Second Pregnancy

I was living back in Knox County, but I wanted the Doctor in Marion County who was a family friend. A Gynecologist who had bought Angus beef off of my family and done my first checkup way back when. I had told him about all the medics and the nurse who crossed my legs and sat on them, because after almost 11 months of pregnancy my son was suddenly in a hurry to be born in Germany. This Doctor, who had known me since I was a teen, shook his head and promised me I would be spoiled this time. It was worth the one hour drive to check ups to feel safe again. Besides, it was another chance to see Mom every time I made that trip.

The once a month early trips were easy. Then the weather turned bad and my wonderful Mother-In-Law, Ruth, worried enough to insist on going with me. I never was one to be afraid to drive in any road condition, but, I enjoyed Ruth's company. And this also gave both my "Mothers" a chance to get better acquainted.

J.T. was five now (till mid Feb.) and in kindergarden for half days. The school bus picked him up in the morning, but the parents were responsible for picking them up at noon. Luckily, our closest neighbor had a little girl the same age. So C.P. and I took turns driving. When I had a Dr. appointment in the morning, C.P. would keep J.T. till I got back. Which made me feel like I needed to hurry back, and cut short my visits with Mom. So I usually had afternoon visits with the Doctor and would drop J.T. and Ruth off with Mom while I saw the Doctor. This was certainly a different pregnancy then the one in the Army. (Where my ex-husband had kept control, by refusing to let me have an international drivers lisence.)

I remember the car we had at that time being a dark blue Chevy Impala. It must have been a 1969, because we bought it new within a year of getting married. What I am sure of is that it had Posi-traction. Which, with my limited mechanical knowledge, simply meant that if a wheel started to spin, the posi-traction would kick in and all four wheels would grab. I loved to drive that car. We lived on a county road with some pretty steep hills and bad curves. One intersection was especially treacherous. It was a curve at the bottom of a hill with a culvert and one county road intersecting and also, a township road intersecting right on the curve, just before the culvert. Add a little ice and/or snow, and getting around that curve could give anyone a thrill. (We came home one evening from bowling, to see my neighbors car hanging on it's side over the culvert. Another neighbor had already taken her on home. The car had to wait till the ice melted, to be pulled out.) W had put studded tires on the Impala. They were legal back them, and they worked. Too well, I guess. They tore up roads and now they are illegal. Which is too bad, because I could go anywhere, anytime in that car. (The neighbor even rode with me several times, just so she wouldn't have to drive when it was bad out.)

A few times, when I showed up at Moms for one of those winter Doctor appointments, she would scold me and she always said I wasn't smart enough to be afraid. Ruth would agree with Mom, but she always went with me.

Just once did my Impala actually slide. On that very treacherous curve one icy day before I had even gotten to Ruth's to pick her up. It was just J.T. and me when I was probably about 5 months pregnant. Going down the hill on thick solid ice was ok till I had to turn the wheel for the curve just before that culvert. The car kept going straight. Which was a good thing, because it crossed the intersection to the gravel township road. Where we kept sliding till the road started up another slope of a gentle hill. When we stopped, I had two choices. Continue on the gravel road to the highway, or get myself turned back to the county road and follow it to the main highway. In those conditions, the township road was much more dangerous, with sharper curves and deeper dropoffs and almost no traffic if I needed help. I'm not sure why, but I opened my door and started to get out. When my foot hit the ground, the car actually slid over. With just one foot on the ground, and me still in the car, I was actually able to spin my car totally around to face the other way. (I swear!!!) Then, very slowly, I trusted my studded tires and my posi-traction to drive back to the intersection and onto the county road. My 5 year old J.T. was whooping and hollaring for Mommy to "do it again." I made it to my Doctor appointment, but both of my Mothers were angry with me for going out that day. Especially after an excited J.T. told on me. Hey, after I got off the county road, the highways were almost fine.

While I'm talking about my Impala with the studded tires and posi-traction, there is one more instance where they proved themselves. Another icy day while I was still working and the car was brand new. The industrial park where I worked in one of the offices, was on a flat road with a z bend before our workplace. I got to work one day to see cars slid off onto the side everywhere. I stopped to pick up one of the other women and proceeded. There was one of the men and I started to stop to pick him up. He was yelling and waving at me to go on. When I stopped anyway, he told me I was a fool and I'd never get started again. The other woman told him to get in back and just watch. We had no trouble at all. By the time I got to work, my car had picked up two more of my male co-workers. Not one single man said a single word to me about what an excellent driver I was. They just raved about my Impala! So, after the ice melted, the other woman and I stayed just long enough for those men to walk to their cars. Then I took her to hers, .....and we laughed all the way.