My First Spanking from Grandma

My Grandmother, Jean Ella Doyle Riddle, was diminuitive in stature but certainly not in actions.  With one look from those steely blue eyes, you knew you were in trouble of the very worst kind.  She turned me over her knee only once but she "conked" me on my head more than once with her heavy plastic comb when I wouldn't stand still as she braided my hair.  I think I've mentioned how I hated those braids because with my long silky, straight hair, they never stayed in place, and when it was time for school pictures, my hair always looked messy--cute but very messy!

My Horrible Braids!

Grandma never stood for any "sassing" from me or any of her grandchildren.  The only spanking I remember was the time I followed her to town after she told me to stay home and be good.  It was Saturday and Grandpa was home, but he was out back hoeing the garden.  Grandma walked everywhere she needed to go--the post office, the variety store, or the market/feed store--the town was only about five blocks from our house.  We had a perfectly nice Plymouth coupe parked outside and later on a pretty brown/white 1953 Chevrolet, but she never learned to drive.  Grandpa always left the car and drove his big yellow road grader to and from his job on the roads.  Anyway, I watched her leave and I would sneak a block or two at a time until I finally caught up with her at the feed store.  She didn't say anything when I showed up and even while walking back home, and I thought just maybe I had gotten away with it.  Well that didn't happen because as you know, children didn't get by with misdeeds and misbehaviors in those days.  If your parents didn't find out, the neighbors would certainly tell on you.  She called me out to the screened-in back porch, told me to lie across her lap, and she gave me a good hard spanking with her hand--not a board or a belt.  She reminded me that I disobeyed her by following her to town when I was told not to. 

1953 Plymouth Coupe

Most of the time I was allowed to "go to town" with her, but on this particular day, she must have had other business to attend.  We would always stop by Jap & Golden Plank's cafe and get an ice cream cone and sit and talk with her friend, Golden.  Their daughter was married to my Grandmother's youngest son, so she liked to stop at their cafe for ice cream and chat about the kids who were in Germany.  My Uncle Homer was in the Army and stationed somewhere in Germany at that time.  I think I was hoping we could stop and get our ice cream, but we walked right by and she didn't say a word.  You knew in those days not to beg or ask a second time for anything.  I think I was really dreading to get back home for I was pretty sure what was coming, and I believe it was my first and only spanking from Grandma.