"Family Fun" Day

Originally Written Between 2017-2020                                          

 

“Hey kids!  It’s time for Family Fun Day!”  “Yea!” says little seven-year old Joanne and “Yea!” says her ten-year old sister, Mary.  One didn’t hear any “yeas” or “yippees” from their oldest sibling -- brother Steve -- who at age 13, doesn’t consider “Family Fun Day” fun at all!  Why?  Because Steve is used to actually WORKING during the “fun day” while Mary and Joanne simply perform a few easy chores and then could disappear for the rest of the day.   

 

One of our Family Fun Days was actually held twice a year:  Once, in the spring when it was time to put our dock in the water.  The second was, of course, in the fall when the dock had to come out for the winter.  Dad and Steve would don their waders and after several hours of hauling and pounding each section of the dock in – or out -- of the cold mud, the job would be complete.  They would take several breaks, of course, and that is where Joanne and I came into the picture.  Mom would provide the snacks, coffee, pop, and beer and we would bring all the goodies down to the lake for dad and Steve.  Boy, Joanne and I sure had it tough!

 

This “family fun” ritual lasted several years until age took its toll on my dad.  He no longer had the strength to lift each section and pound in the posts while standing in the cold water for long periods of time.  The leadership of this chore now fell to Steve while dad took on the role of supervising the pop breaks for his teen-aged grandsons who were now old enough to provide the muscle to get the job done quickly. 

 

Another “family fun day” that I vaguely remember – again, because dad and Steve did most of the work --  is the day my dad would come home with a trailer full of cut wood.  It was our job to throw each log through an open basement window where dad and Steve would stack the logs in the old coal bin.  It was fun for a while; but, the novelty soon wore off when the air became cooler and our noses started to run.  Time for a pop – or hot chocolate – break, which my mom always provided.

 

I’d like to end with a really fun, but odd, “family fun day.”  Mom and dad had a ritual of placing their spare change in an empty wine bottle – the gallon size.  It took a few years to fill the bottle and that’s why I only remember having this adventure a couple of times.  What did we do?  Well, Mom would open up a couple of card tables in the living room.  She’d close the drapes – so the neighbors couldn’t see what we were doing.  Dad would place penny, nickel, and dime coin wrappers on each table and empty the coins from the wine bottle so we could “count our money!” 

 

Oh, it was fun making little piles of pennies or dimes and we soon accumulated quite a haul.  Dad said that we would use the money we collected on a fun family trip.  I remember one trip to Spearfish, South Dakota to see the Black Hills Passion Play.  I also remember reading all of the billboards advertising the famous Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota.  We had to stop there, of course, and I remember purchasing a piggy bank in the shape of a black bear.  Guess I was thinking ahead to when I would close the drapes in my living room and count my fortune!  

 

Fast forward to 1965. Norm and I started saving our change when we got married.  Of course, our piggy bank was a gallon-sized wine bottle.  We filled it up a long time ago but simply brought it to the bank to determine how much money we had saved.  We are on our second wine bottle; which now is about half full.  But, you know?  Banks don’t count your money for you anymore.  So, I think it’s time to call our grandkids over for an evening of “family fun.”