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Howdy - Howdy! My name is Hazel Auldridge and I am married to my husband Ralph of forty years. We are parents of two wonderful children. Amy who has given us four healthy, intelligent grandchildren; not to forget a son-in-law that is now our son.
Our son, Wesley, was born down syndrome and had a hole in his aorta. The doctors gave Wesley only a short time to live. He defied the medical profession and lived to be twenty-three years of age. And, he left quite a legacy behind. I love to tell his stories, they seem to keep him near and oh so dear to my heart.
Ralph and I now live in a small north Texas town with our two dogs, Luke and Lucky.
We lived in Dallas County while our children were growing up. We were both employed in public service jobs; in our spare time, we enjoyed our family. Also, we devoted many hours to community volunteer work, we were involved with youth of all ages; plus the USA armed service Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary.
I graduated from a rural public school. Following graduation I have secured certification for numerous continued education courses. I attended Paris Junior College at age fifty plus, I have completed three semesters.
With a variety of employment positions, my work record is filled with many adventures such as: book keeping, a receptionist, electrical wiring, baby sitting, farm labor, a substitute school teacher, a caregiver for seniors, employed with Safeway Store for fifteen years until the company closed it doors in Dallas county in April 1987. I loved working for Safeway, plus my customers and my co-workers were like family.
I was once selected by the customers as Safeway Employee of the Month and again, later, by my employee peers.
I am presently on disability due to depression. So long as I take my medication as prescribed, I function okay. I do often experience inner emotional feelings, but the medication helps me to stay in control most of the time.
Depression has been a challenge for me and a hardship for my loved ones. When I reflect, I realize that ‘Love has Prevailed’, thus makes my family truly more precious to me, and they shall always be.
My mother lived with us until she was ninety three years of age. In her final years, dementia had ruled her life; however, she blessed her family with many fond memories. Some are great, some not so great!
I love to write about my life experiences. And I often use my pen name “SunshinePrevails”.
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MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- My accomplishment include a high school diploma, nine hours of college credit, and numerous continued education certificates.
I worked full time with various places of employment. As an employee of Collins Radio Company, it was my honor to be involved in the assembly of the radio used by the first man on the moon.
While employed with Safeway Supermarket, I was selected to operate the register checkout as the first talking cash register was televised. The clip was later featured on 20/20 television. - I have written articles for various newspapers. I was honored to have the Editor of the Garland Daily News to select an article I had written to report an assembley program, as the Editor's column. The keynote speaker had been the Mayor of the city of Garland, Texas.
I was ask to by the Editor, a second time, to write a column for Garland, Texas 100th Birthday celebration. It would feature all the PTA Presidents that had served the Garland Council of Parent Teacher’s Association, which at that time consisted of fifty-three public schools.
Plus, I have had several featured articles in the Garland Daily News, and the Paris News.
I was honored by the Garland Daily News as it Outstanding Citizen. - I served as an active committee member, or an officer for several volunteer service associations and organizations from 1975 through 1995. I served as PTA president for Memorial Middle School, and was presented an honorary life membership of the Texas PTA by Daughtery Elementary School. I assisted to re-organize Kimberlin Elementary PTA., Kimberlin was the first school to premote the extended day program in the city of Garland; and among the first in the State of Texas.
- I am a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary Post 5076 in Garland, Texas.
I served as president two different terms and as treasurer of the auxiliary.
I held various elected line offices.
I served several committee chairmanships; for which I achieved many honors for 5076 Post and auxiliary.
I served as District III President in 1990/1991.
It was my honor to be assisted by my son, Wesley, when we carried the flags during the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial at the Dallas Texas State Fair park; especially due to the fact that President George Bush and his wife Barbara were the honored guest.
I was also honored to assist in folding the United States Flag that was flown over Ft. McHenry, Maryland.
I have served many years as Family Reunion coordinator, and Class Reunion coordinator.
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MY FAVORITE LINKS:
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MY RESIDENCE INFO:
City: Paris
State/Country: Texas/USA
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BOOKS PUBLISHED:
The old house we called home should have been used for storing bales of hay to be fed to the livestock. There were no screens for the windows or doors; in fact, there were no windows except for one in the living room, the front room as we referred to it.
The old shack was a sturdy frame with cracks in the walls that let the light and wind enter with ease. And yes, it was really cold when the winter wind howled, and puffed its freezing breath. We had two bedrooms that contained three iron bedsteads, more commonly know as bed frames. The bed frames held up iron bed springs that supported two cotton mattresses that had been made by the people who lived in the community where my folks were living when my second brother, Ed, was born. I'll tell you about that in a minute; but first I want to tell you more about our beds.
Me and my two sisters shared one bed, and I always had to sleep in the middle because I was the youngest. My older sister, Meg, was always smacking me and hollering "I wish you'd be still!"
Mama and Daddy shared the other bed in that room. Daddy snored and talked to his mules all through the night.
You see, Daddy was a farmer and he used mules to pull his plows. We would even go places in an old iron wheel wagon pulled by two mules. And believe me, that was embarrassing in the l950's and l960's; especially to young children. You see, everyone else drove a vehicle of some sort; at least we thought so. But, my Daddy did not seem to mind at all.
Well, I got off the subject didn't I?
My two brothers slept in the back room. In the tiny room that held their bed, the icebox, and clothes that hung on a nail that had been driven into the wall in the corner of the room. It was covered with a cow feed sack draped in front.
There was a window beside their bed, and it did not have a curtains to defray the light, nor a screen to shield from the flies or mosquitoes.
When a full moon rose in the early evening, the moon would shine into my two brothers room, then when the sun arose it would wake them as it, too, shined into their faces.
Now back to those mattresses I was telling you about. You see my second brother was born during the depression, August 1941. And since my family lived in a farming region, there was plenty of cotton, but due to World War II there was no market for the cotton and it just hanged on the stalk and would rot in the field.
Since the cotton was going to go to waste in the fields, the farmers negotiated a solution to help the community, and use the cotton.
Volunteers were called to duty. Some of the people picked the cotton, and delivered it to the cotton gin. After the cotton was ginned and the burr and seeds had been removed, it was take to the schoolhouse.
At the school the women, young teenage boys, and anyone who could do the work helped to prepare the cotton in order that it could be made into a mattress.
The cotton was then stretched into thin sections to defray the lumps, thus making the cotton soft and flat. They accomplished this task by using two wooden pads referred to as bats. The bats were about eight inches wide, by three inches with a handle in the middle to hold the tool while batting the cotton into shape. Each 3x8 bat was covered on one side with hundreds of tiny steel pins. When the cotton was placed on one bat then gently pull between the other pad, the cotton would spread and become flat and soft. The task had to be repeated again and again. Then the thin layers were worked into a rectangle the size of a bed. Several layers were placed one on top of the other to make a mattress, when it was complete it was about six inches thick.
The cotton was then covered with blue and white pillow ticking (fabric). A very long needle was used to pull the strong string used for thread through the mattress, and back again. The ends were then tied into a knot. Several of these were strategically placed and were known as tacking. The tack threads were used to keep the cotton from shifting when moved.
Since Mama was pregnant with my brother, she was not allowed to do any of the heavy work. Instead, it was her job to make certain that everyone had fresh water from the well.
Mama would carry a bucket filled with fresh water from the well. The bucket had a dipper for drinking and everyone shared the same dipper. No one complained that they were sharing the same drinking vessel. In those days it was just a way of life.
Every family was issued a mattress for each member of their family. So Mama got five mattresses since her family members were: Mama, Daddy, Ben, Meg, and Mama was pregnant with my second brother.
I was grown and had children of my own before Mama shared this story with me. But if you visit me now, you will sleep on blue ticking cotton mattress.
And I will be very proud to share my story.
Next time; perhaps I shall tell you about Mama's homemade quilts.
The Mattress
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by SunshinePrevails
Robbery is a word that has probably crossed the mind of every living human. Whether it be what I would do? How I would react? What would I say? Would I be scared? Would I take the issue in hand, and retaliate against the robber? And the list goes on, and on.
Well let me assure you; that regardless to how much thought you have devoted to the subject, whether you had had extensive training, or any fears you may have had; when it actually happens, when you are looking into the barrel of a weapon that could possibly take your life or the life of a best friend, a co-worker, or maybe a loved one, you are suddenly a new person, an out of body experience becomes your mentor.
I have had the experience of looking down the cold steel barrel of a gun four times. Every instance was totally different. The effect it bestowed upon me was extremely varied each time. However; I must say, that each time it became harder, and harder for me to cop. It would effect my sleep, and most of all it made me much more cautious, and more aware that it could happen. I quickly matured, more than you can know. That childhood fantasy became a true reality, not even close to what I had thought.
Yet, when you do finally come to terms with the episode, you will reflect in fear of your life; although it can easily become a party icebreaker, when other employees join you to reminisce the reactions. Some of the antics can later become extremely funny, or maybe very embarrassing. Whatever, the case may be, you can bet your co-workers have not forgotten.
And yes, they will jump on the opportunity to gibe you in the audience of your peers. Believe me! If you are smart, you will laugh with them. If you don't you will be the victim of serious razzing. Although; be assured that is certainly far above, and certainly better than being at the receiving end of sympathy. Yes, many robberies result is sadness and grief, with memories of horror.
The last time I was involved in a robbery instilled itself into my memory with mixed emotions. I am so grateful that I now can look back on something that happened over twenty-five years ago and find it to be a fun story to tell. Even though I was so scared at the moment, my legs felt like jelly, and my heart was beating so franticly that I thought I would choke from fright.
I was head cashier for a major supermarket in Dallas, Texas. Our clientele was widely varied because we were in walking distance of Southern Methodist University. Not only did we have college students, but professionals such as professors, attorneys, judges, business owners, very wealthy customers, albeit some of our customers were low income domestic help, even two or three that were homeless. The retail store where I was employed had a small country store atmosphere and nestled smack in the middle of a metropolis. Our regular customers were known by name, many on first name basis, and we kept up with their personal life and they ours. We were a huge, huge family so to speak. If one of our patrons had a dilemma then we, the employees shared that problem and vise versa. It was a business that shared a wonderful continuity of public relations.
I was the employee that looked for fun in every action; took advantage of any effort to keep customers and employees geared to a jovial existence. What does this have to do with a robbery you ask? Well actually nothing at all.
Our boss had gone home for the day, the assistant manager was working in the back room, and I was preparing the deposit for the soon to arrive armored car. I had summonsed my friend, Jane, to run the express cash register which was located in the corner of the office. We had a second express, but if she was in the office, she could assist me by answering the telephone, getting change for other employees, or cashing checks for customers. She did this while I was counting the draws, that is money, checks, food stamps, and coupons, and etc. that the checkers had turned in and I would count then apply to the appropriate checker balance sheet.
Well the store had eight checkout counters, and I had a draw from each checker that was waiting to be verified. I had just pulled the express register down to less than sixty dollars. I had pulled my office cash drawer to less than five hundred dollars. This was a necessary procedure since I would verify the draws and put that cash into the cash drawer thus building enough cash to continue cashing the customer's checks. And since it was Friday evening, we had regular payroll checks to cash for the local businesses. We knew most of them by sight; however, it was our company policy to ask for local driver's license and local address and telephone number.
I had just completed bundling several dollars for the deposit and had placed it into the bottom of the safe. I got a gut feeling that eyes were surveying my every movement. I quickly scanned the crowd of customers for anything that was suspicious. Standing in the express lane was a very nice looking young man. I thought I recognized him as a son of one of our regular customers. I smiled at him and mutely voiced a hello' to him. His stone glazed glare, with an unyielding smile sent sudden chills down my spine. I tried to act calmly as I kneeled to the bottom safe. I swiftly placed the bundles of cash that was in the bottom of the safe into the drop safe, quietly closed the door and turned the key. Once that key was turned, that door to the drop safe can only be opened when the armored car makes the deposit pickup.
That task completed, I returned to complete the draws and then I would make the check deposit. But before I could continue, my friend Jane became rigid as she spread-eagled against the cigarette display that was directly behind her. I glanced over to witness the young man open Jane cash drawer. He became agitated when he noticed that the drawer held very little cash. That is when I noticed that he had the gun barrel pressed under my friend's chin. He was pushing so hard on the gun, and the trigger was pulled back, that her head was tilted upward causing her chin be in an obvious stain.
The man was cursing with such furious profanity, my insides went sick, my legs began to shake, and my mind raced frantically. I looked at Jane and her eyes were pleading. The robber handed me a paper bag, a medium sized bag that we referred as a #3. As I took the bag from him, he snapped "Fill it up with the big stuff or I will blow this f* b* away."
Everyone told me later that I was as calm as a cucumber, but I certainly did not feel that way. Yet I knew I must stay in control, especially for my friend's safety if that was possible. I took the bills from my cash drawer, then lifted the drawer to let him see that there was no more money in the drawer.
Spurting more profanity with a voice that would make your blood chill. Again he jabbed the gun barrel, hard, into Jane's chin. He said, "I'll blow this b* away. - Fill it up or she gets it right here!"
I kneeled to the bottom safe knowing that there were only a few ones available. I placed the three bundles of ones in the sack, my head was pounding so hard that I thought it would explode. I could vision Jane as he carried out his threat, my stomach was doing summersaults. My legs were like Jell-O. Using my hand to walk myself up the side of the safe, I pulled myself to my feet. What seemed to be an eternity, I walked slowly toward the man with the gun. And I as calmly as I could said, "I am sorry Sir, that is all we have."
He snatched the bag then fled from the premises.
But before he could exit the checkout counter, there was a little old lady dressed in a coat with a fur collar, and fur hat to match, she had been writing her check while the robbery was in action.
Waving her written check in the air she shouted "Don't give him all that money, I need to cash a hundred dollar check."
Instantly Jane screamed "You silly b* we have just been robbed."
Yes, you are right, we never let Jane forget that statement.
Memoirs: Robbery
by SunshinePrevails
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