My brother Roy, a year older than I, had a very good voice, and he would sing, and I would tap dance. We used to sing and dance at school and community gatherings. Once we were asked to compete at a talent show in Salmon. How excited I was! Roy thought it was a bunch of nonsense but agreed finally. My cousin Aletha (Aletha May Bradley) made me a costume for it. I’ll always remember that little outfit. It was made of black velvet. Black shorts, black halter top, and black top hat and a cane, which matched the song Roy sang. “Hand me Down my Walking Cane.” We didn’t win, but it sure was fun.
I loved to dance and sing and write little stories. I loved to sing, and a neighbor, Mr. Weaver taught me how to tap dance, and then I would make up my own routine or dances.
One of my favorite playthings was making mud pies. I fed my dolls more mud pies named cherry, apple, and lemon. I made a real good Irish stew for my dolls too, out of mud. How many pails of water (pails made out of lard pails), I carried around the yard to make my famous pies.! Dad showed me how to put them on a rock or piece of wood so they would “cook”. And, the sun would always oblige, because the next day my pies were done and of course hard as a brick!
