Wistful Wednesday: October 2014 and July 1965

Recently Far Guy’s class had a get together.  He arranged it…I call him the class babysitter, he notifies everyone who has an email address when someone dies and he has a Facebook page for his class.

He was a little bummed out that more people didn’t show up. I am not sure how many kids were in his class..he says 157 and 19 are deceased..that is a 10% showing.  I told him to be thankful for those that showed up! 

There were thirteen total.  I am their official photographer.

Most are local..and live in the area OR have property in Park Rapids like Gravy.  Tom came from Denver Colorado. Two of the classmates (Jerry and Mary) are married and have been married a long time. We visit with three of the classmates on a regular basis (Sheila, Jackie and Gravy)

I am not much for reunions…I think they are a pain in the butt…however one of the gals that Far Guy used to date had a few old photos.

Photos from 49 years ago.

Joan, Gene, Linda and an unknown guy.

In July of 1965 they would have been about 15 years old. Linda died young..I think she was about 24 years old when she died from a brain tumor.  I have no idea who is taking the picture…this photo may have been taken in May of 1965….but it could have been taken early in July of 1965.

Someone who is in the photograph cannot remember a thing.

Wistful Wednesday: Christmas1965

My baby brother and I reminisced about a trip a long time ago. We drove with our parents and our other baby brother to California in 1965.  We left from Minnesota and drove what seemed like forever before stopping all night in Provo Utah. Apparently my parents took turns sleeping and driving.  I remember being discouraged at not being able to stop at The Great Salt Lake.  I was very impressed with the mountains in Provo. We either ate or hid all the fruit we had in the car at the California Border.  We didn’t stop at many restaurants..we ate sandwiches and fruit along the way.

We went to see my Dads sister..my Aunt Anna and Uncle Stanley and cousins Clark and Leann for Christmas.

My Mom took this photo.  It is marked Disney Land 1965.

My other baby brother Jody, My Dad, Me, My Aunt Anna hugging my baby brother Carey and Cousin Clark in front.

We went to Church at Midnight on Christmas Eve, after a supper of Pork Roast, Potatoes and Gravy and Lutefisk at Uncle Stanley’s parents.  I can still smell the Lutefisk cooking. Uffda.  Lutefisk is the Norwegians idea of a delicacy..it is dried cod that is soaked in lye and then cooked. 

As for the trip to Disneyland..I enjoyed the Jungle Cruise and the Haunted House the best!  The weather in California was wonderful.

My Dad shared that one time during this trip my baby brother and I were fighting in the backseat.  He stopped the car and made us get out and drove away.  Of course he didn’t drive far..and when we got back in the car we were well behaved:)

Wistful Wednesday: 1964/1965

Back in 1964/1965 I was in Junior High, eighth grade to be exact.  I joined band when I was in seventh grade.  I wanted to play drums. Every kid in the country wanted to play the drums, you just had to buy your own wooden sticks, no major investment.

I really didn’t want to learn to play an instrument. I just wanted to be in the Marching Band and be a majorette.  I wanted to wear some cute little outfit and twirl my baton. 

I never learned how to read music, I just kind of guessed what notes were in the ballpark.  I was tone deaf..I could not tell a sharp from a flat.

I got stuck playing the coronet.  My parents rented an instrument. I went to lessons, I even went to lessons during the summer at the Osage School.

I was in the Junior High marching band.  We practiced twice a week in the evenings, I learned how to march. I could even play a few notes while marching..not all of them..but a few. We had to memorize the entire song, no sheets of music were allowed.  Our Junior High Band Leaders were both  kind men. ( We had both Mr. Evju and Mr. Wood during those years.)   We marched in two parades a year..the Memorial Day Parade and the Homecoming Parade.

I tried out for majorette for three years..it was just not in the cards..I would only be a majorette in my mind.

The summer before tenth grade, the Senior High Band Leader gave me summer lessons.  I made him so angry that he would holler and get all red in the face.  He hollered at most of the kids, except for his favorites.  I had enough hollering in my life and when it came time to pick my classes for tenth grade..Band was not one of my choices. I was a band drop out.

Here is a photo of the Junior High Band in the1964/1965 school year.

Back then kids were placed according to their skill..there are 12 coronet players..I am eleventh out of twelve..My good friend Trudy wasn’t so hot either. ( I am in the fourth row second from the left.)  My very first date was with the young man in the last row 5th from the right..his name was Bobby he was a drummer, he used to come with his Mom to buy eggs at our place. See that gal in the second row on the left with the saxophone..she was in a band with her parents..she had natural talent.

We had uniforms..cantcha tell..dark skirts and white blouses/shirts. We had to have white tennis shoes for marching band..and dark colored pants..preferably black.

I often think back and wonder what made the Senior High Band Instructor so angry?  Did he get some weird perverted satisfaction from making young girls cry?  Well not me..I might have bawled afterwards but I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me bawl during a music lesson:)

Wistful Wednesday: 1965-1966

When I was 14 or 15 and my baby brother was 11 or 12, my Dad came home from working in Minneapolis/St. Paul one Friday night and he had a surprise for us. A Yamaha 50 Scooter/Motorbike..a 1965 or a 1966.

If I recall correctly it was supposed to be used to get us back and forth from the back field faster than a bicycle.

My baby brother and I had a blast with this little motorbike.  We learned hand signals and everything..they were all explained in the Owners Manual..which I read several times cover to cover. 

My baby brother was especially fond of this motorbike. I took this photo of him the year I took photography for a 4-H project.

I took Cathie one of my friends from High School for a spin. I will guess that Cathie’s Mom took this photo.

Having a motorbike was fun.. sure we got a few scrapes and cuts..and I used to burn my leg on the muffler regularly.  This little motorbikes top speed was about 35 miles per hour..plenty fast for me.

It would appear the my baby brother is revisiting his youth.  He called me the other day and said “Bought myself a Christmas present!”   I encouraged him to be careful and to always wear his helmet.

I did send him a email that said “Saw a guy that was in a motorcycle accident one day he had road rash all over his body..and he looked like one big scab..but he was alive thanks to his helmet.”

I wanted to say more..but I bit my tongue..like are you nuts? you are getting too old to revisit your youth..why didn’t you buy a flashy red convertible and a new hat?  ..did you know that machine weighs 957 pounds?  I should have encouraged him to stick to the back woods gravel roads..stay off the freeway..in Oregon there are more than one or two people on the road at the same time..instead I just said “Be Careful” big bossy sisters should just shut up sometimes. Besides that he looks happy!  Thank you to Mark K for the photos, I think he is part of that same over fifty searching for our youth motorcycle gang as my brother:)