My mom was a very young lady when she committed to my Dad in marriage at the ages of fifteen and nineteen years respectively. Our family consisted of a Mom, Dad and three children. We never realized how capable and inexperienced this mom was as she provided all our needs including and very important, a healthy spiritual background.
The pleasure with having a young Mom resulted in her joining in on our juvenile activities but remembering that she provided the mentoring and disciplining that was necessary to keep us from being “buddies”. The fun and entertainment was found at most part within the home. Television was not yet invented and the weekly Saturday matinee was available for only 10 cents. She provided us with and joined in with our picture puzzle parties, listening to the special radio programs such as “Green Hornet” and “The FBI in Peace and War.” These programs allowed us to use our imagination as we work on the puzzle or just relating to each other.
Mom loved silly riddles and rhymes and the following is one I especially liked, smiling whenever I hear 1-2-3 mentioned. “1-2-3, mother caught a flea, the flea died, mother cried, 1-2-3.”
We were taught how to save for our annual outing to the amusement park along with other outside entertainment which was spaced and planned as the income allowed. When I finally reached my high school years, this was when I realized how well my mother managed the budget with her thriftiness and frugality considering her sixth-grade education. I never had the feeling of being in need of anything and mom taught us this very talent. To this day, I love being practical and thrifty because I love a good bargain.