Monday, April 4, 2022

After the rain

Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

 

Wonder if a man was inside steering?

For today:

What little I have been outside, I did not get the feeling I did as a kid after a rain. The fresh smell I relished back then is not here.  There is only the relief to see the sun and know (hope) it will last until our next move. BUT the little lake out front remains.

It remains to remind me of ‘little Jackie’ when I couldn’t wait to jump in a ditch full of water and dream it was a big river.  With North Carolina red mud (clay) you could make what my sister called ‘frog houses’.  You put one hand on the ground then with the other covered it with the soft red mud. Let it set for a minute and carefully remove you hand and you had a ‘frog house.’

Sister Shirley was enough tom boy she liked to play in the mud also. She liked to make circles and other shapes, smooth the mud and draw pictures or write, she called them ‘plaques’, referring to the ones hanging inside our house. Ones that said: ‘Jesus Lives Here’ and ‘Home is where the Heart is’.

WE were fortunate mama had a hose, before we stripped and went inside.

‘After the rain is still nice,’ just to see the sun.  BUT I know that carefree, no problems excitements of my childhood will never be relived. HE allows us one trip on this earth, fortunately at 83 years old I have enjoyed more time than anyone in my family. 


AT present I do not feel great, but I am still thankful, LIFE is good.

 

NiteShipslog

PS: I was thinking as my computer beat me again at Spider Solitaire:

 ‘Okay you win again, but I could whip the snot out of you at wrestling or boxing!!!’

6 comments:

betty said...

I never heard of frog houses made like that from mud, Jack. Shirley was so creative as a youth too! I think every child loves playing in the mud if their parents will let them lol. Even dogs like to roll in it!

Betty

Gary B Wood said...

I have several songs I sing that mention "Red Clay Ground" Bright Red "Georgia Clay"and "Hard Cold Ground" ! All sad songs !! Our Clay up here is found mostly in Ponds of water and it is white Clay ! We would scoop it up out of the bottom of the Pond, wade ashore and cover ourselves in this white clay and then see who could jump in the water and make the biggest white wave or splash as it washed off !! Been outside mostly, warm, 55 degrees and sunny ! Hope it Drys up down your way but looks like more rain ! Take Care, love from the North, Gary and Anna Mae

Mevely317 said...

Like Betty, I never heard of a frog house. How fun! Yes, it sounds like Shirl had a fine-tuned imagination; she must have been a great pal.

The only mud I've enjoyed was a hot mud bath at one of Calistoga, California's famed hot springs. 'Could sure go for one of those right now!

Hugs from post-tornadic 'Bama!

Victor S E Moubarak said...

Praying for your good health and quick recuperation, Jack.

God bless.

Lisa said...

oh we used to love to play in the mud. Mud pies were great. Never heard of frog houses but I would have been all over that idea.
I remember the hose pipe rinses.

Fun times
Lisa

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Children do love mud. Your post reminded me of the time I had all the children cleaned up to go away, and they were told to wait in the yard for me. I looked out later to see them all covered in mud. I took the hose and washed the mud off of them and then had to wash their clothing and get them all ready to leave once again Then I didn't let them wait outside for me ever again. Good memories for both of us today.