These stories are being recalled from memory since my father is no longer around to tell them to me.

A SWOLLEN TONGUE FOR DINNER

I'm unsure of my father's age at the time but he and his siblings were outside playing before dinner. My Aunt Penny was the oldest, my father was the second oldest and the two younger brothers, Joseph and Ted.

My aunt Penny came outside to alert her brothers that playtime was over because dinner was ready. My father being the boy that he was decided to make a game of it. As he ran for the door he called out, "Last one inside is a rotten egg!" Of course, the other two brothers were game for the contest and they all ran for the door at the same time.

My dad was just a little faster than they were and he made it to the bathroom first and decided to pick fun at his siblings. He stuck his tongue out of the bathroom door is a display of accomplishment and pride. When his siblings came closer to push their way into the bathroom he closed the door, ON HIS TONGUE!

I know a lot of you are probably wondering how that was possible but it is. And, yes it's true, my grandmother is a witness and she has verified that the story is true.

So, my father may have been the first one to reach the bathroom but he was not the first one to the dinner table. He sat watching while the rest of the family ate with a swollen tongue and only soup for dinner.

AN ARROW IN THE FOOT

My dad and my uncles were always looking for things to get into. When they were kids, during the summer the majority of their time was spent outside coming up with new ideas to keep themselves occupied.

One day they got the bright idea to play cowboys and Indians (My apologies if that's offensive). They sharpened sticks to make arrows and were playing with them. I'm not exactly sure how they came up with the idea to shoot arrows in the air and watch them fall, but you know boys. The more dangerous the game, the better they like it.

Apparently the cowboys and Indians game must have become boring at some point because instead of continuing with that game they started playing with the arrows. One of my uncles, Joseph, I think was shooting the arrows into the air and my uncle Ted just happened to be unknowingly standing in the landing zone of an arrow.

You know what anyone does when they are waiting for something to fall from the sky, their eyes are fixed upward, waiting in suspense for the object to fall back down. My poor Uncle Ted was the landing zone for the unexpected arrow. It fell from the sky, point down and right into the skin of his bare foot.

Needless to say that this adventure ended in an Emergency Room visit for my Uncle Ted and was no longer allowed in their outdoor play.

Boys will be boys!

Thanks for reading! I will be gathering more stories from my parents past to share with all of you. Stay tuned for the next one!