[except from The Notorious Letter Thief!]
"...you have entered The Finest Comfort Zone,
where everyone is safe..:))..."
BIG WHEW! This should be the last time anyone has to assure me...To know that this is a safe place with safe people is a real blessing!
We kids listened together a lot of times over at a neighbor's house..We gathered around the radio and listened with such intensity! I remember it well..We played outside except for a few radio programs unless it was very cold. ..and played or did homework at the kitchen table while the grownups listened to the war news at night.
Mother volunteered at the Red Cross rolling bandages and dad performed some sort of Civil Defense work for the county..
It was the worst of times but for me it all seemed like a good time,too. I felt safe ..just without chocolate and roast beef and gas to go see grandparents as much..My parents were working themselves at a hard pace but I just accepted that..Our refigerator died and there was no replacement available so we had an ice box. We had our own milk, our own big Victory garden to can vegetables..our own chickens for meat and eggs..and a goat for the neighbor girl down the street who could not tolerate cow's milk..
Feeding and watering the chickens and gathering the eggs were my jobs..I hauled the water in a child's wagon down to where our chickens were. My brother took care of milking. I know now how little we had in the way of toys or luxury and if I recall..mother either made my wool coat out of a larger coat or had it made..Seamstresses abounded so one could always find a good seamstress.
I had shoes that were a bit large because they had to be large enough to accomodate growing feet with the rationing of shoes...I remember stuffing cotton in the toes .
Our shoe repair man had so much inventory of resoles I suppose that we in my very small town could get shoe repair done..I never had to stuff card board in my shoes. I also went barefoot all summer!
I still have a sugar ration "book" somewhere. My parents were older than the norm when I was born..and dad was 4F anyway becase of injuries sustained in an accident.so I did not have to face that..I remember the War Bond rallies that we had and how Patriotic we were.
I remember sitting next to my mother at church right after the news of DDay invasion was known. We went to church on Wednesday nights and twice on Sunday...but this was different..People just went to the church with no formality...they just gathered to pray. I was young but I felt the urgency and gravity.
I recall seeing German POWs in a truck..There was a camp not far from my hometown.
My oldest cousin was off at war and the family worried and prayed.
It was a very different world indeed...but some are still gathering around to hear the news ..wondering how their loved one is faring in a country far away..and some still suffer injuries and some great loss..and serve and sacrifice for our country. God be with them.
May God Keep Safe All Who Serve Our Country