BASKETS  FOR  SALE

(As told by the woman, who remembers the Depression.)

My dear husband died, in 1928!
His team bolted and help came much too late!
My son and I found him....a horrible sight!
And going on "relief", didn't seem quite right!
But, we could survive,  with ten dollars a month,
For one boy....two daughters....and me,
Also two cows...chickens and a garden, you see,
Until my brother came, from Vancouver, one day,
Our "relief" was cut off! "No more!", they did say!
It was, because we had a man around, now,
They thought that he could farm....but, how?
No machinery, or horses, on this eighty acres, of land,
Then someone mentioned, a really good plan,
I'd make willow baskets, from the willow reeds around,
Sell them, in Red Deer, to the people, in that town!
But, others also heard and they did the very same,
So, a trip to town was a waste, again and again!
Even in Calgary, we sold only two,
Sixty baskets!..........Months of labour!
Now, what could we do?
We ended up with about one hundred, I'd say,
Couldn't sell them, so...just stored them away!
Ten years later, about 1945, in our town,
I showed a basket and the manager said,
"Please, bring all of your baskets around!"
I got $1.00, for each basket, made of branches,
I jumped quickly, at such wonderful, chances!
One hundred dollars, seemed like a lot then,
But, oh, how it would have helped us,
Way.....back.....when.....
We were so poor, so needy and trying,
Baskets, unsold....made us feel like crying!
Now, that we were no longer quite so poor!
Baskets sold quickly! Sales were so sure!
We did not need the money! Not these days!
Life's unpredictable, in so many ways!!

Pauline Banning
W4-1017-98-D10

I do not believe in Murphy's Law, but find it very strange, that when
things start to go wrong, everything seems to go wrong....and when things
go well...the pattern seems to be set and good news keeps pouring in. I
recall people stating, that trouble comes in threes....but, sometimes it
must come by the dozen....for there seems to be no end to it.

When I try to rely, on my own capabilities, to pull myself up and improve
on a situation, I fail. When I go, with the flow and let destiny take its
course....just do the best I can, without worrying about every small
predicament, the disappointments fade and brighter days arrive on the
scene. Somehow, wrong turns to right....and all is well once more.

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