Milk, it's as common as water or soda pop. Totally taken for granted by most everyone. So why devote time to it? Well give me your attention and I'll tell you about love, devotion and milk.

I've recounted to you the poverty that was a part of my families early days in Alabama. It was poverty that caused us, like many other families, to seek a better life somewhere else. Milk played it's own role in our story.

Our part of Alabama relied on three principle income sources, farming, coal mining and timber. All were interdependent on the other. The "Great Depression" pretty much wiped out two of them leaving only farming to create any livelyhood. The result was alot of people with little or no work. My dad was one of those unfortunates. My family lived with the hand "dealt" it.

We got by as the saying goes. Dad worked when he could get it. My mom could take next to nothing and turn it into useable things for our family. She hand made most of the clothes that Lowell and I wore plus she made her own clothes as well. I swear, she could perform miracles. Jesus and the one fish to feed the masses had nothing on Irene.

We lived in an old weathered house that we rented from Curt Hunter. The old place had been vacant for years but mom cleaned it up and made it liveable. Curt charged us $5.00 a month for rent. Not much rent but it wasn't much of a house. No heat, a wood burning cook stove, no icebox and no plumbing. The place had a well for water and an outdoor toilet. Mom managed to get a garden spot put out in a little piece of ground next to the house. 

We got by pretty good except for milk. We'd never owned a cow, so milk was not a common item in our house. Mom worried about the lack of milk in our diets. Curt had two cows so mom struck a deal with Curts wife. In return for one and a half gallons of milk a week my mom agreed to do Mrs Hunters wash. Understand please that laundry washing back then was very different than today. It was an all day, done by hand job. The water was heated in an iron "wash" pot. The clothes were hand scrubbed on a "wash" board, rinsed, hand wrung and hung out to dry. All this for milk so your kids didn't do without. We took the milk in half gallon segments because we had no way to keep it cold. We drank it as we got it. The only time this routine varied was when my dad drove for the Barber Dairy Co. Every friday afternoon he would bring home two glass quart bottles of milk and box of Post Toasties. We would sit down and have milk and cereal then and there. It was a treat and a wecome change from the ever present oatmeal. 


With our arrival on Catalina, we were able to afford plenty of milk and we had a way to keep it cold. A minor thing perhaps? To us it was a victory. My mom wouldn't have to take in someones wash anymore.

Mom, I hope you read this and understand how much I love you for all you braved for Dad, Lowell and me. This is my tribute to you Irene. 

Even today I'm marked by the milk thing. I cannot be comfortable unless there's plenty of milk in the house. My wife says I'm crazy but at the same time I think she understands. With the kids all gone we don't need the milk. Old habits are hard to break I reckon.

Super markets were almost unknown to us. We had heard stories about the "Grand" A&P store in Jasper Alabama but we never went that far away from home so we never actaully saw this "all in one" marvel. Most our experience was with little cross roads mom and pop stores. These little stores useally extended limit credit to the locals. We didn't spend much cause we didn't have it to spend. The credit was sometimes a life saver.

Catalina was a whole different story. The only grocery store was the Safeway super market. What a great place. Almost everything under one roof. Our first time in the place was overwhelming. My mom just stood and stared. Me and Lowell checked out the rest rooms as always. Row after row of anything you could want. Kinda like the feeling I get when I walk into a Wal-Mart "Super Center".   

Ronnie White's dad worked at the Safeway. We all called him "Shorty". Shorty was the butcher there. Safeway had an old time meat counter. He would cut your meat the way you wanted instead of the pre-packaged cuts you get today. Shorty was a single parent. He and his two kids lived at Pebbly Beach and were our neighbors. He was a good guy. Always smiling and friendly.

Safeway was a good addition to Avalons business community. Fair prices and great service. One of those stores that always had some "give away" thing going. Might be dishes one week and doll's dressed in pretty costumes the next week. My mom still has some dolls and dishes she got with Safeway coupons. Life was good!