Fletasonly

So Many Stories to tell:
I was so lucky to have had such a wonderful childhood. Even though I was an only because Mom could not have any more children, I feel so blessed to have grown up with a large family - after all, I was one of 25 grandchildren born to Grandma and Grandpa. Also, I was so fortunate to have "two" mothers, my Mom and Aunt Winnie. That also made me have two wonderful brothers - Jim and Skip. I was with them almost everyday of my school years. I was 7 years older than Jim and 12 years older than Skip( boy did we spoil him).
Mom and Aunt Winnie always reminded me of Lucy and Ethel. Winnie was Lucy and Mom was Ethel. The two of them could get into more mischief together - they would make me laugh till I wet my pants ( no joke). Dad and Uncle George would just skake their heads.
Truly some of my foundest childhood memories were of visiting the farm and getting to do so many wonderful things - like ride the horse, gather eggs( which scared me to death), work with Uncle Willis dehorning calves, eating too many green apples with Donnie, eating too many concord grapes, and being a spoiled brat about drinking regular cows milk. I still have never, and I mean never, eaten a better blackberry cobbler or eaten better applebutter than my Grandma's. The homemade ice-cream was soooooo delicious.
Grandpa was always afraid that Truman's boys or Uncle Willis kids were going to hurt me when we rough housed, but I remember to this day Grandpa saying, " Flete - I think she can hold her own after Donnie came up with a bloody nose!"
Both Aunt Winnie and Mom always used to say that I was more like Aunt Betty - too tender hearted. I always took that as a tremendous compliment. Mom and Aunt Winnie were probably two of the strongest willed women - way ahead of their time for independence. Aunt Winnie was probably the most outspoken person I ever met, but had an absolute heart of gold.
There are more stories to come about these two marvelous women in my life - but just to give you all an idea of how they were loved, Jim and Skip did my Mom's eulogy and I did Aunt Winnie's.