“Birthday Memories!” | Grandma’s Stories

Sep 12th “Birthday Memories!”

Today, I received my first – pre “BIRTHDAY Call Wish” for this year! This call was from my A- #1 Grand-daughter, Alyssa. Last, Sunday we celebrated a little pre-Birthday with Grand-Parent’s Day – but when tomorrow gets here it will be official – Big Birthday Day – sure hope to be here? Alyssa suggested that I write memories of – that is some of the “BEST” memories of previous Birthdays – to share with everyone – or what the family might like to hear about?

When we lived in the Pine Lawn, Missouri area and our lives seem to be on top of the world – in as much as we three children knew – that was the place to have a “PARTY!” For me the eldest of three and the only girl – my Father invited everyone! My Father, did things like a Party – on a grand scale – He did the cooking and baking and plenty to drink for adults as there were just a couple of kids in the neighborhood that I played with. My brothers were both in the “baby play pen” and I on the old side and with all the adults – we were blowing those noise-makers that had that extended blow-out piece – that with plenty of your wind you could blow right into someone’s face! Which we all did!

With, WW II going on – and a big change in our living – we moved to North Saint Louis – and things really came down to a lower scale of living for everyone , but especially for us! My Birthday Party there, there were two names of playmates that lived on the same street that were invited Alice Thomas, who was always a regular at our house and across the street – two brothers Ronnie and Virgil Strunk and another girl across the street – cannot remember her name. This was a lower budget PARTY – but my Father – as a CHEF by trade – did the cooking and baking and the “ICE CREAM Store was on the next block. I was the one to run down the block to the Rexall Drug – for the hand packed ice-cream. Alice Thomas was my “TAG-a-long” friend who would go with me – running and back again!

Another “BIRTHDAY” – this is when I was in the “ORPHANAGE” and SEVENTH GRADE. My Aunt Irene Riley – one the world’s best bakers – best at a lot of the domestic stuff – decided to have a Party for the 7^th grade class and was allowed to have access to the dining room – where my brothers and I had our meals. In all the years- that I was in the “Orphanage” – no other child had – had such an occasion to celebrate with class-mates and family. One of my class-mates, Jeanne Seattle – her aunt – Aunt Mary Kreutzer drove my Aunt Irene with all of the party stuff – cake and ice cream – the most important things. The reason Jeanne Seattle’s Aunt Mary did the driving is that the, “Aunts are cousins” and of the same age – besides being good old friends. The kids in the Orphanage did not know the Jeanne and I were related.

If it is your “BIRTHDAY” – dear “READER” – “Congratulations and Happy Birthday” – I always tell everyone that I think – that the – 13th of September – is the best day of the year to have your “Birthday!” “What do you think?”