Where I Belong

   I hear lots of people commenting that they aren't sure of where they belong. I got to thinking about it and decided I am where I belong.
   My grandfathers were born in this county of Southern Illinois as well as both my parents, my sister and myself. I now live on land owned by my grandparents when I was small and I'm a couple miles from where we lived when I can first remember.
   My first memories were of the home ( my grandparents owned it too) where we had to get in and out by wagon. We had no phones, no electricity, no indoor plumbing . I remember my mom washing our clothes in the iron kettle in the back yard. We had an ice box but rarely any ice so if we wanted something kept cool it was put in the water bucket and put in the well. We had a dinner bell in the back yard and if there was an emergency ( fire, illness, accident) it was rang and neighbours came to help.
  My dad hunted and trapped and I remember he and mom skinning the animals he had caught and stretching the hides on  boards to dry.
  We moved a few miles away when I was 5 years old  to Dixon Springs and we had electricity there and a used refrigerator. It was there I rode the bus to Robbs School for 3 years and the 4th year to Bay Valley School.
  When I was in 5th grade we moved back a couple miles from here and had crank phone and got our first used TV.
  We moved to Metropolis Il. in 1957. Still no indoor plumbing.... I lived there when I got married in 1961 and my first two sons were born there.
  We moved around Illinois for a few years and even to St Louis, Mo. but came back here ( home).Later we moved to McCook Neb. and came back here. In early 1980's we got in door plumbing and finished raising our kids here. I moved to Ga. in 1991 and stayed 20 years and came back home again and I am contented to stay so unless God has other plans this is where I belong.