Cold Winters

Sometimes, the winters were freezing cold during my childhood. When the true winter set in, there were many times the 'tanks' or large ponds would freeze. They all froze around the edges, ever so often, the solid freeze would go clear across the shallow necks of the tanks. What was a kid to do? Why, skate of course. We didn't have skates...we had shoes and they worked like a charm.
My brother, Jim, and I would go and find a 'best' frozen part and jump on the ice and have fun for a while. We'd skate across pretending to be ice skaters or race around acting crazy. With all the clothes we had bundled around us, I'm surprised we could move!!
One particular cold, cold day, we landed on the large tank above the haybarn. What a blast! Suddenly, Jim said, 'here, I'll skate with you and turn you around.' Being a trusting soul, Iwent for that in a heartbeat. What I forgot was, I didn't really know how to ice skate! He turned me, my feet continued backwards faster than I did and WHAM! Cheekbone to ice, come in, you are going to be so bruised. Well, that ended that particular session for the day and yep, I cried. Big 'ol sissy tears! I thought I was ruined for good and forever and I was sure he had done that on purpose!! NOT!
Not only did we play on the ice, but some of the coldest winters sent our daddy to the tank with a chain saw. The cows depended on those tanks for water supply and with no way to get to it, an entire dairy herd was in jeopardy. Daddy would go in his pickup and travel around the edge of the tank stopping several yards apart to cut holes in the frigid, blue ice. Problem solved. Until that night when the temps dropped in the teens again.
Living in a big 'ol white house on a hill had lots of advantages, but, at the same time, that was in the day of no central heat or air. We relied on the Deerborne Space heaters in each room to warm our 'booties' and heat the room. They were neat, a little more expensive though because the outer shell of those heaters did not get hot to the touch!
The rooms in the country house were big...10' ceilings, big country windows and being up on the hill, the wind would whip ferociously at times, knocking against the back door and large windows. We didn't care! Our home was warm from the heaters and warm from family. We continued our lives year round whether 100 degrees or 10 degrees.
Breakfast was together, with all four of us, lunch, well, we were all different directions and supper (yes, back then, supper) was all of us again, gathered to enjoy the home cooking of our multi-talented mother, Lucille! We always enjoyed a full meal with delicious dessert at the end!
Saturday noon was our sandwich day...and our grocery shopping day. Jim and I would escort mother down to the HEB on Elm Street. Me? I had to have a quarter to ride the golden hobby horse that sat gracefully mounted in the store's front window! I was sure I was Annie Oakley every Saturday!
When the quarter played out, I ran to find Mother and Jim and add to the basket size! No, silly, not me on the basket, all the good stuff I wanted her to buy!! By the time we checked out, a mountain of food, all of the lunch meets for the Saturday sandwich meal and the week and it always totaled $35. Of course, we had fresh milk from the barn and a freezer full of home grown beef on the back porch!
We had routines, we were church oriented and all of us had many friends in our lives. Every Sunday morning and night was SS, Worship, Training Union and Worship. Every Wednesday night was Prayer Meeting. Yes, the Freedman's were there, front and center. And, every Sunday night after church was cake and coffee at someone's home. The adults drank coffee visited while all of the kids ran crazy, playing games!
Now, while the chilly winters provided ice skating, the warm spring and summers provided great fishing and swimming if ya wanted! I never had enough patience for fishing, so I'd pretend to fish a while and then grab the horse to lope off over the hill. When we'd take the huge old tire tubes for fishing, I'd hang out and float around the huge tank. Those were the days.
Over the years, the memories have lingered and they always bring refreshing thoughts to mind once. But, we still have a few freezing days of winter and some very hot summers around here. Nope, no one has to go and cut a hole in the ice and nope, I wouldn't skate on it today if I could!
I only allow the good stuff to skate across the corners of my mind. All of my high school buds lived in town...I was the country girl! And, so what, you say? So, nothing, I tell you. To have lived on 300 acres, horses to ride, the wind in my hair and not a care in the world, what was wrong with that?
I had a Bellmead woman ask me one day in the local supermarket, "Honey, don't you get tired of living way there in the country?" Oh, I smiled at her as the wheels turned in my head...I replied, "actually no. The toughest decision I make every day of my life is whether to ride with a saddle or bareback!" That was 'nuff' said. I don't think that woman ever looked at me again!
Tough decisions? We've all had 'em. Changing times. We've all had 'em. Were they all perfect choices? Nope. Can we do better? Yep. And, so, in 16 days, many of my choices are going to be scripted for success. The process of preparing for life changing Lap Band surgery kicks in high gear.
Is this the right choice! Betchyur britches it is!!