Mom & Dad

Our home in Novato only had 3 bedrooms.  And there were 5 of us kids when we moved in there.  4 girls and Don.  None of the bedrooms were large enough for 4 girls...so mom and dad split us up--2 girls to each bedroom and Don had a room of his own.  Mom and Dad slept in the LIVING ROOM!!   On a HIDE A BED COUCH--- EVERY NIGHT!!!   I cannot imagine that!!   They had one of those accordion doors installed on half of the living room and that was their "bedroom" at night.  Each night they would close the accordion doors, pull out the hide a bed and go to bed.  I remember us kids would still be up a lot of the time.  How much privacy did they get???   and a hide a bed?  those are so uncomfortable!!!   I never gave their sleeping arrangement any thought as a child...but now that I'm an adult...I can see that was an enormous sacrifice!!  I probably would have put Don out there and took his bedroom!!!  or at the very least the 2 older girls...

Mom LOVED Holidays.  She decorated the house for every holiday that came along.  We never missed corned beef and cabbage on St Patricks Day, Valentine cookies and card, flags for Memorial Day..etc.  Mom just loved Holidays.  I just assumed everyone got that excited over Holidays...until I met David.  He could careless about any Holiday!!   I was grateful for Mom's example of how to enjoy each Holiday.

Mom loved Birthday's also.  That was the one day I felt special.  Sometime during my life Mom started the tradition of taking me out to dinner on my birthday.  Just Mom, Dad and me.  It was the only time I ever spent with just the two of them.  As I got older the other kids joined us..but when I was younger it was just the three of us.  Mom's favorite place to take me was the Green Mill in Cotati/Petaluma.   I can still remember having dinner and then Mom going over to the piano player and asking him to play "Alice Blue Gown" for my birthday.  I hated that!!!  I didn't know the song...and didn't want people looking at me.  But I appreciated Mom making each birthday special. 

One year I wanted to have a Birthday Party.  I was never a popular kid...never had many friends at school after Susie moved away.  So I don't know what I was thinking.  But..I invited a few girls from school and Mom had the party for me.  When Mom and I planned the party we decided to make taffy.  Why we decided that I have NO idea.  Mom was not the type of person that experimented with cooking.  She had never made taffy before in her life.  Needless to say...it was a flop.  The girls made fun of me and I NEVER thought about a party again!!

After I got married Mom still kept up the tradition of taking me out to dinner for my birthday.  At first it was David and I along with Mom and Dad.  Then after the kids came along they joined us. One year we decided to try a place called Stormy's out by the coast.  All four kids came along and the place was not a cheap place.  We were lined up along the long table on both sides.  I guess none of us adults were near Ken when he ordered dinner... cause we were all surprised when they brought him LOBSTER!!!  at "market price".   This has been a few years...but I remember it was around $50 for that lobster!!    $50 would have been able to feed us hamburger casseroles for a month!!!  Mom was shocked...but she kept taking me out to dinner for my birthdays.  We just watched what the kids ordered after that.

One year my dad wanted to get my mom a nice Christmas present...so he took me to Petaluma to buy her a dozen pair of nylon stockings.  He asked me what size she wore...and I really had no idea.  I guessed... WRONG!!  On Christmas morning mom was all upset at me for telling dad the wrong size.  I guess it never dawned on either of them that could return them... I remember those dozen nylons just sitting around for a long time.  One more occasion to confirm to dad that WAS stupid.  I was just good at screwing up as a kid!!

Another year Dad bought Mom a pair of bedroom slippers for her birthday... She hated them and let everyone know it. She said they were OLD LADY slippers and she would never wear them.  I guess Mom was just a tough person to buy for...  Dad should have just stuck with White Shoulders powder!!! Mom loved that.