COMPANY’S COMING
Back in the day: the Neighbors. Posted May, 2023: When I was a kid, people had company, and if at our house, mom made doughnuts. Not guests. Company. Visiting the neighbors for cake and coffee or Sunday dinner is what people did for social interaction, although there was also church, going to town for groceries or, for many, evenings at the local beer joints (of which in Northwoods lumberjack country there were more than an ample supply).You’ll see Ole and Mattea above, probably holding Myrtle. They came from the same part of Norway as dad. The big family, the Knights, lived a little over a mile away by road, 1/2 mile through the woods. Minnie Olson and her girls, the baby, Susie, a year or so younger than me, was my only nearby playmate. We ganged up on my baby brother Robert, over the early years (before he could run faster than us), dressing him in our leftover clothes and other tortures. The five following photos with multiple kids are of the Louis and Knute Weeks’ families, probably mom and dad’s best friends. Helen Week, arms folded between daughter Barb and husband Louie lived until about a year ago, over a hundred, the last of the elders to pass.
Finally, the last four photos are of us and cousins, and a fine one of Robert and Marsha, who had very big hair at that point in time.
Now in 2023.
These days our friends and neighbors definitely do not show up unannounced for cake and coffee. I mean who has cake around—or the knowledge of how to whip one up at the last minute. Maybe in the country still, but not even in small cities like ours. We meet at restaurants or bars or games or parties or for a hike or at the gym. Never At home. Just for cake and a gossip. (Although I have an old fashioned “neighbor lady” named Sandy who does, except that she usually wants wine instead of cake.)
However, that does not mean visiting is out of fashion. In my mind, that’s when ‘company’ comes for dinner or a sleepover. Almost always a major pleasure. Friends and/or family around a colorfully (rather than elegantly)-set table with a few good dishes (produced from scratch or nicely assembled from Costco), catching up on lives, chatting happily on into coffee, dessert.
My New York friends, Bernard and Vernon, were here for what will surely be among my favorite dinners of 2023. However long between visits it’s always the same: invigorating, appreciative of each other, and happy for the hours and food and the comfort of long-time friendships.
Also wonderful are the big-people sleepovers when friends; a grown (practically-old in fact) son; or a delightful grandchild shows up for a few days. Even that sibling you fought constantly with all those years ago is sought-after company. While I prefer living alone, it’s nevertheless great pleasure to have loved-ones, even like-a-lot-ones, around for a last wine or tea in the evening and still there for morning coffee. Conversations continued, new ones initiated, old tales retold, anticipated adventures announced. And none of us at the bowel-movement-stories age yet—thank the gods of present awareness, lingering memories and many available words.
First there was the bro’s in and outs. Robert and Marsha were determined to find their warm, sunny, winter haven no matter what. They arrived from Minnesota sometime late fall, hung around long enough for good visits and to acquire another trailer in which to put the stuff they manage to acquire out of thin air (well, actually garage sales, estate sales, consignment shops, etc.). They are shoppers extraordinaire, but not the kind that spend big bucks on elegance or even small money on stuff, you know…stuff new from stores. They are somewhat discriminating, in fact have pretty good taste, and have the bonus of a story that goes with each item. As in “well, we were driving through this swamp in Florida and while waiting for a herd of alligators to cross the road we noticed a house in some nearby woods, and it looked like they had some things for sale out front. Thought we might as well drive over, since alligators are so slow, and lo and behold, it was the gang from Deliverance, who after 40 years of therapy are out of prison and have come back to the old place to sell everything and move to the Florida’s “Villages–where DeSantis has promised a full pardon if they vote for him…which they’ll take, only to turn on him and vote for The-Donald in their first primaries ever.” That’s what Robert told me; sometimes he lies. Anyway Robert bought new wrenches and Marsha found a perfect old-fashioned something… and such a good story.
Lastly, but first in a way. Those of you with grandchildren know what I mean. Just what makes it so special to have grandchildren hang out with us? Maybe because they don’t have to in quite the same way our children do. There’s an extra bit of choice in there, and I for one, intend to go with that on the off-chance they have moments of finding that granny-vibe appealing.
Scott came to pass the time with dear old mum for a few days, Teresa and Jon came to enliven my life for nearly a week, and Sara hangs with uncle and cousins so I even see more of her. It’s such a good time. Both because they are special people all AND because their lives are full of the future and the world…and perhaps people as smart and sensible as they will stave off the apocalypse for another few generations…but let me not go down my apocalypse path on this nice Sunday afternoon.
Anyway Scott and Sandra are moving to the Philippines for awhile soon, Jon and Teresa are between Austin and San Francisco and Guam and California and New Mexico and multiple other sites of school, work, and their many friends’ many destination-bachelor and bachelorette parties. In fact this very weekend, Sara is at a bachelorette party in New Orleans. Who knew in addition to the metaverse and AI and America changing our national symbol to a buzzard-with-a-gun-in-its-beak there would be destination bachelor (ette) parties. Don’t know which is worse…you see in olden times, we……………
Nice times noted for posterity.
I enjoy everything you write and share, but this especially.. fond memories for me as well. Visiting relatives for a day sometimes a week with favorite Aunt. And the many visits of family to our house in Bridgeville. Once we had 10 family plus us…5 more in one house.. it was great fun