Chapter 1: Conversation with Laurie and Pam
Lisa: Good morning. My name is Lisa Sonneborn and I am conducting an interview with Pam Abbott and Laurie Scoggins in Pam's home in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and also present is our videographer Lindsey Martin. So Laurie and Pam, do I have your permission to start our interview?
Pam: Is that okay to start Laurie?
Laurie: Yes.
Lisa: Thank you, thank you. Well, the first thing I wanted to ask was if each of you could tell me your names? And we can start with Pam.
Pam: My name is Pam Abbott.
Lisa: [To Laurie] and what is your name?
Pam: [To Laurie] Laurie what's your name?
Laurie: [Speaking......]
Pam: Yea we are the movie. Are you gonna tell Lisa your name?
Laurie: Yea.
Pam: Go ahead tell her your name.
[Silence]
Pam: Laurie...Scoggins...
Laurie: Yea.
Pam: Is that your name?
Laurie: Yea.
Pam: Yea, well you tell Lisa. Can you tell Lisa your name?
[Silence]
Pam: Laurie Scoggins.
Laurie: Yea.
Pam: Are you being shy? Yea
Lisa: Laurie and Pam I wonder if you can tell me what is your relationship? Laurie who is this person sitting next to you?
Laurie: (01:01:31:09-01:03:36:05) [Speaking]
Lisa: We are making a movie that's a camera that will help us make a movie, yea. Who is this person sitting next to you Laurie?
Pam: Who am I? Are you my sister?
Laurie: Yea.
Pam: Yeahh. We're sisters.
Laurie: [Speaking...]
Pam: No, we're sisters. Right?
Laurie: [Speaking...]
Pam: That's right.
Lisa: Who is the big sister?
[Pause]
Pam: Laurie? Are you my big sister?
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: Yeah. You were born first? Then I came along? Yeah.
[Pause]
Lisa: Laurie, I'm wondering if you could tell me a little bit about your sister Pam. Is your sister special to you?
Pam: (01:02:36:42-) Laurie, what do you like to do with me? What do we do together?
[Pause]
Pam: You visit me. We go out to eat. You come here for holidays. You stay overnight.
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: We have snacks, right? We go to parties.
Laurie: Aw, yeah.
Pam: Yeah? Cookouts, right? You like cookouts. You like to come over and sing, right? You played your guitar a little bit ago, singing all kinds of songs.
[Pause]
Pam: It's ok.
Lisa: Would you like to take a little break?
Stop Camera
Laurie: (01:00:03:15-01:00:19:05) Are we going to the movies over there at the mall?
Pam: Yeah we can go sometime.
Laurie: Okay.
Pam: Yeah what do you want to go see?
Laurie: I don't know.
Pam: You're not sure?
Laurie: No.
Pam: Something with singing and dancing?
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: Yeah?
Lisa: Laurie do you have a favorite movie? I heard you singing some songs today what movie were they from? What movie is that song (Adelveis) from? Do you remember?
Pam: (01:00:31:25-01:01:00:09) What's your favorite movie? With Julie Andrews and all the kids...
Laurie: When we going to Rosehill, to see the kids?
Pam: Oh. Well, maybe next month.
Laurie: Oh next month.
Pam: Yeah. Go back to Rose Hill where she used to live, to see her friends. Yeah we go back and see your friends, don't we?
Laurie: Yeah.
Lisa: Where do you live now Laurie?
Pam: (01:01:05:15-01:01:34:08) Where do you live?
Laurie: Oh boy.
Pam: Where's your house? Where do you live?
Laurie: My house.
Pam: Yeah, and where is your house what town is your house? Pottstown?
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: Yeah. You're coming up on a year, you've lived there for almost a whole year. Yeah.
Lisa: Do you like your house Laurie?
Laurie: How come I've got this on?
Lisa: What does your bedroom look like? Did you decorate it just as you wanted?
Laurie: How come I've got this (mic) on?
Pam: So people can hear you. Yeah- do you want to tell Lisa about your house, your new house?
Laurie: Yeah.I want to take it (mic) off.
Pam: No we need that on just for a little bit. So Laurie, you live in Pottstown, right? And you live with some other ladies... Who do you live with what's the name of your housemates?
Laurie: I don't know.
Pam: You don't know.
Laurie: I have to take it (mic) off.
Pam: It's not bothering you is it?
Laurie: No. When do we take it (mic) off? When?
Pam: When?
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: In a little bit, when we're done talking.
Lisa: Is that okay just for a few more minutes to wear while we're talking?
Pam: See I have one too, did you see mine? It's just so that everybody can hear you.
Lisa: So what kinds of things do you like to do at home Laurie- in your new house? What do you like to do?
Laurie: (01:02:58:21-3:05:00:01) Fiddles with mic. I don't want it (mic) on me.
Pam: (01:00:08:13-01:01:00:07) [Talking to Laurie]
Pam: We're just gonna be a few more minutes. But I need for you to tell Lisa, when she asks you a question you need to tell her what your favorite movie is or about your house. Ok? Don't be shy.
Laurie: I won't.
Pam: Ok, because we want to hear your story. (Laurie hugs Pam) We want to know about you, and so do other people. "cause you have a good story.
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: Yeah.
Laurie kisses Pam
Pam: You do, I want you to tell your story. Allright?
Laurie: Yeah
Pam: So don't be shy!
Sisters cuddle
Pam: ok? And I'll help you.
Laurie: Yeah
Pam: I'll help you tell your story.
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: Allright, good. And then we'll go out for lunch.
Laurie: Yeah, we can.
Pam: Ok.
Lisa: So Laurie we were talking a little bit about your house, do you like your house?
Laurie: (01:01:04:05-01:01:10:01) I like spaghetti
Pam: Yeah that's your favorite, isn't it?
Laurie: Yeah, I like spaghetti all the time.
Pam: Yeah
Lisa: Do you make spaghetti in your kitchen?
Laurie: Yeah
Pam: Yeah
Lisa: Do you have friends that live with you in your house Laurie?
Laurie: (01:01:26:00-01:02:27:00) What time is it?
Pam: Its, I don't know, lets see; It's about twenty of eleven.
Laurie: Yeah
Pam: But, let's talk about your house- your house in Pottstown.
Laurie: [Nods no]
Pam: [Laughing] Tell me about your house in Pottstown Laurie, do you like your new house?
Laurie: [Nods yes]
Pam: Yeah? Do you like having your own room?
Laurie: No
Pam: Yes you do. You like having your own room. What do you do, what do you like to do in your room?
[Pause]
Pam: Do you do your pegs?
Laurie: Oh yeah.
Pam: Do you want to tell Lisa?
Laurie: I know her.
Pam: Yeah tell Lisa about your TV and your pegs.
Laurie: (01:02:27:10-01:02:50:25) Yeah. Sometime I do.
Pam: Sometimes you do. Like after work when you get back from work.
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: Do you like going to work? Yeah? What do you do at work?
[Pause]
Pam: What do you do at work?
Laurie: I make things.
Pam: Yeah, do you make things? Yeah? Do you get paid?
Laurie: I got check money.
Pam: You got check money.
Laurie: (Name) gave it to me.
Pam: Mmm hmm.
Lisa: What do you do when you get your check money, Laurie?
Pam: Do you give me your check? Do you give me your check?
Laurie: (01:03:00:12-01:03:22:03) Yeah.
Pam: Yeah and then we go to the bank.
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: What do you do?
Laurie: I don't know.
Pam: I give you your check back.
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: Yeah. We go up to see the lady, the teller...And then you get your money...
Laurie: Yeah.
Lisa: What kinds of things do you like to buy with your money, do you like to go places or buy special things?
Laurie nods yes
Lisa: What kinds of things- where do you like to go? What kinds of things do you like to do?
[Pause]
Lisa: I know you like the movies. Have you seen any good movies lately?
(01:04:00:00-01:04:29:29)
Pam: Hey Laurie. What do you want to do?
Laurie: (01:00:04:00-01:00:52:09) I want to go with you. I want to go to the movies/
Pam: Yeah you want to go to the movies with me?
Laurie: Yeah
Pam: Okay. What movie do you want to go see?
Laurie: I don't know.
Pam: Just any movie? Any movie okay?
Laurie: Yeah
Pam: Okay and what do you want to eat when we get there?
Laurie: I like spaghetti.
Pam: Spaghetti at the movies? No...
Laurie: No! At the diner.
Pam: At the diner. Yeah which diner do you want to go to? Which one? Limerick? Pottstown?
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: That one? Pottstown? Okay, so we'll do that later okay. So do you remember when we moved your things into your new house? Do you remember that?
Laurie: I don't know
Pam: It was about a year ago and you moved from ----to your new house.
Laurie: (01:01:17:10-01:01:56:00) Yeah.
Pam: Yeah. That was a big change wasn't it? Do you like your new house?
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: Yeah? Who works at your house?
Laurie: I don't know.
Pam: You don't know?
Laurie: No.
Pam: Marcus. Do you like Marcus?
Laurie: No.
Pam: No? Okay. You have three ladies you live with: Joan and Theresa and... Ruth.
[Pause]
Pam: Yeah. Are you my big sister?
Laurie: (01:02:02:10-01:02:14:07) Yeah.
Pam: Yeah. Do you help me? Do you take care of me? Yeah we take care of each other?
Laurie: [Nods]
Pam: Yeah. Sometimes. You were in my wedding weren't you? Do you remember what you wore?
Laurie: (01:02:00:21-01:02:53:00) You, me and Kevin.
Pam: That's right. You, me, and Kevin and you were my bridesmaid. You had that pretty pink dress on- do you remember that? And the pink hat? And you came down the steps holding the flowers?
Laurie: Yeah. [To Lisa] I like you.
Lisa: I like you too.
Laurie: I like her [To Pam] she's my sister.
Pam: That's right. We're sisters.
[Pause]
Pam: So, how about work. Do you want to tell me about work? I know that you didn't want to take the day off today.
Laurie: (01:02:53:30-01:03:49:10) I did. I did have the day off, I did.
Pam: Okay. That's today, right? Are you going to work tomorrow?
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: Yeah because you like it at work, don't you? Yeah. And you like the people you work with. You do a good job. And you get paid money, right?
[Pause]
Pam: Yeah we were just counting your money yesterday, you had all these quarters that-
Laurie: [Yawning]
Pam: You're getting tired? You okay?
Laurie: Yeah.
Pam: Do you need some water?
Laurie: No.
Pam: Okay. Alright.
[Pause]
Lisa: Laurie is there anything else you would like to tell us about your sister?
[Pause]
Lisa: Is she a pretty good sister?
Pam: Are you nervous? With that big light, does that make you nervous, sitting here? Its allright, its ok.
Lisa: I think you did a great job Laurie. Would you like us to continue talking or would you like us to stop for awhile?
Pam: Are you done?
Laurie: Yeah, I'm done.
Pam: Ok. If you want to come back, 'cause I'm going to stay and talk, if you want to come back you can come back, ok?
Laurie nods yes.