Tuesday, July 19, 2011

You scoffed

You scoffed

i think it is high time that you know the the situation of our lives at the time you were born. there is no shame in having been poor. We made it, and if you felt that we were well off, I will take that as a compliment.

Sam did not make much money until he became a partner in Lenoir Assoc. and then we moved to Laguna Beach.

We bought the house in Diablo a couple of months before Jane was born, We got Mr.Imrie down from 25.500 to 22.000. Even that was more than we could afford. We lived even more on the edge of disaster than we did when you were able to remember. I wish we had saved Sam's little black book so you could see for yourself.

Sam was the one who hired our cleaning woman when we lived in Burlingame. We had three children under four and I was very pregnant with Jane. You may say 'what poor planning' but we had been foiled by you for five years and as you know that clock keeps running. Life would have been sad if Jane had not put in her grand entrance a month after your fourth Birthday. (It just dawned on me that you are having your 64th birthday any day now) As it was, we had to be satisfied with four children for I was disconnected for medical reasons at the time of Jane's birth.

You thought I was nothing but a house wife sitting around eating bon bons all day. Far from the truth. I canned 365 qts of fruit every year when you all ate some kind of baby cerial. And we usually paid nothing for the fruit, for I watched when people had fruit trees and did not save their crop. The only fruit I paid for was apricots and I would have to drive up the Sacramento Valley to get a lug of those. I remember my brother Gunne was at our house and when he saw the kitchen as I was peeling fruit, processing it it in the blender and then canning it in the huge blue pot he said 'This is not a kitchen. It is a laboratory. I did not have to do apricots, for apples were always free, but apricots were your favorite so I tried to have 52 quarts of those each year.

When Anna was born we did not have a dryer and we had two children in diapers. A lot of time spent in the back yard hanging up diapers. Just before Martha was born we got a drier. I spent what ever free time I had painting the house. Not the outside. The house had stood empty for years and that is not good for a house.

. When Jane was born we bought a dishwasher.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

What Fire Works?

I tried to remember if I ever saw fire works in Sweden. The only thing of that sort were the big fires we lit on the beach below our house. It was mostly done on the evening before the first of May. Walborgsmassoafton, it was called. But I think it was permitted on Midsummernightsafton also. There would be lots of singing and occasionally dancing. But most often the dance was held in our park, around the Maypole. Midsummer is the 24 of June and yet the pole is called the May pole.

But if we wanted to see real fire works we would have to go to Kopenhagen. Tivoli gardens were always fun. Sometimes that got very expensive. One time I had my four children with me and when our trip on the train came into the place to exit the train my cildren had heard that once you were a paid customer you could ride around on the train as many times as you wished. I told them to follow me off, but as I turned around they stayed on the train, and then waved to me every time they circled again. I finally found out that they couldn't get off till they paid for all the extra rides. I said you will find me back at our hotel. Good luck! They all cried
'we have no money' Then you have to have more than good luck. They were more co-operative after that.

Another thing happened on that trip to Kopenhamn. I told them that we would go to a John Wayne movie. It was shown on the same street where our hotel was. So we decided to walk. And we walked and walked. Block after block. I was so tired from a long day of sight seeing. But we went on and on. When we got to the theatre we found out it was barn forbjudet. No children allowed. There was violence shown and children couldn't see violence. I wonder if I could have taken them to a movie with a little nudity shown. Live and learn.

But nothing compares with the fire works on July Fourth in America. It is stirring and everyone loves them. But they are war like.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Happy July5

Yesterday I had the best July 4 in memory. The day was warm and sunny. At 6am I watered my tomato plants and my geraniums, swept my front porch and then sat down to read the book I got from the library. Martha advised me to read it to do away with the pains in my left knee. The title by Louise Hay is YOU CAN HEAL YOUR LIFE. The gist of what I have read so far is that you are supposed to look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself YOU ARE OK. Not listen to the voice from the past that repeats what you heard ages ago saying,YOU ARE BAD, YOU ARE NO GOOD etc. There is much more to try to learn and to remember. By forgiving yourself, you will be forgiving the ones who might have hurt you. And your body will stop hurting. All this is too simplified and I am eager to get back to the book to learn more. But I tried it this morning. I told myself I am OK. Not You talked too much last night. You should not have monopolized the time of those young people from Colorado. Normally there is guilt. This morning there was bliss. I had a wonderful time at Edna's and Butch's house last night.

The food was delicious and the company was outstanding and the fireworks loud and beautiful. But every year I try to count how many children could have been fed from the cost of that single thriller. Not festive of me, I know. So this year, two dogs and three young people and I stayed inside while the 'rockets blared'. And then Edna had another surprise. She had made Palomas. Egg white and sugar, whipped into a stiff mass, baked. Then strawberries and blueberries and whipped cream. What a finale.

My conscience bothered me, for I had left Edgar, my cat, at home and he was scared from all the noise from the street. I had left the TV on to make him feel less lonesome. And then I let him sleep behind my knees. We got along all night. And I am OK.

Edna and Butch, how can I thank you? You made me so happy. Thank you.