It's 3 o'clock already and I have managed to get a few odds and ends done around here. I cleaned up my latest batch of Port Angeles beach rocks (soaked in bleach) so I can get busy on painting again. I've got maybe four left in my car to hide at some point. I took a stab at waterpainting earlier this week and painted these pictures. (from old quilt and rock painting examples)
It
was the last week of January in 1959 and I was 16 years old, although it could
have been 1960 or 1961. Marilyn Reno had offered her home as a birthday party
place for Mary Pearce on the last Saturday of the month. I had convinced my dad
earlier in the week to let me borrow our car (a green and white 1957 Chevy
wagon) and spend the night at Mary’s house. She lived about a mile from our
place and he agreed on the condition I leave the car parked and not go cruising
around town as there were snow flurries off and on.
Mary
and I and her younger sister, Teresa, were hanging out with some Chimacum boys
that year and somehow or another we arranged to pick them up and go riding
around town. Yes, I did exactly what dad told me not to do. The guys knew a guy
(I think it was Tommy Butler) who would buy us a half case of beer. Oh, we were
so bad. I found out too late that Dad decided he’d make sure his car was parked
at Mary’s house. He had his brother and his wife, my Uncle Jim and Aunt
Lillian, take him in their car to check me out. Wouldn’t you know…. they came
towards us as we drove down the street. I had allowed one of the boys to drive.
Big mistake. When I saw Jim’s car make a
U-turn and come after us, I screamed at the driver (Buddy Glen) to speed up. We
needed to dispose of the beer bottles fast! As we went around corners, we tossed bottles
out the windows. All in sight of the car following us, of course. Boy, were we stupid! Chances are if I had used my head, we
probably could have hidden the half case under a blanket in the rear of the car
and I could have disposed of it later in the night. But I didn’t think of that until the next
day.
We
finally pulled over and dad was hot under the collar. And that’s putting it
mildly. He ordered the three boys out of the car and told them to walk home. I
intervened and said they live ten miles away and it’s freezing cold. Too
bad! Dad yelled. You should be glad I’m
not turning you in for car theft and having liquor. Mary and Teresa’s dad was a very domineering
and abusive father who we all feared. He
was working swing shift at the mill that night which enabled us to climb out
Mary’s second story bedroom window to make our getaway in my dad’s car parked
in the back yard. Another thing I recall
about that night was that Mary’s aunt Lena had read our fortunes earlier in the
evening with her deck of cards and told me I was going on a trip. We all
laughed as we knew we did have a trip planned later – out the window!
When
dad threatened to tell Mary’s father about our escapade, we all pleaded with
him not to and he must have sensed our desperation as he allowed them to walk
on home. We weren’t that far from their house and thankfully, dad never did
tell. He was plenty mad at me, however,
and decided he was going to find the police and tell them what we did. He yelled at me the entire time as he drove
around and around trying to locate the police cruiser. He cussed “You never can find a god-damn cop when you
need one.” Eventually, he did find the chief of police and I was questioned
about who bought the beer for us. I made up a story as I went along because
there was no way I was going to rat out my friends.
Dad
took me on home and I was in the doghouse for days. He even went so far as to
accuse me of being “just like my mother.” That was the ultimate insult and I
screamed back at him about it. The Saturday
party was approaching and I began my pleading day after day “please let me
attend this party as I’m the hostess. Once I’m done, I’ll stay in the rest of
the month.” He refused but I was relentless and continued to plead my case. I
was very surprised when he eventually said okay. I’ll never know for sure why except he did
like Mary and probably didn’t want to ruin her special day. And there were over
a dozen girls invited, including my sister. I wasn’t really in much of a party
mood that afternoon but I made it through and walked on tiptoe for weeks
afterwards.
Here's a picture of me, Buddy, and Mary as we hooked up several years later at a party.
I watched a few videos on Youtube about how to use your air fryer and it's amazing how much you can do. It's going to take me a while, though, to get comfortable enough to keep experimenting. Those videos can be addicting. The one I subscribed to cooked eggs (instead of having to boil them), ears of corn, whole chickens, potatoes, and a ton of other stuff.
I heard today that I'm getting a new neighbor on the side of my apartment where the bedroom is. Don't know much about him except he has two small dogs that yap a lot. Oh goodie. Now I'll have dogs on each side of me.
My fingers continue to be numb and tingling off and on throughout the day. Seems to let up if I stay put in my recliner so I assume it's a nerve issue in my low back. Or whatever. Have another month before I can see my new doctor and then she'll probably refer me to another person. Such is the medical world we live in today.
Can't think of much news offhand but then I don't do anything to warrant news. My oldest daughter may stop in to visit this Friday and my second oldest is coming by the following Friday. Our floor continues to change with new residents. One guy moved to Kai Tai (permanently) and another lady moved in a few doors down. A woman near my end of the hall is moving to the first floor and at least one or two new folks have moved in during the last two or three weeks. I'll be lucky if I ever meet them. One lady who moved to Kai Tai a few months ago is going to have a surprise next week when a carload of residents go down to wave at her once she's brought outside. You can't go in but somebody arranged to have a fire truck and cop car salute her with a siren drive by. I've been asked to take pictures so I hope it all happens.
And just so spice things up, I dug throught my archive and chose a few oldies to share....
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