EDIE (5)

     Edie was able to sit up for about fifteen minutes at a time a few times a day in her wicker back wheelchair. Her mother had to change her bandages twice a day. Her stumps were healed other than on the ends. They still bled at times so Edie had to return to the hospital for another amputation on the ends of the stumps. She remained in the hospital for another two more months. She could come home but had to remain in bed for another month on her stomach. (In three months she was able to sit up and push herself around in her chair.) One day the family all piled in to the truck, even Edie. She sat in the front seat between her mother and brother. Her first outing in almost a year. She did not go into the store which was just a general store and she didn't want people to stare at her, anyway. It was just nice sitting outside looking around at people, houses with yards with flowers and trees, kids' toys instead of hospital walls and beds. Shopping was over, the boys had haircuts and all five kids, Susan too, had new shoes for school. One hundred pound bags of sugar and flour were loaded on the truck. The girls were picking out the sugar or flour bags that they wanted for their dresses (the bags that the sugar and flour came in back then was material with flowers printed on it. So the women would make dresses from the bags. Very pretty, too.) (This girl had many herself).