Nan's Alphabet

 Nan was always quick on her feet when she had to learn new things. The more children she raised the quicker she had to adapt to their quirks and behaviors. Some of the boys would tease the girls to tears but never took accountability for it. If Nan asked,"Did you kick your sister?" There was silence. They would rather take the punishment than give up their secrets or motives. On many occasions serious offenses were committed by family like her favorite daughter was arrested of doing. Once Nan took a carton of Marlboro and a six pack of panties to federal prison. There is not a book published that prepares a mother to see her daughter in prison for attempted murder. She drove as far as the guards would permit her, she waited in the freezing rain for the shuttle bus to the prison gates. The guards took her bags, took off her coat, patted her down and let her go inside. Nan looked around at the gray walls and all of the other guests of the prison that day. She was embarrassed,

 In 1956 Nan's husband took a job with a international crane company. They wanted him to begin to computerize the heavy equipment to do more work with less stress on the operator of the equipment. This was the beginning of the computer age and he was the man for the job. Nan packed up her children (at the time 7) and moved 42 miles away from her mother, father, brother, sisters and friends. I probably did not mention she was pregnant again. In those days 42 miles was like a 100 miles today. If you move the children to go to  see Nana and PopPop (her parents) you had to pack playpens, strollers, clothes and diapers. All diapers at this time were cloth. I do not believe we had a diaper service to pick up the dirty ones and drop off the clean ones.  We moved next to a house that had a chicken coop in the back yard. There were about 2 dozen chickens and they sold the eggs and the baby chicks. They were an older couple and there was a fence between our yards. In order for us not to go o