Here's to my mom

#1. Coke is it!

My mother, Margaret LaVaughn Williamson married Gabby and had me, Orrin, and Gail. Somtime after they split up we were living near Church Street in Jonesboro and I remember this laundromat that had a vacant lot next to it. Of course in those days (and these days come to think of it) we didn't wear shoes much in the summer. Orrin and I were playing in that vacant lot and we were barefoot running around. Wouldn't you know there was a broken coke bottle with just the bottom of it sticking straight up. And wouldn't you know that diameter of that bottle and the heel of my foot were about the same size. And as fate would have it, as I was running across the vacant lot I stomped right on top of that bottle. My entire heel was just barely hanging on. I went crying and hopping on one foot into the laundromat to find my mom. Dear mother took one look at my heel and passed out cold. An elderly man was in there doing his laundry. He picked me up, carried me to the sink, washed everything off and wrapped it up in some cloth. Then we went back and tended to my mom.

#2. Snakes alive!
My mother is and has always been deathly afraid of snakes. It doesn't matter if they are big old ugly Cotton Mouths, or littel bitty red bellies. If it's a snake you will get a nice loud scream and the treat of seeing my mom pretty much a grade A #1 hissy fit. She just about pee's her pants at just the sight of one. This is all very useful information...if you're a kid. After we moved to Michigan we lived out in the country and spent every summer day playing in the woods and hunting for snakes. It was the beginning of summer and the baby snakes were just getting out of their burrows. (Do you see where this is going?). We had just got back from a great snake hunt and had our pocket pretty full of baby snakes. My mother and my aunt were in the house. Soooooo naturally us kids go in the house to show off our latest catch. Did I mention my aunt is just as bad as my mom? No, sorry about that. Anyway, with both of them screaming (we should have had some ear protection) they made a bee line to the bathroom and locked themselves in. They were in there cussing up a blue streak and shouting out all of the things that was going to happen to us if we didn't get rid of those snakes. It was fun while it lasted. After we raided the refridgerator for ice cream we headed back out to the woods. No telling how long they hid in that bathroom.

#3. Whirlygig
When we were young my folks were into big time wrestling (only the good lord knows why). My earliest memories are watching Flying Fred Curry, The Shiek, Chief somethin' or other. We saw it on television and saw it live. Yep, what a great time. Anyway. I remember when I was about 12-13 we were in the living room one day and mom and dad (Chuck) were getting a little frisky. No not that kind of frisky. They were goofing around and startin' to Rassel a bit. All of a sudden my mom did this firemans thing on dad and the next thing I know she has him over her shoulder and spinning him around like a propeller. Now mind you, she was about 120 lbs and he was about 180 lbs. But mom's a farm girl and as tough as a cob. People say. She spun him around and dropped him on the couch. She's been my hero ever since.