'TIL NEXT TIME: Don’t go barefoot until first of May

— My foot feels like it’s got a stone bruise. Okay, come on, no one has a stone bruise anymore! I bet kids don’t even know what it is! Anyway, you can’t have one because you don’t have a big old hunk of salt pork to put on it and then tie it there with a clean rag and leave it a couple of days.

I wonder why salt pork?

Probably the healing of the salt or probably just taking the pressure off of walking on it.

My dad had a rule: No barefoot until the first day of May. I hope he doesn’t know how many times I walked from home barefoot in April. By September, my feet were like two pieces of leather, but I could still get an occasional stone bruise.

We all went to school in September barefooted until the weather turned and it felt good to wear shoes. The floors at school had always been freshly oiled and the smell was still pretty strong for a few days, but it felt good to rub my feet back and forth on the slick floor. There were usually 12 of us, in all eight grades, but farms were all rented so the number could change up or down, because March 1 was moving day.

As you recognize the light bulb above someone’s head as being an idea or instant knowledge. It happened to me! We were at a wedding reception and were a table of six all from the same class. Very far back in the room and kind of having our own little party when someone mentioned crossword. I told them I couldn’t figure out the clue, “Gene Messenger,” even after filling in all the blanks. One of the men said, “DNA - gene - messenger.” Oh man, I had to reach up and slap the light bulb before it lit up the room. I felt so dense. I don’t believe I would ever have figured that out.

It must be the month for surgeries. Betty Weston’s sister-in-law in Montanahad knee replacement; so did my niece, but she also had hand surgery at the same time. Babe Pennington is in the burn center in Springfield and also had surgery.

I had a good visit with my neighbor west of me.

He was a boy when we moved here 42 years ago.

He is married and raised three of his own and is now moving away. One of those changes that I have to swallow hard and then accept.

Another good neighbor, Tony Webb and Justin, just went by for a walk on this wonderful February day.

Ash Wednesday services will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 22, at Brightwater United Methodist Church this year.

Happy 14th birthday, Jonathon Schyhart!

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Editors note: Edith Lammey has been a resident of the area for nearly 40 years. She can be contacted through The Times at 451-1196 or prtnews@nwaonlinecom.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 02/22/2012