Quillins in the Civil War

 Anyone tracing family roots of families who have lived in America since it became a nation will find a generation that was affected by the Civil War. The Quillins were no exception. I have southern roots and I make no excuses for them as they lived in a difficult time and did what they felt they HAD to do AT that time. There were wrongs that were committed on all fronts; that is how wars go. I do not condone some of the southern ways of life, but we learn from history, correct our ways and move forward. Anyone who wants to bring this up must plant themselves firmly back into that time. We have come a long way in America, and thankfully we have better insight about how to live freely. We must protect those rights and continue learning how to live in a better world today. And STOP playing the blame game. Most of us are WAY past the belief system of that era.

With that said, I will continue my Quillin history during this tumultuous time in the next post. 

Growing Up In Small Town America Part 14

 Summertime - Crafts, Camps, Vacations

During the summer, I learned how to do crafts on my own, including how to sew on Mother’s Singer sewing machine. I’m proud that I learned the basics. I did sew a few things that I actually wore, and Mother sewed many things for me, including most of my formal dresses.  Mimi was the expert seamstress and I later requested that she make my Lion Costume as the school mascot. It was in her later stage of life. Looking back, I know that it stressed her dealing with that heavy fur material, but she did it. It meant a lot to me for HER to be the one to design my costume, complete with a tail J

 

The summer was filled with sleeping late, eating watermelon for breakfast, and watching cartoons and sitcoms until mid morning. Sometimes I would go to a Methodist Church camp with my friends and I always looked forward to Day Camp with the Camp Fire Girls. As summer grew long, though, we grew anxiously excited to start another school year.  August was a time to buy new school clothes, school supplies, new lunch pail, etc. I was also allowed to have a birthday party, usually inviting 10-15 friends.  Mother would have a cake, we would play games, and they always brought a gift.  I also attended MANY parties for my entire circle of friends, as well. It was a thing we did in a small town. We decorated with balloons, crepe paper and had favors for the guest.

 

As a family, I remember a stretch of time that we vacationed in Colorado. Daddy would rent a cabin and it was a fun family time. I grew fascinated with the chipmunks and built a trap and was actually able to catch them.  I got the bright idea to bring one home and was surprised when that was allowed.  The poor fellow never made it back to Vernon, as he died on the journey… no surprise.

Growing Up In Small Town America Part 13

 

SUMMERTIME

Summertime seemed magical. I lived to be free from school. We played independently outdoors all day. Mother could whistle LOUDLY by using her fingers in her mouth and I knew when I heard that whistle that she meant for me to come home NOW. I knew that if I didn’t come quickly that I might have to select a willow branch from the neighbor’s tree and pay the consequence. We rode our bikes, made play houses from large cardboard boxes, caught fireflies at dusk, and sometimes after dark, we played hide n seek  until our parents called us back indoors. We drank sugar sodas, kool aide, ate sugary candy, yet no one was overweight because we played so physically. We would often go to the newly built baseball park to watch the baseball games until way after dark. We also had a putt putt golf course, and parents would drop us off so that we could play a couple of rounds, until we phoned them to come get us.  On the last hole, you had to putt onto a difficult uphill platform, and if you made a hole-in-one, you won a free game. My best friend, Lisa Jones, and I were jockeying one evening there on the last hole to see who would be the first to make a shot, and she hoisted her club as if to swing hard and her club came around and struck me in the back of the head.  The owner of the course called my parents, they came quickly. Though bloody and with a scar on the back of my head, all was okay. I still wonder today if that is the cause/concussion that I may have had that created my seizures that began in my late 50s.

 

A fond memory is when my cousins would come and we would play on the Slip n Slide and set up a croquet set with wooden mallets.  I established meaningful relationships with my cousins. I grew up around extended family and my cousins were very important as play mates, just right next to brothers and sister.

 

We often set up play dates with friends to go swimming at the Country Club, usually to connect with a larger circle of friends.  Our mothers would pick us up. When they arrived at the house, they would honk the horn and then deliver us to our destination. We would phone home when we were ready to come home.

Growing Up In Small Town America Part 12

 

SHOPPING

As I said above, little towns like Vernon where business hubs. There was little need to go elsewhere to shop. We did all our shopping in the downtown area at places like M.E.Moses and Woolworth’s. These were call Five & Dime Stores (5&10 cents). You could buy practically anything in these stores. They had lunch counters and were filled with neat stuff. If any of the merchandise had “made in Japan” on it, I felt that it was junk. I suppose that is because we lived so close in time to WWII.  At Easter, Moses would sell little baby chicks that had been dyed in the colors of Easter. They had them in the store in open wire cages under heat lamps and we would buy these poor chicks and take them home, only to have them die shortly. I view that now as a very cruel thing to do.

The huge stores of today had not come into existence, but they were on the rise in the late 60s.  Downtown Vernon had men’s stores and separate ladies’s stores and Hill’s Children store that were independently owned and operated. There was a Perkins, a J.C.Penny’s and a small Montgomery’s Store where they basically did catalogue orders. The Montgomery’s catalogue was called a “wish book.” We had auto stores, jewelry stores, Norsworthy’s Record store, a bakery, a card shop, etc.  All of these were built around the courthouse city square. In my teenage years, a large Gibson’s Discount Center was built out on the new loop highway. It was much like today’s Walmart. I believe this was the start of the decay of the downtown areas. A T.G.&Y. was also built which took away revenue from Moses and Woolworths. Woolworths closed their doors, followed not long after by Moses. Eventually we began to shop in Wichita Falls for a wider variety and other specialty items. They built Sikes Shopping Center, and I was blown away as we walked through it. I believe that shopping center is still open today.

 

We had small Super Markets for groceries. My daddy’s best friend, Jack Snell opened the first United Supermarket,  not far off the courthouse square. Business took off and he and his family eventually became very wealthy, developing the United chain of food stores. We had a Piggly Wiggly, which was where Mimi would shop every week. Mother, too, often shopped there to receive the reward of green stamps.  These were stamps that could be redeemed at a connecting Green Stamp Store for home goods.  I loved going in there with Mother. She brought home many useful household items from there, and occasionally let me select an item.

Are We Missing The Boat

 

For a long time, I have known that we, as a nation, are deteriorating. I have said that the problem is found in 3 areas: decay in the family, decay in our belief in God, and no understanding of patriotism. This came on the TV and confirmed my fears. 

Family: For some time, it has been convenient to divorce when things just go wrong. It seems that for a long time, couples would persevere and work through their problems. This left the family structure intact, with a mother figure and a father figure. Each brings something to the family that ALL children need.

Then we began hearing how the Black culture was missing Father figures. The women would have children and sometimes they would not even know their fathers, leaving the women to raise the children alone....and sometime leaving them to be raised by grandparents. 

Now we have gay marriages that have children??? How could that be (BIOLOGY TELLS YOU THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE)...well, it's not possible without invitro fertilization. There was an article last week in the paper about how 3 different girls were searching for answers about medical issues using their DNA.....well, turns out they learned that they have over 300 siblings. Sperm donor banks often do not monitor the amount that is sold. I can only imagine what the children of the future are going to face. 

Religion: we are being bashed from every angle for our belief system. This nation was founded on Christian principles. We must be aware of wolves in sheep clothing. If you don't believe it, look up the TRUE history of why there was immigration in the 1600-1700s. They were searching for religious freedoms and they found this nation on their Christian beliefs, not free from God, but free to worship as they pleased. Now we are demonized for our beliefs, for being good decent human beings, excepting others just as Christ did. The word Jesus is a frightening reality for many. There is a lawlessness and a desire to just do what feels good, to rewrite history, to do as we please in the here and now. AND... Never think that the middle Eastern culture is the same. 

Patriotism: we are losing the last generation that had to fight in an ALL OUT WAR where it took the WHOLE nation to come together to defeat our enemies. The young people are losing sight of what the cost of that was in the form of giving your life for our freedoms. There are too many keyboard warriors that have no idea what courage it took to lay it all on the line for our beliefs. Self-gratification and lack of responsibility and owning your own problems/situation is creating a huge problem for the strong will of our people. Some can't even tell you who we fought in the Revolution.

My America, My Homeland Part 12

 AMERICAN PRESIDENTS DURING MY LIFETIME

Barack Obama 2009 -2017

He came into office with the least amount of political experience, being only the organizer of events in Chicago and serving for 3 years as Senator from Illinois. He was our first African American president and was in a prime position to bridge the gap of racial tension by holding himself up as an example of what can be achieved as a Black man; that anything is possible. Many times, though, his rhetoric turned to his memories of being treated the same way. As a white citizen, I know this happened; I understand their hurt; I am appalled at the actions of many from the past. But we are not able to erase the past, nor should we forget it. I can’t help what happened in the past, but I can’t be blamed for the past either. I am willing to move forward, wanting equality and justice for everyone in the here and now. I prefer not to constantly re-live all the negative racial injustices. As a teacher, I learned to be color blind. I viewed my students as they were, no matter their background or culture. The media became whores to what was sensational and fueled the flames, and most white America became silenced not wanting to be labeled as a racist, bigot, misogynist, homophobic…you name it, if we spoke out about anything, we were labeled. This created LOTS of tension and stress and unfortunately, for me, the best candidate in the election against Obama was not selected and America selected Trump.

 

Donald Trump 2017

This may be the most divisive President I’ve ever lived under. He is a wealthy businessman known across the globe. He is not a politician and the press HATES him, and he hates them. He takes to Twitter to talk with the people directly. He has no filter in expressing his ideas, but he is determined to do what he believes he was elected to do. For that, he has achieved the respect of his base, but many Republican politicians find it hard to follow him. Only time will tell.  He is the President as I speak, and I find it disgusting how our nation has fallen into such negative rhetoric and how disrespectful we have become of the office of the President. Honestly, I’m fearful for the future of democracy. I grieve about the downfall of our media with so much bias in news stories. One has to search hard to find the real news.

Joe Biden....Really? In my view, this is the most destructive President we have ever had. Economy went down the drain after Covid, handouts to everyone, spending in the trillions of dollars, crime is rampant as we have defunded police, and the border crisis with millions of undocumented aliens being released into our country is unthinkable. A country with no borders is not a country. One World Order.... ?

My America, My Homeland Part 11

AMERICAN PRESIDENTS DURING MY LIFETIME

 George Herbert Walker Bush 1989-1993

He was Reagan’s Vice-President and was elected when Reagan’s term was completed. America still could not stomach another Democrat after Jimmy Carter. Foreign policy would drive his presidency with military involvement in Panama and the Persian Gulf. Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, had invaded oil rich Kuwait. After negotiations failed to get Iraq out of Kuwait, Congress authorized the use of military force. I remember that day well. Jan 17, 1991, was the beginning of the Persian Gulf War/Operation Desert Storm and possibly our involvement over there for years to come. As I walked in the door after school, the television news was full of the air attacks. It was the first time since Vietnam that I was seeing war on TV. This time it was much different with the missiles being fired in rapid succession lighting up the night sky like huge green flares. This went on for 4 weeks, until ground troops went in and pushed Hussein back to Bagdad, restoring control of Kuwait to their government. Bush’s approval rating skyrocketed. However, he reneged on his campaign promise of “no new taxes” which cost him his re-election.

William Jefferson Clinton 1993-2001

I will begin with the positives about this President because after that I have very little respect for him. Bill Clinton was a master negotiator. He had the ability to reach across the aisle and come to terms, to give and to take. Democracy is built on this example of negotiating under the law of the Constitution. BUT, this President was despicable much like Nixon, lying under oath. Bill had an affair with an intern in the Oval Office. He was a womanizer and he used his power to have his way with Monica Lewinski. She was naïve and believed that he cared about her. When the infamous blue dress turned up with his semen on it, he had to come clean of his indecent behavior INSIDE the White House. He was impeached from office for lying to the American public. This began the moral decay of our society, as young people now felt that oral sex wasn’t sex, and sex out of wedlock became the norm. The Clintons did not go away, however, because his wife Hillary was elected as a senator from New York and later took the stage as Obama’s Secretary of State. Their Clinton Foundation, raising millions in the name of charity, would later be viewed as suspicious. Their books and speaking engagements made them wealthy. She later ran for President against Trump, but America had had enough of the Clintons.

 

 

George Walker Bush 2001-2008

He was the governor of Texas and was born into a family of privilege. He was a good governor and had a great sense of humor. He held vastly to what he believed was the “right” thing to do in any situation. His goal was to bring integrity back to the White House, to cut taxes, aid minorities and improve education. But only 8 months into his presidency on a day when he was visiting school children, the 9/11 attack on The World Trade Center changed all that. The War on Terror became front and center, as he dealt mostly with our nation’s security. He condemned Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda and the world changed forever as we began to deal with the evil forces of the East. Illegal immigrants began to pour into America. The Great Recession began. We invaded Afghanistan and Iraq known as the Iraq War and implemented the ‘shock and awe’ campaign. I’m not sure the dust has ever settled, nor can it when dealing with that corner of the world. Bush had some of the highest ratings in the polls…and some of the lowest. I believe that he was a compassionate man trying to do the right thing for the American