SUNNY STREET CONTINUES

WITH ALL THE ACTIVITY ON SUNNY STREET, WE STILL HAD TIME FOR NEW ADVENTURES. ONE IN PARTICULAR, WAS JESSICA'S FIRST YEAR OF SCHOOL. SHE WAS SO CUTE, STANDING IN THE DRIVEWAY, HOLDING HER LITTLE LUNCH BOX AND WAITING FOR DADDY TO TAKE HER TO SCHOOL. WE DECIDED THAT I WOULD STAY HOME WITH THE LITTLE ONES, AND LET DADDY MAKE A SPECIAL MOMENT WITH HER. KINDERGARTEN WAS HALF A DAY BACK THEN, AND THE LITTLE ONES AND I SPENT THE MORNING MAKING A SPECIAL WELCOME HOME FOR JESSICA. IT WAS A SPECIAL TIME FOR ME AS MY FIRST BABY WAS GOING TO SCHOOL. IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR JESSICA'S INDEPENDENT NATURE TO SURFACE, AND WE FOUND THAT SHE DID NOT "CONFORM" LIKE THE OTHER CHILDREN. SHE ASKED "WHY" A LOT, WOULDN'T SIT NEXT TO SOMEONE WHO AGGRAVATED HER AND WAS BOSSY. PROBABLY BECAUSE THE POOR LITTLE THING WAS ALWAYS THE ALPHA DOG AT OUR HOUSE DUE TO HAVING THE LITTLE ONES TO HELP WITH.
WHEN THE CHILDREN WERE LITTLE, WE HAD A SPECIAL DAY ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF SEPTEMBER WHICH WAS LABOR DAY. THE NEXT DAY, SCHOOL WOULD BE STARTING, BUT ON LABOR DAY, WE WOULD GO TO SHINER TEXAS, WHERE MARTIN'S FAMILY WAS FROM. EACH YEAR, THE WHOLE TOWN WOULD HAVE A PICNIC, CALLED THE SHINER PICNIC, COMPLETE WITH FOOD, GAMES, MUSIC, DANCE AND WONDERFUL HOME BAKED GOODIES AND A RAFFLE. OH, HOW WE WOULD LOOK FORWARD TO THE SHINER PICNIC! AFTER JUSTIFYING GOING TO SHINER ON A SUNDAY, AND PUSHING BACK THE GUILT TRIP, WE WOULD GET UP EARLY, AND PACK THE CAR WITH THE THINGS WE WOULD NEED FOR THE ALL DAY EXCURSION. IT WAS A 90 MILE TRIP ONE WAY,, AND WE HAD TO PICK UP PAWPAW TO GO WITH US. ALONG THE WAY, PAWPAW TOLD STORIES OF WHEN HE WAS A BOY GROWING UP IN SHINER, AND WHEN HE BECAME A FARMER LIKE HIS DAD. HE HAD 11 BROTHERS AND 6 SISTERS FOR A TOTAL OF 18 CHILDREN IN THE FAMILY. PAWPAW WAS A TWIN, AND HIS SISTER DIED EARLY IN LIFE. WE ALWAYS DROVE THE BACK ROADS TO SHINER, IT WAS MORE SCENIC AND PAWPAW POINTED OUT SITES THAT HAD NOT CHANGED SINCE HE LIVED THERE. JUST BEFORE THE TOWN, WE WOULD BEGIN TO LOOK FOR A VERY TALL STEEPLE, THAT WAS ON TOP OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SPONSORING THE PICNIC. THE FIRST ONE TO SEE IT GOT THE FIRST SODA OF THE DAY. NECKS CRANING IN ALL DIRECTIONS, UNTIL FINALLY TO EVERYONE ELSE'S DISSAPOINTMENT, SOMEONE SAID, "I SEE IT! RIGHT THERE! LOOK!" AND SURE ENOUGH THERE IT WAS. (OF COURSE PAWPAW KNEW WAY AHEAD OF TIME WHERE THE STEEPLE COULD FIRST BE SPOTTED, BUT HE NEVER LET ON). HE WOULD THEN EXPLAIN THAT HE PAINTED THAT STEEPLE WHEN HE WAS YOUNG AND THEY WERE DOING RENOVATIONS TO THE CHURCH. THE CHILDREN WERE SO IMPRESSED THAT HE HAD THE COURAGE TO GET UP ON THAT STEEP ROOF, AND EVEN THEN, CLIMB HIGHER TO PAINT THAT STEEPLE. THEN, WE WOULD ARRIVE IN THE LITTLE TOWN OF SHINER AND THERE WOULD BE THE MEAT MARKET, THE BAKERY, AND LOTS OF OTHER LITTLE SHOPS. MOST ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WAS THE LITTLE GROCERY STORE THAT HAD PROBABLY BEEN THERE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE TOWN. BEFORE WE GOT TO THE PICNIC, WE WOULD STOP THERE AND EVERYONE WOULD GO POTTY, AND ON THE WAY OUT, WOULD LOOK AROUND TO SEE WHAT THEY WANTED WHEN WE STOPPED ONCE AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME. THEN, WE ARRIVED AT THE PICNIC! OH, THERE WAS OOM PA PA MUSIC BLARING, GAMES SET UP, THE OLD MEN DRINKING BEER AND TALKING, THE HUGE CHICKEN DINNER SERVED IN THE TOWN SQUARE, BINGO, RIDES AND LOTS OF KOLACHES, (FRUIT FILLED PASTRIES), SAUSAGES, SODAS, AND ON AND ON. THERE WAS A MACHINE THAT WOULD CRUSH THE BEER AND SODA CANS AND THEN GIVE OUT A PENNY FOR EACH CAN. THE CHILDREN WOULD POLITELY ASK THE OLD MEN IF THEY COULD HAVE THEIR CANS, AND COLLECT THEM BY THE DOZENS. THEN, THEY WOULD REDEEM THEM AND GET THEIR PENNIES. (GOOD IDEA MAYOR, NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAUL OFF ALL THOSE CANS, AND THEY ARE ALREADY CRUSHED.) WE WOULD GO IN AND HAVE OUR FRIED CHICKEN DINNER, WITH FRIED CHICKEN, POTATOES, GREEN BEANS, HOMEMADE ROLLS, FRIED APPLES, COLE SLAW, (THE INEVITABLE PIES OF ALL KINDS)AND TRY TO FIND A SEAT. AFTER WE WERE FINALLY DONE EATING, EVERY YEAR WITHOUT FAIL, PAWPAW WOULD SAY, " I'M SO FULL, I CAN'T EVEN SWALLER! STAND BACK, IF I'M GOING TO BELCH, IT WON'T BE PRETTY!" THE KIDS WOULD LAUGH, KNOWING IT WOULD BE A MEMORY FOR YEARS TO COME. THEN, THE VISITING BEGAN. PAWPAW'S FRIENDS AND DISTANT FAMILY WOULD GATHER AND START REMEMBERING THE SAME THINGS AS THE YEAR BEFORE- AND THEN, THE LIST OF WHO HAD DIED, (GOSH WE ARE GETTING FEWER AND FEWER) THE LOCAL GOSSIP, (IS THAT OLD LADY STILL AT IT?) AND OTHER NOTEWORTHY INFORMATION TO TIDE PAWPAW OVER UNTIL HE RETURNED NEXT YEAR. BACK SLAPPING, MEDICAL REPORTS, NEWS OF FAR AWAY, AND THEN SHOW OFF THE FAMILY. EVERYONE KNEW US, BUT LISTENED PATIENTLY WHILE PAWPAW INTRODUCED US YET AGAIN- ALWAYS SAYING ABOUT ME-"THIS HERE'S BUBBA'S WIFE!(BUBBA IS MARTIN). SHE'S AS FAT AS A CALF, AND GETS CUTER EVERY YEAR. A REAL BROODER TOO-SHE'S PROBABLY IN THE FAMILY WAY AGAIN!" (I AM PRETTY SURE HE HAS JUST COMPLIMENTED ME, LET'S DON'T DWELL ON IT, OKAY?) NOW, THE HARD PART. DO I PLAY BINGO ON SUNDAY? (SHOOT I NEVER PLAY BINGO FOR MONEY ANYWAY, BUT SOMEHOW, WELL, OKAY, I GAVE IN AND PLAYED A CHARITABLE GAME OR TWO.) THE ADULTS WOULD GET THEIR BINGO CARDS AND WITH ANTICIPATION, HOPE THAT THEY HAD THE WINNING NUMBERS. THE PRIZES WERE REALLY SOMETHING, A BAG OF FLOUR, SOME COOKIES, A CAKE OR PIE, A BOX OF SOAP, NOTHING HUGE, JUST LOTS OF FUN TO WIN. THE LADIES WOULD HAVE LOTS OF BOOTHS OF CRAFTS FOR SALE, AND STILL MORE KOLACHES. OH WHY DIDN'T I HAVE A BIGGER STOMACH SO THAT I COULD TRULY ENJOY THIS SLICE OF GERMAN HEAVEN?!!! THE KIDS WOULD RUN UNTIL THEY COULD NOT GO ANYMORE, DRAGGING WITH THEM, THE MYRIAD OF PRIZES WON AT THE VARIOUS GAMES. ONE YEAR, THEY ALL WON GOLDFISH, LOTS AND LOTS OF GOLDFISH. FOR SOME REASON THOSE DARN GOLDFISH WERE REALLY EASY TO WIN-AND I HAD TO TAKE OF THEM FOR MONTHS AFTER! MARTIN AND PAWPAW WOULD TALK ABOUT THE SAUSAGE AND FRESH MILK AND OTHER THINGS THEY COULD ONLY BUY AT THE LOCAL STORE, AND HOW MUCH THEY WERE GOING TO BUY TO TAKE BACK. THE POLKA MUSIC WAS CALLING, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THE GUTS TO MAKE A FOOL OUT OF MYSELF. WE WOULD TELL PAWPAW HOW MUCH IT MEANT THAT HE TOOK US TO SHINER EVERY YEAR, AND HE WOULD TELL US THAT TOMORROW, WHEN HE WOKE UP, HE WOULD START SAVING FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S TRIP. THEN, WE HAD TO START BACK. AWWW, DO WE HAVE TO? YES! SCHOOL TOMORROW! SO, BACK IN THE CAR, A TRIP TO THE STORE, AND THEN THE CHOOSING OF THE GOODIES THAT YOU COULD ONLY GET THERE LOCALLY. LOTS OF SAUSAGES FOR PAWPAW-AND HOMEMADE GERMAN WIENERS TOO. A HUGE TUBE OF BOLOGNA THAT YOU HAD TO SLICE YOURSELF, LARGE CHUNKS OF RAT CHEESE, FRIED PORK SKINS, CANDY MADE LOCALLY WITH LOTS OF PECANS, FRESH MILK FROM SHINER COWS, (REMEMBER WE TOO HAD A COW, BUT I GUESS IT WASN'T THE SAME) GERMAN POTATO CHIPS, AND KOLACHES OF ALL KINDS. OH, I FORGOT, HOGS HEAD CHEESE, WHICH IS A NIGHTMARE, BUT REALLY GOOD IF YOU DON'T LOOK AT IT WHILE EATING IT. LAST OF ALL, AND NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN, A LOCAL BRAND OF SODA POP IN SEVERAL FLAVORS, BLUE CREME SODA, ROOTBEER, GINGER BEER, GRAPE, CHERRY, STRAWBERRY AND SASSAFRASS. THE CAR WAS LOADED! WE MADE PROMISES NOT TO HOG THIS STUFF WHEN WE GOT HOME, BUT NONE OF IT EVER MADE IT PAST THE END OF SEPTEMBER. THE SUMMER WAS OVER, WE HAD BEEN TO SHINER AND SCHOOL WAS IN. COULD LIFE BE ANY BETTER? IT WOULD PROVE TO BE, AS I WILL TELL YOU TOMORROW! LOVE, NANASEE