For the Good Old Days

My family was large, and when we were heard our mother call “Get down here for supper, kids,” we’d scamper down the hall. There wasn’t much conversation. We’d devour all the food. “Seconds” went much too quickly among our grasping brood! In sweltering Iowa summers, we’d play or swim at Weed Park; We’d squirt each other with hoses and chase fireflies in the dark. Sweaty, we’d ride our bikes over hills or coast into town for a treat. We’d gorge ourselves on “Maid-rites,” glad to be out of the heat. Winters we’d don our coats and scarves to sled or skate in the wood. Mom would cook us her chili, and I, of course, ate all I could! and Mom would clean unceasingly and worry for our souls. Dad with the bills and work in the yard. Both toiled in separate roles. But my sweetest reminiscing lingers not on the chores they chose, but rather on intimates chats we shared, and those late night drive-in shows and our cozy Sunday evenings which I now miss more and more: “Bonanza” playing on the TV and that huge tub of buttered corn! For "Heart's Warmth" Contest: Sponsored by Sami Al-Khalili