A break in the story, Personalities...29º. supposed to be sunny today.

 I have often heard the saying, that in a marriage, "opposites attract." With my parents, that wasn't totally true, but I think it is true, to some extent in all couples...I picture Daddy as strong, kind, giving, hard working, gentle and loving, not afraid to show emotion...I picture Mom as strong, kind, giving, hard working, out spoken and didn't show emotions.

I've talked to my older sisters about this and got some answers, when they said, "We always went to Daddy when we had a problem, when we were hurting, and needed hugs, not to Mom." That and the fact that Barbara, took care of me as a baby,  explained why I never felt close to her, in my growing up years...Sometimes, Mom would make remarks, that we loved Daddy more than her...We showed more love to him, because he was so easy to hug/love, to sit on his knee and drink his coffee, plus he put way more sugar and cream in his coffee, than she did...Mom was more the disciplinarian, and not that we needed it because we all saw how hard they worked and followed that example...We didn't want to disappoint them, and make life harder.

We didn't get "grounded" or have a curfew growing up...The words "don't be late," were heard as we left the house on a date...But the unwritten rule was, "if we got home late from a dance, we knew we had to "pay the fiddler," be up, dressed and at the barn to milk cows at 5:30AM...George was the only one to have a problem with this rule, he hated getting up to milk cows!

As you have seen in some of the stories, both Blanche and Joe had to be strong growing up, and in their marriage they had to be strong in different ways...She, in her own way, kept his drinking to a minimum, she juggled the money, to get through the month/year, and found money when he needed another piece of equipment...He worked the farm, took care of animals, plus a second job to bring in cash for clothes, necessities and new machinery...They were a team, sometimes at odds, but respectful and loving to each other...to be continued Hugs to All...OWAV:)

Mom and Dad in front of the Porterville house, I think these two photos' tell it all.