Warm Springs Georgia

After I had been home from the hospital for a while,  Doctor Vann decided that it would be a good idea if we went to Warm Springs GA. to the facility there where President Roosevelt had gone.  The Warm Springs Foundation was know for their work with rehabilitating people who had polio.  They wanted to make sure that I was getting the best care possible.

We got into our car to travel all the way to Georgia.  My uncle Judd had married Helen Matthews and she joined us on our trip.  Along with Helen came her new cat Tandy a beautiful Siamese kitten with big blue eyes.  During the night stay in a motel, Tandy decided to play with the light attached to the head board.  She walked the head board and batted with her paw at the chain that dangled just above my Dad's head.  He was not overly fond of cats and remained asleep as we held our breath.

When we got to Georgia, we stayed with Helen's family.  It was there that I saw a TV for the first time.  It was small and almost round.  The black and white picture on the tube was very fuzzy.  It was interesting  and memorable to a little girl.  Helen's Family were very nice to us and a lot of fun. I think it was her sister that told me that they used to make dolls out of corn husk, using corn silk for hair.  It was there that I discovered that there was such a thing as yellow watermelon.

When we stayed in Warm Springs, the streets in town had wooden sidewalks,  and the water in the hotel tasted terrible.  The doctors at the foundation said that Dr. Vann was as good a doctor as any one that they had on staff and that I was very lucky to have him as my doctor.  We visited the little White House where President Roosevelt stayed when he visited there for treatments. We made two trips there and they get mixed up in my memory, but on the last one I believe I had my first loose tooth. I wiggled it all the way there and all the way back home.  We even tried the trick of tying a string on the tooth and a door nob, slamming the door....but of course it did not work.

The Appalachian Mountains, run all the way into Georgia.  We visited a State Park in the mountains.  In a general store my parents bought me my first pair of blue jeans, and a toy monkey.  On the way back we listened to the radio play "the Tennessee Waltz."  I also remember the kudzu that had taken over larger areas along the road side in Georgia even covering homes.  At that point it was out of control.