childhood

Papa’s World – More early years memories.

/ Tom / Leave a comment

LOL – Never thought of this, but most likely it would work!

In our backyard, to the right of the big red barn –

Sat a small chicken coop!

I remember my mother and father –

Had a partial log with the flat side up.

A CHOPPING BLOCK, they called it.

I was not that old –

Perhaps 4 to 6 years old?

My job, with the help of my mother,

Was to catch the chickens.

My dad had a hatchet and stood by the wooden block.

Gruesome is what I call it today –

But back then, it was just what you did!

We would bring the chicken over,

And he would grab it and then “WHACK”!

Off would go the head.

That was life back then.

MORE EARLY YEARS MEMORIES!

One time, I was washing my parents’ car in the driveway in the backyard in front of the big red barn.

I had a bucket, soap suds, and a sponge.

Now my brother Mike and I fought like dogs and cats!

He would pick and pick, and when I had enough –

He would run and scream at the top of his lungs!

This time, he picked up the water hose and turned it on me!!!

I was soaked, and I took off after him.

He ran into the house through the cellar door.

With me right behind him, he was screaming bloody murder.

There was linoleum on the floor.

And it was wet from the hose.

My feet hit that spot and went out from underneath me!

I came down on my left side and put my hand down to break the fall!

It broke the fall, but also my finger!

The one next to the pinky now lay sideways!

All because he squirted me with the water hose.

My mom walked me down the street to the doctor’s office!

Dr. Krall was his name.

In we went, and he took one look at it and said, ” Sit down “-

Close your eyes-

This is gonna hurt!

He grabbed it and in one swift motion –

Yanked it straight and back where it should be!

Then a splint and a cast!

I do not know where Mike went, but he stayed out of my sight for some time.

MORE EARLY YEARS MEMORIES!

Summertime was riding my bike down the street to the park.

Oftentimes, I was by myself.

I would ride all the way back to the Pavilion –

Lay my bike down on the Creek bank and go down and hunt for crabs and frogs!

It was not deep –

No more than perhaps a foot.

Right across from that side were paths leading up and into the woods.

I admit I was scared to go back in there.

I did not know where it went, and the trees were large, with ferns and bushes.

A couple of times, I did go over there and take a few steps back in!

But I would chicken out and go back to the other side.

Those early years – I would ride that bike all over town!

It had a closepin with a bubble gum card on the spokes.

It made the coolest noise as I rode it!

My favorite card back then-

THE DUKE BLUE DEVILS CARD!

MORE EARLY YEARS MEMORIES!

There was a creek called THE BARDEN BROOK that ran through town and down to the Alleghany River.

When I was in my early teens –

There was a swimming hole not too far up the brook –

Called”BABS” –

I always wondered if it stood for “BARE ASSED BEACH”!

Perhaps someone who reads this and is from the area knows!

I went there a couple of times and swam.

Today, I would not even think about it!

But back then, it was a cool place to go and cool off on hot summer days!

MORE EARLY YEARS MEMORIES!

For over TWENTY YEARS –

Building our IMMUNE SYSTEMS one day at a time!

www.https://sfitzsimmons.juiceplus.com

Thanks for reading my blogs!

My Site: PAPA’S WORLD – livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

SUBSCRIBE – IT IS ALL FREE!

MORE EARLY YEARS MEMORIES!

Papa’s World – Just another day in my life.

/ Tom / Leave a comment
COMING TO A END

Here it is almost 1/3 the way through November

The leaves are coming down –

it is chilly at night

and once again it is time to pull the flowers for storage.

I remember my youth –

Fall was hunting season –

I only ever shot one thing in my entire life.

A Rabbit – and it did not die right away –

instead dragged itself along the ground –

I stepped on its hind legs

and it screamed !

That was it for me –

no more hunting –

Sometimes you just
find a corner
and observe
what is happening
around you !

Fall also is the time you get ready to rake and rake

Bags of leaves to be picked up on Tuesday trash days.

That is the day they pick up yard waste.

I usually end up with at least twenty bags of leaves !

Fall’s in my youth –

riding my bike until early dark

sometimes neighbor hood KICK THE CAN !

The neighbor hood on North Main Street

was full of kids.

Games were every day or just hanging out.

The saw mill up the street with a huge pile of saw dust.

The apple trees and chucking apples at the train as it passed.

Sleeping out on the porch – going inside when it became too cold.

Walking down town to the Texaco to see who was hanging out !

Memories of the mind –

Sometimes you wonder

WHEN WILL I FORGET ?

Sherry
CERTIFIED HEALTH COACH
for health and nutrition
http://www.sf.juiceplus.com
for direct communication
email
ssherrylynn49@aol.com

Thank you for reading Papa’s World

livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

My email

fitztdf@aol.com

PAPA’S WORLD

WHERE FRIENDS MEET FAMILY

Papa’s World – HELENNA – friends helping!

/ Tom / Leave a comment

Linda – and her husband –

a high school classmate from Mount Jewett –

where Sherry lived!

They live about five miles from the airport –

being used by private Helicopters-

coordinated to fly into areas –

that are shut off or hard to reach!

She and her husband have been buying items –

to be flown in-

and we have been covering the cost for them.

With their help –

we have managed to get the supplies-

closer than the trucks can.

Sometimes it takes connections –

Connections from childhood to adults –

Both now living in NC.-

although hours apart –

to bring comfort to those in need.

God and faith –

work in ways that you would never think of!

We found out the truck is back –

and will continue to shop and deliver there!

Our friends in Hickory will continue to do the same.

Close to $3000.00-

has come in from donations –

We will continue as long as donations keep coming in –

and after that –

will do what we can –

with what we have.-

Thanks for reading PAPA’S WORLD:

my site: livinglifedoingitmyway.blog

Papa’s World – My world growing up and living in a little town in Pa. called Eldred!

/ Tom / Leave a comment
Northwestern Pa.

In the midst of the Alleghany hills – amongst the green and lush valleys – sits a little community-

Population – around 800 souls – and back then – I knew almost every one of them!

Eldred Pa.

The town sits on the Alleghany river which eventually flowed into Pittsburg – but – it flowed North first!

Yes – it left Pa. and flowed into NYS before flowing once again South through Pa.

It ends up in Pittsburg some three-plus hours away.

We would be considered the snow belt – some 80 miles south of Lake Erie and Buffalo N.Y.

I helped a friend of mine growing up with his paper route – his name was Brent – and we hung out.

He bought a go-cart with his money and he would let me ride on it.

He was two years older than I and eventually married my cousin.

Funny how that worked out – he graduated and I lost track of him.

The town nestled in the hills.

I would ride my bike everywhere – I had to be home each night for dinner and before the street

lights came on. Every night at 10 o’clock sharp – the siren from the firehouse would blow-

You could hear it all over the town – that was “CURFEW” for the streets –

I think no one under 18 could be out and about!

My first friend I can remember is the girl next door – her name was Sharon – and she had a big brother whom everyone called Sonny “KING” – and he dressed in a black leather motorcycle jacket and slicked his hair back like Elvis!

Sharon and I were like brother and sister – we would watch Lassie together – play on the front porch –

sneak a corncob pipe and gather silk from the corn and smoke –

puff it – in the big red barn behind the house.

We would walk to school together – and our route always was behind the main street along the tracks.

Behind the Eldred Garage and then on the tracks themselves.

Just before the creek – Lynches lived and behind their house was a tree –

like a little island raised up on a piece of land.

We would sit there and play our Kazoo’s together –

“THREE BLIND MICE”

That was all I knew how to play! LOL

She moved away and my sister and her husband moved in right next door!

Bill Luce – on the left – my brother-in-law.

Over his shoulder is the greenhouse I grew up in – my bedroom was the two windows on the second floor –

after my older brother Roger left for college.

Every morning I would wake up to the birds singing in the tree outside that window –

the Sunlight would come streaming in –

There was the main street – highway right out front –

and I would sleep and hear the sound of cars – trucks rolling by –

and then – the accidents that happen right there –

crashes would hit the cars parked there.

Some – I sept right through – others – would jolt me right out of bed.

That curb was where my best friend and I were sitting one early morning after midnight –

he was sleeping over and my parents had gone somewhere –

we got into the hootch under the sink.

My sister came out and grilled us –

“ARE YOU GUYS DRUNK”?

No I said and right at that time a car came

and the lights showed right on my friend – and he got sick –

and threw up all over the place!

” HE IS,” I said! LOL,

my sister always laughed at that and would tell the story many times over and over!

My friend and drinking buddy – lower right-hand corner!

We have reconnected about fifteen years ago at a class reunion –

he spent about a week here last October –

and we played golf once again – after some 55 years have gone by since we last played together!

My brother Roger and Sherry – a few years before he passed away – gone but not forgotten.

He was my hero growing up – ten years older than I –

named WHOS WHO in American colleges

OFFICERS TRAINING SCHOOL and a Lt. in the navy.

His bedroom became mine – when he came back I would sleep on the floor.

Thanks for reading Papa’s World – to be continued in livinglifedoingitmyway.blog