This Page is for you, Colleen! Thanks for believing in me....
Some few years ago a nagging thought crept into, took over and laid siege to my whole being...put down on paper a bit of history for Denny, Mary and Dana (and their progeny, a word I have come to find comfort/ease in using) and so I did. I typed out for the Title Page the most convoluted title ever: "Recollections of a 'Child of the Depression Years' In My Kind of Town - Atlantic, Iowa - From the Heart of the 'Richest Kid in Town!'"
AND THEN...further, had the audacity to type out a sort of explanation of what this "important tome" was to be about! Honestly! Read what I wrote and chortle along with me: "Growing up in Atlantic in the 20's, 30's, 40's has given me an abundance (some say an "over-abundance") of childhood memories of loving family and enduring friends...some a mixture of each..and it is a 'Golden Years' Goal' to put down on paper some of those Recollections of Yesteryear that always seem to have involved members living at 210 Birch and those good and loving citizens of Atlantic who were adopted into the Cranston Family for one reason or another. Mostly, they dropped by to sample Mom's cooking and stayed to tell one 'fish story' after another...and do I have some 'whoppers' for you!"
(Well, it seemed a creative/informative idea at that time to do it that way, so I printed up 300 copies, took them to Staples for binding and sent copies to family members, friends and the AHS Class of 1943! Not only did that take considerable nerve on my part to share recollections with people who probably had a whole different slant on the subject, but it also cost me a heck of a lot of money to become a "self-published author!") But, the nagging thought that had consumed my whole being for the while was delegated to the "back burner" and what JOY! it was for me to relive what truly was "from the heart of", in reality, a really, really poor kid but poor, only as far as I could "throw a bull by the horns!" Which means, Colleen, I was "rich!" 'cause I have yet to see "anyone throw a bull by the horns," even in Vegas; and, if it did, it would stay there, right?
Here is one of the stories I included in my Cranston Archive:
Trudy and Peggy Ann
"The baby girl was about to be birthed that first Spring day, 1929, in her grandparents' modest home at 210 Birch.
My 24-year-old sister, Trudy, was at the ready and waiting, and so was I...at the tender age of four, a very inquisitive onlooker...running in and out of the small front bedroom as other family members were scooting around boiling water, waiting for Dr. Greenleaf to make his appearance and making sure all the other less-curious grandkids were kept at a distance. This was a family affair of the first order...
Natural curiosity was one of my earliest attributes to surface, and I was not about to miss all the commotion and excitement, little dreaming, of course, this day's event would be subject to scrutiny on the Internet in 2001! (And now on The Blog!)
That tiny little being created in husband-wife love and now entering the world in the fulness of prophesied Biblical pain, was named Peggy Ann. Did I actually see the birthing process? No...I mostly remember the hesitant wave of the hand my sister sent my way. Could she have been trying to shoo me away? Well, yes, but was I that precocious a child to understand that? Nooo...) I most clearly remember the beautiful emerald green pajamas she wore that eventful day and little else save that Peggy Ann and I bonded forever on March 20, 1929, in the front bedroom of my parents' home. Happy Birthday, Peg!
At family gatherings these days, Peggy Ann never fails to relate the story of her big brother, Bus, and I taking her for a buggy ride around the block, left her cooing away in her buggy while we ambled on home sans the buggy and the baby! It was a neighbor who tattled on us..Peggy Ann arrived home safe and sound after a short span of time, none the worse for wear but she probably could have used a good sun block. Were Bus and I guilty of this dastardly act of carelessness? Probably. All witnesses have since departed this world, and it is her word against mine. I do remember flushing her dime down the toilet one day, but that was later on in our lives. I do feel guilty about that as a dime bought so much penny candy at that time...what a waste! Nowadays, Peggy Ann drives me around town when I visit family in Des Moines and Atlantic. With two strikes against my character already, I will be a vigilant passenger at all times when we get together in August even tho' I have long since repaid that dime debt...over and over and over!(That dime-debt has earned more "interest" than all the pocket-money interest Bill Gates or that cute guy from Omaha has ever earned!)
Trudy was then and always my "hero" in every way. She bought a police scanner. (I, too!) She was a golf and bowling champion, statewide and national! (I show up weekly at Action Lanes on Tuesday and Thursday to exchange recipes, compare remedies and have lunch.) She was a cuisine kind of cook. (I Blog.) She was my champion in all things, "had my back" at all times and is in my heart forever...she lived to be a few months short of her 100th birthday. (I think I have enough "blogging material on hand" to keep me off the streets and my "victims" uptight for a few more years.) ...we will all just have to wait and see, huh? :)
Colleen-- There will be other stories to share about the "best dancer in town", school chums, others of much importance to my growing-up years in Atlantic...then I will tell you about the story behind my being a "dame" only with a capital "D"! Not kidding here, Colleen! Are you chortling yet?
(Afterthought: Spilling the "beans" is pure delight but sure as shootin'...someone is gonna sue me one day!) Ya think?
Oh Betty!! You sure didn't disappoint me! This was a wonderful story. I loved every word of it. You are such a delightful writer. I literally sit at the computer with my face in my hands and my eyes sparkling, like one of those little kids watching something amazing happen, smiling and laughing while I read, wishing there were more really great writers like you around. And as someone who has lost every adult from my childhood, I can tell you that these stories will be very, very precious to your kids and grandkids. Oh how I miss the stories from my family. And what an honor to be mentioned by name. Thank you!! I await your next installment! I literally do come here every day looking for a new story. No pressure, just enjoy your life and write when the spirit moves and know that I will be a very appreciative audience when you do.
ReplyDeleteStorytelling is, in fact, an art and, unfortunately, one that is slowly dying. My maternal grandfather, Dennis, was a fascinating storyteller, just like you Auntie Betty. Family was his grist, too, and he also knew some story songs that were long, tongue-tied and humorous. Would that he had written all of his memories, recipes, songs and woodsman knowledge down -- a treasure trove indeed! You are creating a horde of wealth for future treasure seekers more valuable than either of us can imagine (and I imagine very well!).
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