, and eventually ended up working in a Floral Shop, taking a cut in pay of $.26 per hour. It was worth it, out of all the jobs I’ve held, this was my favorite, for even on -20F days, all I had to do was walk into the greenhouse and find Spring!  It was here my love of gardening, and creating beautiful things started to bud.  Each plant, each bouquet, were never the same, the hand of God was working.

30.  It was also during this decade I took my first creative writing class, first using my skills as the editor of our monthly church newsletter.

To be continued…..

PS. If you missed 1-20 they can be found at:

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976903698