Lois 'baby' sits dogs for her son and grandchildren. She has never said yes to my request for her to 'baby' sit Adi. Probably she thought I wasn't being serious.
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Linda from Mocha With Linda has started a new meme! This one's going to be fun. Each week she will ask us a question, and we post our answer! It will be something to bring about a memory of some sort to share!
We are supposed to answer the following questions: (you might like to join in with this one or see others' posts, just click on the button on the right.)
It got a little long this week. I couldn't possible write about all this:
Do you have siblings? (If not, keep reading - I'll get to you.) How many and are they boys or girls? Where do you fall in the birth order? How did you view your "spot" in the family compared with the others? If you are the oldest, did you resent the things the youngest got to do that you didn't? If the youngest, what did you want to do like the older ones? And if you are more of a middle child, how did that impact you? How do you think your birth order shaped your personality? Did you and your siblings like each other growing up or did you fight all the time? Are you close now? Or at least friends with each other?! What memories stand out about you and your siblings?
If you are an only child, how did you like that? Were you glad to have all the attention or did you want to have a brother or sister? What advantages were there to being an only child? What disadvantages? Which side of the fence is greener?!
For everyone, did your sibling experiences (or lack thereof!) affect your decision to have kids or to have a certain number?
So here goes:
Yes, she is named Lois.
I am the older of two, Lois is the younger.
I loved being the older and didn't resent anything Lois got that I didn't. Most things we shared. Like our bike. Or Dad's horse, Minnie. I did get to ride Minnie to high school and Lois didn't. They tore the school down before she got that old.
We also shared Dad's pickup to drive to school. We drove it to the town high school. The country high school was only through the tenth grade.
Any time we shared you must keep in mind that Lois was five years younger. That meant I had use of whatever five years before she got old enough most times.
One thing that didn't work out very good was the bedroom. Our house only had two bedrooms so when Lois was ready for her own room apart from the folks' that meant I was ousted to the front porch. Grandpa and Dad screened and glassed it in. But there wasn't any heat. In the cold winter mornings there would be frost on my blankets.
I think we both are like the middle children. I don't know what happened to those on the outside.
And fight? We fought a lot in a friendly manner. I teased a lot and still do. About three years ago she got on to me about being too rough on her because of all the Midwest tornadoes. We don't have those down here along the coast. Ours are very small mild ones if and when we have any. I would tell her I couldn't come up to Iowa to visit because of those tornadoes.
I think she remembers best how I taught her to avoid smoking cigarettes. By some illicit means known only to me I had acquired a pack. We went down to the creek and 'smoked.' I think Lois smoked two.
She claims they made her sick. I only remember a lot of coughing and meaningless words from her. To this day I can't recall how I ever convinced her to 'smoke' the second.
My other favorite memory is teaching her to drive Dad's pickup. I taught a lot of girls and women to drive, maybe even ten. My kids count for two of them. Lois was always a bad driver. Once on the way home from school she ran over a neighbor's mailbox. Another time later in life she ran right into someone and totaled out a very nice Oldsmobile she and hubby, Jim. W, owned.
Lois had had no effect on me having five kids. This is the most I had written keeping on subject for a meme in ages. So I will quit. Go read the others by clicking on the logo above to find them at Linda's. Or click here.
.
Linda from Mocha With Linda has started a new meme! This one's going to be fun. Each week she will ask us a question, and we post our answer! It will be something to bring about a memory of some sort to share!
We are supposed to answer the following questions: (you might like to join in with this one or see others' posts, just click on the button on the right.)It got a little long this week. I couldn't possible write about all this:
Do you have siblings? (If not, keep reading - I'll get to you.) How many and are they boys or girls? Where do you fall in the birth order? How did you view your "spot" in the family compared with the others? If you are the oldest, did you resent the things the youngest got to do that you didn't? If the youngest, what did you want to do like the older ones? And if you are more of a middle child, how did that impact you? How do you think your birth order shaped your personality? Did you and your siblings like each other growing up or did you fight all the time? Are you close now? Or at least friends with each other?! What memories stand out about you and your siblings?
If you are an only child, how did you like that? Were you glad to have all the attention or did you want to have a brother or sister? What advantages were there to being an only child? What disadvantages? Which side of the fence is greener?!
For everyone, did your sibling experiences (or lack thereof!) affect your decision to have kids or to have a certain number?
So here goes:
Yes, she is named Lois.
I am the older of two, Lois is the younger.
I loved being the older and didn't resent anything Lois got that I didn't. Most things we shared. Like our bike. Or Dad's horse, Minnie. I did get to ride Minnie to high school and Lois didn't. They tore the school down before she got that old.
We also shared Dad's pickup to drive to school. We drove it to the town high school. The country high school was only through the tenth grade.
Any time we shared you must keep in mind that Lois was five years younger. That meant I had use of whatever five years before she got old enough most times.
One thing that didn't work out very good was the bedroom. Our house only had two bedrooms so when Lois was ready for her own room apart from the folks' that meant I was ousted to the front porch. Grandpa and Dad screened and glassed it in. But there wasn't any heat. In the cold winter mornings there would be frost on my blankets.
I think we both are like the middle children. I don't know what happened to those on the outside.
And fight? We fought a lot in a friendly manner. I teased a lot and still do. About three years ago she got on to me about being too rough on her because of all the Midwest tornadoes. We don't have those down here along the coast. Ours are very small mild ones if and when we have any. I would tell her I couldn't come up to Iowa to visit because of those tornadoes.
I think she remembers best how I taught her to avoid smoking cigarettes. By some illicit means known only to me I had acquired a pack. We went down to the creek and 'smoked.' I think Lois smoked two.
She claims they made her sick. I only remember a lot of coughing and meaningless words from her. To this day I can't recall how I ever convinced her to 'smoke' the second.My other favorite memory is teaching her to drive Dad's pickup. I taught a lot of girls and women to drive, maybe even ten. My kids count for two of them. Lois was always a bad driver. Once on the way home from school she ran over a neighbor's mailbox. Another time later in life she ran right into someone and totaled out a very nice Oldsmobile she and hubby, Jim. W, owned.
Lois had had no effect on me having five kids. This is the most I had written keeping on subject for a meme in ages. So I will quit. Go read the others by clicking on the logo above to find them at Linda's. Or click here.
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You will find more about Lois at the sister label below. Click it and read.
I'm visiting from Flashback Friday today...I have a brother who is 5 years older than me and we're close. I loved having an older brother. He was surrounded by sisters growing up : )
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your memories today. Have a nice weekend!
Those are nice memories. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm new to this meme, and am visiting from Flashback Friday. I loved reading your memories. I can identify with the frost on the blankets! I didn't sleep on the porch, but it sure got cold at night when the heat was off! I only have an older brother, 9 years my senior.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun memories. Well, the frost on the blankets - not so much! My grandparents had "sleeping porches" at their house. But I think they were heated and cooled.
ReplyDeleteThanks for participating!
Thanks for curing me from smoking the rest of my life! And, as I remember, Mom tried to get you to sleep inside on the couch on those really cold nights...but, no, you said, because your bed was on the sleeping porch. Almost Anonymous
ReplyDeleteI loved hearing about you and your sister. I have a younger brother. We had such fun.
ReplyDeleteHey, Jim, I am glad you're joining the meme fun. I very much enjoyed reading more about Lois.
ReplyDeleteYou show a lot of love for your sister in this post, Jim. I wonder what my brother, who is five years older, would write about me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your memories of your sister! Yikes, I can't imagine waking up with frost on the blankets!
ReplyDeleteI've heard about the frost on the blankets many times from folks your age (brothers and sisters). It was pretty common for farm folks with two story houses and the stove on the main floor. Once they started putting plumbing in, they had to warm the houses up enough with insulation so pipes wouldn't freeze.
ReplyDeleteLois must be a renegade what with smoking and driving reckless and such.
that lois is some lucky auntie, seeing my adi so much!
ReplyDeletei am just sdi's adopted auntie and have to solace myself getting a glimpse or two of her when you put her on a post!..which lately, i must complain is precious little!
but i still love you mr, jim!...love terry