Cooking Class

In seventh grade, at Venice High School, all the girls had to take "Cooking." My first attempt at making a cake at home was almost a disaster. Mom was taking a nap, and I took the big mixing bowl in and woke her up, showing her this big ball of dough. She immediately discovered that I had measured the flour in a 2-cup measure, so my two cups of flour was actually four. She added a few more ingredients, and helped me roll out my dough and we made the BEST cookies ever!

The Bicycle

My cousin, Gene McGowan, wore out his bicycle and the tires, then gave the bike to me. I just loved bicycle riding and went ahead and rode it on the rims. Since it was so worn out, my brother Andy talked me into giving it to him. Then, he fixed it all up. It never seemed quite fair.

Mom and Daddy

When Mom rocked me to sleep, she would sing songs like All His Jewels, Precious Jewels, Bright Gems for His Crown, and Hushabye My Little Owlet.

Daddy held me on his lap when a preacher came to preach to our neighbors in our living room. I asked Daddy about the Holy Ghost. Daddy explained Who He is.

Little Adventures

Little half-pint bottles of milk were delivered to Kindergarten every day. One time, I had a nickle, and I got to buy a bottle. I chose chocolate milk!

Mom took all of us kids on a hike clear over to the big "L" on the side of the hill below Loyola University. We climbed up the hill and touched it.

When the new Lincoln Boulevard bridge was being built over La Ballona Creek, Mom and all of us kids walked over there, and sat on the sand under it, and we sang Shall We Gather at the River?

Diving

Daddy had a big load of sand dumped on the ground inside his workshop. My friend Charlie Plumblee and I would stand on top of the anvil and jump onto the pile of sand, pretending we were diving into a pool. I don't think I ever dived onto my head!

In the spring when the grass was really high, Charlie and I pretended we were diving, this time, from an old car seat on the ground. Its springs gave us a good bounce. Charlie "dove" and landed on a broken bottle, gashing his pants and his bottom. I ran home, screaming for help. Mom and Paul came running, and Mom held Charlie's wound together while she and Paul (who could drive the Model A) took Charlie to the Venice Police Station where they could get First Aid. Charlie got a lot of stitches, was told.

Summertime

In the summertime we never wore shoes. It felt good to walk along the dirt road next, to the Japanese vegetable fields, where the dust was warm and dry and would poof up between my toes.

My older brothers and sisters Billy, Ralph, Mary, Paul and Andy would put Rachel, or me, into the big old wheelbarrow, put a blindforld over our eyes and after turning the barrow around several times, would take us to some place in the neighborhood, usually over several big bumps, then stop and make us guess where we were. We'd be inside one of the row of garages across the street on Rubens, or down by the irrigation ditch on Alla Road, or maybe back behind Daddy's workshop where the old anvil and forge were. It was always fun being blindfolded.

Ralph's Corncobs

One time, mom fixed a big platter of steamed corn on the cob. Someone had the bright idea of passing all of our cobs down to my brother Ralph's place, and we all held our breaths until he discovered them stacked by his plate. Then we all had a good laugh, including Ralph.

Singing

We learned to sing in harmony while doing the dishes. We sang songs like, I've Been Working on the Railroad, You Are My Sunshine, and other camp songs, plus just about every hymn in the hymnbook. We did a trio at the little Mar Vista Fundamental Church on Inglewood Blvd., and always had parts in the Christmas and Easter programs.

Rachel and I sang a duet just once, for Machado Grammar School's "Talent Show." I think we sang, When I Grow Too Old to Dream. (Rachel will probably remember what we sang). Our first duet at church was hymn number 212 in Tabernacle Hymns Number Four, Near to the Heart of God. I was about six.