Company was coming. The air was electrified. Houses were cleaned. Pies were baked. Larders were replenished. And, if the company came from far away, bedrooms and sleeping spaces were shuffled to accomodate. Possibly the reason for some of my time on McKinstry.
Company had to be shown the Detroit Zoo. Company had to be shown Belle Isle. Company had to be shown Edgewater Park, especially, the fun house.
One year, when Company included the Grandparents, we all walked to the home of Petit Noir who lived on Pearl near Vernor Highway to show them TV. On a Tuesday night, of course, so we could watch Milton Berle. That year we also showed them a Drive-In Movie and went to see Trail of the Lonesome Pines.
Dinners were planned. Dinners that required more than one table setting not including the children who were fed early and then pressed into service to fetch and carry, serve and clear.
After dinner the floors were cleared for dancing and entertainment. Children were encouraged to perform and so did the adults. At Ma'Tante Vonna's house on Clark Street there was a victrola in the living room with good dance music records. Squares would form up and Tony was the caller.
First couple lead to the right. four hands around and Birdie in the Cage. Birdie fly out and the gent fly in. Gent fly out and two couples swing.
After the dancing started nobody paid much attention to the kids. We got to play outside. It was dark out. If it got too scary outside, nobody noticed if you found a quiet place to sit just inside the doorway and watch.
When the party was at our house, and bedtime had been achieved, no one noticed if we crept down the staircase to listen.
3 comments:
You need to write a book
I'll say she does! It's like I wasn't even there.
My recollection is that kids were fed last. We were shooed out of the house during the meal and were called in after everybody had eaten. Maybe, when I got older and sat with the adults (and you were still a kid) you were fed first and helped with the main serving. Bernie and I listened to many songs, all in French, and many baudy. All that dancing and singing for self entertainment. Are we better off now that we can do it by merely turning on a TV?
Post a Comment