The Early Years....

Well, after the throwing the baby blanket incident, the rest of the early years was basically boring.  We lived in Chickasha, OK and I realize as I have gotten older and seen a few of the places that we lived in Chickasha....we were POOR!  But, we didn't know it, perhaps we were too young, perhaps in those years we were just too happy. 

When Roy was just a baby, daddy got a job in El Dorado, AR.  He went ahead of mother and Roy and me and found a place to live and for whatever the reason, I remember that place.  I also remember the bus ride mother and Roy and I took to get there.  It was a very long ride indeed, and the first time I remember being hot.  Perhaps that is why I, to this day, cannot stand heat.  This was like in August of 1948 and the bus was, well it was a 1948 bus, you picture it for yourself.  Mainly, it was crowded and had no air conditioning.  Mother sat in the aisle seat with Roy in her lap and I sat by the window.  All suitcases were under the bus, but mother had a diaper bag for Roy supplies. 

The memory is getting more vivid as I write, and I am beginning to have a very acute sense of smell.  To make a long story short, Roy vomited all over mother and me and the floor...it was horrid.  Mother begged the bus driver to get the suitcases out so we could change clothes, but it was a no go.  We rode all the way to El Dorado in hot, stinky, puky clothes.  When we got to El Dorado, daddy picked us up at the bus station and took us to our new home.  It was an upstairs, one bedroom, unairconditioned apartment above a garage.  I remember Lyra and J.C. lived in the house on the same property and I remember that every day mother and Roy and I would have lunch and then take baths and take a two hour nap. I don't know if I remember that or mother just told me so many times about that, that I think I remember it.  I remember now, she told us she was very anemic and the doctor told her to take a two hour nap every day. Also, doctor told her to buy a fan to blow on us while we slept.  Blew hot air, I am sure.... but mother hated El Dorado, but loved Lyra and J.C.  I guess that is why it seems like it is such a memory to me.  Don't remember how long we stayed in that hot town, but don't think it was very long.  We were, as I look back on it, kind of like gypsies, but again, I didn't realize that at the time.  We moved back to Chickasha and lived in about 4 different houses before we move to Hutchinson, KS.  It was the summer before I was in third grade so I would have been 8 and Roy was 4.

There is one story about Roy, before we moved to Hutch!  He was always so curious and bright...ooops just thought of a couple more incidents so this will be a little more detailed than I had planned.  First story:  Walter and Arlene (mother's brother and his wife) lived in Norman, OK and Roy was about 4 and already interested in things peculiar.  There was a museum in Norman and Walter and Arlene talked mother in letting Roy go to Norman with them and go to the museum and spend the night.  Roy REALLY wanted to go, so mother relented.  About midnight, there was a knock at the door and there was Walter and Arlene and Roy.  At the museum there had been a showing of shrunken heads and they scared Roy.  Every time they turned the lights off to go to bed he would cry and say the shrunken heads were going to get him so they had to bring him home.

Second story:  There was a five and dime store at the corner of 4th and Chickasha Ave and Roy had gone there with Paul.  Paul had to go to town to buy something so he took Roy with him and then was going to buy him a toy at the 5 & dime.  Well, Roy wanted a "tuvel" and Paul tried everything to figure out what a tuvel was, but to no avail.  They left the store with Roy crying for a tuvel.  Paul would have bought it had he only known that it was a "convertible" car toy Roy wanted. 

He wanted one all his life and finally got one...and we went riding in it a few times when I was there in Hunt.  He would put on that safari hat and away we would go...fast around those curves in hill country and he would laugh...he really loved his "tuvel."  One day I had to go into town to go to the grocery store and do a few errands and he felt pretty good that day so he wanted to drive me in the tuvel.  It was not a good car to go shopping in....in and out...in and out...no where to put groceries....but it was great.  I remember on our way back home when we passed the coffee shop that guy with all the cars was there on the porch and Roy honked and waved and he waved back and then we saw Tony, was that his name, and honked at him and waved and Roy was having fun.  Interesting, that I never connected the two incidents about the tuvel until this very minute.  I don't think these blogs through and plan what I am going to write except for kind of an outline like I wrote several blogs ago, but as I type, my mind just jumps and wanders and my fingers just type what they want to and I just let them, a lot of times because I can't see the screen through the tears as I remember...and oh, there is so much more to remember.

Okay, on to other stuff.....that part of the story comes much later, but way too soon.....oh how way too soon.

Gonna have to put some pics in about now and give myself a little break and probably you too....but when I write again it will be about Hutch and the beginning of a new life....and how we realized then that Roy was a "runner"...he was like the wind and hard to catch even then.  Next blog, I promise.....



This is rather timely for this story time period...
He always remained by "baby brother"
and still is to this day

Look at the date on this one....
I was 7 and he was 3...
also notice he is holding my hand



Ride that horsey down to town

watch out little boy...don't 'cha fall down

Notice he has his watch on...he was always

very time conscious...never late for anything