"Hold on!"

Grandpa - Chester Bell;  Mom's Dad;  was a Chief Engineer on the Great Lakes.  This meant he sailed
9 months of the year.  This  also meant that he did not have much time behind the wheel - driving.  He was a terrible driver.  Dad, Mom,  and all the four kids, and Grandma Bell, were all packed into a yellow
station wagon to go to Toledo to pick up Grandpa Bell.  Grandpa was driving on the way home.
(This was before seat belts.)  Grandpa saw a pop-corn stand on the right side of the road, and asked,
"Does of anyone want pop-corn.?   We all enthusiastically called out a loud, "YES".   Grandpa turned
right and yelled ,  "Hold On."    Never even slowing down.   I flew over the front seat and landed
under the dash board.  Luckily we were all O.K.

It was a cold, snowy, morning.  Ice covered the snow.  Dad was going to give us all a ride to school
in his Mobil Gas Station Jeep.  The Jeep was white, with "John E Stubbs" boldly written on the side  and
a flying red red horse  on either side.  The Jeep had a cab with a passenger seat.  The back was open-
no walls,with benches on either side.  We all piled in:  Nancy, Joe, and maybe Allen and Donnie Kane, and I.  Dad pulled out onto St. Clair Hwy.,  from Arden Road and hit the slick ice and spun -                Dad yelled,    "Hold On!"
The kids next to the cab held onto the cab.  The other kids leaned forward and held onto each other .
The Jeep spun around more than once.   No one fell out.  Everyone was O.K.  Dad drove onto school.

Dad was driving.  We were all in the the yellow station wagon on the way to take me to be a camp counselor at "Mac-Do-Lodge" in Wisconsin.  Dad was coming over a hill, lickety/split when we all
saw a car at the bottom of the hill, across the road.  It turned out to be an old Doctor and his wife
making a U-turn.  Dad yelled out,    "Hold on."    He stood the yellow station wagon on it's nose and
pulled to the right, missing getting an early pass into the pearlly gates.   Everyone was O.K.

The other day I was at my son - Tim's house.   I had taken  Kate's deck chair cushion's to wash
them.  I had left the cushion's in the drive-way near the garage .  My car was parked in the Street.
The trunk was open to load the car.  Hanna (12)  was helping me load the car.  I said,  " I'll back-up
the car -closer to the garage to get the cushions.  Hanna said, "I'll get them.""
I got into the car.  Fussed around.  Started the car.  Checked the mirror to the right.  Nothing.
Checked the rear-view mirror. I  heard my Father's voice,   "Hold on."    "Never back up unless you know were the kids are."  I saw pink.  Hanna was behind the car- loading the cushions.
I turned off the car.  Got out.  Hanna was on the lawn.  "Grandma, you almost ran over me."

I hugged her and hugged her, and hugged her.  " I love You!  I'll never back up again."  I went to
leave and Hanna called out--"Grandma, I love you."   And I called back, "I love you, too."
 I never felt more like crying.