Monday morning, May 21, 1956 my baby sister Barbara Joanne arrived at the Owatonna City Hospital!! Judi, Craig and I were shipped across the farm field to our neighbor's the Sahf's to be watched while Mother and Father were busy with welcoming their newest creation. It was a sunny day, a heavenly spring morning and I can remember being very excited to learn I had a baby sister. Sitting at Mrs. Sahf's breakfast table eating a bowl of cereal, I also remember her telling me "only one teaspoon of sugar" should I be using - at home I think I was allowed to use two! After awhile, Father came to fetch us and bring us over to Waseca to stay at Grandpa and Grandma Evenson's where indulgence reigned supreme. Grandma served dessert with breakfast and would ask the milkman to leave a bottle of chocolate milk when grandchildren were visiting! We didn't have any special toys or such at Gr & Gr's, but rather we would be left to explore the lawn, climb the trees, dig with a big spoon to find pretty rocks in the driveway or play with a cousin or two should they happen by. Inside the house the place we loved was the little attic off of Uncle Ellsworth's room - we could always find something fascinating there. Or maybe we would be allowed to use the little record player in Aunt Kathryn's room, or dig around in the big closet in Uncle Charles' room - all the while, Grandma would be busy with cooking in the kitchen, or doing the wash (a ringer washing machine in the basement!) and hanging it on the clothesline. Grandpa, a retired farmer, would have been working at the Birdseye plant I think, and at noon the uncles (Aunt Kathryn worked in Owatonna) would come home for dinner, a big plate of fried hamburgers - toothpicks in the ones with the onions, a stack of white and a stack or wheat bread, butter and jam, a big bowl of vegetables, maybe some rhubarb sauce and always followed by dessert of some kind. We rested awhile after that and soon the smell of the the daily homemade cake would float upstairs and we knew it was time for afternoon coffee! We took turns licking the kettle that Grandma made the boiled chocolate frosting in....ahhh, memories....thank you Barbara for being born on that beautiful May morning, the thoughts of which have allowed me to bask in the glow of a wonderful time in my life.
Happy Birthday ~ Love you always Barbara Joanne!
Leave a comment