I Remember-Williams & Carter Relatives

I remember learning to ride a bicycle in Dinsmore, Florida in my uncle James & aunt Verdie [williams] Carter's front yard.  I never had a bicycle.  I remember falling off and scrubbing my knees, legs & elbows and getting back on to go again.

I remember my cousin Imogene Carter had a big [ so it seemed then] BRIDE DOLL for one Christmas..she let me play with that beautiful doll.
I never had a Bride Doll ...or any other doll that I can recall.  I do remember dreaming of a doll for Christmas one year..not actually dreaming but wishing and planning for a doll. I think I was in the second grade.   It was rather large and the price was likely the reason I never got it.  That's understandable, after all..it cost $1.98.

My cousin Imogene also let me play with her doll house furniture one Christmas Day at their house.  Pretend was so much fun.  Her mother accidentally stepped on some pieces of that furniture [it may have been 'bakelite]  and I was terribly offended..not because she broke the furniture but because she just laughed about it when it happened.  Strange, the things we hold in our memory bank.

While we are at my Carter/Williams cousins house pulling out memories stored away let's talk about spending the night with Imogene.  They closed in their front porch to make another bedroom and we always considered it still a porch.  I recall spending the night & sleeping on the porch and the conversation before bed time about snoring. Imogene and I agreed that one of us [ don't know which one] would stay awake to verify that the other actually did snore at night.  Well, you know the outcome of that pact.

I also remember that Carter family had a Tent Church locate on the property adjacent to them at one time. Yes it was a Tent, a large one and the congregation was Pentecostal.  My aunt Verdie [ Daddy's sister] attended that church.  She was always trying to pursuade Uncle James who was known to all of us to be a heathen, to go to church with her.
Uncle James wasn't tempted..to go to church, that is.  He proclaimed in no uncertain terms that he didn't have to attend church services..he could hear everything that went on right from his own yard or garage where he often worked.  I think that settled that.

Just an added note: Years later after Aunt Verdie died, my Uncle James remarried. His wife was also Pentecostal and at some point Uncle James was pursuaded. His life changed.  Amazing!