Normalcy

I've been back for a couple of days now and am beginning to achieve normalcy, or would that be normality.

If you've been reading Adrienne's blog you know all about the cruise in much better prose than I could have done. We had a wonderful time and Adrienne turned out to be one of those people who was born to cruise. Considering that I did everything she did, but that I did it all sitting down and being pushed in a wheelchair, one might wonder why I am still feeling so exhausted.

On the house front, I just called Detroit Edison and had the electricity taken out of my name. I turned in the keys before I left for the cruise and authorized maintenance to complete any repairs or adjustments they felt were necessary to finalize the sale. They did have a buyer that gave a deposit so whenever their final closing is, I will be getting a small check for my equity in that unit. Small because most of my equity was transferred to this new unit.

I am busy watching all the shows I taped while I was gone. Fate shortened that chore for me when the VCR in the kitchen died and two whole tapes didn't tape. Also one Living room tape messed up so I only have 32 hours to watch. I am about half done. In the meantime I have to continue taping the current shows until I catch up with the back ones.

Life gets complicated when you travel.

Lazy farmer

I doubt if the kid was Farmer Jack himself but damn.

I did a load of shopping at Farmer Jack this morning. I don't usually shop there but they had pop and milk on sale and those are my staples.

I came to my car with a cart full of stuff, and as I opened my trunk along came a cart picker-upper. I was glad to see him, anticipating help. He stood there with a hand on the side of my cart, never looked directly at me and waited until I had unloaded everything into the trunk. When he didn't offer to help, I was too angry to ask. As I put the last 12 pack of pop in the trunk, I was going to say "That's alright, I've got it", but he was gone with the cart already.

I caulked

I want my dull and boring life back. I want to go days at a time without having to leave the house or think about anything but the book I'm reading and Law and Order. I think I can see it on the horizon.

My emotions are fluctuating with the frustration of dealing with contracted trades people and the guilty twinges of how much others are doing for me. Even Sandra (Erika's Mother-in-Law) who got my humidifier working and explained to me how to fix the leak in my shower doors. The shower doors, that I hate anyways, but accepted when I bought the unit, were leaking and left puddles on the floor. This morning, after letting the area dry thoroughly, I put down some caulky stuff. I expected it to be clear but it was white so I had to do the whole front instead of just the problem spot.

Jeff, (step-father to Karl's daughter, Stephanie) spent many many hours here on Monday, his holiday off. He connected the cable in the rooms the cable-guy refused to drill holes for. Jeff drilled the holes and hooked everything up. He installed my gas dryer to the gas line that had been capped, and went over and capped the line at my old unit. He had to go back and forth to Lowe's a few times. Then to top it all off, when he was done, he couldn't get the furnace to kick on again. He had the instruction book and followed everything it said but the house got colder and colder. I felt bad because he was feeling bad and I assured him that I could call maintenance in the morning.

I ended up spending the night at Jeannette's (hence, the shower here didn't get used and had a chance to dry out) and when I got home from the Windsor casino, the house was nice and warm, and the work order left by maintenance said it was a faulty switch and they replaced it.

I have a little over a week before Adrienne gets here for the cruise and I intend to spend it reading and watching tv (on cable in every room, yeaa). Oh yeah, and packing.

I'm Home

and I am a happy camper. After a few false starts I know which way to turn and which parking lot I belong in. Rita and I have set some ground rules about getting into each other's business and carrying on our lives like we did before.

Erika has got everything unpacked and set up for me. It will take me a while to know where everything is and I can re-arrange as I go along, if necessary.

Now I can start concentrating on packing for the cruise.

What a Guy

The first of three people who are checking out my unit just left. He was the appraisor. After he called for an appointment I recalled that one of the papers I had signed was authorization to charge me $65.00 for this service. He checked the humidifier, air conditioner, marble sills, storm doors and handrail. These are the authorized improvements for which the coorporation will assign fair value to charge the incoming member.

I asked if he needed me to go to the basement with him and he said no. So I went further and asked if he would bring up my ice chopper on his way back up and he did. Then he went further and he scraped the ice off my porch before he left. Title line, What a Guy.

I have prospective buyers coming today. One, a man, at 3:00 pm and the other a couple that live here in Holliday Park at 7:00 pm. I have actually travelled with the wife, Karen Moore (for those of you who have travelled with me, Karen usually rooms with her mother, Barbara Long). Karen's mother-in-law is on the list but out of town right now so Karen and her husband are going to come look at the place for her. Karen's mother, Barbara already lives here in lot 27 and will actually be about three doors down from me in my new place.

It is a little more intimidating to show my home, with all its flaws, and the disclaimer that I need a buyer that will accept the place "as is" when its somebody I know rather than a stranger.

Long Day

Boy, yesterday was a long day. It started at about 4:30 a.m. and continued for at least 19 hours. Of course, the first five of those hours revolved around MGM Casino. Erika is a champion. I lost count of how many trips she made between the two house shlepping stuff over. I even stopped going with her at some point yesterday afternoon.

She did a stellar job on the basement and had it all vacuumed and everything by the time Ron (prospective buyer) came by to look at the place. This is the second place he has looked at and he said the first one was not as well maintained as this one. I really expected that I was at the bottom of that list, but maybe there are some real slobs around while I am more of a wannabe.

The dishwasher didn't get so much wired on Wednesday so I am meeting the electrician over there Monday morning. Also there was a puddle of water under the sink and Erika met the plumber over there this morning and hopefully that is fixed.

Mail was resumed here as promised and as of today I have received everything I was waiting for. One thing was a form from an investment company that needed to verify my and Erika's signatures and it was going to be so handy getting it while she was here to sign it. The postmark showed that it was mailed 12/7 and it was delivered about 2 hours after she left for home today.

No Wishy Washy me

So, I went over to the new house to leave a note for the cabinet installers and what should I find, but the cabinets all ripped out and the installers on the job. I told them why I was there and they already knew that I wanted a dishwasher. I told them I was having second thoughts because the electrical was going to cost $150.00 and I didn't even know how much the plumbing would cost. "Well", the guy said, "I could probably let you know that part in about 15 minutes because I have encountered a plumbing problem when we took out the cabinets and the plumber is on his way over here". (note - the problem encountered belongs to the corporation and not to me). So I gave him Rita's phone number and went over there to wait for the call.

About a half hour later he called and said the plumber was there if I wanted to talk to him. I went over. The plumber from Dearborn Heights Plumbing said he could plumb it in for $165.00. He asked if I had the dishwasher yet. I said No, there was one on sale at Sears that I was going to get if everything worked out but I hadn't bought one yet. He showed me the problem that because of the flooring, it created a ridge between the cabinet line and the floor and if the cabinet was set in place, it would not just slide out to put the dishwasher in. He said if I had the dishwasher he could do the work right now and avoid having to take it apart later. I said I could go to Sears right now and buy it but I don't know when it would get delivered. Plumber guy said if I bought it right now he would go pick it up for me and come back and install it.

I said "what about the electrical". Installer guy said that could be done through the floor and the unit would not have to come out for that part. Installer guy also said he could do the wiring but he was not actually a licensed electrician. I said "Oh, no, I know these people at Holliday Park, I will need licensed workmen if this needs approval". Installer guy said "I have an electrician that I use, let me call him and see what he can do".

So I get in the car and go to Sears to get the Kenmore dishwasher that was on sale for $299.00. The one on display is black. I asked the salesman, do you have this in white. Let me go check he says, I say, if not, do you have this other one, the Fridgidair (that was on sale for $210.00) He says, I'll check them both. Alas, he comes back and neither one is in stock. Can I have this one from the floor? The white Fridgidair? Oh, no, he says. We can't do that. I explain that I have a plumber in the palm of my hand that will come by in a half hour to pick up a dishwasher. Come with me he says. He has a G.E. discontinued model marked down to $149.00. Sold, I say.

So I go back to the house, give the receipt to the plumber and he leaves to get the dishwasher. In the meantime, installer guy has talked to his electrician and he's in the neighborhood and can come over and do the wiring for the $150.00. Electrical guy will need a check. Plumber guy has agreed to bill me. I came home to get my checkbook. I can cover the $150.00 but just. My automatic deposit of S.S. comes on the 3rd Wednesday of the month and that comes late this month.

So I am a very happy lady. For less than $500.00 I have an installed dishwasher. And better yet, my new cabinets will be installed for this weekend and me and Erika can start moving the kitchen stuff. Also, I like the cabinets very much because instead of that silly half shelf in the bottom cabinets, the top shelves of the bottom cabinets are sliders.

So, floating on a happy bubble, I called maintenance when I got home at about 4:30 to see what I had to do to get it approved. Watch out for the big bubble bursting prick. Well, first, he says, you fill out the request form and we tell you whether you can get a dishwasher or not. Then if you get the OK your contractors have to pull city permits - Wait, I say, the dishwasher is already installed. Well, you can't do that, he says. To whom am I speaking, I say. My name is Russ, he says. I say, you are the one who was supposed to call me this morning to let me know whether the dishwasher was something that even needed approval. Well, he says, I've been tied up all day. Well, I say, while you were tied up, I have had a dishwasher installed. Well, he says, they may make you take it out. Whatever, I say. I'm done with him.

In other woe whoas, I went online last week and changed my address with the Post Office with a start date of 12/26 and I haven't received any mail since. I called the post office this morning and she was sorry for the inconvenience, but they don't get the internet information, all they get is notification that the address has been changed. So they have a forwarding order. I said, I was there yesterday and nothing has been forwarded. (there are a few things I have been waiting for, not the least of which is my medications) Well, the forwarded stuff wouldn't get there that fast, but if the start date hasn't been reached yet, the forwarded stuff should come back to them. They will resume delivery here today. Yeaa If the meantime, if my medications are among "the forwarded stuff", that is in limbo somewhere I still have a 16 day supply on hand. It should get sorted out by then, right?

Woe after woe after whoa

The good news is that my cabinets have been delivered and the installer has been notified but not scheduled as yet. Lauri, the maintenance lady suggested that I go over and put a note in the existing cabinet that I plan to have a dishwasher installed so they won't bolt in that particular cabinet.

Then she asked me if I had turned in that request to the improvement committee. I didn't think that a dishwasher was an authorized improvement but she wasn't sure about that.

It also turns out that a newly installed dishwasher has to be plumbed and electrified and stuff like that. I called Family Heating and the electrification will cost $150.00. They do not do the plumbing and have no idea what that might cost. I am starting to like my portable better and better.

More Paulette

My name is ReJeanne Paulette Beauregard
My address is 8354 Navy St., Detroit, Mich.
I was born today Friday, February 12, 1937 at 4 o'clock p.m.
My mother Alberta Dalpe
My father Azarias Beauregard
Dr. Edgar, Vernor Hwy at Springwells, Detroit, Price _____
Nurse Mde Monty paid $5.00
God father Louis Langevin
God mother Jeanne Beauregard
Baptised Sunday, February 28, 1937 at 2 o'clock p.m. at St. Gabriel Church, Vernor Hwy at Norman
Weight 8 3/4 lbs
I was supposed to have Dr. Durocher but he was gone to Florida on a vacation and he had Dr. Edgar to take care of me. Doctor arrive after I was born
Sat up August 27
First tooth August 28
Second tooth September 2
Start walking December 22, 1937
Had Doctor Ashe care for mouth troubles (gums red) July 1940
Toxin - Anti-toxin treatment first shot July 16, 1940 by Doctor Ashe and second shot August 16, 1940 by Dr. Edgar. Dr. Ashe was gone on Vacation
Had measles (rougeole) April, 1941 No doctor care
Broke her right arm (joignet) July 1941, Fixed at Delray Hospital by young Dr. Durocher
Broke her right arm again at the elbow October 24, 1941, fixed at St. Mary Hospital by Dr. Falk
Measles (3 days) April 1942

More Aunt Monica

(translated from the French where necessary)

My name is Marie Monica Agnes Beauregard
My address 8354 Navy, Detroit, Michigan
I was born today, Wednesday, July 17, 1935 at eleven o'clock p.m.
My mother Alberta Dalpe
My father Azarias Beauregard
I had no doctor because I was born before the doctor arrive - but I was taken care after birth by Dr. Durocher (paid $20.00) I had Nurse Monty
My Godfather Georges Blanchard
My Godmother Agnes Bresko
Baptised Sunday August 4th 1935 at 2:00 pm at St. Gabriel church on Vernor Highway at Norman, Detroit
Weight 8 3/4 lbs
First smile July 28, 1935
I had measles December, 1935
First tooth March 3, 1936
Second tooth March 12, 1936
Stood alone September 19, 1936
Had Whooping Cough (coquelouche) April, 1936
First steps October 2, 1936
Had toxin anti-toxin treatment first shot July 16, 1940 by Dr. Ashe, Vernor Hwy and second shot by Dr. Edgar August 15, 1940 (Dr. Ashe gone on vacation)
Had measles (rougeole) April 1941.

That's where that record ends. For the new record, congratulations Monica on your third attempt at retirement.

When I first read through this record, I missed the ditto marks under the word March for the second tooth and I read it as 12/36. I pictured this poor baby with only one tooth for nine months.

Walk Through

The resale lady, Christy did a walk through on my house this morning and made a note of all the things that the new buyer would have to accept "as is" if I was not willing to change them. There is very little that I am willing to change. I plan to take down the changing table and the cabinet in the downstairs bathroom and that's about it.

I put a value of $1,000.00 on the improvements that I can charge for which include the new carpeting in the living room, stairway and hallway; the ceiling fans in the hallway and bedroom, that she said could be considered decorative lighting; and I also plan to leave all the window treatments and the hall mirror and rugs in the basement and basement stairs. I have extra electrical outlets and a phone jack in the basement that Taj installed and the phone jack in the living room that Jeff put in when I got my computer.

For a person that likes to do their own decorating this will be a pretty good place.

Yet Again, more Theresa

Its only fitting that after not giving her a thought for sixty odd years Theresa can be the subject of another blog.

In things I brought home from Papa's house after he died, I have all the information about Mama's funeral. It turns out that it was at that time that Papa bought the headstone for Theresa's grave. There are receipts for two headstones. One for Alberta Beauregard, at Our Lady of Hope Cemetary and one for Baby Theresa Beauregard at Holy Cross Cemetary.

Theresa's is described as pink marble with a baby angel and a cross. Almost makes me want to go see it.

Movin on

We are doing so good. My linen closet is all set up at the new place. I just kept a couple sets of towels here. My bed linens normally live in a dresser drawer so they are not an issue.

The toy cupboard is empty and everything is boxed up to bring over after Jackson gets up from his nap. Toy cupboard is a euphamism for a bottom kitchen cupboard unit that we had in the basement on Navy that the kids kept their toys in. The cupboard is in my basement here and used for various storage as it will be in the new place but to our family it will forever be a toy cupboard.

We will be doing more packing tonight to bring over there in the morning and then I will be ready to gel for a couple of weeks. Erika will be back the weekend of the 16th to take care of any other stuff that can be done before the truck move.

Bought and Sold

I never want to buy or sell a house again as long as I live. I closed on my new place today. I did a final walk through with maintenance and I have the keys. The new cabinets have not yet been installed. The new basement floor is the same tile that is in my present kitchen. The kitchen tile in the new place has some nice blue in it that matched the counter tops. The new counter top was already there and it is beige. Good thing I'm not a matchy type person.

I went in with the attitude that I was going to read everything before I signed it. I got over that.

I have rescinded my present unit and the new one is my primary residence. I have parking lot tags for the new place, but they can't throw me out of here till 1/30/06.

I have a truck reserved for 12/26/05. Jeff is going to pick it up at 4:30 PM and we have it reserved until 12/28/05 at 4:30 pm if we need it that long. I'm thinking we can probably bring it back on the 27th but Jeff is in charge of that and whatever he says goes.

Gretchen is having Christmas dinner at Tonya's (Spicer) and her family will be here until Wednesday. I don't know Erika's timeline yet.

Steph is coming over this afternoon and I want to take a card table and chairs over to the new place and maybe move some of the clothes from my closet (and my new Joy Mangano designer hangers). I just thought of bringing a couple of lamps over also since there are no light fixtures in the bedrooms.

I can't believe how stressful this all is and I think I am starting to understand what heart palpitations are.

A Better Way

We all knew that Papa was pretty shrewd and could always find the best way to get things done. Even though that could be a trait that might become annoying to a wife, this is one of the times it paid off for him.

More Baby Theresa

I came across this in the packing, it starts in english and goes into French after the Godparents, so that part is my translation

June 30, 1934

My name is Marie Therese Beauregard
243 Campbell, Detroit, Michigan
I born today, Saturday at 8 O'clock a.m.
My mother: Alberta Dalpe
My father: Azarias Beauregard
Doctor Durocher - paid $30.00
No nurse
Godfather: Eddie Beauregard
Godmother: Germaine Laplante
Baptized Sunday July 1, 1934 at 3 O'clock in the afternoon at Holy Redeemer Church at Junction and Vernor Highway in Detroit, Michigan
Weight - 9 1/2 lbs
First smile: June 30, 1934
Died - July 2, 1934 at 7 O'clock p.m.
Buried July 3, 1934 at 3 O'clock p.m. at Holy Cross cemetery.
Description of my place at the cemetery
Holy Cross Cemetery, Detroit Michigan
Burial No. 30943
Grave No. 841
Lot No. 2
Section N
Deceased baby Theresa Beauregard
Undertaker A.L. Kent Co.
Office 8850 Dix Ave, Phone Cedar 0545
Supertendant residence 8930 Dix Ave. Phone Cedar 0545

The cause of her death, (my translation) Something broken in her stomach and she was spitting up black blood. (written French) Quelques chose de brisee en dedans de son estomac et elle remoyait du sang noir.

Flowers
grave blanket of white carnations from her father and mother
crown of white and yellow roses from her Godfather and Godmother

Serious packing

Its beginning to feel a lot like I'm going to move. Stephanie came over today and we got into some serious packing. The entire linnen cupboard upstairs is empty. The other hall cupboard has only towels and toiletries that I'm bringing with me. Stephanie took home a lot of stuff that I didn't want to just throw out or give to Purple Heart. Gretchen had already taken all the pictures with her. We went through and discarded a ton of greeting cards I had been saving for some reason.

There were a few other things mixed in with the greeting cards that Steph made me save. Like a letter from Adrienne that began with the sentence "I hate Gretchen" and the last sentence was the same. Steph thought Adrienne would get a kick out of getting it back.

We went through the green folder in my dresser drawer. It was a multi-pocketed folder wherein each of my children had a separate pocket in which I kept report cards, school pictures, birth certificates etc. It didn't take long for the green folder to overtake the whole drawer.

You now each have separate folders and Steph took all of Karl's stuff.

Its really just a drop in the bucket, but it seems huge right now.

Camping and Salvation Army

From John

Spending a week every year at the Salvation Army Camp (summer camp) with Ma (but no men were allowed). Maybe you and Monica might remember this as well.

from Monica
Do you remember at that Salvation Army summer camp there was a little boy who took a liking to ma, and he would sit next to her at the table with us to eat. One time when ma had a piping hot cup of tea, he rolled his hands over the steam of her cup, saying, "oh, that's nice & warm." Ma said to him "get your hands away from my tea!" (You know, little boy-dirty hands and germs and all.) I wouldn't have wanted his dirty hands rolled over my tea either.

from Paulette
I think we went to this Salvation Army camp just one time. Rita was 12 and I was 8. It was just mothers and children. Boys were housed separately but because Gabby was only 6 (or maybe 5 if it was before his birthday) he was allowed to stay with Mama and us. The little boy of the dirty hands belonged to a woman who was housed with us. She had one other daughter with her who was about Rita's age. I thought she was much poorer than us because her daughter did not have a bathing suit and went swimming in her underpants. Mama was scandalized, and thought she was too old to be doing that.

Families whose boy children were housed separately were still seated together for meals which is why the dirty handed (and they were always dirty) kid was at our table. It was cold when we were rousted out of our beds in the mornings and made to go to the dining hall for breakfast and he did like to warm his hands over Mama's hot tea.

On Sunday morning we were obliged to attend the Christian service with songs and sermons but that wasn't enough for Mama, after the service we met in our cabin and got down on our knees to say the rosary. Since the other lady was also Catholic Mama offered for her to join us. She accepted and called her daughter to come in. When the girl was leaving her friends to come in she explained to them that she had to go in to say the "rosalie or something like that" and she would be back shortly.

We learned lots of songs and games and did crafts. Mama got rid of us for long periods during each day and she didn't have to fix any meals, so it probably was more of a vacation for her than for us.

Somebody in the parish had told Mama that this camp was available to the underprivileged and I remember going on the streetcar with her and having trouble finding the building on Bagley where we had to go to sign up. I don't remember if any of the other kids came with us or not.



from John
Going to day camp one day per week in the summers.

from Paulette
Oh, boy, Day Camp. We used to have to walk, early in the morning, to the pick up spot. One year I remember being picked up at Wilson School, another time at Harms School. We would bring a bag lunch and the busses would take us to Rouge park where we would have organized games and crafts. There was usually a day during the week that was designated as Swimming day when we went to Rouge Pools (I think that's what it was called). After my first swim day Marcel asked me if we had swum with black kids. I said yes, we had and he said "And did it come off." I thought that was a mean thing for him to say. We had very little contact with black people and I don't remember being acquainted with any of them or having any interaction other than sharing a swimming pool.

Farms, Paper Drives and Ice Cream

Farms
from John
Going to the Ford garden with Pa where we used to pick our own vegetables.

from Monica
I don't remember going to the Ford farm to pick vegetables. I know that Marcel & Bernie did some planting, etc (farming or whatever) to grow those vegetables, and miraculously we had all of these tomatoes (maybe you, Gabby, helped to pick them, but I don't remember ever being there myself). Pa would wash all of the tomatoes, and he had these little wooden pint boxes he would fill them with tomatoes, and we would put them in the wagon & go around the neighborhood selling them for 10 cents a box. The neighbors were always glad to see us when we came by with those great tomatoes. Sometimes, to my chagrin, a person would go through a few of our boxes and create their own version of 10 cents worth.

from Marcel
Ford Trade School had gardens for the boys to work on. Henry Ford believed that everybody should know how to farm, just as he did when he was a youth. We always ate the corn that we brought home but had a surfeit of tomatoes. I was so pleased that I did not have to go and sell those tomatoes and felt a little sorry for you girls having to do it. Only now I find out you did not mind at all, and it was easy.

from Bernie
I DO NOT REMEMBER ANY OF YOU CLEANING THE HOUSE. I DID PLANT AND PICK TOMATOES THOUGH.

from Paulette
It was only recently that Marcel mentioned that Mama used to let us keep part of the money we got for the tomatoes. I don't remember ever seeing any of it. Maybe that's why Rita used to be able to buy us broken chips at the Better Made place on Vernor on the way to the show. I remember one year getting and being expected to eat purple corn. I remember the wonderful smells coming from the basement when Mama made her "ketchup" after the tomato harvest.

Paper drives
from John
I remember going up and down the street collecting newspapers with my wagon for the annual
church paper drive. Did any of you do that?

from Monica
Paper drives, yes St. Gabriel School would sponsor it once a year. They made it a contest between the grades. I remember one year my 5th grade class won. We had such a sport of a nun, she even made up a song for us which we sang every day during the drive. How could we lose? I think we got a day off from school as the prize. What a payoff!

from Paulette
Was that just once a year. It seems like it was pretty often. It must have been for several days at a time because I remember bringing my wagonload to the school driveway and watching them load it (and tally for my classroom) and heading out again to get more. And then starting all over again the next day. One year our nun assigned a "buddy" so no one would be canvassing alone. I got stuck with a lazy little Mexican boy named Manuel (we pronounced it with three syllables)


Ice cream
from John
Going to the out door ice cream social on the corner of Mulane and Gartner (I think). I think it was a church or VFW that sponsored the event. I think you were supposed to pay to get in but I used to just walk in without paying. Boy that ice cream was good (and all you could eat).

from Monica
Once a year in the summer the Baptist Church held an ice cream social on their church grounds. The congregation purchased coupons for ice cream on a paper plate. It was outside with big tables to sit. It was just at the end of our alley, and we would walk over there and look through the fence at all these people, with these heaping plates of ice cream. Once in a while, a man would walk over and give one of us a coupon & we would go through the gate and get a plate of it. I don't think I ever tasted vanilla ice cream any better than that!

from Marcel
The place that had the ice cream socials was the Masonic Temple on the corner of Lawndale and Senator. Ernest Butler was a member of the DeMolay at that Temple.

from Paulette
Marcel is right it was a Masonic Temple. The lot right on the corner of Lawndale and Senator was vacant and that's where the ice cream social was. The temple was next to that on Lawndale and then Pop's grocery store. Then the Navy bar, and right on the corner of Navy and Lawndale was a cleaners. On the corner of Mulane and Gartner was a store we called Kretchman's (sp). Do any of you remember the Red Store (corner of Mulane and Senator) and the Brown Store (on Mulane between Senator and Whittaker)?

I don't remember looking at the ice cream through the fence (was there a fence?), I remember being given tickets and standing in line for the ice cream. I just assumed it was all free. Probably the Masons took pity on us poor little Catholic children.

Beaches & French Fries

From John
Going to Jefferson Beach with the whole family on Sundays and swimming in Lake St Claire. Ma would bring a picnic lunch. I remember once Rita brought Jim Sheedy and he accidentally stepped in Ma's apple pie. I remember we all had bad sunburns and we hurt all the way home in the car.

from Monica
Lake St. Claire-During the summer, every Sunday we went on a picnic over there (summers are short in Michigan), always got sunburned pretty good from one week to the next. One year Sunday was immediately followed by the 4th of July and we HAD to go again. I felt like I went dragging and kicking the whole way; my skin burned so bad already. Didn't we use suntan lotion in those days? Remember the Uncle who had a French-fry stand over there, and he would give us these paper containers full of hot French-fries, he had some sort of vinegar to put on them. Ummmm so good.

I don't remember Jim stepping in the pie on a picnic, but I do remember that during the winters, Ma used the back porch, right in the corner by the door, to keep big pots of soup for the next day, no room in the fridge for that. And Jim was leaving, going out the back door and he wasn't looking, and stepped on the cover of that pot, and it caved, and his foot, shoe, pants, and all we soaking wet with cold soup. He was so embarrassed, I felt bad for him. Of course, we didn't have soup the next day.

from Marcel
I do remember the apple pie incident. My recollection is that we ate it anyway. The person with the french fries was not an uncle, he was Paul Gelinas. His trick was to put orange rind in his grease which gave it additional flavor. Paul was a piano tuner by trade.

from John
I don't remember actually eating the pie but now that you mention it I recall Mama arguing that since it was covered by a piece of wax paper it would be OK to eat. Yuuuk.


from Paulette
Before we started going to Maceday Lake it was to Belle River in Canada. Then for some reason we stopped going to Canada and started going to beaches way on the east side of detroit. Jefferson Beach, Willow Beach and finally St. Clair Beach. We used to go swimming every Sunday during the summer. Mama would go to an early Mass and while the rest of us were at church she would pack up the lunch and other paraphernalia and it would all be sitting on a corner of the back porch when we got home. All we had to do was change clothes, load up the car and we were on our way.
Before we had coolers like we use today, Papa used to have a big galvanized tub covered with a tarp and he would get a block of ice and cool his beer in it. I don't know if they also cooled soft drinks, I know we never got any.

There were usually extended family and friends there also. I'm pretty sure it was at St. Clair Beach that Paul Gelinas had the french-fry booth. Mama told me he got the good flavor in the french fries oil by frying fruit and putting in a teaspoon of vanilla. She started doing that and I continued that with my kids, but the only fruit I ever had was apples. In later days Paul opened a fast food restaurant on Vernor near Dix. Where the muslim temple is now.

I remember getting home on Sunday nights, sleepy, tired, and sun burned. I also remember the year that the 4th of July fell on Monday and we had to start the whole cycle again. I guess we usually had a week in between for the sunburns to level out a little. That day sitting crowded in the back seat was more torture that usual. I don't remember if we sang that day. We three girls, sitting in the back seat is where we did a lot of singing and harmonizing. Whenever Marcel was with us he joined in. I don't remember either of the other boys ever joining in.

I remember having to unload the car and take care of putting away the picnic stuff and hanging out the wet bathing suits and towels when we got home. Ma always said she would get everything ready but when we got home her shift was over. She went in the house and relaxed. I adopted that attitude with my own family.