| Biographical Non-Fiction posted June 6, 2020 | Chapters: |
...39 40 -41- 42... 
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Again ourfamily deals with change.
A chapter in the book Remembering Yesterday
Live-Style Changes In the Making
by BethShelby
| Background Since our marriage in '56, we've lived in Jackson. We've had three children and lived in our home for ten years. Now we are having a new house built in the town of Brandon, ten miles away. |
When I returned to work the Monday after my trip to Nashville, I found the stripping department to be behind with work. It seemed very little had been accomplished with me away. Now, there was so much demand on my time that I didn’t get a chance to go over what I really needed to tell Robert. He came in briefly and asked if I had learned much. I told him that I had, and we needed to talk. I wanted to explain that there was no way we could ever get perfect registration on color process work while we were using the cheap paper masking sheets.
Robert wasn’t interested in hearing that he would have to purchase a better grade of material. He expected me to make things better just by having gone to school for two weeks. I found it very discouraging that he wasn’t interested in my advice about going to a better system. I’d bought some metal stabilizing pins with my own money, and I’d started using them. They made the registration a little better, but didn’t completely clear up the problem with the shrinking and expanding of the paper due to temperature changes.
The girl I’d been working with in the stripping department, who had resented my being sent to Nashville, had quit while I was away. Now, there was a new guy, who was a part-time musician, working in the department. He needed me to train him as well. James was younger than me and eager to learn, so we got along well. He just wanted to have the radio on while we worked. I didn’t particularly care for the additional noise, but I let it go.
--------------
At home, you had been working on house plans while I was in Nashville and was anxious to get some bids to see if we could start building on the lot we had bought in Brandon near the new highway. Your favorite plan was a split level, and I liked it, except that I would have preferred a larger kitchen. Since the lot was lower on one side, a split level plan would work. There were three bedrooms and a bath upstairs, the living/dining combination and the kitchen and entrance foyer would be the main level. The lower level would be a large den, bedroom, bath, and laundry room. A small hallway would open into the garage. You had picked three builders who would be submitting bids on the job. Now, we were waiting for the bids to come in.
-----------------------
For several months, things had not been going well at the Baptist church we had attended for the last eight years. As often happens, some people become dissatisfied with the minister and start rumors, and soon the congregation is divided, with some wanting to split off and start a new church. The atmosphere had become so toxic that we had decided it was time to look for another place to worship.
During the two weeks I was away, You had found a religion program on the radio that you liked. The preacher was an off-shoot from the church Mother belonged to. He had a different interpretation of some of the scripture than our Baptist church. You wanted me to listen with you, and I did. In some ways. it was more like some of the doctrine I’d grown up with.
At first, I was interested because some of what the preacher was saying seemed closer to what I read in the Bible. After listening for a while, I noticed the minister was getting away from the Bible and going out too far on limb with what he indicated was his own personal revelation. As we continued to listen, we both got the feeling he was on an ego trip, and he was likely getting rich on the money he was soliciting from his listeners.
Around this time, one of mother’s cousins called and invited us to her church for a series of evangelistic meetings. We decided to go see what it was like. The members of this church were very warm and welcoming. The meetings were impressive and challenged some of your long held beliefs, but were more in line with mine. I especially liked the fact that they were very concerned about Biblical health principles and lifestyles. The pastor and the visiting evangelist made several trips to our home and answered questions we had. After praying about it, we were impressed to change churches. We believed God has his people in many different denominations, and that salvation depends more on your personal relationship than on doctrine. Nevertheless, this church seemed to be one which would meet our needs.
--------------
After a couple of weeks, the bids came in on the house, and after the first two, we realized how far we were from being able to afford to build anything. We’d paid $12,500 for the house we were in. With the new lot paid for, two of the builders were asking $55,000 and $42,000. When the third bid came in at $30,000, we were surprised it was so much less. This builder was new on the scene, but the price was more in line with what we'd hoped for. We were taking a chance, but it sounded like something we might be able to swing.
In order the get a down payment together, we borrowed everything we could from our life insurance policies. We hired the third contractor with the understanding that his quote was locked in, and we could not go any higher. He agreed to start work right away. We were able to get the down payment together and qualify for a GI loan.
As soon as the loan was approved, our builder started work. After a few weeks, the work had progressed to the point that our builder had us choose carpet, tile, light fixtures and appliances within a certain price range that met with his bid specification. We were spending practically every afternoon going to see the progress made during the day. It was August of 1969 and the house was scheduled to be completed and ready to move into by October. Our builder did good work, but he had apparently bid the job too low, and he was trying to cut corners on some of the material called for in the specs. When you called him on it, he complained that he was losing money on the job, but he did comply with what we needed.
One evening, we went over when the crew had just left. They had laid a different asphalt tile than the pattern I had picked. Since the tile cement wasn’t dry, I pulled it all up, thinking that it would be easier to remove now than after it set. This really upset our builder, and you weren’t too happy with me either. They probably thought they could talk me into keeping what they had accidentally laid, but I knew what I liked and felt it had to be changed.
--------------
Since we no longer had a maid, we couldn’t ask our neighbors to keep the children now that they were out of school. We found a Catholic day care that welcomed all denominations. This one seemed to have a good activity program for children. Our kids loved it and quickly made new friends. We had trouble getting used to our children coming home and telling us what Father Leonard and Sister Mary Francis had done that day. Mississippi was not a place where there were a lot of Catholics, and calling a priest, Father, seemed very strange to us.
--------------------------
Since we would be leaving Jackson soon, the school behind our house would no longer work for us. The church we’d joined had a small Christian school, and the members were encouraging us to enroll all of our children there. The school went through eighth grade and only had two classrooms. The two teachers were teaching four grades each. Carol went there for second grade, because the teacher had begged us to let her attend. Her daughter was the only other second grader. One of our neighbors had transported Carol every day.
Since the first year worked out well with Carol, we would be sending our twins there the second year. All three of our children would be in the same room. The twins already knew most of the students from church, so they liked the idea of going to a smaller school.
The fall of 1969, would bring about a lot of changes for all of us. We hoped the decisions we were making would be in the best interest for all of our family.
Robert wasn’t interested in hearing that he would have to purchase a better grade of material. He expected me to make things better just by having gone to school for two weeks. I found it very discouraging that he wasn’t interested in my advice about going to a better system. I’d bought some metal stabilizing pins with my own money, and I’d started using them. They made the registration a little better, but didn’t completely clear up the problem with the shrinking and expanding of the paper due to temperature changes.
The girl I’d been working with in the stripping department, who had resented my being sent to Nashville, had quit while I was away. Now, there was a new guy, who was a part-time musician, working in the department. He needed me to train him as well. James was younger than me and eager to learn, so we got along well. He just wanted to have the radio on while we worked. I didn’t particularly care for the additional noise, but I let it go.
--------------
At home, you had been working on house plans while I was in Nashville and was anxious to get some bids to see if we could start building on the lot we had bought in Brandon near the new highway. Your favorite plan was a split level, and I liked it, except that I would have preferred a larger kitchen. Since the lot was lower on one side, a split level plan would work. There were three bedrooms and a bath upstairs, the living/dining combination and the kitchen and entrance foyer would be the main level. The lower level would be a large den, bedroom, bath, and laundry room. A small hallway would open into the garage. You had picked three builders who would be submitting bids on the job. Now, we were waiting for the bids to come in.
-----------------------
For several months, things had not been going well at the Baptist church we had attended for the last eight years. As often happens, some people become dissatisfied with the minister and start rumors, and soon the congregation is divided, with some wanting to split off and start a new church. The atmosphere had become so toxic that we had decided it was time to look for another place to worship.
During the two weeks I was away, You had found a religion program on the radio that you liked. The preacher was an off-shoot from the church Mother belonged to. He had a different interpretation of some of the scripture than our Baptist church. You wanted me to listen with you, and I did. In some ways. it was more like some of the doctrine I’d grown up with.
At first, I was interested because some of what the preacher was saying seemed closer to what I read in the Bible. After listening for a while, I noticed the minister was getting away from the Bible and going out too far on limb with what he indicated was his own personal revelation. As we continued to listen, we both got the feeling he was on an ego trip, and he was likely getting rich on the money he was soliciting from his listeners.
Around this time, one of mother’s cousins called and invited us to her church for a series of evangelistic meetings. We decided to go see what it was like. The members of this church were very warm and welcoming. The meetings were impressive and challenged some of your long held beliefs, but were more in line with mine. I especially liked the fact that they were very concerned about Biblical health principles and lifestyles. The pastor and the visiting evangelist made several trips to our home and answered questions we had. After praying about it, we were impressed to change churches. We believed God has his people in many different denominations, and that salvation depends more on your personal relationship than on doctrine. Nevertheless, this church seemed to be one which would meet our needs.
--------------
After a couple of weeks, the bids came in on the house, and after the first two, we realized how far we were from being able to afford to build anything. We’d paid $12,500 for the house we were in. With the new lot paid for, two of the builders were asking $55,000 and $42,000. When the third bid came in at $30,000, we were surprised it was so much less. This builder was new on the scene, but the price was more in line with what we'd hoped for. We were taking a chance, but it sounded like something we might be able to swing.
In order the get a down payment together, we borrowed everything we could from our life insurance policies. We hired the third contractor with the understanding that his quote was locked in, and we could not go any higher. He agreed to start work right away. We were able to get the down payment together and qualify for a GI loan.
As soon as the loan was approved, our builder started work. After a few weeks, the work had progressed to the point that our builder had us choose carpet, tile, light fixtures and appliances within a certain price range that met with his bid specification. We were spending practically every afternoon going to see the progress made during the day. It was August of 1969 and the house was scheduled to be completed and ready to move into by October. Our builder did good work, but he had apparently bid the job too low, and he was trying to cut corners on some of the material called for in the specs. When you called him on it, he complained that he was losing money on the job, but he did comply with what we needed.
One evening, we went over when the crew had just left. They had laid a different asphalt tile than the pattern I had picked. Since the tile cement wasn’t dry, I pulled it all up, thinking that it would be easier to remove now than after it set. This really upset our builder, and you weren’t too happy with me either. They probably thought they could talk me into keeping what they had accidentally laid, but I knew what I liked and felt it had to be changed.
--------------
Since we no longer had a maid, we couldn’t ask our neighbors to keep the children now that they were out of school. We found a Catholic day care that welcomed all denominations. This one seemed to have a good activity program for children. Our kids loved it and quickly made new friends. We had trouble getting used to our children coming home and telling us what Father Leonard and Sister Mary Francis had done that day. Mississippi was not a place where there were a lot of Catholics, and calling a priest, Father, seemed very strange to us.
--------------------------
Since we would be leaving Jackson soon, the school behind our house would no longer work for us. The church we’d joined had a small Christian school, and the members were encouraging us to enroll all of our children there. The school went through eighth grade and only had two classrooms. The two teachers were teaching four grades each. Carol went there for second grade, because the teacher had begged us to let her attend. Her daughter was the only other second grader. One of our neighbors had transported Carol every day.
Since the first year worked out well with Carol, we would be sending our twins there the second year. All three of our children would be in the same room. The twins already knew most of the students from church, so they liked the idea of going to a smaller school.
The fall of 1969, would bring about a lot of changes for all of us. We hoped the decisions we were making would be in the best interest for all of our family.
 Recognized |
I'm continuing to recall memories of life with my deceased husband as if I am talking aloud to him. I'm doing this because I want my children to know us as we knew each other and not just as their parents;
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