December 07 1941, we had just returned home from Church, and as my Dad always turned on the radio upon arriving, he followed suit that day. It was a radio broadcast that changed our lives forever.
I may have written some of this before, I don't remember if it was in a blog, or in one of my journals entitled 36 YEARS LATER. But if you have read this, bear with me. My memory is shot.
My Dad became an Air-raid Warden. Every night at dark he would put on his official armband, get his flashlight, and patrol an area of our end of town. We had blackouts, so if enemy planes did make it here, there would be no lights to show where the cities were. He would check every house. If he could see light he would knock on their door and tell them.
My Mother dyed sheets black, and hung them over the windows every night, and we only used what light we really needed. We would listen to the radio in the dark.
We had ration cards, got a new one each month, were only able to purchase what was listed on the cards, and in the quantity allotted. It was a hardship. Didn't both me so much, as I was one of the kids, but looking back don't know how my Mother and Dad managed. But they did. I remember our washing machine died. You could not buy anything new, as nothing new was being manufactured. It all went into the war effort.
I learned how to use a scrub board. My sisters and I all had to help as best as we could. At least the wringer on our washing machine still worked, and we didn't have to wring all the clothes by hand. We had clothes lines strung in the basement to hang the clothes to dry in winter, had them in the yard in summer. No such thing as a dryer.
I remember when the war ended, we were awakened in the middle of the night with loud shouting. It was the paper boy. (That's what we had back then). He was walking up and down the streets, holding up a newspaper and shouting at the top of his voice "Extra Extra, Read All About It, War ends" over and over. Everyone was rushing out in the nightgowns, pj's or whatever buying the papers. The war was over!
Our lives were changed forever. My husband, Tom, served in the army in a hospital unit from 1942 until discharge in late 1946. He was near the front lines in the South Pacific where the hospital tents and doctors and nurses were. He was an aid, and jack-of-all-trades. He also was stationed in Japan at the close of the war for a brief period before being shipped home and discharged.
This is just a thumb-nail sketch. There was so much more. I go into more depth in my published journal 36 YEARS LATER. This was published in 2006. The reason it was named this is that in 1970 I wrote, and had published, a journal depicting life in rural Pennsylvania entitled BITS AND PIECES. It sold very well for several years, then, as all things, was replaced by other things.
In 2006 Double Edge Press wanted to re-release BITS AND PIECES, but there was one condition. I had to write a follow-up journal depicting life in rural Pennsylvania 36 years later. Hence the name of Journal No 2.
Well, enough for remembering right now. Time to get changed and ready to leave for Church, then home and the Steeler Game. They had better win!!!!!
If you want to know more about one family's life in rural Pennsylvania, then and now, my books are available through me, Double Edge Press, Amazon, etc. etc.
I will also have a few copies with me on December 18th, when I will have my latest IF ONLY I COULD TALK book Volume 3 at my Church for pickup after Sunday services. At that time if will have the books that have been pre-ordered and a few extras for anyone who did not order, but would like a book.
I didn't start out for this to be a sales pitch. But I do get excited whenever a new book is released, and as Volume 3 will be my last book (writing books has been replaced by writing blogs) I just wanted to share.
Have a great day, enjoy the football game, and God Bless.
No comments:
Post a Comment