Chapter 29

It wasn't long before Jim and I had the blanket smoothed out, plates and silverware, all set around for the five of us, before May had finished eating. Although there were six cups with one being a small child's, baby cup.

I will admit that as I helped set the table, or blanket as it was, I immediately thought it was strange that they weren't using disposable plates and cups or plastic dinnerware. Sometimes, shifting got to me. I had no idea when those things had been invented, except I'd heard somewhere it wasn't until after World War II that plastic became part of our lives.

I did recognize the plates and cups though. I'd seen movies of the depression era and read about it in my quest to turn in a solid 'A' for my term paper. Plus, notwithstanding the fact the result of my research left me wanting to go back and live it for a short time, it was the reason I'd found Morgan. My point is, 'Tin'.

The theme of the 'Old Tin Cup Beggar' grew out of the Depression. Several books I'd read about the worst times, described men, even little girls and boys of all ages, selling pencils from an old tin cup for a couple of pennies.

When Jim handed me the plates to set around, I recognized them as well used tin plates and cups. Functional and although not disposable, they were I was later to learn, standard picnic fare of the time as was the basket that carried everything. There is nothing more iconic that foretells a picnic more than the wicker basket with the dual hinged top, carried by the two curved handles that fold back out of the way when you want to open it up.

Jim and I sat on the back of the buckboard waiting for May to finish suckling. "I love a picnic," he sighed as he scanned the white puffy clouds above us.

"It's been a while since I've been to one," I replied, joining his scanning above. I was about to remark that my parents were both doctors and we had little time to go out and have a real picnic. But I realized saying that might raise a few eyebrows. Back then, women weren't valued in the medical profession in a position greater than a nurse as much as they were in today's society. Well, you know what I mean.

So, squelching that thought, I mentioned to him the clearing 'Down the road a piece', near the north end of the property and that I was thinking of building another house there.

"Sure. That's a perfect place. It would be great to have you two as neighbors," he admitted.

Taking things a step further he added, "Morgan could babysit once and a while for us," he laughed. "A Friday night trip to see a show in Dyersburg would be a real treat.

"It's just a little complicated farming out the little ones to the grandparents. Although, it won't be long before May's out of diapers. That sure will simplify things."

I guess that was a reality check for me. I wasn't sure but I thought Jim was about twenty-two. That would make him say eighteen when he'd started his family. My head shook. He must have been my age when Lilly became pregnant. 'Wow!' I thought. 'That could be ME!'

I'd been quiet thinking I wasn't ready for babies, diapers and all the rest. Man, I was glad with technology, I could wait a few years until Morgan and I went that route.

It was just a simple question, but when Jim casually asked how soon Morgan and I were going to start our own family. The answer was a complicated one. How was I going to explain what I'd been thinking. You know, scoop up her parents, first bringing them here in 1930 and then into my time.

"I'm sure the kids would love having playmates so close," he added a little wistfully, thinking of the possibilities. Then he remembered the main house we were planning to build. "It will be nice when your parent's house is finished up there," he said pointing up the gentle hill right where I'd told Morgan 'Our' house was going to be built.

Thinking quickly and using that, 'One Step – Side Step', tap dance expertise that I was getting better at to deflect the question, I simply said, "Sure!" With a smile of course.

"You guys ready," Lilly called as May and April dashed over to us and hung on their dad's dangling feet. He gave them a little bit of a swing eliciting squeals and giggles from both of them.

"Sure thing," he said, slowing the two little ones, who once their feet were on the ground, jumped off and ran over to their mother. Lilly had settled on the blanket along with Morgan. May toddled over a bit more slowly than her sister and plunked herself down onto her mom's lap. The faster of the two, April dashed over to Morgan and very politely asked, "May I," and was rapidly sitting on Morgan's lap, huge smile in place.

Now, I'm sure everyone has seen the circus and the tiny clown car where a whole troupe exits the car. It's unfathomable how much comes out of that tiny vehicle. I felt the same surprise after Lilly had set May down, guided her thumb to her mouth and kissed her to quiet her for a nap. Humming to her daughter she began to serve lunch.

Now remember, Jim and I had pulled the plates, cups and dinnerware from the basket already. Out came a box of crackers, a plate of sliced ham, a jar of sliced pickles and a bowl of fried potato slices. With that all set about, she pulled a teapot out, closed the basket's lids and had a nice flat surface to settle the teapot onto.

Oh, of course Lilly had also extracted a jar of milk, another that contained fresh sliced lemons and one with coarse sugar in it. How it all fit in that picnic basket was beyond me.

"Tea?" she casually said and picked up the jar of sugar, opened it and dropped a couple of teaspoons into her cup. The jar got passed around and then tea was added to everyone's cups.

Well, for the adults anyway. May was asleep by then and April simply said, "Milk please."

As the rest of the fare was handed around and we assembled little cracker sandwiches, Jim mentioned to Lilly, "Blair wants to build a house in that little clearing just up the road."

She brightened up and gave out, "You're going to live there?

"That would be so nice."

Again, using my expertise at deflecting pointed questions, I told her, "Sure," and went on to tell them it would take a bit of time as I wanted a brick house, a little larger than the frame house they were living in.

"With a slate roof!" Morgan added enthusiastically.

"Like the one Blair's father is going to build up on the hill," Jim added.

So the rest of the time we were eating the crackers, ham and the rest of the fare while we talked about the two houses that were going to be built. I did suggest part of the work I planned to have done was to the two already there and an even larger barn.

It was obvious, Lilly had spent plenty of time putting the meal together and Morgan complimented her on her cooking and the great fried potato slices. "I often make them," Lilly said. "French fries are fun to make."

Jim had laughed at that one. Lilly echoed his laugh and added, "For my last birthday he gave me this potato slicer where you put in a peeled potato, squeeze the handle and it pushes out the slices just like this," as she held up a recognizable fry. "They're easy to cook with some oil in a skillet. We eat them hot or cold.

"Kids and finger food makes meals easy," she continued.

Punctuating that, April made us all laugh with a loud, "Yummy!"

Just then a whinny came from downhill and a horse and rider worked their way up toward us. "It's Stanley," Jim said. As he approached, Jim and I got up and moved over to the buckboard to greet him.

"How's it going," I said to Stanley after he'd dismounted and handed Jim the horse's reigns.

He laughed and said, "Well, them two days you told me about, were long ones. It's been almost a month," he noted. "A lot's happened since then."

"Sorry about that," I apologized. "I had intended to get here then but it didn't work out that way. My dad's kept me up to speed about everything."

"Yeah, I saw him in town this morning. He dropped by my house. It's quite a change from living here ... well, even though Gertrude and the girls and I were only here a rather short time. City life is quite different from the farm I've always lived on."

Dyersburg was rapidly expanding and would soon become an important part of northwestern Tennessee. Having an established connection to the cultural and business center was important. Dad had elevated Stanley to company manager, overseeing both my dad's holdings and mine at One Pine.

Also, with our investment in Dyersburg's, First Fidelity Bank, it gave Stanley an important position in the society of the city. And made it easier for us to come and go, leaving him in charge of all the decisions which needed to be made on a day to day basis.

Plus, Stanley was smart. He turned out to be a sponge for knowledge. Dad and I, just as soon as he'd moved into the city, had hired a business consultant to teach him the fine points of business management. That was working out very well.

Jim had been the cousin Stanley had told us he wanted to hire as a stable hand. And he was a natural. Even though he was twenty-two, he took to the responsibility. After all, it was not only the opportunity of a lifetime for him, the pay was phenomenal and allowed him to blossom.

Stanley was in his mid-forties and it seemed quite possible, Jim would be ready to move up when his expertise was needed. Continuity was necessary especially as our comings and goings needed to be kept private. Not that they would know our secret, but wouldn't question some of the strange things which could happen.

"I brought the sketches for the two houses," Stanley commented as he drew a couple of folded papers from his horse's saddle bag.

Jim immediately said, "Stan. That can wait just a bit. Join us for a little lunch."

"Well, I've already eaten," he noted, "But if Lilly made her famous Pound Cake, that's worth a sit down for."

"Thought you'd never ask," Lilly said as she pulled out one more thing from her magic picnic basket. "Come sit down Stan," she added as she cut the loaf into inch sized slices.

When April reached for one of the slices, she was told, rather gently, "Guests first," and settled onto Morgans lap once more. Of course, when Stanley and I had taken ours from the proffered plate, it was passed toward Morgan.

A tiny hand hesitantly moved toward the plate just then. It stopped just shy of its goal but with a nod from her mother, April was all smiles with her piece quickly in hand.