The Utter Joy of Spring

Spring is my favorite time of year. It brings back joyful memories. Spring of course gets all mixed up with Easter time. For Easter, we got new clothes. Looking back on it though, it is hard to believe that everything was new, from underwear to shoes and socks, but that is how I remember it.

I'm not sure how Mother managed new shoes because during World War II, you had to have ration stamps to buy shoes, and you could not even buy fabrics. You had to knowbarefoot-boy somebody who worked in a bigger town than ours. Sometimes your new dress or shirt had a previous life as a fancy petticoat, but by the time Mother got through adding embroidery or ruffles for my sister and me, believe me, nobody knew nor cared. To tell the truth, we trashed Mother's good efforts in short order. Here's my brother all fancied up in short pants. Mother probably made every stitch. Note the angle of the tie and that the new shoes have taken a backseat to the joy of going barefoot.

Every year we would try the same ploy to get to take off our shoes on the first of April, and every year Mother would tell us April in Kansas weather was tricky and too cold for that. May 1st was the earliest time for going barefoot, and we would. Chilly weather and rain would not discourage this yearly rite. There is something wonderful about feeling mud squishing between your toes, especially if it is warm. I wonder at what age I gave up that urge.