Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Week 2 of 2014 - First Grade
September, 1957, meant first grade in Mrs. Parsons room at Croswell Elementary School. It was the last room on the right in the east end of the school. Mrs. Parsons lived in the big red house at the Country Store location, now called Frontier Village in Romeo, Michigan. The house is still there and I remember wanting to see the inside of it...she was such a cool teacher! She was a small lady, with glasses that slipped down on her nose and always wore her hair in a bun. She was very nice and I think the only trouble I got into was for talking...too much talking. I really felt endeared to her after an incident in the bathroom. I had on my first skirt with straps...a pink skirt...that I'd wear with a white blouse. It was an outfit that just made you feel special! Mrs. Parsons and Mrs. Engel's first grade rooms shared a bathroom that was located between them. I used the bathroom, but got the skirt off (instead of pulling it up) and couldn't get dressed again...the straps were tangled and I started to panic. About that time, Mrs. Parsons knocked on the door and asked if I was okay. She quickly got me put back together, dried my tears and sent me back to my desk. Funny what one remembers...I loved going to school all day, hot lunch and showing off my papers once I got home. Susie and Jan gathered around and were very impressed with whatever I brought home. Mrs. Parsons got me off to a great start!
Week 1 of 2014 - Kindergarten
We moved to Romeo and I was introduced to a new school and teacher, Mrs. Rowley. Living 5 miles out in the country, meant there was a bus ride. I think all my school years in Romeo involved bus #12. It was never new, but not the oldest vehicle in the fleet...but from 1956 to 1968, I think #12 was a constant down 29 Mile Road, north on Mound Road to 30 Mile Road. East on 30 Mile to VanDyke and on into Romeo with a quick stop at St. Clement Catholic School to let off all the Catholic kids in their navy plaid uniforms, shirts and ties. Such spiffy dressers! I also remember riding to school with Dad some days. He was employed at Eggleston's (I'm not even sure of the spelling) in downtown Romeo. It was a department store sitting just east of Starkweather Alley. I look at it everytime we go through Romeo. The door and windows are still there...the one we entered and Dad's desk or work area was right underneath the windows. We had lunch together there a couple of times. He must have picked me up from school for some reason. That didn't happen very often and he quickly changed jobs and then drove to Rochester for his management job at Mitzelfeld's Department Store.
I wish I had more memories of that first year in the classroom, but I really don't. In the photo above, I have a favorite dress on...probably one Grandpa Anderson gave me, hand picked by Mom. Susie and Jan probably walked with us and the little boy is our neighbor, Johnny Hill. Johnny is a topic for another time and one of the reasons for my intense dislike of the s word. Stay tuned...!
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Week three of 2014 - Getting my Drivers License
I learned how to drive in the summer between 10th and 11th grades.
My driver's Ed teacher was Mr Volick. He was also the boys PE
teacher and sometimes a science and history teacher. I had him for
History in 7th grade. I was a pretty good student in his
class and I liked history so that rather put us on the same page a
few years later when he was my Driver's Ed teacher. Every Monday and
Wednesday afternoon we would have “on the road” training and
every Tuesday and Thursday we would have a couple of hours of
classroom training. The local car dealers would donate three sub
compact cars each to the school to use for “on the road”
training.
For the “ on the road” training, we were divided into small groups of three . Usually a boy and two girls and kids who did not normally hang out together. Would be hard to learn if you had three girl friends in one car. My group was me, a farm kid named John and another girl Betty. I knew both of these kids but we were not friends. John had been driving since he could remember or “could get his foot on the gas pedal of a tractor”, as he told it. He told stories of sitting on the edge of the seat and barely being able to see out the window thru the steering wheel of his Dad's truck. He had driven for years and acted like it. It was full speed ahead. Mr Volick had to rein him in sometimes for fear of getting a ticket in the Driver's Ed Car!
I had limited on the road experience prior to Drivers Ed. Oh I had a couple of friends who would let me drive on the dirt roads around town but that was all the experience I had. Needless to say, when Mr Volick, in his billowing PE Coaching voice, said, “Janet, go first, I thought I might wet myself!” “Really?” I asked! “Yep!” He smiled. “it is your turn!” So I was the first driver and a nervous wreck. I adjusted the seat so my legs could reach the gas pedal. I looked at Mr Volick and realized that his knees are now mashed into the dashboard. He just smiled at me and nodded his head with encouragement. I put my foot on the brake and took the car out of park and into drive and pushed gently on the gas pedal as we left the parking lot and when down First Street. “Wow, I'm driving,” I thought. As I pulled up to the first stop sign, I gently applied the brakes so I did not send Mr Volick thru the windshield. He smiled and seemed to relax a bit and so did I. He has me drive down South Almont Ave to Newark Rd, down Newark Rd to Lake Pleasant Rd and from Lake Pleasant to Bowers Rd. All in all my first 20 or 30 minutes of driving was uneventful. I got much more comfortable about the oncoming traffic, turning, braking and all the nuances of driving. At one point, Mr Volick even encouraged me to increase my speed a little! A few minutes after we turned onto Bowers Rd, Mr Volick had me pull off to the side of the road and we switched drivers.
So now it was John's turn! And I got in the back seat. He moved the seat back as far as it could go and Mr Volick once again had some leg room. John take the car out of gear put it in drive and punches the gas like a punching bag. The dirt and gavel from the side of the road flies everywhere as we skid back on to Bowers Rd. “Hey, easy does it, there John!” Mr Volick says and we are off! John drove for about 20 minutes too. A couple of times Mr Volick asked him to slow down some. He also had to remind him to keep both hands on the steering wheel several times. Somewhere out on Brown City Road we changed drivers again.
Now it was Betty's turn. She looked scared to death...Just a sheet of white. I felt for her...It had just been me an hour or so before. She got in the drivers seat and once again Mr Volick found his knees in his face as she adjusted the seat. She nervously took the car.. out of gear and put it is reverse...as she push the gas...we started to back up...Mr Volick billowed, “Hey, stop! We need to go forward... it needs to be in DRIVE!” Now she is so nervous and nearing tears!
She stopped, put the car in drive and eased off the shoulder driving down Brown City Road. She tended to drive too close to the shoulder as if she feared the center of her lane. Mr Volick corrected her several time wanting her learn how to stay more toward the center of her lane but awy from the center line. Occasionally she would drop the right tires off the pavement. I could see Mr Volick's tension rising. After Betty drove apprehensively for about 10 minutes she never quite reaching the speed limit. As we neared M-21 and a small grocery store on the corner, I could tell that Mr Volick was thinking about changing drivers. There would be much more traffic on M21, especially truck traffic so Mr Volick told Betty, “Just pull over at the store and we'll change drivers.. We'll have Janet drive us into town from here!” I was shocked...I thought my driving for the day was done but I thought...”OK, I can do this...it is just a few short miles to town and back to the school..” So Betty, neared the store and instead of just pulling off the road as instructed, she turned the steering wheel a hard to the right. Hitting the gas instead of the brake she nearly put us through the wall of the store into the meat counter. She slammed on the brake stopping us a few inches short of the block exterior wall of the store! I was in a state of shock with my heart in my throat. Mr Volick face was a bright red and Betty was an ashen gray. While John said, “Holy shit, man! What the hell!!!”
It took a few minutes for all of us to regain our composure and for the dust to settle in the parking lot. Mr Volick quietly said, “ Janet, can you come up here and take us back to town.” I said, “sure Mr Volick.” So Betty and I traded seats and I drove the rest of the way into town and back to the school.
From that day on, Mr Volick had me drive when ever he had lost his patience with other two students. I got quite a lot of driving time. John did not need much practice time and Mr Volick was just plain afraid of Betty!
After my formal Drivers Ed, I would have to learn how to drive all over again!! Our family car was a manual transmission Ford Station Wagon. You know the kind that had two seats facing one direction and the back seat facing the other direction! It was as long a speed boat and I would need to know how to parallel park it. I also needed to be able to smoothly transition from 1st gear to all the other three gears with out grinding or stalling the car! I remember several days of trying to go from a stop to first gear smoothly with out any clutch hiccups or grinding gears. My father and I laughed until we cried as I tried to learn! Stopping and starting a hundred times along back country roads when there was no traffic. He used to imitate his Grandfather, who he remember from when he was a kid, drove with the clutch engaged all the time!!! So after a few short weeks, I was ready to take the test to get my drivers license. I was able to parallel park “the boat” in downtown Lapeer and safely drove the station wagon all over town without grinding a single gear or a single clutch hiccup. I stopped at all stop signs and used all the correct turning signals.
I got my drivers license but with two older sisters who had their license way before me there would be few opportunities for me to ever get the car. Between Mom and Dad and two sister and one station wagon...there would not be much driving time for me!
For the “ on the road” training, we were divided into small groups of three . Usually a boy and two girls and kids who did not normally hang out together. Would be hard to learn if you had three girl friends in one car. My group was me, a farm kid named John and another girl Betty. I knew both of these kids but we were not friends. John had been driving since he could remember or “could get his foot on the gas pedal of a tractor”, as he told it. He told stories of sitting on the edge of the seat and barely being able to see out the window thru the steering wheel of his Dad's truck. He had driven for years and acted like it. It was full speed ahead. Mr Volick had to rein him in sometimes for fear of getting a ticket in the Driver's Ed Car!
I had limited on the road experience prior to Drivers Ed. Oh I had a couple of friends who would let me drive on the dirt roads around town but that was all the experience I had. Needless to say, when Mr Volick, in his billowing PE Coaching voice, said, “Janet, go first, I thought I might wet myself!” “Really?” I asked! “Yep!” He smiled. “it is your turn!” So I was the first driver and a nervous wreck. I adjusted the seat so my legs could reach the gas pedal. I looked at Mr Volick and realized that his knees are now mashed into the dashboard. He just smiled at me and nodded his head with encouragement. I put my foot on the brake and took the car out of park and into drive and pushed gently on the gas pedal as we left the parking lot and when down First Street. “Wow, I'm driving,” I thought. As I pulled up to the first stop sign, I gently applied the brakes so I did not send Mr Volick thru the windshield. He smiled and seemed to relax a bit and so did I. He has me drive down South Almont Ave to Newark Rd, down Newark Rd to Lake Pleasant Rd and from Lake Pleasant to Bowers Rd. All in all my first 20 or 30 minutes of driving was uneventful. I got much more comfortable about the oncoming traffic, turning, braking and all the nuances of driving. At one point, Mr Volick even encouraged me to increase my speed a little! A few minutes after we turned onto Bowers Rd, Mr Volick had me pull off to the side of the road and we switched drivers.
So now it was John's turn! And I got in the back seat. He moved the seat back as far as it could go and Mr Volick once again had some leg room. John take the car out of gear put it in drive and punches the gas like a punching bag. The dirt and gavel from the side of the road flies everywhere as we skid back on to Bowers Rd. “Hey, easy does it, there John!” Mr Volick says and we are off! John drove for about 20 minutes too. A couple of times Mr Volick asked him to slow down some. He also had to remind him to keep both hands on the steering wheel several times. Somewhere out on Brown City Road we changed drivers again.
Now it was Betty's turn. She looked scared to death...Just a sheet of white. I felt for her...It had just been me an hour or so before. She got in the drivers seat and once again Mr Volick found his knees in his face as she adjusted the seat. She nervously took the car.. out of gear and put it is reverse...as she push the gas...we started to back up...Mr Volick billowed, “Hey, stop! We need to go forward... it needs to be in DRIVE!” Now she is so nervous and nearing tears!
She stopped, put the car in drive and eased off the shoulder driving down Brown City Road. She tended to drive too close to the shoulder as if she feared the center of her lane. Mr Volick corrected her several time wanting her learn how to stay more toward the center of her lane but awy from the center line. Occasionally she would drop the right tires off the pavement. I could see Mr Volick's tension rising. After Betty drove apprehensively for about 10 minutes she never quite reaching the speed limit. As we neared M-21 and a small grocery store on the corner, I could tell that Mr Volick was thinking about changing drivers. There would be much more traffic on M21, especially truck traffic so Mr Volick told Betty, “Just pull over at the store and we'll change drivers.. We'll have Janet drive us into town from here!” I was shocked...I thought my driving for the day was done but I thought...”OK, I can do this...it is just a few short miles to town and back to the school..” So Betty, neared the store and instead of just pulling off the road as instructed, she turned the steering wheel a hard to the right. Hitting the gas instead of the brake she nearly put us through the wall of the store into the meat counter. She slammed on the brake stopping us a few inches short of the block exterior wall of the store! I was in a state of shock with my heart in my throat. Mr Volick face was a bright red and Betty was an ashen gray. While John said, “Holy shit, man! What the hell!!!”
It took a few minutes for all of us to regain our composure and for the dust to settle in the parking lot. Mr Volick quietly said, “ Janet, can you come up here and take us back to town.” I said, “sure Mr Volick.” So Betty and I traded seats and I drove the rest of the way into town and back to the school.
From that day on, Mr Volick had me drive when ever he had lost his patience with other two students. I got quite a lot of driving time. John did not need much practice time and Mr Volick was just plain afraid of Betty!
After my formal Drivers Ed, I would have to learn how to drive all over again!! Our family car was a manual transmission Ford Station Wagon. You know the kind that had two seats facing one direction and the back seat facing the other direction! It was as long a speed boat and I would need to know how to parallel park it. I also needed to be able to smoothly transition from 1st gear to all the other three gears with out grinding or stalling the car! I remember several days of trying to go from a stop to first gear smoothly with out any clutch hiccups or grinding gears. My father and I laughed until we cried as I tried to learn! Stopping and starting a hundred times along back country roads when there was no traffic. He used to imitate his Grandfather, who he remember from when he was a kid, drove with the clutch engaged all the time!!! So after a few short weeks, I was ready to take the test to get my drivers license. I was able to parallel park “the boat” in downtown Lapeer and safely drove the station wagon all over town without grinding a single gear or a single clutch hiccup. I stopped at all stop signs and used all the correct turning signals.
I got my drivers license but with two older sisters who had their license way before me there would be few opportunities for me to ever get the car. Between Mom and Dad and two sister and one station wagon...there would not be much driving time for me!
Week two of 2014 - First Grade
First grade would mean a new school for me and all the kids in our neighborhood. Last year we rode the bus to Romeo to go to school. This year we would go to the Washington School. It was still a part of the Romeo school district but there were to many students in the Romeo classrooms so now our school would be Washington Elementary instead. We still road the bus but we drove a southern route through country roads and made our way to the school. We met all new kids. The kids whom I had gotten to know last year in Romeo, most of them would stay there. Those of us living on or south of 29 mile road would now go to Washington.We still rode the bus about the same length of time.
I remember that the new school was different. We did not get to play as much. We sat at tables with small chairs and 8 to a table. We had paper and pencils and it seemed like we practiced writing a lot. My favorite time of the day was recess where we would play jump rope and hopscotch in the school yard out doors most days. Simple games for a simple time.
I can not be sure if this was from first or second grade picture but either way, it was close. This dress was once again a dress that Grandpa Anderson gave me for school!
The school had two buildings. One was obviously the original old school building built in the early 19the century. This building was multiple floors with a big huge staircase and large big window on the front and back of the building. The newer building was a single story flat building with one hall and rooms on each side of the hall. It was built about 1952.
I can not be sure if this was from first or second grade picture but either way, it was close. This dress was once again a dress that Grandpa Anderson gave me for school!
Week one of 2014 - Kindergarten
Thinking back about Kindergarten! Wow, a time of such wonder and innocence! Hard to believe that I was a short 6 years into my life!
I was so happy to be able to go to school like my BIG sisters! I thought I was finally all grown up! In 1960, I had missed a cut off date for starting school by several months. You needed to turn 5 years old before June 1, in order to be eligible for school in September. With my birthday in August, I missed the deadline! I was so disappointed. So I started Kindergarten in September of 1961, when I was six years old. My school was in the small rural farm town of Romeo, Michigan. We lived in a 20 house neighborhood on the corner of Mound Road and 29 Mile Road. Our address was Romeo Michigan but we were quite a ways from town so that meant a fairly long school bus ride to and from school each day. I don't remember how long a ride it was exactly but for 6 year old it seemed like forever. On more that one occasion, I fell asleep on my ride home. I always sat in the seat right behind the bus driver. At first it was rather scarey getting on that big bus and finding your seat. I was so small that I could not see over the seats to even see if anyone else was on the bus. I crawled on the bus and into the first seat that I came to behind the bus driver. I sat in the same seat every day that year!
For my birthday, my Grandpa Anderson always gave me a new dress for school. My favorite of these dresses was the one I got for Kindergarten! I am wearing it in the picture. He had told me that is was for my first day of school so I saved it until then. It was actually a gray flannel jumper with a white blouse. The blouse, as you can see, had small red hearts on the collar. The jumper had hearts at the waist line. It was my favorite dress as a little girl! I wish I still had it! When I opened my birthday present that year, laying on top of the dress, was this cute little red plastic horse pin! I fell instantly in love with it. I wore it to school every day that year. I put it on and took it off each day. Before the end of the year, I had pinned it on so many times that I broke the pin. I was devastated!
My memories of school are vague. I remember playing duck duck goose. I also remember sitting in a circle at story time and listening to the teacher as she read us a story. I remember how hard it was to sit still and listen. I always wanted to go play with the building blocks or the pretend kitchen. I do remember painting with finger paints on paper. I thought it was so much fun. We would cover our clothes with old shirts.
I was so happy to be able to go to school like my BIG sisters! I thought I was finally all grown up! In 1960, I had missed a cut off date for starting school by several months. You needed to turn 5 years old before June 1, in order to be eligible for school in September. With my birthday in August, I missed the deadline! I was so disappointed. So I started Kindergarten in September of 1961, when I was six years old. My school was in the small rural farm town of Romeo, Michigan. We lived in a 20 house neighborhood on the corner of Mound Road and 29 Mile Road. Our address was Romeo Michigan but we were quite a ways from town so that meant a fairly long school bus ride to and from school each day. I don't remember how long a ride it was exactly but for 6 year old it seemed like forever. On more that one occasion, I fell asleep on my ride home. I always sat in the seat right behind the bus driver. At first it was rather scarey getting on that big bus and finding your seat. I was so small that I could not see over the seats to even see if anyone else was on the bus. I crawled on the bus and into the first seat that I came to behind the bus driver. I sat in the same seat every day that year!
For my birthday, my Grandpa Anderson always gave me a new dress for school. My favorite of these dresses was the one I got for Kindergarten! I am wearing it in the picture. He had told me that is was for my first day of school so I saved it until then. It was actually a gray flannel jumper with a white blouse. The blouse, as you can see, had small red hearts on the collar. The jumper had hearts at the waist line. It was my favorite dress as a little girl! I wish I still had it! When I opened my birthday present that year, laying on top of the dress, was this cute little red plastic horse pin! I fell instantly in love with it. I wore it to school every day that year. I put it on and took it off each day. Before the end of the year, I had pinned it on so many times that I broke the pin. I was devastated!
My memories of school are vague. I remember playing duck duck goose. I also remember sitting in a circle at story time and listening to the teacher as she read us a story. I remember how hard it was to sit still and listen. I always wanted to go play with the building blocks or the pretend kitchen. I do remember painting with finger paints on paper. I thought it was so much fun. We would cover our clothes with old shirts.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Week 43 of 2012...Soda Fountains and Local Restaurants
It seems like many, many years ago, but soda fountains and restaurants were a REAL treat, unlike today when sweet treats and/or a restaurant meal can be a daily occurrence. Living in a large family, "eating out" or "sweet treats" were a rarity. A large family in Romeo was 6 children. The Harold Smiths were one of the two largest families, the Obrecht's on 29 Mile Road was the other. Interestingly, both large families lived on 29 Mile Road west of Van Dyke Road. We ate out a couple times a year...once while on vacation and it was usually McDonald's golden arches for a burger, fries and a pop and once during the holiday season. We would go to view Christmas lights in the city and would eat in a sit down restaurant. A big deal would be Howard Johnson's or Sveden House. Can you imagine...twice a year? I enjoyed eating out when on dates...Big Boy, Burger King or A and W were my favorites growing up. I will never forget my hamburger loving husband introducing me the the Burger King Whopper! OMG...I was in heaven! I also enjoyed going to Grandpa Vanoff's restaurant in Romeo. The Semps ate there are Wednesday nights and Sunday noon. While dating Mike and and during our early married days, it was a treat to visit via the back door and eat in the back kitchen. Grandpa's pan fried chicken was the best. Any of Grandma Vanoff's desserts were spectacular...all kinds of pies, cake, and cherry torte. YUM...I still enjoy making Grandma Vanoff's Chocolate Fudge Frosting and also her Chocolate Cream Pie. She also made me a fabulous birthday cake...white cake with lemon filling and vanilla frosting. It was the best! I also remember my mother in law remarking that she wouldn't have to learn to make pies as Pam could take over once Grandma Ruth retired. And that I have done.
Soda fountains were a part of my growing up...but we didn't get to indulge very often. I remember The Dairy Bar on West Lafayette Street with a U shaped counter and stools all around it. I also remember the one at the Dairy Bar in Washington, MI where we would ride our bikes and get a treat before pedaling back down Campground Road to 29 Mile...close to 3 miles one way. There was another soda fountain at Bill Knapp's in Rochester, which is still in operation today. When visiting our cousins in Harbor Beach in the 60s, there was a soda fountain at Klump Drug. I have photos of my store, The Corner Store, which shows a soda fountain in the back corner. I also remember in my short stint in Imlay City, enjoying sweet treats at one of the drug stores there. One of the finest and most recent soda fountains, was at Diana's Sweet Shop in downtown Port Huron. A fixture for dozens of years, my Mom told stories of enjoying Diana's during her youthful years. The wooden booths and unique lighting in each, sweet treats and tasty meals made it a destination for almost a century. It closed in the last 10 years and the beautiful wooden fixtures were sold to a business in Tennessee. One can still find sodas, malts, shakes, sundaes and banana splits today, but somehow they don't seem quite the same as what we used to enjoy at a soda fountain.
Soda fountains were a part of my growing up...but we didn't get to indulge very often. I remember The Dairy Bar on West Lafayette Street with a U shaped counter and stools all around it. I also remember the one at the Dairy Bar in Washington, MI where we would ride our bikes and get a treat before pedaling back down Campground Road to 29 Mile...close to 3 miles one way. There was another soda fountain at Bill Knapp's in Rochester, which is still in operation today. When visiting our cousins in Harbor Beach in the 60s, there was a soda fountain at Klump Drug. I have photos of my store, The Corner Store, which shows a soda fountain in the back corner. I also remember in my short stint in Imlay City, enjoying sweet treats at one of the drug stores there. One of the finest and most recent soda fountains, was at Diana's Sweet Shop in downtown Port Huron. A fixture for dozens of years, my Mom told stories of enjoying Diana's during her youthful years. The wooden booths and unique lighting in each, sweet treats and tasty meals made it a destination for almost a century. It closed in the last 10 years and the beautiful wooden fixtures were sold to a business in Tennessee. One can still find sodas, malts, shakes, sundaes and banana splits today, but somehow they don't seem quite the same as what we used to enjoy at a soda fountain.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Week 5 of 2013 - Remembering Mom
Leah Anderson Smith – February 3,
1928 – January 4, 2009
Happy Birthday Mom! Today, you would
have been 85. I think about you everyday. I suppose that should be
no surprise. You taught me to do so many things that I can't help
but think of you when I am doing them.
Sewing, which I do a lot...makes me
think of you. I remember sitting on the black wood chairs in Romeo
in front of the sewing machine. I remember that I wanted to learn to
make doll clothes for my doll. I thought sewing little things
would be easier than sewing big things! Funny how a young brain
works... Took you a long time to convince me that sewing small things
were much more difficult than larger things because they are so
small. So we started with a doll blanket for my doll. A nice square
piece of left over fabric would work for this job!
Cooking makes me think of you. I still
make many of your recipes, just like you did...dumping a little of
this in and a little of that in...I don't remember if you even owned
measuring spoons when I was a kid...... I will never forget that
first grilled cheese sandwich you let me make for myself. It was by
far the best grilled cheese sandwich I ever tasted! And your trick
for fixing a slightly over done grilled cheese sandwich....I have
used it many time too...you just scape the burnt part off with a
butter knife and it is a good as new!
Doing dishes... everyday when I do
dishes, I think of you. I remember standing on a small stool in
front of the sink and barely able to reach into the dish pan to wash
dishes... (or play in the water.) At that time I was too young to
realize it was work! It is one of my first memories of me and
you....Pam and Sue went to school and I had to stay home because I
was not old enough to go yet. You let me do dishes after lunch. It
took me a long time but it sure was fun. It became my daily chore. I
usually needed a change of clothes by the time I was done because my
whole shirt would be wet. You know what, Mom? I am still like that
today. Rarely does a day go by that I don't splash water down the
front of me when I am doing dishes even though I have a new deep
sink. When I do, I hear you..”Jan, be careful, you're getting
water all over!” And I remember when I was a few years older and
now I had to do dishes and it didn't seem like too much fun. There
was always something else I would rather do. Remember it? All three big girls standing
in front of the sink, arguing over who had to do what!
“I don't want to dry!”
“You washed last night!”
“Stop splashing me!”
“The washer has to rinse too!”
“ MOM!”
I am sure that you remember the time
well! Today, washing dishes has become a bit of therapy. Gives you
time to remember, time to think, warms your hands on a cold day and
it warms your heart. When “the sisters” are all together, we all
join in. No yelling, mostly laughter and fond memories.. No fighting
over who gets to wash or dry anymore. It has come around full
circle!
Every time, I open a jar of canned
tomatoes. I remember the year that you helped me learn to can. We had
moved into the house on South Almont Ave...our cracker box house. It
was all we could do to afford the mortgage much less buy food so I
needed a plan B. Plan B was the need to learn how to grow food and
preserve it so we had something to eat in the dead of winter. I
helped our neighbor, Lyle, with his garden. By mid summer I realized
that we would have a bumper crop and I was going to be very busy! I
bartered and traded vegetables for fruit and you taught me to preserve
what was left. You came and spent at least one afternoon a week with
me showing me how to preserve everything. We bought a small used freezer
and what did not go in jars, went in the freezer.
We think of you every time we sing
Happy Birthday. You would beg Dad to sing the birthday song nicely
and that was Dad's and our cue to sing it even more off key. And it
warmed my heart on your 80th birthday when you
proudly sang it with us off key and in front of all your friends! And just so you now, our method of singing has caught on in other Smith families too! So when you hear a loud ruckus you know we are just singing Happy Birthday to you!
We think of you every time we go
camping as each one of us tries our best to poke the fire just like
you did. When the fire died down camping, you were always able to
get one of us to get it going again. Once we had our fireplace in
Romeo, I do not remember too many winter days that we did not have a
fire in it. You were always able to get Dad or one of us to light
one. In the years that you spent Sunday afternoons at Sharon and Micheal's, in the winter, Michael would start a fire for her. You did not start them but you sure enjoyed them!
So today Mom, I am thinking of you
again on what would have been your 85th Birthday.
So her goes in my best electronic off key birthday song.....
HaPPy biRThdaY 2 U, haPPy birTHDay to YOU, HapPY BirtHdaY, Dear MoM!
hapPY BiRtHdAy 2 YOU!
Happy Birthday!
Love, Jan
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