“Make Do” or “Do Without”

“Make Do” or “Do Without”

I am a true child of my parents. The were both around 42 years old when I was born. They had lived through the 1930’s, the “Dirty Thirty’s”. They had seen some really tough times so they always “Made Do”, which meant they used things up, didn’t throw things away and were the opposite of wasteful. They watched their money like a hawk and “Did Without”, which meant they didn’t run and buy everything just because their neighbors did. They did not try to keep up with the “Jones’s”. My Dad told about the first time he...

read more

Old Work Horst named Bill

Old Work Horst named Bill

My Dad always made light of his name, he said Bill was a good name for an old Work Horst. Not a horse mind you but a work Horst. If you tried to correct him on the pronunciation he would just ignore you. He said he should have been born with a set of Tugs and a Horse collar on his neck and to fit his image of himself. I am not surprised that he felt that way as his Dad my Grandpa left when Dad was 5 years old and till Grandma married again my Dad felt like he had to be the man of the family. He worked around Gildford doing many odd jobs to earn money to help Grandma. At 14 years old he hired...

read more

My Hero

My Hero

My Dad is on my mind on Veterans Day. To me he was a real hero. He like many others served in the Armed Forces. He was in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy in WWII. He was in 4 campaigns and received the Purple Heart for being wounded in Italy when the enemy overran his outfit’s position and he was hit with a German pistol a P-38. The bullet was cut out about an eighth of an inch from his spine. When he came home he most likely had what they called Battle Fatigue then and PT Syndrome now. My earliest memories was that he talked to me about all of these experiences and I’m so glad I...

read more

September Morn

September Morn

When I was little running naked in the house after a bath in an old tin tub or the old kitchen sink my Dad would yell” September Morn.” When I was older and my nephews and nieces would come to the house and do the same thing as 2 and 3 year old do my Dad would yell the same thing, “September Morn.” Typical of my Dad he never did explain this and when you would ask him about it he would ignore that and go onto some other subject. This continued on to when I was a parent and my children would run around the house after their bath and I would replace my Dad and yell...

read more