We're Of to California!

“Sis, help your mom around here today.  She’s teary this morning so that means a trip to California to see your Grandma.  I’ll be back about 5:00.  If you all can get things together, we’ll try to leave tomorrow.”

About every three years, my Mother would get lonesome for her Mother and we’d make the long trek to California in the middle of summer.  This particular summer was my 13^th year.  Having to travel with a teenager, who really would rather have stayed home with her friends, wasn’t a walk in the park for my parents.

We had a new Studebaker but it had no air conditioning.  Anyone who has made the trip across the desert to California knows that doesn’t make for a very delightful trip.  Mother always packed things to eat along the way because my Daddy didn’t like to stop unnecessarily.  And, although we would stop the first night about midnight at a motel in Albuquerque , it seemed we hardly got stretched out straight in the bed before I would hear my Daddy getting up.

“Time to rise and shine. It’s 3:30,” he’d say, “Time’s a wastin’ and we need to get on our way.   More time we spend on the road; less time you get to spend with your folks in California.”

 Daddy would go pay the bill and get his thermos filled with coffee while we packed up our things and off we would go.

“Sis, you want a banana?” Mother would ask. I was stretched out in the back seat; my pillow under my head catchin’ a few Z’s that I didn’t get the night before.

“Well, how about an orange?  Would you like an orange?  They’re good for you. When we get to California, you can pick oranges right off the tree.  Won’t that be fun?”

“Yea, sure thing, Mother and no, I don’t want an orange.” And, I would turn over hoping there were no more offers.

Somewhere in the early afternoon, Daddy decided to stop for gas.  I discovered if you needed a bathroom break, you took it while he was gassing up the car or we were stopped at a stoplight or you didn’t get one.

“While you’re getting some gas, can I run across the highway to that ice cream place and get an ice cream cone?” I ask my Daddy as he started to get out of the car.

“If you’ll make it snappy,”he replied.

So, I jerked open the back door and hopped out onto the pavement barefooted.  Little did I realize it was 114 degrees and the pavement would fry and egg in 15 seconds.  I jumped back in the car yelling my feet were scarred forever and why didn’t someone tell me it was that hot out there? The little water cooler we had in the car didn’t keep it very cool but it certainly was deceiving about the outside heat. Thankfully, Daddy felt sorry for me enough that he drove across the highway and got an ice cream cone for me and one for mother.  He didn’t want one he said as he poured himself another cup of coffee.

“How ‘bout some boiled eggs and crackers?” Mother turned around and looked at me and then at Daddy.

“Good grief, Mother, it’s hot as blue blazes in here and you’re wanting us to eat boiled eggs and crackers? I replied.

“Well, how ‘bout a piece of apple pie then? “ She asked.  So, not wanting to hurt her feelings and hearing my stomach growl occasionally, I said I’d take a piece of pie but she could keep her eggs and crackers.  So, she cut a piece of pie for me and one for Daddy. Of course, Daddy didn’t stop long enough to eat so she scooted over closer to him and fed his piece to him a bite at a time. Then, she poured some water from a little red thermos that she had filled with water and ice before we left home. It wasn’t very cold but at least, it was wet.

It was well after dark when we pulled into Grandma’s in Ventura. She lived with her youngest daughter and her husband so after a tearful reunion, Grandma and Mother finally got all the tears wiped away and settled down. Daddy unloaded our belongings from the car including what was left of the apple pie, boiled eggs and crackers. Then we were shown where we were to sleep and assured there was a busy day of sightseeing ahead of us.

“Oh, joy,” I thought, “Just what I needed; more time riding in a car.”

Family is so important. I wish I had realized that more when I was thirteen and had been a bit more sympathetic toward my Mother when she wanted to see her Mother. I don’t think we realize how important that bond is until we become Mothers, (or Fathers). I am so very thankful for my children and grandchildren. I’m thankful that God has placed them close enough that I can see them frequently. And, I am thankful that, because of His grace, all of them are Believers and we will all be together forever in eternity.

 

“Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. “Honor your father and mother” is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, “so you will live well and have a long life.Fathers, don’t exasperate your children by coming down hard on them. Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.” Ephesians 6:1-4

Out Came Those Tonsils

And, so it was…….a warm day in April and there I was in a hospital bed in the next town over waiting for the doctor to come in for me.

“Good morning!  How are we feeling this morning?” asked the doctor. He was a new doctor and he wasn’t smiling and calling me young lady like Dr. C. did. I wasn’t sure I was going to trust this man to take out my tonsils.  I didn’t say a word. I hadn’t decided whether or not I was going to like this man.

I was in a big room and in another bed on the other side of the room was a boy about my age. Apparently, his tonsils were poisoning his system just like Dr. C. said mine were.

“And, how are you doing, young man?” inquired this new doctor.  The boy just looked at him and, like me, didn’t say a word.  The nurses came for the boy first. She was pushing this bed on rollers.

“Just climb over on this gurney”, she said to the boy, “I’m gonna roll you down the hall to the operating room.”

“I don’t want to ride on that thing.  I’ll just walk.”  And, he promptly jumped down off his bed and started striding across the room toward the door.  He must have felt the cold air on his little behind after a few steps because he hadn’t gotten to  the door until he reached his short little arm around clutching where his pants had been before they had put that awful split tailed gown on him.  He stopped; bewildered and still clutching his gown behind him, he began to walk slowly back toward the table.

“I guess I’ll ride after all”, he said, “if somebody would help me up on this thing.”

Next, it was my turn. The ride to the operating room was scary. I didn’t like the nurses with masks on their faces. I didn’t like the big lights but most of all, I didn’t like the smell.  The nurses lifted me gently over onto the operating table; smiling and talking all the while. The next thing I knew, they were putting this big black mask over my nose and mouth and telling me to take a deep breath.  I don’t know how they expected me to breath. That stuff smelled awful and I wasn’t about the breath it.  I wanted down off that table right then and I didn’t care who knew it.  As I began to struggle, the nurses gently took my hands and held them to my sides and held the black mask on my nose and mouth.  Soon my struggling began to subside.

The next thing I knew I was dreaming I was in this sunny pasture and there were these little rabbits all driving these funny little cars ever so fast and ever so carelessly around and around and up and down until I was so dizzy I could watch them no longer.

When I woke in my room, my mother and daddy were there.  I opened my eyes and they were the first persons I saw.

“How are you doing, Sweetheart?” My Daddy asked.  I tried to answer him but nothing would come out. My throat hurt more than it had ever been before. I couldn’t talk……..I couldn’t swallow. I was ruined and I just knew I would never be the same again. And, to this day, every time I use finger nail polish remover, the smell takes me back to the smell of that ether in the big black mask the nurses held over my nose.

All of us I think, have things happen to us that take us back to something in our past. We see someone who reminds us of someone we knew years ago.  Or, we smell a distinct odor , like I did, that remind them of a place.

“God gave us roses so we can have memories in December,” is a quote I have often heard.  I think that means that we can have the memory of the beauty and the scent of roses when December comes to cheer us up when the weather is bleak.    When we have bad things happen, we can go back to the good memories God has placed in our memory bank and those will get us through the bad times.

“Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart. I am so pleased that you have continued on in this with us, believing and proclaiming God’s Message, from the day you heard it right up to the present. There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” Philippians 1:3-6 The Message

Oh, Those Nasty Tonsils!

Oh my, I was SO sick!  My temperature was 104 and I was lying lifeless on the bed when our family doctor came walking in the bedroom, black bag in hand.  This was back in the day when a doctor was a real family doctor; didn’t specialize in anything in particular and doctored everyone in the family.  And, he made house calls even in the middle of the night.

That day, he punched and probed and examined.  Every time he touched my skin I would cringe.

“Looks like tonsillitis to me again, young lady.” He finally declared. “I think when you get over this bout we better consider having those old tonsils removed.”  I was too sick to care; too sick to even comprehend what he was saying.

He removed a big bottle from his black bag and poured some into a big, brown bottle.

“Give this to her every four hours, day and night”, he said to my Mother. Then he turned and patted me on the head.

“You’ll be well in no time.  You take the medicine for your Mother like a good girl and I’ll be back to see about you tomorrow on my way to the office.”

Out the door he went; this Miracle Worker in his dark brown jacket and clean white shirt with a tie. His dark pants were almost the color of the doctor bag he carried in his right hand.  He was such a kindly doctor.  He always wore a smile and even though his hair was getting thin on top and he was getting up in years, it didn’t seem to slow him down at all.  He was the doctor who delivered me and had been our family doctor ever since.

In a few days, I was well enough to go to Dr. C.’s office.  His office was on the square in our little town, just above the drug store that his sister-in-law owned.  We trugged up the stairs and sat in the waiting room until he came to the door and called my name.

Inside the office was a big examining table right in the middle of the room. There were tall cabinets here and there; some had glass and you could see pill bottles on the shelves. Some contained instruments with plenty of clean white cotton towels nearby. . I was a skinny thing and he was always concerned I wasn’t eating enough. So after standing me on the scale to see how much I had gained, he would say,

 “Are you eating good for your Mother?” I’d shake my head up and down and he would reach in a big drawer in one of the tall cabinets in his office. “I think you better take these vitamins anyway.” And he handed them to my mother. “Now, hop up here, little lady, and let’s have a look see.”  He looked down my throat after inserting an instrument that felt as big as a shovel. “Now, say ‘Ah’”.

I was going to gag, gag, gag! I hated that instrument and I hated anybody invading the privacy of my throat. I didn’t care if my throat looked red.  After all, red was my favorite color.

“Well, it does look better. But, I think in a few days, we better consider getting those old tonsils out of there.” Now I was more alert; did he say take my tonsils out? Over my dead body would some old doctor take out my tonsils!  No one; not even this kindly old doctor that I loved was going to take my tonsils out……..NO ONE!

The next week or so was quite an experience for a little nine year old girl who had never been inside a hospital……more in my next posting.

We all know that Jesus is the Great Physician. However, He also heals through doctors.  God not only heals those who are physically ill, but He heals those who are sick in spirit.  He is truly The Great Physician.  

“But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, they that be whole need not a physician but they that are sick.” Matthew 9:12 KJV

Little John and His Friend and the Bull

Little John’s best friend was a couple of years older than Little John. So, of course, his friend was able to ride a bicycle before Little John could.

Little John’s Dad found a used bicycle and, Little John was determined to learn to ride as well as his friend could.  So, his friend would encourage and try to help Little John learn to ride.

“Okay, I’ll hold on while you peddle,” Little John’s friend said, ”Then when you get so you’re doin’ real good, I’ll turn loose and you’ll be ridin’ just like me.”

So, off Little John went, peddling as fast as his little legs would peddle.  Being able to balance wasn’t one of his positive attributes.  He would peddle; wobble and over he would go.  Then, his temper would take over and he would sit and cry.  He was so mad that he couldn’t succeed like his friend. But, after many, many, MANY attempts, skinned elbows and knees, Little John finally conquered the bicycle and he was so proud.

Adventure was one of the things the boys always looked for.  They loved riding on bridges because they were smooth, unlike the dirt roads they had to ride on.  They would ride back and forth down the old dirt roads, leaning first one way and then another seeing how far they could lean without falling over.

One day, as they were riding on one of the bridges, Little John’s friend looked up.

“Look at that old bull standin’ over there on the other side of this bridge, he said, pointing, “let’s see if we can scare him.”

So, the two boys began mooing and bawling like they had heard the cattle doing. Suddenly, the old bull put his head down and came barreling toward them.  They started peddling as fast as their legs would go with the old bull gaining ground on them. Finally, the old bull got tired of the chase and went back to grazing. The only problem was, the boys found themselves on the opposite side of the bridge from home .

“Now what are we goin’ do?” Said Little John. “We sure can’t go back across there and that old bull a standin’ there ‘cause he’s just gonna chase us again. We may be here all night. Reckon somebody will come a lookin’ for us?”

“Let’s just ride on down here to that old low water bridge and play for a while. Maybe when we come back, that old bull’ll be gone,” Said Little John’s friend. So, off they rode and sure enough, in a couple of hours when they headed back toward home, the bull was gone and they were plenty relieved.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation and wondered how you would escape?  Maybe it was somewhere you went that you shouldn’t have and someone walked in and saw you.  Or maybe it was finding yourself lying to a friend who had ask you go with them to a movie.  You said you had to study.  Later that night, when your friend called, your Mother said you had gone to a party with another friend. There you were; caught between a rock and a hard place.

Nothing that we do takes our Lord by surprise.  He knows our inner most thoughts. And, if we confess our sins to Him, He is always willing to make a way of escape.

” If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV

 

Little John and Mr. A. go to Town

“ I’m needin’ to go to town and pick up a few things, Little John.  Reckon you could drive me in Saturday?” Mr. A asked.

“Yep, sure can.  I’ll get the milkin’ done for dad Saturday mornin’ and then I’ll come across the road to your house about 10:00.  Mom’ll probably have some chores for me to do before I can go; she usually does.”

So, Little John and Mr. A. headed toward town in the old Model A.  Every squeak and rattle manifested itself as they road along the old dirt road.

“ Looks like we might be headed for some cold weather ‘bout next week.  What’d ya think about us going rabbit huntin’ if it snows?” inquired Mr. A.

“Sure thing; I’d like that.” Replied Little John.

By this time they had gotten to the square.  Little John pulled the old Model A in front of the hardware store and they two of them climbed out and went inside. Mr. A. visited with the proprietor while Little John walked up and down the aisle looking at the different things on display. His favorite aisle was the gun aisle.  He would stand and stare at the 22’s and shotguns and dream of the day he’d have enough money to buy one.

“Come here, Mr. A.  I gotta show you something.” Hollered Little John. So, down the aisle came Mr. A.

“What is it?

“Looka here. This guns got a telescope on it. You can look through it and it brings the target up closer. Man, I’m gonna have one of them one of these days.”

“Okay, let’s go, Little John. I think we might ought to head down to Check’s and get us a bowl of chili and a burger. What ‘cha think about us a doin’ that?”

Little John didn’t have to be asked twice. So, down the sidewalk they headed. Opening the door to the restaurant, they chose to straddle a couple of the stools and order up big bowls of chili and burgers. Crumbling a handful of crackers in the chili, Mr. A. looked at Little John.

“How’s ‘bout you goin’ over there to that coke box and gettin’ us a couple of them RC colas?” Mr. A nudged Little John and pointed to the coke box.

After they finished their meal in the steamy, smoke filled restaurant, they headed back to the old Model A, Little John jumped in the drivers seat.

“Watch this, Mr. A.,” said Little John. He backed out and put the Model A in gear. A control on a Model A located by the accelerator on the steering wheel column was called spark control.  It advanced or retarded the timing of the engine. Little John pushed the spark control up and barely gave the Model A some gas.  As they headed around the square very slowly, the old vehicle would cluck, cluck, cluck just like an old setting hen.  It was a strange enough sound that it drew the attention of those who were outside standing around or walking down the sidewalks. They would all stop what they were doing to see where the noise was coming from. The women would look at each other and wonder but the men knew exactly what Little John was doing and they would rare their heads back and laugh.

“How’d you do that, Little John? Inquired Mr. A.

“I ain’t a tellin’ “ said Little John as he gave the old Model A some more gas and turned the steering wheel toward home.  All the way home, they were chuckling to themselves about Little John’s antics and talking about the fun they were going to have as soon as there was snow on the ground.

“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.”1 Timothy 5:1-2 ESV

Little John and Mr. A. Go Squirrel Hunting

“I ‘spect this would be a good day for us to go squirrel huntin’, Little John, whata you think?” Inquired Mr. A.

“Hey, I’d like that. Let me run across to the house here and tell Mom where we’re goin’ and I’ll get my .22 and some ammo. I’ll be right back.” Said Little John. So, off he ran.  He was back in a little bit carrying his old .22.

“Mom said I could go and she’s a plannin’ on squirrel for supper.” Little John laughed.

So, off across the field they went, Old Bernie, Little John’s dog, running ahead of them. Seems he knew he would be needed to tree and then retrieve the squirrels that Little John brought down with that .22.

“He’s treed one, Mr. A.  Let’s see where he is. I can hear him barkin’ so he can’t be too far over this way.”

Slowly, making their way toward the sound of Old Bernie’s barking, they soon spotted Old Bernie at the bottom of a big old oak tree looking up at a Big Red.

“Hey, he’s a fine ‘en, looks like, Little John. I’ll go around to the far side of the tree and see if I can coax that old squirrel over to this side. Then you see if you can get a good bead on him. Remember, your mom don’t like it if the squirrel is tore up so try to hit him right smack in the head.”

Mr. A. crept around to the side of the tree and with Old Bernie still barking up a storm, the Big Red Squirrel came around so Little John could see him.

“I got him in my sites, Mr. A., now you get back outta my way. I can already taste this old squirrel.”

So, with Bernie barking and the squirrel confused about which way to go, Little John took careful aim. BAM! Down the side of the tree Old Red Squirrel fell.

Mr. A. and Little John walked up to see how bad the damage from the shot was.  Meanwhile, Old Bernie is standing guard just in case that squirrel dared to move. Leaning over for a closer look, Little John looked at Mr. A and said,

“Hey, I did good. I don’t see a mark on him. I done barked a squirrel! First time I ever done that Mr. A. Wait ‘till I tell dad about this.”  So, Little John picked up that Old Red Squirrel by the tail.

“I’m gonna take this ‘en back to the house right now, Mr. A.  I wanna show Mom what I done. She ain’t gonna believe it ‘till she sees him and she may not believe it then!”

I have to admit when John told me he barked a squirrel, I was a bit confused.  So, he explained.

“Barking a squirrel means the squirrel is hanging on the side of a tree with his head pretty close to the tree trunk. What you want to do is take aim at his head so as not to damage the body.  If you aim at his head and the bullet goes just under the squirrel’s neck, it kills the squirrel and doesn’t leave a mark”

“Yea, right, and I got some swamp land in Arizona I’d like to sell you”, I said, laughing. So, as I often do, I googled “barking a squirrel” and I discovered my husband did know what he was talking about.  It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.

This is the way with sin. A person thinks he has gotten away with sinning because it isn’t visible. So, he continues to go down the path enjoying the sins he has committed. But, one day, there will be a reckoning for that individual because even though others may not see the sin , God sees it.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6”23 KJV