A Sunday On the Farm-The Rag Princess Notes-Passages and Poetry ·

Dad had assigned himself Mom’s keeper. He would tease her just to make her laugh. Why not? She was beautiful. Celeste loved to look at her. She was fairly tall and thin with a sad, but beautiful, smile. Dad with his olive tones and twinkling eyes, was outgoing and a jokester. He could make anyone laugh-not that he didn’t have a temper when needed- but never with Mom or his kids. Dad took charge of Sundays when the deep snows came. After church, he made a big pot of his chili and a huge bowl of mashed potatoes. Everyone would sit there overindulging. They did this because the soup really was good, and because Dad took such delight in their praise and refills. Afternoons called for checkers, cards, and other board games. The house filled with moans and laughter depending on who won and who lost. Finally, it would be time for their favorite radio shows. Mom won the radio at a carnival. It was an RCA. The town was giving it away as a local business gift -Mom had gone into shock refusing to go up on stage, Dad had finally taken over with the situation  "-Shirley if you don't go up on stage to claim the thing, I'm carrying you up there. " Everyone in the crowd laughed and somehow Shirley found the courage to go up the steps. 

Upon returning home, Shirley's emotions had come rolling out when she realized what she'd won. "I won! I won! I've never ever won anything," she said stupefied. It was Bonnie who broke Mother's spell.

    “Hey! Mom, look. Everything looks like it’s in the spotlight alongside of this beautiful piece of furniture-"It was true-The radio console was so beautiful that the dings and scratches and dents and dirt on the old stuff stuck out like a sore thumb-When people came to visit they laughed saying-If folks come to look at your stuff then they aren't really your friends now are they? " Shirley agreed-It was the fabulous music and the shows that were important anyway-although the RCA really was about the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.