NANA'S MEMORIES

Your mind (or at least my mind) does funny things sometimes. For years now I have envisioned Mama looking just like Rita Hayworth. Actually she does not look like her. I do remember Mama wearing bright red lipstick...just like Rita. She pin-curled her hair and styled it...just like Rita. She often had a cigarette in her hand...just like Rita.  The picture of Mama was taken when she was thirteen. You can tell how tiny she was. Just three years later she was married and had a baby on the way. That's the way it was. You cannot tell much with the picture so small but there are little holes all in Mama's picture. I think one of her four brothers may have used her likeness for a dart board.

My mama was born in Missouri, raised in Oklahoma, married my daddy, and lived the rest of her life in Arkansas. Mama was five years old here. I see her in the faces of some of my nieces. I favored her as a child too. Mama is ten years old here. Isn't she a pretty little thing? She was the only girl with three older brothers and one younger brother. I think they spoiled her and she loved them all. Mama was only sixteen when she married and moved away from her family in Oklahoma. That was not unusual in 1950. I was born one year later.  I only cost them $22.00. My hospital bill shows 2 days at $5.00 a day. $10.00 for the delivery room. $1.00 for lab. $1.00 for baby bracelet. It was paid in full the day I left the hospital. I wonder how long daddy worked to pay $22.00? Mama said I would have starved as an infant if my grandma had not fed me milk gravy off the table. She said her milk was "blue john". What the hay is that? They put me on Pet Milk f...