Making Do

Easter, 1957

Tachikawa AFB, Japan

Handmade dress by Mom

Photo by Daddy

I often suffer from illusions of grandeur.  I tend to move in the world as though money is no object.  I volunteer relentlessly, give my knowledge away for free and frequently discount my art down to only the cost of supplies.   I don’t know if that feeling of being rich comes from my mother always making sure we had new shoes at the beginning of each school year,  sewed me beautiful clothes and created magnificent Christmases, or growing up in the military.

Apparently in 1958 my desires got the best of me and the only way my mother could address my wants was to sit me down and remind me how hard my daddy worked for what little we had.

Easter, 1957

The rest of the family

Steve, Raworth, Lamar, Mom and Dad

Photo by me

Making Do

By day

a Tech Sergeant

in the

USAF

Daddy drove

a cab

at night

1958

380 a month

25 a week

for groceries

7 kids

1 pair of shoes

each

10 cents

for cub scout

meetings

the whole house

searched

for that

dime.