fuss
(first) sun up en we is stay dere aw day. Coase we is come to de house
when 12 o'clock come en ge' we sumptin uh eat. Dese white folks 'round
here don' hab no chillun to scare de crow offen dey corn nowadays. Dey
has aw kind o' ole stick sot (set) 'bout in de field wid ole pant en
coat flying 'bout on dem to scare de crow 'way. Dere be plenty crow
'bout nowadays too. I hears em hollerin aw 'bout in dis sky 'round 'bout
here."

"I 'member when I use'er nu'se de white folks baby. I al'ays did lub to
nu'se de babies, but I didn't never lub to nu'se no ug'y baby. I lub to
hab uh pretty baby to nu'se. Didn't lak no boy baby neither. Don' lak
boy baby nohow. Lubbed little girl baby. Lubbed to take de little girls
en dress em up in dey pretty clothes en carry dem out under de trees to
'muse dem whey dere wuz plenty peoples 'bout to see em. Mammy al'ays 'ud
fuss at me 'bout puttin' on dey best clothes, but I ain' never do lak
dese nu'se do nowadays. I take care o' my babies, didn't never 'low em
wallow in de dirt lak yunnah see dese nu'se do 'bout here dese day en
time."

"I 'members one time I been nu'se little boy baby en I is larnt he hair
to curl jes uz pretty. I bresh he hair eve'y morning en twist it 'round
me finger en he is had pretty curl uz dere wuz anywhey. Never lak de
Missus to cut my baby hair off neither when I had larnt it to curl."

"I been lub to wash little baby clothes too. I is primp em up so nice.
Never did put no starch much in em. I do me best on em en when I ge'
t'rough, dey been look too nice to le' de child muss up."

"Honey, I can' stand no chillun fuss 'round me no more dese days. Don'
hab no chillun fuss 'round me peaceful little place. I tell aw me
chillun en grandchillun en great-grandchillun dat I can' stand no
chillun fuss 'round me no more. My Sammie, he marry three times en I ax
him why he wanna marry so many time. I ain' never see no man I is wan'
since my ole man die."

"I ain' wha' I use'er to be, child. I ain' able to do nuthin more now
but dem little bit o' clothes wha' Miss Betty hab. Coase she clothes
ain' hard to wash. Miss Betty mighty clean, honey, she mighty clean. She
don' strip she bed but eve'y udder week en den de sheet ain' dirty one
speck. She does wash she self eve'y day en de sheet don' ge' de crease
out dem from one time dey wash till de next. I say I gwinna wash Miss
Betty clothes jes uz long uz de Massa'll le' me em."

_Source_: Personal interview with Mo