As we get a little older, sometimes, as men, we don't think things through. Bebe and I are both determined to tone up and lose a little weight. I am way ahead of her in the "need to" department, but when she asks questions and makes comments during this period, I need to consider carefully my answers.The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat have gotten to be really good friends.
When I was just a youngster, I often visited with my mother's parents. I don't know how old they were, but all their children were grown and gone. They lived in rural Mississippi in a Sears Kit house. By the time I remember anything of significance, they had moved the plumbing inside off the back porch. The back porch was enclosed and screened all around. It had a bed, washing machine, game cleaning table and a variety of other little shelves and pegs for hanging outer garments before entering the house. Just to the right as you entered the porch from the outside was an add on room that contained a sink, a commode, and a bathtub. I do recall years earlier having to wash at a standpipe outside, and using an outhouse, but progress was made and things were changing.
One of the new additions was an electric refrigerator. It was delivered in a large wooden crate. My granddad, having lived through the great depression was never one to throw anything away. I mentioned the outdoor faucet where we used to wash up, it had a 4' X 4' cement slab on the ground just in front of the standpipe to stand on when the water was in use. My granddad decided to make a shower stall using the wooden crate. He built it around the cement slab and configured a modesty offset at the entrance. He ran a water hose from the standpipe over the back side of the stall with a shower head attached. The back steps to the porch were fairly tall with a landing at the top. My grandad was a short Irishman and my grandmother was taller than he and weighed more. He stood outside and called to my grandmother to come out and see his handiwork. She came out and stood on the landing and looked to her left at the new edifice.
She said, "What is it Lonnie?"
He answered, "It's a shower stall Ida Mae."
She replied, "I don't think I'll be able to fit in that thing."
He snorted, "Well Ida Mae, the refrigerator came in it."
I was too young to know what, if anything, occurred later during their private moments together, but when I saw the cartoon posted above, I was reminded of that scene.
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth...AMEN..!!
