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Have you ever worn the knees out of your dungarees?

Rose Ann sure did, playing marbles. She was the Town of Washington Marbles Champion, that is when my mama told her to switch sports. She became my tag along. She would get on her blue bike and put her baseball glove through the handle bars and follow me wherever I went. She was my sister .

She would follow me usually to baseball games and be the first one chosen. The boys were not picky about who they chose and she could run and throw and bat better than most. She was the ultimate tom boy. Don’t take me at my word on Rose Ann , she never had her hair permed till she was in the eighth grade.

She was also queen of the whiffle ball game. She could hit over the trees which was a home run and could throw a whiffle ball like a boy. Now that is hard to do.

The thing about Rose Ann is that I loved her better than anyone could love a little sister and she even collected baseball cards. Riley was her nickname and I still call her Riley today and she still answers to that.

To this day, she was Daddy’s little girl and I respect that. I have an older daughter and she was the queen of the house, but she never let on to the twins.

They were the best of times with the best of friends and in the best of places, Washington, NC . The Original Washington!

Harold Jr.