Submitted by Joanne (Burkard) Andersen
November of 2021, I drove by the house our family lived in during my middle school years. We lived there three years. It was nice to see it well kept all these years later. It was almost new then, less than 1250 square feet, 3 BR, 1 bath, single car garage, full basement. The back yard was so big my folks divided it in half. The huge garden on one side was the site of some of my first crazy plant lady experiments. I discovered: watermelon is very difficult to harvest accurately. No wonder my parents never grew it. Popcorn was much easier to grow, and sweet corn stalks fell apart by Halloween.
Driving by, I saw that the current residents liked plants, too: beautiful landscaping in the front yard. Over the years, the garage became living space. Makes sense. We accessed the basement steps by going out the kitchen door to the back of the garage. We made it work; painted the walls downstairs, put up shelves and it was the family area where Leona had the fancy birthday party with us playing her new record [Carousel, by the Turtles] over and over on the Kids Hi-Fi. Dad didn’t want us to wreck his custom made stereo. (he had done the custom making; his pride and joy). When Henry got the bow and arrow for Christmas, his shooting range was down there, as well.
The boys shared a bedroom. The girls shared one, too– the smallest bedroom ever! Thank goodness for the big southwest windows. The windows in that house were great for houseplant-growing. Mom had tables of them.
I recall family experiences: the weeks my mom spent in the hospital. Kids had to step up. I learned how to make roast in the electric skillet and boil potatoes, with extra for frying up the next meal. I washed out laundry in the sink when brothers needed clean Cub Scout shirts. Ironing Dad’s work shirts, just so. That was the only place we lived that I remember grandparents visiting. I don’t know if it was because Mom was sick; or that we were living much closer to them. When Mom was in the hospital, my dad took just me to see her. She was hooked up to so much that my child eyes had to cry. It was a hard year for her. After the surgeries, she was back to Mom and we were back to Kids.
Best friends for my three younger siblings lived right across the street. The zoo was a bike ride away. The little league ball fields were half a block away so my brothers easily could play each summer. We loved watching the games, and the concessions treats! The lo-o-ong blocks were wonderful at Halloween. My last year trick or treating, I filled a bag in two blocks.
The birthday gift I remember was my first camera. Dad showed me about f-stops and the flash attachment, but it was mostly automatic. I had to save up for the 12-shot film rolls and then for the black and white film developing.
My first conversation about the grown up working world was my parents’ dismay when Dad’s 25-cent raise resulted in a smaller [!] paycheck because of tax bracket charts. Mom was very upset and worried!
Oh what we learn when we are there. Living life.