A JOB FOR MAMA

WITH 5 LITTLE ONES, WE BEGAN TO FEEL THE PINCH. WE HAD SECURED THE LOAN TO ENLARGE THE HOUSE AND MAKE REPAIRS, AND THOUGHT IF I COULD FIND A JOB WHERE THE CHILDREN WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO TO DAYCARE, THAT PERHAPS I COULD BRING HOME A SECOND PAYCHECK. I DECIDED TO DRIVE A SCHOOL BUS. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAD A FREE NURSERY FOR THE DRIVERS, SO, EVEN THOUGH THE LITTLE ONES WOULD BE THERE WHILE I DID MY ROUTE, I COULD DROP THEM OFF AND PICK THEM UP RIGHT AWAY AFTER MY HOUR AND A HALF RUN. SISSY AND BOBBIE JO COULD RIDE THE BUS WITH ME, AND IT SEEMED TO BE A GOOD IDEA. JUST BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED THAT YEAR, (1983) THE GIRLS AND I DECIDED TO GO TO OKLAHOMA TO SEE MY GRANDMOTHER. MARTIN AND THE BOYS WOULD STAY HOME AND HAVE A "MAN'S" VACATION. SO, OFF WE WENT, THE GIRLS AND I, AND HAD A LOVELY DRIVE TO OKLAHOMA. EVERYONE WAS SO GLAD TO SEE THE GIRLS, AND I WAS SO HAPPY TO BE WITH MY GRANDMOTHER. I HAD NOT SEEN HER SINCE MY WEDDING AND THERE WAS SO MUCH TO CATCH UP ON. AFTER WE HAD BEEN THERE A DAY OR TWO, THE NEWS REPORTED THAT A HURRICANE WAS BEARING DOWN ON HOUSTON. IT WAS HURRICANE ALICIA. I CALLED AND TOLD MARTIN THAT I WOULD COME ON HOME, AND HE SAID, NO, STAY THERE. HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE BOYS, NOT TO WORRY. I WATCHED THE NEWS AND SAW THE REPORTS OF THE HURRICANE COMING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO HOUSTON. THEN, IT STRUCK WITH A HUGE BANG AND MUCH DAMAGE WAS DONE. OUR LITTLE FARM GOT QUITE A HIT. SOME OF THE CHICKENS HAD BLOWN AWAY, THE LITTLE GOAT WAS KILLED BY A TREE, THE PIG PENS WERE TORN UP SOMEWHAT, (NONE OF THE PIGS WERE HURT THOUGH) AND SADLY, OUR LITTLE CALF THAT I HAD RAISED ON A BOTTLE WAS KILLED WHEN HE FELL INTO THE SEPTIC TANK. THAT LITTLE CALF HAD BEEN A CHRISTMAS GIFT THE YEAR BEFORE FROM A FRIEND, AND IT WAS A NEWBORN SO I HAD TO NURSE IT UNTIL IT COULD EAT ON HIS OWN. HE THOUGHT I WAS HIS MAMA, AND FOLLOWED ME EVERYWHERE. THE PLAN ALL ALONG WAS TO RAISE HIM FOR MEAT, AND I NAMED HIM T-BONE. OF COURSE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EAT HIM, BUT NATURE TOOK CARE OF THAT FOR ME. I CALLED MARTIN DURING THE STORM AND HE GAVE ME ALL THE DETAILS, SO THAT I COULD TELL THE OKLAHOMA FAMILY MEMBERS. BEFORE I CONTINUE, I SHOULD TELL YOU THAT LITTLE MISS BECKY DID NOT WANT TO TALK. SHE WAS 18 MONTHS OLD AND NEVER SAID A WORD. I WORRIED ABOUT HER, BUT THE DOCTOR SAID NO, SHE WOULD TALK WHEN SHE WAS READY. WELL, DURING THE VISIT TO OKLAHOMA, SHE SAT WITH ME AS I REPEATED OVER AND OVER THAT THE TREES HAD BLOWN OVER, SOME CHICKENS HAD BLOWN AWAY, THE GOAT WAS KILLED, THE PENS DAMAGED AND THE CALF KILLED. FINALLY, MY UNCLE TED CAME OVER AND ASKED HOW THINGS WERE IN HOUSTON WITH THE STORM. ONCE AGAIN, I REPEATED THAT THE TREES HAD BLOWN OVER, THE CHICKENS BLOWN AWAY, THE GOAT KILLED, AND THE PIG PENS WERE DAMAGED. "HOLY COW!" HE SAID. BECKY LOOKED UP AND SAID,
"COWS DEAD." OH, HOW WONDERFUL! SHE SPOKE! "COWS DEAD". FIRST WORDS, HOW NICE. WE WERE ALL SO TICKLED THAT SHE SAID SOMETHING, AND HAD TO CALL EVERYONE TO TELL THEM ABOUT IT. WELL, HOUSTON WAS A MESS, AND I WANTED TO COME HOME, SO HOME I CAME. THE TRIP WAS HORRENDOUS. TEXAS WAS REELING FROM THE EFFECTS OF THE HURRICANE, THERE WAS LITTLE FOOD OR WATER AVAILABLE, NO POWER, (NO AIR CONDITIONING EITHER) AND YOU COULD NOT GET GAS. I LIMPED INTO TOWN ON AN EMPTY TANK, AND BARELY MADE IT HOME. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN OKLAHOMA. IT WAS HORRIBLE AT HOME, VERY HOT, HUMID, STINKY, LOTS OF NASTY WATER EVERYWHERE WITH DEAD ANIMALS IN IT, POWER LINES DOWN, HUGE MOSQUITOS, AND ON AND ON. FINALLY THOUGH, SINCE THE HOUSE MADE IT THROUGH WITHOUT DAMAGE, WE WERE ABLE TO GO ON AND GET BACK TO THE ART OF LIVING. WE MISSED SHINER THAT YEAR, THERE WAS TOO MUCH TO DO. SCHOOL STARTED AND SO DID I. I BEGAN THE YEAR AS A BUS DRIVER, BUT WHEN I SAW THE NURSERY, IT WAS CROWDED AND THE LADIES KEEPING IT WERE OVERWHELMED. I TOLD THE BOSS THAT IF THERE WAS EVE AN OPENING FOR A NURSERY WORKER, PLEASE LET ME DO IT. I HAD SOME FRIENDS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT KNEW ME FROM BEING A ROOM MOTHER, AND WHEN THEY FOUND OUT THAT I WANTED TO WORK IN THE NURSERY, THEY PUSHED THE JOB FOR ME. I WAS SO HAPPY! NOW, I DIDN'T HAVE TO LEAVE THE LITTLE ONES AT ALL, I COULD TAKE THEM WITH ME AND THEY WOULD HAVE THE OTHER CHILDREN TO PLAY WITH. I ARRIVED AT 6 AM TO OPEN THE NURSERY, TOOK THE CHILDREN IN AS THE ARRIVED, FED THEM BREAKFAST, HAD CRAFT TIME, SONG TIME AND STORY TIME, AND AT 9 AM THE ROUTES CLOSED DOWN AND THE CHILDREN WENT HOME. I LOCKED UP AND CAME BACK AT 2PM TO DO THE SAME THING IN REVERSE UNTIL 5PM. I LOVED THAT NURSERY, AND WORKED THERE FOR 8 YEARS. THERE IS MUCH TO TELL YOU ABOUT THAT 8 YEARS, AND THE JOB AT THE NURSERY WOULD PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE FABRIC OF OUR FAMILY EXPERIENCE.
SOON AFTER THE START OF SCHOOL, WE BEGAN CONSTRUCTION ON THE HOUSE. OF COURSE, WE DID ALL THE WORK OURSELVES. WHY, YOU ASK? BECAUSE WE COULD DO THE WORK, AND COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT. THUS BEGAN A FEW YEARS OF ONGOING CONSTRUCTION, AND THE CHILDREN GOT USED TO STEPPING OVER WOOD, PAILS OF PAINT, SHEETROCK, WINDOWS AND OTHER STUFF. DURING THIS TIME, WE DECIDED TO GET OUR FIRST VCR. IT WAS TERRIBLY EXPENSIVE, BUT WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE CHILDREN TO HAVE FOR MOVIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT VCR WAS HUGE. IT ONLY PLAYED ONE MOVIE AND YOU HAD TO REWIND THE TAPE YOURSELF. BUT WE HAD ONE, AND WE WERE TICKLED. OH, TO RENT MOVIES, WE HAD TO DRIVE CLEAR ACROSS TOWN, AS THERE WERE NO BLOCKBUSTERS THEN. THE OTHER THING WE WERE ABLE TO GET FOR THE CHILDREN, WAS A NEW TV GAME CALLED "PONG". ALL IT WAS WAS A LITTLE WHITE DOT ON THE SCREEN, GOING UP AND DOWN AND THE OBJECT WAS TO HIT THE DOT BEFORE IT HIT THE BOTTOM. WOW! IT WAS LIKE VIDEO GAMES FOR NEWBORNS- BUT ALL OF AMERICA WAS IN LOVE WITH IT. JOHN TRAVOLTA WAS "STAYING ALIVE" AT THE MOVIES, AND DISCO WAS NEARING IT'S END. LIFE WAS EXCITING! AND HECTIC. MARTIN WAS STILL IN COLLEGE, AND THE KIDS HARDLY EVER SAW HIM. I DIDN'T KNOW IT AT THE TIME, BUT BECKY WAS AFRAID OF HIM, BECAUSE HE WAS NEVER THERE AND SHE WASN'T QUITE SURE WHAT HIS ROLE IN THE FAMILY WAS. JESSICA AND BOBBIE JO WERE IN SCHOOL, AND THE 3 LITTLE ONES WERE WITH ME 24-7. WE HAD A LOVELY TIME READING, TELLING STORIES, SINGING OLD SONGS MY GRANDMOTHER HAD TAUGHT ME, BAKING AND SEWING. I WAS STILL CANNING PRODUCE TOO-AND THE LITTLE ONES WERE RIGHT THERE FOR ALL OF IT. I BAKED ALL THE GOODIES WE ATE, IT SAVED SO MUCH MONEY. BY THIS TIME, GROCERIES WERE A MAJOR CONCERN. WHEN WE HAD DINNER, I HAD TO FRY 2 CHICKENS, MASH A BAG OF POTATOES, OPEN 3 CANS OF VEGETABLES AND PUT OUT A LOAF OF BREAD, OR MAKE A PAN OF CORNBREAD OR BISCUITS. COOKIES, CAKES AND PIES DISSAPEARED. MILK WAS DRUNK BY THE GALLONS. BREAKFAST WAS A HUGE POT OF OATMEAL, SOME TOAST AND SOMETIMES SAUSAGE OR BACON AND IF WE HAD EGGS, I HAD TO COOK A DOZEN. AGAIN, MILK WAS CONSUMED IN HUGE QUANTIES. THERE WAS A SALVAGE STORE NOT TOO FAR AWAY, AND ONCE A WEEK, MARTIN WOULD TAKE US THERE TO STOCK UP ON CANNED GOODS AND OTHER ITEMS. THE CANNED GOODS WERE VERY INEXPENSIVE, SOME AS LITTLE AS 10 FOR A DOLLAR. THERE WAS EVEN A SECTION WHERE THEY WERE 20 FOR A DOLLAR, BUT THEY HAD NO LABLES. THERE WAS A SECTION WITH A SIGN THAT SAID, "VEGETABLES" AND ONE THAT SAID, "FRUITS" AND ANOTHER WITH "MEAT". THE UNLABLED CANS WERE PILED UP UNDER THAT SIGNS AND YOU HAD TO TAKE YOUR CHANCES. OKAY, FOR A NICKLE A CAN, I AM WILLING TO TAKE A CHANCE ON THE CONTENTS. THESE WERE CANS THAT HAD BEEN DENTED BUT STILL GOOD. I BECAME VERY GOOD AT SHAKING THE CANS AND DECIDING WHAT WAS INSIDE. THE ONLY THING I WORRIED ABOUT WAS IF IT WAS A CAN OF TUNA OR A CAN OF CAT FOOD. YOU NEVER KNEW. OUR CHILDREN HAD ALL THE FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND "MEAT" THEY COULD WANT. IN THE FREEZER SECTION, THERE WAS LOTS OF FROZEN JUICES, CHEESES, ICE CREAM AND FROZEN MEALS. THE PRICES WERE FABULOUS IF YOU WEREN'T TOO PROUD TO SHOP THERE. OH, AND THERE WERE FROZEN CHICKENS, ROASTS, PORK CHOPS, SAUSAGE AND HAMBURGER, NOT TO MENTION LUNCH MEATS AND PIES. WE SAVED SO MUCH MONEY- AND NO, I WAS NOT TOO PROUD TO SHOP THERE! WE STILL SEE THAT PLACE ON OCCASION WHEN WE ARE IN THAT PART OF TOWN, BUT WE DON'T SHOP THERE ANYMORE. IT WAS GREAT AT THE TIME THOUGH. SINCE WE NOW HAD TWO PAYCHECKS COMING IN, THINGS WERE MUCH EASIER FOR US. THE LOAN TOOK UP MOST OF MY PAYCHECK, BUT KNOWING THAT WE WOULD BE MORE COMFORTABLE WAS WORTH IT. WE TORE THE ROOF OFF AND PUT DOWN A NEW WOODEN FLOOR UPSTAIRS AS PART OF THE NEW SECOND STORY. AS SOON AS WE WERE DONE HAMMERING IN THE LAST NAIL, A STORM BLEW UP AND RAIN WAS THREATENING. IF IT RAINED ON THE NEW FLOOR, IT WOULD RUIN IT AND WE WOULD HAVE WATER COMING IN DOWNSTAIRS. MARTIN WENT TO GET A TARP TO TRY TO KEEP THE RAIN OUT, BUT I GOT ON MY KNEES RIGHT THERE AND PRAYED THAT THE RAIN WOULD NOT HIT US. THE STORM BLEW IN WITH GUSTO, TREES WHIPPING, RAIN SLASHING, THUNDER AND LIGHTENING BLASTING, BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE RAIN WAS FALLING EVERYWHERE EXCEPT OUR HOUSE! WE WERE IN A CIRCLE OF RAIN, THE STORM CRASHING ALL AROUND BUT NOT A DROP ON THE HOUSE. THE STORM PASSED, AND MARTIN HURRIED TO GET THE TARP UP WITH SOME HELP FROM A FRIEND. THE NEXT DAY, THEY HURRIED AND PUT THE ROOF ON, AND THEN, ANOTHER STORM BLEW IN, AND WE GOT IT WITH THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THAT IS ONE TIME THAT MARTIN ADMITS THAT THE LORD WAS WATCHING OVER US, WHEN OUR HOUSE WAS SAVED FROM THE RAIN. DURING ALL THIS TIME, LIFE CONTINUED AS USUAL. NOW, MARTIN AND I HAVE A STRANGE SENSE OF HUMOR SOMETIMES- AND I WANTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED CONCERNING THE CHICKENS. MARTIN AND SOME OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH ORDERED SOME BABY CHICKS FROM A MAIL ORDER CHICKEN HOUSE. WE SPLIT THE ORDER WHEN IT CAME IN AND EACH OF US GOT ABOUT A DOZEN BABY CHICKS TO ADD TO OUR CHICKEN YARD. WE HAD TO KEEP THEM WARM, FED AND DRY. THEY WERE HARDY LITTLE THINGS AND DID VERY WELL. ONE OF THE MEMBERS WAS A 'KNOW IT ALL" AND DIDNT MIND TELLING THE REST OF US WHAT WE WERE DOING WRONG WITH RAISING OUR CHICKS. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, EVERYTIME WE SAW HIM, BLAH BLAH BLAH. THE CHICKS GREW, AND WE SUFFERED LISTENING TO HIM GOING ON AND ON ABOUT HOW HIS CHICKENS WERE SO MUCH BETTER THAN OURS AND HOW HIS WERE GOING TO LAY EGGS ANY DAY. (CHICKENS DON'T LAY EGGS UNTIL THEY ARE ABOUT 5 MONTHS OLD). THESE CHICKENS WERE ONLY ABOUT 3 MONTHS OLD, AND MARTIN GOT TIRED OF LISTENING TO THIS BLOW-HARD. ONE DAY, MARTIN WENT TO THE FARMERS MARKET AND BOUGHT SOME REALLY LARGE EGGS, MOST OF THEM HAVING TWO YOLKS. THAT NIGHT, HE SNEAKED INTO THAT GUY'S CHICKEN HOUSE AND PUT THE EGGS UNDER THE LITTLE CHICKENS. THE NEXT MORNING, OUR PHONE BEGAN RINGING OFF THE WALL. "I TOLD YOU MY CHICKENS WOULD LAY FIRST!"SCREAMED MR. BIG MOUTH. "I TOLD YOU! AND GUESS WHAT, THEY LAYED HUGE EGGS TOO! HA HA, LETS SEE YOUR CHICKENS DO THAT!" MARTIN CONGRATULATED HIM ON HIS WONDERFUL EGG PRODUCTION, AND LET IT GO. THE NEXT DAY, WE GOT A CALL FROM THE MIRACLE CHICKEN FARMER AND HE TOLD US THAT HIS CHICKENS HAD NOT LAYED THAT DAY. OR THE NEXT DAY. OR THE NEXT. FINALLY, HE ASKED MARTIN WHAT HE THOUGHT THE PROBLEM COULD BE? MARTIN TOLD HIM THAT THOSE POOR CHICKENS PROBABLY RUINED THEMSELVES LAYING SUCH HUGE EGGS. AFTER ALL, THEY WERE ONLY SMALL CHICKENS- GOSH, THEY MAY NEVER LAY AGAIN! THE POOR MAN, HE WAS SO UPSET AT THE THOUGHT THAT HE MAY HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO THOSE CHICKENS TO RUIN THEM. MARTIN NEVER DID TELL HIM WHAT HE HAD DONE, AND SURE ENOUGH, AFTER SOME MORE TIME, HIS CHICKENS STARTING LAYING EGGS THE SAME TIME AS EVERY ONE ELSE'S. HE WAS SO RELIEVED, AND WE NEVER DID HAVE TO LISTEN TO HIM AGAIN ABOUT HOW TO RAISE CHICKENS. (MARTIN IS SUCH A STINKER SOMETIMES). ANOTHER CHICKEN STORY I REMEMBER IS THAT WE HAD THE CHICKENS IN A PEN THAT HAD A CHICKEN WIRE COVER OVER THE TOP OF IT SO THAT HAWKS COULD NOT GET TO THEM. THE TOP OF THE PEN WAS ABOUT 8 FEET IN THE AIR, AND THE WHOLE CHICKEN ENCLOSURE WAS ABOUT 20 FT BY 20FT. WE LOCKED THE GATE WHEN WE CAME OUT, BECAUSE WE HAD A HUGE ROOSTER THAT WOULD ATTACK ANYTHING THAT CAME NEAR THE CHICKENS AND WE DIDN'T WANT HIM GETTING THE CHILDREN. NOW, THERE WAS A MISSIONARY, WHO WOULD SNEAK INTO THE PEN, AGGRAVATE THE ROOSTER, FRIGHTEN THE CHICKENS AND LAUGH ABOUT IT. WE ASKED HIM SEVERAL TIMES NOT TO DO THAT, BUT HE CONTINUED, THINKING IT WAS GOOD FUN TO DO SO. ONE DAY, AS I HID AND WATCHED HIM SNEAK INTO THE PEN, I SLIPPED UP BEHIND HIM AND LOCKED THE GATE FROM THE OUTSIDE. I WENT BACK TO MY HIDING SPOT TO WATCH. FIRST HE TOOK A STICK AND POKED THE ROOSER WITH IT. WHEN THE ROOSTER GOT MAD, THE MISSIONARY WOULD KICK AT HIM TO GET HIM GOING. THEN THE ROOSTER WOULD SPUR, MEANING THAT HE WOULD FLY UP AND TRY TO SCRATCH THE MISSIONARY. THIS ROOSTER HAD SPURS ON HIS LEGS ABOUT AN INCH OR LONGER. USUALLY, WHEN THE MISSIONARY GOT THE ROOSTER GOING, HE WOULD RUN FOR THE GATE BEFORE THE ROOSTER COULD GET TO HIM. BUT, THIS TIME, THE GATE WAS LOCKED, AND WHILE HE WAS FRANTICALLY TRYING TO GET OUT, KING HENRY, (THE ROOSTER'S NAME) BEGAN FLYING AT HIS BACK. THE MISSIONARY BEGAN TO RUN ALL OVER THE PEN, SCATTERING CHICKENS AND FLAPPING HIS ARMS TO WARD OFF THE ROOSTER. TOO BAD, MISSIONARY, THAT ROOSTER WAS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HIS LUCK! HE SPURRED OVER AND OVER, CATCHING THE MISSIONARY'S SHIRT AND SHREDDING IT DOWN THE BACK. THE MISSIONARY DECIDED THAT HE WAS IN TROUBLE, AND STARTIN CALLING FOR HELP. THE ROOSTER CONTINUED TO STEADILY ATTACK AND SPUR, AND THE MISSIONARY WAS DEFINETLY ON THE LOSING END OF THE DEAL. I WAS LAUGHING SO HARD THAT I COULD HARDLY OPEN THE GATE. WHEN I GOT THE GATE OPEN, THE MISSONARY RAN OUT WITH THE ROOSTER ON HIS HEELS. "HELP SISTER SEE!" HE SCREAMED, "HELP! GET THAT ROOSTER OFF ME!" KING HENRY WAS HAVING A HIGH OLD TIME, AND I TOLD THE MISSIONARY THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO RUN BACK INTO THE PEN SO THAT KING HENRY WOULD GO IN BEHIND HIM. HE DID, AND WE CLOSED THE GATE WITH KING HENRY INSIDE THE PEN. BOY, THAT MISSIONARY WAS A SIGHT! TORN SHIRT AND PANTS, CHICKEN POOP ALL OVER HIS SHOES, A FEW SCRATCHES ON HIS FACE AND ARMS- AND HE WAS SHAKING ALL OVER. I ASKED HIM (INNOCENTLY OF COURSE) WHAT HE HAD BEEN DOING IN THE PEN TO START WITH, AND HE STAMMERED THAT HE ONLY WANTED SOME FUN WITH THE ROOSTER, BUT SOMEHOW THE GATE GOT LOCKED. "GOSH," I SAID, "YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT, HUH?" NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE DID NOT MESS WITH THE ROOSTER AGAIN! WE HAVE MANY SUCH STORIES TO TELL ABOUT OUR LITTLE FARM, I WILL TRY IN THE FUTURE TO SHARE SOME MORE OF THEM WITH YOU. THAT'S ALL FOR TODAY, TILL TOMORROW, LOVE, NANASEE