TITLE: GROWING UP WITH GAYLORD By Verna Mull 05/22/09 |
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It’s a strange thing; I do not seem to remember much about all of our quarrels, except that we did have some. I do remember being called “dumb-bell” instead of Vernabelle_; but, I’m sure that being 5 years younger than he, I would certainly have appeared very dumb to him!
There are a lot of fond memories of Gaylord, making wooden airplanes, and little paddle boats. We had races with the paddle boats in the old horse tank, after trying to sail them in the river, and losing some of them. The airplanes were launched physically in the air to see which one would go the highest. (Guess whose did!) We also tried to launch them over our garage, of course, they didn’t always make it, and when our father caught us, he said we would ruin the shingles and must quit that activity. I don’t remember what we switched that activity for.
Gaylord and I often would dig worms, and go down to the river by our pasture land to fish. 9I always thought that my parents were quite sane, but as I look back-I’d have been afraid that we would kill each other or shove the other one in the river! I mentioned this to Gaylord one day, and he said “Did we ever fight when we went fishing?” I cannot recall that we ever did. In fact, Gaylord would put the worms on my hook, and take my fish off, (if I ever caught any!) One day, we “struck it rich, and actually caught 50 bullheads. We were catching them without even baiting our hooks. That must have been one hungry school of fish! That was the only time that I recall ever catching very many fish. We carried the bullheads home in a pail, and put them in the big horse tank. Well, fortunately, they didn’t all survive, but, the next spring, the tank was teaming with baby fish! They would go up the cattle and horses noses when they tried to drink. They would “snort” and back away from the water. Well, a lot of the cattle were milk cows, and my Dad was not very happy! We had orders to seine those fish out of the tank. Enterprising as I was, I put a lot of them in old p.nut butter jars, and sold them at school for 2 for a nickel. When my Dad discovered that project, it was quickly brought to a halt!
When my oldest brother, Ones, and his wife Mary, visited us one time; I went for a walk with both brothers to the pasture to bring the cows home to be milked. I walked between them, and they kept pointing out squirrels, birds, etc. Then, Gaylord said, “Look at that beautiful bird!’ I tried frantically to locate the bird that both brothers were describing. Each one took a hold of one of my arms, with the pretense of helping me discover the bird, and led me, barefoot, right through a fresh cow pie! Now, if you don’t know what that is, you’d better watch where you walk in a pasture. Actually, it didn’t really bother me much at all, even if I did make a big fuss. In later years, I milked cows, throughout the summer time barefooted.
Our pastor’s family often came to our home for Sunday dinners (my mother was a good cook!) They had 2 boys. Ethan was about Gaylord’s age, and Vincent was several years older. Gaylord and Ethan would do everything in their power to lose Gaylord’s “tag a long” sister; but dear “old” Vincent would help me through the barb wire fences so that I could keep up. Dresses were not the best tag-a-long clothes, but little girls wore dresses all the time back then. Vincent was my prince in shining armor! When their father became pastor somewhere else, we didn’t see them much more. Many years later, Vincent married and lived in Marble Rock, but our paths seldom crossed, and Vincent has gone on to be with his Savior, some years ago. (continued)
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