c1998PaulaThompson

Written by a woman that has lived all of this! Paula Howard Thompson, pj@apex.net, native of Weakley Co., Tennessee has graciously agreed to share her knowledge of the old time ways our ancestors lived by. Thanks so much, pj!

Note: These stories remain property of Paula Thompson and may not be reproduced or used in any publication without her written approval and endorsement.

FROM BIRTH TO FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

I am going to tell you about me (I am Paula) and Patsy's life but I am going to do it in sections because I would be here this time next year and still wouldn't have it all told!  Patsy and I was forever getting ourselves into something or the other, I got the spanking and she got nothing.

I was born June 4, _____ and Patsy was born September 28, ____of the same year but that one is our secret and will stay our secret (after all as I said before, I have to have at least one secret. My Mama, Ellen Beauton Jones Howard and Patsy's daddy, Theron Elbery Jones were brothers and sisters, two of nine children of William Lee Jones and Lucy Caroline McClain.

Well might have know that I would have to be the oldest and only get spoiled for just over 3 months and then here come Patsy and my life from that minute forward was never the same.  Cena Mae Foster Jones, Patsy's mama came to our house from the hospital and moved Patsy right in the baby bed with me!  Now you know how I felt about that baby bed even at 3 1/2 months old, that little brat moved me right over.  This CLOSE arrangement lasted until she was about 4 months, man was I mad!  I finally got rid of her, out of my bed but not out of my life.  She's not too bad these days but let me tell you, she has dealt me some misery throughout our lives!

We went to Oak Grove Church of Christ in Weakley County, Tennessee where our ancestors had been going for many a moon, since the 1850s or there about.  Now my Mama tried to make me set as still as a mouse, but I got a spanking every Sunday morning after Church with the peach tree limb cause I couldn't set still.  Patsy was a terror in Church and NEVER got a spanking in her life, except one that you will learn about in the next part of this saga.  I laughed at her after I cried when I got mine too.

I remember one time, the meeting was going on at Church, it was July and HOT.  No air conditioning, of course, I was really restless that morning so I knew I had it coming big time.  I jumped out of the car when we got home, ran through the house and put on my snow suit and met Mama at the peach tree.  Well let me tell you what happened then, she jerked that snow suit off me and everything else, I got a whopper of a whipping with that keen switch that morning!  I sure didn't pull that stunt again, of course Patsy laughed, the little jerk.  Another time Mama had made me really mad so I went out into one of her flower beds (she loved flowers) and started digging me a hole, I had a deep hole by the time she found me.  She asked me what I was doing?  I told her (I was about 3 or 4) in no uncertain terms that "I am digging my way to China", well guess what, to the peach tree again and a keen switch.  Patsy laughed again.  That's ok, her day is coming!

Patsy and I spent alot of time together those first 6 years.  In our Chestnut Glade community we had a school, Chestnut Glade School, a store; Nanney Grocery, a garage; Nanney Garage and a sweet potato house.  My daddy and Theron went to the garage alot to get things fixed, like a tractor, car, truck or whatever.  Patsy and I were always with them, they would give us a nickel and we would head to the store to see Miss Flora and get us something to drink or eat.  Now you got to remember this for later on, we always went to the store with our nickel.  Patsy and I spent the night at each others house alot, I liked to go there cause they didn't get spanking!  I got spanking!  When we were at my house and we did (usually Patsy did) something wrong I got spanked and she got fussed at!  Life was not fair!

Patsy's mama, Cena Mae was so funny.  She is still living today and has not aged a day.  You know even at Christmas, Patsy got to open her gifts as she got them, I had to wait till Christmas Eve.  See what I mean.  Patsy had a brother, Garry that was 2 years older than us.  We all three loved to play in the creeks.  About the time I turned six, which was in the summer of 19__, Garry made us all a corncob pipe, we had already been smoking grape vines, burned my tongue many a time.  We would use corn silks in our corncob pipe, man did we think we were big shots.  Thank goodness Mama never found out about that one!  I wouldn't be here today, but guess what, Patsy or Garry never smoked after we got grown but you got it, I did!  See she has dealt me misery all my life! Patsy's daddy and my uncle, Theron was a tough sounding fellow, but his bark was worst than his bite.  Mama and Theron were very close, remember he use to get her in trouble for smoking!

Well this brings us up to August of 19__ when we started to school. Hehe she finally got a spanking.  Next charter to come!  This one is really good!

FROM 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL THROUGH 3RD GRADE  

PAULA AND PATSY AT FIELD DAY IN 1ST GRADE CHESTNUT GLADE SCHOOL 19__

Written by a woman that has lived all of this!

Paula (pj) Howard Thompson; A Native of Weakley Co, Tennessee; December 6, 1998

Return to Stewart County Homepage.