Old Stories Set up new

Mom shared a story about her youth that I will tailgate on today to help make a point. The picture above was of my mother, her mother and her grandmother. The baby was mom's sister, Nona jean. You can imagine that being born in 1922, she grew up during the depression and realized the full effect on her family. Her Daddy walked, yes walked an oil pipeline from Eldorado, KS to another small town and back each week for Skelly Oil. The Company paid him to do that and check for leaks or damage. As he went from town to town, the Company paid families to put him up over night and feed him on the way. He had to walk about 30 miles a day and was home only on the weekend. One Saturday night, he was home and sitting on the back porch. He was eating the usual fare of Beans and Potatoes as that was about all there was to eat. He said it just wasn't fair that a man who worked all week couldn't even get a little salt pork to put with the beans. About that time, the neighbor was heard shouting, "Beans and taters, taters and beans, all we ever get to eat is beans and taters!" Mom said her family broke down in laughter and tears as it seems like they were all in the same pot.

For me, this time of year it is taxes and basketball. I know that by design I will have to pay each year so I don't really start them in earnest until they start the basketball tournaments. I spread out the paperwork on a card table by my computer and work on them a little until they are completed. Taxes and basketball, basketball and taxes all I ever do in March is do taxes and watch basketball. Oh well, I love beans and taters and when the games are over and I get my taxes paid I have enough money to put some salt pork in the beans. Ain't life grand?

MUD