Shelling peas brings back memories from the past. While shelling, there is nothing distracting and other folks seem to kind of disappear not wanting to join in. Leaves lots of time for thinkin’ and plannin’ stuff. Not world changin’ things, but important stuff that’s hidden way back in your mind.
As I remember the “good ole days” of Summer, it meant sittin’ on the living room floor, windows and door opened, attic fan sucking in the cooler air of a warm Summer’s night, bowl between my legs, newspaper spread out for the shells and shellin’ peas. Mom on the couch shellin’ and Dad in his recliner just thinkin’ or whatever ole guys do, and all three of us just watchin’ the radio. What a radio it was, big Philco console with numerous bands where one could get stations that didn’t even speak English. Big antenna in the back that consisted of wires strung around two boards that rotated for better picking up the signals.
We’d get settled into our spots and begin shellin’ and watchin’ that big ole radio on a Saturday night. One could see Fibber McGee and Molly and Jack Benny live and in person. What a treat it was, just shellin’ peas.
The ole Philco did go on the blink now and then and Dad would go into the back and pull a tube or two for me to go to Crain’s Store to get a replacement tube. They had the big tube tester which also had drawers full of radio tubes. Even a child could operate it and find the tubes that needed replacement. What a trip, rode my bicycle the two blocks to the store and got to play with an electronic miracle, the tube tester. Sometimes it even took several trips to get the right tubes, a real treat. And when, after the trips to the store, with the right tubes replaced, we could gather in the living room, shell peas, and watch the radio.
What brought this on, well, I was on the back porch shellin’ peas and watching the radio in my mind.
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