THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND ME

WHEN I WAS LITTLE I REMEMBER MY MOM TELLING ME THAT WE HAD TO COVER THE WINDOWS WITH BLACK COVERS BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS GOING TO DROP BAGS OF FLOUR ON OUR HEADS IF WE DIDN'T DO THAT AND COVER UP AND HIDE UNDER THE BEDS. SO I DID.
I WAS LIVING WITH THE NUNS INA HOME WHEN THE SECOND WORLD WAR STARTED FOR AMERICA , THE RADIO SAID THAT THE JAPANESE HAD BOMBED PEARL HARBOR WHICH WAS IN HAWAII IT WAS CONFUSING , IF THEY BOMBED HAWAII WHY WAS AMERICA INTERESTED THEN I HEARD THEY BOMBED OUR SHIPS IN THE HARBOR.
WE HAD BLACKOUTS A LOT AND THEY BLEW SIRENS WHEN THAT WENT ON. IT WAS A CONFUSING TIME FOR US KIDS.
I REMEMBER WE HAD TO USE LITTLE RED TOKENS TO BUY MEAT AT THE STORE AND WE HAD BOOKS WITH STAMPS FOR OTHER FOODS. AND WE WERE ALLOWED 1 PAIR OF SHOES A YEAR WHICH WAS HAVOC FOR GROWING FEET AND THE SHOES WE COULD GET WERE VERY LARGE SOLED AND HEAVY, WE WENT BAREFOOT A LOT THEY WERE SO UNCOMFORTABLE.

THE WORST THING WAS WE COULDN'T GET ANY BUBBLE GUM WHICH WE LOVED.
I ALSO REMEMBER GETTING WHOOPING COUGH IT WAS REALLY AWFUL YOU JUST COULD NEVER STOP COUGHING . THERE WAS NO VACCINE FOR THAT. NOR FOR MEASLES OR CHICKEN POX WE GOT EVERYTHING. AND THE WORST FEAR WAS OF GETTING POLIO SO MANY KIDS GOT IT WE WERE SO LUCKY NONE OF US DID. PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT HAD POLIO AND WAS INA WHEELCHAIR FOR MOST OF THE TIME HE WAS IN OFFICE. BUT, EVERYONE LOVED HIM HE PULLED US OUT OF THE DEPRESSION BY USING THE WPA WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION. THE GOVERNMENT STARTED UP WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE STREETS WERE REPAIRED STATE PARKS WERE MADE UP TO BE USED. EVEN IN SOME CITIES TODAY IN SACRAMENTO CA. YOU CAN SEE SIDEWALKS WITH WPA ON THEM.
MY FIRST MEMORIES WERE OF THESE TIMES AFTER MY MEMORY OF GRAMPA AND UNCLE ALFONSO WHO USED TO TAKE OUR PICTURES ALL THE TIME.
I CAN REMEMBER AS A SMALL BABY MY UNCLE TAKING MY PICTURE IN A SMALL TUB BABIES ARE BATHED IN WITH A BAR OF IVORY SITTING IN FRONT OF IT MY MOM AND UNCLE SENT MY PICTURE TO MANY BUSINESSES IN HOPES I COULD GET A JOB AS A BABY MODEL HAHHA.
I HAVE ABOUT 2 PICTURES OF THAT TIME LEFT. I WAS A CUTE BABY I LOOKED VERY WISE. BIG EYES. AND EVIDENTLY HAD LONG LASHES AS ONCE A LADY TOLD MY MOM HOW BEAUTIFUL AND LONG THEY WERE AND I WENT AND GOT SOME SCISSORS AND CUT THEM OFF I WAS ABOUT 3 OR 4 YRS OLD THEN. MY MOTHER WAS FRIGHTENED OUT OF HER MIND SHE YELLED AT ME AND SAID I COULD HAVE POKED MY EYES OUT SHE WAS SO SCARED.
I STARTED BEING A WISE ASS AT AVERY EARLY TIME. I ALSO CLIMBED A HUGE COTTONWOOD TREE TO THE TOP WITH MY BIG BROTHER ND YELLED DOWN TO MOM SAYING "HI MAMA"
SHE SCREAMED IN FEAR AND SAID I WAS GOING TO KILL MYSELF HAHA WE LAUGHED AND CLIMBED HIGHER. THE TREE WAS ABOUT 40 TO 50 FT TALL.