The Beverly Hillbillies

I watched the pilot episode for The Beverly Hillbillies this morning.
Made me smile, made me laugh.
Not only just for the show itself but reminding me of how Rick called me his "hillbilly".

I was born and raised just 7 miles outside of Sulphur Springs, TX.
And just 3 miles from where Rick was raised.
But, we lived a life like my ancestors lived.

The first flushing toilet I saw was when I started 1st grade, with Mrs. Pogue.
I needed to potty, raised my hand and she said I could go.
I went outside.
She came after me asking me where I was going - "I am going to the outhouse".
She smiled, took me by the hand and led me to the restroom.
Turned the light on, which scared me.
Then she shut the door.
I was so scared, I just stood there and cried.
She heard me, opened the door, and then knelt down to hug me.
When she realized that I had NO idea what to do in there - she closed the door and helped me.
I jumped when the potty flushed, and I was very confused about where the water came from when she had me wash my hands.
The way she took time and cared for me, meant so much, still does.

Daddy and Momma got running water when I was about 10 and we got electricity when I was about 12.
No more going to the outhouse or using the pee-pot in the night!
No more lighting coal oil lanterns to see after dark!
And we had a shower, which totally terrified me at first!
But no more Saturday night baths only in the #3 wash tub on the kitchen floor!

Soon after, daddy and momma got a propane stove - I could not understand where to put the wood!
It was a miracle to me to be able to simply turn on a burner!

We grew, picked and canned (or froze) all our vegetables and fruits.
Killed our chickens every October.
It was Momma who would wring their necks, and I would wait till they stopped running around - go pick them up, we hung them up and plucked feathers.
Killed our hogs the first of November.
Processed the meat.
The only meat taken to the locker was the beef, one per year.

We ate meat on Sunday's.
Vegetables the rest of the week.

It was my job to draw up water from the cistern and water all of the gardens (3 of them) and the fruit trees (lost count on those).

Momma and I quilted in the wintertime, as she would let down the quilting frames from the ceiling. That was the story times.
Oh how I miss her stories!
Sometimes her sisters, Aunt Ola and Aunt Ollie, would come down and help.
I remember a few times when they were there together - those were amazing times!

The first color TV set I saw was when I was 18, spending a Sunday afternoon at Rick's parents house - and Rick turned the TV on.
We had gotten a black and white set a couple of years before, but when he turned the color set on?
I thought something was wrong with it!

Rick took me out to eat at a restaurant for the time - Bonanza Steakhouse.
I didn't even have to wash dishes after eating!

So many things I knew about our way of life . . .
and so many things I did not know about how others lived.

Rick would tease me, and give me some "edumaction lessons" lol

I have talked to many people older than me - and they were raised this way.
But few who are my age (61) were.
Their grandparents lived like this, and many have memories of going to their homes for a day, or a weekend, maybe a week in the summer.
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Rick said if you looked in the dictionary for "East Texas hillbilly" you would find my picture! LOLOLOL
So, watching this episode was sweet to my heart today.