"It's Your Own Stupid Fault"

One time my friend, Linda, asked me what it was like to grow up in my family, that she often wondered how things went with 5 or 6 girls in the house at one time. My first answer was I remembered laughing. I do not think my sisters would answer the same way, but I will not let them influence my remembrances. Sometimes I will recall things which I laughed about and will laugh again. That is good stuff! 

One story I think about was having an organ in our living room where my two youngest sisters took their lessons. Not only was it a musical instrument, it had the capacity to record via a cassette recorder built into the equipment, and could also play cassette tapes. Their teacher would record some songs for the girls and at one time recorded a few Christmas songs as well. My grandmother, Lily, would often come home with us after church on Sundays and hang out. Her vision was not good (when I think of how long she lived like that, it makes me sad!) but I, being a teenager, loved to make her happy. One day I played the recording of "O, Holy Night" made by the teacher, and sat at the keyboard, simulated playing while I sang along. Grandma was so impressed with my skill!! As far as I know she never knew it wasn't me actually playing. 

Another funny event was a summer day when my parents were gone and we had the doors open for fresh air. I turned on the organ and put in the cassette of "Johnny B Goode" by Johnny Winter and just blasted it. We could hear it echoing off our neighbor's house!  All of a sudden I remembered that Grandma was taking a nap in one of the bedrooms. Oops! Immediately I shut that off and when she got up later on, I apologized for playing the music so loud earlier. She said, "That's okay, I just thought I was at Shady Lane..." which just killed us, trying imagine Johnny B Goode echoing in the halls of the old folks' home

But, what I tell Linda was the most fun, or most fun memory, for me was our meal time. As memories often go, I think of the time spent there as being joyful and a true delight. Even if it meant getting around hands smacked with the back of our dad's fork! He was so quick! I'm not sure my sisters remember things the same way I do, I might have different eyes and a more selective remembrance of those days. Fighting over doing the dishes? Yes! Who dries the fry pan--the washer or the person drying dishes? Why was that even a discussion? I guess because the dishtowel would get dirty from the cast iron pan. Somehow it was always an issue! 

One Sunday after lunch Lori and I were doing the dishes and we were singing and laughing. Mom's room was right off the kitchen and she was taking a rest, I think. She yelled to us to quiet down but just before she did, I had laughed so hard, singing a Bob Dylan song, that I threw up a little bit. It was mostly soda (yes, I had a problem in those days, too!) but that made us laugh all the more. I said, sounding pathetic, "Mom, I just threw up!" and she answered, "Well, it's your own stupid fault!" and we lost it yet again. To this day, this is one of our favorite shared expressions!