Popdaddy was in a mood to share memories. He talked about working on the Skyline Drive. The way he got the job was that some men near Mom's home had rented their trucks for the use of the crew and Dad rode along with them to deliver them. The foreman said they needed a man to operate a piece of machinery (sorry I forget what it is called). But the requirement for the man hired was that he had to be able to do a 1/10th grade (I have no idea what I am talking about, just repeating the story). Dad said he got cold feet at that point, I assume that was very difficult to do. But the man told him to just give it a try since he was there. So Dad said he practiced all through the men's lunch break and the foreman never told him to stop so he got the job. The pay was 40 cents a hour.
My sister Peggy was just a few months old when he started working on the road. My mom and Peggy stayed with her parents while my dad boarded on the mountain. When Peggy was six months old they joined him--a surprise to Dad. My aunt and uncle brought them and Dad was in a nearby town when they arrived and was surprised to find them in his room when he returned.
Then he told of buying a Ford Roadster from a young man who was going to college and needed to sell it. He bought it for $40.00 and made a lot of improvements on it. It was a second car for him, he also had a Chrysler but wanted to save it since the mountain road was not very good. He told of driving the mountain road and the curves were so sharp that he had to back up and try again several times to get around some of them. He also told of a time that he and Mother needed to go off the mountain to get groceries. It was sleeting and they were in the Chrysler but as they took a slight grade the Chrysler just spun its wheels. They returned to the boarding house and got the Roadster and it took the road just like it was a dry road. Then he chuckled and said how silly they were for even going off the mountain when there was a small store nearby. I imagine Mother wasn't willing to pay the higher prices at the small store!
It is always a blessing to hear Dad pray. He expresses such gratefulness in his conversations with God. Today he even thanked God for the good health he enjoys--for his age!
1 comment:
Doncha just love how he is so content?! What an example- I love hearing him pray too- there is just something about it :) Tell him "hi" and that we are praying for him and thinking of him every day.
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