SEWING

A couple months ago, after a trip to the doctor, I learned that I have shrunk another 3/4th of an inch. Now I am four feet, ten and one quarter inch. Rats! The tallest I have ever been was four feet, eleven and three quarter inches high. I wanted so badly to reach a full five feet tall. It never happened. But because of the small spaces on my drivers license, I just put five feet tall so I wouldn't have to go into full detail about my height. Now I am the smallest of my mother's four girls. My youngest sister, Leasa, is a little bit taller than I am, but she is no giant either. I believe she's under five feet, but not as "under" as I am. I believe all of us girls and our mother have shrunk some in our senior years.

And just think—I drove a big school bus for thirty years! At first I drove it with my big toe on the accelerator, but after cramps began plaguing the calf of my right leg, I asked my boss to do something with the peddles on the bus, if he wanted me to continue to drive. I told him about the leg cramps and that I couldn't continue to drive if my leg began cramping every time during my runs. Well, he hummed and hawed about the bus not passing inspections if the transportation officers saw the blocks on the peddles. And, he wasn't too sure how safe they would be for me either. "So, paint them black like the rest of the floor so they won't be seen," I said. After a few seconds thought, he agreed that maybe it could be done. The next morning I could actually reach the peddles comfortably. And, everything was black so the changes couldn't be seen unless one got on hands and knees to see them.

There was one man who drove for our company that must have been close to seven feet tall. I know that my head just came up to the middle of his chest. His belt buckle hit just below my chin. We had to go on a trip to Longwood Gardens one day, a surprise to me, but I agreed to go. When Andy (the tall man) came out to talk to me about the trip, I told him in plain terms, shaking my finger up, up, up in his face at the same time, "If you lose me on this trip, when I find you again, I'm going to break your knees!" Of course, that made him laugh. I may not be able to reach his arm pits, but I definitely could reach his knees. The trip went well and Andy only had to pull over on the side of the road to wait for me to get through the red light one time. Boy! did I thank him for that! Sitting at that light waiting for it to change so I could catch up to him was pure anxiety for me. He only had to do that once. I tail-gated him from then on. When we got back to the parking lot he said to me, "When I looked back I thought I was towing your bus, you were that close." I had to keep up with him, didn't I?

Well, enough about my height. I can do anything anyone else who's taller than me can do, within reason, that is. But I'm proud to say that I was the only lady bus driver in our family up until two years ago. My niece, Melody, quit her high paying job with Rite Aid (she was manager) and got a job driving a school bus in Delaware because she needed to spend more time at home with her two children. I am proud to say that I influenced her and told her many stories to help her get a CDL license. She lined up her first bus drivers job before she even knew how to drive a bus. She studied hard and passed her tests, got her CDL and went to work the next week. Hooray! for Melody!

Well, enough about bus driving. I retired after thirty years, when I was sixty five years old. I didn't grow tired of the job but I thought it was time to stay home and take care of my husband and my mother. And, that's just what I did.

On my last day of driving, when school ended that year, one of my students parents through a big block party for me. Heidi knew I wanted to become a published writer and she told all the parents that what I needed in lieu of gifts was enough money to self-publish a book of poems. When I said a tearful farewell to all my wonderful students and their generous parents, I had collected a whopping $530.00 and a lovely pink flowered tote bag. With this money collecting a little interest in the bank, I contacted a publisher and before long I had my first book of poems, entitled God's Potpourri of love in my hands. What a spiritual high I was on. I walked around on a cloud for quite a while, proud as a peacock. My friend, Heidi, had drawn the cover of the book and it was gorgeous! It has a pine tree reaching to the sky (depicting God), a set of angel wings surrounding the tree (God's spirit), and a rainbow covering the top of the tree (God's promise to mankind). Topping the tree is a gold cross, a reminder that Jesus died for all mankind so that we could have a relationship of love with His Father. It is my hope that this spiritual poetry book will sell well, eventually. So far, more money has gone out with the publishing of this book than has been realized from it's meager sales. But, the real wealth in this book is how much everyone who has purchased it has liked it. I know of three persons who has read it more than two times. That means a lot to me.

If, by chance anyone would like to purchase a copy of this book, it is $18.00 and I will pay for the mailing fees. Just use my e-mail address and let me know by putting "your book" in the subject line of the e-mail, which is eb.ryan@verizon.net.

God bless you all.
Evelyn