Family Times

The Clements had two daughters, near the age of Mary Ann and John Dan. They both also loved our older children very much, and we had so much in common that we spent lots of time with them, visiting and picnicking.

One fall the rats were almost taking over the place. Phyl hated them, of course. John bought a couple of air guns that shot lead capsules, and he and Jim shot hundreds of rats that fall. He even rigged up flashlights on the guns and they hunted those rascal rats at night.
Carolyn rode Rebel, John and Jim hunted rats, and Phyl and I played with our babies and visited.

John and I enjoyed family times. I remember one winter, we all took turns reading together Swiss Family Robinson around the fire.



It would have been easy to involve ourselves with the babies, but we continued to drive carpools and do special things with each of the children.

If John were not at work, he gladly kept the Little Bits while I chauffeured the teenagers. Aunt Eva and Mother were often helpers also. I have driven lots of miles carrying Jim and his track meet friends and basketball buddies.

Jim's friend, Royce, was also like a member of our family, just as Tuck Gumm was. He spent most of one Christmas with us, more than one Christmas, really. His mother worked at Christmas, I guess. I don't remember how he got to our house to visit when he was a teenager. Maybe I drove him, or maybe he walked.

One year Mary Ann got a cardboard stage with actors and props and all. Royce helped her put it together, and they worked days on that.

One of our favorite dishes when the children were growing up, was spaghetti and meat sauce. I fried chicken and steak a lot also.

There was a Colonial Cafeteria on Berry where Aunt Eva ate often and took all of us there too. We all came to love El Chico on Berry also.