by Kay
How did we all fit around the Sunday dinner table?
Probably because not everyone was there at the same time. Clarence and Harriet were always there when us three older ones were young, and sometimes Jim, but not Dodo. They were older than us so they often were off somewhere else.
I cannot remember all six of us ever being there at the same time. I remember Audrey as a baby and a toddler going to Bemidji with us, but no recollection of Pam or Roger traveling with us. Of course all six kids would not fit in the car. And by the time the three youngest were making their own memories at the farm, Don, Duane and I were going to college, working or in the Navy.
How could the three oldest forget Audrey traveling with us. She always sat in the front passenger seat with Mom. That was so Mom could make a fast exit from the car with Audrey when she got sick. Poor Audrey! She suffered from car sickness.
THE BUTCHER
We've all heard the phrase "running around like a chicken with it's head cut off".
One day when Grandma was planning chicken for dinner, Grandpa invited us kids to come out in the yard to help pick out which chickens we would like for dinner. We started kidding around about "chickens running around with their heads cut off". Grandpa surprised us and asked if we'd like to see a chicken run around with his head off. Of course we said yes! So he chopped off its head and let it run around for a short period of time. But he said he would do this only one time. Don, Duane and I laughed with glee at that "chicken running around with its head cut off".
Grandpa was also the butcher for farmers in the area. Don, Duane and I liked to watch Grandpa remove the hide and butcher the cow or pig. But first he had to do the kill. Grandpa said Don and Duane could watch, but was not suitable for a girl to see, so I would be sent outside during the kill.
The barn had those upper and lower half doors. I would go outside to side of the barn and Grandpa would close the lower door and leave the upper one open. Then I would sneak back and peak over the door and watch. Then I would scoot back to the side of the barn to wait to be called back in. At the time I thought I was being clever, but, of course, Grandpa was no dummy and had to know. It was not gruesome. He used a silencer on the gun and it was a quick and painless death. And I don't remember it being a bloody event.
Grandpa's Driveway
We all remember the long downhill driveway to the road. Grandpa sometimes walked to the mailbox, but he also would drive down to retrieve the mail. And when us kids were there we often volunteered to run down to get the mail.
Rainy days created a different kind of adventure. The driveway and road below were clay which created a very slippery ride. In addition it created deep slippery ruts. I remember watching Grandpa get in his car and taking off down that driveway fishtailing wildly. I seem to remember Grandpa managing the trip back up, but also sometimes getting stuck along the way.
I also remember the greasy ride going into town on a rainy day. Not as wild as the driveway, but nonetheless took some concentration to navigate.
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Mom passed on to me this candy dish when I was in my 20s. I don't have a story for it other than it was Grandma's.
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