IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER 68

When Carl and I moved to Arkansas a long time ago we were told of ticks and to make sure we checked ourselves over before going to bed. Now we were aware of pests because New Jersey has the biggest greenhead flies and mosquitos both that bite.

Carl was a man with a light ruddy complexion and I myself  have an olive complexion.  I was constantly picking ticks off of him.

Every place on earth has its season when pests prevail certain times of the year and here in Arkansas has one of the least desired one when the ticks are “in”.

My mobile home is surrounded by Pine trees  and I believe that is their breeding spot. I don’t know this for certain but it’s as good guess as any.

My metal carport is close to the house so when I pull my car under it I don’t have to walk but a few steps to get to the ramp or steps to the porch to get in. The mobile home sits parallel to the woods which is only ten feet away and DIL’s dog Chili lays right at the edge of the woods so he can survey the woods for critters he might like to chase and still see me park.

The other day it was warm and windy and when I came in from the women’s Bible study.  As soon as I was under the carport and opened the door Chili was right there and put his head in my lap to be petted. He  loves the attention and I love to give it to him.

I always have a chore getting my groceries in because I have to stop close to the porch and open the trunk to get the groceries out and lift them on the porch which is about chest high. I then put the car under the carport and get out. I did all this and after petting Chili I came in and put the groceries away. I had lunch and sat down on the couch feeling completely exhausted. This little chore tires me out.

My shoulder had an itch on it where I couldn’t reach and after trying and trying I finally got up and got an old bamboo back scratchier we purchased many years when we lived in Southern California. Well I scratched and seemed to be reaching the spot okay and didn’t think much about it until later.

I was preparing for bed and my shoulder had an itch at the same spot (I certainly missed not having my bed buddy.) where I couldn’t see if anything was on my back shoulder. I finally got some rubbing alcohol and pour some on my shoulder so it could run over the spot I had been scratching relentlessly. I went to bed and didn’t think much about it. I awakened about two hours later and I was itching and itching so it was at that time I remembered Oh yes it’s tick season time.

I stood in front of the large bathroom mirror and held a small mirror to see if I could see anything. I used the back scratchier with and alcohol swab wedged in the prongs and I scratched away. I finally did see a black speck on my back and I doused  it good with alcohol because I did remember ticks do not like the stuff and they will retreat from the hold they have on you. I finally was making headway but I still could not reach it with my hand. I remembered I had a long tweezers  somewhere and after searching  I finally found it. I reached back using the wall mirror  and finally reached that pest with my extended fingers and pull it out. I still have a welt where it bit me but I don’t itch any more. I am much relieved and finally went back to bed. This process took an hour at least.

I am much annoyed with myself because I let myself be pestered all day and didn’t remember the solution as soon as I should. I guess age does have it’s limitations.

I have been enjoying watching the college March Madness basket ball down to the sweet sixteen. So far a couple of my favorites are still in the running. It has been such a good tournament that it is anybody's guess who will win.

I do enjoy watching sports. One thing for sure you won’t  see people disrobing and jumping in bed together. In the sports world baseball is beginning.  It is hard to keep up with that sport because they have increased their number of teams in the league that it isn’t interesting until it comes down to the World Series. It is impossible for me to remember them all so I wait until the series and then pick a team to root for.

I remember baseball of years past with fondness because it was when Carl came into my life then. Back then Dad always had a radio on for the customers that came into the restaurant. Baseball was very popular, and everyone liked to listen and young men and boys played on the local teams. I remember telling you that Dad hit the ball over the barn and broke the window in the doctor’s house and then ran back in the store and left my brothers to take the blame.

Needless to say our country was a good place to grow up. Getting back to my story. I was seventeen and asked out to go to a baseball game to see the Philadelphia A’s  play a night game. As fate would have it a sailor who came in the restaurant also asked me to go. I would have liked to go with him too so I had to think of how to go with both. I asked B the customer if he would not mind if Carl came with us if he had his own date and he said yes. You have to remember this was a small town and customers got to know each other because of conversation going on in the restaurant. You see a waitress couldn’t neglect or favor customers.

So a friend from school came to be Carl’s date. Customer B had the car so we all met in the restaurant so my Dad could see there were four of us going to the night game in Philadelphia. All four of us had a good time because the A’s won and we ate hotdogs and popcorn and rooted for the old home team.

The picture above is Jimmy Foxx who played for the A’s.

So whenever I hear the song “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” I have loving memories of the Lord letting me have the best of the ballgame and Carl too. I share these glimpses of my life for my children to look into my past of things I might not have shared with them. I can’t remember.

Until next time, I Am IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER.