Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Hoarders, with some of this and some of that.


My Gramps is a Hoarder. See he was a child of the Depression years.. I have no clue if that has a thing to do with it or not. See all this Crap... This is suppose to be filled with dirt. This is under my Gramps house. He has dug this out. The integrity of the home is at risk now. The house is sinking in the middle you can see it from the tile roof to the tile floors seperating from the baseboards... Yikes. I worry that this home might fall right down the hill. He has slowly been trying to bring things upstairs. He claims there are people down stairs that steal his things. He want's to clean this warehouse out and rent it to someone.... Rent a Rat Hole? I think not!!
Lately he has been hiding tools in the yard. As of a couple days ago he has started pacing the deck outside their house. It is a wrap around deck so you can get a pretty good pace going.

The last 2 days Gramma has gotten up by noon... yesterday was go to the doctor day for refills on Memory pills... which is actually something they give gramps to control his temper... It didn't work so good yesterday.. Gramma and my Aunt went into the Grocery store to get supplies for at home. Well, Gramps was in the car waiting... At the Checkout there he was standing, Mad as a Wet Hen... He said..."why are you buying these groceries woman we have no money"!!.. Gramma just ignored him... Hmm what else would someone do. He demanded, he didn't want to feed all these people... "who all people"? Said My Aunt... He didn't know for sure but all those people... he was certain. Then they all went home.

If I was my Aunt I would be a jumble of nerves.... he has a new name for the thief today. It isn't my cousin Richie today... It's the Ass something today is the thief...

My Grandpa his whole life has stolen from people, from his work... from everywhere... Kind of like a kleptomaniac... not the kind of thief that would break into your house.. but the kind that would take it in front of you. He was in my Dad's tool box about 5 years ago while visiting in Oregon... I said " Grandpa you go get that tool out of your car you just put in there and put it back." " what, he said".... I said " you ain't stealing from my dad"...... he marched off got the tool and put it back... I think he is scared that someone like himself may rip him off. This kind a makes it sounds like my Grandpa was a jerk... well he had tons of friends and they all liked him so I have heard. He always smiled. He was a fun grandpa.

He was raised in Hayworth, Oklahoma... there were 5 boys and 3 girls I think... but actually Gramps was raised by his grandparents... weird... I just remembered that.. maybe that little redheaded kid was a real brat and his mom couldn't handle him... The Shock, my goodness...

Two of his brothers were killed in Bar Fight's, Guns and such.. So you might get a since of what life may have been like...They were broke.. His dad owned a grocery store and in the depression he extended credit to families that couldn't afford any food, so in turn he went out of business because he couldn't resist helping people. No money, No food... Grandpa is the last child alive. Anyway the way he migrated to California is by hopping a train with his cousin Luke. They held over in New Mexico for a while.. working in a mine for room and board. After a little while and they figured they were spinning their wheels they hopped another train to Southern California and picked fruit. Finally he made his way to the ship yards in Frisco. There he met Gramma and 18 days later they were married for life. After they got married they got pregnant with my mom and the war summoned my grandpa to the Pacific... so he was in the army for 2 years and reserves after that. I don't know what he did for the Army but I know he talks about the latrines a lot.

My Grandma grew up in Texas, Arizona etc. in a 3 walled house.. it was basically a lean to. The only water was an irrigation ditch about a mile away. Grandma says. "We could get a bath about once a month"... They were lucky if they ate once a day. Their dad always had a job pretty much. But, he drank the income. I think there were 6 girls and 1 boy (he died from a mole that turned into cancer) Anyway again Grandma is the last of the clan.. So her and Grandpa have out lived everyone.

My other Grandparents came from a nicer side of the neighborhood.. Grandpa was born in Texas..He used to tell me stories about some old dude down the way that he would play checkers with. He said it was a good time as a little guy playing checkers. His mother died of Lightning.... No not white lightning, actual lightning that came thru the window and electrocuted the iron bed she was hanging on to... Deader than crap right there and then.. I knew he was a Texas Ranger that drove a Harley and was in several wars... then he somehow made his way to Calfornia and ended up being a pipe fitter for the Railroad and that was when he was nearly 50. Other than that I know he used to ride around Placerville California with a Crochet Beer Can hat on his head... he had a Moped... used to ride it all the time until it started leaning... found out later he was the cause of the leaning... he was losing his balance... DAMN... moped parked...

My Grandma was a kid from Boston, She was educated, did the college thing, was a nurse and such. She wrote poetry and was published in a book. I believe she was in her 30's when she became a mother. There was 21 years between her and Grandpa's ages... I got stories I could go on forever about these two..

I am a horrid editor of things I write so I guess that is just that, of which I have to live with.

Now I wonder if I could sleep... I layed awake for an hour and a half... Thinking... I have no idea what I was thinking about.

I am not looking forward to going into work tomorrow... Hitler is driving us to the State Offices to register trucks... I am dreading this.. like mini panic attacks... Like I could be sick.. He drives horrid, that scares me also... I don't think I have ever seen Hitler drive in real life.... didn't he have a chauffer????

9 comments:

Traveling Bells said...

Colorful family you have, but then again, we all do! Big hugs...

LAC said...

Wow, Callie, this has got to be your longest post ever, and I love it. What stories they all must have had to share. I love family histories, so glad you took the time to get yours down on "paper", I bet your kids are grateful to have the stories.

Happy new year, my friend!

JustMeShann said...

Thanks for the great post :) I have to tell you I see lot's of good stuff in that old hole! I swear we may not be blood, but I think we come from the same lines! Memories! that is what all the stuff is and that is why he is trying to hold on to it... I love that old guy, there isn't a better smile in this world than his... I also love that fact that you brought back memories of that leaning moped and old hat... Even as a kid I thought that old hat had style!
I am glad you are sharing as you should be proud of that history in your head, you could write a book! I would read it and smile :) or maybe we should put both of our backgrounds together and write a big book! It would be very colorful!!!
Thanks for the smiles this morning...Good luck on the E' ticket ride and holding on to your sanity...
Love ya

Anonymous said...

Hope the ride to THE State goes better than you think... HUGS!

Great post, btw...

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

very interesting post callieannbratgirlfriend! more please!

smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

CrAzY Working Mom said...

Brien's grandmother was this way. She kept EVERYTHING...buttons, butter bowls, egg cartons, brown paper bags. She never threw anything away! Children of depression learn this behavior at a young age.

I loved this post. You're a great story teller, Callie Ann!

Mo and The Purries said...

That is a great post, Callie - the line "he talks about the latrines a lot" made me literally Laugh Out Loud.
I've had to reset my blogger comments in hopes of preventing spammers like the previous 3 comments!

Amazing Gracie said...

Callie, me dear...I loved this post. It's 1/12/10 and I'm just now reading it - you know I've not been blogging much lately. Life just seems bittersweet at times.
~~~Blessings~~~

Rebecca Mecomber said...

I saw that picture, and all I can say is

WHOA.

Rebecca @FreakyFrugalite